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.
I-5 Reopens After Gruesome Pileup
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 15, 2007 6:36 PM CDT
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Some California I-5 lanes reopened today after Friday's massive 15-truck pileup, but police still haven't assessed blame for the blaze. One trucker phoned a friend after slamming into a semi in the tunnel, the Los Angeles Times reports; he described a fire, vehicles exploded and the line went dead. Police say 3 died in the fire, including a 6-year-old...
Gore Inspires ‘Deranged’ Righty Hatred
New York Times
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Oct 15, 2007 6:06 PM CDT
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Conservatives are incensed over Al Gore’s Nobel prize, and the Times' Paul Krugman says he knows why: The former veep “keeps being right.” The reactions range from the Journal's refusal to mention his name while rattling off more worthwhile contenders to a National Review suggestion that climate-sensitive Osama should have shared...
Edwards Scores Iowa Labor Nod
New York Times
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Oct 15, 2007 6:04 PM CDT
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Iowa service workers backed John Edwards today, and their huge 650,000-member California branch followed suit along with 8 other chapters. SEIU's support gives Edwards about 1 million possible foot soldiers and attendees in his make-it-or-break-it drive for an upset victory at the Iowa caucus. Endorsements from other sizable SEIU chapters will follow,...
Homeward Bound, Bhutto Fears for Life
Guardian (UK)
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Oct 15, 2007 5:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Benazir Bhutto returns to Pakistan Thursday for the first time in 19 years, and she worries her life is at risk. A Taliban commander has vowed to murder the ex-PM with suicide bombers, but her fear is military officers “who have fought the jihad,” she told the Guardian . She's been negotiating security with the government and is expecting...
Oscar Pereiro is 2006 Tour de France Winner
Associated Press
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Oct 15, 2007 5:28 PM CDT
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Oscar Pereiro held up the yellow winner's jersey after he was formally moved up from second to first place in the 2006 Tour de France, the AP reports. "I have the feeling of arriving at the end of a thriller, after having spent 14 months thinking about it...It is essentially a kind of release," said Pereiro during an awards ceremony at Spain's...
First Boomer Applies for Social Security
Bloomberg
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Oct 15, 2007 5:06 PM CDT
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The baby boom elephant moved a little further along the demographic boa constrictor today when the first boomer applied for Social Security benefits. Kathleen Casey-Kirschling, born at 12:00:01 a.m. on January 1, 1946, is a retired teacher and, a balanced-budget activist tells Bloomberg, "the first drop of rain in the flood."
Huge New Dinosaur Species Found in Argentina
Reuters
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Oct 15, 2007 4:45 PM CDT
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The recently discovered fossil of a giant dinosaur that roamed South America 80 million years ago is not only remarkably complete but also represents a new species, Brazilian and Argentine paleontologists announced today. Futalognkosaurus dukei, a four-legged, long-necked herbivore, measured about 110 feet from head to tail and was four stories tall...
Greenpeace: iPhone Should be Greener
Fortune Magazine
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Oct 15, 2007 4:26 PM CDT
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Apple talks a green game, but the iPhone isn't as environmentally friendly as many of its competitors, says Greenpeace. The company got a pat on the back from the group last May for Earth-friendly electronics, but since then has fallen behind other cell phone makers, with some potentially nasty chemicals showing up in the iPhone's antenna and headset.
Light Wanes, Winter Blues Loom
USA Today
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Oct 15, 2007 4:24 PM CDT
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Utter darkness at 5pm might fan a night owl's flame, but for some 10% to 20% of Americans, autumn's lessening light can trigger a bad case of SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. The "winter blues," caused by leftover mammalian genes that want you to hibernate, can be treated with light therapy, reports USA Today.
Online Jihad Seeks Western Converts
New York Times
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Oct 15, 2007 4:00 PM CDT
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Jihadists have long used the internet to spread their message, but now a growing number of Western-based extremists are tapping into a Western audience by giving the message a pop-culture twist, the Times reports. They act as middlemen, translating newsletters and relaying videos from militant Islamic leaders; they also turn insurgent footage from...
