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.
NFL Refs Go Hi-Def
ESPN
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Aug 11, 2007 9:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The NFL is switching to high-definition signals for all review booths, a move that will allow refs to watch plays on feeds with the same quality as the ones many fans see. The league's instant replay equipment hasn't been upgraded since 1999, and in that time, many viewers have upgraded to HDTV, allowing fans at home a superior view of questionable...
Universal Thumbs Nose at Apple
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 11, 2007 9:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Universal Music will ditch the anti-piracy software on music it sells through most outlets, making it easy—but still illegal—to copy its tunes. In what one analyst calls “a bold-faced move to blunt Apple’s influence,” the plan conspicuously excludes iTunes. The company says Apple is a “control group” in its...
Man Treats Virtual Wife Better Than Real One
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 11, 2007 8:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A man who spends up to 20 hours a day playing the virtual-reality video game Second Life may be getting more fulfillment from his online wife than his real one—and his non-cyber-spouse isn't feeling fulfilled at all. Ric Hoogestraat, a 53-year-old ex-teacher, says his virtual matrimony is only a game, even as his real wife talks separation. The...
Titans to Pacman: No Wrestling
Tennessean
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Aug 11, 2007 8:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Wayward Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones has struck a deal with the team that will keep him from pursuing his pro wrestling career. A county judge must sign off on the deal, which supersedes a temporary restraining order issued on the team's behalf yesterday that forbids Jones from participating in a match tomorrow, the Tennessean ...
Second Drill Penetrates Utah Mine
Associated Press
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Aug 11, 2007 8:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A second drill has reached the chamber where rescuers believe six Utah miners are trapped, opening up the possibility that a video camera will reveal whether the men are alive. The new hole, wider than the first, punched through at 3am today, the AP reports, and images are expected later. Meanwhile, neighbors and loved ones held a candlelight vigil.
Woods Catches Fire in Tulsa
ESPN
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Aug 11, 2007 8:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In his last chance to win a major in 2007, Tiger Woods hit a record-tying 63 in yesterday's second round at the PGA Championship in Tulsa. He recorded eight birdies against one bogey and would have hit 62, a score never achieved in 403 Grand Slam events, had his 18th-hole putt for birdie not lipped out.
Cincy's Irons Will Miss Rookie Season
Cincinnati Enquirer
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Aug 11, 2007 7:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Cincinnati rookie tailback Kenny Irons tore his left ACL in Thursday's preseason opener and will go on IR, ending his first pro season before it even starts. The Auburn product had been a hit in practice and was expected to add game-breaking speed and big-play potential to the running game. He'll return for minicamp in 2008, the team said.
Forget the Pyramids—to the Bat Cave!
Jaunted
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Aug 11, 2007 7:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
To appreciate the earth's natural beauty, sometimes you have to dig under the surface. Jaunted tips you off to the best caves in the world. Waitomo Glow Worms Caves, New Zealand: Abseil down a tiny hole, black-water raft for 3 hours, and then see a glow-worm-studded cave ceiling.
Pro-Anorexia Vids Draw Ire
Times (UK)
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Aug 11, 2007 6:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Advocates for people with eating disorders are calling on social networking sites like MySpace and FaceBook to bar "thinspiration" videos—movies of anorexics showing off their alarmingly underweight bodies to encourage others to emulate them. One MySpace pro-anorexia group with over 1,000 members boasts that it wants "no people...
Dreamliner's Maiden Flight Delayed
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Aug 10, 2007 8:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Boeing's cushy, cutting-edge Dreamliner won't make it into airlines' hands until sometime in October, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. The inaugural flight of the 787was originally scheduled for late September, but unexpected delays encountered with the complex installation of the jetliner's myriad flight systems have pushed Boeing's timetable...
Gay Nigerians Face Death by Stoning
BBC
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Aug 10, 2007 6:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Eighteen Nigerian men arrested on suspicion of sodomy face death by stoning under the nation’s Sharia law. Police found the men, reportedly dressed as women, in a hotel in the northern state of Bauchi, where they were allegedly celebrating a “gay wedding.”
Indiana Mine Shaft Fall Kills 3
Associated Press
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Aug 10, 2007 5:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Three workers riding in a construction bucket plunged 500 feet to their deaths in an Indiana coal mine shaft today. The “sinking bucket” can hold up to 10 people, but authorities did not say whether anyone else was in the lift. It was also unclear whether the bucket itself fell or the victims were thrown from it, the AP reports.
Reuters Posts 'Titanic' Frame in Arctic Gaffe
Guardian (UK)
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Aug 10, 2007 5:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Reuters was caught in another photo pas today, when it revealed pics used in a report on Russia's flag-planting at the North Pole last week were actually lifted frames from the 1997 blockbuster Titanic . An image captioned with descriptions of Russian submersibles on an Arctic seabed was actually a still from footage taken at the North Atlantic, the...
