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.
McCain Running in Place: Polls
FiveThirtyEight
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Oct 28, 2008 12:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain isn’t gaining any ground in the polls, according to FiveThirtyEight, which pegs Obama’s odds of victory at 96.7% to McCain’s 3.3%. As of yesterday, polls predict a final electoral score of 351-187, numbers unchanged from the day before. National tracking polls showed minuscule moves in McCain’s direction, but that...
Defiant Stevens Restarts Campaign, Pending Appeal
Anchorage Daily News
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Oct 28, 2008 12:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens returns home tomorrow to campaign for reelection after being convicted on felony corruption charges yesterday; his team vows a "nonstop, very aggressive" effort, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Stevens enjoys deep loyalty in the state, particularly in rural areas, where he’s brought billions of federal dollars....
Drew Peterson: Come Forward, Stacy
Chicago Sun-Times
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Oct 28, 2008 12:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Drew Peterson marked the first anniversary of his wife’s disappearance with an interview on the Today Show , the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Drew, the subject of intense scrutiny in the unsolved case, reiterated that he thought Stacy ran off with another man, leaving behind their two young children. He urged her to come forward to “put...
15% of Women Vets Report Sexual Abuse: Study
USA Today
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Oct 28, 2008 11:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Some 15% of female Iraq or Afghanistan veterans seeking medical care report suffering sexual trauma, including harassment or assault while on duty, a study finds, with more than half suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The study by the Department of Veterans Affairs surveyed more than 125,000 in 2001-2007, USA Today reports; the Pentagon...
Kennedy Returns to DC Today
Associated Press
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Oct 28, 2008 11:32 AM CDT
(AP) -
Ted Kennedy, who has been recovering from brain cancer and chemotherapy on Cape Cod, will return to his Washington home today. The 76-year-old senator is expected to stay until Thanksgiving before returning to his family's Hyannis Port compound. Kennedy has steadily increased his public activity since his seizure in May, surgery in June, and six weeks...
Family Clash May Have Spurred Hudson Killings
Chicago Tribune
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Oct 28, 2008 11:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The estranged husband of Julia Hudson, Jennifer’s sister, is the top suspect in the murder of their three relatives—and police say disputes between the couple may have motivated the crimes, the Chicago Tribune reports. The Hudsons’ mother had thrown William Balfour, 27, out of her house in the past; he had threatened Julia and the...
Israelis Favor Mac; US Jews Like Obama
Christian Science Monitor
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Oct 28, 2008 11:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama may be surging at home, but Israelis prefer John McCain to the unfamiliar Democrat by a 12-point margin, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Israelis perceive Obama as dovish, and less likely to give Israel the green light on military action. “McCain is seen as a safe bet,” says an Israeli expert on US politics. American...
US Weighs Talks With Taliban
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 28, 2008 10:51 AM CDT
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The US is strongly considering negotiating with at least some elements of the Taliban, the Wall Street Journal reports. The talks, which would exclude top leaders, are part of a draft White House assessment of strategy in Afghanistan, officials say. Gen. David Petraeus, who takes over Central Command this week, supports the idea, as, to some extent,...
Drug Kingpins Corrupt Elite Mexican Unit
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 28, 2008 10:48 AM CDT
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Two senior officials from an elite Mexican anti-drug unit have been arrested and charged with spying for drug cartels, the Los Angeles Times reports, and dozens of agents have been fired following a tip-off from a captured informant. Prosecutors say the officials leaked information to the gangs they were supposed to be targeting in return for hundreds...
As Investors Seek Cover, Central Banks Slash Rates
Washington Post
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Oct 28, 2008 10:30 AM CDT
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Central banks worldwide are slashing interest rates, attempting to stem the bleeding in financial markets as investors dump holdings, credit remains tight, and currencies spasm in value, the Washington Post reports. The Federal Reserve is set to cut rates for the second time in as many weeks tomorrow, while the EU plans to do the same next week....
