Slide show: The week in celebrity sightings: Reese Witherspoon is ready for Christmas, Rihanna spikes the competition, Ben Affleck goes to Africa and more. ›13:11 25 Nov, Tue

Cell phones more distracting than passengers: Mobile phone calls distract drivers far more than even the chattiest passenger, causing drivers to follow too closely and miss exits, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. ›15:46

Grass lawns shrink in Calif. drought: California's ever-growing population and the threat of a prolonged drought could kill the concept of the traditional lush lawn in the Golden State. ›21:18 20 Nov, Thu

NYT: A team for a foreign policy shift: While Obama's hand-picked foreign policy team tend to be more hawkish than the new president, they have all embraced a sweeping shift of priorities in the national security arena. ›10:24

Facebook making Web surfing more social: Facebook is getting ready to take another stab at introducing a Beacon-like feature that allows your Facebook friends to track your Web-whereabouts with a service called Connect. ›18:26

GPS guides Norwegian tourists into trouble in Rio: Three Norwegian tourists came under fire and one was shot after the satellite navigation system in their car guided them straight into one of Rio de Janeiro's most dangerous slums. ›17:07 25 Nov, Tue

John Updike: Laureate of bad sex: The author won a lifetime achievement award from judges of Britain's Bad Sex in Fiction Prize, which celebrates crude, tasteless or ridiculous sexual passages in modern literature. ›21:15 25 Nov, Tue

Cop shoots himself after gun-safety lesson: A top cop mistakenly shot himself in the thigh after giving his daughter a lesson in gun safety, police said. ›11:17 29 Nov, Sat

Bomber slays 10 at Afghan market: A suicide bomber apparently trying to target Afghan police detonated his explosives in a crowded market in southern Afghanistan on Monday, killing eight civilians and two policemen, an official said. ›10:07

Dine-and-dash gang nabbed via Facebook: An restaurateur left holding a hefty unpaid bill when five young diners bolted used the popular social networking Web site Facebook to track them down and they got their just desserts. ›09:45 27 Nov, Thu

Money for babies named after Mussolinis: What's in a name? A little extra cash, if the name is that of Italy's wartime Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini or his wife. ›17:05 25 Nov, Tue

Jewels worn by Winona Ryder vanish: Police in Spain are investigating $125,000 in missing designer jewelry last seen on Winona Ryder at an event on Sunday. ›02:22

Parents paid for babies named after Mussolini: An Italian right-wing party is offering 1,500 euros ($1,930) to parents who name their babies after wartime fascist dictator Benito Mussolini or his wife Rachele, saying their names are under threat. ›19:22 26 Nov, Wed

Is gay the new black?: Gay is the new black, say the protest signs and magazine covers, casting the gay marriage battle as the last frontier of equal rights for all. ›18:53 30 Nov, Sun

Harrell broke two fingers in nine places: Texas Tech officials confirm that quarterback Graham Harrell had surgery to repair nine breaks in two fingers of his non-throwing hand but won't miss any playing time.Tech spokesman Chris Cook confirmed the surgery Monday. He didn't have details on whether Harrell's fingers got caught in a facemask or slammed against a helmet in Saturday's 35-28 win over Baylor.ESPN.com first reported the injury and surgery Sunday on the nation's leading passer. ›20:38

TV listings:

Parents charged in death of chained girl: Manslaughter and child-abuse charges have been filed against the father and stepmother of a teenager who died in a Michigan house fire while chained to her bed. ›20:24

Housewives struggle to recover from fire: The nightclub fire on "Desperate Housewives" may have been put out, but its flames continue to touch lives on Wisteria Lane. ›03:22

Suspect has wild ride with stolen ATM: There's probably an art to stealing and cracking open ATMs. But a man apparently hasn't figured out what it is. ›23:15 24 Nov, Mon

MTVs AIDS awareness campaign turns 10: MTV marks the 10th anniversary of its AIDS awareness campaign this year with an hour-long documentary by singer and Destiny's Child founding member Kelly Rowland. ›16:35 29 Nov, Sat

'Biggest Loser': Blue team turns on Amy: On the 10th week of The Biggest Loser, the contestants learned how to make healthier versions of their Thanksgiving favorites from chef Rocco DiSpirito. In the end Amy and Heba were below the yellow line, and Amy's decision not to send Vicki home last week came back to hurt her and she was sent home. ›13:49 26 Nov, Wed