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.
China Will Meet With Dalai Lama Aide
AFP
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Apr 25, 2008 4:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Beijing officials will meet in the next few days with a representative of the Dalai Lama, reports AFP, quoting Chinese media. The meeting would be the first encounter between the Tibetan leadership and members of the Chinese government since last month's unrest in Tibet. China has come under intense foreign pressure to open talks with the Dalai Lama,...
Probe Launched Into Fatal Grizzly Attack
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2008 4:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
California safety officials have launched an investigation into the death of an animal trainer killed by a showbiz grizzly bear. The 39-year-old man died from a single bite to the neck while wrestling the 700-pound bear Rocky for a promotional video for a social networking start-up. The company he was filming for at the Predators in Action center will...
Vietnamese Babies 'Sold to US'
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2008 3:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
US adoptions of Vietnamese children are tainted by bribery, kidnapping and baby-selling, according to an investigation by the US Embassy. The report, obtained by AP, discovered that one hospital sold a baby whose mother couldn't pay her medical bills. US couples—including Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt—have adopted more than 1,200 Vietnamese...
25 Moms ID'd as Minors in Polygamy Probe
Reuters
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Apr 25, 2008 3:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Texas authorities have identified 25 more mothers from a polygamist ranch as underage girls, bringing the number of juveniles in custody to 460. The girls had initially claimed to be adults, Reuters reports. Officials are keeping hundreds of women and children from the polygamist compound in temporary custody in a rodeo stadium, under heavy guard.
FDA Probes Lasik Patients' Woes
Washington Post
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Apr 25, 2008 3:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Patients who have experienced complications following popular Lasik eye surgery will tell their nightmare stories to a panel of the Food and Drug Administration today. The procedure to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism is coming under increasing scrutiny following reports of excessively dry eyes, and of "starbursts"...
Myanmar Activist Wins Congressional Gold Medal
Reuters
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Apr 25, 2008 2:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Senate has voted overwhelmingly to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Myanmar democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi, reports Reuters. Politicians praised her courage, and said the award was a gesture of solidarity with the oppressed Burmese people. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate remains under house arrest in Rangoon, a prisoner of Myanmar's military...
Diamondbacks Best Dodgers
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2008 1:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jeff Salazar hit a two-run homer and Conor Jackson also had a pair of RBIs, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers last night. Edgar Gonzalez (1-1) allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings with two walks and a strikeout, helping the Diamondbacks maintain their six-game lead over Colorado in the NL West.
Aurilia's Homer Carries Giants
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2008 1:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The San Diego Padres are struggling so badly that they allowed only four hits to the San Francisco Giants, and still lost. Rich Aurilia homered off Chris Young in the seventh inning to keep Tim Lincecum perfect this season and give San Francisco a 1-0 win last night in another low-scoring game at Petco Park. The Padres have lost eight of nine.
Orioles Rally to Beat Mariners
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2008 1:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Brian Roberts homered to open the eighth inning, capping Baltimore's rally from a five-run deficit as the Orioles beat Seattle 8-7 last night for their sixth win in seven games against the Mariners this season. Roberts hit a 1-0 pitch from Sean Green (1-1) for his second homer of the season. Both Seattle and Baltimore saw leads evaporate and each team...
Indians Sweep Doubleheader From Royals
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2008 1:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Cliff Lee faced only two batters over the minimum while pitching a three-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory over Kansas City last night that gave the Cleveland Indians a doubleheader sweep. Lee (4-0) struck out nine and did not issue a walk while shrinking his major league-best ERA to 0.28 as the Royals lost their seventh straight game.
McGrady Leads Rockets Over Jazz
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2008 1:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Tracy McGrady snapped out of his fourth-quarter slump and scored seven of his 27 points in the final period, leading Houston to a 94-92 victory over Utah last night that gave the Rockets life in a series that could have been headed for a sweep. Rafer Alston added 20 points and five assists in his first game in nearly two weeks for Houston.
White Sox Beat Yankees 7-6 to Avoid Sweep
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2008 1:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Joe Crede hit a run-scoring single in the ninth inning to hand Joba Chamberlain his first major league loss and give the White Sox a 7-6 win over the Yankees last night to avoid a three-game sweep. Bobby Jenks (1-0) got Jorge Posada to ground into an inning-ending double play in the ninth to get the win in a game twice delayed by rain.
Raptors Roll Past Magic 108-94
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2008 1:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
T.J. Ford scored 21 points, Jose Calderon had 18 points and 13 assists, and the Toronto Raptors beat the Orlando Magic 108-94 on Thursday night in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. Dwight Howard had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Magic, who lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.
