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Wednesday, December 31 National Headlines
>>The Latest

(Undated) -- Here's the latest on the stories making news this hour: The big ball at Times Square in New York won't be the only thing dropping tonight to mark the start of the New Year. The number of new claims for unemployment benefits made an unexpected drop. Stocks rallied again. The White House says Hamas is responsible for making the first step towards a ceasefire in Gaza. And a Michigan auto shop is offering free brake pads to lessen the pain of the Detroit Lions' winless season.

>>Americans Watch Lots Of Things Drop To Ring In New Year

(Undated) -- People will be packed in Times Square tonight to ring in the New Year. However, not everyone will mark the start of 2009 by watching the ball drop on One Times Square. In downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, New Year's revelers will watch a giant acorn drop. There's a gumbo pot drop in New Orleans. Of course, in Atlanta they have a giant peach drop. And in Key West, they drop a drag queen named Sushi in a big, sparkling high-heeled shoe.

>>New Jobless Claims Down, Continued Claims Soar

(Washington, DC) -- The number of out of work Americans filing continued unemployment claims rose to the highest level in decades last week. The Labor Department says four-and-a-half-million people filed claims. That's an increase of 140-thousand, and according to "Market Watch," the highest level since 1982. First-time claims were actually down far more than expected with 492-thousand new applications. That's down 94-thousand from the prior week.

>>Stocks Rally As Year Comes To A Close

(New York, NY) -- Stocks rallied again after a big gain yesterday, putting it on track for the best two-day end-of-year rally ever. The Dow Jones gained 108 points to end at 87-76. The NASDAQ ended at 15-77 after closing the trading day up 26 points and the S&P 500 added 13 points to close at 903. Oil settled at 44-dollars-60-cents a barrel today on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That's five-dollars-57-cents higher than yesterday's close.

>>White House: Hamas Must Stop Firing Rockets Into Israel

(Crawford, TX) -- The White House is keeping up the pressure on Hamas as an Israeli air campaign against the Gaza Strip continues for a fifth day. White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters today that President Bush believes Hamas militants must stop firing rockets into Israel. He explained that would be a first step toward a sustainable ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Hundreds of Palestinians have died in the Israeli air assault, and attempts to deliver humanitarian aid have been blocked.

>>TN Gov Tours Sludge Damage

(Knoxville, TN) -- Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen says there's no doubt it's a disaster. After touring the damage caused by a massive coal sludge spill from a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant in Kingston today, the governor explained what was being done to clean up the mess and ensure public safety. He said TVA is doing all it can to organize clean up and take care of the people who've lost their homes because of the spill. After days of heavy rain last week, the TVA plant's retention wall gave way, sending a billion gallons of toxic coal sludge out into a Roane County neighborhood.

>>88-Year-Old Woman Fights Off Naked Man

(Gresham, OR) -- An elderly Oregon woman took matters into her own hands when a naked man tried to assault her early yesterday morning. Gresham Police say 46-year-old Michael Dick broke into her home through a sliding door, naked, and tried to force the 88-year-old woman face down into a chair. Police say Dick was stopped by the would-be victim when she reached behind, grabbed the man's testicles, and gave him "a good squeeze." The suspect fled, but was arrested a short time later. He is facing burglary, harassment, and private indecency charges and is being held on 110-thousand-dollars bail.

>>Winless Season Means Free Brakes

(Grand Rapids, MI) -- The winless Detroit Lions football team is responsible for free brakes. The club just wrapped up a season without a win and Lentz USA muffler and brake shops in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, Michigan are offering free brake pads as part of an 0-and-16 party. It's not totally free as customers still have to pay for labor and that runs about 100-dollars. The Lions are the first 0-and-16 in NFL history and just the second team since World War Two to go winless in a full season. The coach was fired on Monday.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008 3:56 PM

Monday, December 29 National Headlines
>>Israel Continues Gaza Attacks Against Palestinians

(Gaza) -- Israel continued to bomb Palestinian targets in Gaza for the third consecutive day today. So far, an estimated 325 Palestinians have been killed and 700 more are injured. Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak told the parliament they have an all-out war against Hamas militants. Three Israelis have been killed by militant rocket fire since the Israeli air offensive started on Saturday.

>>White House: Hamas Must Agree To Ceasefire

(Crawford, TX) -- The White House is calling for an immediate end to the violence in Israel. White House Deputy Press Secretary Gordon Johndroe says Hamas must agree to a sustainable ceasefire and stop firing rockets into the Jewish state. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Beirut, Lebanon today, chanting "Death to America, Death to Israel." They are demanding a halt to Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. At a protest in Amman, Jordan, demonstrators urged Hamas militants to restart their suicide bombings and increase their rocket attacks on Israel.

