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.
Global Warming, the Opera
Associated Press
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May 30, 2008 4:45 AM CDT
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It started out as a slide show, became an Oscar-winning documentary and best-selling book, and now Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth is about to become a full-length opera, reports the AP. Milan's La Scala opera house has commissioned Italian composer Giorgio Battistelli to set Gore's stark warning on global warming to music, for the 2011 season.
4 Japanese Gangsters Get UCLA Liver Transplants
Los Angeles Times
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May 30, 2008 4:21 AM CDT
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Four Yakuza gangsters, including one of Japan's most powerful crime bosses, had liver transplants at UCLA Medical Center between 2000 and 2004, the Los Angeles Times reports. Organs were particularly scarce in those years, with over 100 people on the waiting list dying each year. There is no indication that the hospital or the surgeon were aware...
Soldier Suicides Set Record
Reuters
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May 30, 2008 3:51 AM CDT
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The Army recorded it highest ever number of suicides last year, with 115 soldiers killing themselves, Reuters reports. The rate is staying high this year, with 38 soldier suicides so far. The military said the statistics showed no direct link between the increase in suicides and repeated deployments to combat zones—but admitted the stresses of...
Obama Repudiates Preacher Over 'White Tears' Slam
MSNBC
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May 30, 2008 3:27 AM CDT
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Barack Obama has had to apologize for another troublesome preacher at his home church, reports MSNBC. The Rev. Michael Pfleger—a white Catholic priest widely known as Chicago's "renegade" priest for his liberal social activism in the city’s black community—mocked Hillary Clinton in a guest sermon, saying she squirted tears...
Sudden Infant Death Linked to Bacteria
Washington Post
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May 30, 2008 3:01 AM CDT
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Some cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome may be caused by staph and E. coli infections, a new study finds. British researchers saw significant levels of both bacteria in 470 of 546 SIDS victims ranging in age from 7 days to one year. But scientists don't yet know what the findings mean for medical care. Some 2,500 infants die of SIDS each year in...
High Costs Put Clean Coal on Back Burner
New York Times
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May 30, 2008 2:45 AM CDT
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Ambitious plans to combat global warming by pumping carbon dioxide from coal-burning power plants into the ground have been delayed or canned due to spiraling costs, the New York Times reports. Scientists now fear that the next generation of coal-burning plants will be built using old, emission-spewing technology, spelling disaster for the climate.
Sun Setting on FARC Rebellion
Economist
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May 29, 2008 10:14 PM CDT
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FARC chief Manuel Marulanda’s death might not be a fatal blow to Colombia's Marxist rebels, but the Economist sees an organization on the way out anyway. In its mid-'90s heyday, FARC boasted a force of 19,000 soldiers that threatened Bogota, the capital; today, the group is fragmented, with perhaps 9,000 troops, thanks to the strong-arm policies...
Top Democrats Say Race Ends Next Week
New York Times
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May 29, 2008 9:24 PM CDT
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Democratic leaders say the primary fight will be over next week, making it all but certain that Barack Obama will be the nominee. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and party chief Howard Dean say they will press uncommitted superdelegates to make up their minds by midweek, after Tuesday's final primaries, the New York...
A Comic Star is Born?
Los Angeles Times
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May 29, 2008 9:00 PM CDT
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He didn’t plan it this way, but Danny McBride will end up in three of the summer’s biggest comedies, the LA Times reports. In The Foot Fist Way , Pineapple Express , and Tropic Thunder , viewers will see McBride get beaten, shot, blown up with a grenade, and tortured—all while laughing themselves silly. Pretty good for a guy...
Railroads Hopping Aboard Green Marketing Trend
Wall Street Journal
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May 29, 2008 8:08 PM CDT
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Often maligned as noxious-fume-spewing bad citizens, railroad companies are hopping the green train, the Wall Street Journal reports. Campaigns by Norfolk Southern and CSX tout clean-burning diesel engines that "can move a ton of freight 423 miles on a single gallon," and Union Pacific claims diverting 25% of truck freight to trains would...
