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.
2nd Senate Vote Nudges Health Care Bill Forward
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2009 10:18 AM CST
(AP) -
Democratic leaders nudged their health care compromise a step closer to pre-Christmas passage this morning, easily clearing their second critical hurdle. The Senate voted 60-39 to shut off debate on Majority Leader Harry Reid's version of the bill, with no Republicans in favor.
Liberal 'Kill Bill' Case Is Naive, Deceptive
Washington Post
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Dec 22, 2009 10:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
Ezra Klein isn’t “sure there's much in the way of productive dialogue to be had” with liberal firebrand Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake concerning her call yesterday to kill the Senate health care reform bill, but he’ll try anyway. Hamsher’s list is “misleading,” her “facts are off,” and she “obscures...
Brits Waterboarded Irish Prisoners in '70s
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 22, 2009 10:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
The British Army used waterboarding on prisoners in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, according to lawyers for a man appealing his 1973 conviction. Liam Holden was convicted of killing a British soldier on the basis of a confession which he says was extracted by torture: Holden, who spent 17 years in jail for the crime, says he was held down, a...
Alyssa Milano Gets Jersey Shore Makeover
Jezebel
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Dec 22, 2009 9:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
Alyssa Milano has made it clear that as an Italian-American, she finds MTV's Jersey Shore reality series offensive. But that doesn't mean she can't joke about it. The actress filmed a short for Funny or Die showing her evolution from pretty girl to guidette—which "actually looks a lot more like blackface," notes Jezebel . So maybe...
Shakespeare May Have Secretly Been Catholic
Telegraph (UK)
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Dec 22, 2009 9:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
Documents discovered by an English seminary in Rome suggest William Shakespeare may have been a secret Catholic, a revelation that could potentially solve the mystery of the bard's religious leanings. The Venerable English College points to cryptic names signed in its guest book for visiting pilgrims that they say indicate that a young Shakespeare...
Volcano Threat Rises as Quakes Strengthen
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2009 9:31 AM CST
(AP) -
Almost all of the 47,000 residents living on the slopes of a rumbling volcano in the central Philippines have moved to emergency shelters, as quakes grew stronger yesterday and red hot lava flows reached three miles from the crater. Scientists raised Mayon's alert level to one step below a hazardous eruption; the only higher level is when a major eruption...
Home Sales Jump 7.4%
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2009 9:14 AM CST
(AP) -
Home resales surged to the highest level in nearly three years, reflecting an extraordinary level of federal support that has pulled the housing market back from the worst downturn since the Great Depression. The National Association of Realtors says sales rose 7.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.54 million in November, from a downwardly...
Health Care Acrimony Could Kill Climate Bill
Politico
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Dec 22, 2009 9:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
Key GOP senators are warning that the bitter health care battle could spill over into the climate change bill, delaying it or scuttling it outright. Normally clubby senators are nursing wounds and blaming Democrats for the fiercely partisan wrangling. “It makes it hard to do anything because of the way this was handled,” says Lindsey Graham,...
Porn Star Tera Patrick Not Into Sex: Ex
New York Post
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Dec 22, 2009 8:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
Sounds like someone's in the wrong business: Tera Patrick, half of the now-separated "first couple of porn," is "not a sexual person," ex Evan Seinfeld says, telling the New York Post , "We barely had sex in our own marriage." Seinfeld's comments came after Patrick suggested that Seinfeld chose working in porn over...
Rolle Looks to Cash In on Rhodes Scholar Jaunt
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 22, 2009 8:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
Myron Rolle thinks he can make up the roughly $8 million he passed up by putting off the NFL for a year to be a Rhodes scholar with endorsement deals from companies enticed by his mix of brains and brawn. Rolle’s agents are working the phones, and have already snagged a helmet company, the Wall Street Journal reports. But other advertisers...
