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.
Google Still Wants Unused TV 'White Space' for Wireless Web
Wall Street Journal
|
Mar 24, 2008 4:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Google is re-doubling its efforts to get the FCC to allow the development of unused space in the TV spectrum for wireless Internet service, the Wall Street Journal reports. "The vast majority of viable spectrum in this country simply goes unused," the tech giant wrote to the commission. "There is no benefit to allowing this spectrum...
Open-Minded Obama Earns Backing of GOP Stalwart
Slate
|
Mar 24, 2008 4:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The former legal counsel to Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush is siding with Barack Obama, calling the Democrat “a person of integrity, intelligence and good will.” Doug Kmiec disagrees with the candidate on gay marriage, abortion, states’ rights, and the place of religion in the public sphere, but he says Obama’s ability to...
Pakistan PM's First Move Flouts Musharraf
CBS News
|
Mar 24, 2008 4:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Yousaf Raza Gilani ordered the release of 60 judges detained by Pervez Musharraf only minutes after being elected Pakistan's prime minister today, CBS reports. The president replaced the judges with a friendlier crop after imposing a state of emergency in November. If the freed justices are reinstated, a renewed legal challenge to Musharraf's election...
Bear Bid Boosts Stocks
Wall Street Journal
|
Mar 24, 2008 3:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks ended up today, thanks to JPMorgan's increased bid for Bear Stearns and unexpectedly strong monthly home-sales data. Still, investors remained cautious, the Wall Street Journal reports. "Who knows if there's going to be another Bear Stearns out there?" an analyst asked. The Dow finished up 187.32 at 12,548.64, the Nasdaq 68.64 at...
GOP's Strength Frays at Local Level
Politico
|
Mar 24, 2008 3:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Their national candidate needs support, but the Republican Party's state chapters are in no position to lend John McCain a hand, Politico reports. From New York to Alaska, local organizations are rife with dissension, debt, and scandal. "We are clearly rebuilding," says the Michigan GOP chairman.
Satellite Merger Clears Hurdle
Wall Street Journal
|
Mar 24, 2008 3:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Justice Department today approved the proposed merger between satellite radio firms Sirius and XM, the Wall Street Journal r eports. The FCC must still sign off, but the pair appears to have allayed antitrust concerns about the merger of the industry's two largest companies by arguing that they face competition from all music providers, including...
Equine Visitor Not Quite What Doctor Ordered
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
|
Mar 24, 2008 3:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Hawaii hospital ejected the relative of a man recovering from surgery after he tried to bring the patient’s favorite pet—a full-grown horse—to visit, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports. Security staff stopped the visitors before they could get to the patient's room; the man was intoxicated, and the horse turned out not to belong...
Boomers Move Back Home
Associated Press
|
Mar 24, 2008 3:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Young people have long fled recessionary job markets by moving back home, but the current crisis has a new demographic scurrying there: the middle-aged. "This is not like, 'OK, my son just graduated from college and needs to move back in' type of thing," says one financial planner, who has seen more adult children leaning on parents for everything...
Security Comes to Fallujah With Saddam-Like Iron Fist
Washington Post
|
Mar 24, 2008 2:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Fallujah, a hotbed of violence that has shown signs of stability, is trumpeted by the US as a success story of the Iraq war effort. But the security achieved there, largely the work of Faial Ismail al-Zobaie, the city’s police chief and a former insurgent, is the result of harsh, Saddam Hussein-style tactics, the Washington Post reports.
Clinton Calls for Blue-Ribbon Mortgage Panel
Reuters
|
Mar 24, 2008 2:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ex-Fed chief Alan Greenspan and other high-profile economic bigwigs should take the lead in deciding whether the government should buy homes affected by the housing crisis, Hillary Clinton says. "As it has in the past, this kind of temporary measure by the government could give our economy the boost it needs and families the help they need,"...
