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.
For Sale: Brit's $7.9M Breakdown Palace
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 24, 2008 11:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Pop tart Britney Spears has put her six-bedroom Beverly Hills home on the market for $7.9 million, and you can almost hear champagne corks pop as neighbors rejoice, reports the Los Angeles Times . The manse, with mosaic tile floors, pool and spa, has been the site of paparazzi mob scenes and Spears' meltdowns, including one that ended with a military-style...
Bailout Ushers In New Era of Regulation
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 24, 2008 11:12 AM CDT
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When the dust settles on the $700-billion federal bailout, one thing will be clear, the Wall Street Journal writes: that it signals a swing toward government intervention in the business world not seen since the 1980s. Treasury becoming a shareholder in firms it lends to, regulation of credit-default swaps, limits to compensation of executive whose...
Finnish Shootings Trigger Call for Gun-Law Changes
BBC
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Sep 24, 2008 11:07 AM CDT
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Responding to a grieving Finland, the country's prime minister called for stricter gun laws in the wake of yesterday's school shooting. Matti Vanhanen questioned the legality of private handgun ownership, calling guns more fit for shooting ranges. It may be a difficult case to make in a country with 1.6 million private firearms and where 15-year-olds...
Congress Wants More Taxpayer Guarantees
New York Times
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Sep 24, 2008 11:04 AM CDT
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As opposition to the Bush administration’s economic bailout plan became more strident in both parties yesterday, officials began a major push to convince Congress a deal had to be approved quickly, the New York Times reports. The White House said the results of failing to reach an accord were “unthinkable,” but Congress remained...
Goldman Raises $10B After Buffett's Buy-in
Bloomberg
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Sep 24, 2008 11:01 AM CDT
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Where Warren Buffett goes, investors follow. Goldman’s new stock offering pulled in $5 billion this morning, twice the $2.5 billion the firm expected, as investors followed Buffett’s lead, Bloomberg reports. That extra money, combined with Buffett’s $5 billion investment, “should quickly end credit-market debate about the capitalization...
Obama Smears Are Low-Profile Precision Strikes
New York Times
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Sep 24, 2008 10:52 AM CDT
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This election’s smear campaigns are precision strikes flying under the radar, unlike the publicity assault from the Swift Boat attacks last time around, the New York Times reports. An independent group has run cable ads heavy on racial overtones in Detroit’s suburbs, linking Barack Obama to controversial black figures such as his former...
Hurricanes Prompt Calls to Soften Restrictions on Cuba
Washington Post
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Sep 24, 2008 10:28 AM CDT
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The devastation Hurricanes Gustav and Ike wrought on Cuba has prompted the US to offer direct aid for the first time in the 47-year history of its embargo on the island, but even ardent anti-Castro Cuban Americans are pushing for more, the Washington Post reports. While not all favor lifting the embargo, there is a broad consensus that limits on...
Guggenheim Taps Curator as New Chief
New York Times
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Sep 24, 2008 10:24 AM CDT
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The Guggenheim Foundation has chosen Richard Armstrong, the head of the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, as the museum's new director. He succeeds Thomas Krens, who established the Guggenheim as a global brand with branches in Europe and more planned in Asia and the Middle East. But Krens' commercialism and expansionist ambitions antagonized many in...
As Alaska Melts, Palin Plays Big Oil Denial Game
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 24, 2008 10:13 AM CDT
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Alaska is melting, but Sarah Palin doesn’t believe man’s to blame. Then again, McCain’s VP pick is also skeptical about evolution, “which is like not believing in gravity,” writes Robert F. Kennedy Jr in the LA Times. Kennedy recalls his childhood, when Virginia had ski slopes and uncle JFK would come toboggan in his...
Fed Grabs Another $30B in Currency Swap
Reuters
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Sep 24, 2008 10:00 AM CDT
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The Federal Reserve announced today that it had set up another $30 billion worth of currency swap lines—designed to put more dollars into world markets—in its latest effort to deal with the credit market. The Fed arranged two $10 billion reciprocal circuits with Australia and Sweden’s central banks, and $5 billion lines with Denmark...
