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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.

Flyers Win, Snap 10-game Slide
Associated Press | Feb 26, 2008 6:29 AM CST
(Newser) - It wasn’t pretty, but the Philadelphia Flyers’ 10-game losing streak has finally ended. Daneil Briere beat his former teammate Ryan Miller in the shootout to give Philadelphia a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres; with the win the Flyers avoided setting a record for most consecutive losses. Jason Pominville had a goal and an assist in...
Volunteers' Men Vault to No. 1 Ranking
Associated Press | Feb 26, 2008 6:21 AM CST
(Newser) - All these years that Pat Summitt has coached at Tennessee, the women's program has dominated the AP rankings, while the men have played second fiddle. But now Bruce Pearl's team, after its 66-62 win Saturday at Memphis, sits atop both the AP and ESPN men's college basketball polls released Monday. It's the first-ever No. 1 ranking for the men's team,...
Blood Test Aims to ID Bipolar Moods
MSNBC | Feb 26, 2008 6:17 AM CST
(Newser) - Researchers at Indiana University have developed a blood test that uses genetic markers to identify a patient's mood state, a discovery that could herald a breakthrough in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Widespread tests are still at least 5 years away, but already many are concerned that results would be used to screen employees, military enlistees,...
Prodigal Kidd Returns to Dallas
Associated Press | Feb 26, 2008 6:09 AM CST
(Newser) - Once more in Mavericks colors, Jason Kidd made his first game back in Dallas a good one. Kidd came two assists and a rebound shy of a triple-double as the Mavericks topped the Bulls, 102-94; he notched an assist on Dallas's first offensive possession, to the crowd's loud delight. Dirk Nowitzki led all scorers with 29 points.
Marquette Strikes Blow to 'Nova's Hopes
Associated Press | Feb 26, 2008 6:07 AM CST
(Newser) - Villanova missed a chance tonight to knock off a visiting Top 25 opponent for the second time in three days, dropping an 85-75 decision to No. 21 Marquette. Dominic James led the Golden Eagles with 25 points as they rallied from seven down, after 20 minutes, with a 53-point second half. The Wildcats certainly helped with 23 turnovers, reports AP.
More Americans Cut Church Ties
Christian Science Monitor | Feb 26, 2008 6:00 AM CST
(Newser) - Americans are swapping  religious affiliations at an accelerating rate, with 50% choosing  a different denomination than the one they were raised in, and 16%—double the number 20 years ago—saying the have no ties to a particular church, a new survey of religious life finds. That doesn't mean they're atheists, the Pew Forum report...
Iraq Will Make or Break My Campaign: McCain
New York Times | Feb 26, 2008 5:40 AM CST
(Newser) - John McCain flatly told reporters yesterday that if US policy in Iraq doesn't work, "I'll lose."  But then he quickly asked to "retract" his "stark" pronouncement, adding that he hoped voters would also back him for his ability to run the economy as well as his positions on national security, reports the New York...
Spurs Spear Hawks 89-74
Associated Press | Feb 26, 2008 5:34 AM CST
(Newser) - The San Antonio Spurs won their sixth straight game on the strength of another solid performance from Tim Duncan. The four-time NBA champion had 23 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in an 89-74 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Joe Johnson had 17 points to lead the Hawks, who have now lost two games in a row, reports AP.
Clinton's Ohio Lead Narrows
Los Angeles Times | Feb 26, 2008 5:12 AM CST
(Newser) - Hillary Clinton is still leading in Ohio ahead of the critical March 4 primary, but Barack Obama is catching up, writes the Los Angeles Times . Buckeye State Democrats now back Clinton over Obama 51% to 40%, according to a new Quinnipiac poll—compared with 55% to 34% less than two weeks ago. Another poll from the University of Cincinnati gives...
Marines Demand Probe Into Armor Delay
Stars and Stripes | Feb 26, 2008 4:48 AM CST
(Newser) - The US Marine Corps has asked the Department of Defense to investigate delays obtaining vehicles with blast-resistant armor for combat units in Iraq. An internal USMC memo claims the money needed for the vehicles, which could have cut deaths from roadside bombings by 50%, was diverted to other projects, reports Stars & Stripes.    
