Newser Premium News Archive Index
Newser Stories from October, 2008

Within this archive you´ll find more than 1.5 million premium articles from our content partner, Highbeam Research, dating from as far back as 1984. These pages provide a deep news history of the last three decades along with more current related Newser articles.

Premium news related to Nonprofit Workers Favor Dems
Chronicle of Philanthropy | Oct 31, 08 8:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - People in the charitable world lean heavily Democrat and love Barack Obama, but try to keep their affiliation low-key to avoid insulting the other side, the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports. A new study shows that 88% of foundation worker donations went to Dems, enriching Obama's effort by $399,000 and John McCain's by $32,000. “There’s...

Premium news related to Philly Celebrates Phillies
Associated Press | Oct 31, 08 5:47 PM CDT
(Newser) - Hundreds of thousands lined the streets of Philadelphia this afternoon to celebrate the Phillies' World Series victory. Under clear, sunny skies, the city's famously ill-tempered fans were ebullient and well-behaved, the AP reports. “It's like Christmas came two months early,” manager Charlie Manuel said. Added pitcher Jamie Moyer, who...

Premium news related to Campaigns Call in Big Guns for Final Fireworks Shows
New York Times | Oct 31, 08 5:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - In the final days of the presidential campaign, the candidates are ramping up their schedules and bringing in their parties’ big names to motivate voters, the New York Times reports. John McCain, in addition to sending running mate Sarah Palin on a grueling two-day sprint across the country, has enlisted the help of Arnold Schwarzenegger and...

Premium news related to Author Studs Terkel Dead at 96
NBC5 Chicago | Oct 31, 08 5:17 PM CDT
(Newser) - Studs Terkel, whose powerful oral histories endeared him to American readers and whose playful personality made him beloved in his adopted hometown of Chicago, died today at 96 after suffering from a variety of ailments, NBC5 reports. Born Louis Terkel, he hosted a daily interview and variety show on Chicago’s WFMT-FM for 45 years; his chronicles...

Premium news related to Ballot Questions May Hinge On Obama Turnout
Bloomberg | Oct 31, 08 4:58 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama has a lot riding on his coattails. The impact of a presidential candidate's support on candidates for lower offices can be substantial, and this year's slates also include 153 ballot questions. Besides swinging gubernatorial and congressional races, measures concerning everything from gay marriage to gambling are up for a vote Tuesday....

Premium news related to Dole's Foe Set to Sue Over 'No God' Ad
Charlotte Observer | Oct 31, 08 4:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - Kay Hagan, the North Carolina Democrat challenging Elizabeth Dole for her US Senate seat, has launched a defamation suit, and counter-ad, against the incumbent after a Dole spot questioned Hagan’s belief in God, the Charlotte Observer reports. The ad showed Hagan, a Sunday-school teacher, while another woman’s voice intoned, “There...

Premium news related to Virus Helps Violate 500K Bank, Credit Accounts
BBC | Oct 31, 08 4:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - A computer virus has stolen log-in information for over 500,000 bank accounts and credit and debit cards. The Sinowal Trojan virus has infected computers around the world through “drive-by downloads” that install it without users' knowledge when they visit Web sites running the virus code. Individuals can best protect themselves by being...

Premium news related to 9 Hotels Haunted by Celebs
Travel Leisure | Oct 31, 08 4:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - In the mood for upscale Halloween chills? If a plain old haunted house isn't swanky enough for your tastes, consider checking into a room from Travel and Leisure 's list of hotels that come complete with a resident celeb spook: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles: Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift Las Vegas Hilton: Elvis...

Premium news related to 'I Have Not Been Convicted of Anything': Stevens
Politico | Oct 31, 08 4:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - Ted Stevens said he had “not been convicted of anything,” during a debate last night with the Democratic challenger to his Alaska Senate seat, Politico reports—despite being convicted Monday on corruption charges. The 84-year old Republican alleges prosecutorial misconduct and plans an appeal, though top GOP figures—including...

Premium news related to If You Don't Know Who This Is, Don't Vote
Creators Syndicate | Oct 31, 08 4:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - Countless actors, musicians and other celebrities have volunteered their time encouraging young people to vote. But should they? ABC News anchor John Stossel quizzed voters on basic political knowledge at a registration-drive concert and in the nation’s capital. A shockingly high number of uninformed answers led Stossel to the “politically...

Premium news related to Ad's Choice of Song Sparks Debate on Artists' Lives
Advertising Age | Oct 31, 08 3:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - HP's decision to change an ad because it featured a song by convicted child molester Gary Glitter has Charlie Moran in Advertising Age wondering about how far we should go in drawing the line between the artist and his art. The ad for the TouchSmart PC drew complaints because it used Joan Jett’s 1982 cover of “Do You Want to Touch Me,”...

Premium news related to Dow Rally Ends Dreadful Month
MarketWatch | Oct 31, 08 3:39 PM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks rallied today despite a slew of poor economic reports as investors instead focused on falling rates in the credit markets, MarketWatch reports. Though the Dow was up 11.3% for the week, October ended as the worst month since 1987. The Dow rose 144.32 to close at 9,325.01, the Nasdaq climbed 22.43 to 1,720.95, and the S&P gained 14.66 to...

Premium news related to Obama Wins in Doonesbury Version of World
Washington Post | Oct 31, 08 3:36 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cartoonist Garry Trudeau has put his newspaper clients in to a bit of a pickle, the Washington Post reports. In a bid to stay current, Wednesday’s installment of "Doonesbury"—written a week in advance—will show characters reacting to a Barack Obama victory. The choice is “a rational risk assessment,” Trudeau...

Premium news related to Betty 's Ugly Charms Wear Thin
New York | Oct 31, 08 3:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - When she lost the poncho, she lost the charm: America Ferrera’s Ugly Betty character “seems to be losing her very Betty-ness,” lament the Fug Girls in New York . “Ferrera and her scrappy, brace-faced alter ego” once brought “surprising heart” to ABC’s show, but “two seasons later, the antics...

Premium news related to Simon Cowell Rocks the Vote
New Republic | Oct 31, 08 3:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama isn't the only force driving young voters are to the polls, writes Alan H. Fleischmann in the New Republic . Thanks to the extreme popularity of judge Simon Cowell and American Idol , they’ve gotten used to having their voices heard. And just as important, Idol participation has allowed people to “see the palpable impact...

Premium news related to 10 Senate Races to Watch
Washington Post | Oct 31, 08 3:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - With 35 Senate seats up for grabs Tuesday, Chris Cillizza, in the Washington Post , predicts Democrats will flip eight. Two more are close calls for the Dems, while the GOP has one hope for a pickup. Starting with the most likely: Virginia is in the bag for Mark Warner; he might even get 60% of the vote. New Mexico will fall...

Premium news related to Hackers Get Bank Accounts of Sarko's Dad, Ex-Wife
Times (UK) | Oct 31, 08 3:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - The same hackers who stole small amounts of money from Nicolas Sarkozy’s bank account appear to have gotten into the accounts of his father and first wife as well, the Times of London reports. They didn't steal money but rather set up phony cell-phone accounts. Police initially thought the thieves found Sarko's account by accident, but now...

Premium news related to Petraeus Gets New Title, Plans Pakistan Visit
Tampa Tribune | Oct 31, 08 2:51 PM CDT
(Newser) - Gen. David Petraeus’ first official trip as head of the US military’s Central Command will be to Pakistan, the Tampa Tribune reports. Petraeus was sworn in today at MacDill Air Force base, in Tampa, taking over from Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey. Petraeus’ new responsibilities at Centralcom include planning in 80 countries from Egypt...

Premium news related to First Lady Leaves Hubby at Home, Stumps for GOP
The Hill | Oct 31, 08 2:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - There’s just one Bush out on the campaign in this final weekend before the election, and her name ain’t George: First lady Laura Bush, still popular among Republicans, is stumping around the country for GOP candidates, who want big-name help but not attachment to the president’s unpopularity, the Hill reports. But the president...

Premium news related to Downturn Hammers Magazine Industry, Too
Women's Wear Daily | Oct 31, 08 2:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - The economic downturn is taking its toll on magazines, forcing layoffs and budget cuts as publications face fewer advertising dollars, Women’s Wear Daily reports; the trouble is compounded as production costs soar while readers turn to the Internet. Magazine ad revenue fell 5% in the first three quarters of 2008, to $18.4 billion, with an 8.8%...

