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.
Senate OKs Judge Opposed by Civil Rights Groups
New York Times
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Oct 24, 2007 5:10 PM CDT
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The Senate today confirmed a judge opposed by civil rights groups to a seat on a federal appeals court in the South. Judge Leslie Southwick will serve on the 5th Circuit, which comprises Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, the New York Times reports. A civil rights leader called the appointment “a slap in the face to African Americans,”...
Microsoft Beats Out Google for Facebook Deal
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 24, 2007 5:00 PM CDT
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Microsoft has beaten out Google for the hand of fair Facebook. The much-anticipated decision was announced today: Microsoft will handle Facebook's international ad sales (it already handles US sales) and invest $240 million for a 1.6% stake in the networking site. "We are pleased to take our Microsoft partnership to the next level," says...
Da Vinci to Be Decoded With Neutron Beam
Wired
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Oct 24, 2007 4:45 PM CDT
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An art diagnostician so inventive that he was mentioned in The Da Vinci Code —the only real-life character in the book—will beam neutrons at a wall of Florence’s famous town hall next month, hoping to uncover a hidden Leonardo fresco. Maurizio Seracini has been waiting three decades to discover whether the wall does, indeed, contain...
Puyo: It's Green, Safe and Glows
Reuters
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Oct 24, 2007 4:25 PM CDT
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Honda unveiled the unusual Puyo today, an in-development concept car with no sharp edges and a coating of soft silicone to absorb collisions, Reuters reports. Visitors to the Tokyo Motor Show were given a look at the car, which runs on hydrogen fuel cells, is driven with a joystick, and glows different colors when it is running or standing still.
What Price War? Try $2.4T
USA Today
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Oct 24, 2007 4:16 PM CDT
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Americans will have to pony up $8,000 apiece to fund the Iraq and Afghanistan wars through the next decade—a total that could top $2.4 trillion—according to a projection by the Congressional Budget Office released today. The figure dwarfs previous CBO estimates because it factors in $705 billion in interest on the loaned funds, USA Today...
'Gripping' Album Tops Doherty Tabloid Drama
Uncut
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Oct 24, 2007 4:11 PM CDT
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Kate Moss' ex, Pete Doherty, may have a rep as a “tawdry drug monster,” but detractors' opinions are sullying his band's great music, says Uncut , giving 5 of 5 stars to Babyshambles’ new release, Shotter’s Nation . The band's previous effort succeeded on “flinty spectrality,” but this one wins by sobering up:...
Stocks Recoup After Nasty Dive
Bloomberg
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Oct 24, 2007 3:46 PM CDT
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Stocks did their best to battle back today after taking a hit from Merrill Lynch's dismal quarterly report, Bloomberg reports. Most of the losses were made up by the bell thanks to growing hopes of an October 31 rate cut from the Fed. The Nasdaq fell 24.5 to 2,774.76, the S&P 500 was down 3.71 to 1,515.88, and the Dow ended down 0.98 at 13,675.25.
Mental Patients Benefit From Larry David Therapy
New Yorker
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Oct 24, 2007 3:13 PM CDT
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However difficult Larry David might be, don’t call him unhelpful. The comic misfit's cringe-worthy gaffes turn out to be just the tonic for schizophrenics suffering from paralyzing social anxieties. A University of North Carolina grad student noticed his stubbornly uncommunicative patients respond well to sitcoms, especially “Curb...
Facebook Closes in on Combo Ad, Investment Deal
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 24, 2007 3:01 PM CDT
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Google and MIcrosoft are both pushing hard to land a deal to sell international ads for Facebook, and the networking site could announce a decision as early as today. Whichever company is chosen will also buy a minority stake in the startup. Top Google and Microsoft execs are traveling to Facebook headquarters for negotiations, reports the Wall Street...
