At CES, progress a step at a time

The big debuts at the International Consumer Electronics Show aren't whiz-bang hardware systems. They're ideas designed to protect the environment and improve the technology consumers already use.

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.

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.

Ex-‘Sopranos' actor gets 10 years in prison

A former actor on "The Sopranos" was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for a botched burglary in the Bronx in which an accomplice shot and killed an off-duty police officer.

Gaza aid held as U.N. truce plan rejected

Israeli jets and helicopters bombarded Gaza Friday and Hamas responded with a barrage of rockets on at least two cities as both sides defied a U.N. call for an immediate cease-fire.

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.

Kenya: 10 million at risk after harvests fail
Ten million people risk going hungry in Kenya after harvests failed because of drought, the government said Friday.

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.