The Short List

The top new stories from all over the world as collected, curated and composed by Katie Skogen

At least someone is keeping a cool head. Louis Head, stepdad of Michael Brown, the 18-year-old killed by police officer Darren Wilson, released a public apology for his actions in Ferguson the night officer Wilson was not indicted by the grand jury. He was reported as saying “burn this b**** down” along with other offensive remarks. Head said he was speaking out of anger and regrets his statements, “In the end, I’ve lived in this community for a long time. The last thing I truly wanted was to see it go up in flames. In spite of my frustration, it really hurt to see that.” Take note America. (CNN)

Trouble down in Texas. Ethics in the U.S. court system get muddier and muddier. Scott Panetti, a schizophrenic Texan convicted of murder in 1992, was sentenced to the death penalty to be executed on Wednesday. However, the federal appeals court of New Orleans halted the execution. Panetti’s lawyers said he was too delusional to be executed. (USA Today)

Too hot to handle. I know this may come as a shock, but the weather has been unseasonably hot this year. So hot, in fact, that it’s tied for the hottest year on record. According the UN Weather Agency, 2014 may pass 2010 as the hottest year in record history. On Wednesday the UNWA rejected their claim that global warming has halted. Don’t hold your breath for a white Christmas this year. (Associated Press)

The knots are staying tied. A recent study by The New York Times showed that more marriages are occurring than ever before, and less are ending in divorces. New numbers show that only one-third of marriages are now ending in divorce, contrary to the previously believed 50 percent. Couples are also waiting longer to be married, and those with more education have the highest rate of staying together. Don’t give up, there IS a point to staying in college. (TODAY Show)

Dying deadlines. President Barack Obama has delayed an executive action on immigration regarding the deportation of illegal immigrants. The original decision was set to take place in the summer, then was changed until after midterm elections and finally has been postponed indefinitely. Officials said the specifics of the decision are still being developed, therefore they cannot put in anything into action just yet. (Newsweek)

The grand jury strikes again. To add to the political unrest surrounding the Ferguson case, another white police officer was not indicted in a case involving the death of a black man. New York police officer Daniel Pantaleo was videotaped in the killing of Eric Garner. Eric’s stepfather urged peace regarding the incident. (Associated Press)