School shooting in Connecticut, Police in the U.S. are responding to reports of a school shooting in the U.S. state of Connecticut.

The school superintendent's office in Newtown says the district has locked down schools as a preventive measure.

The superintendent's secretary, Kathy June, says reports of a shooting are not confirmed.

Vodka saves elephants, Vodka saved two circus elephants in Russia from the deadly Siberian cold.

Emergency ministry spokesman Alexander Davydov said Friday that the elephants were in a trailer that caught fire Thursday outside the city of Novosibirsk, forcing trainers to take them out into the bitter cold before another truck arrived to deliver them to a warm gym at a local community college.

The Komsomolskaya Pravda daily reported that trainer Leonid Labo had the animals, aged 45 and 48, drink 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of vodka diluted in warm water — and a veterinarian said later that only the tips of their ears were frostbitten.

Novosibisk zoo director Rostislav Shilo told the daily that the vodka saved the animals from frostbite and pneumonia, without harming or even intoxicating them.

170 tremors hit town, An astonishing 170 tremors hit Navidad, Chile over the past five weeks, according to a Dec. 13 Associated Press report via Yahoo News.

 The 170 earthquakes may have been aftershocks of a massive 8.8 magnitude quake the region experienced in 2010, or they may be warning signs of another large earthquake looming in the near future.

It is incredibly bizarre that Navidad, Chile, which means Christmas, has been hit with 170 tremors just as they prepare for the major December holiday. In fact, people in the town have taken special care with their favorite ornaments, so that the earthquakes will not break them if they are minor.

Acting Mayor Rodrigo Soto said,

"We were born, grew up and were raised with earthquakes. It seems like the world for the first time has discovered Navidad. Everyone asks us if we're scared and all we can say is that we need to be prepared."

Even so, the town hardly seems prepared when it lacks a proper tsunami warning system. What they have now is not loud enough to reach everybody, and there are only 5,500 residents in Navidad, so it seems that they could use a better warning system.

The people tend to role with the shakes even though some of the stronger ones do cause a bit of panic. The strongest of these recent 170 shakes was 5.9 magnitude, and that is plenty strong to feel.

Resident, Valentina Villagran, 11, said,

"I keep canned goods, a flashlight and batteries, because we're scared about these daily quakes. Every kid here knows they should run for the hills."

Each family has a preparedness kit, which is good because unfortunately, it is probably just a matter of time before another massive earthquake hits the area. Hopefully it will be many years or decades, but Navidad is the world's shakiest town, and the big one may well come sooner rather than later.

Susan Rice withdraws, Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who drew heavy criticism from Republicans over her statements after the September attacks on a U.S. diplomatic mission, withdrew her name from consideration for secretary of state on Thursday.....CNN

In a letter to President Barack Obama, she said "the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive, and costly -- to you and to our most pressing national and international priorities. That trade-off is simply not worth it to our country."
Obama acknowledged her letter in a statement that described her as "an extraordinarily capable, patriotic, and passionate public servant." He will meet with Rice Friday at the White House, National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said.

She was thought to be a frontrunner for the post, which Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would vacate as soon as a successor is confirmed.But Rice drew criticism for her description of the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, which killed four including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens. On several television programs several days after the attack, she described a protest of an anti-Islam video outside the mission buildings.

She said her comments were based on declassified talking points, and sources within the intelligence community said the talking points were not modified by any other body, such as the White House.

She further explained her decision to withdraw and defended herself Thursday in a piece for the Washington Post, writing: "I have never sought in any way, shape or form to mislead the American people. ... Even before I was nominated for any new position, a steady drip of manufactured charges painted a wholly false picture of me."

Obama had defended her, describing the criticism from several key Republicans as "outrageous." "If Senator (John) McCain and Senator (Lindsey) Graham and others want to go after someone, they should go after me," Obama said at a White House news conference in late November.

"When they go after the U.N. ambassador, apparently because they think she's an easy target, then they've got a problem with me."
She visited Capitol Hill in an attempt to answer what the legislators called "unanswered questions," but her visit there appeared to backfire. Senators who sat in on the meetings said her appearances raised more questions than they answered.
5 questions on Susan Rice

Her closed-door meetings "really hurt her," one knowledgeable Democratic source said. "She probably underestimated the club."

The longer Rice went un-nominated, the source said, the worse her prospects appeared. It was "better to get out now" so that Obama could begin announcing a national security slate as early as next week.

In a statement, Clinton called Rice "an indispensable partner over the past four years."
"From the National Security Council to the State Department to the United Nations, Susan has worked tirelessly to advance our nation's interests and values. I am confident that she will continue to represent the United States with strength and skill," Clinton said.

After Rice's Thursday announcement, Graham said in a statement: "I respect Ambassador Rice's decision. President Obama has many talented people to choose from to serve as our next secretary of state."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid described Republican opposition to Rice's possible nomination as "shameful."

