AP Exclusive: US may use stiff drug law provision as indictments loom in Blackwater shootings

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama has begun laying the groundwork for overhauling the troubled U.S. healthcare system, reaching out to interest groups and building grass-roots support for the huge undertaking.

Seven Somali men in possession of rocket grenades and AK-47 guns were rescued by a Danish Navy ship in the pirate-plagued Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, the Danish Navy told CNN. The men rescued "are suspected to be pirates because they were carrying firearms," a press officer with the Danish Navy said.

Bargain-hunting drove Asian and Pacific stocks higher Friday, with Australian, Chinese and Japanese exchanges rising in morning trades.

With time fast running out, Congress and the Bush administration will wrestle again today over whether to loan $34 billion to Detroit automakers, even after senators heard grim warnings that their failures could cost 2.5 million jobs and the liquidation of...

Happiness is contagious, spreading among friends, neighbors, siblings and spouses like the flu, according to a large study that for the first time shows how emotion can ripple through clusters of people who might not even know each other. The study of more...

AP IMPACT: Bailout's option to buy bank stocks not attractive option due to plunging stocks

Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer started a new job this week, debuting as online magazine Slate's newest columnist.

Barack Obama, who rewrote the book on presidential fundraising, amassed more than $745 million during his marathon campaign, more than twice the amount obtained by his rival, republican john mccain. In his latest finance report, Obama reported raising $104...

A top U.S. military commander says the new security pact that sets a timetable for american troops to leave Iraq will require a shift in how the U.S. carries out combat missions in the country. A statement by Gen. Ray Odierno released Friday says that new...