Newser Story Index from November, 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.

Sid the Kid is Biggest Star Against Dallas
Associated Press | Nov 30, 07 11:51 PM CST
(Newser) - The well-rested Pittsburgh Penguins, off since Saturday, got two goals from Sidney Crosby in a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars, who were playing their fourth game in six nights. Evgeni Malkin and Tyler Kennedy had the other tallies for the Pens, winners of three straight. Marc-Andre Fleury made 22 saves. In other NHL action:

Blake Mentally Tough in Davis Cup Win
Oregonian (Portland) | Nov 30, 07 10:54 PM CST
(Newser) - James Blake got past his reputation for failing in big situations, in part by avoiding the fifth set today. The No. 2 American player defeated Russia's Mikhail Youzhny to give his nation a commanding 2-0 lead in the Davis Cup Final, reports the Oregonian. Fellow American Andy Roddick won in quick fashion in the day's other match.

Hunters Supply Food Banks as the Need Grows
Associated Press | Nov 30, 07 10:50 PM CST
(Newser) - Food banks facing shortages are welcoming game meat from hunters. Using the meat isn’t new, but this year the need is greater, as charities report more clients and reductions in their supplies, reports AP. One food bank in Montana received 7,500 pounds of game in 2006 and nearly as much this year. That figure included six elk killed illegally...

Switching States Is On the Rise
USA Today | Nov 30, 07 10:25 PM CST
(Newser) - Americans are moving from state to state at the highest rate since the early '90s, reports  USA Today . The trend stems from immigrants spreading out from the traditional gateway states in search of jobs and lower living costs, as well as a larger number of mobile twenty-somethings. In a 2006 Census survey, 2.7% of Americans said they had moved...

Osborne Set to Pick Pelini as Nebraska Coach
ESPN | Nov 30, 07 10:23 PM CST
(Newser) - LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini will be named Nebraska's head football coach early next week, reports ESPN, citing multiple sources. Pelini has a tie to the Cornhuskers, for whom he was defensive coordinator in 2003. Pelini and University of Buffalo coach and former Husker QB Turner Gill reportedly were interim athletic director Tom Osborne's finalists...

Uncle Sam Wants You (But He'll Talk to Mom First)
Wall Street Journal | Nov 30, 07 10:01 PM CST
(Newser) - Army recruiters will soon promise recruits hefty bonuses to buy a home or start a business in a bid to sway their parents that enlisting is a good investment, the Wall Street Journal reports. "We know most 18-year-old kids don't think about mortgages yet," says a Pentagon official. "We're going after the influencers."

Ex-Enron Chief Not Guilty, Widow Says
Houston Chronicle | Nov 30, 07 9:33 PM CST
(Newser) - Ex-Enron chief Ken Lay is innocent, and the feds shouldn't drain $13 million from his estate in a civil suit—at least not according to his widow. Linda Lay's filing today denies "any criminal activity on the part of Kenneth L. Lay, including his alleged participation in securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy or money laundering,"...

Cops Arrest 4 in Taylor Murder
Miami Herald | Nov 30, 07 8:46 PM CST
(Newser) - Miami-Dade cops arrested four today in the killing of NFL star Sean Taylor, the Miami Herald reports. Eric Rivera, 17, Charles Wardlow, 18, Jason Mitchell, 19, and Venjah Hunte, 20, will all be charged with murder. They aimed to rob Taylor's house and thought no one was home on the night of the shooting, Miami-Dade Director Robert Parker said.

Longest Election Season May End in a Flash
Reuters | Nov 30, 07 8:09 PM CST
(Newser) - The primary season that kicked off a record-long two years before Election Day could wrap up in a record-short five days of voting, Reuters reports. Under the right scenarios, Iowa’s Jan. 3 caucus and New Hampshire’s Jan. 8 primary could yield nominees on both sides of the aisle—10 months before the election, analysts say.

30 Hurt in Amtrak Crash
Chicago Tribune | Nov 30, 07 7:26 PM CST
(Newser) - Five were critically injured when an Amtrak passenger train rammed a stopped freight train in Chicago today, the Chicago Tribune reports. Nine more were seriously hurt, including five Amtrak workers, and another 30 suffered minor injuries. Officials, who freed some workers from the locomotive with hydraulic cutting tools, expect the toll will rise...

