Newser Story Index from September, 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.
The Arctic Is Ours: Kremlin
Reuters
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Sep 21, 2007 2:33 AM CDT
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In the latest audacious claim by Russia, the nation is insisting that rock samples taken 13,000 feet beneath the North Pole prove that a large part of the Arctic seabed is rightfully Russian territory. The US, Canada, Norway and Denmark also have territorial claims to the mineral-rich area that's becoming increasingly accessible as the ice cap melts.
Ring, Bended Knee, and Candid Camera
New York Times
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Sep 20, 2007 8:03 PM CDT
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Husband hopefuls are lining up not only romantic locales and plentiful karats, but also hidden cameramen to document their marriage proposals. Some knee-benders are even timing their big events for optimal lighting conditions and bride-to-be beauty (make sure she gets to change her clothes after work). Newly affianced couples can send the snaps around...
City OKs Day of Public Toking
San Jose Mercury News
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Sep 20, 2007 7:09 PM CDT
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Two kinds of "green laws" collided in Santa Cruz, Calif., when a local group that distributes free medical marijuana came up against a smoking ban in the park where the group holds its annual festival. The city council reached a healthy compromise, providing attendees in need of self-medication with a pot-smoking tent, the San Jose Mercury...
New Georgian Fossils May Link 'Lucy' and Homo Erectus
New York Times
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Sep 20, 2007 6:57 PM CDT
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Archaeologists have unearthed four fossilized skeletons of a human ancestor that shares characteristics with the humanesque Homo erectus and the earlier, smaller Australopithicus afarensis, of which the famous 'Lucy' skeleton is a member. The fossils in the republic of Georgia contradict the previously held idea that hominids developed all key human...
SF Skyline Getting Big Upgrade
Bloomberg
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Sep 20, 2007 6:40 PM CDT
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San Francisco officials are cementing deals to build a pair of skyscrapers that would challenge New York's 1,250-foot Empire State Building as the US' second tallest, Bloomberg reports. The city has selected a plan for a slender, 1,200-plus-foot obelisk to be built in the Market financial district, with a like-size complex of connected towers planned...
Groups Ask Feds to Regulate Air Fresheners
San Francisco Chronicle
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Sep 20, 2007 6:23 PM CDT
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Air fresheners contain dangerous chemical compounds linked to asthma, cancer, and developmental problems, said a coalition of environmental groups in petitioning the EPA yesterday to regulate the industry. While most companies denied the charges, Walgreen Co. responded by pulling three fresheners off shelves in its 5,850 stores, the San Francisco...
US Official: Embargo Kept Cuba From Meddling
Reuters
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Sep 20, 2007 6:05 PM CDT
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The decades-old US trade embargo against Cuba has been "an absolute and resounding success," the Cuban-born US commerce secretary said today. Carlos Gutierrez told a Latin America conference that the policy has stopped the island's communist government from orchestrating military attacks. But the embargo, in place since 1962, has repeatedly...
Church Near Breaking Point over Gay Priests
Chicago Tribune
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Sep 20, 2007 5:43 PM CDT
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US Episcopal bishops are about to sit down to talk with leaders of the greater Anglican communion on the simmering issue of homosexuality within the church, but the fact that a lesbian is under serious consideration as a candidate for bishop of Chicago may be a signal that the Americans are not budging. The church's spiritual head—the Archbishop...
Apple CEO Subpoenaed by SEC
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 20, 2007 5:30 PM CDT
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Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been subpoenaed by the Securities and Exchange Commission in a case involving backdated stock options, the Wall Street Journal reports. Apple's former counsel, Nancy Heinen, is the target and not Jobs. Though Apple already admitted to backdating options, and that Jobs had a hand in picking dates, the company maintains he's...
Despite Assassination, Lebanon Will Hold Elections
BBC
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Sep 20, 2007 5:28 PM CDT
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As the country mourns yesterday's death of anti-Syrian politician Antoine Ghanem, Lebanon's government is determined to hold presidential elections as scheduled next week, the BBC reports. "The hand of terror will not win," Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said today. "The Lebanese will … have a new president elected by lawmakers."...
