Annmarie Fertoli

The Associated Press reports that toxic waste that spilled from a reservoir at a Hungarian refining plant about 100 miles southwest of Budapest on Monday has made its way to the Danube River, and authorities are carefully testing water samples to determine whether the waste could be carried to other countries.

Robert G. Edwards, a professor emeritus at the University of Cambridge, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, for his work developing in vitro fertilization.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has officially resigned from his post, and President Barack Obama has appointed White House senior advisor Pete Rouse to take over as interim chief of staff.

The U.S. Senate has approved a bill that would require companies to regulate the volume on their television commercials.

Anti-austerity demonstrations are taking place throughout Europe, in protest of new government measures designed to prevent another financial crisis.

Placido Domingo has announced he will leave his post as general director of the Washington National Opera when his contract ends next year. The Washington Post reports that Domingo made his announcement during a conference call with the opera's board.

President Barack Obama has signed a $30 billion jobs bill, one he has long advocated for as a way to promote small business growth.

Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert joined democratic debate in a new way today, by testifying before a House subcommittee discussing immigration and farm labor.

President Barack Obama delivered remarks before the United Nations General Assembly this week, discussing Middle East peace talks during speech on Wednesday night, and delivering a longer address to the assembly on Thursday morning.

New York City won't be hiring new firefighters anytime soon, even though city officials say they are needed to keep the city safe. On Friday, the city rejected all five of the hiring plan options laid out by a federal judge. Judge Nicholas Garaufis proposed the alternatives this week to allow the city to hire more than 300 firefighters who took an exam he had ruled was discriminatory.

A fast-moving thunderstorm swept across the New York area late this afternoon, pounding the region with heavy rain and gusting winds that caused considerable damage.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. special envoy George Mitchell are wrapping up a visit to the Middle East for a second round of peace talks this week.

New York City will be able to hire more than 300 firefighters who took an entrance exam deemed discriminatory by a federal judge last month. Judge Nicholas Garaufis says his new ruling is designed to balance the city's public safety needs with concerns over fair hiring practices by the Fire Department. Garaufis has given the city until Friday to accept one of his hiring plans.

President Barack Obama held a news conference at the White House on Friday, fielding questions from the press on topics ranging from the economy to national security to peace talks in the Middle East.

New Jersey's Department of Environmental Conservation has put the entire state under a drought watch. Spokesman Larry Ragonese says it's not an emergency. But the department is requesting that residents and businesses voluntarily cut their water use.

A private New Jersey bus company and union members are back to contract negotiations this week, as their strike enters its seventh day.

About 100 drivers, mechanics and garage personnel who work at a private New Jersey bus company plan to continue their strike. The workers walked out of DeCamp Bus Lines on Thursday over a contract dispute.

President Barack Obama reinforced U.S. support for achieving peace in the Middle East, as Israeli and Palestinian leaders met directly at the White House for the first time in nearly two years this week.

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 13 people following an oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday morning. The oil platform is about 100 miles off the coast of Louisiana.

With waves six to eight feet high, Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen says efforts are on "weather hold," as crews prepare final operations on the damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico.