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.
EU President's 'Road to Hell' Remark Was an AC/DC Refence
New York Times
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Mar 27, 2009 4:07 PM CDT
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Politically minded rock fans surely giggled when the Czech PM called President Obama’s stimulus plan a “road to hell.” They’re on to something: Mirek Topolanek, who holds the rotating EU presidency, says he was influenced by a recent AC/DC concert and what he called the band's “cult song” Highway to Hell, reports...
Obama to Outline Plan for Auto Industry Monday
Detroit News
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Mar 27, 2009 3:53 PM CDT
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President Obama is nearing a decision on whether to give automakers more bailout money and will lay out his plan for the future of the industry Monday, the Detroit News reports. The president “will outline what he thinks is the best way forward," spokesman Robert Gibbs said, including the nature and conditions of any additional aid. Members...
To Promote Reporting, FAA Wants Bird Strike Info Secret
ABC News
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Mar 27, 2009 3:39 PM CDT
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The FAA wants bird strike information kept confidential to encourage accurate reporting by airlines, ABC News reports. “There is a serious potential that information related to bird strikes will not be submitted because of fear that the disclosure of raw data could unfairly cast unfounded aspersions on the submitter,” the agency wrote in...
Dow Down 148, Up for Week
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 27, 2009 3:22 PM CDT
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Stocks fell today, though not enough to offset broad-based weekly gains, the Wall Street Journal reports. Financials dropped, in part due to comments by JP Morgan Chase CEO James Dimon, who said the bank had more trouble in March than in the first 2 months of the year. JP Morgan and Citigroup both dropped 5%. The Dow lost 148.70 points to close at...
Freedom Tower Gets New Name: 1 World Trade Center
New York Daily News
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Mar 27, 2009 3:19 PM CDT
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The Freedom Tower is gone, and it hasn’t even been built yet, the New York Daily News reports: The Port Authority announced today that it would change the name of the building being constructed at Ground Zero to 1 World Trade Center. The new, or old, name is “easiest for people to identify with,” said the chairman of the Port Authority,...
Kercher Neighbors Heard Screams, Court Told
ABC News
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Mar 27, 2009 3:13 PM CDT
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Witnesses in the Amanda Knox trial testified today that they heard screams and the sound of multiple people fleeing the scene the night of Meredith Kercher’s murder, ABC News reports. An elderly woman who lives near the crime scene said she heard a scream that “made my skin crawl,” followed by at least two sets of footsteps running...
Kentucky Bounces Hoops Coach Gillispie
ESPN
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Mar 27, 2009 2:41 PM CDT
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Two seasons, including one without an NCAA tournament appearance, were enough for Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie, ESPN reports. The school will announce his departure this afternoon. Gillispie notched 40 wins in Lexington, but also racked up 27 losses, including 14 this season as the Wildcats, whose seven men’s championships are second...
Bank CEOs' Obama Meeting Spurs Talk of Togetherness
Bloomberg
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Mar 27, 2009 2:40 PM CDT
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CEOs of the nation’s largest banks today assured President Obama they understand their institutions are vital to economic recovery and pledged to do all they can to help the government, Bloomberg reports. Following today’s White House meeting, Wells Fargo’s CEO said “the basic message” of the powwow “is we’re...
Pitcher Is First Woman to Play in Japan Pro League
Associated Press
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Mar 27, 2009 2:21 PM CDT
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Eri Yoshida became the first woman to play professional baseball against men in Japan today, where the pitcher had a strikeout in her debut, the AP reports. The 17-year-old, whose signing was widely viewed as a publicity stunt, faced just two batters, walking the first and allowing a stolen base. “I wasn’t thinking about anything other...
Israel Defends Conduct of Gaza War
New York Times
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Mar 27, 2009 2:11 PM CDT
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The Israeli army is defending its actions during the recent Gaza conflict, claiming that, contrary to reports, its soldiers did not act with excessive force or with disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians, the New York Times reports. Officials have moved to discount one story in particular: an account that says a sniper killed a woman...
