National

• Frigid temperatures follow heavy snow into Midwest

• Worried parents at heart of terror probe

• Mo. teen charged with murder seeks to move trial

• Prison expert: Accused Smart kidnapper incompetent

• Judge: Ohio inmate's execution appeal has limits

• Officials: Gang rivalry led to Calif. prison riot

• Promotion day arrives for white Conn. firefighters

• Giant oil spill in Alaska likely caused by ice

• Calif. city gets Charlie Brown Christmas tree

International

• Al-Qaida claims this week's deadly Baghdad blasts

  • Defense Secretary Gates arrives in Iraq

• French investigate turbulent Rio-Paris flight

• Russia's Bulava missile fails latest test

• Sweden, Norway slam Iran for Nobel winner threats

• Greek-owned cargo ship to be freed in Somalia

Politics & Government

• Obama: Peace is goal, but war sometimes justified

• Obama: Afghanistan troop drawdown won't be steep

• New health care benefits come at a price

  • Showdown vote nears on importing low-cost drugs

• Debating Wall Street regulations not easy for Dems

• SC gov dodges impeachment, lawmakers push rebuke

• Black lawmakers grow impatient with White House

• Senior US envoy held 'candid' talks with NKorea

ODD & Extraordinary

• Ohio cops: Man in Santa garb tried to kidnap girl

• Fla. woman accused of hitting man with raw steak

• Urine samples swiped from Utah health department

• Woman accused of drunken ride in Christmas parade

• Man gets year in jail for urinating on officer

Entertainment, Entertainers, Media & Arts

• Woods scandal a boon to Internet publications

• Cameron's 'Avatar' has premiere in London

• Arts survey finds drop in movie, museum attendance

• Palestinian files $110M libel suit over 'Bruno'

• Court to rule if Polanski can fight case from afar

Science, Technology & Environment

• Solar power coming to a store near you

• Atom smasher catches 1st high-energy collisions

• Experiment to test killing 1 owl to help another

• 1,700 UK scientists back climate science

Today

• This day in history