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.
Tanking Hedge Funds Take Chunk Out of Market
Bloomberg
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Oct 25, 2008 1:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Now is not a good time to run a hedge fund. Panicking investors are pulling out of the underperforming funds, and that alone could cost the industry 15% of its assets by year’s end, Bloomberg reports. Hedge funds aren't seen as a primary cause of the global financial crisis, but the selloffs are contributing to huge market swings and raising...
Hudson's Nephew Still Missing
Associated Press
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Oct 25, 2008 1:18 PM CDT
(AP) -
The 7-year-old nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson was still missing today, one day after the shooting deaths of Hudson's mother and brother in their Chicago home. A suspect in the deaths remained in custody, but young Julian King had not been seen since the bodies of Darnell Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, were found Friday afternoon....
You Got Your Bailout, Where Are Our Loans?
New York Times
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Oct 25, 2008 12:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
When the Treasury was pushing its $700 billion bailout, it assured us that once banks had cash, they’d start lending. “I don’t know about you,” writes Joe Nocera in the New York Times , “but I’m starting to feel as if we’ve been sold a bill of goods.” On a recent JP Morgan conference call, Nocera heard...
Kristol: Don't Abandon McCain
Weekly Standard
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Oct 25, 2008 12:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
“With 10 days to go before the election, it's getting pretty dark out there” for John McCain, William Kristol writes in the Weekly Standard . All the more reason for true conservatives to stand behind him "for the sake of the country," says Kristol, who's proud to stay off the "Obama juggernaut." He'd love to see an...
Deuce, 7 Others Face NFL Suspensions Over Drug Tests
Fox 31 Colorado
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Oct 25, 2008 12:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
At least eight NFL players have tested positive for banned substances, including the Saints’ Deuce McAllister, Will Smith, and Charles Grant, and Houston’s Bryan Pittman, reports Denver's Fox 31 and ESPN. Many of the accused, including Pittman, are big linemen who tested positive for the weight-loss diuretic Bumentanide, which can mask...
Joe the Congressman?
CNN
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Oct 25, 2008 11:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Joe the Plumber is mulling a 2010 congressional bid. The man John McCain turned into an instant celebrity—and the centerpiece of the GOP campaign in the home stretch—told radio host Laura Ingraham yesterday he might take on a highly popular incumbent in northern Ohio, CNN reports. “I'll tell you what, we'd definitely be in one heck...
Investigators Track Nazis' Looted Books
Der Spiegel
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Oct 25, 2008 11:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A handful of determined librarians are trying to reunite books stolen by the Nazis with their owners or their families, Der Spiegel reports. Experts believe at least a million such books are still on the shelves of libraries across Germany. Many carry a 'J' inscribed by Nazi-era librarians to indicate they were seized from the collections of Jews...
Puget Sound's Orcas in Trouble
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Oct 25, 2008 10:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The orca population in Washington’s Puget Sound is dropping, and scientists think a scarce food supply is to blame, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. A poor year for chinook salmon—and another is in the forecast—forced the killer whales to spend energy searching further afield for food. Two mature females (the least likely...
Bailout Expands to Include Big Insurers
Washington Post
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Oct 25, 2008 10:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Treasury’s bailout is moving beyond banks to include major insurance firms hurt by bad investments, the Washington Post reports. Companies such as MetLife, the Hartford, and Prudential hope to be covered in the plan, under which the government would provide money in exchange for ownership stakes. Big insurers provide a safety net for a...
Democrats Surge in Early Voting
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 25, 2008 10:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Early voting is usually dominated by Republicans, as wealthy, well-educated whites tend to be the ones who turn out. But not this year, the Los Angeles Times reports, as high proportions of Democrats and African Americans are being seen everywhere in the 32 states where voters can cast early ballots without an excuse.
Dawkins to Battle the Harry Potter 'Delusion'
Telegraph (UK)
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Oct 25, 2008 9:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Evengelical atheist Richard Dawkins will take on Harry Potter in his next book, the Daily Telegraph reports. The God Delusion author is working on a book aimed at teaching children not to put their faith in "anti-scientific" fairytales. The professor plans to examine what effect raising children on stories of witches and wizards has on...
Obama Brings Dems Historic White Support
Politico
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Oct 25, 2008 8:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama has gained more support among whites than any Democrat since Jimmy Carter, Politico reports. Some 44% of non-Hispanic whites back the Illinois senator, Gallup and Pew polls over the last 2 weeks suggest; 47% supported Carter in 1976. In the same period John McCain has pulled between 48% and 50% of the white vote, the lowest for a Republican...
Apple, Google Join California Gay Marriage Fight
Associated Press
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Oct 25, 2008 8:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Apple donated $100,000 to battle the proposition to ban gay marriage in California yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reports, joining Google, which anted up $140,000 earlier this week. “Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly” on the matter, the company said in...
