Trending This Morning
Ready for a sunny day. Hi around 60. Rain likely tomorrow. Hi 55. Blustery and cold Friday. Hi 39. Partly sunny weekend. Hi low to mid 40s. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, mostly sunny. Highs mid 40s. Lows at night upper 20s to lower 30s.
President Obama is "actively supportive" of a Democratic move to renew a federal ban on assault weapons during the next Congress.
Gov McDonnell said yesterday it is time to discuss arming school officials after last Friday in Sandy Hook.
City of Bedford will revert back to a town on July 1. They've been a City for 44 years.
Liberty Medical in Salem lays off 200 workers.
The Rev Carl Tinsley- preacher and activist - was named Roanoke's Citizen of the Year on Monday. Tinsley is 79 and has done some wonderful things for the Star City.
Lookin' Back
5 days until Christmas. Today is National Oatmeal Muffin Day.
1776: Thomas Paine published his first ''American Crisis'' essay. He wrote, 'These are the times that try men's souls.''
1843: "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens, was first published in England.
1997: ''Titanic,'' the highest-grossing movie in history, opened in North American theaters.
Cuttin' Cake
singer Janie Fricke is 65; singer James Cecil "Little Jimmy" Dickens 92; actress Jennifer Beals 49; actress Alyssa Milano 40; actor Jake Gyllenhall 32
Joke of the Day
What do elves learn in school? A. The elf-abet.
Smarter Than Question
Someone on earth reports seeing this every three minutes. What is it? Congrats to Rhonda. She nailed it. The answer is UFO.
Entertainment Buzz
(AP Photo, NBC Tyler Golden)
The Voice crowns a winner. Nicholas finished third. That left - from Team Blake - Cassadee Pope and Terry McDermott. Drum roll please....the winner of Season 3 of The Voice is...Cassadee, Coach Blake's second winner in a row. Surprising no one.
NBC was able to keep the abduction of chief Middle East correspondent Richard Engel in Syria largely a secret until he escaped late Monday because it persuaded some of this country's most prominent news organizations to hold back on the story.
Jimmy Fallon could be on tap to replace Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show in 2014? The New York Daily News says he's the front runner to replace Jay when his contract expires.
Bruce Jenner says he is shocked a mass school shooting took place in Newtown, Conn., where he lived as a teen.
Donald Trump gained victory on the eve of Miss Universe pageant. His Miss Universe Organization won against former Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin who claimed in June that Miss USA pageant is not only rigged but also "fraudulent, lacking in morals, inconsistent and in many ways trashy." U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Theodore H. Katz, acting as an arbitrator, ruled yesterday that Monnin was making false claims that defame the organization. The judge awarded the organization $5 million in damages.
After more than 40 years on TV, popular ABC daytime dramas "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" were both canceled. However, come January 2013, soap opera fans may get to see the return of the defunct shows on the web. Prospect Park, the production company behind FX’s "Wilfred" and USA’s "Royal Pains," has secured a deal to bring the two veteran series back online.
Primetime Tonight:
The Middle (ABC) The Neighbors (ABC) Modern Family (ABC) A Special Edition of 20/20 (ABC)
A Home for the Holidays with Rascal Flatts (CBS) Criminal Minds (CBS) CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS)
The X Factor (FOX)
Miss Universe Pageant (NBC)
Holiday Specials TONIGHT.
News from Nashville
(Broken Bow Records)
"I'm dreaming of..." what kind of Christmas? Jason Aldean tells People.com, he's dreaming of a quiet Christmas. He's all about taking daughters Keeley and Kendyl to shop or to see Santa Claus with his wife Jessica at the mall.
(Fox)
Little Big Town is capping off their incredible 2012 with a performance of "Pontoon" on The X Factor tonight. **Someone is going to have to translate for Simon.
"CMA Country Christmas" Thu., Dec. 20 on ABC - catch The Band Perry, Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, Jennifer Nettles, Keith Urban, and more come together to ring in the holiday season at 9.
Congrats to Kellie Pickler, spreading holiday cheer to American Troops overseas this Christmas. She's in Afghanistan spending the holidays with our service men and women in uniform.
Shania Twain tells Vegas Magazine she's ready to do a new album.
The 2012 World Music Award nominations are in, and once again Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift top the list of country stars up for awards.
Look for Miranda Lambert to be a guest judge on "Project Runway" for season 11 on Lifetime. Other guest judges include Bette Midler, Susan Sarandon, Joan Rivers and Jordana Brewster of TNT's Dallas.
Lee Brice is ending 2012 with a bang as his latest #1 hit, "Hard to Love," picks up a platinum certification for a million paid downloads. New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica named Lee's "Hard 2 Love" album among the top-10 releases of 2012. iTunes also named "Hard 2 Love" their Top Breakthrough Country Album of the Year.
