Newser Story Index from August, 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.
Single-Officer Police Force May Be Cut
Corsicana Daily Sun
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Aug 14, 2007 6:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Dawson, Texas, has one police officer, and that may be one too many. Almost a tenth of the town's 800 residents attended a meeting where eliminating the department altogether was discussed. In general, however, the crowd seemed to support Nicole McMahan—the single officer—although the department was attacked as too expensive.
Bombers Butcher 120+ in Iraq
CNN
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Aug 14, 2007 6:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
US helicopters are swooping down to rescue survivors of bomb attacks that butchered at least 120 villagers in northern Iraq today. CNN reports that at least three trucks detonated in residential areas and injured upwards of 150 people, mostly Kurds. TV stations are beseeching townspeople to donate blood as US troops help out victims on the ground.
Scientists Roll Out Paper Batteries
Scientific American
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Aug 14, 2007 5:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Scientists have come up with a paper-like substance that can act as a power source, Scientific American reports. The thin, flexible substance—composed of cellulose, carbon nanotubes, and liquid salts—can be used as both a battery and a supercapacitor, which can deliver quick bursts of high power. What's more, it can be cut, rolled up, or...
Thailand Orders Arrest of Ex-PM
BBC
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Aug 14, 2007 5:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After failing to appear in a Bangkok court to hear charges that he abused power while in office, Thailand's deposed PM is now a fugitive of justice. The country's Supreme Court has issued a warrant for the arrest of Thaksin Shinawatra, who took refuge with his wife in England last year after he was ousted in a bloodless military coup.
Branson Dumps Water on Stephen Colbert
Daily Mail (UK)
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Aug 14, 2007 5:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Tycoon Richard Branson one-upped Stephen Colbert when he threw a glass of water at the fake news anchor on last night's Comedy Central show. Branson was miffed that he didn't get to plug his new airline on the Report, even after christening an airplane for the host. Colbert, always thinking on his feet, retaliated by requesting his own bottle of water...
Padilla Terror Trial Targets Islam: Lawyer
Reuters
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Aug 14, 2007 5:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A lawyer for one of Jose Padilla's co-defendants accused prosecutors of turning the terror suspects' trial into a "US versus Islam" crusade to conceal a lack of evidence. Padilla, a US citizen, and two other men face charges of conspiring to murder and injure people in Afghanistan and Eastern Europe, as well as providing material support...
Chase Parks Lohan in Court
Associated Press
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Aug 14, 2007 5:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An apparent drunken car chase has already landed starlet Lindsay Lohan in trouble for drugs and in rehab—when she gets out she'll have small claims court on her busy docket. A passenger in the other car is suing, claiming the alleged pursuit was "one of the most frightening experiences" of her life.
Why the Press Fell for the Cult of Karl
PressThink
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Aug 14, 2007 5:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
What people don't understand about the press, Jay Rosen writes, is that reporters care less about ideology than they do about being savvy—"shrewd, practical, well-informed, perceptive, ironic, unseminental." That's what they aspire to, that's what they worship; it's their religion, if you will. Karl Rove is all those things.
Van Halen, Roth to Reunite
E! Online
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Aug 14, 2007 4:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The iconic 80's Rock group Van Halen will set off on a comeback tour this fall—this time with original frontman David Lee Roth. Roth hasn't performed live with his former bandmates since leaving in a huff in 1985, but stresses it's a new era for the group. "This is not a reunion—this is a new band," Roth said Monday at a press...
US Gives Big Jump to NYC Traffic Plan
New York Times
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Aug 14, 2007 4:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The federal government has promised to pitch in $354M toward an environmentally sensitive plan to suppress car traffic in Manhattan, New York's busiest borough. But the scheme's chief proponent, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, must still win the approval of the New York state legislature, which initially chafed at his proposal, the Times reports.
Chicago Puts Bottled Water Tax on Tap
Chicago Sun-Times
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Aug 14, 2007 4:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With bottled water getting bad marks from environmentalists and Chicago eager to green up its act, a city alderman has proposed a first: a 25-cent tax on bottled water. George Cardenas says that not only is all that plastic a disaster, but drinking bottled water cuts consumption of Chicago's own award-winning water, which hits the city in the pocketbook.
Hot Mommas: Squirrels Use Heat to Scare off Snakes
Sacramento Bee
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Aug 14, 2007 4:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Squirrels aren't squirreling out of their ongoing battle with snakes, but they may be turning tail. California ground squirrels are able to intimidate rattlesnakes, researchers have found, by heating their tails 3 degrees; the rattlers perceive infrared waves, and back off. Even more surprising, the squirrels are savvy enough not to bother with the...
