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.
With Oil Supplies Dropping, Look for Prices to Soar Again
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 27, 2009 8:01 AM CDT
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A tough economy and falling prices have hit oil firms hard, forcing them to cut back capital spending and delay projects. So when demand again increases, supply could be short, the Wall Street Journal reports, driving prices back up. Slowing investment could hamper future supply growth by some 8 million barrels a day in the next few years, a new...
Brooks: We Can Win in Afghanistan
New York Times
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Mar 27, 2009 7:57 AM CDT
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David Brooks has always been skeptical of our efforts in Afghanistan, “one of the poorest, least-educated and most-corrupt nations on earth,” and his recent six-day tour of the country reinforced "every element" of his skepticism. But the columnist also emerged “infected by the optimism of the truly impressive people who...
Women May Get Equal Rights to UK Throne
Telegraph (UK)
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Mar 27, 2009 7:47 AM CDT
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Gordon Brown's office and Buckingham Palace are considering changes to centuries-old laws that bar Catholics from the British throne and give male heirs precedence over female ones. The royal family is said to be open to changing the succession laws, and all 53 countries in the British commonwealth are to be consulted. The PM said that while the...
GM to Miss Restructuring Deadline, Win Extension
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 27, 2009 7:35 AM CDT
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General Motors, about to miss its March 31 deadline for completing the cost-cutting restructuring plan it submitted to the government, is expected to get a 30-day extension, reports the Wall Street Journal . Though the UAW has agreed to shed 7,600 jobs at GM next week, and another 10,000 by October, according to Journal sources, it’s still...
Giant Vegas Project May File for Bankruptcy
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 27, 2009 7:33 AM CDT
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City Center, the sprawling $8.6 billion Las Vegas development and the largest private construction project in history, will likely fail to make a $220 million debt payment today and may file for bankruptcy. The project is a collaboration between Kirk Kerkorian's MGM Mirage and Dubai World, a conglomerate owed by the emirate's government. The project's...
Brit Slams Behavior of Arrested Roadies
E! Online
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Mar 27, 2009 7:14 AM CDT
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Britney Spears distanced herself from two employees arrested in Pittsburgh yesterday for aggravated assault, E! reports. “Neither of the men involved are employees of the tour or Ms Spears,” read a statement posted on her blog—the men worked for a contracted company. “Britney Spears…does not support or tolerate this type...
Gillibrand Spent Years Defending Big Tobacco
New York Times
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Mar 27, 2009 7:11 AM CDT
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Kirsten Gillibrand, Hillary Clinton’s Senate successor, spent years as a Phillip Morris lawyer involved in some of its most sensitive cases in the 1990s, the New York Times reports. As a junior lawyer, Gillibrand helped fend off a federal perjury investigation against the tobacco giant, fighting off prosecution demands for company research...
Shawn Johnson's Alleged Stalker Pleads Not Guilty
E! Online
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Mar 27, 2009 7:00 AM CDT
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The man accused of stalking Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson pleaded not guilty to all charges yesterday, E! reports. In addition to his felony stalking charge, Robert O’Ryan, 34, is charged with two misdemeanor counts of carrying a loaded firearm. He is being held on $220,000 bail, and his preliminary hearing is April 27. Johnson was back in Dancing...
Safety Nets Help Europe Resist Stimulus
New York Times
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Mar 27, 2009 6:53 AM CDT
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Ahead of next week's G20 summit, the US and Europe are engaged in a major dispute over the best way to end the global recession: Washington wants more stimulus, while Germany and other EU nations say they've done enough. One overlooked factor in the debate, writes Nicholas Kulish in the New York Times , is generous social legislation...
Economic Hopes On the Rise: Poll
USA Today
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Mar 27, 2009 6:39 AM CDT
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More Americans appear to have hope that the economy is finally back on track. Over the past two weeks, the percentage of Gallup responders who hold that the economy is getting better has continually increased. From Monday through Wednesday, that percentage—29%—was the highest it’s been since July 2007, USA Today reports.
