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.
Khmer Rouge Jailer Has First Day in Court
Reuters
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Nov 20, 2007 12:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Cambodian “Killing Fields” tribunal heard an application for bail today from Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, the math teacher who became the chief jailer of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime. Of at least 14,000 who went into Duch’s prison, only 10 survived, Reuters reports.
Berlusconi Makes One Last Push for Power
Independent (UK)
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Nov 20, 2007 12:27 PM CST
(Newser) -
Silvio Berlusconi, the richest man in Italy and the longest-serving postwar PM, is pushing for one more shot at the top by founding a new political party, reports the Independent . In a surprise move, Berlusconi is dissolving Forza Italia, the party he built from scratch, and trying to unite the center-right to push Romano Prodi out of office.
World Gets Wise to Jetsetters
New York Times
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Nov 20, 2007 12:17 PM CST
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With laptops roughly as common as toaster ovens, business people are ready to work anywhere. Now, hotels and airports are scrambling to make sure anywhere is ready for them, the Times reports. Studying jetsetter habits, hotels are putting outlets in easy reach, attaching desks to beds and chairs, and most importantly, making sure you don’t...
Nokia Siemens Targets Green Base Stations
Reuters
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Nov 20, 2007 12:08 PM CST
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Nokia Siemens Networks is going green, Reuters reports. The Finnish-German partnership hopes to up its market share of mobile and fixed telecom networks by offering base stations that have greater range and use up to 40% less energy by shutting down when network traffic demands are low. The company is aiming for a software and hardware release by 2010.
Afghanistan Aid Squandered, Charity Says
Reuters
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Nov 20, 2007 12:00 PM CST
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The US approved another $6.4 billion in aid for Afghanistan this year, but a leading charity says too much development funding is being wasted on short-term quick fixes. An Oxfam assessment attests that "non-Afghan resources" and "high expatriate salaries and living costs" are soaking up aid, leaving Afghanis mired in poverty, Reuters...
Best and Worst US Airports
Travel Leisure
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Nov 20, 2007 11:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
Flight delays are peaking, and there's no sure way to dodge them. But fliers can travel smarter with this new list of best and worst airports from Travel + Leisure : Best: Portland, Ore. (PDX) Salt Lake City (SLC) San Diego (SAN)
Tenure Goes the Way of the Typewriter
New York Times
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Nov 20, 2007 11:12 AM CST
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Tenured professors are looking rarer than motivated students on college campuses these days. To save money and allow greater flexibility, universities are loading up on part-time instructors, a trend some worry is lowering educational quality. Part-timers are less likely to have doctorates and, as they bounce from university to university, have less...
Prez Debate Panel Snubs New Orleans
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
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Nov 20, 2007 10:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
New Orleans hasn’t recovered enough from Hurricane Katrina to host a presidential debate next year, officials said yesterday, shooting down a bid that had drawn support from seven candidates. State officials angrily disputed the decision. “They missed an opportunity to help America,” the president of Xavier University, the prospective...
For Fine Dining, Tokyo Reigns Supreme
Telegraph (UK)
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Nov 20, 2007 10:25 AM CST
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Paris has lost its crown as the world's leader in haute cuisine, reports the Telegraph , as the new Michelin guide to Tokyo showered the city's restaurants with acclaim. The first edition of the culinary bible awarded no fewer than 191 stars to 150 restaurants in the Japanese capital—nearly double Paris' 97 stars and triple New York's 54.
Now PayPal Is Everywhere MasterCard Is
Reuters
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Nov 20, 2007 10:16 AM CST
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PayPal is offering a new way for customers to pay on sites that don't normally accept the service. PayPal Secure Card creates a new MasterCard number for every transaction and retrieves members' payment information from their PayPal accounts. "From a merchant's perspective this looks like any other MasterCard transaction," says a PayPal exec....
Scientists Make Stem Cells Without Embryos
Washington Post
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Nov 20, 2007 10:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Scientists have figured out how to make stem cells out of ordinary skin cells—a long-awaited breakthrough that could bypass ethical wrangling over embryos and eggs. Two teams of researchers, one American and one Japanese, arrived at the process independently, the Washington Post reports. One scientist called the discovery "the biological...
