Newser Story Index from December, 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.
US Olympic Snowboard Contender Seriously Hurt
New York Times
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Dec 31, 2009 6:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
One of the top US snowboarders was seriously injured today when he struck his head performing a risky maneuver in training. Kevin Pearce, a 22-year-old Vermont resident, will undergo a procedure in Utah to relieve pressure on his brain after he hit his head on the half pipe. Pearce, a favorite to make the Olympic team, had been training for a qualifying...
Montana Court OKs Assisted Suicide
Bloomberg
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Dec 31, 2009 5:51 PM CST
(Newser) -
Montana's highest court today cleared the way for doctors to help their terminally ill patients commit suicide. Physicians who do so can't be prosecuted, says the ruling, which makes Montana the third state to legalize the practice after Oregon and Washington, notes Bloomberg . “We find nothing in Montana Supreme Court precedent or Montana statutes...
CIA Base Chief Among 7 Killed in Afghan Blast
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 31, 2009 5:18 PM CST
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Among the seven CIA employees and contractors killed in yesterday's suicide bombing in Afghanistan was the agency's chief officer at the post. One former intelligence official called the attack "devastating" to the CIA's operations in the country. "There was some tremendous talent lost," the official tells the Wall Street Journal...
Suspect May Have Used Yemen School as Ruse
New York Times
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Dec 31, 2009 4:46 PM CST
(Newser) -
The director of the Arabic school that arranged for alleged Christmas bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to enter Yemen legally has a creeping suspicion that the Nigerian attended only so that he could liaise with al-Qaeda in the country. By the time Abdulmutallab arrived in August, with the stated goal of improving his Arabic, he was already fluent....
Shaq Buys LeBron $400K Rolls for Birthday
Cleveland Leader
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Dec 31, 2009 4:28 PM CST
(Newser) -
It must be nice to be LeBron James. The Cavaliers star turned a vital 25 years old and showed off his youthful vigor by scoring 48 points to beat the Atlanta Hawks yesterday. Then, as is the case with so many 25-year-olds, his friend and teammate Shaquille O’Neal gave him a Rolls Royce Phantom that retails at about $400,000, reports the Cleveland...
Judge Dismisses Charges in Blackwater Shooting
CNN
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Dec 31, 2009 4:04 PM CST
(Newser) -
A federal judge today dismissed charges against five Blackwater guards accused of manslaughter in a Baghdad shooting that left at least 14 people dead. The judge criticized how the Justice Department handled the high-profile case from 2007, saying that prosecutors violated the guards' rights by coercing testimony "under a threat of job loss,"...
Court: iPod Can't Be Faulted for Hearing Loss
ComputerWorld
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Dec 31, 2009 3:37 PM CST
(Newser) -
Apple has won an appeals court decision in a case in which plaintiffs argued that the iPod endangered people's hearing. The court found no merit to the argument, ComputerWorld reports. Critics of the iPod didn't make the case that anyone's hearing had been damaged, only that the iPod's ability to crank music loudly right into people's ears posed...
Dow Drops 120 to End '09
MarketWatch
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Dec 31, 2009 3:10 PM CST
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The markets finished the year on a bearish note, reports MarketWatch . Because jobless claims fell, investors are worried that the Fed will consider it a sign of a strengthening economy and raise interest rates in the new year. Despite the final-day fall, the Dow posted its biggest yearly gain since 2003, a rise of about 19%. The Dow dropped 120...
Animal Collective's Rise Is Well Deserved
Slate
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Dec 31, 2009 2:54 PM CST
(Newser) -
The rise of Animal Collective in 2009 is often attributed to concessions to accessibility, Jonah Weiner writes. “Going by the blurbs alone, you might assume that, in a few years, Animal Collective will complete its career-long metamorphosis into ABBA.” But that’s just not the case. The quirky indie band mixes pop and avant-garde in...
Are College Coaches Spinning Out of Control?
