Newser Story Index from June, 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.
Supremes Halt Execution of Insane Inmate
Washington Post
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Jun 28, 2007 2:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to block the execution of a schizophrenic condemned killer because Texas criminal courts had not taken his mental health into account. Anthony Kennedy joined the court's liberals and wrote the decision, which reaffirmed previous injunctions against executing the insane; Kennedy wrote that the "punishment could serve...
Tastiest New Chefs of 2007
Food & Wine
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Jun 28, 2007 2:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Here are Food & Wine's picks for the 10 best new chefs—up-and-comers who are deploying their culinary talents in intimate and stylish restaurants around the country. April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig, New York, NY Gabriel Bremer, Salts, Cambridge, MA Steve Corry, Five Fifty-Five, Portland, ME Matthew...
For Rudy, It Aways Comes Back to 9/11
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 28, 2007 1:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Los Angeles Times tracks Rudy Giuliani's rhetoric on the stump, and marvels at the way he manages to bring just about any topic around to the threat of terror. Fourteen seconds into in a speech in Des Moines called "Restoring Fiscal Discipline and Cutting Wasteful Washington Spending" the mayor's already stressing the importance...
Senate Kills Immigration Bill
Washington Post
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Jun 28, 2007 1:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In a serious setback for the Bush administration's second-term agenda, the Senate effectively killed the immigration-reform bill today, voting 53-46 to keep the legislation from going forward. The president had actively promoted the bipartisan measure, going so far as to lobby senators by phone this morning, but with his influence at a low ebb, the...
Chinese Use Texting to Keep Protest Alive
Washington Post
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Jun 28, 2007 12:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Chinese activists used text messages and blog posts to organize and publicize a huge protest against the construction of a chemical plant, demonstrating continuing ingenuity in skirting government strictures against dissent in the media. Construction of the plant in the coastal town of Xiamen was put on hold following a 10,000-person demonstration,...
High Court Limits Use of Race in School Assignments
CNN
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Jun 28, 2007 12:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Taking race into consideration in school assignments is unconstitutional because it violates students' rights under the equal protection clause, the Supreme Court ruled today in a landmark decision that could cause upheaval in K-12 education. The decision, by an increasingly familiar 5-4 vote, invalidates diversity plans in Louisville and Seattle but...
Former Gay Converters Apologize
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 28, 2007 11:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Three ex-leaders of the country's largest Christian gay-conversion ministry apologized for their behavior yesterday, saying the group had caused psychological distress to those it claimed to help. An Exodus International co-founder, now out as a gay man, lamented that the organization had made people feel "compelled to try to change an integral...
Health-Care Industry Feels a Little 'Sicko'
Time
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Jun 28, 2007 10:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Moore's "Sicko," in which the filmmaker advocates for socialized health care, has the industry nervous and trying to downplay the film's accuracy and objectivity. Strong opinions are flying on both sides, from medical workers who back Moore to an industry lobbying organization that calls him "a political activist with a track...
Storms Swamp Central Texas
Associated Press
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Jun 28, 2007 9:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Rain continues to pelt central Texas, where 11 people have died in the flooding over the past 10 days and yesterday saw another 18 inches of precipitation on the town of Marble Falls. Some 150 National Guard troops are in the area, where rooftop rescues had to be suspended briefly because the weather grounded helicopters.
Wall Street, GOP Team Up on Tax Bill
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 28, 2007 8:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Wall Street stormed Washington yesterday, as more than 70 lobbyists for financial firms met with GOP lawmakers to organize opposition to a bill that would raise the tax rate on private-equity partners. The proposal would require managers at private partnerships to pay the normal income tax rate of up to $35% on their cut of profits, rather than the...
Scalia Joins Majority, but Not Happily
New York Times
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Jun 28, 2007 8:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The high court may have a new conservative majority, but it's not exactly a lovey-dovey one, judging from Antonin Scalia's withering concurring opinions on two recent decisions, the New York Times reports. Although he voted with the majority, Scalia blasted Chief Justice John Roberts for downplaying the impact of the decisions. "This faux...
Three Freshmen Dems Balking at Immigration Bill
New York Times
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Jun 28, 2007 8:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Three Senate Democrats--all newly elected in close races--are lining up against the controversial immigration bill championed by President Bush and Democratic leaders. They and eight other Democratic naysayers could be crucial in determining the fate of the bill, reports the New York Times . A vote in the Senate could come as soon as tomorrow.
20 Headless Bodies Found Near Baghdad
Associated Press
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Jun 28, 2007 7:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Twenty decapitated corpses were found alongside the Tigris River today, in an area where coalition forces have recently pushed to annihilate al-Qaeda militants. All young men, the bodies were bound and many heads were discovered nearby, the AP reports. The military drive in Salman Pak began two weeks ago.
