Newser Story Index from May, 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.
'Sex and the City' Mania Builds
New York Times
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May 20, 2008 10:31 AM CDT
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Who knew? It's 10 days and counting until Sex and the City opens and the huge surge of interest in the movie has surprised even studio execs, the New York Times reports. In the kind of film fever usually associated with people in Chewbacca costumes, groups of women across the nation are gearing up to see the film "with the gang"—and...
Why Yahoo Should Sell— Before Microsoft Wakes Up
Wall Street Journal
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May 20, 2008 10:08 AM CDT
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Yahoo needs to sell to Microsoft, or it’ll wind up a cautionary tale, writes Dennis Berman in the Wall Street Journal. Yahoo currently trades at 48 times earnings—for comparison, GE trades at 15 times earnings, and Google at 33, even though both are growing faster than Yahoo’s sad 9% rate. Lagging in growth isn’t a recipe...
Owner Sues LiLo Over Lifted Mink
Associated Press
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May 20, 2008 9:48 AM CDT
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The Columbia student who claimed Lindsay Lohan swiped her $12,000 fur coat after a night at a New York club is now suing the troubled actress over the unauthorized pilfering, the AP reports. Maria Markova, 22, proved the theft with paparazzi photos of Lohan donning her golden mink and got it back after contacting LiLo’s lawyer. She seeks unspecified...
SEC Charges Ex-AOL Execs With Fraud
Wall Street Journal
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May 20, 2008 9:42 AM CDT
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The Securities & Exchange Commission has filed civil fraud charges against eight former AOL executives for allegedly inflating AOL's advertising revenues before its merger with Time Warner, the Wall Street Journal reports. The men are accused of giving firms money to buy ads on AOL that they didn't want or need in "round-trip' transactions.
Londoner Dies in Double-Decker Crash
Times (UK)
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May 20, 2008 9:14 AM CDT
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A double-decker bus crashed into a tree this morning near Tower Bridge, one of London's most famous landmarks, leaving one woman dead and 19 people injured. The victim was believed to be a pedestrian in her early 20s. Bystanders told the Times of London that the bus windows had been smashed and that the top deck of the bus had "pretty much...
Iraqi Army Rolls Into Sadr City
Los Angeles Times
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May 20, 2008 9:08 AM CDT
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Roughly 10,000 Iraqi troops peacefully marched deep into Sadr City today, the Baghdad ghetto that’s long been a stronghold for Muqtada al Sadr’s Mahdi Army. The incursion was part of a deal negotiated with Sadr last week, which allowed for inspections so long as the US wasn't involved. "It's like a normal day here," said one...
After Scandal, NYC Rep Won't Run Again
Associated Press
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May 20, 2008 8:58 AM CDT
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Vito Fossella, the Republican congressman whose drunk-driving bust earlier this month led to the discovery that he had a lover and child on the side, has decided not to run for reelection, the AP reports. He said today the decision was based on the need to "concentrate on healing the wounds that I have caused to my wife and family."
Kennedy Diagnosis Still in Works
Boston Herald
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May 20, 2008 8:39 AM CDT
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Sen. Ted Kennedy remains in a Boston hospital today, four days after a seizure whose cause remains undiagnosed, the Herald reports. Results of medical tests done on the 76-year-old Democrat are expected today; Kennedy is likely to stay at Massachusetts General for a few more days before returning to his Cape Cod home, a family spokeswoman said.
Lieberman Calls on Google to Cut Terrorist Clips
Associated Press
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May 20, 2008 8:30 AM CDT
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Sen. Joseph Lieberman yesterday urged Google to crack down on YouTube videos aimed at spreading terrorist messages, AP reports. The Connecticut senator cited al-Qaeda-produced clips that “show attacks on US forces in which American soldiers are injured and, in some cases, killed.” Google relies heavily on users to police the site, to which...
China Death Toll Nears 40,000
Guardian (UK)
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May 20, 2008 8:28 AM CDT
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The official quake death toll climbed to nearly 40,000 in China’s Sichuan province today, the Guardian reports, as foreign medical teams and equipment arrived on the scene. Relief efforts began shifting away from finding survivors to aiding the more than 200,000 injured and 5 million left homeless. Russia, Taiwan, Japan, the US, Germany, and...
Woody Allen Refuses to Quit: Blame Europe
Guardian (UK)
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May 20, 2008 8:17 AM CDT
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America may have spawned Woody Allen, but “the perpetuation of Allen's zombie-like career is one atrocity for which we refuse to be held accountable,” Joe Queenan argues in the Guardian . The diminutive director’s recent films have bombed stateside; when eight people showed up for a New York screening of Hollywood Ending , Queenan...
Dems Put Away Knives for Primaries
Washington Post
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May 20, 2008 8:01 AM CDT
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There’s an eerie calm over the Democratic battlefield ahead of tonight’s primaries in Oregon and Kentucky, as the candidates have reached a tentative détente. Clinton doesn’t want to be seen as hurting Obama’s chances in November, so she’s softened her tone considerably. But it’s a fragile peace that will...
Dalai Lama Won't Be Welcomed at 10 Downing
AFP
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May 20, 2008 7:50 AM CDT
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The Dalai Lama arrived in Britain today for an 11-day visit, during which he will give lectures and meet with senior religious and political figures. Gordon Brown won acclaim at the height of the Olympic torch protests for agreeing to meet the Tibetan leader. But now, writes AFP, the PM is under fire for an element of protocol: the meeting will not...
Katie Cruises to Broadway
Associated Press
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May 20, 2008 7:35 AM CDT
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Actress Katie Holmes is headed for Broadway, where she'll make her theatrical debut in the fall in Arthur Miller's Tony-winning play All My Sons , reports the Los Angeles Times . It's a risky step for Mrs. Tom Cruise, who hasn't appeared onstage since high school. She'll star alongside two-time Tony winner John Lithgow and two-time Oscar winner Dianne...
Bladerunner Sets Sights on 2012 Olympics
Associated Press
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May 20, 2008 7:13 AM CDT
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Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius finally got the go-ahead to compete in the Olympics, but it took so long the 21-year-old Paralympic world record holder who runs on carbon fiber blades says he may not be able to make the cut for Beijing, and the London Olympics now appear more realistic. Pistorius says months of travel, tests, and "marathon...
'Disaster Fatigue' Shuts US Wallets
Associated Press
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May 20, 2008 7:00 AM CDT
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Americans’ donations to disaster relief this year fall far short of money given to victims of the 2004 tsunami and Hurricane Katrina—and it’s likely due to “disaster fatigue," say experts. With tragedies like Burma’s cyclone and China’s earthquake quickly piling up, people may feel they can’t make a difference,...
Slumping Popcorn Sales Will Pop Ticket Prices
Advertising Age
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May 20, 2008 6:49 AM CDT
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Movie tickets have long been partly subsidized by popcorn sales, but that business model is set to pop as the price of corn soars, Advertising Age reports. As moviegoers pass up the pricey snack, cinemas will need to hike ticket charges to cover the difference. One expert on the movie biz thinks ticket prices could climb as much as 30% this year.
Belichick Needs to Be Suspended
ESPN
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May 20, 2008 6:19 AM CDT
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ESPN.com columnist Gregg Easterbrook is tired of Spygate, the Patriots videotaping scandal, but not so weary of it to forgive and forget. He argues that the NFL will have to deal with the imbroglio until New England coach Bill Belichick is properly punished. The $500,000 fine and forfeiture of a first round draft pick are not enough for Easterbrook,...
Sect Parents Slam 'Vague' Custody Plans
Associated Press
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May 20, 2008 5:53 AM CDT
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Hearings for the biggest child custody case in American history began yesterday and members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints weren't happy with proceedings, the AP reports. Parents of the more than 460 children in state custody complained that the court's recommendations were too generalized and showed them no clear...
Tutu Pleads for End to Immigrant Attacks
Associated Press
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May 20, 2008 5:03 AM CDT
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Archbishop Desmond Tutu pleaded yesterday with his South African countrymen to end a vicious surge of anti-immigrant violence that has killed at least 22 people, AP reports. Extra police were sent to squatter camps as roaming mobs continued to stab, beat and burn immigrant workers in some of the worst bloodshed the country has seen since apartheid....
