Newser Story Index from July, 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.
Colombia to Americans: Cocaine Kills Environment
Christian Science Monitor
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Jul 19, 2008 5:28 PM CDT
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Colombia is adding a new tactic in its campaign to persuade Americans to stop buying cocaine: a plea for the environment. The government wants to spread the message to users—especially, say, wealthy professionals who dutifully recycle but also partake of the drug—that cocaine growers are running roughshod over the land, the Christian Science...
Calif. Against Gay Marriage Ban: Poll
Los Angeles Times
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Jul 19, 2008 4:59 PM CDT
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A small majority of Californians polled would vote against a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in November, the Los Angeles Times reports. A Field Poll of 672 voters found that 51% oppose Proposition 8, while 42% support it. The ballot measure would define marriage as being exclusively between a man and a woman.
In Need of Big Ideas, Ford Thinks Small
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 19, 2008 4:28 PM CDT
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Ford Motor Company will be repurposing some of its US plants to manufacture smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, the Wall Street Journal reports. As rising gas prices drive falling sales of behemoths like the F-150, insiders say the company will move toward making more of the passenger cars, like the Mondeo, that are mainly sold in Europe.
Norman Grabs 2-Stroke Lead
Associated Press
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Jul 19, 2008 3:59 PM CDT
(AP) -
Greg Norman survived another battering from windswept Royal Birkdale to take a two-stroke lead at the British Open with defending champion Padraig Harrington chasing hard. The 53-year-old, part-time golfer, celebrated the 3-week anniversary of his marriage to Chris Evert by shooting a 2-over 72 on Saturday, the AP reports.
Humane Society Finds Its Inner Pit Bull
Los Angeles Times
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Jul 19, 2008 3:58 PM CDT
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The Humane Society may spend a lot of time fighting for cute, furry creatures, but it's been shedding its mild-mannered, do-gooder image under the direction of CEO Wayne Pacelle, writes the Los Angeles Times . Pacelle, a 42-year-old vegan who admires the NRA's steamroller approach, has turned the organization into a much more aggressive protector...
Maliki Backs Obama Iraq Plan
Der Spiegel
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Jul 19, 2008 3:36 PM CDT
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While shying away from a presidential endorsement, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki expressed support for Barack Obama’s 16-month timeline for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, Der Spiegel reports. He expressed frustration at his country’s lack of control over US forces and said they should leave "as soon as possible,...
Public Silence Greets Wall St. Blunders
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 19, 2008 3:10 PM CDT
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America's financiers have driven the country into crisis with stunning recklessness, James Grant writes in the Wall Street Journal , but public anger seems strangely dormant. Populist politicians railed against Wall Street during past financial crises, Grant notes, but today's politicians appear largely uninterested in taking aim at the easy target.
New England Soccer Team Subdues Passenger
Associated Press
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Jul 19, 2008 2:56 PM CDT
(AP) -
An American Airlines flight from Boston to Los Angeles was diverted to Oklahoma City on Friday after a passenger stripped nude and later tried to open an emergency exit door before being subdued by members of a professional soccer team and others, the FBI said. Members of the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer were among those who grabbed...
Hundreds of Penguins Found Dead in Rio
Associated Press
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Jul 19, 2008 2:37 PM CDT
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More than 400 penguins, most of them only babies, have been found dead on the tropical beaches of Rio de Janeiro over the past 2 months—an unusual and as-yet unexplained phenomenon, the AP reports. While Brazil’s beaches are no stranger to the occasional penguin—dead or otherwise—the sudden flood is stumping experts.
Obama Meets Afghan Leaders, Reiterates Support
Associated Press
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Jul 19, 2008 2:03 PM CDT
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Barack Obama met today with officials from one of Afghanistan’s most hard-fought regions, the AP reports, and re-iterated his commitment to intensifying US efforts there if elected president. Together with Chuck Hagel and Jack Reed, Obama visited Jalalabad Air Field in Nangarhar province. Nangarhar lies next to the Pakistani border, and has come...
