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.
UFO Video Raises a Fuss in Turkey
Sun (UK)
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Oct 21, 2008 4:51 PM CDT
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Video taken of strange objects in the night sky over Turkey has been deemed authentic—well, at least by UFO researchers. A night watchman shot the video over multiple nights earlier this year, and it shows hovering craft and strange constellations of lights, the Sun reports. A self-described expert who verified the tape says “physical...
GOP Ticket's Disagreements May Be His Idea ... Or Hers
Slate
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Oct 21, 2008 4:38 PM CDT
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Sarah Palin has publicly disagreed with John McCain on several issues, from giving up in Michigan, to the gay marriage ban, to attacking Barack Obama’s connection to Rev. Wright. A VP hopeful’s job main job is to agree with the ticket, notes John Dickerson for Slate, so why is Palin so frequently off-message? A degree of her roguishness...
SNL Expects Obama Nov. 1
Eisenstadt Group
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Oct 21, 2008 4:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Saturday Night Live has lined up Barack Obama for Nov. 1—the weekend before the election, blogger Martin Eisenstadt says he’s hearing from an aide to Sarah Palin. In boozy glee over the successful Palin appearance Saturday, SNL political writer Seth Meyers blurted, “just wait til you see what we have cooked up for Obama’s...
US, Russian Commanders Hold First Post-Georgia Talks
AFP
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Oct 21, 2008 4:14 PM CDT
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Ranking US and Russian military commanders met face to face for the first time since the Georgian crisis, the AFP reports. Few details emerged from the Helsinki meeting, but it appeared to be a first step toward a mending of relations. Michael Mullen, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the relationship “will not return to exactly where...
London's Mayor Plugs Obama
Telegraph (UK)
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Oct 21, 2008 4:00 PM CDT
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After President Bush managed an “astonishing double whammy,” damaging both democracy, via Iraq, and capitalism, on Wall Street—“the two great pillars of the American idea”—London mayor Boris Johnson sees Barack Obama as the candidate who can rejuvenate “the greatest country on earth,” the former Conservative...
Starbucks Helped Brew Meltdown—Just Check a Map
Slate
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Oct 21, 2008 3:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A simple tool could hold the key to predicting where the financial crisis will strike next, Daniel Gross writes on Slate: Starbucks’ Internet store locator. “Having a significant Starbucks presence is a pretty significant indicator of the degree of connectedness to the form of highly caffeinated, free-spending capitalism that got us into...
Earnings Push Stocks Lower
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 21, 2008 3:35 PM CDT
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Stocks fell today as a wave of poor earnings soured investor confidence across the board, though the continued drop in interbank lending rates kept losses in check, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow closed down 231.77 at 9,033.66. The Nasdaq fell 73.35 to 1,696.68, while the S&P 500 slipped 30.35 to settle at 955.05.
UK Tories Accused of Soliciting Russian Magnate
Telegraph (UK)
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Oct 21, 2008 3:35 PM CDT
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Britain's Conservative Party is taking heat for allegedly requesting $85,000 from a Russian billionaire and suggesting he skirt UK law by gifting the money through his British firm. The solicitation was firmly denied by the party’s finance spokesman, who confirmed he met with aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska but wouldn’t say if they discussed...
Crisis May Cost World 20M Jobs
BusinessWeek
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Oct 21, 2008 3:22 PM CDT
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The financial sector is slashing workers, and Silicon Valley employees are dropping like prices on last year's iPod. What industry is next? All of them, Moira Herbst writes in BusinessWeek . Every company relies on credit and consumer purchasing power, making this an “equal-opportunity recession,” a staffing agent says. The damage could...
Mexico Will Deport Cuban Migrants Headed for US
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 21, 2008 3:10 PM CDT
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Mexico agreed yesterday to deport Cubans passing through the country to reach the US, the Los Angeles Times reports. Increased US patrols in the waters between Cuba and Florida have smugglers using land routes through Mexico to transport would-be immigrants. Mexican authorities have arrested 2,000 undocumented Cubans this year, three times more than...
