Newser Premium News Archive Index
Newser Stories from February, 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 Patriots Trade Cassel, Confident in Brady
Boston Herald | Feb 28, 09 10:06 PM CST
(Newser) - No quarterback controversy here. The New England Patriots—confident that Tom Brady will return stronger than ever—have traded Matt Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Boston Herald reports. Cassel emerged from obscurity this year by leading the Patriots to an 11-5 record after Brady got injured in the season's first game. The deal frees...

Premium news related to Radio's Paul Harvey Dead at 90
Associated Press | Feb 28, 09 9:29 PM CST
(Newser) - Paul Harvey, the news commentator and talk-radio pioneer whose staccato style made him one of the nation's most familiar voices, died today in Arizona at age 90. Known for his resonant voice and trademark delivery of "The Rest of the Story," Harvey had been heard nationally since 1951, when he began his "News and Comment" for ABC...

Premium news related to Ailing AIG Nears $30B Deal With Feds
Reuters | Feb 28, 09 7:22 PM CST
(Newser) - Facing a roughly $60 billion fourth quarter loss—the biggest in corporate history—American International Group is cutting a deal with the feds to stay alive, Reuters reports. If AIG's board approves the agreement tomorrow, Washington will give the insurer another $30 billion in equity and a lower interest rate on its current $60 billion...

Premium news related to Jon & Kate Exploit 8 Meal Tickets: Critics
Philadelphia Magazine | Feb 28, 09 6:53 PM CST
(Newser) - Jon and Kate Gosselin and their eight children have become the darlings of cable TV, giving hope to frazzled parents everywhere with their hit show Jon & Kate Plus 8 . But the love affair with the bustling brood is ending, Jessica Remo writes in Philadelphia Magazine. “They are totally exploiting those kids,” said one organizer who...

Premium news related to Limbaugh to CPAC: 'Take Country Back'
Fox News | Feb 28, 09 6:15 PM CST
(Newser) - Rush Limbaugh thrilled an overflow crowd of conservatives in Washington, DC, tonight by urging them to "take this country back. All we need is to nominate the right candidate." Following speeches by Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Ann Coulter at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Limbaugh surprised attendees by praising...

Premium news related to 'To Be or Not to Be' No Longer the Question for Poetry
Daily Telegraph (UK) | Feb 28, 09 6:07 PM CST
(Newser) - Poetry is not going gently into that good night, having been energized by the very tool predicted to kill it: the Internet, reports the Telegraph . Email, social networking sites, and online media players are helping poets win over new audiences. “It’s counter-intuitive,” marveled poet Richard Price. Poetry reading groups and live...

Premium news related to Pakistan Routs Insurgents in Militant Haven
Reuters | Feb 28, 09 5:47 PM CST
(Newser) - Pakistani forces have scored a victory against Islamic militants by ousting them from a stronghold on the Afghan border, Reuters reports. Pakistan plans to clear at least four of seven other regions of militants by the end of the year. “They have lost their cohesion here,” one general declared. “The resistance has collapsed.”...

Premium news related to Rhode Island's Little Economy In Giant Fix
New York Times | Feb 28, 09 5:21 PM CST
(Newser) - It may be the littlest state, but Rhode Island’s economic meltdown is among the biggest in the nation, arguably second only to Michigan’s, the New York Times reports. Rhode Island’s 10% unemployment rate ranks second, and its average income, $39,827, pales before neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut. No one’s sure exactly...

Premium news related to Sebelius Tapped for Health Post
Associated Press | Feb 28, 09 5:11 PM CST
(Newser) - Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is President Barack Obama's choice for secretary of health and human services, a White House source said today. Sebelius, 60, was an early Obama supporter who picked his presidential campaign over that of Hillary Rodham Clinton and worked tirelessly for Obama's bid. Obama will formally announce her nomination on Monday,...

Premium news related to Alcoholism Plagues UK Orchestras
Guardian (UK) | Feb 28, 09 4:56 PM CST
(Newser) - Alcoholism is sounding a sour note in the great orchestras of Britain, the Guardian reports. Though little research has been conducted on the issue—which remains taboo in many corners—there have been some “regrettable incidents,” recalled one official with the Musicians’ Union. One drunk percussionist fell off a high...

