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.
Obama, Bush Agree: Remember the Delaware
The Hill
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Dec 24, 2008 1:15 PM CST
(Newser) -
In a strange presidential mind-meld, George Bush and Barack Obama each invoked George Washington’s surprise Christmas attack of 1776—you’ll remember this as the one after he crossed the Delaware—to inspire Americans in facing their current troubles, the Hill reports. In his Christmas address, President Bush called Washington’s...
Latino Population Surges in Post-Katrina New Orleans
Associated Press
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Dec 24, 2008 1:05 PM CST
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The promise of jobs in New Orleans' ongoing reconstruction has drawn thousands of Spanish-speaking immigrant laborers to the city in one of the quickest demographic shifts America has seen, the AP reports. The Hispanic population has increased from 15,000 to 50,000 since the storm, accounting for 15.2% of the population.
Winslet on Reader Role: It's 'Blown My Mind'
Huffington Post
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Dec 24, 2008 12:55 PM CST
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Even for a seasoned actress like Kate Winslet, the role of Nazi guard Hannah Schmitz in The Reader was a game-changer, writes Brad Balfour in the Huffington Post. “I sort of walked away like some car crash victim who somehow hadn't been hurt on the outside,” Winslet said. Her character is an illiterate, unrepentant German who seduces...
Chaos Reigns in Guinea as Coup Leaders Assert Power
New York Times
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Dec 24, 2008 12:45 PM CST
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Junior military officers appointed their coup leader as president of Guinea, even as their superiors denied that the so-called putsch had succeeded. Coup leaders also postponed elections promised in 60 days and said they may have to remain in control for two years, leaving the West African nation teetering between alarm and confusion. Civilian leaders...
Dow Gains 49 Before Holiday
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 24, 2008 12:34 PM CST
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Stocks posted modest gains today amid light holiday trading, the Wall Street Journal reports. Drops were reported in orders for durable goods and consumer spending, but they were smaller than expected. The Dow closed up 48.99 points at 8,468. The Nasdaq gained 3.36 points to settle at 1,525, and the S&P 500 rose 4.99 to 868.
Ahmadinejad: Jesus Is On Our Side
Telegraph (UK)
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Dec 24, 2008 12:30 PM CST
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Iran's ever-controversial president will deliver a Christmas address on British television tomorrow in which he will argue that if Jesus were alive today, he would "fight against the tyrannical policies of prevailing global economic and political systems, as he did in his lifetime." Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's address is billed as an alternative...
Britney's Dad Gets a Raise to Watch Her
Us Weekly
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Dec 24, 2008 12:23 PM CST
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Some fathers take care of their kids for free, but Britney Spears can’t seem to pay her dad enough: A Los Angeles court this week raised Jamie Spears' monthly salary from $10,000 to $16,000, plus $1,200 in expenses, Us Weekly reports. Dad was awarded permanent legal control of Brit’s affairs in October, to help get his little pop princess’s...
Teams, Refs Baffled by Obscure NFL Rules
Associated Press
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Dec 24, 2008 12:12 PM CST
(AP) -
Eric Bassey was sure it was pass interference. He’d been tackled before the ball came anywhere near him on a fake punt attempt. But the flags stayed in the referees’ pockets, thanks to Note No. 5 under Article 5 under Section 2 under Rule 8 on page 54 of the rulebook: “Whenever a team presents an apparent punting formation, defensive...
Apple: No iBoobs for iPhone
The Register
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Dec 24, 2008 12:02 PM CST
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Apple has ruined Christmas for geeks everywhere, denying them an intensely useful iPhone application called iBoobs. Apple rejected iBoobs from its app store, saying it contained “objectionable content.” The program allowed iPhone users to shake their phones to jiggle a virtual pair of breasts. Apple encouraged the developer to rework the...
Minn. Recount Will Push Into New Year
Minnesota Public Radio
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Dec 24, 2008 11:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Minnesota recount will not be complete until next year and could be continuing even as the new Senate is sworn in, Minnesota Public Radio reports. A plan agreed to by both the Coleman and Franken camps has the secretary of state counting wrongly rejected absentee ballots by January 4, after which both candidates can appeal to the Canvassing Board....
