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Randy Travis said he didn't do it — the country star on Friday pleaded not guilty to a simple assault charge stemming from an August dust-up in a church parking lot.

Travis, appearing in a Plano, Texas, courtroom, requested a jury trial in the matter. He was cited in late August after he allegedly got involved in an argument between his girlfriend and her estranged husband. A court date's been set for March 11.

This week President Obama announced a task force, headed by Vice President Joe Biden, to propose solutions to the epidemic of gun violence in America. What it will find is that under current court decisions, gun makers are above the law.

The unfathomably tragic Newtown school shooting was committed with a Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle. A Bushmaster was also used in the terrifying Washington, D.C., sniper shootings of 2002.

Victims of the sniper shootings sued Bushmaster and received a $2.5 million settlement. I very much doubt that the survivors in Newtown will receive a dime.

That’s because between the sniper shooting in D.C. and the Newtown massacre, Congress passed a law — called the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act — to protect gunmakers from lawsuits when their guns are used to murder and maim.

In the tiny Texas town of Harrold, children and their parents don't give much thought to safety at the community's lone school — mostly because some of the teachers are carrying concealed weapons.

The nearest sheriff's office is 30 minutes away, and people tend to know — and trust — one another. So the school board voted to let teachers bring guns to school.

"We don't have money for a security guard, but this is a better solution," Superintendent David Thweatt said. "A shooter could take out a guard or officer with a visible, holstered weapon, but our teachers have master's degrees, are older and have had extensive training. And their guns are hidden. We can protect our children."

With Newtown still in mourning from last Friday's shooting, when a 20-year-old gunman shot dead 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School and then himself, Biden took the assignment to produce recommendations and report back to Obama in time for the president's State of the Union address in late January.

Forget old conspiracy theories about snake bites and fatal poisons. Egyptian King Ramesses III died after a brutal throat slashing, a new study says.

The study provides the latest twist in a mystery that has long perplexed researchers.

Did a venomous viper take him out? Poison? An assassination plot in a reign tainted by war?

And if it were the latter, who did it?

Researchers say he died at the hands of a killer in a plot planned by one of his wives and a son who wanted to succeed him.

 Egypt: Amateur finds possible pyramids The Revealer: Egypt pyramids location

Scans conducted after layers of bandages were removed revealed a deep cut in Ramesses III's throat, probably made by a sharp knife during a royal coup, according to a study published by the British Medical Journal.

"Our CT analysis provides evidence that conspirators killed Ramesses III by cutting his throat," the study says.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks extended gains into a second session Tuesday, rising on signs of progress on Capitol Hill in reaching an accord to avoid steep spending cuts and tax increases next year. "The biggest tax being levied on the American people right now is the uncertainty tax, and President Obama and House Republicans now have the opportunity to lower it considerably," said David Kelly, chief market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds.

More Texans crash their cars during the holiday season than any other time of the year, according to an Allstate Insurance Company review of its claims data over the five year period between 2006 and 2010. The number of auto accident claims jumped the highest on December 24, spiking 22% compared to the daily average during the rest of the year.  Accident claims jumped 21% on December 18 and 18% on December 1 and 11.

"The increase in crashes could be related to more people being on the roads traveling and shopping during the holidays, weather changes and other distractions," said Carlos Cuellar, an Allstate agency owner in San Antonio. "What's important for drivers is that we stay focused while at the wheel whether on the highway or in the driveway--during December and every other time of the year."

According to Allstate, the top five days for collision claims in Texas are:

   Top 5 Days for Texas Car

Note to hackers everywhere: don’t mess with Scarlett Johansson. Christopher Chaney, the man who pleaded guilty to hacking into the actress’s phone, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday. Chaney allegedly also hacked into the phones of Mila Kunis, Christina Aguilera, and more women. Arrested in October 2011, Chaney allegedly illegally accessed the email accounts of more than 50 people in the entertainment industry. His computer hard drive contained private photos of celebrities as well as personal information. Johansson videotaped a tearful statement that was read at Monday’s sentencing, saying she was “truly humiliated and embarrassed” after Chaney hacked into her phone and found the photos, which were meant for her then-husband, Ryan Reynolds. 

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The San Francisco 49ers turned a nearly historic collapse into a stunning victory and a playoff berth.

San Francisco withstood a 28-point comeback by the New England Patriots to win 41-34 on Sunday night in the rain. Michael Crabtree took a short pass from Colin Kaepernick and sped around cornerback Kyle Arrington for a 38-yard touchdown with 6:25 to go, then David Akers made a 28-yard field goal to clinch it.

"We can win a shootout," Crabtree said. "Whatever it takes, that's our motto. ... We feel like we can do anything, sky's the limit."

The 49ers (10-3-1) own at least a wild-card spot and play at Seattle next week with a chance to win the NFC West. A loss would bring the division race down to the final weekend.

Colin Kaepernick & Co. made a bold statement by turning back New England's furious rally, Ashley Fox writes. Story