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.
Candidates Reject Fla. Delegate Compromise
Tallahassee Democrat
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Mar 20, 2008 12:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Obama and Clinton campaigns rejected a compromise plan for seating Florida’s delegates—half according to its illicit January primary and the other half based on national vote totals or delegate counts. Sunshine State lawmakers are demanding their state get some sort of say in the tight Dem race; one suggested the candidates “get...
Art Funds Looking Far East
Bloomberg
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Mar 20, 2008 11:54 AM CDT
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With major economies slowing and the US dollar near historic lows, art investment funds are looking to move away from the slowing Western art market, Bloomberg reports. Funds are sinking millions into works from China, India, and the Middle East. One leading fund has met its target for contemporary Chinese art and is aiming to expand into older works.
Mideast Strife Spills Onto Facebook
Guardian (UK)
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Mar 20, 2008 11:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Facebook has now had to take on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the Guardian reports, on account of its standard IDing of members by country. Jewish settlers in the West Bank were fuming when the site told them they lived in Palestine; Palestinians in East Jerusalem in turn protested that their turf was listed as part of Israel.
Clinton Must Catch Perfect Wave, Aides Say
New York Times
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Mar 20, 2008 11:25 AM CDT
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Hillary Clinton’s aides say their candidate’s chances of winning the Democratic nomination grow ever slimmer, the New York Times reports, and she will need victories in Pennsylvania and the national popular vote—as well as a confidence-shaking event in Barack Obama's camp—to succeed. She can't likely overtake Obama without...
Cash-Strapped Borders Considering Selling Itself
Detroit Free Press
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Mar 20, 2008 11:11 AM CDT
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Bookseller Borders is considering selling itself or some of its divisions, the Detroit Free Press reports today. The company, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., is in the midst of a turnaround, but is desperately short on cash, today borrowing $42.5 million from its biggest shareholder, Perishing Square Capital Management. Perishing also offered to buy parts...
India to Help US Hunt Lost WWII Crews
Military Times
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Mar 20, 2008 11:00 AM CDT
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US bomber crews that went missing in the Himalayas during World War II may be recovered after more than six decades, reports the Military Times . While experts have long identified potential crash sites, the US military has been unable to access the dangerous border region between India, China, and Burma. Now, India is close to allowing a US-led expedition...
Verizon Opens Its Network to Outside Phones
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 20, 2008 10:51 AM CDT
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Verizon will open its cell-phone service to any phone builder willing to meet its technical specs, the Wall Street Journal reports. The provider has so far restricted access to its own retailer, but hopes to stave off pressure from regulators, consumers, and tech companies pushing for a more universal industry.
Pope Pushing for Church in Saudi Arabia
Time
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Mar 20, 2008 10:37 AM CDT
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Pope Benedict XVI is lobbying Saudi Arabia to let a Catholic church on its soil, Time reports. The Vatican confirms that it's discussing forging diplomatic relations with the Saudis, but a house of worship would be a major coup in a country where all religions besides Sunni Islam are banned.
States Hide Big High School Dropout Rates
New York Times
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Mar 20, 2008 10:18 AM CDT
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Many states report rosy high school graduation rates to Washington but publicize much lower figures at home, the New York Times reports. The higher rates often fail to account for the nation's growing legion of dropouts, but states are leery to give the feds bad numbers in part because of penalties associated with the No Child Left Behind Act. The...
McCain Cozies Up to UK's Brown
Guardian (UK)
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Mar 20, 2008 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain began his visit to Europe in London today, where he met with PM Gordon Brown and praised him as a "very strong leader," the Guardian reports. McCain and Brown discussed Iraq, the global economy, and climate change, but when asked about British plans to withdraw troops from Iraq, the presumptive GOP nominee declined to give his...
