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.
Alligator Market Collapses; Farmers Fault Hermès
New York Times
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Nov 30, 2009 7:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
Of luxury markets hit hard by the economy, one of the strangest is Louisiana alligator business, which dried up so fast it went from hatching 500,000 eggs last year to none this year. The speed of the collapse is raising suspicions that there's more to it than consumers shunning $4,000 shoes and $12,000 watchbands, the New York Times reports.
Boyle Debut Fastest-Selling Ever in UK
BBC
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Nov 30, 2009 6:41 AM CST
(Newser) -
Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream has nabbed the record for best first-week sales of a debut album in UK chart history. The breakthrough Britain’s Got Talent singer’s record sold 410,000 copies last week, easily topping big draws like Rihanna and Lady Gaga and becoming the fastest-selling disc this year to date in the UK. Svengali...
UAE Stocks Plunge on Dubai Fears; Asia Rebounds
Financial Times (UK)
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Nov 30, 2009 6:36 AM CST
(Newser) -
Stock markets plummeted in the United Arab Emirates today, in response to Dubai’s credit woes. The Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange lost more than 8% in heavy trading, while the Dubai Financial Market, a currency exchange, lost 7%. Stocks heavily linked to Dubai did especially poorly; ports operator DP World fell 15%. It’s the first time Gulf markets...
UN Criticism Prompted New Nuclear Plans: Iran
Associated Press
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Nov 30, 2009 6:22 AM CST
(AP) -
In a flamboyant rebuke to the international community, the Iranian nuclear chief said today it's the UN's fault that Tehran is planning to build 10 new uranium enrichment facilities. The decision was necessary, Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi told state radio, because the UN atomic watchdog demanded that Iran halt all enrichment activities. Yesterday,...
Pothead Pitt, 'Cobra' Jolie Headed for Split
New York Post
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Nov 30, 2009 5:47 AM CST
(Newser) -
A Brangelina breakup is coming down the pike "within 18 months, probably sooner," a new book about the power couple claims. "I talked to several people in Brad's family who wished they'd break up today," Ian Halperin, author of Brangelina: The Untold Story of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, tells the New York Post . So why the...
Shots Fired, Cop-Killer May Be Dead
Associated Press
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Nov 30, 2009 4:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
Shots were fired today as police surrounded a Seattle home where a suspected cop-killer was holed up and officials say he may be wounded or dead. Police used loudspeakers and explosions in a bid to flush out Maurice Clemmons, 37, who investigators believe shot dead four officers at a cafe yesterday. "Mr. Clemmons, I'd like to get you out of there...
Conservative Wins in Testy Honduran Election
New York Times
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Nov 30, 2009 4:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
Conservative Porfirio Lobo has emerged as the winner in yesterday's Honduran election, and appears set to take the central American nation's disputed presidency as it continues to reel from the crisis sparked by last summer's coup. After initially condemning the coup, Washington shifted gears to support this weekend's election, which most of Latin...
Tiger, Suck It Up and Come Clean
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 30, 2009 4:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
Handsome super athlete possibly cheating on his stunning wife, car crash in the wee hours, said wife with a golf club in her hand: what's not to find captivating about the Tiger Woods soap opera? "What really happened, and why? The puzzle is irresistible," admits John Paul Newport in the Wall Street Journal . And Tiger Woods is only...
Holiday Shoppers Ditched Credit Cards
Reuters
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Nov 30, 2009 4:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
Recession-strapped Americans may have developed a plastic allergy—only 26% of Thanksgiving weekend shoppers used credit cards. Though consumers proved willing to spend over the holiday weekend, they seem to be changing how they spend: a whopping 39% used old-fashioned greenbacks, with debit cards making up the rest, according to a retail survey....
Obama to Unveil Afghan Endgame
New York Times
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Nov 30, 2009 3:51 AM CST
(Newser) -
When President Obama announces his planned boost in US troops in Afghanistan tomorrow, he'll also reveal his exit outline, according to administration sources. "He wants to give a clear sense of both the time frame for action and how the war will eventually wind down," an insider told the New York Times . The president will discuss the plans...
