1. “Happy 225th birthday, Bill of Rights”

2. The Bill of Rights turns 225 years old on Dec. 15
The Bill of Rights turns 225 years old on Dec. 15. On that day in 1791, Virginia became the last state needed to ratify the first 10 amendments to the Constitution and thereby make them effective. Why is the Bill of Rights so important? The answer lies in the differences between the original Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The original Constitution focused on the federal government’s structure and the interplay between the federal and state governments. While the original Constitution was a blueprint for the government, it did not provide for the protection of individual rights. That protection came from the Bill of Rights. For example, the First Amendment established constitutional rights for people to speak and publish without governmental interference. While the Bill of Rights originally applied only to actions by the federal government, the Supreme Court ultimately applied most of its protections against state governments as well. So the Bill of Rights is important because it put into this country’s governing document the principle that the individual has certain rights that the government can’t take away and must respect.

3. In Other News
Alan Thicke, the beloved TV actor who epitomized the role of the sitcom dad, died Tuesday at age 69. Details regarding the cause of death were not disclosed. Thicke's career spanned five decades -- one in which he played various roles on and off screen, from actor to writer, to composer to author. But he will be remembered most for his role on "Growing Pains," the hit sitcom featuring his character of Jason Seaver. In the role, Thicke portrayed a corny TV dad who offered wholesome life advice to his family during the 1980s.
A colossal wave recorded in the North Atlantic has smashed previous records for size. The 62 foot wave -- captured between Iceland and the UK on February 4, has set a new world record for the biggest wave ever recorded by a buoy. The previous record of 60 feet was also measured in the North Atlantic in December Four times the size of a double-decker bus, the WMO said the huge swell followed the passage of a "very strong cold front" which produced powerful winds of up to 50 mph. The organization said the delay in confirming the new record was due to the time it took to analyze, cross-check and verify the data.