Park Elected First Woman President of South Korea

Sixty year old Park Geun-hye won Tuesday's Presidential election, in South Korea.

In doing so she becomes the first female leader of the country.

It is also a return to the presidential palace for her.

She served as first lady during her father's administration, after her mother was assassinated, in 1974.

Park will take office, for her five year term, in February.

A conservative, Park says her role models are Margaret Thatcher and Anglea Merkel.

Her focus will be on the economy, trying to see an end to North Korea's nuclear program, and strengthening ties with the US and Japan.

7 Polio Workers Now Killed by Taliban in Pakistan

The Taliban continued it's targeting of polio workers, in Pakistan.

Two more people were killed on Wednesday, following five on Tuesday.

Another two groups were also attacked, on Wednesday, but no one was hurt in the gunfire.

UNICEF and WHO have both said they will begin higher security precautions in order to protect their workers.

In 2011, a spokesman for the Taliban said that there is no polio danger, that the international community is using the work to disguise spying.

Since then, the Taliban has threatened to go after the workers, but had not acted on that til now.

Thieves Steal Care Packages Meant For Troops

About five thousand dollars worth of care packages were stolen from a Sacramento, California warehouse, Monday morning.

The care packages were to be sent to US troops serving in Afghanistan.

They had been filled with comforts of home and a little something for Christmas, as well as cards and letters from US citizens.

Two dozens of the packages were stolen, after thieves broke the lock.

Move America Forward, who had put the packages together, is accepting more donations to replace the stolen ones.

Misunderstanding Led to Police Search for Toy Thief

A misunderstanding led to a police search, on Tuesday, in Colorado.

Sixty-five year old retired Gunnery Sergeant Doug Mix had been collecting Toys for Tots bins, but he wasn't authorized to do so.

When it was reported that an unauthorized man was taking the toys, the Marines, police, and Toys for Tots all announced that they were being stolen.

As soon as Mix heard that he was wanted, he called the Marines in charge of the drive, and met with them to explain.

For over a decade he has collected toys and given them out to children waiting for buses, along Colfax, as well as at women's shelters.

What he didn't realize is that all donations to Toys for Tots need to be accounted for, before they can be handed out.

No charges were pressed against Mix, and it is expected that starting next year, he'll become an official part of Colorado's Toys for Tots drive.

Blizzard Warning Issued for Denver Metro, Eastern Colorado, and Western Kansas

At 13:57 MST the National Weather Service issued a Blizzard Warning for the Denver Metro area.

For the metro area three to eight inches are expected.

It also covers most of Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas.

Residents of the area are advised to avoid travel.

A Blizzard Warning will be in effect until 20:00 MST Wednesday.

The National Weather Service considers this a severe weather alert.

Russia Prepares to Evacuate After Syrian Rebels Capture Key District

Syrian rebels gained a big foothold in Damascus with the capture of the Yarmouk district.

It puts the front lines only a few miles from the center of the capital.

The battle is raging to keep it from a government counter offensive and push further into the city.

Over two hundred people are said to have died, just in Damascus, on Monday.

Russia responded to the news by sending warships to the Mediterranean, in case they need to evacuate their citizens who are in Syria.

Russia's growing lack of confidence seems to only reinforce the thoughts that it's all but over for the Assad government.

It really does more and more seem just like a dwindling amount of time is left for the regime.

Over fifty thousand people have been killed in the twenty-one month long conflict.

Senator Daniel Inouye, War Hero, Dead at 88

Daniel Inouye, Hawaii's nine term Senator, died Monday, at the age of eighty-eight. Inouye died at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in DC, where he had been admitted on December 10.

He was born September 7, 1924, in Honolulu, to Japanese immigrants. When Pearl Harbor occurred he was seventeen and teaching first aid classes. As soon as the US government removed it's ban on Japanese Americans, he enlisted in the Army.

On April 21, 1945 he was leading an assault on German lines, in Italy, when he was shot in the stomach. Despite the wound he did not stop his attack until he had personally taken out two machine gun nests and was wounded again, losing his right arm. On May 27, 1947, he was honorably discharged and returned home as a Captain with a Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star Medal, two Purple Hearts, and twelve other medals and citations. In 2000, his Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Forced to abandon his plans to be a surgeon, by the loss of his arm, Inouye went to college for political science. In 1953, he was elected to the Hawaii territorial House of Representatives, and was immediately elected majority leader. He served two terms there, and was elected to the Hawaii territorial senate in 1957. Part of the way through his first term in the territorial senate, Hawaii achieved statehood. He won a seat in the US House of Representatives as Hawaii's first full member, and took office on August 21, 1959, the same date Hawaii became a state, he was re-elected in 1960.

In 1962, he was elected to the US Senate and only once was there anything like a close election. Until falling ill in November, he had been planning on running again in 2016, for a tenth term.

Last week, when asked how he wanted to be remembered, he said, "I represented the people of Hawaii and this nation honestly and to the best of my ability. I think I did OK."

Instagram Claims Ownership of All Photos Taken With It

Instagram made a huge announcement on Monday, and the reaction has been very unhappy.

The photo sharing app claims that it has the right to use user's photos without paying them for the use, or even notifying them.

Facebook, who owns Instagram, would not just be sharing the pictures for free, but charging people and businesses to use them.
All photographs will become Instagram property on January 16.

The only way for users to not have their pictures used is to delete their accounts, by that time.

If they do so after that time, all photos will belong to Instagram, despite the account being gone.

Users of Instagram have not responded happily to the news.

Some have already delete their accounts, while many others have posted protest pictures.

Pretty much every other photo sharing app has specific clauses, in their contracts, which keep them from using anyone's photos for any purpose, without express permission.

Paragould, Arkansas to Have Armed Unit Patrolling Streets

Paragould, Arkansas has a new plan to deal with growing crime.

Mayor Mike Gaskill and Police Chief Todd Stovall announced a new police unit would begin on January 1.

The new street crimes unit will have officers patrol, on foot, through areas where crime is the highest.

Officers will be wearing full SWAT gear and be carrying AR-15s.

They will also have the ability to ask anyone they see for ID and be able to question them on the spot over their reason for being out and about.

According to Stovall, individuals who do not produce identification when asked could be charged with obstructing a governmental operation.

However, City Attorney Allen Warmath said that arrests would not be made for people who simply did not have an ID.

Warmath said that the focus of being able to stop anyone for questioning, would be to get information from any potential witnesses.

Gaskill said that the focus of the unit would be to ensure criminals and citizens know that the police are there, ready to protect the city. 

More Schools Considering Allowing Teachers to Concealed Carry

For the last five years one Texas school district has allowed teachers and staff to carry concealed weapons.

In October of 2007, the trustees for the Harrold Independent School District approved a policy which allowed faculty to defend the school from attack.

As part of the program faculty must have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun, must be authorized to carry by the district, must receive training in crisis management and hostile situations, and must use ammunition that is designed to minimize the risk of ricochet in school halls.

Harrold's became the first district in the US to have such a policy.

Now, after yet another school shooting in the country, other districts are looking at Harrold's program and considering starting similar ones.

Opponents say that having guns in classroom is just too dangerous.

Supporters state that people would be less likely to attack and armed school, and that the amount of training protects everyone involved.