Mom, Husband Tried to Revive Brittany Murphy
TMZ
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Dec 22, 2009 8:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
Brittany Murphy's mom and husband tried to revive the actress before paramedics arrived at her Hollywood Hills home Sunday, but she was "without signs of life" by the time they got there, TMZ reports. At least 10 types of prescription drugs—including anxiety, pain, and anti-seizure meds— were found on the actress' nightstand,...
Obama Picks New Head of Cybersecurity
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 22, 2009 8:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
Howard Schmidt, a former security official for eBay and Microsoft, will be named White House cybersecurity chief, the Wall Street Journal reports. Schmidt, who is president of a nonprofit computer security group and has worked in the past for the White House, FBI, and Air Force, was picked for his "unique background and skill sets," an...
Bret Michaels: Miley 'Nailed' Cover of 'Every Rose'
MTV
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Dec 22, 2009 8:11 AM CST
(Newser) -
Poison frontman Bret Michaels had nothing but kind words for Miley Cyrus after working with her on a cover of his band's ballad, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." Michaels said the teen pop star "nailed" the song. "She's one of the few musicians—and I want to use that word cause she can actually play and sing—she's one...
Unemployment Programs Going Bust in 40 States
Washington Post
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Dec 22, 2009 7:51 AM CST
(Newser) -
The combination of high unemployment and bad planning means that the jobless compensation programs of all but 10 states are on course to go broke by 2011. Some 25 states are already borrowing federal money to issue benefit checks. State lawmakers are coming under intense pressure to either shrink payments or hike payroll taxes to fund the programs,...
Steele Slammed for $20K Speaking Fees
Washington Times
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Dec 22, 2009 7:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
Michael Steele’s been lining his own pockets with speaking fees of up to $20,000, capitalizing on his RNC chairmanship in a way past chairmen haven’t—and those past chairmen don’t approve. “Holy mackerel, I never heard of a chairman of either party ever taking money for speeches,” Regan-era RNC chair Frank Fahrenkopf...
Pork Applied Liberally to Grease Health Care Votes
Washington Post
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Dec 22, 2009 7:36 AM CST
(Newser) -
A close look at the health bill before the Senate reveals that there was no shortage of pork-barrel spending thrown in to get the Democrats the 60 votes they needed. The "cash-for-cloture" deals include one dubbed the "Louisiana Purchase"—$100 million in Medicare cash for the state. Another one labeled the "Cornhusker...
Brittany Murphy's Hubby 'Destroyed'
Access Hollywood
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Dec 22, 2009 7:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
'My world was destroyed yesterday," Simon Monjack tells Access Hollywood of wife Brittany Murphy's Sunday death. Monjack told Access Hollywood that Sunday seemed like "a regular day." "[Her mother] went into the bathroom because she had been in there a long time," he recalled. "Her mom screamed for me and I ran. Then...
Mortgage Defaults Top 1M, Keep Rising
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 22, 2009 7:29 AM CST
(Newser) -
The number of troubled home loans continued to rise in the third quarter, despite the Obama camp's efforts to stem the tide by mortgage modification. For the first quarter ever, the number of homes in foreclosure with mortgages serviced by US banks topped the 1 million mark, the Los Angeles Times reports, as previously solid buyers fell behind....
Israel, Hamas Close to Schalit Prisoner Swap Deal
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2009 6:39 AM CST
(AP) -
A deal to swap 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for Sgt. Gilad Schalit, the 23-year-old Israeli who's been held by Hamas for 3 1/2 years, appears close after a whirlwind of negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli government. After a late-night session, Israel has reportedly replied to a Hamas offer conveyed by a German mediator, saying they would approve...
Ford Offers Buyouts to All 41K Hourly Workers
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2009 5:46 AM CST
(Newser) -
All 41,000 hourly union workers at Ford plants have been offered buyout or retirement deals as the company seeks to slash its workforce. Ford is in better shape than GM or Chrysler, but still has more workers than it needs, according to a company spokesman. The company failed to persuade union workers to accept more concessions last month.
