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.
Hairy Fad: Boys Dig Long Locks
Chicago Tribune
|
Jun 30, 2008 7:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In what could be a frightening nod to the '80s, more and more boys are growing their hair out. And while most deny pop culture inspired the barber boycott, long locks can be spotted on everyone from the Jonas Brothers to celebrity tots. Despite sometimes being mistaken for girls, notes the Chicago Tribune in a look at the trend, most wouldn't trade...
Qualcomm Aims to Unseat Intel in Low-Power Chip Battle
New York Times
|
Jun 30, 2008 6:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Qualcomm might be looking to unseat industry top dog Intel with its new Snapdragon chip—which uses half the power of Intel’s new Atom, will likely be cheaper, and is due out next year. As personal computers and mobile Internet devices continue to converge, the need for speed has shifted to a need to power-sip, reports the New York Times...
Fungus Drug Zaps Cancer in Study
Reuters
|
Jun 30, 2008 6:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A powerful new cancer drug has been developed from a fungus discovered by accident, Reuters reports. The drug, called lodamin, is dramatically effective against a range of cancers and works by starving tumors of blood, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology. Mice infected with cancer cells were nearly cancer free within...
Swift Boat Vets Want Their Name Back
New York Times
|
Jun 30, 2008 6:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
These days, the phrase "Swift boat" has come to mean a vicious political attack of the kind suffered by John Kerry in the 2004 election. While the term has gained such currency that it's now used as a verb, one group is seriously miffed: the Navy veterans who, like Kerry, served on a Swift boat during the Vietnam war. The New York Times...
WTC Project Years Behind, Billions Over
Wall Street Journal
|
Jun 30, 2008 5:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The problem-plagued World Trade Center rebuilding project will be completed years behind schedule and up to $3 billion over budget, reports the Wall Street Journal . Construction of the various elements of the $15 billion complex—which includes a sprawling 9/11 memorial, office towers, a performing arts center, and a transportation hub—have...
Mugabe Faces Chilly Reception at African Summit
Reuters
|
Jun 30, 2008 5:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Newly reinaugurated Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe arrived today at an African Union summit where he is expected to face pressure to negotiate with the country's opposition. Although Mugabe walked into the conference at an Egyptian resort alongside other leaders, he has faced unprecedented criticism from African governments to yield to international...
6 Killed as Medical Choppers Collide
Associated Press
|
Jun 30, 2008 4:50 AM CDT
(AP) -
Six people were killed yesterday when a medical helicopter ferrying a patient crashed into another chopper with a patient as they headed for the same northern Arizona hospital. Three people in each chopper—including the pilots and the patients—were killed and a nurse was critically injured. An explosion in one of the helicopters after the...
Bear Mauls Girl in Alaska Bike Race
Associated Press
|
Jun 30, 2008 4:19 AM CDT
(AP) -
A 14-year-old girl riding in a mountain bike race in Alaska was severely injured when she was attacked last night by a bear. She was able to make a brief emergency cell phone call and whisper the word "bear" that triggered an emergency search. The girl suffered head, neck, torso and leg wounds and was protected from even more serious wounds...
Google Teams Up With Family Guy Creator
New York Times
|
Jun 30, 2008 3:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In a unique advertising move, Google and Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane are creating an ad-driven internet cartoon series, the New York Times reports. Using its AdSense service, Google will place two-minute animated "webisodes" of McFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy on websites likely to draw the animator's target audience....
Cash-Strapped Dieters Drop Weight Loss Programs
Advertising Age
|
Jun 30, 2008 3:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Millions of Americans are getting fat on the economic downturn—but not in a good way. As prices for essentials like gas and food spiral, the 20% of the population on a diet are turning away from highly structured weight loss programs like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers in search of less expensive—and likely less effective—solutions,...
