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.
Kremlin May Forge a Separate 2.0 Peace
Washington Post
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Oct 28, 2007 8:54 PM CDT
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The Kremlin is going 2.0 by extending its reach into cyberspace, where dissidents have found refuge from the government’s tight censorship. While Putin allies mount pro-government websites and snatch up existing independent outlets, Moscow is considering the creation of a separate Russian network. “The attractiveness of the Internet as...
Embattled Merrill Chief Stepping Down
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 28, 2007 6:53 PM CDT
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Merrill Lynch CEO Stan O’Neal has decided to step down, the Wall Street Journal reports, after days of speculation about his likely ouster following $8 billion in writedowns for the bank, and reports that he had discussed a merger with Wachovia without board authorization. The list of potential successors is headed by Laurence Fink, the chief...
Israel Cuts Fuel to Gaza
Associated Press
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Oct 28, 2007 6:32 PM CDT
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Israel cut Gaza’s fuel supply today in a bid to force the strip's Hamas government to curb rocket attacks on Israel. An Israeli official told the New York Times the plan was to cut deliveries 5 to 11%, but a Gazan official told the AP shipments were short by over 30%. Israel also closed one of two crossings through which food and medicine flow...
Wall Street Watching Fed's High Wire Act
Associated Press
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Oct 28, 2007 6:32 PM CDT
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All eyes are on the Fed this week, with Wall Street expecting a quarter-point rate cut when the group meets Tuesday and Wednesday. But the decision is an usually tough one, the AP reports, with the tight rope between controlling inflation and keeping markets fluid more precarious than it has been for a while. Most investors think the Fed is more concerned...
Wills to Kate: Don't Go Veil Shopping Yet
Daily Mail (UK)
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Oct 28, 2007 5:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Kate Middleton is back in the royal fold and has Prince William "eating out of her hand," but sources close to the couple warn not to expect any wedding bells before 2009. While the romance is clearly back on and Kate is now chummy with Prince Charles, Wills doesn't want to make a move until his military training is finished, reports the...
Child 'Slave' Laborers Fall Into the Gap
Guardian (UK)
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Oct 28, 2007 5:14 PM CDT
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Ten-year-olds were found stitching Gap apparel in a filthy New Delhi sweatshop, some without pay, in an investigation by the Guardian . The kids interviewed by the paper reported long hours of unpaid work, threats and beatings. Serial numbers on the beaded blouses they were working on were ID'd by the Gap, which pulled the items from shelves and launched...
$32.1M Saw IV Slays Box Office
Variety
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Oct 28, 2007 4:52 PM CDT
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Saw VI axed the competition in the final weekend before Halloween by scaring up $32.1 million—falling short of Saw III’s debut weekend, but notching the highest opening of the fall season. Steve Carrell’s quirky dramedy, Dan in Real Life , took second with $12 million, Variety reports.
Petraeus Says al Qaeda Losing Baghdad Grip
Associated Press
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Oct 28, 2007 4:35 PM CDT
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Al Qaeda is losing ground in Baghdad, Gen. David Petraeus said today, even as the group showed its fangs by abducting 10 opposition tribal leaders. “Its presence has been significantly reduced,” Petraeus said, but cautioned that al Qaeda was still “dangerous and very lethal.” Gunmen, meanwhile, abducted seven Sunni and three...
Grand Jury Probes Copperfield
Seattle Times
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Oct 28, 2007 4:01 PM CDT
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A federal grand jury is considering bringing rape charges against David Copperfield, unidentified law enforcement officials told the Seattle Times . A 21-year-old aspiring model told police that Copperfield, 51, lured her to his private island and raped her, then threatened her to keep quiet. Copperfield's attorney chided law enforcement for the leak,...
Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Water
Chicago Tribune
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Oct 28, 2007 3:39 PM CDT
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You'd think the warm weather and easy living would make the West and South leave Frostbelters alone. But no, they want what that frost is made from: water. As drought and development strain limited local water resources, the Sunbelt wants to tap some of the billions of gallons of Great Lakes aqua—and eight Great Lakes states are teaming up with...
