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.
Palin 'Exactly Who I Need' to Remake Washington: Mac
Associated Press
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Aug 29, 2008 12:59 PM CDT
(AP) -
John McCain described Sarah Palin, his choice for vice presidential running mate, as "exactly who I need. She's exactly who this country needs to help us fight the same old Washington politics of me first and country second." McCain and Palin appeared together in Ohio on their way to the Republican National Convention. "I am honored,"...
West Turning Blue, Dems Say
Politico
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Aug 29, 2008 12:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Mountain West has historically gone for the GOP, but thanks to aggressive grass-roots organizing, Democrats believe they have a shot at turning red states blue, Politico reports. More field offices, opened much earlier than the GOP's, have boosted registration in Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada. “This presidential cycle is different,”...
Hair From Mom's Trunk Matches Missing Caylee
Fox News
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Aug 29, 2008 12:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The hair found in the trunk of Casey Anthony’s car likely came from missing daughter Caylee, Fox News reports. Florida law-enforcement sources say DNA tests on hair and an unidentified stain in Anthony’s car match those samples to 3-year-old Caylee and suggest she is dead. But the results are not yet public, and other sources said the hair...
Palin Facing Alaska Ethics Investigation
Talking Points Memo
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Aug 29, 2008 12:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain’s running mate comes to the national campaign embroiled in a scandal back home, Talking Points Memo reports. Alaska’s legislative council has appointed a special commission to investigate Gov. Sarah Palin, who’s accused of pressuring the state’s department of public safety to fire her former brother-in-law, state...
Grandfather's Death Caps Lohan's Drama-Filled Week
OK!
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Aug 29, 2008 12:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After a week in which Lindsay Lohan’s tempestuous relationship with her father re-entered the headlines, OK! Magazine reports that Michael Lohan’s father died yesterday. “My father just, literally, died in my arms,” says Michael Lohan, who was called “a public embarrassment and a bully” yesterday by his 22-year-old...
Scientists Master Fly-Swatting
Independent (UK)
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Aug 29, 2008 12:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Scientists using high-speed cameras have figured out why it is so difficult to swat pesky houseflies, the Independent reports. A fly's tiny brain can detect a threat, adjust flight course, and take evasive action in 100-thousandths of a second. The researchers, writing in the journal Current Biology , recommend thinking one step ahead of the fly....
Dems Wake Up to Troubling 'Brilliant Stranger'
Washington Post
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Aug 29, 2008 11:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Democratic Convention was plagued with an “air of unease” about Barack Obama, a candidate whose character and work few can vouch for, Charles Krauthammer writes in the Washington Post . The “anxiety was that the party was nominating a man of many gifts but precious few accomplishments—bearing even fewer witnesses,"...
What We'd Like Steve Jobs to Do Before He Dies
Forbes
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Aug 29, 2008 11:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
No word from Steve Jobs on whether he made it through all 17 pages of his own obituary, published prematurely by Bloomberg on Wednesday, but news organizations all over have been having fun at Bloomberg's expense. Forbes went one step farther last night, posting a list of the five things the mag would like the Apple co-founder to create before he...
Palin Is Risky Gamble for McCain
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 29, 2008 11:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Sarah Palin is an unconventional vice presidential pick for John McCain, the Wall Street Journal notes. Her selection seems like the latest ploy to lure Hillary Clinton supporters to the Republican ticket, while simultaneously appeasing McCain’s conservative base and burnishing his reformer credentials. But Palin also lacks experience, undermining...
Phelps' Agenda: VMAs, Entourage ... LiLo?
Associated Press
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Aug 29, 2008 11:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Phelps is getting more Hollywood by the day, AP reports: The swimming star yesterday filmed a cameo spot for the show-biz-centric HBO series Entourage , and will be a presenter at MTV’s Video Music Awards on Sept. 7 (six days before he hosts Saturday Night Live ). And, the Daily Mirror adds, starlet Lindsay Lohan has been calling...
Georgia School System Loses US Accreditation
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Aug 29, 2008 10:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Georgia school system has become the country's first in almost 40 years to have its accreditation yanked, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Clayton County parents and students were devastated by the move, blamed on the district's "dysfunctional" school board. An exodus of students is expected to accelerate.
Oprah on Obama: 'I Cried My Lashes Off'
Associated Press
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Aug 29, 2008 10:44 AM CDT
(AP) -
Oprah Winfrey is leaving Denver with the candidate she wanted, but reportedly without her eyelashes. The talk-show host said she was moved to tears by Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the DNC. "I cried my eyelashes off," she said from Invesco Field. "I think it's the most powerful thing I have ever experienced," she added, calling...
