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.
China Allows Hong Kong to Vote in 2017
BBC
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Dec 29, 2007 4:23 PM CST
(Newser) -
Reacting to years of pro-democracy rallies in Hong Kong, China agreed today to let the territory elect a leader in 2017 and a legislature in 2020, BBC reports. Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang had lobbied Beijing for elections by 2012, but hailed today's news as a "hard-earned opportunity." Activists, however, were outraged over the...
Pakistan Tells Doubters to Exhume Body
CNN
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Dec 29, 2007 3:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Benazir Bhutto’s political party is free to exhume her corpse to verify her ever-shifting cause of death, a Pakistani official said today. So far, the government has issued three accounts—gunshots, shrapnel, and then a fractured skull from hitting her head—which has PPP leadership crying cover-up, CNN reports. “We don’t...
$250K Search All for Naught: Wife Is Safe
Chicago Tribune
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Dec 29, 2007 3:36 PM CST
(Newser) -
Police in Chicago who spent $250,000 searching for a missing suburban wife now say she's safe and sound—she just ran away with her lover. Police spent the week searching along the Des Plaines River after finding the woman's car in a parking lot with the door open and the engine running. She returned to the area last night and met with authorities,...
US Supplied Bhutto With Security Intel
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 29, 2007 2:59 PM CST
(Newser) -
Washington gave Benazir Bhutto intelligence to protect her from militants for weeks but would not guard her with its own private contractors, the Los Angeles Times reports. An ex-adviser to Bhutto said the US refused to be "micromanaging the security arrangements of another country." The US embassy in Islamabad was slipping Bhutto the data...
Nasal Spray May Beat Caffeine
Wired
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Dec 29, 2007 2:22 PM CST
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Help may be on the way for tired Americans in the form of a nasal spray that eliminates sleepiness without apparent side effects, reports Wired . UCLA scientists testing the naturally occurring brain hormone orexin A found that when used as a spray, it allowed sleep-deprived monkeys to perform as well as rested monkeys.
Bush Warms to Global Warming
Washington Post
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Dec 29, 2007 1:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
Aiming to polish his legacy, President Bush is mulling new climate policy that may include mandatory emissions caps, the Washington Post reports. The Post tracks his evolution from climate skeptic to advocate of higher fuel efficiency and a $37 billion investment in alternative fuels—although critics remain dubious of a president who skewered...
LAPD Gets Cats to Scare Rats
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 29, 2007 1:28 PM CST
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The LAPD is using six feral felines to shoo away pesky rats and mice from its lots, the Los Angeles Times reports. The mangy, homeless creatures can't be broken in as house pets, so an animal rescue group placed them with the city’s finest to control its rodent problem. “Once we got the cats, problem solved,” said one captain.
Egypt, Israel Keep Pilgrims Stranded at Sea
BBC
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Dec 29, 2007 12:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
More than 2,000 Palestinian pilgrims are stuck floating in the Red Sea today, barred from returning to Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing. Egypt demands that they reenter through an Israeli checkpoint, but Hamas fears that members on board will be arrested. Israel has claimed that the militants will try to smuggle funds into Gaza, the...
Comcast to Pay Founder After Death
Associated Press
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Dec 29, 2007 12:17 PM CST
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Death won't stop Comcast's founder from being paid: A deal signed last week ensures that his heirs will receive checks for five years after Ralph J. Roberts, 87, dies, the AP reports. They will also get unpaid funds from his annual performance-based bonus, and his wife will receive health and welfare assistance for life. Roberts, whose 2006 salary...
Space Tours to Northern Lights
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 29, 2007 11:41 AM CST
(Newser) -
Virgin Galactic plans to launch sightseeing tours into the heart of the northern lights—a first for humans—within three years. If all goes to plan, passengers willing to pay $200,000 a ticket will board spacecraft from north of the Arctic Circle to head for the edge of space, directly through the shimmering aurora borealis, the Guardian...
