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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.

Lady Huskies Mess With Texas to Advance
Hartford Courant (Conn.) | Mar 26, 2008 2:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - The University of Connecticut women breezed to an easy 89-55 victory over Texas to advance to the NCAA tournament's Sweet Sixteen round, thanks largely to Maya Moore and her 24 points. Scoring 16 of those within eight minutes, Moore also shone on defense with spectacular shot blocking, reports the Hartford Courant . Elsewhere in the tournament:
Bulls Outlast Hawks 103-94, Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
Chicago Tribune | Mar 26, 2008 12:12 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Chicago Bulls overcame a listless fourth-quarter to survive the Atlanta Hawks’ comeback attempt and earn a 103-94 victory. Ben Gordon’s three-pointer with 90 seconds remaining sealed the game for Chicago, which is in 11th place in the East and trails Atlanta by two games for the eighth and final playoff spot, according to the Associated...
ODU Knocks Off Virginia in OT
Associated Press | Mar 26, 2008 12:09 AM CDT
(Newser) - Virginia's erasure of an 11-point second half deficit was too little too late, the AP reports.  Even after pulling ahead in OT, 85-81, the fourth-seeded Cavaliers couldn't stop a 7-0 run by fifth-seed Old Dominion, capped off by the Lady Monarchs' Jazzmin Walters sinking a decisive three-pointer with little more than four seconds to play to win...
Five-Goal 3rd Pushes Sens Past Sabres
Associated Press | Mar 26, 2008 12:06 AM CDT
(Newser) - Anton Volchenkov’s first goal of the season came with less than two minutes remaining in regulation and propelled the Senators to a 6-3 win over the Sabres. Seven goals were scored in a wild third period, five of them by Ottawa. Daniel Alfredsson had two of the Senators’ five in the final period; he also added an assist, reports the Associated...
Summitt Gets 100th NCAA Tourney Victory
Associated Press | Mar 25, 2008 11:59 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Tennessee Lady Vols beat Purdue 78-52 to move onto the regional semifinals and give coach Pat Summitt her 100th career win in the NCAA tournament. She's the first coach, men’s or women’s, to reach that milestone. Top-seeded Tennessee will face either Oklahoma or Notre Dame in the Sweet Sixteen in Oklahoma City, reports to the Associated...
West, Paul Fend Off Frisky Pacers
Sports Network | Mar 25, 2008 11:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - David West led all scorers with 35 points as New Orleans began a six-game Eastern road trip by defeating Indiana, 114-106. The Pacers kept it close, cutting the lead to two points with 4:30 to play; they then scored just two baskets for the rest of the game. Chris Paul added 31 points and 14 assists for New Orleans.
Ovechkin, Capitals Win Pyrrhic Victory
Washington Post | Mar 25, 2008 11:43 PM CDT
(Newser) - Despite Alex Ovechkin's record breaking 61st goal of the season, and a 3-2 besting of Carolina, the Caps needed more, the Washington Post reports—like a win in regulation. Thanks to Viktor Kozlov's effort in the shootout, Washington earned two points, but a net gain of only one on the 'Canes, leaving Carolina still four points ahead in the...
Another Painful Game, Another Spurs Win
Orlando Sentinel | Mar 25, 2008 11:32 PM CDT
(Newser) - Magic starters Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson both sustained first-half injuries that sent them to the bench, and they did not return against the Spurs, who surged in the fourth quarter to win 107-97, reports the Orlando Sentinel . Dwight Howard statistically outperformed the veteran Tim Duncan in an enthralling battle, but Orlando had no answer...
Pens Skate Past Devils, Clinch Playoff Berth
Associated Press | Mar 25, 2008 11:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - Pittsburgh got a shutout from Marc-Andre Fleury and clinched a playoff berth with a 2-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils. The Penguins now have a four-point lead over the Devils for the Atlantic Division title with five and six games left to play, respectively. Pittsburgh is also one point behind Montreal for first place in the conference, reports...
DB Cooper's Parachute?