Imam's Emails to Hasan Didn't Worry FBI
Dallas Morning News
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Nov 30, 2009 3:26 AM CST
(Newser) -
The FBI wasn't concerned that Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan corresponded with a radical Muslim cleric—even as the cleric urged violent jihad on his website. Anti-terrorism investigators declined to look more closely at Hasan because his emails with Anwar al-Awlaki did not feature specific instructions to commit acts of violence. But as the two...
'Trailblazing' Science Papers Posted Online
BBC
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Nov 30, 2009 3:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
Britain's Royal Society is posting some of the key scientific moments in human history on the Web. Handwritten accounts include reports by Sir Isaac Newton and Benjamin Franklin, who details his 1752 experiment with a key, a kite and lightning. One of the posted studies, to determine if 8-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was truly a musical prodigy,...
Hasselhoff Lands in Hospital, Ex Gets DUI
People
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Nov 30, 2009 2:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
The often-treated-for-alcohol-poisoning David Hasselhoff and his ex-wife appear to be operating under the same tipsy star. Hasselhoff was back in a California hospital over the weekend after he suffered a seizure and his teenage daughter called paramedics—again, reports the Daily Mail.
Mystery Saddam Channel Hits Iraq TV
Associated Press
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Nov 30, 2009 2:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
A mysterious satellite TV station honoring Saddam Hussein has become a fixture on Iraqi television on the third anniversary of the dictator's execution.The government suspects the so-called "Saddam Channel" is being funded by the late ruler's Baathist party, but no one knows for certain, reports AP . The station is mostly a montage of still...
Americans Want JFK on Mt. Rushmore
Vanity Fair
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Nov 30, 2009 1:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
JFK could one day join Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt in rock now that a wide-ranging poll by VanityFair/60 Minutes has found he's the president most Americans would most like to see added to Mount Rushmore. Other revelations: Though it's a hot-button topic in the health-care debate, Americans are fairly clueless on what exactly...
Secret Service Grills Party Crashers
New York Times
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Nov 30, 2009 1:23 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Secret Service has questioned the couple who crashed last week's White House state dinner and discovered they were allowed into the function when they pleaded with an agent to let them come in out of the rain. Tareq and Michaele Salahi could face charges, said an official who characterized the questioning as part of a review of presidential security...
Huckabee Freed Man Sought in Wash. Cop Massacre
Seattle Times
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Nov 29, 2009 11:14 PM CST
(Newser) -
A man being sought as a "person of interest" in the execution-style slayings of four police officers this morning in Lakewood, Wash., was 11 years into a decades-long prison term in Arkansas when then-governor Mike Huckabee approved the commutation of his sentence. Prosecutors objected to clemency for Maurice Clemmons, now 37; the parole...
Sales Rise Even Though Shoppers Spend Less
Bloomberg
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Nov 29, 2009 4:58 PM CST
(Newser) -
Thanksgiving weekend retail sales totaled $41.2 billion, a .5% jump over last year's $41 billion, but the average shopper spent 8% less than in 2008, $343.31 against $372.57. Discounts, especially on electronics and toys, were the overwhelming attraction as cautious consumers pried open their wallets, Bloomberg reports. Retailers "know they...
Bernanke on Offense Ahead of Confirmation Battle
Reuters
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Nov 29, 2009 4:03 PM CST
(Newser) -
Ben Bernanke's reappointment to a second 4-year term is virtually certain, but the path appears likely to be a somewhat rocky one. The Fed chairman's confirmation will be the subject of a Senate Banking Committee hearing Thursday, and one senator has already said he'll vote no when the matter comes up for a full vote, Reuters reports. Bernanke aggressively...
Gyllenhaal, Witherspoon Call It Quits
People
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Nov 29, 2009 3:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal have split up after about 2 years of high-powered, high-profile coupledom. Walk the Line Oscar winner Witherspoon, 33, and Brokeback Mountain Oscar nominee Gyllenhaal, 28, met while working on Rendition in 2007, People reports. A cynic would expect to see him linked next to Natalie Portman, who co-stars...
