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.
Violence Plummets as Mexican Army Polices Juárez
Washington Post
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Apr 21, 2009 8:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Since Mexico’s army took over for police in the drug haven of Ciudad Juárez, killings have dropped: In 2009’s first two months, there were 434 drug-related murders. In March, 5,000 troops arrived—and murders plummeted to 51, the Washington Post reports. With 10,000 soldiers now on the streets, “it’s the safest...
Earnings Send Stocks South
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 21, 2009 8:40 AM CDT
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Stocks slid at the open this morning, after a rash of less-than-inspiring earnings reports from major companies. The Dow was down 30 points, as components Coca-Cola, Caterpillar, Dupont, and Merck all posted lousy first quarters. Caterpillar swung to a loss and slashed guidance, sending shares down 5%, while Dupont fell 3.5% after earnings fell 59%....
If CIA Gets Pass on Torture, Why Not Lynndie?
NPR
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Apr 21, 2009 8:38 AM CDT
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Among those infuriated at President Obama's decision to "turn the page" rather than prosecute officials who sanctioned torture at CIA prisons, and agents who conducted it, are supporters of Lynndie England, the jailed “face of the Abu Ghraib scandal.” They agree that her abuse of prisoners was wrong, but they see a double standard,...
Senators Rank Bipartisan Colleagues
The Hill
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Apr 21, 2009 8:23 AM CDT
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If you want to reach across the aisle in the Senate, chances are you're stretching toward Ted Kennedy or Susan Collins, according to a Hill survey of the upper chamber. “I’d love to co-sponsor every piece of legislation with Ted Kennedy,” says Sen. Richard Burr. The most partisan least faves? Democrat Patrick Leahy, for whom Dick...
Geithner Puts Brakes on Bank Repayments
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 21, 2009 8:01 AM CDT
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Tim Geithner is warning Wall Street that he will consider more than banks' individual financial fitness when deciding whether they can pay back bailout funds—and escape from the strings attached to them. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal , the Treasury secretary says that the whole banking system, and in turn the wider economy, has...
Mel's Lover Keeps Sex Diary
Sun (UK)
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Apr 21, 2009 7:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Oksana Pochepa keeps a secret sex diary—and Mel Gibson might be in it. The 24-year-old Russian pop star, who claims she’s Gibson’s lover, records how often she’s slept with each man in her diary—and rates their performances. “She once showed me the diary and I could barely believe it,” a pal tells the Sun...
Cheney Seeks Release of More CIA Memos
Politico
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Apr 21, 2009 7:53 AM CDT
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It’s no surprise that Dick Cheney thinks President Obama is wrong on torture. The surprise is that the infamously secretive former VP is suddenly in favor of public disclosure of classified memos that he thinks will prove his point. For his memoirs, Cheney has asked the CIA to declassify memos showing a direct connection between “enhanced...
Honeymooning? Stay at Hotel Saddam
New York Daily News
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Apr 21, 2009 7:47 AM CDT
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One of Saddam Hussein's massive palaces is set to be converted into a world-class hotel, reports the New York Daily News, with crack Iraqi tourism officials eying the former dictator's sumptuous bedroom as the honeymoon suite. While the novelty might appeal to some, not everybody's convinced.
Chrysler Gets New Aid, but End May Loom
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 21, 2009 7:19 AM CDT
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The Obama administration has given a further $500 million to keep Chrysler afloat, but Washington signaled yesterday it increasingly believes Chrysler will not survive as an independent company. Treasury officials met yesterday with CEO Robert Nardelli, as well as the heads of the United Auto Workers and Italian automaker Fiat. If it fails to...
Paula Abdul Headed to Idol Stage?
Associated Press
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Apr 21, 2009 7:16 AM CDT
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New Twitterer Paula Abdul is using the social networking site to tease a return to the stage—possibly on American Idol , the Los Angeles Times reports. Responding to the suggestion of an enthusiastic fan, Abdul tweeted, “I wouldn’t be surprised if you catch me on stage in the next month. Stay tuned…” She’s also...
