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.
Fox Host Apologizes for Taunting Canadian Forces
CBC (Canada)
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Mar 24, 2009 10:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The host of Fox’s Red Eye apologized yesterday for a segment mocking the Canadian military, CBC reports. On March 17, Greg Gutfeld derided a general’s comment that troops need down time after Afghanistan combat, saying the military wants to “do some yoga, paint landscapes, run on the beach in gorgeous white Capri pants.” Canada’s...
Another Quake Rumbles Near San Andreas
Los Angeles Times
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Mar 24, 2009 10:09 AM CDT
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A 4.7-magnitude earthquake shook southern California this morning, the latest in a series of small quakes to hit the area. This weekend a series of lower-intensity quakes hit perilously close to the San Andreas fault, making seismologists nervous about the "Big One"—a quake that would devastate LA. So far no injuries have been reported....
After 14 Years, NJ Alzheimer's Patient Identified
Star-Ledger
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Mar 24, 2009 10:05 AM CDT
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A long-unidentified woman with Alzheimer’s who has spent the past 14 years in New Jersey psychiatric hospitals finally has a name—and may now be moved to a nursing home, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. A suspected illegal immigrant before she was identified, Elba Leonor Diaz Soccaras, 74, was ineligible for a nursing home when she was...
US-Style Stimulus Might Not Be Right for Europe
Der Spiegel
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Mar 24, 2009 10:04 AM CDT
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Today, in newspapers worldwide, President Obama called on nations to stimulate their economies, but Europe isn't sold on the idea. Europe's leaders are viewed as cautious, but perhaps their “policy is appropriate for European conditions,” Jack Ewing writes in Der Spiegel . For one thing, Europe already spends much more on the public sector...
John Picked Twitter Over Jen
Telegraph (UK)
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Mar 24, 2009 9:59 AM CDT
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Blame Twitter for Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer's most recent breakup. The actress dumped her on-again-off-again beau over his obsession with the site, the Telegraph reports. “Jen was fuming. There he was, telling her he didn’t have time for her and yet his page was filled with Twitter updates," a friend told Star . "She...
Obama to G-20: We Must Act Fast on Crisis
Los Angeles Times
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Mar 24, 2009 9:55 AM CDT
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President Obama published an op-ed piece in more than 30 newspapers worldwide today, urging the G-20 nations to take immediate, bold action to fix the economy. “The United States is ready to lead,” he wrote in the Los Angeles Times , among others, “and we call on our partners to join us with a sense of urgency.” Included was...
China: Ditch the Dollar as World Standard
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 24, 2009 9:43 AM CDT
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Highlighting international anger over the sorry state of the US economy, China has called for the dollar to be dumped as the global currency standard, the Wall Street Journal reports. China’s central bank said an International Monetary Fund asset could take over the dollar’s global role, Reuters reports. Russia issued a similar call earlier...
As Economy Tanks, So Does Alimony
Telegraph (UK)
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Mar 24, 2009 9:39 AM CDT
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The impact of plunging asset values is making itself felt in divorce courts, reports the Daily Telegraph . Celebrities and corporate high-fliers pleading poverty have managed to wrangle reduced payments to their exes in recent months. Lawyers warn that the trend toward cut-price settlements is now becoming mainstream and urge estranged couples to...
'Colbert' Wins Space Station Name Contest
Associated Press
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Mar 24, 2009 9:25 AM CDT
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The Colbert Nation did it: NASA’s contest to name a new room at the International Space Station is over, and the winner is “Colbert,” the AP reports. But don’t get too excited yet, Nation: The agency makes the final decision, and only promises to give top vote-getters “the most consideration.” Colbert’s write-in...
Peace Meeting Called Off Over Dalai Lama Ban
BBC
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Mar 24, 2009 9:14 AM CDT
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South Africa’s decision to bar the Dalai Lama from entering the country has scuttled this week’s scheduled conference for Nobel laureates, the BBC reports. Laureates were to discuss how next year’s soccer World Cup could fight racism and xenophobia, but homegrown winners Desmond Tutu and FW de Klerk pulled the plug when the government,...
