ADVISORY CNN Wire Outlook

Supervising News Editor Maggie Leung -- 404-827-1401

UPCOMING

Massachusetts-Chemist-Arraigned

A former Massachusetts state chemist accused of misconduct in thousands of criminal cases was arraigned in two different courts Wednesday on additional charges relating to her alleged false claims about holding a master's degree in chemistry.

California-Racketeering-Sentence

A federal judge sentenced a Los Angeles gang member to 35 years in prison Wednesday in the botched shakedown attempt that led to an infant's shooting death in 2007.

Texas-Parade-Train-Wreck

A grand jury in the Texas county where a deadly wreck involved a flatbed truck in a parade and a train has decided to not indict the driver of the float. Four veterans were killed in the accident, which happened during a November event to honor the military.

US-Drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture cited drought and heat in designating on Wednesday 597 counties in 14 states as primary natural disaster areas.

Venezuela-Chavez (will update)

Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez won a battle over the country's leadership Wednesday, but the fight isn't over.

SPORT-Baseball-Hall-Of-Fame (will update)

There will be no new entries in the National Baseball Hall of Fame for 2013, the hall's president announced Wednesday. This is only the eighth time that's happened in the history of the Hall of Fame.

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED STORIES

CNN SHOWCASE

US-NRA-Gun-Research

No new gun laws. The National Rifle Association has made its position clear, even amid America's most recent gun debate. It says enforce the gun laws already on the books. It's well-known that the organization has actively lobbied to prevent new legislation limiting guns. But making this happen is more nuanced than just rallying its supporters and lobbyists every time a new law is proposed. Since the 1990s, the powerful pro-gun NRA has targeted the heart of what most legislation is based on: studies about the effects of gun violence.

INTERNATIONAL

Australia-fire-threat

Large swaths of southern New South Wales in Australia were threatened Wednesday by raging flames, the severity of which has surprised even veteran firefighters.

Venezuela-Chavez

Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez won a battle over the country's leadership Wednesday, but the fight isn't over.

India-Rape-Case

The father of the woman whose rape and fatal beating provoked outrage across India and worldwide says his daughter's death "brought an awakening to society."

Syria-Prisoner-Exchange

Thousands of mostly Syrian prisoners were exchanged Wednesday for a few dozen Iranians in Damascus, a Turkish charity said. The Syrian government released 2,130 civilians, 76 of them women, in exchange for the release of 48 Iranians who had been held by Syrian rebels, said Huseyin Oruc, deputy president of the Humanitarian Relief Foundation in Turkey.

Karzai-Pentagon

The Pentagon expects to get a read on Thursday from Afghan President Hamid Karzai on what he expects from the U.S. military going forward, a defense official said.

Middle-East-Winter-Storm

Brutal winter weather is making dire conditions even more unbearable in parts of the Middle East, especially for Syrian refugees who must endure frigid temperatures in tents.

Northern-Ireland-Unrest

The Union flag was raised over Belfast City Hall on Wednesday morning for the first time since a vote last month to stop flying it year round prompted violent protests in Northern Ireland. The flag is flying because it's the birthday of Prince William's wife, Catherine -- one of the designated days when the flag will still be flown. It was taken down again as planned Wednesday evening, a night after pro-flag protesters in East Belfast threw fireworks and petrol bombs at police. However, the disorder was sporadic and on a smaller scale than on previous nights.

India-Pakistan-Kashmir-Clash

India and Pakistan traded bitter accusations Wednesday after New Delhi said Pakistani troops had killed two of its soldiers and mutilated their bodies in the disputed territory of Kashmir, a flash point between the two nations since their creation.

Saudi-Teen-Divorce

A divorce has been granted in the case of a Saudi teenager who was wed to a 70-year-old man, Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission told CNN on Wednesday.

Russia-Zorb-Death

An extreme sport went extremely wrong recently when two men riding in a large inflatable ball rolled out of control and fell off a snowy mountain in Russia killing one and seriously injuring the other.

