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.
What's Torture? Don't Ask a Med Student
Time
|
Oct 27, 2007 10:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Many medical students don't know the Geneva conventions enough to identify torture techniques, Time reports. More than a third say it's okay to threaten removal of a prisoner's food or water, and more than 25% would inject a saline solution into a detainee who believes it's lethal. A recent study claims to know why: 94% of medical students get less...
Stewart, Colbert, Head to Head
Los Angeles Times
|
Oct 27, 2007 9:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Steven Colbert got his start on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, " but has he, with "The Colbert Report," eclipsed his mentor? To settle the debate, the Los Angeles Times pits the comedians against each other, comparing their interview styles, humor, guests, books, segments, stunts, and more. LOL factor is low, but the analysis...
Young Stalin Follows His Rise From Street Thug
Newsweek
|
Oct 27, 2007 9:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Drawing on previously classified material, Simon Sebag Montefiore's new biography, Young Stalin , follows the despot through his formative years, from Georgian street tough to the Bolshevik revolution. In a "morbidly fascinating" account, he describes how the young Josef Djugashvili dropped out of a seminary, assumed 160 aliases, robbed...
I Am Not a Kook But I Play One on TV
Associated Press
|
Oct 27, 2007 8:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Beam me up, Scotty...please? When the gazillionth Star Trek movie goes into production, it will go there without the original Captain Kirk. While the latest movie incarnation of Star Trek will include the veteran Spock character, played by Leonard Nimoy, director J.J Abrams has passed on including William Shatner this round. Shatner expressed...
Diplomats to Be Ordered to Serve in Iraq
Associated Press
|
Oct 27, 2007 7:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Lacking volunteers for dozens of vacancies at the US Embassy in Baghdad, the State Department is set to order its diplomats to serve one-year postings in Iraq. Those selected for the postings will be notified Monday; if not enough take the bait, assignments will be made mandatory, on pain of dismissal, AP reports.
Freed Wilson Set on College
CNN
|
Oct 27, 2007 6:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
"I've got a new life," Genarlow Wilson said yesterday as he left prison after two years behind bars for a teen sex conviction. "You will not be disappointed," he vowed to his supporters. "I plan on succeeding in life." Wilson was released after the Georgia Supreme Court ruled yesterday that his 10-year sentence for consensual...
Mukasey Hits Resistance on Torture
New York Times
|
Oct 27, 2007 6:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If AG nominee Michael Mukasey doesn't clarify his views on which interrogation techniques are constitutional, Democratic senators say they may oppose his confirmation. Proceedings that were expected to be smooth sailing ran into trouble this week when Mukasey, who has denounced the use of torture, declined to specify whether he includes the widely...
New Orleans Back in Swing
Travel Leisure
|
Oct 27, 2007 6:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
New Orleans remains a city very much in transition, but its fabled nightlife and cuisine have rebounded enough to more than warrant a trip to the Big Easy, says Travel & Leisure . Jazz and jumbalaya not enough? The city also has a wide range of "voluntourism" opportunites related to the Katrina recovery effort.
The Lucky Find Homes, but No Water, Power
Associated Press
|
Oct 27, 2007 6:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Thousands of Southern California residents have returned to their homes—those fortunate enough to find them standing—to find no electricity and no drinking water, with town reservoirs drained to fight fires, and air choked with smoke and ash. The threat of changing weather also looms: the hot winds that fueled the fires are predicted to...
Boise State Dominates Fresno, 34-17
Idaho Statesman
|
Oct 27, 2007 6:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Boise State continued to look out of place in the WAC conference last night with an easy defeat of the Fresno Bulldogs. The runaway Broncos, who have not lost a conference game since Fresno routed them in 2005, improved to 7-1, 4-0. Two backup freshman backs posted career highs as Boise State racked up a 34-17 victory, reports the Idaho Statesman....
