Newser Story Index from July, 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.

Schools Cater to Tech-Enamored Students
CNET | Jul 31, 07 6:33 PM CDT
(Newser) - An increasing number of colleges and universities are using new Web applications to engage a generation of students eager to collaborate—and strut their stuff—on the Internet. Blogs, wikis, and other collaborative tools are being used as more than just empty Web 2.0 buzzwords, CNET reports; they allow students to work and learn more efficiently...

UN OKs 26K Troops for Darfur
Reuters | Jul 31, 07 6:21 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Security Council voted today to send as many as 26,000 soldiers and police to Sudan, Reuters reports. But the combined UN-African Union peacekeeping troops will have permission to use force only to defend civilians and humanitarian workers, a watering-down of proposals that would have allowed troops to seize weapons and would have included the...

Transplant Doc Accused of Quickening Patient's Death
Los Angeles Times | Jul 31, 07 5:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - A San Francisco surgeon is facing unprecedented felony charges of accelerating the death of a 25-year-old disabled man to harvest his organs for transplant. The doctor denies the charges that he acted without a legitimate medical purpose, the LA Times reports, but the controversy is bad news for transplant doctors nationwide.

Best Home Sellers' Markets
Forbes | Jul 31, 07 5:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - The housing market overall isn't good, but luckily for some, there's an exception to every rule. Forbes points you toward 10 towns where sellers can still finish with smiles on their faces. Raleigh, NC San Francisco Austin, Texas San Antonio, Texas St. Louis 

Mexico Calls for Eco-Friendly Border Fence
BBC | Jul 31, 07 5:14 PM CDT
(Newser) - Citing environmental concerns, Mexico is calling on the US to revise its plan to expand border fences. The current layout threatens fragile ecosystems in the Sonora Desert area and could wipe out endangered species like the Mexican black bear, a new report shows. Mexico is ready to take the US to international court if it doesn't respond, the BBC reports.

Let Gonzo Off the Perjury Hook
Washington Post | Jul 31, 07 4:52 PM CDT
(Newser) - Alberto Gonzales’ Senate testimony last week was a disgraceful exercise in dodging, but the perjury charge Democratic senators have been hawking ever since doesn’t hold water, says  the Washington Post ’s lefty Ruth Marcus. In an “unexpected position,” the writer defends Gonzales, saying he may have minced words...

Lefty Gene Found, Linked to Mental Illness
BBC | Jul 31, 07 4:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - A gene that increases the likelihood of left-handedness also boosts the risk of mental illnesses like schizophrenia, the BBC reports. Lefties’ brains often differ from righties’ in the location of controls for speech and emotions, scientists say, and the newly pinpointed gene appears to catalyze the switch.

Consumer Confidence Rises
Bloomberg | Jul 31, 07 4:18 PM CDT
(Newser) - Consumer spending rose more than expected this month, to its highest level in 6 years, after shoppers tightened their belts in June, Bloomberg reports. Consumer confidence jumped 7.3 points according to a Conference Board index, suggesting the slump was temporary. Economists chalk up the spending jump to low unemployment and the fact that incomes are...

Russian Kids Spend Summer Goose-stepping
Weekly Standard | Jul 31, 07 4:12 PM CDT
(Newser) - In a Soviet Era throwback, a new Russian youth group is said to be providing more than fun and games in its summer camp, the Weekly Standard r eports. Nashi, Russian for “Ours,” is said to be an elite indoctrination program; while Russian officials liken it to the Boy Scouts, Nashi also inspires comparisons to Hitler’s Jugend youth...

Ethics Bill Clears House
Washington Post | Jul 31, 07 4:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - The House passed a bill today that would impose sweeping new ethics rules and restrictions on lobbying, the Washington Post reports. The bill, which passed by an overwhelming 411-8 vote, takes particular aim at earmarks for legislators' personal projects. It also curbs campaign contributions and lobbyist wining and dining and imposes new restrictions...

'GMA' Host Has Breast Cancer
ABC News | Jul 31, 07 3:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - Good Morning America' s Robin Roberts revealed she has breast cancer today and will be undergoing surgery shortly and follow-up treatment in the coming months. After filming a special about colleague Joel Siegel's battle with cancer, she told ABC News, "I went to bed, I did a self breast exam and found something that women everywhere fear: I...

Markets Ignore Upbeat News, Head Down
Wall Street Journal | Jul 31, 07 3:54 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Dow started was up triple digits in early trading today before plunging to close down 146.32 points at 13211.59. A report of improved consumer confidence and better-than-expected inflation data distracted traders from the ongoing credit earthquake and its tremors in the housing market, but the reentry of foundering American Home Mortgage on the...

The Mind Thinks More Than It Knows
New York Times | Jul 31, 07 3:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - After just handling a stranger’s coffee, people make subconscious judgments about personality, psychologists say. Asked to hold a lab assistant’s cup of hot or iced coffee, Yale students associated cold drinkers with selfish personalities, the Times reports. The experiment is part of a body of research that leads to the conclusion that...

Khmer Rouge Jailer First to Be Charged
BBC | Jul 31, 07 3:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - A UN tribunal has charged an ex-Khmer Rouge prison chief with crimes against humanity in the torturing and killing of as many as 17,000 people during the Cambodian genocide of the 1970s. Kang Kek Ieu, known as Duch, ordered inmates executed at the "killing fields" near Phnom Penh, the BBC reports. He is one of five suspects the tribunal...

Senators Pitch Regional Primary Days
The Hill | Jul 31, 07 3:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - Three senators—a Democrat, an Independent and a Republican—have proposed a radical reinvention of the now-hopelessly-congested presidential primary system. To avoid states racing to the top of the calendar, it would establish four regions, each assigned its own voting day. Drafted by Amy Klobuchar, Joe Lieberman, and Lamar Alexander, the...

Ethanol More Mean Than Green
Rolling Stone | Jul 31, 07 2:54 PM CDT
(Newser) - Far from the solution to America’s energy crisis, corn ethanol is “one if the great political boondoggles of our time,” Rolling Stone says in a scathing broadside. The “dangerous” and “delusional” hype over the corn biofuel raises the price of food for the needy because it puts corn to work powering SUVs....

SF Studies Bridge Jumpers, Ponders Barriers
San Francisco Chronicle | Jul 31, 07 2:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - After a decade of official silence about Golden Gate Bridge jumpers, San Francisco officials yesterday reversed course and released a study of  suicide statistics, the Chronicle reports.  Having seen a slight increase in suicides in recent years—three people jump each month—officials concluded that it was time to abandon the...

Chief Justice Checks Out of Hospital
Associated Press | Jul 31, 07 2:26 PM CDT
(Newser) - Chief Justice John Roberts left a Maine hospital today in good condition, a day after suffering a seizure of unknown cause. The 52-year-old jurist told President Bush he was doing just fine, reports the AP. He waved as he scooted out of the hospital and headed back to his vacation house on Hupper Island to finish his summer break.

Peppy Combo May Battle Skin Cancer
Associated Press | Jul 31, 07 1:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - A 1-2 punch of caffeine and exercise may help prevent skin cancer. Hairless mice fed caffeinated water who worked out on a running wheel showed an increase in destruction of skin cells damaged by UVB rays, the AP reports, and the secret appears to be the combination. Researchers caution, however, that sunscreen remains the best skin cancer prevention.

Sell Yourself: 5 DIY PR Tips
Forbes | Jul 31, 07 1:12 PM CDT
(Newser) - Most of us can't afford to hire a PR firm. Forbes offers tips for self-promoting with the best of them. Know your audience. Spend some time researching the best way to put yourself out there. Make a (useful) press kit. Not just more fodder for the recycling bin.

State 'Exports' Ease Prison Overcrowding —At a Cost
New York Times | Jul 31, 07 12:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - States struggling with prison overcrowding are exporting inmates across borders to serve terms in far-flung private institutions, the New York Times reports. Thousands of prisoners from Hawaii are held in Arizona, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Kentucky. California plans to send 8,000 prisoners out of state. Critics say the policy disrupts families and...

That's Hot: Paris to Star in Futuristic Opera
Variety | Jul 31, 07 12:26 PM CDT
(Newser) - Paris Hilton will sing in a big-screen rock opera, playing an evil mogul’s daughter in a futuristic drama about organ transplants. She beat out "at least 30 actresses" who auditioned for the role in Repo! The Genetic Opera , the director tells Variety. “Paris came in and owned it," says Darren Lynn Bousman. "She ...

Literati Rejoin the Fray Over Frey
Time | Jul 31, 07 12:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - More than a year after Oprah delivered her on-air dressing-down to James Frey for fictionalizing his own memoir, his publisher, Nan Talese, hasn't forgiven or forgotten.  At a literary convention in Texas last weekend, Talese called Oprah's behavior  "mean and self-serving,"  said the confrontation was "fiercely bad manners,"...

Indian Parents Spend It Like Beckham
Washington Post | Jul 31, 07 11:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - As the Indian economy skyrockets to new levels, so do the price tags of kids' birthday parties, the Washington Post reports. The celebrations are providing a golden opportunity for parents to showcase their little darlings—and their new prosperity. Some predict the birthday hoopla—complete with party planners, catered halls, merry-go-rounds...

Energy Bill Boosts Nuclear Expansion
New York Times | Jul 31, 07 10:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - The newly passed Senate energy bill contains one sentence that 's worth tens of billions of dollars to the nuclear industry. Never debated, the provision offers builders of new nuclear plants as much as $50 billion in loan guarantees over two years. That, the New York Times reports, can be expected to prompt major expansion in the industry, with...

Hitchens: Stop Fearing (and Coddling) Islam
Slate | Jul 31, 07 10:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - Unflappable contrarian Christopher Hitchens asks why he's accused of "insulting 1.5 billion Muslims" whenever he challenges their faith in public. Arguing that no other group takes such umbrage when its empirical beliefs are questioned, the militant secularist concludes that the appeal to Muslims' feelings has an "unmistakable note of...

Bancrofts Agree to Sale
Wall Street Journal | Jul 31, 07 10:22 AM CDT
(Newser) - Enough members of the Bancroft family are supporting Rupert Murdoch's $5B bid for Dow Jones to seal the deal. The Wall Street Journal reports that 32% of the votes in its parent company are virtually guaranteed to Murdoch's News Corp.; the tycoon will likely be able to pick up the rest from other shareholders.

GM’s Quarter Is Twice as Nice
Bloomberg | Jul 31, 07 10:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - General Motors scored a breakout second quarter, more than doubling earnings estimates and turning a profit of $891 million, compared to a loss of $3.4 billion a year ago, Bloomberg reports. GM made money in three out of four regions globally, and nearly broke even in the recently treacherous North American market. Shares rose 23% on the quarter.

Antonioni Dead at 94
Associated Press | Jul 31, 07 9:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - Michelangelo Antonioni, one of Italy’s most beloved filmmakers, died yesterday at age 94, after directing 25 films over nearly 50 years. His masterpieces of alienation, known for their nearly wordless, melancholic style, included "Red Desert" and "The Passenger." Immobilized by a stroke that left him mute, he still managed...

Lifting That Glass Boosts Cancer Risk
Daily Mail (UK) | Jul 31, 07 9:13 AM CDT
(Newser) - What's a bloke to do? After the reassuring news that a glass of red wine a day helps fend off heart disease, now comes a British study that one large glass—or a pint of beer—increases the risk of colon cancer by 10%. ""The research shows quite clearly that the more alcohol you drink the greater your risk of bowel cancer,"...

Murdoch Is 1 Bancroft Away from a Deal
Wall Street Journal | Jul 31, 07 8:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - Rupert Murdoch is within a Bancroft's breadth of owning Dow Jones, the company's flagship Wall Street Journal reports. A 5pm deadline came and went yesterday without a deal, but the bid has the support of Bancroft family members holding 29% of voting power. If either of two key holdout shareholders warms up, Murdoch will have enough support to overcome...

Campaign Trail Awaits Chelsea Clinton—Again
New York Times | Jul 31, 07 8:04 AM CDT
(Newser) - After nurturing a low profile for years, former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton, 27, is back in the public eye, stumping for her presidential candidate mom. During her mother's 2000 Senate campaign, she was little more than set dressing. She has reprised that role this time around but may play a more prominent part later, reports the New York Times....

Wanna Work for Diddy? Post an Iddy-Biddy YouTube Viddy
Reuters | Jul 31, 07 7:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - Rap music big Sean Combs, aka Diddy, needs a new assistant, and 3D wannabes need not apply. He's taking only filmed applications posted on YouTube. Diddy's video announcing the search on appeared YouTube recently and gained a clarification less than 24 hours later: Applicants must be able to read, write, and count—oh, and must have a college...

Fake Beckham Almost Scores on Angelenos
Los Angeles Times | Jul 31, 07 7:03 AM CDT
(Newser) - David Beckham called LA county and sheriff’s offices last week, offering to host kids’ charity events. At least the authorities thought it was the transplanted British soccer star. Instead, it was a crank caller, who made lofty claims about everything from charity work to a black Mercedes in about a dozen calls, the LA Times reports.

Corporate Buyers Muscle In on Private Equity Deals
Wall Street Journal | Jul 31, 07 6:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - Corporations have the upper hand over private equity firms in acquisitions for the first time in years because of chaos in the debt markets, the Wall Street Journal reports. Private equity firms are stalled until the credit situation stabilizes and they can sell off some of their debt. Corporate buyers have no such burden and can offer cash, stock...

Gitmo Prisoner Fights His Own Release
Times (UK) | Jul 31, 07 6:21 AM CDT
(Newser) - A detainee at Guantanamo Bay is doing everything he can in court—to stay in prison. Algerian Ahmed Belbacha, 38, is contesting his imminent release from the notorious detention camp because he fears he'll be tortured by Algerian security agents as a  suspected terrorist—or killed by Islamic terrorists for being a former state worker,...

Cohort: Vick Was Money Man for Dogfights
Bloomberg | Jul 31, 07 5:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - Falcons Quarterback Michael Vick financed the dogfighting ring busted on his Virginia property, his co-defendant told prosecutors yesterday. Tony Taylor entered a guilty plea for his role in Bad Newz Kennels, the organization Vick allegedly used to train and fight dogs, Bloomberg reports. Taylor's cooperation wasn't based on a specific sentencing...

Skipping Meds Can Be Deadly
Associated Press | Jul 31, 07 5:31 AM CDT
(Newser) - Half of all patients with chronic illnesses don't take their medication as prescribed, says a new report, undermining their health and hastening their death. Patients with illnesses like heart disease and asthma often skip doses, misunderstand prescriptions or drop medication as soon as they feel better. The result is  more doctor visits, more...

Funny Cide Jockey Retires
Associated Press | Jul 31, 07 5:04 AM CDT
(Newser) - Future Hall of Fame jockey Jose Santos retired yesterday, six months after breaking his back in a fall during an Aqueduct race. Santos, 46, rode Funny Cide to the winner's circle in the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness. He posted 4,076 North American victories in his two-decade career, with a total purse of $186.9 million.

Notre Dame, U-M Will Play Until 2031
Detroit Free Press | Jul 31, 07 5:01 AM CDT
(Newser) - One of college football's greatest  battles will be fought for another quarter century: the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are slated to play the Michigan Wolverines at least once per season until 2031. A previous contract had dictated the schools, which have played each other since 1978, would cease regularly scheduled competition in 2011.