Stocks Take Another Tumble
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 14, 2007 3:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The markets lost again today, as a small cash manager’s move to halt investor pullouts agitated fears about liquidity, as well as deeper jitters over mortgage woes seeping into credit markets. The Dow fell 207.61 points to 13028.92, dragged down heavily by two major retail components, Wal-Mart and Home Depot, which both released anemic numbers.
Imus Gets $20M, Maybe a Comeback
Associated Press
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Aug 14, 2007 3:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Shock Jock Don Imus may be returning to the airwaves, after a short vacation precipitated by a bit too much shock. Imus is reportedly in talks with WABC in what looks like a an embryonic attempt to launch a comeback, only four months after CBS fired him for calling the Rutgers womens basketball team "nappy-headed hos."
The Real Rudy Hasn't Joined the Race Yet
New Yorker
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Aug 14, 2007 2:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rudy Giuliani holds a nice lead in the pack of GOP presidential candidates, but it's not a result of anything he's doing on the campaign trail, Peter Boyer reports in a profile in the New Yorker . The Rudy who's winning in the polls is America's Mayor, the guy who cleaned up New York and carried the ball after 9/11, the feisty father-figure for whom,...
Prying Eyes Won't Get to Hillary’s Papers
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 14, 2007 2:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Nearly 2 million pages of documents from Hillary Clinton’s years as first lady are sealed at the Clinton Presidential Library, and an eager opposition is chomping at the bit to get to them. Archivists say the documents—including appointment logs and memos—won’t be released before next year’s election, but some hope Freedom...
Yankees Legend Rizzuto Dies
New York Post
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Aug 14, 2007 2:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Phil Rizzuto, who filled the annals of the New York Yankees as both a shortstop and a broadcaster, is dead today at 89. The Scooter tended the infield for 13 years with the Bombers, alongside Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio, and took home seven World Series titles. After being cut he became one of baseball's most iconic broadcasters, thrilling fans...
CIA, Wal-Mart, Fox News Purge Wiki Entries
Wired
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Aug 14, 2007 1:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A new data-mining tool has tracked the identities of the anonymous users who make edits to Wikipedia entries—and revealed that Wal-Mart, voting-machine magnate Diebold, and even Fox News have tried to bowdlerize or spin their appearances in the online encyclopedia. And they're not the only ones, Wired reports.
French Foodies Eating Up 'Ratatouille'
Washington Post
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Aug 14, 2007 1:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Legions of French citizens are crowding theaters for a first taste of Pixar's latest 3-D animated feature Ratatouille , the story of a rodent chef in Paris and now the 4th highest-grossing movie premiere in France's history. The French, known for their devotion to everything food-related, are raving about "Ratatouille" for its fastidious...
Angkor What?: Cambodian Dig Unearths Megacity
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 14, 2007 12:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Cambodia's famed Angkor—usually penciled into guidebooks thanks to its eponymous 12th-century temple—was once the world's biggest city, new research by University of Sydney archaeologists shows. From the 10th century on, Angkor grew to nearly one million inhabitants and sprawled out to the size of modern-day Los Angeles.
The Ump's Not Blind (But He May Be Racist)
Time
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Aug 14, 2007 11:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Major League Baseball umpires call more strikes when they share a race with the pitcher, and they call more balls when they don’t. The disturbing trend mostly benefits white players, since 71% of pitchers and 87% of umps are Caucasian, Time reports. Documented race-based misjudgments only occur in 1% of pitches, but that's enough to make a...
8 Best Innovations in Travel
Outside
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Aug 14, 2007 11:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Sometimes vacations can be more work then, well... work. Outside finds some gadgets, places and websites that makes the trail run a little smoother. Singapore's Changi Airport The MLC bag from Patagonia GreenGlobe.org
Putin's Russian Undressing
Der Spiegel
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Aug 14, 2007 11:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Vladimir Putin purged his shirt yesterday during a fishing jaunt in southern Siberia. The Russian president was celebrating the International Olympic Committee's election of Sochi, a Black Sea resort, to host the 2014 Winter Games. With him was Monaco's Prince Albert II—coincidentally enough a member of the International Olympic Committee.
Inflation Eases, Trade Deficit Narrows
Bloomberg
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Aug 14, 2007 10:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With the exception of energy and food, inflation at the wholesale level rose less than expected last month, while the US trade deficit got slimmer, thanks to an increase in exports. Still, a rise in energy costs in July led to an unexpected .06% uptick in the producer price index after the rate fell 0.2% in June.
Mattel Recalls 18M More Toys Made in China
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 14, 2007 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mattel today announced a second, much bigger recall of Chinese-made toys that may be hazardous: 18 million of them worldwide, and 9 million in the US. The recalled items include play sets containing magnets that can be dangerous when swallowed and die-cast cars that contain lead paint. The play sets include Polly Pocket dolls and Batman action...
