U.S. Will Push Mortgage Firms to Reduce More Loan Payments

Only a tiny fraction of mortgages have been permanently reduced under a $75 billion program for troubled homeowners.

The Safety Net: Food Stamp Use Soars Across U.S., and Stigma Fades

A program once scorned as a failed welfare scheme now helps feed one in eight Americans and one in four children.

Pakistan?s Leader, Under Pressure, Cedes Nuclear Office

President Asif Ali Zardari handed over his position in the nuclear command structure to his prime minister, in a sudden maneuver widely seen as a fresh sign of turmoil.

Health Care Savings Could Start in the Cafeteria

A start-up company is aiming to help companies lower medical costs by offering employees healthier diets.

Afghans Detail Detention in ?Black Jail? at U.S. Base

A U.S. camp is holding inmates for sometimes weeks at a time, without access to the International Committee of the Red Cross, researchers and former detainees say.

South Carolina Rift Highlights Debate Over G.O.P.

Some Republicans in South Carolina are questioning the conservative bona fides of Senator Lindsey Graham.

White House Intruders Want Money for Their Tale

The aspiring reality-TV stars who finessed their way into a state dinner are trying to cash in on their notoriety.

At This School, It?s Marijuana in Every Class

A six-week primer focuses on the history, the horticulture and the legal how-to?s of medical marijuana in Michigan.

Speculation Fills Gap Left by Tiger Woods?s Silence

Public relations experts believe that the longer Tiger Woods waits to address the news media about his Friday morning car crash, the greater the possibility that his reputation could suffer.

Villagers Rushed to Help in Frigid Russian Crash

The Russian train bombing took place in an area so remote that people from nearby towns got to the site hours before rescue workers.

New Jersey Man Shoots Family, Killing His Son

A man chased down and shot his wife and their two young sons in northern New Jersey ? killing one boy ? before he was fatally shot by an off-duty police officer, police said.

To Prepare for War, G.I.?s Get a Dress Rehearsal

In Louisiana, training scenarios in mock Afghan villages are created from intelligence reports fresh from the front.