Newser Premium News Archive Index
Newser Stories from January, 2009

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 UK Tabloid Says It Caught Phelps With Bong
News of the World (UK) | Jan 31, 09 10:22 PM CST
(Newser) - Michael Phelps may be getting a little too relaxed in the swimming off-season. The British tabloid News of the World has published a photo that it says shows the Olympic king taking a hit from a bong. No word yet from the Phelps camp , but the tabloid says the swimmer offered to write a regular column for the paper and steer advertisers its way...

Premium news related to Karaoke Rage Will Only Get Worse
Slate | Jan 31, 09 7:56 PM CST
(Newser) - Karaoke is getting downright dangerous, Brian Rafferty writes in Slate. Last fall, a drunk in a Wisconsin bar pummeled a man for singing a heavy metal tune; a Seattle man's version of Coldplay's Yellow earned him a beating the year before. It's even worse in Bangkok, where a gunman allegedly killed eight neighbors for singing John Denver's Country...

Premium news related to Japan, Help Us Wrestle the World's Problems
Newsweek | Jan 31, 09 7:20 PM CST
(Newser) - Japan's economic collapse in the 1990s and its decades of US dependence have left the nation rather timid, Christian Caryl writes in Newsweek . But its strong economy, bold environmental moves, and likely change of government this year will leave it poised to help the world. “The only trick now,” Caryl writes, “is to persuade...

Premium news related to 'War on Terror' Phrase Fading Under Obama
Associated Press | Jan 31, 09 6:56 PM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama is rephrasing the "war on terror," the AP reports. As campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan continue—as do broader US efforts to hunt down extremists—Obama is apparently letting the Bush catchphrase go out of style. The new president instead invokes  “ongoing struggle” and “twilight struggle”...

Premium news related to Rising Gang Violence Sparks 80% of US Crime
USA Today | Jan 31, 09 6:34 PM CST
(Newser) - Growing by the year, US gangs boast about 1 million members and are responsible for up to 80% of crimes across the country, a new federal report says. Law enforcement crackdowns have helped, but gangs remain resistant. "They evolve and adapt,” said an FBI official. “They know what law enforcement is doing. Word of mouth spreads quickly.”...

Premium news related to Brits Hunt for Oldest Bulb
Daily Telegraph (UK) | Jan 31, 09 6:12 PM CST
(Newser) - The UK’s Royal Society of Chemistry has offered a $700 prize for the lucky Briton who turns up with the oldest working light bulb in the nation, the Telegraph reports. The society hopes the search will produce a bulb even older than the current world record holder—a lamp that has burned at a California firehouse since 1901.

Premium news related to 'Womyn's Lands' Dwindle as Gays Go Mainstream
New York Times | Jan 31, 09 5:48 PM CST
(Newser) - So-called "womyn's lands" are quietly persisting across North America but face a cultural shift as modern gays embrace mainstream society, the New York Times reports. Founded in the 1970s to give lesbians man-free, safe, non-judgmental communities, the roughly 100 groups have seen membership dwindle and populations age. “In 20 to...

Premium news related to Kind of Blue Still the Gold Standard at 50
Newsweek | Jan 31, 09 5:27 PM CST
(Newser) - Fifty years to the day since its debut, Miles Davis’ signature album Kind of Blue remains beautiful and inviting—"like meeting an old friend," Malcolm Jones writes in Newsweek . The record helped jazz earn its title as America’s classical music and remains the bestselling jazz album ever. "You won’t find recordings...

Premium news related to Palin Among GOP Govs Backing Obama Plan
Associated Press | Jan 31, 09 5:07 PM CST
(Newser) - Most Republican governors have broken with GOP colleagues in Congress and are pushing for passage of Barack Obama's economic aid plan that would send billions to states for education, public works, and health care, the AP reports. Their state treasuries drained by the financial crisis, governors welcome the money from Capitol Hill, where GOP lawmakers...

Premium news related to Play-by-Play Booth Still Boys-Only Club
Washington Post | Jan 31, 09 4:43 PM CST
(Newser) - Andrea Kremer’s done nearly everything in sports journalism: produced, directed, and won Emmys for her stories. But come game time, she—like most women sports journalists—are stuck on the sidelines, the Washington Post reports. The play-by-play booth is reserved almost exclusively for men, who will broadcast the Final Four, the...

