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Newser Story Index from April, 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.

Leno Still Hosptalized, Expected Back Monday
Access Hollywood | Apr 24, 2009 2:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - Jay Leno remained hospitalized today but is expected to be back at work on Monday, reports Access Hollywood . He's rumored to be suffering from food poisoning, but there's  still no official word. Leno reportedly has been joking with his doctors and the hospital staff since checking himself in yesterday. NBC will air another rerun tonight.
US Lends GM Another $2B
MarketWatch | Apr 24, 2009 2:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Obama administration provided General Motors with another $2 billion in low-cost federal loans today, MarketWatch reports. The funds are intended to keep the company operating as it attempts to restructure ahead of a June 1 deadline. GM has so far received $15.4 billion in loans from the government.
Dirty-Dealing Madoff Was a Clean Freak
CNN | Apr 24, 2009 2:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - "Neat freak" may be one of the more polite epithets used to describe Bernie Madoff, who comes off as an obsessive-compulsive nut in a Fortune profile by James Bandler and Nicholas Varchaver. In immaculately tailored suits, he dusted furniture and got down on hands and knees to straighten rugs. Madoff, now jailed, would startle female employees...
SC Wildfire Blamed on Burning of Yard Debris
Associated Press | Apr 24, 2009 1:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - Investigators say the wildfire tearing through South Carolina was set off by someone burning yard debris, the AP reports. The fire apparently rekindled days later, then burned through dry scrub and trees into North Myrtle Beach. The fire was about 50% contained this afternoon, and the tourist area of Myrtle Beach remains unscathed, but officials warned...
Obama's Secret Plan to Control Your Healthcare
Washington Post | Apr 24, 2009 1:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - President Obama is going to need more than a “cash-cow carbon tax” to fund his goals of “nationalized health care” and “federalized education,” writes Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post . Obama’s going to have to slash Social Security and Medicare. But his current health plan actually increases costs...
Cops Seek Help With Grisly Murder Case
Reuters | Apr 24, 2009 1:43 PM CDT
(Newser) - Australian police, frustrated by the lack of leads in the 2008 murder of a Chinese immigrant, have released photos showing the 34-year-old’s grisly death, Reuters reports. Chen Liu was shot 34 times in the head and neck with a high-powered nail gun before his body was dumped in a Sydney marsh last year.
Chrysler to Dealers: We're Not Going Bankrupt
Wall Street Journal | Apr 24, 2009 1:33 PM CDT
(Newser) - Chrysler isn’t facing imminent bankruptcy, its vice chairman told the automaker’s dealers today. “Nothing has changed,” Jim Press said on a conference call, three participants tell the Wall Street Journal . Chrysler still plans to restructure outside of bankruptcy and cut a deal with Fiat. But Press did say that, should Chrysler...
It's Official: New Orleans Will Never Be the Same
Times-Picayune (New Orleans) | Apr 24, 2009 1:21 PM CDT
(Newser) - Even if the government somehow managed to re-create pre-Katrina New Orleans, it couldn't guarantee the safety of the city and its residents, according to a new report. The Army Corps of Engineers is rebuilding levees in anticipation of a “100-year storm,” but for a city of New Orleans’ size nothing is truly sufficient, the Times-Picayune...
Mexican Swine Flu Outbreak Kills 60
BBC | Apr 24, 2009 1:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - An outbreak of swine flu in Mexico has left 60 people dead and hundreds of others infected, the BBC reports. The World Health Organization says the strain that killed at least 12 of the victims has the same genetic structure of the flu that sickened seven people in Texas and California, reports NBC News. All seven people have recovered. The strain...
Tyson Doc Scores a Knockout
Rotten Tomatoes | Apr 24, 2009 1:05 PM CDT
(Newser) - James Toback’s Mike Tyson documentary—a nearly uninterrupted monologue from the infamous boxer—has sent critics reeling in adoration. A sample of what they’re saying: “You won’t know what hit you,” raves Peter Travers in Rolling Stone , calling it “one of the best movies of any kind this year.”...
