Uber Suspends Operations in Spain

Uber has called it quits in Spain, at least for now. Uber, the ride-booking company that has been plagued by vocal opposition from taxi associations and policy makers around the world, suspended its operations in Spain late Tuesday. The decision came in response to a judge’s ruling this month that the company’s low-cost service, called UberPop, did not comply with Spanish laws and potentially amounted to unfair competition for taxi drivers.

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How California's New Rules Are Scrambling The Egg Industry

On Jan. 1, all eggs sold in California will have to come from chickens living in more spacious digs. The rules have disrupted the egg industry and pushed prices up at grocery stores in California.

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Mass murder in Canada claims 9 victims

Edmonton police chief: Apparent murder-suicide is worst mass killing in city's history; bodies of 7 adults, 2 kids found in 3 places

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New Level: Monsanto Tries Patenting Natural Tomatoes

Did you know that Monsanto tried to patent a tomato that had no biotech traits? Now, the European Patent Office has revoked Monsanto’s fraudulent patent.

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Bone Music

How Western music banned Western in the Soviet Union was printed on repurposed X-Rays to make records

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World War I soldier’s room untouched for almost 100 years

His torn military jacket still hangs by his desk and his shoes are still tucked neatly by his bed — relics of a life lost long ago. In the small village of Bélâbre in central France sits the room of Hubert Rochereau, untouched for nearly a century as a memorial to the fallen solider, who died during World War I. It’s “an unforgettable journey back in time,” reported la Noveulle Republique, which described it as a “mummified room.”

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Woman at Walmart Is Accidentally Shot Dead by 2-Year-Old Son

The 29-year-old mother was shopping with her 2-year-old boy and young relatives in Hayden, Idaho, when the boy found a gun in her purse and it discharged once, officials said.

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First Ebola boy likely infected by playing in bat tree

The Ebola victim who is believed to have triggered the current outbreak - a two-year-old boy called Emile Ouamouno from Guinea - may have been infected by playing in a hollow tree housing a colony of bats, say scientists.

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NSA has VPNs in Vulcan death grip—no, really, that’s what they call it

VPN traffic repositories used to find keys, crack encryption of target traffic.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/zobo/nsa-has-vpns-in-vulcan-death-gripno-really-thats-what-they-call-it

Millions of Australians to Celebrate New Year's Eve as Authorities Call on Revellers to Party Safely

Millions of Australians prepare to see in the new year with spectacular fireworks displays planned across the country.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/millions-of-australians-to-celebrate-new-years-eve-as-authorities-call-on-revellers-to-party-safely

The search for Australia's lost hospital ship

Gordon Rippon had just finished a four-hour watch on the bridge of the Centaur and was heading for bed. It was 04:00 on 14 May 1943 and the Centaur, an Australian hospital ship, was just east of Brisbane. It was heading for Papua New Guinea, where Australian troops were fighting the Japanese. The vessel was carrying a full medical staff and the Cairns-bound 2/12 Field Ambulance unit, plus a merchant crew.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/zobo/the-search-for-australias-lost-hospital-ship

1st grocery vending machines in Canada to be installed in B.C.

Jason Moyal is launching refrigerated grocery vending machines in high-rise buildings across Vancouver. It’s a new concept to Canada, but it’s already being used in places like England and Japan.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/zobo/1st-grocery-vending-machines-in-canada-to-be-installed-in-bc

Conviction of Putin foe sets off protest in Moscow

President Vladimir Putin’s chief political foe was convicted along with his brother on Tuesday in a fraud case widely seen as a vendetta by the Kremlin, triggering one of Russia’s boldest anti-government demonstrations in years.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/TentativePrince/conviction-of-putin-foe-sets-off-protest-in-moscow

The persistence of conspiracy theories about MH370

Six months after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 it is still the subject of a slew of explanations. Why has this tragedy prompted such a wave of conspiracy theories? Sudden, dramatic events often provoke conspiracy theories - particularly where the official version is disbelieved. Think JFK, Princess Diana, 9/11. But in the case of MH370 there is not even an official version. Nobody knows what happened to MH370. It's a modern mystery.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/macavoy/the-persistence-of-conspiracy-theories-about-mh370

North Korean defector details 'human experiments'

