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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.

Charlotte Booms Amid Bust
Time | Sep 28, 2008 6:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - As the rest of the nation struggles through the mortgage bust, Charlotte, NC, is experiencing a boom, Time reports. The pro-business Southern city—home of Bank of America and eight other Fortune 500 firms—manages $2 trillion in assets, making it the second-largest financial center in the US behind New York. Though Charlotte isn’t...
Debt Insurance Is What Crippled Wall St.
Newsweek | Sep 28, 2008 5:47 PM CDT
(Newser) - "Financial weapons of mass destruction,” Warren Buffet called them: credit default swaps. Pioneered by JP Morgan in the 1990s, these financial instruments were bought by banks as insurance that debts would be repaid. The innovation thrived until firms like AIG started defaulting on credit swaps that insured home mortgages—and Wall...
Locklear Nabbed for SoCal DUI
TMZ | Sep 28, 2008 5:18 PM CDT
(Newser) - California cops arrested Heather Locklear yesterday for driving under the influence of something—they're just not sure what, TMZ reports. No booze was involved and Locklear was released without bail, say police in Santa Barbara, Calif., who are still conducting drug tests. Her custody battle with ex-hubbie Richie Sambora may get intoxicating:...
Favre's 6 TDs Lead Jets Past Cardinals, 56-35
Associated Press | Sep 28, 2008 4:51 PM CDT
(AP) - Brett Favre topped his career touchdown pass record against Arizona today, the AP reports, as the Redskins ousted unbeaten Dallas and the Jaguars upset an upset: Favre threw six touchdown passes, including three to Laveranues Coles as the New York Jets clobbered the Arizona Cardinals 56-35. Jason Campbell tossed two passes and Clinton...
Mets Out Again; Brewers Snag Wild Card
New York Post | Sep 28, 2008 4:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - The New York Mets' blunder-prone bullpen threw away their playoff hopes by serving up two homers in a 4-2 loss to the Florida Marlins today, the New York Post reports. Meanwhile C.C. Sabathia pitched the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs, securing the Brew Crew a wild card spot. It was the second straight year that the Marlins...
Cloth or Plastic: Greenies Debate the Diaper
Boston Globe | Sep 28, 2008 4:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - For green parents, the choice between disposables or cloth diapers may seem like a catch-22. Silvia Spring weighs the issue in the Boston Globe , but finds no easy answer. While disposables produce up to 70 times more waste than cloth, the latest study concluded that disposable diapers have the same environmental impact as reusable diapers when the...
Kyle Drenches Maine, Guns for Canada
Associated Press | Sep 28, 2008 3:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - Hurricane Kyle soaked Maine this weekend and continued churning toward Canada, the AP reports. Maine's coastal areas, which have already absorbed 5.5 inches of rain, expect to get winds as high as 60mph and waves up to 20 feet. The state enacted its first hurricane warning in 17 years, but planned no evacuation—although many lobstermen were surprised...
'Laura Bush' Novelist Falls for Michelle
Time | Sep 28, 2008 3:36 PM CDT
(Newser) - The divide between the chattering classes and the average voter comes into sharp focus when spending time with Michelle Obama, novelist Curtis Sittenfeld writes for Time. Sittenfeld's recently released American Wife is about a character clearly based on Laura Bush, who "inspires my affection and sympathy," but Obama "is completely...
Ethiopian Tops Own Marathon Record
Associated Press | Sep 28, 2008 2:58 PM CDT
(AP) - Haile Gebrselassie broke his own marathon world record on Sunday, becoming the first runner to finish in under 2 hours, 4 minutes, the AP reports. The Ethiopian clocked 2:03:59 to win his third straight Berlin Marathon, beating the mark of 2:04:26 he set last year over the same flat course. He also became the first runner to win the race three times.
Once-Nurtured Militants Have Pakistan Teetering on Brink
New York Times | Sep 28, 2008 2:37 PM CDT
(Newser) - Pakistan’s government is caught between two overbearing powers: the Taliban fighters who want to destroy it, and the American officials who inflame tensions between the government and its people. “The Pakistanis are truly concerned about their whole country unraveling,” a Western military official tells Dexter Filkins, who sketches...
