Good morning. Here are some of the stories we’re following today:
1. Three NYC men accused of planning to wage jihad
Three would-be jihadists living in Brooklyn were arrested Wednesday before they could aid ISIS in Syria, federal prosecutors said. One of the alleged terror trio even offered to kill President Barack Obama, the feds added. Two of the men, Abdurasul Juraboev, 24, and Akhror Saidakhmetov, 19, allegedly wanted to travel to Turkey and then to Syria, while a third man, Abror Habibov, 30, helped them financially, authorities said. "Anyone who threatens our citizens and our allies, here or abroad, will face the full force of American justice," said Loretta Lynch, the top federal prosecutor in Brooklyn. All three were charged with attempt and conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS, and face up to 15 years in prison each. Read more in NEWS.
2. ISIS executioner 'Jihadi John' identified
The enigmatic terrorist figure has been seen in several ISIS propaganda beheading videos clutching a knife and threatening Western captives. U.S. intelligence officials have identified him as Mohammed Emwazi of London. Police said they would not confirm the reports and British government officials declined to comment. So-called "Jihadi John" appeared in the videos showing the execution of American hostages James Foley and Steven Sotloff and Britons Alan Henning and David Haines. Read more in NEWS.
3. Storm-slammed South braces for more snow, ice
This winter just won't let up. Another storm is tracking its way across the South and Midwest as up to 10 inches of snow has fallen in parts of the region. Tens of thousands of people from Alabama up through Virginia are without power, while hundreds of flights have been canceled in North Carolina. Other parts of the country are bracing for bitter temperatures ahead as well. Minneapolis will feel like minus-22 degrees Thursday morning, forecasters said. Chicago will feel like minus-5 degrees. Read more in NEWS.
4 . Potentially deadly bacteria raises alarm
A deadly bug called Clostridium difficile — or C. diff — is causing life-threatening infections, according to a new report. More than 450,000 Americans get infected each year, and almost all cases are caused by the overuse of antibiotics. "C. difficile was responsible for almost half a million infections and was associated with approximately 29,000 deaths in 2011," a team of researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. That's almost twice as many deaths as any other survey has shown before for the infection. Read more in HEALTH.
5. What FCC decision on net neutrality means
Federal Communications commissioners are expected to vote Thursday on the issue of net neutrality, a debate that has often been cast as pitting ISPs, such as Verizon, against Web companies, such as Google and Netflix. Most observers expect these new rules to be approved along party lines, with two Democratic commissioners joining Chairman Tom Wheeler in voting for approval, and two Republican commissioners voting against it. So what exactly does the proposal entail? Read more in TECH.
6. ‘Top Model’ killed in North Carolina triple homicide
A 19-year-old former contestant on "America's Next Top Model" was one of three people murdered in a drug-related killing in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday, police said. Mirjana Puhar, who grew up in Charlotte after her family fled war-torn Serbia, was found shot to death with two other victims in a house in the city's Tryon Hills neighborhood. The alleged killer, Emmanuel Jesus Rangel, 23, was arrested Wednesday on three counts of first-degree murder. Read more in NEWS.
And now this ...
Astronauts making external repairs to the International Space Station did what anyone else would do in 2015: They snapped a selfie — and possibly the first one outside of the station. We can no longer say that the selfie has swept the globe. It has now gone beyond it.