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.
Stocks Fall Second Straight Day
Bloomberg
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Nov 15, 2007 3:46 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks were down for a second consecutive session today on bad tidings from Wells Fargo, JC Penney, and Exxon Mobil. Mortgage giant Wells called the housing market the worst since the Depression; Exxon fell after a surprise decrease in oil prices. The Dow was down 120.96 to 13,110.05, the Nasdaq 25.81 to 2,618.51, and the S&P off 19.43 to 1,451.15.
Foreign Domain Names Coming to Net
ZDNet
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Nov 15, 2007 3:45 PM CST
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Soon, Chinese domain names can at long last be in Chinese. Addressing one of international critics’ longest-standing complaints, ICANN, the independent non-profit that regulates the Internet, is putting internationalized domain names on the fast track, ZDNet reports. Studies are already underway on how to integrate domains with non-Latin characters...
Iran Prepared for Large-Scale Nuclear Fuel Output: UN
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 15, 2007 3:32 PM CST
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Iran is able to produce nuclear fuel on an industrial scale, with 3,000 centrifuges capable of enriching uranium, a UN watchdog agency said today in a report sure to fuel diplomatic wrangling over sanctions. In praising Iran’s openness but demanding more, the International Atomic Energy Agency provided ammunition for both sides; Iran's president...
Padres' Peavy Bags NL Cy Young Award
Associated Press
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Nov 15, 2007 3:28 PM CST
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San Diego Padres all-star pitcher Jake Peavy bagged the National League Cy Young Award today, after unanimously receiving all 32 first place votes and racking up 160 points, 66 more than the runner-up. Peavy led the league this year with 240 strikeouts, 19 wins, and finished the season with an impressive 2.54 ERA, the Associated Press writes.
Obama a Hit at Google Town Hall
San Francisco Chronicle
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Nov 15, 2007 3:02 PM CST
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Barack Obama is enjoying a resurgence in the polls as Hillary Clinton's "inevitability" seems to chip away, and the revived buzz was evident yesterday in a town-hall-style meeting at Google headquarters and in other San Francisco-area stops. Obama reiterated his campaign's central claim—that he is the "change candidate" in...
Serbs Reject Charges of Patient Abuse
Associated Press
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Nov 15, 2007 2:45 PM CST
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Officials in Serbia today called "dark propaganda" a report by a US human-rights group that alleged patients with mental and physical disabilities were systematically abused, and that staff at one facility tortured retarded children. "We may be suffering staffing and financial problems," one administrator said, "but for anyone...
I Dumped U For Yr Sister, Oops GTG ...
Associated Press
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Nov 15, 2007 2:42 PM CST
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Usurping the old note passed in study hall, about 40% of teens now depend on instant messaging to say things they wouldn't in person, according to a new poll. "If they freak out or something, you don't see it," one high schooler tells AP. The survey also found—duh—that teens use IM more than older people, and that they're more...
Network Beams Dissidence Into China
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 15, 2007 2:20 PM CST
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A US-based satellite TV station staffed mainly by members of spiritual movement Falun Gong is broadcasting a dissident message into China, the Wall Street Journal reports. With Falun Gong called an "evil cult" and outlawed by the Chinese government, its members have started New Tang Dynasty, a radio station, newspaper, and dozens of websites...
Bush Outlines Plan to Combat Flight Delays
Chicago Tribune
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Nov 15, 2007 2:03 PM CST
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The military will open some of its East Coast airspace to commercial traffic around Thanksgiving, President Bush announced today in a series of measures to cut down on air-travel delays, reports the Chicago Tribune 's Swamp blog. “We can do better," Bush said in Washington. "We have an aviation system that can be improved."
