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.
Army to Speed High-Tech Gear Into Combat
Popular Mechanics
|
Jun 27, 2008 2:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The US Army has moved up the timetable for its high-tech weapons program, hoping to get new devices into the field by late 2010, 5 years ahead of its original schedule, Popular Mechanics reports. It’s also shifting focus away from conventional warfare tech like tanks and artillery and toward the communications and unmanned vehicles, including...
Stimulus' Boost Seen; How Long It Lasts Unsure
New York Times
|
Jun 27, 2008 2:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The government's stimulus package has worked—for now at least, the New York Times reports. Spending rose 0.4% last month, the Commerce Department said today, buoyed by the $50 billion in checks sent to consumers. But subtract the stimulus, and income levels rose only modestly, and wage growth lagged well behind inflation.
States to Motorists: Hang Up
Philadelphia Inquirer
|
Jun 27, 2008 2:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It might be time to get that hands-free cell: Tickets for phone use while driving are skyrocketing, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. States are increasingly making yakking behind the wheel a primary offense, meaning police can pull motorists over just for that. California and Washington next week join New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and DC in...
Chicago Watchful for Second Helping of Tainted Taste
Chicago Tribune
|
Jun 27, 2008 1:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With news still coming of people stricken by tomatoes tainted with salmonella, health officials say they're taking full precautions to prevent another outbreak at this year's Taste of Chicago, the Tribune reports. Booths will be inspected four times a day for sanitary conditions at the event, which begins today—though authorities warn they...
Law & Order: Noth Out, Goldblum In
New York Daily News
|
Jun 27, 2008 1:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jeff Goldblum will take Chris Noth’s place in the next season of Law & Order: Criminal Intent , the New York Daily News reports. Contract talks between Noth and USA Network evidently didn’t pan out. Noth, also known as Mr. Big on Sex and the City , spent five years in the early '90s on the original Law & Order and joined ...
Fed Feared 'Contagion' If Bear Failed
Wall Street Journal
|
Jun 27, 2008 1:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If the Fed hadn't taken the unprecedented step of helping bail out Bear Stearns, a sweeping "contagion" would have doomed the markets, its members say. In newly released minutes from its March 16 meeting, the Fed reasons that the “prominent position of Bear Stearns” left it no choice but to help JP Morgan's purchase, the Wall...
Clinton: 'We Stand Shoulder to Shoulder'
Washington Post
|
Jun 27, 2008 1:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama finally took a stage in support of the same candidate today—with Clinton asserting that it was time for the “36 million Americans who supported us” to stand in solidarity behind Obama, the Washington Post reports. "We are not going to rest until we take back our country," declared Clinton,...
Top-Seeded Ivanovic Upset at Wimbledon
Associated Press
|
Jun 27, 2008 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Top-ranked Ana Ivanovic was upset today by Zheng Jie of China in the third round at Wimbledon. Ivanovic lost 6-1, 6-4 to Zheng, who entered the Centre Court match ranked No. 133. Ivanovic earned the No. 1 ranking after a victory at the French Open. The 20-year-old Serbian player had to save two match points in her second-round win over Nathalie Dechy.
Levee Breaks Near Eastern Mo. Town
Associated Press
|
Jun 27, 2008 12:46 PM CDT
(AP) -
A levee failed today in eastern Missouri, but emergency workers say they think an impromptu sandbag levee can save the nearby town. The breach about 5 am in the Pin Oak levee at a spot just south of Winfield slowly began to flood about 3,000 acres. The Army Corps of Engineers said muskrat holes caused the breach.
As US Track Trials Begin, Field Is Wide Open
New York Sun
|
Jun 27, 2008 12:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Before US track and field athletes can book their tickets to Beijing, they must prove themselves at the Olympic Trials in Oregon, which get under way today. With the field this year largely devoid of big names and the sport still shrouded in shame over doping scandals, the New York Sun takes a look at the likely stars and possible dark horses of...
