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.
Napolitano: 'The System Worked'
Politico
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Dec 27, 2009 10:28 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Detroit terror incident took center stage on the Sunday talk show circuit today, with Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano coming out swinging as the GOP blamed the White House for the lapse. "The system worked," she told State of the Union, and there was "no suggestion that [the bomber] was improperly screened."...
Report: Mousavi's Nephew Dead in Iran Protests
Associated Press
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Dec 27, 2009 9:42 AM CST
(AP) -
The nephew of Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has been killed in fighting between protesters and security forces, a close aide says. Ali Mousavi died of wounds in a hospital today, says the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears of government reprisals.
States Push Back at Senate Health Bill
New York Times
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Dec 27, 2009 9:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
For states that had already expanded health coverage, no good deed goes unpunished in the Senate reform bill, which would fund expanded Medicaid in less-progressive states—but not in those where coverage is already in place, even though rolls will expand. The plan amounts to making states such as Arizona, California, New Jersey, New York, and...
US Death Toll in Afghanistan Doubles Over '08
Associated Press
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Dec 27, 2009 8:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
A bomb has killed the 310th US soldier to die in Afghanistan this year, making the total number of 2009 casualties exactly twice that of the 155 lost in 2008. And though this has been the deadliest year of the war for the US, military officials tell the AFP that those numbers will likely worsen with the troop surge. International forces have suffered...
Percy Sutton, Malcolm X Lawyer, Dies
Associated Press
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Dec 27, 2009 7:06 AM CST
(AP) -
Percy Sutton, the pioneering civil rights attorney who represented Malcolm X before launching successful careers as a political power broker and media mogul, has died at age 89. A spokeswoman for Gov. David Paterson confirmed Sutton died yesterday, but didn't know the cause. His daughter, Cheryl Sutton, declined comment. The son of a slave, Percy Sutton...
Reports: Iran Fires on Protesters, Kills 4
Associated Press
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Dec 27, 2009 6:17 AM CST
(AP) -
Iranian security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters in the capital today, killing at least four people and injuring two others in the fiercest clashes in months, opposition websites and witnesses said. Authorities had warned of a harsh crackdown should opposition supporters hold rallies coinciding with today's religious observances marking...
Top 10 Workout Songs
Men's Fitness
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Dec 27, 2009 5:09 AM CST
(Newser) -
With your annual weight-loss resolution on the horizon, Men’s Fitness aims to get you pumped up with its list of the decade’s top workout songs: Lose Yourself , Eminem: “This song won the Academy Award for Best Song solely for its ability to motivate even 75-year-old voters to shadowbox in the mirror.” Stronger...
Florida Coach Urban Meyer Will Step Down, Citing Health
Florida Times-Union
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Dec 26, 2009 6:32 PM CST
(Newser) -
Urban Meyer, who coached the University of Florida to two national championships in 5 years at the helm, will step down after the Gators take on Cincinnati in the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl. Meyer, 45, cited health concerns in announcing his resignation; he was hospitalized after suffering chest pains following Florida's loss to Alabama in the SEC title game...
New Theory on Van Gogh's Ear: Blame Brother Theo
Times (UK)
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Dec 26, 2009 4:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
An art scholar says he's figured out why Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear—the unstable genius had just learned that his brother Theo got engaged, and he worried that he would lose his brother's financial and emotional support. Martin Bailey says the clue lies in a painting van Gogh completed about a month after his self-mutilation: Still Life...
N. Korean Edict Meets Rare Resistance
Washington Post
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Dec 26, 2009 4:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
When Kim Jong Il imposed new rules this month to crack down on private markets, he encountered a rare thing from his obedient citizenry—resistance. One eastern city had a riot, and public anger forced the government to beat a rare retreat on some of the new currency restrictions, reports the Washington Post . The development "reveals...
Tighter Rules to Keep Passengers in Seats
Associated Press
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Dec 26, 2009 3:19 PM CST
(AP) -
Some airlines were telling passengers today that security regulations in the wake of yesterday's attempted bombing prohibit them from leaving their seats an hour before landing. Air Canada, for example, said new rules imposed by the Transportation Security Administration limit on-board activities by passengers and crew in US airspace. The airline said...