Premium news related to 43% of Women Have Sex Issues, But Few Are Troubled
ABC News | Oct 31, 08 2:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - Just under half of the female population suffers from sex problems, ABC News reports. A new study found that 43% of its 32,000-women sample reported problems with low desire, arousal or difficulty with orgasms, but only 12% of women said such problems cause them personal anguish.

Premium news related to JPMorgan Plans Relief for $110B in Mortgages
Bloomberg | Oct 31, 08 2:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - JPMorgan Chase will help distressed homeowners by reducing interest rates or principal balances for $110 billion in mortgages, Bloomberg reports. The restructuring applies to clients of Washington Mutual, which JPMorgan agreed to buy last month. Foreclosures will be suspended on all loans for the next 90 days while the relief efforts are implemented.

Premium news related to Mac's Tactics Time-Tested ... But This Ain't the Time
Boston Globe | Oct 31, 08 2:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - Any day now, John McCain will mock John Kerry for flip-flopping. Or maybe go with George H.W.’s “Read my lips, no new taxes,” pledge, even Eisenhower’s “I shall go to Korea.” What he won’t do is offer anything new, because all year he’s “seemed intent on fighting the last war, or rather, waging...

Premium news related to Friend Markets Palin Calendar
Los Angeles Times | Oct 31, 08 2:05 PM CDT
(Newser) - A friend of Sarah Palin’s is cashing in on the mania for the candidate with a calendar, the Los Angeles Times reports. Photographer Judy Patrick, who was also Palin’s deputy mayor in Wasilla, Alaska, snapped Palin playing hockey and holding a shotgun. She gave some photos to the campaign but had enough leftovers for a 13-month calendar....

Premium news related to Latest US Drug Overdose: Hormones for Short Kids
Salon | Oct 31, 08 1:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - Since 2003, when the FDA relaxed restrictions on the use of growth hormone (GH) for children, more parents have been looking to give their shortest offspring a leg up in the world. But while many health professionals agree that taller kids may have higher self-esteem, dosing the short ones may not be worth it, Rahul Parikh writes for Salon .

Premium news related to Boss Pens Halloween Screamer
Star-Ledger | Oct 31, 08 1:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - Just in time for Halloween, Bruce Springsteen has released a song chronicling the life of the infamous Jersey Devil, the Star-Ledger reports. It's a free download on his website. In the accompanying video, Springsteen plays the part of the cloven-hoofed denizen of the Jersey Pine Barrens. “Sixteen witches cast 16 spells,” the Boss growls....

Premium news related to Off Somalia's Shores and On, Piracy Is the New Law
Los Angeles Times | Oct 31, 08 1:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - In lawless, destitute Somalia, there’s only one industry booming: piracy. Its shipping lanes have become the world’s most treacherous, with attacks tripling the past 3 years. And though Somali officials decry the attacks, the industry is hardly underground. The New York and Los Angeles Times visited Somalia’s coastal villages, finding...

Premium news related to Undecided Voters Agree: Choosing Is Tough
Los Angeles Times | Oct 31, 08 1:21 PM CDT
(Newser) - Undecided voters want one thing from John McCain and Barack Obama: a reason to vote for one of them—or not. “I’m waiting for one of them to shoot himself in the leg,” one torn Floridian tells the LA Times. "I just don't trust politicians," says an Ohio auto worker. The 11th-hour deciders last made a difference...

Premium news related to McCain Ally Blasts Palin's Readiness
Huffington Post | Oct 31, 08 1:05 PM CDT
(Newser) - Lawrence Eagleburger, one of five former secretaries of state whose endorsement John McCain often touts, sharply criticized Sarah Palin yesterday, saying she is not ready to handle the presidency if needed and would at best be an “adequate” commander in chief, the Huffington Post reports. Asked if Palin would be ready to assume the top...