Consumer Confidence Hits All-Time Low
Bloomberg
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Oct 28, 2008 10:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Consumer confidence hit a record low in October, Bloomberg reports, raising the specter that spending will slow significantly. The Conference Board’s index dove to 38, the lowest reading since the metric’s inception in 1967, and far worse than analysts expected. With the stock markets volatile, home equity deteriorating, and job losses...
Senate Contests Ringing Up Record Ad Tabs
Washington Post
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Oct 28, 2008 10:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Senate races in 11 hotly contested states are drawing record sums in spending on TV advertising, the Washington Post reports. Both parties stick to repeated attacks: Democrats and their backers tie Republicans to Bush and aid for big corporations, while GOP supporters say Democrats will tax and spend freely. “It's very difficult for anybody...
Like, Get Inked at the Mall!
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 28, 2008 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Now that piercings have become passé mall culture is taking on a new taboo: tattoos. With several chain parlors springing up at shopping centers across the country, the intrepid can now get inked in homogenized comfort by salaried artists with 401(k) plans—a radical departure from the traditional tattoo scene on the edgier side of town....
Brown Surges 11 Points in Latest Poll
Independent (UK)
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Oct 28, 2008 9:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A new poll for the Independent shows that Gordon Brown, Britain's once seemingly doomed prime minister, has surged 11 points as the financial crisis continues. The poll put support for the opposition Tories at 39%, Labour at 31%, and the third-party Liberal Democrats at 16%. Where once the Tories were cruising to victory, an election held today would...
Mind the 'If' Vs. 'When' I'm Prez
New York Times
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Oct 28, 2008 9:38 AM CDT
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Both presidential candidates try to stay humble about their chances, writes Mark Leibovich in the New York Times . They always say, “If I’m president,” even if supporters sometimes respond, “When!” Barack Obama, leading in the polls, has to take extra care not to seem presumptuous, as John McCain regularly accuses the...
The Election's Over—Except on Fox News
New York Times
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Oct 28, 2008 9:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With one week to go until the election, political coverage on TV "should probably come with a spoiler alert," writes Alessandra Stanley. With every poll predicting a major win for Barack Obama, terms like "touchdown favorite" and "near-insurmountable" have become ubiquitous on the networks. You have to switch...
Stocks Jump on Rate-Cut Hope
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 28, 2008 8:53 AM CDT
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Stocks shot up at the bell this morning, powered by rallies overseas and speculation that another Fed rate cut is coming down the pike. The Dow rose 239, while the S&P and Nasdaq saw 2.9% and 3.3% jumps respectively. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng in particular saw a dizzying 14.4% jump after a grisly day yesterday, though one market watcher warned...
Bailout Hits Hiring Hurdles Over Fees, Vetting
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 28, 2008 8:34 AM CDT
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Though the $700 billion bailout deal won approval Oct. 3, the Treasury has yet to begin purchasing bad loans that are poisoning the credit pool, due to delays in hiring financial firms to oversee the program, the Wall Street Journal reports. Concern over the fees that will be paid to managers, laborious vetting to avoid conflicts of interests, and...
Sotheby's Pulls $30M Picasso on Market Jitters
New York Times
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Oct 28, 2008 8:26 AM CDT
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A painting from Picasso's Cubist period that was one of the highlights of the fall auction season has been pulled "for private reasons," Sotheby's New York office said yesterday. The withdrawal of Arlequin , a 1909 work which was estimated at more than $30 million, had been rumored for weeks as art prices began heading south, reports the...
Hudson IDs Nephew: 'Yes, That's Him'
Chicago Tribune
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Oct 28, 2008 8:04 AM CDT
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Jennifer Hudson again found herself tasked with the unthinkable in Chicago's morgue yesterday, looking up at a video screen depicting the body of her 7-year-old nephew Julian King in the next room, the Chicago Tribune reports. "Yes, that's him," the actress said of the missing boy cops found slumped in the backseat of an SUV, with a gunshot...
