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.
New Tech Spins Silk Like a Spider
BBC
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Apr 29, 2008 10:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A German team has created a device that spins silk like a spider, producing material five times stronger than steel. The fiber produced is of poor quality, but the new process is a step toward the goal of cheap, artificial spider silk. "It adds a piece to the puzzle but it's a very big puzzle and there are many pieces missing," an Oxford...
Spring Art Auctions Surrounded by Crash Talk
Slate
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Apr 29, 2008 10:25 AM CDT
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It's auction season again in the art world, and Sotheby's and Christie's have put record estimates on dozens of paintings. Despite warnings in the media of an imminent crash, prices of fine art seem to be impervious to the global economic downturn. It's enough to make one writer at Slate wonder: Are observers of the art market rooting for a collapse?
More Say 'I Do' for Health Plans
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 29, 2008 10:12 AM CDT
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Health-insurance worries have gotten so serious they're pushing some Americans up the aisle, the Los Angeles Times reports. In a new survey, 7% of people said they or somebody in their household had married in the last year to get health benefits. The survey also found that health-care worries trumped concerns over housing costs, food prices, and...
DNA Confirms It: Man Fathered Own Grandkids
CNN
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Apr 29, 2008 9:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
DNA testing has confirmed the bizarre tale of Josef Fritzl, who confessed to imprisoning his now-42-year-old daughter Elisabeth in his basement for 24 years and fathering seven children by her. The test confirms the parentage of all six surviving kids —one twin died shortly after childbirth, CNN reports. The children apparently believed that...
Labour Will Lose London, Final Poll Says
Guardian (UK)
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Apr 29, 2008 9:21 AM CDT
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With 48 hours to go before the election, a final poll gives Boris Johnson a 10-point edge in the race for mayor of London. The shambolic Tory is poised to romp to victory over incumbent Ken Livingstone Thursday, according to the pollster YouGov. The finding is completely at odds with other surveys, which have consistently judged the race too close...
Clinton, Obama Split on Federal Gas Tax 'Vacation'
New York Times
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Apr 29, 2008 9:06 AM CDT
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Hillary Clinton has joined John McCain's call for a summer holiday from the federal gasoline tax, but Barack Obama says the move will hurt more than it helps, the New York Times reports. Clinton says she’d pay for it with a windfall-profits tax on the oil companies. “Middle-class families are paying too much and oil companies aren’t...
New Grand Theft May Shatter Sales Records Today
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 29, 2008 8:55 AM CDT
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Everyone’s favorite controversy magnet is coming back to consoles—and it’s going to make a lot of money. Grand Theft Auto IV went on sale today, and it’s expected to shatter sales records, the Wall Street Journal reports. One analyst predicts $400 million in its first week. An opening like that could change the fortunes of...
Clinton Backer Behind Wright Speech
New York Daily News
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Apr 29, 2008 8:42 AM CDT
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Hillary Clinton can't be sorry to have Jeremiah Wright back in the news. So it’s interesting that the pastor’s defiant speech and press conference yesterday was scheduled and organized by Barbara Reynolds, an ordained minister, ex- USA Today editor, and ardent Clinton supporter. Reynolds wrote on her blog that by voting for Clinton she...
Raul Castro Empties Cuba's Death Row
Reuters
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Apr 29, 2008 8:31 AM CDT
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New Cuban president Raul Castro has commuted all but three of the country's death sentences to prison terms of 30 years to life, reports Reuters. Castro, who also has been gradually easing the country's restrictions on daily life, said the death penalty would remain on the books to deter "imperialist mercenaries." The three prisoners remaining...
Bear Bailout Called 'Worst Mistake in a Generation'
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 29, 2008 8:18 AM CDT
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A former top-ranking Fed official has called the central bank's decision to bail out Bear Stearns its "worst mistake in a generation," the Wall Street Journal reports. The official, former chief of monetary policy, compares the hasty move to errors that helped trigger the Great Depression. He accused officials of ignoring other options,...
What a Drag! Ronaldo In Transvestite Flap
Reuters
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Apr 29, 2008 8:07 AM CDT
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Soccer virtuoso Ronaldo was questioned by police in Rio de Janeiro yesterday after an altercation in a motel with transvestite prostitutes, Reuters reports. The star of AC Milan and the Brazilian national team took three call girls to the motel, only to discover that they were men in drag, according to cops. Ronaldo then offered them $600 each to close...
Will Tax Rebates Boost Economy? Test Starts Today
New York Times
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Apr 29, 2008 7:58 AM CDT
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The first tax rebates designed to kick-start the economy should begin arriving in bank accounts today. The Treasury Department has begun sending electronic rebates to nearly 8 million people by the end of this week, and some 130 million checks will go out via snail mail in May. President Bush hopes taxpayers will spend the cash—up to $600 for...
Iranian Lawman Blasts Barbie
BBC
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Apr 29, 2008 7:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barbie, Batman, and Harry Potter have no place in the Islamic Republic of Iran, says the nation's top prosecutor. He warned of the "social danger" that toys and other Western cultural imports pose to his country and has called for a ban, the BBC reports. Barbie is a big seller in Iran, and the country's little girls haven't been as keen on...
Virginia Mops Up After Twisters
Virginian-Pilot
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Apr 29, 2008 7:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Virginia is digging out and cleaning up today after at least three tornadoes walloped the state, injuring hundreds and ripping through several counties. The Suffolk area was the worst hit, with dozens of homes and businesses wrecked and thousands left without power, reports the Virginian-Pilot. Virginia has declared a state of emergency in the affected...
Scientists Slim Down, Speed Up Mice by Stripping Enzyme
BBC
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Apr 29, 2008 7:28 AM CDT
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Australian scientists have made a breakthrough that could lead to treatments for obesity and diabetes, the BBC reports. Researchers removed an enzyme in fat cells of mice and found it sped up their metabolisms. The mice with altered cells were an average of 20% lighter than normal mice and had up to 60% less body fat. They also appeared to have...
'Post-Fascist' Elected Mayor of Rome
Times (UK)
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Apr 29, 2008 7:07 AM CDT
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After decades of center-left rule, the city of Rome elected a rightwinger with a past in a neo-Fascist group as mayor yesterday. Gianni Alemanno, whose party calls itself "post-Fascist," won a runoff election for control of the Italian capital, handily beating the country's outgoing deputy prime minister. Alemanno has promised to expel 20,000...
Deutsche Bank Posts $220M Loss—First in 5 Years
Financial Times (UK)
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Apr 29, 2008 6:41 AM CDT
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Deutsche Bank posted its first quarterly loss in 5 years today, reflecting the impact of the credit crisis on its investment banking activities. Germany's largest bank reported a net loss of $220 million and admitted that the short-term outlook for the firm remained highly uncertain. Deutsche also took $4.2 billion in writedowns, writes the Financial...
Filthy Barracks Video Sparks Clean Up
ABC News
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Apr 29, 2008 6:25 AM CDT
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The Pentagon ordered filthy barracks at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and garrisons throughout the US Army cleaned up after a soldier's father posted embarrassing images of foul living conditions on YouTube. The dad welcomed his 22-year-old son home safe from Afghanistan, but was horrified by the living conditions at Fort Bragg documented in his son's...
Virtual Kidnap Latest Crime Wave in Mexico
New York Times
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Apr 29, 2008 6:02 AM CDT
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Mexican crooks are putting a new twist on an old crime with "virtual kidnapping," the New York Times reports. The criminals are cashing in on the widespread fear of kidnapping by calling families and pretending to have snatched a loved one—usually a child—for ransom. Many panicked parents pay up before they realize that their...
OPEC Head Warns Oil Could Hit $200 a Barrel
Telegraph (UK)
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Apr 29, 2008 5:26 AM CDT
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The president of the oil-producing cartel OPEC has warned that the price of the black gold could spike as high as $200 a barrel. As crude hovered just below the $120 barrier, Chakib Khelil told an Algerian newspaper that disruptions in production in Britain and Nigeria, coupled with a weak dollar and investor speculation, will keep prices rising.
Austrian Incest Father Nabbed Earlier in Sex Crime
Times (UK)
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Apr 29, 2008 4:45 AM CDT
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An Austrian man accused of imprisoning his daughter as a sex slave in a dungeon for 24 years and fathering her seven children is a convicted sex offender, the London Times reports. No details were immediately available, but neighbors reported avoiding the home of Josef Fritzl, 73, because of rumors he had raped a woman.
Computer Brainiac Guilty of Wife's Murder
San Francisco Chronicle
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Apr 29, 2008 4:03 AM CDT
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A brilliant California computer programmer was found guilty of murdering his estranged wife yesterday—despite the fact that her body was never found. "I've been the best father that I know how," shouted Hans Reiser, 44, after the verdict, reports the San Francisco Chronicle . His wife's blood was found in Reiser's car and home. "We...
UK Intelligence 'Sent Citizens to Be Tortured'
Guardian (UK)
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Apr 29, 2008 3:40 AM CDT
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British intelligence officers have been accused of sending citizens to a Pakistani agency to be tortured, reports the Guardian. MI5 officials requested Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency to arrest British terror suspects in the country, where they were subjected to beatings, whippings, sleep deprivation and fingernail extraction,...
Brain Training Can Boost Smarts
Wired
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Apr 29, 2008 3:13 AM CDT
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Software claiming to improve intelligence has met with market success in recent years— along with plenty of skepticism—but sales could now get a boost with the discovery that it really is possible to improve general intelligence with mental gymnastics. Researchers had thought so-called "fluid intelligence" was purely genetic,...