Weak Wal-Mart Profits Turn Smiles Upside-Down
Bloomberg
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Aug 14, 2007 10:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Wal-Mart stock saw its biggest dip in five years in early trading this morning, after Q2 profits rose less than analysts had expected. The Arkansas-based behemoth says full-year profit will total $3.13 a share, 3 cents lighter than its projections: Bloomberg reports that surging gas prices, faltering home sales and steepening mortgage rates kept customers...
The Rise and Fall of Rove
Washington Post
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Aug 14, 2007 10:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Karl Rove may have been the but-for cause of the Bush presidency, but his dreams of using it to build a generation-long Republican hegemony that would undo the New Deal have been unquestionably dashed. Bush's boy genius envisioned a "permanent majority," but the Washington Post considers the reasons it had already slipped his grasp by 2006.
Nasdaq Debuts $100M Fat Cat Exchange
Washington Post
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Aug 14, 2007 9:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Nasdaq is launching a regulation-free private stock market for the super-rich, offering those who can pony up at least $100 million access to the first-ever private investment exchange. Any private company can then sell stock to these elite shareholders, without having to worry about making their finances public—or being subject to federal regulation,...
Flossie on Course for Hawaii
Associated Press
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Aug 14, 2007 9:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hurricane Flossie is barreling towards Hawaii, expected to pass less than a hundred miles from the Big Island. The National Weather Service has declared a hurricane watch, and the governor has activated the National Guard. Schools have been shut down, and residents have been warned to stock up on food an water.
Lebanese Hopes Pinned to Reluctant Billionaire
Portfolio
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Aug 14, 2007 8:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Portfolio profiles Saad Hariri, the billionaire who now leads Lebanon's pro-Western majority party and America's last, best Middle Eastern hope. Hariri, pulled into politics when his former-PM father was assassinated in 2005, spends most of his days barricaded inside his Beirut mansion, trying to avoid being murdered by Hezbollah guerrillas.
Church Massacre Stuns Missouri Immigrants
Associated Press
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Aug 14, 2007 8:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Micronesian community in a small Missouri town is struggling to come to grips with a brutal crime by one of its own. Eiken Elam Saimon ran into a Micronesian church service and opened fire, killing three and wounding five. About 300 Pacific Islanders live in the town of Neosho, where they migrated beginning in the 1990s.
'Voluntourism' Feeds Profits, Not Mouths
Times (UK)
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Aug 14, 2007 7:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A leading British charity has blasted the new "voluntourism" industry as an amateurish scam, writes the Times of London. The vogue for gap-year travel to developing countries, where young volunteers pay for the privilege of teaching children or building homes does little good and enriches nobody but the travel companies, according to Voluntary...
Bomb Derails Russian Train
Reuters
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Aug 14, 2007 7:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Russia suspects terrorism in a bomb that derailed a train on the busy Moscow-to-St. Petersburg line yesterday, reports Reuters. Thirty-eight people were hospitalized and more treated at the scene, about 170 km from St. Petersburg. The bomb was planted on a bridge; the locomotive and most carriages derailed after crossing.
Chess-Playing Killer Goes on Trial in Russia
Guardian (UK)
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Aug 14, 2007 7:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Russia is in the grip of the king of all murder trials, the Guardian reports: A chess player has been accused of luring dozens of opponents away from the board and to their brutal deaths in a Moscow park. Alexander Pichushkin has allegedly boasted of 63 murders, one shy of a chessboard, and each marked on his personal board with a cross.
Bridge Collapse Kills 22 in China
Associated Press
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Aug 14, 2007 7:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A bridge under construction in Hunan Province collapsed yesterday, killing 22 people and leaving 44 missing. Workers were removing scaffolding from the 880-foot-long span when it crumbled into the Tuo River. Located in the ancient city of Fenghuang and designed as a tourist attraction, the bridge had four decorative stone arches. Most of the workers...
No Ifs, Ands, or Butts: Town Outlaws Saggy Pants
Shreveport Times
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Aug 14, 2007 6:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Louisiana town has taken a stand against saggy pants: starting tomorrow, anyone whose underwear shows will be hit with fines or jail time. And those who want to argue will just have to zip it. "Pull ‘em up or pay up," warned the police chief of Mansfield, population 5,496. Offenders of the Mansfield ordinance will face $150 fines...
Spitzer Rolls With NASCAR Crowd
New York Times
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Aug 14, 2007 6:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Times noticed an unlikely NASCAR fan at this weekend's race in upstate New York—Governor Eliot Spitzer, who was no doubt running slightly left of the pack. Spitzer, whose brother-in-law is an engineer for NASCAR's Hendrick Motorsports, said he was supporting his favorite driver, Hendrick driver Jeff Gordon. The Pinceton-cum-Harvard Democrat...