Premium news related to Why Your Belly Button Has Lint
Daily Telegraph (UK) | Feb 28, 09 4:33 PM CST
(Newser) - Just so you know: Navel lint is caused by a unique arrangement of abdominal hairs that are positioned in concentric circles around the belly button and “act like a kind of barbed hooks,” the Telegraph reports. The discovery comes from an Austrian doctor who conducted 3 years of tireless investigation on his own navel. Don't like lint...

Premium news related to Lefty Lobbyists Ready for Battle
New York Times | Feb 28, 09 4:09 PM CST
(Newser) - Toughened by years in the political wilderness, liberal lobbyists are organized and ready to support President Obama on issues ranging from health care to taxing the rich, the New York Times reports. “This is no longer going to be Barack Obama standing by himself getting pilloried by the special interests with no one pushing back—if I...

Premium news related to Rihanna's Dad Backs Her Return to Brown
Us Weekly | Feb 28, 09 3:49 PM CST
(Newser) - Rihanna’s father supports her decision to stay with Chris Brown. “I love my daughter with whatever road she takes,” Ronald Fenty told Us . “I'm behind her win or lose. If that's the road she wants to choose, I'm behind her.” As for his daughter’s allegedly abusive boyfriend, a terse Fenty told People , “I...

Premium news related to Outrage Over Bank's Golf Tourney Is Misplaced
Wall Street Journal | Feb 28, 09 3:27 PM CST
(Newser) - “Golf, with its traditional fat-cat image, is an easy target for abuse, some of it deserved,” John Paul Newport writes in the Wall Street Journal . But the recent hubbub over Northern Trust’s sponsorship of a PGA tourney—that bank received $1.6 billion in TARP funds—threatens “effective business practices”...

Premium news related to White House Opens Up on Race
Washington Post | Feb 28, 09 3:03 PM CST
(Newser) - In a break from the tone of the Obama campaign, members of the White House inner-circle are talking candidly about race. Eric Holder's "nation of cowards" remark caught the most attention, but Michelle Obama and  EPA chief Lisa Jackson—also the first African-American in her position—have moved the conversation forward as...

Premium news related to HIV+ Brit Arrested for Unprotected Sex
BBC | Feb 28, 09 2:38 PM CST
(Newser) - Police have arrested a British man for allegedly keeping his HIV status secret while having unprotected sex with women, the BBC reports. Cops in Cornwall and Devon captured the suspect after multiple complaints from women who say they learned of his infection after sleeping with him. The man, 39, can be charged with causing grievous bodily harm,...

Premium news related to Family's Search for WWII Hero Scarred Generations
Wall Street Journal | Feb 28, 09 2:16 PM CST
(Newser) - The fate of Raoul Wallenberg, savior of thousands of Jews in World War II, remains unknown, despite his family’s generation-spanning search for the Swede who was arrested by Soviets in 1945, at age 32. That quest has lasted 6 decades—and the Wall Street Journal has reviewed thousands of documents, many previously unseen, chronicling the...

Premium news related to Mugabe Hosts $250K Party in Starving Zimbabwe
BBC | Feb 28, 09 1:50 PM CST
(Newser) - More than half of his country is starving, just 10% have jobs, and nearly 4,000 have died of cholera since August, but none of that has stopped Robert Mugabe from partying. Zimbabwe’s president spent $250,000 on his 85th birthday bash today, which included a 187-pound cake, the BBC reports. The celebration comes just days after Zimbabwe asked...

Premium news related to Mom Nabbed for Breastfeeding While Driving
Dayton Daily News | Feb 28, 09 1:23 PM CST
(Newser) - Turns out, it’s not legal to breastfeed and drive at the same time. Genine Compton found that out the hard way when a male motorist spotted the Ohio woman chatting on a cellphone and breastfeeding one child while driving her other children to school. When police tracked Compton down, she quickly admitted the deed and was issued a citation for...

Premium news related to Gossip Girl to Host No Doubt Reunion
Rolling Stone | Feb 28, 09 12:54 PM CST
(Newser) - No Doubt will kick off a reunion tour in May, but first the band is going to make a guest appearance on Gossip Girl , reports Rolling Stone . Because the show doesn’t feature a performance venue like the Peach Pit in the old 90210 , the episode will likely take a page from the Dawson’s Creek playbook and send the characters to a No...

