5 Things to Know This Morning

Nov. 20, 2012 — -- Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.

1: Israeli Police: U.S. Embassy Guard Attacked

Israeli police say an armed suspect with a knife and an ax attacked a security guard at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.

2. Harsh Weather Hits Pacific Northwest

High winds and fierce rains slammed the Pacific Northwest, bringing down trees and trucks, cutting power to almost 50,000 people, and causing at least one death. Almost two inches of rain fell in six hours in one Seattle neighborhood on Monday.

3. Beaches in N.J. Narrower Post-Sandy

The average New Jersey beach is 30 to 40 feet narrower after Superstorm Sandy, according to a survey. Some of New Jersey's famous beaches lost half their sand when Sandy slammed ashore in late October.

4. 4 Calif. Men Charged After Joining al-Qaida, Taliban

Four Southern California men have been charged with plotting to kill Americans and destroy U.S. targets overseas by joining al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan, federal officials said Monday.

5. Clinton Heads to Israel

President Barack Obama is sending Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Middle East. She will begin her trip by meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, then meeting with Palestinian officials in Ramallah, and then head to Cairo to meet with leaders in Egypt.