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.
Redoubt Spews Ash 50K Feet High
Associated Press
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Mar 28, 2009 6:28 PM CDT
(AP) -
Alaska's Mount Redoubt has erupted again, spewing an ash cloud 50,000 feet up into the air. The Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage says the volcano had a significant eruption after midnight today, and coughed up ash that is expected to move north toward the Alaska Range, missing Anchorage, which is about 100 miles from the volcano.
Pinched Fathers Plead for Break in Child Support
New York Times
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Mar 28, 2009 6:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Newly unemployed fathers have begun flooding courts across the country for reductions in child support payments, the New York Times reports. The faltering economy is prompting judges to decrease payments, angering financially strapped mothers and forcing families to go on welfare, apply for food stamps, and face possible eviction. “It’s...
Another Twitter Knockoff, This One for Moms
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 28, 2009 5:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The concept of Twitter, widely copied in the US and abroad, has found a home at a mommy-centric website, the Wall Street Journal reports. The site Today’s Mama hosts a new microblog called “Connect," which, unlike Twitter, allows users to join groups by region or topic. But it still hews to the basic format; mothers who want...
Amy Goes 'Obama' on Parks and Rec
Newsweek
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Mar 28, 2009 5:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Amy Poehler, whose Hillary Clinton impression made her a household name on Saturday Night Live last fall, now embodies the yes-we-can ethos of the Obama generation on her new NBC sitcom, writes Joshua Alston in Newsweek . Parks and Recreation follows Poehler’s haplessly hopeful bureaucrat as she tries to overcome setbacks and build a community...
Obama Rolls Out Sunday Best for TV Talkers
Politico
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Mar 28, 2009 4:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In his embrace of YouTube and town hall meetings, President Obama hasn’t forsaken “the old gray mare of Washington journalism:” the Sunday talk shows, Mike Allen writes on Politico. Obama, Timothy Geithner, and Robert Gates will fan out across the airwaves tomorrow to advance their agenda, but the blitz is risky. An off-message gaffe...
Clean Coal Myth Proves Industry Is Declining
MarketWatch
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Mar 28, 2009 4:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Clean coal is a myth, and the companies selling it “have their heads stuck in the mine,” Thomas Kostigen writes on MarketWatch. Although Americans generate close to 50% of their energy from coal, the technology is so yesterday—and the industry is not poised to move forward. It “should be looking to invest in its own replacement,”...
Chinese Cyber Spies Hit Dalai Lama, Foreign Offices
New York Times
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Mar 28, 2009 4:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A massive cyber spying effort launched from China has infiltrated the computers of hundreds of government agencies and private offices around the globe, including four connected to the Dalai Lama, the New York Times reports. Asked by the spiritual leader's office to investigate evidence of a breach, Canadian researchers discovered that malware...
3-D Movies Inch Toward the Holodeck
Wired
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Mar 28, 2009 3:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
For filmmakers on the cutting edge, moviemaking has become a technological dance on an increasingly virtual stage, Wired reports. Producers now have virtual worlds built before shooting starts and routinely blur the difference between animation and live action. And though glasses are still required, 3-D cartoons are rapidly advancing from throw-away...
Radio Dispatches Recount Bid to Save Richardson
Globe and Mail
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Mar 28, 2009 3:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Almost a week after family and friends bid their final goodbyes to Natasha Richardson, the Globe and Mail examines radio exchanges between paramedics and 911 operators during the star’s last conscious hours. As she was being taken from her hotel room to the nearest hospital, vital signs were good, but she was beginning to lose consciousness....
Knox Pulled Knife on Him, Witness Says
Associated Press
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Mar 28, 2009 3:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A witness in the Amanda Knox murder trial testified that she waved a knife at him outside the house where Meredith Kercher was killed, the AP reports. The Albanian witness, at times mumbling and interrupted by the judge, said he “bumped into a big black trash bag” that turned out to be Knox and boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. The witness...
Are Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Junk?
New York Times
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Mar 28, 2009 2:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Compact fluorescent light bulbs cost a little more than regular bulbs, but they’re supposed to last for 10,000 hours, cut your electric bill, and, incidentally, help save the planet. But buyers are finding a disturbing number of bulbs that last hours, not years, the New York Times reports. “It’s irritating,” said one consumer,...
Discovery Lands in Florida
Associated Press
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Mar 28, 2009 2:17 PM CDT
(AP) -
Shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven returned to Earth today and successfully wrapped up a construction mission that left the international space station with all its solar wings and extra electrical power. Discovery swooped through a cloudy sky and landed at NASA's spaceport in midafternoon, a little later than initially planned. "Welcome...
Krugman Emerges as 'Voice of Loyal Opposition'
Politico
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Mar 28, 2009 2:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Monday’s issue of Newsweek will have a pretty striking cover story. The headline “OBAMA IS WRONG: The Loyal Opposition of Paul Krugman,” will be plastered over a close-up of the Nobel Prize-winning economist, reports Politico. "Every once in a while," writes Newsweek editor Jon Meacham, "a critic emerges who is...
ACLU: Lobbyist Rules Restrict Free Speech
Politico
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Mar 28, 2009 1:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The ACLU and other watchdog groups on both the left and right think President Obama is carrying his crusade against lobbyists too far, Politico reports. Obama's recent directive forbidding government officials from discussing how to spend the stimulus with lobbyists infringes on free speech, they say. The groups plan to send a formal letter of protest...
No, Rush, California Isn't Banning Black Cars
Associated Press
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Mar 28, 2009 1:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Relax, Rush Limbaugh: California is not going to outlaw your favorite car color. The California Air Resources Board said yesterday that it isn’t, and never was, planning to ban black rides to mitigate greenhouse gases, the LA Times reports. A report to the CARB about the advantages of more reflective paint sent Limbaugh into high gear Thursday;...
Spelling's $150M Mansion Is Priciest US Home for Sale
Associated Press
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Mar 28, 2009 12:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The mansion that late producer Aaron Spelling built in 1991 is on sale for $150 million, making it the most expensive home for sale in the US, the AP reports. The 56,500-square-foot home, the largest in Los Angeles County, sits on 4.7 acres near the Playboy Mansion. Neither the broker nor widow Candy knows exactly how many rooms the manse has, though...
First Repeat Space Tourist Arrives at ISS
CBC (Canada)
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Mar 28, 2009 12:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Russian spacecraft carrying a cosmonaut, an astronaut, and the first two-time space tourist has docked with the International Space Station, the CBC reports. The Soyuz capsule will soon offload the two crew members and US billionaire Charles Simonyi. Simonyi will return to Earth in the same capsule on April 7 with two crew members leaving the...
G20 Protest Draws 35K to London Streets
Guardian (UK)
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Mar 28, 2009 12:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Security patrols for next week's G20 summit, take note: A protest in London today drew an estimated 35,000 people, about three times as many as expected, the Guardian reports. Organizers of the march—a coalition of unions, church groups, and charities—are pushing for movement on “jobs, justice, and climate” from world leaders....
Charity to Madonna: Don't Adopt
BBC
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Mar 28, 2009 11:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A UK-based charity is asking Madonna to reconsider her plans to adopt another Malawian orphan, the BBC reports. Save the Children says orphans should be cared for by their extended families, and that being whisked away by a fabulously wealthy foreign pop star was “not a solution.” Mercy James, Madonna’s intended adoptee, has a grandmother,...
College's Persistence Pays Off: First Lady to Speak
Associated Press
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Mar 28, 2009 11:51 AM CDT
(AP) -
Seniors at the University of California, Merced, couldn't rely on a wealthy and established network of alumni to reel in a famous commencement speaker. The UC system's newest campus has yet to graduate a full senior class and only has a handful of alumni. But that didn't keep this year's seniors from landing one of the most sought-after speakers of...
China's Grieving Families Stand Up to Government
Washington Post
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Mar 28, 2009 11:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A new political force appears to be emerging in China—grieving parents. The government, usually quick to crack down on dissent, is giving greater leeway to families hit by recent crises such as the tainted-milk scandal and the Sichuan earthquake, the Washington Post reports. Parents have banded together to demand reparations, and initial government...
Recession Marks the End of Supersized America
Time
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Mar 28, 2009 11:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The recession has brought the long '80s boom to an end, but maybe a better America can emerge from the ashes of a self-destructive age of excess, Kurt Andersen writes in a Time cover story. It was plain that the years of giddy growth that started around 1983 had to end sometime, Andersen writes, observing that since the boom began, the average house...
It's Lights Out for Earth Hour
The Age
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Mar 28, 2009 10:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Earth Hour is under way. The annual event in which cities around the world dim their lights for an hour at 8:30pm local time kicked off in Sydney, Australia, the Age reports. China's Bird's Nest stadium, London's Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Vatican, and the Empire State Building will be among the big landmarks taking part.
ShamWow Guy Arrested After Hooker Fight
The Smoking Gun
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Mar 28, 2009 10:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
He may seem like a nice man with a magical towel, but Vince Shlomi—better known as the ShamWow guy—was arrested last month for punching a prostitute, the Smoking Gun reports. Shlomi, 44, told police he took 26-year-old Sasha Harris back to his hotel room and paid her $1,000 for sex, according to the arrest affidavit. Then things went sour.
Argentina's Soccer Saint Is Back
Washington Post
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Mar 28, 2009 10:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Diego Maradona arrives at practice like an eclipse. Suddenly, no one much cares about the players on the Argentinean national team—not even the great Lionel Messi. It’s the coach, a 48-year-old, graying, thick-bodied man who draws the media swarms, reports the Washington Post in a profile. Maradona was once the greatest player Argentina’s...
