December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A1 A stocking hangs from the festively decorated fireplace mantel; a plate of cookies and a glass of milk are on the hearth. And a little boy, dressed in pajamas for …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A1 Jon Holden, left, and Michael Galluccio hold their 2-year-old son, Adam, at an ACLU news conference Wednesday. Photo by Associated Press

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A1 Accusing him of building hysteria with a “phantom” merger concept, North Idaho College supporters vowed Wednesday to hold state Sen. Gordon Crow’s feet to the public fire. The Hayden Republican …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A1 The times, they are a-changin’. And so are the routes. On Wednesday, the Spokane Transit Authority board of directors approved the first major revision of bus service in 16 years.

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A1 1. Championship hopes. First team All-American Nina Foster and the Florida Gators take on top-seeded Penn State tonight in the NCAA volleyball championship semifinals. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review 2. …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A1 1. Eagle-eyed. Merlin Olenslager points out an eagle to his granddaughter, Eden Olenslager, and Kelli Duncan from their vantage aboard the Spirit of Coeur d’Alene on Wednesday. Photo by Jesse …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A2 1865: The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, abolishing slavery, was declared in effect. 1892: Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite” publicly premiered in Russia.

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A2 Authorities in Russia’s Far East launched a hunt Wednesday for a man-eating tiger that has killed two people this month. The animal mauled and ate one man Dec. 3 and …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A2 Ten years ago: Ivan F. Boesky was sentenced to three years in prison for plotting Wall Street’s biggest insider trading scandal. (He served about two years of his sentence.) Five …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A2 Wednesday’s Washington Triple Choice: 2-3-2. Wednesday’s Washington Lotto: 5-21-28-31-38-47.

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A2 Centralia Square Antique Mall mural salutes synched Wobbly Wesley Everest. Photo by Associated Press

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A3 U.S. soldier Spc. Shawn O’Brien, from Woodland, Colo., fixes barbed wire at the entrance to Eagle Base near Tuzla on Tuesday as part of the preparation for President Clinton’s upcoming …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A3 The soaking wet man in a bathrobe who answered police officers’ knock on a hotel room door Wednesday wasn’t fooling anyone. Police said that moments earlier, two men had been …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A3 President Clinton presents Martha Chaffee, widow of astronaut Roger Chaffee, with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Edward White III, who received the medal for his late father, looks on. …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A3 After several days of negotiation, the FBI agreed Wednesday to share with Congress some contents of a confidential memo in which FBI Director Louis Freeh urged an independent investigation of …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A4 The Clinton administration said on Wednesday night that it would re-examine the cases of 60,000 poor children who were denied disability benefits in the last year because it had concluded …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A6 Nala, tranquilized and tied to a ladder, is lifted onto a truck on Wednesday. Photo by Associated Press

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A6 After pledging $600 million in loans and programs aimed partly at minority farmers, President Clinton told a group of them Wednesday night he would do all he could to resolve …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A7 Nicolette Larson holds her “Hat” award during the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 6, 1985. File/Associated Press

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A8 A woman clings to her daughter after they were reunited Wednesday at the A.H. Meadows Elementary School in Plano, Texas. The child was one of several who were released from …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A8 The Cuban government and its air force “murdered” four pilots for an exile group whose two unarmed civilian planes were shot down nearly two years ago, and must pay $187.6 …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A12 From the digest in The Region section, December 20, 1997: STA ROUTE CHANGES LEFT OUT OF REPORT New routes approved Wednesday by the Spokane Transit Authority board of directors include …

December 18, 1997 in Nation/World on Page A14 So this is how the world may end. Not with a bang or a whimper but in a blaze of color as hot gases from a dying sun eventually envelop …