Russia Will Absorb South Ossetia 'in Several Years'
Associated Press
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Aug 29, 2008 10:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Russia intends to absorb Georgia’s breakaway province of South Ossetia “in several years” or perhaps sooner, the speaker of the region’s parliament tells AP. In meetings this week in Moscow between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and South Ossetian leader, Eduard Kokoity, the intent was “firmly stated by both leaders,”...
Gadhafi Son: Lockerbie Kin 'Greedy'
Independent (UK)
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Aug 29, 2008 10:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi’s son called the families of Lockerbie victims “very greedy” in their negotiations for compensation, the Independent reports. They leveraged “the blood of their sons and daughters” for “more money and more money" after the 1988 airline attack, said Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, seen...
McCain Picks Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for Veep
MSNBC
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Aug 29, 2008 10:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain has chosen Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his VP choice, NBC reports; McCain is expected to make the announcement at a rally in Ohio at noon today. Palin is a socially conservative mother of five who is both the state’s first woman governor and, at 42, its youngest.
A 'Perfect Speech for a Skeptical Nation'
Time
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Aug 29, 2008 9:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama delivered "the perfect speech for a skeptical nation," writes Joe Klein in Time. Absent was Obama’s typical lofty oratory; in its place was a speech that was “lean, efficient, practical and very, very tough.” Obama’s goal was to prove that he was a pragmatist, not a dreamer, willing to take the fight...
Canadian Airline Loses Life Vests to Save Fuel
Associated Press
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Aug 29, 2008 9:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An Air Canada regional airline is removing life vests from its fleet to reduce weight and increase fuel economy, the AP reports. Citing Canada’s regulations, which do not require life vests on flights that stay within 50 miles of shore, Jazz advises passengers to use their seat cushions as floatation devices.
Jacko at 50: 'I Feel Young & Wise'
ABC News
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Aug 29, 2008 9:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The man who never wanted to grow up hits the half-century mark today. Michael Jackson told ABC's Good Morning America in a phone interview he's feeling "very young"—but also "wise and sage." The superstar is still writing songs and hopes to tour again, but is also keeping busy bringing up his three children. He plans to...
'Not Guilty' Plea for Uncooperative Karadzic
BBC
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Aug 29, 2008 9:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic refused to plead today at a UN war-crimes tribunal—so a judge entered a “not guilty” plea for him, the BBC reports. Karadzic, 63, was charged with 11 counts linked to the Bosnian civil war of the 1990s, including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. He called the tribunal “a...
3 Charged in Plot to Kill Brown
Guardian (UK)
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Aug 29, 2008 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Three British citizens have been charged with terror offenses for allegedly plotting to assassinate Gordon Brown, the Guardian reports. The suspects, who will appear in court in London today, belong to a group calling itself Al-Qaeda in Britain. They are accused of everything from soliciting murder to inviting support of a terrorist organization,...
Fannie, Freddie Employees Watch Assets Plunge
New York Times
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Aug 29, 2008 8:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As the stock prices of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac plunged 80% this year, employees of the companies helplessly watched their fortunes sink with the ship, the New York Times reports. For instance, Fannie Mae’s workers owned $116 million in company stock at the end of 2006; today it’s worth $17.5 million. The sale of stock...
'Independent' South Ossetia Dreams Big
New York Times
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Aug 29, 2008 8:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
When the Russian government recognized South Ossetia as an independent state last week, the international reaction was not only anger but incredulity. The breakaway Georgian province has only 70,000 citizens, and they have suffered both wretched poverty and years of fighting. But citizens insist that theirs is a viable state, reports the New York...
Obama Surprises With Grand, Joyless Speech: Noonan
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 29, 2008 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama’s speech last night was a surprising gamble, writes Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal . Obama was stern, serious—even indignant—and unusually joyless. "The speech itself lacked lift but had heft. It wasn't precisely long on hope, but I think it showed audacity." She notes the lack of the usual...
Mexico Court Backs Liberal Abortion Law
Christian Science Monitor
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Aug 29, 2008 8:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mexico's Supreme Court has upheld Mexico City's liberal abortion law, saying that to do otherwise would be a "violation of the fundamental rights of women." Abortions in the capital city are legal for any reason during the first three months of pregnancy. Other Mexican states will likely liberalize their laws in the wake of the ruling, reports...
Pawlenty, Romney Said Out; Odds Rise for Alaska's Palin
MSNBC
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Aug 29, 2008 8:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been told he won’t be John McCain’s running mate, MSNBC reports. The governor told listeners to his radio show that “I'm not going to be” at the nominating rally planned for today in Ohio. “I plan to be at the state fair. You can draw your conclusion from that.” Meanwhile, Alaska Gov....