Chili Peppers Sue Over 'Californication'
Hollywood Reporter
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Nov 20, 2007 9:35 AM CST
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The Red Hot Chili Peppers are suing Showtime for stealing the title of their 1999 hit album. The cable network's "Californication" series, which stars David Duchovny, also features a character called Dani California—the title of a 2006 Chili Peppers song. The suit, for unfair competition, dilution of the value of the name, and unjust...
UN Slashes AIDS Estimate
Washington Post
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Nov 20, 2007 9:12 AM CST
(Newser) -
The United Nations will publish a report admitting that it has greatly overestimated the scale and the progress of the AIDS epidemic, writes the Washington Post . The UN's AIDS agency now believes that the disease has been slowing for a decade and that the worldwide toll of people living with AIDS will be revised from 40 million to 33 million.
Freddie Mac Loses $2B, Seeks Cash
Bloomberg
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Nov 20, 2007 8:51 AM CST
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Freddie Mac, the second-largest US mortgage lender, lost $2.02 billion this quarter, its worst quarter ever, the company said this morning. With core capital almost below its regulatory minimum, the company is looking for fast cash, hiring Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers to help bail it out, and “seriously considering” slashing its dividend...
Northern Rock Plummets 40% as Britain Seeks Buyer
Financial Times (UK)
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Nov 20, 2007 8:36 AM CST
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In Britain the meltdown of Northern Rock has expanded into a full-out political crisis. The bank's stock plummeted 40% this morning to trade at less than a dollar a share, the Financial Times reports. The collapse of Northern Rock spells serious trouble for Alistair Darling, the chancellor, who is desperate to ensure that $80 billion in taxpayer-backed...
Grand Jury Calls Guards —but Not Shooters
ABC News
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Nov 20, 2007 8:04 AM CST
(Newser) -
A federal grand jury investigating the killing of 17 Iraqi civilians by Blackwater security guards has called guards who were present at the September incident to testify—but not the five who admit firing their weapons, sources told ABC News. Twelve other guards were said to be present at the Baghdad intersection at the time. In State Department...
Cadillac CTS Wins Car of Year
Associated Press
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Nov 20, 2007 7:57 AM CST
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Cadillac's CTS won Motor Trend’s 2008 car of the year honors today, reports the AP. Editors said the $32,990 entry-level luxury sedan stood up to BMW and Mercedes, and proves Detroit can build a competitive sedan—despite years of focusing on SUVs and trucks. "The CTS obliterates the old man image of Cadillac," MT wrote.
iPhone Ignites 'Love Craze' in China
Wired
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Nov 20, 2007 7:45 AM CST
(Newser) -
The iPhone is not sold in China yet, but already black market iPhones—known as "Ai Feng" or "Love Craze"—have flooded in from Hong Kong. Wired News reports computer superstore shelves are full, and supplies so plentiful the black market price is plummeting. "It's like the whole country has gone iPhone," says...
Baghdad Safe Again, Says Iraq
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 20, 2007 7:24 AM CST
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A sharp drop in violence in Baghdad led Iraqi government officials to express confidence yesterday that the worst is over, reports the Los Angeles Times . While violence remains high, bombings, street fighting, and abductions are down, as are fears of a civil war. US officials urged Iraq's government to take advantage of the lull to get reforms and...
Nervous Zeppelin Played in Secret Before 'Reunion'
BBC
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Nov 20, 2007 7:09 AM CST
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Superband Led Zeppelin rehearsed in secret to make certain they could click again before announcing a reunion concert, guitarist Jimmy Page told the BBC. "We wanted to see how well we'd be playing together and once we played it was without doubt we wanted to do it," he said. The practices were such a blast that "the hardest thing"...
