Newser Story Index from August, 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.
US Women Win Basketball Gold
Associated Press
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Aug 23, 2008 12:21 PM CDT
(AP) -
Lisa Leslie and the US women's basketball team were once again too good for Australia at the Olympics. Leslie capped off her illustrious Olympic career with a fourth straight gold medal, scoring 14 points in a 92-65 victory against Australia today. She joined former teammate Teresa Edwards as the only basketball players ever to win four gold medals.
Obama's Run Forces Debate on Black Identity
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 23, 2008 12:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama's candidacy has drawn overwhelming support from the black community but also sparked debate on how much of a community it really is. The Wall Street Journal examines how Obama's international and biracial heritage highlights the growing diversity of black America, and some of the tensions this has created.
Terrible Toy Makeovers
Babble
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Aug 23, 2008 11:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Toy companies keep reinventing our favorite childhood playthings, but the new versions almost never stack up. Babble lists 20 classic toys that didn't need facelifts: Monopoly: Give us our thimble back! The game that taught us to handle money has become an ad for SpongeBob , American Idol and the like. Etch-A-Sketch: Forget boxy...
China's Gold Rush Pays Off Nicely for Athletes
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 23, 2008 11:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Decades ago, bringing glory to the motherland would have been the sole reward for victorious Chinese Olympians. The glory is still there—plenty of it, as China leads the gold medal table—but champions can now expect an average reward of $300,000 in cash and bonuses, even before corporate sponsorship deals roll in, the Los Angeles Times...
Russia Keeps Troops in Poti
Reuters
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Aug 23, 2008 10:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Russia says it will continue to patrol the key Black Sea port of Poti despite Western demands that it pull back to pre-conflict positions, Reuters reports. A Russian general said troops will continue "peacekeeping" operations there even though the city falls outside the perimeter agreed upon in the recent cease-fire.
Food Makers Tweak Recipes to Cut Costs
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 23, 2008 10:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Food manufacturers are adjusting their recipes to cut costs as ingredient prices climb, the Wall Street Journal reports. Hershey is replacing some of its cocoa butter with vegetable oil, while General Mills is dumping pecans for walnuts in one cookie. McCormick, McDonald's, and other companies are making similar moves. But prices are staying the...
5 Football Saturdays to Savor
Every Day Should Be Saturday
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Aug 23, 2008 9:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With the college football season set to kick off Thursday, blogger The Kid outlines the five weekends that will help decide who plays in the national championship game on Jan. 8 in Miami. Aug. 30: Illinois and Missouri square off in St. Louis; Clemson and Alabama meet in Atlanta. “Grilled sausages will be distributed according to need,”...
US Finishes Strong, Sweeps 1600 Relays
Associated Press
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Aug 23, 2008 8:59 AM CDT
(AP) -
The US men's and women's teams swept the 1600-meter relays today, ending a string of frustrations for the Americans that included dropped batons in two earlier races. For the women, Sanya Richards anchored her team in a come-from-behind victory over Russia in 3:18.54, the world's fastest time since 1993. On the men's side, Jeremy Wariner crossed the...
The Cons: Biden Known for Gaffes
Politico
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Aug 23, 2008 8:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Republicans strategists don't have to look too deep to find ammunition to use against Joe Biden, Politico reports. It's all a matter of public record. For starters, he called Obama's foreign policy views "naive" last year and said the presidency is not the place for "on-the-job training." He damaged his own run when he called Obama...
Yoga Blunts Menopause: Study
Reuters
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Aug 23, 2008 8:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Menopausal women who do yoga experience fewer hot flashes and have greater mental acuity than their non-practicing counterparts, suggests a new study conducted by a yoga university in India. The research compared results from a control group against women who did yoga or stretches five days a week for 2 months, Reuters reports. The experimental group...