Premium news related to Liger Mauls Handler to Death
Tulsa World | Oct 31, 08 12:54 PM CDT
(Newser) - An animal handler at an Oklahoma refuge died yesterday after being attacked by a liger—a hybrid of a lion and a tiger—during the animal’s feeding Wednesday, the Tulsa World reports. Safari’s Animal Sanctuary in suburban Broken Arrow will launch an investigation into whether volunteer Peter Getz, 32, broke safety protocols...

Premium news related to Is Don Draper Hooking Up With Tina Fey?
Entertainment Weekly | Oct 31, 08 12:38 PM CDT
(Newser) - Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better for Tina Fey, she’s about to get a hot, albeit fictional, new beau. A “ Rock -solid mole” tells Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello that Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame has signed on for a multi-episode stint on 30 Rock. He’ll apparently be romancing Fey’s character,...

Premium news related to Scariest Flicks for Halloween
Salon | Oct 31, 08 12:26 PM CDT
(Newser) - It's Halloween, so grab the popcorn and scare yourself silly. Salon counts down ghoulish classics guaranteed to do the trick. The Exorcist (1973): Despite the years and the hype, this tale of diabolical possession is still Hollywood's most ominous venture into the supernatural. Halloween (1978): The movie that spawned countless psycho-slasher...

Premium news related to Palin Slims Down on Trail
New York Daily News | Oct 31, 08 12:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - This may explain the new clothing bill. Since joining the GOP ticket, Sarah Palin has gone down a size in clothing, to a 4, the Daily News reports. Alaska's all-American governor has been guzzling Lean1 shakes on the campaign trail. That's the drink most notably pimped by former NFL Pro-Bowler Bill Romanowski. The McCain camp had no comment.

Premium news related to Brooks: Want Real Economic Stimulus? Fix the Roads
New York Times | Oct 31, 08 12:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Panic is afoot, so of course, Congress is bearing down on another stimulus package, though the last one seems to have missed the mark. These “politically designed, ad hoc” measures “amount to an economic sugar rush,” David Brooks writes in the New York Times . If he’s wise, the next president will eschew checks for one...

Premium news related to Porno Naughty But Nice
Rotten Tomatoes | Oct 31, 08 11:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - Indie director and slacker king Kevin Smith has made a surprisingly tender film with Zack and Miri Make a Porno , critics say. Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogan star as a pair of "genuinely likable social misfits" whose platonic friendship is put to the test when they decide to make an adult film to pay the bills, Sean Axmaker writes in...

Premium news related to It's Obama's Moment: Hold On for Dear Life: Noonan
Wall Street Journal | Oct 31, 08 11:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - Peggy Noonan gives it up for Barack Obama today. “He has within him the possibility to change the direction and tone of American foreign policy, which need changing,” she writes, and his election will “serve as a practical rebuke to the past five years, which needs rebuking.” He showed good judgment during the campaign, she...

Premium news related to Real McCain Set for SNL
Associated Press | Oct 31, 08 11:29 AM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain will take a page from Sarah Palin's book and appear on Saturday Night Live tomorrow, aides tell the AP. It will be his first appearance on the show since May. Meanwhile, rumors continue to fly that Barack Obama will stop, too, but SNL reps aren't confirming or denying anything, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Premium news related to New Video Hit: 'Where Are You, Joe?'
MSNBC | Oct 31, 08 11:10 AM CDT
(Newser) - The image of John McCain looking for a nowhere-to-be-found Joe the Plumber has surfaced on YouTube and is being forwarded by gleeful Democrats, notes MSNBC's First Read blog. “Joe’s with us here," McCain said at an Ohio rally yesterday. "Joe, where are you?," he asked, looking around. "Where is Joe? Joe, I thought...

Premium news related to Light Drinking in Pregnancy May Actually Help Babies
Guardian (UK) | Oct 31, 08 11:05 AM CDT
(Newser) - An occasional drink during pregnancy not only doesn't hurt babies, a British study has found, it may even benefit them. Moms who did a little imbibing—say, a drink a week—saw substantially lower risks of hyperactivity and behavior problems in boys by the age of 3, the Guardian reports. The kids also scored higher on vocabulary and other...