Bosh, Raptors Squeak Past Pacers 102-98
Associated Press | Feb 26, 2008 4:30 AM CST
(Newser) - Chris Bosh led the Raptors past the Pacers 102-98. The All-Star forward had 24 points and 10 rebounds. The Raptors have now won four of their last five contests and have a firm grip on the fifth playoff spot in the East. Carlos Delfino had six three-pointers and scored 23 points in the win, reports AP.
Red-Hot Pistons Outlast Nuggets
Detroit Free Press | Feb 26, 2008 4:15 AM CST
(Newser) - Though the Nuggets put up more resistance than the Pistons may have expected, Detroit still had enough horsepower to win the 98-83 contest, the Free Press reports. Three Pistons scored 20 points and every starter hit double digits to make Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony's combined 51 points appear moot. Things did come down to the wire, though.
Communist Cyprus Prez to 'Work Within Free Market'
Guardian (UK) | Feb 26, 2008 4:00 AM CST
(Newser) - New President Dimitris Christofias' win in Cyprus makes him the first Communist ever to lead an EU state—but he has pledged to work within the free market, reports the Guardian . His party has a Marxist manifesto, but analysts say that Christofias is a pragmatist whose policies are more social democratic than old-school Communist.
High-Flying Leafs Crush Senators 5-0
Ottawa Citizen | Feb 26, 2008 4:00 AM CST
(Newser) - Ottawa added some intrigue to today's trade deadline after barely showing up in a 5-0 loss to the rival Maple Leafs last night, reports the Ottawa Citizen . Toronto captain Mats Sundin, who refused to waive a no-trade clause last weekend, opened the scoring, and his teammates followed with a four-goal outburst in the second—including two by...
Kenya Stalemate Frustrates Negotiators
BBC | Feb 26, 2008 3:45 AM CST
(Newser) - Kenya's peace talks have ground to a standstill and the task of coaxing the country's two rival parties into an agreement is beginning to try even the patience of former UN secretary-general and lead negotiator Kofi Annan, reports the BBC. The two sides cannot agree on a power-sharing deal and aides say an increasingly exasperated Annan is beginning...
Celtics Crush Clippers 104-76
Boston Herald | Feb 26, 2008 3:30 AM CST
(Newser) - The Celtics had no problem dispatching the Clippers last night, pulling out to a 23-17 lead after one quarter and then gathering momentum for a 104-76 victory. Paul Pierce (17 points) and Kevin Garnett (11) weren’t needed to seal the game in the fourth quarter, giving bench players like James Posey (17) their chance to shine, the Boston Herald...
Bush Predicts GOP Victory
Associated Press | Feb 26, 2008 3:15 AM CST
(Newser) - President Bush insisted yesterday to the Republican Governors Association that Americans will elect another Republican to fill his shoes in November, AP reports. "And I don't want the next Republican president to be lonely," Bush said. "And that's why we got to take the House, retake the Senate, and make sure our states are governed...
St. Mary's Takes Revenge on San Diego
San Francisco Chronicle | Feb 26, 2008 3:00 AM CST
(Newser) - St. Mary's defeated San Diego 61-54 to avenge the Gaels' only conference loss of the season. The fiercely fought victory gives the No. 25 team at least the second seed, and two valuable byes, in next month's WCC championship. The win almost didn't happen, however—four consecutive late turnovers almost let the Toreros slip past, reports the San...
Pakistan Surgeon General Killed
Washington Post | Feb 25, 2008 10:15 PM CST
(Newser) - Pakistan's surgeon general was killed today by a suicide bomber who blew himself up at a busy intersection in the city of Rawalpindi.  Lt. Gen. Mushtaq Ahmad Baig, his driver and his guard were killed, the Washington Post reports; Baig was the highest-ranking military officer to be killed in attacks by militants in recent years.. Five other...
Clinton, Obama Equally Adept at Policy Shifts
Washington Post | Feb 25, 2008 8:32 PM CST
(Newser) - They've escaped the dreaded "flip-flopper" label, but both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have changed positions on various issues in the course of their campaigns. Appearing absolutely consistent is especially hard for senators, reports the Washington Post , because they have thousands of votes to explain, and many are the products of...
Not Your Parents' Russian Vodka
Los Angeles Times | Feb 25, 2008 8:15 PM CST
(Newser) - If a shot of Georgi isn’t your style, Russian vodka makers are rushing to sell a new wave of premium bottles, the Los Angeles Times reports. Vodkas from France, Finland, and the US have gained popularity stateside over the past few years, but buyers couldn't find anything Russian other than Stoli on the shelves until recently.
Pfizer Pulls Lipitor Ads After Probe
New York Times | Feb 25, 2008 7:55 PM CST
(Newser) - Pfizer said today it will drop its ads for cholesterol drug Lipitor due to criticisms of the TV spots, the New York Times reports. US lawmakers recently probed whether the campaign had inflated the credentials of artificial heart developer Dr. Robert Jarvik. "The way in which we presented Dr. Jarvik in these ads has, unfortunately, led to mis-impressions...
Journos Find Fault With NYT Story
Cleveland Plain Dealer | Feb 25, 2008 7:31 PM CST
(Newser) - The New York Times ’ bombshell story about John McCain’s ethics problems—and his allegedly inappropriate relationship with a lobbyist—is nearly a week old, but the media world is still reacting: The Cleveland Plain Deale r’s ombudsman explains that his paper’s editor was too uncomfortable with the romantic...
Hotel Pays Staff to Sniff Out Smoking Guests
Chicago Tribune | Feb 25, 2008 7:20 PM CST
(Newser) - That chocolate on your pillow may be a bit of a Judas kiss: Chicago's Swissotel isn't the first hotel to fine sneaky smokers who break its puff-free policy, but it is the nation's first to pay staff to sniff out offending guests, reports the Chicago Tribune . Spraying air freshener won't fool its housekeepers, who get a $10 reward per scofflaw. They,...
Economists Lean Closer to the R-Word
Associated Press | Feb 25, 2008 7:09 PM CST
(Newser) - An panel of US economists leaned closer to predicting recession today after grappling with a slew of scary data, the AP reports. More than half of analysts at the National Association for Business Economics maintained that a downturn is still unlikely, but 45% expected recession in 2008; only a quarter saw a 35% chance of recession in a report last...
UN May Cut Aid During Hunger Crisis
Financial Times (UK) | Feb 25, 2008 6:54 PM CST
(Newser) - A UN hunger relief agency is in crisis talks today over concerns that it has to slash worldwide aid, the Financial Times reports. Officials at the World Food Programme said today that rising food prices are forcing up their budget by millions of dollars per week. “Our ability to reach people is going down just as the needs go up,” said...
Siemens to Slash 4,000 Jobs
Wall Street Journal | Feb 25, 2008 6:31 PM CST
(Newser) - Siemens is cutting nearly 4,000 jobs and moving 3,000 workers away from its troubled telecom equipment unit, sparking fears of union outcry in Germany, the Wall Street Journal reports. Once a $30 billion annual revenue giant, the business has been trailing competitors in cheap-labor countries like China and struggling with a $1.9 billion bribery...
3 in 4 Voters Expect Obama Nomination: Poll
USA Today | Feb 25, 2008 6:03 PM CST
(Newser) - A whopping three in four US voters say the Democrats will pick Barack Obama as presidential nominee, according to a USA Today /Gallup poll released today. Expectations for the Illinois senator beat the poll's error margin for the first time and even bested John McCain's numbers over Mike Huckabee: Only 61% of those polled said McCain would nab the...
Websites Help Boomers Tend to Mom and Dad
Boston Globe | Feb 25, 2008 5:37 PM CST
(Newser) - Americans who juggle caregiving duties are increasingly turning to the Internet for help, the Boston Globe reports. Care.com, lotsahelpinghands.com, and parentcarecall.com are among sites that offer services like meal calenders and automated phone calls. The online data is "helping families navigate the increasingly complicated healthcare system,"...
They Spell It G-Obama-P
Los Angeles Times | Feb 25, 2008 5:13 PM CST
(Newser) - They may not agree with him on Iraq, health care, or tax cuts, but they’re going to fight for Barack Obama anyway. They’re "Obamacans," Republicans so turned off by the current GOP crop and so turned on by inspirational talk of changing the tone of politics that they’re willing to pull a blue lever—many for the first...