LiLo: I've Dated Sam 'a Very Long Time'
Associated Press
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Sep 24, 2008 9:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Lindsay Lohan has ended months of speculation by confirming that she and Samantha Ronson are an item, AP reports. The pair rang the Loveline radio show to share the news. When the DJ asked, "You guys, you and Samantha, have been going out for how long now?" Lohan laughed, paused, and said: "For a very long time."
Clerics Shake Up Islamic Finance
Portfolio
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Sep 24, 2008 9:49 AM CDT
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Of the challenges facing Western financial markets, fear of divine intervention isn’t one. The Middle East’s booming debt market is considered one of the most stable in the world, but investors there are getting a taste of “religious interpretation risk,” Portfolio reports. Islamic scholars are declaring that some 85% of sukuks,...
Stone Denied Custody of Son
Associated Press
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Sep 24, 2008 9:36 AM CDT
(AP) -
Sharon Stone lost another round of custody proceedings over her oldest son. A judge denied her request for primary custody of 8-year-old Roan, who's been living with his father, former San Fransisco Chronicle executive editor Phil Bronstein. The couple divorced in 2004 after six years of marriage.
Critics: Bernanke-Paulson Plan Isn't the Only Option
Washington Post
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Sep 24, 2008 9:29 AM CDT
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The Bush administration’s $700-billion bailout isn’t the only option available to help Wall Street, and critics say alternatives that limit taxpayer liability have been too quickly abandoned for the sake of quick action, reports the Washington Post. "They presented this as a comprehensive, decisive solution, but it's clearly not...
Buffett's Goldman Buy Stabilizes Stocks
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 24, 2008 9:16 AM CDT
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Stocks rose slightly at the open, reports the Wall Street Journal, buoyed by Warren Buffett’s $5 billion vote of confidence in Goldman Sachs. The Dow Jones rose 21 points, while the S&P rose 0.3%, and the Nasdaq 0.9%. Capitol Hill will again command Wall Street's attention today, and while Congress may be skeptical, Buffett is behind the...
Dear Iraq: It's Time to Step Up. Sincerely, W
New York Times
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Sep 24, 2008 8:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As America faces "a financial 9/11," what does the $1 trillion bailout mean for the country's other huge expense—the war in Iraq? Thomas L. Friedman plays ventriloquist in the New York Times , imagining President Bush telling Iraqi leaders that "you are now going to have to step up and finish this job" as the US will "turn...
Pickens' Own Energy Funds Down $1B
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 24, 2008 8:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
T. Boones Pickens' energy plan might need some tweaking —at least when it comes to his own investments. Even as the billionaire campaigns for his energy independence proposal, his energy-focused hedge funds have lost about $1 billion this year, the Wall Street Journal reports. “It's my toughest run in 10 years,” says...
Aso Becomes Japan PM, But Election Looms
Bloomberg
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Sep 24, 2008 8:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Taro Aso took office today as Japan's fourth prime minister in just 2 years, and the hawkish new leader appointed several long-time supporters to serve with him in cabinet. But the government may be short-lived, Bloomberg reports. Officials in Tokyo predicted that the PM would call an election as soon as next month, in which he will fight to keep his...
Lance's Return to Begin in Australia
USA Today
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Sep 24, 2008 8:22 AM CDT
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Lance Armstrong will announce today his return to professional cycling will be in January's Tour Down Under, USA Today reports, with the ultimate goal of competing for his eighth Tour de France title in July. Armstrong is also to unveil the creation of a new 23-and-under team to include 18-year-old Olympian Taylor Phinney, as he seeks to draw attention...
Cheney Fails to Rally Troops Around Bailout
Politico
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Sep 24, 2008 8:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Dick Cheney held court on Capitol Hill yesterday, hoping to convince House Republicans to support the Treasury’s $700-billion bailout plan. But the VP's once-considerable clout in Congress has dissipated, Politico reports; Republicans emerged from the two-hour, closed-door meeting calling it “a bloodbath” and “an unmitigated...
Goldman Lawyer May Testify Against OJ
CNN
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Sep 24, 2008 8:06 AM CDT
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OJ Simpson's past murder trial dramatically resurfaced in his armed robbery hearing yesterday as prosecutors sought to question a lawyer for the family of murder victim Ron Goldman, CNN reports. The prosecution argued that David Cook—who has aggressively pursued Simpson's assets—could testify as to Simpson's state of mind and possible motivation...
US Drone Downed in Pakistan
Reuters
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Sep 24, 2008 7:27 AM CDT
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The Pakistani military says it has recovered the wreckage of an American spy drone in the tense Afghan border region. Local tribesmen had earlier claimed to have shot the drone down, but Pakistani officials said the wreckage had no bullet holes, and apparently was downed by a malfunction. US officials denied that any drones had been lost, but no other...
Wet Nurses Milk China's Tainted Formula Crisis
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 24, 2008 7:06 AM CDT
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Many Chinese mothers are returning to breastfeeding as infant formula sickens thousands of babies, reports the Wall Street Journal, but in a growing number of wealthy families the breasts are rented. The ancient practice of wet nursing has been reborn, but with a capitalist bent: "Many people look down on this job. I do it because I have no...
N. Korea Restarts Nuke Program
Associated Press
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Sep 24, 2008 6:40 AM CDT
(AP) -
North Korea plans to reactivate its nuclear program and will start reinserting plutonium-producing nuclear material within a week, reports the AP. Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, said that his inspectors removed all agency seals and surveillance equipment from the country's main nuclear facility. He...
Bailout Talks Get Stuck on Executive Pay
New York Times
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Sep 24, 2008 6:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As Washington continues to wrangle over the terms of the Wall Street bailout, one major sticking point has been executive pay packages, with many in Congress looking to punish CEOs seeking taxpayer aid. While lobbyists are pushing back hard, some kind of restraint on compensation seems unavoidable, reports the New York Times . Predicts Arthur Levitt,...
Fast Food Pounds Mediterranean
New York Times
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Sep 24, 2008 5:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The much-vaunted Mediterranean diet is falling out of favor fast around the Mediterranean —and obesity rates are rocketing, the New York Times reports. Greek men are now the fattest people in Europe by far as the traditional diet high in vegetables and fish but low in meat is replaced by pizza and burgers in even the smallest towns.
Freddie Mac Paid Monthly $15K to McCain Aide's Firm
New York Times
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Sep 24, 2008 5:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A firm owned by John McCain's campaign manager received $15,000 a month from Freddie Mac until the mortgage giant was taken over by the government this month, insiders tell the New York Times . McCain insisted just days ago that it's been years since aide Rick Davis had any contact with Freddie Mac.
NHL Snaps It Up Online
CNET
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Sep 24, 2008 4:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The National Hockey League is increasing its online footprint with expanded game coverage on the web. One game each day will be offered online to America's 20 million hockey fans with multiple camera angles and on-demand playback. The league has moved to Flash-based video that more Mac and PC users will be able to access, reports CNET.
Obama Cracks Open Lead on Economic Fears
Washington Post
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Sep 24, 2008 4:31 AM CDT
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Wall Street's worries are working in Barack Obama's favor, according to a new Washington Post/ ABC News poll. The candidate has opened up his first clear lead of the race against John McCain, 52% to 43%, with much of the boost coming from voters who see him as more capable of dealing with the economic woes facing the nation.
Americans Resent Wall St. Bailout
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 24, 2008 4:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Most Americans, struggling unaided with their own financial problems, resent the Wall Street bailout, reports the Los Angeles Times. Taxpayers don't believe it should be government's responsibility to foot the bill for the collapse of America's financial goliaths, according to a Times/Bloomberg poll. But 57% in a separate poll believe Congress has...