Lie of the Year: 'Death Panels'
PolitiFact
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Dec 22, 2009 5:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
Sarah Palin's claim that health care reform would institute "death panels" to decide whether the elderly and disabled are worthy of treatment has been deemed the biggest lie of 2009 by the editors of PolitiFact . Palin appears to have coined the term in a July Facebook posting, and it swiftly spread among reform opponents, despite policy...
Mexico City Legalizes Gay Marriage
Reuters
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Dec 22, 2009 5:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
Mexico City is set to become the first Latin American capital to say "hola" to gay weddings after lawmakers there approved a bill yesterday giving gays full marriage rights, including the right to adopt. The bill is expected to be signed into law by Mayor Marcelo Ebrard. "We are putting an end to segregation and stigmatization of a sector...
Judge Mulls 'Necessity Defense' in Doc Killing
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2009 4:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
A Kansas judge will begin hearing motions today about whether or not to allow the killer of an abortion doctor to present a "neccesity defense," claiming that it was necessary to kill the physician to save fetuses. Scott Roeder, 51, has admitting gunning down Dr. George Tiller last spring at the doctor's Wichita church. The prosecution has...
Seattle: America's Most Literate City
USA Today
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Dec 22, 2009 4:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
The most literate cities tend to be safer, healthier, and have thriving singles' scenes, according to Central Connecticut State University's annual ranking of American cities. Seattle topped the list again this year, which was cross-indexed with statistics and other surveys for the first time. Washington, DC, came in second, knocking Minneapolis into...
Crime Down, Despite Recession
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2009 4:36 AM CST
(Newser) -
Despite financial misery, unemployment, and foreclosures, America's crime rate actually dropped in 2009. Preliminary FBI figures show murder and manslaughter are down 10%, January to June, while property crimes overall dropped 6%, the AP reports. Car theft is down 19%. "That's a remarkable decline, given the economic conditions," one expert...
NYers Saddest in US? Fuhgeddaboutit!
New York Times
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Dec 22, 2009 4:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
New York state came rock bottom out 50 states and DC in a recent study of happiness, prompting Clyde Haberman to ask not what's wrong with New York, but what's so great about happiness. "Might contentment be overrated?" he wonders in the New York Times . "Seriously, isn’t restlessness, even outright discontent, often a catalyst...
Russians Aim to Send Monkey to Mars
Telegraph (UK)
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Dec 22, 2009 4:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
The first Earthling to reach Mars may be a Russian monkey, according to scientists at an ex-Soviet facility. The director of an institute that supplied monkeys to the Soviet space program in the '80s says the facility is in talks with Russia's Cosmonautics Academy over supplying animals for a simulated Mars mission. A real mission could follow with...
Polanski May Still Dodge US Jail Time
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 22, 2009 4:06 AM CST
(Newser) -
The California court that rejected Roman Polanski's request to dismiss his case because of judicial misconduct yesterday outlined a way for the case to be resolved without the director being extradited to the US, the Los Angeles Times reports. The three-justice panel recommended that the director be sentenced in absentia, with allegations of prosecutorial...
'Posed' Corpse of Drug Lord Sparks Uproar
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 22, 2009 3:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
An apparently posed corpse of a shot Mexican drug lord surrounded by jewelry, blood-stained pesos and US bills has sparked complaints against security officials who critics say are adopting cartel scare tactics.The gory photograph of Arturo Beltran Leyva's body guarded by Mexican marines in Morelos was widely published. Government officials have denied...
British Priest OKs Shoplifting
Independent (UK)
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Dec 22, 2009 2:51 AM CST
(Newser) -
Shoplifting is no sin for people facing hard times, a British priest has declared to his congregation. Society's attitude toward the poor sometimes leaves them no option but to turn to crime, and shoplifting is better than "prostitution, mugging or burglary," said Father Tim Jones. He said that the poor, however, should steal from large chains,...
FBI Probes Massive Hacker Theft at Citi
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 22, 2009 2:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
The FBI is investigating a cyberattack on Citigroup that cost the bank tens of millions of dollars, according to government officials. The theft—which Citi denies ever happened—was aimed at Citigroup's Citibank subsidiary and was carried out by hackers linked to a Russian gang, officials tell the Wall Street Journal .