Main Threat to Obama's Afghan Plan: Obama's Afghan Plan
Politico
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Mar 27, 2009 1:58 PM CDT
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President Obama could be undermining his own strategy to combat militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan, David Cloud writes for Politico. The strategy—increase the number of US troops but also draw greater support from allies—“keeps the US committed but not too committed,” says Cloud, questioning if the “careful middle course”...
Roof Leak at Plant Implicated in Outbreak
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Mar 27, 2009 1:40 PM CDT
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A leaky roof at the Peanut Corporation of America’s Georgia plant is seen as a possible culprit for the recent salmonella outbreak, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Not only is water necessary to activate salmonella, but rain could have washed salmonella-carrying bird droppings into the plant. “Allowing water to get into a dry...
Olympian Could Be the Dancing Queen
TMZ
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Mar 27, 2009 1:30 PM CDT
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Shawn Johnson could rake in a bundle if she succeeds as a reality star, TMZ reports. The Dancing with the Stars contestant, whose contract to appear on the show had to be approved by a judge because she’s a minor, made $125,000 just for being a contestant. The Olympian will score another $20,000 for surviving weeks 3 and 4.
China Dials Down Earth Hour for Tibet 'Holiday'
Guardian (UK)
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Mar 27, 2009 1:21 PM CDT
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The Chinese government has had a sudden change of heart about Earth Hour because the eco-conscious event falls during a new holiday celebrating the Dalai Lama’s flight from Tibet. Cities going dark won't create quite the festive atmosphere Beijing envisioned for the first Serf Liberation Day, so the government is ordering journalists and student...
Remorseful Fritzl: I Want Only the Hardest Punishment
Telegraph (UK)
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Mar 27, 2009 1:12 PM CDT
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Josef Fritzl describes intense feelings of remorse in the first interview since his trial, the Telegraph reports. Fritzl, who abruptly switched his plea to guilty in the middle of the proceedings, said his decision was prompted by hearing his daughter describe in court how he imprisoned and habitually raped her: “After that, I want only the...
Anchor Problems Capsized NFL Players' Boat
Associated Press
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Mar 27, 2009 1:04 PM CDT
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The fishing boat that capsized earlier this month leaving three football players presumed dead was improperly anchored, the AP reports. After interviewing the lone survivor, a Florida agency has determined that when the passengers attempted to free the anchor by gunning the boat’s motor, the craft was swamped and the men thrown into the water....
Top Medical Journal Blasts Pope's Condom Remark
Financial Times (UK)
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Mar 27, 2009 12:44 PM CDT
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The UK's most prestigious medical journal has joined the condemnation of Pope Benedict’s comments on contraception, the Financial Times reports. “By saying that condoms exacerbate the problem of HIV/AIDS, the Pope has publicly distorted scientific evidence to promote Catholic doctrine on this issue," says an editorial in the...
Will the Real Chris Dodd Please Stand Up?
CNN
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Mar 27, 2009 12:38 PM CDT
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Chris Dodd is a man of contradictions, writes David Whitford for Fortune. The Democratic senator portrays himself as a populist; he’s passed consumer-protection and family-issues laws, and he staunchly opposed the bankruptcy bill. But he’s also received loads of cash from financial companies, including AIG, and played a crucial role in...
Skype Could Hit iPhone as Soon as Next Week
GigaOm
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Mar 27, 2009 12:30 PM CDT
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Skype is putting the finishing touches on a version of its VoIP client for the iPhone, and may debut it as soon as an industry conference next week, GigaOm reports. Skype is looking to the mobile market to keep growing as its PC usage starts to plateau. Skype already offers a Windows Mobile version of its software.
No Wonder They're Crabby: Crabs Feel Pain
LiveScience
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Mar 27, 2009 12:20 PM CDT
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Before you drop another crab into a boiling pot of water, take note: Crabs feel pain. Scientists don’t fully understand pain in humans, but do now know that crustaceans respond to discomfort and keep a memory of it, LiveScience reports. Hermit crabs that were shocked fled their shells, “indicating that the experience is unpleasant for them,”...
