Newser Story Index from February, 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.
Questions Trail After Satellite
New York Times
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Feb 22, 2008 11:59 AM CST
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The US Navy's destruction of a spy satellite on Wednesday continues to stir doubts both domestically and internationally, reports the New York Times. China issued an explicit warning yesterday, and Russia has raised questions. “The geopolitical fallout of this intercept could be far greater than any chemical fallout that would have resulted...
'Perfect' School Photos, But at What Cost?
Newsweek
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Feb 22, 2008 11:52 AM CST
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Popular and inexpensive digital retouching of school photos has some parents concerned about the effects on kids’ sense of body image, Newsweek reports. Clients for retouching services—powdering complexions, whitening teeth, reshaping eyebrows and so forth—are getting younger and younger, creating, one historian says, "a culture...
Officer Dies Escorting Clinton
Dallas Morning News
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Feb 22, 2008 11:45 AM CST
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A Dallas police officer escorting Hillary Clinton's motorcade to a rally died today when he lost control of his motorcycle and slammed into a viaduct pillar, the Dallas Morning News reports. The officer, whose name was not being released, was rushed to a nearby hospital but died shortly afterward.
Ashton's A-List Pals Exposed to Hepatitis A?
E! Online
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Feb 22, 2008 11:31 AM CST
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Guests at Ashton Kutcher's birthday bash may have brought home more than just goodie bags, E! Online reports. The big shots celebrating the star's 30th birthday at a swanky New York club are being urged by the state health department to get vaccinations—turns out, one of the bartenders working the party had hepatitis A.
Oscar Gold Glitters, Costs a Mint
Bloomberg
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Feb 22, 2008 11:23 AM CST
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They’re worth their weight in gold to actors. And this year’s Oscars—carrying a gilding of pure gold—will cost the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences about $500 each, up $100 from last year's 13 1/2-inch tall, 8 1/2-pound statuettes. The price of gold has soared to record levels, reports Bloomberg, as investors looking...
Paging Indiana Jones: Scholar Finds Ark
Time
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Feb 22, 2008 11:03 AM CST
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A real-life Indiana Jones says he has found the Ark of the Covenant—not on the set of the latest Raiders of the Lost Ark movie, but on a shelf in a museum storeroom in Zimbabwe. The alleged ark is an old drum with an uncharacteristic charred hole on its bottom and remnants of carrying rings on the corners, Time reports.
Clinton Spending Vexes Donors
New York Times
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Feb 22, 2008 10:52 AM CST
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The $25,000 Hillary Clinton's sputtering campaign dropped at Vegas' posh Bellagio last month is raising eyebrows among those cutting her the checks, reports the New York Times. Add $5 million for the very strategists who engineered her string of recent failures, and donors looking over her latest campaign finance report are having some serious doubts...
Heads Roll After Roach's TV Guest Spot
Guardian (UK)
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Feb 22, 2008 10:41 AM CST
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An ongoing overhaul of Turkmenistan state TV is apparently so interesting that even members of the animal kingdom want a front-row seat. Unfortunately for the staff of the nightly news, a cockroach recently strolled across the studio table while cameras were rolling, leading the country's president to fire dozens of the show's workers, reports the...
Arizona Rep. Renzi Indicted Over Land Deal
CNN
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Feb 22, 2008 10:21 AM CST
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Rep. Rick Renzi has racked up a 35-count indictment, including federal charges of conspiracy, extortion, wire fraud, insurance fraud, and money laundering, CNN reports. The Arizona Republican and two ex-business partners worked to sell land that buyers could then trade for federally-owned property, the AP reports; the sale brought one of Renzi’s...
UK's 'Suffolk Strangler' Guilty in 5 Murders
Independent (UK)
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Feb 22, 2008 10:06 AM CST
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A British court yesterday found a former forklift driver guilty of the murders of five young women. The string of prostitute murders in Ipswich made the man dubbed the "Suffolk Strangler" one of Britain's most notorious serial killers. "I feel the pain will never go away," said the mother of a victim. Police now suspect Steve Wright,...
