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.
Pakistan Rebuffs US Demands
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 19, 2007 3:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Alarmed at the deteriorating crisis in Pakistan, the US has made it clear it will not recognize the results of elections held under emergency rule. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, on a special mission to Pakistan, failed to convince President Musharraf to free political prisoners, resign as army commander or hold free elections, reports...
Detroit Named Most Dangerous City in America
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2007 2:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
Motor City sped away as the nation’s most dangerous metropolis, according to the latest crime statistics examined by a private research firm that named Detroit worst of the worst. But city officials and crime experts slammed the annual ranking as worse than useless. A spokesmen for the FBI, whose statistics are the basis for the list, said the...
NBC picks up 'quarterlife'
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 19, 2007 12:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
The made-for-Internet show "quarterlife," created and largely financed by the brains behind "My So-Called Life" and "thirtysomething," will be appearing on TV thanks to a deal with NBC signed this week. The show will most likely hit old-media screens early next year, after all 36 scheduled webisodes have aired. New episodes...
Trapping the Colors of the Fiber Rainbow
Economist
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Nov 18, 2007 10:41 PM CST
(Newser) -
One of the immutable laws of physics is that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, about 186,000 miles per second. But The Economist reports new research shows it may be possible to slow down light to a virtual halt, and even store it. If that could be achieved, the stored light could revolutionize data transfers in computer systems...
That Other Perfect Boston Team Falls
Associated Press
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Nov 18, 2007 10:25 PM CST
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In a battle of Eastern Conference heavyweights, the Magic dealt the Celtics their first loss of the season, 104-102. Boston had rallied from a 20-point third-quarter deficit to take a slim lead in the fourth, but late miscues and clutch shooting from Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis sealed the deal for Orlando.
Prototype Coins Go for $30M
Associated Press
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Nov 18, 2007 9:53 PM CST
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An anonymous buyer spent more than $30 million on a collection of about 1,000 coins that never made it to circulation, the AP reports. The rare “pattern coins,” dated from 1792 to 1942, are trial designs the US Mint rejected before producing them for circulation. Those coins generally stay in the hands of the Mint, making a collection this...
Greenback Assaulted at OPEC meeting
Associated Press
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Nov 18, 2007 9:52 PM CST
(Newser) -
Calling it a "small and worthless piece of paper,” Iran’s president today urged OPEC's members to drop the depreciating US dollar as its official currency. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed President Bush for the dollar’s decline and its adverse effects. The comments highlight mounting tension among OPEC members, the AP reports.
Dynamo Repeats as MLS Champ
Houston Chronicle
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Nov 18, 2007 9:18 PM CST
(Newser) -
Houston rallied to win their second straight MLS final, knocking off New England, 2-1. The Dynamo did its damage in the second half on goals by Joseph Ngwenya and finals MVP Dwayne De Rosario. De Rosario's cross set up Ngwenya's goal, which the striker hit after a mortifying whiff. De Rosario's score was a rare header.
Computer Junkies Go to Rehab
New York Times
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Nov 18, 2007 7:54 PM CST
(Newser) -
Internet addiction is such a big problem in the obsessively wired country of South Korea that the government has launched an “Internet Rescue” camp for young men, The New York Times reports. At the tuition-free Jump Up Internet Rescue School – which could be the first of its kind in the world – campers can’t use computers...
Rove: How to Beat Hillary
Newsweek
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Nov 18, 2007 7:23 PM CST
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Blast away at Hillary for now, Karl Rove tells GOP hopefuls, but he warns that next year’s nom must go further and risk controversial stands to win. In his first Newsweek column, Rove advises the nominee to tackle tough topics like health care and minority issues. “Against a Democrat who calculates almost everything, being seen as someone...
Scavengers Face Trash Shortage
Economist
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Nov 18, 2007 7:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
Delhi’s 300,000 ragpickers "are the original recyclers," the Economist reports—but their trade of mining trash for re-sellable goods is in trouble. The city, hoping to clean up for the 2010 Commonwealth games, has hired private companies to collect trash—and ragpickers, who save the city 600,000 rupees daily in waste disposal,...
Hillary's Dirt on Barack?
Washington Post
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Nov 18, 2007 6:40 PM CST
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Does Hillary Clinton have dirt on Barack Obama? Robert Novak said yes in his weekend column and sparked a day of bickering between the camps. Obama’s campaign called the report “devoid of facts, but heavy on innuendo and insinuation of the sort to which we've become all too accustomed.” Clinton aides chastised Obama for taking Novak’s...
UK Farmers Facing Tax for Cattle Outbreaks
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 18, 2007 6:14 PM CST
(Newser) -
UK farmers face an $82 million tax bill to pay for curbing cattle infections. Farmers are likely to gripe, the Guardian reports, because diseases have already slammed profits—and the government is to blame for leaking foot and mouth disease from a lab last summer. But the environment ministry is cutting $615 million and must balance the books...
Thousands Flee N. Korea Via Covert Network
Washington Post
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Nov 18, 2007 5:24 PM CST
(Newser) -
Thousands are fleeing Kim Jong Il's regime, thanks to an expanding network of brokers who smuggle defectors to Seoul through China, the Washington Post reports. Savvy Seoul brokers charge them up to $10,000 for a luxury "planned escape," complete with fake documents, but stakes are rising as Beijing and Pyonyang tighten border control....
Beowulf Hath Brought Low Ye Box Office
Variety
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Nov 18, 2007 4:59 PM CST
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Beowulf reaped $28.1 million and claimed top spot this weekend in the best debut ever for a digital 3D film, Variety reports. Other newcomers fumbled, as Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium landed fifth and Love in the Time of Cholera banked a sickly $1.9 million in tenth. Sales were down 30% overall from last Thanksgiving weekend, when Happy...
Hospital-Bred Bacteria Kills Brits
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 18, 2007 4:34 PM CST
(Newser) -
An untreatable strand of hospital-bred bacteria is killing hundreds of patients each year in the UK, the Observer reports. Pseudomona cases have risen 41% over the past five years, reaching 3,663 in 2006. Like MRSA, the bug is resistant to traditional cleaning agents and antibiotics, and contaminates patients through hospital water present in IVs,...
How To Lose Your Home Without Missing a Payment
New York Times
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Nov 18, 2007 4:11 PM CST
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When landlords default on risky subprime loans, renters are the ones left out in the cold, the New York Times reports. Thousands of renters have lost their homes, usually little suspecting they were living on precariously-financed ground. “Renters are collateral damage in the mortgage crisis,” said one lawyer. In some states, more than...
Garcias Catching Up With Smiths
New York Times
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Nov 18, 2007 3:46 PM CST
(Newser) -
Smith is still the most common US surname, but Garcia and Rodriguez are hot on its tail, the New York Times says. Those two Hispanic names cracked the Census Bureau’s latest top 10, likely marking the first time a non-Anglo name has been so prevalent. After seeing their ranks swell 58% in the 1990s, Latinos now represent 13% of the population.
PC Gaming World Contracts
CNET
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Nov 18, 2007 3:41 PM CST
(Newser) -
The PC gaming industry is on the defensive, with sales of PC games down substantially over the past five years, as less expensive gaming consoles have become more powerful. The Wii, Xbox, and PS3 have lured away casual gamers, leaving the PCs to hardcore gamers playing, first-person shooters and complex role-playing and strategy games, CNET reports.
Black Families Need Their 40 Acres
New York Times
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Nov 18, 2007 3:22 PM CST
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With a poll last week showing that African Americans no longer think of themselves as a "single race," Henry Louis Gates Jr explores causes of the widening gap between middle class and poor blacks. His study of 20 highly successful African Americans, from Oprah to Whoopi to a pediatric neurosurgeon, shows most were descended from...
