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.
Last Chance for Gossip Girl Network?
Wall Street Journal
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May 16, 2008 3:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A ratings dip is threatening the CW network, sparking chatter that the newbie operation might not make it past year three, the Wall Street Journal reports. Despite the buzz about its racy teen drama Gossip Girl, CW has lost 28% of its young adult target audience. A critical problem is that younger viewers tend to watch shows like Gossip Girl...
CDC: Older Americans Need Shingles Vaccines
HealthDay News
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May 16, 2008 3:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The CDC is recommending that all adults age 60 and older get vaccinated against shingles, a common condition that can result in chronic plan, the Washington Post reports. Research has found that the recommended Merck vaccine reduces the occurrence of shingles by some 50% in this age group. Only those with immunodeficiency diseases should not be vaccinated,...
Portugal PM Gets Heat for Smoking on Plane
Guardian (UK)
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May 16, 2008 2:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Portugal banned smoking in public places five months ago but the country's prime minister appears to have forgotten the rule his own government enacted. Jose Socrates—known to be a smoker in private—stunned passengers and triggered an uproar when he blithely lit up in the first-class cabin of a TAP flight from Lisbon to Caracas.
Thome's RBI Single Helps White Sox Top Angels 4-3
Associated Press
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May 16, 2008 1:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jim Thome hit a go-ahead RBI single in the ninth inning, A.J. Pierzynski's RBI double capped a three-run second against Jon Garland, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 last night. Pierzynski led off the ninth with his third hit, a double against Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez (0-1). Prior to last night he was 0-13 in...
D'backs Beat Rockies, Webb Improves to 9-0
Associated Press
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May 16, 2008 1:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Backed by Stephen Drew's career-high four hits, Brandon Webb became the major leagues' first nine-game winner when the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Colorado Rockies 8-5 last night. Webb (9-0) – who has won his first nine starts - allowed three runs on six hits, walked one and struck out eight. He has now won 11 straight starts dating to...
Nationals Outlast Mets 1-0
ESPN
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May 16, 2008 12:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jason Bergmann never got a chance to plead his case to stay in the game after seven shutout innings. No matter. The pinch hitter who replaced him made Bergmann a winner. Willie Harris helped put Washington ahead with a key sacrifice bunt, then saved the slick-fielding Nationals by making a sensational catch in the ninth inning of yesterday's 1-0 victory...
Royals Sweep Tigers for Second Time This Season
Associated Press
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May 16, 2008 12:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jose Guillen homered and drove in three runs, Gil Meche pitched seven solid innings and the Kansas City Royals beat Detroit 8-4 yesterday to sweep the Tigers. Kansas City won its season-best fourth straight and improved to 6-0 this season against the Tigers, who have lost four in a row and 10 of 12 while falling into last place in the AL Central.
Pinch-Hitting Inglett Lift Jays Over Twins
ESPN
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May 16, 2008 12:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Still stuck in last place and minus injured leader Vernon Wells, the streaky Toronto Blue Jays needed to reconstruct their confidence. This was a successful first step: A three-game sweep at Minnesota. Dustin McGowan survived his wildness without much damage, the bullpen was spotless and Joe Inglett picked up his first career pinch-hit lift the Blue...
Dodgers Top Brewers After Six-Run Seventh
Associated Press
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May 16, 2008 12:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Andruw Jones, Jeff Kent and Gary Bennett homered during a six-run seventh inning, leading Chad Billingsley and the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Milwaukee Brewers 7-2 yesterday. After Jones and Kent hit solo shots, Bennett capped the burst with a three-run homer. Billingsley (3-5) didn't allow a hit until Brewers starter Ben Sheets, a career .078 hitter,...
Astros Rally Past Giants
Associated Press
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May 15, 2008 11:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Lance Berkman splashed his major league-leading 15th home run into McCovey Cove, breaking a ninth-inning tie and helping the Houston Astros rally past the San Francisco Giants 8-7 last night. Houston came back from a 6-0 deficit to take three of four from the Giants, its first series win at San Francisco since a three-game sweep in September 2001.