Video Bares Snowball-Gun Near Tragedy
BBC
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Dec 22, 2009 2:07 AM CST
(Newser) -
A video has emerged revealing how tense a standoff became between a pistol-brandishing cop and several snowballers on a DC street. The angry off-duty detective, who has been rebuked by his superiors, is seen waving his gun after his Hummer was pelted by snowballs, and taunting the crowd, "Go on, throw another snowball." People in the massive...
Health Bill Steals Xmas for Senate Staffers
Washington Post
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Dec 22, 2009 1:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
The first Christmas Eve vote scheduled in over 40 years has left the mood on Capitol Hill far from festive for senators and their hundreds of staffers. Aides and analysts hoping to spend Christmas with their families now face the prospect of being stuck in the capital on Christmas Day. Frustrated Republican staffers have started wishing each other...
Rudy Giuliani Won't Run for Senate
New York Daily News
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Dec 21, 2009 8:23 PM CST
(Newser) -
Ending months of speculation, Rudy Giuliani will announce tomorrow that he will not run for US Senate. The former New York City mayor plans to remain a presence on the national GOP scene, seizing "an opportunity to engage in targeted races across the country," says a source. He will throw his support to Long Island congressman Rick Lazio,...
Diane Sawyer Does 'Fine' in Debut
USA Today
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Dec 21, 2009 7:29 PM CST
(Newser) -
Diane Sawyer slid easily into the "ABC World News" anchor chair tonight, and really, were you expecting anything different? The second woman at the solo helm of an evening newscast "made a strong, if a bit over-animated, debut," writes Robert Bianco. She interviewed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, offered a shout-out to predecessor Charlie...
Bearing Cookies, Obama Spreads Cheer
McClatchy Newspapers
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Dec 21, 2009 6:58 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Washington Boys and Girls Club had an unexpected visitor this afternoon: President Obama. The Elf in Chief chatted with 6- to 11-year-olds, read The Polar Express, handed out cookies—some shaped like first dog Bo—and asked the kids what they want for Christmas. He seemed surprised when they said they iPods and video games, asking, "Whatever...
Brittany Murphy Autopsy: Cause of Death 'Deferred'
Associated Press
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Dec 21, 2009 6:27 PM CST
(Newser) -
Brittany Murphy's autopsy is complete, but the LA county coroner's office won't determine an official cause of death until after the completion of toxicology tests, which could take as long as 2 months. The 32-year-old actress, who died yesterday after suffering cardiac arrest, was bleeding internally before her death, a source tells the Los Angeles...
10 Ways Senate Health Reform Hurts You
Firedoglake
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Dec 21, 2009 6:03 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Senate health reform bill is all fire and brimstone for the folks over at Firedoglake . The “con job” legislation “isn’t a ‘starter home,’ it’s a sink hole,” Jane Hamsher writes, and “it needs to die so something else can take its place.” Why, you ask? Ten reasons: $$$: "Forces...
Found in Nazareth: A House Like Jesus'
AFP
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Dec 21, 2009 5:48 PM CST
(Newser) -
For the first time, archaeologists have found a house from the time of Jesus in the town of Nazareth. The small house, which consists of two rooms, a courtyard, and a cistern for water, is considered a typical home for the inhabitants of Nazareth, were Jesus is believed to have spent most of his life. The town is in what is now Israel.
Mom Calls Cops on Grand Theft Auto -Addled Teen
Boston Herald
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Dec 21, 2009 5:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Boston teen's excessive video game playing caused his mom to call 911 this weekend. Angela Mejia awoke at 2:30am to find her son still playing Grand Theft Auto IV, so she unplugged his PlayStation. "I want to help my son, but I can’t find a way," lamented the stressed-out mom. The video-addled 14-year-old argued, so she called the...
