Newser Story Index from November, 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.
Dem: Bush Let Bin Laden Escape ... on Purpose
Talking Points Memo
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Nov 30, 2009 9:32 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Democratic congressman today accused President Bush of purposely letting Osama bin Laden escape capture in order to justify the Iraq war—and, when given an out by MSNBC’s David Shuster, Rep. Maurice Hinchey reiterated, “I don’t think it’ll will strike a lot of people as crazy. I think it’ll strike a lot of people...
Pentagon Denies Helping Salahis Crash Dinner
Associated Press
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Nov 30, 2009 8:52 PM CST
(AP) -
The couple who crashed the Obama administration's first state dinner communicated with a senior Pentagon official about going to the event, but the official denies that she helped the couple get in. Michele Jones, a special assistant to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, said in a written statement tonight that she never said or implied she would get...
Comcast's NBC Deal Gets Help With GE-Vivendi Pact
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 30, 2009 8:02 PM CST
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Comcast’s acquisition of NBC Universal got a little closer to reality tonight with news that NBC’s parent company, General Electric, has a deal to buy the 20% of NBCU owned by France’s Vivendi—a stake that threatened to torpedo the sale to Comcast. GE would pay $5.8 billion under the tentative pact, giving it 100% of NBCU—but...
Advertisers: Take a Cue From Ketel One
Slate
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Nov 30, 2009 7:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
Advertisers trying to market to recession-bruised consumers could take a cue from Ketel One vodka, suggests Seth Stevenson in Slate . Rather than playing Debbie Downer and addressing the recession with coupons—or ignoring it entirely à la Grey Goose’s glamorous yachting women—Stevenson says Ketel One has made “an effective...
Florida State Coach Bowden Plans to Retire
Tallahassee Democrat
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Nov 30, 2009 7:04 PM CST
(Newser) -
Bobby Bowden will announce his retirement tomorrow as Florida State University’s football coach, ending a 34-year tenure during which he built the Seminoles into a national powerhouse. The 80-year-old Bowden met with school officials today, sources tell the Tallahassee Democrat , and was given the option of staying in a reduced role, with...
WNBA Next on Marion Jones' To-Do List
New York Times
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Nov 30, 2009 6:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
Marion Jones is taking another shot at professional sports—but this time it’s basketball, a sport she played well enough to earn a scholarship to the University of North Carolina. “I missed competitiveness,” Jones, 34, tells Kevin Blackistone at the Texas gym where she’s been training in hopes of landing on a WNBA roster...
Pete Doherty Booed Off Stage for Nazi Anthem
Der Spiegel
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Nov 30, 2009 6:07 PM CST
(Newser) -
British rocker Pete Doherty was booed off a Munich stage after crashing a concert lineup and singing the first verse of the German national anthem—the part associated with the Nazi regime. The Babyshambles frontman and onetime Kate Moss boytoy "sang Deutschland, Deutschland Über Alles four times," a rep for the radio station...
Cyber Monday Sees 16% Jump in Online Sales
Bloomberg
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Nov 30, 2009 5:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
Online retailers saw a big bump from "Cyber Monday" sales as consumers continued their Thanksgiving weekend shopping from their work computers. Internet retailers reported a 16% bump in sales over Monday a year ago, with sales at about the same level as on Black Friday. Analysts had predicted a 10% to 15% increase—“Online is tracking...
Flu Cases Plummet, But Child Deaths Rise
HealthDay News
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Nov 30, 2009 4:48 PM CST
(Newser) -
The number of H1N1 cases fell throughout November, but children under 18 continue to be disproportionately affected by the virus, with 35 deaths reported last week. Flu activity was widespread in 32 states in the weekly report out today, down from 43 a week earlier. And the worrisome rise in pneumonia cases tracking the spread of flu infection continued,...
Ice Storm Author to Tweet Short Story
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 30, 2009 4:34 PM CST
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Starting tomorrow, Rick Moody, author of The Ice Storm , will release a short story told over 153 tweets—one an hour for 3 days. The Wall Street Journal asked Moody what's exciting about using Twitter for literature: After his wife opened an account for him: "I started quickly to see the character counter as some strange, poetical...
Police Search for Suspected Cop-Killer's Wife
Seattle Times
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Nov 30, 2009 3:58 PM CST
(Newser) -
Police in Washington state are hoping the wife of suspected cop-killer Maurice Clemmons can help them find her husband. Officers were warned to today to be on the lookout for Nicole Cheryleen Smith, possibly driving a green 1997 Mazda Millenia to Arkansas. Police have posted a $125,000 reward for information on Clemmons after chasing down numerous...
Chinese Gene Mapping Links Dialects, Disease
Reuters
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Nov 30, 2009 3:40 PM CST
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A massive gene study of ethnic Chinese in the north and south of the country has revealed key divergences that correspond to dialect groups and could account for some hereditary diseases. The study of 8,200 people from 10 provinces and Singapore found significant variation in .3% of the genome, with possible links to a genetic predisposition to maladies...
Salahis Invited to Capitol Hill ... Through Front Door
Washington Post
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Nov 30, 2009 3:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
The House Committee on Homeland Security has asked the couple who crashed last week's White House state dinner to testify on Thursday. Tareq and Michaele Salahi have not confirmed that they will appear, and testifying could complicate their plans to auction off the story of how they infiltrated the theoretically secure event. The committee has never...
Financials Push Dow Up 35
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 30, 2009 3:10 PM CST
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A rally in financial stocks helped the major indexes overcome a slump in retail shares, pushing stocks to solid gains today and capping a 6.5% rise by the Dow in November, the Wall Street Journal reports. For the day: The Dow rose 34.92 points to close at 10,344.84. The Nasdaq added 6.16, settling at 2,144.60. The S&P 500 gained 4.14...
'Extinct' Species That Are Still Kicking
MSNBC
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Nov 30, 2009 3:00 PM CST
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Some 17,291 species are on the brink of extinction, but every so often a creature appears that scientists had already given up on. Above, a bunch of critters that, to quote Monty Python, think they might go for a walk.
Tiger Bails on His Own Tournament, Citing Injuries
Orlando Sentinel
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Nov 30, 2009 2:49 PM CST
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Tiger Woods has pulled out of this week's Chevron World Challenge—which he has hosted for the past 9 years—and is blaming injuries sustained in his mysterious car crash early Friday morning. "I'm very sorry that I can't be there," reads a post on his website. The world's No. 1 golfer said he won't play in any other events this...
Notre Dame Finally Fires Charlie Weis
Chicago Tribune
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Nov 30, 2009 2:33 PM CST
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After months of speculation, Notre Dame pulled the trigger on Charlie Weis today, firing its head football coach with 6 years and at least $10 million left on his contract. Saturday's loss to Stanford, which left the Fighting Irish with a 6-6 record in Weis' fifth year at the helm, evidently was the last straw for AD Jack Swarbrick. Weis, an ND grad,...
Obama Issues Orders for More Afghan Troops
New York Times
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Nov 30, 2009 2:20 PM CST
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After weeks of deliberation, President Obama has settled on a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan and ordered the military to carry it out. The exact size of the troop escalation has not been announced, but sources put the number in the neighborhood of 30,000 more troops. The president started informing military leaders last night and will explain...
Iran Seizes 5 British Yacht Crew Members
Associated Press
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Nov 30, 2009 2:12 PM CST
(AP) -
Iran is holding five British sailors after stopping their racing yacht in the Persian Gulf, the British government said today. The yacht, owned by Sail Bahrain, was stopped on its way from the tiny island country to Dubai on Wednesday when it "may have strayed inadvertently into Iranian waters," according to the Foreign Office. The seizure...
Jacko DVD Will Miss Christmas
E! Online
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Nov 30, 2009 2:02 PM CST
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Sorry Michael Jackson fans, but Sony has canceled Christmas, pushing back the This Is It DVD release until late January. You can thank movie theaters, who complained that releasing the DVD so soon after the movie would cut into ticket sales, which E! points out, have already topped $200 million worldwide. The DVD lands a few days before the Grammys,...
NY State of Mind Almost as Bad as Calif.'s
New York
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Nov 30, 2009 1:43 PM CST
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Don’t look now, New Yorkers, but your state government is sinking to California-like depths of lousiness. New York’s 2010 budgetary fitness ranks below that of 33 other states in Pew’s latest ranking, trailing the likes of Louisiana, Alaska, and South Carolina. And that’s unlikely to improve, “because New York’s...
Stretcher-Bound Demjanjuk Begins Trial
Telegraph (UK)
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Nov 30, 2009 1:38 PM CST
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Accused Nazi guard John Demjanjuk started his trial for complicity in 27,900 Holocaust murders in Munich today first in a wheelchair, and then on a stretcher. The Red Army POW/Ohio autoworker even forced a halt to proceedings when he flailed and gasped for breath in the courtroom. “It’s a pathetic attempt to appear more crippled than he...
Grady Sizemore Wants Nudie Pics Off Web ... Now
Cleveland Plain Dealer
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Nov 30, 2009 1:18 PM CST
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Clearly unfamiliar with the saying about closing the barn door after the naked pictures are out, Cleveland Indian Grady Sizemore wants his racy cellphone photos back. The All-Star outfielder shared the steamy self-portraits with his girlfriend; how they wound up all over the Web is now a matter for investigators from MLB and the players union. "These...
After 4 Suicides, Calif. Parents Guard Rails
NPR
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Nov 30, 2009 1:01 PM CST
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After four teenagers from the same high school committed suicide on the commuter rail tracks that run through Palo Alto, Calif., in just 6 months, parents set up a daily vigil at the offending crossing. When the train comes through—every half hour—there's a nervous pause in the chatting, coffee, and donated pizza to look up and down the...
Supreme Court Sides With Obama on Torture Photos
Associated Press
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Nov 30, 2009 12:51 PM CST
(AP) -
The Supreme Court threw out an appeals court ruling ordering the disclosure of photographs of detainees being abused by their US captors today, citing a recent change in federal law that allows the pictures to be withheld. The justices issued a brief, and expected, order directing the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York to take another look...
Why Writing About Sex Is So Hard
BBC
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Nov 30, 2009 12:46 PM CST
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Our most august contemporary writers fumble virginally when it comes to writing about sex, and the BBC can't help but wonder why. After all, there have been plenty of renowned writers in the running for Literary Review 's annual award for the best bad sex writing: Nominee Philip Roth penned this gem about a woman wearing a strap-on as "wearing...
Big Thinkers Reflect on 2009, Make 2010 Predictions
Foreign Policy
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Nov 30, 2009 12:25 PM CST
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Foreign Policy asked 100 luminaries—from Bill Clinton to Francis Fukuyama to David Petraeus—to weigh in on just what happened in the past year, and what the future holds. Some of their opinions and predictions: Obama's doing all right: The average rating for Obama's first year in office is a 7 out of 10. Iran's the one to watch...
Lawyer: Knox Not 'Amanda the Ripper'
ABC News
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Nov 30, 2009 12:09 PM CST
(Newser) -
Amanda Knox isn’t the vicious killer prosecutors described, but instead a naïve, rambunctious, kindhearted girl, kind of like the French movie character Amelie, defense attorney Giulia Bongiorno told the court today. Bongiorno is actually Raffaele Sollecito’s attorney, but says she felt she had to defend Knox to defend him. “She...
Suddenly, Ron Paul Feels the Love
Politico
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Nov 30, 2009 12:00 PM CST
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Ron Paul is suddenly the belle of the ball on Capitol Hill, with legislators from around the political spectrum backing his decades-old crusade against the Federal Reserve. Paul’s been pushing an amendment to audit the Fed since the early '80s, but this time it attracted a whopping 313 co-sponsors. Democrats who might normally have voted for...
The Quest for the Better Bagel Slicer
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 30, 2009 11:43 AM CST
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You probably thought the dangers of bagel cutting were conquered 15 years ago with the invention of the Bagel Guillotine, the self contained slicer that offers no chance of injury. Tut, tut, grasshopper. In fact, bagel-related injury—BRI—is still rampant, resulting in almost 2,000 trips to the ER last year, including people who own the...
