Newser Story Index from September, 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.
Ike Uncovers Mystery Shipwreck
al.com (Ala.)
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Sep 20, 2008 5:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The waves of Hurricane Ike uncovered a wooden shipwreck on an Alabama beach that experts think could be a Civil War schooner, the Mobile Press-Register reports. The wreck's length matches that of the Monticello, which ran aground in the area in 1862 while trying to sneak past the US Navy on a run from Havana.
Canada Terror Camp Video Surfaces
Canadian Press
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Sep 20, 2008 5:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A video of an alleged terrorist training camp linked to 11 suspects accused of plotting terror attacks in Canada has surfaced online days before a verdict against one of them is due, the Toronto Star reports. A lawyer for the men complained that the video—which features men in a snowy landscape firing weapons, waving black flags and shouting...
Weary Calif. Lawmakers Finally OK Budget
Sacramento Bee
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Sep 19, 2008 8:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
California lawmakers finally approved a state budget today that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called "nothing to celebrate," the Sacramento Bee reports. Eighty-one days late, the $104.3 billion plan boosts social services and education but cuts back on schools and health care, the Los Angeles Times reports. It also failed to address long-term...
Bouton: My Favorite Yankee Stadium Memory
CNN
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Sep 19, 2008 8:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The fans stampeding Yankee Stadium ahead of Sunday's final game aren't the only ones overcome by nostalgia and emotion. Recycling an anecdote from the now-classic Ball Four, pitcher-turned-author Jim Bouton, writing for CNN, recalls his Stadium debut, a near-disaster that ended as a complete-game shutout, with a delightful cameo by Mickey Mantle....
Husband-Killer Gets Custody of 3 Daughters
Associated Press
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Sep 19, 2008 7:33 PM CDT
(AP) -
A woman convicted of killing her minister husband 2 years ago was granted permanent custody of their three daughters today and said she has resumed a cordial relationship with the grandparents who fought to take the children away from her, the AP reports. A judge in Huntingdon, Tenn., returned full custody to Mary Winkler following a brief hearing,...
It Might Get Lou d Hits Guitar Hero Trifecta
Rolling Stone
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Sep 19, 2008 6:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
There's no Behind the Music -style debauchery to be found in It Might Get Loud , Rolling Stone reports. Rather, the documentary more resembles “having three carpenters talk about a radial-arm saw,” quips Jack White, who along with the Edge (of U2) and Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), form the heart of a film paying homage to the guitar and...
Pay-It-Forward Movement Finds Niche on Web
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Sep 19, 2008 6:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Internet is home to a small but growing trend that would seem anathema to hard-headed bloggers and pithy posters who regularly lay waste to others online: niceness. In Philadelphia, New York, and elsewhere, the Inquirer finds, civic-minded netizens are setting up sites that extol, and even enable, random acts of kindness.
US Expands On Ryder Lead
Associated Press
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Sep 19, 2008 6:00 PM CDT
(AP) -
The Americans have built their biggest opening-day lead at the Ryder Cup in nearly 3 decades, losing only one match today to go up 5 1/2-2 1/2 over defending champion Europe, the AP reports. Justin Leonard and Ryder Cup rookie Hunter Mahan won both their matches. Phil Mickelson teamed with another rookie, Anthony Kim, to halve a morning match and win...
US Able to Delay Al Qaeda's Annual 9/11 Tape a Week
ABC News
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Sep 19, 2008 5:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Al Qaeda’s commemoration of the Sept. 11 terror attacks came a bit later than usual this year, ABC News reports, as US intelligence services were able to block the group's annual propaganda video from making the Internet rounds until today. Sources said Germany and Malaysia helped keep the extremist group from posting its message on Sept. 11...
David Could Crumble: Engineer
ANSA (Italy)
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Sep 19, 2008 5:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Michelangelo’s famed statue of David is in danger of collapse and must be stabilized, an Italian engineering professor tells ANSA. Failure isn’t imminent, though a major earthquake could topple the Renaissance masterwork on display in Florence. Small cracks in the statue, thought to have emerged during the 500 years the marble stood outside,...
Talk Like a Pirate Today, Matey, Or Walk the Plank!
Detroit Free Press
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Sep 19, 2008 4:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ahoy, matey! Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, the Detroit Free Press reports—though the good fortune of falling on a Friday has some wannabe swashbucklers set for a weekend of buccaneering behavior. Initially a joke between two friends, the holiday got national exposure when Dave Barry mentioned it in his Miami Herald column—and...
Shareholders Push AIG to Avert Takeover
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 19, 2008 4:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In an attempt to head off the federal government's acquisition of 80% of AIG, the insurance giants' big shareholders are pushing the company to repay the government's loan quickly, the Wall Street Journal reports. Washington is on the hook for up to $85 billion under a deal struck this week to keep the company out of bankruptcy.
