The incredible deals and the promise of a quick, luxurious getaway in places like the Caribbean have long been a huge draw, pulling millions of Americans into the staterooms and teak-lined decks of ships run by mega-companies like Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
The cruise industry is already as big and ostentatious as the ships [...]

There is a new look at the fastest growing and shrinking cities in America, based on U.S. census data released today. The fastest growing city with a population of more than 1 million: Gilbert, Arizona, which grew 43 percent from April 2000 to July 2004. At the bottom of the list is Detroit, Michigan, [...]

In Washington, money is power, and lobbyist Jack Abramoff brought bags of it. He hit the jack-pot peddling influence to Indian tribes and spread the spoils to Republican power brokers like Ralph Reed, former head of the Christian Coalition, Grover Norquist, architect of the K Street Project, and the Hammer, House Majority Leader, Tom [...]

Time Magazine said today that it would comply with a court order to hand over the notes from a story Matt Cooper wrote about CIA officer Valerie Plame. The New York Times, whose reporter Judith Miller also faces possible jail time, said it was “deeply disappointed” by Time’s decision.
Both Cooper and Miller stand to [...]

Steven Spieberg’s adaptation of “War of the Worlds” opens in theaters across the country today. The original novel by H.G. Wells detailed an alien invasion in Victorian England, a subversive undermining in the golden age of the British Empire.
Orson Welles created the infamous 1938 radio broadcast, which sent listeners into a state of panic when [...]

President Bush addressed the nation yesterday, stressing the importance of “completing the mission” in Iraq but offering no timetable for U.S. disengagement.
His statements marked the one-year anniversary of official Iraqi sovereignty. Many saw the speech as an attempt to shore up public support for the war, which has steadily declined as insurgency attacks continue and [...]

The government’s fight against corporate corruption suffered a major setback when a jury in Birmingham, Alabama found HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy not guilty on 36 counts of fraud and money laundering. This was after more than half a dozen former Healthsouth executives testified as part of their plea bargains that Scrushy took part in [...]

President Bush faces one of the biggest challenges of his second term as he tries to reassure the public and troops at Fort Bragg, North Carolina that his administration is not disconnected from reality in Iraq. With public opinion polls showing that up to 60 percent of Americans are unhappy with the war’s progress, [...]

Two-and-a-half-years ago, the space shuttle Columbia exploded on reentry, killing its seven crew members in a stark reminder of the dangers of space travel. NASA is scheduled to return to space with the July launch of its orbiter Discovery. But yesterday’s announcements by an advisory panel were hardly the boost of confidence NASA was [...]

With polls showing popular support for the war in Iraq floundering, President Bush will address the nation and urge Americans to steel their resolve. The President will speak in Fort Bragg, North Carolina on the one-year anniversary of the formal transfer of sovereignty to Iraqis.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan says the President will try to [...]

China is moving to tighten its grip on the world’s oil supplies. Last week the China National Offshore Oil Corporation bid $18.5 billion for the American oil company Unocal. China’s goal: to make sure it has access to enough oil to keep its economy racing forward.
Energy demand is transforming China’s foreign policy and that makes [...]

When we think of nature, we don’t usually think of Hawaiian forests trampled by feral pigs or dog food-eating brown tree snakes. But in a world where no corner is spared, nature isn’t as pristine as we would like to think.
In a new book, senior editor for Discover Magazine Alan Burdick says that nature’s intruders [...]

President Bush and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had strong words for Iran today. Addressing reporters, the leaders emphasized the importance of a tough, unified front on Iran’s nuclear program.
The statements come at a tense time for all nations involved. President Bush has expressed skepticism about the legitimacy of Iran’s recent elections. Iranian President-elect, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [...]

Joshua Redman’s got the world swaying to his saxophone. The New York Times called Redman one of the most visible jazz musicians today. He’s a natural improviser, a strong band leader, and, at age 36, an articulate spokesman for jazz. He’s fusing jazz and funk, stepping over musical boundaries to chart his own path, while [...]

In 1998, writer Michael Cunningham struck pay dirt and took home a Pulitzer with “The Hours.” The Virginia Wolfe-infused novel was adapted for the big screen and actress Nicole Kidman won the Oscar for her performance.
Now, Cunningham is back with a new novel called “The Specimen.” It is made up of three novellas stitched together [...]

At the White House today, President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al Jaafari stood side-by-side reaffirming their commitment to defeat the terrorists in Iraq. The meeting coincided with news of another suicide bombing in Falluja that killed two Marines and left another thirteen wounded.
But in spite of the continued violence and falling support [...]

Throughout much of human history, marriage has had very little to do with love. In prehistoric times, it had more to do with building tribal alliances and turning enemies into kinfolk. People married for economic and political gain. Then in the 18th century with the “Love Revolution,” the concept of marriage took an entirely different [...]

The golden years of retirement are supposed to be full of time with the grandkids, cruises around the world, indulging in those hobbies you never had time for at work. But that was then. Retirement now isn’t what it used to be. For one thing, more people are choosing not to retire at all [...]

Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” is perhaps the most famous American painting. The portrait of the balding, stern farmer, wearing round glasses, hayfork in hand, hatchet-faced woman at his side, has been reproduced and parodied countless times. Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor famously struck the American Gothic pose at the end of each episode of “Green [...]

Mammograms, prostate tests and other preventative health care tests are meant to keep us well. Conventional medical wisdom says that if you detect the bad things early, you can nip them in the bud and enjoy a long, healthy life. Dr. Nortin Hadler disagrees.
In a new book, Hadler, a Harvard-educated physician, argues that many routine [...]