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.
Google, Yahoo May Ditch Talks on Ad Alliance
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 31, 2008 9:03 AM CDT
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Google and Yahoo's potential partnership is on the rocks. The two sides are still searching for a middle ground on an advertising deal, but both sides could walk away from the talks as early as next week, the Wall Street Journal reports. The main stumbling block is a consent decree, suggested by the Department of Justice, that would subject the companies’...
Spooked Stocks Dip Slightly
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 31, 2008 8:51 AM CDT
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Stocks took a small slide this morning, as spooked investors bid farewell to one of the worst months in market history. The Dow fell 21 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq were off 0.3% and 0.9% respectively, the Wall Street Journal reports. Among the scary news was a predictably grisly consumer spending report, which took its biggest hit in four...
DNA Study: Ancient Phoenicians Still With Us
National Geographic
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Oct 31, 2008 8:40 AM CDT
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The Phoenicians may have disappeared as a distinct society a few thousand years ago, but it turns out their imprint remains very much alive today. Genetic researchers have discovered the DNA of the seafaring civilization in the blood of men—as many as 1 in 17— who live today in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, North Africa, and islands in the Mediterranean,...
Huge Bush Deregulation Push Before Jan. 20
Washington Post
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Oct 31, 2008 8:26 AM CDT
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George W. Bush is president for 11 more weeks, and the White House is plotting to use that time to modify federal regulations to weaken protections for consumers and the environment. The deregulatory initiatives would be some of the most controversial of the Bush era, reports the Washington Post , lifting constraints on such things as drinking water,...
Banks Owe Execs Billions— in Previous Years' Pay
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 31, 2008 8:00 AM CDT
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The financial titans receiving huge portions of federal bailout cash are sitting on some massive IOUs, but they aren’t to taxpayers or shareholders—the banks owe billions to their own executives for previous years' pay and pensions. Under the rules of the bailout, they can be paid with taxpayer dollars. At some firms, executives’...
Rescue Plan Rankles Prudent Homeowners
New York Times
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Oct 31, 2008 7:43 AM CDT
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As the feds move ahead with a plan to help homeowners on the brink of foreclosure, others are questioning the scheme's fairness and wondering if it's ripe for abuse, the New York Times reports. “I am beginning to think I would have rocks in my head if I keep paying my mortgage," said one Connecticut homeowner in a familiar boat—he...
No, Matt Drudge, the McCain Gap Isn't Closing
FiveThirtyEight
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Oct 31, 2008 7:31 AM CDT
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Calm down, writes Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com. There's no need to panic over a couple of polls, trumpeted by Drudge, showing the race tightening. “Man, I thought I trained you guys better than this,” he notes. One, the Mason-Dixon poll, shows Obama up by only 4 in Pennsylvania. The other, a Fox News poll, has him leading by just...
Ceasefire Calms Congo
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 31, 2008 6:54 AM CDT
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Fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo has eased after rebels declared a cease-fire, reports the Los Angeles Times . As paramilitary forces moved through the countryside, refugees flooded into the eastern city of Goma—only to face assault, rape and murder at the hands of the Congolese army. UN officials said that 10 people were shot...
Campaigns Ramp Up for Ohio Legal Fight
New York Times
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Oct 31, 2008 6:33 AM CDT
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Four years ago Ohio delivered the presidency to George W Bush over John Kerry, and in 2008 the Buckeye State may again prove decisive. Both camps have legal teams to contest the results of the Ohio vote, which could be compromised by a host of snags: faulty electronic machines, irregularities on the rolls, and above all provisional ballots, which...
Cyberattack in Gay Marriage Battle
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 31, 2008 6:23 AM CDT
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Campaigners seeking to keep gay marriage legal in California say a sophisticated cyberattack crashed their website, the Wall Street Journal reports. The group has complained to the FBI that the No to Proposition 8 website was brought down for several hours Wednesday night by a coordinated "denial of service" attack. Supporters of a ban...
Wall Street Execs Ponder Slashing Their Own Pay
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 31, 2008 5:33 AM CDT
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Top Wall Street execs are considering heading off public outrage by cutting their own pay, insiders tell the Wall Street Journal . The big financial firms pay out billions in bonuses to their execs every year. They now fear a public relations disaster is looming as critics charge that the $125 billion bailout is effectively going towards pumping up...
Korea Backs Monopoly for Blind Masseurs
Associated Press
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Oct 31, 2008 5:24 AM CDT
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A South Korean court has upheld a law allowing only blind people to work as masseurs, the AP reports. The profession has been reserved for the blind for almost a century, but a legal battle had raged for years over the constitutionality of the rule. The perceived threat to their livelihood sparked huge protests and two suicides among the country's...
US Troop Deaths in Iraq Lowest Since War Began
USA Today
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Oct 31, 2008 4:40 AM CDT
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October is on course to tie July's record for the lowest number of troop deaths in Iraq, USA Today reports. Thirteen US troops have died so far in October in combat and non-combat incidents. For the first time since the war started in 2002, no US troops died in combat in Baghdad. The US plans to start shifting resources to Afghanistan next month....
Hudson Launches Victims' Fund
People
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Oct 31, 2008 3:49 AM CDT
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Singer Jennifer Hudson, whose mother, brother and nephew were brutally murdered last weekend, has set up a foundation in honor of her three slain family members. The Hudson-King foundation will offer food, shelter, and clothing, as well as counseling for families who have lost relatives to a violent crime, People reports. The announcement came after...
Kentucky Men Busted for Hanging Obama Effigy
Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.)
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Oct 31, 2008 3:10 AM CDT
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Two men have been charged with disorderly conduct for hanging an effigy of Barack Obama from a tree on University of Kentucky property earlier this week, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports. The men, one of them a student, also face charges for breaking into a fraternity house and taking items used for the hanging, which outraged UK students and...
Forget Tupperware, Gold Parties Are In
MarketWatch
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Oct 31, 2008 2:27 AM CDT
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Gold parties are taking off nationwide as Americans squeezed by the economy seek extra cash, Marketwatch reports. Partygoers bring along any unwanted gold jewelry they have lying around the house, sip wine and chat while it is appraised by experts, and leave with money in hand. Many go home with thousands of dollars in exchange for items they considered...
Vatican Will Root Out Gay Priests With Sex Tests
Scotsman (UK)
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Oct 31, 2008 1:23 AM CDT
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The Catholic Church plans to screen gay men out of the priesthood with psychological tests aimed to detect "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" in seminary candidates, the Scotsman reports. Under the new guidelines, issued yesterday by the Vatican, potential priests will also be screened for "grave immaturity" and “imbalances”...
Bones Found at Fossett Crash Site
People
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Oct 31, 2008 12:24 AM CDT
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Searchers have found what are believed to be the skeletal remains of Steve Fossett close to where his plane crashed in California, People reports. The bones were found near a pair of tennis shoes, credit cards, and Fossett's driver’s license. Pending DNA tests, the county sheriff said he believed the investigation is finished and Fossett's...
NYT Poll Finds Growing Doubts About Palin
New York Times
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Oct 30, 2008 9:25 PM CDT
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John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin continues to hurt his chances of winning Tuesday's election, a poll from the New York Times and CBS shows. In the survey, 59% of voters said Palin is not qualified to be vice president, up 9 points in a month. About a third of voters said the VP choice would be a major factor in how they vote, and most of those...
Obama Camp Likes Emanuel for Chief of Staff
Associated Press
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Oct 30, 2008 8:21 PM CDT
(AP) -
Barack Obama's campaign has approached Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel about serving as White House chief of staff, say anonymous Democratic sources. An aide to the congressman says he "has not been contacted to take a job in an administration that does not yet exist. Everyone is focused on Election Day, as they should be."
Which City Are We In? Trail Takes Toll on Press, Too
New Republic
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Oct 30, 2008 7:44 PM CDT
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If you think you're tired of the election, just think about the reporters who've lived it nonstop for nearly two years. CNN's Candy Crowley tells the New Republic she falls asleep between events, pines for a mundane life and trips to the supermarket, and even resorts to leaving herself notes on which time zone she's in. New York Times reporter...
Hubble's Back in Action
Space.com
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Oct 30, 2008 7:15 PM CDT
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The Hubble has perfect vision again. NASA today released the first photos taken by the space telescope since an instrumental glitch put it out of commission last month, Space.com reports. Engineers fixed the problem this week, then got photos of a pair of galaxies about 400 million light-years from Earth. The two galaxies look a bit like the number...
Oldest Hebrew Text May Shed Light on Bible's David
Reuters
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Oct 30, 2008 6:45 PM CDT
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Archeologists in Israel say they have dug up the oldest known example of Hebrew text, a find that could answer questions about the scope and power of the ancient kingdom of David, Reuters reports. Researchers found the 3,000-year-old pottery shards at an excavation site near where the Bible says David slew Goliath. The inscriptions appear to include...
Why the Polls May Be Wrong
Reuters
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Oct 30, 2008 6:08 PM CDT
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Opinion polls can be wrong—just look at Thomas Dewey in 1948 or even Barack Obama, who led Hillary Clinton before the New Hampshire primary but lost anyway. Reuters outlines some factors that could be skewing current results: Turnout: Polls filter the results of phone surveys through models of who is likely to actually vote. But with turnout,...
Coleman Sues Franken in Minn. Senate Race
The Hill
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Oct 30, 2008 5:50 PM CDT
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Minnesota's tight Senate race has turned litigious. Incumbent Norm Coleman sued opponent Al Franken today for character defamation, the Hill reports. Coleman’s campaign says ads claiming he is the “fourth most corrupt senator in Washington” are false and violate Minnesota campaign law. “Our ads are factual and true, even if...
Palin Coverage Negative by 18-1: Study
Politico
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Oct 30, 2008 5:30 PM CDT
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A study from a right-wing media watchdog says coverage of Sarah Palin on the big three TV networks has been overwhelmingly negative, Politico reports. NBC, CBS, and ABC broadcast 69 stories on Palin between September 29 and October 12, of which the Culture and Media Institute considered 37 negative, 30 neutral, and two positive. That adds up to a negative-positive...
49ers Coach Singletary Drops Trou to Motivate Team
San Francisco Chronicle
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Oct 30, 2008 5:12 PM CDT
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In the annals of coaches' motivational stunts, it might not rank with "win one for the gipper," but the 49ers' Mike Singletary sure caught his players' attention. With his team trailing 20-3 at halftime last week, Singletary—in his first game as a coach—dropped his pants in the locker room and pointed to his behind to illustrate...
Economist : Obama Is Worth the Risk
Economist
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Oct 30, 2008 4:33 PM CDT
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Barack Obama and John McCain are both great contenders, the Economist writes, but “the Democratic candidate has clearly shown that he offers the better chance of restoring America’s self-confidence.” Given Obama’s inexperience and decidedly left-wing outlook, “voting for him is a risk. Yet it is one America should take,...
Diabetes in US Nearly Doubles in 10 Years
Reuters
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Oct 30, 2008 4:13 PM CDT
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The nation's diabetes epidemic shows no signs of slowing, Reuters reports. Almost twice as many people were diagnosed with the disease between 2005 and 2007 as between 1995 and 1997. Nearly all of the new cases are Type 2, which is linked to obesity and lack of exercise. Nine of the 10 states hardest hit by the epidemic are in the South.
It's Not Too Late: Make a Costume
Baltimore Sun
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Oct 30, 2008 3:45 PM CDT
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Trick-or-treaters hit the streets in less than a day, but the costume-less need not despair. With an assist from a local mom and the Costume Idea Zone website, the Baltimore Sun has come up with dozens of cheap, easy ways to disguise yourself: Gum stuck to a shoe: "Dress in all pink and attach a shoe to the top of your head."...
TiVo Brings Netflix to a TV Near You
Ars Technica
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Oct 30, 2008 3:34 PM CDT
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Starting in December, TiVo owners will be able to watch Netflix movies and TV episodes on their televisions, Ars Technica reports. Consumers will need to own a compatible TiVo device and subscribe to both services to get access to over 12,000 movies and shows. The companies first discussed a partnership in 2004, but only today said they’ve begun...
Dow Rises 189 After GDP News
MarketWatch
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Oct 30, 2008 3:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The markets held ground after an early rally today, with investors shrugging off a smaller-than-expected fall in third-quarter US gross domestic product and remaining cautiously optimistic over yesterday’s Fed rate cut, MarketWatch reports. The Dow closed up 189.73 at 9,180.69. The Nasdaq rose 41.31 to 1,698.52, and the S&P 500 climbed 24.00...
'B' Hoaxer Avoids Jail Sentence
Associated Press
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Oct 30, 2008 3:22 PM CDT
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The woman who claimed a Barack Obama supporter carved a “B” into her cheek has agreed to probation and counseling and won't serve time, the AP reports. Ashley Todd was released from jail in Pittsburgh today, and her record will be scrubbed clean if she completes a psychiatric treatment program, the AP reports. "Our focus was really,...
'Stationmaster' Puts $10M in Town's Kitty
CNN
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Oct 30, 2008 3:14 PM CDT
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The Japanese hamlet of Kishikawa has hopped aboard the Tama express, CNN reports, with the local economy getting a $10 million boost as the calico-turned-hat-wearing-stationmaster gains popularity within and beyond the nation’s borders. Folks flock to the town for a break from city life, taking pictures with the feline and buying "Super...
Chronicler of Heartbreak Gets Happy
Rolling Stone
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Oct 30, 2008 2:53 PM CDT
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Having written more than 20 songs at the end of yet another troubled relationship, Lucinda Williams had doubts when she found love with a former music executive. She worried that her songwriting skills depended on ties to bad boys, but her new disc, Little Honey , proves that fear unfounded, writes Austin Scaggs in Rolling Stone.
Frampton's Obama Signs Stolen
Cincinnati Enquirer
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Oct 30, 2008 2:43 PM CDT
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Peter Frampton is ticked that vandals in his GOP-leaning Cincinnati suburb keep stealing his Barack Obama lawn signs, he tells the Enquirer . The British-born naturalized US citizen wore an Obama shirt at his last local concert in protest, and has installed security cameras. “They are frustrating my attempt to use my First Amendment right to...
6 Governors Push Feds for Quicker Auto Industry Relief
Detroit Free Press
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Oct 30, 2008 2:29 PM CDT
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Michigan’s Jennifer Granholm and five other US governors urged federal officials today to act quickly in delivering financial aid to the auto industry, the Detroit Free Press reports. In a letter, the governors of Delaware, Kentucky, New York, Ohio and South Dakota stress that the credit crisis has hurt auto sales by making it difficult for...
Obama Spot Snags 22% of Viewers
Chicago Tribune
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Oct 30, 2008 2:20 PM CDT
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Just about a fifth of watchers in big US media markets tuned in to last night’s Barack Obama infomercial, even though the spot aired on four of five major networks, the Chicago Tribune reports. The highest ratings were in Baltimore, where a little less than a third of families caught the 30-minute spot.
As Debit Cards Catch Credit, Banks Cash In
BusinessWeek
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Oct 30, 2008 2:10 PM CDT
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Credit is no longer the king of cards, Business Week reports. As banks get stingy with credit and consumers look for ways to reel in their "charge it" ways, more and more are turning to debit cards—so many, in fact, that Visa projects debit spending could exceed credit this year. This year's 13% climb in debit purchases may seem like...
23% of Texans Say Obama Is Muslim
Houston Chronicle
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Oct 30, 2008 2:01 PM CDT
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Nearly a quarter of Texas voters still believe Barack Obama is a Muslim, the Houston Chronicle reports. Polling shows 23% of registered voters there buy internet-fueled rumors the Democrat is hiding his Islamic faith—compared to just 5-10% of voters nationwide. The same poll gives John McCain a comfortable lead over Obama, at 51%- 40%.