Stocks Dive on Citigroup News
Bloomberg
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Oct 15, 2007 3:40 PM CDT
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Stocks fell more than they had in over a month today after Citigroup reported a 57% third-quarter loss. Of the S&P's 10 industry groups, only energy advanced, with oil closing at a record $86.13 a barrel. The Dow lost 108.28 to close at 13,984.80, the S&P 500 fell 13.09 to 1,548.71, and the Nasdaq finished at 2,780.05, down 25.63.
Fading US Sway Leads to Darfur, Burma Inaction
Time
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Oct 15, 2007 3:25 PM CDT
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Diminished US influence is allowing human rights violators in Darfur and Burma to get away with murder, Harvard expert Samantha Power writes in Time . America is speaking up louder than ever, but Uncle Sam’s diplomatic nadir makes for “a void in global human rights leadership.” China has most influence over both pariahs, importing...
AT&T, Verizon Look to Ape GM/UAW Retiree Deal
Bloomberg
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Oct 15, 2007 3:02 PM CDT
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GM’s pact with the UAW, which cleared $50 billion in retiree health costs from the automaker’s books by launching a union-run health fund, is drawing imitators. AT&T and Verizon are both hoping to mirror the arrangement created in GM’s deal, Bloomberg reports. The telecom giants have the S&P 500's second- and fourth-highest...
Stairway to iTunes
Reuters
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Oct 15, 2007 2:46 PM CDT
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Led Zeppelin has joined the digital age, allowing its music to be sold online for the first time shortly before playing a one-off reunion show in November. The essential classic rock oeuvre is one of the last to get the mp3 treatment, Reuters reports. Led Zep will cave in to the 21st century all at once and also allow Verizon to sell ringtones.
Rice Calls for Palestinian State
Associated Press
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Oct 15, 2007 2:20 PM CDT
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It is time for the establishment of a Palestinian state, Condoleezza Rice said today in Ramallah. A two-state solution is "absolutely essential for the future, not just of Palestinians and Israelis but also for the Middle East and indeed to American interests," she said after meeting with Mahmoud Abbas ahead of next month's peace conference.
US Weighs New Hearings for Gitmo Detainees
New York Times
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Oct 15, 2007 1:59 PM CDT
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The Justice Department has made the first official move to reevaluate the status of enemy combatants held at Guantanamo, confirming the possibility of new hearings that would represent a dramatic administration policy change. Friday's federal court filing concerns only one detainee and appears to be a maneuver to head off other inmates' challenges...
Kidney Swap Might Abate Organ Shortage
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 15, 2007 1:28 PM CDT
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One woman desperately needs a kidney transplant; her husband wants to donate but is incompatible. Across the country, the same scenario. But the healthy spouses match the unhealthy spouse in the other couple and make a reciprocated donation to a stranger. About 230 such swaps have taken place since 2000, reports the Journal, and there's hope that...
Struggling AOL to Take 2,000 Jobs Offline
Bloomberg
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Oct 15, 2007 1:22 PM CDT
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Internet icon AOL will pink slip 2,000 workers tomorrow—1,200 from the US—as the once-dominant service provider tries to re-energize its business. In August corporate parent Time-Warner announced that AOL had lost 1.1 million paying subscribers, and reported second-quarter sales of $1.3 billion, a 38% drop from a year ago. Last year, the...
Citigroup Profit Plunge Hits a Nervous Market
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 15, 2007 12:57 PM CDT
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Citigroup reported a 57% drop in third-quarter profits today, anticipated news that nevertheless sent the bank's shares down by 3.6% to $46.17. The news helped drive nervous market downward as well. "This is the beginning of earnings season, and the market is skittish because analysts are looking for a weak quarter, particularly from the financials,"...
