Astronauts venture out for spacewalk No. 2

Astronauts ventured back outside the international space station to perform more repair work on a jammed joint Thursday and promised to keep a tight grip on all their tools so nothing would get away this time.

Pet store chain linked to puppy mills
After an eight-month investigation, the Humane Society of the United States accused Petland, the national pet store chain, of selling dogs bred under appalling conditions.

Deflation poses economic threat
Strapped consumers are rejoicing at falling prices. But some economists warn of the growing risk of a ruinous downward price spiral  called deflation. Here's what's at stake.

Michael Jackson to testify in London

Michael Jackson's lawyer says the pop star has agreed to come to London to respond to a Bahraini sheik's $7 million lawsuit.

Congress votes to extend jobless benefits
Congress has passed legislation extending jobless benefits through the December holidays, keeping checks flowing to laid-off workers who would otherwise lose them.

NYT: Daschle poses conflict-of-interest test

The choice of Tom Daschle for secretary of health and human services poses questions about how broadly Barack Obama will apply campaign promises to limit conflicts of interest among appointees.

Over 1,000 melamine babies still in hospitals
Over a thousand Chinese infants are still in hospital receiving treatment for kidney damage caused by tainted milk, China's Health Ministry said.

Pirates free two ships after ransom

Somali pirates released two hijacked ships after ransoms were paid, U.S. military officials said Thursday.

Governors pledge fight on global warming
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, his counterparts in 12 states and regional leaders from four other countries signed a declaration Wednesday pledging to work together to combat global warming.