Soaring Candy Sales Sweeten Hard Times
New York Times
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Mar 24, 2009 9:03 AM CDT
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Tough times don’t seem to be trickling down to inexpensive candy shops, where adult customers are flocking for a sugar-coated escape from their troubles, the New York Times reports. “People may indulge themselves a little bit more when times are tough,” says an analyst. And indulge they are: People are putting candy “in their...
France Will Battle US for Madoff Chateau
New York Post
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Mar 24, 2009 9:00 AM CDT
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A legal tug-of-war is getting underway over the Madoffs' Riviera chateau, reports the New York Post . Bernard and Ruth Madoff's $1 million French pad is among the assets US federal prosecutors want the couple to forfeit to help reimburse scammed investors, but French authorities—who have opened a criminal inquiry into French losses in Madoff's...
GOP to Cheney: Go Away, You're Embarrassing Us
The Hill
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Mar 24, 2009 8:47 AM CDT
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For many Republicans, Dick Cheney is like an embarrassing uncle at a family party. The former VP says unpopular, provocative things, and, reports the Hill, they just wish he would go away. By attacking President Obama in recent appearances, says one GOP lawmaker, Cheney did “House Republicans no favors.” Agrees another, “it would...
Stocks Pull Back Off Huge Rally
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 24, 2009 8:44 AM CDT
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Stocks pulled back this morning off yesterday’s heady rally. The Dow sank 77 points, after skyrocketing nearly 500 points in yesterday’s session. The S&P and Nasdaq dropped 1.3% and 1.4% respectively. AIG was the big story, with Timothy Geithner and Ben Bernanke set to testify before Congress. Geithner is expected to ask for the power...
NPR Snagged Most Listeners Ever in '08
Washington Post
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Mar 24, 2009 8:30 AM CDT
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There’s one growth story in the otherwise moribund news media industry, and it’s downright old fashioned: National Public Radio. Riding its hugely popular “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” shows, NPR had more listeners than ever in 2008—23.6 million a week—up 8.7% from the previous year. The...
Pakistan's Top Justice Returns to Jubilation
BBC
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Mar 24, 2009 8:21 AM CDT
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Pakistan's chief justice triumphantly returned to the bench today, reports the BBC, as supporters showered him with rose petals outside the supreme court in Islamabad. Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry was suspended by former president Pervez Musharraf during the 2007 state of emergency. Last week current president Asif Ali Zardari finally fulfilled a campaign...
IRS Challenges AIG's Offshore Tax Deals
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 24, 2009 8:07 AM CDT
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The IRS is challenging a series of tax-skirting deals engineered by the much-maligned AIG Financial Products unit, the Wall Street Journal reports. The deals exploited differences in international tax codes to reduce tax payments for foreign banks—many of the same banks the US government would later pay to settle contracts with the insurer....
Why Thieves Don't Care About Your Car Stereo
NPR
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Mar 24, 2009 8:04 AM CDT
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More than a million car stereos were stolen in 1994, but in the past 15 years, yearly thefts have plummeted by more than half, NPR reports. Why? Automakers now install good stereos from the start, and “there's no market for factory radios because they normally don't fit in any other cars,” says a technician. Years ago, drivers often replaced...
Don't Listen to Krugman— This Plan Might Work
Washington Post
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Mar 24, 2009 7:51 AM CDT
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Even before the full details were released, critics were bashing the Treasury's public-private asset purchase plan; Paul Krugman predicted it would fail and lead the country into depression (not to speak of the writer into despair). Steven Pearlstein begs to differ, and the markets seem to agree. For the Washington Post columnist, the Geithner plan...
AIG Bonus Tax Is Stalled, Likely to Die in Senate
Bloomberg
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Mar 24, 2009 7:33 AM CDT
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With populist outrage cooling and the White House even cooler, the 90% AIG bonus tax that sailed through the House last week is stalled in the Senate, where it's likely to die, reports Bloomberg. Majority Leader Harry Reid said yesterday this week will be devoted to debating national service and the budget—with Congress taking spring break in...
Octu-Mom Cans Free Nurses
Orange County Register
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Mar 24, 2009 7:07 AM CDT
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Never a dull moment in the octu-house: Nadya Suleman fired four Angels in Waiting nurses helping with her octuplets after one filed a report with Child Protective Services, the Orange County Register reports. The nurse was concerned the house was overcrowded, says Suleman’s lawyer. Two nannies are still helping, and nurses from the hospital...
17-Year-Old Charged With N. Ireland Cop's Murder
Telegraph (UK)
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Mar 24, 2009 6:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a policeman in Northern Ireland earlier this month, reports the Telegraph . Stephen Carroll was shot dead on March 9 in the first killing of a police officer in the region in 12 years. The youth, who has not been named, has also been charged with a firearms offense and with belonging to a proscribed...
Sunscreen-Slathered Americans Lack Vitamin D
Scientific American
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Mar 24, 2009 6:45 AM CDT
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Three-quarters of adults and teens in the US aren't getting enough vitamin D, according to a new study. The report suggests increased use of sunscreen has contributed to a steep rise in deficiency of the vitamin, which is mainly absorbed through sunshine. African Americans are particularly at risk because the extra melatonin in black skin slows the...
Labor Party Set to Join Far-Right Israeli Gov't
Haaretz (Israel)
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Mar 24, 2009 6:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister-designate, has reached a deal with Ehud Barak that would see Barak's center-left Labor Party join an otherwise hard-right coalition, reports Haaretz . Barak, a former PM, is expected to retain his current post of defense minister in the new government. But Labor is divided over the wisdom of joining Netanyahu,...
Feds Seek Expanded Power to Seize Shaky Companies
Washington Post
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Mar 24, 2009 6:00 AM CDT
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The Obama administration is expected to ask Congress for expanded powers that would let the Treasury secretary seize insurers, hedge funds, and other non-bank financial companies whose failure would imperil the economy, reports the Washington Post . While negotiations are ongoing, the plans to expand Treasury authority would represent a major shift...
UN Calls on Burma Junta to Release Suu Kyi
Associated Press
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Mar 24, 2009 5:46 AM CDT
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Burma's continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi violates both international law and the country's own criminal code, according to a UN report obtained by the AP. The pro-democracy leader has been under house arrest for 13 of last 19 years since her party won a landslide victory in the country’s 1990 elections. Burma's ruling junta, which refused...
Madge's Crazy Sex Life May Derail Adoption
New York Daily News
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Mar 24, 2009 5:39 AM CDT
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Madonna's hijinks with A-Rod and Brazilian boytoy Jesus Luz threaten to block her planned adoption of 3-year-old Mercy James from Malawi, reports the New York Daily News . "The news she is linked to another woman's husband and a man less than half her age makes us question her morals," said a top official in Malawi. Madonna's "relationships...
Man Faces Murder Charge After 'Deathbed' Confession
Independent (UK)
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Mar 24, 2009 5:08 AM CDT
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An Oklahoma man's effort to leave the world with a clear conscience has left him facing a murder charge after his premature "deathbed" confession, the Independent reports. The man, believing he he was moments from death after suffering a stroke, called police from the hospital and confessed to killing a neighbor in Tennessee 32 years ago....
Geithner Wins Over Wall Street
New York Times
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Mar 24, 2009 4:45 AM CDT
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The carefully orchestrated roll out of the federal plan to buy toxic assets has won Tim Geithner Wall Street's support in the nick of time, Jackie Calmes writes in the New York Times . The Treasury secretary—whose plan was slammed when the "framework" was unveiled last month—could scarcely afford another setback, Calmes writes,...
