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.
Nursing Homes Fight Drug Addiction
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 20, 2007 1:30 PM CST
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Despite known dangers—including an increased risk of death—the use of anti-psychotic drugs to control elderly dementia patients has surged, to an estimated 30% of all nursing home residents. Under pressure to cut back, some homes are experimenting with alternatives, like letting distraught patients do what they want to calm down instead...
Zell Seals $8.2B Tribune Deal
Chicago Tribune
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Dec 20, 2007 1:16 PM CST
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Billionaire Sam Zell today sealed his bid to buy Tribune Co., proving wrong all Wall Street naysayers since his original $8.2 billion offer last April. Zell steps in as CEO and chairman, and promises sweeping reforms to the way the now-private media conglomerate will be run, the Chicago Tribune reports. "You call it CEO and I'll call it owner,"...
Iran Cracks Down on the 'Un-Islamic'
Christian Science Monitor
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Dec 20, 2007 1:09 PM CST
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Iran is engaged in its most serious crackdown on "un-Islamic" behavior in years, the Christian Science Monitor reports, with masked police rounding up and humiliating everyone from drug dealers to immodestly dressed women. But the impulse for the crackdown isn't Islamic conservatism, the paper concludes; it's a fear of American-sponsored...
Calif. Rescue Was a 'Miracle'
CNN
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Dec 20, 2007 1:03 PM CST
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When he heard the helicopter, Frederick Dominguez went running—and not a moment too soon. The helicopter was seconds from leaving the area when it spotted the barefoot running man, whose Christmas tree hunt had resulted in his family being stranded for three days on a snow-covered California mountain. “It was nothing short of a miracle,”...
Army Lapses Led to Suicide of Mentally Ill Soldier
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 12:50 PM CST
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Depressed and constantly reprimanded by his superiors, Pfc. Jason Scheuerman shot himself in his Iraq barracks in 2005—raising serious questions about how the military handles mental illness, the AP reports. Scheuerman's was one of a record 152 Army suicides in Afghanistan and Iraq, but his parents had to fight a reluctant military to piece together...
'Group Attack' Led to Meredith Slaying: Judge
Times (UK)
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Dec 20, 2007 12:36 PM CST
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An Italian judge yesterday upheld a decision to detain the three suspects in the murder of Meredith Kercher, saying that "none of them can be said to have played a passive role." The Times of London reports that the court in Perugia has seen evidence suggesting that Kercher's roommate Amanda Knox, her Italian boyfriend, and a third suspect...
Gay Plays Well for Maverick VC
Valleywag
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Dec 20, 2007 12:18 PM CST
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In Silicon Valley, where "like funds like," Valleywag thinks it's important to note that Peter Thiel, "the smartest VC in the world, is gay." Why mention it? Thiel's Founders Fund, which just raised a $220 million financing round, could reinvent the way entrepreneurs get paid, and Valleywag attributes his contrarianism to the fact...
Your Phone Knows Where You Sleep
MIT Technology Review
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Dec 20, 2007 12:17 PM CST
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Your cell phone knows more than it lets on. Most can tell where they are, for starters, and how close other phones are. Since most of us tote them everywhere, our phones could track or analyze movement patterns for huge populations. “This is obviously sort of useful,” says MIT researcher Sandy Pentland, a pioneer in this new field of “reality...
UK Slaps Chatty Drivers With Jail
Telegraph (UK)
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Dec 20, 2007 12:06 PM CST
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Yakking on the phone while behind the wheel could fetch you a little quality time behind bars in the UK, reports the Daily Telegraph. A new law rewards chatty driving—or texting, or tinkering with a GPS unit or MP3 player— with jail terms of up to two years. The government banned cell phones in 2003, but estimates 500,000 motorists ignore...
'08 Campaign Calendar Is a Mess: Rove
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 20, 2007 11:54 AM CST
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The 2008 election cycle is a ridiculous mess, writes Karl Rove in today's Wall Street Journal. Though the primary campaign began earlier than ever, it will be decided in an unprecedented whirlwind, with 32 states being determined between Jan. 3 and Feb. 5. No candidate can effectively campaign in that many states that quickly, and worse, it’ll...
Morgan Stanley CEO Feels Heat
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 20, 2007 11:37 AM CST
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When John Mack became Morgan Stanley’s CEO in 2005, he told the company to take more risks. “You’ve lost your swagger,” he told his traders. Now, after several questionable moves and yesterday's staggering $9.4 billion writedown, swagger isn’t looking so hot—and Mack could be sent packing, the Wall Street Journal...
'Charles Wants to Kill Me,' Di Wrote
Telegraph (UK)
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Dec 20, 2007 11:26 AM CST
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Princess Diana feared Prince Charles was trying to kill her so he could marry their sons' nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, according to a handwritten letter admitted into evidence in the ongoing inquest into her death. "My husband is planning 'an accident' in my car, brake failure and serious head injury in order to make the path clear for him to marry...
'Into the Wild' Grabs SAG Nominations
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 11:10 AM CST
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Sean Penn’s drama Into the Wild took the lead in this year’s Screen Actors Guild nominations today, with four nods, including lead actor (Emile Hirsch), and overall acting, the Guild’s equivalent of best picture, the AP reports. Other films noted for full-cast performance were 3:10 to Yuma , American Gangster , No Country for...
Bush: I Didn't Know About CIA Tapes
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 11:07 AM CST
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President Bush said today he didn’t know about the destroyed CIA interrogation tapes until CIA chief Michael Hayden briefed him earlier this month, and he intends to reserve judgment while they’re investigated. "Let's wait and see what the facts are," he said. In his year-end press conference, Bush touched on everything from foreign...
Hillary, Barack Switch Playbooks
Boston Globe
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Dec 20, 2007 10:41 AM CST
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With the Iowa caucuses just weeks away, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama appear to have made an early new year's resolution: to be more like each other. The presidential contenders have switched playbooks, the Boston Globe reports, with Clinton highlighting her feel-good biography and Obama stressing his leadership qualities. "She is trying...
FTC Okays Google’s DoubleClick Buy
PC World
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Dec 20, 2007 10:11 AM CST
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The FTC voted 4-1 to approve Google’s purchase of DoubleClick, despite months of lobbying against the deal on privacy and antitrust grounds. The commissioners concluded that the deal "is unlikely to substantially lessen competition,” PC World reports. The $3.1-billion deal has been fought tooth and nail by Microsoft and other competitors...
2 Music Pioneers Talk Shop
Wired
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Dec 20, 2007 9:57 AM CST
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David Byrne and Thom Yorke don’t have much of anything nice to say about record labels, but they’re both excited about the contemporary musician’s access to audiences. The famous frontman from Talking Heads interviews the Radiohead impresario for Wired , and the latter says it was an “obvious” decision to self-release...
Microsoft, Viacom Ally to Check Google
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 20, 2007 9:34 AM CST
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Microsoft and Viacom joined forces to counter Google's growth in the ad market yesterday, with a 5-year, $500-million partnership. Microsoft gets audio and video content from Viacom, and is a preferred partner in online gaming. Viacom will switch its ad placement from DoubleClick, which Google is about to buy, to Microsoft's Internet ad company, aQuantive.
Bear Stearns Posts First Loss
Bloomberg
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Dec 20, 2007 9:19 AM CST
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Analysts expected Bear Stearns to post its first-ever loss today, they just expected it to be smaller. After $1.9 billion in subprime writedowns, the company posted a $6.91 loss per share, dwarfing the $1.82 analysts predicted. Executives gave up their bonuses, as revenue from debt sales and trading were wiped out, Bloomberg reports. “They’ve...
Queen Breaks Royal Age Record
AFP
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Dec 20, 2007 9:07 AM CST
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As of today, Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's oldest-ever monarch, AFP reports. She's now a day older than Queen Victoria lived to be, and while she doesn't seem to be slowing down much, the British are starting to think about what will happen after she dies—as well as looking back at her remarkable reign.
UN Fails to Break Kosovo Deadlock
AFP
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Dec 20, 2007 9:01 AM CST
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The United Nations Security Council failed yesterday to break the deadlock in negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo, with one ambassador warning that "the status quo is unsustainable." The US and European Union are both arguing that the two parties remain irreconcilable and that further negotiations are worthless. Kosovo is now set to make...
Schilling: Take Back Clemens' Cy Youngs
Boston Globe
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Dec 20, 2007 8:40 AM CST
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If Roger Clemens doesn’t fight to clear his name, then he’s guilty in Curt Schilling’s book, and his post-1997 stats should be cleared from the record books. “There aren’t many options as a fan other than to believe his career 192 wins and 3 Cy Youngs he won prior to 1997 were the end,” Schilling wrote on his blog.
Torture Room Discovered in Northern Iraq
CNN
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Dec 20, 2007 8:07 AM CST
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Coalition forces in Iraq have unearthed a blood-stained torture chamber north of the city of Muqdadiya, which the military suspects belonged to Al-Qaeda in Iraq. Troops stumbled upon a network of buildings comprising the torture room, three detention facilities and a headquarters. Forces also uncovered a mass grave containing 26 bodies.
In Space, a Son Mourns His Mother
Chicago Tribune
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Dec 20, 2007 7:40 AM CST
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Astronaut Daniel Tani, orbiting 200 miles above the Earth in the International Space Station, learned yesterday that his 90-year-old mother, Rose, had been killed when her car was struck by a freight train outside Chicago, reports the Chicago Tribune . Police said she drove around a school bus stopped at the tracks, past a lowered gate, and into the...
Zuma Faces New Corruption Charges
Mail & Guardian (South Africa)
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Dec 20, 2007 7:03 AM CST
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The annual conference of the African National Congress isn't even over yet, and already newly elected leader Jacob Zuma is facing the prospect of new criminal charges. South Africa's head prosecutor said he has gathered enough evidence to charge Zuma with corruption linked to a 1999 arms deal, reports the Mail and Guardian . An aide is currently serving...
Earthquake Rattles New Zealand
New Zealand Herald
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Dec 20, 2007 6:33 AM CST
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An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale rocked New Zealand tonight, with tremors felt on both islands. No casualties have been reported yet, writes the New Zealand Herald , but firefighters have been inundated with calls about damaged buildings and collapsed power lines. "There will be a massive cleanup in the morning," said one...
Did Jamie Lynn's Beau Break the Law?
CNN
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Dec 20, 2007 6:13 AM CST
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The pregnancy of 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears by her 18-year-old boyfriend is sparking renewed debate about the nation's uneven patchwork of statutory rape laws. Teens in some states can be sentenced to jail for having consensual sex with people not much younger than they are. Because prosecution is left to the discretion of a prosecutor, there's...
NetSuite Doubles IPO Price
MarketWatch
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Dec 20, 2007 5:11 AM CST
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On-demand software vendor NetSuite has doubled the price on its IPO after a Dutch-auction-style bidding war over the past two days saw investor interest surge. After originally pricing the offering at $13-$16, NetSuite bumped it to $16-$19 Tuesday and then $19-$22 yesterday. Late last night the company set a target at $26 for today’s sale, MarketWatch...
US Fertility Rate Bounces to Boom Levels
USA Today
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Dec 20, 2007 4:41 AM CST
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Americans are having more babies than at any time since 1971, USA Today reports. The fertility rate hit an average of 2.1 babies for every woman in 2006, the highest since just before the Baby Boom ended. The rise in fertility puts America apart from other developed countries, many of which are trying to cajole their people into having more babies...
CIA to Surrender Tape Records
New York Times
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Dec 20, 2007 4:32 AM CST
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The CIA will provide documents on the destruction of interrogation videotapes to the House Intelligence Committee and allow the agency's top attorney to testify, the New York Times reports. It's unclear whether the man who ordered the videos destroyed, clandestine service chief Jose Rodriguez, will also testify. The tapes showed al-Qaeda suspects...
Celts Perfect at Home No More
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 4:11 AM CST
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Boston may still have the NBA's best record, but an unintimidated Detroit team served notice that they're not conceding the East just yet. The Celts dropped their first game at home, 87-85, in heart-stopping fashion; they choked away a third-quarter lead, then stormed back to tie it with 20 seconds left.
Jury Whacks 'Sopranos' Lawsuit
E! Online
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Dec 20, 2007 4:04 AM CST
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A New Jersey jury took less than two hours to put a retired judge's lawsuit against "Sopranos" creator David Chase in concrete boots, E! Online reports. The ex-judge, who claimed he was owed money for helping Chase come up with ideas for the hit series, had been pursuing Chase in the courts since 2002.
New Fed Gun Law Inspired by Virginia Tech Massacre
Reuters
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Dec 20, 2007 3:15 AM CST
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New gun control legislation designed to keep weapons out of the hands of the mentally ill was passed by the Senate yesterday. The rare event of congressional action on gun control—and even rarer bipartisan agreement—was triggered by the Virginia Tech massacre last April. The bill, which strengthens background checks, passed the House in...
Big Sites Fold on Net Gambling
Reuters
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Dec 20, 2007 1:39 AM CST
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Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo have agreed to cough up $31.5 million to settle Justice Department charges they promoted Internet gambling by accepting advertising from gambling sites for the past 10 years, Reuters reports. The high-tech giants will pay some of that amount in fines, and will create PSAs telling young adults and teenagers that Internet...
Rose Leads No. 2 Memphis Past Cincinnati
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 12:58 AM CST
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Freshman Derrick Rose continues to blossom into an elite player, scoring a career-high 26 to lead No. 2 Memphis to a 79-69 victory over Cincinnati. The Bearcats, led by Deonta Vaughn’s 20 points, put up a tough fight but came up short, dropping their record to 4-6. The Tigers (9-0) are off to their best start in over 20 years, reports the AP....
Wings Bests Struggling Kings 6-2
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2007 12:51 AM CST
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The Red Wings improved their league-best point total to 53 with a 6-2 win over the Kings, who have the league’s worst record. Niklas Kronwall tallied four assists in the win and Henrik Zetterberg and Dan Cleary each had a goal and an assist for Detroit. Dominick Hasek stopped 18 shots to earn the victory, reports the AP. Elsewhere in the NHL:
Feds Block California's Tougher Emissions Law
San Francisco Chronicle
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Dec 19, 2007 11:57 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Bush administration has refused to allow California and 16 other states to set their own strict standards on tailpipe admissions. EPA chief Stephen Johnson yesterday declined to grant California a federal waiver to impose its own standards on greenhouse gas admissions from vehicles. The other states were poised to follow California's lead. The...
Rudy Gay's Buzzer Beater Pushes Grizz Past Spurs
Associated Press
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Dec 19, 2007 11:12 PM CST
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The Memphis Grizzlies beat the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs 88-85, on Rudy Gay’s 3-pointer as time expired. Manu Ginobili had tied the game with less than three seconds remaining, but, Gay, the former UConn standout, received the inbounds pass, dribbled towards the top of the key, and shot the game winner over defensive stalwart Tim...
T.O. Tells Jessica: Leave Romo Alone!
New York Daily News
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Dec 19, 2007 10:26 PM CST
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T.O. has a message for Jessica Simpson: Stay away from Romo. Simpson showed up at Sunday's game to cheer on QB boyfriend Tony Romo, but after his poor performance in the Cowboys' loss to the Eagles, Owens added his voice to those of the legions of sports-radio fans who think the singer is bad juju.
Pacers Smother 76ers, 112-85
Associated Press
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Dec 19, 2007 10:06 PM CST
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Resurgent guard Jamaal Tinsley sat out, but the Pacers' play at the point didn't lose a beat with Marquis Daniels springing for a season-high 26 points. Jermaine O'Neal added 19 and five blocks, and Philadelphia's 55-39 edge in rebounding was more than offset by a 35% rate from the floor. In other NBA action:
Gordon, Bulls Run Over Wizards 95-84
Associated Press
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Dec 19, 2007 9:54 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Chicago Bulls put together a 12-0 run in the final four minutes to beat the Washington Wizards 95-84. Caron Butler recorded a triple-double for Washington, which came into the game riding a four-game win streak. Ben Gordon led the way for Chicago with 22 points. Ben Wallace sat out the game with a sore left foot, reports the AP. Elsewhere in the...
Rudy Loses His Lead
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 19, 2007 8:42 PM CST
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Rudy Giuliani’s lead among the field of Republican presidential hopefuls is gone. In the latest NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll, the ex-mayor lost his double-digit advantage and is now tied nationally with Mitt Romney at 20%. Mike Huckabee has surged and is now nipping at their heels with 17%, while John McCain has 14%. The shifts highlight...
Net Makes Star of MIT Eccentric
New York Times
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Dec 19, 2007 8:11 PM CST
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The latest Net sensation doesn’t defend Britney Spears or mimic the history of dance; instead he explains electrostatics, pendulums, and the conservation of energy. Walter Lewin, a 71-year-old MIT physics professor, is one of the first academic superstars of the Internet, bringing educational showmanship—say, demonstrating rockets by riding...
Mountain Rescue for Dad, Kids
Associated Press
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Dec 19, 2007 7:44 PM CST
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A father and his three children are safe and sound after surviving three days of snowstorms and subfreezing temperatures on a mountain in northern California, the AP reports. The four, who went up the mountain Sunday to cut down a Christmas tree, were rescued by helicopter. They took shelter in a culvert beneath a bridge, huddled together for warmth,...
Lohan Can't Get Enough of New Gal Pal
New York Post
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Dec 19, 2007 7:41 PM CST
(Newser) -
In what may be both good and bad news for the guy community, Lindsay Lohan appears to have developed an extremely close female friend: Courtenay Semel, daughter of Yahoo! CEO Terry. They were recently spotted at a party hosted by "Power Lesbian" Jeanette Longoria, holding hands, reports a source for the New York Post's Page Six. The two...
Florida Chemical Blast Kills 4
Florida Times-Union
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Dec 19, 2007 7:06 PM CST
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An explosion at a Florida chemical plant today left four people dead and up to 21 others injured in a scene several witnesses likened to a war zone, the Florida Times-Union reports. The Jacksonville blast occurred around 1:30pm and sent billows of smoke into the sky. “Those shock waves came straight through these hills,” one witness said.
Oregon Senator Raises Hackles With Lott Praise
The Hill
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Dec 19, 2007 7:03 PM CST
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Oregon Sen. Gordon Smith is in the doghouse after defending Trent Lott’s infamous 2002 speech waxing nostalgic on Strom Thurmond’s 1948 presidential run. A key Democratic target in 2008, Smith said yesterday that Lott was “misconstrued” as segregationist when suggesting that, had there been a Thurmond administration, “we...
In Monkey Sex, Screamers Win
LiveScience
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Dec 19, 2007 6:29 PM CST
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Exploring why female monkeys shout so much during sex, researchers have found that the shouts actually help their partners to ejaculate, Live Science reports. Researchers from the German Primate Center looked at Barbary macaques and found that males ejaculated 59% of the times their partner yelled, and only 2% of the time that they didn’t. Females...
Oracle Blasts Forecasts With 35% Profit
Bloomberg
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Dec 19, 2007 6:25 PM CST
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Database software-maker Oracle surprised analysts today, reporting its income surged 35 percent in the second quarter to $1.3 billion, thanks to the success of new programs and customer-support contracts. Experts had expected sales of approximately $5.03 billion, Bloomberg reports, but the company boasted sales of $5.36 billion—pulling in a...
Congress Approves War Funds
Reuters
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Dec 19, 2007 6:19 PM CST
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The House today approved a $556 billion spending bill that grants President Bush his wish for $70 billion in additional funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Reuters reports. The measure, which also funds most of the federal government through next September, marks another setback for Democrats looking to curb Bush's war policies. It already...
