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.
GM Plans New Chevy Compact
Detroit News
|
Aug 21, 2008 4:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
General Motors will invest $500 million to build its new compact car in the US, the Detroit News reports. The Chevrolet Cruze, expected to get about 45mpg, will go into production in 2010 in Lordstown, Ohio. The ailing automaker, once heavily reliant on SUVs, continues to alter its production line to meet demand for small, fuel-efficient cars. GM's...
Russia Returns Favor, Cuts Off NATO Council
Guardian (UK)
|
Aug 21, 2008 4:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Russia formally suspended military cooperation with NATO today over Georgia, the Guardian reports, a move affecting operations in Afghanistan and the Mediterranean. “Cooperation had really already been ended with the Russians,” a US official said, per an alliance declaration earlier in the week. If NATO supports “the bankrupt Saakashvili...
'Saving' Public Schools Not a Money Thing
Good Magazine
|
Aug 21, 2008 4:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As dissatisfaction with the nation’s No Child Left Behind policy grows, it seems educators, politicians, and businessmen all have their own take on how to “save” the US public school system—with little consensus. Gary Stager, in Good , examines the overwhelmingly complex difficulties facing the nation’s ailing schools,...
Passenger on Doomed Flight Denied Exit
Times (UK)
|
Aug 21, 2008 4:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The cabin crew of the Spanish flight which crashed on take-off yesterday denied a passenger’s request to leave the plane after it experienced technical problems, the Times of London reports. The man texted his wife about the plane’s malfunctions two hours before the accident at Madrid’s airport, which killed all but 19 of the 172...
Downswing Not Hurting Pricey Golf Retreats
Portfolio
|
Aug 21, 2008 4:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As the recession puts a damper on luxury spending throughout the country, the nation’s toniest golf clubs—catering to a clientele at the heart of the credit tumult—are flourishing, Portfolio finds. Even with initiation fees approaching $1 million, Wall Street’s clubs of choice are brushing off the downturn even as courses...
Candidates Differ Most Widely on Wealthy
Los Angeles Times
|
Aug 21, 2008 3:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain and Barack Obama both target the very wealthy in plans to overhaul the tax code, to the opposite effect: Obama would raise their taxes and McCain would cut them. It's the most profound difference in their dueling proposals to stimulate the economy, the Los Angeles Times notes in a piece spelling out the ideas, and despite their "maverick"...
FDA Approves Irradiation of Spinach, Lettuce
Associated Press
|
Aug 21, 2008 3:47 PM CDT
(AP) -
Consumers worried about salad safety may soon be able to buy fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce zapped with just enough radiation to kill E. coli and a few other germs. The Food and Drug Administration will issue a new regulation tomorrow allowing spinach- and lettuce-sellers to take that extra step, a long-awaited move amid increasing outbreaks from...
Rock the Vote Takes Game to Xbox Live
CNET
|
Aug 21, 2008 3:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
To get gamers off the couch and into politics, Rock the Vote is targeting Xbox players, CNET reports. Beginning Monday, Xbox Live users will be able to register to vote and answer surveys from their living rooms. "To realize our goal of registering 2 million young Americans by this fall, we need to go where young Americans are, and there's no...
Stocks Mixed as Oil Surges
Wall Street Journal
|
Aug 21, 2008 3:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks saw mixed results today as the Dow and S&P 500 managed to claw back from early losses due to surging oil and a weak dollar, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow closed up 12.78 at 11,430.21; the Nasdaq fell 8.70 to 2,380.38, while the S&P 500 gained 3.18 to finish at 1,277.72.
