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.
US Companies Set Up Shop in Vietnam
New York Times
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Jun 18, 2008 9:53 AM CDT
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Foreign manufacturers invested $83 billion in China last year, keeping it at the top of the list of overseas producers. But a confluence of circumstances—high inflation, changing government policies, and, above all, rising wages—have led corporations to start looking elsewhere in Asia, the New York Times reports. The shift...
Yellow, Popular, and Not Long for Our Shelves
New York Times
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Jun 18, 2008 9:32 AM CDT
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With prices pushing the $1-per-pound mark, the banana's days as an American staple fruit are numbered, Dan Koeppel writes in the New York Times . “That bananas have long been the cheapest fruit at the grocery store is astonishing,” he notes of the exotic, quick-to-rot fruit, which is cheaper than homegrown apples despite enormous transportation...
Lil Wayne Busts 1M Barrier
Billboard
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Jun 18, 2008 9:20 AM CDT
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Lil Wayne has become the first artist to sell more than a million albums in a week since 50 Cent in 2005, Billboard reports. Tha Carter III, the rapper's sixth album, exploded out of record stores last week, selling close to half a million its first day. The milestone sales are way ahead of the 238,000 Wayne's last release notched up in its best...
For Beleaguered W. and Gordo, a Merry Old Time
New York Times
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Jun 18, 2008 9:00 AM CDT
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George W. Bush was in "one of his oddly chipper moods" during his awkward final trip to London, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd observes—but why? Perhaps, she opines half facetiously, "W. simply feels more at home in a monarchy" after years spent confessing to "Torquemada Cheney." Or maybe it's that he got...
LinkedIn Scores $53M in Capital, $1B Value
New York Times
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Jun 18, 2008 8:48 AM CDT
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LinkedIn—the buttoned-down, anti-Facebook social networking site for professionals—is about to up its profile with a $53 million infusion of private equity that will allow it to make acquisitions and expand its reach overseas, reports the New York Times . The new financing values the company at a hefty $1 billion, in between the $580 million...
FedEx Reports $241M Loss on Fuel Costs, Soft Economy
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 18, 2008 8:32 AM CDT
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Surging fuel costs, softening demand, and retail operation charges—including the cost of renaming its FedEx Kinko’s stores FedEx Office—sent FedEx Corp. to a fourth-quarter loss of $241 million, or 78 cents a share, compared to profits of $610 million or $1.96 a year ago, reports the Wall Street Journal. Revenue rose 8%. Earnings...
Afghans Launch Assault on Taliban
Reuters
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Jun 18, 2008 8:27 AM CDT
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Afghan and NATO troops launched a huge offensive against the Taliban today, Reuters reports, starting with an air and ground assault on a valley in southern Afghanistan. Bolstered with hundreds of fighters freed in last week’s prison break, the Taliban has taken several villages in Arghandab, and has its sights on nearby Kandahar city—where...
CIA Gave Pentagon Torture Tips
Washington Post
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Jun 18, 2008 8:06 AM CDT
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The CIA gave the Pentagon advice about the legality of harsh interrogation techniques to be used on detainees at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere, the Washington Post reports. Documents shown to a Senate committee yesterday reveal that the agency had a bigger role than first thought. Torture is "subject to perception,"a CIA lawyer told officials...
Morgan Stanley Profits Fall 57%
Bloomberg
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Jun 18, 2008 8:00 AM CDT
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Morgan Stanley profits were sliced in half this quarter, the company announced today, as stock slingers failed to offset real estate writedowns. The 57% drop, which brought earnings to $1.03 billion or $0.95 per share, was in line with analyst expectations. CEO John Mack said that thanks to “careful management of our capital, risk and liquidity”...
Judge OKs $11M Settlement for Va. Tech Families
Washington Post
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Jun 18, 2008 7:44 AM CDT
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A Virginia judge yesterday approved an $11 million settlement with 42 families of those killed or injured in last year's Virginia Tech shootings, the Washington Post reports. The families sued after a panel concluded that lives might have been saved if the university contacted students immediately after the first shootings. Instead, 2.5 hours passed...
