Newser Story Index from March, 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.

Drury, Rangers Bowl Over Penguins in OT
Associated Press | Mar 31, 08 11:58 PM CDT
(Newser) - Chris Drury’s power play goal 1:46 into overtime gave the New York Rangers a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite the loss, Pittsburgh remains in the top spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race with a two-point lead on Montreal. The win moves New York into fifth-place. reports the Associated Press. In the night's only other...

Brewers Spoil Fukudome's Heroics for Cubs
Chicago Sun-Times | Mar 31, 08 11:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - Tony Gwynn Jr.'s 10th-inning sacrifice fly scored Craig Counsell to give Milwaukee a 4-3 win at Wrigley. Kosuke Fukudome, the Cubs' big acquisition this winter, went 3-for-3, including a tying, three-run homer in the ninth off Eric Gagne, reports the Sun-Times . Meanwhile, Kerry Wood failed in his debut as Cubs'  closer, allowing three ninth-inning...

New Met Santana Aces Up in Debut
New York Times | Mar 31, 08 11:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - Johan Santana provided the kind of starting pitching the Mets paid $137.5 million for, throwing seven strong innings and striking out eight in a victorious debut, 7-2 over Florida. David Wright's bases-loaded double during a six-run fourth inning provided all the offense the ace lefty would need, writes the Times . Wright, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran...

Royals Best Tigers 5-4 in Extra Innings
Kansas City Star | Mar 31, 08 11:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - Before the Detroit Tigers can live up to their lofty preseason expectations, they will have to get by longtime AL Central cellar dweller Kansas City, as the Royals spoiled the home opener for a team that many consider a World Series contender with a 5-4 extra inning victory. Tony Pena’s single in the 11th inning scored John Buck, reports the...

Dodger Pitching Silences Giant Bats in 5-0 Win
Los Angeles Times | Mar 31, 08 11:42 PM CDT
(Newser) - Four Dodgers pitchers combined to throw a five-hit shutout in a 5-0 win over the Giants. Brad Penny (1-0), making his first ever opening-day start, tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings. "Pitching is what it's all about, and today was a very easy game to watch," Joe Torre said about his first game in Dodger blue, reports the Los Angeles Times .

Cleveland Wins But Worries
Cleveland Plain Dealer | Mar 31, 08 11:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez was injured in a second straight home opener, and ace C.C. Sabathia and closer Joe Borowski both looked shaky, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer . Nonetheless, the Indians prevailed against the White Sox, 10-8, on Casey Blake's three-run ninth-inning double. Chicago starter Mark Buehrle was downright woeful, exiting...

Bosh, Raptors Outmuscle Bobcats 104-100
Associated Press | Mar 31, 08 10:17 PM CDT
(Newser) - In a rollercoaster of a contest, the Raptors took control of the East's coveted sixth seed, defeating the Bobcats, 104-100. Chris Bosh's 32 points led all scorers. Toronto capitalized on 17 straight baskets in the first quarter, then went cold, trailing at halftime, 63-58. T.J. Ford put the game out of reach late. Also in hoops:

1996 Survey Reveals a More Liberal Barack
Politico | Mar 31, 08 9:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama's older, liberal views came to light today after Politico unearthed an old questionnaire. Twelve years ago, he apparently wrote that he opposed the death penalty and the possession of handguns—opinions he has fine-tuned since. But his camp denies the writing is Obama's. "There are several answers that didn't reflect his views...

Dems Still Stuck at Starting Gate
New Republic | Mar 31, 08 8:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - It's time for Democrats to panic, the editors at New Republic say. Americans are ready for a lefty, yet Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are locked in an ugly battle over racism, sexism, and the minutiae of health care policy. When one of them emerges—probably in June—that candidate will have little time to drum up "narratives that...

Virgin May Try '3 Strikes' for File Sharers
The Register | Mar 31, 08 8:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - Virgin Media may become the second ISP to unplug users who share files illegally, the Register reports. The company is in talks with a UK record industry association over a  "three strikes" system, which would disconnect users who share copyright-infringing files after two warnings. "We are taking this problem seriously and would...

