Cali Owings: News Blog

On Friday evening, a man driving a red Honda Civic was involved in two hit and runs in Rochester, one of which was fatal, according to an article in the Minnesota Daily.

The first occurred when the driver, who witnesses say was going over the speed limit, ran into a car with eight passengers who had been barhopping that night including a 23-year-old U student.

After critically injuring the U student and killing another, the driver hit two pedestrians, both are in critical condition.

The Star Tribune reported that a 32-year-old man from Oronoco, Minn. with a history of arrests is in custody in connection with the accidents. Police said alcohol may be a factor but that the suspect was not "targeting people."

Since less than 9,000 votes separated Democrat Mark Dayton and Republican Tom Emmer in the governor's race, a recount was called and will be started Monday, according to an article in the Minnesota Daily.

All 2.1. million votes cast will be counted by hand and a state canvassing board will reconvene Dec. 8 to determine the winner.

The Star Tribune reported that four of Dayton's attorneys had handled Senator Al Franken's recount in 2008, while Emmer's team includes one of the attorneys that represented Norm Coleman.

Law enforcement officers in Portland Oregon derailed a plot to bomb the lighting of a community Christmas tree Friday night.

CNN reported that Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a 19-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia, was seized in connection with a plan to detonate a vehicle bomb.

But the bomb turned out to be a fake and none of the contents were actually explosive.

However, officials believe Mohamud thought the bomb was real and intended to detonate it at the lighting ceremony.

Several presidential candidates are rejecting the election results in Haiti over alleged fraud. 12 out of 19 candidates banded together and accused the incumbent, "President Rene Preval of trying to steal the election and install his chosen candidate, Jude Celestin," according to the Washington Post.

However, their provisional electoral council acknowledges the vote and claim there was not the widespread fraud that displeased candidates are complaining about.

The Wall Street Journal reported that if the election officials validate the vote, it will most likely result in a race between the top 2 candidates.

More than 250 thousand Information cables about United States foreign policy have been leaked to news outlets over the last months through a website called Wikileaks.

According to the Wall Street Journal, this information has been released to newspapers in the United States and Europe including The New York Times, U.K.'s Guardian, Germany's Der Spiegel, El Pais of Spain and France's Le Monde.

Many of the cables contain "embarrassing" information about U.S. diplomatic relations with Iran regaring nuclear power.

U.S. officials are upset about Wikileaks, including the Obama administration who said the leaks are potentially dangerous and "reckless."

U.S. envoy on North Korea Stephen Baldworth said evidence that the country has built another nuclear plant is both disappointing and provocative, according to BBC News.

He met with a Korean minister and said the situation was not a crisis.

"A U.S. scientist said he had been shown more than 1,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium on a visit to North Korea and had seen a new light-water reactor."

The new evidence showed North Korea to be in violation of United Nations resolution.

Reuters reported that analysts believe Kim Jong-Il "wants to use nuclear muscle to boost his son's credentials with the military," since his series of offensive moves began when he began transitioning his son Kim Jong-Un into power.

Freezing rain brought hundreds of crashes and injuries to Minnesota late Saturday night and Sunday morning. The Minnesota Daily reported 376 crashes in the Metro area and 438 statewide.

According to the Pioneer Press, more than 75 of those crashes resulted in injuries and two deaths, including a 12-year-old girl.

In addition, the Pioneer Press reported the hundreds of injuries from dangerous walking conditions due to the freezing rain and ice.

The Star Tribune reported that more freezing rain could be coming Monday night.

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents appointed Stony Brook University Provost Eric Kaler as president Thursday after a series of meetings on campus.

The Minnesota Daily reported that the appointment was "little more than a formality" because Kaler was the only finalist name in the five-month search process. Kaler is an '82 graduate of the University's chemical engineering doctorate program and only the second alumnus serving as University President. Kaler will take office on July 1.

The Associated Press reported that Kaler was offered a "compensation package worth $610,000, which would put him about in the middle of his fellow Big Ten presidents."

The Transportation Safety Administration's is under fire since they began using body scanners that see through people's clothing and subject fliers to extremely thorough (or invasive) pat downs.

According to the Associated Press, the TSA was created as a public service in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks but since have become more of a public nuisance.

President Barack Obama said he supports the TSA's efforts to keep up to date on potential threats to the United States. However, travelers are angry because the TSA interrupts routine business trips and pleasant family vacations.

Interest groups are encouraging travelers to protest the body scans and pat downs on Nov. 24---the day before Thanksgiving and one of the busiest travel days of the year.

According to a second article in the Associated Press, the TSA believes the process should be minimally invasive and that the agency would be looking into best practices to ensure consumer comfort.

On a lighter note, the cast of '' had their own take on the TSA's new measures.

The seventh film in the Harry Potter franchise "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1" grossed over $125 million over opening weekend, according to a Wall Street Journal blog.

The film produced by Warner Bros. garnered the best opening weekend of all the previous films in the franchise. The previous record was held by 2005's "Goblet of Fire" which brought in $108 million.

Entertainment Weekly reported that the film opened in more than 3,700 theaters late Thursday night and into Friday morning, with some screenings at 3:15 a.m.

The seventh installment is the first Harry Potter film without scenes from the wizarding school Hogwarts. The PG-13 movie is said to have more mature themes than the others in the series including warfare and death.