The Short List: Lara Logan quarantined; Winter Storm Astro; Obama on net neutrality
Ebola latest: N.Y. doctor cleared of virus while CBS' Lara Logan self-quarantines
The doctor that sent New York City into an absolute panic with his Ebola diagnosis has been declared free of the virus. Dr. Craig Spencer will be released from Bellevue Hospital on Tuesday. No word on whether he plans to go bowling to celebrate. Next up: Lara Logan is in a self-imposed Ebola quarantine with a four-member crew after reporting on a story for 60 Minutes in Liberia. They're in a nice hotel in her native South Africa instead of, say, an isolation tent in a New Jersey hospital parking lot.
Winter isn't coming. It's here, and its name is Astro
Okay, the Weather Channel is one of the only outlets actually calling it Winter Storm Astro, but it's hard to resist a storm system personified. A monstrous storm drove bitterly cold temperatures and heavy snow into the central U.S. Monday — and brought back not-so-fond memories of last winter's polar vortex. The remnants of Typhoon Nuri were partly to blame for the cold temps. Nuri has actually surpassed the intensity of 2012's Superstorm Sandy. But while Sandy was blamed for more than 180 deaths and $65 billion in damage on the East Coast, Nuri's target was a sparsely populated region in Alaska of a few small communities that are used to brutal weather.
Obama supports net neutrality while Ted Cruz calls it 'Obamacare for the Internet'
President Obama has taken a stand on the Internet. The leader of the free world said today that open Internet is essential to how we do things in America and he supports the concept of Net neutrality. Some of you might be wondering what the heck Net neutrality is. It's the principle that all legal content on the Internet is treated equally. So, for example, Net neutrality rules could prevent Netflix from paying Comcast to improve the speed and quality of its streaming content to subscribers — in effect, creating a fast lane — and putting subscribers of other streaming services in a slow lane. It's a seriously contentious issue. Supporters of Net neutrality are pumped. But critics, including Internet service providers and Republican lawmakers, said Net neutrality rules will lead to lawsuits, worse service, and higher prices. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, calls it "Obamacare for the Internet."
Can salted pretzel and honey siracha crusts save Pizza Hut?
Pizza Hut is the world's largest pizza chain, but pizza lovers haven't been too hot on their pies for the last couple of years. So the company is doing a total reboot. It isn't changing its core recipe, but it's adding 11 new pizza recipes, 10 new crust flavors, six new sauces, five new toppings, four new flavor-pack drizzles (drizzles!), a new logo, new uniforms and, yes, even a new pizza box. Among Pizza Hut's new offerings: a crust of salted pretzel and honey sriracha.
Bush: 'It's a love story about you, Dad, and I hope people read it'
Former president George W. Bush wrote a book that he's calling "a love letter" to his dad (who would be former president George H.W. Bush). It's an account of the elder Bush's rise in politics and tenure as the nation's 41st president. The Bush dynasty is historic. John Adams and John Quincy Adams are the only other father-and-son to have both won the White House. "I decided this is such a love story that I wanted to publish it before he passed on," Bush says. He'll formally present his dad with a copy of the book on Tuesday. He said he plans to tell him, "It's a love story about you, Dad, and I hope people read it." You can listen to Bush read excerpts from the book here.
Extra Bites
Day in Pictures: Our favorite photo from today's gallery.
This made Garth Brooks stop his concert and cry.
Your weekly cybercrime: The U.S. Postal Service has been hacked.
Do you use laundry 'pods'? Do you have kids? Read this.
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This is a compilation of stories from across Paste BN.
Contributing: Bruce Horovitz, Liz Szabo, Maria Puente, David Jackson, John Bacon, Doyle Rice, Mike Snider, Roger Yu, Susan Page, Paste BN