Are They Playing His Song?
Reuters | Feb 25, 2008 5:00 PM CST
(Newser) - As the New York Philharmonic arrived in Pyongyang today, Kim Jong-Il still hadn't indicated whether he would attend the orchestra's historic concert, Reuters reports. ”It's kind of a win-win for Kim Jong-Il,” says a scholar of North Korean propaganda, because the visit will likely be portrayed as a sign of the West’s capitulation...
South Africa to Lift Ban on Killing Elephants
Guardian (UK) | Feb 25, 2008 4:40 PM CST
(Newser) - South Africa will lift its 1994 ban on elephant culling, sparking outrage among animal rights activists, the Guardian reports. Killing animals will remain "the option of last resort, acceptable only under strict conditions," said the environment minister. He added that managing the elephant population, which has grown to 20,000 from 8,000...
PCs and Internet Are Merging
New York Times | Feb 25, 2008 4:25 PM CST
(Newser) - The line between the Internet and PCs is blurring with the release today of Adobe AIR, a software development system for creating applications that can merge data between the two. AIR applications will have Web browser functionality without launching a browser, and users’ files will be "in the cloud," accessible from anywhere, reports...
Teens Brake on Driving at 16
New York Times | Feb 25, 2008 4:24 PM CST
(Newser) - Turning 16 has long been a rite of passage, but many teens are holding off on that first ticket to freedom: the driver's license. The percentage of 16-year-olds licensed nationwide fell from 43.8% in 1998 to 29.8% in 2006, the New York Times reports. States are tightening underage driving laws even as families balk at the rising costs of insurance...
Romney Son: Dad’s Re-entry ‘Possible’
Deseret News (Salt Lake) | Feb 25, 2008 4:10 PM CST
(Newser) - Mitt Romney has been curiously mum since John McCain’s lobbyist scandals broke last week, perhaps because he’s thinking of jumping back into the presidential race. Josh Romney said it was "unlikely, but possible” that his father would throw his hat back in if McCain’s ethics problems broaden and imperil his candidacy, the...
'Doomsday' Seed Vault to Open
AFP | Feb 25, 2008 3:57 PM CST
(Newser) - The North Pole is no Fertile Crescent, but it will house collections of the world's crop seeds in a doomsday vault that will open tomorrow, AFP reports. The vault, built on Norwegian territory, contains three cold chambers that can hold a total of 4.5 million seed samples—twice the current amount of known crops—and will safeguard crops...
Oscars: Red Was the New Black
Jezebel | Feb 25, 2008 3:56 PM CST
(Newser) - Red was the bread-and-butter of last night's Oscars, on the carpet and on the stars. But those who bucked tradition shone brighter, Jezebel opines, giving props to Marion Cotillard's fish-scale gown by Gaultier, Cate Blanchett's purple Dries Van Noten, and Amy Adams' deep green Proenza Schouler. Juno scribe Diablo Cody won the Oscar but lost the...
Stocks Rally on Credit News
Wall Street Journal | Feb 25, 2008 3:43 PM CST
(Newser) - Stock rallied in a big way today after S&P maintained the high credit ratings of top bond insurers Ambac and MBIA. The rating agency called MBIA's success "a strong statement of management's ability to address the concerns relating to the capital adequacy of the company," the Wall Street Journal reports.The Dow was up 189.20 to 12,570.22,...
Family Blames Airline for Woman's Death
Associated Press | Feb 25, 2008 3:28 PM CST
(Newser) - A woman who died en route from Haiti to New York received assistance from the flight crew and fellow passengers, American Airlines said today, disputing the victim's family's account of the incident. "Don't let me die," Carine Desir's cousin recalls her saying after a flight attendant refused to give her oxygen. "Oxygen was administered,"...
Quiet on Microsoft, Yahoo Teases Debut of Digg Rival
CNET | Feb 25, 2008 3:15 PM CST
(Newser) - Yahoo’s top execs were tight-lipped on the Microsoft buyout bid in addresses to an online ad conference today, but hinted at a new service set to debut this week which may be Yahoo Buzz, the company’s reported social news aggregator, writes cNet. Jerry Yang said he had been talking the proposal over with company board in order to ensure...