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | Mar 25, 2008 10:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - A parachute possibly used by legendary hijacker DB Cooper has been found by children playing in a field in Washington state, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. The FBI is analyzing the chute to determine whether Cooper used it to jump out of a plane with $200,000 in 1971—the nation's only unsolved hijacking.
Jamie Lynn May Be Hearing Wedding Bells
People | Mar 25, 2008 9:59 PM CDT
(Newser) - With a bun in the oven, teen star Jamie Lynn Spears now appears to have gotten an engagement ring from boyfriend Casey Aldridge, People reports. "She's been showing it off, talking about it," says a source close to the 16-year-old Spears, who's been hiding out in the Louisiana town where she and sis Britney were raised. No word on a wedding...
Ford to Sell Jaguar, Land Rover to India's Tata
Wall Street Journal | Mar 25, 2008 9:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - Ford will sell marquee brands Jaguar and Land Rover to India's Tata Motors, the Wall Street Journal reports. Under the deal, expected to be announced tomorrow, Ford will get $2 billion, less than it paid for either company in separate deals years ago. Ford has lost $15 billion the past two years and is in the midst of a major restructuring.
Obama Posts Tax Records Online
Chicago Tribune | Mar 25, 2008 7:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama's campaign posted his tax returns from 2000-06 online today in another attempt to portray the Clinton campaign as secretive, the Chicago Tribune reports. Obama has hounded Clinton to make her post-White House tax records public; she has said she will do so soon. The Obamas' income ranged from $240,000 in 2000 to $1.6 million in 2005,...
$19B Buyout of Clear Channel Nearly Dead
Wall Street Journal | Mar 25, 2008 7:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - A $19 billion bid to privatize Clear Channel appears likely to fall through as buyers and financiers bicker—with credit-crunch-induced liquidity woes a major stumbling block, the Wall Street Journal reports. A credit agreement between private equity firms and the banks funding the move has become shaky. “No one wants to do this deal except...
Why Buy a Bag You Can Rent?
Portfolio | Mar 25, 2008 7:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - The economic downturn has fueled a surge in leased luxury goods, Portfolio reports. A small membership fee or monthly payment enables designer addicts to rent It-bags and other high-end accessories at businesses like From Bags to Riches. "Instead of owning an asset you can just buy the experience," explains a CEO who thinks luxury-goods...
Knut 'Doesn't Know He's a Polar Bear'
Der Spiegel | Mar 25, 2008 6:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - Poor Knut: The celebrity polar bear, no longer the ball of fluff who captivated animal lovers around the world, is miserable without human contact and doesn't realize he isn't a person. "Knut must go. As soon as possible," a keeper at the Berlin Zoo said of the 300-pound 15-month-old , Der Spiegel reports.
Wright 'Would Not Have Been My Pastor': Clinton
Washington Post | Mar 25, 2008 6:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - After a week’s silence, Hillary Clinton spoke today on the Jeremiah Wright flap, saying the ex-minister at Barack Obama's church “would not have been my pastor,” the Washington Post reports. She said “getting up and moving” would have been the right choice for Obama. “You don't choose your family, but you choose...
Girl Scouts Look to Rebrand
Wall Street Journal | Mar 25, 2008 6:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Girl Scouts of America have hired a chief marketing officer to shake up their image and bolster dwindling membership, Brandweek reports. Laurel Richie helped make Huggies and Kotex into major brands; despite the famous cookies, Scouts number less than 3 million. "How we communicate the brand and how it manifests itself to girls, moms and...
Candidates' Family Trees Have Far-Flung Limbs
Boston Globe | Mar 25, 2008 5:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt household might have trouble choosing a Democratic candidate: It turns out Barack Obama is a distant cousin of Pitt’s and Hillary Clinton is a relative of Jolie’s. The author of a new genealogical survey cautions voters not to be too swayed—but it seems fitting that John McCain’s sixth cousin is...
Antarctic Ice Chunk Collapses
Associated Press | Mar 25, 2008 5:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - A mammoth chunk of ice has collapsed in Antarctica, leaving an ice shelf the size of Connecticut "hanging by a thread" and providing more evidence of global warming, scientists say. The sudden collapse of the 160-square-mile piece of ice threatens the Wilkins ice shelf, which has been in place for up to 1,500 years, the AP reports.
