10 things you need to know today: November 23, 2012

1. VIOLENCE FLARES IN MIDEAST, BUT FRAGILE CEASE-FIRE HOLDS

A two-day-old truce between Israel and Hamas continues to hold up, despite an episode near the Gaza border on Friday in which Israeli troops reportedly shot and killed a Palestinian man. Hamas said farmers were simply trying to reach their land near the border. Israel said the people were rioters. Still, the cease-fire seems to be holding up. This is the first report of violence since a deal was brokered Wednesday by Egypt, the U.N., and U.S. [CNN]

………………………………………………………………………………

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

2. SUICIDE ATTACK WOUNDS 90 IN AFGHANISTAN

A Taliban suicide bomber blew up a truck full of explosives in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, killing three civilians and wounding more than 90. Several NATO troops were among those injured. The explosion, in the capital of Wardak province, left several buildings, including a prison and government offices, demolished or damaged. [Associated Press]

………………………………………………………………………………

3. MILLIONS OF AMERICANS SHOP ON BLACK FRIDAY

Thanksgiving is over, and the busiest shopping day of the year is here. With retailers across the country slashing prices in an attempt to woo customers eager to get a jump on their holiday shopping, some 147 million people are expected to go shopping between Friday and Sunday. Some retailers, including Target and Sears, went so far as to start Black Friday on Thanksgiving itself, opening their stores on Thursday night. [BBC]

………………………………………………………………………………

4. SUICIDE ATTEMPTS SPIKE IN GREECE

The number of people in Greece trying to commit suicide has risen as the country got more embroiled in financial problems in recent years, according to newly released stats. While there were 677 suicide attempts in 2009, there were 830 in 2010, and 927 in 2011. The country is heading into what promises to be a sixth straight year of recession in 2013. [Reuters]

………………………………………………………………………………

5. OBAMA SPENDS THANKSGIVING WITH FAMILY, TROOPS

President Obama spent Thanksgiving at the White House on Thursday with family, friends, and — keeping up with tradition — 10 members of the armed forces deployed in Afghanistan. That included two from the Army, two from the Air Force, two in the Coast Guard, two in the Marine Corps., and two from the Navy. They had a traditional Thanksgiving feast that included turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, and six kinds of pie. [Yahoo]

………………………………………………………………………………

6. BOXER HECTOR CAMACHO IS BRAIN DEAD

Hector "Macho" Camacho, the 50-year-old Puerto Rican boxer, has been declared brain-dead after being shot while sitting in a friend's car on Tuesday night. Ten bags of cocaine were found in the car. The athlete's family must now decide whether to take him off of life support. Camacho was initially expected to survive the attack. [CBS News]

………………………………………………………………………………

7. PATRIOTS, REDSKINS, TEXANS WIN ON THANKSGIVING

In the early game in the NFL's Thanksgiving tripleheader, the Houston Texans (10-1) pulled out a thrilling overtime win against the Detroit Lions (4-7), though the game was marred somewhat by a huge blown call in Houston's favor. In the second game, rookie sensation Robert Griffin III led the Washington Redskins (5-6) to a 38-31 road victory over the Dallas Cowboys (5-6). And in the night game, the New England Patriots (8-3) absolutely annihilated their division rivals, the New York Jets (4-7), by an embarrassing score of 49-19. [Boston Globe]

………………………………………………………………………………

8. MASSIVE TEXAS PILE-UP INVOLVES 100 CARS

A foggy stretch of highway in southeast Texas saw a series of accidents on Thanksgiving that killed at least two people, injured as many as 120, and involved some 100 cars. Authorities are still investigating exactly what happened, though dense fog is initially thought to be among the causes. [CNN]

………………………………………………………………………………

9. FLORIDA COP RESIGNS OVER OBAMA THREAT

Sam Koivisto, 57, has resigned from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office after telling colleagues that if there was an order to kill President Obama, Koivisto "wouldn't mind being the guy." He also said he didn't care if a nuclear explosion wiped out the Northeastern U.S. because of its broad regional support for Obama. Koivisto maintains that his comments were intended as hyperbole and were not actual threats. [Associated Press]

………………………………………………………………………………

10. HALLE BERRY'S EX AND FIANCE BRAWL

It wasn't a happy Thanksgiving for Halle Berry. The actress' ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubrey and her fiance Oliver Martinez reportedly got into an all-out brawl. Aubrey was bringing the former couple's daughter back to Berry's home for the holiday when the two men reportedly got into it. Both men were taken to the hospital, with Aubrey sustaining a broken rib. Martinez may have broken his hand and injured his head. [People]