Perfect Game Makes Little League Girl Star
Star-Ledger | Apr 24, 2009 12:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - Life has been a bit insane for Mackenzie Brown since Tuesday, when the 12-year-old became the first girl in her Bayonne, NJ, Little League’s history to throw a perfect game. Brown’s performance cracked ESPN, she’s appeared on a Fox national morning show, and tomorrow she’ll throw out the first pitch at a New York Mets game,...
NFL Explores London Super Bowl
BBC | Apr 24, 2009 12:41 PM CDT
(Newser) - The NFL is in talks with London officials about holding a Super Bowl there, the BBC reports. “We have had very substantive conversations with the city of London,” a league exec says. “We’ve got to the point of exploring the bid document.” The next three Super Bowls, however, are already planned for US stadiums, so London...
Google Earth Knows Its ABCs
Telegraph (UK) | Apr 24, 2009 12:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - From an A-shaped street crossing to a building in the form of a Z, an Australian man has spelled out the alphabet using Google Earth. Rhett Dashwood spent 6 months painstakingly scanning satellite images of his native state, Victoria, and found buildings or geographical landmarks in the shape of all 26 letters, reports the Telegraph .
New Doughnut Puts Krispy Kreme in Sticky Situation
BBC | Apr 24, 2009 12:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - Krispy Kreme’s limited edition line of Down Under-themed pastries has prompted an indignant protest from the company that makes a beloved Australian cookie, the BBC reports. The Iced Dough-Vo is a tribute to Arnott’s Iced Vo-Vo biscuit, says the doughnut company. But Arnott’s sees it as a breach of its trademark for the fondant, jelly,...
Plane-Bird Collisions Up: FAA
Associated Press | Apr 24, 2009 12:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - Collisions between airplanes and birds have increased dramatically since 2000, with the number of instances at 13 major US airports doubling. New York’s JFK topped the list with the most avian accidents—30—since 2000, with California’s Sacramento International the runner-up at 28, the AP reports. Both are in areas—wetlands...
Madoff's 'Ninja' Deputy Willing to Talk to Feds
Fortune Magazine | Apr 24, 2009 12:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Bernie Madoff's chief deputy is ready to talk, Fortune reports. Frank DiPascali is working out a deal with federal prosecutors in which he’ll name names and give details of how the massive Ponzi scheme operated. Among the surprises: No Madoff family members will be implicated, at least by DiPascali. The others who knew of the ruse were operators...
More Women Explore 'Girl Crushes'
Oprah.com | Apr 24, 2009 11:50 AM CDT
(Newser) - “Girl crushes” are now fairly common—and more women are leaving heterosexual relationships behind entirely, O the Oprah magazine reports. In some cases, women are quite honest with their male partners about the crush: “The acceptance of the husband, I think, gives them permission to explore being attracted to me,” says...
Fighting Beats Expectations
Rotten Tomatoes | Apr 24, 2009 11:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - Fighting , the story of a Southerner who battles through New York’s underground fight scene, isn’t exactly full of surprises—but it works anyway, critics say. AO Scott was “unexpectedly delighted” by the film, which swims “through seas of cliché” but emerges “sparkling and fresh,”...
Make Boyle the New Brown
Times (UK) | Apr 24, 2009 11:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - Disenchanted Labour supporter Frank Skinner knows how the UK political party can turn things around: Make Susan Boyle the new party leader. Who would replace the Internet sensation on Britain’s Got Talent ? Gordon Brown, of course. “The thing is I really want Mr. Brown to be Susan Boyle—not just in a talent contest but all the time,”...
Go Ahead and Mess With Texas
FiveThirtyEight | Apr 24, 2009 11:28 AM CDT
(Newser) - An obscure provision of Texas statehood gives it the right to split into five smaller states, writes Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com. He outlines the potential new entities: New Texas: Centered on Austin, as populous as Kentucky, and split down the middle politically—city vs. suburbs.
