Cheat Sheet - The Virgin Birth Boom

Today: Snowden: Mission Accomplished , Kim Jon Un & The Myth of the Reformer Dictator , Car Bomb Kills 12 in Egypt December 24, 2013 DEBUNKING 1. The Virgin Birth Boom A new study claims to have turned up 45 recent "virgin births" in the U.S. Modern miracle? It depends who you ask, writes Dr. Kent Sepkowitz. Read it at The Daily Beast taking a bow 2. Snowden: Mission Accomplished Edward Snowden, observing the havoc wreaked on the American government's surveillance programs, believes he's done what he set out to do. "For me, in terms of personal satisfaction, the mission's already accomplished. I already won," Snowden said in his first in-person interview since arriving in Moscow. "As soon as the journalists were able to work, everything that I had been trying to do was validated." Since the former government contractor's revelations leaked this past spring, the NSA has been under intense scrutiny and criticism from not just the American public, but also heads of state across the globe. "I am not trying to bring down the NSA, I am working to improve the NSA," Snowden said. "I am still working for the NSA right now. They are the only ones who don't realize it." Read it at The Washington Post NICE TRY 3. Don't Get Fooled Again: Dictators Aren't Reformers Snap out of it, folks—tyrants don't change their stripes. North Korea's murderous boy king should crush that misguided hope forever, writes The Daily Beast's Michael Moynihan. Read it at The Daily Beast BOOM 4. Car Bomb Kills 12 in Egypt At least 12 people were killed in a car bomb attack on police headquarters in Mansoura, the second attack there in recent months, and the deadliest outside of the Sinai Peninsula since July. While none have claimed responsibility for the bombing, a militant group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, owned other similar attacks on security personnel—a group increasingly the target since police officers violently cleared two Cairo protests this summer. A government spokesman laid blame on the Muslim Brotherhood, who condemned the attack. Read it at The New York Times Why So Mum? 5. Obamacare Gets Secret Extension The White House is playing Secret Santa. Monday night was supposed to be the deadline for signing up for federal health insurance plans that take effect on January 1, but the Obama administration secretly updated Healthcare.gov over the weekend to extend the deadline 24 hours. The change was announced after the Washington Post broke the story. Last week, the individual mandate was extended for people whose insurance plans were canceled. Read it at Washington Post HOPE Teen to Stay on Life Support After tonsil surgery left her brain dead. AWAITING ORDERS Marines Ready to Enter South Sudan To evacuate Americans. NOM NOM NOM Nuts in Pregnancy Cut Allergy Risk According to a study. BLIP BLIP Kids Can Track Santa Online NORAD given updates since 1955. BOO, HISS Martin Scorsese Heckled at Screening 'Wolf of Wall Street' gets tepid reviews. 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. A Mom's Agonizing Day After by Michael Daly Huckabee's Bully Pulpit by Lloyd Green The Meryl and Julia Show by Kevin Fallon

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