Candidates Spar Over Bailout Credit
Politico | Sep 28, 2008 2:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Both Barack Obama and John McCain claimed credit on the Sunday talk shows for ushering through the bipartisan bailout plan, Politico reports. The highlights: “What Senator McCain was able to do was to help bring all the parties to the table, including the House Republicans,” GOP strategist Steve Schmidt said on Meet the Press ....
What Will Taxpayers Shell Out for All This?
Wall Street Journal | Sep 28, 2008 1:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - If a $700 billion federal bailout sounds like a lot, it is—but Washington will actually shell out $1 trillion in all of its present and proposed plans. Between Henry Paulson's plan, and bailouts of Bear Stearns, AIG, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Wall Street Journal breaks down Washington's rescues into pieces to see how much of it will...
Wolfe: Stars Went to Hedge Funds Long Ago
New York Times | Sep 28, 2008 1:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - Tom Wolfe has been fielding a lot of questions about where the Wall Street crisis leaves the Masters of the Universe now, writes the author of the seminal book about the excesses of 1980s traders in the New York Times . But, he notes, the real investment banking superstars left for hedge funds 6 years ago, long before the banks failed. And they've...
Don't Breeze Into Billion-Dollar Wind Projects
The Atlantic | Sep 28, 2008 1:04 PM CDT
(Newser) - Wind promises a practical source of renewable energy, but if the US doesn’t develop it properly, it’ll face another ethanol-like morass, warns Matthew Quirk in the Atlantic . Efforts like T. Boone Pickens’ $10 billion Texas wind farm are misguided. “Wind power is unlikely to cause a global food crisis,” Quirk writes....
4 Killed in Md. Medevac Crash
Washington Post | Sep 28, 2008 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - A Maryland State Police Medevac helicopter crashed in bad weather early this morning, killing four of the five on board, the Washington Post reports. The crew was transporting two teenage car-crash victims to a hospital when air traffic controllers lost radio contact about 12:30am. Police found the crash site at 2am, and rushed the survivor, one...
Palin's Swimsuit Footage Surfaces
New York Daily News | Sep 28, 2008 12:37 PM CDT
(Newser) - Footage has surfaced of the 1984 Miss Alaska competition, in which Sarah Heath—soon to become Palin—struts her stuff in the swimsuit competition, reports the New York Daily News . The blurry video captures an announcer explaining that "Sarah Heath says that she wants to prepare for a career in television broadcasting." Palin...
Web 2.0 Makes Hitler a Satirical Star
Guardian (UK) | Sep 28, 2008 12:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - Hitler wants his Xbox back, at least in one of many YouTube spoofs. Using clips from a 2004 German film about the Nazi’s demise, users have also rewritten subtitles to show Hitler ranting about Hillary Clinton and Adam Sandler movies. The spoofs are the latest Web 2.0 spawn, the Guardian observes, enabling armchair impresarios to create and...
US Dominance Is Dead
Guardian (UK) | Sep 28, 2008 11:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - After decades of a scolding countries for irresponsible behavior, Uncle Sam has finally had his comeuppance, John Gray opines in the Guardian, concluding that “The era of American global leadership is over." Unable to silence Hugo Chavez, thwart Russian aggression in Georgia, appreciate Chinese fiscal practices, and halt its own shoddy...
Rep Warns GOP Opposition Could Sink Bailout Deal
Politico | Sep 28, 2008 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Even as Washington officials reached for the bubbly, a prominent House Republican warned that GOP lawmakers may not approve the bailout deal reached last night. “We are not ready to say that a deal is done,” said Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, who has spearheaded efforts by House conservatives to offer alternatives on the bailout.
McCain's 'Suspension' Just a Cover
New York Times | Sep 28, 2008 10:13 AM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain’s “suspension” of his campaign was nothing more than a political ruse to bolster flagging poll numbers, writes Frank Rich in the New York Times . McCain didn’t acknowledge the financial turmoil until polls showed Barack Obama opening a wide lead. With damaging stories circulating in the press, McCain had to make...
