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.
Iranians Embrace Underground Fashion Shows
Los Angeles Times
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May 11, 2007 1:34 PM CDT
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Under the nose of Iran's fundamentalist Islamic government, Western standards and customs are gaining ground. From satellite dishes to hip-hop parties to screenings of banned films, temptations abound. The LA Times goes behind the scenes of a fashion show in Tehran, where women and men mix freely and models flash plentiful skin.
Russian Billionaire's Plans May Hold Up Chrysler Purchase
Wall Street Journal
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May 11, 2007 12:37 PM CDT
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A Russian billionaire with possible mob ties plans to buy a major stake in the company that aims to purchase Chrysler. If aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska does buy the $1.54 billion stake in Magna International, the cash will come in handy for the Chrysler deal. But Oleg's shady past may raise flags for regulators, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Murdoch May Have Killed Story on Wife
Slate
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May 11, 2007 9:22 AM CDT
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Rupert Murdoch may have muscled an Aussie mag into dropping a profile of his third wife, Slate 's Jack Shafer speculates. Good Weekend suddenly jettisoned a 10,000-word piece on 38-year-old Wendi Deng last month, after paying writer Eric Ellis $25 grand for the heavily-researched story.
Michelle Obama Picks Campaign Trail Over Career Track
Washington Post
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May 11, 2007 8:49 AM CDT
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Michelle Obama is putting her career on hold for her husband's campaign. The Princeton- and Harvard-educated lawyer has been phasing out her work as a vice president at the University of Chicago Hospitals and will be unemployed for the first time in her adult life. "It's a bit disconcerting," says Obama, 43. "But it's not like I'll be...
Brazilians Gather To Hail New Saint
BBC
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May 11, 2007 7:39 AM CDT
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Up to a million spectators will flock to Sao Paulo today to see Pope Benedict XVI canonize the first saint born in Brazil. Friar Galvao, a Franciscan monk who died in 1822, wrote Latin prayers on slips of rice paper that he rolled into "pills," which appeared to cure diseases. Followers still take the pills at a Sao Paulo monastery.
Push to Oust Gonzales Loses Steam
Financial Times (UK)
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May 11, 2007 7:15 AM CDT
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The Democrats' campaign to unseat Alberto Gonzales appears to have lost some luster, the Financial Times reports. As the House Judiciary Committee continues to grill the attorney general about the firing of nine U.S. Attorneys last year, Republicans are increasingly rallying behind their man, and are now calling for the investigation to end.
Divorce Rate Hits 37-Year Low
Associated Press
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May 11, 2007 7:00 AM CDT
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America's divorce rate has been dropping steadily for decades; this year breakups reached their lowest level since 1970. But that doesn't mean todays' relationships are more stable: More couples are living together without tying the knot. Divorces are down by a third since their peak in 1981, but marriages themselves are also down 30%.
House Passes Short-Term War Funding
CNN
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May 11, 2007 6:36 AM CDT
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Congress voted 221-205 last night to pump $40 billion into the war in Iraq—only enough to fund combat operations until July. An additional $56 billion would be released contingent on the Iraqi government's progress. The bill omits any timetable for withdrawal, but sets the scene for another showdown with President Bush, who's promised to...
Wildfire Sweeps Across Catalina
Los Angeles Times
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May 11, 2007 6:30 AM CDT
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A fast-moving blaze has scorched hundreds of acres of Santa Catalina, a resort island 22 miles off the California coast. The LA Times reports thousands of tourists and residents of the historic city of Avalon were fleeing the oncoming flames yesterday. "I hope they can hold it off," a city official said bleakly.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Quits Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Yahoo
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May 11, 2007 6:26 AM CDT
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NASCAR uberstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. is quitting his late father's eponymous company, changing the stock-car racing landscape significantly. The best-known and best-paid driver on the track, Earnhardt said yesterday he will join a new team next year, citing longstanding strife with his stepmother Teresa.
Accord Reached On Trade Deals
Washington Post
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May 11, 2007 6:26 AM CDT
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Democrats have struck a deal with the White House that beefs up labor and environmental standards in pending free-trade pacts, clearing the way for agreements with Peru, Panama, South Korea, and Colombia. Provisions will be written into future deals banning forced labor, child labor and workplace discrimination, the Washington Post reports.
Brewers Won't Ban Brew In Clubhouse
ESPN
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May 11, 2007 5:40 AM CDT
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The Milwaukee Brewers will not be enacting a clubhouse ban on alcohol, bucking a trend started by the A's and Yankees after St. Louis reliever Josh Hancock died in a drunk driving accident. Ten other clubs already have such a ban; the Brewers, who play in Miller Park, announced yesterday they wouldn't be among them.
