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.
Hasan Likely to Be Paralyzed: Lawyer
CBS
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Nov 13, 2009 10:18 AM CST
(Newser) -
Accused Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan may be paralyzed from the waist down, his lawyer says. The Army major has no feeling in his legs, which doctors say could be permanent. He also has extreme pain in his hands. His lawyer tells CBS that though he was lucid during an interview, he faded toward the end, and his condition is still “extremely...
Inside the Octo-Family Circus
New York Times
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Nov 13, 2009 10:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
As the paparazzi follow Nadya Suleman around, a film crew shooting OctoMom: Me & My Fourteen Kids films them filming her…and John Bowe records it for the New York Times Magazine. From the British film director to the children’s welfare representative ensuring labor law compliance, people who expect to dislike Suleman end up...
Goldman to Insurers: Health Reform Will Hurt
Huffington Post
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Nov 13, 2009 9:48 AM CST
(Newser) -
Here's a reason for Goldman Sachs to be even more popular with the public: The investment bank has issued research on private health insurers advising that fighting off reform would best for their bottom line. Goldman takes as the “base” case passage of the bill that exited the Senate Finance Committee, under which earnings per share would...
Johnston Stiffs Page 6, Sparks Beef
New York Post
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Nov 13, 2009 9:46 AM CST
(Newser) -
Page Six wasn’t allowed access to Levi Johnston when he was honored at Wednesday’s Fleshbot Awards, the New York Post whines today, adding that Johnston should fire his manager. In a behind-the-scenes look at Johnston’s night, Gawker explains the reason for the beef: Johnston’s team is upset about a “not true”...
FBI Arrests Two More Madoff Aides
Bloomberg
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Nov 13, 2009 9:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Bernie Madoff net widens: The FBI has arrested two computer programmers accused of helping hide the massive Ponzi scheme. Jerome O'Hara and George Perez will be in court today on various fraud charges, including falsifying books. They are the third and fourth people arrested in addition to Madoff, who is serving a 150-year sentence, notes Bloomberg...
Due Soon: Three-Parent Babies?
Telegraph (UK)
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Nov 13, 2009 9:08 AM CST
(Newser) -
Moving one step closer to creating three-parent babies, scientists successfully fertilized a single egg made from those of two women. Though the Japanese team did not try to implant the embryo, there is hope the technique could one day be used to correct genetic problems or ease infertility: IVF is often unsuccessful for older women who have abnormalities...
Pirate Radio Rocks on Good Tunes, Cast
New York Times
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Nov 13, 2009 8:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
Critics agree that the soundtrack of Pirate Radio can't be beat, and the top-notch cast is a joy. So when it comes to the shaky plot and pacing, some can turn a blind eye: "There’s no denying the comic energy of the cast," Peter Travers writes in Rolling Stone . "Couple that with blasts of Brit rock from the Beatles and...
Should Democrats Panic? Yes, but Only 'a Little'
FiveThirtyEight
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Nov 13, 2009 8:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
A new Gallup poll shows Republicans ahead of Democrats in a generic House ballot, a reversal of political fortune from October. Is it time for the party to panic? "Maybe a little," writes Nate Silver . "My 30,000-foot view is that between the pressures of the jobs situation and the health care debate, the Democrats are in fairly bad...
Beaver Pees on CBS Reporter
CBS News
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Nov 13, 2009 8:36 AM CST
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When a beaver on an Early Show animal segment started marking its territory—and correspondent Debbye Turner Bell got sprayed in the face— CBS News must have known it had a viral video on its hands. So the network went ahead and posted the clip itself, complete with slow-motion replay and hilariously obvious headline: “Beaver Urinates...
It's About the Jobs, Stupid
New York Times
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Nov 13, 2009 8:20 AM CST
(Newser) -
The US has to shake up conventional thinking and create jobs for out-of-work Americans, writes Paul Krugman . Our current misguided thinking—as evidenced by unemployment north of 10%—isn't so much a jobs policy as GDP policy. "If you grow it, they will come," goes the philosophy. Get the economy humming, in other words, and the...
