Top headlines:
NYT: Campaigns shift to attack mode: John McCain and his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, turned toward a more negative tone, as the Obama campaign signaled it would respond in kind. ›12:12
Environmental damage heavy after Ike: Hurricane Ike's winds and massive waves destroyed oil platforms, tossed storage tanks and punctured pipelines. ›16:29 5 Oct, Sun
Drug companies: No cold meds for kids under 4: Children under 4 should not be given cough and cold medicines, companies that make those products said Tuesday in announcing new guidelines for their use. ›15:58
Nepal declares girl new living goddess: Hindu and Buddhist priests chanted sacred hymns and cascaded flowers and grains of rice over a 3-year-old girl who was appointed a living goddess in Nepal on Tuesday. ›16:42
Best bets: Grissom's long goodbye begins: "CSI" isn't ending, but star William Petersen only has 10 episodes left. Plus: "Quarantine" looks truly scary; "Mystery Science Theater" alums help the comic spirit of that show live on. ›19:50 5 Oct, Sun
Doctors: No hamsters, exotic pets for kids: Warning: young children should not keep hedgehogs as pets or hamsters, baby chicks, lizards and turtles, for that matter because of risks for disease. ›16:24
Smog impact found to vary by gender, race: It's not just the elderly who are vulnerable to the ill effects of air pollution, new research suggests. ›16:27 1 Oct, Wed
Are 'microplastics' marine pollutants?: Tiny plastic particles called "microplastics" and which concentrate pollutants might be ingestible by the ocean's tiny denizens and then move up the food chain. ›20:04 2 Oct, Thu
Brooke or Warren? Who rocked on 'Dancing'?: Rate the dancers and the judges performances each week and see how they measure up ›13:13 23 Sep, Tue
It's no secret! We love gossip: Blabbermouth. Tattletale. Scandalmonger. Spreading gossip may seem uncouth but science says otherwise. ›12:24
Oprah sued for defamation by ex-school head: The ex-headmistress of Oprah Winfreys school for girls in South Africa sued the TV talk show host for defamation, claiming Winfrey falsely suggested she tried to cover up abuse at the school. ›22:11 6 Oct, Mon
Asteroid reportedly streaks over Africa: A very small asteroid was detected Monday on a course heading for Africa, and observers reported that the object apparently burned up in the atmosphere. ›06:17
Couple can sue vaccine company, court says: The Georgia Supreme Court allowed an Atlanta couple's lawsuit against a vaccine manufacturer to go forward, upholding a first-of-a-kind ruling by an appellate court that had drawn fierce opposition from the vaccine industry. ›16:11
University chief busted for Bloody Marys: The president of Davenport University has pleaded guilty to a first-time drunken-driving charge and refusing to take a breath test during his arrest. ›17:11
Placid exterior hid L.A. murder-suicide: When police summoned by worried friends got inside a large house in an upscale L.A. neighborhood on Monday, they found a horror six members of a family fatally shot in a murder-suicide. ›15:06
CO2 rise means louder oceans, study finds: Beyond the damage it is expected to inflict upon sensitive marine ecosystems, ocean acidification may also allow sound to travel farther underwater, creating a louder deep sea din. ›19:44 30 Sep, Tue
Ike debris threatens Texas wildlife: Tons of debris swept up by Hurricane Ike last month still litter miles of Texas beaches. ›22:21 2 Oct, Thu
Nation's biggest carrier plans la carte pricing: The idea of paying a single, simple fare to fly on an airliner is becoming as quaint as stewardesses in short skirts. ›04:54 6 Oct, Mon
McGovern: Should've fought 'ridiculous' attacks: The Republican line of attack against George McGovern, the Democratic nominee for president in 1972, was devastatingly simple: He was the candidate of amnesty, abortion and acid. ›11:33
Judge: Let Chinese Muslims in Gitmo into U.S.: A federal judge ordered the Bush administration Tuesday to immediately release a small group of Chinese Muslims from Guantanamo Bay into the United States. ›16:26
Cleaner way to drink from the seas?: David Kreamer's vision is to return old ships to the seas where they belong. But he'd like to see them fulfill a new purpose: turning seawater into drinking water through desalination facilities. ›21:55 6 Oct, Mon
Matthew Broderick returns to Broadway: Actor Matthew Broderick will return to Broadway next spring in a revival of "The Philanthropist," a comedy by English playwright Christopher Hampton. The play will open April 26. ›22:01 6 Oct, Mon
Iran says it forced down Western plane: Iranian news reports claimed that Iran forced down a Western aircraft that accidentally entered its airspace, then allowed the plane to continue to Afghanistan after questioning its passengers. ›15:20
Venus flytraps face loss of habitat: The venus flytrap's ability to snatch living prey makes it a favorite of elementary school science classes everywhere. But these days, the tiny plant is vulnerable. ›01:43 6 Oct, Mon