Premium news related to Incomes Under $400K May Dodge Brunt of Tax Hike
New York Times | Feb 28, 09 12:13 PM CST
(Newser) - If your income is in the $200,000-400,000 range, and you’ve been fretting over Barack Obama’s proposed tax hikes, relax; odds are decent you won’t wind up paying more. Obama’s plan does indeed jack up the rates on those tax brackets, but for many those increases won’t take their federal taxes above the Alternative Minimum...

Premium news related to Public Feud Bruising Manny, Dodgers
Los Angeles Times | Feb 28, 09 11:32 AM CST
(Newser) - Teams don’t usually publicize their offers to players, but the Dodgers have publicized their offer to Manny Ramirez—in fact, they’ve publicized all four of them. And so LA is embroiled in a bizarre spring training, dominated by an ongoing negotiation/feud with a player who isn’t there. “I don’t recall a more public...

Premium news related to Authors Can Silence Talking Kindle: Amazon
Los Angeles Times | Feb 28, 09 11:01 AM CST
(Newser) - Amazon has bowed to pressure from the Authors Guild and will allow authors and publishers to disable the controversial text-to-speech feature on its Kindle e-reader, the Los Angeles Times reports. Authors contend that the function essentially turns the e-book into an audio book, a contract violation. “They created a hybrid product,” a...

Premium news related to 1 in 10 Jobless in California
Los Angeles Times | Feb 28, 09 10:43 AM CST
(Newser) - California’s jobless rate soared to 10.1% in January, the highest in more than 26 years, the Los Angeles Times reports. Some 1,863,000 are unemployed in the state after 79,300 lost their jobs last month. On top of the usual culprits such as manufacturing and retail, a slump in the film business also is taking a toll. Meanwhile, Gov. Arnold...

Premium news related to Buffett Has Worst Year Ever
Wall Street Journal | Feb 28, 09 10:11 AM CST
(Newser) - Not even legendary investors can escape this mess. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway posted its worst year ever in 2008, the Wall Street Journal reports. A key indicator, book value per share, fell 9.6%, only the second loss since Buffett took control of the company in 1965. Berkshire reported fourth-quarter income of $117 million, 96% less...

Premium news related to Bush Fans Rare at Conservative Pow-Wow
Politico | Feb 28, 09 9:50 AM CST
(Newser) - George W. Bush spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference every year of his presidency, but this year when you hear his name, it’s usually being derided, writes Andy Barr of Politico. Newt Gingrich spent his speech railing against “Bush-Obama big spending,” while Mike Huckabee cited Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina...

Premium news related to Producers Press Case Against Piven
Variety | Feb 28, 09 9:26 AM CST
(Newser) - The producers of Speed-the-Plow haven't given up their legal pursuit of Jeremy Piven, Variety reports. They plan to seek independent arbitration, which could result in serious fines for the actor. A panel of actors and producers failed to reach consensus on a possible penalty last week, leading to the producers' new decision. Piven bailed on the...

Premium news related to U2 Plays Surprise Rooftop Gig
BBC | Feb 28, 09 8:56 AM CST
(Newser) - U2 treated London fans to a surprise concert from the rooftop of BBC headquarters last night. The band, promoting the launch of new album No Line on the Horizon, played two new songs and two old ones as thousands of fans filled the street below. "This is the first time we've played these songs to people, so we hope we don't screw it up,"...

Premium news related to Clinton Heads to Mideast, Europe and Russia
Associated Press | Feb 28, 09 8:28 AM CST
(Newser) - Hillary Clinton is using her second overseas trip as the nation's top diplomat to assess peace prospects in the Middle East, reconnect with European allies, and discuss America's strained relationship with Moscow with her Russian counterpart. Clinton will begin the weeklong journey in Egypt, where she'll attend an international conference on Gaza and...

Premium news related to Hip-Hop Comes to Late Night
Wall Street Journal | Feb 28, 09 8:27 AM CST
(Newser) - When it comes to music, late-night talk shows have long been the province of the Great American Songbook—with some rock and jazz mixed in. But when Jimmy Fallon takes the stage next week, it will be with longtime hip-hop band the Roots. “The show's going to be a marriage of two worlds that never have necessarily met before,” rapper...

