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.
Best Soap Opera Cameos
Salon
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Nov 24, 2009 10:19 AM CST
(Newser) -
James Franco’s much-hyped General Hospital guest stint began Friday, but can he live up to the true classics of the celebrity cameo genre? Many other luminaries have guested on daytime TV, and “they almost always shake things up like a schizophrenic with a fake pregnancy interrupting a wedding in a tornado.” Mary Elizabeth Williams...
Playmates Doubled as Call Girls: Madam
New York Post
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Nov 24, 2009 9:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Playboy Playmates are just sweet, girls-next-door types who happen to show a little skin every now and then—right? Wrong, according to one Hollywood madam. Michelle Braun is planning a tell-all flushing that myth right down the toilet, along with—possibly—the reputations of her high-profile clients. She claims to have set up...
Israel-Hamas Prisoner Swap May Be Imminent
Haaretz (Israel)
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Nov 24, 2009 9:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle won’t say a word about the maybe-impending deal to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, afraid to jinx the proceedings. Westerwelle met with counterpart Avigdor Lieberman in Israel today, in part to discuss the prisoner swap, which German officials are brokering in Cairo. Reports are flying that the sides...
Q3 GDP Growth More Like 2.8% Than 3.5%
Associated Press
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Nov 24, 2009 9:29 AM CST
(Newser) -
The government’s optimistic reading of GDP growth in the 3rd quarter was distorted by a pair of rose-tinted glasses, it now says. The Commerce Department has revised its estimate down to 2.8% from 3.5% on evidence that stimulus programs like Cash for Clunkers and the homebuyers' tax credit did not spur as much spending as previously thought....
Fallout From Hacked Climate Change Emails Intensifies
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 24, 2009 9:22 AM CST
(Newser) -
The planet-sized rift between climate scientists skeptical about man-made global warming and the rest of the field has been getting even wider this week as the fallout from last week's hacked emails continues. Some experts fear that the emails—in which climate scientists insult skeptics and discuss ways to block dissenting points of view—could...
Jennifer Hudson to Sing at State Dinner
Newstrack India
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Nov 24, 2009 9:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
Tonight's first state dinner of the Obama administration is likely to be a star-studded affair, and while the White House has been tight-lipped thus far, details are leaking: Guests at tonight’s celebration of Indian PM Manmohan Singh are said to include Steven Spielberg, David Geffen, and Jeffrey Katzenberg, as well as a delegation of Indian...
India, DC, Hollywood Mix at Obama Shindig
MSNBC
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Nov 24, 2009 9:18 AM CST
(Newser) -
Swaths of green and purple surrounded guests tonight as the White House paid tribute to Indian PM Manmohan Singh at the first state dinner given by President Obama. The company was top-notch, with Washington’s elite (from both parties) rubbing elbows with Hollywood stars and media elites. For the guest list, check the top right link.
What She Always Wanted: Reindeer Dung Necklace
Associated Press
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Nov 24, 2009 9:07 AM CST
(Newser) -
For that special someone: An Illinois zoo is selling sterilized reindeer droppings in the form of "Magical Reindeer Gem" pendant necklaces available at its gift shop and through mail order. The $20 glitter-encrusted necklaces are a bit silly, a zoo spokeswoman admits to the AP , but they're selling fast and could go a long way towards replacing...
6 Reasons Avatar Will Suck
Gawker
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Nov 24, 2009 8:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
James Cameron’s follow-up to the hugely successful Titanic has been eagerly anticipated for more than 10 years—and when Avatar finally arrives, it will be...completely awful. Richard Rushfield explains why for Gawker : Directors’ dream projects typically fall flat: See: Spielberg’s 1941 , Lucas’s The Phantom...
Lovers Dish on Sex With Berlusconi, Mussolini
Independent (UK)
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Nov 24, 2009 8:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
Benito Mussolini and Silvio Berlusconi: Both charismatic leaders of Italy, both wildly popular, both…voracious sexual omnivores. The Independent takes a look at two recent publications—a diary by Mussolini’s mistress, and a memoir by a prostitute who supposedly spent two nights with Berlusconi. A sampling of the salacious details:...
