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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.

Ga. Civilians Nab Fugitive Murder Suspect
CNN | Feb 29, 2008 10:11 AM CST
(Newser) - A New Zealand man on the run for 6 months after allegedly killing his wife and abandoning his toddler daughter was captured this week in an Atlanta suburb, CNN reports. The little girl, nicknamed "Pumpkin," captured hearts around the world after her father abandoned her at a Melbourne, Australia, train station and fled to LA in September,...
Scots Fight Fake Kilts
Independent (UK) | Feb 29, 2008 9:56 AM CST
(Newser) - What do plaid skirts have in common with champagne and feta cheese? If Scottish lawmakers have their way, the kilt could be the latest European product to receive a "protected designation of origin" status. Cheap kilt knockoffs could still be sold, but only the real thing—pure wool, hand-sewn in the highlands—could be branded...
Obama Brain Trust's Key 'Ism' Is Pragmatism
New Republic | Feb 29, 2008 9:38 AM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama’s brain trust leans heavily on behavioral economics, the New Republic reports, with academics who start small in their analyses—looking at everyday anomalies—and are relatively ideology-free pragmatists. From his top economic adviser to his health-care and Social Security aides, Obama is surrounded not by "big-think...
Zoos Leap Into Year of Frog
Florida Today | Feb 29, 2008 9:23 AM CST
(Newser) - How could any zoo resist? Leap Day, in the Year of the Frog, is being celebrated by zoos and conservationists everywhere as the perfect time to draw attention to the plight of amphibians. "We want to get people talking about frogs and thinking about them," said one zookeeper. "But the main thing we want them to understand is that the...
McCain, Born in Canal Zone, Dismisses Citizenship Flap
Associated Press | Feb 29, 2008 9:12 AM CST
(Newser) - A recent media flap about John McCain's citizenship is a non-issue, the candidate says. McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone while his father served there in the Navy, which makes him a natural-born citizen and qualifies him to run for president, the AP reports. His camp recently sought a legal analysis on the matter, and a New York Times article...
Turkey Pulls Out of N. Iraq
Reuters | Feb 29, 2008 8:57 AM CST
(Newser) - Turkey pulled its troops out of northern Iraq today, ending a controversial offensive that had Washington and Baghdad on edge, Reuters reports. In a statement, Turkey said it had made its point. “There was no question of completely liquidating” the PKK, the military said, “but Turkey has shown the organization that northern Iraq is...
Senate GOP Stymies Dem Housing Relief
Washington Post | Feb 29, 2008 8:51 AM CST
(Newser) - Capping a week of gridlock, GOP senators yesterday blocked consideration of a Democratic-backed housing-relief bill. The mortgage industry had fought hard against the proposal, which would allow judges to slash interest rates for low-income homeowners facing bankruptcy, the Washington Post reports. The bill also included billions of dollars for local...
Semi-Pro Not Even Semi-Funny
Rotten Tomatoes | Feb 29, 2008 8:34 AM CST
(Newser) - Semi-Pro , a comedy set in 1976 that stars Will Ferrell as the owner/coach of and player for a losing professional basketball team, is the cinematic equivalent of an air ball, say critics, who call the film erratic, repetitive, and dull. "If you're on the prowl for a Ferrell yuk-fest, you'd do better renting one of his more successful comedies...
Cuba Signs Human Rights Pacts at UN
BBC | Feb 29, 2008 8:22 AM CST
(Newser) - Cuba yesterday signed a pair of legally binding human rights agreements, promising, among other things, to allow its citizens free speech, free association, and the right to travel, the BBC reports. Coming mere days after Raul Castro became president, the gesture could signal a shift in Cuba’s policy, though Cuba insists it is only “formalizing”...
Possible Heparin Deaths Increase; Recall Expands
New York Times | Feb 29, 2008 8:07 AM CST
(Newser) - Baxter International has expanded its recall of heparin products as the FDA said the number of deaths possibly linked to the blood thinner rose from 4 to 21, the New York Times reports. The agency said it found "deficiencies" at a Chinese plant that supplied the active ingredient. Baxter, which produces about half of the nation's supply,...
