Newser Story Index from January, 2009

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.

UK Tabloid Says It Caught Phelps With Bong
News of the World (UK) | Jan 31, 09 10:22 PM CST
(Newser) - Michael Phelps may be getting a little too relaxed in the swimming off-season. The British tabloid News of the World has published a photo that it says shows the Olympic king taking a hit from a bong. No word yet from the Phelps camp , but the tabloid says the swimmer offered to write a regular column for the paper and steer advertisers its way...

Karaoke Rage Will Only Get Worse
Slate | Jan 31, 09 7:56 PM CST
(Newser) - Karaoke is getting downright dangerous, Brian Rafferty writes in Slate. Last fall, a drunk in a Wisconsin bar pummeled a man for singing a heavy metal tune; a Seattle man's version of Coldplay's Yellow earned him a beating the year before. It's even worse in Bangkok, where a gunman allegedly killed eight neighbors for singing John Denver's Country...

Japan, Help Us Wrestle the World's Problems
Newsweek | Jan 31, 09 7:20 PM CST
(Newser) - Japan's economic collapse in the 1990s and its decades of US dependence have left the nation rather timid, Christian Caryl writes in Newsweek . But its strong economy, bold environmental moves, and likely change of government this year will leave it poised to help the world. “The only trick now,” Caryl writes, “is to persuade...

'War on Terror' Phrase Fading Under Obama
Associated Press | Jan 31, 09 6:56 PM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama is rephrasing the "war on terror," the AP reports. As campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan continue—as do broader US efforts to hunt down extremists—Obama is apparently letting the Bush catchphrase go out of style. The new president instead invokes  “ongoing struggle” and “twilight struggle”...

Rising Gang Violence Sparks 80% of US Crime
USA Today | Jan 31, 09 6:34 PM CST
(Newser) - Growing by the year, US gangs boast about 1 million members and are responsible for up to 80% of crimes across the country, a new federal report says. Law enforcement crackdowns have helped, but gangs remain resistant. "They evolve and adapt,” said an FBI official. “They know what law enforcement is doing. Word of mouth spreads quickly.”...

Brits Hunt for Oldest Bulb
Daily Telegraph (UK) | Jan 31, 09 6:12 PM CST
(Newser) - The UK’s Royal Society of Chemistry has offered a $700 prize for the lucky Briton who turns up with the oldest working light bulb in the nation, the Telegraph reports. The society hopes the search will produce a bulb even older than the current world record holder—a lamp that has burned at a California firehouse since 1901.

'Womyn's Lands' Dwindle as Gays Go Mainstream
New York Times | Jan 31, 09 5:48 PM CST
(Newser) - So-called "womyn's lands" are quietly persisting across North America but face a cultural shift as modern gays embrace mainstream society, the New York Times reports. Founded in the 1970s to give lesbians man-free, safe, non-judgmental communities, the roughly 100 groups have seen membership dwindle and populations age. “In 20 to...

Kind of Blue Still the Gold Standard at 50
Newsweek | Jan 31, 09 5:27 PM CST
(Newser) - Fifty years to the day since its debut, Miles Davis’ signature album Kind of Blue remains beautiful and inviting—"like meeting an old friend," Malcolm Jones writes in Newsweek . The record helped jazz earn its title as America’s classical music and remains the bestselling jazz album ever. "You won’t find recordings...

Palin Among GOP Govs Backing Obama Plan
Associated Press | Jan 31, 09 5:07 PM CST
(Newser) - Most Republican governors have broken with GOP colleagues in Congress and are pushing for passage of Barack Obama's economic aid plan that would send billions to states for education, public works, and health care, the AP reports. Their state treasuries drained by the financial crisis, governors welcome the money from Capitol Hill, where GOP lawmakers...

Play-by-Play Booth Still Boys-Only Club
Washington Post | Jan 31, 09 4:43 PM CST
(Newser) - Andrea Kremer’s done nearly everything in sports journalism: produced, directed, and won Emmys for her stories. But come game time, she—like most women sports journalists—are stuck on the sidelines, the Washington Post reports. The play-by-play booth is reserved almost exclusively for men, who will broadcast the Final Four, the...

