ADVISORY CNN Wire Outlook

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

UPCOMING

Colorado-Theater-Shooting

Relatives of people killed in a Colorado mass shooting last July say the theater owner's invitation to a private function before the complex reopens is "disgusting" and "wholly offensive to the memory of our loved ones."

POL-Fiscal-Cliff (will update)

After exhaustive negotiations that strained the country's patience, the House approved a bill to avert the dreaded fiscal cliff, staving off widespread tax increases and deep spending cuts.

POL-Clinton-Hospitalized (will update)

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been speaking with her staff and is active on the phone as she recovers from a blood clot in a vein between her skull and brain, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

ENT-California-Bieber-Paparazo-Death (will update)

Paparazzi have had nasty run-ins with pop star Justin Bieber, including a high-speed chase in July that prompted a city councilman to predict that such an encounter could end tragically. It happened Tuesday. A photographer, who thought he spied Bieber sitting in his parked white Ferrari, was struck and killed by oncoming traffic as he walked across a Los Angeles freeway to get back to his car after snapping photos.

Venezuela-Chavez-Health

As rumors swirl over Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's health, supporters and opponents of the ailing president are trading barbs over who's behind them.

Syria-Civil-War (will update)

The death toll in devastated Syria has surpassed an estimated 60,000 people, the United Nations said Wednesday, a dramatic figure that could skyrocket as the civil war persists.

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED STORIES

INTERNATIONAL

UK-Malala-Father-Job

The father of Malala Yousafzai, the teenager whom the Taliban tried to kill, has been given a job in a Pakistan consulate in Birmingham, England, where she is recovering from gunshot wounds to her head and neck, Pakistani officials said Wednesday. Ziauddin Yousafzai has been appointed education attache and will function as head of the consulate's education section for three years, the Pakistani government said. His job could be extended two additional years. At the time of his daughter's shooting, Ziauddin Yousafzai ran a school in Pakistan's conservative Swat Valley that kept its doors open to girls -- in defiance of the Taliban.

India-Rape-Case

Top lawyers in the India district where a woman was gang-raped are saying that they will not represent the six men accused in the attack, which led to her death.

Syria-Civil-War

The death toll in devastated Syria has surpassed an estimated 60,000 people, the United Nations said Wednesday, a dramatic figure that could skyrocket as the civil war persists.

Syria-American-Journalist-Abduction

Gunmen have kidnapped an American journalist in Syria, the journalist's family announced Wednesday.

Syria-2013-outlook

Will the situation improve in 2013, or will the bloody stalemate continue?

Brazil-Teen-Sells-Virginity

Shopkeepers and school children in this remote Brazilian farming town giggle and point when Rebecca Bernardo pedals by on her rusty red bicycle. The unwanted attention started a few months ago when the Brazilian high school student posted a video on YouTube.

Uganda-Gay-Play-Court

A British theater producer who was briefly jailed in Uganda because of his play about the challenges facing gay people in the African nation said Wednesday the case against him had been dropped.

Angola-New-Year-Stampede

The death toll from a New Year's stampede during a church vigil at an Angolan stadium rose to 16 Wednesday, state media said, as details emerged of how the tragedy unfolded.

France-Apple-Store-Robbery

As officers were busy keeping an eye on New Years' revelry, robbers made off with as much as $1.3 million worth of goods from a Paris Apple store.

SPORT-Football-Liverpool-Daniel-Sturridge-Chelsea

English Premier League club Liverpool began its New Year shopping with the signing of Chelsea forward Daniel Sturridge on Wednesday, in a deal worth an estimated $19.6 million.

SPORT-Tennis-Novak-Djokovic-Australian-Open

Novak Djokovic's Australian Open preparations have suffered a hiccup after he was beaten by home favorite Bernard Tomic at the Hopman Cup in Perth.

U.S.A.

Connecticut-Newtown-Back-to-School

For the first time since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Christine Wilford plans do something remarkable on Thursday that once was routine: drop her child off at school. The last time her 7-year-old son, Richie, was in class was on December 14, when a gunman smashed his way into his school in Newtown, Connecticut, and killed 26 children and adults. On Thursday, Richie will join hundreds of other Newtown students returning to class for the first time since the tragedy.

Pennsylvania-Penn-State-Lawsuit-NCAA

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett announced plans Wednesday to file an anti-trust lawsuit against the NCAA over its sanctions against Penn State University following the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

California-Clippers-Owner-Son

The son of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been found dead in Malibu, California, according to a spokesman for the team.

Florida-Plane-Theft

A thief stealing a trailer didn't count on the home's owner flying by in a plane at that exact moment.

US-Meteor-Shower

Skywatchers will be setting their alarm clocks for the early morning hours Thursday when the annual Quadrantid meteor shower peaks.

