U.S. 2008 planned layoffs most in five years
Planned layoffs at U.S. firms eased in December from the previous month's seven-year high but they were up an astounding 275 percent annually, according to a new report.

Israel conditionally welcomes cease-fire plan

Israel tentatively welcomed a proposal for a Gaza cease-fire and briefly halted its offensive to allow aid to reach civilians, but also gave the military a green light to press ahead with its assault on Hamas.

Analysis: Obama's challenges in Mideast

One of President-elect Barack Obama's biggest challenges in Middle East policymaking will be to craft diplomatic solutions that do not have unintended consequences.

Reid: Burris may ultimately get Senate seat

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Roland Burris will not likely take Barack Obama's Senate seat until a court in Illinois rules on a dispute surrounding his appointment.

Al-Qaida No. 2 blames Obama for Gaza

Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader lashed out at President-elect Barack Obama in a new message, accusing him of not doing anything to stop Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, according to a monitoring center.

Lovesick teen's boyfriend jailed over murders
A 20-year-old man who helped kill a lovesick girl's family because the two were forbidden to date has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Obama pledges to tackle government spending

President-elect Obama says he'll have to juggle the competing interests of economic stimulus and deficit control, but that restoring general business health must come first.

Coulter ‘delighted' she isn't banned from NBC

After her appearance on TODAY was canceled earlier in the week, conservative author Ann Coulter was on the show Wednesday, speaking out about unwed mothers and "B. Hussein" Obama. She said she was "delighted to hear" she wasn't banned from NBC.

Gaza Palestinians: ‘Everywhere is dangerous'

Msnbc.com's Kari Huus on Wednesday interviewed two young Palestinians in Gaza by phone to hear their accounts of life in the battle zone.