North Korea prime suspect in Sony Pictures cyber attack

U.S. news sources are listing North Korea as the prime suspect in a massive cyber-attack on Sony pictures last week.  The huge security breach is one of the largest in Hollywood history, and it appears to be in retaliation for the upcoming release of the Sony Pictures movie "The Interview", a raunchy comedy starring James Franco and Seth Rogan which details a plan to assassinate North Korean president, Kim Jong Un.  North Korean officials call the movie "undisguised terrorism and a war action,"  and threatened "a strong and merciless countermeasure" if the movie is released.

 Responsibility for the malicious attack was claimed by a mysterious group #Guardians of Peace, and the tactics used are similar to a cyber attack committed last year by North Korea against the South Korean government.  The disruptive attack leaked unreleased movies online, including a new Brad Pitt movie, "Fury" and the upcoming Christmas movie, "Annie".  Salary information of Sony executives was also released.



Sony hacking story

Boy missing four years found behind fake wall in Georgia

An incident in Georgia last week has drawn intense national attention.  On Saturday in Clayton, GA, police officers pulled back a piece of wall between the garage and attic of a house and found 13-year-old Gregory Jean Jr. huddled inside.  The boy had been missing for 4 years.

The boy's father and stepmother were arrested and held without bail on several charges, including false imprisonment and obstruction of an officer.  The stepmother, Samantha Davis, also had several other child cruelty claims launched against her, including heating a pair of scissors and cutting off a piece of son's tongue.

The missing boy had been contacting his mother, who had called 911 and told authorities her son was being held against his will and being abused.  The boy thanked rescuers for finding him.

USA Today story

Utah revives plan for execution by firing squad

Utah has reinstated the option of death by firing squad if lethal injection drugs cannot be obtained 30 days before a scheduled execution.  Utah is one of 32 states in the U.S. that allow capital punishment. Utah stopped allowing inmates to choose a firing-squad execution in 2004, citing the excessive media attention it gave prisoners. Those sentenced to death before the law changed still have the option of choosing it. Under current Utah law, death by firing squad is only an option for criminals sentenced to death before 2004. It was last used in 2010. 

The Supreme Court started allowing capital punishment in 1976, and since then lethal injection is one of the most common methods used. For years, states used a three-drug combination to execute inmates, but European drug makers have refused to sell them to prisons and corrections departments out of opposition to the death penalty.

ABC News,com story

Relentless snowstorm pummels part of New York

A ferocious storm dumped massive piles of snow on parts of upstate New York, trapping residents in their homes and stranding motorists on roadways, as temperatures in all 50 states fell to freezing or below.  Some parts of upstate New York in the Buffalo area got six feel of snow, and more is expected in the next 2 days. The storm was also blamed for four deaths.

Residents were ordered to stay in their homes, but some people were even stranded in their vehicles.  A women's basketball team was trapped in their bus for 17 hours before they were rescued.  The storm has created an emergency situation for rescue vehicles since they were not able to get through the blocked roads.  A warm-up is expected this weekend which could trigger flooding.  Heavy snow is common in cities near the Great Lakes like Buffalo, although this storm was unusual.

CBS News.com story

Obama vows to use executive orders to accomplish goals

President Obama was defiant last week, as post-election backlash escalated among Republicans.  The GOP believes that by winning both houses of congress in majorities that it received a mandate from voters to take control of contentious issues like immigration, climate change and healthcare.  However, Obama pointed out that only 33% of Americans voted, and that past efforts to compromise with the Republicans in congress have not been successful.  Obama plans to use executive orders especially to push through immigration reform which would remove the deportation threat for millions of undocumented workers.  Obama returns to the U.S. after a trip to Asia that saw a landmark deal with China.

CNN News story

Regular pot habit changes your brain

Regular pot use by especially younger smokers can deteriorate the orbitofrontal cortex, or the part of the brain that helps you make decisions, according to a new study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.  The researchers compared non-users to regular users, some of whom had regular daily exposure to marijuana for as long as thirty years, but where the average duration was ten years.

Another adverse effect encountered by the study was lowered IQ ratings in chronic users, by as much as 5 points lower, however this finding was not conclusive, but tended to indicate the duration and onset of use, in adolescents had negative long-term effects.  Studies like this one challenge the widespread belief that marijuana is a harmless drug.

CNN story on marijuana

First major winter storm hits the Northern Plains

Plunging temperatures will accompany a strong winter storm that is expected to pelt Minnesota with more than 18 inches of snow.  The mid-section of the state will bear the brunt of the heaviest snow, as well as North and South Dakota.  Frigid temperatures, some of which could drop as much as 40 degrees overnight are expected to linger following the storm, as a warm-up is not expected.  The cause of the storm is the remnants of Typhoon Nuri that hit Alaska over the weekend.  The heavy snow is due to Gulf of Mexico moisture flowing northward and colliding with the jet stream.