China Overtakes US as Top Market for Japan Goods
MarketWatch
|
Aug 21, 2008 3:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
China imported $11.8 billion in Japanese goods in July, MarketWatch reports, barely surpassing the US as the world’s largest importer of products and services from Japan for the first time. The 11.5% drop in shipments to the US was the 11th consecutive month of declines; exports to China rose 16.8%, and shipments to Western Europe rose 4.1%
Limbaugh: Obama is 'Little Black Man-Child'
Media Matters
|
Aug 21, 2008 3:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rush Limbaugh struck out yesterday at the national media, for pitying “little black man-child” Barack Obama beset by attack ads he termed “benign,” Media Matters reports. “Even the Britney Spears/Paris Hilton ad was funny,” said the conservative radio host, who’d previously excoriated “girl” candidate...
Mizrahi Giving Liz Claiborne a Makeover
Wall Street Journal
|
Aug 21, 2008 2:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Designer Isaac Mizrahi recently previewed his Liz Claiborne line of women's wear, an extreme makeover that could make or break the company, the Wall Street Journal reports. The brand, which generated almost half of the company's $3.1 billion in sales and more than half of its profits in 2000, now struggles to break even.
US Relay Teams Drop Batons
Los Angeles Times
|
Aug 21, 2008 2:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
US track and field was hit by two nearly identical disasters today, when both the men’s and women’s teams flubbed the last handoff of the preliminary 400-meter relay, the Los Angeles Times reports. A wet, slippery night in the Bird’s Nest proved tough for the relay squads, with the British men’s team also blowing an exchange. ...
FBI Looks to Expand Powers of Investigation
New York Times
|
Aug 21, 2008 2:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Department of Justice is aiming to relax restrictions on the FBI so agents can investigate people without any clear reason for suspicion, congressional Dems tell the New York Times . The plan, which may be revealed in September, has attracted concern, including a letter from four Democratic senators warning that people will be scrutinized based...
Numbers Soaring, S. Africa Mulls Elephant Cull
National Geographic
|
Aug 21, 2008 2:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
South Africa's 1995 ban on culling elephants has proven wildly successful—perhaps too successful, writes Karen Lange in National Geographic . As the population has skyrocketed from 8,000 to 13,000 in the years since, starving elephants are now ravaging vegetation and taxing the nation's ecosystem, forcing experts to consider the unthinkable:...
Teen Gunned Down by Classmate at Tenn. HS
Associated Press
|
Aug 21, 2008 1:49 PM CDT
(AP) -
A student fatally shot a 16-year-old classmate during a dispute today at a Tennessee high school. Other teens watched in horror as the victim clutched his chest and fell to the floor. "This wasn't a shooting that was a random act," a Knoxville policeman said. "It was an individual directing his aggression toward another individual, not...
Stop Snitch ing Cameraman Gets 30 Years
Baltimore Sun
|
Aug 21, 2008 1:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The heroin dealer-turned-cameraman behind the now-infamous Stop Snitching DVD was given 30 years in federal prison on drug and gun charges yesterday in Baltimore, the Sun reports. During his sentencing, Akiba Matthews-Bey said he was targeted by police because he made the video, which brought national attention to witness intimidation in local...
Apple Customer Sues Over iPhone 3G Glitches
Ars Technica
|
Aug 21, 2008 1:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An Alabama woman is suing Apple after purchasing the new iPhone 3G, alleging the gizmo does not nearly live it to its hype—plagued by problems like slow email and text-messaging, excessive dropped calls, and the inability to connect to AT&T’s 3G network. Her complaints are echoed across the Internet, Ars Technica notes.
Emu Fought the Law, Law Won
News Herald
|
Aug 21, 2008 1:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A pet emu is cooling its heels in jail today after leading police on a wild chase around Bay County, Fla., the News Herald of Panama City reports. Set free by a harsh storm and a low fence, Plop-plop was finally captured Monday, when police got a call from a man saying an “unknown emu” was in his horse and goat pen. Police had been responding...
Why You Should Stop Worrying About Oil Shortages
New York Times
|
Aug 21, 2008 1:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Energy security has become a matter of major public hand-wringing, but everyone ought to calm down, write Eugene Gholz and Daryl G. Press in the New York Times . Our oil supplies are perfectly safe—the US, its businesses, and its allies have more than enough oil to weather any short-term disruption in supplies. No matter the trouble in Iran,...
