Newser Story Index from March, 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.
Vick Leaves Prison ... for Bankruptcy Court
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Mar 25, 2009 11:45 AM CDT
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Michael Vick is out of jail, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports—though he’s in transit from Kansas to Virginia, where he’s to appear next week at a bankruptcy hearing. To add insult to injury, a judge ordered the NFL star to foot the $3,600 it costs to transport him from the Kansas prison where he’s incarcerated to the...
Aussies Can't Save 87 Stranded Whales
West Australian
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Mar 25, 2009 11:40 AM CDT
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Rescue crews saved four long-finned pilot whales after a mass stranding in Western Australia’s Hamelin Bay, but scores of others died, the West Australian reports. Eighty-seven whales and dolphins beached Monday, prompting more than 250 volunteers and 100 conservation workers to spend a near-freezing night on the beach nursing the survivors...
Obama Will Meet With Top Bank Execs
Reuters
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Mar 25, 2009 11:33 AM CDT
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Amid growing dissatisfaction with government restrictions on bailout funds, President Obama will meet with bank CEOs on Friday, Reuters reports. Several banks have indicated that they will repay their TARP loans to avoid new government rules. In the meeting with execs from Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and others, Obama will urge them to “look beyond...
Hudson Returns to Idol, Barker to Price Is Right
Associated Press
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Mar 25, 2009 11:28 AM CDT
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Celebrities are returning to their roots today. Jennifer Hudson is taping a performance after tonight’s American Idol that will air on an upcoming episode, the AP reports, and Bob Barker is taping an appearance on The Price is Right to air April 16, according to Variety. Elsewhere: In more Idol news, Simon Cowell responded to President...
Exxon, Chevron Scramble to Protect $40B Cash Booty
Bloomberg
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Mar 25, 2009 11:22 AM CDT
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In times like these, everyone’s got problems. Exxon and Chevron? Finding safe places to stash $40 billion they stockpiled while oil prices were stratospheric last summer. “The biggest challenge we’ve had is making sure all the cash is there every morning,” Exxon’s CEO tells Bloomberg, adding of his treasurer, “I...
Iraq Victory Vindicates Bush
Boston Globe
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Mar 25, 2009 11:15 AM CDT
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They called it Bush’s folly, a lost cause, even the worst foreign policy mistake in US history. “Even now, there are those who cannot bring themselves to utter the words ‘victory’ and ‘Iraq’ in the same sentence,” writes Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe. “But six years after the war began, it is ending...
Rare Leopard Cubs Born at Zoo
Washington Post
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Mar 25, 2009 11:09 AM CDT
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The National Zoo just got a tiny bit cuter with the birth of two rare clouded leopard cubs at its conservation center, the Washington Post reports. The babies are the first of their endangered species, called ghost leopards for their blurry black-and-tan spots, born at the zoo in 16 years. They were quickly taken from their mother; females in...
Mom's Spicy Book May Make Anderson Cooper Do a 360
New York Daily News
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Mar 25, 2009 11:04 AM CDT
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Anderson Cooper’s mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, is a published author with a romantic novel to her credit, sure, but her new book could give the CNN anchor pause, the New York Daily News reports. Obsession , an erotic tale, hits stores in June. “Master, I whisper as you surrender to our ecstasy,” is a choice quote. Oh, and “I...
'Cougar' Trend a Myth
Boston Globe
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Mar 25, 2009 11:00 AM CDT
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The idea that a legion of young Ashtons are out there prowling for older women is—sorry, ladies—a myth, writes Meredith Goldstein in the Boston Globe . The dating industry is awash with tales of “cougar” events canceled due to low interest among younger men, and industry experts confirm that guys typically date women up to...
NY Hotel Boss Axed for Ash Wednesday Slur
New York Daily News
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Mar 25, 2009 11:00 AM CDT
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The boss of a ritzy New York hotel has been canned for ordering a Catholic employee to lose his Ash Wednesday ashes, reports the New York Daily News . The manager of the Palace Hotel—located across the street from St. Patrick's Cathedral—told the bell captain "wipe that f-----g s--t off your face" when he showed up for work after...