Freedom Fries Fattening French
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 20, 2007 5:15 PM CDT
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Freedom Fries be danged, French waistlines are taking a decidedly American curve: As fast food and bigger portions invade, some 42% of the famously foodie nation's population is clocking in as either overweight or obese. But officials say don't let them eat cake, predicting US-level obesity if the trend isn't reversed within a few years, the LA Times...
NCAA's Hoop Dreamers Open Ties with China
New York Times
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Sep 20, 2007 5:08 PM CDT
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University of Memphis coach John Calipari signed a deal this week with the Chinese Basketball Association, part of an effort to bolster NCAA exposure in China and forge an alliance that could make the country a hot spot for future recruiting, the New York Times reports. "We're basically putting together an exchange program," Calipari said...
New TV Season Disappoints
Variety
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Sep 20, 2007 4:56 PM CDT
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The fall TV season isn't wowing audiences so far, Variety reports. Four fresh shows hit the small screen last night, but none made a big splash. Fox's "Back to You" was tops among 18- to 49-year-olds and attracted 9.4 million viewers overall. But it won by a slim margin, and none of the newbies lived up to last fall's hits.
Golf Groups Ban Drugs, Will Start Screening
Associated Press
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Sep 20, 2007 4:44 PM CDT
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Finally catching up with other professional sports, major golf groups today announced new anti-doping policies, to be put into effect in 2008. Though the PGA Tour isn't adopting the World Anti-Doping Association list of banned substances, the AP reports, it has its own laundry list, which includes anabolic agents, hormones, stimulants, masking agents...
Feds Give Abe's 5-Spot a Facelift
Associated Press
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Sep 20, 2007 4:20 PM CDT
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When you pull out a $5 bill next spring, you'll still see Honest Abe—but you'll also see a bunch of purple and gray, some big number fives, and new watermarks and security threads. Sick of pesky counterfeiters bleaching the fiver and turning it into a C-note, the feds unveiled the redesigned bill today, the AP reports.
Colleges Don’t Care if Kids Can Write
Boston Globe
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Sep 20, 2007 3:57 PM CDT
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The hours and dollars spent on SAT writing preparation might be for naught, the Boston Globe reports, as 56% of four-year colleges don’t even use the newest section of the aptitude test. Skeptics find fuel in a study showing that big words were all it took to achieve near-perfect scores. "These aren't higher-level learning measures,"...
Stocks Dip After Two-Day Spike
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 20, 2007 3:34 PM CDT
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Stocks fell today after two days of bullish investing set off by the Fed’s interest rate cuts; one trader told the Journal profit-taking would have taken its toll "even if there was no news whatsoever.” But there was news: FedEx cut its profit forecast; the dollar continued to hit new lows and the price of oil new highs. The Dow...
Bush Blasts Dems' Expanded Child Health Bill
New York Times
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Sep 20, 2007 3:28 PM CDT
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President Bush threatened to veto a children's health insurance bill today, knocking Democrats he said were politicizing the issue by moving too far toward universal health care. The Senate last month passed an expanded "S-chip" program that would cover an additional 4 million children currently uninsured, the New York Times reports. The...
Landis Must Forfeit Tour Title
Associated Press
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Sep 20, 2007 3:07 PM CDT
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Cyclist Floyd Landis lost his doping case today, and must give up his 2006 Tour de France title after arbitrators voted to uphold test results showing Landis cheated during his victory. He was banned from cycling until 2009; short a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the American will be the first to lose a Tour title.
Bernanke Sees More Housing Pain, ‘Relatively Strong’ System
MarketWatch
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Sep 20, 2007 2:57 PM CDT
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Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke went before Congress today, two days after trimming the benchmark lending rate, and said new foreclosures will come as more subprime mortgages run out clocks on initial interest rates. Markets “do tend to self-correct” in crises, the economic guru said, and the global system is “in a relatively...
