Top headlines:

Crunch spreading to credit cards: Consumers with credit card debt can expect to feel the walls closing in on them in the coming months, as card-issuing banks search for creative ways to cut back on risk and raise cash. ›14:19

Jim Cramer: Time to get out of stocks: In a dramatic statement, the host of CNBC's Mad Money urged investors who have money they may need in the next five years tied to stocks to pull their dough out: I do not believe you should risk those assets in the stock market right now. ›13:16 6 Oct, Mon

How fuel costs may affect your cruise: A look at the subtle and not-so-subtle ways the rising costs of fuel may affect cruise travel. ›18:42

Rays debunking the myth of postseason experience: They say you need playoff experience to win in October. Mark Kriegel doesn't buy it — and says the Rays will prove his point. ›15:28

Walter: Can McCain get his groove back?: The Republican nominee has little choice but to fight his way out against Barack Obama, for better and for worse. ›16:57

For Saudi women, bright is the new black: For years, the only womens cloaks sold openly in Saudi stores were plain and all black. Now, streaks of vibrant color, bands of glittering crystal even sheaths of sexy leopard-skin prints are showing up on the racks and causing a backlash. ›16:27 1 Oct, Wed

Mission to monitor ocean's climate control: Australian scientists set sail later this week on a voyage that could lead to better data from the Southern Ocean, which plays a major role in acting as a brake on climate change. ›16:07 1 Oct, Wed

Great pumpkin is 1,900 lbs.: Steve Connolly hopes his Beast from the East will smash the current world record of 1,689 pounds. The problem is getting it to the weighing: Lifting it at this time of the year is a tough thing. Ill have a fork truck come in." ›15:10 6 Oct, Mon

Broken promises: How airlines have betrayed us: Airline passengers are usually a forgiving lot. When a flight doesn't take off as planned, they understand. When they have to pay extra for a checked bag because of higher fuel prices, they oblige. But airlines continue to use travelers' goodwill against them through betrayal. ›13:47 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

Cosmic Log: Puzzling over pre-humans: Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Decades after a 3.2-million-year-old "almost human" named Lucy became a star, the origin of our species still poses mysteries worthy of a crime show. ›13:11 6 Oct, Mon

Study: Some cereals more than 50% sugar: A new analysis by Consumer Reports found that 11 popular breakfast cereals contain at least 40 percent sugar by weight. Thats at least as much sugar as youd get in a glazed doughnut from Dunkin Donuts. ›22:06 1 Oct, Wed

Turtles relocated to avoid becoming roadkill: A rescue squad is working against the clock to save Eastern box turtles that would otherwise be crushed or buried alive when hundreds of acres of woods in Maryland are paved over. ›15:13 30 Sep, Tue

Heisman Watch: Top 10 after Week 6: Jeremy Maclin's a dangerous receiver, return man and ball carrier. He's a triple threat and it's why he makes our Heisman Watch cut. ›16:05

Dog Whisperer: Fidos first day home: In his book, "Member of the Family," Cesar Millan provides advice on making your dog feel welcomed and getting the relationship with your new pet off to a good start. An excerpt. ›16:04

Fake babies ease women's anxiety, sadness: Can something un-alive truly take the place of a real human? For some, the trend of women playing with "reborn dolls" is something straight out of "The Twilight Zone." But according to psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz, the behavior can provide reprieve for those coping with loss, sadness or anxiety. ›19:19 3 Oct, Fri

Video: 300 penguins airlifted back home: Oct. 6: More than 300 Magellan penguins who survived an accidental detour to tropical Brazil were airlifted back to colder waters. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports.(Nightly News) ›22:56 6 Oct, Mon

Shock! He survived lightning at gas pump: A dramatic surveillance video captured the vivid flash of lightning that shocked William Hall just as he was pumping gasoline: "I couldnt move ... it was very scary. But he came away with a bump on his head and a bruised elbow. ›14:00 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

Study: Wind farms have little affect on birds: Wind turbines do not drive birds from surrounding areas, British researchers said on Wednesday, in findings which could make it easier to build more wind farms. ›13:42 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

EU reaches agreement on tackling bank crisis: The European Union's 27 governments agreed Tuesday to guarantee private savings of up to 50,000 euros for one year. ›15:49

Study: Urban bears arefatter, die earlier: Urban black bears are much heavier and more likely to die violent deaths than their wilder peers, a new study found. And if female, they're more likely to get pregnant at a younger age. ›20:58 30 Sep, Tue

Animal detectors used to warn drivers: Colorado highway planners are experimenting with the same technology used by some prisons for perimeter security to prevent drivers from colliding with deer and elk. ›19:36 1 Oct, Wed