>>Federal Prosecutors Could Release Some Blagojevich Tapes

(Springfield, IL) -- Transcripts of wiretapped conversations at the center of the scandal surrounding Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich [[ blah-GOYA-vich ]] may soon be released. Federal prosecutors are planning to ask a judge next week to release some of the transcripts. The feds say the wiretaps in question capture the governor scheming to sell President-elect Barack Obama's vacated seat in the Senate. Blagojevich's lawyers have argued the wiretaps are illegal and shouldn't be considered as part of the impeachment hearings or the federal case against him.

>>Eight Missing In Canada Avalanches

(Vancouver, B.C.) -- Rescue crews are searching for eight missing snowmobilers who may have been engulfed by a pair of avalanches in Canada's Rocky Mountains. Crews waited for technicians to stabilize the snow where the men are believed to be buried. The eight missing were among eleven people who were caught in the avalanches on Sunday. The three others were able to dig themselves out.

>>Lions Fire Head Coach After Historic Winless Season

(Allen Park, MI) -- A day after finishing the first winless 16-game season in NFL history, the Detroit Lions elected to fire head coach Rod Marinelli. With Sunday's 31-21 loss to the Green Pay Backers, the Lions became just the second team since World War Two unable to win a single game in a full season. Marinelli had a 10-and-38 record with the Lions over three years with the team. A number of assistant coaches, including defensive coordinator Joe Barry, assistant offensive line coach Mike Barry, and secondary coach Jimmy Lake, were not retained.

>>Processed Foods Could Fuel Growth Of Lung Cancer Tumors

(Washington, DC) -- Eating processed foods may fuel the growth of lung cancer tumors. Researchers in South Korea determined common food additives known as phosphates can increase the speed with which tumors grow in mice. The results also suggest that inorganic additives, common in soft drinks, baked goods, and processed meats and cheese, help develop the tumor in the first place. One of the researchers said a diet high in phosphates stimulates lung cancer development and increases the size of tumor lesions in mice.

>>Fourteen-Pound Baby Boy Born In Orange County

(Laguna Hills, CA) -- A California woman gave birth to a whopping 14-pound-two-ounce baby. The Sault family of Laguna Hills welcomed bouncing baby Richard Jr. to their family two days before Christmas. Richard Jr. was delivered by cesarean section and it took two doctors to lift the newborn. There was one complication after the birth however, all the baby clothes Richard and Sara Sault bought for Richard Jr. don't fit.

Monday, December 29, 2008 4:43 PM

Friday, December 26 National Headlines
>>Amazon.com Reports Best Holiday Season Ever

(Seattle, WA) -- Despite the gloom and doom in the economy, Amazon is reporting its best holiday season ever. Amazon.com recorded over six-point-three-million orders on December 15th. This season, Amazon shipped to over 210 countries. More than 99-percent of the orders were shipped in time to meet holiday deadlines worldwide. Among top selling gifts in electronic and toy departments were Nintendo Wii, Apple's iPod touch, and stealth goggles. The top selling DVDs were "Wall-E," "The Dark Knight" and "The Dark Knight" in Blu-Ray.

>>Bargain Hunters Seek Deals In Day After Christmas

(Undated) -- It's bargain hunting time. The traditional day after Christmas retail extravaganza is underway across the country. Many retail outlets have opened their doors early and there are sales galore. Some outlets have taken 50 to 75 percent off the pricetags. Retailers should be even more eager to cut prices considering new figures on retail sales. "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting a two-and-a-half-percent decline in sales for November and a four-percent slide in December.

>>Christmas Eve Massacre Leaves Nine Dead

(Covina, CA) -- Investigators are poring over evidence in a deadly Christmas Eve shooting massacre at a home in suburban Los Angeles. At least nine people were killed when Bruce Pardo, dressed as Santa, opened fire at the home of the parents of his ex-wife. Guests struggled to get out of the home anyway they could, even jumping out of second-floor windows to get away. Covina Police say after shooting people, he set the house on fire. Pardo committed suicide after the deadly assault.

>>One Of Two Boys Attacked In Phoenix Park Dies

(Phoenix, AZ) -- One of two boys brutally attacked in a Phoenix park on Tuesday has died and the other remains hospitalized in critical condition. Police say seven-year old Jesse Ramirez died from his injuries this morning. His ten-year old cousin Edwin Pellecier is in extremely critical condition. The two boys were beaten with what appeared to be a baseball bat when they were playing at a community park in Arizona's capital city. Thirty-six-year-old Joe Gallegos was arrested and charged with two counts of child abuse for allegedly beating the boys.