In Pakistan, a Birthday Marred by Violence
Independent (UK)
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Aug 14, 2007 6:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Pakistan celebrates the 60th anniversary of its independence today at a moment plagued by violence and shadowed by political uncertainty, the Independent writes. A roadside bomb killed four civilians yesterday near the border with Afghanistan, where the Taliban is allegedly regrouping. Attacks have multiplied since July from tribal areas to Islamabad.
Mega-Fight Set for Trinidad and Jones Jr.
ESPN
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Aug 14, 2007 4:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Felix "Tito" Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr. will square off at Madison Square Garden next January in what promoter Don King is calling "a fight made in boxing heaven." The two future Hall of Famers had been slated for a highly publicized bout in 2001 before Trinidad was KO'd in the preceding weeks.
Party Conventions Peddle Pricey Face Time With Pols
Washington Post
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Aug 14, 2007 4:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Organizers of the 2008 Republican and Democratic conventions are openly soliciting seven-figure payments from corporations and lobbyists in return for valuable access to lawmakers, the Washington Post reports. The access peddling comes at precisely the moment Congress is trying to limit the influence of lobbyists at conventions with tighter...
US Expedition Heads to Arctic
Reuters
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Aug 14, 2007 3:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Diving into the international scramble to grab parts of the Arctic, a US Coast Guard cutter is voyaging north this week to determine if any of the underwater territory can be claimed for America. The four-week expedition, which starts Friday, will use sonar technology to map the northern Chukchi Cap, an underwater plateau which extends from Alaska.
GAO Warns of Decline & Fall .... of America
Financial Times (UK)
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Aug 14, 2007 3:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
America's dire state resembles that of the Rome just before its fall, the head of the General Accountability Office has warned in a grim new report. "Declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military, and fiscal irresponsibility," could lead to disaster here at home just as it did in Rome,...
Space Crew May Try Risky Fix
USA Today
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Aug 14, 2007 3:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Astronauts on board the space shuttle Endeavour will likely attempt a spacewalk to fix a gouge in the craft's heat shield cause by debris that slammed into it during takeoff, USA Today reports. The debris carved a cavity more than three inches long and an inch deep on the tiled underside of the shuttle.
Scientists Find Switch to Turn On Brain Cells
New York Times
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Aug 14, 2007 3:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Neuroscientists are experimenting with switching targeted groups of brain cells on and off using remote-controlled lasers, promising hope for treatment of mental disorders, reports the New York Times . The technique, using cells altered with a photo-sensitive protein called channelrhodopsin-2, could one day be used to treat a host of problems from...
New Orleans Pol Admits Taking Bribes
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
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Aug 14, 2007 2:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As if New Orleans didn't have enough to contend with, a city councilman yesterday pleaded guilty to accepting $20,000 in bribes and resigned. Oliver Thomas confessed he collected the money from a restaurateur seeking to keep a lucrative city contract. He also demanded the businessman hire a friend of his, who paid further kickbacks to Thomas.
Foes Gear to Fight New Bid By Ex-Islamist to Lead Turkey
Times (UK)
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Aug 14, 2007 2:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Turkish secularists are bracing for another clash over the presidential candidacy of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, a devout Muslim and one-time Islamist party member who critics fear plans to enforce extreme religious principals in public life. The last time he was nominated as the ruling party's candidate, just three months ago, the army threatened...
Ravens Crush Eagles in Preseason Opener
Baltimore Sun
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Aug 14, 2007 1:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Ravens defeated the Donovan McNabb-deprived Eagles 29-3 in last night's preseason opener in Baltimore. McNabb, who's still recovering from knee surgery, watched three of his teammates get injured in the carnage as the Ravens crushed his dilapidated offense. Most serious was running back Ryan Moats' fractured ankle, which could sideline him for...
Obscure Rule Change Blamed for Wild Market
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 14, 2007 1:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A change in an arcane rule governing stock trading is being blamed for some of the recent volatility in the stock market, the Wall Street Journal reports. For more than 75 years, the "downtick rule" prevented traders from shorting a stock as the price fell. Its repeal last month coincided with some wild swings in the market.
Bonds Plans to Check Out After 2008 Season
Associated Press
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Aug 14, 2007 12:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Baseball's controversial new home run king will likely pack it in after the 2008 season. Barry Bonds, who passed Hank Aaron's mark of 755 career home runs last week, said he hopes to keep slugging only one more year and try to reach his remaining goals--3,000 hits and a World Series ring. "I don't think two years I can take," he confessed.
Journal Ad Revenue Plunges
Reuters
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Aug 13, 2007 11:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ad volume in the print edition of the Wall Street Journal dropped nearly 21% and revenue fell 7.2% compared with last July, Reuters reports. The dip underscores the immediate need for Dow Jones to generate more revenue from online properties, analysts said. Ad revenue from Dow Jones' online news operations, including the Journal's web site, rose...