Death Penalty Considered in Carnation Slayings
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Dec 29, 2007 11:10 AM CST
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Murder charges filed yesterday in the Christmas Eve slaying of six family members in a house in Carnation, Wash., added chilling details to the account of the deaths, and made the perpetrators liable for the death penalty, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. Michelle Anderson and Joseph McEnroe have been charged with aggravated first-degree...
Police Logs Detail Chaotic Response to Escaped Tiger
San Francisco Chronicle
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Dec 29, 2007 10:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
The first chaotic hour after an escaped tiger at the San Francisco Zoo killed a 17-year-old man on Christmas is revealed in riveting detail in the transcript of the police log released by authorities yesterday. The report shows that zoo employees first thought the injured man who reported the escaped Siberian tiger was crazy, the San Francisco Chronicle...
Mission Begins to Rescue Hostages in Colombia
BBC
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Dec 29, 2007 9:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
Helicopters sent by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez to rescue hostages from Colombian rebels have landed at the edge of a Colombian wilderness and are awaiting a go-ahead from the rebels, the BBC reports. Guerrillas plan to release two women, seized more than five years ago, and a young boy fathered in captivity. International observers shadowing the operation...
Obama Success Rewrites the Rules on Race
Washington Post
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Dec 29, 2007 9:30 AM CST
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With only three black US Senators and two black governors elected since Reconstruction, and the vast majority of black politicians representing predominately black communities, veteran race watchers anticipated another decade before a candidate of color could be a top contender for the Oval Office. But that was before Obama. The Washington Post examines...
Kenya Opposition Claims Victory
CNN
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Dec 29, 2007 8:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
The party of opposition leader Raila Odinga, a wealthy businessman with a populist platform, has declared victory in Kenya's hotly contested election, but the slow pace of the vote tally has led to rioting in the slums of Nairobi. After a largely peaceful campaign, machete-wielding gangs have looted and torched storefronts. "We do not want violence,...
Fidel Flirts With Retiring —Again
BBC
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Dec 29, 2007 8:26 AM CST
(Newser) -
Fidel Castro is hinting at retirement again, this time in a letter read aloud to Cuba's parliament yesterday by his brother Raul, the BBC reports. The letter expanded on a much-discussed comment he made last week about not "clinging to power." This time he admits that he had once longed to do so, from "excessive youth and lack...
Computer Pioneer Earns Knighthood
BBC
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Dec 29, 2007 8:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
Computing pioneer Steve Furber, who helped design a home computer used to improve computer literacy in Britain, and one of the most-used microprocessors in history, has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, reports the BBC. Furber, a University of Manchester professor, currently is working to build an electronic device that mimics...
Mars Smash Looking Likelier
Associated Press
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Dec 29, 2007 7:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
Scientists say the chances of a giant asteroid smashing into Mars on January 30 have gone up steeply, the AP reports. It's still a 25-1 longshot, but stargazers have their fingers crossed. I think it'll be cool," said a NASA tracker. "Usually when an asteroid is headed toward Earth, I'm not rooting for an impact."
Bhutto Aide Sees Cover-Up in Changing Cause of Death
CNN
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Dec 29, 2007 7:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
A top aide to Benazir Bhutto charges in a CNN interview that the Pakistani government is trying to cover up the cause of Bhutto's death. Aide Sherry Rehman blasts as "bizarre, dangerous nonsense" the government's conclusion that Bhutto was not struck by bullets, but died of a skull fracture after hitting her head on a sunroof latch. Rehman...
Spurs Lay an Egg at Home Against Toronto
San Antonio Express-News
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Dec 29, 2007 7:14 AM CST
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Toronto, from the allegedly weaker Eastern Conference, went into San Antonio last night and got a surprising 83-73 victory; Jason Kapono led five Toronto players in double-figure scoring. The Spurs' sloppy play frustrated coach Gregg Popovich, who argued with officials enough to get ejected from the game on purpose, reports the Express-News . It did...
