Newser Story Index from November, 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.
Banks Boost Interest Rates to Lure Deposits
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 14, 2008 11:03 AM CST
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Banks are boosting interest rates on deposits in an effort to increase the supply of cash available for lending, resulting in what one consultant calls a "national price war," the Wall Street Journal reports. Many banks are pinched between the desire to build up deposits and the shrinking profit margins that come with paying higher interest...
Still Mourning, Hudson Gives Ad Go-Ahead
E! Online
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Nov 14, 2008 10:52 AM CST
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The timing isn't the best, but Jennifer Hudson has given her blessing to the inclusion of her photo in a new Gap ad, E! Online reports. The holiday ad campaign, conceived and photographed before the murders of her mother, brother, and 7-year-old nephew, features the Academy Award-winner looking cheery in a red sweater.
Bush Taps Asst. US Attorney to Oversee Bailout
Associated Press
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Nov 14, 2008 10:45 AM CST
(AP) -
The Bush White House today finally named a special inspector general to oversee the Treasury Department's $700 bailout, nominating a New York federal prosecutor named Neil Barofsky. The move comes a day after the Washington Post complained in a Page 1 story that 6 weeks into the bailout, no action on oversight had been taken. If confirmed by Senate,...
Jolie to Become Stay-at-Home Mom?
BBC
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Nov 14, 2008 10:37 AM CST
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Angelina Jolie tells the BBC she is ready to “fade away” from the celebrity scene and gradually give up acting to focus on her six kids. The actress hasn't worked in a year, and apart from a short stint in February, she plans to wait at least another year before taking on a big project. "So maybe it will be once a year and then maybe...
Cop-Killer in China Inspires Strong Public Support
Washington Post
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Nov 14, 2008 10:32 AM CST
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Public sentiment in China seems to be coming down squarely on the side of a man convicted of entering a Shanghai police station and stabbing six officers to death, the Washington Post reports. Yang Jia, who confessed to the murders, had twice claimed to be the victim of police brutality; now countrymen fed up with abusive state security services...
Obama Held Secret Meeting With Hillary
Politico
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Nov 14, 2008 10:16 AM CST
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Barack Obama held a hush-hush meeting with Hillary Clinton yesterday, fueling rumors his former rival could be offered the Secretary of State post in his Cabinet. Journalists following Obama last night spotted an unidentified motorcade of about three SUVs pulling out of Obama’s transition headquarters in Chicago, minutes before Obama himself...
Chrysler Execs to Get $30M in Retention Bonuses
Detroit Free Press
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Nov 14, 2008 10:11 AM CST
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Even as nearly bankrupt Detroit automakers beg Congress for a bailout, Chrysler is preparing to pay its top executives $30 million in retention bonuses, the Detroit Free Press reports. Chrysler says the deals were necessary measures to keep top talent in place when they were conceived last year during Daimler's sale of Chrysler, but a human resources...
Brit Releases Songs Early
MTV
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Nov 14, 2008 9:53 AM CST
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Eager fans needn’t wait until December 2—Britney Spears’ new club-friendly album can now be previewed online, MTV reports. The singer released a six-song mix from the upcoming Circus on New York radio station KTU’s Web site. Readers' comments are nearly universal in praise. The pop princess gets personal, with lyrics aimed...
In Rare Move, Luxury Goods Peddlers Cut Prices
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 14, 2008 9:47 AM CST
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Facing a worldwide economic downturn, some makers of luxury goods—designer clothes, bags, shoes—are breaking with long-held tradition and trimming prices in the US, the Wall Street Journal reports. Companies such as Chanel, Versace, and Chloe are making cuts of up to 10%. Still, when image is key, purveyors of designer items can’t...
Noonan: Obama Is Our Hail Mary Pass
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 14, 2008 9:31 AM CST
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America is buzzing, and apart from occasional chuckles about Sarah Palin, the buzz is all about one man: President-elect Barack Obama. “The idea has settled in that America just threw long,” writes Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal. We gave the presidency to a man we barely know, “praying for a dazzling reception.” His...