Suspect Charged With Trying to Blow Up Plane
CBS News
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Dec 26, 2009 2:58 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Nigerian man in custody after yesterday's failed attempt to blow up a plane has been charged with trying to bring down the airliner. Federal authorities say Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to use a highly explosive chemical known as PETN, reports CBS . He reportedly kept the substance near his groin in a plastic pouch, maybe a condom, then tried...
Iranian Forces Clash With Protesters
Associated Press
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Dec 26, 2009 2:08 PM CST
(AP) -
Iranian security forces beat protesters in central Tehran today while hardline activists disrupted a speech by the country's moderate former president, said reformist websites. Several injuries were reported in the unrest, which came a day before the Shiite Muslim mourning ceremony of Ashoura. Opposition activists have held a series of anti-government...
Up in the Air Will Edge Hurt Locker
Hollywood Reporter
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Dec 26, 2009 1:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
Jay A. Fernandez has crunched the votes from more than 20 critics' groups but finds that predicting this year's Oscar winner for best picture remains a "head-scratcher." The Hurt Locker has gotten the most votes for its tense tale of an elite group of soldiers who disarm bombs, but Fernandez thinks the Oscar calculus will result in a win...
Elite US Forces Take Bigger Role in Afghanistan
New York Times
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Dec 26, 2009 12:54 PM CST
(Newser) -
Elite US military units are taking on a larger role in the hunt for the most dangerous Taliban militants in Afghanistan. Navy Seals and the Army's Delta Force have had enough success over the past few months that their operations will be expanded next year, reports the New York Times . US commanders say the special ops forces carry out some of the...
Pelosi Will Keep Just Enough Dems in Line
FiveThirtyEight
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Dec 26, 2009 12:19 PM CST
(Newser) -
On the surface, it seems logical to assume Nancy Pelosi will have a tough time keeping enough Democrats on board for the final health care vote. After all, the House version just barely passed and now must be reconciled with a more conservative Senate bill. Proponents of reform shouldn't worry, writes Nate Silver. "If I were a conservative, I...
Nigerian Banker Reported Son to US Embassy
This Day (Nigeria)
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Dec 26, 2009 11:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
A prominent banker in Nigeria says the thwarted terrorist on the jet bound for Detroit is his son. The banker, who is meeting today with security officials, tells the Nigerian newspaper This Day that he reported his son, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, to the US Embassy 6 months ago when he grew suspicious of the 23-year-old's growing extremism. The...
Obama's an Ideologue and a Pragmatist
New York Times
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Dec 26, 2009 10:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
Depending on the day, President Obama might be derided as a Marxist radical, a corporate pawn, or pretty much anything in between, writes Ross Douthat. A year into his term, nobody can quite get a political fix on him. Why? "Because he’s an ideologue and a pragmatist all at once," says Douthat. "He’s a doctrinaire liberal...
Hero Passenger: 'My Hands Are Pretty Burned'
CNN
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Dec 26, 2009 9:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
Details are emerging today on how quick-acting passengers, one in particular, helped subdue the would-be terrorist aboard a Detroit-bound plane. One passenger identified as Jasper Schuringa tells CNN he pulled the suspect from his seat when the commotion began and dragged him to the front of the plane where he was handcuffed by a crew member. "My...
World Mourns Tsunami Victims
BBC
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Dec 26, 2009 9:10 AM CST
(Newser) -
From Indonesian mosques to Thai beaches, prayer services and commemorations were held all across the Indian Ocean region today to mark the fifth anniversary of the catastrophic tsunami that obliterated whole villages and took nearly 250,000 lives. In Sri Lanka, all cars and trucks came to a standstill as people observed two minutes of silence at the...
Dems: GOP Are Hypocrites on Health Spending
Associated Press
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Dec 26, 2009 8:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
Democrats are calling out Republican opponents of the health care reform bill as hypocrites, pointing out that 24 of them voted for the major Medicare expansion six years ago, when they controlled the Senate, the House, and the White House, that has added tens of billions of dollars to the deficit. Unlike the Democrats' bill, the 2003 Medicare drug...
Models Head to China as Foreign Looks Are Hot
Washington Post
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Dec 26, 2009 7:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
Canadian blondes, Eastern European brunettes, Swiss redheads: Hundreds of Western models are working in China these days, as China's fashion industry looks increasingly to foreigners to make their brands chic. Ad campaigns and runway shows are suddenly looking for variety and attitude that Chinese models don't project, fashion editors tell the Washington...
Catholic Hospitals Back Senate Bill on Abortion
New York Times
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Dec 26, 2009 6:37 AM CST
(Newser) -
In a break from their holdout bishops, Catholic hospitals signaled this week that they they will support the abortion-financing provision in the Senate health reform bill passed on Christmas Eve. The Senate bill allows states to bar the use of federal subsidies for insurance plans that cover abortion, and requires insurers in other states to separate...
Phoenix Girl Rescued From Abductor
Associated Press
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Dec 26, 2009 6:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Phoenix police celebrated what they called a "Christmas miracle" when a 5-year-old girl abducted by a man as she played outside her home yesterday was rescued hours later, after police chased down the suspect's pickup. Natalie Flores was located around 9 pm after a patrol officer spotted the truck of the man accused of kidnapping her. The...
Fla. Keys Family Gets White Christmas
CBS4
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Dec 26, 2009 5:11 AM CST
(Newser) -
Even as the Weather Channel delivered news of a too-white Christmas to many Americans yesterday, it was also delivering snow to a place that hasn’t seen much since the last ice age. A Florida Keys musician got 20 tons dumped on his waterfront property after winning a contest in which viewers submitted videos about why their family deserved...
US Activist 'Bringing God's Love' Heads Into N. Korea
Reuters
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Dec 25, 2009 11:46 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Korean-American activist charged from China into North Korea today, yelling that he was “bringing God’s love.” Robert Park, 28, told Reuters earlier this week that he didn’t want the US government to get him out, either. “I want the North Korean people to be free. Until the concentration camps are liberated, I do not...
Charlie Sheen Arrested After Spat With Wife
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2009 10:16 PM CST
(Newser) -
Charlie Sheen was arrested today on domestic-violence charges after a fight with his wife at their Colorado vacation rental. Sheen shoved Brooke Mueller after an argument; the two, who became parents to twin boys earlier this year, have been having “significant marital problems” recently, a source tells RadarOnline . Sheen, 44, spent most...
Detroit Should 'Connect Dots' for Obama: GOP Rep.
Detroit Free Press
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Dec 25, 2009 9:52 PM CST
(Newser) -
With reports that the explosives used in today’s attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound passenger jet originated in Yemen, a Michigan Republican says President Obama needs to get tougher on terror threats originating from the Middle East nation. Noting that the Fort Hood shooter had contact with a cleric in Yemen, Pete Hoekstra warned, “People...
Like Home Alone ? Follow Twitter Recreation
Twitter
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Dec 25, 2009 9:16 PM CST
(Newser) -
A British studio is using Twitter’s new(ish) list feature to re-create the Christmas classic Home Alone online, with each of the film’s 22 characters having a Twitter feed. So if you can’t be near a TV, or maybe just want to experience Macaulay Culkin’s star turn in a new way, follow along here .
Maryland Girl Found Dead After Massive Search
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2009 8:08 PM CST
(AP) -
The body of a Maryland girl who authorities say was abducted by a registered sex offender was found today in a wooded area near the Delaware state line after thousands of volunteers spent Christmas searching for her. Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said the body of 11-year-old Sarah H. Foxwell was discovered about 4pm. He offered few other details....
