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.
Mitt's Seconds Looking More Like Lasts
Boston Herald
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Jan 30, 2008 2:46 PM CST
(Newser) -
Mitt Romney is “almost there” in his quest to narrow the GOP race to two, but the men he’s beating are hanging tough against him—and the silvers aren’t adding up to gold. The departing Rudy Giuliani is passing the torch to John McCain, while Mike Huckabee—"the Christian leader who never turns the other cheek...
China Shines Image for Olympics
Der Spiegel
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Jan 30, 2008 2:29 PM CST
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With less than 200 days to go before the Summer Olympics, Der Spiegel takes an in-depth look at China’s feverish preparations and finds a sprawling bureaucracy working overtime to project the perfect image to the world. But while Beijing might clean the smog, and even prevent rain, making communist China look like an open and free society won’t...
Co-Pilot Cuffed in Midair After Breakdown
Telegraph (UK)
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Jan 30, 2008 2:14 PM CST
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An Air Canada flight from Toronto to London had to make an emergency landing Monday in Ireland after the co-pilot suffered a mental breakdown in midair, the Telegraph reports. The pilot started screaming God's name while at the controls of the Boeing 767; crew members removed him from the cockpit, bound his wrists and ankles, and handcuffed him to...
Xiu Xiu's Women Breaks Ground
Tiny Mix Tapes
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Jan 30, 2008 2:06 PM CST
(Newser) -
One of indie music’s most intense projects, Xiu Xiu is always innovating, and sixth album Women as Lovers is no slouch—at least its first half, says Tiny Mix Tapes’ Julie. Frontman Jamie Stewart has dropped electronics, hired a virtuoso drummer and reversed his recent “stasis.” But Women 's troubled finale is par for...
FEMA Buried Dangers of Katrina Trailers, Reps Charge
CNN
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Jan 30, 2008 1:54 PM CST
(Newser) -
Democrats on a House committee say the Federal Emergency Management Agency ignored good science in using travel trailers with dangerously high levels of formaldehyde as long-term housing for victims of Hurricane Katrina, CNN reports, adding that FEMA suppressed a report on formaldehyde risks. The emergency agency calls yesterday's accusations "unfounded...
Castro Rails on Bush Address
Associated Press
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Jan 30, 2008 1:51 PM CST
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President Bush’s latest State of the Union address was his worst yet, according to Fidel Castro, full of “demagoguery, lies, and a total lack of ethics.” Castro hasn’t shown himself since 2006 emergency surgery, but a scathing essay was published in his name in today’s Cuban papers, ripping Bush for everything from wars...
Sprint Nextel Revives WiMAX Plans
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 30, 2008 1:46 PM CST
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Struggling Sprint Nextel, burdened with layoffs, retail store closings, and massive mobile-subscriber defections to AT&T and Verizon, may be getting back in the game. The company, which recently caved to investor pressure to drop plans for a $5-billion nationwide WiMAX network, is again talking with Clearwire, its partner in the abandoned venture,...
Guess Who: Ralph Flirts With Bid
Politico
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Jan 30, 2008 1:41 PM CST
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Well, hello again: Ralph Nader has revealed an exploratory presidential website, telling Politico that Dennis Kucinich’s exit leaves an electoral niche that might just fit him. Said the consumer advocate-turned-third-partier, "We’re testing the waters on the overriding issue of corporate control, of our political economy, and anything...
Fed Cuts Key Rate by Half Point
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 30, 2008 1:24 PM CST
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The Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate by a half percentage point today, reports the Wall Street Journal, bringing the benchmark overnight lending rate down to 3% even as officials signaled that further cuts were possible. The widely anticipated move follows last week's emergency .75% cut to a rate that stood at 5.25% just a few months ago.
MySpace to Open Platform to Developers
Associated Press
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Jan 30, 2008 1:00 PM CST
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Following the lead of rival Facebook, social networking giant MySpace will launch the MySpace Developer Platform next week, giving programmers deeper access to its site--possibly including the ability to tap into MySpace user data, AP reports. MySpace already informally allows programmers to develop widgets for it, and hopes the new platform will help...
