Midday Roundup: Belgian police arrest two in New Year's terror plot

Thwarted. Belgian police have arrested two men suspected of plotting attacks against prominent sites in Brussels during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Police believe the men, who have not been named, were inspired but not directed by the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group. During the arrest raid, police seized computer equipment, military-type training outfits, and ISIS propaganda material. Authorities do not believe the men are linked to the group that carried out the November terror attack in Paris. Officials have released few other details about what the alleged attackers had planned.

Apprehended. A Texas teenager on the run with his mother has been apprehended in Mexico. Ethan Couch apparently fled his north Texas home after video surfaced showing him at a party that included alcohol—a violation of his probation. Couch, then just 16 years old, was convicted in 2014 of drunk driving in an incident that left four people dead. His lawyer used a so-called “affluenza” defense, claiming Couch’s wealthy parents coddled him into a sense of irresponsibility. The judge gave him 10 years probation and ordered him into rehab, a lenient sentence that sparked outrage in Tarrant County. Now that Couch is on his way back to Texas, prosecutors will get another chance to put him behind bars. His probation violation, now that he’s 18, could send him to prison for up to 10 years. His mother, Tonya Couch, also could face jail time for helping her son evade justice.

Ebola-free. World Health Organization officials have declared Guinea Ebola-free. The country is expected to celebrate the milestone with fireworks and concerts. Health workers diagnosed the first case in the county two years ago, and the outbreak killed more than 2,500 people there. Another 9,000 victims died in neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone, both of which were declared free of the disease earlier this year. “It’s the best year-end present that God could give to Guinea, and the best news that Guineans could hope for,” Ebola survivor Alama Kambou Dore told the AFP news agency. But the declaration doesn’t necessarily mean Ebola won’t make a comeback. New cases have appeared in Liberia, stumping health officials who thought the outbreak there was over. Guinean officials are warning people to remain vigilant against the disease.

Inundated. The Mississippi River is at flood stage this morning after days of heavy rain soaked Missouri. Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency Sunday as rising water closed more than 200 roads. The Mississippi is expected to crest on Jan. 2, and if predictions are right, it will exceed records set in 1993. So far, 10 people have died in the floodwaters, most after their vehicles were swept away. Nixon warned that number is likely to rise. Meanwhile, severe winter conditions forced 1,400 flight cancellations Monday, almost 10 times what’s normal. Half the nation’s canceled flights came from Chicago’s two big airports. Airlines across the country typically cancel 150 flights a day.

Shopped-out. The nation’s retailers seem to have gotten what they wanted for Christmas—a nearly 8 percent boost in consumer spending. This year’s hottest items were furniture, with Americans spending more on furnishings than on anything else. On the e-commerce side, Amazon reported the number of Prime members who used mobile phones to shop more than doubled this holiday season over last. Despite the digital trend, consumers weren’t spending as much on electronics. Apple said the biggest Christmas Day app download was the fitness-tracker Fitbit.

WORLD Radio’s Nick Eicher contributed to this report.