A former officer in Pyongyang's armed forces says mentally and physically disabled children are used as subjects in chemical weapons experiments in North Korea, a claim denied by the supporters of the communist nation.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/socialiguana/north-korean-defector-details-human-experiments

United Airlines sues 22-year-old who found method for buying cheaper plane tickets

A young computer whiz from New York City has launched a site to help people buy cheap plane tickets. But an airline company and its travel partner want to shut him down. United Airlines and Orbitz filed a civil lawsuit last month against 22-year-old Aktarer Zaman, who founded the website Skiplagged.com last year. The site helps travelers find cheap flights by using a strategy called “hidden city” ticketing.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/doodlegirl/united-airlines-sues-22-year-old-who-found-method-for-buying-cheaper-plane-tickets

Kim Jong-un Goes Bananas over “The Interview,” Bans All US Movies at the Border

“The Interview” saga is far from over and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un knows this very well. After trying to block the movie from even making its official premiere in the United States, the supreme leader of North Korea is trying to deal with a more local problem, again caused by the very same movie.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/snakeeys5/kim-jong-un-goes-bananas-over-the-interview-bans-all-us-movies-at-the-border

Secret Nazi nuclear bunker discovered in Austrian town of St Georgen an der Gusen

A network of underground tunnels and bunkers used by the Nazis to develop an atomic bomb has been discovered in Austria by a filmmaker. The complex was discovered just outside the small town of St Georgen an der Gusen, near Linz. Its exact location was determined using intelligence reports and radiation tests, which revealed higher than normal levels of radioactivity. Andreas Sulzer, the filmmaker who is leading the exploration, discovered a critical 1944 report...

Read more: http://snapzu.com/spacepopper/secret-nazi-nuclear-bunker-discovered-in-austrian-town-of-st-georgen-an-der-gusen

Wary NYPD cops letting minor crimes slide

With cops on edge following the assassination of two patrol officers on a Brooklyn street, many officers have started turning a blind eye to some minor crimes, sources told The Post, while a union mandate that two patrol cars respond to all police calls has led to slower response times to non-emergencies. “I’m not writing any summonses. Do you think I’m going to stand there so someone can shoot me or hit me in the head with an ax?”

Read more: http://snapzu.com/MissyE/wary-nypd-cops-letting-minor-crimes-slide

China Adds New Barrier to Gmail

The Chinese government appears to have blocked the ability of people in China to gain access to Google’s email service through third-party email services like Apple Mail or Microsoft Outlook, which many Chinese and foreigners had been relying on to use their Gmail accounts after an earlier blocking effort by officials, according to Internet analysts and users in China.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/funhonestdude/china-adds-new-barrier-to-gmail

The End of Gangs

Los Angeles gave America the modern street gang. Groups like the Crips and MS-13 have spread from coast to coast, and even abroad. But on Southern California’s streets they have been vanishing. Has L.A. figured out how to stop the epidemic it set loose on the world?

Read more: http://snapzu.com/drunkenninja/the-end-of-gangs

A New Jersey bid to privatize water without public votes

A bill that would allow New Jersey municipalities to sell their public water utilities to private, for-profit corporations without putting the measure to voters is awaiting Gov. Chris Christie’s signature. Until now, any municipality in New Jersey that sought to sell off its water system to a private bidder had to hold a public vote. But a bill passed with bipartisan support by the state’s Senate last week would allow municipalities with aging and deteriorating...

Read more: http://snapzu.com/AriZona/a-new-jersey-bid-to-privatize-water-without-public-votes

French Government Quietly Enacts Controversial Surveillance Law On Christmas Eve

Techdirt has noted that the NSA chose to release embarrassing details of its illegal surveillance of Americans on Christmas Eve. By an interesting coincidence, the French government picked the same date to enact a hugely controversial new surveillance law, which had been passed back in 2013, and will now enter into operation almost immediately, at the start of 2015. One of its most troubling aspects is the vagueness of its terms...

