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.
Senate Pitches Rival Stimulus Package
Washington Post
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Jan 29, 2008 8:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Senate has unveiled its own economic stimulus package, challenging the plan agreed to between House leaders and the White House. The Senate plan would give $500 to almost all Americans, rich and poor, and would extend unemployment benefits to the jobless, reports the Washington Post . Senators are also likely to add heating cost assistance, foreclosure-prevention...
Commodities Markets in Merger Talks
New York Times
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Jan 29, 2008 8:12 AM CST
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Owners of the Chicago and New York commodities exchanges are in preliminary talks that could end in an $11 billion merger of the two largest commodities markets in the US, reports the New York Times . NYMEX Holdings shareholders would receive $36 and 0.1323 of a share of CME's common stock in exchange for each NYMEX share.
China Snow Crisis Turns Deadly
Reuters
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Jan 29, 2008 7:46 AM CST
(Newser) -
China’s record snowstorm has killed at least 25 people when the bus they were riding in careened off a slick mountain road in the southwestern province of Guizhou, reports Reuters. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao today visited hordes of stranded train passengers in Hunan province, and the government urged migrant workers not to travel to next week’s...
Romney, McCain, Get Nasty in Sunshine State
Miami Herald
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Jan 29, 2008 7:25 AM CST
(Newser) -
In the GOP campaign's most acrimonious day, John McCain and Mitt Romney spent yesterday going for each others’ throats, trying to swing today’s critical Florida primary, which still looks like a dead heat in the polls, the Miami Herald reports. Romney accused McCain of championing a “liberal course.” McCain’s parry:...
Realism Trumps Boldness in Bush Address
Washington Post
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Jan 29, 2008 6:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
In his last State of the Union address President Bush dispensed with the grand narratives and far-reaching proposals of previous years, contenting himself to repackaging earlier projects, the Washington Post observes. Gone was the boldness—even defiance—of transforming the Social Security system or overhauling...
Writers Strike Accord With Grammys
E! Online
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Jan 29, 2008 6:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Grammys broadcast will go on—with union scribes cleared to pen intros, segues, and one-liners that glue awards shows together—thanks to a waiver deal hammered out between the Writers Guild of America and the Recording Academy. The next battlefield is the Academy Awards. The guild has warned that there will be no waiver for the Oscars.
Afghan Women Protest Yank Kidnapping
Associated Press
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Jan 29, 2008 5:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
Some 500 Afghan women, many wearing burqas, assembled in an extremely rare mass protest in Kandahar to protest the kidnapping of American aid worker Cyd Mizell. "Her kidnapping is against our culture and tradition," said the director of the women's organization in Kandahar. Some of the women had obtained permission from their husbands to...
McCain Surges Ahead in California
CNN
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Jan 29, 2008 5:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
John McCain has leaped ahead of GOP rival Mitt Romney in California, according to the latest CNN/OpinionResearch Corp. McCain has the support of 39% of likely California Republican voters, up 19% from just two weeks ago, and well ahead of Romney, with 26%. Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee bring up the rear, with 13% and 11%, respectively.
Cold Meds Land 7,000 Kids a Year in the Hospital
Reuters
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Jan 29, 2008 4:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
More than 7,000 American children a year end up in emergency rooms after taking over-the-counter cold or cough medicines, the federal Centers for Disease Control reports. Most of the children take overdoses of the drugs on their own, but a quarter have bad reactions to normal doses given by their parents, according to the study of kids under 12 published...
Docs Demand ABC Pull Vaccine-Autism Drama
USA Today
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Jan 29, 2008 4:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
Angry pediatricians are demanding the first episode of new ABC legal drama "Eli Stone" be pulled because of its dangerous message about childhood vaccinations, reports USA Today . Doctors say the storyline, in which a woman wins a $5.2 million judgment against vaccine companies because of her son's autism, will give viewers "the destructive...
Arnold's Health Plan Terminated
Los Angeles Times
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Jan 29, 2008 3:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's ambitious plans for a near-universal health care insurance system in California have been terminated after a year-long effort to win the support of lawmakers. The proposal was overwhelmingly rejected by California's Senate Health Committee, with only 1 of 11 senators voting in favor of the plan, reports the Los Angeles...
Bank Was Warned About Rogue Trader
Times (UK)
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Jan 29, 2008 3:19 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Eurex stock exchange alerted Société Générale to positions held by Jérôme Kerviel months before the bank discovered his staggering $7 billion fraud, the Independent reports. Kerviel produced fake documents to justify his actions to the bank and was motivated by a drive to impress his bosses with lucrative...
Pol's Death Sparks Kenya Battles
BBC
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Jan 29, 2008 3:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Army helicopters fired on crowds to protect Kenyans fleeing bloodshed and mobs torched homes and people as violence escalated today in the wake of the killing of an opposition politician, the BBC reports. At least four people were killed in a Nairobi slum after a member of opposition leader Raila Odinga's party was apparently killed in his home nearby...
Liberty Tries to Force Diller Off IAC Board
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 29, 2008 2:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
The feud between media magnates John Malone and Barry Diller has stepped up a level, reports the Wall Street Journal . Malone's Liberty Media Corp. is taking legal action to boot chairman Diller, his wife and seven others off the board of Internet conglomerate IAC/Interactive Corp. Malone and Diller worked together to build IAC, but their relationship...
Jazz Move Into First With Win Over Spurs
Associated Press
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Jan 29, 2008 12:25 AM CST
(Newser) -
Andrei Kirilenko scored 23 points on 9-10 shooting and Utah never trailed in a 97-91 victory over San Antonio. The intensity was high in this rematch of last season's Western Conference finals, with several technical fouls given out as well as lots of bumps and bruises for the Spurs, who saw a much more physical Utah team this time.
Paul, Hornets Rout Denver
Associated Press
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Jan 29, 2008 12:22 AM CST
(Newser) -
Chris Paul must have heard the "M-V-P" chants and certainly played like one with 23 points and a whopping 17 assists as the No. 1 team in the Western Conference, the New Orleans Hornets, crushed Denver 117-93, reports AP. The Hornets had six players score in double-figures, including Tyson Chandler, who dominated the battle of the centers...
Mavs Have Guns Blazing in Win Over Memphis
Associated Press
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Jan 28, 2008 11:04 PM CST
(Newser) -
Dallas used 70% shooting to outscore Memphis by 14 in the first quarter and then coasted, winning 103-84. Josh Howard made his first eight shots as part of the early barrage and totaled 26 points, reports AP. Dirk Nowitzki had 20 for the Mavs who have won 12 of 14 overall and 13 consecutive games over lowly Memphis, now 13-32.
O's Owner the Apparent Snag in Bedard Deal
ESPN
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Jan 28, 2008 10:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
A proposed trade of Orioles rising star and left-handed pitcher Erik Bedard still awaits the blessing of Peter Angelos, reports ESPN. Bedard, who won 13 for Baltimore last year, would go to Seattle for a package of prospects including outfielder Adam Jones. There are no guarantees, though, as Angelos is notorious for vetoing deals. In other hot stove...
Ducks Regain Finnish Flash
Los Angeles Times
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Jan 28, 2008 10:31 PM CST
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Winning his first Stanley Cup in 2007 wasn't good enough for Finnish forward Teemu Selanne—at 37, he's coming out of retirement with hopes of repeating. The Anaheim fan favorite follows the lead of defenseman Scott Niedermayer, who also retired after the championship and then rejoined the team in December.
Key Dems May Have Had Enough
New Republic
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Jan 28, 2008 9:34 PM CST
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As Hillary Clinton loses Democratic stalwarts like Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and now Ted Kennedy, the New Republic looks at Democratic power brokers who have had enough of the Clinton brand and many who dismiss the former first couple as power-hungry and legacy-obsessed. Although it’s not obvious outside Washington, the Clintons have dominated...
Edwards' New Plan: Outlast 'Celebrity Candidates'
Chicago Tribune
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Jan 28, 2008 9:10 PM CST
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John Edwards may be running third among Dem hopefuls, but he vowed to stay in the race today with a new long-term strategy, the Chicago Tribune reports. He plans to roll online donations into ad campaigns in Super Tuesday states and a dozen others—including "red" ones—until the race narrows "to one of the two celebrity...
Bush Urges Economic Boost
CNN
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Jan 28, 2008 8:52 PM CST
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In his final State of the Union speech, an upbeat President Bush plugged his $150 billion stimulus plan today and urged lawmakers not to "load up the bill," CNN reports. He also advised cutting $18 billion in "bloated" programs, promised to veto pork-barrel funding, and asked policymakers to make tax cuts permanent—all to...
Errant iPhones? No Big Deal, Analyst Says
ComputerWorld
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Jan 28, 2008 8:41 PM CST
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An estimated 1.4 million iPhones that have been either inventoried or clandestinely unlocked may not pose a significant threat to techno-juggernaut Apple's overall profit. The "missing" phones could force stock prices to dip, "but if you look at Apple," reassures analyst Ezra Gottheil, "It's solidly profitable without the iPhone....
Gore's Media Co. Is Going Public
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 28, 2008 8:25 PM CST
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Current Media will soon become even more public: The viewer-created cable TV network, co-founded by Al Gore in 2005, filed an IPO today. The young adult-oriented company registered to sell up to $100 million in class A common stock, but the price range and number of shares weren’t disclosed—and don’t necessarily correlate with the...
Rosy Realtor Ads Omit Pesky Housing Crash
Advertising Age
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Jan 28, 2008 7:58 PM CST
(Newser) -
Apparently, real estate is a can’t-fail investment right now. Or at least, that’s the questionable gospel the National Association of Realtors is preaching, in a blitz of new commercials claiming that home values, on average, double every 10 years, and that a home is “the key to building long-term wealth,” Advertising Age ...
Feminist Group Slams Kennedy for Obama Pick
Times Union (Albany)
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Jan 28, 2008 7:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
Feminists denounced Ted Kennedy today for endorsing Barack Obama, calling it "the ultimate betrayal," the Times Union reports. The National Organization for Women's New York chapter released a statement that Kennedy has "joined the list of progressive white men who can't or won't handle the prospect of a woman president who is Hillary...
State Tolls Rising—Some by 50%
USA Today
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Jan 28, 2008 7:28 PM CST
(Newser) -
As subprime fallout ripples across the country, several states are planning to increase road, bridge, and tunnel tolls, and not by mere pennies, USA Today reports. The George Washington Bridge, for example—which lets New Jerseyites into the Big Apple—will raise its rush hour price from $5 to $8 for cars, and $35 for trucks. One official...
Foreign Buying Spree Reaches Deep Into US
Washington Post
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Jan 28, 2008 7:01 PM CST
(Newser) -
As the dollar drops, foreign investors are buying up US enterprises large and small, from multi-billion-dollar stakes in Wall Street banks to ownership of chemical factories and construction companies in the likes of North Carolina. Canadian, British and German companies have been expanding their portfolios in the US for years, but the Middle East...
Director May Save Ledger's Last Film
People
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Jan 28, 2008 6:43 PM CST
(Newser) -
Heath Ledger's last unfinished film may live on thanks to the magic of CGI, People reports. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was partly about sorcery, so Ledger's character could morph into someone else using computer wizardry, co-star Christopher Plummer said. He added that director Terry Gilliam is "throwing himself into the job of trying...
Bush to Blast Dem Earmarks in Union Speech
Politico
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Jan 28, 2008 6:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
President Bush will slam Democratic spending in favor of his own multi-billion-dollar proposals in his last State of the Union speech, scheduled for 6 p.m. EST tonight. He plans to promote his $150 billion stimulus package, and reiterate the need to fight in Iraq—recently valued at another $108 billion—while demanding an $18 billion cut...