'Shadowy' Nordegren Seriously Private—Usually
Daily Beast
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Nov 30, 2009 11:33 AM CST
(Newser) -
So who’s this wife of Tiger Woods caught wielding a gold club at the scene of his unfortunate run-in with a fire hydrant? Elin Nordegren dabbled in modeling in her native Sweden, Jacob Bernstein writes, but is not an “ex-model” as we understand it. She came into Woods’ orbit by pure happenstance, and even turned down his awkward...
Arthritis Trips Up Middle-Age Fitness Buffs
BBC
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Nov 30, 2009 11:29 AM CST
(Newser) -
A new study shows that lots of exercise isn’t always good for you—at least not if you want to avoid arthritis. Following more than 200 people aged 45 to 55, the study found that the most ardent exercisers—those who worked out several hours a week—were the most likely to suffer knee damage as compared to their low- and moderate-activity...
Suspect Not In House Surrounded Overnight
Seattle Times
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Nov 30, 2009 10:58 AM CST
(Newser) -
The man suspected of gunning down four police officers yesterday morning was not in the Seattle home a SWAT team raided this morning, after a night of attempted negotiation, though authorities found evidence that he had been in the home. Police are now searching the University of Washington campus, after a report that the accused killer, Maurice Clemmons,...
Heidi Klum, Seal Show Off Lou
AOL Music
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Nov 30, 2009 10:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
While the rest of us were sucking in our guts and saying "cheese," a slightly more glam set of family photos emerged this holiday weekend: Shots of Heidi Klum and Seal's new daughter were posted to Seal.com . In addition to a closeup of Lou, born Oct. 9, there's also a pic of Klum with her four kiddies (Henry and Johan with Seal, Leni from...
Streep, at 60, Still Rewriting the Rules
Vanity Fair
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Nov 30, 2009 10:50 AM CST
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Who says older women don't belong in Hollywood? Meryl Streep, who appears on the January cover of Vanity Fair , proves that bit of conventional wisdom—and others—dead wrong. Need evidence? " Mamma Mia! has grossed $601 million worldwide, despite some cringe-worthy reviews (for the movie, not its much-lauded heroine)," Leslie...
Chelsea Clinton: I'm Engaged
ABC
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Nov 30, 2009 10:49 AM CST
(Newser) -
Reports that Chelsea Clinton married beau Marc Mezvinsky last summer were false, but now they’re engaged for real, the two revealed in a mass email on Friday. A spokesman for Bill Clinton confirmed that this time Chelsea, 29, really is tying the knot with Mezvinsky, son of former House members Ed Mezvinsky and Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky. The...
Juiciest Awards-Show Moments
AOL Music
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Nov 30, 2009 10:47 AM CST
(Newser) -
Awards shows are always good for unscripted celebrity drama—the unexpected smooches, the sore losers. PopEater counts down the most buzz-worthy awards show moments of the decade. The kiss heard around the world: During the 2003 MTV VMAs, Madonna, and Britney Spears put on a show to remember. Gracious? Not exactly. Faith Hill lost her...
Dubai: We Won't Bail Out Dubai World
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 30, 2009 10:29 AM CST
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Dubai’s government threw investors a curve ball today, saying that even though struggling Dubai World is state owned, the government won’t guarantee its debts or bail it out. Lenders “have deemed Dubai World as part of the government, and this is not true,” Dubai’s finance director said on TV. “The government is...
The Obama He Doesn't Want You to See
Politico
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Nov 30, 2009 10:20 AM CST
(Newser) -
President Obama’s ability to control his image seems to be spinning out of control, with several damaging narratives taking hold in the public consciousness. Politico breaks down the narratives Obama is most threatened by: Obama the Big Spender: Though economists cheered on the stimulus, the backlash was severe among independents. Obama...
Serena Williams Slapped With $82K Fine
Associated Press
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Nov 30, 2009 10:09 AM CST
(AP) -
Serena Williams was fined a record $82,500 for her US Open tirade and could be suspended from that tournament if she has another "major offense" at any Grand Slam in the next two years. In a ruling released today, Grand Slam administrator Bill Babcock said Williams faces a "probationary period" at tennis' four major championships...
