Newser Story Index from April, 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.

Furcal's 5 Hits Help Dodgers Beat Marlins
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 11:58 PM CDT
(Newser) - Chad Billingsley pitched seven innings to win for the first time this season and Rafael Furcal had a career-high five hits for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who extended their winning streak to five games by beating the Florida Marlins, 13-1 on Wednesday night. Furcal went 5-for-6 with a double, giving him 17 extra-base hits.

Gonzalez's Homer Lifts Young, Padres Over Phillies
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 11:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run homer and Chris Young pitched six effective innings to help the San Diego Padres beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 Wednesday night. After giving up a two-run homer to Chase Utley in the first, Young (2-2) kept the Phillies off balance with a variety of pitches, allowing three hits over his last five innings.

Castillo Homer Leads Giants Past Rockies
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 11:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - Jose Castillo ended a 450 at-bat homerless drought with a tiebreaking shot to lead off the seventh inning and Fred Lewis preserved the lead with a diving catch in the eighth that sent the San Francisco Giants to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. Castillo's homer to left field off Ryan Speier (0-1) was his first since Aug. 14, 2006,...

Looper Paces Cards Past Reds
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 11:43 PM CDT
(Newser) - Braden Looper worked six solid innings and Rick Ankiel had three hits and two RBIs, helping the St. Louis Cardinals hand Aaron Harang another tough luck loss with a 5-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Aaron Miles drove in two runs with and Jason Isringhausen earned his ninth save in 11 chances for the surprising Cardinals.

Soto's 2 3-run Homers Lift Cubs Over Brewers
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 11:37 PM CDT
(Newser) - Mark Cuban picked a good night to have a front-row seat at Wrigley Field. The longtime Cubs fan and prospective owner watched Geovany Soto hit two three-run homers as Chicago pounded the Milwaukee Brewers 19-5 on Wednesday night. It was the Cubs' biggest outburst since a 20-1 whipping of the Los Angles Dodgers on May 5, 2001.

Hamilton's Grand Slam Lifts Rangers 11-9
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 11:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - Josh Hamilton capped a torrid April with his first career grand slam and the Texas Rangers hit a season-high five home runs to beat the Kansas Royals 11-9 Wednesday night. Rookie Brandon Boggs hit his first major league homer, and Milton Bradley, David Murphy and Gerald Laird also homered for the Rangers, who roughed up Brian Bannister (3-3).

Twins Best White Sox
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 11:23 PM CDT
(Newser) - Justin Morneau came through with yet another clutch hit, lifting the Minnesota Twins to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox Wednesday with a two-out RBI double in the seventh inning. Nick Blackburn (2-1) wasn't sharp, but he lasted seven innings, allowing only three runs to give the Twins consecutive victories by starting pitchers for the first...

Varitek Single Gives Boston Win Over Jays
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 11:17 PM CDT
(Newser) - Manny Ramirez slid in just ahead of the tag on Jason Varitek's single in the ninth, giving the Boston Red Sox their second straight win in their last at bat, 2-1 over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night. Ramirez barely beat the throw from center fielder Vernon Wells, who had thrown out Jed Lowrie at the plate on the previous play, a single by...

Lee Goes to 5-0 in Indians' Win
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 11:12 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cliff Lee won his fifth straight start to improve to 5-0 and lead the Cleveland Indians to an 8-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night. Lee's consecutive scoreless innings streak ended at 27 on Wladimir Balentien's three-run homer in the seventh. It raised his ERA from 0.28 to 0.96, still lowest in the majors.

Polanco Homers Twice, Tigers Top Yanks 6-2
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 11:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Detroit Tigers are well on their way to putting their terrible start behind them. Placido Polanco homered twice and Marcus Thames also went deep to help Detroit beat New York 6-2 Wednesday night in the Yankees' first game with Alex Rodriguez on the disabled list.

Briere Gives Flyers 3-1 Series Lead
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 10:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - Benching goalie Carey Price couldn't spark Montreal. Now Danny Briere and the Flyers are one win from ending the Canadiens' season. Briere scored the winner on a rebound with 3:38 left to lift Philadelphia to a 4-2 win over the Canadiens on Wednesday night and a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Pirates Chase Perez, Crush Sloppy Mets
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 10:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - Oliver Perez couldn't find the plate, Luis Castillo couldn't find the ball and Jose Reyes couldn't find second base. The Pittsburgh Pirates took advantage of a sloppy performance by the New York Mets, scoring nine unearned runs in a 13-1 victory.

Nationals Edge Braves in 12 Innings
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 10:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Atlanta Braves simply cannot win a one-run game. Felipe Lopez's bases-loaded hit to left with no outs in the 12th lifted the Washington Nationals to a 3-2 victory over the Braves on Wednesday, dropping Atlanta to 0-9 in games decided by the slimmest possible margin.

Pinch-Hitting Pitcher Keys Arizona Rally
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 10:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - Pitcher Micah Owings' pinch-hit homer tied the game in the sixth and the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied from four runs down to beat the Houston Astros 8-7 on Wednesday. Owings, 4-0 as a starter and arguably the best-hitting pitcher in the game, hit the first pitch of the game from reliever Dave Borkowski to the opposite field seats.

Mavericks Fire Avery Johnson
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 10:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - From the start, Avery Johnson was a perfect fit as coach of the Dallas Mavericks. At the end, it was pretty obvious he wasn't. Johnson lost his job Wednesday, a move the team referred to as "relieving him of his duties."

British Soccer Fans Ready to Invade Russia
Guardian (UK) | Apr 30, 08 9:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - The May 21 Champions League soccer final in Moscow will feature two English powers—but cost might be the least of the worries for British fans hoping to make the trip. An overwhelmed Russian embassy is already farming out applications for visas, and demand was crashing Web sites even before Chelsea won today's semifinal to clinch a meeting with...

Obama Still Leads in Poll, But New Troubles Take Toll
New York Times | Apr 30, 08 9:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama increased his lead over Hillary Clinton in a national poll, but the newest Rev. Wright flap and his loss in Pennsylvania appears to have raised doubts about him in voters' minds, the New York Times reports. Democrats favor him over Clinton 46% to 38% in a Times /CBS poll, up from a 3-point lead last month, but fewer people expect...

Benedict's US Trip Improved His Image
Reuters | Apr 30, 08 8:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - Both the pontiff and the Catholic Church got an image boost following the pope's recent US visit, reports Reuters. A post-trip poll found that 61% of Americans, both Catholics and non-Catholics, believe the pope's 6-day stint met or exceeded their expectations; 65% now have a more positive view of Pope Benedict.

Give Peace a Bid: Lennon Lyrics Go to Auction
Reuters | Apr 30, 08 8:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to 1960s mantra "Give Peace a Chance" are going up for auction, reports Reuters. A Canadian woman, then 16, acquired them after sneaking into the famous Montreal "Bed-In" staged by Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969—with Lennon predicting, “One day they will be worth something.”

Austrian Dad May Be Linked to Old Murder
Times (UK) | Apr 30, 08 8:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - The 73-year-old Austrian man who has confessed to fathering seven children by his imprisoned daughter is being investigated in connection with a 20-year-old murder case. Police say that a teenager assaulted and killed in 1986—near property owned by Fritzl's wife—bore an "incredible" resemblance to his daughter, reports the UK...

Clinton Gets Cold Shoulder From GOP
Politico | Apr 30, 08 7:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - Republican strategists are tuning out Hillary Clinton as they ramp up their attacks on Barack Obama, writes Jonathan Martin in Politico. The national party is increasingly focusing its ads and money on Obama, and John McCain's camp also puts a definite emphasis on him. A new daily email to reporters about McCain's schedule features an "Audacity...

Collosal Squid Has World's Biggest Eyes
Daily Telegraph (UK) | Apr 30, 08 7:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - With eyes bigger than dinner plates and orange-sized lenses, a colossal squid being dissected by New Zealand scientists boasts the biggest peepers of any animal—and larger relatives could lurk in the deep, the Telegraph reports. It's "certainly not the largest specimen out there," said one marine biologist, who believes a fully grown...

Shame On NBC's Williams in Pentagon Flap
Salon | Apr 30, 08 7:18 PM CDT
(Newser) - NBC anchor Brian Williams is digging himself an ever deeper, more shameful hole by brushing off a New York Times exposé that questioned the “core credibility” of network war reporting, Glenn Greenwald asserts in Salon. The piece revealed Pentagon propaganda efforts that indict NBC News and others, but when forced to comment yesterday,...

77% of US Moms Breast-Feed
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 7:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - About 77% of new mothers breast-feed, the highest percentage since the CDC began taking surveys 20 years ago. The agency cites public-awareness campaigns about its health benefits for the rise, noting that only 60% of mothers breast-fed in 1994, the AP reports. Changing cultural attitudes that accommodate the practice also might be responsible, a CDC...

Many Kids From Sect Had Broken Bones
Dallas Morning News | Apr 30, 08 6:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - Of 463 children seized from a Texas polygamist compound, 41 show evidence of broken bones at a young age, the Dallas Morning News reports. "Several of these fractures have been found in very young children," said the head of Child Protective Services, which also said it's looking into possible sexual abuse of sect boys.