Carrie Prejean: Bible Cool With My Boob Job
Christianity Today
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Nov 13, 2009 8:09 AM CST
(Newser) -
Carrie Prejean says there's no reason a good Christian can't boost her cup size. “I don't think there's anything wrong with getting breast implants as a Christian,” she tells Christianity Today . “I don't see anywhere in the Bible where it says you shouldn't get breast implants.” The former Miss California doesn’t go...
Unassuming Thune Could Be GOP's Future
New York Times
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Nov 13, 2009 8:06 AM CST
(Newser) -
The junior senator from South Dakota is starting to get a lot of attention from the less hysterical sections of the GOP as the party seeks to build on recent successes, writes David Brooks . John Thune never sounds like he's auditioning for a spot on talk radio, but instead puts his pragmatically conservative position forward in a straightforward...
Bush Warns of 'Too Much' Government
Associated Press
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Nov 13, 2009 8:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
George Bush has promised to steer clear of criticizing his successor's policies, but he seemed to come awfully close yesterday during a speech at SMU. "As the world recovers, we will face a temptation to replace the risk-and-reward model of the private sector with the blunt instruments of government spending and control," Bush said. "History...
Mastermind of 9/11 to Face Trial in NYC
Associated Press
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Nov 13, 2009 7:46 AM CST
(AP) -
Self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees will be sent to New York to face trial in a civilian federal court. An official announcement is expected later today. The actual transfer of the detainees isn't expected to happen for weeks because formal charges have not been filed, but the move is in line...
Apology Nice, but Show Torture
Comedy Central
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Nov 13, 2009 7:32 AM CST
(Newser) -
Jon Stewart was really, really hoping that Sean Hannity’s apology to him would come at the beginning of his show, but no such luck. The Daily Show host had to sit through an entire episode—a torturous experience that he just so happened to videotape and feature on last night’s show. Watch the clip above.
Fox Crushes Unflattering YouTube Channel
Gawker
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Nov 13, 2009 7:01 AM CST
(Newser) -
A YouTube channel that specialized in capturing Fox commentators' most outrageous moments has been shut down after copyright complaints from the channel. News1News was the favorite choice of plenty of left-leaning blogs and news sources seeking to poke fun at Fox, notes Gawker , which has been left with plenty of blank spaces where embedded videos...
2012 Spectacular but Stupid
Rotten Tomatoes
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Nov 13, 2009 6:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
Critics agree that world-destroying disaster epic 2012 boasts some stunning special effects, but they're split on whether that makes up for the cheesy script—and the run time of 2 hours, 38 minutes. Director Roland Emmerich's previous destruction-fests Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow "are nothing compared to the Vegas...
Steele Orders End to RNC Abortion Coverage
Associated Press
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Nov 13, 2009 6:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
An embarrassed Michael Steele has ordered elective abortion to be stripped from services covered by medical insurance offered to RNC employees. The ban, prompted by a Politico report yesterday that abortion coverage has been included in RNC policies since 1991, brings the RNC in line with what the Republican Party has been fighting for in the health...
Obama Arrives in Japan to Shore Up Relations
New York Times
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Nov 13, 2009 6:18 AM CST
(Newser) -
President Obama arrived in Japan today to open his weeklong summit in Asia. At a news conference with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Obama acknowledged that relations with Tokyo have been strained and agreed that it's time to modernize the nations' 50-year-old treaty. "Our effort will be focused on revitalizing that friendship,” he said....
Levi Gets Off Scot-Free in Palin Book
Associated Press
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Nov 13, 2009 5:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
Sarah Palin rips up John McCain and his campaign team in her new book, but retracts her claws when it comes to her near-son-in-law. In fact, her 413-page tome doesn't include a single reference to the daddy of her born-out-of-wedlock grandson, according to AP . Palin has repeatedly skewered Playgirl model Levi Johnston publicly. But she may have played...
