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.
Stress Takes Its Toll on Obama's Face
New York Daily News
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Nov 19, 2009 8:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
Ten months into his presidency, Barack Obama is looking markedly less boyish. Flecks of gray hair and new worry lines have the president looking like the 48-year-old he is rather than the enthusiastic youth of the 2008 campaign. Obama denies it's the stress of the job—"My hair has gotten a lot grayer because I was at the age where my hair...
Computer Glitch Causes Nationwide Flight Delays
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2009 8:23 AM CST
(AP) -
A problem with the FAA system that collects airlines' flight plans has caused widespread flight cancellations and delays across the US today. An FAA spokeswoman says she doesn't know how many flights are being affected or when the problem will be resolved, but the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport, has been...
AOL to Lay Off a Third of Staff
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2009 8:13 AM CST
(AP) -
AOL says it plans to cut about a third of its work force once it is spun off from Time Warner. That would amount to nearly 2,300 of the roughly 6,900 workers at the struggling company. AOL said in a securities filing today it will impose the cuts on a voluntary and involuntary basis. The company hopes the move will trim annual costs by about $300 million....
Reid Rolls Out Senate Health Bill for Sat. Showdown
Huffington Post
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Nov 19, 2009 7:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
Harry Reid rolled out the Senate’s combined health care reform bill last night, earning oohs and ahhs from fellow Democrats, particularly over the price tag, and setting the stage for a cloture vote Saturday. The bill would cost a svelte $849 billion over 10 years while reducing the deficit by $127 billion—the biggest reduction of any bill...
Karzai Sworn In, Vows to Fight Corruption
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2009 7:31 AM CST
(Newser) -
Hamid Karzai vowed to fight corruption today after he was sworn in to a second 5-year term as president of Afghanistan. Karzai, whose election victory was tainted by widespread allegations of vote-rigging, said his government would learn from "our mistakes and shortcomings of the last eight years." The ceremony was attended by Afghan and...
Texas Accidentally Bans Straight Marriage
McClatchy Newspapers
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Nov 19, 2009 7:28 AM CST
(Newser) -
The geniuses who wrote Texas’ gay marriage ban may have accidentally banned all marriage in the state, according to one Houston lawyer. Subsection B of the ban, a constitutional amendment ratified in 2005, states, “This state…may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.” The intent was to prevent...
Obama: We Will Sanction Iran
New York Times
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Nov 19, 2009 7:12 AM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama offered his toughest talk yet on nuclear issues today in a joint press conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. Obama blasted Iran for turning down a deal to turn their nuclear stockpiles into fuel rods, “for internal political reasons, or perhaps because they are stuck in some of their own rhetoric.” He said that...
Semenya Will Keep Medals; Gender Test Confidential
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2009 7:01 AM CST
(AP) -
South African runner Caster Semenya will keep her 800-meter gold medal from the world championships, and she'll keep the results of her gender tests to herself, the South African sports ministry said today. The ministry also said that the 18-year-old Semenya will be allowed to keep her prize money. "Whatever scientific tests were conducted legally...
Suicide Bomb Kills 19 at Pakistan Courthouse
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2009 6:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
A suicide bombing outside a Peshawar courthouse killed 19 people this morning in Pakistan, the latest in a series of attacks by Islamic militants reacting against an anti-Taliban army offensive in the region. Today's bombing came only hours after missiles fired from a suspected US drone killed three alleged militants in another region close to the...
Palin Hints at Ticket With Beck in 2012
NewsMax
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Nov 19, 2009 5:28 AM CST
(Newser) -
Duck and cover. Sarah Palin made only positive noises when asked about a possible run at the presidency with Glenn Beck as her running mate. "I can envision a couple of different combinations if ever I were to consider running for anything in the future. But Glenn Beck I have great respect for. He's a hoot. And he's so bold — I have to respect...
40% Bare Is How Women Best Attract Men
Telegraph (UK)
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Nov 19, 2009 4:36 AM CST
(Newser) -
Researchers have discovered that women who bare 40% of their body are the most effective at attracting males. Female scientists studied women at a popular nightclub, and placed percentage values on how much skin they exposed. A bare arm counted for 10%, a leg 15% and so on. They found that women who bared 40% of their bodies were twice as effective...
Live Fish Dinner on YouTube Sparks Uproar
Telegraph (UK)
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Nov 19, 2009 4:34 AM CST
(Newser) -
Footage of Chinese diners tucking into a still-breathing fish has outraged animal rights groups. The video, which has attracted thousands of viewers on YouTube, shows the fish being picked apart with chopsticks as diners laugh and the fish gapes. It had been kept alive during cooking with a wet towel over its head. PETA calls the video "disgusting"...
Anti-Tea Party Tide Turning Bloody
Christian Science Monitor
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Nov 19, 2009 4:08 AM CST
(Newser) -
Fistfights at tea party rallies over the weekend have some analysts worried that the violent backlash may be only just beginning. In Fort Lauderdale, anti-tea party activists chanting "Amnesty yes, racists no!" clashed with tea party protesters who entered their protest zone. The group had emailed members calling for "a militant confrontation"...
UC Students Protest Ahead of 32% Fee Hike
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 19, 2009 4:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Angry students took to the streets yesterday to blast a proposed 32% fee hike for University of California schools. The Board of Regents is expected to finalize the increase today during a meeting at UCLA. It will hike tuition bills some $2,500. UC students will soon be paying $10,500 a year in tuition, triple a decade ago, on top of an estimated $16,000...
Boss Warned of 'Serious' Hasan Concerns 2 Years Ago
NPR
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Nov 19, 2009 4:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Nidal Hasan's supervisor at the Walter Reed Medical Center warned that the psychiatrist was unprofessional and lazy in a harshly critical performance evaluation in 2007. Hasan "demonstrates a pattern of poor judgment and a lack of professionalism," the report states, noting that he proselytized to his patients and allowed a homicidal patient...
Terror Suspects in Chicago Linked to Mumbai
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2009 3:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
A pair of Chicago-based men busted last month in a plot to kill the Danish Mohammed cartoonist are now suspected of helping plot the Mumbai attacks last year. Suspect David Headley—who changed his name from Daood Gilani to make border crossings easier, according to the FBI—is believed to have met with Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba,...
Danger Signs Ignored at Failed Banks
New York Times
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Nov 19, 2009 3:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
"Post-mortems" on banks that failed during the financial crisis are exposing serious misjudgment by state and federal regulators. Inspectors-general are finding at bank after bank that regulators were aware that risky and potentially toxic loans were being made while the economy was booming, but failed to take action, the New York Times...
Detroit's Silverdome Sells for 1% of $56M Cost
Christian Science Monitor
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Nov 19, 2009 2:06 AM CST
(Newser) -
In a stunning sign of the imploding economy, Detroit is selling its $56 million sports dome for a bargain basement $580,000. The 80,000-seat Pontiac Silverdome, once home to the Detroit Lions, went for 1 percent of the cost to build it 35 years ago. The city of Pontiac owns the stadium, which was valued at $20 million just last year. Analysts say the...
LA Cops Bust Pot Operation Next Door
Associated Press
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Nov 19, 2009 1:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
California's boldest—or dumbest—pot growers have been arrested after LAPD officers sniffed out their growing operation in a warehouse just 25 feet from a police station. The sophisticated enterprise was up and running for some 8 months before officers caught a whiff of the product in their parking lot last week and launched a surveillance...
Diversity Isn't a Strength
Human Events
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Nov 19, 2009 1:18 AM CST
(Newser) -
"Diversity is a strength" has become the most irritating cliché in America, and was used to ludicrous effect after the Fort Hood shootings, argues Ann Coulter. Diversity "has never been anything but a problem" throughout history, Coulter writes in Human Events , pointing to Israel, China, Canada, Rwanda, and south-central...
