Top headlines:

Worst Week star Erinn Hayes is pregnant: Hayes, 32, tells PEOPLE exclusively that she and her husband, construction superintendent Jack Hayes, 34, planned the pregnancy to coincide with her characters. Im nothing if not an opportunist, jokes Hayes. ›02:41

Obama designer Pinto sticking to Chicago: Despite being a Michelle Obama fashion favorite, Maria Pinto stresses that her clothes are for real women, not just ingenues who are here today and gone tomorrow. This may be why the Chicago-based designer hasn't campaigned to become a household name. ›20:46 5 Jan, Mon

Indian airline fires 9 overweight crew members: Nine flight attendants who couldn't meet the weight standards of India's national airlines have been fired, an official said Tuesday. ›17:15 6 Jan, Tue

Feds approve gas drilling plan for Montana: The Bush administration has approved a plan that could allow more than 18,000 natural gas wells to be drilled in southeastern Montana over the next two decades. ›14:20 31 Dec, Wed

No trial for elderly Nazi hit man: A German court ruled Wednesday that an elderly former Nazi hit squad member is medically unfit to stand trial for the World War II reprisal killings of three Dutch civilians. ›20:05

Europe shivers as Russia cuts gas shipments: Russia shut off all gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine on Wednesday leaving more than a dozen countries scrambling to cope during a winter cold snap. ›15:26

Prosecutors list Madoff's alleged bail violations: Prosecutors said in court documents that disgraced financier Bernard Madoff sent packages containing at least 16 watches and a diamond necklace to family members over the holidays. ›16:33

Video: From the fall of Saigon to halls of Congress: Jan. 6: Louisiana Congressman Joseph Cao is the first Republican in more than a century to win the seat representing New Orleans, marking an extraordinary journey by a man who toppled a political giant and bucked conventional wisdom in the process. NBC's Ron Mott reports.(Nightly News) ›00:11

Engineer: Ash spill warning signs ignored: The nation's largest government-run utility ignored two small leaks that could have provided a warning years before a Tennessee coal ash pond collapsed, a former federal regulator contends. ›23:35 6 Jan, Tue

Headphones play MP3s without a player: A new model of headphones can play MP3s themselves, without connecting to a separate device. ›21:27

Keep the shuttles flying? Itll cost you: A draft NASA report says that extending shuttle operations to 2012 would cost $5 billion, but keeping the fleet flying until 2015 would cost $11 billion and severely impact the agency's exploration plans. ›02:09

Is your sofa toxic? Switch to eco-furniture: Your couch may look harmless, but theres a good chance that its emitting harmful chemicals into your home. If you're ready to bring safe, green design home, GreenDAY's Marisa Belger advises you to start slowly. Here's how. ›22:10 5 Jan, Mon

German polar bear Flocke gets company: Nuremberg's celebrity polar bear cub, Flocke, has a new friend: a Russian bear. ›14:25

Swayze faces cancer bravely: Patrick Swayze says his yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer put him through hell while he pushed ahead on his new TV series. ›22:29 6 Jan, Tue

How to get rich from your Big Idea: In his new book, Donny Deutsch, the host of CNBC's "The Big Idea," shares what he's learned from his own life experiences and from the experiences of his guests to help guide you to creating your own enterprise. An excerpt. ›14:32

Ex-astronaut emerges as NASA prospect: Former astronaut Charles F. Bolden Jr. is emerging as a lead candidate to head NASA in the Obama administration. ›21:15 6 Jan, Tue

Endangered right whales reveal key secret: Scientists think they have identified a new wintering area and a possible breeding ground in the Gulf of Maine for the endangered North Atlantic right whale. ›18:33 31 Dec, Wed

Apple cuts iTunes pricing, eases copy protection: Apple is cutting the price of some songs in its market-leading iTunes online music store to 69 cents and plans to begin selling all tracks without copy protection. ›18:19 6 Jan, Tue

Oil plunges on worries about demand: Energy prices plunged across the board Wednesday after a government report showed U.S. oil reserves were much greater than expected, suggesting demand continues to fall. ›20:15

TV listings:

Video: Gaza hospitals overwhelmed: Jan. 6: Doctors at Shifa, Gaza's under-equipped main hospital, are straining to keep up with the onslaught of mostly civilian victims. NBC's Martin Fletcher reports.(Nightly News) ›23:54 6 Jan, Tue

The 2009 Weird Science Awards: Far out, man! Check out tales of ancient marijuana use, four-eared cats and other winners of the Weird Science Awards for 2009. ›02:57

Nine eliminations on 'The Biggest Loser': The season 7 premiere of The Biggest Loser had a lot of milestones the heaviest team to compete on the show, the heaviest man and the heaviest woman, as well as the oldest contestants. The format also changed: With the exception of two couples, every team had to send a member home. ›14:01

Mantyhose: Not your moms pantyhose: A growing number of men from construction workers to athletes and businessmen have found a passion for pantyhose, claiming they're for support, comfort and aesthetic purposes. Luckily, there are now pairs made specifically for men so they don't have to ravage their wives' or girlfriends' dressers to nestle into a pair of nylons. ›20:28