Search warrants reveal more about Newtown shooter Adam Lanza; the U.S. begins stealth bombing runs over South Korea; Cyrpus’ banks reopen; Nelson Mandela is readmitted to the hospital; scientists find new signposts for pre-determining cancer risks in patients; a judge returns Oscar Pistorius’ passport; and shifting bacteria in the gut may help with weight loss. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat’s winning streak comes to an end; Sean Penn’s son yells racial slurs at a paparazzo; Lindsay Lohan and Kristen Stewart become new BFFs; Malala Yousafzai signs a $3 million book deal; and “Friday Night Lights” author Buzz Bissinger enters shopping rehab.
Caitlin
CRUCIAL:
Newtown gunman Adam Lanza fired 155 bullets in less than five minutes, prosecutor says, http://rtvote.com/170lGzx
Publicized search warrants reveal that Adam Lanza killed 26 children and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in five minutes. The warrants also show Lanza as having huge amounts of ammunition in a gun safe allegedly in his bedroom, as well as samurai swords and a bulletproof vest. There was also a loaded shotgun in the passenger compartment of the car Lanza drove to Sandy Hook. According to the reports, books about asbergers were found in Lanza’s home as well as an NRA certification and a check Lanza’s mother wrote him for the purchase of a gun.
U.S. Begins Stealth Bombing Runs Over South Korea, http://rtvote.com/10kLIrU
In its first admission of a B-2 mission over the Korean peninsula, the U.S has announced that it has run two B-2 steal bombers with nuclear capability over South Korea as a “practice bombing sortie.” The mission is meant to prove to North Korea, who has issued nuclear threats towards the U.S. and South Korea, that the U.S. can protect the Asia-Pacific region and “conduct long range precision strikes quickly and at will.”
Patient Cypriots line up as banks reopen, http://rtvote.com/14ym8pe
Banks in Cyprus re-opened Thursday after they were shutdown for two weeks while the Cypriot government negotiated a bailout deal with the EU. Bank customers will still face restrictions including withdrawal limits.
Mandela Back in Hospital With Lung Infection, http://rtvote.com/102QsUg
Former South African president and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, 94, was re-admitted to the hospital Wednesday night with a lung infection. A statement from South African President Jacob Zuma tells the country to pray for Mandela and notes that “Doctors are attending to him, ensuring that he has the best possible expert medical treatment and comfort.” Mandela has been in the hospital two other times in the past fourth months.
South Africa judge lifts travel ban on Oscar Pistorius, http://rtvote.com/102TU15
A judge has ordered that Oscar Pistorius have his passport returned so that he can travel abroad. The double amputee Olympic runner has been accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, and has since been prohibited from leaving the country, going near an airport, or imbibing alcohol. Pistorius’ lawyers argued that he is not a flight risk and that the judge’s previous restrictions had basically put him under “house arrest.”
Scientists Find New Gene Markers for Cancer Risk, http://rtvote.com/102OH9L
Scientists have finished a long process of working to pre-determine if patients are at high risk for breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer. The international effort was funded by the non-profit Cancer Research, U.K. Officials from the groups have said that the alert methods scientists have discovered are important for finding out exactly how genetics plays into cancer. Scientists have previously discovered signs that alert patients to being at risk for the disease, but this new effort doubles the amount of signposts.
Bacteria in the Intestines May Help Tip the Bathroom Scale, Studies Show, http://rtvote.com/10kOeyB
Two new studies released Thursday show that the bacteria in an individual’s intestines can determine how the individual loses or gains weight. The research points to gastric bypass surgery as a successful method of weight loss because the rearranging of intestines “shifts the balance of bacteria in the digestive tract.” The studies also show that in the future, treatments that adjust “microbe levels” in the gut will be able to help people lose weight without surgery.
CULTURAL:
Heat’s 27-game winning streak comes to an end in Chicago, http://rtvote.com/170oKLW
LiLo and KStew’s issues in common, http://rtvote.com/170plNP
Malala Yousafzai sells life story for a reported $3 million, http://rtvote.com/10kOMV5
Buzz Bissinger in shopping rehab, http://rtvote.com/10kOSfk
Sean Penn’s son cusses out paparazzo, hurls ugly slurs, http://rtvote.com/1030lRZ