Jack Bauer Grills Santa
Rebel Christmas Card 2009
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Dec 21, 2009 4:44 PM CST
(Newser) -
The lights are low, the questioning intense, the object of the interrogation nervous. No, he doesn't have a passport. He just delivers packages, and the planning takes all year. Superspy Jack Bauer of 24 fame isn't buying it—and he winds up on the naughty list even before he calls Santa Claus a "son of a bitch." The red-hot video,...
Calif. Court Won't Dismiss Polanski Case
Reuters
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Dec 21, 2009 4:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
A California appeals court won't drop the statutory rape case against Roman Polanski on the basis of alleged judicial misconduct. A 70-page opinion issued today acknowledged the " extremely serious allegations " the fugitive director's raised about alleged misconduct by the judge who first handled the case in 1977. Polanksi remains under...
Beware These Horrific Holiday Mishaps
Telegraph (UK)
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Dec 21, 2009 3:40 PM CST
(Newser) -
Work enough Christmases in the ER, and you’ll see every manner of bizarre holiday accident—some of them more than once. One UK doctor shares with the Telegraph the injuries his hospital sees "without fail" every year: Exploding tree lights burn eyelids and eyeballs, so keep a safe distance of, oh, more than 6 inches...
Dow Up 85; Alcoa, Intel Rally
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 21, 2009 3:19 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks saw broad gains today as analysts upgraded blue chips Alcoa and Intel and big mergers were announced in the mining and health-care sectors, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow rose 85.25 points to close at 10,414.14. The Nasdaq added 25.97, ending the session at 2,237.66. The S&P 500 gained 11.58 to settle at 1,114.05. ...
Okla. Couple Fights to Give Back Adopted Son
ABC News
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Dec 21, 2009 2:59 PM CST
(Newser) -
Tony and Melissa Wescott of Oklahoma adopted their son in 2007—and now they're fighting to give him back to the state. The 11-year-old has been in a psychiatric hospital for nearly a year after killing animals, trying to burn their house down, and regularly running away. He's been diagnosed with everything from post-traumatic stress disorder...
Brittany Murphy Worried About Her Weight
New York Daily News
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Dec 21, 2009 2:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
Brittany Murphy voiced concerns about her weight in a final interview that may turn out to be sadly prophetic: "I am a bit thinner now than what I would like to be," Murphy told Fox News' Pop Tarts in early December, citing her regimen of intense ballet workouts, the New York Daily News reports. In a separate interview that day, the 32-year-old...
Mechanic Offers a Nobel Prize for an Oil Change
Dallas Morning News
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Dec 21, 2009 2:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Texas car mechanic has turned President Obama’s unlikely Nobel Peace Prize into an even unlikelier promotion, and his conservative customers are loving it. At Horizon Auto in Rockwall County, an oil change comes with a Nobel—well, a sticker with a picture of the prize. And these stirring words: “Conferred for the effort and peaceful...
Brooke Astor's Son Sentenced to 1-3 Years
Associated Press
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Dec 21, 2009 2:18 PM CST
(AP) -
The 85-year-old son of philanthropist Brooke Astor was sentenced today to one to three years in prison for exploiting his mother's mental frailty to plunder her millions. Anthony Marshall received the minimum allowed under sentencing guidelines. The judge gave him 30 days to get his affairs in order, but Marshall might be able to stay free on bail...
Sex Addiction: A Dubious Diagnosis
Salon
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Dec 21, 2009 1:57 PM CST
(Newser) -
It’s spawned a VH1 reality show, and it’s a great excuse for philanderers everywhere, but is sex addiction even real? Tracy Clark-Flory of Salon wasn’t convinced, so she consulted a variety of experts on the subject—many of whom aren't buying. One sex therapist calls it “flimsy pop psychology” that makes perfectly...
Even Obama Couldn't Have Sold the Public Option
FiveThirtyEight
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Dec 21, 2009 1:40 PM CST
(Newser) -
Russ Feingold blamed the death of the public option in part on a “lack of support” from the White House, which made passing the option “an uphill struggle.” But Nate Silver isn’t sure there’s much Obama could have done. “I think the defeat of the public option was a fairly robust outcome,” he writes on...
