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The image of the rural bed and breakfast with claustrophobic rooms, spartan amenities and prying innkeepers has long been a source of laughs for comedians and sitcoms. But B&Bs are fighting back. Now, many country inns are trying to dispel old stereotypes to appeal to new travelers.

Boyd Applegate has been dressing up as Santa Claus for more than 20 years. It's a pastime he unintentionally discovered while on the job as a big-rig truck driver. Every year, he makes under-the-tree gift deliveries designed for children to wake up and catch him in the middle of the night.

Big insurance companies are opening their own doctors' offices and clinics — a strategy that has previously met with mixed results.

A massive analysis of some 350,000 students in 53 countries has uncovered a paradox: Students in many countries that are mediocre at science have an inflated sense of good they are.

Look at Patrick Kruger's house and you see the bottom of his tree through a window, and the top pushing through a damaged roof. Kruger was actually having a little fun. He broke his 14-foot tree in two and used building materials to create the illusion.

Authorities in Denham Springs, La., threatened Sarah Childs with arrest because her holiday lights were arranged in a particular shape. A judge sided with her, issuing a temporary order allowing her to light up the night with the shape of an extended middle finger.

One week ago, 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Also today: The National Rifle Association holds a news conference; President Obama says hundreds of thousands have signed petition seeking "serious steps" to end gun violence. and the first lady writes to Newtown.

Over the years, the National Rifle Association has become synonymous with protection of gun owners' rights. But other groups have taken an even stronger line in defense of Second Amendment protections. On Friday, the NRA echoed some of those groups, calling for "qualified armed security" in all schools.

With the collapse of House Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B," there's renewed talk about the likelihood that the end-of-year tax hikes and automatic spending cuts will not be avoided. A dive off the so-called fiscal cliff could hit the economy hard. But it also could force compromise in the new year.

Connecticut officials and residents and others across the nation on Friday observed a moment of silence and the ringing of bells to remember the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown.