Newser Story Index from May, 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.
Drag Queens Take Over Bingo
Time
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May 3, 2007 1:10 PM CDT
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Time documents the rise of drag queen bingo, the revolution that added trannies to grannies to make church basements a little more fabulous. It began in Seattle in the early '90s, when Judy Werle hatched a bingo AIDS fundraiser. "We decided to liven it up in the way that only gay men can." It's since become a national obsession. ...
Qaeda in Iraq Deputy Killed, But Masri Still on Loose
New York Times
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May 3, 2007 11:47 AM CDT
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Americans have killed a senior Al-Qaeda in Iraq deputy, but there's no evidence that the leader of the group died in fighting between rival factions, as the Iraqi government had claimed Tuesday. Muharib Abdul Latif al-Jubouri, killed in a Tuesday raid, was a minister of information for Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Democrats Move on to Benchmarks
Washington Post
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May 3, 2007 11:12 AM CDT
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Congressional Dems have dropped their demands for a timeline to bring home troops, after the House failed yesterday to override a Bush veto on their Iraq spending bill. Now the buzzword is benchmarks, and even some Republicans are signaling that they could get on board. But what, if any, muscle might be put behind the benchmarks is unclear.
Geek Uprising Shows Futility of Web Censorship
New York Times
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May 3, 2007 10:50 AM CDT
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The flash riot of Internet crusaders who disseminated the code to decrypt HD DVDs over the last few days should teach entertainment companies to think long and hard about their anti-piracy strategy, the New York Times notes. The standard cease-and-desist letters sent to websites to keep the code out of circulation had the opposite effect.
'Idol' Down To Final Four
MTV
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May 3, 2007 9:56 AM CDT
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American voters—135 million strong—sent two "American Idol" finalists home last night, leaving three women and one man in the running. Smooth-domed Phil Stacey and Justin Timberlake-esque hearthrob Chris Richardson got the boot, but neither seemed distraught: A spot in the top six is a fine career starter, as Chris Daughtry can...
Britney Wigs Out
Los Angeles Times
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May 3, 2007 9:25 AM CDT
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Britney's back—somewhat. In the latest performance by an ensemble billed as "the M+Ms," the troubled chanteuse strode onstage in scanty attire and a not-so scanty wig last night in Anaheim and shimmied to the tunes of her big hits, including "Hit Me Baby One More Time" and "Toxic."
Tabloid Paid BP Chief's Gay Lover
Guardian (UK)
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May 3, 2007 9:02 AM CDT
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There is growing sympathy in London's financial community for Lord Browne, the CEO of energy giant BP who resigned Monday after being caught lying to a court about how he met his gay lover. The Guardian reports that the British tabloid, Mail on Sunday , paid Browne's lover Jeff Chevalier, about $80,000 for details about their relationship.
Dow Rejection Won't Deflect Murdoch
Wall Street Journal
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May 3, 2007 8:44 AM CDT
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The Bancroft family's rejection of Rupert Murdoch's $5 billion offer for Dow Jones set the stage yesterday for a battle with other shareholders and the board of directors—as well as within the family itself. Without the family's controlling votes, the board would likely jump at the offer, a 67% premium over the company's closing price Monday.
MySpace Flap Costs Obama
Chicago Tribune
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May 3, 2007 8:42 AM CDT
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The glow of a computer screen morphed into a harsh spotlight on the Barack Obama campaign this week during a bitter dispute over control of a MySpace page bearing the senator's name. Obama reached out last night—over the phone, not in an email—to the disgruntled supporter who created the page, but the damage is done.
Iraqi PM Begs for Debt Forgiveness
BBC
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May 3, 2007 7:52 AM CDT
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Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is begging other nations to write off Iraq's debt, saying the country needs reconstruction funds. He spoke today at a regional summit that will feature the first high-level talks between the U.S. and Syria since 2005; prospects of Secretary of State Rice sitting down with her Iranian counterpart are far less certain.
McGreevey Makes a Leap Of Faith
Star-Ledger
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May 3, 2007 7:29 AM CDT
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James McGreevey, who resigned as New Jersey governor to avoid being outed by a former gay lover, plans to become an Episcopalian priest. McGreevey, who had been a Catholic, was received into the faith at St. Bartholomew's Church in Manhattan Sunday, and has been accepted into the Master of Divinity program at General Theological Seminary.
Deputy PM Wants Olmert Out
Haaretz (Israel)
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May 3, 2007 7:02 AM CDT
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Israel's foreign minister has called on Ehud Olmert to resign, the highest ranking Kadima party official to call for his ouster. Tzipi Livni, who also serves as deputy prime minister, says she's prepared to stand to replace Olmert in the wake of the damning Winograd report. But the majority of Kadima Knesset members continue to back the embattled leader.
Gonzales Aide Probed for Political Hiring
Washington Post
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May 3, 2007 6:58 AM CDT
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The Justice Department is investigating whether Monoica Goodling, the former aide to Alberto Gonzales recently given immunitiy to testify before Congress, illegally used party loyalty as a criteria in hiring federal prosecutors. Goodling's position involved reviewing applications for prosecutors; it's a violation of federal law to consider political...
Royal Slams Sarkozy in French Debate
Guardian (UK)
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May 3, 2007 6:25 AM CDT
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Socialist candidate Ségolene Royal scored points for passion and toughness, and conservative Nicolas Sarkozy for policy brilliance in the French presidential debate last night. Commentators said Royal, who was trailing in opinion polls, helped close the gap by seizing the offensive, turning the tables on the notoriously combative Sarkozy.
Opportunistic Brewers Maul Cardinals, 4-0
MLB.com
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May 2, 2007 10:50 PM CDT
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The Brewers have the best record in baseball after a sweep of the 2006 world champs, the Cardinals, who are still stunned by the death of reliever Josh Hancock in a car crash last weekend. At 18-9, Milwaukee is nine games over .500 for the first time since 1998, and won despite losing starter Chris Capuano to injury.
Senators on Verge of Exorcising Devils
Yahoo
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May 2, 2007 10:47 PM CDT
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Ironman goalie Martin Brodeur was good, but the Ottawa front line was even better in a 3-2 Game 4 victory that has New Jersey on the verge of crashing out of the playoffs. Winger Dany Heatley played the hero before an electrified home crowd; he assisted on Daniel Alfredsson's goal, then put one between Brodeur's pads himself.
Warriors Attempt to Regroup
San Francisco Chronicle
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May 2, 2007 10:43 PM CDT
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Heading into Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead, the 8-seeded Warriors had all the momentum on their side. Now the Mavericks are the team with a swagger after a close but decisive win at home. The good news for Golden State is that they're going home, where the most rabid fan base in pro basketball awaits.
In Pittsburgh, the Crash Lingers
ESPN
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May 2, 2007 10:41 PM CDT
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Eleven months ago, Ben Roethlisberger was nearly killed in a motorcycle collision. Now, ESPN takes a look at the people who's lives were changed that day: the quarterback who wasn't wearing a helmet, the surgeon who became an overnight celebrity, the 62-year-old driver who failed to yield and learned to live with death threats.
Senate Seeks E-mails From Gonzales
Yahoo
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May 2, 2007 8:35 PM CDT
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The Senate demanded all e-mails pertaining to Karl Rove's role in the disputed firing of eight U.S. attorneys from Alberto Gonzales today, setting a May 15 deadline for the attorney general to turn them over. Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which issued the subpoena, disputes the White House's claim that the e-mails...
Hoon Admits Iraq Screwups
Guardian (UK)
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May 2, 2007 5:26 PM CDT
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In a confessional interview about his Iraq war regrets, the former British defense secretary tells the Guardian that the Brits' biggest miscalculation was underestimating Dick Cheney. Geoff Hoon said he and other senior ministers would air disagreements with Bush, Rumsfeld, and Powell, and they'd come away thinking they'd made their points. But...
Calling All Spies
GovExec
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May 2, 2007 5:12 PM CDT
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The CIA, NSA, and other intelligence agencies face a crisis of human capital as they struggle to close the chasm between recently recruited agents and supervisors quickly approaching retirement, Government Executive magazine reports. The spy world is scrambling to keep up with the 21st century's touchy-feely corporate culture, creating more opportunities...
Imus Will Sue CBS for $40 Mil Left on Contract
CNN
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May 2, 2007 5:00 PM CDT
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Don Imus is off the airwaves but not finished fighting: He's hired First Amendment attorney Martin Garbus to help him sue CBS. Sources tell Fortune that Imus's five-year, $50 million contract guaranteed him a warning before his routinely foul mouth got him fired; without it, he may be owed the $40 mil left on the deal.
TB Patient Spends Nine Months In Lockdown
Los Angeles Times
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May 2, 2007 4:57 PM CDT
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A tuberculosis patient has been in forced quarantine in an Arizona hospital's jail ward for nine months for failing to wear a face mask and take his medication. Robert Daniels committed no crime, but neither did he follow doctor's orders to avoid transmission of his drug-resistant TB.
Dow Hits Another Record —17th for the Year
MarketWatch
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May 2, 2007 4:43 PM CDT
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Strong factory orders and media-buyout mania helped push the Dow to another record high, closing at 13,211. The index jumped 76 points, riding news of yesterday's News Corp. offer for Dow Jones and Co. and today's Cablevision deal, as well as a better-than-expected March bump in factory orders.
