Newser Premium News Archive Index
Newser Stories from April, 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 Justice Souter to Retire at End of Court Term
NPR | Apr 30, 09 9:43 PM CDT
(Newser) - Supreme Court Justice David Souter plans to retire at the end of the current term in June, reports Nina Totenberg of NPR. The move will give President Obama his first chance to make his mark on the court. Souter, 69, has reportedly informed the White House of his decision. He has long made it clear to friends that he doesn't like living in Washington...

Premium news related to Fiat Has Long Shed 'Fix It Again Tony' Reputation
New York Times | Apr 30, 09 9:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - The last time Fiat tried to make a go of it in the US market, its unreliable cars earned it the nickname Fix It Again Tony, reports the New York Times . That was 25 years and another world ago. After a renewed focus on quality under CEO Sergio Marchionne, the Italian automaker is now hoping to rescue bankrupt Chrysler—it will have a 20%...

Premium news related to Surprise: Mercury Has a Personality
Wired | Apr 30, 09 8:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - Mercury's not such a dull planet after all. A new batch of papers in Science spells out evidence of a busy volcanic past and describes an unusual impact crater that would stretch from Boston to DC, reports Wired . The papers, which draw from the October flyby of NASA's Messenger craft, speculate that 40% of the planet's surface was formed by volcanoes....

Premium news related to Confirmed Swine Flu Cases Jump
CNN | Apr 30, 09 8:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - The number of confirmed swine flu cases worldwide jumped from 147 to 257 yesterday, according to the World Health Organization. Hundreds more suspected cases are still being investigated. The jump in confirmed cases is likely attributable to investigators working through their backlog of specimens rather than rapidly mounting incidents of the disease,...

Premium news related to Mexico Official: 'We're On the Right Track'
Associated Press | Apr 30, 09 7:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - Mexico's top medical official told the AP that he's hopeful swine flu has begun to wane in his nation. "The fact that we have a stabilization in the daily numbers, even a drop, makes us optimistic," said Jose Angel Cordova. "We think we're on the right track." An official from the World Health Organization, however, cautioned that...

Premium news related to Biden's Flu Advice Gives White House a Headache
Christian Science Monitor | Apr 30, 09 6:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - Oh, Joe. The vice president's impromptu advice this morning to avoid airplanes and subways has resulted in a daylong series of rebuttals and backtracking, reports the Christian Science Monitor . “To suggest that people not fly at this stage of things is a broad brush stroke bordering on fear mongering,” said an American Airlines spokesman....

Premium news related to Al-Qaeda Agent Pleads Guilty to Supporting Terrorism
Peoria Journal Star | Apr 30, 09 6:29 PM CDT
(Newser) - An al-Qaeda sleeper agent who entered the country the day before the 9/11 attacks pleaded guilty to supporting terrorism in federal court today and faces 15 years in prison, the Peoria Journal Star reports. The government says Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, who had been designated an "enemy combatant" and detained since 2001, attended terrorist...

Premium news related to LA Cops Arrest Suspected Serial Killer From '70s, '80s
Los Angeles Times | Apr 30, 09 5:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - Los Angeles police say a 72-year-old insurance claims adjuster may in fact be the city's "most prolific serial killer," the Los Angeles Times reports. The suspect, John Floyd Thomas, may have killed up to 30 older women and raped scores more during two separate rampages in the 1970s and 1980s, police say. He has been charged with two murders,...

Premium news related to Scientists: Parrots Groove to the Beat
Boston Globe | Apr 30, 09 5:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - Yes, it's an actual study: Parrots can dance. Really and truly dance. A painstaking review of lab video—and YouTube—revealed that the birds have rhythm, the Boston Globe reports. Frame-by-frame analysis of birds’ motion to music shows that they bob and weave in perfect sync to a beat, a new study shows. Scientists believe the bird’s...

Premium news related to Oakland Proposes Nation's First Pot Tax
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 09 4:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - Oakland’s city council has approved a provision to apply a 1.8% tax to marijuana sold at medical dispensaries. If voters endorse the measure in July, Oakland would be the first city in the US to tax pot, reports the Wall Street Journal . Backers say it would bring in somewhere between $400,000 and $1 million annually for the cash-strapped city....

