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.
Stewart 'Incredibly Unfair,' Says NBC Chief
Broadcasting & Cable
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Mar 18, 2009 1:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
NBC CEO Jeff Zucker said today that Jon Stewart’s Daily Show attacks are “incredibly unfair to CNBC and the business media,” Broadcasting & Cable reports. “CNBC is a spectacular organization and in particular Jim Cramer,” Zucker continued. “What is going on now is absurd.” The media isn’t responsible...
Just Quit, Geithner: GOP Rep.
USA Today
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Mar 18, 2009 1:35 PM CDT
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The AIG bonus flap is the last straw for Rep. Connie Mack, who today called for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to resign or be fired, USA Today reports. “The scandal is but the latest fiasco under his watch,” said the Florida Republican, the first among GOP congressmen to demand Geithner’s departure ousting. President Obama...
Value of Prostate Screening in Doubt: Studies
Washington Post
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Mar 18, 2009 1:35 PM CDT
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Routine screenings may do little or nothing to prevent deaths from prostate cancer, two new studies show . In US research on 76,000 men, the widely used PSA blood test didn't lower the risk of death. And a European trial that covered 162,000 subjects found only a modest reduction. The findings are fueling the ongoing debate over the best way...
Conservative Catfight Knocks Women Down
Slate
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Mar 18, 2009 1:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Female Republican pundits squabble over the future of their party and it descends into a snarkfest over age and weight? "You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding," writes Dahlia Lithwick in Slate. Meghan McCain and Laura Ingraham's catfight is the reason why men don't see women as serious political thinkers. "Until we remember to and speak as...
Could Helmet Have Saved Richardson?
New York Times
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Mar 18, 2009 1:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Natasha Richardson’s crippling accident while taking beginner's lessons has renewed the ski-helmet debate, the New York Times reports. Safety gear is more popular today—43% of Americans donned helmets last ski season, up from 25% 5 years prior—but still not required. Critics point out that fatalities haven’t decreased despite...
AIG Mess Shows Why the Feds Should Quit Banking
National Review
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Mar 18, 2009 1:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
All the hubbub around AIG and its bonuses is “a complete farce,” Larry Kudlow writes in the National Review . No one should be surprised that those in charge have “completely bungled” the situation. “The government shouldn’t run anything, because it cannot run anything,” Kudlow writes. And the Obama administration...
Facebook Changes Irk Users—Again
San Francisco Chronicle
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Mar 18, 2009 12:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The latest changes to Facebook are barely a week old and are already prompting the ire of users, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Updates from friends now appear on the homepage in a real-time, Twitter-esque feed, which users complain crowds out more important messages, like friend requests. A user group, "One million against the new Facebook...
AIG Chief Asks Execs to Give Back Money
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 18, 2009 12:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
AIG CEO Edward Liddy faced the music today, telling a House subcommittee he has asked employees who received generous bonuses to give at least half of the money up, and some have already agreed to do so. Liddy jousted with Barney Frank, who threatened to subpoena the company after Liddy refused to commit to releasing names of recipients, citing concerns...
'Zzz' Spells Discontent for Scrabble Enthusiasts
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 18, 2009 12:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If you sigh in resignation every time you pull a Z or Q out of the Scrabble letter bag, new additions to the game’s official word list probably have you sighing in relief. But aficionados say the expanding list—now including “za,” “qi,” and “zzz”—makes it too easy to score massive points, and contradicts...
In Japan, Tough Times Send Women to the Altar
Bloomberg
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Mar 18, 2009 12:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In Japan, when the economy tanks, marriage—and two paychecks—starts to look more attractive to working women, reports Bloomberg. “I want to get married soon, hopefully by the end of this year,” says one Tokyo woman. “I’d be more stable financially if I had double income to fall back on.” With women still making...
