After snow, a race to get gifts, get home

  Many along the East Coast set out on slick sidewalks and roads to do storm-delayed holiday shopping, while others battled airport lines in frantic bids to get to their destinations for Christmas.

Iran cleric's funeral becomes opposition rally

Senate Dems eye finish line for health bill

A crucial, middle-of-the-night test vote behind them, Senate Democrats prepared Monday for more votes at odd hours in their drive to pass historic legislation to cover the uninsured and curb rising medical costs.

Govt. on track to save $40B in contract costs

Stocks end a day of dealmaking with gains

Another wave of corporate dealmaking carried stocks sharply higher Monday.

  Web stores lure snowed-in shoppers with deals

Celizic: Eli for MVP? It’s not as crazy as it sounds

Celizic: If the Giants beat Washington, Carolina and Minnesota to do it, let me be the first to start the campaign. Eli Manning for MVP.

Giants hit must-win mode Monday night

Family: Murphy was ill days before death

  Brittany Murphy was ill with flulike symptoms in the days before her death and prescription medications were taken from her home, the Los Angeles coroner’s office said Monday.

  Murphy’s husband ‘destroyed’ by her death

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.

Ideal beauty a matter of millimeters, study says

Lavish gadgets for those with rich taste

Is there a technophile on your list with tastes that run a little rich? You may want to consider custom-made PCs starting at $8,000 or an uber-chic cordless phone for $1,100.

Terrific tech gifts for $200 or less

Feds impose 3-hour limit on tarmac strandings

  The Obama administration took aim Monday at tarmac horror stories, ordering airlines to let passengers stuck in stranded airplanes to disembark after three hours.

Airlines add flights for disrupted travelers