Down-to-Earth Barack Brought Fire
New York Times
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Aug 29, 2008 7:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama took on two of his greatest challenges head-on in his acceptance speech last night, Patrick Healy writes in the New York Times . The Democratic nominee added some down-to-earth proposals to his lofty talk of change, while proving he could take the fight to John McCain with "memorable fire," Healy writes.
Gustav Slams Jamaica as Gulf Coast Braces
CNN
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Aug 29, 2008 7:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Tropical Storm Gustav pummeled Jamaica today with 65mph winds and may build to a category 3 storm by the time it reaches Cuba tomorrow, CNN reports. The storm killed some 51 in Haiti and eight in the Dominican Republic yesterday. Officials in the National Hurricane Center’s “cone of uncertainty” from Texas to Florida are preparing...
Thai Protesters Battle Riot Cops
Reuters
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Aug 29, 2008 7:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Riot police clashed with protesters in Bangkok as demonstrations against the Thai government continued for a fourth day. Cops posted a court order evicting the People's Alliance for Democracy—a woolly coalition of monarchists, academics, and youth activists—from the lawn of the prime minister's office. Some protesters were detained, but...
Top Black Donors Emerge as New Force
New York Times
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Aug 29, 2008 7:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama's rise to the top of the Democratic Party has a special resonance for one group: African-American business leaders who, like the candidate, were among the first blacks to enter into all-white industries. As the New York Times reports, black lawyers, bankers, and corporate titans see in Obama an echo of their own climbs—and are...
Duchovny in Sex-Addict Rehab
E! Online
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Aug 29, 2008 7:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
X-Files ' Fox Mulder loved his porn. David Duchovny apparently can’t get enough of the real thing. The actor has checked himself into a rehab center for sex addicts, asking for “respect and privacy” for his family. Duchovny and wife Téa Leoni have a daughter, 9, and son, 6. Ironically, the X-Files star recently won a Golden...
UK Cops Hunt Millionaire Family in Arson Attack
Independent (UK)
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Aug 29, 2008 5:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
British police have issued an "all-ports" alert for a family whose mansion was mysteriously gutted by arson this week, the Independent reports. The charred remains of the home are still unsafe to enter and police are unsure if the bodies of Christopher Foster, his wife and their teenage daughter are inside. Foster's business failed...
Cuba Jails Rocker for 'Geriatric Castro' Lyrics
Guardian (UK)
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Aug 29, 2008 5:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Cuban rock star has been jailed and will be charged with "subverting communist morality" because his lyrics scorn the revolution, and rip "geriatric" Fidel and Raul Castro, the Guardian reports. Gorki Aguila, front man for underground band Porno para Ricardo, could face up to four years in prison if convicted of the charges....
AT&T Rivals Pounce on iPhone Glitches
New York Times
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Aug 29, 2008 4:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Glitches have plagued the new iPhone since its release and AT&T's rivals are gleefully capitalizing on customers' griping, the New York Times reports. It's still unclear whether Apple or the wireless network is to blame, but companies like Verizon aren't letting the opportunity slip by. “A phone is only as good as the network it’s...
Putin: US Sparked Georgia War
CNN
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Aug 29, 2008 4:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Invoking the era of Cold War conspiracies, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the US of sparking conflict in Georgia to give John McCain a campaign boost. “They need a small victorious war,” the told CNN. He insisted the US encouraged Georgia to attack their two breakaway regions earlier this month, forcing Russia to intervene....
LAPD Hunts Resurfaced Serial Killer
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 29, 2008 4:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The LAPD is back on the trail of a serial killer linked to at least 11 murders over 23 years, the Los Angeles Time s reports. The killer shot dead eight young women he had sexually abused and a man in the mid-1980s—then apparently went dormant for 13 years before resuming the slaughter in 2002.
Obama: 67 Days, 6 Vital Tasks
USA Today
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Aug 29, 2008 3:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Democrats leave their convention on an emotional high, having anointed a historic candidate whose journey former president Jimmy Carter called "almost a miracle," USA Today notes. The paper consults top Democrats for a to-do list for a victory in November. Go all-out to reintroduce himself to voters and quash the 'celebrity'...
Civilian Jury Acquits Ex-Marine of Iraqi Murders
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 29, 2008 2:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A former Marine sergeant accused of killing Iraqi prisoners has been acquitted by a California jury, reports the Los Angeles Times. Jose Luis Nazario, 28, wept as he heard the verdict. It's the first time in modern history a civilian jury has ruled on actions taken in combat, and promised to test jurors' ability to comprehend what one serviceman...
