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.
Web Connects Mourning NIU Students
Chicago Tribune
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Feb 15, 2008 1:21 PM CST
(Newser) -
With cellphone lines on much of the campus jammed, Northern Illinois University students turned to the Internet to let friends and loved ones know they had survived yesterday’s shooting and to console each other, the Chicago Tribune reports. Most logged on to Facebook, where 10,000 joined a prayer group, while others updated status messages...
Meet Obama's Karl Rove
Los Angeles Times
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Feb 15, 2008 1:06 PM CST
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Even as Hillary Clinton shakes up her campaign staff, Barack Obama’s top adviser enjoys the standing of a man who, one political observer says, “ain’t going to be fired.” David Axelrod is Obama’s version of Karl Rove, the LA Times reports in a profile of one of the country’s top political minds.
Reorganization Shakes Microsoft Management
New York Times
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Feb 15, 2008 1:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
Under pressure from strong competition, especially in the cellphone business, Microsoft revealed a major executive shakeup yesterday, reports the New York Times . Mobile communications operations senior VP Pieter Knook is heading off to help Vodafone get into mobile Internet services, according to the Wall Street Journal. Another big departure is...
Kids' Clothes Give Teacher a Real Headache
The Local (Sweden)
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Feb 15, 2008 12:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Bad news for Pippi Longstocking wannabes—a Swedish preschool has banned striped and polka-dotted children's clothing because the patterns trigger one teacher's migraine headaches. The ban is driving some fashion-conscious parents dotty, but the school's principal defends the teacher's right to "an appropriate work environment," reports...
Astronauts Often a Bit Woozy
ABC News
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Feb 15, 2008 12:52 PM CST
(Newser) -
We all know about carsickness and seasickness—but spacesickness? NASA is cagey about its vomiting astronauts, but about half of the 500 who’ve been to the final frontier suffer from “space adaptation syndrome,” reports Ned Potter for ABC News. So it comes as no surprise to Potter that when a German aboard the orbiting shuttle...
Huckabee Flies South for the Weekend
Newsweek
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Feb 15, 2008 12:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
Mike Huckabee vows to stay in the presidential race, but a man has got to make a living, too. Huckabee is leaving wintry Wisconsin today for the Cayman Islands, where he will give a paid speech tomorrow, Newsweek reports. The only candidate without a government paycheck or personal fortune, Huckabee draws most of his income from speaking engagements,...
Aerosmith Rocks Guitar Hero
USA Today
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Feb 15, 2008 12:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
Aerosmith can add another big honor to its already-lengthy list: first solo act on a Guitar Hero release. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, due out in June, will include realistic animations of the band's 30-year history, from high school band to Super Bowl halftime act, reports USA Today . The Hall of Famers have a new album coming up and hope to benefit from...
Senior Bushes Will Endorse McCain
CNN
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Feb 15, 2008 12:15 PM CST
(Newser) -
George H. W. and Barbara Bush will endorse John McCain next week, making the announcement in Texas in an effort to enlist voters there to support the presumptive nominee against a formidable rival. Mike Huckabee is optimistic about his prospects in the state, where social conservatives has taken issue with both Bush presidents, CNN reports.
The Broadband Police Are Coming
PC World
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Feb 15, 2008 12:07 PM CST
(Newser) -
Enjoy your broadband while you can, because it won’t be this way forever. Consumer advocates think ISPs will soon have claim to have no choice but to crack down on high-bandwidth users or applications, in order to keep their networks afloat. Already Comcast has drawn fire for slowing file transfers, while Time Warner is experimenting with a tiered...
Meat Cleaver Murder Hunt Hits Roadblocks
New York Post
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Feb 15, 2008 12:03 PM CST
(Newser) -
Yesterday police thought they had found the man who viciously stabbed a Manhattan psychologist to death. But after 9 hours of questioning, the prime suspect in the murder of Kathryn Faughey was released after his alibi checked out. Frustrated investigators turned to Faughey’s patient records, only to learn that privacy laws forbid checking them,...
Ex-Cop Guilty of Murdering Girlfriend, His Unborn Child
CNN
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Feb 15, 2008 11:59 AM CST
(Newser) -
A former police officer faces the death penalty after a jury convicted him today of murdering his girlfriend and their unborn child, CNN reports. The jury in Canton, Ohio, didn't buy Bobby Cutts Jr.'s argument that he accidentally killed Jessie Davis, who was 9 months pregnant, then panicked. Cutts, who tearfully made his case on the witness stand,...
Superdelegates Are White Men
Politico
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Feb 15, 2008 11:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
If the Democratic primary comes down to the superdelegate vote, the historic black man-vs.-white-woman race will be decided by ... white men. At least 46% of the party’s superdelegates are white men, compared to just 28% of Democratic voters. “Obviously, it’s an imperfect system,” one representative tells Politico. “I...
Lawyer: SocGen 'Condoned' Trader's Deals
CNN
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Feb 15, 2008 11:26 AM CST
(Newser) -
The French trader who lost Société Générale $7.2 billion acted with the tacit support of the banking giant's management, which "condoned" his trades, Jérôme Kerviel's lawyer says. The assertion contradicts executives' claims that Kerviel acted alone. "Jérôme is a smart trader, but...
Consumer Sentiment Nosedives
Reuters
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Feb 15, 2008 11:10 AM CST
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The last time consumers were this pessimistic, the country was in the midst of recession. The consumer confidence index is at a level not seen since February 1992, according to Reuters/University of Michigan numbers out today, and "has only been this low during the recessions of the mid 1970s, the early 1980s and the early 1990s," the survey...
Woman Orders Clone of Beloved Dog for $150K
BBC
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Feb 15, 2008 10:57 AM CST
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A California woman has placed the first order for a cloned dog with South Korean biotech firm RNL Bio, pledging $150,000 for a genetic duplicate of her dead pitbull, Booger, who once saved her from a dog attack, reports the BBC. Seoul National University scientists, who produced the first cloned canine in 2005, will use tissue from Booger’s ear.
NIU Gunman Had Stopped Taking Meds
Chicago Tribune
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Feb 15, 2008 10:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
The gunman who killed five and wounded 15 in a Northern Illinois University lecture hall yesterday was identified this morning as Steven Kazmierczak, an ex-NIU grad student who had won top sociology department honors, the Chicago Tribune reports. "There were no red flags," said the campus police chief. But police said this morning he had...
Startups in Silicon Valley Tighten Belts
Wall Street Journal
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Feb 15, 2008 10:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
Companies in Silicon Valley are slowing spending and stockpiling funds to prepare for a possible recession, with many startups raising safety-net cash from investors. Venture capitalists, who raised more funds last year than any year since 2001, continue investing, reports the Wall Street Journal , despite a recent survey that found their confidence...
Dems Tread Similar Paths on Economy
Washington Post
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Feb 15, 2008 9:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
With the Ohio and Pennsylvania primaries on the horizon, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are fine-tuning economic visions that have more similarities than differences, reports the Washington Post . Both candidates promise to ease the middle class tax burden while putting pressure on corporations that send jobs overseas, and to protect consumers from...
Saudis Killed Arms Probe Under Blair
Guardian (UK)
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Feb 15, 2008 9:37 AM CST
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The Saudi royal family threatened to withhold information about planned terrorist attacks on London unless British authorities suspended an investigation into corrupt arms deals, court documents show. Prince Bandar flew to London in December 2006 to warn investigators they faced "another 7/7," referring to the four bombs that killed 52 people...
Oceans Get Gloomy Report
National Geographic
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Feb 15, 2008 9:20 AM CST
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More than 40% of marine ecosystems are being dramatically altered by a combination of pollution, fishing, and global warming, researchers warn in a new study. In fact, no area of the ocean remains unaffected by human activity, reports National Geographic . The biggest problem is global warming, which not only changes temperature but also makes the...
Starbucks Testing $2.50 Cup of Brew
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Feb 15, 2008 9:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
Struggling with its first major sales slump, Starbucks hopes to lure back customers with a $2.50 cup of luxury coffee. The company hopes to find a high-end niche among serious coffee aficionados with the new brew, made in an $11,000 gizmo similar to a French press, Bloomberg reports. The company already is experimenting with a $1 cup with free refills.
Jumper Lands With a Thud
Metacritic
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Feb 15, 2008 8:47 AM CST
(Newser) -
The concept for Jumper seems promising: An awkward teenage boy who discovers he has the power to instantly teleport himself to anywhere on the globe is targeted for elimination by religious fanatics. And in some respects the film delivers on that promise. "The jumping effect is faultlessly executed," writes Empire 's Olly Richards, adding...
Rock on! EU May Extend Song Copyrights
Times (UK)
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Feb 15, 2008 8:31 AM CST
(Newser) -
Early hits from the Beatles and the Stones are only a few years away from falling out of copyright and into the public domain, but the European Commission wants to change that and keep royalties flowing to rock stars in their golden years, reports the Times of London. Plans to extend the European performers' royalty period from 50 to 95 years would...
Clinton's Black Allies Defecting
Associated Press
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Feb 15, 2008 8:09 AM CST
(Newser) -
Hillary Clinton is starting to lose the support of prominent black leaders—and superdelegates— who previously backed her. Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat who carries great influence in Congress, says he's now tilting toward Barack Obama. Another Georgia Democrat, David Scott, already switched, the AP reports. “Something is happening...
FDA Delay Cost 22,000 Lives: Doctor
CBS News
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Feb 15, 2008 7:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
A prominent researcher who revealed widespread fatalities associated with the heart surgery drug Trasylol says 22,000 people died because of the FDA's delay in blowing the whistle on the drug after his study was published. Drugmaker Bayer also failed to disclose negative results of its own study. In a 60 Minutes interview to air Sunday, Dr. Dennis...
Gore to Investors: Ditch Guzzlers
Associated Press
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Feb 15, 2008 7:36 AM CST
(Newser) -
Nobel prize-winner Al Gore yesterday urged financial leaders at a United Nations conference in Manhattan to unload their investments in businesses reliant on carbon-intensive energy. Gore likened such investments to the subprime mortgage market, warning that "the assumption you can safely invest" in business models that assume carbon is free...
Bush Rips Congress on Waterboarding Ban
Guardian (UK)
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Feb 15, 2008 7:09 AM CST
(Newser) -
President Bush blasted the congressional move to ban waterboarding last night, suggesting that relatives of London bombing victims would understand the need for such interrogation techniques. Victims' families "understand the nature of killers," he told the BBC. He said lawmakers "are imposing a set of standards in terms of interrogating...
Fonda Swears She's Sorry for Obscenity
New York Daily News
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Feb 15, 2008 6:37 AM CST
(Newser) -
Today host Meredith Vieira got an unpleasant shock yesterday when Jane Fonda let the C-word slip while discussing the Vagina Monologues, the New York Daily News reports. "It was a slip, and obviously she apologizes, and so do we," Vieira told viewers. Fonda's blooper came when she was asked why she'd originally turned down a role...
Mass Rigging Charged Ahead of Pakistan Vote
Telegraph (UK)
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Feb 15, 2008 5:31 AM CST
(Newser) -
Pakistan's postponed parliamentary elections will finally take place on Monday, but allegations are flying that Pervez Musharraf's party has already rigged the vote. Pakistan's intelligence agencies have "pre-stuffed" ballot boxes, confiscated voter ID cards, and appointed party apparatchiks in key rural constituencies, a retired senior intelligence...
6th Student Dies in NIU Shooting
Chicago Tribune
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Feb 15, 2008 5:29 AM CST
(Newser) -
A sixth victim of the gunman who opened fire in an Illinois college classroom yesterday has died and at least four more remain in critical condition. The assailant, a former grad student at Northern Illinois University, entered through a door to the right of the lecture stage and silently started shooting. He fired a shotgun at the more than 100 students...
4 More US Marines Face Rape Charges in Japan
Reuters
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Feb 15, 2008 5:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
US military authorities are charging four Marines with raping a young Japanese woman, just days after a Marine was arrested by Japanese authorities and charged with raping a 14-year-old schoolgirl in a separate case. The four men are accused of assaulting a 19-year-old woman in October after meeting her at an event hall in Hiroshima.
ASU Hands Stanford OT Upset
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
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Feb 15, 2008 4:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
No. 7 Stanford's seven-game win streak is over, and Arizona State's 4-0 overtime record intact, after an up-and-down 72-68 upset. James Harden had eight of the Sun Devils' 12 points in an overtime that wouldn't have happened if Stanford hadn't made a determined comeback in the second half, the Arizona Republic reports.
Obesity Linked to Cancers
WebMD
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Feb 15, 2008 4:32 AM CST
(Newser) -
Researchers have identified a powerful link between being overweight and the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Strong links were discovered between obesity and cancer of the esophagus in men and women, and uterine endometrial and gallbladder cancers in women, reports WebMD. Researchers also found modest connections between obesity and colon...
New Solar System Sparks Hope for Other Life
Telegraph (UK)
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Feb 15, 2008 4:10 AM CST
(Newser) -
Excited astronomers say that the discovery of a solar system with strong similarities to our own raises the chances of other life out there. The system has two gas giants similar to Jupiter and Saturn orbiting at a similar distance from the alien sun 5,000 light years away, and rocky, Earth-like planets may exist in closer orbits, reseachers write...
Canes Prevail on Odd Night for Penguins
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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Feb 15, 2008 4:07 AM CST
(Newser) -
Dany Sabourin's 42 saves weren't enough to keep Carolina from going up 4-2 and sending Pittsburgh to its second straight loss—an ignominious double defeat the Penguins haven't experienced since December. "It's no time to panic," said Brooks Orpik, whose goal for Pittsburgh was his first in 181 games, reports the Post-Gazette . Elsewhere...
Blazing Suns Outplay Hurting Mavs 109-97
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
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Feb 15, 2008 3:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Suns have now won 10 of their last 12 games, building momentum going into the All-Star break with a 109-97 defeat of a depleted Mavericks team. Missing Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse and Devin Harris, Dallas was "hurting, no doubt about it," said Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni. But Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry kept things interesting, reports...
Bush Defends Decision Not to Send Troops to Darfur
BBC
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Feb 15, 2008 3:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
President Bush has defended his decision not to send US troops to Darfur to stop the genocide taking place in the troubled African region. The choice was partly due to a desire not to intervene in another Muslim country, he told the BBC. Bush is scheduled to leave today for a visit to five African countries, but may be delayed if the controversial...
Major US Doctors' Group Backs Medical Marijuana
Los Angeles Times
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Feb 15, 2008 3:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
The second-largest physicians' organization in the nation is taking a stand supporting medical marijuana, declaring that science has proven the drug has therapeutic value. The American College of Physicians is asking federal lawmakers to drop marijuana from a category of drugs considered to have no medicinal value, the Los Angeles Times reports....
Boom Time on Heartland Farms
Wall Street Journal
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Feb 15, 2008 2:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
The US economy may be teetering on a precipice but agriculture is enjoying what one industry analyst is calling a "golden age" after decades of decline, with bountiful harvests of crops and profits. The boom is fueled by the soaring demand from ethanol producers and to fill grain orders from China and India, reports the Wall Street Journal...
Hinrich, Bulls Turn Off the Heat
Chicago Tribune
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Feb 15, 2008 1:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
Despite the absences of Ben Wallace, Luol Deng, and Ben Gordon, the Bulls were able to finish the first half of the season in fine form, snuffing Miami, 99-92. Kurt Hinrich, coming off the bench after being sidelined with a rib injury, put up 24 for Chicago, including a crucial jumper with just over two minutes left in regulation, the Chicago Tribune...