Gary Allan's upcoming album "Set You Free" will come out Jan 12. Here's the track list.
(MCA Nashville)
Gary Allan ‘Set You Free’ Track Listing:
1. ‘Tough Goodbye’
2. ‘Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)’
3. ‘Bones’
4. ‘It Ain’t the Whiskey’
5. ‘Sand in My Soul’
6. ‘You Without Me’
7. ‘One More Time’
8. ‘Hungover Heart’
9. ‘No Worries’
10. ‘Drop’
11. ‘Pieces’
12. ‘Good as New’
Lar's This & That
Jersey Sales
Washington Redskins quarterback RG3 wears number-10 -- but he's number-one. At least in jersey sales. The rookie sensation has the best selling jersey, according to NFLShop.com.
According to ESPN.com, the top six jersey spots belong to Q-Bs. Peyton Manning of the Broncos is second, followed by Aaron Rodgers of the Packers, Eli Manning of the Giants, and Tom Brady of the Patriots.
Finish Your Christmas Shopping Today...Call In Sick
In a new survey, one in seven people say they're considering FAKING A SICK DAY in the next few days to squeeze in their gift buying, or to wait for packages at home. About 20% of people surveyed say they haven't even STARTED their shopping yet. (Daily Star)
Why Holiday Stress?
Ladies, do the holidays totally stress you out? You know, shopping, people stopping by, getting the meal ready? Yep, all that can do it. Here's a Christmas tip...stop making such a big deal of it.
A third of men say women make far too much fuss about Christmas and believe they would do a much better job. **OK fellas, go ahead, tell her what you think? The family dog will love you for it.
What happened to all the Wise Men
In a new survey, 37% of parents and children said they believe that baby Jesus' first visitor was SANTA CLAUS. 2% think Jesus was born in Beirut, not Bethlehem. And 2% thought Mary and Joseph were on their FIRST DATE when she found out she was pregnant. (The Telegraph)
Why is Rudolph's Nose Red? A Scientific Study Actually Has the Answer
Scientists in Europe actually bothered to do a scientific study on why Rudolph's nose is red. They found that the average reindeer has a higher concentration of red blood cells in its nose than humans . . . and Rudolph's must've been even higher than that. Those extra cells help prevent freezing and regulate his brain temperature, which makes him the ideal candidate to pull the sleigh. (BMJ)
It's The Holiday Season
According to a new survey, half of us expect to be interrupted over our Christmas vacation by a call from work. Three in four people say that their job has added to the stress of preparing for the holidays . . . and one in four think that they'll have to miss part of Christmas by going in to work. (Daily Mail)
Nice Dinner
The definition of a "home cooked meal" is REALLY shifting. In a new survey, only 19% of parents say they cook dinner every night . . . and "cooking" isn't what you think. 27% say putting a frozen pizza in the oven counts as cooking, and 20% say microwaving a frozen dinner counts as cooking. (Daily Mail)
Here is a list of the Top 9 most depressing Christmas songs. Do you agree with these? Whatwould be at the top of your list?
The 9 Most Depressing Christmas Songs
Christmas Time Is Here
Have Yourself A MerryLittle Christmas
That Was The WorstChristmas Ever
Last Christmas
Hard Candy Christmas
Blue Christmas
The Christmas Shoes
Please Daddy (Don't Get Drunk this Christmas)
If We Make It Through December
Weird, But True News
Last week in China, a man flying to Kenya wanted to avoid overweight baggage fees. So he wore his clothes . . . ALL OF THEM. He put on 61 shirts, and nine pairs of jeans. And he might've gotten away with it too . . . if he'd remembered to take the batteries out of the pocket of his bottom pair of jeans. The metal detector went off and he had to strip all the way down.
Staying Healthy Today 
Tropicana is more than orange juice. Now, the company hopes carrots will squeeze some added profits out of juice sales. Tropicana is introducing a new drink called "Farmstand" next month. The drink will combine fruit flavors with veggies like beets, sweet potatoes and carrots. The company also experimented with cucumbers, zucchinis, tomatoes, and purple carrots. They could turn up in future flavors.
Foods that wreck your mood. Conventional holiday ham, soft drinks, and margarine to name a few. Read it here.
Good News Story 
A substitute teacher from California will inherit a fortune in gold coins discovered by a cleaning crew in the home of a reclusive cousin who quietly stashed away a treasure before he died this year.
A crew hired to clean up the man's house discovered the eye-popping stash: boxes of gold coins and bullion in the garage. More boxes were later found, and Glover said the gold coins, some neatly wrapped in foil and plastic cases, were enough to fill two wheelbarrows.
First cousin Arlene Magdanz - is the lone heir to the treasure valued at $7.4 million found in the home of Walter Samaszko Jr.. What do you say to something like that? Thanks cuz.
Lar's Thought of the Day 
Do something kind for someone today...just because. Any ideas?
