Newser Story Index from October, 2007
Welcome to the Newser Story Index. Here you find stories written by Newser writers and editors, assembled with supporting photos and videos from the files of the news story.
Afflecks' Gone Baby a Real Coup
Metacritic
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Oct 19, 2007 4:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ben Affleck “emerges triumphant” from his directorial debut, Rolling Stone says in reviewing Gone Baby Gone , out today and already a critics' darling. “It's one of the best crime movies of this decade,” the Hollywood Reporter raves. Younger brother Casey stars as a PI searching for a missing girl in a story brimming...
Could Kids' Cookbook Be a Copycat?
New York Times
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Oct 19, 2007 4:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Full of clever ways to get kids to eat their veggies, Jessica Seinfeld's new cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, has been endorsed by Oprah and is already topping bestseller lists. But it has at least one detractor: Missy Chase Lapine, whose book The Sneaky Chef , published in April, is full of disconcertingly similar recipes, the New York Times ...
Congressman Draws Fire for Sniping at Bush
Washington Post
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Oct 19, 2007 4:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rep. Pete Stark introduced President Bush's foreign policy into yesterday's SCHIP debate, setting off a raging controversy. The California Democrat’s reference to "kids" going to war to "get their heads blown off for the president's amusement" enraged some and inspired others. House Republicans called the speech “an...
Sluggish Nadal Blown Out
Reuters
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Oct 19, 2007 4:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rafael Nadal, coming back from a layoff, was whipped 6-1 6-2 by unseeded David Nalbandian in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters. The No.2 seed, who had not competed since the US Open in September thanks to sore knees, appeared rusty and committed 29 unforced errors. It was the Spaniard’s worst defeat since October 2004.
UK Is Ready for Its Closeup
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 19, 2007 4:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The nation that embraced the "Big Brother" TV show is becoming eerily like the society George Orwell envisioned, reports the LA Times. Litterers under closed-circuit surveillance respond to commands to pick up trash they drop, and errant cyclists are ordered to dismount in pedestrian-only areas. Britons increasingly are trading privacy for...
Dow Dives 367 on 'Black Friday'
Bloomberg
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Oct 19, 2007 3:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Wall Street observed the 20th anniversary of Black Monday with an absolute bloodbath today as the Dow fell a whopping 366.94 points to close at 13,522.02. Wachovia, Caterpillar, and Honeywell led a host of disappointing earnings reports, driving every major index down over 2.5%. The S&P 500 dropped 39.45 to 1,500.63, and the Nasdaq closed at 2,725.16,...
Google Your DNA? It's Not a Far Off Fantasy
CNET
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Oct 19, 2007 3:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Eventually, you may be able to Google the DNA of a prospective date to see if they've got any undesirable genes, geneticist Craig Venter said yesterday at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, cNet reports. The cost of a complete DNA sequence, once $70 million is now about $300,000, and a $100,000 target is in sight.
Restaurant Chains Race Into Four-Figure Territory
USA Today
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Oct 19, 2007 3:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Fast-food behemoth McDonald's took 20 years to open its 1,000th store, but 2007 has seen five chains join the four-digit club, USA Today reports. Of the success of Panda Express, Panera Bread, Papa Murphy’s, Sbarro, and Wing Street, one consultant says: “It's a landmark. It's a goal to join an elite class.”
Kansas Blocks Plant Over CO2
Washington Post
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Oct 19, 2007 3:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Kansas' health department yesterday became the nation's first government agency to block a proposed coal-burning power plant on environmental grounds, saying it would be "irresponsible to ignore the contribution of carbon dioxide to climate change." The decision, particularly in a red state, cheered environmental groups, and it may not be...
In Chinatown, Something Smells Fishy
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 19, 2007 2:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hillary Clinton’s campaign coffers are benefiting from unlikely and possibly illegal sources, an LA Times investigation reveals. Checks for four-figure amounts are coming from dishwashers, immigrants unable to vote, and other unlikely donors in New York’s Chinatown, some of whom report feeling coerced by neighborhood associations. Other...
Rendition Torture to Sit Through
Metacritic
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Oct 19, 2007 2:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rendition, the story of an American woman's search for her arrested Egyptian-born husband, is a well-meaning but ultimately shallow exploration of America's policies on torture, critics say. " Rendition tackles the concern in a heavy-handed thriller with simplistic characters and manipulative storylines," says the Hollywood Reporter....
Google Ads Backfire on Social Site in Brazil
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 19, 2007 2:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Google's attempts to capitalize on its Orkut social networking site in Brazil blew up when ads began appearing next to child pornography and racist screeds, causing a round of controversy and a lawsuit for the online giant. Google immediately yanked the ads, reports the Wall Street Journal, but now wrestles with how to control content that...