'Holocaust' Strikes Will Intensify, Warns Israel
BBC | Feb 29, 2008 7:49 AM CST
(Newser) - As Israeli air strikes continued to hit Gaza targets overnight, a top Israel official warned that If Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel, they "will bring upon themselves a bigger holocaust because we will use all our might to defend ourselves." The rare use of the word usually reserved for Nazi genocide came from the country's deputy...
China May Drop 1-Baby Law
Guardian (UK) | Feb 29, 2008 7:32 AM CST
(Newser) - China, faced with an aging population and too few women, may end its controversial one- child-per-family policy. The law that allowed urban couples only one child and rural families two is credited with preventing 400 million births over three decades. But cultural preferences for males has also created a troubling gender imbalance as millions of...
Dollar's Slide Pushing Oil Prices Higher
Bloomberg | Feb 29, 2008 7:21 AM CST
(Newser) - The dollar continued its fall as unrelentingly dismal economic data eroded confidence in the US economy, Bloomberg reports. The greenback set a new low of $1.52 against the euro this morning and hit a three-year bottom against the Japanese yen. Oil surged more than $2 a barrel to $103.05 in Asian trading before closing at $102.92. 
'Terror Toxin' Found in Vegas
CNN | Feb 29, 2008 6:58 AM CST
(Newser) - Las Vegas police have discovered the deadly toxin ricin at a long-stay hotel, CNN reports. It's "100% ricin," said a police official. "We did have enough ricin to be concerned. At this point, it has been contained and is not a threat to anybody." Three policemen, three hotel workers, and another person are in a local hospital...
Profits Slide as Dell Streamlines
Wall Street Journal | Feb 29, 2008 6:30 AM CST
(Newser) - Dell posted a 6.5% decline in profits for its fiscal fourth quarter yesterday, citing slowed consumer spending and the cost of restructuring, which included slashing thousands of jobs, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dell results are likely to cause concern about other tech stocks—especially those that rely on the US consumer market—and...
'Chemical Ali' Slated to Hang
Reuters | Feb 29, 2008 5:50 AM CST
(Newser) - Saddam Hussein's cousin "Chemical Ali" will be hanged now that the last legal obstacle to his execution has been eliminated by the Iraqi presidency council, Reuters reports. The execution of Ali Hassan al-Majid will take place in a matter of days, according to a spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
Media Leak Ends Harry's Afghan Mission
Times (UK) | Feb 29, 2008 5:38 AM CST
(Newser) - Britain's defense ministry is setting up emergency plans to withdraw Prince Harry from his battalion in Afghanistan after yesterday's news leak that he had been stationed there. He has completed 10 weeks of what was supposed to be a four-month tour of duty in Helmand Province, reports the Times of London. The defense ministry lifted its media embargo...
Bush Push for Musharraf Angers Pakistan
New York Times | Feb 29, 2008 5:07 AM CST
(Newser) - His political future might be in doubt, but Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is still receiving forceful backing from the Bush administration after his party's drubbing in parliamentary elections—and it's angering Pakistanis, reports the New York Times . "I’ve never seen such an irrational, impractical move on the part of the US,"...
US Warship Heads for Lebanon
Reuters | Feb 29, 2008 4:30 AM CST
(Newser) - The US has ordered a warship to the coastal waters of Lebanon amid fear the country's political deadlock could turn violent, Reuters reports. The country's presidential election has just been delayed for the 15th time and the US blames the political quagmire on Syrian meddling on behalf of its Hezbollah allies. "The presence is important. It signals...
Cattle Horror Worker: Just 'Following Orders'
Wall Street Journal | Feb 29, 2008 4:11 AM CST
(Newser) - A worker shown in a shocking undercover video jabbing apparently sick cows to their feet for slaughter was following orders from management, his lawyer said yesterday. The attorney made the accusation as he negotiated with federal investigators to work out a plea deal for his client, reports the Wall Street Journal. The video triggered a record recall...
Swindler Black Ordered to Jail
Chicago Tribune | Feb 29, 2008 4:00 AM CST
(Newser) - Former media tycoon Conrad Black, convicted of swindling millions from his newspaper empire, will be behind bars by Monday night, reports the Chicago Sun-Tribune . A Chicago court ruled that he couldn't remain free on bail while awaiting a decision on his appeal. Black has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for obstruction of justice...
Stars Cash in on Trade to Beat Blackhawks
Chicago Tribune | Feb 29, 2008 3:52 AM CST
(Newser) - Niklas Hagman's hat trick for Dallas was eclipsed by new acquisition Brad Richards' five assists against a Chicago team that had also tried to nab him. After the Stars' 7-4 win, Richards can be glad the trade sent him where it did. "I'm just so happy to be a part of this," he told the Chicago Tribune . Elsewhere in the NHL:
Porn Twins Busted in Cat Burglary
Philadelphia Inquirer | Feb 29, 2008 3:49 AM CST
(Newser) - Twin porn star brothers have been arrested for a rooftop burglary in Philadelphia and they're suspected of carrying out 40 more, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. One brother has a successful modeling career. The other, described by police as "a bad, bad man," reportedly has a long criminal record. Both have starred in hardcore gay porn...
Warners Swallows New Line
Los Angeles Times | Feb 29, 2008 3:06 AM CST
(Newser) - New Line Cinema, the studio that created the Lord of the Rings blockbuster franchise, will be folded into the Warner Brothers unit of Time Warner, reports the Los Angeles Times. It's a cost-cutting move and part of a trend that has seen DreamWorks swallowed by Viacom, and Miramax downsized by Disney. Founder Bob Shaye will leave the company.
Kidd Benched for Finale of Mavs' Loss
Dallas Morning News | Feb 29, 2008 3:00 AM CST
(Newser) - Trailing the Spurs by two points with 35 seconds on the clock, the Mavericks benched assister Jason Kidd in favor of shotmaker Jerry Stackhouse, but to no avail. San Antonio went on to win 97-94 after two missed shots by Dirk Nowitzki and one blocked Jason Terry try, the Dallas Morning News reports. In other basketball action:
Vista Stumped Microsoft Bosses
PC World | Feb 29, 2008 3:00 AM CST
(Newser) - Many Windows Vista users have struggled to make the operating system work with their hardware, and emails released this week reveal that even Microsoft bosses had a tough time, PC World reports. The emails have been made public as part of a lawsuit that claims Microsoft deliberately misled consumers by slapping "Vista Capable" stickers...
Cards Lay Claim to Big East Top Dog Spot
Associated Press | Feb 28, 2008 11:39 PM CST
(Newser) - No. 13 Louisville nabbed a share of the Big East lead with two games to play, outgunning the Notre Dame in a 90-85 track meet. The Fighting Irish's Luke Harangody had 40 and 12 to keep things competitive, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Cardinals' scorching first ten minutes, which put them ahead 34-16. Also in college ball:
Ottawa Tumbles in Murray's Return
Associated Press | Feb 28, 2008 10:41 PM CST
(Newser) - Bryan Murray returned to coach for the Senators for the first time since the 2007 finals, but the early results weren't encouraging, as the Flyers won 3-1. Jason Spezza scored the lone goal for Ottawa, then was promptly ejected for fighting with Philly goalie Martin Biron. Mike Knuble and Scottie Upshall scored the decisive goals in the third. Also...
States Look to Collect Tax on Internet Sales
Forbes | Feb 28, 2008 10:26 PM CST
(Newser) - As tax time draws near, more Americans may be stumbling upon an extra line on their state returns, Forbes reports. About half of state governments—including New York, Michigan, California, North Carolina, and Ohio—are trying to collect their fare share of sales taxes from Internet sales. Chances remain slim, though, that most buyers will...
Obama Rakes in $50M, Clinton $35M in February
New York Times | Feb 28, 2008 9:14 PM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama's campaign will have raised roughly $50 million by the time February ends, the New York Times reports. The record figure overshadows Hillary Clinton's tally of about $35 million for the month, her highest total yet. "It's an extraordinary number for us," said Clinton's campaign chief. The Obama camp hasn't released official...
