The 85-year-old will serve between one and three years on the Astor case, report the Daily News and New York Times. Elsewhere there's holiday travel news. And, of course, Brittany Murphy's past gets dredged up.

The news that airlines are to be fined for keeping passengers cooped up in planes on the runway for more than three hours makes the front page almost everywhere — to appeal to holiday travellers no doubt. As the healthcare bill rumbles towards its eventual completion only the Los Angeles Times comes up with a great new angle (on how the reform will be sold by Democrats seeking office next year). In fact the paper has a great day, with lots of different and nicely put together stories. Like these:

Disclosure: I freelance write and report for newspapers that are included in this roundup. Where there is a direct conflict of interest I will make it clear.

The New York Times: caters to those of us flying for the holidays by leading with the story that airlines are to be fined for cooping people up in planes on runways for more than three hours. Unfortunately the measures don't come in until spring. So pack some dehydrated meals just in case. Anthony Marshall, 85, is to serve one to three years for taking millions from his mother, Brooke Astor, before she died and an Iranian dissident's funeral became an anti-government protest. Unsurprisingly, merging the healthcare bills is going to be difficult. Below the fold is news of hazards from unsafe highway work, scandal at a New Jersey college and a story on how fawning high-end stores are to their customers these days.

The Washington Post: reports that the healthcare bill means many will be stuck in DC for the holiday, and that the GOP is re-energized in Virginia. The jobless funds of 25 states are in crisis — and so, thousands of miles away, is Ireland. The paper also have the news on fines for airlines that trap people on planes.

The LA Times: has a great day — there's an insightful piece on how the Democrats plan to use the healthcare bill in their 2010 campaigns, and news that a solution may have been found that satisfies both sides of the Roman Polanski case. Mexico City has approved a gay rights bill, against the protests of religious nuts — which makes it an example to New York, for one. They have the news on airlines too, and the feature is about people living in storm drains under Las Vegas.

The Wall Street Journal: has news of an FBI probe into a hack at Citibank, a piece on the drug war in Mexico, a resurgence in the bond market and why you shouldn't get between a town and its Christmas tree.



The New York Post: reports on the two EMTs who are accused of letting a woman die while they were on a break, and has more Brittany Murphy news.

The Daily News: goes with the news that Anthony Marshall has been sentenced to jail time in the Astor case.

USA Today: let the decade retrospectives begin!

Courier Mail (Australia): it's a baby in a Christmas hat! A tiny baby!