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.
California Workers Sue Governator
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 23, 2008 9:54 AM CST
(Newser) -
Unions representing California state employees are suing Arnold Schwarzenegger over his attempt to force them to take unpaid time off, the Los Angeles Times reports. Schwarzenegger issued an executive order last week ordering all employees to take two unpaid days off each month, in an effort to corral the state budget. But the unions say Schwarzenegger...
Huge Pipe Break Traps DC-Area Drivers
Associated Press
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Dec 23, 2008 9:46 AM CST
(AP) -
Rescuers in helicopters scrambled to pull motorists from frigid floodwaters unleashed by a massive water pipe break this morning on a commuter road just outside Washington. TV images showed two people in a minivan climbing into a basket lowered from a helicopter overhead. Rescuers also used a boat to save drivers from fast-flowing waters at least 4...
Emanuel Still Gets Paycheck From Congress
The Hill
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Dec 23, 2008 9:30 AM CST
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Rahm Emanuel has started his new job as Barack Obama’s White House chief of staff, but his paycheck is still coming from Congress, the Hill reports. Emanuel is not getting a salary from Obama’s transition team. He hasn’t resigned the House seat to which he was just re-elected, but bid farewell to the Democratic caucus Nov. 18, and...
Plunging Exports Roil Asia
Washington Post
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Dec 23, 2008 9:12 AM CST
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Asia, the manufacturing powerhouse of the last few decades, is experiencing a plunge in exports unprecedented in modern history, the Washington Post reports. Japan, the world’s second-largest economy, reported yesterday that exports dipped 27% in November, while Thailand’s exports shed 19%, the most in 17 years. Taiwan’s exports...
Poll: 72% of World Cutting Spending
Reuters
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Dec 23, 2008 9:01 AM CST
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Nearly three-quarters of households worldwide are cutting spending, with emerging markets particularly fretful about global economic woes, a 22-country survey found. Those countries are facing “precipitous decline," putting “in check any notion of 'decoupling’”—the idea that emerging markets are working independently...
Stocks Flat on Minimal Trading
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 23, 2008 8:51 AM CST
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It was a sleepy open on Wall Street today, as the major stock indexes mostly jogged in place on low volume, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow inched up 50 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P lost 0.6% and 0.7% respectively. The government reported a third-quarter 0.5% contraction in the economy, which was the worst move since 2001, but expected...
Fund Warned Clients Madoff 'Could Abscond With Assets'
Financial Times (UK)
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Dec 23, 2008 8:47 AM CST
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One of the firms hardest hit by the $50 billion Bernard Madoff fraud warned investors in its prospectus that investing with Madoff was risky, saying explicitly that the brokerage “could abscond with those assets,” the Financial Times reports. Kingate Global told investors that they would not check the accuracy of the statements Madoff...
Warren to Keynote MLK Service
Orange County Register
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Dec 23, 2008 8:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
Just a day before he makes his appearance at Barack Obama’s inauguration, Rick Warren will give the keynote address at the annual Martin Luther King Jr memorial service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, King's former home in Atlanta, the OC Register reports. While Obama has taken heat from gay marriage supporters for inviting Warren to give the invocation...
Clinton Moves to Beef Up State
New York Times
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Dec 23, 2008 8:20 AM CST
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Hillary Clinton is already working to restore some of the strength sapped from the State Department under the Bush administration, the New York Times reports. Clinton is seeking a bigger budget for the department and wants to restore the role played by high-profile special envoys. Officials say Clinton also wants to carve out a bigger role for the...
Pope: Save Rainforest —and Heterosexuality, Too
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 23, 2008 8:08 AM CST
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Pope Benedict XVI used a Christmas address today to call for a defense of heterosexuality, which he suggested was as endangered as the rainforest. He called homosexuality and deviance from gender norms "a destruction of God's work." The pontiff said "the tropical forests do deserve our protection; but man, as a creature, does...
Caroline-Besotted Times Yanks Palin Comparison
Gawker
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Dec 23, 2008 8:03 AM CST
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The New York Times watered down its own story about press-shy Caroline Kennedy's awkward Upstate New York visit last week, Gawker reports. The first version posted online noted the similarity to Sarah Palin, as her aides whisked her away from reporters questioning her experience. But the provocative Palin reference vanished from the story by the...
Jacko's Just Fine, Thanks
E! Online
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Dec 23, 2008 7:43 AM CST
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Going from deathbed to world stage in mere hours, the King of Pop's rumor mill can be tough to keep up with these day, E! Online reports. A biographer’s claim yesterday that Michael Jackson is suffering from a rare lung disease is “a total fabrication” dreamed up to sell an unauthorized bio, Jacko’s rep said. In fact, MJ is...
Belgium Flails as PM Quits in Bailout Scandal
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 23, 2008 7:30 AM CST
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Belgium is seeking to emerge from its third political crisis in the space of a year after PM Yves Leterme stepped down yesterday in a banking scandal. His government was accused of trying to influence a court case involving the bailout of Fortis, one of the first big banks to approach collapse in the financial crisis. But finding a new leader for the...
Paris: Gem Thief Was No Stranger
E! Online
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Dec 23, 2008 7:17 AM CST
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Paris Hilton is pretty sure she knows the burglar who stole $2 million in jewels from her home, E! Online reports. “I think whoever did this, definitely has been there before. We have some suspects that I'm thinking of,” said the heiress, adding that many of the stolen items have sentimental value. Some reports indicate the door may have...
Kennedy Won't Make Personal Disclosures Yet
New York Times
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Dec 23, 2008 7:13 AM CST
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Caroline Kennedy has refused to disclose a variety of personal data, from which companies she has invested in to whether she has ever been charged with a crime, reports the New York Times . While candidates or sitting senators must make annual financial disclosures, potential appointees to a vacant seat have no such requirement. But good-government...
That Extra 7lbs May Be Deadly
Reuters
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Dec 23, 2008 7:08 AM CST
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Even being slightly overweight can seriously increase the risk of heart problems, Reuters reports. A 20-year study of roughly 20,000 male doctors in the US found that every 7 pounds of excess body weight upped the risk of heart failure by 11%. The fatal condition, in which the heart can’t pump enough blood throughout the body, plays a part in...
Cash-Squeezed States Warn of Collapsing Infrastructure
New York Times
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Dec 23, 2008 6:57 AM CST
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Thousands of infrastructure projects across the country are on hold as states wrestle with budget crises, the New York Times reports. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger warned yesterday that California was “on a track toward disaster" as school, bridge, and road construction projects ceased, the victims of the credit squeeze and institutional...
Barack Caught Shirtless Again
Politico
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Dec 23, 2008 6:33 AM CST
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New vacation photos of Barack Obama raise the next big question of his transition: How much skin is too much? Once again the president-elect has been photographed shirtless, reports Politico, prompting one Web poster to declare the well-toned Obama “smokin hot.” Observers say the pictures, snapped by a paparazzo on a public beach in Hawaii,...
Army Seizes Power After Guinea's Dictator Dies
BBC
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Dec 23, 2008 6:00 AM CST
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Guinea's army has dissolved the African nation's government and seized power just hours after the death of its longtime dictatorial president, Lansana Conte. "As of today, the constitution is suspended, as well as political and union activity," said a military commander in a radio address. The capital was peaceful and there were no troops...
Clinton Writes Off $13.2M Campaign Loan
Bloomberg
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Dec 23, 2008 5:33 AM CST
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Hillary Clinton has formally written off the $13.2 million of her own money she lent to her presidential campaign, Bloomberg reports. The move is a big step toward shutting down her campaign committee and removing a potential stumbling block to her Senate confirmation as secretary of state. Clinton still owes vendors $6.4 million from her failed presidential...
EU Considers Taking Gitmo Prisoners
Washington Post
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Dec 23, 2008 5:01 AM CST
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European Union countries are considering giving Barack Obama a helping hand by accepting released Guantanamo Bay prisoners for resettlement, the Washington Post reports. Requests from the Bush administration to take Gitmo detainees were flatly rejected by the EU, but Portugal has now signaled its willingness to accept some prisoners and has urged...
