Obama pledged change, picks insiders
President-elect Barack Obama promised the voters change but has started his Cabinet selection process by naming several Washington insiders to top posts.
Community colleges suddenly in spotlight
Long the neglected stepchildren of American higher education, community colleges have come front-and-center in the eyes of students, policymakers and philanthropists.
Pakistan summons U.S. envoy
Pakistan summoned the U.S. ambassador Thursday to protest a suspected U.S. missile strike deep inside its territory as militants threatened revenge attacks unless the cross-border raids stop.
Scoop: Jennifer Aniston gets a kick out of ‘Friends'
The "Marley & Me" star tells New York Times magazine, "This is horrible to say, but there are times when I laugh my rear end off."
Bush to sign legislation to extend jobless aid
Because of the tight job market, the White House says President George W. Bush would sign legislation pending in Congress to further extend unemployment benefits.
Massive search for S. Pacific fishermen
The New Zealand air force searched for 29 fishermen Thursday after the charred remains of their boat was found abandoned near the South Pacific island nation of Kiribati.
U.S. shifts its approach in Iraq
With violence down sharply this year, the U.S. military is broadening its efforts to reconcile Sunnis and Shiites.
Oil hits 3-year low; gas below $2 in many states
Oil prices have hit levels not seen in more than three years and retail gasoline prices are below $2 in nearly half of the country.
Retirement dreams give way to despair, anger
A rising number of people have seen their retirement plans evaporate. As 401(k)s dwindle, their dreams of golden years are being replaced by feelings of hopelessness and anger.
NYT: Daschle poses conflict-of-interest test
The choice of Tom Daschle for secretary of health and human services poses questions about how broadly Barack Obama will apply campaign promises to limit conflicts of interest among appointees.
