Mexico: Ex-drug czar took cartel money
Mexico's former drug czar took $450,000 to leak information to a powerful cartel, officials said Friday.

WaMu, BNY Mellon latest banks to shed jobs
The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. and Washington Mutual on Friday became the latest in a string of banks to announce layoffs.

Sexism award goes to 'ugly ducklings' mayor
An Australian outback mayor's plea for lovelorn female "ugly ducklings" to move to a remote mining town to reverse a shortage of eligible women has won him the country's yearly award for outrageous sexism.

Neb. lawmakers OK 'safe haven' age limit
Nebraska lawmakers gave final approval Friday to adding a 30-day age limit to the state's "safe haven" law.

Afghanistan markets pomegranates

Afghanistan is telling the world that it has a trendy, new replacement for its dreaded poppy crop: sweet, juicy pomegranates.

Deflation poses new 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.

Phone workers peek at Obama's cell records
Verizon employees snuck a peek at President-elect Barack Obama's old cell phone records and will be reprimanded accordingly, the company said late Thursday.

Mukasey released from hospital after collapse

The attorney general  was given 'a clean bill of health' and checked out of the hospital after extensive medical tests following his collapse, the Justice Department said Friday.

Bush effigy burned at Iraq protest

Followers of a Shiite cleric on Friday stomped on and burned an effigy of President Bush in Baghdad as they protested a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security pact on Friday.