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.
Zimbabwe Opposition OKs Power-Sharing Plan
BBC
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Jan 30, 2009 8:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
In a “leap of faith” settlement, Zimbabwe’s opposition leader has agreed to a power-sharing plan after months of political turmoil, the BBC reports. Morgan Tsvangirai will become prime minister on Feb. 11 while Robert Mugabe remains president under a new timetable brokered by a southern African coalition. “We are unequivocal,...
Stocks Flat After GDP Sinks
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 30, 2009 8:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks shrugged their shoulders at the open, unsure what to make of a grim, but better-than-expected GDP report. The Dow rose 31 points, while the S&P inched up 4.6 points, and the Nasdaq climbed 15. GDP shrunk 3.8% in the fourth quarter, the biggest contraction in 26 years, but that was much better than the 5.5% decline the market was bracing...
Polls Open in Watershed Iraqi Election
Christian Science Monitor
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Jan 30, 2009 8:23 AM CST
(Newser) -
The polls are already open for this weekend's provincial elections in Iraq, the nation's first since it became a fully sovereign nation after the fall of Saddam. The Sunni minority is participating, reports the Christian Science Monitor , and Iraqis can vote for more than 14,000 candidates vying for 440 seats. After the ballot fraud that marred the...
Exxon Breaks Own Profit Record With $45B Haul
Associated Press
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Jan 30, 2009 8:13 AM CST
(AP) -
Buoyed by last year's spike in crude prices, Exxon Mobil Corp. today reported a profit of $45.2 billion for 2008, breaking its own record for a US company, even as its fourth-quarter earnings fell 33% from a year ago. The previous record for annual profit was $40.6 billion, which the world's largest publicly traded oil company set in 2007.
Bill and Vlad Pal Around Davos
New York Observer
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Jan 30, 2009 7:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
With the ink barely dry on Hillary Clinton’s confirmation as secretary of state, her husband is already glad-handing on the world stage, holding meetings with foreign leaders at Davos that culminated with a 90-minute sit-down with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. At a private party, Putin toasted Clinton as “our good friend”...
Blago's Final Day: Dark Humor Amid the Gloom
New York Times
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Jan 30, 2009 7:39 AM CST
(Newser) -
Rod Blagojevich—now the former governor of Illinois—spent his last day in office in characteristic fashion: a stew of gallows humor, bitter recrimination, and concern about how he looked (literally and figuratively). A New York Times reporter flew with him from Chicago to Springfield and back, as he lurched from one emotion to the next....
Zimbabwe Cholera Outbreak Now Infects 60K
BBC
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Jan 30, 2009 7:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
Zimbabwe’s cholera epidemic has now infected more than 60,000 people, a number the World Health Organization had previously pegged as the “worst case scenario,” the BBC reports. More than 3,000 have died from the disease since its August outbreak, and with Zimbabwe’s water, sanitation, and health systems in tatters, the crisis...
Williams Sisters Win Aussie Doubles Crown
Associated Press
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Jan 30, 2009 6:54 AM CST
(AP) -
Serena and Venus Williams won their eighth Grand Slam women's doubles title today, beating Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and Japan's Ai Sugiyama 6-3, 6-3 in the Australian Open final. The Williams sisters, seeded 10th, were untroubled as they served out the first set in just 38 minutes on center court. The temperature topped 113 degrees and the arena’s...
Cops Bust Pot Plantation With Google Earth
Associated Press
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Jan 30, 2009 6:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
Swiss cops using Google Earth to check out the addresses of two suspects discovered a 2-acre marijuana plantation hidden in a field of corn, reports the AP. The bust led to the arrest of 16 men, suspected of selling 7 tons of marijuana and hashish during the last 4 years. "It was an interesting chance discovery," commented the chief of Zurich...
Iceland Up for Emergency EU Membership
Guardian (UK)
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Jan 30, 2009 6:26 AM CST
(Newser) -
Iceland will be fast-tracked into the European Union to rescue the tiny Nordic state from financial disaster, senior officials in Brussels tell the Guardian . Depending on the result of the Icelandic election, the country could apply for membership as soon as May. While accession to the EU normally takes years, Iceland could become a member in...