Bahrain-Unrest

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said he "deeply regrets" a recent decision by Bahrain's highest court to uphold the verdicts against 13 activists convicted of plotting to overthrow the government.

Japan-Giant-Squid

The first ever video footage of a giant squid swimming in the ocean depths is "an enormous breakthrough," according to a prominent marine conservationist who wrote a book about the search for the mysterious creatures.

SPORT-Football-FIFA-Korea-Fixing

FIFA has imposed a worldwide lifetime ban from football on 41 players from Korea who became embroiled in match-fixing activities in their domestic league.

SPORT-nba-rudy-fernandez-spain-basketball

It's the dream of millions of basketball fans around the world -- to be an NBA star. But for Rudy Fernandez, who leapt to fame with his "hellacious" dunk in an Olympic final against the U.S. Dream Team, playing in "the best league in the world" was not enough.

SPORT-isner-harrison-australia-tennis

The United States' top male tennis player John Isner is in danger of missing the forthcoming Australian Open with a knee injury.

SPORT-Football-Real-Madrid-Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo may have lost out yet again to Lionel Messi in the race to be crowned the world's best footballer but he responded in the only way he knows how --by finding the net for Real Madrid.

U.S.A.

New-York-Ferry-Accident

As an 8 a.m. ferry made its final maneuvers across the Hudson River, Elizabeth Banta watched in horror as dozens of her fellow commuters were tossed like rag dolls into the air and against the ship's walls and windows. Packed with more than 300 passengers, the high-speed vessel crashed into a Lower Manhattan port near Wall Street on Wednesday, leaving dozens bloodied and in pain.

New-York-crane-collapse

A crane collapse at a construction site in Queens, New York, Wednesday afternoon injured seven, according to city fire officials. All of the injured appear to be construction workers, Department of Buildings spokesman Tony Sclafani said. Three were badly injured.

Colorado-Theater-Shooting

Two weeks before a bloody shooting rampage that killed 12 people at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater, suspect James Holmes apparently visited the cinema and took photographs of hallways and doors, a police detective testified on Wednesday.

US-Vermont-assault-rifle-ban-resolution

A resolution that has passed in the most populous city in Vermont could lead to a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. Burlington's City Council members voted 10-3 in favor of the resolution.

US-Alex-Jones-Profile

Conspiracies abound, Alex Jones will tell you. Bankers pull the strings on world governments to solidify their power. Companies are harming you and ducking responsibility. Antidepressants are "suicide mass murder pills." President Barack Obama is using drones against Americans. And the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001, was engineered by the government. Now, he's attacking CNN host Piers Morgan, depicting the British native of being a "red coat" out to step on Americans' rights and calling for his deportation.

US-Same-Sex-Weddings

Same-sex couples will be able to tie the knot in Washington's National Cathedral this year, after measures allowing them to marry legally passed in three states during the general election -- including Maryland.

US-drunk-drive-blood-test

Alcohol-related car crashes kill about 10,000 people each year in the United States and law enforcement wants more flexibility to determine whether a suspected drunk driver is, indeed, over the limit. But the Supreme Court was clearly divided in oral arguments on Wednesday about whether police can obtain a blood test without a warrant to determine intoxication levels.

MED-international-health-report

Despite spending more per person on health care than any other country, Americans are getting sicker and dying younger than our international peers -- a problem persisting across all ages and both genders, according to a new report. In 2011, the National Research Council found life expectancy in the United States was increasing at a slower rate than in other high-income democracies. Shortly after, the NRC and Institute Of Medicine convened a panel of experts to investigate why. The panel was given 18 months

MED-US-Flu-Season

The flu has been spreading fiercely across the United States, with more than half of states reporting widespread activity. The season has started earlier, and cases are more severe than last year, health officials say. The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention flu advisory report, which covers the week of December 23 to 29, suggests that 41 states have widespread influenza activity, which was an increase of 31 states from the previous week. The CDC will issue an update on the flu situation Friday.

