Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy choked up Wednesday when addressing the Newtown elementary school shooting that left 20 students dead, and bluntly rejected the notion of putting more guns in classrooms as protection.

POL-Santorum-Hagel-Nomination

Rick Santorum will launch a drive against the nomination of former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as Defense secretary, CNN has learned.

POL-Labor-Secretary-Resigns

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis resigned her post Wednesday, offering no specific reason but that she "enjoyed my first opportunity in years to reflect on the past and my future" over the holidays.

POL-Obama-boys-club

As Democrats in Congress celebrate a historic number of women elected to their ranks, the White House's top ranks reflect a very different picture -- one that is largely male.

POL-State-Clinton

Outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she's "thrilled to be back" after an illness, concussion and treatment for a blood clot sidelined her for more than three weeks.

POL-Fiscal-Cliff-McConnell-Target

A top political adviser to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing back against a series of new on-line ads in McConnell's home state of Kentucky that target the top Senate Republican for helping to negotiate a deal that prevented the U.S. from falling off the fiscal cliff.

POL-Obama-Inauguration-Poet

Richard Blanco, the poet who likes to describe himself as being made in Cuba, assembled in Spain and imported to the United States, will serve as the inaugural poet when President Barack Obama takes the oath of office for a second term this month. Blanco will be the first Latino, the first openly gay person and the youngest poet to serve in the highly coveted role.

MONEY

MONEY-aig-lawsuit

The board of AIG decided Wednesday not to join a shareholder lawsuit against taxpayers which challenges the terms of the bailout that saved the insurer from bankruptcy in 2008. The board did not detail the reasons for the decision, saying it will make that clear in court filings in the coming weeks. But when reports surfaced Tuesday that it was even considering joining the suit, it sparked widespread outrage against the company.

MONEY-Stocks-markets

U.S. stocks rose Wednesday, as investors welcomed an upbeat start to corporate earnings season.

MONEY-gun-stocks-biden

A recent rally in gun stocks hit a snag Wednesday amid talk that Vice President Joseph Biden's Gun Violence Task Force could result in tighter restrictions on firearms ownership in the wake of recent mass shootings.

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Herbalife's stock rallied more than 9% Wednesday, after Third Point, the hedge fund founded by Dan Loeb, said it had taken an 8% stake in the nutritional supplement firm.

MONEY-multilevel-marketing-industry

Lately, all eyes have been on Herbalife, a $4 billion weight loss and nutritional supplement company that hedge fund manger Bill Ackman has attacked as an alleged "pyramid scheme." Herbalife contests those charges, saying its multilevel marketing strategy is above board. But the headlines have brought this huge industry into the spotlight. From lipsticks sold by iconic "Avon ladies" to the popular P90X workout system, multilevel marketing companies represent nearly $30 billion in annual U.S. sales and enlist tens of millions of Americans as independent salespeople. Here's a look at how the industry works.

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