Don't Believe the Hype: Afghanistan's Fixable
New York Times
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Mar 28, 2009 9:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
We hear plenty of doom and gloom about Afghanistan, the so-called “graveyard of empires” that defeated the Brits way back when and kicked out the Soviets in 1989. But the naysayers are forgetting all that’s working in favor of the US, writes Peter Bergen in the New York Times . The simplistic comparisons overlook that the US position...
Tiny Town's Move May Redefine Voting Rights Act
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 28, 2009 9:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Supreme Court case may soon bring about a momentous change in the nation's voting laws, all because a Texas town of 3,500 moved a polling station three blocks, the Wall Street Journal reports. A local official made the switch to a more convenient location, galled that he needed the permission of the Justice Department because of the 1965 Voting...
Bond Girl? No Thanks, Says Pinto
Boston Globe
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Mar 28, 2009 9:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Despite producers’ wishes, Freida Pinto won’t be 007’s next love interest, reports the Boston Globe , via Bang Showbiz. It’s “not the kind of image she wants to project,” a source says. “She's been inundated with offers following the success of Slumdog . Because of this, she can afford to be choosy and take...
Uses for Leftover Wine (Besides Drinking It)
Washington Post
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Mar 28, 2009 8:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Save the wisecracks about not understanding the concept: Leftover wine is your friend. Joe Yonan, in the Washington Post , offers some pointers that leave deglazing and poaching in the dust: "Use light red wine to cook fish." Pinot noir and salmon are especially good pals. Freeze wine in a plastic bag; it won't get solid,...
'Tentative' Signs Point to Healing US Economy
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 28, 2009 8:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Next month, the US recession is set to become the longest since the Great Depression, but the Wall Street Journal, in the first up-beat prediction in months, musters “tentative” signs that things could be turning around. Consumer spending and sentiment rose in February, the housing market is looking more stable, and hopes are rising for...
Facebook Users to Deluge Pope With Condoms
CNN
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Mar 28, 2009 7:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The pope’s recent remark that condoms not only don’t prevent the spread of HIV but make it worse hasn’t earned him many friends on Facebook, CNN reports. Almost a dozen groups have sprung up in protest of the pontiff’s scientifically inaccurate statement, with thousands of Facebookers—many of them in Europe—pledging...
Russia to Build 6 New Nuclear Submarines
CNN
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Mar 28, 2009 7:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Russia is building at least six new nuclear submarines equipped with long-distance cruise missiles, according to state-connected news agency Itar-Tass. One is expected to be on line by 2011, the rest by 2017. A Russian defense ministry source say the missiles, capable of carrying low-capacity nuclear warheads, "would be designed for strikes on...
'Italian Fritzl' and Son Arrested
Telegraph (UK)
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Mar 28, 2009 7:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Italian police have arrested a father and son in an incest case they are comparing to the horrors of the Fritzl household, the Daily Telegraph reports. The patriarch of the Turin family is accused of controlling and raping his daughter for 25 years and encouraging his son to rape both his sister and his own four daughters.
Intense Debate Led to Obama Afghan Compromise
New York Times
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Mar 28, 2009 6:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama's new Afghan strategy was forged after intense debate among advisers, reports the New York Times , with VP Joe Biden being the voice of caution, warning against being dragged into a quagmire there. All advisers agreed that the goal should narrow to tackling al-Qaeda, rather than Bush-style nation-building. But military chiefs called...
Suds-Smugglers Thwart Eco-Friendly Law
Associated Press
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Mar 28, 2009 6:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Spokane, Washington's pioneering ban on high-phosphorus dishwasher detergents has led some residents to pioneer detergent-smuggling, reports the AP. People complaining that the eco-friendly detergents don't get their dishes as clean as the old kind regularly cross over into Idaho to stock up. Retailers near the border say their detergent sales...
Louisville, UNC Roll Into Elite 8
Associated Press
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Mar 28, 2009 6:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Louisville, UNC, Oklahoma, and Michigan are all headed to the Elite Eight after an occasionally ugly night of basketball. Here’s how it went down: In a night of lopsided victories, no one dominated more than Louisville. The Cardinals demolished Arizona 103-64, one of the most crushing blowouts the Sweet 16’s ever seen. ...
Fargo River May Have Already Peaked
Associated Press
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Mar 28, 2009 5:43 AM CDT
(AP) -
The bloated Red River might already have crested lower than initially feared, forecasters said today, welcome news for weary residents and others who had spent days piling sandbags onto dikes against an expected record flood. Despite the downward revision in the forecast, however, North Dakota officials still intensified their efforts to fend off the...
