Carnival Triumph passengers have fewer rights than air travelers (+video)

Talking about love: Valentine's Day tales from around the world

11:20 am ET - From love-letter scribes for hire in Mexico to the perfect place to escape romantic expectations in Japan, Valentine's Day takes many different forms.

• Opinion: This Valentine's Day, a call to avoid the pitfalls of credit-score dating
• Valentine's Day: Is dating at work a good idea?

From preschool to high school, Obama seeking big progress in education

6:14 pm ET - This week the president announced ambitious plans for universal preschool access and high school curriculums tailored to the 21st century, but are Congress and the states interested?

Iran nuclear talks: Will they veer off course?

6:09 pm ET - Meeting in Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry and EU foreign-policy chief Catherine Ashton underscore their preference for a diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear program.

• Terrorism & Security: One step forward, one step back on Iran's nuclear program

Why Republican delay isn't likely to stop Chuck Hagel confirmation

7:56 pm ET - Republican senators blocked a vote on the nomination of Chuck Hagel to be Defense secretary. But they acknowledged that the situation could be different in a few days.

Spain's King Juan Carlos fights new pressures to abdicate

2:53 pm ET - Beloved monarch who helped lead Spain to democracy now beset by royal scandals, bad economy. 

State of the Union 101: How much in Medicare cuts did Obama put on table?

6:00 pm ET - Obama didn't offer as much in savings from Medicare cuts as did the Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction commission. But his State of the Union message outlined ways to shave a good chunk of change from Medicare costs. Here's how.

Ethiopia airs jihadi film amid sensitive Muslim protest trial

12:25 pm ET - The strategic Horn of Africa country is one-third Muslim and two-thirds Christian; why is its state-TV ginning up religious tension?

Immigration reform's tough call: illegal immigrants married to US citizens

4:44 pm ET - Illegal immigrants who want to legalize their status must leave the country for as many as 10 years to apply. That's too harsh on those who marry spouses who are US citizens, critics say.

• Decoder Wire: Immigration reform: how Republicans may gain more than Democrats, after all

American-US Airways $11 billion merger: What's in it for travelers

3:50 pm ET - Analysts say there could be a modest rise in airfares after the American-US Airways merger, but service and amenities should improve, and the industry is still very competitive.

Why gun ownership among US women is climbing

1:15 pm ET - Fifteen percent of America's women own guns – a small but pronounced increase from six years ago, a recent poll found. Personal safety is the motivation, but some argue that a gun at home makes women less safe.

‘Grand bargain’ on deficit reduction: RIP?

6:24 pm ET - President Obama's State of the Union address did nothing to address the nation's long-term fiscal imbalance, say deficit hawks. But Republicans share the blame. 

Progress Watch
In US, big strides in reducing domestic violence

4:48 pm ET - The rate of partner-to-partner violence dropped 64 percent between 1994 and 2010, a Justice Department report has found. The trend, almost unnoticed, stems from a broad shift in attitude toward domestic violence.