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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.

Cartier Mines MySpace for Clients in Rough
New York Times | Jul 31, 2008 10:03 AM CDT
(Newser) - Luxury jeweler Cartier has teamed with MySpace in a unique effort to develop a new, younger audience by blending networking, entertainment, and marketing, reports the Wall Street Journal. The move, one of the first by a major luxury brand, may provide a road map for other luxury retailers so far wary of using social networking sites.
Polls Show No Bump From Obama Trip
CNN | Jul 31, 2008 9:51 AM CDT
(Newser) - Neither Barack Obama’s foreign tour nor John McCain’s harsh attacks of it have made a dent in the polls, CNN reports. In the first poll conducted entirely after the trip, Obama holds a 51-44% lead, a mincing step up from last month’s 50-45% edge. His numbers on foreign policy and national security issues remained similarly stationary.
Housing Bill Funds Democratic Ally
Wall Street Journal | Jul 31, 2008 9:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - Nestled in the housing bill President Bush signed yesterday is an acronym Republicans don’t like one bit: ACORN. The Wall Street Journal reports that the group is among the many housing-related nonprofits the bill hands cash to, but Republicans grumble that it does more than housing. It’s also co-managing a $15.9 million voter registration...
Farm Boy Mulls What's Good for Goose, Gander
New York Times | Jul 31, 2008 9:21 AM CDT
(Newser) - Californians go to the polls in November with a high-profile ballot initiative to decide: whether to ban factory farms from raising livestock in small cages. For Nicholas D. Kristof, it's an apt moment to consider our transforming attitudes toward animal welfare. The Oregon farm boy turned New York Times columnist is a carnivore, but one who recognizes...
Exxon Reports Best Quarter in History; Misses Estimates
Associated Press | Jul 31, 2008 9:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - ExxonMobil reported the biggest quarterly profit in US history today, earning $11.68 billion or $2.22 a share as revenues rose 40% over the previous year. But those stratospheric numbers fell short of Wall Street’s estimates; analysts had expected crude prices, which have doubled over the past year, to power Exxon to a $2.52 per-share haul, and...
Terror Will Be No. 1 Enemy for Decades, Warns Gates
Washington Post | Jul 31, 2008 8:54 AM CDT
(Newser) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates foresees terrorism remaining the leading threat to America for decades, and calls for the military to prepare for "irregular" warfare rather than conventional conflicts with other nations, reports the Washington Post . While success in Afghanistan and Iraq is crucial, it will not be enough to eliminate the...
Calif. Sues EPA for 'Wantonly' Ignoring Earth
Reuters | Jul 31, 2008 8:42 AM CDT
(Newser) - California is suing the EPA for "wantonly" shirking its duty to protect the environment, reports Reuters. The lawsuit is aimed at forcing the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from ships, planes, and industrial equipment, said Attorney General Jerry Brown. He said previous efforts to get the agency to act had been met only with...
Beijing Amps Up Anti-Pollution Measures
New York Times | Jul 31, 2008 8:28 AM CDT
(Newser) - Beijing today rolled out new emergency measures to ease pollution, with the Olympics just more than a week away. The new rules will close more factories and take more vehicles off the road, in a wider radius around the capital, in the event of “extremely unfavorable weather conditions"—like hot, humid air that traps pollution. Beijing...
Packers Offer Favre $20M to Stay Home
ESPN | Jul 31, 2008 8:12 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Packers are desperate to keep Brett Favre retired and they’re willing to pay handsomely for the privilege, ESPN reports. Packers president Mark Murphy met with the quarterback yesterday and reportedly offered him roughly $20 million over several years to stay retired. Murphy would say only that he’d had a “nice visit,” and...
Workers Losing Hours as Economy Tightens
New York Times | Jul 31, 2008 7:44 AM CDT
(Newser) - US joblessness stands at a moderate 5.5%, but more than 3.7 million workers have seen their hours cut from full-time to part-time over the last year, shrinking their paychecks even as gas and food prices soar, reports the New York Times. That's the highest figure in the half-century these cuts have been tracked by the government, bringing the total...
