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.
Fed 'Will Get on Top of This,' Says Bernanke Mentor
Bloomberg
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Mar 18, 2008 10:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Ben Bernanke has the savvy to inject enough liquidity into the US economy to push it through the current credit crisis, says a leading economist who advised the Fed chief's MIT doctoral thesis. “The Fed will get on top of this,” said Stanley Fischer, ahead of this afternoon's meeting in which the board was expected to announce a rate cut...
Vegan Diet May Help Arthritis
Guardian (UK)
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Mar 18, 2008 10:25 AM CDT
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Patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis may be able to ease their painful symptoms and cut down on their risk of heart attacks by switching to a vegan, gluten-free diet. The new findings from a Swedish study offer hope for patients of the disease, which has no cure but can be mitigated with treatment, the Guardian reports.
HGH Builds Muscles, Not Strength: Study
San Jose Mercury News
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Mar 18, 2008 10:15 AM CDT
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Human growth hormone certainly builds muscles, but it may not make athletes faster or stronger. "What we found suggested that it didn't help—and at some point, it might hurt," said the lead investigator on the Stanford research study. So why, the San Jose Mercury News wonders, do sports stars risk their careers by turning to HGH?
Pilot Impasse May Ground Northwest-Delta Merger
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Mar 18, 2008 9:55 AM CDT
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Merger talks between Delta and Northwest appear to be headed for a hard landing after pilots for the carriers called off their own negotiations over seniority issues, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The airlines boards will meet this week to decide whether the merger should go forward, but Delta's CEO is on record saying it hinges on the pilots'...
Obama Pastor Being 'Lynched,' Faithful Say
Washington Post
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Mar 18, 2008 9:35 AM CDT
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Black pastors and parishioners—including the 3,000 who packed Trinity Church in Chicago Sunday—are leaping to the defense of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who's drawn a firestorm of criticism for his incendiary rhetoric on racism, the Washington Post reports. A pamphlet circulating the pews decried Wright’s treatment in the media as a “modern-day...
Supermarket Breach Exposes 4M Credit Cards
Boston Globe
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Mar 18, 2008 9:20 AM CDT
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A data security breach at Hannaford, an East Coast supermarket chain, has exposed the credit card information of 4.2 million customers and resulted in 1,800 cases of fraud so far, the Boston Globe reports. The breach, which went undetected for three months, is one of the largest ever, the AP notes. Hannaford, which also runs Sweetbay supermarkets,...
Court Hears Gun Case Today
USA Today
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Mar 18, 2008 9:08 AM CDT
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One of the oldest and most hotly debated constitutional amendments—the right to bear arms—comes under scrutiny by the Supreme Court today. The court will hear arguments on the constitutionality of Washington DC's stringent ban on handguns. The ruling, which will arrive in June, is sure to have a major impact on the national debate over...
France Frees Rogue Trader Kerviel
Guardian (UK)
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Mar 18, 2008 8:50 AM CDT
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Jerome Kerviel, the trader accused of an $8 billion fraud that nearly brought down Societe Generale, has been freed by a Paris court after five weeks in detention, the Guardian reports. The trader, who faces charges including breach of trust and falsifying documents, will remain free while the case is investigated but won't be allowed to leave Paris.
Dextre Tooled Up, Good to Go
Space.com
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Mar 18, 2008 8:33 AM CDT
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Dextre, the colossal space robot, is ready to go and awaiting instructions after astronauts successfully fitted the 12-foot helper with a tool kit and cameras for "eyes" last night, Space.com reports. Dextre is set to take up residence outside the International Space Station's Destiny lab later today and will undergo tests before it is asked...
Lehman Bros. Q1 Profits Plunge 57%
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 18, 2008 8:18 AM CDT
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Lehman Brothers, which yesterday lost 19% of its market value, today reported a 57% drop in net income for the first quarter and a 31% drop in net revenue. But those dire figures still beat analyst forecasts, sending the stock up 12% in premarket trading, the Wall Street Journal reports. The earnings were brought low by a $1.8 billion mortgage writedown.