20 Crime Probes Launched Into Bailout Fraud
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 21, 2009 6:59 AM CDT
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Federal authorities have begun 20 separate investigations into possible fraud, tax violations, insider trading, and other criminal activities surrounding Henry Paulson's $750 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, reports the Los Angeles Times . It's only the first round of probes, according to the bailout program's inspector general, who called TARP...
Miss Cali's Sis Is Gay Rights Activist
Access Hollywood
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Apr 21, 2009 6:39 AM CDT
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In just one day, Miss California became one of the most well-known opponents of gay marriage—but her sister is a gay rights activist, she revealed to Access Hollywood . “She has her own views,” said Carrie Prejean of her sister. “She debates with my dad all the time about it. That’s what’s so great about being an...
Zuma Coasting to South African Presidency
CNN
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Apr 21, 2009 6:11 AM CDT
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With less than 24 hours to go before South Africa's fourth post-apartheid general election, polls confirm that Jacob Zuma will sail to victory as the country's new president. But while his African National Congress has gained votes in every election since 1994, allegations of corruption and a revitalized opposition may cost the ANC the two-thirds majority...
Polo Owner Wept as Horses Died in His Arms
Palm Beach Post
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Apr 21, 2009 6:09 AM CDT
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Devastated polo team owner Victor Vargas cradled the heads of his fallen horses and sobbed as they died in his arms, colleagues said yesterday. The wealthy Venezuelan banker—whose business has thrived despite Hugo Chavez's socialist regime—rushed from animal to animal as 21 suddenly collapsed and died shortly before a Palm Beach polo tournament...
Nobelist Lawyer Defends US Prisoner in Iran
Washington Post
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Apr 21, 2009 5:58 AM CDT
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Shirin Ebadi, the dissident Iranian human rights lawyer who won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, will defend the Iranian-American journalist sentenced this weekend to 8 years in prison, reports the Washington Post . Ebadi is seeking to secure a bail release for Roxana Saberi, who was convicted of spying for the United States after initially being accused...
White House Targets Credit Card Chicanery
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 21, 2009 5:58 AM CDT
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The Obama administration is throwing its weight behind congressional efforts to crack down on credit card companies, the Wall Street Journal reports. Lawmakers are pushing legislation to ban practices like arbitrarily raising interest rates on existing balances and the president is expected to take a hard line on the issue in a meeting with execs...
Catholics 'Will Enjoy' Da Vinci Prequel: Howard
Huffington Post
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Apr 21, 2009 5:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Ron Howard wants to make something clear: He is not anti-Catholic, and neither is his upcoming film, Angels & Demons . The beleaguered prequel to the similarly controversial Da Vinci Code is under fire from the Catholic League, and Howard responds to the latest “silly and mean-spirited work of propaganda” on the Huffington Post:...
Cyberspies Steal Pentagon's Jet-Fighter Plans
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 21, 2009 5:14 AM CDT
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Cyberspies believed to be working from China repeatedly penetrated the computers of one of the Pentagon's most important weapons programs, reports the Wall Street Journal. Hackers broke into the system for the Joint Strike Fighter Project—the Defense Department's most expensive program ever at $300 billion—and downloaded several terabytes...
Huckaby Linked to Earlier Kidnapping
Tracy Press
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Apr 21, 2009 4:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The accused killer of an 8-year-old California girl has been linked to an earlier abduction of a child in the same community, reports the Tracy Press . A 7-year-old girl was led from her neighborhood in January by a woman driving the same kind of car belonging to Sunday school teacher Melissa Huckaby. The teacher was charged last week with murdering...
Spanish Price Collapse Could Signal New Global Woes
New York Times
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Apr 21, 2009 4:45 AM CDT
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Spain has suffered a major blow from the global economic crisis, with sky-high unemployment that could soon reach 20%, and merchants across the country are taking a drastic step: slashing retail prices. While lower costs in shops and restaurants might sound appealing, it's actually very bad news—the first sign of a deflationary spiral that can...
