Obama assembles powerful West Wing

Barack Obama is assembling a new and influential cadre of counselors just steps from the Oval Office whose power to direct domestic policy will rival, if not exceed, the authority of his Cabinet.

Curran: NFL in good hands with talented young guns

Curran: Something pretty remarkable happened in this year's playoffs. The three quarterbacks that authored the finest rookie seasons at their position in the modern day NFL all made it to the postseason.

No end in sight for job market woes

Americans probably suffered a net loss of 2.4 million jobs last year, with the pain likely to stretch well into 2009 and possibly beyond.

NYT: Bush's homeland security setup faces ax

Barack Obama is reportedly preparing to scrap the way President Bush oversaw domestic security in the White House and name a former CIA official to coordinate counterterrorism.

Panda attacks zoo visitor for third time
For the third time,  Gu Gu the panda has attacked someone who climbed into its space, prompting officials at the Beijing Zoo to consider changes to keep visitors away from 240-pound animal.

Reid: Burris may ultimately get seat

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Roland Burris will not likely take Barack Obama's Senate seat until a court in Illinois rules on a dispute surrounding his appointment.

Superman's planet is racially diverse — finally

By and large, superheroes are still the domain of the idealized white man (and woman). For the character's first 30 years, Superman's homeworld of Krypton was all-white. Not anymore.

‘Dark Knight' wins People's Choice

The caped crusader flick won five awards, including favorite cast, superhero, action movie and on-screen matchup for Christian Bale's Batman and Heath Ledger's Joker.

Rockets from Lebanon hit Israel

Lebanese militants fired at least three rockets into northern Israel Thursday, threatening to open a second front for the Jewish state as it pushed forward with its offensive in the Gaza Strip.