Franken's Lead Shrinking
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Dec 23, 2008 4:33 AM CST
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Al Franken's razor-thin lead in the Minnesota Senate race keeps getting narrower. The former Saturday Night Live writer holds a mere 48-vote lead over Republican Sen. Norm Coleman with most ballot challenges settled, down from the 251-vote advantage he had just last week, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Hawaii Tries in Vain to Cash In on Obama Fame
Politico
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Dec 23, 2008 4:04 AM CST
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The Hawaii tourist trade is doing its best to spin some dollars out of Obamania, Politico reports. Tour companies are hyping visits to the president-elect's old Honolulu neighborhood, and the Baskin-Robbins where Obama worked as a teen is selling a new "Swirl of Change" flavor: chocolate, caramel, and nuts in vanilla ice cream.
Denver Crash a Mystery Again
CNN
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Dec 23, 2008 3:38 AM CST
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Indications that a problem with the landing gear, brakes or tires caused a plane to skid off the runway in Denver have proved not to be true, CNN reports. Voice and data recorders reveal bumping and rattling sounds moments before the crash, investigators now say. The plane's captain is recovering from his injuries and is not yet able to be interviewed....
Cops: SF Bay Lesbian Gang-Raped in Hate Crime
San Francisco Chronicle
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Dec 23, 2008 3:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
Bay Area police are treating the brutal gang rape of a lesbian as a hate crime, the San Francisco Chronicl e reports. The victim, who displayed a gay pride sticker on her license plate, was kidnapped, gang-raped and dumped naked by four men who taunted about her sexual orientation. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the...
23% Dub Cheney 'Worst VP Ever'
CNN
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Dec 23, 2008 2:31 AM CST
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Dick Cheney is arguably the most powerful vice president in history, but one American in four say he's also the worst in history, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp survey. Of those polled, 23% rate Cheney's job performance as the worst ever, with another 41% rating him poor. That still leaves 34% of voters pleased with the VP.
Bush Pentagon Team Asked to Stay On
Washington Times
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Dec 23, 2008 2:00 AM CST
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Defense Secretary Robert Gates has taken the unusual step of inviting most of President Bush's political appointees to remain at the Pentagon until they are replaced, the W ashington Times reports. An undisclosed number will be dismissed, but Gates, keen to avoid a "leadership vacuum" with two wars on, wants to keep the majority of some...
Blind Man Walks Obstacle Course Using 'Blindsight'
Times (UK)
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Dec 22, 2008 8:59 PM CST
(Newser) -
A blind man has surprised scientists by walking an obstacle course with the strange power of "blindsight," the Times of London reports. The man, blinded by brain-damaging strokes, cleanly walked the course without using a cane. He had already baffled experts by reacting to people's facial expressions. “This is absolutely the first...
Bush v. Gore No Longer a Judicial Joke
New York Times
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Dec 22, 2008 8:18 PM CST
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Once considered an intellectually trivial, one-off ruling, Bush v. Gore is gaining ground as legal precedent, the New York Times reports. The 2000 Supreme Court decision has been cited some 20 times in the Minnesota Al Franken/Norm Coleman recount case, and influenced a recent Ohio ruling on voting machines. Its effect? That a state can't...
4,300-Year-Old Tombs Unveiled Near Cairo
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2008 7:48 PM CST
(AP) -
A pair of 4,300-year-old pharaonic tombs discovered at Saqqara indicate that the sprawling necropolis south of Cairo is even larger than previously thought, Egypt's top archaeologist said today. "We announce today a major, important discovery at Saqqara, the discovery of two new tombs dating back to 4,300 years ago," he said. "The discovery...
Bestselling Books Come to the iPhone
Wired
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Dec 22, 2008 7:22 PM CST
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Bestselling titles like Stephenie Meyer's Twilight and Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass can be downloaded directly to iPhones for the first time, Wired reports. ScrollMotion, a New York app developer, has struck a deal to download e-books from Houghton Mifflin, Simon & Schuster, and other major publishers. Other iPhone e-book apps exist,...