White House Counsel Craig Stepping Down
Washington Post
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Nov 13, 2009 5:44 AM CST
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White House counsel Gregory Craig is expected to resign as early as Friday, reports the Washington Post. Craig has taken much heat over the clumsy handling of the Guantanamo Bay closure, and his resignation isn't a huge surprise. It's still the highest-level departure in the Obama administration. He will be replaced by Bob Bauer, Obama's personal...
Dobbs 2012: A Nightmare for Republicans
Salon
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Nov 13, 2009 5:42 AM CST
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Lou Dobbs has dropped big hints that he plans a career in politics, and the GOP should be worried, warns Joe Conason. A presidential run by Dobbs seems like a strong possibility, but he won't be running as a Republican, Conason writes for Salon . Instead, the newly departed CNN anchor looks likely to run as an independent, drawing on the same "resentful...
Prejean Tantrum Stumps Trump
CNN
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Nov 13, 2009 5:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
Carrie Prejean's tantrum on Larry King gave Donald Trump an opening to land a few more blows in his feud with the dumped beauty queen. Prejean removed her mike and threatened to leave because of King's "inappropriate" questions about her settlement agreement with the Miss California USA pageant. "Inappropriate' is more of a sexual term,...
10 Killed as Bomber Hits Pakistan Spy Agency
Associated Press
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Nov 13, 2009 5:10 AM CST
(AP) -
A suicide bomber in a pickup truck attacked the northwestern regional headquarters of the Pakistani spy agency overseeing a campaign against militancy, killing 10 people today. The attack on the Inter-Services Intelligence agency building occurred in the city of Peshawar, which has borne the brunt of the militants' retaliation against the army offensive....
Life Insurance Scam Eyed in Hanging
Associated Press
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Nov 13, 2009 5:07 AM CST
(Newser) -
A census worker found hanged in September may have staged his death for insurance reasons, police say. Sources tell the AP that Bill Sparkman may have manipulated the scene to make his suicide look like murder so that his son could collect on his insurance policy. "If it's deemed suicide, there's no point in even looking at insurance,"...
New Brain Cells Bump Old Memories
Wired
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Nov 13, 2009 5:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
The birth of new brain cells bumps old memories into long-term storage, according to new research which upends earlier theories. Researchers working with rodents found that the creation of new neurons destabilized existing connections in the hippocampus instead of strengthening them as they had expected, effectively "clearing the inbox" and...
China Snowstorms Kill 38
Associated Press
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Nov 13, 2009 4:51 AM CST
(Newser) -
The heaviest snow in northern China in at least 60 years has killed at least 38 people and caused half a billion dollars in damage. At least two deaths were caused by building collapses, according to state media. The unusually early winter storms have caused chaos in Beijing and the surrounding provinces, and have forced the evacuation of 150,000 people,...
World Scrambles to Boost Buck
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 13, 2009 3:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
Central banks around the world are stepping up measures to keep the American dollar strong and their own currencies weak. The dollar 's drop to near 15-month lows this week sparked fears that exports will become uncompetitive, threatening their fragile economic recoveries. Pacific Rim countries are especially concerned that China—which links...
Giant Iceberg Floats Toward NZ
Telegraph (UK)
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Nov 13, 2009 2:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
A gigantic iceberg drifting unusually far north has been spotted by Australian researchers off an island south of Tasmania. The chunk of ice, 2,300 feet long and 1,000 feet deep, is floating toward New Zealand and could pose a danger to shipping when it splits into smaller chunks. Experts believe the iceberg is one of a number of icebergs, including...
Fake Marine Busted After Reunion
San Francisco Chronicle
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Nov 13, 2009 2:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
A man who'd been a nerdy, unathletic band member at his California high school shocked classmates recently by turning up at his 20th reunion as a highly decorated Marine. Classmates were duly impressed by Steve Burton's transformation, but one, now a Navy commander, was so stunned by Burton's chestful of medals that he sent photos of Burton in his...
