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.
Instant Replay on Deck for MLB
Associated Press
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Aug 21, 2008 9:05 AM CDT
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Umpires and Major League Baseball officials have struck a deal that could bring instant replay to the ballpark as early as the end of this month, AP reports. The World Umpires Association signed the agreement yesterday after days of haggling over details. Video review will be limited to boundary calls like home runs and foul balls, with film clips...
McCain Vows Lifetime Lobby Ban on Aides
Politico
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Aug 21, 2008 8:58 AM CDT
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Calling lobbyists “the symptom of a disease,” John McCain railed against earmarking and pork-barrel spending yesterday, telling Politico that members of his administration would be barred from lobbying after life at the White House. Some of McCain’s top campaign aides are former lobbyists, and the senator has already pledged that...
Medicare Fudged Fraud Figures: Report
New York Times
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Aug 21, 2008 8:50 AM CDT
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Medicare's boasts of having reduced fraud by billions are misleading, a draft report obtained by the New York Times finds. Auditors were told to ignore procedures that would have accurately measured fraudulent claims for medical equipment, the draft report says. Proper methods would have revealed an estimated $2.8 billion in fraud in 2006,...
Speedy, but Disrespectful: IOC Chief
Reuters
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Aug 21, 2008 8:34 AM CDT
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Usain Bolt has reached the level of track great Jesse Owens, but the 22-year-old Jamaican needs to show more respect to fellow competitors, says the head of the IOC. Although Jacques Rogge expects more amazing feats from Bolt, whom he calls "another dimension in sprint," he censured the sprinter's antics in a meeting with reporters today....
China Sentences 2 Aged Women to 'Re-education'
New York Times
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Aug 21, 2008 8:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Officials in Beijing had promised that Chinese could hold demonstrations during the Olympics, so long as they applied for permission. But of 77 applications, none have been approved—and now, writes the New York Times , two old women upset about the small compensation for the demolition of their homes have been sentenced to a year's "re-education...
Bourne Again: Another Damon Daughter
E! Online
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Aug 21, 2008 8:16 AM CDT
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Here’s hoping the Sexiest Man Alive remembers to put the toilet seat down when he’s done. Matt Damon, already the lone male of house, is dad to yet another daughter, reports E! Online. Damon, 37, and wife Luciana announced the birth of Gia Zavala today; she joins Isabella, 2, and half-sister Alexia, 10. "I'm so outnumbered down here,”...
Iran Bars Actress From Leaving Country
Guardian (UK)
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Aug 21, 2008 8:09 AM CDT
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Iran has barred an actress from leaving the country after details of her role alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in a spy thriller emerged, the Guardian reports. Golshifteh Farahani was on her way to Hollywood to discuss future roles when authorities stopped her at the airport. A trailer for the thriller, Body of Lies , shows Farahani without a hijab on....
Record Food Price Hikes Loom
Reuters
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Aug 21, 2008 7:59 AM CDT
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Americans should get ready for pain at the supermarket checkout, reports Reuters—and squash any hopes of food prices getting better next year. A revised USDA forecast predicts a 5% to 6% leap in food prices this year—the biggest increase in 20 years—and USDA officials fear 2009 could see another 4% to 5% jump. This year's report includes...
Courts Finally Catching Up to Society's Views on Gays
The Atlantic
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Aug 21, 2008 7:51 AM CDT
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The California Supreme Court’s landmark decision in May to grant gays the right to marry is based on a simple but inevitable idea, Andrew Sullivan writes in the Atlantic : Gay marriage is just marriage, and gay people are no different than straight people. As homosexuality moved from being considered a disorder to just an involuntary difference,...
Spitz Starts Life as Second-Greatest
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 21, 2008 7:37 AM CDT
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Outspoken and prickly in the best of times, Mark Spitz is slowly adjusting to being the second -greatest Olympian of all time, the Wall Street Journal reports. Mustering a little grace for the occasion, Spitz says he's relieved at the downgrade. "He's got the burden of inspiring the youth as they go forward," Spitz says. "That is...
Microsoft's Answer to Apple Ads: Seinfeld
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 21, 2008 7:29 AM CDT
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So what's the deal with Microsoft ads? The company has enlisted Jerry Seinfeld to spearhead a new $300-million campaign, the Wall Street Journa l reports, to try to shake the negative buzz about Vista, and the nerdy, feckless image projected by John Hodgeman in Apple's popular "Mac vs PC" ads. The campaign, to start next month, will net...
Caylee's Mom Out on Bail
Orlando Sentinel
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Aug 21, 2008 6:56 AM CDT
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The mother of missing tot Caylee Anthony was released from a Florida jail today—with the fate of the 3-year-old still a mystery, reports the Orlando Sentinel . Bondsmen working for a couple of California bounty hunters posted $500,000 bail for 22-year-old Casey Anthony last night; the bounty hunters believe she will be more forthcoming with...
Rice Arrives in Baghdad for Troop Deal Talks
CNN
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Aug 21, 2008 6:19 AM CDT
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Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Iraq on an unannounced trip, where she will meet with PM Nouri al-Maliki and other top officials to continue talks to keep American troops in the country after their UN mandate expires. While sources in both the US and Iraq have said that an agreement has already been drafted, Rice insisted that "all of the reports...
Clues Sought in Madrid Crash
BBC
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Aug 21, 2008 6:03 AM CDT
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Investigators are searching through wreckage for clues to why a passenger jet bound for the Canary Islands crashed shortly after takeoff from Madrid yesterday killing 153 passengers, the BBC reports. Witnesses reported hearing an explosion before the crash but officials say foul play has been ruled out. The voice recorders and flight data have been...
BMX Olympic Debut Sees 4 US Riders Advance
USA Today
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Aug 21, 2008 5:43 AM CDT
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BMX proved that it deserves its debut as an Olympic sport, with an exciting day full of crashes and injuries. All three American men made it through their qualifying heats, some more battered than others. On the women's side, Jill Kintner won the right to represent the US in the finals of the event that involves tiny bikes and big jumps.
Leaving Iraq, Petraeus Sees Gains as Fragile
New York Times
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Aug 21, 2008 5:37 AM CDT
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David Petraeus is leaving Iraq after 18 months, and by all measures the country is far safer than when he arrived. The "surge" of 30,000 extra American soldiers was bolstered by major domestic developments, from the Muqtada al-Sadr ceasefire to the rise of Sunni awakening councils. But in an interview with the New York Times , the departing...
US Women Win Gold Again in Beach Volleyball
Associated Press
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Aug 21, 2008 5:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Americans Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor are still queens of the sand. The duo won the gold medal in beach volleyball today by beating the Chinese team of Wang Jie amd Tian Ja, the AP reports. Walsh and May-Treanor, who have now won 108 consecutive matches, are the first to repeat as Olympic champs in the sport.
Ringback Tones a Goldmine
CNET
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Aug 20, 2008 9:39 PM CDT
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Ringback tones—the music callers hear while waiting for the party they’re calling to answer the phone—are sounding less like Justin Timberlake and more like a cash register to wireless providers. Sales of ringback tones should triple to $4.7 billion by 2012, CNET reports. That’s almost what mobile games bring in, making ringback...
Gold Medal Is Priceless, But Metal Is Worth $215
MarketWatch
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Aug 20, 2008 8:49 PM CDT
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Michael Phelps’ eight Olympic golds may be priceless, but they're not worth that much to a commodities trader, MarketWatch notes. This year's gold medals are made mostly of silver and coated with less than a quarter-ounce of gold, putting their value around $215. But people are, of course, willing to shell out much more for a piece of Olympic...