Indians Take Game One of Doubleheader
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2008 1:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Grady Sizemore had four hits and two RBIs and Fausto Carmona survived five shaky innings to lead Cleveland past Kansas City 9-6 in the first game of a doubleheader last night. The Royals have lost six straight. Sizemore was 4-for-5 with three singles and a solo home run, while Casey Blake and Jason Michaels both had two RBIs amid Cleveland's 15-hit...
Red Wings Beat Avalanche, 4-3
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2008 12:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Johan Franzen's name is not at the top of scouting reports for Detroit Red Wings' opponents. It might be now. The second-line wing from Sweden scored two goals and had an assist to help the Red Wings build a three-goal cushion, and they held on to beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 in Game 1 of their NHL second-round playoffs series last night.
Wizards Dominate Cavaliers in Game Three
Associated Press
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Apr 25, 2008 12:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
DeShawn Stevenson scored 19 points, Caron Butler added 17, and the Washington Wizards took themselves off the ropes by beating Cleveland 108-72, cutting the Cavaliers' lead to 2-1 in the NBA playoffs last night. LeBron James finished with 22 points on 10-for-19 shooting from the field and 2-for-4 from the line. He also had seven rebounds, three assists...
Walks Doom Pirates Against Cardinals
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 11:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Brian Barton's two-run single in the fifth inning gave St. Louis the lead on its first hit off erratic Pittsburgh starter Tom Gorzelanny, and the Cardinals went on beat the Pirates 6-2 behind Joel Pineiro's seven effective innings Thursday night. The Cardinals avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season.
Lopez Slams Nats Past Mets
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 10:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Felipe Lopez is in the lineup again—and hitting again. Lopez's grand slam and two-run single gave him a career-high-tying six RBIs and led Washington past the New York Mets 10-5 on Thursday night, the Nationals' fourth victory in their past 20 games. The Nationals fell behind 3-0 through four innings against Mets starter Oliver Perez.
Chipper Jones Unwraps Win on 36th Birthday
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 10:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Happy birthday, Chipper Jones. The Braves slugger celebrated his 36th birthday by going 3-for-3, including a homer, to lead Atlanta past the NL East-leading Florida Marlins 7-4 on Thursday night. Jones also singled in the fifth, and was walked intentionally in his final at-bat while the crowd booed loudly.
Sonnanstine Leads Rays Past Jays For Sweep
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 10:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Four different players drove in runs to back the pitching of Andy Sonnanstine and help the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 Thursday night for a three-game sweep of a home-away-from-home series at Disney World. Evan Longoria tripled and had a sacrifice fly for Tampa Bay, which got two RBIs from Eric Hinske.
Kostopoulos Gives Canadiens 4-3 OT Win
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 10:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Tom Kostopoulos scored 48 seconds into overtime to give the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in the opening game of their second-round series. Kostopoulos put his own rebound past Martin Biron shortly after a faceoff in Philadelphia's zone for his third goal of the playoffs.
For Britain's Young Princes, a Role Reversal
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 10:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It seems like only yesterday that William was Britain's standup prince, brother Harry the misled stoner in an SS uniform. But after revelations that William landed his RAF helicopter on his girlfriend’s lawn, and that the younger Harry served actual combat in Afghanistan, the tables have turned, the AP reports. One commentator called William’s...
OMG Gatsby Was a Fraud!
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 9:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two-thirds of American teens aren’t keeping their LOLs to themselves: They're turning in papers and lab reports with abbreviations, dropped punctuation, and other informalities inherent to Internet and text-message vocabularies, the AP reports. Kids who write blogs and have Facebook pages are more likely to slip from formality in their schoolwork,...
Syria Must 'Come Clean' on Nukes, US Says
Washington Post
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Apr 24, 2008 8:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A covert nuclear reactor in Syria was only months away from producing uranium for weapons when Israel destroyed it in a bombing raid, US intelligence officials say. The officials briefed members of Congress on the Israeli raid in September, asserting that North Korea helped Syria build the site. The White House said Syria "must come clean"...
Tyrannosaurus Rex: Tastes Like Chicken?
Washington Post
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Apr 24, 2008 8:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Dinosaurs are more closely related to birds than reptiles, protein extracted from a Tyrannosaurus rex bone suggests. T. rex collagen, the main protein in bones, is similar to chicken and ostrich collagen but much different than material from alligators and lizards, scientists say. The findings could remap the evolutionary tree according to molecular...
New HD Cameras Don't Cut It
Washington Post
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Apr 24, 2008 7:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Many digital cameras also shoot video, and two new cameras from Kodak and Panasonic take that feature one step further by adding the capability to shoot high-definition footage. At price tags under $500, a fraction of an HD camcorder, the Kodak EasyShare V1073 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 would seem too good to be true—and, writes Rob Pegoraro...