Hedge Funds Cash In on Collapse of Bear
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 20, 2008 9:25 AM CDT
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The epic collapse of Bear Stearns didn't mean bad news for everyone on Wall Street—several big hedge funds made a mint off it, the Wall Street Journal reports. The funds essentially placed bets that Bear would stumble, then raked in millions when the security firm's shares took a nosedive. The SEC is investigating to make sure profiteers did...
Car Makers Prepare for a Crash
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 20, 2008 9:06 AM CDT
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The slumping US economy is casting shadows over the New York Auto Show, as industry forecasters this week cut their projections for sales of new cars and light trucks in 2008 to less than 15 million, the lowest level in 14 years. Chrysler, GM, and Ford, who had been projecting sales of 15.5 to 15.7 million, are preparing for a fresh round of...
Taiwan Moves Toward Closer Ties With China
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 20, 2008 8:39 AM CDT
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Both candidates in Taiwan's presidential election Saturday favor mending fences with China, the Wall Street Journal reports. Beijing has recently eased its once-blustery rhetoric over the breakaway island, and both Taiwanese parties are betting that closer ties with the mainland's booming economy could help pull theirs out of a slump.
Huckabee: Lay Off Obama Pastor
ABC News
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Mar 20, 2008 8:05 AM CDT
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Barack Obama got some unexpected help yesterday from Mike Huckabee, of all people. The former candidate called Obama’s speech “historic” and said it wasn’t fair to hold candidates accountable for everything the people near them say, ABC News reports. Huckabee, once a pastor himself, said he understood how Wright could get “caught...
Rogue Traders Bag $200M in Credit Hysteria
Telegraph (UK)
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Mar 20, 2008 7:46 AM CDT
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The UK's financial regulator is probing whether malicious traders attacked the share price of the country's largest mortgage lender yesterday by spreading rumors it faced a major liquidity crisis. The Telegraph reports that HBOS saw its shares plunge 20% as an email circulated suggesting the firm was facing trouble. The hunt is on for at least one...
Actor Paul Scofield Dead at 86
Reuters
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Mar 20, 2008 7:25 AM CDT
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Paul Scofield, the British actor who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons , has died at the age of 86. His agent told Reuters that the actor, who eschewed Hollywood stardom for smaller film roles and a robust theater career, had been suffering from leukemia. "Of the 10 greatest moments in the theater, eight are...
Season Springs Forward as Climate Warms Up
Associated Press
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Mar 20, 2008 6:58 AM CDT
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Today is officially the first day of spring, but spring has been gradually shifting into winter, the AP reports. Signs of spring—trees flowering, animals coming out of hibernation—are coming earlier every year. The shifting season has biologists seriously worried. "The alarm clock that all the plants and animals are listening to is...
Bush Approval Rating Hits New Low: 31%
CNN
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Mar 20, 2008 6:41 AM CDT
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More than two-thirds of Americans now think George W. Bush is doing a poor job, according to a new poll that pegged his approval rate at 31%—a new low. The director of the CNN poll noted that the hefty 40-point drop in Bush's approval ratings since the start of the Iraq war mirrors the plunge in Lyndon Johnson's popularity as the war in Vietnam...
'Kristen' Was 17 in Wild Videos, Says Lawyer
Associated Press
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Mar 20, 2008 6:24 AM CDT
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Girls Gone Wild mogul Joe Francis thought he'd hit the jackpot when he discovered he had raunchy videos of the call girl from the Spitzer sex scandal on file. But his find may prove less of a bonanza than he'd hoped, now that Ashley Alexandre Dupre has said she was under 18 when she spent a week on the Girls Gone Wild bus, the AP reports.
Old Blood Is Bad Blood: Study
USA Today
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Mar 20, 2008 6:08 AM CDT
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Donated blood may have a much shorter shelf life than previously thought, finds a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine . Transfusions using blood at least two weeks old increased heart-surgery patients' post-operative death risk by 30%, researchers discovered, though the current expiration date for blood is 6 weeks after donation,...