Airport Nabs Brit With 1,000 Spiders
Telegraph (UK)
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Nov 13, 2009 2:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
A British pet shop owner was nabbed at the airport in Rio de Janiero this week after customs officers found 1,000 live spiders in his checked baggage. Police say it's the biggest seizure of wildlife ever made at the airport. The spider-smuggler now faces up to a year in jail and a $2 million fine if convicted of animal trafficking, the Guardian ...
How Palin Can Make a Comeback
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 13, 2009 1:41 AM CST
(Newser) -
Sarah Palin is despised by Democrats and distrusted by independents, but that doesn't mean they won't be "serving up moose burgers in the White House" by 2013, writes Matthew Continetti . Palin won the Alaska governorship in 2006 on a center-right, bipartisan platform. Using that playbook again and learning from Ronald Reagan will put her...
Ark. Man Gets Life for TV Anchor's Murder
CNN
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Nov 13, 2009 1:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
An Arkansas man has been sentenced to life without parole for the savage rape and murder of Anne Pressly, a morning news anchor for CNN affiliate KATV. Pressley, 26, died 5 days after she was found beaten unconscious in her home last year. Curtis Lavelle Vance's defense team told the court he had suffered brain damage after being abused as a child,...
Crawford Blackmailed Over Daughter's Photo
TMZ
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Nov 12, 2009 9:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Cindy Crawford was the target of a bizarre extortion attempt involving a photo of her young daughter. Court documents say a German man threatened to go public with a photo of the 7-year-old girl that showed her bound to a chair and gagged. A Crawford rep says the photo was taken without Crawford's knowledge as a "prank" during a game of cops...
Buffett: 'Financial Panic Is Behind Us'
Reuters
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Nov 12, 2009 9:14 PM CST
(Newser) -
Warren Buffett says the worst is over. "The financial panic is behind us," he declared at Columbia University. The Berkshire Hathaway chief acknowledged that the US economy "still is sputtering some," but he sounded a bullish note on investment opportunities around the globe. While he gave "high marks" to Ben Bernanke...
Wife Poses as Schoolgirl to Nab Husband
Times (UK)
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Nov 12, 2009 8:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
A UK woman posed as a teenage girl online to entrap her 68-year-old husband in a pedophile arrest. Police say the wife, 61, became suspicious of her husband's constant use of the Internet, signed into a chatroom he used, and struck up a steamy conversation as a 14-year-old. After he filmed himself—unknowingly from the next room—and arranged...
More Americans Smoking
US News & World Report
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Nov 12, 2009 8:29 PM CST
(Newser) -
The number of smokers has ticked up a notch after five years of decline or holding steady. The percentage of Americans who light up rose from 19.8% in 2007 to 20.6% in 2008, a CDC report says. The longer-term picture is better: Since 1998, the percentage has dropped from 24.1%. But "rates have shown virtually no change" over the last five...
Scientists Find Ancestor to Giant Dinosaurs
National Geographic
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Nov 12, 2009 7:23 PM CST
(Newser) -
Paleontologists in South Africa have found a new dinosaur, a sort of missing link between smaller two-legged creatures that dined on plants and the long-necked carnivorous giants of Jurassic Park . The new species, aardonyx celestae, was 20 feet long and walked on two feet. But crucially, it was able to drop down on all fours easily, paving the way...
RNC Insurance Plan Covers Employees' Abortions
Politico
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Nov 12, 2009 6:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
With abortion emerging as a sticking point in the health care debate, Politico has dug up a zinger on the Republican National Committee: Its own employee insurance policy covers elective abortions. "We are taking steps to address the issue," says an RNC spokeswoman, adding that the policy goes back to 1991.
Palin Slams Katie Couric in Book
Associated Press
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Nov 12, 2009 6:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Sarah Palin details are rolling in fast and furious. Some nuggets gleaned from the AP 's advance look at her new book and her taped interview with Oprah today: She writes that Katie Couric was "badgering" and used only "gotcha" moments in their campaign interviews because of a "partisan agenda." Palin says she...