US: Do We Dare Turn Detainees Over to Iraqis?
New York Times
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Oct 25, 2008 7:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The new security agreement negotiated with Iraq could leave the US military with 5,000 tough problems, the New York Times reports. US forces currently hold 17,000 Iraqi prisoners—including 5,000 considered dangerous radicals. Under the latest draft of the deal, the US would lose the right to either arrest or hold suspected insurgents after...
Prenatal Screening Advances Create Agonizing Choices
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 25, 2008 7:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Advances in prenatal screening have given parents-to-be a clearer window into the health of their unborn children—and the dramatic increase in information can lead to wrenching choices. Tests are now able to detect many genetic disorders—but they are not always reliable, or able to predict specific outcomes, the Wall Street Journal reports....
US Election Captivates Iran
MSNBC
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Oct 25, 2008 6:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Though isolated and remote, Iran is understandably interested in the outcome of the US presidential election. Iranian papers are covering every aspect, publishing extensive biographies and transcripts of the debates. Opinions run the gamut, but one consensus seems to be that it doesn't matter who wins because the US has a preordained anti-Iran policy,...
Success Drowns Out Rays' Famous Razzer
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 25, 2008 5:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Robert Szasz is one of baseball's most well-known hecklers but his insults can now hardly be heard over the racket at Tropicana Field, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Rays fan, who found fame as "the Happy Heckler" in the days when the team had sparse attendance, is finding his jeers at opposing players drowned out by cheers and cowbells...
Everything Must Go: Hard Times Create Yard Sale Boom
New York Times
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Oct 25, 2008 5:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Yard sales are on the rise nationwide as the economy heads for the cellar, the New York Times reports. Flyers for sales cover lampposts in formerly booming communities as struggling homeowners seek to raise cash from selling off all the non-essentials—even children's toys. Many of the bargain-hunters are in equally dire straits themselves.
Franken Takes Serious Lead in Senate Race
Washington Post
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Oct 25, 2008 4:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Al Franken is playing it straight on the Minnesota campaign trail and, doggone it, voters are liking it, the Washington Post reports. The comedian-turned-Democratic candidate, who now spends more time discussing ethanol policy than cracking jokes, has opened up a 6-point lead over his rival in the Senate race. Minnesota is one of the states the Democrats...
Scientists Wipe Mouse Memories
Reuters
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Oct 25, 2008 3:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Scientists have succeeded in blanking selected memories from the brains of mice, Reuters reports. After brain protein levels were manipulated, the mice lost the memory of an electric shock but didn't forget anything else. The researchers said it was doubtful that it would be possible—or desirable—to do the same with the vastly more complex...
Palin's Carpet Burns Blues Goalie
Associated Press
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Oct 25, 2008 3:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
St. Louis Blues goalie Manny Legace is sitting out tonight's game with a hip injury after a brush with politics, the AP reports. The team rolled a carpet out onto the ice for Sarah Palin to drop a ceremonial puck before last night's Kings game and Legace, the first player onto the ice, tripped right over it. The Blues lost 4-0 but Legace says he won't...
NY Governor's Top Aide Quits Over Tax Row
New York Times
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Oct 25, 2008 2:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The chief aide to New York's governor has resigned after it was revealed that he failed to pay taxes for 5 years, the New York Times reports. David Paterson’s top deputy, Charles O'Byrne, built up a $300,000 backlog of taxes from 2001. He was suffering from depression at the time and blames the non-payment on "late-filing" syndrome....
How to Make Heroes Super Again
Entertainment Weekly
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Oct 24, 2008 8:36 PM CDT
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The "zeitgeist-tapping, blockbuster event" that was Heroes has fallen in both ratings and creative zeal, Jeff Jensen writes in Entertainment Weekly . Here's his five-point plan to fix it: Hang up some tights: Telepathic policeman Matt Parkman, last seen wandering the African desert, must go. So too Suresh and his turn...
Race? Only Thing Obama Transcends Is Logic
National Review
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Oct 24, 2008 8:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama is allegedly helping America “transcend race,” Jonah Goldberg writes in the National Review , but if moving beyond race “would involve making race less of an issue,” why are Obama’s fervent supporters obsessed with bringing it up? One columnist sees racism in descriptions of the Democrat as “skinny";...
Shopping in the Online Meat Market
Radar
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Oct 24, 2008 7:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Adult FriendFinder may have 30 million users, but that doesn't mean it's easy to find partners for sex, love, or anything else with a few clicks. The site claims to have an even split of men and women, but from posts and chat rooms, it looks more like 30:1. Posing as a comely young woman, Teddy Wayne writes in Radar , he was barraged with “ungrammatical”...
