8 Things You Need To Know This AM — Dec 03 2015

A mass shooting in California left 14 people dead.

On Wednesday afternoon, two shooters killed 14 people and injured at least 14 more at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. After a manhunt and subsequent standoff, police confirmed two shooters had been killed. They were identified early Thursday morning as 28-year-old Syed Rizwan Farook and 27-year-old Tashfeen Malik. Motive is still unclear at this point, though police say that "there had to be some degree of planning that went into this." (Read More)

Mein Kampf will be republished in Germany for the first time in 70 years

Almost 70 years after Hitler’s suicide, the de facto German ban on Mein Kampf will be challenged when a new annotated edition hits shelves in January. While critics are decrying the decision to reprint Hitler’s propaganda, The Institute of Contemporary History plans to move ahead with a limited run of 3,500 to 4,000 copies once the controversial autobiography’s copyright runs out. The reprinted book, which includes annotations in order to undermine Hitler’s “lies, half-truths and vicious tirades,” will sell for 59 euros, or $63. (Vice)

Gun sales hit an all-time high on Black Friday, setting a record for the most firearm background checks performed on any one day on record. New data revealed that while most Black Friday retail sales fell by $1 billion, firearms proved to be hot commodities. The FBI processed over 185,000 gun background checks on November 27th, a 5% increase from the previous year — and a new record. Although it wouldn’t be inaccurate to extrapolate that a record-shattering number of guns were purchased on Black Friday, it’s important to note that some firearm purchases do not require background checks, so the number of one-day gun sales is probably higher than 185,000. (Read More)

Reese's defended its widely-criticized Christmas tree blobs.

Last week, Reese's lovers discovered that "instead of a festive Christmas tree shape, the candy is instead just a blob of nothing." In years past, the chocolate-covered peanut butter trees had distinctively sharper angles, resembling a fir. This year's harvest seems to be a bit different, as many Twitter account holders have testified. On Wednesday, Reese's responded to the controversy with a tweet. (Read More)

The Daily Show cancelled its Chris Brown interview due to staff objections.

According to a schedule posted to The Daily Show’s website last week, Chris Brown was booked as Tuesday’s guest. After news leaked that some Daily Show staffers “disapproved” of Brown’s appearance, Tuesday’s episode ended up featuring an interview with Nick Cannon, with no explanation of Brown’s absence or mention of the booking controversy. Neither Brown nor The Daily Show has commented on the cancellation. (Vulture)

Sandra Bullock introduced her adopted daughter, Laila. Sandra Bullock confirmed long-standing rumors that she expanded her family with a new People magazine spread, shot by her photog beau Bryan Randall, in which she poses with her 5-year-old son Louis and recently adopted 3-year-old daughter Laila. She, like Louis, was fostered and adopted in Louisiana. "When I look at Laila, there's no doubt in my mind that she was supposed to be here," Bullock told the magazine. "The exact right children came to me at the exact right time.” (Read More)

Justin Bieber broke the internet with a cuddly throwback photo of ex (?) Selena Gomez.

Just when you’ve finally memorized all the lyrics to “Love Yourself,” Justin Bieber might be singing a different tune. Bieber initiated a panic when he shared a grainy Instagram photo of himself snuggled behind former girlfriend and alleged “What Do You Mean?” muse Selena Gomez on an ATV. While Bieber attempted to quell fears of a Jelena reunion by adding the caption “just a throwback calm down,” fans are right to be wary: just a few weeks ago, the singer was filmed serenading Gomez in a hotel bar with a lounge-y version of “My Girl.” (Read More)

Elizabeth Taylor ran a secret HIV drug ring to treat patients.

Elizabeth Taylor is already known as a fearless advocate for HIV/AIDS patients, beginning in a time when Hollywood (and the public) wanted nothing to do with those afflicted by these illnesses. On Tuesday, model and activist Kathy Ireland appeared on Entertainment Tonight in honor of World AIDS Day and revealed that Taylor also ran a secret drug ring out of her home in Bel Air, providing experimental HIV treatment to patients in need. (Read More)