MED-donor-study

Upon being identified as potential bone marrow or blood stem cell donors, many people choose not to participate. As result, patients with blood cancers go without life-saving treatments. About 40% of whites and 60% of nonwhites opt out of donating when contacted for confirmatory testing by blood sample, according to data from the National Marrow Donor Program and Be The Match. Why? That's the question researchers attempted to answer in a recent study.

SPORT-Baseball-Hall-of-Fame

Baseball writers balked at naming any new players to the sport's Hall of Fame on Wednesday, with none of the 37 eligible players drawing enough votes for a ticket to Cooperstown.

SPORT-NHL-Deal-Board

Pucks will fly as soon as next weekend if National Hockey League players ratify a collective bargaining agreement that won a seal of approval Wednesday from the league's board of governors.

MONEY-cooperstown-businesses

For the shops, restaurants and hotels in Cooperstown, N.Y., 2013 will be like a year without Christmas. On Wednesday, the Baseball Writers Association of America failed to elect any new members to the Baseball Hall of Fame , turning its back on a bevy of stars who had been stained by the sport's steroids scandal of the last two decades, such as Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. That's bad news for Cooperstown, which is home to the Hall. Between 15,000 and 20,000 baseball fans typically jam this tiny town of 2,000 during a weekend in late July to watch their heroes get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

ENT-Lance-Armstrong-Donation

A Lance Armstrong representative tried to make a donation of about $250,000 to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency before the agency launched the investigation that led to the cyclist being stripped of his Tour de France titles, the chief of the USADA told ''60 Minutes Sports.''

TRAVEL-dreamliner-fuel-leak

The crew of a Japan Airlines Dreamliner loaded with 181 passengers apparently was unaware of fuel spewing from a wing as the jetliner prepared to thunder down the runway on Tuesday in Boston.

MONEY-boeing-787-dreamliner-problems

The mechanical problems continued Wednesday for Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner, an aircraft seen as a key part of the company's future.

TRAVEL-dreamliner-problems

A fire, a fuel leak, mechanical issues. For a passenger about to board Boeing's next-generation 787 Dreamliner aircraft, reports of the plane not working properly don't inspire confidence. Despite the flurry of reports, aviation experts say most new commercial airplanes do encounter problems after their launch.

TRAVEL-Volatile-Airline-Coffee-Filters

When a flight attendant serves up a cup of coffee, fliers are unlikely aware of just how much risk the crew took to deliver them that cup of joe.

POLITICS

POL-Gun-Control-Battle

President Barack Obama is exploring executive orders to help prevent mass shootings in America, Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday.

MONEY-walmart-gun-debate-biden

After initially declining an invitation to attend, Wal-Mart announced Wednesday that it will participate in a meeting with Vice President Joseph Biden's gun violence task force.

POL-Gun-Town-Hall

A congressman took the renewed gun debate from Capitol Hill to his constituents in California, holding a town hall Tuesday night on gun control nearly a month after a gunman massacred 27 people in Newtown, Connecticut before shooting himself.

POL-Cuomo-Gun-Violence

Ban assault weapons. It's a call that's been trumpeted on the airwaves, in protests and in some TV ads. But now it's coming from a high-profile governor, signaling what could be a major move in the renewed push for tighter gun laws after the Connecticut elementary school shooting last month--a massacre that capped a year marked by other high-profile shootings. Speaking to a crowd of elected officials, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York said Wednesday the state must enact "the toughest assault weapons ban in the nation, period."

POL-Christie-Interviews

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sidestepped more questions about his potential interest in a 2016 presidential run and pushed for an expansive debate on gun violence during a round of interviews Wednesday morning.

POL-Connecticut-Governor-Guns

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy choked up Wednesday when addressing the Newtown elementary school shooting that left 20 students dead, and bluntly rejected the notion of putting more guns in classrooms as protection.

POL-Santorum-Hagel-Nomination

Rick Santorum will launch a drive against the nomination of former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as Defense secretary, CNN has learned.

