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.
No More Nudity, Hefner Ex Vows
Us Weekly
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Apr 22, 2009 11:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Betrothal hasn’t tamed Hugh Hefner ex Kendra Wilkinson—at least not much, Us reports. “I still am wild, but not as wild,” the Playmate told E! in an interview airing last night. Fiancé Hank Baskett, on the other hand, “is a very conservative guy.” But Wilkinson has loosened him up to the point that he will...
On Hot-Button Issues, Obama Keeps Cool
Politico
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Apr 22, 2009 10:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama has been “dancing on cultural third rails with seeming impunity,” reports Jonathan Martin of Politico. He’s gone to France and called America “arrogant,” liberalized relations with Cuba, and eased up on medical marijuana—all moves that Bill Clinton wouldn’t have touched with a 10-foot pole. But...
Susan Boyle Makeover Begins
Deadline Scotland
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Apr 22, 2009 10:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Susan Boyle, Britain’s Got Talent contestant and Internet sensation, has been the subject of one hot debate: Makeover or no makeover? The makeover process has already begun, Deadline reports—Boyle appeared recently in a trendy dress and leather jacket. “It wasn’t until I saw myself on TV that I realized how frumpy I was,”...
Obama Pandered to Lefties With Memo Release: Cheney
Politico
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Apr 22, 2009 10:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Dick Cheney said President Obama’s release of Bush administration torture memos was meant “essentially to appease a certain element of the Democratic Party or because of campaign commitments,” Politico reports. Speaking on Fox News, Cheney did a mocking impression of al-Qaeda’s reaction: “Gee whiz, isn't that great? Barack...
Farrow Will Fast for Darfur
BBC
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Apr 22, 2009 10:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mia Farrow will start a hunger strike on Monday to draw attention to the living conditions of Darfur's millions of refugees, the BBC reports. The actress wants to show solidarity with those whose suffering has increased since the Sudanese government banned aid groups. The actress is asking "human rights advocates and citizens of conscience around...
'Fridge' in Hospital With Serious Illness
Chicago Tribune
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Apr 22, 2009 10:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
William "the Refrigerator" Perry is in serious condition at a South Carolina hospital, the Chicago Tribune reports. The former Bears defensive tackle was diagnosed last year with Guillain-Barré, a syndrome that causes inflamed nerves and weakness. The star of the 1986 Super Bowl "is improving every day and they hope he is released...
Meet Drag Racing's Unlikeliest Sponsor
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 22, 2009 10:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The biggest name in American drag racing is an unfamiliar one: Sheik Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani. The 22-year-old son of the emir of Qatar has a deep love of fast cars and even deeper pockets—his new team's budget is estimated at $10 million, reports the Wall Street Journal . "That's the ultimate sponsor, because he's the guy who loves drag...
Opening Her Tomb Won't Tell Us Who Cleopatra Was
New York Times
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Apr 22, 2009 10:05 AM CDT
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If the tomb that archaeologists are about to start excavating in Egypt really is Cleopatra’s, what will that really tell us about the legendary queen? Aside from possibly clearing up questions about her heritage and cause of death, probably not much, writes Cleopatra expert Stacy Schiff in the New York Times .
Craigslist Survivor: 'I Didn't Resist Him'
ABC News
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Apr 22, 2009 10:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The woman who survived a robbery at the hands of Craigslist suspect Philip Markoff did so by offering no resistance, ABC News reports. “I just complied with everything he wanted me to do,” said Trisha Leffler, whom Markoff met at a Boston hotel for a massage. “I didn’t resist him in any way and that’s why.” Leffler,...
Wild Plants—Even Stinging Ones—Wow Foodies
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 22, 2009 10:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Move aside, organic veggies—the new hot trend for foodies is eating wild. One forager recommends a leaf with "a bright green note that makes you sit up and pay attention, with a peppery zing. Imagine an untamed spinach." The Wall Street Journal investigates the herb he's speaking of: the humble, and apparently delicious, stinging...
