Israeli Attack Kills Scores Across Gaza  —  GAZA CITY — The Israeli Air Force on Saturday launched a massive attack on Hamas targets throughout Gaza in retaliation for the recent heavy rocket fire from the area, hitting mostly security headquarters, training compounds and weapons storage facilities …

Obama's Down Payment  —  A Stimulus Must Aim for Long-Term Results  —  When President-elect Barack Obama takes office, he will face what may well be the bleakest economic outlook since World War II.  Economic forecasts have been revised significantly downward over the past several months …

Dear Mr. Obama  —  Between now and Jan. 20, the Post-Gazette will publish letters written by local students to President-elect Barack Obama, who will be inaugurated as the nation's 44th president.  They will appear intermittently in the My Generation section.  The following are from fifth-graders at Liberty Elementary School.

Phila. man shot because family talked during movie  —  A South Philadelphia man enraged because a father and son were talking during a Christmas showing of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button took care of the situation when he pulled a .380-caliber gun and shot the father, police said.

NY1 Exclusive: Caroline Kennedy Discusses Senate Hopes, Remembers Her Family  —  For the first time since announcing her interest in assuming Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, Caroline Kennedy opened up in an exclusive NY1 interview Friday about her qualifications for high office as well as private reminisces of her family.

Pak textbooks build hate culture against India  —  Text:  —  The empowerment of terror in Pakistan has not happened overnight.  This is the logical culmination of the politics and policies pursued by Pakistan for years now.  —  Terrorism in Pakistan has its roots in the culture of hate …

Bill Kristol's Year Up at ‘NYT’: Will He Get Axed?  —  NEW YORK Exactly one year ago this weekend the Huffington Post broke the news that, as Jim Morrison might have put it, the Kristol Ship was about to sail at The New York Times.  Much uproar ensued across the blogosphere.

Bush Data Threatens to Overload Archives  —  WASHINGTON — The National Archives has put into effect an emergency plan to handle electronic records from the Bush White House amid growing doubts about whether its new $144 million computer system can cope with the vast quantities of digital data …

Obama Visits Marine Corps Base for Christmas  —  FROM ABC NEWS' SUNLEN MILLER IN HAWAII:  —  President-elect Obama stopped by the Marine Corps base in Hawaii Kaneche Bay where servicemen and -women were eating Christmas dinner in Kailua Thursday evening.  —  “Just wanted to say hi …

After a Season of Cutting, Stores Sweeten Discounts  —  For weeks, reluctant consumers have forced retailers to lower their prices — and lower them again and again — before they even considered opening tight wallets and purses.  —  Now shoppers are expecting even better deals …