Cheat Sheet - The End of the Arctic?

Today: Congress Can Be Corrupt Without Corrupt People , Mandela Signer Faced Murder Charge , CIA Torture Report OK'd for Public December 13, 2013 Brrrr… 1. The End of the Arctic? Say goodbye to polar bears and a whole lot of ice. New research suggests the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free by 2015, with devastating consequences for the world. Can it be stopped? Mark Hertsgaard reports. Read it at The Daily Beast Fixing Washington 2. This Is What Corrupts Congress The Supreme Court is considering whether 'corruption' can refer to a system as well as individuals. The definition makes all the difference when it comes to reforming Washington, writes Lawrence Lessig. Read it at The Daily Beast WARNING SIGNS 3. Mandela Signer Faced Murder Charge It just keeps getting worse. Not only does Thamsanqa Jantjie, the fake sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela's Mandela's memorial service, apparently suffer from schizophrenia and botched translations at previous events, he also has a reportedly sorded criminal history. According to reports, Jantjie has faced charges of murder, property damage, breaking into a house, theft and even rape. It's unclear whether he's actually ever served jail time. The South African government has apologized for choosing Jantjie to interpret at the service, and has said it was aware of the murder charge reports--a frightening revelation given that 91 heads of state, including President Obama, were at the event.  Read it at The Telegraph Dark Secrets 4. CIA Torture Report OK'd for Public A Senate report detailing the Central Intelligence Agency's use of "enhanced interrogation" during the Bush administration is set to go public. The CIA and White House agreed Thursday to release portions of the Senate's three-year, $40-million investigation into torture. "The committee will vote shortly to adopt and release the executive summary, findings and conclusions which will reflect the CIA's comments as appropriate," Sen. Diane Feinstein said. A year ago, Republicans unanimously voted against releasing the report, saying it contains significant inaccuracies. Read it at Foreign Policy GEORGIA 5. Mega Millions Jackpot Hits $400M Georgia's Mega Millions jackpot has reached $400 million, the second-largest in the game's history, lottery officials said. One player purchased a ticket in Gainesville worth $10,000 and four others in cities around the state won $5,000 each. The largest jackpot in Mega Millions history was $656 million and came in March 2012. Powerball jackpots have typically been much larger since that game increased its ticket price, but Mega Millions wins began climbing when the game lowered the odds of winning, thus increasingly the likelihood of a jackpot rolling over to the next drawing. The drawing for the current pot happens Friday. Read it at Fox News REAL TALK Christie: GOP Picks Bad Candidates Says the party is not the problem. Tragic Fall Jane Birkin's Daughter Dead Kate Barry, the 46-year-old daughter of actress Jane Birkin and composer John Barry was found dead outside her Paris apartment. Barry, who had struggled with drug and alcohol problems, was alone at the time of her death and police found antidepressants at her apartment. Heartbreaking Read Trayvon Martin's Parents Plan Book Shopped to publishers this week. THE ROYALIST Prince Harry Arrives at South Pole Tom Sykes reports on the happy ending--marked with 'a few whiskeys'--to Prince Harry's expedition to the South Pole. NAVAL HARASSMENT Chinese Vessel Skids By U.S. Ship Narrowly avoiding collision. Rolling Stone Beyonce's Surprise Album GQ Playboy's New Direction BuzzFeed 8 Pictures Of Mary-Kate Olsen And Her Future Fiancé That Will Make You Feel Weird GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET Culture Beast Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. China's Public Enemy No. 1 by Wenguang Huang , Ho Pin Tyler Perry's Madea Minstrel Show by Michael Daly The Cruzifiction of Marco Rubio by Michelle Cottle

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