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.
Army Introduces New Measures to Stem Suicides
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2009 6:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The army has begun a new effort to stem the rising toll of soldier suicides, hiring more mental health workers and instituting new rules for drug testing and health screening, reports AP. The number of suicides in the first three months of 2009 reached 56—after a record 140 last year. The armed forces have partly blamed the rising number of suicides...
6,500 Civilians Dead as Sri Lanka War Nears End
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2009 6:03 AM CDT
(AP) -
Nearly 6,500 ethnic Tamil civilians have been killed in the last 3 months of fighting in Sri Lanka, the UN estimates. The level of civilian deaths has increased dramatically as the bloody 26-year civil war draws to a close, with the army pressing Tamil separatists into a tiny coastal strip. International rights groups have accused the army of shelling...
Fires Fuel Climate Change, More Fires
Scientific American
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Apr 24, 2009 5:30 AM CDT
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Climate change calculations have missed the blazingly obvious, according to a new report from a global group of scientists. They warn that forest fires—generally considered to be a part of natural cycles—are a key driver of climate change, releasing vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and creating conditions that spawn bigger and...
Bizarre Swine Flu Strikes West
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 24, 2009 5:00 AM CDT
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Seven people in California and Texas have been struck by swine flu despite having no contact with pigs, the Los Angeles Times reports. Baffled investigators believe the unusual, newly detected form of the flu may be spreading from person to person. The symptoms are similar to standard influenza, leading officials to believe there may be more undetected...
California Passes World's First Carbon Fuel Standard
San Francisco Chronicle
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Apr 24, 2009 4:37 AM CDT
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California has passed a landmark rule to reduce the carbon content of vehicle fuel, reports the San Francisco Chronicle . The regulation, the first of its kind in the world, requires refiners and distributors to begin cutting the "carbon intensity" of fuel next year, and reach a 10% reduction by 2020. State officials believe the rule will...
Gun Match Made in Craigslist Killer Case
Boston Globe
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Apr 24, 2009 4:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Solid evidence is piling up against accused Craigslist killer Philip Markoff, the Boston Globe reports. A gun found at Markoff's home—concealed inside a copy of medical textbook Gray's Anatomy —matched the weapon used to kill Julissa Brisman in preliminary testing, and the suspect's fingerprints match those found on plastic restraints...
GOP Blocks Sebelius' Confirmation
Associated Press
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Apr 24, 2009 3:47 AM CDT
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President Obama will have to wait until at least next week to have a complete Cabinet after Senate Republicans blocked the immediate confirmation of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius yesterday, AP reports. A vote on the Health and Human Services Secretary nominee—whose appointment is fiercely opposed by anti-abortion groups—will now take place...
Aussie Pageant Teen 'Dangerously Thin'
Telegraph (UK)
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Apr 24, 2009 3:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Health experts are sounding the alarm over a dangerously underweight Australian beauty contestant in the Miss Universe pageant in Sydney, reports the Telegraph . Observers were stunned by the protruding bones of 19-year-old Stephanie Naumoska, who stands 5 foot 11 and weighs just 108 pounds. "There appears to be significant muscle wasting,"...
Reid Resists Torture Commission
New York Times
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Apr 24, 2009 2:57 AM CDT
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Harry Reid will back President Obama in resisting calls to immediately create an independent commission to probe the CIA's harsh interrogation program, the New York Times reports. The majority leader, backed by other top Senate Democrats, said it would be "very unwise" to start establishing commissions or tribunals before the Senate Intelligence...
Photos of Bush-Era Prisoner Abuse to Be Released
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 24, 2009 2:26 AM CDT
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The Obama administration is releasing dozens of photographs depicting prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq being abused by Americans, the Los Angeles Times reports. The photos are not believed to be as extreme as the images from the Abu Ghraib probe, but defense officials warn they may provoke an angry backlash in the Middle East.