Up to 110K Civilians Flee Sri Lankan War Zone
Reuters
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Apr 22, 2009 9:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Thousands more civilians flooded out of the final battlefield in Sri Lanka’s civil war today, bringing the total number of displaced to more than 80,000, Reuters reports. The UN said that number could be as high as 110,000, though only 7,500 had reached refugee camps clear of the violence. The Sri Lankan army has broken the remaining Tamil Tiger...
NYC Probes Rattner's Firm in Pension Scandal
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 22, 2009 9:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
New York City authorities are investigating whether Quadrangle Group, formerly led by Obama car czar Steven Rattner, deceived managers of the city's pension funds, the Wall Street Journal reports. Rattner's firm, Quadrangle, paid finders fees to Searle & Co., which had been headed by now-indicted political adviser Hank Morris, for $85 million...
Israel Finds No War Crimes in Gaza Attacks
Haaretz (Israel)
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Apr 22, 2009 9:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An Israel Defense Forces probe has found that no Gaza civilians were intentionally harmed in Israel’s recent incursion into the region, Haaretz reports. IDF colonels who weren’t involved in the fighting found that the IDF “adhered to international law and maintained a high level of professionalism and morality.” Civilian deaths,...
Aargh! Buccaneer High on the Pirate Life
BBC
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Apr 22, 2009 9:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The pirating life isn’t easy, but the rewards are many and some Somalis see the bandits as heroes, one buccaneer tells the BBC. The man, 25, says he used to be a fisherman, but he signed up with the hijackers after "illegal fishing and dumping of toxic wastes by foreign fishing vessels" emptied the local seas and deprived him of his...
IMF Sees Global Economy Shrinking
Associated Press
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Apr 22, 2009 9:37 AM CDT
(AP) -
The world economy is likely to shrink this year for the first time in 6 decades, says the International Monetary Fund in projecting a 1.3% drop in a dour forecast today. That could leave at least 10 million more people around the world jobless, some private economists said. "By any measure, this downturn represents by far the deepest global recession...
Obama Invites Middle East Leaders to DC
BBC
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Apr 22, 2009 9:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama has invited the leaders of Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority for talks in Washington in a new bid for a Middle East peace agreement, reports the BBC. Obama extended the invitations after a meeting yesterday with Jordan’s King Abdullah, at which the president spoke of "profound cynicism" surrounding the peace...
Leo, Oprah Voted Greenest Celebs
New York Daily News
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Apr 22, 2009 9:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Oprah Winfrey was voted the greenest female celebrity in an Earth Day poll, the New York Daily News reports. Leonardo DiCaprio beat out Brad Pitt and Bono for the No. 1 male spot in the survey by GreenDaily.com and Bebo.com. On the other hand, Mariah Carey is least green, joining other laggards like John Travolta, who owns a fleet of private jets.
Fam of 3rd Wife Sues Peterson for Her Death
Chicago Tribune
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Apr 22, 2009 9:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Sick of waiting for a grand jury to act, Kathleen Savio’s family has filed a wrongful death suit against husband Drew Peterson, the Chicago Tribune reports. The grand jury, which expires next month, has been investigating the death of Savio, Peterson’s third wife, and the disappearance of fourth wife Stacy Peterson since November 2007....
Boy-Crazy LiLo Returns to Wild Ways
New York Post
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Apr 22, 2009 9:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Lindsay Lohan is back to her pre-Samantha Ronson ways: “a different man every night,” a pal tells the New York Post , and as many as six nightclubs in one evening. Friends are concerned the star is entering a Britney Spears-level “meltdown”—but without any stable family members to prop her up. She’s “a complete...
Partner Writes Loving Plea for Saberi's Release
BBC
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Apr 22, 2009 8:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A decorated Iranian film director who describes himself as Roxana Saberi's fiance has written an open letter protesting her imprisonment, the BBC reports. "I beg you not to throw her in the midst of your political games!" Bahman Ghobadi writes in his impassioned plea. "She is too weak and too pure to take part in your games."
