Pope formally strips Vatican secretariat of state of assets
By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has formally stripped the Vatican secretariat of state of its financial assets and real estate holdings following its bungled management of hundreds of millions of euros in donations and investments. Francis signed a new law this weekend ordering the secretariat of state to complete the transfer of all its holdings to another Vatican office by Feb. 4. The law also calls for all donations to the pope to be held and managed by the Vatican’s treasury office as separate funds that are accounted for in the Holy See’s consolidated budget.

Workers install 192 crystals on Times Square New Year’s ball
NEW YORK (AP) — Workers have installed nearly 200 glittering Waterford crystal triangles on Times Square’s New Year’s Eve ball in preparation for a pandemic-limited celebration. The ball is a 12-foot geodesic sphere covered with more than 2,000 crystal triangles of various sizes. Some new crystals are swapped in every year. This year’s addition features a new “Gift of Happiness” design represented by a sunburst of bright cuts radiating outward. The ball blazing with more than 32,000 LED lights will be dropped at 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Eve to ring in 2021.

After naming bombing suspect, focus turns to motive
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI, MICHAEL BALSAMO and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Federal officials now turn to exploring the monumental task of piecing together the motive behind the Christmas Day explosion that severely damaged dozens of downtown Nashville buildings and injured three. Officials have named 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner as the man behind the mysterious explosion in which he was killed, but the motive has remained elusive. In just a few days, hundreds of tips and leads have been submitted. Yet thus far, officials have not provided information on what possibly drove Warner to set off the explosion. The director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told reporters on Sunday that Warner had not been on the radar before Christmas.

Cause of blaze at metal fabricating/recycling plant sought

GIBSONIA, Pa. (AP) — Scores of firefighters battled a blaze that destroyed a metal fabricating and recycling plant in western Pennsylvania over the weekend. Fire crews were called just after 6:30 a.m. Saturday to the TNT Metals plant in West Deer Township. Chief Josh Wiegand of the West Deer Volunteer Fire Company No. 3 said crews were hampered by the cold and by the materials involved, since the building housed magnesium and other highly flammable materials that ignited during the fire. An Allegheny County fire marshal will try to determine the cause of the blaze. TNT Metals president Rick Tibensky called it “truly devastating” but vowed to rebuild

Nashville bombing investigation prompts FBI to search home

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI, MICHAEL BALSAMO and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Federal agents have converged at the home of a possible person of interest in the bombing that rocked downtown Nashville on Christmas morning. Investigators are scouring hundreds of tips and leads in the blast that damaged dozens of buildings. More than 48 hours after the explosion, a motive remained elusive as investigators worked round-the-clock to resolve unanswered questions about the mysterious blast. The explosion took place on a mostly deserted street on a sleepy holiday morning and was prefaced by a recorded warning advising those nearby to evacuate. Officials have been searching a home in Antioch in suburban Nashville.

Police: Explosion in Nashville may have been “intentional”
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Metro Nashville Police Department says authorities believe an explosion that rocked the downtown Nashville area early on Christmas Day was a deliberate act. Police spokesman Don Aaron said the 6:30 a.m. explosion, which shattered glass and damaged buildings, was believed to be “an intentional act.” Aaron said three people were taken to area hospitals for treatment, although none were in critical condition. Police and fire crews were on the scene, as were investigators from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.