Arson Catches Fire as Car Insurance Fraud Climbs
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 25, 2009 10:55 AM CDT
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Car owners sideswiped by the economy have spurred a nationwide wave of arson and abandonment—last-ditch attempts to collect on insurance, the Wall Street Journal reports. Auto arson claims rose 6% nationally in 2008; in some particularly speculative states, the rate jumped as much as 18%. “Lots of desperate people out there,” said...
EU Prez Slams Obama's Call for Stimulus as 'a Way to Hell'
BBC
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Mar 25, 2009 10:49 AM CDT
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Mirek Topolanek, the Czech prime minister whose government collapsed last night, today blasted President Obama’s economic ideas, calling further stimulus “a way to hell.” Topolanek spoke before the European Parliament just hours after Obama called on the world to share the burden of economic stimulus, the BBC reports. Topolanek said...
NY Dem Is First Candidate to Get Push From Obama
Huffington Post
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Mar 25, 2009 10:41 AM CDT
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For the first time since his swearing-in, President Obama is getting involved in a campaign. The Huffington Post reports that Obama has sent out an email to about 50,000 people in and around New York’s 20th congressional district, urging them to elect Democrat Scott Murphy. “To restore our economy and build a foundation for lasting prosperity,...
Blago 'A Natural' in Radio Gig
Chicago Tribune
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Mar 25, 2009 10:35 AM CDT
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Morning drive-time radio could be the future for Rod Blagojevich, if the impeached Illinois’ governor’s fill-in stint today on Chicago’s WLS-AM is anything to go by, Jimmy Orr writes in live-blogging the show for the Christian Science Monitor . Amid Elvis theme music and complaints about his successor’s proposed tax hike, the...
Bio Unmasks Astaire as Racist
New York Post
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Mar 25, 2009 10:27 AM CDT
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Fred Astaire was a great dancer, but he was also a bit of a bigot. A new bio by Peter Levinson cited by the New York Post includes this anecdote: Solicited for a donation to a program developing young black writers, Astaire responded, “Whatever gave you the impression that I would be interested in giving money to start a workshop to help black...
Specter's Choice Saves Obama Labor Headache
Politico
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Mar 25, 2009 10:20 AM CDT
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Republican Sen. Arlen Specter’s choice to oppose a bill to ease unionization will let President Obama and congressional Democrats avoid a tough choice between labor and business interests, Politico notes. Obama had promised to sign the Employee Free Choice Act, but would have infuriated businesses whose support he needs. Dems “have to be...
Jacko Adds Elephant to Concert Cast
Daily Mirror (UK)
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Mar 25, 2009 10:15 AM CDT
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Yesterday it was a riverboat, today it’s an elephant. Michael Jackson wants to take the stage at his London concerts atop a magnificent jungle beast, the Daily Mirror reports. And that’s not all: Jacko also wants “panthers led on gold chains," said an insider. "Parrots and other birds will fly behind him." Oh,...
Border Patrol Destroys Foliage With Chemicals
Houston Chronicle
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Mar 25, 2009 10:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In an effort to keep smugglers and illegal immigrants from hiding in heavy vegetation as they attempt to cross the Mexican border, the US Border Patrol is looking to Agent Orange for inspiration. One plan for cutting down on possible hiding places on riverbanks is to use an herbicide that will kill all the vegetation, reports the Houston Chronicle...
Palin Gets Ethics Complaint for Wearing Sponsor's Gear
Anchorage Daily News
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Mar 25, 2009 10:04 AM CDT
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Sarah Palin has been accused of another ethics violation, this time for wearing gear made by the company that sponsors her husband’s snow-machine adventure, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The governor supported Todd at the annual Iron Dog race in an outfit from Arctic Cat, which gave the snowmobiler sponsorship worth $7,500 in 2007. The...
