Dec. 4, 2009 Palestinian protest, National Christmas Tree lighting, Roman Polanski's house arrest, Philippines massacre and more.

Get up close and personal with famous faces, including George Clooney, Natalie Portman, Brooke Shields and other celebrities.

As states slash support and stimulus dollars are funneled through targeted grants, local governments must simultaneously give pink slips to veteran employees and opportunities to fresh recruits.

After the 3,000 West Point cadets heard President Obama's plan for Afghanistan, they faced questions on whether they would have to fight and why they would want to.

As nations prepare for the Copenhagen summit to halt climate change, the Netherlands is leading a fight of a different kind: How to live with it.

Some towns received as little as 1 inch of snow, while others got 4 or more, during the season's first winter storm.

President Obama and the first family help to illuminate tree on Ellipse, south of the White House grounds.

Today's highlights in political events from across the country.

West Texas country doctor Chester Todd has practiced medicine for 47 years. He has two medical offices: one at his home, where he treats patients day and night, and a clinic two minutes down the road, in Rocksprings, Tex., population 1,285. Dr. Todd is the only physician in all of Edward County, and most of his patients do not have private health insurance.

The National Zoo announces that its popular panda cub, Tai Shan, will be sent to China at the beginning of 2010.

The 83-year-old writer, composer, director, actor and producer becomes a Kennedy Center Honoree.

A look at the career of the revered actor and director, one of this year's Kennedy Center Honorees.

Adored by critics and revered by his fans, Bruce Springsteen adds another highlight to his career when he receives a Kennedy Center Honor Sunday night.

On the day he turns 89 Dave Brubeck will be a recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor, just another award that confirms his status as the great living jazz legend.

Legendary opera singer Grace Bumbry broke down racial barriers and set standards in a genre, where during the early years of her career, she was one of very few minorities.

Sparks didn't immediately fly for Mohammed Soleimani and Shahrzad Rostami, but his persistence would eventually win her over.

Alexander Semin scores twice and sets up two more to help goalie Semyon Varlamov and the Capitals to a 6-2 victory despite the absence of their superstar player.

This week's events from around the world.

The White House prepares for the holiday season with extravagant decorations, a charitable initiative and edible landmarks.

Amid charges of marital infidelity, golfer Tiger Woods, known as one of the world's most private and image-conscious sports stars, finds his personal life exposed and scrutinized like never before.

Today's highlights in political events from across the country.

In the Auto-Tune era, DJs and clubgoers eschew Top 40 for vintage sounds from Otis Redding to James Brown to Tina Turner.

A Giant panda cub gets a checkup, a macaque drinks cola and a snake takes a picture with girls are among this week's animal stars.

The Hubble Space Telescope's newest images show a violent and awesome universe where stars far outshine our humble earth.

Diminutive guard Earl Boykins leads the Washington Wizards past the Milwaukee Bucks , 104-102.

Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Biden, hosts a holiday gathering for a group of fifth- and sixth-graders from the SEED School of Washington, D.C., and W.W. Burrows Elementary School on Marine Corps Base Quantico. The event is the first of its kind at the vice president's house. Vice President Biden was not on hand -- he was at work.

Williard Wigan, a micro-sculptor, recently visited Prince George's Community College to discuss his works of art, many of which fit inside the head of a sewing needle. An exhibition called "Art in the Eye of a Needle: Micro-sculpture by Willard Wigan" is on display at the Parish Gallery in Georgetown through Jan. 23.

Schools in the D.C. area are being pushed by parents to craft programs for an increasing number of students with Asperger syndrome or other forms of mild autism. People with the condition have difficulty interpreting and adjusting to social cues and situations.

Whether you're just starting or just finishing your holiday shopping, we've got you covered. Here are our picks for some of the best gift ideas in town.

President Obama announced that he wants to send 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan by the middle of next year and start withdrawing American forces from the country by July 2011.

Today's highlights in political events from across the country.

Lots of retail giants stock piles of identical pendants and glitzy cocktail rings. But an undercurrent of lesser-known designers and local boutiques are focusing on the elusive One Great Piece. Here, a sampling of these splurge-worthy baubles.

While making gift lists, consider toys that will get kids off the couch and on their way toward the 60 minutes of daily physical play recommended for all children and adolescents.

Details continue to trickle out about Virginia couple Michaele and Tareq Salahi and the president's state dinner.

Audubon Naturalist Society and Habitat for Humanity team up to build rain gardens that will filter storm water on new developments they are building in northeast D.C. The rain gardens cut down storm water runoff by about 70 percent, according to one study.

The Redskins, seeking their fourth win of the season, lose to the Eagles in an NFC East Division game Sunday in Philadelphia.

Med Grow Cannabis College in Michigan teaches students how to grow medical marijuana, which was legalized in the state by referendum in November 2008. Some in the state have questioned the legality of the school, and officials will meet in December to discuss the issue.

In the search for a better life for her children, single mother Daverena White took a chance on a $698,000 home. But circumstances soured from there. Her story is one of an America in the midst of a relentless real estate boom.

Smith Island, once a home to watermen and crabbers, is looking to a new industry to help sustain itself: Baking Maryland's official state dessert.