Sharks Secure Postseason in Wild Shootout
San Jose Mercury News
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Mar 20, 2008 5:41 AM CDT
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San Jose had to put in a longer work night to clinch a playoff berth after Minnesota's Marion Gaborik turned a 3-2 Sharks lead into an overtime battle last night. Evgeni Nabokov came through in the shootout to put a 4-3 cap on the often fierce game, the San Jose Mercury News reports. On other major-league ice:
Suns Battle Sonics for 6th Straight Success
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
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Mar 20, 2008 5:36 AM CDT
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The Sonics tried desperately to reverse their trend of 12 losses in 13 games, and with the Suns giving up 17 turnovers in the first half alone, that feat seemed possible, the Arizona Republic reports. But Phoenix rallied past their own dreadful defense to shoot 57%, with 15 three-pointers, on the way to a 110-98 victory. In other hoops action:
Supreme Court Overturns La. Death Sentence
Washington Post
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Mar 20, 2008 5:09 AM CDT
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The Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a former Marine awaiting execution on Louisiana's death row. Allen Snyder, an African-American, was convicted of fatally stabbing his estranged wife and her boyfriend, but the court ruled 7-2 that prosecutors acted improperly by using its challenges to seat an all-white jury, reports the Washington Post...
China Clamps Down on Tibetans
Associated Press
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Mar 20, 2008 4:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Chinese government has acknowledged for the first time that rioting has spread from Tibet into neighboring provinces, as it forcefully reasserted control, setting up roadblocks with armed police in areas with large Tibetan populations. In Gansu, hundreds of Tibetans, many on horseback, stormed a government compound, burned the Chinese flag ...
Airlines Fasten Seatbelts for Bumpy Ride
Christian Science Monitor
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Mar 20, 2008 4:02 AM CDT
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America's major airlines are getting ready for tougher times ahead, slashing jobs and cutting back operations. As the Christian Science Monitor reports, soaring fuel prices will inevitably lead to higher ticket prices, which will lead to less passengers—which, in turn, will force airlines to hike fares again to cover flying costs. "The...
Zetterberg's Hat Trick Pushes Red Wings Past Blue Jackets 3-1
Associated Press
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Mar 20, 2008 12:52 AM CDT
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Henrik Zetterberg was responsible for all of the Detroit Red Wings’ scoring in their 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. All three of the Swede’s goals came in the third period; it was his third career hat-trick. Columbus’ tally came on Manny Malhotra’s second period power-play goal, his fifth in the past three games,...
Nuggets Fall in AI's Return to Philadelphia
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Mar 20, 2008 12:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The soldout Wachovia Center exploded when Allen Iverson’s name was called during pre-game introductions, as the diminutive guard who started his career in Philadelphia, and carried the franchise to an NBA finals, received a 1:05 standing ovation from the 20,674 in attendance. Unfortunately for Iverson his former team was slightly less welcoming,...
Cops Arrest 160 at Iraq Protests
Reuters
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Mar 19, 2008 11:40 PM CDT
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Police arrested more than 160 protesters today at demonstrations across the US to mark the fifth anniversary of the launch of the Iraq war, Reuters reports. More than 100 were arrested in San Francisco alone, where demonstrators staged a "die-in" and disrupted busy Market Street. About 30 were arrested in Washington, where activists...
Drury's Late Goal Sets Up Shootout Win for NYR
Associated Press
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Mar 19, 2008 11:10 PM CDT
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Former Little League World Series hero Chris Drury scored with 4:46 left in regulation to pull the New York Rangers even with the New Jersey Devils. Nigel Dawes then beat Martin Brodeur in the shootout to give New York a 2-1 victory. The Rangers are 6-0 against the Devils this year and have yielded only five goals to them, reports the Associated Press.
Vinsanity Pulls Nets Into Tie for Final Playoff Spot
Associated Press
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Mar 19, 2008 10:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Vince Carter had 39 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds in a dazzling, multi-faceted performance to lead the Nets over the Hawks, 125-117. New Jersey ended the night tied with Atlanta for the Eastern Conference's eighth playoff seed at ten games under .500. Richard Jefferson scored 33 and Devin Harris added 26.
Sabres Slash Bolts With Six in 3rd Period
Associated Press
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Mar 19, 2008 10:33 PM CDT
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The Sabres’ six-goal third period erased a 4-1 deficit to the Tampa Bay Lightning and propelled Buffalo to a 7-4 victory. Thomas Vanek and Jochen Hecht each scored two goals during the Sabres’ remarkable final period, which featured two goals within 16 seconds and a four-goal, 8-minute stretch, according to the Associated Press.
Houston Nurses Post-Streak Hangover
Houston Chronicle
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Mar 19, 2008 10:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A game after Houston's historic 22-game winning streak was broken, New Orleans added to the misery. Rockets castoff Bonzi Wells had 20 points in the fourth quarter, during which the Hornets outscored Houston 31-10 to turn a tie game into a 90-69 blowout, reports the Houston Chronicle. Wells ended with 25.
Wizards Conjure Up 87-86 Victory over Magic
Orlando Sentinel
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Mar 19, 2008 10:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hedo Turkoglu scored a career-high 39 points but it wasn’t enough as the Orlando Magic fell to the Washington Wizards 87-86. Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy was not pleased with his team’s play. “Other than [Turkoglu] and [Keith Bogans], it was a miserable, miserable miserable offensive night,” he said. Antawn Jamison led Washington...
Queen Readies First Album in 13 Years
AFP
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Mar 19, 2008 10:05 PM CDT
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Freddie Mercury may be long gone, but the rest of Queen still wants to ride their bicycles. The band today said its first album in 13 years will be released in the fall, followed by tours of Europe and Latin America, Agence-France Press reports. The album, which will feature frontman Paul Rodgers, is the band's first recording since Made in Heaven...
Silicon Valley's Prodigal Son Comes Home
BusinessWeek
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Mar 19, 2008 9:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Silicon Valley prodigal son Frank Quattrone is staging a comeback, poised to debut his new tech-centered investment bank Qatalyst—after years recovering from federal obstruction-of-justice charges. But now that he's back, the question is whether the industry will welcome home an errant child with open arms. Probably, BusinessWeek writes—if...
Bin Laden Threatens Europe
Associated Press
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Mar 19, 2008 8:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Osama bin Laden threatened Europe today with "severe" retaliation over the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, the AP reports. The audio recording of bin Laden surfaced on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war, though he made no mention of it, and a day before the Muslim world celebrates Muhammad's birthday. One expert said the...
Wright Sermons Weren't 'Black Equivalent of a Klan Rally'
Chicago Tribune
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Mar 19, 2008 8:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama’s pastor is a good man, says a fellow churchgoer, and though his “going off on white America” kept T. Shawn Taylor—a black woman—from inviting white friends to worship, it didn’t stop her from marrying a white man. Taylor writes in the Chicago Tribune that whites may be “tired of walking on eggshells”...
Warren Buffett: Soap Star
Reuters
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Mar 19, 2008 8:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Well, sure, he can make a billion at the drop of a hat. But can the man act? We'll see. Warren Buffett, he who sits atop the list of wealthiest people, with $62 billion, will make a cameo on the soap "All My Children" during May sweeps week, Reuters reports. Buffett will play himself on the episode, in which he tries to get character Erica...
CNN Anchor Cooper Has Skin Cancer
E! Online
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Mar 19, 2008 7:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
CNN's Anderson Cooper returned to the air today after a two-day absence during which he had a cancerous mole removed from his face, E! News reports. Anderson wrote on his blog that he's fine and that the surgery went well, and a spokesman said doctors don't think the cancer has spread. "Don't want you to think I got into a fistfight with Charlie...
13 Dead in Midwest Floods
Associated Press
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Mar 19, 2008 7:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Massive flooding across the central US has left 13 people dead and three missing, the AP reports. Record or near-record crests were reported across Missouri; Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio also saw flooding. Rescuers were searching for a Texas teenager washed into a drainage pipe and for two people in Arkansas whose vehicles were swept away...