Griffey Slams No. 609, Now 5th on HR List
Associated Press
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Aug 20, 2008 8:05 PM CDT
(AP) -
Ken Griffey Jr. slammed his 609th home run today to move into a tie with Sammy Sosa for fifth on the Major League Baseball career list. Only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), and Willie Mays (660) have hit more. Griffey's two-run drive helped his Chicago White Sox rout Seattle, 15-3. It was his first homer since Chicago acquired...
Tastes Great or Less Filling? Old Ad Slogan Coming Back
Chicago Tribune
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Aug 20, 2008 7:35 PM CDT
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Does it taste great, or is it less filling? Miller Lite drinkers can have it both ways, the Chicago Tribune reports: The beer’s 30-year-old slogan “Great taste, less filling” is being resurrected for a fall advertising campaign coming to a TV, radio, and store near you. Parent company MillerCoors is trying to unseat light-beer king...
Another Poll Confirms: McCain Closes Gap
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 20, 2008 7:10 PM CDT
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Another poll, another batch of bad news for Barack Obama. A new NBC/ Wall Street Journal survey says John McCain has cut Obama's lead by half in the last month and now trails only 45% to 42%. That slim margin makes the race a statistical dead heat. A flurry of other major polls out today reached the same conclusion, and one, from Reuters/Zogby, put...
153 Dead, 19 Survivors: 'Closest Thing to Hell'
Telegraph (UK)
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Aug 20, 2008 6:50 PM CDT
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The death toll from today's crash of a jetliner in Madrid reached 153—with only 19 survivors—as investigators sought to figure out what happened. The Spanair plane had aborted one takeoff because of an unspecified technical glitch, and passengers were warned they might have to disembark and change aircraft, the Telegraph reports. But...
Subtle Cabernets Recall Napa's Heyday
New York Times
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Aug 20, 2008 6:33 PM CDT
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Forget "jammy fruit bombs" that crush the palate—subtle cabernets are making a comeback in Napa Valley. "You don’t hear much about these sorts of wines today," writes Eric Asimov in the New York Times . While critics swoon over rich, oaky cabernets, a few wineries still rely on elegant floral and herbal flourishes...
Ohio Rep. Tubbs Jones Dies After Brain Aneurysm
Cleveland Plain Dealer
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Aug 20, 2008 6:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ohio Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress, has died of a brain aneurysm, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Tubbs Jones, 58, suffered a brain hemorrhage while driving her car near Cleveland yesterday. The five-term congresswoman, a staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton, was also the first black woman to...
Ricky Martin Proud Papa of Twin Boys
Associated Press
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Aug 20, 2008 6:06 PM CDT
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Latin pop star Ricky Martin is now the father of twin boys, the AP reports. The children were born via a surrogate mother a few weeks ago, say Martin’s representatives, who also noted the 36-year-old “will be spending the remainder of the year out of the public spotlight in order to spend time with his children.”
In Sickness and In Health ... and In Recession
Boston Globe
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Aug 20, 2008 5:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In the midst of an economic downturn, many couples are scaling back their dream weddings in favor of more modest events. The Boston Globe explores the measures couples are taking to cut corners—now that the $27,800 budgeted for the average American wedding isn’t buying what it used to—from cheaper drinks and homemade invitations...
Startup Goes After Nintendo Over Patents
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 20, 2008 5:50 PM CDT
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A Maryland tech firm claims that Nintendo stole some of its technology for the popular Wii console, the Wall Street Journal reports. Hillcrest Laboratories filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission, alleging that Nintendo infringed on patents for motion-sensing technology. It wants to ban Wii consoles from being imported to the...
Tit for Tat? Russia Could Station Missiles in Syria
Times (UK)
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Aug 20, 2008 5:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Syria could host batteries of Russian missiles in return for Russian military technology and the reopening of a Soviet-era naval base on its Mediterranean coast, the Times of London reports. President Bashar al-Assad flew to Moscow today to discuss a deal, which may be Russia’s response to the US-Poland missile defense agreement also signed...