Cops Nab Gang Member in Bus Stop Shooting
Los Angeles Times | Feb 28, 2008 8:48 PM CST
(Newser) - Los Angeles police today arrested a gang member who they say shot five children and three adults at a city bus stop yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reports. Police say the suspect, a member of the Crips, had been trying to make a name for himself as an enforcer in recent months. He apparently was trying to shoot one target, who kept dodging between...
FARC Hostage Near Death in Jungle
Reuters | Feb 28, 2008 8:21 PM CST
(Newser) - A high-profile hostage still held by Colombian rebels is near death because of mistreatment and a lack of medicine, a former fellow captive said today. Ingrid Betancourt, seized by FARC rebels six years ago while campaigning for the presidency, is sick with hepatitis and liver problems, says Luis Eladio Perez, one of four hostages released yesterday....
Mixed Martial Arts Coming to Network TV
Variety | Feb 28, 2008 7:33 PM CST
(Newser) - CBS is juicing up its Saturday night prime-time programming with mixed martial arts, Variety reports. ProElite, a company that has worked with CBS cable sister Showtime, will produce the show, with a first airing aimed for April 26. With the coveted 18-to-34-year-old male demographic in its crosshairs, CBS plans to run four yearly MMA specials.
Booze and Beats Don't Mix in Turkey
Independent (UK) | Feb 28, 2008 6:47 PM CST
(Newser) - Singer Aslizen Yentur thought it was a joke when Turkey's top music channel axed shots of a wine bottle-laden table from her video. It wasn't, and now Turkey's broadcasting watchdog is drafting a bill to make scenes that encourage drinking illegal—supposedly to align with EU norms, the Independent reports. But critics charge the government...
Women Reclaim Virginity Through Faith, Surgery
MSNBC | Feb 28, 2008 6:30 PM CST
(Newser) - Efforts to reclaim lost virginity appear to be gaining steam across the country, MSNBC reports. More young women are declaring a sexual do-over, with some even opting for surgical replacement of the hymen, say doctors who’ve seen an increase in the procedures. “I felt really bad from a religious standpoint,” a 23-year-old single mother...
Students Aren't Signing Up for Text Alert Systems
Associated Press | Feb 28, 2008 6:15 PM CST
(Newser) - Campus shootings keep making headlines, and schools are increasingly adopting text message alert systems as a response—but students aren't jumping on the bandwagon, the AP reports. Experts chalk up low enrollment rates to students' sense of invincibility, unwillingness to reveal personal information and the cost of receiving texts. "It will...
FBI Begins Clemens Probe
Bloomberg | Feb 28, 2008 5:59 PM CST
(Newser) - The FBI today began investigating whether Roger Clemens committed perjury when he told Congress that he never used performance-enhancing drugs, Bloomberg reports. The agency opened a preliminary review one day after a House panel told the Justice Department it suspected Clemens of lying. The pitcher insists he never took steroids or human growth hormone,...
Oil Insanity Pinned to Speculators
Der Spiegel | Feb 28, 2008 5:54 PM CST
(Newser) - Crude-oil prices have doubled in recent months, a development not linked to fundamental supply and demand—but rather, observers tell Der Spiegel , to rampant speculation among investors looking for a stable buck. The prospect of recession would typically drive prices down, but analysts say a decade-old oil investment rush by pension funds and...
AIG Posts $5.2B Loss on Writedown
Wall Street Journal | Feb 28, 2008 5:49 PM CST
(Newser) - Today's after-hours bad news from the credit-crunch front comes from insurer AIG, which reported a fourth-quarter loss of $5.29 billion after taking an $11 billion writedown on mortgage-related insurance contracts, the Wall Street Journal reports. The loss amounts to $2.08 per share; American International Group turned a profit of $1.31 in the fourth...
Blogs Find Their Audio Outlet
Portfolio | Feb 28, 2008 5:39 PM CST
(Newser) - It's no NPR yet, but the latest radio phenomenon is gathering steam—and it's not even really radio, Portfolio reports. The 18-month-old BlogTalkRadio.com lets anyone with a broadcasting itch host a show for free; users select a time slot, genre, topic and start gabbing—the audio blog even comes with a phone system that accepts live callers—who...
