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.
McGwire Back in Baseball, as Cardinals Hitting Coach
Associated Press
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Oct 26, 2009 6:42 PM CDT
(AP) -
Mark McGwire is back in baseball, hired by old pal Tony La Russa to be the St. Louis Cardinals' hitting coach. La Russa managed McGwire with the Oakland Athletics, then with St. Louis. McGwire was not at today's news conference, but La Russa and general manager John Mozeliak said there will be no effort to shield McGwire from questions about steroids—though...
Ricky Gervais Will Host Golden Globes
People
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Oct 26, 2009 6:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Golden Globes telecast will have a host in 2010 for the first time since 1995: Ricky Gervais. The January awards show, seen as a harbinger for the Oscars, enjoys a famously freewheeling atmosphere that suits the British comedian's style. "I have resisted many other offers like this, but there are just some things you don't turn down,"...
Plus-Size Model: Anorexia Felt Like 'the Flu Times 10'
Time
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Oct 26, 2009 5:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In her teens, Crystal Renn punished herself relentlessly in pursuit of her dream of becoming a model. After years of self-inflicted hell, the 5-foot-9, 165-pound Renn has found success by being herself—she is now the world's highest-paid plus-size model. Time chats with her: On her introduction to modeling: "One day a scout came up...
Polanski Victim Wants Case Dropped
Associated Press
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Oct 26, 2009 5:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The woman who was raped by Roman Polanski when she was 13 wants the charge against the fugitive director dropped. Polanski pleaded guilty in 1977 to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor but fled before sentencing. He's in custody in Switzerland and Samantha Geimer, who lives in Hawaii, is under seige by the media, the Los Angeles Times reports....
Web Addresses Will Gain International Flavor
ZDNet
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Oct 26, 2009 5:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In the biggest change ever to the system, Web domains will soon be available in the native scripts of Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew, and other non-Latin-based languages. A proposal expected to be approved this week means “Internationalized Domain Names” could be up and running as soon as mid-2010. China and Thailand currently offer support for...
Madonna Starts Malawian Girls School
BBC
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Oct 26, 2009 4:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Construction on a Malawian school for girls founded by Madonna began today. The singer has put up $15 million for the creation of the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls, which is expected to be finished in 2 years, the BBC reports. "Growing up in a privileged life, I took education for granted, but coming to Malawi has taught me a lot of things,...
Public Option a Go: Reid
CNN
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Oct 26, 2009 4:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Harry Reid will include a public insurance plan in the pending health care reform bill, with a provision allowing individual states to refuse to participate. The Senate majority leader’s bill is likely to include an “opt-out” version of the public plan, taken from the Senate health committee, as well as provisions for the creation...
Concert Earnings Defy Recession
USA Today
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Oct 26, 2009 3:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Concert tours remained surprisingly strong this year despite the weak economy, with slightly more people heading out to see their favorite acts than in 2008. Gross revenue held steady at $1 billion for the period from May 1 to Sept. 1, matching earnings a year earlier. Big-name acts like Kenny Chesney, the Dave Matthews Band, Beyoncé, Bruce...
CNN Last in Prime-Time Ratings Race
New York Times
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Oct 26, 2009 3:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
CNN’s ratings have fallen behind those of the other major cable news networks as prime-time viewers pass over the network in favor of opinion-based news coverage. Every prime-time CNN show lost to its Fox News opponent, and in some instances the losses were even more humiliating—at 10pm, for example, Anderson Cooper 360 not only lost...
Dow Falls 104 on Oil, Banks
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 26, 2009 3:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks saw big losses today as a drop in oil prices depressed the energy sector and news that Bank of America will have trouble repaying the federal government led to losses for financials, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow fell 104.22 points to close at 9,867.96. The Nasdaq lost 12.62, closing at 2,141.85. The S&P 500 dropped 12.66...
Northwest Pilots Were Working on Laptops: NTSB
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Oct 26, 2009 3:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The pilots of the Northwest flight that wandered 150 miles past its destination were working on their personal laptops in the cockpit, a violation of company policy. The two denied falling asleep and could hear the radio when they fell out of communication with ground personnel, they told NTSB investigators yesterday. The flight attendants on the runaway...
Iceland Too Poor for McDonald's
Bloomberg
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Oct 26, 2009 2:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Soon there will be at least one country you can visit without seeing the golden arches. The financial crisis hit Iceland’s currency so hard that McDonald’s, which imports most of its ingredients, can’t afford to operate there anymore. “We would have to raise our prices by 20%,” the head of the country’s franchise...
Multitasking Causes Serious Brain Drain
Boston Globe
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Oct 26, 2009 2:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Multitasking isn’t helping you do anything faster, and constant exposure to multiple electronic media makes people really bad at—multitasking. “When you’re pushing yourself to perform two or more tasks, especially complicated tasks, it’s not beneficial,” a researcher tells the Boston Globe . “It’s...
