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Newser Story Index from February, 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.

No Escaping Chores for First Daughters
New York Times | Feb 22, 2009 8:33 AM CST
(Newser) - For the Obamas, raising their daughters without “an attitude” is a priority—but it’s a tough job when the family has its own movie theater, full-time chefs, and trail of paparazzi, the New York Times notes. The key is a firm hand giving the kids as normal a life as possible, according to Michelle Obama. “Don’t...
Toll Hits 74 in China Mine Explosion
CNN | Feb 22, 2009 8:04 AM CST
(Newser) - The death toll from a Chinese mine explosion early this morning has hit 74, with 114 hospitalized, CNN reports. Six are in critical condition, while 65 miners remained trapped with rescue efforts underway, Xinhua notes. When the blast occurred, miners felt choked, said one from his hospital bed. They weren't told to evacuate for more than an hour after...
Aussies Mourn Fire Victims
CNN | Feb 22, 2009 7:45 AM CST
(Newser) - As bells tolled, mourners throughout Australia prayed at services today for the 209 people killed in wildfires and those still missing, CNN reports. “House is gone, friends are gone. This is total destruction,” said one resident. Rescue teams continue to search through the devastation as firefighters still battled blazes in some areas and...
Prepaid Cell Phones Are New Frugal Chic
New York Times | Feb 22, 2009 7:18 AM CST
(Newser) - More customers are turning to Tony Soprano-style, pay-as-you-go cell phones, and not just to avoid wiretaps. As the recession forces consumers to cut costs, all-inclusive prepaid plans are the new frugal option, reports the New York Times. "In today’s economy, it’s not cool to pay $120 a month for a phone. It’s a waste of money,"...
Boy Charged With Killing Father's Pregnant Lover
New York Daily News | Feb 22, 2009 6:55 AM CST
(Newser) - An 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy has been charged with using his shotgun to shoot dead his father's girlfriend, who was eight month pregnant, reports the New York Daily News . The boy shot the 26-year-old woman in the head as she lay in bed in the family's farmhouse, then cooly climbed on the school bus to attend classes, according to cops. The dead...
NAACP Demands Firing of Post Cartoonist
CNN | Feb 22, 2009 6:30 AM CST
(Newser) - NAACP leaders demanded the firing of the artist and editor responsible for the New York P ost 's controversial cartoon, reports CNN. Black leaders say the image draws on historically racist imagery by comparing President Obama to a chimpanzee. The NAACP has threatened boycotts of the Post and other News Corp. affiliates if its demands are not met,...
The Most Undeserved Oscars
San Francisco Chronicle | Feb 22, 2009 6:07 AM CST
(Newser) - Oscars go to undeserving flicks so often that the San Francisco Chronicle has a prize for them: the Titanic Award. Pop culture critic Peter Hartlaub targets some of the most egregious offenders: Best Picture: Titanic . The award’s namesake, which somehow beat LA Confidential , needs no explanation. Best Actor: Al Pacino, Scent...
'Western Aid, Celebs Are Hurting Africa'
New York Times | Feb 22, 2009 5:39 AM CST
(Newser) - Dependence on celebrities as spokesmen and Western aid are bad for Africa, argues Deborah Solomon's latest interview subject, Dambisa Moyo . The Ivy-educated former investment banker argues in her new book that the culture of aid for Africa discourages entrepreneurship. "You also disenfranchise African citizens, because the government is beholden...
Time to Clean Up Space Trash
Economist | Feb 22, 2009 5:16 AM CST
(Newser) - Space trash is becoming a serious problem, and it's long past time for housekeeping, writes the Economist . Of the 18,000 objects orbiting earth that are bigger than 4 inches across, only 900 are functioning satellites. The rest is debris, from old rocket parts and dead satellites to tools and gloves dropped by astronauts, and it poses a mounting...
Feds Grill Burris in Blago Probe
Chicago Tribune | Feb 22, 2009 4:49 AM CST
(Newser) - Federal authorities interviewed Illinois Sen. Roland Burris yesterday as part of the investigation into whether former Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to sell President Obama's Senate seat, reports the Chicago Tribune . Burris is not a specific target in the Blago case, sources said, but he is being investigated for perjury by the state and the Senate...