No Survivors in Venezuela Crash
Associated Press
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Feb 22, 2008 9:47 AM CST
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Search helicopters today found what was left of the Venezuelan passenger plane that crashed yesterday with 46 people aboard. No survivors were found in the wreckage, which was nestled among the Andes mountains at an altitude of 13,000 feet, the AP reports. The plane crashed into the mountain head-first, said one Venezuelan general in the civil aeronautical...
EU Experts Say Iran Closer to Nuke Weapon
Der Spiegel
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Feb 22, 2008 9:25 AM CST
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A new report from a European Union agency concludes that Iran could have enough uranium to build an atomic bomb within one year. The EU results—which precede a major UN report coming out today—look nothing like the findings of the US intelligence community, writes Der Spiegel : the recent National Intelligence Estimate said that Iran would...
Dolphin Dies Near Sonar Site
Los Angeles Times
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Feb 22, 2008 9:00 AM CST
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Researchers are trying to determine what killed a female dolphin that washed up on an island off the coast of San Diego—an area where the Navy conducted controversial sonar tests, the Los Angeles Times reports. The dolphin washed up as the Navy challenges court-imposed restrictions on the use of sonar, which has been linked to the deaths of...
China Bristles at US' Olympic Food Snub
Washington Post
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Feb 22, 2008 8:36 AM CST
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China says it's a "pity" that US athletes won't be joining their international counterparts at dinner tables during the Olympics this summer over worries about the safety of food and water. American athletes will ship in their own meat and eat at their own training center, and China is none too happy about the snub, says the Washington Post....
Rewind Spins Out of Control
Rotten Tomatoes
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Feb 22, 2008 8:13 AM CST
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The Jack Black comedy Be Kind Rewind isn't predictable, but at times it's not coherent either, critics say. The film—about a guy who inadvertently erases a video store's VHS inventory, then, using a camcorder, re-creates popular movies for the store to rent—"never stops experimenting, even when the experimentation works against...
Clinton Fails to Turn Tide in Debate
Dallas Morning News
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Feb 22, 2008 8:00 AM CST
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Hillary Clinton had to tread a difficult line in last night's debate—make a dent in Obama's credibility and momentum without sounding too negative—and she seemed to fall short of making any real headway, writes Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News . Clinton tried repeatedly to make the case that she's ready to be president and he isn't,...
Sadr Extends Ceasefire 6 Months
Wall Street Journal
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Feb 22, 2008 7:38 AM CST
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Muqtada al-Sadr has extended the ceasefire of his Mahdi Army by six months, writes the Wall Street Journal , confirming yesterday's rumors from US officials. At midday prayers across Iraq imams read out the announcement of the Shiite cleric, who had been under pressure from some of his followers to allow the ceasefire to expire tomorrow.
Now Hillary's Accused of Plagiarizing Edwards
New Republic
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Feb 22, 2008 7:19 AM CST
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Hillary Clinton wisecracked last night that Barack Obama was promising "change you can Xerox"—prompting the Obama camp to suggest Clinton may have cribbed part of that speech from John Edwards, writes Isaac Chotiner in the New Republic . It was the latest battle in the heated war of lifted words after Obama admitted copying phrases...
Gang Gun Battle Shuts Down LA Neighborhood
Los Angeles Times
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Feb 22, 2008 7:02 AM CST
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Dozens of streets in Los Angeles were shut down yesterday following a police gun battle with gang members, the Los Angeles Times reports. Schools were locked down and residents ordered to stay in their homes as police searched for suspects in a drive-by shooting that left a man dead from a dozen bullets. When police pulled over suspected gang members,...
US Rips Serbian 'Thugs' in Embassy Attack
BBC
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Feb 22, 2008 6:35 AM CST
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The UN and US have strongly condemned attacks on the American and Croatian embassies in Belgrade during riots that erupted yesterday at a state-sponsored demonstration against Kosovo's independence. "Our embassy was attacked by thugs," said a White House spokeswoman. Rioters torched the embassies and had running battles with police in violence...