Sharks Dead in the Water for Red-Hot Wings
Detroit News
|
Oct 27, 2007 5:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Detroit Red Wings had the San Jose Sharks on the run from the outset of last night's game, scoring five unanswered goals before conceding one. Detroit's Valtteri Filppula had his first goal and first assist of the season in the first period, helping push his team to the top of the Western Conference, reports the Detroit News.
Maryfield Wins Breeders' First Filly and Mare Sprint
ESPN
|
Oct 27, 2007 5:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jockey Elivs Trujillo pushed Maryfield to a half-length win in the rain-drenched Breeder's Cup Mare and Filly Sprint yesterday, ESPN reports. Miraculous Miss came in second, with Miss Macy Sue close behind as favorites La Traviata and Dream Rush outpaced each other early only to be overtaken on the home stretch.
US Cools War Rhetoric With Iran
New York Times
|
Oct 26, 2007 10:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Washington cooled war rhetoric with Iran yesterday, calling sanctions "diplomacy" that "in no way, shape or form" anticipate force. The sanctions are "more a demonstration of restraint than a signal that we’re going to war," echoed one US expert. But the US move did irk one observer, Putin, who said they "make...
Top Policy Dog Steers Rudy Right
Washington Post
|
Oct 26, 2007 9:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Giuliani is going to "Simon University," where think tank types school him to be a hawk and a tax-cutter, the Washington Post reports. Bill Simon hosts, teaching Giuliani how to think conservative heartland instead of New York elite. Simon, Giuliani's policy director, "has the added advantage of being a serious social conservative...
Dancin' Toddler Takes On Prince
ABC News
|
Oct 26, 2007 8:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Baby's got moves. And now he's got a lawyer, too. A YouTube video of an 18-month-old rocking out to the Prince song "Let's Go Crazy" has ignited a legal fight involving the music industry, a ticked-off mom and Prince himself. The lawsuit—prompted when YouTube pulled the video at the request of music honchos—could help define copyright...
No Family Picnic Plans for Cheney and Obama
AFP
|
Oct 26, 2007 8:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
"Cousin Barack? No. No, we haven't. We haven't had the opportunity to talk about it," Dick Cheney told the press today, when asked whether he had spoken with Barack Obama about the fact that the two men are distant cousins, AFP reports. "I didn't know whether that would help him or hurt him," said Cheney, "So I thought...
US Forces Hunt Down Iraqi Rackets
Los Angeles Times
|
Oct 26, 2007 8:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Iraq's mafia-style rackets are funneling big money to insurgents, making them key targets for US commanders. Corruption and kickbacks in real estate, soft drinks, cement—even the extortion of US contractors—are fueling what Maliki calls a “second war” in Iraq. "We have got to attack the insurgency from what source it comes...
Dial in Style This Fall
PC World
|
Oct 26, 2007 8:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Don't let iPhone users have all the fun—other manufacturers are coming out with slick little products that have some nice features of their own. PC World finds the top five worthy of your attention: Sprint Touch: Touch screen features give it an iPhone like feel—only simpler. Samsung u470 Juke: Uncommonly slender its...
O'Reilly Frets Over Outing of Wizard
Media Matters
|
Oct 26, 2007 7:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Perhaps worried that JK Rowling has opened the closet too widely, Bill O'Reilly has made Albus Dumbledore's outing a frequent topic this week, bemoaning the promotion of “parity for homosexuals with heterosexuals.” Calling the Harry Potter author a “provocateur,” the Fox anchor says adults are worried about the “indoctrination...
She's Tough, Focused, Blunt and Efficient
New York Times
|
Oct 26, 2007 7:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
“The worst thing you can do when you work for Hillary Clinton is sit there and nod yes," one veteran of the other Clinton administration told the New York Times. Hillary has a penchant for bluntness, she likes data, and she hates meandering meetings. In an analysis of the Democratic contender's leadership style, the Times notes that...
