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.
Woody Allen: Audience Tastes Are a Matter of Coarse
New York
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Sep 30, 2008 9:49 AM CDT
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Mention Woody Allen and people think of the Big Apple. In an interview with Adam Moss in New York , the 72-year-old filmmaker talks about movies, psychoanalysis and, most of all, the city for which he's "always had an irrational love." Allen, who's made 39 films, grew up with a romanticized view of Manhattan. "I got my idea of New York...
Voters Tanked the Bailout
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 30, 2008 9:04 AM CDT
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The bailout plan was defeated by a 1-2 punch from angry voters and special interest groups on both ends of the political spectrum, reports the Wall Street Journal . House members were overwhelmed into voting “no” by a flood of liberals crying elitism and conservatives shouting about the sanctity of the free market, the combined din of...
Boehner Speaks Softly, Forgets the Stick
Politico
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Sep 30, 2008 8:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
House Republican leader John Boehner was one of the biggest losers in yesterday's rout of the Wall Street bailout bill; his inability to deliver his party’s votes reveals the weakness of his position in the caucus, reports Politico. Boehner was unable to switch votes by leaning on wavering members, as his predecessors could. “You can’t...
New Rescue Hopes Lift Stocks
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 30, 2008 8:44 AM CDT
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Stocks rose at the open today, as traders bet on a new rescue plan and picked over the wreckage of yesterday’s record-setting drop. The Dow rose almost 218 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P were up 2.5% and 2.6% respectively. “After the absolute carnage we had yesterday there's inevitably going to be some bargain hunting,” said...
Obama Wants to Hike Deposit Insurance
Politico
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Sep 30, 2008 8:22 AM CDT
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Barack Obama today proposed to revive the $700 billion bailout lying bloodied on the House floor with a provision increasing federal insurance to $250,000 from the current $100,000, Politico reports. The presidential hopeful called it “a step that would boost small businesses, make our banking system more secure, and help restore public confidence...
Plant: No Zep Reunion Tour for Me
Billboard
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Sep 30, 2008 8:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Robert Plant denies he ever planned to join a Led Zeppelin reunion tour, saying "it's been both frustrating and ridiculous" to hear such rumors, Billboard reports. Plant says he won't be touring with anyone for at least two years, but wishes guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist John Paul Jones, and late drummer John Bonham's son Jason "nothing...
Ex-Wife: Abuse Drove Me From Rockefeller
Boston Herald
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Sep 30, 2008 8:03 AM CDT
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Clark Rockefeller repeatedly abused his ex-wife before she finally left him last year, prosecutors alleged yesterday during the con man’s trial for the kidnapping of his young daughter. Sandra Lynne Boss tried to leave Rockefeller— actually Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter of Germany—in 1999 but was “wooed back” and became...
Her Star Falling, Palin Crams for Debate
New York Times
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Sep 30, 2008 7:33 AM CDT
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Things don't look good for Sarah Palin: her popularity is slipping, conservative columnists are turning on her, and in two days she faces Joe Biden in a debate she is widely expected to lose. After her roundly derided interview with Katie Couric, Palin has been awake into the wee hours cramming for the debate, reports the New York Times , and yesterday...
French Muslims Find Freedom in Catholic Schools
New York Times
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Sep 30, 2008 7:17 AM CDT
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France has Western Europe's largest Muslim population, but its strict separation of church and state means that Muslim girls are forbidden from wearing the headscarves in public schools. In response, many Muslims have turned to an unlikely solution: the nation's large network of Catholic schools. "There is respect for our religion here,"...
Bailout Vote Shows Bush's Power Waning
Washington Post
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Sep 30, 2008 6:56 AM CDT
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The bailout bill’s failure to pass the House—due in large part to defectors from his own party—demonstrates President Bush’s flagging influence in Washington, observes the Washington Post . Bush’s “biggest legislative defeat” as president, it highlighted his tendency to rely on alarmist rhetoric—repeated...
Lehman's Asset Management Arm Sold on Cheap for $2B
Financial Times (UK)
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Sep 30, 2008 6:10 AM CDT
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Two private equity firms will acquire Neuberger Berman, the largest and most prestigious component of Lehman Brothers, for $2.15 billion. Bain Capital and Hellman & Friedman will pay in cash for the wealth management firm—an indication of just how stultified credit markets have become. Only a month before Lehman collapsed several potential...
177 Killed in India Temple Stampede
Times (UK)
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Sep 30, 2008 5:17 AM CDT
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A stampede killed at least 177 worshipers at a Hindu temple in western India today, the Times of London reports. Early theories for the crush included a bomb scare and a broken barricade, but police are blaming the steep, slippery path that leads to the temple. Similar stampedes have killed more than 400 people in India during the last 4 years.
'Killer' Mom Stored Kids' Bodies in Freezer
WBAL TV
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Sep 30, 2008 4:55 AM CDT
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A Maryland woman is being held without bail after admitting she stored the corpses of her adopted 9- and-11-year old daughters in a basement freezer, WBAL TV reports. Police came to her house after a third daughter was found wandering the streets, covered in cuts and bruises. The woman has been charged with child abuse. Police are awaiting autopsy...
It's Snowing on Mars
Washington Post
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Sep 30, 2008 4:27 AM CDT
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Snow has been falling nightly in the Mars atmosphere for about a month now, giving scientists more reason to believe that life may have once existed in the red planet's polar regions. Lasers onboard the Phoenix lander have tracked icy snow falling for a mile from clouds drifting 2.5 miles above the planet’s surface, but they can’t tell...
3 Pirates Killed in In-Fighting Aboard Hijacked Tanker
Guardian (UK)
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Sep 30, 2008 4:15 AM CDT
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Three pirates were killed today as in-fighting broke out aboard a hijacked Ukranian tanker, reports the Guardian. Tensions about what to do with the tanker, its crew, and the 33 tanks aboard it rose yesterday as American destroyers and cruisers continued to move in to ensure that the weapons—bound for Sudan—didn't fall into the wrong...
European, Asian Markets Edge Up After Dive
Bloomberg
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Sep 30, 2008 3:50 AM CDT
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Europe markets edged back up after an early drop today as the failure of the US bailout package continued to sap confidence worldwide, Bloomberg reports. Asia's markets went into freefall on opening this morning but gradually recouped some losses on hopes of a fresh deal. The Nikkei index was down nearly 5% before closing 4.12% lower, Reuters reports,...
Taliban Chief to America: Let's Make a Deal
Reuters
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Sep 30, 2008 3:15 AM CDT
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Taliban boss Mullah Omar has warned that the US will suffer defeat just like the Soviet Union if it fails to withdraw from Afghanistan, Reuters reports. In a message posted on extremist websites, the defiant leader offered American forces "safe passage" out of Afghanistan if officials reconsider their "wrong decision of wrong occupation."
How to Protect Your Money
New York Times
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Sep 30, 2008 2:56 AM CDT
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After the biggest single-day's loss in Wall Street's history, even Americans whose sole investment is a bank account are nervously scratching their heads. Here are some guidelines to the failed-bailout crisis from the New York Times: What happens next? The market's deep dive may scare Congress into passing the bailout or a new bill, at which...
As Stocks Tank, Campbell's Proves Hearty
Reuters
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Sep 30, 2008 2:26 AM CDT
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As investors stampeded to sell stocks as confidence plunged yesterday, lonely cans of Campbell's soup stood supreme. By the time the dust cleared, Campbell's was the only one of 500 firms in the Standard & Poor's index whose stocks rose, Reuters reports. The soup's shares jumped 12 cents. Some analysts believe investors were betting on a consumer...
Heart Disease Linked to Depression
San Francisco Chronicle
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Sep 30, 2008 2:08 AM CDT
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People suffering from heart disease are three times more likely to be depressed, according to a study that found young women particularly at risk. Researchers urged doctors to monitor heart patients for depression, reports the San Francisco Chronicle , noting that it not only affects quality of life but can adversely a patient's prognosis. Some 80...
OJ Prosecution Rests After Witness Waffles
AFP
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Sep 29, 2008 8:49 PM CDT
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Prosecutors rested their case in the OJ Simpson robbery-kidnapping trial today after a state witness waffled under cross-examination, AFP reports. Michael McClinton admitted that he had not told police about Simpson's request to bring a gun to rob memorabilia dealers in Las Vegas last year. But he testified last week that Simpson had asked him to bring...
Ramirez Slam Lifts Chisox Into 1-Game Playoff
Associated Press
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Sep 29, 2008 8:06 PM CDT
(AP) -
Alexei Ramirez spread his arms wide and raced around the bases like a little kid. The White Sox would play one more day. Ramirez set a rookie record with his fourth grand slam of the season, and Chicago beat Detroit 8-2 in a rainout makeup today, forcing a one-game tiebreaker against Minnesota for the AL Central title, the AP reports.
Countdown to Failure: How Bill Unraveled
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 29, 2008 8:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As members of the House of Representatives cast their ballots on the $700 billion bailout package yesterday morning—the negative votes piling up even as the market plummeted—the Los Angeles Times was blogging. Kicked off by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's final words to the House—"The alternative is nothing and that is not acceptable"—it...
Olmert: Israel Must Leave West Bank
Haaretz (Israel)
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Sep 29, 2008 7:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Israel must give up nearly all the land it seized in 1967 to forge peace with the Palestinians, said outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The nation must relinquish most of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights—or compensate the Palestinians and Syrians with Israeli territory, said Olmert, who announced his resignation...
Army Sets Out to Stop Recruiter Suicides
CNN
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Sep 29, 2008 7:52 PM CDT
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The US Army is setting up a board to prevent suicides of Houston, Texas-based recruiters after the fourth suicide in 3 years, CNN reports. The board will examine the pressure they face at work and the post-traumatic effects of combat. "The suicides in the Houston battalion are a very loud, very bright alarm that Army officials and politicians...
Jaguars Player Paralyzed, Loses Left Leg
Florida Times-Union
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Sep 29, 2008 7:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jacksonville Jaguar Richard Collier has lost a leg and is paralyzed below the waist from a shooting earlier this month, doctors said today. The third-year player suffered serious infections from 14 bullet wounds, but is close to recovery and going home. He is “very fortunate to have survived his injuries,” a surgeon told the Florida Times-Union...
Mac Blames Bailout on Obama, Who Returns Fire
Reuters
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Sep 29, 2008 6:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain blamed Barack Obama and the Democrats for injecting partisan rancor into a House vote that killed the $700 bailout plan today, Reuters reports. They "infused unnecessary partisanship into the process," McCain said in Iowa. A McCain advisor went further, saying Obama had "failed to lead, phoned it in" during negotiations....
5 Reasons Pols Dissed the Bailout
Washington Post
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Sep 29, 2008 6:08 PM CDT
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House members were only given a chance to salvage the world economy—why do it? There are several reasons why 95 Democrats and 133 Republicans turned down Henry Paulson's $700 billion bailout plan, Ben Pershing writes in the Washington Post . The simplest? “A lot of members just didn't like the bill." Here are Pershing's top five reasons...
Where US Consumers Can Turn Now
MSNBC
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Sep 29, 2008 5:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The failure of the bailout bill to clear the House has American consumers checking their retirement accounts, their wallets, and even their mattresses as they grapple with the implications of the worsening financial situation. With falling oil prices seemingly the only silver lining for the average consumer, MSNBC offers some advice. Make sure...
Hubble Glitch Delays NASA Repair Mission
Orlando Sentinel
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Sep 29, 2008 5:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope has been delayed after the apparatus stopped transmitting data Friday, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Shuttle crews will be retrained to deal with the new problem, and the launch rescheduled so NASA can have a second shuttle ready in case a rescue mission is needed.