After Hu, Who? Censored Names Could Be Clues
Times (UK)
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Oct 19, 2007 2:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In a 21st-century spin on Kremlinologists' dissection of May Day photos, the new makeup of the Chinese Communist Party's inner circle is under scrutiny—digitally. One of the members to be announced Monday will almost certainly succeed Hu Jintao as president, and as always, the names are shrouded in secrecy. But the Times of London suggests...
Interim Sprint Chief Aims to Refocus Brand
Washington Post
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Oct 19, 2007 2:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Last week's abrupt departure of Sprint's CEO capped the third-place company's struggles with its 2005 acquisition of Nextel, declining share price, and massive customer losses. Interim chief Paul Saleh tells the Washington Post he has a plan to get back to basics that he says will include rallying his workforce and focusing on doing fewer things,...
YouTubers Call Takedown Notices Abusive
Washington Post
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Oct 19, 2007 2:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
YouTube has long been on the forefront of citizen filmmaking, but now it’s hitting the vanguard of citizen litigation. Many are crying foul at the frequency of takedown notices—warnings of infringement by copyright holders. Said one user who sued Universal after video of her baby performing over a Prince track was removed, “I don’t...
Web 2.0 Forum Will Let Users Vote on Q & A
Wired
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Oct 19, 2007 2:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Disappointed with earlier web-based candidate debates, Wired is touting 10 Questions, a project launched Wednesday that invites users to submit video questions for the hopefuls, vote up or down the questions submitted by others, and then—when candidates submit video answers—vote up or down the candidates' answers, too.
Patriots Get Names of Web Ticket Sellers
Associated Press
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Oct 19, 2007 2:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Mass state court has given the New England Patriots the names of people who bought and sold the team's tickets on the StubHub website. The team is suing the site, owned by eBay, because reselling tickets for profit is technically illegal (though the law is rarely enforced). StubHub and a technology advocacy group says the order violates the privacy...
Lab Suspends Watson After Race Row
Times (UK)
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Oct 19, 2007 2:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Embattled geneticist James Watson was suspended from his laboratory today in response to comments he made suggesting that black people are inherently less intelligent than whites, the London Times reports. The 79-year-old scientist canceled a British book tour and headed back to the States. The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, which he...
Buying a PC? Read This First
All Things Digital
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Oct 19, 2007 1:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Wall Street Journal tech guru Walter S. Mossberg wants you to think, and think hard, before buying your next PC. Here are some tips from the man himself: If you're going for Vista over Windows XP, opt for the Home Premium version. Avoid junk software that slows your computer by buying Dell's Vostro models and opting out of trial software....
Opposition Accuses Polish PM of Murder Threat
Telegraph (UK)
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Oct 19, 2007 1:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With less than 48 hours to go until Poland votes in a snap parliamentary election, the opposition has pulled ahead over the ruling Kaczynski brothers' Law and Justice Party, says the Telegraph . Opposition leader Donald Tusk lagged earlier in the race but is now on course for victory after puncturing the image of Jaroslaw Kaczynski as a man of the...
Reggae Star Gunned Down
Reuters
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Oct 19, 2007 12:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Lucky Dube, South Africa’s best-selling reggae singer, was shot and killed in front of his children during an apparent carjacking last night outside Johannesburg. The murder sparked calls for a national crackdown on violent crime, Reuters reports. “The circumstances surrounding his murder again illustrate that violent crime in South Africa...
Coast Guard Sets Up First Base in Warming Arctic
New York Times
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Oct 19, 2007 12:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The US Coast Guard is setting up a base in the rapidly warming Arctic to help patrol anticipated tanker and cruise-ship traffic in the hot new shipping area, reports the New York Times . Officials have also begun discussions with Russia about controlling expected traffic in the Bering Strait. The base, the first in the region, will likely be in Barrow,...
French Support for Strike Wanes on Day 2
AFP
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Oct 19, 2007 12:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
French union leaders hailed yesterday's transit strike as a major success, with 75% participation, AFP reports, and many smaller unions were still holding out today. But the government won't budge on proposed pension reform, and public support waned as commuters faced a second day of the job action and tomorrow's Rugby World Cup final loomed, the AP...
Christian Right Isn't Singing the Praises of GOP Candidates
Washington Post
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Oct 19, 2007 11:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Crowded as the GOP field may be, the religious right can't seem to find a congenial candidate. The Washington Post reports that evangelicals—today beginning a 2-day summit—remain unmoved no matter how sweetly Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and John McCain come calling. And the idea of a Rudy Guiliani nomination has a few threatening...