After the Deluge: Tallying Massive Costs
Reuters
|
Jun 30, 2008 2:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Floods that ravaged the Midwest have begun to subside—but the massive costs of weeks of rising water have only begun to be counted. The floods killed 24 people, left 38,000 homeless and destroyed billions of dollars of crops. The losses are likely to trigger food shortages and push up prices for years to come.
US Steps Up Covert Plots in Iran
New Yorker
|
Jun 30, 2008 2:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Congress agreed to boost covert operations against Iran last year despite reservations by key officials, Seymour Hersh writes in the New Yorker . President Bush sought up to $400 million for the program, which supports dissidents intent on undermining Tehran and gathers data on its nuke plans. Some analysts believe the moves foreshadow a military...
Mexican Troops Accused in Drug War Deaths
Time
|
Jun 29, 2008 9:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Mexicans increasingly accuse state troops of beating and murdering innocents on their mission to curb violent drug cartels, Time reports. Since the state assigned 25,000 soldiers to fight drug-runners 2 years ago, troops have killed at least 13 unarmed people—while traffickers have added 1,800 more to the tally. "These soldiers are idiots,"...
Israel to Trade Convicts for 2 Soldiers
Reuters
|
Jun 29, 2008 7:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Israeli officials today approved a prisoner swap with Hezbollah to release the bodies of two soldiers whose capture triggered a 2006 war, Reuters reports. In return, Hezbollah secured the freedom of five gunmen, including one of Israel’s “most notorious convicts,” the New York Times says. Israeli PM Ehud Olmert said he “vacillated...
Newlyweds Toasted at SF Gay Pride Parade
San Francisco Chronicle
|
Jun 29, 2008 7:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Weeks after wedding bells began tolling for San Francisco's gay couples, revelers had extra reason to celebrate at today’s annual Pride Parade. Thousands watched a procession of kids, drag queens, politicians, and topless men shimmy along Market Street—where a small group of protesters demonstrated against California’s approval of...
Who's the Best VP Pick? Take a Wild Guess
Politico
|
Jun 29, 2008 6:57 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Nancy Pelosi suggested an unlikely vice-presidential candidate for Barack Obama this week, and got Politico's editors thinking—who are the best longshot candidates for both parties? They called up political analysts and drummed up seven names that are "unconventional" but "reasonably viable." Bill Gates topped the list for...
Inbee Park the Youngest Winner of US Women's Open
Associated Press
|
Jun 29, 2008 6:28 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two weeks away from her 20th birthday, Inbee Park became the youngest winner of the US Women's Open today by closing with a 2-under 71 as everyone else around her faded away at Interlachen. Park didn't make a bogey over the final 10 holes, pulling away with three clutch putts early on the back nine and building a four-shot lead going to the final hole....
6K Nabbed in GMAT Cheating Scandal
BusinessWeek
|
Jun 29, 2008 6:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
More than 6,000 students are embroiled in a cheating scandal that could cost them their place at one of the nation’s business schools, BusinessWeek reports. The prospective MBA students were members of ScoreTop.com, a test-prep site that featured current GMAT questions. Test publisher GMAC sued the company, later winning $2.3 million, its domain...
Wall-E Sees Box Office Stars
Variety
|
Jun 29, 2008 5:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Wall-E charmed filmgoers and Angelina Jolie's Wanted beat out expectations in a strong box office weekend, Variety reports. The Pixar-Disney animation flick banked $62.5 million while Wanted raked in $51.1 million. Get Smart held at third with $20 million and Kung Fu Panda kicked up $11.7 million in fourth, while The Incredible Hulk dropped...
The (Middle) Name Is Hussein
New York Times
|
Jun 29, 2008 4:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A growing group of Barack Obama fans are adopting his middle name, even as conservative pundits use it to label him a Muslim or terrorist, the New York Times reports. The trend of using "Hussein" has picked up speed since February and exists mostly online, in blogs and on Facebook. "I am sick of Republicans" using Obama's middle...