Visually Impaired May Soon Watch TV
MIT Technology Review
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Jan 28, 2008 6:01 PM CST
(Newser) -
Macular degeneration, the disease which causes most age-related sight loss, can make it impossible for patients who suffer even only mild sight loss to watch TV. But help is on the way for these people, Technology Review reports, as Harvard researchers have developed an image-processing algorithm which allows the sight-impaired to see fine detail.
FBI Revolutionizes DNA Tech
NPR
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Jan 28, 2008 6:01 PM CST
(Newser) -
New DNA analysis techniques are allowing the FBI to solve more cases faster using samples no bigger than a pinprick. Equally important, jury members steeped in police-procedural TV shows see the genetic evidence they've come to expect. NPR visits the FBI lab in Quantico, Va., where banks of robots process samples at many times the rate of human technicians.
Detroit Mayor's Aide Quits in Steamy Text Scandal
Detroit News
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Jan 28, 2008 5:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Detroit official quit today after steamy text messages linked her to the mayor in an ongoing sex scandal, the Detroit News reports. Christine Beatty regretted "the devastation that the recent reports have caused" and wrote "that I can no longer effectively carry out the duties of chief of staff.” Two city council members quickly...
Giuliani Spins Lack of Fla. Endorsements
St. Petersburg Times
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Jan 28, 2008 5:24 PM CST
(Newser) -
Grasping for good news on the eve of the Florida primary, Rudy Giuliani released a video today touting his failure to win endorsements from the Tampa Tribune , Orlando Sentinel , South Florida Sun-Sentinel , and New York Times . “He’s not endorsed by any of the liberal newspapers,” the voice-over boasts. But a couple of those...
Page Hints at Led Zeppelin World Tour
Telegraph (UK)
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Jan 28, 2008 5:10 PM CST
(Newser) -
Lead guitarist Jimmy Page has dropped some serious hints that a Led Zeppelin world tour may be on its way. Promoting the band's Mothership album in Japan, Page said the successful reunion concert in London in December proves that they're ready for a tour, reports the Daily Telegraph . “There is something in it but I can’t give you any...
Caffeine May Worsen Diabetes
Reuters
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Jan 28, 2008 4:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
Diabetics may want to consider kicking the coffee habit after a new study showed caffeine consumption increased blood sugar levels, Reuters reports. Type 2 diabetics given caffeine pills equivalent to four cups of coffee experienced an 8% rise in average blood glucose levels relative to days when they were given placebo pills, Duke University researchers...
Strike-Idled Screenwriters Get Creative
Los Angeles Times
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Jan 28, 2008 4:42 PM CST
(Newser) -
The 12-week-old writers guild strike has brought film and TV production to a grinding halt but has fostered a boom in another area, the LA Times reports: print fiction. "Writers who have ideas but never had the time are turning to their book projects," says the VP of a talent agency. Recent weeks have seen a surge in book pitches.
Republicans Place Super Tuesday Bets
Washington Post
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Jan 28, 2008 4:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
With Super Tuesday looming, Republican contenders are ironing out their strategies for what an adviser to John McCain calls "a de facto national primary," the Washington Post reports. McCain and Rudy Giuliani have overlapping plans in California and the Northeast, Mike Huckabee is crossing his fingers in the South, and only Mitt Romney...
Island Paradise Battles Global Warming
NPR
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Jan 28, 2008 4:18 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Republic of Maldives has a lot to fear from rising sea levels, but the chain of tiny islands in the Indian Ocean is doing something to protect itself. The nation has built a concrete wall around the capital, Male, and constructed an entirely new island 7 feet higher than the rest of the country—which the president wants carbon-emitting nations...
Kids Line Up Behind Obama
Voice of America
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Jan 28, 2008 4:07 PM CST
(Newser) -
With "youth vote" challenging "change" as the buzzword of the 2008 elections, Barack Obama is drawing hordes of young people tired of what one campaign worker calls “the old partisan fights and bickering,” reports Voice of America. John Edwards also appeals to the young, but the Clinton camp hasn’t made a concerted...