Sopranos Actor Beats Murder Rap
New York Daily News
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Dec 22, 2008 6:47 PM CST
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Ex- Sopranos actor Lillo Brancato beat a cop-killing rap in New York today but faces up to 15 years for attempted burglary, the New York Daily News reports. A jury decided that Brancato, 32, did try to break into a friend's apartment in a hunt for drugs, but bore no guilt for his accomplice gunning down a police officer at the scene.
Financial PR Firms Walk a Thin Line
Reuters
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Dec 22, 2008 6:24 PM CST
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An insider trading case has exposed the potentially problematic relationship between PR companies and corporate clients, and it could have dire consequences for at least one firm, Reuters reports. A Lehman Brothers employee is charged with leaking merger information he got from his wife, a partner at the Brunswick Group PR firm, which has suspended...
'Billie Jean' Sues Jacko for $1B
Access Hollywood
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Dec 22, 2008 5:58 PM CST
(Newser) -
Billie Jean is still calling Michael Jackson "the one," Access Hollywood reports. A woman who says she is Billie Jean Jackson—and refers to Jackson as "her husband"—is suing him for $1 billion in Los Angeles, seeking joint custody of his 6-year-old boy, Blanket. She has pursued him before, filing a $150 million paternity...
Tires, Brakes Linked to Crash; Voice Data 'Good'
CNN
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Dec 22, 2008 5:29 PM CST
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Brakes, tires, or landing gear likely caused the Denver airliner crash that injured 40 on Saturday, a source tells CNN. Meanwhile the National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its probe of the accident, and revealed that both black boxes on the plane contained clear information. "Tonight, we should have some overall characterization of...
Moderate Tehran Mayor Eyes Presidential Bid
Boston Globe
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Dec 22, 2008 5:06 PM CST
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Tehran's mayor appears to be mounting a presidential bid in Iran as political winds shift against President Ahmadinejad, the Boston Globe reports. Liberals and conservatives are allying for the first time, and Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, 47, has attended their meetings. Whoever wins in June will be "hugely consequential," one analyst...
Journos Pass Up Beer on Obama
CNN
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Dec 22, 2008 5:00 PM CST
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Though the journalists covering Barack Obama’s Hawaii trip admit to enjoying their time in the islands, they drew the line at free beer on the president-elect’s tab, CNN correspondent Ed Henry notes. “Pool is still holding without beer,” Jamie Farnsworth reported for CBS after the contingent covering Sunday’s golf round...
Dow Sheds 59 on Ugly Reports
MarketWatch
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Dec 22, 2008 3:20 PM CST
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Stocks fell today after Toyota warned of looming losses and Walgreen announced a reduction in profit, MarketWatch reports. Amid light trading volume, the Dow dropped 59.42 to close at 8,519.69, the Nasdaq fell 31.97, closing at 1,532.35, and the S&P 500 shed 16.25 to close at 871.63.
Guy Ritchie Cozies Up to Hugh Grant's Ex
New York Daily News
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Dec 22, 2008 3:13 PM CST
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British tabloids are alert to the possibility of a romance between freshly divorced Guy Ritchie and Jemima Khan, millionaire heiress and recent Hugh Grant fling, the New York Daily News notes. The pair “got along like a house on fire” at two London dinner parties earlier this month, the Daily Mail adds.
Ronson Hospitalized for Exhaustion
People
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Dec 22, 2008 3:01 PM CST
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Samantha Ronson checked herself in to a Los Angeles hospital for exhaustion yesterday, but is now resting up at home, People reports. On her MySpace page, Ronson thanked fans “for all your messages,” and attributed her poor health to “traveling and working too much.” But thanks to “good company” and “chicken...
Times to Mayor of Paris: Whoops!
