Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Thursday:
1. WHERE A SNOWBLOWER WOULD HAVE BEEN A USEFUL CHRISTMAS GIFT
Parts of the northern U.S. are still digging out from heavy snowfall since Christmas, and many others are facing freezing temperatures for the rest of the week.
2. HOW CHINA PUNISHES EVEN MILD CRITICISM OF CRACKDOWN ON UIGHUR MINORITY
The wife of a member of China’s Han ethnic minority says he was sentenced to 20 years in prison after making social media posts that questioned the government’s treatment of the Muslim Uighurs.
3. AUTHORITIES DESCRIBE SLAYING OF FOUR INSIDE NEW YORK HOME AS ESPECIALLY SAVAGE
Police in Troy say the victims were a mother and her two young children and the woman’s partner.
4. WHY SOME HOMEOWNERS ARE EAGER TO PAY THEIR TAXES
People who own homes in high-tax states and municipalities are hoping to pay their 2018 property taxes now, before a new $10,000 limit on deductions for state and local taxes goes into effect.
5. TEENS CHARGED WITH MURDER IN DEATH OF MAN STRUCK BY SANDBAG
The boys, ranging in age between 13 and 15, are accused of throwing the sandbag from an overpass in Ohio, where it struck a car and fatally injured a passenger.
6. SURVIVOR OF 1942 BATAAN DEATH MARCH DIES
Ramon Regalado was also one of thousands of Filipino soldiers who served with U.S. troops in World War II, and he spent much of his life educating people about their service.
7. FBI WON’T TAKE OVER PROBE OF BALTIMORE DETECTIVE’S FATAL SHOOTING ONE DAY BEFORE GRAND JURY TESTIMONY
The FBI said they had no evidence to suggest the officer’s death was connected to the federal corruption investigation.
8. THOUSANDS OF POLICE OFFICERS CALL IN SICK IN PUERTO RICO
The officers are demanding millions of dollars in overtime pay earned during hurricane recovery efforts, which local authorities say they can’t pay without federal reimbursements.
9. NOT-SO-MAGIC KINGDOM AFTER POWER OUTAGE
A late-morning power failure at Disneyland temporarily stranded some guests on rides.
10. HOUSTON ASTROS’ JOSE ALTUVE NAMED AP MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
The second baseman led the team to their first World Series title, bringing hope to a city ravaged by Hurricane Harvey.