‘Sound of Music' hotel hits sour note

The Austrian city of Salzburg has blocked plans to open a hotel in a former home of the von Trapp family immortalized in "The Sound of Music" after protests by neighbors.

Conservatives form rival to Episcopal Church
Theological conservatives upset by the liberal views of the Episcopal Church are forming a rival denomination.

Expert: Tebow has earned a second Heisman

Expert: Two months ago, I didn't think it was possible. And now? It might be inevitable. Somewhere, Archie Griffin is hearing footsteps. Yes, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow deserves to win another Heisman Trophy.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

China forces AIDS activist to return home

A Chinese AIDS activist said Wednesday that she was forcibly taken back to her rural home after participating in World AIDS Day in Beijing.