New-Home Sales See Surprise Bounce
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 25, 2009 10:00 AM CDT
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New-home sales took a surprise upward turn in February, the Commerce Department announced today—the first time sales have increased in seven months. But prices continued to tumble. Single-family home sales were up 4.7%, besting analyst expectations of a 2.9% decline. That still left them down 41.1% year-over-year, however. During that year, the...
Bruised Pic Leads to Push for 'Rihanna's Law'
E! Online
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Mar 25, 2009 9:57 AM CDT
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The now-ubiquitous photo of a battered Rihanna has propelled an advocacy group to push for “Rihanna’s Law,” which would deter law enforcement employees from releasing exploitative photos of crime victims, the Los Angeles Times reports. “We can no longer tolerate the leaking of private information when an interest turns into...
I Say, Old Chap, Big Brother Is Watching Twitter
Independent (UK)
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Mar 25, 2009 9:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The British government wants to keep an eye on what people are doing on Facebook. On the lookout for terrorist plots, the Home Office has provoked an outcry from civil libertarians by floating a plan to track users of social networking sites, which were previously free of government monitoring, reports the Independent . The plan “would turn...
Israeli Army Rabbis Preached Hate During Gaza Assault
Los Angeles Times
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Mar 25, 2009 9:49 AM CDT
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During Israel’s recent Gaza offensive, an increasingly influential corps of military rabbis cast the conflict as one to “expel the non-Jews” from Israel, the Los Angeles Times reports. “This rabbi comes to us and says the fight is between the children of light and the children of darkness,” one soldier said. “The...
Barbara Walters Calling It Quits, Friends Say
National Enquirer
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Mar 25, 2009 9:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barbara Walters intends to retire when her contract is up this summer, sources tell the National Enquirer . Though ABC would apparently like to keep the veteran interviewer, Walters, 79, is “burned out,” and wants to spend more time with her boyfriend. “I don’t want to be 80 and working the phones to land an interview with...
Seattle Smacks Down Fake Wrestling League
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 25, 2009 9:39 AM CDT
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Seattle has put the smackdown on a mock-wrestling circuit that stages WWE-style bouts in bars, putting the fake league is in the strange position of trying to prove its antics aren't a sport. Seattle Semi-Pro Wrestling, which started as an "art joke" in 2003, says it's merely staging theatrical "fight cabaret." But the city has...
Octuplet Mom Spills to Dr. Phil, But Not on Stripper Past
E! Online
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Mar 25, 2009 9:32 AM CDT
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Nadya Suleman tells Dr. Phil her version of her home's staffing shakeup in an interview airing today and tomorrow, E! reports, while attorney Gloria Allred fires back, saying Angels in Waiting nurses filed three reports with Child Protective Services and that Suleman's octuplets are in danger. “I personally felt like a stranger in my own home,”...
AIG Employee Tells Liddy: You Betrayed Us
New York Times
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Mar 25, 2009 9:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Though he says he’s blameless for the mess that brought down AIG, and worked 14-hour days at $1 a year to help dismantle the insurer, executive Jake DeSantis feels “betrayed” by CEO Edward Liddy—and lets him know in a resignation letter published by the New York Times . He rips elected officials for “persecution,”...
Richardson Lives on Through Donated Organs
New York Post
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Mar 25, 2009 9:23 AM CDT
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Natasha Richardson’s death had the tiniest sliver of a silver lining: Her family donated her organs, the New York Post reports. “Doctors spent six hours harvesting all her organs. Some patient is going to wake up in the recovery room and start reciting Shakespeare,” said a source. But a family spokesperson said: “We have...
Blago Gave Illinois Transit Bosses Last-Minute Raises
Associated Press
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Mar 25, 2009 9:20 AM CDT
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Even as Illinois budget deficit soared, a dozen Department of Transportation officials got raises in the waning days of Rod Blagojevich’s administration, the AP reports. The raises, which averaged about $6,000 a year, came on top of standard cost-of-living increases, and without any change in the officials’ titles. This despite federal...