China Dumps Yangtze Dam Plan
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 29, 2007 7:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
China has decided to scrap plans for a huge dam at Tiger Leaping Gorge on the Yangtze River, the Guardian reports. The dam would have left a popular tourist area underwater and forced 100,000 people from their homes. The decision is a rare victory for Chinese green activists, but they face many other battles against big dam projects in the region.
Tiger Victim Died Trying to Aid Friend
Associated Press
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Dec 29, 2007 7:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Carlos Sousa Jr., the 17-year-old killed by the escaped tiger at the San Francisco Zoo on Christmas, was not the tiger's first victim, the AP reports, as new details emerge in the mauling. Tatiana, the 350-pound Siberian tiger, first attacked one of his two friends, and Sousa and the friend's younger brother yelled to attempt to distract him, police...
Priests Brawl With Brooms at Church of the Nativity
Times (UK)
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Dec 29, 2007 6:58 AM CST
(Newser) -
A holiday cleanup at the church built over the grotto in Bethlehem where Christians believe Jesus was born turned ugly Thursday, as Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests came to blows, the Times of London reports. Robed priests pummeled each other with brooms and stones in the Church of the Nativity for an hour before police broke up the melee.
Huckabee Calls for Anti-Pakistani Fence
New York Times
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Dec 29, 2007 6:46 AM CST
(Newser) -
Mike Huckabee's foreign affairs knowledge is under scrutiny after the GOP hopeful made several factual errors in talking about Pakistan, and tried to use the assassination of Benazir Bhutto to highlight the need for a fence along the Mexican border, the New York Times reports. "The immigration issue is not so much about people coming to pick...
Survey: Minneapolis the Most Literate US City
LiveScience
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Dec 29, 2007 6:25 AM CST
(Newser) -
New York may be the US city with the most literary pretensions, but the nation's most literate city it's not, a new survey finds. Minneapolis takes the honors as most literate large metropolitan area in a Central Connecticut State University survey reported in LiveScience. The nine runners-up are, in order: Seattle, St. Paul, Denver, Washington, DC,...
Al-Qaeda Ally Denies Hand in Bhutto Killing
BBC
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Dec 29, 2007 6:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
A representative of Baitullah Mehsud, the al-Qaeda leader Pakistan has fingered in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, strongly denied any involvement in her death today. Giving further support to the claims of a cover-up by Bhutto's partisans, the spokesman for Mehsud said "he had no involvement in this attack" and that "it is against...
30 Dead In Pakistan Rioting
Times (UK)
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Dec 29, 2007 5:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
Rioting across Pakistan has left more than 30 people dead as mourners of Benazir Bhutto set the country ablaze. The Times of London reports that the police have exchanged fire with Bhutto supporters, and have been ordered to shoot on sight in Bhutto's stronghold of Karachi. As banks, shops, trains, and cars have been ransacked and burned,...
Oregon State Grinds It Out Over Maryland
Associated Press
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Dec 29, 2007 12:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
Rainy conditions during the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco dictated that the offenses stay grounded tonight, and that was fine with Oregon State, the nation's No. 2 team in rush defense. The Beavers completely dominated the running game, outrushing Maryland 275-19, including 177 yards on 38 carries from Yvenson Bernard in his final college game, reports...
PC Virus Using Bhutto Rumors to Spread
Ars Technica
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Dec 29, 2007 12:22 AM CST
(Newser) -
Hackers are adapting a recently released Trojan virus to exploit curiosity surrounding the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Ars Technica reports. Many sites claiming to contain exclusive information or even video footage of the attack itself are hiding malicious embedded files. Once visited, the files allow for the download of additional malware programs.
Van Gundy Gets Win in Miami - For Orlando
Orlando Sentinel
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Dec 29, 2007 12:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
Dwyane Wade showed some magic of his own tonight with 48 points on 16 of 21 shooting, but it wasn't enough as Miami lost in overtime to Orlando, 121-114. Daequan Cook's three-pointer with 2 seconds left sent it to the extra session. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy won in his first trip back to Miami. Elsewhere on the hardwood:
BC Extends Bowl Winning Streak
Associated Press
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Dec 28, 2007 11:36 PM CST
(Newser) -
Boston College, bitten by the curse of the No. 2 ranking earlier in the season, closed out its first 11-win season since 1940 with a 24-21 victory over Michigan State in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, reports the AP. Quarterback Matt Ryan capped a brilliant college career with three scoring passes, including a 68-yarder in the fourth quarter.