Baby's Body Found at Bridge
CNN
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Aug 10, 2007 5:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The body of a 2-year-old girl is among those recovered from the wreckage of the I35W bridge in Minneapolis; the toddler's mother has not yet been found, CNN reports. Remains located by divers in the Mississippi today bring the total number of casualties in the Aug. 1 collapse to at least nine.
Cheating Hubby Sues Telltale Florist
Houston Chronicle
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Aug 10, 2007 5:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A man is suing a florist for $1 million for letting his wife in on a secret: He had a girlfriend. Leroy Greer accuses 1-800-flowers.com of failing to keep a purchase for his paramour private—and upping the price tag of his divorce. But the company says it can't take responsibility "for an individual's personal conduct," the Houston...
South Korea Begins Taliban Hostage Talks
Reuters
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Aug 10, 2007 5:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A South Korean team began face-to-face negotiations with the Taliban today, hoping to secure the lives of 21 Korean aid workers abducted last month. The meeting is taking place in an Afghan government-controlled zone where the Taliban has been guaranteed temporary safe passage. Seoul has already cautioned that it doesn't have the power to release any...
Hamas Launches Navy in Gaza
Times (UK)
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Aug 10, 2007 4:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hamas, the Palestinian faction that seized power in the Gaza Strip in June, is launching a naval defense force, reports the Times. They're busy recruiting sailors—even though they don't have any ships. “The requirements to join are that you have to be a good soldier, be fit, and know how to swim,” said the Navy's only member.
France Bids Adieu to Archbishop
BBC
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Aug 10, 2007 4:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Catholic and Jewish prayers rang out at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris today during the funeral of the former archbishop of Paris, Jean-Marie Lustiger, who died Sunday at 80. A convert from Judaism whose mother died at Auschwitz, he was known for his tireless work to bridge his two faiths, and thousands of mourners gathered to pay their respects.
3rd Suspect Held in NJ Slayings
Star-Ledger
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Aug 10, 2007 4:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A teen wanted in connection with the slayings of three college students and the attempted murder of a fourth in Newark was taken into custody today, and authorities are seeking two more suspects implicated in the execution-style homicides. Another suspect, Jose Carranza, pleaded not guilty this morning; the third, a 15-year-old boy, is being held pending...
Shuttle Docks With Space Station
Associated Press
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Aug 10, 2007 4:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Shuttle Endeavour docked with the International Space Station today after executing an orbital flip to allow the exterior of the craft to be photographed and examined for any damage sustained during liftoff. Three foam chunks detached from the shuttle during launch, and although some damage remains possible, mission managers say they don't believe...
Va. Tech Shooter May Have Practiced
Richmond Times-Dispatch
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Aug 10, 2007 3:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Virginia Tech killer may have rehearsed his rampage 2 days before the massacre of 32 people on April 16, police investigators said today. One witness reported spotted a suspicious-looking hooded male near doors inside the academic building where the shootings took place on April 14, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports; another witness saw chains...
Markets Cling to Stable Condition
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 10, 2007 3:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Major US indexes reeled today, after a wild seesaw session in which a Fed bailout rescued Wall Street from a veritginous selloff this morning. The Dow closed at 13239.54, down 31.14, after initial rumors of a broad but blurry liquidity crisis crashed it over 100 points in early trading. The Nasdaq fell 11.60 to close at 2544.89; the S&P was off...
A Prison Aims to Deprogram Young Jihadists
Newsweek
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Aug 10, 2007 3:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The high-security Iraqi prison that once held Saddam Hussein now hosts a pilot program to reeducate jihadist youth. Newsweek visited Camp Cropper, which for the past two months has offered classes and psychological guidance aimed at deprogramming would-be suicide bombers. But the teachers have struggled because the hatred in the mixed Sunni and Shia...
Calif. Town Is Nation's Smoggiest
Associated Press
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Aug 10, 2007 3:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Arvin, Calif., proves that you don’t need factories or freeways to have America’s worst air pollution. The agricultural town’s mountain locale collects pollution, the AP reports, giving the air a toxic smell and raising health concerns. The EPA uses the ozone level to gauge smog across the country, and from 2004 to 2006, Arvin (pop....
Canada Vows to Defend Pole
BBC
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Aug 10, 2007 2:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As Russia presses claims to the North Pole, Canada is stepping up its defense of its Arctic territory and will no longer take its sovereignty "too lighty," PM Stephen Harper declared yesterday during an Arctic tour. Canada is building six patrol vessels to guard the icy territory where Russia planted a flag in the seabed last week, the BBC...