Kate Hudson 'Most Beautiful'
People | Apr 30, 08 6:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - People Magazine has released its annual list of the 100 most beautiful people, and Kate Hudson leads the way. Here's the top 10: Kate Hudson Salma Hayek Mary J. Blige Rumer Willis (daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore)

O'Reilly Interview: Clinton Glad Obama 'Finally' Spoke
ABC News | Apr 30, 08 6:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - In her first interview with longtime critic Bill O’Reilly, Hillary Clinton called Jeremiah Wright's comments “offensive,” “outrageous,” “off base” and “far out," ABC News reports. She also got a dig in at Barack Obama by saying she's glad he "finally" clarified his views on Wright, the...

Missing Romanovs Identified
BBC | Apr 30, 08 5:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - DNA tests have confirmed that remains discovered last year in Russia are the remains of two children of Tsar Nicholas II, the BBC reports. Though most of the tsar’s family, executed during the Bolshevik revolution, was found in 1991, two children—Alexei and Maria—were thought missing, fueling widespread rumors that they survived and...

Gas-Tax Break Shameful Policy
New York Times | Apr 30, 08 5:29 PM CDT
(Newser) - The “McCain-Clinton” gas-tax vacation is an abomination of energy policy, Thomas Friedman declares in the New York Times . “This is money laundering: We borrow money from China and ship it to Saudi Arabia and take a little cut for ourselves as it goes through our gas tanks.” Worse than just despicable pandering, it would encourage...

Colbert Not World's Most Influential Person
Time | Apr 30, 08 5:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - The result of an annual Time poll to name the most influential person in the world didn’t exactly give closure to a heated rivalry between contenders Stephen Colbert and Korean pop star Rain—neither took the top honor. That went to programmer Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Nintendo’s Wii, as well as the Mario, Zelda, and Metroid game...

Court Rejects NYC Suit Against Gun Makers
New York Times | Apr 30, 08 4:52 PM CDT
(Newser) - A federal appeals court today tossed out a lawsuit brought by New York City against gun manufacturers for allowing their weapons to get into criminal hands, the New York Times reports. The city said gun makers create a public nuisance by not keeping a closer eye on retailers—thus supplying underground markets. The court rejected the argument,...

Bison on Comeback Trail
LiveScience | Apr 30, 08 4:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - Once facing extinction in North America, bison are well on their way to a stunning comeback, LiveScience reports. After commercial hunting and habitat loss reduced their population to less than 1,100, the estimated bison population is approaching 500,000—thanks in large part to conservation efforts started more than a century ago by the American...

Al-Qaeda Is Still Worst Terrorist Threat: US
Reuters | Apr 30, 08 4:21 PM CDT
(Newser) - Al-Qaeda remains the terrorist group that most threatens the US, Reuters reports. An annual State Department survey of worldwide terrorist activity, out today, said the group killed 5,400 civilians—50% Muslims—in 2007. Though weaker now than in 2001 due to multilateral anti-terrorism efforts, the group has used the lawless tribal areas...

Brangelina Hole Up in France
People | Apr 30, 08 4:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - Brad Pitt and pregnant Angelina Jolie have decamped to the French Riviera for “a stay of long duration,” a source reveals to People . The impossibly famous pair—plus kids—is staying in a historic villa overlooking the Mediterranean owned by Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Paul Allen; they'll remain at least through the...

Belarus Expels US Diplomats
Associated Press | Apr 30, 08 3:51 PM CDT
(Newser) - Belarus ordered most of the staff of the US embassy to leave the country today, a sign of souring relations between the states, the AP reports. The top US diplomat in the former Soviet republic says all but six staffers have been ordered out within 72 hours.

Rate-Cut News Sweeps Away Rally
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 08 3:38 PM CDT
(Newser) - News of today's Fed interest-rate cut swept away a market rally, and stocks ended down. Language in the Fed statement indicating that further trims were unlikely spooked investors, the Wall Street Journal reports, though that news was expected. The Dow ended down 11.81 to 12,820.13; the Nasdaq was off 13.30 to 2,412.80; and the S&P down 5.35...

Down in Polls, Brown Admits 'Mistakes'
Reuters | Apr 30, 08 3:25 PM CDT
(Newser) - With polls predicting big losses for his Labour party in tomorrow’s local elections, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown admitted he’d made mistakes in the past six months, Reuters reports. Chiefly, Brown acknowledged increasing the tax burden on the lowest-paid workers and those aged 60-64, but said both problems were currently being “dealt...

Absinthe's Secret Revealed
LiveScience | Apr 30, 08 3:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - Absinthe's "Green Fairy,” which spurred the likes of van Gogh and Picasso to creative heights, may have been more of a drunken sprite than psychedelic pixie. A study of century-old bottles of the green liqueur revealed that its potency most likely stems from its 70% alcohol content—making it 140-proof booze—not any mind-altering...

