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.
Journalist, 4 Canadian Troops Killed in Afghan Blast
Calgary Herald
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Dec 31, 2009 5:28 AM CST
(Newser) -
An award-winning Calgary Herald journalist was among five Canadians killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan yesterday. Michelle Lang, 34, was embedded with troops on a security patrol when their vehicle was hit in the Kandahar area. She had arrived in the country 2 weeks earlier on an assignment to report on Canada's NATO mission; it was the first...
US Freed Iraqi Insurgent for Brit Hostage
Times (UK)
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Dec 31, 2009 5:22 AM CST
(Newser) -
Yesterday's release of British hostage Peter Moore two years after he was kidnapped in Iraq was secured by the transfer of an Iraqi Shia insurgent leader with strong ties to Iran. Qais al-Khazali—suspected of planning an attack that killed five US soldiers—has been shifted from US to Iraqi custody and will soon be freed under a reconciliation...
'Shoplifter Priest' Hit With Bucket of Pasta
Independent (UK)
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Dec 31, 2009 4:10 AM CST
(Newser) -
A British priest who said the poor should consider shoplifting things like tinned ravioli had a bucket of pasta dumped over him by an irate parishioner. The man lay in wait for Father Tim Jones outside his church in York, northern England, and then sloshed half the messy spaghetti and ravioli over the priest's robes. Jones stopped to allow the parishioner...
Brits Move to Grab Girl's Pony for Child Support
Independent (UK)
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Dec 31, 2009 3:47 AM CST
(Newser) -
A 13-year-old girl has taken court action to protect her pony, Pringle, from being seized by British authorities to help cover child support payments the teen's dad owes to her mom. "They said that my dad had a debt and they were going to take my pony. It made me angry," said Emma Chapelhow, who lives on a farm with her father and stepmom....
Feds Threaten Bloggers Over Leaked Air Security Memo
Wired
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Dec 31, 2009 3:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
Two bloggers who posted details of new airport security directives online were visited at home by agents from the Transportation Security Administration demanding to know their sources. Armed agents vowed to obtain a criminal search warrant if travel writer Mike Frischling didn't identify his source and threatened to get him fired from his job blogging...
US Plans Bomb 'Payback' Air Strikes in Yemen
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 31, 2009 3:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
The US is planning fresh drone strikes on al-Qaeda leaders in Yemen in the wake of the attempted Detroit Christmas bombing. Officials say they are working to identify the militant leaders responsible for the "underwear bomber," and will strike any militant leaders are soon as they are located, the Guardian reports.
Mel's New Film Riles Mexican Cons, Kin
Independent (UK)
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Dec 31, 2009 2:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
Mel Gibson's latest project has infuriated the families of prisoners who may be shifted out of a Mexican prison to make way for filming. Hundreds of prisoners' relatives, fearing that transfers to other prisons will make it harder to get food to their loved ones, have been protesting outside a prison in Veracruz this week, the Independent reports....
Sign Theft Linked to Neo-Nazi Bomb Plot
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 31, 2009 2:10 AM CST
(Newser) -
The brazen theft of a concentration camp sign has been linked to a bizarre neo-Nazi plot to blow up Sweden's parliament. The wrought iron plaque reading "Arbeit Macht Frei"—work sets you free—was found hidden in woods in Poland days after it was stolen from Auschwitz. Now investigators say the thieves were hired by a Swedish neo-Nazi...
Panda Moms Worn Out By Baby Boom
Times (UK)
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Dec 31, 2009 1:45 AM CST
(Newser) -
The breeding program at China's Chengdu panda institute has produced just four pandas this year. Researchers say the panda mothers are mostly too exhausted to conceive more babies after last year's record 18 births, the Times of London reports. This year's births included twins Wen Li and Ya L, born in July. Wen Li has been this year's troublemaker...
Afghanistan '09 Twice as Deadly as Iraq for US
USA Today
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Dec 31, 2009 1:22 AM CST
(Newser) -
This has been the first year since the Iraq war began that more Americans troops were killed in Afghanistan than Iraq, and next year is expected to be even worse. Some 319 American troops have died in Afghanistan this year, compared with 148 for Iraq, USA Today reports.