10,000 Turkish Troops Enter Iraq
Bloomberg
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Feb 22, 2008 5:57 AM CST
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Turkey has sent 10,000 troops over the border into northern Iraq to hunt down militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, marking the first major ground incursion into the country since 1997, reports Bloomberg. The Turkish military said that the action began last evening, and local television is reporting that the troops are up to 6 miles inside Iraqi...
Meat Safety at Risk, Warn Overwhelmed Inspectors
Associated Press
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Feb 22, 2008 5:50 AM CST
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Government inspectors say staff shortages are making it impossible for them to do their jobs properly and that sick cows could be getting into the food supply, reports AP. With staffing levels so low, inspectors are forced to quickly scan hundreds of animals to spot signs of illness like drooping ears, while slaughterhouse workers who warn each other...
UCLA Cruises Past Oregon State
Los Angeles Times
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Feb 22, 2008 5:12 AM CST
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Sixth-ranked UCLA felt strong going into last night's game against Oregon State, the worst team in the Pac-10 Conference. The score bore out that confidence, as the Bruins decimated the Beavers 84-49 without tiring any starters. No UCLA player exceeded 29 minutes; Kevin Love put in only 21 and almost had a double-double out of it, the Los Angeles...
Protections End for Gray Wolf
National Geographic
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Feb 22, 2008 5:06 AM CST
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The gray wolf has been taken off the endangered species list in a multi-state area of the northern Rocky Mountains, National Geographic reports. "The wolves are back," said an official of the Department of the Interior. Just 66 of the animals were reintroduced to the region in 1996 and there are over 1,500 today. Environmental groups say...
Poll Sees Texas Dead Heat, Slight Clinton Lead in Ohio
Washington Post
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Feb 22, 2008 4:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are running neck and neck in Texas, while Clinton holds a significant but tenuous lead in Ohio, according to a Washington Post- ABC News Poll. Heading into the crucial March 4 primaries, Clinton leads Obama 48% to 47% in Texas, and 50% to 43% in Ohio .
Flu Shot: Better Luck Next Year
US News & World Report
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Feb 22, 2008 4:04 AM CST
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Next year's influenza vaccine will be reformulated to include three new flu strains in the hope of developing a more potent vaccine than this year's effort, according to US News & World Report . An FDA panel approved the move, following the lead of the World Health Organization. This year's vaccine failed to combat the disease in most states because...
Penguins Block 2nd Epic Night for Habs 5-4
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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Feb 22, 2008 3:43 AM CST
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For the second time in three days, Montreal turned a big deficit into a lead, but this time Pittsburgh was ready to retaliate, pulling off a 5-4 victory after leading 3-2 and trailing 4-3. Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two assists, and Sergei Gonchar's game-winner was also his 600th career point, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. On other NHL ice:
Digital Tutors May Edge Out Real Thing
LiveScience
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Feb 22, 2008 3:33 AM CST
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The best education available these days may be a virtual one, scientists are finding. Today´s digital educators can teach anything from social to language skills—and don't get tired, bored or irritable, LiveScience reports. The programs are a perfect match for autistic kids, who often find face-to-face interactions overwhelming.
Blazers Best Depleted Sonics
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Feb 22, 2008 3:30 AM CST
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The Trail Blazers pulled up from a five-game losing streak with a hard-fought 92-88 victory over the SuperSonics, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. With chunks of their team traded away, the Sonics battled to a 74-73 lead before losing the advantage for good with nine minutes remaining. Kevin Durant threw in a game-high 20 points, but the team's...
$500M Bush Library Deal Expected Today
Dallas Morning News
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Feb 22, 2008 2:58 AM CST
(Newser) -
Southern Methodist University's trustees are expected to vote today to bring George W. Bush's presidential library to the Texas institution, reports the Dallas Morning News . The agreement will be "a great day for SMU," said the university's president. But the road to a final agreement at Laura Bush's alma mater hasn't been a smooth...
Washington St.'s Defense Traps ASU
Associated Press
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Feb 22, 2008 12:35 AM CST
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No. 17 Washington State showed why it has the third-best defense in the country last night as it held Arizona State to 33% shooting in a 59-47 Pac-10 win, reports the Associated Press. The Cougars defense was so good that the offense went six minutes without a basket, yet WSU was never threatened. The Sun Devils were held to 21 points under their season...
McGrady Leads Rockets Past Ice-Cold Heat
Associated Press
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Feb 21, 2008 11:50 PM CST
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The Houston Rockets and the Miami Heat are teams going in completely opposite directions. The Rockets got 23 points and 10 assists from Tracy McGrady to fly by the Heat 112-100 last night, reports the Associated Press. The win was the 10th straight for Houston, while Miami lost its 10th straight and has lost 25 of its last 26.
Blue Jackets Shock Senators in Shootout
Associated Press
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Feb 21, 2008 11:49 PM CST
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Rich Nash scored the tying goal in the third period and then added a goal in the shootout as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2 last night, reports the Associated Press. Pascal Leclaire stopped Daniel Alfredsson and Antoine Vermette in the shootout as Columbus won in Ottawa for the first time ever. In other NHL action:
Manu Subdues Feisty Wolves
Associated Press
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Feb 21, 2008 10:51 PM CST
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The West's worst team gave the defending champs a scare, but super-sub Manu Ginobili hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds left to vault the Spurs over the Timberwolves, 100-99. Ginobili's monster 44-point game included six straight threes in six minutes during the second quarter (seven overall) and 11-of-12 free-throw shooting.
Sharks Smack Flyers to End 5-Game Slide
Associated Press
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Feb 21, 2008 10:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
Jonathan Cheechoo helped the San Jose Sharks snap a five-game losing streak with his 17th goal in a 3-1 win last night over the Philadelphia Flyers, reports the Associated Press. The Flyers tied it in the second period, but Douglas Murray and Milan Michalek scored in the third for the Sharks. In other NHL action:
Balanced Xavier Dunks on Duquesne
Associated Press
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Feb 21, 2008 10:08 PM CST
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Duquesne thought pressing No. 10 Xavier would work last night, since its star point guard Drew Lavender was hobbled with a sprained ankle. The Dukes were wrong. The Musketeers got double-doubles by Derrick Brown and C.J. Anderson, and cruised to a 75-48 Atlantic 10 win, reports the Associated Press.
Woods, Stricker Advance in Match Play
Associated Press
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Feb 21, 2008 10:06 PM CST
(Newser) -
Tiger Woods made easy 3-and-2 work of Arron Oberholser, but there was no shortage of exciting tete-a-tetes elsewhere in round two of the WGC Match Play Championship. Phil Mickelson's excellent performance was trumped by Stuart Appleby's sensational nine birdies; the lefty has yet to reach the event's quarterfinals. Also in Marana:
Notre Dame Storms Back to Beat Pittsburgh
Associated Press
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Feb 21, 2008 9:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
For No. 21 Notre Dame, home is especially sweet. The Fighting Irish overcame an 11-point second-half deficit tonight and went on to beat struggling Pittsburgh 82-70 in a Big East matchup, reports the Associated Press. Luke Harangody lead the way with 23 points and 12 rebounds as the Irish won their 16th straight conference home game.
Plane Crashes in Venezuela; 46 Aboard
Reuters
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Feb 21, 2008 9:40 PM CST
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A plane crashed in western Venezuela with 46 people aboard today, AFP reports. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the airliner soon after it took off from the Andean city of Merida bound for Caracas. People in the mountainous Coyado del Condor region reported seeing a plane go down. Merida's head of civil defense said search-and-rescue teams...
Dems Square Off in Texas
CNN
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Feb 21, 2008 9:06 PM CST
(Newser) -
Hillary Clinton tonight declared that "actions speak louder than words" as she sought to stem Barack Obama's political momentum in a Texas debate. She razzed him for using another politician's words in recent speeches—calling it "change you can Xerox"—and called his health plan inadequate. Obama objected to the "let's...
