China's Congress Selects New Leaders

Hopes of China aiming towards reform, ended on Thursday, as the Politburo named it's Standing Committee.

Rumors that the committee would be cut from nine members, down to seven, proved true.

But none of the seven chosen are considered reformers.

Xi Jinping, the new head of the party and head of the military, is the most reform minded, and he is at best a cautious reformer.

Many issues, across the country, face demanded from the people, for reform.

He will be made President in March, giving him all three of the top posts, in the country. 

Only Xi and premier-in-waiting Li Keqiang are going to stay in office for the normal ten years.

The other five members, of the Standing Committee, are at least sixty-four, and so will have to retire in five years, at the next Congress.

All Fifty States Accounted For Amongst Secession Petitions

All fifty states now have secession petitions, according to the White House.

Maryland, Connecticut, and Vermont showing up Wednesday night.

Several states have already reached the twenty-five thousand signatures required, for the government to actually consider the petition.

Those states are Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia.

Colorado, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Arizona all have over twenty thousand.

Texas has well surpassed that by having over one hundred thousand signatures.

The counter petitions also continue, with Atlanta asking to leave Georgia and El Paso seeking the right to leave Texas.

While none of the petitions actually have any chance of being accepted by the government, they have definitely brought a greater awareness of the process, to the American people.

Only time will tell if that is a good thing.

Jordanian Protests Turn Deadly

Protests in Jordan turned deadly, on Thursday.

An armed man attacked a police station, wounding at least twelve officers, before he was killed.

At another police station, an officer was shot in the eye.

Thousand of people have been protesting a recent rise in gas prices, that was announced Tuesday night.

Dozens have been arrested in the protests.

The government announced an end to gas subsidies, due to a five billion dollar deficit.

Some have even begun to criticize King Abdullah, an act which is punishable with jail time.

Protestors are demanding that Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour resign.

3 Israelis Killed as Over 250 Rockets Come Out of Gaza

Three Israelis have now been killed, with dozens given medical treatment, as more than two hundred and fifty rockets have been fired from Gaza, within twenty-four hours.

The Iron Dome defense system has been successful at intercepting eighty of the rockets.

But despite it's success, houses, business, schools, and parked cars have been amongst the places hit and damaged by the deadly projectiles.

Israel strikes back at terrorist targets, as swiftly and as accurately as possible, killing at least thirteen people.

International reaction has been mixed, with some countries supporting the terrorist actions of the Hamas led Gazans.

A ban on gatherings of more than one hundred people is still in affect, throughout the area of Southern Israel, which is under threat.

Schools and non essential jobs have been ordered closed, by the government.

Israeli Defense Forces have begun massing at the border, in case ground action is ordered.

The Cabinet, Wednesday night, authorized the call up of all reserve troops.

Starbucks Buys Teavana

Back in June, Starbucks opened it's first tea bar, in Seattle.

Now they've gone even further with that, buying out Teavana for six hundred and twenty million dollars.

Teavana's three hundred stores are spread across the US, Mexico, Canada, and Kuwait, in various malls, and sell loose leaf, exotic teas.

Starbucks plans to expand their locations and add stand alone sites, as well as adding tea bars with prepared drinks to the stores.

The company plans on using Teavana to do for tea, what Starbucks did for coffee.

FDA Lists 5 Hour Energy as Being a Possible Killer

According to the Food and Drug Administration, 5 Hour Energy drinks could be deadly.

They are investigating thirteen deaths, which may have been caused by the highly caffeinated energy shot.

The FDA has also linked ninety cases of confirmed serious illnesses, in which the drink had been taken just before illness occurred.

Those cases include heart attacks, convulsions, and a case of spontaneous abortion.

Reports filed with the FDA do not necessarily mean the drink was at fault, just that it was in play at the time of the incident.

In October, the FDA reported five deaths in which Monster Energy drinks may have been at fault.

Living Essentials, the company which produces 5 Hour Energy stated that they are taking this revelation very seriously.

Toyota Announces Two Separate Prius Recalls

Toyota has announced two recalls of 2004-2009 Priuses.

Six hundred and seventy thousand Priuses are being recalled due to a problem with the steering intermediate extension shafts.

A manufacturing error could have caused the shaft to not harden properly, allowing it deform.

Three hundred and fifty thousand are being recalled due to issues with the electric water pumps.

The pumps can randomly shut off, during use, causing the vehicle to forcibly stop using it's hybrid system.

Those numbers are for the US alone.

Over two million more are being recalled worldwide.

In both cases the vehicles will need to be inspected, to determine if the part needs replacing.

No crashes or injuries have been reported due to either problem.

Russia Loses Control of Civilian Satellites

Russia is scrambling to regain communications with it's civilian satellites.

A communications cable was accidentally severed, Wednesday night, causing control to be lost.

Ground based tracking, communications, and control are all supposedly inoperative at this time.

Military and space program satellites were not affected, as they are on a different system.

It could take up to forty-eight hours to regain control of the satellites.

International Reaction to Israel and Gaza's Fighting

As rockets continue to rain down on Israel, her government weighs it's options, as it begins Operation Pillar of Defense.

Carefully aimed strikes, on Wednesday, took out the head of Hamas's military and other military targets.

The government and Israeli Defense Forces are considering whether or not a ground campaign will be necessary to end the barrage from Gaza.

In case that becomes necessary, the Cabinet has authorized the call up of all reserve troops, and the placement of infantry along the border.

Hamas and the President for Gaza both called for Arab nations to help them in their struggle against Israel, calling Israel's actions illegal.

Meanwhile, the international community has started giving some reactions.

The US backs Israel's use of precision targeting, in self defense, against the Gazan terrorists.

Mark Toner, spokesman for the US State Department said, "There is no justification for the violence that Hamas and other terrorist organizations are employing against the people of Israel."

However, other countries haven't been so favorable.

Qatar demanded that Israel be "punished" for defending itself, and called for an Arab League meeting on how to help Gaza. 

Egypt, who has been working with Israel to get terrorist groups out of the Sinai, called Israel's actions a threat to regional security and stability.

They also called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council, while recalling their ambassador to Israel.

Terrorists Renew Rain of Rockets on Israel

At least eighty-three rockets were fired into Israel, from Gaza, during Wednesday evening and night.

The Iron Dome defense system was able to stop twenty of the rockets.

Populated areas like Ashdod and Be’er Sheva were struck by the projectiles.

Apartment buildings and a parked car were amongst the things struck when rockets came roaring down.

Fourteen people have been treated by emergency workers, in cases related to the attacks.

Terrorists also targeted the nuclear facility at Dimona, but luckily that rocket missed hitting anything.

Israel began Operation Pillar of Defense, earlier on Wednesday, killing the head of Hamas's military.

The government announced that schools and any non essential workplaces will be closed, during Thursday, which will also be covered by a ban on gatherings of more than one hundred people.