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.
Notre Dame Won't Release QB from Scholarship
ESPN
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Sep 20, 2007 3:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Notre Dame has refused to release sophomore QB Demtrius Jones from his scholarship, saying that they did not think his departure "was handled appropriately." Jones was named the starter heading into the season, but was demoted after a poor performance in a season opening 33-3 loss to Georgia Tech.
Iranian Prez Banned From Ground Zero
CNN
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Sep 20, 2007 3:46 AM CDT
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been barred from visiting Ground Zero to "pay his respects" during a visit to New York. The city's police commissioner said the controversial president would not be allowed to leave a wreath, citing construction barring visitors from the site. "If there were a further request, we'd reject it,"...
Dry Cleaners Sell Shop Shredded by $67M Lawsuit
Washington Post
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Sep 20, 2007 3:06 AM CDT
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Years of legal fees and emotional trauma have forced a couple to sell the Washington D.C. dry cleaning shop that was hit with a $67 million lawsuit by a customer over a lost pair of pants. The publicity from the lawsuit, which the customer lost, cost Soo and Jin Chung most of their business, and this is the second of three stores they've had to close.
Floods Devastate Africa
Guardian (UK)
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Sep 20, 2007 3:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Several of Africa's poorest countries have been devastated by a catastrophic deluge of rain, washing away lives, communities and crops. As many as 18 of the normally driest countries in the world, from Senegal, Mauritania, Mali and Burkina Faso in the west, to Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia in the east, will be inundated with floods for weeks.
Chelsea Loses Fiery Coach
Age (Aust.)
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Sep 20, 2007 3:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Chelsea's talented and bizarre coach, Jose Mourinho, has departed his team after a new flare-up of old grievances with owner Roman Abramovich. In his short and brilliant tenure, Mourinho delivered on a promise to end Chelsea's 50-year title drought, winning the Premier League in 2005 and 2006. A lack of flashiness on offense, however, alienated the...
Mets Shift Momentum, Hold on to First
New York Times
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Sep 20, 2007 2:36 AM CDT
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The New York Mets finally dug in their heels to stop their five-game losing streak, beating the Nationals 8-4 last night. Buoyed by three hits from injured Moises Alou and two RBIs by newly shorn Paul Lo Duca, the Mets rose to the challenge issued during a players-only meeting: to play better, reports the New York Times.
Bush Presses Congress for Snooping Law
Associated Press
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Sep 19, 2007 9:26 PM CDT
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Bush pressed lawmakers for extra snooping rights today, the AP reports. Yet many Dems already regret the current law, which allows Feds to spy on some Americans without a warrant. One senator says that "the law did provide authority for collection, but it did not include sufficient protections for Americans." Bush argues that today's surveillance...
KGB Doggedly Stalked Nureyev
Telegraph (UK)
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Sep 19, 2007 8:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
He was never interested in politics, but Rudolf Nureyev was a KGB scourge for decades after his 1961 defection. The famed ballet dancer’s colleagues were glad to see him go—‘Rudik’ was a prima donna to management and competition for fellow performers—but the state was incensed, the Telegraph reports, excising him from...
Panhandler Begs For Lost Pooch, his 'Best Friend'
Chicago Tribune
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Sep 19, 2007 8:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Chicago panhandler has gone from begging for loose change to asking after a lost pal, the Chicago Tribune reports. Sixty-nine year-old Tom Finley says he last saw his canine "best friend" outside a McDonald's, and believes someone took her in the hope of giving the dog better care. Now locals and an animal cruelty society are rallying...
US-Iraqi Panel to Probe Private Contractors
CNN
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Sep 19, 2007 8:03 PM CDT
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In the wake of the shooting deaths of 10 Iraqi civilians at the hands of private security firm Blackwater last weekend, the US and Iraq are forming a joint panel to probe the war's private security contractors. Rather than conduct forensic field studies of the incident, officials say, the committee will look at the "safety and security involving...
South African Park Houses Grim Exhibit
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 19, 2007 7:51 PM CDT
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South Africa's Kruger National Park provides a bizarre but legal service: a legitimate source of animal parts for the world's manufacturers of buffalo upholstery, zebra footrests, and giraffe-bone handgun grips. The park's employees harvest the remains of animals that die of natural causes and store them in stockpiles, taking orders from around the...
Porno Biz Unfazed by Neocons
Reuters
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Sep 19, 2007 7:28 PM CDT
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Bush's vow to clamp down on porn has hardly dented the $13 billion industry, Reuters reports. Activists grumble that Bush hasn't followed in Reagan's footsteps and put distributors out of business - but pressing problems, like terrorism, have distracted the White House, and the FBI is prosecuting more extreme forms of pornography.
