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.
Peru Distributes '$100 Laptop'
MIT Technology Review
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Apr 24, 2008 3:18 PM CDT
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One Laptop per Child got a bumpy start, with the “$100 laptop” soaring to $188, for-profit competitors snatching customers, and developing countries hesitating to buy. But the true test for the nonprofit comes now, as Peru prepares to send 486,500 computers to its poorest schoolchildren. The country faces daunting obstacles, but rural kids...
Sunni Bloc Signals Return to Iraq Cabinet
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2008 3:04 PM CDT
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The biggest Sunni bloc in Iraq is returning to the government after a nine-month boycott, encouraged by a new amnesty law and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s redoubled attention to Shiite militias, the New York Times reports. Which cabinet positions the Tawafiq bloc will get, and which members will hold them, is still up in the air.
First Tax Rebates Go Out Monday
Reuters
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Apr 24, 2008 2:51 PM CDT
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Treasury is putting its rebate money where its mouth is—ahead of schedule, Reuters reports, with the first wave of checks going out Monday. “We're a little bit ahead of schedule, so we will start right on Monday with direct deposits," Henry Paulson tells Reuters. The Treasury secretary is happy to get cash into Americans’ pockets...
Pakistan Near Ceasefire Deal With Militants
Reuters
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Apr 24, 2008 2:33 PM CDT
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Pakistan’s new government is near a ceasefire deal with militants, the New York Times reports, as a top rebel commander has ordered his forces to stop attacks. Baitullah Mehsud, thought to have organized the December assassination of Benazir Bhutto, ordered a ban on “provocative activities for the sake of peace," in leaflets distributed...
Hamas Pitches Deal for Gaza 'Calm'
Reuters
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Apr 24, 2008 2:26 PM CDT
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Meeting with Egyptian authorities, Hamas leaders today proposed a truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip and, eventually, the West Bank, Reuters reports. A Palestinian source said the group agreed to "a calm” in Gaza and, after a “specified period,” in the West Bank. The deal, supported by other militant groups, would require Israel...
Indian Phone Banks Tackle US Debt Collection
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2008 2:20 PM CDT
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As individuals' debt grows in a tough economy, US debt-collection agencies are expanding into India, where collectors work more cheaply—and are often better, the New York Times reports. Indian collectors are “very polite, very respectful, and they don’t raise their voice,” says one CEO. And a big payout in India can be a quarter...
'Change' Falls Flat With Hoosiers
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2008 2:13 PM CDT
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Despite the ubiquitous use of “change” as a rallying cry in the Democratic primaries, the New York Times notes, the candidates might want to reconsider using it ahead of Indiana's May 6 primary. Although they’re dissatisfied with the economic toll taken by the decline in manufacturing, voters generally expressed “queasiness”...
Once Acting Gods, Now Mere Mortals
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 24, 2008 1:58 PM CDT
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They may be two of the most admired American actors ever, but Al Pacino and Robert De Niro's latest films don't exactly do credit to their respective legends, writes Patrick Goldstein in the Los Angeles Times . The two "have become parodies of themselves, making payday movies and turning in performances that are hollow echoes" of past work.
US Envoy: 'Tsvangirai Won'
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 1:49 PM CDT
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After more than three weeks in which Robert Mugabe has failed to hand over results from Zimbabwe’s presidential election, a top US diplomat for Africa came out in support of his challenger today, the AP reports. “Morgan Tsvangirai won, and perhaps outright,” Jendayi Frazer said in South Africa. She also expressed concern over reports...
Dems Look Small After Pa. Gutter Fight
Time
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Apr 24, 2008 1:34 PM CDT
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Barack Obama, once the fresh-faced symbol of a new kind of politics, emerged from the Pennsylvania primary “stale, battered, and embittered,” Joe Klein writes in a stunningly dour piece on the state of the Democratic race in Time . Dragged into a morass of character attacks, some of it “scurrilous trash,” Obama withered....
Pro-China Wave Dominates Aussie Relay
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 1:20 PM CDT
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The Chinese flag flew high at the Australian leg of the Olympic torch relay today, with pro-China partisans outnumbering pro-Tibet protesters four to one—and relative calm compared to the intensity of the relay to date. Human rights protesters alleged that Beijing, apparently embarrassed by the tone of earlier protests, sent the flags and even...
Restaurants Hungry for Economic Recovery
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 24, 2008 1:04 PM CDT
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Rising costs, tightening credit, and trimmed consumer spending are giving restaurateurs indigestion as they struggle with a slowdown the industry says is its worst in decades, reports the Wall Street Journal. A spate of bankruptcy filings and woeful earnings reports have chains slowing expansion and cutting amenities. With a minimum wage hike set...
