Scoop: Spears' tour gets off to shaky start

According to Us Weekly, Britney Spears just doesn't have the work ethic she used to and it's affecting her upcoming tour.

Cubans pin hopes on Obama

In central Havana, many people hope that President-elect Barack Obama will do something — almost anything — to help end the official hostilities between Cuba and the U.S.

U.S.: Dozens of insurgents killed in Afghanistan
Forces from the U.S.-led coalition killed 32 armed insurgents during a clash in eastern Afghanistan, the military said Wednesday.

Airlines start '09 with wave of sales

A wave of fare sales has spread across the airline industry in the early days of the new year as the weak economy continues to put pressure on carriers to fill seats even after they drastically reduced capacity and some expressed willingness to cut more.

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.

CBO sees record $1.2 trillion '09 deficit
The U.S. federal budget deficit will hit an unparalleled $1.2 trillion for the 2009 budget year, according to grim new Congressional Budget Office figures.

Obama taps chief performance officer
President-elect Barack Obama promised Wednesday to scour the federal budget to "put government on the side of taxpayers and everyday Americans."

Stores fear holiday sales may stick

Shoppers are getting used to those 75 percent off sales, and that's bad news for merchants who worry they will also have to quickly slash prices on spring goods to attract customers.

Rare gathering: Bush, Obama, 3 ex-presidents

An entire generation has gone by since the nation last saw this tableau of American history: every living U.S. president together at the White House.