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.
Merrill Lynch Seeking $5B Cash From Singapore
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 21, 2007 7:49 AM CST
(Newser) -
Facing a fourth-quarter writedown of an estimated $8 billion in subprime paper, Merrill Lynch is negotiating with Singapore’s state-owned investment fund Temasek Holdings for a $5-billion cash infusion, the Wall Street Journal reports. If the deal goes through, Merrill would join several other Western financial institutions bailed out by Asian...
Japan Backs Down on Whaling
AFP
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Dec 21, 2007 7:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
In its first-ever turnaround on whaling, the Japanese government has dropped its plans to hunt humpbacks. The about-face is a victory for Kevin Rudd, the new Australian prime minister, who had objected strenuously and ordered a patrol of the humpback hunt. Tokyo said, however, that the fleet currently en route to the Antarctic Ocean will hunt almost...
Alleged French Kidnappers Go on Trial in Chad
BBC
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Dec 21, 2007 7:21 AM CST
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Six French citizens accused of the attempted kidnapping of 103 children have gone on trial in the Chadian capital of N'Djamena, in a courtroom surrounded by riot police and packed with journalists. The members of the Zoe's Ark charity, who claim that the children were orphans from Darfur whom they were taking to foster families in France, have gone...
Governator to Sue Feds Over Emissions
CNN
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Dec 21, 2007 6:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
Arnold Schwarzenegger will sue the federal government after the EPA denied California a waiver that would have allowed the state to cut greenhouse gas emissions in vehicles faster than federal mandates. The California plan would raise fuel efficiency standards to 43.7mpg by 2016; the federal plan 40mpg by 2020. Sixteen other states had signed up to...
NetSuite IPO Brings Market Early Christmas Gift
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 21, 2007 6:19 AM CST
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Online software provider NetSuite reminded Wall Street of the good old days yesterday as the year’s final IPO scored a 36.5% increase over its opening price, reaching $35.50 by the NYSE closing bell, reports the Wall Street Journal . The company, backed by Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, in the last week doubled its target price from near $13 to $26.
Steelers Win Pyrrhic Victory
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Dec 21, 2007 6:18 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Steelers earned their tenth victory of the season, beating St. Louis 41-24, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. The victory, which will ensure Pittsburgh a place in the playoffs with a Brown loss on Sunday, came at a heavy cost, as league leading rusher Willie Parker suffered a broken leg on only the second play from scrimmage.
Families Blast N. Ireland Bomb Acquittal
Telegraph (UK)
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Dec 21, 2007 5:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
Furious families of victims have slammed provincial police and called for an inquiry a day after the acquittal of a man charged with the worst terror attack in Northern Ireland history. Sean Hoey was cleared of 56 counts of murder and terrorist charges stemming from the 1998 Omagh bombing. The trial judge blasted the police for "reprehensible"...
She's Dead, Suspect Said in Chat
CNN
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Dec 21, 2007 5:00 AM CST
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Though the case has been closed in the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway, one of the men detained in her suspected murder wrote in an internet chat room that she was dead shortly after she vanished, an Aruba prosecutor has revealed. That evidence was used last month to rearrest three suspects in the Alabama high school student's disappearance....
House Subpoenas Top Ex-Spy
New York Times
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Dec 21, 2007 4:20 AM CST
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The former head of the CIA's clandestine service has been subpoenaed to testify about the destruction of videotapes of the harsh interrogations of two al-Qaeda suspects. The subpoena for Jose Rodriguez was issued after the House Intelligence Committee staff studied documents on the interrogations that the CIA had surrendered to the panel. Rodriguez...
SEC Probes WaMu Home Loans
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 21, 2007 4:06 AM CST
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Washington Mutual, one of America's largest mortgage lenders and the biggest savings and loan in the nation, is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, reports the Wall Street Journal . Regulators suspect some WaMu mortgages were based on inflated appraisals. WaMu, bloodied by the subprime mortgage crisis, lost $348 million...
Scientists to Test Promising New Theory on Cancer
New York Times
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Dec 21, 2007 4:00 AM CST
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Cancer researchers are poised to begin what could be a revolutionary approach to treating cancer, the New York Times reports. Instead of trying to destroy tumors, scientists at three leading medical centers will go after cancerous stem cells that feed the tumors. The controversial approach—not all scientists buy the notion of such stem cells—could...
Utah Tops Navy in Wild Bowl
Associated Press
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Dec 21, 2007 3:32 AM CST
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Despite an exhilarating final push, the Midshipmen were held off by Utah in a 35-32 victory in last night's Poinsettia bowl, the AP reports. Navy certainly made it close, bringing the score within 3 with less than a minute to play, and successfully recovering their ensuing onside kick. However, Navy QB Kaheaku-Enhada was picked off to give Utah the...
Bloody Pakistan Mosque Blast
Reuters
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Dec 21, 2007 3:10 AM CST
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A suicide bomber has killed at least 50 people praying in a mosque in northwestern Pakistan. The bomber blew himself up in the middle of a crowd saying Eid prayers. Former interior minister Aftab Sherpao is believed to have been the target, and reportedly survived the attack. An attempt on his life in April killed 28.
BlackBerry Maker On a Sales Roll
CNN
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Dec 21, 2007 12:26 AM CST
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Blackberry maker Research in Motion is seeing its sales and profits soar, CNN reports. Third-quarter results show revenue has doubled from a year ago and the Canadian company looks set to end the year on a high. Much of the growth is credited to Blackberry use expanding beyond its corporate base and into the hands of mainstream consumers.
Players Won't Testify at Congressional Hearings
ESPN
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Dec 21, 2007 12:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
A newly released report suggests that the only MLB personnel expected at the Jan.15th congressional hearings will be Bud Selig and Donald Fehr, ESPN reported last night. The 86 players named in Senator Mitchell's investigation are likely to be under no obligation to speak before the committee, and Rep. Tom Davis warned that to do so might risk accusations...
Pens Escape Boston With 5-4 Shootout Win
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Dec 21, 2007 12:01 AM CST
(Newser) -
Sidney Crosby and his Penguins jumped out to a 4-0 lead by the middle of the second period, frittered it all away during the rest of regulation, then hung on to win the shootout on a typically wacky night in Boston. Pittsburgh goalie Ty Conklin had 39 saves and stopped both shootout attempts in the win. Also in hockey:
Standardization Stifling Change: Web Designers
Wired
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Dec 20, 2007 11:56 PM CST
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The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has been the Web's governing body since the "Wild West" days of the mid-90s. It helped end the Netscape/Explorer "browser wars", but Web designers today are worried that the body's standards management process has slowed the pace of change down to dial-up speed, Wired reports.
Pitt Stays Perfect; Duke Doesn't
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 11:46 PM CST
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A Madison Square Garden matchup between two 10-0 teams lived up to its billing, as #11 Pittsburgh beat #6 Duke in overtime, 65-64, on Levance Fields's three-pointer with four seconds remaining. The Panthers had clawed their way back from a 12-point halftime deficit, outrebounding the Blue Devils 34-20 following the intermission.
Gaborik's Historic Night Levels Rangers
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 11:37 PM CST
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Marion Gaborik was carried off the ice after scoring five goals last night, as Minnesota battered the Rangers 6-3, the AP reports. The last player to manage such an offensive bombardment in regulation was Mario Lemieux, eleven years ago. The loss continues the Rangers slump, in which they have won two of their last eight games. In other...
Closer's Canine Eats Historic Baseball
ESPN
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Dec 20, 2007 9:21 PM CST
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The mystery location of the ball that served the final out of the 2007 World Series has been solved—it's all over Jonathan Papelbon's house, ESPN reports. "My dog ate it," said the Red Sox closer of the ball used to strike out Colorado's Seth Smith . "He jumped up one day on the counter and snatched it. He tore that thing to pieces."
Asteroid On Path to Smash Mars
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 20, 2007 8:17 PM CST
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A big asteroid has a decent chance of blasting into Mars next month with potentially devastating consequences for the Red Planet, the LA Times reports. Back on earth, meanwhile, astronomers say that being able to watch an asteroid impact for the first time would be a "scientific bonanza." The potential date is Jan. 30.
Teenagers Still Addicted to POTS
USA Today
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Dec 20, 2007 7:39 PM CST
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Internet use among teenagers continues to rise—93% of teens have some sort of access, and 64% contribute some kind of content on a regular basis. But, despite the proliferation of cell phones and a myriad of bleeding-edge choices, the No.1 communications tool for teens remains the land line, USA Today reports, citing a Pew Internet Project...
Stewart's Daily Show to Return
Hollywood Reporter
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Dec 20, 2007 6:57 PM CST
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Jon Stewart fans can rejoice. His Daily Show will return to the air Jan. 7, along with the Colbert Report , says the Hollywood Reporter . The two Comedy Central shows will return five days after Leno, Conan, and Jimmy Kimmel do the same, despite the writers' strike. Stewart and Colbert may be at a disadvantage because their shows rely more on writers...
Spy Satellite Charter May Calm Privacy Fears
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 20, 2007 6:57 PM CST
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A federal satellite-surveillance program will move one step closer to reality this week with the expected release of its new charter, the Wall Street Journal reports. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who is spearheading the project, will also reveal plans for a $15 billion program to protect the country’s Internet infrastructure....
The Last Muscle Car?
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 6:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
GM will unveil the latest version of the Corvette at the Detroit auto show next month in all its supercharged, performance-car glory. But the 2009 Corvette ZR1 may actually be the last of an endangered breed—the Detroit muscle car. The new energy bill, with its stricter fuel economy standards, could make such models obsolete, the AP reports.
Va. Tech to Turn Shooting Site into Peace Studies Center
Washington Post
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Dec 20, 2007 6:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
Virginia Tech's Norris Hall will soon house the university's new Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention, in an effort to keep alive the memory of those who died in that building during the April 16 massacre. School officials announced the plan today, after a several months-long deliberation about how to use the massive, 4,300 square foot...
Rudy Released From Hospital in St. Louis
New York Times
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Dec 20, 2007 6:13 PM CST
(Newser) -
Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani left a St. Louis hospital in "high spirits" today after spending the night there with flu-like symptoms, the New York Times reports. The GOP candidate started feeling sick while campaigning yesterday; shortly after his plane took off for New York, his condition deteriorated. After consultation with his...
Dems Finish Frustrating Year in DC
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 20, 2007 5:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
Democrats are leaving Washington with a decidedly unsatisfactory taste in their mouths after their first year back in charge of Congress in more than a decade, the LA Times reports. Though they can count successes with the energy bill, the minimum wage, and ethics reforms, they failed to put a timetable on the Iraqi war and conceded on a raft of...
Syphilis Makes a Surprise Comeback
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 5:34 PM CST
(Newser) -
Syphilis, the sexual scourge of the 19th century, was all but vanquished in Europe in the fifties. But it's making a comeback, with 2006 UK infection rates 10 times what they were a decade earlier, and other nations boasting similar stats. Health officials blame the upsurge on the rise of online dating sites and "safe sex fatigue" after the...
Best Places to Educate Children
Forbes
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Dec 20, 2007 5:31 PM CST
(Newser) -
Wondering where’s the best place to educate your children? Compiling scores from various criteria--strength of the public school system, options for private schools, library popularity, the abundance of higher-learning institutions—Forbes magazine made a list of the best educational environments. Here’s the top ten: Washington,...
Chocolate Makers Face Sticky Probe
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 20, 2007 5:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
Following a similar investigation in Canada last month, the Justice Department has launched a probe into possible price-fixing in the US chocolate industry. The suspects form a rich, creamy lineup: M&M maker Mars acknowledged it has been contacted by the DOJ, the Wall Street Journal reports. Nestle, too, says it is aware of the investigation...
NCAA Puts Limits on Live Blog Coverage
Techdirt
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Dec 20, 2007 5:15 PM CST
(Newser) -
The NCAA has set new rules for live-blogging of sporting events, limiting the amount of times a blogger can post new information during a game in an effort to fight a perceived simulacrum of re-broadcasting, Techdirt reports. The new rules are a compromise after an incident in June when a live blogger was ejected from a college baseball game.
How to Make Kids $$$$ Savvy
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 20, 2007 5:06 PM CST
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It's never too early to get savvy about money. The Journal 's Jonathan Clements explains how he's put his teens on the right track. Delayed gratification: When they spend their own cash, they make better decisions. Pace yourself: The Clements kids had to make a 3-month allowance last. Family values: Stories, not lectures, get the...
Toasting the Holidays, the Green Way
MSNBC
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Dec 20, 2007 5:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
This holiday season, you can drink responsibly, at least when it comes to the environment. Organic spirits, beers, and wines are the new growth sector of the industry, as consumers are increasingly on the look-out for green alternatives, MSNBC reports. But while an organic pint may not contain chemical preservatives or pesticides, it's pricey - and...
Boat Slayings Suspect Blabs in Prison
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 4:52 PM CST
(Newser) -
A jailhouse confession could doom two suspects in the murder of four people in the Joe Cool fishing boat case, the AP reports. A fellow inmate says suspect Guillermo Zarabozo came clean about the September killings, claiming that accomplice Kirby Archer shot the victims and that Zarabozo dumped the bodies overboard. The killings came after the boat's...
Big Easy Protest Turns Rough
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 4:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
Police used pepper spray and stun guns on protesters in New Orleans attempting to push their way into a City Council meeting over the impending demolition of 4,500 public housing units damaged by Katrina. Local activists oppose HUD's push to raze the houses to make room for mixed-income neighborhoods. "Is this what democracy looks like?"...
Uninsured Cancer Patients Die More Often
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 4:26 PM CST
(Newser) -
Cancer patients without health insurance are 1.6 times more likely to die within five years of diagnosis than the insured, the AP reports. A new study by the American Cancer Society examined records for 600,000 patients under 65 in 1,500 US hospitals and found that 35% of the uninsured were dead after five years, whereas only 23% of those with private...
Markets Rise on Tech Rally
MarketWatch
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Dec 20, 2007 4:14 PM CST
(Newser) -
Sharply higher earnings and a bullish forecast from software giant Oracle kicked off a market rally this morning, but fears about the financial sector continued as Bear Stearns reported its first-ever (and steeper than expected) loss. Another late rally boosted the tech-rich Nasdaq 39.85 points to 2,640.86; the Dow finished up 38.37 points, at 13,245.64,...
Spector Still Wants His $1M Back
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 20, 2007 4:03 PM CST
(Newser) -
As the state of California cranks up a second murder trial for Phil Spector, the producer is suing his first attorney for the $1-million non-refundable retainer he paid after his 2003 arrest in the death of actress Lana Clarkson. Spector claims that Robert Shapiro conned him into handing over the cash soon after he left jail, when he was stressed and...
Apple Crushes News Leak Website
DailyTech
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Dec 20, 2007 4:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
After seven years publishing sneak previews on all things Apple, website Think Secret has been run out of the water by its biggest target. While die-hard Apple-pickers flocked to the site for breaking news on updates and upcoming software, Apple found the site a nuisance, and launched a lawsuit in 2005 targetting it for leaking trade secrets, DailyTech...
Big Tuna Will Join Sorry Fish
Miami Herald
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Dec 20, 2007 3:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Bill Parcells is set to run the Dolphins' football operations for the next four years. The legendary coach appeared to be on the verge yesterday of signing a contract with the Atlanta Falcons, but he changed his mind when Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga approached him with an offer, and said he had no plans to sell the Miami team. Parcells will report...
Teens Kill 7-Year-Old With Mortal Kombat Moves
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 3:40 PM CST
(Newser) -
A 16-year-old girl and her boyfriend beat to death her little sister while imitating moves from the Mortal Kombat video game, Colorado police say. Heather Trujillo and Lamar Roberts, 17, kicked, punched, and body-slammed 7-year-old Zoe Garcia until she was unconscious, CNN reports. They have been charged as adults with felony child abuse.
101 Starters in 20 Minutes
New York Times
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Dec 20, 2007 3:15 PM CST
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Need to impress guests on short notice? The Times ' Mark Bittman has some appetizers suggestions—101 of them, to be exact. A sampling: Put crisp apple and pickled herring on rye flatbread Cover bruschetta with well-cooked broccoli rabe tossed with minced garlic and oil. Tuscan beans optional Spear cubes of just-ripe pears...
Tancredo Throws in Towel
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 3:03 PM CST
(Newser) -
Republican hopeful Tom Tancredo abandoned his long-shot bid for the presidency this afternoon, reports the AP, and in turn gave his endorsement to rival Mitt Romney. The Colorado congressman has been pushing his hardline views on illegal immigration throughout the campaign but hasn't been able to get his poll numbers into double digits.
Worker Axed Over Dilbert Zinger
Des Moines Register
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Dec 20, 2007 2:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
Bosses at the Catfish Bend Casino in Iowa suffered a sense of humor failure after a Dilbert cartoon referring to decision-makers as "drunken lemurs" appeared on a workplace bulletin board. They checked the security cameras to find the culprit and fired the employee who posted the strip, reports the Des Moines Registe r.
Congress Must Restore College Birth-Control Discounts
Slate
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Dec 20, 2007 2:41 PM CST
(Newser) -
With Congress sprinting toward its holiday recess, Slate’s Amanda Schaffer urges legislators to correct a 2005 omission that has made birth-control pills much more expensive for college women. With heavily funded federal abstinence programs doing little and teen birth rates back on the rise, now's not the time to make it tougher for college women...
McCain’s 'All-In' NH Strategy
Salon
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Dec 20, 2007 2:32 PM CST
(Newser) -
His maverick days over, John McCain is making his last stand as presidential timber in New Hampshire, the first-in-the-nation primary he won in 2000 only to get bulldozed by George W. Bush. McCain is banking on big Granite State momentum to set off a financial and popularity surge in Michigan, South Carolina, and beyond, Salon says.
Hollywood Is 'Like Al-Qaeda,' Says Everett
Times (UK)
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Dec 20, 2007 2:24 PM CST
(Newser) -
The fact that Jodie Foster finally came out of the closet last week doesn't mean Hollywood is getting more tolerant of gay actors, British actor Rupert Everett fumed in an interview in the Times of London. "It's the opposite," he said. "She is 45 and she just couldn't be bothered anymore. Before that it would have killed her career."...
Dissed in New York, Painting Thrives in LA
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 2:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
Is American painting dead? For the art critic of the Los Angeles Times , it's a question only a New Yorker could ask. In LA painting has been the dominant medium for more than half a century, as a new exhibition, Birth of the Cool , makes clear. From pioneers like Ed Ruscha and John McLaughlin to a younger generation showing in the city's Chinatown,...
Earliest Whale Ancestor a Deer?
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 20, 2007 1:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
Quick: What's the the whale's earliest-known ancestor? Wrong. It may not have been Bambi, but it was a deer about the size of a domestic cat, the Guardian reports. Fossil hunters have named the small deer-like animal that waded in lagoons and munched on vegetation Indohyus. It lived 48 million years ago, and it's thought to be the "missing link" ...