Sunni Iraqis: Shiites Barred Us From Voting
Los Angeles Times | Jan 31, 09 4:21 PM CST
(Newser) - At least 1,000 Sunni Iraqis were turned away from the polls in Baghdad today for being unregistered to vote, and many accused the Shiite government of deleting their names from the polls, the Los Angeles Times reports. “This is a disappointment,” complained one man. Agitation was high in one Sunni enclave that was once an insurgent stronghold....

Can RuPaul Revive Drag?
Salon | Jan 31, 09 4:00 PM CST
(Newser) - RuPaul is back, and starring in—what else?—a reality show, hoping to bring back the glory days of drag. And it’s almost certainly going to hit a false note, Thomas Rogers writes in Salon. Drag is, in RuPaul’s words, “a punk rock reaction to our masculine culture.” But for Rogers’ generation, which grew up in...

Juror Booted for 'Sitting in Hell' Facebook Post
Cincinnati Enquirer | Jan 31, 09 3:41 PM CST
(Newser) - An Ohio man inadvertently discovered a new, high-tech way to get out of jury duty: write about it on Facebook. A judge in a high-profile civil lawsuit booted Barry Price from service after the plaintiff’s attorney discovered his Facebook status: “Barry Price is sitting in hell… aka jury duty.” The defense team asked for a mistrial,...

Woodson, Smith Make Hall of Fame
Associated Press | Jan 31, 09 3:20 PM CST
(Newser) - Bruce Smith, Rod Woodson, and Derrick Thomas, all witnesses for the defense. All Pro Football Hall of Famers. The three were elected today along with longtime Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, who at age 90 will be the oldest person ever inducted; former Minnesota guard Randall McDaniel; and the late Bob Hayes, a standout wide receiver for Dallas and...

Saddam to Commanders: Wait, Do We Have WMDs?
Washington Post | Jan 31, 09 2:55 PM CST
(Newser) - Saddam Hussein didn't have weapons of mass destruction, but America made such a strong case that even the Iraqi leader himself had doubts, the Washington Post reports. Saddam, apparently in awe of US intelligence, asked his top commanders if the nation had stashes even he didn't know about. So says a new book by a CIA investigator, which also...

Cleared for Landing: Lily Allen's US Return
Wall Street Journal | Jan 31, 09 2:36 PM CST
(Newser) - After being grounded by US immigration officials just as her 2007 album was set to take off, the UK’s Lily Allen is taking a second shot at conquering America with a new album, reports the Wall Street Journal . Despite her visa travails, Allen's debut sold a respectable 500,000 copies in this country (and 2 million elsewhere). Her biggest challenge...

Obama Tries to Rein In Use of His Image
Bloomberg | Jan 31, 09 2:10 PM CST
(Newser) - Marketers have been using Barack Obama to sell everything from futons (Ikea's Embrace Change line) to ice cream (Yes Pecan from Ben & Jerry), but now the White House is trying to rain on their parade, Bloomberg reports. Lawyers are working to “protect the presidential image,” a spokesman said, “while being careful not to...

New Power Source Catches a Wave: Ocean Tides
Bloomberg | Jan 31, 09 1:37 PM CST
(Newser) - In the search for renewable energy, Europe and the US are turning to one of the earth’s most abundant resources—the tides, Bloomberg reports. Technology developed three decades ago to turn tidal energy into electricity in developing countries is finally finding traction in the West. The largest grid-connected turbine, able to power...

Boy Scout Bosses Sell Wildlands to Developers
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | Jan 31, 09 1:13 PM CST
(Newser) - The Boy Scouts of America has made tens of millions of dollars over the past two decades by selling campgrounds and valuable wildlands across the country to developers, a Seattle Post-Intelligencer investigation reports. The organization—which boasts a "conservation-minded" Outdoor Code—has often exclusively sought deals with...

Eat This Brain and Call Me in the Morning
Der Spiegel | Jan 31, 09 12:49 PM CST
(Newser) - Though safely out of fashion in today’s Europe, Western doctors just a few centuries ago recommended drinking blood, tasting brains, and eating flesh, Der Spiegel reports. Pieces of cadavers could be had in almost any pharmacy, says a British researcher who’s writing a book on "medicinal cannibalism." He cites corpse-preparation...

