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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.

Celtics Defense Stops Rockets' Streak at 22
Houston Chronicle | Mar 19, 2008 5:34 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Rockets had followed 22 straight games with victorious press conferences, and nothing short of the NBA's best team could change that tune. With a decisive 94-74 win, the Boston Celtics ended Houston's win streak and held them to their lowest score this season. "I've never seen defense like that," Tracy McGrady told the Houston Chronicle...
Dextre Moves Into Place, Awaits First Call
Houston Chronicle | Mar 19, 2008 5:10 AM CDT
(Newser) - The giant space robot Dextre moved into his new digs last night, and now resides outside the International Space Station's Destiny lab awaiting his first marching orders. Back at Mission Control the mood is buoyant, reports the Houston Chronicle. "That really was the kind of spacewalk that when it's done, you just want to throw your hands up...
Abu Ghraib Torturerer: 'Rumsfeld Knew'
Stern (Germany) | Mar 19, 2008 4:37 AM CDT
(Newser) - Lynndie England spent nearly a year and a half in jail for her role in the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison. In her first interview since her release, she tells the German news magazine Stern that she was sorry about the pictures of Iraqi detainees but insisted that "what we did happens in war." England also insists that "the...
Asian Markets Surge As Dollar Comes Back
Bloomberg | Mar 19, 2008 3:53 AM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks in Asia had their best day in a month as investors reacted to the Fed's 75-point rate cut and a top Chinese company announced higher-than-expected earnings. The Nikkei climbed 2.5%, with financial stocks leading gains, reports Bloomberg. Companies with substantial business in America also did well—Canon jumped 6.3%, Nintendo 5%—as...
John Murtha, War Critic, Backs Clinton
CQPolitics | Mar 19, 2008 3:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - John Murtha, the Pennsylvania congressman who has become a leading critic of the Iraq war, is endorsing Hillary Clinton for president, CQ Politics reports. “I know that Senator Clinton has a similar position that I have in regards to the war in Iraq,” Murtha said. While both he and Clinton voted to authorize the use of military force, Murtha...
Kobe, Lakers Hang On to Top Mavs 102-100
Associated Press | Mar 18, 2008 11:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Los Angeles Lakers nearly blew a 25-point third quarter lead against the Dallas Mavericks but escaped with a 102-100 win after Dirk Nowitzki’s 3-point miss at the buzzer. Despite the miss the German scored 35 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked a season-high five shots. Kobe Bryant had 29 points to lead the Lakers, according to the Associated...
Detroit Can Play Uptempo, Too
Associated Press | Mar 18, 2008 11:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - This time, Denver found itself on the wrong side of an eye-popping score. Two nights after dropping 168 points on Seattle, the Nuggets tumbled to the Pistons, who had their highest regulation score since a win against Denver eight years ago. Richard Hamilton led seven Pistons in double figures with 24 points in the 136-120 win.
Backup Goalie, Blue Jackets Put Out Flames 3-0
Associated Press | Mar 18, 2008 11:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Columbus Blue Jackets’ backup net minder Fredrik Norrena stopped 18 shots en route to his first shutout of the season in a 3-0 win over the Calgary Flames. Manny Malhotra led Columbus with two goals, his second such effort in as many games. Rick Nash added a goal and two assist, according to the Associated Press. Elsewhere in the NHL:
Mount St. Mary's Wins NCAA Play-In Game
Associated Press | Mar 18, 2008 10:12 PM CDT
(Newser) - Mount St. Mary's won its first NCAA tournament game in school history, topping Coppin State 69-60 in the play-in game. Diminutive sophomore Jeremy Goode led the scrappy Mountaineers with 21 points, including four critical free throws in the final minute. Coppin State led the entire first half, then began misfiring late, including a five-minute scoreless...
Avery, Rangers Top Crosby-less Penguins 5-2
Associated Press | Mar 18, 2008 10:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Sean Avery scored twice for the New York Rangers in their 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The win puts New York back on track after a two-game skid broke their 13-game point streak. Sidney Crosby missed his third straight game with teh Pens to nurse his high ankle sprain, and the reigning MVP is expected to miss at least one more, reports...