Toothpaste Scare Widens—Again
New York Times
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Jun 28, 2007 7:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Chinese toothpaste scare is far from over and is more than just a scare. Tainted tubes have turned up, as expected, in discount stores—but officials have also found them in institutions such as prisons and hospitals, the Times reports. Nearly 1 million tubes containing varying amounts of a chemical found in antifreeze have been distributed,...
Romney 'Tortured' Family Dog
Time
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Jun 28, 2007 6:26 AM CDT
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White House hopeful Mitt Romney once kept his Irish Setter in a dog carrier strapped to the roof rack of the family car during a 12-hour road trip in a stunt that's come back to haunt his campaign 24 years later, Time reports. The incident came to light as an anecdote about Romney in a newspaper profile.
3-D Format Will Foil Film Pirates
Times (UK)
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Jun 28, 2007 6:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Movie makers are preparing to launch a major assault on video piracy—in 3-D. In two years, more than 4,000 theaters will be 3-D-ready, and top studios are gearing up to create films in the new format, which can't be recorded off the screen. Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson are using it, and James Cameron is filming his first feature since...
CEO Passes Reins at Wells Fargo
Financial Times (UK)
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Jun 28, 2007 6:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Dick Kovacevich, the CEO of Wells Fargo, stepped down yesterday after an enviable run at the helm of the country's fifth-largest bank. His successor will be COO John Stumpf. At a time when most financial institutions are seeking global acquisitions, the San Francisco-based bank has outperformed larger rivals while shunning overseas expansion.
The Simple Life in Jail: Bad Food, Fan Mail
CNN
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Jun 28, 2007 5:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Still convinced she got a "raw deal," an almost Zen-like Paris Hilton spilled the beans yesterday about her 23-day stretch in stir, where the food "wasn't that tasty" and being strip-searched was the most humiliating experience of her life. Also especially tough: not being able to hug her dad on Father's Day, the heiress told Larry...
Hamas Rips Blair Peace Mission
BBC
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Jun 28, 2007 5:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hamas, the Palestinian group now in control of Gaza, blasted Tony Blair's appointment as a Mideast peace envoy yesterday, characterizing the former British prime minister as "not honest and not helpful," and a puppet of the US and Israel, the BBC reports. Blair's new role, formalized hours after he departed 10 Downing Street, has been hailed...
Russia Stakes Claim to Oil-Rich Arctic Territory
Guardian (UK)
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Jun 28, 2007 5:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Russia has claimed a massive, oil-rich chunk of the Arctic, despite international laws that block ownership of the territory. The Kremlin based its move on scientists' insistence that an underwater shelf links Russia to 460,000 square miles of the North Pole, which contains 10 billion tons of oil and gas deposits which can be extracted relatively easily.
Liz Claiborne Dead at 78
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 28, 2007 5:03 AM CDT
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Designer Liz Claiborne, whose styles aimed at career women revolutionized everyday fashion sense in America and brought feminine new looks to the workplace, is dead at 78. She was the first woman founder of a Fortune 500 company. Claiborne died Tuesday in New York, after a lengthy battle with bone cancer.
iPhone Frenzy Inspires Profiteers
Washington Post
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Jun 28, 2007 5:00 AM CDT
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Apple and AT&T aren’t the only ones cashing in on the iPhone craze. The Washington Post reports on strategies—both high-tech and low-brow—being deployed to profit on tomorrow's release. Many of those camping on lines around the country are being paid for their trouble; offers on Craigslist have been running as high as $1,000.
Mossad Spy in London Mystery Death
Associated Press
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Jun 28, 2007 4:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Scotland Yard is investigating the death of an Egyptian billionaire suspected of being a Mossad spy. Ashraf Marwan's body was found yesterday on the pavement beneath the balcony of his fourth-floor London flat. Friends said Marwan, who was 62, feared assassination since 2004 when it was first reported that he passed intelligence to Israelis before...
Six-Game Streak Cheers Mercurial Cubs
Hole Card Blog
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Jun 28, 2007 4:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
On a six-game streak heading into a showdown with the division-leading Brewers, the Cubs completed a sweep of the Colorado Rockies behind resurgent ace Carlos Zambrano. Since bloodying the lip of his catcher Michael Barrett and (subsequently) getting a new catcher, Zambrano has been on a roll, winning four games of five.
Union Under Fire From Ditka
Nation
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Jun 28, 2007 4:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mike Ditka, the celebrated NFL coach who once helped subvert the 1987 players' union strike, has recently added his voice to a growing chorus of players and coaches concerned that the union is not doing enough for its retired players. The discussion is spurred by ongoing revelations of the long-term havoc a decade of football wreaks on players' brains.
