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.

Thousands told to flee Wash. floods

Rain and high winds lashed Washington state, causing widespread avalanches, mudslides, flooding and road closures as the heavy snowfall that has buried parts of the state began to rapidly melt.

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.

China jails democracy activist for 6 years
A 65-year-old democracy activist who tried to set up an opposition party in China has been sentenced to six years in jail, a human rights group said Thursday.

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.

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.

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.

U.S. admiral to head anti-pirate patrols

A U.S. Navy commander will lead a new international force to battle pirates off the coast of Somalia, officials said Thursday.

Protests over Calif. train shooting turn violent

Protests over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by a transit police officer turned violent in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday night as demonstrators smashed windows, set cars ablaze and blocked streets.