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.
Young Gospel Singer Killed in Tampa
St. Petersburg Times (Russia)
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Jul 28, 2008 1:49 PM CDT
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A promising 17-year-old gospel singer was shot to death early yesterday morning in West Tampa while staying at a friend’s house, the St. Petersburg Times reports. An unknown assailant burst through the door at 4 am and shot Levi Dixon Jr., whom relatives speculate he mistook for someone else. “By all accounts, he was a good kid,”...
Robert Novak Diagnosed with Brain Tumor
Chicago Sun-Times
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Jul 28, 2008 1:43 PM CDT
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Newspaper columnist Robert Novak revealed today he has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. A biopsy is set for today to determine if the tumor is malignant or benign. “I will be suspending my journalistic work for an indefinite but, God willing, not too lengthy period,” Novak, 77, said in a statement.
Babs: Obama's Like Buttah
Politico
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Jul 28, 2008 1:34 PM CDT
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Hillary Clinton may have been her first choice, but Barbra Streisand’s switch to Barack Obama after he wrapped up the nomination was “immediate”—and she's not too keen on Clinton-backers considering crossing the aisle. In an interview with Politico, she lays into John McCain on women’s rights, veterans’ benefits,...
Is New iPhone Apple's Vista?
USA Today
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Jul 28, 2008 1:21 PM CDT
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It’s still exceedingly tough to get a new 3G iPhone due to limited supply, and myriad technical problems persist in registering and operating the eagerly awaited gadget. Apple has apologized for the lines, and the bugs in its new syncing software, but one analyst tells USA Today that the fallout might soon sour perceptions of the company as...
Hand Will Keep Gymnast Hamm From Beijing
Associated Press
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Jul 28, 2008 1:07 PM CDT
(AP) -
Paul Hamm will not be going to the Beijing Olympics to defend his all-around gold medal, the US gymnast announced today, because his broken right hand has not healed sufficiently. He also hurt his rotator cuff in his accelerated recovery effort. "I have put my heart and soul into my comeback and done everything I could to get ready in time to...
TV Stars Expecting Twins
Us Weekly
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Jul 28, 2008 12:52 PM CDT
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Ex-supermodel Rebecca Romijn and husband Jerry O'Connell are expecting twins. "Jerry couldn’t be happier about becoming a dad," a source told US Weekly. O'Connell, 34, is best known for Stand By Me; Romijn, 35, appeared on Ugly Betty. The pair will star in new TV series this fall, he in Do Not Disturb and she in Lake City....
Ex-Google Employees Launch Search Rival
New York Times
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Jul 28, 2008 12:37 PM CDT
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Google might want to watch its back—a husband-and-wife team that helped build some of its most important code are getting the search game, the New York Times reports. Anna Patterson and Tom Costello think Cuil—pronounced “cool”—will rival the industry leader. “I think it will be better,” says Costello. “But...
Justice Dept. Hiring Practices Illegal: Report
Washington Post
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Jul 28, 2008 12:21 PM CDT
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Alberto Gonzales’ Justice Department illegally discriminated against applicants for career positions based on political considerations, a new report by the department's inspector general finds. Gonzales’ White House liaison Monica Goodling routinely violated civil service laws by asking "What is it about George W. Bush that makes you...
Letter: Tenn. Gunman Hated 'Liberals,' 'Gays'
Knoxville News Sentinel
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Jul 28, 2008 12:08 PM CDT
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A letter found in the vehicle of a gunman who killed two people at a Tennessee church yesterday indicated a deep hatred of liberals and gays, and frustration over unemployment, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. The liberal Unitarian church claims involvement with social causes dating to the 1950s, and hosts a support group for friends and family...
Is Stripping Performance Art?
Associated Press
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Jul 28, 2008 12:00 PM CDT
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Iowa doesn't have all-nude strip clubs—but it does have performing arts centers where women dance naked. Now the loophole in the state's public indecent exposure law that allows nude dancing at "art centers" is under attack in Hamburg (pop. 1,200), reports the AP.