Yank Among 4 Found 'Executed' in Baja
CNN
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May 20, 2008 4:40 AM CDT
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The bodies of four people apparently killed execution-style, including at least one American, were found in the popular Mexico tourist state of Baja California, reports CNN. The decomposing remains were found just 20 miles south of the US border. Two of the victims were in a car with California plates. Police believe the killings may be linked to a...
The Fittest Guys in America
Men's Fitness
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May 20, 2008 4:12 AM CDT
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Barack Obama has already nailed one nomination. He's cruised onto a list of the fittest guys in America. His 16-hour days on the campaign trail, early morning workouts at hotel gyms, brisk 45-minute runs and pick-up basketball games put him in some super-fit company, according to the list compiled by Men's Fitness magazine. Golfer Tiger Woods is...
UK Approves Research on Human-Animal Embryos
Telegraph (UK)
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May 20, 2008 3:40 AM CDT
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British legislators have voted to allow scientists to create hybrid human-animal embryos for stem cell research, the Daily Telegraph reports. The new laws will give British scientists more freedom to pursue hybrid research than those of any other country. The vote passed by a huge margin after supporters of the research argued that it could someday...
US Navy Jet Buzzes Curacao, Venezuela Furious
CNN
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May 20, 2008 3:19 AM CDT
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A US Navy drug-patrol plane violated Venuzuelan airspace Saturday night, exacerbating the already-tense relationship between the two nations. The S-3 Viking, used to spot and attack drug-running ships, flew over the line near the island of Curacao, reports CNN. The pilot realized he made a navigational error, contacted a Venezuela tower...
US Shooters Hit By Soaring Bullet Prices
Reuters
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May 20, 2008 2:57 AM CDT
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Gun users across the US are having to tighten their ammo belts as bullet prices soar, Reuters reports. Sky-high worldwide demand for copper, lead and zinc means the price of most bullets has shot up two to three times in the last couple of years. Add to that competition for ammo from the US military, engaged in two wars. Budget-conscious shooters are...
Cellphone Sales Drop
Wall Street Journal
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May 20, 2008 2:35 AM CDT
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The cellphone market is experiencing a significant sales slide, with the most serious decline so far among lower-income users, reports the Wall Street Journal. Studies reveal first quarter sales dips ranging from 5% to 22%. Analysts expect growth to slow even further. The market may be reaching saturation with 83% of Americans owning cellphones.
Flyers' Exit Extends Philly's Title Drought to 100 Seasons
Sports Illustrated
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May 20, 2008 2:30 AM CDT
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The Flyers’ elimination from the NHL playoffs was more than the end to a hockey season in Philadelphia—it was the 100th consecutive season to see one of the local teams came up short of a championship. “Fans have been conditioned for failure,” suggests Sports Illustrated , which chronicles the 100 worst moments in Philadelphia...
Slow Start Lands Yankees in Unfamiliar AL East Cellar
USA Today
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May 20, 2008 2:10 AM CDT
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Last place is unfamiliar territory for the Yankees. Since 1912 the Bronx Bombers have only finished there twice, compared to 26 world titles. This year, however, they have bungled their way to a 20-24 record and find themselves looking up, record-wise in the AL, not only at division foes like the Tampa Bay Rays but also at the Royals and the Athletics,...
Lester Throws No-Hitter
Associated Press
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May 19, 2008 9:10 PM CDT
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Jon Lester can now add pitching a no-hitter to his already amazing list of accomplishments. The 24-year-old lefty, who survived cancer to pitch the clincher of Boston's 2007 World Series victory, shut down Kansas City 7-0 Monday night for the first no-hitter in the majors this season. "Really, words can't describe it right now," Lester said.
Microsoft Aims for Yahoo's Search Ad Biz
Wall Street Journal
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May 19, 2008 9:09 PM CDT
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Microsoft's new offer to Yahoo includes breaking up the company and buying its search-advertising business, notions that have left Yahoo execs cold, the Wall Street Journal reports. Under the plan, Yahoo would sell its Asian assets and let Microsoft buy a minority stake in what's left of the company.
