Gov. may allow special election for Senate seat
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich hasn't ruled out signing a bill creating a special election to fill President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat, his spokesman said Monday, the first hint that the embattled governor may loosen his grip on the seat....
Alleged Madoff fraud has worldwide exposure
NEW YORK (AP) -- The list of investors who say they were duped in one of Wall Street's biggest Ponzi schemes is growing, snaring some of the world's biggest banking institutions and hedge funds, the super rich and the famous, pensioners and charities....
Fed weighs slashing rates to cushion fallout
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Reserve is widely expected to ratchet down a key interest rate - perhaps to an all-time low- to prevent the sinking economy from falling deeper into the doldrums....
Bush's Iraq-Afghan farewell tour marred by dissent
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- President George W. Bush wrapped up a whirlwind trip to two war zones Monday that in many ways was a victory lap without a clear victory. A signature event occurred when an Iraqi reporter hurled two shoes at Bush, an incident the president called "a bizarre moment."...
Advocates of blind fault TV skit about NY Governor
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- A "Saturday Night Live" skit portraying New York's blind governor as a bumbling leader didn't get a laugh from Gov. David Paterson....
Detroit automakers await deal on auto loans
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) -- Detroit automakers got public reassurance Monday from President George W. Bush that short-term government help for the industry is in the works and could come soon....
Analysts expect more discounts as Christmas nears
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The clock is winding down on what could be one of the worst holiday shopping seasons in decades and recession-hit shoppers are finally starting to feel some pressure to spend....
Racial gap in colon cancer deaths is widening
ATLANTA (AP) -- The racial gap in colon cancer death rates is widening, a new report says, and experts partly blame blacks' lower screening rates and poor access to quality care....
Free broadband plan stirs debate on filtering
WASHINGTON (AP) -- M2Z Networks' proposal to build a free wireless broadband network is not the only controversial part of its business plan. Just as contentious is its intention to filter the content delivered over that network to block any material deemed inappropriate for children....
Diaz: Don't count on seeing me in 'Shrek' musical
NEW YORK (AP) -- Cameron Diaz says she's a big fan of "Shrek the Musical" but has no desire to star in it....
Steelers, Panthers win divisions with defense
The Pittsburgh Steelers asserted themselves as the NFL's top defense to win the AFC North. The Carolina Panthers took their division title with another outburst of offense....
Progress to restore power to Northeast slow
JAFFREY, N.H. (AP) -- A church-turned-shelter dished up donated lobster casserole, pot roast and barbecued chicken, while a general store five miles away threw out spoiled meat and melted ice cream as utility crews struggled to repair power lines snapped by New England's devastating ice storm....
Abhisit Vejjajiva elected Thai prime minister
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Abhisit Vejjajiva - a patrician 44-year-old with an Oxford education - became Thailand's prime minister on Monday amid hopes that he can calm the political storms that have battered the country for the past three years....
Gov't: 40 Taliban killed in Afghan-NATO operation
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A joint Afghan-NATO operation in a volatile region in the country's dangerous south has killed 40 militants, including the Taliban's leader in that region, a government official said Monday....
European markets' gains capped by Madoff concerns
LONDON (AP) -- Europe's stock markets rose modestly Monday amid renewed hopes for a U.S. auto sector bailout, but the gains were limited by worries about the exposure of financial institutions to an alleged $50 billion fraudulent investment scheme in the U.S....
Cowboys defense dominates Eli, Giants in 20-8 win
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- The soap opera that is the Dallas Cowboys' offense gets all the attention. The defense, however, is keeping them in the playoff hunt....
23 drown, 33 missing in Philippines ferry accident
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- An overcrowded ferry capsized just short of its destination in rough seas in the northeastern Philippines, causing terrified passengers to leap into the sea, officials said Monday. At least 23 people drowned....
Thai opposition leader becomes prime minister
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Lawmakers chose an opposition leader as Thailand's prime minister Monday in a bid to end months of political chaos, as supporters of the previous government unsuccessfully tried to halt the result by blockading Parliament....
Obama left with little time to curb global warming
WASHINGTON (AP) -- When Bill Clinton took office in 1993, global warming was a slow-moving environmental problem that was easy to ignore. Now it is a ticking time bomb that President-elect Barack Obama can't avoid....
Wall Street looks to Fed, auto bailout this week
NEW YORK (AP) -- Don't expect Wall Street's turmoil to ebb in the year's last full week of trading as investors face questions about an auto bailout, the banking crisis, and the Federal Reserve's final rate-setting meeting of 2008....