Category 2 Dolly makes landfall
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:01:37 GMT

Hurricane Dolly made landfall near the Texas-Mexico border Wednesday as a Category 2 storm, bringing fierce winds and heavy rains that knocked out electricity to thousands.

Bush drops opposition to housing bill
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:35:38 GMT
President Bush dropped his opposition Wednesday to legislation aiming to calm the chaotic housing market despite his objections to a $3.9 billion provision.

These are tough times for travelers
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:45:31 GMT

Whether it’s the frustration of flying or $4-per-gallon gas, the summer travel season is shaping up to be among the most challenging in years.

Magnitude 6.8 quake hits Japan
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:53:05 GMT
A powerful magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit the northern part of Japan's main Honshu island Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Toyota tops GM in first-half sales
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:35:21 GMT
Toyota sold more than 4.8 million vehicles worldwide in the first half, up 2 percent from the same period a year earlier, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday.

Obama: Iran nukes would pose 'grave threat'
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:45:24 GMT

U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama said on Wednesday a nuclear Iran would pose a "grave threat" and that the world must stop Tehran from obtaining an atomic weapon.

Rice presses N. Korea on nuke program
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:40:09 GMT

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged North Korea to accept terms to verify the dismantling of its nuclear weapons program, as the two countries ended a four-year hiatus in cabinet-level talks on Wednesday.

AIDS among Latinos on rise
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:01:22 GMT

AIDS rates in the nation's Latino community are increasing and, with little notice, have reached what experts are calling a simmering public health crisis.

Migrant worker becomes brain surgeon
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:51:16 GMT

Two decades ago, Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa used his hands to pick vegetables for $22 a day; now he's one of the world's best brain surgeons. TODAY’s Bob Dotson reports on how a laborer went from a California field to a lab at Johns Hopkins Medical Center.

Bush at private event: ‘Wall Street got drunk’
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:56:51 GMT

President George W. Bush has an explanation for the housing-market meltdown that has thrown the global economy into turmoil: Wall Street got drunk.

After 60 years, black officers rare
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:30:53 GMT

Sixty years after President Truman desegregated the military, senior black officers are still rare, particularly among the highest ranks.

NYT: Obama's health care pledge unrealistic?
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:15:30 GMT

The Democratic candidate's promise to lower premiums by $2,500 leaves many skeptical.

GOP donor faced trouble back home
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:15:22 GMT

Venture capitalist Craig Berkman's generosity to the McCain campaign has angered his former investors, who have not seen a penny of the $28 million in civil damages that a jury awarded them.

Couple who faked canoe death found guilty
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:18:04 GMT

A judge sentenced a husband and wife to more than six years in jail Wednesday for faking the man's drowning death in a $500,000 insurance scam.

A wake-up call from Afghanistan
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:23:49 GMT
Growing number of casualties and the resurgence of the Taliban and its anti-American allies has prompted vows by President Bush and his aspiring successors to send more U.S. troops to the country.

Karadzic had mistress, fake family
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:51:14 GMT

Radovan Karadzic's secret life included a mistress, a bogus family in the U.S. and frequent visits to a  pub called The Madhouse, acquaintances said.

Iran vows no concessions in nuke dispute
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:04:15 GMT
Iran will not “retreat one iota” over its disputed nuclear program, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday.

Pfizer profit doubles on drug sales, lower costs
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:18:44 GMT
Pfizer Inc on Wednesday said second-quarter earnings more than doubled on higher sales of its prescription drugs, lower expenses and overseas sales that were boosted by the weak dollar.

Oil prices extend decline on supply news
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:41:43 GMT

Oil prices extended their slide Wednesday after the government reported gasoline supplies rose more and crude supplies fell less than expected last week.

How you can ease the pain of car ownership
Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:54:23 GMT

It’s getting more expensive to own a car, and spiking oil costs are the primary culprit. Besides downsizing and driving less, there are ways drivers can ease the pain.

Woman charged in tots' hammer deaths
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:13:02 GMT
A woman has been charged with murder and attempted murder in a hammer attack in Sweden that left two toddlers dead and their mother seriously injured.