Paul Scorches Bobcats in Homecoming
Associated Press
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Dec 28, 2007 11:15 PM CST
(Newser) -
The surprising New Orleans Hornets won easily at Charlotte tonight, led by Tyson Chandler's 17 points, 17 rebound performance paired with star guard Chris Paul's 17 points and 11 assists. The Bobcats were booed off the floor by the home fans at halftime. A former star at nearby Wake Forest, Paul had 500 friends and family on hand. Elsewhere:
South African Leader Indicted for Corruption
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 28, 2007 10:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
South African prosecutors hit a new ruling party leader with corruption charges today, threatening his shot at the presidency and risking a prolonged legal and political crisis, the Guardian reports. ANC leader Jacob Zuma was ordered to stand trial next year on charges including racketeering and fraud linked to a $7.1 billion arms deal in 1999. Zuma's...
Devils Edge Sabres in Shootout
Associated Press
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Dec 28, 2007 10:13 PM CST
(Newser) -
The New Jersey Devils earned their third straight victory tonight, once again backed by solid goaltending from Martin Brodeur as well as some unexpected production from light-scoring Mike Mottau, who tallied for the first time in 30 games. Zach Parise, returning from illness, scored the shootout winner, reports the AP. The Devils have scored only five...
Battery Ban Begins on Airlines
Associated Press
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Dec 28, 2007 9:46 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Department of Transportation has banned certain kinds of lithium batteries from checked airline luggage, citing worries over short circuiting and fires. Lithium batteries installed inside of electronic devices will be permitted as carryon, but loose batteries, unless sealed inside a plastic bag, will no longer be permitted on board.
E-Commerce All Grown Up, Sales Growth Finally Slows
New York Times
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Dec 28, 2007 8:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
Online sales continued to out-pace traditional retailers this season, boasting a 19% spike, but fell compared to 25-30% growth rates in past seasons, the New York Times reports. While e-tailers beat the scrawny 3.6% sales growth of traditional stores, experts attribute the slowdown to the maturing of online shopping.
NJ Curbs Web Use for Sex Offenders
Star-Ledger
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Dec 28, 2007 7:56 PM CST
(Newser) -
Acting New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey yesterday approved legislation limiting access to computers and the internet for convicted sex offenders—even if they didn't use them for their crimes, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. Sex offenders on parole must now alert the state parole board regarding their access to computers, as well as submit to unannounced...
Things That Won't Shake The Media World in 2008
BusinessWeek
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Dec 28, 2007 7:36 PM CST
(Newser) -
Overloaded with prediction lists, Business Week polishes the crystal ball and looks ahead to see what won't happen in the media world in 2008. The writers won't win the current strike DreamWorks isn't going to leave Paramount after all Apple won't reinvent TV viewing "Juno" won't win an Oscar Google...
AOL Pulls Plug on Netscape Browser
CNET
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Dec 28, 2007 7:14 PM CST
(Newser) -
AOL today announced that it will discontinue support and development of its Netscape Navigator browser, a program that first introduced many to the Internet when it launched 13 years ago. But, CNET's Stephen Shankland writes, Microsoft's Internet Explorer ate into market share for Netscape, which was bought by AOL—which in turn spun off the Mozilla...
Obama Fires Back with Iowa TV Request
ABC News
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Dec 28, 2007 6:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama is getting a lesson in the politics of local TV as he angles for airtime on the evening before the Iowa caucuses, ABC News reports. After Hillary Clinton’s campaign purchased a 2-minute spot during all of the state’s 6 pm Wednesday newscasts, Obama began requesting a live 2- or 5-minute block. “Five minutes is impossible,”...