Gonzales Could Face Charges
Slate
|
Oct 26, 2007 7:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Alberto Gonzales might soon find himself on an unlikely side of the law if a pending DOJ report recommends criminal charges against the former AG for lying under oath. Pending prosecution may even explain Gonzales' unexpected departure, Slate ’s Dahlia Lithwick speculates. Now he’s hired a criminal-defense attorney and stopped talking...
US Forces Will Do 'Nothing' About Kurds
Associated Press
|
Oct 26, 2007 6:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Despite Turkish calls for action, the top US military commander in northern Iraq said today that he intended to do "absolutely nothing" to counteract strikes against Turkey by Kurdish militants, the AP reports. The blunt assertion is consistent with the Bush administration's desire to keep US forces out of the conflict and see it resolved...
Look for More, and Bigger, Wildfires as West Warms
San Francisco Chronicle
|
Oct 26, 2007 6:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After 16 uncontrolled wildfires this week prompted the largest evacuation in California history, the San Francisco Chronicle asks climate experts whether we'll be seeing more of them, thanks to global warming. The answer: Yes. Hotter, drier conditions in the future will lead to more fires in more places. This was the driest year in California history,...
Ooh, Scary: 33% of US Believes in Ghosts
Associated Press
|
Oct 26, 2007 5:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Americans spook easily, with nearly a third of people admitting to believing in ghosts and nearly a quarter claiming to have seen or felt one, an AP-Ipsos poll finds. Nearly every other person believes in ESP, and 20% believe in witchcraft and spells. Singles, Catholics, and those who never attend religious services are most likely to be visited.
Newcomers Battle for Mobile Search Industry
PC World
|
Oct 26, 2007 5:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Google and Yahoo would love part of the growing mobile search business, but phone carriers aren’t eager to have them. Carriers don’t want to be “the dumb pipe that the ISPs became,” one analyst explained. Instead they’re turning to startups like JumpTap and Medio, who provide carrier-branded mobile search. The problem,...
Devil Will Make You Watch It
Rotten Tomatoes
|
Oct 26, 2007 4:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
He may be 83, but in Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead , Sidney Lumet musters the “wide-awake elegance of a virtuoso half his age,” EW' s Owen Gleiberman says, producing a vivid crime melodrama critics unanimously place among the year’s best. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke play brothers whose botched robbery of their...
Merrill Lynch Sizes Up Potential CEOs
Reuters
|
Oct 26, 2007 4:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With Stan O'Neal all but ousted after an $8.4 billion writedown mostly on subprime loans and an overture to Wachovia, Merrill Lynch is on the hunt for a new chairman and CEO. Candidates include BlackRock's Larry Fink, NYSE Euronext's John Thain, and in-house contender Robert McCann, Reuters reports. Sources tell CNBC O'Neal will be gone this weekend.
Apple Debuts User-Generated Ad
New York Times
|
Oct 26, 2007 4:28 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Apple's next iPod Touch commercial was born in the mind not of some slick ad exec but of a British university student with a little free time. Eighteen-year-old Apple devotee Nick Haley married kickin' music with animations of the Touch's features last month and posted the result on YouTube—where it got noticed by Apple execs who remade it in...
Main Rebel Groups to Skip Darfur Talks
Reuters
|
Oct 26, 2007 4:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two of Darfur's main rebel groups said today they will not attend peace talks scheduled to start in Libya tomorrow, dealing a significant blow to hopes for a quick end to the nation's civil war, Reuters reports. The UN-sponsored talks are still expected to go on with several other rebel groups in attendance, but the main groups' withdrawal is a "very...
Stocks Up on Microsoft Earnings
Bloomberg
|
Oct 26, 2007 3:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Optimism prevailed on Wall Street today as Microsoft clobbered estimates and Countrywide promised the worst was behind it. The tech-heavy Nasdaq led the way, gaining 53.33 to finish at 2,804.19. The S&P 500 rose 20.87 to 1,535.28; 65% of its components have beaten estimates so far. The Dow finished at 13,806.70, up 134.78 to wrap up a winning week.