>>Poll: Obama Tops List Of Most-Admired

(Washington, DC) -- Barack Obama is the man Americans admire most. A new "USA Today"/Gallup Poll of just over a thousand people pegged the president-elect as the guy they most look up to. President Bush fell to a distant second after seven years on top. Obama's GOP rival, Arizona Senator John McCain, was third in people's estimation. Fourth was a tie between Pope Benedict the 16th, the Reverend Billy Graham and former president Bill Clinton. Among women, Hillary Clinton nabbed the number one spot, which she's held for 13 of the last 16 years.

>>Kwanzaa: Day 1 - Unity

(Undated) -- Today is the first day of Kwanzaa, the spiritual holiday honoring African-American heritage and culture. Throughout the seven-day celebration, Kwanzaa participants will observe seven principles focusing on unity and understanding in the black community. Today, observers are reflecting on the first principle of Umoja [[ oo-MOE-jah ]], or Unity, which asks Kwanzaa participants to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race. Kwanzaa runs from December 26th to January 1st.

>>Lindsay Lohan And Samantha Ronson Host New Year's Extravaganza

(Undated) -- Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson are gearing up to see in the new year, Miami style. The two are hosting a New Year's Eve bash at the Mansion nightclub in Miami Beach. Celebrity deejay Ronson will be spinning for the event. The two are ending a year filled with much media focus on their blossoming relationship. While the two have not admitted they are a romantic item, Lohan has said in previous interviews that she is in love with a woman and being with Ronson keeps her grounded.

Friday, December 26, 2008 6:43 PM

Tuesday, December 23 National Headlines [Afternoon Update]
An internal review by President-elect Barack Obama's transition team has found no inappropriate contact with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. The governor is accused of trying to barter Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat. The review states one member of the transition team, Rahm Emanuel, had "one or two" conversations with Blagojevich.

Home sales dived a record eight-point-six-percent across the country in November. The National Association of Realtors reports further dismal news, saying the median home price tumbled by more than 13-percent on an annual basis last month, the fifth straight monthly price drop.

Passengers in Chicago waited nearly 24 hours at Chicago's Union Station for a ride to the Pacific Northwest, only to find the train won't reach its destination. Amtrak says the train will only travel as far as St. Paul, Minnesota, after originally being scheduled to go to Seattle. Amtrak isn't offering alternative transportation to those who expected to travel to the West Coast on the train.

The price of crude oil continued to decline today, with light sweet crude falling a dollar to near 39 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Falling demand has forced oil prices down by about 75-percent from a high of 147 dollars a barrel last July.

A used tissue with a Hollywood connection fetched more than five-thousand dollars in an online auction. E! Online says an anonymous bidder offered 53-hundred-dollars for actress Scarlett Johansson's sniffle-catcher after an eBay auction. The actress announced the auction last week on NBC's "Tonight Show With Jay Leno."

Americans are procrastinating instead of shopping. A Rasmussen Reports poll shows two in ten in the nation haven't started holiday shopping yet. Six in ten haven't finished making purchases. The poll found more women than men enjoy holiday shopping.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008 4:41 PM

Tuesday, December 23 National Headlines

Over two-thousand General Motors workers will join the hundreds of thousands of Americans already on unemployment lines. GM is letting them go as it closes down a plant in Moraine, Ohio, and partially shuts another facility in Janesville, Wisconsin, this week. The Moraine plant just north of Cincinnati produced the GMC Envoy, Chevy Trailblazer and the Saab 9-7X.

Air travelers going in and out of Denver International Airport will be pleased that all runways are now open, but may be a little uncomfortable with what they see. Runway 34-Right has been reopened following the weekend crash of a Continental Jet. The wreckage remains in a ravine near the runway. The airline says five of the over three dozen hurt in the mishap remain hospitalized, including one in serious condition.

A major winter storm in the Plains and Great Lakes and more winter weather across the Rockies will team up for a travel nightmare for hundreds of thousands of holiday travelers. Air travel will probably be affected at two major airline hubs in Chicago and Detroit, which will create a ripple effect across the nation.

A report from President-elect Barack Obama outlining his team's contacts with embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich [[ blah-GOYA-vich ]] is set to be released sometime today. Democratic aides say the report was wrapped up last week, but its release has been delayed to cooperate with a request from federal officials investigating the governor. Blagojevich is accused of trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat Obama recently vacated.

The "New York Times" has been "punked" by a letter writer claiming to be the mayor of Paris. The paper published a letter which was highly critical of Caroline Kennedy for seeking Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. Editors say the letter was a hoax and newsroom procedures were not followed in verifying the letter's authenticity.

The Screen Actors Guild has postponed plans for a strike authorization vote due to a division among union members. The "Los Angeles Times" reports the vote has been placed on the back burner until after the union's national board meets to discuss the issue.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008 7:26 AM

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