Spurs Keep Hopes Alive; Win Over Hornets
Associated Press
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May 15, 2008 11:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The San Antonio Spurs' Big Three came through, but they'll still have to win one on the road to keep their title defense alive. Manu Ginobili scored 25 points, Tim Duncan had 20 points and 15 rebounds, and Tony Parker added 15 points in the Spurs' 99-80 victory over the New Orleans Hornets in Game 6 last night.
Hamels Goes Distance in Phillies' Shutout
Associated Press
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May 15, 2008 11:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Cole Hamels pitched his first career shutout, Ryan Howard homered and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 5-0 last night. Pedro Feliz and Shane Victorino also homered and drove in two runs each for Philly, who lead the majors with 59 homers. Hamels (5-3) gave up just four hits, struck out six and walked two in his first complete game...
Flyers Force Game 5
Associated Press
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May 15, 2008 10:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Pittsburgh Penguins' road to the Stanley Cup finals along the Pennsylvania Turnpike took an unexpected detour. The smooth ride through 12 playoff games got a bit bumpier when the Philadelphia Flyers staved off elimination from the Eastern Conference finals with a 4-2 victory Thursday night, forcing a Game 5 in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Kazmir Shines as Rays Beat Slumping Yankees 5-2
Associated Press
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May 15, 2008 10:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Scott Kazmir sparkled in his first start since agreeing to a $28.5 million contract extension, and the surprising Tampa Bay Rays dropped the New York Yankees into last place with a 5-2 victory Thursday. Kazmir allowed three singles in six scoreless innings, and Akinori Iwamura and Shawn Riggans homered off Ian Kennedy for the AL East-leading Rays.
Braun Agrees to 8 Years, $45M
Associated Press
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May 15, 2008 10:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ryan Braun grinned. He had just agreed to the largest contract in Milwaukee Brewers' history. "I really believe in the direction this franchise is headed," the NL Rookie of the Year said Thursday after his $45 million, eight-year deal was announced. "I'm extremely excited in our future."
Shania, Hubbie Split
People
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May 15, 2008 10:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Country crooner Shania Twain and her husband of 14 years are separating, her rep tells People . The 42-year-old singer married music producer Robert “Mutt” Lange, 59, six months after they met. In 2002, she told the magazine, “Our love has always been based on friendship and compatibility,” but “we are very different.”...
Dempster K's 12 to Lead Cubs Over Padres 4-0
Associated Press
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May 15, 2008 10:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ryan Dempster struck out a career-high 12 and hit a go-ahead single against Greg Maddux during a four-run fifth inning, leading the Chicago Cubs over the punchless Padres 4-0. Jim Edmonds singled in his debut with the Cubs, who won three of four from the team with the worst record in the major leagues (15-27).
Bay Lifts Pirates to Series Win
Associated Press
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May 15, 2008 10:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Pinch-hitter Jason Bay's three-run homer off Jason Isringhausen snapped an eighth-inning tie and capped the Pittsburgh Pirates' rally from an early four-run deficit in an 11-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. Nate McLouth added his 11th homer for the Pirates.
Indians Sweep A's, Scoreless Streak Ends
Associated Press
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May 15, 2008 9:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An unearned run against Aaron Laffey caused by his own throwing error ended the scoreless streak by Cleveland Indians' starters at 44 1-3 innings but didn't interrupt their string of dominant outings. Laffey pitched the Indians to a 4-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Thursday, completing a three-game sweep.
Yahoo Says Icahn Doesn't Understand Full Picture
Wall Street Journal
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May 15, 2008 9:28 PM CDT
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Hours after Carl Icahn began his quest to take over Yahoo’s board, the company issued a statement saying he has a "significant misunderstanding" of the recent Microsoft purchase offer, the Wall Street Journal reports. Icahn wants to unseat the current Yahoo board, replace it with one of his own, and force the company to try to forge...