Milky Way May Have a Hidden Neighbor
New Scientist | Nov 30, 07 7:22 PM CST
(Newser) - We may have new neighbors. Astronomers think they've discovered the cause of a peculiar gravitational pull on the Milky Way—it's another galaxy hidden behind a giant cloud of cosmic dust, the New Scientist reports. The new galaxy could be as close as 3 million light years away, a relative hop, skip, and a jump.

Hasbro Talks Tough on Safety
Associated Press | Nov 30, 07 7:00 PM CST
(Newser) - Hasbro is talking up its safety record by reminding parents it had nothing to do with recent safety recalls: A newspaper ad set to run next week will say consumers should feel good about buying Hasbro products, the AP reports. Experts say it could help the entire industry but warn it probably won’t affect Christmas gift choices and could even...

In Thailand, Everyone Wants to Be in the Pink
BBC | Nov 30, 07 6:26 PM CST
(Newser) - On the advice of royal astrologers, the ailing Thai king has added pink to his wardrobe, sparking a national fashion trend. The chromatic rush had one clothing chain selling 40,000 pink shirts this month, BBC reports. A woman camping out in a line to buy one said, “Wearing pink brings the king luck. I don't want him to be sick.”

Hostage Taker in Custody
Boston Herald | Nov 30, 07 5:26 PM CST
(Newser) - The hostage situation at Hillary Clinton's Rochester, NH, campaign office ended peacefully after six hours this evening when a local man identified as Leeland Eisenberg surrendered to police. The final hostage left the building moments before the hostage-taker, who knelt on the ground and was handcuffed and bundled into a police car, the Boston Herald...

US Pulls UN Resolution on Mideast Peace
Reuters | Nov 30, 07 5:25 PM CST
(Newser) - Reacting to Israeli objections, the US State Department has withdrawn a draft of a UN resolution based on agreements reached at this week's Annapolis conference, Reuters reports. Israeli diplomats apparently were dismayed that the US did not consult them before putting the resolution to the Security Council yesterday, and involving the UN in the peace...

Vets, Activists Fight 'Don't Ask'
Army Times | Nov 30, 07 5:21 PM CST
(Newser) - A gay rights coalition marked today, the 14th anniversary of the enactment of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” with a renewed push against the law. Activists planted 12,000 American flags on the National Mall to commemorate the troops discharged under the policy and sent an open letter to Congress signed by 28 retired generals and officers...

2 of 3 Suspects in Holloway Case to Go Free
Associated Press | Nov 30, 07 4:56 PM CST
(Newser) - Brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, arrested as suspects in the kidnapping of Natalee Holloway, will be freed this weekend after what prosecutors called "new incriminating evidence" failed to solidify the case. It's the third time the brothers have been arrested and let go since Holloway disappeared in Aruba on May 30, 2005, the AP reports.

Evel Knievel Dead at 69
Associated Press | Nov 30, 07 4:35 PM CST
(Newser) - Evel Knievel, the motorcycle daredevil  who never saw a canyon—or a row of vehicles—he didn't want to jump, died today at 69. He was known for his spectacular failures as well as successes, including an attempt to jump the fountains at Caesar's Palace that put him in a coma, and an effort to jump the Snake River Canyon on a rocket-powered...

Twentysomething Virgins Risk Later Sex Problems
ABC News | Nov 30, 07 4:04 PM CST
(Newser) - People who wait to have sex until their 20s or beyond are more likely to suffer from sexual dysfunction later in life, scientists say. In particular, men who lose their virginity in their 20s tend to experience later sex-related troubles, ABC News reports. The delay doesn't necessarily cause the difficulty, according to a new study: "Men with...

Techs Put Damper on Optimism
MarketWatch | Nov 30, 07 3:38 PM CST
(Newser) - The markets closed up today on rumors of a coming interest rate cut, but bad news in the tech sector limited gains. The Dow climbed 59.99 points to 13,371.72, but only after a negative forecast from Dell erased a sizable morning rally. The S&P 500 climbed 11.42 to 1,481.14, while the Nasdaq slumped 7.17 to close at 2,660.96.