Bernanke, Paulson Put Fear of God Into Pols
New York Times
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Sep 19, 2008 4:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Lawmakers were astounded at the possible fallout of the crisis on Wall Street outlined last night by Fed chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, the New York Times reports. “When you listened to him describe it you gulped,” New York Sen. Charles Schumer said of the meeting between a select group of lawmakers and the...
Parking Goes Green, For a Day
Associated Press
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Sep 19, 2008 4:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Signs of a movement to highlight the need for more urban green space sprouted in cities across the US today, the LA Times reports, turning parking spaces into bite-sized parks. The second annual Park(ing) Day may prove an inconvenience to commuters from San Francisco to New York, but that’s the point, one organizer says.
Better Football-Watching Buddy? Obama By a Nose
Associated Press
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Sep 19, 2008 3:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A slim majority of Americans would rather watch a football game with Barack Obama than John McCain, the AP reports. Though the margin is not great—50% to 47%—a poll by AP and Yahoo showed that each candidate’s appeal crossed party lines. About a tenth of Obama faithful would rather spend a Sunday with McCain, while almost a fifth...
Stocks Rally, End Week Mixed
MarketWatch
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Sep 19, 2008 3:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks continued to rally today, gaining enough on news of the government’s plan to form a debt relief agency for financial firms that the week's last two sessions saw the markets almost overcome the week’s earlier losses, MarketWatch reports. The Dow gained 368.75 to close at 11,388.44, the Nasdaq rose 74.80 to 2,273.90, and the S&P...
Short Sellers Vilified But Vindicated
Time
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Sep 19, 2008 3:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In a memo to Morgan Stanley employees, CEO John Mack fumed that the investment bank was being attacked "by fear and rumors, and short sellers are driving our stock down." Today, following similar action in the UK, the SEC banned short selling of 799 financial companies to stem sliding prices. But while short sellers may be vultures, they...
College Kids Take Global Outlook to Class
Washington Post
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Sep 19, 2008 3:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In less than a generation, college students' international perspective has transformed many colleges' public health-related programs and courses. The AIDS epidemic served as a catalyst by opening young people’s eyes to the global character of disease, and the ease of worldwide travel and communication is spurring involvement abroad. The Washington...
Markets Give Morgan Stanley Breathing Room on Merger
Reuters
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Sep 19, 2008 3:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Morgan Stanley presses on with merger negotiations, but the beginning of a recovery in financial markets today means the bank will have more time to weigh options, Reuters reports. Talks continue with Wachovia and China Investment Corp., among others, but the firm "feels that it can slow down the timetable” in order to make the right choice,...
In Fla., Obama Lays Into 'Panicked' Mac
Miami Herald
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Sep 19, 2008 3:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama criticized the administration’s response to the plight of working families today, while calling for steps to regulate large financial institutions, CNN reports. “We cannot only have a plan for Wall Street,” he said. “We must also help Main Street as well.” The Democrat used the rally outside Miami to pitch...
Mama Spears Complains Palin 'Celebrated' for Preggo Teen
Newsweek
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Sep 19, 2008 3:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Lynne Spears has gone on the offensive, telling Newsweek that a "hypocritical" press and public "crucified" her family when Jamie Lynn got pregnant at 16, but "celebrated" Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin for her daughter Bristol's teen pregnancy. "It's a totally different reaction."
Barr, Nader Each on 40+ States' Nov. Ballots
Politico
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Sep 19, 2008 2:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Voters in most states in the US will see Ralph Nader and Bob Barr on the presidential ballot, Politico reports. Nader made it in 45 states and the District of Columbia, though the independent missed Texas. Barr’s Libertarian bid made the ballot in 44 states. The two combined for about 3.3% in recent polls—enough to make both major parties...
Cell Phones Linked to Sluggish Sperm
CNN
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Sep 19, 2008 2:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Would-be dads should think twice about keeping cell phones in pants pockets while using wireless headsets, CNN reports, with a small study suggesting that active phones can decrease sperm motility and viability. Semen samples exposed to a cell phone in talk mode contained higher levels of free radicals, which "have been linked to a variety of...
Brit Brides Cheer Chimney Sweep Boom
Reuters
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Sep 19, 2008 2:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
High energy costs in the UK are proving to be a boon for chimney sweeps, Reuters reports. A national group says they’re getting a bigger than usual rush of fall business as homeowners look to their fireplaces as an inexpensive way to keep warm. That means more chimney sweeps roaming about, which, if tradition holds, is good news for brides: In...
Casinos Choke on Smoke Bans
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 19, 2008 2:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Taking deep breaths of clean air won’t stave off panic for casinos confronted with smoking bans in an increasing number of states, the Wall Street Journal reports. In Illinois, casinos have posted double-digit revenue drops since a ban took effect in January. “Gamblers like to smoke and drink while they gamble,” explained one consultant....