Astronauts Find Station Damage
Associated Press
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Oct 28, 2007 3:17 PM CDT
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The International Space Station’s power system is damaged, astronauts discovered today on the second of five scheduled spacewalks. Investigating the vibrations and electrical spikes that have wracked the solar tower, they found metal shavings clinging to the rotating joint. "There’s metal-to-metal scraping, and it’s widespread,"...
Shiites Foil US Plans for Sunni Cop Shops
New York Times
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Oct 28, 2007 2:59 PM CDT
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Shiite officials are thwarting US attempts to train Sunni cops, crippling a key strategy aimed at slashing sectarian violence, the New York Times reports. Iraq has okayed Sunni neighborhood watch groups, but putting their old foes in uniform is another story. One US officer put it bluntly: Iraq officials "want to make sure that not too many...
OC Fire Dept. Was Ill-Equipped
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 28, 2007 2:11 PM CDT
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Orange County firefighters might have contained the fire that ripped through Irvine, the county fire chief says, if only there were more of them. Orange County was short on manpower and fire engines even before it sent crews to help contain Malibu’s fires. With state reinforcements busy elsewhere, and aircrafts grounded by red tape, the Santiago...
First Lady Heads for Presidency
Reuters
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Oct 28, 2007 1:30 PM CDT
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First lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner looks to be the next president of Argentina, with a comfortable 20% lead over her nearest competitor in polls going into today's balloting, Reuters reports. The biggest question in the voting for her husband's successor is whether Fernandez—who downplays inevitable comparisons to both Evita Peron and...
Clapton Recounts Pain, Triumph
Vanity Fair
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Oct 28, 2007 1:01 PM CDT
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"Slowhand" takes up a pen in Clapton: The Autobiography. Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll—it’s all there in guitar legend Eric Clapton’s memoir. There’s also the death of a child and more than one journey to sobriety. Vanity Fair excerpts the poignant tale of the man who started the road to recovery one...
Kurdish Clashes Deep in Turkey Kill 15
Associated Press
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Oct 28, 2007 12:15 PM CDT
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Turkish soldiers killed 15 Kurdish guerrillas today in Tunceli province, several hundred miles from the area bordering Iraq where most of the clashes with Kurdish separatists have taken place, the AP reports. Iraqi-Turkish talks aimed at reconciling the escalating conflict collapsed before the weekend, and sources say that PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's...
Mussels Inspire Universal Glue
MIT Technology Review
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Oct 28, 2007 12:11 PM CDT
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A new adhesive polymer capable of bonding to almost any surface has been identified by researchers at Northwestern University. Described in this week's Science , the adhesive forms an extremely thin layer which can then bind to materials: an antibacterial coating could be applied to a scalpel, or electronic circuits printed on any surface.
National Protests Target Iraq War
Reuters
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Oct 28, 2007 11:31 AM CDT
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On the fifth anniversary of Congress' vote to authorize invading Iraq, demonstrators thronged the streets in a dozen US cities yesterday, calling on Congress to cut off war funding and focus on domestic issues. The "national day of action" brought protesters out nationwide, including Boston, LA, New York and Chicago, where two Democratic...
Scotland Yard Busts Royal Sex Tape Blackmailers
Times (UK)
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Oct 28, 2007 10:52 AM CDT
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Two men have been arrested for attempted blackmail of a member of the British royal family who was threatened with exposure of a videotape allegedly showing a sex act, according to Scotland Yard officials. Authorities would not reveal the identity of the target, who was told to pay $100,000 to keep the video secret. The men also claimed to have evidence...
Bush Scores as Hugger in Chief
Washington Post
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Oct 28, 2007 10:25 AM CDT
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George W. Bush may not come off as touchy-feely, but as his California fire tour demonstrates, he’s one of the best presidential huggers of all time. In recent months, Bush has embraced literally hundreds in public, the Washington Post notes. Sure, those are mostly photo ops, but Bush’s hugs look strangely genuine, and may define our...