Phelps' Ties to Timekeeper Raise Doubts
New York Times
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Aug 20, 2008 5:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Phelps' razor-thin victory in his seventh race is raising sticky ethical questions because the Olympics' official timekeeper is also one of Phelps' sponsors, the New York Times reports. Making matters worse, the timekeeper, Omega, and swimming's governing body won't break with protocol and release underwater images of the finish. They...
Ownership Dispute Swirls Around NY Picassos
Der Spiegel
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Aug 20, 2008 5:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The heirs of a German-Jewish banker are demanding that New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Guggenheim relinquish possession of two works by Picasso, Der Spiegel reports. The heirs say the two paintings, Boy Leading a Horse and Le Moulin de la Galette , unjustly fell into the hands of American art collectors during the Nazi rise to power.
British Game Companies Target 25K Downloaders
Times (UK)
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Aug 20, 2008 4:53 PM CDT
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A group of five of the world’s top computer-game makers are getting tough on illegal downloaders, the Times of London reports, demanding settlements of about $555 from 25,000 people across Britain. Those who refuse to settle will be taken to court, the companies—Atari, Topware Interactive, Reality Pump, Techland and Codemasters—are...
Hotels Suited to Campaign Trail
Travel Leisure
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Aug 20, 2008 4:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Following the flurry of political press linked to hotel heiress and partier-in-chief Paris Hilton, campaign accommodation now requires serious vetting. Travel + Leisure plays candidate concierge, offering lodging suggestions for the presidential hopefuls: Red Rock Resort, Las Vegas: For John McCain, red-friendly name and removed from the sinful...
200K US Students Spanked Last School Year: Report
CNN
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Aug 20, 2008 4:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Over 200,000 US children were on the receiving end of corporal punishment last year, and a disproportionate number were black, a pair of human-rights groups finds. Black students, who make up 17.1% of the national school population, made up 35.6% of those paddled, CNN notes. Overall spankings are down, however, from 342,038 for 2000-01 to 223,190 in...
Cancer Patients Bare All in Blogs
Boston Globe
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Aug 20, 2008 4:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Cancer patients, once reticent, are increasingly explicit in sharing the details of their ordeals in blogs—and finding it therapeutic. Researchers at Ohio State looked at 50 blogs and found they helped patients cope, the Boston Globe reports. Not only do they make it easier to keep friends and family current, they make the writer feel...
A Few Lessons Obama Picked Up While on Vacation
Slate
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Aug 20, 2008 4:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
What did Barack Obama do on vacation in Hawaii, beside body-surf and eat shaved ice? He learned three important lessons, John Dickerson writes in Slate, about how to handle the coming phase of the campaign: “Keep it big.” The Democrat has decided to push the “turning-point election” idea. Voters aren’t pleased with...
Kegger-Plagued College Town Paves With Rubber
Ames (Iowa) Tribune
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Aug 20, 2008 3:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sloppy keg delivery has taken its toll on sidewalks in the Campustown area popular with Iowa State University students, the Ames Tribune reports—but officials aren’t cracking under the pressure. Instead, they’re installing rubber sidewalks to replace pavement battered by years of abuse from offloaded beer barrels. Made from recycled...
Russia's 'Buffer Zone' Includes Georgia Territory
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 20, 2008 3:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Russia may soon officially recognize the sovereignty of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, lawmakers said today, even as the military moved to establish so-called buffer zones that include Georgian territory, the Wall Street Journal reports. Then-president Vladimir Putin used the move to recognize the secessionist republics to criticize countries which...
Modest Gains From Mixed Day
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 20, 2008 3:29 PM CDT
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The markets ended up after alternating from gains to losses in today’s session, MarketWatch reports. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continue to make traders uneasy about financial firms, but strong results from Hewlett-Packard provided a welcome distraction. The Dow closed up 68.88 at 11,417.42. The Nasdaq gained 4.72 points, closing at 2,389.08,...
Gadfly Stalls San Francisco Bike Measures
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 20, 2008 3:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
San Francisco's plans to make the city more bike-friendly are stuck in the slow lane thanks to litigation from an anti-cycling activist, the Wall Street Journal reports. Rob Anderson believes adding bike lanes causes pollution by clogging up traffic. The progressive city is now unable even to install new bike racks before a court-ordered environmental...
Phelps' Bond With Dad Hardly Golden
New York Post
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Aug 20, 2008 3:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Phelps’ estranged dad, who’s had a peripheral role in the swimming sensation’s life since divorcing his mom when the boy was 9, has not contacted his son once during the Olympics, Fred Phelps tells the New York Post . "He's so busy, I'm sure not even his agent can get a hold of him," says Fred, who says he's watched...
Must Globetrotting Aussies Be Grounded?
Wired
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Aug 20, 2008 2:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It's even harder being green if you're Australian, since it takes a long-haul flight to get practically anywhere, Adele Horin observes in the Sydney Morning Herald . Aussies consider globetrotting to be part of their birthright, but Horin thinks it's time her country-mates recognize airplanes for what they are: "toxic flying machines" that...
Iraq Security Deal Has US Troops Out of Cities By July
Associated Press
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Aug 20, 2008 2:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Negotiators for the US and Iraq have completed a draft security agreement that plans to have US forces out of Iraqi cities by June 30, and out of the country completely by the end of 2011, the AP reports. Negotiators also reached accord on the contentious issue of legal immunity for US troops, but the prime minister’s office is said to have objections—and...
Rudy Will Deliver GOP Keynote
Associated Press
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Aug 20, 2008 2:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rudy Giuliani will present the keynote speech at the Republican National Convention, the AP reports. The former New York mayor, among the candidates vanquished by presumptive presidential nominee John McCain, gets the spotlight Sept. 2, the second night of the gathering in St. Paul, Minn.
Plains States See Boom, But Await Bust
Washington Post
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Aug 20, 2008 2:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Driven by rising food prices and farmers’ access to loans, the Plains states are a bright economic spot amid the nationwide slump, the Washington Post reports. Farm country was able to avoid the housing bust because it also avoided the boom. And retail space is filling up as consumer spending has remained strong.
Franco Puts Bad Movies Behind Him
GQ
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Aug 20, 2008 2:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
James Franco is an apologetic guy. He’s sorry for being mean to Annapolis co-star Tyrese (“If he had a bad experience working with me, I was probably a jerk”) and for talking too much (“I am just rambling”), Chris Heath observes in a GQ profile. But with hit Pineapple Express and Oscar-material biopic Milk under...
Ahmadinejad Says Israel to Be 'Removed Soon'
Associated Press
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Aug 20, 2008 2:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel “a germ of corruption” to be “removed soon” in comments on his presidential website today, the AP reports. While the outburst is nothing new for the Iranian leader, the posts were probably meant to reassure hawks enraged by the vice president’s comments last week that Iranians are “friends...
NBC's Olympic Ratings: Gold
Variety
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Aug 20, 2008 2:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
NBC’s Olympic coverage smashed the competition last week, in what Variety suggests could be the most decisive rout in television history. Viewership was buoyed by Michael Phelps’ record-breaking gold-medal performance Saturday; in addition, NBC’s various networks reached a staggering 83% of the US. The margins were the biggest in...
Mass. Trumpets Success of Health Mandate
Boston Globe
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Aug 20, 2008 1:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
About 75% of Massachusetts residents who had been uninsured now have health coverage, thanks to the state’s closely watched, near-universal health care mandate, says a new report from Gov. Deval Patrick. Nearly half of the 439,000 newly insured bought private insurance, rather than taxpayer-funded plans, the Boston Globe reports. And the number...
149 Confirmed Dead in Spain Crash
Associated Press
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Aug 20, 2008 1:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Spanish government confirms that 149 people died when a Spanair jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Madrid's airport today, the AP reports. Only 26 survived the horrific crash, which tore the aircraft apart to the point that rescue workers said the wreckage didn’t look like a plane and made the victims' bodies so hot they couldn’t...