In Classroom, Twitter Trumps the Queen
Guardian (UK)
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Mar 25, 2009 9:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Why learn about World War II or Queen Victoria in elementary school when you can always look them up on Wikipedia? That seems to be the rationale behind a new proposed overhaul of the British school system . Because secondary schools teach plenty of history, the reasoning goes, early schooling should focus on the basics, including typing and Twitter,...
Yahoo Widgets Make Net TV Fun
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 25, 2009 9:05 AM CDT
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Internet TV has been tried many times with little success, but the Yahoo Widget Engine just might change all that, writes Katherine Boehret in the Wall Street Journal . The system, shipping with the $3,000 Samsung LED TV 7000 introduced this week, allows you to neatly distract yourself with all kinds of small internet applications—think Flickr,...
Senate Bill Seeks to Rescue Newspapers
MarketWatch
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Mar 25, 2009 8:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Legislation was introduced in the Senate yesterday that would allow newspapers to operate as nonprofits, providing major tax breaks for an industry in free fall, reports MarketWatch . Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin has proposed that newspapers could claim 501(c)(3) status in the same manner as public broadcasting, making advertising and subscription revenues...
Stocks Up on Durables Report
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 25, 2009 8:45 AM CDT
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Stocks switched back into climbing mode this morning, after a better-than-expected durable goods report. The Dow rose 76 points, bolstered by GE's 4% surge, while the Nasdaq and S&P each gained about 1%. Durable goods orders rose 3.4% in February, defying analyst expectations of a 2% decline. But one economist urged caution. “It is much less...
Kerry Leaps to Defense of Hill as Iraq Ambassador
Politico
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Mar 25, 2009 8:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Anticipating GOP resistance, John Kerry goes to bat for Iraq ambassador nominee Chris Hill, arguing in a Politico piece that he should be confirmed immediately. Kerry's committee is considering the veteran diplomat's nomination today. Despite Hill’s lack of Middle East experience, he’s cut out for peacemaking in Iraq, the senator...
Brits to Stop Saving Stranded Whales
Independent (UK)
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Mar 25, 2009 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Whales who get stuck on British shores will now get a lethal injection instead of a lift back to the ocean, the Independent reports. The policy is backed by marine experts and animal welfare groups as the more humane option, based on new research showing that refloated whales usually die painfully from dehydration and kidney failure before they can...
Prez to Answer Questions Online Tomorrow
The Atlantic
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Mar 25, 2009 8:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama will host his first online town hall meeting as president tomorrow, the Atlantic reports. The White House "community-moderated online town hall" website invites Americans to submit questions on the economy and vote on other participants’ entries. The president will answer from among those voted most popular.
'Smart Cookie' McCain Is What GOP Needs
Washington Post
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Mar 25, 2009 8:07 AM CDT
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Meghan McCain’s scuffle with Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham has shown she knows how to take a punch—and how to throw one, writes Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post. McCain’s critique of her party’s bomb-throwers is accurate, and her strategy has been savvy. "If McCain doesn't make it in journalism, she has a future...
US-Mexican Tensions Escalate
New York Times
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Mar 25, 2009 7:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With the US recession hammering Mexico, the Mexican drug war frightening the US, and a free-trade tiff in the works, relations between the countries have gotten a tad frosty of late, the New York Times reports. In an effort to head off a full-blown crisis, Hillary Clinton is heading to Mexico today, and President Obama will visit next month.
Netanyahu to Push Israel-Palestinean Peace
Reuters
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Mar 25, 2009 7:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Benjamin Netanyahu, the next prime minister of Israel, said in a speech today that his incoming government would be a "partner for peace" with the Palestinian people, but he made no mention of the two-state solution backed by the United States. As Reuters reports, Netanyahu focused on the territories' economy, saying, "If we have a strong...
Critics Blast Obama's 'State Secrets' Court Fight
Washington Post
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Mar 25, 2009 7:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Civil liberties activists are accusing President Obama of going back on his word and behaving like George Bush when it comes to protecting administration secrets, reports the Washington Post . The harsh criticism comes in the wake of a lawsuit brought by an Oregon Islamic charity seeking damages for the alleged illegal wiretapping of organization...
