Penn State Loses Bowl Game, Capping Year Of Abuse Scandal

- Penn State's team lost the TicketCity Bowl to the University of Houston on Monday, capping a terrible year for the celebrated college football program after a former coach was charged with serial sex abuse of boys.

Two Navy Pilots Among Those Killed In Murder-suicide

CORONADO, Calif - Two Navy pilots were among four people killed in an apparent New Years Day murder-suicide on the wealthy island of Coronado off the coast of San Diego, officials said on Monday.

Blackbird Killings In Arkansas Believed Intentional

- Someone intentionally set off fireworks under a blackbird roost in Beebe, Arkansas on New Year's Eve, killing about 200 birds on the first anniversary of the similar death of 5,000 of the birds, authorities said on Monday.

Man Arrested With Explosives At Airport Was Army Expert

SAN ANTONIO - A man arrested on New Years Eve at a Texas airport with explosives is an Army-trained demolitions expert and member of the elite Green Berets who served in Afghanistan and is stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, military officials said on Monday.

Prisoner Escapes From San Diego Area Jail In Fire Truck

SAN DIEGO - A convicted car thief who was assigned to a San Diego area state prison's fire fighting detail escaped in one of the prison's yellow fire trucks, prison officials said on Monday.

Murder Charges Against Doctors Test Maryland Abortion Law

BALTIMORE - A murder case against two doctors who allegedly completed late-term abortions in Maryland after starting them in New Jersey could be the first to test a state law tied to the "viability" of an unborn fetus.

Winter's First Great Lakes Effect Snowstorm Hits

- Frigid air blasting over the Great Lakes blew in the season's first major lake effect snowstorm on Monday, blocking visibility and causing massive pileups on icy roads from Michigan to Kentucky.

Anti-Wall Street Protesters Make A Show At Rose Parade

PASADENA, Calif - Hundreds of anti-Wall Street protesters sought to upstage the 123rd Tournament of Roses parade on Monday but were largely confined to the sidelines.

German Man Arrested In Rash Of Los Angeles Fires

LOS ANGELES - Police arrested a Hollywood man believed to be a German citizen on Monday in connection with a wave of 53 arson fires across Los Angeles that terrorized neighborhoods over the holiday weekend.

Mount Rainier Body Confirmed As Suspected Gunman

SEATTLE - A body found face down in the snow at Mount Rainier National Park is that of an Iraq war veteran suspected of killing a park ranger, then fleeing into the wilderness, authorities said on Monday.

Mount Rainier National Park Ranger Killed, Gunman Loose

SEATTLE - A heavily armed gunman shot and killed a ranger in Mount Rainier National Park on Sunday after fleeing a traffic stop, and authorities closed the park in Washington state as a manhunt got underway, officials said.

Wisconsin Man, 82, Calls 60th Polar Bear Plunge His Last

MILWAUKEE - An 82-year-old Wisconsin man made his 60th straight New Year's Day polar bear plunge into the icy waters of Lake Michigan on Sunday, but said it would be his last.

Arson Damages Historic Illinois Clock Factory, Teens Held

CHICAGO - An arson fire set on New Year's Eve badly damaged an historic former clock factory in Illinois, and two teenagers were arrested and accused of setting the more than 100-year-old building alight, officials said on Sunday.

Throngs Of Times Square Revelers Ring In 2012

NEW YORK - Throngs of revelers in and around New York's Times Square gave a boisterous welcome to 2012 on Sunday amid tight security, sending off a year marked by the grim 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the city.

Stolen Monkey Returned To San Francisco Zoo

- A monkey stolen from the San Francisco Zoo has been returned in good health after a man found it in a nearby park and coaxed it into a backpack, police said.

Oakland Raiders Fan Falls From Bleachers After Game

OAKLAND, Calif - A football fan fell from bleachers at an Oakland Raiders game on Sunday as he tried to attract the attention of players leaving the field after a game against the San Diego Chargers, the team said.

Ohio Suspends Well Operations After Series Of Small Quakes

CLEVELAND - Ohio has suspended operations at five deep-well hazardous fluid disposal sites after a series of 11 earthquakes in Youngstown last year including one on Saturday with a magnitude of 4.0, officials said on Sunday.

In New Year, Nation Sees Winter Weather At Last

CHICAGO - The new year is bringing the return of a phenomenon that has been mostly absent across the nation through December -- winter.

New York Police Arrest Dozens Of Anti-Wall Street Protesters

- New York police arrested 68 people overnight after anti-Wall Street protesters streamed back into Manhattan's Zuccotti Park and toppled security barricades on New Year's Eve, police said on Sunday.

Police Want To Question Man In Los Angeles Arson Attacks

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles police released video on Sunday of a man they would like to question as they investigate an unusual spate of arson attacks that torched dozens of cars in the days leading up to the new year.