Newser Story Index from June, 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.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame, If You Can Afford It
Sports Illustrated
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Jun 18, 2008 7:50 PM CDT
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Modern ballparks may have more conveniences and better food, but they've become more expensive for everybody—even if you're just looking for cheap seats and beer—writes Josh Levin in S ports Illustrated . Higher prices across the board pay for the luxury restaurants and malls in the parks, which make make big bucks for owners but don't...
Tomato Salmonella Cases Rise to 383 in 30 States
Associated Press
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Jun 18, 2008 7:31 PM CDT
(AP) -
Federal health officials have learned of 106 more cases of salmonella linked to tainted tomatoes, putting the outbreak's total to 383 and counting. Most of this newest influx of cases were people who got sick weeks ago but had not been counted previously. Some states began doing closer checking for salmonella as the outbreak has dragged on. The last...
Kidman Pregnancy: It Was 'Meant to Be'
Vogue
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Jun 18, 2008 7:20 PM CDT
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A 7-months' pregnant Nicole Kidman talked—what else?—babies with Vogue in an extensive interview, recounting that her first ultrasound brought her to tears. "I didn't think I'd get to experience that in my lifetime," explains the 40-year-old actress, who discovered she was pregnant on the set of her upcoming film Australia...
Obama Up in Swing States, Making Red Inroads
Talking Points Memo
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Jun 18, 2008 7:06 PM CDT
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Barack Obama holds a 2-point edge over John McCain in recently red Virginia, a poll margin Eric Kleefeld, on Talking Points Memo, sees allowing Obama to make “the map of competitive states really ... much broader than usual this year.” Blogger Nate at FiveThirtyEight.com reads in the numbers that Obama's lead is “an unusually robust...
Chinese Embrace SUVs, Hummers as Status Symbols
Financial Times (UK)
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Jun 18, 2008 7:00 PM CDT
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Demand for gas-guzzling SUVs keeps growing in China, where the vehicles have become status symbols. Even Hummers are selling fast, despite sky-high oil prices, the Financial Times reports. "There are plenty of other sources of pollution than cars, and life is short so we should enjoy ourselves anyway," says a Beijing executive.
GOP Must Regroup With Balance, Relevance
Politico
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Jun 18, 2008 6:46 PM CDT
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Many Republicans think the party is on a losing streak because it’s gotten too “squishy,” but that’s a dangerous mistake to make, a former aide to Tom DeLay writes on Politico. John Feehery, who pleads guilty to being a “squish” (as "right-wing wackos" deride GOP moderates), says voters "want us to...
Russert's Son: 'My Dad's Last Speech'
People
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Jun 18, 2008 6:42 PM CDT
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Tim Russert's 22-year-old son delivered what he called his "dad's last speech" today before a crowd of Washington luminaries, People reports. "My dad was my best friend," said a composed Luke Russert, who called his father a "force of nature" who combined his passion for work with a boundless humanity. The emotional...
Wash. State Bans Some Dishwasher Detergents
Bellingham Herald
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Jun 18, 2008 6:21 PM CDT
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Washington state will soon begin phasing in a ban on some big-name dishwater detergents because they contain too much phosphorus, the Bellingham Herald reports. Detergents such as Cascade and Electrasol, which contain more than 0.5% phosphorous, will be banned in Whatcom and Spokane counties July 1 and in the rest of the state in 2010. State officials...
YouTube Trying Longer Videos
CNN
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Jun 18, 2008 5:56 PM CDT
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YouTube is testing some long-format videos for its site, anxious to increase the amount of ads they can display per view, CNN Money reports. The site has only a few videos longer than an hour, but is reaching out to independent directors at the Los Angeles Film festival this week.
Player Denies Vegas Run-In Led to Mugging
TheDirty.com
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Jun 18, 2008 5:40 PM CDT
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Disputing reports he was mugged after a Las Vegas run-in with boxer Floyd Mayweather, Javon Walker tells TheDirty.com's Nik Richie (who claims the NFL wide receiver is a "very close friend") that three armed men entered his hotel room early Monday, knocked him out and took his valuables. Walker, recently signed by Oakland, was released from...