Nobel Hard Drive Tech Revived
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 15, 2007 12:29 PM CDT
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Hard disk space is about to quadruple, says Hitachi, thanks to this year’s Nobel Prize-winning physicists. The company today announced it had developed a new technology for passing data between the disk and the disk-reading heads which shrinks the heads and allow for disk storage of up to 4 terabytes of data. It marks a return to tech pioneered...
Rudy, McCain Swinging at Mitt
Politico
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Oct 15, 2007 12:27 PM CDT
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The gloves are off in the Republican presidential race, with the McCain and Giuliani campaigns forming a tacit alliance to take down Mitt Romney, the Politico observes. McCain said today that, unlike Romney, “I’m not going to con you,” while Giuliani ruthlessly derided Romney for saying a president should “sit down with your...
First Lady Steps Up White House Role
New York Times
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Oct 15, 2007 12:00 PM CDT
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Laura Bush has been amping up her public profile lately, becoming increasingly outspoken in the waning months of her husband's administration, the New York Times observes. She's been the administration's leading voice on Burma, calling UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, testifying before Congress and writing an op ed piece in the Wall Street Journal...
Medtronic Pulls Defibrillator Wires After 5 Deaths
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 15, 2007 11:34 AM CDT
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Medtronic is halting sales of a wire that connects defibrillators implanted in the chests of cardiac patients to their hearts. The wires have been shown to fracture and deliver an accidental jolt to the heart, which can be uncomfortable and may have played a role in five deaths. An estimated 235,000 people worldwide have defibrillators with the...
'I Was Only Pretending to Be Gay'
Associated Press
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Oct 15, 2007 11:15 AM CDT
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A high-ranking Vatican official suspended after he was caught on video making advances to a young man said yesterday in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica that he posed as a homosexual as part of his work as a psychoanalyst. Monsignor Tommaso Stenico said he is celibately heterosexual and only pretended to be gay to gather information.
Leno's 2nd Thoughts Bug NBC
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 15, 2007 10:50 AM CDT
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Jay Leno isn't laughing about his Tonight Show departure, and neither are his bosses. The late-night king is scheduled to step aside in 2009 to make way for Conan O'Brien, but he's having second thoughts, and NBC worries he'll Jaywalk to another network, the LA Times reports. “It’s 1992 all over again,” says ex-NBC exec Warren...
Kill Your Chances With These Job Interview Moves
CNN
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Oct 15, 2007 10:20 AM CDT
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Don't shoot yourself in the foot in your next job interview. A Fortune poll of hiring managers uncovered some anecdotes about the dumbest pitches they'd heard: The interviewee: "...told me to hire him because he was allergic to unemployment." "... said that we should hire him because he would make a great addition...
The Force Is With YouTube
New York Times
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Oct 15, 2007 9:50 AM CDT
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Darth Vader may be dead, but his brother is alive and well on YouTube, and has made a couple of former cable-access producers something of a force. Focusing on the power of YouTube to launch entertainment careers, the New York Times chronicles the adventures of Aaron Yonda and Matt Sloan, whose Star Wars parody about grocery-store manager...
Airbus Finally Delivers First A380 'Superjumbo' Jet
Bloomberg
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Oct 15, 2007 9:19 AM CDT
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After 2 years of delays, Airbus SAS delivered its first behemoth A380 to Singapore Airlines today. The world’s largest jet fell behind schedule, and development costs ballooned to $18 billion, when workers were forced to install 300 miles of wiring by hand. It should fly on Oct. 25, but investors still doubt Airbus can meet production goals for...
Craig to Appeal Guilty Plea
Associated Press
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Oct 15, 2007 8:54 AM CDT
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Larry Craig will today appeal a Minnesota judge's ruling that he can't withdraw his guilty plea for disorderly conduct, the AP reports. And he won't resign: “It is my right to do what I’m doing,” Craig told KTVB-TV yesterday. "I'm not running for re-election. I'm no longer in the way. I am pursuing my constitutional rights." ...