US-background-checks-guns

The FBI performed nearly 2.8 million background checks on people wanting to buy guns in December, a record month that capped a record year.

US-Emancipation-Proclamation-myths

150 years later, myths persist about the Emancipation Proclamation

FISCAL CLIFF

POL-Fiscal-Cliff

After exhaustive negotiations that strained the country's patience, the House approved a bill to avert the dreaded fiscal cliff, staving off widespread tax increases and deep spending cuts.

POL-Fiscal-Cliff-5-Things

Now that the House has passed a Senate deal to avert the fiscal cliff, it will become law when President Obama signs it. He has returned to Hawaii to join his family on vacation. Here are five things to know about the complex bill, and what it does and doesn't do.

POL-Cliff-Vote-2016

Political junkies were picturing the scene before the gavel came down: Rep. Paul Ryan, Sen. Rand Paul and Sen. Marco Rubio, sparring on an Iowa debate stage in December 2015, explaining their three-year-old votes on the deal designed to avert the fiscal cliff.

MONEY-fiscal-cliff-ratings

Credit rating agencies are likely to hold off passing judgment on the U.S. fiscal cliff deal until they have a clearer picture about the fate of the debt ceiling and longer term plans to reduce borrowing.

MONEY-fiscal-cliff-payroll-taxes

Everyone's paycheck is about to take a hit, and it's not the boss' fault. But some business owners say it's a tough talk to have.

MONEY-fiscal-cliff-dividend-tax-rate

Wealthy investors will have to pay a higher tax rate on their dividend income as part of the new fiscal cliff deal, but the increase isn't nearly as bad as what it could have been.

MONEY-federal-workers-fiscal-cliff

U.S. federal workers, who were bracing for furloughs, got a two-month reprieve under the deal passed by Congress to avert the fiscal cliff.

MONEY-payroll-tax-consumer

For middle class Americans, there will be no escaping higher taxes in 2013.

MONEY-fiscal-cliff-deal-cbo

The fiscal cliff deal approved by Congress will increase deficits over the next decade by close to $4 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

MONEY-more-fiscal-cliffs

Think the fiscal cliff caused an awful lot of uncertainty and held back the economy? How about three more cliff-like deadlines over the next three months?

MONEY-fiscal-cliff-senate-bill

The fiscal cliff compromise approved by the House late Tuesday will mute much but not all of the negative economic impact of going over the cliff.

MONEY-world-markets-fiscal-cliff

International markets advanced Wednesday as lawmakers in the United States completed legislation that will mute much but not all of the fiscal cliff.

POLITICS

POL-House-Sandy-Aid-Vote

The promise of $60 billion can do a lot to calm outrage. That point was underscored Wednesday, when House leaders met with irate representatives from New York and New Jersey who felt they had been ignored by House Speaker John Boehner, when he scrapped a planned vote late Tuesday on the massive package to aid package for victims of Superstorm Sandy.

POL-King-Sandy-Relief

Republican Rep. Peter King of New York had blistering criticism Wednesday for his own party's leadership following their decision in the House not to vote on a relief measure for Superstorm Sandy in this congressional session. The GOP House leadership, he said, "has turned its back on those people" who continue to suffer after the late October storm devastated parts of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

POL-House-Sandy-Christie

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie didn't know why House Speaker John Boehner didn't allow a vote on a $60 billion aid package to help Superstorm Sandy victims Tuesday or Wednesday, but he was steamed about it.

POL-Sandy-Boehner-Speakership

Certain Republican lawmakers said Wednesday they'll now vote for John Boehner's re-election as House Speaker, despite earlier offering uncertainty over whether they'd cast their vote for the top Republican.

POL-Fiscal-Cliff

The bill that backs the United States away from its fiscal cliff awaited President Barack Obama's signature Wednesday, but new battles over taxes and spending await Washington in the next few weeks.

POL-Clinton-Hospitalized

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been speaking with her staff and is active on the phone as she recovers from a blood clot in a vein between her skull and brain, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

MED-Hillary-Clinton-blood-clot-future

Hillary Clinton's blood clot is called a cerebral vein thrombosis and is relatively rare. Anyone who has had a blood clot in the past is at a higher risk of getting one again.

POL-Mark-Kirk-Returns

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) will make a triumphant return to the Senate Thursday, following a year's recuperation from a stroke.

POL-White-House-Swearing

The R-rated insult House Speaker John Boehner hurled upon Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last week at the White House was a deviation from the normally diplomatic language of official Washington.

MONEY

MONEY-tax-refunds

The nation didn't go over the fiscal cliff, but tax refunds remain up in the air. Congress' late action on the fiscal cliff tax provisions has caused headaches for the Internal Revenue Service, which now has to program its systems and issue tax forms based on the revised laws. It has not announced when taxpayers can start filing their 2012 returns, which means refunds will most likely be delayed. Filing usually begins in mid-January.