Young Vets Burst Onto Political Scene
New York Times
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Oct 28, 2008 7:42 AM CDT
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Military rules bar troops from getting involved in politics while on duty, the New York Times reports, but as they return home more young vets are diving into an election that will determine the nation's course in Afghanistan and Iraq. Driven by a sense of political duty and kept up to date abroad by the Internet and TV, troops “can be injected...
US Says Raid in Syria Killed Iraqi Militant
New York Times
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Oct 28, 2008 7:27 AM CDT
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Special forces carried out a secret raid in Syrian territory Sunday to kill an Iraqi militant, the US acknowledged yesterday. About two dozen American commandos swooped into a village on the Iraq-Syria border and fought a brief gun battle. While Syria condemned the raid as "terrorist aggression," top American officials told the New...
FBI Sex-Ring Bust Frees 47 Kids
Washington Post
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Oct 28, 2008 7:03 AM CDT
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A huge nationwide crackdown has smashed apart a dozen child prostitution rings and rescued 47 juveniles, the Washington Post reports. The joint effort from the FBI, Justice Department, and local law enforcement agencies led to the arrest of more than 600 adults in 29 cities, including 73 pimps. Ten of the children appear on the National Center for...
Stevens Sunk by His Own Testimony
The Hill
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Oct 28, 2008 6:37 AM CDT
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Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens' decision not to take the Fifth in his corruption trial was a bold gamble that backfired, the Hill writes. The Republican came across as "evasive and combative" under tough questioning on the stand, hurting his credibility and adding weight to the prosecution's argument that the senator had conspired to conceal...
Asia Stocks Rocket; Europe Up at Open
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 28, 2008 5:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Asian markets posted dramatic gains after a punishing Monday, as investors reacted to favorable moves in the currency markets. In Hong Kong the Hang Seng surged in afternoon trading to close up 14.4%—its biggest one-day gain in 11 years—while in Tokyo the Nikkei ended up 6.5% despite early falls. This morning in London the FTSE opened...
Buffalo Restaurant Busted While Butchering Deer
Buffalo News
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Oct 28, 2008 5:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An inspector has shut down a Chinese restaurant after finding its workers butchering a deer on the premises, the Buffalo News reports. Health officials, who arrived at the restaurant after a tip, aren't sure if the animal was hunted or roadkill—or what the China King had planned for the meat. Regardless of the deer’s fate, officials say...
Mac Aides: Palin 'Going Rogue'
CNN
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Oct 28, 2008 5:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Sarah Palin is acting like she's more concerned with Palin 2012 than McCain 2008, disgruntled McCain staffers tell CNN. They say the candidate is increasingly going off-message, including at a recent Florida rally where she addressed the $150,000 wardrobe controversy by declaring that the clothes "are not my property—just like the lighting...
Slain Jogger's Hubby Busted for Murder
News & Observer (Raleigh)
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Oct 28, 2008 4:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The husband of a jogger found dead in July has been charged with her murder, Raleigh's News & Observer reports. Police say parts of the testimony made by Brad Cooper during a custody hearing for the couple's two daughters earlier this month were inconsistent with what he had told investigators soon after his wife's strangled body was discovered....
Michelle Bares Fashion Splurge: J. Crew—Online
Politico
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Oct 28, 2008 4:02 AM CDT
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With all the hoopla surrounding Sarah Palin's pricey wardrobe makeover, Michelle Obama has some fashion secrets of her own: she shops J. Crew—online. "Ladies, we know J. Crew. You get some good stuff online," she told Jay Leno last night. But she understands the pressure Palin is under. "It's like being shot out of a cannon,"...
Boeing Reaches Deal With Striking Union
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Oct 28, 2008 3:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Boeing's 27,000 striking machinists could be back to work within days if they approve a deal hammered out with the help of a federal mediator late last night, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. The deal will give machinists a 15% pay increase over four years and limit the amount of work outside companies can perform in Boeing plants. Job security...
