Newser Story Index from January, 2008
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.
Angry Judge Doubles OJ's Bail
Los Angeles Times
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Jan 16, 2008 2:04 PM CST
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District Judge Jackie Glass today doubled OJ Simpson's bond to $250,000, after the football star was returned to a Las Vegas jail for violating bail by trying to contact a co-defendant. "I don't know, Mr. Simpson, what the heck you were thinking, or maybe that's the problem—you weren't," fumed Glass. Simpson is expected to pay up, his...
Reshuffling Yahoo Casts Off Another Exec
New York Times
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Jan 16, 2008 1:58 PM CST
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Another key media honcho is leaving Yahoo, the latest casualty of the company’s effort to narrow focus and scale back peripheral operations. Vince Broady was a senior VP and headed Yahoo’s entertainment division. The New York Times Miguel Helft blogs that his departure is no surprise, given a December reshuffling that left him without...
Kerry Deplores Nevada Lawsuit
Talking Points Memo
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Jan 16, 2008 1:53 PM CST
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John Kerry came out swinging today against voter suppression, insisting on Talking Points Memo Cafe that all Democrats reject a lawsuit that would block special caucus sites for Las Vegas Strip workers. The Obama booster didn’t call out the Clinton campaign by name, but said “certain tactics make victory … hollow.” Kerry says...
Missing NY Woman's Blood Found in Suspect's Car
Miami Herald
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Jan 16, 2008 1:38 PM CST
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With Stepha Henry missing for months after a trip to south Florida, New York police yesterday arrested a suspect whose abandoned car held so much of Henry's blood that police, declaring "no one could survive with that loss of blood," charged the man with second-degree murder, the Miami Herald reports. Henry, 22, went missing from a Florida...
'Wire' Spotlight Burns Paper
Washington Post
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Jan 16, 2008 1:25 PM CST
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The portrayal of battered, prize-grubbing and unscrupulous journalists in HBO's “The Wire”—based loosely on creator David Simon’s years at the downsizing Baltimore Sun —has provoked a furious internet outcry from some former colleagues who can't help but recognize themselves, the Washington Post reports. One highly...
Flash Attack Could Turn Routers Into Zombies
PC World
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Jan 16, 2008 1:11 PM CST
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Security experts have demonstrated how attackers could use Flash software and the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocol to hijack their home routers, reports PC World . Users exposed to a malicious Flash file could have the servers they're trying to reach changed remotely and secretly, meaning a fraudster could redirect the user to phony bank or...
Yucca Nuclear Waste Plan Mushrooms in Nevada Race
Bloomberg
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Jan 16, 2008 12:57 PM CST
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Yucca Mountain’s future as a nuclear waste burial ground is central to US energy policy—but first, the site north of Las Vegas has a key role in Saturday's Nevada Democratic primary. Despite environmentalists’ newfound respect for nuclear fuel, candidates are required to pledge opposition to the 30-year-old plan, Bloomberg reports,...
Mediterranean Fishermen Find There's A Catch
Christian Science Monitor
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Jan 16, 2008 12:48 PM CST
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Over-fishing is threatening the many species that fill the Mediterranean Sea—not to mention the livelihoods of local fishermen and the diets of the region's populace—but having 21 countries to deal with makes it difficult to wrangle out an agreement that would give stocks a chance to recover, the Christian Science Monitor reports.
The Real Macworld Scoop: Video Podcasts on Apple TV
New York Times
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Jan 16, 2008 12:38 PM CST
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Thin laptops and online movie rentals got the hype, but NY Times blogger Saul Hansell says the real news from Macworld is the inclusion of video podcasts on Apple TV. This opens up a new world of free, ad-supported, on-demand programming on our televisions, which he predicts will eventually outperform paid show downloads from iTunes.
France Dives Into Gulf With Base
Christian Science Monitor
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Jan 16, 2008 12:37 PM CST
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President Nicholas Sarkozy returned to France yesterday with accords that will make his country a major player in the Persian Gulf, the Christian Science Monitor reports. France will soon have a permanent military base on the United Arab Emirates' side of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil pathway; it will also help the UAE build civilian nuclear reactors,...
'Mistrust' Fueling Latin American Arms Race
Christian Science Monitor
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Jan 16, 2008 12:33 PM CST
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Recent bursts of defense spending from Brazil and Venezuela have experts wondering if Latin America—decades removed from a war between nations—has entered an arms race, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Chile has also invested in weapons recently, and Colombia is rife with war-on-drugs firepower. “There is a real risk of it...
Tasty Wine All In the Pricetag
Science
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Jan 16, 2008 12:19 PM CST
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The price of a bottle wine directly affects our enjoyment of it, a new study concludes. Volunteers were offered three different wines, with four different price labels, mixing up the order to see what effect price had on people’s tastes. Watching volunteers' brains via MRI scan, the researchers saw they got more pleasure from the bottle with...
For Hurting US Companies, World Supplies Band-Aid
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 16, 2008 12:02 PM CST
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The subprime collapse has US financial institutions in uncharted waters—asking for help from foreign investors and governments, the Wall Street Journal reports. Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, and Morgan Stanley all have recently sought bailouts, a dramatic switch from a tradition that saw US banks coming to the “rescue of nations and businesses...
Rent's Lease Up After 12 Years
New York Times
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Jan 16, 2008 11:51 AM CST
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Rent is preparing to close up shop and move out of the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway, its home since 1996. The cutting-edge rock adaptation of La Bohème was written by Jonathan Larson, who died at the age of 35 of an aneurysm the night of the final dress rehearsal. Larson peopled the musical with personalities he knew in the pre-gentrified...
Blackwater Probe Hits Roadblocks
New York Times
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Jan 16, 2008 11:33 AM CST
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The Justice Department warned Congress last month that major legal obstacles stand in the way of any prosecution of private security firm Blackwater for a September shooting in Iraq, the New York Times reports. Immunity granted by the State Department to Blackwater employees represents a possible roadblock; Justice also has not resolved questions...
Kenya Braces for More Violence
Reuters
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Jan 16, 2008 11:24 AM CST
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Tensions are rising in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi as angry opposition supporters prepare for three days of protests over the re-election of President Mwai Kibaki in an allegedly rigged ballot. Opposition protests have been banned by the Kibaki regime, triggering concerns that rallies could spark major clashes. Some 600 people have already been killed...
Israeli Right Wingers Abandon Olmert
Reuters
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Jan 16, 2008 11:16 AM CST
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Ehud Olmert’s coalition government is hanging by a thread today after the defection of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, a hardline right-wing faction staunchly opposed to peace talks with the Palestinians. “Negotiations on the basis of land for peace are a critical mistake and will destroy us,” said a party spokesman. Olmert’s coalition...
Mitt-mentum: How Far Will It Go?
Time
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Jan 16, 2008 11:09 AM CST
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Mitt Romney finally got his gold medal last night in Michigan, but the win has analysts wondering whether his home-state comeback can carry the country. Michigan was, after all, the land of his father, a three-term governor in the Big Three's glory days; there was a nostalgic haze around the campaign the last few days, Salon notes. His message was...
Kucinich, Paul Challenged on Home Front
Politico
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Jan 16, 2008 10:58 AM CST
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While Dennis Kucinich is out on the presidential campaign trail, no fewer than four Democrats in his Ohio home district are mounting primary challenges for the longtime congressman's seat, Politico reports. And though Ron Paul's anti-war stance and unconventional views have drawn a fervent national following, conservative voters in his home district...
'06 a Mini Baby Boom for US
Associated Press
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Jan 16, 2008 10:38 AM CST
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The US experienced a mini baby boom in 2006, with the largest number of children born since the 1960s. The AP reports 4.3 million births that year, giving the US a higher birth rate than Europe, Australia, Canada, or Japan. Hispanics accounted for a quarter of all US births, but births rose across all ethnic groups.