Sox Discussing Manny Trade
ESPN | Jul 31, 2008 7:23 AM CDT
(Newser) - Red Sox fans are used to "Manny being Manny," but could they accustom themselves to Manny being a Marlin? Talks about sending Manny Ramirez to Florida have turned serious, but many still doubt that any deal will be made by today's trade deadline, sources tell ESPN. Ramirez, for his part, seems ready to leave Boston.
Top Gun-Control Activist Is Firearms Industry Spy
Mother Jones | Jul 31, 2008 7:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Mary McFate is a longtime prominent member of the gun-control movement; she is also, Mother Jones shockingly reveals, Mary Lou Sapone, a spy who infiltrates citizen groups for corporations targeted by activists—and who has been employed by the NRA. Over a decade, she reached high levels in a panoply of gun-control groups, where she had access...
As World Economies Falter, Brazil Sambas
New York Times | Jul 31, 2008 6:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - Economies worldwide are stalling, with growth slowing to a trickle and markets seizing up. But in Brazil, long a laggard on the international stage, the economy is growing at the largest rate in three decades. Good government, progressive social programs, and newly discovered resources have allowed Brazil to finally take its place as a major economic...
5 Things We Learned From Obama's Trip
New York | Jul 31, 2008 6:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Here are five things we learned in the wake of Barack Obama’s overseas trip, via John Heilemann in New York : Obama's got guts: The trip was “risky business, fraught with peril”—but we know now that he's willing to gamble if the potential payout is right. His team is great, but imperfect: The trip once again proved...
White House Order Ramps Up Spy Boss Powers
Wall Street Journal | Jul 31, 2008 5:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - A sweeping overhaul of spy powers will give the director of national intelligence broad new authority, reports the Wall Street Journal . Mike McConnell will be able to command information-sharing between agencies, hire and fire agency heads, and make major purchase decisions under a new executive order signed yesterday by President Bush and to be...
Mac 'Celebrity' Attack Ad Signals New Battle Stage
New York Times | Jul 31, 2008 4:57 AM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain's latest attack on Barack Obama as a self-absorbed "celebrity" candidate out of touch with ordinary Americans marks a new aggressive stage of his campaign, reports the New York Times . The "star power" offensive against Obama, sharper than earlier efforts, comes as key players in President Bush's attack-driven re-election...
Missing Girl's Dad Bought Gold
Boston Globe | Jul 31, 2008 4:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - The wealthy businessman accused of abducting his 7-year-old daughter has apparently exchanged cash for gold as part of his elaborate kidnapping plot, reports the Boston Globe. Clark Rockefeller, a man with a mystery history who lied about his connections to the Rockefeller family, can use the gold anywhere in the world as he flees with his daughter,...
Queen Victoria's Giant Knickers Fetch $9K
BBC | Jul 31, 2008 4:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - A pair of bloomers that belonged to Queen Victoria were auctioned off yesterday for $9,000, almost ten times the expected price, the BBC reports. The royal knickers, which sport a 50-inch waist and a "VR" monogram, date from the 1890s. The queen was apparently "a very big lady," noted the auctioneer. The bloomers were part of a...
House Votes to Let FDA Regulate Tobacco
New York Times | Jul 31, 2008 3:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - The House passed landmark legislation yesterday to bring the tobacco industry under the regulatory control of the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA wouldn't have the power to ban cigarettes under the bill, but it could order nicotine levels in cigarettes reduced and restrict other harmful ingredients, reports the New York Times. The bill comes...
Fears Mount Over Gulf of Mexico 'Dead Zone'
Washington Post | Jul 31, 2008 3:22 AM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists are  increasingly concerned about the growing "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, an oxygen-poor mass of water that cannot sustain most sea life, which now covers 8,000 square miles, nearly the largest ever. Created by fertilizer runoff from the Mississippi, the zone would be even bigger if not for the ocean-stirring power...
