Newser Story Index from October, 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.
World's Biggest Web-Spinning Spidey Found
BBC
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Oct 21, 2009 4:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A gargantuan new species of orb-weaving arachnid found in South Africa is the biggest web-spinning spider ever discovered, scientists say. The female Nephila komaci has a leg span bigger than a man's hand and spins webs more than 3 feet wide, the BBC reports. Arachnophobes will be glad to hear that the species is very rare and has only been found...
Dozens 'Disappeared' After China Riots
BBC
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Oct 21, 2009 3:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Dozens of Uighur men and boys rounded up in the wake of the riots that shook China's Xinjiang province over the summer are missing, according to a reports from a human rights group. Interviews with families in Urumqi found evidence that 43 people had vanished since being taken away by security forces, although that number is "likely just the tip...
21 Killed in India Train Wreck
Associated Press
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Oct 21, 2009 3:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An Indian passenger train plowed into another near the Taj Mahal early today, killing 21 people and injuring more than a dozen. The rear car of the struck train, which was reserved for women and disabled passengers, took the brunt of the impact. Soldiers and villagers near the accident in Agra worked frantically to free passengers trapped in the twisted...
Veiled Women Nabbed in $12.5M Jakarta Drug Bust
Associated Press
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Oct 21, 2009 3:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Eight veiled women were among a group of 10 Iranians arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling at Indonesia's main airport today. The $12.5 million haul of methamphetamines found in their hand baggage is the biggest drug bust in the airport's history, authorities say. Indonesian authorities have never seen veiled women used as drug runners before, the...
Madoff HQ Was 'Coke-Fueled Animal House'
New York Daily News
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Oct 21, 2009 2:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Bernie Madoff ran the druggiest, most decadent securities fraud in town, according to court papers filed yesterday. Madoff's offices were so awash in cocaine—paid for with investors' money—that it was nicknamed "the North Pole," and the firm hosted drug-fueled parties featuring topless waitresses, according to a lawsuit filed...
Cruise Hails Scientology at Secret Confab
Us Weekly
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Oct 21, 2009 2:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Tom Cruise was one of the inspirational speakers at a secret Scientology confab in Britain, apparently attributing his success to his membership in the controversial organization. Cruise was joined by Katie Holmes and daughter Suri, John Tavolta and Kelly Preston, and some 4000 other guests at the hush-hush international gathering in West Sussex. "Because...
Bedbug Dogs Sniff Out Bloodsuckers
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 21, 2009 1:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The resurgence of an old pest has created new jobs for dogs. Bedbug infestations have soared in American cities over the last four years, creating boom times for exterminators, especially those using canny canines trained to detect the tiny suckers. Handlers say the dogs can expertly sniff out infestations and work their way through buildings a lot...
Cancer Experts Worried About Screening
New York Times
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Oct 21, 2009 1:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The American Cancer Society is rethinking its advice on screening for breast and prostate cancer amid studies showing that the tests can miss the deadliest forms of the disease, and in some cases lead to dangerous, unnecessary treatment. The society is working on a new message stressing that cancer screening comes with risks as well as benefits, and...
Yankees Club Angels, Lead Series 3-1
MLB.com
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Oct 20, 2009 10:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Alex Rodriguez hit his third home run of the series and Melky Cabrera drove in four runs as the New York Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels, 10-1, tonight, to move within one victory of a berth in the World Series. CC Sabathia allowed the single run on five hits in eight innings; New York leads the best-of-seven series 3-1, with Game 5 scheduled for...
Don't Fight Reform, Obama Warns Wall St. at NYC Dinner
Politico
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Oct 20, 2009 9:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
At a fundraising dinner tonight in New York attended by (among others) the sorts of financial types who could afford the $30,400-per-couple entry fee, President Obama wagged a finger at Wall Street. “I would ask that you join us in passing what are necessary reforms,” he said in addressing the interested parties. “Don’t fight...
Swiss Tipped US to Polanski Trip
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 8:53 PM CDT
(AP) -
Swiss authorities set in motion the arrest of fugitive director Roman Polanski in his decades-old child sex case as he traveled to the country last month, emails obtained by the AP show. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice alerted US law enforcement Sept. 22 that Polanski, 76, was due in Zurich, and wanted to know if the US would submit a request for...
FAA Starts Own Balloon Boy Probe
People
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Oct 20, 2009 8:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Federal Aviation Administration is the latest agency to start its own investigation of last week’s Colorado balloon circus, with authorities looking into delays at Denver International Airport during the craft’s flight. And while local law enforcement wants criminal charges against the Heene family, any FAA violations would most likely...
Senate OKs US Trials for Gitmo Prisoners
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 7:54 PM CDT
(AP) -
President Obama won a modest victory today in his continuing effort to close the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba and allowing the government to continue to transfer detainees to the US for prosecution. The plan to permit terror suspects to be shipped to U.S. soil to face trial passed the Senate, 79-19; it's already passed the House, and now awaits Obama's...
In 2012, GOP Goes With Heart (Palin) Over Head (Romney)
Politics Daily
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Oct 20, 2009 7:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
No matter what kind of gains Republicans make in the midterm elections next year, it’s going to be tough to unseat President Obama—and that’s why the GOP is going to choose Sarah Palin, its heart’s preferred candidate, over Mitt Romney, its head’s favorite. Or as Matt Lewis puts it, “If you’re going to lose...
Iran Nuke Talks Sluggish, But 'Moving Forward'
BBC
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Oct 20, 2009 6:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Negotiations over the future of Iran’s nuclear program have been sluggish, the chief United Nations representative at the Vienna talks says this evening. “I believe we are making progress. It is maybe slower than I expected. But we are moving forward,” Mohamed ElBaradei says. The permanent members of the UN Security Council want Iran...
Barnes & Noble Unveils 'Nook' E-Reader
CNET
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Oct 20, 2009 6:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Barnes & Noble unveiled its new e-reader today: the Nook. Like the Kindle, it's a wireless device that allows for instant downloads of purchases. Some details, via CNET, the Wall Street Journal , the LA Times , and PC World . It costs $259, same as the Kindle, and will be out in November. Unlike Kindle users, Nook...
Public College Tuition Rises Despite Recession
Washington Post
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Oct 20, 2009 5:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hoping for a tuition break in the recession? Fat chance. The price of a college education continues to rise, with costs at public schools rising faster than those at private institutions. Tuition and fees at a public 4-year college now average $7,020, versus $26,273 at a private college. That's a 6.5% jump for public schools and a 4.4% increase for...
California Says Bank Fleeced Pension Funds
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 20, 2009 5:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
California sued a Boston bank today and accused it of ripping off $56.6 million from two state pension funds. It wants all that money back, plus another $150 million in penalties. Attorney General Jerry Brown accused State Street Bank of "unconscionable fraud" and called it "just the latest example of how clever financial traders violate...
U2 to Stream Concert on YouTube
Telegraph (UK)
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Oct 20, 2009 4:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
U2 will offer a video stream of a live concert for free on YouTube this Sunday. The stream of the sold-out show at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California will be available in 16 countries, including the US, Brazil, Israel, and Australia. U2 has "wanted to do something like this for a long time," manager Paul McGuinness tells the Telegraph...
SC Republicans Apologize for Jewish Slur
Salon
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Oct 20, 2009 4:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two GOP county chairs in South Carolina today apologized for a weekend op-ed in which they praised Sen. Jim DeMint by invoking the stereotype of a Jew "watching our nation's pennies." James Ulmer wrote that he "meant absolutely nothing derogatory" by the essay. "I quoted a statement which I have heard many times in my life,...
Yahoo Triples Profits After Cost-Cutting
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 4:11 PM CDT
(AP) -
Yahoo’s third-quarter profit more than tripled even though the company's quarterly revenue fell in the double digits for the third consecutive time. The earnings improvement reported today was primarily driven by extensive cost-cutting that has eliminated more than 2,000 jobs in the past year. The company, however, is still struggling to lure...
Judge Jails 'Arrogant' Kerik
WNBC-TV
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Oct 20, 2009 3:57 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Former NYPD chief Bernard Kerik is in jail after an angry federal judge revoked his bail and read him the riot act for leaking information to the media about his bribery case. Judge Stephen Robinson called Kerik "arrogant" and his explanations a "sham" during today's hearing, notes WNBC. "I can't trust Mr. Kerik."...
AT&T Asks Employees to Slam Net Neutrality
Save the Internet
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Oct 20, 2009 3:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With the FCC holding a meeting Thursday to decide whether to give the green light to “net neutrality”—the principle of universal access to bandwidth—AT&T is stepping up its PR war. In a memo from senior exec James Cicconi, employees are asked to post anti-neutrality comments on an FCC forum. Cicconi specifies that they should...
Dow Falls 51 on Housing
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 20, 2009 3:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks fell today on disappointing earnings and a poor housing report. The market got off to a weak start when numbers on new-home construction were weaker than expected. Poor earnings reports from DuPont and Coca-Cola didn’t help, though Caterpillar, which posted a less severe profit drop than expected, boosted the Dow with a 3.4% gain. The...
Apple Upgrades iMac, MacBook
BusinessWeek
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Oct 20, 2009 2:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After grabbing attention with its blockbuster earnings report—a sizable chunk of it driven by sales of the Mac PC—Apple has announced upgrades to the Mac product lines. Here’s the rundown from BusinessWeek : The MacBook, which remains $999, now has the “unibody” shell and 7-hour non-removeable battery already...
AIDS Vaccine Data Overstated
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 20, 2009 2:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The data from last month’s much-hyped Thai AIDS vaccine trial are actually statistically insignificant, according to a secondary analysis published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The original results from the trial, which included more than 16,000 people, concluded that the vaccine reduced infections by a statistically significant...
Palin to Hawk Book on Oprah
Chicago Sun-Times
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Oct 20, 2009 2:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In what could be a showdown for the ages, Sarah Palin will be bringing her trademark wink to the Oprah Winfrey Show on Nov. 16. Why would the conservative Palin sit down with a noted friend of Barack Obama’s? Because Nov. 16 is the day before her memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life , hits stands, and as the Chicago Sun-Times notes, “Oprah...
NASA Readies New Rocket for Test Flight
Space.com
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Oct 20, 2009 2:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
NASA rolled out a seaside launch pad in Florida today, preparing to test its first new rocket designed for manned space travel in almost 30 years. The Ares I-X is a prototype of the Ares I, which NASA hopes will power the new spacecraft that will replace the shuttle. It blasts off a week from today, Space.com reports. The $445 million rocket will be...
Unemployment Hasn't Helped Sarah Palin
Newsweek
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Oct 20, 2009 1:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Political professionals largely applauded Sarah Palin’s flight from office, saying it would give her time to lie low, hone her message, and build her brand. But so far the disappearing act hasn’t helped with voters. A new Gallup poll found Palin’s favorable rating at 40%, its lowest since her national debut as John McCain’s...
Big Brother Winner Nabbed for Peddling Oxy
Boston Globe
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Oct 20, 2009 1:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Big Brother 9 winner Adam Jasinski made his first court appearance today in Massachusetts after being charged with trying to sell 2,000 prescription painkiller pills. After a brief struggle with agents, the DEA says Jasinski waived his Miranda rights and confessed to using his $500,000 winnings from the reality show last year to set up an oxycodone...
Reid to 'Vaporize' GOP Challengers: Aide
Politico
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Oct 20, 2009 1:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Harry Reid, his re-election campaign wilting in the polls, is getting ready to rumble: The Senate majority leader is promising an intensely negative campaign against the 2010 GOP challenger for his Senate seat. With his $8.7 million war chest—the largest ever for a Nevada statewide race—Reid will “vaporize” his opponent, an...
Now Driving Innovation in India: the Poor
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 20, 2009 1:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Indian engineers once did little but cater to Western companies, while consumers at home made do with hand-me-down products from the developed world. That is changing in a big way as foreign economies crater and the 1.1 billion consumers of the subcontinent reveal a taste for, well, consuming. And the combination of cheap, available talent and eager...
TMZ Chief May Sue After Cops Pull Phone Records
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 12:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Not so fun being on the other side: TMZ founder Harvey Levin is promising legal action after learning that Los Angeles cops went through his phone records during a leak investigation related to Mel Gibson’s 2007 DUI. TMZ broke the original story. Though the Sheriff’s Department says it obtained a court order for the search, Levin isn’t...
Are Models Skinny Because We're Fat?
BlackBook
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Oct 20, 2009 12:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Robin Givhan's recent Washington Post piece attempting to explain why models are so skinny—"the fatter the general population, the thinner the idealized woman," she wrote—spawned a number of responses in varying degrees of outrage. Read on for a sample: "'The culture' isn't insisting on emaciated models and greeting...
Bailout Is Bad News for Savers
Washington Post
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Oct 20, 2009 12:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Not fed up enough with just putting your taxpayer dollars directly on the line to bail out the nation’s banks? Allan Sloan has latched on to some insidious “collateral damage” from the government’s rescue plan, those trillions spent “to keep interest rates down to support the economy and prop up housing prices.”...
Why Post Poll Matters —and Why It Doesn't
ABC
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Oct 20, 2009 12:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A new Washington Post /ABC poll showing an uptick in support for the public option—it stands at 57%—has pundits weighing in on the impact: George Stephanopoulos, ABC: It's likely "those numbers aren't strong enough—at least not yet—to shake enough swing senators off their opposition to the public option. Especially...
Glenn Beck's Paranoia Is a Gold Mine
Salon
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Oct 20, 2009 11:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Move over Jim Cramer. When it comes to possibly unhinged investment gurus, Mike Madden of Salon says he’s going with Glenn Beck and G. Gordon Liddy. Ever since advertisers began boycotting Beck, gold sellers have been grabbing space. The weirdest ad features G. Gordon Liddy mocking Fed policies that will destroy the dollar. Beck himself even...
Stunts Worse Than Balloon Boy
Gawker
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Oct 20, 2009 11:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Right now the world is against balloon boy mastermind Richard Heene, but perhaps everyone will forgive and forget after revisiting five even worse publicity stunts, compiled by Brian Moylan for Gawker: Lauren Cleri: On Fox reality show Moment of Truth , she admitted to cheating on her husband—and didn't even win the cash she was trying...
Dubai's New Metro a Surprise Social Leveler
GlobalPost
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Oct 20, 2009 11:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It may or may not alleviate massive traffic jams of Mercedes and Hummers, but Dubai's new metro system is definitely loosening up the Emirate's rigidly stratified society. “No velvet rope or electrified security gate to keep out the masses,” Tom Hundley writes. “Privileged Emiratis suddenly find themselves in the unfamiliar position...
LiLo Seeks to Restrain Pop
Radar
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Oct 20, 2009 10:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Nobody puts the "fun" back in "dysfunctional" like the Lohans. With Michael Lohan musing openly about kidnapping Lindsay and weighing in on her court case, La Lohan is set to slap a restraining order on dear old estranged dad. For his part, Michael took to, of all places, the Australian radio waves to deny this crazy restraining...
10 Reasons Vince Is No Fun Anymore
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 20, 2009 10:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Vince Vaughn, once "so money" in Swingers , just isn't living up to his promise—although Hollywood probably feels differently, considering the $63 million plus that his last mediocre film ( Couples Retreat) made in its first two weeks. In the Los Angeles Times , Betsy Sharkey lists her top 10 problems with the funnyman: Laziness:...
West Eases Off Carbon Demands for China, India
Financial Times (UK)
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Oct 20, 2009 10:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Industrialized nations backed away from long-term carbon cut demands on developing nations yesterday, in the hopes of reaching a deal at December's Copenhagen summit. The US and EU have pushed for a 50% reduction in global carbon emissions by 2050, but China and India refused to sign up, wary of binding themselves to future cuts. As the Financial...
Jon Hits Synagogue for Advice
New York Post
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Oct 20, 2009 10:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Proof that Jon Gosselin is trying to better himself: Fellow TLC star and rabbi to the stars Shmuley Boteach will vouch for him, after Gosselin visited a synagogue to get some advice. No, Jon isn't converting—the New York synagogue was playing host to a values panel starring Boteach, among others, and they instilled Jon with some sorely needed...
Michelle Drops By Leno Friday
Chicago Tribune
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Oct 20, 2009 10:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
After this Friday, Michelle Obama will have something in common with John McCain—and Miley Cyrus, for that matter—she will have survived the Jay Leno hotseat. The first lady will appear on the Jay Leno Show 's "Ten @ Ten" segment, answering 10 rapid-fire questions from the talk show host via satellite from Washington. Have an...
Obama Had Hand in Secret Talks With Iran
Time
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Oct 20, 2009 10:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama personally stepped in multiple times during the secret multinational talks with Iran that led up to the negotiations that began yesterday in Vienna, White House sources tell Time . When Iran put the word out that it needed enriched uranium plates for its aging research reactor, the Obama administration saw the opportunity for a deal....
Octomom Talks Gosselin Crush
Radar
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Oct 20, 2009 10:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hey, look, Octomom is back! Upon learning that her fertility doctor is being expelled from a national medical association, Nadya Suleman told Radar, "I’ve always thought from the beginning Dr. Michael Kamrava was a good doctor," adding that—since other cases were involved—"I don’t feel wholly responsible."...
Suicide Attacks Kill 4 at Pakistani School
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 10:08 AM CDT
(AP) -
Two suicide attackers bombed an Islamic university in the Pakistani capital today, killing four people and wounding 18 as the army pressed ahead with a critical offensive on a Taliban stronghold near Afghanistan, authorities said. The near simultaneous blasts hit a women's cafeteria and a faculty building at Islamabad's International Islamic University....
Supreme Court Takes Uighurs' Case
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 10:00 AM CDT
(AP) -
The Supreme Court will hear a new case about the rights of Guantanamo detainees, this time involving prisoners who remain in custody even after the Pentagon determines they're not a threat to the United States, the court said today. Last year, the court said in a 5-4 ruling that federal judges could ultimately order some detainees to be released, depending...
Lay Off Israel, Human Rights Watch: Founder
New York Times
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Oct 20, 2009 9:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Human Rights Watch has lost its way, writes founder and chairman emeritus Robert L. Bernstein. The once even-handed organization has launched a jeremiad against Israel—a liberal democracy with a “vibrant free press”—while effectively ignoring abuses in closed, autocratic societies in the region it was created to address. Democracies...
McNair-Kazemi Texts Released
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 9:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Nashville police released 50 text messages between Steve McNair and Sahel Kazemi, the woman they believe killed him before killing herself, last night—on the heels of a CBS Early Show report claiming the investigation was flawed, the AP reports. The text messages show McNair transferred $2,000 into Kazemi's account after she asked for it to...