Premium news related to Combative Obama Braces for Fight on Budget
Politico | Feb 28, 09 7:57 AM CST
(Newser) - In his weekly radio address today, President Obama struck a more combative tone than usual in a push for his $3.6 trillion budget, reports Politico. “I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak,”...

Premium news related to Cops: Knox 'Did Cartwheels' After Murder
ABC News | Feb 28, 09 7:37 AM CST
(Newser) - Accused killer Amanda Knox had a "strange attitude" after being told of her flatmate's murder, an Italian court heard yesterday. A detective testified that the American student turned cartwheels in the police station when she and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were brought in for questioning, reports ABC News. She had to be told that sitting...

Premium news related to 840-Pound Brazilian Emerald Lands in Court
Wall Street Journal | Feb 28, 09 7:11 AM CST
(Newser) - A colossal emerald valued at almost $400 million is under lock and key in Los Angeles County while detectives try to figure out who owns it, the Wall Street Journal reports. Police managed to track down the 840-pound Bahia emerald after it was reported stolen last fall, but they also uncovered a web of competing claims for its ownership.

Premium news related to No Injuries as Romanian Plane Crash Lands on Foam
Associated Press | Feb 28, 09 6:40 AM CST
(Newser) - A plane carrying 51 people made an emergency landing in western Romania today, and all the passengers escaped, after part of the Carpatair flight's landing gear became stuck, the AP reports. The aircraft circled for almost two hours, using up its fuel to avoid a potential fire, officials said, before it landed nose-down on a bed of foam laid out by...

Premium news related to Shaq Scores 45 Points Against Toronto in 6-Year High
Associated Press | Feb 28, 09 6:37 AM CST
(Newser) - Shaquille O'Neal scored 45 points last night in his biggest offensive performance in 6 years, powering the Phoenix Suns to a 133-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors. A week shy of his 37th birthday, O'Neal made 20 of 25 shots in the 49th 40-point game of his career but the first in four seasons. He hadn't scored this many since he nabbed 48 for the...

Premium news related to Feds: Stanford Ran Massive Ponzi Scheme
Houston Chronicle | Feb 28, 09 6:22 AM CST
(Newser) - Federal officials have labeled shamed financier R. Allen Stanford’s operation a Ponzi scheme for the first time, the Houston Chronicle reports. The accusation—meaning the company used cash from new investors to pay older ones—came in an amended civil fraud complaint from the SEC yesterday alleging Stanford and a fellow exec misappropriated...

Premium news related to Rocky Mountain News Dead at 150
Denver Post | Feb 28, 09 6:01 AM CST
(Newser) - The Rocky Mountain News published its last issue yesterday just short of 150 years after its founder hauled a printing press by oxcart to the nameless gold-rush settlement that would become Denver. Staffers and readers alike mourned the passing of the paper believed to have been Colorado's longest-running business, reports the Denver Post —now...

Premium news related to In Japan, Sun Sets on Yakuza Mob Scene
Economist | Feb 28, 09 5:24 AM CST
(Newser) - The role of the yakuza in Japanese society has always been hard for Westerners to understand. Since the 1950s the mafia-like organization has been tolerated by government and the public, trusted to run gambling and prostitution rackets with a modicum of respect for social order. But as a tough economy forces the yakuza into new industries, that...

Premium news related to Cycling Battles Doping With 'Biological Passports'
New York Times | Feb 28, 09 4:50 AM CST
(Newser) - A landmark doping case being pursued by cycling authorities could help the sport pull ahead of the pack in the fight against performance-enhancing drugs, the New York Times reports. Cycling's governing body is preparing a case using blood profiles—or "biological passports"—that show telltale changes in the blood that signal...

Premium news related to Overrated: Sex on the Beach
Salon | Feb 28, 09 4:05 AM CST
(Newser) - Let’s face it, sex isn’t always great. Beth Mann at Salon breaks down the “seemed like a good idea at the time” list of most overrated erotic acts: Sex on the beach: “In real life the beach is sandy, the temperature unpredictable, the mosquitoes, the jellyfish, the police…” Porn-style sex:...