US Activist Fights for Life After Israeli Tear Gas Attack
Independent (UK)
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Mar 24, 2009 4:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A California peace activist lies critically injured in a hospital after he was struck in the head by an Israeli tear-gas canister—and his distraught parents are demanding an explanation, reports the Independent . Tristan Anderson, 38, was struck during an Arab-Jewish peace demonstration in the West Bank village of Ni'lin over a week ago. Witnesses...
Komodo Dragons Kill Man
Associated Press
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Mar 24, 2009 3:57 AM CDT
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A pair of Komodo dragons fatally mauled a fruit-picker in eastern Indonesia, reports AP. The lizards attacked the man after he fell out of a tree on the island of Komodo, according to authorities. Fewer than 4000 of the carnivores remain in the wild, and attacks on humans are rare, although they have been on the increase in recent months.
Eating Red Meat Daily Raises Death Risk: Study
Washington Post
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Mar 24, 2009 3:35 AM CDT
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Daily consumption of red meat has been linked to higher mortality rates in the most comprehensive study on the subject ever made, the Washington Post reports. Researchers studied more than 500,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans and found that those who consumed 4 ounces of red meat a day were 30% likelier to die in the following decade, mainly...
Hey Paul Krugman, Your Country Needs You
Jossip
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Mar 24, 2009 3:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The latest video to shake up YouTube is a song plea that critical columnist Paul Krugman join the Obama administration and fix the economy. "Hey Paul Krugman, where the hell are you, man? Why aren't you in the administration?" sings songwriter Jonathan Mann. "When I listen to you things seem to make sense," but when that "little...
Discovery Revives Hopes for Cold Fusion
Houston Chronicle
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Mar 24, 2009 2:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A new lab discovery holds promise that cold fusion could become a reality, according to a US Navy researcher. The chemist—whose report was greeted with skepticism in the scientific world—says her new process created highly energized neutrons in a reaction that could someday provide almost limitless amounts of cheap energy from seawater,...
India Rolls Out World's Cheapest Car
Los Angeles Times
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Mar 24, 2009 2:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
India's Tata Motors rolled out its $2000 Nano car yesterday, six months late but with grander plans than ever, reports the Los Angeles Times . The company aims to sell the vehicle—10 feet long and less than 5 feet wide—not only to India's emerging middle class, but to the European and North American markets.
iPhone App Lets Users 'Fly' Like Sully
The Unofficial Apple Weblog
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Mar 24, 2009 1:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A new iPhone app gives users the opportunity to compare their flying skills to those of Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, reports the Unofficial Apple Weblog. The "Sully's Flight" simulator application re-creates the conditions experienced by Flight 1549 before the hero pilot safely brought it down in the Hudson River. The app includes...
Madoff Assets Top $1B
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 23, 2009 9:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The trustee digging up Bernard Madoff's assets has uncovered another $75 million in a Gibraltar bank account, pushing the total above $1 billion, the Wall Street Journal reports. In a civil hearing today, Assistant US Attorney Barbara Ward discussed the pursuit of other Madoff assets, saying France will likely seize a $1 million property in Cap d'Antibes...
AIG Renames Office in Effort to Rebrand
Reuters
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Mar 23, 2009 8:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Workers pulled down an AIG sign in New York City today as the insurer sought to rebrand itself and deflect outrage over executive bonuses, Reuters reports. The company's Manhattan property-casualty office, renamed AIU Holdings Ltd, wasn't the first to change its name since the bailout started last fall. AIG's US auto insurance arm reverted...
Icing, Overload Considered in Montana Crash Probe
Associated Press
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Mar 23, 2009 8:06 PM CDT
(AP) -
Speculation over what caused the crash of a single-engine plane into a Montana cemetery shifted today to possible ice on the wings after it became less likely that overloading was to blame. While descending yesterday in preparation for landing at the Bert Mooney Airport in Butte, Mont., the turboprop plane passed through a layer of air that was conducive...
Sunni Fighters Say Iraq Will Never Hire Them
New York Times
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Mar 23, 2009 7:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The US turned over tens of thousands of Sunni fighters to Baghdad this weekend to take government jobs and mend fences with ruling Shiites, but many Sunnis are skeptical, the New York Times reports. After helping tame al-Qaeda in Iraq, the militiamen say few jobs are being offered in return. “Until now, promises are all we’ve gotten,”...