Harold and Kumar Transcends Race
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 24, 2008 12:50 PM CDT
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Race underscores the stoner misadventures of Harold and Kumar—whose second film comes out tomorrow—but it’s not the point. The movies, about two friends who “just happen not to be white,” set a multicultural standard that Hollywood hasn’t figured out, writes Mark Olsen in the Los Angeles Times . When it comes to...
Test Counts 'Good Eggs' to Track Fertility
Chicago Tribune
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Apr 24, 2008 12:33 PM CDT
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Women wondering how much time is left on their biological clocks have a new option, the Chicago Tribune reports. A new test called Plan Ahead, on the market for $350, claims to measure how many high-quality eggs a woman has remaining and thus some indication of childbearing potential. But some doctors are leery of offering it, saying the test could...
Philly Museums Save Painting From Wal-Mart Sale
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Apr 24, 2008 12:24 PM CDT
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The saga over the sale of Thomas Eakins' The Gross Clinic came to an end yesterday when the Philadelphia Museum of Art announced it had raised enough money to cover the $68 million price tag. Eakins' painting of an operation in an anatomical theater was almost bought by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton, but it will now remain in Philadelphia after a...
Jimmy Fallon Scores Conan's Late Night Spot
Fox News
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Apr 24, 2008 12:09 PM CDT
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Jimmy Fallon will take Conan O’Brien’s Late Night desk when Conan leaves for the Tonight Show, writes Roger Friedman for Fox News. O’Brien is set to replace Jay Leno in May 2009; the former Saturday Night Live star is rumored to be “thrilled and ready, if not a little scared” to take over. An announcement is expected...
Should Bush Tap Strategic Petroleum Reserve?
Christian Science Monitor
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Apr 24, 2008 11:58 AM CDT
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The government is pumping 60,000 barrels of oil a day into a “rainy day” reserve, but with oil prices at a record high, many argue that it’s already raining. That includes the presidential candidates, all of whom want to at least stop adding to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve—and Hillary Clinton wants to release some of it....
Winehouse Faces Jail After Violent Bender
Sun (UK)
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Apr 24, 2008 11:49 AM CDT
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Amy Winehouse will be arrested, sources tell the Sun , after assaulting two men during a booze- and drug-induced rampage last night in London. The 24-year-old singer allegedly headbutted a man who was trying to hail a cab for her, and earlier punched a man for refusing to give up his pool table.
Dead Archives Head to UC Santa Cruz
San Francisco Chronicle
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Apr 24, 2008 11:42 AM CDT
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The thousands of pieces that make up the Grateful Dead archive are truckin’ to a new home at UC Santa Cruz, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The materials—worth millions and ranging from the band’s first record contract to life-size skeletons of members—currently occupy 2,000 square feet in a warehouse; in Santa Cruz,...
Staring at US Recession, Lasik Eye Surgery Blinks
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2008 11:31 AM CDT
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Corrective laser eye surgeries have declined sharply in the past year, a fall-off attributed to the economic slump—and expected to deepen as the recession continues, the New York Times reports. “We’re forecasting a 17% drop for 2008,” said one market researcher, who expects first-quarter data to reveal a bigger drop than during...
New Gal: Spitz Likes Sex Toys
New York Post
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Apr 24, 2008 11:20 AM CDT
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A second hooker has confirmed to federal investigators Eliot Spitzer's proclivity for prostitutes and unprotected sex but has also revealed another embarrassing detail: the disgraced New York governor's fondness for sex toys, the New York Post reports.
Katie May Wear Larry King's Suspenders
Newsday
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Apr 24, 2008 11:10 AM CDT
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When word broke that CBS and Katie Couric were poised to part ways, CNN swiftly re-signed Larry King. That was widely expected. But the contract conspicuously avoids promising King the 9pm hour he’s so long held, sources tell Verne Gay of Newsday . That leaves the door swinging invitingly for Couric, and sources say she wants the job.
New-Home Sales Hit Lowest Level Since '91
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 24, 2008 10:53 AM CDT
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New-home sales fell yet again in March, the Wall Street Journal reports, with single-family sales off 8.5% to an annual rate of 526,000, the lowest level since 1991. Analysts had expected a drop of only 1.9%. The median price, meanwhile, plummeted 13.3%, to $227,600. With an 11-month supply of homes available—the most since 1981—prices...
Al-Qaeda Is Losing Allies Over Muslim Bloodshed
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 24, 2008 10:36 AM CDT
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The Muslim world is getting fed up with al-Qaeda, the Los Angeles Times reports, questioning its bloody tactics and ideology. Even former allies are criticizing the group for killing fellow Muslims, relying on suicide bombings, and its occasional hostility toward Palestinian groups. Second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri was concerned enough to attempt...