Bangladesh Toll Passes 2,200
Associated Press
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Nov 18, 2007 2:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
The death toll in Bangladesh has climbed above 2,200 since Tropical Cyclone Sidr hit the region Thursday, the AP reports. And that number could keep rising as military helicopters, naval ships, and thousands of Bangladeshi troops continue working alongside international aid agencies to rescue victims. But many of the affected areas are difficult to...
Iran Prez: Go Ahead Make My Day
Reuters
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Nov 18, 2007 2:38 PM CST
(Newser) -
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday warned that his nation is fully prepared to respond if attacked, but downplayed the possibility of a war with the US. "We have made all preparations, and if there is any suspicion, then we are ready," he said during a visit to Bahrain. Ahmadinejad earlier characterized the US military as "shabby."
Ukraine Mine Blast Toll Hits 63
Associated Press
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Nov 18, 2007 2:18 PM CST
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At least 63 miners were killed early today when a methane gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in eastern Ukraine. Another 37 miners were missing and rescuers have been unable to establish communication with any survivors. More than 360 men were safely evacuated from the half-mile deep mine, AP reports.
US Troops Shot, Injured 6 Civilians, Says Iraqi Gov
Reuters
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Nov 18, 2007 2:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
An enraged Iraqi provincial governor has accused US troops of firing on civilian vehicles south of Baghdad today, allegedly wounding six. Ahmed Marzok threatened to sever ties with the US due to the "barbaric, brutal, and illegal" attack. "We were driving on one side of the road and when they came we pulled aside, but they opened fire,"...
Microsoft to Buy Yahoo: Blogger
PC World
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Nov 18, 2007 1:24 PM CST
(Newser) -
Microsoft wants to buy Yahoo, blogs Huffington Post’s Henry Blodget—there’s no other way to interpret comments made by a honcho Thursday that the Bill Gates brand plans to up its online search market share from its current 10% to 30%. Do the math, says Blodget: Acquiring Yahoo’s 19% share would “instantly” put Microsoft...
China Still World's eWaste Dump
Associated Press
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Nov 18, 2007 1:13 PM CST
(Newser) -
Discarded electronic have to go somewhere, and usually somewhere means China. For years environmentalists have decried China’s officially illegal but unofficially flourishing e-waste trade, but thousands of Chinese peasants are still melting wires and motherboards for metal, making scant spending money from greedy entrepreneurs. The results are...
Opulence Duels With Poverty on LA's Skid Row
Good Magazine
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Nov 18, 2007 12:54 PM CST
(Newser) -
While upscale lofts and hotels sprout up near crack houses and homeless shelters, Los Angeles' Skid Row has outstripped most other cities in all the races you don't want to win. LA County has a homeless population of 88,345—roughly twice as much as New York—and the 50 square blocks of Skid Row are the socioeconomic earthquake's epicenter,...
Don't Take the Bait on Phishing Scams
MarketWatch
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Nov 18, 2007 12:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
We've all learned to avoid the obvious e-mail scams—but sometimes it's just hard to tell. MarketWatch gives you some tips from separating the chaff from the wheat: Know what a phishing scam is: an attempt to con you into supplying ID info, account numbers, names, passwords and so forth. Be wary. Do not reply to requests...
Live From NY, But Not On-Air
Associated Press
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Nov 18, 2007 12:29 PM CST
(Newser) -
It was SNL with all the trappings: opening monologue, musical guest, Weekend Update. But the extra-long, raunchier-than-usual show that never aired last night was witnessed by only 150 audience members at a Manhattan theater. "Saturday Night Live—On Strike!" benefited the long-running comedy show's striking production team, the AP reports.
Rudy's Won the Pundit Primary
National Review
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Nov 18, 2007 11:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
Conservative pundits have piled on to the Rudy Giuliani bandwagon in greater numbers and with more naked boosterism than in previous primary races, writes the National Review ’s Ramesh Ponnuru—who happens to prefer McCain. Why all the Rudy love—and willingness to forgive his weaknesses? Many right-wing journos live in New York...