Pakistan Sends Troops to Halt Taliban Advance
AFP
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Apr 24, 2009 2:01 AM CDT
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Pakistan has rushed hundreds of troops to an area overrun by Taliban militants, AFP reports. The extremists have seized control of Buner district—just 60 miles west of the capital—and witnesses say they are patrolling the streets, barring women from public places, and warning residents not to engage in "un-Islamic activities."...
North Korea Indicts 2 US Journos for 'Hostile Acts'
BBC
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Apr 24, 2009 1:30 AM CDT
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North Korea has indicted two US journalists arrested last month for unspecified "hostile acts," reports the BBC. The women, reporting on the nation's refugee crisis for Al Gore's Current TV, will be tried "on the basis of the confirmed crimes committed by them," according to state-run media. North Korean authorities have assured...
NBA's Statesman Mutombo Retires
Houston Chronicle
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Apr 23, 2009 10:35 PM CDT
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Dikembe Mutombo officially called it quits today after an 18-year NBA career. "I had a wonderful, wonderful ride," said the eight-time All-Star, injured in Tuesday's game. Tomorrow, fittingly, he receives yet another award for humanitarian service. The 42-year-old has long been involved in efforts for his native Congo, most notably by...
Fiat Begins Talks With GM While Courting Chrysler
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 23, 2009 9:25 PM CDT
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Fiat is bound and determined to join the big boys of the auto world, and it's using ailing US companies to gain a foothold. The Italian automaker has begun surprise talks with General Motors to buy a stake in GM's Opel division and expand its presence in Europe and Latin America, the Wall Street Journal reports. Fiat is simultaneously trying to buy...
Liz Cheney Defends Dad: 'We Did Not Torture'
ThinkProgress
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Apr 23, 2009 8:17 PM CDT
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Dick Cheney's daughter stuck up for her dad today, insisting in an MSNBC interview that the CIA's interrogation techniques did not constitute torture, reports ThinkProgress. Liz Cheney, a former State Department official in her own right, also echoed her father's sentiment that the interrogations yielded valuable information. Two detainees "gave...
Palin Pals Create Legal Fund
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 23, 2009 7:47 PM CDT
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Backers of Sarah Palin are creating a legal fund to help her pay off her approximately $500,000 in legal bills, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Alaska governor racked up the bills defending herself against a slew of ethics complaints and charges that she improperly fired her former brother-in-law as a state trooper. Donations will be capped...
McCain's Campaign Chief: He Never Had a Chance
Politico
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Apr 23, 2009 7:22 PM CDT
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The man who ran John McCain's campaign said his defeat was nearly preordained, reports Politico. It was "the strategic equivalent of throwing a football through a tire at 50 yards,” said Steve Schmidt. Given the ascendancy of Barack Obama—"the unfinished Bobby Kennedy campaign"—the unpopularity of George Bush, the economy,...
Shhhh, Don't Wake Up Larry
Chicago Tribune
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Apr 23, 2009 6:38 PM CDT
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Larry Summers is no doubt putting in a lot of hours these days as a White House economic guru. Which might explain his ill-timed catnap today, in front of the media in the Roosevelt Room, as President Obama expounded on the dangers of the credit card industry, reports the Chicago Tribune .
Paulson Threatened to Oust Lewis, BofA Board
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 23, 2009 5:31 PM CDT
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Bank of America wanted to pull out of its deal with a fast-sinking Merrill Lynch last year but changed course after then-Treasury chief Henry Paulson threatened to oust CEO Ken Lewis and the entire BofA board, the Wall Street Journal reports. The revelation came in a letter to members of Congress from New York AG Andrew Cuomo, who's investigating...
87,000 Iraqis Killed Since 2005
Associated Press
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Apr 23, 2009 5:02 PM CDT
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Iraq's government has a put a number on the toll of violence in the country: 87,215 deaths since 2005. The number—provided to AP by a Health Ministry official—counts people killed in violent attacks such as bombings through February. It doesn't count deaths attributed to factors such as infrastructure damage or poor health care....
Leno Hospitalized; Tonight Show Canceled
KTLA
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Apr 23, 2009 4:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Tonight Show host Jay Leno was hospitalized today, KTLA-TV reports, forcing the cancellation of this evening’s gabfest. Leno, who was feeling poorly, checked himself into the hospital, but his ailment is not serious—a spokeswoman said he was in “good spirits” and penning jests from his bed—and he is now resting at home,...
Times Co. Won't Go Private, Sulzberger Says
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 23, 2009 4:39 PM CDT
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The New York Times Company does not intend to take itself or its flagship newspaper private, the Wall Street Journal reports. Chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr. also told a shareholder meeting today that Carlos Slim, the Mexican billionaire who recently bought a large stake in the company, had no interest in influencing its direction. He “has not...
Bovine Industry Boon: Cow Genome Sequenced
Houston Chronicle
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Apr 23, 2009 4:30 PM CDT
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A 5-year, $53 million project has resulted in the sequencing of the cow genome, the Houston Chronicle reports. The results will likely take the guesswork out of breeding, but also mark the end of big-money sequencing projects. “It was pretty dumb to do the cow for $50 million when the cost will go down to $5,000 in a year or two,” a researcher...
Microsoft's Revenue Drops for First Time
Associated Press
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Apr 23, 2009 4:15 PM CDT
(AP) -
Microsoft Corp. said today its quarterly revenue fell from the previous year for the first time in its 23-year history as a public company, while its profit dived 32 percent. The shortfall illustrated the toll the recession has taken on the world's largest software maker, even though it remains one of the richest and most profitable companies. Microsoft,...
Pirate Bay Judge Belongs to Pro-Copyright Groups
The Local (Sweden)
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Apr 23, 2009 4:10 PM CDT
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One of the men convicted in the Pirate Bay file-sharing case is demanding a retrial, claiming that the judge is in cahoots with copyright-protection organizations, the Local of Sweden reports. Judge Tomas Norstrom acknowledges being a member of such groups but denies any conflict of interest. Last week, he found four men guilty of making copyrighted...
Japanese Boy Band Star Found Drunk, Naked, Screaming
Asahi Shimbun (Japan)
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Apr 23, 2009 4:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A member of SMAP, Japan’s most famous boy band, was arrested today after he was found naked, drunk and screaming in a public park at 3am, Asahi Shimbun reports. Tsuoyoshi Kusanagi, 34, reportedly screamed “What’s wrong with being naked?” at an officer while being removed. He had consumed so much alcohol that he was over the...
Chrysler May File for Bankruptcy Next Week
New York Times
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Apr 23, 2009 3:34 PM CDT
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Chrysler is preparing to file for bankruptcy as early as next week, the New York Times reports. The best-case scenario for survival: Chrysler will strike a deal with its lenders, file for bankruptcy protection to shed liabilities, then merge its strongest assets with Fiat. If those deals fall through, the company is looking at liquidation, the Wall...
Dow Up 70 on Mixed Earnings
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 23, 2009 3:16 PM CDT
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Stocks gained today amid mixed earnings news, the Wall Street Journal reports. Market volatility has dropped, with neither of the past two sessions seeing any big moves. Apple, eBay, Coach and Radio Shack beat expectations, while UPS, SunTrust Banks and Fifth Third Bancorp saw losses. The Dow rose 70.49 to close at 7,957.06. The Nasdaq gained 6.09,...
Craigslist Murder Suspect on Suicide Watch
ABC News
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Apr 23, 2009 2:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Accused “Craigslist killer” Philip Markoff has been placed on suicide watch after his Boston jailers found evidence he had tried to hang himself, ABC News reports. “Shoelace marks were found on his neck,” a corrections official said. Markoff has been moved from the general population to a closely watched segregated unit. “I...
Obama Pledges Credit Card Reform
Washington Post
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Apr 23, 2009 2:44 PM CDT
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President Obama told senior executives of credit-card firms today that he supports congressional efforts to rein in some of their business practices, the Washington Post reports. Both the House and Senate are working on bills to codify new regulations by the Fed that restrict lenders’ ability to arbitrarily raise interest rates on existing...