Passenger 'Heard Pop, Saw Smoke and Fire'
Detroit Free Press
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Dec 25, 2009 7:48 PM CST
(Newser) -
A passenger sitting three rows behind the 23-year-old Nigerian man who allegedly tried to detonate an explosive aboard a Detroit-bound flight heard “a pop and saw some smoke and fire.” Then, Syed Jafry tells the Free Press , “a young man behind me jumped on him.” Jafry, a US citizen returning from the United Arab Emirates,...
Yemeni Cleric Linked to Fort Hood Still Alive: Family
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2009 7:20 PM CST
(AP) -
A US-born radical cleric is alive and well following reports he may have been killed in a Yemeni airstrike against suspected al-Qaeda hideouts, friends and relatives said today. The government said Anwar al-Awlaki, a mentor to the shooter in last month's massacre at Fort Hood, Texas, was possibly among some 30 militants killed yesterday; a friend of...
Singer-Songwriter Vic Chesnutt Dies at 45
New York Times
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Dec 25, 2009 6:36 PM CST
(Newser) -
Vic Chesnutt, who blossomed as a singer-songwriter after a car wreck at 18 left him confined to a wheelchair, died today at 45 after several days in a coma following a drug overdose. His record label announced his death, but not the cause, and some reports say the overdose of muscle relaxants was a suicide attempt.
'Attempted Act of Terrorism' Triggers Higher Alert Level
MSNBC
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Dec 25, 2009 6:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
The US government has raised the terror alert level for airline flights to orange, the second-highest designation, after today’s incident involving a passenger on a Detroit-bound jet that the White House says was "an attempted act of terrorism." Earlier, a 23-year-old Nigerian claiming ties to al-Qaeda tried to ignite a powder he had...
Toyota Plans Smaller, Cheaper Hybrid
Detroit News
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Dec 25, 2009 5:16 PM CST
(Newser) -
Toyota will introduce a new hybrid next month that is smaller and more affordable than the Prius, reports the Detroit News . The hybrid-only subcompact is expected to go into production in 2011 and be in US showrooms by early 2012. Toyota, which will offer a peek Jan. 11 at the North American International Auto Show, expects it to be a big seller....
Salvation Army Major Killed in Front of His Kids
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2009 4:27 PM CST
(AP) -
Police are looking for two men who shot and killed a Salvation Army major in front of his three young children outside the organization's community center in Arkansas. The men accosted Philip Wise and his children—ages, 4, 6, and 8—on Christmas Eve. One pulled a gun, demanded money, and then shot Wise, authorities say. Wise's wife, Cindy,...
Jet Passenger Tried to Ignite Powder
CNN
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Dec 25, 2009 4:01 PM CST
(Newser) -
Authorities have taken a Nigerian man into custody after he reportedly tried to ignite a powdery substance—initially reported as firecrackers—aboard a Northwest jet that landed in Detroit from Amsterdam today. The man told federal officials he had links to al-Qaeda and wanted to blow up a plane over the US, reports ABC News , though his...
Thousands Hunt for Abducted Maryland Girl
Baltimore Sun
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Dec 25, 2009 2:54 PM CST
(Newser) -
About 3,000 volunteers showed up on Christmas morning today to search for an 11-year-old girl believed abducted from her bedroom by a sex offender. Sarah Haley Foxwell has been missing since Tuesday when her younger sister saw her leave the bedroom with their aunt's ex-boyfriend, a registered sex offender. He is under arrest and charged with kidnapping...
Nine Is Nowhere Near a 10
Slate
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Dec 25, 2009 2:13 PM CST
(Newser) -
Critics agree: Nine is no 8½ . Some enjoy a star-studded song-and-dance, but most don't like the song part, and they find the stars misused at best. Some opinions: "Step right up, pay $10, and you can see eight superstars, six of whom have won Oscars, singing songs in sparkly costumes." If that sounds good, cautions Dana Stevens...
GI's Family to Taliban: Please Release Our Son
CNN
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Dec 25, 2009 1:55 PM CST
(Newser) -
The family of an American soldier captured in Afghanistan 6 months ago "pleads with the captors to let our only son come home." Today's statement from the relatives of Pfc. Bowe Robert Bergdahl, 23, follows the release of a video in which Bergdahl speaks against the US war effort. A military spokesman said it was obviously coerced and called...