PETA Flays Burger King With Parody Perfume
Brand Republic
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Dec 24, 2008 11:45 AM CST
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If PETA had its way, right away, burger joints would close their doors forever, but the never-warm-and-fuzzy relationship reached a flashpoint last week when Burger King launched a meat-scented cologne called Flame. Now PETA is adding fuel to the fire with a parody fragrance called "Gore by Murder King," which evokes the aroma of rotting...
Minimum-Price Policies Limit Retailer Discounts
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 24, 2008 11:37 AM CST
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Looking for a last-minute price break on the Guitar Hero World Tour Band Kit? Don’t hold your breath. The video game is one of many products retailers can’t discount without losing advertising dollars—or supplies—from the manufacturers, reports the Wall Street Journal . Such minimum-advertised-price policies were deemed legal...
LiLo: I'm Just Like Britney
Sun (UK)
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Dec 24, 2008 11:27 AM CST
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In a rambling post on her MySpace page, Lindsay Lohan says she’s “going through a lot right now,” just like Britney Spears did. LiLo praises the “amazing” Brit for chasing her dreams despite publicity and other distractions, then recommends the pop icon’s album to fans, the Sun reports. In what she calls a “Debbie...
Wii Music Offers Cute Fun and Some Lessons
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 24, 2008 11:17 AM CST
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You might not rock out with Nintendo’s new Wii Music the way your teen would with Guitar Hero , but that won’t stop the family from having a ball with the game, Katherine Boehret writes in the Wall Street Journal . The game stays true to the Wii tradition of “cute,” offering a friendly challenge to gamers.
Happy Holidays, the Hef Way
Us Weekly
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Dec 24, 2008 11:06 AM CST
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Leave it to Hugh Hefner to send out X-rated holiday cards. The Playboy founder’s greetings feature his twin "girlfriends" topless, reports Us magazine. In his signature robe, Hef is flanked by Karissa and Kristina Shannon “wearing” body-painted shirts with “Hef” emblazoned across their breasts. The pair look...
Two More Guns Uncovered at Plaxico's Home
New York Post
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Dec 24, 2008 10:52 AM CST
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Police searching Plaxico Burress’s New Jersey house found a 9mm handgun, a loaded rifle, and the bloody clothes the New York Giants receiver wore when he accidentally shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan night club Nov. 29, sources told Fox affiliate WNYW-TV. The gun used in the shooting was recovered in a previous search, the Post adds.
I'm No Longer a Man-Eater: Bruni
Telegraph (UK)
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Dec 24, 2008 10:48 AM CST
(Newser) -
She’s dated everyone from Mick Jagger to Donald Trump, but ex-supermodel Carla Bruni wants the world to know that the first lady of France is not a tramp—she’s Mrs Sarkozy now. “I can no longer seduce because I love my husband,” Bruni told a Brazilian women’s magazine, the Daily-Telegraph reports. “I don't...
Holiday Travel a Nightmare Thanks to Snow, Ice
Associated Press
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Dec 24, 2008 10:45 AM CST
(AP) -
Hundreds of holiday travelers spent the night in the nation's second-busiest airport and others faced delayed or canceled flights and highways choked by snow and ice as storms kept up their assault on northern states. More snow fell today in the Midwest, while the Northwest faced more snow and sleet, with up to 20 inches falling in some places. "We're...
Broadway Bigwig's Secret Struggle
Bloomberg
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Dec 24, 2008 10:34 AM CST
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Just before he died last month, Broadway mogul Gerald Schoenfeld finished a memoir revealing a secret but devastating battle with depression, Jeremy Gerard writes on Bloomberg. “This will surprise many of the people who thought they knew the Shubert Organization chairman well. It did me.” The Great White Way's most powerful player was voluble...
Kennedy's Senate Push Irks NY Democrats
New York Times
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Dec 24, 2008 10:22 AM CST
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Many New York Democrats are getting increasingly annoyed with Caroline Kennedy’s push to be senator—most notably Gov. David Paterson, the man who’d have to give her the job, the New York Times reports. Paterson advisers say he’s frustrated Kennedy’s handlers are treating the appointment as a foregone conclusion, while...