Celtics Win Ripples Across Globe
Boston Herald
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Jun 18, 2008 7:24 AM CDT
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As the buzzer sounded last night, giving the Boston Celtics the NBA Championship over the Los Angeles Lakers, it wasn't heard only in Beantown. All over the world, from London to Shanghai, basketball fans watched the Celtics take home their 17th Larry O’Brien Trophy. "It’s a global world," said a team partner and investment banker....
Michelle Obama Takes Back Her Image
New York Times
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Jun 18, 2008 7:07 AM CDT
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Michelle Obama has been called everything from a black nationalist to a "baby mama" in recent weeks, and sporting a new chief of staff, she's looking to take on the rumors. In a New York Times interview, Obama outlines her journey from Chicago's South Side to the White House doorstep. “I will walk anyone through my life,” says...
Is Franken Too Vulgar for Politics?
Washington Post
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Jun 18, 2008 6:51 AM CDT
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Al Franken was cracking tasteless jokes for decades before entering politics, but it may be his opponent in the Minnesota Senate race who'll be accused of coarsening debate if he dares to brings them up, Michael Gerson writes in the Washington Post . Franken calls his work "provocative, touching, and funny" satire—but Gerson doesn't...
First British Woman Killed in Afghanistan
Guardian (UK)
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Jun 18, 2008 6:32 AM CDT
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An attack on a British military convoy in Afghanistan killed four troops, including the first British female soldier to die since the conflict began. The soldiers died in an explosion in Helmand province, Afghanistan's most volatile region, reports the Guardian . British Foreign Secretary David Miliband expressed his "deepest condolences"...
Ailing Fidel Appears on TV
Associated Press
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Jun 18, 2008 5:58 AM CDT
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An animated Fidel Castro appeared on state-run Cuban TV yesterday, in the first such broadcast of the ailing revolutionary since January. Castro, standing in some parts of the video, was seen chatting in a garden with his brother Raul, the current Cuban president, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the AP reports. The trio discussed the global food...
Burma Aid Delays Less Deadly Than Feared
New York Times
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Jun 18, 2008 5:13 AM CDT
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Delays in getting help to cyclone survivors in Burma's Irrawaddy Delta have not caused the catastrophe initially feared, according to aid workers. Hardy villagers have managed to survive on fish and coconuts, helped by aid from private Burmese citizens and monks, reports the New York Times . Expected massive outbreaks of disease have not occurred—but...
Britney's Dad Selling Her Mansion
People
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Jun 18, 2008 4:44 AM CDT
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Britney Spears' father has been given court permission to put the star's Los Angeles mansion up for sale. The singer is looking for a new home with more privacy and open space to raise her sons, a source told People. Spears and her dad are also planning a trip to Louisiana this week to be with Brit's pregnant sister as her due date nears.
High School Test Cheat Could Face 38 Years
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 18, 2008 4:21 AM CDT
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A student at an Orange County high school faces 69 felony charges and a possible 38 years in prison for a scheme to alter grades, the Los Angeles Times reports. The locked-up 18-year-old is accused of breaking into his school repeatedly, hacking into computers, and changing test scores and records for himself and 12 other students. Prosecutors say...
Offshore Drilling Issue May Backfire on McCain
Politico
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Jun 18, 2008 3:46 AM CDT
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John McCain is making a risky bet with his call to end a ban on offshore drilling, Charles Mahtesian and David Mark write in Politico. Polls show a clear majority of Americans are in favor of lifting the ban—but the candidate risks tapping a geyser of resentment in California and Florida, states strongly opposed to drilling that would be among...
Leaders Press for Berlin Cold War Museum
Der Spiegel
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Jun 18, 2008 3:21 AM CDT
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Berlin would finally get a museum dedicated to the Cold War if a group of high-profile politicians get their way. Led by former Czech President Vaclav Havel, the group is urging Germany to build the structure at Checkpoint Charlie, the infamous crossing point that connected the city when it was split by the Berlin Wall.