Premium news related to House Approves Credit Card Reform
Reuters | Apr 30, 09 4:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - The House today approved legislation to protect credit card holders from hidden fees and sudden rate hikes, Reuters reports. Legislators voted overwhelmingly for the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights, a measure banks complain will tighten the amount of credit available and make holding a card more expensive. The Senate is expected to pass its own...

Premium news related to Couple Caught Having Sex on Windsor Castle's Lawn
Guardian (UK) | Apr 30, 09 4:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Let's hope the queen had her shades drawn. A couple in Britain stripped off their clothes and began having sex on the lawn of Windsor Castle today, the Guardian reports. “People were shouting things like, ‘What are you doing?’ but the couple didn't seem to care,” said one witness. “It was going on for about 10 or 15...

Premium news related to White House Staffer Caught Flu in Mexico
Washington Post | Apr 30, 09 3:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - An administration staffer who worked at a dinner President Obama attended during his trip to Mexico likely contracted the H1N1 virus there, the Washington Post reports. The unnamed Energy Department security worker has since transmitted the flu to his wife, son, and nephew, though he has been cleared of the infection. Neither Obama nor Energy Secretary...

Premium news related to Safety Remains in the Spotlight
MSNBC | Apr 30, 09 3:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - A year after second-place finisher Eight Belles had to be euthanized following the Kentucky Derby, safety has improved—but the inherent dangers of horse racing remain immutable, MSNBC reports. The industry has altered the rules regarding steroids, whips, and horseshoes, "but the bottom line is, not a lot of change," said a congressman...

Premium news related to Dow Has Best 2-Month Showing Since 2002
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 09 3:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - The markets were mixed today but wrapped up a strong month. The Dow, which fell 17.61 points to close at 8168.12, rose 7.4% in April, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow has risen 15.65% in two months—its best two-month showing since 2002 and the start of the last bull market, the Journal notes. The Nasdaq, which gained 5.36 to 1,717.30,...

Premium news related to Rich Feel 'Guilty' Spending Now: Poll
USA Today | Apr 30, 09 3:18 PM CDT
(Newser) - Even the still-rich are unhappy in this economic climate, though their dolor is more likely to come from shame than anything else, USA Today reports. 54% of people who have $100,000 to spend after such mundane things like mortgage payments and taxes “feel guilty purchasing luxury goods” nowadays, according to a survey. But it’s...

Premium news related to Chrysler Bankruptcy Obama's Blunt Message to GM
Detroit Free Press | Apr 30, 09 3:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - In announcing Chrysler’s bankruptcy, President Obama shows other troubled firms and industries there’s a point where bailouts stop and hard choices begin—and that message must ring especially clear at General Motors, writes Tom Walsh for the Detroit Free Press . GM’s creditors will now be under a lot of pressure to accept what...

Premium news related to WHO Drops 'Swine Flu,' Now Calls It H1N1
Advertising Age | Apr 30, 09 2:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - The World Health Organization will stop using the term "swine flu" and instead call the virus by its technical name, H1N1 influenza A, reports the Times of London. The UN agency made the move after nations began slaughtering pigs and banning pork products in a misguided effort to stem the outbreak. Pork is safe to eat, a point the...

Premium news related to Clinton to Iran: Free Reporter
Reuters | Apr 30, 09 2:39 PM CDT
(Newser) - Hillary Clinton demanded that Iran release Roxana Saberi, the Iranian-American journalist held on accusations of spying, Reuters reports. “We have great concerns about Ms. Saberi’s health and well being,” Clinton said today, citing reports that Saberi is on hunger strike. The case raises questions about Iran’s legal system,...

Premium news related to FDA Slaps Strictest Warning Label on Botox
Bloomberg | Apr 30, 09 2:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - Botox will now carry the Food and Drug Administration’s strictest warning for pharmaceuticals after the agency raised concerns over the risk of botulism last year, Bloomberg reports. The approval of a rival botulinum toxin for cosmetic purposes prompted the review. The toxin can cause muscle weakness and breathing difficulty, particularly in...