Coyotes Fell Stars
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
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Feb 15, 2008 1:22 AM CST
(Newser) -
Phoenix avenged Monday's loss to the Stars, beating Dallas last night 5-2. It was a crucial win for the Coyotes, who succeeded in keeping alive playoff hopes by ending a four-game winless skid, the Arizona Republic reports. The Coyotes' victory ended the Stars' seven-game winning streak. Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov had 32 saves for the Coyotes.
Bryant Tears Ligament in Pinkie
Los Angeles Times
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Feb 15, 2008 12:08 AM CST
(Newser) -
A pinkie injury Kobe Bryant sustained earlier in the month has taken a turn for the worse, the LA Times reports. Though Bryant's pinkie was initially listed as dislocated, following further aggravation during Wednesday's victory over Minnesota, the digit now has a torn ligament and an avulsion fracture. Bryant, for now, is ruling out surgery which...
Earnhardt Takes Qualifier, Poised for Daytona
ESPN
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Feb 15, 2008 12:07 AM CST
(Newser) -
Dale Earnhardt Jr. continued his newfound success with Hendrick Motorsports yesterday, winning the first qualifying race for Sunday's Daytona 500. Coupled with his win in last Saturday's Shootout, Earnhardt must now be considered the favorite at the 500, and is on the cusp of a sweep no driver has yet managed to complete, according to ESPN.
It's Green Day Again for Butler
Associated Press
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Feb 14, 2008 10:49 PM CST
(Newser) -
One night after scoring 10 in overtime to prevent an upset at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, No. 8 Butler's Mike Green was dominant again in an 89-73 rout of Youngstown State. The Bulldogs are 23-2 for the second season in a row, the school's best start; they shot 13 of 20 from behind the arc.
Flyers' Free Fall Hits Five Games
Associated Press
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Feb 14, 2008 10:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Tampa Bay Lightning, sold to new owners earlier in the day, responded by shellacking the lackadaisical Flyers, who lost their fifth straight game. Philadelphia's Martin Biron allowed three goals in the decisive second stanza. Defensive lapses in the first and third—namely turnovers behind the net—allowed Tampa to add two more.
Conspiracy Theories on Diana Unravel
Guardian (UK)
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Feb 14, 2008 9:49 PM CST
(Newser) -
Mohamed al Fayed's grand conspiracy theories regarding the death of son Dodi and Princess Diana took a blow today as his chief investigator had to admit time and again on the witness stand that he had no evidence to back them up, the Guardian reports. John Macnamara grew increasingly uncomfortable at the Diana inquest as he acknowledged he had no...
Patriots' 'Winning' Gear Finds a Home
New York Post
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Feb 14, 2008 8:42 PM CST
(Newser) -
A small town in Nicaragua is celebrating New England's victory in the Super Bowl, the New York Post reports, with children donning T-shirts celebrating the NFL's first-ever 19-0 season. Yes, yes, the Giants were the actual victors Feb. 2, but the gear had to be ready for a Patriots win—and it was donated to a charity benefiting the needy kids.
FEMA to Move Families, Citing Toxins in Trailers
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
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Feb 14, 2008 8:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
FEMA will move thousands of survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita out of their government-supplied trailers because of possibly dangerous levels of formaldehyde, the Times-Picayune reports. Those at greatest risk, including those with current health problems, will be moved into apartments and hotels in the next two weeks, with the rest to follow.
GPS Phone Outwits Live Tour Guide
CNET
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Feb 14, 2008 7:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
Next time you strike out for the territory, you might be better served by Nokia’s new Maps 2.0 service than by a real live tour guide. CNet’s Marguerite Reardon literally road-tested the pedestrian GPS service at a Barcelona conference, taking to the Gothic Quarter’s labyrinthine alleys with the new 6210 Navigator phone, a Spanish...
Service Union to Back Obama
Politico
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Feb 14, 2008 6:44 PM CST
(Newser) -
The giant Service Employees International Union will endorse Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential nomination race, Politico reports, with the move expected tonight or tomorrow. The union's national front had remained neutral in the primary campaign, though many of its state committees had backed now-departed John Edwards. The SEIU has a major...