Suicide Bomb Kills 48 at Pakistan Mosque
Associated Press
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Mar 27, 2009 6:33 AM CDT
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A suicide bombing in a packed northwestern Pakistan mosque killed at least 48 people and injured scores more today, AP reports. The blast badly damaged the mosque in Jamrud, a town near the Afghan border in an area beset by Taliban attacks as well as vicious feuds between rival tribes and militant groups. About 250 people were attending prayers when...
Polar Bears' Other Threat: $35K Trophy Hunts
Independent (UK)
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Mar 27, 2009 6:28 AM CDT
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Polar bears, whose Arctic habitat is thawing out, have become the symbols of climate change, but they’re also prime targets for hunters in Canada, where trophy-hungry sportsmen cough up as much as $35,000 to bag a bear, the Independent reports. “This is probably the toughest hunt you can ever do,” said one Canadian guide who leads...
Body of Pirate Victim Found at Sea
Associated Press
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Mar 27, 2009 6:13 AM CDT
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The body of a British yachtsman murdered by pirates off the coast of Thailand was found by a fisherman yesterday floating in the sea, reports AP. Malcolm Robertson, 64, was beaten with hammers and his throat slit as his wife lay bound in the cabin of their sailboat earlier this week. Three teenage Myanmar fisherman have been arrested in the murder....
Japan, US Ready Defenses for N Korean Missile
Reuters
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Mar 27, 2009 6:09 AM CDT
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The Japanese government ordered its military to fire on a North Korean rocket if any part of it falls into Japanese airspace, reports Reuters. North Korea has said it will launch a communications satellite but is presumed to be testing a long-range missile, which is currently on a launch pad. North Korea has warned that any attempt to shoot down the...
Senate Panel Clears $3.6T Budget Plan
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 27, 2009 5:59 AM CDT
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President Obama's spending plans have passed a major hurdle in the Senate, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Senate Budget Committee passed a plan largely similar to Obama's $3.6 trillion request in a 13-10 vote split along party lines. The House committee passed its version Wednesday, clearing the way for debate in both houses of Congress...
Oliphant Cartoon Is Anti-Israel, Not Anti-Semitic
Gather
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Mar 27, 2009 5:29 AM CDT
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A Pat Oliphant cartoon is an attack on Israel, not "hideously anti-Semitic," writes blogger Emily Moulton in Gather. The controversial cartoon shows a woman carrying a small child labeled "Gaza" being pursued by a headless Nazi pushing a giant Star of David with teeth. "The cartoon is a political statement about Israel, not...
Brazil Prez Blames 'Blue-Eyed Whites' for Mess
Guardian (UK)
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Mar 27, 2009 4:51 AM CDT
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The world's black and indigenous people are paying the price for the blunders of "blue-eyed" bankers, Brazil's president declared yesterday. "This crisis was fostered and boosted by irrational behavior of some people who are white, blue-eyed," Lula da Silva said at a press conference in Brazil with British Prime Minister Gordon...
Body of Fugitive US Marshal Found in Mexico
CNN
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Mar 27, 2009 4:26 AM CDT
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The decomposing body of a US marshal wanted for stealing government property has been found dumped in a canal in Ciudad Juarez, CNN reports. Vincent Bustamente had been shot in the head execution-style, according to Mexican police. The El Paso officer had not been seen since he failed to show up for a court hearing last week.
Girl Faces Kid Porn Charges for Posting Self Nudes
WPIX11
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Mar 27, 2009 3:54 AM CDT
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A 14-year-old New Jersey girl has been charged with possessing and distributing child porn for posting nude photos of herself on her MySpace web pages, reports WPIX-TV. If convicted, the girl may have to register as a sex offender. The case highlights increasing problems with children posting or texting racy images of themselves. "This is a wake-up...
Missouri, 'Nova Make Elite 8
Los Angeles Times
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Mar 27, 2009 3:28 AM CDT
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Villanova and Missouri have powered through to the Elite Eight, reports the Los Angeles Times . Villanova rolled over Duke 77-54 to set up a Big East showdown with Pittsburgh. Wildcats guard Scottie Reynolds scored a game-high 16 points, while the No. 2 seeded Blue Devils were held to their worst shooting performance of the season, a shocking 16 for...
Burst Jakarta Dam Kills 50
Times (UK)
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Mar 27, 2009 2:57 AM CDT
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At least 50 people were killed today when a Jakarta dam burst, unleashing a 10-foot-high "mini-tsunami" that destroyed a neighborhood, reports the Times of London. The dam burst before dawn as people slept. The toll is expected to soar as more bodies are discovered. One neighbor recalled how she was startled awake seconds before the disaster....
Pakistani, Afghan Taliban Unite Against US
New York Times
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Mar 27, 2009 2:31 AM CDT
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Pakistan's Taliban leaders have pledged to scale back their battle against the government to help their Afghan counterparts fight the US surge, the New York Times reports. The leaders issued a statement promising to settle their internal differences to "bring dishonor on the infidels" after a visit from a delegation sent by Afghan Taliban...
Google Cuts 200 Jobs
Bloomberg
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Mar 27, 2009 2:07 AM CDT
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Google is cutting 200 sales and marketing positions to save costs as companies worldwide slash their online advertising budgets, Bloomberg reports. Company officials hope the trims will also help streamline the decision-making process. The jobs will be eliminated globally, and employees have been encouraged to seek new positions within the company....
Pet-Related Falls Injure Thousands
Washington Post
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Mar 27, 2009 1:40 AM CDT
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America's dogs and cats are responsible for 86,000 serious falls a year, the Washington Post reports. A federal study found that 1% of all emergency room visits for fall-related injuries were the result of owners tripping over pets or being pulled off balance during walks. Dogs were blamed for 88% of falls, compared with 12% for cats.
Pitt, UConn Advance
Associated Press
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Mar 26, 2009 9:34 PM CDT
(AP) -
For Pitt and UConn, it's on to the Elite Eight. Pitt had the tougher fight, edging Xavier 60-55 to reach the regional finals for the first time in 35 years. Levance Fields gave Pitt the lead with a 3-pointer with 50.9 seconds left, then scored off his own steal. The top-seeded Panthers trailed 54-52 before its point guard connected on that 3-pointer.
Obama's Pot Answer Too Dismissive
The Atlantic
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Mar 26, 2009 8:41 PM CDT
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President Obama drew chuckles today for his comments about legalizing marijuana—it's not a "good strategy to grow the economy"—but critics say he was too dismissive of a serious issue. "His answer was a non-answer," writes Andrew Sullivan in his Daily Dish blog at the Atlantic . "I'm tired of having the prohibition...
Fargo's Flood Forecast Worsens
ABC News
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Mar 26, 2009 7:55 PM CDT
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The forecast in Fargo is actually getting worse. The Red River may crest at a potentially catastrophic 43 feet this weekend—2 feet higher than previous warnings, ABC News reports. "We're in uncharted territory," said the mayor, as volunteers raced to raise the levees in the North Dakota city. In a sign of the fear, workers have begun...
McEnroe Helps Nab Art Dealer
New York Daily News
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Mar 26, 2009 7:04 PM CDT
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A prominent art dealer arrested today and accused of running a sort of art-world Ponzi scheme made one crucial mistake—he got John McEnroe mad again. The tennis great with the legendary temper triggered the investigation after being duped out of $2 million by Lawrence Salander, the New York Daily News reports. After McEnroe filed a civil suit...
Court Scraps Pa. Juvenile Convictions
Associated Press
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Mar 26, 2009 6:30 PM CDT
(AP) -
Pennsylvania's highest court today overturned hundreds of juvenile convictions issued by a corrupt judge who took millions of dollars in kickbacks from youth detention centers. The state Supreme Court ruled that former judge Mark Ciavarella violated the constitutional rights of youth offenders who appeared in his courtroom without lawyers between 2003...
Georgian Church Leader Sparks a Baby Boom
BBC
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Mar 26, 2009 6:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A little divine intervention has apparently helped a city in the nation of Georgia give its population a boost. Two years ago, faced with a stagnant birth rate, the head of Georgia’s Orthodox Church pledged to personally baptize any child born to parents with more than two other kids. The results are “a miracle,” says the church....