Time
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Dec 31, 2009 2:28 PM CST
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College football’s bowl season has been overshadowed by a rash of player abuse allegations that paint a disturbing portrait of big-time coaches. First there was Mark Mangino, who threatened to send a player home to “get shot with your homies,” then Jim Leavitt, who was accused of striking a player, and finally Mike Leach, who was...
Tech Losers of the '00s
TechCrunch
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Dec 31, 2009 2:13 PM CST
(Newser) -
It’s been an amazing decade for technology, but not everyone came out ahead. CrunchGear considers the big losers of the '00s, starting with the biggest: Brick and mortar retailers. Once consumers learned to trust online merchants, lots of stores—we’re looking at you Circuit City and CompUSA—went the way of the dodo, driven...
Rick Warren Asks Followers for $900K, Pronto
ABC News
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Dec 31, 2009 1:57 PM CST
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Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church has hit a major fundraising speedbump and has asked members to help out with almost $1 million by tomorrow. Warren described the situation yesterday in an “urgent letter unlike any I've written in 30 years.” Last weekend, “our total offerings were less than half of what we normally receive—leaving...
Dick Cheney's a Liar
Washington Post
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Dec 31, 2009 1:51 PM CST
(Newser) -
It’s not even 2010, and Eugene Robinson is already breaking his resolution to ignore Dick Cheney, to treat his ramblings like “the pearls of wisdom one hears from homeless people sitting in bus shelters.” But his latest outburst against President Obama was so shrill, so full of lies, that he couldn’t let it go, he writes in...
Baby-Sitters Club Is Back
New York Times
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Dec 31, 2009 1:45 PM CST
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The latest pop culture franchise to get a reboot doesn’t involve Transformers, GI Joe, or superheroes: Just a bunch of pre-teen baby-sitters. Yes, the Baby-Sitters Club is making a comeback, complete with reissues of the first two volumes and an all-new prequel that explores the once-popular characters’ lives during the summer before...
Not Stressed Enough? Potty Train Your Cat
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 31, 2009 1:34 PM CST
(Newser) -
Anne Marie Chaker has joined a small but growing number of cat owners intent on using specialized equipment to complete an almost Sisyphean task: potty training their feline friends. Products on the market are selling much better this year than in the past, and they all work pretty much the same, by gradually—this can take years—convincing...
Politics' Silliest Moments of '09
Politico
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Dec 31, 2009 1:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
Politics isn’t always a deadly serious game of statesmanship. Sometimes it’s goofy. Politico recalls the most bizarre moments of 2009: Barack Obama sworn in—twice: Obama joked that they’d done it because “we decided it was so much fun.” Sarah Palin resigns: Even her aides were surprised, and a meandering...
Van Morrison Not Father of Love Child
RTE (Ireland)
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Dec 31, 2009 1:12 PM CST
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Contrary to the tale spun by hackers who posted it on his official website, Van Morrison is not the father of a baby boy with “American manager” “Gigi Lee” who is the “spitting image of his daddy.” That is “utterly without foundation,” the Irish crooner tells RTÉ News after the story was reported...
Charities Hope for Last-Minute Donation Surge
Washington Post
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Dec 31, 2009 1:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
Charities and nonprofits are hoping for a whirlwind of last-minute donations to make up for a dismal year that saw donations fall while the need for services rose. “This is basically the most critical giving season since the Great Depression,” a representative for the Center for Nonprofit Advancement tells the Washington Post . “This...
NH Gay Couples to Ring In 2010 With Weddings
Associated Press
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Dec 31, 2009 12:58 PM CST
(AP) -
Jeffry Burr and Neil Blair are just hours from their wedding, but there are no typical prenuptial jitters. After all, this is the third time they've exchanged vows. First they had their emotional—but legally meaningless—2006 commitment ceremony, then a civil commitment ceremony in 2008. Now, thanks to a new law, they'll be officially married,...
What You'll Get at Your $650 Dinner Tonight
Salon
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Dec 31, 2009 12:41 PM CST
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Despite the still-grim economy and a recent British survey finding 80% of people plan to spend New Year’s Eve at home…one New York restaurant is still charging $650 for tonight’s prix fixe menu. Salon takes a look at what going extravagant might get you tonight: Aureole, New York : For $650, a five-course meal including big-eye...