US, South Korea Offer North 'Grand Bargain' on Nukes
Associated Press
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Nov 18, 2009 10:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
South Korea's president says he and President Barack Obama have agreed to offer North Korea a "grand bargain" aimed at ending the North's nuclear program. President Lee Myung-bak, speaking at a joint news conference today in Seoul, said the deal would be similar to his proposal for a package of political and economic incentives in exchange...
'Complacency' Faulted in US Nuke Sub Crash
Navy Times
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Nov 18, 2009 10:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
US Navy investigators are pinning blame for the March collision between a nuclear-powered submarine and another Navy ship on lax atmosphere and “weak” command aboard the USS Hartford, where sailors slept while they were supposed to be on watch, and the radio room was rigged up with music speakers. The report on the Persian Gulf incident,...
Soccer Stars' Fave New Cure: Horse Placenta Massage
Horse and Hound
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Nov 18, 2009 9:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
A treatment featuring horse placenta is becoming all the rage for injured European soccer stars, with two Liverpool players just the latest to seek treatment. The procedure, performed by a Serbian woman, sees the placenta—a leftover of the breeding process—injected into the hurt area, then massaged further into the tissue. Marijana Kovacevic...
Verizon Ads 'Sneaky' But OK
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Nov 18, 2009 9:01 PM CST
(Newser) -
A series of Verizon ads that rip AT&’s 3G network are “sneaky,” a judge ruled today, but aren’t misleading and can stay on the air. AT&T had tried to shut down the “There’s A Map For That” spots, but won’t get its way—at least until Dec. 16, when there’s another hearing on the matter....
Army Corps' Negligence Led to Katrina Flooding: Judge
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
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Nov 18, 2009 8:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
In an opinion that could open the federal government to billions in damage claims, a judge ruled today that the failure of the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain an outlet channel led directly to disastrous flooding in and around New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “The people of this city have been vindicated,” one attorney...
Fox Caught Fudging Footage Again
ThinkProgress
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Nov 18, 2009 7:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
The incident isn’t on par with Jon Stewart catching Fox News host Sean Hannity passing off old video as new, but lefty blogger Faiz Shakir found the network doing something similar today. Noting huge crowds for Sarah Palin’s book tour, host Gregg Jarrett alerts viewers to “pictures just coming in to us” that are actually a...
Sullivan Silences Atlantic Blog to Dissect Palin Book
The Atlantic
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Nov 18, 2009 6:33 PM CST
(Newser) -
Readers of Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish blog will have to be patient: The site has "gone silent" for only the second time in its 10-year run so Sullivan and his two assistants can devote all their time to dissecting Sarah Palin's new book. "There is a possibility here of such a huge scandal that we would be crazy not to take our time...
Shirt's Message: Pray for Obama's Death
Gawker
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Nov 18, 2009 5:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
A seemingly innocent shirt asking readers to pray for the president has ulterior motives. Shirts and bumper stickers are cropping up with the phrase "Pray for Obama Psalm 109:8." As Gawker points out, the verse in question reads in part, "Let his days be few; and let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless, and his...
New Mammogram Advice Not US Policy: Sebelius
CNN
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Nov 18, 2009 5:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
The recommendation from the US Preventative Services Task Force that women in their 40s should not get mammograms is not government policy, said the secretary of Health and Human Services. Kathleen Sebelius tried to tamp down some of the controversy that has followed the panel’s decision, asserting that government insurance policies “remain...
JC Penney Ditching 'Big Book' Catalog
Dallas Morning News
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Nov 18, 2009 5:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
Retailer JC Penney is discontinuing its Big Book—the 1,000-page catalog as big as a telephone book—as customers increasingly buy from jcp.com. The Penney Big Book has long been a cultural fixture for many, but younger customers aren't following suit. "It was an outdated way of shopping and the last big book in America," a company...