Scientists Hope to Clone Perfect Christmas Tree
Der Spiegel
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Dec 25, 2009 1:27 PM CST
(Newser) -
Scientists are busy trying to take the fun out of the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. Danish researchers are trying to crack the genome of the conifer for the first time, a development that could lead to oh-so-perfect trees and possibly even flame-retardant needles. Another group in Britain is experimenting with an enzyme used by fireflies to...
Dems Don't Care About Constitution
CQ Politics
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Dec 25, 2009 12:33 PM CST
(Newser) -
Everyone's putting out best-of lists these days, so in that spirit Bill Pascoe nominates Senate Roll Call Vote Number 392 as the "most significant vote of the decade." No, it's not the big one that passed health care reform. It came just before that, on an amendment questioning whether it's constitutional to make people buy health insurance.
It's Complicated Really a Simple Rom-Com
Salon
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Dec 25, 2009 11:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
Some critics see Nancy Meyers' latest as somewhat more reasoned and subtle than her usual fare. But It's Complicated is still a formulaic flick—with a scene-stealing turn by Alec Baldwin. A few takes: The flick " isn't nearly complicated enough, but at least Meyers has dropped something a bit more subtle than her usual anvil,"...
US Offers Unlimited Aid to Fannie, Freddie
Washington Post
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Dec 25, 2009 11:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Obama administration yesterday gave a blank check to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—just in case. The government declared it is willing to provide unlimited financial assistance to the mortgage giants over the next three years, a move designed to reassure markets that the US won't let them fail. The development comes along with a possible PR...
Tug Grounds on Same Reef as Exxon Valdez
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2009 11:19 AM CST
(AP) -
Two decades after the Exxon Valdez disaster, a tugboat working to prevent another oil spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound ran aground on the same reef, leaving a three-mile sheen of oil. The 136-foot tug Pathfinder had just finished checking for dangerous ice when it hit Bligh Reef. Alaska Sen. Mark Begich said it was troubling that a spill response...
Donkeys Bust Out of Nativity Scene
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2009 10:38 AM CST
(AP) -
A living nativity scene near the Colorado ski resort of Vail almost had to go without two key actors when two donkeys escaped. The nativity scene is an annual tradition for Eagle River Presbyterian Church. Pastor Rob Wilson says two borrowed donkeys were being held in a fenced-in pen for the event Wednesday night, but the animals had their own ideas...
Christmas Storm Slaps US
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2009 10:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
A fierce Christmas storm dumped more snow and ice across the nation's midsection today after stranding travelers as highways and airports closed and leaving many to celebrate the holiday just where they were. Meteorologists predicted the slow-moving storm would glaze highways in the East with ice through Christmas night and that gusty thunderstorms...
Things Not to Love About Christmas
Jezebel
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Dec 25, 2009 9:51 AM CST
(Newser) -
Peace on earth is all well and good, but this whole business of needing "a little Christmas" has gotten out of hand, grouses Dodai Stewart of Jezebel . She lists 10 things that are rubbing her the wrong way: Eggnog: "Disgusting." Fruitcake: "See previous item."
Downey's Holmes Fun, If Not Faithful
Entertainment Weekly
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Dec 25, 2009 9:12 AM CST
(Newser) -
Robert Downey Jr. and Guy Ritchie’s action-hero take on Sherlock Holmes will have purists scrambling for a calming pipe, but its target audience won’t be disappointed. Here’s what the critics are saying: “The whole movie, in its popcorn way, is bumptiously extravagant,” writes Owen Gleiberman of EW . It’s...
With Iran in Turmoil, Obama Can't Squander Another Year
Washington Post
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Dec 25, 2009 8:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
By not throwing his support to Iran’s struggling opposition movement, President Obama should be looking back with regret on “a year of spectacularly squandered opportunity,” Charles Krauthammer writes. Citing Obama’s “scandalous silence,” and his “relentless engagement with the murderous regime” of...
