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.
OJ Loses Black Support
Washington Post
|
Sep 29, 2007 3:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
OJ Simpson has seen his steadfast defenders in the black community run for cover in the wake of his hypothetical confession and his new legal mix-up: a Washington Post survey concludes that whereas 71% of African Americans thought he was innocent of the 1994 double-murder rap at the time, only 40% think so now.
Maldives Blast Injures 12 Tourists
BBC
|
Sep 29, 2007 2:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Twelve tourists are in the hospital after a homemade bomb exploded in the Maldives capital of Male. The bomb, which was detonated with a cell phone, a gas cylinder and a washing machine motor, is a first for the Maldives, a tranquil country. “We are taking this very seriously because tourism is our life blood," said a government spokesman.
Judges Condemn Sentencing Guidelines
Los Angeles Times
|
Sep 29, 2007 2:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Judges across the country are condemning federal sentencing guidelines, 1980s-era anti-drug laws that force them to impose “irrational” sentences, the LA Times reports. “When I have to sentence a midlevel drug dealer to more time than a murderer, something is wrong,” said a judge forced to sentence a 24-year-old to 59 years...
Topps Recalls Millions of Patties
CNN
|
Sep 29, 2007 1:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Fears of E. coli contamination drove Topps Meat Co. to recall 21.7 million pounds of frozen hamburger patties today. The recall affects all Topps products with a sell-by date between Sept. 25, 2007, and Sept. 25, 2008. More than two dozen people in eight states have reported infections, and yesterday the USDA shut down Topps’ meat grinding operation...
'Ghost Ship' a Case of Intrigue on High Seas
Newsweek
|
Sep 29, 2007 1:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The sea is telling no secrets about an abandoned charter boat found 30 miles north of Cuba this week, missing the young couple who owned it and two crewmembers. But Newsweek reports that the two men who chartered the boat, found floating miles away in its life raft, are failing to impress authorities with their story about pirates who killed the...
Newt Won't Run for President
CNN
|
Sep 29, 2007 1:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After dipping his toes in the water ever so briefly, Newt Gingrich has decided not to run for president, CNN reports. Gingrich determined he could not legally explore a run while running his beloved political organization, American Solutions, his spokesman said. Two days ago, the former House speaker pledged to run if supporters could raise $30 million.
Irish Smoking Ban Good for Lungs ... of Instruments
AFP
|
Sep 29, 2007 12:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The air isn’t the only thing that’s cleaner in Ireland’s pubs these days. Since the country stubbed out pub smoking in 2004, musicians have been getting clearer sounds out of traditional Irish instruments. It’s a lot easier to keep clean bellows-driven devices such as accordions and bagpipes, the AFP reports, when they aren’t...
6 Die From Brain-Eating Amoeba
Associated Press
|
Sep 29, 2007 12:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It's an ominous name—Naegleria fowleri. And it's a more ominous creature, a waterborne amoeba that enters a swimmer's nose, latches onto the olfactory nerve, and travels to the brain, where it feeds until its victim dies. A 14-year-old Arizona boy died this month from Naegleria—one of six US victims this year, AP reports.
Cleared of Rape, Populist in Line to be Prez in South Africa
Times (UK)
|
Sep 29, 2007 11:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jacob Zuma, a champion of the poor who conjures apartheid-era freedom songs to excite crowds, is in line to become South Africa’s next president, the London Times reports. Recently cleared in a high-profile rape case, Zuma is the country’s most charismatic and populist—and some would add dangerous, the Times notes—leader....
Karzai Seeks Talks With Taliban
ABC News
|
Sep 29, 2007 11:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hours after a Taliban suicide bomber blew up a bus and killed 30 people in Kabul, Afghan leader Hamid Karzai offered to meet with the group's leaders and give them a position in government, the Associated Press reports. "Why are you destroying the country?" Karzai asked the group's leaders. The attack was the second-deadliest in Kabul since...
He Quietly Gave Away Billions
New York Times
|
Sep 29, 2007 10:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Chuck Feeney’s foundation gave $458 million in grants last year—third only to Ford and Gates—but very few know the secretive philanthropist’s name. Having thus far shielded himself from fame, Feeney gets some star treatment in a new biography that sheds light on his good deeds and spartan lifestyle, reports the Times —in...
‘Cowardice’ Made LBJ Grow War
New York Review of Books
|
Sep 29, 2007 10:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Johnson’s motives for escalating the Vietnam War were “psychological and political rather than military,” wrote insider Arthur Schlesinger Jr. The former Kennedy hand documented the flight of top liberals from LBJ, even as he psychoanalyzed the president’s 1966-1967 decision to play “the war to the hilt”—entries...
Texas Won't Halt Executions, Despite Stay
New York Times
|
Sep 29, 2007 9:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Texas officials plan to go forward with death-row executions, even as other states put them on hold in the wake of the Supreme Court's last-minute stay for Carlton Turner earlier this week. More stays like Turner's are expected in Texas as the court deliberates on the legality of lethal injections, reports the New York Times.
Clarence Thomas Settles Scores
Washington Post
|
Sep 29, 2007 9:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In a scathing new memoir, Justice Clarence Thomas unleashes his wrath upon those who afflicted him during his 1991 Senate confirmation hearings, calling them a "high-tech lynching" by "left-wing zealots draped in flowing sanctimony." The book, My Grandfather's Son , chronicles the Supreme Court justice's life from his childhood...
FDA May Ban Cold Medicines for Young Children
New York Times
|
Sep 29, 2007 8:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
FDA experts have concluded that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are not safe for very young children, and they're urging the agency to ban them. In a safety review released yesterday, they conclude that the medicines are not proven effective in children under 6 and have been implicated in more than 100 deaths. Most of the deaths were...
The Case for a Newt Candidacy
Newsweek
|
Sep 29, 2007 7:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
When Newt Gingrich makes noises about running for president, as he did again this week, eyes roll all over America. He’s deeply unpopular, according to polls, and it seems too late to mobilize a serious campaign. But Newsweek sees an opportunity for the former House speaker in the gloom surrounding the GOP. Gingrich could be a postmodern Barry...
US at Odds With World Over Climate Change
Guardian (UK)
|
Sep 29, 2007 7:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
International diplomats in Washington for a conference on climate change lashed out yesterday after President Bush proposed non-binding global emissions standards. Even big polluters China and India found Bush's plan unfeasible, instead favoring mandatory measures. A European diplomat had "never heard a more humiliating speech by a major leader,"...
Sox Clinch 1st Title in 12 Years
Boston Globe
|
Sep 29, 2007 7:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
After watching their once double-digit lead dwindle alarmingly in recent weeks, the Red Sox finally clinched the AL East title last night with a 5-2 win over the Twins and a loss by the second-place Yankees. Boston players and fans stayed at Fenway park to cheer for the Orioles as they rallied against the Yankees, reports the Boston Globe.
UN Envoy Lands in Myanmar
Reuters
|
Sep 29, 2007 6:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Troops faced off with several hundred pro-democracy protesters again today in central Yangon as a UN envoy arrived in Myanmar to try to persuade military rulers to negotiate peacefully with demonstrators. There were scattered reports of violence, but no gunfire. With soldiers stationed on every corner and shopping malls, grocery stores, and public...
Cubs Smash Reds, Clinch Crown
Chicago Tribune
|
Sep 29, 2007 6:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Chicago Cubs confirmed their playoff berth in no uncertain terms yesterday, shutting out the Reds in Cincinnati as the Milwaukee Brewers fell to the Padres. Carlos Zambrano pitched seven innings for his 18th win, and is "thirsty and hungry" to head back to the playoffs with the Cubs for the first time since 2003, reports the Chicago...
D-Backs Clinch Playoff Spot
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
|
Sep 29, 2007 6:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Arizona Diamondbacks clinched a playoff spot for the first time in five years with a 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies last night. With the win, Arizona secured at least a wild-card berth and still can win the NL West. The victory snapped Colorado's 11-game winning streak and dampened the Rockies' own hopes of making the playoffs.
Mets' Implosion Continues
New York Times
|
Sep 29, 2007 5:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A 7-4 loss to the Florida Marlins last night was the Mets' fifth straight, and the red-hot Phillies continued to take advantage of the collapse, moving a game ahead of New York in the NL East with two to play. If the Mets don't rally now, their slide would be among the worst in baseball history, writes the New York Times.
Austin Makes a Splash at 1st Presidents Cup
Sportsline
|
Sep 29, 2007 4:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Playing in his first Presidents Cup, Woody Austin waded into a lake to try to play the ball he had hit there, and ended up following it into the water. The extremely competitive golfer, now dubbed "Jacques Cousteau" by US team captain Jack Nicklaus, crashed face-first into the lake after a fruitless swing at the submerged ball, Sportsline...
Passport Regs Kick Back In
USA Today
|
Sep 28, 2007 9:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The deluge of passport applications that forced a suspension of new rules has eased, and starting Monday, US airline passengers must carry a passport when traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda. And after Jan. 31, documentation requirements for those destinations will apply to travelers on water and land as well, reports USA Today .
2004 O's Rife With Roid Raps
Baltimore Sun
|
Sep 28, 2007 6:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As former Senator George Mitchell's MLB steroid investigation continues, it is the 2004 Baltimore Orioles who are coming up again and again in allegations of performance-enhancing drug use, the Baltimore Sun reports. This month, injured outfielder Jay Gibbons was revealed to have had steroids and human growth hormone shipped to his house.
Law Firms Use 'YouTube Feel' in Recruiting
New York Times
|
Sep 28, 2007 6:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Law firms are embracing the YouTube aesthetic in their attempts to hire law students as summer associates, creating promotional videos with stripped-down looks and irreverent themes, the New York Times reports. Some ads are simple testimonials from associates, while others take on popular advertising devices to emphasize the firms diversity or laid-back...
Bush Boosts Clean Green Platform
New York Times
|
Sep 28, 2007 6:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Bush asserted his commitment to fighting global warming today and proposed an "international clean technology fund" that would fund green initiatives in developing countries. But his attempt to address his administration's poor environmental reputation probably changed few minds, the Times reports, because of its lack of firm...
Palm Aims $100 Smart Phone at the Masses
CNET
|
Sep 28, 2007 5:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
While smart phones took a leap forward with the iPhone, it didn't quite end up in the hands of soccer moms everywhere. But by combining Treo hardware with an appealing $99.99 price-tag, Palm's new Centro aims to bridge the price gap that kept smart phones from the masses, CNET reports—sleekly packaged with easier internet access.
Monasteries Get Wired
Reuters
|
Sep 28, 2007 5:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Buddhist monks in Burma aren't the only religious brethren getting the word out on the internet these days: many American monasteries are so wired they not only correspond via email and sell-hand-crafted products over the internet, they use it to recruit new brothers. One web site, VocationsPlacement.org, matches religious communities with individuals...
Bluetongue Outbreak Declared
BBC
|
Sep 28, 2007 4:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An outbreak of bluetongue disease is affecting livestock in Suffolk, UK government vets confirmed today. The devastating and often deadly ailment, for which there is no vaccine, has never before been reported in the country. Authorities set up a quarantine zone of 93 miles around farms known to have had the five cases confirmed so far, the BBC reports.
Mammoth Fur Yields Mammoth Results
BBC
|
Sep 28, 2007 4:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Instead of combing databases for clues about woolly mammoth DNA, scientists literally combed the extinct mammals, and the technique has led to a breakthrough: genetic information reconstructed from a hair shaft. Long considered an inferior source for DNA mining, hair turns out to benefit from the presence of keratin, a plastic-like protein that helps...
Iran Sanctions Delayed Until November
Reuters
|
Sep 28, 2007 3:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Foreign ministers from the US, China, UK, Russia, Germany, and France agreed today to postpone a vote on sanctioning Iran for its nuclear program until at least the end of November. The date depends on reports from the UN nuclear watchdog and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solano, whom the Security Council asked to hold further talks with Tehran, Reuters...
Local UAW Leaders OK GM Agreement
Wall Street Journal
|
Sep 28, 2007 3:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
United Auto Workers local leaders unanimously approved an agreement with General Motors today, setting the stage for a vote of members next week. The contract specifies that GM will inject $29.9 billion into a union-run trust that will assume health care costs, and continue to pay retiree health-care costs until the trust kicks in in 2010, for another...
Disney Ditches Cellphone Service
Wall Street Journal
|
Sep 28, 2007 3:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Walt Disney Co. has just announced the closure of its Disney cellphone service, which it launched last year with high hopes of targeting a family market with features like Mickey Mouse ring tones and tools enabling parents to locate their children. The news follows on the heels of Disney's decision last fall to shelve its ESPN cellphone service, the...
Stocks Dip on Mortgage Fears
Bloomberg
|
Sep 28, 2007 3:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The markets dropped today on news that mortgage defaults last month climbed 30% from a year earlier, more evidence that foreclosures are on the rise. Wells Fargo and Washington Mutual tumbled, and the Dow dipped 17.31 to 13,895.63. Stocks bottomed out after a Fed official said players shouldn’t “bake into the cake” future rate cuts,...
Tie-Breaker Mayhem in NL?
Associated Press
|
Sep 28, 2007 3:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Imagine for a moment that Mets, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Padres and Rockies all finished with the same record. That could mean ties in the NL East, West and wild-card, and four days of tie-breaker games to send two teams packing. In the East, Philly would host New York for a one-game playoff. From there, it gets complicated.
Evangelicals Divided Over Global Warming
Wall Street Journal
|
Sep 28, 2007 2:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Tensions among evangelicals are rising along with the sea level in a battle over whether concern for the environment has a place in houses of worship. Both sides of the widening gulf quote scripture, either to remind that God's plan is unalterable, or to cite the biblical injunction to be "good stewards of God's creation," the Wall Street...
Grain Price Hikes: Here to Stay
Wall Street Journal
|
Sep 28, 2007 2:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rising global demand is pushing prices for grain and other crops to record heights and dramatically altering the food landscape for both farmers and consumers, the Wall Street Journal reports. Unlike ordinary price hikes, caused by crop failures, these increases—corn up 40%, soybeans 75%, wheat 70%—could last 10 years. "The days...
