Animal House: Responding to an article about a gang rape published in Rolling Stone Magazine, the University of Virginia has suspended all fraternity activities until Jan. 9^th. UVA President Teresa Sullivan said in a statement, “I write you in great sorrow, great rage, but most importantly, with great determination.” The accusation was made by a student named “Jackie” who said she was gang raped inside UVA’s Phi Kappa Psi in 2012 when she was a freshman. After reading the article other women have also posted accounts of rape at UVA on the RS website. The article says Jackie was pressured to keep the incident quiet and even when the university learned about it, administrators did nothing. They say they will now.

Texas Eddication: The Texas State Board of Education has approved new history books that have been disputed for their conservative political bent and religious content. Among other things, the books have been criticized for undermining the concept of separation of church and state; slighting religions other than Christianity; underplaying slavery and the slave trade.

Some publishers withdrew from bidding because they could not meet the Texas requirements and be historically accurate. It’s important because Texas is so big its influence over textbooks can spread to books sold to other states.

Unarmed: As Ferguson, Mo. awaits a decision on whether to charge a police officer for killing an unarmed teenager, similar incidents continue to happen.A police officer in Cleveland yesterday shot and seriously wounded a 12-year-old boy who had a toy gun. Responding to a call for a man with a gun, officers told the boy to give up what looked like a realistic gun. When he pulled it from his waistband one officer fired.

Just three days ago a probationary police officer in Brooklyn shot and killed an unarmed man in the dark stairwell of a public housing building. The officer was descending the stairs with his gun drawn when he was surprised by the appearance of 28-year-old Akai Gurley and his girlfriend. The officer says his gun fired inadvertently, killing Gurley.

Nation: With the temperature rising to near 50 and rain coming, a flood watch is in place for Western New York as up to six feet of snow is expected to quickly melt. The temperature tomorrow could hit 60.

World: Tomorrow is the deadline in Vienna for the US and European allies to reach a nuclear arms deal with Iran. The difficulty is in getting Iran to agree to the kind of inspections that would be necessary to enforce a treaty in which Iran gives up its nuke building efforts. If there’s no extension of the talks, economic sanctions will remain in place against Iran.

The Obit Page: Washington DC’s colorful and criminal former Mayor Marion Barry has died at age 78. The man nicknamed “Mayor for Life” was actually re-elected after his release from prison on a conviction for cocaine possession. Barry had been a lifelong civil rights activist when he was elected mayor of the crumbling District of Columbia in 1979. He was rebuilding the city until his own life crumbled in drugs and alcohol. In 1990 federal agents videotaped Barry smoking crack in a hotel room. They burst in and arrested him. Despite becoming a caricature of a man in meltdown, Barry was an important political figure, a black man who for a time successfully led a city that was majority black.

Pilgrims Progress: The mayor of Seattle has pardoned a tofurkey in advance of Thanksgiving dinner. Then he ordered a wet-foamed double half cap macchiato.

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