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.
As Obama Surfs, McCain Owns Week
New York Times
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Aug 15, 2008 8:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As the conflict in Georgia wears on, John McCain has seized every opportunity this week to showcase his foreign policy chops, notes Michael Falcone in the New York Times , all but positioning himself as a putative commander in chief. McCain boasted of his multiple visits to the region and even dispatched allies Joe Lieberman and Lindsay Graham to...
Indicted Detroit Mayor Seen as Obama Liability
Detroit News
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Aug 15, 2008 8:00 AM CDT
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Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is, like Barack Obama, a charismatic black Democrat. He’s also facing multiple felony charges and recently spent a night in jail for violating conditions of his bond. The GOP thinks he could hurt Obama in Michigan come November, the Detroit News reports. Kilpatrick and Obama have never been close associates, but...
Rice Arrives in Georgia
Times (UK)
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Aug 15, 2008 7:31 AM CDT
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Condoleezza Rice arrived in Tbilisi today, where she said her immediate goal was to get Russian troops out of Georgia. The secretary of state stopped over in France to meet with Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president who brokered a ceasefire that Moscow has flouted. Rice's trip follows an American airlift containing medical and humanitarian supplies...
Judge Tosses Wikipedia Defamation Suit
Ars Technica
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Aug 15, 2008 7:20 AM CDT
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A judge has thrown out a defamation suit against Wikipedia, upholding the principle that a website isn't responsible for user-generated content, Ars Technica reports. In the lawsuit, a literary agent charged that her Wikipedia entry damaged her reputation because it included nasty comments from bloggers and from a website that ranked her among the...
Heeeeeeeeere's Donald!
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 15, 2008 6:52 AM CDT
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Billionaire Donald Trump is giving a helping hand to 85-year-old Ed McMahon, who was about to lose his Beverly Hills home to foreclosure. Trump is buying the 6-bedroom house, listed at $4.6 million, and leasing the property back to McMahon so he can continue to live there, the Los Angeles Times reports.
BA, American Hope 3rd Time Is the Charm
New York Times
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Aug 15, 2008 6:48 AM CDT
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American Airlines and British Airways are making a third stab at a joint business agreement—and this time, reports the New York Times , the deal might actually go through. American, BA, and the Spanish carrier Iberia are applying for antitrust approval to form a global network. The CEO of American's parent company today predicted that the arrangement...
US Gymnasts Grab Gold, Silver in All-Around
USA Today
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Aug 15, 2008 6:33 AM CDT
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Americans Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson captured the gold and silver medals in the women’s gymnastics all-around competitions, marking the first time US gymnasts have taken the top two spots, USA Today reports. Liukin’s standout balance-beam routine and focus on artistic elements helped lead her to victory with a score of 63.325. The...
Lawyers Who Quashed Affair Rumors Had Edwards Ties
New York Times
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Aug 15, 2008 6:28 AM CDT
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Two lawyers who acted seemingly independently in December to defuse rumors of John Edwards' affair had links to a key backer, the New York Times reports—lawyer Fred Baron, whose wife donated to Edwards' nearly defunct political action committee just as it paid Rielle Hunter $14,000 4 months after her contract ended. The cover-up, made by lawyers...
Che Jr? Bernal to Be a Papa
E! Online
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Aug 15, 2008 6:00 AM CDT
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You say you want a revolution? Well, you’ll have to wait for naptime. Mexican actor Gael García Bernal, famous for his portrayal of Che Guevara in The Motorcycle Diaries , has just announced his imminent daddyhood, reports E! Online. Bernal, who also starred in Y Tu Mamá También and Babel , is expecting his first child...
Freed Tsvangirai Arrives in South Africa
Associated Press
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Aug 15, 2008 5:37 AM CDT
(AP) -
Morgan Tsvangirai has arrived in South Africa today on the eve of a weekend summit with regional leaders expected to focus on Zimbabwe's political crisis, reports the AP. The leader of the Movement for Democratic Change will meet with Thabo Mbeki, the South African president who is mediating power-sharing talks between Robert Mugabe and the opposition....
Potter Flick Pushed to Summer
MTV
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Aug 15, 2008 5:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Harry Potter won't be working movie magic in November. In a surprise move, Warner Bros. has pushed back the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to July of 2009, MTV reports. The studio says the move isn't because of any problems with the film. It simply needs a summer blockbuster for next year, and the writers' strike put a crimp in...
American Airlines Faces $7M Fine for Safety Violations
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 15, 2008 5:11 AM CDT
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American Airlines faces FAA fines of more than $7 million for a series of safety and maintenance violations and for deficiencies in its drug and alcohol testing, the Wall Street Journal reports. In proposing one of its biggest fines ever, the FAA accuses American of knowingly flying planes that needed safety repairs, including one MD-80 that flew...
Phelps Grabs Gold No. 6
Associated Press
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Aug 14, 2008 9:53 PM CDT
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Six for six. Michael Phelps swam to another gold medal with an easy win in the 200 individual medley, the AP reports. Phelps, who continued his perfect streak of world records, beat Hungary's Laszlo Czeh (silver) and fellow American Ryan Lochte (bronze). He's got two races remaining to set a record of 8 golds in a single Games—the 100 butterfly...
Big Apple Is Big Brother, Privacy Advocates Warn
Guardian (UK)
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Aug 14, 2008 8:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Anti-terrorism measures planned for New York City have civil liberties groups worried, the Guardian of London reports. Operation Sentinel calls for cameras to be placed at every bridge and tunnel into Manhattan to photograph every vehicle entering and leaving. Details would then be kept on a huge city database.
Octopus Has How Many Legs? Guess Again
AFP
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Aug 14, 2008 8:26 PM CDT
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Octopuses may not be eight-legged creatures after all, new research suggests. They do indeed have eight limbs, but some function more like arms, AFP reports. It breaks down like this: the front two are the most nimble and armlike, and are used for exploration; the back two are used mostly for propulsion, like legs; and the others pull double-duty to...
Twitter Helps Chinese Blogger Tell His Story
Globe and Mail
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Aug 14, 2008 8:06 PM CDT
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Twitter gets a bad rap for its often less-than-substantive musings, but every now and then the service proves its "true potential" as an Internet tool, writes Mathew Ingram in the Toronto Globe and Mail . Case in point: When a Chinese citizen journalist recently traveled to Beijing, the authorities hustled him out of the city on false pretenses....
Chinese News Agency Put Gymnast's Age at 13
Associated Press
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Aug 14, 2008 8:00 PM CDT
(AP) -
Just 9 months before the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government's news agency, Xinhua, reported that gymnast He Kexin was 13, which would have made her ineligible to be on the team that won a gold medal this week. In its report Nov. 3, Xinhua identified He as one of "10 big new stars" who made a splash at China's Cities Games. It gave her...
Obama Nation Author Has Made Career of Wild Claims
Politico
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Aug 14, 2008 7:30 PM CDT
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Author Jerome Corsi, he of the Kerry Swift Boat book and the new attack tome on Barack Obama, has a long history of, um, provocative theories. For instance: The world's oil supplies are nearly infinite because oil constantly replenishes itself. Politico takes a look at some of his more outlandish claims over the years and how they've undermined his...
Pickup Ping-Pong Rules Chinese Playgrounds
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 14, 2008 7:11 PM CDT
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China’s domination in table tennis is well documented—the top nine players in the world are Chinese, and the country nearly always takes the gold medal. But the LA Times’ Bill Plaschke wanted to see the sport in its natural habitat: in the park. Ping-pong tables dot Beijing the way basketball blacktops abound in US parks and playgrounds,...
Olympics Online Coverage Still In Learning Curve
USA Today
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Aug 14, 2008 6:44 PM CDT
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NBC is offering a nearly endless supply of Olympics coverage online, a laudatory move but one with its share of hiccups, writes Robert Bianco in USA Today . NBCOlymics.com provides live feeds of dozens of events—many of them obscure—for free. But the broadcasts lack much of the polish found on TV, and viewers are often on their own trying...
Banker Predicted Georgian Invasion 2 Days Early
Reuters
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Aug 14, 2008 6:19 PM CDT
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An investment banker in Kiev predicted the Georgian conflict two days before it occurred, Reuters reports. "So whaddaya think?,” Geoff Smith wrote on Aug. 5 to a fellow strategist at Renaissance Capital. “I say Saakashvili is going to 'restore the territorial integrity of Georgia' five minutes before the opening ceremony starts in...
Jackson Browne Sues McCain Over Ad
Huffington Post
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Aug 14, 2008 6:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jackson Browne is suing John McCain for using his song “Running on Empty” in a campaign ad without permission, the Huffington Post reports. The Ohio GOP used the tune in a spot mocking Obama's suggestion that Americans inflate their tires. McCain's not getting much love from celebrities. Earlier this week, Mike Myers demanded that the campaign...
Navy Accuses Sailors of Abusing Detainees
Reuters
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Aug 14, 2008 5:44 PM CDT
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The US Navy will court-martial six sailors who are charged with abusing detainees at a US prison camp in Iraq, Reuters reports. The sailors are accused of beating prisoners and confining them in an unventilated room with pepper spray, a Navy statement says.
Oldest Working CEO Dead at 107
Denver Post
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Aug 14, 2008 5:30 PM CDT
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Jack A. Weil, the Henry Ford of Western shirts who was thought to be the oldest working CEO, died yesterday at age 107, the Denver Post reports. “Papa Jack,” as he was known in the Denver community, popularized the Western shirt as we know it. The sawtooth pocket and diamond snap design of his Rockmount Ranch Wear apparel is the longest...
Clinton to Get Roll-Call Vote at Convention
Newsday
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Aug 14, 2008 5:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hillary Clinton’s name will be formally entered in nomination at the Democratic convention later this month, Newsday reports. Clinton’s name will be placed in a roll-call vote for a symbolic recognition of her historic campaign—and as an olive branch from those hoping to lessen the resentment from supporters of her failed campaign....
Journos Should Skip RNC, DNC
Slate
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Aug 14, 2008 5:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The press should quit covering the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, argues Jack Shafer in Slate. Little more than a four-day “infomercial” for the host party, each would be better covered by “sportscasters like Bob Costas,” who “know how to make a game with a foregone conclusion seem entertaining.”...
Blacks Support Gay Marriage as Much as Whites
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 14, 2008 4:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Conventional wisdom hold that African-Americans are overwhelmingly against gay marriage, but recent trends in voting show blacks have more problems with homophobia than any other group, writes gay-issues scholar Timothy Stewart-Winter for the LA Times. In fact, "views on same-sex marriage are a rapidly moving target that's tough to pin down,...
McCain Won't Rule Out Pro-Choice VP
ABC News
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Aug 14, 2008 4:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain would consider a run for the White House with a pro-choice veep at his side, ABC News reports. When asked about Tom Ridge, McCain told the Weekly Standard that the former Homeland Security chief shouldn’t be “ruled out” for the No. 2 job because he supports abortion rights. Dem-turned-Independent Joe Lieberman, another...
Poland Agrees to Host US Missile System
Telegraph (UK)
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Aug 14, 2008 4:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Poland and the US signed a preliminary agreement to install US interceptor missiles on Polish soil today, the Telegraph reports. The move is widely seen as a response to Russian aggression in Georgia, a notion buttressed by the Polish prime minister. “The events in the Caucasus show clearly that such security guarantees are indispensable,”...
