Newser Story Index from October, 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.

Nonprofit Workers Favor Dems
Chronicle of Philanthropy | Oct 31, 08 8:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - People in the charitable world lean heavily Democrat and love Barack Obama, but try to keep their affiliation low-key to avoid insulting the other side, the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports. A new study shows that 88% of foundation worker donations went to Dems, enriching Obama's effort by $399,000 and John McCain's by $32,000. “There’s...

Philly Celebrates Phillies
Associated Press | Oct 31, 08 5:47 PM CDT
(Newser) - Hundreds of thousands lined the streets of Philadelphia this afternoon to celebrate the Phillies' World Series victory. Under clear, sunny skies, the city's famously ill-tempered fans were ebullient and well-behaved, the AP reports. “It's like Christmas came two months early,” manager Charlie Manuel said. Added pitcher Jamie Moyer, who...

Campaigns Call in Big Guns for Final Fireworks Shows
New York Times | Oct 31, 08 5:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - In the final days of the presidential campaign, the candidates are ramping up their schedules and bringing in their parties’ big names to motivate voters, the New York Times reports. John McCain, in addition to sending running mate Sarah Palin on a grueling two-day sprint across the country, has enlisted the help of Arnold Schwarzenegger and...

Author Studs Terkel Dead at 96
NBC5 Chicago | Oct 31, 08 5:17 PM CDT
(Newser) - Studs Terkel, whose powerful oral histories endeared him to American readers and whose playful personality made him beloved in his adopted hometown of Chicago, died today at 96 after suffering from a variety of ailments, NBC5 reports. Born Louis Terkel, he hosted a daily interview and variety show on Chicago’s WFMT-FM for 45 years; his chronicles...

Ballot Questions May Hinge On Obama Turnout
Bloomberg | Oct 31, 08 4:58 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama has a lot riding on his coattails. The impact of a presidential candidate's support on candidates for lower offices can be substantial, and this year's slates also include 153 ballot questions. Besides swinging gubernatorial and congressional races, measures concerning everything from gay marriage to gambling are up for a vote Tuesday....

Dole's Foe Set to Sue Over 'No God' Ad
Charlotte Observer | Oct 31, 08 4:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - Kay Hagan, the North Carolina Democrat challenging Elizabeth Dole for her US Senate seat, has launched a defamation suit, and counter-ad, against the incumbent after a Dole spot questioned Hagan’s belief in God, the Charlotte Observer reports. The ad showed Hagan, a Sunday-school teacher, while another woman’s voice intoned, “There...

Virus Helps Violate 500K Bank, Credit Accounts
BBC | Oct 31, 08 4:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - A computer virus has stolen log-in information for over 500,000 bank accounts and credit and debit cards. The Sinowal Trojan virus has infected computers around the world through “drive-by downloads” that install it without users' knowledge when they visit Web sites running the virus code. Individuals can best protect themselves by being...

9 Hotels Haunted by Celebs
Travel Leisure | Oct 31, 08 4:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - In the mood for upscale Halloween chills? If a plain old haunted house isn't swanky enough for your tastes, consider checking into a room from Travel and Leisure 's list of hotels that come complete with a resident celeb spook: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles: Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift Las Vegas Hilton: Elvis...

'I Have Not Been Convicted of Anything': Stevens
Politico | Oct 31, 08 4:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - Ted Stevens said he had “not been convicted of anything,” during a debate last night with the Democratic challenger to his Alaska Senate seat, Politico reports—despite being convicted Monday on corruption charges. The 84-year old Republican alleges prosecutorial misconduct and plans an appeal, though top GOP figures—including...

If You Don't Know Who This Is, Don't Vote
Creators Syndicate | Oct 31, 08 4:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - Countless actors, musicians and other celebrities have volunteered their time encouraging young people to vote. But should they? ABC News anchor John Stossel quizzed voters on basic political knowledge at a registration-drive concert and in the nation’s capital. A shockingly high number of uninformed answers led Stossel to the “politically...

Ad's Choice of Song Sparks Debate on Artists' Lives
Advertising Age | Oct 31, 08 3:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - HP's decision to change an ad because it featured a song by convicted child molester Gary Glitter has Charlie Moran in Advertising Age wondering about how far we should go in drawing the line between the artist and his art. The ad for the TouchSmart PC drew complaints because it used Joan Jett’s 1982 cover of “Do You Want to Touch Me,”...

Dow Rally Ends Dreadful Month
MarketWatch | Oct 31, 08 3:39 PM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks rallied today despite a slew of poor economic reports as investors instead focused on falling rates in the credit markets, MarketWatch reports. Though the Dow was up 11.3% for the week, October ended as the worst month since 1987. The Dow rose 144.32 to close at 9,325.01, the Nasdaq climbed 22.43 to 1,720.95, and the S&P gained 14.66 to...

Obama Wins in Doonesbury Version of World
Washington Post | Oct 31, 08 3:36 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cartoonist Garry Trudeau has put his newspaper clients in to a bit of a pickle, the Washington Post reports. In a bid to stay current, Wednesday’s installment of "Doonesbury"—written a week in advance—will show characters reacting to a Barack Obama victory. The choice is “a rational risk assessment,” Trudeau...

Betty 's Ugly Charms Wear Thin
New York | Oct 31, 08 3:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - When she lost the poncho, she lost the charm: America Ferrera’s Ugly Betty character “seems to be losing her very Betty-ness,” lament the Fug Girls in New York . “Ferrera and her scrappy, brace-faced alter ego” once brought “surprising heart” to ABC’s show, but “two seasons later, the antics...

Simon Cowell Rocks the Vote
New Republic | Oct 31, 08 3:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama isn't the only force driving young voters are to the polls, writes Alan H. Fleischmann in the New Republic . Thanks to the extreme popularity of judge Simon Cowell and American Idol , they’ve gotten used to having their voices heard. And just as important, Idol participation has allowed people to “see the palpable impact...

10 Senate Races to Watch
Washington Post | Oct 31, 08 3:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - With 35 Senate seats up for grabs Tuesday, Chris Cillizza, in the Washington Post , predicts Democrats will flip eight. Two more are close calls for the Dems, while the GOP has one hope for a pickup. Starting with the most likely: Virginia is in the bag for Mark Warner; he might even get 60% of the vote. New Mexico will fall...

Hackers Get Bank Accounts of Sarko's Dad, Ex-Wife
Times (UK) | Oct 31, 08 3:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - The same hackers who stole small amounts of money from Nicolas Sarkozy’s bank account appear to have gotten into the accounts of his father and first wife as well, the Times of London reports. They didn't steal money but rather set up phony cell-phone accounts. Police initially thought the thieves found Sarko's account by accident, but now...

Petraeus Gets New Title, Plans Pakistan Visit
Tampa Tribune | Oct 31, 08 2:51 PM CDT
(Newser) - Gen. David Petraeus’ first official trip as head of the US military’s Central Command will be to Pakistan, the Tampa Tribune reports. Petraeus was sworn in today at MacDill Air Force base, in Tampa, taking over from Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey. Petraeus’ new responsibilities at Centralcom include planning in 80 countries from Egypt...

First Lady Leaves Hubby at Home, Stumps for GOP
The Hill | Oct 31, 08 2:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - There’s just one Bush out on the campaign in this final weekend before the election, and her name ain’t George: First lady Laura Bush, still popular among Republicans, is stumping around the country for GOP candidates, who want big-name help but not attachment to the president’s unpopularity, the Hill reports. But the president...

Downturn Hammers Magazine Industry, Too
Women's Wear Daily | Oct 31, 08 2:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - The economic downturn is taking its toll on magazines, forcing layoffs and budget cuts as publications face fewer advertising dollars, Women’s Wear Daily reports; the trouble is compounded as production costs soar while readers turn to the Internet. Magazine ad revenue fell 5% in the first three quarters of 2008, to $18.4 billion, with an 8.8%...

43% of Women Have Sex Issues, But Few Are Troubled
ABC News | Oct 31, 08 2:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - Just under half of the female population suffers from sex problems, ABC News reports. A new study found that 43% of its 32,000-women sample reported problems with low desire, arousal or difficulty with orgasms, but only 12% of women said such problems cause them personal anguish.

JPMorgan Plans Relief for $110B in Mortgages
Bloomberg | Oct 31, 08 2:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - JPMorgan Chase will help distressed homeowners by reducing interest rates or principal balances for $110 billion in mortgages, Bloomberg reports. The restructuring applies to clients of Washington Mutual, which JPMorgan agreed to buy last month. Foreclosures will be suspended on all loans for the next 90 days while the relief efforts are implemented.

Mac's Tactics Time-Tested ... But This Ain't the Time
Boston Globe | Oct 31, 08 2:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - Any day now, John McCain will mock John Kerry for flip-flopping. Or maybe go with George H.W.’s “Read my lips, no new taxes,” pledge, even Eisenhower’s “I shall go to Korea.” What he won’t do is offer anything new, because all year he’s “seemed intent on fighting the last war, or rather, waging...

Friend Markets Palin Calendar
Los Angeles Times | Oct 31, 08 2:05 PM CDT
(Newser) - A friend of Sarah Palin’s is cashing in on the mania for the candidate with a calendar, the Los Angeles Times reports. Photographer Judy Patrick, who was also Palin’s deputy mayor in Wasilla, Alaska, snapped Palin playing hockey and holding a shotgun. She gave some photos to the campaign but had enough leftovers for a 13-month calendar....

Latest US Drug Overdose: Hormones for Short Kids
Salon | Oct 31, 08 1:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - Since 2003, when the FDA relaxed restrictions on the use of growth hormone (GH) for children, more parents have been looking to give their shortest offspring a leg up in the world. But while many health professionals agree that taller kids may have higher self-esteem, dosing the short ones may not be worth it, Rahul Parikh writes for Salon .

Boss Pens Halloween Screamer
Star-Ledger | Oct 31, 08 1:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - Just in time for Halloween, Bruce Springsteen has released a song chronicling the life of the infamous Jersey Devil, the Star-Ledger reports. It's a free download on his website. In the accompanying video, Springsteen plays the part of the cloven-hoofed denizen of the Jersey Pine Barrens. “Sixteen witches cast 16 spells,” the Boss growls....

Off Somalia's Shores and On, Piracy Is the New Law
Los Angeles Times | Oct 31, 08 1:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - In lawless, destitute Somalia, there’s only one industry booming: piracy. Its shipping lanes have become the world’s most treacherous, with attacks tripling the past 3 years. And though Somali officials decry the attacks, the industry is hardly underground. The New York and Los Angeles Times visited Somalia’s coastal villages, finding...

Undecided Voters Agree: Choosing Is Tough
Los Angeles Times | Oct 31, 08 1:21 PM CDT
(Newser) - Undecided voters want one thing from John McCain and Barack Obama: a reason to vote for one of them—or not. “I’m waiting for one of them to shoot himself in the leg,” one torn Floridian tells the LA Times. "I just don't trust politicians," says an Ohio auto worker. The 11th-hour deciders last made a difference...

McCain Ally Blasts Palin's Readiness
Huffington Post | Oct 31, 08 1:05 PM CDT
(Newser) - Lawrence Eagleburger, one of five former secretaries of state whose endorsement John McCain often touts, sharply criticized Sarah Palin yesterday, saying she is not ready to handle the presidency if needed and would at best be an “adequate” commander in chief, the Huffington Post reports. Asked if Palin would be ready to assume the top...

Liger Mauls Handler to Death
Tulsa World | Oct 31, 08 12:54 PM CDT
(Newser) - An animal handler at an Oklahoma refuge died yesterday after being attacked by a liger—a hybrid of a lion and a tiger—during the animal’s feeding Wednesday, the Tulsa World reports. Safari’s Animal Sanctuary in suburban Broken Arrow will launch an investigation into whether volunteer Peter Getz, 32, broke safety protocols...

Is Don Draper Hooking Up With Tina Fey?
Entertainment Weekly | Oct 31, 08 12:38 PM CDT
(Newser) - Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better for Tina Fey, she’s about to get a hot, albeit fictional, new beau. A “ Rock -solid mole” tells Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello that Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame has signed on for a multi-episode stint on 30 Rock. He’ll apparently be romancing Fey’s character,...

Scariest Flicks for Halloween
Salon | Oct 31, 08 12:26 PM CDT
(Newser) - It's Halloween, so grab the popcorn and scare yourself silly. Salon counts down ghoulish classics guaranteed to do the trick. The Exorcist (1973): Despite the years and the hype, this tale of diabolical possession is still Hollywood's most ominous venture into the supernatural. Halloween (1978): The movie that spawned countless psycho-slasher...

McCain-Endorsing Papers Lose Seats on Air Obama
Drudge Report | Oct 31, 08 12:18 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Obama campaign has kicked reporters from the New York Post, Washington Times, and Dallas Morning News off its campaign plane, and as the Drudge Report was quick to note, all three papers endorsed McCain. An Obama spokesman confirmed the report, but said it was not politically motivated, noting that Fox News has retained its spot.

Palin Slims Down on Trail
New York Daily News | Oct 31, 08 12:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - This may explain the new clothing bill. Since joining the GOP ticket, Sarah Palin has gone down a size in clothing, to a 4, the Daily News reports. Alaska's all-American governor has been guzzling Lean1 shakes on the campaign trail. That's the drink most notably pimped by former NFL Pro-Bowler Bill Romanowski. The McCain camp had no comment.

Brooks: Want Real Economic Stimulus? Fix the Roads
New York Times | Oct 31, 08 12:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Panic is afoot, so of course, Congress is bearing down on another stimulus package, though the last one seems to have missed the mark. These “politically designed, ad hoc” measures “amount to an economic sugar rush,” David Brooks writes in the New York Times . If he’s wise, the next president will eschew checks for one...

Porno Naughty But Nice
Rotten Tomatoes | Oct 31, 08 11:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - Indie director and slacker king Kevin Smith has made a surprisingly tender film with Zack and Miri Make a Porno , critics say. Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogan star as a pair of "genuinely likable social misfits" whose platonic friendship is put to the test when they decide to make an adult film to pay the bills, Sean Axmaker writes in...

It's Obama's Moment: Hold On for Dear Life: Noonan
Wall Street Journal | Oct 31, 08 11:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - Peggy Noonan gives it up for Barack Obama today. “He has within him the possibility to change the direction and tone of American foreign policy, which need changing,” she writes, and his election will “serve as a practical rebuke to the past five years, which needs rebuking.” He showed good judgment during the campaign, she...

Real McCain Set for SNL
Associated Press | Oct 31, 08 11:29 AM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain will take a page from Sarah Palin's book and appear on Saturday Night Live tomorrow, aides tell the AP. It will be his first appearance on the show since May. Meanwhile, rumors continue to fly that Barack Obama will stop, too, but SNL reps aren't confirming or denying anything, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Rumors the Press Won't Cover
Politico | Oct 31, 08 11:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - It’s been a year for political rumors and paranoia. In Politico, Ben Smith rounds up some of the salacious tidbits readers keep haranguing the press to cover. Obama’s not a citizen. At first, this rumor focused on having a parent born elsewhere, then moved on to suggesting his birth certificate was hidden or forged. John McCain...

New Video Hit: 'Where Are You, Joe?'
MSNBC | Oct 31, 08 11:10 AM CDT
(Newser) - The image of John McCain looking for a nowhere-to-be-found Joe the Plumber has surfaced on YouTube and is being forwarded by gleeful Democrats, notes MSNBC's First Read blog. “Joe’s with us here," McCain said at an Ohio rally yesterday. "Joe, where are you?," he asked, looking around. "Where is Joe? Joe, I thought...