Madoff Accountant Faces 105 Years for Fraud
New York Post
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Mar 18, 2009 12:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Bernard Madoff's longtime accountant has been arrested and charged with securities fraud in the $64 billion Ponzi scheme, the New York Post reports. David Friehling, 49, is accused of helping Madoff dupe his investors and the Securities and Exchange Commission by filing fake audits. Friehling allegedly received $186,000 annually for signing off on...
Teen Uses YouTube to Help Dad
St. Petersburg Times
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Mar 18, 2009 12:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
When Mark Gullett lost his job as a marketing executive for the Tampa Bay Lightning, his son Ben, 14, knew what to do. He made a somber YouTube video in which he told Mark’s story in short sentences on poster boards. Now, after only 6 days, the video has garnered over 20,000 views, hundreds of emails and a few job offers for Mark. “When...
Stewart's Hit Job Won't Keep 'Clueless Pundits' Off TV
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 18, 2009 12:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jon Stewart’s takedown of Jim Cramer and CNBC is indicative of a real, if fleeting, sea change in our attitudes about the economy, Thomas Frank writes in the Wall Street Journal . “The applause Mr. Stewart has received for his j’accuse is the sound of the old order cracking.” But “clueless pundits often do get on top”...
Galactica Lands at Frakkin' UN
Entertainment Weekly
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Mar 18, 2009 12:01 PM CDT
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You might have noticed something odd about the United Nations assembly room last night: Instead of a country, each of the 200-plus delegate seats bore a placard with the name of one of the 12 Colonies of Kobol. That’s right, the Sci-Fi Channel commandeered the frakking UN for a Battlestar Galactica retrospective, attended by actors Edward James...
Obama Visit Lights Up Conservative Orange County
Los Angeles Times
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Mar 18, 2009 11:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama will speak today at a town hall meeting in deep-red Orange Country, Calif.—though maybe the “conservative stronghold” tag is weakening, the Los Angeles Times reports. Hundreds swarmed the event site for tickets, even camping out overnight to get them in an area that gave Obama 48% of the vote. “We want to see...
Activist Pakistani Gang-Rape Victim Marries
Associated Press
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Mar 18, 2009 11:44 AM CDT
(AP) -
A Pakistani gang-rape victim who shunned custom and rose to global fame by speaking out about her case has defied another local taboo—she just got married. Rape victims in Pakistan face severe social stigma and diminished marriage prospects, prompting many to commit suicide. But Mukhtar Mai went public and challenged her alleged attackers in...
Disney Under Fire for Black Princess's White Prince
Daily Mail (UK)
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Mar 18, 2009 11:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Disney has unveiled its first black princess—but her prince appears to be white, and the criticism is pouring in, the Mail reports. In the upcoming The Princess and the Frog , New Orleans’ Princess Tiana is voiced by Dreamgirls actress Anika Noni Rose—and while her prince hails from “Maldonia” and is voiced by a Brazilian...
Mushrooms, Green Tea Cut Breast Cancer Risk
AFP
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Mar 18, 2009 11:25 AM CDT
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A mushroom a day could keep breast cancer away, according to a study that looked at the diets of more than 2,000 Chinese women. Their rates of the disease are four to five times lower than the worldwide average, and part of the reason may be the chemicals that naturally occur in mushrooms and green tea, reports AFP.
Obama Picks His Final Four
ESPN
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Mar 18, 2009 11:13 AM CDT
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President Obama has followed through on a campaign promise and filled out an NCAA basketball tournament bracket for ESPN, the sports network reports. Obama pledged in October to edify the college basketball audience with his picks, provided he won the election. His Final Four? Louisville, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Memphis. He's got UNC winning...
NH Weighs 'Communism,' aka Seat-Belt Law
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 18, 2009 11:03 AM CDT
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The accusations of creating a "nanny state" are ringing out, which must mean it's time for New Hampshire to debate legislating the use of seatbelts. The only state without a law requiring adults to buckle up, the "Live Free or Die" state is embroiled in a battle over whether to join the crowd, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Where's the Council on Men and Boys?
Washington Post
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Mar 18, 2009 10:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
When President Obama last week created the White House Council on Women and Girls—a body that looks out for the fairer sex in federal policy-making—it seemed an almost laughable “act of paternalistic magnanimity,” writes Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post . Unfortunately, it also perpetuates “the false notion that...
US Warns of Japanese Drink-Spiking Epidemic
Japan Times (Japan)
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Mar 18, 2009 10:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The US embassy in Tokyo has warned Americans to steer clear of an entertainment district that has seen a spike in the spiking of drinks, the Japan Times reports. Victims often lose consciousness and awake hours later, their credit cards gone or used. “If you, nevertheless, choose to participate in Roppongi night life,” the communiqué...
Clooney Stars in Latest Viral Video Hit
MSNBC
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Mar 18, 2009 10:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Clips of George Clooney getting silly in Darfur have become the latest viral video craze. During a recent trip with NBC’s Dateline , the UN messenger of peace gave a video tour of his room. “That’s the water bucket that you use to flush the toilet,” he says. “ Nice .”
Macabre Tourists Flock to Mummy Museum
Los Angeles Times
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Mar 18, 2009 10:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Mexican museum tells the story of the local mining industry with an unusual exhibit: 56 mummified corpses. The bodies, from as early as the mid-1800s, were removed from crypts that had been tightly sealed, allowing the bodies to dry intact. Elsewhere mummies might be considered freaky, but in Guanajuato, the dead are a major draw, reports the Los...
The Nadal and Federer of Women's Hoops
NPR
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Mar 18, 2009 10:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It's too bad the women's NCAA tournament is scheduled against the men's, writes Frank Deford for NPR: The conflict means too many viewers will miss the unstoppable force that is this year's Connecticut women's team. Sure, knowing the undefeated Huskies will win their sixth title since 1995 (to five for Tennessee) takes away the suspense, but their...
Do Us a Favor: Don't Apologize
Los Angeles Times
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Mar 18, 2009 10:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Bernard Madoff said he was sorry last week. But it’s hard to believe him, writes Joe Queenan in the Los Angeles Times , given that he’s refused to help the government find his pilfered billions, or even identify his co-conspirators. It reminded Queenan of the time his “alcoholic, belt-wielding father” apologized for years of...
AIG Chief: I'm Angry About Bonuses, Too
CNN
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Mar 18, 2009 9:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Lawmakers read Edward Liddy the riot act today over AIG’s recent bonuses, CNNMoney reports, and the company’s CEO was expected to say he, too, found them “distasteful,” but felt he had to disperse them. “We have to continue managing our business as a business, taking account of the cold realities of competition,”...
Ricci Engaged to Co-star
People
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Mar 18, 2009 9:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Christina Ricci is engaged to co-star Owen Benjamin, People reports. She met the comedian on the set of their film All’s Faire in Love last year, and they’ve been dating publicly since October. The former child star has had her eye on settling down: In 2007 she told a UK mag, “I just want to be married, or just engaged. Basically,...
Want a Mind-Blowing Orgasm? Have a Kid
Guardian (UK)
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Mar 18, 2009 9:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Going into labor, most women would agree, is not much fun. But for Amber Hartnell of Hawaii, childbirth offered "the most overwhelming pleasure I have ever felt in my life"—a 4-hour sexual climax. As the Guardian reports, she's one of the women in a recent documentary on "orgasmic birth," in which waves of pleasure overwhelm...
Obama Trounces Rush: Poll
CBS News
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Mar 18, 2009 9:38 AM CDT
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The war of personalities between President Obama and Rush Limbaugh is closer to a massacre, notes Brian Montopoli, commenting on a CBS News poll that shows only 19% of respondents rate the radio host favorably. That’s 43 points lower than President Obama’s rating. "Not surprisingly," Limbaugh fares better with Republicans, with...
White House Foists Bonus Blame on Dodd
Salon
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Mar 18, 2009 9:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The White House is trying to pass the AIG bonus blame to Sen. Chris Dodd, pointing to his hand in an executive-compensation clause inserted into the stimulus bill—and journalists are letting it happen, writes Glenn Greenwald in Salon. Actually, the bonuses were only possible because the Obama administration insisted that compensation limits not...
Why This Bagel Is Becoming More Dangerous
WebMD
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Mar 18, 2009 9:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If you often suffer a reaction soon after eating burgers or hummus, it might be time to get checked out for one of the fastest-growing allergies in the US: sesame seeds. Experts link the spike in allergies to the increasing popularity of sesame-rich foods like falafel and tahini—but the Food and Drug Administration isn’t especially concerned,...
Obama White House Brings Black Women to Power
Washington Post
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Mar 18, 2009 9:11 AM CDT
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President Obama’s administration has brought a cohort of black women to power in Washington, in numbers and at levels never seen before, the Washington Post reports. While in the past, the appointment of a black woman to a senior White House position was met with fanfare, the seven on Team Obama have gotten little collective recognition.
Jailed Boy-Band Schemer Plots Reality Show
New York Daily News
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Mar 18, 2009 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Even from jail, boy-band creator-slash-Ponzi schemer Lou Pearlman is all about the spotlight. The ‘N Sync and Backstreet Boys founder is plotting a reality show he can star in from behind bars, the New York Daily News reports. “It essentially would feature Lou's disembodied voice on a speakerphone,” says the Portfolio writer who...
Fed Nearly Exhausts Options
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 18, 2009 8:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Fed is almost sure to leave the federal funds rate alone today, mostly because, at about 0%, it literally can’t go any lower. So with deflation still looming, what’s Ben Bernanke to do? One Goldman Sachs analyst says the Fed needs to shave the equivalent of 8 more points off the target rate by 2010. Since Bernanke can’t cut, the...
Obama Army's New Mission: Pass the Budget
New York Times
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Mar 18, 2009 8:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Four months after propelling Barack Obama to victory, his millions-strong army of volunteers is being asked to help out again, writes Jeff Zeleny in the New York Times . Anyone who contributed $5 or more to the campaign has been enlisted to support Obama's effort to pass his 2010 budget, which faces an uphill battle in Congress. But it's unclear whether...
Stock Rally Screeches to Halt
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 18, 2009 8:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks took a turn for the worse at the open today, heading south after yesterday’s rally. The Dow fell 67 points, while the S&P declined 0.8%. The Nasdaq fell 0.5%, but component Sun Microsystems soared 65% on news IBM might acquire it. Investors are anxiously awaiting guidance out of today's Fed meeting, even though the target rate’s...
AIG Bonuses By the Numbers
New York Times
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Mar 18, 2009 8:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
AIG's $165 million in bonuses went 418 different ways, according to one angry attorney general. Other figures released by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who subpoenaed the firm on Monday: 73 employees received bonuses of $1 million or more 11 of those people no longer work for AIG 7 employees received bonuses of more than...
Newbies' Passion for Opera 'Like Love at First Sight'
Reuters
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Mar 18, 2009 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The passion that opera fans feel for the art form is more akin to love at first sight than a slow-growing desire, Reuters reports. A sociologist focused on fans in the cheap seats who hadn't been brought up on opera, and found they tended to have an intense, explosive attraction to the opera the first time they went—with the learning process...
Portfolio Misses Another Historic Cover
Gawker
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Mar 18, 2009 8:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The bad cover decisions at Portfolio just keep on coming, writes Ryan Tate in his continuing persecution of the mag on Gawker. Sure, “diva editor” Joanne Lipman has made some poor choices of what to feature instead of the current economic crisis—a clothier, Sarah Palin. But her worst decision yet? Not featuring an inaugural Barack...