Bush Ending Mideast Tour With Promises, Few Results
Associated Press
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Jan 16, 2008 10:08 AM CST
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President Bush will wrap up his tour of the Middle East tomorrow with a quick visit to Egypt, then fly home from his eight-day vision having collected plenty of promises but little in the way of actual results, the AP reports. Bush used the visit to woo Arab support for the Israeli peace process and to help counteract Iran.
'Google Man' Never Forgets
ABC News
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Jan 16, 2008 10:00 AM CST
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Give Brad Williams a date—say, Jan. 1, 1962. He’ll tell you on that Monday his mother worked on the calendar while he watched To Tell The Truth. Sound amazing? Williams’ very rare detailed memory is called hyperthymesia, and University of California at Irvine scientists are studying his brain scans to figure out how he recalls distant...
McCain Blasts Mailer Attacking War Record
Associated Press
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Jan 16, 2008 9:39 AM CST
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Citing "deceitful smear tactics" by "fringe elements," John McCain's campaign is on the offensive against a flier circulating in South Carolina attacking his war record—an echo of the attacks that derailed his 2000 candidacy. The flier, sent to some 80 newspaper editors, claims McCain betrayed his fellow POWs to get better...
Really Black Is the New Black
Reuters
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Jan 16, 2008 9:29 AM CST
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What's the blackest thing you can think of? If you said a carpet of carbon nanotubes, you probably work with a Rice University team of scientists whose current project is "pushing the limit of how much light can be absorbed into one material." Their new material could lead to big advances in energy production and defense, Reuters reports.
Pregnant Marine Didn't Think She Was in Danger
Associated Press
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Jan 16, 2008 9:17 AM CST
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A pregnant Marine whose body was discovered in the back yard of Cesar Armando Laurean told prosecutors in November that she no longer thought Laurean was the father, Marine officials say. Maria Lauterbach alleged that Laurean raped her in March and April, but doctors estimated the 20-year-old’s conception date was May 14, the AP reports.
Brazil Prez: Fidel 'Healthy, Lucid'
Reuters
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Jan 16, 2008 9:07 AM CST
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After meeting with Fidel Castro, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said yesterday the 81-year-old leader was "incredibly lucid," healthy, and "ready to assume his political role in Cuba and the role he has in history." Lula met earlier with Raul Castro, who has been running the country since his brother's stomach surgery...
Cruise Out to Save World in Wacky Video
ABC News
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Jan 16, 2008 9:00 AM CST
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The latest Tom Cruise thriller is a Scientology testimonial video circulating online in which the weirdly intense actor promotes the faith as the way to save the world, and urges fellow Scientologists to "educate to bring a new reality" to non-believers. "When you drive past an accident," Cruise says, with the Mission: Impossible...
Sri Lankan Blast Kills 26
Associated Press
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Jan 16, 2008 8:42 AM CST
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At least 26 people were killed and 60 injured after an explosion ripped through a packed bus today in Buttala, Sri Lanka. The bombing was followed by gunfire, which medical workers said was responsible for many of the dead. The attack came as the government abandoned an ineffectual ceasefire with the rebel Tamil Tigers. A second bomb later damaged...
Woman Claims Pacman 'Sucker Punched' Her in Strip Club
Associated Press
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Jan 16, 2008 8:28 AM CST
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A female attorney who alleges that Adam "Pacman" Jones punched her in the face at an Atlanta strip club is seeking an arrest warrant for the suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback. Wanda Jackson claims she was in the club’s office when Jones stormed in and accused managers of stealing from him, lunging at her "in an effort to do...
Intel Profits Jump 51%, But Slowdown Seen
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 16, 2008 8:12 AM CST
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Intel's net income leaped 51% in the fourth quarter—the No. 1 chipmaker's largest increase in 14 quarters—to $2.27 billion. But the glow was dimmed by what looks to be a cooling PC market, leading to lower projections for 2008, and sending Intel’s share price down 14% in after-hours trading, reports the Wall Street Journal....
