Franken pulls closer but Coleman still leads

Democrat Al Franken caught a couple of breaks Tuesday as the recount in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race drew closer to a finish, though not enough to undo Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's persistent lead.

Alert over Web sites touting stem cell therapies
Consumers should be wary of Web sites from clinics that offer stem cell treatments, says a study that found a lack of firm medical evidence to back up their claims.

Wall Street ends volatile day strong
Wall Street absorbed more bad economic news, closing higher as investors shuttled between pessimism about the recession and hopes that the nation might start to see some relief soon.

Attacks in Iraq at lowest since '03

Attacks fell in November to their lowest monthly level since the Iraq war began in 2003, despite recent high-profile bombings aimed at shaking public confidence, a U.S. commander said Wednesday.

What's the new black? 'Mimosa'

Enough gloom and doom: There's a prediction from a leading color source that cheerful and sunny yellow will be the influential color of 2009.

Online retailers see 'Cyber Monday' surge
Online merchants finally got some relief with the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, spurred by a bevy of deals and free shipping offers.

Treasury urged to cut mortgage rates
Financial industry lobbyists are urging the Treasury Department to take steps to lower mortgage rates in an effort to stabilize the housing market.

Experts offer ideas to fix Detroit
Auto industry experts have a wide range of ideas on how to fix the problems facing the Big Three, ranging from higher gas taxes to bankruptcy. Here is a sampling of their views.

India siege raises concerns at U.S. hotels
The deadly attack in India had far-reaching implications for police and private security officials in New York and other U.S. cities.