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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.

Why Midafternoon Brings Out the Bears
New York Times | Oct 16, 2008 12:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - An increasingly familiar Wall Street phenomenon—a three-digit swing in the Dow, usually down, in the final hour of trading—is a direct result of population growth in one species: bears. Margin calls are forcing panicked sell-offs, it's true, but the situation is more complicated than that, experts tell the New York Times.
GOP Intellectuals Jump Mac's Ship, Leaving Wingnuts
Los Angeles Times | Oct 16, 2008 12:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - It’s been a fun time for liberals, writes Rosa Brooks in the LA Times . Though initially worried about the boost Sarah Palin gave to John McCain’s polling numbers, Dems were then treated to the defections of some of the GOP’s brightest thinkers. Columnists David Brooks, Charles Krauthammer, and former Bush speechwriter David Frum...
CNN Adds Laughs to News Lineup
CNN | Oct 16, 2008 12:33 PM CDT
(Newser) - The 24-hour news cycle will take a break for comedy with a Letterman-like talk show set to make its debut on CNN next weekend. Comic and actor DL Hughley, one of the "Original Kings of Comedy," will host. "When you watch as much news as our audience does, there comes a time you just want to stop and laugh—and that time will be...
Pork or Stimulus? Wrangling Sharpens Over 2nd Bailout
Los Angeles Times | Oct 16, 2008 12:25 PM CDT
(Newser) - Congress’ partisan battle over the Wall Street bailout could look amateur compared to what lies ahead, the Los Angeles Times reports, as lawmakers consider a second stimulus package to keep the nation out of a steep recession. Republicans want tax cuts, while Democrats are pushing infrastructure projects and other federal spending—and...
She Couldn't Deal With Guy's Failure
Daily Beast | Oct 16, 2008 12:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - Their marriage was drenched in artifice, and ultimately doomed. “The last thing I thought I would do is marry some laddish shooting pub-going nature lover,” Madonna once said. But wed Guy Ritchie—and the posh British lifestyle he affected—she did, biographer Andrew Morton writes in the Daily Beast. But what really killed the...
STD? Slap Your Ex With Lawsuit
MSNBC | Oct 16, 2008 12:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - California courts are deciding a civil dispute that could change first-date conversations. A woman is suing her ex-husband for allegedly giving her HIV, though he claims to not have known he was infected at the time, MSNBC writes. The case follows successful wins in Iowa and New York by plaintiffs who contracted HPV, a virus to which 75% of people...
Letterman: Mac May Bring Palin Tonight
Chicago Tribune | Oct 16, 2008 11:47 AM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain is scheduled to make his long-awaited return to The Late Show with David Letterman tonight, the Chicago Tribune reports—and may bring his running mate with him. “He hinted when I talked to him … that maybe he’d be bringing Sarah Palin,” Letterman said on last night’s show, then added, “We know...
Guess Who's Ready for Another Kid
Today Show | Oct 16, 2008 11:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - Angelina Jolie is already considering adopting a seventh child, she told Matt Lauer on Today . Her twins are nearly 4 months old, leaving the Changeling star with two more months before she could start paperwork. Maddox, 7, has become a “professional big brother,” Jolie joked. And despite rumors of discord, Brad is “the right person....
Time to Ditch the Shuttle
Washington Post | Oct 16, 2008 11:24 AM CDT
(Newser) - It’s past time to put the US space shuttle fleet out to pasture, according to John Logsdon, a member of the 2003 Columbia Accident Investigation Board. That panel recommended the US “replace the shuttle as soon as possible,” and Logsdon stands by that assessment, even though it comes with an unpalatable caveat: the only alternative...
300 in Limbo as Houston's Last Ike Shelter Closes
Houston Chronicle | Oct 16, 2008 11:16 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Red Cross will boot nearly 300 Hurricane Ike survivors from its remaining Houston shelter Sunday, the Chronicle reports, leaving them to the care of federal and local agencies some accuse of “ridiculous lies.” The possibility of transitional housing does little for one FEMA reject, who was told her still-soggy apartment was livable,...
Brit Hits No. 1 One More Time
Billboard | Oct 16, 2008 11:08 AM CDT
(Newser) - The princess of pop is back at the top for the first time in a decade, Billboard reports. Britney Spears’ new song, “Womanizer,” shot from 96 to 1 in one week, a record-breaking climb up the Hot 100 chart—and a place the singer hasn’t been since her debut single, “...Baby One More Time,” ranked No. 1 in 1999....
Secret Service Says Nobody Yelled 'Kill Him'
Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) | Oct 16, 2008 10:56 AM CDT
(Newser) - The much-repeated charge that someone in the crowd at a Sarah Palin rally in Scranton shouted “kill him” at the mention of Barack Obama is unfounded, according to a Secret Service agent. No agents in the crowd heard the shout, nor did any crowdmembers the service interviewed, reports the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader . Numerous media outlets...
Stocks Reverse Gains, Dive
Wall Street Journal | Oct 16, 2008 10:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks reversed their early gains to plunge downward today, with the Dow dropping as much as 324 points, the Wall Street Journal reports, after being up 140 earlier in the morning. The S&P was down 1.9%, thanks largely to a 6% slide in its consumer-staples sector, while the Nasdaq fell 2.8%. All rebounded slightly before noon but remained in...
Insult This Man, Spend 15 Years in the Pokey
Wall Street Journal | Oct 16, 2008 10:37 AM CDT
(Newser) - The crime of insulting a king sounds like a medieval holdover—but in Thailand, an unkind word about King Bhumibol Adulyadej can land you in prison for 15 years. The country's recent political upheaval has coincided with a spike in accusations of maligning the monarch, the Wall Street Journal reports—and everyone from opposition politicians...
Google G1: Nice Try, But No iPhone
Wall Street Journal | Oct 16, 2008 10:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - Google's upcoming G1 is the first real rival to the iPhone, but the different gadgets "are likely to attract different types of users," Walt Mossberg writes in the Wall Street Journal . Making phone calls was a lot easier on the G1, which worked great with Google services, Mossberg found in extensive testing. But the long-awaited new toy...
McCain Didn't Manage to Inflict Major Damage
Washington Post | Oct 16, 2008 10:17 AM CDT
(Newser) - The debate last night was all about whether John McCain could pull off a game-changer; while some pundits saw his best debate performance yet, most agreed that he didn't score. Time ’s Mark Halperin liked what he saw at first, as McCain "showed off the best of himself—dedicated, sincere, patriotic, cheery, earnest, commanding."...
Tax Hikes Loom as Deficit Nears $1T
Christian Science Monitor | Oct 16, 2008 10:03 AM CDT
(Newser) - The bailout and other government spending are adding on to an already-enormous US budget deficit, and the next president might well have to raise taxes, no matter who it is, the Christian Science Monitor reports. This fiscal year will put the US down nearly $1 trillion, one nonpartisan group estimates, raising the possibility that foreign lenders...
More AIG Splurges: $86K Hunting Trip, Lobbyists
Associated Press | Oct 16, 2008 9:52 AM CDT
(AP) - The $440,000 spa weekend isn't the only outrageous splurge AIG seems to have indulged in after being bailed out by taxpayers last month. Now come news of an $86,000 hunting trip in England, turned up by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. And the faltering insurance giant is also still paying lobbyists to fight against strict oversight of mortgage...
At London Fair, Art Market Finally Stalls
Bloomberg | Oct 16, 2008 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - As the financial crisis has deepened, the art world seemed strangely impervious to global declines. But at yesterday's opening of the Frieze Art Fair in London, one of the year's biggest events, the slowdown finally caught up to the heady art market. Where once visitors ran maniacally to buy artwork in the first minutes of the fair, this time around,...
Homeowners Need Bailout, Too: FDIC Chief
Wall Street Journal | Oct 16, 2008 9:25 AM CDT
(Newser) - The FDIC chief is blasting the White House and Congress for focusing the $700 billion bailout on financial institutions and not giving homeowners facing foreclosure more help, reports the Wall Street Journal. Sheila Bair, a Bush appointee, says the government’s insistence that homeowners not profit from its help—while appearing unconcerned...
It Ain't Over Yet: Rove
Wall Street Journal | Oct 16, 2008 9:05 AM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain’s campaign may be down, but he’s not yet out, writes Karl Rove in the Wall Street Journal . Voters still have real doubts about Barack Obama, and McCain may have enough time yet to turn those doubts into votes for him. Some 45% of voters in one recent poll said Obama isn’t qualified for the job—the highest...
Stocks Gain at Open After Yesterday's Plunge
Wall Street Journal | Oct 16, 2008 8:57 AM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks saw a modest bounce at the open this morning, with the Dow up 42 points after a half-hour, following yesterday’s titanic losses, the Wall Street Journal reports. The S&P and Nasdaq rose 0.5% and 1.32% respectively. Panic was staved off by some sound economic data, as new jobless claims dropped by 16,000 last week, beating analyst...
Chicago Tot Perishes in Medevac Crash
Associated Press | Oct 16, 2008 8:26 AM CDT
(AP) - A medical helicopter crashed in a Chicago suburb late last night, killing three crew members and a 13-month-old patient. The helicopter was headed to Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago from just outside the city when it went down minutes before midnight. A hospital spokeswoman said the little girl was being transported to the hospital because...
Russian Activist Lawyer Poisoned by Mercury
New York Times | Oct 16, 2008 8:09 AM CDT
(Newser) - French police are probing the mercury poisoning of Russia's leading human rights lawyer, the New York Times reports. Toxic pellets were found in the car of Karinna Moskalenko in Strasbourg. She had been due to attend the Moscow trial of men accused of involvement in the murder of her late client, activist journalist Anna Politkovskaya—but was...
Southwest Loses $120M on Bad Oil Bet
New York Times | Oct 16, 2008 7:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - Southwest Airlines posted a $120-million third-quarter loss today, due almost entirely to a one-time $247-million charge on an oil bet gone wrong, the New York Times reports. Southwest aggressively locks in its fuel costs far in advance, which looked brilliant last year, as oil prices skyrocketed. But oil’s steep decline this quarter has turned...
Citi Losses Less than Expected; Merrill Drops $5B
Bloomberg | Oct 16, 2008 7:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - A pair of earnings reports from Citigroup and Merrill Lynch for the third quarter shows just how deeply wounded the big brokerage is, while painting a slightly brighter picture for the big bank, reports Bloomberg. Citi, the nation’s largest bank, beat analyst expectations with a net loss of $2.8 billion; Merrill, bought by Bank of America in...
Housing Prices Look for Basement
New York Times | Oct 16, 2008 7:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - A witch’s brew of factors is cursing the US housing market, reports the New York Times , driving home prices ever lower as they search for bottom . Rising unemployment, higher interest rates, lower wages, and a glut of foreclosures are likely to continue to keep the market depressed through much of 2009 as the economy slips into recession,...
Once a Shoo-In, Dole Faces the Race of Her Life
New York Times | Oct 16, 2008 7:03 AM CDT
(Newser) - In 2002, Elizabeth Dole easily claimed the rock-solid Republican seat in North Carolina once held by Jesse Helms. But in 2008, Dole's seat has become a prime target for a Democratic pick up, reports the New York Times , and the party's senatorial fund has spent more there than in any other race. Once up by double digits, Dole now faces defeat at the...
Swiss Offer UBS $60B Bailout
Telegraph (UK) | Oct 16, 2008 6:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - Switzerland became the latest nation to shore up struggling banks, reports the Telegraph , as it bailed out UBS to the tune of $60 billion today. The Swiss central bank will offer UBS a capital injection of $6 billion in exchange for 9% of the company, and it will allow UBS to offload billions in illiquid assets into a specially created...
Chavez: 'Hola, Comrade Bush'
Reuters | Oct 16, 2008 6:06 AM CDT
(Newser) - A smirking Hugo Chavez noted the US bank bailout yesterday and duly welcomed George W. Bush to the club of socialist leaders, reports Reuters. Hailing "Comrade Bush" was high praise from the man who has variously referred to his American counterpart as the devil and a drunk, but Chavez didn't let the lovefest get out of control.