Stocks Slide on Grim Earnings
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 22, 2009 8:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks headed lower at the open today, thanks to another round of dour corporate earnings. The Dow fell 44 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq dropped 0.9% and 0.8% respectively. Morgan Stanley tumbled more than 8%, after reporting a quarterly loss, and slashing its dividend. Wells Fargo, on the other hand, reported a 52% income jump, but its shares...
Jackson Hopes to Win Journo's Release
Star (Malaysia)
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Apr 22, 2009 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jesse Jackson has filed for an Iranian visa and is hoping to make a diplomatic trip as a “free agent” to argue for the release of Roxana Saberi, the Malaysia Star reports. The veteran civil rights activist says he was Saberi's first interview subject when she was a journalism student at Northwestern. “We want to make a humanitarian...
Pentagon to Create New Cyber Command
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 22, 2009 8:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Obama administration is about to create a new military command to bolster American offensive powers in cyberwarfare and to coordinate defenses against digital attacks, reports the Wall Street Journal . A four-star general will lead the new command, which will have responsibility for protecting the country from attacks by hackers, particularly...
Freddie Mac CFO Found Dead in Apparent Suicide
Washington Post
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Apr 22, 2009 8:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Acting Freddie Mac CFO David Kellerman was found dead this morning in what appears to have been a suicide, the Washington Post reports. Kellerman, 41, joined Freddie Mac as an analyst in 1992. He was promoted to CFO when the government took over Freddie last fall, but the company, which hemorrhaged billions as the mortgage market collapsed, has been...
Rihanna, Chris May Reunite Tonight
Daily Star (UK)
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Apr 22, 2009 8:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Chris Brown and Rihanna may be reuniting in public for the first time tonight, the Daily Star reports. Rihanna is a confirmed guest at an ASCAP Awards after-party honoring a songwriter who has worked with both her and Brown; Brown is “possibly” attending. Meanwhile, Rihanna is planning “a ‘women empowerment’ type of...
Colon Cancer Drug Flunks Important Test
New York Times
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Apr 22, 2009 8:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Clinical trials to determine the drug Avastin’s effects on early-stage colon cancer were a big disappointment for drug firm Genentech, the New York Times reports. The drug, which is typically used in late-stage cancer, didn’t significantly cut the recurrence rate among 2,700 subjects in the early stages, Genentech said. A successful study...
Obama's Auto Boss Faces Charges of ... Nothing
Washington Post
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Apr 22, 2009 7:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The press is abuzz over Obama auto-recovery boss Steven Rattner’s ties to a pay-to-play scandal, but every story about Rattner mentions he’s not accused of anything. What he apparently did—paid to receive part of a public pension fund to manage—is “an open practice,” so why the fuss? asks Michael Kinsley in the ...
Banks, Treasury Play Chicken on Chrysler Deal
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 22, 2009 7:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A group of big banks balked at the Treasury’s proposal that they slash 85% of Chrysler’s debt, the government’s second such request. Instead, in what the Wall Street Journal calls a “significant act of brinkmanship” as an April 30 deadline looms, the banks, including bailout recipients Citigroup, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs,...
High Court Skeptical of Strip-Search Case
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 22, 2009 7:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Savana Redding’s lawyers made their case before the Supreme Court yesterday, condemning the strip-search of a 13-year-old in a hunt for ibuprofen as unreasonable search and seizure. But the justices were skeptical, the LA Times reports, with their questions indicating they were leery of limiting school officials’ powers to look for drugs,...
Fidel: Raul's Overture Was 'Misinterpreted'
Associated Press
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Apr 22, 2009 7:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
What President Obama took to be a historic overture from Cuba was actually just a misunderstanding, according to Fidel Castro. The former president—apparently enraged by suggestions that Cuba make concessions in return for improved US-Cuban relations—wrote in his online column that Obama "misinterpreted" his brother Raul's statement...
