It's North vs. South in Big Three bailout fight

Should taxpayers in Alabama be asked to help bail out Big Three automakers whose plants are concentrated in Northern states such as Michigan and Ohio? How the auto industry pits North against South.

Patience, politeness training for airport workers

Employees at Newark Liberty International Airport are getting training in patience and politeness to help them handle the crush of stressed-out holiday travelers.

Iverson, Pistons end Cavs' win streak at 8

Allen Iverson had 23 points and Rasheed Wallace added 21, leading a fourth-quarter surge that gave the Pistons a 96-89 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Blazers crush Bulls in Oden's home debut

Greg Oden had 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in his home debut for Portland and the Trail Blazers built a 30-point, first-half lead in a 116-74 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.

Bush set to relax rules protecting species
Animals in danger of becoming extinct could lose the protection of government experts who make sure that dams and other projects don't pose a threat, under a regulation the Bush administration is set to put in place.

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.

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.

Talk of GM bankruptcy filing fuels debate

As the days pass and GM's money burns away, bankruptcy is a distinct possibility. But what, exactly, would a GM bankruptcy mean?

Teen lives 118 days without a heart
An American teenager survived for nearly four months without a heart, kept alive by a custom-built artificial blood-pumping device, until she was able to have a heart transplant.

Scientists spot hints of dark-matter blast

A balloon-borne instrument soaring high over Antarctica has found potential evidence of a large clump of mysterious dark matter relatively close to our solar system, scientists said Wednesday.