Newser Story Index from April, 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.
Rooney Strikes Late, Sinks Milan
ESPN
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Apr 25, 2007 6:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Gifted young English footballer Wayne Rooney brought Manchester United within striking distance of the Champions League finals with a win over AC Milan. His second goal, a 20-footer, came in the final minute of the game and canceled a two-goal performance by Kaka, the celebrated Brazilian forward, as well as spotty defense by his own team.
Virginia May Close Gun Loophole
Washington Post
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Apr 25, 2007 6:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine is considering closing the loophole that allowed Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung Hui to buy guns despite his dangerous and conspicuous mental illness. A judge ruled Cho mentally ill in 2005, but didn't commit him, so his records were not in the data base dealers consult.
Bulls Young Guns Take Heat
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2007 5:32 AM CDT
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The Bulls became the playoffs' first team to exceed 100 points, and Luol Deng did a convincing Dwyane Wade impression in dominating the fourth quarter, scoring 14 and 26 overall. Wade and Shaq, Miami's stars, were subdued in the latest setback to their defense of last year's championship. Chicago shot 55% from the field.
Toyota Finally Tops GM
Detroit Free Press
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Apr 24, 2007 10:06 PM CDT
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Toyota vroomed past General Motors in the first quarter to become the biggest automaker in the world, ending GM's 76-year reign. Riding the strength of its innovative Prius hybrid and solid standbys like the Camry, Toyota posted record first-quarter sales of 2.35 million vehicles, compared to GM's 2.26 million.
NFL Draft Features Backflipper
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2007 10:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Walter Thomas, a remarkably athletic 370-pound 21-year-old who performs backflips in moments of excitement, is generating buzz as the NFL draft approaches. This despite the fact that Thomas has played in exactly two games in the past two years and was then arrested for conspiracy to commit robbery.
French Winners Woo Centrist
BBC
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Apr 24, 2007 5:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Defeated presidential candidate Francois Bayrou is now the most wanted man in France, as Sarko and Ségo compete to woo his seven million voters. Socialist Ségolène Royal has appealed directly to Bayrou to form an alliance, while right-wing Nicolas Sarkozy is rebranding himself as a centrist-friendly “candidate of openness.”
Bhutan Test-Drives Democracy
International Herald Tribune
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Apr 24, 2007 3:28 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The tiny Buddhist nation of Bhutan held a mock election Saturday in preparation for the transition from monarchy to democracy set for next year. The yellow thunder dragon defeated its blue, green, and red counterparts in the vote, a test run for the latest reform advocated by modernization-minded King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who plans to abdicate.
Hitler Youth HQ to Become Posh Club
Deutsche Welle (Germany)
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Apr 24, 2007 3:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An idling behemoth in Berlin that has housed both the Hitler Youth and the East German Communist Party will soon become a swanky media club, complete with a 42-seat theater, a swimming pool and upscale bars. A secretive British investor recently bought the Bauhaus landmark, and hopes to open a Soho House-style club next year.
Ouch—Doc's Trial Highlights Pain Issues
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2007 2:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The drug-trafficking trial of a Virginia pain specialist demonstrates the slippery slope between treating chronic conditions and enabling addicts. Dr. William Hurwitz's jury heard the story of a patient with deblitating migraines who had been treated with anxiety medication that actually caused headaches—by another doctor who happened to be an...
Brother Decries 'Calculated Lies' On Pat's Death
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2007 1:13 PM CDT
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The military created an "utter fiction" around Pat Tillman's friendly-fire death, the brother of the former NFL star told a congressional panel today. The Army used his death as an opportunity to bolster support for the war, Kevin Tillman said, calling early reports that Pat had been killed in combat “deliberate and calculated lies."
"We Just Did It Because We Felt Like It"
Australia's News Network
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Apr 24, 2007 12:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two 17-year-old Australian girls faced a sentencing hearing yesterday after pleading guilty to the murder of their friend Eliza Jane Davis because, as they described it, “it just felt right.” They plotted the attack the morning after a party. "We were just talking, and for some reason we just decided to kill her."
Basinger: Don't Look at Me!
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 24, 2007 12:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Kim Basinger says she didn't do it. Contrary to her ex-husband's accusations, the actress claims she wasn't the one who leaked the the furious voicemail Alec Baldwin left for their 11-year-old daughter to the press, inspiring a frency of opprobrium. Her publicist also said the tape wasn't under a court seal, as initially reported.
