Victim's kin sue in Wal-Mart stampede death
The family of a worker trampled to death in a "Black Friday" crush of bargain hunters at a Long Island Wal-Mart store claims in a lawsuit that store ads offering deep discounts led to "crowd craze."

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.

Judge affirms 'millennium bomber' sentence

A federal judge in Seattle on Wednesday re-imposed a 22-year sentence on an Algerian convicted of plotting to bomb the Los Angeles airport at the turn of the millennium.

Obama names Richardson to Cabinet

President-elect Barack Obama named Bill Richardson as his choice for commerce secretary on Wednesday, after passing over his vanquished Democratic rival for secretary of state.

10 wonders in a winter wonderland

Is it really true that no two snowflakes are alike? Get the cold, hard facts on that question and nine other scientific puzzlers posed by the winter season.

World's oldest pot stash totally busted

Nearly two pounds of still-green plant material found in a 2,700-year-old grave in the Gobi Desert has just been identified as the world's oldest marijuana stash, according to a paper in the latest issue of the Journal of Experimental Botany.

California Democrat considered for trade job

Rep. Xavier Becerra, a strong proponent of labor protections in free trade pacts, is in discussions with the Obama transition team about taking the job of U.S. trade representative.

UAW open to contract concessions

The United Auto Workers said Wednesday it is willing to change its contracts with U.S. automakers to do its part to help the struggling companies secure $34 billion in loans.

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.