Galileo's Missing Fingers Found
CNN
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Nov 24, 2009 8:33 AM CST
(Newser) -
Two fingers and a tooth removed from Galileo's corpse by the astronomer's 18th-century admirers have resurfaced for the first time in a century. The digits, preserved in an unmarked glass jar, were bought at auction by a man who realized who they belonged to; he donated them to Museum of the History of Science in Florence, which already has another...
Women Refuse to Cut Back on Mammograms: Poll
USA Today
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Nov 24, 2009 8:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
An overwhelming majority of American women intend to ignore the recommendation that they get fewer mammograms, with most wildly overestimating their risk of breast cancer. In a new poll, 84% of women aged 35 to 49 say they still intend to get routine mammograms before age 50, in keeping with American Cancer Society guidelines. But 40% also believe...
China Executes Two Over Tainted Milk
Reuters
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Nov 24, 2009 8:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
China put two people to death today for their role in the tainted milk scandal, but many Chinese feel betrayed that a third wasn’t executed. The executed men, dairy farmer Zhang Yujun and production base manager Geng Jinping, were relative unknowns. Popular rage has centered instead on Tian Wenhua, the former general manager of the plant that...
Report: Obama Will Send 34K Troops to Afghanistan
McClatchy Newspapers
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Nov 24, 2009 7:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
President Obama has made his choice on Afghan strategy after months of deliberations and will announce it next week, administration sources tell McClatchy . The president finalized his decision to send another 34,000 troops in meetings last night, and plans to address the nation on the choice next Tuesday, prior to congressional hearings.
RNC Mulls Litmus Test for 2010 Candidates
MSNBC
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Nov 24, 2009 7:49 AM CST
(Newser) -
A group of RNC members is circulating a conservative purity test that they say should be used to determine which candidates the committee should endorse and fund. Titled the “Resolution on Reagan’s Unity Principle for Support of Candidates,” the email outlines 10 points of Republican orthodoxy, and proposes that only candidates who...
Blindingly White MSNBC Guilty of Hypocrisy
Michelle Malkin Blog
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Nov 24, 2009 7:29 AM CST
(Newser) -
MSNBC commentators sneering at the lack of minorities lining up to buy Sarah Palin's book should start their quest for diversity a little closer to home, writes Michelle Malkin . Take a look at Chris Matthews and Norah O'Donnell, who complained about the "monochromatic" Palin crowds, and the MSNBC lineup in general and "you’ll...
1 in 4 Homeowners Underwater
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 24, 2009 6:34 AM CST
(Newser) -
Nearly 1 in every 4 homeowners owes more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, a serious obstacle to any kind of housing recovery. According to a report from First American CoreLogic, a real estate information company, nearly 10.7 million households are “underwater,” with 5.3 million of those owing at least 20% more than their...
Young Black Men Hit Hardest By Recession
Washington Post
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Nov 24, 2009 6:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
The recession has sent the unemployment rate among young black men soaring to rates not seen since the Great Depression. The jobless rate among black males aged 16 to 24 hit 34.5% last month, more than triple the rate for the general population. The demographic has been especially hit by massive job losses in the manufacturing, construction, and retail...
As Massacre Toll Hits 46, Philippines Declares Emergency
Associated Press
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Nov 24, 2009 5:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
A state of emergency has been declared in the southern Philippines after local police found 22 bodies buried in mass graves, bringing the toll in the slaughter of political supporters and journalists to 46. The convoy traveling to register a candidate for a provincial governor was stopped and attacked by at least 100 gunmen yesterday, the AP reports,...
Blackwater Waging 'Secret War' in Pakistan
Nation
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Nov 24, 2009 4:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
An elite team of Blackwater operatives have been doing the CIA's dirty work in Pakistan, a Nation investigation finds. The team plans operations, including "snatch-and-grab" assassinations and drone strikes from a secret base in Karachi run by US Joint Special Operations Command, according to a senior source with direct involvement in...