GOP's Specter Eyes Independent Run in 2010
The Hill
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Mar 18, 2009 8:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Sen. Arlen Specter isn't going to switch sides and join the Democrats but he won't rule out running as an independent in 2010, the Pennsylvania Republican tells the Hill . Specter, under pressure from the GOP base since becoming one of just three Republican senators to support the stimulus package, says going independent is a last resort and he would...
Church Must Protect Africa's Poor: Pope
Associated Press
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Mar 18, 2009 7:36 AM CDT
(AP) -
Pope Benedict XVI set down strategy for his church in Africa today, telling bishops to protect the traditional values of the African family and to spare the poor from the impact of globalization. The pontiff, beginning his first African pilgrimage in Cameroon, also said that the exuberant local African rites should not "obstruct" the liturgy...
AIG's Bailout Cash Flowing to Hedge Funds
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 18, 2009 7:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The government cash flowing steadily into AIG is going in no small part to pay off hedge funds that bet against the housing market, the Wall Street Journal reports. The hedge funds placed credit default swap bets with other banks—Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs are specifically named in documents reviewed by the Journal —but AIG then...
IBM Trying to Buy Sun Micro
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 18, 2009 7:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
IBM is in talks to buy Sun Microsystems, sources tell the Wall Street Journal , in a deal that could be completed as early as this week. IBM would likely dole out at least $6.5 billion for Sun, a premium of more than 100% on yesterday’s closing price. Sun has been shopping itself for months, getting shot down by HP, among others. IBM is...
Despite Hunger, N. Korea Rejects US Food Aid
Associated Press
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Mar 18, 2009 6:48 AM CDT
(AP) -
North Korea will reject future US food assistance and kicked out five groups distributing American aid, a move that could make an already precarious humanitarian situation even worse, reports the AP. Pyongyang gave no reason for refusing the aid, according to the State Department. North Korea faces chronic food shortages and has relied on outside aid...
AIG CEO: Bonuses 'Distasteful,' Necessary
Washington Post
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Mar 18, 2009 6:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
AIG's $165 million bonus payout has produced "a palpable wave of anger," admits Edward Liddy, the insurance giant's government-appointed CEO. But in an op-ed for the Washington Post , Liddy says that paying employees now will prevent "undue risk" and help AIG wind down the most dangerous positions on its book. He adds that...
Mistrials Rise as Phone-Wielding Jurors Hit Web
New York Times
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Mar 18, 2009 6:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
When a juror admitted last week that he had done online research during a major Florida drugs case, the judge thought he could dismiss the juror and continue. But he had to declare a mistrial when he questioned the jury—and found eight other jurors had been doing the same thing. As the New York Times reports, iPhone and BlackBerry-wielding...
Fritzl Admits All Charges
Reuters
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Mar 18, 2009 5:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Josef Fritzl has pleaded guilty to all counts in the indictment against him, reversing his earlier denial of the most serious counts of enslavement and murder, Reuters reports. Fritzl, who no longer hid his face in the third day of his trial today, said his daughter’s harrowing 11-hour video testimony yesterday made him change his plea. “I’m...
Ex-DJ Takes Over Madagascar
BBC
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Mar 18, 2009 5:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Madagascar's military has handed control of the country over to youthful opposition leader Andry Rajoelina, the BBC reports. The 34-year-old former DJ—who installed himself in the president's office yesterday—promised elections within two years. President Marc Ravalomanana stepped down yesterday after a military raid on his palace, and...
Dylan Outhouse Odor Blowin' in the Wind
Los Angeles Times
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Mar 18, 2009 5:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Odors from a portable toilet for workers on Bob Dylan's Malibu estate are blowin' in the wind, and neighbors are none too pleased about it, reports the Los Angeles Times . Sea breezes are delivering noxious smells that are making neighbors ill, they claim, and they're pressing local officials to take action. "It's a scandal. Mr. Civil Rights...