No Rest for the ... Faithful? Italy's Padre Pio On Display
BBC
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Apr 24, 2008 7:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Beloved saint Padre Pio, exhumed in March after 40 years, is now on display in southern Italy, where 700,000 faithful have signed up to view his remains, BBC reports. The archbishop who ran the exhumation marveled at the body: “The knees, hands, mittens, and nails are clearly visible.”
Rev. Wright Slams 'Devious' Media Coverage
Chicago Tribune
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Apr 24, 2008 7:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright says the media made him out as "some sort of fanatic" by repeating snippets from sermons out of context—part of a "devious" agenda to denigrate the campaign of Barack Obama, the Chicago Tribune reports. In an interview with Bill Moyers to air on PBS tomorrow, Wright says those who heard his sermons...
Where Did the Ratings Go?
MSNBC
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Apr 24, 2008 6:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Television shows hoping for welcoming arms after a strike-imposed hiatus are out of luck: Viewership is down sharply for scripted shows, in many cases more than 10%, the Hollywood Reporter notes. The exception appears to be CBS’ Monday night lineup, which is up after returning ahead of most other shows last month, leading perhaps to a new maxim:...
Big Hurt Returns and Helps A's Win
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 6:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Frank Thomas won in his return to Oakland. Rajai Davis got three hits in his Athletics debut. With two new and familiar faces in the starting lineup, the A's jumped on Minnesota starter Francisco Liriano for six runs in the first inning on the way to an 11-2 victory over the Twins in the rubber game Thursday. Donnie Murphy hit solo shots in the fifth...
Scalia On Bush v. Gore: 'Get Over It'
CBS News
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Apr 24, 2008 6:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
"Get over it," Justice Antonin Scalia tells critics who accuse the Supreme Court of letting political motivations affect its 2000 decision in Bush v. Gore. Plus, Al Gore was responsible for pushing the Florida recount through the courts, Scalia points out in an upcoming 60 Minutes interview. And while he's a self-confessed social conservative,...
Angels rally to beat Red Sox 7-5
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 6:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Joe Saunders pitched six solid innings to win his fourth consecutive decision, and Gary Matthews Jr. singled in the go-ahead runs in the Angels' four-run seventh inning on Thursday as Los Angeles beat the Boston Red Sox 7-5. Saunders (4-0) left trailing 3-1. The Angels rallied in the seventh, when three Red Sox relievers allowed four singles and three...
Ordonez Homers Twice to Lead Tigers
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 6:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Magglio Ordonez hit two of Detroit's five homers to lead the Tigers to an 8-2 victory over the hapless Texas Rangers on Thursday. Detroit outscored Texas 37-10 in the three-game series, and has now won a season-best four straight. The Rangers have lost seven in a row. Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman (1-2) didn't get a decision after dealing with...
Cook and Rockies Beat Cubs 4-2
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 6:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Aaron Cook pitched eight strong innings and Brian Fuentes earned his first save in 10 months to help the Colorado Rockies end a four-game skid with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. Cook (3-1) won his third straight start and halted the Cubs' six-game win streak. Chicago had won nine of its last 10 games.
Burrell's Double Helps Phillies Beat Brewers 3-1
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 6:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Pat Burrell's two-out, two-run double broke a tie in the eighth, and the Philadelphia Phillies held on for a 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Burrell's deep drive to the left field corner capped the Phillies' two-out rally off Brewers reliever David Riske (0-1), who got the first two outs of the inning before walking Greg Dobbs...
Germany's Dry Rieslings Go Down Sweetly
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2008 6:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The dry rieslings Eric Asimov sampled a decade ago in Germany were “tart and shrill,” he writes in the New York Times. So "how did they get so good" since? Lower-quality wines aren’t shipped to America, hypothesizes one wine importer, who nevertheless concedes that the country's great dry rieslings are more plentiful...
Berkman Leads Surging Astros
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 5:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Lance Berkman hit his 18th homer at Great American Ball Park—the most by any visiting player—and drove in three runs Thursday, leading the Houston Astros to their fifth straight win, 5-3 over the Cincinnati Reds. Berkman had a two-run homer and a run-scoring double off rookie Johnny Cueto (1-2), whose 96 mph fastball wasn't enough to slow...
New Cancer Scan Promising, But Much Testing Remains
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2008 5:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A study claiming to dramatically reduce the risk of lung-cancer death is the object of intense scientific debate, Philip Boffey writes in the New York Times . Researchers screened asymptomatic smokers with spiral CT scans, which are more sensitive than the traditional chest X-ray. They estimate 92% of those found to have early-stage tumors, and get...
