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.
New Drugs Will Heal Muscles, Abet Cheating
MIT Technology Review
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Oct 26, 2007 8:43 AM CDT
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Scientists are currently testing two new classes of drugs designed to combat muscle-wasting diseases, but one organization isn't too excited: the World Anti-Doping Agency. Even though the treatments aren't yet commercially available, the Swiss-based organization that combats cheating in sports has banned them and is developing new detection methods,...
Dawes Delivers as Rangers Defeat Devils
New York Daily News
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Oct 26, 2007 8:42 AM CDT
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Rangers rookie Nigel Dawes was twice the hero last night as he sent two shots past New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur to secure New York's first win in five games. Dawes got more than a little help from dead-on Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who shut out the Devils with 22 saves, reports the New York Daily News.
Top China Bank Buys Record $5.6B Stake in African Lender
Reuters
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Oct 26, 2007 8:14 AM CDT
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Prodded by Beijing to invest in developing countries, China's massive state-owned bank has inked a deal to buy 20% of South Africa's Standard Bank for $5.6 billion, marking the largest Chinese investment ever in Africa. ICBC, flush with cash, is eager to provide financial services to Chinese companies increasingly active in the Horn of Africa, Reuters...
BC Pulls Off 'Best Win Ever' Over VT, 14-10
Boston Herald
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Oct 26, 2007 8:11 AM CDT
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Boston College Quarterback Matt Ryan led his team back to victory last night with a clutch pass that might also have clinched his chance at the Heisman Trophy, reports the Boston Globe. Trailing 10-7 and on the run with 11 seconds left, Ryan threw on the run to hook up with Andre Callender and preserve the Eagles' BCS ranking.
Vonage Settles Patent Dispute, Sees Shares Rise
New York Times
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Oct 26, 2007 7:26 AM CDT
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Troubled Internet telephone company Vonage gained a "new lease on life" yesterday when it settled a longstanding patent infringement dispute with rival Verizon. Vonage share prices shot up 70% in after-hours trading on the heels of a settlement that observers see as a "big win for Vonage," the New York Times reports.
DVD Pirates Outwit Hollywood
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 26, 2007 7:18 AM CDT
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The high-profile Oscar hopeful American Gangster opens next week—but it's already available as a pirated DVD for $5 or for free via internet file-sharing sites. American Gangster is the latest example of the upper hand that bootleggers have gained of late in their war against security measures, the Wall Street Journal reports. And the bootlegs...
McCanns Release Sketch of Man Carrying Child Away
Guardian (UK)
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Oct 26, 2007 5:41 AM CDT
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In the latest effort to find their missing daughter, Kate and Gerry McCann yesterday released an artist's impression of a man seen carrying a child near the McCanns' vacation apartment in Portugal on the evening of Maddy's disappearance. The sketch is based on the testimony of a friend dining with the McCanns at the time, the Guardian reports.
Iran Looms Large in Campaign
CNN
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Oct 26, 2007 5:11 AM CDT
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Iran is beginning to dominate the campaign rhetoric of White house hopefuls of both parties as Iraq once did, reports CNN. Tough US sanctions against Tehran and growing indications of some kind of military intervention to halt the development of nuclear weapons are being compared with the steps taken in the run-up to the war with Iraq.
Qaeda Backers Enraged by Al Jazeera's Osama Excerpts
Associated Press
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Oct 26, 2007 4:58 AM CDT
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Supporters of Al Qaeda have attacked Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera for selectively airing critical remarks by Osama bin Laden this week in which he blasts Iraqi insurgent groups for being too splintered. Critics called for the broadcaster to air the entire tape, which also includes praise for the groups.
UAW Shifts to Hard-Up Ford
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 26, 2007 4:30 AM CDT
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With the United Auto Workers close to ratifying their contract with Chrysler, the union is shifting focus to hammering out a deal with Ford. Negotiations with Ford may prove the toughest of all because Ford is the domestic car maker most in need of cuts, reports the Wall Street Journal . Ford posted a net loss of $12.6 billion in 2006.