Get Mad, or Go Home: Pundits
Time
|
Aug 21, 2008 1:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It doesn’t do Barack Obama any good just to say he feels strongly—voters need to be able to see it from the Democratic candidate, Joe Klein writes in Time. His message on the economy, this year’s key issue, won’t work until he can show some “real passion” to voters. “Obama will have a hard time winning unless...
Colleges Make iGadgets Part of Course Load
New York Times
|
Aug 21, 2008 1:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Some US universities have started handing out free iPhones and Internet-enabled iPods to students, the New York Times reports. The institutions view the gadgets as tools for online research, student polling, and as-yet undeveloped educational applications, while Apple gets an in with a new generation with consumers. Professors with easily distracted...
Once a Playmate, Always a Playmate
New York Post
|
Aug 21, 2008 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
You can leave the Playboy Mansion, but you can't leave the "sorority," the New York Post discovers as it catches up with some former Playmates. "There's no such thing as a former Playmate," said Jule McCullough, Miss February 1986. So where are they now? McCullough, 43: pulls socks from her top during her “Funny...
Gergiev to Lead Defiant South Ossetia Concert
Times (UK)
|
Aug 21, 2008 12:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Valery Gergiev, the principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, among other prominent posts, will preside over a victorious concert tonight in South Ossetia, celebrating Russia’s recent military successes, the Times reports. Gergiev is an ethnic Ossetian and close personal friend of Vladimir Putin—they are godfathers of each...
US Women's Soccer Claims Gold
Associated Press
|
Aug 21, 2008 12:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The US women’s soccer team claimed Olympic gold today, besting Brazil 1-0 with a goal scored in extra time, the AP reports. Carli Lloyd scored the crucial goal, but goalkeeper Hope Solo was the star of the game, shutting down shot after shot from Brazil’s unrelenting offense. It is the American team’s third gold medal since women’s...
McCain Can't Quite Say How Many Houses He Owns
Politico
|
Aug 21, 2008 12:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain isn’t quite sure how many houses he owns, Politico reports. The presumptive Republican nominee responded to the question in yesterday’s interview with “I think—I’ll have my staff get to you.” He and wife Cindy are estimated to own between four and seven properties. Barack Obama’s campaign was...
Cho Gung-Ho on New Show
Radar
|
Aug 21, 2008 12:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If you've missed Margaret Cho's raunchy brand of comedy, her new "scripted reality sitcom," The Cho Show , debuts this month on VH1 and follows the comedienne and hangers-on through outrageous adventures in Hollywood. Cho sat down with Radar to talk about anal bleaching, defending Britney Spears, and winning the Korean of the Year Award.
Backlash Greets College Chiefs' Move to Lower Drinking Age
Washington Post
|
Aug 21, 2008 12:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A chorus of criticism has greeted proposals from college chiefs to consider lowering the drinking age to 18, the Washington Post reports, as everyone from health experts, lawmakers, high school principals, and groups like MADD have been quick to slam the idea. The academic leaders say their theory that lowering the age would promote moderation is...
Fire Collapsed WTC 7: Report
Associated Press
|
Aug 21, 2008 12:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Fires, not explosives, caused the collapse of World Trade Center 7—a skyscraper near the twin towers—on Sept. 11, a 3-year US government investigation concludes. Scientists with the National Institute of Standards and Technology say the 47-story tower was destroyed by fires, made worse by a failed sprinkler system after the crumbling twin...
Clinton to Police Her Devotees in Denver
Politico
|
Aug 21, 2008 11:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hillary Clinton is deploying a 40-member "whip team" at the Democratic convention in Denver to make sure her supporters do not cause a ruckus with anti-Obama demonstrations during the roll-call vote, reports Politico. The symbolic floor vote on Clinton's nomination is supposed to be an emotional "catharsis" for her backers, but...
