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.

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.

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.

Blast kills 1, wounds 23 at Thai PM's office

A grenade attack on anti-government protesters occupying the Thai prime minister's office killed one person and wounded at least 23 early Thursday, an army official and protesters said.

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.

Calif. court takes up gay marriage ban
California's highest court agreed Wednesday to hear several legal challenges to the state's new ban on same-sex marriage but refused to allow gay couples to resume marrying before it rules.

Ex-Gitmo detainee to taste freedom
Australian police said Thursday they will stop restricting the movements and communications of a former Guantanamo Bay detainee.

McDonald's courts moms as emissaries

McDonald's has recruited mothers to go behind the scenes of the company's operations, meet senior executives and then communicate what they see via the Web in a bid to brighten its image.

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.