POL-Labor-Secretary-Resigns

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis resigned her post Wednesday, offering no specific reason but that she "enjoyed my first opportunity in years to reflect on the past and my future" over the holidays.

POL-Obama-boys-club

As Democrats in Congress celebrate a historic number of women elected to their ranks, the White House's top ranks reflect a very different picture -- one that is largely male.

POL-State-Clinton

Outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she's "thrilled to be back" after an illness, concussion and treatment for a blood clot sidelined her for more than three weeks.

POL-Fiscal-Cliff-McConnell-Target

A top political adviser to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing back against a series of new on-line ads in McConnell's home state of Kentucky that target the top Senate Republican for helping to negotiate a deal that prevented the U.S. from falling off the fiscal cliff.

POL-Obama-Inauguration-Poet

Richard Blanco, the poet who likes to describe himself as being made in Cuba, assembled in Spain and imported to the United States, will serve as the inaugural poet when President Barack Obama takes the oath of office for a second term this month. Blanco will be the first Latino, the first openly gay person and the youngest poet to serve in the highly coveted role.

MONEY

MONEY-aig-lawsuit

The board of AIG decided Wednesday not to join a shareholder lawsuit against taxpayers which challenges the terms of the bailout that saved the insurer from bankruptcy in 2008. The board did not detail the reasons for the decision, saying it will make that clear in court filings in the coming weeks. But when reports surfaced Tuesday that it was even considering joining the suit, it sparked widespread outrage against the company.

MONEY-Stocks-markets

U.S. stocks rose Wednesday, as investors welcomed an upbeat start to corporate earnings season.

MONEY-gun-stocks-biden

A recent rally in gun stocks hit a snag Wednesday amid talk that Vice President Joseph Biden's Gun Violence Task Force could result in tighter restrictions on firearms ownership in the wake of recent mass shootings.

MONEY-Herbalife-Loeb-Ackman

Herbalife's stock rallied more than 9% Wednesday, after Third Point, the hedge fund founded by Dan Loeb, said it had taken an 8% stake in the nutritional supplement firm.

MONEY-multilevel-marketing-industry

Lately, all eyes have been on Herbalife, a $4 billion weight loss and nutritional supplement company that hedge fund manger Bill Ackman has attacked as an alleged "pyramid scheme." Herbalife contests those charges, saying its multilevel marketing strategy is above board. But the headlines have brought this huge industry into the spotlight. From lipsticks sold by iconic "Avon ladies" to the popular P90X workout system, multilevel marketing companies represent nearly $30 billion in annual U.S. sales and enlist tens of millions of Americans as independent salespeople. Here's a look at how the industry works.

MONEY-obama-treasury-lew

President Obama will nominate his White House chief of staff, Jacob "Jack" Lew, to be the next U.S. Treasury Secretary on Thursday, a source with knowledge of the nomination tells CNN. Lew, 57, has been the leading candidate for months and would be the second Treasury Secretary during the Obama administration.

MONEY-jack-lew-treasury-signature

Jack Lew, Obama's presumptive nominee for U.S. Treasury Secretary will face many challenges if he is confirmed -- from increasing the debt ceiling to tackling budget cuts. He may also have to change his signature.

MONEY-sec-khuzami

Robert Khuzami, who led enforcement efforts at the Securities and Exchange Commission in the aftermath of the financial crisis, is stepping down, the agency said Wednesday.

MONEY-infrastructure-cyberattacks

America's power, water, and nuclear systems are increasingly being targeted by cybercriminals seeking to gain access to some of the nation's most critical infrastructure.

MONEY-google-wind-farm

More than 90% of Google's revenue comes from search, but some of the company's biggest bets are being made in seemingly unrelated fields. You've heard about Google's driverless cars, virtual-reality glasses and plans for a space elevator. What's less well-known is that the company is also a huge investor in green energy. Google announced another big renewable energy deal on Wednesday, purchasing a $200 million stake in a wind farm in west Texas.