Baby Whale to Be Euthanized
Sydney Morning Herald
|
Aug 21, 2008 11:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Australia’s wildlife service plans to kill the baby whale that mistook a yacht for its mother in a bay north of Sydney, the Morning Herald reports. Veterinarians say the whale, plagued by shark-inflicted injuries and breathing difficulties, doesn’t have long to live anyway. A team will administer a lethal injection soon. “The last...
Obama Inspires Destitute Half-Brother
Telegraph (UK)
|
Aug 21, 2008 11:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Presidential candidate Barack Obama's half-brother isn't on the campaign trail, he's living in a shack in a Kenyan slum, reports the Telegraph. George Hussein Obama, 26, has only spoken to his powerful relative twice in his life, but is crediting Barack for providing the inspiration to lift himself out of poverty.
Amish Population Booming
Associated Press
|
Aug 21, 2008 11:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The booming Amish population has expanded far beyond its Pennsylvania Dutch country roots, drawn to new communities in a quest for cheap farmland, reports the AP. With more than 80% of its youth deciding to remain in the church, its numbers have soared from 123,000 in 1992 to 227,000 in 28 states, which now include Colorado, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska,...
Pro-Obama Site Aims to Convince Undecided Gays
The Advocate
|
Aug 21, 2008 11:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Activists are launching a website to line up support for Barack Obama among the 15% of still-undecided lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered voters, the Advocate reports. LGBTforObama.com emphasized the Democrat’s gay-friendly record, and spotlights “a star-studded lineup of bloggers.” The founder conceived the project to stop...
Timberlake, Spears Plan Duet
New York Post
|
Aug 21, 2008 11:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The long-awaited duet between Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake may finally see the light of day. The New York Pos t reports that the former teeny-bopper couple will collaborate on a track for Spears’ next album, due out at the end of '08. It's the second go-round for the duo: Timberlake offered his Midas touch to a mid-breakdown Spears...
Biden's Son Headed for Iraq
Washington Post
|
Aug 21, 2008 11:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Joe Biden’s son will be deployed to Iraq on October 3, the Washington Post reports, and while that may be a difficult personal event for Biden, it might boost his already promising case to become Barack Obama’s running mate. “I don’t want him going,” Biden said last year. “But I don't want my grandsons or granddaughters...
Lieberman Shakes Both Sides of Aisle
Boston Globe
|
Aug 21, 2008 10:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Had things gone just a bit differently in Florida in 2000, Joe Lieberman might be ending his second term as a Democratic vice president. Instead, the now-Independent is delivering a primetime RNC address and again being bandied about as a potential veep—this time for John McCain. The Boston Globe takes a look at how Lieberman now finds himself...
Small Cadre of Speculators Control Oil
Washington Post
|
Aug 21, 2008 10:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A surprisingly small group of investors and oil traders control the vast majority of the world’s oil contracts, and they are exerting tremendous influence over the market, reports the Washington Post. Regulators have found that a few financial firms speculating for themselves or their clients hold 81% of the oil contracts on NYMEX—a far...
Suicide Bombers Kill 59 in Pakistan
Associated Press
|
Aug 21, 2008 10:35 AM CDT
(AP) -
Twin Taliban suicide bombings at Pakistan's largest weapons complex killed at least 59 people today, heightening the turmoil following Pervez Musharraf's ouster as president. The bombers struck two different gates of the government weapons complex just as workers were leaving. The complex, comprising 12 factories, is located in Wah, a garrison city...
McCain Wins Unlikely Support in Vietnam
Bloomberg
|
Aug 21, 2008 10:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain has won admiration from an unlikely place: Vietnam, the nation he bombed 23 times during the war there. Including politicians, newspaper editors, and even his former captor, Vietnamese are voicing support for the candidate. The Republican pushed to restore ties with the country a decade ago, and many Vietnamese hope he will now push to...
Microsoft's Photosynth Cool, If Frustrating
Wall Street Journal
|
Aug 21, 2008 10:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Live Labs, Microsoft’s 125-man web innovation unit, launched its first major product today, and it’s certifiably neato, Walter Mossberg writes in the Wall Street Journal . Dubbed “Photosynth” the free, web-based program converts your photos into navigable 3-D environments. It’s an amazing service, Mossberg writes, “an...
NFL Union Chief Upshaw Dies of Cancer at 63
Associated Press
|
Aug 21, 2008 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Gene Upshaw, the Hall of Fame offensive lineman who, during a quarter century as head of the players union, helped get NFL players free agency and the riches that came with it, has died at 63, the AP reports. Upshaw died last night at his home in Lake Tahoe, Calif., of pancreatic cancer, which was diagnosed only last Sunday, the NFL Players Association...
D&D Tee Swipes Back at Mac
Boing Boing
|
Aug 21, 2008 9:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Dungeons & Dragons players don’t just like gaming and their mothers—they like Barack Obama, too. After a John McCain staffer described liberal blogging community Daily Kos as “the pro-Obama Dungeons & Dragons crowd” swiping at his candidate “from the comfort of mom's basement,” one designer crafted a T-shirt...
Secret Lehman Sale Talks Fail
Financial Times (UK)
|
Aug 21, 2008 9:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Secret talks earlier this month to sell up to half of struggling US investment bank Lehman Brothers to South Korean or Chinese buyers fell apart after last-minutes squabbles over details, the Financial Times reports. The bank, which is expected to announce up to $4 billion in writedowns next month, was said to be asking 50% above its book value.
Japan Upsets US for Softball Gold
Associated Press
|
Aug 21, 2008 9:43 AM CDT
(AP) -
The US softball team was denied a chance for a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal today, beaten 3-1 by Japan in the sport's last appearance in the Olympics for at least 8 years. Japanese pitcher Yukiko Ueno shut down an American squad that ruled the sport since its Olympic debut in 1996, handing the US its first loss since 2000, in Sydney.
Comcast to Put Brakes on Bandwidth Hogs
Bloomberg
|
Aug 21, 2008 9:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Comcast plans to reduce Internet connection speeds for heavy users, Bloomberg reports. The company's "FairShare" system will slow users down for 10 to 20 minutes during peak periods. Comcast was recently scolded by the FCC for improperly blocking file-sharing programs like BitTorrent in an effort to manage Web traffic.
LA Gets the Luxury Condo Bug
New York Times
|
Aug 21, 2008 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
LA’s multi-millionaires are downsizing. While the wealth and fame in the City of Angels has traditionally expressed itself in estates, preferably gated, now a steady stream of the very-well-heeled are trading in their mansions for high-rise luxury condos, the New York Times reports. “People are ready to live in a more urban way,”...
Nuke Advantage Emboldened Putin's Russia
Wall Street Journal
|
Aug 21, 2008 9:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Diplomats and pundits have debated what led Russia to attack Georgia so forcefully, pointing to everything from newfound economic strength to a sense of national humiliation. But Gabriel Schoenfeld, editor at neoconservative magazine Commentary , has another explanation: it's Russia's growing nuclear advantage, especially with short-range arms, that...
'Black Mailbox' a Mecca for UFO Believers
Los Angeles Times
|
Aug 21, 2008 9:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A faded, handmade mailbox on a lonely stretch of Nevada highway has become an unlikely tourist attraction, the Los Angeles Times reports. The "Black Mailbox," belonging to a nearby ranching couple, has become a magnet for UFO believers who suspect it is a postbox for extraterrestrials. Some spend nights camped out by the box, waiting, or...
Doggie-Dining Goes Legit in Tampa
Tampa Tribune
|
Aug 21, 2008 9:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Puppy-lovers can now legally chow down in the company of their canine companions at Tampa's Java & Cream cafe, the first eatery in the city to boast a dog-dining permit. Permits for pups have been required in Tampa since 2006, though restaurateurs have apparently been unaware of the law: The city received its first application just last month,...