As Memory Slips Away, Music Lingers
New York Times
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Apr 23, 2009 2:24 PM CDT
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The Alzheimer’s patient had forgotten nearly everything, including his own name, but the sound of Frank Sinatra moved him to grab his wife and dance. The phenomenon demonstrates how deep-seated music is in the human brain, Sara Davidson writes for the New York Times ’ New Old Age blog. “If someone sang to you as a baby, before you...
Suave Knox Blanches at Video of Roommate's Body
Times (UK)
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Apr 23, 2009 2:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Murder suspect Amanda Knox averted her eyes and covered her face with her hands in Italian court today as police video of her slain roommate Meredith Kercher was shown, the Times of London reports. The video detailed the bloody crime scene and Kercher’s naked, lifeless body. While the American student looked away, alleged accomplice Raffaele...
Levi as Model? Agencies Think Not
Vanity Fair
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Apr 23, 2009 2:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
He might have been the hottest guy at Wasilla High, but Palin babydaddy Levi Johnston doesn’t do it for modeling agencies, reps tell Vanity Fair . A sampling of their reactions to the idea: New York Model Management: “I have no idea who he is or what he looks like. I wish I knew more about who that is, but my computers are down.”...
Schumer Wants Faster Action on Credit Cards
New York Daily News
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Apr 23, 2009 1:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sen. Chuck Schumer is putting pressure on the Fed and the Office of Thrift Supervision to enact restrictions on the business practices of credit card firms more quickly, the New York Daily News reports. The agencies have drafted new rules banning deceptive practices like hidden fees and retroactive rate hikes, but the measures don’t go into...
5 Signs of Facebook Addiction
CNN
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Apr 23, 2009 1:28 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If you're ignoring your kid or getting divorced because of Facebook—it's happened—you might have a problem. CNN outlines five telltale signs of Facebook addiction. Losing sleep: If you're tired every morning because of late-night-friending, take a break, a UCLA psychologist advises: "You shouldn't be neglecting yourself because...
Pharmacy Bungled Drug for Dead Horses
Palm Beach Post
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Apr 23, 2009 1:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Florida pharmacy that prepared vitamin supplements for the 21 polo horses that died last weekend has admitted that the mixture was faulty, the Palm Beach Post reports. Franck’s Pharmacy in Tallahassee said today that the level of one ingredient in the supplement—which the polo team says was Biodyl—was incorrect. The druggist said...
Mother Gains Notoriety After Kicking Kids to the Curb
Journal News (NY)
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Apr 23, 2009 12:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The quiet suburban life of Madlyn Primoff—a mother of two who litigated international financial disputes for a Park Avenue law firm—has come undone in a wash of publicity, the Journal News reports, after her kids’ bickering proved too annoying in downtown White Plains last weekend. In a bit of tough love, Primoff, 45, kicked her...
Skinny French Women Feel Fat: Study
AFP
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Apr 23, 2009 12:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Most French women feel fat, despite being among the thinnest women in Europe, a study finds. By contrast, much larger women in Britain, Spain, and Portugal consider themselves skinny, AFP reports. Researchers say women in France have a lower ideal weight compared to other European countries. In fact, more than 5% of French women are clinically underweight. ...
Bankrupt Sports Museum Holds Mementos Hostage
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 23, 2009 12:31 PM CDT
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New York’s Sports Museum of America has filed for bankruptcy, and is holding some priceless memorabilia hostage, the Wall Street Journa l reports. Though more established halls of fame saw the move coming and pulled out loaners, the trustee wants legal fees from owners of items still in storage, or they could go to auction. Items include Tony...
Think Hard: Telekinetic Toys On Their Way
Washington Post
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Apr 23, 2009 12:24 PM CDT
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Two companies are set to release toys this fall that kids can operate using only their minds—and that’s just the beginning of a telekinetic revolution, experts say. To use one toy, intrigued individuals wear a headset and concentrate on anything. The toy senses the brain’s electrical activity and uses it to run a fan, shooting the...