Non-Profit Pharma Puts Cures Over Cash
Good Magazine
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Oct 24, 2008 7:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Combating diseases that afflict only the poor doesn't plump the profit margins of pharmaceutical companies; now comes one that sets out to do just that as a non-profit, Good Magazine reports. Using grants to look at long-forgotten compounds, fund clinical trials, and distribute affordable meds to the world’s poorest populations, the Institute...
Palin Talks in Troopergate Probe
Associated Press
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Oct 24, 2008 6:42 PM CDT
(AP) -
Sarah Palin testified before an independent investigator today about allegations that she used personnel decisions as Alaska's governor to pursue a personal vendetta against her former brother-in-law, the AP reports. Palin waved but did not speak to reporters when she arrived at a Missouri hotel for her deposition, scheduled to last 2 hours before...
Watchmaker's Anti-Fakery Technique Is So Money
Portfolio
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Oct 24, 2008 6:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Swiss watchmaker has broken new ground in the effort to fight fakery, Portfolio reports, using techniques designed to foil currency counterfeiters on a new line of timepieces that run to $50,000. Vacheron Constantin uses laser engraving on tiny components, and coats dials with transparent film printed with tiny characters. “You have to secure...
Suspect Held in Hudson Killings
Chicago Sun-Times
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Oct 24, 2008 5:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Chicago police took a man into custody today in the shooting deaths of Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. No charges have been filed against William Balfour, 27, who was involved with a member of the Hudson family and had lived with Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson. Balfour was paroled 2 years ago after committing...
Webcam on Board, Teen Drivers on Alert
Washington Post
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Oct 24, 2008 5:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If a pilot program sees good results, teen drivers may soon find themselves under surveillance, reports the Washington Post . Parents in southern Maryland find the new webcam system, which records possible unsafe driving practices, a useful tool. Their offspring, however, aren't thrilled at the prospect of losing one of their last refuges from the...
Oprah Flips for Amazon's Kindle
Forbes
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Oct 24, 2008 5:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Oprah Winfrey is taking her book-promotion prowess to the tech world: The multimedia mogul declared the Amazon Kindle device her “new favorite gadget” on today’s show, calling it “life changing.” That should give the year-old electronic reader a boost, reports Forbes, but the Kindle may not get really popular until...
DNA Results Shed Little Light on Caylee Case
Orlando Sentinel
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Oct 24, 2008 5:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
No positive identification of Caylee Anthony’s body could be made from DNA analysis of evidence gathered from her mother’s car trunk, the Orlando Sentinel reports today. However, investigators found “an unusually large concentration of chloroform.” Odor analysis yielded hints of a “decompositional event that could be...
Jolie Returns, Moved, From Afghanistan Trip
UNHCR
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Oct 24, 2008 5:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Angelina Jolie made a trip to Afghanistan last week in her role as goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, spending two days among the country's returning refugees. The actress visited sites where thousands of Afghans live in makeshift housing and struggle to find work, problems that typify the stress the massive repatriation has had on the region,...
Media Feeds Markets' Frenzy
Information Arbitrage
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Oct 24, 2008 4:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Is the media behind the rampant volatility gripping Wall Street? It can’t be helping, longtime observer Roger Ehrenberg writes for Information Arbitrage. CNBC, Fox Business, and others recycle countless talking heads, each with passionate and conflicting views. “Media is motivated to evoke a reaction,” Ehrenberg reasons, so they “sew...
GOP Closes Wallet on NC Rep. Hayes
Charlotte Observer
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Oct 24, 2008 4:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rep. Robin Hayes is still struggling to get out from under a comment he made last weekend that “liberals hate real Americans,” and the Republican National Committee has cancelled plans to help in a tight re-election fight with an ad buy in his North Carolina district, the Charlotte Observer reports. Denying he made the remarks only to...
Palin's Critics Bitter Over Own Abortions
National Review
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Oct 24, 2008 4:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The attacks lobbed at Sarah Palin have less to do with the candidate herself and more with the shame, guilt, and grief of the post-abortion community, the co-founder of an anti-abortion group writes in the National Review . Kevin Burke says Palin inspires such vitriol because she chose to have a baby with Down Syndrome, exposing the “painful...
90210 & Co. Get Full Ride as YouTube Ends 10-Minute Rule
USA Today
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Oct 24, 2008 4:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
YouTube is abandoning its 10-minute video limit to show movies and full-length TV episodes, starting with Star Trek , MacGyver , and Beverly Hills, 90210 . The Google-owned juggernaut is responding to competition from Hulu and other sites, reports USA Today . It’s also adding “pre-roll” advertisements that play before a video...
Bachmann Flap Leads to Poll Dip
Minnesota Public Radio
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Oct 24, 2008 4:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Republican Michele Bachmann is now trailing the Democratic challenger for her House seat, Minnesota Public Radio reports, with Elwyn Tinklenberg up 45%-43%. Bachmann’s recent comments about “anti-American” sentiment in Congress appear partly to blame; 40% of respondents said her remarks had made them less likely to vote for her, compared...