Craigslist Suspect: 'Bully' With Gambling Habit
Boston Herald
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Apr 22, 2009 7:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Accused Craigslist killer Philip Markoff was an awkward teenager with a penchant for bullying girls, reports the Boston Herald, not to mention a serious gambler at the Indian casino where his mother worked . One high school classmate said Markoff "had this hatred for people he thought were beneath him," adding, "I think he had a complex."...
US Readied Waterboarding as Early as 2001
Washington Post
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Apr 22, 2009 6:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Bush administration prepared to use waterboarding and other harsh tactics widely considered to be torture 8 months before the Justice Department approved them, and even before capturing a high-level terrorist suspect, the Washington Post reports. A Senate investigation reveals these brutal interrogation methods were approved despite warnings...
Record Turnout Predicted as South Africa Votes
Mail & Guardian (South Africa)
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Apr 22, 2009 6:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The polls have opened in South Africa's general election, with a record 23 million citizens expected to vote today. Jacob Zuma is all but guaranteed to become the country's next president, though strengthened opposition parties and voter frustration at corruption and crime have created the toughest challenge for his African National Congress since...
Major Companies Believe a Rebound Cometh
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 22, 2009 6:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Some major companies are slowly becoming optimistic about the economy again, the Wall Street Journal reports. Delta Airlines says seat sales are almost at the level they were a year ago and United Technologies says its decline in orders is stabilizing. Intel is among the most upbeat, saying "the worst is now behind us" and no drop in revenue...
US Doc Boasts He Implanted 11 Human Clones
Independent (UK)
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Apr 22, 2009 5:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A controversial American fertility doctor is boasting that he cloned 14 human embryos and implanted 11 of them them into women, reports the Independent . None of the tranfers led to a viable pregnancy. A documentary filmmaker recorded the procedures involving four women who had hoped to become the first mothers of cloned babies. Transferring cloned...
'Bloodthirsty' New Guinea Tribesman Sues New Yorker
Forbes
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Apr 22, 2009 4:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Papua New Guinea tribesman portrayed as a bloodthirsty, revenge-driven killer in a New Yorker article is seeking payback from the magazine, Forbes reports. A $10 million lawsuit charges that the story wrongly accuses Daniel Wemp and another tribesman of rape and murder when they had only been recounting traditional tall tales. A New Yorker ...
Long-Distance Love Light Shines in New Gizmo
BBC
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Apr 22, 2009 4:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Tired of texting your long-distance lover to say how much you care? A Scottish research lab hopes to connect couples with something a bit more poetic: "painted" light. Users of Mutsugoto wear touch-activated rings tracked by motion-sensing cameras mounted above their beds; caress your own arm and a matching beam of light sweeps across your...
Cyberstupid Craigslist Killer Left Virtual Trail: Cops
Boston Herald
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Apr 22, 2009 3:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Alleged Craigslist killer Philip Markoff may have used the Internet to plan his crimes but his lack of tech savvy led detectives straight to him, the Boston Herald reports. A single email Markoff sent to murder victim Julissa Brisman was swiftly tracked to his home address, where detectives recognized Markoff as the suspect seen on surveillance video,...
Maoist Train Hijackers End Siege in India
CNN
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Apr 22, 2009 3:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Suspected Maoist rebels who hijacked an India train ended a four-hour standoff with authorities and released 300 passengers, reports CNN. No one was injured. Hundreds of men surrounded and disabled the train as it traveled through a forest in the state of Jharkhand early today. Rebel attacks in the area have mounted as India's month-long elections...
Suspects in Brit Terror Raids Freed for Lack of Evidence
Telegraph (UK)
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Apr 22, 2009 2:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Nine of the 11 suspects arrested in Britain's terror raids earlier this month have been released without charge due to lack of evidence, the Telegraph reports. The release of the remaining two is expected soon. The government is seeking to deport the men—suspected of being involved in what Prime Minister Gordon Brown labeled "a very big...