Sudan Accuses US of Strike
New York Times
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Mar 26, 2009 5:40 PM CDT
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Sudan is now blaming "American fighters" for an airstrike on a convoy of trucks in the desert, the New York Times reports. The US denies the charges. Sudan's accusation follows earlier reports that Israel conducted the January airstrike to prevent a weapons delivery to Gaza. A Sudanese official's statement may explain the apparent shift:...
India Struggles to Create Astronaut 'Space Curry'
Times (UK)
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Mar 26, 2009 5:31 PM CDT
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One of the biggest challenges of India’s burgeoning space program is culinary, the London Times reports. Researchers at the country’s defense science lab are struggling to adapt the complex, spicy national cuisine into something that will work in space. “Curry tends to be spicy, high in fat content and uses many ingredients,”...
Online Town Hall a Positive Step for Democracy
Washington Post
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Mar 26, 2009 4:41 PM CDT
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Sure, President Obama’s online town hall meeting today ended up being mostly like a normal press conference, writes Jose Antonio Vargas for the Washington Post , with Obama answering mostly “predictable” questions with “tried-and-tested policy responses.” What makes the event important is that the president was asked...
Budget Debate Devolves Into Verbal Slugfest
The Hill
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Mar 26, 2009 4:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The White House today ridiculed a budget proposal laid out by House Republicans, but the GOP gave as good as it got, the Hill reports. Spokesman Robert Gibbs said the GOP document included a “picture of a windmill” but no substantive numbers. “It took me several minutes to read it,” he quipped. “I think the ‘party...
US Afghan Plan: 4K More Troops, Help From Iran
The Atlantic
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Mar 26, 2009 4:19 PM CDT
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When President Obama unveils his strategy for Afghanistan tomorrow, he will for the first time ask Iran to help bring peace to the region, Marc Ambinder writes for the Atlantic . Obama may not mention Iran by name, but he will ask neighboring nations to form a group to mediate disputes and lay out long-term goals. “It will be clear, in any event,...
Economy Sees Law Firms Defer New Hires
Time
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Mar 26, 2009 4:02 PM CDT
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The sluggish economy has more law firms deferring offers of positions to graduating law students, Time reports. The idle young lawyers join more than 3,000 attorneys who have lost jobs since January 2008; the industry is expected to earn up to 10% less this year than last. One upside: Firms are offering as much as $75,000 to those who defer for a...
Cop Harassed NFL Player Trying to See Dying Relative
Dallas Morning News
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Mar 26, 2009 3:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Dallas police officer drew his gun on Ryan Moats after the NFL running back ran a red light as he tried to get to the hospital where his mother-in-law was dying of cancer, the Morning News reports. Dashboard video shows officer Robert Powell held Moats, 26, for 13 minutes in the hospital parking lot, threatening him with imprisonment. “I...
Jamie Lynn Spears' Wedding Off, But No Split
OK!
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Mar 26, 2009 3:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jamie Lynn Spears and Casey Aldridge are still very much together, but have called off a planned wedding, OK! reports. “Jamie Lynn has everything she wants and feels no need for a ring and piece of paper,” one insider said of Spears, 17, and Aldridge, 18. “She and Casey have weathered a lot in their young relationship already,”...
Tech Stocks Rally; Dow Up 175
Wall Street Journal
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Mar 26, 2009 3:16 PM CDT
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Stocks rallied today, led by advances in the tech sector, the Wall Street Journal reports. Intel and Hewlett-Packard jumped after Best Buy posted a 12% sales increase. Investors were also reassured by strong demand for 7-year Treasury debt, after weak results in yesterday’s 5-year auction. The Dow closed up 174.75 at 7,924.56. The Nasdaq rose...
NYC Weighs Ban on Circus Elephants
New York Times
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Mar 26, 2009 3:10 PM CDT
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The circus is in town, and in a related development, the New York City Council is considering a ban on the display of "wild or exotic animals" for entertainment, the Times reports. The bill, understood to be aimed at the Ringling Brothers pachyderms, has the support of almost half of the council's 51 members. "There is no wild,”...