Goldman Drops 53%, Beats Analysts' Estimates
Bloomberg
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Mar 18, 2008 7:54 AM CDT
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Goldman Sachs today beat analysts' dire predictions even though it reported a 53% drop in first-quarter profits—the worst falloff since 1999—after a $2.1 billion writeoff, reports Bloomberg. Analysts had expected the Wall Street brokerage to see profits drop more than 60%. Goldman said net income was $1.51 billion, down from $3.2 billion...
Man Says He Had Ricin for Self-Defense
Associated Press
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Mar 18, 2008 7:35 AM CDT
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The Las Vegas man hospitalized by exposure to ricin in his hotel room told his brother he did not intend to hurt anyone with it, the AP reports. Roger Bergendoff, who regained consciousness last week after a month, admitted possessing the biological agent but said it was for self-defense. "He just confirmed that it was not intended for anybody,"...
Diddy Denies Tupac Claim
MTV
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Mar 18, 2008 7:15 AM CDT
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Sean "Diddy" Combs has vehemently denied claims that he, the Notorious BIG, and other rap figures were involved in an attack on Tupac Shakur in 1994. Shakur was shot outside a New York recording studio, triggering the East Coast-West Coast rap wars in which Shakur and others were murdered. In an interview with MTV, Combs insisted that the...
Obama Readies Major Speech on Race
Chicago Tribune
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Mar 18, 2008 6:56 AM CDT
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Barack Obama will deliver a major speech on race and politics in America in Philadelphia this morning. The candidate will address the racial issues that have dominated the campaign in recent days, fueled by the firestorm over the divisive remarks of Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor. An aide told the Chicago Tribune that the Illinois senator's...
UN Cop Killed in Kosovo Riots
AFP
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Mar 18, 2008 6:51 AM CDT
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A Ukrainian UN police officer has been killed and at least 40 UN or NATO personnel were injured as Serbs continued to exchange gunfire with NATO and UN forces, reports AFP. Some 70 Serbs were also wounded as yesterday's fighting in ethnically charged Mitrovica spilled over to today, including a man who fell into a coma after being shot in the head.
Goldman Sachs Switches Forecasters
Bloomberg
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Mar 18, 2008 6:39 AM CDT
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Goldman Sachs has replaced its famously bullish chief forecaster, Abby Joseph Cohen, with a less upbeat analyst, Bloomberg reports. Cohen will remain as senior investment strategist, handing over the daily predictions to David Kostin. Kostin sees a decline for the S&P 500 to 1160 in the short run, and a rebound to 1,380 by year's end. Cohen,...
China Cracks Down; Dalai Lama Threatens to Resign
Times (UK)
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Mar 18, 2008 6:17 AM CDT
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Chinese paramilitary police in Lhasa have arrested almost 1,000 Tibetans over the past 48 hours as the fallout continues from last week's anti-Chinese riots, reports the London Times. "Many people have been taken away, but we don’t know how many," said one eyewitness. The crackdown comes as the Dalai Lama warned he would resign as...
Audit Slams FBI Over Terror Watch List
Associated Press
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Mar 18, 2008 6:03 AM CDT
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The FBI provides inaccurate information about suspects on the nation's terror watch list, leaving innocent people on it too long and failing to provide timely updates about those who pose genuine threats, a Justice Department audit shows. The FBI says it will fix the problems within 6 months, the AP reports. Feds began compiling the list in 2003 so...
New NY Gov Admits Affair
New York Daily News
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Mar 18, 2008 5:30 AM CDT
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David Paterson, who succeeded Eliot Spitzer as governor of New York yesterday, has his own history of extramarital relations. He and his wife Michelle admitted in a joint interview with the New York Daily News that they were unfaithful during a rocky period in their 15-year marriage. But both denied the "sporadic rumor in Albany" that Paterson...
Sedins Team Up on Coyotes
Vancouver Sun
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Mar 18, 2008 5:01 AM CDT
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Vancouver avenged last week's 2-0 loss to Phoenix by scraping together a 3-1 win out of second-chance shots, the Vancouver Sun reports. Daniel Sedin twice got the puck near enough to the Coyotes net for his twin Henrik to slip it past Ilya Bryzgalov, and Taylor Pyatt scored off a Kevin Bieksa shot to secure the critical win.
