Recently in National News Category

Western United States, particularly California, got hit with severe wind storms recently, according to ABC News.

These violent winds left nearly 200,000 people without power in parts of California and Utah after the worst wind storm in a decade, reported ABC.

Power lines were downed, fires raged throughout the night, and lights on all terminals at the Los Angeles airport went out at the same time.

Winds of over 150 miles per hour devastated parts of Utah and Colorado, destroying houses and toppling trees all over the West.

The Red Cross has opened stations in parts of California that saw the worst damage, providing people with food and shelter if needed.

The mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, told ABC News that crews from all over the West have been called to help clear the streets of fallen trees and debris.

Kolkata is India's cultural bedrock, according to the New York Times.

The Times reported that although Kolkata is filled with slums and endless traffic, it is also responsible for some of India's greatest writers, thinkers, artists and filmmakers.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Kolkata is one of the cities in India that attracts quite a bit of attention from cricket fans.

Kolkata is a city that takes a while to get used to, according to the New York Times, but once travelers do so, they find that they grow affectionate for the place.

Travelers can find talkative strangers, tiny bookstores and other unique aspects that will make them fall in love with the city, said the New York Times.

A majority of the public still supports government funding for alternative energy research, according to a new study conducted by the Pew Research Center, reported the Huffington Post.

The survey revealed that the amount of Americans who favor government funding for alternative energy has decreased since 2006. In that year, 82 percent of Americans favored funding, but five years later, just 68 percent favored it.

The Denver Post reported that support for funding has dropped to 53 percent among Republicans, which is 30 percentage points lower than Democratic backing. Democratic support remains over 80 percent.

The Huffington Post also reported that the degree of enthusiasm for alternative energy funding has decreased substantially since President Barack Obama took office.

Former 60 Minutes commentator Andy Rooney died at the age of 92 on Nov. 4.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Rooney died at a New York City hospital due to complications after a minor surgery.

A man who TV Guide called "America's favorite grump" worked for 60 Minutes as the closing essayist for 33 years.

USA Today reported that Rooney was a former war correspondent, wrote 16 books, and also wrote a syndicated newspaper column.

Rooney was a man who always said what was on his mind and who won the hearts of American television viewers.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Rooney is survived by his four children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

The Supreme Court heard a case in the middle of October about strip searches in county jails.

The Court heard the case of Albert Florence, a finance manager for a New Jersey car dealership, who was arrested on a warrant for an unpaid fine, according to CBS News.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Supreme Court justices seemed split on what kind of rule to implement that would affect all jails.

The Los Angeles Times noted that Justice Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said that "county jails are more dangerous than penitentiaries because you don't know who these people are."

CBS News reported that Thomas Goldstein, representing Florence, said the court should draw a line that limits intrusion into someone's privacy when there is no cause to suspect he is hiding anything.

Several of the justices expressed concerns about such points, saying that there is no need to subject a possibly innocent person to such a search.

The decision should come by spring.

The Supreme Court will have to decide whether the health care law is constitutional soon.

The Fiscal Times reported that the Supreme Court will deliver their verdict by June 2012.

The Supreme Court began its new term in early October after a three-month summer break, according to the Washington Times, weighing whether patients and health care providers in the Medicaid program for poor Americans can sue to block a state from cutting reimbursement rates.

The Court's decision could be very important for the justices, defining their upcoming term.

The debate over health care has been very controversial with the recent GOP debates, and Medicaid is a key element in the law's aim of extending coverage to more than 30 million Americans.