Officials with Microsoft are issuing an ‘emergency fix’ for a ‘security hole’ in its Internet Explorer software. The "zero-day" vulnerability, which surfaced last week, allows criminals to take over computers simply by steering them to infected Web sites; users don't have to download anything for their computers to get infected.Microsoft's security advisory: www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/961051.mspx
THE FEDERAL RESERVE HAS SLASHED ITS SHORT TERM INTEREST RATES TO ITS LOWEST LEVEL EVER. Wells Fargo and Wachovia immediately lowered their prime lending rates from 4% to 3.25%. Economists cautioned, though, that people frightened by the economy and worried about their own jobs may not feel like taking on more debt
http://www.journalnow.com/content/2008/dec/17/federal-reserve-cuts-key-rate-to-as-low-as-zero/news/
Difficult time for residents and staff at The Oaks in Winston-Salem. Six more people have become sick with symptoms included vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and abdominal cramps at the Oaks. The stomach illness affected 42 others last week. Officials also suspended visiting hours and group activities over the past wee..
www.journalnow.com/content/2008/dec/17/6-more-at-the-oaks-are-sick/news/
Charges are pending against a deer hunter who fatally wounded a man in the Pisgah National Forest. 50-year-old Luciano Martinez was shot Saturday afternoon by a 21-year-old man who was deer hunting with a group of other hunters. Last season, eight people were killed in North Carolina while hunting. http://www.wxii12.com/news/18288997/detail.html
A five mile section of Interstate 85 in Davidson County is now known as the
‘Richard Childress Freeway’. Childress is the president and owner of Richard Childress Racing (or RCR) based in Welcome and Childress Vineyards located in Lexington. http://www.wxii12.com/news/18292181/detail.html
The Consumer Product Safety Commission announcing a recall of nearly 10,000 snow mobiles manufactured by the Arctic Cat company. The 2009 models of the Mountain Cat and the Crossfire snowmobiles pose a fire hazard. http://www.cpsc.gov/
Closure for the Walsh family after 20 years of the unknown. A serial killer who died in prison more than 10 years ago is the person who abducted and killed 6-year-old Adam Walsh (the son of America's Most Wanted host John Walsh) in 1981.
www.journalnow.com/content/2008/dec/17/police-resolve-81-case-of-adam-walsh/news/
Read about Adam's story here: www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=39789
A woman so disfigured that she was willing to risk her life to do something about it has undergone the nation's first near-total face transplant. A re-constructive surgeon and a team of other specialists replaced 80% of the woman's face with that of a female cadaver. The procedure was done at the Cleveland Clinic a couple of weeks ago. The transplant was the fourth worldwide; two have been done in France, and one in China.
www.journalnow.com/content/2008/dec/17/near-total-face-transplant-is-done/news/
SPORTS: Four Carolina Panthers have been selected for the Pro-Bowl all-star game in Hawaii.
Junior Kevin Harris has made the leap from third-team fullback to first-team tailback. Harris will start for the Deacs in Saturday's EagleBank Bowl game against Navy.
Wake Forest vs Navy in the Eagle Bank Bowl this Saturday (Dec 20)
Kick off: 11 a.m.
Location: RFK stadium in Washington, D.C.
www.theacc.com/sports/m-footbl/acc-m-footbl-body.html