Lehman to Lay Off Another 1,500
New York Times
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Aug 29, 2008 2:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Lehman Brothers is about to lay off another 1,500 employees—6% of its workforce—in its fourth round of cuts this year, an insider told the New York Times . The struggling financial services giant has already shed over 6,000 jobs since last summer. A total of some 101,000 Wall Street workers have been axed in 2008, and many industry analysts...
Gustav May Delay GOP Convention
Washington Post
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Aug 29, 2008 1:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Republicans are considering delaying the start of next week's convention in Minneapolis if deadly Hurricane Gustav hits big, reports the Washington Post . The storm is on course to nail the Gulf Coast with full force early next week, and party officials don’t want America thinking about President Bush’s bungled Katrina response when McCain...
Obama: 'We Are a Better Country Than This'
Reuters
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Aug 28, 2008 9:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama made the most of his historic night at Denver's packed Invesco Field with a broad-based attack on the "broken politics of Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush," Reuters reports. "We are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight," said Obama, who formally...
College Peddles Bike Program to Go Green
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Aug 28, 2008 8:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Incoming freshmen are jumping on a Wisconsin college’s offer of a brand-new bike in return for leaving their cars at home, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Ripon College aims to save parking spots, and perhaps the planet, with its Velorution Project. The initiative, one newly minted student cyclist says, shows that Ripon is “innovative...
Northwestern Using Emails to Combat File Sharing
Ars Technica
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Aug 28, 2008 8:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Northwestern University has a way to decrease peer-to-peer sharing of copyrighted files: send students emails. The system, called Be Aware You’re Uploading, delivers email notifications to active p2p users on the network, Ars Technica reports. BAYU has a successful track record of reducing p2p usage and copyright violations. It’s not a...
Gore: 'We Must Seize This Opportunity'
CNN
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Aug 28, 2008 8:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Al Gore set the stage for Barack Obama's historic address later tonight with an appeal to keep John McCain from continuing the legacy of President Bush, particularly on climate change, CNN reports. "I believe in recycling, but that's ridiculous," said Gore. He said the oil industry has a "50-year lease on the Republican party, and they're...
Put Catcher to Rest Already
Good Magazine
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Aug 28, 2008 7:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
JD Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye may have once been edgy, coming-of-age literature, but does it deserve a place in today's curricula? It's time to retire Holden Caulfield, argues Anne Trubek in Good magazine. "Salinger’s novel lacks the currency or shock value it once had," she says. "But it is still ubiquitously taught...
Vatican Objects to Image of Frog on Crucifix
Reuters
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Aug 28, 2008 6:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Despite objections from the pope, a sculpture of a crucified frog will continue to hang in an Italian museum, board officials said today. The Vatican slammed the work, called Feet First , as a blasphemous attack on Christianity. But museum officials cited artistic freedom and said its German creator considered the piece a self-portrait illustrating...
Facebook the Movie? It's in the Works
PC
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Aug 28, 2008 6:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Facebook is going Hollywood, PC World reports. West Wing writer Aaron Sorkin has signed on with Sony to pen a movie about the social networking site’s founding. The movie will probably focus on Mark Zuckerberg’s initial work while at Harvard. But Sorkin may have some research to do first: “My grandmother has more Internet savvy...
US Open Shocker: No. 1 Ivanovic Loses to No. 188
Associated Press
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Aug 28, 2008 6:14 PM CDT
(AP) -
Top-ranked Ana Ivanovic lost in one of the biggest upsets in tennis history when she was stunned by 188th-ranked Julie Coin of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the second round of the US Open today. Coin screamed when Ivanovic's last shot sailed out, then hopped for joy. Ivanovic, of Serbia, quickly gathered her gear and left the court.
Ballgames That Begged for Instant Replay
USA Today
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Aug 28, 2008 5:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With instant replay now available to Major League Baseball umpires (at least for some calls), USA Today looks at some famous games where it might have come in handy: Oct. 1, 2007, tiebreaker for National League wild card: Padres’ catcher Michael Barrett maintains that the Rockies’ Matt Holliday didn’t actually touch the plate...
McCain Puts Gloves On for a Night, Offers Congratulations
CNN
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Aug 28, 2008 5:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain delivers an unusual message to Barack Obama tonight in a new campaign ad: "Congratulations." In the ad, which the Republican's camp had teased as "exciting" early in the day, McCain looks into the camera and says,"How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day," referring to the anniversary...
Evacuation May Come Saturday, La. Gov. Warns
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
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Aug 28, 2008 5:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Some Louisiana residents could be evacuated Saturday ahead of Tropical Storm Gustav, which is expected to make landfall in the state Tuesday, Gov. Bobby Jindal said today. The storm, which could affect New Orleans, might produce damaging winds as early as Sunday, prompting the stepped-up preparations, the Times-Picayune reports. The Louisiana National...