Push to Boost Diversity Backfires on FBI
Washington Post
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Mar 27, 2009 12:13 PM CDT
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Luckily for the FBI, photos can't talk. The bureau's website promotes its American Indian/Alaskan Native diversity program with a picture of an agent who says she was fired in retaliation for blowing the whistle about racial insensitivity, "In the Loop" columnist Al Kamen reports for the Washington Post. Sen. Chuck Grassley has called...
Liberal Groups' Attack Ads on Moderate Dems Not Helpful: Reid
Politico
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Mar 27, 2009 12:05 PM CDT
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says left-wing groups shouldn’t run ads pressuring moderate Democrats into backing President Obama’s budget, Politico reports. “I think it’s very unwise and not helpful,” Reid said today of the efforts by Moveon.org and Americans United for Change to convert moderate Dems. “These...
Gorillas: Maybe Not as Gentle as We Thought
Economist
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Mar 27, 2009 11:55 AM CDT
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King Kong aside, gorillas have somehow been able to hold onto their reputations as gentle giants, while myths about the belligerent chimpanzee and the promiscuous bonobo have long since been dispelled. But with new research into ape behavior, the last fable may fall, the Economist reports after primatologists studied apes and their interactions with...
Obama Raises Fuel-Economy Standards
Bloomberg
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Mar 27, 2009 11:44 AM CDT
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US fuel-economy standards are going up, an Obama administration official tells Bloomberg today. By 2011, new cars and light trucks will have to hit an average of 27.3 miles per gallon—30.2mpg for cars and 24.1 for light trucks and SUVs. Automakers have raised no objections—the standard is only 0.3mpg higher than the average for 2008 vehicles,...
Rapper TI Sentenced to 10 Months on Gun Charges
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Mar 27, 2009 11:36 AM CDT
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Rapper TI has been sentenced to 366 days in prison for attempting to buy machine guns from an undercover officer, but his embracing of community service means he'll likely serve less than 10 months. TI, aka Clifford Harris Jr., has been speaking to area youths about the dangers of drugs and violence, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Boston High School Awash With Vampire Rumors
Boston Globe
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Mar 27, 2009 11:30 AM CDT
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Authorities at an elite Boston high school found themselves yesterday in the bizarre position of having to publicly deny that certain students were vampires, the Globe reports. While vampires have been popping up more often in popular culture recently, officials and law enforcement say Boston Latin’s issue is most likely just old-fashioned...
Live Kidney Donors Should Be Encouraged, Not Doubted
Salon
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Mar 27, 2009 11:20 AM CDT
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When Frances Kissling learned she needed a kidney transplant, she took a step most people in her situation never do: She asked dozens of friends and colleagues if they would be willing to donate. "I was bowled over by how people responded," the Catholic feminist activist writes for Salon—she reached out to 150 people and within a month...
Notre Dame Students Support Obama Invite
Associated Press
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Mar 27, 2009 11:11 AM CDT
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President Obama's invitation to speak at Notre Dame's graduation has prompted protests from two bishops, who blasted the Catholic school for inviting a president who supports stem-cell research and funding for family-planning clinics that offer abortion. But students are eager for Obama's visit, the AP reports. Based on letters to the student paper,...
Prince William (Sorta) Linked to Sex Club
Sun (UK)
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Mar 27, 2009 11:04 AM CDT
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Prince William is—very tangentially—linked to a sex club, the Sun reports. A close friend of his longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton runs the top-secret swinger sessions. Elsewhere: Watchmen star Jeffrey Dean Morgan has just learned he has a 4-year-old son with an ex, Us notes. Rihanna continued her trend of being seen...
Chicago Mob Snitch Gets 12 Years for 14 Murders
Chicago Tribune
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Mar 27, 2009 10:56 AM CDT
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Former Chicago mob hit man Nicholas Calabrese was sentenced to 12 years in prison yesterday, enraging family members of victims who wanted him jailed for life, the Tribune reports. Calabrese admitted to whacking 14 people, but his testimony in the so-called “Family Secrets” trial put away three top mob leaders. At word of the light sentence,...