French Workers Lose Appetite for Leisurely Lunch
Guardian (UK)
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Sep 24, 2008 3:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Thousands of cafes and restaurants in Paris are closing as French workers change their eating and spending habits and dine at their desks just like Americans . French office workers are skipping traditional long lunches in favor of takeaway baguettes. Those who do opt for restaurant meals skip aperitifs, hors d'oeuvres, even wine to save time and...
Palin 'Hacker' Dodges Charges —for Now
Chattanooga Times
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Sep 24, 2008 3:22 AM CDT
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A federal grand jury ended its session yesterday without handing down an indictment against a University of Tennessee student accused of breaking into Sarah Palin’s email account, reports the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The panel heard testimony from schoolmates of David Kernell, the 20-year-old son of state Democratic Rep. Michael Kernell....
Athletes to Donate Brains for Concussion Study
New York Times
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Sep 24, 2008 2:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A dozen athletes have agreed to donate their brains to a new research project that will study them for the long-term effects of concussions, the New York Times reports. The Boston University center has already examined the brains of six deceased NFL players, finding brain damage in five cases. Former New England Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson...
Dems Ditch Ban on Offshore Drilling
Politico
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Sep 24, 2008 2:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Democrats are removing a ban on offshore drilling from the budget resolution to avoid a White House veto, Politico reports. The move aims "to take a budget standoff of the table so we can address the larger Bush financial crisis," said a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelos. A GOP leader hailed the "capitulation" as a "victory...
Alabama Senator Leads GOP Charge Against Bailout
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 24, 2008 2:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Republican Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby is proving to be one of the toughest opponents of the Treasury Department's proposed bailout of financial firms, the Wall Street Journal reports. The ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee is leading the charge against the plan by Republicans who view it as a sellout of conservative principles.
Red Sox In, Yankees Out
Boston Globe
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Sep 23, 2008 9:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The World Series champs are back in the playoffs. The Red Sox clinched at least a wild-card berth with a 5-4 win over Cleveland tonight, the Boston Globe reports. The victory officially eliminates the Yankees from playoff contention and ends their streak of 13 consecutive appearances. The Red Sox can still catch Tampa in the AL East, but it's looking...
Supreme Court Stays Execution of Georgia Man
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Sep 23, 2008 8:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Supreme Court issued a stay of execution for a Georgia man only two hours before he was scheduled to die tonight, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Troy Anthony Davis has been on death row since 1991, when he was convicted of killing an off-duty police officer. Seven of nine key prosecution witnesses have since recanted their testimony,...
FBI Begins Probe of AIG, Lehman, Fannie, Freddie
Associated Press
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Sep 23, 2008 8:21 PM CDT
(AP) -
The FBI is investigating four major US financial institutions whose collapse helped trigger a $700-billion bailout plan by the Bush administration. The agency is looking at potential fraud by mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, insurer AIG and Lehman Brothers. The inquiries will focus on the companies and the individuals that ran them,...
Fake Pop-Ups Dupe Most Users, Study Says
Ars Technica
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Sep 23, 2008 7:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Malware makers love to create fake error-message popups, but surely those are obvious ploys that no one falls for, right? Wrong, Ars Technica reports. Psychology researchers recently tested a group of college students with a series of fake popups, each laden with what should have been warning signs. The students flunked badly, with only 9 of 42 closing...
Clay Aiken: Yes, I'm Gay
E! Online
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Sep 23, 2008 7:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Well, it's official: Clay Aiken is gay. The 29-year-old crooner and American Idol star comes out in the upcoming issue of People magazine, which features him on the cover with his new baby and the headline, "Yes, I'm gay," E! Online reports. The cover quotes him as saying, "I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things."...