America's First Newspaper Lasted Just One Day
One Last Question | Jan 31, 09 12:28 PM CST
(Newser) - An exhibit of early American journalism wraps up today at a DC museum, and among its gems is the first edition of the colonies' first paper: Publick Occurrences , from 1690. It's "no small treasure," notes Ned Desmond in his One Last Question blog, because the newspaper's first edition also happened to be its last. Occurrences' most...

Google Flags Entire Internet as Malware
ZDNet | Jan 31, 09 12:25 PM CST
(Newser) - Anyone searching on Google for a short stretch early this morning got a rude awakening. Every result on the search giant turned up the warning, "This site may harm your computer,” ZDNet reports, and firewalls on personal PCs blocked them accordingly. Google blames the glitch—from 6:30am PST to 7:25—on human error; a stray...

Dolphins: Chefs of the Sea
National Geographic | Jan 31, 09 11:56 AM CST
(Newser) - A bottlenose dolphin that researchers have been tracking since 2003 follows a complex regimen when preparing a meal of cuttlefish, National Geographic reports. The female dolphin, caught on tape off the coast of Australia, first kills the squid-like creature, shakes it to remove indigestible ink, and then scrapes its catch on the seafloor to remove...

GOP Desperate to Keep Gregg in Senate
Politico | Jan 31, 09 11:26 AM CST
(Newser) - Republicans are stepping up efforts to keep Judd Gregg from jumping to Barack Obama’s Cabinet, or, failing that, to convince New Hampshire’s Democratic governor to pick a Republican to replace him. Otherwise, Democrats would gain a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority. “It would be a loss to the Senate of a great mind,” said one...

Now, Obama Awaits Overture From Iran
Politico | Jan 31, 09 10:57 AM CST
(Newser) - While Barack Obama is not backing away from his campaign pledge to meet Iran without preconditions, the new administration is hoping Tehran will take the first step toward détente, Politico reports. “If countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from us,” Obama said in his Arab TV interview,...

'Obsessed' Octuplet Mom Wanted 'One More Girl'
Los Angeles Times | Jan 31, 09 10:32 AM CST
(Newser) - The California mother of octuplets “is obsessed with children” and wanted “just one more girl” even though she already had six kids, her mother told the Los Angeles Times . The 33-year-old divorcee “is very good with children, but obviously she overdid herself,” said her mother, who filed for bankruptcy last year,...

Don't Be Afraid of the 'F' Word
Wall Street Journal | Jan 31, 09 10:07 AM CST
(Newser) - Foreclosures have gotten a bad rap lately, with politicians desperate to prevent them. But foreclosures actually represent one of the best paths to recovery, writes real-estate consultant Ramsey Su in the Wall Street Journal. The people facing foreclosure would be much better served walking away from the negative-equity McMansions destroying their...

Iraqis Wrap Up Voting Amid Relative Calm
New York Times | Jan 31, 09 9:49 AM CST
(Newser) - Iraq’s first provincial election went off more or less smoothly today. Though three mortar shells landed near one polling place, no one was injured or killed, Reuters reports, and polls closed without any other major incidents. Turnout appeared strong, even in places like Anbar province, a Sunni-dominated area that largely sat out 2005’s...

Utilities' Green Plea: Best Your Neighbor
New York Times | Jan 31, 09 9:37 AM CST
(Newser) - Utilities have discovered that tapping into consumers' competitive urges is the most effective way to jolt them into using less energy, the New York Times reports. Sacramento—in a program now copied in at least 10 other major cities—began awarding smiley faces to customers who did well compared to their neighbors. (They had to drop frowny...

Wall St. Braces for Lower Pay, Less Risk-Taking
Wall Street Journal | Jan 31, 09 9:13 AM CST
(Newser) - With the new president joining the chorus of outrage against bonuses for bailed-out Wall Street firms, bankers are grappling with the notion that long-held pay expectations will have to change, the Wall Street Journal reports. Eager to avert government crackdown, firms are expected to shrink and perhaps defer bonuses, to eliminate "big paydays...

