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.
Bald Take Note: Mice Grow New Hair Follicles
Sydney Morning Herald
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May 17, 2007 8:11 AM CDT
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In what could lead to a cure for baldness, scientists have discovered a technique for regrowing hair in an adult mammal for the first time. University of Pennsylvania researchers suceded in stimulating the growth of new skin complete with hair follicles in mice, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Mexico Deploys Soldiers to Fight Drug War
Los Angeles Times
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May 17, 2007 8:08 AM CDT
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In its battle against drug traffickers, the Mexican army fights not just the cartels but also a lethal combination of corruption, power vacuums, and even geography. Desertion rates are high, salaries low, and the assignment difficult if not impossible. The LA Times visits Apatzingan, a drug-war hotspot whose police chief was shot in an ambush this...
Comey's Star Rises as Support for Gonzo Falls
Wall Street Journal
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May 17, 2007 7:39 AM CDT
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James Comey's star turn in Senate testimony against Alberto Gonzales this week prompts speculation that the charismatic former deputy AG should be on the short list to replace him—and might even have legs as a presidential candidate some day. The Wall Street Journal assesses Comey's political future, as support for Gonzales continues to erode.
Report: Iraq Nears Collapse
BBC
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May 17, 2007 7:12 AM CDT
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The Iraqi government is becoming impotent and irrelevant as the country stumbles toward fragmentation and collapse, a new report by a British think tank concludes. The matter-of-fact name, "Accepting Realities in Iraq," belies the grim verdict that large areas are under the control of local factions rather than any government entity, and...
Germany, UK Court Sarkozy in EU Dispute
Times (UK)
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May 17, 2007 6:43 AM CDT
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Hours after Nicolas Sarkozy became president of France, both Germany and Britain began wooing him—Germany to win his support for a European constitution, Britain to secure his opposition to it. Sarkozy immediately huddled with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor who has been lobbying hold-outs with one-on-one talks, the London Times reports.
Senate Votes Down Iraq Withdrawal
Reuters
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May 17, 2007 6:03 AM CDT
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The Senate yesterday shot down a plan to cut all funding for the war in Iraq by next March. Russ Feingold's proposal, largely a test of anti-war support, was defeated in a 67-29 procedural vote, as Congress moves towards compromise with the White House on a spending measure.
Phillies Ace Flirts With Perfect Game
MLB.com
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May 17, 2007 5:52 AM CDT
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Phillies lefty Cole Hamels pitched a perfect six innings en route to a 6-2 victory over the NL Central-leading Brewers, giving up only a walk, a double, and J.J. Hardy's thirteenth home run. Ace-turned-closer Brett Myers closed out the ninth to bring the Phillies back to .500 after a disappointing start to 2007.
McCain Opposes Water Boarding
Los Angeles Times
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May 17, 2007 5:47 AM CDT
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If Rudy Giuliani is the only GOP presidential candidate who differs from the pack on abortion, John McCain stands alone on treatment of detainees, the LA Times notes. In the second debate, while Mitt Romney and Giuliani sanctioned using some forms of torture, including water boarding, on suspected terrorists, former POW McCain called for limits on...
China's Drivers Steer Clear of Tolls
International Herald Tribune
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May 16, 2007 6:02 PM CDT
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Tolls are literally taking a toll in China, where thrifty motorists try to steer around the tollbooths cropping up on the country's highways. An infrastructure boom has created 40,000 kilometers of new toll roads since 1990, and drivers are doing anything—from faking toll-exempt plates to making long detours on back roads—to avoid the pricey...
Miami Beach Battles Sand Hassle
Christian Science Monitor
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May 16, 2007 5:21 PM CDT
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A new kind of sandstorm is brewing in South Florida. As its world-famous beaches face crippling erosion, Miami Beach is hitting up its neighbors for the scarce stuff. But with most of Florida's communities strapped, Miami Beach, like coastal communities in California and Hawaii, is turning to foreign countries, which are happy to swap sand for cash.
US Posts Reward for Missing Troops
CNN
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May 16, 2007 4:40 PM CDT
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The US military is offering a $200,000 reward for information regarding the whereabouts of three soldiers who were kidnapped following an ambush Saturday. Helicopters dropped thousands of leaflets over the southern region of Iraq where the attacks took place, beseeching Iraqis to call a hotline with information. Search operations "are ongoing...
Amazon Sings New Tune for Online Music
ComputerWorld
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May 16, 2007 4:19 PM CDT
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Amazon is going where Apple tried (and failed) to: a DRM-free online music store. Set to launch this year, Amazon’s venture won't sell tracks protected by digital rights management, the anti-copying technology that music labels have required Apple’s iTunes to use. To stay DRM-free, Amazon will partner with EMI Music, home to Coldplay and...
Wolfowitz Headed Out the Door
CNN
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May 16, 2007 3:55 PM CDT
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Paul Wolfowitz may step down from the World Bank as early as today, CNNMoney reports. Wolfowitz and the World Bank board are still wrangling over the terms of his departure, but early accounts suggest that the beleaguered president would leave voluntarily and the bank would admit some responsibility for the handling of a transfer and hefty raise...
British Army Grounds Harry
Daily Mail (UK)
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May 16, 2007 2:49 PM CDT
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British brass have dashed 22-year-old Prince Harry's dreams of fighting in Iraq, citing fears of a targeted assassination. The head of Britain’s army made today’s announcement—a reversal from earlier promises that Harry would fight—after a visit to Iraq last week revealed direct threats against the prince.
Bubbles Painter Washed Up No Longer
Guardian (UK)
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May 16, 2007 2:42 PM CDT
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London's Tate Britain gallery is trying to rescue the cred of a Victorian painter whose best known work is synonymous with crass commercialism. Pre-Raphaelite John Everett Millais is best known for Bubbles , which he sold to the Pears Soap company to make it one of the most reproduced images in the history of art.
Ivy League Logjam Trickles Down
New York Times
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May 16, 2007 2:12 PM CDT
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Top-tier colleges are getting more applicants than ever, the Times reports, allowing a new class of schools to court—and reject—the overachievers increasingly turned away from the Ivy League. Universities like Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh are tightening standards as students with top SATs and grades seek higher learning lower in the rankings.
Smart Car Makes a Little Noise
Los Angeles Times
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May 16, 2007 1:12 PM CDT
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Smart USA will venture into the American auto market early next year, but not in a big way: The Smart Fortwo is very, very small. LA Times auto columnist Dan Neil takes it for a spin and reports that it's a chick magnet and a lot of fun to drive, but relatively expensive. Also, what if someone steps on it?
'High-Value' Gitmo Detainee Alleges Torture
Baltimore Sun
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May 16, 2007 12:14 PM CDT
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A 27-year-old Pakistani says he has been tortured since being moved last year from a CIA jail to the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Majid Khan, who once lived in Maryland, denies belonging to Al-Qaeda, but he was transferred to Cuba in September with 13 other "high-value" operatives after being in custody since 2003.
Private Equity Firm Eyes Bausch & Lomb
Rochester Business Journal
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May 16, 2007 11:34 AM CDT
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Bausch & Lomb is seeing the private equity light at the end of the tunnel. After a year of costly recalls, accounting snafus, and lawsuits that have shaken the contact lens giant, B&L is entertaining a $4.5 billion offer—including $830 million in debt—from Warburg Pincus. The company has 50 days to solicit better offers.
Secretive French Office Wields Power in Africa
Wall Street Journal
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May 16, 2007 9:45 AM CDT
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The election of Nicolas Sarkozy could end the influence of the "African Cell," a tiny French government office that exerts great power in Africa. Since 1958, the Cell has used the French military to install and protect African leaders it considers friendly, opening it to charges that it supports nondemocratic regimes, the Journal reports.
Falwell's Death Ends an Era
Newsweek
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May 16, 2007 9:08 AM CDT
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It's impossible to grasp the profound change in American political life in the last quarter-century without understanding Jerry Falwell and the movement he fostered, writes Newsweek 's Howard Fineman. Falwell, who died yesterday, created the Moral Majority, helped launch the Reagan Revolution, and dug the evangelical foundations—currently shifting—on...
Rothko Fetches $73 Million
Telegraph (UK)
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May 16, 2007 8:18 AM CDT
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Sotheby’s sold a Mark Rothko painting last night for $72.84 million, a record price for a piece of art created after World War II and a signal of a new boom in the market. Seller David Rockefeller bought the 7-foot-tall "White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender)," an early example of the painter's signature blocks of color, for $8,500...
Violence Brings Palestinians to Brink of Civil War
Guardian (UK)
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May 16, 2007 7:50 AM CDT
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Violence between the Hamas and Fatah factions has brought the Palestinian territories to the brink of civil war, a situation that now directly involves Israel, which launched air strikes on Gaza today. Earlier, Hamas gunmen killed at least five guards as they attacked the home of a Fatah security chief. At least 40 people have died in Gaza since Friday.
Spider Venom the New Viagra
Der Spiegel
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May 16, 2007 7:31 AM CDT
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Men with erectile dysfunction may get an assist, believe it or not, from the Brazillian wandering spider—also dubbed the banana spider for its propensity to hide in bunches of the fruit. Researchers at Johns Hopkins have isolated a compound in the spider's deadly saliva that causes erections, der Spiegel reports.
Debate Torture for GOP Hopefuls
New York Times
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May 16, 2007 7:25 AM CDT
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Ten Republican presidential candidates mixed it up in an often boisterous and contentious debate last night at the University of South Carolina. John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, in particular, clashed on the war in Iraq, abortion rights, immigration, each other's conservative credentials and the use of torture in a national emergency.
