2 cops ambushed, shot in Wash. state

Authorities in Washington state say a man has died and two Pierce County sheriff's deputies have been critically injured in a shooting outside Tacoma.

  In Ireland’s cuts, a ghost of America’s future?

NYT: Dems face challenge to merge health bills

  Deep divisions over abortion are the party’s biggest obstacle to combining the Senate and House bills, which also differ on a public plan and how to pay to expand insurance coverage.

  In Ireland’s cuts, a ghost of America’s future?

Stocks end a day of dealmaking with gains

Another wave of corporate dealmaking carried stocks sharply higher Monday.

  In Ireland’s cuts, a ghost of America’s future?

Giants hammer ’Skins, keep playoff hopes alive

The Giants kept themselves in the postseason hunt Monday night with one of the most lopsided victories in the long, storied series against their NFC East rival. New York scored on six of its first seven possessions and controlled every facet of the game in a 45-12 win that wasn’t as close as even that margin of victory would indicate.

Cavaliers hand Suns their first home loss

Scoop: Murphy put on good face, source says

While Brittany Murphy's parents remain in a state of shock following the actress' death, sources say the actress put on a good face for her folks as she struggled to make her career “a huge success.”

Murphy autopsy finds no signs of trauma

Blood test tells gender of fetus early as 5 weeks

Parents usually have to wait until the end of the first trimester of pregnancy to find out whether they're expecting a boy or girl. But a new blood designed to screen for medical conditions reveals the gender as early as five weeks. It's also raising ethical questions.

  NYT: Dems face challenge to merge health bills

Cosmic Log: The year in space

Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: The highest highlight of 2009 was the revival of the Hubble Space Telescope. Or was it? Weigh in on the top stories of the past year and 2010's top trends.

Are traveler-friendly rules realistic?

DOT Monday announced new airline consumer protections, but it’s questionable whether airlines will be physically able to comply with the rules under certain circumstances.

Feds impose 3-hour limit on tarmac strandings