MTV Launches New Arabic Channel
BBC
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Nov 18, 2007 11:45 AM CST
(Newser) -
How do you say "pimp my ride" in Arabic? Fans will find out when they tune in to MTV Arabia, a new channel launched yesterday in Dubai. The youth brand hopes to deliver its sassy programs to an Arab world, where two-thirds of the population is under 30, without offending the culture, reports BBC.
Plastic Surgery's Double-Edged Knife
Washington Post
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Nov 18, 2007 11:19 AM CST
(Newser) -
The American public that slammed Britney Spears for daring to show a little cellulite is just as rabidly eviscerating Donda West as vain for succumbing to our culture of perfection, reflects Robin Givhan of the Washington Post in the wake of West's death. Our dysfunctional relationship with beauty cuts deep, Givhan writes, yet it's surprising that...
Take 2 and IM Him in the Morning
Yahoo
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Nov 18, 2007 10:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
Eschewing traditional practice, a Brooklyn doctor is using the Internet to generate and conduct much of his business, Yahoo News reports. For $500, patients get three yearly examinations from Jay Parkinson, and can email or text him during the business day. "I'm not so much an online doctor," Parkinson says. "I am a doctor who utilizes...
Dutch Try New Strategies as Tides Rise
Christian Science Monitor
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Nov 18, 2007 9:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
The most famous dike-builders in the world are reconsidering their strategy for holding out against climate change, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Instead of tightly controlled and engineered dikes, the Netherlands is trying out a so-called "soft approach" that breach dikes and allow large areas to flood, while protecting large...
Holes Emerge in Secret US Shield of Pakistan Nukes
New York Times
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Nov 18, 2007 9:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
The US has secretly spent $100 million to safeguard Pakistan's nuclear weapons, but some officials fear protections may have been undermined by Pakistan's reluctance to share information. The aid, buried in a secret part of the budget, was intended to improve nuclear safety, reports the New York Times. But Pakistan has refused to reveal exactly how...
Peterson Was 'Doting,' First Wife Says
Chicago Tribune
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Nov 18, 2007 8:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
The first wife of Drew Peterson says her ex was "doting and supportive" during their 6-year marriage in the late '70s ? but with a controlling side, reports the Chicago Tribune. The husband Carol Brown describes contrasts with the portrait of a violent, manipulative man now suspected in the murder of his third wife and the disappearance...
Whale Beached in Amazon
Associated Press
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Nov 18, 2007 7:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
Frantic villagers yesterday splashed water to try to save the life of a whale beached in a river in the Amazon rain forest 1,000 miles from the ocean. The 18-foot minke whale was stuck on a sandbar in the Tapajos River in Brazil. "It apparently got separated from its group and swam upstream," said a Brazilian biologist. "It's very unusual."
Dolly Scientist Dumps Embryo Cloning Method
BBC
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Nov 18, 2007 7:18 AM CST
(Newser) -
The scientist who created the cloned sheep Dolly is now abandoning the technique he pioneered in favor of a rival method of cell modification developed in Japan. The Japanese approach, which genetically manipulates adult human cells, has proven less controversial than embryonic stem cell research. But scientist Ian Wilmut insists he was motivated to...
Want to Make Girl Babies? Get Stressed!
Economist
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Nov 18, 2007 6:20 AM CST
(Newser) -
Scientists have wondered for years why mothers in rich and peaceful countries are more likely to have baby boys, and new research suggests the answer may be stress, reports the Economist . Danish researchers have also found that stressed-out moms in the West are more apt to have baby girls—just like women in war zones and disaster areas.
New Ex-Reb Prime Minister Vows Kosovo Independence
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 18, 2007 5:54 AM CST
(Newser) -
A one-time rebel leader promising independence from Serbia surged to victory in yesterday's parliamentary elections in Kosovo. Prime Minister-elect Hashim Thaci, formerly a head of the Kosovo Liberation Army, vowed as he cast his ballot that he will declare Kosovo independent "immediately" if United Nations mediation fails to deliver independence...