Two singers make three 'Talent' judges gush
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:50:39 GMT

"America's Got Talent" always provides heartwarming stories of contestants who have persevered through tremendous obstacles and personal setbacks. This week was no exception, as a pair of singers brought the judges to their feet.

The dreaded question: Did he smoke?
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:39:47 GMT

Losing my father to cancer is hard enough without having everyone ask, "Did he smoke?"

Miley Cyrus: I get grounded sometimes
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:30:57 GMT

Hannah Montana may be a TV sensation, but her portrayer, Miley Cyrus, is a typical teenager who fights with her brother and gets grounded. “And I kinda like it sometimes,” Cyrus said. “I'm like, ‘Oh, it’s kinda nice just to be home.’  ”

Tune in to the joy of TV's guilty pleasures
Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:01:33 GMT

Msnbc.com staffers share their guilt over shows we're somewhat ashamed to watch -- or ashamed to love so much. Pro bowling, "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" and "Ace of Cakes" are all on our list.

Polygamist sect members indicted
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:42:55 GMT

A grand jury in Texas indicted polygamist leader Warren Jeffs and five other members of the sect raided in April.

Italian court says jeans are no barrier to rape
Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:21:22 GMT
It was less than a decade ago that Italy’s top criminal court ruled that it was impossible to rape a woman who was wearing jeans.

Scuffle breaks out near end of WNBA game
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:19:49 GMT

Candace Parker scored 21 points and DeLisha Milton-Jones added 19 before both were ejected after a scuffle in the final minute as the Los Angeles Sparks held on to beat the Detroit Shock 84-81 Tuesday night.

Dolly lashes Texas coast as Category 2 hurricane
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:59:42 GMT
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Forecasters say Hurricane Dolly has made landfall near South Padre Island in Texas. Dolly is a Category 2 storm with top sustained winds near 100 mph....

Obama defends plans for direct talks with Iran
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:35:19 GMT
SDEROT, Israel (AP) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama defended his proposal to negotiate with Iran Wednesday and said he would use "big sticks and big carrots" to persuade the country's leaders not to develop nuclear weapons....

Congress moves to help homeowners avoid foreclosures
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:09:37 GMT
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress is moving quickly to pass a housing package that aims to help 400,000 strapped homeowners avoid foreclosures and prevent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from collapsing....

Rice pushes top North Korean diplomat on nukes
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:29:50 GMT
SINGAPORE (AP) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pushed North Korea on Wednesday to accept terms to verify the dismantling of its nuclear weapons program, as the two countries held cabinet-level talks for the first time in four years....

McCain credits Bush for drop in oil price
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:08:14 GMT
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) -- Republican John McCain on Wednesday credited the recent $10-a-barrel drop in the price of oil to President Bush's lifting of a presidential ban on offshore drilling, an action he has been advocating in his presidential campaign....

Serb's fugitive life had mistress, bogus family
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:12:05 GMT
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) -- Radovan Karadzic's secret life included a mistress, a bogus family he claimed he left behind in the U.S., and frequent visits to a Belgrade pub called "The Madhouse," acquaintances said Wednesday....

Fed: Slower growth, rising prices slam economy
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:06:59 GMT
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The country slogged through slower economic growth and rising prices during the summer, packing a double whammy to people and businesses alike....

Electronics giants to create wireless HD standard
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:47:46 GMT
NEW YORK (AP) -- Sony, Samsung and other consumer-electronics heavyweights are uniting to support a technology that could send high-definition video signals wirelessly from a single set-top box to screens around the home....

Omarosa: Wendy Williams is 'a fake and a phony'
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:30:40 GMT
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Omarosa is not sorry for sparring with Wendy Williams. "I stand by everything I said," Omarosa told The Associated Press on Tuesday....

Sastre wins 17th and toughest Tour stage
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:40:53 GMT
ALPE D'HUEZ, France (AP) -- Carlos Sastre of Spain won the 17th stage of the Tour de France, taking the overall lead Wednesday from CSC teammate Frank Schleck on the hardest ride up three huge Alpine climbs....