In Democrats' Primary Mess, Democracy Is Real Loser
Salon
|
Mar 24, 2008 2:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Info on the Democratic candidates is pouring out, too late for most voters to get much out of it, Walter Shapiro complains in Salon. "Most Democratic voters will have chosen between Clinton and Obama back in February," he gripes, and the voting that produced Obama's delegate lead is dated—its “potency as an expression of the pure...
China Runs Low on Gas
Associated Press
|
Mar 24, 2008 2:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
China may be running on less-than-full tank again as gasoline and diesel shortages spread to Shanghai and Beijing, the AP reports. Long lines are a common sight outside filling stations, which have been plagued by erratic shipments. “We have no diesel available at all,” said one gas station worker. “Once it comes, it will soon run...
Sun Banks on Lasers to Make Next Speed Leap
New York Times
|
Mar 24, 2008 1:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sun Microsystems is moving toward connecting computer chips using lasers instead of wires, a move that could make computers 1,000 times faster. The company snagged a $44 million Pentagon contract to continue work that could also mean smaller, more energy-efficient machines. It won’t be easy, though: A Sun researcher told the New York Times ...
Search Feature Riles Retailers
New York Times
|
Mar 24, 2008 1:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Google has some other companies up in arms with a new feature that keeps the search engine front and center even when results are coming from a merchant’s website, the New York Times reports. Google’s new search-within-search feature brings up a search box that keeps the user with Google—which often shows ads from that site's competitors...
Clinton, Obama Both Inflate Senate Records
Washington Post
|
Mar 24, 2008 1:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama didn’t take part in meetings on immigration legislation in 2006, recalls Arlen Specter, one of the handful of senators who did, but Specter just shrugs when the Illinois Democrat says he did. “It’s not an unusual matter for senators to take a little extra credit,” Specter says—and both Obama and Hillary Clinton...
Man Eats Man's Best Friend
Salon
|
Mar 24, 2008 1:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
While you're busy worrying about human rights in China, author and journalist Ted Kerasote argues, add animal rights to the list. After a trip to a ski camp in China where he was befriended by a "dead ringer for Lassie," he was appalled to find his canine pal served as the main dish at a feast in his honor.
Investors Urge Reluctant Fed to Buy Mortgage Debt
Bloomberg
|
Mar 24, 2008 12:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The best way for the Fed to help reverse the sagging economy is for it to buy some of the $6 trillion in outstanding mortgage-backed securities that have Wall Street so nervous, investors say. The move would ease the credit crunch but put taxpayers at risk. It’s an option the Bush administration has been reluctant to take, reports Bloomberg.
Democracy Comes to Bhutan
AFP
|
Mar 24, 2008 12:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The people of Bhutan went to the polls for the first time today, ending a century of absolute monarchy. Some voters were uneasy about the transition, AFP reports. “We are very happy,” said one. But “sometimes we worry because it’s a new system.” In an unexpectedly strong showing, the Bhutan United Party captured 44 of...
Detroit Mayor Charged in Text-Message Sex Scandal
Detroit News
|
Mar 24, 2008 12:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his ex-chief of staff were charged today with perjury, obstruction of justice, and misconduct in office related to their denials under oath that they were romantically involved, the Detroit News reports. Kilpatrick, who faces eight felony counts, said at a press conference shortly after the county prosecutor announced...
Cellphones Sound Last Call for British Icon
USA Today
|
Mar 24, 2008 12:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Britain’s iconic red phone booths are going extinct in a country where cellphones outnumber people, USA Today reports. British Telecom is shrinking the overall number of pay phones and replacing the red booths with modern ones that double as wireless hotspots. With just 12,700 of the originals left on the streets, discarded red boxes are finding...
Writers Strike Breathes New Life Into Scrubs
Hollywood Reporter
|
Mar 24, 2008 11:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Writers Guild strike not only didn't deliver the death blow to Scrubs —it may have resurrected the veteran sitcom, according to the Hollywood Reporter . Production restarted today on the show, which NBC had already decided not to renew beyond a handful of episodes left over from before the job action. In stepped ABC, which owns the studio...
