Race card lands softly in Burris Senate fight

The first race card of the Obama era is now in play. On Tuesday, Blagojevich's choice, Roland Burris, was turned away on Capitol Hill when he tried to take his seat.

Chris Pine puts his own spin on ‘Trek's' Kirk

Pine believes the new movie will give audiences a sense of hope — something he feels has been lacking in other sci-fi box office hits.

Reports: Gupta approached for surgeon general

CNN says President-elect Barack Obama has approached its medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, to be the country's next surgeon general.

Iran lurks behind Gaza conflict

Israel's fight with Hamas in Gaza, like the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon two years ago, is a broader proxy battle between Western allies and Iran for the very future of the Middle East.

Fed sees long-lasting downturn

Federal Reserve officials feared the economy would be stuck in a painful rut for some time despite their decision to slash interest rates to a record low.

Keep the shuttles flying? It'll cost you

A draft NASA report says that extending shuttle operations to 2012 would cost $5 billion, but keeping the fleet flying until 2015 would cost $11 billion and severely impact the agency's exploration plans.

Boy, 6, misses bus, tries to drive to school
Having missed his bus, a 6-year-old Virginia boy tried to drive to school in his family's sedan — and crashed.

Death of Travolta's son raises medical queries

Millions of children and adults have seizures in the U.S., but dying from one is rare. That only adds to the confusion and mystery surrounding the life and death of Jett Travolta

Five ways to turn your film into Oscar bait

Lots of movies try to give the Academy what it wants, but few succeed. But if you're a studio head, think about giving us a history lesson in an easily digestible bite or adapting a prestigious play or novel.