Amanda Knox Fled Murder Scene, Court Is Told
ABC News
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Nov 18, 2009 4:31 PM CST
(Newser) -
The only person so far convicted in the murder of Meredith Kercher says he saw Amanda Knox leaving the scene of the crime. In court to appeal his 30-year sentence, Rudy Guede said he heard Knox and Kercher arguing, followed by a “very loud scream." When he went to Kercher's room to investigate, he saw "the silhouette of Amanda Knox...
CBO Estimate: Senate Health Bill Costs $849B
Associated Press
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Nov 18, 2009 4:09 PM CST
(AP) -
Legislation headed to the Senate floor would extend health care coverage to 31 million uninsured Americans at a cost of $849 billion over a decade, says a senior Democratic aide. The long-awaited figures come from the Congressional Budget Office, clearing the way for Harry Reid to move forward. The bill would cut the federal deficit by $127 billion...
Eggos in Short Supply
Christian Science Monitor
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Nov 18, 2009 3:57 PM CST
(Newser) -
Hang on to those Eggos extra tight. Kellogg is rationing supplies around the nation and may continue to do so well into next year. The trouble stems from problems at two of four bakeries. One in Atlanta got shut down temporarily when bacteria showed up in a sample, then ran into further delays when heavy rains brought flooding. Another plant in Tennessee...
Perez Puncher Apologizes; Charges Dropped
Toronto Star (Canada)
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Nov 18, 2009 3:27 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Black Eyed Peas manager who slugged Perez Hilton had assault charges dropped in court today after he wrote a (qualified) letter of apology. Juan Molina also agreed to steer clear of Hilton and donate $500 to a women's shelter. He punched Hilton in June after the gossip blogger got into a shouting match with group member Will.i.am. A civil case...
Dow Down 12 on Housing
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 18, 2009 3:12 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks closed down following disappointing data on home construction and lackluster earnings from tech firms Salesforce.com and Autodesk, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow lost 11 points to close at 10,426. The Nasdaq fell 11 points, settling at 2,193. The S&P 500 lost 1 point to close at 1,110.
Watchdog: Raúl Just as Bad as Fidel
Miami Herald
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Nov 18, 2009 2:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
The perception that Cuba is less repressive under Raúl Castro than Fidel is false, Human Rights Watch says. Dissidents are still harassed by the state, subject to arbitrary detention—532 such cases in the first half of 2009 alone—fired. or denied work. The government also continues to pressure friends and family into cutting contact...
LeBron in NFL? Browns Coach Says Suit Up
Cleveland Plain Dealer
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Nov 18, 2009 2:29 PM CST
(Newser) -
If LeBron James really wants to try football, Eric Mangini will find room on his roster. “I think he should come on down,” the Browns coach tells the Cleveland Plain Dealer . “The guy’s a freak athletically.” James may be an NBA star now, but he played wide receiver in high school. He opined on Monday Night Football...
Secret Google Phone Is Real—Really
TechCrunch
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Nov 18, 2009 2:14 PM CST
(Newser) -
The “Google Phone” is real—no matter what Google has said—it’s coming next year, and it may be VoIP only. Or at least, that’s the rumor. Michael Arrington of TechCrunch says he’s “absolutely confirmed” the phone’s existence. Google will be have another company manufacture the phone, but...
Daily Show 's John Oliver Gets Series
Hollywood Reporter
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Nov 18, 2009 1:56 PM CST
(Newser) -
Comedy Central has ordered six episodes of a new series starring Daily Show correspondent John Oliver. Each installment of John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show will feature performances from four comedians of Oliver's choosing—Janeane Garofalo, Brian Posehn, and Paul F. Tompkins are confirmed. "It's the most worthwhile way you could...
Wake Up: Radiohead Kinda Sucks
Spin
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Nov 18, 2009 1:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
We all listen to them, grin plastered on our face, blocking out “that guilty nagging feeling that actually, in some ways, when you think about it… Radiohead kinda blow.” Everyone’s convinced Radiohead defines the cutting edge, but Chris Norris of Spin isn’t fooled. Go to one of their concerts, and sometime after the...