Young Tycoons in Endless Pursuit of Next Project
New York Times
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Oct 28, 2007 9:54 AM CDT
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Rather than reveling in his $100 million fortune, mogul Max Levchin spent a year feeling "worthless and stupid" after he sold PayPal to eBay at the age of 27. Too young to retire, too restless to become a philanthropist, Max was like many young Silicon Valley tycoons dogged by their own over-achievement, the New York Times reports .
Militants Battle Pakistani Troops
Associated Press
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Oct 28, 2007 9:26 AM CDT
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In the latest violent outbreak in Pakistan, supporters of an extremist cleric yesterday captured a police post in the north and beheaded 13 people following a battle with soldiers, reports the AP. Troops on Friday had raided Maulana Fazlullah's stronghold in the formerly peaceful Swat district, where the radical cleric has called for Islamization of...
Scary Surge in Kid Food Allergies
Newsweek
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Oct 28, 2007 8:24 AM CDT
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Behind the fear of life-threatening peanut allergies stand astounding statistics: between 1997 and 2002, peanut allergies doubled in children under the age of 5. Other childhood food allergies are also skyrocketing, with allergists seeing more children with multiple sensitivities that seem to be lingering longer than they did in the past, Newsweek...
10 Years on, Bilbao Still Wows
Bloomberg
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Oct 28, 2007 7:48 AM CDT
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Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Bilbao is ten years old this week, freshly buffed and looking better than ever, Bloomberg reports. The birthday is marked by a successful show of American heavyweights like Keith Haring, Julian Schnabel and Richard Serra. Bilbao continues to benefit from the cultural attention garnered by the building, but Guggenheim projects...
Mayoral Paper Shuffle Sullies Giuliani Record
Chicago Tribune
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Oct 28, 2007 7:21 AM CDT
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First Hillary Clinton's papers from her tenure as first lady are locked up in the Clinton Library, buried under thousands of FOI requests that have priority. Now it turns out that Rudy Giuliani's mayoral papers—some some 2,100 boxes of them—were removed from City Hall and routed through his own "think tank" before being turned...
80 Taliban Killed in Afghan Battle
Reuters
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Oct 28, 2007 7:00 AM CDT
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In a sudden new flash of violence in another American battle theater, US-led forces killed 80 Taliban fighters yesterday near a southern Afghanistan town held by insurgents. The battle erupted when Taliban troops ambushed a joint coalition and Afghan army patrol with machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire. Coalition forces retaliated with a...
Bulldogs Take the Field— & Game
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Oct 28, 2007 7:00 AM CDT
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The Georgia Bulldogs gained a hard-fought victory over the Florida Gators last night, and their mild-mannered coach turned over a colorful new leaf, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Mark Richt ordered his team—all 70 players—onto the field after the Bulldogs' first touchdown, drawing two penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct...
OSU Holds on to No. 1 With Win at Penn State
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Oct 28, 2007 6:39 AM CDT
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Ohio State didn't have to punt once in the course of last night's solid defeat of the Penn State Nittany Lions as the first-ranked team won its 27th-straight victory. Penn State saw an early 7-3 lead trickle, and then gush, away as the Buckeyes stayed "one step ahead of us all night," coach Joe Paterno told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review....
Superbug Shuts Down Entire School District
CNN
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Oct 28, 2007 6:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A single confirmed infection of antibiotic-resistant staph has convinced officials to shut down all 23 schools of an eastern Kentucky district so cleaners can scour classrooms, cafeterias, locker rooms, buses and playgrounds. The district superintendent called the massive disinfection a "preventive measure" to ward off a large-scale outbreak...
Sox 1 Away From Series Sweep
Boston Herald
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Oct 28, 2007 6:10 AM CDT
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The Red Sox are one win away from another World Series title, thanks to the heart of their lineup—the 9, 1 and 2 spots—of Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia. Matsuzaka pitched 5 1/3 solid innings, and together the three scored and drove in nine runs in Boston's 10-5 victory, reports the Boston Herald.