'Regulation' No Longer a Dirty Word in DC
Wall Street Journal
|
Mar 24, 2008 11:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
"Regulation" is becoming less of a dirty word in Washington in the wake of the mortgage meltdown, woes on Wall Street, and scares over tainted food and toys. Many Democrats and even some Republicans want a shift from voluntary industry standards in vogue since the Reagan administration. "We're in for a potentially significant regulatory...
Mexico May Overtake US as Fattest Country
McClatchy Newspapers
|
Mar 24, 2008 11:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mexico is the second-fattest nation after the US, and it could top the list within 10 years if waistlines continue to expand at the current rate. Nearly three-quarters of Mexican women and two-thirds of men are overweight, and diabetes is now the main cause of death. Health officials are launching anti-junk-food campaigns, but industry lobbyists aren't...
Newsday Sale Another Bad Sign in Teetering Industry
New York Times
|
Mar 24, 2008 11:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Just last year, Sam Zell was optimistic enough about newspapers to buy the Tribune Company. Now he’s selling Newsday , one of the conglomerate’s top publications. “The news business is something worse than horrible,” he said recently. Across the industry, gung-ho new owners like Zell are experiencing buyer’s remorse,...
Apple Is Unlikely to Offer Unlimited Music, But If It Did...
Ars Technica
|
Mar 24, 2008 10:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Don’t expect a subscription music service bundled with iPods anytime soon: that’s the consensus emerging from the news flurry since last week’s report Apple was considering such a move. Still, the flurry made two things clear, declares Nate Anderson in Ars Technica: Apple would need to tread carefully to avoid antitrust complications...
Surprise! Existing Home Sales Jump
Bloomberg
|
Mar 24, 2008 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Existing home sales stunned Wall Street today with an unexpected spike, Bloomberg reports. The metric rose 2.9% in February to an annual pace of 5.03 million. Analysts had predicted yet another decline, to a 4.85 million pace. But one economist said this was only a “temporary pause.” “We’re still a long way from a recovery in...
Obama Recalls Sparring With Preacher
Politico
|
Mar 24, 2008 10:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
“This is not a crackpot church,” Barack Obama told a conservative Philadelphia radio host in an interview defending Trinity Church, Politico reports. The Democratic hopeful says that despite Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s “very offensive views,” he built “one of the finest churches in Chicago. Witness the fact that Bill...
Bamboo Invades Suburbia
Wall Street Journal
|
Mar 24, 2008 10:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Suburbanites are fighting to keep bamboo at bay in backyards all over America, but the tropical grass is winning. The Asian import grows fast and has become a popular, environmentally friendly way to screen out the neighbors. But with roots like steel cables, the relentless spreader resists pesticides, pickaxes, and metal barriers, the Wall Street...
What Hollywood Will Pay to Be in Malibu: Anything
Los Angeles Times
|
Mar 24, 2008 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
US real estate is hurting, but the top price for a beachfront summer rental in Malibu hit $150,000 this year. The area is flush with homes valued at or above $10 million—a bracket unaffected by the housing slump. And Tinseltown's elite is happy to pay. "Recession? What recession?" one Malibu real estate agent asked the Los Angeles...
JPMorgan Boosts Bear Stearns Offer to $10/Share
Wall Street Journal
|
Mar 24, 2008 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
JPMorgan will quintuple its takeover offer for Bear Stearns, setting a new $10-per-share price today after a weekend of tense renegotiations. Bear shareholders had objected to the proposed $2 deal, saying the bank-saving bid was a heist. JPMorgan is also buying 95 million more shares of the bank, which will give it 39.5% ownership and improved odds...