New York Times
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Dec 22, 2008 2:44 PM CST
(Newser) -
The New York Times has apologized to the mayor of Paris for publishing a letter purportedly from him that was actually a hoax. The paper didn't confirm the origins of the letter, which described Caroline Kennedy's bid for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat as "both surprising and appalling," and it "should never have been printed,"...
Bush Gets Shoulder MRI, Visits Soldiers at Walter Reed
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2008 2:26 PM CST
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President Bush underwent an MRI today after complaining of pain in his shoulder, the AP reports. The test was done at Walter Reed Medical Center where Bush was visiting convalescing Iraq war veterans, perhaps for the last time during his presidency. A White House doctor said the injury had not limited the president’s activities, and was probably...
Saudi Girl, 8, Can't Divorce Husband, 58: Court
Daily Mail (UK)
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Dec 22, 2008 2:10 PM CST
(Newser) -
An 8-year-old Saudi girl will remain married to her 58-year-old husband after a court struck down her mother’s request for a divorce, the Daily Mail reports. The hard-up father, who is divorced from the mother, signed a contract in August and received a dowry of about $7,400. The court ordered that “the plea should be filed by the girl...
300K Have Sent Resumes to Obama (for 8K Jobs)
CNN
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Dec 22, 2008 1:58 PM CST
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Barack Obama’s transition team has seen an avalanche of resumes from individuals who want to work in his administration, CNN reports. More than 300,000 have applied for 8,000 positions. Many are new to politics but have impressive careers, says one analyst: “High-level people in private industry want to go all of a sudden into federal government...
Why We Can't Take Cruise Seriously
Slate
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Dec 22, 2008 1:43 PM CST
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The prospect of Tom Cruise as a renegade Nazi has moviegoers snickering already, and with good reason, Stephen Metcalf writes for Slate. No one expects Cruise to pull off a mid-career tour de force as the giants who came before him did. “Place Cruise next to Nicholson, Newman, and Tracy,” Metcalf writes, “and he is a riddle.”...
Fort Dix 5 Convicted of Conspiracy
Star-Ledger
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Dec 22, 2008 1:28 PM CST
(Newser) -
The five men charged in the Fort Dix terrorism case were convicted today of conspiracy to kill American soldiers, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. The Muslim immigrants from Albania, Jordan, and Turkey were investigated by FBI agents and informers over 15 months in 2006 and 2007. Hours of recordings documented their planning of a strike at the New...
China Dispatches Furry Ambassadors to Taiwan
Sydney Morning Herald
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Dec 22, 2008 1:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
China is sending a pair of pandas to Taiwan today, a peace offering that’s been in the making for 4 years, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The nations, not known for being warm or cuddly toward each other, appear to be making amends. Last week, after a 60-year stalemate, Taiwan and China re-established direct airline flights, allowing for...
Knut Needed Hug: Zoo Intruder
Bloomberg
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Dec 22, 2008 1:05 PM CST
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A German man says he climbed over a Berlin Zoo barrier today because the polar bear needed a hug, Bloomberg reports. The unidentified man, 37, apparently believed the animal—which drew 3.2 million visitors last year—was lonely. “He wanted to keep Knut company,” police said. Knut, abandoned as a cub, was once offered a movie...
Krugman: Obama Can't Take Crutches Away Too Soon
New York Times
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Dec 22, 2008 12:54 PM CST
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The Obama administration must resist the temptation to leave the economy to its own devices too soon, Paul Krugman writes in the New York Times . “Getting to the point where our economy can thrive without fiscal support may be a difficult, drawn-out process,” he writes, with no bubble in sight to replace housing. “Things can’t...
Etheridge's Wife Defends Warren
Hollywood Farm Girl
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Dec 22, 2008 12:42 PM CST
(Newser) -
Melissa Etheridge's significant other goes to bat for right-wing pastor Rick Warren, calling him "the man the media has made our latest 'HE HATES YOU!' target." In fact, he doesn't hate gays, Tammy Lynn Michaels writes on her Hollywood Farm Girl blog. Melissa, who recently met him, found that the pastor "is warm, caring, effusive,...
