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.
Deep Throat Made Newspapers 'Cool'
Washington Post
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Dec 20, 2008 1:10 PM CST
(Newser) -
Mark Felt's life inspires an appreciation of a heroic man, but also of the romance and significance of journalism, Hank Stuever writes in the Washington Post . In fact, you could say “that the idea of him had died already, a few years ago, when he allowed the world to know who he was,” Stuever writes. But Deep Throat lives on in the dreams...
Back to Rehab for Ex-GN'R Drummer
E! Online
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Dec 20, 2008 12:50 PM CST
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Fresh from his appearance on Celebrity Rehab, ex-Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler is going back to rehab, E! reports. Adler pleaded no contest to drug charges stemming from a July arrest, and was ordered to enter a state rehab program. The rocker, who checked out of his higher-profile treatment stint yesterday, will likely get probation...
Obama Names 4 Top Science Advisers
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2008 12:23 PM CST
(AP) -
Barack Obama today selected a Harvard physicist and a marine biologist for key science posts, in a sign he plans a more aggressive response to global warming than did the Bush administration. John Holdren and Jane Lubchenco are leading experts on climate change who have advocated forceful government action. “It's time we once again put science...
Milan's Poor Get Contraband Caviar for Xmas
BBC
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Dec 20, 2008 12:07 PM CST
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The poor and homeless in Milan will get a pricey treat this holiday season, the BBC reports. Officials will distribute 88 pounds of beluga caviar seized from smugglers to the city’s shelters and soup kitchens. The sturgeon roe, confiscated in November en route from Poland, is valued at around $550,000. Nations are cracking down on illegal caviar...
Jobless Whites, Blacks Push Out Immigrant Workers
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 20, 2008 11:48 AM CST
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Tens of thousands of Hispanic immigrants are leaving the US as out-of-work Americans compete with them for manual labor jobs, the Wall Street Journal reports. Even farms, which once struggled to fill positions, are turning people away because white and black Americans need work. "There is definitely a lot of talk about leaving" among Latinos,...
Trump Files $100M Suit Over Golf Course
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 20, 2008 11:20 AM CST
(Newser) -
Donald Trump is taking his ongoing battle over a California golf course to court, the Los Angeles Times reports. Trump bought the course in Rancho Palos Verdes 6 years ago and wooed city officials by sprucing it up. Then came battles over land, ficus trees, and a street he wanted to rename after himself. "The town does everything possible to...
Indie Wrestlers Hope for Big Time
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 20, 2008 11:00 AM CST
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The WWE isn’t the only pro-wrestling battleground: Outside the mainstream are several indie wrestling leagues where lesser-known fighters can duke it out, the Wall Street Journal reports. There’s little pay—sometimes only $25 a night—and crowds can range from 20 to 18,000, says one contender. But there’s plenty...
Bailouts a Fling for Nation Married to Free Market
Washington Post
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Dec 20, 2008 10:33 AM CST
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Washington's bailout of the auto industry would normally "be a turning point in the history of American Capitalism,” writes Steven Pearlstein of the Washington Post . Now it’s business as usual in “Bailout Nation.” That doesn’t mean the US has abandoned its free market ethos, or lost its appetite for creative destruction,...
What Your Xmas Lights Say About You
Chicago Tribune
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Dec 20, 2008 10:16 AM CST
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Your neighbor’s yard is strewn with lit-up Santas, blinking stars, and a waving snowman. Think he’s trying to tell you something? It turns out he is, psychologists tell the Chicago Tribune . They consider decorations a manifestation of our need to communicate. “It’s a very basic tendency to know others and to need to be known...
Thai PM Announces Controversial Cabinet
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2008 10:12 AM CST
(AP) -
Thailand's prime minister unveiled his new cabinet today, including a supporter of last month's airport blockade in a lineup that cast doubt on the government's ability to unite the divided nation, the AP reports. The announcement came after King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the country's revered monarch, endorsed Abhisit Vejjajiva, whom lawmakers voted...
Cash-Strapped Studios Spend Big on Oscars
LA Weekly
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Dec 20, 2008 10:00 AM CST
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America's financial crisis hasn't stopped studios from dropping big money in their quest for Oscars, Nikki Finke writes on Deadline Hollywood Daily. Amid layoffs and cutbacks, Paramount took out 7 full-page ads for Revolutionary Road in the New York Times , and Disney spent $675,000 for a Wall-E insert in the LA Times . "So a $675,000 insert...
Plagiarism Case Evolves Against Darwin
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 20, 2008 9:38 AM CST
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As Darwin fans gear up for the 150th anniversary of On the Origin of Species , some analysts are calling the renowned naturalist a cheat, the Wall Street Journal reports. Alfred Russel Wallace is widely considered the co-founder of evolutionary theory, but some revisionists say Darwin cribbed the notion from Wallace. "There's a suspicion of...
Cold Fish Blago Made Few Allies in Home State
Politico
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Dec 20, 2008 9:16 AM CST
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Rod Blagejovich made little effort to forge bonds with Illinois lawmakers, and that cold shoulder is helping them go untainted by his scandal, Politico reports. "It makes it plausible for people to say, ‘I really didn’t have much contact with him,’” one analyst said. Still, state Congress members were frustrated as they...
Lisa Rinna to Bare All for Playboy
OK!
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Dec 20, 2008 8:55 AM CST
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Lisa Rinna may be in her 40s, but she's planning to pose nude for Playboy again, OK! reports. "I'm the worst liar on the planet, I can't lie," the former Dancing With the Stars contestant said when asked if she was planning on stripping down for the mag. "I think that could be a yes." The 45-year-old last appeared in Playboy...
Outsider Madoff Cultivated Steady Image
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 20, 2008 8:33 AM CST
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Bernard Madoff rose to fame and fortune as one of America's top financial insiders but he never stopped acting like an outsider, associates tell the Wall Street Journal . Despite his reputation as outgoing "Uncle Bernie," the disgraced financier was often ill at ease socially and could be brusque with clients—especially when they asked...
Cable Cut Takes Egypt Offline
Associated Press
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Dec 20, 2008 8:09 AM CST
(AP) -
Egypt suffered a large-scale Internet outage after cables in the Mediterranean were cut, the Communications Ministry said yesterday. Three Internet cables were cut off the coast of the Italian island of Sicily yesterday morning, the ministry said. The cause of the cut was not immediately known. Throughout Egypt, the Internet is almost completely down...
Soldiers Who Survive War Are Less Intelligent
New Scientist
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Dec 20, 2008 7:39 AM CST
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Soldiers who survived World War II were on average less intelligent than their fallen comrades, a study of British records has revealed. Researchers merged military records with an IQ test given to Scottish schoolchildren in 1932 and found that Scots who died in battle had an average IQ of 100.8, while those who came back alive averaged 97.4, the ...
RNC Chief: GOP Needs Better Ideas
Talking Points Memo
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Dec 20, 2008 7:09 AM CST
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Republican National Committee chief Mike Duncan laments the sorry state of the GOP in a private memo to committee members obtained by TPM Election Central. The memo, written to explain the creation of the new "Center for Republican Renewal" think-tank, acknowledges that the party has too often put politics before policy and needs to find...
Japan Fetes Genji , World's First Novel, at 1,000
Economist
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Dec 20, 2008 6:39 AM CST
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Japan is celebrating the 1,000th birthday of The Tale of Genji , a story penned by a woman in an imperial court that is widely regarded as the first modern novel, the Economist reports. The chronicle of an aristocratic aesthete’s sexual adventures is many things to many readers, including conservative commentators who point to Japan’s...
Paris Slays 'Misconceptions'
Esquire
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Dec 20, 2008 5:34 AM CST
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Paris Hilton dishes to Esquire about what she’s learned from being, well, Paris Hilton. For starters, she wants everyone to know she’s not a brainless celebutard—“I was up making phone calls at seven in the morning, and I’ll be working until 1 a.m.” But she knows what she’s working toward: being “a...