TV News Struggles to Explain Crisis Even as Ratings Surge
New York Times
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Sep 29, 2008 4:55 PM CDT
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TV news programs are grappling with explaining the financial crisis to an audience suddenly much more interested in business news, the New York Times reports. With CNBC seeing its highest ratings ever and CNN, Fox and MSNBC seeing bumps in recent weeks, news shows have put teams of business pundits onscreen to explain nebulous concepts like credit-default...
Death of Reading Greatly Exaggerated
Esquire
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Sep 29, 2008 4:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Our bleak outlook on the future of reading owes itself to a doomsday reflex, the pervasive belief that things are bound to get worse, author Dave Eggers writes in Esquire . "It must be true, we think—just yesterday I saw some kid on the bus, and he wasn't reading a book!" But "few if any of these dire assumptions … are...
Wrong, Lefties: Palin Didn't Cut Special Olympics Dollars
National Review
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Sep 29, 2008 4:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sarah Palin did not cut funding to the Special Olympics in Alaska, as many have said, professors Warren Throckmorton and Paul Kengor write in the National Review . In fact, this year she approved an increase in funding, from $250,000 to $275,000. Lawmakers had asked for $550,000, perhaps inspiring the liberal media to insinuate that Palin had cut,...
10 Films About Nasty Business
USA Today
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Sep 29, 2008 4:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Wall Street executives have it tough these days, but Hollywood has rarely gone easy on guys in suits. USA Today lists 10 definitive films about them: Stagecoach (1939): Like all John Ford movies, this one makes a banker look bad. Splendor in the Grass (1961): A 1930s investor doesn't just get depressed—he takes it out the...
Thicke's Blue-Eyed Soul Hits Big Across Racial Divide
Washington Post
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Sep 29, 2008 3:57 PM CDT
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In a society that says white men can't dance, Robin Thicke has surmounted the race barrier: His single, Lost Without U , topped Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for 11 weeks last year, outperforming songs by Beyonce, Usher, and Alicia Keys. "Eighty or 90% of my fans are African Americans, mostly grown black women," Thicke...
Dow Falls 777 On House Vote
MarketWatch
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Sep 29, 2008 3:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Dow saw its biggest single-day drop ever today after the House rejected the financial bailout bill and adjourned until Thursday, MarketWatch reports. Equities and commodities were pounded equally as the Dow plunged 777.68 to close at 10,365.45 and oil fell $10.52, to $96.37 a barrel. The Nasdaq shed 199.61, closing at 1,983.73, while the S&P...
What Makes Him Different Makes Him Scary
Boston Globe
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Sep 29, 2008 3:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama’s revolutionary candidacy is in trouble, and the very things that make him a breath of fresh air are to blame, James Carroll writes in the Boston Globe . “Race, gender, and class define American identity, but Obama, just by being who he is, directly challenges the core assumptions that undergird each,” Carroll writes....
Tech Helps Prints Tell More of the Story
Boston Globe
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Sep 29, 2008 3:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Advances in fingerprint technology are making the century-old forensic tool even more vital, the Boston Globe reports. Scientists have developed methods that can not only detect traces of food or chemicals in prints, but also single out targets at a confused crime scene. “We're using fingerprints to learn more about the individual, not just...
Shocked Legislators Weigh Next Move
Washington Post
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Sep 29, 2008 3:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The efforts of Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner were not enough to quell a revolt within their parties that killed the financial bailout bill today. The bipartisan opposition to the bill reflected in the 228-205 vote—95 Democrats and 133 Republicans dissented—reflects liberal representatives’ unease with rescuing highly paid executives...
Turmoil Can't Douse Zimbabwe's Hope
Christian Science Monitor
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Sep 29, 2008 3:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Since June's election, Zimbabwe's economy has been in crisis. Store shelves are empty and inflation is out of control. Robert Mugabe remains in power. So why would anyone want to stay? The answer isn't easy, but it's simple, Kate Chambers writes in the Christian Science Monitor . "I like living in a place where hope is a thriving currency."