Turkey Dodges Political Crisis
Time | Jul 31, 2008 3:04 AM CDT
(Newser) - A major constitutional showdown in Turkey was narrowly averted yesterday when the nation's top court voted not to ban the ruling Islamic AKP party, which attorneys had argued is illegally attempting to dismantle Turkey's secular democracy. A judge described the razor-thin 6-5 vote as "a serious warning" to the party, reports Time.
Hillary Nabs Key Speech at Convention
CNN | Jul 31, 2008 2:34 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hillary Clinton will deliver the main address on the second night of the Democratic National Convention, reports CNN. Insiders say the erstwhile candidate will be accompanied on stage with all female senators for a speech marking the 88th anniversary of the day women won the right to vote. "Tuesday night is Hillary night," said one supporter....
Seattle Starts 'Car-Free' Sundays
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | Jul 31, 2008 2:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - Seattle is about to stage a series of "Car-Free Sundays" to encourage people to drive less, save money and combat global warming, reports the Seattle Post Intelligencer . The city will close streets in three neighborhoods in August and September, and the mayor aims to expand the program next summer if it's successful. A number of business...
Potter Fans Like Sneak Peek of Young Voldemort
MTV | Jul 30, 2008 9:47 PM CDT
(Newser) - Harry Potter fans seem captivated by the new movie trailer that focuses heavily on a young Voldemort, MTV reports. The trailer for Half-Blood Prince will be in theaters Friday, but it's already made its online debut to generally positive reviews along the lines of "dark and creepy." The trailer mostly steers clear of Potter and his pals...
Architect: China Stadium Is 'Trojan Horse' for Liberty
Der Spiegel | Jul 30, 2008 9:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - There’s no shame in designing a cultural icon for China’s government, says Jacques Herzog, the man behind the already famous “Bird’s Nest” Olympic stadium in Beijing. Though he deplores the regime’s political record, Herzog saw taking the project as a way to change more in China than he would have by declining—and...
Montauk Monster? Hoax? What Is That Thing?
New York | Jul 30, 2008 8:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - It's a monster! Or maybe not. Either way, the blogosphere is afire trying to get to the bottom of the Montauk Monster mystery, reports New York magazine. It seems a very monster-like (but lifeless) creature washed ashore on Montauk near Long Island. It's about the size of a large dog, hairless, leathery, with a dinosaur-like beak (click on the link...
Luggage Glitch Snarls JFK
Associated Press | Jul 30, 2008 8:20 PM CDT
(AP) - A software glitch continues to cripple the baggage-handling system in an American Airlines terminal at JFK airport. The malfunction is giving headaches to passengers flying out of Terminal 8, one of the newer buildings at the airport. Thousands of customers had to leave their luggage behind and hope it would be delivered later. Hundreds of bags accumulated...
He's the King of Teflon, But Will It Last?
Slate | Jul 30, 2008 7:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama has admitted that all politicians have a “reptilian side,” but the candidate’s slipperiness is so well-cloaked by his affable persona that he must be the “koala of iguanas,” Jack Shafer writes for Slate. Nothing sticks to Obama in part because he has anticipated all attacks and pre-admitted his mistakes, as...
X-Ray Unveils Hidden Van Gogh
LiveScience | Jul 30, 2008 7:25 PM CDT
(Newser) - European scientists today revealed a Van Gogh portrait of a peasant's head behind one of his paintings, LiveScience reports. Using a new X-ray technique, the researchers pulled out the portrait's brown and red pigments, which Van Gogh covered with Patch of Grass , 1887. The scientists, primarily from Belgium and the Netherlands, plan to uncover other...
Ex-McCain Adviser Slams Britney Ad as 'Childish'
The Atlantic | Jul 30, 2008 7:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Former John McCain strategist and “Straight Talk Express" architect John Weaver blasted McCain's latest ad as "childish" today, the Atlantic reports. Breaking his silence about the campaign, Weaver said that the attack ad likening Barack Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton “diminishes” and “reduces McCain...
