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.
Emanuel Will Leave Congress Friday
Chicago Tribune
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Dec 29, 2008 4:19 PM CST
(Newser) -
Rahm Emanuel’s transformation from Congressman to White House chief of staff is almost complete, the Chicago Tribune reports. Emanuel sent a letter to Gov. Rod Blagojevich today stating his intention to resign his seat on Friday. Blagojevich has no power to appoint Emanuel’s successor; rather, he has 5 days to set a date for a special...
Abstinence Vows Don't Work: Study
Washington Post
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Dec 29, 2008 4:07 PM CST
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Taking an abstinence pledge made teenagers no less likely to have sex before marriage but significantly less likely to use contraceptives when they did have sex, the Washington Post reports. “Previous studies would compare a mixture of apples and oranges,” said Janet Rosenbaum, the author of a new study that sought to weed out the demographic...
Mexican Border Arrests Hit 30-Year Low
USA Today
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Dec 29, 2008 3:54 PM CST
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The number of people trying to sneak into the US appears to be plummeting, thanks to tougher enforcement and the beleaguered US economy, USA Today reports. Just 705,000 people were caught trying to sneak in from Mexico in fiscal 2008, the lowest total since 1976. “We're definitely making it tougher on them,” said one Border Patrol official....
Texting, Research Laws to Hit Calif. in New Year
San Francisco Chronicle
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Dec 29, 2008 3:40 PM CST
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A texting-while-driving ban isn’t the only new law Californians will wake up to on Jan. 1. The San Francisco Chronicle lists some other new regulations: Drivers can now mount a GPS system in the lower corners of their windshields. It will become a crime to publish the names or addresses of individuals involved in animal research....
Dow Drops 32; Crude Rises
MarketWatch
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Dec 29, 2008 3:27 PM CST
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Stocks saw light losses today as news of trouble in Rohm & Haas’ acquisition of Dow Chemical hurt materials and crude staged a comeback on renewed Middle East tension, MarketWatch reports. The Dow closed down 31.62 points at 8,483.93. The Nasdaq fell 19.92 to close at 1,510.32, and the S&P 500 shed 3.38 to close at 869.42.
Paterson Should Say No to Caroline, Dynasties
Gawker
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Dec 29, 2008 3:16 PM CST
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Should Gov. David Paterson give Caroline Kennedy a chance to serve New York in the Senate? No! “Dynasties suck,” reasons Alex Pareene of Gawker, and we should take the opportunity to quash this one. Although it’s not fair, Caroline has become the left’s Sarah Palin, and it would be risky for a Democratic governor to appoint...
Premarital Sex, Abortion on Rise in Iran
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 29, 2008 3:02 PM CST
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Iran’s Islamic law bans premarital sex and abortion, but an increasing number of Iranians are engaging in both, the Guardian reports. More than a quarter of men aged 19 to 29 had premarital sex, and 13% of those situations resulted in the termination of an unwanted pregnancy, a state survey found. The average age of marriage spiked to 40 for...
Economy, Science Take Toll on Cold Remedies
MSNBC
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Dec 29, 2008 2:48 PM CST
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Americans looking to save money are increasingly doing without alternative therapies for colds, MSNBC reports. The popularity of supplements like zinc, echinacea, and Vitamin C have waned in recent years, in part due to studies that have questioned their effectiveness. The percentage of Americans using them fell from 9.5% in 2002 to 2% in 2007, a new...
Elisabeth Fritzl, Children Leave Hospital
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 29, 2008 2:30 PM CST
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Elisabeth Fritzl was released today from the psychiatric institution where she has been hospitalized since being discovered in April, the Guardian reports. Recuperating with her at the hospital, and also released today, were the six surviving children fathered by Josef Fritzl, who is imprisoned awaiting trial on charges of rape and enslavement in...
Docs Want Medical Devices That Talk to Each Other
Boston Globe
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Dec 29, 2008 2:15 PM CST
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Even as electronic consumer gadgets grow more sophisticated, medical technology lags, relying on wires that one doctor calls “malignant spaghetti,” the Boston Globe reports. Because devices such as heart monitors and IV drips can’t communicate easily, human error enters the equation. "My bank can notify me via text message...
FBI Joins Search for Missing Cruise Passenger
Fox News
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Dec 29, 2008 2:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
The FBI is looking into the disappearance of a Florida woman who was reported missing from a cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, Fox News reports. Jennifer Seitz’s husband reported her missing, and the Coast Guard says surveillance video shows a woman going overboard. Meanwhile, a joint US-Mexican search and rescue effort continued,...
Sloppy Lehman Bankruptcy Killed Billions in Value
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 29, 2008 1:40 PM CST
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Had Lehman Brothers been more careful in its bankruptcy filing, it could have held on to as much as $75 billion that was destroyed in the process, the firm’s head restructuring agents say. A better-planned filing would have allowed the sale of some assets outside of court proceedings and would have afforded Lehman more time in unwinding its derivatives...
The Bra Wire That Brought Down Blago
New Yorker
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Dec 29, 2008 1:25 PM CST
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The FBI corruption investigation that ended with the Illinois governor started in the bra of a surburban Chicago hospital exec, Nina Burleigh writes in the New Yorker . In 2003, Pamela Davis was trying to get a new building approved when she was told to use a certain contractor or kiss the project goodbye. She called the FBI and "after that,...
Sex Partner Dishes Dirt on Drugged-Out Winehouse
News of the World (UK)
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Dec 29, 2008 1:16 PM CST
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Alex Haines was once Amy Winehouse’s personal assistant, but when hubby Blake Fielder was in the pen, he became her paramour—and got a front-row seat for her self-destruction. “It was my job to look after her,” says the 23-year-old. “But it was impossible.” Winehouse would smoke crack constantly, was bulimic, and...
Anti-Israeli Protests Spread Across Middle East
Associated Press
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Dec 29, 2008 12:33 PM CST
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Anti-Israel protesters gathered in the Arab world and beyond today to protest Israel’s bombing campaign against Gaza, the AP reports. At the largest protest, in Lebanon, tens of thousands of Hezbollah supporters listened as the group’s leader warned Israel of the futility of a ground invasion. "Israel's air force will fail to destroy...
OSHA Gutted by Bush White House
Washington Post
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Dec 29, 2008 12:23 PM CST
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Under President Bush, political appointees at OSHA caved to industry pressure by withdrawing or watering down workplace health and safety regulations, the Washington Post reports. From 2001 to 2007, the agency issued 86% fewer "economically significant" rules than it did under Clinton. It's "like turning a ketchup bottle upside-down,...
Victoria to Becks: Enough Tattoos!
Sun (UK)
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Dec 29, 2008 12:13 PM CST
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David Beckham got himself a new tattoo for Christmas—a biblical proverb written in Hebrew—despite objections from wife Victoria, who thinks he's sporting enough ink already, the Sun reports. “She likes his tatts but wants a bit of his skin to be left,” a source said of the former Spice Girl.
Former Clinton Pollster Quits as Lobbyist for Pakistani Party
Politico
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Dec 29, 2008 12:02 PM CST
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It could get awkward for the secretary of state to be deeply in debt to a flack for the political party running one of the most incendiary countries in the world. That could be why pollster Mark Penn has ended his company's relationship with Pakistan’s ruling People’s Party, Politico reports. Penn’s firm, to which Hillary Clinton’s...
Year's Top 10 Moments of Celeb Activism
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 29, 2008 11:50 AM CST
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It’s been a big year for celebrity activism—so big that it deserves its own year-end top 10 list, Tina Daunt writes in the Los Angeles Times . Some famous faces that made a difference in 2008: Oprah Winfrey fought hard for Barack Obama, including hosting a traffic-stopping garden party. Norman Lear targeted young people in...
What Embargo? HP Printers Find Their Way to Iran
Boston Globe
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Dec 29, 2008 11:41 AM CST
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HP printers have become top-sellers in Tehran, despite a 13-year embargo against US companies doing business with Iran, the Boston Globe reports. An Indian-owned distributor sells HP products in Iran, enabling it to skirt American law. But questions remain: If HP execs cut the deal with Redington Gulf knowing their printers were bound for Iran, that...
Look Out: Tom Wants 10 Kids
Sun (UK)
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Dec 29, 2008 11:25 AM CST
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Tom Cruise is a “great parent” looking to build a 10-child brood, the effusive actor tells the Sun . Cruise, whose own father left when he was 12, doesn’t let the paparazzi get between him and parenting, saying, “I go to the children’s groups like other daddies.” And the 16-year age gap with wife Katie Holmes is...
McAuliffe's Fundraising Chops Worry Va. Gov Rivals
Washington Post
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Dec 29, 2008 11:10 AM CST
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Terry McAuliffe is planning a run for governor of Virginia, and, given the Democrat's formidable rep as a fundraiser, he’s looking like a major factor, reports the Washington Post . Virginia has little campaign finance regulation, meaning that McAuliffe, with his national network of deep-pocketed friends and his skill at charming new supporters,...
Barak Promises 'All Out War'
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
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Dec 29, 2008 10:57 AM CST
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Israel is determined to fight a “war to the bitter end” with Hamas, Defense Minister Ehud Barak declared today, as Israeli fighters continued to level high-profile targets throughout Gaza. “We have nothing against the people of Gaza,” Barak said. “But this is an all-out war against Hamas and its branches.” Meanwhile...
Jets, Lions, and Browns Sack Head Coaches
New York Times
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Dec 29, 2008 10:51 AM CST
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With the NFL season freshly over, the New York Jets, the Cleveland Browns, and the Detroit Lions have fired their coaches, the Washington Post reports. The Lions' Rod Marinelli was sacked after having the NFL's first 0-16 season. The Jets' Eric Mangini, at 37 the NFL’s youngest head coach, was plagued by a late-season collapse, the New York...
Quit Smoking? Yes We Can!
New York Times
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Dec 29, 2008 10:29 AM CST
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Barack Obama is about to become the nation's smoker-in-chief, and anti-smoking advocates are hopeful he'll become a powerful example for other smokers if he finally manages to kick the habit. He has quit several times but so far has always gone back to smoking up to eight cigarettes a day, reports the New York Times .
Keep State's Woes From Dragging Down Economy
New York Times
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Dec 29, 2008 10:13 AM CST
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When the economy goes south, the government has no business aiming for a balanced budget. But all 50 governors are faced with slashing spending to do so, and “at the expense both of their most vulnerable constituents and of the nation’s economic future,” Paul Krugman writes in the New York Times .
Wentz Disses Sis-in-Law on Blog
New York Daily News
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Dec 29, 2008 9:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
Family ties didn’t stop Pete Wentz from including his sister-in-law on a “Worst of 2008” list on his blog, the New York Daily News reports. The Fall Out Boy bassist asked celeb friends to list five stand-outs of 2008, and blogger Perez Hilton listed Jessica Simpson as an “Artist Of The Year That Needs To Be Locked Up.”...
Israel Attacks Serve as Reminder of Might
New York Times
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Dec 29, 2008 9:49 AM CST
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Israel’s overwhelming strikes on Hamas are in part an effort to flex the country’s muscles and strike fear in the hearts of its enemies, Ethan Bronner writes in the New York Times. “There has been a nagging sense of uncertainty in the last couple years of whether anyone is really afraid of Israel anymore,” said a national...
8 Missing in Canadian Avalanche
Vancouver Sun
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Dec 29, 2008 9:34 AM CST
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Eight snowmobilers are missing after a British Columbia avalanche buried 11 men, the Vancouver Sun reports. Seven were swamped by an initial avalanche; amid a rescue attempt, the other four were buried. Two men pulled themselves to the surface and were able to save one comrade with the help of the avalanche beacons all were wearing. The trio left...
TV Networks Scale Back Iraq War Coverage
New York Times
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Dec 29, 2008 9:26 AM CST
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Violence is down drastically in Iraq, but so is coverage of the conflict by ABC, NBC, and CBS, who no longer have full-time correspondents in the country, the New York Times reports. Instead, the networks are shifting their focus to Pakistan and Afghanistan. “Afghanistan was the forgotten war,” said one reporter. “Now it’s...
Stocks Flat as Oil Surges
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 29, 2008 9:10 AM CST
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Oil prices soared this morning, as Middle East tensions reached a fever pitch, but stocks barely budged, with the Dow rising a mere 1.83 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P moved up 0.44 and 5.18 respectively. Oil rose above $40 thanks to Israel’s dramatic attacks on Gaza, sending shares of Exxon Mobil up 1.5% premarket.
Taliban Exact Revenge on Pakistani Town That Stood Up
New York Times
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Dec 29, 2008 8:53 AM CST
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A few months ago, villagers in a Pakistani town killed six Taliban fighters who had bound and killed local police; yesterday, the Taliban retaliated, targeting the town of Shalbandi with a suicide car bomb that killed more than 30. The explosion rocked a school that was holding a vote to choose a National Assembly representative, the New York Times...
Favre a 'Fiasco' for Jets
New York Times
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Dec 29, 2008 8:42 AM CST
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As Chad Pennington jogged off the field with “MVP” chants ringing in his ears, his former team could only watch, solemnly. “The grand Favre experiment was officially a fiasco,” writes Harvey Araton of the New York Times , “unless gauged strictly as a business arrangement.” The Jets chose to “go geriatric”...
Another Kind of White Powder Hits Ski Slopes
Times (UK)
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Dec 29, 2008 8:26 AM CST
(Newser) -
In the lodges of Austria's winter resorts, mulled wine has given way to more stimulating après-ski treats: cocaine and ecstasy. Austrian police report a 60% rise in drug-related arrests in ski areas and say that bartenders and ski instructors are turning into part-time dealers during the season. "It would be better if we all focused...
Foreclosed Pools a Mecca for Skateboarders
New York Times
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Dec 29, 2008 8:12 AM CST
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Skateboarders in California are making the most of the mortgage crisis: they’re turning the swimming pools at foreclosed homes into skate parks. Tracking local foreclosures, one Fresno skater arrives at empty homes with a pump and buckets, drains the pools, and hops on his board, the New York Times reports. The newly-made parks are drawing...
Lawyers Are Big Winners in Bailout
New York Times
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Dec 29, 2008 8:00 AM CST
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For a tight-knit group of former top government officials, the current financial crisis is a golden opportunity. Veterans of the savings and loan bailout of the 1990s, these operatives, now mostly lawyers and bank advisers, are doing a brisk business telling clients how to profit from the meltdown, the New York Times reports. “It is a good...
Aussie Vanishes in Shark's Jaws
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 29, 2008 7:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
A missing Australian snorkeler looks to have been the victim of a brutal shark attack, the Guardian reports. Bystanders saw a dorsal fin and a struggle before the water turned red and the man disappeared off western Australia; his tattered wetsuit surfaced later. An aerial search later spotted a great white swimming in the area. Brian Guest,...
President of Somalia Resigns as Rebels Battle
New York Times
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Dec 29, 2008 7:13 AM CST
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Somalia's warlord-turned-president resigned today, reports the New York Times , as militant Islamists continued their gradual takeover of the country. The departure of Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed prefigures more woe for the deeply troubled nation, but it could also provide an opportunity. His resignation may let moderate Islamists come into the government,...
Israel Using US Smart Bombs on Gaza
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
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Dec 29, 2008 7:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
The new low-cost, high-precision missiles Israel has been using to bombard Gaza were purchased recently from the United States, the Jerusalem Post reports. In September, the Israel Air Force purchased 1,000 units of the GBU-39, a bunker-buster missile whose small diameter helps minimize collateral damage, earning it a rep as one of the most accurate...
Amid Recession, Visitors Flock to National Parks
Washington Times
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Dec 29, 2008 6:38 AM CST
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Local economies enjoyed a federal bailout of sorts from National Parks visitors, who spent $11.8 billion in businesses surrounding parks and monuments last year. For every government dollar dispensed on upkeep and some 200,000 workers, $4 were generated in local spending, reports the Washington Times . Sales were up 8.7% last year, but parks have...
New Protesters Greet Thailand's New Gov't
New York Times
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Dec 29, 2008 6:08 AM CST
(Newser) -
A different set of anti-government protesters converged on Bankok today, with thousands of red-shirted supporters of exiled PM Thaksin Shinawatra surrounding parliament and forcing lawmakers to postpone their session. The yellow-clad Thaksin opposition had been set to take power after months of demonstrations, reports the New York Times.
Oil Tops $40 on Gaza Turmoil
Reuters
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Dec 29, 2008 6:01 AM CST
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The price of oil jumped to $40 a barrel this morning, a gain of 8% over the previous session, as violence between Israel and Hamas threatened to destabilize crude supplies from the Middle East. Oil has been rising slightly after falling by more than $100 a barrel since July. The president of OPEC said this weekend he expected the price of oil...
Kim Jong-Il Cheered at Concert
Reuters
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Dec 29, 2008 5:41 AM CST
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A wildly cheering orchestra audience greeted North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il at his first major public appearance since his suspected stroke in August, reports Reuters. Western intelligence experts began speculating in September that Kim was seriously ill—or dying—when he failed to appear at an important military parade at that time. He...
Comedy Shows No Joke for Prez Candidates
Associated Press
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Dec 29, 2008 5:04 AM CST
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This year's presidential candidates made a record 110 late-night comedy show appearances, underlying the programs' importance in the race, AP reports. Half of the appearances occurred during the primaries, when the pack of candidates were vying for precious face-time with voters. Candidates came to prefer the banter—the best of which won...
US to Honor Nazis' Secret Soldier Slaves
CNN
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Dec 29, 2008 4:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
After 64 years, the US Army will finally honor 350 American soldiers who were tortured and enslaved during the Holocaust's final months, CNN reports. The Nazis beat, starved and forced the war prisoners to work in a section of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Some 100 of them died, and survivors were ordered by American officials to sign...
Murders of Black Teens Soar 39%
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 29, 2008 4:07 AM CST
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Murders of black teens between the ages of 14 and 17 are up 39% since the start of the millennium—five times the overall homicide surge in the same period, and twice that of white teens, reports the Wall Street Journal . The authors of the study attribute some of the staggering jump to slashed law enforcement and youth programs, though conceded...
Israelis Mass at Gaza Border After Fresh Strikes
CNN
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Dec 29, 2008 3:37 AM CST
(Newser) -
Israeli troops massed at the border today as Gaza's death toll hit at least 300 following fresh Israeli air strikes overnight. Bombs decimated a mosque and family home—reportedly killing 5 children—as well as a university Israeli officials said contained explosives labs that aid Hamas' insurgency, CNN reports. Israeli leaders pledged...
Colleges Drop SAT Bar for Jocks
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Dec 29, 2008 3:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
Though athletes have long enjoyed a break on college admissions, new numbers on how far they lag behind other students on SAT scores have raised concerns of fairness. Nationwide, football jocks average 220 points lower on the SAT than their classmates at 54 universities studied by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Basketball players score 7 points...
Kid Toll Hits 14 in Afghan Bombing
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 29, 2008 2:48 AM CST
(Newser) -
The toll of child victims in an Afghanistan suicide bombing yesterday has risen to 14, reports the Guardian . An exploding truck in eastern Afghanistan killed the children as they walked home from the last day of school for the year. There's no doubt the driver spotted the kids before detonating the bombs, apparently intended for a meeting of tribal...
Christmas Intruder Lived in Family's Attic
Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)
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Dec 29, 2008 2:18 AM CST
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Call him the Attic Ghost of Christmas Present. An intruder lived undetected in a Pennsylvania family's attic for several days, including Christmas, stealing food and clothing when the occupants were out, reports the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader . The family finally called police when they discovered several expensive Christmas gifts missing. The 21-year-old...
