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President Barack Obama suffered a big setback Tuesday when two of his nominees withdrew their names from consideration for top administration jobs. Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader, pulled his nomination to be secretary of Health and Human Services. Nancy Killefer withdrew her name from consideration as Mr. Obama's chief government performance officer.

State Department employees have snooped inside the passport files of all three presidential contenders. The State Department has apologized and is investigating. Two employees have been fired. The Justice Department is weighing whether a criminal investigation is warranted.

Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, faced tough questions on Iraq from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The three American military contractors who were among the 15 hostages rescued from Colombian leftist rebels have returned home safe. The rescue operation was assisted by quick thinking, acting skills and Che Guevara T-shirts.

France shut down Thursday as the country experienced a general strike. The action, called by eight of the country's biggest trade unions, is intended to protest the effects of the global recession, and to demand that the government make protecting employment its top priority.

President Obama set out to create an administration with higher ethical standards and fewer ties to the lobbying industry in Washington. Obama also set out to assemble the most experienced, plugged in and hyperconnected team of Cabinet members and top-level staffers ever. Were these two goals mutually exclusive?

Kirsty Logan's debut novel follows a traveling circus floating through a drowned world where "damplings" aspire to live on the rare patches of land, and hints of magic provide a fairytale feel.

Fine French cuisine doesn't have to mean waiters in tuxedos ferrying trays of oysters or silver-domed serving dishes. Chef Christian Constant is leading a mini-revolution in Paris; he's opened four small, lively restaurants that are comfortable, welcoming — and delicieux.

DJ and composer Laurel Halo's new album, "Atlas", is a tapestry of slowly-evolving textures — and it was inspired by the nighttime imagery of cities she visited while out on the road.

Jimmy Santiago Baca began writing poetry while he was serving a five-year sentence in prison. His new anthology tells the story of his journey to becoming a celebrated Chicano poet.