US Set to Deliver $150M in Aid to Palestinians
Reuters
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Mar 19, 2008 6:47 PM CDT
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The US promised today to transfer $150 million in aid to the economically ailing Palestinian Authority, marking the first installment of $550 million the US pledged at a donors' conference in December, Reuters reports. The contribution will be the largest single donation since the Authority was launched in 1994, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said.
When to Dump Your Doc
Forbes
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Mar 19, 2008 6:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Is it time to break up with your doctor? View your next physical the same way you would a date, then decide. Forbes outlines 10 red flags that might indicate "It's over." Your personalities just plain clash. Your doctor doesn't give you enough information about your health and doesn't take the time to explain his or her decisions....
Obama Blasts Both Rivals Over Iraq Positions
Reuters
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Mar 19, 2008 6:17 PM CDT
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Barack Obama laid into both presidential rivals on the Iraq war today, chiding John McCain for misspeaking about terror groups there and criticizing Hillary Clinton for voting to authorize the conflict. "We heard Sen. McCain confuse Sunni and Shi'ite, Iran and al-Qaeda," Obama said, pouncing on McCain for errantly accusing Iran of training...
How to Get Booted From a Plane
Times (UK)
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Mar 19, 2008 6:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If you've ignored the safety briefing on a flight, consider yourself lucky: A Ryanair passenger was kicked off a plane for talking during one. The Times of London runs down 10 silly reasons why fliers have gotten booted from their flights. Group cheers: Fans of a British soccer team broke out in a salute to underwear.
SF Healthcare Tab Lands on Diners' Checks
Los Angeles Times
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Mar 19, 2008 5:45 PM CDT
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Sweeping new health care legislation requires all San Francisco businesses with more than 20 employees to contribute to their health insurance—and restaurant owners are suing over the new burden, the Los Angeles Times reports. Owners say the fees cut into already-low profit margins; diners, who are seeing some of the cost added to their tabs,...
Leonard Cohen to Tour
Independent (UK)
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Mar 19, 2008 5:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The man Lou Reed called “one of the most important songwriters of our time” will hit the road this summer. Leonard Cohen, 73, will kick off his first tour in 15 years in his native Canada and then head to Europe, the Independent reports. So far, there are no US dates for Cohen, who was enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier...
Prosecutors Probe Gossip Site
Associated Press
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Mar 19, 2008 5:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Prosecutors have hit college gossip site JuicyCampus.com with subpoenas for records, the AP reports. New Jersey’s Attorney General Anne Milgram is investigating whether the site violates the Consumer Fraud Act by stating that it doesn’t tolerate offensive material but doing nothing to enforce that claim. "There's an unbelievable amount...
Bear Stearns Hires Trauma Counselors
ABC News
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Mar 19, 2008 5:15 PM CDT
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Bear Stearns will provide grief counseling for employees facing decimated stock holdings, and the possible loss of their jobs, after the bank's sale to JP Morgan, ABC News reports. "Anything that effects human behavior or emotions at work are the areas where we focus," says one such professional. An average Bear employee who had $200,00 in...
Methane Found on Far-off Planet
BBC
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Mar 19, 2008 4:59 PM CDT
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Methane, one of the simplest compounds known to play a role in the chemical genesis of life, was discovered for the first time to exist on a planet outside Earth’s solar system, the BBC reports. The planet, designated HD 189733b, is 63 light years away and also contains water, but is far too hot to support life as we know it.
Papers Show First Lady Away at Key Foreign Policy Moments
Guardian (UK)
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Mar 19, 2008 4:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As historians and political strategists pore over newly released documents from Hillary Clinton’s years in the White House, the Guardian jumps in with a first look at whether she was present when big foreign policy decisions were reached. Clinton has made her role in the administration a central peg of her candidacy, a claim the paper speculates...
