It's been a warm January, but warmest?

How soon we forget.

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62 below: Deep freeze grips much of Alaska

Even if it has been warmer than usual in much of the United States, there's no denying Alaska is seeing a real winter, even by its standards. Anchorage is shivering through one of its coldest January's on record, while in Fairbanks, folks preparing for a sled dog race were b …

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US, Taliban talks on prisoner swap falter

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Talks between the Afghan Taliban and the United States in Qatar almost failed as the Taliban leadership reportedly refused to accept the U.S.

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Gingrich labels Romney a 'liberal'

LADY LAKE, Florida– As the race in Florida draws to a close, Newt Gingrich is trying to draw a much sharper contrast between himself and his “liberal” GOP rival Mitt Romney.  “I am, in fact, the legitimate heir of the Reagan movement, not some libera …

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Avalanche kills snowboarder in half-mile slide

A 24-year-old snowboarder has died after becoming trapped in an avalanche in a steep Utah backcountry area that the public was warned to avoid after potent snowstorms. The death marks the ninth avalanche fatality in the West this season, and experts say the risk of additional sli …

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US sued over Navy sonar tests in whale waters

Environmental groups sued the Obama administration on Thursday for granting the Navy permits to test underwater sonar along the West Coast -- and potentially harass up to 650,000 porpoises, seals, dolphins and whales over a five-year period. The alliance said it wasn't  …

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Forests for all? New federal rule aims to please

It's no easy task figuring out how to balance forest and wildlife protection with logging, drilling and offroading on the nation's 155 national forests, but the Obama administration on Thursday unveiled a rule it says will do just that.

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Woman, 71, survives driving SUV into flooded road

Don't call Dorothy Hoenig lucky.

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Smuggling bust: 1,495 live turtles found in 2 suitcases

Arrests of would-be smugglers packing suitcases with wildlife are hardly uncommon, but what happened Wednesday in Indonesia set a new bar: 1,495 live pig-nosed turtles were seized at an airport - crammed into two suitcases. "The authorities involved in intercepting this shi …

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New climate controversy? US map shows warmer planting conditions

A federal "plant hardiness" map used by millions of gardeners was updated Wednesday for the first time in two decades, revealing many areas where the coldest day of the year isn't as cold anymore. "Compared to the 1990 version, zone boundaries in this edition of the map have shi …

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American writer still being held in Somalia; US rescue for him?

Lost in the coverage of the Navy SEAL rescue mission in Somalia is the fact that another American was kidnapped there four days ago and is being held for ransom. It’s also not clear if President Obama’s vow on Tuesday to protect U.S.

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US: American's weak health led to Somali rescue

WASHINGTON -- As two aid workers freed by a Navy SEAL team flew out of Somalia to be reunited with family, details emerged Wednesday about the rescue operation that the Pentagon says left nine captors dead. Vice President Joe Biden told NBC's "TODAY" show that the U.S.

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Forecast: North set for colder months, South warmer

The northern half of the U.S.

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Ala. twister damage rises to 550 homes, businesses hit

Residents in towns just outside Birmingham, Ala., on Tuesday were sifting through the debris from 500 homes and 50 businesses either destroyed or damaged by storms that spawned three twisters early Monday.

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Dramatic rescue after ice gives way on pond

A 3-year-old boy and his parents are lucky to be alive after falling through thin ice on a pond in Arlington, Mass. Soon after venturing onto the ice Sunday evening, cracks appeared and the family fell in.

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Search for 4 Rainier hikers 'to scale down'

The search for four climbers and campers missing for more than a week in Washington's Mount Rainier National Park was scaled back Tuesday after three aircraft and ground teams found no sign of them Monday despite excellent search conditions, the National Park Service said. N …

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Abortion opponents march on Roe v. Wade anniversary

WASHINGTON -- Tens of thousands of abortion opponents marched to the U.S. Supreme Court in chilly, soggy weather on Monday to mark the 39th anniversary of Roe v.

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Democrat's cat beaten to death, 'liberal' scrawled across it

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.

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Gay marriage backers get majority in Washington state Legislature

A Washington state senator on Monday joined those lawmakers who support gay marriage, ensuring enough votes to pass a bill out of the state Senate. "I have very strong Christian beliefs, and personally I have always said when I accepted the Lord, I became more tolerant of others …

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Disney OKs staff beards, goatees -- to a point

Ending a rule that dates back to their founding in 1955, Disney theme parks will allow employees to wear goatees or beards as long as they "create an overall neat, polished and professional look," the company announced Monday in a memo to staff. The upda …

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Ex-CIA agent charged with leaking info on Gitmo case

A former CIA officer who participated in the capture and interrogation of alleged terrorist Abu Zubaydah was charged Monday with disclosing classified information to journalists, the Justice Department announced. In a statement, the department said John Kiriakou, 47, re …

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Scenic sea plane trip turns into rescue

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2 more billion-dollar disasters added to 'extreme' 2011

Last year's status as "extreme" in terms of weather was elevated further on Thursday, when government scientists announced that two more disasters topped the $1 billion mark and noted that, had it not been for La Nina's cooling effect, 2011 would have been much warmer. …

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Rescuers ascend Rainier in search for 4 missing hikers

Ten rescuers were making their way up Mount Rainier on Thursday, braving stormy conditions to search for four overdue campers and climbers. The team plans to search the intended route of the two parties by trekking from the Paradise Visitor Center to the Muir Snowfield and  …

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200,000 lose power in Seattle ice storm; flights disrupted

SEATTLE -- A day after a major Pacific storm covered Washington state in snow, the Seattle area on Thursday dealt with a new menace: an ice storm that shut down the airport and toppled trees -- cutting power to some 200,000 homes and businesses, cutting off roads  …

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