Comic Great Harvey Korman Dead at 81
Associated Press
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May 29, 2008 7:23 PM CDT
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Harvey Korman, who gained comic fame with his bust-a-gut sketches on the "Carol Burnett Show" in the 1960s and 70s, has died at age 81 from complications of an aneurysm, the AP reports. Korman won four Emmys for his TV work, often pairing with Burnett or Tim Conway. He had success on the big screen, too, most notably as Hedley (not Hedy!)...
Stonehenge Reveals Itself: It's a Cemetery
New York Times
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May 29, 2008 6:30 PM CDT
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Before Stonehenge was Stonehenge, it was a cemetery, the New York Times reports. Around the time the first monumental rocks were installed in 2500 BC, the last of an estimated 240 human burials took place at the English site. Researchers say it was likely the burial ground of a ruling family—probably the same clan responsible for erecting...
Clay Aiken Will Soon Be a Dad
TMZ
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May 29, 2008 6:07 PM CDT
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Clay Aiken is going to be a father, TMZ.com reports. The 29-year-old impregnated friend Jaymes Foster, 50, through artificial insemination. She is due in August, and Aiken plans to play an active role in raising the child, the site says. Foster was executive producer of Aiken's last album, and he lives with her when he's in LA. Rumors have long swirled...
Coaches Take Lessons From Iraq Troops
ESPN
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May 29, 2008 5:38 PM CDT
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Five big-name college football coaches toured the Middle East for five days, but it was they who came away star-struck by the troops—particularly the teamwork they witnessed among kids the same age as their own players. "We put signs up saying, 'Leave your egos at the door,'" Charlie Weis told ESPN. "If you get your team to live...
Mich.-Fla. Plan, Net Gain of 19 for Clinton, Picking Up Steam
Talking Points Memo
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May 29, 2008 5:10 PM CDT
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A plan to give each of Florida’s Democratic delegates a half-vote and to split Michigan’s halved delegates evenly between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is “gaining some traction in the right circles” ahead of Saturday’s DNC meeting, Talking Points Memo discerns from an MSNBC report. The compromise would net Clinton...
BALCO Jury Convicts Track's Graham of Lying
San Francisco Chronicle
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May 29, 2008 4:55 PM CDT
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A San Francisco jury convicted track coach Trevor Graham today of lying to federal investigators when he told them he had ended his contacts with a steroids dealer, the Chronicle reports. Jurors deadlocked on two other counts against the former coach of Olympians Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery; he faces up to 5 years at a September sentencing.
Dumping Pastors Is Gamble For McCain
Washington Post
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May 29, 2008 4:41 PM CDT
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By rejecting endorsements from influential pastors John Hagee and Rod Parsley, John McCain might have alienated evangelical voters, a key Republican electoral bloc. If they “feel this is an attack on them,” one consultant told the Washingon Post, “even if they don't agree with Parsley and Hagee or follow them, it could galvanize...
Sect Kids Should Go Home, Texas High Court Says
Dallas Morning News
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May 29, 2008 4:28 PM CDT
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The Texas Supreme Court agreed today that children from a polygamist sect should be returned to their parents, reports the Dallas Morning News . They could be home within days. The ruling leaves state officials with few legal options, though they could try to retain custody of some of the more than 400 children in select cases. Justices chose not...
For Hotels, Upgrades at Top Boost Bottom Line
Wall Street Journal
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May 29, 2008 4:26 PM CDT
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Luxury hotels are spending money to make money, but the dollars aren’t flowing into the average traveler’s quarters, the Wall Street Journal reports. With competition growing and demand for rooms lacking, hotels are burnishing their top suites—some costing $30,000 a night—hoping the added glitz will generate buzz that draws...
'Celebrity of Power' Lured McCain From Navy to Capitol
New York Times
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May 29, 2008 4:13 PM CDT
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When Capt. John McCain turned down a chance to be admiral in 1981, deciding to run for Congress instead, he’d spent four years as the Navy’s Senate liaison, developing an appetite for what one observer called “the glamor of … political combat.” The New York Times profiles a key phase of the Republican nominee-in-waiting’s...