Tech Giant Cisco Will Buy WiMax Firm for $330M
Fortune Magazine
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Oct 24, 2007 2:53 PM CDT
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Cisco Systems announced yesterday that it will purchase WiMax innovator Navini Networks for $330 million in cash and stock, Fortune reports. WiMax is similar to existing wireless technology except that its signals can be received by computers up to five miles away. Cisco's acquisition represents a reversal of previously held skepticism about the...
South Korean Spies Admit Kidnapping Future Prez
BBC
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Oct 24, 2007 2:51 PM CDT
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South Korea's spy agency has admitted that it kidnapped future president Kim Dae-jung in 1973, the BBC reported. The abduction of the opposition leader was approved by then leader Park Chung-hee and may have been intended to end in assassination. Agents grabbed Kim from a Tokyo hotel and bundled him into a boat. Kim's life was reportedly saved by a...
First Lady Pushes Saudis on Breast Cancer Awareness
Associated Press
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Oct 24, 2007 2:38 PM CDT
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Laura Bush today swept into a country where breast cancer is such a taboo that it is often not prevented, treated, or publicly admitted—a high-profile woman trumpeting a pink-ribbon message where 70% of cases aren't reported until late stages. Though excellent care exists, many ignore "that disease" for fears ranging from dealing with...
Turkish Sorties Into Iraq Kill 34 Kurdish Fighters
Guardian (UK)
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Oct 24, 2007 2:16 PM CDT
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Turkish incursions into northern Iraq have killed 34 Kurdish fighters over the past few days, and the Turks today targeted positions along the border with airstrikes, Reuters reports. Some 300 troops have crossed into Iraq by 6 miles, and planes have struck as far as 13 miles. So far, though, Turkey has held off on any large-scale invasion feared by...
Jury Convicts Chessboard Killer
BBC
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Oct 24, 2007 1:42 PM CDT
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A Russian jury today convicted the so-called Chessboard Killer, who terrorized a Moscow park for 14 years, on 48 counts of murder. Alexander Pichushkin claims to have killed 61, placing a coin on a chessboard square for each victim. But although many would like to see the country's most infamous serial killer put to death, the BBC reports, Russia has...
Insider Trading May Have Net Variant
Associated Press
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Oct 24, 2007 1:39 PM CDT
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Someone call Michael Milken: Insider trading trailblazers may have found a new perch online. ICANN is investigating a poaching practice it's calling “front running,” in which buyers with inside information grab desirable domain names before others can register them. Speculation on the shadowy URL snatchers runs to viruses and other software...
Dolans Lose Buyout Bid for Cablevision
Associated Press
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Oct 24, 2007 1:22 PM CDT
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Cablevision shareholders today rejected a bid by the Dolans, the company's founding family, to take the Long Island-based cable provider private. The family offered $10.6 billion, or $36.26 a share, below what major investors felt was the firm's value, the AP reports. Analysts valued the company, which also owns the Knicks, Rangers, Madison Square...
Hey Brother, Can You Spare a Screenplay?
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 24, 2007 1:06 PM CDT
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Last week, Paramount issued an urgent call for someone, anyone, to doctor its Wolverine script—fast. Across Hollywood, studios and writers alike are desperately rushing to finish scripts before the Writers' Guild’s Halloween strike deadline, the LA Times reports. “Everybody is living in the impending doom,” said one scribe,...
China Launches 1st Lunar Probe
Bloomberg
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Oct 24, 2007 12:46 PM CDT
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China launched its first lunar mission today, beginning its gambit to be the third country to put a man in space. The Chang'e-I probe fired into space unmanned, but the lunar orbiter should earn China’s space program respect—and lucrative contracts, Bloomberg reports. China next plans to land a lunar rover in 2012 and astronauts in 2020.
Web Radio Takes Fight to Senate
Washington Post
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Oct 24, 2007 12:39 PM CDT
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Internet radio hangs in the balance, webcasters say, but the Senate Commerce Committee, which holds radio hearings today, can save it by reviving bills setting royalty rates for online broadcasters as low as satellite radio's. Legislators introduced the bills this spring, the Post explains, when the Copyright Royalty Board jacked up web rates, but...