Dude, This New Dell Is Sweet
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 28, 2007 6:38 PM CST
(Newser) -
The iMac’s latest challenger is coming from an unlikely source: Dell. The maker " long associated with boxy, boring machines" brings the buzz with its newest contender, the XPS One, raves the Wall Street Journal ’s Walt Mossberg. The sleek desktop machine, he says, is “elegant, handsome, and cleverly designed," and...
Bhutto Killing Probe a Must, Clinton Says
Reuters
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Dec 28, 2007 6:21 PM CST
(Newser) -
Hillary Clinton says she wants a probe into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, blasting current Pakistani President Musharraf and, by extension, US support for his regime. "I don't think the Pakistani government at this time under President Musharraf has any credibility at all," the Democratic presidential candidate said today in Iowa....
'Black Friday' Not Such a Deal
Boston Globe
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Dec 28, 2007 6:03 PM CST
(Newser) -
With the holiday shop-fest all but over, the Boston Globe reports that the day after Thanksgiving doesn't always yield the best bargains, as consumers have been led to believe. The paper surveyed prices for 52 consumer-electronics products during the holiday shopping season—and found that only five were cheapest on "Black Friday."
West Virginia Suing Departed Football Coach
Charleston Gazette
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Dec 28, 2007 5:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
In its effort to be sure its former football coach pays the $4 million buyout stipulated by his contract, West Virginia University is suing Rich Rodriguez, the Charleston Gazette reports. The lawsuit asks a judge to rule if the school did anything to breach the contract—it contends it didn't—or if the breach was caused by Rodriguez's...
Letterman to Return, With Writers
New York Times
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Dec 28, 2007 5:31 PM CST
(Newser) -
Like colleagues Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien, David Letterman’s late-night talk show will return to the air Wednesday, but with an important difference: He will be supported by his usual writing staff, the New York Times reports. Letterman’s production company, not network CBS, owns his show, and secured an independent deal with the...
Aussie Gitmo Convict Freed From Prison
Associated Press
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Dec 28, 2007 5:13 PM CST
(Newser) -
David Hicks, who pleaded guilty to aiding al-Qaeda in a US military court at Guantanamo, walked free from a jail in his native Australia on Saturday local time after finishing his sentence. Hicks, 32, was captured fighting alongside Taliban forces in Afghanistan in 2001 and served 5 years at Gitmo before a plea deal in March allowed him to return home,...
Chad 'Kidnappers' in France
Reuters
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Dec 28, 2007 4:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Six charity workers convicted of kidnapping children in Chad arrived today in their native France, where they are expected to serve out 8-year sentences, Reuters reports. The six, employees of humanitarian group Zoe’s Ark, will meet with a prosecutor to decide their prison placement. By serving their sentences in France, they swapped a Chadian...
Google Mafia Aims to Take Over Silicon Valley
New York Times
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Dec 28, 2007 4:42 PM CST
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Stock options have turned a growing number of Google employees into millionaires, and they’re not sitting on the money. Google alumni are becoming a force in Silicon Valley venture capitalism, pumping money into likely-looking startups. Now, they’re hoping to organize, the New York Times reports. “We are planning to bring all the...
Bush Vetoes Defense Bill, Delays Troops' Pay Raise
Chicago Tribune
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Dec 28, 2007 4:29 PM CST
(Newser) -
President Bush vetoed a wide-ranging defense-spending measure today after Iraqi politicians objected to a proviso buried in the bill enabling Iraqis to sue their government in US court over Saddam Hussein-era injuries. The bill does not fund the war in Iraq, the Chicago Tribune reports, but does contain a pay raise for US service members.
Nokia Divides Itself to Focus on Mobile Net
Fortune Magazine
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Dec 28, 2007 4:23 PM CST
(Newser) -
Furthering its plans to transform into a mobile Internet company, Nokia has announced a corporate reorganization into three divisions: devices, software and services, and markets. It’s the focus on software and services, Fortune writes, that’s exceptional for the world’s largest phone manufacturer, and signals the seriousness of...