Premium news related to Sunni Iraqis: Shiites Barred Us From Voting
Los Angeles Times | Jan 31, 09 4:21 PM CST
(Newser) - At least 1,000 Sunni Iraqis were turned away from the polls in Baghdad today for being unregistered to vote, and many accused the Shiite government of deleting their names from the polls, the Los Angeles Times reports. “This is a disappointment,” complained one man. Agitation was high in one Sunni enclave that was once an insurgent stronghold....

Premium news related to Can RuPaul Revive Drag?
Salon | Jan 31, 09 4:00 PM CST
(Newser) - RuPaul is back, and starring in—what else?—a reality show, hoping to bring back the glory days of drag. And it’s almost certainly going to hit a false note, Thomas Rogers writes in Salon. Drag is, in RuPaul’s words, “a punk rock reaction to our masculine culture.” But for Rogers’ generation, which grew up in...

Premium news related to Juror Booted for 'Sitting in Hell' Facebook Post
Cincinnati Enquirer | Jan 31, 09 3:41 PM CST
(Newser) - An Ohio man inadvertently discovered a new, high-tech way to get out of jury duty: write about it on Facebook. A judge in a high-profile civil lawsuit booted Barry Price from service after the plaintiff’s attorney discovered his Facebook status: “Barry Price is sitting in hell… aka jury duty.” The defense team asked for a mistrial,...

Premium news related to Woodson, Smith Make Hall of Fame
Associated Press | Jan 31, 09 3:20 PM CST
(Newser) - Bruce Smith, Rod Woodson, and Derrick Thomas, all witnesses for the defense. All Pro Football Hall of Famers. The three were elected today along with longtime Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, who at age 90 will be the oldest person ever inducted; former Minnesota guard Randall McDaniel; and the late Bob Hayes, a standout wide receiver for Dallas and...

Premium news related to Saddam to Commanders: Wait, Do We Have WMDs?
Washington Post | Jan 31, 09 2:55 PM CST
(Newser) - Saddam Hussein didn't have weapons of mass destruction, but America made such a strong case that even the Iraqi leader himself had doubts, the Washington Post reports. Saddam, apparently in awe of US intelligence, asked his top commanders if the nation had stashes even he didn't know about. So says a new book by a CIA investigator, which also...

Premium news related to Cleared for Landing: Lily Allen's US Return
Wall Street Journal | Jan 31, 09 2:36 PM CST
(Newser) - After being grounded by US immigration officials just as her 2007 album was set to take off, the UK’s Lily Allen is taking a second shot at conquering America with a new album, reports the Wall Street Journal . Despite her visa travails, Allen's debut sold a respectable 500,000 copies in this country (and 2 million elsewhere). Her biggest challenge...

Premium news related to Obama Tries to Rein In Use of His Image
Bloomberg | Jan 31, 09 2:10 PM CST
(Newser) - Marketers have been using Barack Obama to sell everything from futons (Ikea's Embrace Change line) to ice cream (Yes Pecan from Ben & Jerry), but now the White House is trying to rain on their parade, Bloomberg reports. Lawyers are working to “protect the presidential image,” a spokesman said, “while being careful not to...

Premium news related to New Power Source Catches a Wave: Ocean Tides
Bloomberg | Jan 31, 09 1:37 PM CST
(Newser) - In the search for renewable energy, Europe and the US are turning to one of the earth’s most abundant resources—the tides, Bloomberg reports. Technology developed three decades ago to turn tidal energy into electricity in developing countries is finally finding traction in the West. The largest grid-connected turbine, able to power...

Premium news related to Boy Scout Bosses Sell Wildlands to Developers
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | Jan 31, 09 1:13 PM CST
(Newser) - The Boy Scouts of America has made tens of millions of dollars over the past two decades by selling campgrounds and valuable wildlands across the country to developers, a Seattle Post-Intelligencer investigation reports. The organization—which boasts a "conservation-minded" Outdoor Code—has often exclusively sought deals with...

Premium news related to Eat This Brain and Call Me in the Morning
Der Spiegel | Jan 31, 09 12:49 PM CST
(Newser) - Though safely out of fashion in today’s Europe, Western doctors just a few centuries ago recommended drinking blood, tasting brains, and eating flesh, Der Spiegel reports. Pieces of cadavers could be had in almost any pharmacy, says a British researcher who’s writing a book on "medicinal cannibalism." He cites corpse-preparation...

