Obama assembles powerful West Wing

Barack Obama is assembling a new and influential cadre of counselors just steps from the Oval Office whose power to direct domestic policy will rival, if not exceed, the authority of his Cabinet.

Deep freeze disrupts hardy Alaskans

Ted Johnson planned on using a set of logs to a build a cabin in Alaska's interior. Instead he'll burn some of them to stay warm.

Job hunts grow harder in recession

New claims for unemployment benefits dropped unexpectedly last week, but the number of people continuing to seek aid rose sharply.

African men jailed for 8 years over gay sex
Nine men, including a prominent activist, have been convicted of homosexual acts and sentenced to eight years in prison, their lawyer and a gay rights group said Thursday.

Racism: What we say doesn't match what we do
Think you wouldn't tolerate a racist act? Think again, says a surprising experiment that exposed some college students to one and found indifference at best.

Gotti neighbor allegedly dissolved in acid

It's been one of the last mysteries from John Gotti's gangland career: What happened to the neighbor who accidentally ran over and killed the mobster's 12-year-old son — and then vanished?

Obama tax plan runs into opposition 

President-elect Barack Obama's proposed tax cuts ran into opposition Thursday from senators in his own party who said they wouldn't do much to stimulate the economy or create jobs.

‘Dark Knight' wins People's Choice

"The Dark Knight" soared away with every trophy it was nominated for Wednesday at the People's Choice Awards, including favorite cast, superhero, action movie and on-screen matchup for Christian Bale's Batman and the late Heath Ledger's Joker.

Fast action urged on stimulus plan

President-elect Barack Obama warned Thursday that the nation's recession could "linger for years" unless Congress acts to pump huge sums from Washington into the U.S. economy.