◼ In a "special broadcast" Monday from the North Korean capital, state media said Kim died of a heart ailment on a train due to a "great mental and physical strain" on Dec. 17 during a "high intensity field inspection." It said an autopsy was done on Dec. 18 and "fully confirmed" the diagnosis. - AP via Drudge
◼ U.S. Senator Marco Rubio released the following statement regarding the death of North Korea’s Kim Jong Il:
"Kim Jong Il was a cruel tyrant who leaves behind unimaginable suffering by the North Korean people. The United States should work with our partners to ensure that this period of transition is seized as an opportunity to persuade North Korea to abandon its hostile nuclear program, open up its society and address the humanitarian crisis that its tyrannical leaders have inflicted."
