Top headlines:
Whenbeing rude doesn't pay: While it is true that kindness can be contagious, it seems that in the air, rudeness has become an epidemic. Here are 10 times when being impolite didnt pay for airline passengers. ›16:47
Traders cash in gains, oil drops $5 a barrel: Oil tumbled more than $5 a barrel Tuesday in its second big drop this week, hurling crude back to levels not seen since June 26. ›21:56
Saudis not seeing record oil prices trickle down: Sultan al-Mazeen recently stopped at a gas station to fill up his SUV, paying 45 cents a gallon about one-tenth what Americans pay these days. ›18:57
Man out-spits father, claims title: Brian "Young Gun" Krause has out-spit his father to claim his seventh championship at the International Cherry Pit Spitting Championship. ›15:50, 6.07
Weak economy canceling summer festivals: For the first time in more than 20 years, the organizers of the Harbor Fest musical festival in Racine, Wis., were forced to cancel their seminal summertime event. ›20:26
Ethnic Minorities Key to Burma's Future: As the vast majority of Burmese citizens clamor for change, ethnic minorities could be keys to the countrys future. How theyre planning ahead. ›20:30, 6.10
For better or worse, sex in space is inevitable: Weddings in space could be right around the corner, and experts figure the inevitable cosmic consummation will be just around the next corner. For all we know, sex in space has already taken place. But NASA officials aren't talking about that much. ›17:39, 7.07
IndyMac stops new loans, slash work force: Mortgage lender IndyMac Bancorp Inc., struggling to raise capital to stay in business, said Monday it has stopped accepting new loan submissions. ›14:37
Siemens will cut 16,750 jobs worldwide: Industrial conglomerate Siemens AG said Tuesday it will cut 16,750 jobs, or 4.2 percent of its global work force, to streamline operations and slice nearly $2 billion in costs. ›13:23
Books Q&A: The Real Charles Schulz: 'Peanuts' creator Charles Schulz emerges as insecure and an emotionally distant father and husband in a new biography and documentary. ›22:32, 9.10
Beijing polishes up image, welcomes visitors: In the seven years since the Olympic movement anointed Beijing as host of the 2008 Summer Games, China's capital has undergone a transformation so thoroughgoing that "makeover" doesn't begin to describe the change. ›20:51
This ain't your grandma's game night: Cribbage boards and Trivial Pursuit get the boot in favor of a more high tech gamer gathering. MSNBC.coms Carissa Ray takes us inside Call of Duty 4 and explains the appeal of the LAN Party. ›00:53
5Top: Lets rock! Best backing bands: James Brown was notoriously strict with the J.B.'s and Bruce Springsteen wouldn't be the same with the E Street Band. ›13:11, 7.07
Del Toro unleashes the demons of his mind: The worst monsters in your most terrifying dreams probably would run and hide from the creatures Guillermo del Toro puts on a movie screen. ›20:29
Can the Youth Vote Save Obama?: With the Hillary juggernaut growing in strength every day, Barack Obama is hoping Iowas youth can help keep him in the game. ›14:47, 8.10
Video: Wildfires fueled by heatwave: July 8: A heatwave in California further undermined firefighting efforts as winds shifted wildfires north of Sacramento. NBC's George Lewis reports.(Nightly News) ›23:14
Message board: Discuss the strangeness:
Seeking Common Ground on Abortion: Can evangelicals and liberals come together over abortion, gay rights, and the role of religion in public life? ›14:35, 10.10
Police puzzled by foot in shoe on beach: Swedish police say they have found a human foot inside a shoe, which washed up on a beach near one of the country's most popular tourist resorts. ›20:16
Cosmic Log: Messianic message stirs debate: Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Jewish scripture inked on a stone tablet hints at a messiah that rises from the dead after three days but the find sparks more questions than answers. ›20:51, 7.07
Do Women Lead Differently Than Men?: Americans could elect our first female president in 2008. What the most powerful women of the past can teach us about how to rule in the future. ›21:39, 6.10
Southwest to go international: Southwest Airlines Co. says it plans to offer international service a first for the low-fare carrier through a deal with Canada's WestJet. ›15:32
Alcoas second-quarter profit drops 24 percent: Alcoa Inc.'s second-quarter earnings fell nearly 24 percent as higher prices failed to offset the costs of raw materials, energy and disruptions at several facilities, the aluminum producer said Tuesday. ›00:23, 9.07
Despite conflict, U.S. does business with Iran: U.S. exports to Iran including brassieres, bull semen, cosmetics and possibly even weapons grew more than tenfold during President Bush's years in office. ›21:22