Product Design Gets Wilder, Faster
New York Times
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Aug 10, 2007 2:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Commercial product design is being overhauled faster and faster as brands compete in a fragmented market. The Internet and cable TV have diluted the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, and companies are spending more money on engaging design to win customers: Pepsi, for one, is rolling out a new can every few weeks this year. The Times takes...
Hillary to Barack: 'Don't Even Do as I Say'
Associated Press
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Aug 10, 2007 2:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A year before Hillary Clinton blasted Barack Obama’s prohibition on nukes against Pakistan, she made one on using them in Iran. The AP reports the frontrunner’s head-shaking rebuke last week—no “president should make any blanket statements” about nuke use—doesn't jibe with her own position last year. “I would...
Most Dangerous Science Jobs
Wired
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Aug 10, 2007 2:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Science isn't just lab rats and microscopes—how does flying into hurricanes grab you? The most hazardous occupations for you biology, chemistry, and physics nerds: Astronaut: 24 US deaths since 1961. Biosafety lab researcher: Handle earth's deadliest diseases. Hurricane hunter: Fly into tempests to gauge pressure and...
Juror No. 1 Is a 10
BBC
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Aug 10, 2007 2:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt showed up for jury duty in Los Angeles after a judge ordered him to serve or be slapped with contempt charges, the BBC reports, drawing on a series of breathless updates by TMZ.com. Luckily for the busy actor, yesterday's trial ended immediately after a no contest plea to drunk driving charges.
Spector Jurors Try Out Victim’s Chair
Washington Post
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Aug 10, 2007 1:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jurors in Phil Spector’s murder trial got the full re-enactment experience in a trip to the record producer’s house yesterday, slumping back and playing dead in a replica of the chair where actress Lana Clarkson died. The field trippers asked permission to explore the case’s fine points firsthand, the Washington Post reports; the...
Washed-Out Brits May Be Stuck in Trailers for Months
Bloomberg
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Aug 10, 2007 1:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Victims of the record flooding in England may have to live in mobile homes for months while their property is repaired. Tens of thousands of residences and businesses were badly damaged by floods over the past 2 months, which caused at least $6 billion in damage, Bloomberg reports. And meteorologists predict that rainfall will keep increasing because...
Bingo! 500G Missing in Charity Game
Newsday
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Aug 10, 2007 1:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As much as half a million dollars is missing from Long Island town bingo game operated three times a week by a charity for the disabled, Newsday reports. An investigation was launched after two charity workers accused each other of skimming $10,000 from the games. That's when investigators discovered the missing funds and "the flags went off,"...
UN to Increase Iraq Presence
Associated Press
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Aug 10, 2007 1:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The UN will expand its role in Iraq and try to help quell the sectarian violence that has hobbled the country, after a Security Council vote today. Iraq's government says it'll help peacekeepers mediate disputes between the feuding sectarian groups and among Iraq’s neighbors in the region; the blue helmets will also address the country’s...
Heat Wave Bakes Southeast
CNN
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Aug 10, 2007 12:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A heat wave brought record high temperatures to much of the Southeast yesterday, with highs of over 100 degrees recorded in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Kentucky. Excessive heat warnings ruled the day, prompting the National Weather Service to urge people to stay inside in air-conditioning and drink plenty of fluids, reports CNN.
10-Year Model Predicts Record Temperatures
BBC
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Aug 10, 2007 12:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A new 10-year model of climate change forecasts several years of record temperatures between 2009 to 2014, the BBC reports. Most global warming predictions see significant climate changes over a century; the new model, developed by British meteorologists using present-day observations, offers shorter-term predictions of event such as El Nino that industries...
Dems Court Rainbow Vote
Time
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Aug 10, 2007 11:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
All of the Democrats who appeared at last night’s gay rights forum touted their support of sponsor Human Rights Campaign—but it was Hillary Clinton who aced the tightrope test, according to Time ’s Mark Halperin. Hillary managed to oppose gay marriage without playing defense, all the while supplying “major doses of Clintonesque...
Lance’s Team Bites the Dust
New York Times
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Aug 10, 2007 11:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Lance Armstrong’s former cycling team is shutting down after failing to find a new corporate sponsor. The Discovery Channel squad would normally have no trouble staying afloat after one of its riders won the Tour de France this summer, the New York Times reports. But doping scandals have had a disastrous effect on the sport.
South African Prez Fires AIDS Crusader
Mail & Guardian (South Africa)
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Aug 10, 2007 11:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
South Africa's president has fired his government's leading HIV/AIDS crusader, the prime mover of a plan to offer free treatment to millions. Thabo Mbeki dismissed his deputy health minister, who has opposed his AIDS denialism for years, the Mail and Guardian reports. Mbeki has drawn worldwide outrage for the move, which puts at risk her ambitious...