Cindy McCain: 'Look to the Women'
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 28, 2008 11:51 AM CDT
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Cindy McCain’s recent voyage to Rwanda stirred up memories of her last visit, in 1994. The campaign of genocide then ravaging the country has ended, and Rwanda's recovery is a model for the rest of the world, the would-be first lady writes in the Wall Street Journal . Women own 41% of the country’s businesses and hold nearly half the seats...
Downer Spitzers Cold as Ice
New York Post
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Jul 28, 2008 11:37 AM CDT
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The “awkward” and icy marital status of shamed former governor Eliot Spitzer and wife Silda was on display last week in the Big Apple as they “made only two seconds of eye contact during dinner” with another couple, a spy told the New York Post .
Dr Pepper Ads Want You to Sip, Not Guzzle
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 28, 2008 11:31 AM CDT
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Facing flagging sales, 123-year-old Dr Pepper is capitalizing on “scientific” research that suggests it tastes better when you drink it slowly, the Wall Street Journal reports. Dr Pepper’s marketers are launching a campaign using “fake doctors to deliver this quasi science,” says an ad exec. Basketballer Dr J and Dr...
Miley Offered $1M Condom Deal
New York Daily News
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Jul 28, 2008 11:21 AM CDT
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Miley Cyrus has said publicly she’ll wait until marriage to have sex, but that isn't stopping a condom company from offering the 15-year-old a lucrative endorsement deal and a lifetime supply of protection. Reps for the tween sensation tell the New York Daily News they haven't been approached but would never consider LifeStyles Condoms' $1...
Secret of Chris Brown Hit: It's Really a Gum Commercial
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 28, 2008 11:12 AM CDT
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Singer Chris Brown’s hit “Forever” has a trick up its sleeve: It’s actually part of a marketing campaign for Wrigley’s Doublemint gum. The top-10 song contains the lyric "Double your pleasure/double your fun" for good reason, which Wrigley will reveal tomorow. The company paid Brown to update its 48-year-old...
Brother's Ghost Writer: Madonna
New York Post
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Jul 28, 2008 10:53 AM CDT
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Christopher Ciccone’s perfectly timed book, Life with My Sister Madonna , may have had a world-famous ghost writer: the Material Girl herself. In a bid to sell concert tickets, Madonna "actually ghost-wrote parts of it with him,” an insider tells the New York Post . “That's why there's nothing too devastating in Chris's book."...
Media Companies Brace as Advertising Slump Worsens
Financial Times (UK)
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Jul 28, 2008 10:32 AM CDT
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A major slump in advertising is moving beyond newspapers and radio and is now starting to hurt TV and the entire media industry, reports the Financial Times. Major advertisers—especially car dealers, airlines, and banks—are cutting back on marketing as the economy slows. And, analysts say, even the windfalls from the Beijing Olympics...
'Wooden' McCain Could Win By Default
Washington Post
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Jul 28, 2008 10:15 AM CDT
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John McCain is a “wooden” candidate running a poor campaign, while Barack Obama is “the most spectacular campaigner of his generation”—so why can’t Obama climb over the 50% mark in polls? It’s a matter of the white working men Obama hasn’t convinced, writes Robert Novak in the Washington Post ....
'Obesity Gene' Linked to Runaway Appetite
BBC
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Jul 28, 2008 9:46 AM CDT
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Children who carry a version of a gene linked to obesity have a more difficult time telling when they're full, researchers have found. Earlier studies discovered that adults with two copies of the higher obesity risk version of the FTO gene were nearly 7 pounds heavier than a control group. The new research found that children with the risky variant...
Best Brouhahas Over Albums
Los Angeles Times
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Jul 28, 2008 9:32 AM CDT
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Nas’s new album gained its fair share of buzz before release because he originally planned to call it the 'n-word.' He settled on no title at all. Other album controversies, from the Los Angeles Times : The Beatles, Yesterday and Today : The so-called butcher cover featured mutilated baby dolls before being quickly pulled.