Senate Passes Children's Health Insurance Bill
Washington Post
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Jan 30, 2009 6:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Senate has passed a $32.8 billion bill to dramatically expand children's health insurance, the Washington Post reports. The State Children's Health Insurance Program will now cover 11 million low-income children, up from 7 million. The bill, which will be funded by an extra 61-cent tax on every packet of cigarettes, is expected to be signed into...
NEC to Lay Off 20,000
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 30, 2009 6:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Japanese electronics giant NEC announced today that it will cut 20,000 jobs worldwide after posting a fourth-quarter loss of $1.45 billion, reports the Wall Street Journal . NEC's losses ballooned as demand fell for its semiconductors and chips, and the strength of the yen further hurt its bottom line. A Japanese business daily reported today...
'Fun on Side' Haggard 'Fesses Up to 2nd Affair
CNN
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Jan 30, 2009 5:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
Disgraced evangelical pastor Ted Haggard has confessed to another "compulsive" relationship, this one with a young male volunteer in his former church. "I felt like God's plan was for sexuality to be in a monogamous, heterosexual marriage. But I had these other things going on," Haggard told Larry King yesterday. The church volunteer...
NY AG May Claw Back $4B Merrill Bonuses
Bloomberg
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Jan 30, 2009 4:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is considering action ordering the return of $4 billion in early bonuses Merrill Lynch handed out to staff just before its bailout-backed takeover by Bank of America, an insider tells Bloomberg. Cuomo has widened his probe into the bonuses and aims to find out how much Bank of America's chief knew about the accelerated...
When Economy Gets Tough, the Tough Go Blond
Telegraph (UK)
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Jan 30, 2009 4:24 AM CST
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The grim economy is causing a gold rush in Britain's hair salons, a celebrity hairdresser tells the Daily Telegraph . His sales of blond hair products have jumped 67% since last year, and he credits the sales bombshell to women looking for a quick way to cheer themselves up amid the economic gloom.
Fidel Demands Gitmo Back
Reuters
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Jan 30, 2009 4:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Fidel Castro is demanding that Barack Obama serve up a Guantanamo libre once the last US prisoner leaves, Reuters reports. Castro, posting on a Cuban government website, slammed as an "act of arrogance" Obama's comment that a giveback of Guantanamo would depend on US defense needs and might require Cuban concessions in return. The aging former...
Octuplets' Mom Already Has 6 Kids at Home
Associated Press
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Jan 30, 2009 3:37 AM CST
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The California woman who gave birth to octuplets last week already has six kids at home, and never expected that fertility treatment would leave her with a brood of 14, her mother tells the Los Angeles Times . The woman declined the option of having any of the embryos selectively removed after she learned that she was expecting multiple births.
Iraq Artist With Sole Honors Bush Shoe Hurler
BBC
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Jan 30, 2009 3:12 AM CST
(Newser) -
A copper sculpture of a shoe with a bush growing from it has been unveiled in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit to honor the journalist who hurled his shoes at President Bush. TV reporter Muntadar al-Zeidi missed, but his action hit it off with some Iraqis. Artist Laith al-Amari insists his sofa-sized work is not political, but marks a "source...
Freddie Mac to Let People Stay in Foreclosed Houses
USA Today
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Jan 30, 2009 2:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
Freddie Mac has forged a first-of-its-kind plan to allow homeowners and tenants to remain in foreclosed homes, USA Today reports. Residents will be charged a market rental rate on leases renewable monthly after their homes have been acquired by the lender. Freddie Mac expects the program to save thousands of families from eviction.
Tensions Flare as N. Korea Axes Pacts With South
New York Times
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Jan 30, 2009 2:14 AM CST
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North Korea is unilaterally scrapping all agreements with South Korea as political and military tensions mount between the rival neighbors. The North Koreans are even repudiating the 1953 truce which ended the Korean war, reports the New York Times . Analysts see the move as a tactic to grab the attention of the Obama administration.
Caucus Pushes for Black Commerce Secretary
The Hill
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Jan 30, 2009 1:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Congressional Black Caucus is lobbying President Obama to name a black commerce secretary. The caucus is pushing for technology executive John Thompson, CEO of software security company Symantec and an Obama contributor, to fill the post, reports the Hill . Obama has so far appointed only four African Americans to his cabinet. Thompson is the...
Dell May Launch Smartphone
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 29, 2009 9:42 PM CST
(Newser) -
Dell is considering a move into the smartphone business, the Wall Street Journal reports. The computer company has had engineers working on models for more than a year and could launch a competitor to the iPhone or Blackberry as early as next month. CEO Michael Dell also could pull the plug on the project, which remains officially under wraps.
McConnell Tells GOP to Shape Up, End Bush 'Drag'
Associated Press
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Jan 29, 2009 9:12 PM CST
(AP) -
The top Senate Republican warned today that the GOP risks remaining out of power in the White House and Congress unless it better explains its core principles to woo one-time faithful and new loyalists. Mitch McConnell spoke to party activists gathered in Washington to elect a new national chairman tomorrow, implying that the party strayed from...
Ad Tells Senators: It's Rush or Obama
Politico
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Jan 29, 2009 8:08 PM CST
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A liberal group is launching an ad blitz tomorrow that pressures GOP senators to make a choice—Barack Obama or Rush Limbaugh, Politico reports. The ad—running in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Nevada—blasts House Republicans for voting against the stimulus package at Limbaugh's urging and asks, "Will our senator side with Limbaugh,...
Turkey PM Storms Off After Clash With Peres on Gaza
New York Times
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Jan 29, 2009 7:37 PM CST
(Newser) -
Turkey's prime minister stormed off a stage in Davos today during a heated exchange with Israeli President Shimon Peres over Gaza, the New York Times reports. “When it comes to killing, you know well how to kill," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Peres before walking off, promising never to return to Davos. Peres fired back that Turkey would...
Blago Blasts Impeachment; Successor Seeks Prayers
Chicago Tribune
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Jan 29, 2009 6:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Rod Blagojevich remained unapologetic after the Illinois Senate added him to the ranks of the unemployed today, MSNBC reports. "I'm obviously saddened and disappointed by what's happened, but not surprised," said the impeached governor. "It's a very dangerous precedent to set because a whole bunch of politicians have their own agenda."...
Zippo Closes In on 500M Lighters
NPR
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Jan 29, 2009 6:37 PM CST
(Newser) -
At some point this year, the Zippo factory in Bradford, Pa., will churn out its 500 millionth lighter, NPR reports. The windproof gadget has become a cultural staple since 1932, from the wartime foxholes of Germany and Vietnam to the glitter of the Silver Screen, but NPR notes that the company faces a host of modern challenges, among them...
Jailed US Spy Tries to Collect From Russia
Washington Post
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Jan 29, 2009 6:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
A jailed spy who shared CIA secrets with Russia has improbably gotten himself into more hot water while behind bars, the Washington Post reports. Harold Nicholson, currently in the middle of a 23-year sentence, figured that Moscow still owed him money, so he got his son to travel around the world to collect it from Russian agents, say federal...
Swayze: I Haven't Quit Treatment
People
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Jan 29, 2009 5:36 PM CST
(Newser) -
Patrick Swayze quickly scotched tabloid rumors today that he's stopped receiving treatments for his pancreatic cancer, People reports. "The reports are not true," said a spokeswoman. "Patrick is continuing his treatment." Swayze, 56, was hospitalized earlier this month for pneumonia, and several tabloids reported that he'd subsequently...
Netanyahu Calls 'Fanatical' Iran World's Biggest Danger
Times (UK)
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Jan 29, 2009 5:27 PM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama may be making overtures to Iran, but Benjamin Netanyahu wants none of it. The front-runner in the race to become Israel's next prime minister said the global economic crisis pales in comparison with the threat of a nuclear Iran and its "pre-medieval view of the world," the Times of London reports.