Man Admits to Selling Stolen Body Parts
Star-Ledger | Mar 18, 2008 9:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - A New Jersey dentist who ran a business plundering body parts from corpses in funeral homes pleaded guilty in Brooklyn today, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. Michael Mastromarino, 44, admitted to removing bones and tissue from two dozen corpses, which were sold to tissue processors for use in transplants and other surgery. He now owes $4.68 million...
Divorce Judge Blasts Mills as 'Inaccurate'
Telegraph (UK) | Mar 18, 2008 9:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - Heather Mills was an “inconsistent and inaccurate” witness in her divorce hearings with Paul McCartney, the case judge said today. He described the ex-Beatle’s ex as “less than candid” and “less than impressive,” but tempered his critique by noting that Mills is a “kindly individual” who showed...
Arthur C. Clarke Is Dead at 90
New York Times | Mar 18, 2008 8:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - Arthur C. Clarke, the sci-fi author who helped shape 20th-century scientific imagination, is dead at 90, the New York Times reports. The co-creator of 2001: A Space Odyssey faced post-polio syndrome in recent decades and died at his home in Sri Lanka due to breathing trouble. “No one can predict the future,” Clarke maintained, but he...
Michael Jackson Comeback in the Works
Guardian (UK) | Mar 18, 2008 8:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - The King of Pop is cooking up what one TV pundit calls "the biggest comeback since Lazarus," the Observer reports. After years of legal and financial woes and self-imposed exile, the Gloved One is forging new material and planning a possible concert tour, reportedly collaborating with pop culture icons like Will.i.am and American Idol creator...
Mills' Haul Only No. 7 of Top Celeb Splits
Daily Mirror (UK) | Mar 18, 2008 8:26 PM CDT
(Newser) - The $46.8 million settlement Paul McCartney has to shell out to divorce Heather Mills only ranks seventh on the Mirror's list of celebrity divorces: Michael and Juanita Jordan, 2007, $168 million: She filed for divorce once before, in 2002. Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey, 1994, $150 million: He amicably said she was "worth every...
Queen, Duke Won't Testify at Lady Di Inquest
BBC | Mar 18, 2008 7:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip will not testify at an inquiry into Princess Diana's death, the BBC reports. Mohamed al Fayed, who accuses the royals of killing his son, Dodi, and Diana, failed today in a bid to make them testify. Fayed himself was a witness, turning heated over earlier testimony. "I would like an apology," he said....
Old Arctic Ice Melting Away
Reuters | Mar 18, 2008 7:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Arctic's oldest, thickest ice is melting and may undermine the entire Arctic ice cap, NASA satellite photos show. Some 965,300 square miles of perennial ice, more than a year old, has melted over the past year—a 50% decrease. Losses of older, hardier frost are even greater: Three quarters of ice more than 6 years old has melted in the past...
Pentagon Delayed Brain Scans for Returning Troops
USA Today | Mar 18, 2008 6:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - Seeking to duck controversy, the Pentagon did not screen returning US troops for brain injuries for more than 2 years. Top brass feared that soldiers would blame minor health woes on brain trauma—which could spark another Gulf War Syndrome, Air Force Col. Kenneth Cox told USA Today . But one lawmaker blasted the move as "baloney. There...
How Yahoo Would Improve Microsoft
MarketWatch | Mar 18, 2008 6:24 PM CDT
(Newser) - Yahoo today restated its opinion that Microsoft’s $44.6 billion buyout bid underestimates the online giant’s “combination of unique assets,” but for the first time stated publicly the strengths it would bring to the Microsoft merger, MarketWatch reports. In an investor presentation for the SEC, the company argued it would take...
Thank You, Sex Scandal!
Der Spiegel | Mar 18, 2008 5:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - Here's to the US sex scandal! Eliot Spitzer and Larry Craig make American politicians seem almost human, Gabor Steingart writes in Der Spiegel . He claims that prudish Americans are fueled by secret lust—"and, in the case of some politicians, naked lunacy." Which makes public shame "an invaluable benefit" to the body politic....