For Skin Doctors, Cosmetics Trumps Medicine
New York Times
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Jul 28, 2008 9:13 AM CDT
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These days, dermatologists offer luxurious treatment rooms and personalized services for high-paying cosmetic clients seeking a Botox injection. But for those suffering medical conditions, the experience can be far less personal—increasingly, skin doctors are hiring assistants and nurse practitioners to handle everything from psoriasis to skin...
Bush Leaving $490B Deficit
USA Today
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Jul 28, 2008 8:53 AM CDT
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President Bush inherited a $128 billion budget surplus with the White House, but he's saddling his successor with a record deficit, reports USA Today. His administration is forecasting that he’ll leave at least a $490 billion deficit, a dramatic about-face made worse by a continuing economic slowdown and the rising costs of the 2-year fiscal...
Sudan Rallies Behind Leader, Despite Darfur
New York Times
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Jul 28, 2008 8:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Omar al-Bashir is reviled across the world for presiding over the mass murder of his own people in Darfur, and now the Sudanese president has been accused of genocide by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. But within Sudan his rule has become more secure than ever, as opponent after opponent has rallied behind him. The New York Times...
Sticky Soil Foils Mars Work
Space.com
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Jul 28, 2008 8:19 AM CDT
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NASA is revising its soil-harvesting method because the Phoenix Mars lander is having trouble with its icy finds, Space.com reports. The lander’s attempts to analyze the soil have been troubled because the soil is sticking to its scoop, stubbornly refusing to fall into the tiny oven designed to melt and study it. Next time, the scoop will dig...
Democrats Out to Thwart Senate's 'Dr. No'
New York Times
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Jul 28, 2008 8:03 AM CDT
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While the Senate has long been in the business of passing catchall “omnibus” legislation, now Democrats are trying out the Tomnibus, a bill loaded with measures that have all been blocked by one man: Tom Coburn, alias Dr. No. The Oklahoma Republican wields Senate procedure like a deathray—he is single-handedly holding up almost 80...
Gamers Vie for World Title
NPR
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Jul 28, 2008 7:52 AM CDT
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Video gamers, get ready: Tonight will determine your world champion as Los Angeles hosts the finals in the Championship Gaming Series. The evening will be broadcast globally—complete with a breathless play-by-play announcer, NPR reports. Players, all of whom are paid for their efforts, will compete in a variety of genres, including racing, fighting,...
US Army Admits Civilian Shootings in Iraq
New York Times
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Jul 28, 2008 7:43 AM CDT
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American soldiers rained gunfire on a carload of innocent civilians in Baghdad, killing three, and the military falsely told news media that the victims were aggressors, the US military admitted last night. Top Iraqi officials had previously denounced the June 25 incident as murder, and used it to call for an end to the US occupation, writes the New...
Ben Stein: Time for Mac to Call Rove
CNN
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Jul 28, 2008 7:13 AM CDT
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Conservative stalwart Ben Stein thought Bob Dole's quest for the White House set the bar low, but says John McCain is “running the absolute most pathetic campaign I have ever seen in my whole life.” But there’s an answer ("Anyone? Anyone?")—talk to Karl Rove, “about the smartest in the country in terms of politics.”...
Who Is Vivi? Media World's Mystery Man
New York Times
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Jul 28, 2008 6:49 AM CDT
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He has major stakes in Time Warner and Goldman Sachs, he hangs out with Lenny Kravitz and the boss of Morgan Stanley, and he's engaged to the impossibly beautiful Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi. But Vivi Nevo is an unknown quantity: the mogul came from nowhere and, through a series of shrewd investments, has made himself into one of the most influential...
Iraqi Suicide Blasts Kill 50
Reuters
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Jul 28, 2008 6:26 AM CDT
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Suicide attacks in Iraq today killed at least 50 people and injured about 250, making it one of deadliest days in the country in months, Reuters reports. In Baghdad, three female suicide bombers blew themselves up during a religious pilgrimage, killing 28 and injuring 92. In the northern city of Kirkuk, a bomber killed 22 and wounded 150 at a demonstration...
