Beehive State: Same-sex marriages continued in Utah yesterday after a federal judge refused appeals to stay his own order making it legal. Utah Governor Gary Herbert filed a formal notice of appeal and said in a statement, “I am very disappointed an activist federal judge is attempting to override the will of the people of Utah.” But even as the lawyers argued and politicians jawboned, hundreds of couples lined up to get marriage licenses from Salt Lake County Clerk.

From Moscow: In an extensive interview NSA leaker Edward Snowden told the Washington Post that he accomplished his goal by revealing massive US technological spying. “I didn’t want to change society. I wanted to give society a chance to determine if it should change itself,” Snowden said.

Econ 101: Orders for durable goods, things like machinery, cars and airplanes, jumped 3.5% last month. It’s the biggest rise since January and a sign of a strengthening economy.

Last Minute Shopping: The White House allowed a 24-hour extension, until midnight tonight, to sign up for an Obamacare policy that goes into effect January 1^st. The government cited heavy traffic on the Healthcare.gov website as the reason for giving more time.

World: The NY Times reports that the execution of North Korea’s number-two leader stemmed from a fight over control of natural resources, including clam and crab fishing grounds. Coal, clams and crab are among North Korea’s few exports. Forces loyal to Jang Song-thaek, the uncle of North Korea’s 30-year-old leader, had a firefight with near-starving government troops, and won. Days later the 30-year-old leader Kim Jong-un sent troops back in and they prevailed. Jang’s top two lieutenants were executed by a firing squad of machine guns, considered an insult. Jang followed not long after. The Times says the incident reveals a struggle that’s basically over money, while the population goes without food.

• The UN reports the discovery of at least three mass graves and the arrest of hundreds of civilians in South Sudan. The bodies are believed to be members of the same tribe as the country’s President Salva Kiir, a Dinka. He’s locked in a power struggle with his former vice president, Riek Machar, of the Nuer tribe.

The Obit Page: Mikhail Kalashnikov, the Russian inventor of the ubiquitous AK-47 assault rifle, died yesterday at age 94. The “AK” stands for “Avtomat Kalashnikov”, the “47” for the year it was created. The rifle was never particularly accurate, but part of its brilliance was it’s loose machining that allowed it to be buried in sand or immersed in water and come up firing.  Millions of the rifles have been made around the world and they’ve been used to kill untold numbers of people. Kalashnikov said in 2007, “I sleep well. It’s the politicians who are to blame for failing to come to an agreement and resorting to violence.”

The Stick: The San Francisco 49ers played what may be their last game in Candlestick Park on San Francisco Bay last night. The team is moving to a new $1.2 billion stadium in suburban Santa Clara. The foggy, chilly, stadium known as “The Stick” has been beloved by San Francisco fans for more than 40 years. A few people were arrested for trying to steal seats. One former player said, “It was a dump, but it was our dump.”

Christmas Eve: Crowds in Bethlehem are reported to be 14% larger this year. Here in the US, traffic at Target stores is down.

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