Check Out the 2010 Stamps
Associated Press
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Dec 30, 2009 9:48 PM CST
(Newser) -
Nobel Prize winner Mother Teresa, Oscar-winning actress Katharine Hepburn, singing cowboy Gene Autry, artist Winslow Homer, and Pulitzer Prize winner Bill Mauldin will be honored on US postage stamps next year. Other new stamps will honor baseball's Negro Leagues, the Sunday funnies and the Hawaiian rain forest, the AP reports. Here are some of the...
Afghan Suicide Bomb Killed CIA Employees
ABC News
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Dec 30, 2009 8:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
The complex in eastern Afghanistan where a suicide bomber struck today was a CIA facility, and the eight people killed were agents and contractors, a source tells ABC . Government officials refused to give specifics about the victims because relatives were still being notified. The attack, in Khost province near the border with Pakistan, claimed the...
10 Best Movies You Didn't See
Slate
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Dec 30, 2009 8:00 PM CST
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Sick of reading “Best of 2009” movie lists that contain endless references to Inglourious Basterds and Up in the Air ? Then check out the picks Grady Hendrix made for Slate : The top 10 films of the year that you probably didn’t see.
Library of Congress Immortalizes Jackson's 'Thriller'
Variety
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Dec 30, 2009 7:35 PM CST
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Michael Jackson has scored another posthumous honor: The Library of Congress has selected his "Thriller" video to be among the 25 films added this year to the National Film Registry. It's the first music video to make the cut. Other honorees include The Muppet Movie , Dog Day Afternoon , Pillow Talk , and a 1972 effort by then-NYU student...
US Takes Majority Stake in GMAC
Associated Press
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Dec 30, 2009 6:40 PM CST
(AP) -
The government gave GMAC Financial Services another $3.8 billion in cash and took a majority stake in the auto lender, aiming to stabilize the company as it struggles with big losses in its home mortgage unit. The fresh infusion is on top of $12.5 billion in taxpayer money Detroit-based GMAC has already received from the government.
Best Tech Ideas of 2009
New York Times
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Dec 30, 2009 6:27 PM CST
(Newser) -
The year's "single best tech idea" is a simple trick that makes reading web pages a lot easier, writes David Pogue in the New York Times . Called Readability, "it's a free button for your web browser's toolbar." Click it, and it "eliminates everything from the web page you’re reading except the text and photos. No...
Army Historians Fault Early Afghan War Strategy
New York Times
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Dec 30, 2009 5:51 PM CST
(Newser) -
The US missed out on chances to stabilize Afghanistan early in the war because it devoted too few troops and too little planning to the conflict, write Army historians in an official chronicle of the conflict. "It should have become clear” in late 2003 “that the coalition presence in Afghanistan did not provide enough resources,”...
Time Warner Fox Stations May Go Dark Tomorrow
Associated Press
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Dec 30, 2009 5:24 PM CST
(Newser) -
Either News Corp. is getting a little careless with its memos, or it’s trying to ratchet up pressure for an 11th-hour deal. An internal letter from its COO to employees warns that no deal is in the offing with Time Warner ahead of tomorrow's midnight deadline regarding the Fox network. That means Fox channels in cities where Time Warner is the...
Pro-Government Protesters Threaten Mousavi
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 30, 2009 5:03 PM CST
(Newser) -
Thousands of pro-government Iranians coalesced today at rallies organized by the regime in Tehran and elsewhere, chanting “Death to America” and calling for the head of Mir-Hossein Mousavi. Meanwhile, the opposition leader laid his nephew to rest, killed over the weekend as anti-government protesters clashed with security forces. Today’s...
'00s Biggest Celeb Scandals
The Frisky
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Dec 30, 2009 4:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
You may have forgotten all about it, thanks to the neverending coverage of the Gosselin divorce or Tiger Woods’ mistresses, but there was a time—in the last 10 years—when Winona Ryder’s shoplifting was the story of the hour. The Frisky lists the top 10 celebrity scandals of the decade: R. Kelly : He was acquitted on charges...