Britney Dodges Hit-Run Charge With Payoff
E! Online
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Oct 26, 2007 4:06 AM CDT
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Things might be looking up a bit for beleaguered pop tart Britney Spears. A misdemeanor hit-and-run charge against her was tossed out yesterday when a Los Angeles court commissioner learned that she had paid a $1,000 cash settlement to the motorist whose car she dinged in a parking lot in August, reports E! Online.
Backers Delay Genocide Vote
Associated Press
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Oct 26, 2007 3:46 AM CDT
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The four primary sponsors of the House resolution to label the 1915 killings of Armenians in Turkey as genocide have withdrawn support, formally asking Speaker Nancy Pelosi to delay voting on the measure, the AP reports. Enthusiasm for the resolution withered after Turkey withdrew its US ambassador and threatened to block US military access to a critical...
Kids' Health Insurance Bill Stalls Again
Washington Post
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Oct 26, 2007 3:23 AM CDT
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House Democrats' plans to expand a children's health insurance program hit a brick wall again yesterday when they failed to attract the Republican votes necessary to override a presidential veto, reports the Washington Post . The final vote on a reworked $35 billion expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program was 265-142, more than...
Schilling, Okajima Stifle Rockies
Boston Globe
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Oct 26, 2007 3:14 AM CDT
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Curt Schilling got his 11th postseason win, and Jonathan Papelbon his first October save, in Boston's 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies last night. Hideki Okajima bagged four strikeouts in two scoreless innings of relief, and J.D. Drew continued his redemption arc, going 2-for-2 with a walk and hit-by-pitch, reports the Boston Globe.
Vista, Office Spur Microsoft to Huge Growth
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 26, 2007 3:10 AM CDT
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Microsoft yesterday reported a 23% leap in net income and its best revenue growth since the dot-com boom, making it an isolated winner in a tumbling market. The announcement drove up the company's shares 10% in after-hours trading. The sales of new PCs with Windows installed helped drive the gains, especially in developing countries creating large...
California Fire Death Toll Hits 12
Reuters
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Oct 26, 2007 2:54 AM CDT
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Four charred bodies found in the mountains near the Mexican border and two others discovered in a house in San Diego County boosted the death toll of the California wildfires to 12, with 60 others injured. Authorities confirmed yesterday that the 25,000-acre Santiago Fire in Orange County was arson, set by someone with particular knowledge of how wildfires...
Commish: Refs Violated Casino Ban, But Won't Be Punished
Associated Press
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Oct 26, 2007 1:14 AM CDT
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Despite violating the NBA's stringent gambling rules, over half of the league's referees will not be punished, announced commissioner David Stern. The current rules forbid all gambling, an overly strict policy that has been improperly enforced, according to Stern; among other changes, he is likely to allow non-sports-related wagers in casinos.
Facebook Seeks Hedge Fund Cash After Microsoft Deal
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 26, 2007 1:12 AM CDT
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After raising $240 million from Microsoft, the social networking site Facebook expects to raise a further $260 million from hedge funds and private-equity investors, according to the Wall Street Journal . The cash will be used to fund an international expansion and a new ad revenue system. The investment would put the value of Facebook at $15 billion.
London Calling for NFL
Times (UK)
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Oct 26, 2007 1:10 AM CDT
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As London and the NFL brace for the weekend's Dolphins-Giants match—the first regular-season game played outside the US in league history—football officials are hoping it will launch the game into a new, more international era. If all goes well, commissioner Roger Goodell plans to make foreign-hosted games a regular event in future seasons.
Asian Space Race Stirs Friction, Pride
Christian Science Monitor
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Oct 25, 2007 10:58 PM CDT
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With China, India and Japan all launching civilian moon missions, the Christian Science Monitor examines the Asian space race, driven by what one expert calls "techno-nationalism." They "generate pride domestically and they demonstrate prowess internationally," but they're also inflaming security concerns and suspicions,...
