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.
Recession? Not Among World's 8M Millionaires
Financial Times (UK)
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Apr 21, 2008 4:19 PM CDT
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The credit crunch isn't such a big deal if you're rich, the Financial Times reports. New figures show the number of millionaires grew quickly last year, to 8 million worldwide, and that the wealthy are getting richer relative to their compatriots.
Wal-Mart Tops Fortune 500
Fortune Magazine
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Apr 21, 2008 4:07 PM CDT
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Wal-Mart nosed out Exxon Mobil for the second consecutive year to land atop the 2008 Fortune 500, with $37.7 billion in revenues, the magazine said today. In profits, the oil company far outstripped the megaretailer. Three of the top 5 on the list were oil companies, the AP reports. ChevronTexaco (No. 3) and GM (No. 4) swapped places, and ConocoPhillips...
Guardian System Has Saudi Women 'Perpetual Minors'
Telegraph (UK)
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Apr 21, 2008 3:55 PM CDT
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Women in Saudi Arabia need to gain a male guardian’s consent to do almost anything, living as “perpetual minors,” the Telegraph reports. Research by Human Rights Watch found that male permission is needed to go to a doctor, travel, and even get dressed. In addition, strict segregation denies women access to public libraries and...
Stocks Tick Down on BofA Woes
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 21, 2008 3:39 PM CDT
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Stocks ended mostly down today after a poor quarterly report from Bank of America and spiking crude prices. "We got a reminder this morning that banks and financials are still digesting credit problems," an investment strategist told the Wall Street Journal . The Dow ended down 24.34 at 12,825.02, the Nasdaq up 5.07 at 2,408.04, and the...
McGovern? Hart? Dems May Yet Repeat Sorry History
Salon
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Apr 21, 2008 3:29 PM CDT
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The postwar legacy of Democratic candidates is one of failure, Andrew O’Hehir writes in Salon, with so many lost campaigns that any seasoned observer could lay out sorry futures for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Whether Obama and Clinton are McGovern and Muskie or Hart and Mondale, the party's "unresolved internal struggles have time...
Hi-Def Fans Allege Low Blow
Associated Press
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Apr 21, 2008 3:16 PM CDT
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TV enthusiasts are miffed that high-definition channels aren't looking as good as they should on expensive home-theater systems, the AP reports. Without much spare bandwidth, compressing the signal is cheaper for the cable companies than increasing capacity. "They have to figure out a way to deliver more HD content through their distribution networks,"...
Strawberry Fields Forever, Sir Paul Pleads
Reuters
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Apr 21, 2008 3:03 PM CDT
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If you want to fight global warming, drop the hamburger, Sir Paul McCartney advises. “The biggest change anyone could make in their own lifestyle would be to become vegetarian,” said McCartney, himself a longtime herbivore. Livestock is a big contributor to global warming, the ex-Beatle says, because of the amount of land and water the...
Justices Deny 11 Capital Appeals
New York Times
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Apr 21, 2008 2:49 PM CDT
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The Supreme Court today dismissed appeals from 11 death-row prisoners in seven states, including three who received last-minute stays of execution last year; the result was no surprise 1 week after the landmark ruling upholding lethal injection in Kentucky, the New York Times reports. The earlier opinion held that the execution method does not amount...
Ad Networks Gain in Race for Clicks Online
New York Times
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Apr 21, 2008 2:42 PM CDT
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Once, advertisers bought web ads the way they bought TV spots: by buying space on popular sites to increase brand visibility. Now the mentality has changed, the New York Times reports: Buyers want targeted buys that produce lots of clicks for their buck. Increasingly, that means they’re turning away from pricey portals like Yahoo to specialized...
Live It Up While Going Green
Forbes
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Apr 21, 2008 2:30 PM CDT
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You don't have to give up the high life to be green. Forbes finds 10 luxurious ways to reduce your carbon footprint: Wear cashmere at home so you can turn down the thermostat. Buy carbon offsets for your private jet. Drive a hybrid Cadillac Escalade SUV. Use occasional perfumed candles instead of lights.
In Pa., Clinton Has a Math Problem
Bloomberg
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Apr 21, 2008 2:17 PM CDT
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Hillary Clinton must rack up unprecedented numbers in tomorrow’s Pennsylvania primary to challenge Barack Obama’s 800,000-vote lead in the national popular vote, Bloomberg reports. She needs a 25-point margin plus record turnout—2 million in a state where only 800,000 went to the polls in 2004—to have any hope of closing the...
My Search Term, Myself
Guardian (UK)
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Apr 21, 2008 2:04 PM CDT
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Freud would have a field day studying Google searches, posits a blogger who tracked the terms visitors to his web page used and found a window into man's pathologies. John Kelly, a columnist on leave from the Washington Post, writes in the Guardian about "how the fetishes, pathologies and strange obsessions of humankind are catalogued every...
Polygamist Sect Men Break Silence
CBS News
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Apr 21, 2008 1:52 PM CDT
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Male members of the Texas polygamist sect say they weren’t aware that state law prohibits people under 18 from marrying until after the raid on their compound, CBS News reports. Three men from the Yearning for Zion ranch said on the Early Show that they'll cooperate with court-ordered DNA testing, and one argued that the sect members are misunderstood...
Cheruiyot, Tune Win Boston
Associated Press
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Apr 21, 2008 1:38 PM CDT
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Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya became the fourth man to win the Boston Marathon four times today, crossing the finish line on 2:07:46, 32 seconds slower than his own course record, the AP reports. Dire Tune of Ethiopia won the women’s race in 2:22:25, squeaking past Russian Alevtina Biktimirova by just 2 seconds in the tightest women's finish ever.
Good Job, Bad Job
New York Times
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Apr 21, 2008 1:33 PM CDT
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There's a stark divide between good and bad employers in America today, and you don't want to be on the wrong side of it. In a New York Times excerpt from his new book, Steven Greenhouse compares FedEx and Patagonia. FedEx forces workers who deliver packages to be "independent contractors"—to avoid paying benefits—and to buy...
Macau Casinos Double Vegas' Take
MarketWatch
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Apr 21, 2008 1:19 PM CDT
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If you thought Las Vegas was gambling’s capital city, think again. Casinos in Macau didn’t just beat Nevada’s finest this quarter, they lapped them. Macau’s gambling revenues jumped 62% from a year ago, doubling Vegas’ take over that stretch—though the casinos, which can't lend money directly to gamblers, have to...
Libyan Town Exports Grim Crop: Suicide Bombers
Newsweek
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Apr 21, 2008 1:04 PM CDT
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American intelligence has long known that the bulk of foreign combatants waging jihad in Iraq are Saudi nationals, but Libya is a close second, with much higher per capita representation. Documents found in Sinjar, Iraq, showed 112 fighters in a group of 606 were Libyan, and 52 came from Darnah, an impoverished coastal town of 50,000. Newsweek traveled...
DNA Used to Nab Criminal Kin
Washington Post
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Apr 21, 2008 12:51 PM CDT
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Law-enforcement agencies are using DNA of family members—often without their consent—to identify and convict criminals, the Washington Post reports. Privacy advocates object that it turns family members into unwitting informants, and subjects innocent relatives to “lifelong genetic surveillance” because someone in their family...
NIU Shooter Saw Himself as Sensitive Victim
Chicago Tribune
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Apr 21, 2008 12:39 PM CDT
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Steven Kazmierczak didn’t leave a note before his deadly February shooting spree at Northern Illinois University, nor clues to his motivations on his computer or cell phone. But in essays for graduate-school applications, the Chicago Tribune reports, the future killer writes extensively about his life and his mental problems—including...
'Chicago Was His Harvard of Politics'
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 21, 2008 12:26 PM CDT
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Barack Obama’s unconventional personal background contrasts sharply with the roots of his political instincts and career. In Chicago's patronage-happy system, the young pol learned to break bread with conservatives, play to the black masses, and even get his back up when necessary. The Wall Street Journal examines the candidate’s years...
