Zebraic and Askew

A new Census Bureau estimate from Thursday shows the number of people of Somali ancestry in Minnesota has raised from last year's update of 27,000 to more than 32,000 Somalis.

The Pioneer Press reported that the estimate includes a margin of error because it is taken from a survey, so the calculated population could be as high as 36,000 or as low as 29,000 Somalis.

"The (Somali) community has long felt it is a bit larger than the Census Bureau estimate," Tom Gillaspy, a demographer for the state told the Pioneer Press, "but this number doesn't feel uncomfortable to me."

The Star Tribune stated that according to the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota, the state's Somalis report their population number at about 70,000.

The survey data, which includes people born in Somalia and their descendants, is the Census Bureau's best guess of the population because those of Somali descent are not specifically asked about their ancestry during the census reports the Pioneer Press.

According to new estimates, other states that have large Somali populations include Ohio with 12,300, Washington with 9,300, and California with 7,500 according to the Star Tribune.

A St. Paul man intentionally stabbed an acquaintance two times in the neck with scissors, killing him at a St. Paul group home that aids adults with mental illness or substance abuse disorders.

According to the Star Tribune, Anthony Jay Haukos, 44, is charged with intentional second-degree murder on suspicion of killing Thomas Grover Stein, 61, of St. Paul. The Pioneer Press reports Haukos is arranged to make his first court appearance Monday.

According to the court papers, Stein, who dresses like and prefers to be known as a woman, called his mental health practitioner saying a man named "Tony" was becoming unruly in his apartment. The Star Tribune reports that around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, police arrived outside Stein's apartment to a man holding a silver-edged item with a dark handle caressing and spooning what appeared to be an unresponsive woman covered in blood on the floor.

An officer arrived at the window and told Haukos to drop the weapon and come outside, reports the Pioneer Press, but the order was met with nonsensical rants from Haukos yelling that he was "the Devil" and "Tony Montana."

According to the Star Tribune, after killing Stein, Huakos struggled with several officers who were forced to use tasers and other forms of force to handcuff him and take him to Regions Hospital, as he sang and made irrational, religious-themed statements the entire ride.

Police interviewed Huakos at the hospital later Thursday, as he police he was cleaning Stein's apartment when the two started smoking marijuana and he "flipped out" on Stein the Pioneer Press reported. "I thought she was the devil, a witch," Haukos said in the Star Tribune, "because of the way she was able to so eloquently able to quote the Bible."

President Obama announced his plan Wednesday at the University of Colorado Denver that will initiate two changes to the federal student loan program and affect up to 1.6 million borrowers according to the Star Tribune.

Though nothing is changing with any private loans, an estimated 5.8 million borrowers of different kinds of federal loans will be able to consolidate them into one loan and reduce their interest rates by up to .5 percent under the new plan starting in January according to The New York Times.

The plan, titled "Know Before You Owe," allows college graduates to limit federal student loan payments at 10 percent of discretionary income and all remaining debt would be forgiven after 20 years, the Star Tribune reports, which is 5 years sooner than the current law states.

Obama, using his power of executive authority, has bypassed Congress to jump-start 3 initiatives that don't require congressional approval to provide mortgage relief, reduce student loan coasts and help employ military veterans the Star Tribune reported.

"You do your job, it's time for them to do their job," Obama said in the Star Tribune. "We don't sit around and wait for things to happen. We're Americans."

Western Catholics are preparing for the largest translation to their mass texts starting Nov. 27, the first Sunday of the season of Advent USA Today reports.

The idea is to unify the more than 1 billion Catholics worldwide, so every prayer in the Mass is undergoing some renovation to revive the original Latin version. This is the biggest change since the 1960s reports the Star Tribune.

According to USA today, many oppose the changes as it restricts variety in the interpretation of the texts, as much of the debate is over whether the changes ordered by the Vatican are good or bad.

Advocates think the new sacred vernacular is not only a more exact reflection of the original Latin, USA today reports, but is also more poetic and humble in references and allusions to the Bible.

The Star Tribune reports that modern and younger Catholics say the new translation is awkward, less conversational and can potentially distance people from the church
"We have to keep in mind these are prayer texts being used by priests at a mass," Erie, Pa., Bishop Donald Trautman said in the Star Tribune. "People should be able to understand them when they are heard."

According to military officials, the single deadliest assault on U.S. citizens in Kabul took place Saturday when as many as 13 Americans were killed as a Taliban suicide bomber attacked an armored shuttle bus.

The New York Times reported that a Taliban spokesman said Abdul Rahman Hazarbos drove a vehicle with 1,500 pounds of explosives into a bus kill all of the American military trainers aboard.

The bus, called a Rhino because of its protective armor, was traveling down Darulaman Road, a busy street that is taken mostly by NATO military trainers traveling from the Kabul Military Training Center to downtown Kabul the New York Times reported.

The Los Angeles Times reports 5 troops and 8 civilian workers were killed in the attack according to NATO officials, along with at least 3 Afghan civilians and a policeman according to the Afghan Interior Ministry.

Kabul is one of the safer cities according to the Los Angeles Times, because attacks are rare and the city is more secure than other parts of Afghanistan. But, the Taliban have begun to retaliate and strengthen their political stance since Afghanistan has been taking over security forces from NATO.

"Our deepest sympathies go out to their comrades and families, but it will not deter us from our mission," Ryan C. Crocker, the United States Ambassador, said in the New York Times. "It's a shock, but we will not let these guys win."