Tough Sale: Paulson, Bernanke Can't Sway Critics
Washington Post
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Sep 23, 2008 6:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke ran into a bipartisan buzzsaw of criticism and skepticism during a 5-hour pitch for their massive bailout plan on Capitol Hill today, the Washington Post reports. Afterward, Sen. Chris Dodd, the Democratic chair of the Senate's banking panel, flatly declared the plan "unacceptable." And Sen. Richard Shelby,...
Palin Meets World Leaders
New York Times
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Sep 23, 2008 6:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sarah Palin sought to ease concerns about her foreign policy experience by holding her first-ever meetings today with heads of state, the New York Times reports. Palin sat down for private conversations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, and also with Henry Kissinger and national security chief Mike McConnell....
EPA Won't Limit Rocket-Fuel Ingredient in Water
Associated Press
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Sep 23, 2008 5:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The EPA has decided not to set limits for a component of rocket fuel that contaminates drinking water, according to an agency document reviewed by the AP. Perchlorate, linked to thyroid problems in pregnant women and babies, enters the water supply through improper disposal by rocket test sites and chemical plants. The EPA denied Pentagon pressure...
Buffett Invests $5B in Goldman
Financial Times (UK)
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Sep 23, 2008 5:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Warren Buffett is betting $5 billion on the future of Goldman Sachs, the Financial Times reports. The move by one of the world's savviest investors is one of the biggest signs of confidence in the financial system since the current turmoil began, the Wall Street Journal notes. Goldman, which this week changed its structure from an investment bank...
Iran Leader: 'American Empire' Coming to an End
Reuters
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Sep 23, 2008 5:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today that the days of America asserting its influence over the world are numbered, Reuters reports. At the UN, Ahmadinejad blamed a "few bullying powers" for the world's troubles and for trying to rein in his nation's peaceful nuclear ambitions. Ahmadinejad, who earlier made a thumbs-down gesture...
Let Trig and Track's Mom Rename You
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Sep 23, 2008 4:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
What if Sarah Palin—mom to Track, Trig, Bristol, Willow and Piper—could rename those of us with less creative parents? The Philadelphia Inquirer plugs some into a name generator rigged up by blogger David Harrington at Polit Tsk Tsk Tsk, and gets: John "Steam Fangs" McCain Barack "Tarp Lazer" Obama
Dems Get Higher Doses of Drug Company Donations
Politico
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Sep 23, 2008 4:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Pharmaceutical firms have been a stalwart Republican ally—$22 million of the industry’s $30 billion in contributions went to GOP congressional candidates in 2002—but drug makers are increasingly supporting Democrats, Jeanne Cummings reports in Politico. Programs such as President Bush’s prescription-drug plan mean half of pharmaceutical...
McCain Plays Horton-Like Race Card: Dukakis
PolitickerMA
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Sep 23, 2008 4:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Dukakis says John McCain is using the same race-based tactics that sunk the Massachusetts Democrat’s 1988 presidential campaign, PolitickerMA reports. Dukakis cites an ad that criticizes Barack Obama’s supposed economic advisor, disgraced Fannie Mae CEO Franklin Raines, who’s also black. Dukakis called the spot “essentially”...
Fired Workers Kill Boss in India
Independent (UK)
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Sep 23, 2008 4:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An angry mob of laid-off workers killed their former boss at an Italian manufacturing firm in India yesterday, the Independent reports. Lalit Kishore Choudhary, who oversaw Oerlikon Graziano’s auto-parts business in India, was bludgeoned to death with iron bars as he tried to negotiate with the disgruntled former employees. Apparently, a deal...
Officials: Texas Needs $40B From Feds for Ike Cleanup
Houston Chronicle
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Sep 23, 2008 4:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Texas officials told Congress today they might need up to $40 billion in aid to rebuild the state's hurricane-hit areas, the Houston Chronicle reports. The state's lieutenant governor sought at least $11.5 billion of aid and as many trailer homes as available to help the 770 communities damaged by Hurricane Ike. Houston's mayor requested an immediate...
