For Young President, Flecks of Gray
By HELENE COOPER
For a guy who prides himself on a stress-free demeanor, the changes above President Obama’s temples may be speckled evidence of the strains of the job.
Stephen McGee for The New York Times
Job and population losses have drained Pontiac. Kay Stevens, center, came two years ago because she had heard there were opportunities. She is homeless now.
The State of Michigan is expected to take over Pontiac, a city that seems to be crumbling around those who live there.
U.S. Sets Big Incentives to Head Off Foreclosures
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
The Obama administration began an ambitious effort to help troubled homeowners, offering lenders and borrowers big incentives and subsidies.
Unlucky or Unwise, Some Borrowers Are Left Out
By JOHN LELAND
The president’s housing rescue plan does little for borrowers who have had major jolts to their income, or who owe more than their home’s value on loans over $729,750.
A 2nd State Lets Doctors Lend Help in Suicide
By WILLIAM YARDLEY
Assisted suicide becomes legal in Washington on Thursday, but dozens of hospitals are not expected to participate, and even supporters say they do not foresee a rush of requests.
California Ban on Same-Sex Marriage Has Its Day in Court
By JESSE McKINLEY and JOHN SCHWARTZ
For opponents of the ban, passed by voters in November, the three-hour California Supreme Court hearing is both a critical legal test and a moment to rally their forces.
Wine May Lower the Risk of a Rare Esophageal Cancer
By RONI CARYN RABIN
Three recent studies find that wine drinkers have lower rates of esophageal damage, which can lead to cancer, but experts say more research is needed.
Gruesome San Francisco Death Becomes International Mystery
By JESSE McKINLEY
With American and French authorities on the case, questions surrounding the death of Hugues de la Plaza remain unanswered.
Drug Approval Is No Legal Shield, Justices Rule
By ADAM LIPTAK
The Supreme Court said a drug company is not protected from injury claims merely because the government had approved the products and labeling.
- Text of Opinion (pdf)
Obama Chooses Emergency Manager for FEMA
By GINGER THOMPSON
W. Craig Fugate, Florida’s emergency manager, has been nominated to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency and improve its reputation.
Multimedia
Interactive Feature: Picturing the Inauguration: The Readers’ Album
Photos from NYTimes.com readers in Washington and around the world.
Interactive Map: A Growing Detention Network
A map showing facilities where people detained on suspicion of immigration violations are being held.
Interactive Feature: Casualties of the Afghan War
A listing of the 563 American service members who have died in Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those deaths, 510 occurred in Afghanistan or are directly linked to the war. (August 7, 2008)
Casualties Climb in ‘Forgotten’ War 
Interactive Feature: Faces of the Dead
An interactive look at the American service members who have died in Iraq.
Readers' Comments
Be a Fisher Poet
The Times is inviting readers to submit original verse that addresses the current economic downturn, exploring the relationship of work to a way of life and a geographical place.
Audio and Photos
Post a Verse
You’re Dead? That Won’t Stop the Debt Collector
By DAVID STREITFELD
Next of kin usually have no obligation to assume debts owed by the deceased, but collectors may still call.
Multimedia
After Being Laid Off, an Unexpected Career Change
After Mark Cooper lost his job, a managerial position with a Fortune 500 company, he took a $12-an-hour position as a janitor.
California Drought Drives Up Joblessness
Across the Central Valley, towns are seeing some of the worst unemployment in the country, with rates three and four times the national average.
National Columnists
Complete Coverage
Times Topics in the News
MOST POPULAR - U.S.
- For a Weekend, Fishermen Measure Haul in Verse
- Drug Approval Is No Legal Shield, Justices Rule
- Short of Dentists, Maine Adds Teeth to Doctors’ Training
- Stimulus Spurs Road Projects, Big and Small
- Release of Memos Fuels Push for Inquiry Into Bush’s Terror-Fighting Policies
- For Young President, Flecks of Gray
- On the White House: To Keep in Touch, Obama Picks Up the Phone
- Memos Reveal Scope of Power Bush Sought in Fighting Terror
- Alan Landers, Winston Man, Dies at 68
- Dartmouth Selects Its New President From Harvard
- Jobless Angry at Possibility of Losing Out on Benefits
- Forced Down the Job Ladder, From Executive Pay to Hourly Wage
- The Geography of a Recession
- States Begin Spending Stimulus Money
- Supreme Court Enters the YouTube Era
- U.S. Is a Vast Arms Bazaar for Mexican Cartels
- Struggling States Look to Unorthodox Taxes
- Suit Seeks to Force Government to Extend Benefits to Same-Sex Couples
- Scandanavian Nonbelievers, Which Is Not to Say Atheists
- Rewards for Students Under a Microscope
New books at
Free trial - print edition on PC.
Subscribe today to The Times