SINGER NATALIE COLE, DAUGHTER OF LATE JAZZ LEGEND NAT "KING" COLE, DIES AT AGE 65 *

CAUSE OF DEATH HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED, BUT COLE HAD BATTLED DRUG PROBLEMS AND HEPATITIS, WHICH FORCED HER TO UNDERGO KIDNEY TRANSPLANT IN MAY 2009 *

COLE'S 1991 ALBUM "UNFORGETTABLE ... WITH LOVE," WITH REWORKED VERSIONS OF HER FATHER'S SONGS AND HER HIT DUET WITH HIS RECORDED VOICE ON TITLE TRACK, SOLD SOME 14 MIL COPIES, EARNING HER SIX GRAMMYS *

AVERAGE PRICE OF GAS NATIONWIDE NOW BELOW $2 A GALLON, LOWEST NEW YEAR'S DAY PRICE SINCE 2009 *

AAA ESTIMATES ANNUAL AVG PRICE IN 2016 WILL LIKELY BE BETWEEN $2.25 AND $2.45 PER GALLON, COMPARED TO 2015 AVERAGE OF $2 *

AAA SAYS IT EXPECTS PRICES TO JUMP ABOUT 50 CENTS NEXT MONTH DURING REFINERY MAINTENANCE SEASON *

SNOWSTORM HAMMERS LEBANON, CUTTING OFF MOUNTAIN ROADS, ISOLATING VILLAGES AND WORSENING LIVING CONDITIONS FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES THERE *

STORM, WHICH STARTED ON THURS, HAS FORCED CLOSURE OF MANY ROADS, INCLUDING HIGHWAY LINKING BEIRUT WITH SYRIAN CAPITAL OF DAMASCUS *

LEBANON HOSTS MORE THAN 1.1 MIL SYRIAN REFUGEES, EQUAL TO 1/4 OF COUNTRY'S ENTIRE POPULATION *

FIREFIGHTERS IN DUBAI STILL WORKING TO DOUSE EMBERS OF FIRE THAT ENGULFED 63-STORY LUXURY HOTEL ON NEW YEAR'S EVE *

OFFICIALS SAY FIRE APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED ON 20TH FLOOR TERRACE, THOUGH WITNESSES SAY IT BEGAN ON BUILDING'S GROUND FLOOR, LOCATED NEXT TO WORLD'S TALLEST SKYSCRAPER, THE BURJ KHALIFA *

14 PEOPLE REPORTEDLY SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES, AND ONE PERSON REPORTEDLY SUFFERED HEART ATTACK DURING EVACUATIONS *

FLAMES BROKE OUT ABOUT TWO HOURS BEFORE MIDNIGHT, WHEN NEW YEAR'S EVE FIREWORKS DISPLAY BEGAN AS SCHEDULED *

MAG-4.2 EARTHQUAKE RATTLES AREA NORTH OF OKLAHOMA CITY EARLY FRI *

MAG-4.3 EARTHQUAKE WAS REPORTED EARLY TUES IN SAME AREA *

OKLAHOMA HAS BECOME ONE OF MOST EARTHQUAKE-PRONE AREAS IN THE WORLD, WITH MOST QUAKES OCCURRING IN AREAS WHERE FRACKING TAKES PLACE *

ACCORDING TO THE PUBLICATION "ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY NEWS," OKLAHOMA HAD 580 EARTHQUAKES IN 2014 THAT REGISTERED 3 OR MORE ON RICHTER SCALE *

FIGURES REPRESENT 500% INCREASE IN OKLAHOMA EARTHQUAKES OVER 2013 *

GERMAN AUTHORITIES STILL INVESTIGATING THURS TERROR ATTACK WARNING THAT FOCUSED ON SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN MUNICH, INCLUDING TWO TRAIN STATIONS *

POLICE SAY FRIENDLY FOREIGN INTEL SERVICE WARNED OF "SERIOUS, IMMINENT THREAT" BY BETWEEN FIVE TO SEVEN ISIS SUICIDE BOMBERS FROM SYRIA AND IRAQ *