Premium news related to America's First Newspaper Lasted Just One Day
One Last Question | Jan 31, 09 12:28 PM CST
(Newser) - An exhibit of early American journalism wraps up today at a DC museum, and among its gems is the first edition of the colonies' first paper: Publick Occurrences , from 1690. It's "no small treasure," notes Ned Desmond in his One Last Question blog, because the newspaper's first edition also happened to be its last. Occurrences' most...

Premium news related to Google Flags Entire Internet as Malware
ZDNet | Jan 31, 09 12:25 PM CST
(Newser) - Anyone searching on Google for a short stretch early this morning got a rude awakening. Every result on the search giant turned up the warning, "This site may harm your computer,” ZDNet reports, and firewalls on personal PCs blocked them accordingly. Google blames the glitch—from 6:30am PST to 7:25—on human error; a stray...

Premium news related to Dolphins: Chefs of the Sea
National Geographic | Jan 31, 09 11:56 AM CST
(Newser) - A bottlenose dolphin that researchers have been tracking since 2003 follows a complex regimen when preparing a meal of cuttlefish, National Geographic reports. The female dolphin, caught on tape off the coast of Australia, first kills the squid-like creature, shakes it to remove indigestible ink, and then scrapes its catch on the seafloor to remove...

Premium news related to GOP Desperate to Keep Gregg in Senate
Politico | Jan 31, 09 11:26 AM CST
(Newser) - Republicans are stepping up efforts to keep Judd Gregg from jumping to Barack Obama’s Cabinet, or, failing that, to convince New Hampshire’s Democratic governor to pick a Republican to replace him. Otherwise, Democrats would gain a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority. “It would be a loss to the Senate of a great mind,” said one...

Premium news related to Now, Obama Awaits Overture From Iran
Politico | Jan 31, 09 10:57 AM CST
(Newser) - While Barack Obama is not backing away from his campaign pledge to meet Iran without preconditions, the new administration is hoping Tehran will take the first step toward détente, Politico reports. “If countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from us,” Obama said in his Arab TV interview,...

Premium news related to 'Obsessed' Octuplet Mom Wanted 'One More Girl'
Los Angeles Times | Jan 31, 09 10:32 AM CST
(Newser) - The California mother of octuplets “is obsessed with children” and wanted “just one more girl” even though she already had six kids, her mother told the Los Angeles Times . The 33-year-old divorcee “is very good with children, but obviously she overdid herself,” said her mother, who filed for bankruptcy last year,...

Premium news related to Don't Be Afraid of the 'F' Word
Wall Street Journal | Jan 31, 09 10:07 AM CST
(Newser) - Foreclosures have gotten a bad rap lately, with politicians desperate to prevent them. But foreclosures actually represent one of the best paths to recovery, writes real-estate consultant Ramsey Su in the Wall Street Journal. The people facing foreclosure would be much better served walking away from the negative-equity McMansions destroying their...

Premium news related to Iraqis Wrap Up Voting Amid Relative Calm
New York Times | Jan 31, 09 9:49 AM CST
(Newser) - Iraq’s first provincial election went off more or less smoothly today. Though three mortar shells landed near one polling place, no one was injured or killed, Reuters reports, and polls closed without any other major incidents. Turnout appeared strong, even in places like Anbar province, a Sunni-dominated area that largely sat out 2005’s...

Premium news related to Utilities' Green Plea: Best Your Neighbor
New York Times | Jan 31, 09 9:37 AM CST
(Newser) - Utilities have discovered that tapping into consumers' competitive urges is the most effective way to jolt them into using less energy, the New York Times reports. Sacramento—in a program now copied in at least 10 other major cities—began awarding smiley faces to customers who did well compared to their neighbors. (They had to drop frowny...

Premium news related to Wall St. Braces for Lower Pay, Less Risk-Taking
Wall Street Journal | Jan 31, 09 9:13 AM CST
(Newser) - With the new president joining the chorus of outrage against bonuses for bailed-out Wall Street firms, bankers are grappling with the notion that long-held pay expectations will have to change, the Wall Street Journal reports. Eager to avert government crackdown, firms are expected to shrink and perhaps defer bonuses, to eliminate "big paydays...