FSU Glams Up Hoops Stars, Sparks Uproar
Salon
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Nov 24, 2009 4:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
Female basketball stars' three-pointers, hook shots, muscles, and agility don't score with Florida State University officials. They've also got to look good in the slinky gowns they had to don for the team's website. Now women are crying foul. Each member of the team, some provocatively clutching basketballs, wears a shiny, low-cut dress lounging...
What Is it About Palin? Hard to Say
Huffington Post
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Nov 24, 2009 4:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
What it is exactly that captivates supporters of Sarah Palin? That's hard to say, especially for them. They gush about their gal because she stands for "freedom" and "realness," and because she's the "epitome of conservativeness" in a video by the New Left Media. But when it comes to details, they're fuzzy. "Help...
CPSC Links Chinese Drywall to Toxic Fumes
Washington Post
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Nov 24, 2009 3:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
Americans who live in homes containing Chinese-made drywall should start spending more time outside in the fresh air, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned yesterday. The commission's investigators found "a strong association" with the imported drywall and the corrosion of metal and wire in homes, and with raised levels of hydrogen...
Bruni Nudie Yanked From Sale After Flat Bids
Huffington Post
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Nov 24, 2009 3:08 AM CST
(Newser) -
A nude photo of Carla Bruni failed to raise any excitement at a recent Paris auction. The German seller withdrew the black-and-white nude from sale after the bidding only reached $8,600, the Huffington Post reports. Another copy of the same photo of the French president's wife fetched $91,000 at a Christie's auction last year.
NYC Man: Alter-Ego Killed Son, Wife
New York Daily News
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Nov 24, 2009 3:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
When New York cops busted a Manhattan hotel janitor in the murder of his wife and 14-year-old son, he had one defense: his imaginary alter-ego "Roberto" did it. Otto Herrarte admitted stuffing the bodies in garbage bags at his Queens home, but said Roberto slit their throats. "I am Otto, but I have Roberto inside of me who is responsible,"...
Pulp Fiction Writer 'Tweets' Prison Horrors
Associated Press
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Nov 24, 2009 2:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
Pulp Fiction screenwriter Roger Avary has lost his freedom but apparently not his ability to use Twitter. A Twitter accout— @AVARY —appears to be the work of Avary, who is serving a year for vehicular manslaughter. "My friend @AVARY is tweeting from the inside," sci-fi writer Neil Gaiman recently tweeted. "It's riveting,...
Race-Speech Obama Is MIA
Washington Post
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Nov 24, 2009 2:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
The moral clarity that Barack Obama revealed in his groundbreaking Philadelphia speech on race has been nowhere to be seen recently, writes Richard Cohen. The Obama who made that speech wouldn't have let the Chinese stage-manage his appearances, or allowed the civilian trial of Khalid Sheik Mohammed go forward without setting out some clear legal principles...
Gold Mine Scamster Rips Off Couple for $5M
Associated Press
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Nov 24, 2009 1:47 AM CST
(Newser) -
A California man who claimed to have a new way of extracting gold from old mines has been busted for bilking a couple in their '80s out of nearly $5 million. John Arthur Walthall blew the couple's cash on cars, alimony, film school fees for his son, and a $60,000 hyperbaric oxygen chamber, according to cops. Some $500,000 in gold coins was found under...
Minneapolis Terror Recruiters Charged
New York Times
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Nov 24, 2009 1:26 AM CST
(Newser) -
Join a terror group and have fun, make friends and see the world. That's the pitch federal authorities say a Minnesota terror gang used to recruit fellow Somali-Americans to fight overseas, according to new charges against 8 men. A total of 14 people have now been targeted in the probe into the recruitment ring, which is blamed for the disappearance...