O'Neal 'Upset' at Meth Charge
People | Oct 16, 2008 6:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - The attorney for Ryan O’Neal says the actor “found it extremely frustrating and upsetting” that he and 23-year-old son Redmond were charged yesterday with felony possession of methamphetamine following a Sept. 17 bust in Malibu, Calif. “He's not a drug user and he doesn't want to be thought of as a drug user,” the lawyer...
Violent Muslim DVD Seen as Stealth Attack on Obama
CNN | Oct 16, 2008 5:37 AM CDT
(Newser) - A DVD on Muslims packed with violence and inserted into newspapers in key swing states is being viewed as a not-so-subtle attack on Barack Obama, reports CNN. Entitled Obsession , the production appears to capitalize on erroneous impressions that the Democratic candidate is Muslim and may be soft on terrorism. Some 28 million of the DVDs were inserted...
Brits Sentenced for Dubai Beach Sex
Guardian (UK) | Oct 16, 2008 4:59 AM CDT
(Newser) - A British couple has been slapped with a three-month sentence for a drunken roll in the sand on a Dubai beach, the Guardian reports. Prosecutors say the pair—an expatriate woman and a visiting businessman—were spotted having sex on the beach after meeting each other at a champagne brunch that afternoon. The woman insists they were merely...
Writer Marked by Mob to Flee Italy
Guardian (UK) | Oct 16, 2008 4:25 AM CDT
(Newser) - A best-selling author who has become a target of Italian mobsters is fleeing Italy, reports the Guardian . Writer Roberto Saviano, 28, has spent the last two years as a virtual prisoner in army barracks, surrounded by bodyguards protecting him from a Neapolitan mob family. Saviano's book, Gomorra , now an acclaimed movie and Italy's candidate for...
Fired-Up Mac Couldn't Land a Punch on Obama
The Hill | Oct 16, 2008 3:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain turned in his best debate performance last night but couldn't turn it into the game-changer he needed, Sam Youngman writes in The Hill. McCain was fiercer this time, but he failed to score a direct hit on his unflappable opponent and didn't come up with any new arguments for himself—or against Barack Obama, Youngman notes.
Duchovny Marriage Finished
People | Oct 16, 2008 3:32 AM CDT
(Newser) - Actors David Duchovny and Téa Leoni have separated after 11 years of marriage, People reports. Duchovny, who recently completed sex addiction rehab, and the Ghost Town star split months ago—but had been keeping it quiet for the sake of their children, according to the couple's statement. The split was triggered in part by explicit...
Romo Aims to Play On With Broken Finger
Dallas Morning News | Oct 16, 2008 2:56 AM CDT
(Newser) - Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo doesn't plan to let a busted pinkie keep him out of the action, the Dallas Morning News reports. The injury was expected to sideline Romo for a month but he tossed some practice passes yesterday and hopes to start against the St. Louis Rams Sunday. Jets quarterback Brett Favre called Romo this week to encourage him to...
Petraeus Panel to Rethink Iraq, Afghan Strategy
Washington Post | Oct 16, 2008 2:37 AM CDT
(Newser) - Gen. David Petraeus is assembling a panel of experts to carefully reconsider US strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Pakistan, Iran and the surrounding region, reports the Washington Post . He's recruiting a handpicked brain trust of advisers from the private sector, State Department and Pentagon. The group will study the situation for 100...
North Korea Threatens to Sever Ties With South
Reuters | Oct 16, 2008 2:18 AM CDT
(Newser) - North Korea is threatening to sever ties with South Korea in a war of words that has plunged relations between the partitioned neighbors to a new low, Reuters reports. North Korean officials are upset about hardline policies of South Korea's conservative government.  "If the traitors keep to the road of reckless confrontation with North Korea,...
Asian Markets Plunge Again
MarketWatch | Oct 16, 2008 1:52 AM CDT
(Newser) - Share prices tumbled in Asia again today amid fears of a US recession and a braking global economy, reports MarketWatch. The key Nikkei 225 Stock Average plummeted 10%, the Hang Seng Index dropped 7.6%, and the China Enterprises Index lost 9.9%. The MSCI Asian Pacific Index—set for its biggest drop in history—plunged 7.8%, and Australia's...