Panhandling MIT Grad Gets Job
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 24, 2008 10:09 AM CST
(Newser) -
Out-of-work investment banker Joshua Persky gained a lot of publicity when he hung a sign around his neck reading “EXPERIENCED MIT GRAD FOR HIRE,” and passed out resumes on the streets of Manhattan—but no job offers. His wife and kids left New York to live with family, the Los Angeles Times reports. But Persky kept the faith, and...
Syria Eyes a New Start With America
Washington Post
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Dec 24, 2008 10:04 AM CST
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After years of frosty relations with George W Bush, the president of Syria is looking for a new diplomatic start with Barack Obama in 2009. In an interview with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, Bashar al-Assad says he is willing to work with the United States to stabilize Iraq, and that he would consider direct talks with Israel in the future....
DJ AM Spins Suit Against Pilots
People
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Dec 24, 2008 9:55 AM CST
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DJ AM filed a lawsuit blaming the pilots and faulty equipment for the September plane crash in which he was severely burned, making him the final passenger on the plane to seek restitution, People reports. His suit names the estates of the pilots, who died in the crash, the charter company, and manufacturers of the equipment as defendants. Two passengers...
Afghans Uneasy With US Plan to Fund Militias
New York Times
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Dec 24, 2008 9:43 AM CST
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As the US military and Afghan government prepare to arm local militias against the resurgent Taliban, many Afghans are uneasy, fearing that militias formed along ethnic lines could spiral out of control and turn on citizens, reports the New York Times . The plan, which steals a page from the Awakening Councils in Iraq, will begin operating near Kabul...
Mortgage Applications Leap 48%
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 24, 2008 9:42 AM CST
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Mortgage applications skyrocketed last week, shooting up 48% from the previous week, and 124.6% over the same week last year, according to a Mortgage Bankers Association’s survey. The borrowing blowout was prompted by falling mortgage rates, which left the 30-year fixed-rate at its lowest level since June 2003, the Wall Street Journal reports....
I'm Anti-Gay Marriage, Not Anti-Gay: Warren
Associated Press
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Dec 24, 2008 9:34 AM CST
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Rick Warren continues to refine his stance on gays and gay marriage, saying he is “not opposed to gays having their partnership,” and that his anti-gay marriage stance doesn’t make him anti-gay, the AP reports. “I’m opposed to gays using the term marriage for their relationship,” the pastor, whose inauguration invitation...
Madoff's Claim He Acted Alone 'Preposterous'
Reuters
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Dec 24, 2008 9:19 AM CST
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Fraud experts following the Bernard Madoff probe say his claim that he alone executed a Ponzi scheme that fleeced investors out of some $50 billion is “preposterous,” reports Reuters. "The amount of transactions, the number of dollars that are involved in the Ponzi, I just don't see any way he could be the only one involved,"...
Bloomberg Hires Clinton Flack
New York Times
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Dec 24, 2008 9:16 AM CST
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Top Hillary Clinton campaign strategist Howard Wolfson is taking a job managing the media for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s re-reelection effort, reports the New York Times . Bloomberg can probably expect a tougher fight than last time, thanks to his successful attempt to extend his term limits and the tanking economy. The mayor’s...
Chocolate Sales Are Bittersweet
Financial Times (UK)
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Dec 24, 2008 9:03 AM CST
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Chocolate sales, reputed to be recession-proof, are taking a hit in this downturn as consumers’ taste for more expensive brands has soured, reports the Financial Times . Companies that jumped into premium candies have been hurt by the downturn, and analysts say the market has been “trading down” from premium to private label brands...
SEC Chair: At Least I Didn't Panic
Washington Post
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Dec 24, 2008 8:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
Christopher Cox is proud that he’s done next to nothing in the face of the financial meltdown. “What we have done is stay calm, which has been our greatest contribution,” he told the Washington Post , contrasting that with the Fed and Treasury’s frantic machinations. Yes, the investment banking industry died on his watch, but...