Risky Spacewalk Juices Up ISS
Associated Press
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Jan 30, 2008 12:57 PM CST
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US astronauts pulled off a risky repair mission on the International Space Station’s troubled solar wing today, the AP reports. The possibility of electrical shock made the 7-hour spacewalk dangerous, forcing the team to wait until the station was on the dark side of the planet. “Yee-haw! Excellent,” cried Commander Peggy Whitson...
My Teacher's Maiden Ice Cream Flavor? Huh?
Slate
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Jan 30, 2008 12:49 PM CST
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Odds are good that your bank has, at some point, asked for your mother’s maiden name. Security questions are as ubiquitous, Slate’ s Josh Levin writes, as they are absurd. Coming up with easy-to-remember, but hard-to-guess, questions is nearly impossible. Paris Hilton’s account, for example, was hacked when someone divined her favorite...
John Edwards Drops White House Bid
CNN
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Jan 30, 2008 12:40 PM CST
(Newser) -
John Edwards ended his presidential bid today in front of a Habitat for Humanity site in New Orleans. Edwards reiterated his confidence that "a proud progressive will occupy the White House" in 2008, but “It’s time for me to step aside so that history can blaze its path.” The third-place Dem had failed to capture a silver...
Israeli Report Slams Lebanon War, Spares PM Olmert
Guardian (UK)
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Jan 30, 2008 12:30 PM CST
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An Israeli panel cited “grave shortcomings” in its final report on Ehud Olmert’s leadership during the 2006 Lebanon war, but said Israel's PM acted “on substantial grounds" and in what he felt was in the nation’s best interest, the Guardian reports. Olmert, who had expected the report to call for his resignation,...
Slashdot Doesn't Digg Ron Paul
New York Times
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Jan 30, 2008 12:29 PM CST
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Social news sites like Digg don’t work, says Slashdot founder Rob Malda, and Ron Paul is Exhibit A. “A lot of these community news sites are all about Ron Paul,” Malda told the New York Times . “What that is really demonstrating is that you are seeing 1 or 2 percent of a community shaping where the whole community is going.”
A New Racial Slur: 'Canadians'
Guardian (UK)
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Jan 30, 2008 12:13 PM CST
(Newser) -
An otherwise insignificant manslaughter trial in Texas has bloggers and citizens of the US' northern neighbor flabbergasted after a prosecutor seemed to refer to blacks on the jury by the euphemism "Canadians." It's apparently not an isolated usage, the Guardian reports: Internet users have dug up many examples of American racists using...
Obama Hopes Kansas Roots Will Yield Votes
Los Angeles Times
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Jan 30, 2008 12:04 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama has been hitting the pavement in staunchly Republican Kansas, the Los Angeles Times reports, returning to the town where his maternal grandparents lived during the Great Depression. The Democratic presidential candidate also picked up an endorsement yesterday from Democratic governor Kathleen Sebelius—something that might help...
Japan Sends Out Sushi Squad
AFP
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Jan 30, 2008 11:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
Japan, worried that the globalization of sushi is embarrassing its national cuisine—think California rolls—is about to start certifying which of the estimated 25,000 Japanese restaurants around the world are authentic. Experts based in major cities, including London, Paris, and Los Angeles, will give eateries that pass muster a logo showing...
Falling Spy Satellite May Hit North America
Associated Press
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Jan 30, 2008 11:38 AM CST
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A defunct and out-of-control spy satellite is falling to Earth, and could scatter debris somewhere in North America in late February or early March, the AP reports. The Air Force says the satellite called US 193, whose central computer failed shortly after its launch in 2006, is big enough that it probably won't all burn up on reentry, and some pieces...
Slain Kenyan Pol a Key to Peace
New York Times
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Jan 30, 2008 11:25 AM CST
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The Kenyan opposition lawmaker who was dragged from his car yesterday and shot to death could have been key to ending the ethnically charged turmoil, reports the New York Times, but his assassination instead further plunged the country into violent chaos. Melitus Mugabe Were had been working toward peace, able to bridge ethnic divides because of...