Polly Wanna $10K Reward? Find Franklin
New York Post | Nov 30, 07 3:29 PM CST
(Newser) - He answers to Franklin, talks with a Brooklyn accent, and does a mean impersonation of a truck backing up. Find the missing parrot and it's worth $10,000 to his distraught Manhattan owners. They put up the bounty when their beloved African grey was stolen from a pet boarding shop last week, the New York Post reports.

Pope Condemns Atheism
Reuters | Nov 30, 07 3:20 PM CST
(Newser) - Pope Benedict issued a strong condemnation of atheism today and warned that advances in technology must be met with similar advancements in ethics. In his second encyclical, the pope said atheist ideologies have "led to the greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice," Reuters reports. "Man needs God," he wrote. "Otherwise...

Witherspoon Rises to Top of Salary List
Hollywood Reporter | Nov 30, 07 3:00 PM CST
(Newser) - Rendition was a dud, but Reese Witherspoon's peachy $15 million to $20 million fee per movie puts her atop this year’s highest-paid actress list. But she and other leading ladies—such as runner-up Angeline Jolie—often accept lower payoffs to keep their schedules packed, the Hollywood Reporter observes.

Writer Fired for Negative Review?
DailyTech | Nov 30, 07 2:40 PM CST
(Newser) - The editorial director of a video game review site was fired after giving a negative review to a game from a major advertiser. The writer called Kane & Lynch: Dead Men "probably not worth the purchase"  before GameSpot terminated him, reports DailyTech . This when the review site's homepage was dedicated to advertising for the...

Cops Hold 3 in Taylor Murder
Miami Herald | Nov 30, 07 2:39 PM CST
(Newser) - Miami police are questioning three men, including two teenagers, in the shooting death of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, the Miami Herald reports. Police say the suspects were trying to rob Taylor's house and did not expect him to be there. Taylor died Tuesday after being shot in his Miami-area home early Monday morning.

China Nixes Another US Navy Port Call
Bloomberg | Nov 30, 07 2:38 PM CST
(Newser) - China has turned down another US Navy ship's request to make a port call in Hong Kong on New Year's Eve, bringing to three the number of vessels caught up in the dispute. The denial, announced today, accompanied China's last-minute decision last week to bar USS Kitty Hawk from visiting Hong Kong on Thanksgiving, Bloomberg reports.

Man May Still Hold Clinton Staffer Hostage
WMUR (NH) | Nov 30, 07 2:25 PM CST
(Newser) - An armed man is believed to have one remaining hostage today at Hillary Clinton's campaign office in Rochester, NH, after releasing three people, including a child, WMUR reports. Said one freed hostage, “He opened his coat and showed us a bomb strapped to his chest with duct tape." Clinton was scheduled to attend a meeting in Virginia but...

Rockwell Santa Painting Sells for $2.17M
Reuters | Nov 30, 07 2:02 PM CST
(Newser) - Straddling the line between art, illustration, and extravagant Christmas gift, Norman Rockwell's "Extra Good Boys and Girls" raked in $2.17 million at a Christie's auction this week. The painting, originally a 1939 Saturday Evening Post cover, didn't hit the $2.5 million to $3.5 million estimate, but Christie's was still jolly, Reuters...

French Attempt Sarko-Free Day
Guardian (UK) | Nov 30, 07 1:50 PM CST
(Newser) - Nicolas Sarkozy has earned his nickname of “omnipresident,” engineering his press coverage so deftly that a group of academics and journalists declared today “No-Sarko Day,” Jason Farago writes in the Guardian . The French president has spent the 6 months since he took office burnishing his image so well that the media have...

Google Wants You! - to Help Stop Malicious Web Sites
PC World | Nov 30, 07 1:27 PM CST
(Newser) - Google is enlisting Web users in the hunt for sites hosting malicious code aimed at infecting visitors' computers. The internet giant has created an online form where Web surfers can report suspect sites, says PC World . Google searches that display sites the company believes are malicious show a warning, and Google has deleted some such sites from...

