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Teachers, film producers and restaurant owners — among many other groups — face higher tax bills in 2014. More than 50 temporary tax breaks are expiring at midnight on New Year's Eve, but many of them are likely to be restored when Congress returns.

Federal safety investigators are in eastern North Dakota at the site of a train wreck. The train was carrying crude oil and apparently crashed into a soybean shipment that had derailed, triggering a series of blasts that engulfed nearly two dozen cars in flames. Residents of nearby Casselton, N.D., evacuated overnight, and the town's mayor is now calling for changes to how crude oil is transported across the country.

There are reports of heavy fighting around the South Sudanese city of Bor, north of the capital Juba. Rebel forces and a feared tribal militia are said to be advancing on the city, and are already in control of territory around the sprawling U.N. base where thousands of displaced people have taken refuge. Meanwhile, East African leaders are pushing for a cease-fire and peace talks.

In 2012, "massive open online courses" were lauded as the most important trend in higher education. But this year, educators and even students rebelled against the rapid expansion of online learning. Two of the biggest MOOCs say they're making big changes in how they deliver their classes in 2014.

Utah officials say of same-sex marriages that are now taking place in their state, "each one is an affront." Justice Sonia Sotomayor has asked for a response to their request for a stay by Friday.

When physicist Flavio Noca first saw penguins zooming around underwater, he was blown away by their speed and maneuverability. Now, his team has built a robotic arm that perfectly mimics the flippers in action — and he says the device could someday propel underwater craft.

Congress has tried to boost premiums on the cheap, subsidized insurance FEMA offers. But property owners in flood zones protested the rate hikes, and legislators backed off in 2013, calling for "further study." Meanwhile, a string of bad storms has left the program $24 billion in debt — so far.

A lot of sports fans will be glued to their televisions this New Year's Day. There are a number of big college football bowl games on Wednesday, including the 100th Rose Bowl.

Barbara Bush, 88, is in a hospital in Houston with a respiratory-related issue, according to her husband's office.

Hangover Heaven is offering much needed relief to midnight revelers in Las Vegas with house calls and a walk-in clinic. The package called Redemption will cost $99.