Jobless rate jumps to 7.2 percent

The Labor Department reported Friday that the jobless rate rose to 7.2 percent in December and payrolls dropped by 524,000 jobs.

Death row inmate pulls out eye, eats it

A Texas death row inmate with a history of mental problems pulled out his only good eye and told authorities he ate it.

Palin lashes out at the media

Sarah Palin, still smarting over coverage of her vice presidential run, calls the media's reporting on her family "very scary".

Patrick Swayze checks into hospital

Patrick Swayze has pneumonia and has checked himself into a hospital for observation, it was revealed Friday at a press event for the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles.

Curran: Despite N.Y. buzz, Giants no sure thing

Curran: You'd think it might be a bigger concern — especially in a Chicken Little climate like New York's — that the Giants lost three of their final four games. That one of those four losses came to Sunday's opponent, the Eagles. That the loss of which we speak came at Giants Stadium in a game where the Giants offense was held scoreless for the first 59:40 of the game.

Microsoft's Ballmer raises pressure on Yahoo
Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer has told the Financial Times newspaper that the current period of transition for Yahoo is a good time for a search deal between the two companies.

Ill. court: Burris doesn't need 2nd signature

The Illinois Supreme Court says Secretary of State Jesse White doesn't need to sign Roland Burris' appointment to the U.S. Senate to make it valid.

American set on fire by Afghan dies
An anthropologist embedded with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan to help soldiers understand local customs has died more than two months after she was doused with fuel and set on fire.

Somali pirates free Saudi supertanker

Somali pirates freed a Saudi supertanker seized in the world's biggest ship hijacking for a $3 million ransom on Friday, an associate of the gang said.