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.
'Miracle' HGH's Awful Truth: It May Not Work
Newsweek
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Feb 20, 2008 12:31 PM CST
(Newser) -
Here’s the list of people human growth hormone is proven to help: the elderly, AIDS and tuberculosis patients, and people with hormone deficiencies. Baseball players aren’t on that list, Newsweek reports, and neither are thousands of ordinary people who believe HGH slows the aging process. “There’s a great deal of hype,”...
Jessica Blocks 'Unusable' Workout Video
MSNBC
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Feb 20, 2008 12:13 PM CST
(Newser) -
Jessica Simpson wants to ban a workout video from being released, MSNBC reports, after the star apparently showed up to shoot it in less than top condition. “Jessica was a mess during that shoot," a source says. The owner of the video company charges Simpson would be "hurting millions of fat people in America," if she put the tape...
US Cancer Deaths on the Rise
Dallas Morning News
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Feb 20, 2008 12:00 PM CST
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Cancer deaths in the US rose slightly in 2005, according to the American Cancer Society's latest report, but the news isn't all bad: the cancer mortality rate declined 1%, continuing the downward trend since the early 1990s, the Dallas Morning News reports. "As an aging population, we will see more cancers," a researcher says, explaining...
Cell Carriers Roll Out Unlimited Calls for $100/Month
Associated Press
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Feb 20, 2008 11:45 AM CST
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Cell phone users tired of rationing their minutes have a new alternative—unlimited calling plans for $99.99 a month. Verizon Wireless yesterday introduced a nationwide plan with no domestic roaming or long-distance fees, AP reports. AT&T quickly announced a matching plan, and T-Mobile execs say they’ll unveil an unlimited plan for the...
Al-Sadr May Call Off Ceasefire
Radio Free Europe
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Feb 20, 2008 11:28 AM CST
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The ceasefire ordered last August by Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr expires Saturday, and unless he renews it, his Mahdi Army will again take up arms—raising US fears that gains in staunching sectarian bloodshed across Iraq could jeopardized. Al-Sadr hasn't signaled his intentions, but some say US and Iraqi raids in the south of the country have...
Wireless Tech Leaps Forward ... on Balloons
Wall Street Journal
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Feb 20, 2008 11:22 AM CST
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A decidedly whimsical business model could bring wireless Internet and cell service to wide swaths of rural America, slinging signals from balloons drifting toward the edge of space. Don’t scoff—the system is already providing services for truckers and oil companies, courtesy of Space Data Corp., and Google is so intrigued it might buy...
Obama, Clinton Skip Courtesies
CNN
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Feb 20, 2008 11:17 AM CST
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Perhaps the super-long primary season has made candidates forgetful, but the Democrats were not at their most courteous last night, as Hillary Clinton failed to congratulate Barack Obama on his Wisconsin victory, and Obama took the stage in Texas while Clinton was still speaking in Ohio. No rules govern either issue, CNN allows, but both snubs were...
Muhammad Cartoon Artist Now Homeless
Der Spiegel
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Feb 20, 2008 11:11 AM CST
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A Danish cartoonist who enraged the Muslim world in 2005 with his depiction of the prophet Muhammad with a bomb in his turban is now homeless, Der Spiegel reports. Kurt Westergaard, 73, has been thrown out of his police-protected hotel room—where he was sent when authorities uncovered a plot to kill him—because he’s “too much...
Bizarre Antarctic Sea Life Found
Telegraph (UK)
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Feb 20, 2008 10:51 AM CST
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A host of bizarre giant creatures lurk in the little-known waters of Antarctica, the Daily Telegraph reports. Thousands of specimens have been gathered by a mission to study Antarctic marine life before it is wiped out—including giant sea spiders the size of dinner plates, huge sea worms, and mammoth jellyfish. "I was staggered by the...
Iraq Tours to Cut by 3 Months This Summer
Associated Press
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Feb 20, 2008 10:34 AM CST
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American soldiers deployed to Iraq this summer will likely serve shorter tours, the AP reports. Soldiers at war today are serving 15 months and coming home for a year before going back to Iraq for another tour. War tours are expected to be shortened to 12 months for units leaving in early August, said the Army's top general.
