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.
Obama Poised to Swiftly Reverse Bush Abortion Policy
CNN
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Jan 20, 2009 3:09 AM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama will likely revoke a controversial Bush administration rule on abortion within days of taking office, sources tell CNN. The policy, dubbed the "global gag rule" by critics, denies all US funding to family-planning services around the world that promote abortion or make any mention of abortion while giving information, counseling...
Coleman Now Seeks Total Recount
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Jan 20, 2009 2:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
Former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman is abruptly reversing strategy in his court action challenging the results of the US Senate race he narrowly lost to Al Franken, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Coleman now wants all 12,000 absentee ballots rejected during the recount to be reconsidered—the same ballots he argued should be tossed when...
Soros Blasts 'Haphazard' Bailout
Reuters
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Jan 20, 2009 2:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
The first bailout was bungled and the new $850 billion stimulus package under consideration will help keep social services ticking but won't be enough to save the slumping economy, billionaire philanthropist George Soros warned the US Conference of Mayors yesterday. He slammed the "haphazard" handling of the initial stimulus package...
Little Rock Desegregation Heroes Mark New Era
Associated Press
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Jan 20, 2009 1:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
Five decades ago, nine teenagers walked into their new high school through screaming mobs who spat at them and shouted racist abuse. They were the first black students to desegregate Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., and became known as the Little Rock Nine. Seven of them will attend the inauguration of President Barack Obama, AP reports.
MLK Predicted Black US Prez in 'Less Than 40 Years'
BBC
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Jan 19, 2009 8:48 PM CST
(Newser) -
The BBC has dug up an archival interview of Martin Luther King, Jr predicting a black US president "in less than 40 years." Talking to the BBC's Bob McKenzie in 1964, King said he was encouraged by recent changes, like compliance with the Civil Rights Act, "that have been most surprising. So on the basis of this, I think we may...
Loud Noise Rocked Earlier Flight 1549
CNN
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Jan 19, 2009 8:04 PM CST
(Newser) -
The same US Airways flight that landed in the Hudson River nearly made an emergency landing 2 days before when passengers heard loud banging noises, CNN reports. "It sounded like the wing was just snapping off," said one passenger. "Red lights started going on." Then the pilot emerged and announced that the engine had stalled,...
Hamas Reclaims Control; Gazans Face $2B in Damage
Associated Press
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Jan 19, 2009 7:32 PM CST
(AP) -
Uniformed Hamas fighters emerged on Gaza City's streets today as leaders of the group vowed to restore order in the shattered Palestinian territory, the AP reports. Hamas proclaimed victory as Gazans picked through the rubble, which included some 4,100 homes and 1,500 factories valued at nearly $2 billion. Hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian...
A Surgeon's Case for Universal Health Care
New Yorker
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Jan 19, 2009 7:02 PM CST
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If Americans are smart, they'll learn from other nations—and Massachusetts—in building a system of universal health care, writes surgeon Atul Gawande in The New Yorker . The rise of health reform "is surprising and instructive" in nations like the UK and France, which made controversial changes after too many "stories...
Canada Rebuffs Ex-Radical Ayers at Border
Globe and Mail
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Jan 19, 2009 6:28 PM CST
(Newser) -
Former Weatherman Bill Ayers was denied entry yesterday into Canada, where he planned to speak at an education conference, the Globe and Mail reports. The controversial academic, who made headlines during the election for his link to Barack Obama, said he had visited Canada more than a dozen times. "It seems very arbitrary,” Ayers said...
Obama Methodical, Risk-Averse on Green
Golf Digest
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Jan 19, 2009 6:10 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama, an avid golfer who usually shoots in the mid-90s and avoids short cuts, took up the sport when wife Michelle worried about basketball injuries. Obama’s golfing buddies describe his game for Golf Digest : Competitive: “He was a beginner, and sometimes he had to take the whupping. But he never liked it,” said Sen....
Smelly Pooch Clan Must Go: O'Brien
New York Post
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Jan 19, 2009 5:52 PM CST
(Newser) -
Man’s best friend has an enemy in Soledad O’Brien, the New York Post reports. The CNN correspondent and other members of her building’s co-op board are trying to evict a family from their Manhattan loft because of their pooch. “She told me at a shareholder’s meeting that my dog stinks,” said Steven Lyons, owner...
9/11 Accused Admit Guilt at Tribunal
Miami Herald
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Jan 19, 2009 5:36 PM CST
(Newser) -
Two suspected Sept. 11 planners calmly declared their guilt today at what could be the final military tribunal session at Guantanamo Bay, the Miami Herald reports. "We are proud of 9/11," said Ramzi bin al Shibh, who announced his plan to plead guilty, the AP reports. Another of five suspects present, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, said...
Party's About to Start for Obamas' Social Secretary
Vogue
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Jan 19, 2009 5:18 PM CST
(Newser) -
As White House social secretary, Desirée Rogers will not only organize all social events and ceremonies, she'll help people imagine what Barack Obama’s presidency represents. Catching up with the “the most eligible woman in Washington" for Vogue , William Norwich finds the former Chicago businesswoman and Obama family...
Rising Star: Washington Syrah
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 19, 2009 4:57 PM CST
(Newser) -
Heavy-handed treatment of Zinfandel has left American palates lusting for big wines that don't blow you away, Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher write in the Wall Street Journal . Syrahs from Washington state—which has more than 550 wineries—have replaced Zins as "the most exciting red wines being made in America today," write Gaiter...
Top Human Rights Lawyer Slain in Moscow
Deutsche Welle (Germany)
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Jan 19, 2009 4:41 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Russian lawyer fighting the early release of a colonel convicted of war crimes was shot dead yesterday in Moscow, Deutsche Welle reports. Stanislav Markelov, 34, was planning to challenge the parole of Yuri Budanov, who was freed last week after being imprisoned 6 years ago for murdering a Chechen girl. The assailant shot Markelov in the back of...
Paterson 'Certain' to Pick Kennedy: Also-Rans
New York Post
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Jan 19, 2009 4:29 PM CST
(Newser) -
Her rivals for Hillary Clinton’s senate seat believe Caroline Kennedy is “certain” to succeed her, sources close to several contenders tell the New York Post . Gov. David Paterson thinks dissing Kennedy at this point would “greatly embarrass” and “entirely humiliate” her and her family—and potentially...
Once-Richest Aussie Dumps His Playthings
Sunday Telegraph
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Jan 19, 2009 4:16 PM CST
(Newser) -
The recession is forcing one of Australia's richest men to cut back on the playboy life, the Sunday Telegraph reports. James Packer, son of media mogul Kerry Packer, is selling his $50 million yacht, halting the construction of a $3 million pool complex at his family home, and pushing back delivery of a $60 million Boeing jet—the one Rupert...
Obama Team Won't Promote Him as Racial Pioneer
Politico
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Jan 19, 2009 4:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama's inauguration as the first black president tomorrow will make history, but don't expect him to dwell on that point, Politico reports. The president-elect's team is weaving a narrative not about a racial milestone, but about unity—just look at the diversity of yesterday's We Are One festivities.
Brain Looks Beyond Eyes to Recognize Faces: Scientists
Boston Globe
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Jan 19, 2009 3:43 PM CST
(Newser) -
Want to make yourself hard to recognize? Get a nose job and shave your eyebrows, say facial-recognition experts, who have yet to fully understand—or agree upon—how we “see” or “read” faces. Psychologists and neuroscientists, fueled by the need to quickly and correctly identify people in the age of terrorism, are...
Don't Tell Hillary: Biden Was Offered State Job, Wife Says
ABC News
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Jan 19, 2009 3:29 PM CST
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This time a gaffe came courtesy of the other Biden: The future Second Lady revealed to Oprah today that her husband had been offered a role as either Barack Obama’s vice-president or as secretary of state, ABC News reports. Joe Biden laughed after his wife’s slip-up, which caused the audience to gasp and surprised Winfrey, the AP added.