NASA Will Try to Free Rover Stuck on Mars
Space.com
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Nov 12, 2009 5:37 PM CST
(Newser) -
Help is on the way, rover. NASA will attempt to free the Mars rover Spirit from its sand-trap prison on Monday. The plucky machine got stuck in April—“the equivalent of falling through the ice over a frozen pond," says a NASA official. Spirit has been exploring Mars for 6 years now, far longer than planned, but the dirt trap may be...
Feds to Seize Skyscraper, Mosques Linked to Iran
Associated Press
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Nov 12, 2009 5:13 PM CST
(AP) -
Federal prosecutors took steps today to seize four US mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government. In what could prove to be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in US history, prosecutors filed a civil complaint in federal court seeking...
Levi Gets Naked for Shoot
Gawker
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Nov 12, 2009 4:43 PM CST
(Newser) -
It's the Levi Johnston update the world's been waiting on: He does indeed get naked for Playgirl. Writes Brian Moylan at Gawker: "We have confirmation from the set of Levi's Playgirl shoot that he has just posed naked with a hockey stick." The source relays that "his ass is as smooth as a Sade song." No word yet on how strategically...
Ultrathin Laptops Solid Performers
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 12, 2009 4:08 PM CST
(Newser) -
Cheap netbooks aren't profitable for PC makers, so it’s logical they're trying to lure consumers toward laptops that are just as thin, but have bigger screens, more features—and a heftier price tag. Walt Mossberg reviews three such models for the Wall Street Journal , and finds pros and cons for each but no clear winner: Toshiba Satellite...
NY-23 Race Isn't Over Yet: Hoffman Narrowing Gap
Post-Standard (Syracuse)
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Nov 12, 2009 3:48 PM CST
(Newser) -
An odd twist in that closely watched congressional race from upstate New York: Even though Democrat Bill Owens is already sworn into office to represent NY-23, the state is still counting the ballots—and the margin between him and Conservative Doug Hoffman is shrinking. At last count, Owens led by about 3,000 votes, meaning the race will be determined...
Dow Falls 94, Snaps Streak
MarketWatch
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Nov 12, 2009 3:15 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks slumped today as energy firms lost value in line with a decline in crude prices and the tech sector, MarketWatch reports. The Dow fell 94 points to close at 10,197. The Nasdaq lost 18 points, settling at 2,149. The S&P 500 dropped 11 points to 1,087.
Today's Hot Dieting Tool: Breast Feeding
New York Times
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Nov 12, 2009 3:03 PM CST
(Newser) -
It's not the most PC thing to admit, but more and more moms are jumping on the breast-feeding wagon for the love of their...waist, reports Catherine Saint Louis for the New York Times . "For those incredibly shrinking women, the time they nurse is precious not only for its skin-on-skin cuddling, but also for the Get Out of Dieting Jail Free...
Gut Bacteria Can Make You Fat
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 12, 2009 2:33 PM CST
(Newser) -
Eating junk food may do a double whammy on your waistline: In addition to the calorie influx, high-fat foods alter intestinal bacteria, actually making it easier to get fat. Obese mice in a new study had significantly more of a specific type of bacteria, Firmicutes, that easily convert food into calories that can be absorbed by the body. In other words,...
Hasan Will Face 13 Murder Charges
San Antonio Express-News
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Nov 12, 2009 2:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Army has charged Nidal Malik Hasan with 13 counts of murder in the "first step in the court-martial process." Hasan, an Army major and psychiatrist, may face additional charges in connection with last week's shooting at Fort Hood. He remains hospitalized in San Antonio and is being treated for wounds inflicted, an Army spokesman said...
Jenny Sanford Endorses Candidate for SC Governor
State (Columbia, SC)
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Nov 12, 2009 1:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
Jenny Sanford is getting back into politics—by endorsing a relative underdog in the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary. Mark Sanford's estranged wife announced her support for Nikki Haley, a "principled, conservative, tough and smart” candidate, in the five-way race for the nomination to replace her husband. Haley was...