Thousands Flee After New Quake Warning
Reuters
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May 19, 2008 8:39 PM CDT
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A new quake warning sent thousands of frightened Chinese running into the streets of Chengdu today, Reuters reports. With nerves still raw from last week's disaster, drivers jammed roads and people dragged their bedding into open spaces. A 5.0 aftershock in Pingwu County also sent buildings swaying in Chengdu, roughly 150 km from the epicenter.
Surprise! Foreign Policy, Round 1, Goes to Obama
Guardian (UK)
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May 19, 2008 8:19 PM CDT
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Barack Obama 1, Republicans 0—and on foreign policy, no less. Michael Tomasky marvels in the Guardian at Obama's recent clash with President Bush, who blasted Obama for proposing talks with Iran "without preconditions." Aren't Democrats supposed to be easy targets on foreign policy? Apparently not when they fire back boldly, bring...
Hello, China: Meet Japan's New Envoy
Associated Press
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May 19, 2008 8:00 PM CDT
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Hello Kitty has been tapped as Japan’s cultural envoy to China, the AP reports. Japan’s ministry of tourism chose the über-popular icon to represent the country in its drive to attract 10 million annual visitors to the islands. Last year, tourists from China and Hong Kong made up 16.5% of Japan's 8.35 million overseas visitors.
Homosexuality: It's Perfectly Natural
LiveScience
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May 19, 2008 7:28 PM CDT
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It may throw a wrench in Noah's ark-stocking plans, but same-sex relationships appear in many animal species, reports LiveScience.com. The long list of animals that practice gay sex includes bears, penguins, gorillas, and dolphins, among others. But scientists question the act's evolutionary purpose, because it doesn't aid in reproduction. It may be...
Debate Swirls Over Purple Heart for PTSD
Military Times
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May 19, 2008 7:11 PM CDT
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Members of the US military are debating whether Purple Heart medals should go to troops with post-traumatic stress disorder, the Military Times reports. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said, "It’s clearly something that needs to be looked at,” but foes argue it would devalue the honor for those wounded in battle. Proponents say...
38 Phishers Charged in US and Romania
PC World
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May 19, 2008 6:51 PM CDT
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A US grand jury has charged 38 Americans and Romanians with stealing credit and debit card numbers in an online phishing scheme, PC World reports. The culprits allegedly sent out emails that resembled official documents, asking people to cough up personal data and account numbers—which they did, by the thousands.
Greek Claims 'Last' Van Gogh
Guardian (UK)
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May 19, 2008 6:35 PM CDT
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A painting under examination in Greece is being billed as the last work of Vincent van Gogh, the Guardian reports. Seized by the Nazis from French Jews, then "liberated" by Greek resistance fighters in 1944, the work appears to be a third portrait of van Gogh’s physician, Dr. Gachet—though a notebook found with the portrait...
Romney: Ex-McCain Basher, Now Groveler-in-Chief
New Republic
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May 19, 2008 6:21 PM CDT
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Mitt Romney has become so humble since bowing out to John McCain that he is now “the groveler”-in-chief, Eve Fairbanks writes in the New Republic . “Has ever a politician gone so cheerfully into defeat,” she asks? The two men were openly hostile on the trail, but now Romney is praising McCain as a “big dog” to Democratic...
Aren't All Men Secret Spitzers?
New York
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May 19, 2008 6:06 PM CDT
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How many husbands reacted to Eliot Spitzer's downfall by pretending to be appalled, hiding their porn, and praying their own similar indiscretions wouldn't come to light? Philip Weiss emailed 50 married men and visited a few experts to confirm his suspicion, based on personal experience, which he shares in New York magazine: Men are dogs. Like the...
Science Smackdowns Aid Search for 'Bill Gates 2.0'
Christian Science Monitor
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May 19, 2008 5:57 PM CDT
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With the days when the space program inspired American students to embrace science and math a distant memory, the US is counting on competition among schoolkids to return the country as a whole to a leading role, the Christian Science Monitor reports. High-level science fairs and math bowls are potential tools "to make science and math ...