Web Tracking Opt-Out Plan Gets Panned
CNET | Feb 25, 2008 3:13 PM CST
(Newser) - An online advertisers trade group has proposed guidelines for targeted advertising that don’t satisfy recent FTC recommendations. The Interactive Advertising Bureau proposal would make it harder for consumers to know if a website was storing their information; FTC guidelines suggest a “clear, consumer-friendly, and prominent statement”...
Terrifying Robot Is Ready to Massage Breasts
Gizmodo | Feb 25, 2008 3:08 PM CST
(Newser) - The developer of a new robot designed to massage women's breasts is full of ideas for the gadget, reports the Gizmodo blog. Wang Wei of Beijing BUBBY Robot Technologies suggests numerous potential customers for the Breast Massage Robot, including "girls who are reaching or having reached puberty, hope to improve the growth of breast," and...
Are You Hanging Up on Fertility?
USA Today | Feb 25, 2008 3:00 PM CST
(Newser) - Men may want to be sure their unlimited minutes include calls to the urologist, USA Today reports, because a new study shows a possible link between cellphone use and male infertility. Researchers split 361 men under 40 into groups divided by amount of daily cell use and found the 4-plus-hours users had lower sperm counts and proportionally more...
Don't Expect Another Cuban Revolution
New York Times | Feb 25, 2008 2:45 PM CST
(Newser) - You won't see him wearing fatigues and making fiery speeches, but Raul Castro is expected to hew closely to brother Fidel's line. Cuba's new president is a pragmatic military man who lacks his brother's charisma and ego, the New York Times reports. Fidel is still party leader, and 31 Castro allies were reelected in uncontested races to top government...
Clintonites Deny Pushing Photo
Chicago Tribune | Feb 25, 2008 2:30 PM CST
(Newser) - Hillary Clinton's campaign denies circulating a 2006 photo of Barack Obama wearing traditional African clothing and a turban, even as the Obama campaign blames its rival, calling the incident “shameful, offensive fear-mongering,” the Chicago Tribune reports. The Drudge Report ran the image this morning, saying it had been pushed by Clintonites;...
Gun Lobby Holds Up Bush ATF Nominee
Los Angeles Times | Feb 25, 2008 2:15 PM CST
(Newser) - Michael Sullivan has spent a long time waiting to become head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, but his appointment has run into a roadblock in the Senate. Not with Democrats—with his fellow Republicans. Gun-rights supporters have blocked the appointment of Sullivan, also a US Attorney who can't be replaced while the...
Writers Strike Hobbled Oscars
USA Today | Feb 25, 2008 2:00 PM CST
(Newser) - The Oscars were mediocre, to say the least, and USA Today TV critic Robert Bianco chalks the "padded bore" up to the writers strike. With the standoff settled just 2 weeks before the big night, the staff putting clever lines in Jon Stewart's mouth was on a tight schedule. The result: Stewart became "an amusing but underemployed bystander,"...
Vaccines, Medicines to Treat Addiction on the Way
Newsweek | Feb 25, 2008 1:45 PM CST
(Newser) - It's been decades since scientists recognized that addiction is a disease, not just a lack of willpower, but only now are potential treatments coming online that address what Newsweek calls "a chronic, relapsing brain disorder to be managed with all the tools at medicine's disposal." The magazine surveys recent breakthroughs, from pills...
Who Will Show Clinton the Door?
Chicago Sun-Times | Feb 25, 2008 1:30 PM CST
(Newser) - Does any Democrat have the gravitas to show Hillary Clinton the exit? Syndicated columnist Robert Novak of the Chicago Sun-Times speculates about the campaign's denouement, saying the ex-first lady's continued presence is hurting Barack Obama’s chances against John McCain in the general election. "Clinton's burden is not only Obama's charisma...
Soured Deals Dog Brash Cerberus
Reuters | Feb 25, 2008 1:15 PM CST
(Newser) - The continued struggles of Chrysler and GMAC—two of Cerberus Capital Management’s largest and most recognized purchases—have observers wondering if the private equity darling has lost its Midas touch, reports Reuters. S&P has downgraded GMAC’s credit rating, Chrysler's January sales slipped 12% even as the company set about...
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