Batman Pic Salutes Ledger in Credits
Associated Press
|
Jun 27, 2008 12:06 PM CDT
(AP) -
Heath Ledger is getting a tribute from his collaborators on The Dark Knight . The end credits of the Batman Begins sequel include a farewell note to Ledger, who died in January from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. Ledger plays the Joker in the movie, which opens July 18. “Heath created something entirely original,” said...
McCain Wins the Week as Obama Misfires
Time
|
Jun 27, 2008 11:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Score this week for John McCain, writes Mark Halperin in Time . "McCain's week wasn't particularly good, but Obama's was dreadful by comparison." Here’s how it adds up: Image: McCain’s goal is to make Obama look “like an ordinary politician.” Barack helped with one of his “most off-message weeks,”...
Madonna to Divorce Ritchie
Daily Mirror (UK)
|
Jun 27, 2008 11:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Madonna has asked Guy Ritche, her husband of 7 years, for a divorce, the Mirror reports. After a troubled year for their marriage and consultation with divorce lawyers, Madge decided to make it final, friends of the couple said last night. “It was quite painless but very sad. He's off to the country to get a bit of peace and quiet."
Cheney's Brain Smug, Evasive in Testimony
Washington Post
|
Jun 27, 2008 11:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Dick Cheney’s chief of staff David Addington has long lurked in the shadows of the Bush administration, building its view of the imperial presidency, writes Dana Milbank of the Washington Post . But yesterday, “Cheney’s Cheney” was forced to step into the light and testify before Congress—and he wasn’t pleased....
See Wanted , Enjoy the Ride
Rotten Tomatoes
|
Jun 27, 2008 11:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If you're heading out to see the new Angelina Jolie flick Wanted , critics have some advice: Lighten up and enjoy it. "It’s trash, but I love it anyway,” writes Peter Travers in Rolling Stone . The story of a “nobody” office worker who winds up “a tight, muscled killing machine” in a team of assassins, the...
Kid Rock Endorses Grand Theft Everything
Associated Press
|
Jun 27, 2008 11:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Perhaps worried that he provides too wholesome a role model for America's youth, Kid Rock has posted a PSA on YouTube encouraging his fans not to stop at stealing music online. In the video, the rocker-rapper suggests people "level the playing field" by boosting iPods, computers, and cars. He later assured the AP that he was only kidding.
Pre-Unity, Some Clinton Donors Just Not Into Obama
Huffington Post
|
Jun 27, 2008 10:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
On the eve of today’s Democratic Unity rally, top Clinton donors intimated that they weren't quite ready to break out their party hats (or pocketbooks) for Obama. Said one of the 200 top Hillary backers corralled by the senators last night in DC, “This felt like when your mom forces you to go visit your Aunt Ida and she has to pinch your...
Global Econ Puzzle Awaits New President
Financial Times (UK)
|
Jun 27, 2008 10:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Whether it's John McCain or Barack Obama, the next president will confront a global economic landscape unlike anything his predecessor confronted, write Robert Hormats and Jim O'Neill. In an op-ed for the Financial Times , the two Goldman Sachs executives explain that the new president's greatest challenge will be the rise of emerging economies, whose...
Uma's Getting Hitched
New York Daily News
|
Jun 27, 2008 10:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Sorry guys, Uma Thurman is officially off the market. Financier Arpad “Arki” Busson has just put a ring on the Kill Bill star’s finger, the New York Daily News reports—a ring so big “she can’t fit it through the sleeve of her coat,” says one friend. Uma was seen showing off the dazzler last night. “It’s...
Magnetic Pulse Heads Off Migraines
Gizmag
|
Jun 27, 2008 10:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
For some of the 13% of Americans who suffer from migraine headaches, help might be only a button-click away, Gizmag reports. A new hand-held device works by sending a painless magnetic pulse through the brain, effectively scrambling the signals that would otherwise lead from the "aura" phase of the condition to the nausea-tinged, throbbing...