Brutal Maldives Leader Clings to Long-Time Grip
Independent (UK)
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Oct 25, 2007 9:37 PM CDT
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Luxury resorts coexist in the Maldives with claims of a darker reality: Censorship, political repression, torture, and recent terrorist bombings. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the longest-serving leader in Asia, is reneging on a promise to step down and instead will run for a seventh term. But now his own supporters are turning on him and three key ministers...
Why Doesn’t the Right Embrace Huckabee?
New York Times
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Oct 25, 2007 9:07 PM CDT
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Why is it that leaders of the religious right aren’t rallying behind authentically conservative Mike Huckabee, wonders New York Times columnist Gail Collins. Huckabee—who Collins notes is “on his first wife and first position on abortion”—is the obvious conservative choice, she proposes, but Values Voter sages...
China's Still Booming, but What About Inflation?
New York Times
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Oct 25, 2007 8:37 PM CDT
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China's economy is booming and inflation is in check, but for how long? Third quarter growth swelled the economy by 11.5%, putting China ahead of Asian rivals India and Vietnam, and inflation dropped to 6.2%. Beijing says it will keep falling, but inflationary fears sent the Shanghai stock market down 4.8% today, the New York Times reports
Judith-Inspired Flick Is Miller Lite
Washington Post
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Oct 25, 2007 8:04 PM CDT
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Hollywood is filming a flick based on the story of journalist Judith Miller, who did time to avoid naming Scooter Libby as the source who outed CIA agent Valerie Plame to her. Of course everyone involved is younger and a lot hotter. Thirty-four-year-old Kate Beckinsale (Miller was 59) stars as a reporter who was jailed for 18 months (Miller did ...
Revolutionary Roots: Che's Hair for Sale
Reuters
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Oct 25, 2007 7:40 PM CDT
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A scrapbook including photos of Che Guevara's corpse, hand-written letters from comrades-in-arms, and a lock of the revolutionary's hair snipped after he was shot to death are on a Dallas auction block with a starting price of $100,000. The collection belongs to a former CIA operative who helped track, kill, and bury Che 40 years ago in Bolivia, Reuters...
NYC Pushes Calorie Count Plan
Associated Press
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Oct 25, 2007 7:24 PM CDT
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That burger might be darned tasty, but New York City health officials are reviving their crusade to give you an accompanying calorie count on menus—this time not just for fast-food joints, but restaurants with 15 or more locations. Chains aren't too keen on the plan, and a state restaurant association is set to sue a second time, the AP reports.
Iowa Dems to Join GOP for Early Caucus
Associated Press
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Oct 25, 2007 7:15 PM CDT
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Dems will likely okay a January 3 date for Iowa caucuses and help the state stay ahead of New Hampshire in the rush for earliest caucus. Iowa Democratic Chairman Scott Brennan has already endorsed the date. "It was a recommendation that was not come to lightly," said a Dem spokeswoman. A Democratic committee is set to decide the date on...
Mexican Fence & More Guards Will Stop Illegals: Rudy
Associated Press
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Oct 25, 2007 7:13 PM CDT
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Republican White House candidate Rudy Giuliani said that if he's elected president he would stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the country by building a high-tech fence along the Mexican border, boosting patrols 50% and stationing guards at 50-mile intervals. "You can stop them at the border," he told a town hall meeting in Iowa.
Sarko: France to Go Green
BBC
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Oct 25, 2007 7:10 PM CDT
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Nicolas Sarkozy called for a greener France today, including higher taxes on polluters, a 50% reduction of pesticide use, and the eradication of genetically modified crops. The French president spoke at the close of a national environment summit that counted Al Gore in attendance. But the conference failed to generate consensus on the role of nuclear...
Syria's Alleged Nuke Site Gone in Puff of Smoke
Washington Post
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Oct 25, 2007 7:01 PM CDT
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A Syrian military facility bombed in an Israeli air strike last month has been quickly—and mysteriously—razed and cleared, according to a new photograph taken by a commercial satellite. The Syrian government had been accused of building a nuclear reactor on the site capable of producing weapons, the Washington Post reports, though Damascus...
