Study: Life span tied to location

Major inequalities in health and life expectancy persist worldwide, according to an independent World Health Organization commission.

Fannie Mae unveils management shakeup

Mortgage-finance company Fannie Mae  on Wednesday announced a management shake-up in an effort to come to grips with mounting credit losses and a shrinking capital base.

Anxious freshmen meeting first on Facebook

Filled with going-to-college angst, many incoming freshmen spent plenty of time this summer soaking up campus life and getting to know their roomies and classmates first on Facebook.

McCain: No VP pick yet

The Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting John McCain sought to siphon attention from Democrat Barack Obama's show in Denver by playing coy about his pick for vice president.

New Orleans faces evacuation

National Guard troops stood ready and batteries and water bottles sold briskly as the New Orleans area watched a storm march across the Caribbean on the eve of Hurricane Katrina's third anniversary.

Japanese women shy from dual mommy role
As Japan's birthrate keeps dropping, experts worry about women's growing willingness to do without children - or childish husbands.

Gustav may raise gas 15 cents a gallon

Oil prices shot above $120 a barrel and then pulled back as traders bet the government would tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve if Tropical Storm Gustav disrupts production.

NYT: Stadium scene poses political risks
NYT: On Wednesday, workers were still making changes to Invesco Field so it would feel more intimate, less like the boisterous rallies that served Mr. Obama well in the primaries but created a celebrity image that dogs him.

Marine eyes Iraq to Afghanistan shift
The top U.S. Marine officer said he could reduce his 25,000-strong force in the former al-Qaida stronghold in Iraq to reinforce military operations against a growing Taliban threat in Afghanistan.