Wal-Mart Expands $4 Drug Program
St. Petersburg Times
|
Sep 28, 2007 2:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A year after launching its $4 prescription drug program, Wal-Mart yesterday added 24 names to its list of 361 generic medications. The company boasts that it now covers more than 95% of treatable common diseases, the St Petersburg Times reports, but critics call the program a publicity stunt and say Wal-Mart is using it as a loss leader.
Nickelodeon Unplugs the Tube
Associated Press
|
Sep 28, 2007 2:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
For years, parents have been telling kids to turn off the TV, go outside and play. Now, Nickelodeon is turning the tube off for them, broadcasting three hours of dead air starting at noon tomorrow, during which they hope kids will go outside and get some exercise. It’s part of the network’s fourth annual worldwide day of play, the AP reports.
Feds Totally Uncool With Pot-Laced Candy Factory
Associated Press
|
Sep 28, 2007 1:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Feds yesterday kicked in the doors of a factory producing marijuana-laced candy, snacks, and drinks for the medical marijuana market, the AP reports. Three were arrested, but the company’s founder is still on the lam. Authorities fear Tainted Inc. is one of many large-scale marijuana-lacing operations capitalizing on legalized medical dispensaries...
UN Convicts Serbian Officer of War Crimes
Times (UK)
|
Sep 28, 2007 1:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Serb officer was convicted yesterday of aiding and abetting murder and torture, and sentenced to 20 years in prison by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, enraging Croatians, the Times of London reports. The case concerned the 1991 massacre at Vukovar, a Croatian town where hundreds of men were brutalized, shot, and buried in a mass grave.
Citizenship Test Gets Overhaul
Los Angeles Times
|
Sep 28, 2007 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The government yesterday unveiled its new citizenship test, which puts less emphasis on memorization of facts and more on analysis. To become naturalized, it's no longer enough for applicants to know how many stars or stripes are on the flag, but they may need to ID a constitutional amendment that addresses voting rights, the LA Times reports.
Germany Opens Trial Against 'Cyber-Jihadist'
Deutsche Welle (Germany)
|
Sep 28, 2007 12:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Deutsche Welle reports on a landmark trial in Germany, where an Iraqi-born Kurd has been accused of using the internet as a terror weapon. Prosecutors charge that over the 18 months German intelligence monitored his internet use, he posted material intended to incite terrorist attacks. The lead prosecutor has accused him of waging "personal...
As Serious Film, 'Kingdom' Falls
Rotten Tomatoes
|
Sep 28, 2007 11:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Kingdom , starring Jamie Foxx and directed by Peter Berg, wants to be a thoughtful action movie about terrorism—part Rambo , part Syriana , muses the Washington Post . Instead, Newsday says, it's a “clamorous and patronizing” popcorn flick, that EW calls “shameless” in pushing audiences’ buttons.
Windows XP Gets Stay of X-ecution
ComputerWorld
|
Sep 28, 2007 11:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Users unenthused by Vista have five more months to buy a Windows XP machine, Microsoft announced yesterday. The company will continue selling their old operating system to manufacturers and retailers through June 2008, rather than discontinuing it in January as originally announced. “There are some customers who need a little more time to make...
Blackwater Guard Kept Blasting 'After Call to Stop'
New York Times
|
Sep 28, 2007 11:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
At least one Blackwater security guard continued firing at Iraqis, despite colleagues' call to stop during the incendiary incident earlier this month that killed at least eight civilians, witnesses have told investigators. Another guard for the private security firm is said to have pointed his gun at a fellow employee who didn't stop firing, reports...
Opportunity Knocks on Mars
Associated Press
|
Sep 28, 2007 10:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
NASA’s Martian explorer Opportunity reached its first destination inside the cavernous Victoria Crater yesterday and prepared to get to work drilling into bright rock layers to collect data. The six-wheeled robot last month began the precarious decline into the crater, headed for a shiny piece of bedrock that scientists think is a relic of the...
Edwards Will Accept Public Financing
Politico
|
Sep 28, 2007 10:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With the deadline to report third-quarter fundraising looming, John Edwards said yesterday his campaign will accept public financing. He calls the unexpected shift “a principled stand,” but the Politico deems it “probably also the only lifeline he has to stay in the race." The ex-senator urged Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama...
Gates Eyes $3B Army Expansion
Associated Press
|
Sep 28, 2007 9:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he's likely to approve spending nearly $3 billion over the next four years to accelerate an expansion of the US Army, stretched thin by punishing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the AP reports. The Pentagon believes the Army and Marine Corps need to grow to keep up commitments without wearing out troops and alienating...