Premium news related to Gitmo Inmates May Land on Mainland: Gates
New York Times | Apr 30, 09 2:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - The fate of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay remains unclear, but Robert Gates hinted at one possibility during a Senate hearing today, reports the New York Times : Inmates who aren’t tried, repatriated, or sent to other countries could wind up in the US. Of the 250 “enemy combatants” in custody, the defense secretary said, “what...

Premium news related to Why Our Brains Want What's Bad for Us
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 09 1:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - Former Food and Drug Administration chief David Kessler thinks Americans are victims of “conditioned hyper-eating,” and he’s written a book about it: The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite . The Wall Street Journal poked him for some answers about how food can “hijack” our brains,...

Premium news related to Rumors as Virulent as Swine Flu Itself
Reuters | Apr 30, 09 1:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - Rumors about the origins of the swine flu outbreak are spreading faster than the virus itself, with theories ranging from a group of slaughtered pigs in China to an al-Qaeda conspiracy, Reuters reports. China’s government was actually prompted into making a formal statement by international media reports suggesting that dead pigs in one province...

Premium news related to Flu Carries Lessons for Bioterror Fight
Newsweek | Apr 30, 09 1:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - The H1N1 flu outbreak spotlights a public-health infrastructure ill suited to respond to a pandemic or its close cousin, a bioterror attack, D.A. Henderson writes for Newsweek . We must “sharpen our health-care response. Rapid diagnosis and response are critical,” he writes. The “interconnected world we live in” means a little-known...

Premium news related to NC Rep Calls Shepard Murder a 'Hoax'
ABC News | Apr 30, 09 12:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - A North Carolina congresswoman is backtracking after saying during a House debate that the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard was a “hoax” used by gay-rights activists, WTVD-TV of Raleigh-Durham reports. Arguing against a new hate-crimes bill, Republican Virginia Foxx said the highly publicized killing of Shepard—whose mother was in the...

Premium news related to Palin Ignores McCain on Twitter
Washington Examiner | Apr 30, 09 12:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - Sarah Palin is following some fellow Republicans on Twitter, but she's not showing any love for former running mate John McCain.The Alaska governor is keeping tabs on Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly of Fox, David Gregory of NBC, George Stephanopoulos of ABC, and CNN, but not nemesis Katie Couric—or anyone else from CBS, the Washington Examiner...

Premium news related to Bankruptcy 'New Lease on Life' for Chrysler: Obama
Washington Post | Apr 30, 09 12:14 PM CDT
(Newser) - President Obama said today that Chrysler’s impending bankruptcy is “not a sign of weakness but one more step” towards recovery, the Washington Post reports. The 1-to-2 month “surgical” bankruptcy—a time frame met with skepticism by experts—will give the automaker a “new lease on life,” Obama said....

Premium news related to Marketers Ditch Fast Food for Produce Aisle
The Big Money | Apr 30, 09 12:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - Wary of being associated with fast food, Disney and others are leaving Happy Meals behind and targeting young buyers—well, their parents—by branding everything from eggs to apples, the Big Money reports. Disney properties like Mickey Mouse, Miley Cyrus, and Zac Efron appear on packaging as well as the tiny stickers that dot the stock in...

Premium news related to Disney to Buy Hulu Stake, Upload ABC Shows
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 09 12:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - Disney and Hulu have a deal to allow the web-video site to show episodes from ABC properties, the Wall Street Journal reports. Disney’s approximately 30% stake in Hulu will be comparable to that of NBC and News Corp, which bankrolled the site initially. Disney said popular shows like Lost and Grey’s Anatomy would be available, along...

Premium news related to Geithner's Brother Thinks He's Beautiful
Business Insider | Apr 30, 09 11:57 AM CDT
(Newser) - Did you do a double take when you saw Tim Geithner on People ’s 50-most-beautiful-people list? Joe Weisenthal of the Business Insider did. Geithner has all the sex appeal of a lifelong bureaucrat—which, um, he is. Weisenthal finds that People executive David Geithner is the Treasury chief’s brother. Now the only question is: Did...