Will Lehman Be the Crunch's Next Victim?
MarketWatch
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Mar 18, 2008 4:52 AM CDT
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After a collapse of confidence sank Bear Stearns last week, some traders are betting that Lehman Brothers will be the next victim of the credit crunch. Its stock went on a rollercoaster ride yesterday—plunging 40% at one point and closing down 19%, the biggest fall since the firm went public. But analysts, wary of giving vultures more reasons...
Scientists Warn Doctors of Syphilis Comeback
Reuters
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Mar 18, 2008 4:14 AM CDT
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Health researchers have warned that syphilis is making a comeback, and doctors may not be recognizing the symptoms. Developed countries came closing to wiping out the disease in the '90s, Reuters reports, but infection rates in the US went up last year for the seventh year in a row. A study published in the journal Lancet urges authorities to move...
McGreevey Threesome Stories Get Tangled
Associated Press
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Mar 18, 2008 3:44 AM CDT
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Jim McGreevey has backed up his aide's claim that the two were involved in three-way sex with his estranged wife, contradicting her earlier denial. "This happened, this happened in the past, and now we need to move on with our lives," the former New Jersey governor told the AP. The McGreeveys' bitter divorce case is before the courts, and...
Tokyo Recovers, Shanghai Falls Again
Bloomberg
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Mar 18, 2008 3:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Markets in Tokyo had an up day, recovering some of yesterday's major losses as investors speculated that Japan will stand firm in the face of an economic slowdown. Insurers led the gains on the Nikkei, which rose 1.5%. Other Asian bourses also did well Tuesday, but China was an exception, reports Bloomberg: on fears of an interest-rate cut, the Shanghai-Shenzhen...
Paul, Hornets Rally to Sting Bulls in Fourth
Associated Press
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Mar 18, 2008 2:00 AM CDT
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Chris Paul showed why he is the franchise in New Orleans last night, with 37 points and numerous big plays, as the Hornets ended the game on a 24-4 run and defeated the Bulls in comeback fashion, 108-97. It was the second straight fourth-quarter collapse for Chicago, which blew an 18-point lead Friday at home against Philly, reports the Chicago...
Williams, Jazz Top Raps 96-79
Associated Press
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Mar 18, 2008 1:58 AM CDT
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The Utah Jazz topped the visiting Toronto Raptors 96-79 and tied a franchise record with their 19th consecutive home victory. The game was tied at 65 in the fourth quarter, until backup point guard Ronnie Price led the Jazz on a 24-4 run that sealed the victory. The unlikely hero had four points and three assists during the stretch, reports the Associated...
Pierce, Celtics Top Spurs 93-91
Associated Press
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Mar 17, 2008 11:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Boston Celtics came from behind and defeated the San Antonio Spurs 93-91 in Texas, despite being without the services of all-star Ray Allen, who missed his second consecutive game with a jammed left ankle. The Celtics other two stars stepped up in his absence; Paul Pierce scored 22 points and Kevin Garnett 21, while both grabbed eight rebounds,...
Timberwolves Take Bite Out of Hapless Clippers
Associated Press
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Mar 17, 2008 11:16 PM CDT
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Minnesota got out of the basement of the NBA's Northwest Division with a 99-90 victory over Los Angeles' other team Monday, thanks to the work of Al Jefferson, who notched 22 points and 14 rebounds. The Timberwolves got their fourth win in six games and second in nine days against the Clippers, who were led by Corey Maggette's 34 points, reports AP.
Miller, Grizz Best Bobcats, Snap 4-Game Skid
Associated Press
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Mar 17, 2008 11:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The moribund Memphis Grizzlies defeated the hapless Charlotte Bobcats 98-80 to snap their four-game losing streak. Mike Miller paced Memphis with his 18 points and 13 rebounds, while rookie Juan Carlos Navarro scored 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting. The Bobcats shot 41 percent from the floor en route to their fourth consecutive defeat, reports the Associated...