Olympics Fervor Prompts Beijing Tattoo Craze
New York Times
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Aug 23, 2008 8:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Beijing tattoo artists have had a steady stream of customers seeking permanent Olympic souvenirs in recent weeks, the New York Times reports. Tattoo parlors were rare in China a decade ago, but hundreds have sprouted as taboos have begun to fall. American influence is strong, but artists are seeking to create their own Chinese tattoo culture.
What Biden Brings to the Party
Time
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Aug 23, 2008 7:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama’s choice of Joe Biden as a running mate looks like fairly simple calculus, notes Massimo Calabres in Time : his strengths bolster Obama’s weak points. Biden has logged six terms in the Senate; he’s a foreign-policy expert; and he’s a Catholic popular with blue-collar white voters. Perhaps most importantly, he’s...
Beware the Word 'Natural.' It Means Nothing
Gourmet
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Aug 23, 2008 7:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
"Is that natural artificial yellow coloring?" asks Barry Estabrook in Gourmet . Absurd as the question sounds, it's not, given that the Food and Drug Administration "can't be bothered to define the term at all." Eager to get on the "natural" bandwagon, manufacturers are "shamelessly slapping the word on anything...
The Private Wealth Behind McCain's Public Life
New York Times
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Aug 23, 2008 7:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain is one of the wealthiest men in the Senate, but the McCain fortune is less open to scrutiny than that of most lawmakers, the New York Times reports, since the vast bulk of it remains solely in the name of wife Cindy. She has a controlling stake in the privately held beer distribution company inherited from her father, which nets her an...
Out of the Cyclone, Seeds of Change in Burma
New Yorker
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Aug 23, 2008 6:51 AM CDT
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In the wake of the ruling junta's efforts to waylay foreign aid following May's Cyclone Nargis, Burmese citizens—including former political prisoners—created a grass-roots relief effort to help the embattled populace. In doing so, writes George Packer in the New Yorker , they may have created the catalyst for long-awaited political change...
Biden's Story: Tenacity Born of Tragedy
News Journal (Del.)
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Aug 23, 2008 6:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Blunt, tough and seasoned, Obama veepstakes winner Joe Biden has a history of surviving both personal tragedy and political disappointment. Delaware's News-Journal details the story of the state's favorite son, who became modern history's youngest senator when elected at 29. His wife and baby daughter died in a car crash before he had even been sworn...
Buyer Trumps Donald for McMahon House
Associated Press
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Aug 23, 2008 6:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Donald Trump won't be buying Ed McMahon's home after all, the AP reports. An anonymous buyer has made a deal to purchase the longtime Carson sidekick's foreclosure-threatened home. Trump had made an offer on the multi-million dollar Beverly Hills house after it became known that the 85-year-old McMahon was about to lose his home, having fallen $644,000...
Obama Texts, E-Mails VP News to Supporters
Associated Press
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Aug 23, 2008 5:59 AM CDT
(AP) -
Barack Obama's choice for a running mate was texted and emailed to supporters shortly after 3am this morning, though word had leaked out to reporters a couple of hours earlier that he'd chosen Sen. Joe Biden, a veteran lawmaker from Delaware. The text message: "Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee. Watch the first Obama-Biden...
'Relic' Conventions to Host Huge Political Shifts
CNN
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Aug 23, 2008 12:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The presidential nominees are already decided—so why have conventions? “Money and publicity," Bill Schneider writes on CNN. Gala events are prime opportunities to milk donors, and high visibility has led “both parties try to control every minute of the convention as if it were a television show—because it is a television...
Obama Picks Biden: Official
Associated Press
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Aug 23, 2008 12:15 AM CDT
(AP) -
Barack Obama selected Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware late Friday night to be his vice presidential running mate, according to a Democratic official, balancing his ticket with an older congressional veteran well-versed in foreign and defense issues. Biden, who has twice sought the White House, is a Catholic with a generally liberal voting record and a reputation...