Slow Down! Your Neighbors May Have Radar Guns
USA Today
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Oct 27, 2007 9:57 PM CDT
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No more flying under your neighbors’ radar: Police departments across the US are enlisting residents to help catch speeders, USA Today reports. Officers loan radar guns to regular folks; drivers going, typically, more than 13mph over the limit receive warning letters. And it’s not just teens who are caught putting the pedal to...
Curlin Wins Muddy Classic
Associated Press
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Oct 27, 2007 7:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Curlin capped a grand year by winning the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic today, the AP reports. He blew by Hard Spun and Lawyer Ron in the home stretch and ran the 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.59 on a sloppy track, claiming his sixth win in nine starts. "He's a big-day horse," said trainer Steve Asmussen. In a sad turn, European star George Washington...
Hillary Faces Gender Hurdle in Iowa
Christian Science Monitor
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Oct 27, 2007 7:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Gender bias may topple Hillary's Iowa bid and hurt her image as shoo-in for the Dem nomination, the Christian Science Monitor reports. She calls the state a "special burden" and was "shocked" to hear Iowans had never elected a woman governor; analysts say she's downplaying her hopes in the state, where she holds a slim six-point...
Animal Collective's Odd Wonder
New Yorker
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Oct 27, 2007 6:56 PM CDT
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Those with adventurous musical tastes may want to visit the odd world of Animal Collective, which smashes together electronic and acoustic elements into a brilliant mixture often called, if somewhat inaccurately, "avant-garde" and "psychedelic," says the New Yorker. Sasha Frere - Jones explores the group's eighth album, Strawberry...
Turkey Masses Troops, Ready to Invade
Reuters
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Oct 27, 2007 6:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Turkey will invade Northern Iraq “the moment an operation is needed,” Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan vowed after talks with Baghdad crumbled last night. Ankara has up to 100,000 troops on the Iraqi border, backed by tanks and fighter plans, ready to strike roughly 3,000 Kurdish rebels. The US and Britain oppose any incursion, but Erdogan...
Five Worst Hangovers Ever
CNN
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Oct 27, 2007 5:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Think you know how to tie on one? You're a piker compared to these historical debauches: Admiral Edward Russell's 17th-century throwdown. His punch had 250 gallons of brandy, 125 gallons of Malaga wine, 1,400 pounds of sugar, 2,500 lemons, 20 gallons of lime juice, and 5 pounds of nutmeg.
US Schools Not in Dire Decline, Study Says
BusinessWeek
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Oct 27, 2007 5:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Despite dire warnings, US students rank well against worldwide peers in math, science, and reading, according to a new study. In fact US scores are rising, and students are graduating with more science and engineering diplomas than the US market can sustain. So why all of the hullabaloo about US kids in decline? Because of misinterpreted data, reports...
No More Mr. Nice Barack
New York Times
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Oct 27, 2007 5:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Obama plans to offset slipping poll numbers by getting in Hillary's face, calling her shady on foreign policy and too divisive to win in 2008, the New York Times reports. Critics say that two-fisted politics would betray Obama's "politics of hope," a charge he rejects: “Every time we point out a difference between me and her, they...
Sudan Declares Truce at Darfur Peace Talks
Reuters
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Oct 27, 2007 4:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sudan declared a ceasefire at Darfur peace talks today, but two top factions weren't there to hear it, and one other met the pledge with suspicion. “The government has said several times since 2004 that they observed a ceasefire,” said one rebel leader. “We have our doubts.” Last year's peace talks sparked increased fighting,...
DNA Pioneeer Kornberg Dies
New York Times
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Oct 27, 2007 4:05 PM CDT
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Nobel laureate Dr. Arthur Kornberg, 89, a pioneering biochemist in the fields of DNA and human genetics, has died of respiratory failure, the New York Times reports. Kornberg shared the award in 1959 for his research into how DNA works, and that research is the foundation for many of today's cancer drugs, notes the San Francisco Chronicle .
