Harrison Ford survives a plane crash. An airliner skids on an ice-covered New York runway. And an arrest warrant is issued for the man accused of slashing the U.S. ambassador to South Korea.
It’s Friday, and here are the 5 Things to Know for Your New Day:
AMBASSADOR ATTACKED
Arrest warrant: Police in South Korea issued an arrest warrant for the 55-year-old man accused in the knife attack on Mark Lippert, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea. The man, who may be charged with attempted murder, has a history of unpredictable behavior. Police said he has visited North Korea many times, so they are investigating any links between his visits and the communist nation. North Korea, predictably, praised the attack, calling it a “knife attack of justice.
ALABAMA SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Back and forth: Alabama’s Supreme Court has ordered probate judges in the state to stop issuing licenses for same-sex marriages. This comes just a few weeks after a federal court cleared the way for same-sex marriages to begin in the state. The bottom line of the court order: Marriage is between one man and one woman under Alabama law. “Nothing in the United States Constitution alters or overrides this duty,” it says. Stay tuned.
FERGUSON JUSTICE REPORT
Black and white: We have some early details on the Justice Department’s civil rights investigation into the Ferguson Police Department. It concludes that FPD and the city’s municipal court engaged in a “pattern and practice” of discrimination against African-Americans, a law enforcement official told CNN. Here are some of the findings: From 2012 to 2014, 85% of people subject to vehicle stops by Ferguson police were African-American; 90% of those who received citations were black; and 93% of people arrested were black. This while 67% of the Ferguson population is black. The findings in the investigation could be made public as soon as today.
ISIS
LGBT attacks: Everyday seems to bring a new ISIS atrocity. The latest seems to be documented in photos recently released by the terrorist group that appear to show a man, accused of being gay, being thrown off a building to his death. There are at least half a dozen documented cases of men being similarly killed by ISIS. Many members of the LGBT community in Syria have fled the country and its persecution – from both the Assad regime and ISIS – but for those that remain, the situation has become even more dire.
The Tsarnaev case: His family, friends
SPACE EXPLORATION
Hi Ceres: NASA’s Dawn spacecraft will complete its eight-year, 310-million-mile journey to the dwarf planet Ceres today. Dawn should start orbiting Ceres a little after 7 a.m. ET this morning, but NASA says it may take an hour or two to confirm that. Ceres, which was discovered in 1801, was the first object found in our solar system’s main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Dawn will stay in orbit around Ceres for years, even after its primary mission ends in June 2016.
Feds fight 'maternity tourism' with raids
Those are your five biggies for the day. Here are a few others that are brewing and have the Internet buzzing:
Ride a roller coaster: It may be winter, but its never too early to start thinking about roller coasters. Check out this test run for Fury 325, a new coaster debuting this spring at Carowinds, a theme park on the North Carolina-South Carolina border.
#DearMe: An anti-bullying video with a great message: What advice would you give to your younger self?
Musical interlude: The History of Duets with Jimmy Fallon and Kelly Clarkson.
Unexpected hook up: Classic pop-rock acts Chicago and REO Speedwagon jam together.
Doggy tricks: Lexus the German Shepherd knows a trick or two or three or …