Nicaragua's Ortega to US: Now Bail Out Central America
Miami Herald
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Mar 26, 2009 3:01 PM CDT
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Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega says the US should extend its zeal for bailouts south of the border, the Miami Herald reports. Ortega says Central America is reeling from the downturn as US manufacturing and textile plants shut down or downsize. It’s only fair, then, that the US offer a bailout to the region, similar to the ones for the...
NYC Art Dealer Charged With $88M Fraud
New York Times
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Mar 26, 2009 2:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A New York art dealer was charged today with stealing $88 million in investments and artwork in what may be an art-world Ponzi scheme, the Times reports. Investors and collectors say they entrusted Lawrence Salander with funds or artwork after the dealer promised hefty returns. In many cases, they were paid a fraction of the funds invested, or never...
Cash-Strapped IRS Slashes Evasion Penalty
New York Times
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Mar 26, 2009 2:33 PM CDT
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In an effort to increase revenue, the Internal Revenue Service is relaxing penalties on offshore tax evaders in hopes they will come forward, the New York Times reports. A penalty that was 50% of offshore holdings will drop as low as 5%. “They need to get money back into the system,” an insider said, “so they needed to sweeten the...
DNA Test: 13-Year-Old Isn't Father
San Francisco Chronicle
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Mar 26, 2009 2:23 PM CDT
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The British 13-year-old who became a tabloid sensation because he fathered a child with his teenage girlfriend isn't the dad after all, reports the Mirror , via the Mommy Files blog of the San Francisco Chronicle . A DNA test shows that Alfie Patten is not the UK's youngest father. The boy's mom said he had been "devastated" to learn...
Paris, New Beau Talk Kids
In Touch
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Mar 26, 2009 2:16 PM CDT
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Paris Hilton and boyfriend Doug Reinhardt are openly discussing having children, In Touch reports. “Paris would make a great mom—she’s my Angel Princess,” says Reinhardt, the former baseball prospect who’s recently dated Hills star Lauren Conrad and actress Amanda Bynes. The heiress herself is also up for kids. “I’d...
Hudson Visits Ellen, Gets Taken for a Ride
Us Weekly
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Mar 26, 2009 2:07 PM CDT
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Jennifer Hudson's lovely parting gift from the Ellen DeGeneres Show was a doozie, Us reports: Ellen gave Hudson a tandem bike as an engagement present. “David is going to love this,” Hudson said of fiancé David Otunga. “We're like big kids, so we like to ride bikes.”
North Korea Makes Threat Over Missile Launch
Reuters
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Mar 26, 2009 1:49 PM CDT
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North Korea said today it would reopen its nuclear facilities if the UN Security Council takes action over a planned missile launch, Reuters reports. If the UN adds sanctions against North Korea, Pyongyang said it would reverse the closing of both a nuclear reactor and its Yongbyon atomic plant, which was part of a pan-Asian deal signed in 2005.
Dems to GOP: Draft Your Own Budget
The Hill
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Mar 26, 2009 1:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Frustrated Senate Democrats today urged their GOP counterparts to stop criticizing President Obama’s proposed budget and provide an alternative, the Hill reports. “If it were easy to write a budget, then the Republicans would be writing one,” Dick Durbin said. Republicans responded that as the minority, that wasn’t their responsibility....
Times Cuts Salaries, Jobs ; Post Offers More Buyouts
New York Observer
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Mar 26, 2009 1:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The economic crisis and outdated business models are forcing steep cuts at three venerable news organizations. The New York Times today announced a 5% pay cut for all employees, who were offered 10 extra days off as compensation, "in a spirit of shared sacrifice and as a way to otherwise avoid layoffs in the newsroom," Executive Editor...
Obama on Weed Question: Dude, Chill
Associated Press
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Mar 26, 2009 1:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Pro-legalization activists stuffed the ballot box with questions about marijuana when the White House solicited questions for today’s online town-hall meeting, and President Obama went out of his way to address the issue, the Los Angeles Times reports. “I don’t know what this says about the online audience,” he joked, but...