Shadowy Obama Antagonist Has Long Criminal Record
Politico
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Jun 18, 2008 5:25 PM CDT
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A man working to publicize extravagant claims about Barack Obama—involving hard drug use, sex romps, and murder—has a voluminous rap sheet, including a forgery charge that earned him a 16-year jail sentence, Politico reports. Larry Sinclair is making an appearance today at the National Press Club in Washington to drum up attention for his...
Deal Delays Generic Lipitor Until 2011
New York Times
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Jun 18, 2008 5:11 PM CDT
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Pfizer has struck a deal with an Indian generic drug maker to delay a cheaper version of Lipitor in the US until November 2011. The agreement limiting generic versions of the cholesterol-lowering drug will translate into billions more in profits for Pfizer, the New York Times reports. Lipitor, the world's best-selling medicine, costs about $3 a day;...
Saudi Oil Boost Little More Than PR
Time
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Jun 18, 2008 4:55 PM CDT
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Saudi Arabia consenting to increase oil output is more public-relations ploy than problem-solver, Vivienne Walt writes in Time , since the half-million extra barrels a day won't make much of a dent, if the Saudis even have that much to spare. One analyst says the move is really an attempt “to pump out the message to the West that ‘we are...
UK Lawmaker Resigns to Protest Civil Liberties
Associated Press
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Jun 18, 2008 4:40 PM CDT
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A British lawmaker resigned from Parliament today to protest what he views as a government assault on civil liberties, especially a recent law that extends to 42 days the length of time that terror suspects can he detained. David Davis of the Conservative Party hoped to call attention to the issue by triggering a special election, but the ruling Labour...
Angel Investors Profit From Slumping Markets
Portfolio
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Jun 18, 2008 4:26 PM CDT
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The bearish market hasn't stopped angels from acting like bulls, Portfolio reports. Angel investors, those who fund start-ups and small companies, are profiting from Wall Street's woes: Reduced private equity funding has made angels the go-to source for capital, improving their bargaining position and giving them more chances to invest.
Court Tosses Conviction in Abramoff Affair
Associated Press
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Jun 18, 2008 4:12 PM CDT
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A key conviction in the Jack Abramoff scandal was reversed today, as a federal appeals court ruled that the Justice Department overreached in its prosecution of David Safavian. The onetime chief of staff at GSA provided inside information on government-owned properties to Abramoff; he was convicted of lying to multiple inquisitors about his relationship...
Creditors Fed Off Equity Boom, Creating 'Double Bubble'
USA Today
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Jun 18, 2008 3:55 PM CDT
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As home values boomed, banks raised credit limits and extended offers for new cards, urging consumers to pay off the debt by drawing on their equity, USA Today reports. Many of those borrowers now face high interest rates on homes tapped of equity and hemorrhaging value—and the boom in foreclosures has been accompanied by a 6-year high in credit-card...
Mom of Prince's Girlfriend Set to Meet Queen
Telegraph (UK)
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Jun 18, 2008 3:46 PM CDT
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The mother of Prince William's girlfriend is set to meet Queen Elizabeth tomorrow, the Telegraph reports, with Carole Middleton scoring an invitation to the royal box at the Ascot races. The news intensified speculation that Kate Middleton and Prince Charles' elder son could soon be engaged, seven years after meeting at university.
Oil, Earnings Woes Key Retreat
MarketWatch
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Jun 18, 2008 3:34 PM CDT
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The markets retreated today, battered by the familiar convergence of high oil prices and poor business performance, MarketWatch reports. Amid signs of broader malaise, financials dropped, and crude again topped $135 per barrel. The Dow fell 131.24 to close at 12,029.06. The Nasdaq lost 28.02 to 2,429.71, and the S&P 500 lost 13.12, settling at...
Consumer Mood More Downbeat Than Economy
Washington Post
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Jun 18, 2008 3:17 PM CDT
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The economy, statistically speaking, is sluggish, but hardly Great Depression-like—though American consumers seem to disagree, the Washington Post reports. They're paying more for everything from gasoline to grapefruit, are watching the value of their homes decline and fear their jobs may be disappearing—which, policy-makers worry, could...