Meg: Eww, Rove Is Twitter-Stalking Me!
Daily Beast
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Apr 21, 2009 4:07 AM CDT
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Meghan McCain likes being able to share the "humorously uncensored" moments of her life on Twitter but she's not so thrilled about sharing them with the likes of Karl Rove, she writes in her Daily Beast blog. "I am now being followed by Karl Rove, and my local sheriff, and God knows how many other political pundits," McCain...
Pulitzer Winner Was Laid Off
Portfolio
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Apr 21, 2009 3:39 AM CDT
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Pulitzer, Schmulitzer: being a terrific journalist is no insurance against unemployment. East Valley Trib reporter Paul Giblin was laid off from the Arizona paper last year even though he co-authored its series on immigration crackdowns that won a Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting yesterday. The supervising metro editor was also let go. But they...
Nabbed Pirate Arrives in NY
New York Daily News
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Apr 21, 2009 3:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The only pirate to survive the attempted hijacking of the Maersk Alabama has arrived in New York to face charges, the New York Daily News reports. Abduhl Wali-i-Musi, manacled and flanked by a dozen agents, smiled for photographers as he was led into FBI headquarters in Manhattan. Investigators have determined he's at least 18 and can be tried as...
Scientists Spot End of World
Times (UK)
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Apr 21, 2009 2:50 AM CDT
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Astronomers looking at dead stars trillions of miles away believe they have glimpsed Earth's eventual fate, the Times of London reports. The scientists found that many white dwarfs—stars that swelled, burned out, and collapsed—are surrounded by a dust they think is the remnants of planets like ours destroyed in the stars' death throes....
'Devastated' Stanford: I'm No Thief
Houston Chronicle
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Apr 21, 2009 2:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
“As God is my witness, there is no Ponzi scheme," accused swindler Sir Robert Allen Stanford told the Houston Chronicle yesterday. His financial companies were well-run before the government seized and "disemboweled" them, claimed the billionaire. If any fraud was committed at Stanford Financial, it was done by its former CFO,...
China Finds Vast New Stretches of Great Wall
BBC
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Apr 21, 2009 1:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Chinese scientists have discovered huge sections of the Great Wall of China that have been concealed by sandstorms over time, reports the BBC. A high-tech study using infrared and GPS technology found that the barrier built to protect against northern invaders is up to 1000 miles longer than experts previously believed.
Coleman Takes Vote Battle to Top State Court
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Apr 21, 2009 1:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Embattled former senator Norm Coleman is keeping alive the last fight of Election 2008 with an appeal to Minnesota's Supreme Court, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Coleman is arguing that a lower court that awarded Al Franken a 312-vote victory denied constituents their constitutional rights by rejecting some absentee ballots. Franken, meanwhile,...
Banned Blackwater Still Working in Iraq
Associated Press
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Apr 20, 2009 8:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Washington refused to renew Blackwater's contracts in Iraq, and Baghdad told the company to get out—but that doesn't mean it's actually left, the AP reports. The private mercenary firm, now called Xe, still runs ground operations and provides air security for US convoys, and may continue doing so until as late as September.
Chicago Plans Day to 'Talk Like Shakespeare'
Chicago Sun-Times
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Apr 20, 2009 7:59 PM CDT
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"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow"—exactly 3 days from now—Chicago will celebrate the Bard's 445th birthday with "Talk Like Shakespeare Day," the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Mayor Richard Daley unveiled the plan, saying Chicagoans can "bring the spoken words of Shakespeare into their daily lives." For...
'Giving-While-Living' Philanthropy Dies in Ireland
GlobalPost
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Apr 20, 2009 7:32 PM CDT
(AP) -
Like the rest of the recession-plagued world, Ireland isn’t as affluent as it used to be, but the country is especially weakened now that declining wealth is denting its burgeoning culture of philanthropy, GlobalPost reports. Three years ago, the Irish were Europe’s second-wealthiest citizens, but bad assets have cost them $142 billion—just...