Read more: http://snapzu.com/ppp/french-government-quietly-enacts-controversial-surveillance-law-on-christmas-eve

Cuban doctor cured of Ebola to return to West Africa

A Cuban doctor who was cured of Ebola after contracting it in Sierra Leone said Monday he will go back to West Africa to fight the deadly virus. Felix Baez, 43, will return to the region in January after ensuring he is fully recovered, he told state newspaper Granma. "I feel very well physically and emotionally," Baez said.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/tyronne/cuban-doctor-cured-of-ebola-to-return-to-west-africa

The Sony hack was a ploy to keep Kim Jong Un safe from the UN — and it's working

North Korea's real aim was to distract from a looming effort to bring International Criminal Court indictments against its top leaders.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/Gozzin/the-sony-hack-was-a-ploy-to-keep-kim-jong-un-safe-from-the-un-and-its-working

Exclusive: Jay, Key Witness from 'Serial' Tells His Story for First Time

The 12-part podcast "Serial" never formally interviewed Jay Wilds, the star witness who helped convict Adnan Syed of Hae Min Lee's murder. The Intercept interviews Jay at length for the first time.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/Caio/exclusive-jay-key-witness-from-serial-tells-his-story-for-first-time

The Early History of Football’s Forward Pass

The forward pass was ridiculed by college football’s powerhouse teams only to be proved wrong by Pop Warner and his Indians

Read more: http://snapzu.com/collude/the-early-history-of-footballs-forward-pass

'Six bodies' found in AirAsia search

At least six bodies have been found and at least three recovered in the search for missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501, Indonesian officials and media say. The bodies were spotted along with debris floating in the Java Sea off the Indonesian part of Borneo, in one of the search zones for the plane. One official said the debris was 95% likely to be from the missing aircraft.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/Caio/six-bodies-found-in-airasia-search

Gun Trouble

The rifle that today's infantry uses is little changed since the 1960s—and it is badly flawed. Military lives depend on these cheap composites of metal and plastic. So why can't the richest country in the world give its soldiers better ones?

Read more: http://snapzu.com/collude/gun-trouble

Moscow: Minivans for Minigarchs

Instead of leaving the office early, elite Muscovites are taking their offices on the road.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/collude/moscow-minivans-for-minigarchs

Russia wants to collect the DNA of every creature

Institutions have already been amassing huge DNA collections to catalog the world's creatures, but Moscow State University might just top them all.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/Arhnold/russia-wants-to-collect-the-dna-of-every-creature

What Would Jesus Drink? A Class Exploring Ancient Wines Asks

Inside the Boston Wine School, Jonathon Alsop places empty glasses and plates of figs and cheese before a small group of students. Alsop, who founded the school in 2000, is doing a test run of a new class that poses the question: What would Jesus drink? "This is ... a cheese that Jesus might have eaten," he tells students. "It's called Egyptian Roumy — it was a cheese that was introduced to the Egyptians by the Romans. It's a sheep's milk cheese."

Read more: http://snapzu.com/mariogi/what-would-jesus-drink-a-class-exploring-ancient-wines-asks

Swedish mosque set ablaze in second suspected arson attack in a week

Special security forces in Sweden are hunting suspected arsonists after fires at two mosques.The blazes follow a period of increased tension in the country, as politicians struggle to stem the rise of the anti-immigrant far right. The Säpo were called in after a blaze at a mosque in the southern town of Eslöv in the early hours of Monday morning. It followed a similar incident on Christmas Day in Eskilstuna, near Stockholm...

Read more: http://snapzu.com/drunkenninja/swedish-mosque-set-ablaze-in-second-suspected-arson-attack-in-a-week

Hitler's old house gives Austria a headache

What do you do with the house Hitler was born in? For years the building in the Austrian town of Braunau am Inn has been rented by the Austrian interior ministry to prevent misuse by neo-Nazis. It was once a day-care centre for the disabled. Now it is empty, as the owner has not agreed to any plans for its future use. Braunau am Inn is a pretty little town in northern Austria, right on the border with Germany. But it has a heavy legacy.

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Do We Run More On Christmas? And what about New Year's?

We know more runners run on Thanksgiving than on any other holiday. The threat of abundance in the form of a good meal is enough to send thousands of us out for a pre-emptive 5-K (or 10-K or whatever). So where does Christmas stack up in the must-run-on-this-holiday hierarchy? And do runners in the U.S. behave the same on that day as runners in say, France or Mexico? What about New Year's Day–do runners the world over start the year off with a bang, or a rest day?