Hotel Owner Forces Latino Employees to Change Names
Associated Press
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Oct 26, 2009 2:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A hotel owner who demands that Latino workers change their names to Anglicized versions and not speak Spanish in his presence is causing a stir in New Mexico. Larry Whitten laid down the law: Martín (mahr-teen) and Marcos are now just Martin and Mark, and employees he considered insubordinate were fired. That didn't fly in liberal Taos, which...
Republicans Stonewall Obama's Judges
Slate
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Oct 26, 2009 2:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Despite the 95 yawning vacancies on the federal bench, Senate Republicans are blocking virtually all of President Obama’s nominees. Only three of Obama’s 22 nominees have been confirmed, as Republicans take the “partisan war over the courts into uncharted territory,” writes Doug Kendall for Slate. Both parties have been increasingly...
'Strong Women' Do Like Movies— Good Movies
Salon
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Oct 26, 2009 1:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
This weekend's battle at the multiplex, where sci-fi trounced Amelia Earhart, has carried over into the world of virtual opinion. Washington Post critic Ann Hornaday fired the first shot, and Sady Doyle fires back, explaining that she senses a “note of condescension.” See Amelia , Hornaday implores. “No Manolo Blahniks! No Abba!...
Court Backs Cell-Tower Haters
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 26, 2009 1:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ghastly cell towers are proving to be little match for vista-loving communities: Palos Verdes Estates, a wealthy enclave near Los Angeles, took Sprint to court over proposed towers—and won, as have a number of other California towns. “You want cell coverage, but you also want beauty,” a town lawyer tells the Times . The appeals court...
How Insurers Got Their Way With Reform
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 26, 2009 1:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Though the final bill is still being hammered out, health reform appears to have given the insurance industry most of its wishes. Everyone will be required to buy insurance, there won’t be any limits on premiums, and any public option will likely be weak. They pulled off these anticipated victories after a long and sophisticated lobbying campaign...
Newspaper Circulation Off 10%
Editor & Publisher
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Oct 26, 2009 1:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Daily newspaper circulation has taken a massive 10.6% drop over the past six months, the Audit Bureau of Circulations said today, while Sunday circulation fell 7.4%. The drop, one of the worst ever, is a potent sign of the industry’s decline, Editor & Publisher reports. Things were especially bad at the USA Today , where circulation is...
TV Viewers Migrate to Web
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 26, 2009 1:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
More and more Americans are watching television exclusively online and ditching their cable or satellite service. One-quarter of families have tuned in online, and 25% of those viewers have watched a full-length show on a computer—a 67% jump just since 2007. “The idea that you come home and your entertainment choices are dictated on...
Autopsy: Madoff Buddy Died of Natural Causes
ABC News
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Oct 26, 2009 12:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Bernie Madoff’s pal Jeffry Picower drowned following a massive heart attack, a medical examiner announced today. Toxicology reports won’t be in for another 10 weeks, but for now the examiner says Picower sunk to the bottom of the pool following the heart attack. His body will be released for burial. Picower got a whopping $7 billion out...
Jacko's This Is It Is...What?
USA Today
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Oct 26, 2009 12:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
This Is It opens this week, but most, if not all, fans still have no idea what to expect of the Michael Jackson film, which has not been aired for critics. It’s not a concert film, says director Kenny Ortega, who also choreographed Jackson’s ill-fated London shows, but fans will get “wall-to-wall music. You see Michael onstage rehearsing...
Maria Shriver Skirts Another Driving Law
TMZ
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Oct 26, 2009 12:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
TMZ appears to have caught California's first lady flouting state traffic laws for the second time this month. A video on the site shows Maria Shriver—who recently apologized for repeatedly using her cell phone will driving—parking her decidedly non-emergency vehicle in a red zone. She left it there for almost an hour while visiting a doctor,...
Legions Gripe About Latest Facebook Revamp
Mashable
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Oct 26, 2009 12:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Facebook’s latest design change seems pretty minor, but that hasn’t stopped users from grousing about it. Lots of protest groups have already cropped up, most notably “PLEASE GIVE US OUR OLD NEWS FEED BACK!” which already boasts 490,000 members and counting. In case you didn’t notice, Facebook introduced a new “live...
5 Twitter Superstars You Don't Know
CNN
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Oct 26, 2009 12:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Paris Hilton may be famous for being famous, but there are at least five Twitter users with more followers than her—even though most people wouldn’t recognize them on the street. CNN runs down five of the top 200 Twitter users, each with more than 1.2 million followers, that you’ve never heard of: Stefanie Michaels, @adventuregirl:...
