Snake River School Community Library

Abortion-rights backers want quick action from the president-elect, although they may not press for sweeping changes. Obama has said he is looking to find common ground on reproductive health issues.

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Already one of the poorest countries by many measures, Yemen — a nation of roughly 22 million people — has been struck by severe droughts and depleted water supplies in recent years. Some Yemenis are calling the situation a potential time bomb.

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A new political party in Germany has made saving the working class and the country's welfare system rallying points for attracting votes. Die Linke, or the Left Party, is drawing support from mainstream parties with a radical message.

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It's been a rough start for President-elect Barack Obama in his first week back at work in Washington, from violence flaring in Gaza to showdowns brewing in the U.S. Senate. But Obama is staying focused on his economic stimulus plan, even if key Republicans remain skeptical.

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Former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris has said he intends to go the Capitol Tuesday and begin serving as the state's junior U.S. senator. That looks unlikely, however, because the man who appointed Burris, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is facing corruption charges.

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President Bush plans to designate three remote Pacific island chains as national monuments. The move will mark the largest marine conservation effort in history.

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President-elect Obama named former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta to head the CIA and retired Adm. Dennis Blair to be national intelligence director.

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Democrats and President-elect Barack Obama are putting together a short-term stimulus package of up to $1 trillion aiming to jolt the economy and create jobs. It includes about $300 billion in tax cuts for workers and businesses, but it probably won't be on Obama's desk when he takes office.

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On his first full day of work in Washington, President-elect Barack Obama sent his two daughters off to their new school before holding closed-door meetings with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, his economic advisers and a bipartisan group of congressional leaders.

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The Senate swears in new members Tuesday, but exactly who those new members are remains problematic: Democrat Al Franken seems to have won the recount in Minnesota, but could face a court challenge. Roland Burris could be seated from Illinois and New York Gov. David Paterson has yet to put forward a name.

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Some Egyptian ambulances have been allowed into the embattled Gaza Strip, presumably to pick up badly wounded civilians for treatment in Egyptian hospitals. Israeli warplanes and drones remain active along the frontier, drawing fire from Hamas militants.

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President-elect Barack Obama will bring former Clinton administration official and federal budget expert Leon Panetta, 71, back to Washington to head the Central Intelligence Agency. Obama plans to fill the other top intelligence post with a military man: retired Navy Adm. Dennis Blair.

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The heaviest fighting in the Gaza Strip since the 1967 Six Day War is taking an enormous toll on the territory's civilians. The medical system is particularly strained. Medical personnel are struggling under dangerous conditions and with limited supplies.

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Regulators investigated Bernard Madoff's investment fund at least eight times before the scheme was exposed and Wall Street firms have advised against dealing with him for years.

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A recent report on the rise of young black males being killed in the U.S. continues to raise concern among youth, parents and community leaders. Some say the findings reflect a much larger problem, the failure of society on many levels. A roundtable of people directly affected by violence, including two moms whose sons were killed, share their perspective on the crisis.

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Israeli forces launched a deadly ground attack against Hamas this weekend. The move is in response to Hamas firing rockets into southern Israel. Vivian Silver, of Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development in Israel, and Abu Sahmi, of the Palestinian Dialogue Center, discuss the conflict's impact and the divided argument on how peace can be achieved.

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The Apple founder and CEO says he'll stay on during "simple and straightforward" treatment for hormone imbalance.

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President-elect Barack Obama arrived in Washington to get ready for his upcoming inauguration. He's to meet with congressional leaders on his economic stimulus plan Monday. Top Democrats are warning that even if lawmakers move quickly, it could take weeks to get the plan ready to be signed into law.

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At a South Side Chicago church Sunday night, there was an emotional introduction for Roland Burris. He's the man selected to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat in Illilnois. Democrats have vowed not to seat Burris because he was named by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. However, Burris says he's ready for a showdown.

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New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn his nomination to be commerce secretary in the Obama administration. Richardson took his name out of the running amid a federal grand jury investigation into government contracts.

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