No DUI Charge for Kerry Daughter
Associated Press
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Nov 23, 2009 10:24 PM CST
(AP) -
Prosecutors say Sen. John Kerry's eldest daughter won't be charged with drunken driving in Los Angeles, with a city spokesman saying prosecutors declined to pursue the case against Alexandra Kerry, 36, due to insufficient evidence. He offered no further details
Bloggers on JPMorgan Chase CEO Replacing Geithner: Nah
The Atlantic
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Nov 23, 2009 10:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
A report today that JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has the inside track to replace Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary is getting mostly guffaws online, with even the conservative Wall Street Journal admitting that Dimon’s way too much an insider for the job just now. Indeed, chuckles Daniel Indiviglio , the New York Post story is...
Pundits Lie, Numbers Don't: Women Despise Palin
Frum Forum
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Nov 23, 2009 9:26 PM CST
(Newser) -
Former Bush speechwriter David Frum is sick and tired of hearing the punditocracy gush over how much everyone loves Sarah Palin, and, armed with fistfuls of polls, reminds us: Her fan club is conservative men, and women of all stripes despise her. “If you like Palin,” he writes , “well go ahead. It’s a free country. But quit...
Hasan May Plead Insanity: Lawyer
Associated Press
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Nov 23, 2009 8:39 PM CST
(AP) -
Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in a shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, will likely plead not guilty to the charges against him and may use an insanity defense at his military trial, his attorney said today. John Galligan, the civilian attorney for Hasan, said he is considering an insanity defense among other options,...
Startled Snake Horks Up New Chameleon Species
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 23, 2009 7:41 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Tanzanian snake so startled by a British researcher that it threw up its still-undigested dinner in fact horked up a previously unknown species of chameleon. Andrew Marshall tells the Guardian he was surveying monkeys in the Magombera forest when he tripped over the nervous twig snake; though worried about the venom that killed the creature,...
At Last, Collider Gets Atoms Smashing
BBC
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Nov 23, 2009 7:09 PM CST
(Newser) -
For the first time, the world’s largest, most expensive science experiment worked as it was supposed to today, with the Large Hadron Collider sending beams of protons smashing into each other—as envisioned when it first opened in 2008. The 17-mile track underneath the French-Swiss Alps has seen more than its share of fits and starts, and...
Domestic Violence Linked to Football Upsets
Slate
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Nov 23, 2009 6:42 PM CST
(Newser) -
Losses by local NFL teams may trigger episodes of domestic violence among their fans, a new study suggests. Researchers examined domestic violence reports in 1995-2006 and found that upsets of home teams matched up with an 8% bump in incidents of domestic violence. The surge in violence almost doubled when traditional rivals, such the Bears and Packers,...
Millions of Cribs Recalled
CBS News
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Nov 23, 2009 6:10 PM CST
(Newser) -
Millions of cribs with drop-down sides were recalled today out of fear they could injure or even kill children sleeping in them. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the voluntary recall by Stork Craft of Canada, which distributed an estimated 1.2 million cribs in the US and nearly 1 million in Canada. Stork Craft will supply a free repair...
Salvation Army Takes Plastic
Charlotte Observer
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Nov 23, 2009 5:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Salvation Army's red kettles that collect holiday donations—a symbol for over 100 years—are getting an update. Numerous sites across the country will take credit cards this year as part of a pilot program dubbed "cashless kettles." Earlier tests suggest that the program has promise: in Dallas-Fort Worth last year, the average...
Home Daycare Turns Kids Into Couch Potatoes
Associated Press
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Nov 23, 2009 5:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
Children in home-based daycare watch far more TV than kids in formal child-care centers, with preschoolers averaging as much as 3.4 hours a day. The numbers in a new survey haven't changed much from stats recorded in previous years, which the researchers say they find "disconcerting, given the intervening publication of the American Academy of...
Paula Deen Takes a Ham to the Face
WXIA Atlanta
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Nov 23, 2009 5:19 PM CST
(Newser) -
Paula Deen is fine and even joking about the size of the ham that whacked her in the face during a charity appearance today in Atlanta. The Food Network phenom was helping deliver donated meat when a relay toss went astray. "All of a sudden this ham that weighed 200 pounds hit me full long in the face and 'bout knocked me cuckoo," a cheerful...
Call-In Show Lets Iraqis Grill Their Leaders
NPR
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Nov 23, 2009 4:48 PM CST
(Newser) -
Iraqi politicians are starting to fear a prime-time television in show that gives ordinary citizens a direct chance to berate them. Hosted by portly TV vet Ala Mushin, Hotline will never be mistaken for American Idol , yet it’s become one of the most popular shows in Iraq, NPR reports. Each night the show brings on a new high-ranking official...
Experts Slam Levi's Hairy Pits
Us Weekly
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Nov 23, 2009 4:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
Levi Johnston's Playgirl photos have been out since Saturday, giving experts in the nude male form time to review the 19-year-old's debut. Us collects their responses: "The only problem—his hairy armpits!" says a Chippendales dancer. "He should also focus on his diet to help him get a bit harder. But he has good hair and...
Online Gamers a Cash Crop for FarmVille
Denver Post
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Nov 23, 2009 4:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
The latest video game craze sweeping America is a surprisingly cute Facebook application that doesn’t include even a single laser gun. FarmVille has attracted 60 million players, 22 million of whom still check in on their farms every day, harvesting crops, tending livestock, and helping their neighbors scare off foxes. And it could just be on...
States Consider Uniting to Offer One Bar Exam
USA Today
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Nov 23, 2009 3:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
Good news for aspiring lawyers: State bar associations are considering adopting a national bar exam. The move would allow lawyers trying to find a job in a competitive market to practice in any state; consumers would be able to use one lawyer for cases that span state lines, potentially saving them money, reports USA Toda y . In addition, some hope...
Full Moon Illuminates Bears-Eagles Game
The Frisky
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Nov 23, 2009 3:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
As if losing to the Eagles wasn't enough, Devin Hester mooned the Sunday Night Football audience on national TV last night. In the fourth quarter of Philadelphia's 24-20 victory, the Bears receiver was going for a pass from Jay Cutler when Eagle Dmitri Patterson grabbed a little more than he bargained for, the Frisky reports.
Up 133, Dow Hits New '09 High
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 23, 2009 3:18 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks rallied today on news that home resales jumped 10.1% in October and comments from the president of the St. Louis Fed reaffirming the government's extended commitment to support the credit markets, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow jumped 132.79 points to close at 10,450.95, a new high for 2009. The Nasdaq added 29.97, closing...
Atlantis Crew Finishes Mission
Space.com
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Nov 23, 2009 2:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
Astronauts from the space shuttle Atlantis finished the final spacewalk of their mission at the International Space Station today, clearing the way for their return Wednesday. Astronauts Robert Satcher and Randy Bresnik installed a science experiment that will test how materials, including a new kind of Teflon, hold up to the rigors of space. The pair...
Txting Sunscreen Rmnders Werx :)
Boston Globe
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Nov 23, 2009 2:40 PM CST
(Newser) -
Just 20% of adults use sunscreen regularly, a distressing number for skin cancer specialists. But far more can receive text messages, and people who receive a daily text message instructing them to slap on the Coppertone are surprisingly likely to pay attention. More than half followed through when they received the reminders, according to a new study;...
Ethics Panel Charges Sanford With 37 Violations
State (Columbia, SC)
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Nov 23, 2009 2:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
South Carolina's ethics commission has hit Mark Sanford with 37 violations for using state funds for inappropriate travel expenses, including a trip to see his Argentine mistress. Besides the governor's South American trysts, Sanford also bought business-class tickets for state travel—South Carolina requires officials to fly cheaply—and,...
What's Next for Oprah's Sidekicks
Chicago Sun-Times
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Nov 23, 2009 2:15 PM CST
(Newser) -
Oprah’s exit from broadcast TV could have big implications for the protégés and hangers-on who owe her their careers. The Chicago Sun-Times looks at what’s next for the denizens of Planet Oprah: Gayle King: O, the Oprah Magazine should keep on trucking, so King, its editor-at-large, will have a job. But the East...