As Mortgages Melt Down, Owners Burn Up
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 21, 2008 12:11 PM CDT
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US homeowners are literally burning down their homes instead of paying their subprime mortgages. Last year saw a dramatic nationwide jump in apparently debt-motivated arson, the Los Angeles Times reports. “I'm busier now than a one-armed paper hanger,” said one investigator. “What is happening is terrifically economically driven.”...
Pundit's Pontificating Draws Fire
Newsday
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Apr 21, 2008 11:58 AM CDT
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Not for the first time, people are calling for Bill Maher's head—in this case for taking pot shots at Pope Benedict XVI on his HBO show. "If you have a few hundred followers and you let some of them molest children, they call you a cult leader," Maher said. "If you have a billion, they call you 'pope.'" He also made...
Military Families Sue VA Over Suicides
Associated Press
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Apr 21, 2008 11:45 AM CDT
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Veterans Affairs hasn’t done enough to stem the “rising tide” of suicides and mental health problems, according to a class action lawsuit going to trial this week. Roughly 20% of deployed US troops are suffering from mental illness, a recent study shows, and an average of 18 kill themselves each day. “The VA has simply not devoted...
Ochoa: a Lady Tiger?
Chicago Tribune
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Apr 21, 2008 11:31 AM CDT
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Golf fans should have no trouble choosing between the Lady or the Tiger at the moment: The best player in the world today, Ed Sherman writes in the Chicago Tribune , is Lorena Ochoa. With four victories in a row and five in six tournaments, the 26-year-old Mexican has already qualified for the LGPA Hall of Fame and has the chance for a Grand Slam.
Blind Paterson Feeling His Way as NY Governor
New York Times
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Apr 21, 2008 11:18 AM CDT
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It takes a lot of extra sweat for New York's legally blind governor to act like a person with 20/20, the New York Times reports. David Paterson spends hours each night listening to recorded staff briefings—and memorizing speeches, since he can't read a teleprompter. And though the veteran politician knows Albany well, he's still learning the...
Racy Miley Bra Pics Hit Internet
Egotastic!
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Apr 21, 2008 11:04 AM CDT
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Don't tell her achy-breaky dad, but risque photos of squeaky-clean Miley Cyrus have found their way to the Internet. The tween queen flashes a green lace bra and canoodles with a mystery teenage boy whose hands had better not travel any farther in photos likely to make Disney and dad frown, the Egotastic! blog reports.
Yahoo Hopes Q1 Report Will Boost Microsoft Bid
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 21, 2008 10:50 AM CDT
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All eyes will be on Yahoo's first-quarter earnings report tomorrow; the company hopes to use solid results to pressure Microsoft into sweetening its takeover bid, the Wall Street Journal reports. The report comes just 2 days before Microsoft's own and 4 days before the deadline the latter set for a deal to avoid a hostile takeover. Yahoo is expected...
Mac Will Run With Public Funds
Politico
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Apr 21, 2008 10:36 AM CDT
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John McCain will use public funds to finance his 2-month general-election campaign, Politico reports today. McCain's decision to take the $84.1 million available once he's officially nominated in September comes after the GOP candidate gave back $3.2 in donations pegged to the home stretch. McCain has raised $72 million thus far—to $236 million...
PETA Offering $1M Prize for Test Tube Meat
New York Times
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Apr 21, 2008 10:21 AM CDT
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PETA is offering a $1 million reward to the first researchers who can figure out a commercially viable artificial meat-production system, the New York Times reports. Scientists have been working on in vitro meat for years, hoping to grow edible tissue cultures that could replace slaughtered livestock. But there was a “near civil war”...
Health History Hidden in Urine
Times (UK)
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Apr 21, 2008 10:07 AM CDT
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Urine does indeed hold metabolic clues, researchers have found, and could shed light on blood pressure and heart problems, the Times of London reports. "Metabolic profiling can tell us how specific aspects of a person’s diet and how much they drink are contributing to their risks for certain diseases"—something DNA research...
