Holder's ascent revives pardon furor

Eric Holder is in line for nomination by President-elect Barack Obama to the attorney general's job that Holder has long wanted, but a 2001 episode with fugitive financier Marc Rich is stirring partisan acrimony.

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.

Pakistan summons U.S. envoy
Pakistan summoned the U.S. ambassador Thursday to protest a suspected U.S. missile strike deep inside its territory as militants threatened revenge attacks unless the cross-border raids stop.

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.

3 airports opening new runways

At some major U.S. airports today, you'd hardly know there's an economic slowdown. In Seattle, Chicago and near Washington, D.C., new runways are being opened up today. This, despite a projected 10 percent drop in domestic flights this winter.

Judge orders release of 5 terror suspects

A federal judge has ordered the release of five Algerian terror suspects who have been held without charges almost seven years at Guantanamo Bay.

Oil hits 3-year low; gas at $2 in 23 states

Oil prices on hit levels not seen in more than three years and retail gas prices are now below $2 across nearly half of the country on dour reports suggesting an economic pullback.

Astronauts venture out for spacewalk No. 2

Astronauts vowed to double-check, even triple-check, to make sure a bag of tools is properly tied down during a spacewalk Thursday so it doesn't float away like one did earlier this week.

Congress demands plan for auto aid

Democratic leaders in Congress decided to delay a vote to bail out automakers until December and will first demand the Big Three show how the funds would transform the industry.