Iran Nabs 'Spying' Pigeons
Telegraph (UK)
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Oct 21, 2008 2:57 PM CDT
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Two pigeons are under arrest in Iran after the alleged avian spies were found hovering near the nation's uranium-enrichment plant at Natanz, the Telegraph reports. The first, a black one, was caught wearing espionage gear—a metal ring held by “invisible” strings. The birds may have been communicating what they saw of Tehran's controversial...
Big Dreams for Android Aren't Just Google's
GigaOm
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Oct 21, 2008 2:45 PM CDT
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Google’s release of the code for its Android operating system today—a day before the G1 phone hits stores—paves the path for transformation of the cell-phone industry and beyond, Om Malik writes on GigaOm. As coders enhance Android and develop add-ons, either for existing devices or new ones, consumers will benefit from increased...
5 Factors to Focus On in Series
Detroit Free Press
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Oct 21, 2008 2:33 PM CDT
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The World Series starts tomorrow night, with two teams that might not be so familiar to viewers. With that in mind, John Lowe, writing in the Detroit Free Press , has prepared a list of five players or positions that could be game changers. Centerfielders: The Phillies' Shane Victorino and the Rays' BJ Upton have great speed on offense and...
Poll: Obama Is Most-Liked Candidate Since Reagan
New York Times
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Oct 21, 2008 2:20 PM CDT
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Barack Obama is the most well-liked first-term presidential candidate in 28 years, New York Times /CBS polls found. More than half of voters, 53%, have a favorable impression of the Illinois senator, a 10-point increase over last month. And though John McCain’s approval ratings held steady, voters with a negative opinion of him increased 10...
Wrong on Iraq, Wrong on Barack
National Review
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Oct 21, 2008 2:07 PM CDT
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Just as Colin Powell overlooked UN corruption before the Iraq war, he's overlooking Barack Obama's flaws as a candidate, Claudia Rosett writes in the National Review . His endorsement lacked any specifics about the transformations Obama will bring about, leading her to revisit Powell's previous "blind spots." Rosett doesn't "question...
Airlines Trim Holiday Flights, Cut Off-Peak Bargains
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 21, 2008 1:54 PM CDT
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As airlines struggle to stay competitive, scheduling changes mean that consumers will see fewer planes and higher fares, the Wall Street Journal reports. In the coming Thanksgiving season, US Airways is flying 40% fewer flights than a year ago. Delta and United have both reduced Thanksgiving flights by more than 20%. And thanks to more efficient...
Madonna's 'KGB' Tactics Irk Guy
Sun (UK)
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Oct 21, 2008 1:36 PM CDT
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"This is a divorce, not the Cold War," Guy Ritchie fumed at Madonna, accusing her of stealth stalking tactics like "something concocted by the KGB." His pop star wife, a “control freak,” knew in advance that Ritchie was meeting family to discuss how to "stand his ground" now that hopes for a "private and...
China Blames Crisis in Latest GDP Slide
Guardian (UK)
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Oct 21, 2008 1:27 PM CDT
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The dragon isn’t sick yet, but it’s definitely catching cold: China’s gross domestic product grew by an enviable 9% in the third quarter, but still failed to match last quarter’s result of 10.1%, the Guardian reports. The data mark the first time China’s GDP has dipped below 10% in almost 3 years, and the fifth consecutive...
Colo. Cops Tackle Palin Protesters
CNN
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Oct 21, 2008 1:12 PM CDT
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Police dragged away a group of protesters who were attempting to block Sarah Palin’s motorcade today in Colorado, and tackled at least two of them, CNN reports. A group of eight to 10 protesters broke from a larger group to stand in front of Palin’s car, holding up a large banner. Officers hauled them out of the way, forcing at least two...
Sox Fans Drove Joba to Drive Drunk: Report
New York Post
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Oct 21, 2008 12:58 PM CDT
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Joba Chamberlain nearly got into a fistfight with a Red Sox fan before his alleged DUI, the New York Post reports. Chamberlain began the ill-fated night by pounding a couple Grey Goose drinks at a friend’s bar, before hitting a strip club. There he encountered a heckler. “Too bad you didn’t play for the Red Sox,” said another...
Melamine Kills 1,500 Chinese Dogs
Associated Press
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Oct 21, 2008 12:53 PM CDT
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About 1,500 Chinese raccoon dogs, bred specially for their fur, have died after eating tainted food over the last two months, the AP reports, raising fears of rampant misuse of the chemical melamine. The discovery comes as melamine-tainted milk has sickened thousands of babies with kidney stones and been tied to four deaths.
Small Print Lets Donors Write Big Checks
New York Times
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Oct 21, 2008 12:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama’s small donors have grabbed the headlines this election, but the latest campaign finance reports reveal that big donors have been playing their biggest role in ages, the New York Times reports. Both candidates have used joint committees, which raise money for both the candidates and their parties, to subvert the $2,300 individual...
World Narrows Eyes at Exec Pay
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 21, 2008 12:30 PM CDT
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As governments worldwide implement bailouts for ailing financial institutions, the movement to curb executive compensation at those firms, and others, is gathering steam. Golden parachutes and pay practices that encourage excessive risk-taking are extremely unpopular in the public eye, the Wall Street Journal reports, and governments are finding...
Electric Therapy Can Relieve Depression
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 21, 2008 12:11 PM CDT
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People with major depression that doesn't respond to medication may get relief from a therapy that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the cortex, the Wall Street Journal reports. In a clinical trial, transcranial magnetic stimulation worked in about a quarter of patients—about twice the success rate of patients on a placebo.
Dems Loath to Punish Traitor Joe
Salon
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Oct 21, 2008 12:03 PM CDT
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Joe Lieberman has crossed nearly every line there is in supporting John McCain—on Sunday he even praised Sarah Palin—and many liberals want him ousted from the Democratic caucus. But Harry Reid and company show no signs of moving against Lieberman, Salon reports. “We're going to have to wait and see,” was all a Reid spokesman...
This Boy's Off the Bus
Politico
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Oct 21, 2008 11:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain’s campaign won’t let Time columnist Joe Klein on its planes, Politico reports. Though he rode with McCain during the primaries, Klein hasn’t been allowed onto McCain or Palin jets since June, when he asked McCain a tough question about Iran. Though the campaign said he hadn’t asked in time, Klein says he called...
Black Voters May Tip House Contests
Washington Post
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Oct 21, 2008 11:41 AM CDT
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With black voters expected to come out in record numbers on Nov. 4, Democrats think a surge could flip as many as 10 hotly contested House districts in their favor, the Washington Post reports. “I was just thinking about the need to vote Democratic down the line,” said one black Barack Obama supporter, “because the president is...
NYC Cops Bust Pickpocket, 76, for 37th Time
New York Post
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Oct 21, 2008 11:33 AM CDT
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Can you blame an old lady for being set in her ways? New York City cops have busted a 76-year-old woman with 20 aliases and 30 convictions for the 37th time, the New York Post reports. This time known as "Katherine Kelly," she was nabbed after lifting a wallet—and stuffing it in her bra—during a supermarket sting. "She...
Penn Hangs Again With Pal Chavez
New York Post
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Oct 21, 2008 11:22 AM CDT
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Sean Penn is again in Venezuela visiting President Hugo Chavez, the New York Post reports. The two met last year, and the actor calls Chavez—who tends to be critical of the US, to put it mildly—"a fascinating guy," while the prez and equally ardent Bush-hater has praised Penn's anti-war stance. This trip, the pair reportedly...
Fed Pledges $600B to Keep Money-Market Funds Afloat
Bloomberg
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Oct 21, 2008 11:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Federal Reserve today unveiled a $600 billion program to finance the purchase of assets from money-market mutual funds, Bloomberg reports. JPMorgan will oversee five special units, which will use money borrowed from the Fed to buy CDs, bank notes, and commercial paper nearing maturity. The program is the Fed’s attempt at loosening the commercial...
Tennis Pro Had, Er, Didn't Have Duchovny Fling
E! Online
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Oct 21, 2008 11:09 AM CDT
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After seemingly confirming it to a British tabloid on Sunday, David Duchovny's tennis instructor told E! Online yesterday the two never had an affair. “There is no romance, and we are just friends,” Edit Pakay says. But the denial comes after Pakay, 28, told the Daily Mail , “I am not going to deny it.” Duchovny’s lawyer...
Bernanke All But Endorsed Obama: Journal Editors
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 21, 2008 10:59 AM CDT
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The Fed once shunned politics, but chairman Ben Bernanke’s support for a second economic stimulus bill yesterday amounts to an endorsement of Barack Obama, write the outraged editors of the Wall Street Journal . By saying a stimulus would be "well targeted," despite GOP and White House resistance, he gave the Democrats a political...
McCain Bets the Farm on Pa.
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Oct 21, 2008 10:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain is going full throttle in Pennsylvania, but his work is cut out for him: He’s behind 12-15 points in state polls, and Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans in the state, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. McCain, wife Cindy, and Sarah Palin have stumped heavily there all week. “We will win Pennsylvania,” said a rep....
Paltrow Lends Ear, Support to Material Divorcee-to-Be
Us Weekly
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Oct 21, 2008 10:46 AM CDT
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Madonna's marriage may be over, but at least she can lean on pal Gwyneth Paltrow. At a London premiere yesterday, Paltrow called Madge a “dear friend,” Us Magazine reports. “I’m supporting her in all (the) ways that I can,” she said said of the singer, who announced her split from British director Guy Ritchie last week...
Can Phanatics Cheer Up at Last?
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 21, 2008 10:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Optimism doesn’t come easy to Phillies fans. “They feel like dogs that have been kicked too much,” one UPenn professor tells Allen Barra of the Wall Street Journal . The Phillies have won precisely one title in their 125-year history, amid mountains of grim collapses. “Phillies history is a birthright,” says one fan....
Chrysler Flirts With Nissan- Renault as GM Seeks Credit
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 21, 2008 10:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Chrysler is considering joining Nissan-Renault, adding a North American arm to the Japanese-French auto alliance that could rescue Chrysler’s operations, the Wall Street Journal reports. Cerberus, Chrysler’s majority owner, prefers a merger with General Motors, but overlap with a Detroit competitor would likely eliminate half of Chrysler’s...
Voters Flee GOP Fury Like It's 1964
Washington Post
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Oct 21, 2008 10:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Eight years ago George W. Bush made it to the White House as a "compassionate conservative," with plans to reform education and build a multiracial coalition. In 2008, writes Richard Cohen, that vision of the GOP is dead—replaced by "a mean, grumpy, exclusive, narrow-minded and altogether retrograde Republican Party."...
Just Like Mattress-Stuffers, Banks Hoard Bailout Cash
New York Times
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Oct 21, 2008 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Wall Street may be cheering for the bailout, but Andrew Ross Sorkin knows what the banks are really doing with our $250 billion: “They have stuffed it under their mattresses like the rest of us,” he writes in the New York Times . Consumers will find it almost as hard to get a loan this week as last, and that won’t change until the...
Bachmann Backlash a Bonanza for Dems
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Oct 21, 2008 9:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann has prompted so much outrage by attacking Barack Obama's patriotism that she’s attracted an opponent who doesn’t even want to win. He just wants to help her lose, writes Nick Coleman in the Minneapolis Star Tribune . Bachmann also recently suggested that every member of Congress should be investigated for...
Treasury Hopes Bailout Will Spur Bank Mergers
New York Times
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Oct 21, 2008 9:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Treasury's $250 billion cash infusion into financial institutions is meant to increase liquidity and get banks to start lending to each other again, but it might have another effect: accelerating mergers. The New York Times reports that the government's unprecedented recapitalization is also meant to give bigger banks the wherewithal to gobble...
