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.
GM, Union Tangle Over Health Care, Labor Costs
Bloomberg
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Sep 24, 2007 3:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
At the root of the UAW's strike against GM's US factories is a fundamental conflict between management's need to cut costs and the union's resistance to offering more givebacks, Bloomberg reports. Negotiations resumed this afternoon between GM, which lost $12.4 billion last year, and the UAW, which represents 73,000 employees at the nation's largest...
Columbia Prez Lays Into Ahmadinejad
Associated Press
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Sep 24, 2007 3:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appeared today at Columbia University, where the school’s president called the Iranian president “a petty and cruel dictator” and excoriated him for his human rights rap sheet, Holocaust denial—which Lee Bollinger called "simply ridiculous"—and nuclear ambitions. The visitor smiled as Bollinger...
Nvidia Goes After Intel With New Chip
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 24, 2007 2:32 PM CDT
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Chip maker Nvidia is going after industry giant Intel in the market for cheap, high-quality PC graphics. Nvidia will roll out special graphics chips for Intel-based computers costing about $500, the Wall Street Journal reports, a segment Intel currently dominates. Both companies want to cash in on consumer lust for better games and faster...
Senior Justice Is Court's Unlikely Liberal Voice
New York Times
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Sep 24, 2007 2:07 PM CDT
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“I don’t think of myself as a liberal at all,” John Paul Stevens told the New York Times , but the longest-serving Supreme Court justice is the head of liberal dissent in an increasingly conservative court. Stevens was appointed by Gerald Ford as a moderate Republican in 1975, and he says every justice since has been more conservative...
Private Jet Demand Soars
MarketWatch
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Sep 24, 2007 1:39 PM CDT
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The demand for private business jets is sky-high, with international buyers taking advantage of the weak dollar to propel a projection-beating trend expected to last at least a decade, MarketWatch reports. "Domestic demand is solid but it's not showing the type of growth rates going on outside the US," says one executive.
Microsoft Goes Incognito to Attack Google
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 24, 2007 1:13 PM CDT
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Microsoft quietly hired Burson-Marsteller to rally opposition to Google’s proposed acquisition of online ad networker DoubleClick—and some are rankled that the software giant’s name was kept out of the pitches. The PR firm sought to convince key players the deal would hamper Internet competition and impact privacy rights, the Journal...
Job Market Shrinks for Lawyers
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 24, 2007 1:10 PM CDT
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Lawyers are entering the work force in record numbers, but demand—and salaries—aren't keeping up. Law schools advertise six-figure starting salaries for grads, but these wages materialize only for those from elite schools or at the top of their class, the Wall Street Journal reports. For the rest, $20-an-hour contract work may be the...
Free Phone Service Listens In, Tailors Ads
Associated Press
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Sep 24, 2007 12:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In much the same way that Gmail scans emails to push relevant advertising, a California start-up is using voice-recognition software to translate the strategy to Internet phone calls. Puddingmedia offers free phone service if customers allow eavesdropping on their conversations, the AP reports. The data isn't recorded, but privacy advocates and bloggers...
Hidden Galaxies Come to Light
Space.com
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Sep 24, 2007 12:15 PM CDT
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Astronomers have added 14 “invisible galaxies” to their map of the heavens, thanks to an imaginative breakthrough and a massive telescope. Researchers realized that some galaxies might be hidden by the bright lights of quasars behind them, so they scanned quasar data for “dips” where those lights might be passing through galaxies,...
Dodd Fights to Redeem Dad
New York Times
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Sep 24, 2007 11:50 AM CDT
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Chris Dodd is not only running for president, he's on a mission to fix his father's reputation. Dodd's late father, Thomas, also a US senator, was censured in 1967 for making personal use of campaign funds. Years earlier, he made his name at the Nuremberg trials, and his son's new book paints him as a decisive defender of civil liberties.
UAW Goes on Strike Against GM
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 24, 2007 11:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Unionized employees at GM plants across the country walked off the job today after their 11am strike deadline passed without an agreement. The UAW said it had done “everything possible to negotiate a new contract,” including bargaining for 10 days after the initial deadline. GM stock rose this morning, the Journal reports, as investors...
US Sniper Program 'Baits' Insurgents
Washington Post
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Sep 24, 2007 10:59 AM CDT
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A classified Pentagon program urges snipers in Iraq to “bait” potential militants by scattering weapons and ammunition and shooting anyone who picks them up, the Washington Post reports. The program, detailed in documents from the murder trial of three snipers accused of planting evidence on victims, raises issues because civilians might...
Mini-Cattle Are New Cash Cow
Sacramento Bee
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Sep 24, 2007 10:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Americans may still like their burgers supersized, but the latest rage in the cattle industry is mini-cows. With smaller ranches on the rise, growers are looking for animals that suit a limited acreage. They're often kept as pets or sustainable lawn-mowers that make the rounds at state fairs, but they are also raised for slaughter, the Sacramento...
DEA Scores Largest Steroid Crackdown in History
Yahoo
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Sep 24, 2007 10:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The DEA racked up the biggest steroid bust in history in a series of raids over the last four days, Yahoo News reports, arresting 124 people at 56 labs across the country. More than 11 million doses of the performance-enhancing drugs were seized from an illegal, underground network, as well as the names of hundreds of thousands of purchasers.
Anti-War T-Shirt Draws Flak
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 24, 2007 9:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An Arizona entrepreneur who prints the name of troops killed in Iraq on anti-war T-shirts is getting heat from soldiers' families who say he's disrespecting the dead. Dan Frazier's shirts have slogans such as "Bush Lied" and "They Died" superimposed over the names. Five states have passed laws forbidding the commercial use...
Pentagon Investigates $6B in Contracts
New York Times
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Sep 24, 2007 9:06 AM CDT
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The Pentagon is investigating widespread graft involving US war-zone contracts, with 29 soldiers and civilians charged so far, the New York Times reports. Most of the scrutiny focuses on a contracting office in Kuwait, where an Army major is charged with taking $10 million in bribes from companies seeking contracts in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Tourism Heats Up as Arctic Does
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 24, 2007 8:22 AM CDT
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The effects of global warming are drawing a crowd. About 1.5 million people will visit the arctic this year, as climate tourists swarm to see the world’s ice caps as they are beginning to melt. But it’s an ironic endeavor, the Wall Street Journal notes, because eco-tourists are contributing to the destruction of the very places they visit.
Greg Norman's Ex Dishes Dirt on Evert
Daily Mail (UK)
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Sep 24, 2007 7:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Greg Norman’s former wife would still be his current wife, she says, if not for tennis star Chris Evert’s brazen pursuit of the former World No. 1. “She came after him. I have never seen anything like it,” Laura Andrassy tells the Daily Mail , saying Evert pursued Norman “in front of me, like I didn’t exist.”...
Monks Lead Largest Protest Yet
BBC
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Sep 24, 2007 6:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Protests by Buddhist monks in Myanmar continue to surge, with today's the largest against the ruling military junta in 20 years, Reuters reports. Tens of thousands of monks and residents packed the streets of Yangon and other cities. So far, military leaders have been quiet, but fears are growing of a crackdown similar to one in 1988 that killed 3,000,...
UAW Sets 11am Deadline for GM Talks
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 24, 2007 6:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The United Auto Workers have turned up the pressure on contract talks with General Motors by setting a deadline of 11am ET today. The key issue of shifting health care costs to a union-run trust is said to have been settled, but other points remained unresolved yesterday. Still under discussion is the size of a cash bonus GM will give UAW workers...
XO: Buy 1, a Kid Gets 1 Free
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 24, 2007 6:23 AM CDT
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Americans will be asked to buy XO laptops in pairs—one for themselves and one for a child in a developing nation. Organizers of the "One Laptop Per Child" program hope to distribute laptops to millions of Third World schoolchildren this way. The combined cost of the pair of PCs—available in November—is $399, some of which...
Syria, Saudis to be Invited to Peace Table
Washington Post
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Sep 24, 2007 6:02 AM CDT
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The US will issue invitations to this fall's Mideast peace conference to Saudi Arabia, Syria and other Arab nations that don't have diplomatic ties to Israel, the Washington Post reports. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice suggested Sunday that attendance would bring with it "certain responsibilities" such as avoiding violence and recognizing...
Starbucks Serving Free iTunes
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Sep 24, 2007 4:19 AM CDT
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For more than a month beginning next week Starbucks will offer customers free iTunes downloads of songs by major artists like Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligence r. The freebie marks a new partnership between the coffee giant and Apple, Inc. Company executives expect Starbucks will give away 50 million songs by the...
Angels Clinch West, Join Playoffs Party
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 24, 2007 4:18 AM CDT
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The Angels clinched the American League West in characteristic fashion—behind a quality start from ace John Lackey and a perfect ninth from Francisco Rodriguez. They are the third AL team to punch their playoffs ticket. Cleveland also won a berth in the Central and Boston nabbed at least a wild-card entry.
Seahawks Slip Past Baffled Bengals
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Sep 24, 2007 4:15 AM CDT
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The Cincinnati Bengals played good football for most of yesterday's game, but a four-point lead with under three minutes remaining wasn't enough. The Seahawks charged down the field for a last-minute touchdown and victory. The Bengals led Seattle in yards, first downs, and possession time, but statistics weren't enough, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer....
We Goofed on Petraeus Attack Ad: Times Editor
CNN
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Sep 24, 2007 4:13 AM CDT
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The public editor of the New York Times slammed the newspaper yesterday for violating its own policies when it ran the now notorious "General Betray Us" ad. The ad, placed by MoveOn.org, was a personal attack on General Petraeus, which is prohibited by the Times standards for acceptable ads, the editor wrote in a column in the paper.
Israel Welcomes 500 Darfur Refugees
BBC
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Sep 24, 2007 3:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Israel has agreed to allow 498 refugees who fled Darfur through Egypt to remain in the country, although their legal status remains undecided. Africans from other parts of the continent and new arrivals from Darfur, however, will be expelled. Egypt has agreed to accept refugees who are returned after trying to cross to Israel over the Egyptian border.
Mitt's Blasts at 'Broken' Washington Risk GOP Ire
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 24, 2007 3:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
White House hopeful Mitt Romney is distancing himself from President Bush in his TV ads and public statements—risking the ire of Republican primary voters who still support the president's most controversial policies. Romney's new theme is that the Republican party has been led off course, reports the Los Angeles Times .
Indians Clinch AL Central Title
Cleveland Plain Dealer
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Sep 24, 2007 3:39 AM CDT
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Mark Ellis struck out swinging to end a 6-2 loss for the Oakland A's, and to start the celebration for the Indians, who officially claimed the American League Central division title yesterday. Champagne sprayed as Cleveland's signature whipped-cream victory pies flew through the air on the last night of the Indians' final homestand, reports the Cleveland...
Iranian Prez Flies Into NY Storm
Associated Press
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Sep 24, 2007 3:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in New York yesterday amid protests and rancor over his schedule of public appearances, including his planned address at Columbia University. In the first of a series of public relations efforts, Ahmadinejad claimed in a television interview that Iran is seeking neither nuclear weapons nor war with the...
Scientists Devise 30-Minute Bird Flu Test
AFP
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Sep 24, 2007 3:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Researchers have developed a test that can identify bird flu in just 28 minutes, according to a study published this month in Nature Medicine . If bird flu mutates to a form readily passed among humans, rapid testing could be critical in identifying and containing an outbreak in its early stages. Current tests take between several hours and several...
Romo and Cowboys Bury Bears 34-10
Chicago Tribune
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Sep 24, 2007 3:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Dallas Cowboys struggled in the first half but quarterback Tony Romo pulled them together to defeat the Chicago Bears last night, 34-10, reports the Chicago Tribune. The 3-3 halftime score speaks to the messy play: interceptions, false starts, muffed catches, and blocked field goals plagued both teams. But in the third quarter, Romo ran away...
'Resident Evil' Tops Box Office
Hollywood Reporter
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Sep 24, 2007 3:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
"Resident Evil: Extinction" ruled the box office this week, raking in $24 million over the weekend, more than either of the previous two installments. The video game-inspired zombie threequel trounced fellow openers "Good Luck Chuck" ($14 million), which ranked second, fifth-place "Eastern Promises" ($5.7 million), and...
Third Straight Rout for Steel City
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Sep 24, 2007 2:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Pittsburgh won yet another rout in giving San Francisco its first loss, 37-16. Allen Rossum's 98-yard kickoff return made rookie coach Mike Tomlin look prophetic, reports the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Concerned about his return game, Tomlin picked up Rossum, 32, at season's beginning. In three games, Pittsburgh has drubbed its opponents 97-26.
Brady, Moss Trample Bills
Boston Globe
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Sep 23, 2007 9:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Tom Brady dazzled a Gillette crowd with a 23-for-29, 311-yard performance in a 38-7 stampede on the Buffalo Bills, extending the Patriots' undefeated start over a third game. Wideout Randy Moss caught two TDs among five completions from his new quarterback and finished with 115 yards—his third-straight triple-digit outing.
Eagles Soar Over Sleeping Lions Defense
Associated Press
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Sep 23, 2007 8:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Eagles snapped both their surprise losing street and Detroit's suprise winning streak tonight, in an offensive supernova that included 42 points in the first half, a franchise record. Donovan McNabb eventually threw 21-for-26 to finish with 381 yards and 4 TDs, giving the beleaguered Eagles their first victory this season, 56-21.
Pack 3-0 as Favre Doesn't Fade
Associated Press
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Sep 23, 2007 6:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Green Bay Packers pulled off a surprise 31-24 comeback win over the San Diego Chargers, scoring twice in the last two minutes of play. But the big news from Lambeau was Brett Favre's 420th career touchdown pass—a 57-yard bomb to Greg Jennings—which tied Dan Marino's all-time record, only one week after Favre became the winningest starting...
Unbroken, Roddick Goes to Final
Sports Illustrated
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Sep 23, 2007 6:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The US is headed to the Davis Cup finals thanks to Andy Roddick’s victory today. He beat Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-4, sending the US back home to host the final for the first time in more than a decade. The US will face defending champion Russia for the title, Sports Illustrated reports. Russia defeated Germany in the other...
VP Mulled Israeli Strike on Iran
Reuters
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Sep 23, 2007 6:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Dick Cheney considered encouraging Israel to launch an air strike on Iran, Reuters reports, citing a Newsweek claim that Cheney saw the strike as drawing retailation that would, in turn, draw the US into a war. Cheney adviser David Wurmser is said to have disclosed the discussions.
US Loggerhead Numbers Drop
Associated Press
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Sep 23, 2007 6:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The US loggerhead turtle population is waning, and a federal report concludes that commercial fishing is probably to blame, the AP reports. The threatened species gained numbers through the '90s, but now the sea turtle is on the brink of becoming officially endangered. Ocean health advocates are calling for federal funding to research the relationship...
A-Rod Eyes Stake in Cubs
ESPN
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Sep 23, 2007 5:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Alex Rodriguez could join Alfonso Soriano at the heart of a monster Cubs lineup next season: ESPN reports that A-Rod's agent, Scott Boras, is brokering a deal with future Cubs owners that could net the star $300 million over 10 years. Part of the contract would give A-Rod a stake in the franchise, New York magazine reports in the issue out tomorrow.
Did Docs Speed Pope's Death?
Time
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Sep 23, 2007 5:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An Italian doctor is claiming that Pope John Paul II’s 2005 death was hastened by measures that would qualify as euthanasia—a practice the Catholic Church condemns. She believes the Vatican stressed the Pope’s breathing problems in public reports to conceal the real threat to his life, which was difficulty swallowing. A feeding tube...
Nursing Homes Raise Profits, Cut Care
New York Times
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Sep 23, 2007 5:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Caring for grandma has become big business for private firms that are buying nursing homes and making them profit generators. But to do it, they’ve severely cut staff—sometimes below legal levels, the New York Times found. “Chains have made a lot of money by cutting nurses,” said one analyst, “but it’s at the cost...
'Gotcha' Site TMZ Goes to TV
Radar
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Sep 23, 2007 4:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
TMZ, the celebrity gossip site that specializes in the self-destructive antics of starlets and B-list celebs, is taking its exuberantly trashy act to TV. No surprise: its 9 million unique visitors in June make it the No. 1 entertainment news site. The surprise, Radar says, is that a major media conglomerate—in this case Time Warner—can...
Hillary's Lead Forces Hopefuls to Get Tough
New York Times
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Sep 23, 2007 4:23 PM CDT
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Polls are putting Hillary in first place among the Dems, forcing other hopefuls to campaign aggressively against her. She has allayed credibility doubts and can stay the course on health care, education, and energy, the New York Times reports. Obama and Edwards, meanwhile, each hope to be the other half of a two-person race with the New York senator.
Anti-Jena 6 Website Calls for 'Justice'
Associated Press
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Sep 23, 2007 4:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The FBI is investigating a white supremacist site that listed the addresses and phone numbers of five of the so-called Jena Six, and “essentially called for their lynching,” the agency said yesterday. “These people need more than an investigation. They need protection,” Jesse Jackson told the AP, noting the near round-the-clock...
Gabbers Can Make (Mostly) Free Calls With New Gadgets
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 23, 2007 3:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Gabbers have a couple of new options if they want to use the 'Net to make free (or cheaper) phone calls. Each is a box that connects to a home phone and a computer to route calls through cyberspace. One is a modest and low-cost, the other a chic machine boasting Ashton ("Punk'd") Kutcher's name as creative director. A third has been around...
Osama Attempts to Re-Take Al-Qaeda Reins
Newsweek
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Sep 23, 2007 3:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Osama bin Laden’s sudden media blitz this month isn’t just a message to the West—it’s also to his own fractured terrorist organization, a Taliban official tells Newsweek . An al-Qaeda faction had long told bin Laden to remain secluded for his own safety, advice the spotlight-loving leader now thinks was meant to sideline him.
Windy City Finance Biz Lures New Yorkers
Chicago Tribune
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Sep 23, 2007 2:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If a Chicago-based hedge fund goes public, can it relocate East Coast talent to the Windy City? Citadel Investment Group, which is signaling interest in an IPO, says many New Yorkers fall in love with the city. Yet some still give it the cold shoulder: "A lot of people in New York still believe anything west of the Hudson [River] is...
Burmese Protest Swells to 20K
BBC
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Sep 23, 2007 2:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Buddhist monks and nuns are at the helm of Burma's 'largest' anti-government protest since the failed student uprising in 1988. An estimated 20,000 took to the streets today in the seventh day of demonstrations for lower prices, an end to the ruling military junta, and release of political prisoners. The mood in Rangoon is euphoric, reports the BBC.