Rivals Plan Joint Unity Event
Chicago Tribune
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Jun 18, 2008 2:59 AM CDT
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Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will make a joint appearance in Washington next week in a show of party solidarity—despite behind-the-scenes tensions. Though Clinton's finance director invited top supporters to the event, some Hillary backers are frustrated by signals that their candidate won't be invited to join the ticket, including the Obama...
Mexico Overhauls Justice System
Washington Post
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Jun 18, 2008 2:30 AM CDT
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Sweeping reforms of Mexico's criminal justice system were signed into law by President Felipe Calderon yesterday. US-style public trials and presumption of innocence will replace Mexico's slow, closed-door system that proceeds almost exclusively through briefs, reports the Washington Post. The reforms also give investigators power to hold suspects...
Celtics Win Title in Blowout
Boston Globe
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Jun 17, 2008 11:04 PM CDT
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The Boston Celtics trounced the LA Lakers tonight to win their 17th NBA championship. Boston won 132-91 behind a stifling defense and strong shooting, the Boston Globe reports. The Big Three of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett proved too powerful in Game 6 for the overmatched Lakers, who were outscored 34-15 in the second quarter and trailed...
Bush to Push Congress for Offshore Drilling
Associated Press
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Jun 17, 2008 10:07 PM CDT
(AP) -
President Bush plans to make a renewed push tomorrow to get Congress to end a long-standing ban on offshore oil and gas drilling. Democrats have opposed the move for years, but rising gas prices are ratcheting up pressure to find domestic solutions. "The president believes Congress shouldn't waste any more time," said spokeswoman Dana Perino.
Dance Icon Cyd Charisse Dies at 86
Variety
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Jun 17, 2008 9:01 PM CDT
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Cyd Charisse, who gained renowned as a graceful dancer in the golden age of Hollywood musicals as a partner of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, died today of cardiac arrest at age 86, Variety reports. Known for her beauty and long legs, the 5-6 Charisse gained acclaim in movies such as The Band Wagon and Singin' in the Rain . In the latter, she danced...
Spam Thrives in Tough Times
Advertising Age
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Jun 17, 2008 8:34 PM CDT
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Americans have gobbled up Spam for 71 years, despite Monty Python parodies and countless jokes about the spongy stuff. But Spam's sales have spiked 10% over the past 12 weeks, as the economy has gone sour and soaring gas prices have been gobbling up household income. In fact, it's no cheaper than real meat, dollars-per-ounce. But its one of those things,...
Food Prices Rising Along With Floodwaters
Reuters
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Jun 17, 2008 8:00 PM CDT
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Rising floodwaters in the Midwest spread over thousands more acres of farmland today, leading to record or near-record prices for corn, soybeans, and cattle and hog futures, Reuters reports. President Bush promised quick federal aid and will visit Iowa on Thursday. That's not enough for Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who blasted the president for...
Feisty Exec Straddles Two Financial Crises
Portfolio
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Jun 17, 2008 7:50 PM CDT
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At age 83, Hank Greenberg is on anything but a quiet path to retirement. The legendary exec is smack in the middle of two of the biggest financial stories of the day—the upheaval at insurance giant AIG and the struggle to salvage Lehman Brothers. Portfolio looks at Greenberg's reversal of fortune since his resignation from AIG in 2005 after...
Obama, McCain Camps Trade Fire on Foreign Policy
Associated Press
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Jun 17, 2008 7:10 PM CDT
(AP) -
A defiant Barack Obama said today he would take no lectures from Republicans on which candidate would keep the US safer, a sharp rebuke to John McCain's aides who said the Democrat had a naive, "September 10th mindset" toward terrorism. Obama said Osama bin Laden is still at large in part because President Bush's strategy toward fighting...
