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Recreation and leisure

Ill. man, sons die in freezing rain on Mo. trail
On a weekend trip that was a surprise anniversary gift for his wife, an outdoors-loving Air Force veteran ventured out with two of his sons for a hike ...
Hog-nosed skunk causes stir at Grand Canyon
Desert bighorn sheep, river otters and mountain lions, yes. But a hog-nosed skunk at the Grand Canyon? Hardly. The striped creatures are usually found ...
Millions of Hindus bathe in Ganges to cleanse sins
Millions of devout Hindus led by naked ascetics with ash smeared on their bodies plunged into the frigid waters of India's holy Ganges River on Monday ...
Questions and answers about upcoming inauguration
With his wife and two daughters at his side, President Barack Obama will raise his right hand and place his left on two stacked Bibles as he takes the ...
A disconnect between violence and television
If there's any soul-searching among top television executives about onscreen violence contributing to real-life tragedies like the Connecticut school ...
Vatican surprised by bank's credit card block
A senior Vatican official says he is "truly surprised" that the Bank of Italy ordered credit card payments suspended in the tiny city-state and ...
Fla. 'python challenge' draws about 800 hunters
An armed mob set out into the Florida Everglades on Saturday to flush out a scaly invader. It sounds like the second act of a sci-fi horror flick but, ...
Obama's 2nd inauguration smaller, yet still grand
President Barack Obama's second inauguration is shaping up as a high-energy celebration smaller than his first milestone swearing-in, yet still ...
Pakistani Shiites refuse to bury 50 bomb victims
About 3,500 Pakistani Shiites protested in southwestern Pakistan for a second day on Saturday, blocking a main road with dozens of coffins of ...
In gun debate, video game industry defends itself
The video game industry, blamed by some for fostering a culture of violence, defended its practices Friday at a White House meeting exploring how to ...
Man mauled by tiger at NYC zoo pleads not guilty
A man who jumped into a tiger den at the Bronx Zoo and was mauled by a 400-pound animal told police, "Everyone makes choices," a court complaint says.
Pakistani Shiites protest after attack kills 86
Shiite Muslims hit by a twin bombing that killed 86 people refused to bury their dead Friday, demanding the Pakistani government do more to protect ...
Pakistani Shiites protest after bombings kill 120
Shiites in a southwestern Pakistani city hit by a brutal terror attack refused to bury their dead Friday in protest, demanding that the government do ...
Beloved vintage cars star in 'Gangster Squad'
To bring the story of mobster Mickey Cohen's reign over post-war Los Angeles to life, the director of "Gangster Squad" employed Sean Penn, Josh ...
Mysticism, modernity abound in Benin Voodoo fest
The deified residents of the Temple of Pythons, when released to find food, sometimes slither across the road into a Catholic church that once hosted ...
Getty museum to return ancient artifact to Sicily
The J. Paul Getty Museum said Thursday it plans to return to Sicily a terra-cotta head depicting the Greek god Hades after determining it was ...
Bombings kill 115 people in Pakistan
A series of bombings killed 115 people across Pakistan on Thursday, including 81 who died in twin blasts on a bustling billiards hall in a Shiite area ...
Biden, NRA clash over new gun control proposals
Despite fresh opposition from the National Rifle Association, the Obama administration is assembling proposals to curb gun violence that would include ...
Large pet reptile found guarding Calif. pot stash
Authorities in Northern California made a snappy discovery during a routine probation check: An alligator-like reptile named "Mr. Teeth," who was ...
December video game retail sales drop 22 percent
U.S. retail sales of video games and gaming systems fell 22 percent in December, capping a year of declining sales for the industry. Research firm NPD ...
Hall of Famers happy to see Bonds, Clemens denied
Nobody was happier about the Hall of Fame shutout than the Hall of Famers themselves. Goose Gossage, Al Kaline, Dennis Eckersley and others are in no ...
Ohio theme parks CEO: Staycations are fun
The chief executive of one of the country's largest amusement park companies said since the economic downturn has people staying closer to home, ...
Steroids fallout: No BB Hall for Bonds, Clemens
No one was elected to the Hall of Fame this year. When voters closed the doors to Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa, they also shut out ...
Reward offered for jewel box taken from museum
The Oakland Museum of California offered a $12,000 reward Wednesday for the safe recovery of a stolen gold-encrusted jewel box — the latest in a ...
Zorb ride in Russian mountains proves deadly
It was supposed to be a thrilling ride down a ski slope inside a giant inflatable ball that is to be one of the symbols of next year's Winter ...