Dark Knight Hauls In Record $66.4M
Associated Press
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Jul 19, 2008 1:34 PM CDT
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Batman sequel The Dark Knight raked in $66.4 million in its first 24 hours, easily sweeping past the previous mark of $59.8 million opening day set last year by Spider-Man 3 , the AP reports. With a showing like that, Dark Night is poised to surpass Spidey’s opening weekend record of $151.1 million. Heath Ledger’s much-buzzed-about...
McMahon Sues Billionaire, Hospital Over Broken Neck
People
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Jul 19, 2008 1:08 PM CDT
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Venerable TV sidekick and debtor Ed McMahon is suing two parties he says have contributed to his financial crisis, People reports. First, McMahon’s suit alleges that “unsafe entry stairs” at a billionaire investor’s home caused him to fall and break his neck; the second party is the hospital he was taken to, which allegedly...
Khloe Spends 173 Minutes in Slammer
Us Weekly
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Jul 19, 2008 12:52 PM CDT
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Reality TV starlet Khloe Kardashian is free today after spending 173 minutes in a California jail for a parole violation, Us Weekly reports. For those keeping track, her stay was more than twice as long as Nicole Richie’s last year at the same detention facility.
Yahoo Takes Icahn Fight to Homepage
PC World
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Jul 19, 2008 12:22 PM CDT
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A new button on Yahoo's homepage links users to the company's case against activist investor Carl Icahn, PC World reports. Icahn is seeking to unseat Yahoo's board at its Aug. 1 general meeting. The page links to voting forms and leaves shareholders in no doubt how the company thinks they should vote: A purple banner carries the Icahn quote, "It's...
Junkie-Turned-Reporter Writes His Own Story
New York Times
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Jul 19, 2008 12:02 PM CDT
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The junkie's tale of redemption is nearly a cliché by now, and David Carr acknowledges as much as he writes his own. But Carr, now a reporter for the New York Times , takes pains not to sugar-coat the years he spent as a "fat thug who beat up women and sold bad coke." His salvation turned out to be his coke-addicted girlfriend and...
Requests for Pardons Flood White House
New York Times
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Jul 19, 2008 11:33 AM CDT
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President Bush is nearing the end of his term, and felons are coming out of the woodwork in historic numbers to ask for pardons and reduced sentences, the New York Times reports. It is not unusual for there to be a spike in pardons granted by a president in his final months in office: Half of Bill Clinton’s 459 pardons happened in his last...
How Piracy Can Boost Business
Economist
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Jul 19, 2008 11:03 AM CDT
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Intellectual piracy is bad for business, yes, but also inevitable—and companies fare better when turning it to their advantage, the Economist reports. The large (and illegal) volume of music and video exchanged online, for example, can reveal who’s popular in which countries. And Microsoft, which officially battles piracy, also derives...
These Days, Local Banks Look Good
New York Times
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Jul 19, 2008 10:35 AM CDT
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Community banks may seem like quaint relics to those who prefer banking online, but IndyMac's meltdown should have us thinking differently, Ron Lieber writes in the New York Times . Lieber visited a bank in small-town Maryland, and found a friendly, gray-haired manager who gives banking a personal touch. “If you miss a beat, I’ll call...
Rev. Moon Hurt in Copter Crash
BBC
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Jul 19, 2008 10:05 AM CDT
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The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church and leader of the so-called Moonies, was among 16 people injured today after his helicopter crashed and burst into flames in South Korea, the BBC reports. The controversial religious leader—traveling with his wife, 11 family members and three crew members when heavy rains forced down...
Demonizing Shorters Won't Save the Likes of Lehman
New York
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Jul 19, 2008 9:34 AM CDT
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Short-sellers have the power to utterly crush Lehman Brothers, as they did Bear Stearns, writes James Cramer in New York , but it's largely Lehman's own fault. Lehman shares much of the "mismanagement, arrogance and recklessness" that brought down Bear, Cramer opines in a piece that says excoriating short-selling hedge funds for running...