Polo Horses' Owner Also Mysterious
Time
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Apr 23, 2009 12:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Exactly what killed 21 polo horses in Florida is not known, but details of their enigmatic owner are emerging in spades. Victor Vargas has succeeded at the tricky proposition of banking in Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela, and tried the US market—with less-than-stellar results. In 1993, he had to settle with the Fed for $1.5 million, and can’t...
Wildfires Destroy Dozens of SC Homes
Myrtle Beach Sun News
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Apr 23, 2009 12:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Fires have forced the evacuation of around 2,500 people in the North Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina, the Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports. At least 40 homes have been destroyed and 100 damaged by fire in Horry County, a tourist hotspot; no injuries have been reported. "This has already proved to be a devastating event for Horry County,...
Basterds Headlines Cannes
Hollywood Reporter
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Apr 23, 2009 12:02 PM CDT
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The Cannes Film Festival unveiled this year’s roster today, and it’s packed with regulars like Ang Lee, Pedro Almodovar, and Terry Gilliam, according to the Hollywood Reporter . Among the most buzzed-about selections is Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino’s violent World War II pic. Anticipation is also high for The Imaginarium...
Michelle: Bo's 'Crazy'
Associated Press
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Apr 23, 2009 11:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Michelle Obama’s assessment of her daughters’ new dog? He’s “crazy.” The energetic Portuguese water dog likes to bark, play, and chew on people’s feet, the first lady said today during a question-and-answer session for the White House’s Take Your Child to Work Day festivities. Michelle spoke before the children...
NH Frat Brands Pledges With Bayonet
Concord (NH) Monitor
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Apr 23, 2009 11:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Two men face misdemeanor hazing charges for branding fraternity pledges at a New Hampshire college with a World War II bayonet, the Concord Monitor reports. Authorities began investigating the hazing after four students sought burn treatment at New England College's infirmary. Six of the seven pledges involved had 7-inch burn marks across their chests,...
How Wall Street Went Hollywood (and Brought Down Our Economy)
Boston Globe
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Apr 23, 2009 11:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
During the Great Depression, legend has it a group of Wall Street bankers went to Hollywood to see if it was worth investing in, only to be immediately repulsed by the brazen displays of wealth they saw there. Now that it's the bankers being pilloried for their excesses, writes Neal Gabler in the Boston Globe, it could be argued that the whole economic...
Court Aide Punished for Friending Juror
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Apr 23, 2009 11:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Philadelphia court officer has been suspended for trying to “friend” a female juror on Facebook. The 25-year court veteran defied the rules by contacting her, an administrator tells the Inquirer . The aide is back on the job after 10 days off, but has been moved away from contact with jurors and told he’ll be fired if it happens...
Dreamliner's Latest Estimated Takeoff: June
Seattle Times
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Apr 23, 2009 11:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
After years of delays, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner may finally be finished. After a full on-the-ground simulation, one will leave the factory this week to take a place on the runway for a real test flight in June, the Seattle Times reports. Boeing lost 32 jet orders due to delays and the economic crisis, but still has 866. It expects more cancellations,...
White House's Preferred First-100-Days Story Lines
Politico
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Apr 23, 2009 11:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama's savvy advisers may scoff at his 100th day as a "Hallmark holiday," but they're happy to tell reporters how to cover it. Politico lists what the White House is spinning: Obama's not overambitious, just a promise-keeper —right down to that new pup. His broader vision is unclear because it's so different...
Fired 'Noose' Prof Sues Columbia for $200M
CNN
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Apr 23, 2009 11:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Columbia University professor fired for plagiarism shortly after a noose was found hanging on her office door is suing her former school for $200 million. Madonna Constantine’s reputation was ruined by the “baseless” allegation, her lawyer tells CNN. The black professor has previously charged that the noose incident is related...