Premium news related to Supermodel Taylor Expecting 3rd Child
People | Oct 31, 08 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - Make Me a Supermodel host Niki Taylor is expecting her third child in March. The supermodel is married to Burney Lamar, a NASCAR driver. "Burney and I are very excited with this stage of our lives," 33-year-old Taylor told People . "We're thrilled." Taylor has 13-year-old twin boys from a previous marriage.

Premium news related to Why Is Obama in Front? It's All About the Debates
Washington Post | Oct 31, 08 10:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - To many pundits, the debates are forgotten, a thing of the past—but it’s quite possible they are the key to Barack Obama’s dominance in the polls, writes Robert G. Kaiser in the Washington Post . Before the debates, Obama was seen as a risky unknown. But having seen his performances, “Americans find Obama more empathetic, stronger,...

Premium news related to Campaigns Go All-Out in Ohio
Salon | Oct 31, 08 10:16 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama has led in the last 11 Ohio polls, but the battle for the all-important state is intensifying as Republicans make a last-minute get-out-the-vote sweep. Early voting has leaned Obama’s way, but Republicans—who don't see a clear path to the White House without victory here—say that means little. Salon and the Wall Street...

Premium news related to Seinfeld Helps Madge with Secret A-Rod Reunion
New York Post | Oct 31, 08 10:08 AM CDT
(Newser) - Less than a week after she split with her husband, Madonna arranged for a clandestine meeting with her Kabbalah "soul mate," Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez. They each flew from Manhattan to East Hampton in separate helicopters where Jerry Seinfeld and his wife picked them up and squired them to the Seinfelds' waterfront mansion, spies tell...

Premium news related to New Fungus Linked to Bat Die-Offs
Los Angeles Times | Oct 31, 08 9:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists have identified a new fungus that might be responsible for the mass deaths of bats in the Northeast. If the findings are borne out, they could help researchers understand and eventually stop the contagion—dubbed white-nose syndrome—that has wiped out entire colonies in their caves, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Premium news related to Off the Radar, 'Joe the Biden' Courts the Base
New York Times | Oct 31, 08 9:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - While the rest of the big three draw huge crowds and intense scrutiny, Joe Biden is out of the spotlight, rallying four-digit rather than five-digit crowds and generally dodging the national media. With higher favorability ratings than Sarah Palin but a well-documented propensity for gaffes, he shores up the base with a disciplined strategy that takes...

Premium news related to Meet Obama's New Old 'Radical' Pal
New York Times | Oct 31, 08 9:37 AM CDT
(Newser) - Ever since an April story in the LA Times linked him with Barack Obama, friends say Rashid Khalidi has expected to be vilified along the lines of Bill Ayers. The Manhattan-born Columbia professor is an advocate for Palestinian rights and once likened Israeli policies to apartheid. This week John McCain finally brought up his ties to Obama, while...

Premium news related to 'Consumers Have Thrown In the Towel': Report
Bloomberg | Oct 31, 08 9:24 AM CDT
(Newser) - The punches are coming from all directions and consumers, beaten down and out of breath, are clearly ceding the fight through decreased spending, Bloomberg reports. The scorecard released today says it all: consumer purchases were down 0.3% in September, the biggest drop in 4 years, capping the weakest quarter in 30 years. Inflation is also cooling,...

Premium news related to How Hank Paulson Blew $125B
Washington Post | Oct 31, 08 9:15 AM CDT
(Newser) - Not too long ago, critics from left and right were clamoring for Hank Paulson to abandon his plan buy up toxic mortgage-backed securities at auction to unlock credit markets. Instead, they argued, the government should give money directly to banks for them to lend. Too bad Paulson listened, writes Steven Pearlstein in the Washington Post , because...

Premium news related to Google, Yahoo May Ditch Talks on Ad Alliance
Wall Street Journal | Oct 31, 08 9:03 AM CDT
(Newser) - Google and Yahoo's potential partnership is on the rocks. The two sides are still searching for a middle ground on an advertising deal, but both sides could walk away from the talks as early as next week, the Wall Street Journal reports. The main stumbling block is a consent decree, suggested by the Department of Justice, that would subject the companies’...