Premium news related to Traders Sneeze, Peso Catches Cold—or Flu
Bloomberg | Apr 30, 09 11:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - Peso trading is taking a hit as Mexico City brokerages, wary of spreading the flu, send home anyone who so much as sneezes, Bloomberg reports. Face masks litter the floor at one brokerage, whose daily trading volume is down 30%, as traders furiously scrub their desks in an attempt to kill germs. "You sneeze, you go home,” says one trader....

Premium news related to Tyra Stalker Convicted, Avoids Jail
New York Daily News | Apr 30, 09 11:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - A Brooklyn grocer who threatened to slit the throat of a studio staffer for denying him access to Tyra Banks was convicted today of stalking the supermodel. A judge spared Brady Green jail time and suggested he leave New York for “a location where he can thrive,” the Daily News reports. The 39-year-old sent Banks roses and was holding...

Premium news related to Chrysler Bankruptcy Faces Bumpy Road
New York Times | Apr 30, 09 11:28 AM CDT
(Newser) - The battle to restructure Chrysler is about to go public, and could get messy, Michael de la Merced writes for the New York Times . After failing to get all the automaker’s debt-holders in line, the government prepared a “prepackaged bankruptcy,” a Chapter 11 filing with a reorganization plan that has most of Chrysler’s creditors...

Premium news related to New Orleans Builds on Hollywood-Friendly Rep
USA Today | Apr 30, 09 11:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - Movie projects like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button have provided valuable revenue to beleaguered New Orleans, and new studio and soundstage developments aim to ensure the city has all the amenities filmmakers need to complete their projects. The city is getting 600,000 feet of soundstages—needed to shoot indoor scenes—and a $30 million...

Premium news related to From TV News to R&B Hit
Time | Apr 30, 09 11:11 AM CDT
(Newser) - If you've ever thought the TV news needed a little something extra, meet Michael Gregory. The 24-year-old Brooklyn musician has taken YouTube by storm by mashing up the news into a faux-R&B track with the use of Auto-Tune, Time reports. The software designed to correct pitch—which can also make humans sound like sexy robots—has been...

Premium news related to Open-Source Software a Cheap Fix for Hospitals
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 09 10:58 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hospitals around the country are scrambling to comply with a federal mandate that they digitize their records systems, and one Texas hospital is an example of how to do that virtually for free, the Wall Street Journal reports. Developed with billions of taxpayer dollars, the Veterans Health Administration’s software is open source, meaning...

Premium news related to Boxing's Little Icons Prep For Duel
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 09 10:47 AM CDT
(Newser) - Saturday will see a boxing matchup sure to draw countless diehard fans: Filipino Manny Pacquiao, considered the sport’s “pound-for-pound best,” versus Britiain's Ricky Hatton, the current International Boxing Organization junior welterweight champ. “When Manny fights, everything stops in the Philippines,” a Manila journalist...

Premium news related to Top Gun Star Comes Out After 39 Years
SheWired | Apr 30, 09 10:42 AM CDT
(Newser) - Top Gun and The L Word star Kelly McGillis has confirmed longstanding rumors that she's a lesbian, saying she's unequivocally "done with the man thing," SheWired reports. McGillis, 51, said she has wrestled with her sexuality since adolescence and believed God was punishing her for being gay. "Life is a freaking journey, and it's...

Premium news related to Mexico's First Flu Death Exposes Containment Trouble
Associated Press | Apr 30, 09 10:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - After a 39-year-old woman became Mexico’s first person to die of swine flu, authorities quickly responded—but efforts were mixed, the AP finds. Medical teams interviewed 472 people who possibly had contact with the woman, a tax collector whose family runs a convenience store; they temporarily closed the ICU where she’d been. But follow-up...

Premium news related to Possible Assassination Try Kills 4 Near Dutch Royals
Radio Free Netherlands | Apr 30, 09 10:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - Four people were killed today and 13 injured in a possible assassination attempt at a celebration honoring the Dutch queen, Radio Netherlands reports. A car broke barriers and zoomed through a crowd, crashing into a monument just as the royal family was passing in an open-topped bus; they were sped to safety. Some 20 people were sprawled on the ground...