Wild Top Avs 3-1, Take Division Lead
Associated Press
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Mar 17, 2008 10:48 PM CDT
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Three different Minnesota players scored as the Wild topped the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 and gained sole possession of first place in the Northwest Division. Minnesota has a two-point lead over second place Calgary and Colorado. The Wild sorely needed this victory against their division rival, after losing nine of their previous 13 contests overall,...
For Some, 'Just Win' Doesn't Cut It
New York Times
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Mar 17, 2008 10:42 PM CDT
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Never mind R.P.I. and coaches' polls. It's a team's average margin of victory by which you should be basing your NCAA tournament picks, writes one Georgia Tech professor in The New York Times . Joel Sokol says a close win and a close loss are very similar, with statistics showing that teams bounce back better from a tight defeat than a blowout.
Breakout Season Continues for Dunleavy
Associated Press
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Mar 17, 2008 10:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Mike Dunleavy tied a career high with 36 points, leading his Pacers past the Knicks, 110-98. A disappointment with Golden State, Dunleavy has now had four 36-point games with his new team; two have been against New York. It was New York's ninth loss in ten games, and Isiah Thomas's 96th loss as the Knicks' head coach.
Superman Outduels the King
Orlando Sentinel
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Mar 17, 2008 10:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Magic solidified its hold on the third playoff seed in the East, topping the fourth-seeded Cavaliers 104-90, reports the Orlando Sentinel , to stretch their margin to 6 1/2 games in the standings. LeBron James led all scorers with 30 points, but Dwight Howard had 23 and 13 rebounds—and his plucky sidekicks proved the difference in a story...
Hawks Continue Playoff Push With Solid Effort in Washington
Associated Press
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Mar 17, 2008 9:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Atlanta edged into the eighth slot in the Eastern Conference playoff race with a 105-96 road victory against Washington, reports AP. Mike Bibby scored 23 points and Joe Johnson had 18 points, 10 assists for the Hawks, who shot 55% from the field as the perennial cellar dwellars try to earn their first playoff berth in nine seasons.
UConn Leads Way in Women's NCAA Seeds
Associated Press
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Mar 17, 2008 9:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Four traditional powers in women’s college basketball, Connecticut, Tennessee, Maryland and North Carolina, are the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. The Tar Heels are the only team in that group never to have won a national championship. In order for UNC to change that, they may have to get past perennial title-hopeful LSU to reach the Final...
Madonna Blasts Rumors of Rocky Marriage
People
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Mar 17, 2008 9:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Madonna pounced on a rumor today that her marriage to Guy Ritchie is on the brink. "I am delighted to confirm that Mr. and Mrs. Guy Ritchie remain happily married," Madonna rep Liz Rosenberg told People . UK tabloid Showbiz Spy sparked the hubbub by quoting a source who said that "Madonna and Guy are over. They’ve just fallen...
Obama: Can He Make White Men Jump?
Washington Post
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Mar 17, 2008 8:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
White men have become key swing voters in the Democratic race, the Washington Post reports, and Barack Obama has failed to woo them. His success with the subset in Wisconsin and Virginia was a major breakthrough, pundits say, but he couldn't make white men jump in Texas and Ohio—turning the crucial states to Hillary Clinton and reviving her...
Coke Can Mimic Heart Attack Symptoms
Associated Press
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Mar 17, 2008 7:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Doctors should ask younger patients if their heart attack symptoms are really due to cocaine use, the American Heart Association said today. Coke can cause chest pain similar to a heart attack, it said, but heart medication can be fatal to cocaine users. "Not knowing what you are dealing with and giving the wrong therapies could mean death rather...
'Petraeus Generation' Is Making Muslim Allies
Newsweek
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Mar 17, 2008 7:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
US officers in Iraq and Afghanistan are learning to talk first and shoot later—a sea change for CO's trained to win by force, Newsweek reports. But their early gun battles only sparked insurgency and mired them in baffling street battles. Now, says David Petraeus, “You can’t kill your way out of an insurgency." A generation...