Premium news related to Spooked Stocks Dip Slightly
Wall Street Journal | Oct 31, 08 8:51 AM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks took a small slide this morning, as spooked investors bid farewell to one of the worst months in market history. The Dow fell 21 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq were off 0.3% and 0.9% respectively, the Wall Street Journal reports. Among the scary news was a predictably grisly consumer spending report, which took its biggest hit in four...

Premium news related to DNA Study: Ancient Phoenicians Still With Us
National Geographic | Oct 31, 08 8:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Phoenicians may have disappeared as a distinct society a few thousand years ago, but it turns out their imprint remains very much alive today. Genetic researchers have discovered the DNA of the seafaring civilization in the blood of men—as many as 1 in 17— who live today in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, North Africa, and islands in the Mediterranean,...

Premium news related to Huge Bush Deregulation Push Before Jan. 20
Washington Post | Oct 31, 08 8:26 AM CDT
(Newser) - George W. Bush is president for 11 more weeks, and the White House is plotting to use that time to modify federal regulations to weaken protections for consumers and the environment. The deregulatory initiatives would be some of the most controversial of the Bush era, reports the Washington Post , lifting constraints on such things as drinking water,...

Premium news related to Banks Owe Execs Billions— in Previous Years' Pay
Wall Street Journal | Oct 31, 08 8:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - The financial titans receiving huge portions of federal bailout cash are sitting on some massive IOUs, but they aren’t to taxpayers or shareholders—the banks owe billions to their own executives for previous years' pay and pensions. Under the rules of the bailout, they can be paid with taxpayer dollars. At some firms, executives’...

Premium news related to Rescue Plan Rankles Prudent Homeowners
New York Times | Oct 31, 08 7:43 AM CDT
(Newser) - As the feds move ahead with a plan to help homeowners on the brink of foreclosure, others are questioning the scheme's fairness and wondering if it's ripe for abuse, the New York Times reports. “I am beginning to think I would have rocks in my head if I keep paying my mortgage," said one Connecticut homeowner in a familiar boat—he...

Premium news related to No, Matt Drudge, the McCain Gap Isn't Closing
FiveThirtyEight | Oct 31, 08 7:31 AM CDT
(Newser) - Calm down, writes Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com. There's no need to panic over a couple of polls, trumpeted by Drudge, showing the race tightening. “Man, I thought I trained you guys better than this,” he notes. One, the Mason-Dixon poll, shows Obama up by only 4 in Pennsylvania. The other, a Fox News poll, has him leading by just...

Premium news related to Ceasefire Calms Congo
Los Angeles Times | Oct 31, 08 6:54 AM CDT
(Newser) - Fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo has eased after rebels declared a cease-fire, reports the Los Angeles Times . As paramilitary forces moved through the countryside, refugees flooded into the eastern city of Goma—only to face assault, rape and murder at the hands of the Congolese army. UN officials said that 10 people were shot...

Premium news related to Campaigns Ramp Up for Ohio Legal Fight
New York Times | Oct 31, 08 6:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - Four years ago Ohio delivered the presidency to George W Bush over John Kerry, and in 2008 the Buckeye State may again prove decisive. Both camps have legal teams to contest the results of the Ohio vote, which could be compromised by a host of snags: faulty electronic machines, irregularities on the rolls, and above all provisional ballots, which...

Premium news related to Cyberattack in Gay Marriage Battle
Wall Street Journal | Oct 31, 08 6:23 AM CDT
(Newser) - Campaigners seeking to keep gay marriage legal in California say a sophisticated cyberattack crashed their website, the Wall Street Journal reports. The group has complained to the FBI that the No to Proposition 8 website was brought down for several hours Wednesday night by a coordinated "denial of service" attack. Supporters of a ban...

Premium news related to Wall Street Execs Ponder Slashing Their Own Pay
Wall Street Journal | Oct 31, 08 5:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - Top Wall Street execs are considering heading off public outrage by cutting their own pay, insiders tell the Wall Street Journal . The big financial firms pay out billions in bonuses to their execs every year. They now fear a public relations disaster is looming as critics charge that the $125 billion bailout is effectively going towards pumping up...

