Book clubs in search of fresh material should check out this month's fiction round-up. Judging from these three books – two novels and a short story collection – 2011 is off to a great start.
The secrecy around Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s selection of Cathleen P. Black to run the city’s schools highlighted his faith in business leaders and dislike of public debate.
Starting Thursday, Wal-Mart plans to offer free shipping on its Web site, a move that may create an expectation among consumers and a threat to smaller retailers.
AP - Moving quickly, House Republicans are taking another whack at federal spending on the day after a State of the Union address in which President Barack Obama pronounced the country "poised for progress" and beckoned lawmakers of both parties to make job creation their common goal.
AP - Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will be moved to a rehabilitation facility Wednesday morning after doctors upgraded her condition from serious to good, according to the hospital overseeing the Arizona congresswoman's recovery.
AP - In the wake of the deadly bombing of Russia's busiest airport, President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday fired a top official of the country's transport police and lashed out at "passive" officers who guard the country's transport centers.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai inaugurated parliament this morning more than four months after a fraud-filled election, but did so begrudgingly and only after blaming the West for pushing the country to the verge of "chaos." Karzai and his allies, upset at the outcome of the September election and worried about losing candidates responding violently, created repeated roadblocks to today's ceremony, including a special tribunal to investigate fraud that critics said was unconstitutional.
Toyota Motor Corp. announced today it was recalling nearly 1.7 million vehicles worldwide because of varying defects that may cause fuel leakage. Models affected by three separate recalls include the GS Lexus luxury models in North America, the Avensis sedan and station wagon models in Europe, and the Noah subcompact, RAV4 sport-utility vehicle, and Wish cars in Japan.
Sounding a theme of unity, President Obama used his State of the Union address to call for investment in education and clean energy and a freeze in some spending.
Doctors for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords have upgraded her condition from serious to good, and said she may be transferred to a nearby rehabilitation hospital Wednesday morning.
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