Newser Story Index from December, 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.

Ducks Spank South Florida in Sun Bowl, 56-21
ESPN | Dec 31, 07 9:13 PM CST
(Newser) - In a matchup of former No. 2s who then fell off the national radar, unranked Oregon upset No. 23 South Florida in the Brut Sun Bowl, 56-21. Über-smooth running back Jonathan Stewart set a Sun Bowl record with 253 yards rushing, and freshman Justin Roper had four touchdowns in the romp. In other New Year's Eve bowls:

Huckabee Tests Limits of Faith
Los Angeles Times | Dec 31, 07 7:05 PM CST
(Newser) - Mike Huckabee is banking on his deep Christian faith drawing voters to him in the presidential primaries, but that same passion has proven a liability in the past. As Arkansas governor, Huckabee made several religious molehills into mountains big enough for Moses, the LA Times reports in an examination of his tenure. Detractors called the religiosity...

Marine to Stand Trial for Iraq Killing Spree
San Diego Union-Tribune | Dec 31, 07 6:40 PM CST
(Newser) - A Marine will face court-martial for leading a bloody strike against Iraqi civilians two years ago, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Charges filed against Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich today include voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault, but a Marine commander dismissed the more severe charge of unpremeditated murder. Wuterich could face...

Fact-Checkers Set Sights on Campaign Fibs
Washington Post | Dec 31, 07 6:11 PM CST
(Newser) - Did Mitt Romney really see his father march with Martin Luther King Jr.? Did the US Constitution truly spark a "Christian nation," as John McCain asserts? Is Barack Obama right when he says more young black males are in prison than college? The answer is no to all three, and many more campaign-trail assertions, reports the Washington Post...

Laughing Tots Make TV Debut
Slate | Dec 31, 07 5:34 PM CST
(Newser) - Babies with belly-laughs are the darlings of YouTube—one video has been seen by more than 35 million viewers—and now AIG is deploying them to sell financial instruments. Slate finds the AIG giggling-baby campaign instructive of what works and what doesn't in adapting YouTube videos to TV. For one thing, the ad co-opts a whole genre, not...

Declines in Home Prices Could Triple
Times (UK) | Dec 31, 07 5:00 PM CST
(Newser) - A top economist says the US is in danger of slipping into a lengthy recession, the Times of London reports. Robert Shiller, who co-developed the index that measures home prices, says losses from the housing recession could triple over the next few years. “This is a much bigger issue than subprime,” Shiller says. “We are talking...

Indians Pray to the 'Visa God'
Wall Street Journal | Dec 31, 07 4:40 PM CST
(Newser) - Every week, 100,000 worshipers converge on a temple in Hyderabad, India, that honors a local incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. But the faithful aren’t praying for good health or fortune: They seek visas to the US and other Western countries, and the deity they’re praying to is known as the Visa God, the Wall Street Journal reports. 

New Web Trend Sparks David vs. Goliath 2.0
Wired | Dec 31, 07 4:14 PM CST
(Newser) - Some call it “scraping,” others call it “importing.” Either way, it’s a controversial process pitting independent software developers against the titans of the cyber world: Techies compile, or scrape, loads of data from search engines and social networking sites and pool the data on their own websites, Wired reports....

Markets Sink, But '07 Sees Gains
MarketWatch | Dec 31, 07 3:54 PM CST
(Newser) - The markets took a tumble today, trimming but not eliminating yearly gains, MarketWatch reports. The Nasdaq, benefiting from its relative insulation from the housing crisis, rose 9.8% in 2007, although it fell 22.18 points today to end at 2,652.28. The Dow fell 101.05 to close at 13,264.82, a yearly gain of 6.4%, and the S&P 500 fell 10.13 to 1,468.36,...

Would-Be Ford Assassin Goes Free
CNN | Dec 31, 07 3:37 PM CST
(Newser) - One of the two women who attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975 was released today from a federal prison outside San Francisco, CNN reports. Sara Jane Moore was sentenced to life in prison after firing one shot at Ford outside the St. Francis Hotel on September 22, 1975. It was the second attempt on Ford’s life in 17 days.

Harvard Offers Middle-Class Parents Help*
Boston Globe | Dec 31, 07 3:20 PM CST
(Newser) - Generosity isn't what's fueling Harvard’s new $22 million giveaway to the middle class—it’s greed, educational consultant Steven Roy Goodman writes in the Boston Globe. Harvard’s giving the extra financial aid as a PR move, hoping to squash brewing legislation that would force universities to spend 5% of their endowments each...

A-Listers Don't Want to Be Like Mike
Hollywood Reporter | Dec 31, 07 3:00 PM CST
(Newser) - Mike Huckabee will be Jay Leno’s first guest when the “Tonight Show" resumes for the first time since the writers strike began last month, the Hollywood Reporter says. The Republican presidential candidate will enjoy the spotlight on Wednesday, the eve of the Iowa caucuses. The late-night talkers have been scrambling to book guests...

'08's Ball Brightest in 100 Years
New York Times | Dec 31, 07 2:41 PM CST
(Newser) - The ball you watch drop in Times Square at midnight will be twice as bright as any of its predecessors, the New York Times reports, to celebrate its 100th anniversary. The first ball rang in 1908 with 216 light bulbs stuck to its 5-foot iron frame. Tonight, 1,200 pounds of crystal, aluminum, and LEDs will shine 30,000 watts across the crossroads...

Police Stopped Bhutto Autopsy: Hospital Rep
CNN | Dec 31, 07 2:25 PM CST
(Newser) - The Rawalpindi police chief prevented doctors from performing an autopsy on Benazir Bhutto, according to an open letter issued today by a representative of the hospital where she died. Chief Aziz Saud invoked the investigators' “exclusive responsibility,” CNN reports, but Saud says Bhutto's husband objected. The lack of an autopsy allows...

Chelsea's Lips Are Sealed
Associated Press | Dec 31, 07 2:05 PM CST
(Newser) - Chelsea Clinton has strictly maintained press silence while campaigning with her mom in Iowa, turning down even a “kid reporter” for the Scholastic News, the AP reports. "I'm sorry,” Chelsea told the 9-year-old yesterday, “I don't talk to the press and that applies to you, unfortunately. Even though I think you're cute."

Jamie Lynn's Beau May Not Be Baby Daddy
New York Post | Dec 31, 07 1:43 PM CST
(Newser) - Jamie Lynn Spears’ longtime beau may not be the father of her unborn child, PageSix.com reports. A “family insider” says the 16-year-old won’t reveal the father’s name, and friends and family don’t remember Spears and Casey Aldridge dating as seriously as she says. “Jamie Lynn went through a time of partying,...

Iran's Power Structure Baffles
Los Angeles Times | Dec 31, 07 1:25 PM CST
(Newser) - Since Iran’s autocratic shah fell in 1979, the question “Who runs Iran?” has stumped Western analysts. “Who doesn’t?” may be easier to grasp, reports the Los Angeles Times. Iran’s government has morphed into a free-for-all that includes the Shiite Muslim clergy, an entrenched bureaucracy, and an array of...

New Magazine Gives Voice to the Past
New York Times | Dec 31, 07 1:05 PM CST
(Newser) - After 30 years editing the high-brow Harper’s Magazine , Lewis Lapham has started his own, even higher-brow rag, appropriately titled Lapham’s Quarterly . Each issue focuses on a single topic, and then employs some heavy-hitting—and mostly dead—writers. Think Tolstoy, Lenin, or Thucydides. Lapham says he’s trying to...

Home Resales See Small Surprise Rise
Bloomberg | Dec 31, 07 12:48 PM CST
(Newser) - Existing-home sales rose unexpectedly in November, although not enough to suggest that the economy is over the housing slump, Bloomberg reports. Resales rose 0.4% to an annual rate of 5 million, up from October’s record-low pace, but the year-over-year figure represents a 20% drop. The median price dropped 3.3% relative to November 2006, to $210,200.

Food Police Extend Reach to Canada
Globe and Mail | Dec 31, 07 12:33 PM CST
(Newser) - America’s war on trans fats has spread to Canada, where tomorrow Calgary will become the first city to regulate their use. Restaurants will be banned from cooking with ingredients or serving foods containing more than 2% trans fat in total fat content. Some restaurants currently offer food with trans fat levels as high as 42%, the Globe and...

Rolls-Royce Sales Skyrocket
Times (UK) | Dec 31, 07 12:15 PM CST
(Newser) - The credit crunch is squeezing home sales, but Rolls-Royce sales were up in 2007. The manufacturer of the iconic Phantom (base price $403,000) is expected to announce growth of nearly 25%, reports the London Times . The standard-bearer of luxury cars, purchased by German automaker BMW in 2003, rolled out a sportier, two-door convertible version of...

'Skins End Season of Loss in Playoffs
CBS News | Dec 31, 07 11:50 AM CST
(Newser) - After dropping four games in a row and losing murdered teammate Sean Taylor, the Washington Redskins looked all but done for the season. Starting QB Jason Campbell was injured, other players were distracted by family issues, and coach Joe Gibbs made a rookie-level slipup that cost his team a game. Yet here the Redskins are, poised for the playoffs,...

What's Bill Doing in This Picture?
Politico | Dec 31, 07 11:25 AM CST
(Newser) - Once, Hillary Clinton wanted to keep Bill and his baggage tucked safely in the backseat. Now, as panic takes hold in Iowa, she's set him loose, the latest swerve in a "herky-jerky" campaign that has hopped from strategy to strategy, writes the Politico’s Elizabeth Drew in an analysis of the campaign that once looked "inevitable."...

Subprime Lender Lobbying Foiled Safeguards
Wall Street Journal | Dec 31, 07 10:59 AM CST
(Newser) - Subprime giant Ameriquest spent more than $20 million on political donations from 2002 to 2006 to successfully lobby against lending restrictions meant to protect borrowers, reports the Wall Street Journal. Though the company spent millions at the national level, its focus was local, where regulators were cracking down on predatory lending. Countrywide,...

Falcons Win, Keep No. 3 Draft Pick
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Dec 31, 07 10:59 AM CST
(Newser) - Miami will choose first in the 2008 NFL draft—of that there wasn't any doubt. After the Rams make the second selection, the honors will go to the Falcons, who won a series of tiebreakers meant to loosen the knot of four teams tied for the third-worst record, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The full list of the top (or bottom) eight...

Knut Goes Hollywood
Der Spiegel | Dec 31, 07 10:34 AM CST
(Newser) - The Berlin Zoo is about to make even more money off Knut, the once-adorable and now rather large polar bear cub raised by keepers from infancy after his mother rejected him. Hollywood is hoping to make an animated movie about Knut and his keeper Thomas Dörflein, and is ready to dole out $5 million (3.5 million euros) for the rights, Der Spiegel...

K-Fed's Pit-Bull Lawyer Can't Wait to Grill Brit
People | Dec 31, 07 10:15 AM CST
(Newser) - Kevin Federline's lawyer is looking forward to deposing Britney Spears in their ongoing custody case in early 2008, People magazine reports. The singer's court date was pushed back when she missed a deposition December 12, citing illness and anxiety, moving Mark Vincent Kaplan to snark: "She was out later that day and night. It's not fourth...

Yuan-Dollar Battle Continues
Wall Street Journal | Dec 31, 07 9:50 AM CST
(Newser) - Despite the yuan's continued appreciation against the dollar this year, at nearly 7%—double its growth in 2006—critics say the currency needs to adjust even higher to balance China's trade surplus, reports the Wall Street Journal. In the US, China’s economic strength has become a standard concern on the presidential campaign trail...

Americans Drive Cycle of Auto Debt
Los Angeles Times | Dec 31, 07 9:25 AM CST
(Newser) - More and more Americans are entering a cycle of larger, longer, and far riskier auto loans, raising the possibility of a debt crisis similar to the one that has hit the housing market. The Los Angeles Times explores the increasing trend of trading in a used car for a new one—and rolling together old debt and new.

Ski With the Best of Them
Budget Travel | Dec 31, 07 9:00 AM CST
(Newser) - Even if you're a black diamond expert, these tips from Budget Travel can make your next trip more enjoyable: Get in shape. Yoga is especially good for working the whole body. Most airlines will allow you to count a ski bag as one of your checked bags. Avoid dealing with tire chains: Reserve a vehicle with four-wheel drive or snow...

Terror Threat Douses Brussels Fireworks
BBC | Dec 31, 07 8:30 AM CST
(Newser) - Brussels has canceled or cut short many of its traditional New Year's Eve events, saying the terror threat level is still too high to permit large gatherings. Last week, Belgian police arrested—and released on lack of evidence—14 people accused of plotting to break a convicted terrorist out of prison.

Pakistan Vote to Be Delayed at Least 4 Weeks
AFP | Dec 31, 07 8:05 AM CST
(Newser) - Pakistan's January 8 election will be postponed by at least 4 weeks, "if not more," because of violence in the wake of Benazir Bhutto's assassination, election officials tell AFP. The election commission recommended a delay, but won't specify a date until tomorrow. Bhutto's party opposes postponement on grounds that a delay would help opponents...

Post-Election Rioting Kills 124 in Kenya
Reuters | Dec 31, 07 7:23 AM CST
(Newser) - At least 124 have died in rioting that escalated across Kenya today in anger over president Mwai Kibaki's  disputed re-election victory. Police fired live ammunition at protesters, who threw stones, wielded machetes and burned cars and buses. Supporters of opposition candidate Ralia Odinga, who led in the vote count until the last minute, say...

Pregnancies Outsourced to India
Associated Press | Dec 31, 07 6:54 AM CST
(Newser) - A town in India, where more than 50 women are currently pregnant with the children of Western couples, has hatched a booming industry in commercial surrogacy, dubbed "wombs for rent." The women in Anand have been impregnated with the sperm and eggs of US, British and other couples unable to conceive—and are paid more than many of them...

Edwards Knuckles Up for Iowa Caucus
Washington Post | Dec 31, 07 6:08 AM CST
(Newser) - Presidential hopeful John Edwards is intensifying his angry populist rhetoric in a final push to capitalize on his increasing support in Iowa as the caucus closes in, the Washington Post reports. Four years ago Edwards grabbed a surprising second place in Iowa. But his message this time around is far less sunny, and he's casting himself as someone...

Bills GM Levy to Resign
Buffalo News | Dec 31, 07 5:52 AM CST
(Newser) - Following a 17-9 season-ending loss to the Eagles yesterday, 82-year-old general manager Marv Levy, formerly the winningest coach in Bills' history, will be stepping down after two years on the job, the Buffalo News reports. An official announcement is expected by the end of the week.

Bhutto Slumped as Shots Rang Out: Video
CNN | Dec 31, 07 5:28 AM CST
(Newser) - Newly released videotape of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto bolsters Bhutto's supporters' claim that the Pakistani opposition leader was killed by gunshot wounds and not—as the government insists—by hitting her head on her car sunroof when a bomb exploded. The video shows Bhutto slumping forward after gunshots ring out and before the...

Essay Liar Loses Hannah Montana Tickets
Dallas Morning News | Dec 31, 07 5:18 AM CST
(Newser) - A 6-year-old Texas girl's heart-wrenching essay that began "my daddy died this year in Iraq" won a trip and tickets for four to the upcoming sold-out Hannah Montana concert. But the essay was a lie, and the prize has been withdrawn, reports the Dallas Morning News . The girl's father wasn't killed in Iraq.

SF Zoo Boss Comes Under Fire
San Francisco Chronicle | Dec 31, 07 5:02 AM CST
(Newser) - The tiger escape that resulted in the death of a teenage boy at the San Francisco Zoo on Christmas Day has unleashed a rash of staff complaints about long-term mismanagement of the institution by director Manuel Mollinedo, reports the San Francisco Chronicle . Employees are leaving in droves, animals are dying, and zookeepers are being injured by...

NY Comes Back to Beat Montreal in Overtime 4-3
National Post (Canada) | Dec 31, 07 4:47 AM CST
(Newser) - A night after winning with an astonishing five power-play goals, the Rangers roared back against the Canadiens to win in overtime, 4-3. Goalkeep Cristobal Huet faced just one shot in the second period, but let in an equalizing Chris Drury rebound with five minutes left in regulation, then Brendan Shanahan's gamewinner just a minute into the extra frame....