J.Lo and Twins Get Reality Show
People
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Apr 24, 2008 10:17 AM CDT
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Jennifer Lopez and family will bust an unscripted move in a new TLC show filmed from their Long Island home, People.com reports. The A-list mom of twins will get producer and star credits as the show turns cameras on how the diva juggles fame, work, and motherhood. “I’m looking forward to sharing this exciting journey together,” said...
Fed Ponders Pause in Rate Cuts—After 1 More
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 24, 2008 10:05 AM CDT
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The Federal Reserve may be ready to cool its torrid rate-cutting after a likely .25% percentage point cut at its meeting next week, the Wall Street Journal reports. Futures markets are betting Chairman Ben Bernanke is unlikely to rest just yet, with little change in the month-to-month economic picture, but will pause after that to assess the cuts'...
'Idol' Boots Carly: It's Down to 5
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 9:54 AM CDT
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Viewers voted Carly Smithson off “American Idol” last night despite the rave reviews received from the judges for her “Jesus Christ Superstar” performance Tuesday night, the AP reports. Five finalists are left.
Obama Aide: Dems Don't Win White Working Class Anyway
Huffington Post
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Apr 24, 2008 9:43 AM CDT
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Barack Obama’s top strategist yesterday downplayed the demographic that sank his candidate in Pennsylvania on NPR, noting that the “white working class has gone to the Republican nominee for many elections, going back even to the Clinton years.” Added David Axelrod: "This is not new that Democratic candidates don't rely solely...
Foxy Megan Tops Sexiest List
E! Online
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Apr 24, 2008 9:14 AM CDT
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Transformers hottie Megan Fox has topped FHM's list of 2008's 100 sexiest women, E! Online reports. Megan bumps last year's winner, Jessica Alba, down to third place, with Jessica Biel coming second. Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie, and Beyonce make the list, with Britney Spears coming in at No. 100.
Mike Jacobs Leads Marlins Past Braves
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 9:00 AM CDT
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Mike Jacobs hit a two-run homer and Hanley Ramirez added a solo shot to power the Florida Marlins to a 7-2 win over the Atlanta Braves last night. Florida's Dan Uggla went 3-for-5, including a two-run triple in the ninth.
Hoffman Blows Another Save
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 8:59 AM CDT
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Trevor Hoffman blew another save and the San Francisco Giants went on to beat the slumping San Diego Padres 3-2 in 13 innings last night. Rookie Emmanuel Burriss doubled leading off the 13th and scored the go-ahead run for the Giants. The rally came four innings after Hoffman couldn't hold the lead for what would have been Greg Maddux's 350th career...
EPA Scientists Rip Political 'Interference'
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 24, 2008 8:57 AM CDT
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Hundreds of Environmental Protection Agency scientists say they have come under political pressure to fudge their findings, the Los Angeles Times reports. More than half the scientists who responded to a survey said they had experienced interference over the last five years. The report from a nonprofit scientists' group describes "an agency...
Orioles Rally Past Mariners 3-2
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 8:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Nick Markakis struck out twice looking early but tied the game with a ground out and then hit a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning to help the Orioles to a 3-2 victory over Seattle last night. Markakis hit the first pitch he saw from left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith (0-1), a high fastball, five rows into the bleachers beyond right field.
Zimbabwe Arms Ship Heads Back to China
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2008 8:33 AM CDT
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A Chinese ship with a cargo of arms and ammunition bound for Zimbabwe will indeed head back to China, the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed today, after Zimbabwe's neighbors refused to let the vessel dock. The decision is a victory for the coalition of trade unionists, religious leaders, and Western diplomats who united to block the armaments' delivery,...
Race Looms Large After Obama Loss
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2008 8:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Until recently, Barack Obama seemed to have quashed concerns about the chances of an African-American winning the White House. But as he inches closer to the nomination, more Democrats are beginning to ask whether white and other non-black voters will elect a black man in November. The question has taken on new urgency since Obama's loss in Pennsylvania,...
Mike Sweeney Successful in Return to A's
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 8:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mike Sweeney returned to the starting lineup for the first time in six games and ended a 39-game homerless streak spanning 140 at-bats with a solo shot in the eighth inning, helping Oakland to a 3-0 win over the Minnesota Twins last night. Sweeney also had an RBI single and scored Oakland's first run. The shutout was the third this year for the Twins.
Cubs Get 10,000th Win
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 8:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The lovable losers' 10,000th win was a memorable one. The Chicago Cubs beat the Colorado Rockies 7-6 on Ryan Theriot's RBI single off Kip Wells with two outs in the 10th inning last night. Both teams blew ninth-inning leads with their closers, but it was the Rockies who ended up losing their fourth straight game when leading after seven innings.
