Second-tier jobs will have clout in Obama era

We know who the new secretary of state will be in president-elect Barack Obama's administration. But what about the second-tier appointees who could end up immensely powerful?

U.S. weighs action on mortgage rates

Department considers plans to intervene directly to force down rates and stimulate the moribund housing market, according to sources.

Solar car completes first round-the-world trip

The first solar-powered car to travel around the world ended its journey at the U.N. climate talks Thursday, arriving with the message that clean technologies are available now to stop global warming.

Stocks take a late-session tumble
Wall Street turned cautious in the final hour of trading Thursday, sending the Dow tumbling as  investors awaited Friday's monthly employment report.

AT&T, DuPont cutting work forces
AT&T Inc. joined the recession's parade of layoffs Thursday by announcing plans to cut 12,000 jobs, about 4 percent of its work force. Separately, DuPont said it will cut 2,500 jobs.

Airlines cram to obey obesity ruling

Canadian airlines are scrambling to figure out how to meet the January 10th deadline for complying with the "one-person, one-fare" policy mandated by the Canadian Transportation Agency.

Sorting out NFL pretenders from contenders
Curran: Just which teams vying for the NFL postseason actually have a chance to reach Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla.? Tom Curran is here to sort out the top teams and figure out which are contenders and which are pretenders.

Crisis as Canada PM suspends Parliament

Canada's Prime Minister said Thursday that he's been allowed to suspend Parliament, a decision that that allows him to delay a vote that could bring down his new government.

Police chief, club indicted in boy's Uzi death
A police chief and a gun club in western Massachusetts were indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of an 8-year-old boy who accidentally shot himself.