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.
College Kids Addicted to Credit Cards
BusinessWeek
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Sep 9, 2007 3:07 PM CDT
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College students are preferring plastic to low-rent living, a trend that has banks and consumer advocates battling over credit card plugs on campus. Critics say students are susceptible to easy money marketing and rack up too much debt. Banks blame students for not reading the fine print. With Dems in charge of the Hill, new laws may limit student...
Kean Slams US Security Effort Since 9/11
Washington Post
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Sep 9, 2007 3:05 PM CDT
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Six years after 9/11 and three years after the 9/11 Commission report, commission chairman Thomas Kean assesses the nation's progress in protecting itself against the threat of terrorism. On the domestic front, our defenses are better, he writes in the Washington Post. , but internationally we have lost ground to a "rising tide of radicalization"...
5 Held in Whale Shooting
Associated Press
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Sep 9, 2007 1:35 PM CDT
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Five members of Washington's Makah Tribe were being held today after a harpooned California gray whale died as it headed out to sea. The AP reports that yesterday the tribesmen harpooned and shot the animal mammal with a .50 caliber machine gun. While the tribe has exercised its whaling rights for cultural purposes before, this shooting was probably...
Format Wars Rage in High Definition
Economist
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Sep 9, 2007 12:59 PM CDT
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Meet the new VHS and Betamax. It’s unclear who’s winning consumer tech’s latest format wars, the Economist explains, but both Blu-ray and HD DVD claim to be the high-def successor to the DVD. The cheaper HD DVD sells more stand-alone players, but Blu-ray sells more disks and is supported by Sony’s PlayStation 3.
Gabrielle Brushes N. Carolina
CNN
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Sep 9, 2007 12:32 PM CDT
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Gabrielle made a relatively tame landfall—with top winds hitting the 50 mph mark—on North Carolina's coast today at 11:45am, reports CNN. It's more a relief than a worry for the drought-stricken region, but storm surge flooding of up to 3 feet was possible. The storm was to turn northeast tonight, heading back out into the Atlantic.
Beefed Up Security Will Welcome Sharif
Associated Press
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Sep 9, 2007 12:07 PM CDT
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In advance of ousted PM Nawaz Sharif's return tomorrow after a 7-year exile, Pakistan banned political rallies and has arrested thousands of activists, the AP reports. "Nothing can be more pleasing to me than freeing Pakistan from the clutches of military dictatorship," said Sharif, who anticipates being arrested upon arrival in Islamabad,...
'Superwomen' Often Anorexic
Independent (UK)
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Sep 9, 2007 11:30 AM CDT
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The driving need to be perfect—or "Superwoman" syndrome—puts girls as young as 13 at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder, reports the Independent. "Superwomen want the perfect life. No matter how well they're doing, they never feel quite good enough," says one researcher.
Recalls Will Increase 'Made in China' Prices
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 9, 2007 10:44 AM CDT
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Following a series of high-profile toy recalls and international criticism over China's export standards, the the cost of merchandise bearing the "Made in China" is expected to rise at least 10% in the next year, the LA Times reports. "For American consumers, the big China sale over the last 20 years is over," says one economist.
Brits Will Pay Moms-to-Be to Eat for Two
Guardian (UK)
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Sep 9, 2007 10:23 AM CDT
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Starting 2009, all expecting moms in the UK will receive a lump sum of $240, intended to be spent on a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables to help prevent low-birth-weight complications in newborn children. The "pregnancy grants" are part of Britain's new health secretary's plan to close the gap between rich and poor, the Guardian reports....
Bush's True Base Isn't the Right, It's the Rich
Washington Monthly
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Sep 9, 2007 9:11 AM CDT
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Don’t be fooled by the lip service to Christian conservatives: the interests the Bush administration serves are economic, not religious, Jonathan Chait writes in the “The Big Con,” a book that the Washington Monthly’s Kevin Drum calls the best on the long list of recent Bush-bashers. In fact, the modern GOP has been...
Maddy's Parents Back Home
CNN
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Sep 9, 2007 8:50 AM CDT
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The parents of missing toddler Madeleine McCann flew home to England today after being named as suspects in their daughter's disappearance by Portuguese police. "While it is heartbreaking to return to the UK without Madeleine, it does not mean we are giving up the search for her," said Maddy's father, Gerry.
Oprah Throws Star Power Behind Obama
Chicago Tribune
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Sep 9, 2007 8:47 AM CDT
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Oprah Winfrey made her first foray into politics yesterday when she hosted a massive fundraiser for Sen. Barack Obama at her California estate, pulling in an estimated $3 million, a record for the senator. Obama rubbed shoulders with Chris Rock and Whoopi Goldberg; Stevie Wonder performed. Winfrey told her guests her support for Obama was "destiny,"...
Ducks Crush Wolverines at Big House
Associated Press
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Sep 9, 2007 8:00 AM CDT
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If last week's close upset to Appalachian State was embarrassing for Michigan, this week's 39-7 blowout by the Oregon ducks could be catastrophic. For the first time since 1959, the Wolverines have lost two straight at home to open the season. They've also dropped four straight games for the first since 1967.
Mind the Gaffe, Prez!
Reuters
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Sep 9, 2007 7:44 AM CDT
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As usual, President Bush didn't mind the gaffe and stumbled again—and again—this weekend on the eve of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering in Sydney. He referred to Australian troops as Austrian troops and called the APEC summit the OPEC summit., Reuters reports. "Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit,"...
Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt Win Top Honors in Venice
BBC
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Sep 9, 2007 6:52 AM CDT
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Cate Blanchett’s performance as the young Bob Dylan in the biopic 'I’m Not There' earned her the best actress award at the Venice Film Festival last night.. Ang Lee's controversial 'Lust, Caution' took the Golden Lion for best film and Brad Pitt won best actor for the title role in 'The Assassination of Jesse James.'
Chinese Woman 'Needled' for Being Female
BBC
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Sep 9, 2007 6:41 AM CDT
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Chinese doctors have found an astonishing 26 sewing needles embedded in the body of a woman which they believe were inserted when she was a baby by grandparents who wanted a grandson. Some of the needles have pierced vital organs, and a broken one lies in the woman's brain. The needles were discovered when the 31-year-old woman complained of blood...
Billions in US Funds Missing in Iraq
Vanity Fair
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Sep 9, 2007 5:22 AM CDT
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Following the invasion of Iraq, the US shipped $12 billion in “walking-around” money to Iraq's transitional government, the American-led Coalition Provisional Authority. An astonishing $9 billion has gone missing. Funds "entered a free-for-all where anyone with fingers could take it" as the "Coalition of the Willing turned...
Save the Whales—but Forget the Delta Smelt
Economist
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Sep 9, 2007 5:16 AM CDT
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The Endangered Species Act , enacted in 1973 to protect the likes of the bald eagle and the California grizzly, is in desperate need of overhaul, the Economist argues. The act’s latest ravagement is the protection of the delta smelt, a three-inch fish a judge deemed important enough late last month to warrant shutting down giant pumps that...
A-Rod Belts 51st Home Run
Associated Press
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Sep 9, 2007 4:59 AM CDT
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Alex Rodriguez reached another milestone in his outstanding season yesterday in Kansas City, knocking in his 50th and 51st home runs as the Yanks trounced the Royals 11-5. It's the first 50-plus home run season for a Yankee since 1961, when both Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris accomplished the feat. A-Rod now holds the single season record by a third...
Al-Qaeda Claims Algeria Attacks
BBC
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Sep 9, 2007 4:44 AM CDT
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An al-Qaeda affiliate has claimed responsibility for bombings that claimed more than 50 lives in Algeria in the last two days. The group, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, took credit for the attacks in an Internet statement , BBC reports. An explosives-laden truck drove into a naval barracks in a port city yesterday, killing 28 Algerian coast guard...
