Welcome to the Overnight News Digest with a crew consisting of founder Magnifico, current leader Neon Vincent, regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, wader, Man Oh Man, rfall, and JML9999. Alumni editors include (but not limited to) palantir, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, ek hornbeck, ScottyUrb, Interceptor7, BentLiberal, Oke and jlms qkw. The guest editor is annetteboardman.
Please feel free to share your articles and stories in the comments.
BBC
Ex-World Jewish Congress head Edgar Bronfman dies
Billionaire businessman and long-time head of the World Jewish Congress Edgar Bronfman has died in New York, aged 84.
The Canadian-born son of east European immigrants, he successfully expanded the family's liquor company Seagram, taking over as president in 1971.
As WJC leader from 1981 to 2007 he was a prominent champion of Jewish causes.
Under his tenure, the US lobbied the Soviet Union to allow Jews to emigrate. Bronfman also helped force Swiss banks return over $1bn to Holocaust victims.
His successor as president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, said in a statement: "Many Jews around the world are better off today because of Edgar's determined, unrelenting fight for justice on their behalf.
"His name will forever be enshrined in the history books."
Bronfman died of natural causes at his home surrounded by relatives on Saturday, according to the family's Samuel Bronfman Foundation.
L A Times
Obama warns of further military action, if needed, in South Sudan.
HONOLULU -- President Obama told congressional leaders Sunday that he was closely monitoring the unrest in South Sudan, after four U.S. service members were attacked near Bor, and said he “may take further action to support the security of U.S. citizens, personnel and property, including our Embassy, in South Sudan.”
After an aborted rescue mission of U.S. citizens Saturday, 380 U.S. officials and private citizens -- as well as 300 citizens of other nations -- were evacuated from South Sudan on chartered flights and military aircraft, according to a statement Sunday from State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
Officials “took steps to ensure fighting factions were aware these flights were a humanitarian mission,” she said. “We strongly recommend U.S. citizens in South Sudan depart immediately, and we encourage those who remain to keep in touch with the Embassy and update their locations and status by contacting us at SouthSudanEmergencyUSC@state.gov,” Psaki said.
L A Times
Spanish government moves to restrict access to abortion.
MADRID -- In a move denounced by abortion-rights advocates, Spain's conservative government Friday approved an abortion bill that would outlaw the procedure except in cases of rape, "lasting harm" to the health of the mother or fetal deformities "incompatible with life."
To request an abortion, a woman would need the approval of two doctors outside the clinic treating her and would have to observe a seven-day reflection period. Girls younger than 18 would need their parents' permission and would need to be accompanied by their parents to request an abortion.
The bill, unveiled by Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon after a Cabinet meeting Friday, must still pass parliament to become law. But the ruling Popular Party holds a majority, so approval is virtually assured.
Since 2010, abortion has been legal in Spain, without restriction, until the 14th week of pregnancy, or until the 22nd week in cases of any fetal deformity. Parental permission is required only for girls younger than 16.
Is this the most important thing for Spain to be doing with unemployment at 25%?
NPR
Grasslands Get Squeezed As Another 1.6 Million Acres Go Into Crops
As the year winds down, we here at NPR are looking at a few key numbers that explain the big trends of 2013.
Today's number: 1.6 million.
That's 1.6 million acres — about the area of the state of Delaware.
That's how much land was removed this year from the federal Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP, which pays farmers to keep land covered with native grasses or sometimes trees. Most of that land now will produce crops like corn or wheat.
If you drive through farm country, especially in the northern plains, you'll see large fields covered with grass.
The federal government is paying for much of that grass. The U.S. Department of Agriculture pays farmers to plant permanent vegetation, usually native grasses, on that land instead of crops. This brings back a little bit of the prairie, which comes with all kinds of environmental benefits.
In 2005, I spent several days touring CRP land in both North Dakota and Kansas. In North Dakota, biologist Ron Reynolds, then with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, led me into a field of tall grass. He pulled back some of the grass and showed me a nest with seven duck eggs. "The eggs are warm," he said. "You can feel the eggs. [The mother duck] is just starting to incubate."
USA Today
Colorado resorts brace for marijuana tourism
Colorado's ski resorts and mountain towns are bracing for an influx of tourists seeking a now-legal Rocky Mountain high.