Rocker Takes Stage as Australia's Eco Minister
Times (UK) | Nov 30, 07 1:20 PM CST
(Newser) - Singer Peter Garrett, the menacing frontman of '80s punk rock band Midnight Oil, is now Australia's new environment minister.The appointment of the towering, hyperactive Garrett signals the new Labor government's aggressive makeover after 12 years of conservative leadership and the importance it places on global warming, the London Times reports.

Sirius, XM Stocks Rise as Merger Looms
CNN | Nov 30, 07 1:16 PM CST
(Newser) - XM Satellite Radio and Sirius stock prices got a boost Friday when an analyst predicted the Justice Department won't block Sirius from buying out the larger XM. Morning trade saw XM shares jump 9.4% and Sirius shares 4.6%, reports CNN. The analyst said that shares could hit $20 and $4.50, respectively, if the deal goes through.

Posh Too Glamazon for Hip LA
Guardian (UK) | Nov 30, 07 1:05 PM CST
(Newser) - David Beckham has scored big with soccer fans, but his Spice Girl better half hasn't exactly taken LA by storm. Emma Forrest of the Guardian wonders whether the trouble is a wardrobe malfunction. In a city where celebs spend the day in jeans and T-shirts, Victoria Beckham goes glamazon, tottering around in Alaia minidresses, elaborate makeup, and...

Giuliani Calls Juggling $579K ‘Appropriate’
New York Post | Nov 30, 07 12:50 PM CST
(Newser) - Rudy Giuliani has hit back against allegations of book-cooking, saying it was “perfectly appropriate” to bill $579,082 in security detail fees to obscure mayoral agencies, and the NYPD repaid the agencies in full. The cops were slow in paying their bills, he explained, and the peculiar invoicing was a matter of convienence, the New York...

Ex-GM CEO, Chairman Smith Dead at 82
Detroit Free Press | Nov 30, 07 12:33 PM CST
(Newser) - Roger B. Smith, the chairman of General Motors from 1981 to 1990 and the subject of Michael Moore's critical documentary Roger and Me , died yesterday in Detroit at 82. "He was a leader who knew that we have to accept change, understand change, and learn to make it work for us," said current GM CEO Rick Wagoner.

In Japan, Robots Tackle the Dirty Work
Times (UK) | Nov 30, 07 12:13 PM CST
(Newser) - With the birthrate sinking and the government showing no inclination to loosen immigration restrictions, Japanese businesses are turning to science for help with the impending worker shortage. The London Times visits a Tokyo exhibition that showcases the possible answer: robots. "Robots do the D-work"--dirty, dangerous, and difficult--"that...

Get the Best Gadgets of 2007
Popular Science | Nov 30, 07 11:56 AM CST
(Newser) - Popular Science combed through the year's new tech products to find the top 200 items worth your holiday dollar. Selections include a wetsuit from Patagonia made of environmentally friendly merino wool, recycled polyester, and Japanese neoprene. Also on the list is a travel-friendly guitar from Black Bird that weights just 3 pounds and costs $1,600.

Investors Worry Dell's Road to Recovery is Too Rocky
Austin American-Statesman | Nov 30, 07 11:50 AM CST
(Newser) - Computer-maker Dell’s rollercoaster ride isn’t over and it’s left investors woozy. Despite increasing net income 27% in third quarter earnings released yesterday, Dell shares slipped nearly 10% in after hours trading, giving back nearly everything the stock gained leading up to the report and underlining CEO Michael Dell’s statement:...

$$$ Thrown at Buzz Drive Facebook's Beacon Plans
Ars Technica | Nov 30, 07 11:42 AM CST
(Newser) - Facebook's efforts to fix its Beacon system show that talk isn't cheap, as marketers increasingly are finding it’s a great way to spread the word about their product. Word-of-mouth advertising has taken off, with nearly $981 million being spent on campaigns last year, a 36% increase from 2005, reports Ars Technica. Companies are now integrating...

Chilean Hooker Donates Time to Telethon
Daily Telegraph (UK) | Nov 30, 07 11:41 AM CST
(Newser) - A 27-hour telethon this weekend In Chile will raise money for disabled children, and one woman has devised a special way to contribute, reports the Telegraph . A prostitute has auctioned off 27 hours of her services and is giving all the proceeds to charity. "I am going to contribute with my work to a purpose that touches me deeply," she...

