This Morning from CBS News, Jan. 20, 2015
Hostage video
A video released online by ISIS today shows two purported Japanese hostages on their knees and a man wielding a large knife saying they will be executed unless the group receives $200 million in ransom in the next 72 hours. The authenticity of the video could not independently verified, but CBS News correspondent Holly Williams reports it carried the insignia of ISIS' official media arm, al-Furqan, and was posted on ISIS-affiliated websites.
#hashtag world
It's a #hashtag world. We're just living in it. CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett reports that, in essence, sums up the White House strategy for tonight's State of the Union address. It's a concession to social media and the fact that President Obama has lost his congressional echo chamber.
2014 scorecard
Not long before last year's State of the Union address, President Obama announced his intention to work around Congress on the issues where he saw a pressing need for action but little chance for cooperation from Capitol Hill. Here's a look the to-do list the president laid out in his 2014 State of the Union, and the status of the items on that list.
Papal visit
Speaking to reporters on his flight home from Asia, Pope Francis laid out his plans to visit Washington, D.C., New York City and Philadelphia this fall. In a preview of the kind of message he'll be bringing, he said he would have liked to enter the U.S. by way of the Mexican border. He's also expected to address Congress and the U.N. with a message that will probably please and trouble in equal measure. CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey gives a preview of the Pope's visit to the U.S.
Twin mission
Astronaut Scott Kelly will try something no American has ever done before. This spring, Scott will leave for a mission and spend a year in space. His twin is retired astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. CBS News correspondent Don Dahler reports that, as NASA looks toward an eventual three-year long round trip to Mars, the Kelly brothers have become key to figuring out how to prepare for and protect the human body during lengthy trips in space.
White-collar automation
One recurring theme that will be discussed at the Davos World Economic Forum, according to the group, is concern about technology displacing workers -- a future, as the WEF says, "in which permanent jobs will fade away and machines increasingly perform cognitive jobs in place of people, forcing automation and, as a result, unemployment across the employment spectrum, including high-skilled and white-collar labor."
High-tech parenting
When it comes to technology and who it serves, there is no age limit. Nowadays, even babies are getting wired with gadgets and wearable gizmos that aim to make parenting a little bit easier.
Modest drinking
Someone seeking information on what drinking alcohol means for his or her health will find a lot of contradictory research. There is, of course, mounds of evidence that excessive alcohol consumption is bad for you. But there are also many studies that indicate drinking alcohol in moderation may safeguard a person from some serious conditions, especially those related to heart health. The latest study touts the benefits of drinking modest amounts of alcohol, one drink a day.
Spicy honey
Sriracha isn't the only condiment that's delighting spicy food lovers. CBS News correspondent Vladimir Duthiers spoke with Michael Kurtz, who was working as a part-time pizza apprentice in Brooklyn when he realized his own homemade hot honey might be the next thing to stick.
Top News
World
U.N. condemns escalating attacks by Boko Haram
Key terror suspect in Belgium came "back from the dead"
Parents of journalist missing in Syria want to raise awareness
Pope Francis says Catholics don't have to be like rabbits
Politics
U.S. delegation to Cuba skips meeting with Raul Castro
Obamas commemorate MLK at Boys and Girls Club
U.S.
Plane evacutated at NYC's JFK after bomb threat
Why the U.S. was sure North Korea hacked Sony
Yellowstone River spill: Oil detected in water supplies
Teen caught pretending to be a doctor at Florida clinic
Seattle Seahawks criticized for MLK-themed tweet
MoneyWatch
New college grads: Who employers want to hire
Understanding the U.S. economy in five easy charts
Health
Too much sitting raises risk of death, even if you exercise