Mouse Stem Cell Discovery Speeds Cures
Telegraph (UK)
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Jun 28, 2007 4:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
British scientists have discovered a new type of stem cell in mice that's much closer to human embryonic stem cells, making them invaluable in the search for cures for diseases like Parkinson's and diabetes. Two independent teams from Oxford and Cambridge today revealed the "missing link" cells, which can speed research without the use of...
China Closes 180 Food Plants
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 28, 2007 3:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Chinese government has shut down 180 food manufacturing plants for racking up a whopping 23,000 violations in the last six months, most of them for using chemicals and industrial materials as food fillers to cut costs. Almost all were small and unlicensed, making it unlikely their products, worth some $26 million, reached international markets.
FBI Recovers 'Good Earth' Manuscript
Associated Press
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Jun 27, 2007 7:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The manuscript of Pearl S. Buck's "The Good Earth" has turned up at a Philadelphia auction house, having gone missing in 1966. The FBI was called in after the daughter of one of the author's secretaries tried to put it for sale, the AP reports. Buck died in1973, believing the 400-page manuscript of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel had been...
Fraud Case Against Mogul Goes to Jury
Reuters
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Jun 27, 2007 5:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Conrad Black fraud case went to the jury today in Chicago, and the onetime press baron now awaits word on whether he'll walk free or face a decades-long prison sentence. The federal government contends that the ex-Hollinger chairman and three associates raided the company under the guise of complicated financial transactions, Reuters reports, pocketing...
Bain Buys Out Guitar Center
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 27, 2007 5:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Bain Capital sealed a deal today to buy out Guitar Center, a California-based retail chain specializing in musical instruments, for $1.9 billion. The deal was reached after a secret auction conducted by Goldman Sachs; the private equity firm has recently purchased a slew of publicly traded retailers. The final price of $63 a share represented a 26%...
Chefs Get Into Food Fight
New York Times
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Jun 27, 2007 4:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rebecca Charles, chef/owner of the famed Pearl Oyster Bar in Manhattan, is taking her former sous-chef to court, claiming he knocked off her menu and decor for his own New York eatery. Lawyers for Charles, who is seeking unspecified financial damages, said that the owner of Ed's Lobster Bar had stolen her intellectual property, the New York Times...
Tot's Drinking Problem Grounds Flight
NBC 10 Philadelphia
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Jun 27, 2007 4:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Delta commuter flight from New York to Greensboro set down in Philadelphia yesterday after a passenger got into a dispute with a flight attendant. The passenger was a 4-year-old, and the dispute concerned how quickly the crew was serving apple juice. The incident, which was originally reported as an altercation with an adult, literally became a federal...
Murdoch Says $5B Is Final Offer for Dow Jones
Reuters
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Jun 27, 2007 4:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rupert Murdoch won't raise his $5B bid for Dow Jones, the media mogul said today. Murdoch deflected speculation that he would up the ante to move along negotiations with the openly skeptical Bancroft family, which owns a majority stake in the Journal publisher. Instead, Reuters reports, Murdoch is suggesting he could balk if the Bancrofts dither.
Domestic Spying Probe Reaches West Wing
Reuters
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Jun 27, 2007 3:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Patrick Leahy came out swinging against the Bush administration's "sweeping assertions of secrecy and privilege" today, issuing subpoenas to the White House, Dick Cheney's office, the Justice Department, and the NSC. The documents demanded by the Senate Judiciary Committee relate to the warrantless wiretapping of terrorism suspects and the...
Winds May Stoke Tahoe Fire
Associated Press
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Jun 27, 2007 2:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Lake Tahoe fire that's already destroyed 200 homes and forced some 2,000 people to flee could be refueled today by strong winds, the AP reports. Additional homes may be at risk, as well as the lives of firefighters. Yesterday, a gust forced firefighters to retreat from the line they'd been holding and led to the evacuation of a 300-home subdivision.
SEC Opens Subprime Probe
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 27, 2007 2:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The feds are investigating the controversial bundles of financial services that have recently shaken the market and sparked a spate of leveraged buyouts, the Journal reports. SEC chief Christopher Cox told a congressional panel yesterday that "about 12 investigations" were under way into CDOs, shared debt packages reliant on faltering subprime...
Push to Reopen Liberty's Crown
Associated Press
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Jun 27, 2007 1:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The House wants Lady Liberty's crown reopened to visitors intrepid enough to make the climb, and for the second year in a row has set aside $1 million for the National Park Service to figure out how to do it. Since 9-11 only the pedestal at her feet has been accessible; officials say the narrow staircase to the top is a fire-hazard and terror risk.
