10 things you need to know today: December 26, 2013

1. Resignations rock Erdogan's government

Three ministers in Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's cabinet abruptly resigned on Wednesday after their sons were implicated in a corruption investigation. One said Erdogan should step down — a rare challenge from someone within a party known for stifling dissent. Erdogan, who promptly replaced the ministers, has denounced the deepening crisis as part of a foreign plot against his Islamist-supported government. [New York Times]

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2. Winter weather leaves hundreds of thousands without power

Ice storms left about a half million customers without electricity on Wednesday, most of them in Michigan, New York, New England, and Canada. Some of the power lines were toppled as early as last weekend. Crews, many from other states, are working around the clock but thousands of people in the hardest hit areas won't get power restored until Friday. [Los Angeles Times]

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3. A majority says this is the worst Congress ever

Two-thirds of Americans think the current Congress is the worst they have ever seen, according to a CNN/ORC International poll released Thursday. Nearly three-quarters say it is a "do-nothing" Congress that has so far failed to address any of the nation's problems. All groups — men and women, rich and poor — share these dim views, but older Americans, who have seen more congressional sessions come and go, are the most negative of all. [CNN]

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4. Bombers target Iraqi Christians on Christmas

At least 37 people died in two Christmas Day bombings targeting Christians in Iraq. A car bomb killed at least 26 people near a church during Christmas Mass, and another blast in an outdoor market killed 11. Nobody claimed responsibility, but al Qaeda-linked insurgents have attacked Iraq's half-million Christians in the past. The U.S. is rushing the Iraqi government missiles and drones to help it contend with rising insurgent attacks. [Fox News, New York Times]

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5. Storms and high demand delay some UPS Christmas deliveries

UPS apologized to customers after many packages it promised would arrive by Christmas didn't get delivered on time. The shipping company said bad weather and a surge in demand that exceeded projections overloaded its systems. The scope of the problem remains unclear, but two big UPS clients — Walmart and Amazon — said they would issue gift cards to customers whose packages did not arrive on time. [New York Times]

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6. Haitian immigrants die after boat tips over

Eighteen Haitians trying to reach the U.S. died on Wednesday when their sailboat capsized off the Turks and Caicos. The boat was being towed to port after being intercepted by police. Thirty-two other suspected undocumented immigrants were rescued from the water. Police were still searching late Wednesday for several other people who reached shore and fled. [Reuters]

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7. Abe visits a controversial war shrine, infuriating China

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited a controversial World War II shrine on Thursday, stoking U.S. fears of deepening tension between Japan and China, the world's second- and third-largest economies. Beijing called the visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors soldiers killed in battle as well as Japanese leaders convicted of war crimes, "absolutely unacceptable." Abe said he was merely expressing his resolve avoid another war. [Reuters, BBC News]

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8. Kidnapped American pleads for help in video

A government contractor kidnapped by al Qaeda militants in Pakistan recorded a video message emailed to journalists saying he felt "totally abandoned and forgotten," and calling on the Obama administration to negotiate with his captors. "You are now in your second term as president of the United States," the contractor, Warren Weinstein, says to President Obama, "and that means that you can take hard decisions without worrying about reelection." [Washington Post]

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9. McDonald's closes website where employees bashed its food

McDonald's has shut down an employee "McResource Line" website where workers posted what it called "inappropriate commentary." CNBC reported that posts on the site had bashed fast food and branded McDonald's fare as unhealthy. News of the criticism went viral. The company said the scrutiny that resulted was "unwarranted." A McDonald's spokesperson said the company would still offer employees the help they once got from the website — by phone. [CNBC]

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10. Girl dies shortly after receiving final wish

An eight-year-old Pennsylvania girl named Laney Brown died on Wednesday days after some 10,000 people gathered on her street to sing her Christmas songs after hearing that one of her two dying wishes was for carolers to come by her house. Laney, who suffered from leukemia, also got her other wish, which was to meet country music superstar Taylor Swift. The two video chatted on Friday, her birthday. [Allentown Morning Call]