Gut feeling: North Dakota farmer forecasts the winter by examining pig spleens

Bridge 12/24

Johnny Carson said, "Mail your packages early so the post office can lose them in time for Christmas."

Both Dems and Republicans set records as they raise money for 11 governors' races in 2008

Astrograph 12/24

In the year ahead, your social scope of interests could be expanded considerably. New activities, sports, hobbies and people are likely to occupy your leisure hours, but they will also influence your choices in life. Make good ones.

Ask Dr. Gott 12/24

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 69-year-old female, 5 feet 7 inches tall and 160 pounds. I exercise regularly, take vitamins, am on Femara as a follow-up for breast cancer, and clonidine and Arthrotec. At my last check up, about a month ago, my blood pressure was 117/73, cholesterol was 202 and thyroid was OK.

Dear Abby 12/24

DEAR ABBY: My husband had a stroke the morning of New Year's Eve last year. He died on New Year's Day. This year has been hard for me. With the help of my strong faith and my family, I have been coping.

Just in time for Christmas, weather eases in upper Midwest as death toll climbs to 22

MILWAUKEE - Sunny conditions on Monday helped road crews deal with the remnants of a blustery snowstorm that blacked out thousands of homes and businesses and was blamed for at least 22 traffic deaths in the upper Midwest.

Airlines, service providers say they've learned from Boeing's in-flight Net failure

NEW YORK -Airlines and service providers seeking to deliver high-speed Internet services to passengers say they've learned from Boeing Co.'s 2006 decision to pull the plug on its ambitions to outfit its planes with a similar service.

Nearly 5 months after Utah mine collapse, the fate of the mine and the men is unclear

12-story building collapses in Egypt's Alexandria, at least 3 killed

CAIRO, Egypt - A 12-story building collapsed Monday in Egypt's Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, killing at least three people, according to rescuers and the state-run news agency MENA.

Analysis: White House, Congress, Fed are scrambling to deal with mortgage crisis

WASHINGTON - After a slow and stumbling start, official Washington is scrambling to try to prevent the unfolding mortgage crisis from pushing the country into recession during an election year. There is a strong feeling, though, that the government will need to do more to avert a financial disaster.

Pianist, jazz great Oscar Peterson dies at 82

TORONTO (AP) _ Oscar Peterson, whose speedy fingers, propulsive swing and melodic inventiveness made him one of the world's best known and influential jazz pianists, has died. He was 82.

Israeli military prosecutors uphold use of cluster bombs during last year's war in Lebanon

JERUSALEM - The Israeli army on Monday said it will not press charges against officers who ordered the use of cluster bombs during last year's war in Lebanon, brushing off international criticism that the weapons unnecessarily put Lebanese civilians at risk.

Iraqi officials say that Iran wants to hold ambassadorial-level talks with U.S. over Iraq

BAGHDAD -Iran wants to renew high-level talks with U.S. officials on security in Iraq, insisting that discussions take place between ambassadors and not lower-level functionaries, Iraqi officials said Monday.

FCC chief defends changes in media ownership rules while others warn of wave of mergers

Our View

Michael and Kathy Lee Gatto's son was killed in a violent and tragic incident at Rude Rudy's bar in Statesboro last August. Now they hope a law they are proposing would create more responsible ownership in all businesses that serve alcohol in Georgia.

A life of commitment

Chip had an excellent sermon this past Sunday and gave me a jump-start on 2015. An excellent sermon is when I don't drift off somewhere during the delivery, don't try to re-write it like I think it should be and put the good stuff in the back of my mind so I can rethink it later on. The title was a humdinger, "What did God do with the gold?" The content was about commitment. I also agree that I really need to know what He did with the money - even though He can do whatever He chooses - because ...

French police detain 9 in massive hunt for 2 suspects

PARIS - Police SWAT teams backed by helicopters tracked two heavily armed brothers with al-Qaida sympathies suspected in the newsroom massacre of a satirical French weekly that spoofed Islam, honing in Thursday on a region north of Paris as the nation mourned the dozen slain.

Hawks for sale

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Hawks are on the market.

Atlanta Braves acquire Sanchez from Angels

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Braves have acquired 17-year-old left-hander Ricardo Sanchez from the Los Angeles Angels for third baseman Kyle Kubitza and right-hander Nate Hyatt.

LCMS, WJMS face off at Statesboro High

While the Statesboro High basketball team travels to Glynn Academy tonight, future members will be on display at the Devil's Den as Langston Chapel Middle School and William James Middle School square off.

Oregon Ducks selling their own 'Flutie Effect'

EUGENE, Ore. - In the days leading up to the Rose Bowl, Oregon sent customized football jerseys to some of its famous fans, including guitarist Tommy Thayer of Kiss, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and retired boxer Lennox Lewis.

Wintry weather around US brings fatalities, school closings

Dangerously cold air has sent temperatures plummeting into the single digits around the U.S., with wind chills driving them even lower. Throw in the snow some areas are getting and you've got a bone chilling mix that may also be super messy.

Georgia Southern President Brooks Keel named among 100 ‘Most Influential’ Georgians

Georgia Southern University President Brooks A. Keel, Ph.D., has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians of 2015 by Georgia Trend magazine; a list the magazine says reflects the realities of leadership, power and influence in Georgia.

Georgia Southern professor published in prestigious British medical journal

Isaac Chun Hai Fung, Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology in the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University has been published in The Lancet, a prestigious British medical journal, for his 250-word collaborative correspondence titled "Ebola and the Social Media."

This is your brain online

For Cosette Rae, the end of her marriage was death by a thousand clicks.

Workers face increased burden on health costs

Health care costs are increasingly squeezing American workers, especially those in Georgia and the South, a new report released Thursday finds.

Persecution of Christians reached historic levels in 2014. Will 2015 be worse?

From imprisonment to torture to beheadings, more Christians worldwide live in fear for their lives than at any time in the modern era.

Emory Healthcare chief jumps to Michigan system

In a move that caught industry experts by surprise, the president and CEO of Emory Healthcare announced Wednesday that he is leaving those jobs for the same positions with a Detroit-based health system.

Product claims to start car that runs out of gas

No motorist wants to get stuck on the side of the road because he or she ran out of gas. A new product called Magic Tank might prevent that.