Minnesota recount begins
City and county workers across Minnesota have started recounting more than 2.9 million ballots from the state's U.S. Senate race.

Calif. court takes up gay marriage ban
California's highest court agreed Wednesday to hear several legal challenges to the state's new ban on same-sex marriage but refused to allow gay couples to resume marrying before it rules.

Bush set to relax rules protecting species
Animals in danger of becoming extinct could lose the protection of government experts who make sure that dams and other projects don't pose a threat, under a regulation the Bush administration is set to put in place.

Patience, politeness training for airport workers

Employees at Newark Liberty International Airport are getting training in patience and politeness to help them handle the crush of stressed-out holiday travelers.

Wall Street drops to more than 5-year low
Wall Street hit levels not seen since 2003 on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones industrial average plunging below the 8,000 mark amid a dour economic outlook from the Fed.

Dem sources: Clinton to help wife get State job

The former president has offered several concessions to help his spouse become secretary of state, including releasing the names of several major donors to his charitable foundation.

Blast kills 1, wounds 23 at Thai PM's office

A grenade attack on anti-government protesters occupying the Thai prime minister's office killed one person and wounded at least 23 early Thursday, an army official and protesters said.

Mayor sorry for kids' anti-Obama chant
The mayor of an Idaho town where second- and third-grade students on a school bus chanted "assassinate Obama!" has publicly apologized, saying there's no excuse for such behavior.

Lawyers visit secret Gitmo camp
For the first time, defense lawyers have been allowed to see a section of the Guantanamo prison that is so restricted, even its location on the U.S. base is secret.