Led Zeppelin Replacing Plant
BBC
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Oct 28, 2008 3:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Legendary rock band Led Zeppelin is auditioning for a replacement for frontman Robert Plant, who won't be joining a reunion tour. Bass player John Paul Jones confirmed the band is planning a tour and a new album—both without Plant. There has been speculation about a Led Zeppelin reunion tour since a successful comeback concert last year. Jones...
Poodle Runway Runaway Delays Flights 17 Hours
Boston Globe
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Oct 28, 2008 2:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A toy poodle got loose on the tarmac of Boston's Logan Airport and eluded state police and airport officials for 17 hours as planes were delayed, reports the Boston Globe. Eight flights were held about 20 minutes each, an official said, as passengers watched the poodle, named Choochy, cavorting on various runways. She was finally enticed into custody...
Palin Effigy Sparks Uproar
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 28, 2008 2:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An effigy of Sarah Palin hanging from a noose outside a West Hollywood house has triggered a community furor, reports the Los Angeles Times . The effigy is part of a grim Halloween display which also shows a John McCain mannequin surrounded by flames and skeletons . Complaints calling the display a hate crime have been phoned in to the local sheriff,...
Trial Begins for Accused al-Qaeda Moviemaker
Miami Herald
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Oct 28, 2008 1:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The trial of a man accused of creating videos for al-Qaeda is under way at Guantanamo Bay, the Miami Herald reports. Prosecutors say Ali Hamza al Bahlul, a Yemeni, made recruitment videos for the terror group, including one that glorified the bombing of the USS Cole, prosecutors argue. He faces a life sentence if convicted by the nine-officer...
Rain Suspends Series Game 5
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Oct 27, 2008 10:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Torrential rain in Philadelphia forced the suspension of tonight's World Series Game 5 midway through the sixth inning with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Phillies tied at 2. Carlos Pena tied the score on a two-out RBI single before Evan Longoria lined out and the umpiring crew called for the tarp. The contest will resume Tuesday night at 8, the ...
Cell-Seeking Man Traps Arm in Train Toilet
BBC
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Oct 27, 2008 8:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Talk about a dropped call: a man got his arm stuck in a French train toilet yesterday trying to retrieve his cell phone, the BBC reports. The high-speed commuter train was stopped for 2 hours as firemen sawed through pipes. They carried the 26-year-old out on a stretcher, "with his hand still jammed in the toilet bowl, which they had to saw...
Obama's First 100: Channel FDR, Avoid Clinton Foibles
New York
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Oct 27, 2008 7:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Up big in the polls with Election Day fast approaching, “a lot of people around Barack are reading books about FDR’s first 100 days,” one Obama insider tells New York . Aides have gone beyond simply planning his White House transition; they’ve drafted a book-length administration blueprint, complete with day-one, day-100, and...
Feds May Loan GM $5B for Chrysler Deal
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 27, 2008 7:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Federal aid may be on the way to facilitate a GM-Chrysler merger, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Department of Energy aims to loan General Motors $5 billion so the merged company can afford layoffs, plant closings, and other integration costs. It could also help GM drum up more investment cash; it needs about $10 billion to make the merger...
Nearby Solar System Looks Familiar
Space.com
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Oct 27, 2008 6:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A nearby solar system looks a lot like ours, complete with newly identified asteroid belts, gas giants, and a similarly sized sun, Space.com reports. The star at the center of the system is visible without magnification, and scientists say they can infer the presence of planets in a zone whose conditions would be hospitable to life. "This system...
Turning Tricks, or 'Trick or Treat'?
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 27, 2008 6:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
No, your eyesight isn't hexed: Young girls really are dressing like French maids and prostitutes every Halloween. And their skirts will only get higher, because pop culture has drowned out any last echo of parental advice, author Diane E. Levin tells the Los Angeles Times . The co-author of So Sexy So Soon says that even pre-tween girls are...