Tales From Crypt Casts Palin
New York Daily News
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Oct 21, 2008 9:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Pop culture can’t get enough of Sarah Palin right now: The vice-presidential candidate will grace the cover of Tales From the Crypt ’s next issue, reports the New York Daily News . In a swipe at Palin's book-banning inquiries as Wasilla mayor, she brandishes a hockey stick at three of the horror comic's ghoulish regulars, saying "Didn't...
How Obama's Grandma Visit Could Help Him
Forbes
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Oct 21, 2008 9:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Is it risky for Barack Obama to step off the trail so close to the election? No, writes Carl Lavin in Forbes , and here’s why: first, the move humanizes the former law professor, showcasing his “compelling family story.” Second, opponents can’t really attack a guy who’s visiting his sick grandmother without it backfiring....
Stocks Dive on Poor Profits
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 21, 2008 8:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Downbeat earnings put the kibosh on yesterday’s outbreak of optimism on Wall Street, sending stocks down at the open. The Dow dropped 107 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P fell 1.7% and 1.4% respectively, the Wall Street Journal reports. Dow components DuPont, Caterpillar, and Pfizer all released dour guidance, with DuPont reporting a 30%...
Kerkorian Pulls Out of Ford
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 21, 2008 8:46 AM CDT
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Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian, an old hand at investing in Detroit, began his Ford escape today, selling 7.3 million shares of common stock in the company at $2.43 per share, the Wall Street Journal reports. As recently as February Kerkorian was building his stake in the embattled automaker, offering $8.50 a share in an effort to add 20 million...
Drive-Through Voting Debuts in SoCal
Associated Press
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Oct 21, 2008 8:34 AM CDT
(AP) -
You couldn't get a Big Mac at this drive-through, reports the AP—just democracy. Voters didn't need to leave their cars yesterday to either register or cast ballots at an electronic drive-through station. The one-day-only offer came on the last day of voter registration for Californians. An Orange County elections official said that registration...
Right Opens Fire on High Court's Gun Ruling
New York Times
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Oct 21, 2008 8:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Last summer's Supreme Court decision that ruled citizens have an individual right to possess guns drew hosannas from the American right wing. But now the court's ruling is coming under attack—from conservative legal scholars. As the New York Times reports, two Reagan-appointed judges have called DC v. Heller the conservative version of Roe...
Poll: Race Tightens Up
CNN
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Oct 21, 2008 7:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The presidential race is tightening, with Barack Obama leading John McCain 51% to 46% among likely voters, down from an 8-point gap, a CNN/Opinion Research Center poll shows. McCain’s boost may be linked to a drop in the number of people who think he’ll continue President Bush’s policies —49% compared with 56% in an...
Lloyds CEO Vows Bonuses, Despite Bailout
Guardian (UK)
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Oct 21, 2008 6:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The CEO of Lloyds had promised staff that they will receive bonuses even though the British banking giant is being bailed out by the government. Employees were told that Lloyds faced "very, very few restrictions" after taking up to $9.4 billion in government money, reports the Guardian . Lloyds is currently undertaking a buyout...
Hillary, Obama Blitz Fla. for Early Votes
Washington Post
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Oct 21, 2008 6:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hillary Clinton threw herself into the battle for Florida as early voters packed polling places yesterday, the Washington Post reports. Barack Obama, pulling out all stops in an effort to flip the state to the Democratic side, led a crowd of 50,000 in chants of "Hil-lar-y" as the pair made their first public appearance together since July.
Canada's Liberal Leader Resigns
Globe and Mail
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Oct 21, 2008 5:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Stéphane Dion, the leader of Canada's Liberal Party, announced his resignation yesterday after leading his party to one of its worst ever results in last week's election. The Quebecker said he would remain in office until his successor is chosen, the Globe and Mail reports. Dion is the first Liberal Party leader not to become prime minister...