Norway Fines Winehouse for Pot Possession
BBC
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Oct 19, 2007 11:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Amy Winehouse was busted with 7 grams of marijuana in her hotel room, but the Norwegian police didn't make the addled chanteuse go to rehab—they just held her overnight, fined her $714, and released her this morning, the BBC reports. "She's paid the fine, so this thing is over for us now," said the prosecutor.
Declining Sumo May Modernize
New York Times
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Oct 19, 2007 11:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A series of sumo wrestling controversies has led to soul-searching within the venerable Japanese sport. A 17-year-old apprentice died from hazing at a sumo school, and a grand champion is accused of faking an injury and fixing matches. As troubles pile up and popularity continues to decline, writes the New York Times , some in sumo are wondering if...
Your Body Really Is a Wonderland
LiveScience
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Oct 19, 2007 10:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Our bodies may be just organ-filled sacks of chemicals and genes, but their workings are marvelous—and occasionally gross. LiveScience shares 10 of the body's best mysteries: Your skin has four colors Your brain automatically responds when someone else laughs, cries, sneezes, or yawns Our bigger brains have crowded out our...
Media, Tech Firms Team Up on Copyright
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 19, 2007 10:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In an unusual truce, eight media and Internet companies are banding together to combat the explosion of copyrighted material posted on the web, the Wall Street Journal reports. The group, led by Disney and Microsoft, has framed a set of guidelines; copyright holders in the group agree not to pursue Internet companies for infringement if they're...
Del Toro's Good; Berry's on Fire
Metacritic
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Oct 19, 2007 10:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Things We Lost in the Fire, the weepie opening today and starring Halle Berry as a newly bereaved widow and Benicio Del Toro as her heroin-addicted comforter, draws mixed reviews. Most agree with the Chicago Tribune that it's "consistently well acted," awarding special praise to Del Toro. But the movie gets no points for originality.
FBI Makes Copperfield's $2M Disappear
Associated Press
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Oct 19, 2007 9:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The FBI raided a Las Vegas warehouse owned by magician David Copperfield this week, seizing a hard drive, a camera system, and nearly $2 million in cash, a local TV station reports. The feds won't reveal what Copperfield is being investigated for, but the Las Vegas Review-Journal says he stands accused of sexual abuse.
Bhutto Blames Old Enemies for Bombing
BBC
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Oct 19, 2007 9:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Benazir Bhutto today condemned last night's suicide bomb attempt on her life, which claimed more than 130 of her supporters' lives, calling it "an attack on democracy, an attack on the very unity and integrity of Pakistan." At a press conference, she vowed not to retreat. "We are prepared to risk our lives and we are prepared to...
Citigroup Staves Off Fire Sale— for Now
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 19, 2007 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
One of the central goals of the new superfund announced by Citigroup and other major banks is to provide a buyer for structured investment vehicles, the low-yield capital-raising investments whose demand has dropped like a stone in the credit crunch. Citigroup announced today its SIVs are covered until year's end. But as several European SIVs face...
Viagra Linked to Hearing Loss
Associated Press
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Oct 19, 2007 8:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Add hearing loss to the list of potential side effects of Viagra and other drugs to treat sexual dysfunction. The federal Food and Drug Administration will add a warning about the risk to the labels of Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and a hypertension drug, Revatio, which contains the same ingredient as Viagra. There have been 29 cases of hearing loss linked...
UK Probes Charges That CIA Used Brit Prison for Torture
Guardian (UK)
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Oct 19, 2007 7:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
British officials will investigate persistent claims that the CIA secretly interrogated terrorism suspects at a UK prison in the Indian Ocean, the Guardian reports. Authorities have repeatedly questioned American officials, who deny the reports. But an organization representing detainees insists the claims are true, adding that the British may be...
Oil Hits $90 a Barrel
Bloomberg
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Oct 19, 2007 6:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
After five straight days of record-breaking, oil prices smashed the $90-a-barrel mark in after-hours trading overnight, pumped up by the weakening dollar and fears that Turkish military strikes across the border in Iraq could disrupt supplies. Investors pushed the price of light, sweet crude to $90.02 before it fell back to $89.44 by midafternoon today...
Dodd to Block Telecom Immunity
Election Central
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Oct 19, 2007 6:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Dem presidential hopeful Chris Dodd said yesterday he will place a “hold” on a bill that would grant retroactive immunity to telecom companies who handed over phone records to the feds without warrants. The White House and the Senate Intelligence Committee had made a deal to clear carriers Wednesday, but Dodd vows to block its coming to...
Pedophile Suspect Busted
Toronto Star (Canada)
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Oct 19, 2007 6:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The worldwide Interpol hunt for a Canadian schoolteacher accused of sexually abusing young boys in Asia has ended: Thai police this morning caught up with Christopher Paul Neil in northeastern Thailand. "Bingo! We've got him," said a local police chief after arresting Neil, 32, in his rented room, the Toronto Star reports.
