While climbing the 349 stairs winding between the Crypt and the top of the Capitol Dome, the water leaks that Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers aims to halt are evident. Pausing about 90 feet above the marble floor of the Rotunda, one can take stock of the light water stains discoloring the walls below the frescoed band, or “frieze,” …

Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass and reporter Jenniffer Weigel discuss whether Michael Jordan’s mansion is worth its hefty price. The NBA legend is asking for $16 million despite a failed auction that listed the minimum reserve price at $13 million.

While the exact age of Maine’s scenic John Bray House may be in question (it dates anywhere from 1662 to the 1740s, depending on who you ask) two facts about the home are well-established. It’s a wonderful old home, and its current owner is yacht rock legend Daryl Hall, who bought and restored the rambling historic spread in 2007.

A Salvation Army kettle was stolen outside Hanes Mall on Tuesday afternoon, according to a spokeswoman with The Salvation Army. The incident happened around 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Belk store entrance at Hanes Mall. The bell ringer was trying to help an elderly woman get her walker through the door. When the bell ringer turned his back, someone stole …

You are planning a get-a-way vacation for your family of five and not quite sure where to stay. You have read feedback reviews from previous travelers, priced out your accommodation options, and just cannot find the perfect place for your family to spend vacation. You have considered Vancouver or maybe, Richmond. You want a kitchen for your week’s stay, which …

We’re at the beginning of a housing recovery. Everyone is sprinting out of the gates to get into the real estate market. Mortgage loan rates are low. Credit is becoming easier to get. The economy, despite dips here and there, continues on a gradual, upward incline. People are feeling more secure in their jobs. Home sales are up in some …

An analysis of a fossil bone suggests Neanderthals may have had the ability to speak, an Australian researcher says. Stephen Wroe of the University of New South Wales, working with an international team, says the researchers were able to determine how the Hyoid bone — a horseshoe shaped structure in the neck — worked in Neanderthals. Wroe said the findings …

This wasn’t the resolution that North Carolina had been hoping for, or the resolution it wanted, but at last it has one, at least. The Tar Heels now know, finally, that P.J. Hairston, the junior guard who led the team in scoring last season, will not be back. “Now we know as a team what’s going on, what the final …

Sex and the City actress Sarah Jessica Parker has hit out at claims that she is considering having surgery to make her hands look better. Sarah was recently the subject of a tabloid article, which suggested that she was thinking about getting her “witch hands” improved, something which made the actress feel physically ill.

Canada’s highest court has thrown out the country’s anti-prostitution laws in a victory for sex workers who said a ban on brothels and other measures made their profession more dangerous. But the supreme court ruling, in a case brought by three women in the sex trade, drew criticism from the conservative government and religious leaders.

After 7+ years as the Daily Show’s “Senior British Correspondent,” John Oliver was given an emotional sendoff during his final episode last night. Jon Stewart apparently tricked him into thinking they were doing a bit on “royal nuts,” and instead pivoted on air into a retrospective of Oliver’s tenure on the show. And Stewart made Oliver’s stiff upper lip get …