To Animal Lovers, He's the Cat's Meow
New York Times
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Apr 21, 2008 9:54 AM CDT
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One group of Catholics who weren't surprised to see Pope Benedict XVI's "softer side" on his visit to the US are devout cat lovers. Benedict harbors a legendary fondness for felines; his house in Germany was filled with them, and in his former Vatican post he looked after cats who visited his building, the New York Times reports. And the...
Sports Coverage a Tangled Web
New York Times
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Apr 21, 2008 9:40 AM CDT
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As bloggers multiply and media outlets aim to put more audio, video and photo content on their websites, tensions mount with professional sports leagues. Leagues argue that outlets making such content widely available steps on the toes of the broadcasters who have paid to present games—but, the New York Times reports, limiting the media's scope...
Spain Speeds to Save Pirate Hostages
BBC
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Apr 21, 2008 9:26 AM CDT
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A Spanish naval frigate is steaming to the waters off Somalia to rescue crew members of a tuna boat seized by pirates, reports the BBC. The boat was grabbed just days after French commandos freed hostages from a luxury yacht comandeered by Somali pirates. The tuna boat's 26 crew members are "well," the captain said by radio, but the pirates...
Anchorage Mayor to Run for Ted Stevens' Senate Seat
Anchorage Daily News
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Apr 21, 2008 9:07 AM CDT
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The Democratic mayor of Anchorage will throw his hat in the ring today for the Alaska Senate seat Ted Stevens has held for 4 decades, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Stevens, one of the Senate's most notorious pork producers, has been reelected easily 7 times, but is now under federal investigation for corruption. Mark Begich will face three other...
Movie Studios to Create Premium Channel
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 21, 2008 8:50 AM CDT
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Paramount Pictures, MGM Studios, and Lionsgate are creating a premium TV channel to compete with HBO and Showtime, reports the Los Angeles Times, which currently showcase their programming. The joint venture comes as those same channels look to pay studios less for movies and pursue production of their own content.
Hamas Would Accept Peace With Israel: Carter
Reuters
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Apr 21, 2008 8:36 AM CDT
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Hamas would accept a peace deal brokered by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas if Palestinian voters favored the agreement, Jimmy Carter said after talks with a Hamas leader in Damascus. "There's no doubt that both the Arab world and the Palestinians, including Hamas, will accept Israel's right to live in peace within the 1967 borders,"...
With Van Gundy Out, Knicks May Tap Jackson
New York Daily News
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Apr 21, 2008 8:29 AM CDT
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Former Knick Mark Jackson may be the logical frontrunner to step into Isiah Thomas' old shoes, despite Jackson's lack of coaching experience. Jeff Van Gundy has suggested that the hiring process is a "one-horse race," effectively taking himself out of consideration. The other potential candidate, Scott Skiles, seems likely to sign with the...
'Idol' Ratings Hitting Sour Note
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 21, 2008 8:19 AM CDT
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Ratings monster “American Idol” is showing viewership cracks in its seventh season, and rival networks are circling, hoping to steal some of the more than 20 million viewers who tune into the Fox hit each week, reports the Los Angles Times. “Idol” viewership among women 18 to 34 is off 20%, and Tuesday’s show was the...
Bank of America Posts 77% Dive on $6B in Writedowns
Bloomberg
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Apr 21, 2008 8:00 AM CDT
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More than $6 billion in subprime writedowns sent Bank of America profits skidding for the third straight quarter today, as the nation's second-largest bank posted a 77% decline in net income for the first quarter. Earnings were $1.21 billion, down from $5.26 billion a year ago, reports Bloomberg. The losses exceeded analysts’ expectations by...
Pressed in Pa., Obama Steps Up Attacks
New York Times
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Apr 21, 2008 7:25 AM CDT
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Lagging a day before the high-stakes Pennsylvania primary, Barack Obama has intensified his attacks on Hillary Clinton, painting her as a typical Washington insider, the New York Times reports. Clinton fired back, accusing Obama of dropping his hopeful message in favor of old-style politics himself. Clinton holds a 5- or 6-point lead over Obama in...