Mini Me Sues TMZ Over Sex Tape
TMZ
|
Jun 27, 2008 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
"Mini Me" actor Verne Troyer filed a $20 million lawsuit yesterday against celebrity web outlet TMZ and the guy who distributed the infamous Paris Hilton sex tape for publishing portions of his own raunchy video, which he says was stolen. Troyer claimed his privacy and trademark rights were violated, TMZ reports. In addition to damages, Troyer...
Pregnancy Pact Was Real, Says Principal
Associated Press
|
Jun 27, 2008 9:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The principal of a Massachusetts high school who said 17 girls got pregnant at his school as part of a pact isn't backing down from his claim, the AP reports. The principal said he gleaned the information through a nurse practitioner, “verbal staff reports,” and “student/staff chatter.” Amid a media feeding frenzy, the mayor...
Pixar's Wall-E Proves Its Mettle
Rotten Tomatoes
|
Jun 27, 2008 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Stunning animation, an endearing love story, and a compelling look at mankind’s future make Pixar’s Wall-E one of the best films of the year, critics agree. “This is getting to sound like a broken record: Pixar Animation Studios has just topped itself. Again,” Kirk Honeycutt writes in the Hollywood Reporter. This movie is...
Last Thing Bulls Should Give Rose is Time
Chicago Sun-Times
|
Jun 27, 2008 9:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson said after last night's NBA draft that he thinks the team should give Derrick Rose some time to settle in, but he seems to be the only person who thinks so, writes Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times . The No. 1 draft pick says he wants to focus on "being a point guard and coming in and starting."
Subway's Jared: Alive, Thank You
Radar
|
Jun 27, 2008 9:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Reports of the demise of Subway pitchman Jared are greatly exaggerated, a company rep said yesterday in response to an Internet hoax spread via Twitter posts. "Jared sounded very much alive when I talked to him today," a spokesman told Radar . The fast-spreading rumor claimed Fogle, 30, died after gastric bypass surgery and directed the...
Time for Mac to Get Interesting Again
Wall Street Journal
|
Jun 27, 2008 9:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain is getting lost in the giant media shadow thrown by Barack Obama, but there's plenty of time to fix things, writes Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal . For every two Obamania stories, there's one "deadly" boring report declaring: "McCain Unveils Proposal.” Now would be a good time for McCain to get interesting...
Amateur Proves Her Place at US Open
Washington Post
|
Jun 27, 2008 9:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Lorena Ochoa may be the young golfing sensation who helped to edge Annika Sorenstam out of the limelight, but now she finds herself impressed by a new youthful challenger. Maria Jose Uribe, the 18-year-old reigning Amateur champion, finished the first day of the US Women's Open only two strokes off the lead in a tie for fourth place, the Washington...
Yahoo Regroups, Again
New York Times
|
Jun 27, 2008 8:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Reeling after Microsoft’s failed takeover bid and bracing for a fight with financier Carl Icahn over board control, struggling Yahoo is once again restructuring itself, the New York Times reports. “Any organization change is disruptive,” said Yahoo’s president, but “the flip side of disruption is the opportunity for...
Forget the Rebound; 'This Thing's Going Down'
Washington Post
|
Jun 27, 2008 8:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A cycle has emerged in the economic mood of recent months: a round of bad news sends markets into a tailspin, then things appear to improve, complete with predictions that the worst is behind us, only to fall apart again, writes Steven Pearlstein in the Washington Post. It’s time now to realize that “this thing’s going down, fast...
Trade Spices Up Frosh-Heavy Draft
ESPN
|
Jun 27, 2008 8:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Bulls grabbed Derrick Rose with the first overall pick last night in a wild NBA draft dominated by college freshmen. For the first time in history, the top three picks all were first-year wonders, ESPN reports. The Timberwolves then traded that third pick—OJ Mayo—for No. 5 pick Kevin Love, who was, you guessed it, a freshman.
