State

• Blago atty: Obama as a witness would be 'awesome'

National

• Police treating missing Utah mom as criminal case

• Pa. police chief accused of cover-up ordered held

• $8.5B CityCenter's centerpiece opens in Las Vegas

• Texas parents, school tangle over boy's long locks

• Dead rodents, skinny snakes found in Texas raid

• Vt. court eyes value of love of man's best friend

• With demand up, charities face tough holidays

International

• Mexican navy kills top cartel kingpin in shootout

• Yemen: Up to 34 al-Qaida militants killed

• AP IMPACT: US drug war crackdown misses the money

• Doctors airlift boy with 42 needles stuck in him

• Forced evacuations around Philippine volcano

• China holds US engineer on trade secrets charge

• Pakistan's president under pressure to step down

• US to expand eyes in the sky over Afghanistan

• Bandaged Berlusconi leaves hospital after attack

Politics & Government

• AP-GfK poll: Gains for Obama, not his Afghan plans

• Obama won't break new ground at summit

• Single-payer health care plan dies in Senate

• Democrats vow to close Medicare 'doughnut hole'

• House approves $290 billion increase in debt limit

• House narrowly approves year-end jobs

• SC gov again dodges removal; lawmakers OK rebuke

• Poll: Brown still leads in Calif. governor's race

ODD & Extraordinary

• Boy Scout, 11, returns purse with nearly $2,000

• 2-legged dog gives hope to disabled Army vets

• Flashing teen found guilty after being hit by car

• Police say 2 dogs fed on Nebraska owner's body

• Money robbed from western Pa. bank mailed back

• 'Santa' stumbles out of vehicle, seeks reindeer

• Self-styled vampire jailed for threatening judge

• Pair accused of faking death from bad oysters

• Ohio eatery offers discount for sandwich tattoos

• Ala. city requires firefighters at candle services

Entertainment, Entertainers, Media & Arts

• 'American Idol' creator announces 'Dream' project

• A year when reality TV became part of our reality

• Metallica singer gives 330 acres to Calif. county

• Company: Roy Disney, nephew of Walt Disney, dies

Science, Technology & Environment

• Clinton: US would help raise billions on climate

Today

• This day in history