Premium news related to Next for Miss California: $1.5M Marriage Ad Campaign
CNN | Apr 30, 09 10:25 AM CDT
(Newser) - Carrie Prejean is going to push “opposite marriage” in a new $1.5 million ad campaign bankrolled by same-sex opponent National Organization for Marriage, CNN reports. The group says the ad will call “gay-marriage advocates to account for their unwillingness to debate the real issue: gay marriage has consequences.” Miss California...

Premium news related to Pols, Hacker Among 'Influentials'
Time | Apr 30, 09 10:18 AM CDT
(Newser) - Time has unveiled its latest tallying of the world’s 100 most influential people, and yes, of course, Barack Obama is on it. But the other 99 choices aren’t as obvious. Bernie Madoff makes the list, as do Rush Limbaugh, George Clooney, and 4Chan’s Moot. And as usual, Time has snagged some celebrity writers, making for some great...

Premium news related to Jon & Kate Dad Cops to 'Poor Judgment'
People | Apr 30, 09 10:10 AM CDT
(Newser) - Jon & Kate Plus 8 star Jon Gosselin denies rumors that he’s cheating on wife Kate, People reports. He says the woman he was spotted with at a bar is just a friend, but adds, “being out with [her] late at night showed poor judgment on my part.” Elsewhere: Contrary to recent rumors, Hugh Hefner is just friends with ex...

Premium news related to Demons Under Control, Royals' Greinke Makes Good
Yahoo! | Apr 30, 09 10:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - Kansas City’s Zack Greinke has been, without question, the best pitcher of this young baseball season. The 25-year-old didn’t allow a run in his first three starts; his 0.50 ERA and 5-0 record are both major-league bests. After losing most of the 2006 season to his fight with depression and social anxiety, he tells Jeff Passan of Yahoo...

Premium news related to Surprise! JT's Tequila Is Good
New York Daily News | Apr 30, 09 9:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - Tequila aficionados were shocked to discover Justin Timberlake’s 901 tequila is in fact quite drinkable, the New York Daily News reports. “It’s actually a really nice product,” said one bar owner. A bartender added, “I gotta admit, I’m a little surprised.” The experts described the $40 tequila as rich and...

Premium news related to Wedding's Off After Fiancée Visits Markoff
WBZ 4 | Apr 30, 09 9:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - Megan McAllister visited her fiancé, accused Craigslist killer Philip Markoff, in jail yesterday, sans engagement ring, WBZ 4 reports. "It's time to move on with other things in her life," her lawyer says. "She's going to take up her life with her friends and her family in New Jersey. I don't expect her to return in the near future."...

Premium news related to US Benefits From China Stimulus
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 09 9:29 AM CDT
(Newser) - While Americans await the fruits of their $787 billion bailout, China is moving ahead with public-works projects at a staggering pace, pumping up its own economy as well as America’s, the Wall Street Journal reports. US industrial-equipment makers, struggling with effectively zero domestic growth, are back near record levels in China, where,...

Premium news related to Jacko Gets Groove Back— by Studying YouTube
Sun (UK) | Apr 30, 09 9:21 AM CDT
(Newser) - Michael Jackson hasn’t performed in so long, he’s almost forgotten how. Thank goodness for YouTube, which Jacko has been using to brush up on his trademark moves before returning to the stage in July, the Sun reports.  “It’s over a decade since he performed a full-length show,” a source tells the tab. “He’s...

Premium news related to For Bush Veterans, DC Jobs Are Scarce
Politico | Apr 30, 09 9:15 AM CDT
(Newser) - Former Bush administration staffers are feeling the economic pinch as acutely as other victims of the sagging economy, Politico reports. GOP job-seekers in Washington face a triple whammy of economic chaos, minority status on Capitol Hill, and an excess of qualified Republicans. “The Washington side is a bit of a black hole because there are...

Premium news related to 'Enchanted'? Twitterverse Pounces
Christian Science Monitor | Apr 30, 09 9:04 AM CDT
(Newser) - One question from last night’s presidential press conference has pundits and Twitterers buzzing: A reporter asked President Obama what “surprised,” “troubled,” “enchanted,” and “humbled” him about the office. “I thought the Miss USA Pageant was *last* week,” read one Tweet cited by the...

