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.
I Swear! And More and More, in Public
Baltimore Sun
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Nov 27, 2007 2:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Profanity seems to be more and more widespread, but linguists suggest people aren't actually swearing more—they're just swearing more publicly. The tide of athletes and musicians who pepper their language with choice four-letter words is meeting a surge of media avenues that aren't regulated by the government, resulting in a flood of profanity,...
US Sweats Sharif's Return
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2007 2:36 PM CST
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Even as Nawaz Sharif paints his return to Pakistan as a watershed moment, Washington is fretting over the implications of the Islamist-linked ex-PM's resurgence. Sharif has a reputation for being hostile to women’s rights and slow on social and economic expansion, the Wall Street Journal reports, but the US is more concerned about his perceived...
Michelle Obama Tests Racial Boundaries
McClatchy Newspapers
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Nov 27, 2007 2:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama has been careful to present himself as a post-racial candidate, but not so Michelle Obama, at least in South Carolina, where she has been testing the boundaries of racial campaigning. In a speech last week she said black voters—who make up as many has half the state's Democrats—are falling prey to the conventional wisdom that...
Iran Boasts of Missile That Can Reach Israel
Bloomberg
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Nov 27, 2007 2:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
Iran has developed a missile with a range of more than 1,200 miles—far enough to strike Israel and American bases in the Mideast. Tehran's announcement today that the Ashura missile is operative will heighten tensions between the US and Iran, which continues to defy Security Council demands to end its nuclear program, Bloomberg reports.
Home Prices Suffer Record Quarterly Drop
MarketWatch
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Nov 27, 2007 1:41 PM CST
(Newser) -
The housing slump deepened in September as home prices plummeted, posting a record 4.5% decline from third quarter 2006 to third quarter 2007, Marketwatch reports. The 1.7% decline from the second to the third quarter was also a record in the 21 years the bellwether index has been in use. "There is no real positive news in today's data,"...
UN: Iceland Best Place to Live
Reuters
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Nov 27, 2007 1:21 PM CST
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Iceland has inched out longtime champ Norway as the best place in the world to live, and sub-Saharan Africa is the worst. The UN list, out today, ranks countries by real per-capita GDP, education, and life expectancy. The US ranked 12th, down from 8th last year, as relatively low life expectancy offset the world’s second-highest per-capita GDP,...
UK Works to Free Teacher in Teddy Bear Flap
CNN
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Nov 27, 2007 1:06 PM CST
(Newser) -
Gordon Brown said today that UK officials are working to free the British citizen being held in Sudan for allowing her students to name a teddy bear "Mohammed." Gillian Gibbons was accused of blasphemy and faces prison time or 40 lashes. The British embassy in Khartoum is "giving all appropriate consular assistance to her," the...
Ouch! In London, Art Hurts
Times (UK)
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Nov 27, 2007 12:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
A high-profile installation at the Tate Modern has won critical praise and drawn crowds, but Doris Salcedo's Shibboleth 2007 has also caused trouble, the London Times reports. Some 15 people were injured in a month while viewing the work, a crack in the floor of the gallery large enough to gobble up a toddler.
The 'R-Word' Surfaces on Wall Street
Washington Post
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Nov 27, 2007 12:38 PM CST
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Wall Street has the recession jitters: Markets are down 10% since October, the S&P 500 is down as analysts predict depressed earnings, and T-bills are down on anticipated Fed rate cuts. But there’s a flip side: Holiday sales gained 8.3% over 2006, unemployment is at 4.7%, and a slowdown doesn’t mean recession, reports the Washington...
Olmert and Abbas Aim for Pact by End of 2008
New York Times
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Nov 27, 2007 12:29 PM CST
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Standing with President Bush on US soil, the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers pledged today to seek a peace agreement by the end of next year; the two sides will hold bi-weekly talks to that end beginning Dec. 12. The agreement creates a framework, the New York Times cautions, but does not address the core issues thwarting a two-state solution.
NBC Looks to TiVo to Help Sell Clients
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2007 12:22 PM CST
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NBC Universal will begin using viewership data gleaned from TiVo digital video recorders beginning in January, making it the first of the major networks to have access to second-by-second ratings of programming and commercials from TiVo, reports the Wall Street Journal . The network hopes TiVo will help it develop effective ways to target viewers...
Army Uniforms Aren't Making the Grade
USA Today
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Nov 27, 2007 12:15 PM CST
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Army uniforms have an embarrassing problem—they’re tearing open at the crotch. New uniforms rolled out in 2005 use single stitching at the inseam, and soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan report "crotch durability problems" in combat. The troops are “literally sliding down steep hills and mountains," an Army spokesman tells...
Why Is Harvard Escaping the RIAA’s Wrath?
Ars Technica
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Nov 27, 2007 12:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
The RIAA has sent out 4,157 prelitigation settlement letters to a total of 160 schools this year, but Harvard’s mailboxes have remained noticeably empty. And it’s not for a lack of potentially illegal music downloading. More likely, Ars Technica speculates, the recording industry is afraid of two Harvard Law professors who are publicly...
Kennedy Inks Blockbuster Deal for Memoir
New York Times
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Nov 27, 2007 11:45 AM CST
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After a 6-day auction, Ted Kennedy's memoirs have sold for more than $8 million, the New York Times reports. Assuming the Senate Ethics Committee OKs the deal, Kennedy will discuss his lengthy career, infamous car crash, and failed presidential bid. He’s “walking, talking history,” gushed the book's publisher.
Consumer Confidence Plummets
Bloomberg
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Nov 27, 2007 11:27 AM CST
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Consumers were a gloomy group in November, when housing and job woes drove the consumer confidence index down to a level not seen since October 2005, when Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath loomed large. “This is a strong indication that consumer spending growth is going to slow sharply,” one economist tells Bloomberg.
Socialite's Son Faces Criminal Charges
New York Times
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Nov 27, 2007 11:25 AM CST
(Newser) -
The son of the late socialite and philanthropist Brooke Astor has been indicted, along with a former family lawyer, the New York Times reports. The exact charges are unknown, but the case stems from years of accusations that Anthony Marshall took advantage of or defrauded his aging mother as her financial caretaker. Several transactions look fishy,...
Google Plans Remote File Storage
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2007 11:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Wall Street Journal reports on a new service under development at Google that would allow users to store personal files on the search giant's own hard drives, making them available via the Internet to multiple devices. The new service, as yet unnamed but known among bloggers as Gdrive, could hasten a shift to Web-based computing and transform...
Ahmadinejad Offers to Safeguard US Elections
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 27, 2007 11:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday offered to oversee the 2008 US presidential elections, saying he’s convinced that, given a free poll, Americans won’t re-elect George W. Bush. That Bush isn’t constitutionally allowed to run seemed lost on the Iranian president—as was the irony that his own government opposes independent observation...
'08 Subprime Fallout: At Least 1.4M Foreclosures
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2007 11:02 AM CST
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The subprime mortgage fallout will continue through 2008, with 1.4 million Americans facing foreclosure, municipalities losing more than $6.6 billion in taxes, and housing values plummeting up to 16%, says a US Conference of Mayors report out today. The analysis projects slowed GDP growth and consumer spending and a rebound in 2009, the Journal reports.
Oprah to Test Clout on Trail for Obama
Chicago Tribune
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Nov 27, 2007 10:55 AM CST
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Now that the Barack Obama camp has confirmed that Oprah Winfrey will stump for the candidate in key primary states, analysts are wondering whether Winfrey's massive clout will translate into votes. Celebrity endorsements rarely do, the Chicago Tribune notes, but Winfrey, who can turn a book into a best-seller in a snap, may be the exception.
Jackson Five May Reunite in '08
BBC
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Nov 27, 2007 10:35 AM CST
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The Jackson Five could be touring again as early as next year, according to Jermaine, and Michael will take part. "We feel we have to do it one more time," the third-oldest Jackson brother told the BBC. "We owe that to the fans and to the public." Jermaine also confirmed that Jacko's 2005 child abuse trial pushed back the dates.
Privacy, Shmivacy: Facebook Is Doomed
InformationWeek
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Nov 27, 2007 10:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
Aggressive new advertising tactics make Facebook look more evil by the day, but don’t worry, InformationWeek columnist Cory Doctorow writes, because it’s doomed anyway. Sure social networks are “pure crack” for some, but sooner or later everyone gets friended by someone they’d rather avoid, and eventually that awkwardness...
Russia Rips US Missile Defense Offer
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2007 10:00 AM CST
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American and Russian plans to collaborate on a missile defense program suffered another blow today as Russia's foreign minister blasted American offers as "a significant rollback" from earlier promises. US proposals amounted to a "unilateral" American effort that would seek help and information from Russia, and no more, the minister...
Writers, Producers Optimistic as Talks Resume
Deadline
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Nov 27, 2007 9:45 AM CST
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"Reasonableness ruled the day” during yesterday’s renewed negotiations between producers and striking screenwriters, an insider tells Deadline Hollywood Daily scoop artist Nikki Finke. Producers and writers reviewed the status of proposals outlined Nov. 4 before talks broke off and the strike began, with plans to resume today, when...
Mom Describes Beating, Killing 'Baby Grace'
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2007 9:25 AM CST
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Texas police are investigating whether Riley Ann Sawyers, known as “Baby Grace,” was routinely abused by her mother and stepfather before they allegedly killed her, stored the body, then dumped her in Galveston Bay, reports the AP. In an affidavit, Kimberly Trenor said they beat the girl, held her underwater, and threw her across a room...