'Mediator' Mbeki Visits Mugabe
Guardian (UK)
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Jun 18, 2008 3:05 PM CDT
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South African president Thabo Mbeki visited counterpart Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe today, the Guardian reports, an attempt to play the role of mediator ahead of run-off elections June 27. With the UN warning that 5 million could face starvation in a country plagued by political violence, Mbeki's agenda was unclear—particularly since Zimbabwe's...
Workers Bar Muslim Women From Obama Backdrop
Politico
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Jun 18, 2008 2:53 PM CDT
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Two Muslim women were barred from sitting behind Barack Obama during a rally Monday, with campaign volunteers concerned about headscarves appearing on TV and in pictures, Politico reports. One woman was told the "political climate" made her presence problematic; another was told headwear of any kind was off-limits in the assiduously assembled...
Ten House Races to Watch
Time
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Jun 18, 2008 2:36 PM CDT
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Time profiles the top 10 House races to watch this fall: Calif., 11th District: Dem Jerry McNerney bested an ethically questioned rep in 2006. He’ll get an incumbency boost this time, but opponent Dean Andal has plenty of money. Conn., 4th District: Chris Shays is one of the most liberal members of the GOP House, in power since...
Deepak Chopra: 'Catch God With His Pants Down'
Newsweek
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Jun 18, 2008 2:24 PM CDT
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Real-life new-age guru Deepak Chopra is a big fan of Mike Myers' movie, The Love Guru, and writes that laughing at God is exactly what we need right about now. "More comedies should cross the line between vulgar lampoon and reckless disrespect. Let's catch God with his pants down—or more especially those who peddle faith in God so self-righteously,"...
Israel Invites Lebanon to Talks
New York Times
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Jun 18, 2008 2:06 PM CDT
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Israel today invited the Lebanese government to direct negotiations, adding that it would be willing to discuss all issues, including a long-disputed area along their border, the New York Times reports. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who visited both nations earlier this week, is attempting to use negotiation over Shabaa Farms to kick-start...
GAO Backs Boeing's Protest of $40B-Deal
Seattle Times
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Jun 18, 2008 1:54 PM CDT
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Congressional investigators today seconded Boeing's protest of the US Air Force's decision to award a lucrative tanker contract to a competitor and its European partner, the Seattle Times reports. The Government Accountability Office said it found "a number of significant errors that could have affected the outcome of what was a close competition...
Despite Mugabe, Democracy Is Gaining in Zimbabwe
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 18, 2008 1:42 PM CDT
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Undemocratic though the situation might seem, the fact that the opposition has forced a presidential run-off in Zimbabwe is a sign of democracy's spread in sub-Saharan Africa, the Wall Street Journa l reports, where the number of "free" countries has reached 11 of 48, up from 3 in 1977. "Democratic change is coming to the forefront...
Countrywide 'Bailout' Is Dem Chicanery
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 18, 2008 1:33 PM CDT
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Congressional Dems are selling their $300 billion bill granting new taxpayer loan guarantees as a boon to homeowners, but Dick Armey sees more cynical motives in the “bailout” legislation. The former House majority leader writes in the Journal , pegging the recent revelations of sweetheart Countrywide loans for top (Dem) “banking...
19 Levees Now Breached
Associated Press
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Jun 18, 2008 1:20 PM CDT
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More levee breaks in Missouri and Illinois today put at 19 the number that have failed along the cresting Mississippi, Reuters reports, further swamping farmland. "They were lower level agricultural levees," said an Army Corps of Engineers spokesman. "We're also watching another seven levees that may overtop in the next couple of days...
Hollywood Women Work on Senate Majority
Politico
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Jun 18, 2008 1:17 PM CDT
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Powerful Hollywood women are reorganizing after Hillary Clinton's failed presidential bid, turning their attention toward increasing the Democratic majority in the Senate. A fundraiser Sept. 27 could raise more than $1 million for candidates, and is being put together by the likes of Jane Fonda, Kate Capshaw, Penny Marshall, Daryl Hannah, Laura Dern,...