Smartphones Flunk IQ Test
New York Times
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Sep 8, 2007 9:31 PM CDT
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In a New York Times piece sure to resonate with frustrated smartphone owners everywhere, Joe Nocera unspools a Treo horror story that runs the gamut from weird, intermittent glitches to a lethal software upgrade. After turning in his moribund phone for a new one, and finding the replacement as balky as the first one, he discovers he's not alone...
Henin Waltzes to US Open Title
Associated Press
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Sep 8, 2007 9:25 PM CDT
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Justine Henin wrapped up 2 weeks of methodical tennis tonight the same way she started—by not dropping a set en route to a solid thumping. The victim this time was Svetlana Kuznetsova, the score 6-1, 6-3, and the prize the US Open title. It's the 2003 champion's second Open crown and her seventh major.
How Lucky Can One Guy Be?
Associated Press
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Sep 8, 2007 8:30 PM CDT
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Jim Sensenbrenner has won $1,000 in the Wisconsin lottery, marking his third win in the last 10 years. The GOP congressman had already won a $250,000 jackpot in a 1997 D.C. lottery and $1,000 in Wisconsin last spring. In the somewhat larger lottery, Sensenbrenner is an heir to the fortune of the Kimberly-Clark Corp., and is worth about $11.6 million.
Fossett Hunt Yielding No Clues
CNN
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Sep 8, 2007 7:49 PM CDT
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Searchers combing Nevada for Steve Fossett's plane have found six other uncharted wrecks, but no sign of the millionaire adventurer who's been missing since Monday. One downed plane thought to be his was found to have been last registered 30 years ago, CNN reports. Fossett's family remains optimistic, despite the discovery that Fossett took off with...
Iran Scoffs at Paying $2.65B for Bombing
Associated Press
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Sep 8, 2007 6:11 PM CDT
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Iran reacted to a federal court ruling today by scoffing at paying a $2.65 billion penalty for its alleged role in a 1983 bombing, the AP reports. "The American judge's ruling is baseless," a spokesman said of yesterday's decision. "This ruling against Iran is politically motivated." Iran also denies any involvement in the US Marine...
Paris Sues Hallmark Over Card
CNN
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Sep 8, 2007 6:00 PM CDT
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Perhaps losing her cool, Paris Hilton is suing Hallmark for swiping her registered 'that's hot' catchphrase and plopping it, along with her face and name, on a greeting card. The heiress is demanding at least $100,000 in damages for the heist without her consent, CNNMoney reports, but Hallmark says the $2.49 card is a legal parody of a public figure.
FBI Data Requests Go Beyond Terror Suspects
New York Times
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Sep 8, 2007 5:44 PM CDT
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US terror suspects are drawing friends and colleagues into the net, the New York Times reports. FBI docs show that probes have sought info on people who suspects call or email the most. Phone companies already keep such data on hand for marketing and fraud protection, one expert says. Such “analysis is extremely powerful and very revealing."
All Business, Federer Advances
Associated Press
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Sep 8, 2007 5:15 PM CDT
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Roger Federer put in another day at the office this afternoon at the US Open, fending off early and late uprisings by Nicolay Davydenko to secure a spot in his 10th straight grand slam final with a 7-5, 6-1, 7-5 victory. Novak Djokovic—the only man who's beaten Federer this summer—advanced to his first grand slam final.
Job Losses Don't Add Up to Recession... Yet
Reuters
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Sep 8, 2007 5:00 PM CDT
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Eye-popping job numbers rippled through Wall Street yesterday, but analysts pooh-pooh recession fears as premature. “I think it is important we take a deep breath before screaming ‘A recession is now around the corner!’” one expert says. Four thousand lost jobs may be the worst depletion in 4 years, but leave out government...
Hagel Bows Out of '08 Race
New York Times
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Sep 8, 2007 4:26 PM CDT
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GOP hopes to stop the Dems in next year's election took another hit today as aides announced Chuck Hagel's retirement from the Senate. They also dashed rumors that he will run for the White House on an Independent ticket alongside Michael Bloomberg. Hagel’s departure leaves the GOP with 22 contestable seats to defend in 2008, the New York Times...
