January 4, 2012

POLITICS: Iowa Caucus Results  The results of the the Iowa Caucus are as follows: Mitt Romney: 24.6%, Rick Santorum: 24.5%, Ron Paul: 21.4%, Newt Gingrich: 13.3%, Rick Perry: 10.3%, Michelle Bachmann: 5%.  The Caucus is not meant to determine winners, instead to determine losers.  As such Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul are the clear leaders in the race.  Michelle Bachmann has already dropped out, and Rick Perry stated that he would take a look at the numbers overnight.  Perry is staying in the race and moving on to South Carolina though.

POLITICS: Michelle Bachmann Ends Presidential Run  Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann ended her presidential bid today after the low turnout she received in Tuesday's Iowa Caucus.  In the Iowa Straw Poll, months earlier, Bachmann won, narrowly, to Ron Paul.  Her support has clearly dropped since then.  Bachmann states that she intends to continue to voice her concerns for the nation.  She still focuses on making Barack Obama a one term president and repealing ObamaCare.

DOMESTIC: Detroit Reduces Hours of Police Stations  Detroit, which has one of the highest crime rates out of large cities, is reducing hours of its police stations due to lack of funds in the city.  Police stations were previously opened 24 hours per day.  It should be noted that most people requesting police assistance use the telephone instead of walking into the station, therefore keeping the stations open at night isn't as beneficial as it sounds.  Public desk hours would be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  100 police officers will be laid off but later rehired with a federal grant.

BUSINESS: Starbucks Raises Coffee Prices  Starbucks is raising coffee prices in the Northeast and other major cities citing increased costs of coffee, milk, and fuel.  Prices will increase by about 1%.  As a result, Starbucks' shares rose nearly 2%.

DOMESTIC: Twin Birth Rates Double in U.S. Over Past Three Decades  Birth rates for twins in the U.S. have doubled over the past decade.  A third of the increase is attributed to women waiting longer to have children.  Fertility treatments are said to account for a large majority of the increase.  Birth rates rose in all 50 states and doubled in in Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

HIGHLIGHT: Watch A Recap of the Iowa Caucus Results  Watch on YouTube.