5 Things to Know This Morning

— -- Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.

1. Justice Department Investigating Eric Garner Death

Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Justice Department will launch a civil rights investigation into the death of Eric Garner, the unarmed black man who died after being placed in a choke hold by a white New York City police officer during an arrest last summer.

The announcement came just hours after a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict officers involved in Garner’s arrest. Garner died July 17 after being placed in a chokehold by Officer David Pantaleo. The incident was caught on tape, and shows that Garner was unarmed and posing no apparent threat to the half-dozen officers who surrounded him.

After he was taken down in the chokehold by Pantaleo, other officers held him down. Garner can be heard on tape saying, “I can’t breathe.”

2. Protests Erupt Following Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision

Protests erupted across the country, with about 40 people arrested in New York City after a grand jury's decision not to indict officers involved in Garner's death.

Large groups shouted and carried signs through Times Square. Protesters temporarily blocked traffic in the Lincoln Tunnel and on the Brooklyn Bridge, and activists staged a “die-in” at the Grand Central Terminal.

Other demonstrations occurred in cities such as Washington, D.C., California, Seattle, Atlanta and Denver.

3. Al Qaeda Group Threatens American Hostage Luke Somers in New Video

Al Qaeda's Yemen affiliate Wednesday night showed an American hostage on camera for the first time, who officials say was the objective of a U.S. rescue attempt last week, threatening to kill him in three days if President Obama doesn't "meet our demands."

Luke Somers, a 33-year old photojournalist and interpreter, was abducted under mysterious circumstances in the Yemeni capital Sana'a 14 months ago. He appeared at the end of the new video in glasses and a button-down shirt -- looking more gaunt than in past photos prior to his captivity -- and made a 30-second statement pleading for help.

"I'm looking for any help that can get me out of this situation. I'm certain that my life is in danger. So as I sit here now, I ask if anything can be done, please let it be done. Thank you very much," Somers says, then dips his head.

4. Navy Investigating Allegations That Female Submarine Officers Were Secretly Videotaped

The Navy is investigating allegations that a sailor aboard a submarine secretly recorded three female officers while they showered. Female officers only began serving aboard submarines three years ago and guaranteeing their privacy aboard the vessels has always been a major concern.

A Navy official confirmed that the alleged recordings were made aboard the USS Wyoming, a ballistic missile submarine based at Kings Bay, Georgia. The videos are alleged to show the three female officers while showering or in stages of undress.

The official said an unidentified sailor is under investigation for having made the videos over the past year as well as having allegedly distributed them. The official said the videos had not been posted on the internet. In June, the USS Wyoming returned to Kings Bay from a months-long deployment to the western Pacific.