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.
The Long Island Rabbi Who Toppled Olmert
New York
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Sep 15, 2008 5:33 PM CDT
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Morris Talansky counted Ehud Olmet as a true friend, and he says his devotion was returned. The nature of the longstanding relationship between the Long Island rabbi and the Israeli prime minister varies according to who’s describing it, Steve Fishman writes in New York . But what everyone agrees on is that the way Talansky showed his devotion—"cash...
Surgeon General Targets Killer Blood Clots
Associated Press
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Sep 15, 2008 5:08 PM CDT
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An easily treatable complication related to blood clots kills 100,000 Americans every year, but a new federal awareness campaign aims to change that, the AP reports. Although deep vein thrombosis affects up to 600,000 people a year, "I don't think most people understand that this is a serious medical problem or what can be done to prevent...
Paulson, Wall Street Execs Let Lehman Die
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 15, 2008 4:39 PM CDT
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As the dust settles on Wall Street, details of the final frantic negotiations on Lehman Brothers reveal that Henry Paulson’s opposition to a government bailout ultimately sealed the investment bank’s fate, the Journal reports. Paulson summoned an emergency meeting of 30 Wall Street executives Friday to definitively state that taxpayer...
Another OJ Trial Kicks Off
Las Vegas Review-Journal
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Sep 15, 2008 4:31 PM CDT
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OJ Simpson shook his head as a prosecutor promised to show jurors "the true face" of the disgraced NFL star, whose trial on 12 counts of felony kidnapping, armed robbery, and other charges began today in Las Vegas, the Review-Journal reports. Simpson's lawyer countered that he was retrieving his own property, but an audio recording played...
Big Dog Millan Still Fetching, 100 Episodes Later
Variety
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Sep 15, 2008 4:20 PM CDT
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These are anything but the dog days of summer for Cesar Millan, the pet trainer-turned-TV host whose popular Dog Whisperer will air its 100th episode Friday, reports Variety in a look at the program's top dog. Millan kicked off Whisperer in 2004, as an unpromoted half-hour segment for the National Geographic Channel; more than 685,000 viewers...
Pioneering Paparazzo Has Stars in His Eyes
New York
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Sep 15, 2008 4:04 PM CDT
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Long before we got up close and personal—maybe too personal—with the likes of Britney, Paris, and Lindsay, Ron Galella was on celebrity's front lines. In a New York profile of the original American paparazzo, Emily Nussbaum meets the man who was sued by Jackie Onassis and beaten up by Marlon Brando. "They pretend they don’t...
France's 'Picnic Tax' Making Foes Antsy
Independent (UK)
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Sep 15, 2008 3:51 PM CDT
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A picnic tax? “We are doing it,” France’s environment minister said today, apparently unabashed at such a villainous plan. Actually, the levy isn’t as dastardly as it sounds—it’s actually a tax on the plastic and paper plates and utensils commonly used in picnics, the Independent reports. The goal is to reduce...
Bush's Biggest Mistake: Declaring Religious War
Boston Globe
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Sep 15, 2008 3:38 PM CDT
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The 9/11 attacks would’ve posed a great challenge to any president, but George Bush’s response, to invoke God and declare a Manichean quest to “rid the world of evil,” made him Osama bin Laden’s accomplice, writes James Carroll in the Boston Globe . "Bush is criticized for many things," writes Carroll, "but...
Dow Ends Ugly Day Down 504
Bloomberg
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Sep 15, 2008 3:26 PM CDT
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After a midday lull, stocks plummeted again late today as traders adjusted to the failure of Lehman Brothers and the acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America, Bloomberg reports. Lehman’s stock alone was down 94.9%. The Dow fell 504.48 to 10,917.51. The S&P 500 lost 59.01, its biggest drop since the 2001 terror attacks, closing at 1,192.69;...
And Now, a Tune From Our Sponsor
Wired
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Sep 15, 2008 3:24 PM CDT
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The soon-to-launch MySpace Music service will consist mostly of sponsored streaming and downloads, Wired reports. MySpace will likely not start up its own pay-download service, along the lines of iTunes, instead maintaining its partnership with Amazon’s online store. Critics worry MySpace’s rather thin roster of major-label partnerships...
