msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines

Coast Guard: No oil sheen from Gulf explosion

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 23:14:07 GMT

The Coast Guard is backing off its earlier report that an oil sheen about a mile long was spreading following a platform explosion in the Gulf of Mexico.

Gulf of Mexico - Oil spill - Oil platform - Environment - Energy

Earl weakens but rain, waves hit N.C. islands

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 23:48:22 GMT

Hurricane Earl has weakened further but it's still a Category 3 storm with 115 mph winds bearing down on North Carolina's coast, the National Hurricane Center warned Thursday afternoon.

National Hurricane Center - Tropical cyclone - Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale - Meteorology - U.S. National Hurricane Center

Are you in the hurricane zone? Send images, stories

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:51:49 GMT

Send your images and stories from breaking news scenes.

Run on Afghan bank's deposits reported

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 19:07:33 GMT

The Afghan president's brother confirms to NBC News that Kabul Bank funds were used to buy villas in Dubai but urges the U.S. to step in to prevent a financial panic.

Dubai - Afghanistan - United States - Kabul Bank - Asia

More bombs found in Discovery standoff case

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 21:52:50 GMT

Four more explosive devices tied to the suspect in the Discovery Channel standoff were found at a residence in Montgomery County, Md., authorities told NBC News on Thursday.

Discovery Channel - NBC - United States - Montgomery - Counties

Woman in acid attack recounts agonizing pain

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 23:29:32 GMT

Bethany Storro had just bought a pair of sunglasses and was celebrating a new job when a woman walked up to her with a cup and said: "Hey pretty girl, do you want to drink this?"

Health - Vancouver - Bethany Storro - Portland Oregon - Washington

Stocks close higher after jobs, housing reports

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 21:18:42 GMT

Stocks ended higher for the third consecutive session after reports on housing, manufacturing and jobs all indicated that the economy continues to grow.

Manufacturing - United States - Business - Investing - Stocks and Bonds

Paris' not-my-bag claim undone by her Twitpic?

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 21:29:41 GMT

When the heiress was arrested in Las Vegas, she claimed the Chanel purse containing a bindle of cocaine wasn't hers, and a Twitpic she posted in July may be proof she's not telling the truth.

Chanel - Cocaine - Paris Hilton - Las Vegas - Nevada

Israelis, Palestinians to meet every two weeks

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 23:38:57 GMT

Israeli and Palestinian leaders opened direct peace talks under U.S. auspices on Thursday and agreed to meet every two weeks to try to forge a deal within a year.

Middle East - Israel - Palestinian people - Warfare and Conflict - Israel-Palestine

Army: Chaplain is 1st killed in action since '70

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 22:21:39 GMT

The first Army chaplain to be killed in action since Vietnam, died this week in Afghanistan, military officials said Thursday.

Afghanistan - Vietnam - Killed in action - Military - United States

Earth's animals face grim future

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 18:34:41 GMT

Corals, big mammals and many tropical species could all go extinct in the not too distant future, predict scientists who are attempting to forecast the fate of today's animals by studying what happened to those in the distant past.

Mammal - Animal - Extinction - Earth - Paleontology

1 in 7 home kitchens would flunk inspection

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 18:16:25 GMT

A new study suggests that at least one in seven home kitchens would flunk the kind of health inspection commonly administered to restaurants.

United States - Inspection - Business and Economy - Real Estate - Business

Goats rescued after 2 days on 6-inch ledge

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 19:47:54 GMT

Two young goats that wandered onto the thin ledge of a railroad bridge and spent two days high above a highway were hungry but safe when they were plucked to safety with a towering cherry picker.

Rail transport - Goat - Business - Cherry picker - Livestock

Low interest rates squeeze pension funds

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 14:29:40 GMT

The plunge in interest rates has put the nation’s public and private pension funds badly underfunded, leaving pension fund managers with a giant hole to fill.

Pension - Business - Investing - Financial Services - Business and Economy

When animal rescuers become animal hoarders

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 20:44:07 GMT

Linda Bruno called her Pennsylvania cat rescue the land of milk and tuna. It thrived for years as people sent pets they couldn't care for from hundreds of miles away — unaware it was a death camp for cats.

Cat - Pennsylvania - Extermination camp - United States - Recreation

Double hand transplant patient can 'wiggle fingers'

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 18:07:49 GMT

The transplant recipient made his first appearance on Thursday, about a week after he underwent a nearly 18-hour transplant procedure at a hospital.

Hospital - Surgery - Hand transplantation - Health - Transplantation

Going paperless: Tech-savvy travelers on board

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 19:05:38 GMT

Don't disconnect your printer just yet. While some tech-savvy passengers may be ready for it, experts say paperless boarding won’t be successful until it is both reliable and universal.