Calif. Gay-Marriage Backers Launch Biz Boycotts
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 14, 2008 9:20 AM CST
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Protesters against California’s newly passed gay marriage ban are registering their opposition by boycotting businesses whose owners or executives supported the measure, the Los Angeles Times reports. Targets, which include a restaurant, health food store, movie theater chain, and car dealership, have been identified using campaign-contribution...
Charles at 60: Will He Ever Be King?
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 14, 2008 9:11 AM CST
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Prince Charles turns 60 today, heir to the British throne since the age of 3. Barring calamity, he will one day be king—though perhaps not for a long while, as his mother remains in good health and rejects the idea of abdication. Yet the oldest-ever Prince of Wales has something to celebrate, writes the Guardian : Once derided and even reviled,...
Unrepentant Ayers: I Was 'Demonized'
ABC News
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Nov 14, 2008 8:56 AM CST
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William Ayers broke his silence this morning on Good Morning America , and he was anything but repentant. The former ‘60s radical called the attacks on him “a profoundly dishonest narrative” designed to “demonize” him, ABC reports. But he didn’t apologize for controversial deeds by him or the Weather Underground,...
Stocks Sink on Record Retail Plunge
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 14, 2008 8:46 AM CST
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Stocks tumbled at the open today, after a raft of negative news overshadowed yesterday’s big rally. The Dow fell 128 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P shed 2% and 1.8% respectively. The Dow shot up more than 500 points yesterday, but today brought a dismal quarterly report from Freddie Mac, a slashed outlook from Nokia, and a record decline...
FDIC Pushes Plan to Ease Mortgage Payments
Washington Post
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Nov 14, 2008 8:42 AM CST
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Officials at the FDIC are butting heads with the Bush administration over the bailout once again, yesterday outlining a plan to prevent 1.5 million foreclosures in the coming year by having banks sharply reduce monthly payments on mortgages, the Washington Post reports. The government would guarantee half the losses should the banks lose money on...
Freddie Posts Record $25.3B Loss; Taps $13B Infusion
Bloomberg
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Nov 14, 2008 8:35 AM CST
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Freddie Mac, the swamped mortgage giant seized by the government two months ago, asked for $13.8 billion from the Treasury today after a record quarterly loss plunged its net worth into the negative, Bloomberg reports. Sister company Fannie Mae, also under government control, said this week it might need funds beyond the $100 billion previously earmarked...
Summers May Be Off Short List for Treasury
Politico
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Nov 14, 2008 8:23 AM CST
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Picking Larry Summers to run the Treasury might be too provocative. Politico reports that the swelling backlash among women's groups—over his notorious comments at Harvard about women’s abilities in math and science—is seriously sinking his chances. Even a Senate confirmation could be dicey. “While it wouldn’t be a fatal...
Sun Micro to Cut 5,000 Jobs
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 14, 2008 8:19 AM CST
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Sun Microsystems intends to lay off 5,000 to 6,000 employees, amounting to 15-18% of the computer maker’s workforce. The cuts should shave about $800 million off Sun’s costs, as the company struggles to compensate for swiftly declining sales. Sun lost $1.68 billion last quarter, as revenue fell 7%. The cuts are part of a wider restructuring...
EA Offers Its Answer to 'Wii Fit'
USA Today
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Nov 14, 2008 8:10 AM CST
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Electronic Arts has become the latest game maker to target the Wii-as-personal-trainer market, USA Today reports. EA Sports Active, developed with experts including Oprah Winfrey's trainer, hits the shelves in March and aims to help users lose weight through more than 20 exercises that work the upper and lower body and boost cardio fitness. Nintendo...
Sec. of State Clinton? Talk Heats Up
Politico
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Nov 14, 2008 8:02 AM CST
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Hillary Clinton is at the top of the very short list for secretary of state in the Obama administration, Politico reports, as buzz on a possible “Team of Rivals” was accelerated by a mysterious "personal" trip Clinton made to Chicago yesterday. While the president-elect’s opinion remains unclear, several of his top advisers...
Obama (and His Neighbors) Adjust to Maximum Security
New York Times
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Nov 14, 2008 7:52 AM CST
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Barack Obama is learning to live with the fact that his life has changed forever, the New York Times reports. The first president since Nixon to be elected while living in an urban neighborhood is spending some quality time at home while managing the transition, but his Hyde Park neighborhood has been turned into something of an armed fortress. The...
France's Finance Chief to Play Key Summit Role
New York Times
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Nov 14, 2008 7:38 AM CST
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This weekend's emergency G20 summit will bring together world leaders with very different ideas of how to fix the global economy. But while heads of state and government talk in front of the cameras, one woman will be key in building a consensus: Christine Lagarde, the French finance minister. After years in Chicago at the top of a major law firm,...
Franken Sues for Records of Rejected Voters
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Nov 14, 2008 7:26 AM CST
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Senate hopeful Al Franken is suing Minnesota counties to get the names and addresses of locals whose absentee ballots were rejected, the Star Tribune reports. Franken’s team is sweeping the state for such information in an effort to cut GOP Sen. Norm Coleman’s current 206-vote lead. A full state recount begins next week in the race, which...
Citi to Lay Off 10,000, Raise Credit Card Rates
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 14, 2008 7:13 AM CST
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Citigroup, seeking profitability after suffering net losses of $20 billion over the past year, is laying off at least 10,000 employees worldwide and raising rates on some credit card holders, the Wall Street Journal reports. Officials were told to trim employee compensation budgets by 25%, allowing managers to minimize firings by cutting higher-paid...
15-Nation Eurozone Falls Into Recession
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 14, 2008 6:22 AM CST
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The 15-nation eurozone has entered recession for the first time since the introduction of the common currency in 1999. The bloc's GDP contracted 0.2% in the second quarter, worse than expected, according to new figures released today. Several individual European nations, including giant Germany, are already contracting, and forecasters see little...
EBay Bans Inaugural Ticket Sales
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 14, 2008 6:20 AM CST
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EBay and StubHub have removed offers for tickets to the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama from their websites. Tickets to the inauguration, a free but invitation-only event, have been offered for as much as $7,500, reports the Los Angeles Times . Some 240,000 people will attend the event outside the US Capitol January 20. ...
'Sticky Bombs' Spread Fear in Baghdad
New York Times
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Nov 14, 2008 6:00 AM CST
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Small explosives dubbed "sticky IEDs" are contributing to a growing feeling of unease in Baghdad, the New York Times reports. The fist-sized bombs attached to magnets or adhesives are hard to detect, easy for a furtive bomber to put in place and have become the weapon of choice for militants thwarted by tighter security in their efforts...
World Shares Rise After Wild Dow Swing
Financial Times (UK)
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Nov 14, 2008 5:14 AM CST
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Asian and European markets rose today, reacting to the sharp swing from negative to positive in New York yesterday. In Tokyo the Nikkei gained 2.7%, while the FTSE in London was up 3.3% in mid-morning trading. Bargain-hunting investors pounced on undervalued financial stocks: Anglo American jumped nearly 10% in early trading while Man...
Fritzl 'Forced Daughter to Reenact Porn'
Telegraph (UK)
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Nov 14, 2008 4:42 AM CST
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The charges against Josef Fritzl reveal fresh details of the ordeal he put his imprisoned daughter through, including forcing her to watch pornographic films and reenact scenes with him, the Daily Telegraph reports. Fritzl also beat and kicked his daughter, Elisabeth, whom he imprisoned for 24 years in a cellar, when she refused to co-operate, an...
Ryanair Pin-Ups Don't Fly With Feminist Groups
Der Spiegel
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Nov 14, 2008 4:15 AM CST
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Feminist groups have slammed as sexist a pin-up calendar of stripped-down Ryanair flight attendants the budget airline has published to raise money for charity, reports Der Speigel . The calendar features employees in barely-there bikinis getting up close and personal with airplane parts. The Institute for Women in Spain, where the calendar was shot,...
Amish Blast ID Cow Chips as 'Mark of the Beast'
Wired
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Nov 14, 2008 3:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
A group of Amish farmers has launched a federal lawsuit against the USDA claiming that electronic ID tags on cattle are the mark of Satan himself, not merely of the Michigan Animal Identification System, Wired reports. The farmers say the mandatory program, aimed at tracking livestock diseases, violates the "dominion over cattle and all living...
80 Homes Burn in Hills Over Santa Barbara
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 14, 2008 3:19 AM CST
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A wildfire ripped through the wealthy enclave of Montecito in Santa Barbara County last night, destroying some 80 homes, the Los Angeles Times reports. Firefighters were overwhelmed as the wind-driven brushfire spread out of control. Much of the area, home to dozens of celebrities, was evacuated as the blazes spread toward the city of Santa Barbara...
Auto Bailout Unlikely Until Obama Takes Office
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 14, 2008 2:55 AM CST
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It’s looking unlikely that a new economic stimulus package and a Detroit bailout will happen this year, the Wall Street Journal reports. The proposals are facing stiff resistance from Republicans and may have to wait until the new, more heavily Democratic Congress convenes in January and Barack Obama takes office. Democrats are leery of introducing...
Bin Laden Isolated, Struggling: Hayden
CNN
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Nov 14, 2008 2:32 AM CST
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Seven years after 9/11, terror chief Osama bin Laden remains alive and free, but he's struggling, CIA director Michael Hayden said in a speech yesterday: "He appears to be largely isolated from the day-to-day operations of the organization he nominally heads." Hayden said bin Laden spends much of his time moving from place to place to save...
LA Fashion Designer Guilty of Rape
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 14, 2008 2:10 AM CST
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A Beverly Hills fashion designer was found guilty yesterday of sexually assaulting seven teens and young women, reports the Los Angeles Times . Anand Jon Alexander, 34, now faces life in prison. The two-month trial revealed repeated sordid scenes in which Jon lured girls as young as 14 to his home with promises of modeling contracts, then attacked...
MGM Mirage Chief Quits Amid Fake MBA Flap
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 14, 2008 2:04 AM CST
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The CEO of MGM Mirage has announced his resignation, but denied it had anything to do with lying about having an MBA, reports the Wall Street Journal . J. Terence Lanni, one of the most powerful figures in the gambling world, has long claimed to have an MBA from the University of Southern California. But university records don't back him up.
US Blocks Chinese Milk Products
Bloomberg
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Nov 14, 2008 1:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
All Chinese products containing milk will be blocked at the US border until tests prove they're free of a widely used toxic contaminant, Bloomberg reports . The FDA is demanding independent testing to prove such products are not tainted with melamine like those which sickened 50,000 children in China. The chemical was first discovered in infant...
Jets Beat Patriots in OT, Take Over First Place
Associated Press
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Nov 13, 2008 11:03 PM CST
(AP) -
The New York Jets stand alone atop the tight AFC East standings, barely. Jay Feely kicked a 34-yard field goal on the first series of overtime to beat New England 34-31. Feely's kick came after the Patriots had tied the game on Matt Cassel's pass to Randy Moss with one second left in regulation. The win broke a tie for the division lead and gave the...
Silverman Will Get $2.5M for Book
New York Observer
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Nov 13, 2008 8:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
Funny girl Sarah Silverman will be paid $2.5 million by HarperCollins to write a collection of comic essays, the New York Observer reports.The bankable big- and small-screen star set off a spirited bidding war among publishers, though she will fall short of the reported $6 million that fellow comedian Tina Fey will get from Little, Brown for a similar...
DC Expects 1M for Obama Inauguration
Associated Press
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Nov 13, 2008 8:31 PM CST
(AP) -
Washington, DC, is bracing for what could be a record-breaking inauguration crowd for Barack Obama. The National Park Service is preparing for more than 1 million people to descend on the capital, with tickets in short supply and hotels booked up. The Park Service said it will clear more viewing space along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route and...