Woman Who Stole Unborn Child Sentenced To Death
Kansas City Star
|
Oct 26, 2007 3:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A jury today ordered Lisa Montgomery executed for killing a woman and stealing the unborn daughter from her womb. The jury had convicted Montgomery this week of kidnapping resulting in the death of Bobbie Jo Stinnett. Montgomery would have faced life imprisonment if the jury hadn't voted for the death penalty, the Kansas City Star reports.
Senate Would Extend Web Tax Ban 7 Years
ComputerWorld
|
Oct 26, 2007 3:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Senate passed a bill yesterday to extend a ban on Internet access taxes for 7 years; it will have to be reconciled with a House bill—which has a 4-year lifespan—and signed into law by next Thursday to beat the current law’s expiration date. The bill was a compromise between those seeking a permanent ban and those looking to match...
Parsons Set to Leave Time Warner
Times (UK)
|
Oct 26, 2007 2:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons is about to announce his departure, sources tell the Times of London, and will hand the reins to current second banana Jeff Bewkes. In his 5-year-plus tenure, Parsons held together the media behemoth after the much-ballyhooed AOL merger went south. Bewkes is expected to shake up the structure, likely spinning off underperforming...
Astronauts Link Harmony to ISS
Associated Press
|
Oct 26, 2007 2:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Astronauts from the space shuttle Discovery today successfully attached the 16-ton Harmony addition to the International Space Station, expanding the station's living and working space by more than 2,500 cubic feet. The 6-hour project, moving the Harmony and retrieving a broken antenna from the station, was the first of five planned spacewalks, the...
ATP Fines Davydenko for Lack of Effort
Associated Press
|
Oct 26, 2007 2:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Association of Tennis Professionals fined star player Nikolay Davydenko $2000 for lack of "best effort" in a St. Petersburg Open match against Marian Cilic. Already at the center of a betting investigation since August, Davydenko won the first set in 27 minutes, but lost the next two, the Associated Press writes. He defends his title...
Cash-Strapped Jacko Could Lose Neverland
Fox News
|
Oct 26, 2007 2:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Jackson has defaulted on a $23 million loan against his storied Neverland Ranch, and he’ll lose the Santa Barbara fortress if he doesn’t pay in 90 days. The King of Pop is in his worst financial situation ever, says Fox News, and speculation is mounting that he’ll declare bankruptcy to limit the damage.
Journal Deal Raises Red Flag With FCC
Broadcasting & Cable
|
Oct 26, 2007 1:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
FCC commissioner Michael Copps would like to toss a monkey wrench into News Corp.’s Dow Jones takeover, Broadcasting & Cable reports. Copps, a Democrat, yesterday called for an inquiry to determine whether the deal suits the public interest and whether current rules sufficiently cover the situation. Chairman Kevin Martin would need to open...
Red Tape Grounded Copters in California Fires
Associated Press
|
Oct 26, 2007 1:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Firefighting helicopters sat idle as wildfires broke out across California, an AP investigation concludes, thanks to a web of bureaucracy. By the time Navy, Marine, and National Guard aircraft got clearance, up to a day after blazes started, it was already too dangerous to fly. Others were missing crucial equipment that had been promised for 4 years.
All Eyes Turn to Xi Jinping
Guardian (UK)
|
Oct 26, 2007 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Xi Jinping's appointment to the standing committee of the politburo positions him a step away from the Chinese presidency, but the man slated to rule the world's largest nation from 2012 to 2022 is an unknown quantity, writes the Guardian . The unspectacular Shanghai party boss has "no particular policies," says one China scholar, and got...
Leave Halloween to the Kids
Los Angeles Times
|
Oct 26, 2007 12:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Halloween has taken a turn for the worst, LA Times columnist Joel Stein complains, with the rampant introduction of adult sexuality into the last remaining kids' holiday untainted by politics. "People vastly prefer Halloween parties because New Year's Eve involves dressing up like an adult," he grouses, "whereas Halloween involves...
