Good morning. Here are some of the stories we're following today:
1. California Shooter Was 'Bad Person,' Not Radical: Brother-in-Law
While authorities told NBC News on Thursday that San Bernardino party attacker Syed Rizwan Farook appeared to have been radicalized, his brother-in-law said that is not the case. Farhan Khan said the massacre was "a personal act" unconnected to the culprit's Muslim faith and described Farook as simply "a bad person." Read more in NEWS.
2. Who Were the Victims of the San Bernardino Massacre?'
Twelve of the fourteen victims of the shooting were San Bernardino County employees. Many were parents — one victim was a father of six. Another victim, a mother of three, had fled Iran when she was 18 to escape Islamic extremism. Read more in NEWS.
3. What Makes San Bernardino Shooting So Scary to Americans?
The idea of a home-grown jihadi gunning down co-workers is especially terrifying to Americans, according to experts. "We have been kind of told that something like this is going to happen and something like this did happen," said forensic psychologist Joel Dvoskin. "That raises peoples' sense of doom." The FBI has not said conclusively that San Bernardino attackers Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife were motivated by terrorism. Read more in NEWS.
4. Pentagon Opens All Combat Roles to Women
Women will now be able to help fill some of the 220,000 combat roles that are currently only open to men. The change is set to take effect in about a month. "Our force of the future must continue to benefit from the best America has to offer," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Thursday. "This includes women." Read more in NEWS.
5. Senate Passes Bill Stripping Planned Parenthood Funds
The Senate narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would repeal key pieces of the Affordable Care Act and strip federal funding of Planned Parenthood for one year. The bill is not expected to become law. It now goes to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass, but the White House has said that President Barack Obama will veto the legislation if it reaches his desk. Read more in NEWS.
6. Report: 'Secret Service Is In Crisis'
A report released Thursday by a bipartisan congressional committee found multiple lapses in security by the U.S. Secret Service over the last 10 years. "The Secret Service is in crisis, the situation is getting worse not better," committee chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told NBC News. "I think the president is in jeopardy and I think he needs to personally get involved," Chaffetz said. "I really do worry about his safety." Read more in NEWS.
7. Stone Temple Pilots Frontman Scott Weiland Dies at 48
Scott Weiland, the grunge rocker frontman for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, died Thursday night at 48. Weiland, who struggled with substance abuse problems, died in his sleep, according to police who found him after 8 p.m. He was supposed to perform with his band, The Wildabouts, on Thursday night. Read more in NEWS.
… What's trending today?
Millions of Americans tuned into "The Wiz Live!" on Thursday night and expressed praise for the production and cast during the live event.