Obama Plans to Slash Deficit by 2013
Wall Street Journal | Feb 21, 2009 10:33 PM CST
(Newser) - Having proved he can get the government to pony up $787 billion to stimulate the economy, President Obama will now attempt to highlight his frugal side. Obama will unveil a budget Thursday that aims to cut the deficit—which could climb to $1.9 trillion in 2009—to $533 million by the end of his first term, the Wall Street Journal reports....
Police Ready Arrest Warrant in Chandra Levy Case
Associated Press | Feb 21, 2009 9:53 PM CST
(AP) - Investigators in the 2001 slaying of Chandra Levy have prepared an arrest warrant for a Salvadoran immigrant convicted of similar attacks in the park where the former intern disappeared, a source close to the investigation said. An arrest is thought to be imminent. A second source said the break in the case came in part from DNA evidence.
Kennedy: 'I Don't Plan to Go Away Soon'
New York Times | Feb 21, 2009 9:25 PM CST
(Newser) - Ted Kennedy appreciates the sentiment, really. But this recent wave of eulogies might be a tad premature, he tells the New York Times . "Obviously I've been touched and grateful," he says in a phone interview. "Beyond that, I don’t really plan to go away soon." Friends say he remains an active behind-the-scenes player on...
Google Denies It's Atlantis
vnunet | Feb 21, 2009 8:19 PM CST
(Newser) - Google has rebuffed a claim that Google Earth 5.0 helped uncover the lost city of Atlantis, vnunet reports. The undersea lines spotted by an engineer are not streets, a Google spokesperson said, but traces of boats gathering data with sonar technology. Google Earth has aided in other "amazing discoveries," however, including an ancient villa...
44 Dead, 21 Trapped in China Mine Blast
Associated Press | Feb 21, 2009 8:03 PM CST
(AP) - At least 44 miners were killed and 21 remained trapped underground after a gas blast ripped through a coal mine in northern China. The official Xinhua News Agency said the pre-dawn blast occurred while 436 workers were in the Tunlan Coal Mine in Gujiao city near Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province.
20-Newspaper Chain Files for Bankruptcy
Wall Street Journal | Feb 21, 2009 7:28 PM CST
(Newser) - The owner of the New Haven Register and a cluster of other newspapers filed for bankruptcy protection today, the third publisher to recently go under, the Wall Street Journal reports. Known for its tight-fisted spending, Journal Register took on debt by boldly paying $400 million for a Michigan newspaper chain 5 years ago. Unable to make interest...
120K Protest 'Economic Treason' in Dublin
Irish Times | Feb 21, 2009 6:53 PM CST
(Newser) - As many as 120,000 marched through Dublin today, enraged over a government plan to repair the economy by freezing worker pay and taxing pensions, the Irish Times reports. Calling the strategy "economic treason" in a speech to the crowd, union leader David Begg blamed "a business elite" for the nation's economic woes. "Clean...
Darwin Skeptics Separate Mind From Gray Matter
NPR | Feb 21, 2009 6:24 PM CST
(Newser) - To undermine Darwinian theories about the emergence of life, skeptics have a new weapon in mind: the brain, NPR reports. They’re challenging the notion that a cluster of cells could produce such high-level mental processes as consciousness and free will. “It doesn’t hang together,” says one neurosurgeon, who argues that an intelligent...
6 Books Top Odd Title List
Telegraph (UK) | Feb 21, 2009 6:01 PM CST
(Newser) - Every year since 1978, Britain's Bookseller magazine has awarded the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year, the Telegraph reports. The mag's six-title shortlist just came out: Baboon Metaphysics Curbside Consultation of the Colon
Christian Films Tempt $$$-Hungry Hollywood
NPR | Feb 21, 2009 5:34 PM CST
(Newser) - Lurking behind the mainstream film industry is a low-budget, high-return business poised to break through: the world of Christian filmmaking, NPR reports. Fireproof , a tale of marital woes and redemption, was the highest-grossing independent feature of 2008—a fact trumpeted at a Christian film festival in San Antonio last month. “Christian...
