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.
USC Rushes Through Nebraska
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 16, 2007 6:24 AM CDT
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The USC Trojans sailed through Nebraska's "sea of red" yesterday, finding every hole in the 14th-ranked Cornhuskers' defense to put up 313 yards rushing, the Los Angeles Times reports. Quarterback John David Booty had little more to do than to hand the ball to teammates like Stafon Johnson, who advanced 144 yards in the decisive 49-31 victory.
189 Busted in Anti-War Protest
Washington Post
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Sep 16, 2007 6:19 AM CDT
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Police arrested 189 demonstrators yesterday as thousands converged on Capitol Hill to protest the war in Iraq. Hundreds staged a "die-in" in what was generally a trouble-free protest until police used chemical spray on some demonstrators attempting to scale fences in front of the Capitol, reports the Washington Post . Ten Iraq war veterans...
$100 Laptop Price Hits $188
Associated Press
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Sep 15, 2007 9:01 PM CDT
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The famous but increasingly misnamed “$100 laptop” will actually cost $188—the fourth price increase for the innovative device designed for nonprofit group One Laptop Per Child, reports the AP. While still a bargain, the bump could scare off developing governments fixed on the “fanciful $100-per-child figure,” observers...
Trib to Sell Cubs Piece by Piece
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 15, 2007 6:38 PM CDT
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The Cubs' owners stoked fears of a long ordeal today by announcing their plan to sell the franchise in parts. Such a sale would limit Bud Selig’s influence over the deal and might garner the Tribune Co. more cash, the Los Angeles Times reports. But selling the field, network and land separately may take more time than the Trib can afford.
Airbus Goes Light on New A350 Jetliner
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 15, 2007 6:32 PM CDT
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Airbus joined rival Boeing in switching from aluminum to carbon-fiber composites to build its new jetliner’s frame, reports the Wall Street Journal . Boeing has built the new 787 Dreamliner entirely from composites, which are lighter and easier to maintain. Airbus had held out on the A350, claiming its method of attaching composite panels to...
Lonely People's Genes Make Them Sick
Reuters
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Sep 15, 2007 6:05 PM CDT
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Scientists say they’ve figured out why loners get sick and die young: “a highly suspicious conspiracy of genes” screws up their immune systems, Reuters reports. Their altered DNA can lead to heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and other problems. “There is something about being isolated and lonely that changes your body,”...
Investors Might Reap Rewards of Dollar's Slide
BusinessWeek
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Sep 15, 2007 5:58 PM CDT
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The dollar may be continuing its slow, steady decline against the euro, but many analysts are looking on the bright side, Business Week reports. American stocks, companies, investors, and workers can all benefit from the decreasing value of their currency, economists say, with one calling the dollar’s decline “something to cheer about.”
GM, UAW Still at the Table
Associated Press
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Sep 15, 2007 5:24 PM CDT
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GM is back at the bargaining table with UAW reps today, but agreement on the billion-dollar issues is not imminent, the AP reports. The UAW is said to be seeking job guarantees at US plants in exchange for agreeing to take over union members' health care liabilities via a trust to be funded in part by GM. Analysts say GM has offered to pay roughly...
Big Americans Bust Weight Limits on Cars
USA Today
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Sep 15, 2007 5:15 PM CDT
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Americans who supersize their meals may be putting an unsafe burden on their car tires, exceeding weight limits they're rated to carry. Many two-seat sports cars, for instance, can't safely accommodate two 200-pound passengers, USA Today reports. Family cars and minivans also frequently max out when carrying a load of oversized passengers.
Bush Might Nominate Mukasey
CNN
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Sep 15, 2007 4:49 PM CDT
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A judge nominated by Reagan but endorsed by liberals may be Bush’s pick to replace Alberto Gonzalez, CNN reports. Michael B. Mukasey, 66, a high-profile judge for more than 15 years, is now on the short list of rumored attorney general candidates. Analysts say that Mukasey is ideal for a lame duck president who wants to avoid a long confirmation...
