For many of us more than half of annual weight gain occurs between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Some studies say the average American puts on up to 5 to 7 pounds in these few weeks. And it's no wonder if you count up the cookies, cakes and cups full of eggnog we just can't say no to at holiday parties.

African-American women are at the greatest risk of dying from pregnancy-related complications, largely because they tend to forego prenatal care, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) -- Usually, big-name authors plug their books on a nationwide book tour. President Barack Obama took a lower-key approach Friday, reading selections from his new children's book to a group of delighted second-graders in suburban Virginia.

Senate Democrats deflected an initiative by Republicans on Saturday that would have forced U.S. and Russian negotiators to reopen an arms treaty reducing stockpiles of nuclear warheads.

If taxi drivers take the advice of New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers President Fernando Mateo, Mateo might not be able to catch a cab if he wears a hoodie this winter in New York City .

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A further decline in the number of people applying for unemployment benefits capped a strong week for the economy.

ROCKY MOUNTAINS, N.C. (AP) -- Brianna Balmer takes the bus to school just like thousands of students in the Nash-Rocky Mount school district every day.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A massive bipartisan tax package preventing a big New Year's Day tax hike for millions of Americans is on its way to President Barack Obama for his signature Friday.

PHOENIX (AP) -- Bank of America Corp. violated Arizona's consumer fraud law by misleading consumers trying to get home loan modifications, state Attorney General Terry Goddard said Friday as he filed a civil lawsuit against the bank.

BUNGAY, England (AP) -- The founder of WikiLeaks said Friday he fears that the United States is preparing to indict him, but insisted that the secret-spilling site would continue its work despite what he claims is a dirty tricks campaign.