On Second Thought: In a slap down to Pope Francis, Catholic bishops voted to remove language in a draft report calling for greater openness toward homosexuals. The move suggests a clash between the more liberal-thinking Pope and some conservative bishops. The initial document released to the press said homosexuals have “gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community,” but the edited version says only that discrimination against gay people “is to be avoided.” The Bishops also removed language that suggested allowing divorced Catholics to receive communion.

Boko Haram: The Nigerian military says it has reached a ceasefire with the Boko Haram Muslim extremists that includes the release of hundreds of abducted schoolgirls. An aide to the Nigerian president said, “They’ve assured us they have the girls and they will release them.”

Permawar: Islamic State forces attacked the Kurds defending the Syrian border town of Kobane in some of the fiercest fighting so far. ISIS used car bombs and mortars, some of which fell over the border inside Turkey.

The Outbreak: President Obama, who just appointed an Ebola “Czar” after three reported cases of the disease in the United States, said in his weekly address that “we can’t give in to hysteria or fear.”

The Other Outbreak: With little notice in the national press, a relatively rare disease called the enterovirus D-68 has struck at least 825 people in 46 states since August, killing five children, according to the Centers for Disease Control. At its worst the disease can cause infection of the heart, the brain, and paralysis. Some people say the dramatic spike in EV-D68 correlates with the flood of unaccompanied minors entering the US from Mexico, but the CDC says there’s no relation between the two events.

Ferguson: Reports have surfaced that Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Mo., feared for his life after a struggle over his gun. Reports say the blood of Michael Brown was found inside Wilson’s patrol car and on his uniform, supporting his story.

Nation: A body has been found in the search for 18-year-old Hannah Graham, a University of Virginia student who went missing in September. The remains were found in a rural area south of Charlottesville. Police are not saying they have found Graham, but the chief said they had made “a very difficult phone call” to the parents. The cops have already arrested a man named Jesse Leroy Matthew, Jr., who was last seen with Graham. Matthew is suspected in the disappearance of other young women as well.

World: At least 40 trekkers are still missing after an early blizzard in the Himalayas near Annapurna and searchers are losing hope. Thirty-nine people already have been confirmed dead, making it the worst disaster in the history of the Himalayan climbing and trekking industry.

The Latte Life: Struggling to stay current with hipster baristas, the Starbucks coffee chain has relaxed its rules on tattoos. According to an internal memo, “Tattoos are allowed, but not on your face or throat. Treat tattoos as you treat speech—you can’t swear, make hateful comments or lewd jokes in the workplace, neither can your tattoos.”

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