Locked Up Abroad: Swedish diplomats are on the hook to help free a Lynnwood man arrested in North Korea for leading tours of the pathologically ass-backward country.

Soot: The EPA announced it wants to regulate soot, the result of which might reduce premature respiratory deaths.

March Like an Egyptian: Protesters flooded the streets before the country votes on a new constitution.

Hugo Chavez is recovering "satisfactorily" after his cancer surgery in Cuba.

Syria Going HAM: NATO alleges that Syrian Scud missiles hit close to Turkey. Meanwhile, soon-to-be-former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has a raging civil war on his hands.

Cleared: A Joint Base Lewis-McChord pilot was found not guilty in the 2011 death of a paratrooper.

Hanukkah Resignation: Israeli Foreign Minister resigns amid "breach of trust" charges stemming from alleged money laundering.

Mmmm, Beer: Craft brewers battling a beer monopoly want the US Department of Justice to take a look.

Lest we forget the superlative fucked-up-ness of the Connecticut elementary school massacre.