Johnny (Sorry, Jay) Top TV Icon
Associated Press
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Nov 15, 2007 1:49 PM CST
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Letterman and Stewart made the cut, but Leno got stiffed when Entertainment Weekly and TV Land did their list of the top 50 TV icons. Leading the list, of course, the guy who started it all: Johnny Carson Lucille Ball Oprah Winfrey
Africa's Child 'Witches' Abused, Abandoned
New York Times
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Nov 15, 2007 1:34 PM CST
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Thousands of children in Angola, Congo, and the Congo Republic are being abused, abandoned, and even killed after being accused of witchcraft, the New York Times reports. Such accusations—born from tribal superstition and poverty that leaves some families unable to care for children—are a "massive" problem, sending hundreds...
Trucks Pack on Illegal Pounds
Christian Science Monitor
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Nov 15, 2007 1:17 PM CST
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More American truckers are carrying illegally heavy loads, looking to offset diminished manpower and skyrocketing fuel prices—and light fines encourage cheating, the Christian Science Monitor reports. With road damage at issue following August's Minnesota bridge collapse, 30% of trucks are reportedly overloaded—and each of the 8 million...
Musharraf Names Close Ally Interim PM
BBC
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Nov 15, 2007 12:54 PM CST
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Pervez Musharraf today named close ally Mohammedmian Soomro as Pakistan's caretaker PM, effective at midnight tonight reports the BBC. The move came as Benazir Bhutto ruled out a power-sharing agreement with Musharraf, and turned instead to rival opposition leader Nawaz Sharif—even as the country's attorney general said he expects Musharraf to...
India's Sacred River Turns Toxic
Smithsonian
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Nov 15, 2007 12:30 PM CST
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The Smithsonian travels 800 miles down the Ganges River in India to investigate the ecological degradation of one of the holiest sites in Hinduism. A symbol of purity for millions of pilgrims, the environmental reality is "pure toxic muck" laden with arsenic, mercury, and dozens of other pollutants. Twenty years after the Indian government...
Companies Go Green for Consumers— and Profit
New York Times
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Nov 15, 2007 12:12 PM CST
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As consumers look for more eco-friendly products, a Frito-Lay plant in Arizona is working toward ways to turn 500,00 pounds of spuds into environmentally friendly potato chips, the New York Times reports, changing an energy- and water-hogging process into one that uses renewable fuel, solar energy, and recycled water in a “net zero” operation...
3M Flee Bangladesh Cyclone
Associated Press
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Nov 15, 2007 11:43 AM CST
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Hordes of Bangladeshis had evacuated ahead of a massive cyclone that pummeled the country's southwestern coast today, and a government official says he expects 3.2 million will evacuate by late today. Cyclone Sidr has 149-mph winds that could cause storm surges as high as 20 feet and swamp several districts. "We have taken all precautions,"...
Ecowarriors' New Tool: Google Earth
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 15, 2007 11:34 AM CST
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The Wall Street Journal looks at environmental nonprofits that are harnessing Google Earth to connect consumers with the effects of their purchasing choices. One example, Appalachian Voices, has integrated data from coal mining companies with Google mapping to allow users to see where their power comes from: the specific mountaintops that have been...
Site Ranks Power-Plant Polluters
Mother Jones
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Nov 15, 2007 11:30 AM CST
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A study of power-plant emissions names Australia as the lead polluter per capita in a field crowded with competition, Mother Jones reports. Aussie power plants produce 11 tons of carbon dioxide per person annually; American plants generate nine. The US produces the most cumulative emissions, though developing giants China and India are closing in...
Hillary, Rudy in a Dead Heat in Nevada
Reuters
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Nov 15, 2007 11:10 AM CST
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Presidential frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani are tied in a head-to-head Nevada matchup, according to a CNN poll taken just ahead of tonight's Dem debate in what is now an early-primary state. But Clinton dominates her rivals for the party's nod, with 51% to Barack Obama’s 23% and John Edwards’ 11%, CNN reports.
Sun Rises on Dell
New York Times
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Nov 15, 2007 11:09 AM CST
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Computer seller Dell, looking to regain momentum by responding to business customer demand to offer broader, simpler technology solutions, will install the Solaris operating systems on its servers, giving a boost to longtime rival Sun Microsystem’s efforts to grow its software business, reports the New York Times. “This is world-changing,”...