Softer Bush: Saving Legacy or Showing Wisdom?
New York Times
|
Jun 27, 2008 8:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
North Korea's nuclear declaration is a diplomatic milestone for a Bush administration showing a more pragmatic side on a host of issues in the home stretch, writes Steven Lee Myers in the New York Times . The conciliatory approach has extended to other issues, including reducing emissions, Israel-Palestinian peace, and Iran's nuclear activities. "I...
When Is A Facebook Friend Just A Friend?
MIT Technology Review
|
Jun 27, 2008 8:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
There’s a movement among some social Web services, from MySpace and Yahoo to Plaxo, to let users share data, the MIT Technology Review reports. Take Google’s new Friend Connect, a service that lets users transport profiles and connections among sites. But Facebook, for one, is swimming against the tide, working to control its users’...
Low Turnout for Zimbabwe's 1-Man Poll
Reuters
|
Jun 27, 2008 8:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Polls are open in Zimbabwe's meaningless presidential runoff vote, with Robert Mugabe running uncontested. Reuters reports that turnout is low several hours into the vote—unlike March's elections, which saw voters wait for hours in snaking lines. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who dropped out earlier this week to prevent further bloodshed,...
Philippines Typhoon Toll May Reach 1,000
CNN
|
Jun 27, 2008 7:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The death toll from a Philippines tycoon has climbed to more than 500—and it’s likely to keep growing, authorities say. Meanwhile, 900 are missing, including 669 who were on a sunken passenger ferry, CNN reports. More than 120 of those aboard the boat are confirmed dead, while 56 survived. Relatives are outraged that the boat was allowed...
Oil Breaks Record, Climbs Above $141
Associated Press
|
Jun 27, 2008 7:27 AM CDT
(AP) -
Oil prices climbed above $141 a barrel in Asian trading today—another record—as the dollar's protracted slump prompted investors to flock to oil as a hedge against inflation. Prices also were lifted yesterday after OPEC's president said crude prices could go higher than $150 a barrel this year and Libya said it may cut oil production.
Hairsplitting Obama Shifts to the Center
New York Times
|
Jun 27, 2008 7:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
When the Supreme Court struck down Washington, DC's ban on handguns yesterday, Barack Obama gave the opinion a muted welcome, endorsing both the right to bear arms and anti-gun laws. Obama's measured, even tortured response—after seeming to support the ban in February—is the latest in a series of calibrated positions on hot-button issues...
N. Korea Blows Up Nuclear Tower
CNN
|
Jun 27, 2008 6:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
North Korea demolished the biggest symbol of its nuclear program today, destroying the water tower of its Yongbyon plutonium facility, which had been used to extract plutonium to build nuclear weapons until it was decommissioned last year. But the huge implosion wasn’t just symbolic—the tower would take at least a year to rebuild, and...
Humiliating Defeat for UK Ruling Party
Times (UK)
|
Jun 27, 2008 6:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
On the first anniversary of Gordon Brown's premiership, the Labour Party went down to a humiliating fifth-place finish in a special election near Oxford, reports the Times of London. Although the Tories had been expected to retain the seat vacated by new London mayor Boris Johnson, the ruling party came behind not only the third-party Liberal Democrats,...
Polar Meltdown Threatened This Summer
Independent (UK)
|
Jun 27, 2008 6:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The North Pole may become free of ice this summer for the first time in human history. Thick Arctic sea ice that normally covers the polar region has been replaced by ice that formed only in the last year and is susceptible to seasonal melting, reports the Independent. It's a disturbing, symbolic landmark in global warming, scientists warn.
EU Will Make Airlines Pay to Pollute
New York Times
|
Jun 27, 2008 5:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The European Union struck a landmark deal yesterday to regulate carbon emissions from airplanes, requiring carriers to buy pollution credits for all flights entering or leaving airports in the EU. The agreement, which should go into effect in 2012, marks the first time that airlines will have to pay to pollute in the European emissions market the same...