First 100 Days: Team Obama Looks Back
Politico | Apr 24, 2009 11:17 AM CDT
(Newser) - With decisions that some presidents don’t make in 4 years packed into his first 100 days, what President Obama’s advisers deride as a “Hallmark holiday” presents a legitimate occasion for a report card, and for a Politico team to catch up with White House insiders. “I don’t want to go through accomplishments, because...
March New Home Sales Down 0.6%
Associated Press | Apr 24, 2009 11:09 AM CDT
(AP) - New US home sales dipped slightly last month but still beat expectations as builders start to see long-awaited encouraging signs about the housing market—including a dip in the inventory of new homes for sale. Sales fell 0.6% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 356,000, the Commerce Department said today.
Fallon's Late Night Is ... Good!
NPR | Apr 24, 2009 11:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - Few expected much from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, but since his uneven debut, he’s actually made the show an entertaining diversion for those who find themselves awake after midnight, writes Linda Holmes for NPR's "Monkey See" blog. "The best asset it's turned out Fallon has—other than his band The Roots, on whom...
Dear GOP, Americans Are Just Not That Into You: Maher
Los Angeles Times | Apr 24, 2009 10:57 AM CDT
(Newser) - The GOP is not coping well with loss. After a long, torrid affair with America, Republicans have gotten dumped, and they're hurting, writes Bill Maher in the Los Angeles Times . Now they’re going a little crazy, worrying about all the wrong issues, talking about secession and reeducation camps, throwing tea parties. “But it wasn't tax...
Craigslist Case Investigators Place Ad on Craigslist
Boston Globe | Apr 24, 2009 10:47 AM CDT
(Newser) - Investigators tracking the alleged Craigslist killer's actions are turning to the site at the heart of the case to reach out to more possible victims, the Boston Globe reports. They posted an ad in the site’s “Erotic Services” section reading: “Were you attacked or robbed at a Boston-area hotel after placing or answering an...
Fiat Exec Would Gut Chrysler to Save It
Economist | Apr 24, 2009 10:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - It may seem awfully cocky of Fiat chief Sergio Marchionne to assume that he can save Chrysler, generally written off in the industry as a lost cause. But there’s a reason Marchionne is optimistic, notes the Economist : He’s done it before. When he took over Fiat in 2004, the now-reborn company was bloated, in debt, overpowered by unions,...
LiLo, Sam Back to 'Complicated'
Us Weekly | Apr 24, 2009 10:29 AM CDT
(Newser) - Looks as though Samantha Ronson and Lindsay Lohan are on again—sort of. Ronson updated her Facebook status to “it’s complicated,” Us reports, while Perez Hilton adds LiLo spent a good chunk of yesterday at Sam’s house. Elsewhere: Poor Pamela Anderson “doesn't even have a credit card,” Courtney Love...
'Hungry Girl' Rescues Nation of Snackers
Washington Post | Apr 24, 2009 10:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - With seemingly simple mantras, Lisa Lillien has become the heroine of those who would rather snack on chips than spend time transforming organic ingredients. Lillien’s standards—How does it taste? Will it make me fat?—have secured her cookbooks bestseller slots and brought fans in droves to her Hungry Girl website, the Washington...
Leave Torture to Historians: Noonan
Wall Street Journal | Apr 24, 2009 10:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - On foreign policy, it’s “so far, so good” for President Obama’s first 100 days, writes Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal . (Domestically, “there are only so many ways to say ‘Oy.’”) But the torture debate appeared to catch the White House off-guard: "It was flat-footed, confusing."...
As Money Dries Up, So Does Architecture
Wall Street Journal | Apr 24, 2009 9:44 AM CDT
(Newser) - When the tower next to Rem Koolhaas’ mammoth CCTV skyscraper in Beijing went up in flames, it seemed to mark the end of an era. After years of pricey signature projects, architects are seeing commissions cut, and projects are languishing. “I don't even know about the word ‘downturn,’” Koolhaas tells the Wall Street Journal...