Forget Stocks: Invest in Soccer
New York Times
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Jul 19, 2008 8:59 AM CDT
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The hottest new commodity in Brazil is its soccer stars, and investors are taking note. Companies like Traffic are buying up the contracts of the next wave of potential Ronaldinhos and then lending their acquisitions out to poor but visible Brazilian teams. When European leagues come knocking with huge offers, the investors then cash in, explains the...
McCain Demeans Himself With New Attacks on Obama
Carpetbagger Report Blog
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Jul 19, 2008 8:40 AM CDT
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John McCain has abandoned “respect and decorum” with his latest volley of attacks against Barack Obama, blogger Steve Benen writes in the Carpetbagger Report. A case in point: McCain said this week that he had never flip-flopped and, when asked if Obama were a socialist, said simply, "Oh, I don't know." Benen figures that “desperation...
Americans Now Favor 'Don't Ask, Do Tell'
Washington Post
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Jul 19, 2008 8:32 AM CDT
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In the 15 years since the inception of the US military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gay servicemen and women, public opinion on the issue has shifted dramatically. In 1993, 44% of Americans said openly gay people should be allowed to enlist; a Washington Post -ABC News poll now puts that number at 75%.
Illegal Search Rule Faces New Challenge
New York Times
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Jul 19, 2008 8:16 AM CDT
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America is the only country in the world where evidence—even a carload of narcotics—is automatically suppressed if the police are found to have acted wrongly in acquiring it, writes the New York Times . Courts in other countries weigh the level of police misconduct with the gravity of the crime and the power of the evidence. In the US,...
Iranian Official Balks at Start of 6-Nation Talks
Associated Press
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Jul 19, 2008 7:40 AM CDT
(AP) -
Tehran has ruled out freezing its uranium enrichment program, casting doubt over the value of talks between Iran and six world powers less than an hour after they started. The Geneva talks—with the US in attendance for the first time—had raised expectations of possible compromise on a formula under which Iran would agree to stop expanding...
Sunnis Rejoin Iraqi Parliament
Reuters
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Jul 19, 2008 7:32 AM CDT
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The Sunni Arab bloc of Iraq's Parliament returned from a year-long absence today, Reuters reports, as the government approved several Sunni ministerial candidates. The move is a major breakthrough for national reconciliation; "It is a real step forward for political reform," a senior lawmaker in the bloc said. Rafie al-Esawi, a prominent...
White Flight Slows, Stops, Reverses
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 19, 2008 7:08 AM CDT
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White Americans are reversing a decades-old trend by moving back to big cities, the Wall Street Journal reports. In cities like Boston, Washington DC, Seattle and Atlanta, the white population is rising again as suburbanites flock to live in newly trendy city centers—and affluent African-Americans move to the suburbs. Eight of the 50 largest...
Jolie and Twins Leave Hospital
Associated Press
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Jul 19, 2008 6:16 AM CDT
(AP) -
Angelina Jolie and her newborn twins made a pre-dawn getaway from the French hospital where she gave birth, the Fondation Lenval said. The Hollywood superstar left the clinic in the Riviera city of Nice with twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt in a white van, eluding the horde of photographers camped outside. It was not immediately...
Pope Apologizes for 'Evil' Clergy Sex Abuse
Associated Press
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Jul 19, 2008 6:15 AM CDT
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Pope Benedict XVI used unusually strong language today in condemning the sexual abuse of children by Australia's Catholic clergy, reports the AP. The pontiff said the clergy's "grave betrayal of trust" had damaged the Catholic church. "I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured. I assure them as their pastor...
Obama Arrives in Afghanistan
CNN
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Jul 19, 2008 5:58 AM CDT
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Barack Obama touched down in Afghanistan today to begin a trip to the Middle East and Europe, CNN reports. The Illinois senator, whose whereabouts have been under wraps since he left Washington on Thursday, made a stop in Kuwait, where he visited US troops, his campaign said. He plans to speak with top commanders in both Afghanistan and Iraq, to get...