Appeals Court Strikes Down NY's Passenger 'Bill of Rights'
Bloomberg | Mar 25, 2008 5:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - A New York law, known as the airline “passenger bill of rights,” was rejected today by a US appeals court, Bloomberg reports. The measure required airlines to provide food and water when their delayed plane has sat on the tarmac for more than three hours. The court said it was pre-empted by a 1978 statute to decrease federal regulation...
Social Security, Medicare Woes Unchanged
CQPolitics | Mar 25, 2008 5:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - Social Security and Medicare still face financial problems down the road, but the situation became no worse last year, trustees for the programs said today. The trustees predict that Social Security will become insolvent in 2041, Medicare in 2019. True to form, Republicans sounded alarms about the issue while Democrats pointed to bigger near-term problems,...
10 Most-Wanted Luxury Brands
Forbes | Mar 25, 2008 5:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates may actually buy the most designer goods, but when money is no object, we’ve all got expensive tastes. One research group asked 25,000 consumers to forget about price tags and name the luxury brand they covet most. Forbes runs down the top 10: Gucci Chanel (tied)
Bush Can't Force US Courts to Obey World Body: Justices
Washington Post | Mar 25, 2008 4:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Supreme Court ruled today for states, and against President Bush in a quarrel over international law, finding that a foreign death-row inmate did not have a right to further review—though the world's top court said he did. Ernesto Medellin was not provided counsel from his native Mexico, violating the Vienna Convention; Texas balked at Bush’s...
Fla. Crane Crash Kills 2, Injures 4
Miami Herald | Mar 25, 2008 4:32 PM CDT
(Newser) - Part of a construction crane crashed into a building next to a Miami construction site this afternoon, killing two and injuring at least four, the Miami Herald reports. Workers on an unfinished 46-story luxury condo were raising an extension to connect it with the crane when the extension came loose and fell into a nearby house being used as a construction...
No 'Reward' For Borrowers, Lenders: McCain
New York Times | Mar 25, 2008 4:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain said today he opposes government action to bail out homeowners having trouble with their mortgages, the New York Times reports. McCain—who will receive Nancy Reagan's endorsement today—differentiated himself from both Democratic candidates, who have called for federal intervention, saying: “It is not the duty of government...
GOP Operative Involved in Spitzer Sting
Talking Points Memo | Mar 25, 2008 4:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - A GOP operative who was a teenage participant in the Watergate affair played a role in uncovering Eliot Spitzer’s prostitution habit, Talking Points Memo reports. But Roger Stone was likely too late to the scene to deserve credit for breaking the story. Stone, who was recently involved in leaving threatening messages on Spitzer’s father’s...
Patients' Info Swiped Along With Laptop
CNN | Mar 25, 2008 3:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - A government laptop loaded with personal medical info on thousands of patients just “fell through the cracks,” a top exec with an NIH subsidiary says. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute machine was stolen Feb. 23, apparently at random, from an employee’s car trunk. None of the 2,500 records on the machine was encrypted,...
Stocks Settle Down, End Mixed
Bloomberg | Mar 25, 2008 3:42 PM CDT
(Newser) - Markets took a breather today after several wild sessions and ended in mixed territory. Lousy news on consumer confidence and a big drop in home prices were balanced by surging commodity prices and Monsanto's stellar earnings report. The Dow ended down 16.04 at 12,532.60, the Nasdaq up 14.30 at 2,341.05, and the S&P 500 up 3.09 at 1,352.97.
Nude Photo of Sarkozy's Wife Up for Auction
Reuters | Mar 25, 2008 3:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - A black-and-white photograph of Carla Bruni will go up for sale at an auction next month, Reuters reports. Christie’s expects the portrait of Nicolas Sarkozy's bride to attract a final bid of $3,000 to $4,000, and the auction house's announcement of the sale on the eve of a state visit to the UK isn't sitting well with the subject, the Daily...