Bush, Congress Score Lowest Approval Yet
Reuters
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Sep 19, 2007 7:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Bush and Congress scored record-low approval ratings in a Reuters/Zogby poll released today. Bush dipped 1% below his previous Zogby approval rating of 30%; the legislative branch scored 11% approval, down 3% in August. And a new "mood index" showed the country as more unhappy than in July, with 62% saying the US is on the wrong...
OJ Pays Bail and Walks Out
CNN
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Sep 19, 2007 6:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
OJ left a Vegas detention center today after paying his $125,000 bail and hearing a list of charges against him and his alleged cohorts. His lawyer said that OJ will plead not guilty to all charges, including robbery and kidnapping with a weapon. Simpson, 60, gave up his passport but can return home to Miami or travel throughout the US, CNN reports.
Dems Fail to Bring Troop Bill to Senate Vote
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 19, 2007 6:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Senate Democrats were unable to muster enough GOP support today to bring to a vote a bill that would have given US troops more down time between overseas deployments. A late defection by Republican John Warner was the death knell for the bill, the Wall Street Journal reports, sponsored by Democrat James Webb, Warner's fellow Virginian.
Southwest Tinkers With Seating
MarketWatch
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Sep 19, 2007 6:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Southwest Airlines will keep its trademark open-seating policy but will assign a boarding order to cut down on passengers queuing up far in advance of boarding. Southwest currently boards its airplanes in a sequence of three groups, with passengers free to pick their seat. While Southwest fans enjoy the freedom, critics that have called the procedure...
Bush Will Never Pull Trigger on Iran Bombings
Salon
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Sep 19, 2007 6:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Most pundits say Bush will knock out Iran's nuke plants by spring, but months of not pulling the trigger prove he'll never do it - though someone else might, argues Steven Clemons in Salon . Advisers pushing for the military option have lost ground to moderates, and a coterie of neocons penning op-ed pieces hasn't swayed Bush to open another war...
Search for Fossett Grounded
Reuters
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Sep 19, 2007 5:57 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Nevada authorities said today they're calling off the active air search for missing adventurer Steve Fossett, who disappeared Sept. 3 after taking off from an airstrip near Reno. "Nobody is giving up on this man," said one official, adding that crews will be kept ready to investigate new leads on possible crash sites in surrounding desert...
Sonic Youth Frontman Flies High, Solo
Pitchfork
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Sep 19, 2007 5:35 PM CDT
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Bandleader to experimental music pioneer Sonic Youth, Thurston Moore dropped his first proper solo record in 12 years today; "Trees Outside the Academy "drew a strong if not excellent 7.9 rating from hipster bible Pitchfork. Depsite the "basement icon's" recent patronage of difficult underground talent, the new record is direct,...
Rather Sues CBS for $70M
New York Times
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Sep 19, 2007 5:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Dan Rather has filed a $70 million lawsuit against CBS and its corporate parent, claiming bias and fraud in the investigation of the broadcast that brought him down—and then violated his subsequent contract with “60 Minutes.” The filing says Rather was made “a scapegoat” in order “to pacify the White House,”...
Spector Judge Rejects Option of Manslaughter
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 19, 2007 4:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Saying it would imply a guilty verdict of some kind is the goal, the judge in Phil Spector's murder trial today decided against having deadlocked jurors deliberate a lesser charge of manslaughter. The jury said yesterday it was split 7-5 after seven days of deliberation over the charge facing the music mogul in the 2003 shooting of actress Lana Clarkson.
Just 2°C, but a Different World
BBC
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Sep 19, 2007 4:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The European Union set itself an ambitious goal when it pledged to rein in global rises in temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius. That goal is now unlikely to be met, reports a UN-established group that presented its findings in London today. Martin Parry, who leads the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, estimated that the rise could be constrained...
Habeas Corpus Bill Withers in Senate
New York Times
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Sep 19, 2007 3:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A bill to allow terrorism suspects to challenge indefinite detention faltered in Washington today as only 56 Senate votes could be mustered to cut off debate on the habeas corpus measure. Sixty are needed for bills to move forward for a vote in the upper chamber; supporters said they might still renew the legislation, the New York Times reports.
Stocks Keep Up Rate-Cut Rally
Bloomberg
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Sep 19, 2007 3:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The stock market kept rising one day after the Fed slashed key interest rates, as speculation that the housing slump might ebb compounded the biggest rally in four years. The Dow climbed 76.17 to 13815.56, while the Nasdaq rose 14.82 to close at 2666.48 and the S%P jumped 9.25 to 1529.03. One manager called the Fed’s move “a shot of adrenaline,”...
Romney Passed Trial By Torch
New York Times
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Sep 19, 2007 3:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Mitt Romney built his persona and political team as chief executive of the 2002 Winter Olympics, but also grew a reputation for playing to his audience. In turning around the scandal-plagued Salt Lake City Games, the GOP presidential hopeful gained poise unseen in his failed 1994 Senate run, the New York Times reports, but also fought for questionable...
