Mexican drug cartels are smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States to grow marijuana farms inside a U.S. national treasure, authorities say. A raid this week found $1 billion worth of the plants in the Sequoia National Forest. "These aren't Cheech and Chong plants," a top official says. "This is about serious criminal organizations."

Stocks surged Friday afternoon, with the Dow industrials rocketing up more than 300 points, as oil prices resumed their decline, sinking over $4 a barrel to three-month lows, and the dollar extended its rally against major currencies.

tanks and warplanes, and he accused Russia of targeting civilians as tensions over the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia appeared to boil over into full-blown conflict. The United States is calling for an immediate cease-fire.

A troop "surge" is credited with stemming violence in Iraq, but could a similar strategy work in Afghanistan? A top U.S. military commander isn't counting on it.

China opened the 29th Olympic Games on Friday with stunning fireworks as the Asian nation kicked off the biggest and most scrutinized Games in history.

After spending a night in jail, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick faces new felony charges even as a judge ruled Friday that he could go free if he wears a tracking device and doesn't leave town.

A bus crash in northern Texas killed at least 12 people Friday, a police spokesman said.

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Does a candidate's selection of a running mate improve his standing in the polls? In other words, is there a "veep bounce"?

Call our politicians and tell them to stay on vacation. Call the caribou roaming in Alaska and tell them they're safe. Call the Saudi king and tell him what you really think of his oil.