Storied Equity Firm KKR Goes Public Today
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 28, 2008 6:06 AM CDT
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Legendary buyout firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.—battling the credit crunch and moribund in the deal-making department this year—will go public this morning in an attempt to kick-start its business and take over its flagging European affiliate, reports the Wall Street Journal. KKR could be worth up to $15 billion when it hits the...
5 Facts About Pain
LiveScience
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Jul 28, 2008 5:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Electrical signals carry pain impulses to the brain—that much scientists know. But how to treat pain remains a question, LiveScience reports. Here's the scoop: It "is a complex mixture of emotions, culture, experience, spirit, and sensation," one expert said. In other words, it's hard to even define. People suffering...
Squeezed Banks Slash Biz Loans
New York Times
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Jul 28, 2008 5:09 AM CDT
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Reeling from real-estate losses, banks are turning off the credit spigot to loan-seeking businesses, the New York Times reports. The loan reduction means more bad news down the line as money-starved companies begin to cut workers. Banks cut credit nearly 3% over the past year, the most since 2001, according to the Federal Reserve. The shrinking availability...
Forest Fire Rages by Yosemite
Sacramento Bee
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Jul 28, 2008 4:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hundreds of people have been evacuated and 12 homes destroyed as a forest fire rages out of control near Yosemite National Park, the Sacramento Bee reports. The fire, which began Friday, has burned 26,000 acres of forest, including the Mariposa County foothills that serve as the gateway to the famous park. Thousands of firefighters are battling the...
Son Charged in Parents' Hoe Deaths, Cesspool Burial
EastBayRI
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Jul 28, 2008 4:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A 24-year-old Rhode Island man has been charged with bludgeoning his parents with a grub hoe in the home they shared and dumping their bodies in the backyard cesspool. Suspicious authorities recovered the corpses of the missing couple with a backhoe last week, reports the East Bay Rhode Island newspaper. Police did not reveal a motive.
China's Thirst for Gaz-Guzzlers Boosts Oil Demand
Washington Post
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Jul 28, 2008 3:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
While soaring gas prices are driving Americans to buy more energy-efficient cars, Chinese consumers are opting for gas-guzzling Buicks and Hummers, reports the Washington Post. China accounts for 40% of the world's recent increase in oil demand. There were few private cars in China 15 years ago, but today there are 15.2 million. The Chinese like...
Did Air Ace Fossett Fake His Death?
News of the World (UK)
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Jul 28, 2008 3:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Air adventurer Steve Fossett may have faked his own death, reports the tabloid News of the World . No wreckage was ever found after Fossett disappeared last year in a light plane over the Nevada desert. Fossett didn't bother to wear his GPS watch—and he may have had strong motives to disappear, including getting out from under shaky investments...
Golden Goose Hits Hall of Fame
ESPN
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Jul 28, 2008 2:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Former Yankee closer Goose Gossage was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown yesterday along with Dick Williams and, posthumously, Walter O'Malley, Bowie Kuhn, Billy Southworth and Barney Dreyfuss. It was an emotional affair with Gossage weeping for Yankees catcher Thurman Munson, who died in a plane crash in 1979, while recalling...
MRIs Hold Promise of Early Alzheimer's Detection
Reuters
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Jul 28, 2008 2:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Researchers are a step closer to early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using conventional MRI scanners. Plaque associated with Alzheimer's has been detected in rabbits by a team in Canada using MRI equipment, Reuters reports. Currently, the disease is diagnosed based on a series of tests, but a diagnosis can only be confirmed by an autopsy. ...
Miley Concert Film Debuts in 3D
Chicago Tribune
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Jul 27, 2008 7:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert gets its 3D TV debut at 9 tonight, while the starlet is in Tennessee filming Hannah Montana: The Movie . The 3D version of the concert film, which grossed $65 million in theaters this year, will be available on Starz on Demand. No 3-D glasses at home? The channel has a how-to...
