Facing a revolt by the rank and file, House Republicans scuttle plans to vote on the so-called Plan B, a proposal to avoid the "fiscal cliff." Many plan a moment of silence at 9:30 a.m. Friday, and buildings in Connecticut with bells have been asked to ring them 26 times. Whiteout conditions in the Midwest are closing interstate highways and canceling flights of holiday travelers. A doctor who volunteers in Syria says: "You are talking about a public health crisis on a grand scale." Users would pay $1 to send messages to the inboxes of non-friends under a service the social network is testing. The nation is getting older - even as women are waiting longer to have children, if at all. The Mayans' appointed time comes and goes across much of the world, with no sign of the apocalypse. Suzy Favor Hamilton says she worked as an escort because of depression and a troubled marriage. The creators of a viral video purporting to show an eagle swooping down and snatching a toddler from a Montreal park admit the footage was faked. The impasse with the players union has caused more than half the season to be lost - and the rest is now in danger.