Newser Story Index from December, 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.
Sleep Longer, Live Longer?
WebMD
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Dec 24, 2008 2:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
An extra hour in bed may save your life, Web MD reports. Every extra hour of sleep over six hours a night has been linked to a significant drop in people's chances of developing a build-up of calcium in their arteries, potentially cutting their risk of heart attack, according to a new study.
Snowball in Seattle Costs Jets' Ellis $10K
New York Post
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Dec 23, 2008 9:33 PM CST
(Newser) -
New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis is now the thrower of one of the world's most expensive snowballs. The NFL fined Ellis $10,000 for tossing a big wad of snow at Seattle fans during Sunday's game, the New York Post reports. No one was injured. The fans had been pelting Jets players and coaches with snowballs of their own, so Ellis figured turnabout...
Time to Give Joseph His Due
Slate
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Dec 23, 2008 8:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and even the Three Kings come to mind at Christmastime, but rarely do Christians think of humble Joseph. James Martin, a Jesuit priest, writes in Slate that forgetting the man who raised Jesus—the reason for the season—is unfair. "It's time to take a fresh look at this 'model' and restore him to his rightful...
Suspected Dallas Sniper Is Ex-Trooper
Associated Press
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Dec 23, 2008 8:02 PM CST
(AP) -
Authorities say a man suspected in a series of rush-hour shootings near Dallas is a former Utah state trooper. Dallas police said today that 37-year-old Brian Smith killed at least one of the two victims of Monday's rampage. Smith shot and injured himself after a standoff with police and is hospitalized in critical condition.
Biggest Media Gaffes of 2008
Politico
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Dec 23, 2008 7:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
Politico runs down a list of some of the worst media mistakes of 2008: New Hampshire primary: Just about everyone predicted Hillary would lose by double digits, ending her campaign. Not even close. McCain-Iseman: The long-awaited New York Times story alleging an improper relationship between McCain and a lobbyist had little substance....
Wal-Mart Will Pay $640M to Settle Wage Lawsuits
New York Times
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Dec 23, 2008 7:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
Wal-Mart will pay up to $640 million to settle 63 state and federal class-action lawsuits that alleged it forced employees to work off the clock and skip breaks, the New York Times reports. The lawsuits involve hundreds of thousands of former and current hourly wage workers. The settlement—it will be a minimum of $352 million—clears up...
FDA Tells Diet Coke to Subtract Word 'Plus'
WebMD
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Dec 23, 2008 6:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
The FDA has warned Coca-Cola that Diet Coke Plus does not warrant the term “Plus.” Coke says its no-calorie drink is fortified with vitamins and minerals, hence the designation. No dice, says the FDA: It may have some supplements, but not enough to use the word, reports WebMD. Nor does the FDA “consider it appropriate to fortify snack...
Niners Hope to Ride 'Staches to Victory Sunday
San Francisco Chronicle
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Dec 23, 2008 5:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
49ers' coach Mike Singletary can only hope his players are working as hard on their drills as they are on their mustaches. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that many on the team have been growing out their whiskers for Sunday's "throwback game"—in tribute to the glorious, cheesy facial hair of players from decades past. "Every...
Hey, Gen-Xers, Housing Mess Is Your Fault
Babble
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Dec 23, 2008 5:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stung by the divorces and TV dinners of their youth, Gen-Xers spent whatever it took to make a happy home for themselves and their kids—even when they couldn't afford it, writes Susan Gregory Thomas in Babble. OK, that may be "harsh and exaggerated," she notes. But from massive mortgages to tricked out-kitchens, Gregory says they (and,...
Warren Deletes Anti-Gay Note, Cites 'Christ-o-phobia'
Queerty
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Dec 23, 2008 5:08 PM CST
(Newser) -
Rick Warren—whose upcoming invocation at the Obama inauguration is causing a ruckus—has removed anti-gay language from the website of his Saddleback Church, Queerty reports. A page that explicitly barred gays from membership has suddenly gone missing, along with some Catholic bashing and a defense of dinosaurs in the Bible. Warren also...
Bush Pardons 19 More, But Not Libby (Yet)
Washington Post
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Dec 23, 2008 4:52 PM CST
(Newser) -
Another round of presidential pardons today might not be the last, the Washington Post reports. “The president has maintained his authority to do that until his last day,” a spokesman said. No big names, such as Scooter Libby, were announced, but President Bush did issue a rare posthumous pardon for a man who smuggled arms to Jewish fighters...
The World's Worst Humanitarian Crises
Doctors Without Borders
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Dec 23, 2008 4:42 PM CST
(Newser) -
Aid organization Doctors Without Borders has released its annual list of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Here's a sample: Somalia: Increased friction between insurgents and the government unleashed some of the worst violence in a decade. One in five children there dies before turning 5. Congo: Hundreds of thousands have fled a devastating...
Hey NATO, Lay Off Russia: Qadaffi
Washington Times
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Dec 23, 2008 4:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama would be wise to harken back to the no-meddling Monroe Doctrine and stop the West’s “addiction to interfering in the affairs of other countries,” Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi writes in the Washington Times . He blames NATO expansion to Russia’s border for moving the nuclear power to beef up its arsenal. “Intimidating...
Yankees Land Big Prize Teixeira: 8 Years, $180M
New York Post
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Dec 23, 2008 4:18 PM CST
(Newser) -
The New York Yankees snatched the off-season’s biggest remaining free-agent prize away from their rivals today, agreeing with first baseman Mark Teixeira on an 8-year contract worth about $180 million, the Post reports. The Boston Red Sox were thought to have had the inside track on the 28-year-old switch-hitter, who’s both an offensive...
Outage Strands 173 on Singapore Ferris Wheel
AFP
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Dec 23, 2008 4:15 PM CST
(Newser) -
173 passengers on the world’s largest observation wheel were stuck for 6 hours today when a fire caused the Singapore Flyer to lose power, AFP reports. 10 of the stranded sightseers were lowered to safety in harnesses, while the rest waited for electricity to return. Its manager said some passengers were “a bit disturbed” by the “very...
Recession Shreds Publishing Industry; Is Literature Next?
Salon
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Dec 23, 2008 4:04 PM CST
(Newser) -
The publishing industry has been battered in the past month, as large houses hemorrhage editors and consolidate divisions, leading some to wonder if literary publishing will ever be the same, Jason Boog writes on Salon. The list of ills is long: too-high advances paid to a dwindling number of sure bets; corporate ownership hit hard by the economic...
Obama Report: No Ties to Blago Scandal
NBC
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Dec 23, 2008 3:54 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama's camp pronounced itself clean as a whistle today with regard to the Rod Blagojevich scandal, NBC reports. The president-elect’s team released an internal report saying that no one on the staff, including Obama himself, had any inappropriate contact with the Illinois governor as he considered appointments to fill Obama’s Senate...
Bret Baier Replacing Hume on Fox's Special Report
Politico
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Dec 23, 2008 3:49 PM CST
(Newser) -
Bret Baier will host Special Report , Fox News’ nightly broadcast from its Washington bureau, after veteran Brit Hume departs, Politico reports. Hume’s farewell show is tonight, but he will continue to work for the channel as a political analyst. Baier is currently Fox’s chief White House correspondent and has conducted interviews...
Coffee Nations Eye Shares in Starbucks
Reuters
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Dec 23, 2008 3:43 PM CST
(Newser) -
The world’s coffee growing nations may swoop in to grab cheap Starbucks shares as the ailing company shutters stores and battles declining demand for premium beverages, Reuters reports. Colombia—the third-largest producer—could buy more control over the supply chain by nabbing “an important share” of the Seattle outfit...
College Football Still Needs Breakthrough Black Coach
Fox Sports
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Dec 23, 2008 3:34 PM CST
(Newser) -
Yesterday’s hiring of Ron English by Eastern Michigan brings the total number of African-American head coaches in major college football to five—out of 119. That miniscule number underscores the barriers black coaches face, and, Michael Rosenberg writes for Fox Sports, the need for a black coach to dissolve those barriers by winning big,...