Manhattan to Launch Free Wi-Fi
Newsday
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Nov 18, 2007 5:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
A big slice of the Big Apple will get free Wi-Fi at the end of the month, courtesy of the city and CBS. New Yorkers with Wi-Fi enabled technology will be able to access high-speed wireless service at no cost in a 20-block zone between Times Square and Central Park—at least for a six-month trial period.
10 Things a Kid Had to Have
CNN
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Nov 18, 2007 4:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
Demanding kids have been sending crazed parents on a quest for the must-have toy for decades, says CNN. A list of past faves that made shoppers go wild: Mr. Potato Head, 1952 Easy-Bake Oven, 1964 G.I. Joe with kung fu grip, 1974
Chavez Warns of $200 Oil if US Strikes Iran
BBC
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Nov 17, 2007 6:48 PM CST
(Newser) -
Crude oil prices could hit $150-$200 a barrel if Bush is “mad enough” to strike Iran, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned today at the OPEC summit. “The basis of all aggression is oil,” said Chavez, arguing that OPEC should set itself up as “an active geopolitical agent.” Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah countered,...
Bush Invites Gore, Nobel Winner
Washington Post
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Nov 17, 2007 6:11 PM CST
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Bush recently invited US Nobel laureates to their annual White House photo op, but he personally called Peace Prize winner and bitter presidential loser Al Gore—and moved the event to November 26 to accommodate Gore's schedule. “It’s unusual, that’s for sure,” said one Gore advisor. “But the conversations were good,...
Buffett Helps Keep A-Rod in Pinstripes
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 17, 2007 5:36 PM CST
(Newser) -
When Alex Rodriguez did an end run around agent Scott Boras to make a deal with the Yankees, he wasn't without high-powered advice, reports the Wall Street Journal : Warren Buffett told him to do it. A worried A-Rod called the Sage of Omaha, a personal friend, as sports scribes blasted the slugger for leaving the Yanks. What did Buffett tell A-Rod,...
Hey Baby, What's Your Genome?
New York Times
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Nov 17, 2007 4:57 PM CST
(Newser) -
Cheaper genetic testing—which can cost only $1,000 and some saliva—recently inspired one New York Times scribe to check out her own DNA. She sent a sample to a start-up company, one of three in the field, and waited. But she had reservations: What if she was prone to breast cancer, or Alzheimer's? Or passing on bad genes to her daughter?...
Why Can't They Just Get Along?
Vanity Fair
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Nov 17, 2007 4:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
Less than two years after Paramount acquired DreamWorks, executive tempers have boiled over. The much-heralded union has degenerated into a series of scathing personal attacks between the principals, Sumner Redstone and David Geffen. Shuttling between the bigwigs, Vanity Fair offers an in-depth look at the Hollywood war—and maybe even helps...
Anger Brews Over Cyber Suicide
Chicago Tribune
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Nov 17, 2007 4:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
Police fear a "mob mentality" is brewing in a St. Louis suburb after a 13-year-old girl killed herself, and the hoaxers who allegedly prodded her have gone free. Two adults—parents of the girl's friend—badgered Megan Meier online until she hanged herself in her closet last October. Cops say they've been getting angry calls since...
Keys Finds Her Groove
Entertainment Weekly
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Nov 17, 2007 3:29 PM CST
(Newser) -
Alicia Keys is an undeniable talent, and Entertainment Weekly finds ample evidence of that on her third and latest studio album As I Am, out this week. Whereas previous efforts showcased her mastery over a panoply of styles—hip-hop, soul, classical—those elements have been folded this time around into a smoother, more pop package, writes...
NBC Prez Will Party for His Right to Fight
Esquire
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Nov 17, 2007 3:07 PM CST
(Newser) -
Whether it's his tendency to casually insult other executives, his "totally sick" parties, or his precocious ascension from independent producer to network boss, NBC President Ben Silverman has acquired a devoted posse of friends—and an ample group of enemies. Esquire profiles the brash 37-year-old, self-styled the "luckiest...