Enquirer Editor Details Edwards Stakeouts
New Republic
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Aug 22, 2008 8:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The National Enquirer scored big this month by accusing John Edwards of an extramarital affair—but it worked hard for the news, the New Republic reports. The tabloid's reporters staked out Rielle Hunter for days and spent hours waiting for Edwards in a Los Angeles hotel. When the hopeful snuck in via a stairwell, a reporter leaped out and...
Crash Kills 4 Carter Relatives
Times (UK)
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Aug 22, 2008 7:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Four British relatives of actress Helena Bonham Carter died this week in a safari bus crash, the London Times reports. The minibus punctured a tire and overturned 6 hours outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, killing Carter's cousin Fiona Bonham Carter, 51, and three relatives including Fiona's mother. The Oscar-nominated actress could not be reached...
Detroit Mayor Rejects Deal to Step Down
Detroit Free Press
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Aug 22, 2008 7:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has rejected a plea deal in his assault case that would have forced him to resign, the Detroit Free Press reports. The judge in the case declined to discuss the mayor’s bond, which confines him to Detroit, and set a court date for Monday. This apparently dashes Kilpatrick’s hope of attending the Democratic...
Greenies Fight Religious Custom in Taiwan
AFP
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Aug 22, 2008 6:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Taiwanese environmentalists are working to douse the flames of "Ghost Month," during which Taoists and Buddhists burn ritual paper money to honor ancestors. Setting one ton of money ablaze releases at least an equal amount carbon dioxide, the AFP reports; temples and households can now turn over their money to state incinerators "cleansed"...
Welcome to the Annual Sexism Awards!
Boston Globe
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Aug 22, 2008 6:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Celebrating the Aug. 26 anniversary of the passage of women's suffrage, Ellen Goodman, in the Boston Globe , doles out the "Equal Rites Awards" to those fine individuals setting back the cause of the female sex. The envelopes, please: The Blind Justice Award: To the Russian judge who threw out a sexual-harassment case saying, “If...
Midwest Adding Grapes to Its Grain
Economist
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Aug 22, 2008 5:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As farmers seek higher profits and politicians angle for healthier rural economies, vineyards are cropping up across the Midwest, the Economist reports. Michigan and Ohio now have over 100 wineries each, with vintage monikers handily swiped from French-named Midwestern locales like “Marquette” and “Frontenac”—or, less...
NY Cops Bust Bizarre Hit Job
New York Daily News
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Aug 22, 2008 5:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Brooklyn man was arrested yesterday for attempting to get a hit man to kill his wife—and retrieve the $27,000 wedding ring he had given her, the New York Daily News reports. Rockefeller Auguste, 35, enraged by jealousy, gave an undercover officer posing as a contract killer a samurai sword and demanded he cut her ring-bearing hand off as...
In Age Flap, IOC Lacks Spine
Washington Post
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Aug 22, 2008 4:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After weeks of speculation about underage Chinese gymnasts and reports that at least two of them are not yet 16, the International Olympic Committee is investigating yet still sitting on its hands, Sally Jenkins writes in the Washington Post . The question “is whether the IOC is genuinely trying to govern in these Olympics, or whether it has...
GOP Losing Its Hold on Evangelicals
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 22, 2008 4:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Republicans can no longer bank on the evangelical vote. Most still tilt toward the GOP, but the Wall Street Journal reports that a sizable number—40% by one estimate—are open to voting Democrat. Reasons vary, but one factor in particular seems to be paramount: overseas missions. More evangelicals are traveling abroad, seeing poverty...
Glitter Must Register as Sex Offender in UK
Press Association
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Aug 22, 2008 4:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A judge has ordered pedophile rocker Gary Glitter to sign Britain’s sex offenders’ registry within 3 days now that he’s back in the country, the Press Association reports. Glitter reluctantly returned to the UK after being released from a Vietnamese prison, after serving time on underage-sex charges. The 64-year-old is best known...