Federal Probe Targets Rove, WH Operations
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 24, 2007 11:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The U.S. attorney firings, disappearing e-mails, and other White House political operations have found their way onto the radar of a small office that normally investigates federal employees' misbehavior. Karl Rove is in the sights of the Office of Special Counsel, whose head has vowed not to "leave any stone unturned," the Los Angeles Times...
Hamas Calls Off Ceasefire
Al Jazeera
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Apr 24, 2007 10:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hamas launched dozens of rockets and mortar shells at Israel this morning, ending a five-month cease fire. The blasts rocked the country as it celebrated its 59th Independence Day. The Hamas-led government blames Israel for the breakdown, citing the deaths of nine Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank killed in weekend fighting with Israeli troops.
The Bulldog Beats Out The Duck
Restaurant Magazine
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Apr 24, 2007 9:42 AM CDT
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For the second straight year, El Bulli of tiny Cala Montjoi, Spain, is No. 1 on UK-based Restaurant Magazine 's annual rankings of the world's top restaurants. The Fat Duck in Maidenhead, England, is second. Of the winners, 37 are in Europe, and 8 are in the US. Australia has 2, South Africa 1, and Brazil 1.
Tehran Rescue Caper Was Screen Gem
Wired
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Apr 24, 2007 8:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Wired looks back at one of the most daring (and cinematic) CIA operations ever declassified: the smuggling home of six American hostages during the 1980 Iranian revolution. With the Canadian government's help, agent Tony Mendez painstakingly crafted the elaborate guise of a Canadian sci-fi film crew scouting locations; eventually, the fake crew snuck...
Faulty Nigerian Election Sparks Fears of Unrest
BBC
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Apr 24, 2007 8:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The ruling party candidate has won Nigeria's presidential election by a landslide, sparking fears that political unrest could compromise the supply of oil in Africa's largest producer. Umar Yar'Adua was declared the winner of Saturday's election yesterday with 70% of the vote, ending a campaign marked by intimidation, ballot-stuffing, and violence.
McCain Courts Yuppie Donors
The Hill
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Apr 24, 2007 8:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain, the man who wants to be the oldest president ever, is hoping his fundraisers can skew a bit younger. McCain 2008 is actively recruiting young professionals to gather cash from their Blackberry-wielding friends, making up in enthusiasm what they lack in their bankbooks.
Wolfowitz Hires Clinton Lawyer
Washington Post
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Apr 24, 2007 7:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Paul Wolfowitz has hired Robert Bennett, Bill Clinton's counsel during the Paula Jones affair, to guide the besieged World Bank president through his own budding scandal. Bennett immediately dismissed talk of Wolfie's resignation, even after dozens of former staffers placed an ad in the Financial Times calling on him to quit.
Bush Still Gonzo For Alberto
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2007 7:06 AM CDT
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President Bush is sticking with his beleaguered attorney general despite negative reviews of his performance at last week's Senate hearing from both sides of the aisle. Bush said the testimony from Alberto Gonzales on the pink-slipped U.S. attorneys, roundly characterized as evasive, "increased my confidence in his ability."
Dems Stick With Deadline For Withdrawal
Politico
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Apr 24, 2007 6:37 AM CDT
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Congressional Democrats are forcing the White House's hand on Iraq, agreeing on a version of the spending bill that sets a timetable for withdrawing troops by next March—and daring the President to veto it. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called the move a "long overdue effort to put some spine in our policy."
H.W.: Country May Be Feeling "Bush Fatigue"
CNN
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Apr 24, 2007 6:11 AM CDT
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"Bush Fatigue" may finally be hitting the nation, patriarch George H.W. told Larry King last night. King asked whether Bush Père bought into Mitt Romney's theory of 2008: that Jeb will sit out to avoid Bush-lash. "There's something to that—there might be a little Bush fatigue now," Bush said.
Attack on GIs Kills Nine, Wounds 20
Washington Post
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Apr 24, 2007 6:03 AM CDT
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A truck bomb attack on a U.S. military outpost killed nine American infantrymen in the Iraqi province of Diyala yesterday, and wounded 20 more. The attack was one of the deadliest ground assaults on American troops since the war began, raising the question whether the 10-week-old counterinsurgency strategy is making soldiers more vulnerable.
Own a Piece Of Your Favorite Athlete
Portfolio
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Apr 23, 2007 10:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The good news: fantasy sports will soon be obsolete. The bad news: the replacement is far more insidious. Companies are currently designing stock markets in athletes that would allow fans (not to mention dispassionate investors) to buy and sell shares in individual stars and up-and-comers in the sporting world. It's like gambling,...
