Walters: Oklahoma can silence Big 12 critics with win

Walters: Oklahoma has an opportunity to validate every verbal bouquet tossed the Big 12's direction this season. The Sooners, losers themselves of four consecutive BCS bowls and no strangers to the "Over-rated!" chant, take on a Florida squad that is as fast and deep as anyone in the nation. And that might as well be playing a home game.

Private funeral set for Jett Travolta in Florida

John Travolta and his family were expected to host a private memorial service Thursday for their son, 16-year-old Jett Travolta, at their home in a central Florida gated community.

Thousands told to flee Wash. floods

Floods and avalanches kept tens of thousands of people in Washington state from their homes Thursday and cut off highways that link Seattle's ports with markets around the country.

Dismal December sales add to retailer woes

Major retailers Thursday reported dismal sales for December, confirming fears that the holiday season was the weakest in four decades.

Deep freeze disrupts hardy Alaskans

Ted Johnson planned on using a set of logs to a build a cabin in Alaska's interior. Instead he'll burn some of them to stay warm.

African men jailed for 8 years over gay sex
Nine men, including a prominent activist, have been convicted of homosexual acts and sentenced to eight years in prison, their lawyer and a gay rights group said Thursday.

Racism: What we say doesn't match what we do
Think you wouldn't tolerate a racist act? Think again, says a surprising experiment that exposed some college students to one and found indifference at best.

Gotti neighbor allegedly dissolved in acid

It's been one of the last mysteries from John Gotti's gangland career: What happened to the neighbor who accidentally ran over and killed the mobster's 12-year-old son — and then vanished?