United States - Peripherals - Hardware - Printers - Education

Another U.S. teen sensation advances at Open

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 21:41:33 GMT

18-year-old Beatrice Capra, a wild-card entry ranked 371st, upset 18th-seeded Aravane Rezai of France 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 on Thursday to keep her Grand Slam debut on track.

Grand Slam - sport - Aravane Rezaï - France - Aravane Rezai of France 7-5

Man in Letterman blackmail plot freed from jail

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 18:18:34 GMT

Robert "Joe" Halderman admitted he demanded $2 million in hush money last fall to keep from revealing personal information about Letterman.

David Letterman - Hush money - Blackmail - Late Show with David Letterman - Community service

Acai berry scam: You'll lose money, not weight

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 15:55:04 GMT

The exotic acai berry has been the superstar in the world of diet supplements. But the federal government is cracking down on false advertising claims and unlawful payment practices.

Açaí Palm - Shopping - United States - Health - Food

Health care credit cards may add to your pain

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 13:55:22 GMT

These days, you may leave your dentist's office with more than a toothbrush and dental floss in your bag. Thousands of dentists are offering patients health-care credit cards to cover the work that needs to be done, with seemingly hard-to-resist repayment terms. If you need care and don't have insurance to cover it or cash in hand, it's tempting to sign up.

Dentistry - Toothbrush - Dental floss - Health care - Insurance

DOJ sues Arizona's Sheriff Arpaio

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 16:50:07 GMT

In an atmosphere of tension between the federal government and Arizona, the Justice Department today dialed it up some more, filing a lawsuit against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- accusing him, the county, and his office with failing to cooperate with a civil rights investigation of his office.

Joe Arpaio - United States Department of Justice - Lawsuit - Civil and political rights - Sheriff

NYT: Designers, pundits rate Oval Office redo

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 15:11:48 GMT

NYT: Ho-hum Oval Office? Arianna Huffington, Ann Coulter and top designers react to the makeover unveiled this week.

New York Times - Huffington Post - Politics - Ann Coulter - People

T.I., wife arrested on meth possession charge

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 17:36:15 GMT

Grammy-winning rapper T.I. was arrested along with his wife on suspicion of possessing methamphetamines, five months after the hip-hop star finished a prison stint on weapons charges.

Hip hop - TI - Grammy Award - Tameka Cottle - Music

Newsweek: How airlines are ratcheting up fees

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 13:52:16 GMT

It seemed so reasonable at first—just a fee, no more than $40, for checking more than the standard two bags. But like a slowly expanding epidemic, the fees gradually started to creep. Here are the main fees to watch out for.

Business - Shopping - Recreation - Newsweek - Ratchet & Clank

Report: Aide to U.K. PM linked to royal phone taps

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 11:03:24 GMT

Britain's government came under pressure Thursday amid allegations that a top prime ministerial aide was involved with a newspaper investigation into the royal family that involved illegally tapping cell phones.

Mobile phone - Newspaper - Government - Science and Technology - Cell Phones

On anniversary of her death, Diana shown in undies

Wed, 1 Sep 2010 20:40:40 GMT

Oh, Diana. Will you ever be allowed to rest in peace? Apparently not. On the 13th anniversary of the Princess of Wales’ death, a Chinese lingerie company launched a new line of ... wait for it ... “Diana underwear.”

Diana Princess of Wales - Lingerie - Princess of Wales - British Royal Family - Royal Family

Economic data show recovery still kicking, a bit

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 20:34:19 GMT

It was a glass-half-full day for economic data on Thursday ... sort of. The upbeat news was tempered by worries about what Friday's unemployment report will say about the state of the labor market.

Labour economics - Jobless claims - United States - Work - Labor Movement

Sources: Discovery suspect had starter guns

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 18:44:46 GMT

Montgomery County police department sources say the hostage-taker at the Discover Channel building had only starter guns that make noise but can't cause serious injury.

Hostage - Discovery Channel - NBC - Discovery - Maryland

Discovery gunman to NBC News: 'I have a bomb'

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 12:22:17 GMT

The man who held three hostages at the Discovery Communications building in Maryland told NBC News in a brief telephone conversation that he had explosives.

Discovery Communications - Maryland - NBC - United States - Police

Bernanke: Shut banks if threat to system

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 19:21:59 GMT

Fed chief Bernanke told a panel investigating the financial crisis Thursday that regulators must be ready to shut large institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system.

Federal Reserve System - Business - Financial crisis - Financial Services - Ben Bernanke

For Mexico's president, cartels aren't only concern

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 09:39:42 GMT

Mexican President Felipe Calderon will deliver a major speech Thursday, and ahead of that he released video clips touting his priorities — yet none refer to his war on drug cartels.

Mexico - Drug cartel - President of Mexico - United States - Organized crime