Hudson Survivors Nearly Charged Cancellation Fees
Fox 61
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Jan 19, 2009 3:21 PM CST
(Newser) -
An airline that canceled its own flight and placed passengers on US Airways 1549 will not, after all, charge them for canceling their return trip, WTIC-TV reports. “I need your credit card number,” a passenger on the jet that ditched in the Hudson River recalls a representative of Spirit Airlines saying, “and our policy is we’re...
95% of Music Downloads Illegal: Industry
Techdirt
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Jan 19, 2009 3:06 PM CST
(Newser) -
Nearly all—95%—of music downloads globally are illegal, at least according to the industry, Techdirt reports. The numbers come from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and indicate that even a 25% increase in online music purchases last year couldn’t overcome the effects of piracy. According to the IFPI, revenues...
In Free Inaugural Doughnuts, Abortion Foes See Ploy
Chicago Tribune
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Jan 19, 2009 2:51 PM CST
(Newser) -
Krispy Kreme stores will honor Barack Obama’s inauguration and Americans’ “freedom of choice” with free doughnuts tomorrow, to the dismay of at least one anti-abortion group, the Chicago Tribune reports. “Celebration of ‘freedom of choice’ is a tacit endorsement of abortion rights on demand,” the American...
Bob May, Lost in Space Robot, Dies
Associated Press
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Jan 19, 2009 2:37 PM CST
(Newser) -
Bob May, famous for inhabiting the robot suit on 1960s sci-fi hit Lost in Space , has died at 69 of heart failure, the AP reports. “He always said he got the job because he fit in the robot suit,” a co-star said. May did not voice the robot—and so didn't get to say "Danger, Will Robinson"—but his job wasn’t...
Tricky Virus Hits 8.9M Computers Worldwide
BBC
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Jan 19, 2009 2:21 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Windows worm that emerged in October is “skyrocketing” worldwide, with some 8.9 million computers now infected, says an antivirus firm. The program, known as Conficker, Downadup, or Kido, can zoom through low-security networks, memory sticks, and any PC that hasn’t downloaded current security updates, the BBC reports. The virus...
Obama Junk Is Recession-Proof
Salon
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Jan 19, 2009 2:06 PM CST
(Newser) -
Say what you want about the economy—“like for example, it blows ”—but one business is booming: Crap with Barack Obama on it. From votive candles to toilet paper to “victory plates,” you can find the president-elect’s mug on just about anything these days, writes Sarah Hepola of Salon. She even tried typing...
Colicchio Saves Cookbook Writer From Choking
Internet Food Association
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Jan 19, 2009 1:51 PM CST
(Newser) -
He runs multiple restaurants, hosts one of TV’s top cooking shows, and, it turns out, he could just save your life. Tom Colicchio saved Joan Nathan’s life last night, writes witness Ezra Klein on the Internet Food Association. Nathan, a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, was holding a Washington benefit when she began choking on...
Fiat, Chrysler Talk Partnership
Automotive News
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Jan 19, 2009 1:39 PM CST
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Chrysler is in talks with Fiat to form a partnership that could boost the troubled automaker, Automotive News reports. In the deal, Fiat may offer Chrysler access to its platforms, engines, and transmissions for smaller cars, enabling Chrysler to quickly put out a new line of front-wheel-drive, low-emissions vehicles. Fiat could get a stake in Chrysler...
Rent-a-Womb Devotee Now Preggo Herself
New York Post
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Jan 19, 2009 1:33 PM CST
(Newser) -
Alex Kuczynski, the super-rich author of Beauty Junkie , has gotten pregnant, the New York Post reports. The bun pops into the oven at an ironic time—Kucyznski recently drew a hail of jeers for a New York Times Magazine article entitled “Her Body, My Baby,” in which she gloated about the joys of surrogate motherhood.
Mitchell Considered for Mideast Post
New York Times
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Jan 19, 2009 1:24 PM CST
(Newser) -
Former Sen. George Mitchell, who led a 2000 commission examining Middle Eastern violence, is being considered as special envoy to the region by the Obama administration, the New York Times reports. The appointment of such a high-profile negotiator would signal Obama’s seriousness about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but could deprive Hillary...