LA Train Riders Mourn Victims
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 15, 2008 3:19 PM CDT
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Los Angeles' mayor joined commuters on half-empty trains today, saying they were still "the safest option for commuters” despite the Friday crash that killed 25. Stations were visibly quieter as Metrolink workers assured passengers the trains were safer than freeways, the Times reports. While many stayed home, one rider says, "I needed...
Arrest No. 3 for Casey Anthony
Orlando Sentinel
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Sep 15, 2008 3:07 PM CDT
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Casey Anthony was rearrested today during a routine visit to the official administering her home confinement, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The mother of missing 3-year-old Caylee Anthony is charged with theft and check fraud; the new counts appear to go above and beyond previous theft and fraud charges that saw Anthony’s second arrest last...
Politics, Stars Align for Thai Fortunetellers
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 15, 2008 3:02 PM CDT
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Fortunetelling, always a big part of Thai culture, is bigger business than ever now, the Wall Street Journal reports. As political unrest buffets the country, an automated telephone astrology service run by a seer known as Mr. Luck is flourishing. "Every time there's a crisis in Thailand, it's a glorious time for astrologers," Mr. Luck...
Conservatives Are Victims in Their Own Minds
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 15, 2008 2:50 PM CDT
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Rush Limbaugh & Co. like to deride liberal America’s “culture of victimhood,” but these days, it’s conservatives who are acting like victims. The GOP is encouraging its supporters to feel aggrieved and besieged by snooty “elites,” writes Gregory Rodriguez in the Los Angeles Times. This despite the fact...
Takei Completes Trek to Altar
E! Online
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Sep 15, 2008 2:37 PM CDT
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George Takei beamed with pride after tying the knot with his partner of 21 years in front of fellow Star Trek stars and close friends last night, reports E! Online. Mr. Sulu, who took on the enterprise soon after California legalized gay marriage, wore a white tux that matched husband Brad Altman's and marched in the Buddhist ceremony accompanied...
Stop Bashing Washington Insiders; You'll Need Them
Washington Post
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Sep 15, 2008 2:27 PM CDT
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Voters have loved to hate Washington insiders since Washington’s founding, and politicians have sought to capitalize on those feelings for just as long. So it makes sense that even the GOP ticket, fortified by Sarah Palin, is running as an outsider insurgency. But, Norman Ornstein points out in the Washington Post , no administration can accomplish...
Long Lines Await Ike Survivors
Houston Chronicle
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Sep 15, 2008 2:15 PM CDT
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With a short supply of commodities like ice and gasoline forcing Texans trying to recover from Hurricane Ike to wait in hours-long lines, President Bush warned today the storm may put "upward pressure" on US fuel prices. Refineries and oil rigs sustained extensive, though not severe, damage, the Houston Chronicle reports. Meanwhile, some...
Palin's 'Private' Emails Raise Accountability Flap
Anchorage Daily News
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Sep 15, 2008 2:03 PM CDT
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Candidate Sarah Palin vowed to be an "open and transparent" governor, but as VP candidate she's drawing unwanted scrutiny with her use of private email to conduct state business, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Although the governor has a state email account, which is archived, she appears to use her private Yahoo account, which is not...
Tainted Baby Formula Kills 2 in China
New York Times
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Sep 15, 2008 1:51 PM CDT
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Two Chinese babies have died, 53 are in serious condition and 1,253 others are sick from widespread milk powder contamination, the New York Times reports. The baby formula laced with melamine—the same additive behind last year’s US pet-food recall—was recalled just last week by Sanlu Group, though parents have been complaining since...
Election May Come Down to Same Ol' States
Washington Post
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Sep 15, 2008 1:39 PM CDT
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In the final 50 days, the biggest change in Barack Obama's camp is a return to old political strategy, the Washington Post reports. Partly because Sarah Palin's selection has solidified red/blue divisions of past years, Obama is targeting the same swing states—Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Florida—that determined the past two elections,...