MONEY-nissan-leaf-america

Nissan's all-electric Leaf sedan will soon be made in America. Nissan, which previously made the car exclusively in Japan, will begin producing Leaf models for U.S. consumption this week at its plant in Smyrna, Tenn., where the gas-powered Altima and Maxima are already made.

MONEY-microsoft-messenger-skype

Microsoft will be killing off its Windows Live Messenger chat service on March 15, transitioning its more than 100 million users to Skype.

MONEY-mark-cuban-tweet-fine

Mark Cuban fired off the one of the most expensive tweets in history on Saturday. The media mogul and Dallas Mavericks owner was fined $50,000 for his Jan. 5 tweet criticizing NBA officiating, according to USA Today and other news outlets.

MONEY-tmobile-bullpen-phones

Major League Baseball, a sport that loves clinging to outdated traditions, is about to embrace modern technology for one of its most frequently used tools -- at least for teams with lousy pitching. The landline phones that managers pick up to summon relief pitchers will be replaced this year with cell phones.

MONEY-pebble-ship-date

The highly hyped Pebble e-watch, which raised a record-setting $10 million on crowdfunding site Kickstarter last year, will finally start shipping January 23.

MONEY-germany-economy

Disappointing German industrial output and orders data rekindled fears Wednesday that Europe's powerhouse economy may have stalled at the end of last year.

MONEY-private-equity-ipo-china

China's stalled market for new share listings is severely limiting the ability of private equity funds to cash out their investments in the country, according to a new research report from China First Capital.

FEATURES AND COMMENTARY

ENT-Grammy-Awards-Performers

The list of performers for this year's Grammy Awards thus far nearly mirrors the list of lead nominees, with a few exceptions: no Kanye West, no Jay-Z and no Frank Ocean. Well, not yet, anyway.

ENT-Rosie-O'Donnell-Michelle-Rounds-Baby

Rosie O'Donnell's family has grown by one more bundle of joy: The media personality and her wife Michelle Rounds have welcomed a baby girl.

ENT-Michael-Bay-Transformers-New-Actor

The name Jack Reynor might not sound familiar now, but you should be well-acquainted by the time "Transformers 4" is released. Michael Bay revealed on his website Tuesday that he's tapped Reynor to star alongside Mark Wahlberg in the upcoming "Transformers" installment.

Alabama-Webb-Musburger

Katherine Webb says she's flattered that broadcaster Brent Musburger gushed about her beauty during live coverage of the college football championship -- and she's taken aback by a backlash against him.

COMMENTARY-Obeidallah-Musburger-Comments

Give Brent Musburger a break

COMMENTARY-Downey-Baseball-Hall-of-Fame

Not one of the 37 players on the 2013 ballot will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. "You cannot play baseball for a living without being good," writes Mike Downey, a former columnist for the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times.

COMMENTARY-Shane-smarter-guns

Make guns smart, says Jeremy Shane, who served in the Justice Department during the George H.W. Bush administration and has led ventures in online media, energy and education.

COMMENTARY-nathan-legal-marijuana

Why marijuana should be legal for adults, according to David L. Nathan, a clinical associate professor at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

COMMENTARY-stanley-Nixon-at-100

Nixon at 100: Why GOP should be misty eyed, says Timothy Stanley, a historian at Oxford University who also blogs for Britain's The Daily Telegraph.

COMMENTARY-Navarrette-Argo-Affleck-Latino

Latino should have played lead in 'Argo'

COMMENTARY-Bowie-Lynskey

Bowie: Why we're just glad to have him back.

COMMENTARY-bakos-syria-al-qaeda

Terrorist group fills power vacuum among Syria rebels, says former CIA analyst Nada Bakos.

COMMENTARY-lemmon-malala-girls-rights

The girl the Taliban wanted dead has not only survived but was able to walk out of the hospital last week. But other highly publicized, vicious attacks on women and girls have not had such triumphant outcomes.