Pan Am Lives—in Man's Garage
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 26, 2009 11:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
To Anthony Toth, Pan Am was the epitome of airline class, with its top-notch, martini-pouring first-class service and in-flight music so excellent that the United Airlines employee brought along a tape recorder to record it on trips as a boy. Now that he’s 42 and owns a home, he’s built a full-size mockup of a Pan Am 747 first-class cabin...
Fundraising Looms Large on Obama's Schedule
Wall Street Journal
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Oct 26, 2009 11:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In between massive federal bailouts and health reform, President Obama has spent a lot of time rustling up cash for Democrats this year, with tonight marking his 26th fundraiser. George W. Bush, by contrast, headlined only six fundraisers in his first year. But that was before McCain-Feingold capped how much “soft money” big donors could...
Bob Dylan's Xmas Album 'Sort of Insane'
Pitchfork
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Oct 26, 2009 11:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With the announcement of Bob Dylan’s Christmas in the Heart, “smirkers got smirkier”— you try picturing Dylan singing the lyric, “How’d ya like to hang a stocking on a great big coconut tree?” without smirking—but in the end, the collection is interesting, if a bit silly; “a surreal and occasionally...
Bypass Surgery Looks More and More Like Diabetes Cure
Los Angeles Times
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Oct 26, 2009 11:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Just why it works is still murky, but the connection between gastric bypass surgery and the reduction—or even elimination—of diabetes is so strong that some doctors are suggesting it as a treatment. “We may have a cure for diabetes,” one tells the Los Angeles Times . While weight loss is known to help diabetes sufferers, some...
In Time for Xmas: Naked Levi!
New York Post
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Oct 26, 2009 10:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Your Christmas shopping just got a whole lot easier: Naked Levi for everyone! Bristol Palin’s babydaddy is moving forward with his Playgirl shoot in mid-November “in order to get the pictures out for the holidays,” a magazine rep tells the New York Post , further promising that readers “will be enthralled.” Holiday...
Jon: I Paid Back the Money
People
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Oct 26, 2009 10:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It was Jon and Kate plus a court date once again this morning—although Kate failed to show up. Jon, however, was there to show that he complied with a court order to repay $180,000 he took from the couple’s joint account, as well as to ask that Kate account for how she spent $33,000 in cash withdrawals. Jon’s Pennsylvania attorney...
Miley's Little Sister Dons 'Dominatrix' Costume
Australia's News Network
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Oct 26, 2009 10:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Noah Cyrus is already taking after her pole-dancing, racy-picture-posing older sister, Miley. The 9-year-old star of her own YouTube reality show was photographed over the weekend in an ill-advised Halloween costume that Australia’s News Network compares to a dominatrix outfit (helpfully offering two examples it found of similar adult costumes),...
Worst Cereals Are Most Heavily Marketed to Kids
USA Today
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Oct 26, 2009 10:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Cereals marketed to kids are drastically less nutritious than those pitched to adults, despite industry promises to clean up its act, finds a new study from Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. The study confirms what a quick glance at the cereal aisle would tell you: Cereals aimed at kids have 85% more sugar, 60% more sodium, and...
Stephen King Bites Into Vampire Comic
Daily Beast
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Oct 26, 2009 10:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Stephen King is truly sinking his teeth into his official comic book debut, writing half of the first five issues of Vertigo’s upcoming American Vampire . The brainchild of King buddy Scott Snyder, the series tells the stories of a line of uniquely American blood suckers. King will be writing the origin of “Skinner,” the line’s...
Jude Law's Lovechild Debuts in Hello!
Hello!
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Oct 26, 2009 10:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jude Law has yet to meet his newest child, but the rest of the world was introduced to her thanks to today’s Hello! cover story. Babymomma Samantha Burke shows off five-week-old Sophia Lee—proved by DNA tests to be the result of what the mag generously terms her "relationship" with Law—in the spread for which she reportedly...
Netflix Comes to PlayStation 3
Associated Press
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Oct 26, 2009 9:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
At long last, PlayStation 3 owners will be able to stream Netflix movies to their TVs, the companies announced today. Xbox users have been able to do the same thing for a year, but an exclusive deal with Microsoft kept the service off the PS3 until now. But PS3 users will get a leg up when the service launches next month: While Netflix streaming via...
Picower Death May Stall Suit for Madoff Billions
Associated Press
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Oct 26, 2009 9:40 AM CDT
(AP) -
The death of Jeffry Picower, accused of profiting more than $7 billion from the investment schemes of longtime pal Bernard Madoff, will make it more difficult for suing investors to recoup their money, attorneys said late yesterday. Palm Beach police are investigating the death, after Picower's wife discovered the 67-year-old's body at the bottom of...
Castro Sister: I Worked With CIA
Miami Herald
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Oct 26, 2009 9:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The sister of Fidel and Raúl Castro worked with the CIA in the 1960s, while the agency was planning to assassinate Fidel and overthrow the revolutionary government. In a new book, Juanita Castro, who now lives in Miami, reveals that she hid opponents of her brothers' regime in her home and that their mother frequently interceded with Raúl...