Armed Mob Wants British Teacher Dead
Times (UK) | Nov 30, 07 11:24 AM CST
(Newser) - An armed mob thousands strong protested in front of the presidential palace in Khartoum today, demanding the execution of the British teacher who allowed her students to name a teddy bear "Mohammed." Meanwhile, Britain's first Muslim MP is flying to Sudan to push for the teacher's early release, the London Times reports.

Citadel Bets Big on Mortgage Recovery in E*Trade Deal
Wall Street Journal | Nov 30, 07 11:06 AM CST
(Newser) - In bailing out flailing E*Trade with a $2.5-billion infusion yesterday, Citadel Investment is among the hedge funds and private investors starting to bet big on a recovery in mortgage-related securities, the Wall Street Journal reports. "The market is pricing assets like things are going to get really bad," Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin...

Unconventional Butterfly Soars
Metacritic | Nov 30, 07 10:50 AM CST
(Newser) - Critics adore The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, a movie based on the memoir of the paralyzed editor of French Elle . In the New Yorker, David Denby writes that the film has "some of the freest and most creative uses of the camera and some of the most daring, cruel, and heartbreaking emotional explorations that have appeared in recent movies."

Writers Reject Producers' New Offer
Associated Press | Nov 30, 07 10:38 AM CST
(Newser) - Striking writers angrily rejected a new offer from producers to resolve the biggest sticking point in negotiations—compensation for internet use. The producers said they offered $130 million more in annual compensation to writers, who dismissed the deal as a "massive rollback." Talks to end the 3-week strike will resume Tuesday, the...

Motorola CEO Zander Will Step Down
Wall Street Journal | Nov 30, 07 10:20 AM CST
(Newser) - Motorola's besieged CEO, Edward J. Zander, will step down at the end of the year, the Wall Street Journal reports. Zander, who has been under fire from investors for a year for sluggish growth, will be replaced by current president Greg Brown. Motorola's shares rose in response to the news.

Algae Bloom Kills Calif. Birds
San Jose Mercury News | Nov 30, 07 10:03 AM CST
(Newser) - Hundreds of birds have washed up on California beaches in recent weeks as red tide blooms offshore. The algal bloom, which began circulating in Monterey Bay a few weeks ago, has caused hazardous conditions for the birds. Seventy have died and hundreds more have been taken to wildlife centers for treatment, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Weak Dollar Draws Foreign Shoppers
Time | Nov 30, 07 9:46 AM CST
(Newser) - Foreigners are taking advantage of the weak US dollar to do their holiday shopping in the States, Time reports in a look at a double-edged trend. Even as American shoppers find the cost of imported goods soaring, international visitors are arriving in droves, and "they're mentioning the exchange rate more often," says one merchant.

Russians Forced to Back Putin Party
Guardian (UK) | Nov 30, 07 9:21 AM CST
(Newser) - The Kremlin is planning to boost the ruling party's showing in Sunday's Russian parliamentary elections, the Guardian reports, by forcing millions of public employees to vote, and to vote the right way. Doctors, teachers, and public sector workers are being bullied to vote for United Russia, Vladimir Putin's party, or risk losing their jobs or perks....

Morgan Stanley Dumps Cruz Over Subprime
Wall Street Journal | Nov 30, 07 8:51 AM CST
(Newser) - Morgan Stanley co-president Zoe Cruz has joined the ranks of subprime casualties, after the broker suffered $3.7 billion in mortgage-related losses in the first two months of the fourth quarter. Insiders said her leadership style and her 2005 backing of unpopular CEO Philip Purcell, who eventually was ousted, also contributed to her firing, the Wall...

Japan to Pay Widow After Husband Dies of Overwork
Associated Press | Nov 30, 07 8:37 AM CST
(Newser) - A Japanese court ruled today that the government must pay damages to the widow of a white-collar employee at Toyota who died from overwork, the AP reports. Kenichi Uchino had put in more than 80 hours of overtime per month for at least half a year before collapsing in his office and dying at age 30. His widow filed for compensation with the Labor Ministry...