Spanish Voters Hit YouTube
Reuters
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Feb 20, 2008 10:28 AM CST
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It's not only in the US that Internet video is changing politics: Ahead of Spain's neck-and-neck March 9 election hundreds of voters have posted questions for Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and his opponent on YouTube. Zapatero has responded to several, Reuters reports, but the more strident—such as the transvestite...
Cities Ready Protest Blackout
AFP
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Feb 20, 2008 10:21 AM CST
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An hour of darkness will descend on cities from Australia to Denmark on March 29 as homes and business turn out the lights to raise awareness about global warming. The event began last year in Sydney, where 2.2 million people shut off the lights, AFP reports. Two dozen cities around the globe will join this year's "Earth Hour."
17th Youth Dies in Welsh 'Suicide Borough'
Guardian (UK)
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Feb 20, 2008 10:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
A 16-year-old schoolgirl found hanged in the woods yesterday became the 17th youth suicide in the area of Bridgend, Wales, since early 2007. The rash of suicides has focused intense scrutiny on the town of 39,000 and its surrounding borough, where baffled police have so far failed to unearth any common motive linking the victims, the Guardian reports....
Brazil Cracks Down on Booze
Christian Science Monitor
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Feb 20, 2008 10:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
The president of Brazil is pushing for stricter alcohol regulations following the release of two studies showing more Brazilians are abusing alcohol and at an earlier age, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The government has already temporarily banned the sale of alcohol on federal highways, and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wants Congress...
Microsoft Talks Tough; Proxy Battle Likely
Wall Street Journal
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Feb 20, 2008 9:53 AM CST
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Microsoft, at loggerheads with Yahoo over its $41.6-billion offer for the popular web portal, is talking tough, threatening a proxy battle to unseat Yahoo’s reticent board of directors, reports the Wall Street Journal . But even a win, which experts say would be relatively cheap to achieve, could cost Microsoft in the form of Yahoo employee...
Steely Raúl's Time Is Now
Times (UK)
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Feb 20, 2008 9:37 AM CST
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The Castro brothers overthrew a dictatorship and won a revolution together, but while charismatic Fidel was the public face giving passionate seven-hour speeches, steely Raúl quietly got it done—ruthlessly sending dissenters to the firing squad, earning him the nickname "the Prussian." As Fidel fades, writes the Times of London,...
Made in Italy — in a Chinese Sweatshop
Los Angeles Times
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Feb 20, 2008 9:21 AM CST
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For consumers of luxury goods, the "Made in Italy" designation remains so prestigious that it can add 300% to an item's price. But the days of artisans plying their trade in little workshops are largely over, the Los Angeles Times reports, replaced by thousands of Tuscan factories employing Chinese workers at low wages and in deplorable...
Inflation Spikes, Cut in Jeopardy
Wall Street Journal
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Feb 20, 2008 9:04 AM CST
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Core inflation bounded ahead of expectations in January, which is bad news for anyone betting on a big rate cut from the Fed–and for the Fed itself. The consumer price index rose 0.4%, with core CPI rising 0.3%, putting the year-over-year figures at 4.3% and 2.5% respectively, well above the Fed’s traditional 1.5%-2% comfort zone, the ...
Police Can't Find Motive in NIU Shooting
Chicago Tribune
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Feb 20, 2008 8:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
The student who killed five at Northern Illinois University last week took pains to stump investigators ahead of time, police say. Steven Kazmierczak pulled his computer’s hard drive and his phone’s SIM card; he also revealed little in a package to his former girlfriend. "The one thing I want to know is motive," NIU Police Chief...
Atlantis Lands Safely in Fla.
Space.com
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Feb 20, 2008 8:46 AM CST
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Space shuttle Atlantis landed safely at Kennedy Space Center this morning, capping a successful 13-day mission in which it delivered Europe's first permanent lab to the International Space Station after months of delay, reports Space.com. The shuttle's return clears the way for the US Navy to shoot down a dying satellite headed toward Earth, possibly...
Anti-Obama Asians Accused of Racism
Time
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Feb 20, 2008 8:13 AM CST
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Barack Obama's low support among Asian-Americans is sparking cries of racism, Time reports. "On a gut level my reaction is that at least some Asian-Americans are uncomfortable voting for a black candidate," one analyst said. But some Asians resent the charge: A recent CNN show on the topic was blasted by an Asian PAC, which backs Clinton,...
Germans Find Hidden Nazi Gold
Der Spiegel
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Feb 20, 2008 7:44 AM CST
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Treasure hunters in Germany have announced they've found a secret stash of Nazi gold in an underground cavern and they believe it could be from the looted Amber Room of the Russian czars, Der Speigel reports. Instruments have detected what could be 2 tons of gold in the cavern near a town on the Czech border. The site was pinpointed using coordinates...
Markets Drop as KKR Unit Delays Payment
Wall Street Journal
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Feb 20, 2008 7:21 AM CST
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Asian stocks slumped today after reports in the Financial Times that a struggling arm of private equity heavyweight Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. missed a second payment on billions of dollars of commercial debt just 6 months after two of its founders poured $270 million into the company. Investors cashed out as fears of a global credit meltdown flared,...
Fidel Faithful Likely to Keep Power
New York Times
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Feb 20, 2008 7:19 AM CST
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Life went on as normal in Havana after Fidel Castro announced his resignation yesterday, and Cuba experts aren't sure how much real impact his decision will have, the New York Times reports. Cuba's National Assembly is due to choose a new Council of State on Sunday and power is expected to remain in the hands of Castro's inner circle.
Delta-Northwest Pilots Ground Airline Merger
Associated Press
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Feb 20, 2008 6:49 AM CST
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Northwest and Delta merger talks are stuck on the runway today, as pilots continue talks on a deal to combine their workforces, AP reports. Representatives for the 12,000 pilots are hung up on issues of seniority, insiders said; directors of the airlines hoping to announce their $20-billion merger plans today are waiting for a breakthrough. The...
US Troops Confined to Base in Japanese Uproar
Associated Press
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Feb 20, 2008 6:44 AM CST
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The US military has ordered 45,000 American troops, civilian employees and their families in Japan restricted to their military bases, homes and workplaces in a move to quell growing Japanese outrage at problem Marines. The orders, in place indefinitely, will effectively bar Marines nationwide and all military personnel on Okinawa from visiting local...
EU Probes Chocolate Price Fixing
Associated Press
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Feb 20, 2008 6:22 AM CST
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The European Commission suspects candy giant Hershey of conspiring with other chocolate and candy manufacturers in an industry-wide price-fixing scheme, AP reports. Both Hershey and rival Mars recently received requests for information from the commission after some 50 civil lawsuits in the US have alleged price fixing. The two companies say they are...
Hillary Coalition Collapses as Barack Lures Working Class
Slate
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Feb 20, 2008 5:48 AM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama's 17-point victory in Wisconsin contains a major warning for Hillary Clinton: not only did the Illinois senator win among his usual coalition of well-educated, young and black voters, but he also captured the vote of the working class, particularly men. The "durable coalition" that Clinton strategist Mark Penn thought would sweep...
NATO Seals Kosovo Borders
BBC
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Feb 20, 2008 5:07 AM CST
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NATO peacekeepers have sealed off Kosovo's northern borders after angry mobs torched border posts, the BBC reports. US troops have blocked the main road to Serbia, and French and Estonian troops have cut off the crossing to Montenegro. The move is bound to infuriate Serbs both in Kosovo and Serbia, where the foreign minister yesterday vowed that Kosovo...
Flyers' Tailspin Now at 8 After Shootout Loss
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Feb 20, 2008 4:49 AM CST
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In a match-up between the struggling Senators and floundering Flyers, it took a shootout to determine which team is currently less hapless. This time it was Ottawa, who hope this 3-2 victory can turn around their 2-for-8 recent record; for the Flyers it was the eighth straight loss, and ninth consecutive shootout failure, reports the Philadelphia...
City Lights Linked to Breast Cancer
Washington Post
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Feb 20, 2008 4:45 AM CST
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Women who live in areas with a large about of night-time light face an increased risk of breast cancer, and scientists believe it may be because the light interferes with a tumor- fighting hormone, reports the Washington Post . Researchers compared satellite images at night with cancer registries and found breast cancer rates up to 64% higher in well-lit...
4 Kids Killed in School Bus Crash
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Feb 20, 2008 4:10 AM CST
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Four young students heading home were killed yesterday when their school bus was broadsided by a van on a rural highway in southwestern Minnesota, the Minneapolis-St.Paul Star-Tribune reports. "Some of these kids were so little," said a motorist who helped evacuate children from the rooftop emergency hatch of the toppled bus. "And...
Bradley Shocks No. 16 Drake
Associated Press
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Feb 20, 2008 4:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Bradley Braves did what no team had been able to do so far this season: defeat No. 16 Drake at home. Between Jeremy Crouch's 23 points and Theron Wilson's 15, Bradley put together a 72-71 victory, its eighth in ten games. Perhaps most impressive, though, was the Braves' blanking of the Bulldogs in the final five minutes, AP reports.
Navy Prepares to Fire on Satellite Tonight
CNN
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Feb 20, 2008 4:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
The US Navy has warned planes and ships away from a large area of the Pacific ahead of an attempt to shoot down a rogue spy satellite carrying toxic fuel tonight, CNN reports. The space shuttle Atlantis is due back on Earth today and military officials are waiting for its safe return before trying to blast the malfunctioning spy satellite into harmless...
Hawks Welcome Bibby With Sloppy Loss
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Feb 20, 2008 3:39 AM CST
(Newser) -
Mike Bibby proved not to be the panacea that Atlanta was hoping for—at least not yet—as his old rivals the Lakers trounced the Hawks 122-93. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol each put up 23 points for Los Angeles, while Bibby's five points and three assists came on 16 minutes of floor time, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Elsewhere...
New Pakistan Leaders to Seek Talks With Militants
New York Times
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Feb 20, 2008 3:28 AM CST
(Newser) -
The victors in the Pakistan elections favor negotiations with al-Qaeda and the Taliban over military confrontation, reports the New York Times . “We will have a dialogue with those who are up in the mountains,” said Asif Ali Zardari, widower of assassinated opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. “We want to take all those along...
Foes Mobilize to Block Blair as First Euro Prez
Guardian (UK)
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Feb 20, 2008 3:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
Stiff opposition is mounting against the possibility of former British prime minister Tony Blair being named the first president of Europe. A "Stop Blair" website has been launched, and a cross-party caucus in the European parliament is forming to campaign against him. A new treaty about to be ratified creates the new position, although precisely...
Barack Sweeps Hawaii
Associated Press
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Feb 20, 2008 3:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama made it a clean sweep yesterday when he nailed a big victory in Hawaii on top of Wisconsin, tallying ten wins in a row, AP reports. Voters turned out in record numbers for the state's Democratic caucuses and early returns show that more than three-quarters of them favored native son Obama. The victories deal fresh blows to Hillary Clinton's...
Denver Holds On to Beat Boston 124-118
Associated Press
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Feb 20, 2008 12:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
Kevin Garnett’s return to the Celtics’ lineup was ruined by a superb offensive effort from the Nuggets. Denver shot over 51 percent from the field against Boston, the league’s best defensive team. Allen Iverson scored 28 points to go along with seven rebounds and nine assists in Denver’s 124-118 win, according to the Associated...
Williams, Jazz Shoot Past Warriors
Associated Press
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Feb 20, 2008 12:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Utah Jazz, led by Deron Williams’ 29 points and 12 assists, scored a season-high 77 points in the first half and beat the Golden State Warriors 119-109. Utah has now won 13 of 14 and swept the season series with Golden State. Al Harrington had four 3-pointers to lead the Warriors with 21 points, reports the Associated Press. Elsewhere in...
