Stores fear holiday sales may stick

Shoppers are getting used to those 75 percent off sales, and that's bad news for merchants who worry they will also have to quickly slash prices on spring goods to attract customers.

Walters: Oklahoma can silence Big 12 critics with win

Walters: Oklahoma has an opportunity to validate every verbal bouquet tossed the Big 12's direction this season. The Sooners, losers themselves of four consecutive BCS bowls and no strangers to the "Over-rated!" chant, take on a Florida squad that is as fast and deep as anyone in the nation. And that might as well be playing a home game.

Ice storm in Northeast, floods in South

Storms had people on edge across the U.S. Wednesday, with ice and freezing rain  in the Northeast, flooding and power outages in the South and the Pacific Northwest watching for avalanches.

CBO sees record $1.2 trillion '09 deficit
The federal budget deficit will hit an unprecedented $1.2 trillion for the 2009 budget year, according to grim new Congressional Budget Office figures.

Melamine found in more U.S. infant formula
The FDA says the industrial chemical melamine and a byproduct cyanuric acid have now been detected in four of 89 containers of infant formula made in the United States.

Even guys cuddle their sweethearts' clothing

As many as three-quarters of women and two-thirds of men say they snuggle with shirts and other clothing worn by someone dear, but not near, researchers reported.

Bad economic news helps stocks end day worse
Bleak outlooks from Time Warner, Intel and Alcoa combined with more evidence of rising unemployment to send stocks to end sharply lower Wednesday.

India: Mumbai gunmen directed by phone
"We have three foreigners, including women," the gunman said into the phone.

Obama pledges to curb spending

President-elect Obama says he'll have to juggle the competing interests of economic stimulus and deficit control, but that restoring general business health must come first.