Lost baby whale faces mercy killing

An abandoned baby whale that has been attempting to suckle boats in the waters off north Sydney will be euthanized because it is in such poor condition, an environmental official said Thursday.

Illinois sheriff does jail time - voluntarily
The Lake County sheriff is behind bars — voluntarily. His goal is to talk to inmates so he can see the jail from their perspective and try to solve potential problems.

WashPost: ‘Other' China hides behind Olympics

It's obvious in China's fixation on gold medals that the Olympics are a deadly win-at-all-costs national project.

Olympians share thoughts on ‘perfect athlete'

Emerging stars from the Beijing Olympics  share their surprising choices for the perfect athlete.

Up to 225 days of White House e-mail lost
According to an internal document, the White House is missing as many as 225 days of e-mail dating back to 2003.

3 NATO troops die in Afghanistan
U.S.-led coalition troops battled a group of militants in eastern Afghanistan, killing over 30 insurgents, while three NATO soldiers were killed in a roadside blast elsewhere, officials said Thursday.

Security tight for conventions

Every day the Secret Service thinks: Today could be THE day.

Gators prowl as Fay heads back to Fla.

Tropical Storm Fay hung offshore Thursday and poured more rain on Florida's central Atlantic coast after flooding hundreds of homes and leaving much of the state a soggy mess.

Struggling at a million-dollar horse stable

In the electoral battleground of the Denver suburbs, Stan and Christine Penton are the embodiment of voters that both parties are trying desperately to woo. Msnbc.com's Mike Stuckey reports.