Premium news related to How LiLo Can Save Her Career
New York Daily News | Apr 30, 09 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - It’s hard to imagine Lindsay Lohan as the next Julia Roberts, but that once seemed to be her destiny. After the DUIs, rehab, bad movies, and drama-ridden relationships, can she ever stage a comeback? The New York Daily News asked the experts for advice: “Get involved in charitable work,” says a PR exec. “Erase...

Premium news related to Cohen's 'Bruno' Pranks Abdul
New York Post | Apr 30, 09 8:51 AM CDT
(Newser) - Paula Abdul isn’t just acting oblivious on American Idol . Sacha Baron Cohen pranked the infamously airheaded judge for his upcoming film Bruno , and her interview with the character will appear in the movie, the New York Post reports. “ Paula was totally fooled,” says an insider. "She bought into his character and to this...

Premium news related to Earnings Send Stocks Higher
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 09 8:42 AM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks surged at the open, as better-than-expected earnings buoyed hopes that the economy is ready for a comeback, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow was up 71 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq rose 8 and 20 points, respectively. Earnings reports have been surprisingly good this quarter; about two-thirds of the S&P 500 companies that...

Premium news related to Natural Gas Finds Could Herald Energy Shift in US
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 09 8:42 AM CDT
(Newser) - A huge natural-gas discovery in Louisiana, on the heels of similar finds elsewhere over the past decade, is fueling a push to shift the nation’s energy portfolio, the Wall Street Journal reports. Louisiana’s Haynesville Shale could hold the energy equivalent of 18 years of current US oil production; one industry group thinks there’s...

Premium news related to Debit Cards Overtake Credit
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 09 8:35 AM CDT
(Newser) - The recession has boosted the popularity of debit cards, the Wall Street Journal reports. In the last quarter of 2008, debit-card transactions processed by Visa were 50.4% of the company’s volume, surpassing credit cards for the first time. Rival MasterCard’s debit volume surged 13% last year as credit-card volume declined 2.2%. Consumers...

Premium news related to Republicans Play Blame Game Over Specter
Politico | Apr 30, 09 8:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - Arlen Specter’s departure has set off a wave of finger pointing within the Republican Party, Politico reports. Some blame Specter for not having the ideological purity to stick with the party. But others single out various Republicans they claim helped push Specter out the door, from Michael Steele, who once said he’d support a primary...

Premium news related to Blaine Offers Farrow Hunger Strike Tips
New York Daily News | Apr 30, 09 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - Mia Farrow took advice from a pro before going on a hunger strike for Darfur, the New York Daily News reports. Farrow says illusionist David Blaine—who once spent 44 seemingly food-free days sealed inside a Plexiglass case—told her the hunger pangs would stop six days in, and to drink plenty of water. Farrow is now into her fourth day...

Premium news related to Meghan: Specter Bailed on Us
Daily Beast | Apr 30, 09 8:28 AM CDT
(Newser) - Arlen Specter has let the GOP down, but only because Republicans did the same, Meghan McCain writes for the Daily Beast. “He’s been made to feel like an outcast by a small, vocal group,” says McCain, herself familiar with the “tired rhetoric” now being hurled at the “progressive-minded” senator. “We need...

Premium news related to Avoid Planes, Trains, Closed Spaces: Biden
MSNBC | Apr 30, 09 8:26 AM CDT
(Newser) - Joe Biden is advising his family to avoid confined places where swine flu could spread easily, including airplanes, subways, classrooms, and malls, the VP told the Today Show today. A single sneeze "goes all the way through the aircraft," he noted. Biden also said it's too late to close the Mexican border since the flu has already spread...

Premium news related to Chrysler to Declare Bankruptcy: White House
CNNMoney | Apr 30, 09 8:22 AM CDT
(Newser) - Having failed to make a deal with the creditors to which it owes some $7 billion, Chrysler will declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy later today, a White House official tells CNN. The filing does not mean the company will cease operations—rather, it represents an opportunity to execute a merger with Fiat. President Obama expressed optimism during last...