Afghan Suicide Blast Kills 8 Americans
Associated Press
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Dec 30, 2009 4:02 PM CST
(AP) -
A suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest at a military base in eastern Afghanistan today, killing eight Americans. The explosion occurred at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost province near the Pakistan border. In Kabul, a spokesman for the international coalition force in Kabul said no US or NATO troops were killed in the blast. The victims...
We Live Vicariously Through Expert Gluttons
DoubleX
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Dec 30, 2009 3:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Food Network's Man vs. Food might look like a show about a guy eating way more than seems humanly possible, but it's much, much more, writes Greg Beato. When host Adam Richman dives into, say, a 10-pound hamburger, he's not just showing off—he's eating for the rest of us. "Richman sins to save us—or at least give us voyeuristic...
NPR's Carl Kasell Delivers Last Newscast
NPR
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Dec 30, 2009 3:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
"I'm just saying, 'I'm Carl Kasell, NPR News, Washington,’” went the veteran newsman’s last broadcast for Morning Edition on NPR today. “I'm not saying goodbye, because I'll still be around.” And that he will, continuing on as judge and scorekeeper for quiz show Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! even as...
Dow Rises 3 in Light Day
MarketWatch
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Dec 30, 2009 3:11 PM CST
(Newser) -
The markets didn't budge much one way or the other today on light trading, reports MarketWatch . Many traders already have begun closing the books on 2009, notes the Wall Street Journal . The Dow rose 3 points to close at 10,549. The Nasdaq also added 3 to finish at 2,291. The S&P 500 rose less than a point to remain at 1,126.
New Travel Trend: Porn Vacations
CNBC
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Dec 30, 2009 2:58 PM CST
(Newser) -
If Club Med is too boring for you, why not try a new vacation idea in 2010: Porn Week. The travel company offers tourists the chance to watch a porn movie being made, with the bonus opportunity of helping out behind the scenes—or, in the case of a few new porn stars who got their start at Porn Week, helping out in the scenes themselves, CNBC...
Texas Tech Fires Coach Over Abuse Allegations
Houston Chronicle
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Dec 30, 2009 2:38 PM CST
(Newser) -
Texas Tech fired football coach Mike Leach today following a player's accusation of mistreatment. The school delivered the news to Leach's attorney just before a hearing to determine whether the suspended Leach could be reinstated, reports the Houston Chronicle . “He’s not thrilled,” says his lawyer. The move comes two days after...
Too Tipsy to Drive? Check Your App
USA Today
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Dec 30, 2009 2:21 PM CST
(Newser) -
Going out tomorrow night to celebrate New Year’s Eve? Consider downloading two new iPhone apps first if you think you might overindulge. R-U-Buzzed and Last Call calculate the number of drinks you’ve had, your weight, and how long you’ve been drinking to determine how safe it is (or is not) for you to drive, USA Today reports....
Lawyers for Yemeni Detainees at Gitmo Doubt Release
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 30, 2009 2:08 PM CST
(Newser) -
Strong talk from GOP leaders and former Bush officials, and the emergence of al-Qaeda links in Yemen have lawyers for Yemeni detainees at Gitmo pessimistic about releases that seemed certain just recently. “I feel like my two clients who left in mid-December have gotten the last train out,” says an attorney who represents many Yemeni nationals,...
Obama, Clinton, Palin Top Most-Admired Lists
USA Today
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Dec 30, 2009 1:48 PM CST
(Newser) -
Despite falling approval ratings, President Obama is the most admired man among Americans polled. He’s got “a very strong fan base,” says a pollster from Gallup, which conducted the survey with USA Today . Obama’s 30% of the vote, though partisan enough, is a blowout compared to the women’s contest, where Hillary Clinton’s...
Cheney: Obama 'Won't Admit We're at War'
Politico
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Dec 30, 2009 1:37 PM CST
(Newser) -
Dick Cheney is steamed at what he perceives as President Obama’s downplaying of the Christmas air terrorism attempt. The US is “at war and when President Obama pretends we aren’t, it makes us less safe,” he tells Politico , becoming the latest Republican to take up the theme. The enemy “knows we are at war,” Cheney...