Oracle Wins BEA With Sweetened $8.5B Bid
Bloomberg
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Jan 16, 2008 7:51 AM CST
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Business software maker Oracle continued its yearlong buying spree, closing a contentious deal with middleware maker BEA Systems after raising its offer to $8.5 billion, or $19.38 a share, Bloomberg reports. In October, Oracle offered BEA $6.7 billion, or $17 per share, and was rejected. Instead BEA, one of the Silicon Valley's last midsize independents,...
Cancer Pioneer Folkman Dead
Boston Globe
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Jan 16, 2008 7:42 AM CST
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Cancer researcher Judah Folkman, whose insights and tenacity spawned a whole new branch of oncology, died Monday at age 74, the Boston Globe reports. Folkman pioneered the notion that cancer tumors could be halted if their blood supply was cut off; he persevered despite decades of skepticism in the field and research setbacks. The work led to the...
Sharapova Quickly Sinks Davenport
Associated Press
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Jan 16, 2008 7:12 AM CST
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It took Maria Sharapova two easy sets to completely deconstruct Lindsay Davenport's game in the second round of the Australian Open, AP reports. The American's first tough match since returning from maternity leave was over 6-1, 6-3, as Sharapova "was head and shoulders better than I was," Davenport admitted.
JP Morgan Profit Drops 34% in Q4
Bloomberg
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Jan 16, 2008 7:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
Subprime mortgage writedowns of $1.3 billion cut deeply into better-than-expected revenue gains at JP Morgan Chase in the fourth quarter, leaving the nation’s third-largest bank with net income of $2.97 billion, or 86 cents per share, a 34% drop from a year ago, reports Bloomberg. The writedown is a pittance compared to Citigroup’s $18.1...
Romney Wins on Economic Woes
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 16, 2008 6:40 AM CST
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Mitt Romney campaigned in Michigan as a favorite son, but he beat John McCain by persuading voters he could bring jobs back to the beleaguered state, the Wall Street Journal reports. Romney sold himself as a business executive who could end Michigan's "one-state recession." He was quick to jump on McCain's suggestion that lost jobs...
US Faces 'Terror Attack Threat From Europe'
BBC
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Jan 16, 2008 6:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
Americans face a "real risk that Europe will become a platform for terrorists," US Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff told the BBC yesterday. America will likely boost security measures to protect the country from such a threat, but will also make an effort not to unduly hinder travel and trade, he said. "Home grown terrorism has...
Hormone Therapy May Triple Risk of Breast Cancer
Seattle Times
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Jan 16, 2008 5:33 AM CST
(Newser) -
Millions of women who take combination hormones to counter symptoms of menopause may be three times more likely to develop a certain type of breast cancer, according to a new study. Most researchers assumed it takes five years of daily estrogen and progestin to increase cancer risks, but the threat may increase substantially in just three years, according...
Scorching '07 Sets New Global Record
USA Today
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Jan 16, 2008 5:02 AM CST
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Last year was the hottest on record for global land masses, with temperatures almost 2 degrees warmer than usual, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scorching heat waves socked Asia, Europe and the USA, where 2,000 daily temperature peaks were busted. It's an undeniable trend with seven of the world's warmest-ever...
Angry Students Block Pope Visit
Los Angeles Times
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Jan 16, 2008 4:31 AM CST
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Pope Benedict XVI has scrapped plans to speak at a prestigious Italian university after unprecedented protests by furious students and professors who accused him of justifying Galileo's trial and "affronting" people of science, the Los Angeles Times reports. The pope once described as "reasonable" the 400-year-old heresy trial...
Niedermayer Leads Ducks 4-2 Over Stars
Dallas Morning News
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Jan 16, 2008 4:14 AM CST
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Anaheim's play against Dallas last night looked nothing like its embarrassing losses from earlier this season, and the reason is obvious: Scott Niedermayer. The returned vet had two goals and an assist and drew key penalties in the Ducks' 4-2 defeat of the Stars, reports the Dallas Morning News . Elsewhere in the NHL:
Number of Baseball Players Taking ADD Drugs Spikes
Associated Press
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Jan 16, 2008 4:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Since baseball's 2006 ban on amphetamines, the number of players claiming to have Attention Deficit Disorder and obtaining prescriptions for stimulant drugs has nearly quadrupled from 28 to 103, reports the Associated Press. The MLB anti-performance enhancing policy gives the players exemptions on certain drugs, including Ritalin and Adderall, if obtained...