Carter Backs Obama, Almost
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 30, 2008 11:07 AM CST
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Jimmy Carter came tantalizingly close to endorsing Barack Obama in an interview with the Wall Street Journal , calling the Illinois senator's campaign "extraordinary and titillating for me and my family." While he's officially neutral, the former president and Nobel Prize winner heaped praise on Obama, predicting that he could win southern...
SocGen Board Stands By Its Execs
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 30, 2008 10:52 AM CST
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Defying pressure from the French government, Société Générale's board of directors today unanimously voted to keep co-chief executives Daniel Bouton and Philippe Citerne in their jobs. About 100 employees endorsed the sentiment by leaving the embattled bank's headquarters and standing on the sidewalk in a show of support...
Tiger Attack Probe Suspended
San Francisco Chronicle
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Jan 30, 2008 10:32 AM CST
(Newser) -
The investigation into last month's attack at the San Francisco Zoo has found no conclusive evidence that the victims committed a crime in taunting Tatiana the tiger, and police have suspended the case, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. The probe had been focusing on cell phone records and car contents of Paul and Kulbir Dhaliwal, friends of the...
Only in LA: Pot Vending Machines
Associated Press
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Jan 30, 2008 10:18 AM CST
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Always on the leading edge, LA is now the first city to have 24-hour medical marijuana vending machines. The bulky black boxes scan patrons' fingerprints and a prepaid card, dispensing neat green envelopes of pot. The machines provide "convenient access, lower prices, safety, anonymity," the inventor tells the AP.
Hot Water Leaches Harmful Chemical From Plastic
USA Today
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Jan 30, 2008 9:55 AM CST
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Hot liquid causes a potentially harmful chemical to leach out of certain plastics much faster than usual, researchers have found. The study, published in Toxicology Letters , discovered that bisphenol A, or BPA, was released from some common plastic bottles 55 times faster when they were placed in boiling water. Concerns about BPA, a hormone...
Bank of England Governor Gets 2nd Term
Reuters
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Jan 30, 2008 9:40 AM CST
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Mervyn King has won a second term as governor of the Bank of England, the Fed's British counterpart, ending months of speculation about his future. Reuters reports that King will serve at the head of the UK central bank for another five years despite the City's fury at his handling of the credit crisis and the meltdown of Northern Rock. Several reports...
Arctic Ice Vanishing 'Like Mad'
LiveScience
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Jan 30, 2008 9:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
Ice caps on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic are "receding like mad" and could be gone completely within 50 years, LiveScience reports. The fields of ice have shrunk by half in the last 50 years and haven't been so small for at least 1,600 years, according to a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Risky Errors on Rise With Sound-Alike Drugs
Reuters
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Jan 30, 2008 9:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
The problem of drug-name mix-ups is growing in the US, with harmful and sometimes even fatal consequences for patients, USA Today reports. A study undertaken by the group that regulates generic drug names found that the rate of mix-ups has more than doubled since 2004. In one case, a 7-year-old boy ended up in the emergency room after being given...
Economic Growth Slowed to a Crawl in Q4
Bloomberg
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Jan 30, 2008 9:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
Economic growth braked so violently in the fourth quarter of 2007 that it wiped out a stellar third quarter, dragging annual growth to a 5-year low. Last quarter’s 0.6% GDP growth—after 4.9% pace in Q3—was just half what analysts expected, as the housing component plummeted 24%, its biggest fall since 1981. One key inflation gauge...
Edwards to Quit '08 Race
Associated Press
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Jan 30, 2008 8:20 AM CST
(Newser) -
Democratic hopeful John Edwards is ending his second quest for the presidency, reports the AP, capping a campaign in which he focused on progressive ideals and wrestled with the recurring cancer of his wife, Elizabeth. The former senator canceled campaign events last night for what was to be a major speech on poverty in New Orleans this afternoon....