NHL Headed For Friendly Confines
Chicago Tribune
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May 29, 2008 4:00 PM CDT
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It appears Chicago’s famed Wrigley Field will host an outdoor NHL game next year, after competitor Yankee Stadium was deemed unsuitable “for a variety of reasons,” the Tribune reports. The hometown Blackhawks would play the rival Detroit Red Wings in the third edition of the open-air contest, played in 2003 in Edmonton and this...
Free Broadband Could Be Part of Feds' Auction Plan
Wall Street Journal
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May 29, 2008 3:47 PM CDT
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The Federal Communication Commission wants you to have free Internet, the Wall Street Journal reports, and it's considering a plan to auction airwaves with the requirement that the winner offer Wi-fi free to most of the US. The free access would come with its own strings for users, though, in the form of content restrictions blocking porn and obscene...
Stocks Rise on Healthy Data
Wall Street Journal
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May 29, 2008 3:33 PM CDT
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The markets saw gains today as good economic data and a rally amid financial shares gave evidence that the nation may be moving past the current slump, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow gained 52.19 points to close at 12,646.22, the Nasdaq gained 21.62 to 2,508.32, and the S&P 500 rose 7.41 to 1,398.23.
Robot Offers Hope to Would-Be Spidermen
MIT Technology Review
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May 29, 2008 3:30 PM CDT
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Researchers have created a wall-climbing robot that uses electrically activated adhesion to get up any surface—dusty, wet, glass or concrete. Other Spiderman-imitating machines use a different kind of gecko-inspired technology and generate stronger sticking power than the new ‘bot, but the simplicity of the approach means it could work...
Counting on Youth Could Be Rookie Mistake for Obama
Salon
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May 29, 2008 3:19 PM CDT
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Conventional wisdom has it that young people energized by Barack Obama will sweep him to victory in November. But not so fast, Paul Maslin writes on Salon. It’s possible the big youth surge already happened in 2004, when turnout among 18-to-24-year-olds jumped from 2000’s dismal 32.4% to 41.9%—even as overall turnout declined.
Life After Gates Will Take Some Adjustment
MarketWatch
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May 29, 2008 3:05 PM CDT
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Microsoft and CEO Steve Ballmer are facing a scary, new post-Bill-Gates world, Therese Poletti writes on MarketWatch. On a panel at the All Things Digital conference earlier this week, Ballmer and Gates fielded questions about Microsoft’s failed Yahoo bid and unpopular Vista operating system. “Ballmer and indeed Microsoft face many challenges...
Murphy In for Beverly Hills Cop 4
Variety
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May 29, 2008 2:59 PM CDT
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Fans of the old Eddie Murphy (you know, before the fat suits and prostheses), rejoice: A third sequel to 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop will start production next year, Variety reports. Murphy approached Paramount about the project, and the studio eagerly agreed after successfully disinterring Indiana Jones. Murphy is attached, Brett Ratner may...
Hackers Take Over Comcast Website for Several Hours
Associated Press
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May 29, 2008 2:55 PM CDT
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A message that hackers had “RoXed” the Comcast homepage took over the site for several hours last night starting a little before 11pm. Apparently hackers got control of the site’s domain name at the registrar, Network Solutions, and redirected it to servers hosting the hijacking message. A rep said the site was functioning again this...
Facebook Readies User-Friendly Makeover
Forbes
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May 29, 2008 2:44 PM CDT
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Social-networking stalwart Facebook is redesigning its site to allow users easier access to an array of applications that might include search options, Forbes reports, and give advertisers more ways to reach the Facebook community. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, speaking at the All Things Digital conference, said the company hoped to work more with search...
Global Warming Deniers Plan 'Carbon Belch Day'
InformationWeek
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May 29, 2008 2:40 PM CDT
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Americans should waste all the energy they can on June 12, says conservative grassroots group Grassfire.org, in order to free themselves from “carbon footprint guilt.” Grassfire doesn’t believe humanity is to blame for global warming, and wants to strike back against “climate alarmists.” Organizers suggest having a barbecue,...
