msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines

New Zealand quake sparks state of emergency

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 05:22:40 GMT

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake damaged buildings, cut power and knocked fleeing residents off their feet on New Zealand's South Island early Saturday, but no deaths were reported.

New Zealand - South Island - Earthquake - Oceania - Christchurch

Earl downgraded as it smacks New England

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 06:48:26 GMT

Earl weakened to a tropical storm as it brushed Cap Cod and Nantucket with pelting rain, strong gusts and pounding surf early Saturday as steamed past New England.

North Carolina - Hurricane Earl - United States - Time Warner Cable - Tropical cyclone

NYT: GOP poised to control 30 governor seats

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 01:56:09 GMT

NYT: Republicans are on track to do particularly well in Midwest swing states in the Nov. 2 election, according to the FiveThirtyEight gubernatorial forecasting model.

Republican - FiveThirtyEight.com - United States - Politics - Swing state

Key evidence pulled from BP spill site

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 04:22:27 GMT

The piece of equipment at the center of the investigation into the Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill was being retrieved from a mile below the sea, BP announced Friday.

Deepwater Horizon - BP - Oil spill - Environment - Energy

9 killed in New Zealand plane crash

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 04:03:37 GMT

Nine people were killed when a small plane belonging to a skydiving company crashed on New Zealand's South Island, police and medical officials say.

New Zealand - Oceania - Earthquake - Christchurch - Government

Puzzling over Florida's three-way Senate math

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 21:24:09 GMT

If Kendrick Meek gets almost every one of Florida's Democrats, he can win the Senate race. But will that happen in a year in which polls show a GOP edge in voter enthusiasm?

Florida - Kendrick Meek - Democratic - United States Senate - United States

Judge Kara DioGuardi leaves 'American Idol'

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 01:19:00 GMT

FOX reality show has yet to announce a new lineup, but Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Elton John are among the reported front-runners. The show returns to the air in January.

Steven Tyler - Kara DioGuardi - American Idol - Jennifer Lopez - Television

Nadal overcomes great shot to advance at Open

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 04:53:45 GMT

Even Rafael Nadal felt compelled to applaud when his second-round opponent at the U.S. Open hit a spectacular, full-sprint winner. The shot put Denis Istomin within two points of tying the match at a set apiece, but he couldn't close the deal and lost to the top-seeded Spaniard 6-2, 7-6 (5), 7-5 Friday night.

Denis Istomin - US Open - Rafael Nadal - Sport - Tennis

Arizona governor says beheadings claim 'an error'

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 01:40:27 GMT

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who gained fame defending the state's immigration law and warning of border violence, says her claim that headless bodies were turning up in state was 'an error.'

Jan Brewer - Arizona - United States - Law - Immigration

Family of copper heiress asks court to protect her

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 02:07:19 GMT

Several relatives of 104-year-old reclusive heiress Huguette Clark went to court Friday, asking for a guardian to protect her. Msnbc.com's Bill Dedman reports.

Bill Dedman - United States - Msnbc.com - Huguette Clark - California

Babes, bullets, bombs! Duke Nukem makes a comeback

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 04:31:22 GMT

Game icon Duke Nukem will wield his over-the-top guns and attitude yet again. After more than a decade of delays, "Duke Nukem Forever" will debut on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC game systems in 2011.

Xbox 360 - Duke Nukem - Duke Nukem Forever - PlayStation 3 - Video game

Venus sparkles to reach fourth round at Open

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 02:42:25 GMT

Her play sparkling as much as her sequined dress, Venus Williams easily eliminated 185th-ranked qualifier Mandy Minella of Luxembourg 6-2, 6-1 on Friday night at the U.S. Open.

Venus Williams - US Open - Luxembourg - Mandy Minella - Tennis

NASA advises Chile on trapped, isolated miners

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 01:00:17 GMT

A team of NASA doctors and engineers recommended Friday that Chilean authorities regulate the day-and-night sleep patterns of 33 trapped miners, boost their Vitamin D intake and phase in an exercise program as their nutrition improves.