Jury Clears Evangelist's Wife
Associated Press
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Aug 14, 2008 4:07 PM CDT
(AP) -
The wife of televangelist Joel Osteen did not assault a flight attendant during an angry tirade over a stain on her first-class seat, a jury ruled today. Jurors rejected Continental Airlines flight attendant Sharon Brown's claims that Victoria Osteen threw her against a bathroom door and elbowed her while attempting to rush the cockpit because she...
Foreign Adoption Getting Harder
USA Today
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Aug 14, 2008 3:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Heightened awareness of child trafficking and improving economies abroad are making it harder for Americans to adopt foreign kids. US officials are taking a closer look at visa applications and discouraging adoptions from countries that don’t comply with a new international adoption agreement, USA Today reports. At the same time, China, Russia,...
Stocks Break 2-Day Slump
MarketWatch
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Aug 14, 2008 3:28 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks posted solid gains today for the first time in three days as financials rebounded, the dollar gained, and oil fell nearly $1, MarketWatch reports. The Dow rose 82.97 points to close at 11,615.89, the Nasdaq gained 25.05 to 2,453.67, and the S&P 500 climbed 7.10 to 1,292.93.
Cleveland Rocks, But NY Rocks More
Forbes
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Aug 14, 2008 3:12 PM CDT
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Cleveland lobbied to be the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to bring tourists to town, but a dip in visitors has led the museum's worried organizers to turn to New York for help. Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined singer Billy Joel yesterday to announce the opening of an annex to the hall in Soho in November, Forbes reports.
Java Lovers Buzz Over 'Latte Art'
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 14, 2008 2:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Coffee lovers are trying their unsteady hands at a craze called latte art: creating intricate designs in espresso foam, the Wall Street Journal reports. Using techniques like jiggling a pitcher while pouring milk, "artists" form pictures of rosettas, leaves, and swans atop their frothy drinks. Some post photos and videos online, while others...
Obama, McCain Woo CEOs to Shore Up Economic Cred
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 14, 2008 2:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain and Barack Obama are doggedly courting CEOs of leading businesses in an effort to win voters' economic confidence, the Wall Street Journal reports. Each candidate has already lined up a corps of "poster CEOs," including the FedEx chairman, who is supporting McCain, and Warren Buffet, who is backing Obama.
No Charges for Bale in Mom/Sis Assault
BBC
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Aug 14, 2008 1:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Christian Bale will not be charged in the alleged assault of his mother and sister, the BBC reports. A spokesman for the British prosecutor’s office said there was “insufficient evidence to afford a realistic prospect of conviction.” Bale and his family have been incommunicative with the press since the incident at a London hotel...
Bush Doctrine Enabled Putin's Georgia War
Salon
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Aug 14, 2008 1:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Bush's "howls of outrage" at Russia's unilateral action and calls for regime change in the Caucasus ring more than a little hollow to Juan Cole of Salon, who remembers all too well a similar situation not long ago. "Vladimir Putin's invoking Bush's Iraq adventure points directly to the way in which Bush has enabled other world...
Irate Wrestler Chucks Bronze
Telegraph (UK)
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Aug 14, 2008 1:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian threw his bronze medal to the floor during the ceremony, stormed off, and vowed to quit the sport, the Telegraph reports. "I don't care about this medal. I wanted gold," Abrahamian said. The wrestler had earlier confronted the judges’ over their decision that eventually gave the gold to Andrea Minguzzi,...
Forget a Surge: Afghanistan Isn't Worth 'Saving'
New York Times
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Aug 14, 2008 1:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama and John McCain have strong disagreements over Iraq, but on Afghanistan they agree: a troop surge is necessary. Nearly 60% of Americans agree, as does the defense secretary, Robert Gates. There's just one problem, writes Bartle Breese Bull in the New York Times : even with a costly surge, there's little prospect of making "fractious,...
Musharraf to Quit Within 72 Hours
New York Times
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Aug 14, 2008 1:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will resign within the next few days, the New York Times reports, avoiding impeachment from Parliament. Political pressure became insurmountable for Musharraf, having lost most of his key governmental allies and support from the military. Details as to the manner in which Musharraf will step down, and whether...
