LITTLE ROCK — Sarah Childs, a Denham Springs, La., woman who is in a dispute with some of her neighbors, can hang Christmas lights on her house that are in the shape of an extended middle finger, ruled U.S. District Judge James Brady as he issued an order temporarily barring city officials from interfering with the display and scheduled a Jan. 7 hearing on the matter.
Nelson Mandela, 94, was in serious condition but has steadily improved over the past few days after being diagnosed with a lung infection and undergoing gallstone surgery, said South African President Jacob Zuma.
Tim Tompkins, president of New York City’s Times Square Alliance, said officials have gathered good-luck charms, including a four-leaf clover, gold coins and a Buddha statue, to accompany the numeral 13 that will light up when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, adding that officials just wanted to assuage the fears of any superstitious revelers who believe the number 13 is unlucky.
Cory Booker, 43, mayor of Newark, N.J., said on Twitter that he has ruled out a bid for governor next year but is considering running for the U.S. Senate in 2014, a scenario that could put him in a Democratic primary race against Sen. Frank Lautenberg, 88.
Emilie “Bunny” Cook, 25, has been arrested in New Orleans and charged with the trafficking of children for sex purposes over allegations that she was teaching a 16-year-old runaway from Jackson, Miss., how to be a Bourbon Street prostitute.
Jim McGrath, a spokesman for George H.W. Bush, said the former president’s month-long stay in a Houston hospital for treatment of a bronchitis-related cough appears to be nearing an end and the 88-year-old might be released over the weekend.
Damon Torres, 34, a North Bergen, N.J., man dressed as a Super Mario character, has been arrested in New York City and charged with forcible touching over allegations that he blocked a 58-year-old woman’s path in Times Square and grabbed her thigh before walking away.
Front Section, Pages 1 on 12/21/2012