Brown Asks Court to Overturn Prop. 8
San Francisco Chronicle
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Dec 20, 2008 4:15 AM CST
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California’s attorney general has reversed position and asked the state’s supreme court to void the ban on gay marriage enacted by voters in November, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Jerry Brown said in a filing yesterday that Proposition 8 is "inconsistent with the guarantees of individual liberty" in the state's charter,...
2008's Top 10 Singles
Rolling Stone
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Dec 20, 2008 3:41 AM CST
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When it comes to belting out the single of the year, Beyoncé ran (wedding) rings around the competition, says Rolling Stone, which lists its top 10: Beyoncé, Single Ladies : "Irresistible and exuberant." Santogold, LES Artistes : "New Wave guitar hook of the year." MGMT, Time to Pretend : "A...
Sold-Out Kindles Still Available—for a Price
Bloomberg
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Dec 20, 2008 2:09 AM CST
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Amazon.com has run out of Kindle e-book readers, sending their prices soaring on the second-hand market and on sites like eBay, reports Bloomberg. Ever since an Oprah endorsement in October cleaned out the online retailer’s stock, those with Kindles in hand have sought to secure a return on their investment. The device retails for $359 but it...
Aussie Repays £5 Debt—40 Years Late
BBC
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Dec 19, 2008 8:14 PM CST
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An Englishman was surprised to come home and discover a £5 loan repaid nearly 40 years late, the BBC reports. In 1969, Jim Webb loaned an Australian traveler the money to help him get to England. The Aussie took Webb's address but never sent him the money as promised. Now 72, Webb said the tardy debtor dropped off £200—£5 for...
How Music Boosted Human Evolution—or Didn't
Economist
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Dec 19, 2008 7:35 PM CST
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We love our iPods and stereos, but what evolutionary purpose does all of this music serve? The Shakespearean idea that "music be the food of love" is popular among experts, who say music aids courtship and therefore human survival. Another theory says music replaced another social activity: grooming. When tribes grew too big...
Tinseltown Not Run by Jews? I'm Insulted
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 19, 2008 7:01 PM CST
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Just 22% of Americans say Jews run Hollywood, and one Jew is insulted: "It just shows how dumb America has gotten," Joel Stein writes in the Los Angeles Times . "Jews totally run Hollywood." Looking through the trades, he could find only eight Gentiles holding powerful positions at entertainment companies. And he's okay with that....
Braves Prez Calls Furcal's Dealings 'Despicable'
Associated Press
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Dec 19, 2008 6:27 PM CST
(AP) -
Braves president John Schuerholz has vowed to never again do business with Rafael Furcal's agents, whom Schuerholz has accused of conducting "despicable" dealings with the team, the AP reports. Schuerholz and Braves general manager Frank Wren were quoted as saying the Wasserman Media Group negotiated dishonestly by taking the team's...
Gladiators Will Fight Again in Coliseum
Times (UK)
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Dec 19, 2008 5:55 PM CST
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Gladiators will return to Rome’s Coliseum next year, the Times of London reports, marking the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of the emperor who ordered the landmark constructed. A series of shows will recreate “the sights, sounds and smells” of Ancient Rome, one archaeologist said, promising authenticity. “The gladiators...
Madoff Now Under 24-Hour House Arrest
Bloomberg
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Dec 19, 2008 5:32 PM CST
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A New York judge placed accused fraudster Bernard Madoff under 24-hour arrest today, Bloomberg reports; a private security firm will also keep watch on his Upper East Side apartment after federal officials said there was a risk of “harm or flight.” Madoff’s attorney would not say if the 70-year-old, charged with conning investors...
In Time for Holidays, an iPod Breathalyzer
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 19, 2008 5:18 PM CST
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A new accessory for the iPod aims to cut down on drunk driving, the Los Angeles Times reports. No, not an app that lists lawyers, or one that calls a cab—a breathalyzer. The iBreath plugs into the iPod and, in 5 seconds, gives a blood-alcohol reading. The creator said the device was partly aimed at teens. “They don’t listen to their...
This Ain't Charity: Detroit Must Win Consumers Back
Detroit Free Press
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Dec 19, 2008 4:51 PM CST
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With a $17.4 billion bailout in hand, Detroit must now turn toward restructuring and making the cars America needs, Mark Phelan writes in the Detroit Free Press . “To win back American buyers’ respect,” Phelan continues, “the automakers must show the aid package was a sound investment, not a handout.” That means smaller,...
Sex Can Cause Sneezing: Study
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 19, 2008 4:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
Sexual thoughts cause some people to have fits of sneezing, the Guardian reports. Psychiatrists at a British hospital were turned on to the problem by a patient, and a survey of Internet chat rooms found others afflicted, including three people who sneezed after orgasm.
Bush Twins Eager to Get Their Dad Back
People
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Dec 19, 2008 4:10 PM CST
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President Bush’s daughters are excited to see their father take a load off, People reports. “He's been under a lot of stress, so we're ready for him to go back to Texas and be warmly received,” says Jenna Hager. The twins agree their parents hadn’t changed during their White House tenure, and “have the same characteristics...
Stocks End Mixed; Dow Up 25
MarketWatch
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Dec 19, 2008 3:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks ended mixed today as a rally on the news of a White House bailout for the auto industry fizzled over concerns for the larger economy, MarketWatch reports. General Motors led advancing stocks with a 22.7% gain, and the Dow closed up 25.88 at 8,579.11. The Nasdaq gained 11.95, closing at 1,564.32, while the S&P 500 rose 2.60, to settle at...
Invest in Gardens, Where Yields Make Wall St. Blush
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Dec 19, 2008 3:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
With the economic outlook darkening, there’s still one good investment that will help you weather the downturn, George Ball writes in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution : a garden. The “astonishing garden-grown return on investment is not modern-day speculative sleight-of-hand, but real, tangible and fungible,” the chairman of the...
Despereaux a Beautiful Mess
Rotten Tomatoes
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Dec 19, 2008 3:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Tale of Despereaux is a beautiful movie. It looks “like an illuminated manuscript come to life,” writes Adam Markovitz in Entertainment Weekly , its visuals obviously inspired by Flemish artists. “Too bad the story’s such a mess.” At the heart of the story is the titular heroic mouse (ably voiced by Matthew Broderick),...
Obama Has Nothing to Hide, Plenty to Lose With Blago
Salon
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Dec 19, 2008 3:10 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama looks to have done nothing wrong in his (however limited) dealings with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, but the president-elect seemed bent on proving otherwise, Joe Conason writes on Salon. Obama’s “unnecessary mistakes” in handling the scandal “risked creating public suspicion where there need be none,” since...
It's Official: Solis, Kirk, LaHood Join Cabinet
Washington Post
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Dec 19, 2008 2:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama announced his final Cabinet choices today, making official what insiders have hinted at for a week, the Washington Post reports. Hilda Solis will be the nominee for labor secretary, Ron Kirk for trade representative, and Republican Ray LaHood for transportation. Solis appears to be the lightning rod, as union officials praised the appointment...
Face Transplant Risks Life in Pursuit of Social Approval
Slate
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Dec 19, 2008 2:44 PM CST
(Newser) -
A face transplant completed at a Cleveland clinic may be a medical triumph, but, William Saletan wonders on Slate, does the social necessity outweigh the physical risk? Severe facial damage affected the woman’s physical functions, but surgeons also argue that “social functions” such as communication are equally essential. This logic...
Blago: I Won't Step Down
Chicago Tribune
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Dec 19, 2008 2:26 PM CST
(Newser) -
Rod Blagojevich proclaimed his innocence at a jam-packed press conference this afternoon, vowing to "fight until I take my last breath," the Chicago Tribune reports. "I'm not going to quit a job that people hired me to do because of false accusations and a political lynch mob," the embattled Illinois governor said in his first...
Burger King Markets Meaty Perfume
BBC
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Dec 19, 2008 2:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
Burger King has unveiled a men's body spray designed to make burger lovers swoon, the BBC reports. The company says the Flame fragrance smells like "the scent of seduction, with a hint of flame-broiled meat." A website for the perfume features various "romantic" images—including the Burger King king himself reclined almost...
Remains Are Caylee's: Cops
Orlando Sentinel
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Dec 19, 2008 2:19 PM CST
(Newser) -
DNA tests performed by the FBI have confirmed that the bones found near the home of Caylee Anthony’s grandparents are the remains of the missing toddler, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Caylee’s mother Casey Anthony, who is charged with her murder, has been informed in jail. Authorities still don’t know precisely how Caylee died and...
With Picks, Obama Plays Both Sides of 'Change' Coin
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 19, 2008 2:12 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama seems intent on giving America two administrations for the price of one, Gerald Seib writes in the Wall Street Journal . The first, his national-security and economic appointments, is full of well-known Washington veterans, sending a message of steadiness amid war and financial calamity. But the second wave of appointments “look...
'Pumpkin Streaker' Cops a Plea in Colo.
Boulder (Colo.) Daily Camera
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Dec 19, 2008 2:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
A University of Colorado student who ran through a pedestrian mall naked except for a pumpkin on her head on Halloween agreed yesterday to a plea deal, the Boulder Daily Camera reports. The 20-year-old will do 6 months of probation and 8 hours of community service, and will not have to register as a sex offender. The agreement is expected to be offered...
Paris' Home Robbed of $2M in Jewelry
Associated Press
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Dec 19, 2008 1:54 PM CST
(Newser) -
Paris Hilton’s Hollywood Hills pad was robbed early this morning of an estimated $2 million worth of jewelry and other goods, the LA Times reports. A man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and gloves entered the house through the unlocked front door at 5am, according to an anonymous source. Hilton, whose house has security video equipment, wasn’t...
Goodman: Why Not Caroline?
Boston Globe
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Dec 19, 2008 1:50 PM CST
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Edward Kennedy’s 1962 Senate run sent howls of “nepotism” through Massachusetts, with an opponent charging that, were his name Edward Moore not Edward Moore Kennedy, his “candidacy would be a joke.” One could say much the same for Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, “but I find myself unable to dredge up even a modicum...
Franken Takes Lead by 250 Votes
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Dec 19, 2008 1:41 PM CST
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After beginning the day with a slight deficit, Al Franken has opened up a 250-vote lead over incumbent Norm Coleman in Minnesota’s ongoing Senate race, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. While the race appears to be tipping Franken's way, don't expect any resolution until after the new year, given the complexity of the recount and its various...
Solis Is Cabinet's Lone Progressive
Politico
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Dec 19, 2008 1:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
Progressives are viewing Barack Obama's ever-so-centrist Cabinet with disappointment, except for the notable pick of union friend Hilda Solis for labor secretary, Politico reports. Solis, a rising star in the House who had been viewed as a potential Speaker, is the daughter of a teamster and a factory worker, and she has a nearly unblemished voting...
Connecticut Firm Helped Madoff Go Global
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 19, 2008 1:24 PM CST
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As Bernard Madoff’s financial network comes under scrutiny, one investment fund is emerging as an especially close partner, the Wall Street Journal reports. Fairfield Greenwich had $7.5 billion invested with Madoff, more than half the group’s total assets as of Nov. 1. There’s no evidence Fairfield knew of Madoff’s Ponzi scheme,...
Atlanta Footbridge Collapse Kills 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Dec 19, 2008 1:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
An elevated walkway under construction at Atlanta’s Botanical Garden collapsed today, killing a worker and injuring 18, the Journal-Constitution reports. Workers were pouring concrete for the 40-foot-high footbridge when the collapse set off a scene one EMT described as "sheer chaos." Those nearby described a “loud thud”...