Fisher-Price Courts Far-Flung Fans
Wall Street Journal
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May 29, 2008 2:30 PM CDT
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Fisher-Price has tackled some unexpected challenges lately, from perfecting a recording of the phrase “It’s learning time!” in Mandarin to removing pig illustrations from Turkish kids’ books. In the past 5 years, Fisher-Price’s sales abroad have more than doubled while sales drop domestically—as traditional toys...
Dow Hikes Prices 20% on Chemicals in Many Products
Wall Street Journal
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May 29, 2008 2:20 PM CDT
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Skyrocketing energy costs prompted Dow Chemical to bump prices up to 20% yesterday on compounds that are the building blocks for thousands of consumer products, fanning inflation fears. Dow, one of the world’s largest chemical companies, ripped Washington for an energy policy it says has raised its energy costs 42% from a year ago, reports the...
Obama's Health 'Excellent': Docs
Chicago Tribune
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May 29, 2008 2:16 PM CDT
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Barack Obama is in “excellent health,” his doctor of two decades wrote today, declaring the Democratic frontrunner “in overall good physical and mental health needed to maintain the resiliency required in the office of president.” Obama, 46, still faces risk factors from smoking, which he quit last year, and has a family history...
Murray's Wife Files for Divorce, Citing Abuse...
Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)
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May 29, 2008 2:10 PM CDT
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Bill Murray is a spouse-abusing, drug-addicted adulterer, charges his soon-to-be-ex-wife. Jennifer Butler Murray filed for divorce recently, citing “adultery, addiction to marijuana and alcohol, abusive behavior, physical abuse, sexual addictions, and frequent abandonment.” She also asked for a restraining order against the comedian.
Chicago Mayor a 'Letdown,' Grads Moan
Chicago Tribune
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May 29, 2008 2:01 PM CDT
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Some Northwestern University seniors are disappointed the “extremely well-known person” promised as graduation speaker is no one more significant than Richard Daley, Chicago’s mayor. Graduating students have called the revelation “lame” and a “letdown,” the Tribune reports; John McCain and Barack Obama were...
Barely Illegal: 16 Jailbait Films
Nerve
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May 29, 2008 1:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As the recent uproar over Miley Cyrus “back-gate” revealed, the taboo topic of teenage sexuality never strays far from the American psyche. Nerve lists 16 films that walk the fine line between sexual initiation and legal deviation. Lolita : A British professor marries the mother to get to the oh-so-young daughter in this Kubrick...
Iraq Profitable Business for Bush's Ex-Spies
Salon
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May 29, 2008 1:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Richard Armitage rarely saw eye-to-eye with the Bush administration on the Iraq war, but these days he may be more sanguine. That’s because Armitage has profited handsomely from his own national security consulting firm, as well stakes in a dozen private defense and intelligence companies that do business with the CIA, NSA, and others. Across...
NASA Deploys Mars Probe's Robotic Arm
Associated Press
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May 29, 2008 1:00 PM CDT
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NASA’s Phoenix Mars lander extended its robotic arm for the first time late last night, the AP reports, a day late because of a temporary radio blackout. The arm, which will unfurl over a 2-day period, will eventually be used to take samples of ice below the surface in Mars’ arctic regions to search for evidence of life.
Obama's Female Veep Hopefuls Aren't Clintonesque
Politico
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May 29, 2008 12:49 PM CDT
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Unlike Hillary Clinton, the three leading female contenders for a spot on Barack Obama’s ticket aren’t divisive figures and haven’t played up their gender. Ben Adler, writing for Politico, takes a look at Kansas guv Kathleen Sebelius, Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, and Arizona guv Janet Napolitano.
Sect Moms Say Kids Scarred
New York Times
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May 29, 2008 12:39 PM CDT
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Taking young children away from their parents has harmful effects, say mothers from the polygamist sect in Texas, and numerous studies agree—which is why federal and state guidelines require a “reasonable effort” to keep children with their parents before removing them. Texas authorities don't appear to have done so, mothers and experts...