Wild Pot Found in Indiana National Park
Chicago Tribune
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Aug 22, 2008 4:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The National Park Service has found wild marijuana growing in a northern Indiana federal park, the Chicago Tribune reports. Officials don't know how many plants are spread throughout the 15,000-acre Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, on Lake Michigan about 30 miles southeast of Chicago, but said they will work with local police to eradicate the illegal...
Study: Tell Bad Jokes at Your Own Risk
Associated Press
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Aug 22, 2008 4:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
What did the researcher say to the reporter? Bad jokes are a good way to lose friends. A Washington State University linguist found lame humor tends to trigger serious hostility, the AP reports. The researcher had her students slip a bad joke into 207 conversations with friends, and 44% of the responses were considered, ahem, “impolite.”
Ex-Anchor Pleads Guilty to Hacking Colleague's Email
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Aug 22, 2008 3:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A former Philadelphia TV anchor pleaded guilty today to hacking his colleague’s email, a felony that could land him in jail for 6 months, the Enquirer reports. Larry Mendte affirmed that he logged into former co-anchor Alycia Lane’s personal account more than 500 times between January and May. Mendte told the court he has "seen a...
Lower Oil, Inflation Rally Stocks
MarketWatch
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Aug 22, 2008 3:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks rallied today amid light trading but still saw weekly losses as oil prices fell and financials rebounded, helped in part by a speech by Ben Bernanke that eased inflation fears, MarketWatch reports. The Dow surged 197.85 to 11,628.06; the Nasdaq gained 34.33, closing at 2,414.71; and the S&P 500 climbed 14.47 to 1,292.19.
Enquirer Boss: Edwards Saga 'Unzipped a New Era'
Huffington Post
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Aug 22, 2008 3:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
When John Edwards admitted that he had indeed had an extramarital affair, “the gnashing of teeth from mainstream journalists was so loud you could barely hear the sobs of everyone who posts for the Daily Kos,” writes victorious National Enquirer editor David Perel in the Huffington Post. The Edwards scandal, he crows, shattered a smug...
Obama, Not Clintons, Must Be Denver Story
Boston Globe
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Aug 22, 2008 3:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Heading into their convention, Democrats are increasingly worried about what should be a gimme election. With his poll lead slipping or even disappearing, Barack Obama needs a strong convention showing, like Bill Clinton’s in 1992, Scot Lehigh writes in the Boston Globe . To do it, he’ll need to articulate his vision and message—and...
Russians Pull Back, But West Not Satisfied
New York Times
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Aug 22, 2008 3:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Having withdrawn from the Georgian city of Gori, Russia said tonight it is in full compliance with a cease-fire agreement, the New York Times reports. Despite criticism from the US and France, nations that helped broker the deal, Moscow continues to occupy the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, plus perimeter posts on Georgian soil—installations...
Athletes' Village Is a 'Sex-Fest'
Times (UK)
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Aug 22, 2008 3:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Olympic village overflows with world-class athletes, and they're doing about what you'd expect thousands of buff, healthy young people voluntarily crammed into a confined space to do: have sex, and plenty of it. "I am not implying, for one moment, that every athlete in Beijing is at it," ex-Olympian Matthew Syed writes in the London ...
Scientists Pull Stem Cells From Wisdom Teeth
Telegraph (UK)
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Aug 22, 2008 2:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Japanese scientists have sidestepped the controversial use of embryos in stem-cell research by growing the cells from extracted wisdom teeth, the Telegraph reports. Pulp removed 3 years ago from a 10-year-old girl, then frozen, was fostered in a lab, with research-ready stem cells the result. "I hope this will prove to be a major breakthrough,"...
GOP Base 'Imploring' McCain: No Pro-Choice VP
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 22, 2008 2:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain’s been making the Republican base mighty uneasy with hints of a pro-choice running mate, the Wall Street Journal reports. Though McCain touts his “proud pro-life record,” pro-choice potentials Tom Ridge and Joe Lieberman have been on the receiving end of McCain's praise recently, a move that had conservative Laura Ingraham...