Peru Dig Yields 4000-Year Old Gold Necklace
LiveScience | Mar 31, 08 8:06 PM CDT
(Newser) - Researchers have dug up the oldest piece of crafted gold in the Americas, a 4,000-year old gold necklace, LiveScience reports. Found at a pre-Inca burial site in Peru, the bling proves that primitive societies sought displays of wealth. It signals "the social process towards some kind of inequality," said Mark Aldenderfer, a University of...

Living Life While Facing Death
Independent (UK) | Mar 31, 08 7:32 PM CDT
(Newser) - Professor Randy Pausch may be dying of pancreatic cancer, but a video of his “last lecture” continues to inspire millions around the world, the Independent reports. Pausch delivered his speech, titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” to laughter and tears at Carnegie Mellon in September. Picked up by the Wall Street...

Lehman Is Selling $3B in Shares
Bloomberg | Mar 31, 08 7:25 PM CDT
(Newser) - Lehman Brothers is selling $3 billion in new shares to allay fears after its stock dropped 42% this year, Bloomberg reports. "We still maintain that we don't need capital, but we've realized that perception is the dominant issue in today's markets,'' said CFO Erin Callan. Lehman fell up to 48% this month on rumors that it lacked cash and faced...

Iran Played Key Role in al-Sadr Ceasefire
CNN | Mar 31, 08 6:58 PM CDT
(Newser) - Iran played a key role in convincing Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to call a ceasefire in Basra yesterday, CNN reports. Iraqi lawmakers from five Shiite parties traveled to Iran on Friday to meet with al-Sadr, and returned yesterday, right before al-Sadr's injunction to halt violence in Basra, an Iraqi official said.

Networks Rethink New Shows
Wall Street Journal | Mar 31, 08 6:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - Networks are rethinking how they develop new TV shows after the writers strike, the Wall Street Journal reports. NBC is switching to a staggered debut schedule, and many networks are shying away from traditional, expensive pilots. With fewer chances to test-drive possible shows, networks are sticking especially closely to trusted concepts and remakes...

Pentagon Charges Inmate in Terror Strike
New York Times | Mar 31, 08 5:38 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Pentagon charged a Guantanamo inmate today in the 1998 US embassy bombing in Tanzania that killed 11 people, the New York Times reports. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, saying he remained an al-Qaeda agent after the attack and worked as a bodyguard to Osama bin Laden. But the charges quickly drew fire from...

Market 'Fix' Just Feeds the Beast
New York Times | Mar 31, 08 5:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Treasury plan unveiled today will never rein in free-wheeling markets because it isn't intended to, Paul Krugman writes in the New York Times . President Bush, who for 7 years has slashed at regulations, ignores how well they harness deposit-taking banks. And he denies that "non-depository" banks like Bear Stearns need them too.

Army Allowing Spouses to Live Together in Iraq
Associated Press | Mar 31, 08 4:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - Desperate to combat sagging morale from repeated deployments to Iraq, the US Army has quietly eased rules against married soldiers living together at war, the AP reports. Wedded soldiers in certain camps can now cohabitate in private trailers. "It makes a lot of things easier," said soldier and husband Marvin Frazier.

Kathie Lee Will Join Today : NBC
Variety | Mar 31, 08 4:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - Kathie Lee Gifford will rejoin morning TV on April 7, Variety reports, as a co-host of the fourth hour of NBC’s Today . Gifford, 54, will share duties with Hoda Kotb. Her kids grown, Gifford wrote on her website she's keen to return to the small screen "8 years older, 10 pounds heavier, a half-inch shorter, just in time for HD television."

New Phones Compete With Software, Not Hardware
Wired | Mar 31, 08 4:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - The iPhone may have buzz, Wired writes, but the smartphone market is deviating from the model of Apple’s “Jesus phone,” particularly in the software area. Wary of Apple’s restrictive software development policies, Wired pegs the Nokia N95, with an open source application platform, as more influential in the development of...