McCain Mixes Up Militants on Mideast Tour
Washington Post | Mar 18, 2008 5:25 PM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain mixed up his militants today during a stop on his Mideast tour. He told reporters in Jordan that Tehran is “taking al Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back.” A whisper from Sen. Joseph Lieberman prompted him to add, "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda"—a group that is...
Bear Stearns Jumps on Hope for Higher JPMorgan Bid
Bloomberg | Mar 18, 2008 5:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - Bear Stearns shares jumped 23% today on hopes that stockholders will reject JPMorgan's bailout offer in favor of a higher offer, Bloomberg reports. The surge moved the price to nearly three times the current value of the fire-sale bid, which one major stockholder termed "derisory." "There's every incentive for shareholders to vote 'no'...
Detroit Mayor Rejects Call for Resignation
Detroit Free Press | Mar 18, 2008 4:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - Detroit's beleaguered mayor says he'll stick around, even though the City Council voted today to to call for his resignation. A nonbinding resolution asking Kwame Kilpatrick to step down passed 7-1, the Detroit Free Press reports. "My reaction is, OK, now since it's over, it has no effect, it's not binding, let's get back to work," Kilpatrick...
Merkel Addresses Knesset
Reuters | Mar 18, 2008 4:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - Angela Merkel addressed the Knesset today, speaking to Israel's parliament about Germany's shame over the Holocaust. "I bow to the victims. I bow to all those who helped the survivors," said the chancellor. Five MPs boycotted to protest the speaking of German in the legislative chamber, but Merkel began and ended her address by speaking Hebrew,...
Free Harvard Law for Grads Who Go Public-Sector
New York Times | Mar 18, 2008 4:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - Third-year Harvard Law students can study for free if they vow to take public sector work for 5 years, the New York Times reports. Harvard announced the plan today to steer more students toward non-profit and government work; many graduates grab corporate jobs to pay off 6-figure debt. “We know that debt is a big issue,” law school Dean...
New Wi-Fi Will Make Web Service Rural
MIT Technology Review | Mar 18, 2008 4:14 PM CDT
(Newser) - A new device will link rural areas to the Internet at low cost and without cables, Technology Review reports. Intel has tested the Wi-Fi platform in Africa, Asia and South America, and will sell it this year for less than $500. What makes it work? The router and antenna are old-style, but radios beam signals back and forth to make sure data was received.
Stocks Blast Off; Dow Rises 420
Bloomberg | Mar 18, 2008 3:47 PM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks blasted off today, with the Dow up more than 400 points after the Fed rate cut and a rally by investment bank stocks. "The run on the investment banks would appear to be over,'' a strategist told Bloomberg. The Dow ended up 420.41 at 12,392.66, the Nasdaq up 91.25 at 2,268.26, and the S&P 500 up 54.14 at 1,330.71.
Star Chicago Chef's Mouth Cancer in Remission
Chicago Tribune | Mar 18, 2008 3:29 PM CDT
(Newser) - Chicago chef Grant Achatz’s oral cancer is in remission, the Chicago Tribune reports. The culinary star endured nearly 6 months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments and says he is “happy to say I've had a clean biopsy.” Foodies can now find Achatz back at Alinea, his award-winning restaurant in downtown Chicago.
New Airbus Lands in London
BBC | Mar 18, 2008 3:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - An Airbus A380 super-jumbo jet landed at London's Heathrow Airport today, completing the huge plane's first commercial European flight. The double-decker arrived from Singapore 15 minutes ahead of schedule, and each of the 470 passengers received a certificate commemorating the event. Singapore Airlines is currently using three of the planes and has...
Broken-Hearted Brit Posts His Life on eBay
ABC News (Australia) | Mar 18, 2008 2:58 PM CDT
(Newser) - Good news for anyone who's ever wanted to be someone else: You can be Ian Usher of Perth, Australia. The native Brit went through a nasty divorce and has decided to put his whole life on the eBay auction block: house, friends, motorcycle, car, even his job. The total cost? Upwards of $390,000, roughly the value of the house, ABC News reports.
Fly the Tech-Friendly Skies
PC World | Mar 18, 2008 2:42 PM CDT
(Newser) - Travelers who want to stay connected while they're on the move get an assist from PC World , which finds that some airlines and airports are soaring ahead in the technology stakes while others are stuck on the runway. Virgin America leads the way, with a power port in every seat, in-flight WiFi rolling out this year, high-tech entertainment, and an...
Supremes Appear Set to KO DC's Handgun Ban
Los Angeles Times | Mar 18, 2008 2:21 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Supreme Court looks ready to declare Washington, DC’s handgun ban unconstitutional, the LA Times report. The justices heard oral arguments in the landmark Second Amendment case today, and swing voter Anthony Kennedy said, “In my view, there is a general right to bear arms.” At issue is whether the provision applies only to state...
Delta Will Slash 2K Jobs
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Mar 18, 2008 2:02 PM CDT
(Newser) - Battered by skyrocketing fuel prices, Delta Air Lines will eliminate 2,000 jobs to cut costs, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. With oil prices driving the airline’s fuel expenditures $900 million higher than expected, the carrier will offer buyouts to some 30,000 employees, aiming to cut 1,300 flight attendant and agent positions in...
New Aspirin Spares Users Stomachaches
ANSA (Italy) | Mar 18, 2008 1:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - Aspirin is one of the world’s top painkillers, but it has a nasty way of attacking the stomach lining. That could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a team of Italian researchers who have molecularly altered the drug. The new aspirin “has no side effects,” the lead researcher told the ANSA news agency.
Fed Cuts Key Interest Rate ¾ Point
Wall Street Journal | Mar 18, 2008 1:37 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Federal Reserve today cut the federal funds rate by ¾ of a percentage point, from 3% to 2.25%, disappointing many investors who were hoping for a cut of a full point, reports the Wall Street Journal . The Fed voted 8-2 for the rate cut. "Recent information indicates that the outlook for economic activity has weakened further,"...
Clinton, McCain Tax Returns Remain a Mystery
McClatchy Newspapers | Mar 18, 2008 1:29 PM CDT
(Newser) - As Hillary Clinton and John McCain continue to sit on their tax returns—both candidates have promised to make them public next month—watchers wonder what’s hiding in their file cabinets. Clinton draws particular interest because she and Bill Clinton have seen their wealth balloon from $1.2 million to $50 million since he left office,...
Heal Me, Amadeus!
Independent (UK) | Mar 18, 2008 1:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - A British patient's epilepsy showed remarkable improvement after he started listening to 45 minutes of Mozart daily, the Independent reports. And while research is still sparse on the music's effect on epilepsy, some doctors speculate that his complex melodies stimulate the brain in a way other composers' works don't. "The organization of the...
Mental Decline Strikes 1/3 of Seniors
Washington Post | Mar 18, 2008 12:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cognitive problems ranging from forgetting what day it is to full-blown dementia are affecting one-third of the nation's seniors, reports a new study by the National Institute on Aging. The report says 22% of those over 71 have mild impairment, added to 16% suffering dementia, the Washington Post reports. An Alzheimer's Association report out today...
Mugabe Packs Voter Rolls With Zombies
Times (UK) | Mar 18, 2008 12:39 PM CDT
(Newser) - Opposition leaders in Zimbabwe are liable to have a tough time taking votes away from Robert Mugabe's party in next week's elections, the Times of London reports. They say voting lists have been packed with the names of dead and nonexistent people to allow Mugabe supporters to vote repeatedly and give him a huge majority.
Obama Speech Doesn't Sway Pundits
Talking Points Memo | Mar 18, 2008 12:36 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama’s milestone speech on race today covered a lot of ground, and first reactions vary from laudatory on the left to unsatisfied on the right: Greg Sargent of Talking Points Memo says the candidate went “big big big” by making his story a “realization of American history.” His defense of the Rev. Jeremiah...
NCAA Grabs More Control of Ticket Resales
Los Angeles Times | Mar 18, 2008 11:58 AM CDT
(Newser) - The NCAA is stepping up its efforts to rake in more money from March Madness by striking deals with online sites that resell tickets and travel packages at hefty profits, the Los Angeles Times reports. By sanctioning such deals, the NCAA says it can guard against unscrupulous gouging, but critics say the nonprofit overseer of college sports is running...
How Dare You Assess Our Voting Machines
Boing Boing | Mar 18, 2008 11:56 AM CDT
(Newser) - Sequoia Voting Systems has sent a letter to a Princeton professor threatening legal action if he publishes any info from a security audit of their voting machines. "It's hard to imagine a stupider legal threat," says Cory Doctorow of Boing Boing. "Sequoia's basically saying, 'We're scared of what you'll find when you pop the hood on...
Housing Starts Down; Producer Prices Up
Bloomberg | Mar 18, 2008 11:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - Housing starts fell yet again in February, and building permits hit a 16-year low, Bloomberg reports. The annual housing start rate fell to 1.065 million homes, a 0.6% drop from January, while permits sank 7.8%, indicating still bigger declines to come. “We don’t see it bottoming out,” said one Wachovia economist. February’s...
Dykstra Takes A Hack at Publishing
New Yorker | Mar 18, 2008 11:52 AM CDT
(Newser) - Once tough-as-nails former baseball star Lenny Dykstra is still as irrepressible as ever, and soon his characteristic voice will be reaching pro athletes across the nation—if they subscribe to his magazine. The Players Club offers personal and financial guidance to its readership, and will be "the world’s best magazine," Dykstra...
Lawyers Declare Innocence of Waterboarding Victim
CNN | Mar 18, 2008 11:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - Guantanamo detainee Abu Zubaydah isn’t a member of al Qaeda or the Taliban, his lawyers contend, and he’s never tried to harm American citizens. Held in CIA secret prisons and waterboarded, Zubaydah wasn’t given anything “that would satisfy even the most basic notions of due process,” his lawyers wrote in a deposition...
Vista Update Expected Today
Associated Press | Mar 18, 2008 11:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - The long-awaited first service pack for Microsoft Vista will be available online starting today, at least according to Amazon, which is taking orders for boxed copies of the upgrade pack and says it will start shipping them tomorrow. Many of the pack's updates and security fixes have already been sent to users as part of monthly updates since Vista...
Belgium Breaks Impasse, Forms New Govt.
Bloomberg | Mar 18, 2008 11:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - It took 9 months of negotiations and threatened to break the country in two, but Belgium's fractious Dutch- and French-speaking political parties struck a deal today to form a new coalition government and work toward shared priorities. Yves Leterme, the leader of the Flemish center-right party that won the June 2007 elections, will finally become prime...
Credit Crunch Slows Spending
Washington Post | Mar 18, 2008 11:10 AM CDT
(Newser) - Fewer credit card offers, tougher mortgage requirements, and a slowdown in business expansion all are likely because of the worsening credit crisis, reports the Washington Post. Banks are looking to limit exposure to high-risk customers and restore their own bottom lines. And that’s tough medicine for an economy that’s grown on the back...
Director Minghella Dead at 54
Guardian (UK) | Mar 18, 2008 11:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - Academy Award-winning director Anthony Minghella died today at 54, the Guardian reports. Minghella won the 1997 best director Oscar for The English Patient and was nominated as a screenwriter for The Talented Mr. Ripley in 2000. "This is a shattering blow from someone who was a major figure in an important industry and had a lot to go on...
Obama Calls for Racial Unity
CNN | Mar 18, 2008 10:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama tackled the issue of race in a candid and risky speech this morning, recounting America’s racial history and acknowledging both black anger and white resentment “we’ve never really worked through.” He denounced the divisive statements of his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, saying they "denigrate the goodness...
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