Topps Unveils Barack Obama Trading Cards
TMZ
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Nov 13, 2008 8:27 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama is not only about to ascend to the presidency, he's getting his very own trading cards, TMZ reports. Topps has 90 different "Inaugural Edition" cards with photos that document everything from his childhood in Hawaii to his acceptance speech in Chicago's Grant Park. They'll be sold in sets of six for $1.99.
Bailout Flip-Flop Diminishes Paulson
Bloomberg
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Nov 13, 2008 7:54 PM CST
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Henry Paulson’s recent about-face on his plans for the $700 billion bailout do not bode well for his legacy, write Bloomberg's Rebecca Christie and Matthew Benjamin. Perhaps most damaging is not the change of mind, but what it says about his initial plans. “This is a flip-flop,” one observer said, “but on the other hand, when...
Romney Already Looks Like a Candidate for 2012
CNN
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Nov 13, 2008 7:25 PM CST
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Mitt in 2012? Romney's stock is on the rise in the party, writes Alexander Mooney for CNN, and the former Massachusetts governor is showing all the signs that he's antsy to run again. For starters, he's currently schmoozing with the conservative elite on a Caribbean cruise, the same venue that first put Sarah Palin on the right's political radar.
Vick's Dogs Now on Wine Labels
Associated Press
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Nov 13, 2008 6:53 PM CST
(AP) -
Georgia, Handsome Dan, Curly and other pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick’s dogfighting operation are getting a shot at fame as stars of a line of boutique red wines. The Vicktory Dogs Wine Collection features colorful portraits of 22 dogs confiscated from Vick’s kennels that now live at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in southern Utah.
McCain Returns to Trail, Urges Ga. Voters 'Into Battle'
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Nov 13, 2008 6:33 PM CST
(Newser) -
John McCain found himself back on familiar terrain tonight—the campaign trail. The Republican also-ran traveled to Georgia to stump for Saxby Chambliss, who's locked in a runoff battle for the Senate with Democrat Jim Martin, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. “I did not think I would be back on the campaign trail quite this early,”...
Cheneys Greet the Bidens
AFP
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Nov 13, 2008 5:59 PM CST
(Newser) -
Joe Biden and wife Jill paid a pleasant social call this evening on the man Biden once called the "most dangerous vice president" in the nation's history. Dick Cheney and wife Lynne invited the Bidens for a meeting and a tour of the VP's official residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, AFP reports. "It was a good visit,"...
Obama Gives First Interview to 60 Minutes
Variety
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Nov 13, 2008 5:34 PM CST
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Barack Obama will give his first post-election interview to 60 Minutes , reports Variety . The show's Steve Kroft will interview the president-elect and the future first lady in Chicago this week, and the show will air Sunday night. Obama seems to have a soft spot for the CBS institution—he also granted it his first joint interview with Joe...
After Obama, Which Minority's On Deck?
Slate
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Nov 13, 2008 5:07 PM CST
(Newser) -
A self-described “black man with a funny name” is now the most powerful person on the planet. So which minority group will next see one of its own in the Oval Office? Mark Oppenheimer considers the contenders in Slate: Women : Not technically a minority, which means that if “they choose to unite behind one of their own—as...
Kosher Meat Supply Crippled After Iowa Immigration Raid
USA Today
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Nov 13, 2008 4:43 PM CST
(Newser) -
Kosher meat prices are skyrocketing after the Iowa packing plant that supplied about 60% of the US market declared bankruptcy, USA Today reports, in the wake of a May immigration raid. Agriprocessors, in trouble even before the raid, stopped operating last week. “Stores like mine are struggling all over,” said one deli owner, facing recent...
Putin Wanted to Hang Georgian President 'by the Balls'
Times (UK)
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Nov 13, 2008 4:29 PM CST
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Vladimir Putin would’ve had the Russian army destroy the Georgian government and hang President Mikhail Saakashvili “by the balls” if Nicolas Sarkozy hadn’t intervened, the Times of London reports. In a transcript of August’s cease-fire negotiations leaked by the French president’s office, Putin says he intends...
