Yahoo! News: Science News
Milky Way — the galaxy — not snack-sized anymore (AP)

This undated hand out artist rendering provided by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics shows the latest view of the Milky Way's structure. Our Milky Way galaxy may not be the snack-sized collection of stars astronomers have long thought it was. (AP Photo/Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Robert Hurt, Mark Reid)AP - Take that, Andromeda! For decades, astronomers thought when it came to the major galaxies in Earth's cosmic neighborhood, our Milky Way was a weak sister to the larger Andromeda. Not anymore. The Milky Way is considerably larger, bulkier and spinning faster than astronomers once thought, Andromeda's equal.
Mars rover mission reaches 5th anniversary (AP)

In this April 13, 2005 iimage provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory shows a synthetic image of the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover on the flank of 'Husband Hill' that was produced using 'Virtual Presence in Space' technology. Five years after the NASA rover Spirit landed on Mars, the six-wheel robotic geologist and its twin, Opportunity, are still on the job. Expectations were far lower when Spirit bounced to the surface in a cocoon of airbags on Jan. 3, 2004, followed 21 days later by Opportunity: The goal was to try to operate each solar-powered rover for at least three months. (AP Photo/NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory)AP - Five years after the NASA rover Spirit landed on Mars, the six-wheel robotic geologist and its twin Opportunity are still on the job.
More small quakes rattle Yellowstone National Park (AP)
AP - More earthquakes are rattling Yellowstone National Park.
Exploiting nature to cut mosquitoes' life short (AP)

This undated handout file photo provided by the Agriculture Department shows an aedes aegypti mosquito on human skin. Old mosquitoes usually spread disease, so Australian researchers figured out a way to make the pests die younger - naturally, not poisoned. Scientists have been racing to genetically engineer mosquitoes to become resistant to diseases like malaria and dengue fever that plague millions around the world, as an alternative to mass spraying of insecticides. (AP Photo/USDA, File)AP - Old mosquitoes usually spread disease, so Australian researchers figured out a way to make the pests die younger — naturally, not poisoned.
Exercise Improves Old Brains (LiveScience.com)
LiveScience.com - The moment of truth has arrived, again. The holidays have passed, the leftovers are dwindling and you have renewed your annual New Year's resolution to get back into shape... for real. Don't worry, you are not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 63 percent of Americans have a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25 (defined as overweight), while a quarter are greater than 30 (obese).
The Nation's Weather (AP)

National Summary: Yet another major Pacific storm will slam into the Northwest, providing rain and high elevation snow from the Cascades through the Intermountain West and Great Basin. More precipitation is expected along the Gulf Coast, while the Northeast remains cold.AP - Storms swirled over the Northwest and Gulf Coast early Monday, dumping snow from Washington to Northern California and promising wind-swept showers for the Southeast.
Milky Way spins faster, has more mass than thought: astronomers (AFP)

This 2004 NASA Spitzer Space Telescope shows an infrared image of a nearby spiral galaxy that resembles our own Milky Way. The Milky Way, the Earth's home galaxy, is spinning much faster and has a mass 50 percent larger than previously believed, raising the probability of a collision with another galaxy, according to a report out Monday.(AFP/NASA/File)AFP - The Milky Way, the Earth's home galaxy, is spinning much faster and has a mass 50 percent larger than previously believed, raising the probability of a collision with another galaxy, according to a report out Monday.
Bush leaves legacy of ocean protection (McClatchy Newspapers)
McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — President George W. Bush on Tuesday will create three new marine monuments in the Pacific Ocean to protect the deepest place on Earth, some of the last pristine corals and sanctuaries for vanishing marine species.
Ancient Fossil Suggests Origin of Cheetahs (LiveScience.com)
LiveScience.com - A nearly complete skull of a primitive cheetah that sprinted about in China more than 2 million years ago suggests the agile cats originated in the Old World rather than in the Americas.
Putin orders cuts to Europe-bound gas supplies through Ukraine (AFP)

A pressure-gauge set on a gas pipe covered with snow at the gas-compressor station in the Ukrainian city of Boyarka, near Kiev on January 2, 2009. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered gas giant Gazprom to start cutting supplies to Ukraine bound for European consumers in response to Kiev's alleged siphoning from pipelines.(AFP/File/Sergei Supinsky)AFP - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered gas giant Gazprom to start cutting supplies to Ukraine bound for European consumers in response to Kiev's alleged siphoning from pipelines.
Genes Predict Chances of Breast Cancer's Spread (HealthDay)
HealthDay - THURSDAY, Jan. 1 (HealthDay News) -- In a finding that could help doctors fine-tune breast cancer treatments even further, a new study confirms that there are genes that increase the likelihood that the disease will spread throughout a woman's body.