Barkley Gambling Debt: $400K
Associated Press
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May 15, 2008 8:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Charles Barkley admitted today that he owes a Las Vegas casino $400,000 and promised to pay up quickly, the AP reports. The former NBA star fessed up after the Wynn Las Vegas casino filed a complaint and the local DA threatened felony charges. "I'm not broke, and I'm going to take care of it," said Barkley, who blamed the big debt on a bad...
'Monster' Markets Brought World to Edge: German Prez
Der Spiegel
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May 15, 2008 8:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Germany's president, a former head of the International Monetary Fund, blasted the system of financial markets responsible for the global credit crisis as a “monster," Der Speigel reports today. Horst Köhler said the world “came close to a collapse of the global financial markets" as the system "greatly disgraced itself...
Bush vs. Obama: It's Just the Start
Time
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May 15, 2008 7:45 PM CDT
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When the president set off a political firestorm today by essentially likening Barack Obama to those who appeased the Nazis, he likely presaged a common theme in the general election, writes Massimo Calabresi in Time . Bush is trying to stay relevant—no better way than to inject himself in the campaign. And the speed with which Obama responded...
Congress Turns on Speculators in Oil Bubble
BusinessWeek
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May 15, 2008 7:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It’s not OPEC pulling oil prices to ever greater-heights—it’s speculators. That’s the theory behind the Consumer-First Energy Act, a bill sponsored by Senate Democrats aimed at clamping down on runaway oil futures trading. As stocks fall, investors are fleeing to commodities, especially oil. But even the US government might...
Maxim Ranks 100 Hottest
Maxim
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May 15, 2008 6:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
La Lohan's fall from grace isn't just a cinematic one: Maxim's annual Hot 100 list is out, and Victoria's Secret Angel and Sports Illustrated cover girl Marisa Miller leads the pack, pushing Lohan from her numero uno spot. Move over starlets, it's "the official return of the all-American supermodel," says the mag's editorial director....
British Judges Not Happy to Ditch Their Wigs
Los Angeles Times
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May 15, 2008 6:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The sun may never set on the British Empire, the saying goes—so bald judges might want to watch out, as some are being forced to give up their customary wigs in October, the Los Angeles Times reports. They're also getting new robes by a designer associated with “funky British clothes for aspiring funky British girls," the Australian...
McCain's Lead Dog Isn't Afraid to Bark, or Bite
Wall Street Journal
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May 15, 2008 6:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Mark Salter has the honor of being John McCain’s “chief creator, shaper and enforcer,” the Wall Street Journal reports of a man who rides the press corps hard and thinks he knows Barack Obama’s soft spots. A McCain confidant of two decades, the goateed, chain-smoking Salter has co-written five books with the senator and is...
McCain: Obama Will Be Unable to Protect America
Talking Points Memo
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May 15, 2008 5:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain today hit Barack Obama harder than ever, Talking Points Memo notes, saying the Democrat’s willingness to talk with Iran proves he “does not have the knowledge, the experience, the background to make the kind of judgments that are necessary to preserve this nation’s security.” Of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, McCain wondered,...
Oops! United Mistakenly Drops Fuel Charges for a Day
Wall Street Journal
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May 15, 2008 5:27 PM CDT
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United Airlines gave travelers a big break on ticket prices today—by accident. The airline neglected to add fuel surcharges to prices this afternoon, saving lucky buyers up to $130 per flight, the Wall Street Journal reports. United made the mistake at 12:30pm, when it filed prices with the feds, and wasn't able to fix the problem until 8pm...
Gays Jubilant Over Calif. Ruling
San Francisco Chronicle
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May 15, 2008 5:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
California gays are ecstatic about the state's supreme court striking down a ban on same-sex marriage, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. “I'm feeling the joy all over,” one gay man, and father, said. In Fresno, a gay couple applied for a marriage license from a somewhat bewildered county clerk who wondered about the “exact language”...