Presidential Peck Sets Off Iranian Sex Scandal
Fox News
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May 2, 2007 4:00 PM CDT
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Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is at the center of an unlikely sex scandal today, after being caught on camera kissing the hand—even if it was gloved—of a retired schoolteacher. Ahmadinejad's sexy faux pas, at a ceremony honoring the country's teachers, is a violation of Shariah law, hard-liners say.
Walter Reed Bars Baez
Rolling Stone
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May 2, 2007 3:45 PM CDT
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Patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center were treated to tunes by John Mellencamp last week, but not Joan Baez—hospital officials refused to let the legendary folk singer and antiwar activist join him. A spokesman told Rolling Stone the request to include Baez came too late. Said Mellencamp: "We asked why and they said, 'She can’t...
Web Muckrakers Fight Corruption in China
Washington Post
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May 2, 2007 2:38 PM CDT
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A new breed of journalist is evolving out of China’s censored media: the web-based hired gun. The Washington Post reports on freelance muckrakers who investigate corruption the mainstream press can't touch and post the results on their sites. They're paid—if meagerly—by the aggrieved parties.
Some Mahdis Going Freelance
Newsweek
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May 2, 2007 1:58 PM CDT
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The Madhi Army is letting loose. Officially locked down by leader Moqtada al-Sadr during the troop surge, renegade Mahdis are unleashing a wave of random violence on once-peaceful areas of central and southern Iraq, Newseek reports. That worries even al-Sadr's commanders, who are now seeking U.S. help to control their wayward acolytes.
Credit Cards Take a Swipe at Identity Theft
InformationWeek
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May 2, 2007 1:39 PM CDT
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Hello, Mission Impossible: Credit cards may soon feature tiny LCD screens that display a temporary password at the push of a button. The password, valid for only 30 seconds, is meant to deter online fraud and identity theft.
U.S. May Reqire Visas From Brits
New York Times
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May 2, 2007 12:43 PM CDT
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Immigration officials are considering making British citizens apply for visas to enter the U.S., the New York Times reports. The aim is to screen out potential terrorists among Brits of Pakistani descent who might slip through because of the longstanding waiver of visas between the two countries. An alternate proposal would require visas only...
Lefty Women Die Younger
Telegraph (UK)
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May 2, 2007 12:01 PM CDT
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Left-handed women have a dramatically higher risk of mortality from just about every disease, a new study reported in the Telegraph shows. Dutch researchers who followed more than 12,000 women for nearly 13 years found lefties had a 40% greater chance of dying from any cause, 70% higher from cancer, and 30% higher from circulatory diseases.
Dolans' Offer Scores With Cablevision
Bloomberg
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May 2, 2007 11:20 AM CDT
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The Dolans have finally struck a deal to take Cablevision private. The $10.6 billion transaction, announced today, ends two years of wrangling with the entertainment conglomerate's board, and is a victory for Charles, the company's 80-year-old founder and his son James, now CEO.
Baiters Turn Tables On Scammers
The Atlantic
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May 2, 2007 10:39 AM CDT
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Revenge is a dish best served electronically, Ron Rosenbaum reports in an Atlantic expose on scam-baiting. A community of e-vigilantes has developed elaborate schemes to thwart the ruses of fake Nigerian princes with equally creative faux dupes. Scammers are punished by coaxing them into laborious and embarrassing tasks, like holding humiliating...
Journal Owners Rebuff Murdoch Offer
Financial Times (UK)
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May 2, 2007 9:36 AM CDT
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The Bancroft family, which controls Dow Jones, rejected Rupert Murdoch's $5 billion offer for the media giant late yesterday—but their divided response to the unsolicited bid signalled to both News Corp. and other would-be buyers that a different offer might be acceptable.
Blair Points To Successor
Telegraph (UK)
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May 2, 2007 9:08 AM CDT
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As he marked a decade in power, British prime minister Tony Blair said yesterday he'll step down within weeks. Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown is expected to succeed Blair, who stopped short of officially anointing Brown but told a Labour rally, "In all probability, a Scot will become prime minister of the United Kingdom."
Users Revolt After Digg Censors DVD Hackers
iTWire
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May 2, 2007 9:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Web 2.0 blogs are rushing to declare Digg dead, after a night in which the site's main page was saturated with its own obituaries. The web's most popular user-generated news site prompted a mutiny by removing posts revealing how to crack encrypted DVDs and HDs. Digg said the illegal posts put the site's survival at risk.
Dolans Make Third Run At Buying Back Cablevision
Wall Street Journal
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May 2, 2007 8:39 AM CDT
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Cablevision's founding family is close to taking the entertainment giant private, the Journal reports. The Dolans have tried and failed twice since 2005 to strike a deal with the board, but the third time may be the charm. The magic number is $36 a share, up from $30 in an unsuccessful bid in January.