3 Americans Share Nobel in Economics
Reuters
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Oct 15, 2007 8:06 AM CDT
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Americans Leonid Hurwicz, Eric Maskin, and Roger Myerson have won this year’s Nobel Prize in economics for developing "mechanism design theory," which indicates when markets are working effectively, Reuters reports. The theory can be used to assess the factors which make individuals and corporations deviate from the ideal market...
EU, UN Up Pressure on Burma
BBC
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Oct 15, 2007 8:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
European Union leaders meeting today are expected to set tougher sanctions against the Burmese military junta, banning imports of gemstones, timber and metal, Burma's most lucrative exports, BBC reports. UN envoy Ibraham Gambari, in Thailand to press for action against the Rangoon regime, decried the arrests of three of the remaining student leaders...
Rice Struggling to Make Headway on Mideast Trip
Associated Press
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Oct 15, 2007 7:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his position on the upcoming peace conference in talks with Condoleeza Rice today, asserting that Palestinians and Israelis must agree on a joint document outlining the steps to peace before the conference, the AP reports. This differs sharply from the Israeli position Rice heard yesterday in Jerusalem,...
Living on the Edge in Connecticut
New Yorker
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Oct 15, 2007 7:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Victor Niederhoffer is many things: a champion squash player, a family man (six children from two wives and a mistress), a blogger, and a math prodigy. But mostly he is a trader. He amassed huge wealth working with George Soros in the 1980s, losing it all in 1997. He began rebuilding in 2003, had huge success, and may be on the verge of losing...
Cancer Death Rates in Record Drop
CNN
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Oct 15, 2007 6:23 AM CDT
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Cancer death rates are falling faster than ever thanks to successful screening and improved treatments, according to expert analysis of the latest statistics. The death rate dropped an average of 2.1% a year between 2002 and 2004, nearly twice the 1.1% average drop between 1993 and 2001, according to the annual "Report to the Nation" compiled...
Washington Post Reporter Killed in Iraq
Washington Post
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Oct 15, 2007 5:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Washington Post correspondent in Iraq was killed yesterday reporting from one of the most volatile neighborhoods in Baghdad. Iraqi Salih Saif Aldin, 32, was shot in the head while taking photographs of burned-out homes. US news organizations rely heavily on Iraqi correspondents willing to brave the hazards outside the heavily fortified...
'Assassination Plot' Won't Stop Putin's Iran Visit
Reuters
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Oct 15, 2007 5:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Iran this week, despite news reports of an assassination plot against him there. Russian security services received warnings that suicide bombers and kidnappers were training to kill or capture the president, according to the Russian news service Interfax. Putin dismissively waved off reporters seeking...
Fido-Friendly Vacation Spots
MSNBC
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Oct 15, 2007 5:23 AM CDT
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Man's best friend has become a member of the family, so why shouldn't he get a break, too? Make it fun and easy to travel with your pet by visiting one of these hound-hangout towns MSNBC recommends: San Diego, CA Long Beach, CA Carmel, CA
Chargers Win Is All Tomlinson
San Francisco Chronicle
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Oct 15, 2007 4:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Yesterday's LaDanian Tomlinson Show featured San Diego's eighth straight victory over Oakland, a 28-14 game that evened the Chargers to 3-3 and toppled the Raiders from atop the NFC West. Tomlinson topped out at 198 rushing yards and scored all four Charger touchdowns, while Oakland's Daunte Culpepper found himself sacked at every turn, reports the...
Fox Business Network Debuts
Associated Press
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Oct 15, 2007 3:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Fox Business Network officially debuts this morning, launching a challenge to CNBC, the only other all-business network on the air. FBN officials say they're looking to make business news less "Wall Street" and more "Main Street," so they won't be aiming to take hard-core financial types directly from CNBC—at least for now.
Chinese Prez Rips Corruption
BBC
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Oct 15, 2007 3:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
China's President Hu Jintao blasted the "extravagance and corruption" of some Communist officials at a key party congress today as he warned that the nation's promise has "fallen short" of public expectation. He also cautioned that "independence" forces were growing stronger in Taiwan and that the island must return to...