Prince William Will Fly to the Rescue
BBC
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Sep 15, 2008 1:27 PM CDT
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Prince William’s next military stint will be as a search-and-rescue pilot for the Royal Air Force, the BBC reports. Having served with the army and navy, the prince learned to fly with the RAP this year and said today, "I now want to build on the experience and training I have received to serve operationally." The 26-year-old...
Wasilla More Gritty Strip Mall Than Palin Lets On
Newsweek
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Sep 15, 2008 1:14 PM CDT
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Sarah Palin talks about Wasilla, Alaska, as if her hometown were an all-American idyll painted by Norman Rockwell, pulsing with “honesty and sincerity and dignity.” In reality, “it's an unexceptional, gritty town, bisected by a four-lane highway,” Amanda Coyne writes in Newsweek. “Along the road, used-car lots sit next...
Biodiesel Gains Converts on Home Front
Wired
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Sep 15, 2008 1:03 PM CDT
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Half a billion gallons of it were brewed at home last year, and we're not talking beer. Homemade biodiesel is expanding from the days of hippies converting old electric water heaters to mainstream retailers offering safer, reliable processors, Wired reports. Anyone with the equipment, ranging from $3,000 to $13,500, can turn used veggie oil into...
Feminist Fey Skewers Palin as Only a Woman Can
Globe and Mail
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Sep 15, 2008 12:51 PM CDT
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Sarah Palin has made John McCain into a punchline, and there’s been no shortage of late-night comedians pointing that out. Unfortunately, they’ve almost all been male. Thank goodness, then, for Tina Fey, Simon Houpt writes in the Globe and Mail . It took Fey, a dead ringer for Palin, to “tackle the jaw dropping jujitsu” of...
Noisy Humans 'Drowning Out' Marine Mammals
BBC
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Sep 15, 2008 12:40 PM CDT
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Whales and dolphins are seriously suffering from the noise that human industry and militaries release into the ocean, an animal-welfare group warns—and we need to turn the volume down before we do irreversible damage. Sonar is implicated for mass stranding and deaths of whales and dolphins, the BBC reports, and ocean noise is doubling each decade...
'Biohackers' Push DIY Science in the Basement
Boston Globe
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Sep 15, 2008 12:28 PM CDT
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Just as individual computer experts can create new programs and technological movements from home, a new generation of scientists wants to make do-it-yourself biology a household activity. Sessions such as those teaching laypeople how to extract DNA show "how much science can be about duct tape and having a few screws in the right place,"...
Incomplete? Fumble? Controversy Is Only Sure Thing
USA Today
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Sep 15, 2008 12:16 PM CDT
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The controversy surrounding Denver’s 39-38 victory over San Diego yesterday seems likely to linger, USA Today reports, with the call that allowed the Broncos to hang onto the ball overshadowing coach Mike Shanahan’s all-or-nothing 2-point conversion attempt in the final seconds. “It was a fumble. I think so,” quarterback Jay...
Anglicans Making Nice With Darwin
Guardian (UK)
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Sep 15, 2008 12:04 PM CDT
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When Charles Darwin came out with his theory of evolution by natural selection nearly 150 years ago, the Church of England opposed it. But now, 200 years after the celebrated scientist's birth, the church has launched a website exploring its history with Darwin, and the church's head of public affairs has issued a posthumous apology, the Guardian...
After Big Drop, Stocks Hold
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 15, 2008 11:51 AM CDT
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Stocks have taken a beating today, with the Dow off more than 300 points early, the Wall Street Journal reports, but there’s been a noticeable lack of panic among traders. If the current loss holds steady, it will represent just the sixth-worst day this year, despite the massive upheaval of the weekend.
Under Pressure, Sirius XM Tries to Look Ahead
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 15, 2008 11:45 AM CDT
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Satellite radio’s fortunes—thought to be peaking after Sirius and XM merged in July—are falling as the united company’s stock continues to tumble and management scrambles to refinance debt, reports the Wall Street Journal. Still, CEO Mel Karmazin says, the company is “heading toward making a bunch of money in the future.”...
Brangelina Gives $2M for Ethiopian HIV Clinic
People
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Sep 15, 2008 11:33 AM CDT
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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt donated $2 million to establish a center to care for children affected by tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, People reports. The center will be named after daughter Zahara, 3, who they adopted from the African nation. "It is our hope when Zahara is older she will take responsibility of the clinic and continue...
GM Rolls Out Volt Tomorrow; Hopes for Game-Changer
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 15, 2008 11:20 AM CDT
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General Motors will unveil its new Chevy Volt tomorrow, hoping that the battery-operated car will reverse its long reputation as a gas-guzzling industry dinosaur and attract devotees of competitors' hybrids, reports the Wall Street Journal. GM hopes the Volt, a lithium-ion-powered car due to hit the market in 2010, can help the company regain some...
Damon, Singer Jean Help in Haiti
Associated Press
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Sep 15, 2008 11:07 AM CDT
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Matt Damon and singer Wyclef Jean waded through knee-deep flood waters during a tour of decimated Gonaives, Haiti, yesterday to call attention to the widespread suffering that has followed tropical storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike. "I'm speechless, I can't believe it," Damon told the AP. The actor and the Haitian-born singer are asking fans...
Despite $66M August, Obama Needs Money
Politico
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Sep 15, 2008 10:55 AM CDT
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Barack Obama raised more money in August than any presidential candidate ever, but he’s still desperate for cash, reports Politico. Obama has $77 million in the bank, close to the $85 million John McCain has to spend this general election. But McCain will benefit from outside “independent” groups Obama has spurned, and a brimming...
LiLo Blasts 'Homophobe' Palin
E! Online
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Sep 15, 2008 10:42 AM CDT
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To the ranks of celebrities unimpressed by John McCain's choice of running mate, add Lindsay Lohan, E! reports. "I really cannot bite my tongue anymore when it comes to Sarah Palin,” she wrote in a joint blog post with girlfriend Samantha Ronson. “Is our country so divided that the Republicans' best hope is a narrow minded, media obsessed...
Bank of America CEO Lands His Biggest Fish Yet
Reuters
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Sep 15, 2008 10:29 AM CDT
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Like predecessor Hugh McColl, Bank of America CEO Kenneth Lewis loves enormous deals. His 7-year reign has seen flashy conquests adding up to more than $150 billion, but never has he bagged a bigger trophy than Merrill Lynch, Reuters reports. The deal should fulfill Lewis’ oft-frustrated ambition to make BofA, already the country’s top...
Purple Voters Shade Right: Study
Advertising Age
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Sep 15, 2008 10:14 AM CDT
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A study by a marketing firm finds that swing voters tend to be older and lean conservative, reports Advertising Age . The study broke down the US into red, blue, and purple states; within each, researchers used marketing tools to examine voter characteristics. They found that “purple states” are those where none of the three voter groups...
European Banks Loosen Purse Strings
New York Times
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Sep 15, 2008 10:02 AM CDT
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The weekend’s storm on Wall Street has prompted Europe’s central bankers to make billions of dollars available on the cheap to global money markets as a levee against a rising flood of fresh turmoil, the New York Times reports. The European Central Bank has pledged $43 billion and the Bank of England $9 billion to help stabilize markets.
How Market Turmoil Affects Campaign
Politico
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Sep 15, 2008 9:50 AM CDT
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The crisis on Wall Street will change the shape of the presidential campaign in its final weeks, forcing both sides to adjust their messages and strategies. Mike Allen, in Politico, details four major effects: Neither John McCain nor Barack Obama has talked much, or in detail, about economic plans. No saving that for January 2009 now.
Markdown Sparked Lehman Meltdown; More to Come
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 15, 2008 9:38 AM CDT
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What caused two venerable investment banks to implode this weekend, and how much more damage can we expect? It started when Lehman Bros. surprised markets by slashing the valuation of its mortgage holdings last week, making downward revisions so steep that "even longtime bears on the stock thought the firm was finally marking its residential...