You Skipping Ads? TiVo Plans to Sell That Info
USA Today
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Apr 20, 2009 6:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Watch out Nielsen, here comes TiVo. The company that allows you to skip ads and store shows on its digital video recorder plans to sell your viewing habits to stations and advertisers, USA Today reports. Unlike Nielsen, TiVo can sell second-by-second breakdowns of the shows and ads people watch. But its privacy policies strop it from collecting...
Obama Visits CIA to Defend Memo Release
Associated Press
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Apr 20, 2009 6:35 PM CDT
(AP) -
Days after releasing top-secret memos that detailed the CIA's use of simulated drowning while interrogating terror suspects, President Obama went to the spy agency's Virginia headquarters today to defend his decision and bolster the morale of its employees. "I acted primarily because of the exceptional circumstances that surrounded these memos,...
Judge Holds Madoff Assets for Feds
Bloomberg
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Apr 20, 2009 6:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A federal judge stopped Bernard Madoff's assets from moving into bankruptcy today, saying the government may claim them through criminal forfeiture because of Madoff's Ponzi scheme, Bloomberg reports. US District Judge Denny Chin blocked more than $100 million from being moved, a setback to investors who had won the right to seek the money through...
Slumdog Star's Mom, Stepmom Lock Horns
Daily Mail (UK)
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Apr 20, 2009 5:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The mother and stepmother of Slumdog Millionaire star Rubina Ali slapped and tore at each other in a Mumbai slum today, the Daily Mail reports. The mother started the catfight after Ali's dad, Rafiq Qureshi, was arrested for allegedly trying to sell the 9-year-old for £200,000. “You treacherous b*tch, give my daughter back," Rubina's...
Police Charge Premed Student as 'Craigslist Killer'
Boston Herald
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Apr 20, 2009 5:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Boston police arrested 22-year-old premed student Philip H. Markoff today for being the "Craigslist killer," the Boston Herald reports. Nabbed at a traffic stop outside Boston, Markoff was charged with murder, kidnapping, and unlawful possession of a firearm, and thrown behind bars. Police believe he murdered a masseuse last week and...
Chrysler Execs Spurn $750M Fed Loan Over Pay Limits
Washington Post
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Apr 20, 2009 4:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Chrysler's financing arm has turned down a $750 million federal loan in order to skirt limits on executive pay, sources tell the Washington Post. Fearing that an earlier $1.5 billion loan was running out, the Treasury offered Chrysler Financial the extra credit about 2 weeks ago, attaching strict compensation limits. But 25 top executives refused...
Twitter: LSD for Our Time
PhilBaumann.com
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Apr 20, 2009 4:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The parallels between Twitter and LSD are just too trippy for blogger Phil Baumann to ignore. “What was once a side project, a sort of laboratory experiment,” he writes, “has now seeped into the public domain and everyday more and more people are tripping tweeting.” Highlights from his top 25 ways that Twitter resembles LSD:...
Americans Take Third at Boston Marathon
Associated Press
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Apr 20, 2009 4:13 PM CDT
(AP) -
Ethiopia’s Deriba Merga overcame the disappointment of his Olympic fade to win the Boston Marathon today, and Kenya’s Salina Kosgei won the closest women’s race in the history of the event. Americans took third in both races for the best US finish since 1985. Merga, who was passed in the last quarter-mile, pulled away and won in 2...
Livid Wall Streeters See Themselves as Victims
New York
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Apr 20, 2009 4:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Main Street doesn’t hold a monopoly on victimhood, Gabriel Sherman writes in New York . From AIG execs and their disappearing bonuses to Wall Street bankers who get dirty looks, the once-privileged feel like they’re shouldering too much blame. “It is difficult to sympathize with these people,” Sherman writes, “but you...
Gore, Righties Bond Over Non-Embryonic Stem Cells
New Scientist
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Apr 20, 2009 3:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Some conservatives see recent investments by Al Gore’s venture-capital group into stem-cell research involving a non-embryonic variety as a tacit denial of that more invasive method, the New Scientist reports. Gore’s company has put $20 million into a project researching treatment with induced pluripotent stem cells, which do not require...