Sleepy Christmas for Stocks
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 24, 2008 8:47 AM CST
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There was plenty of bad news for the market today, but investors largely shrugged it off and turned their minds toward Christmas dinner. The Dow rose a mere 3.64 points at the open, while the S&P gained 2.32 points. Consumer spending fell 0.6% last month, and initial jobless claims reached yet another 26-year high, but many investors were sitting...
Caroline's Piece of Camelot Worth Upward of $100M
New York Daily News
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Dec 24, 2008 8:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
Democrats may be right to be concerned that a Caroline Kennedy Senate appointment would make them look elitist, reports the New York Daily News in an analysis of public records that pegs the Kennedy scion's worth at a $100 million minimum. Though her financial records are held tightly, she’s sitting on a heap of inherited money and property,...
Why Are Charities Feeding Bill's Ego?
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 24, 2008 8:32 AM CST
(Newser) -
Forget for a second the Arab oil money that buoys the Clinton Foundation, Marty Peretz writes in the Wall Street Journal —“since when is the Clinton Foundation one of the approved charities of the United Way?” Nonprofits and foundations, from hospitals to universities to opera companies, are lining the former president's coffers,...
Want Ashley's Email? Ask Marie Claire
Gawker
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Dec 24, 2008 8:12 AM CST
(Newser) -
Whoops! Marie Claire accidentally gave an early Christmas gift to 582 people: the email addresses of celebrities including Ashley Olsen, Tina Fey, and Lindsay Lohan, Gawker reports. The blunder occurred when the mag forgot to use the good old Bcc line on its holiday email blast. It’s the third such embarrassment by media types in the past year....
Critics Rip Pope's 'Homophobic' Speech
Times (UK)
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Dec 24, 2008 7:51 AM CST
(Newser) -
Gay and Christian groups have slammed Pope Benedict XVI's remarks that defending the “natural order” of man and woman is as important as protecting the rainforests, the Times of London reports. British Catholic leaders have countered that the pontiff didn’t explicitly mention homosexuality in his annual Christmas speech, but critics...
Go Ahead, Marry Your Cousin
Wired
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Dec 24, 2008 7:34 AM CST
(Newser) -
Laws against first cousins marrying are unnecessary and should be repealed, argue two scientists in a recent Public Science of Biology editorial. The risk of genetic defects in children born of cousin marriages is estimated at 2%-3% higher than in the general population, Wired reports, but no greater than that of middle-aged women having children....
Seniors, Remember Ledger: Don't Mix Meds
USA Today
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Dec 24, 2008 7:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
Millions of older Americans take so many prescription and over-the-counter drugs that they risk serious side effects from the drugs’ interactions, USA Today reports. A new study found that about 30% of people aged 57 to 85 now take at least five prescription drugs regularly—plus non-prescription medications and supplements—putting...
Lance Fathers Baby the Old-Fashioned Way
Associated Press
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Dec 24, 2008 7:04 AM CST
(Newser) -
Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France seven times, beat cancer, and dated a rock star—but he’s never made a baby the traditional way, until now. The cyclist and his girlfriend are expecting their first child in June, AP reports. Armstrong froze his sperm when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996, enabling him to have his first...
Stimulus Fight: Green Vs. Quick
Washington Post
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Dec 24, 2008 6:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
As the incoming administration prepares its massive stimulus package, a divide is emerging between environmentalists, who want to prioritize "green-collar" jobs such as wind and solar power, and advocates of ready-to-go infrastructure like roads and bridges. As the Washington Post reports, each side is accusing the other of opportunism:...
The US Has Become the GM of Nations
New York Times
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Dec 24, 2008 6:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
Last week Tom Friedman flew from Hong Kong to New York, and the contrast between the two cities' airports was "like going from the Jetsons to the Flintstones." For the New York Times columnist, American infrastructure has become a symbol for a country that, for all its intelligence, has failed to move into the future. "We as a...