Tiny Smart Cars Zip Toward US
Newsweek
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Sep 19, 2007 2:53 PM CDT
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With the first Smart Car set to hit the US in January, Newsweek questions the company president on the intelligence of trying to sell a 1,750-pound vehicle in the land of bigger-is-better. Despite bad safety ratings from Consumer Reports and entrenched SUV love in the American psyche, he seems confident—bolstered by 30,000 pre-orders.
GOP Moderates in Agony Over Key Votes
Washington Post
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Sep 19, 2007 2:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Moderates in the GOP are dreading upcoming votes that will force them to choose between loyalty to their president and their reelection prospects, the Washington Post reports. Upcoming congressional showdowns on the Iraq war, children’s health care, and spending will be particularly perilous to those facing voters next fall. “We are at...
Latin Neighbors Mistrust Chavez
Weekly Standard
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Sep 19, 2007 2:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hugo Chavez's regional popularity is largely hot air, a Pew survey shows, concluding that the Venezuelan president is “widely mistrusted.” In large numbers, Latin Americans also agree that “most people are better off in a free market economy”—including 72% of Chavez’s countrymen, Weekly Standard ’s Duncan...
At NYC Gym, Violence Hits Spin Cycle
Associated Press
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Sep 19, 2007 1:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stuart Sugarman became New York's latest tragic victim of spin rage, when he and his stationary bike were hurled against a wall by stockbroker and fellow spinner Chris Carter. The "euphoric experience" of cycling got Sugarman grunting—and irritated Carter. “This is spin class,” Sugarman told him. “If you don’t...
World's Oldest Man Is 112
BBC
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Sep 19, 2007 1:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The world's oldest man celebrated his 112th birthday yesterday, the BBC reports. Japan's Tomoji Tanabe, born in 1895, attributes his longevity to sticking to a daily routine, drinking milk and avoiding alcohol and cigarettes. "I want to live indefinitely," he announced. "I don't want to die."
What Inflation? Consumer Prices Fall 0.1%
Bloomberg
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Sep 19, 2007 1:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ben Bernanke is likely patting himself on the back right now, Bloomberg reports. US consumer prices fell 0.1% in August, the first decline this year, making Federal Reserve chairman’s rate cut look good, with inflation potentially under control. “Core inflation has now been falling for nearly a year,'' said one analyst. “The Fed's...
Bail for Simpson Set at $125K
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 19, 2007 12:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Las Vegas judge set bail at $125,000 for OJ Simpson today on 11 counts issuing from his hotel altercation with sports collectors. The former football star entered no plea at today's hearing and was ordered to surrender his passport, the Los Angeles Times reports. His lawyer said Simpson will return to his Florida home as soon as possible.
Hillary Holds Tight to Tainted Cash
Politico
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Sep 19, 2007 12:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
While some politicians pledged to dump contributions from a Texas oilman whose trial for paying kickbacks to Saddam Hussein opens this week, Hillary Clinton offered no promises. The presidential frontrunner off-loaded $23,000 from frequent fugitive Norman Hsu recently and returned $850,000 he raised for her, but she’s holding on to $5,000 donated...
Car Bomb Kills Lawmaker in Lebanon
Reuters
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Sep 19, 2007 12:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Anti-Syrian lawmaker Antoine Ghanem was one of at least seven people killed by a car bomb in Beirut today, just days before Lebanon’s parliament is set to select a successor to pro-Syrian president Emile Lahoud. Ghanem was a member of an anti-Syrian governing coalition, which has been locked in a power struggle with Damascus-backed factions since...
Gates Sketches the Military's Long Haul
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 19, 2007 11:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Wall Street Journal meets with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, whose vision for a postwar Iraq includes a long-term American military presence—but no permanent bases à la Germany or Korea. Gates also proposes the maintenance of air- and sea-based forces throughout the Persian Gulf. It's a vision similar to that proposed by the Iraq...
CA Tosses Global Warming Suit v. Automakers
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 19, 2007 11:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A federal judge has thrown out California's attempt to hold automakers liable for the environmental implications of vehicle emissions, the LA Times reports. The judge who rejected the much-watched lawsuit Monday called global warming a "political question" for legislators, rather than courts. The suit had blamed carmakers for Sierra snowpack...
Ebola Outbreak Is Worst in Years
Washington Post
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Sep 19, 2007 11:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Doctors are being airlifted into the Democratic Republic of Congo to help treat what may be the worst outbreak of Ebola virus in years, the Washington Post reports. Only nine cases of the disease have been confirmed in labs, but almost 550 are suspected, including 168 resulting in deaths. The outbreak is centered in isolated rural areas connected...