Last year, the state legalized the possession and use of small amounts of recreational marijuana, and on Jan. 1 special stores will be allowed to sell pot to anyone 21 and over. Voters had previously approved a medical marijuana system, but last fall's vote threw the doors wide open by requiring state officials to regulate pot like alcohol.
With several companies offering marijuana tours — sightseeing tours of the state's high country, with marijuana supplied — police and ski area operators worry that tourists who don't understand the rules will be sparking up on the slopes.
CNet
White House tries to prevent ruling on NSA surveillance
The Obama administration has filed papers to prevent a federal judge from issuing a ruling on whether the government's warrantless surveillance programs are constitutional.
In a pair of filings late Friday with the Northern District of California, the White House acknowledged for the first time that NSA's bulk data collection on American's Internet and phone activity was authorized by President Bush in the weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
"President Bush issued authorizations approximately every 30-60 days," wrote James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence. "Although the precise terms changed over time, each presidential authorization required the minimization of information collected concerning American citizens to the extent consistent with the effective accomplishment of the mission of detection and prevention of acts of terrorism within the United States. NSA also applied additional internal constraints on the presidentially authorized activities."
The government argued, that despite recent leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, further revelation's about the NSA's surveillance and data collection programs could put the government's security at risk if they were divulged in court, he wrote
.
BBC
'Massive' reservoir of melt water found under Greenland ice
Researchers say they have discovered a large reservoir of melt water that sits under the Greenland ice sheet all year round.
The scientists say the water is stored in the air space between particles of ice, similar to the way that fruit juice stays liquid in a slush drink.
The aquifer, which covers an area the size of Ireland, could yield important clues to sea level rise.
This new research finds that a significant amount is stored in partially compacted snow called firn.
In the spring of 2011, researchers drilled deep into this slushy layer and to their surprise, found liquid water flowing back to the surface even though air temperatures were -15 degrees C.
As this was well before the onset of the summer melt, the team concluded the water had persisted in a liquid state through the Greenland winter.
"This discovery was a surprise," said Prof Rick Forster from the University of Utah.
N Y Times
Al Qaeda Branch in Yemen Regrets Hospital Attack
CAIRO — In a rare public apology, the leader of Al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen has said that one of his fighters disobeyed orders and attacked a hospital attached to the Defense Ministry during a December assault that killed 52 people.
Qassim al-Raimi, the commander of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, said in a video posted on websites that the attackers were warned in advance not to enter the hospital within the complex, nor a place for prayer there. But, he said, one fighter did.
“Now we acknowledge our mistake and guilt,” Mr. Raimi said in the video that was released late Saturday. “We offer our apology and condolences to the victims’ families. We accept full responsibility for what happened in the hospital and will pay blood money for the victims’ families.”
USA Today
Target data breach spurring lawsuits, investigations
Consumer frustration and outrage over the Target credit card breach is moving from Facebook and Twitter to the courts and state governments even as the stolen accounts are flooding the black market.
Three class-action lawsuits have been filed in the wake of the theft of data on about 40 million credit and debit card accounts of shoppers at Target from Nov. 27 to Dec. 15. More than $5 million in damages is being sought in the cases, two of which were filed in California and one in Oregon.
Meanwhile, millions of the card accounts stolen have begun showing up for sale on the black market, says the security reporter who initially broke the news about the breach. "Credit and debit card accounts stolen in (the Target breach) ... have been flooding underground black markets in recent weeks, selling in batches of one million cards and going for anywhere from $20 to more than $100 per card," writes Brian Krebs on his KrebsOnSecurity.com site.
Over the weekend, Target offered customers a 10% discount in its U.S. stores, after CEO Gregg Steinhafel said on Friday that the company would provide free credit monitoring to at-risk customers.
I remember when I started doing OND that we were staying away from AP for some reason, but I could only find this story there and Mrs side pocket, a Methodist, made me do it, so:
AP
PA. PASTOR DEFROCKED OVER GAY WEDDING OFFERED JOB
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- A United Methodist pastor from central Pennsylvania who was defrocked after officiating his son's gay wedding was invited by a California Methodist bishop to serve in her region in yet another sign of a split in the nation's largest mainline Protestant denomination.
Frank Schaefer said he is deciding whether to accept the offer from Bishop Minerva G. Carcano to join the California-Pacific Annual Conference. The region includes California, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands.
"I'm actually leaning toward it right now, but I can't make that decision myself because it involves my entire family," Schaefer said. "We are considering it very, very seriously."