Talk-Show Format Gets a Bath
Newsweek | Mar 25, 2008 3:16 PM CDT
(Newser) - Actor Craig Bierko, in an interview with Newsweek , says his strange, and strangely riveting, web video—in which he gives John Malkovich a sponge bath while engaging in "silly chatter"—is about exposing the weird artificiality of the talk-show format. "It sort of turns up the fake intimacy to a ridiculous degree," says...
Obama's Foreign Policy Would Be Radical Overhaul
American Prospect | Mar 25, 2008 3:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama provides “the most sweeping liberal foreign-policy critique” from a presidential contender in decades, writes Spencer Ackerman in the American Prospect —focusing not on fear, but rather on what advisers call “dignity promotion.” Ackerman credits the candidate's brain trust with cutting through “Democratic...
Top 10 Musical Movie Moments
CNN | Mar 25, 2008 2:51 PM CDT
(Newser) - Forget soundtracks. CNN zeros in on fleeting scenes that use image and sound to send a shiver down your spine. The top 10 marriages of audio and video: “Born to Be Wild” blasting while Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper ride down the highway in Easy Rider (1969) Mr. Blonde tapping his toes to “Stuck in the Middle...
Microsoft Likely to Raise Yahoo Bid: Analyst
MarketWatch | Mar 25, 2008 2:39 PM CDT
(Newser) - A Citigroup analyst upgraded Yahoo stock to a buy today, predicting that Microsoft will raise its buyout bid from $31 per share to $34, MarketWatch reports. Acquiring Yahoo is the only way for Microsoft to successfully compete with Google for online advertising, said analyst Mark Mahaney, and so “the likelihood of Microsoft walking away from...
Who Profited Most From Sex ?
Portfolio | Mar 25, 2008 2:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - Manolos, cupcakes, cosmos: As a trendsetter, Sex and the City had the golden touch. But did all that glimmers rub off on its stars? Portfolio lists their recent gigs and market value. Sarah Jessica Parker: With an estimated value of $25 million, the show’s star has posed for Garnier and Gap. Kim Cattrall: Sexy Samantha's promotion...
Nuke Fluke: US Sent Missile Parts to Taiwan
CNN | Mar 25, 2008 2:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - The US accidentally shipped components used in nuclear missiles to Taiwan in 2006, CNN reports. Instead of helicopter batteries, the Defense Department sent fuses designed to allow 1960s ballistic missiles to detonate; no actual nuclear material was involved. Taiwan quickly alerted the US to the error, but it wasn’t until this week that the US...
Hawaiian Volcano Acting Feisty
Honolulu Star-Bulletin | Mar 25, 2008 2:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - Halemaumau Crater on Hawaii's Big Island is acting up—venting gas and the occasional gobbet of lava. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is classifying the activity as the crater's first eruption since 1982, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports; scientists are unsure whether the trickle could turn into a larger, more dangerous convulsion. "It...
But Mom, It's a Really Great Football School
LiveScience | Mar 25, 2008 1:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - The admissions office at Davidson may be a bit busier in the coming year if a new study to be published in Southern Economic Journal holds true. Researchers found that the biggest champs in football and basketball were also the biggest winners in terms of student applications the next year, writes LiveScience .
Foreclosure Victims Also Furry
USA Today | Mar 25, 2008 1:36 PM CDT
(Newser) - As foreclosure rates skyrocket around the country, animal shelters are feeling a heartbreaking byproduct: an influx of pets being surrendered, USA Today reports. Across the country, areas with high foreclosures are seeing increased rates of pet abandonment, and shelters worry that even more could be coming as unemployment rates rise and affects renters.
Pilot's Gun Accidentally Fires in Cockpit
Associated Press | Mar 25, 2008 1:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - A pilot’s gun went off in the cockpit of a US Airways plane just as it was landing in North Carolina this weekend, the AP reports. It was the first time a gun was discharged inside a plane since pilots were armed in the wake of 9/11. Though no one was hurt in the incident, the plane has been taken out of service.