Taj Mahal Needs a Facial
BBC
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May 16, 2007 6:52 AM CDT
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The Taj Mahal doesn't have any problems that couldn't be cured by a day at the spa. Centuries of pollution have left the enormous mausoleum with a yellow tinge; to restore its marble to pristine white, India is considering applying a clay mask.
League Adds to Suns' Woes
ESPN
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May 16, 2007 6:29 AM CDT
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Two of the Suns' most valuable big men will miss Game 5 for briefly leaving the bench after Robert Horry's grotesque foul against Steve Nash, who was thrown against the scorer's table Monday. An NBA rule states that a player who leaves "the immediate vicinity of the bench" during an altercation automatically receives a suspension.
White House Support for Wolfowitz Crumbles
Washington Post
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May 16, 2007 6:26 AM CDT
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The White House is looking for an exit srategy for besieged World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz. After months of unwavering support that failed to soften the bank's European partners, the Bush administration has indicated a willingness to replace him if it can be done without firing, the Washington Post reports.
Award Pains NBA's First European MVP
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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May 16, 2007 6:26 AM CDT
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Dirk Nowitzki was named the first European MVP of the NBA, but he was also the first since Moses Malone in 1982 to receive the award after losing in the first round of the playoffs. Nowitzki put up career statistics, especially in shooting efficiency, while leading Dallas to the sixth-best record in basketball history. Voting finished before...
Bush Names Surge Skeptic War Czar
Washington Post
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May 16, 2007 5:52 AM CDT
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After public rejection by at least five prominent former generals, the Bush administration named its war czar, three-star general Douglas Lute. The Washington Post describes Lute as a low-key soldier who expressed skepticism about sending more troops to Iraq. Durning internal discussions, Lute is said to have argued that a short-term surge would...
Gonzales Fingers Lame-Duck Aide
Reuters
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May 15, 2007 7:25 PM CDT
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Paul McNulty bears the ultimate responsibility for the US attorney firings, Alberto Gonzales said today, placing the blame for the scandal rocking the Justice Department on its second-highest-ranking official. "He signed off on the names," the AG said. McNulty, who announced yesterday that he'll step down this summer, declined to respond,...
Rove Had Motive to Oust Attorneys
Washington Post
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May 15, 2007 7:24 PM CDT
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Karl Rove's role in the US attorney firings wouldn't be atypical for the power broker, writes the Post 's Dan Froomkin. Bush's ballot-calculating mastermind has long been monomaniacal about prosecuting voter fraud, a move his critics decry as a tactic to "suppress poor and minority turnout."
Woodward, Tenet Form Perfect Storm of Ego
New Yorker
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May 15, 2007 7:23 PM CDT
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Once upon a time, former CIA director George Tenet and superstar political reporter Bob Woodward were friendly, but now they're locked in an ego battle too degrading to produce any winners. The New Yorker this month gives each space to snipe at the other and explores what the whinefest means for their careers.
MIT Makes Programming Child's Play
Boston Globe
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May 15, 2007 5:36 PM CDT
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The latest programming language to come out of MIT's cutting-edge labs has an unusual audience: sixth-graders. “Scratch” replaces the technobabble of Java and C++ with simplified, jigsaw-shaped pieces of code, which budding programmers can arrange into customized sequences. A test group of 12-year-olds in Massachusetts is already at work...
Ex-Justice No. 2 Tells of Attempt to Strong-Arm Ashcroft
New York Times
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May 15, 2007 5:15 PM CDT
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The Senate investigation of Alberto Gonzales took a turn toward high drama today as a former deputy AG described his hospital-room standoff with White House officials attempting to secure the signature of his critically ill boss. James Comey, then No. 2 at Justice—and, with John Ashcroft incapacitated, the acting AG—was with Ashcroft...
Tyco Ponies Up Record $3B in Shareholder Settlement
Financial Times (UK)
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May 15, 2007 3:42 PM CDT
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After years of legal wrangling, Tyco will pay a record $2.975 billion to shareholders who say the company used faulty accounting practices to defraud them. The settlement by Tyco, which became a poster child for executive excess in the wake of the Enron scandal, represents the largest amount ever offered by a single firm in a corporate-fraud...
Pakistan Bombing Kills 25
AFP
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May 15, 2007 3:27 PM CDT
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A suicide bomber destroyed a hotel restaurant in Peshawar, Pakistan, today, killing 25 in what may have been a retaliation for the weekend slaying of a top Taliban chief. The bomber's severed leg had a note attached to it that read: "Those who spy for America will face the same fate."
Miami Tops Road Rage Rankings
Associated Press
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May 15, 2007 2:35 PM CDT
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Miami has retained its title as the capital of road rage for the second year running, taking top honors in a national survey for brake-slamming, running red lights, and talking on cellphones. Motorists in Portland, Ore., report the least tailgating; if you do get too close, do it in St. Louis, where other drivers are least likely to swear.