Civil Servants Join French Strikes
AFP
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Nov 20, 2007 6:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
As the transit strike in France entered its seventh day today, hundreds of thousands of civil servants staged a one-day strike of their own to protest job cuts and demand pay increases. The walkout by teachers, nurses, air-traffic controllers and others further paralyzed the nation and increased pressure on President Sarkozy, AFP reports.
Filling Jails Doesn't Cut Crime
Reuters
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Nov 20, 2007 6:23 AM CST
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Getting tough on criminals through longer prison terms—at an annual cost of tens of billions of US taxpayer dollars—hasn't made a major impact on crime, concludes a study released yesterday. The US prison population has increased 800% since 1970—giving the nation has the world's highest incarceration rate—but the crime rate...
Military: AP Photog Linked to Insurgents
CNN
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Nov 20, 2007 6:18 AM CST
(Newser) -
The US military says it has evidence that an Iraqi photographer who works for AP is connected with the anti-American insurgency, CNN reports. Bilal Hussein Zaidon has been in custody since April 2006 and will face trial in the Iraqi court system. The Pentagon did not specify the charges but said "additional evidence had come to light that the...
Pakistan Frees 3,000 Prisoners
Associated Press
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Nov 20, 2007 5:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
Pakistani police have released over 3,000 opposition activists—including lawyers and members of the political opposition—arrested since the suspension of the constitution on Nov. 3, Pakistan's interior ministry said today. Under pressure from Washington, President Pervez Musharraf, whose hand-picked court validated his reelection, is withdrawing...
Duke Stays Perfect, Slams Princeton 83-61
Associated Press
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Nov 20, 2007 5:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
Tenth-ranked Duke hardly registered the Princeton Tigers' presence on the court last night, cruising to a 20-point lead in the first few minutes and blazing to 12-0 and 19-0 scoring runs in an 83-61 victory. Duke's 10th straight victory in the Maui invitational brings the Blue Devils to a semifinal game against equally hot Illinois tonight, reports...
Nets Remain in Skid, Fall to Jazz 102-75
Associated Press
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Nov 20, 2007 5:32 AM CST
(Newser) -
New Jersey dropped its sixth straight game last night, crumbling 102-75 in Utah, the AP reports. Deron Williams surged to 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting for the Jazz, and Eddie Gill's 10 consecutive points were his first this season. Richard Jefferson carried the Nets with 22 points, but Jason Kidd put up only two points with eight assists.
Gene Therapy for Parkinson's Delivers Major Results
Telegraph (UK)
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Nov 20, 2007 4:47 AM CST
(Newser) -
New evidence indicates that the first gene therapy for Parkinson's disease has achieved measurable success. Brain scans of patients receiving the treatment confirmed significant changes, supporting earlier anecdotal accounts of 65% improvements in mobility and other gains, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of...
With Big Plays, Broncs Trample Titans 34-20
Denver Post
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Nov 20, 2007 4:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
With a 34-20 win last night over the Tennessee Titans, the Denver Broncos hauled themselves up to an even record and a share of the AFC West lead. Glenn Martinez' 80-yard punt return in the first quarter was characteristic of Denver's breakout game: all four of their touchdowns came on more-than-40-yard plays, reports the Denver Post.
News Writers Vote to Strike CBS
Broadcasting & Cable
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Nov 20, 2007 4:19 AM CST
(Newser) -
Some 500 CBS News writers and other staffers are threatening to join Hollywood writers on the picket line. News writers, graphic artists, researchers and other network employees who are members of the Writers Guild of America have voted by a huge majority to authorize a strike against the company, the union announced yesterday. WGA news employees...
Too Close to Call for Dems in Iowa
Washington Post
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Nov 20, 2007 3:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Democratic presidential candidates are pulling close numbers in Iowa polls, with Barack Obama making key gains while Hillary Clinton is slipping on issues such as how to handle the Iraq war. Obama currently leads in the crucial battleground, backed by 30% of Iowa Democrats most likely to caucus, with 26% for Clinton and 22% for John Edwards, reports...