XM and Sirius Delay Meetings as FCC Weighs Merger
Washington Post | Apr 30, 08 2:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - XM and Sirius both postponed annual shareholder meetings as they awaited final FCC approval of their planned merger, the Washington Post reports. The nation’s only satellite-radio operators are expected to win approval, but their plans have faced new criticism from lawmakers and state attorneys, and there may yet be conditions on the partnership.

NATO Warns Russia Over Georgia Buildup
BBC | Apr 30, 08 2:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - NATO chided Russia today for sending additional troops into the breakaway Georgian provinces, saying the show of force “undermined Georgia’s territorial integrity,” the BBC reports. The alliance also warned Tbilisi against exacerbating the situation: Georgia has warned against Russian intervention, and, according to Moscow, also increased...

Ethanol Guzzles 25% of US Corn; Links Food, Fuel Prices
Washington Post | Apr 30, 08 2:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - When Congress passed its latest energy bill four months ago, the provision to boost ethanol requirements was exceedingly popular. But now, critics are lambasting that measure, and the ethanol movement in general, for linking skyrocketing food and oil prices. “We used to have a grain economy and a fuel economy,” one analyst tells the Washington...

Palestinian Factions OK Israel Truce Proposal
AFP | Apr 30, 08 2:19 PM CDT
(Newser) - Twelve Palestinian militant groups have agreed to a proposal for a truce with Israel, already backed by Hamas and Fatah. Egypt, mediating talks, will now try to sell the plan to Israel, AFP reports. The proposal calls for a "comprehensive, simultaneous, and reciprocal period of calm to be applied progressively, first in Gaza and then in the West...

Missing Genes Can Thwart Doping Tests
New York Times | Apr 30, 08 2:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - Testosterone injections are among the most common performance-enhancing drugs detected in athlete screenings, but some lucky competitors can take them without fear of exposure, the New York Times reports. Of 55 men given testosterone in a recent study, 17 came up clean on a drug test because they're missing the pair of genes that cause testosterone...

Hot Miley Pix: Mistake or Career Move?
Time | Apr 30, 08 2:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - As tween queen Miley Cyrus deals with continuing fallout from provocative Vanity Fair photos , some industry insiders are wondering aloud if the shots were really a mistake—or a calculated career move. Though Cyrus, 15, claims she was duped by photographer Annie Liebowitz, others believe the sultry shots may have been a ploy to rope boys and...

Offended, Black Ministers Decry Wright's Comments
Los Angeles Times | Apr 30, 08 1:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - Jeremiah Wright's ideas don't "represent mainstream black thought on Sunday morning," black ministers and parishioners tell the Los Angeles Times —and they're worried that his recent comments are offensive and damaging to Barack Obama’s candidacy. “This didn’t have anything to do with the black church—it was...

Fed Trims Rate to 2%
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 08 1:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - As expected, the Federal Reserve cut a key US interest rate today, the Wall Street Journal reports, trimming its overnight rate a quarter-point to 2%. Seven consecutive cuts have the rate down from 5.25% in September as the Fed attempts to keep the economy from stalling under credit woes. "Economic activity remains weak," today's statement...

Japan Rebuilds Economic Walls
Wall Street Journal | Apr 30, 08 1:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - Once, Japan was one of the world’s most closed economies, with near-impregnable barriers guarding against foreign investors. It's moving back in that direction, the Wall Street Journal reports. Companies are buying stakes in each other to complicate international takeover bids, and resurrecting the “poison pill” strategy America...

Gods Go Hungry in Food Crisis
Washington Post | Apr 30, 08 1:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - Skyrocketing food prices have a new victim in India: Hindu deities. Supplicants offer milk and other food at temples where they pray, but with the cost of staples soaring, many are unable even to feed themselves, the Washington Post reports. "If poor people don't even have enough for bread, how will they donate milk to the gods?" asks a...

Leaked Results Show Runoff Needed in Zimbabwe
Reuters | Apr 30, 08 1:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - The opposition did indeed win last month’s presidential election in Zimbabwe, senior government sources tell Reuters, though not by enough to avoid a run-off second round. Morgan Tsvangirai won 47% of the vote to incumbent Robert Mugabe’s 43%, numbers that are in line with the claims by Mugabe's party. The country's electoral commission...

Teen Panty Ad Shocks Disney
Slate | Apr 30, 08 12:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - Red-faced Disney execs paused their Miley Cyrus finger-wagging yesterday when asked about a billboard showcasing an underage model in Disney-themed skivvies above a Beijing subway station, Slate reports. The ad, paid for by the squeaky-clean cartoon empire, features a pig-tailed pubescent girl lounging in mouse-logo bra and panties playing with a pair...