NASA - Chile - Nutrition - Technology - Space

Cards snap 5-game skid, beat rival Reds

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 04:11:50 GMT

Rookie Jaime Garcia beat the Reds for the fourth time, halting the St. Louis Cardinals' five-game losing streak and ending Cincinnati's four-game run in a 3-2 victory on Friday night.

St Louis Cardinals - Cincinnati Reds - Cincinnati - sport - Baseball

NYC mosque backer gave to Hamas-linked charity

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 22:38:34 GMT

One of the investors in a proposed Islamic center near the World Trade Center site is a Long Island medical clinic owner whose expressions of sympathy for Palestinians included a donation to a charity later shut down for links to Hamas.

Hamas - Long Island - World Trade Center - Islam - Middle East

Amazon may be headed for another bad drought

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 23:02:56 GMT

Drought has cut Peru's Amazon River to its lowest level in 40 years and it is already below the minimum set in 2005, when a devastating dry spell damaged vast swaths of South American rainforest in the worst drought in decades.

Peru - Drought - South America - Amazon River - Rainforest

911 callers describe Discovery Channel gunman

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 00:22:54 GMT

Emergency calls placed minutes after a gunman entered the Discovery Channel's headquarters include descriptions of the propane tanks strapped to his body and a blinking device in his left hand.

Discovery Channel - Propane - Television - Silver Spring Maryland - Arts

Strasburg has Tommy John surgery

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 23:46:37 GMT

Nationals rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg had reconstructive elbow surgery Friday that could keep him out of the starting rotation until the 2012 season.

Stephen Strasburg - Tommy John surgery - Washington Nationals - Surgery - Medicine

2 lawmakers among 6 dead in Mexico plane crash

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 01:52:08 GMT

A plane crash in southern Mexico killed all six people on board Friday, including two federal legislators and two mayors-elect.

Mexico - Aviation accidents and incidents - Transportation - Aviation - Accidents

Authorities: Fire at Tenn. mosque site was arson

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 21:30:57 GMT

Federal investigators have decided a suspicious fire that damaged construction equipment at the site of a future mosque in Tennessee was arson.

Construction - Arson - Tennessee - Islam - Business

Google settles Buzz privacy lawsuit

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 21:52:40 GMT

Google has settled a lawsuit alleging privacy violations in connection with its Buzz social networking service, according to a court document filed on Friday.

Google - Social network service - Search - Lawsuit - Search Engines

Tiger struggles to stay in FedEx Cup hunt

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 23:32:36 GMT

Tiger Woods shoots a 1-over 72, while Zach Johnson and Jason Day beat up on the TPC Boston and beat the rain to share the lead at 8 under in the Deutsche Bank Championship on Friday.

Tiger Woods - Deutsche Bank Championship - TPC Boston - FedEx Cup - Golf

E. coli outbreak puts focus on meat oversight

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 21:46:29 GMT

The first outbreak linked to a rare strain of E. coli in ground beef is prompting a fresh look at tougher regulations to protect the nation's meat supply.

Meat - Escherichia coli - Beef mince - Beef - Business

Balloon boy family moves to Florida from Colorado

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 23:17:50 GMT

The family at the center of the balloon boy hoax has moved out of the house where the fateful trip began, leaving Colorado for Florida.

Colorado - Florida - Balloon boy hoax - United States - Arts

Man in '03 bomb scare sets off airport shutdown

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 22:51:40 GMT

A scientist detained at Miami's airport because of a suspicious item in his luggage had once been charged with illegally transporting bubonic plague, a senior law enforcement official said.

Miami - Law - Law Enforcement - Miami International Airport - Federal Bureau of Investigation

Employers hire more workers than expected

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 18:20:46 GMT

Private employers hired more workers than expected in August, lifting hopes for the weak U.S. economy, but the nation’s unemployment rate rose for the first time in four months.

United States - Employment - Business and Economy - Business - Economy

Mom’s hug revives baby that was pronounced dead

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 14:04:38 GMT

“He’s doing things dead babies don’t do — you might want to come see this!” Kate Ogg told doctors who had declared her premature baby dead. After the Australian mom held him to her body for two hours in a method called “kangaroo care,” the infant stirred to life.

Preterm birth - Infant - Australia - Infant mortality - Health