Major Aftershocks Rock Chile
Reuters
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Nov 15, 2007 10:50 AM CST
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Northern Chile trembled again today as two strong aftershocks jolted through the region, Reuters reports. No casualties were immediately reported in the wake of the tremors—which registered 6.2 and 6.8, respectively, according to the US Geological Survey—near the mining center of Antofagasta, but residents and emergency workers remained...
Dictator's Granddaughter Sinks Far-Right Euro Bloc
Deutsche Welle (Germany)
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Nov 15, 2007 10:39 AM CST
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The collapse of a far-right party yesterday drew cheers in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Deutsche Welle reports. The final straw in the collapse of the Identity, Tradition, and Sovereignty group came after Alessandra Mussolini—granddaughter of the former dictator—described Romanians as "habitual lawbreakers,"...
Mormons Losing Faith in Mitt
New Republic
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Nov 15, 2007 10:31 AM CST
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Mitt Romney’s attempts to massage his Mormon faith are causing grumbles in Utah, the New Republic reports. Many criticize Romney for downplaying key beliefs to win over mainstream Christians who traditionally loathe them. “I understand he has to appeal to them,” said one Mormon, “but it makes me, as a Mormon, feel very, very...
UK Court OKs Radical Cleric's US Extradition
Reuters
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Nov 15, 2007 10:19 AM CST
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Radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri could be extradited to the US, thanks to a British court ruling today. Hamza is serving a seven-year prison term for inciting his congregation to murder, but US charges, which include attempting to set up a terrorist training camp in Oregon, could put the one-eyed, hook-wielding radical away for 100 years,...
15K Homeless in Chile; Aid Starts
Reuters
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Nov 15, 2007 9:59 AM CST
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Thousands of Chileans spent the night in the streets after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake left at least 15,000 homeless, and damaged schools and gyms that might have served as shelters. But aid began arriving today, Reuters reports, as crews navigated treacherous road to bring food, water, and tents to the country's battered north. Electricity was still...
Inflation Still in Check as Housing Offsets Energy
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 15, 2007 9:43 AM CST
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Consumer prices saw only modest gains last month, welcome news for inflation watchers with an eye on rising oil prices and a dropping dollar. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.3%, in lockstep with analysts' estimates. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.2%. Year-over-year, the increases were 3.5% and 2.2% respectively, with the latter just...
Transit Strike Infuriates French
Reuters
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Nov 15, 2007 9:23 AM CST
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Anti-union sentiment rose as France's deeply unpopular transit strike entered its second day today, with most service on the national railways and the Paris metro suspended. Evidence is mounting, Reuters reports, that Nicolas Sarkozy will win this round, with union leaders already hinting at compromise, though they have not yet responded...
Schools Squeeze Out Hugs
Time
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Nov 15, 2007 9:06 AM CST
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An eighth-grade student’s double detention for hugging friends at school has sparked a national debate. Rules concerning public displays of affection in school have surged over the last two decades, reports Time magazine , but there is little consensus about how far they should go in governing student behavior. Some schools forbid any contact...
Game Banned for Lesbian Scene
Reuters
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Nov 15, 2007 8:53 AM CST
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Singaporeans anticipating Microsoft’s much-ballyhooed Mass Effect video game should stop anticipating. Thanks to a scene in which a human woman kisses and caresses an alien woman, Singapore has banned the action-RPG, Reuters reports. Microsoft said it would respect the ban, but outraged gamers decried the decision as too strict. Sex between...
Media Frenzy Creates Trial by Gossip
Times (UK)
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Nov 15, 2007 8:31 AM CST
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The media frenzy over high-profile international cases like those of missing girl Madeleine McCann and murdered student Meredith Kercher makes it nearly impossible for the justice system to function, writes Times of London columnist Magnus Linklater. Neither case, he writes, "has demonstrated the two prerequisites of a just legal process: an...