Another Head Rolls at Merrill Lynch
Bloomberg
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Jan 28, 2008 3:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Merrill Lynch co-president Ahmass Fakahany will step down after subprime mortgages led to a $9.8 billion fourth-quarter loss, the firm said today. Fakahany is at least the third exec from Stan O'Neal's team to leave since John Thain took over as CEO, reports Bloomberg. Thain replaced O'Neal in October following almost-as-horrifying third-quarter losses.
Stocks Up on Rate-Cut Hopes
MarketWatch
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Jan 28, 2008 3:48 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks finished in positive territory today, riding hopes that grim new housing numbers will lead the Fed to cut interest rates this week. "The main event for the week will be the Fed-rate decision on Wednesday," a strategist tells MarketWatch. The Dow was up 176.72 to 12,383.89, the Nasdaq 23.71 to 2,349.91, and the S&P 23.36 to 1,353.97.
House's $89K in Carbon Offsets Do Virtually Nothing
Washington Post
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Jan 28, 2008 3:14 PM CST
(Newser) -
Whatever the good intentions were, the $89,000 the House of Representatives spent on carbon offsets doesn’t seem to have done much, the Washington Post reports. Most of the money went to fund programs that were going on anyway or had already ended. “It demonstrated why offsets are controversial and possibly pointless,” said one...
Cuba's Underground Housing Boom
New York Times
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Jan 28, 2008 2:58 PM CST
(Newser) -
A booming black market in real estate is operating in Cuba, even though the government owns most property. Prices are soaring as property changes hands in a complex, illegal system called permuta, reports the New York Times. Housing swaps are permitted in Cuba, with government approval; permuta involves trading up or down, with illegal cash...
Green Group Blasts Media for Backing Off
Salon
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Jan 28, 2008 2:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
Prime-time journalists have asked this year’s presidential candidates 2,975 questions, just six of which mentioned climate change, according to one conservation group’s tally. That puts global warming just ahead of UFOs (mentioned three times) in frequency, Salon reports. “We’ve gone through the longest primary in our history,”...
Iraq Hired Guns Fight en Español
Los Angeles Times
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Jan 28, 2008 2:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
Not every security contractor in Iraq is a hotshot American making $500 a day. Many of the private security personnel roaming Iraq are poor Latin Americans, for whom the promise of $1,000 a month and full benefits is nearly irresistible, reports the LA Times. “I’d rather die in a war than die of hunger in my own country,” said one...
Indicted Obama Supporter Back in Jail
Chicago Tribune
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Jan 28, 2008 2:03 PM CST
(Newser) -
Antoin Rezko is back in custody today after a federal judge revoked his bond, the Chicago Tribune reports. The indicted real estate developer and longtime Barack Obama contributor was arrested early this morning at home for an undisclosed violation of his $2 million bond. Rezko had been out on bail pending his Feb. 25 trial on corruption charges.
Super Bowl Ads Go Online
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 28, 2008 1:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
A TV spot during the actual Super Bowl is still advertising's crown jewel, but marketers are increasingly expanding to Internet news, video, search and social networking. The Web lets TV advertisers stretch their investments farther, reports the Wall Street Journal , while letting smaller players get in on the action without shelling out $2.7 million...
Clinton Still Leads in the Big States
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 28, 2008 1:34 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama's landslide win in South Carolina gave the Illinois senator a hefty boost in the lead-up to Super Tuesday, but the big states are voting on Feb. 5, and Clinton holds the lead in most of them. The sheer diversity will prevent candidates from doing the whistle-stop campaigning that's gone into the races so far, and the demographic seem to...
Cisco Unveils A Much Faster Switch
New York Times
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Jan 28, 2008 1:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
Cisco is introducing a network switch today that can handle much greater quantities of data traffic than its current products. Aimed at corporations working with large amounts of Internet and remote data, as well as ISPs, the Nexus 7000 switch would be capable of transferring all 90,000 of Netflix’s movies in just 38.4 seconds, reports the New...