Bashir Is Deceitful Propaganda
Haaretz (Israel) | Feb 21, 2009 5:09 PM CST
(Newser) - Waltz With Bashir is a beautifully made movie, and Gideon Levy will be rooting for writer/director Ari Folman to win the first Israeli Oscar tomorrow night, along with the rest of the country. “However, it must also be noted that the film is infuriating, disturbing outrageous, and deceptive,” he writes in Haaretz . “This is not...
Cash-Poor? Hit the Blood Bank—and Get Career Advice
ABC News | Feb 21, 2009 4:45 PM CST
(Newser) - Blood and other bodily fluids are hot sellers these days as donors line up to pocket quick cash in a plunging economy, ABC News reports. Seeing an increase in traffic, blood banks are campaigning to boost it higher, one at Stanford University even offering resumé and job interview advice to donors. “It was definitely like: Give blood,...
Javier to Skip Oscars Over Girlfriend Cruz
OK! | Feb 21, 2009 4:22 PM CST
(Newser) - Javier Bardem will be a no-show at the Oscars to avoid an awkward run-in with girlfriend Penelope Cruz, OK! reports. Tradition dictates that Bardem, last year’s Best Supporting Actor, should present this year’s Best Supporting Actress award, possibly to nominee Cruz, his Vicky Cristina Barcelona co-star. But Bardem “doesn’t...
Abu Ghraib Reopens With Hair Salon, Playground
Telegraph (UK) | Feb 21, 2009 4:02 PM CST
(Newser) - It became synonymous with torture, first under Saddam Hussein and then under American rule, but now Abu Ghraib has a new name and world-class facilities, the Telegraph reports. Baghdad Central Prison opened yesterday with a gym, hair salon, modern medical and dental facilities, and a playground for inmates’ children. Currently home to hundreds,...
Hey Big Spender, Flaunt Your Scrimping
Los Angeles Times | Feb 21, 2009 3:42 PM CST
(Newser) - Recessions would be great for the rich—whose wealth insulates them from mercurial fluctuations in the economy—if it weren’t for the guilt they feel over rising poverty. But Chris Ayres has a solution for the loaded that may also revive the economy: “Flaunt your parsimony,” he advises in the Los Angeles Times , because...
Crisis Cripples Obama Vows on Taxes, Trade
Wall Street Journal | Feb 21, 2009 3:18 PM CST
(Newser) - Some of President Obama’s best campaign applause lines will likely be silenced by economic reality, the Wall Street Journal reports. With the recession raging, Obama probably won't roll back the Bush tax cuts as promised, and his pledge to eliminate tax loopholes for corporations that shift jobs overseas is meeting a wall of opposition. On...
Jackson in Talks for Live Shows
New York Daily News | Feb 21, 2009 2:56 PM CST
(Newser) - Michael Jackson is staging a concert comeback, the New York Daily News reports. The pop star is in talks to headline up to 30 live shows in London or Las Vegas this year. “It will be the greatest comeback in the history of pop,” one source says. The gig could earn him $215 million, and he could use the money.
Cops Collar Man for Killing Curry's Ex, Daughter
Chicago Tribune | Feb 21, 2009 2:38 PM CST
(Newser) - Police have arrested a suspect in the killings of former Chicago Bulls player Eddy Curry’s ex-girlfriend Nova Henry and their baby daughter Ava. Chicago authorities aren’t yet identifying the man, but Nova’s mother tells Chicago Breaking News that it’s one of Nova’s ex-boyfriends. “I always had a feeling it was him,”...
Vatican to Canonize Priest Who Aided Lepers
Associated Press | Feb 21, 2009 2:16 PM CST
(AP) - A 19th-century Belgian priest who ministered to leprosy patients in Hawaii will be declared a saint October 11, the AP reports. In July, Pope Benedict XVI approved a miracle attributed to Rev. Damien de Veuster's intercession, declaring that a Honolulu woman's recovery in 1999 from terminal lung cancer was the miracle needed for him to be made...
iPhone Users Love Apps—Then Forget Them
Apple Insider | Feb 21, 2009 1:52 PM CST
(Newser) - Apple has a lot of nifty apps for its iPhone, but apparently the novelty wears off in a hurry. A new analysis shows that many people download them, then promptly forget about them, Apple Insider reports. Just 20% of people use free apps the day after download; at the end of the month, it's down to 5%; after 3 months, it's virtually nil. The numbers...