Premium news related to Ancient Footprints Reveal Path to Humanity
Philadelphia Inquirer | Feb 28, 09 3:12 AM CST
(Newser) - Scientists have unearthed ancient footprints that reveal humanity's ancestors walked with a modern stride as long as 1.5 million years ago, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer . Researchers believe the tracks—left beside a muddy river bank in Kenya and preserved when the river changed course—belong to human ancestor Homo erectus , and provide...

Premium news related to Rihanna Back With Brown
People | Feb 28, 09 2:04 AM CST
(Newser) - Rihanna and Chris Brown are a couple again almost 3 weeks after he allegedly beat her, sources tell People . The “Umbrella” singer is spending time with Brown at Sean "Diddy" Combs' Miami Beach mansion. "They're together again. They care for each other," says the source. “They've reached out to each other. It's...

Premium news related to Jindal Fudged Katrina Story
Daily Kos Blog | Feb 27, 09 8:28 PM CST
(Newser) - Bobby Jindal's reps are scrambling to explain the heroic Katrina tale he slipped into his big speech on Tuesday night. The Louisiana governor said he was in New Orleans "during Katrina" and backed a sheriff's push to send out rescue boats despite "bureaucrats" who fretted over insurance. A Daily Kos diarist dug up evidence...

Premium news related to Med Marijuana Backers Cheer End to Raids
MSNBC | Feb 27, 09 7:41 PM CST
(Newser) - Supporters of medical marijuana are celebrating a remark by Attorney General Eric Holder that went largely unnoticed this week, MSNBC reports. Asked about federal drug raids on state-approved dispensaries that led to 775 arrests, Holder said such busts are a thing of the past. What President Obama "said during the campaign ... is now American...

Premium news related to New Orleans Gives National Guard the Boot
Times-Picayune (New Orleans) | Feb 27, 09 7:07 PM CST
(Newser) - New Orleans is sending off the last National Guard troops some 3 1/2 years after they arrived to help patrol the hurricane-ravaged city, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Police say their 1,500 officers are enough to control bad neighborhoods, but not everyone is convinced. "We don't have enough cops," one resident said. "This...

Premium news related to GOP States Buy More Porn
New Scientist | Feb 27, 09 6:32 PM CST
(Newser) - Church-going Republicans are more likely than liberals to buy pornography online, New Scientist reports. In a nationwide study of purchases at an adult entertainment company, researchers found that eight in 10 of the most porno-consuming states voted for John McCain last year. "One natural hypothesis is something like repression: if you're told...

Premium news related to Hearst to Roll Out E-Reader for Newspapers, Magazines
CNNMoney | Feb 27, 09 6:06 PM CST
(Newser) - Hearst Corporation aims to do for periodicals what the Kindle's doing for books with a new electronic reader, CNN reports. The company—which publishes an array of magazines and newspapers, including Cosmopolitan , Esquire and the San Francisco Chronicle —hopes the device will help cushion revenues in light of sinking ad revenue and...

Premium news related to Distracted Doodling Helps Us Focus, Study Shows
LiveScience | Feb 27, 09 5:50 PM CST
(Newser) - Doodling while listening actually increases retention of memory, LiveScience reports. A new study shows that subjects who “mindlessly” sketched while listening to a not-so-interesting phone message remembered key facts 29% more than others instructed to just listen. “It helps to keep us on track with a boring task,” a researcher...

Premium news related to Feds Delay Start of Bonds Trial
San Francisco Chronicle | Feb 27, 09 5:30 PM CST
(Newser) - The perjury trial of baseball’s home-run king won’t begin Monday as scheduled, the San Francisco Chronicle reports, with federal prosecutors today delaying—perhaps by months—the start so they can appeal a ruling that excluded what they view as key evidence against Barry Bonds. Reports of positive steroids tests were among...

Premium news related to Stanford Officer Held on $300K Bail
Houston Chronicle | Feb 27, 09 5:10 PM CST
(Newser) - Laura Pendergest-Holt, the chief investment officer for disgraced financier Robert Allen Stanford’s firm, is being held on $300,000 bail, the Houston Chronicle reports. Her family is attempting to come up with the $30,000 cash necessary to free her. Holt spent last night in prison after being accused of lying to the Securities and Exchange...