Perez Hilton Rips Drew, JLo
New York Daily News
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Nov 30, 2009 9:39 AM CST
(Newser) -
Perez Hilton has a new book coming out tomorrow, and a few celebs should be scared. The New York Daily News spills some of the juicy tidbits in True Bloggywood Stories: The Glamorous Life of Beating, Cheating, and Overdosing : Probably not a shocker, but Drew Barrymore likes to party. "She's always f---ed-up…She is not the sober...
GOP Base United Vs. Obama, Little Else
Washington Post
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Nov 30, 2009 9:19 AM CST
(Newser) -
A lot of strong opinions are swirling around the Republican base, but none of them appear to point a way forward for the fractured party. GOP voters and GOP-leaning independents polled are united in their distrust of—even anger at—the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress. But second in line for their ire are their own leaders—when...
Brazilian Mint Tea Kills Pain
BBC
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Nov 30, 2009 9:07 AM CST
(Newser) -
Traditional Brazilian healers who used indigenous mint to relieve headaches and stomach pain were onto something, say researchers who found the mint tea is as effective a pain reliever as aspirin-type medication. But this isn't just any mint tea: The leaves of a Brazilian mint variety are boiled for 30 minutes and cooled into a strong drink. The sage-like...
Check Out Polanski's Chalet—Er, Prison
Daily Mirror (UK)
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Nov 30, 2009 8:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
Security technicians put the final touches on the electronic monitoring system at Roman Polanski’s Swiss chalet ahead of the director’s arrival there under house arrest. Swiss officials say they await only the arrival of $4.5 million in bail, after which Polanski will be free to leave prison for the confines of his mountain getaway. The...
Will Cash-Rich Abu Dhabi Bail Out Profligate Dubai?
New York Times
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Nov 30, 2009 8:54 AM CST
(Newser) -
The United Arab Emirates’ vaguely-worded statement of support yesterday for Dubai—which didn’t actually mention the city-state by name—isn’t reassuring investors, who fear rocky relations between emirates, the cash-strapped Dubai and oil-rich Abu Dhabi. The latter could easily wipe out Dubai World’s delinquent $59...
Senators to Watch in the Health Care Debate
USA Today
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Nov 30, 2009 8:26 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Senate’s health care debate heads to the floor this week, in a show that figures to star a cadre of colorful and influential characters. USA Today breaks down the senators to watch: Harry Reid: The man in the middle of it all, Reid will have to keep his party together and assemble 60 votes, all while minding his reelection prospects....
Tiger's Maybe-Flame Hires Celeb Lawyer
New York Daily News
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Nov 30, 2009 8:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
The New York club hostess rumored to be Tiger Woods' mistress has hired celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred, the New York Daily News reports. Allred, who calls herself the "most famous woman attorney in the nation," met Rachel Uchitel at the LA airport yesterday. "I don't think there's been a high-profile case she didn't like," a law...
Fla. Cops Seek Tiger Search Warrant
TMZ
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Nov 30, 2009 7:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Florida Highway Patrol is trying to get a search warrant that would allow it access to Tiger Woods' hospital records, TMZ reports. The goal: To figure out whether the golfer's injuries were caused by his car accident or his wife. To get a warrant, authorities must show probable cause that a crime—domestic violence or DUI—was committed,...
Obama Cools to Surge in Afghan Forces
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 30, 2009 7:29 AM CST
(Newser) -
Even as President Obama is expected to announce a surge in US troops in Afghanistan tomorrow, the White House has soured on doubling the size of the Afghan army and police, the Wall Street Journal reports. The president plans to scale back a key element of Gen. McChrystal's strategy, the paper says, responding to doubts from Joe Biden and other...
Somali Pirates Hijack Oil Tanker Heading to US
Associated Press
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Nov 30, 2009 7:29 AM CST
(AP) -
Somali pirates seized a tanker carrying crude oil in the increasingly dangerous waters off East Africa yesterday, an attack that could pose a huge environmental or security threat to the region. The Greece-flagged Maran Centaurus, a large crude carrier with a capacity of 300,000 tons, was hijacked off the coast of Somalia while en route from Saudi...
