FSN REPORTERS BLOG - NEWS COVERAGE AND ANALYSIS

Happy Holidays!

Happy Christmas...or, if you are American, Merry Christmas!

Happy Kwanzaa!

And, Happy New Year!

The U.S. Senate passed health care reform, so now, there's just one story left to tell...and the techical wizards of the U.S. military have the scoop.

Has Santa Claus left the North Pole? Did all the presents fit in the sleigh? Are the 8 tiny reindeer up to the global journey?

The radar technicians at NORAD know.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Feature Story News!

Obamas to celebrate Christmas in Hawaii

Families around the world are in the thick of the holiday season, preparing for Christmas and other celebrations. America's First Family is set for their very first Christmas at a new address - 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House. The Obamas will be heading to Honolulu, Hawaii, as usual - but they've delayed their trip so the President can be in Washington when the Senate votes on a healthcare bill on Christmas Eve.

Below is a video of Michelle, Malia, and Sasha Obama reading books and answering questions about their family's holiday traditions at a children's hospital in Washington DC:

And click here to see "Christmas at the White House," the hour-long special many people have been waiting to see on ABC - talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, an old friend of the Obamas from Chicago, got a personal tour of the White House decorations, and conducted an interview with President Obama (in which he gave himself a B+ grade for his time in office) as well as a conversation with the First Couple.

"Balloon boy" parents get jail time

The parents of the so-called "balloon boy" in the US have been sentenced to jail time for organizing a hoax involving their six-year-old son.

Richard Heene was sentenced to 90 days in jail and his wife Mayumi to 20 days; the judge also ordered four years supervised probation for the couple and banned them from receiving any form of financial benefit from the case.  They've already been ordered to pay $42,000 in restitution for the emergency services' efforts to rescue their son, Falcon - who the couple said had been carried away by a homemade helium balloon. Read more about the case from the Denver Post here.

The media - including FSN! - was transfixed by the incident as it unfolded in October, with wall-to-wall coverage of the floating balloon, the rescue efforts, and the subsequent revelation that the entire episode was a hoax to promote a reality show.

Here's the interview the Heene family gave to CNN, in which Falcon himself let slip his role:

AUDIO: US / European reaction to Copenhagen failure on Radio New Zealand

FSN US correspondent Daniel Ryntjes and I joined Radio New Zealand's monday edition of Morning Report to talk about reactions to the achievements of the Copenhagen summit.

I was especially pleased to be able to be able to talk about Ed Miliband's underpants.

Listen here.

Olly Barratt - UK correspondent

PHOTOS: Palin cuts short vacation over a sun visor...

Sarah Palin has cut short a family vacation in Hawaii because of the ruckus raised by her fashion faux-pas on the beach. She was photographed by TMZ wearing a John McCain sun visor - with the name of her former running mate blacked out. Click here to see the pictures. In case you can't decipher the message printed on her t-shirt, the front says "If you don't love America..." followed by "then why don't you get the hell out?" on the back.

For a failed vice-presidential candidate, a governor who quit before her term was up, who's not sure she wants to run for national office, Palin is certainly fighting to stay in the spotlight...

Kate Moody, Washington DC

Future of the Republican party

Today, I'm following two key Republicans around as they give speeches.

First, I'll hear Dick Armey, the former Texas Congressman, at the National Press Club on the future of the Republican Party. Then its off to the Heritage Foundation for Senator John McCain on Afghanistan.

Since the Republicans crushing defeat last year in the national elections, the recurring question is which direction will the party take. The Washington Post examined how the GOP is doing in one state, California.

Dick Armey  is currently working with Freedom Works, the group best known for supporting the "tea party patriots." Senator McCain may have lost his race to be the president, but he is still seen as the man who leads the opposition on the issue of war.

--Priscilla Huff, Washington bureau

AUDIO: US calls on Iran to release detained hikers

Iran has announced that the three American hikers who have been detained there since July will stand trial. Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki did not specify what charges Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd, and Josh Fattal will face, though they've been accused of illegal entry, and Iranian officials have previously alleged that they were spying.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has repeated her calls for Iran to release the three US citizens, describing the espionage charges against them as "unfounded." She would not comment on a recent report by the Times of London that secret documents show Iran is testing a trigger for a nuclear bomb...but she said she was disappointed that Tehran has not responded to the Obama administration's nearly year-long effort to engage. Click here to listen to her comments, which include the possibility of further international sanctions.

Kate Moody, Washington DC

VIDEO: Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi struck in face at rally

Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been struck in the face by a protester at a rally in Milan. He reportedly suffered two broken teeth, a minor nose fracture, and cuts to his lip. He was whisked away to a hospital for tests, where he's expected to stay overnight as doctors monitor his recovery. Check out the video below:

Police have apparently arrested an Italian man with a history of mental problems but no past criminal record.

Tiger Woods takes a break from golf, loses sponsors

Tiger Woods has announced plans to take an indefinite break from professional golf, acknowledging the "disappointment and hurt that [his] infidelity has caused to so many people." Click here to read the full statement on his website.

This weekend, Gillette became the first major sponsor to officially distance itself from the golf star, saying it would "limit" Woods' role in its marketing while he takes time off. Accenture has also announced it will end its six-year sponsorship, saying Woods is "no longer the right representative for its advertising."

And the satire show Saturday Night Live targeted the golfer in a segment this week, discussing the media's coverage of his extra-marital affairs. Watch it below.

Kate Moody, Washington DC

Elderly Americans Learn How to Whack Attackers

Thousands of elderly Americans are learning a form of self-defense that uses a tool many of them already carry - a walking cane. 

According to some martial arts instructors, Cane Fu is growing in popularity among retirees. Steve Mort reports from Florida.

Steve Mort - US correspondent.