Premium news related to Official Portrait of Michelle: Gun Show
People | Feb 27, 09 4:57 PM CST
(Newser) - The White House released the first official portrait of Michelle Obama today, People reports, and it calls attention to her most famous accessory. No, not the Kennedy-esque double strand of pearls—her rock-solid arms. In the photo, snapped in the Blue Room, the first lady also sports a sleek black sheath designed by Michael Kors, according...

Premium news related to World of Warcraft: the 'Cocaine of Gaming'
The Local (Sweden) | Feb 27, 09 4:45 PM CST
(Newser) - World of Warcraft is the most addictive video game on the market, the Local of Sweden reports. WoW is the most popular of the online multiplayer fantasy games—by far the most addicting game genre, according to a study by the Swedish Youth Care Foundation. The Blizzard title is "the cocaine of the computer games world," the foundation's...

Premium news related to Marri Faces Charges of Aiding Al-Qaeda
Washington Post | Feb 27, 09 4:31 PM CST
(Newser) - The charges against Ali al-Marri include conspiracy and material support for terrorism, according to a federal indictment unsealed today. The only alleged enemy combatant held on US soil is incarcerated in a naval brig in South Carolina, where he has been held for over 5 years without being charged, and will now be transferred to the custody of...

Premium news related to Americans See a Lot of Bull on Wall Street
Reuters | Feb 27, 09 4:29 PM CST
(Newser) - The executives who run Wall Street are bankrupt—at least, morally, say Americans in a new poll. Nearly 60% gave them poor grades for dishonesty and unethical behavior, Reuters reports. Most also blame the executives for Wall Street's mess. “We can’t act like it’s the fault of the system,” a spokesman for poll taker Knights...

Premium news related to Podcasts More Effective Than Lecture Alone: Study
Ars Technica | Feb 27, 09 4:15 PM CST
(Newser) - Though podcasts can’t replace actually going to class, research suggests that students who download recorded versions of lectures get better grades, Ars Technica reports. Being able to repeat tricky parts of the lecture seems key; a group that attended a lecture and downloaded it later scored 9% higher than those who just attended the lecture—and...

Premium news related to U2's Latest Good, Not Great
Time | Feb 27, 09 4:02 PM CST
(Newser) - At its best, U2’s latest album has the band both pushing forward with a dense, atmospheric sound courtesy of producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois—but in other moments, Bono and company are content to lazily rehash their stadium-pop formula, critics say. “The album lacks a unified feel,” writes Josh Tyrangiel for Time...

Premium news related to 'Coaches' Help New Inmates Move from Suits to Stripes
Los Angeles Times | Feb 27, 09 3:50 PM CST
(Newser) - The recession is providing new career opportunities for criminals turned consultants, reports the Los Angeles Times. Using the web, “jailhouse litigators” coach future inmates who’ve been convicted of white-collar crimes that presumably haven't prepared them for life on the inside. “We deal with anybody who has fears,”...

Premium news related to $100M for Haynesworth Opens NFL Free Agency
Washington Post | Feb 27, 09 3:35 PM CST
(Newser) - The NFL free agency period began at midnight, and the Redskins quickly got down to business, agreeing to a 7-year, $100 million deal with defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth, the Washington Post reports. The former Tennessee Titan's contract includes an NFL-record $41 million in guaranteed money, the AP adds. He joins cornerback DeAngelo Hall,...

Premium news related to Google's Twitter Attracts 27K Followers—in 2 Days
CNET | Feb 27, 09 3:35 PM CST
(Newser) - Google’s Twitter feed has attracted a staggering number of readers in the two days since it launched, proving that the micro-blogging service is already a fixture of internet culture, cNet reports. Google’s feed already has 27,176 followers—not as popular as Barack Obama, whose Twitter has 333,381 readers, but head and shoulders above...

Premium news related to Usefulness Keeps Left-Handed Trait Alive: Study
AFP | Feb 27, 09 3:22 PM CST
(Newser) - Left-handedness seems to have avoided the fate of similarly rare genetic traits—that is, extinction—because it’s so useful, a study finds. For instance, left-handers in earlier times had the advantage of surprise in fights with right-handers, AFP reports; they often used both hands well, while righties were overly dependent on the...