Scientists Find Planets Out of This World
Washington Post
|
Mar 24, 2008 9:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Humans took centuries to discover the other planets in the solar system, but in the 13 years since the first additional planet was identified, planetary scientists have found 277 more worlds orbiting other suns. And those extrasolar planets are just the confirmed ones—many more are suspected, and excitement among scientists is building, reports...
Cloned Stem Cells Best for Parkinson's
Reuters
|
Mar 24, 2008 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Scientists have found that embryonic stem cells effectively treat Parkinson's disease in lab mice, but only when the cells come from the sick mouse's own clones, Reuters reports. The study, published in Nature Medicine , created "therapeutic clones" by transferring cell nuclei into mouse egg cells and growing them into the type of brain...
Killer: Georgia Hiker 'Wouldn't Stop Fighting'
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
|
Mar 24, 2008 8:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Georgia hiker kidnapped on New Year’s Day used every ounce of her formidable strength, martial arts training, and wit to stay alive for 3 days, her killer told authorities. Gary Michael Hilton said Meredith Emerson fought back tenaciously when he demanded her ATM card, and managed to stall him for days, amid several brushes with authorities,...
Sarko's Ex-Wife Ties Knot in New York City
Associated Press
|
Mar 24, 2008 8:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Just six months ago she was France's first lady, but last night the ex-wife formerly known as Cecilia Sarkozy became the new wife of her on-again, off-again beau Richard Attias in New York's legendary Rainbow Room, reports the AP. The glitzy affair capped three days of parties and came just a month after Sarko got himself hitched to former model Carla...
Corinne Bailey Rae's Husband Found Dead
Daily Mail (UK)
|
Mar 24, 2008 7:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The husband of British soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae has been found dead from a suspected drug overdose at his home in the UK. Jason Rae, 31, a saxophone player, is said to have struggled with drug abuse for years, according to Britain's Daily Mail . His band, the Haggis Horns, had backed Amy Winehouse.
Did McCain Almost Switch Sides?
New York Times
|
Mar 24, 2008 7:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain has been feverishly polishing his conservative credentials lately, but the Republican nominee has twice flirted with crossing the aisle for good, the New York Times points out. In 2001, fresh from a bitter election battle with George W. Bush, he considered switching parties, and in 2004 he talked with John Kerry about sharing a presidential...
Al-Qaeda No. 2 Calls for Terror Attacks to Back Palestinians
CNN
|
Mar 24, 2008 7:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An audio statement purportedly by al-Qaeda’s second-in-command demands that Muslims attack the West to support Palestinians, reports CNN. "Let them know that every dollar they spend on the killing of Muslims, there will be shed blood in return," said Ayman al-Zawahiri, adding that protests were not enough.
Warriors Battle Back From 26-Point Hole
San Francisco Chronicle
|
Mar 24, 2008 6:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Warriors had not beaten the Lakers in Los Angeles since January of 2003, but when holding a 26-point lead last night, it looked like that they would finally snag another victory. Then it seemed certain that the rallying Lakers would prevail yet again. Then Golden State won it after all, 115-111 , reports the San Francisco Chronicle .
Olympic Flame Lit Amid Brief Protest
Associated Press
|
Mar 24, 2008 6:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Olympic flame was lit this morning in Greece, in a ceremony briefly interrupted by human rights protesters. As the Chinese Communist Party secretary—also the head of the Beijing Olympics—spoke, three demonstrators evaded massive security to run onto the field at the stadium in Ancient Olympia. One managed to unfurl a black banner depicting...
2003 Photos Reveal Flaws in Collapsed Minn. Bridge
Minneapolis Star Tribune
|
Mar 24, 2008 6:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Gusset plates on the Minnesota bridge that collapsed this summer already showed signs of weakness in 2003 photos just released by the National Transportation Safety Board, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune . Two bowed plates were located at junctions already suspected by investigators to be the first points of failure in the deadly collapse, and...