Experimental AIDS Vaccine May Increase HIV Risk
Wired
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Oct 25, 2007 6:38 PM CDT
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A once-promising AIDS vaccine being developed by Merck may actually increase the risk of contracting HIV, the Washington Post reports. In South Africa, 19 people who received the vaccine in a trial contracted the virus, as opposed to 11 who received a placebo. South African researchers have begun warning hundreds of participants of the findings....
Dems Skewer Rice Over Iraq Foul-ups
Washington Post
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Oct 25, 2007 6:35 PM CDT
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House Democrats today grilled Condoleezza Rice over alleged State Department bungling in Iraq, from failure to supervise private security contractors like Blackwater to ignoring corruption in the new Iraqi government to sloppy oversight of the new US embassy in Baghdad. Usually composed, Rice showed signs of frustration today, as Dems hammered her—and...
Diana After Crash: 'Oh My God'
Times (UK)
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Oct 25, 2007 6:18 PM CDT
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Princess Diana lay in the wreckage of her car saying "Oh my God" over and over after the Paris accident in 1997, a witness said today. A French volunteer firefighter told the panel investigating the crash that he happened upon the accident shortly after it occurred and attempted to provide help as photographers snapped away, the UK...
Voodoo Child Smugglers Busted in Netherlands
BBC
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Oct 25, 2007 6:09 PM CDT
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Dutch police have broken a child prostitution ring that used voodoo to control its young charges, authorities announced today. Authorities found missing Nigerian children prostituting themselves in France, Italy, and Spain, apparently obeying mystic vows given them by their kidnappers and voodoo shamans. Police have so far arrested dozens accused of...
Economist : No To South Africa Sports Quotas
Economist
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Oct 25, 2007 5:53 PM CDT
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The World Cup-winning South African rugby team shouldn’t be saddled with racial quotas, says the Economist : It’s exactly the wrong kind of affirmative action and would “mock the principle of merit.” One might think, the piece allows, the South African case would be the ultimate argument for quotas, as rugby “was a...
Stressed Out? You're Not Alone
USA Today
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Oct 25, 2007 5:19 PM CDT
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People all over America are more stressed out than ever, according to a new poll by the American Psychological Association. The biggest culprits are money and work, but housing is also starting to get to people. One-third of respondents reported regularly feeling extreme stress. The survey "reflects a real change in the pressures that people feel...
Virtual Tools for Biology Coming Soon
Economist
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Oct 25, 2007 5:00 PM CDT
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Systems biology—an approach which involves reducing biological systems to their basic components and running sophisticated computer models of them—is poised to take off, reports The Economist . With virtual biological systems running on powerful computers, doctors and pharmaceutical manufacturers could speed the testing of drugs and avoid...
Motorola CEO Silences Critics (For Now)
BusinessWeek
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Oct 25, 2007 4:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Motorola CEO Ed Zander may have won at least a temporary reprieve from some of the harsh criticism he's endured in recent months, as the largest US maker of mobile phones reported a third-quarter profit today. Evading a straight-up loss through aggressive cost-cutting, Motorola earnings were down 94%, but it still raked in a net income of $60 million,...
GPS Being Used to Dispute Speeding Fines
Associated Press
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Oct 25, 2007 4:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Retired Sheriff's Deputy Richard Rude is using a GPS tracker he installed in his stepson's car to challenge in court a speeding ticket the teenager received, the AP reports. Tech-savvy drivers have apparently been using certain types of the devices which report velocity to challenge, sometimes successfuly, the radar-driven readings used by Police.
1M Bumbo Baby Seats Recalled
Bloomberg
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Oct 25, 2007 4:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Bumbo International of South Africa has recalled nearly 1 million of its foam Baby Sitter seats because they pose a risk to children, Bloomberg reports. The company has reports of 28 children falling out of the seats, and three of them suffered fractured skulls.The seats have been sold at Toys 'R' Us, Target, KMart, Sears, and Wal-Mart.