J.Lo Blows Off Runway for Triathlon
MSNBC
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Sep 15, 2008 9:34 AM CDT
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Jennifer Lopez abruptly canceled her guest judging appearance on Friday's Project Runway finale because of an alleged foot injury, but she regained her footing awfully fast, MSNBC reports. The singer-actress turned around and completed her much-hyped first triathlon yesterday in less than 2½ hours, and Runway host Heidi Klum is furious.
Wall Street Rumbling Means Little on Main Street
Times (UK)
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Sep 15, 2008 9:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Fannie and Freddie have been nationalized, Lehman has collapsed, Merrill Lynch has been bought out—an economic disaster, right? Not really, Anatole Kaletsky writes in the Times of London: The US economy is actually showing signs of improvement. More than ever, "there is no contradiction between expecting a recovery, or at least stability,...
Calif. Budget Deal Pays '08 Debt With '09 Taxes
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 15, 2008 9:21 AM CDT
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California lawmakers have finally come to an agreement on the new state budget, ending a stalemate in which Republicans refused to add new taxes and Democrats fought against cutting funding for education and health care. The compromise sees the state using next year's money to pay off its current debts, writes the Los Angeles Times .
Pakistan Army Fires on US Troops Trying to Cross Border
BBC
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Sep 15, 2008 9:13 AM CDT
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Pakistani soldiers fired shots into the air to prevent American troops from crossing the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan, according to officials in the region. The BBC reports that 9 US helicopters landed at around midnight on the Afghan side of the border, and troops then tried to enter into South Waziristan, part of Pakistan's lawless northwest....
Stocks Plunge at Open
CNN
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Sep 15, 2008 9:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks tumbled at the opening bell this morning, with the Dow dropping more than 300 points after a weekend that turned the financial industry on its head. Lehman Brothers’ collapse and AIG’s request for $40 billion from the Federal Reserve “are causing a major financial panic this morning,” said one strategist—though...
Thaksin In-Law Nominated to Lead Thailand
Reuters
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Sep 15, 2008 8:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Thailand's ruling party has chosen a brother-in-law of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra to step into his old job, Reuters reports, sparking a firestorm among protesters who charge the pick will let Thaksin retain control from exile in London. Somchai Wongsawat has been acting PM since last week, but his accession is not guaranteed, as a rebel faction of...
Rove: McCain's Attack Ads Went 'Too Far'
CNN
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Sep 15, 2008 8:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Democrats have found an unusual ally in attacking the veracity of McCain campaign ads: Karl Rove. The GOP mastermind criticized McCain’s advertising, saying he had gone “too far” and that criticism of Barack Obama didn’t pass the “100% truth test,” CNN reports. Speaking of both campaigns on Fox News, Rove said,...
Jennifer Hudson Gets Engaged
Associated Press
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Sep 15, 2008 8:00 AM CDT
(AP) -
Jennifer Hudson got a big surprise on her 27th birthday: an engagement ring. Hudson's beau, David Otunga, aka "Punk" from VH1's I Love New York 2 , popped the question while celebrating the Oscar-winning actress-singer's big day in Los Angeles on Friday, her publicist confirmed.
Palin Earmarks Total $453M in 2 Years
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 15, 2008 8:00 AM CDT
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Sarah Palin called them "un-American" and John McCain denied again Friday that she requested them as governor of Alaska. But the Wall Street Journal , doing the math on earmarks, finds that Palin sought $453 million of them for her state since taking office, including $197 million in the current fiscal year. And using the same calculation...
Lehman Files Biggest Chapter 11 Ever
Bloomberg
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Sep 15, 2008 7:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Lehman Brothers gasped its last breath this morning, filing for Chapter 11 protection in Manhattan under a crushing $613 billion in debt, the largest—and potentially most frightening—bankruptcy in US history, reports Bloomberg. Experts say the filing is likely to trigger a domino effect in the US economy.