Rangel Denied Chance to Speak in Denver
Politico
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Aug 14, 2008 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Charles Rangel won’t be speaking at the Democratic National Convention, Politico reports. Representatives made a pitch for an address by the House Ways and Means Chairman, but the Obama campaign told them that Rangel’s early support for Hillary Clinton had given him low priority—even though the congressman played a crucial role in...
Dallas Family Goes Home Again
Associated Press
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Aug 14, 2008 12:51 PM CDT
(AP) -
JR, Bobby, Sue Ellen, and other members of the Ewing clan are getting back together at Southfork Ranch for a Dallas reunion party to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the hit primetime soap opera, the Dallas Morning News reports. Tickets to the November reunion will cost $100 to $1,000. "I may not be able to do the 40th,"...
Alaska Turning Purple as Election Nears
Associated Press
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Aug 14, 2008 12:36 PM CDT
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The cold, snowy tundras of Alaska may transform into a battleground this November as Barack Obama and John McCain vie for the Land of the Midnight Sun's three electoral votes. Alaska hasn't gone blue since 1964, when LBJ won in a landslide, but an Anchorage-based poll currently has Obama leading McCain by 5 percentage points.
Transgender Woman Competes on Top Model
Us Weekly
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Aug 14, 2008 12:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The new season of America's Next Top Model will include a transgender contestant, US Weekly reports. "My cards were dealt differently," says Isis, 22. The former receptionist from Maryland identifies herself as "a woman born physically male." The president of a gay advocacy group says the show would provide "historic visibility...
Trawler Dumps Endangered Fish, Sparking Eco-Outrage
Guardian (UK)
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Aug 14, 2008 12:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Film of a British trawler dumping 10,000 pounds of dead fish caught in Norwegian waters back into the sea has outraged Norway as well as environmentalists, the Guardian reports. The boat dumped nearly 80% of its catch, including cod and other endangered fish, to comply with EU quotas. Conservationists slammed the wasteful practice and called for...
Afghanistan's Insurgency Endures
New York Times
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Aug 14, 2008 12:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The insurgency in Afghanistan is mushrooming, and targeting the refurbished highway that provides a weak connection between the country's ethnic halves, the New York Times reports. A series of deadly attacks in June has exposed the tribulations of the United States' 6-year-old effort to defeat the Taliban.
Race Scholars Weigh Job Woes —Their Own
Newhouse News Service
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Aug 14, 2008 12:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama's historic run for the White House is dividing scholars of race in America, writes Jonathan Tilove, who covers race for Newhouse News Service. Some see a black president as an antidote to racism, but others view a potential Obama presidency as an empty symbol with few practical implications. "He's not going to change my syllabus,"...
Federer Falls to Blake
ESPN
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Aug 14, 2008 12:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Roger Federer’s lackluster year continued today, as American James Blake knocked him out of the Olympics, 6-4, 7-6 (2), ESPN reports. Blake had won just a single set against the once-invincible Federer in their previous eight meetings. The women’s side also saw big upsets, with Serena Williams falling to Elena Dementieva of Russia and Li...
Saakashvili: West Must Stop Russia Brutality
Washington Post
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Aug 14, 2008 12:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As Russia maintains a troop presence in several Georgian cities, Mikheil Saakashvili writes in the Washington Post, "We cannot allow Georgia to become the first victim of a new world order as imagined by Moscow." The Georgian president says the international community must recognize that Russia intends to crush democracy and liberty, and...
Oprah Will Attend Convention—Quietly
Associated Press
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Aug 14, 2008 11:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Oprah Winfrey will be at this month's Democratic convention, but the queen of talk won't be alongside Barack Obama when he accepts the nomination. Oprah would rather "blend in" with the 70,000-strong crowd and leave the spotlight to her candidate, her friend Gayle King says. But the Los Angeles Times ' campaign blog wonders if there may...