Oscar Nominees in Photos
Daily Mail (UK) | Feb 21, 2009 1:31 PM CST
(Newser) - The countdown begins to Hollywood's night of nights, with big guns that "are easier to admire and respect than to love" competing for top honors, writes David Gritten in the Daily Mail. No doubt the tabloids are hoping for a Brangelina sweep of the Best Actor and Best Actress categories. Will underdog fave Slumdog Millionaire nab Best...
Stanford Loses Cozy Caribbean Domain
New York Times | Feb 21, 2009 1:11 PM CST
(Newser) - R. Allen Stanford is an institution in Antigua—so much so that some residents call the Caribbean island “Stanford Land”—and now the country is reeling from the SEC fraud case against him. The country has seized Stanford’s bank, but it’s still facing questions about its cozy relationship with the billionaire. When...
Miley: Relationship With Dad 'Not Weird at All'
Daily Mirror (UK) | Feb 21, 2009 12:50 PM CST
(Newser) - Miley Cyrus is tired of people suggesting there's something a little odd about her relationship with dad Billy Ray, the Daily Mirror reports. “The media has said some stuff about my dad and me being too close and too cuddly for a father and a daughter,” she writes in a new memoir. Many found their poses in last year’s Vanity Fair...
Netanyahu Promises He's a Pragmatist
New York Times | Feb 21, 2009 12:21 PM CST
(Newser) - Benjamin Netanyahu's reputation is one of a hawkish hard-liner, but he views himself differently. “You and I have a lot in common,” he once told then-candidate Obama. “We are both pragmatists who like to get things done.” It’s telling that Israel’s next prime minister tells the story with such pride, writes Ethan...
Barry 'Doing Well' After Kidney Transplant
Washington Post | Feb 21, 2009 11:55 AM CST
(Newser) - Marion Barry—the controversial former DC mayor and current council member—had a successful kidney transplant last night, the Washington Post reports. Barry, 73, who had been on dialysis for 3 months, announced a week ago that he was experiencing kidney failure likely brought on by a 20-year battle with diabetes and hypertension. The donor...
Clinton to China: Don't Be Like Us on Environment
New York Times | Feb 21, 2009 11:35 AM CST
(Newser) - Hillary Clinton emphasized the environment today in China as she wrapped up a weeklong visit to Asia, the New York Times reports. “When we were industrializing and growing, we didn’t know any better,” Clinton said, praising recent advances in green energy and asking for more. “We hope you won’t make the same mistakes...
Keyes: Obama Isn't a Citizen, and He Isn't President
Associated Press | Feb 21, 2009 11:22 AM CST
(Newser) - He may be President Obama to you, but don't tell that to Alan Keyes. In a video released yesterday, the ultra-conservative seeks to resurrect conspiracy theories that Obama is not a US citizen and therefore ineligible to be president. Keyes—who lost to Obama in the 2004 Senate race in Illinois—says the "radical communist"...
Ticketmaster Mogul Says He Can Save Music
Wall Street Journal | Feb 21, 2009 10:51 AM CST
(Newser) - Irving Azoff may not be a household name, but he is, in fact, "the most powerful man in the music industry," writes Ethan Smith in a Wall Street Journal profile. The head of Ticketmaster—he made his name managing the Eagles in the '70s—is now trying to pull off his most brazen act yet: merging his company with concert promoter...
Analysts: We Haven't Hit Bottom Yet
Washington Post | Feb 21, 2009 10:28 AM CST
(Newser) - With its 6% dive this week, the Dow has now taken back all of its gains since the end of the last bear market in 2002. So we're ready to climb again, right? Not quite. Analysts tell the Washington Post that markets aren’t behaving as they typically do when they hit bottom. It's actually a little too calm, and bottoms tend to be "violent...
Obama Speeches Help Japanese Learn English
Wall Street Journal | Feb 21, 2009 9:55 AM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama is fast becoming a popular English teacher—in Japan. His speeches have become a hit for people learning the language there, the Wall Street Journal reports. Obama's slow and careful enunciation make him a particularly good model, teachers say. One book of speeches, complete with a dictionary for terms like "stop-gap measures,"...
