1. France launched massive air strikes on ISIS-controlled territory in Raqqa, Syria, on Sunday in the first direct retaliation for Friday’s terror attacks that killed 129 people and hospitalized hundreds more. The AP reports that 12 aircraft, including 10 fighter jets, were launched from sites in Jordan and the Persian Gulf in coordination with U.S. forces and dropped a total of 20 bombs. ISIS has said it is responsible for the assaults on Parisian bars and restaurants, as well as the Stade de France, the country’s main sports stadium, and Bataclan concert hall, where the Eagles of Death Metal were performing. The BBC reports that seven attackers died in the series of coordinated attacks, most of them after detonating suicide belts. Meanwhile, Belgian-born 26-year-old Salah Abdeslam has been identified as a key suspect. He was reportedly stopped by officers in the wake of the attacks, but then let go. So far, French police have raided 168 alleged sleeper-cell locations around the country and taken several persons of interest into custody.
2. It’s no secret that Portland is becoming more and more expensive to rent in. There is a growing gap between what Portland citizens can afford to rent and what apartments are actually available, and many people are moving farther out of the city to find an affordable place to live. In Portland, the rental vacancy rate is between zero and two percent, according to Mark Adelson, the executive director of the Portland Housing Authority. He said a “healthy” rate for a city is between five and 10 percent.
3. The Patriots escape with a dramatic win over Giants yesterday. Stephen Gostkowski’s 54-yard field goal with one second left gives New England a 27-26 win.
4. Two Westbrook men were sent to the hospital following a shooting and stabbing at the intersection of Fore and Market streets in Portland early Monday morning around 12:30AM. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening. A car that was seen fleeing the area was located on Oxford Street between Wilmot Street and Pearl Street. Nobody has been charged with the attacks.
5. New Jersey’s Cherry Hill Mall features quite the elaborate Santa display, with a virtual sleigh ride and singing elves joining the bearded, pot-bellied main attraction. But unlike in years past, when the attraction was free, families wishing to see Santa now have to pay a cover charge of between $35 and $50, which entitles them to a photo or video footage of the visit. Understandably, irate parents have taken to Facebook in droves, complaining that the steep fee unfairly penalizes low-income children. “I find it classist and it creates a divide between children during a holiday which is supposed to be about equality and giving and having everyone participate in the joy of Christmas,” Sulaiha Bitar told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