Spain Claims Euro '08 Title
Associated Press
|
Jun 29, 2008 4:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After beating Italy and Germany to win its first title in 44 years, Spain no longer needs to think of itself as an underachieving soccer nation. The "Red Fury" won their second European Championship, playing with flair, finesse, and a determination that the team had lacked in so many previous competitions.
Chief Justice Ain't Got a Bob Dylan Quote
New York Times
|
Jun 29, 2008 4:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Supreme Court decision was livened up this week by a quote from 1960s thinker, Robert Dylan—known to his fans as Bob. Regarding a stand-off between phone companies, Chief Justice John Roberts quoted, "When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose," from Bob Dylan's 1965 hit Like a Rolling Stone . But Roberts left out a word that...
Why Is Memphis the New South Bronx?
The Atlantic
|
Jun 29, 2008 4:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Despite a flattened national crime rate in large cities, Memphis was recently dubbed the nation's leader in violent crime, prompting Atlantic Monthly to ask: “Why has Elvis’s hometown turned into America’s new South Bronx?" Local experts offer an unsettling answer: demolition of low-income housing projects isn’t eradicating...
Paps Vs. Surfers Battle Ebbs as Cops Move In
Los Angeles Times
|
Jun 29, 2008 3:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Malibu sheriffs stepped up beach patrols this weekend, in the wake of last week's ruckus between paparazzi who wanted to snap actor Matthew McConaughey and surfers who rushed to defend him as one of their own. But the anticipated fray this weekend consisted of one lone photographer with a protest sign trading choice words with beach bums, the Los...
I, (Gay) Robot? Radar Rates the Androids
Radar
|
Jun 29, 2008 2:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Gay marriage in California and Brokeback Mountain's emergence on the opera scene all point to an America that’s "getting its gay on," writes Evan Mulvihill in Radar —including its androids. Using a 'Homometer' (0: asexual; 1: beer and steak; 5: bisexual; 10: flaming), he takes a look at cinema’s most fabulous robots....
Model Dies in 9-Story Fall in NYC; Suicide Suspected
New York Post
|
Jun 29, 2008 2:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Kazakh model was found dead after falling from her ninth-floor Manhattan apartment in an apparent suicide, the New York Post reports. Twenty-year old Ruslana Korshunova had appeared on the covers of French Elle and Russian Vogue , and starred in ads for Christian Dior and Vera Wang. She had just returned from a modeling stint in Paris and looked...
World's Diciest Landing Strips
Travel Leisure
|
Jun 29, 2008 2:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The scenery is spectacular, but lofty mountaintops, stiff trade winds, and abbreviated tarmacs make for teeth-clenching landings at the world’s most harrowing runways, per Travel and Leisure : Paro Airport, Bhutan: Surrounded by 16,000-foot-high Himalayan peaks, what could possibly go wrong? Barra Airport, Scotland: Hold on tight....
Investor Wins $2.1M Lunch With Buffett
Associated Press
|
Jun 29, 2008 1:37 PM CDT
(AP) -
A Chinese investment fund manager won the chance to have lunch with billionaire Warren Buffett by bidding $2.1 million in the most expensive charity auction ever held on eBay. Zhao Danyang of the Hong Kong-based Pureheart China Growth Investment Fund won the auction, which ended Friday evening with a bid of $2,110,100.
McCain Would Tilt Split Court Right
Washington Post
|
Jun 29, 2008 1:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
America’s choice for president will likely ripple all the way to the halls of the sharply divided Supreme Court, the Washington Post reports. Since the next justice to retire is likely to be left-leaning, a Barack Obama victory would maintain the status quo of four conservatives, four liberals, and Anthony M. Kennedy serving as the swing vote....
Forget Iraq, US Is in Need of Nation-Building
New York Times
|
Jun 29, 2008 12:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The key issue in the presidential election won’t be national security or Iraq, as many once believed—it will be how to fix our ailing nation at home, writes Thomas Friedman in the New York Times . “We are a country in debt and in decline—not terminal, not irreversible, but in decline,” Friedman notes. What we need is...