Police Launch New Search for Maddy
Times (UK)
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Oct 15, 2007 3:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Investigators are launching a fresh, extensive search for missing toddler Madeleine McCann, London newspapers are reporting . The search will focus within a 9-mile radius of the Portuguese resort where the toddler disappeared on vacation, including coastline, isolated villas, forests and a reservoir. Police have also revealed they discovered evidence...
They Aren't 'Aints Anymore
Associated Press
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Oct 15, 2007 3:31 AM CDT
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In their 28-17 defeat of the Seahawks last night, the New Orleans Saints finally looked like the team they were touted to be before their inauspicious 0-4 start. Reggie Bush's 141 yards and 246 from quarterback Drew Brees helped the Saints "get this monkey off" their back, and Seattle continued their own streak of sloppy play, reports AP.
Blood Test Predicts Alzheimer's
San Jose Mercury News
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Oct 15, 2007 3:24 AM CDT
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A new blood test not only diagnoses Alzheimer's, but it can predict with 91% accuracy who will suffer from the disease in the future, reports the San Jose Mercury News . The test, developed by San Francisco company Satoris, identifies the disease by detecting unusual activity in 18 proteins associated with the illness .
Embattled Blackwater Maneuvering to Expand Role
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 15, 2007 3:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Blackwater, the private security firm under fire for controversial shootings in Iraq, is preparing expansion plans to develop a bigger role as an arm of the US military. Company founder Erik Prince wants to make Blackwater a one-stop shop for all kinds of operations to which Washington won't commit US forces, reports the Wall Street Journal. ...
D-Backs Can't Stop Streaking Rockies
Rocky Mountain News
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Oct 15, 2007 2:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The freight train that is the Rockies didn't lose any steam last night in Colorado, taking the third NLCS game 4-1 to put the Arizona Diamondbacks on the verge of extinction. Only one team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a championship series, but the Diamondbacks are determined to "defy history," Justin Upton told the Arizona Republic....
German Publishers Launch Google Books Rival
Ars Technica
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Oct 14, 2007 11:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
German publishers irked by Google Book Search's indexing of their books without paying a fee have launched a competing version of the same service. So far, reports Ars Technica, about 300 publishers have made about 8,000 German books available to searchers on Libreka.de, with up to 50,000 more to be added. Users can view titles and cover images of...
Another Week, Another Pats Blowout
Associated Press
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Oct 14, 2007 11:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Tony Romo's Cowboys put up a fight, but 17 fourth-quarter points gave the Patriots their sixth straight lopsided win to start the season. Tom Brady threw an eye-popping five touchdowns; now with 21 through six games, he is on pace to break Peyton Manning's 2004 single-season record of 49. The Cowboys, however, made it interesting until late.
Peterson Broils Bears 34-31
Chicago Tribune
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Oct 14, 2007 11:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Minnesota halfback Adrian Peterson made a strong case for Rookie of the Year honors, racking up 361 all-purpose yards—3rd most in history—in a 34-31 win. Against a misfiring Chicago defense, the Oklahoma product rumbled for three long touchdowns, then rattled off a 53-yard kickoff return to set up the winning field goal.
Pack Win Ugly, Beat 'Skins 17-14
Wisconsin State Journal
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Oct 14, 2007 11:05 PM CDT
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Redskins receiver Santana Moss blames himself for his team’s 17-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers. When Moss fumbled on a reverse, cornerback Charles Woodson recovered it and scampered 57 yards for the touchdown. “When it comes down to the points that we lost by, that was the ball that I fumbled,” said Moss, according to the Wisconsin...
Players Believe Dusty is Right Man for the Job
Cincinnati Enquirer
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Oct 14, 2007 9:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Fans of the Cincinnati Reds had plenty to boo this past season, and some believe that the hiring of Dusty Baker to manage the club deserves similar treatment. But many former and current players insist it was a smart move. Reds announcer Jeff Brantley, who pitched for Baker in San Francisco, said he'd "play for Dusty anytime," according to...