MPAA Snuffs Onscreen Smoking
Los Angeles Times
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May 11, 2007 5:37 AM CDT
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Cigarette and cigar smoking will be considered alongside violence, profanity, nudity, and drug use in assigning ratings, the MPAA announced yesterday. Any film that glamorizes the habit or features lighting up outside of "an historic or other mitigating context "could face a box-office-busting R.
Wal-Mart Posts Record Sales Decline
Wall Street Journal
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May 10, 2007 9:10 PM CDT
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Wal-Mart reported a 3.5% decline in sales this April, the wost monthly result the retailer has announced in nearly three decades of announcing. The figures, for stores open at least a year, reflect an early Easter, bad weather, and a rejiggered sales calendar that gave Wal-Mart positive numbers in March.
Federer Upset In Third Round At Rome
BBC
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May 10, 2007 9:05 PM CDT
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Top seed Roger Federer was brought low in a stunning straight-sets loss in the third round of the clay-court Rome Masters today. The Swiss powerhouse, only last year classed as one of the greatest champions in history, went down to a wildcard entrant, Italian Filippo Volandri, 6-2 6-4. "I don't know what's wrong," the stunned 25-year-old...
Engineer Guilty Of Attempted Espionage
CNN
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May 10, 2007 9:01 PM CDT
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A Chinese-American engineer could get up to 35 years for trying to funnel classified U.S. defense technology to China. A federal jury in California convicted 66-year-old Chi Mak, a naturalized citizen who worked for an Anaheim defense contractor, of conspiring to send top secret plans for submarine propulsion technology to Chinese authorities over...
Bush Caves On Iraq Benchmarks
MarketWatch
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May 10, 2007 4:22 PM CDT
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In an abrupt about-face, President Bush said today he will negotiate with Congress about including benchmarks for the Iraqi government in war-spending legislation. With discontent mounting on both sides of the aisle, he emerged from a Pentagon briefing on Iraq and Afghanistan and said, "It makes sense to have benchmarks as part of our discussion."
Citizenship Push Aims to Create Latino Voters
Wall Street Journal
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May 10, 2007 1:29 PM CDT
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The nation's largest Spanish-language broadcaster is preparing to launch an unprecedented citizenship drive that could sway the 2008 presidential election. Univison's "Ya Es Hora" ("It's About Time") campaign, already under way in Southern California, will encourage the country's eight million green card holders to apply for citizenship—and...
Dems: Admit Iraqi Refugees
Washington Post
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May 10, 2007 1:00 PM CDT
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With Iraq war refugees numbering in the millions and as many as 70,000 joining their ranks each month, House Democrats will introduce a bill boosting the number of displaced Iraqis eligible for resettlement in the U.S. A total of 18 Iraqi refugees entered the U.S. in February and March, the Washington Post reports, while Sweden admitted 8,000.
OxyContin Maker Pleads Guilty
Associated Press
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May 10, 2007 12:01 PM CDT
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The company that makes OxyContin pleaded guilty today to misleading the public about the effects of the potent painkiller. Purdue Pharma and three executives will pay $634.5 million in civil and criminal fines. Federal prosecutors accused the firm of "misbranding" the drug, marketing it as a less addictive alternative to traditional pain...
Who Is Gordon Brown?
New York Times
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May 10, 2007 11:40 AM CDT
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As Gordon Brown prepares to succeed Tony Blair, the current chancellor of the exchequer's plans for Britain's future are unclear. Brown's dour, brusque style is a sharp contrast to Blair's slick verbosity, but some see that as an advantage. “He’s not regarded as a prince of spin or a liar," Oxford's Timothy Garton Ash told the New...
JetBlue Bumps CEO From Top Spot
Reuters
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May 10, 2007 10:46 AM CDT
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JetBlue's maverick founder and CEO is out of the top job, the company announced this morning. David Neeleman, who led the carrier during February's service breakdowns—which left passengers stranded on the tarmac for hours and cost the airline tens of millions of dollars—will assume "a more strategic role" with the seven-year-old...
Use of Antipsychotics For Kids Soars
New York Times
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May 10, 2007 10:23 AM CDT
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The Times tackles the growing use of antipsychotic drugs in children, contentious because the drugs are risky and have no approved use for minors. But the trend is also questionable because it coincides with increasing payments to psychiatrists by the companies that market the drugs. In Minnesota, these payments rose sixfold from 2000 to 2005.
Limbaugh Defends 'Magic Negro' Song
Guardian (UK)
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May 10, 2007 9:35 AM CDT
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A song on Rush Limbaugh's radio show that derides Barack Obama is sparking controversy—but not with Obama. In perhaps the most devastating response a blowhard shock jock can provoke, the senator says he hasn't heard the song. Limbaugh has been playing "Barack the Magic Negro" (sung to the tune of "Puff the Magic Dragon") since...
Retired Generals Mount Antiwar Media Blitz
CNN
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May 10, 2007 8:30 AM CDT
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Three retired generals are the faces of an ad campaign launched yesterday warning moderate Republican legislators that if they follow President Bush's policies in Iraq, they shouldn't expect to be re-elected. "It's past time for change," retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste said in an interview. "Our strategy in Iraq today is more of the same:...
Ninth Fired Prosecutor Named
Washington Post
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May 10, 2007 8:14 AM CDT
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With Alberto Gonzales heading for more congressional grilling tomorrow—this time by the House—the Washington Post reports that a ninth federal prosecutor, Todd P. Graves, was asked to step down from his job in January 2006. Graves, who served in Kansas City, said he was told to resign to "give another person a chance."
Speculation On Wolfowitz Successor Builds
Washington Times
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May 10, 2007 8:00 AM CDT
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As pressure on Paul Wolfowitz to step down grows, so does the list of possible successors to the scandal-battered World Bank president. The conservative Washington Times focuses on Goldman Sachs executive Robert Zoellick, a former official in both Bush administrations; other names in play include Treasury official Robert Kimmitt and Reagan administration...
Giuliani Will Come Out As Pro-Choice
New York Times
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May 10, 2007 7:30 AM CDT
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Rudy Giuliani will cut the embarrassing equivocation and declare himself in favor of abortion rights in the coming days, reports the New York Times . The GOP frontrunner, who's drawn flak for trying to explain away his support for abortion in his mayoral days, will risk alienating the conservative portion of the Republican base.
Tony Blair Ends 10-Year Era
BBC
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May 10, 2007 6:56 AM CDT
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It's official: Tony Blair will step down on June 27, as soon as a new Labour leader is chosen. Blair publicly announced his decision in his home constituency of Sedgefield, having told his cabinet earlier in the day. Blair's words prompted "much thumping of tables" by the cabinet, says his spokesman.
GOP Moderates Huddle With Bush on Iraq
Washington Post
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May 10, 2007 6:41 AM CDT
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Moderate Republicans met with Bush and his closest aides yesterday in a private meeting one participant called "a remarkable, candid conversation" the Washington Post reports. The representatives made clear their frustration with the war in Iraq, and its unpopularity with their constituents, as both parties attempt to hammer out a compromise....
FDA Given New Muscle To Monitor Drugs
New York Times
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May 10, 2007 5:41 AM CDT
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The Food and Drug Administration would be given sweeping new powers to order drug recalls, regulate advertising and mandate changes in labels under a bill passed by the Senate yesterday. The bill signals a fundamental shift in the FDA's role, the New York Times reports, requiring the agency to track drugs after, as well as before, approval.
Jazz Deter Warriors in OT, 127-117
Yahoo
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May 10, 2007 5:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
After an historic upset of top-seeded Dallas, Golden State has lost its first two games against Utah, the second in an overtime thriller in which it led with 2.9 seconds left in regulation. Blossoming point guard Deron Williams hit the tying basket and ended with 31 points, electrifying a Utah crowd dressed uniformly in powder-blue t-shirts.
HBO Axes CEO After Arrest
Los Angeles Times
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May 10, 2007 5:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Chris Albrecht, who turned HBO into a titan with mega-hits "Sex and the City" and "The Sopranos," was fired yesterday in the aftermath of an arrest for choking his girlfriend outside the MGM Grand in Vegas. A temporary leave was announced after Sunday's altercation, but Albrecht was forced out after the LA Times revealed an earlier...
MVP Howard Slams Out Of Slump
MLB.com
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May 10, 2007 4:17 AM CDT
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Six shutout innings by D-Backs ace Randy Johnson went for naught after he loaded the bases in the seventh; struggling slugger Ryan Howard, last year's NL MVP, golfed the first pitch he saw from reliever Brandon Medders and put Philadelphia up for good. The Phillies won, 9-3.
Blair Will Resign Tomorrow
Guardian (UK)
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May 9, 2007 10:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to formally announce his resignation tomorrow and anoint Chancellor Gordon Brown as his successor Friday. The Guardian reports he won't actually step down until July, but the announcement will signal the end of the Blair era and begin a divisive process of choosing the next Prime Minister.
German Students Do Full Monty
Der Spiegel
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May 9, 2007 5:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
German students are capitalizing on their assets—nude calendars, raising money for charities and better conditions on campus, are all the rage. While some of the calendars have a whimsical feel, professional photographers have gotten in on the action, too. But "they work primarily with sports students, who tend to have somewhat more toned...
21 Afghan Civilians Killed in Air Strikes
Economist
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May 9, 2007 4:52 PM CDT
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U.S. airstrikes killed 21 Afghan civilians in eastern Afghanistan late last night, just hours after the U.S. offered an official apology to the families of 19 killed in a March attack. The civilian deaths—as many as 1,000 in 2006 alone—are stirring unrest against NATO forces, even from on high, the Economist reports.