US Rips Kenya Opposition Over 'Ethnic Cleansing'
Associated Press
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Jan 30, 2008 8:19 AM CST
(Newser) -
The top US envoy to Africa today accused supporters of Kenya's opposition of "clear ethnic cleansing" after violence in the Rift Valley killed hundreds of Kikuyus, who support embattled president Mwai Kibaki. "The aim originally was not to kill, it was to cleanse, it was to push them out" of the valley, Jendayi Frazer told reporters...
Hispanics Key to Both Fla. Wins
Miami Herald
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Jan 30, 2008 8:10 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Hispanic vote clinched the Florida victories of both John McCain and Hillary Clinton, the Miami Herald reports. McCain's POW experience especially resonated with Cuban-Americans, and Hispanic voters' fondness for Bill Clinton boosted Hillary, who won among Hispanics by a 2-1 margin over Obama. The strong presence of retirees also bolstered both...
Global Markets Retreat Ahead of Fed Move
AFP
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Jan 30, 2008 7:49 AM CST
(Newser) -
European stocks followed declines in Asian markets as news of more subprime woes overshadowed an anticipated 50 basis point rate cut from the Federal Reserve and some positive economic data from the US, AFP reports. London’s FTSE 100 was down 0.85%, the Paris CAC was off 1.54%, Frankfort’s DAX 30 dipped 0.67% and the Euro Stoxx 50 was off...
Why Rudy Fell So Far, So Fast
New York Times
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Jan 30, 2008 7:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
How did the man who took summer polls by storm fall so precipitously in the esteem of GOP voters that he was finished by Florida, the state he chose for his first big victory? It could be the hubris, the inexperienced campaign team, the strategic mistakes—or it could be that "the more Republican voters saw of Mr. Giuliani, the less they...
Pressure on for SocGen Heads to Roll
Financial Times (UK)
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Jan 30, 2008 6:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
Independent auditors have been called in to examine events leading up to Société Générale's $7 billion trading scandal—and the jobs of some top executives are on the line, reports the Financial Times. The bank's head of corporate and investment banking will have to answer tough questions about why nothing was done...
FBI Targets 14 Firms in Subprime Fraud Probe
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 30, 2008 6:26 AM CST
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The FBI is investigating 14 companies linked to the subprime mortgage crisis, the Wall Street Journal reports. The bureau is pursuing allegations including accounting fraud and insider trading, said a bureau spokesman. An investigation into the complex secondary mortgage market could implicate major firms that have lost billions of investor...
Subprime Woes Cost UBS Record $4B Loss
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 30, 2008 5:59 AM CST
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Hit hard by the subprime mortgage crisis, UBS AG announced it will write down an additional $4 billion in bad investments and post a $4.03 billion loss for 2007, a record for the company and significantly more than the Swiss banking giant predicted in December, reports the Wall Street Journal . Analysts warn that more writedowns could be coming.
US Wants More NATO Troops for Afghan War
Reuters
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Jan 30, 2008 5:23 AM CST
(Newser) -
The US will pressure its NATO allies to commit more troops to Afghanistan, Reuters reports, but won't send more Americans, beyond the 3,200-Marine surge ordered last month. The need for increased manpower in the 6-year-old conflict resurfaced this week when Canada's prime minister threatened to withdraw his nation's 2,500 soldiers unless they're supported...
Stars Down Canucks 4-3 to Keep Top Slot
Dallas Morning News
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Jan 30, 2008 4:49 AM CST
(Newser) -
Stars coach Dave Tippett insists "it's not about how many saves, it's about winning," but goalie Marty Turco's 29 saves last night certainly helped Dallas stay ahead of the Canucks. The 4-3 victory, which broke the Stars' two-game losing streak, came on sharp and sometimes shorthanded shooting, reports the Dallas Morning News.
Bush May Stall Iraq Troop Cuts
New York Times
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Jan 30, 2008 4:49 AM CST
(Newser) -
President Bush is signaling that troop reductions in Iraq may slow or stop after this summer, reports the New York Times. Insiders say Bush is preparing Americans for the possibility that troop levels may be at least as large as they were a year ago when he leaves office. Troop numbers are scheduled to return to levels before the surge—when...