Holiday Gifts Not to Get Your Boss
TheStreet
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Nov 29, 2009 2:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
A thoughtful holiday gift for your boss can smooth out your workday and even help your career. But not all gifts are created equal. David Seaman of The Street lists some to avoid: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: A self-help or management book "implies that you don't think they are at all effective at what they do."...
Tiger Breaks Silence, Blows Off Cops Again
Orlando Sentinel
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Nov 29, 2009 2:11 PM CST
(Newser) -
Tiger Woods is "pretty sore" physically and his feelings are hurt after 2 days of speculation about his car crash early Friday morning—but if Florida Highway Patrol investigators want to hear his story, they'll have to wait. A scheduled meeting was canceled this afternoon for the second consecutive day, the Orlando Sentinel reports....
New Moon Eclipses Blind Side
Hollywood Reporter
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Nov 29, 2009 1:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
New Moon extended its domination of the the box office over the Thanksgiving weekend, but The Blind Side showed surprising resilience and even outdrew the vampire picture on the holiday. New Moon raked in $42.5 million in 3 days, bringing its 10-day total to $230.7 million. The Blind Side did $40.1 million, actually rising 18% from its opening...
Levin: No Afghan War if We'd Caught bin Laden
Politico
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Nov 29, 2009 1:11 PM CST
(Newser) -
Had the US not missed its chance to nab Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in 2001, there's a “good chance we would not have forces or need to have forces there," Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Carl Levin told Face the Nation . Given the current situation, however, Politico reports that the Michigan Democrat says the emphasis needs...
Four Cops Gunned Down in Wash. Café
News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)
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Nov 29, 2009 12:41 PM CST
(Newser) -
A gunman entered a coffee shop in Washington state this morning and opened fire, killing four police officers, reports the Tacoma News Tribune . The three men and one woman, who were wearing bulletproof vests as they prepared to start their shifts, appear to have been targeted and not the victims of robbery. "It looks like a flat-out ambush,"...
UAE Backs Dubai Banks
New York Times
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Nov 29, 2009 11:20 AM CST
(Newser) -
The UAE got behind domestic and foreign banks in troubled Dubai today, with its central bank setting up a "liquidity facility" on the eve before battered global markets were to re-open after a holiday break. The move was widely seen as countering the perception that Dubai might be the first global domino to fall, with the bank stressing that...
Treasury to Squeeze Mortgage Lenders
Associated Press
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Nov 29, 2009 11:00 AM CST
(AP) -
The Obama administration, battling a foreclosure crisis that shows no signs of relenting, will step up pressure on mortgage companies to do more to help people remain in their homes, officials said yesterday. The administration will announce its expanded program tomorrow, a Treasury spokeswoman said, and will take "additional steps to enhance...
Iran OKs Plans for 10 Nuke Plants
Associated Press
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Nov 29, 2009 10:08 AM CST
(AP) -
The Iranian government approved a plan today to build 10 industrial scale uranium enrichment facilities, a dramatic expansion of the program in defiance of UN demands it halt enrichment. The decision comes only days after the UN nuclear watchdog agency censured Iran over its program and demanded it halt the construction of a newly revealed enrichment...
Pakistan's Zardari Under Pressure to Resign
Associated Press
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Nov 29, 2009 9:50 AM CST
(AP) -
Pakistan's main opposition party demanded today that President Asif Ali Zardari relinquish much of his power amid calls for the unpopular leader to assume a ceremonial role or resign. Zardari inherited sweeping powers from military dictator Pervez Musharraf, and had promised to return them to the prime minister—but has been accused of foot-dragging...
'School of Pot' Opens in Michigan
New York Times
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Nov 29, 2009 9:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
It only sounds like a Judd Apatow movie: A 24-year-old has opened a "School of Pot" in Michigan to teach everything from growing techniques to special brownie recipes. The $485, six-week program gives students the rundown on botany basics as well as preparation techniques. The New York Times reports that Med Grow Cannabis College's...
