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.
Today's GOP: Why Reagan Would Cringe
Los Angeles Times
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Jan 24, 2009 12:38 PM CST
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Republicans love to invoke Reagan, but if he’s watching right now, the Gipper is probably “smacking himself on the forehead, rolling his eyes and wondering who in the world these clowns are,” speculates former GOP Congressman (and longtime Reagan backer) Mickey Edwards in the LA Times . Today’s would-be Reaganites believe all...
Obama: Stimulus Isn't Just a Short-Term Fix
New York Times
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Jan 24, 2009 12:17 PM CST
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In a bid to build popular support, President Obama revealed more details of his economic stimulus plan today, as debate between Democrats and Republicans in Congress over the package raged on, the New York Times reports. Obama painted the measure as an investment in the country’s future, not just a jobs plan, that includes 3,000 miles of new...
Ringwald Expecting Twins
People
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Jan 24, 2009 11:56 AM CST
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Molly Ringwald, who currently plays the put-upon mother of a pregnant girl in The Secret Life of the American Teenager , has some buns in the oven herself, People reports. The 40-year-old Breakfast Club alum is expecting a boy and a girl this August with hubby Panio Gianopoulos. A Secret Life spokesman said the pregnancy will be written into...
Nations Try to Block Iran's Nuclear Supply
Times (UK)
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Jan 24, 2009 11:28 AM CST
(Newser) -
Iran is running out of uranium, and Western countries are stepping up diplomatic efforts to keep Tehran from replenishing its supply, the Times of London reports. Iran, which may be out of uranium in months, has so far pursued its nuclear ambitions with a stockpile acquired from South Africa in the 1970s. That material was intended for a civil program,...
Zune Sales Plummeting
Podcasting News
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Jan 24, 2009 11:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
Is the Zune on its last legs? Buried in Microsoft’s terrible earnings report yesterday was news that revenue from the MP3 player plummeted $100 million compared to last year, or 54%, “reflecting a decrease in device sales.” Microsoft can’t just blame the economy, either; sales of rival iPod are still rising. The release states...
New Mideast Envoy Is Old Hand at Peacemaking
Los Angeles Times
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Jan 24, 2009 10:44 AM CST
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As the Obama administration’s new Middle East envoy, former Sen. George Mitchell has the toughest of diplomatic tasks on his hands: negotiating peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. But “if anyone can succeed in this difficult endeavor," it's Mitchell, said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Mitchell was instrumental...
Peanuts' Wide Use Complicates Recall
CNN
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Jan 24, 2009 10:20 AM CST
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The wide range of products containing peanut butter makes the ongoing salmonella outbreak especially tough on regulators and consumers, CNN reports. It's everywhere, from ice cream to energy bars to dog treats. The outbreak has so far sickened nearly 500 people and killed six in 43 states, and investigators expect the list of 125 recalled products...
Groups Say Thailand Sends Refugees to Sea
BBC
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Jan 24, 2009 10:00 AM CST
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Human rights groups say the Thai military is effectively sentencing refugees to death by herding them out to sea on boats with little food or water. Hundreds of Muslim refugees from Burma are missing, they say. Last month, 1,000 were detained on a remote island, then towed to sea and abandoned, the Christian Science Monitor reports. This week, 126...
Gov. Rips 'Nasty' Caroline
New York Post
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Jan 24, 2009 10:00 AM CST
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New York State Gov. David Paterson complained that Caroline Kennedy turned "nasty" as he was about to pick a replacement for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, the New York Post r eveals. Patterson, who chose Kirsten Gillibrand on Friday, grumbled to friends at a party that Kennedy "disrespected" him with the way she pulled out of...
Obama to GOP: Turn Off Limbaugh
New York Post
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Jan 24, 2009 9:33 AM CST
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Meeting with GOP lawmakers to discuss his stimulus plan yesterday, Barack Obama took the opportunity to zing Rush Limbaugh, who said earlier this week that he wasn't one of those conservatives rooting for the new president to succeed, despite their differences. "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," Obama told the Republicans....
'Stew Maker' Dissolved 300 Corpses in Mexico Drug War
Reuters
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Jan 24, 2009 8:56 AM CST
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A Mexican man has confessed to chemically dissolving 300 bodies produced by Mexico’s drug war, Reuters reports. A breakaway cartel faction paid Santiago “the Stew Maker” Meza $600 a week to dispose of bodies they brought him, he said. He dumped the bodies in industrial drums filled with caustic soda near Tijuana. “May they forgive...
Haggard Faces New Gay Sex Accusations
KRDO.com
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Jan 24, 2009 8:46 AM CST
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Evangelical preacher Ted Haggard had a long extra-marital affair with a male parishioner before his downfall, KRDO reports. The churchgoer says the New Life Church paid him hush money after the affair several years ago. The church confirmed the accusation after learning that the man possesses a recording of a conversation between himself and Haggard...
Worldwide Downturn Speeds Up Alarmingly
Washington Post
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Jan 24, 2009 7:46 AM CST
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The global economy is in a faster decline than economists predicted only weeks ago, as the bursting of the biggest-ever real-estate bubble hits real economies in Europe and Asia, killing millions of jobs and shutting businesses, the Washington Post reports. Britain just posted its biggest quarterly slump since 1980, while Germany, China, and South...
Office Politics Move From Cubicle to Starbucks
Boston Globe
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Jan 24, 2009 7:40 AM CST
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Once coffee shops were places to relax, but these days, they’re places for telecommuting workers to plug in, and they’ve taken on all the irritating trappings of an actual office, the Boston Globe reports. Laptop-toting patrons fight tooth-and-nail for power outlets and table space, using the passive-aggressive tactics once confined to...
Blago's Top Lawyer to Quit
Chicago Tribune
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Jan 24, 2009 7:10 AM CST
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Rod Blagojevich’s top lawyer in his criminal case is jumping ship, the Chicago Tribune reports. He told reporters as much in a statement just after a judge ruled that undercover Blago tapes could be passed to the state legislature. “I never require a client to do what I say," said Edward Genson, who’s practiced for 44 years....
Brown Bags First Euro Call, Visit From New President
Guardian (UK)
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Jan 24, 2009 7:01 AM CST
(Newser) -
Gordon Brown was the proud recipient of Barack Obama's first European phone call as president, the Guardian reports. The two leaders spoke for 15 minutes and discussed the need to make Afghanistan a priority. Obama, whose first overseas calls as president were to Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, had earlier spoken...
Bailout Bucks Go to Lobbyists
New York Times
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Jan 24, 2009 6:59 AM CST
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A surprising number of firms that reaped billions in bailout funds from the government have been spending big to lobby the government for more, the New York Times reports. Citigroup, General Motors, and at least seven others have paid lobbyists millions since October. Some recipients actually increased the amount they spend to promote their interests...
Lehman Collapse Leaves Goats in the Lurch
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 24, 2009 6:15 AM CST
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Lehman's collapse has left creditors from Caribbean laborers to the world's biggest banks fighting for a share of what little cash remains, the Wall Street Journal reports. One California business that hires out goats to munch shrubs was shocked to learn that it may face ruin because of the bankruptcy of a bank they had barely heard of.
Paramedic, Lawmaker Busted in Travolta Extortion Plot
People
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Jan 24, 2009 5:41 AM CST
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Bahamian police have an island politician and an ambulance driver in custody for allegedly trying to extort $20 million from John Travolta over his son's death, People reports. The country's former minister of tourism, a family friend of the Travoltas, was released after questioning.The ambulance driver has told tabloids he attempted to revive Travolta's...
Google Will Have the President's Ear
Los Angeles Times
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Jan 24, 2009 5:30 AM CST
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Google may be the company that needs to do the least searching for influence with the new president, reports the Los Angeles Times . The company was one of the biggest contributors to Barack Obama's candidacy, and four Google execs were on the transition team. The search giant's agenda—widening high-speed Internet access and pushing for network...