Inflation Cools, Heats Wall Street
Bloomberg
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May 15, 2007 1:48 PM CDT
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The core consumer price index stayed steady last month, rising just 0.2% and cooling worries about inflation. The overall CPI, which responds to fluctuating food and energy costs, climbed 0.4%, still well within the comfort zone. That's good news for the Fed, which held interest rates steady last week in hopes of targeting inflation.
Televangelist Falwell Dead at 73
CNN
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May 15, 2007 1:09 PM CDT
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The Rev. Jerry Falwell, who founded the Moral Majority and mixed evangelism with conservative social criticism, died today after collapsing in his office at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. He was 73. A lightning rod for controversy, Falwell once called AIDS "the wrath of a just God against homosexuals" and claimed that God is a Republican.
On Broadway, It Looks Like 'Spring'
Baltimore Sun
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May 15, 2007 12:27 PM CDT
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The rock musical Spring Awakening scored 11 Tony Award nominations today, including best musical, best book, and best original score for Steven Sater and pop musician Duncan Sheik. Tom Stoppard's 9-hour trilogy The Coast of Utopia (a best play competitor) and the musical Grey Gardens scored 10 nods apiece. The winners will be announced June 10.
Outsourcing Firms Grab Visas
BusinessWeek
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May 15, 2007 11:51 AM CDT
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H1B visas—intended to bring high-skilled foreign workers to the U.S.—may in fact helping foreign companies to train their workers, two senators argue. Data released by Republicans Dick Durbin and Chuck Grassley indicate that nine Indian outsourcing firms use up 30% of the H1B visas granted each year, more than experts had realized previously.
More Americans Go Wireless
San Francisco Chronicle
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May 15, 2007 11:10 AM CDT
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More and more Americans are bypassing landlines and using only cellphones, a new CDC survey says. The trend encompasses people of all ages and incomes, and it's especially pronounced among the young and the poor. One-eighth (12.8%) of all households use only a cellphone—up from 3.2% in 2003—and the proportion in the 25-to-29 demographic...
Wolfowitz Blames Ethics Panel and Riza for His Woes
Washington Post
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May 15, 2007 10:27 AM CDT
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Paul Wolfowitz fought back aggressively in a written response to the charges that he mishandled a raise and promotion for his girlfriend, the Washington Post reports. The embattled World Bank president claims the ethics committee forced him to handle the transfer himself because Shaha Riza was "extremely angry and upset," and so "intractable"...
Evangelicals Split on Climate Change
BBC
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May 15, 2007 10:14 AM CDT
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American evangelical Christians diverge on the issue of climate change, with one side calling it a hoax and the other exhorting believers—in the Lord as well as the scientific evidence—to work against global warming. The BBC reports on two Christian universities in Virginia that come down on opposite sides of the divide.
Key Democrat Resigns White House Post
Newsweek
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May 15, 2007 9:15 AM CDT
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A onetime Clinton special counsel resigned from a White House civil-liberties oversight board yesterday, but the defection of the No. 2 Justice official overshadowed Lanny Davis' act of protest. Davis, the only Democrat on the Privacy and Civil Liberties Board, said the panel had become unable to check the abuses of an executive that appointed and...
Reuters, Thomson Seal the Deal
Wall Street Journal
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May 15, 2007 8:25 AM CDT
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Reuters and Thomson have settled on the terms of the $17.24 billion merger announced last week, sounding the starting bell for a longer-than-usual regulatory review, the Journal reports. Reuters head Tom Glocer will become CEO of the new Thomson-Reuters, which combines the second- and third-largest providers of financial data and raises antitrust...
Fourth-Place Peacock Goes Light on New Shows
Los Angeles Times
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May 15, 2007 8:23 AM CDT
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NBC offered surprising few new plays for its 2007-08 season, with only one new comedy, five new dramas and a slew of cancellations. The network has been bringing up the rear in a generally bearish market, but signaled it would continue to push shows with critical acclaim but middling commercial success, among them 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights....
Suicide Rises Among Young Chinese Women
Washington Post
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May 15, 2007 8:13 AM CDT
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Young, rural women in China are killing themselves at startling rates. In a country whose overall suicide rate is double the American, suicides are shooting up among young wives caught between the promise of modernizing cities and the traditional subservience of women that persists in the countryside. "Whenever their dreams and reality don't match,...
House Dems Slam Pope's Threat
The Hill
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May 15, 2007 8:08 AM CDT
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A group of House Democrats bridled at Pope Benedict's recent suggestion that politicians who support abortion rights should be excommunicated, The Hill reports. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut led 18 legislators in condemning the Pope's comment, which "offends the very nature of the American experiment," according to their statement.