D.C. police officer Richard Carter was hurt in the line of duty working British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's motorcade in March. Now he's working his way back to health.

About 1,000 mourners gathered at the Washington Hebrew Congregation in Northwest Washington to remember the former Wizards owner.

Skiers can hit the synthetic slope year-round at Liberty University's 5,000-acre mountain in Lynchburg, Va., which offers the only Snowflex Centre in the United States.

President Obama welcomed Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the first state visit of Obama's term. The two leaders discussed building future relationships between their countries and celebrated with a state dinner at the White House.

Venturing out before sun rise, Washington area shoppers lined up for hours to get the best deals on laptops, flat-screen televisions and other retails goods the day after Thanksgiving.

Kenny Farnsworth called 911 hundreds of times -- sometimes daily. Was he part of the health-care problem, or a result of it?

After facing many challenges, Ruhi Ali's crush on family friend Awaiz Mirza would eventually blossom into real love.

In July, Quantico welcomed 310 officer candidates for training, some for whom this always was the goal, some looking to find their direction in life. Only 249 would remain by summer's end.

The NCAA and the NFL provided their own servings of entertainment on Thanksgiving Day.

After three years, the 18 households at 3121 Mount Pleasant St. NW control their building through a tenants cooperative.

The Capitals end their three-game skid with a 2-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on a night where Alex Ovechkin is issued a game misconduct.

They are not an ordinary pair, a gray-haired man of 66 who is battling lung cancer and an ebullient sixth grader who loves animals and Harry Potter. But they have been a family of two since Keke was an infant.

Multiple Christmas trees, including the official one for the White House's Blue Room, started their journey on a farm in West Virginia.

Thanksgiving traditions at the White House date back centuries, the most famous being the turkey pardon. The first presidential turkey pardon originated with President Harry S. Truman in 1947 and has since become a White House tradition.

A panda walking on two legs and swans riding a boat to their winter home are among this week's animal stars.

A look at this week's amazing moments in sports.

Dapper looking penguins with their tuxedo-like feathers have become a leading indicator of what's happening to the planet.

Abe Pollin, who shaped much of the Washington sports scene by bringing pro basketball and hockey to the area, died Tuesday at age 85.

The nation's rising unemployment has afflicted young African Americans at greater rates than any other socioeconomic group, reaching Great Depression proportions and accelerating a reversal of hard-won economic gains of the 1990s.

Michael Jackson won four posthumous awards, Taylor Swift took home top honors and Adam Lambert brought some controversy to Sunday night's American Music Awards in Los Angeles.

Today's highlights in political events from across the country.

Area elementary school students test out toys to see which are best for this gift-giving season in KidsPost's annual toy test.

Just weeks after Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly went on a shooting rampage that left 13 people dead and 37 others wounded, some battalions must start looking ahead to an impending deployment to Afghanistan.

Cleveland Park's historical Tregaron Estate opens to the public after decades of battles between private owners and the forest's neighbors.

The Redskins went to Dallas seeking their first NFC East victory of the season.

Census of Marine Life scientists have inventoried 17,650 sea creatures that have never known sunlight living nearly three miles below the sea. Scientists used deep-towed cameras, sonar and other technologies to find the species.

The adoptions of three dozen children were finalized in front of hundreds of family members, social workers and lawyers during the annual event.

In this bleak economy, the lines are growing long at organizations like Martha's Table, a nonprofit in the District where a record number of people wait each day for a bit of something -- food or clothing or medicine -- to see them through.

Mounted police, colorful floats and musical groups march through downtown Silver Spring on Nov. 21 for the annual event.

The Caps' late comeback bid falls short after Mike Green's shot caroms off the post.

A funeral was held Friday for the 9-year-old shot in his Columbia Heights apartment.

Few honors rival that of being invited to dine at the White House and through the years, presidents have used state dinners as a means of bringing dignitaries, celebrities and -- most importantly -- countries, together.

As a young black man with a passion for flying, Colin Banks is an anomaly. A senior at South Country Secondary School in Virginia, he has his sights on the U.S. Air Force Academy and dreams of becoming an Air Force fighter pilot.

As the entertainment industry powerhouse announces the end of her successful afternoon talk show, we look back at her years in broadcasting.

A few days after first meeting, Hagir Elawad and Medhat Ismail decided they'd found life partners in each other.

Researchers have been increasingly recognizing play as crucial to a child's social and emotional development and at schools like Oakridge Elementary School in Arlington, Va., preschools have been incorporating structured play into their programs.

Missoula native Melissa Meyer never expected that she would return home to Montana to rethink her future plans. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from George Washington University, moving home has become an unexpected time out to rethink future plans and the various roads she could take in the coming year.

Explore sculptures, scenes and slides created from two million pounds of ice at the Gaylord National Resort.

Today's highlights in political events from across the country.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis arrived at the International Space Station for a one week stay to repair the outpost.

Lucrative slash-and-burn farming practices in the Indonesian island of Borneo are uncovering and drying out carbon-rich peat moss, causing fires that burn for weeks and gush carbon into the atmosphere.

Jeanne-Claude, well-known for large-scale, temporary art projects that she created with her husband, Christo, died Wednesday of complications after a brain aneurysm.