German Cardinal Uses Nazi Term to Describe Art
BBC
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Sep 15, 2007 4:21 PM CDT
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Germans are in an uproar after an archbishop labeled some modern art “degenerate,” the same word Nazis used to persecute artists. A spokesman for Cardinal Joachim Meisner said the archbishop didn’t intend to acknowledge “old ideologies,” but the BBC says the term was precisely scripted because it has only one connotation...
Hunters Take Aim in Wyoming
Reuters
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Sep 15, 2007 4:20 PM CDT
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Hunters take aim at a symbol of the American West today, as Wyoming’s National Elk Refuge opens the first buffalo season in almost a decade. Officials say they need to lower the population from 1,200 to 500 because of overgrazing and disease. But killing the once-endangered species has animal groups and locals up in arms, Reuters reports.
Hillary Wants Feds, Employers to Share Tab
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 15, 2007 3:57 PM CDT
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Details of Hillary’s health plan are leaking out before she formally announces them Monday in Iowa. Rather than re-making the system – or imitating her 1993 proposal – she wants the Feds to subsidize some care and employers to pay for the rest. The Wall Street Journal reports that she’s headed for a run-in with the GOP but...
Sadr Group Leaves Iraq's Ruling Alliance
BBC
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Sep 15, 2007 3:05 PM CDT
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A key faction pulled out of Iraq’s ruling Shia alliance today, leaving Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with only half of parliament’s seats. Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr says he withdrew because his bloc’s demands were being ignored. He wants a timetable for US troop withdrawal and opposes former members of Saddam Hussein's...
Don't Leave the Blackberry Lying Around
New York Times
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Sep 15, 2007 2:37 PM CDT
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Governments and corporations aren’t the only ones parsing through private emails, the New York Times reports: The culprit is just as likely to be a spouse hunting for proof of infidelity. One divorce lawyer says that electronic evidence plays a role “in just about every case now.” As long as it’s from a shared computer, or...
HS Football Players Hide Head Injuries
New York Times
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Sep 15, 2007 2:18 PM CDT
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Behind the Americana of high school football lurks the deadly consequences of concussions. In the last 10 years some 50 players have sustained serious head injuries on the gridiron—some fatal, the New York Times reports. And teenage players, whose brains are more fragile, often don't know what a concussion is, or won't tell.
Putin Praises Zubkov, Ribs Bush
Guardian (UK)
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Sep 15, 2007 1:44 PM CDT
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Vladimir Putin heaped praise upon Viktor Zubkov, the obscure bureaucrat he appointed this week as Russia's new prime minister, at a meeting with foreign journalists yesterday, the Guardian reports. The choice of Zubkov as PM over other highly ranked favorites for the post has created suspicion that he may want a weak one-term president in order to...
Officer Resigns After Racist YouTube Rants
Columbus Dispatch
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Sep 15, 2007 1:07 PM CDT
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The Ohio patrol officer who made racially charged comments in homemade videos posted on YouTube resigned yesterday, the Columbus Dispatch reports. Susan Purtee, who was reassigned to desk duty after the videos drew national attention, will resign effective Sept. 22 and seek retirements from an unnamed disability. “Clearly, she does not deserve...
Maddy's Family Plans Ad Blitz
CNN
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Sep 15, 2007 1:06 PM CDT
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Madeleine's McCann's family will launch an aggressive advertising campaign to boost the search for the missing 4 year old, even as investigators have turned their attention to her parents themselves. Ads will run in newspapers and on billboards and TV in Portugal, Spain, and other European sites. The blitz, slated to begin in two weeks, will “remind...
Iraqi al-Qaeda Group to Track Down 'Traitors'
Associated Press
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Sep 15, 2007 11:31 AM CDT
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Thursday's assassination of a Sunni tribal leader was the first in what an al-Qaeda front group warns will be the fate of all who cooperate with the US, reports the AP. The Islamic State of Iraq announced on Islamist websites that "special security committees" will track down "traitors" who support the Shiite-led government.