Net Hunting: The Nonexistent Menace
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 10, 2007 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
States are rushing to ban internet hunting—despite the fact that nobody does it. Since hunting by remote control gun over the internet was floated as a business plan, a Humane Society campaign spread outrage, and 33 states have banned the practice—a bill has even been introduced in Congress. But the idea never got past the planning stages...
In a Pickle, Chicago Orders Wienermobile to Go
Chicago Tribune
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Aug 10, 2007 10:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The 27-foot-long fiberglass hot dog's hazard lights were flashing, but Chicago's finest weren't fooled. The Oscar Meyer Wienermobile was slapped with a $50 ticket and narrowly avoided getting towed from the heart of downtown Chicago yesterday after dawdling illegally on a six-lane street. "You can't just park here," the ticket-writing...
MRIs Beat Mammograms at Spotting Earliest Breast Cancer
Guardian (UK)
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Aug 10, 2007 10:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
MRIs significantly outperform mammograms in detecting pockets of abnormal cells that can lead to full-blown breast cancer, and the costly scans should be used routinely to save more women's lives, researchers say. A new study out today says MRIs detected 92% of the early lesions, called ductal carcinoma in situ, while mammograms found only 57%, the...
US Stocks Plunge at Open
Reuters
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Aug 10, 2007 9:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Uncertainty ruled Wall Street and the global markets today, with the Dow skidding over 100 points at the open 1 day after the second-largest decline of the year. Central banks around the world acted to stem the unrest that continues to accompany the widening subprime mortgage crisis, but big-picture machinations weren't filtering down to the floor,...
Fed Pumps $19B Into Market
Bloomberg
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Aug 10, 2007 8:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Federal Reserve pumped $19 billion in temporary funds into the banking system today by buying up mortgage-backed securities. The move is aimed to insure that there is enough cash available in the credit markets and keep the interest rate close to the Fed's target of 5.25%. It also makes it clear that the Fed does not yet plan to cut that interest...
Bill Targets Designer Knockoffs
Washington Post
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Aug 10, 2007 8:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Capitol HIll is considering a bill that would place fashion designs in the same league as a work of art that can be copyrighted, protecting designers from cheap knockoffs for three years. Currently, designers can copyright logos and names, but manufacturers can legally replicate their creations stitch for stitch—and they do.
Shuttle to Dock With Station
Associated Press
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Aug 10, 2007 8:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The crew of the Endeavour spent most of yesterday checking their vessel for damage from insulation that broke off the fuel tank during the launch; today they will dock the shuttle with the International Space Station. First, the shuttle will flip around in front of the ISS so that the station's cameras can inspect further for damage. Then Endeavour...
Hardaway Headed to Heat
Miami Herald
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Aug 10, 2007 7:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Penny Hardaway and his balky 36-year-old knees are headed to Miami after not playing in the NBA for over a year. The ex-All-Star signed a 1-year, $1.2 million deal with the Heat yesterday after turning Pat Riley's head during workouts recently. With once and future teammate Shaquille O'Neal, Haradway led the Magic to the Finals in 1995.
Rick Ankiel Hits 3-Run Shot in Comeback
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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Aug 10, 2007 7:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The feel-good story of the season continued last night when St. Louis Cardinal Rick Ankiel hit a 3-run homer to help secure a 5-0 win over the Padres. For Ankiel, a troubled pitcher making a comeback as an outfielder, it was the first homer since 2000.
Senior Dem at SEC Will Call It Quits
Washington Post
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Aug 10, 2007 7:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The SEC's senior Democrat, widely seen as tough on business and pro-shareholder, filed his walking papers yesterday. Roel Campos will quit the five-member panel next month after 5 years on the job and with a proposal pending that allows investors a greater say in appointment of company directors, the Washington Post reports.
Rush Hour 3 Runs Out of Gas
Rotten Tomatoes
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Aug 10, 2007 7:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Legendary martial artist Jackie Chan teams up with peppy funnyman Chris Tucker for the third time since 1998 in Rush Hour 3, but critics are panning the film, opening today, as a flat-tire addition to the buddy-comedy franchise. "It’s a generically crummy action flick. It’s ugly. It’s noisy. It’s stupid," declares...
Beckham Makes it Off Bench
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 10, 2007 6:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Despite an injured ankle, soccer megastar David Beckham finally made his long-awaited Los Angeles Galaxy debut last night in a 1-0 loss to D.C. United. Becks came off the bench and played 20 minutes in front of the sellout crowd, chalking up no shots or tackles, but making one pretty pass to teammate Landon Donvovan.