Foxx, Downey Lift Soloist
Rotten Tomatoes | Apr 24, 2009 9:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Soloist —an adaptation of a LA Times reporter's memoir of his friendship with a homeless man—may not hit all the right notes with critics, but powerful performances from Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx save the day. Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter : The pair are "both charismatic as hell without sacrificing any of...
Blago Plugs Reality Show He Can't Film
Associated Press | Apr 24, 2009 9:28 AM CDT
(Newser) - Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich may not be allowed to leave the country, but that didn’t stop him from promoting I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! —and tousling his famous hair in the process, the AP reports. While “parachuting” in front of a green screen and wind machines for a promotional spot on NBC,...
A Grand for Every Second He's Tortured
Huffington Post | Apr 24, 2009 9:24 AM CDT
(Newser) - It may have been an attention-seeking stunt when Sean Hannity volunteered to be waterboarded. If so, it worked, at least to get the attention of Keith Olbermann, who kept the long-running MSNBC/Fox pundit-smackdown going last night by putting money on the table. Olbermann offered to give $1,000 to military families for every second Hannity is waterboarded,...
Taliban Leaves Key Pakistan District
Reuters | Apr 24, 2009 9:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - A Taliban commander withdrew his troops today from a Pakistani district where their activity was fueling US concern, Reuters reports. “Our leader has ordered that Taliban should immediately be called back from Buner,” a spokesman said of the area, which lies just 60 miles from the capital, Islamabad.
Miley, Nick Jonas Hooking Up Again
New York Daily News | Apr 24, 2009 9:09 AM CDT
(Newser) - Bad news, Justin Gaston: You might’ve brought Miley Cyrus closer to God, but Nick Jonas will always be her first love. And a sequel is in the works for the two Disney stars, the New York Daily News reports. “Miley was over at the Jonas house recently, and they were smooching,” a source says. “They’re now spending more...
Town Cranks Stones, Zeppelin to Fight Crickets
Wall Street Journal | Apr 24, 2009 8:58 AM CDT
(Newser) - A tiny Nevada town faces a yearly menace next month in the form of legions of crickets that can be a mile long and two miles across. Among the more unusual tools in their arsenal: rock music. Residents of Tuscarora swear it works, or at least helps, and are getting ready to crank their stereos to play the Stones and Zeppelin, the Wall Street Journal...
Iris Cards Let Travelers Skip Customs
USA Today | Apr 24, 2009 8:56 AM CDT
(Newser) - A new digital card will allow Americans to skip customs lines at a foreign airport for the first time, reports USA Today . In a deal between Homeland Security officials and the Netherlands, US travelers approved for the ID card will be able to speed through Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, while Dutch citizens can do the same at JFK and...
Stocks Edge Higher
Wall Street Journal | Apr 24, 2009 8:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks got a modest boost at the open, as better-than-expected earnings battled with stress test anxiety. The Dow rose 51 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq added 0.6% and 0.4% respectively, the Wall Street Journal reports. Ford skyrocketed 19% after reporting a mere $1.4 billion—and more importantly burned through less cash. American Express...
'Cone of Silence' No Longer Muzzles Cheney
New York Times | Apr 24, 2009 8:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - Former vice presidents tend to keep a low profile right after leaving office—not so Dick Cheney, who has been making the rounds as a voice for Republican opposition. When Cheney “sees the current administration making decisions that he believes are making the nation less safe, he does not believe there is any obligation under those circumstances...
Banks Get Stress Test Grades
New York Times | Apr 24, 2009 8:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - The nation's biggest banks will start to learn how they did on the dreaded stress test today, reports the New York Times. Though the public won’t learn the results until May 4, analysts are predicting that many of the 19 banks will have to raise large amounts of new capital to survive a prolonged recession. Bank of America and Citigroup are...