8-Year-Old Boy & Pals Charged in Playmate's Rape
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Nov 20, 2007 3:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
Three little boys—one aged 8 and two aged 9—appeared yesterday in a Georgia court accused of kidnapping and raping an 11-year-old playmate. They stood before the judge in handcuffs and blue jail jump suits. Their playmate told police the three dragged her into a woods, where one of them raped her, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution....
More Women Under 45 Dying of Heart Disease
Associated Press
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Nov 20, 2007 3:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Although death rates from heart disease have generally been dropping, more women under the age of 45 are dying, according to the latest research. While the number of deaths is very small—100 more a year in women 35 to 44 years old—health experts worry that the trend shows the impact of increasing obesity and diabetes.
Packed Prisons 'Costly Failure'
Reuters
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Nov 20, 2007 2:45 AM CST
(Newser) -
America's prisons, crammed with 2.2 million inmates, are an expensive failure, according to a report by a Washington criminal justice research group. The JFA Institute calls for shorter sentences and parole terms, alternative punishments and decriminalizing recreational drugs—steps that would cut the prison population in half and save $20 billion...
House GOP Group Slams FCC on Cable
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 20, 2007 1:18 AM CST
(Newser) -
Republican lawmakers have attacked FCC chairman Kevin Martin's plans to step up regulation of the cable industry, the Wall Street Journal reports. All but two of the 26 Republicans on the House Commerce Committee have signed a letter calling the plans "misguided and harmful." The FCC boss has been trying to rein in cable companies in the...
Football BCS At-Large Pool Getting Larger?
ESPN
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Nov 20, 2007 12:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
This twists of this college football season have the BCS on alert. Commissioners in the six BCS conferences will expand the pool of at-large candidates for the major bowl games to 18 if final regular-season rankings make it necessary, reports ESPN.com. Currently, the top 14 teams in the rankings are eligible for possible spots in the National...
DiPietro Earns 100th NHL Win Against NYR
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2007 11:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
The New York Islanders Rick DiPietro only had to stop 18 shots to earn his 100th NHL victory in a 2-1 win against the Rangers. Goals from Ruslan Fedotenko and Josef Vasicek were enough to give the Islanders the win; Michal Rozsival netted the Rangers lone goal. The Islanders are 8-1-2 in their last 11 games against the Blueshirts, reports the...
Ottawa Bounces Back, Knocks Off Montreal
CanWest News Service
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Nov 19, 2007 11:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
Ottawa Senators coach John Paddock shuffled his lines after his team's shutout loss versus Toronto on Saturday. The Sens' 4-2 win might mean those new lines stay intact, as Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley each picked up three points, backing goalie Martin Gerber for his league-leading 13th victory. "It was a good bounce-back game for us," Paddock...
New Scanning Techniques Could Decode Brain Wiring
MIT Technology Review
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Nov 19, 2007 11:32 PM CST
(Newser) -
An international team of researchers is investigating a new type of neuroimaging technique, called connectomics, that can make incredibly detailed "wiring diagrams" of the brain, Technology Review reports. The researchers cut nanometer-thin slices off of brain tissue and use an electron microscope to image each sliver, catching much more...
Love Prevails in UCLA Win Over Maryland
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2007 11:24 PM CST
(Newser) -
Freshman Kevin Love followed a poor start with a strong finish, leading UCLA over a sloppy Maryland team 71-59. Love had 18 points and 16 boards; the second-ranked Bruins' difficulty early against the Terrapins defense was offset by Maryland's own woeful offense, including a blown 2-on-1 fast break. In Maui Invitational action:
Charmin Icon Dies at 91
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2007 10:57 PM CST
(Newser) -
Dick Wilson, the actor who played Charmin's Mr. Whipple for 21 years, died today at the age of 91, the AP reports. Although he did stints at Disney and had parts in popular television shows of the 1960s, Wilson will be widely remembered as the uptight grocer who urged customers, "Please, don't squeeze the Charmin."
Macy's Vows to Revive Chicago Flagship
Chicago Tribune
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Nov 19, 2007 10:44 PM CST
(Newser) -
Macy's is changing course to revive Chicago's former Marshall Field's, a downtown fixture that was struggling when Macy's took over last year and has only done worse since, the Chicago Tribune reports. The solution? A $10-million, three-year plan to draw new shoppers into a 139-year-old institution they may have considered stuffy or overpriced.