'One in a Million' Conjoined Birds Found in Arkansas
Associated Press
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Jul 18, 2008 8:39 PM CDT
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A pair of barn swallows born joined at the hip are being sent to the Smithsonian Institute for study, the AP reports. An Arkansas landowner found them fallen out of a tree this week and kept them for a day, but they refused to eat and died. Conjoined birds are extremely rare: “I can't even say it's one in a million,” one expert said. “It's...
Gramm Quits McCain Campaign
Politico
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Jul 18, 2008 8:02 PM CDT
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After a week of fallout from his gripe that Americans are "whiners," Phil Gramm stepped down today as John McCain's national co-chair, Politico reports. "It is clear to me that Democrats want to attack me,” Gramm said. The “distraction hurts not only Senator McCain… it hurts the country." McCain's camp refused...
Peterson Blog Sparks Outrage
Radar
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Jul 18, 2008 7:29 PM CDT
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Scott Peterson has a blog—of sorts. The death row inmate, convicted for the murder of his wife Laci and the fetus she carried, is posting his thoughts on a website set up by a Canadian anti-death penalty group, Radar reports. The occasional postings concern his appeal, his "wrongful conviction," and his “mother-in-law,”...
'Right-Wing Freak Machine' Hit Me: Clark
Huffington Post
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Jul 18, 2008 6:22 PM CDT
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Wesley Clark told a netroots conference last night that he was attacked by the “great freak show” after saying John McCain’s POW experience wasn’t sufficient qualification for the presidency, the Huffington Post reports. “This is a playbook operation by the right-wing freak machine,” Clark said, “the great...
Obama Camp Spills Some Details on Foreign Trip
USA Today
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Jul 18, 2008 5:50 PM CDT
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Barack Obama’s team released a few details about their candidate's trip abroad today, but the time frame remains tightly under wraps. Israel in particular presents a maze of meetings for the Democrat, who’ll see not only president Shimon Peres, but scandal-plagued prime minister Ehud Olmert and three potential replacements. Obama will also...
Your Airport To-Not-Do List
US News & World Report
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Jul 18, 2008 5:25 PM CDT
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Air travel not stressful enough for you? US News and World Report presents four ways to land yourself in a planeload of trouble. Use words like “bomb” and “hijack”: A man in Boston jokingly told an airport clerk he was “here to blow things up,” and discovered state troopers and a K-9 unit just didn’t...
Gitmo Trial Will Proceed After Judge Threatens Delay
Miami Herald
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Jul 18, 2008 5:01 PM CDT
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Federal prosecutors will give lawyers for Osama bin Laden's ex-driver access to accused 9/11 planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammed this weekend, ensuring that the first Guantanamo tribunal will begin Monday as scheduled, the Miami Herald reports. The judge in the case apparently forced the hand of the government lawyers prosecuting Salim Hamdan by threatening...
The Roles They Left Behind
Radar
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Jul 18, 2008 4:50 PM CDT
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Heath Ledger's posthumous appearance in The Dark Knight prompts Radar to muse on stars whose films debuted after they died, prompting critics to wonder what could have been—or to hold their tongues. Brad Renfro, The Informers . A onetime child star known for run-ins with the law, Renfro completed filming for the Bret Easton Ellis...
China's New Artist Policy Could Ban Spielberg
Hollywood Reporter
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Jul 18, 2008 4:33 PM CDT
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Steven Spielberg or his films could be banned from China under the new rules barring artists seen as a threat to national sovereignty, the Hollywood Reporter notes. Spielberg rankled Chinese leadership when he publicly withdrew from an artistic advisory board for the Beijing Olympics in protest of the nation’s trade arrangements with Sudan.
Choi Grabs British Lead
Associated Press
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Jul 18, 2008 4:17 PM CDT
(AP) -
Greg Norman's lead didn't hold up in today's second round of the British Open, with KJ Choi shooting a 3-under-par 67 to snatch the top spot heading into the weekend at Royal Birkdale. The South Korean, at 1-under 139, is the only player in the field under par. Three weeks after marrying tennis great Chris Evert, Norman kept up the honeymoon with his...