Skype Pushes Video Calls
Reuters
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Jun 18, 2008 1:06 PM CDT
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The newest version of Skype is designed to make video calls easier and more widespread. Skype 4.0, which begins public testing today, detects bandwidth and attached devices to make it simpler to use a computer to add video to calls, Reuters reports. Skype's president says that the resolution of the video is high enough that users can make real eye...
Roger Clemens Takes Swing at Used-Car Sales
New York Post
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Jun 18, 2008 1:00 PM CDT
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It’s hard to imagine, but apparently Roger Clemens is a little short this month. The former pitcher has sold his Bentley to Bret Michaels to help pay his legal fees, the New York Post reports. “Clemens is apparently selling his lavish goods,” an insider said. “Bret is a big fan of Roger’s, and the car is fabulous.”...
Hollywood's Hottest Hookers
Entertainment Weekly
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Jun 18, 2008 12:51 PM CDT
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The world's oldest profession has helped many an actor get a leg up in Hollywood—onscreen. With Showtime airing the British hit Secret Diary of a Call Girl , Entertainment Weekly salutes cinema's top 25 sex workers, including: Jane Fonda ( Klute ): Fonda says she based her Oscar-winning performance on the prostitutes she hired for group...
Michelle Gets a Gig With a 'View'
Time
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Jun 18, 2008 12:40 PM CDT
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Michelle Obama started off her debut appearance on “The View” with a jab at the "terrorist fist jab" controversy, demanding of her co-hosts, "I have to be greeted properly. Fist bump please." Obama talked everything from politics to pantyhose—no, she doesn’t wear them—and said she draws attention because...
Lusty She-Chimps Emulate SATC
Telegraph (UK)
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Jun 18, 2008 12:31 PM CDT
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New research into the sex lives of chimpanzees compares the behavior of females to their peers in the urban jungle of Sex and the City. Female chimps are promiscuous, hoping to fool several male Mr. Bigs into thinking they fathered offspring, and noisy, to attract other partners. Dominant males are more likely to protect females and provide...
Obama Wants Probe of VA Drug Tests
ABC News
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Jun 18, 2008 12:23 PM CDT
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Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John Cornyn are seeking a probe into reports that veterans had been recruited for tests on drugs linked to suicide, ABC News reports. An ABC News/ Washington Times story noted that vets were given the anti-smoking drug Chantix in government tests, but for more than three months, VA doctors did not tell patients about...
Hathaway Dumps Shyster Beau
Daily Mail (UK)
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Jun 18, 2008 12:18 PM CDT
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Get Smart actress Anne Hathaway has finally ditched her shady Italian boyfriend after four years of legal scandals, the Daily Mail reports. Raffaello Follieri has been sued repeatedly for writing bad six-figure checks and for misusing $55 million from a joint venture with billionaire Ron Burkle. His charitable foundation—on which Hathaway...
Let's Not Kid Ourselves: Oil's Going Higher
Washington Post
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Jun 18, 2008 12:09 PM CDT
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Yes, $4 a gallon seems steep, but the worst is surely yet to come, Robert J. Samuelson writes in the Washington Post . Gas is on pace to rise to $7 a gallon by 2012, with oil rising to $225 a barrel, according to one economist. Oil-rich nations are acting as though we’ve already hit “peak oil,” and fast-growing nations in Asia and...
Feds Triple Cases Against Illegals
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 18, 2008 12:00 PM CDT
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Prosecutions of illegal immigrants have soared in recent months, now accounting for half of all federal cases, the Los Angeles Times reports. Some 9,350 illegal immigrants faced federal charges in March of this year, up from 3,746 in March 2007, as the Bush administration ratcheted up efforts to use jail time, and the prospect of a criminal record,...
Lake Fights Back on Home Childbirth
Associated Press
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Jun 18, 2008 11:50 AM CDT
(AP) -
Ricki Lake is firing back at a recent American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists statement that reprimanded her for promoting at-home childbirth, saying that a hospital was the "safest setting" for having a baby. In The Business of Being Born , the former talk-show host documents the delivery of her second son in the bathtub of...