Habs' Historic Comeback KO's Rangers
Associated Press
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Feb 19, 2008 11:19 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Montreal Canadiens overcame a five-goal deficit to beat the New York Rangers 6-5 in a shootout. The Habs trailed 5-0 midway through the second period but were able to climb back on the strength of Michael Ryder’s two-goal, one assist performance. Alexei Kovalev also scored a pair for Montreal during the largest comeback in franchise history,...
Orlando Book- Ends Detroit's Streak 103-85
Associated Press
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Feb 19, 2008 11:16 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Magic were the last team to beat the Pistons before their 10-game win streak, and they routed Detroit at home tonight to end it as well. Orlando led by as many as 26 in the final quarter after outscoring the misfiring Pistons 63-37 in the middle two stanzas. Rip Hamilton led Detroit's starters with just 12 points. Also in hoops:
Penguins Erase Deficit, Beat Panthers
Associated Press
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Feb 19, 2008 11:11 PM CST
(Newser) -
Ryan Malone scored the game-winning goal with 27 seconds remaining to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers. Malone had tied up the game less than three minutes earlier. Pittsburgh trailed 2-0 entering the third period but Colby Armstrong’s goal cut it to 2-1, then Malone took care of the rest, according to the Associated...
McCain Wins in Wisconsin, Washington State
Washington Post
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Feb 19, 2008 10:40 PM CST
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John McCain racked up decisive wins over Mike Huckabee in Wisconsin and Washington state tonight, inching closer to a mathematical lock on the GOP nomination and making solid gains among conservatives. In Wisconsin, he had a lead of 55% to 37% with nearly all results in. McCain split the conservative vote with Huckabee, and two-thirds of "very...
DePaul Takes Tha-Beating
Associated Press
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Feb 19, 2008 10:07 PM CST
(Newser) -
The No. 13 Connecticut Huskies overcame a 13-point second-half deficit to defeat DePaul 65-60 for their 10th straight win. UConn was led by sophomore center Hasheem Thabeet; the 7-foot-3-inch Tanzanian had 16 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots. Senior guard Craig Austrie scored 14 points and junior forward Jeff Adrien contributed 12 points...
Sampson's Last Stand?
Associated Press
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Feb 19, 2008 9:59 PM CST
(Newser) -
No. 15 Indiana topped No. 14 Purdue 77-68 in a showdown between Big Ten titans—and on the eve, no less, of the school's verdict on coach Kelvin Sampson, who stands accused of violating NCAA rules by making inappropriate phone calls to recruits. This game was won at the foul line, where the Hoosiers shot 30 of 34.
Obama Takes 9th Straight
MSNBC
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Feb 19, 2008 8:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama won the Wisconsin primary tonight to continue his impressive streak over Hillary Clinton, NBC reports. Obama has now won nine consecutive political contests, and early results suggest he's going to win his native Hawaii too. In Wisconsin, he led 56% to 43% with nearly all results in, and he made big inroads into Clinton's base of white...
H-P Posts Big Numbers Despite Slowing Market
Wall Street Journal
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Feb 19, 2008 8:10 PM CST
(Newser) -
Hewlett-Packard thumbed its nose at concerns over falling tech spending today, posting a 38% rise in earnings and 15% revenue jump in its first quarter, the Wall Street Journal reports. The health of the tech giant, boosted by PC and overseas sales, is good news for an industry whose leaders, including Microsoft and Google, don’t expect a booming...
Mortgage Crisis Sparks GOP Defections
Politico
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Feb 19, 2008 7:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
GOP lawmakers are breaking ranks over the housing crisis as they see constituents suffering foreclosures, Politico reports. Ohio Rep. Steve Chabot, the owner of a 97.5% lifetime American Conservative Union rating, recently snubbed party leaders and the White House by co-writing a bill to let bankruptcy judges re-write mortgages. Chabot sees foreclose...
Bush Urges Nations to Curb Darfur Fighting
AFP
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Feb 19, 2008 7:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
Halfway through his African tour, President Bush stopped in Rwanda today and honored the 800,000 killed in the country's 1994 genocide, the AFP reports. He also vowed $100 million to help curb Darfur fighting and urged other nations to do the same, but he defended his choice not to send troops there. "I'm comfortable with the decision I made,"...