Busy Beard Narrows Focus to Beijing
Los Angeles Times
|
Jun 29, 2008 12:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Three-time Olympian Amanda Beard has endorsements and extracurriculars to worry about, but only one thing really matters right now: this week's Olympic swimming trials. The red-carpet fixture and onetime Playboy cover model is all business as she dives into the pool of hopefuls competing to represent the US in breaststroke and individual medley,...
Where Will Cost of Gas Drive Us?
New York Times
|
Jun 29, 2008 12:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
How does really expensive fuel affect you? The New York Times Op-Ed page asked 10 writers to ruminate on that question, and the responses are all over the map: The lure of staying home could have workers demanding tax changes that benefit telecommuters, thinks Nicole Belson Goluboff. Say goodbye to suburbia, says Allison Arieff: cities...
Mugabe Is Sworn In
Reuters
|
Jun 29, 2008 12:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Robert Mugabe was sworn in today for another 5 years as president of Zimbabwe, after the electoral commission declared him the winner with 85% of the vote in an uncontested but controversial race. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who withdrew his candidacy last week over concerns of increasing violence, says he will request that African Union leaders...
Israel Has a Year to Thwart Iranian Nuke: Official
Telegraph (UK)
|
Jun 29, 2008 11:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Israel has 12 months to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons or risk Tehran’s wrath, a former Israeli defense official said. “The time that is left to be ready is getting shorter all the time,” Shabtai Shavit told the Telegraph. “We should do whatever (is) necessary in case sanctions don’t work. What’s left...
Concert Sales Slump as Gas Prices Climb
Rolling Stone
|
Jun 29, 2008 11:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Soaring gas prices are turning down the volume on ticket sales for this year’s summer tours, Rolling Stone reports. Major festivals like Bonnaroo and Coachella didn’t sell out—a rare occurrence—while top acts like George Michael, Maroon 5, and Stevie Wonder are facing difficulty finding fans. That has pushed some to offer...
Mrs. Mac Pays Condo Taxes... 4 Years Late
Newsweek
|
Jun 29, 2008 11:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A trust company overseen by Cindy McCain has paid almost $7,000 in overdue property taxes to San Diego County, after Newsweek began looking into unpaid bills on the condo. Government notices sent to a Phoenix address were returned by the post office; and the county claims that McCain owes a further $1,742 that will go into default July 1.
What's Up With the Prez Polls?
CQPolitics
|
Jun 29, 2008 10:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Voter polls on John McCain and Barack Obama are all over the map: Gallup has them neck-and-neck, while LA Times /Bloomberg and Newsweek say Obama leads by up to 15 points. What gives? One expert says the latter polls relied too heavily on Democrats. "We know that the best predictor of how someone is going to vote is their party ID," Pew...
Microsoft Should Throw a Rock Through Its Windows
New York Times
|
Jun 29, 2008 9:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The window on Microsoft’s operating system agility has closed, and to fix it, Randall Stross argues in the New York Times , the tech giant needs to start from scratch. Windows “has become an obese monolith built on an ancient frame,” Stross says, and it “seems to move an inch for every time that Mac OS X or Linux laps it.”
Emergency Declared in Calif. Fires
Los Angeles Times
|
Jun 29, 2008 9:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Bush declared a region stretching from Nevada to the Pacific Ocean a federal disaster area, the Los Angeles Times reports, as more than 1,000 fires raged across northern California. Some 17,000 firefighters are battling the blazes, which threaten 6,800 homes. “We don’t have any of the fires under control,” said a state...
Choose Your Own Adventure, This American Life Style
Radar
|
Jun 29, 2008 8:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
This American Life , providing "a valuable census of liberal America's cultural consciousness since 1996," comes in for a little ribbing from Walker Boyd in Radar . Boyd spoofs Ira Glass's radio and TV narratives with a Mad Libs-type story generator. Now "your dreams of Ira narrating some touching yet inoffensive slice of your...