Shuttle Prepares to Quit Station
Houston Chronicle
|
Mar 24, 2008 6:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The crew of shuttle Endeavour prepared to undock from the International Space Station today after a leisurely Easter Sunday spent off-loading cargo, enjoying a holiday meal, and talking to family back home. The shuttle commander compared the flurry of work to wrap up the record-setting mission to March Madness: "It's wonderful to be in the tournament....
Host Blocks Anti-Koran Film's Website
Associated Press
|
Mar 24, 2008 5:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Amid public outrage, a right-wing Dutch lawmaker has run into a new problem in his relentless quest to market his anti-Koran film: His US-based network provider has suspended service, AP reports. Network Solutions pulled the plug on Geert Wilders, who insists his 15-minute film will expose Islam's holy book as "fascist," saying the site may...
Biron, Flyers Power Past Hapless Islanders
Philadelphia Inquirer
|
Mar 24, 2008 5:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Flyers wielded the power play wisely against the Islanders, scoring three times while at the advantage and once more for good measure in a 4-1 win over New York, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer . Danny Briere collected three points, assisting on Vinny Prospal's opening goal and Scott Hartnell's finishing touch, and scoring himself in the third...
UN Pleads for $500M in Food Aid
Financial Times (UK)
|
Mar 24, 2008 4:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A United Nations food program has issued an extraordinary emergency plea for an extra $500 million in aid, warning that shipments to the world's hungry may be rationed if the money can't be raised over the next month, reports the Financial Times . The World Food Program feeds some 73 million people in 80 countries.
US Death Toll in Iraq War Hits 4,000
Associated Press
|
Mar 24, 2008 4:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A roadside bomb yesterday killed 4 US servicemen, hiking the American death toll in the Iraq war to at least 4,000, AP reports. Another soldier was wounded in the blast, which came less than a week after the fifth anniversary of the war. At least 61 other people died in attacks across Iraq, including a day-long bombardment of the heavily fortified...
Lady Vols Roll to 1st-Round Rout of Oral Roberts
Tennessean
|
Mar 24, 2008 4:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Tennessee women had no trouble securing their 27th straight first-round win yesterday, staying comfortably ahead of Oral Roberts and finishing with a decisive 94-55 victory. In only 14 minutes of play Candace Parker racked up 14 points, four rebounds and four steals, while Angie Bjorklund led UT's scoring with 16 points, reports the Tennessean...
JPMorgan in Talks to Boost Bear Stearns Bid
New York Times
|
Mar 24, 2008 4:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
JPMorgan Chase was in negotiations last night to quintuple its bid for Bear Stearns following a storm of angry protests by Bear shareholders over the initial bargain-basement deal for the investment banking giant, reports the New York Times . Under the new deal, JPMorgan Chase would pay $1 billion—$10 a share, up from the initial offer of $2...
Scholars Urge China to Meet With Dalai Lama
New York Times
|
Mar 24, 2008 3:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A group of prominent Chinese intellectuals is challenging the government over its response to protests in Tibet, accusing Beijing of inciting ethnic tensions and demanding that it begin talks with the Dalai Lama. A petition signed by 29 writers, journalists and scholars, blasts China’s “one-sided propaganda” war and charges it with...
'Little Blue Pill' is 10 Years Old
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
|
Mar 24, 2008 3:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The little blue pill that rescued the sex lives and saved marriages of couples worldwide is 10 years old this month. Viagra, which has been used by some 35 million men, moved the treatment of impotence out of the shadows to lead a multi-billion-dollar industry. The drug has also triggered other, unforeseen benefits, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch...
Jamison Casts Spell Over Pistons
Detroit Free Press
|
Mar 24, 2008 12:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Wizards aren’t among the best in the NBA but they sure know how to play among them. They beat the Pistons tonight, 95-83, reports the AP, adding that to the two games each they've won against Boston, Dallas, New Orleans and Cleveland this season – all top performers in the league. Antawn Jamison was the big man for the Wizards,...