Premium news related to Nothing New in Dell's Sexy Offerings
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 09 8:15 AM CDT
(Newser) - Dell is desperate to expand its chunk of the consumer PC market and shed its reputation for stodgy design, so Walt Mossberg decided to take a look at two of its flashier offerings: the ultrathin Adamo laptop, and the Studio One 19 touch-screen desktop. They’re not bad machines, he concludes, but they’re not exactly groundbreaking, either....

Premium news related to Swine Flu Not So Tough: Scientists
Los Angeles Times | Apr 30, 09 8:09 AM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists are gradually downgrading their worst-case scenarios for the swine flu outbreak, the Los Angeles Times report. The H1N1 strain initially appeared to have disturbing similarities to the 1918 flu virus, but researchers analyzing genetic data released this week say the strain is less lethal than feared—and may in fact be less harmful...

Premium news related to Kentucky Bourbon No Backwoods Booze
Washington Post | Apr 30, 09 8:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - Bourbon is sweet, but that’s no reason to call it unsophisticated, as one lover of the stuff learned on a trip to Kentucky. Making the whiskey is a process so complex and nuanced that master distillers are few—and the job often stays within families, writes spirits expert and food blogger Jason Wilson in the Washington Post . “We're...

Premium news related to Exxon Mobil Profits Plunge 58% on Low Oil Prices
Associated Press | Apr 30, 09 7:57 AM CDT
(Newser) - Exxon Mobil’s first-quarter profit fell 58% from the previous year to $4.6 billion—its lowest profit in more than 5 years—as the world's largest publicly traded oil company, along with the rest of the industry, saw gas prices deflate dramatically. This time last year crude was in the triple digits, in the midst of a historic run-up...

Premium news related to NYT Readers Brain Dead: WSJ Editor
Gawker | Apr 30, 09 7:50 AM CDT
(Newser) - Media-to-media relations are starting to resemble reality shows, writes Ryan Tate in Gawker—maybe this will up readership. In a staff memo about circulation growth, the Wall Street Journal managing editor slammed the New York Times , writing “there are two measures of mortality, brain death and the day the NYT subscription ceases—the...

Premium news related to Usain Bolt Crashes Gift Car, Walks Away
Guardian (UK) | Apr 30, 09 7:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt walked away from a car accident in Jamaica with no apparent injuries except a thorn in his foot. The world champion sprinter crashed his BMW M3—a gift from sponsor Puma for his performance in Beijing—after speeding down a wet highway, the Guardian reports. But Bolt, 22, may miss an invitational meet this...

Premium news related to Berlusconis Row Over PM's Wandering Eye
New York Times | Apr 30, 09 7:43 AM CDT
(Newser) - Silvio Berlusconi's wife is taking her complaints of philandering and dishonesty to the press—and it's not the first time she's done so, the New York Times reports. The Italian first lady was angry that Berlusconi went to the 18th birthday party of a business associate's daughter, who has been photographed in lingerie. "This surprised...

Premium news related to Making Swine Flu Vaccine Now Could Backfire
BusinessWeek | Apr 30, 09 7:34 AM CDT
(Newser) - The world's leading flu vaccine maker is on standby, ready to start cranking out a swine flu vaccine—but doing so might not be the smartest move, Carol Matlack writes in BusinessWeek. Vaccine makers can't shift or expand production easily, Matlack notes, meaning that a switch now could lead to a shortage of vaccines for seasonal flu—which...

Premium news related to Saudi Child Bride's Marriage Annulled
BBC | Apr 30, 09 7:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - The marriage of an eight-year-old Saudi girl to a man in his 50s that drew worldwide attention has been annulled in an out-of-court settlement, the BBC reports. A judge had twice denied the girl—reportedly married off by her father to pay a debt—a divorce. The case has led Saudi officials to say they’d start regulating young girls’...

Premium news related to South Africa Asks: Who Will Be First Lady?
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 09 7:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - In a few days Jacob Zuma will become president of South Africa—but who will become the country's first lady is less certain. The African National Congress leader, who has two wives and a fiancée, will be the first avowed polygamist to serve as the country's head of state. Yet as the Wall Street Journal reports, protocol means that only...