Stocks Up As Ugly Quarter Ends
Bloomberg | Mar 31, 08 3:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks closed up today as the year's dismal first quarter came to an end. Lower oil prices, improved business activity and a favorable reaction to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's new regulation plan helped to boost the markets, Bloomberg reports. The Dow ended up 46.49 to 12,262.89, the Nasdaq rose 17.92 to 2,279.10, and the S&P 7.48 to 1,322.70.

EPA's New Rules Allow Wetlands Trade-Offs
Associated Press | Mar 31, 08 3:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Environmental Protection Agency today issued new wetlands-protection rules with a focus on “mitigation banking”— creating marshes elsewhere in compensation for those destroyed by development, the AP reports. The EPA argues that mitigation banking ensures the most overall wetlands protection because wetlands are often irrevocably...

Next Prez's To-Do: Fix Military
Slate | Mar 31, 08 3:39 PM CDT
(Newser) - Has President Bush done irreparable damage to our armed forces? Not necessarily, Phillip Carter and Fred Kaplan write in Slate, offering a to-do list for the next president to tackle as he or she begins the process of fixing a military "in strange shambles." Overhaul the budget: "We don't have the money to stay this course."...

Michigan Rep. Floats New Plan to Seat Delegates
Associated Press | Mar 31, 08 3:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - A new plan from a Michigan congressman would apportion about half the state's Democratic delegates based on its outlaw January primary and the other half according to national popular-vote tallies, the AP reports. “The last thing we want to do as Democrats," Bart Stupak wrote to Democratic Party chief Howard Dean, "is to disenfranchise...

Smith Son's OD Accidental: Jury
Associated Press | Mar 31, 08 3:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - The drug overdose that killed Anna Nicole Smith’s 20-year-old son was accidental, a Bahamas jury ruled today, recommending no criminal charges in Daniel Smith's 2006 death. The inquest, which began in November, had already determined there was no evidence of homicide; an autopsy indicated the model's son probably died from a lethal combination...

Castro Lifts Hotel Ban for Cubans
Reuters | Mar 31, 08 3:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - Raul Castro has lifted a ban on Cubans staying at hotels designated for foreign tourists, Reuters reports. The prohibition, which had been criticized as "economic apartheid," had frustrated many Cubans since the country was opened up to tourism in 1990. "Cubans can now stay at our hotels," one hotel manager said. "Our doors...

Lieberman Dem in Name Only
Time | Mar 31, 08 2:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - Joe Lieberman is several months into his job as John McCain’s wingman, but, writing in Time , Michael Scherer sees shades of 2004 turncoat Zell Miller in the Connecticut independent's anti-Democrat tone. Scherer hears a “Republican general election argument” in Lieberman's claim the Dems are ruled “by a small group …...

Minn. Senator Klobuchar OKs Obama
The Hotline | Mar 31, 08 2:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - Amy Klobuchar endorsed Barack Obama today, saying her Senate colleague can "dissolve the hard cynical edge that has dominated our politics.” Obama and Hillary Clinton are now tied in upper house support, Talking Points Memo reports, with each Dem boasting 14 Senate backers. The vote among the Senate women is now 6-2 Clinton.

Can New CEO Keep eBay on Top?
USA Today | Mar 31, 08 2:12 PM CDT
(Newser) - As John Donahoe takes over from Meg Whitman as CEO of eBay today, he inherits a grande dame where Whitman oversaw the rise of an e-commerce belle. Still dominant in online auctions, the company has nonetheless faced slowing growth and stiffening competition. But analysts think Donahoe, the former eBay Marketplace president, can hold the site's high...

Spacey Slams BBC's 'Unfair' Talent Searches
Guardian (UK) | Mar 31, 08 1:58 PM CDT
(Newser) - Kevin Spacey has criticized the BBC’s West End reality shows as overt promotions for the musicals they're casting for, the Guardian reports. Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular talent-search series, Any Dream Will Do and I’d Do Anything , sought out new stars for big-budget productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and...