Recession Leads to Uptick in Teen Runaways
New York Times
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Oct 26, 2009 9:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
More and more young Americans, including many under 13, have left home or been kicked out as foreclosures, unemployment, and the rising cost of living make conditions in lower-income homes even tougher than usual. Experts and government studies estimate that 1.6 million juveniles leave home each year, though there are no reliable figures of how many...
Winehouse Back to Blake
Sun (UK)
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Oct 26, 2009 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Amy Winehouse may technically be divorced from Blake Fielder-Civil, but the very authoritative Facebook has registered the two as happily ever after once more. The troubled lovebirds are indeed back together, pals tell the Sun. Apparently, they were keeping in touch via a Facebook profile for Amy’s cat—and, despite reports of Blake dating...
Dems Want Health Reform Rollout By 2010, 2012
Politico
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Oct 26, 2009 8:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Democrats are pushing Senate leaders to rework their health care bills so that at least some benefits kick in by the 2010 and 2012 elections. As currently formulated, the bill would bring the pain immediately, in the form of $100 billion in industry fees, but its reforms mostly wouldn’t kick in until 2013. “We want to have as much front-ended...
Chavez Supporters Can't Take Moore's Joke
New York Times
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Oct 26, 2009 8:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
So Michael Moore and Hugo Chavez walk into a hotel, split a bottle and a half of tequila, and ... what's the punchline? There isn't one for Chavistas torqued over the filmmaker's joke to Jimmy Kimmel that the two partied down at the Venice Film Festival, and Moore's claim that he wrote the Venezuelan president’s UN speech for him, the New...
Lobbyist Cozy With Lawmaker Wins Jackpot
Washington Post
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Oct 26, 2009 8:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If you’ve got a tech company looking for a handout from the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, might we recommend calling Rep. Peter Visclosky? Or more accurately, call K&L Gates, a lobbying firm that boasts in its marketing documents, “a very good relationship” with Visclosky, the third-ranking member of the all-powerful subcommittee....
Director Haggis Quits Scientology Over Prop 8
Hollywood Reporter
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Oct 26, 2009 8:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Oscar-winning writer-director Paul Haggis dealt a stunning blow to Scientology when his recent resignation letter went public. Haggis, writer of Crash and Million Dollar Baby , left Scientology after 35 years thanks to the church’s backing of California’s Proposition 8, according to the Hollywood Reporter . Haggis was also angered by...
14 Americans Killed in 2 Afghan Chopper Crashes
Associated Press
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Oct 26, 2009 7:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A pair of helicopter crashes today in Afghanistan killed 14 US troops and civilian workers and injured at least 28 others. In the first crash, a helicopter went down in the west of the country after leaving the scene of a firefight with insurgents, killing 10 Americans—seven troops and three civilians working for the government. Eleven American...
Ivanka Trump Ties the Knot
New York Daily News
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Oct 26, 2009 7:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
How do a couple of millionaires really do it up for their wedding? If you’re Ivanka Trump and New York Observer publisher Jared Kushner, who wed yesterday in front of 500 guests, the answer is simple: Get Regis Philbin to sing. Other opulent details of the ceremony at a Trump golf club: Ivanka’s Vera Wang wedding gown, $45,000 hair clip,...
Frank, Geithner to Roll Out 'Too Big to Fail' Bill
New York Times
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Oct 26, 2009 6:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
After months of negotiations, Congress and the Obama administration are ready to introduce new rules on financial institutions deemed "too big to fail." Barney Frank, who heads the House Financial Services Committee, will present a bill as soon as this week that will let the government seize companies, fire executives, wipe out shareholders,...
Karadzic Refuses to Leave Cell for Trial
Times (UK)
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Oct 26, 2009 6:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The long-awaited trial of Radovan Karadzic was halted just 15 minutes after opening because the former Bosnian Serb leader refused to leave his cell and attend the proceedings. Although prosecutors in The Hague asked the judges to continue in his absence, the presiding magistrate suspended the proceedings until tomorrow. The judges added that they...
Russian Banks Foreclose on Pigs, Lingerie
Bloomberg
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Oct 26, 2009 6:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With loan defaults soaring, Russia’s banks have had to seize a lot of collateral lately—and we’re not talking about houses. By year’s end, 20% of Russian loans could be non-performing, by Moody’s estimate. In order to recoup those losses, the banks have accepted controlling stakes in a lingerie retailer and a food store—and...
Pentagon Holds Secret Afghan War Games
Washington Post
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Oct 26, 2009 6:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, led a secret war game earlier this month to assess the Obama administration's options in Afghanistan, including a 44,000-troop surge. A team of military leaders used Gen. Stanley McChrystal's analysis to examine how Taliban insurgents and the Afghan and Pakistani governments would respond...