These Streets Are Paved in Gold
Forbes
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Sep 15, 2007 11:04 AM CDT
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Forbes has compiled a list of the most expensive real estate blocks in 10 major cities. It teamed up with date provider Reply! to compile an index of the 'billionaire rows' of the US. In New York, the block between Fifth Avenue, Madison, 69th and 70th Sts. takes the crown. In Boston, it's a private square on Beacon Hill, and in L.A. it's a...
Giuliani Ties Clinton to Controversial MoveOn Ad
Politico
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Sep 15, 2007 10:34 AM CDT
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Rudy Giuliani linked Hillary Clinton to the controversial MoveOn.org newspaper ad attacking David Petraeus in a new Internet attack ad of his own. In the spot, called “She Changed,” the GOP presidential hopeful says the New York senator shifted her position on the war and criticized Petraeus, both for political gain, the Politico says...
Taiwanese Rally Renews Attempt to Join UN
BBC
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Sep 15, 2007 10:00 AM CDT
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Tens of thousands of Taiwanese took to the streets today to again seek a seat at the UN. The UN has rejected previous attempts to join under its official name, the Republic of China, so the island nation now tries to join as Taiwan. But the bid is certain to fail because most UN members won't risk damaging diplomatic relations with China, BBC News...
Technology Goes to the Toilet
Time
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Sep 15, 2007 8:59 AM CDT
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In a country obsessed with both technology and cleanliness, it should be no surprise that Japanese toilets set the standard for high-tech hygienic services, ranging from pre-warmed seats to artificial flushing sounds that drown out bodily noises without wasting water. More than 60% of all Japanese households are now equipped with smart bathrooms,...
Uncle Sam Buys $5 Meatballs
CNN
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Sep 15, 2007 8:49 AM CDT
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The Justice Department shells out $5 per meatball and nearly as much for a can of soda when it invites folks for lunch, an audit says. And don't forget the cookies: Justice ran up a $13,000 tab on those at 10 recent conferences. The audit says no laws were broken but it urges Justice to get a better handle on its menus, CNN reports.
Dems Shift Strategy to Speed Troop Pullout
New York Times
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Sep 15, 2007 8:40 AM CDT
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Democrats in Congress are pinning their hopes on what they believe is the most politically palatable way to speed the withdrawal of troops from Iraq in the wake of Gen. Petraeus’ report last week. A bill mandating that troops be allowed to spend the same amount of time at home as on their most recent tour before redeploying looks close to winning...
Greenspan Attacks Bush, GOP
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 15, 2007 7:44 AM CDT
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Former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan lambastes President Bush and his own party for disastrous economic policies in a memoir published next week. He criticizes the GOP for abandoning fiscal restraint while it had control of both Congress and the White House, the Wall Street Journal reports. Republicans in Congress, he writes, "swapped principle...
Cell Phones Spur Growth Surge in Africa
BusinessWeek
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Sep 15, 2007 7:30 AM CDT
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Mobile phones are revolutionizing the economic life of many of the world's poorest countries, igniting an unprecedented growth surge across Africa. In remote villages in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda, people who until recently lived without any modern infrastructure now use cell phones to sell crops, summon doctors, transmit vital information, and transfer...
Gates Eyes Deeper Troop Cuts
Washington Post
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Sep 15, 2007 7:06 AM CDT
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On the heels of President Bush's announcement of limited drawbacks in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed confidence yesterday that a bigger pullout would be possible. Gates said yesterday that he hopes for more cuts than Bush and Gen. David Petraeus were willing to commit to, bringing troop levels down to 100,000 by the end of 2008, the...
Tarantino Recuts Flop for Euro Release
Telegraph (UK)
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Sep 15, 2007 6:30 AM CDT
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Quentin Tarantino has taken the first flop of his career, the violent schlock-fest Grindhouse , and shaved it down to a lean slasher-film with a lot of girl talk and car chases tossed in. Death Proof, the story of a Texas DJ and her posse, has done well in France, recently opened in Germany, and comes to Britain Sept. 21, the Telegraph...