Premium news related to Berlin Protesters Torch Luxury Cars
Bloomberg | Feb 27, 09 3:13 PM CST
(Newser) - As the financial crisis inflames class tensions, economic protest in Berlin has taken the form of arson attacks on luxury cars, Bloomberg reports. Activists have torched more than 2 dozen vehicles this year, and the pace is increasing. A group puckishly calling itself “BMW”—an acronym for "Movement for Militant Resistance"...

Premium news related to Vetting Process Leaves Agencies Understaffed
Boston Globe | Feb 27, 09 3:02 PM CST
(Newser) - President Obama’s nominee vetting process is making it hard for federal agencies to get to work on new projects, the Boston Globe reports. Of about 500 senior positions, only 70 have been filled. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem, but the passage of the stimulus package “may exacerbate the consequences of appointments taking awhile,”...

Premium news related to Focus on the Family Chair Dobson Resigns
Associated Press | Feb 27, 09 2:53 PM CST
(Newser) - James Dobson is stepping down from his perch atop Focus on the Family, the AP reports, saying he wants to “lessen his administrative burden.” The conservative evangelist said he’ll keep playing a big role in the organization he founded, and will keep pushing his political agenda. Though Focus on the Family says it spends most of its...

Premium news related to Before Obama Visited Canada, Russian Bomber Did
National Post (Canada) | Feb 27, 09 2:42 PM CST
(Newser) - On the day before President Obama’s recent visit to Canada, that nation’s warplanes turned back a Russian bomber, the National Post reports. The plane did not enter Canadian airspace, but the incident still alarmed officials, who have striven to enforce sovereignty. “When we see a Russian bear approaching Canadian air space, we...

Premium news related to McMahon Has Pneumonia, Bone Cancer
Entertainment Tonight | Feb 27, 09 2:34 PM CST
(Newser) - Ed McMahon has been hospitalized for almost a month with pneumonia, and was recently diagnosed with bone cancer, Entertainment Tonight reports. McMahon’s wife, Pam, has been with the sickly former Tonight Show sidekick, and her “deep faith is helping her through this difficult time,” a source said. McMahon, who is 85, is in the...

Premium news related to Vatican Unsatisfied by Holocaust Bishop Apology
CNN | Feb 27, 09 2:26 PM CST
(Newser) - The Vatican today rejected Bishop Richard Williamson’s so-called apology for his Holocaust beliefs, CNN reports, a mea culpa mandated by the Pope. “He must also distance himself in an absolutely unequivocal and public from his stand regarding the [Holocaust],” a spokesman said. Williamson said he regretted the “distress”...

Premium news related to Unemployed Furious at Contrarian Govs
New York Times | Feb 27, 09 2:21 PM CST
(Newser) - Opposing the stimulus’ expansion of unemployment benefits may be good PR, but there’s one constituency it’s not playing well with: unemployed people. “It just seems unreasonable,” one jobless Texan tells the New York Times , “that when people probably need the help the most, that because of partisan activity …...

Premium news related to Buffalo Flight's De-Icing 'Antiquated:' Suit
Buffalo News | Feb 27, 09 2:11 PM CST
(Newser) - The first lawsuit involving the crash of Continental Flight 3407 contends that the turboprop airplane should not have been flying at all in icy conditions, the Buffalo News reports. The “antiquated de-icing boots,” said a lawyer filing suit on behalf of Cantor Susan A. Wehle, “are 1920s, 1930s technology, which has not been brought...

Premium news related to Obama Will Undo Abortion 'Conscience' Provision
New York Times | Feb 27, 09 1:58 PM CST
(Newser) - The Obama White House plans to overturn protections that President Bush extended to health workers who refuse to perform abortions or other procedures on moral grounds, the New York Times reports. Bush’s last-minute “conscience regulation” took effect on Obama’s first day in office, and now, after a 30-day public comment period,...

Premium news related to Young Slumdog Actor Gets Beating From Father
Sun (UK) | Feb 27, 09 1:42 PM CST
(Newser) - Angered that his son wouldn’t play to a crowd welcoming 10-year-old Slumdog Millionaire actor Azharuddin Mohammed back to Mumbai, the boy’s father administered a public beating today, the Sun reports. Azharuddin arrived home yesterday following the film’s Oscar triumph, and had the day off school; when he wouldn’t appear...