Feds Seek Passengers on TB Jet
USA Today | Dec 31, 07 4:43 AM CST
(Newser) - Federal health officials are searching for passengers and crew who may have been exposed to a rare and potentially deadly form of drug resistant tuberculosis on an American Airlines flight from India. A 30-year-old Nepalese woman, diagnosed with the disease, flew from New Delhi to San Francisco via Chicago on December 13, reports USA Today .

Titans Fell Colts as Starters Sit
Indianapolis Star | Dec 31, 07 4:41 AM CST
(Newser) - Colts stars Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne played long enough last night to cement individual benchmarks for the season, and no more, the Indianapolis Star reports. In a game of little consequence to Indianapolis, and everything at stake for Tennessee, the Titans pulled out a 16-10 win, earning the AFC's sixth and final playoff spot.

Sarkozy Breaks Off Syria Talks
Independent (UK) | Dec 31, 07 4:30 AM CST
(Newser) - France has lost patience with Syria and has cut off mediation talks until Damascus stops obstructing the election of a new president in Lebanon, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced yesterday. Lebanon has been without a president since November and the Syrian-backed parliamentary opposition has been accused of blocking the election of a new...

Theft of Personal Data Hits Record
Associated Press | Dec 31, 07 4:10 AM CST
(Newser) - Theft of sensitive personal data such as Social Security and credit card information from corporations, government offices and other institutions hit a record this year, reports AP. One survey found 79 million records compromised in the US—nearly four times as many reported in 2006. Another study cited over 162 million data breaches worldwide...

Pats/Giants Net Most Viewers Since '95
Hollywood Reporter | Dec 31, 07 4:04 AM CST
(Newser) - The Patriots' final step to an undefeated regular season—Saturday's victory over the Giants—attracted an estimated 34.5 million viewers, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The tally is the largest the NFL has managed since the 1995 Chiefs-Cowboys Thanksgiving game. The millions were divided among CBS and NBC, who were granted last...

Warriors Win 105-95 Battle in Denver
Rocky Mountain News | Dec 31, 07 3:54 AM CST
(Newser) - Golden State put a halt to a three-game Nuggets win streak with a 105-95 performance that starred Baron Davis with 28 points and Stephen Jackson with 23. Denver looked poised to come back from behind in the third quarter, but a cold game from Allen Iverson and hot Warriors' shooting sealed the result.  In other year-end NBA action:

Bloggers Blast Government Version of Bhutto Death
AFP | Dec 31, 07 3:49 AM CST
(Newser) - Pakistan's political blogging community is expressing extreme skepticism about government statements as to how former prime minister Benazir Bhutto died in last week's assassination attack. The government is claiming Bhutto died after hitting her head on her car’s sunroof in the bomb attack, but the theory is widely disputed, particularly by...

Lakers Short of the Mark
Los Angeles Times | Dec 31, 07 3:19 AM CST
(Newser) - Throwback short shorts and jerseys did not provide enough mojo last night for LA to overcome the Celtics, whose Big Three dominated proceedings in a 110-91 beating, the Los Angeles Times reports. Boston's Paul Pierce had a game high 33 points, leading the Celtics to a season sweep of their western rivals, and snapping a five game Laker winning streak.

On 7th Day, They Campaigned
McClatchy Newspapers | Dec 31, 07 3:15 AM CST
(Newser) - With four days of campaigning left in Iowa, leading White House hopefuls skipped church services and attended another weekend ritual—Sunday political talk shows. GOP frontrunner Mike Huckabee missed a service at the Cornerstone Family Church to appear on NBC, and Hillary Clinton arrived late and slipped out early at a Des Moines Baptist church...

Panthers Send Testaverde Out With a Win
Associated Press | Dec 30, 07 9:44 PM CST
(Newser) - Vinny Testaverde ended his pro football career where it began—in Tampa—taking the final snap of Carolina's 31-23 meaningless win over the Buccaneers. The Panthers took advantage of Tampa resting seven starters in preparation for next week's playoff game against the New York Giants. Leaving the field, Testaverde hugged his wife and said...