Blockbuster to Rent Movies on TiVo
USA Today
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Mar 25, 2009 7:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Blockbuster kicked off its latest reinvention effort today, announcing a new plan to beam on-demand movies through TiVo DVRs. One senior VP called the deal “step one in getting to the places that consumers care about.” Blockbuster will also sell TiVo DVRs in its stores, as part of a move to reposition the chain as part-consumer electronics...
Hedge Fund Managers Profit in Bear Market
New York Times
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Mar 25, 2009 7:06 AM CDT
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Hedge funds lost an average of 18% last year, but as markets fell to earth, the top 25 hedge fund managers each earned more than $75 million in pay, reports the New York Times . The most successful, James Simons of Renaissance Technologies, pulled in $2.5 billion, while George Soros took home $1.1 billion. Though the earnings equal only half of 2007's...
Czech Government Falls on Eve of Obama Visit
New York Times
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Mar 25, 2009 6:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Czech prime minister announced his resignation last night after his government lost a confidence vote in parliament, reports the New York Times . The ouster of Mirek Topolanek comes at an awkward moment: Not only do the Czechs hold the rotating EU presidency, but Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Prague in less than 2 weeks. The government's...
Obama Blanked Top Papers But Took Tough Questions
Washington Post
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Mar 25, 2009 6:40 AM CDT
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President Obama bypassed reporters from the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and other major papers last night, instead taking questions from Spanish-language TV station Univision and military newspaper Stars and Stripes . Yet the president faced tougher questions than at his first press conference, often in the form of...
Nevada Lawmaker Seeks Hooker Tax
NPR
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Mar 25, 2009 6:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Nevada lawmaker is seeking a new tax on the world's oldest profession, NPR reports. Democratic State Sen. Bob Coffin has introduced a bill that would tax anybody using the services of a prostitute—in the state's 25 legal brothels or elsewhere—$5 per day, with the proceeds going to fund state services and assistance for sex workers.
Users Push Facebook to Tweak Redesign
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 25, 2009 6:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Facebook is giving its redesign a redesign in response to a chorus of user complaints, the Wall Street Journal reports. Users griped that the Twitter-like real-time feed featured in the new format was crowding out the information they really wanted to see. A company blog acknowledged the negative feedback and promised an update to address the issue...
'Professor in Chief' Stern on Recovery
New York Times
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Mar 25, 2009 5:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Last night's prime-time news conference showed Barack Obama at his most serious; tempering his trademark oratorical skills, he became a "placid and unsmiling professor in chief," write Peter Baker and Adam Nagourney in the New York Times . After the frenzy of the previous week, the president went out of his way to lower the temperature,...
Stiffed Surrogate Moms Face Tough Decision
Salon
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Mar 25, 2009 5:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Surrogate moms-to-be who have learned they've been stiffed by out-of-cash firms that arranged their pregnancies face a major decision. The only way for these women to quit "working" is to obtain abortions, notes William Saletan in Slate. He fervently hopes the women will see their pregnancies through. So what's a woman to do? It's still up...
Generous Pensions Toppling Hungarian Economy
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 25, 2009 4:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Pensions are at the heart of the Hungarian financial crisis threatening to drag down the Eastern European economy, the Wall Street Journal reports. Three out of every 10 Hungarians currently collects a generous government pension, but the cost—around 10% of GDP and rising—has made the country's deficit unmanageable, bringing it to the...
Saudi Court Blocks Marriage to 8-Year-Old Girl
CNN
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Mar 25, 2009 4:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Saudi Arabian appeals court has thrown out a ruling upholding an 8-year-old girl's marriage to a 47-year-old man, reports CNN. The marriage—arranged by the girl's father to settle a debt—still stands for now under Saudi law. But the ruling sustains a legal challenge to the marriage by the girl's mother, and the case must be reviewed again...
