INTERNATIONAL:  According to the New York Times, there has been a massive earthquake in Iran. So far, the quake has taken over 500 lives and injured over 7,460 others. At the request of the government, thousands of people have lined up to donate blood. Many have been left without food, water, or protection and are awaiting assistance.

NATIONAL:  According to the Washington Post, Senate Republican leaders have announced that they will be adding a provision to their tax bill that gets rid of the mandate that penalizes Americans who do not have health insurance. Doing so frees up more than $300 billion government funding over the next ten years. However, it will also lead to more than 13 million Americans without health insurance.

LOCAL: According to the Stevens Point Journal, the upcoming closure of Kmart in Stevens Point will result in the loss of 45 local jobs. A release from the parent company Sears Holdings on Nov. 2 announced that the Stevens Point location was one of 45 Kmart locations along with 18 Sears’s stores, which will be closing throughout the United States in January. The Stevens Point Kmart location is the only store in Wisconsin on the closing list.

SPASH: According to the SPASH calendar on Dec. 12, SPASH Choir will be holding a concert from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.