Obama Allies Target Dems, Too, in Pro-Budget Blitz
Los Angeles Times
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Mar 27, 2009 10:49 AM CDT
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To push through President Obama’s budget, the White House and allied groups are running a political effort targeting not only Republicans but also conservative Democrats, reports the Los Angeles Times . Groups like MoveOn are running ads warning against what they portray as just-say-no politics. Says an insider, “Every single White House...
Price War Heats Up Hybrid Market
Salon
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Mar 27, 2009 10:40 AM CDT
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Toyota and Honda have begun waging battle in the hybrid market, and a price war is bound to speed conversion by consumers—the Prius is expected to dip below $21,000 in order to compete with the $19,000 Insight in Japan. But the two aren't just versions of the same new option, writes Salon . Different technology makes Toyota's offering both more...
'Alternative Budget' Splits GOP Leaders
Politico
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Mar 27, 2009 10:31 AM CDT
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Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan argued against the alternative budget “blueprint” announced yesterday, but party leaders ordered them to back the plan as a way of refuting the Democratic charge that the GOP is the "party of no," Politico reports. Ryan, the top Republican on the budget committee, has been prepping a detailed alternative...
Haunting Is Nothing New
Chicago Sun-Times
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Mar 27, 2009 10:23 AM CDT
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Based on a supposedly-true story, The Haunting in Connecticut is nothing groundbreaking—but it’s good for a few screams, critics say. A few takes: “A technically proficient horror movie and well acted. We have here no stock characters,” Roger Ebert observes in the Chicago Sun-Times . But “I don't believe a shred...
Recession Dents Party Coffers
Washington Post
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Mar 27, 2009 10:17 AM CDT
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With recession raging and without a campaign to attract attention, donations to both political parties have fallen, reports the Washington Post . Donations to the six major party committees are off 26% from the same period 2 years ago. “People are feeling it,” an energy executive told Rep. Chris Van Hollen, the top Democratic House fundraiser.
Mayer: Twitter's Like Sending Poop Photos
E! Online
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Mar 27, 2009 10:09 AM CDT
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John Mayer may be a hardcore tweeter, but says Twitter is “inherently silly and it’s inherently dumb,” E! Online reports. “It’s one step away from sending pictures of your poop,” the singer/songwriter said. Why then, Mark Malkin asks, does he tweet? “I’ve always communicated at a high level as best I...
Move Over, Police Sketches: DNA's On the Case
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 27, 2009 10:02 AM CDT
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The old-fashioned police sketch could soon be obsolete, the Wall Street Journal reports, thanks to DNA forensic phenotyping, an increasingly popular technique that uses crime-scene DNA to describe a suspect. So far, labs can only determine details such as ethnicity and physical traits, but that alone has helped in some cases, and scientists are working...
Teleprompter's No Cop-Out: Lincoln Would've Loved It
Washington Post
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Mar 27, 2009 9:46 AM CDT
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President Obama has taken much flak for his reliance on the teleprompter—it's a crutch, goes the charge. In fact, it plays a very different—and essential—role, writes Michael Gerson in the Washington Post : It “represents the elevation of writing in politics,” showing that the president and his speechwriters took time...
Soaring Iraq Stock Market Gets Electronic Trading
Times (UK)
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Mar 27, 2009 9:38 AM CDT
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Stock traders in Baghdad are preparing for a bonanza: the introduction of electronic trading, which will replace the current system of writing prices on whiteboards, reports the Times of London. Iraq's market has risen 30% this year as improved security and dirt-cheap prices—the most expensive stock costs about 9 cents a share—have let...
More Hitler Paintings Go Up for Sale
Reuters
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Mar 27, 2009 9:27 AM CDT
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A British auction house will sell 13 paintings next month attributed to a minor Austrian-born amateur artist: Adolf Hitler. The works, which include a supposed self-portrait signed "AH," were found by a soldier in 1945, Reuters reports, though lingering doubts remain about authenticity. Two years ago, 21 Hitler paintings sold for $172,000....