Fires Threaten Big Sur
Associated Press
|
Jun 27, 2008 5:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Firefighters rushed to guard historic buildings in the scenic coastal town of Big Sur yesterday as a lightning-sparked wildfire blazed through a national forest in California, AP reports. The fire, only 3% contained, has burned 42 square miles of redwoods and destroyed 16 homes since Saturday. With 700 fires blazing statewide and more lightning forecast,...
Metro Workers Busted in Transit Sex Ring
MyFox Washington
|
Jun 27, 2008 4:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Two workers in the Washington Metro transit system have been busted for running a prostitution ring from one of the train stations, and using a loudspeaker to arrange a tryst, according to police. One of the staffers, a station manager, advertised available "sexual pleasures" in flyers, reports Fox TV. She presented a book of options to an...
Britons: New Trash Laws Are Rubbish
New York Times
|
Jun 27, 2008 4:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In the midst of a garbage overload, the UK is cracking down on trash with strict new rules, sparking a backlash among Britons, the New York Times reports. Many areas now pick up trash only biweekly, and accept only regulation amounts. Some reject recycling bins tainted with garbage. In response, some Britons are yelling at trash collectors, stealing...
Fed Agents Gunned Down at Mexico City Restaurant
CNN
|
Jun 27, 2008 4:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In a brazen display of Mexican drug cartel violence, two federal agents were shot dead in broad daylight as they dined in a Mexico City restaurant yesterday, CNN reports. The shooter then sped off in a black car. One victim was the nation's second-highest-ranking federal police officer and was in charge of programs to combat drug trafficking and smuggling.
Tsvangirai: Save Yourselves, Vote Mugabe
Guardian (UK)
|
Jun 27, 2008 3:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As Zimbabwe's sham run-off election for president began to get underway, even opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai urged supporters to vote for Robert Mugabe to save themselves from the violent intimidation orchestrated by the government, the Guardian reports. Mugabe's militia has conducted a terror campaign of murder, abduction, imprisonment and...
Barack Writes Campaign Check to Hillary
Associated Press
|
Jun 27, 2008 3:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama made a personal $4,600 donation to Hillary Clinton's campaign—a gesture to win over her supporters as the Democratic party tries to unify following the divisive campaign for the nomination. Obama told a meeting of 200 top Clinton fundraisers he's encouraging his donors to help pay off Clinton's $20 million campaign debt. "I'm...
Game Over for Teens 'Acting Out' Grand Theft Auto
New York Post
|
Jun 27, 2008 2:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Six bored Long Island teenagers have been busted for acting out the violent themes of the controversial video game Grand Theft Auto IV with a real life spree of break-ins, a mugging, a beating and a carjacking, police charge. "These teens have difficulty separating fact from fiction, fantasy from reality," a detective told the New York Post...
HIV Rate Soars 12% Among Young Gay Men
Washington Post
|
Jun 27, 2008 2:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
HIV infection rates are rising by 12% annually among young gay men aged 13 to 24—and even more among young black men, the Washington Post reports. That's 10 times higher than the overall gay community, possibly because younger men have “not been personally affected by AIDS in the same way that their older peers were," suggests one...
Retirees Scoop Up Bargains in Housing Slump
New York Times
|
Jun 27, 2008 2:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Retired Americans who can afford new bargains are enjoying the drop in housing value in once-exorbitant sun havens where prices have plunged as much as 25%. Miami, Phoenix and Las Vegas—formerly at the forefront of soaring prices—are now leading the decline, the New York Times reports. Homebuyers who waited to purchase took a risk because...
Congress Passes $162B Measure to Fund Wars
Associated Press
|
Jun 26, 2008 10:24 PM CDT
(AP) -
The Senate tonight passed a $162 billion war spending plan, sending to President Bush legislation that will pay for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan until the next president takes office. The package, approved 92-6, includes a doubling of GI Bill college benefits. It also provides a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits and $2.7 billion in flood...