Clippers Drag Feet, Knock Suns From 1st
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
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Jan 16, 2008 3:45 AM CST
(Newser) -
By keeping down the pace, the Clippers managed to lull the Suns into a 97-90 loss last night, dropping Phoenix to a half-game behind the Lakers in the Pacific division. The Suns got only four fast-break points against a team that had lost 10 of their last 11, the Arizona Republic reports. On other regulation floorboards:
GOP Field Lacks Frontrunner
New York Times
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Jan 16, 2008 3:45 AM CST
(Newser) -
Mitt Romney's Michigan win leaves the outlook for the GOP as muddied as before, writes the New York Times . So far in the race, three different Republican candidates have won three different states appealing to three different sets of voters. With South Carolina and Nevada voting this weekend, the GOP race could soon have five frontrunners.
Clinton Beats Back 'Uncommitted'
CNN
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Jan 16, 2008 3:10 AM CST
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Democratic presidential candidate Hilary Clinton beat off a challenge in yesterday's Michigan primary from a new tough contender—the "uncommitted" choice that 40% of voters checked off to the 55% who voted for the New York senator. Blacks and young voters favored "uncommitted," which is largely viewed as a vote for Barack...
Flowers' Power Too Much for Lions
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Jan 16, 2008 2:41 AM CST
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Senior Michael Flowers had a collegiate-high 23 points, leading the Badgers to a 80-55 rout of Penn State, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. "I don't know if he missed at all tonight," said teammate Greg Stiemsma after the game. Wisconsin posted an intimidating 59.6% shooting, including 10 for 18 from three-point range. Elsewhere...
Colorado's Theodore Shuts Out Tampa
Associated Press
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Jan 16, 2008 12:42 AM CST
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Jose Theodore survived a 22-shot barrage in the third period, leading Colorado to a 3-0 shutout victory over the Lightning, the AP reports. The win is the third straight for the Avalanche, the shutout the 24th of Theodore's career, and first since 2004. Tampa has fallen short in 12 of their last 15 contests. In other NHL action:
All Hail the King! James Nets 51
Associated Press
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Jan 16, 2008 12:39 AM CST
(Newser) -
LeBron James continued to improve upon his already amazing season by scoring a season-high 51 points in a 132-124 Cleveland overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. James, who scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, shot 18-for-28 from the floor. The King's best scoring night ever came in March 2005 when he dropped 56 on Toronto, reports...
Atlanta Thrashes Red Wings
Detroit Free Press
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Jan 16, 2008 12:37 AM CST
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Atlanta handed the Red Wings their second straight loss last night, as the Thrashers romped to a 5-1 victory, the Detroit Free press reports. Marian Hossa had his seventh career hat trick for Atlanta, increasing his clout on the free agent market with the trade deadline approaching. The victory marks the Thrashers first in Detroit since the team's...
Habs Best Road-Weary Islanders 3-1
Associated Press
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Jan 16, 2008 12:34 AM CST
(Newser) -
Tomas Plekanec netted two goals for the Montreal Canadiens to help the Habs beat the New York Islanders 3-1 at the Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders had just returned from a successful 2-1-2 road trip but look sluggish on their home ice; Cristobal Huet needed to stop only 17 shots to earn the victory. Richard Park scored the Islanders' lone tally, reports...
Jamba Founders Buy Stake In Facebook
TechCrunch
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Jan 16, 2008 12:29 AM CST
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Brothers Alexander, Marc and Oliver Samwer, founders of ring tone company Jamba, have just joined Microsoft and Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka Shing as major investors in US based social networking company Facebook. Though the Samwers' haven't disclosed the exact size of their investment, they told Der Spiegel it was "significant," but...