"Ambassador Rice is eminently qualified to serve as Secretary of State and she could have been confirmed by the Senate. The politically motivated attacks on her character from some of my Republican colleagues were shameful," the Nevada Democrat said in a statement. "Their behavior was a disgrace to the Senate's tradition of bipartisan cooperation on national security issues and beneath the stature of senators with otherwise distinguished records on national security."

Rice's decision to not seek the post now leaves Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, as the presumed frontrunner for the spot. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other high-ranking officials are also expected to depart soon.
Kerry praised Rice as "an extraordinarily capable and dedicated public servant" in a statement after her announcement.

"I've known and worked closely with Susan Rice not just at the U.N., but in my own campaign for president. I've defended her publicly and wouldn't hesitate to do so again because I know her character and I know her commitment," he wrote.

"We should all be grateful that she will continue to serve and contribute at the highest level. As someone who has weathered my share of political attacks and understands on a personal level just how difficult politics can be, I've felt for her throughout these last difficult weeks, but I also know that she will continue to serve with great passion and distinction."

Kerry's road to the State Department, should he be nominated, would appear to be smoother than Rice's. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said after Rice's announcement that Kerry would be a "popular choice with the Senate."
Obama's cabinet: Who's in, who's out?
Another Senate Republican, Rob Portman of Ohio, named Kerry as one of Obama's "better choices" for the spot, according to The New York Times.

But despite his lauded role assisting Obama in preparing for the presidential debates this fall, Kerry is understood to be less of an Obama confidante than Rice.
Kerry is a decorated veteran who served two tours of duty in Vietnam before his career as a lawyer and then in the U.S. Senate. His assignments there include the chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Should Kerry step down before his term ends in 2014, Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, would appoint a temporary replacement to hold the seat until a special election could be held. The special election race would likely include Sen. Scott Brown, who won in a special election three years ago but lost his bid for a full term, as well as Democratic Rep. Ed Markey, who is seriously considering a bid should Kerry's seat open, a Democratic source said.

On Thursday, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-New Hampshire said she had "respect" for Rice's decision, "however, my concerns regarding the terrorist attack in Benghazi go beyond any one individual. I remain deeply troubled by the continued lack of information from the White House and the State Department. With four of our public servants murdered, it is critical that we get to the bottom of what happened."
Ayotte told CNN after the late November meeting with Rice, Graham, and McCain, "Certainly she misled the American public."
Opinion: A lucky day for Susan Rice

Former CIA Director David Petraeus, who resigned last month after admitting to an extramarital affair, returned to Capitol Hill to testify on the attacks, and Clinton is scheduled to testify next week.

Sen. Susan Collins, the moderate Republican from Maine, said through a spokesman that the Senate Homeland Security Committee, where she serves as ranking member, would continue its investigation into the Benghazi attack. She had raised her own questions about Rice's potential nomination after a private meeting with the ambassador.
The Thursday decision was Rice's own; she was not asked to step aside in the consideration process, a former administration official who had knowledge of her decision said.

"She has got a lot of honor, a lot of dignity, a lot of patriotism. This was a completely manufactured distraction, and she was determined to put her country first," the former official said. "No nominee for secretary of state has been subjected to such a sustained campaign of politicization and slander. And it is really troubling."

Madeleine Albright, who was the first woman to serve as secretary of state and has known Rice for decades, said Rice is "brilliant" and described her withdrawal from consideration as "sad."

"I think it is genuinely, genuinely sad because she is one of the smartest people that I know and completely dedicated to serving the United States," Albright told CNN. Rice "put the country and the president ahead of her own ambition. It just shows what a tremendously thoughtful and good and responsible person she is."
In her letter to Obama, Rice wrote "the position of secretary of state should never be politicized."

"As someone who grew up in an era of comparative bipartisanship and as a sitting U.S. national security official who has served in two U.S. administrations, I am saddened that we have reached this point, even before you have decided whom to nominate," she wrote. "We can not afford such an irresponsible distraction from the most pressing issues facing the American people."

Rice served in President Bill Clinton's administration on the National Security Council, eventually leading African affairs for the council and serving as a special assistant to the president.

She was confirmed by the Senate as the top diplomat to the U.N. in January 2009.
If Rice had been nominated, she would have faced criticism from religious leaders about her role in the Clinton administration's handling of the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s.

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said on CNN that Rice's decision was "probably for the best."
"I think Ambassador Rice was facing an uphill battle in the senate for any confirmation she may have received," he said.

Asked in an interview Thursday on NBC whether she wanted the top diplomatic post, Rice replied that she "would have been very honored to serve in that job."
She added, "But yeah, sure. How can you not want to -- in my field -- serve at the highest possible level?"

Opinion: An unfair portrait of Susan Rice

Secret Stoudemire wedding, Power forward Amar’e Stoudemire of the Knicks tied the knot with longtime partner Alexis Welch in a secret ceremony at sunset on Wednesday, Confidenti@l learned only hours later.

