Top headlines:
Video: Obama's CIA pick signals dramatic shift: Jan. 6: Monday's surprise announcement that President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta to lead the CIA points to a major change in direction for U.S. intelligence policy. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.(Nightly News) ›23:59 6 Jan, Tue
Al-Qaida No. 2 blames Obama for Gaza: Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader lashed out at President-elect Barack Obama in a new message, accusing him of not doing anything to stop Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, according to a monitoring center. ›11:02
Certificate says seizure killed Jett Travolta: An official with a Bahamian funeral home says Jett Travoltas death certificate says he was killed by a seizure. ›22:51 5 Jan, Mon
Life after Loser: Every day is a struggle: While many Americans have been inspired by the dramatic results on The Biggest Loser, former contestants say maintaining a healthy weight takes a true lifestyle change after the show wraps. ›20:22 5 Jan, Mon
House, Senate convene for 111th Congress: The House and Senate have convened for a new Congress that will immediately confront the country's struggling economy. ›22:46 6 Jan, Tue
Charities hurt in Madoff case get charity: Nonprofits that are struggling because their donors lost money with Bernard Madoff are getting a bailout but not from the government. Richer foundations are stepping in to help. ›23:45 6 Jan, Tue
Top dog and cat names of 2008: Move over, Fido and Fluffy. There's a new batch of pet names in town: "people" names! See which monikers were paws-down most popular and most unusual, too (Fetch, Meatwad!). ›17:17
5 reasons to be cautious about stocks: With the stock market up 25 percent from November lows, a lot of individual investors are asking: Is this rally for real? ›18:28
Obama pledges to tackle government spending: President-elect Obama says he'll have to juggle the competing interests of economic stimulus and deficit control, but that restoring general business health must come first. ›19:39
Zimbabwe cholera death toll tops 1,700: Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic is picking up speed, with a total of 1,732 deaths out of 34,306 cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. ›16:22 6 Jan, Tue
Poorer kids often depressed as teenagers: Children from poor families are more likely than their peers to be depressed as teenagers, with effects that can make it harder to climb out from poverty, a new study suggests. ›17:34
Is new TV series unfair to bears?: The Discovery cable-TV network claims its new series Bear Feeding Frenzy shows bear behavior. But some animal experts are attacking the show, saying it reinforces negative stereotypes about the creatures. ›14:04 6 Jan, Tue
Congressional Black Caucus OKs Burris: The Congressional Black Caucus is calling for Illinois Democrat Roland Burris to be allowed to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat. ›19:51
U.S.: Dozens of insurgents killed in Afghanistan: Forces from the U.S.-led coalition killed 32 armed insurgents during a clash in eastern Afghanistan, the military said Wednesday. ›10:48
Thousands of shoes tie up Miami traffic: Florida state troopers are looking for a charity to take thousands of shoes that were dumped on a Miami expressway, tying up rush hour traffic. ›19:39 2 Jan, Fri
Princess Mia and Meg Cabot are moving on: With a regal air kiss for Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldi, it's time for girl fans of the smash-selling "Princess Diaries" to bid adieu. But author Meg Cabot isn't going anywhere. ›15:01 6 Jan, Tue
Death of Travoltas son raises medical queries: Millions of children and adults have seizures in the U.S., but dying from one is rare. That only adds to the confusion and mystery surrounding the life and death of Jett Travolta ›23:47 6 Jan, Tue
India: Mumbai gunmen directed by phone: "We have three foreigners, including women," the gunman said into the phone. ›14:50
Half their size: 2 women shed 316 lbs. total: Stacie Guines and Lisa Dreher share a remarkable accomplishment: they both lost half their body weight, and they did it through plain old diet and exercise. Ive lost not only a person, but a good-sized person, Guines said. ›19:08 6 Jan, Tue
Cant get a date? Its not them, its you: Matchmaker Patti Novak, star of the A & E series "Confessions of a Matchmaker," gets brutally honest about some of the most common problems people have when dating from being too picky to being too promiscuous. In her new book, she suggests solutions for how to "Get Over Yourself" and find love. ›20:00
Cops probing sewer problem sniff out pot operation: Deputies investigating a sewer problem at a Minnesota home smelled something amiss a strong odor of marijuana. ›00:10 6 Jan, Tue
Statins can cause rare eye disorders: Treatment with a cholesterol-lowering "statin" drug may very occasionally cause double-vision, eyelid-droop, or weakness of the muscles that control eye movement. ›20:09
Dozens held over alleged Turkish coup plot: Turkish police detained more than 30 people including three retired generals in a widening probe into an alleged plot to overthrow the Islamic-rooted government, according to reports Wednesday. ›16:06
Fire survivor: Lou the mule saved me: Jolene Solomon is beginning the new year with her life, her mule named Lou and little else. She says Lou's braying alerted to a fire that consumed her house but she escaped unharmed. ›03:31