Sydney Starts Off 2010 With a Bang
Times (UK)
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Dec 31, 2009 12:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
Sydney welcomed 2010 a little early this year, with a 9pm fireworks display over the harbor for the family crowd. That hour in Australia happens to fall at midnight in Auckland, New Zealand, which usually lays claim to the first big celebration of the New Year, but appears to have been eclipsed by what many consider the best display in the world. Sydney...
Resolutions for Obama and Co.
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 31, 2009 12:13 PM CST
(Newser) -
With the New Year mere hours away, Karl Rove offers up some 2010 resolutions for the White House in the Wall Street Journal . They go a little something like this: Barack Obama should worry less about making everyone think he agrees with them, and more about meaning what he says. “He didn’t last year with all those health care deadlines...
The Pros, Cons of Losing Fox
Gawker
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Dec 31, 2009 11:54 AM CST
(Newser) -
Brian Moylan isn’t sure how to feel about the possibility of Fox channels going dark after tonight's midnight deadline with Time Warner: No more mocking of American Idol is a bummer, but life with no more nip/tuck ? That’s a bonus for him. He lists the other pros and cons, on Gawker : Pro: No more Family Guy . Con: No more Glee...
Systematically, Iran Shuts Down 'Star Students'
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 31, 2009 11:41 AM CST
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Since last Sunday’s protest, Iran has arrested dozens on its “star students” list, in Tehran's latest effort to clamp down on youthful dissent. Iranian intelligence keeps a list of thousands of grad students it deems potentially dangerous, the Wall Street Journal explains. Students, who often find out about their status when they...
Shut It, Cheney: White House
White House
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Dec 31, 2009 11:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
Dick Cheney’s “bellicose rhetoric” and “clearly untrue” claims following the Christmas terror attempt aren't sitting well at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, and the new administration isn't shy about telling the ex-veep off. Echoing the sentiment—and the words, even—of a “senior Democrat” yesterday in Politico...
Your Won't Keep Those Resolutions: Try These Instead
Gawker
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Dec 31, 2009 11:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Gawker knows you can’t keep those virtuous New Year’s resolutions, so it’s come up with some substitutions. They won’t make you “a better person,” but are at least achievable. Herewith, from Brian Boylan: Lose weight: That's too hard; "we live in a fat world." Instead, bulk up, "get on The Biggest...
Kate Gosselin Reality Dating Show in Works
AOL Music
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Dec 31, 2009 10:59 AM CST
(Newser) -
Jon minus Kate, plus eight, means she needs a date. And apparently that’s exactly what Kate Gosselin is hoping to find next year—while the cameras roll. A TV executive tells PopEater that Gosselin is in talks to star in a 2010 reality dating show. “Love her or hate her, people are fascinated by Kate,” the exec says. “She...
Levi Deserves Joint Custody
Slate
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Dec 31, 2009 10:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
Levi Johnston’s Playgirl spread and constant media presence may not make him the best role model in the world—but that’s no reason to deny him custody of his son. “What has Levi done that warrants sole custody for Bristol at this early moment in a child's life? Nothing is the likely answer,” writes Emily Bazelon in...
8 People Bound to Blow Up in 2010
AOL Music
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Dec 31, 2009 10:49 AM CST
(Newser) -
Remember Girl, Interrupted —when Winona Ryder was the big name and you had barely heard of Angelina Jolie? Just think of all the potential Angelinas out there, just waiting for your love and admiration. PopEater predicts eight up-and-comers who will become household names in 2010: Anna Kendrick : With award nominations galore for Up in...
LiLo Expands Fashion Line
Women's Wear Daily
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Dec 31, 2009 10:33 AM CST
(Newser) -
Lindsay Lohan may not be doing much acting nowadays, but her fashion universe continues to expand. Her once leggings-only label, 6126, is set to launch a full apparel line in fall 2010, Women’s Wear Daily reports. In typical Lilo fashion, she tweeted the news: “i need MORE followers i am so sad about this, how can I tell everyone about...