Veteran Stress Cases Surge
USA Today
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Oct 19, 2007 6:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Department of Veterans Affairs reported treating 20,000 new cases of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in a 12-month period ending in June, up an astounding 70% from the same time the previous year, reports USA Today . The VA counts a total of nearly 50,000 PTSD cases, and expects the number to grow.
On-Time Mortgage Payments Up
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 19, 2007 5:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Offering a glimmer of hope in the mortgage crisis, recent loans show an increase in on-time payments. But the good news does not extend to loans made earlier. And for all home loans nationwide, defaults continue to rise, making likely a continued surge in foreclosures and decline in home sale prices, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Me Caveman, Me Talk
LiveScience
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Oct 19, 2007 5:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Neanderthals may have spoken much like we do, new research shows. Scientists examined a gene linked to language called FOXP2 in the DNA of cavemen bones discovered in northern Spain, and found that it was identical to ours. The gene is the only one known to be involved in human speech and language, though the lead researcher cautioned that others play...
Rutgers Upends No. 2 South Florida
Star-Ledger
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Oct 19, 2007 5:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights faked and sacked their way to a 30-27 victory over the second-ranked South Florida Bulls last night, marking the fifth time this season that a top-three team has fallen to an underdog. Though Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel threw home two touchdown passes, it was the Knights' special teams that ruled the day, reports NJ.com.
Bruins Win Home Opener 4-1
Boston Herald
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Oct 19, 2007 5:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Bruins, playing their home opener, won a sloppy but hard-fought game against the Lightning last night. In a a crowded Boston sports scene the Bruins (downright awful last year) are proving their worth getting a little attention of their own. "We’re trying to change the attitude here," said Marc Stern, who scored twice.
Islamic Militants Blamed in Blasts
BBC
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Oct 19, 2007 4:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A "ball of fire" turned a Karachi street from a scene of celebration into one of "absolute horror and carnage" early this morning after two explosions killed at least 136 people gathered to hail the return of former Pakistan Prime Minster Benazir Bhutto, reports the BBC. The Pakistan government has blamed Islamic militants for the...
Thrashers Win Behind New Coach
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Oct 19, 2007 4:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With new coach Don Waddell behind the bench, the desperate Thrashers were able to get their first win of the season. They ran the power play well, scored on a 5-3 advantage, and scored while shorthanded on the way to a 5-3 victory over the hated Rangers, who swept them out of the playoffs last year.
China Blocking Users From US Search Engines
CNET
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Oct 19, 2007 4:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Chinese searchers trying to visit Google, Yahoo and Microsoft Live Search are being redirected to the Chinese search engine Baidu, according to tech news sources. Speculation has it that the Chinese government is blocking the American engines because officials are angry that the US awarded the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal this week.
Beckett Is Boston's Life Support
Providence Journal
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Oct 19, 2007 3:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It was do or die for the Red Sox last night, and this time they did. Josh Beckett posted 11 strikeouts and one walk in eight powerful innings, and Kevin Youkilis led a surging Boston offense with a triple and homer, reports the Providence Journal. The 7-1 win keeps the Sox alive in the series, which the Indians lead 3-2.
Francona: Torre Is a Gentleman
New York Times
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Oct 19, 2007 3:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
After Joe Torre rejected the Yankees' offer of a $5 million one-year contract yesterday, supporters came out of the woodwork in the unlikeliest of places: the Red Sox dugout. Boston manager Terry Francona called Torre a "gentleman," and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield said he "hoped to be able to play for him at some point," reports...
Call Me Russian FDR: Putin
Washington Post
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Oct 19, 2007 3:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Vladimir Putin sees himself as Russia's Franklin Delano Roosevelt and is actively encouraging a cult around the Depression-slaying US leader to promote his own ambitions after his current term as president expires. Admiring profiles and documentaries about Roosevelt in the state-controlled media are indoctrinating Russians as Putin maneuvers to stay...
Fans to Reach Nirvana at the Movies
Variety
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Oct 19, 2007 3:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The story of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain will soon come to life on the big screen, Variety reports. Universal Pictures has commissioned a screenplay about the troubled life of the grunge rocker, which will be based on the Cobain biography “Heavier than Heaven.” Courtney Love, the rocker’s widow and an actress/musician in her own...
Iverson Sues Over $2.2M Dump
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Oct 19, 2007 12:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Denver superstar guard Allen Iverson is suing an Atlanta builder for construction so shoddy, he was forced to move his family elsewhere within two months, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The home, which cost $2.2 million, featured cracks in the brickwork and flooring, evidence of settling, and other indicators that it could not support...