FDA Names Food Safety Czar After Chicken Scare
Chicago Tribune
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May 2, 2007 8:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The FDA appointed a food safety czar yesterday, as the news that 3 million chickens had been fed melamine-tainted feed exacerbated growing public anxiety about food safety. The FDA said the chickens weren't recalled because most of them would have been sold by now, and the melamine was too diluted to be a health hazard for humans.
Chefs Sing Praises of Sous Vide
San Francisco Chronicle
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May 2, 2007 8:00 AM CDT
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"This is not your mother's boil-in-a-bag," write's Tara Duggan of the San Francisco Chronicle of "sous vide" cooking, a French cooking technique of immersing food in a vacuum-sealed bag. While they don't trumpet it on menus, Bay Area Chefs are smitten with the precision and flavor of sous vide.
Law Firm's Green Record Gives Rudy Black Eye
New York Times
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May 2, 2007 8:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Rudy Giuliani's affiliation with a big-name Houston law firm has been key to his fund-raising success, especially in Texas, but may be dangerous politically, the Times reports. Bracewell & Giuliani, which the former New York mayor joined in 2005, is one of the most prominent lobbyists for the heavy-polluting oil, gas, and energy industries.
Dems, President Get Serious On Iraq Compromise
Politico
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May 2, 2007 7:25 AM CDT
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After a day of partisan theatrics—what the Politico notes may rank as the Capitol's most celebrated sendoff for a doomed bill—work gets serious on a compromise war spending bill that may include benchmarks but no timelines. Bush meets with congressional leaders to begin formal negotiations today, even as the House makes a futile effort...
Study Sees Racial Bias In NBA Refs
New York Times
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May 1, 2007 10:39 PM CDT
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in the NBA, white referees call up to 4.5% more fouls against black players than against white players, according to a study by Justin Wolfers and Joseph Price, a Penn professor and a Cornell graduate student. And the opposite is also true: black refs call more fouls on white players, though the discrepancy isn't as large.
Papelbon Suffers Rare Blown Save
Associated Press
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May 1, 2007 10:17 PM CDT
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Jonathan Papelbon, Boston's marquee closer, blew his first save of the season against the Athletics, and saw his hitherto sparkling ERA swell. Rookie outfielder Travis Buck hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth, and Dan Johnson hit the go-ahead RBI double in the tenth off reliever Brendan Donnelly to halt the rolling Sox 5-4.
Middle East Solution? Ignore It
Prospect
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May 1, 2007 10:05 PM CDT
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As experts scramble to respond to escalating crises in the Middle East, think-tanker Edward Luttwack has a novel solution—leave 'em be. The strategic implications of the Arab-Israeli crisis ended with the Cold War, he argues, and local regimes don't control oil supplies—oil companies do.
BP Chief Resigns Over Lies On Gay Lover
Times (UK)
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May 1, 2007 9:59 PM CDT
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The chief executive of U.K. energy giant BP stepped down unexpectedly today, after a court ruled he had lied about details of his relationship with a 27-year-old man, and the House of Lords decided he couldn't keep a tabloid from printing them. Lord Browne of Madingley lavished the student with gifts, and allegedly even gave away trade secrets.
Final Frontier Tests Terra Firma Ethics
CNN
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May 1, 2007 7:49 PM CDT
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As NASA plans a three-year manned mission to Mars during the next three decades, Oregon Trail ethics are being updated. What do you do with bodies of pioneers who don't make it? A new document on crew health from the space agency deals with death and interment where no man has gone before.
Turkish PM Backs Election Overhaul
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
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May 1, 2007 7:38 PM CDT
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Turkey's prime minister put his weight behind a new, popular presidential vote, hours after a court invalidated Friday's election by parliament. The secular opposition had boycotted that vote because of the Islamist background of the lone candidate, foreign minister Abdullah Gul.
Bush Vetoes War Funding Bill
Washington Post
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May 1, 2007 5:50 PM CDT
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As good as his word, President Bush made short work of vetoing the war appropriations bill Congress put on his desk today, objecting to its provision for a strict timetable for pulling the troop out of Iraq. With the veto a fait accompli for weeks, lawmakers are already girding to develop a compromise.
Fewer March for Immigration
Los Angeles Times
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May 1, 2007 4:05 PM CDT
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Thousands turned out across the country today to rally in favor of a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. But with immigration reform off the table in Washington, their numbers marked a sharp decrease from the 650,000 who congregated last year in L.A. alone.
Cabal Pushes Shiite Agenda
CNN
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May 1, 2007 3:35 PM CDT
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A shadowy group within the Iraqi prime minister’s office is secretly pushing a Shiite agenda and exacerbating sectarianism, CNN reports. The 24-member Office of the Commander in Chief has power over other ministries, which Iraqis say it is using to protect militias and blacklist commanders not willing to turn a blind eye to violence.
