State

• Gun charges dropped against Drew Peterson

National

• Calif. trains collide; no serious injuries

• Man convicted of killing Mo. 3-year-old gets life

• N.Y. hate crime suspect now charged with murder

• Americans still giving, despite economic meltdown

• Neb. lawmakers form task force on child drop-offs

• Judge orders release of 5 terror suspects at Gitmo

• Report says CIA withheld info from White House

• US panel warns of Chinese espionage

• Mukasey takes get-well call from Bush

International

• UN approves sanctions on Somali pirates

  • Kenya: Somali pirates make $150M in a year

• Blast kills 8 mourners at Pakistani funeral

• Bush effigy burned in anti-US protest in Baghdad

• US details role for additional Afghan forces

• China: 19,000 victims identified from May quake

Politics

• Congress sends jobless benefit extension to Bush

• Obama plans to nominate Clinton for top diplomat

• Regulating swap transactions blamed for meltdown

• Byrd, Senate's longest-serving member, turns 91

ODD & Extraordinary

• Woman wins $2.4M in her 1st trip to Vegas

• Cell phone in man's chest pocket stops bullet

• Iowa first lady admits violating state smoking ban

• Mass. cops puzzled by butcher-quality meat chunks

• N.Y. couple, trucker help injured butterfly migrate

• Lawyer shortage exposes Papua New Guinea to suits

• Priest gets probation for jogging nude at track

• Dog hits controls, drives van into coffeehouse

• Octogenarian charged with dealing pain pills

• Warrant, cocaine lead to job-seeker's arrest

• Man accused of getting SUV stuck on edge of cliff

Science, Technology & The Environment

• Shuttle, astronauts prep for mid-mission reboost

• Urban growers go high-tech to feed city dwellers

• FBI offers reward for ecoterrorism suspects

Entertainment, Entertainers and the Arts

• The 10 movies you shouldn't watch online

• Former Sen. Fred Thompson plans return to acting

• Dr Pepper to deliver on its free-soda promise

• Hill fulfills dream with Christmas special, CD

• Teen wins 'Twilight' car on 'Tyra Banks Show'

• Surprise! Violinist Shaham gets Avery Fisher Prize

• Best-seller books

Today

• This day in history

• The nation's weather