Chicago Fines Aim to Kick Smokers' Butts From Beach
Chicago Tribune
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Jun 18, 2008 11:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Chicago will fine smokers who toss cigarette butts on the beach—or within 15 feet of one— up to $500. The new law is aimed at cutting the cost of cleaning up after smokers, who have been forced outside by smoking bans, reports the Chicago Tribune. Millions of tons of butts are cleared from beaches every year.
R. Kelly Witness Was Threatened
Associated Press
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Jun 18, 2008 11:36 AM CDT
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The star witness in R. Kelly's child pornography trial said she was threatened for coming forward, AP reports. According to documents unsealed yesterday—a week after Kelly was acquitted—Lisa Van Allen claimed an employee told her she should have been killed for damaging the R&B star. Allen had testified that she had sex with Kelly and...
Midwest Floods May Seep Into Gas Prices
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 18, 2008 11:29 AM CDT
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Gas prices could be going up even more as Midwest floods put acres of corn underwater, causing its price—and that of ethanol—to spike, the Wall Street Journal reports. Relatively low ethanol prices have helped keep gasoline in check, but ethanol refiners paying more for corn could be forced to pass the added costs along to consumers.
Knee Surgery to End Tiger's Season
Associated Press
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Jun 18, 2008 11:12 AM CDT
(AP) -
Tiger Woods will miss the rest of the season because of surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left knee, AP reports—an injury he has dealt with the last 10 months despite winning nine of 12 tournaments. Woods said on his website today he suffered a double stress fracture of his left tibia while preparing to return to the PGA Tour last month,...
Bush to Congress: Lift Offshore Drilling Ban
CNN
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Jun 18, 2008 11:08 AM CDT
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Bush formally asked Congress today to allow drilling for oil in the deep water off America's coasts, as well as repeating his demand that Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be opened for drilling, CNN reports. "In the short run, the American economy will continue to rely largely on oil, and that means we need to increase supply here at home,"...
Pop: Miley Pic 'Stinks,' Move On
MSNBC
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Jun 18, 2008 10:49 AM CDT
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Miley Cyrus' father wishes he had stuck around to chaperone his daughter's Vanity Fair photo shoot, he tells the Today show. Billy Ray Cyrus, who posed with his daughter for the mag spread, says he wasn't around when the racy photos of Miley wrapped in a blanket were taken. The onetime country star says snapper Anne Leibovitz is "a good person"—but...
Bin Laden's 'Right-Hand Man' Released
Telegraph (UK)
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Jun 18, 2008 10:36 AM CDT
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The British government will appeal the release of a terrorism suspect described as Osama bin Laden's "right-hand man in Europe," the Telegraph reports. A judge ruled that Abu Qatada should be released because he has not been convicted of a crime and is not facing deportation. The British government has thus far failed to deport him to his...
Forget Sex, Crudeness Sells
New York Times
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Jun 18, 2008 10:10 AM CDT
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Advertising execs usually like spokesmen to be safe, wholesome, family-friendly figures. So why the heck are the Griffins their new darlings? From Coca-Cola to Subway, everyone seems to be tapping the "Family Guy" clan, despite the show’s tendency to joke about sex, religion, AIDS, and other wholesome, family-friendly topics. It seems...
DreamWorks Near Bollywood Alliance
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 18, 2008 10:09 AM CDT
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Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks venture is closing in on a deal with an Indian media conglomerate that could fund a break from Paramount Pictures, the Wall Street Journal reports. Mumbai-based Reliance, a conglomerate with stakes in telecom, finance, and entertainment looking to expand into Hollywood, could bring as much as $600 million. The Spielberg...
Deja Vu: Joe for Veep?
Salon
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Jun 18, 2008 10:00 AM CDT
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John McCain's best choice for running mate may be a familiar face in the vice presidential slot—Joe Lieberman. The independent Connecticut senator would be the "first Jewish, party-crossing, second-time-around VP nominee in American history," and could push McCain toward the center just enough to attract valuable conservative Democrats,...