Read more: http://snapzu.com/Caio/do-we-run-more-on-christmas-and-what-about-new-years

It's In the Culture

Woman drives through suburban Chattanooga neighborhood, clad in body armor, with hand out the driver's side window shooting at cars and people. After being cornered, Julia Shields, 45, pointed her firearm at police but was taken into custody without injury. Shields is being charged with 3 counts of attempted first degree murder, 7 counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, felony evading arrest, and felony reckless endangerment.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/imokruok/its-in-the-culture

Greece headed for elections as lawmakers fail to approve president

Greek voters are set to go to the polls after lawmakers failed to elect a new president. This has triggered a snap election, raising fears that the country's financial bailout could be placed in jeopardy.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/Caio/greece-headed-for-elections-as-lawmakers-fail-to-approve-president

Record 2014 Freeze for Parts of UK

The lowest temperatures of 2014 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland were recorded overnight.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/record-2014-freeze-for-parts-of-uk

The Tragedy of the American Military

The American public and its political leadership will do anything for the military except take it seriously. The result is a chickenhawk nation in which careless spending and strategic folly combine to lure America into endless wars it can’t win.

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Google's Self-Driving Car Hits Roads Next Month—Without a Wheel or Pedals

The self-driving, goofy-looking car with no steering wheel or pedals that Google revealed in May is now "fully functional" and should start testing on public roads next month.

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A Guide to Statistics on Historical Trends in Income Inequality

Non-partisan research and policy institute working on federal and state fiscal policies and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income Americans

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Robocop Remake: Dick Slayer [NSFW]

This is our contribution to the crowd-sourced remake of Robocop. Check out the full movie at OurRobocopRemake.com. Thanks to Dave Seger for organizing the whole project and including us.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/socialiguana/robocop-remake-dick-slayer-nsfw

Malaria killing thousands more than Ebola in West Africa

West Africa’s fight to contain Ebola has hampered the campaign against malaria, a preventable and treatable disease that is claiming many thousands more lives than the dreaded virus.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/wetwilly87/malaria-killing-thousands-more-than-ebola-in-west-africa

6,000-Year-Old Temple Unearthed in Ukraine

A team of archaeologists led by Dr Mykhailo Videiko of the Kyiv Institute of Archaeology has discovered the remains of a 6,000-year-old temple at a Trypillian culture village near modern-day Nebelivka, Ukraine.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/poeman/6000-year-old-temple-unearthed-in-ukraine

How to Be a Victorian

Social historian Ruth Goodman sees for herself the intricacies of life in Victorian England.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/how-to-be-a-victorian

Napa's surprise fault line triggers earthquake study of the region

When a magnitude-6.0 earthquake hit California's wine country this summer, scientists rushed to California Highway Patrol helicopters to survey the scene. The results were surprising. The earthquake tore up to the surface, producing a 9-mile-long scar that sliced through vineyards, asphalt and even homes. A buried earthquake fault had awoken along a trail never before documented or mapped by scientists, stunning homeowners who found houses spun off their foundations and broken...

Read more: http://snapzu.com/drunkenninja/napas-surprise-fault-line-triggers-earthquake-study-of-the-region

'I Can't Breathe' T-shirts see high-school basketball team disinvited from event

A high school basketball tournament on the Northern California coast has become the latest flashpoint in nationwide protests over police killings of unarmed black men. The boys and girls varsity basketball teams from Mendocino High School were disinvited from a tournament that starts on Monday at nearby Fort Bragg High, because of concerns players would wear T-shirts with the words “I Can’t Breathe” printed on them while warming up.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/wondaROY/i-cant-breathe-t-shirts-see-high-school-basketball-team-disinvited-from-event

A Long Hungry Look

Rare images from an unpublished 1950 Life Magazine project record the legacy of racial segregation in photographer Gordon Parks’s Kansas hometown.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/a-long-hungry-look

American Barbershops: A Vanishing Act?

Why neighborhood barbershops are hanging on by a hair.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/american-barbershops-a-vanishing-act

This Was an Epic year for Droughts, Floods, and Extreme Weather

Extreme heat, record-breaking floods, and a terrifying tornado in oil country -- all in all, a year we can't afford to forget.

Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/this-was-an-epic-year-for-droughts-floods-and-extreme-weather