Shareholders Rubber-Stamp Bear Selloff
Wall Street Journal
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May 29, 2008 12:21 PM CDT
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The buyout of Bear Stearns neared finality today with 84% of shareholders voting in favor of acquisition by JPMorgan Chase, the Wall Street Journal reports. Chairman James Cayne shared his feelings publicly with shareholders about the bank’s demise for the first time: "I personally apologize,” he stated, "I'm sorry. Words can't...
Kid Sister: Success at Her Fingertips
W
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May 29, 2008 12:15 PM CDT
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With her manicure anthem "Pro Nails," Chicago rapper Kid Sister (aka Melisa Young) managed to parlay a penchant for mile-long acrylic talons into a hot career. The single caught the ear of hip-hop golden boy Kanye West, who added vocals on the track and cameoed in the video, reports W . After she blew up on TRL and MTV Spring Break ,...
C-Sections Propel Jump in Preemies
Los Angeles Times
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May 29, 2008 11:56 AM CDT
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The number of US babies born before reaching normal gestation jumped by a third from 1996 to 2004, the Los Angeles Times reports, with Cesarean sections accounting for much of the rise. With health risks and high costs associated with premature babies, the trend presents "a serious problem," the March of Dimes Foundation's medical director...
CSI Star Avoids Jail in Drug Bust
Associated Press
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May 29, 2008 11:43 AM CDT
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CSI co-star Gary Dourdan sidestepped 3-4 years in jail yesterday by copping a plea in a case involving cocaine and ecstasy, the AP reports. Dourdan, whose character was killed off in the season finale, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony drug possession after an arrest last month near Palm Springs, Calif.; a heroin charge was dropped after he...
Taking Analog Stuff Digital? Skip the Gadgets
New York Times
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May 29, 2008 11:32 AM CDT
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If you’ve been lamenting the fate of your analog media recently, wishing you could bring records, tapes, or photos into the digital world, new devices are here to help. They just don’t do a very good job of it, laments David Pogue in the New York Times , reviewing the Hammacher-Schlemmer photo converter, and vinyl and cassette-tape converters...
Madge Kid Wants Tour Gig
Daily Mirror (UK)
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May 29, 2008 11:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
At 11, Madonna's daughter Lourdes is studying to be a chip off the ol’ block. Lourdes—nicknamed Lola—is practicing her moves at a famous London dance studio in the hopes she can join her mom on tour in the fall, the Daily Mirror reports. "Lola is the best in her dance classes and wants to perform a special dance sequence alongside...
Chinese Hurdler Liu Xiang Will Carry Hopes of 1.3B
New York Times
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May 29, 2008 11:09 AM CDT
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Whether he likes it or not, Liu Xiang—China's biggest sports star—will be carrying the hopes of the world's most populous nation as he defends his title in the 110-meter hurdles at the Beijing Olympics. A recent race at the new Bird's Nest Stadium demonstrated the frenzy he inspires: the crowd, which soared to 48,000, "roared with...
W. Coast Cities Boast Smallest Carbon Footprint
New York Times
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May 29, 2008 11:02 AM CDT
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West Coast metro areas boasted some of the lowest carbon emissions per capita in the country in 2005, according to a ranking of 100 urban areas by the Brookings Institution. Honolulu topped the list, followed by Los Angeles, the Portland-Vancouver area, and New York. Population density, mild climates, and aggressive energy-reduction policies got credit...
Failed Microhoo Deal Baffling to Murdoch
CNET
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May 29, 2008 10:49 AM CDT
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Microsoft’s lack of experience in “buying big things” is a major reason the company didn’t seal its buyout of Yahoo, media mogul Rupert Murdoch tells CNET, who adds he was “mystified” at the lack of a deal. An alliance between Yahoo and Google—"just gushing money"—still seems possible, the News...
Secret Service Is Racist, Suit Alleges
ABC News
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May 29, 2008 10:32 AM CDT
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A culture of racism lurks behind the dark glasses of the Secret Service, claims a lawsuit filed by more than 100 current and former black agents who say they were denied promotions. The Service denies the charges, but the suit has brought troubling emails to light, ABC News reports. One circulated among supervisors says a Jesse Jackson assassination...