She Wears Prada, But Forget the Devil Part
Salon
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Jan 24, 2009 3:55 AM CST
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A Sundance documentary offering a rare, unfettered look at steely Vogue editrix Anna Wintour proves “engrossing even if you don't care much about fashion,” Andrew O’Hehir writes in Salon, and goes a long way to humanize the subject of The Devil Wears Prada . In a Q&A, RJ Cutler, who directed The September Issue , says “I...
Hudson Survivors Relive Nightmare, Relish Survival
Associated Press
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Jan 24, 2009 3:23 AM CST
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Passengers who cheated death in the Hudson River crash are seeing the world through a fresh set of eyes, they tell the AP. They are celebrating the simple joy of still being alive, but many are also haunted by recurring nightmares. Experts say such reactions are normal after such an extraordinary event and most will fully recover given time.
Leave Space to Robots
Economist
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Jan 24, 2009 2:58 AM CST
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Barack Obama is poised to chart a new direction for America’s exploration of the final frontier, writes the Economist . While George W. Bush supported continuing manned space exploration in the tradition of the previous century, Obama is considering scrapping some of NASA’s planned upgrades to the space shuttle program. This would leave...
Amputated Brazilian Model Dies
CNN
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Jan 24, 2009 2:25 AM CST
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A top Brazilian model who underwent the amputation of her hands and feet in an attempt to save her from a life-threatening infection died early this morning, CNN reports. Marianna Bridi di Costa was hospitalized in early January for septicemia triggered by a urinary tract infection. Doctors originally believed Bridi had kidney stones and did not detect...
Krugman Is Top Media Liberal
Forbes
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Jan 24, 2009 1:36 AM CST
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Washington is beginning a new liberal era, and Forbes lists the 25 media lefties likely to be the most influential in the coming years. The top 5: Paul Krugman. The Nobel Prize-winner's "prose is as pungent as his academic credentials are impeccable." Arianna Huffington: The Huffington Post's founder "has an uncanny...
China Knockoff Craze Gains Steam, Courage
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 24, 2009 12:27 AM CST
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An internet variety showed parodying the annual lunar new year gala on Chinese central TV is just the most publicized knockoff generated by the country’s rebellious shanzhai culture, the Wall Street Journal reports. Once mainly the province of counterfeit name brands (think HiPhone), the web now is awash with puckish counterfeits of official...
Nigerian Cops Nab Goat for Car Heist
BBC
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Jan 23, 2009 8:08 PM CST
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Nigerian police paraded a goat before journalists yesterday, calling it a "suspect" in an armed robbery case, the BBC reports. Vigilantes reportedly handed the goat to police and said it was a car thief that had shape-changed using witchcraft. Police later denied the goat was under suspicion. "Of course goats can't commit crime,"...
Ambitious Gillibrand Disliked by Peers
Politico
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Jan 23, 2009 7:28 PM CST
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Newly named Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand isn't too popular among her peers, Politico reports. The ambitious politician, who took Hillary Clinton's old seat today, has earned the nickname “Tracy Flick”—a reference to Reese Witherspoon's competitive, bubbly character in Election —for bypassing older lawmakers on her way up the ladder....
Starbucks Plans to Ax 1,000 Jobs
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Jan 23, 2009 6:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
Starbucks is planning to slash another 1,000 jobs by early next month, a source tells the Seattle Post-Intelligencer . About a third of Starbucks headquarters will get the ax, along with field workers and district managers, but not baristas. The Seattle-based company has cut more than 2,000 jobs and suffered from low employee morale since Howard Schulz...
Sorry, Folks, We're Not Engaged: Gisele
OK!
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Jan 23, 2009 6:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
Tom Brady hasn't proposed to Gisele Bundchen after all, OK! reports. Gisele has dismissed reports that her quarterback boyfriend took bended knee on a private plane on Christmas eve. "I don't know how people are so creative," she said. But she is planning to marry him: "What I know is that it's going to be something small, a...
Palin's Pricey Duds Wind Up in Trash Bags
New Majority
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Jan 23, 2009 5:49 PM CST
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As promised, Sarah Palin turned her expensive campaign outfits over to the RNC, but the costly threads haven't gone to charity, reports the conservative New Majority website—they're in trash bags at RNC headquarters. A committee spokesman says the $180,000 wardrobe is being "inventoried and will be appropriately dispersed to various...
Thain Debacle Stings BofA Chief
Economist
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Jan 23, 2009 5:25 PM CST
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John Thain may have lost his job running Merrill Lynch, but woe to the CEO who dared merge with him, the Economist reports. Thain no doubt trashed his reputation by failing to tell BofA chief Ken Lewis about looming losses—and handing out multimillion-dollar bonuses in the meantime—but Lewis, who booted Thain this week, appears reckless...
Obama Lifts Abortion 'Gag Rule'
Reuters
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Jan 23, 2009 4:57 PM CST
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President Obama today overturned the “gag rule” prohibiting the US from funding groups that provide abortions or abortion counseling overseas, Reuters reports. The policy has been enforced and rescinded depending on the Oval Office occupant since it was instituted under President Reagan. Unlike yesterday's high-profile signing ceremony,...
Second Engine Recovered From Hudson River
NY1
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Jan 23, 2009 4:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
The left engine of Flight 1549 was pulled from the Hudson River this afternoon, days after it was located with sonar, NY1 reports. Divers had held off on the recovery because of cold weather; warmer temperatures today allowed them to reach the engine and hoist it out of the water using a crane. Visible damage included a missing piece of the outer...
Ahead of Trial, Blago Paints Himself as Victim
Chicago Tribune
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Jan 23, 2009 4:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
Rod Blagojevich addressed his public again today, warning the citizens of Illinois that if he goes down they are all in danger, the Chicago Tribune reports. Blago likened his Senate impeachment trial, which he will boycott when it starts Monday, to a “hanging” and “a gross violation of every constitutional principle that exists.”...
HS Hoop Team Runs Up Score, Then Repents
Dallas Morning News
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Jan 23, 2009 4:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Dallas high school whose girls basketball team ran up a 100-0 score last week has forfeited what school officials called a “victory without honor,” the Dallas Morning News reports. The Covenant School, a Christian institution, defeated Dallas Academy, a high school for children with "learning differences" that has not...
Dow Ends Blah Week Down 45
MarketWatch
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Jan 23, 2009 3:42 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks were mixed today as bargain buying in the financial sector bolstered some amid a torrent of poor earnings and outlooks from GE, Xerox, Harley Davidson, and AMD, MarketWatch reports. The Dow fell 45.24 points to close at 8,077.56. The Nasdaq gained 11.80, closing at 1,477.29, and the S&P 500 gained 4.45 points to close at 831.95.
Obama Tells GOP Foes on Stimulus: 'I Won'
Politico
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Jan 23, 2009 3:32 PM CST
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President Obama listened to Republican gripes about his stimulus plan today, then calmly reminded them that "I won," Politico reports. The GOP is seeking more middle-class tax cuts, among other things, and says the spending package is too large. Further negotiations are planned, but Dems appear to be in control. Asked if he worried about...
Apple's Mac Turns 25
San Jose Mercury News
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Jan 23, 2009 3:16 PM CST
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Apple’s Macintosh, the seminal device that helped usher in the age of personal computing as we know it today, turns 25 this week, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The original Macintosh combined a svelte form—by 1980s standards—with an accessible graphical interface, eschewing complex text commands for a visual operating system...
Pope Benedict Makes His YouTube Debut
ANSA (Italy)
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Jan 23, 2009 2:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
Pope Benedict XVI began his planned series of YouTube video releases today. The pope’s official channel already includes clips from the Vatican media service, and will later offer weekly updates featuring Benedict’s meetings with dignitaries, papal audiences, and recordings of daily events, reports the Italian news agency ANSA. The church...