Dow Falls 100 on Gloomy Data
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 23, 2008 3:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks fell today amid light holiday-week trading as reports on housing and the economy reminded investors how horrid the year has been, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow closed down 100.28 points to close at 8,419.49. The Nasdaq fell 10.81 points to close at 1,522, while the S&P 500 fell 8.48 points, settling at 863.
Brazil Finds Drunk-Driving Law Tough to Swallow
Washington Post
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Dec 23, 2008 3:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
Brazilians have mixed feelings about recently adopted drunken-driving laws that threaten to undermine their carnival lifestyle. The 0.02% alcohol limit—much stricter than America’s 0.08%—aims to curb the 35,000 deaths that occur on Brazil’s roads annually. But with just 900 breathalyzers for a nation of 200 million, police have...
Obama's Early Picks Disappoint His Base
CNN
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Dec 23, 2008 3:15 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama has already slighted some of his most vehement campaign supporters. Women's groups are unimpressed by his Cabinet tally: 15 of 20 spots went to men. And the gay constituency is enraged that Obama chose anti-gay marriage evangelical Rick Warren to lead prayer in his historic inauguration. Instead of the change he promised, Obama has...
Shooting Spree, Standoff May Be Linked: Dallas Cops
Dallas Morning News
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Dec 23, 2008 3:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
Dallas authorities are comparing bullets to see if an former Utah state trooper who shot himself during a standoff with police early this morning was also responsible for a rush-hour shooting spree that left two people dead yesterday, the Dallas Morning News reports. Brian Smith, also suspected in a pharmacy robbery, remains on life support after...
Green Font Cuts Ink Costs
Associated Press
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Dec 23, 2008 3:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
A new font designed to cut printing costs saves ink by not completely filling in the letters, the AP reports. The “Ecofont,” designed by Dutch firm Spranq, has small holes in the middle of the letters that cut ink usage by 15%. The font is free on Spranq’s website, and has seen a surge of interest online, mostly from the US.
Web Copyright Lawsuit Could Cripple the Freedom to Link
Journalistopia
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Dec 23, 2008 2:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
A local newspaper chain is suing the New York Times Company for pilfering its online content, and the case could dramatically change how news sites link, Danny Sanchez writes on Journalistopia. GateHouse Media says readers can glean enough information from the snippets linked by the Boston Globe and therefore don’t continue onward—depriving...
Denver Mayor Guns for Salazar's Senate Seat
Denver Post
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Dec 23, 2008 2:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
The jockeying has begun for the Colorado Senate seat to be vacated by Ken Salazar, with Denver mayor John Hickenlooper telling the Denver Post he is interested in, if not “actively seeking,” the spot. Salazar has been designated as Barack Obama’s interior secretary; other names floated for the post include former US Attorney Tom...
UK Mailman Maimed by Rottweilers
Times (UK)
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Dec 23, 2008 2:29 PM CST
(Newser) -
A British mailman suffered serious injuries when he was mauled by rottweilers while delivering Christmas cards yesterday, the Times of London reports. The two dogs ripped his arm, and bit his back and legs, until a passerby intervened, clubbing the canines with an iron bar and running over one with his van. The owners, not home at the time, had the...
Recession? Not for Botox Docs
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 23, 2008 2:14 PM CST
(Newser) -
Botox, apparently the poor man's plastic surgery, has not taken a hit in this recession, according to a recent survey. In fact, some doctors say demand for the pay-as-you-go treatment has increased as patients put off pricier surgeries, the Wall Street Journal reports. A lip plump or wrinkle-smoothing costs a few hundred to a few thousand dollars...
Accused Mom Barred From Caylee's Funeral
Orlando Sentinel
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Dec 23, 2008 1:59 PM CST
(Newser) -
Casey Anthony will not be let out of jail to attend funeral services for the daughter she's accused of killing because she poses a safety risk, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Caylee Anthony's grandparents plan to hold public and private memorial services for the child they long held out hope would be found alive. The toddler's remains were found near...
Madoff Investor Kills Himself
New York Times
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Dec 23, 2008 1:44 PM CST
(Newser) -
A hedge fund founder whose firm lost $1.4 billion in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme was found dead in his Manhattan office today, an apparent suicide, reports the New York Times. Rene-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet, 65, had been trying to recover money for European clients of Access International Advisors, including investment firm Rothschild and...
Palin Wishes She'd Talked to the Media More
Human Events
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Dec 23, 2008 1:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
Sarah Palin wishes she’d interacted with the media more while campaigning with John McCain, the Alaska governor told Human Events . Palin identified her “biggest mistake” in the ’08 campaign as not taking a more active role in communicating with voters through the media. “I was not allowed to do very many interviews,...
The Case for and Against Rick Warren
Washington Post
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Dec 23, 2008 1:31 PM CST
(Newser) -
Liberals should be neither shocked nor appalled by Barack Obama’s inaugural invitation to anti-gay pastor Rick Warren, EJ Dionne writes in the Washington Post . His colleague Richard Cohen begs to differ, however, so the two duke it out in their columns today. Cohen says Obama has decided to “honor a bigot” and is refusing once again...
Trainer Slaps Clemens With $10M Defamation Suit
New York Post
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Dec 23, 2008 1:16 PM CST
(Newser) -
Brian McNamee is suing his former boss for $10 million, the New York Post reports, saying Roger Clemens libeled and slandered him in the wake of the Mitchell Report on steroids in baseball. The former star pitcher is likewise suing McNamee for telling federal investigators Clemens used steroids, but McNamee says because he was forced to talk with...
What Did Caroline Actually Do for Schools?
Politico
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Dec 23, 2008 1:03 PM CST
(Newser) -
Caroline Kennedy’s $1-a-year gig raising funds for the New York City public schools is being touted as evidence that she's qualified for the Senate. But that seems odd, writes Glenn Thrush in Politico, given the amount of vagueness about what, and how much, she actually did there. Says one person who worked with her, “I’d get it all...
Arab Leaders Shower Condi With Jewelry; Bush, Meh
Associated Press
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Dec 23, 2008 12:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Condoleezza Rice scored $316,000 worth of lavish jewelry from Arab royals last year, the AP reports. Jordan’s King Abdullah treated Rice to an emerald and diamond necklace, ring, bracelet, earrings, and other finery; King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia a ruby and diamond necklace and earrings, bracelet and ring. President Bush received a mere $100,000...
Fey Is AP's Entertainer of the Year
Associated Press
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Dec 23, 2008 12:42 PM CST
(AP) -
Tina Fey is the entertainer of the year? You betcha. Fey was voted the AP's Entertainer of the Year, an annual honor chosen by newspaper editors and broadcast producers across the country. Fey was selected by AP members as the performer who had the greatest impact on culture and entertainment in 2008.
Aiming to Right History, Group Sniffs Out Fake POWs
Chicago Tribune
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Dec 23, 2008 12:38 PM CST
(Newser) -
When Richard Cayton told a Texas newspaper about his harrowing escape from captors in Vietnam, former Navy SEAL Steve Robinson thought something smelled fishy. He ran some quick checks, and told the newspaper that it had been lied to—Cayton had never been a prisoner of war. Sniffing out such fibs is the raison d’être of the POW Network,...
Shoplifting Grows as Economy Doesn't
New York Times
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Dec 23, 2008 12:27 PM CST
(Newser) -
The tough economic climate is driving up shoplifting arrests, and the holiday season is making the situation worse, the New York Times reports. The timing is poor for stores that have had to shrink security staff amid financial woes. “More people are desperate economically, retailers are operating with leaner staffs, and police forces are cutting...