Dems' Advice on Reading: 'Blah Blah Blah'
Washington Post | Feb 28, 2008 5:24 PM CST
(Newser) - Your Democratic congressional representative may do well to avoid the advice from Nancy Pelosi's office regarding “Read Across America” day next Monday, writes Washington Post blogger Mary Ann Akers. An email on how to deal with the big day urges Dems to stress the damage done to education programs by Bush—then offers these words...
Ugh! 10 Worst Smiles in Music
Blender | Feb 28, 2008 5:07 PM CST
(Newser) - Inspiring melodies and tongue-twisting rhymes may issue from their pipes, but for some rockers the sound passes through a terrifying portal. Blender inspects the 10 worst sets of teeth in music, starting with the bottom of the barrel. Pogues frontman Shane McGowan's utterly decomposed dents Amy Winehouse's missing canine Young...
Wal-Mart Taps 'Inner Skinflint' Amid Downturn
Newsweek | Feb 28, 2008 4:55 PM CST
(Newser) - Newsweek blogger Daniel Gross asks why Wal-Mart, with its sales increasing, appears to be untouched by the US economic slowdown, and comes up with four answers. One, the behemoth mostly sell necessities. Two, its cheaper-than-thou branding is attracting pinched customers. Three, investors like Wal-Mart's prospects down the line. And four, the store...
Kenyan Rivals Sign Peace Deal
New York Times | Feb 28, 2008 4:43 PM CST
(Newser) - Kenya’s rival political leaders signed a power-sharing deal today in a ceremony that brought jubilant crowds to the streets of Nairobi, the New York Times reports—a change from the violence that followed December's disputed election. The agreement creates a powerful prime minister position for opposition leader Raila Odinga, with cabinet...
Nader Chooses Former SF Pol as Running Mate
Associated Press | Feb 28, 2008 4:35 PM CST
(Newser) - Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader today selected Matt Gonzalez as his running mate, the San Francisco Business Times reports. Gonzalez, 42, was elected San Francisco supervisor on the Green Party ticket in 2000, with the famously hippy Haight-Ashbury neighborhood part of his district. A last-minute campaign for mayor in 2003 saw him...
Universal Health Crossing Lines
Washington Post | Feb 28, 2008 4:22 PM CST
(Newser) - While presidential candidates are busy bickering about how to achieve universal health care, a bill in the Senate has quietly acquired 12 supporters—the biggest bipartisan coalition ever gathered behind universal health care legislation, Ruth Marcus writes in the Washington Post .  Sponsors Ron Wyden and Bob Bennett hope the radical bill—with...
CEO Reveals Victoria's Secret: It's 'Too Sexy'
Wall Street Journal | Feb 28, 2008 4:09 PM CST
(Newser) - Victoria’s Secret has become “too sexy,” the chain’s CEO said today, explaining that she wants to bring higher-quality and sophisticated products back to the stores, the Wall Street Journal reports. "We use the word 'sexy' a lot and have gotten off 'ultra-feminine,'" she said. She blamed the shift away from stylish...
Stocks Tumble on Weak Data
Bloomberg | Feb 28, 2008 3:56 PM CST
(Newser) - Stocks fell more than they had in a week today amid reports of sluggish economic growth, rising jobless claims, and fears of failing banks, Bloomberg reports. The Dow fell 112.10 points to 12,582.18, the Nasdaq fell 22.21 points to 2,331.57, and the S&P 500 12.34 points to 1,367.68. The government said GDP grew by 0.6% last quarter, below analysts'...
Animal-Rights Violence Has Schools Turning to Courts
Newsweek | Feb 28, 2008 3:48 PM CST
(Newser) - In recent months, animal-rights activists have strapped a firebomb under a UCLA professor’s car and flooded another’s home in a campaign to intimidate the school into ending experiments on primates. A judge has issued several restraining orders as the university tries to protect researchers, Newsweek reports, while protesters think their...
Writers Parse Buckley's Legacy
Slate | Feb 28, 2008 3:36 PM CST
(Newser) - William F. Buckley Jr. was a titan on the political scene, carving out his own brand of conservatism. But one day after his death, writers differ on his legacy: At Slate, Timothy Noah notes Buckley’s more noxious stances—defending segregationists and Joe McCarthy—and says it’s good fortune “Buckley’s man...
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