National City Close to $6B Cash Infusion
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 21, 2008 7:06 AM CDT
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Battered National City—which has seen shares plummet 78% as it's been overwhelmed by the subprime fiasco—is close to a $6 billion bailout funded by some of its largest shareholders and private equity firm Corsair Capital, reports the Wall Street Journal . The infusion for the Cleveland-based bank would be the third rescue package this...
Cracking the Steve Jobs Code
USA Today
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Apr 21, 2008 6:39 AM CDT
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Though it’s near impossible to get an interview with Steve Jobs, author Leander Kahney’s book Inside Steve’s Brain gives a “fresh, noble perspective” on the Apple icon’s impenetrable mind, Jon Swartz writes in USA Today . Like most who try, Kahney couldn’t score facetime, but his book illustrates the opposing...
Ex-Bishop Wins Paraguay's Presidency in Historic Vote
Reuters
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Apr 21, 2008 6:00 AM CDT
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Opposition leader Fernando Lugo won Paraguay’s presidential election yesterday, ending 61 years of one-party rule, Reuters reports. With nearly all votes counted, the former bishop beat Paraguay’s first female presidential contender by 41% of the vote to 10%. “We've made history,” the center-leftist Lugo told a packed square...
SC Teen Busted in 'New Columbine' Plot
Charlotte Observer
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Apr 21, 2008 5:29 AM CDT
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South Carolina police have foiled a student's suicide bomb attack on a high school, timed to coincide with the ninth anniversary of the Columbine school massacre, officials said. The 18-year-old senior was arrested after his parents discovered 10 pounds of explosive chemicals, a year-long journal and detailed plans for a major assault the boy...
Another Earthquake Shakes Up Illinois
CNN
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Apr 21, 2008 4:55 AM CDT
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A magnitude 4.5 earthquake rattled southern Illinois early this morning in the strongest aftershock since the area was shaken by Friday’s 5.2 tremor, CNN reports. The rumble was centered in the same spot as last week's quake near the town of Mount Carmel, and began after midnight. No damage has been reported. Some 18 shakers followed Friday's...
DNA Tests on Polygamists Begin
Houston Chronicle
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Apr 21, 2008 4:37 AM CDT
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Texas officials begin taking DNA samples today from 416 children removed from a polygamist sect and from adults who lived with them. The tests will be used to sort out the parentage of the children in the confusing mix of families with multiple mothers on the sprawling Eldorado ranch, reports the Houston Chronicle.
Bank of England Launches Mortgage Swap Plan
BBC
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Apr 21, 2008 4:00 AM CDT
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Commercial banks will be allowed to temporarily swap some $100 billion in troublesome mortgages for securities backed by Britain's central bank under a plan announced today, the Wall Street Journal reports. The move by the Bank of England, aimed at boosting liquidity and confidence in the banking system, follows similar action by the US Federal...
Gore's New Hard Truth: Nothing Is Changing
Sun (UK)
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Apr 21, 2008 3:36 AM CDT
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Despite the impact of his movie, An Inconvenient Truth , the success of Live Earth concerts and news stories about melting ice caps, little has changed and action is needed more urgently than ever to stem global warming, Al Gore tells the Sun . The Nobel Prize-winning former vice president believes it's up to voters to demand their governments enact...
Blair's Deputy PM Reveals Bulimia Battle
Times (UK)
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Apr 21, 2008 3:15 AM CDT
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After publicizing his own stunning battle with bulimia yesterday, former British deputy prime minister John Prescott toured TV stations urging fellow sufferers to get help, reports the Times of London. “Do take advice, it can help you out of a lot of misery,” Prescott, 69, said in a BBC interview. The Labor leader details his condition...
Dior Vogue Shoot Is Cats Pajamas for Hello Kitty
Reuters
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Apr 21, 2008 2:45 AM CDT
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The newest icon to model the latest Dior designs is short, pudgy, and has stubby legs and facial hair. But that doesn't seem to bother Dior designer John Galliano, Reuters reports. The ubiquitous Japanese cartoon character Hello Kitty will be featured in the upcoming issue of Japanese Vogue— sporting new Dior duds, posing with Galliano and...