Blago Wanted to Quit, Says Father-in-Law
Chicago Sun-Times | Jan 31, 09 8:47 AM CST
(Newser) - Illinois' newest ex-governor wanted to jump before he was pushed, Rod Blagojevich's estranged father-in-law tells the Chicago Sun-Times . Richard Mell, a powerful Chicago alderman credited with launching Blago's career, says his son-in-law, despite his denials, wanted to avoid being ousted "but he didn't reach out to anybody" in state government....

Mississippi Most Religious State, Vermont the Least
USA Today | Jan 31, 09 8:20 AM CST
(Newser) - If you’re looking for religion, head to Mississippi; if you want to avoid it, choose Vermont, a new Gallup survey suggests. Mississippi is ranked as America’s most religious state, with 85% saying religion is “an important part of daily life.” At the other end of the scale is Vermont at 42%, USA Today reports. Other Bible-belt...

First-Timer Chomps His Way to Wing Bowl Glory
Philadelphia Inquirer | Jan 31, 09 7:56 AM CST
(Newser) - Skinny first-timer Jonathan "Super Squibb" Squibb polished off 203 chicken wings and some heavyweight competition to win the 17th Wing Bowl yesterday, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer . Squibb, who beat favorites like 500-pound "Damaging Doug" Canavin, will take home a brand new Mini Cooper and crown of miniature chickens.

Super Bowl Shindig Mixes Parties, Loyalties
Politico | Jan 31, 09 7:26 AM CST
(Newser) - President Obama’s Super Bowl party will be bipartisan on two fronts: Republicans and Democrats alike are invited, and so are both Arizona and Pittsburgh fans. Still, the list leans to the left, with 11 Dems and 3 Republicans invited. They include Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and Arlen Specter and Arizona Reps. Trent Franks and Raul Grijalva,...

Arabs, Jews United Against Jerusalem Tram
Wall Street Journal | Jan 31, 09 7:15 AM CST
(Newser) - Jerusalem's bitterly divided residents have finally found something they can agree on, the Wall Street Journal reports. From ultra-orthodox rabbis to the PLO, just about everybody has found cause to dislike the new tram system currently under construction. Even the city's secular mayor has questioned the wisdom of continuing the project, designed...

Britney Ex-Pals Hit With Restraining Orders
TMZ | Jan 31, 09 6:58 AM CST
(Newser) - Britney Spears' family has obtained restraining orders against ex-manager Sam Lutfi, ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib, and a lawyer, sources tell TMZ. Lutfi and Ghalib, frequent companions during Britney's breakdown last year, are accused of conspiring to undermine her conservatorship arrangement. Spears herself is terrified of them both and wants to see...

Obama's Half- Brother Nabbed for Pot in Kenya
CNN | Jan 31, 09 6:50 AM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama’s half-brother has been arrested in Kenya for possessing marijuana, CNN reports. George Obama is being held at a Nairobi police station ahead of a Monday trial after police said he resisted arrest. He denies the charges. “They took me from my home," he said. "I don't know why they are charging me.” George and...

Serena Wins Aussie Open
Associated Press | Jan 31, 09 6:16 AM CST
(Newser) - Serena Williams routed Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 today to win the Australian Open for her 10th Grand Slam title and a return to the No. 1 ranking. It was total domination for the second-seeded Williams, who looked at ease in winning back-to-back majors—she won the US Open championship in September—as she moved fluidly on the court.

Tanker Owner Recounts Pirate Drama
Wall Street Journal | Jan 31, 09 5:08 AM CST
(Newser) - It took 56 days of tense negotiations to free the MV Biscaglia and its 28 crew members from the clutches of Somali pirates, shipping exec George Christodolou tells the Wall Street Journal . After the vessel was seized in the Gulf of Aden, Christodolou had to scramble to gain the pirates' trust, reduce their hefty ransom demand, and reassure the crew's...

Italian Cities Ban Foreign Food
Times (UK) | Jan 31, 09 4:03 AM CST
(Newser) - Kebabs, Chinese food, and curries are the targets of a growing Italian campaign against foreign food, the Times of London reports. The Tuscan town of Lucca has slapped a ban on new foreign eateries opening in the city, and Milan has now followed suit. Government-backed campaigners say they are fighting to protect Italian food from the increasingly...