Kelly Osbourne Checks into Rehab
People
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Jan 23, 2009 2:33 PM CST
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Kelly Osbourne has checked into rehab, People reports. The 24-year-old signed up for a 30-day stay in an unnamed LA center, her family confirms. “Yeah, Kelly’s in rehab,” said mom Sharon. “What else can we say? She knew it was the right thing to do at this point, and we’re proud that she did it.” It’s...
Mad Men 's Moss to Wed SNL 's Armisen
E! Online
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Jan 23, 2009 2:16 PM CST
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Elisabeth Moss is apparently luckier in love than her Mad Men character Peggy. Less than a week after news broke that Moss was dating Saturday Night Live star Fred Armisen, the couple is engaged, E! reports. “It happened just a few days ago,” says Moss. “It’s private, so I don’t want to share the details … but...
After 51 Straight Defeats, Finally a Victory
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 23, 2009 2:03 PM CST
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After an NCAA record 51-game losing streak, the New Jersey Institute of Technology basketball team finally eked out a win this week. One of the scores of schools who joined the NCAA's top division a few years back thinking "why not us?," NJIT soon answered that question unequivocally: "We don't score enough points," the...
Flight 1549 Co-Captain: 'I'm Just an Airline Pilot'
New York Post
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Jan 23, 2009 1:51 PM CST
(Newser) -
He helped saved 155 people with the successful water landing of US Airways Flight 1549, but co-pilot Jeff Skiles says he was only doing his job. "I'm just an airline pilot, and that's what we do,” Skiles told the New York Post . "We weren't doing anything any other pilot wouldn't have done."
Best Picture Nod Brings $6.7M Boost
Slate
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Jan 23, 2009 1:40 PM CST
(Newser) -
With studios shelling out huge bucks to push their films on Oscar voters— Frost/Nixon probably dropped hundreds of thousands for a few days of spreads in the Hollywood papers—could such ad blitzes actually pay off? The answer is yes: A best picture nomination is worth at least $6.7 million, write Chadwick Matlin and Chris Wilson for Slate's...
Killer Enraged by Facebook Status Gets Life
Independent (UK)
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Jan 23, 2009 1:17 PM CST
(Newser) -
A British man convicted of killing his wife after she changed her Facebook relationship status to “single” was sentenced to life in prison today, the Independent reports. Richardson, 41, flew into a “frenzied and brutal attack,” brutally stabbing his estranged spouse to death at her parents’ home and then attempting...
Lauer Meets Older Self: Abe
People
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Jan 23, 2009 1:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
Matt Lauer took some ribbing this week when Today co-host Meredith Vieira unveiled side-by-side photos of him and Abe Vigoda to demonstrate what he'll look like in old age. Vigoda got the last laugh today in a light-hearted appearance on the show, People reports. Vigoda, 87, says he has a grandson who looks like Lauer, and he even took time to...
Sagging Economy Is Bitter Dish for Restaurateurs
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 23, 2009 12:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Lean times are perhaps leanest in the restaurant business, and fine-dining establishments are bracing for a particularly tough year while improvising strategies to remain afloat, the Wall Street Journal reports. Sales, $7 billion last year, are expected to plummet 12-15%; the industry could shed 12,000-18,000 restaurants, a 2-3% decline compared...
Rafa, What's With the Collar? And ... Sleeves?
Age (Aust.)
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Jan 23, 2009 12:38 PM CST
(Newser) -
When Rafael Nadal emerged a few weeks ago without his signature capris and—gasp!—wearing a polo shirt, many fans of the top-ranked tennis player began grumbling. And now his Australian Open outfits, though a bit less Roger Federer-esque, are still no longer pirate chic, but more “retro bubblegum,” writes the Age . What’s...
New Virus' Worst Punch May Be Yet to Come
New York Times
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Jan 23, 2009 12:25 PM CST
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The devious worm that has infected up to 9 million personal computers worldwide may be just the first stage of a malicious attack, the New York Times reports. The so-called Conficker or Downadup virus, which exploits a Microsoft Windows vulnerability, pulls infected computers into systems called botnets that can be controlled by the worm's creator....