Donations Scandal Fresh Blow to Brown
Independent (UK)
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Nov 27, 2007 9:18 AM CST
(Newser) -
The general secretary of Britain's ruling Labour Party has quit over secret donations made to the party, reports The Independent . The news is a fresh blow to party leader Gordon Brown, who had been hoping to launch a counter-offensive after a disastrous week that saw the rival Tory party open up its biggest poll lead in 19 years. The embattled PM...
Facebook Feud Heats Up
02138
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Nov 27, 2007 8:59 AM CST
(Newser) -
Three former Harvard students who are suing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for stealing their idea are finally about to get their day in court, reports the indy Harvard alumni magazine 02138 . Forensic data experts are searching Zuckerberg’s computer hard drives, searching for source code, which the company claims is lost, that would...
West Bank Billionaire Launches Third Party
Newsweek
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Nov 27, 2007 8:27 AM CST
(Newser) -
A Palestinian billionaire has started a new party that he hopes will give voters a more pragmatic option to Fatah and Hamas. Minub al-Masri, friend of the late Yasir Arafat, says he launched the Palestine Forum to replace "inexperienced" politicians. But third parties are not unprecedented in Palestine, Newsweek reports—and independents...
No Agent Zero, No Problem
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2007 8:07 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Mavericks had won all six home games of this young season until Caron Butler led a hot Washington team into Dallas. The former UConn standout scored 35 points as the Wizards handed the Mavericks a 110-98 defeat. Dirk Nowitzki did all he could, recording 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but the rest of the team struggled, reports the AP.
Panda Style Irks Chinese
Times (UK)
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Nov 27, 2007 8:04 AM CST
(Newser) -
Chinese officials are so upset over panda fashions that they're vowing a new law against images of the bears, the Times reports. Fashion designer Zhao Bandi sparked their ire during China Fashion Week in Chengdu by dressing models in black and white teddies with fluffy ears. Now officials in the city—where most of China's test-tube pandas are...
Declare Fossett Dead, Wife Asks Court
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2007 7:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
The wife of Steve Fossett, who went missing in September while flying his plane over the rugged terrain of northwest Nevada, asked an Illinois court yesterday to declare him legally dead, the AP reports. If granted, the request would allow the vast estate of the millionaire adventurer to be settled, said an attorney for Peggy Fossett.
Child Porn Found in Home of Suicide DA
Dallas Morning News
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Nov 27, 2007 7:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
Texas investigators looking into the suicide of a former county district attorney found child porn in his home, reports the Dallas Morning News . He shot himself last year as a SWAT team closed in and a Dateline NBC camera crew covering internet predators waited outside. A search of laptops, a cell phone, and disks inside the home uncovered sexually...
Airbus Courts US Carriers
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2007 7:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
Airbus's first A380 superjumbo jet is making calls a long way from its home base in Toulouse, France—in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Sydney—as representatives make another push for orders for the slow-selling 555-seater. Northwest Airlines executives plan to look over the aircraft, despite having already ordered rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner,...
Abu Dhabi Bails Out Citigroup With $7.5B Deal
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2007 6:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
Staggered by the weight of subprime mortgage losses and with its stock trading at its lowest level since 2002, embattled Citigroup last night announced a $7.5 billion cash infusion from the government of Abu Dhabi, the Wall Street Journal reports. The deal strengthens Citi’s capital base and investor confidence as it faces up to $11 billion...
Oilers Keep Jackets at Bay
Edmonton Journal
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Nov 27, 2007 6:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Edmonton Oilers had plenty of practice surviving power plays last night as they committed seven of the game's 10 penalties but prevailed anyway in a 3-1 win over Columbus. For Edmonton fans, it was as good as a blowout—including this win, only four of the Oilers' 10 victories have come in regulation, reports the Edmonton Journal.
Warriors Blaze Past Suns 129-114
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2007 6:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
A 45-point first quarter for the Warriors led to a 129-114 victory over the Suns last night, restricting Phoenix's win streak to eight games and handing the resurgent Golden State its sixth win in the last seven games. Stephen Jackson beat his season high with 32 points, and Monta Ellis had 15 consecutive points to start the fourth quarter, AP reports.
70 Cops Injured in Paris Riots
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 27, 2007 6:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
More than 70 policemen were injured last night, five of them critically, as riots spread throughout the suburbs north of Paris. Teenagers burned dozens of cars, threw Molotov cocktails and fired guns at cops, the Guardian reports, in escalating anger over the death of two teens after their motorcycle collided with a police car Sunday. One officer...