Eavesdropping on Internet Calls Is Easy
MIT Technology Review
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Jun 17, 2008 7:00 PM CDT
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Not only are most Internet phone calls not encrypted, but a bandwidth-saving technique could undermine encryption once it’s implemented. Researchers at Johns Hopkins found that a compression method called variable-bit-rate encoding makes it possible for eavesdroppers to identify given phrases in an encrypted VoIP call 50% of the time, reports...
Doobly? Fipper? What Do You Call the Remote?
Guardian (UK)
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Jun 17, 2008 6:42 PM CDT
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The English Project is looking for unique words used among friends and families, and it's found a particularly rich vein in alternative terms for the TV remote control, the Guardian of London reports. Favorites include: doobly, podger, blipper melly, didge, clicker
EBay Will Open Doors to Outside Programmers
Reuters
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Jun 17, 2008 6:34 PM CDT
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EBay has revealed a plan to let third-party software programs work within its Selling Manager, a tool used by 700,000 large merchants. Project Echo is the latest landmark in an openness movement that helped Facebook hit its stride, Reuters reports, as independent developers will soon have their software promoted on the auction giant.
Alzheimer's Drug Shows Some Promise
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 17, 2008 6:10 PM CDT
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A drug currently in experimental trials seems to be effective in battling Alzheimer's disease, the pharmaceutical companies developing it tell the Wall Street Journal . Bapineuzumab—developed by Elan and Wyeth—seems to be helpful in improving cognitive ability in those stricken by the disease, though much more so in patients who don't...
Paper Ballots Rock the Vote
Boston Globe
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Jun 17, 2008 5:58 PM CDT
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Paper ballots are making a comeback in many states after problems plagued electronic voting systems—thanks in large part to issues with Florida's hanging chads in 2000. At least 55% of US ballots in November will be cast on paper, then optically scanned, the Boston Globe reports. Security isn't expected to be a problem, but election workers...
Sex Trade on Tenterhooks as Biggest Player Faces Trial
New York Times
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Jun 17, 2008 5:45 PM CDT
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Hookers and pimps are watching closely as “the most influential man” in US prostitution awaits trial. David Elms founded TheEroticReview.com, a site where users rate prostitutes and leave comments along the lines of Amazon book reviews. Sex traders fear his jailing and the subsequent closing of his site could hurt business, reports the...
Why Isn't Obama Further Ahead?
ABC News
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Jun 17, 2008 5:33 PM CDT
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Barack Obama has less of a lead over John McCain than would be suggested by his advantages in party affiliation and by President Bush's disapproval numbers, writes Gary Langer of ABC News. Among other things, data from a new poll show Obama has not received a major boost from Hillary Clinton's endorsement, suggesting he still needs to work to recruit...
Court's Gitmo Ruling a Judicial 'Power Grab'
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 17, 2008 5:23 PM CDT
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The Supreme Court's decision on Guantanamo Bay detainees got such praise from newspaper editorials that one might think a “dictator” had been stopped “from trampling civil liberties,” writes former Justice Department official John Yoo in the Wall Street Journal . In fact, the ruling is an unprecedented judicial “power...
Car Bomb Kills 51 at Baghdad Market
Associated Press
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Jun 17, 2008 5:18 PM CDT
(AP) -
A car bomb tore through a market area in a mainly Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad today, killing more than 50 people and wounding dozens, officials said. It was the deadliest such attack in more than three months. Nobody claimed responsibility, but it bore the hallmarks of al-Qaeda in Iraq, which is known to use car bombs and suicide attacks.
GOP Hesitates on Call for Mortgage Probe
Politico
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Jun 17, 2008 5:11 PM CDT
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GOP lawmakers are leery of investigating mortgage deals Countrywide may have arranged for members of Congress, even though a fellow Republican is leading the charge, Politico reports. More Democratic ties to the troubled lender would give the GOP ammo in a cycle seemingly stacked against it—but the people who must pull the trigger are apprehensive...
There's a Huge Moon on the Rise
LiveScience
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Jun 17, 2008 4:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Northern Hemisphere residents, check out the night sky tomorrow for an extra-large-looking moon. The moon illusion—a trick our brain plays on us—is enhanced by the summer solstice, and when Earth's satellite rises close to the horizon, conditions are perfect, LiveScience notes.