Yanks Get Pudge From Tigers
New York Post | Jul 30, 2008 6:33 PM CDT
(Newser) - The New York Yankees today brought in Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez from Detroit to replace the injured Jorge Posada, the Post reports. The Yankees traded relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth to the Tigers for the 36-year-old all-star catcher. Posada had shoulder surgery today and is done for the season.
Vanishing Bees Reveal Dangers of Pesticides
Los Angeles Times | Jul 30, 2008 6:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - The rapid, mysterious deaths of billions of honeybees demand a closer look at how we use and control pesticides, Al Meyerhoff writes in the Los Angeles Times . A family of toxic chemicals called neonictonoids—led by two Bayer pesticides called Gaucho and Poncho—may be killing off the insects, but Washington will not ban the pesticides...
Missing DNA Sheds Light on Roots of Schizophrenia
Boston Globe | Jul 30, 2008 6:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - Missing chunks of DNA increase a child's chance of developing schizophrenia by up to 10 times, say to two major international studies. Scientists are calling the data from more than 3,000 schizophrenia patients a huge step toward finding the genetic source of the disease, which could ultimately help doctors improve diagnosis and treatment, the Boston...
Journal Wonders Why McCain Is Waffling on Taxes
Wall Street Journal | Jul 30, 2008 5:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - Taxes should be an easy issue for John McCain, as he’s running against a Democrat “who says matter-of-factly that he wants to raise” them. So the Wall Street Journal wonders why he appears to be giving away his advantage. Given a chance to voice his support for private retirement accounts, he told ABC only that “I am a supporter...
Ancient Device Gives Up Its Secrets
Telegraph (UK) | Jul 30, 2008 5:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - The world's oldest calculating machine was used as a calendar that tracked eclipses and marked Olympic Games, the Telegraph reports. Scientists say the ancient Greek "Antikythera Mechanism," a 2,100-year-old bronze gadget discovered in 1900, marked the 4-year cycle of Games that climaxed with the Olympics—"which says more about...
Cheech & Chong Light Up Again
E! Online | Jul 30, 2008 5:23 PM CDT
(Newser) - Legendary comedy duo and pot enthusiasts Cheech and Chong are teaming up for their first tour in more than 25 years, E! reports. Since making nearly 20 pot-infused albums and films in the 1970s and early '80s, Cheech has worked as a character actor and Chong appeared on That '70s Show before serving time on drug charges. Now they hope to take advantage...
Klein to Jewish 'Extremists': Stop Bullying Me
Time | Jul 30, 2008 5:06 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Jewish right-wing "extremists" at Commentary can call Joe Klein anti-Semitic and intellectually unstable all they want, the columnist writes, and they can even call for Time to fire him, but he’s not going stop telling what he calls the “palpable” truth that's "unspoken in polite society": that a group...
Wie Snubs Women's Major, Opts to Play in Men's Event
Los Angeles Times | Jul 30, 2008 5:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Michelle Wie seems to be getting some payback on the LPGA after being disqualified from a recent tournament for failing to sign her scorecard, notes Thomas Bonk in the Los Angeles Times . It may be just a coincidence, but when the women's British Open tees off this week, the 18-year-old will be nowhere near. Instead, she’ll be playing with the...
The Southern Drawl's Double Standard
Columbia Journalism Review | Jul 30, 2008 4:43 PM CDT
(Newser) - When Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama stumped in Arkansas, each tried on a Southern drawl, and both were roundly mocked as pandering Yankees. Even John Edwards, a native Southerner, was accused of “carefully maintaining” his accent for political effect. Yet Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee were allowed to drawl with impunity, writes Jane...
Photo-Sharing Site Offers Ease, Collaboration
Wall Street Journal | Jul 30, 2008 4:42 PM CDT
(Newser) - With lost passwords and clunky sign-up procedures, online photo-sharing can be a bit of a hassle. But a new service from Shutterfly offers a simpler way, Katherine Boehret writes in the Wall Street Journal after taking it for a spin. Shutterfly Share still has some problems— you can’t post original videos, for one—that won’t...
