A second Indonesian earthquake struck near the city of Padang Thursday as the death toll rose to at least 529. Some residents, fearing aftershocks, sought safety outside despite monsoon rains.
AP - Capping months of struggle, Democrats pushed health care legislation atop President Barack Obama's agenda to the brink of a major Senate advance early Friday after last-minute changes to ease the impact on working-class families. The most far-reaching overhaul in decades aims to protect millions who have unreliable insurance coverage or none at all.
AP - Medical teams, search dogs, backhoes and emergency supplies were flown into the devastated western coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island Friday to bolster frantic rescue attempts for thousands buried by a powerful earthquake.
AP - In a quick dash of salesmanship, President Barack Obama is in the Danish capital, putting his personal powers of persuasion on the line to boost Chicago's Olympics bid.
It isn't clear whether the United States will ever be able to declare victory in Iraq, the top U.S. commander there said Thursday. "I'm not sure we will ever see anyone declare victory in Iraq, because first off, I'm not sure we'll know for 10 years or five years," Army Gen. Ray Odierno told reporters at the Pentagon.
"Late Show" host David Letterman told his audience Thursday that he'd had sexual relations with members of his staff and that he revealed those liaisons during testimony for a case involving an attempted extortion. "I had to go downtown and testify before a grand jury," Letterman said, according to a release from his production company.
The International Olympic Committee was preparing Friday to elect a host city for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, a prize so sought-after that presidents, sports legends and royalty have turned out to lobby for their country's candidate city.