Snipes Gets 3 Years in Prison
WESH 2
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Apr 24, 2008 5:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Florida judge today sentenced Wesley Snipes to the maximum 3 years in federal prison for failing to file his taxes, WESH-TV of Orlando reports. Snipes received no fine, though he could have been hit for $5 million. During sentencing, the judge noted the actor's long history of ignoring tax laws. He said that Snipes will be notified when to report...
Senate Passes Bill Banning Genetic Bias
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 24, 2008 5:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Senate unanimously approved a bill today banning discrimination by employers and health insurers based on the results of genetic tests, the Los Angeles Times reports. Senators hope the measure will encourage testing for those who have abstained out of fear of professional or financial repercussions. The bill is expected to pass easily in the...
McCain Blasts Katrina Response
Washington Post
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Apr 24, 2008 5:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain slammed the Bush response to Hurricane Katrina as “terrible and disgraceful” today after a tour of New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. "Never again, never again” will a disaster be handled so poorly, said McCain, making his most distinct break yet from the current administration, the Washington Post reports. For starters,...
Wikipedia Goes to Print —in German
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 4:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Wikipedia will soon hit bookshelves, the AP reports: German giant Bertelsmann AG is publishing a condensed print edition of the user-generated encyclopedia. The One-Volume Wikipedia Encyclopedia will contain 50,000 of the most-searched-for German entries this year—and it could be the first in an annual series. “A yearbook really can be...
Microsoft Profit Dips 11%
Bloomberg
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Apr 24, 2008 4:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Microsoft's profits fell 11% in the third quarter amid concern that corporate clients are cutting back during the economic downturn, Bloomberg reports. The software giant reported net income of $4.39 billion, or 47 cents a share, down from $4.93 billion a year ago. The company's revenue remained flat at $14.5 billion, in line with estimates but disappointing...
Age, not Race, Beat Barack in Pennsylvania
Newsweek
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Apr 24, 2008 4:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The best explanation for Hillary Clinton's big win in Pennsylvania was not race but age, Jonathan Alter argues in Newsweek . A remarkable 40% of the voters in Tuesday’s primary were over 60, and Barack Obama’s 41-59% defeat in the demographic was the killer. Pennsylvania is second only to Florida in average age, and Obama's showing among...
Infinite Bandwidth Is Coming
MIT Technology Review
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Apr 24, 2008 4:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In 2000, technology watcher George Gilder argued in a book called Telecosm that infinite bandwidth and instant communication were on the way, thanks to booming construction of fiber-optic cable. Eight years later, post-bust (both dot-com and telecom), the “telecosm” is not far from what Gilder predicted, writes Mark Williams in Technology...
One Man's Crusade Dents China Suicides
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 24, 2008 4:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
One bridge over China’s Yangtze River sees hundreds of suicides as the country's rate rises—though fewer since a Nanjing man started spending weekends there saving lives. With 280,000 killing themselves ever year—twice the US total—Chen Si has so far stopped 144 suicides, the Los Angeles Times reports. “All people really...
Kinky Sex Kills Hubby
ABC News
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Apr 24, 2008 4:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A sex game gone wrong apparently killed a Tennessee man last weekend, and his wife has been charged with reckless homicide. The woman tied her husband up, put a ball gag in his mouth, wrapped his head in duct tape, leaving only nostril slits to breath through—and left to spend the night with another man, authorities said. She returned 20 hours...
Delta, Northwest Execs: Merger Would Ease Gas Burden
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 3:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The CEOs of Delta and Northwest took their case for a merger to Capitol Hill today, where they argued that they would be better equipped to deal with surging gas prices as a single company. Both businesses had big first-quarter losses, and the executives told lawmakers they’d be better competition for foreign airlines as a team, the AP reports.
Merrill's Strength Leads Rally
MarketWatch
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Apr 24, 2008 3:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks rallied to solid gains today as good news from Merrill Lynch and better-than-expected jobless claims data overshadowed poor housing and durable-goods news, MarketWatch reports. The Dow gained 85.73 to close at 12,848.95, while the Nasdaq rose 23.71 to 2,428.92. The S&P 500 gained 8.89, ending at 1,388.82.
Clinton's Victory Demeans Uplifting Politics
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2008 3:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hillary Clinton prevailed in Pennsylvania by dragging Barack Obama's bipartisan, hopeful vision through the muck, proving politics is “frequently mean and irrational,” Gail Collins writes in the New York Times . Clinton showed that the playing field is dirty, and that even the junior senator from Illinois would go negative if he was pushed....
