NEW YORK

Crude oil futures advanced Monday as sentiment was buoyed on speculation that major central banks around the world would act to tackle the deteriorating global economic conditions.

Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of online retailer Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), and his wife Mackenzie Bezos have pledged $2.5 million to help defend same-sex marriage in Washington state. Will this move affect Amazon as did forays into the culture wars made by Chick-fil-A Inc., Kraft Foods Inc., and other companies?

When Brandi Chastain, a two-time Olympic gold medalist as a soccer player and the current color commentator on coverage of the U.S. women's soccer team, criticized player Rachel Buehler, there's no way she could have known she'd be entering a bit of a battle.

Socialite Paris Hilton apparently has her eye on hip-hop singer and abusive boyfriend Chris Brown, according to Radar Online. Even though Brown has a girlfriend, Hilton tweeted photos of the two partying together in France and has allegedly told a source that she is interested in the singer.

Durant was on his game from beyond the arc on Sunday

Skeet Shooter Kim Rhode hit 99 of the 100 targets she faced Sunday en route to a gold medal in women's skeet, tying the world record for the event. She also became the first American to win medals for an individual event at five consecutive Olympic Games and the first woman to win three Olympic gold medals in shooting. At only 33 and with five medals already under her belt, she appears poised to dominate the sport in the 2012 London Olympics and in Olympic Games to come.

A U.S. district judge in Colorado on Friday issued a three-month temporary injunction to prevent the Obama administration from enforcing its requirement that a small business in the state provide its workers with insurance coverage of contraceptives without co-payments.

Exciting moments and major surprises have already marked the London 2012 Olympic Games, which were only in their first full day on Saturday.

It’s no secret New York lobbied pretty hard to host the 2012 Olympic Games, currently taking place in London. Plans were drawn up for new stadiums, and construction even began on several projects designed to draw the International Olympic Committee’s attention. But what would a New York-hosted Olympics look like?

Earlier this month, the NEA announced the second round of grants for its ambitious nationwide initiative dubbed Our Town, in which its provides funds to struggling neighborhoods for the purpose of investing in theater, dance, music, writing and visual art.

After Odd Future member Frank Ocean came out with an account of his first love, a male, this month, responses to the rhythm-and-blues singer's acknowledgment of his sexuality have been overwhelmingly positive. With one notable exception: Chris Brown, another R&B singer.

The U.S. women's basketball squad was able to overcome the Croatia team in its London Olympics opener Saturday by a score of 81-56. The U.S. women played a mostly dull game, despite winning by almost 30 points. Just a week ago, the Americans beat the Croatians by a 54-point margin.

It's only the first full day of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and the U.S. has already earned its first gold medal: American swimmer Ryan Lochte took home the gold for swimming in the 400-meter individual medley.

Some blame oil. Others blame a loss of pleasure in the roads. Researchers call it “peak travel.” Whatever the reason, one thing's clear: Americans are not driving their cars as far away from home as they used to.

Big spending is alive and well at Saratoga, and it's part of why people keep coming back.

Democratic Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have demonstrated appeal across party lines, and, with the end of their respective terms in office approaching, they both could be moving up the political food chain.

In 1969, a musician known only as Rodriguez released the critically acclaimed album, "Cold Fact." The Detroit-born artist then vanished with hardly a ripple. The new film "Searching for Sugar Man" is an attempt to uncover what happened to the talented singer/songwriter.

Chris Brown was seen kissing former girlfriend Rihanna while each of them was on a vacation in St. Tropez, France. They were seen kissing each other openly while they were partying on a Malaysian businessman’s yacht, according to the New York Daily News.

Although most fans will probably focus on how Olympians perform during the events, many of the athletes themselves look forward to the Olympic Games as much for the "social" activities as for the competition.

The Hill's 50 Most Beautiful People list was released this week, with U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., making the list. The list is heating up the debate over who's sexier: Republicans or Democrats?

The now-infamous theater monologist has reworked the purported expose on Apple manufacturing for a three-week run at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, D.C. And it goes without saying that not everyone is happy about the reboot.