Wounded Anchor Key Advocate for Injured Vets
New York Times
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Oct 27, 2007 3:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
News anchor Bob Woodruff, severely wounded by a bomb in Iraq last year, is back to work as an ABC correspondent and has launched a new career as an advocate for wounded soldiers, particularly those with head injuries. A charity concert he helped organized, featuring Bruce Springsteen and Robin Williams, is expected to raise $1 million next month, the...
Netflix in Heated Race for Online Movies
Washington Post
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Oct 27, 2007 3:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
They beat Blockbuster, but can Netflix outpace rivals in the race to show downloaded movies on TV? "It's like a three-act play, and we're in the opening minutes of the second act," said Netflix exec Steve Swasey. Act two is where startups like Vudu take on giants like Amazon to plug home TVs into the ‘Net—while Netflix tries to...
Sweden Serves Up a New Pop Sensation
Slate
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Oct 27, 2007 2:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Get ready for a new Swedish invasion—Slate writer Stephen Metcalf says pop musician Jens Lekman is about the best thing ever (and his 4-year-old daughter thinks so, too). Lekman is strongly influenced by Stephin Merritt, Morrissey, and Belle and Sebastian, but he is still "a different bird," Metcalf writes, adding that "each of...
Air Pollution High in Fire's Wake
Associated Press
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Oct 27, 2007 2:16 PM CDT
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Evacuees trickling home in fire-ravaged Southern California find themselves largely without power, natural gas or potable water. Perhaps worse, the barely breathable air is laden with soot and dust, raising health concerns, the AP reports. Satellite pictures show thick smoke throughout the region. “We're all at risk of the fine particulate matter...
Brits to Study 'Invisible' Brain Injuries
Guardian (UK)
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Oct 27, 2007 1:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The "invisible" brain injuries that are plaguing as many as 20% of US troops coming home from Iraq are now getting attention in Britain, where the Defence Ministry is launching a major study of returning British troops. The injuries, called "mild traumatic brain injury" (mTBI), are the result of shock waves caused by explosions,...
Meteorite Hunter Gets His Due
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 27, 2007 1:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
He’s not exactly Indiana Jones, but Steve Arnold does have fame, wild adventures, and an 18-foot-wide metal detector. Arnold, a meteorite hunter, has combed the deserts of Chile, the tundras of Siberia, and the streets of Chicago looking for the extraterrestrial lumps of metal, the LA Times reports. His hard work may pay off handsomely tomorrow...
Media Moguls' 'Marriage' On the Rocks
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 27, 2007 12:38 PM CDT
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The long and lucrative partnership between media giants John Malone and Barry Diller may be nearing its end, the Wall Street Journal reports. "We've been frustrated with each other at times," says Diller, whose IAC empire, backed by Malone's Liberty Media, includes the Home Shopping Network, Ticketmaster and Expedia. Lackluster business...
Bhutto Visits Ancestral Home
BBC
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Oct 27, 2007 12:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Benazir Bhutto visited her ancestral village in southern Pakistan today and prayed at the tomb of her executed father, BBC reports. The trip was Bhutto's first outside Karachi since a failed assassination attempt last week. "It's so moving for me to finally be here and to be able to pray at his grave and the grave of my young brothers," she...
FCC OKs $24.7B Alltel Buyout to Private Group
Associated Press
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Oct 27, 2007 11:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The FCC approved a $24.7 billion takeover of Alltel yesterday, but not without imposing some restrictions on the deal and criticism from two of its top officials. Alltel, the nation’s fifth-largest wireless carrier, will now transfer its licenses to TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners, a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, and its shareholders will...
UAW Ratifies Chrysler Contract
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 27, 2007 11:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The UAW said today that its employees had approved a four-year contract with Chrysler by the thinnest of margins, the Wall Street Journal reports. The union said 56% of production workers and 51% of skilled trade workers voted in favor of the deal, despite significant dissent among workers. The UAW will now concentrate on nailing down a deal with...