Obama Rolls Out Afghan Plan: 'Al-Qaeda Must Be Stopped'
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 27, 2009 9:26 AM CDT
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President Obama laid out the government's new strategy for Afghanistan today, declaring that the US must “disrupt, defeat, and dismantle” al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Obama will send another 4,000 troops to Afghanistan, on top of the 17,000 already approved. He also announced plans to work with regional powers, including Iran, to contain the...
Sloppy DNA Work Creates Myth of Phantom Serial Killer
Times (UK)
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Mar 27, 2009 9:13 AM CDT
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Embarrassed German cops may soon call off their hunt for a notorious female serial killer, the Times of London reports. DNA from a suspect dubbed "the woman without a face” has been found at dozens of crime scenes across Europe, including stranglings and shootings, but detectives now believe the DNA comes from a worker in a DNA swab...
Obama Praises Nurses, Recalls Sasha Scare
People
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Mar 27, 2009 9:00 AM CDT
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President Barack Obama’s White House Internet town hall meeting yesterday wasn’t all business: he also discussed his soft spot for nurses, People reports. During his response to a health policy question, the president remembered the care given to daughter Sasha during her hospitalization with life-threatening meningitis at age 3 months....
Madge Chooses Adoption Over Jesus
Daily Mail (UK)
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Mar 27, 2009 8:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Apparently the Material Girl would rather have another child than a young lover. Madonna confirmed her split with Jesus Luz on Twitter, the Daily Mail reports, saying she is “glad” to be single. Some are speculating Madonna dumped the 22-year-old after Malawian officials raised their eyebrows. The singer’s attempted adoption of...
Fargo Floodwater Breaks Record, Erodes Dike
Associated Press
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Mar 27, 2009 8:50 AM CDT
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The Fargo-area Red River broke a 112-year-old record this morning and was eroding a dike south of downtown, forcing authorities to rouse occupants of about 150 homes and begin evacuating them in the middle of the night, the AP reports. The Red River has risen to 40.32 feet, more than 22 feet above flood stage and inches more than the previous high...
Stocks Pull Back
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 27, 2009 8:49 AM CDT
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Stocks gave back much of yesterday’s gains at the open, with the Dow tumbling 125 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq lost 1.8% and 1.7%, the Wall Street Journal reports. Investors are focusing on today’s meeting between banking executives and President Obama, sending bank shares slightly lower.
Meet Tesla's Fully Electric Car
Associated Press
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Mar 27, 2009 8:45 AM CDT
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The electric car is real—at least in prototype form. Tesla Motors yesterday unveiled a working prototype of its much-anticipated Model S, a fully-electric 5-door sedan, the LA Times reports. It’s actually Tesla’s second electric vehicle, but unlike the Roadster, which is produced in London and carries a $109,000 price tag, the Model...
Those Twittering Celebs Have a Little Help
New York Times
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Mar 27, 2009 8:25 AM CDT
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50 Cent has more than 200,000 fans following his every 140-character pronouncement on Twitter, such as this recent gem: "My ambition leads me through a tunnel that never ends." But the multimillionaire rapper doesn't bother to write his microblog; he has an assistant who does it in his voice. As the New York Times reports, 50...
Monsters Looks Great, Lacks Oomph
Rotten Tomatoes
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Mar 27, 2009 8:21 AM CDT
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Monsters Vs. Aliens looks amazing on screen, but grownups may find the thin jokes and the storyline of Dreamworks' animated spoof of '50s flicks a little grating, say critics. James Rocchi, Redbox: The movie "has amazing 3D, solid gags, wacky concepts and great animation; I just wish that at some point along the way someone had been...
Octuplet Mom Talks Nurses, Stripping, Marriage
Us Weekly
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Mar 27, 2009 8:11 AM CDT
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Two more Suleman octuplets went home yesterday, on the heels of attorney Gloria Allred’s public call for the babies to be removed from mother Nadya’s care, Us reports. Even so, Suleman had nothing but praise for Allred during her stint on Big Boy’s radio show, though she did have strong words for Angels in Waiting: “It was...
