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David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., discusses General Motors' recent troubles.

Our founding myth suggests the Americas were a lightly populated wilderness before Europeans arrived. Historian Charles C. Mann compiled evidence of a far more complex and populous pre-Columbian society. He tells John Ydstie about 1491.

President Bush is on his way home from a four-country tour of Asia. His last stop was in Mongolia, where he expressed thanks for that country's contribution to the Iraq war effort. He also praised Mongolia's movement toward democracy and a more open economy.

Jazz singer Dianne Reeves has received a lot of exposure recently through her singing in the film Good Night and Good Luck. Before the movie, she already had a devoted following after winning Best Jazz Vocal Performance Grammys for each of her last three recordings. Reeves is about to go on national tour with her Christmas Time is Here show. Some of the cities it will be stopping in: Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Toronto.

Drugmaker Merck faces more than 7,000 lawsuits related to its painkiller Vioxx. The first of four federal Vioxx trials is slated to begin Tuesday in Houston. The case involves a 53-year-old Florida man who had a fatal heart attack in 2001 after a month on Vioxx.

The first federal trial over the painkiller Vioxx begins Tuesday in Houston. Pharmaceutical company Merck has defended its handling of the drug in two previous state cases, losing one of them. Merck withdrew Vioxx from the market last year after a study showed that the drug posed heart risks.

Confessions on a Dance Floor, the new CD from Madonna, represents her renewed devotion to dance music. The songs echo propulsive disco favorites of the '70s, updated with Madonna's flair for the dramatic.

Major U.S. newspapers continue to cut staff to offset disappointing revenue. But recent layoffs and buyouts at two newspapers owned by the Tribune Company prompted editorial cartoonists to protest. The cartoonists fear the cost-cutting measures may signal the end of an era for their profession.

It will be very difficult for Sunnis to support the constitution as it is, according to Ghassan Attiyah, director of the Baghdad think tank the Iraq Foundation for Development and Democracy. But Attiyah also predicts Sunnis may not be able to muster the votes to defeat it in the coming referendum.

The prospect of holiday parties fill some with dread. But mastering the art of small talk can make conversations with strangers more enjoyable. Debra Fine shares her tips for getting through holiday parties unscathed.