Halberstam Dies in Car Crash
Associated Press
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Apr 23, 2007 10:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
David Halberstam, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who wrote definitive annals of everything from the Vietnam War to pro football, was killed in a car crash in Menlo Park, Calif., today. Halberstam, who wrote 21 books, was on his way to interview former New York Giants quarterback Y.A. Tittle when the car he was riding in was broadsided.
Leandro Voted Sixth Man
Forbes
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Apr 23, 2007 10:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sportswriters voted the preternaturally quick Leandro Barbosa the NBA's best sixth man in 2007. Used primarily off the bench, the Brazilian guard served to propel the Phoenix Suns to a higher gear, after the team had already established its fast-paced, high-scoring brand of play; he achieved over 18 points per game.
"See the Ball, Hit the Ball"
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 23, 2007 9:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Top-level athletes are using technology to sharpen their vision—and their games—even if it's not weak to start with. Not only laser surgery, but amber-tinted contacts, and special pitching machines now help baseball and Olympic softball players hone their eyesight, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Radio Replaces Commercials With Sponsors
New York Times
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Apr 23, 2007 9:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In a throwback to the days of Texaco Star Theater and the Colgate Comedy Hour, a Clear Channel radio station has ditched spot ads in favor of hourly corporate sponsors. In an effort to compete with uninterrupted satellite radio and mp3 players, DJs on KZPS-FM in Dallas will pepper their banter with references to that hour's backer.
The CEO of The Post Defends The Times in The Journal
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 23, 2007 8:46 PM CDT
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Donald Graham is the CEO of the Washington Post Company. He is the scion of the Graham family, which controls the Post through a dual stock structure. He explains that a dual stock structure allows a founding family or a subsequent private purchaser to use a class of public stock to exercise disproportionate voting power.
Researchers Fight Fat With Baby Formula
Guardian (UK)
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Apr 23, 2007 3:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The battle to keep pounds off may start with a baby bottle, say a team of British scientists who found that feeding large doses of the appetite-controlling hormone leptin to baby rats led to svelte adult rats. If those results translate to humans, a baby formula that chemically alters metabolism might someday prove the end of obesity.
Suicide Takes A Communal Turn
The Atlantic
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Apr 23, 2007 2:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Of all the things initiated in anonymous online chat rooms, group suicide has to be the most macabre. David Samuels explores why hundreds of Japanese adults, previously unknown to each other, have gathered to die together in small groups, often asphyxiating themselves in cars by carefully placing charcoal burners to suck the oxygen out of the...
Communist Art Is Capitalist Hit
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 23, 2007 12:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Nostalgia for the good old days of the USSR is in—at least for Russian art collectors. These days, communist-inspired paintings of peasant scenes and heroic workers have acquired a uniquely capitalist hipness. "The art was propaganda of happiness," says Yuri Tyukhtin, a banker who runs an art gallery and likes the monumentality of the...
Rove to Sheryl Crow: "Don't Touch Me!"
Huffington Post
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Apr 23, 2007 12:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
"Dismissive, condescending, and quite frankly a bully," is the verdict on Karl Rove from environmental activist Laurie David and singer Sheryl Crow. In their Huffington Post account of the White House Correspondents Dinner, they say Crow tapped Rove's shoulder when he turned from a conversation about global warming, and he responded, "Don't...
Gates Rebuffed By Moscow on Defense Plan
Associated Press
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Apr 23, 2007 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Robert Gates was in Moscow today trying to soften Russian resistance to American anti-missile bases in Poland and the Czech Republic, but so far the Russians aren't buying. The Defense Secretary is pushing proposals that would invite the Russians to share data, cooperate on research, and participate in joint testing of the system.
Boris Yeltsin Dies at 76
BBC
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Apr 23, 2007 10:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Boris Yeltsin, who orchestrated Russia's uneasy transition to democracy, died this morning, according to the Kremlin. He was 76. The cause hasn't been released, but Russia's first democratically elected leader had a history of heart problems. Yeltsin ascended to power after a struggle with reformer Mikhail Gorbachev, who finally ceded in November of...
Euro Bank Giants to Merge
BBC
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Apr 23, 2007 9:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Britain's Barclays Bank and Dutch bank ABN Amro have agreed to merge, creating one of the world's largest banks. The $90 billion deal is far from a sure thing, however—it requires approval by shareholders and regulators, and a group led by Barclays' archrival, the Royal Bank of Scotland, has expressed interest in ABN.
West Coast Breeds Weed Snobs, Too
San Francisco Chronicle
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Apr 23, 2007 9:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Cannabis is accruing its own class of sophistocates, particularly in California, where medical legalization and lax enforcement have made connoisseurship marginally acceptable. Advanced palates judge their weed on taste, smell and quality of high, reports the Chronicle— a far cry from the 70s, when users joked that there "were two kinds...