WWII Plane Found Under Beach
Associated Press
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Nov 15, 2007 8:05 AM CST
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Sixty-five years after its crash landing, a World War II fighter plane has emerged from under the sand on the Welsh coast. The American P-38 "Lightning" fighter, which made an emergency "belly landing" in shallow water after it ran out of fuel, was buried in the sand, with tourists oblivious to its existence, until uncommon weather...
Comcast Sued Over File-Sharing Interference
Associated Press
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Nov 15, 2007 7:33 AM CST
(Newser) -
A subscriber has sued Comcast for slowing file-sharing activities after an AP report last month showed that the nation's largest cable company falsely signals file-sharing software that the network connection has dropped. The man alleges that Comcast misleads consumers by claiming it offers "mind-blowing" speeds and "unfettered access"...
Firms Are Waiting on Windows Vista
PC World
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Nov 15, 2007 7:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
It has been almost a year since Windows Vista was released to businesses, but a spate of hardware compatibility issues has many still waiting to upgrade until the release of the first service pack, scheduled for early next year. With the next version of Windows due in late 2009, PC World thinks many companies may skip upgrading to Vista altogether.
Oracle Sees No BEA in Its Future
San Jose Mercury News
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Nov 15, 2007 7:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
Oracle’s $25-billion, three-year shopping spree won’t include rival BEA Systems, at least not at the $17 a share it offered last month, reports the San Jose Mercury News . BEA spurned the nearly $6.7-billion bid, demanding $21 a share. “If their goal was to stay independent, I think they're doing a good job,” CEO Larry Ellison...
National Book Awards Go to Spook Stories
Reuters
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Nov 15, 2007 6:54 AM CST
(Newser) -
Spy stories took National Book Awards last night, as a history of the CIA by New York Times reporter Tim Weiner took non-fiction honors and Denis Johnson's Tree of Smoke, a sprawling thriller about a CIA agent in Vietnam, led the the winners. Joan Didion accepted a medal for distinguished contribution, noting the absence of Norman Mailer, a revered...
LAPD Scraps Muslim Mapping Program
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 15, 2007 6:22 AM CST
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Following a frenzy of controversy, the Los Angeles police department is scrapping its much-criticized plan to "map" Muslim communities. The department had hoped to pinpoint isolated Muslim communities in an attempt to identify problem hot spots. Critics said the plan was a form of religious profiling, and that it would be virtually impossible...
Blue Jackets Snap Skid, Beat Blackhawks
Associated Press
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Nov 15, 2007 6:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
Rick Nash, Sergei Fedorov and Jason Chimera each recorded a goal and an assist as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Blackhawks 4-2 last night. The Blue Jackets, 6-2-1 at home, are now second in the Central Division. Columbus is 7-1-1 when scoring first.
Colombians Sue Chiquita for Torture, Murder
CNN
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Nov 15, 2007 5:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
American produce giant Chiquita Brands is being sued by almost 400 Colombian families charging "torture and murder" of their loved ones on the company's watch, reports CNN. Earlier this year the company pleaded guilty to aiding a Colombian paramilitary group considered a terrorist organization by the US. The $7.86 billion lawsuit, filed yesterday...
Dutch Teen Busted for Virtual Theft
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 15, 2007 5:01 AM CST
(Newser) -
In what's believed to be the first arrest ever for theft of virtual property, a Dutch teenager has been busted for stealing "furniture" from an online game. He allegedly stole login information from gamers playing "Habbo Hotel," a Sims-like operation in which players create guests and furnish hotel rooms using credits that cost...
Inside the 'PayPal Mafia'
CNN
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Nov 15, 2007 4:55 AM CST
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They may be the most brilliantly successful—or luckiest—or both—small group of entrepreneurs in history: PayPal alumni who, like founders Peter Thiel and Max Levchin, left the company to create $30 billion worth of innovation: YouTube, Facebook, Slide, Yelp, Digg, investment firms, philanthropies, solar-power companies, an electric...