Palin Effect Reinvigorates GOP Slate
Washington Post
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Sep 19, 2008 2:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Sarah Palin factor has energized Republican donors and campaign volunteers, giving the party a boost in the fall’s congressional races, the Washington Post reports. Everyone agrees the GOP won't be able to win back the House or Senate, but it looks like the Democrats won't get to a filibuster-proof 60 Senate seats, either.
Oprah's Book Pick: Sawtelle
Publishers Weekly
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Sep 19, 2008 1:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Oprah Winfrey made The Story of Edgar Sawtelle her latest book club pick today, Publishers Weekly reports. The debut novel by David Wroblewski is about a mute boy who communicates best with his dogs. It's been a best-seller since its June release, and publisher Ecco is set to produce another 750,000 copies in the wake of Oprah's pick. The book...
Tony Blair Nervous on First Day of School
Yale Daily News
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Sep 19, 2008 1:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It’s the first day of school for Tony Blair, and the former prime minister confesses to having a case of nerves. “I was never a star student,” says Blair, who is embarking on a 3-year teaching gig at Yale. Blair tells the Yale Daily News he’s excited, but he’s also aware that he's going to be “mixing with a whole...
US Takes Early Ryder Lead
Associated Press
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Sep 19, 2008 1:32 PM CDT
(AP) -
For the first time since 1991, American golfers lead the Ryder Cup at the end of the opening session. The US is up 3-1 on the Europeans after the morning matches. Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan claimed the first point for the US, Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim rallied to halve their match, and a European three-putt at No. 18 handed another win to...
Scare Easily? You May Be a Conservative
Washington Post
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Sep 19, 2008 1:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
People who startle more easily at loud noises or frightening images may be more prone to taking conservative political stances, reports the Washington Post. A new study suggests that there may be a biological basis for people's stands on contentious issues, with those who react less strongly to perceived threats seemingly predisposed to have liberal...
Gas Prices Fuel Bike-Sale Boom
Economist
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Sep 19, 2008 1:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The world's biggest bicycle maker is having its best year ever, thanks to high oil prices and concerns about both global warming and obesity, the Economist reports. Taiwan-based Giant sells 7% of the world's bikes—460,000 last month—and can't keep up with demand in some markets. New York saw a bike shortage earlier this year, and Taiwanese...
Texas May Take Homes Now Sitting on Post-Ike Beaches
Associated Press
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Sep 19, 2008 1:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
News is going from bad to worse for some Texas homeowners. Hundreds of beachfront homes damaged by Hurricane Ike—and even some left spared—might be condemned thanks to a state law making it illegal to build on public beaches, the AP reports. The homes didn't move, but as Ike tore through, the beaches did; the storm redrew tide lines and...
S. Korea's Blind Masseurs Protest Threat to Livelihood
CNN
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Sep 19, 2008 12:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Blind masseurs in South Korea are protesting what they see as the end of a way of life—and their livelihood, CNN reports. Police arrested 26 yesterday who gathered on a bridge and threatened to jump because the government is for the first time allowing sighted people to become licensed masseurs. Two actually did jump, but neither were injured....
Metrolink Engineer's Teen Friends Mourn Online
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 19, 2008 12:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A small but devoted group of teenage "railfans" has spent the week paying tribute online to the Metrolink train engineer who died in last week's crash in California, reports the LA Times . Most of them have avoided speaking with the press, but their grief comes through in postings on online communities and in YouTube videos.
Glitch Stalls Atom Smasher
Telegraph (UK)
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Sep 19, 2008 12:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Large Hadron Collider, the $5-billion, 17-mile experiment seeking answers to the universe’s deepest mysteries, hit a snag within hours of its Sept. 10 launch, but its overseer did not report the malfunction for a week, the Daily Telegraph reports. A 30-ton transformer in the cooling system broke, causing tests to cease just a day after...
Clinton Takes In The View on Monday
New York Post
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Sep 19, 2008 12:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Bill Clinton is scheduled to appear Monday on The View , where he hopes to get a more friendly reception than John and Cindy McCain did Sept. 12. The GOP candidate and his wife are still fuming about their treatment, the New York Post reports, with the wife of the Republican candidate saying the ABC show “picked our bones clean.”
Rush: Obama Is Race-Baiting
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 19, 2008 12:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rush Limbaugh, himself the frequent target of race-baiting charges, has turned the tables on Barack Obama. In a Wall Street Journal essay, Limbaugh says Obama is distorting his words to create a misleading Spanish-language ad about immigration that he likens to "vile fear-mongering" of the "old segretationists." The ad uses two...