In Brazil, Pope Talks Tough On Abortion
Boston Globe
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May 9, 2007 3:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Pope Benedict brought the Catholic Church's stern anti-abortion message to Brazil today, weeks after Mexico City legalized the practice and as Brazil faintly contemplates doing the same. The Pope is on his first trip to Latin America—the fastest-expanding corner of his flock, but also one of the most precarious—this week.
Bush Will Veto New Iraq Bill
Washington Post
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May 9, 2007 3:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Bush will veto a second proposed Iraq appropriations blll, the White House said today, dashing hopes for an agreement on the controversial measure. The new bill, which House Dems unveiled yesterday, requires the President to report to Congress on Iraq's progress in order to receive full funding for the war.
Fed Holds Interest Rates Steady
MarketWatch
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May 9, 2007 2:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Fed held the benchmark interest rate steady at 5.25% today in an unsurprising statement that prompted little reaction from the market. The unanimous vote reflects concerns about a faltering housing market, slowed growth, and persistent fears about core inflation, which the Fed continues to consider "somewhat elevated."
Immigrants Allege Border Drugging
Los Angeles Times
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May 9, 2007 12:57 PM CDT
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Two illegal immigrants say they were drugged against their will by U.S. officials trying to deport them, their ACLU lawyer said yesterday. The two men, one Indonesian and one Senegalese, claim to have been injected with pyschotropic drugs during deportation proceedings; neither had been diagnosed with a mental illness that would have required the medication.
Salon: Public Ownership Fails Newspapers
Salon
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May 9, 2007 12:31 PM CDT
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The looming Murdochization of the Wall Street Journal highlights what people should have realized long ago, writes Gary Weiss: just how disastrous public ownership is to the newspaper business. Every time that investors' bottom lines are matched against journalistic integrity, journalism gets tramped. "The only solution," he says, "is...
Fort Dix Plot Draws Out 'Lone-Wolf' Terrorists
Newsweek
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May 9, 2007 11:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The foiled Fort Dix plot revealed the one thing U.S. intelligence agencies least wanted to see, report Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball: evidence of an emerging home-grown jihadist movement. The would-be terrorists were "lone-wolf" operators, who drew inspiration from online videos and instruction manuals rather than taking orders from...
Thomson Confirms Merger Deal
New York Times
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May 9, 2007 11:00 AM CDT
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Financial data giants Reuters and Thomson have confirmed that a merger is in the works. Should the deal go through, the company will control 34 percent of the financial data market, to current leader Bloomberg's 33 percent. Reuters CEO Tom Glocer would head the new Thomson-Reuters, which would remain under the Thomson family's control.
Kidney Sales Brisk On India's Black Market
Wired
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May 9, 2007 10:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Women impoverished by the catastrophic tsunami of 2004 are selling their kidneys on India's lucrative black market in ever increasing numbers. Wired reports on an international organ-donor scandal in which desperate donors are often ripped off by unscrupulous doctors and dealers who take the organs and keep the money.
Home Prices Boom, In Select Cities
Wall Street Journal
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May 9, 2007 10:28 AM CDT
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Despite the real estate slump, several cities are seeing double-digit gains in housing prices: Portland, Boise, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Houston, Austin, Charlotte and Raleigh aren't feeling the bubble blues—in part because they missed out on the bubble.
Dealers Making Drugs for Kids
Associated Press
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May 9, 2007 9:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Drug traffickers are pursuing the middle-school crowd by mixing snortable dope with everyday products like cold medicine and candy, and pushing the product under kid-friendly names. A blend of black tar heroin and Tylenol PM labeled "cheese" has been linked to the deaths of 19 teenagers in Dallas.
Strapped National Guard Hampers Tornado Cleanup
New York Times
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May 9, 2007 9:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The National Guard was slow to respond to the Kansas tornado because much of its equipment is in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Times reports, and sniping between the state and federal governments echoes the Hurricane Katrina fallout. The Kansas Guard has only about half the vehicles and heavy machinery it normally would, and many other states are in...
Pelosi Threatens Bush Lawsuit
The Hill
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May 9, 2007 8:54 AM CDT
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Nancy Pelosi says the House could sue President Bush if he tries to circumvent provisions in its new Iraq appropriations bill. Bush has suggested he'll append a signing statement to the bill, a controversial practice that could let him treat parts of the law—like timetables on progress in Iraq—as optional.
Doctors Paid Millions To Use Anemia Drugs
New York Times
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May 9, 2007 8:34 AM CDT
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Doctors are paid millions of dollars by drug companies to give their patients anemia medicine which regulators now say may be dangerous. Spurred by competiton between several similar drugs, companies reward doctors with rebates, which allow them to make a significant profit, the New York Times reports.
