Morning news brief
The diplomatic wrangling that led to a long-awaited ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, reactions to the deal, and how LA and other communities could tighten laws around wildfire safety.
106-Year-Old Woman Finally Gets Her High School Diploma
Reba Williams of Columbus, Ohio, finished her last class back in 1925. But the 106-year-old didn't receive her high school diploma until Wednesday. Her daughter told the Mansfield News-Journal that young Reba, who was a good student for all 12 years, was headstrong. She refused to read a book assigned by her teacher that she'd already read and didn't like.
JPMorgan In Hot Seat Over London Whale Losses
Last year, JPMorgan Chase acknowledged that it lost $6.2 billion in a hedging strategy gone awry. The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has spent months investigating how the losses occurred, and on Friday, it will publicly grill some of the executives involved.
'Veronica Mars' Fans Set A Kickstarter Record
On Wednesday, the creator of the much-loved but relatively short-lived TV series Veronica Mars took to Kickstarter to raise money to make a movie version of the show. In less than 12 hours, fans pledged more than $2 million, smashing the site's records along the way.
British Man Learns Downside To Internet Fame
A 62-year-old man had been on sick leave from work due to stress for the past few months — which is why his employer was surprised to see him wrestling a shark on an Australian beach in a video that went viral. The charity he worked for fired him. In his defense, the man said a doctor had advised him to take a vacation.
Jack Russell Terrier Swallows More Than 100 Pennies
Tim Kelleher's Jack Russell terrier — named Jack — scarfs down anything he can get his paws on. Last week, his vet discovered the dog had scarfed down a bagel and, somewhere along the line, more than a hundred pennies. The vet operated and removed the pennies.
Pakistani Advocate For The Poor Slain By Gunmen
Steve Inskeep has a remembrance of Parveen Rehman, a Pakistani woman he meet there while reporting in 2008. Rehman was head of the Karachi-based Orangi Pilot Project, a research center that aids in the development of impoverished communities. She was killed on Wednesday at the age of 56.
Fla. Lieutenant Governor Resigns Amid Probe Of Internet Cafe
In Florida, an investigation into storefront Internet gambling parlors has forced the resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who is stepping down because of her involvement with a group called Allied Veterans of the World. The group runs dozens of what it calls "Internet cafes" — storefront operations where people essentially gamble using electronic slot machines.
Controversies Over CPAC Reflect GOP's Woes
Conservative activists are gathering just outside Washington, D.C., on Thursday for the annual gathering known as CPAC — the Conservative Political Action Conference. A year ago, the group was riding high, confident in their ability to help the Republican Party defeat President Obama. Today, controversy over who's speaking at the conference and who's boxed out illustrate the woes confronting the GOP.