Sorting out NFL pretenders from contenders
Curran: Just which teams vying for the NFL postseason actually have a chance to reach Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla.? Tom Curran is here to sort out the top teams and figure out which are contenders and which are pretenders.

Ship carrying 122 adrift in Antarctic
A cruise ship carrying 122 people is taking on water after running aground in the Antarctic on Thursday but is in no danger of sinking, the Argentine Navy said.

AT&T, DuPont cutting work forces
AT&T Inc. joined the recession's parade of layoffs Thursday by announcing plans to cut 12,000 jobs, about 4 percent of its work force. Separately, DuPont said it will cut 2,500 jobs.

Second-tier jobs will have clout in Obama era

We know who the new secretary of state will be in president-elect Barack Obama's administration. But what about the second-tier appointees who could end up immensely powerful?

Landmark West Hollywood strip club burns

A fire has erupted at the Body Shop, a landmark strip club in West Hollywood, Calif., included in the Motley Crue song "Girls, Girls, Girls."

Police chief, club indicted in boy's Uzi death
A police chief and a gun club in western Massachusetts were indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of an 8-year-old boy who accidentally shot himself.

Zimbabwe declares health emergency

Zimbabwe has declared a national emergency over its cholera epidemic and the collapse of its health system due to the country's economic crisis.

$1 million inaugural package for disadvantaged

A Va. businessman has spent $1 million to bring to Barack Obama's inauguration disadvantaged people, terminally ill patients, wounded soldiers and others down on their luck.

Author, 9, reveals how to pick up girls

Alec Greven isn't yet old enough to shave, but that hasn't stopped him from publishing a book for boys on how to approach the fair sex. "They were having a lot trouble getting girls to like them, so I wanted to write a book to kind of help them," he explained.