New Lebowski Tome Worthy of the Dude
New York Times
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Dec 30, 2009 1:17 PM CST
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The Coen Brothers’ 1998 cult classic The Big Lebowski has a growing body of critical literature to support it, though like the Dude, it moves at an abiding pace. Out now is The Year’s Work in Lebowski Studies , a collection of papers from the Lebowski Fest in Louisville—in 2006 . "The book is, like the Dude himself, a little...
Russia: We'll Save Earth From Asteroid
AFP
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Dec 30, 2009 1:06 PM CST
(Newser) -
A 1,150-foot asteroid on a collision course with Earth could create a France-sized desert in 2036—unless Russian scientists can avert the catastrophe. No, it’s not the plot of a science-fiction movie; the head of Russia’s space agency confirms secret talks are in the works to prevent just such a tragedy, AFP reports. NASA, however,...
Sweat Lodge Guru Sat in Shade as Victims Roasted
New York Times
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Dec 30, 2009 12:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
James Arthur Ray sat outside a sweat lodge in a shaded chair as the guru’s adherents died inside, and even discouraged onlookers from aiding those struggling with the intense heat, say newly released police documents. It would be “sacrilegious” to disassemble the structure, he told one woman who had just pulled out an unconscious...
Nine Has 7 or 8 Too Many Stars
New York
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Dec 30, 2009 12:40 PM CST
(Newser) -
In addition to its lack of critical love, Nine is “gargantuanally over-cast, the latest in a long tradition of jam-packed ensemble films”—and it’s not a good trend. The upcoming Valentine’s Day is even worse, looking to be “only slightly less crowded than a SAG buffet bruncheon,” writes Brian Raftery in...
Van Causes Bomb Scare in Times Square
NBC
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Dec 30, 2009 12:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
Times Square had a bit of a scare this afternoon, one day ahead of the big ball dropping. Police partially evacuated the NASDAQ building and another high-rise because of a suspicious abandoned vehicle. The NYPD bomb squad investigated the old van, which had no plates, tinted windows, and hadn't been moved in two days, reports NBC . Cops gave the all-clear...
US to Hand Ailing GMAC Another $3.5B
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 30, 2009 12:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
GMAC is set for another $3.5 billion from the government—this on top of more than $12.5 billion since last December. The latest infusion comes amid an overhaul as the firm grapples with mortgage-linked losses, aiming at a return to profitability in the first quarter of next year, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company is seeking to...
New Cocktail Hotshot: Sherry
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 30, 2009 12:04 PM CST
(Newser) -
After decades relegated to a spot in the cooking aisle, sherry is making a comeback. The Spanish fortified wine is becoming a trendy cocktail ingredient, especially in Los Angeles, the Times reports. The drinks can get pretty swanky—one involves gold dust; another, reportedly loved by Frank Sinatra, flamed orange oil. “You see a lot...
10 Best Cities to Get a Job
Juju.com
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Dec 30, 2009 11:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
Washington, DC is the easiest city in the country to land a job, says job-search site Juju.com, which ranked cities by comparing the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ figures on unemployed workers to the number of job postings on Juju itself. The site finds 1.87 “unemployed individuals per advertised job” in the District.
20 Mins of Exercise a Week Keeps Shrink at Bay
New York Times
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Dec 30, 2009 11:25 AM CST
(Newser) -
If the goal of your exercise program is better mental health, a new study shows that even 20 minutes a week of sports, gardening, or housecleaning may be enough to boost your mood. But if you want to improve your cardiovascular fitness, lose weight, or reduce your risk of life-threatening diseases, figuring out the best amount of exercise becomes much...
Obama Moves to Declassify US Secrets
Associated Press
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Dec 30, 2009 11:00 AM CST
(AP) -
More than 400 million pages of Cold War-era documents could be declassified as the federal government responds to President Obama's order to rethink the way it protects the nation's secrets. Among the changes Obama announced yesterday is a requirement that every record be released eventually and that federal agencies review how and why they mark documents...
