Obama came just short of threatening the Senate, saying he would "consider" seating his nominees during the recess if Republicans continue to block his nominations.

It's not as far-fetched as you might think. Mark McKinnon and Myra Adams on how Supreme Court retirements could persuade the secretary of State to take a high court seat.

American Idol insiders tells Richard Rushfield that despite the media rumors this week, Howard Stern is not in the running to replace Simon Cowell as a judge on the show.

The opposition is taking to the streets, Ahmadinejad is rallying his side with nuclear brinksmanship—and the clashes on the republic's 31st anniversary could spell civil war. By Reza Aslan.

The year's tightest race is Meryl Streep vs. Sandra Bullock for Best Actress. Nicole LaPorte reports on Bullock's "calculated" kiss and how Streep never gets dressed up for the Oscars.

The coming health-care summit is just the latest example of how the president prefers public discussion of problems to rolling up his sleeves and fixing them. By Lee Siegel.

Can spending $40,000 on a coach help your kid get in? Kathleen Kingsbury talked to admissions officers about what goes on behind the scenes—and exactly who is pulling the strings.

The murder of a 12-year-old maid, believed to have been killed by her employer, has stunned the country. But from corruption to honor killings, Fatima Bhutto says the rich always get away with it.