Spitzer to Introduce Gay Marriage Bill
New York Times
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Apr 23, 2007 8:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Eliot Spitzer will introduce a bill this spring to legalize gay marriage in New York state, the Times reports, fulfilling one of his earliest campaign pledges. The measure would make New York the second state to recognize same-sex marriages.
Drug Targets Hundreds of Disorders
Times (UK)
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Apr 23, 2007 8:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A magic bullet that could treat cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia and more than 1,800 other genetic disorders could be available by 2009. Lee Sweeney of UPenn, leader of the team developing the drug, tells the Times of London: “It doesn’t just target one mutation that causes disease, but a whole class of mutations.”
FDA Knew About Food Dangers
Washington Post
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Apr 23, 2007 8:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The FDA knew for years about problems at the peanut butter plant and spinach farms that led to major disease outbreaks, but took minimal steps to redress them. The agency's food safety arm can't keep up with the explosion in the amount of food it is supposed to regulate, the Post reports, and expects processors to police themselves.
Tina's Book Slams Diana
Daily Mail (UK)
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Apr 23, 2007 8:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A new book about Princess Diana portrays her as a "spiteful, manipulative, media-savvy neurotic" more in love with her title than with Prince Charles, the Daily Mail reports. Ex- New Yorker editor Tina Brown's book, timed to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Diana's death, depicts the heir apparent as caught between two scheming women.
Nigerians Reject Election Results
BBC
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Apr 23, 2007 7:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Opposition candidates in Nigeria’s presidential elections have rejected the results of Saturday’s voting, accusing the governing party of fraud. Foreign observers concur that the polling was faulty, with violence, intimidation, missing ballot boxes, and even abduction and murder of electoral officials and the police officers...
Bloomberg Aims to Take NYC Green
New York Times
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Apr 23, 2007 6:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Bloomberg chose Earth Day to launch an ambitious, expensive and politically uncertain campaign to make New York City “the first environmentally sustainable 21st-century city.” The most provocative proposal: charging drivers $8 a day for entering Manhattan below 86th Street.
Iraqi PM Calls Off Wall
New York Times
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Apr 23, 2007 6:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki halted construction of a wall between a Sunni neighborhood and surrounding Shiite areas in Baghdad yesterday, after outraged protests by both Sunnis and Shiites. Al-Maliki said he did not want Iraqis to be reminded of "other walls"—a reference to the barrier being built by Israel in the West Bank.
Nuggets Upset Spurs, 95-89
MSNBC
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Apr 22, 2007 11:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
High-scoring Nuggets Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson combined for 61 points in an eye-opening playoff opener against San Antonio, winning 95-89 and stealing home court advantage. The combination of the two ruthless scorers, while difficult to manage earlier in the season, now has Denver peaking at the perfect time.
How A-Rod Got His Groove Back
New York Times
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Apr 22, 2007 11:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A new hitting coach and newfound aggressiveness are two of the keys to a record-tying-hot start for Alex Rodriguez this season. That start, in turn, has helped ease the pain of a horrifically embarrassing 1-for-14 in the playoffs last season, during which the $252-million third baseman was dropped to eighth in the Yankees' batting order.
Pilot Killed in S.C. Blue Angel Crash
Associated Press
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Apr 22, 2007 5:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis crashed his F/A-18 Hornet jet fighter today during an air show in Beaufort, SC where he and five other members of the Blue Angel demonstration team were flying. The crash took the pilot’s life and also injured eight people on the ground.
Gunmen Execute 23 In Kurdish Sect
Associated Press
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Apr 22, 2007 3:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Gunmen in northern Iraq stopped a bus carrying workers home from a textile factory today, identified 23 members of a tiny religious sect on board, and shot them to death. The bus was filled with Christians and Yazidis, a mostly Kurdish sect that worships an angel, the AP reports.
Sarkozy, Royal in French Runoff
CNN
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Apr 22, 2007 3:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Segolene Royal won the first round of voting today to succeed French president Jacques Chirac, CNN reports. Based on vote counts from hundreds of polling stations, Sarkozy drew 30.46% of the votes, and Royal 24.41%. They will face each other in a runoff election May 6.
Hamilton Gets A Second Chance
ESPN
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Apr 22, 2007 10:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Josh Hamilton was supposed to be a star. A North Carolina kid with Justin Timberlake looks and astonishing skills at the plate and on the mound, he was so focused on the game he couldn't be bothered to go to the senior prom. But then he discovered cocaine. The drugs cost him three years of his baseball career.