Premium news related to Korea Backs Monopoly for Blind Masseurs
Associated Press | Oct 31, 08 5:24 AM CDT
(Newser) - A South Korean court has upheld a law allowing only blind people to work as masseurs, the AP reports. The profession has been reserved for the blind for almost a century, but a legal battle had raged for years over the constitutionality of the rule. The perceived threat to their livelihood sparked huge protests and two suicides among the country's...

Premium news related to US Troop Deaths in Iraq Lowest Since War Began
USA Today | Oct 31, 08 4:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - October is on course to tie July's record for the lowest number of troop deaths in Iraq, USA Today reports. Thirteen US troops have died so far in October in combat and non-combat incidents. For the first time since the war started in 2002, no US troops died in combat in Baghdad. The US plans to start shifting resources to Afghanistan next month....

Premium news related to Hudson Launches Victims' Fund
People | Oct 31, 08 3:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - Singer Jennifer Hudson, whose mother, brother and nephew were brutally murdered last weekend, has set up a foundation in honor of her three slain family members. The Hudson-King foundation will offer food, shelter, and clothing, as well as counseling for families who have lost relatives to a violent crime, People reports. The announcement came after...

Premium news related to Kentucky Men Busted for Hanging Obama Effigy
Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.) | Oct 31, 08 3:10 AM CDT
(Newser) - Two men have been charged with disorderly conduct for hanging an effigy of Barack Obama from a tree on University of Kentucky property earlier this week, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports. The men, one of them a student, also face charges for breaking into a fraternity house and taking items used for the hanging, which outraged UK students and...

Premium news related to Forget Tupperware, Gold Parties Are In
MarketWatch | Oct 31, 08 2:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - Gold parties are taking off nationwide as Americans squeezed by the economy seek extra cash, Marketwatch reports. Partygoers bring along any unwanted gold jewelry they have lying around the house, sip wine and chat while it is appraised by experts, and leave with money in hand. Many go home with thousands of dollars in exchange for items they considered...

Premium news related to Vatican Will Root Out Gay Priests With Sex Tests
Scotsman (UK) | Oct 31, 08 1:23 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Catholic Church plans to screen gay men out of the priesthood with psychological tests aimed to detect "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" in seminary candidates, the Scotsman reports. Under the new guidelines, issued yesterday by the Vatican, potential priests will also be screened for "grave immaturity" and “imbalances”...

Premium news related to Bones Found at Fossett Crash Site
People | Oct 31, 08 12:24 AM CDT
(Newser) - Searchers have found what are believed to be the skeletal remains of Steve Fossett close to where his plane crashed in California, People reports. The bones were found near a pair of tennis shoes, credit cards, and Fossett's driver’s license. Pending DNA tests, the county sheriff said he believed the investigation is finished and Fossett's...

Premium news related to Obama Camp Likes Emanuel for Chief of Staff
Associated Press | Oct 30, 08 8:21 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama's campaign has approached Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel about serving as White House chief of staff, say anonymous Democratic sources. An aide to the congressman says he "has not been contacted to take a job in an administration that does not yet exist. Everyone is focused on Election Day, as they should be."

Premium news related to Which City Are We In? Trail Takes Toll on Press, Too
New Republic | Oct 30, 08 7:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - If you think you're tired of the election, just think about the reporters who've lived it nonstop for nearly two years. CNN's Candy Crowley tells the New Republic she falls asleep between events, pines for a mundane life and trips to the supermarket, and even resorts to leaving herself notes on which time zone she's in. New York Times reporter...

Premium news related to Hubble's Back in Action
Space.com | Oct 30, 08 7:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Hubble has perfect vision again. NASA today released the first photos taken by the space telescope since an instrumental glitch put it out of commission last month, Space.com reports. Engineers fixed the problem this week, then got photos of a pair of galaxies about 400 million light-years from Earth. The two galaxies look a bit like the number...

Premium news related to Oldest Hebrew Text May Shed Light on Bible's David
Reuters | Oct 30, 08 6:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - Archeologists in Israel say they have dug up the oldest known example of Hebrew text, a find that could answer questions about the scope and power of the ancient kingdom of David, Reuters reports. Researchers found the 3,000-year-old pottery shards at an excavation site near where the Bible says David slew Goliath. The inscriptions appear to include...