Mattel Plans Edgier Barbie
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 24, 2008 6:27 AM CST
(Newser) -
Barbie turns 50 next year and Mattel plans some big changes for the perpetual teenager, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company has been steadily losing girls aged 8 and over to video games, iPods, and racier rival dolls like the now-vanquished Bratz and the Hannah Montana line. The toy giant hopes to win back tweens by anchoring Barbie firmly...
Court Reinstates Bush Clean Air Rule
New York Times
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Dec 24, 2008 6:05 AM CST
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A federal appeals court has decided that a flawed clean air law is better than no clean air law, the New York Times reports. Reversing an earlier judgment, the court ruled to temporarily reinstate the Clean Air Interstate Rule—which limits emissions from coal-fired power plants in 28 states—while the EPA works to fix the rule’s...
Laptop Sales Zip Past Desktops
CNET
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Dec 24, 2008 5:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
The demand for Acer Netbooks has pushed laptop sales beyond desktop PC sales for the first time ever, CNET reports. Notebook PC shipments rose almost 40% for the third quarter of 2008 to 38.6 million units, while desktop sales slipped 1.3% to 38.5 million. Hewlett-Packard remains the top PC supplier, while Dell and Acer claim second and third place...
Sea Lion Found at Oakland Airport
San Francisco Chronicle
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Dec 24, 2008 5:24 AM CST
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A sea lion found wandering near a runway at Oakland International airport was taken yesterday to a nearby wildlife rehabilitation center, reports the San Francisco Chronicle . The six-foot male, nicknamed "Saps" by wildlike workers, didn't appear to be sick or injured. "He seemed kind of lost and it was kind of odd, the way he was looking...
River of Sludge Wipes Out Tenn. Homes
CNN
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Dec 24, 2008 4:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
A 500 million gallon spill of potentially toxic goop escaped from a Tennessee power plant to destroy the landscape, wreck 15 homes and contaminate local rivers, reports CNN. The sludgy residue of coal burning busted through the walls of a containing pond. Up to 400 acres have been coated in the oozing waste, and authorities believe a cleanup will take...
Madoff Was Livin' Large in Lap of Luxury
CNN
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Dec 24, 2008 4:12 AM CST
(Newser) -
If disgraced money-man Bernard Madoff felt any guilt about his Ponzi-scheme hedge fund, you'd never know it. Now that he's under house arrest, his "lifestyle of the rich and infamous" is somewhat limited, but in a fitting tribute to a man who just fleeced investors of $50 billion, CNN Money put together a list of his princely possessions:...
Obama Bids Farewell to 'Toot' on Hawaiian Shore
Reuters
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Dec 24, 2008 3:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama said a final goodbye to his grandmother at a memorial service in Hawaii yesterday, Reuters reports. Madelyn Dunham, whom Obama affectionately called "Toot," helped raise the president-elect when his mother went to work in Indonesia. Obama left the campaign trail to rush to her bedside when she became seriously ill in October....
Mexican Beauty Queen Busted With Drug Mobsters
Houston Chronicle
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Dec 24, 2008 3:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
Miss Hispanic America 2008 will be finishing this year in jail after cops busted her traveling with seven alleged drug cartel mobsters, the Houston Chronicle reports. Laura Zuniga, from the drug-plagued state of Sinaloa, was stopped at a military checkpoint near Guadalajara in a truck full of guns, ammunition and cash. She told police she and her...
Woman Survives 3 Days Buried in Snowbank
National Post (Canada)
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Dec 24, 2008 2:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
The family and friends of a Canadian woman missing for three days in a winter snowstorm are hailing her survival as a Christmas miracle, the National Post reports. Police believe the woman, 55, became disoriented after going for a walk in heavy snow near her Ontario home. A rescue dog found her under two feet of snow in a field, still conscious.
Oprah-Endorsed Holocaust Memoir Attacked as Fake
New Republic
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Dec 24, 2008 2:28 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Oprah-hyped author of an amazing memoir of love and Holocaust survival is being labeled the latest publishing fake by some researchers, the New Republic reports. Herman Rosenblat tells a poignant story of how a young girl saved him when he was a child prisoner at Buchenwald by giving him food over the fence daily. He married that same girl years...