Timberlake To Take Field in Baseball Flick
Associated Press
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Feb 21, 2008 8:21 PM CST
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Justin Timberlake will take a swing at minor league ballplaying in the upcoming flick The Open Road , the AP reports. Adding to his Hollywood resume, Timberlake will play Carlton Garrett, a made-up member of the Houston Astros’ farm team, the Corpus Christi Hooks. Timberlake, aiming for authenticity, has attempted—so far unsuccessfully—to...
Phillies' Howard Wins $10M in Arbitration
Associated Press
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Feb 21, 2008 7:45 PM CST
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Philadelphia Phillies’ Ryan Howard won big in his salary arbitration case today, getting $10 million instead of the $7 million his team had offered, the AP reports. The figure is the highest salary a player has scooped in an arbitration victory. “We negotiated right up to the courthouse steps,” said a Phillies official, but “we...
Cavs Land Wallace, Szczerbiak
ESPN
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Feb 21, 2008 7:14 PM CST
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are answering LeBron James’ prayers: ESPN sources say three-way trades will bring four new faces to the team, including the Chicago Bulls’ Ben Wallace and the Seattle Supersonics’ Wally Szczerbiak. The Bulls will grab four Cavs, including Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes, while the SuperSonics take on Cavs Ira...
Peterson's 3rd Wife Murdered: New Autopsy
Chicago Tribune
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Feb 21, 2008 7:01 PM CST
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Officials in a Chicago suburb ruled today that the third wife of former policeman Drew Peterson—who's under suspicion in the disappearance of his fourth spouse—was murdered, the Chicago Tribune reports. Kathleen Savio was found dead in a dry bathtub in 2004, and her death had been considered an accidental drowning.
Families Swap Houses to Beat Slow Market
ABC News
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Feb 21, 2008 6:43 PM CST
(Newser) -
Struggling with a troubled housing market, some would-be sellers are opting for a novel solution: trading houses. The strategy is nothing drastic, ABC News reports—in separate transactions, two families sell their homes to each other. Buyers say the downside is reduced selection—but it can be convenient, and it can make a serious dent in...
Right Rallies to McCain's Defense Against NYT
ABC News
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Feb 21, 2008 6:12 PM CST
(Newser) -
Conservative media figures who previously shunned John McCain stood up for him today—but also said he had it coming to him for wooing the mainstream press, ABC reports. Sean Hannity called the New York Times story on McCain's relationship with a lobbyist “beyond disgraceful." Rush Limbaugh, lumping the media in with the left, said,...
Big Cats Are Back at SF Zoo
San Jose Mercury News
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Feb 21, 2008 5:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Seven tigers and lions are back in their outdoor grottoes at the San Francisco Zoo for the first time since a Siberian tiger killed a man on Christmas Day. The pens got a $1.7 million security upgrade after Tatiana escaped and attacked three people. Officials said the enclosure's front wall is now 19 feet high, 3 better than national standards.
Microsoft Tries to Appease EU With Blueprints
Wall Street Journal
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Feb 21, 2008 5:41 PM CST
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Microsoft plans to share the secrets of its most popular products, the company announced today, in an effort to satisfy EU regulators who want the software giant to improve its interoperability. The European Commission did cautiously applaud the move, but noted that Microsoft has already made at least four similar statements, to little effect, the...
Body Found After Embassy Riot
Los Angeles Times
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Feb 21, 2008 5:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
Serb protesters angry about Kosovo independence set the US embassy in Belgrade on fire today, and at least one charred body has been found, the Los Angeles Times reports. The victim apparently is a protester because all US personnel have been accounted for. The fire, now under control, came after an estimated 150,000 marched through the city to protest...
Columbia Prof in Noose Case Plagiarized Her Students
New York Post
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Feb 21, 2008 5:21 PM CST
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The Columbia professor who made headlines when she found a noose on her office door has plagiarized from students and another professor, the school says. The university’s Teachers College found two dozen instances in which Madonna Constantine stole from other's works in articles published under her name. Constantine, who's been given an unspecified...
