Top headlines:
European Central Bank raises rates: The European Central Bank has raised interest rates for the first time in more than a year to combat escalating inflation in the 15 countries that use the euro. ›12:55, 3.07
Latest on the TODAY concert series: For its 13th consecutive year, NBCs TODAY show is bringing together the biggest names in music to rock the Plaza. Upcoming concerts include Miley Cyrus, Sheryl Crow and Celine Dion. ›21:36, 2.07
ConsumerMan: Get a cheap cell headset: If you want to drive and talk on the phone you must use a hands-free device. A headset can set you back $100. But you dont have to pay anywhere near that if you know where to shop. ›21:18, 2.07
Pick up a plate and pile on the pork: On the first day of TODAY's barbecue challenge, its the battle of the Carolinas. Chefs Ed Mitchell and Jimmy Hagood cook up their delicious pork recipes. On the grill: barbecue pork shoulder and a whole hog. Get those napkins ready!
Former Sen. Jesse Helms dies at 86: Former Sen. Jesse Helms, who built a career along the fault lines of racial politics and battled liberals, Communists and the occasional fellow Republican during 30 years in Congress, died Friday. He was 86. ›16:11
Its playtime! The best of big outdoor toys: Is your family active, but not necessarily athletic? You can still spend quality family time outdoors this summer. Here, top picks for fun toys that will appeal to kids and grown-ups alike. ›12:28, 18.06
Grill skills: Al Roker's BBQ recipes, tips, tricks: Looking for some advice on how to improve your grilling technique? TODAY host Al Roker offers a cheat sheet to help you turn up the heat at your next cookout. ›14:52, 3.07
You're not from around here, are you?: While out of town for business, it always helps to ask the locals for directions. Especially if that business involves putting up street signs. ›02:54, 29.06
7 days quiz: Can you tell who this waxwork is meant to be? ›09:46
Newsweek: McCain's new right-hand man: Sane voters typically don't pay attention when a presidential campaign shakes up its staff. And most of the time, they're right to tune out. Except when it comes to John McCain. ›14:08, 3.07
U.S. economy lost 62,000 jobs in June: Employers cut payrolls by 62,000 in June, the sixth straight month of nationwide job losses, underscoring the economys fragile state. The unemployment rate held steady at 5.5 percent. ›15:08, 3.07
Newsweek: Obama's secular faith-based challenge: Sen. Barack Obama will have to convince secular Democrats to accept faith-based solutions. ›23:56, 3.07
Jolie in French hospital for birth of twins: Angelina Jolie has gone into a hospital in the south of France where she expects to give birth to twins. ›21:57, 1.07
GM bankruptcy described as unlikely: Times are certainly tough for GM, which saw its stock fall to a 54-year low. But while one analyst said bankruptcy is a possibility, others said that outcome is unlikely. ›13:44, 3.07
Days of Our Lives tackles autism: The trials and triumphs of a real-life autistic child are being mirrored on one of TVs longest-running soap operas. Head writer Dena Higley who raised an autistic son said: I pulled out actual dialogue my husband and I had and put it on paper. ›14:08, 23.06
'War and Peace': New Versions Worth the Read: 'War and Peace' has been the Everest of literature for more than 150 years. Two new English versions remind us why Tolstoy's tome is still worth the climb. ›22:06, 6.10
'Tough job' for choice advisers: Government-backed school choice advisers are finding it hard to reach disadvantaged parents, a study says. ›13:54
A matter of truth: Tower 7 and the evolution of a conspiracy theory ›10:09
Christie Brinkley divorce trial goes nuclear: Attorneys in the Christie Brinkley divorce trial painted opposing portraits of their clients as the explosive case began its second day. A court-appointed psychiatrists report yet to be introduced says Brinkley is consumed by rage, said the lawyer for her estranged husband, Peter Cook. But it also says Brinkley should get primary custody of the children, her lawyer said. ›23:18, 2.07
NYT: McCain orders campaign shake-up: Responding to Republican concerns, John McCain placed a veteran of President Bushs 2004 re-election in charge of day-to-day operations. ›04:00, 3.07
Nadal win sets up Federer final: Rafael Nadal will meet world number one Roger Federer in Sunday's Wimbledon final after seeing off Rainer Schuettler 6-1 7-6 (7-3) 6-4. ›16:22
Brownstein: Candidates try to cross the great divide: Efforts to expand the campaign battlefield this year could, paradoxically, be the first step toward taming partisan gridlock in Washington. ›20:03, 3.07
Iraq: With U.S. Help, Warlords Gain New Power: ›21:49, 6.10
Direct China-Taiwan flights begin: The first regular direct flight from China to Taiwan in nearly six decades lands in Taipei, in a new sign of improving ties. ›11:26