‘Bundlers’ Rake In Cash, Harbor Ethics Gaps
Washington Post
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Sep 20, 2007 2:33 PM CDT
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"Bundlers"—political fundraisers who solicit other donors to give—are a standard feature of the presidential race, and many remain favored by major campaigns despite unethical and even illegal conduct. The Post spotlights questionable rainmakers in the Norman Hsu scandal aftermath, including one Hillary donor who gave $160,000...
Bush's AG Pick Has History With Terror Trials
New York Times
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Sep 20, 2007 2:08 PM CDT
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Before America was paying attention, Judge Michael Mukasey tried a landmark terrorism case. The 1995-96 trial of blind sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, convicted with nine others of plotting a massive "day of terror" at three New York sites, forced Mukasey, now President Bush's nominee for US attorney general, to navigate issues of secrecy, security...
Iran Guards Hidden Art Trove
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 20, 2007 1:47 PM CDT
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A basement chock full of Picassos, Monets, and almost every important Western Modernist painter—surely the Louvre? Au contraire, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. That’s where the LA Times ’ Kim Murphy found a treasure trove of painstakingly cared-for paintings that have seen the light of day but once since the 1979 Islamic...
Sony Delays Answer to ‘Second Life’
Associated Press
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Sep 20, 2007 1:28 PM CDT
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Adding to a string of setbacks, Sony today delayed the release of its competitor for virtual world touchstone "Second Life," until next spring. The interactive world "Home"—made for PlayStation 3—has been demonstrated several times, the AP reports, and was to land before year’s end. Sony's stock price fell 0.9%...
Arrested Iranian Trained Iraq Terrorists: US
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 20, 2007 1:06 PM CDT
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The US military said today it arrested an Iranian who allegedly smuggled bombs for use against US and Iraqi forces, the Los Angeles Times reports. Aghawi Farhadi is also accused of training terrorists for Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Soldiers captured Farhadi in a pre-dawn raid in the northern city of Sulaymaniyah, where he was staying as part of...
Wall Street Hunts for Its Next Bubble
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 20, 2007 12:48 PM CDT
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With the Fed’s rate cut in place, Wall Street has visions of another bubble—this time in emerging markets. The Dow skyrocketed 2.5% on news of the cut, but even that was dwarfed by 4.2% gains in the Bombay Sensex and 4.3% in Brazil’s Bovespa. Fast-growing economies could benefit most, the Journal explains, from easy-flowing cash.
50K Rally to Support 'Jena Six'
Chicago Tribune
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Sep 20, 2007 12:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Busload after busload of civil rights marchers alighted in Jena, La., today to support the “Jena Six,” a group of black students charged with felonies after a 2006 fight with a white classmate. An estimated 50,000 mostly-black protesters easily outnumbered the mostly-white population of the town, where racial tensions have swirled since...
Senator Blocks Presidential Papers Bill
Dallas Morning News
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Sep 20, 2007 12:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An unidentified Republican senator is blocking a bill that would overturn President Bush's 2001 executive order allowing presidents to keep their papers permanently classified . The bill, approved by the House 333-93 in March, would easily survive a presidential veto if it passed the Senate. A hold is essentially a promise to filibuster, and may be...
An Absolut Blockbuster
Reuters
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Sep 20, 2007 11:35 AM CDT
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British beverage conglomerate Diageo, maker of best-selling vodka Smirnoff, is “very interested” in acquiring Sweden’s Absolut, the world’s second-largest vodka. Diageo says it isn’t worried about anti-trust problems, although its CEO tells Reuters “complexity will vary from market to market.” One easy market...
Feds to Charge Hsu on Pyramid Scheme, Dem Fundraising
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 20, 2007 11:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Rogue Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu’s troubles are deepening today, as federal officials are expected to charge the twice-on-the-lam financier with running a $60 million pyramid scheme and breaking campaign-finance laws. Hsu faces accusations that he falsely told investors their money was going into a clothing operation; some of was allegedly...
21 Gadgets for the Green Home
Popular Science
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Sep 20, 2007 10:46 AM CDT
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Companies are zeroing in on the emerging eco-market with painfully cool items like a battery-powered scooter from Vectrix, wind-powered tiki torches from Demakersvan, and speakers made from recycled whiskey barrels by Pioneer Electronics. Popular Science 's photo montage of the latest in green technology shows that hip and hippie need no longer be...
Goldman Up Whopping 76% in 3rd Quarter
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 20, 2007 10:20 AM CDT
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Two financial giants posted dramatic earnings this morning: Goldman Sachs wowed investors with a 79% surge in third quarter net income, while Bear Stearns’ dropped 61% thanks to massive hedge-fund losses. The two were on opposite sides of the subprime collapse. Bear Stearns is among the top packagers of mortgage-based securities, which Goldman...
Blackwater Played by Its Own Rules
Washington Post
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Sep 20, 2007 9:54 AM CDT
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Blackwater, the private security firm involved in the shooting of 10 civilians in Baghdad Sunday, has operated outside US military regulations governing other security contractors in Iraq, the Washington Post reports. Deployed and protected by the State Department, they were exempted from oversight by the Iraqi Interior Ministry, and not subject...
Bin Laden Targets Pakistan in New Tape
Associated Press
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Sep 20, 2007 9:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Osama bin Laden is about to declare jihad against Pakistani President Perez Musharraf in a new tape, militant websites vowed yesterday, posting advertisements that usually presage a new recording by one to three days, according to the AP. At the same time, al-Qaida released a video on the same theme from henchman Ayman al-Zawahri.
UK Bank Chief Takes Heat After U-Turn
Guardian (UK)
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Sep 20, 2007 9:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The leader of the Bank of England, the Fed's counterpart in the UK, is facing substantial pressure to resign. Only last week Mervyn King had declined to offer loans for inter-bank trading to ease credit markets, vowing to discourage the "moral hazard" of risk-taking that led to Northern Rock's collapse. But yesterday the bank injected £10...
In London, Giuliani Picks Up Cred and Cash
Telegraph (UK)
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Sep 20, 2007 8:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Rudy Giuliani left behind the cornfields of Iowa for cosmopolitan London yesterday, where he met with campaign contributors and no fewer than three prime ministers. After a visit to Tony Blair's new offices and to Gordon Brown at No. 10, Giuliani got his most desired photo-op of all, writes the Telegraph : an award and a handshake from Margaret Thatcher.
Dubai Buys Nasdaq, LSE Shares
Bloomberg
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Sep 20, 2007 8:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Dubai will buy substantial stakes in two stock markets in an attempt to diversify its holdings beyond petroleum, Bloomberg reports. Borse Dubai, the emirate's investing arm, will acquire almost 20% of the Nasdaq and 28% of the London Stock Exchange. The Nasdaq purchase includes a deal for a Norwegian exchange as well and gives Nasdaq its first foothold...
Jena Braces for Thousands of Protesters
USA Today
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Sep 20, 2007 7:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Tiny Jena, LA, is bracing for the tens of thousands of activists expected to descend on the town of 3,000 today to protest the handling of six black high school students charged with attempted murder for beating a white classmate in December. Led by the Rev. Al Sharpton, protesters say the teens, who've become known as the "Jenna Six," were...
Record Low: Euro hits $1.40
Bloomberg
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Sep 20, 2007 7:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The dollar dropped to a record low against the euro in early Asian trading on Thursday, breaking the $1.40 barrier for the first time since the establishment of the common currency. The Fed's half-point cut in interest rates led investors to drop the greenback, and chief Ben Bernanke's upcoming testimony before Congress might spell further trouble.
GM and UAW Hit Impasse on Health Care
Bloomberg
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Sep 20, 2007 6:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
General Motors has reached an impasse with the UAW on the transfer of health care liabilities to a union-run trust, a serious blow to the company's plans for rejuvenation. Five days into contract talks, negotiators could not agree on the amount GM would pay into the fund, reports Bloomberg, and talks shifted to other issues. The Detroit Free Press...
Case Against Maddy's Parents May Be Faltering
Daily Mail (UK)
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Sep 20, 2007 5:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Since making the parents of Madeleine McCann suspects in her May 3 disappearance, Portuguese police have found "no new evidence" to support their case, reports the Daily Mail. A senior prosecutor hasn't asked a judge to bring charges and detectives have not scheduled new interviews with Kate and Gerry McCann, who returned to England from...
Cubs Sit Alone Atop NL Central
Chicago Tribune
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Sep 20, 2007 4:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Thanks to a Brewers' loss and a gutsy performance by Ted Lilly, the Cubs took sole possession of first place in the National League Central. Lilly, pitching on short rest, allowed just two runs and five hits against the Reds. The Cubs won the game in the 8th on Matt Murton's pinch-hit fielder's choice that scored Ryan Theriot.
China Launches Press Tours to Boost Product Image
Reuters
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Sep 20, 2007 4:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With the label "made in China" now carrying particularly negative associations in the wake of tainted products, the Chinese government is on a public relations offensive to convince the world its goods are safe. Journalists have been shown around gleaming drug factories on carefully choreographed tours, reports Reuters. Polls showing that...
Britain Boycotts African Summit
Independent (UK)
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Sep 20, 2007 4:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Britain will boycott a summit bringing together leaders of the European Union and African states because of the expected presence of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe. Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the Independent he wants to send a powerful message of concern to the leader responsible for widespread torture and the...
Agriculture Boss Leaving to Run for Senate
Omaha World-Herald
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Sep 20, 2007 4:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
US Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns is resigning to run for the Nebraska senate seat that Rebublican Chuck Hagel will vacate at the end of 2008. Johanns' timing is less than perfect—he is leaving before Congress approves a new farm bill—something his campaign rivals will surely jump on, along with his refusal to provide Nebraska with...
Adams Slams Papelbon in 6-1 BoSox Loss
Boston Herald
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Sep 20, 2007 4:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Blue Jays' Russ Adams had five RBIs, including a grand slam off Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, but the big number in Boston's 6-1 loss to Toronto was 1½. That's how close the Yankees suddenly are to stealing away the American League East division title, after a four-game slide for the Sox, reports the Boston Herald.
Indians Sweep Pivotal Series With Tigers
Associated Press
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Sep 20, 2007 4:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Last night's win over the Tigers was the Cleveland Indians' 20th in 25 games, raising them to a tie with Boston for the best record in baseball, and taking them one step closer to clinching the American League Central division title. Indians ace C.C. Sabathia improved to 18-7, and closer Joe Borowski notched his league-leading 42nd save, reports the...
Frisco to Go Dark—on Purpose
San Francisco Chronicle
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Sep 20, 2007 4:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In a move initiated by a local environmentalist, San Francisco will launch a voluntary brownout next month to show people how easy it is to save electricity. Lights Out San Francisco is asking everyone to switch off unnecessary lights for an hour on October 20. Activist Nate Tyler got the idea when he watched the Sydney Opera House power down for a...
Cell Phones Linked to Hearing Loss
WebMD
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Sep 20, 2007 4:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Extensive cell phone use can cause progressive hearing loss, according to a new study presented at a scientific conference in Washington. The study, conducted by researchers in India, found high frequency hearing loss among users who talked for more than an hour a day for four years on their cell phones, reports WebMD.
AK-47 to Utah: I Want Out
Salt Lake Tribune
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Sep 20, 2007 3:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
After rekindling his love of basketball with the Russian national team at the European championships, Utah forward Andrei "AK-47" Kirilenko wrote a blog entry venting his frustration with coach Jerry Sloan and requesting a trade. Kirilenko, 26, took issue with Sloan's use of guilt as a motivating factor, maintaining the coach had a "negative...