MONEY-fiscal-cliff-ratings

Credit rating agencies are likely to hold off passing judgment on the U.S. credit rating until they have a clearer picture about the fate of the debt ceiling and longer term plans to reduce borrowing.

MONEY-stocks-markets

U.S. stocks surged into the New Year, after U.S. lawmakers reached a last minute deal to avert the fiscal cliff.

MONEY-Manufacturing-Data

U.S. manufacturing expands in December, rebounding from one-month contraction, purchasing managers say.

MONEY-ftc-robocalls

The Federal Trade Commission is currently running a contest to find a solution to block pesky robocalls on landlines and cell phones.

MONEY-avis-zipcar

It might be easier to get a Zipcar rental on weekends now that the popular urban car-sharing service is being acquired by traditional car rental company Avis Budget Group.

MONEY-ubuntu-smartphone-linux

Ubuntu has long been a favorite Linux desktop operating system for open-source fanatics and those who like to tinker with their technology. Now it's stepping out into a new frontier: mobile. Ubuntu developer Canonical unveiled a new interface on Monday reimagined for touch devices, with a design that borrows cues from Android and Windows 8. Canonical hopes that future devices will not only run the new mobile OS, but will also boot the desktop variant of Ubuntu when docked to a keyboard, mouse and monitor. That would let you use your phone to power your PC.

TECH-Razer-gaming-laptop

The new Razer Blade gaming-centric laptop is sleek and powerful, but it's not for every gamer looking to take their action on the go. The second-generation edition is an upgrade from the original, released in February 2012. Razer wanted to bolster the hardware specs without detracting from what makes the Blade unique in portable computer gaming -- its size.

MONEY-portugal-budget

Portugal's president has referred the 2013 budget to the constitutional court, warning the country is becoming trapped in a vicious circle of austerity and recession.

FEATURES AND COMMENTARY

ENT-California-Bieber-Paparazo-Death

Paparazzi have had nasty run-ins with pop star Justin Bieber, including a high-speed chase in July that prompted a city councilman to predict that such an encounter could end tragically. It happened Tuesday. A photographer, who thought he spied Bieber sitting in his parked white Ferrari, was struck and killed by oncoming traffic as he walked across a Los Angeles freeway to get back to his car after snapping photos.

ENT-Tavi-Gevinson-profile

Tavi Gevinson started a blog at age 11, became a front-row fixture at Fashion Week, was called "the future of journalism" by Lady Gaga, delivered a TED talk about feminism and female role models in pop culture, is the founder and editor-in-chief of Rookie, an online magazine for teenage girls and, to commemorate its first anniversary, just published 'Rookie Yearbook One,' a hard-copy scrapbook of the best pieces from the site. And, oh yeah, she's 16 years old.

ENT-2013-movie-preview

The biggest, buzziest movies of 2013.

TECH-Tech-2013-Wishes

Our top tech wishes for 2013.

SPORT-tirunesh-dibaba-olympics-ethiopia

Born to run: Ethiopia's golden girl Dibaba.

COMMENTARY-Avlon-Christie-Sandy-Aid

"It's why the American people hate Congress. Unlike the people in Congress, we have actual responsibilities." Chris Christie dropped a bomb on Speaker John Boehner and Congress for refusing to allow a vote on Hurricane Sandy relief in the final hours of the 112th Congress. It was an instant classic of principled political outrage. It provided a strong dose of what Washington has been missing: blunt, independent leadership.

COMMENTARY-Baker-Fiscal-Cliff

Look beyond the fiscal cliff, says Dean Baker, an economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a progressive economic policy organization.

COMMENTARY-Bennett-Fracking-Movie

Damon's film 'Promised Land' overlooks fracking's boon to U.S., says William J. Bennett, a CNN contributor and author of "The Book of Man: Readings on the Path to Manhood."

COMMENTARY-Makary-Hospital-Doctors

Last year, Dr. Kiran Sagar, a cardiologist in Wisconsin, was fired two months after presenting strong data showing that cardiologists in the hospital she worked at misread a substantial number of heart tests. Similarly, a nurse from Columbia Hospital Corp. of America (HCA) was let go after complaining that a doctor was performing unnecessary cardiac procedures, even after an internal investigation found the nurse's claim to be substantiated. And a few weeks ago, the CBS News program "60 Minutes" reported on ER doctors fired for not meeting quotas on the percentage of patients they admitted to the hospital. These recent patterns of firings send yet another strong message to every doctor and nurse who has ever considered speaking up about dangerous and fraudulent medical care: Speak up and risk destroying your career.