Slumping Razr Sales Slash Moto Earnings
Bloomberg
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Apr 24, 2008 7:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Apple and Nokia chewed away at Motorola’s cellphone market share, pushing the troubled handset maker to a larger first-quarter loss than expected, Bloomberg reports. Moto lost $194 million, or 9 cents a share, and revenues fell 21% to $7.45 billion. The company also issued a bleak forecast for Q2 as handset shipments plunged 40%. Moto plans...
Yanks Beat White Sox, 6-4
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 7:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mike Mussina pitched seven strong innings and moved ahead of Bob Gibson on the career wins list, as the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 6-4 last night. Jorge Posada had four hits, including a career-high three doubles, and drove in two runs. Bobby Abreu hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh, while Johnny Damon added a three-run shot...
Blair Weighs In on London's Neck-and-Neck Mayoral Race
Guardian (UK)
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Apr 24, 2008 7:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With one week to go, the two main candidates in the race for mayor of London—maverick Labour incumbent Ken Livingstone and clownish Tory Boris Johnson—remain neck-and-neck. As the Labour Party realizes that it could lose the most important elected office in Britain, the Guardian reveals that Livingstone is receiving help from his former...
Fielder Leads Brewers Past Phillies
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 7:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Prince Fielder hit a pair of two-run homers as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 last night. The homers snapped a relative power drought for Fielder, the defending National League home run champion who had 50 a year ago. Fielder went homerless in his first 14 games this season and hit just one in his first 68 at-bats...
Ford Surprises With $100M Q1 Profit
Bloomberg
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Apr 24, 2008 7:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Ford today posted an unexpected first-quarter profit of $100 million, Bloomberg reports, the result of cost cutting in North America and strong overseas sales. Analysts had anticipated a loss on the order of last year's first-quarter drain of $282 million. The world’s third-largest automaker said its revenues increased 1.2% to $43.5 billion....
Tigers Run Over Rangers, 19-6
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 7:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The bats came alive for the struggling Tigers last night in a 19-6 win over the Texas Rangers. Miguel Cabrera hit a three-run homer, while Carlos Guillen had three of his five RBIs in an 11-run sixth inning for Detroit. Jacque Jones also homered for the Tigers who started the season 2-10. Detroit is now 9-13 after a three-game winning streak.
Rondo Leads Celtics to Win Over Hawks, 96-77
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 7:23 AM CDT
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Rajon Rondo outplayed Mike Bibby and helped the Boston Celtics silence Atlanta and its blustery point guard. Bibby was booed every time he touched the ball after shooting 4-for-17 from the field in the first two games. Kevin Garnett had 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Rondo added 12 points, eight assists, and six rebounds as Boston bested Atlanta...
Santana Solid in Mets' Win Over Nationals
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 7:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Johan Santana hit two doubles and pitched seven solid innings, leading the New York Mets to a 7-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night. Santana (3-2) allowed seven hits, struck out four, and walked one. As a batter, he had the second two-hit game of his career. The Mets improved to 4-0 against the Nationals this season.
Polygamist Tip-Off Traced to Hoaxer's Phone
Denver Post
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Apr 24, 2008 7:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Some of the dramatic calls thought to be from an abused teen that sparked a raid on a Texas polygamist ranch have been traced to a cell phone number previously used by a well-known hoaxer, the Denver Post reports. Court documents reveal that the 33-year-old woman has a history of making phony calls to crisis hotlines, claiming to be an abused teen.
Apple Snaps Up Chip Design Company
Forbes
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Apr 24, 2008 6:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Apple has acquired a designer of sophisticated, low-power computer chips, Forbes reports. Analysts say the move will likely lead to a new kind of chip powering future iPhones and iPods, as well as new Apple designs, helping the company differentiate itself from competition scrambling to keep up. The news comes as a blow to chip maker Intel.
UN Aid to Gaza Blocked by Israeli Embargo
BBC
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Apr 24, 2008 6:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The United Nations announced today that it will have to suspend its humanitarian aid program in the Gaza Strip because of the Israeli fuel blockade. The UN can't distribute food or collect sewage in the Hamas-controlled territory now that its fuel supply has run out. A Security Council meeting was held to discuss the crisis, but American, British,...
Robocop Director Pens Shocking Jesus Bio
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2008 5:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Dutch director Paul Verhoeven, best known for directing films like Robocop , Basic Instinct , and Total Recall , is releasing a biography of Jesus which is bound to spark an angry response, reports AP. The book, which Verhoeven has been working on for 20 years, suggests that Jesus' father was a Roman soldier who raped Mary. The director hopes the...
Video Links North Korea to Syrian Reactor
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2008 4:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Video showing a nuclear reactor under construction in Syria is expected to be released today by the White House, the New York Times reports. The video, shot before the reactor was obliterated by Israeli air strikes, confirms that Syrians had North Korean technological help. The design is similar to one used by North Korea to create weapons-grade...
