autos |  | 
General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner, steps from a Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid car Wednesday, at his hotel in Washington after driving from Detroit to testify at Congressional hearings on the auto industry bailout.
General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner, steps from a Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid car Wednesday, at his hotel in Washington after driving from Detroit to testify at Congressional hearings on the auto industry bailout.
By Gerald Herbert, AP
travel | 
The brazen pirate attack this week on a cruise ship in the Gulf of Aden wasn't a fluke.
news |  | 
The Pixies, Itzhak Perlman, Ludacris, Brad Paisley, Madonna and Yo-Yo Ma wouldn't share a marquee.
holiday |  | 
Budget-conscious gift-givers are on the hunt this year.
Advertisement
Dow NASDAQ S & P 500
Financial markets
© BigCharts

Featured video

Play Video
Play Video
Switzerland hosted the Santa world championships.
Play Video
Play Video
Scientists trick mind into perception it owns another body.
Play Video
Play Video
Authorities want Simpson to get 18 years in prison.
More: Video

Only on USA TODAY

Readers discuss curbing their holiday spending.
People's memoirs. Six words. Surprising results.
The songwriter is making a 'Spectacle' of himself.
The sport's biggest event takes over Las Vegas.
Sean Miller keeps the No. 14 team focused.
BCS on Fox going 3-D in theaters.
More

Holiday gift guide

What's the point of having pets if you can't give them goofy gifts? But we all know pet gifts are mostly for the pet owners. We take a look at a few of varying prices.

Blogs

Oprah rents out Kennedy Center for inauguration.
Holiday miracle: A rare PGA Tour pro-am bargain.
Inventive ways to be generous -- even now.
Hear Whitney's new podcast, get gift ideas and more.
Expect more pirate attacks on cruise ships, says expert.
Obamas hit the gym, but what do they eat to stay slim?
More

Opinion

The Big Three automakers return to Washington with refined plans and renewed promises. Even so, under normal circumstances, a bailout wouldn’t even be on the table. Yet these are indeed unique times, and that should be the premise for any forthcoming aid.
More

Interactive graphics

A flurry of seasonal specials, from Shrek to Frank Capra.
Vote for your favorite weather photos of 2008.
Database of every NFL player's pay back to 2000.
More

Shop USA TODAY

In response to the popularity of our sell-out Nov. 5 issue, we're selling additional copies for $4.95 each. Get your piece of history.

More News

Health
news | 
By Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY
Radiologists detected more abnormalities on CT scans when a patient's photo was attached, a new study shows.
health |  | 
The federal government has concluded that the state's care system is stubbornly out of step with modern mental health practices.
health |  | 
Don't send the kids away just yet, but new research shows that an empty nest can help mom and dad's marriage.
health |  | 
Consumers should be wary of websites from clinics that offer stem cell treatments, says a study that found a lack of firm medical evidence.
Entertainment industry
news |  | 
By Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY
People are strange in this year's Sundance Film Festival list. The slate of competition films was announced today by festival organizers.
people |  | 
The folk singer who gave life to songs by workingmen and slaves, influenced musicians like Bob Dylan and Harry Belafonte.
news |  | 
Frost/Nixon star Frank Langella says he's not playing Richard Nixon -- he's playing us.
Politics
politics |  | 
AFP/Getty Images
Late-night talk show ribbing aside, the multigenerational Obamas could help make extended families visible again.
president |  | 
First lady Laura Bush says she and President Bush will have a house in Dallas after leaving the White House.
election2008 |  | 
By Gregory Smith, AP
Former Republican presidential candidate had a message for his party's leadership, still licking its wounds after the November election.
Sports
sec |  | 
Tommy Tuberville is out as Auburn's coach. He was notified around 4 p.m. of his dismissal during a meeting with the athletic director.
redsox |  | 
The Red Sox have agreed to terms with AL Most Valuable Player Dustin Pedroia on a six-year contract worth $40.5 million, the AP reports.
raptors |  | 
By Allen Fredrickson, Reuters
The Toronto Raptors have fired coach Sam Mitchell one day after the team absorbed an embarrassing loss at Denver.
Across the USA
nation |  | 
The oldest prison inmate, a career criminal who was the first person to make the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list twice, has died at 92.
globalwarming |  | 
The Energy Department reports U.S. greenhouse gases emissions increased in 2007 by 1.4% after a decline in 2006.
energy |  | 
Motorists in Kansas City and its Missouri suburbs enjoy some of the nation's lowest gas prices.
nation |  | 
Arkansas child welfare officials seized six more children from the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries.
Sustainable travel
ski |  | 
By Andrew Wilz, AP Photo
A group that grades the environmental friendliness of ski areas in the West says 53 of the 83 resorts it reviewed boosted their scores.