Serious Side Effects Linked to Avandia, Fosamax
Reuters
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Apr 29, 2008 2:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Two new studies have linked the popular prescription drugs Fosamax and Avandia to serious side effects, Reuters reports. Fosamax, prescribed for osteoporosis, has been tied to a type of abnormal heartbeat that can cause dizziness and fatigue. Another study links Avandia, used to treat diabetes, to a double or even triple risk of broken limbs after...
Lakers Sweep Nuggets
Associated Press
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Apr 29, 2008 1:50 AM CDT
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No surrender on this night. No matter, the Los Angeles Lakers dispatched the tempestuous Denver Nuggets anyway. Kobe Bryant scored 14 of his 31 points over the final 5 1/2 minutes Monday night, leading the Lakers to a 107-101 victory over the Nuggets and a sweep of their first-round series.
Cain Finally Catches a Break Over Rockies
Associated Press
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Apr 29, 2008 1:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Matt Cain got an early lead and his teammates held it, helping San Francisco's hard-luck pitcher to his first win of 2008 with a 4-0 victory over the slumping Colorado Rockies on Monday night. Giants manager Bruce Bochy moved past former San Francisco skipper Felipe Alou for most victories by a foreign-born manager in major league history with 1,034.
Athletics Rout Angels 14-2
Associated Press
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Apr 29, 2008 1:34 AM CDT
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Frank Thomas tripled for the first time in six years, Daric Barton hit a three-run homer and the Oakland Athletics took over the AL West lead from the Los Angeles Angels with a 14-2 rout of the defending division champions Monday night in the opener of a four-game series. Jack Hannahan and Emil Brown also homered for the Athletics, who have won eight...
Person Familiar with Decision Says Brown to Coach Bobcats
Associated Press
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Apr 29, 2008 1:34 AM CDT
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Well-traveled Larry Brown has reached an agreement to return to the NBA as coach of the Charlotte Bobcats, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Monday. The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has not been made, said Brown was expected to sign a contract on Tuesday.
Dan Haren Pitches D-backs to 5-3 Win Over Astros
Associated Press
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Apr 29, 2008 12:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Dan Haren pitched into the eighth inning and hit an RBI double, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks past the Houston Astros 5-3 on Monday night. Haren (4-1) scattered five hits over a season-high 7 2-3 innings and Mark Reynolds hit a two-run double for the Diamondbacks, who improved their major league-leading record to 19-7.
Johnson, Hawks Surprise Celtics Again 97-92
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2008 11:30 PM CDT
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Forget about a Boston sweep. The Hawks are headed back to Beantown all tied up with the mighty Celtics. Joe Johnson scored 35 points—20 in the fourth quarter—and Josh Smith added 28 points and seven blocks for Atlanta, which surprised the Celtics again 97-92 on Monday night to even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.
Encarnacion Leads Reds Over Cards
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2008 11:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Edwin Encarnacion had a pair of RBI doubles and made a standout play at third base in the seventh inning to preserve a one-run lead in the Cincinnati Reds' 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night. Bronson Arroyo (1-3) worked six solid innings for the Reds, who won their first series opener after losing the first nine.
Orioles, ChiSox Suspended in Tie After 11 Innings
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2008 11:22 PM CDT
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The Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox were tied at 3 when play was suspended after 11 innings Monday because of rain. The game will resume later this season, but no date was immediately announced. All the statistics from Monday count. Juan Uribe hit a solo homer in the 11th off Baltimore closer George Sherrill, his first blown save in 10 chances...
Will Robinson, 1st Black Coach in Division I, Dies at 96
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2008 11:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Will Robinson, the first black basketball coach at a Division I school and a Detroit Pistons scout who discovered Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman, died Monday. He was 96. Robinson died at a Detroit hospital, Pistons spokesman Matt Dobek said. Robinson had been sick for 15 months and in a nursing home for more than a year, Dobek added.
Magic Ousts Raptors in 5 Games
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2008 10:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Dwight Howard had 21 points and 21 rebounds and the Orlando Magic advanced to second round of the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, beating the Toronto Raptors 102-92 on Monday night to close out their series in five games. It was Howard's third game with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in the series.
Mussina Hurls Yanks Past Tribe, 5-2
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2008 10:38 PM CDT
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Mike Mussina earned his 253rd win, tying Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell on the career list, and the New York Yankees made the most of their five hits in a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Monday night. Mussina (3-3) allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings, just long enough to catch Hubbell for 41st place.
Yankees Place Posada on DL for First Time
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2008 10:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The New York Yankees took the field Monday missing a familiar face: Jorge Posada, the club's proud catcher and one of its leaders, was in Alabama getting his injured right shoulder examined. Posada was placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his career, ending a remarkable run of durability at baseball's most physically demanding position.