GM, UAW Talk Past Deadline
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 15, 2007 6:05 AM CDT
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The United Auto Workers and General Motors talked four hours past their midnight deadline for contract negotiations before agreeing to resume bargaining later today. They extended talks on an "hour-to-hour" basis on a deal that would include a union-controlled trust to assume GM's $50-billion liability for retiree health care.
'Hillarycare' Wasn’t Her Bad
American Prospect
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Sep 15, 2007 5:35 AM CDT
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As Hillary Clinton gets set to roll out her new health care proposal, Paul Starr in the American Prospect wans to correct the record on her last, disastrous effort. Hillary gets all the flak for the 1993 flameout, but the mistakes are grossly misdiagnosed—and they belong to Bill, says Starr, who was a key health policy adviser to the Clintons....
Fashion Urged to Model Health
Guardian (UK)
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Sep 14, 2007 7:20 PM CDT
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Vulnerable young models should be subject to mandatory health checks and backstage drug testing, a British Fashion Council study said today, citing "startling" evidence of their lack of education about health problems and eating disorders. Models would have to provide a signed health certificate from a doctor experienced in recognizing...
Advertisers Eye Your Cell Phone
Reuters
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Sep 14, 2007 7:07 PM CDT
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If you’ve dreamed of having ads beamed right to your cell phone, a slew of new Bluetooth-enabled products might make you drowsy. Get close enough to one of these billboards or displays, and it’ll ask you to accept a download—a video, song, or coupon. Given cell phones' prevalence, "it's too good an opportunity to miss,"...
'70s Vigilantes Take '07 in Hands
Slate
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Sep 14, 2007 6:51 PM CDT
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Our era of economic upheaval and political powerlessness mirrors that of the 1970s, and now we’re getting our own silver screen vigilantes to clean up the mess. Everyman killers like Taxi Driver’ s Travis Bickle took action when the system wouldn’t, says Slate , and this season “vengeance is back with, well, a vengeance.”
Salmon Made to Bear Trout
Nature
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Sep 14, 2007 6:36 PM CDT
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Cue the world’s most peculiar baby announcement: Masu salmon have produced rainbow trout offspring, with an assist from scientists that could lead to the preservation of rare fish species. Trout sperm stem cells had already been injected into salmon embryos to produce salmon with trout sperm; now the same early sperm cells have been used to produce...
DOT Chief: Two-Wheelers Don’t Count
Salon
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Sep 14, 2007 6:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Bicyclists and green activists beg to differ with Mary Peters, the US transportation secretary who decreed last month that bicycle and walking paths shouldn’t fall under her funding purview, and spending on them may be to blame for the poor state of roads and bridges. Advocates of pedal power have been in an uproar ever since Peters said biking...
Affleck Flick Won't Run in UK
Variety
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Sep 14, 2007 5:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ben Affleck's directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone, won't open in the UK because of eerie similarities between the film and the disappearance of British 4-year-old Madeleine McCann, Variety reports. Affleck said it has been withheld out of concern for the McCann connection. A film release, he noted, "is just a commercial matter, whereas this...
Gingrich to GOP: Abandon Bush
Reuters
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Sep 14, 2007 5:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Republican presidential candidates should make a “clean break” from the Bush Administration, Newt Gingrich declared today. “If you don't represent real change, you just gave away the 2008 election,” the former Speaker said, citing Iraq, the Hurricane Katrina response, and border control as reasons for public unhappiness. Gingrich...
Iraq Civilian Deaths Hit 1.2M
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 14, 2007 5:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A UK polling firm has put the Iraqi civilian death toll at an alarming 1.2 million. Though the US claims sectarian violence casualties have halved since June, neither they nor the Iraqi government maintains a tally of civilian losses, the Los Angeles Times reports. But both call the study’s number exaggerated.