With Former Spur, Kings Humble San Antonio 112-99
San Antonio Express-News
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Nov 27, 2007 6:04 AM CST
(Newser) -
Beno Udrih's career-best 8-of-12 shooting for 27 points helped his current Kings take down the defending champion Spurs, who let him go only weeks before. Tony Parker, Udrih's counterpart and former mentor, had 12 points and seven assists in Sacramento's 112-99 triumph over San Antonio, reports the Express News. In other action :
Hospital Fined for Year's Third Botched Brain Surgery
Providence Journal
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Nov 27, 2007 5:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
State health officials fined Rhode Island Hospital yesterday and ordered it to change procedures after a surgeon began operating on the wrong side of a woman's head, the Providence Journal reports. A patient died after a similar incident four months ago. Yesterday's incident is the third botched neurosurgical procedure this year at the hospital and...
Redskins Player Dies a Day After Being Shot
Washington Post
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Nov 27, 2007 5:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
Washington Redskins player Sean Taylor died this morning a day after being shot in his Miami home, the Washington Post reports. "He did not make it through the night," said his attorney. Taylor, 24, was shot in the leg yesterday in an apparent home invasion, and the bullet severed his femoral artery.
Koreas' Defense Chiefs Begin Peace Talks
CNN
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Nov 27, 2007 5:19 AM CST
(Newser) -
South Korea's defense minister is negotiating today with his North Korean counterpart in a bid to settle the nations' disputed sea border. The first talks between defense ministers in seven years aims to deepen the agreements from last month's landmark summit calling for greater peace via economic collaboration.
Troops Kill 5 on Bus Taking Workers to Baghdad Bank
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2007 4:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
Five people were killed today when US soldiers in Baghdad opened fire on a minibus carrying employees to their bank jobs, Iraqi officials reported. The shootings occurred after the bus driver drove into an area restricted to cars and known to be a Shiite militia stronghold. He drove through a US roadblock and failed to heed a warning shot, said American...
Gates Aims $100M at Polio
Chicago Tribune
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Nov 27, 2007 4:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
The world stands at the brink of eradicating polio, Bill Gates says, and his foundation yesterday awarded $100 million toward that end. One of the foundation's largest challenge grants will fund programs in four countries where the disease is still epidemic, notably Nigeria. The Rotary Foundation received the grant and will match it over the next 3...
Kids' Bones Growing Brittle
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2007 4:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
Kids today break their arms more often than children did 40 years ago, and experts say it's because their bones are getting weaker, AP reports. A lack of milk, sunshine and exercise means many children aren't building adequate bone mass, and in extreme cases are developing bone-softening rickets, the scourge of the 19th century.
Prof Who Beat Wife to Death: 'I Just Lost It'
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Nov 27, 2007 3:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
A University of Pennsylvania economics professor beat his wife to death with an exercise bar as she wrapped Christmas gifts in their home, he admitted in court yesterday. Rafael Robb, 57, was arguing with his wife about where their 12-year-old daughter would spend Christmas when he said he "just lost it."
Bush Begins Mideast Peace Bid
New York Times
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Nov 27, 2007 3:10 AM CST
(Newser) -
President Bush plunged headlong into the Middle East peace process yesterday, meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as representatives of 49 countries gathered at Annapolis for talks, the New York Times reports. “The United States cannot impose our vision but we can help facilitate," Bush...
Starchy Foods Increase Diabetes Risk
Reuters
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Nov 27, 2007 3:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
African-American and Chinese women whose diets are high in starchy foods like white rice are at bigger risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, researchers have discovered. The good news is that eating whole-grain foods can help reduce the risk, according to two studies in the Archives of Internal Medicine . As an added bonus, those foods contain magnesium,...
Lott Likely to Snare Lobby Job
MSNBC
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Nov 27, 2007 2:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
Republican Minority Whip Trent Lott is quitting the Senate—but he's probably not leaving Washington or politics for very long. The timing of Lott's departure suggests he is planning a lucrative career as a lobbyist, reports MSNBC. A resignation in 2008 would have required a two-year "timeout" before Lott could legally work as a lobbyist.
Steelers Slog Through 3-0 Win Over Miami
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2007 1:31 AM CST
(Newser) -
A lightning storm delayed Ricky Williams' return to the NFL tonight. And then, as if the Miami Dolphins didn't have enough trouble trying to avoid a "perfect" season, Williams hurt his shoulder and left the game late in the first half of his team's 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the first 3-0 game in the NFL since 1993, the Associated...
T'wolves Protect Lead For a Change
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2007 1:28 AM CST
(Newser) -
Two days after imploding against Atlanta, coughing up a 21-point lead, Minnesota protected a hot start for their second win in the season's first twelve games. Marko Jaric continued a hot streak with 21 points, and offseason pickups Sebastian Telfair and Antoine Walker added 20 and 17 in front of a quiet New Orleans crowd of 8,393.