Paris Hilton: 'I Sleep With a Pig'
Daily Mail (UK)
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Dec 30, 2009 10:47 AM CST
(Newser) -
Paris Hilton is sleeping with a pig again—no, not boyfriend Doug Reinhardt, an actual pig. The heiress with discerning taste is obsessed with Princess Piglette, the newest of her litter of pets. “Doug and I will be lying in bed, watching DVDs, and she’ll just lie there between us,” she says of the micro-pig in a Hello! article...
Somali Caught in Nov. With Detroit-Type Bomb
Associated Press
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Dec 30, 2009 10:27 AM CST
(AP) -
A man tried to board a commercial airliner in Mogadishu last month carrying powdered chemicals, liquid, and a syringe that could have caused an explosion in a case bearing chilling similarities to the Christmas terrorist plot, officials say. The Somali man was arrested by African Union peacekeeping troops before the Nov. 13 Daallo Airlines flight took...
British Hostage Set Free in Iraq
BBC
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Dec 30, 2009 10:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
A British hostage has been released more than two years after he was captured in Iraq, the BBC reports. IT consultant Peter Moore, kidnapped in May 2007 by militants disguised as police in Baghdad, is “absolutely delighted” after years of “misery, fear, and uncertainty,” says Britain’s foreign secretary. “I'm breaking...
Top 10 Celeb Twitter Feuds
The Frisky
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Dec 30, 2009 9:58 AM CST
(Newser) -
It’s hard to believe that until recently, we were forced to get our news of celebrity stupidity secondhand: Thanks to Twitter’s booming popularity, now it comes straight from the horse’s mouth. The Frisky selects the top 10 celebrity Twitter feuds of 2009: Ashton Kutcher vs. CNN: When Kutcher bet he could reach a million followers...
US OKs Dutch Use of Full Body Scanners
Associated Press
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Dec 30, 2009 9:34 AM CST
(AP) -
The Netherlands will immediately begin using full body scanners for flights heading to the US, according to an announcement that comes with a report today on the failed Christmas airline bombing. The US opposed their use previously because of privacy concerns, but the Dutch interior minister says that the Obama administration now agrees that "all...
Stop Sunday 'Coffee Hour,' Start Fact-Checking
Huffington Post
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Dec 30, 2009 9:25 AM CST
(Newser) -
How do we give Sunday morning shows some bite when they’d prefer to stick to the role of “amiable, risk-free coffee hour”? One media expert suggests a midweek online fact check of what was said over the weekend—but why wait ‘til Wednesday? asks Jason Linkins in the Huffington Post . Instead, Linkins suggests, have “a...
Today's GOP Would Have Impeached Gore After 9/11
Open Left
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Dec 30, 2009 9:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
The aftermath of the Detroit terror attempt has exposed some ugly truths about American politics, writes Chris Bowers. He lists several in Open Left. The GOP would have impeached Al Gore over 9/11. The "aggressive, partisan response" this failed terror attempt met shows they certainly wouldn't have been saying "United We Stand"...
Juiciest Political Sex Scandals
The Frisky
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Dec 30, 2009 9:07 AM CST
(Newser) -
From Eliot Spitzer’s $80,000 worth of prostitute action to Mark Sanford “hiking the Appalachian trail,” this decade has been ripe with political sex scandals. The Frisky picks the juiciest. Some of the slightly-lesser-discussed affairs: Mike Duvall: A self-described “family values warrior” in the California State...
Thieving Employees Do Brisk Business in Gift Cards
New York Times
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Dec 30, 2009 8:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
Employee fraud, which accounts for a large and growing chunk of the total $36 billion a year the retail industry loses to theft, is increasingly taking the form of gift cards: easy to walk out of a store with, and easy to redeem without showing ID. With overall employee theft on the rise, "gift card fraud is spiking," the New York Times...
Tyra Banks a 'Brutal' Boss
New York Daily News
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Dec 30, 2009 8:20 AM CST
(Newser) -
The death knell has barely finished tolling for The Tyra Banks Show , and her former employees are already dishing on her diva-like behavior as a boss. “She and the higher-ups on the production staff could be extremely brutal,” one source tells the New York Daily News , adding that it was “pretty difficult to work for Tyra”—so...