Magic Keep Winning, Hold on to Beat Hornets
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2007 10:31 PM CST
(Newser) -
A day after the Magic beat the then 8-0 Celtics, Orlando got another victory over a quality opponent with a 95-88 win over the previously 9-2 Hornets. The Magic were lead by the indomitable Dwight Howard who scored 24 points and grabbed 15 boards. Peja Stojakovic scored 21 points in the losing effort for New Orleans, according to the AP.
White Sox Swap Garland for Angels' Cabrera
Chicago Sun-Times
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Nov 19, 2007 10:04 PM CST
(Newser) -
Chicago White Sox GM Ken Williams, looking for salary flexibility, today traded starter Jon Garland to the Los Angeles Angels for Gold Glove shortstop Orlando Cabrera. Williams also hinted to the Chicago Sun-Times that more deals are in the works. Garland, twice an 18-game winner, had a tough 2007 season like many White Sox, going 10-13 with a 4.36...
Another Regular Season Award for A-Rod
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2007 8:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
Alex Rodriguez now has a shiny, new AL MVP award to go with his shiny, new contract. Unfortunately, he says, he has no World Series ring to complement them. It was the third such honor for baseball’s highest-paid player, who also won in 2005 with New York and 2003 in Texas. However, he said, “I would trade all three for one world championship....
Carr Rides Off into the Sunset
Detroit News
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Nov 19, 2007 8:38 PM CST
(Newser) -
Lloyd Carr, the third-winningest coach in Michigan football history, will step down at the end of the season. 2007 was difficult for Carr, whose Wolverines were shocked in a loss to lower division Appalachian State and then battered by Oregon to start the season; later losses to Wisconsin and archrival Ohio State doomed Michigan's Big Ten title hopes.
Big Pharma Goes East to Test Drugs
Time
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Nov 19, 2007 8:09 PM CST
(Newser) -
Big Pharma is testing more drugs in China, where studies cost less and a big, aging population has more chronic ailments, Time reports. But critics question the country's product safety and ponder the fate of tested patients. Even Big Pharma is concerned—about intellectual property rights—but the lure of cheap testing and low salaries...
Video Game Troopers Talk Abu Ghraib
Wired
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Nov 19, 2007 7:33 PM CST
(Newser) -
Blacksite boasts the usual nasties, but this first-person shooter has them US-trained and -armed—making it “one of the few genuinely subversive games,” says Wired’s Clive Thompson. Most shoot-'em-ups make you "a warrior for the American dream," but Blacksite’s “corrupt authority” is clearly...
Tyson Sentenced to 1 Day
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
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Nov 19, 2007 7:16 PM CST
(Newser) -
Mike Tyson was scheduled today for a 1-night-only appearance—in the Phoenix slammer. The ex-heavyweight will serve 24 hours in jail and begin 3 years’ probation tomorrow after pleading guilty to cocaine possession and DUI charges stemming from a 2006 traffic stop, the AP reports. Tyson avoided a 4-plus-year sentence by "becoming a...
Hollywood to Film 'Missing Years' of Jesus
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 19, 2007 6:52 PM CST
(Newser) -
Hollywood is making a new film about the alleged "lost years" of Jesus—an action-adventure tale set in India. "In the film we are looking beyond the canonized gospels to the 'lost' gospels," the producer of Aquarian Gospel tells the Guardian . The film will feature computer animation and a "young and beautiful"...
HP Earnings Spike 28%
CNN
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Nov 19, 2007 6:37 PM CST
(Newser) -
Computer and printer giant Hewlett-Packard rode strong server, software, and PC sales to a 28% boost in fourth quarter earnings from a year ago, CNN Money reports. The company posted a net profit of $2.2 billion, with a share price of 81 cents, up from 60 cents a year ago. The profits defied low industry expectations set by tech companies like Cisco...