Back on Stage, Wacky Winehouse Lurches Into Fan
Telegraph (UK)
|
Jun 29, 2008 8:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Whacked out singer Amy Winehouse appeared to lunge for an audience member in the pit yesterday in her first British gig in 7 months, reports the Daily Telegraph. She also blasted headliner Jay-Z, saying he’s “got some front to come here with tunes you don’t even remember," mumbled between songs and said her husband would be...
Iraq Planning Seriously Flawed: Army
New York Times
|
Jun 29, 2008 7:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The planning and execution of the Iraq occupation was seriously flawed, the Army concedes in an unclassified report to be released tomorrow. Built on some 200 interviews, the study is a detailed analysis of the Army's activities, aimed at military experts, reports the New York Times . A central problem identified in the report is the military’s...
Mugabe Declares Victory
CNN
|
Jun 29, 2008 7:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has proudly claimed victory in a run-off vote in which he was the only candidate, CNN reports. Preparations were underway for a swearing-in ceremony, with invitations sent out hours after his declaration. But a party spokesman said the ceremony wouldn’t be held until after the official results are announced at...
'Rape' Girl's Death Sparks Chinese Riots
BBC
|
Jun 29, 2008 6:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Furious Chinese mobs claiming authorities are covering up the murder of a teenage girl yesterday stormed government buildings in southwest China. Several thousand people set fire to county and party buildings and police stations in Wengan county in Guizhou, the BBC reports. Authorities have ruled the death of the girl a suicide. But rioters charge...
Supreme Court's Gay Rights Revolution
Time
|
Jun 29, 2008 6:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It’s been five years since the Supreme Court heard Lawrence v. Texas and handed down a landmark decision in effect decriminalizing homosexual activity and paving the way for gay marriage legislation in Massachusetts and California. The decision has been cited in numerous cases around the country challenging morals legislation, and triggered...
300M 'Chinglish' Speakers Can't Be Wrong
Wired
|
Jun 29, 2008 5:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Some 300 million English speakers in China are altering the language in small but important ways—and may be creating their own dialect, Michael Erard writes in Wired . So-called "Chinglish"—which stresses unique syllables, drops dos and dids, and adds sounds for questions—has already been studied in a Hong Kong exhibit...
Five Problems With Environmental Reporting
Columbia Journalism Review
|
Jun 29, 2008 5:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If you’re flummoxed by ever-shifting information on climate change and the environment, just think what the folks who report it must be going through. Deadline pressures and conflicting scientific papers have reporters struggling to provide editors with sellable stories, the Columbia Journalism Review reports, and the results don’t always...
Percentage of Teen Smokers Holds Steady at 20%
Washington Post
|
Jun 28, 2008 10:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The number of teens who smoke has stopped declining, and anti-smoking activists worry that complacency is setting in, the Washington Post reports. The latest survey shows that 20% of kids between the ages of 13 and 17 light up, a figure that has generally held steady since 2003. It remains a marked improvement from the figure of 36.4% n 1997, but...
YouTube Warriors Redefine Politics
New York Times
|
Jun 28, 2008 9:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A glut of political amateurs who produce popular videos on the cheap for YouTube and similar sites is redefining campaign politics. The New York Times takes a look at the phenomenon, in which partisans with nothing but passion and a computer produce often scathing videos about McCain and Obama. The campaigns, meanwhile, are struggling to ajdust to...
Roller Coaster Decapitates South Carolina Teen
Associated Press
|
Jun 28, 2008 8:19 PM CDT
(AP) -
A teenager was decapitated by a roller coaster after he hopped a pair of fences and entered a restricted area today at Six Flags Over Georgia, authorities said. Officials are uncertain why the 17-year-old from Columbia, SC, scaled two 6-foot fences and ignored signs that said the restricted area was dangerous. Witnesses reported he was retrieving a...