Fido Knows What You're Thinking
Der Spiegel
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Sep 8, 2007 4:03 PM CDT
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Man's best friend, traditionally viewed by scientists as the drooling, complacent descendant of the noble wolf, are being given a fresh look by behavioral researchers who say their reasoning and ability to read human communication is unprecedented among four-leggers. Studies have suggested that dogs come out of the womb with innate human interaction...
Sacrificed 'Maiden' on Display
CNN
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Sep 8, 2007 3:39 PM CDT
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A girl once sacrificed to the gods is now on display in an Argentine museum, CNN reports. “La Doncella” (Spanish for “the Maiden”), displayed in an icy chamber, has the same calm gaze and gray shawl she wore when she died 500 years ago. Hundreds of visitors are coming daily to witness the girl who gave her life to an annual...
Sunny Days Here for Green Homeowners
Forbes
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Sep 8, 2007 2:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sunny days are here to stay for solar homes with roof-top panels, Forbes reports. Such green abodes can cover electricity costs in warm months and store enough to sell solar power to the grid for profit. Installation is expensive but viable thanks to government subsidies, especially in California, New Jersey and Tennessee; California offers a 30% tax...
Gabrielle 'Going to Get Gnarly'
Associated Press
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Sep 8, 2007 2:50 PM CDT
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Tropical storm Gabrielle is “going to get a little gnarly” but is “not expected to get too strong” when it hits the East Coast tomorrow, observers say. She will dump 2 to 4 inches of rain on parched North Carolina and head back to sea, topping off at 60 to 65 mph. The storm isn’t expected to become a hurricane: "This...
Dutch Gov't Courts More 9-to-5 Women
Economist
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Sep 8, 2007 2:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Dutch government is working to get women working. A new law mandating that schools must provide afternoon childcare is meant to raise the number of mothers in full-time jobs, the Economist reports. At 66%, the Netherlands has a higher than average female workforce among European countries, but 61% of those are part time. And other social forces...
Bush to Address Nation on Iraq Strategy
Reuters
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Sep 8, 2007 2:01 PM CDT
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President Bush will take his case for the unpopular Iraq war directly to the American people in a televised address Thursday. Bush vowed to “lay out a vision” following Monday’s report from Gen. David Petraeus, and asked Congress for patience. That virtue is scarce, however, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid already declaring...
Osama's New Tape Combed for Meaning
Newsweek
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Sep 8, 2007 1:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Osama bin Laden’s latest tape, designed to coincide with the anniversary of 9/11, is being mined for clues as to al Qaeda's robustness. Noting bin Laden’s unnaturally black beard, Newsweek says the leader may have dyed his own to demonstrate vigor, or donned a fake beard, after shaving to obscure his identity in hiding. Time , meanwhile,...
Dollar Plummets to 15-year Low
Reuters
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Sep 8, 2007 1:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Panic over the state of the US economy pushed the dollar to a 15-year low against major currencies yesterday. The drop came on larger-than-expected July payroll declines, data one analyst called “simply horrific.” Many fear that the credit crunch will drive down consumer spending, igniting a recession. Investors accordingly increased bets...
Short Skirt Doesn't Fly at Southwest
ABC News
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Sep 8, 2007 12:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A San Diego co-ed (and Hooters employee) nearly got kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight for showing too much skin. A flight attendant called Kyla Ebbert to the front of the plane and asked her to change out of her 'revealing attire' or take a later flight. Ebbert brokered a compromise and remained aboard, but now she may sue Southwest over...
Get Some Color This Fall
Travel Leisure
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Sep 8, 2007 11:57 AM CDT
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Heading into prime leaf-peeper season, Travel + Leisure leads a pack of sites offering fun and affordable trip ideas. Serve yourself a double portion of red, ochre, and yellow at the Celtic Colours International Festival in Nova Scotia. Or, if Canada seems too far away, swing by the Pumpkin Festival in Keene, NH.