Dan 's Life Is Almost Too Real
Metacritic
|
Oct 26, 2007 12:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Reaction's to Steve Carell's genial comedy Dan in Real Life range from appreciative to underwhelmed. AO Scott of the New York Times calls the film—starring Carell as a recent widower and advice columnist—"for the most part, winningly gentle and observant." Roger Ebert calls it "soothingly pleasant." Others find it...
Why US Math, Science Ed is OK
BusinessWeek
|
Oct 26, 2007 11:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Americans aren’t as deficient at math and science as usually reported, writes entrepreneur and Harvard Law Fellow Vivek Wadhwa in a Business Week op-ed. He cites an Urban Institute report with results contradicting many long-held beliefs about American science education, which places American science students consistently second in the world.
Ga. to Free Defendant in Teen-Sex Case
CNN
|
Oct 26, 2007 11:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Georgia Supreme Court today tossed out a controversial 10-year prison sentence handed down to a 17-year-old who had consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old, calling it cruel and unusual. Citing a "seismic change" in how oral sex between consenting teens is viewed, the court ordered Genarlow Wilson released, CNN reports; he has spent 2...
Kim Joins the 'Lost' DUI Parade
Honolulu Advertiser
|
Oct 26, 2007 11:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Daniel Dae Kim has become the third actor from "Lost" to be busted for drunk driving, the Honolulu Advertiser reports. Kim, who plays Jin-Soo Kwan on the hit series, was pulled over for driving erratically early yesterday in Hawaii, where the show is filmed. His BAC was .168, more than twice the legal limit.
Feds Sought to Cover Up '05 Blackwater Killing
ABC News
|
Oct 26, 2007 11:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
State Department officials sought to conceal evidence of a 2005 Blackwater killing from an LA Times reporter, according to emails obtained by ABC News. Referring to a shooting that killed one Iraqi and led to two Blackwater dismissals, one official instructed another to give the Times "what we can and dump the rest on Blackwater," the...
Firms Help Workers Kick Butts
New York Times
|
Oct 26, 2007 10:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Smoking, everybody's favorite target, is now drawing fire from employers looking to cut medical costs by helping workers kick the habit, the New York Times reports. Employers gain significantly when employees quit, because a typical smoker racks up $16,000 in additional lifetime medical costs and saps productivity with smoking breaks and absenteeism.
Redheads May Date Back 200K Years
LiveScience
|
Oct 26, 2007 10:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Redheads made up at least 1% of the Neanderthal population, scientists have found by extracting genetic material from fossilized bones. The analyzed DNA yielded a gene that controls melanin production in skin and hair. "We can't say anything for the actual fossils we looked at, but we can be sure that part of the Neanderthal population was red-haired,"...
Iran Defiant Over New US Sanctions
BBC
|
Oct 26, 2007 9:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
New American sanctions against Iran's Revolutionary Guards provoked a fiery response from Iran today, along with criticism from allies China and Russia. Iran's foreign ministry told the BBC that the sanctions were "contrary to international law, without value and, as in the past, doomed to failure." Vladimir Putin compared the US tactic to...
Oil Companies Fume as Canada Hikes Royalties
Wall Street Journal
|
Oct 26, 2007 9:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The booming North American oil industry got a rude wake-up call yesterday when the Alberta premier announced drastic royalty hikes that could cost $1.4 billion a year starting in 2009—a move the Wall Street Journal says could drastically slow crude development. The move irks both corporations who say the increase is too high and environmentalists...
Oil Hits $92 on Iran Anxieties
Bloomberg
|
Oct 26, 2007 8:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The price of oil surpassed $92 a barrel on US accusations that Iran supports terrorism and its attempt to apply pressure on other countries and companies to cut ties with the Mideastern nation. "The door is open to $100," an analyst tells Bloomberg, adding that the dispute will "continue to ratchet up." Earlier this month, oil passed...