Redford Remembers Newman
ABC News
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Sep 29, 2008 3:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
"Paul really likes to have fun and…he really especially loves to laugh at his own jokes, and some of them are just really awful," Robert Redford recalled of his friend Paul Newman to ABC News. "He enjoyed them so much…you'd start to laugh with him because you're so caught up in his enjoyment of them."
Limbaugh May Hold Key to McCain's Fate
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 29, 2008 2:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rush Limbaugh may be John McCain’s best friend in the fight against Barack Obama, writes Zev Chafets in the LA Times . Vociferously anti-McCain during primary season, Limbaugh is now on board and can't be underestimated. "A lot of Limbaugh's critics dismiss him as a buffoon or a fanatic," Chafets writes. "These are people who...
UK Cook Eats Own Hot Sauce, Dies
Times (UK)
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Sep 29, 2008 2:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A budding British cook died last week after eating his own spicy tomato sauce, the London Times reports. Andrew Lee, 33, challenged his girlfriend’s brother to a contest, arriving with a jar of the sauce, made with chilies his father had grown. After eating it, he felt itchy and discomfited, and fell asleep while his girlfriend scratched his...
DC Trip Nets Mac Little More Than Muddled Campaign
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 29, 2008 2:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John McCain's insistence on rushing to Washington to involve himself in the bailout process left his campaign reeling, gave critics new ammunition, and widened Barack Obama's poll margins, Bob Drogin reports in the Los Angeles Times . The Arizona senator, who didn't help draft the plan and also skipped voting on another bill, "needs to be a bit...
Feds Target Kids for Flu Shots
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 29, 2008 2:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Kids are the focus of flu vaccination efforts this year in an unprecedented push to lower the overall number of US infections, the Los Angeles Times reports. Children get the flu more often than adults, and research suggests they are biologically more effective at spreading it; for the first time, federal guidelines recommend individuals between...
Scientists Find Genetic Source of Daytime Snoozing
Reuters
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Sep 29, 2008 2:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
We may be step closer to understanding the genetic basis for narcolepsy, say Japanese scientists who looked at the DNA of those suffering from the condition. In people who exhibit the excessive daytime sleepiness, vision problems, and muscle weakness associated with narcolepsy, one particular gene variant shows up with significant frequency, especially...
Mac's Big Guns Turn to Polishing Palin
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 29, 2008 1:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sarah Palin will be coached by the best people John McCain’s campaign has to offer in preparation for her debate Thursday with Joe Biden, the Wall Street Journal reports. Campaign manager Rick Davis and strategist Steve Schmidt are headed with Palin today to McCain’s Arizona ranch as the campaign comes under fire for mishandling the Alaska...
Sides Dig In Despite Boeing Strike Costs
Seattle Times
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Sep 29, 2008 1:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Machinists employed by Boeing have been on strike for more than 3 weeks, with no end in sight; analysts say if the stoppage reaches a month, it could cost the aircraft maker $1.3 billion, the Seattle Times reports. The union sees its position as good, given Boeing’s huge backlog of orders, but a downturn in the airline industry could put workers...
Bailout Bill Fails; Markets Reel
Associated Press
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Sep 29, 2008 1:24 PM CDT
(AP) -
The House this afternoon defeated the $700 billion emergency financial bailout package, ignoring urgent pleas from President Bush and bipartisan congressional leaders to quickly rescue the staggering financial industry. Stocks started plummeting on Wall Street even before the 228-205 vote to reject the bill was announced on the House floor.
Mukasey Taps Prosecutor for Attorney Firings Case
Reuters
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Sep 29, 2008 1:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Mukasey appointed a special prosecutor today to look into the attorney firing scandal today, Reuters reports, after an internal investigation came up empty-handed. Many top witnesses, such as Karl Rove, didn’t cooperate, but could now be subpoenaed by Connecticut prosecutor Nora Dannehy.