Dim Sun Is Cold Comfort to Scientists
Telegraph (UK)
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Apr 22, 2009 2:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The sun may be heading for one of its dimmest periods in history, but that doesn't mean the big star is joining the battle against global warming, according to scientists. The sun hit a 100-year low in sunspot activity last year, reports the Telegraph .
Hitler's Nazi Super-Cows Head to Britain
Independent (UK)
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Apr 22, 2009 1:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A British farm specializing in rare breeds has purchased descendants from a Nazi project aimed at breeding an ubër-ox, the Independent reports. The Heck cattle stock were developed from efforts to recreate the auroch—a huge proto-cow that once roamed Europe—through selective breeding to remove the genes of "racially degenerate"...
Suicidal NY Lawyer Kills Family in Hotel
New York Daily News
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Apr 22, 2009 1:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A troubled Long Island attorney killed his wife, two children and himself in a Baltimore hotel, police said yesterday. "The why and the motive in this is just a big blank right now," said a police official of attorney William Parente, 59, who had an estate and tax planning practice in Manhattan. The parents "loved each other, and they...
Penn: Rush, Cheney 'Among Greatest Cowards' Ever
Huffington Post
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Apr 21, 2009 10:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sean Penn is a little agitated about all the abuse President Obama is taking for shaking hands with Hugo Chavez. It's nothing but the "posturing of our nation's most bitter and humanly impotent voices," he writes in the Huffington Post. Obama should have been tougher goes the refrain from Newt Gingrich, Dick Cheney, and others. "All...
Obama's Intel Chief: Interrogations Yielded 'High Value Information'
New York Times
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Apr 21, 2009 9:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama's own intelligence chief said harsh interrogations of terror suspects yielded "high value information" that "provided a deeper understanding" of al-Qaeda, the New York Times reports. Dennis Blair made the statement in a memo to his staff last week, the same day the Obama administration released the Bush team's...
Abdul: 'I've Never Been Drunk'
New York Post
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Apr 21, 2009 8:57 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Any interview with Paula Abdul has acres of fertile ground to cover, and this Thursday's sit-down with ABC's Nightline is no exception. In excerpts released early, Abdul calls Simon Cowell a "masterful bully," says there's no tension between her and new Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, denies ever being drunk or on drugs during the show, and...
McCain Snarls, But Senate OKs Hill as Iraq Ambassador
The Hill
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Apr 21, 2009 8:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Senate tonight approved Christopher Hill to be the next ambassador to Iraq, overriding the strong objections of John McCain, the Hill reports. McCain argued that Hill doesn't have enough Mideast experience, and he also criticized his work as ambassador to North Korea. Despite the opposition, the Senate approved the appointment by a vote of 73-23....
Drudge Goes Underground
New Republic
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Apr 21, 2009 8:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Where's Matt Drudge? Though he remains a political force via his website, the man himself "has gone almost completely underground," writes Gabriel Sherman in the New Republic . Fed up with media interest in his personal life, Drudge reportedly spends much of his time traveling abroad. "He's totally portable," said a friend. Another...
Feds May Drop Case Against Lobbyists in Harman Flap
Washington Post
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Apr 21, 2009 7:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Federal prosecutors may drop charges against two pro-Israeli lobbyists at the center of a wiretapping scandal involving a member of Congress, the Washington Post reports. The feds say the possible move has nothing to do with the scandal involving Rep. Jane Harman. Instead, a series of recent court decisions in similar cases—the men are accused...
Teen Pirate Will Be Tried as Adult; Faces Life in Prison
Associated Press
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Apr 21, 2009 7:07 PM CDT
(AP) -
The sole surviving pirate from an attack on an American cargo ship off the Somali coast will be tried as an adult after he was portrayed today as the brazen ringleader of a band of pirates who shot at the ship's captain and bragged about prior acts of piracy. The bravado that authorities say Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse displayed as the first pirate to...