Blago Ousted; Can't Hold Office Again
Chicago Tribune
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Jan 29, 2009 4:59 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Illinois Senate voted unanimously today to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich and remove him from office, the Chicago Tribune reports. Senators also barred him from holding any future office in the state. Blagojevich, accused of essentially putting a Senate seat up for sale, appeared before the body earlier in the day to assert his innocence. "You...
Obama Girls' Media Coverage Stays Sane—So Far
Time
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Jan 29, 2009 4:43 PM CST
(Newser) -
The paparazzi love Sasha and Malia Obama—their dad is the world’s biggest celeb, and they’re adorable. This can only mean trouble, right? Maybe not, writes Belinda Luscombe in Time . Tabloids seem to stepping gingerly around privacy concerns so far. And what's more, the media-savvy first family seems to have an "unspoken agreement"...
Fannie Mae Engineer Indicted for Planting Crippling Code
Wired
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Jan 29, 2009 4:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
A former Fannie Mae contract worker was indicted Tuesday on a count of computer sabotage for planting malicious code that would have crippled the mortgage giant’s network of 4,000 servers for at least a week, Wired reports. Rajendrasinh Babubha Makwana crafted the malware the same day he was fired in October, and it was set to activate Jan....
Michelle Obama's Brother Will Pen Memoir
Associated Press
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Jan 29, 2009 4:16 PM CST
(Newser) -
Craig Robinson, brother of First Lady Michelle Obama, is working on a book to be published next year, the AP reports. Robinson, who coaches the men’s basketball team at Oregon State, hopes the book—entitled A Game of Character —will be part memoir, part inspirational guide.
Ledger's Insurer Settles With Daughter
Reuters
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Jan 29, 2009 4:03 PM CST
(Newser) -
Heath Ledger’s insurance company has agreed to pay at least part of the late actor’s $10 million policy to his daughter, Matilda. Ledger’s lawyers reached an out-of-court settlement with ReliaStar Life Insurance, which had balked at paying because of suspicions his 2008 overdose death was a suicide, Reuters reports. No word yet on...
Rice Regrets Bad Iraq Intel, But Not Invasion
Associated Press
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Jan 29, 2009 3:52 PM CST
(Newser) -
Condoleezza Rice appeared on The View today to defend Bush administration policies, and lament a few key mistakes, the Los Angeles Times reports. Rice expressed regret that weapons of mass destruction never surfaced in Iraq—but stands behind the ouster of Saddam Hussein. Rice also said Hurricane Katrina was “one of the greatest disasters...
Obama: $18B in Wall Street Bonuses 'Shameful'
Associated Press
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Jan 29, 2009 3:43 PM CST
(Newser) -
President Obama denounced huge bonuses to Wall Street executives as “the height of irresponsibility” given the country’s economic hardship, the AP reports. Responding to news that financial firms paid out $18 billion in bonuses last year, Obama described the firms’ actions as “shameful” and vowed that he and Treasury...
Comet Might Not Have Killed Mammoths After All: Study
BBC
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Jan 29, 2009 3:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
New evidence undermines the theory that the impact from a comet killed off the woolly mammoth and enough humans to end the prehistoric Clovis culture, the BBC reports. Supporters of the impact theory point to a planet-wide rash of wildfires, but while a new analysis of sediment under North American peat bogs found evidence of increased wildfires over...
Alaska Volcano Continues to Rumble, Fume
KTUU
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Jan 29, 2009 3:19 PM CST
(Newser) -
Researchers are keeping a close eye on Alaska’s Mt. Redoubt, a volcano that could erupt any time, KTUU-TV reports. The peak—located about 110 miles southwest of Anchorage—has seen increased earthquakes and tremors in recent days, CNN adds. Mt. Redoubt last erupted in 1989-90.
226-Point Sell-Off Erases Rally
MarketWatch
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Jan 29, 2009 3:07 PM CST
(Newser) -
Widespread layoffs and poor housing data spurred a sell-off in stocks that saw the Dow give back yesterday’s gains and more, MarketWatch reports. Weekly jobless claims rose 159,000 and new layoffs were announced at Allstate and Eastman Kodak, stoking fear ahead of next Friday’s January employment report. The Dow fell 226.44 to 8,149.01,...
Attacker Wanted Breast Implants Back: Witness
Victorville Daily Press
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Jan 29, 2009 2:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
Testimony began this week in the trial of a California man who attacked his ex-girlfriend with a knife, allegedly with the intent to remove breast implants he’d paid for, the Victorville Daily Press reports. Thomas Lee Rowley is charged with attempted murder in the 2006 assault on his ex, which resulted in six stab wounds to her head and torso....
Amy's Latest Shenanigans: Topless Scrabble
Sun (UK)
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Jan 29, 2009 2:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
After rescuing a beachgoer and stealing drinks from other hotel guests, Amy Winehouse wrapped up her Caribbean vacation with some topless Scrabble, the Sun reports. “While taking a break from her usual antics on the beach, Amy spotted some people playing Scrabble and decided to offer her spelling knowledge,” a hotel guest says. “But...
Honey Packers Fail to Report Tainted Imports
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Jan 29, 2009 2:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
US honey packers often don’t tell authorities about imports contaminated with banned antibiotics or other chemicals, and instead simply send the products back, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports after a lengthy investigation. Importers can then get the tainted honey into the American market through another packer, as two Chicago businessmen...
Prosecutor: Blago Has No 'Right to Be Governor'
Chicago Tribune
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Jan 29, 2009 2:10 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Illinois House prosecutor gave a forceful rebuttal today to Rod Blagojevich’s closing speech, in the last act of the governor’s impeachment trial before the state Senate deliberates on his fate, the Chicago Tribune reports. “He doesn’t have a constitutional right to be governor,” David Ellis said. “It is a...
Gitmo Judge Refuses Obama's Order to Delay Trials
Reuters
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Jan 29, 2009 1:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
The lead judge in the Guantanamo Bay military tribunals has refused President Obama’s order to suspend legal proceedings against one of the terror prison’s detainees, Reuters reports. Army Col. James Pohl said tribunal rules give him sole authority to delay litigation in the case of Abd al Rahim al Nashiri, accused in the 2000 bombing that...
Struggling Airlines Pitch Clean(er) Planes
Chicago Tribune
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Jan 29, 2009 1:48 PM CST
(Newser) -
United Airlines used to give its planes’ interiors a thorough cleaning only every 6 months to save cash. But with carriers now fighting for every passenger, cleanliness has become a crucial weapon, the Chicago Tribune reports. Some United planes now get “heavy” cleans every two weeks. “People don’t normally return to...
Cache of Madoff Evidence Found in Warehouse
New York Daily News
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Jan 29, 2009 1:34 PM CST
(Newser) -
Investigators are going over millions of documents found in a Queens warehouse that may shed light on Bernard Madoff’s alleged Ponzi scheme, the New York Daily News reports. The warehouse was used to store records from Madoff Investment Securities, spanning the firm’s decades-long history.
Torre Tell-All Has Yanks Mulling Gag Rule
Newsday
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Jan 29, 2009 1:26 PM CST
(Newser) -
Joe Torre’s new book about his tenure as Yankees manager has the franchise in such a tizzy that the front office is considering a “non-disparagement clause” in future contracts, Newsday reports. Unlike other teams, the Yankees have never insisted on confidentiality agreements with players and management. “Up to now, we have...
Obamas Inherit Sweet Record Stash
Rolling Stone
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Jan 29, 2009 1:15 PM CST
(Newser) -
President Obama’s new digs not only grant him access to chefs and a bowling alley, but an LP stash that includes Led Zeppelin IV and the Ramones’ Rocket to Russia , Rolling Stone reports. Banished to the basement during the Reagan years, the White House vinyl vault contains Obama favorites including Bruce Springsteen’s Born...
How J. Crew Became First Fashion
Chicago Tribune
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Jan 29, 2009 1:01 PM CST
(Newser) -
Representatives of the Obama family worked directly with J. Crew to design multiple inaugural pieces that fit the First Family’s deliberate classic-but-affordable image, the company tells the Chicago Tribune . Despite a few complaints, the Obamas’ unofficial hard-times designer has emerged strong from the inauguration festivities—seeing...