Dental Divide: US Goes for White, UK Prefers Character
BBC | Sep 28, 2008 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - The difference between British teeth and American teeth is in societal expectations, the BBC reports. “Americans have the idea uniformity is equivalent to looking good,” one UK expert says. “The British character is more free-spirited, more radical.” Brits like Ricky Gervais have resisted the lure of the super-white smile, and...
Tina Kills Again as Sarah
Comedy Centric | Sep 28, 2008 9:12 AM CDT
(Newser) - Comedian Tina Fey skewered Sarah Palin in a command reprise performance on Saturday Night Live last night. This time, Fey parodied the candidate's foibles during her interview with Katie Couric, reports Comedy Centric. In the opening sketch, Fey, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Palin, is stumped by a question from Amy Poehler’s Couric and...
Blogger Busted for Bad Bank Rumor
Associated Press | Sep 28, 2008 8:31 AM CDT
(Newser) - As worldwide worries mount about the US financial crisis, a Hong Kong blogger has been arrested after allegedly posting internet rumors that a local bank was in trouble, AP reports. He urged depositors to withdraw their funds, police said. He was arrested for computer use with criminal or dishonest intent. Last week hundreds of customers swarmed the...
Scarlett Weds Her Ryan
People | Sep 28, 2008 7:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hollywood uber babe Scarlett Johansson has tied the knot with actor Ryan Reynolds, former beau of singer Alanis Morrissette. The 23-year-old star and Reynolds, 31, were married quietly in Canada yesterday, reports People . It's the first marriage for both. Little Ryans and Scarletts may be on the way soon. When the couple announced their engagement...
Casinos Staked Fortunes on Friendly Gambler Mac
New York Times | Sep 28, 2008 7:10 AM CDT
(Newser) - Life-time gambler John McCain is behind more casino legislation than any other lawmaker, and has helped Indian gambling become a $26 billion industry, reports the New York Times . Though the Arizona senator has called lobbyists “birds of prey,” he has enjoyed close links to casino lobbyists. He once won thousands of dollars as a guest...
1,000 Alaskans Protest Palin
Anchorage Daily News | Sep 28, 2008 6:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - Some 1,000 protesters chanting “recall Palin!” turned out in force in Anchorage yesterday to object to the state’s handling of Troopergate, reports the Anchorage Daily News. Demonstrators called for the attorney general's resignation and urged legislators to issue a report on the probe into Sarah Palin's alleged abuse of power before...
How to Detect Earthquakes From Your Desk
Economist | Sep 28, 2008 6:11 AM CDT
(Newser) - Seismologists have found a way to harness the power of a built-in feature of many laptops and create a new wide-ranging earthquake-detection system, the Economist reports. The "Quake-Catcher Network" capitalizes on laptops' accelerometers, little devices that detect when the computer is falling or shaken, to provide widespread—and...
All Hail Paul, 'Ultimate Cool Guy'
E! Online | Sep 28, 2008 5:43 AM CDT
(Newser) - E! Online published a list of high-profile tributes in remembrance of Paul Newman's death Friday. Here are some highlights: "He set the bar too high for the rest of us. Not just actors, but all of us." —George Clooney "Paul Newman was the ultimate cool guy who men wanted to be like and women adored." —Arnold...
America's Real Financial Crisis? It's Debt
Time | Sep 28, 2008 5:23 AM CDT
(Newser) - Washington must stop selling debt as its top export if it wants to solve today's financial crisis, Justin Fox argues in Time . Political talk of the nation's staggering $731 billion deficit often centers on trade pacts and exchange rates. But "if the US simply stopped borrowing so much—if Washington balanced its budget and restrained financial...
Deal Reached on Bailout
Washington Post | Sep 28, 2008 5:08 AM CDT
(Newser) - Congress and the Bush administration have agreed on a preliminary plan for the $700 billion bailout bill, Washington leaders said after emerging from talks after midnight this morning. Though details need ironing out, “I think we're there,” announced Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Work was to continue with a vote possibly as soon as...