Swiss Projected to Approve Minaret Ban
Associated Press
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Nov 29, 2009 8:38 AM CST
(AP) -
Swiss voters approved a move to ban the construction of minarets in a vote today on a right-wing initiative that labeled the mosque towers as symbols of militant Islam, early projections showed. The Swiss looked to have swung from only 37% supporting the proposal a week ago to 59% in actual voting. The move by the nationalist People's Party, known...
Obama Delaying Release of Secret Military Docs
Boston Globe
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Nov 29, 2009 7:48 AM CST
(Newser) -
Obama may want to strike "be more transparent" from his list of New Year's resolutions: He's decided not to release millions of pages of military documents on Dec. 31, as was previously scheduled. Officials say the delay is due to problems between the administration and various spy agencies, who say they need more time to review the material—which...
Party Crashers Shop Interview
Associated Press
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Nov 29, 2009 7:25 AM CST
(AP) -
The couple who infamously crashed President Barack Obama's first state dinner are peddling their story to broadcast networks for hundreds of thousands of dollars, a television executive says. The executive told the AP that representatives for Michaele and Tareq Salahi contacted networks to urge them to "get their bids in" for an interview,...
As Food Stamp Use Explodes, Stigma Fades
New York Times
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Nov 29, 2009 7:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
With one in eight Americans now using food stamps and 20,000 more signing up each day, "nutritional assistance" is becoming a normal part of American life rather than a shameful secret, reports the New York Times . In analyzing local data, the paper found that in 239 counties—as large as the Bronx and Philadelphia—at least...
Bangladesh Ferry Toll Hits 58
Associated Press
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Nov 29, 2009 6:50 AM CST
(AP) -
The body count in southern Bangladesh has hit 58 in the wake of a ferry that capsized as hundreds of holiday travelers disembarked yesterday. MV Coco hit a river shoal as it approached the terminal, breaking the hull and allowing water in. As passengers scrambled to disembark, the vessel then tipped and partially sank in the Tetulia River. A rescue...
US Missed Chance to Capture bin Laden
New York Times
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Nov 29, 2009 6:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
Though a new report concludes that doing away with Osama bin Laden eight years ago "would not have eliminated the worldwide extremist threat,” that hardly downplays its finding that the terror leader could have been captured by US forces in December 2001. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee's report says that a robust American force could...
TMZ: Tiger's Cuts Caused by Wife, Not Crash
TMZ
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Nov 29, 2009 6:11 AM CST
(Newser) -
As unconfirmed reports about Friday night's car accident dribble out, TMZ now says that Tiger Woods' facial cuts didn't come from the accident but from his wife, Elin Nordegren. He reportedly told a friend that she scratched him after confronting him about rumors he was cheating. Tiger then left the house, with Elin following in hot pursuit with...
9K Marines to Lead Afghanistan Charge
Washington Post
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Nov 29, 2009 6:04 AM CST
(Newser) -
Just days after Obama unveils his new Afghan war strategy, as many as 9,000 Marines will ready themselves to deploy to Afghanistan's Hemland province as part of phased reinforcements approach. They'll double the Marine force in a bloody southern region that has seen US gains but, due to a troop shortage, has remained a Taliban haven in places like...
Good-Guy Hancock Tasked With Defending Bad BCS
Time
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Nov 29, 2009 5:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
Bill Hancock is one of the best-liked people in the sporting world, but he's been tasked with defending one of its most-hated systems, writes Sean Gregory. Hancock, a former director of the Final Four, has been appointed as the first permanent director of the Bowl Championship Series. That makes him a target for everyone—from President Obama...
Alleged Mistress: I Didn't Have Affair With Tiger
Us Weekly
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Nov 28, 2009 4:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
The woman accused by the National Enquirer of having an affair with Tiger Woods says the accusations aren't true. "I did not have an affair with Tiger Woods," Rachel Uchitel tells US Weekly . "I met him twice and have not heard from him since." She wished him a speedy recovery, but added, "I don't understand why anyone...
