Top headlines:

Rower crossing Pacific to combat plastic: A British environmentalist arrived in Honolulu early Monday, completing the initial leg of her journey as she tries to become the first woman to row alone across the Pacific Ocean. ›01:52 2 Sep, Tue

Cosmic Log: Bye-bye to the bounce?: Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Political conventions don't provide the traditional upward "bounce" for candidates in prediction markets, and economists think they know why. ›23:42 5 Sep, Fri

Brazil: Amazon deforestation worsens: Amazon deforestation jumped 69 percent in a year the first such increase in three years as rising demand for soy and cattle pushes farmers and ranchers to raze trees, officials said Saturday. ›22:19 30 Aug, Sat

Top 10 Sports Cars on MSN Autos: The most popular sports cars on MSN Autos, based on visits to the site's vehicle pages. ›07:00 18 Oct, Thu

Cell phones welcome in some classrooms: Cell phones have long been anathema in the classroom, banned as a potential distraction, at best, and as a possible vehicle for cheating, at worst. But lately, educators have begun changing their tune on mobile phones. ›13:15 5 Sep, Fri

And the winner for least-wasteful packaging...: A Hewlett-Packard notebook computer that's packaged in a recycled bag rather than a box has won a challenge by retailer Wal-Mart for less wasteful packaging. ›22:53 4 Sep, Thu

Environmentalists can't corral Palin: Before she first met John McCain, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had other business: making her case to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne against classifying the polar bear as a threatened species. ›21:58 4 Sep, Thu

Donny and Marie bring sincere to Sin City: Sibling entertainers Donny and Marie Osmond will bring their wholesome entertainment to Sin City as the duo begin a half-year stint in Las Vegas. ›22:33 7 Sep, Sun

Ron Reagan, son of president, returns to radio: Ron Reagan, son of the late President Ronald Reagan, will broadcast from a studio in Seattle for syndication through Air America Radio. ›22:52 7 Sep, Sun

Advancing Atlantic swallows African village: The old shore road to Totope is now under the sea, and when developers began carving out another one, it was washed away so often they abandoned it. ›14:13 26 Aug, Tue

Brazil Indian reservation targeted for breakup: The future of Brazil's traditional Indian cultures was under challenge on Wednesday as Brazil's Supreme Court began hearing arguments on whether to break up a vast Amazon reserve. ›22:55 27 Aug, Wed

Brady's injury could alter course of '08 season: The Patriots are in big trouble without Tom Brady. Terry Bradshaw says that's good news for the rest of the league. ›12:18

It was a hot summer for video games: The dog days of summer tend to dry the flow of game launches to a trickle. But this summer has been ... different. The recent weeks and months have offered up a surprising number of gaming gems. You just have to know where to look. ›09:06 5 Sep, Fri

Cosmic Log: Black holes for kids: Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Physicist Brian Greene usually writes about string theory and other stuff most adults can't understand, but his latest book is a black-hole tale for kids. ›23:06 4 Sep, Thu

New Yorker: The price McCain pays: With the selection of Sarah Palin, McCain completes the job of defusing the enmity (and forgoing the honor) he earned in 2000, when he condemned Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell as agents of intolerance. ›12:06

High-resolution satellite launched in California: A super-sharp Earth-imaging satellite has been launched into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the Central California coast. ›18:22 7 Sep, Sun

'Rent' brings down curtain on Broadway run: Fans cheered, cried and gave the final performance of "Rent" a standing ovation even before the first note was sung. ›03:10

How to get your girlfriend into gaming: If you want to turn your lady friend into a gaming fan, heres some advice from Xbox Live community manager Christa Phillips: Dont be a jerk. ›13:08 4 Sep, Thu

Bush may create largest protected area: President Bush on Monday said he was considering creating two protected marine areas in the Pacific Ocean one of which would be the world's largest, covering an area almost as large as Alaska. ›23:45 25 Aug, Mon

Stinkweed tested as future biofuel: Some farmers have agreed to grow the hardy weed called field pennycress a.k.a. stinkweed to help test a potential new source of fuel for the booming biodiesel market. ›14:58 5 Sep, Fri

Volkswagen Baja Race: Paris to Ensenada: Volkswagen and its Touareg 2 head to Mexico for the Baja 500. ›07:00 16 Oct, Tue

Police say Gary Coleman involved in accident: Utah authorities say a truck driven by actor Gary Coleman hit a man on his foot after the two argued in a bowling alley. ›22:20 7 Sep, Sun

by Lawrence Ulrich: MSN Autos columnist Lawrence Ulrich talks turkey about the 10 worst cars of recent memory. ›07:00 31 Oct, Wed

Storms force shift in shuttle schedule: The target dates for the next two space shuttle liftoffs have been moved two days later, due to the impact of recent tropical storms on launch preparations, NASA said Friday. ›16:48 5 Sep, Fri