The World's Least Sexy Lads
Boston Phoenix | Mar 31, 08 1:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - It takes more than comb-overs and beer bellies to make the world's 100 unsexiest men list. The Boston Phoenix factors behavior into its list of oh-so-fugly gents. A peek at who snagged the top (dis)honors: Roger Clemens: baseball (and steroid?) star. Spencer Pratt: Heidi's smarmy boyfriend on The Hills. Larry Craig: backpeddaling,...

Supreme Court Stands Pat on FBI Raid of Rep's Office
New York Times | Mar 31, 08 1:24 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Supreme Court declined today to hear an appeal of a ruling that the FBI violated separation-of-powers law in a 2006 raid on the office of Rep. William Jefferson, the New York Times reports. Though the raid itself was not unconstitutional, an appeals court found, the FBI went too far in allowing agents to look through the Louisiana Democrat's...

Silicon Valley Unplugs for Meetings
Los Angeles Times | Mar 31, 08 1:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - Tired of competing for attention with iPhones, BlackBerrys and laptops, some Silicon Valley companies are banning them from meetings. One exec calls it going "topless," short for laptopless, and the Los Angeles Times reports that it's boosting some companies' efficiency. "Aside from just being rude," an exec wrote, "partial...

Heather Mills to Judge Miss USA
Associated Press | Mar 31, 08 12:59 PM CDT
(Newser) - Heather Mills, fresh from starring in her own divorce-court drama, is back in the limelight already. Having gone bravely before the judge herself and come away with $48 million of Paul McCartney's money, she's about to judge in the upcoming Miss USA pageant. Donny and Marie Osmond will host the pageant, which airs April 11 on NBC.

Obama Appears To Gain in Texas Delegate Count
Houston Chronicle | Mar 31, 08 12:43 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama apparently overtook Hillary Clinton in Texas’ pledged-delegate count after this weekend’s regional Democratic conventions netted him seven to nine more at-large delegates than Clinton, the Houston Chronicle reports. “We can confirm now that Barack Obama won Texas,” an aide said after the campaign's math gave the...

GOP Nod Sure, McCain Hitting Big-Money Trail
New York Times | Mar 31, 08 12:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain has wrapped up his party’s endorsement—but not its money machine, the New York Times reports. McCain faces a tough task in winning over the so-called “Pioneers” and “Rangers,” donors who chipped in $274 million for George W. Bush in 2004. Over half haven’t supported any Republican this election...

Undeclared Superdelegates: the Bestiary
Politico | Mar 31, 08 12:17 PM CDT
(Newser) - More than 460 Democratic superdelegates have yet to throw support behind a candidate. Politico reports that few if any are truly undecided, and offers a taxonomy of the undeclared: Crypto-Obamans—Superdelegates like Nancy Pelosi, who haven't come out for a candidate, but are assumed to be sympathetic to Obama. Throwbacks—"Proud,...

Play Ball! (Yes, Even Outside Boston and NYC)
Time | Mar 31, 08 12:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - Opening Day is fun for fans around the nation—not just the perennial media darlings in Boston and New York. Time runs down the top story lines that don’t involve the Red Sox, Yankees or Mets: Watch Detroit. With new acquisitions Miguel Cabrera, Jacque Jones, and Edgar Renteria, the Tigers should be one of the best offensive teams...

School Supers Draw Big Bucks, Bigger Perks
Christian Science Monitor | Mar 31, 08 11:52 AM CDT
(Newser) - Teachers aren't living in luxury, but some school superintendents are, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Some are pulling in $325,000 a year, plus multi-million-dollar consulting budgets to restructure impoverished, underperforming public school systems. The Monitor calls them "central office rock stars," a product of the No Child...

Foreign-Policy Bigwigs Duel on Wisdom of Ending War
Washington Post | Mar 31, 08 11:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - Advisors to Barack Obama and John McCain spar over ending the Iraq war in Washington Post editorials, with Zbigniew Brzezinski saying rapid departure will likely bring stability, and Max Boot arguing it would spell disaster. The former national-security adviser says much jihadism is product of anti-American fervor, a charge Boot dismisses—adding...