Premium news related to Mississippi Most Religious State, Vermont the Least
USA Today | Jan 31, 09 8:20 AM CST
(Newser) - If you’re looking for religion, head to Mississippi; if you want to avoid it, choose Vermont, a new Gallup survey suggests. Mississippi is ranked as America’s most religious state, with 85% saying religion is “an important part of daily life.” At the other end of the scale is Vermont at 42%, USA Today reports. Other Bible-belt...

Premium news related to First-Timer Chomps His Way to Wing Bowl Glory
Philadelphia Inquirer | Jan 31, 09 7:56 AM CST
(Newser) - Skinny first-timer Jonathan "Super Squibb" Squibb polished off 203 chicken wings and some heavyweight competition to win the 17th Wing Bowl yesterday, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer . Squibb, who beat favorites like 500-pound "Damaging Doug" Canavin, will take home a brand new Mini Cooper and crown of miniature chickens.

Premium news related to Super Bowl Shindig Mixes Parties, Loyalties
Politico | Jan 31, 09 7:26 AM CST
(Newser) - President Obama’s Super Bowl party will be bipartisan on two fronts: Republicans and Democrats alike are invited, and so are both Arizona and Pittsburgh fans. Still, the list leans to the left, with 11 Dems and 3 Republicans invited. They include Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and Arlen Specter and Arizona Reps. Trent Franks and Raul Grijalva,...

Premium news related to Arabs, Jews United Against Jerusalem Tram
Wall Street Journal | Jan 31, 09 7:15 AM CST
(Newser) - Jerusalem's bitterly divided residents have finally found something they can agree on, the Wall Street Journal reports. From ultra-orthodox rabbis to the PLO, just about everybody has found cause to dislike the new tram system currently under construction. Even the city's secular mayor has questioned the wisdom of continuing the project, designed...

Premium news related to Britney Ex-Pals Hit With Restraining Orders
TMZ | Jan 31, 09 6:58 AM CST
(Newser) - Britney Spears' family has obtained restraining orders against ex-manager Sam Lutfi, ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib, and a lawyer, sources tell TMZ. Lutfi and Ghalib, frequent companions during Britney's breakdown last year, are accused of conspiring to undermine her conservatorship arrangement. Spears herself is terrified of them both and wants to see...

Premium news related to Obama's Half- Brother Nabbed for Pot in Kenya
CNN | Jan 31, 09 6:50 AM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama’s half-brother has been arrested in Kenya for possessing marijuana, CNN reports. George Obama is being held at a Nairobi police station ahead of a Monday trial after police said he resisted arrest. He denies the charges. “They took me from my home," he said. "I don't know why they are charging me.” George and...

Premium news related to Serena Wins Aussie Open
Associated Press | Jan 31, 09 6:16 AM CST
(Newser) - Serena Williams routed Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 today to win the Australian Open for her 10th Grand Slam title and a return to the No. 1 ranking. It was total domination for the second-seeded Williams, who looked at ease in winning back-to-back majors—she won the US Open championship in September—as she moved fluidly on the court.

Premium news related to Tanker Owner Recounts Pirate Drama
Wall Street Journal | Jan 31, 09 5:08 AM CST
(Newser) - It took 56 days of tense negotiations to free the MV Biscaglia and its 28 crew members from the clutches of Somali pirates, shipping exec George Christodolou tells the Wall Street Journal . After the vessel was seized in the Gulf of Aden, Christodolou had to scramble to gain the pirates' trust, reduce their hefty ransom demand, and reassure the crew's...

Premium news related to Italian Cities Ban Foreign Food
Times (UK) | Jan 31, 09 4:03 AM CST
(Newser) - Kebabs, Chinese food, and curries are the targets of a growing Italian campaign against foreign food, the Times of London reports. The Tuscan town of Lucca has slapped a ban on new foreign eateries opening in the city, and Milan has now followed suit. Government-backed campaigners say they are fighting to protect Italian food from the increasingly...

Premium news related to US Flushes Blackwater Contract
Associated Press | Jan 31, 09 2:58 AM CST
(Newser) - The State Department said Friday it will not renew Blackwater's contract to protect American diplomats in Iraq when it expires in May. A department spokeswoman said the contract will lapse because of the Iraqi government's decision to deny Blackwater a license to operate, amid lingering outrage over a 2007 shooting incident in Baghdad that left 17...