Muslim 'Terror Trio' Bombs Publisher's London Home
Times (UK) | Sep 28, 2008 4:35 AM CDT
(Newser) - Three suspected Muslim terrorists were busted yesterday after they firebombed the London home of the publisher of a novel about the Prophet Muhammad that includes a sex scene, reports the Times of London. The three men were nabbed after a petrol bomb was pushed through the door of the Dutch publisher’s $5.6 million home and office yesterday...
Top 50-Something Studs
wowOwow | Sep 27, 2008 8:39 PM CDT
(Newser) - Older men can be sexier than callow youths, such as Leonardo and Brad—or so the ladies of WowOWow report, in their list of the top 50 sexiest men over 50. The elite: Rocker Bruce Springsteen Author James Patterson TV host Charlie Rose
Google Keeps Up Battle for Open-Access Cells
CNET | Sep 27, 2008 8:12 PM CDT
(Newser) - Google renewed its battle for open cell phone networks this week by filing for a new patent, CNET reports. The search giant filed to free smartphones from network-carrier agreements so users can tap into whatever connection is strongest and most affordable. But carriers mostly resist the notion, saying tight networks are needed to ensure quality and...
Mets Live Another Day; Phillies Clinch
Associated Press | Sep 27, 2008 7:49 PM CDT
(AP) - Desperate to stay in the playoff race, the New York Mets brought back Johan Santana early and he delivered, pitching a three-hitter that led them over the Florida Marlins 2-0 on a rainy day today, the AP reports. Nearly 2 hours later, the Mets pulled into a tie with Milwaukee for the NL wild card when the Brewers lost 7-3 to the Chicago Cubs.
Drug Users OD by Confusing Coke, Ecstasy
Independent (UK) | Sep 27, 2008 7:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - One of the biggest dangers of ecstasy, the drug’s opponents say, is that it looks a lot like cocaine. Hospitals have faced a rash of accidental overdoses from drug users who unwittingly snorted the psychedelic drug, the Independent reports. Britain's drug advisory council is probing the spate as it considers whether to downgrade ecstasy from...
Brits Groan as Convention Goes American-Style
Wall Street Journal | Sep 27, 2008 7:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - England's political conventions have relied more on booze and debate than American-style showmanship, the Wall Street Journal reports. That has mean no flags, no banners, no stadium-sized crowd, and no rock & roll. Which is why some stalwarts got uppity when the Labor Party added a videoscreen and the prime minister's wife at the party's annual...
Alcatraz Garden Blooms Despite Years of Neglect
Sacramento Bee | Sep 27, 2008 6:41 PM CDT
(Newser) - The hardened inmates on San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island had tough neighbors who endure to this day: sun-kissed geraniums, snapdragons, gazanias, and roses. Thanks to an ambitious restoration project, “The Rock” is blooming, the Sacramento Bee reports. After work began 5 years ago, gardeners discovered 145 plant varieties that survived...
Depression Killed David Foster Wallace
Salon | Sep 27, 2008 6:04 PM CDT
(Newser) - After a torrent of tributes to David Foster Wallace since his suicide 2 weeks ago, Salon talks with close friends and family members about the decades-long battle with depression that led the beloved and astonishingly talented writer to take his life. For years, Wallace functioned with the help of antidepressants, but he'd developed problems with...
Foreclosures Soar on Homes Over $1M
MSNBC | Sep 27, 2008 5:38 PM CDT
(Newser) - The housing crisis, having wreaked havoc on low- and middle-income homeowners, is moving into the mansion set. Foreclosures on $1 million plus homes have almost doubled since last year, MSNBC reports, and more than doubled for homes over $2 million. The reasons are familiar: layoffs in the executive and professional ranks, coupled with huge mortgages,...
Bizarre Video Review Tips Giants Game
San Francisco Chronicle | Sep 27, 2008 5:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - There’s no crying in baseball, but there are plenty of furrowed brows today after last night’s bizarre Dodgers-Giants game. Los Angeles was leading 2-0 in the sixth when Giants catcher Bengie Molina hit a home run that was ruled a single. The Giants replaced him with pinch runner Emmanuel Burriss, but still argued the call, sparking a grueling...
