Khaleeq Ahmad, who was educated in the U.S. and London, says he returned to Afghanistan as director of a telecom company because he owed it to his home country. He's hopeful that other professionals will return and help improve the country's diminished infrastructure.

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Missouri has gone for McCain, ending the state's 50-year string of support for the winning presidential candidate. Sen. John McCain's unofficial margin over President-elect Barack Obama: 3,632 votes.

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The woolly mammoth is the first extinct mammal to have its DNA sequence deciphered. Scientists used hair that was found frozen in the Siberian permafrost, some for tens of thousands of years.

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DNA tests on mummies raise new questions about China's Uighurs, many of whom claim western heritage. China insists the Uighurs have East Asian heritage.

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On Thursday, Democrats in the House will vote on whom they want to lead the Energy and Commerce Committee. The face-off is a battle between two legislative titans in Congress: current Chairman John Dingell, from Michigan, and California Rep. Henry Waxman.

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Tempers flared in Iraq's parliament hall Wednesday as lawmakers debated whether to ratify a new security agreement with the United States — one that calls for the withdrawal of American forces by the end of 2011.

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U.S. automakers seem unlikely to secure $25 billion in emergency loans from Congress. But a new debate has emerged over the possibility of a planned or "pre-packaged" bankruptcy filing.

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Gregg Sherrill, chairman and CEO of the auto parts manufacturer Tenneco Inc. talks to Melissa Block about problems with the auto industry. His company has been hit hard by the financial problems of GM, Chrysler and Ford. He supports a bridge loan for the companies.

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Embattled Sen. Ted Stevens concedes after coming up short in a tight race for re-election to Alaska's Senate seat. How are Alaskans greeting the news that Stevens is out after 40 years in office?

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Senators on the Judiciary Committee had mostly favorable reactions to news that Eric Holder is likely to be President-elect Obama's choice for attorney general. But some potential stumbling blocks remain.

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The Dow Jones industrial average closes below 8,000 points for the first time since March 2003.

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The pioneering operation used a section of windpipe engineered in a laboratory with adult human stem cells. Engineering new tissues and organs from stem cells has long been sought as a solution to overcome a chronic shortage of donor organs.

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If confirmed, the former Senate majority leader would fill what may be one of the most important Cabinet posts, given the emphasis the Obama campaign put on the need for affordable health care during the election.

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President-elect Barack Obama is expected to nominate Eric Holder as attorney general. Holder, who served as deputy attorney general during the Clinton Administration, would be the first African American to hold the top position at the Justice Department. A close family friend of Holder shares her thoughts on the Washington lawyer.

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CEOs from GM, Ford and Chrysler appear Wednesday before the House Financial Services Committee. Rep. Barney Frank, the committee's chairman, has drafted legislation extending the $700 billion rescue program to Detroit's Big Three automakers. He talks with Steve Inskeep about how the plan works.

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The United Nations is warning that hundreds of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip face severe shortages of fuel and food because Israel has sealed the borders. Israel allowed a minimal amount of aid into the coastal territory on Monday before reclosing the borders citing Palestinian rocket and mortar fire. The informal truce between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, has all but collapsed.

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Hundreds of Tibetan exiles have convened in Dharamsala, India, to discuss a new China strategy. China has warned against any efforts at Tibetan independence. Earlier this month, the Dalai Lama acknowledged that talks with China to win greater autonomy had not been successful. Robbie Barnett, a professor of Modern Tibetan Studies at Columbia University, tells Renee Montagne why that comment is significant.

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Executives from Detroit's Big Three automakers are back on Capitol Hill — appearing before a House committee Wednesday. They pleaded with the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday for a $25 billion lifeline. They warned of a national economic catastrophe should they collapse, resulting in millions of layoffs. The said the severe economic downturn was the reason they needed aid.

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The world's biggest automaker says it will stop production at all U.S. and Canadian factories for two days next month. Toyota's assembly, transmission and engine plants will close in late December as the company tries to work through excess inventory. The Japanese carmaker is in much better financial shape than its U.S. rivals, but sales of Toyota's vehicles also are plunging.

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In the U.S. Senate race in Alaska, Democrat Mark Begich has claimed victory over six-term Republican incumbent Ted Stevens. The Anchorage Mayor's victory moves Senate Democrats within two seats of a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority. Senator-elect Begich tells Renee Montagne that he won because Alaskans were ready to focus on the future.

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