From Sickbed, Kennedy Crafts Health Plan
Washington Times
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Oct 24, 2008 3:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Even as he undergoes cancer treatment, Ted Kennedy is coordinating bipartisan meetings with colleagues and lobbyists in an effort to produce health care legislation that includes universal coverage, the Washington Times reports. The meetings—involving labor unions, insurers, drug companies, and hospitals—“are a testament to how...
Isiah Thomas Hospitalized After Apparent OD
Journal News (NY)
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Oct 24, 2008 3:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Former Knicks coach Isiah Thomas was hospitalized early this morning after apparently overdosing on sleeping pills, numerous news outlets in the New York area are reporting. Police in suburban Harrison were called to the Basketball Hall of Famer's home after midnight, the Journal News of Westchester reported. "He's fine," Thomas' son...
New Palin Had to Dress Like Old Palin on SNL
Women's Wear Daily
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Oct 24, 2008 3:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The life of a stylist is all about communication. When Sarah Palin appeared on Saturday Night Live , the show's designer had to convince her to scrap her fancy new clothes and instead dress the way she used to—in essence, to dress as the character of Sarah Palin as played by Tina Fey rather than the new (and more expensive) version of herself,...
Poor Day Ends Horrible Week
MarketWatch
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Oct 24, 2008 3:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
US stocks declined today but stopped somewhat short of total free fall after global markets plunged close to 10%. With perhaps a buffer from news of a bump in existing US home sales, the Dow fell 312.30 to close at 8,378.95, MarketWatch reports. The Nasdaq dropped 51.88 to 1,552.03, while the S&P 500 fell 31.34 to settle at 876.77.
McCain's Final Strokes Paint Obama With Lefty Brush
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 24, 2008 3:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain criticized Barack Obama’s economic plans yesterday as the Republican focuses on portraying his opponent as a tax-and-spend liberal with a socialist vision for America, the Los Angeles Times reports. McCain had hoped to iconic plumber Joe on his tour of central Florida, but Joe Wurzelbacher refused. Instead, McCain appeared with...
Mass Trials Signal Saudis' Anti-Terror Progress
Economist
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Oct 24, 2008 3:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The biggest mass prosecution of Islamist extremists in Saudi Arabian history is the latest clue that the kingdom’ anti-terror campaign in on track, the Economist reports. The Saudis plan to try 991 prisoners on charges ranging from committing terrorist violence to justifying it in religious sermons—and will do so under Wahhabist Islamic...
Financing Deals Make AIG a Drag on Transit Agencies
Washington Post
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Oct 24, 2008 2:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Transit agencies nationwide are facing the prospect of unexpectedly having to repay billions in loans to large banks under financing deals made years ago, the Washington Post reports. Because AIG guaranteed many of the agreements, the insurance behemoth's woes could potentially affect millions of public transit riders as banks worldwide demand...
Finger-Pointing Begins for GOP
Politico
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Oct 24, 2008 2:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Republicans inside John McCain’s campaign and out are pointing fingers at one another, striking a surprisingly past-tense tone about their efforts, Politico reports. The recriminations go to the top: senior Bush advisers criticized McCain for a poorly run campaign on the heels of an interview in which the candidate blames the administration for...
Texas Steps Up Executions to Clear Logjam
Associated Press
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Oct 24, 2008 2:25 PM CDT
(AP) -
A dozen condemned inmates in Texas's "death watch" cells are being executed at a scheduled rate of two a week through November. The executions relieve a logjam created when the US Supreme Court effectively halted lethal injections while deciding whether the method was unconstitutionally inhumane. It ruled the method constitutional, and executions...
NFL Cracks Down on Zebra Abuse
USA Today
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Oct 24, 2008 2:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The NFL has long been sensitive about criticism of its officials, but commissioner Roger Goodell is more often going after the wallets of players for ripping refs, particularly on the field during games, USA Today reports. Chicago’s Brian Urlacher was fined for such an incident last week, and Goodell could level one today against New York Giants...
Health Care Should Be More Like Baseball
New York Times
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Oct 24, 2008 2:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If the US health care industry were a baseball team, it’d be “a hidebound, tradition-based ball club that chases after aging sluggers,” write Billy Beane, John Kerry, and Newt Gingrich in the New York Times. The US spends egregiously on health care but gets little in return, like the high-payroll Yankees, Tigers, and Mets. Health...
Chamber of Commerce Plugs Cash Into Tight GOP Races
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 24, 2008 1:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The US Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest business lobby, is throwing millions of dollars into an advertising campaign to prevent Democrats from winning a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority in the Senate, the Wall Street Journal reports. The group could spend $35 million, twice what it set aside for all 2006 congressional races. It’s...