Many Cancer Trials Go Unpublished: Study
BusinessWeek | Sep 27, 2008 4:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - Fewer than 20% of cancer trial results are published in peer-review journals, a new study says. And industry-sponsored trials only achieve publication one time in 20. The reason? Scientists seeking success and media-hungry journals don't want to publish negative results, analysts say—even if they would aid other cancer studies.
Housing Meltdown Not a Racial Issue
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Sep 27, 2008 4:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - Some conservative commentators have bypassed greedy Wall Street firms, reckless lenders, and a government asleep at the wheel to blame minorities for the credit crisis, Cynthia Tucker observes in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  This a misguided move for many reasons, she writes. For starters, the affirmative action lending programs they blame...
China Tops US With More High-Speed Lines
InformationWeek | Sep 27, 2008 3:41 PM CDT
(Newser) - China's broadband network is now bigger than America's, InformationWeek reports. In fact the Asian nation has the planet's biggest high-speed network—which "means a lot more for building a modern, hi-tech economy" than China's spacewalk yesterday, one expert said. "This is a major milestone for China."
Now a Hurricane, Kyle Heads for Maine
Associated Press | Sep 27, 2008 3:39 PM CDT
(AP) - A rare hurricane watch was posted for part of the Maine coast today as Tropical Storm Kyle was upgraded to hurricane strength, the AP reports. Kyle's center was forecast to be near eastern New England or the Canadian Maritime provinces late tomorrow. "Hurricane season isn't over, " a Maine emergency director said. "It's been a very active...
Whose Voice Is That Telling You How to Vote?
Newsweek | Sep 27, 2008 3:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - We all know who’s approving the message, but who are those guys actually reading it? The world of voice actors for campaign ads is a tight, politically charged one, Newsweek reports. Voters will be exposed to about 3,000 ads this season, and almost all will be voiced by one of a couple of dozen specialized readers. And like everything else...
NY's Weirdos Will Miss You, Shea
Christian Science Monitor | Sep 27, 2008 2:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - Shea Stadium may lack the grandeur of Yankee Stadium and look like a tacky concrete donut, but that's what made the New York Mets' home great, writes Harry Bruinius in the Christian Science Monitor. “Shea is a circus in a way Yankee Stadium could never be,” and gave the city's eccentric, less button-down baseball fans a place to watch...
Patients Could Polish Their Bedside Manner, Docs Say
Globe and Mail | Sep 27, 2008 2:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - Odds are you're annoying your doctor, according to a Canadian study that asked nearly 300 physicians about their daily frustrations. As the Globe and Mail reports, many had difficulty establishing rapports with patients, who routinely resisted or flouted their advice —which can lead to patient safety problems. “When you have patients...
Newman a Man for All Seasons
New York Times | Sep 27, 2008 1:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - Paul Newman was one of our most legendary actors, but his life and legacy went far beyond the movies, the New York Times writes. From his rare long-lived Hollywood marriage to Joanne Woodward (they lived in Connecticut) to his tireless philanthropy on behalf of sickly kids, Newman did more than bat his striking blue eyes. “I just happen to...
Dems, GOP Close In on Bailout Plan
New York Times | Sep 27, 2008 1:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - Lawmakers nearly pulled an all-nighter yesterday negotiating Henry Paulson's bailout plan and vowed to unveil it tomorrow, the New York Times reports. “Staff worked until 3am this morning on the bailout,” Senate majority leader Harry Reid said, and “they made significant progress.” But there are still some sticking points...
Paris Lifts 30-Year Ban on High Rises
Times (UK) | Sep 27, 2008 1:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - Ambitious new towers will soon be thrusting into the Paris sky now that the city has decided to drop a ban on tall buildings, the Times of London reports. The Eiffel Tower is likely to remain the city's tallest, but by 2012 it will share the skyline with a 590-foot glass pyramid said to resemble a giant blade or a witch's hat—the first of six...
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