Black Vote Puts Heat on Georgia Republican
New York Times
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Oct 30, 2008 1:50 PM CDT
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With Barack Obama’s candidacy driving record early-voter turnout in Georgia among African-Americans, Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss is in an unexpected dogfight with Democrat Jim Martin, the New York Times reports. Though the Obama campaign stopped short of a full-court press for Georgia, it has spent months registering tens of thousands of...
Philly Phetes Series Triumph
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Oct 30, 2008 1:42 PM CDT
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The streets of Philadelphia were mobbed with celebrating Phillies fans into today’s wee hours, with some directing enthusiastic violence at cars and shop windows, the Inquirer reports. Firemen responding to street blazes had to turn their hoses on uncooperative revelers, and sporadic looting was reported. Still, the overall scene was one of...
It's No Stretch to Envision Election Tied Up in Court
Boston Phoenix
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Oct 30, 2008 1:32 PM CDT
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At long last, the election is almost over—or is it? After the Florida fiasco in 2000, it’s anyone’s guess as to how long legal wrangling over a close race could last, Adam Reilly writes in the Boston Phoenix . A likely target for post-election litigation is ACORN and its run of phony registrations—especially since the Republican...
Estelle Reiner Dead at 94
New York Times
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Oct 30, 2008 1:22 PM CDT
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Estelle Reiner, wife of actor Carl Reiner and mother to actor/director Rob Reiner, died Saturday at her home in Beverly Hills at 94, the New York Time s reports. Estelle is perhaps best known for her cameo in Rob’s 1989 film When Harry Met Sally , where, following Meg Ryan’s faked orgasm at a deli, said: “I’ll have what she’s...
Mock Her at Your Peril: Palin Speaks Real American
National Review
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Oct 30, 2008 1:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The discomfort Sarah Palin causes in liberals, and even many conservatives, stems from a fundamental disconnect between the educated elite and real America, Michael Novak writes in the National Review . Solid, humble citizens hear a familiar ring to Palin’s oft-mocked accent: “The same guts. The same common sense. The same instincts. The...
Dutch Blackout Leads to Baby Boom
CNN
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Oct 30, 2008 12:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A mini baby boom in the Netherlands has dark origins: The 44% jump in births in September came nine months after a 2-day blackout left most of the 24,000 residents of a small area in the eastern part of the country freezing. "They went to bed early to keep warm,” said a government spokeswoman. The Maasdriel area gained 18 newborn residents...
Jews Favor Obama, Survey Says, But ...
Voice of America
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Oct 30, 2008 12:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama has a big lead among Jewish voters, according to a survey by the American Jewish Committee. But his 57% support, to 30% for John McCain and 13% undecided, is “a bit lower than one would expect,” a group exec tells VOA News. At this time in 2004, John Kerry had 69% of the vote, which grew to 76% by Election Day.
AmEx Will Lay Off 7K
MarketWatch
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Oct 30, 2008 12:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Noting that even wealthy Americans are struggling financially, American Express announced today it will cut 10% of its workforce, halt executive pay increases, and freeze new hires. The creditor to the elite will charge $440 million against fourth-quarter results to cover restructuring after 7,000 jobs are cut across all units, MarketWatch reports....
Russia Bails Out Its Richest Man
Associated Press
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Oct 30, 2008 12:20 PM CDT
(AP) -
The Russian government has agreed to loan $4.5 billion to metals magnate Oleg Deripaska to help him pay off a loan to a group of Western banks. While the state bank overseeing the bailout would not confirm the news, three newspapers have reported that Deripaska, who is considered Russia's richest man, will receive the cash to prevent foreign banks...
Zoo Rescues Bear Trapped in Moat
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Oct 30, 2008 12:10 PM CDT
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Fed-up zookeepers took drastic action today to rescue Zero the polar bear from the moat he’s been trapped in since Oct. 13, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. Milwaukee County Zoo officials used tranquilizer darts to subdue the 1,100-pound beast, then had a crane lift him to safety. “Things were hanging on for a little bit too long,”...