Why Inglourious Basterds Will Win Best Picture
Associated Press
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Dec 31, 2009 10:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
Though everyone is buzzing about Avatar ’s best-picture prospects, Tom O'Neil was an early predictor of Inglourious Basterds snagging the top Oscar prize—and now he’s defending his position. Even though it came out eons ago (in August), the disappointing performance of many much-hyped late-year films leaves Basterds in a position...
AT&T Dumps Tiger Woods
Associated Press
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Dec 31, 2009 9:46 AM CST
(AP) -
AT&T is the latest sponsor to ditch former one-man cash register Tiger Woods, joining Gillette and Accenture in backing away from the golfer amid swirling allegations of infidelity. The telecom had previously graced Woods' golf bag, and co-sponsored a tournament in July with Woods as host. AT&T had no comment on how much the endorsement deal...
Actually, Dane Cook Is Funny
Boston Phoenix
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Dec 31, 2009 9:41 AM CST
(Newser) -
He knows he's branding himself unhip, but Steve Macone isn't backing down on the subject of Dane Cook: "Yes, he is probably more popular than he should be. Yes, there are other comedians equally deserving of fame." But "at this juncture, it's wrong to say, 'Dane Cook is not funny,'" he writes. "Because he is." And Macone...
Judge Sides With Circus in Elephant Cruelty Case
Washington Post
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Dec 31, 2009 9:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
A judge threw out an elephant abuse lawsuit against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, saying the plaintiff, former Ringling employee Tom Rider, hadn’t demonstrated a close enough attachment to the animals. Rider and the Animal Protection Institute had argued that circus practices like using bull hooks on elephants or chaining them for prolonged...
8 Celebs Who Should Quit Twitter
AOL Music
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Dec 31, 2009 8:58 AM CST
(Newser) -
Thanks to Twitter, you can now spend your day following Paris Hilton’s every move—or, more importantly, reading each and every one of Spencer Pratt’s shout-outs to himself. PopEater names eight celebs who should really step away from the Twitter: Al Roker : Didn’t expect to see him on this list, did you? But the weather...
Finnish Mall Shooter Believed Dead
Associated Press
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Dec 31, 2009 8:41 AM CST
(Newser) -
The gunman who shot four shoppers at a Finnish mall today has been identified as Ibrahim Shkupolli, and two more bodies—believed to be that of Shkupolli and his ex-girlfriend—have been found. Police say Shkupolli, a 43-year-old immigrant, killed his ex in a nearby apartment before going to the mall in Espoo, Finland’s second largest...
Good Riddance to a Squandered Decade
Washington Post
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Dec 31, 2009 8:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
The 2000s will join the ranks of decades like the '30s, '60s, and '80s, periods that "shape the country's political life for generations by leaving behind an era to embrace or, at least as often, to scorn," EJ Dionne writes in the Washington Post . As for this "reckless and squandered" decade, it will leave its mark as the time...
Meet Rosie O'Donnell's New Girlfriend
Gawker
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Dec 31, 2009 8:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
Rosie O’Donnell, who recently bemoaned the loneliness of single life after splitting with Kelli Carpenter, is back in the dating game. The talk show host met new galpal Tracy Kachtick-Anders via her own website, where Kachtick-Anders linked to an article about herself and asked O’Donnell to trade art, Gawker discovered. The pair was...
Stocks Close In on Big 2009 Gains
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 31, 2009 8:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks have rebounded mightily since the dark days of March, though analysts warn the dazzling recovery could make for a lackluster 2010, or even auger a double-dip recession or '30s-style yo-yoing markets. The good news first: Barring a disastrous close today, the Dow will be up around 61% since March lows, and 20% for the year, the best showing since...
Al-Awlaki Linked to Attempted Plane Bombing
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 31, 2009 7:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
US officials believe that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man accused of attempting to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253, was in contact with radical US-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. If that name or face looks familiar, it’s because Awlaki has also been linked to the man charged in the Fort Hood shootings, along with multiple other...