ABC News.com story

GOP wins ensure more gridlock

In a decisive result Tuesday, Americans declared their discontent with Democratic leadership by electing the first all Republican Congress since 2006.  This will contribute to more gridlock on issues like immigration, minimum wage equity, healthcare and climate change, that Republicans have refused to budge on in the past.  President Obama will likely have to use his veto power more in the next two years in response to legislation that will likely be passed.  The last two years of Obama's presidency do not hold positive impacts for future presidential candidates unless voters grow disenchanted with government results and place more blame on Congress.

MSNBC.com story

New 'Call of Duty' boasts star power and fire power

The latest version of the popular video game franchise, "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" launched on November 3.  The sensory assault experience is said to rival the quality of a fast-paced action movie.  The realm of Call of Duty puts players in realistic warfare situations, with an intriguing story line voiced by Oscar-winning actor, Kevin Spacey. One setting is the streets of Seoul, South Korea, which is under attack by North Korean troops.  Sales of the game for its first year are expected to top $1.26 billion.  

USA Today review

What is pushing oil and gas prices lower?

Gas prices are at their lowest price in over four years.  Several factors have led to this decline, according to economic experts.  One of the main reasons for lower prices is the boom in domestic oil production.  U.S. oil production has risen 50% in the past several years.  Higher efficiency energy sources are contributing to the price drop as well.  Another reason for the low prices is overproduction by oil producing countries in oil cartels like OPEC.  OPEC controlled prices for years and kept them at an artificially high level.  The duration of low prices is uncertain, however, as some of the factors do not have a predictable outcome.

CBS News Story and Video

Instead of Columbus Day, some cities honoring indigenous people

In a trend that has been continuing for the past ten years or so, some cities, including Seattle and Minneapolis, have adopted resolutions that shift the focus from Christopher Columbus to indigenous people who are generally thought to be native to the North American continent.  Some feel the holiday honors the colonization of the Americans by Europeans, which had many negative impacts on native tribal groups.  By renaming the day 'Indigenous People's Day', the thriving cultural contributions that native people have made are honored and celebrated.  

The holiday, which was originally celebrated on October 12, was enacted by President Benjamin Harrison in 1892.  It was moved to the second Monday in October in 1971, and is still a federal holiday, although 16 states don't honor it.

CNN story

17 year old Pakastani girl wins Nobel Peace Prize

Pakistani teen Malala Yousafzai and Indian children's rights activist, Kailash Satyarthi, were jointly awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.  It is the youngest winner ever, and the awards were significant in that the two countries have been involved in deadly clashes along their common border.  Malala was shot in the head by Taliban members in 2012 on a school bus for attending school. She is still receiving treatment in Britain for her injuries. She later wrote a book about her experience, "I am Malala".  The other winner, Satyarthi, 60, has continued to fight against the exploitation of children for financial gain.

Youtube interview with Malala

MSNBC News story

Bees sting and kill Arizona man, injure four others

An aggressive swarm of perhaps more than 800,000 bees was responsible for the attack and death of a man in the southern Arizona town of Douglas.  The bees were discovered in a 3 by 8 foot hive in the attic of an elderly homeowner's house.  Officials said that the massive hive could have been accumulating for 10 years inside the house, and that the owner probably did not know they were there.  An exterminator described the bees as Africanized or 'killer bees' which have steadily been migrating northward since their development in Brazil in the 1950's.  Arizona is one of several southwest U.S. states where Aficanized bees have been found.  Africanized bees tend to be more defensive of the hive and sting in groups, thus causing death in certain cases after multiple stings.

USA Today story

Where is Kim Jung-Un?

In the 34 days since North Korea's leader Kim Jung-Un has been seen publicly, speculation has increased about his whereabouts.  Theories ranging from poor health to a bloodless coup have abounded.  The 31-year-old leader had been recently seen walking with a limp, and the visit by a North Korean military delegation to the South Korean capital for surprise talks stirred talk of unrest in North Korea.  A medical history of cardiac disease and cardiovascular issues of Kim's father, Kim Jong-Il, and weight issues are the leading factors for beliefs about health problems. Some analysts are even suggesting that Kim's younger sister is running the country.  The official government will likely release pictures soon of Kim to reassure people of his well-being.

ABC News story

Total lunar eclipse on Wednesday morning offers unusual twist

Because of the timing of the total lunar eclipse expected to be visible on Wednesday morning, observers might be able to see an unusual occurrence.  Occasionally, the eclipse occurs simultaneously with the sun rising.  The eclipse which is expected to occur between about 5:30 a.m. and 6:45 a.m. Wednesday morning might offer this event especially in areas of the U.S., like Minnesota and Iowa.  The moon will be totally immersed in the earth's shadow right before it sets, and the sun is coming up.  The totally eclipsed moon, which is sometimes referred to as a "blood moon" will resemble a weirdly illuminated red globe, if weather conditions are favorable.

CBS News story

'Active shooter' incidents on the rise

The number of incidents in which a shooter opens fire on a crowd of people more than doubled over the past seven years compared with the previous seven, the FBI found in a study made public Wednesday.The Federal Bureau of Investigation analyzed 160 "active shooter" incidents from 2000 through 2013 to look for common elements that might guide law enforcement officers in preventing the shootings or responding more effectively.

The study found an average of six incidents per year from 2000 through 2006. The number rose to 16 incidents annually in the past seven years. The 160 incidents studied began with the Dec. 26, 2000, shooting at Edgewater Technology in Wakefield, Mass., when Michael McDermott, 42, armed with several weapons, shot seven of his co-workers to death. Police found him sitting in a conference room. Researchers also examined the shootings at Case Western Reserve University, ConAgra, Red Lake High School, Fort Hood, Virginia Tech, the U.S. Holocaust Museum and Sandy Hook Elementary School, among others.

The FBI study defined "active shooters" as a person or people "actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people" in a "populated area." That is different from mass shooting incidents, which include any shooting in which more than three people are killed. It also excluded domestic violence and drug and gang-related violence. Of the 160 incidents studied, 64 fit the federal definition of mass killing.


Active shooter story from USA Today

7-year-old takes mom's SUV on a joyride

Winona, Minnesota, police say a 7-year-old boy took a joyride in his mom's SUV.  Police were called Monday morning on a report of an erratic driver in a Chevrolet Traverse. The driver was going slowly and weaving.  Officers arrived to see the SUV slowly moving in the parking lot of an apartment complex. Police found the boy in the backseat of the locked vehicle after he apparently moved from the driver's seat.  Officers persuaded the boy to unlock the doors. He led officers to his apartment, where his mother said she had fallen asleep and her son had discovered the car keys.

The Winona Daily News (http://bit.ly/1sWHELH ) reports the boy was not hurt and the SUV was not damaged. No charges are planned, but the case was referred to community services.

Star Tribune story

Spanking isn't child abuse; it's common sense--Ruben Navarrette

In Navarrette's blog, he suggests that parents use spanking as an acceptable form of punishment.  In order to gain respect, he says, children need to fear some kind of consequences for bad behavior.  He says that American parents have lost control of their children because they don't have any consequences that they fear for breaking the rules.  He suggests that this practice is harming children because parents are neglecting their responsibility to raise responsible, respectful adults.  He also says there must be rules to spanking: no foreign objects, just the palm of your hand; one swat, through clothes, not bare skin; and never hit a child in anger.

Spanking story, CNN.com

Installing security checkpoints around White House under discussion

After a security breach on Friday, experts are suggesting that the White House and Secret Service agents need more vigilance about intruders.  On Friday, a 42-year-old military veteran jumped the White House fence and made it to the front door of the White House before Secret Service agents apprehended him.  The White House has heavy surveillance at all times, so authorities are questioning how someone was able to break through and enter restricted areas.  The intruder was armed with a knife, but agents reported that he did not appear to be a threat and that he also appeared mentally unstable.  Less than 24 hours after this incident, another person refused to leave the White House gate area and had to be detained for questioning.  The two incidents did not appear to be related. 

CBS News story

Scotland votes NO to independence

In a historic vote yesterday, Scottish citizens voted no in a 55%-45% margin to leave the United Kingdom.  After weeks of buildup the country decided to reject ending their 307 year union with England. Glasgow citizens voted mostly in favor of independence, while the remainder of the country favored remaining in an alliance with England, Wales and Northern Ireland.  The ballot referendum had a record 85% voter turnout, and the results of the voting calmed investors and stock markets around the world.

Solar flare headed for Earth

 A Solar flare is headed for Earth.  The huge eruption of electromagnetic particles occurred Wednesday, and scientists predicted it could have serious impacts on satellites that provide cellphone service, for example.  The ejection of energy is not unusual, but the flare that happened on Wednesday was on the large end of the energy scale.  One positive effect of the activity is a more pronounced view of the shimmering Aurora Borealis, or  Northern Lights.