Stoudemire and Welch, who have three children together, married on the roof deck of their apartment on Jane St., the same one that was flooded during Hurricane Sandy.
The intimate ceremony was attended by a mere 12 guests, signifying the special date they tied the knot: 12/12/12.

“They decided to do this because of the date, and they wanted to do something spiritual and private for themselves,” says one insider, who adds that the couple plan on throwing a bigger wedding this summer which Stoudemire’s teammates, who were not aware he was getting married, will be invited to.

The couple kept their plans under lock and key, playing coy about the details.
A second insider says the strict guest list included mostly family, including their three children, who participated in the wedding, which included “a beautiful Jewish chupah.” Stoudemire, who is coming back from an injury and hasn’t played yet this year, has expressed his interest in the Jewish faith, although the wedding was more “spiritual” in tone.

Welch, clad in a long, slim-fitting, custom-made wedding dress with no train, “looked beautiful.” Amar’e wore a Calvin Klein suit, and his wedding ring was designed by Shayan Afshar.

The newly married couple could barely wait to share their good news with the world: Welch changed her Instagram name to AlexisAStoudemire immediately after the wedding, before the athlete could even tweet the information out.

“He wanted to tweet a picture out first, but Alexis couldn’t wait,” laughs a source.
“12.12.12 now has a special & spiritual meaning to us ...” Stoudemire shared on the social media site, along with a pic of the pair’s rings.

The couple immediately jetted to the “12-12-12” concert at Madison Square Garden, benefitting victims of Hurricane Sandy, after their nuptials, with plans to celebrate late into the evening.

The two started dating in 2002 and got engaged June 2 outside the Le Meurice Hotel Belle Etoile in Paris, overlooking the Eiffel Tower. Stoudemire proposed to Welch with an 8½-carat diamond that cost more than $1 million, also designed by Afshar.

Digital ten commandments, The Cambridge Digital Library has just made available thousands of pages from fragile religious manuscripts for Internet users' perusal, including a 2,000-year-old copy of the 10 Commandments, known as the "Nash Papyrus."

Before the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by a Bedouin shepherd in 1947, the "Nash Papyrus," also called "The Ten Commandments," was the oldest known manuscript containing a text from the Hebrew Bible.

It gets its name from the Egyptologist Walter Llewellyn Nash who purchased the manuscript from an antiquities dealer in 1902.

The text is among several important religious documents that were made public in a series of high-quality zoom-friendly images by the Cambridge Digital Library, which draws on the British university's vast collection of manuscripts.

"Because of their age and delicacy these manuscripts are seldom able to be viewed — and when they are displayed, we can only show one or two pages," university librarian Anne Jarvis said in a statement. "Now, through the generosity of the Polonsky Foundation, anyone with a connection to the Internet can select a work of interest, turn to any page of the manuscript, and explore it in extraordinary detail."

Leonard Polonsky, whose foundation has funded the project, added that he was "delighted to see such important materials being made freely available to the world."

Other texts posted include an ancient copy of the New Testament, called the "Codex Bezae," which contains all four Gospels (though the only complete one is the Gospel of Luke) and the Acts of the Apostles in both Greek and Latin.

The Codex Bezae, thought to date from the late fourth or early fifth century, includes the oldest copy of the story of the adulterous woman (John 7.53-8.11). The phrase "let him who is without sin, cast the first stone" comes from that story.

The "Book of Deer" was also made available online. This pocket gospel book is about 6.2 inches (16 centimeters) tall and 4.3 inches (11 cm) wide and is generally dated to the first half of the 10th century. Its name comes from additions that were made to the text in Gaelic or Middle Irish, likely by someone in Deer in Aberdeenshire.

The digital collection also contains several thousand items from the world's largest set of medieval Jewish manuscripts. Called the Taylor-Schechter Cairo Genizah Collection, the manuscript fragments were found in a storeroom in Egypt in the late 1890s and detail life in the Jewish community at Fustat, near Cairo.

Beyond texts with Jewish or Judeo-Christian significance, the online collection includes several very early fragments of the Quran, from the eighth or ninth centuries, and Sanskrit manuscripts covering all the major religious traditions of South Asia.

Cowboys crash blood alcohol, Dallas Cowboys lineman Josh Brent's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit at the time of a crash that killed teammate Jerry Brown, according to a Dallas Morning News report.

Brent, who has been charged with intoxication manslaughter, had a limit at 0.18, the paper said, citing an unidentified law enforcement source. The 24-year-old Brent was released on a $500,000 bond.

Irving police spokesman John Argumaniz told the paper that officers conducted a field-sobriety test on Brent following the accident. Brent has been placed on the reserve/non-football illness list, and Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said Monday that the team would "support Josh 100 percent in every way that we can."

According to police, Brent was speeding early Saturday morning when his vehicle flipped after hitting a curb. Brown was pronounced dead later at a Dallas hospital of blunt force trauma to his head and neck, the Dallas County medical examiner told the paper.