New Year's Eve party set to raise funds for Napa family

In addition to its lush vineyards, premium wines and five-star restaurants, Napa Valley also can boast about its people such as wine ambassador Robert Mondavi, world-renowned French Laundry chef Thomas Keller and four-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Joe Montana.

Napa has the perfect stocking-stuffer for that certain someone who might enjoy cuddling up with a 3-inch-thick environmental analysis of the largest development in city history.

WASHINGTON-- Facing angry criticism and challenges to his authority in Congress, President Bush on Saturday unapologetically defended his administration's right to conduct secret post-Sept. 11 spying in the United States as "critical to saving American lives."

When Allan Christensen first heard that all 200 cases of his 2004 vintage had burned in the mid-October Wine Central warehouse blaze, his immediate reaction was: "At least we have insurance."

Editor’s note: When the holidays come around, many of us go out of our way to help others in need. But some dedicated Napa County residents go to extraordinary lengths to help others year-round. This series of articles tells some of their stories.

A crash involving four vehicles on Hwy. 29 in American Canyon sent a mother and daughter to the hospital and snarled traffic for a few hours late Friday night according to Sgt. Mike Hunter with the American Canyon Police Department.

WASHINGTON -- In an isolation ward of a Baltimore hospital, up to 30 volunteers will participate in a bold experiment: A vaccine made with a live version of the most notorious bird flu will be sprayed into their noses.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's AIDS charity paid nearly a half-million dollars in consulting fees to members of his political inner circle, according to tax returns providing the first financial accounting of the presidential hopeful's nonprofit.

CHICAGO (AP) -- The first time Mary McCray's granddaughters saw snow, it was Christmas in New Orleans last year. Few of the flakes stuck but, to them, it was a miracle.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Jack Anderson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning muckraking columnist who struck fear into the hearts of corrupt or secretive politicians, inspiring Nixon operatives to plot his murder, died Saturday. He was 83.

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The Copley News Service announced it was suspending syndicated columnist Doug Bandow while investigating his acceptance of payments from Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff to write positive stories about Abramoff's clients.

HONG KONG (AP) -- Protesters opposed to lowering trade barriers swung bamboo sticks at police Saturday and tried to storm a convention center where World Trade Organization delegates were negotiating a global accord on farming, manufacturing and services. At least 70 people were injured.