Light Drinking in Pregnancy May Actually Help Babies
Guardian (UK) | Oct 31, 08 11:05 AM CDT
(Newser) - An occasional drink during pregnancy not only doesn't hurt babies, a British study has found, it may even benefit them. Moms who did a little imbibing—say, a drink a week—saw substantially lower risks of hyperactivity and behavior problems in boys by the age of 3, the Guardian reports. The kids also scored higher on vocabulary and other...

Supermodel Taylor Expecting 3rd Child
People | Oct 31, 08 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - Make Me a Supermodel host Niki Taylor is expecting her third child in March. The supermodel is married to Burney Lamar, a NASCAR driver. "Burney and I are very excited with this stage of our lives," 33-year-old Taylor told People . "We're thrilled." Taylor has 13-year-old twin boys from a previous marriage.

Why Is Obama in Front? It's All About the Debates
Washington Post | Oct 31, 08 10:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - To many pundits, the debates are forgotten, a thing of the past—but it’s quite possible they are the key to Barack Obama’s dominance in the polls, writes Robert G. Kaiser in the Washington Post . Before the debates, Obama was seen as a risky unknown. But having seen his performances, “Americans find Obama more empathetic, stronger,...

Campaigns Go All-Out in Ohio
Salon | Oct 31, 08 10:16 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama has led in the last 11 Ohio polls, but the battle for the all-important state is intensifying as Republicans make a last-minute get-out-the-vote sweep. Early voting has leaned Obama’s way, but Republicans—who don't see a clear path to the White House without victory here—say that means little. Salon and the Wall Street...

Seinfeld Helps Madge with Secret A-Rod Reunion
New York Post | Oct 31, 08 10:08 AM CDT
(Newser) - Less than a week after she split with her husband, Madonna arranged for a clandestine meeting with her Kabbalah "soul mate," Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez. They each flew from Manhattan to East Hampton in separate helicopters where Jerry Seinfeld and his wife picked them up and squired them to the Seinfelds' waterfront mansion, spies tell...

New Fungus Linked to Bat Die-Offs
Los Angeles Times | Oct 31, 08 9:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists have identified a new fungus that might be responsible for the mass deaths of bats in the Northeast. If the findings are borne out, they could help researchers understand and eventually stop the contagion—dubbed white-nose syndrome—that has wiped out entire colonies in their caves, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Off the Radar, 'Joe the Biden' Courts the Base
New York Times | Oct 31, 08 9:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - While the rest of the big three draw huge crowds and intense scrutiny, Joe Biden is out of the spotlight, rallying four-digit rather than five-digit crowds and generally dodging the national media. With higher favorability ratings than Sarah Palin but a well-documented propensity for gaffes, he shores up the base with a disciplined strategy that takes...

Meet Obama's New Old 'Radical' Pal
New York Times | Oct 31, 08 9:37 AM CDT
(Newser) - Ever since an April story in the LA Times linked him with Barack Obama, friends say Rashid Khalidi has expected to be vilified along the lines of Bill Ayers. The Manhattan-born Columbia professor is an advocate for Palestinian rights and once likened Israeli policies to apartheid. This week John McCain finally brought up his ties to Obama, while...

'Consumers Have Thrown In the Towel': Report
Bloomberg | Oct 31, 08 9:24 AM CDT
(Newser) - The punches are coming from all directions and consumers, beaten down and out of breath, are clearly ceding the fight through decreased spending, Bloomberg reports. The scorecard released today says it all: consumer purchases were down 0.3% in September, the biggest drop in 4 years, capping the weakest quarter in 30 years. Inflation is also cooling,...

How Hank Paulson Blew $125B
Washington Post | Oct 31, 08 9:15 AM CDT
(Newser) - Not too long ago, critics from left and right were clamoring for Hank Paulson to abandon his plan buy up toxic mortgage-backed securities at auction to unlock credit markets. Instead, they argued, the government should give money directly to banks for them to lend. Too bad Paulson listened, writes Steven Pearlstein in the Washington Post , because...