South Koreans Turn to Cambodia to Buy Wives
Associated Press | Mar 25, 2008 1:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - A clampdown on marriage brokers in Vietnam has made neighboring Cambodia the new destination for South Korean men seeking to buy wives, the AP reports. About 2,500 Cambodian women have married Koreans this way in the past four years in a process in which men choose from as many as 100 mainly poor women—and which is denounced as "human trafficking"...
Big-Time Writers Lured to... Comic Books?
NPR | Mar 25, 2008 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Comic books have officially arrived as a literary medium, NPR reports, and big names are coming out of the woodwork to write them. “In all the years I've been writing, there's only one genre that's really debuted in the New York Times Book Review , and that's the graphic novel,” says novelist Jodi Picoult, who recently tried her hand at...
Sarkozy Dangles Olympic Boycott
BBC | Mar 25, 2008 12:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - Nicolas Sarkozy says "all options are open" in terms of a possible boycott of the opening ceremonies of Beijing's Olympics. While his aides say that France would oppose a full boycott of the games, the French prez is signaling his discontent with China's recent crackdown in Tibet. "I want a dialogue to start and I will step up my response...
South Park Online? Sweet!
CNET | Mar 25, 2008 12:14 PM CDT
(Newser) - Every episode of South Park is now available online on one (legal) website. The South Park Studios production company site features every full episode of the show and about 3,000 embeddable clips. CNET blogger Harrison Hoffman wonders why the full shows aren't also embeddable. "Their reach may suffer as a result," he writes.
Tech Darling VMware Falls on Microsoft Posturing
MarketWatch | Mar 25, 2008 12:04 PM CDT
(Newser) - Tech player VMware has experienced its own private Silicon Valley bubble in a single seven-month stretch: The virtualization software pioneer skyrocketed in value after its August IPO, and has since fallen apart on mere intimations of competition from Microsoft. The company, which allows computers to run multiple operating systems, has lost $30 billion...
Will the Losers Rebound, Try Again, or Retire?
Reuters | Mar 25, 2008 11:58 AM CDT
(Newser) - Very different futures await the two candidates who don't reach the White House, watchers say, with Barack Obama viewed as a future White House candidate, Hillary Clinton seen as a likely party leader in the Senate, and John McCain expected to retire in 2010. If Hillary doesn’t win, and campaigns hard for Obama, she’ll likely maintain her...
Essentials for Your Survival Kit
Wired | Mar 25, 2008 11:43 AM CDT
(Newser) - A GPS unit and satellite phone may be handy if you're lost in the wild, but Wired offers a simpler list of cheap essentials for any survival kit: Knife, vital for shelter, food prep, campfires, and countless other tasks. Lighter and tinder, like waxed cotton, to start fires in wet weather. Metal container, to boil water to kill...
Iraqi Forces Battle Mahdi Army in Basra
Reuters | Mar 25, 2008 11:32 AM CDT
(Newser) - Iraqi security forces fought pitched gun battles through the streets of Basra today, trying to wrest control of the oil-rich city from Mahdi Army militants. An enraged Muqtada al Sadr promised a “civil revolt” if the attacks on his faction didn’t stop and ordered police cleared from the streets of his Sadr City slum stronghold in...
The Great Depression It's Not
Reuters | Mar 25, 2008 11:21 AM CDT
(Newser) - Certainly, the 8-month-old credit crisis is serious, but the market turmoil is unlikely to kick off the next Great Depression, financial markets editor Mike Dolan writes for Reuters. "You could be forgiven for thinking we will all soon be hoarding food and reverting to a barter economy," he snipes, but the real issue is psychological: "The...
Fox Thumbs Nose at $91K FCC Fine
Bloomberg | Mar 25, 2008 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Think strippers and whipped cream is indecent? Pshaw, says Fox, which wants the FCC to drop a $91,000 indecency fine for a 2003 episode of “Married by America” in which contestants at rowdy parties licked whipped cream off topless strippers. The network originally was fined $1.2 million, reports Bloomberg, but the FCC decided to impose...
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