House Rejects $162.5B Bill to Fund Wars
Washington Post
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May 15, 2008 5:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The House today shot down a $162.5 billion bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan into next year after a surprise tactic by angry Republicans, the Washington Post reports. The bill failed by a vote of 148-141 after 132 members of the GOP abstained. By doing so, they formed an unusual coalition with a group of anti-war Democrats. The vote...
FCC Tries Again With Unsold Spectrum
Ars Technica
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May 15, 2008 4:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Federal Communications Commission will try again to sell broadband spectrum space intended to include a national network for emergency workers, Ars Technica reports.The D Block failed to garner the required minimum bid from commercial interests during a recent auction after negotiations became bogged down. Said one commissioner: "We’re...
Women-Only Saudi Hotel Raises Debate on Progress
Christian Science Monitor
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May 15, 2008 4:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Saudi businesswomen are embracing a hotel for women-only that frees them of the pressures from a society in which they can't drive and, until January, couldn't check into a hotel without permission from a male guardian. But others are concerned the Luthan Hotel & Spa simply reinforces the kingdom's gender segregation. The Christian Science Monitor...
NATO Girds For Cyberwar
ComputerWorld
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May 15, 2008 4:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
NATO is preparing for cyberwar, ComputerWorld reports. Sparked by a cyber attack on Estonia that took some financial systems off-line for hours in 2007, the Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence will open there next year. With the center’s help, NATO will be able to "defy and successfully counter the threats in this area,"...
How the GOP Went Broke
Politico
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May 15, 2008 4:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Republican Party has known crises before, but it's always held its own against the Democrats with fundraising prowess. But the GOP finds itself demoralized and impoverished, and seemingly without the funds needed to avoid more losses like the one suffered Tuesday in Mississippi. Politico looks at how the party alienated business and got left behind...
Hollywood Private Eye Found Guilty
Los Angeles Times
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May 15, 2008 4:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Celebrity private detective Anthony Pellicano was found guilty today of 76 of the 77 charges he faced, including racketeering, wire fraud, and illegal wiretapping, the Los Angeles Times reports. Pellicano, 64, could face a life sentence after prosecutors won conviction on charges he illegally threatened and placed several prominent celebrities under...
Get Over XP 'Worship'
Washington Post
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May 15, 2008 4:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Nostalgia for Windows XP is misplaced, Rob Pegoraro argues in the Washington Post : Vista has its problems, but they’re not solved by XP, which is ill-equipped to face the “busy” and “brutish” modern Internet landscape. “XP is not something that needs to be ‘saved,’ as if it were some architectural triumph...
Broadcom Execs Charged With Backdating Stock Options
Wall Street Journal
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May 15, 2008 3:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The SEC has filed civil charges against four top Broadcom execs, alleging that the men backdated employee stock-option grants between 1998 and 2003, the Wall Street Journal reports. The suit seeks fines and also the return of their illegal gains. The chip-maker—one of the boom companies of the 1990s—settled charges with the government...
Prius: 1M and Counting
Associated Press
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May 15, 2008 3:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Toyota Prius is a now 1 million units strong, and the landmark gas-electric hybrid, introduced in 1997, is poised to keep growing, the AP reports. Toyota said today it expects to be selling a million a year by sometime after 2010; what’s more, the company claims 4.5 million tons of harmful gases have been taken out of the air since its debut.
Woman Indicted in MySpace Suicide Case
Associated Press
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May 15, 2008 3:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Missouri woman has been indicted in the case of a teenage girl who killed herself after receiving cruel messages on MySpace, the AP reports. The woman, Lori Drew, is charged with pretending to be a teenage boy on the site and having a helper taunt the 13-year-old victim. Drew faces up to 20 years in prison on counts of conspiracy and accessing protected...