Falling Interest Rates Whack Legal Aid Groups
New York Times
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Jan 19, 2009 1:11 PM CST
(Newser) -
There’s been some collateral damage from the Federal Reserve’s slashing of interest rates: legal aid societies. These groups, which aim to help the poor in civil cases, such as unemployment or foreclosure disputes, have long relied on little-known programs to draw interest from short-term deposits from clients. With the Fed rate near zero,...
Tokyo Dims Red Light in Olympic Bid
Guardian (UK)
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Jan 19, 2009 1:01 PM CST
(Newser) -
Japan’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics has prompted a cleanup of Tokyo’s red light district, but local proprietors aren’t eager to change local culture, the Guardian reports. Police, backed by a governor hoping to snuff out sleaze, are getting tough about a new law forcing sex clubs to shut at midnight. The rule is taking a toll...
Bush Commutes Sentences of Former US Border Agents
Associated Press
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Jan 19, 2009 12:56 PM CST
(AP) -
In his final acts of clemency, President Bush today commuted the prison sentences of two former US Border Patrol agents whose convictions for shooting a Mexican drug dealer ignited fierce debate about illegal immigration. Bush's decision to commute the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who tried to cover up the shooting, was welcomed by...
What the Concert Cameras Missed
New York
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Jan 19, 2009 12:43 PM CST
(Newser) -
Yesterday’s all-star concert on the National Mall put the super in supergroup, but the HBO broadcast didn’t catch everything. Here’s some of what went down off-camera, as seen by Jada Yuan of New York : Black-clad Secret Service snipers trolled the Lincoln Memorial’s rooftop, packing binocs and “really big machine...
'Designated Successor' Gates Will Skip Inauguration
CBS News
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Jan 19, 2009 12:33 PM CST
(Newser) -
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will sit out the inauguration at a secure location and be available to take over the government in case of disaster, CBS reports. The White House designated Gates with the approval of the incoming administration, which he will serve in the same post. The move is in keeping with tradition of certain officials remaining...
Hey Barack: Ditch the Inaugural Glitz
New York
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Jan 19, 2009 12:12 PM CST
(Newser) -
Over the course of the presidential campaign, we saw some big spectacles from the Obama camp—but this inauguration is "so contrived it's almost ridiculous," and it doesn’t suit the new president's style, writes John Heilemann in New York . For a man who likes to do things differently, wouldn’t it have been more fitting...
White House: US Must Assert Rights in Warming Arctic
Washington Post
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Jan 19, 2009 12:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
With the Arctic getting warmer, the Bush administration predicts a multinational grab at resources there. To that end, it released a 10-page directive describing challenges the US faces and calling for an Arctic policy that underlines US concerns, the Washington Post reports. “The United States has broad and fundamental national security interests...
Newest Bailout: 2010 Olympics
Globe and Mail
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Jan 19, 2009 11:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
The global recession is putting the 2010 Olympics Games in Vancouver in peril, writes Canada's Globe and Mail . This weekend the provincial parliament in British Columbia passed an emergency bill that allows the host city to borrow $369 million to make sure the athletes' village will be ready in time. The original lender to Vancouver cut off funding...
Obama's Inaugural Speech to Urge Responsibility
Washington Post
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Jan 19, 2009 11:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama’s inaugural speech will highlight the need for responsibility—among government, financial institutions, and the citizenry, the Washington Post reports as the incoming press secretary described what we can expect in tomorrow. “We need more responsibility and accountability, certainly, in the way our government...
Didn't Like Valkyrie ? No Face Time With Cruise
Gawker
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Jan 19, 2009 11:08 AM CST
(Newser) -
Want to interview Tom Cruise? Then you’d better have seen—and liked—his latest movie, Valkyrie , Gawker reports in summarizing a Q&A session with Italian publication LeiWeb (with an assist from Google translation). If you didn't like the movie, “there is no reason to meet Tom,” the interviewer notes. Also on the...
