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The mortgage giant sought to buy influence in Washington with discounts given to lawmakers and their aides, a new House report concludes. It also says Countrywide may have "skirted the federal bribery statute."

President Obama has been accused of appeasement by both political supporters and foes. Liberals says he's been too willing to compromise. Republicans say he's not doing enough to constrain U.S. enemies in the Middle East, specifically Iran. At a news conference Thursday, Obama said, "Ask Osama bin Laden ... whether I engage in appeasement."

Two recent explosions and the unlikely capture of an American stealth drone have left a flood of questions — but very few answers — in Iran. Was it the action of Israel? Has a covert war already begun? Iranians are unnerved, feeling that the country is constantly under attack.

There's a battle taking place between various conservative factions in Iran as the country prepares for parliamentary elections on Friday. The candidates seeking broad changes have been barred from running, with many in jail or under house arrest.

The L.A. musicians played for thousands and saw Venezuela's "El Sistema" music education up close.

The science fiction icon, who also wrote such classics as The Martian Chronicles and Something Wicked This Way Comes, died Tuesday. Bradbury was known for his futuristic tales — but he never used a computer, or even drove a car.

Egyptians began two days of voting to elect the nation's first president since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. The polling comes days after an Egyptian high court dissolved the country's first freely elected parliament and the election now reflects the deep divisions in the country that has been unsettled since its revolution last year.

Vanderbilt University is enforcing a rule requiring student groups to accept anyone who wants to join, and allow all members to run for leadership positions. The policy creates a dilemma for faith-based organizations: Either drop requirements that leaders hold certain beliefs, or forfeit school funding and move off campus.

Egypt's tourist industry is crucial to its economy, and the number of visitors has fallen off sharply this year. Islamists are now expected to hold a majority of seats in parliament, and some have suggested banning alcohol and segregating beaches by sex.

Consumers are clawing through coupons and prowling the "deal blogs" in search of the ultimate discount. For retailers, though, technology can make the last full shopping weekend before Christmas a bit bloody.