Exit Texas for Teixeira?
New York Times | Jul 31, 07 4:57 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Braves are close to a deal with the Rangers for slugger Mark Teixeira, who will correct a power outage at first base. The Rangers will receive a handful of prospects, including majors-ready catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. With Brian McCann installed long-term behind the plate, the Braves could afford to lose the much-sought-after rookie.

FBI Raids Alaska Senator's Home
Associated Press | Jul 31, 07 4:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - FBI and IRS agents raided the vacation home of Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska yesterday, seeking records of his relationship with a oil field contractor jailed in a corruption probe,  AP reports. The contractor profited from  tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts and also supervised the renovation of Stevens' home, more than doubling...

Celtics About to Punch Ticket
Sports Illustrated | Jul 31, 07 4:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - Where the Celtics failed late last month, they now seem to be succeeding in prying 12-year vet and 2004 MVP Kevin Garnett from Minnesota. Pending the trade, Boston will have the formidable trio of Garnett, new pickup Ray Allen, and franchise stalwart Paul Pierce; they should become instant contenders to rival Detroit and Boston in a hapless East.

Body of Second Korean Hostage Found
Reuters | Jul 31, 07 4:35 AM CDT
(Newser) - Afghan police have found the body of a second Korean hostage killed by the Taliban, Reuters reports. The man was shot in the head, and his body found in a clover field close to the spot where 23 Korean missionaries were kidnapped last week. The kidnappers have threatened to kill more hostages unless the Afghan government releases all Taliban rebel...

Chief Justice Is 'Fully Recovered' After Seizure
Washington Post | Jul 31, 07 4:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - Chief Justice John Roberts was  "fully recovered" yesterday evening following  a seizure at his island summer home off Maine, according to a Supreme Court spokeswoman as Roberts spent the night in a hospital for observation. Roberts had a thorough neurological evaluation that revealed no cause for concern, the Washington Post ...

Ex-49er Coach Bill Walsh Dies
San Francisco Chronicle | Jul 31, 07 3:04 AM CDT
(Newser) - Bill Walsh, the coach who led the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl championships in the 1980s, died of leukemia yesterday at the age of 75. During his decade-long tenure, Walsh won six National Football Conference division titles, transforming a club that had won only 10 games in 1987 into a football dynasty within three years.

'Caffeinated' Workout May Cut Cancer
Associated Press | Jul 30, 07 7:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - New research suggests that drinking coffee, combined with regular exercise, speeds up the killing off of cells damaged by ultraviolet-B radiation. Researchers at Rutgers University specifically examined UVB apoptosis — the programmed death of cells that become damaged by ultraviolet rays – in hairless mice. This sort of cell-suicide...

Ex 49-ers Coach Walsh Dies At 75
Sports Illustrated | Jul 30, 07 7:02 PM CDT
(Newser) - Bill Walsh, known as  "The Genius" in football circles for leading the San Francisco 49ers to three NFL championships, has died. He was 75. Walsh, who had been in failing health in recent months, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004. Walsh was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. He leaves behind an indelible legacy...

Pesticide Exposure May Increase Autism Risk
Los Angeles Times | Jul 30, 07 6:05 PM CDT
(Newser) - Certain pesticides may be partially responsible for causing autism, a small study reveals. The autism rate among the children of 29 women living near California fields sprayed with organochlorine pesticides was six times higher than that in kids of women living farther away, the LA Times reports. But researchers warn the study's small scope prevents...

FDA Panel Votes to Keep Avandia on Shelves
Wall Street Journal | Jul 30, 07 5:38 PM CDT
(Newser) - An FDA panel said today that GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia should remain in drugstores, despite earlier evidence the pill ups heart failure risks. Glaxo has defended its drug, countering that the risks associated with the popular Avandia are the same as those of other diabetes drugs.