Dancing With the Stars Smokes Cuban
E! Online
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Oct 24, 2007 12:39 PM CDT
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No magic lamp could save Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban from losing his small-screen wingtips last night, as the billionaire was bumped from “Dancing with the Stars.” Cuban, who’s lost 30 pounds and one goatee since his stint began, entertained with a samba inspired by “I Dream of Jeannie,” but critics pounced on his...
Early Adopters' Bragging Rights Dwindle
PC World
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Oct 24, 2007 12:32 PM CDT
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Only two months after the launch of the iPhone, Apple angered its fan base of early adopters by dropping the phone's price sharply. Apple's move signals a broader shift in product life cycles: the shelf life of bragging rights for which early adopters of new gadgets pay premium prices is growing ever shorter, PC World reports.
Google Partners With Nielsen to Tackle TV Ads
New York Times
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Oct 24, 2007 12:21 PM CDT
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Google’s enormously successful advertising tracking system is making the move to television, reports The New York Times , in a partnership with television ratings expert Nielsen. With the growing popularity of digital video recorders and download services that allowstelevision watchers to time shift skip ads on their television sets, advertisers...
CA Fires Won't Harm Economy in Long Term
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 24, 2007 12:15 PM CDT
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California’s runaway wildfires are not likely to do longterm damage to the state’s economy, the Los Angeles Times reports—in fact the disaster could be a boon to some sectors. One of those is construction: In the first nine months of the year, construction jobs were down 3% from the previous year; a massive, insurance-backed rebuilding...
Existing-Home Sales Plummet Past Predictions
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 24, 2007 11:53 AM CDT
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The housing market absorbed more bad news today. Existing-home sales dropped 8% in September, hitting their lowest level since at least 1999, as tighter credit standards kept buyers away. The 5.04 million annual rate was far below projections, bolstering predictions of another rate cut by the Fed next week. “The credit freeze in August definitely...
The Easy Way to Eat Organic
New York Times
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Oct 24, 2007 11:41 AM CDT
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Switching to organic food doesn't have to upend your family's eating habits or strain your wallet. In the New York Times , Dr. Alan Greene, author of Raising Baby Green, suggests starting with these five easy foods: Milk Potatoes Peanut butter
Hit the Road, Jack—or You Can Lease It
Time
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Oct 24, 2007 11:15 AM CDT
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Cruising the Goldman Sachs Turnpike might not be as futuristic as it seems, Time reports, as more states lease highways to private companies to raise quick cash for infrastructure needs. And backlash didn't stop Indiana from grabbing $3.8 billion for a 75-year lease on the Indiana Toll Road. States and localities are considering 71 such projects,...
Russia Freezes Food Prices as Election Looms
Financial Times (UK)
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Oct 24, 2007 10:54 AM CDT
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In an effort to halt spiraling food prices ahead of parliamentary elections, Russia will today sign an agreement with its biggest grocers that freezes the cost of basic foodstuffs at October 15 levels. But while the move sounds a bit Soviet, Russia joins a host of nations in reacting to surging agricultural costs with price controls and lowered import...
Get Married, Pack On the Pounds
USA Today
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Oct 24, 2007 10:27 AM CDT
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Young adults gain more weight if they're married, a new study shows. People in their late teens and early twenties gain a lot of weight anyway (an average of 15 to 30 pounds), but those who are married gain 6 to 9 pounds more. "The weight gain in this age group is frightening," a nutrition professor tells USA Today.
Wildfire Winds to Drop Tonight
Associated Press
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Oct 24, 2007 9:48 AM CDT
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The latest forecasts show the gale-force winds whipping flames across Southern California for the fourth day slackening by early evening, giving aircraft an opening to fight fires that have forced almost a million to evacuate, the AP reports. The news prompted one emergency official to declare: "The worst is behind us," as criticism mounts...