APEC Leaders Agree to Take on Global Warming
Associated Press
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Sep 8, 2007 11:24 AM CDT
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Leaders of 21 Pacific Rim nations yesterday pledged to “slow, stop, and then reverse” greenhouse emissions, at the annual APEC summit. The group—which includes developing nations and top emitters Russia, China, Japan, and the US—could influence UN climate change negotiations. But critics call the pact unambitious, citing a lack...
Hsu's Life Spent on the Run
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 8, 2007 10:52 AM CDT
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Fallen and fugitive, Norman Hsu was disowned last week by the very Democrats who thrived on his mysterious largess when details of a 1992 grand theft charge emerged. But the Journal reports that charge wasn't unique to a man whose past is filled with bankruptcies, sketchy investments, a string of bogus addresses, and even a good old-fashioned kidnapping.
Petraeus Bemoans Iraq's Political Progress
Washington Post
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Sep 8, 2007 9:54 AM CDT
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Writing to US troops in a preview of his report to Congress next week, Gen. David Petraeus said political progress in Iraq has not matched the aspirations the US had hoped to attain with the surge. But he was quick to stress decreasing violence on the ground, the Washington Post reports, and aims to testify again in March.
Thousands Mourn Pavarotti
Associated Press
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Sep 8, 2007 9:24 AM CDT
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Modena's main piazza was filled with throngs of Luciano Pavarotti fans today as invited mourners gathered at the cathedral for the tenor's funeral. The service, which was shown on huge screens in the piazza and broadcast live, was attended by an ecclectic group of dignitaries and artists with whom the opera star had collaborated, including former U.N....
Nursing Home Owners Acquitted in Katrina Deaths
Associated Press
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Sep 8, 2007 8:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The owners of a Louisiana nursing home were acquitted of negligent homicide and cruelty yesterday in the deaths of 35 patients who drowned in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The charges were based on the couple's failure to evacuate the home as the storm approached; the defense argued that the government never mandated evacuation and that the area had...
Packers Hunt for Next Top Cheesehead
Forbes
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Sep 8, 2007 8:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A frenzied effort is underway in Green Bay to fill a key position on the Packers, and it's not to replace Brett Favre, Forbes reports. The coaching staff may need a new quarterback next year, but for now focus is centered on the storied NFL team’s search for a new CEO after its chosen successor fizzled under pressure.
Foxy Brown Heads for the Slammer
Associated Press
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Sep 8, 2007 7:59 AM CDT
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Rapper Foxy Brown faces a year in jail for a July 30 assault on a Brooklyn woman who complained about loud music on Brown’s car stereo. Brown, 28, hit the woman with a cell phone in the latest in a string of probation violations that includes flinging hair glue at a Florida beauty-shop employee and fighting with a cop.
HGH Use Mars Ankiel Comeback
New York Daily News
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Sep 8, 2007 7:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
St. Louis Cardinals’ star slugger Rick Ankiel acknowledged using Human Growth Hormone last night, facing reporters in the dugout after news emerged yesterday that he had received HGH from a pharmacy involved in a prescription-drug scandal. Ankiel took delivery of HGH for a year following a routine elbow surgery in 2003, before it was banned by...
Both McCanns Now Suspects in Maddy Case
BBC
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Sep 8, 2007 6:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Portuguese police added Gerry McCann as a suspect in his daughter Madeleine's disappearance yesterday, 12 hours after naming his wife. No charges have been brought against the couple, who were questioned separately over 24 hours, and released. Authorities offered Kate McCann a plea bargain, saying she would serve just two years in prison if she admitted...
Reed Boat Crew Abandons Ship
Der Spiegel
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Sep 8, 2007 5:00 AM CDT
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An amateur historian attempting to sail the Atlantic in a boat made of reeds and grass has abandoned ship. Der Spiegel reports that the Abora III, a 41-foot ship modeled after those of Bolivian Indians, ran into two storms and was ditched after some 900 miles and 56 days. The mission sought to prove trans-Atlantic trade was possible 14,000 years...
