Overnight News Digest, aka OND, is a community feature here at Daily Kos. Each editor selects news stories on a wide range of topics.
The OND community was founded by Magnifico, who had no idea when he started the positive impact he'd have on so many.
Welcome to all, join us in the comment section to share a news articles and jump into the community chat. News is not required to pull up a chair and chat, just be kind to ceiling cat.
Gingrich officially announces bid, makes laundry list of promises
By Domenico Montanaro
Appearing before a stark black background, illuminated by a white light outline, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich officially announced his bid for the Republican nomination for president.
"I believe we can return America to hope and opportunity, to full employment, to real security, to an American energy program, to a balanced budget," Gingrich said, ticking off -- in an online video posted this afternoon -- just a few of the reasons why he says he's running for president.
In addition to what's listed above, Gingrich goes through a laundry list of promises.
White House defends invite to rapper Common
NBC
There were love poems and folk tunes. There were classic verses and modern odes. There were sound effects and raps.
Michelle Obama's evening of poetry at the White House rolled out seamlessly Wednesday night, showcasing the impact of such words on American culture. The fireworks erupted earlier, as Republicans cried foul before the artists had uttered a word.
President Barack Obama opened the night by describing a great poem as one that "motivates us, challenges us and teaches us something about ourselves." An all-star lineup of poets and musicians performed.
But it was the inclusion of Grammy Award-winning rapper and actor Common that set off Republican complaints.
Mississippi River flood passes record at Natchez
By John Branston and Kathy Finn
The swollen Mississippi River set a record high water level at Natchez, Mississippi, on Wednesday -- 10 days before its expected crest in the southern city.
The level of the largest river in North America reached 58.48 feet at Natchez on Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, above the record of 58.04 feet set in 1937. The river is expected to crest at 64 feet on May 21.
The flood, the result of a wet spring and huge snow melt from an unusually stormy winter, has caused evacuations of thousands of people along the river and its tributaries, swamping river towns and as many as 3 million acres of farmland in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas alone.
Indiana ruling signals tough legal fight for Planned Parenthood
A federal judge on Wednesday refused to stop the implementation of Indiana's first-in-the-nation law to cut funding to Planned Parenthood, hinting at the potential difficulties ahead for the organization as it challenges the law in court.
As the nation's leading provider of abortions, Planned Parenthood has become a top target for conservatives in statehouses and in Congress. The Republican-controlled US House unsuccessfully sought to zero funding for the organization, and other states are considering Indiana-like laws.
For advocates of Planned Parenthood, the prospect of other states following suit is disastrous. They argue that Indiana's decision to deny Planned Parenthood $1.4 million in Medicaid money could leave thousands of women, particularly low-income residents, without access to vital health-care services.
Wiretaps: Not Just For Mob Bosses Anymore
By Carrie Johnson
The insider trading conviction of billionaire investor Raj Rajaratnam on Wednesday has been ringing alarm bells all over Wall Street, but the case is also sending a powerful message to prosecutors: Use more wiretaps to build business fraud cases.
Until recently, investigators who put together criminal cases over insider trading and securities fraud followed a traditional approach.
"And that meant doing it the old-fashioned way, which is through lots of documents and lots of interviews of witnesses," said Andrew Weissmann, who investigated the downfall of Enron and led the task force that brought those executives to justice.
Pastor regrets posting baby pat-down photo on Twitter
The Reverend Jacob Jester said on Wednesday he wishes he never would have posted a picture on Twitter of a baby being patted down by security agents at Kansas City International Airport.
Jester's photograph has been picked up by Internet news and blogging outlets worldwide, making the Independence, Mo.-based pastor a hero of sorts to those who think security screening has gone too far.
"I'm not a political person and what happened has taken on a life of its own," Jester said Wednesday. The publicity has interfered with his personal life, said Jester, a pastor for a youth ministry.
Michigan Town Bristles Under Appointed Manager
By Chris McCarus
Michigan is increasingly using what some consider a drastic method for dealing with cash-strapped cities: New laws give emergency financial managers the authority to fire local government officials.
Residents of Benton Harbor, Mich., know this option well. A year ago, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) sent emergency financial manager Joe Harris to Benton Harbor last year.
Now the town of 10,000 — which sits on the other side of Lake Michigan from Chicago — has just six firefighters and about 20 police officers.
U.N. expects fresh Haiti cholera outbreaks with rains
By Joseph Guyler Delva
Humanitarian workers in Haiti are preparing for fresh cholera outbreaks as the rainy season threatens to revive an epidemic that has killed nearly 5,000 people since October, U.N. officials said Wednesday.
The warning from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) reflects big challenges that will confront Haitian President-elect Michel Martelly.
Martelly, a former carnival singer with no previous government experience, takes the reins of his impoverished, earthquake-battered Caribbean nation Saturday.
Peace Corps volunteers tell lawmakers of sexual assault
By Julie Mianeck
After Karestan Koenen was raped by a local man soon after she arrived in Niger as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1991, she says, she got no support from local Peace Corps officials and a chilling reception when she was sent back to Washington.
"I was sent to speak with a Peace Corps staff investigator, who said, 'I am so sick of you girls going over there, drinking, dancing and partying, and then if a guy comes on to you, you say you were raped,' " Koenen told a congressional committee Wednesday. "My final straw was when my Peace Corps country director said to me, 'It's your word against his. He said you wanted to have sex, and we believe him.' "
According to testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, the problem of sexual assault has not abated and the Peace Corps is not doing enough to stop the attacks or to help the victims.
First Pipeline-Fed Hydrogen Refueling Station Opens in the United States
Toyota celebrated the opening of the first pipeline-fed refueling station in the US. Located in Torrance, California, it is the first hydrogen station to be directly connected to an active industrial hydrogen pipeline. It will provide fuel for Toyota's as well as others fuel cell vehicle fleets in the Los Angeles area. The station is owned by Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc, and operated by Shell. The hydrogen pipeline is maintained by Air Products.
Toyota hailed this as a milestone event. "Building an extensive hydrogen re-fueling infrastructure is a critical step in the successful market launch of fuel cell vehicles," said Chris Hostetter, group vice president, product and strategic planning, TMS. "We plan to bring a fuel cell vehicle to market in 2015, or sooner, and the infrastructure must be in place to support our customers’ needs."
Update:
Thanks to the generosity of OND editors and community members we are half way to our goal!!!