'Brain Gyms' Offer Grey Matter Workouts
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 28, 2009 5:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Gyms offering to exercise the brain instead of the body are attracting thousands of aging Americans seeking to tone their gray matter, the Wall Street Journal reports. The gyms are generally based around brain-fitness software, but some offer courses in brain nutrition as well as mental-fitness assessments with personal trainers and "neurobics."...
Madoff 'Used London Office as Piggy Bank'
Times (UK)
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Mar 28, 2009 4:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
British investigators believe Bernard Madoff's London operation played a central role in his Ponzi scheme, the Times of London reports. Authorities suspect the business was either "a cog in the giant washing machine" laundering Madoff's billions, his personal piggy bank, or both. Ruth Madoff received $2 million from Madoff's London office...
UK Eyes Youth Terror Threats
Independent (UK)
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Mar 28, 2009 4:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A counterterrorism project in Britain has intervened with at least 200 children as young as 13 believed to be in danger of turning to Islamic extremism, the Independent reports. Police have been working with educators and Muslim communities to identify children vulnerable to being radicalized, and are stepping in where necessary to address the child’s...
Heigl: I'd Be Happy to Stay with Grey's
Associated Press
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Mar 28, 2009 3:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Katherine Heigl says she's happy to stay with Gray's Anatomy if the producers want to keep her, the AP reports. The Golden Globe winner—rumored to have been ready to quit after griping about the show’s poor writing—will stick around if her character survives. Heigl remains as clueless as viewers about the fate of Izzie, who underwent...
9 Ways to Go Green and Save Green
Scientific American
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Mar 28, 2009 2:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Being sensitive to the environment doesn't have to cost a fortune. In fact, the green option is often the most cost-effective one. Scientific American spotlights nine ways of cutting your bills as you save the Earth: Shrink your living space. Prefab homes and plans for dwellings as small as 65 square feet are widely available.
Downturn Dulls Gem Trade's Gleam
Washington Post
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Mar 28, 2009 2:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The worldwide slowdown in spending is making for rough times in all facets of the jewelry business, reports the Washington Post . More than a thousand jewelers in the US—which buys almost half the world's polished diamonds—have gone bust, and the effects are being felt from the mines of Botswana to the polishers in India.
Obama to Give Automakers More Aid
New York Times
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Mar 27, 2009 7:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama will likely approve billions of dollars more in loans to General Motors and Chrysler on Monday, but attach a deadline for union and bondholder concessions to help the automakers survive, insiders tell the New York Times . Obama's auto task force will also keep government-managed bankruptcy as an option for the two companies, which...
Firm Vows to Grow Flower on the Moon
New Scientist
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Mar 27, 2009 6:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A company that builds biospheres to sustain life in outer space is planning to grow a mustard plant on the moon, New Scientist reports. Paragon Space Development will piggyback its greenhouse on a lunar lander competing in a $30 million contest to go to the moon. "We want there to be a great inspirational picture" to rouse excitement...
Cop Who Harassed NFL Player Apologizes
Dallas Morning News
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Mar 27, 2009 6:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Dallas police officer who pulled out a gun on an NFL running back rushing to see his dying mother-in-law apologized today, the Dallas Morning News reports. "I wish to publicly and sincerely apologize to the Moats family... and to all those who have been rightfully angered by my actions," said officer Robert Powell, who has been...
Thousands Flee Fargo Flooding
Associated Press
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Mar 27, 2009 5:47 PM CDT
(AP) -
Thousands of shivering, tired Fargo residents got out while they could today, and others prayed that miles of sandbagged levees would hold as the surging Red River threatened to unleash the biggest flood North Dakota's largest city has ever seen. The crest is expected tomorrow evening, when the ice-laden river could climb as high as 43 feet, nearly...
Navy Award for Murtha Sparks Marine Furor
Navy Times
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Mar 27, 2009 5:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sailors and Marines are up in arms over a Navy commendation to Rep. John Murtha, who has accused servicemen of murdering Iraqi civilians, the Navy Times reports. Outgoing Navy Secretary Donald Winter awarded Murtha the Distinguished Public Service Award earlier this month for his work on a House subcommittee. The citation applauded Murtha’s...
American Salt Intake Is 2X Too High
Scientific American
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Mar 27, 2009 4:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Most Americans eat way too much salt, and people with salt-sensitive medical conditions consume twice as much as they should, Scientific American reports. The American average is 3,456 milligrams per day. The FDA guideline for someone not at risk is 2,300 milligrams, or one teaspoon. For older people, African Americans, and people with hiogh blood...
Nation of Cops Attends Oakland Officers' Funeral
San Francisco Chronicle
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Mar 27, 2009 4:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Law enforcement officers from across the country descended on Oakland today for the funerals of four cops gunned down by a fugitive last weekend, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. All 815 members of the Oakland force attended while officers from other jurisdictions patrolled the streets in their stead. An overflow crowd that included 19,000 officers...
