December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A1 Mike Wallace helps clear the ice for a pickup game Monday at Go-Kart Family Fun. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A1 Rudolph, with his nose so bright, won’t need to guide Santa’s sleigh tonight: A rare Christmas Eve full moon will do the trick. The first Christmas Eve full moon since …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A1 Appointed rounds Santa and his helpers, June Smith and Malissa Bogar, get back on the tailgate of a pickup truck after making a delivery in Bovill, Idaho. Peter Harriman photo

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A1 Developers won a major victory Monday as two Spokane County commissioners voted to delay a key land-use decision until after the holidays. The delay is a blow to lame-duck Commissioner …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A1 The Republicans’ desire for a swift and neat resolution of House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s confessed ethical breach has begun to run into serious obstacles. GOP leaders are counting on quick …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A2 Monday’s Washington Triple Choice: 331. Monday’s Washington Keno: 4-7-9-10-15-16-23-28-34-35-37-39-42-55-57-62-67- 69-78-80. Monday’s Idaho Hot Lotto: 2-3-8-17-23.

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A2 Chaz Cope, with his grandparents, Jerry and LynnRae Naab. Photo by Associated Press

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A3 The Machinists union filed a $50 million lawsuit against Walt Disney Pictures on Monday claiming its movie “Ransom” tarnished the labor group’s reputation. The lawsuit accuses Disney of associating the …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A3 A popular medicine for hyperactive and distracted children causes a little-known side effect later in life: It can bar them from the military. The use of Ritalin and similar drugs …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A3 Harryman

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A3 A drug manufactured in Israel has become the third drug in three years approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, a crippling disease that often strikes young adults. The Food …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A3 Clinton administration officials knew more about covert Iranian arms shipments into Bosnia than previously believed, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday. The newspaper said hundreds of pages of classified documents …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A3 A federal judge on Monday blocked enforcement of Proposition 209 until courts rule on the constitutionality of the initiative, freezing for at least a year implementation of the voter-approved ban …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A3 Julie Stuart wears her ring Monday. Photo by Associated Press

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A3 A cross-country skier who disappeared in last weekend’s powerful Sierra Nevada storm was found dead Monday, but his 18-year-old son survived. A helicopter search team spotted Harley Augustino, who spent …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A3 Prescribing marijuana for medical purposes is against federal law, no matter what voters in Arizona and California say, and doctors who write such prescriptions may face stiff federal penalties, officials …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A3 The flight plan has been filed and official clearance given for Santa Claus’ annual Christmas Eve flight, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday. Acting in the spirit of the holiday, …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A5 A judge threw out a charge of attempted murder Monday against a woman accused of firing a pellet into the head of her fullterm fetus while it was in her …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A5 Gunfire at wedding celebrations has forced airplanes in Kuwait to change course to avoid being hit, and civil aviation officials are asking the government to outlaw the custom. The head …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A5 Freed Canadian hostages, from left, Andre Deschenes, Kieran Metcalfe and Hubert Zandstra, arrive at a news conference on Monday. Photo by Associated Press

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A5 Israeli and Palestinian officials said they made significant progress Monday toward closing a deal over the contested West Bank city of Hebron, setting the stage for a summit meeting as …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A5 The Security Council called off deployment of a multinational force to Zaire, acknowledging Monday that most of the Rwandan refugees there had already made it home on their own. Participating …

December 24, 1996 in Nation/World on Page A5 Revealing what foreign officials say is the continued power of Radovan Karadzic, a man indicted for war crimes who is supposed to have been removed from all political influence, Bosnian …