On Film, a Black President Is Nothing New
Slate
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Oct 27, 2008 5:57 PM CDT
(Newser) -
America may be on the verge of electing its first black president, but pop culture is way ahead of reality. James Earl Jones portrayed the first in The Man (1972), and several have followed. As an entertainment-obsessed nation, asks Slate, might these fictional forebears affect our perception of the real thing? 24 (2001-present): Dennis...
Hudson's Nephew Dead, Cops Confirm
Chicago Tribune
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Oct 27, 2008 5:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The body of a boy found in an SUV today is that of Julian King, police tell the Chicago Tribune . Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew was shot multiple times, probably inside the vehicle, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Police are still holding King's stepfather, William Balfour, who is considered the prime suspect in the killing. He has already...
ATF Foils Skinhead Plot to Kill Obama
Associated Press
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Oct 27, 2008 5:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Federal agents have broken up a plot by two neo-Nazi skinheads to assassinate Barack Obama and shoot or decapitate 88 black people, the AP reports. ATF agents said the pair planned to rob a gun store and target a predominantly African-American high school in a murder spree that was to begin in Tennessee, with Obama as its final target.
Jury Finds Stevens Guilty on All Counts
Anchorage Daily News
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Oct 27, 2008 4:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After 5 hours of deliberations, a federal jury found Ted Stevens guilty today on all seven corruption counts against him. Coming just before Election Day, the felony convictions cloud the political future of the 84-year-old Republican, who has represented Alaska in the Senate since 1968. As the foreman read the verdict, Stevens slumped slightly, the...
8-Year-Old Accidentally Kills Self With Uzi
Hartford Courant (Conn.)
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Oct 27, 2008 4:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An 8-year-old boy died yesterday after he accidentally shot himself with an Uzi at a Massachusetts gun expo, the Hartford Courant reports. “The force of the weapon made it travel up and back toward his head, where he suffered the injury,” police said. An investigation is under way, but authorities have deemed Christopher Bizilj’s...
Zoo Tries to Lure Stranded Polar Bear Out of Moat
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Oct 27, 2008 4:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Staff members at the Milwaukee County Zoo are taking new action to rescue a polar bear named Zero who has been stuck in the moat that surrounds his habitat for 2 weeks, the Journal Sentinel reports. Using a crane, handlers lowered a big plastic crate filled with Zero’s favorite treats—apples with peanut butter and herring—to the...
Financial Times Finds Obama 'Less Alarming'
Financial Times (UK)
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Oct 27, 2008 3:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Despite holes in Barack Obama’s qualifications, the Democrat is the obvious choice for president, the Financial Times writes. His “policies are a blend of good, not so good, and downright bad,” but the alternative is an increasingly disturbing brand of maverick, the British daily opines. “Rashness is not a virtue in a president....
Cod Farmers Bet Tech Tames Finicky Fish in Fjords
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 27, 2008 3:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As consumption of farmed fish reaches an all-time high, Norwegian entrepreneurs hope you'll soon pick farm-raised cod over salmon for dinner, the Wall Street Journal reports. Wild cod stocks are overfished, and the fickle ocean species is difficult to breed on farms. But improved aquaculture techniques have persuaded investors to plug millions into...
Dow Down 203 After Yo-Yo Day
MarketWatch
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Oct 27, 2008 3:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks closed down today at the end of an extremely volatile session that saw the Dow up over 200 points as investors reeled from plunging overseas markets but were somewhat encouraged by positive news on US home sales, MarketWatch reports. The Dow lost 203.18 to close at 8,175.77. The Nasdaq fell 46.13 to 1,505.90, while the S&P 500 closed down...
GOP Plays What-If Game With Lieberman, Romney, Ridge
New York Observer
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Oct 27, 2008 3:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Given the damage Sarah Palin has done to John McCain’s chances, Steve Kornacki, in the New York Observer , joins Republicans in wondering about the also-rans. Tom Ridge, Joe Lieberman, and Mitt Romney were unpalatable, either personally to the candidate or politically to the party. The first two would have drawn “middle-of-the road voters...