US Flushes Blackwater Contract
Associated Press | Jan 31, 09 2:58 AM CST
(Newser) - The State Department said Friday it will not renew Blackwater's contract to protect American diplomats in Iraq when it expires in May. A department spokeswoman said the contract will lapse because of the Iraqi government's decision to deny Blackwater a license to operate, amid lingering outrage over a 2007 shooting incident in Baghdad that left 17...

Niche Cruises Set Sail
Travel Leisure | Jan 31, 09 2:12 AM CST
(Newser) - Increasingly popular niche cruises offer seafarers a chance to indulge in all manner of hobbies, fantasies and obsessions on the high seas, reports Travel and Leisure : For instance: Star Trek/Buffy the Vampire Slayer: This week-long cruise offers fan conventions complete with autograph-signing celebs, star-studded karaoke and a chance to...

Times to Ax 300 Jobs, Local News Section
LA Observed | Jan 30, 09 8:37 PM CST
(Newser) - Amid growing gloom in the newspaper business, the Los Angeles Times plans to lay off 300 workers and shelve its local news section, LA Observed reports. Foreign and national news will be downplayed to fit local stories into the front section, the publisher said in a memo today. Seventy newsroom staff will get the ax, cutting reporting strength...

'Tax Issues' Delay Daschle Nomination
Associated Press | Jan 30, 09 8:01 PM CST
(Newser) - The White House acknowledged today that "some tax issues" had emerged in connection with Barack Obama's nomination of Tom Daschle as health secretary. But a spokesman says the president is confident the former Senate Democratic leader will be confirmed. White House officials confirmed a broadcast report that Daschle failed to pay taxes on...

Michelle Taps Pottery Barn for White House Redo
Us Weekly | Jan 30, 09 7:41 PM CST
(Newser) - Michelle Obama is decorating Malia and Sasha's White House rooms with items from Pottery Barn and Anthropologie, Us reports. Designer Michael Smith, whose clients include Steven Spielberg and Michelle Pfeiffer, says he'll be inspired by the Obamas' "casual style" in using such "affordable brands." The family's Asian and African...

Dozens Killed as Hamas Retakes Gaza
Guardian (UK) | Jan 30, 09 7:07 PM CST
(Newser) - Gunmen have killed and wounded dozens in the Gaza Strip in an apparent effort by Hamas to regain control of the region, the Guardian reports. Human rights workers say Fatah officials and suspected spies for Israel are among the victims. "We don't know who's doing the killing," one worker said. "Some are individuals, some might be from...

Beverly Hills High Aims to Market Its 90210 Image
Forbes | Jan 30, 09 6:38 PM CST
(Newser) - Beverly Hills High School is considering starting lines of clothing and cosmetics in an attempt to capitalize on the glamorous image perpetuated by television’s 90210 series and famous alumni like Angelina Jolie. A smaller population of school-aged children in the neighborhood has sapped the tax base, leaving it with budget gaps, Forbes reports.

Cardinals Not Cute Enough? Try the Puppy Bowl
Los Angeles Times | Jan 30, 09 6:09 PM CST
(Newser) - Those uninterested in watching hulking giants meet on the gridiron Sunday have a decidedly cuter alternative: the fifth annual Puppy Bowl. Animal Planet broadcasts the event, which will feature puppies engaging in football-like action, a parrot singing the national anthem, and a halftime show where kittens are just kittens, the Los Angeles Times ...

Bearing Bad News Tough on Cops, Too
CNN | Jan 30, 09 5:50 PM CST
(Newser) - News of a death can be tough on police officers charged with delivering it, too. While agencies don’t generally have formal protocols (unlike the US Army), most prefer to inform families in person, with a chaplain. “You ask yourself: How would you want to deliver this message,” a retired officer tells CNN, “because people are...

What's in the Box? Dad, Home From Iraq
Nevada Appeal (Carson City) | Jan 30, 09 5:30 PM CST
(Newser) - An Army mechanic stationed in Iraq surprised his son by popping out of an oversize present at the boy’s 6th birthday party, the Nevada Appeal reports. Casey Hurles hadn’t seen son Gabriel since June; when he learned his leave would coincide with the birthday, he hatched a plan with the help of family and teachers. Gabriel was overjoyed...