Massive Data Theft Breached 'Secure' Network
Wall Street Journal | Mar 31, 08 11:23 AM CDT
(Newser) - High-tech thieves were able to penetrate what experts called an especially secure computer network when they stole 4.2 million credit and debit card numbers from the Hannaford and Sweetbay grocery chains. Unlike stores that send data over wireless networks, the supermarkets used a theoretically less porous fiber-optic cable.

Chat Rooms Return—in 3-D
New York Times | Mar 31, 08 11:11 AM CDT
(Newser) - A group of Silicon Valley startups is looking to bring the "social" back into social-networking and other popular websites, the New York Times reports. Vivaty is developing 3-D virtual chat rooms users can embed in web pages—including social-networking profiles—and will begin Facebook testing this week. And Meebo’s 2-D...

Clinton Speaks Working Class' Language
Chicago Tribune | Mar 31, 08 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign has been boosted by her ability to connect with blue-collar voters, despite her not-so-blue-collar personal history, Jim Tankersley writes in the Chicago Tribune . Analysts say Clinton's focus on economic issues, her clear speeches and her own past struggles in the public eye all help the candidate endear herself...

Diana Coroner Dismisses Conspiracy
Guardian (UK) | Mar 31, 08 10:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - Diana wasn't the victim of a murder plot, her coroner told an inquest jury today after six months of testimony. Lord Justice Scott Baker told jurors to decide either that the Princess and Dodi died in an accident, or as result of gross negligence—her driver's or the paparazzi's. But the Duke of Edinburgh and MI6 are in the clear, the Guardian...

Apple Has Top Brand, World Consumers Say
Reuters | Mar 31, 08 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - Apple is the world's "most inspiring brand," as well as the one most consumers say they can't live without, according to a new survey on brand impact. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Microsoft was the brand buyers thought most in need of an overhaul—with the United States as runner-up.

Arizona Drafts Own Worker Bills
Christian Science Monitor | Mar 31, 08 10:31 AM CDT
(Newser) - Arizona is working on its own guest-worker program, hoping to supply state farmers with labor—and serve as a model for the rest of the country in the process, the Christian Science Monitor reports. But though top lawmakers are behind the measure, getting permission from the federal government—whose own guest-worker program is notoriously...

Diller's Trials Far From Over After IAC Verdict
Wall Street Journal | Mar 31, 08 10:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barry Diller might have won control over e-commerce company IAC/InterActiveCorp from rival John Malone in court Friday, but the CEO’s real trials have just begun. With the economy tanking and credit markets tightening, Diller’s plan to break up IAC into five “baby Barrys”—including Ticketmaster and the Home Shopping Network—might...

Dudamel Dazzles in LA Debut
Los Angeles Times | Mar 31, 08 10:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - Gustavo Dudamel lived up to all the hype last Friday, when he conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the first time since Esa-Pekka Salonen announced that the 27-year old maestro would be replacing him as the orchestra's music director in 2009.  Dudamel paid homage to Salonen by opening with one of the Finn's scores. But the night had Dudamel...

Paulson Unveils Regulatory Reforms: No Quick Fix
Wall Street Journal | Mar 31, 08 9:53 AM CDT
(Newser) - The "transformative" changes Henry Paulson has in mind for the regulation of the US economy will take years to implement, the Treasury Secretary said today. The plan would greatly increase the Fed's oversight powers, regulate the insurance industry for the first time, and add federal oversight of the mortgage business, the Wall Street Journal...

Bush Housing Secretary Steps Down
Wall Street Journal | Mar 31, 08 9:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson resigned this morning, after a series of accusations of political favoritism. The departure marks a setback to the Bush administration's efforts to stem the housing crisis, the Wall Street Journal reports, as Jackson has been a central player on key initiatives. He cited family reasons in his brief announcement.