China Shutters Scores of Food Factories
Associated Press
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Jun 27, 2007 12:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Chinese government has closed 180 factories that were using dangerous and illegal ingredients, such as formaldehyde, in food products. The relatively large number of plants casts serious doubt on Beijing's insistence that the recent rash of tainted products originated with a small number of sources, the AP reports: A government official said the...
Itchier Poison Ivy Stems from Climate Change
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 27, 2007 11:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Poison ivy is getting bigger and more potent, and the culprit is the 21st century's all-purpose scapegoat: climate change. The itchy, rash-inducing plant that has plagued hikers and gardeners since the beginning of time thrives in environments with high levels of CO2, the Journal reports, and with rates on the rise, the weed is growing like—well,...
Elizabeth Edwards Calls Out Coulter
MSNBC
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Jun 27, 2007 10:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Elizabeth Edwards tried to coax conservative hellcat Ann Coulter into toning down the personal attacks on political candidates yesterday, calling in to "Hardball with Chris Matthews" while Coulter was on. Edwards entreated Coulter to cut the character assassination and focus on issues. Coulter shot back that Edwards' call was obviously a...
Chill Spreads to Durable Goods
Bloomberg
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Jun 27, 2007 10:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Orders for durable goods nosedived in May, suggesting that sunny forecasts for business spending may be overly optimistic. The 2.8% drop, the first decline in 4 months, nearly tripled the predicted 1% dip, Bloomberg reports. Excluding the volatile transportation sectors, the figure was off 1%, Commerce Department stastics released today showed, against...
China Raises Profile in Africa
Christian Science Monitor
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Jun 27, 2007 9:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
China is increasing the number of UN peackekeepers it sends to Africa and raising its profile on the continent, creating a kind of "peace corps" to address problems from job shortages to health care, the Christian Science Monitor reports. China, itself a developing nation, appears determined to both do good and do well in large and small...
150-Story Chicago Spire to Begin Construction
Chicago Tribune
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Jun 27, 2007 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Chicago Spire, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, is finally under way. Following an ownership change, a design change and a name change, what will become the nation’s tallest building will be completed in 2010.
Exit Blair
BBC
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Jun 27, 2007 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Tony Blair handed his resignation to the queen at 1:15 this afternoon, ending a decade as prime minister of the United Kingdom marked by unprecedented prosperity but marred by a deeply unpopular war in Iraq. In a choreographed ritual, Elizabeth II asked Chancellor Gordon Brown, who has been waiting patiently for the question for 13 years, to form a...
Pogue Says iPhone Buildup Rings True
New York Times
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Jun 27, 2007 7:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Times ' David Pogue joins a chorus of critics singing the praises of the iPhone, Apple's "gorgeous" cell-cum-iPod. Reviewers love the gadget's look, style, software, and usability. But they haven't failed to pick up a few clear drawbacks, including the sluggish AT&T network, the lack of video and the clunky text messaging on the...
Rudy Woos Religious Right
Salon
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Jun 27, 2007 5:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
White House hopeful Rudy Giuliani managed to made a campaign stop at one of the evangelical capitals of America without once mentioning abortion, same sex marriage or intelligent design, Salon reports. Giuliani, who appeared at Pat Robertson's Regent University, is struggling to win the votes of social conservatives without flip-flopping on hot-button...
CIA Dirty Deeds Detailed in Documents
Washington Post
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Jun 27, 2007 5:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Assassination plots, illegal wiretapping and spying at political conventions were among the lowlights illuminated in hundreds of pages of CIA documents from the Watergate era declassified yesterday. Illicit acts known in the agency as the "family jewels" included a $150,000 CIA payment to a mobster to kill Fidel Castro and a plan to poison...
Young Americans Swing Left, Favor Dems
New York Times
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Jun 27, 2007 5:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Young Americans are skewing left, with fewer identifying themselves as Republicans and more siding with Democrats on hot-button issues, according to a New York Times /CBS/MTV poll. Those surveyed, aged 17 to 29, are more likely than the general public to favor universal health care, gay marriage and open-door immigration.
No Last Laugh for Killer
Associated Press
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Jun 27, 2007 4:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Condemned killer Patrick Knight backed off on his boast that he'd tell a joke before execution, even after receiving over 1300 suggestions for one-liners through mail and a web site. Knight was executed late yesterday for murdering a married couple who lived in the trailer next to his just outside Amarillo.
Iran Erupts Over Gas Rationing
BBC
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Jun 27, 2007 4:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Angry Iranians torched Tehran gas stations yesterday and smashed windows as protests against gas rationing turned violent, the BBC reports. Motorists formed huge lines to fill tanks before new laws took effect limiting Iranians to 26 gallons of gas a month. Despite its oil reserves, Iran is short of refining capacity and must import 40% of its...