Spiritually Sound, But Many Churches Literally Bankrupt
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 23, 2008 12:16 PM CST
(Newser) -
In trying times, many turn to the church to ease anxieties, but even houses of God haven’t been spared the wrath of recession, the Wall Street Journal reports. A church building boom begun in the 1990s has left many congregations overextended, and with the economic slowdown taking a sizable bite out of donations, many are turning to Chapter...
US Will Finance Afghan Militias
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 23, 2008 11:51 AM CST
(Newser) -
The US will begin funding local militias throughout Afghanistan, an effort to re-create the successful counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq, the Wall Street Journal reports. “Afghanistan historically has been known as a country where local communities took care of themselves,” explained the US ambassador. “The way to counter the Taliban...
Michelle's 'Recession Chic' the Latest Rage
CNN
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Dec 23, 2008 11:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama may decide how to stimulate the economy, but it's Michelle who's teaching America how to look good in it, CNN reports. She's dumped the traditional first lady look for a "recession chic" fashion—a brazen mix of little-known designers like fellow Chicagoan Maria Pinto and bargain buys from J Crew and Target—that...
SAG Postpones Strike Vote
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 23, 2008 11:27 AM CST
(Newser) -
Facing dissent in the rank-and-file, the Screen Actors Guild is delaying a member vote to authorize a strike, the Los Angeles Times reports. The union’s board will push back balloting slated to begin January 2 to “address the unfortunate division and restore consensus” at a special meeting January 12, said SAG’s executive...
Obama Will Take Oath on Lincoln Bible
Politico
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Dec 23, 2008 11:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
On January 20, Barack Obama will place his hand on the same Bible Abraham Lincoln used during his 1861 swearing-in, Politico reports. Obama will be the first president to use the tome since Lincoln. Though it’s not constitutionally required, “Presidents have traditionally used Bibles for the ceremony, choosing a volume with personal or...
Home Sales, Prices Plunge
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 23, 2008 10:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
The housing market had another staggering setback in November, with sales of new and existing homes tumbling while prices took their biggest hit on record, the Wall Street Journal reports. Existing-home sales fell a worse-than-expected 8.6%, while the national median price fell 13.2% to $181,300, the steepest slide since record-keeping began in 1968...
Bloomberg to NY Guv: Stop Stalling and Name Senator
New York Daily News
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Dec 23, 2008 10:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is pushing Gov. David Paterson to speed up his Senate appointment, the Daily News reports. “The governor should make a decision reasonably quickly because this is just getting out of control,” said the ally of Caroline Kennedy. “Everybody’s focusing on the wrong things.” Paterson says...
Etheridge: Warren's No Monster
Huffington Post
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Dec 23, 2008 10:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
Melissa Etheridge is Rick Warren’s new best friend. She met with the pastor last week, after finding out they were set to perform at the same event, and discovered he's not, as expected, a "hate spouting, money grabbing, bad hair televangelist," one of those guys who has "his own gay little secret bathroom stall somewhere, you...
Gift-Givers Get Crafty In Tight Holiday Times
New York Times
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Dec 23, 2008 10:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
Although the economic downturn has nearly everyone pinching pennies, craft stores are watching theirs stack up as holiday gift-givers are saving money by making their own gifts or buying handmade items from others, the New York Times reports. While overall retail revenues in November were off 7.4% from last year, the $5.9 billion craft sector is...
8 States Poised to Lose House Seats: Census
USA Today
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Dec 23, 2008 10:01 AM CST
(Newser) -
After a generation, the Sun Belt’s population boom may be ending, new Census data suggest. Over the year ending July 1, more people left Florida than moved there for the first time in some 30 years; after 23 years in the top four fastest-growing states, Nevada fell to eighth place, USA Today reports. Were a Congressional reallocation held today,...
Met Unveils X-Rated Renaissance
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 23, 2008 9:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
Art and Love in Renaissance Italy , a new exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, comes with a warning to spectators: parental discretion advised. Mixed in with decorous portraits of noblemen are 16th-century pornographic images, dirty books, and other obscene artifacts. For Wall Street Journal critic James Gardner, the mixing...