McCain Grabs Frontrunner Crown With Florida Win
Real Clear Politics
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Jan 30, 2008 4:27 AM CST
(Newser) -
GOP hopeful John McCain won in Florida last night by pulling together the same coalition that worked for him in New Hampshire and South Carolina: moderates, voters concerned about the economy, and those most disenchanted with Bush. Romney campaigned on "fixing Washington" but McCain is the candidate with a long history of being the anti-Bush...
Sonics Snap Streak 88-85 Against Spurs
Seattle Times
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Jan 30, 2008 4:04 AM CST
(Newser) -
"You could see this coming," said Earl Watson, but no one really expected the 14-straight-loss Sonics to topple the defending NBA champions. The Spurs got 29 points from Manu Ginobili and 27 from Tim Duncan, but Seattle eked out an 88-85 win nevertheless. Rookie Kevin Durant (26 points) didn't hide his delight, reports the Seattle Times....
Clinton's Numbers Spell Trouble
Nation
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Jan 30, 2008 3:58 AM CST
(Newser) -
Hillary Clinton took half the Democratic vote in Florida's primary but the numbers should still give her as much to worry about as to celebrate, writes the Nation . She took only a quarter of the black vote and came behind John Edwards in some rural counties—an ominous sign ahead of Super Tuesday, when many states with large numbers of rural...
Senate Grills Mukasey Today on Waterboarding
Associated Press
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Jan 30, 2008 3:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
A high-noon face off is looming today between Attorney General Michael Mukasey and the Senate Judiciary Committee over waterboarding, the simulated drowning interrogation technique that many consider torture. Committee chair Patrick Leahy said Mukasey faces "serious questions" on the issue at today's hearing. But Mukasey has warned Leahy...
Impending War Report Could Topple Olmert
Times (UK)
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Jan 30, 2008 3:36 AM CST
(Newser) -
Ehud Olmert is bracing for a vital challenge to his career as prime minister of Israel, when a report damning his conduct in the 2006 Lebanon war is released later today. The report could topple Olmert's precarious coalition government, the Times of London reports. An interim version of the report already triggered calls for Olmert's resignation.
1,000 to Lose Jobs as Yahoo Profits Fall 23%
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 30, 2008 3:25 AM CST
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After a 23% plummet in fourth quarter profits, Yahoo's CEO said the company will face job cuts and continued "headwinds" in 2008, the Wall Street Journal reports. Facing decreased advertiser spending, the company will lay off 1,000 employees next month, though it will try to relocate some within Yahoo. Such bleak expectations prompted a...
Vols Turn Back Crimson Tide
Tennessean
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Jan 30, 2008 3:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
No. 7 Tennessee had dropped 16 of their last 17 games at Alabama, and it wasn't until the very end of last night's match up that the Volunteers ensured their hard-fought road win. The 93-86 game stayed close throughout, thanks in part to 43 total turnovers, but some clutch late-game shooting let Tennessee break away, the Tennessean reports.
World Economy May Dodge US Downturn
Washington Post
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Jan 30, 2008 3:01 AM CST
(Newser) -
The world economy will still catch a cold when America sneezes, but it won't be as bad as it would have been 5-10 years ago, the Washington Post reports. The International Monetary Fund predicts a 2008 global growth forecast of 4.1%—down from 4.9% last year—largely because of an expectation of a US downturn. The impact could have...
Suns Dominant in 125-92 Rout of Hawks
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
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Jan 30, 2008 12:46 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Phoenix Suns got 24 points from Amare Stoudemire en route to a 125-92 beat down of the Atlanta Hawks. Phoenix played arguably their best game of the season, dominating both ends of the floor. The statistics showed this dominance as the Suns set a season-high in field goal percentage (64.2) and a season-low in field goal percentage allowed (33.7),...
Flyers Beat Kings on Late Overtime Goal
Associated Press
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Jan 29, 2008 11:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
Scott Hartnell kicked in a goal with 28.5 seconds left in overtime to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. The Flyers now lead the Atlantic Division with 61 points and have won nine times in their past eleven games. Martin Biron had 29 saves in the win, reports the Associated Press. Elsewhere in the NHL:
