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.
Defense Dept. Opposed Anti-Rape Rule for Contractors
Huffington Post
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Oct 20, 2009 9:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
When 30 Republicans voted against an Al Franken amendment prohibiting defense contractors from forcing their employees to agree not to sue if they’re raped, Jon Stewart and liberals everywhere went ballistic. But those 30 Republicans weren’t alone, the Huffington Post reports; the Defense Department opposed the amendment as well. The DoD...
Public Option Now Has Legs in Senate
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 20, 2009 8:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The public option, left for dead by the Max Baucus bill that passed the Finance Committee just weeks ago, has a new lease on life in the Senate. Credit goes to a CBO report underwhelmed by that bill's efforts to encourage competition, and a big power play by the insurance industry that backfired. Democrats are considering a raft of possibilities, from...
Heene Wore a Bra, Wrote Theme Songs
TMZ
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Oct 20, 2009 8:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Richard Heene wanted to make his family famous, so it's no surprise that the Internet yields a wide variety of background info on the balloon boy dad—from the hilarious (Heene wearing a bra) to the not-so-hilarious (former run-ins with the law). Read on for more: TMZ unearthed two audio gems: Theme songs Heene wrote for shows he cooked...
Bernanke: US Must Save More, Asia Spend More
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 20, 2009 8:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The world economy is headed back down the drain if Asians don't start spending more and Americans don't start saving more, Ben Bernanke said at a conference yesterday. The Fed chief warned that unequal trade patterns were partly to blame for the financial crisis and that they are re-emerging as Asia leads the global recovery, reports the Los Angeles...
Catholic Church Welcomes Disgruntled Anglicans
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 8:42 AM CDT
(AP) -
Pope Benedict XVI has created a new church structure for Anglicans who want to join the Catholic Church, responding to the disillusionment of some Anglicans over the ordination of women and the election of openly gay bishops. The new provision will allow Anglicans to join the Catholic Church while maintaining their Anglican identity and many of their...
Campaign Film Shows 'Too-Perfect' Obama
Washington Post
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Oct 20, 2009 8:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama comes across as too perfect for his own good in upcoming HBO documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama , writes Richard Cohen. The behind-the-scenes look at the campaign shows Obama as cool and collected as ever, Cohen writes in the Washington Post , with no sign of him overcoming any huge obstacles or changing...
Afghan Runoff Set for Nov. 7
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 7:37 AM CDT
(AP) -
Afghanistan's election commission has ordered a runoff election for Nov. 7 after a fraud investigation dropped President Hamid Karzai's votes below 50% of the total. Karzai accepted the fraud panel finding in a press conference and endorsed a runoff election. The Independent Election Commission said it did not want to "leave the people of Afghanistan...
Beck Moves Obama From 'Hitler' to 'Mao'
Huffington Post
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Oct 20, 2009 7:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Apparently, Hollywood’s dumb-named “iParticipate” campaign is the worst thing since the Great Leap Forward. Sixty network shows will work volunteerism and community service into the plot this week, and in Glenn Beck’s mind, this, coupled with Obama's own push for volunteerism, is the stuff conspiracies are made of. “Well,...
Bailed-Out Banks Boost CEO Perks
Washington Post
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Oct 20, 2009 6:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The CEOs of bailed-out banks and financial companies saw their perks and benefits—ranging from private jet use and country club membership to free parking and bodyguards—rise even at the height of the crisis last year. On average, the CEOs of the 29 biggest companies that received federal money got $380,000 worth of perks in 2008, and for...
Karzai Challenger Rejects Plan to Share Power
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 6:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Abdullah Abdullah, who came in second in the first round of Afghanistan's presidential election, is calling for an interim government to take over the country if it's too difficult or dangerous to organize a runoff in the coming weeks. The challenger to Hamid Karzai also rejected suggestions of a power-sharing deal, mooted in Washington lately, which...
Wall Street Cools to Dems Despite Bailout
New York Times
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Oct 20, 2009 6:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Some gratitude: Wall Street’s top firms will largely sit out Barack Obama’s lavish Democratic Party fundraiser in New York tonight, with Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Citigroup sending a scant half-dozen representatives or fewer. Some Democratic fundraisers and executives tell the New York Times that bailout banks are afraid of a backlash...
Sheriff: TV Paid for Balloon Stunt
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 20, 2009 6:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A shady TV operation may have already paid the Heenes for its balloon boy stunt, the Colorado sheriff investigating the case has indicated. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the unnamed outlet paid the family for the launch and may be complicit in the hoax. An agreement from the media operation to pay the Heenes was found during a police search...
Prop. 8 Redux: Maine Gay Marriage Battle Heats Up
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 20, 2009 5:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As Maine gets ready to decide whether to repeal its law recognizing gay marriage next month, activists on both sides of the argument are ramping up their efforts. Activists and funds are pouring into the state from across the country in what many see as a repeat of California's battle over Proposition 8 last year, the Los Angeles Times reports. Supporters...
Polanski Loses Bid for Bail
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 5:40 AM CDT
(AP) -
Roman Polanski will remain in a Swiss jail while authorities decide whether to extradite him to the US in his 31-year-old statutory rape case, a Swiss court ruled today. The court ruled against releasing the director on bail or under house arrest because he posed a high flight risk. Polanski, who was arrested last month in Zurich, can appeal the...
Top US Scientist Busted for Spying
BBC
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Oct 20, 2009 5:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A leading American space scientist has been charged with attempted espionage after being busted in an FBI sting operation. Stewart Nozette, who worked on classified aerospace projects for agencies including NASA and the Department of Defense, was arrested when he attempted to pass secrets to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli spy,...
Deadly Mamba May Save Heart Patients
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 20, 2009 5:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Scientists believe the deadly green mamba may hold the key to saving many heart failure patients. A hormone found in the African tree snake's venom helps widen blood vessels to deliver its poison faster, reducing high blood pressure in the process. The hormone also appears to boost kidney function, researchers say, unlike other treatments which place...
Karzai Accepts UN Recount, Runoff Looms
New York Times
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Oct 20, 2009 4:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hamid Karzai will bow to international pressure and accept the results of a UN-backed recount of Afghanistan's presidential election, US and European officials tell the New York Times . The incumbent will publicly acknowledge he fell short of 50% of the first-round vote as early as today, setting the stage for a runoff ballot against Abdullah...
Fresco Clue Launches Hunt for Lost Da Vinci
Telegraph (UK)
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Oct 20, 2009 4:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Like a mystery straight from the Da Vinci Code , an Italian palace fresco harbors a clue pointing to the existence of a hidden masterpiece, claims an art expert. Now Italian professor Maurizio Seracini has been granted permission to seek the painting considered Leonardo da Vinci's greatest work. Seracini believes the lost Battle of Anghiari is...
Birkhead: Prosecutor Pressured Me
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 4:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Anna Nicole Smith's babydaddy Larry Birkhead took the stand again yesterday in the Howard K Stern hearing, and testified that the prosecution pressured him to "ramp up" his testimony because he appeared to be taking Stern's side. "I felt I personally did my best and I was being chastised," Birkhead said of a deputy district attorney—who...
Military Frustrated by 'Slow' Obama
New York Times
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Oct 20, 2009 3:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama's ongoing review of Afghan strategy is frustrating military officers used to a different commander-in-chief's style, say past and present top brass. Some fear that the long deliberations over Gen. Stanley McChrystal's request for more troops signal weakness and indecision to the enemy, while others fear the president is "pulling...
32 New Exoplanets Discovered
CNN
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Oct 20, 2009 3:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
European astronomers have discovered 32 new planets in other solar systems, bringing the total of known exoplanets to over 400. The planets—which range in size from five times the size of Earth to five times the size of Jupiter—were found circling a variety of stars. The new discoveries support theories that planets are relatively common...
Addams Family Songwriter Dies
Associated Press
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Oct 20, 2009 3:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Songwriter Vic Mizzy, best-known for the Addams Family and Green Acres theme tunes, has died at his Bel-Air home aged 93. Mizzy wrote songs for stars Dean Martin and Doris Day before moving into film and TV composing. The WWII vet wrote the Addams Family theme on harpsichord, singing and overlaying all the vocals himself because the production...
Apple Profits Surge 47% on iPhones, Macs
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 20, 2009 3:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Apple rocketed to a 47% increase in quarterly profits as consumers kept buying iPhones and Macs through the recession, helped by a price drop and overseas expansion. The company posted a profit of $1.67 billion last night, exceeding even the highest expectations on the Street. The biggest surprise was the 17% jump in sales of Macs, besting the 7% increase...
'Swap Wife' Calls Heene Mad Wiz With Temper
People
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Oct 20, 2009 2:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The "swapped wife" who lived with the Balloon Boy's family as part of a TV reality program described dad Richard Heene as a mad scientist with a short fuse. Sheree Silver said Heene screamed at her, and son Bradford said: "My dad can really yell, can't he?" Silver doesn't believe Heene was capable of physical abuse, People reports....
Student Rape-Murder Gang Shuts Iraq U
New York Times
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Oct 20, 2009 2:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
One of Iraq's leading universities has been shut down while authorities attempt to purge it of a sectarian student gang accused of carrying out a campaign of murder and rape. Professors, administrators, and fellow students have been targeted by the Students League, a shadowy group of Shia students said to hold sway over campus security and even the...
Anti-Vaccine Push Threatens Kid Health
Wired
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Oct 20, 2009 1:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A flourishing anti-vaccination movement based on bad science and distrust of Big Pharma is pressing the rewind button on decades of advances in reducing child illness, writes Amy Wallace. Parents who believe—despite the lack of credible evidence—that vaccines harm children are endangering other people's children as well as their own, Wallace...
Obama Coming Up Short on Human Rights
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 20, 2009 1:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama's decision to skip the celebrations of the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall highlights the gap between his rhetoric on the campaign trail and the realities of his presidency, writes Bret Stephens. Obama hailed the "dream of freedom" in his big speech in Berlin last year but he has done nothing to advance the dream...
Phillies Grab 3-1 Lead on 9th-Inning Rally
MLB.com
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Oct 19, 2009 11:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jimmy Rollins doubled with two out in the ninth inning to drive home the tying and winning runs as the Philadelphia Phillies stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-4, to take a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven National League Championship Series. The visiting Dodgers had clawed out of an early 2-0 hole, but closer Jonathan Broxton couldn’t make their...
Kanye Exorcises Demons in Short Jonze Film
Entertainment Weekly
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Oct 19, 2009 9:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A glimpse into the inner workings of Kanye West, or just fantasy? We're sure getting a look at something in a new short film directed by Spike Jonze (of Where The Wild Things Are ) and starring West, who—after an(other) obnoxious club outing—projectile vomits pink flower petals in a bathroom, then slices himself open and confronts a small...
Husband Enlists to Get Wife Back Into Chemotherapy
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Oct 19, 2009 8:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Out of a job and unable to find work as the recession grinds on, a Wisconsin man desperate to find affordable chemotherapy for his cancer-stricken wife turned to Uncle Sam, but not for a handout—Bill Caudle, 39, enlisted in the Army. “Seventy percent of the reason is for the insurance,” his mother tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel...
Angels Win in 11, Trim Yankees' Lead
Associated Press
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Oct 19, 2009 7:57 PM CDT
(AP) -
Jeff Mathis hit a two-out double in the 11th inning to drive home the winning run, and the Los Angeles Angels survived a second consecutive thriller for a 5-4 victory over the Yankees today, trimming New York's lead in the American League championship series to 2-1. Howie Kendrick homered, tripled and then singled with two out in the 11th. Mathis followed...
Shame on Obama for Skipping Berlin Festivities
Commentary
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Oct 19, 2009 7:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Skipping the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall is a bad choice by President Obama, Rick Richman writes, for several reasons: It’s a snub of a personal invitation from German Chancellor Angela Merkel—a key ally and one going all out for the festivities. It’s a chance for Obama to give credit to Presidents...
Pageant Wants Its Money Back for Prejean's Implants
TMZ
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Oct 19, 2009 6:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Miss California pageant wants back the money it ponied up for Carrie Prejean to get breast implants, countering her lawsuit with one of its own. Prejean alleges she was a victim of, among other things, religious discrimination in being stripped of her crown after taking an anti-gay-marriage stance; the pageant’s complaint tut-tuts, in part,...
57% in Poll Back Public Option
Washington Post
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Oct 19, 2009 6:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A majority of Americans, 57%, support including a public option in health care reform legislation, according to a newly released poll. The public option had the backing of just 52% in a mid-August survey. Forty percent of respondents oppose the public option. And giving people who have no affordable alternatives access to programs run by individual...
School Day Includes Obamas-Teacher Conference
Christian Science Monitor
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Oct 19, 2009 5:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Third- and sixth-grade teachers at the private Sidwell Friends School knew Michelle Obama planned to attend today's scheduled parent-teacher conferences, but they weren't warned to expect her companion: President Obama. The first couple's trip to Sasha's Bethesda, Md., school and Malia's Washington classroom was low-key, for a presidential motorcade—the...
Obama Pot Policy a Victory for States' Rights
Salon
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Oct 19, 2009 5:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Obama administration’s decision to respect state laws on medical marijuana is good policy—and not just because it demonstrates compassion toward cancer and AIDS patients, writes Glenn Greenwald. Despite his critics’ charges of “socialism” and “fascism,” President Obama is showing that his administration,...
Tiny Coke Can Is the New 'Light' Cigarette
Slate
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Oct 19, 2009 5:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The advertising blitz accompanying the release of Coca-Cola’s new 7.5 ounce “mini can” sounds suspiciously like the original pitch for light cigarettes, William Saletan writes. A company exec says the innovation “supports the idea of moderation and offers people yet another way to enjoy their favorite Coca-Cola beverage.”...
Balloon Family Feels 'Under Siege': Lawyer
USA Today
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Oct 19, 2009 4:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Richard and Mayumi Heene are likely regretting the hoax they staged using their 6-year-old son and a balloon: With criminal charges looming and public opinion turning against them, the family feels “under siege,” their lawyer said today. The FAA has opened an investigation into the incident; it has jurisdiction because the hoax caused delays...
Clinton 'Hopeful' as Karzai Weighs Runoff, Deal
Associated Press
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Oct 19, 2009 4:40 PM CDT
(AP) -
Hamid Karzai intends to announce tomorrow how he will "set the stage" for resolving the country's postelection political crisis, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today. She wouldn't say whether the Afghan president has decided to accept the findings of a UN-backed fraud investigation that threw out nearly a third of Karzai's ballots...
New York Times to Cut 100 Newsroom Jobs
CNN
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Oct 19, 2009 4:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In an effort to continue cutting costs, the New York Times will eliminate 100 jobs from its 1,300-person newsroom. The paper will offer buyouts before instituting layoffs if necessary, executive editor Bill Keller said in an email to his staff. The move comes on the heels of an across-the-board 5% pay cut instituted earlier this year, CNN Money reports....
Gaming Causes Joint Pain in Kids: Study
HealthDay News
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Oct 19, 2009 4:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The repetitive motions involved in playing video games cause joint pain in children, according to a new study by a true expert—an 11-year-old gamer. Deniz Ince, with the help of his rheumatologist dad, studied joint pain among his fellow video game enthusiasts, aged 7 to 12. More than an hour of play per day increased the chance of having pain...
Miss, Mrs., or Ms.— 'It's OK Not to Care'
Time
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Oct 19, 2009 3:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Not so long ago, feminism and convention waged a battle over titles—Miss, Mrs., and the young upstart, Ms. Though seemingly trivial, the question of whether a woman should have to specify her marital status in stating her name cut to the core of women’s place in society—and was never fully resolved, observes Nancy Gibbs. Twenty years...
Health Industry Shakedown Imperils Reform
Huffington Post
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Oct 19, 2009 3:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In dealing with pharmaceutical companies, insurers, and the AMA, President Obama should take a page from David Letterman's book and not fall prey to blackmail, writes former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. Promises the administration made to those three constituencies in exchange for staying neutral or positive about health care reform amount to “hush...
Dow Climbs 96 to New 2009 High
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 19, 2009 3:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks rallied today on expectations for this week’s earnings reports, with the Dow rising 96.28 points to hit a new 2009 high of 10,092.19. Caterpillar, which reports tomorrow, gained 6.5% after saying it would raise prices. American Express, which reports Thursday, gained 2.6%. Traders were cautiously optimistic about Apple, which reported...
Words Men Must Not Say
Esquire
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Oct 19, 2009 2:57 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Grown men should not say “mommy.” Or, for that matter, “tummy” or “belly button.” These things should be self-evident, but in case they aren’t, here’s Esquire ’s list of words and phrases men just shouldn’t utter. Some are offensive, some overused, and some just plain unbecoming: ...
$5M African Leadership Prize Goes to ... Nobody
Associated Press
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Oct 19, 2009 2:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Nobody has won this year's $5 million Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, the committee responsible for picking a winner announced today. That’s an enormous snub to the people eligible for the award, who include former heads of state Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, and John Kufuor of Ghana. The committee...
Target Will Pay Shoppers to Bring Their Own Bags
USA Today
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Oct 19, 2009 2:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Target and CVS will reward customers for using reusable shopping bags, and the efforts could take a billion plastic bags out of circulation. Though some retailers—notably Wal-Mart—have been slow to hop on the eco bandwagon, initiatives at smaller chains such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's have met with success. “Retailers who want...
Professional Group Expels Octomom Doc
USA Today
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Oct 19, 2009 2:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Kamrava, the fertility doctor who twice implanted six embryos into octomom Nadya Suleman (two embryos reportedly split into twins), has been kicked out of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The society recommends no more than two embryos for women under 35, to reduce the risk of multiple births; Kamrava implants an average of 4.1...
Beyoncé Scraps Malaysia Show
E! Online
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Oct 19, 2009 2:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After controversy over her racy outfits and dance routines, Beyoncé won’t perform in Kuala Lumpur this weekend. The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, a hardline Muslim group, had protested the Oct. 25 date on her “I Am” tour, but promoters deny the postponement had anything to do with those objections. They say a new date for the...
Rachel Maddow Can Rescue Meet the Press
True/Slant
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Oct 19, 2009 1:57 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Meet the Press has been pretty lame since Tim Russert died. No offense to David Gregory, who’s done respectable work, but he was always the safe choice, "and he's made the show just that: safe," writes Brian Donovan. NBC's Sunday morning stalwart needs its fire back, and fortunately, sister network MSNBC already employs the perfect...