Doctor Doom Says It's Time to Nationalize
Wall Street Journal | Feb 21, 2009 9:25 AM CST
(Newser) - Nouriel Roubini thinks it will soon be time to nationalize the banks, and these days people listen to Nouriel Roubini. For years the NYU economist has been predicting financial catastrophe, earning the nickname “Doctor Doom,” so he’s now looking pretty prescient. “No one’s in favor of a permanent government takeover of...
Gitmo Meets Geneva Rules: Pentagon Report
Los Angeles Times | Feb 21, 2009 8:54 AM CST
(Newser) - A Pentagon report conducted for President Obama asserts that Gitmo treats its prisoners humanely and in accordance with the Geneva Convention, reports the Los Angeles Times . The report does, however, call for some reforms, such as giving the most dangerous inmates more contact with other prisoners and opportunities for prayer. Obama asked for the...
Whistling Orangutan Surprises Scientists
NPR | Feb 21, 2009 8:24 AM CST
(Newser) - An orangutan at Washington's National Zoo has pleased her caretakers with a unique skill—she's taken up whistling. Researchers have previously taught apes to do so, but Bonnie is different in that she started on her own, apparently by mimicking zookeepers, NPR reports. (She also imitates workers sweeping floors and wiping windows.) Aside from...
Obama: We'll Feel Tax Cuts by April 1
Associated Press | Feb 21, 2009 7:59 AM CST
(Newser) - Americans will see tangible results from the stimulus—more money in their wallets—by April 1, President Obama said today in his weekly radio address. “Never before in our history has a tax cut taken effect faster or gone to so many hardworking Americans,” he said. The Treasury department has begun ordering employers to withhold...
New Oscar Tech Stalks Stars
Variety | Feb 21, 2009 7:32 AM CST
(Newser) - Thanks to the wonders of technology, you’ll be able to get closer than ever to the stars on the red carpet come Oscar night tomorrow, Variety reports. Several websites will allow users to zoom in, à la Google Earth, and magnify high-res photos up to four times.
Arrest Near in Chandra Levy Case
ABC News | Feb 21, 2009 7:14 AM CST
(Newser) - Police are close to an arrest in the case of Chandra Levy, killed 8 years ago in a case that made national headlines, reports ABC affiliate KGO-TV of San Francisco. Authorities have told her parents about the break. The suspect is a Washington inmate named Ingmar Guandigue, says NBC's WRC-TV in Washington. He reportedly told a fellow inmate that...
On Last Late Night , Conan Looks Back
E! Online | Feb 21, 2009 6:25 AM CST
(Newser) - Conan O’Brien took the stage for the final episode of Late Night yesterday, reminiscing about 16 years on the air with clips and big-time guests, E! Online reports. The 2,725th episode featured John Mayer singing to Conan, Will Ferrell appearing as George W. Bush, and the first White Stripes performance since 2007. Longtime sidekick Andy...
Post's Cartoon Apology No Good for Spike Lee
New York Daily News | Feb 21, 2009 5:48 AM CST
(Newser) - Unimpressed by the New York Post's apology, Spike Lee has called on celebrities and athletes to boycott the paper and help "shut it down" for its chimpanzee cartoon. Lee and his 11-year-old son, joined by Al Sharpton, led 300 protesters in New York yesterday, the Daily News reports. "It's not just black folks," said Lee. "It's...
Rihanna: I Remain Strong
People | Feb 21, 2009 5:17 AM CST
(Newser) - Rihanna has spoken publicly for the first time since her assault, assuring fans in a statement that "she remains strong, is doing well, and deeply appreciates the outpouring of support," reports People . Her rep said the singer won't comment on the assault at the police's request. Rihanna turned 21 yesterday and was photographed back in...
California Has a Budget, but Trouble Looms in May
San Francisco Chronicle | Feb 21, 2009 5:00 AM CST
(Newser) - California's budget fight is officially over. For now. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law yesterday a budget package that closes the state's $41 billion shortfall, but not before making $1 billion in line-item trims. The governor cut personnel budgets for state officials by 10%, $400 million in prison funding, and $510 million from higher ed. He...
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