Obama Visits Troops, Pitches In at Homeless Shelter
Associated Press
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Jan 19, 2009 10:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama pitched in at a Washington emergency homeless shelter for teens today, as part of his pitch for greater public service, the AP reports. After touring the facility alongside Martin Luther King III, Obama rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt and helped paint a wall in the center blue. Earlier today he made an unscheduled stop at Walter...
Super Bowl Awash in Subplots
Dallas Morning News
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Jan 19, 2009 10:47 AM CST
(Newser) -
You can't spell “conflict” without NFL, and this year's Super Bowl contains plenty of opposing loyalties, Sam Farmer writes in the Los Angeles Times . You can’t throw a stone at the Arizona Cardinals’ sideline without hitting a former Pittsburgh resident, player, or coach—and that last category might give Arizona an edge,...
Bush Makes Last Calls to World Leaders
Associated Press
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Jan 19, 2009 10:34 AM CST
(AP) -
With just hours left in his presidency, President George W. Bush today made a round of phone calls to leaders around the globe. A National Security Council spokesman said the president was simply saying his goodbyes, thanking the leaders for the hospitality they had shown him and first lady Laura Bush over the years.
Heady Times for DC Hookers, Coke Dealers
New York
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Jan 19, 2009 10:28 AM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama has already done his part to boost the economy—for Washington’s prostitutes and drug dealers, who tell New York they’re experiencing quite the boom in business thanks to inauguration travelers. Some prostitutes came into town specifically for the event and are already “pretty booked up;” one coke dealer...
Obama Has Rare Chance to Push Agenda With Recovery
New York Times
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Jan 19, 2009 10:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
If there's a silver lining to the profound economic crisis President-elect Barack Obama is stepping into, the New York Times reports, it's that the recovery plan that's taking shape under his direction affords him an unprecedented chance to address his most ambitious campaign promises right out of the blocks. Riding a popularity surge, he has an...
Shoe-Hurler Wants Swiss Asylum
Associated Press
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Jan 19, 2009 10:10 AM CST
(AP) -
A Swiss lawyer working on behalf of the Iraqi journalist who threw shoes at President Bush said today his client will seek political asylum in Switzerland. The Geneva-based lawyer said Muntadhar al-Zaidi's life is in danger if he stays in Iraq. Al-Zaidi has been detained in an Iraqi jail awaiting trial since he was seized by guards after his Dec. 14...
Obama More Popular Than Ever
CNN
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Jan 19, 2009 10:08 AM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama’s popularity is at an all-time high, a CNN poll finds, with 84% approving of his transition—up 2% from December despite Bill Richardson’s resignation, Timothy Geithner’s tax issues, and the widely panned Leon Panetta pick. “You know the country is in the middle of a honeymoon when six in 10 Republicans have...
Economy Brews Change for Coffee Drinkers
Advertising Age
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Jan 19, 2009 9:51 AM CST
(Newser) -
Still hitting Starbucks every day on your way to work? You’re in the minority. A recent survey found 60% of Americans buying less gourmet coffee as the economy has soured, reports Advertising Age . Starbucks’ loss has been Dunkin’ Donuts’ gain, allowing the company to expand into new markets as it makes a play for cash-strapped...
First Lady Is Hot, and Celebs Love It
New York Daily News
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Jan 19, 2009 9:48 AM CST
(Newser) -
Michelle Obama is bringing sexy back … to the White House, the New York Daily News reports. “She is a straight-up beautiful African-American woman and you all better step back,” said Star Jones, while singer Monica declared, “She can pull off anything she wants.” TV host B. Smith added, “She’s in great shape....
Handicapping Last-Minute Bush Pardons
Politico
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Jan 19, 2009 9:39 AM CST
(Newser) -
President Bush has shown no inclination to go on a Clinton-esque pardon binge, but that won't stop Josh Gerstein of Politico from speculating. Here are the potential pardon/commutation prospects, and the odds: All CIA and military interrogators: Bush could make a big splash with a blanket pardon to anyone who may or may not have tortured suspects...