Green Cafe's Crowdsourcing Doesn't Spoil the Stew
Washington Post
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Jul 27, 2008 7:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
When Elements, a vegetarian and raw food restaurant, opens in DC next year, it will have one owner, but almost 400 people who conceived and developed the idea, the Washington Post reports. An online (and offline) community is helping with everything from designing a logo to greening the building. But can crowdsourcing make the jump from the tech...
Dark Knight Smashes $300M Record
Associated Press
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Jul 27, 2008 7:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Latest Batman flick The Dark Knight grossed $300 million in just 10 days—turning the 16 days Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest took on its head to set a new record. The dark tale, driven by Heath Ledger's strong performance, took in another $75.6 million in its second weekend to push its total upwards of $314 million.
Shia LaBeouf Charged With Drunk Driving
People
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Jul 27, 2008 6:28 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Police arrested actor Shia LaBeouf early this morning after the 22-year-old rolled his car while attempting a left turn in Los Angeles. LaBeouf was taken to a hospital for injuries to the head, left hand, and knee. No one else was seriously injured. It's LaBeouf's second recent run-in with the law—he was charged with appearing intoxicated and...
Heavy Smog Greets Olympians
Associated Press
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Jul 27, 2008 5:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Beijing has just 12 days left to clear its skies before the start of the Summer Olympics and things are still looking mighty smoggy, reports the AP. Visibility was a mere half-mile in some parts of the city and the Athletes’ Village was invisible from the nearby Olympic Green, despite drastic traffic restrictions in the capital. “It doesn't...
Obama Slips Into Role of Acting President
New York Times
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Jul 27, 2008 5:31 PM CDT
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With a lame duck in the White House and his party's nominee beginning to sound like a quack, Barack Obama is coming off the success of last week's world tour looking like America's acting president, writes Frank Rich in the New York Times. The Illinois senator offers more than "charisma, slick rhetoric, and stunning visuals," and that's...
Istanbul Bombs Kill 13, Injure 70
Associated Press
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Jul 27, 2008 5:03 PM CDT
(AP) -
Two bombs exploded just minutes apart in Istanbul, killing 13 and injuring around 70 others today in a square packed with people, the governor said. The bombs were placed in trash cans and police were investigating who might be behind the blasts. "There is no doubt that this is a terror attack," he said.
Gunman Charged in Deadly Attack on Tenn. Church
CNN
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Jul 27, 2008 4:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A gunman opened fire at a Knoxville, Tenn., Unitarian church today, killing two and wounding seven others before he was subdued, CNN reports. He was later charged with first-degree murder in the death of the first victim. The attack occurred about 10am while children were performing the musical Annie , church members told WVLT.
It's Raining Baby Pandas in China
BBC
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Jul 27, 2008 4:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Four giant pandas were born within 14 hours of each other at a Chinese breeding center over the weekend, giving a much-needed population boost to the endangered species. Nine-year-old Qiyuan gave birth to twins, and two other 8-year-old pandas each gave birth to a cub in Sichuan province, BBC reports. Only 1,600 giant pandas remain in the wild...
Author Shares a Bit of 'Knol' on Google
CNET
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Jul 27, 2008 3:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Now that Google has launched its "Knol" option to Wikipedia that allows people to pen articles on topics, CNET writer Elinor Mills takes a stab at being one of the site's experts. Google's offering has a key difference to Wikipedia: the writer of a Knol entry has near total control over his or her article.
Double Dutch Made NYC School Sport
Associated Press
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Jul 27, 2008 2:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
New York City schools will offer a new sport this spring: competitive double dutch jump-roping. The first school district to start official teams has done so in recognition of the sport's popularity among the city's youth—and to promote fitness, AP reports. "It's something that builds stamina," explains one coach who expects tryouts...