At Fort Hood, a Community Troubled by Missed Clues
Washington Post
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Dec 31, 2009 7:33 AM CST
(Newser) -
In retrospect, there were plenty of hints: On the morning of Nov. 5, Nidal Hasan gave away his groceries to one neighbor; left a phone message for another, saying, "Nice knowing you, friend"; and told another that Muslims will "do anything to be closer to God." He told a stranger at a 7-11, "There's going to be big action on...
Rush Limbaugh 'Comfortable' in Hawaii Hospital
ABC News
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Dec 31, 2009 7:26 AM CST
(Newser) -
Rush Limbaugh is recovering well after paramedics rushed him to a Honolulu hospital with chest pains yesterday afternoon. Rush was originally described as in serious condition, but now appears to be out of the woods and "resting comfortably," ABC News reports. A spokesman says it's not clear if he'll be able to return to the air on Jan....
Todd Palin's Banned Bloggers List Uncovered
Talking Points Memo
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Dec 31, 2009 7:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
The banned bloggers list Todd Palin instituted for his wife’s book signing in Wasilla last week has made its way online, revealing the identity of the fourth banned journalist, among other things. The two-page memo for the event, uncovered by Talking Points Memo , contains a section unambiguously titled, “ DENIED ACCESS LIST PER TODD PALIN....
Sheen's Wife Moves to Dump Restraining Order
TMZ
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Dec 31, 2009 7:04 AM CST
(Newser) -
Less than a week after their Christmas fight allegedly got violent, Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller are one step closer to reuniting. Lawyers for both Sheen and Mueller asked the judge to dismiss the order barring contact, TMZ reports. Mueller’s lawyer went so far as to tell Us , “They’re very much in love, and they want to...
Obama Gets First Report on Detroit Terror Attempt
Associated Press
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Dec 31, 2009 6:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
As a first step in his effort to overhaul intelligence practices, President Obama will today receive a preliminary report on how exactly the Detroit bombing suspect managed to board a US-bound plane, along with recommendations on how to prevent a sequel. The reams of intelligence data that were combed through for the report include conversations between...
Danger Lurks in Ammonia-Treated School Lunch Beef
New York Times
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Dec 31, 2009 6:45 AM CST
(Newser) -
Most school lunches and fast-food burgers contain processed beef, a product considered so safe from contamination that the USDA exempted it from meat testing—but that has in fact been found to include E. coli and salmonella, according to a lengthy expose in the New York Times . The product, made from low-quality fatty trimmings, is injected...
Experts Buzzing Over 'New' Da Vinci in Boston
Washington Post
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Dec 31, 2009 6:18 AM CST
(Newser) -
A last-minute contender for art find of the decade may have turned up in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, but officials are remaining tight-lipped about the possibly stupendous discovery. Rumors are spreading that the museum has a previously unknown Leonardo da Vinci painting in its possession. Fewer than 20 da Vinci paintings—including the Mona...
US Warns of Bali Terror Attack Tonight
Associated Press
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Dec 31, 2009 5:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
Terrorists may be planning a New Year's Eve attack on the Indonesian island of Bali, Indonesian and US Embassy officials warned today. In an Embassy email to US citizens, the island's governor said, "There is an indication of an attack to Bali tonight." Tourism authorities in the popular resort destination distributed the warning widely,...
Washington Times Slashes Staff
Washington Post
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Dec 31, 2009 5:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Washington Times has slashed half of its 170 newsroom staff ahead of Monday's relaunch of its print edition. The sports and metro sections will cease to exist as separate sections and nearly all staff members of those sections have been laid off, sources tell the Washington Post . Managing editor David Jones is among several high-ranking...
Nigerians Join Dutch in Using Full-Body Scans
CNN
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Dec 31, 2009 5:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
Nigeria has joined the Netherlands in announcing plans to introduce full-body scans for air travelers. Officials plan to install the high-tech machines at the country's four major airports beginning next month. Detroit suspect Umar Faroul Abdulmutallab began his journey in Lagos, and experts say full-body scanning would have detected his "underwear...