Nader Considers Run Against Dodd
Associated Press
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Nov 28, 2009 3:50 PM CST
(AP) -
Ralph Nader says he is "absorbing" the reaction he's receiving about a possible bid for the Senate and wants to first gauge the level of grassroots support before making a decision. Supporters have called on the 75-year-old Connecticut native to jump into the hotly contested race to challenge Democrat Chris Dodd, who's been struggling in...
China Jails Radical US Environmentalist
New York Times
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Nov 28, 2009 3:14 PM CST
(Newser) -
An environmental activist from New Jersey who faces arson charges in the US has been sentenced to 3 years in prison in China on drug charges. Justin Solondz, 30, had been hiding out under a pseudonym in the mountainous town of Dali, which the New York Times describes as a "backpacker haven." Authorities say he had 33 pounds of pot buried...
Video Games to Help CSI Teams Solve Crimes
Reuters
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Nov 28, 2009 2:26 PM CST
(Newser) -
The real-life counterparts of forensics experts on all those CSI shows will soon be getting a helping hand from the world of video games. A team at North Carolina State University is adapting the platform behind games like FusionFall and VooDude to recreate crime scenes, allowing investigators to play out various "what-if" scenarios....
Garlic Investors Smell Money
Independent (UK)
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Nov 28, 2009 2:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
A massive rise in demand for garlic is making plenty of people in China stinking rich. Prices in China—the world's largest garlic producer by far—have risen 15-fold in big cities and even more in far-flung regions. Two key factors seem to be behind it: garlic's reputed powers to ward off the flu—some schools are hoarding it in fear...
Abu Dhabi Won't Bail Out Dubai With Blank Check
Reuters
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Nov 28, 2009 1:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
Investors who hoped that oil-rich Abu Dhabi would write a blank check to cover the massive debts of Dubai—its flashier UAE sister city—got some bad news today. The capital city will instead "pick and choose" where to help. "We will look at Dubai's commitments and approach them on a case-by-case basis," a government official...
Hannity Beats O'Reilly in Ratings War
Irish Central
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Nov 28, 2009 1:04 PM CST
(Newser) -
Sean Hannity's interview with Sarah Palin helped him achieve a rare feat: his show beat the O'Reilly Factor as the top-rated cable news program of the week. Hannity's Nov. 18 interview drew 4.2 million viewers, a shade above Bill O'Reilly's talk with her the next night at 4.12 million. O'Reilly's long been the ratings king, but Hannity's been closing...
GOP Purity Test Is a 'Suicide Pact'
Washington Post
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Nov 28, 2009 12:24 PM CST
(Newser) -
Just when things start going in Republicans' favor, along comes the idiotic idea of forcing candidates to take a purity test , complains Kathleen Parker. This is no test—it's a "suicide pact." The idea is to withhold party support from candidates who fail to sign on to 10 so-called principles. It's going to do nothing but scare away...
Teen Afghan Prisoners Claim Abuse at US Site
Washington Post
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Nov 28, 2009 11:47 AM CST
(Newser) -
Two Afghan teenagers held prisoner by the US at the Bagram air base say American interrogators beat them, deprived them of sleep, photographed them naked, and made them look at porn to humiliate them sexually. The teens' accounts to the Washington Post have not been substantiated, but they have the potential to be explosive for the Obama administration,...
Jenny Sanford Trademarks Name for Clothing Line
New York Times
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Nov 28, 2009 10:54 AM CST
(Newser) -
Jenny Sanford continues to write the book on how a jilted political wife can emerge stronger. South Carolina's first lady, who moved out of the governor's mansion in August after husband Mark's affair, has trademarked her name for a possible clothing and gift line, reports the New York Times . She's also got a memoir coming out in April and will...
Black Friday Sees Strong Crowds, Picky Shoppers
Bloomberg
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Nov 28, 2009 10:12 AM CST
(Newser) -
It will take a few days for the Black Friday sales numbers to be crunched, but early indications show a decent, if unspectacular, shopping day. A retailer trade group reported "strong crowds" across the board, notes Bloomberg , with high-def TVs, laptops, winter coats, and those ubiquitous Zhu Zhu hamsters the best-sellers.