Where's All the Climate-Change Finger-Pointing?
Treehugger
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Jun 17, 2008 4:48 PM CDT
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With the recent rash of severe and terrifying weather events, Treehugger notes a distinct lack of environmentalists pointing to the changes as evidence of global warming. The green site gives five reasons for the absence, starting with the fact that it's no fun to say "I told you so." The list in its entirety:
Let the Carry-On Wars Begin
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 17, 2008 4:35 PM CDT
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With United, American, and US Airways all instituting charges for both first and second checked bags, a carry-on crunch is coming, the Wall Street Journal reminds us. Expect the baggage police to start heading off patrons flouting the cabin limit at security screenings. Airlines hope to to fight overcrowding in overhead bins and lower the total weight...
Intel Moves into Clean Tech With Solar Cell Spinoff
CNET
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Jun 17, 2008 4:31 PM CDT
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Intel made a move into clean technology yesterday, creating a spinoff that will manufacture solar cells and pumping $50 million into it. SpectraWatt’s focus will be on improving solar-cell efficiency and cutting costs per watt, its CEO told CNet. IT companies are increasingly getting into the solar industry. Both IBM and HP recently began such...
Candidates Spar Over Origins of 9/11 Attacks
Time
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Jun 17, 2008 4:20 PM CDT
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A top aide to John McCain aide today called Barack Obama “naïve,” “delusional,” and the “perfect manifestation of a Sept. 10 mindset,” ABC News reports. The sniping came in response to Obama’s comment that the US acted correctly in trying the terrorists behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in the...
Foreign Investment in Iraq Up
USA Today
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Jun 17, 2008 4:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
European and Asian investors are taking advantage of the recently stabilized Iraqi business climate, USA Today reports. US firms still regard Iraq as too dangerous to invest in, but that attitude may cost them the best opportunities. The firms “who are getting in on the ground floor are not American," says a Pentagon official. "It's...
The New Generational Shift: Suburban Flight
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 17, 2008 3:53 PM CDT
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Changes in lifestyles, economic conditions, and demographics are leading to a reversal in urban flight, The Wall Street Journal reports. Four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline and the subprime crisis have driven many to cities from suburbs, where commutes are longer and houses have lost the most value. Boomers are simplifying their lives with urban condos,...
Proms' Glitz Blitz Captivates UK Teens
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 17, 2008 3:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Parents and traditionalists alike are feeling the pinch as expensive American-style proms migrate to the UK, the Wall Street Journal finds. Teens crave the stretch limos and extravagant gowns seen in US shows like The O.C . and My Super Sweet 16 . But some educators criticize the trend, including one headmaster bothered by "the ones who are...
Canada Could Hurt Firms It Tries to 'Protect'
American
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Jun 17, 2008 3:28 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A move last month by the Canadian government to block the country's top space-tech firm from selling one of its divisions to a US buyer illustrates a tricky balancing act, Christopher Sands writes in the American : How far should Ottawa go to appease nationalist sentiment if it eats into economic benefits? The wariness, Sands notes, extends back to...
Faltering Banks Push Stocks Down
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 17, 2008 3:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The markets fell today, led by plunging financials and bank stocks, despite a solid second-quarter report from Goldman Sachs. "There is a lack of clarity at every level of the financial system right now, from regulators to companies," a floor trader told the Wall Street Journal . The Dow fell 108.78 to 12,160.30, the Nasdaq 17.05 to 2,457.73,...
Anti-Abortion Groups Use Grand Juries on Foes
New York Times
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Jun 17, 2008 3:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Anti-abortion activists in Kansas are using an obscure 19th-century statute to convene grand juries to hear evidence against abortion-performing doctors, the New York Times reports. In several states, citizens who collect enough signatures can circumvent prosecutors and order their own investigation of an alleged crime. A Kansas doctor, for example,...