Frank Calls Justice Scalia a 'Homophobe'
Associated Press
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Mar 23, 2009 7:09 PM CDT
(AP) -
Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank called Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia a "homophobe" in a recent interview with the gay news Web site 365gay.com. The Democratic lawmaker, who is gay, was discussing gay marriage and his expectation that the high court would some day be called upon to decide whether the Constitution allows the federal...
EPA Warns of Global Warming, Spurs New Policy
Reuters
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Mar 23, 2009 6:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Environmental Protection Agency sent the White House a message today that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are detrimental to human health, Reuters reports. The "endangerment finding" may open the door for Washington to curb emissions that cause global warming. "I think it's historic news," one advocate said. "It...
AIG Execs Repaying $50M in Bonuses: Cuomo
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 23, 2009 6:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said today that most of the top bonus recipients at AIG have agreed to return the money, amounting to more than $50 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. Fifteen of the top 20 beneficiaries of $165 million at AIG's Financial Products unit—which played a critical role in crippling the company—will...
Letterman Marries Baby Mama
Us Weekly
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Mar 23, 2009 5:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
David Letterman got hitched to his longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko, Us reports. The late-night host announced the nuptials during the taping of his CBS Late Show today, saying they married last week in Montana. The couple, together for more than 10 years, have a son, Harry, born in 2003. "I secretly felt that men who were married admired...
US Condom Maker in Peril as Feds Buy Chinese
Kansas City Star
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Mar 23, 2009 5:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The sole supplier of condoms to Washington's overseas AIDS campaign is likely going out of business thanks to Asian competition, the Kansas City Star reports. The feds are close to signing contracts with companies in South Korea and China, which charge 2 cents per condom; Alabama-based Alatech charges five. Three hundred American jobs hang in the...
2 Teachers Make Mission's Final Walk
Associated Press
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Mar 23, 2009 4:58 PM CDT
(AP) -
Two astronauts who were teaching math and science to middle school students just 5 years ago went on a spacewalk together today, their path cleared of dangerous orbiting junk that had threatened the space station and shuttle. It's the first time two former schoolteachers have been on a spacewalk together, and is the third and final spacewalk for shuttle...
Fargo Scrambles to Prevent Flooding
Inforum (Fargo)
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Mar 23, 2009 4:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Minnesota and North Dakota work crews joined volunteers today to build levees and sandbag walls as a storm threatened to cause flooding, Inforum reports. Locals living along Red River are bracing for as much as 1 inch of rain tonight from a storm expected to last 2 days, causing river flood crests of 37 to 40 feet for a week afterwards. Water spilled...
Armstrong Injury Puts Tour in Doubt
Associated Press
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Mar 23, 2009 4:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Lance Armstrong’s collar bone, broken in a Spanish race, puts his appearance at the Tour de France in jeopardy, but the cyclist is taking a wait-and-see approach, the AP reports. “We'll go from there,” he said of his recovery in the US. “I think for the Tour it's a very big problem.” Armstrong is also scheduled to race...
Investors Hire Gumshoes to Snoop on Fund Managers
Bloomberg
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Mar 23, 2009 4:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Investors are increasingly hiring private investigators to dig up dirt on fund managers in hopes of avoiding the next Madoff-style fraud, Bloomberg reports. Background checks are expensive—depending on the firm, they may cost $1,000 per company or individual investigated—and can take weeks, but investors say they are often highly effective...
For April 1, an Ikea Car?
Jalopnik
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Mar 23, 2009 4:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ikea says it’s unveiling a car March 31, but the day after that is—you got it—April 1, Jalopnik reports. The Leko, which is touted by its “designer” on a French website set up by the Swedish home-furnishing giant, will be modular, able to operate as a coupe or a convertible, and has the support of World Wildlife Fund France....