Forget the Rosy Stats: The Little Guy Is in Bad Shape
Globe and Mail
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Nov 18, 2009 1:34 PM CST
(Newser) -
Don’t believe the rosy official statistics; for most Americans, the economy is in incredibly bad shape, according to the economist some call “Dr. Doom.” We’re looking at a tale of two economies, Nouriel Roubini writes in the Globe and Mail . For top businesses, it’s recovering slowly—hence the 3.5% growth in official...
Transcendental Meditation Slashes Heart Attack Risk
Associated Press
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Nov 18, 2009 1:17 PM CST
(Newser) -
Transcendental Meditation's tangible—and significant—health benefits have been confirmed by another pair of heart-disease-related studies. In one, a nine-year look at black Americans with heart disease, those who practiced TM had a 50% lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and death compared to a control group using traditional preventative...
Decade's Best Live TV Moments
Paste Magazine
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Nov 18, 2009 1:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
Paste looks back on the decade’s 25 best—not necessarily most important—moments on live TV. The top 10: Barack Obama: His victory speech captured the moment when one part of Martin Luther King’s dream came true. Miracle on the Hudson: Pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger became America’s hero when...
Brit Strangles Wife During Nightmare
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 18, 2009 12:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
A British man admits he strangled his wife but swears he did it while having a nightmare. Prosecutors have accepted his explanation, backed up by a battery of medical tests documenting a sleep disorder. Instead of pursuing a murder conviction, they want a jury to declare that he acted during a moment of insanity so he can be detained indefinitely in...
Why Palin Can Win GOP Nomination
FiveThirtyEight
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Nov 18, 2009 12:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
Nate Silver thinks Sarah Palin will run for president in 2012 and warns that it's foolish to dismiss her chances of getting the GOP nomination "given the makeup and mood of the Republican primary electorate. " He lays out specifics at FiveThirtyEight.com : Enthusiasm: Her "brand" will motivate voters who might otherwise stay...
Less Racist Names for That Washington Team
The Week
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Nov 18, 2009 12:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Redskins may have dodged the latest legal challenge to its (allegedly) racist team name, but with more on the way, bloggers are tossing out alternatives owner Dan Snyder should consider. The Week collects the best: Washington Nationals: Sharing a nickname with a baseball team didn’t hurt the New York Giants back in the day. Washington...
Facebook's Most Annoying Parents
Babble
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Nov 18, 2009 12:12 PM CST
(Newser) -
The latest annoying trend on Facebook isn’t people who write in all caps or insist on using “ur” instead of “your”—it’s parents. Babble runs down the five most annoying types: Obsessives: If you absolutely have to post a sonogram picture, fine. But must you post 74? The same goes for every delightful...
Ex-Generals Cash in as Gov't 'Mentors'
USA Today
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Nov 18, 2009 11:59 AM CST
(Newser) -
If you’re a general unhappy with your measly six-figure salary, just retire; the Pentagon will pay you millions to come back and consult, even if you’re also drawing a paycheck from a defense contractor. At least 158 retired admirals and generals are now on the Pentagon payroll as “senior mentors,” making $200 to $340 an hour—and...
Afghans Revive Goat-Carcass Sport
USA Today
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Nov 18, 2009 11:49 AM CST
(Newser) -
Not even the Taliban managed to kill it, and now buzkashi, the national sport of Afghanistan, is thriving again, attracting corporate sponsors and emboldening its boosters to contact Olympics officials, with the ambition of building an international following. Did we mention it’s a virtually rule-less polo-like game played by men on horseback...
Obama Approval Rating Dips Below 50%
Politics Daily
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Nov 18, 2009 11:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
Less than half of Americans polled approve of President Obama’s performance for the first time. A new Quinnipiac survey has his job approval rating at 48%, with 42% disapproving. Other polls have his rating at 53% and 56%, and a Quinnipiac pollster admits the new number “is not statistically different" from his 50% approval rating...