Pistons Rally, Defeat Warriors
Associated Press
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Nov 15, 2007 4:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Pistons battled back from 22 down to defeat the Warriors 111-104 last night. Rasheed Wallace, Tayshawn Prince and Richard Hamilton all scored 22 points each. Despite Baron Davis' 29-point, 10-assist effort, the Warriors remain the league's only winless team at 0-6.
In Thain, Merrill Picks CEO as Risk Manager
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 15, 2007 4:24 AM CST
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The choice of NYSE's John Thain as Merrill Lynch's new CEO signals a focus on a new kind of manager for the financial giant, the Wall Street Journal observes: a strong risk manager. A low-key, detail-oriented veteran, Thain resembles the top execs of the firms least damaged by the subprime mortgage collapse, the paper notes: "They aren't risk-averse...
US Seeks 'Plan B' in Pakistan
New York Times
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Nov 15, 2007 4:08 AM CST
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As Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf continues to crack down on opponents, the US is losing faith in his ability to survive, the New York Times reports. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte will meet with Musharraf tomorrow in an effort to help calm the situation, but administration officials are already looking for a Plan B. That could...
The Awesome New Stuff List for 2007
Popular Science
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Nov 15, 2007 4:00 AM CST
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Popular Science 's "Best of What's New" awards go to the leading innovations of the year. Check out what the future looks like: Automotive: 2008 Audi R8 Aviation & Space: CNES Corot Satellite Gadgets: Apple iPhone
Toyota: Not Easy Seeming Green
Newsweek
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Nov 15, 2007 3:31 AM CST
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Toyota set a new green standard ten years ago with its ahead-of-its-time Prius hybrid and projects an image of environmental responsibility. But now the green community is using Toyota for target practice, Newsweek reports. The Japanese carzilla is generating fury with its new low 14 mpg Tundra and Sequoia models, and its fierce opposition to proposed...
Pippi Longstocking Heirs Battle Pirate Products
Der Spiegel
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Nov 15, 2007 3:07 AM CST
(Newser) -
The heirs of beloved "Pippi Longstocking" author Astrid Lindgren are fighting an infuriating legal battle to block a legion of pirate products that have cashed in on the popularity of the Swedish girl hero. Some of the products—like an Italian Barbie-ized doll that fitted Longstocking with breasts and lace panties—are in blatant...
Celtics Cruise to 7-0
Associated Press
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Nov 15, 2007 2:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
Despite a lackluster performance from their big three, and a 36-point first half last night, the Celtics nonetheless ripped through the Nets, beating New Jersey 91-69, the AP reports. The 7-0 start to the season marks Boston's best in 35 years. Kevin Garnett led the team with 16 points, but was benched with three fouls in the third quarter.
35.5 Million Americans Going Hungry
Reuters
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Nov 15, 2007 1:50 AM CST
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US programs failed to make a dent in the number of Americans going hungry last year, and activists warned that rising costs and stagnant wages threaten to increase the army of citizens struggling to put food on the table. Nearly 13 percent of households—35.5 million Americans, with 12.6 of them children—went hungry last year, up slightly...
Aggies Survive Plucky Miners
Associated Press
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Nov 15, 2007 1:36 AM CST
(Newser) -
In a back and forth game decided in the final minutes of play, Texas A&M edged out a gritty UTEP team last night, 81-76. The No.15 Aggies survived a dismal first half, in which they made just 10 field goals, and were aided greatly by the efforts of Josh Carter, who had 23 points, including a crucial late three-pointer. In other Top 25 action:
Rangers Keep Brodeur Stuck on No. 499
Associated Press
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Nov 15, 2007 1:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
In his second try, Devils netminder Martin Brodeur failed to notch win number 500; at 499, he remains second on the all-time list (first is Patrick Roy with 551). Ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr broke a 1-1 tie in the second period, and Brandon Dubinsky and budding defenseman Marc Staal piled on to enforce the outcome.
