WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

• A heads up to everyone in the USA and Europe, Al Qaeda said they're planning terrorist attacks over the Christmas holidays. Apparently Interpol is all over it, but every since Carlos D left the band they're short some guns.
• Julian Assange has been released from the UK prison on bail. There's an appeal out against this decision. He will likely be extradited to Sweden.
• The UN is set to investigate the source of the cholera outbreak in Haiti. They're looking into the speculations that the virus -- which killed 2,000 people and hospitalized 44,000 -- was introduced into the region by UN peace keepers.
• A storm in Israel unearthed a marble statue that had been hidden for thousands of years. Unfortunately, the same storm that uncovered the Roman-era statue also destroyed much of the remains of an ancient port city.
• The White House granted the greenlight for scientists to continue creating synthetic biology. As in, creating life from non-life. As in, playing God. It'll be interesting to see where this lands us. Maybe we can create synthetic stem cells?
• Will someone please tell South Korea to chill the fuck out? They're practicing new military drills. North Korea is gonna be so effing pissed.
• Obama thinks that shit is going well in Afghanistan.
• BP investors are freaking out because the US government is looking to sue the oil company for negligence, which could cause the whole clean up -- which was estimated to be around $40 Billion -- to double in cost. If you have stock in BP, pull out now.
• Hugo Chavez requested "super powers" over the next 12 months that would allow him to create certain laws without approval. Since Venezuela was hit terribly with storms that killed 40 people and displaced over 100,000, he wants to make sure he can make immediate decisions. This is the 4th time he's requested "super powers"... the last time being in 2007. Obviously the push back on this is fear that he will become a dictator. Dude's been president for 12 years! Follow Chavez on Twitter!
• McDonald's is being sued over their Happy Meals and how they target children and get them to eat badly. You know, I'm kind of all about that lawsuit. I think it's about time. Can we do the same to the corn industry and get rid of HFCS?