EU Will Lure Skilled Migrants With 'Blue Card'
Times (UK)
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Oct 24, 2007 9:46 AM CDT
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Facing a projected shortfall of 20 million workers by 2030, the European Union unveiled its own version of the US Green Card yesterday in hopes of attracting skilled migrants. The Blue Card will grant workers full employment, social security, and health care benefits, as well as permanent residency after five years of employment. Britain will likely...
We Say Osama, Mitt Says Obama
New York Times
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Oct 24, 2007 8:49 AM CDT
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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney yesterday confused the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks with the junior senator from Illinois, the New York Times' Caucus blog reports. During a speech on global trade in Greenwood, SC, Romney said, “look at what Osam—uh—Barack Obama, said just yesterday. Barack Obama calling on radicals,...
More UAW Locals Nix Chrysler Deal
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 24, 2007 8:10 AM CDT
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UAW workers at four Chrysler plants in Indiana last night rejected the embattled contract negotiated by their leaders with the automaker, adding to the six defeats by rank-and-file voters over the weekend. Some smaller locals have approved the contract, says anti-contract organizer Bill Parker, but the larger ones are rejecting it.
Singer Robert Goulet Awaits Lung Transplant
Associated Press
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Oct 24, 2007 7:46 AM CDT
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Critically ill singer Robert Goulet is sedated and on a respirator awaiting a lung transplant at a Los Angeles hospital, his wife said yesterday. A suitable donor has yet to be found, and a hospital committee has not yet determined that Goulet, 73, would make a good transplant candidate. He fell ill last month flying home from a Las Vegas performance...
Would-Be First Ladies Candid in First Forum
ABC News
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Oct 24, 2007 7:33 AM CDT
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Five spouses of presidential candidates met yesterday for a surprisingly candid exchange about their experiences on the campaign trail and their potential roles in the White House. Bill Clinton and Judith Giuliani both opted out, prompting host Maria Shriver, a former journalist and California's first lady, to joke that “we invited him to serve...
Supporters Rally for Suu Kyi
BBC
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Oct 24, 2007 6:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Protests are in progress in front of 12 Chinese embassies around the world today to mark the 12th anniversary of the incarceration of Burmese political prisoner and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. Six fellow female laureates also have written an open letter, published in today's Guardian , asking the UN to work harder for the release of...
Mattingly Aimed to Take After Torre
New York Times
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Oct 24, 2007 6:49 AM CDT
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When Don Mattingly came out of retirement to join up as the Yankees' hitting coach, he already had his sights set on following in Joe Torre's managerial footsteps, reports the New York Times. "I’ve known from the beginning what I wanted," said Mattingly, who is said to have impressed Yankee management and owner George Steinbrenner...
California Rep Sorry for White House War Jibe
San Francisco Chronicle
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Oct 24, 2007 6:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Democratic Rep. Pete Stark apologized on the floor of the House yesterday for accusing Republicans of sending soldiers to Iraq "to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement." The 75-year-old lawmaker issued his regrets in a somber statement "to my colleagues, the president, his family, the troops," reports the San...
France Passes Controversial DNA Immigration Bill
BBC
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Oct 24, 2007 6:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
France's hotly contested immigration bill that includes provisions for DNA testing passed the legislature yesterday. The bill tightens restrictions on would-be immigrants applying for entry to reunite with family members already in the country, and could include DNA testing to prove they're related to people living in France.
Lawyer Ron the Favorite at Breeder's Cup
Associated Press
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Oct 24, 2007 5:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Whitney Handicapp and Woodward Stakes winner Lawyer Ron was made the slight favorite over Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and Preakness winner Curlin yesterday for Saturday's $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park.
BP Pleads Guilty in '05 Texas Blast, Settles Price-Fixing Suit
Houston Chronicle
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Oct 24, 2007 5:26 AM CDT
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BP has agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay a fine in a 2005 Texas refinery explosion that killed 15 and injured 180, the Houston Chronicle reports. It's a tough moment for London's oil colossus, as the Washington Post reports that it simultaneously settled a $303 million price-fixing suit—on top of a 29% drop in profits last...