Stocks Rise on Deals, Lower Oil
MarketWatch
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May 15, 2008 3:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks rose for the fourth consecutive day today as deal-making buzz from Internet firms and a Tiffany’s-led retail rally offset a rise in weekly jobless claims and contraction in New York- and Philadelphia-region manufacturing, MarketWatch reports. The Dow rose 94.28, closing at 12,992.66, while the S&P 500 climbed 14.91 to settle at 1,423.75....
Deal Brings Lebanon Thaw, Promise to Talk
Reuters
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May 15, 2008 3:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As Beirut International Airport welcomed the first commercial flights in a week, the Arab League announced today a deal that would end the worst fighting in Lebanon since the civil war and lead to talks aimed at ending the 18-month political crisis, Reuters reports. The talks, set for tomorrow in Qatar, will continue “until agreement is reached,"...
Scottish Soccer Fans Riot After Loss
Times (UK)
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May 15, 2008 3:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Fans of a Scottish soccer team rampaged in Manchester, England, last night, attacking the police and civilians after their team lost in the final of a European championship match played there. One fan of the winning Russian team was stabbed, the Times of London reports; police noted 52 assaults, and more than a dozen officers were treated for injuries.
Paltrow, Diaz Suffer Casting Slouch
Los Angeles Times
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May 15, 2008 2:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Where have all the Hepburns gone? Today's thirtysomething leading ladies are being cast in "handbag" roles, writes Rachel Abramowitz in the Los Angeles Times. Juicy parts are scarce this year for actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz as popular tastes move toward bromantic comedies that appeal to men. Instead, the stars play...
Time to Grill McCain! A 10-Point Plan
Boston Phoenix
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May 15, 2008 2:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It’s heading for general election time, and Adam Reilly of the Boston Phoenix wants the press to wake up and start laying in to McCain. Here’s how: The economy. McCain reportedly said he “doesn’t really understand economics” in January. Has he boned up since then? Islam. The candidate doesn’t seem...
Moore's $20M for Fahrenheit 9/11 Sequel Is Mainly Profit
New York Post
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May 15, 2008 2:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Who says documentary filmmaking isn’t profitable? Sources tell the New York Post that Michael Moore will receive $20 million in advance to produce the sequel to Fahrenheit 9/11 , even though production costs are estimated at only $7 million. Studio Paramount Vantage may be willing to give Moore a $13 million bonus because of his track record:...
Bluetooth Gets a Makeover
Wall Street Journal
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May 15, 2008 2:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As more states push “hands-free” rules on drivers, ridiculous-looking wireless headsets only get more common. But two firms, Aliph and Plantronics, are attempting to address that. While the Wall Street Journal ’s Walter Mossberg finds the “jewelry-esque” makeover of both models pleasing, it’s the functionality of...
Penn Endorses Obama, Then Blasts Him
Telegraph (UK)
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May 15, 2008 2:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sean Penn used his platform as president of the Cannes jury to express his excitement "by the hope that Barack Obama is inspiring," the Telegraph reports—though the firebrand actor-director also had some choice words for the Democratic candidate. Obama has much to live up to, Penn said, and accused the Illinois senator of a "phenomenally...
Best Place to Live? Charlotte
MarketWatch
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May 15, 2008 2:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Charlotte is the best place to live in America, thanks to an affordable array of housing options and a healthy economy, says Relocate.com’s annual list. MarketWatch runs down the rest of the list: San Antonio, Texas Chattanooga, Tenn. Greenville, SC Tulsa, Okla.
'Baby Planners' Born of Busy Moms-to-Be
ABC News
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May 15, 2008 1:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Babies are tough, time-consuming work – even before they’re born. That’s why a new industry of “baby planners” has cropped up, catering to busy women who don’t have time for things like setting up registries, decorating nurseries, and hiring a nanny. For a mere $100 or so an hour, baby planners can do all that and...
