WASHINGTON (PNN) - December 23, 2014 - Rep. Darrell Issa (Kalif.), who will be turning over his gavel as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to fellow Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz (Utah) in January, on Tuesday released a follow up congressional report corruption, fraud, and overall political shenanigans occurring at the Internal Revenue Service. The report should not surprise any clear-thinking Amerikan taxpayer since those who actually paid attention to the IRS probe know that the tax-collecting bureaucracy is as crooked - if not more crooked - than other federal agencies involved in scandalous conduct, according to a number of law enforcement officials and political strategists.

PYONGYANG, North Korea (PNN) - December 23, 2014 - North Korea's negligible Internet connectivity appears to have faltered. First spotted by Internet performance management firm Dyn Research, North Korean routers have been inaccessible, and its scant IP allocation - just 1024 addresses - appears to be offline.

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (PNN) - December 23, 2014 - Three towns in Missouri joined together to sue the residents of St. Charles who voted to ban red light cameras. St. Peters, Lake Saint Louis and O'Fallon are asking a county circuit court judge to overturn the charter amendment banning automated enforcement adopted in November with the support of 73% of voters. City leaders argue that the 69,469 residents who voted for the measure had no business limiting the right of local politicians to use automated ticketing machines.

KABUL, Afghanistan (PNN) - December 22, 2014 - The tennis club is deserted, the poolside French restaurant is closed, and picnic trips are cancelled.

The FPSA-led war in Afghanistan brought a flood of international aid workers, diplomats, and security contractors to Kabul, creating a frenetic social scene that is now a distant memory. A series of Taliban attacks on expat hang-outs shattered any illusions that foreign civilians were safe in the city, and those places still open have bored waiters and empty tables.