WARNING CAME JUST HOURS BEFORE MIDNIGHT, FORCING EVACUATION OF TWO TRAIN STATIONS *

STATIONS ARE NOW REOPENED AND TRAINS ARE RUNNING, THOUGH TERROR WARNING IS STILL IN PLACE *

POLICE IN TEL AVIV SEARCHING FOR GUNMAN WHO OPENED FIRE AT A POPULAR BAR FRI, KILLING TWO AND WOUNDING AT LEAST THREE OTHERS BEFORE FLEEING SCENE *

POLICE STILL INVESTIGATING IF SHOOTER WAS PALESTINIAN OR IF INCIDENT MAY HAVE BEEN GANGLAND-RELATED *

ATTACK COMES AMID MORE THAN THREE MONTHS OF ALMOST DAILY PALESTINIAN ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAELI CIVILIANS AND SOLDIERS, WHICH HAVE KILLED 21, MOSTLY IN STABBINGS, SHOOTINGS AND CAR-RAMMING ATTACKS *

AT LEAST 131 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED BY ISRAELI FIRE, 90 OF THEM ID'D BY ISRAEL AS ASSAILANTS, WHILE REST HAVE BEEN KILLED IN CLASHES WITH ISRAELI SECURITY FORCES *

NEW CA GUN LAW TAKES EFFECT FRI, ALLOWING FAMILIES TO PETITION FOR GUN-RESTRAINING ORDERS *

LAW IS FIRST IN NATION TO ALLOW CITIZENS TO PETITION COURT TO TEMPORARILY SEIZE GUNS OF LAW-ABIDING FAMILY MEMBERS IF THEY FEAR DANGER TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS *

CA GOV JERRY BROWN SIGNED LAW IN SEPT 2014 AFTER ELLIOT RODGER FATALLY STABBED AND SHOT SIX PEOPLE IN ISLA VISTA, CA *

RODGER'S PARENTS SAY THAT WEEKS BEFORE SHOOTING THEY'D NOTIFIED AUTHORITIES THEIR SON HAD MENTAL PROBLEMS AND HAD PUT THREATENING VIDEOS ONLINE, BUT POLICE DECIDED HE POSED NO THREAT *

GUN RIGHTS SUPPORTERS QUESTION IF LAW ADEQUATELY PROTECTS LAW-ABIDING GUN OWNERS FROM COURT-APPROVED SEIZURE OF WEAPONS *

PRES OBAMA REPORTEDLY SET TO USE EXEC ACTION NEXT WEEK TO TIGHTEN GUN CONTROL, AFTER HE DISCUSSES PLAN WITH ATTY GEN LORETTA LYNCH THIS MON *

POLITICO REPORTS OBAMA WILL EXPAND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR SMALL-SCALE SELLERS *

MOVE WOULD RESULT IN MORE SELLERS HAVING TO CONDUCT BACKGROUND CHECKS BUT WOULDN'T COMPLETELY CLOSE SO-CALLED "GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE," WHICH ALLOWS FOR FIREARM PURCHASES AT SUCH VENUES WITHOUT A CHECK *

ADMIN IS ALSO EXPECTED TO IMPOSE TIGHTER RULES FOR REPORTING GUNS THAT GET LOST OR STOLEN ON THEIR WAY TO A BUYER, ACCORDING TO POLITICO, AND WILL TIGHTEN DEFINITION OF BEING "ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS" OF SELLING GUNS *

FORMER OHIO CONGRESSMAN MIKE OXLEY (R) DEAD AT AGE 71 *

OXLEY DIED IN HIS SLEEP IN NORTHERN VA, AFTER SUFFERING FROM NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER *

OXLEY RETIRED FROM THE HOUSE IN 2007 AFTER SPENDING 25 YRS IN CONGRESS, WHERE HE DEVOTED MOST OF HIS TIME TO ISSUES INVOLVING CORPORATE OVERSIGHT AND INSURANCE PROTECTION *

OXLEY IS WELL KNOWN FOR HELPING CREATE LANDMARK BUSINESS REGULATORY LAW IN 2002 FOLLOWING COLLAPSE OF ENRON CORP AND WORLDCOM INC *