Midday Open Thread

• Unbelievable.

  WASHINGTON – The Army said Wednesday that 7,000 family members of soldiers killed in the Iraq or Afghan wars mistakenly were sent letters addressing them as "John Doe." Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., was sending a personal letter to all the families who received the improperly addressed letters as the result of a printing error, the Army said.

• Larry Craig has given up on the appeals process to have his sex sting conviction overturned.
• December's retail numbers are in and were worse than predicted. Even discount chains like Wal-Mart missed their targets.
• Protestors in Oakland, CA turned violent yesterday while protesting the new years shooting of an unarmed man at a BART station. During yesterdays riot, more than a dozen storefronts were vandalized or destroyed, along with numerous vehicles (including the Oakland Mayor's Lexus). More than 100 arrests were made after the crowd refused to disperse.
• Scientists aren't certain what is causing pelicans to fall like rain. Dazed and confused pelicans have been turning up all along the west coast.
• Wendy Norris from the Colorado Independent reports that Michael "heckuva job" Brownie has been forced to evacuate from his Boulder, CO area home due to wildfire.
• President-elect Obama appears to set to revamp the Homeland Security department.
• The AARP announced its list of legislative priorities for the newly-seated congress, citing the economy and healthcare as top priorities:

  With more than 40 million members among the crucial bloc of voters 50 or older, the nonpartisan AARP is in a position to do just that and to be a major player in the Obama administration’s health reform push, for which it has been preparing for at least two years.

  - DemFromCT

• If coming to DC for the inauguration and contemplating the Netroots Nation Yes We Can Party, don't hestiate any longer- tickets are going fast.
• Andy Stern from the SEIU will be doing a live Q&A at 4:15 est about the SEIU's new Change that Works campaign to pass the Employee Free Choice, Health Care reform, and an Economic Recovery package. You can submit live questions here.