Market Meltdown Will Handcuff Next President
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 19, 2008 12:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It will be harder for the next president to pursue grand plans in the wake of this week’s financial meltdown, writes Gerald Seib in the Wall Street Journal . Beyond its immediate impact on the campaign, the crisis has “ripple effects.” The amount of money the Fed has shelled out means there’s less for domestic spending on big-ticket...
Lakeview Not a Pretty Picture
Rotten Tomatoes
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Sep 19, 2008 11:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Lakeview Terrace labors mightily to turn its B-movie cop/neighbor-from-hell premise into “deep social commentary about race, or real estate, or something,” writes Chris Farnsworth of E!, “but the result is an inexplicable mess.” The tensions between Samuel L. Jackson’s loose cannon cop and the interracial couple next...
WSJ : McCain's Populist Schtick Is 'Unpresidential'
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 19, 2008 11:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Why is John McCain angrily calling for the head of Christopher Cox, the chairman of the SEC? Because he doesn’t know what he’s talking about and needs a scapegoat, writes the Wall Street Journal in an editorial today. "This assault on Mr. Cox is both false and deeply unfair. It's also un-Presidential," the Journal writes....
Poehler on 'Verge of Tears' Over SNL Exit
USA Today
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Sep 19, 2008 11:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As Amy Poehler preps for her final episodes of Saturday Night Live , the masterful Hillary impersonator says she’s as upset to leave as her co-workers are to see her go. "I'm on the verge of tears every minute,” Poehler tells USA Today . After 7 years with the show, she'll go on maternity leave before the Nov. 4 election and start...
Foley Won't Be Charged in Page Scandal
Associated Press
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Sep 19, 2008 11:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Investigators haven’t turned up enough evidence to indict former Florida congressman Mark Foley on charges he sent salacious emails to underage pages, the AP reports. Both Florida and federal officials have been investigating the charges for two years, but with Congress blocking access to House computers, they've had little success. Foley resigned...
SatC Movie Sequel in the Works
Fox News
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Sep 19, 2008 11:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The writer-producer of the Sex and the City movie is already at work on a sequel. Michael Patrick King is writing the screenplay, he told Fox News at last night's DVD release party. Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall are reportedly interested. Parker quipped: “Let’s wring everything we can out of this thing!”
Chinese Recall Milk as Tainting Scandal Spreads
BBC
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Sep 19, 2008 10:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Milk from some of China's biggest dairies has been found to contain poisonous melamine, prompting authorities to clear shelves of dairy products, in addition to the earlier recall of tainted infant formula, the BBC reports. A watchdog group found the banned chemical in 10% of samples from three dairies, including the two largest. Milk suppliers are...
Little Guy 'Cries a Lot' as Market Hurts All Over
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 19, 2008 10:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Wall Street’s crisis has prompted a variety of reactions in everyday lives as Americans rush to decide where to put their faith and their dollars—and try to avoid the pain, the Wall Street Journal reports. Some are pulling their money out of the markets as conditions worsen, while others plan to stick it out. Still others see investment...
Noonan: What if Neither Man Is Up to the Job?
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 19, 2008 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The election is about to enter a dark, mean period writes Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal , as the country confronts a terrifying possibility: What if neither man is up for the job? Thanks to the economy, anxiety is at a fever pitch, but “I haven’t heard a single person say, ‘Yes, my guy is the answer,’” writes...
Not Tonight, Honey, I Have a Stroke
Mom Logic
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Sep 19, 2008 10:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Women may have a new excuse to avoid hanky panky, the Mom Logic blog notes: the danger of a stroke. It seems a 35-year-old woman suffered one during orgasm, though she has since made a full recovery. Such strokes—caused by a minor heart defect that triggers blod clots during moments of exertion—are extremely rare and more common in men....
Lohan Throng Turns Betty Filming Ugly
ABC News
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Sep 19, 2008 10:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Paparazzi pandemonium over Lindsay Lohan and girlfriend Samantha Ronson turned the New York City set of Ugly Betty into a “scary” and "intense” work environment, the actor who plays Justin tells the news arm of ABC, which airs the dramedy. "When Lindsay's on the set, it's mayhem," says co-star Ana Ortiz ("Hilda")....
Paulson Outlines His 'Bold' Bailout
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 19, 2008 10:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Henry Paulson confirmed today that he is working on a "bold" plan to buy bad loans from banks, the Wall Street Journal reports. Such a plan would cost taxpayers “hundreds of billions of dollars,” Paulson said, but he believes it is necessary to stabilize the economy. “The ultimate taxpayer protection will be the stability...
Palin-phernalia Floods Web
Reuters
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Sep 19, 2008 10:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In less than a month, Sarah Palin has gone from virtual unknown to merchandising bonanza—at least online. From action figures, aka dolls, to a piece of toast with a pattern that supposedly resembled the Alaska governor, Palin accounts for a selection of items both broader and weirder than the keepsakes associated with the other three major candidates,...