New McCain Ad Says Obama Like Britney, Paris
Time | Jul 30, 2008 4:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - A new ad from the McCain campaign deems Obama the “biggest celebrity in the world” while flashing images of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, Time reports. While mocking his rock-star status with other images from his trip to Europe, it asks, "But is he ready to lead?" The Obama camp responded that McCain has launched “yet...
Surprise: Bordeaux Whites Are a Delight
New York Times | Jul 30, 2008 4:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - It almost sounds contradictory: exquisite white wine hails from Bordeaux, the unofficial home of red. But the whites produced in Pessac-Léognan—the heart of the Bordeaux region in France—include "some of the most thrilling, underappreciated white wines in the world,” Eric Asimov raves in the New York Times . Historically...
Move Over, Garfield, There's a New Fat Cat in Town
Associated Press | Jul 30, 2008 4:15 PM CDT
(AP) - Talk about New Jersey's fat cats. A 44-pound feline was found waddling around last week without a collar, and officials at the Camden County Animal Shelter hope she gets a nice—and hopefully, diet-friendly—home. Shelter officials are calling the porky cutie "Princess Chunk." "She's built like a quarterback," said a volunteer. 
Tiny Shrew Drinks More Than You
Times (UK) | Jul 30, 2008 4:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Malaysian pentailed shrew drinks enough booze, weight for weight, to kill a human with a similar habit—prompting scientists to study the creature for clues to our own alcoholic thirst. Pentails, which share a common ancestor with primates, knock back the equivalent of nine glasses of wine every night unharmed, reports the Times UK . The...
Optimism Sends Stocks Surging
Associated Press | Jul 30, 2008 3:50 PM CDT
(AP) - Wall Street soared for the second straight day today, rallying in the last hour of trading after a rebound in financial stocks and optimism about private sector jobs helped investors brush off a sharp jump in oil prices. The Dow rose 186 points to 11,583.69, the S&P 500 advanced 21.06 to 1,284.26, and the Nasdaq rose 10.10 to 2,329.72.  
Political Turf War Threatens Stability at Iraqi Oil Giant
Wall Street Journal | Jul 30, 2008 3:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - The central government in Iraq is trying reassert its control over a huge state-owned oil company by forcing out its maverick—but highly effective—chief, the Wall Street Journal reports. He's refusing to go, however, and the resulting turf war could have huge implications not only for Iraq but the world: The company, South Oil, pumps...
Who Will Replace Olmert?
Guardian (UK) | Jul 30, 2008 3:41 PM CDT
(Newser) - Who will succeed Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert when he resigns in 2 months? Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, known as "Mrs. Clean," is a top candidate and would likely engage Palestine in peace talks, Ian Black writes in the Guardian . Challenging her will be hawkish Shaul Mofaz, a former defense minister who recently caused a stir by...
Salmonella at Mexico Farm: FDA
Associated Press | Jul 30, 2008 3:07 PM CDT
(AP) - The salmonella strain linked to a nationwide outbreak has been found in irrigation water and a serrano pepper at a Mexican farm, federal health officials said today. The FDA's food safety chief called the finding a key breakthrough in the case, as did another health official. "We have a smoking gun, it appears," said a CDC director.
McCain's Run Jeopardizes Ariz. Solar Plant
Politico | Jul 30, 2008 2:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - A plan to construct the world’s largest solar plant in Arizona could be in jeopardy due in part to voting absences and political reluctance by John McCain, Politico reports. The fate of the nearly 2,000-acre plant hinges on energy tax credits that are due to expire—credits funded by increased taxes on business, which McCain is hesitant...
30 Mins Daily Won't Cut It: Study
Time | Jul 30, 2008 2:39 PM CDT
(Newser) - Thirty minutes of moderate exercise daily may not trim off the fat after all, a new study says. University of Pittsburgh researchers say it takes at least 55 minutes per day, five days a week, to keep off the pounds. The study followed 200 overweight women, and found that only those who exercised twice as much as normally suggested were able to cut...
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