Boeing wins, union approves new contract
SEATTLE/NEW YORK - Boeing's machinists narrowly approved a crucial labor contract that secured thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of economic activity for Washington state but will cost workers their pensions. Full Article
Early days of Obamacare bring trickle, not flood, of patients
NEW YORK - U.S. medical providers are seeing only a trickle of patients newly insured under President Barack Obama's healthcare law, as insurers, hospitals and doctors try to work out any hitches in coverage.
As lira slides, Turkey's ruling party scrambles
ISTANBUL - Turkey’s ruling AK Party has relied on its economic record to keep the support of many Turks. But the sudden worsening of the economy -- just before local and national elections -- has eroded a pillar of the party’s stability. Full Article
Pre-K may help parents more - and that's okay
Bill de Blasio, New York City's new mayor, has pledged to provide full-day pre-K for all 4-year-olds in the city. The problem with this effort is that it promises too much regarding children’s skills and glosses over what it can do for the earning potential of parents. Commentary
How the USSR charmed Britain's Iron Lady
LONDON - Britain has shed light on Mikhail Gorbachev's audacious bid to save the ailing Soviet Union, publishing previously secret documents showing his attempt to forge better ties with the West during the depths of the Cold War. Full Article
BlackBerry sues Ryan Seacrest's company
TORONTO - BlackBerry said it had filed a lawsuit against a company co-founded by "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest that offers a physical keyboard that can be attached to some of Apple's touchscreen iPhone 5 models. Full Article
Pricing of cars dash Cuban hopes
HAVANA - Cubans awoke on Friday for the first time in half a century with the right to buy new and used vehicles from the state without special permission, but markups of 400 percent or more quickly dashed most people's expectations. Full Article | Video
Bone-chilling cold grips Midwest, Northeast
Jan. 4 - Frigid temperatures and strong winds batter the Midwest and Northeast as arctic chill sets in after major snow storm. Linda So reports.
Latest Headlines
Why Christmas should be on a weekend
For the sake of the U.S. economy, Christmas should be observed on a weekend, preferably Saturday. See the charts
Universal preschool may help parents more than kids -- and that’s okay
Bill de Blasio, New York City's new mayor, has pledged to provide full-day pre-K for all 4-year-olds in the city. The problem with this effort is that it promises too much regarding children’s skills while glossing over what it can do for parents. Commentary
Don’t belittle Congress’s attempts to enhance mineral production
America’s reliance on foreign mineral commodities is impeding growth, and in some cases it is jeopardizing our national security. Congressional testimony, federal agency publications, and news coverage all provide ample evidence of this. Commentary
The Times advances the NSA's amnesty-for-Snowden trial balloon
In urging leniency for Snowden, the Times editorial page is urging leniency for a specific news-pages source, which the editorial doesn't directly state. If that doesn't define enlightened self-interest, nothing does. Commentary
An empire dies slowly
For all the lavishness of Putin's $50 billion Olympic splurge, the events will take place not just on the bones of ancestors, but on the still crumbling infrastructure of a Soviet empire that money and hard power cannot rebuild. Commentary
How 2013′s partisanship hurt us abroad
Militants gained strength from Syria to the Sahel over the course of 2013. Republicans and Democrats, however, remained focused on winning their daily messaging battle in Washington. Commentary
Will Snowden's disclosures finally rein in the NSA?
The Church Committee in the mid-1970s revealed serious intelligence abuses and lawbreaking in the NSA. But the agency has largely been able to evade serious consequences or restrictions after the earlier revelations. Commentary
Asia's pampered pooches
As wealth rises in Asia, owners are spending more on products to feed and spoil their dogs. Video
Retailers go to pot in Colorado
The world's first state-licensed marijuana retailers legally permitted to sell pot for recreational use to the general public opened for business in Colorado. Slideshow