Critic's Hoax Makes Spectator Turn Red
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 22, 2008 2:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Wine Spectator bestowed one of its awards of excellence on the Milan restaurant Osteria L'Intrepido. Problem being, the restaurant doesn't exist. A mischievous wine critic made it up, along with its wine list—which featured wines panned by the magazine—then forked over the $250 application fee, the Los Angeles Times reports. "I...
The Office Jinx Strikes Again
New York
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Aug 22, 2008 2:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Do The Rocker 's poor reviews and sagging ticket sales prove there's an Office curse? Office stars can't replicate that show's success on the big screen, Dan Kois writes in New York , and the evidence backs him up: After The 40-Year-Old Virgin , Steve Carell starred in a series of mostly forgettable flops, and his co-stars haven't fared any...
Post-Soviet States No Longer Russian Puppets
BBC
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Aug 22, 2008 1:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Former cold warriors can be expected to see the Georgian conflict as signalling a return to simpler East-vs-West geopolitics, writes Bridget Kendall for the BBC. But the reaction of the post-Soviet states shows something very different: Former Soviet client states whose loyalty was assured 20 years ago—including Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,...
4-Eared Cat Breeds Legion of Fans
Chicago Tribune
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Aug 22, 2008 1:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Yoda the four-eared cat, once kept around by a bar owner to amuse patrons, has now achieved Internet fame, the Chicago Tribune reports. Yoda’s current owners, who adopted him as a kitten from his former home, posted pictures of the curious cat online, eventually leading to their publication in a British tabloid.
Verizon, Google Near Deal on Mobile Search
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 22, 2008 1:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Verizon and Google are nearing a deal that would make Google the default search tool on Verizon mobile devices, the Wall Street Journal reports, giving a boost to the under-monetized $244-million mobile search business while setting a precedent for mobile ad revenue sharing. The deal, expected to close within weeks, will simplify mobile search for...
For Fishermen, Lead Poses Bait Debate
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 22, 2008 1:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As conservation efforts have boosted the fish's population levels, competitive fishing for striped bass has become a thriving sport in Massachusetts. The fish’s importance to both commercial and recreational fishermen is bringing a controversial baiting tactic into renewed dispute. The Wall Street Journal examines “yo-yoing,” which...
Pilots' Union Warned Spanair: Operations Are a 'Disaster'
Times (UK)
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Aug 22, 2008 1:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Pilots at Spanair, operator of the MD80 airliner that crashed in Madrid this week, killing 153, warned management repeatedly that passenger safety was compromised by the “chaotic” way the airline was operated, the Times of London reports. Emails from the Spanish pilots union claimed the fleet wasn’t being updated quickly enough...
Airline Fees Wiping Out Surfers
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 22, 2008 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Surfers may be a laid-back lot, but they're riding a wave of anger at airlines that have begun charging upwards of $150 to check their boards, the LA Times reports. It's a gnarlier price hike than those levied on any other kind of sporting equipment, surfers note, calling for boycotts on the worst offenders. On international flights, fees run as...
Fay Sets Course for Florida Panhandle
Tallahassee Democrat
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Aug 22, 2008 12:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Tropical Storm Fay is heading west across Florida, having pummeled the southern part of the state with flooding from 20-inch rainfalls and soaked areas farther north, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. Authorities have linked the storm to the deaths of six Floridians, including a 21-year-old woman who drowned while swimming in the Atlantic, which...
Faris Makes Bunny Hop
Rotten Tomatoes
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Aug 22, 2008 12:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Critics seem to split on the overall worth of sorority comedy House Bunny , but most agree that star Anna Faris is worth the price of admission. The stalwart of the Scary Movie franchise has a "sunny disposition and solid comic timing" that greatly improve what is "essentially a female remake of Revenge of the Nerds ," Christy...