Dem's Victory in NY House Race All But Official
Politico | Apr 24, 2009 8:24 AM CDT
(Newser) - The special election in New York’s 20th congressional district looks like it won’t go the way of the Minnesota Senate vote, with recounts, lawsuits, and ballot challenges, Politico reports. Republican Jim Tedisco may concede as soon as today to Democrat Scott Murphy, who holds a 401-vote lead with 761 to be counted.
Auto Workers Fear Deep Cuts in Pensions
Washington Post | Apr 24, 2009 8:03 AM CDT
(Newser) - As Chrysler and possibly GM head toward bankruptcy court, nearly a million retired workers fear deep cuts to their pensions and health plans, reports the Washington Post . Though the Obama administration is hoping to mitigate cuts, the plans are underfunded by billions of dollars. “I feel betrayed,” says one Chrysler worker. “They...
Bangkok Lifts State of Emergency
BBC | Apr 24, 2009 7:50 AM CDT
(Newser) - Thailand's prime minister has lifted a state of emergency imposed on Bangkok two weeks ago when violent protests rocked the capital, reports the BBC. Abhisit Vejjajiva said the move was to help reconcile the anti-government red-shirted protesters with their yellow-shirted pro-government rivals. Some protest leaders have been arrested, but others are...
Couple Held for Ditching Hungry Kids at Italy Pizzeria
Der Spiegel | Apr 24, 2009 7:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - A German couple has been detained in Italy for abandoning their three hungry kids at a pizzeria, reports Der Spiegel. The poverty-stricken young parents, found in a forest outside the town of Aosta, said they didn't know what else to do. The parents had left behind their car and a diary that suggested they were considering suicide. The children—ranging...
Scientists Build a Better Web—by Adding Metal
Ars Technica | Apr 24, 2009 7:42 AM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists have combined spider silk with metal atoms to boost web strands' already-phenomenal strength, reports Ars Technica. The breakthrough experiment advances the science of creating ever-stronger materials, as well discovering a successful method to bond metal to biological material. Experiments are already under way to make chicken eggs stronger....
Susan Boyle Dyes Hair, Dons Make-Up
Sun (UK) | Apr 24, 2009 7:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - Britain’s Got Talent judges can talk all they want about keeping their frumpy-chic new star just the way she is for the finals. Susan Boyle isn't having any of it: The YouTube sensation got a $50 dye job, haircut and straightening yesterday, turning her frowsy gray locks brown and wavy, after getting her bushy eyebrows tamed the day before....
Industry Muffled Own Scientists on Warming
New York Times | Apr 24, 2009 7:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - A coalition of industries linked to fossil fuels lobbied for more than a decade to cast doubt on global warming—while the companies' own scientists advised them that climate change was irrefutable, the New York Times reports. The Global Climate Coalition, financed by the oil, coal, and auto industries, conducted a multimillion-dollar ad campaign...
Former Facebook Exec Named MySpace CEO
Wall Street Journal | Apr 24, 2009 7:26 AM CDT
(Newser) - News Corp. has hired former Facebook executive Owen Van Natta to run MySpace, the Wall Street Journal reports. The expected move may be announced as early as today. The hiring comes fast for MySpace, which announced Wednesday that current CEO Chris DeWolfe was stepping down, along with fellow co-founder Tom Anderson as president.
60 Killed in Baghdad Double Bombing
Associated Press | Apr 24, 2009 6:53 AM CDT
(AP) - Back-to-back suicide bombings killed 60 and injured at least 125 today outside the most important Shiite shrine in Baghdad, the AP reports. The bombers detonated explosive belts within minutes of each other near the tomb of a prominent Shiite saint, shortly before the start of Friday prayers, as worshipers streamed in to the mosque, a key site for...
Ford Loses Just $1.4B, Turns Down Treasury Money
Bloomberg | Apr 24, 2009 6:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - Ford announced today a loss of $1.4 billion for the first three months of 2009—its worst Q1 result in 17 years, but nevertheless one that beat expectations, Bloomberg reports. The automaker said it expected to break even or possibly turn a profit in 2011, and it would not seek any loans from the government as its rival Chrysler prepares for bankruptcy....
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