Flyers Chase Price for 2-1 Series Lead
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2008 10:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
"Mar-ty! "Mar-ty!" "Mar-ty!" That's a sound the Flyers want to hear all the way to the Stanley Cup. Martin Biron stopped 32 shots and the Flyers scored three goals in the second period to beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Monday night, taking a 2-1 lead in their second-round series.
Giants Send Zito to Bullpen
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2008 10:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barry Zito was demoted to the bullpen Monday by the San Francisco Giants, who hope the former ace can correct his problems by working in relief. Zito, who only 16 months ago signed a $126 million, seven-year contract with the Giants to lead their rotation, was informed of the move in a meeting with manager Bruce Bochy.
Riley Resigns as Miami Coach
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2008 10:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
On the night of his last game as an NBA head coach, Pat Riley heard the final buzzer, looked straight ahead and briskly walked away. Deep down, he knew it was over. "I didn't have to look back," Riley said. "I know that's behind me." And now, Riley's past becomes Erik Spoelstra's future.
Who Are You Calling 'Devil Dog'?
Marine Corps Times
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Apr 28, 2008 8:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Once used with pride, the Marines moniker "Devil Dog" now has a nasty bite to it, the Marine Corps Times reports. Young Marines recoil at the term that troops earned by fighting off Germans in a bloody World War I battle. They say it reminds them of angry COs: "It's a preface to getting your ass chewed," one Marine major said.
What the Candidates Should Be Talking About
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 28, 2008 8:23 PM CDT
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Quick, before the public completely loses interest: Let’s leave aside “guns, bitterness, race, religion, geriatric radicals and other trivia,” and turn to real presidential political issues, Los Angeles Times editors write. They pose some questions that most need answering: For John McCain: You voted against giving workers...
Spitzer Hooker Sues Girls Gone Wild for $10M
People
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Apr 28, 2008 8:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The call girl who once serviced New York's governor is now charging $10 million—in a lawsuit against Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis, People reports. Ashley Alexandra Dupré alleges that Francis persuaded her to be filmed topless when she was underage and exploited her name and image for profit.
Obama Donor List Is 'Gigantic'
Bloomberg
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Apr 28, 2008 8:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama’s massive donor and networking list—stuffed with data on 2 million people—will make him a major power broker even if his campaign falters, Bloomberg reports. Unlike past hopefuls, Obama has inspired donors to reveal addresses, phone numbers, and even views on specific issues. "It's gigantic," a database company...
Facebook Shopping for Grownup Execs
Forbes
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Apr 28, 2008 7:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After some high-profile blunders, Facebook is looking for older and more seasoned executives to round out its team. Former Google veep Sheryl Sandberg has already joined up, and the social-networking site is looking for a new general counsel and a vice president of communications and public policy, Forbes reports.
Wright's Reappearance Is Good News for Obama
Slate
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Apr 28, 2008 7:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jeremiah Wright’s return to the limelight looks bad for Barack Obama at first blush, but in fact it may be helping the hopeful: Wright is distancing himself from Obama (and mocking his role as a “spiritual advisor”) as he redirects attention to the black church, Christopher Beam writes on Slate.
Photographer Defends 'Classic Portrait' of Miley
CNN
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Apr 28, 2008 7:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Photographer Annie Leibovitz is defending her controversial picture of 15-year-old Miley Cyrus, saying the shot for Vanity Fair has been "misinterpreted," CNN reports. "The photograph is a simple, classic portrait," Leibovitz said of the picture of a topless Cyrus with a towel covering her breasts. "I think it is very beautiful."
Sierra Madre Blaze Rages On
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 28, 2008 6:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A California wildfire that has sparked mass evacuations kept burning up Sierra Madre today, the Los Angeles Times reports. Officials said the blaze was 23% contained, compared to 30% last night, and four of 580 firefighters have suffered minor injuries—but there are no fatalities so far. The fire now consumes 500 acres and has edged "downhill...
Half of Sect's Teens Have Been Pregnant
Houston Chronicle
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Apr 28, 2008 6:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Of 53 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 taken from a polygamist sect in Texas, 31 have had children or are pregnant, the Houston Chronicle reports. Officials announced that the last of the 463 minors taken from the El Dorado ranch had been bused to foster homes after an appellate court denied the mothers’ motion for emergency relief.
Twisters Rip Through Virginia
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2008 5:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Virginia twisters struck downtown Suffolk early today, injuring at least 200 people, AP reports. Early reports said one person was killed but police later said the death was unrelated. One tornado struck the city multiple times, damaging a hospital and nearby homes. Twisters also ripped up trees, felled power lines, and caused flooding, leaving some...