UN Report Paints Grim Portrait of Planet's Future
BBC
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Oct 25, 2007 4:08 PM CDT
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A major UN report says the health and wealth of millions of people around the world are at risk because of worsening environmental problems, BBC reports. The UN report cited deforestation, overfishing, shortages of drinking water, and rising greenhouse gas levels among the biggest problems. And it criticized a "remarkable lack of urgency"...
'Sims' Creator's 'Spore' Delayed
GameSpot
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Oct 25, 2007 4:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
"Spore", the much awaited 'life-simulation'/'god game' from SimCity and The Sims creator Will Wright, will finally be released in Spring 2008, GameSpot reports. The game and its all-encompassing concept, wherein a player guides the development of life from multicellular organisms to space-faring civilizations, was first announced two years...
Oil Prices Send Stocks Spilling
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 25, 2007 3:40 PM CDT
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Stocks headed downward again today, spurred by oil prices making a return to record territory. The price of crude hit $90.50 a barrel as traders reacted to yesterday's data predicting limited availability. "Oil is up—that doesn't help. And financials are getting hit," says one trader. The Dow was down 3.33 to 13,671.92, while the Nasdaq...
Barry's Heart is in San Francisco
Associated Press
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Oct 25, 2007 3:36 PM CDT
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He sounded like a man who wanted to stay. At a tribute to the former San Francisco slugger, Barry Bonds was read a list of his baseball accomplishments and then asked if he'd actually achieved all those marks. His response? "I did and then I got fired," a reference to not getting a contract offer, reports the AP.
My Big Fat Indie Meltdown
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 25, 2007 3:34 PM CDT
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Small-budget indie flicks become improbable mainstream successes every year—except, the LA Times notes, 2007. Moviegoers are bombarded with art films that have all flopped, from melancholy war pieces to classy, studio-backed star vehicles. “It's as bad a fall as I've ever seen,” says Focus’ CEO. The problem? “Too many...
Bush, in California, Promises Aid
New York Times
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Oct 25, 2007 3:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
“There will be help for the people of California,” said President Bush today, promising federal aid while on a tour of areas devastated by days of wildfires. Bush, accompanied by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other politicians, had already declared seven counties in Southern California to be disaster areas, the New York Times reports.
BEA Says It’s Worth $8.2B
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 25, 2007 3:07 PM CDT
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The board of BEA Systems responded to a time-sensitive takeover offer from Oracle today, valuing itself at $8.2 billion—fully $1.5 billion more than the database giant's bid. Oracle’s $17-a-share offer, now two weeks old, will expire on Sunday evening if BEA doesn’t act on it. But the fiercely independent middleware company says a...
Turkey Demands US Action on Kurdish Rebels
New York Times
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Oct 25, 2007 2:50 PM CDT
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As top Iraqis urged his country to quell Kurdish rebels with nonmilitary action, Turkish PM Recep Erdogan demanded that the US act to stop those rebels from threatening his country from northern Iraq, the New York Times reports. “We have a disturbance," Erdogan said. "What kind of disturbance did the United States have with Iraq?"
On the Rebound, Sony Profits Soar
New York Times
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Oct 25, 2007 2:12 PM CDT
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Despite big losses in Playstation 3 sales, Sony reported a slight quarterly profit jump, a signal that cost-cutting and downsizing have been effective economic spurs for the Japanese technology giant. Electronics profits increased 12-fold to $939 million, with sales, especially of digital cameras, up more than 20%, the New York Times reports, suggesting...
Rangel Floats Sweeping Tax Reform Bill
New York Times
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Oct 25, 2007 2:06 PM CDT
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A Democratic bill unveiled today would dramatically alter the tax code, hiking taxes for those making more than $200,000 and slashing them for most others. The overhaul, which would effectively roll back Bush’s cuts for the wealthy, isn’t expected to get any traction until the White House has a new occupant, the New York Times notes,...