Florida Dems Nix Primary Do-Over
Miami Herald
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Mar 17, 2008 7:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Florida Democrats reacted to weeks of political wrangling today by ditching plans for a mail-in revote, the Miami Herald reports. "Thousands of people responded," Florida Democratic Party chair Karen Thurman wrote. "The consensus is clear: Florida doesn’t want to vote again. So we won’t." But she said the Sunshine...
IOC: Beijing Air Risky for Athletes
Washington Post
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Mar 17, 2008 6:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The air quality in Beijing poses a “possible risk” to athletes in endurance events, the International Olympic Committee announced today. After analyzing data collected in Beijing in August, the IOC’s medical commission concluded that most competitors won't be affected by the smog, but it will monitor air quality throughout the Games...
Feds Indict Pilot in SF Oil Spill
San Francisco Chronicle
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Mar 17, 2008 6:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The pilot of a ship that dumped 53,000 gallons of oil in San Francisco Bay last year was indicted today, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. John Cota faces two federal misdemeanor charges, for releasing a pollutant and killing migratory birds; at least 2,000 birds died in the spill. His attorney called the filing premature because the NTSB is still...
Hill Newbies Slow to Commit
Time
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Mar 17, 2008 6:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A surprising number of freshman congressmen are holdouts in the Dems' superdelegate derby, Time reports, with half of the House's 40 newbies and six of eight rookie senators still officially undecided. Impressive that they're tough enough to take the pressure, the magazine notes, but they also may be more averse to making enemies.
Web Inventor: Don't Track Me, Bro
BBC
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Mar 17, 2008 5:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
He may have created a web that's worldwide, but Internet founder Tim Berners-Lee is very proprietary when it comes to tracking programs, such as Phorm, that allow ISPs to monitor their customers. Berners-Lee says he’d drop any company caught mining his data. “It’s mine—you can’t have it,” he said. “If you want...
Spitzer: Hooked on Covert Ops
New York
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Mar 17, 2008 5:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Eliot Spitzer didn't patronize a pricey call girl ring just for the sex, Chris Smith writes in a provocative New York post-mortem. What really attracted him was the covert op. The silver-spoon-fed Ivy Leaguer was always rebelling against being squeaky clean; as a young prosecutor, he got "hooked on the clandestine" while running...
Cash Paved Way From Studio to Statehouse
Associated Press
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Mar 17, 2008 4:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Maria Shriver received hundreds of thousands of dollars from NBC after leaving her position as a "Dateline" anchor when her husband became the governor of California, the LA Times reports. Economic statements filed by Schwarzenegger reveal that NBC paid Shriver between $100,000 and $1 million annually from 2004 until she decided not to...
German Boars Run Wild
Der Spiegel
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Mar 17, 2008 4:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Wild boars wreaked havoc in a German town this weekend, attempting to shop for hardware, go to church, and do some gardening, Der Spiegel reports. One of the beasts, acting like "an elephant in a porcelain store," was eventually cornered at the checkout of the home-improvement center, police said. They shot that boar, and the others escaped...
Spitzer Flap Frees Sawyer's Hooker Special
New York Daily News
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Mar 17, 2008 4:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Diane Sawyer special about sex workers will air this week after 2 years on the shelf, Rush & Molloy report in the New York Daily News, and the ABC newshound can thank Eliot Spitzer. Previously considered too sensational for prime time, the show is now closer to "ripped from the headlines." It highlights legal brothels like Nevada's...
Stocks Bounce, End Mixed
CNN
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Mar 17, 2008 3:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks seesawed throughout the day, finally ending today's session mixed, with the Dow closing up. The markets struggled to rebound from serious losses sustained after Bear Stearns' fire sale; buyer JPMorgan Chase's stock closed up 11%. The Dow ended up 21.16 at 11,972.25, the Nasdaq down 35.48 at 2,177.01, and the S&P 500 down 11.54 at 1,276.70.
Ex-Qwest CEO's Conviction Overturned
Denver Post
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Mar 17, 2008 3:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A federal appeals court overturned Joe Nacchio’s guilty verdict today and ordered a new trial for the ex-Qwest CEO before a different judge, the Denver Post reports. The court ruled that the district judge who presided over Nacchio's trial on insider trading charges erred in excluding testimony from an expert witness who teaches law at Northwestern.