Vt. Town Sheds Inhibitions, Puts Them Back On
Wall Street Journal
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May 19, 2008 5:45 PM CDT
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Whether shopping, bicycling, hula-hooping, or demonstrating for PETA, people in Brattleboro, Vt., have witnessed a rash of nakedness, the Wall Street Journal reports. Public nudity is generally legal in Vermont, but a spontaneous act of nakedness by three 20-year-olds two summers ago sparked a trend that made many residents uncomfortable and prompted...
Domestic Spying Shuts Down US Foundation
Salon
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May 19, 2008 5:30 PM CDT
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The Al-Haramain foundation was wiretapped, raided, closed down, and had its accounts frozen 4 years ago for allegedly funding terrorists. The Ashland, Ore. group's leaders landed in legal and financial jeopardy, but to this day have not seen the evidence against them. Salon dissects the case as an example of Washington's Kafkaesque domestic spying...
Apology for Shooting Koran Doesn't Close Case
Los Angeles Times
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May 19, 2008 5:15 PM CDT
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The US military's swift disciplining of an Army sniper who used a Koran for target practice reflects growing awareness of the need to forge bonds with the Sunni Arabs, whose cooperation is crucial to peace in Iraq, the LA Times reports. But apologies and discipline aren't enough for an influential political party that today called for "the severest...
Clinton: Great White Hope?
Los Angeles Times
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May 19, 2008 4:52 PM CDT
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Working-class whites, as "a social category," fear a loss of definition and power, and that might be lead them to support Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama, Gregory Rodriguez writes in the Los Angeles Times . This isn't white supremacy; "in fact it might be its opposite, an acknowledgment that white privilege has its limits,"...
Wreck Flattens Oreos; No Trace of Girl Scouts
Chicago Tribune
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May 19, 2008 4:38 PM CDT
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An Illinois freeway got an unscheduled repaving this morning when a truck crash dumped 20,000 pounds of Oreos onto I-80, the Chicago Tribune reports. Police are still investigating what caused the big rig to hit a median, so no word on whether the driver (who was unhurt) had eaten more than his share of the treats—or if he'd been ambushed by...
10 Score Later, America Still Loves Lincoln
Newsweek
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May 19, 2008 4:36 PM CDT
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Honest Abe may be gone, but an industry of books, debates, and a Spielberg biopic are all alive and well. With Abraham Lincoln's bicentennial coming next year, all three White House hopefuls have invoked his name, and the US Mint is issuing pennies to honor states where he lived. "He changed America's views through his verbiage and thoughts,"...
Robert Byrd Endorses Obama
Charleston Gazette
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May 19, 2008 4:24 PM CDT
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West Virginia's Robert Byrd, the longest-serving senator ever and a former Ku Klux Klansman, today endorsed Barack Obama, calling him “a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian.” The 90-year-old, who's fourth in line for the presidency, threw his support behind Obama one week after his state voted for Hillary Clinton by a 41-point margin,...
Pregnancy Stress Ups Kid's Asthma Risk
Reuters
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May 19, 2008 4:12 PM CDT
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Stress an expectant mother experiences can increase her child’s predisposition to allergies and asthma, Reuters reports. Mothers-to-be with high stress levels gave birth to babies with high levels of an immune compound involved in the allergenic response, Harvard researchers found—even when their environmental exposure to allergens was...
Japan's Arcades Fall Before Mighty Wii
Reuters
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May 19, 2008 4:00 PM CDT
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Japan’s arcades are in trouble, Reuters reports. For years, they’ve been immune to the ravages plaguing arcades elsewhere, but the $6.9 billion industry has met its match in the Nintendo Wii. A new generation of game consoles, coupled with an explosion of high-end TVs, has made the arcade experience easy to recreate at home—leading...
Oregon Demographics Typify Dem Divide
Boston Globe
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May 19, 2008 3:47 PM CDT
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Oregon’s primary tomorrow finds the Democratic race at its most typical, with Barack Obama hoping to get a bigger slice of the blue-collar vote and Hillary Clinton trying to break further into the white-collar one. The progressive, urban, western part of the state and the rural east have little in common, the Boston Globe reports, and are at...