CBS Lands Bruckheimer's 'Eleventh Hour'
Variety
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Sep 19, 2007 10:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
CBS beat out all comers, mainly ABC, for the rights to a Jerry Bruckheimer/Warner Brothers adaptation of the British series Eleventh Hour, a scientific thriller a la X-Files. The deal, pronounced the biggest of this development season, puts CBS on the hook for $25 million to $30 million, Variety reports.
Market Still Partying After Cut
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 19, 2007 9:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Wall Street kept the party going today, as the Federal Reserve’s half-point rate cut kept pushing stocks up. Financials even shrugged off disappointing earnings from Morgan Stanley, which posted a more-than-expected 17% drop in net income for the quarter, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow rose 58.04 points in early trading, with the...
New Japanese PM Likely to Be Less US-Centric
Star (Malaysia)
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Sep 19, 2007 9:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Japan's Liberal Democratic Party is set to choose its replacement for Shinzo Abe, who resigned suddenly last week, in voting Sunday. The winner will become prime minister Tuesday. Although early prognoses hyped hawk Taro Aso as the favorite, his close association with the outgoing PM has hurt him. Victory is almost assured for his opponent, the 71-year-old...
'Meteor' Hole Sickens Peruvians
BBC
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Sep 19, 2007 9:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hundreds of Peruvians have complained of headaches, nausea, and vomiting since a fireball plummeting from space left a deep crater in a remote area of the Andes Saturday night. Witnesses say the 20-foot-deep crater spews noxious gases that sicken those who come near it, BBC reports. Animals have also fallen ill, and locals fear that drinking water...
Senate Derails DC's Bid for a House Seat
Washington Post
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Sep 19, 2007 8:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Residents of the nation's capital will remain without a Congressional representative after a measure that would have given them a House seat stalled in the Senate. Supporters fell three votes short on the most promising effort in 30 years, the Washington Post reports, and the bill is unlikely to come up again this session. "We have not given...
McNabb: Double Standard Favors White QBs
ESPN
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Sep 19, 2007 8:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb told HBO yesterday that black QBs are subjected to harsher criticisms than whites. The causes of the uneven treatment, according to McNabb, are the low ratio of blacks to whites taking the snap, and that "people didn't want us to play" in the position. Five of the NFL's 32 starting quarterbacks...
Israel Declares Gaza Officially an Enemy
CNN
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Sep 19, 2007 8:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Israel’s Security Cabinet declared Hamas-controlled Gaza a “hostile entity” in a unanimous vote today, and plans to cut off almost all the region’s electricity, supplies and fuel shipments. Only essential food and medicine, and enough fuel to run hospital generators will be allowed in. Hamas described the decision as “a...
Rural America Gets Wired
Economist
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Sep 19, 2007 7:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Measured by President Bush's goal—to give every America access to broadband this year—it's not a success. But the effort to wire rural America has made impressive progress, the Economist reports. The US government has given more than $1 billion to internet providers in distant markets in an effort reminiscent of the New Deal's rural electrification...
High-Fat Diet May Slow Cancer
Time
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Sep 19, 2007 7:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A diet high in fat but devoid of sugars is being tested as a new strategy to fight cancerous tumors. Researchers are exploiting tumors' dependence on sugar fermentation by banning most carbohydrates in the regimen, similar to the Atkins diet, Time magazine reports. Nutrition is supplied by plant oils and soy and animal products. As healthy cells...
Phillies Prevail in 14, Close In on Mets
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Sep 19, 2007 6:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Phillies' five-hour battle with the Cardinals burned through 20 pitchers—none of whom lasted more than 3 innings—before Philadelphia rallied to win their sixth straight game and shave the Mets' lead to 1 1/2 games in the NL East race. The teams tied a National League record by using 53 players, reports the Philadelphia Daily News.
US Bars Travel for Officials After Iraqi Shootings
Reuters
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Sep 19, 2007 6:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Tensions are so high in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of 11 Iraqis by a private American security operation that the US has barred civilian officials from road travel outside Baghdad's fortified Green Zone for their own safety. The Iraqis were killed when contractors with security outfit Blackwater opened fire after mortar rounds landed near...
Cowboys Roll the Dice on Tank Johnson
Associated Press
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Sep 19, 2007 6:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Dallas Cowboys signed suspended tackle Tank Johnson to a two-year contract yesterday, banking on him providing a defensive shot in the arm once he becomes eligible to play again. That won't happen until November 11th, the end of Johnson's eight-game suspension for violating probation on a gun charge, reports the AP. The Chicago Bears released Johnson...
Witness: Isiah Used F-Word, L-Word With Employee
Associated Press
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Sep 19, 2007 6:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
According to Jeffrey Nix, a 15-year Knicks employee and confidant of plaintiff and coworker Anucha Browne Sanders, coach and GM Isiah Thomas called her a "f---ing bitch" and "f---ing ho" in a March 2004 meeting, then told her months later that he was in love with her. Nix did not personally hear either conversation.