New York Times Garners 5 Pulitzers
Associated Press
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Apr 20, 2009 3:40 PM CDT
(AP) -
The New York Times received five Pulitzer Prizes today, including one for breaking the call-girl scandal that destroyed Gov. Eliot Spitzer's career. The Las Vegas Sun won for public service for exposing a high death rate among construction workers on the Las Vegas Strip. America's top journalism awards were announced after one of the most depressing...
Banks Push Dow Down 290, Below 8,000
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 20, 2009 3:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks saw deep declines today as uneasiness over banking spilled into the broader market, the Wall Street Journal reports. Bank of America slid 22% on word of growing losses in its credit-card unit. Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase also fell on reports of a Treasury move that may dilute shareholder value. The Dow lost 289.60 to close...
Green Marketing Blossoms Despite Recession
Advertising Age
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Apr 20, 2009 3:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Manufacturers of eco-friendly products are finding themselves in the green despite the sputtering economy, Advertising Age reports. One research company reports 458 launches of products that claim to be sustainable or environmentally friendly in 2009, a trend that—if it holds—would triple the number of green launches last year and more...
4 Years Overdue, New Dan Brown to Land in Sept.
New York Observer
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Apr 20, 2009 3:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The follow-up to Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code should finally see the light of day later this year, the New York Observer reports. Publisher Doubleday says The Lost Symbol will hit shelves Sept.15, 4 years after originally hoped. The first print run will be 5 million copies, the publisher’s largest ever. “This is one of the most...
1st Amendment v. Dogfight Video: High Court to Decide
Chicago Tribune
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Apr 20, 2009 2:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Supreme Court agreed today to hear that pits the First Amendment against the production and sale of dogfighting videos, the Chicago Tribune reports. The case involves a man jailed for selling several brutally explicit videos of pit bulls fighting. A federal appeals court overturned his conviction on grounds that the law against dogfighting videos...
Having Top NFL Draft Pick Is Now 'Lead Necklace'
Fox Sports
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Apr 20, 2009 2:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As far as usefulness and entertainment value, Michael Rosenberg writes for Fox Sports, the NFL draft, which begins Saturday “is dead.” Inflated rookie contracts mean the worst teams have the privilege of paying exorbitant fees for unproven players. Take the Lions, 0-16 last season. Their “reward for being so historically, preposterously...
Pot Holiday Goes Mainstream
The Monitor
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Apr 20, 2009 2:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Marijuana enthusiasts will toke up today in celebration of 420, the pot holiday that corresponds to the code for pot consumption across the nation, the Monitor reports. The term 420 was hatched in 1971 by a dozen high school pot smokers who used to meet at 4:20 in the afternoon to light up. “This has gone from a goofy cultural phenomenon to...
Choir Rejected Web Fave Boyle
Daily Mirror (UK)
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Apr 20, 2009 2:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Susan Boyle, the Britain’s Got Talent singing sensation, could probably join any choir she liked. But that wasn’t the case two months ago, when she was rejected by a local group. “We had no vacancies,” a rep tells the Mirror . “It was a shock when I saw her on the television.” Boyle had auditioned for the reality...
Oprah Cans Columbine Episode
New York Post
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Apr 20, 2009 2:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Oprah Winfrey canceled an episode of her show commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Columbine shootings, set to air today, the New York Post reports. “After reviewing it, I thought it focused too much on the killers,” Winfrey said of the scrapped show in a Facebook posting. “Today, hold a thought for the Columbine community.”
Katrina Negligence Case Against Feds Goes to Court
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 20, 2009 2:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hurricane Katrina victims get their day in court beginning today, as a federal judge hears a lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers. Tens of thousands of New Orleans residents could win damages, in what lawyers are calling “the last case standing” against the government. “This is sort of the Exxon Valdez litigation of the government...