'Preppie Killer' Busted in NYC Drug Sting
New York Times
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Oct 24, 2007 5:17 AM CDT
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Robert Chambers, the notorious "preppie killer" who served 15 years in prison for strangling a young woman in Central Park during what he said was rough sex, has been arrested for repeatedly selling cocaine to undercover police, according to law enforcement authorities. Chambers, 41, struggled with police during the raid and broke one officer's...
Top Chicago Homebuilder Goes Bankrupt
Chicago Tribune
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Oct 24, 2007 5:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Neumann homes, a top Chicago homebuilder, will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the Chicago Tribune reports, making it the second-largest builder felled by the dive in the housing market. The company has laid off all but 20 of its 110 workers. “I’m not overly optimistic about the future of this industry right now,” said...
Blues and Ducks Duke it Out, Also Play Some Hockey
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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Oct 24, 2007 5:07 AM CDT
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The Anaheim Ducks, the NHL's defending champions, have yet to put up a road victory this season, and last night that winless streak extended to on-ice fights. The Ducks came out the worse for wear in three rumbles. They also watched their former franchise player Paul Kariya play a role in each of the Blues' four goals, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch....
Antsy Oracle Sets BEA Takeover Deadline
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 24, 2007 5:04 AM CDT
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Software giant Oracle is growing impatient as it attempts to take over BEA Systems, a smaller and fiercely independent tech organization. Oracle offered on Oct. 9 to buy BEA for $6.7 billion, or $17 a share, which BEA considers too low. But the company hasn't formally rejected the offer, and now Oracle has issued an ultimatum: sign by Sunday...
Million Flee Fires; Feds Mobilize
Associated Press
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Oct 24, 2007 4:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Firefighters look for the wind to change late this afternoon, as more than 15 rampaging wildfires continue to turn swaths of Southern California into writhing walls of flames. In a bid to avoid a repeat of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, President Bush yesterday declared a federal emergency for seven counties and scheduled a visit for tomorrow, ...
New Losses Wallop Merrill Lynch
New York Times
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Oct 24, 2007 4:40 AM CDT
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Merrill Lynch is to announce its third-quarter earnings today, and the prognosis is bleak: insiders are expecting the bank to report $2.5 billion in additional losses. That's over and above the $5 billion Merrill already reported earlier this month. Today's announcement of greater losses raises even more questions about chief executive E. Stanley O'Neal,...
Brit NFL Fans Love Their 80's Football
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 24, 2007 4:26 AM CDT
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Ask random British sports fans to name their favorite NFL team, and they'll probably say the Bears, the Patriots or maybe even the Dolphins. That's because the NFL peaked in British popularity in the the mid-80's—4 million Britons watched the 1986 Super Bowl between Chicago and New England—and their tastes haven't changed much.
Half of All Species Risk Extinction as Earth Warms
Guardian (UK)
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Oct 24, 2007 4:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Global warming could trigger the extinction of half the world's plant and animal species—although humans will probably survive, according to a new British study of the likely effects of climate change. Researchers studied links between mass extinctions and climate changes over 520 million years. In one event, 95% of animal and plant species...
Bush to Urge Cubans to Rise Up
New York Times
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Oct 24, 2007 4:14 AM CDT
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President Bush is expected to make a landmark speech on Cuba today, calling the transfer of power from Fidel Castro to his brother Raul unacceptable to the United States. The president will also address the Cuban people, urging them to resist "the force of a dying regime," reports the New York Times .
Blue Jackets Outshoot Blackhawks
Associated Press
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Oct 24, 2007 4:10 AM CDT
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The Columbus Blue Jackets scored twice in 33 seconds to start the first period in last night's goalfest against the Chicago Blackhawks. Rick Nash and Jiri Novotny each slipped two goals past Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, and Patrick Kane scored two for Chicago. It was the Blackhawks' first victory this season that wasn't a shutout.