Microsoft Defends Silent Windows Updates
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Sep 14, 2007 4:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Microsoft is reconsidering its updating practices after coming under fire for "silently"downloading a Windows patch—even for users who had opted for notifications. Microsoft defended itself, pointing out that the silent fixes affected the update software itself, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. Skeptical opponents maintain...
Mayors Spurn Sarkozy Immigration Crackdown
Der Spiegel
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Sep 14, 2007 4:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
French leftists aren't about to help Nicolas Sarkozy make good on the immigration crackdowns he promised during his campaign for president. Eight Paris-area mayors have refused to cooperate with measures that include deportation quotas and mandatory DNA-testing for prospective immigrants. Human rights groups denounced Sarkozy for treating immigrants...
Shaheen Enters NH Senate Race
Union Leader (NH)
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Sep 14, 2007 4:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Democrat Jeanne Shaheen will run again for US Senate from New Hampshire, hoping to set up a rematch against Republican rival John Sununu. The ex-governor lost to Sununu in a tight, bitter race in 2002, and the freshman senator’s tireless support of the war has eroded his support and makes him vulnerable in 2008, the Union Leader says.
Stocks in Holding Pattern With All Eyes on Fed
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 14, 2007 4:01 PM CDT
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Stocks marked time today, settling into an eerie calm before next week’s nail-biter Fed decision on interest rates. Investors mulled conflicting consumer data: The University of Michigan/Reuters consumer-sentiment survey announced a rise to 83.8, but August retail growth was less than expected. The confusion amounted to modest gains for the Dow,...
From Tokyo With Love: Japan Launches 1st Lunar Probe
BBC
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Sep 14, 2007 4:00 PM CDT
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Japan began its first trip to the moon today, launching a lunar probe that will spend a year orbiting Earth’s natural satellite. In what the Japanese call the most complex moon mission since America’s famous Apollo program, Selene will study the body’s origin and evolution, the BBC reports.
Sudan's Leader Meets Pope, Vows to Honor Ceasefire
Reuters
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Sep 14, 2007 3:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, in a rare and controversial visit to Italy, promised today to observe a ceasefire in Darfur during October peace talks. Pope Benedict used a meeting with Bashir to stress the importance of human rights, while Italy’s PM voiced “strong concerns” over the four-year genocidal crisis. Bashir urged Europe...
OJ Admits He Did It (Took Sports Collectibles, That Is)
Associated Press
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Sep 14, 2007 2:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
OJ Simpson says he was just conducting a “sting operation” to retrieve items he says were stolen from him, but now Las Vegas authorities have named him a suspect in a hotel break-in. The ex-football star told the AP an auctioneer tipped him off to a secret sale of his collectibles, and he merely sought to reclaim them.
Russia Tests 'Real World: Mars'
Der Spiegel
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Sep 14, 2007 2:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In a sort of extraterrestrial edition of MTV's "Real World," Russia will lock six would-be cosmonauts in a "spaceship" for 520 days in a simulated voyage to Mars. As Russian scientists test the effects of extended isolation, participants will spend 2 years growing their own vegetables, breathing "spaceship air,"...
Sunnis Vow to Strike Back After Death of Tribal Leader
Times (UK)
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Sep 14, 2007 1:57 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The killing of a prominent Iraqi tribal leader and US ally will be avenged, angry Sunnis promised today, a day after the sheik died in a bomb attack. Thousands of Iraqis joined the funeral procession for Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, shouting, “Revenge, revenge on al-Qaeda.” The assassination of the influential sheik has roiled Anbar province,...
Deal or No Deal, Bhutto Will Return Oct. 18
BBC
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Sep 14, 2007 1:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ex-PM Benazir Bhutto will return to Pakistan on October 18, her party said today, even without a power-sharing deal with Pervez Musharraf that would let her serve another term. Bhutto, who a party spokesman said will “bring back true democracy,” objects to Musharraf's plans to remain both president and army chief, the BBC reports.