Obama Sweeps Final Debate: Polls
CBS News | Oct 16, 2008 1:29 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama made it a clean sweep by winning the final debate last night, according to polls taken immediately afterward. CBS found 53% of undecided voters believed Obama was the clear winner, with 22% saying John McCain came out on top, and 22% calling it a draw. Viewers' favorable opinion of Obama rose from 63% to 66% in a CNN poll.
Debate Puts Spotlight on 'Joe the Plumber'
Associated Press | Oct 16, 2008 12:01 AM CDT
(Newser) - Joe Wurzelbacher found it "pretty surreal" to become the focus of last night's presidential debate, the Ohio plumber tells the AP. "Joe the Plumber" was mentioned more than 20 times in the debate—more than Iraq or the economy—as John McCain and Barack Obama sparred over their tax and health care plans.
McCains Get Free Cell Towers at Ranch
Washington Post | Oct 16, 2008 12:01 AM CDT
(Newser) - Verizon and AT&T provided portable cell phone towers to John McCain's Arizona ranch free of charge soon after he launched his presidential bid, the Washington Post reports. The companies say it's a unique situation—a modern candidate has to be plugged in, after all—but ethics lawyers say it's questionable because McCain is chair of...
Phillies Head to World Series
Associated Press | Oct 15, 2008 10:51 PM CDT
(AP) - Jimmy Rollins got the Phillies rollin' with a leadoff homer, and they kept right on going. Next stop, the World Series. Rollins homered in the first inning, Cole Hamels pitched his third gem of the playoffs, and Philadelphia beat the bumbling Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 tonight to win the NL championship series 4-1 for its first pennant since 1993.
McCain to Obama: 'I'm Not President Bush'
NBC | Oct 15, 2008 8:41 PM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain and Barack Obama met tonight in the final presidential debate, their testiest meeting so far on a range of issues from the economy to negative campaigning, NBC reports. McCain pushed back against Obama's attempts to link him to the Bush administration. “Senator Obama, I’m not President Bush. If you want to run against President...
Can't Talk to Girls? 9-Year-Old Has Advice
Christian Science Monitor | Oct 15, 2008 7:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - A 9-year-old Colorado boy garnered national attention—and a two-book publishing deal—after penning answers to that age-old mystery: how to talk to girls. Alec Greven offers some helpful hints on the opposite sex via the Christian Science Monitor . Forget the “pretty girl”—one who favors fancy earrings and “all...
Working-Class Anger May Boil Over Soon
The Atlantic | Oct 15, 2008 7:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - For a while now, the divide between rich and poor has gotten bigger, but it "hasn't sparked an outright political revolt," writes Reihan Salam in the Atlantic . That could change soon. Our fragile, 20-year "consumption compromise"—the era of cheap goods and cheap credit keeping economic discontent at bay among the working...
Watch for These Layoff Signs
MarketWatch | Oct 15, 2008 6:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - More than 750,000 American jobs vanished this year, and more cuts are likely amid the current crisis. MarketWatch offers red flags that a pink slip is coming: Colleagues get fired: You are not immune, even if your boss says so. Training budgets dwindle: They are "not sure if everyone is going to be there," a career manager says....
Ancient Fish Grew a Neck, Began Move Toward Land
New York Times | Oct 15, 2008 6:16 PM CDT
(Newser) - Meet the newest member of the family tree: a 9-foot fish that lived 375 million years ago. Scientists say its fossil is providing the best look to date at how creatures made the transition from water to land, the New York Times reports. The “fishapod”—thought to be the predecessor of amphibians, dinosaurs, mammals, and humans—didn’t...
Author Unlocks Secret of Youth
Time | Oct 15, 2008 5:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - After a year tracking the American obsession with looking younger, veteran journalist Beth Teitell reached a sobering conclusion: "Age is the new fat." But the author of the newly released book Drinking Problems at the Fountain of Youth kept her head and her sense of humor. Teitell, 47, tells Time:  "The real trick to the...
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