Premium news related to Niche Cruises Set Sail
Travel Leisure | Jan 31, 09 2:12 AM CST
(Newser) - Increasingly popular niche cruises offer seafarers a chance to indulge in all manner of hobbies, fantasies and obsessions on the high seas, reports Travel and Leisure : For instance: Star Trek/Buffy the Vampire Slayer: This week-long cruise offers fan conventions complete with autograph-signing celebs, star-studded karaoke and a chance to...

Premium news related to Times to Ax 300 Jobs, Local News Section
LA Observed | Jan 30, 09 8:37 PM CST
(Newser) - Amid growing gloom in the newspaper business, the Los Angeles Times plans to lay off 300 workers and shelve its local news section, LA Observed reports. Foreign and national news will be downplayed to fit local stories into the front section, the publisher said in a memo today. Seventy newsroom staff will get the ax, cutting reporting strength...

Premium news related to 'Tax Issues' Delay Daschle Nomination
Associated Press | Jan 30, 09 8:01 PM CST
(Newser) - The White House acknowledged today that "some tax issues" had emerged in connection with Barack Obama's nomination of Tom Daschle as health secretary. But a spokesman says the president is confident the former Senate Democratic leader will be confirmed. White House officials confirmed a broadcast report that Daschle failed to pay taxes on...

Premium news related to Michelle Taps Pottery Barn for White House Redo
Us Weekly | Jan 30, 09 7:41 PM CST
(Newser) - Michelle Obama is decorating Malia and Sasha's White House rooms with items from Pottery Barn and Anthropologie, Us reports. Designer Michael Smith, whose clients include Steven Spielberg and Michelle Pfeiffer, says he'll be inspired by the Obamas' "casual style" in using such "affordable brands." The family's Asian and African...

Premium news related to Dozens Killed as Hamas Retakes Gaza
Guardian (UK) | Jan 30, 09 7:07 PM CST
(Newser) - Gunmen have killed and wounded dozens in the Gaza Strip in an apparent effort by Hamas to regain control of the region, the Guardian reports. Human rights workers say Fatah officials and suspected spies for Israel are among the victims. "We don't know who's doing the killing," one worker said. "Some are individuals, some might be from...

Premium news related to Beverly Hills High Aims to Market Its 90210 Image
Forbes | Jan 30, 09 6:38 PM CST
(Newser) - Beverly Hills High School is considering starting lines of clothing and cosmetics in an attempt to capitalize on the glamorous image perpetuated by television’s 90210 series and famous alumni like Angelina Jolie. A smaller population of school-aged children in the neighborhood has sapped the tax base, leaving it with budget gaps, Forbes reports.

Premium news related to Cardinals Not Cute Enough? Try the Puppy Bowl
Los Angeles Times | Jan 30, 09 6:09 PM CST
(Newser) - Those uninterested in watching hulking giants meet on the gridiron Sunday have a decidedly cuter alternative: the fifth annual Puppy Bowl. Animal Planet broadcasts the event, which will feature puppies engaging in football-like action, a parrot singing the national anthem, and a halftime show where kittens are just kittens, the Los Angeles Times ...

Premium news related to Bearing Bad News Tough on Cops, Too
CNN | Jan 30, 09 5:50 PM CST
(Newser) - News of a death can be tough on police officers charged with delivering it, too. While agencies don’t generally have formal protocols (unlike the US Army), most prefer to inform families in person, with a chaplain. “You ask yourself: How would you want to deliver this message,” a retired officer tells CNN, “because people are...

Premium news related to What's in the Box? Dad, Home From Iraq
Nevada Appeal (Carson City) | Jan 30, 09 5:30 PM CST
(Newser) - An Army mechanic stationed in Iraq surprised his son by popping out of an oversize present at the boy’s 6th birthday party, the Nevada Appeal reports. Casey Hurles hadn’t seen son Gabriel since June; when he learned his leave would coincide with the birthday, he hatched a plan with the help of family and teachers. Gabriel was overjoyed...

Premium news related to Anthony Defense Granted Access to Crime Scene
Orlando Sentinel | Jan 30, 09 5:14 PM CST
(Newser) - A judge ruled today that Casey Anthony’s defense team must have access to the scene where Caylee Anthony’s body was found, but denied a request for information from an unofficial search group, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Attorneys for the mother accused of murdering her young daughter had sought access to records from Texas EquuSearch,...

Premium news related to Computer Virus Targets Gullible Lovebirds
ComputerWeekly.com | Jan 30, 09 4:55 PM CST
(Newser) - A Valentine-themed spam campaign is underway, with a side dish of coercion and extortion, Computer Weekly reports. Users receive an email, ostensibly from a secret admirer, with a link to a website that downloads a bot called Waledec. Not only does Waledec co-opt the user’s address list and start sending out the same emails—it also installs...

Premium news related to Geo-Engineers Not Quite Ready to Save Earth
Economist | Jan 30, 09 4:36 PM CST
(Newser) - Their proposals to combat global warming may sound like science fiction, but geo-engineers insist they can save the planet. Two new reports show that while that may be the case, the science has a long way to go, the Economist reports. The burgeoning field posits that humans can cool the planet via unorthodox ideas such as dumping tons of iron into...

Premium news related to Barkin May Get Revenge on Ex Via New Show
New York Post | Jan 30, 09 4:22 PM CST
(Newser) - Ellen Barkin is producing and starring in an HBO pilot about a hot woman in her 50s "famous for her high-profile marriage, who divorces, and re-enters the singles market," the New York Post reports. Sound familiar? In 2006, Barkin's husband, billionaire Ron Perelman, surprised her with divorce papers and tossed her out of their New York...

Premium news related to Yemen Is New Haven for al-Qaeda
Economist | Jan 30, 09 4:11 PM CST
(Newser) - As the US prepares to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Yemen presents a problem: Despite government efforts, the country is becoming a safe haven for al-Qaeda operatives, the Economist reports. Rebuffed by anti-terror initiatives in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, jihadists have flocked to Yemen, where rugged countryside, weak rule and tribal...

Premium news related to Steele Will Head RNC
Politico | Jan 30, 09 4:00 PM CST
(Newser) - Michael Steele emerged from a grueling contest today to become the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee, Politico reports. The six-ballot process, the most drawn-out in years, ended in the rare election of a non-member. “This is awesome,” the former Maryland lieutenant governor said, drawing a laugh. He said...

Premium news related to With Legal Gray Areas, Art Heists Go Digital
Wall Street Journal | Jan 30, 09 3:56 PM CST
(Newser) - A disconnect between the artistic and legal communities is reigniting the debate over copyright infringement, the Wall Street Journal reports. The law says an artist can adapt an existing work only if the resulting piece is “transformative,” or provides a new spin. “It’s meant to be a gray area,” explained an attorney....

Premium news related to Calif. Faces Worst Drought Ever
San Francisco Chronicle | Jan 30, 09 3:45 PM CST
(Newser) - With winter precipitation lagging well below normal, California officials say residents should prepare for the state’s worst drought on record, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada—the state’s main water supply—is at just 61% of normal after an unusually sunny and dry January. “We’re...

Premium news related to Feds Start Criminal Probe Into Salmonella Outbreak
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Jan 30, 09 3:36 PM CST
(Newser) - The federal government has begun a criminal investigation into the peanut-driven salmonella outbreak, after it was revealed that a supplier shipped product that initially tested positive for the bacteria, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The House has called representatives from two testing labs, which certified negative results, to testify....

Premium news related to Inquiry Into Jobs' Health Puts SEC in New Territory
Bloomberg | Jan 30, 09 3:33 PM CST
(Newser) - The Securities and Exchange Commission's inquiry into Apple’s disclosures on Steve Jobs’ health has the agency prying into perhaps the last remaining corner of executive privacy, Bloomberg reports. Securities law requires companies to reveal to shareholders information that could affect share price, but the health of executives has usually...

Premium news related to Dow Off 149, Down 8.8% for Month
MarketWatch | Jan 30, 09 3:18 PM CST
(Newser) - Stocks extended losses today off the news of a 3.8% decline in US GDP for the fourth quarter, ending a turbulent month, MarketWatch reports. The report capped a week of widespread layoffs and poor earnings at major US firms. Amazon.com was a rare exception, up 18% on strong fourth-quarter earnings. The Dow fell 148.15 to close at 8,000.86. The Nasdaq...

Premium news related to Coke Will Drop 'Classic' Tag from Labels
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Jan 30, 09 3:18 PM CST
(Newser) - If you’re still haunted by New Coke, fear no more: Coca-Cola plans to drop the “Classic” tag from its branding, ensuring that the original formula faces no more threats from upstart incarnations, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The “Classic” label, which was introduced in 1985, is “a relic of the past...

Premium news related to Iraq Takes Down Shoe Sculpture
CNN | Jan 30, 09 3:09 PM CST
(Newser) - The large, shoe-shaped sculpture made to honor an Iraqi journalist’s gesture of defiance against former President Bush was removed from the garden of a Tikrit orphanage just a day after it was put up, CNN reports. The government requested the removal, and sent police to supervise. “We will not allow anyone to use the government buildings...

Premium news related to New Labor Radio Ad Beats Up on Rush
Talking Points Memo | Jan 30, 09 3:00 PM CST
(Newser) - A radio ad is making the rounds in Cleveland, Reno, and Philadelphia, slamming the local Republican senator and the apparent leader of the opposition: Rush Limbaugh. The ad, from the labor-backed Americans United for Change, slams House Republicans who “voted with Limbaugh against creating 4 million new American jobs.” It finishes by asking...

Premium news related to Men Are the New Old Maids
Evening Standard (UK) | Jan 30, 09 2:50 PM CST
(Newser) - Forget single women—men are the real hopeless romantics, writes Liz Hoggard in the UK's Evening Standard . "Trust me, men are the new spinsters," she says. "They dream of being married to The One," but that "one" must be a mother, a wife, and a handy helper. Single men of a certain age are so picky, they end up...

Premium news related to It's Feeding Time: 1,000 Sharks Invade Florida Coast
NBC 5 Florida | Jan 30, 09 2:35 PM CST
(Newser) - Cue the Jaws theme music: At least 1,000 sharks have invaded the shores of South Florida, reports Palm Beach’s WFLX-TV.  Beaches have been closed to swimmers as the demons of the deep hunt schools of migrating fish along the Florida coastline. Officials say the risk is particularly high in the morning and late afternoon, when the sharks...

Premium news related to More Than 1M Still Powerless After Ice Storm
Associated Press | Jan 30, 09 2:25 PM CST
(Newser) - From Missouri to West Virginia, thousands of people are still holed up in makeshift shelters as utility crews frantically work to return water and heat to their homes, the AP reports. More than 1.3 million homes remain without power after the recent ice storm, and though workers are making progress, utility companies say it could be 2 weeks before...

Premium news related to Being Vegetarian Doesn't Make You Better in Bed
Slate | Jan 30, 09 2:18 PM CST
(Newser) - The idea makes for one steamy ad campaign, but vegetarians don’t necessarily have better sex, Nina Shen Rastogi writes for Slate. PETA’s claim that meat makes people “fat, sick, and boring in bed” is a little misleading—the research is based on people who ate low-fat, low-cholesterol diets. Vegetarians do tend to be slimmer,...

Premium news related to Police Help Drew Peterson's Fiancée Move Out
Chicago Tribune | Jan 30, 09 2:11 PM CST
(Newser) - Drew Peterson’s fiancée ended their relationship today and moved out—with a little help from the police, her dad, and Dr. Phil, the Chicago Tribune reports. Christina Raines first called her father for help moving. After arriving with a cameraman from Dr. Phil's show in tow, he called the police just to be safe. They sent five...

Premium news related to How to Be a Super Heckler
ESPN | Jan 30, 09 2:02 PM CST
(Newser) - Sunday’s the last chance to get your heckling in this NFL season, and Eddie Matz of ESPN the Magazine has timely tips on getting the most bang for your buck: Do your homework. Knowing a key statistical weak point or personal peccadillo can get you inside your target’s head. Wait until it’s quiet. Nobody’s...

Premium news related to Madden Has Lots of Fans, If Not All the Facts
Wall Street Journal | Jan 30, 09 1:46 PM CST
(Newser) - John Madden's on-air analysis isn't always right—zealous fact-checkers will attest to that—but the elder statesman of NFL commentators is usually on the money, writes Matthew Futterman in the Wall Street Journal. "I know there's talk he's lost a step," his former boss acknowledges, but the onetime Raiders coach remains a force...