VP Picks Lieberman, Hagel: Disasters for Party Bases
Politico
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Jul 18, 2008 4:07 PM CDT
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With talk that John McCain and Barack Obama could pick Joe Lieberman and Chuck Hagel, respectively, to round out their tickets, liberal and conservative stalwarts tell Politico the aisle-crossing VPs would likely wreak havoc with the parties’ bases. While each has broken with his party on Iraq, Lieberman is far too socially liberal for Republicans,...
Phone Dragnet Redefines 'APB'
WBZ 4
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Jul 18, 2008 3:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Foiled in their attempts to track down a hit-and-run driver by conventional means, cops in a Boston suburb are enlisting the help of thousands of city residents—by phone. A BMW struck a 9-year-old girl Saturday, leaving her with a fractured skull and investigators with little info. They sent a recorded message to more than 24,000 households and...
McCain Flips on Emissions Standards
Detroit News
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Jul 18, 2008 3:37 PM CDT
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John McCain seemed to flip-flop on auto-emissions standards today, telling a group of General Motors engineers he supported states’ rights to set their own levels, the Detroit News reports. McCain told the newspaper last month he supported a nationwide standard. Automakers support a national standard because they fear the expense of catering...
Mixed Note Caps Big Week
MarketWatch
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Jul 18, 2008 3:23 PM CDT
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The markets were mixed today as poor results across the tech sector and from Merrill Lynch put the brakes on a two-day rally, MarketWatch reports. Good news from Citigroup kept the Dow buoyant, and it closed up 49.91, at 11,496.57. The tech-heavy Nasdaq took a 29.52-point dive, settling at 2,282.78, while the S&P 500 gained 0.36 to1,260.68.
Blue Crab Disappearing From Chesapeake Bay
Associated Press
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Jul 18, 2008 3:05 PM CDT
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Overfishing and water pollution have put the Chesapeake Bay's signature blue crab on the brink—along with fishermen who have long depended on it. Stocks are down 65% since 1990, the AP reports, as officials in Maryland and Virginia struggle to enact a patchwork of laws to reduce the harvest, control waterfront development and provide help for...
Obama Backers More Enthusiastic: Poll
Boston Globe
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Jul 18, 2008 2:52 PM CDT
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A new AP/Yahoo poll shows a bounty of enthusiasm for Barack Obama and a deficit for John McCain, the Boston Globe reports. Some key stats: 38% of the Democrat’s supporters are excited by the election, while only 9% of the Republican's are. Among Obama supporters, 16% say they could still change their pick, while 24% of McCain-backers...
No Kidding: Bush Sewage Plant Makes Nov. Ballot
San Francisco Chronicle
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Jul 18, 2008 2:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
San Francisco voters will decide in November not only who will succeed President Bush but also how they will remember him. A group calling itself the Presidential Memorial Commission has pushed through a ballot initiative to rename an area sewage plant after the outgoing president, the Chronicle reports. A White House spokesman told the LA Times...
McCain Puts the 'Pol' in 'Politically Incorrect'
Politico
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Jul 18, 2008 2:23 PM CDT
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This week's flap over a rape joke John McCain reportedly made 22 years ago inspired Politico to recall the candidate's checkered history of telling jokes. Some examples: A quip about why then-18-year-old Chelsea Clinton was "so ugly.” Calling a young man who asked about his age “you little jerk" and adding, "You’re...
Mickey Mouse Hat Doesn't Get Pope's Blessing
Reuters
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Jul 18, 2008 2:09 PM CDT
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Photographers, children and Disney executives were sorely disappointed this morning when Pope Benedict refused to don a black Mickey Mouse hat, complete with ears, in place of his usual white skullcap. A group from Orange County, Calif., presented Benedict with the getup during World Youth Day festivities in Australia, Reuters reports, but the pontiff...
US, Iraq Agree to Set 'Time Horizon' for Troop Cuts
Reuters
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Jul 18, 2008 1:55 PM CDT
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George Bush and Nouri al-Maliki have agreed that a security pact should include a general, non-binding “time horizon” for troop withdrawals from Iraq, the White House said today. The leaders agreed to lay down “aspirational goals” based on improving ground conditions, Reuters reports, striking a compromise between the prime...
