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.
Urine Test Predicts Smokers' Lung Cancer Risk
NPR
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Apr 20, 2009 3:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A chemical detectable in urine can help predict which smokers are prone to lung cancer, NPR reports. A 10-year study of 500 smokers found that those with the highest levels of nicotine and NNAL—created as the body metabolizes tobacco—were 8.5 times more likely to develop cancer. Researchers believe NNAL levels are linked to genes.
Hijacker of Canadian Jet Surrenders
BBC
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Apr 20, 2009 3:22 AM CDT
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The hijacker of a Canadian jet demanding to fly from Jamaica to Cuba has freed the six crewmembers he was holding and surrendered, reports the BBC. The man, whom authorities described as "mentally challenged," appeared to check in normally last night, then forced his way aboard the CanJet charter flight brandishing a weapon. No one was injured....
14 Horses Drop Dead Before Polo Match
Palm Beach Post
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Apr 20, 2009 2:49 AM CDT
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A mystery death claimed the lives of 14 horses from a Venezuelan team yesterday shortly before they were to compete in the US Open Polo Championship in Florida. The $100,000 horses suddenly struggled to breathe as vets fought to revive them, the Palm Beach Post reports. Onlookers wept after the animals "dropped to the grass," said...
'Drunk, Cell-Chatting' Driver Charged in Texas Kid Deaths
Houston Chronicle
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Apr 20, 2009 2:27 AM CDT
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A Houston driver was charged with four counts of intoxication manslaughter yesterday after his car careened into a flooded ditch, killing three of his kids and two others. The 32-year-old dad was arrested after failing an on-the-spot sobriety test, said police. The body of a 4-year-old girl is still missing, reports the Houston Chronicle. The driver...
Weight a Minute! Fatties Hurt Earth
Reuters
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Apr 20, 2009 1:55 AM CDT
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People's carbon footprints grow as their weight increases, Reuters reports. By eating and tending to drive more than average, the world's billion overweight people each create an extra ton of carbon emissions annually, a recent study has calculated. "When it comes to food consumption, moving about in a heavy body is like driving around in...
Actors Board Narrowly Backs Contract Deal
Associated Press
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Apr 20, 2009 1:34 AM CDT
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A two-year contract narrowly approved by the board of the Screen Actors Guild board would boost pay 3.5% a year, but dodges payment for most online reruns. The pact, which would cover film and TV actors, was passed by just 53% of the newly elected moderate board, and now faces a full membership vote, the Los Angeles Times reports. The issue over...
Leaded Gas May Have Slowed Climate Change
New Scientist
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Apr 19, 2009 7:49 PM CDT
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The dirty fumes of leaded gas may have curbed global warming for a few decades in the 20th century, the New Scientist reports. Researchers in Washington state have found that lead particles are key to creating ice crystals, which help form clouds—which aid global cooling by reflecting sunlight back into space. The use of leaded gas, now phased...
Iraqi Lawmakers End Standoff, Pick Speaker
BBC
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Apr 19, 2009 7:15 PM CDT
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Iraq ended months of political paralysis today by selecting Ayad al-Samarai as its new parliamentary speaker, the BBC reports. An even-tempered Sunni engineer, al-Samarai failed to win a big enough majority for 4 months because of fears he sought to oust Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the Los Angeles Times reports. The new speaker promised...
Companies Leak Drugs Into US Drinking Water
Associated Press
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Apr 19, 2009 6:34 PM CDT
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Federal regulators have consistently looked away as Big Pharma and other manufacturers poured at least 271 million pounds of drugs into waterways that supply US drinking water, the AP reports. Records kept unintentionally by the FDA and EPA show that 22 compounds, some considered dangerous by scientists, have leaked into America's water supply....
India Election Sees Shoes Fly, Politicos Duck
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 19, 2009 5:56 PM CDT
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Inspired by the Iraqi reporter who hurled his shoes at President Bush, the world’s largest democracy has picked up the habit, the Los Angeles Times reports. In recent weeks, three people have enlivened India's national election by flinging footwear at politicians—always missing, but sparking much publicity. "Flying footwear are now...
'Cult' Writer JG Ballard Dead at 78
Guardian (UK)
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Apr 19, 2009 5:30 PM CDT
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British author JG Ballard died this morning "with great sadness" after many years of poor health, his agent said today. The 78-year-old novelist and short story writer was most famous for his semi-autobiographical book Empire of the Sun , later made into a film by Steven Spielberg, and his controversial novel Crash , adapted for the screen...
Casinos Score Big With 1¢ Slots
Associated Press
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Apr 19, 2009 5:08 PM CDT
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Penny-pinching gamblers are flocking to casinos for a cheaper bet these days: penny slots. The machines enable them to play longer with the same amount of cash, and, thanks to modern paper payouts, no longer burden them with noisy bucket-loads of coins. Casinos don't mind the games, either. "Their house edge is bigger" on them,...
Tweener Love Boosts 17 Again
Entertainment Weekly
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Apr 19, 2009 4:42 PM CDT
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Zac Effron out-manned Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck at the box office this weekend as 17 Again banked $24.1 million, Entertainment Weekly reports. State of Play scored a so-so $14.1 million, followed by Monsters vs. Aliens ($12.9 million), Hannah Montana: The Movie ($12.7 million), and Fast & Furious ($12.3 million). Jason Statham’s...
Broke Feminist Faces Health Care Battle
NPR
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Apr 19, 2009 4:15 PM CDT
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When Kate Michelman had mounting bills as a pregnant single mother of three in 1969, she lobbied for abortion rights and became one of America's top feminists. Now, treading water financially again, she's girding for a new fight—over health care. Her daughter is paralyzed and her husband has health problems, but Michelman said her "top of...
Obama Defends Handshake, Urges Cuba to Free Prisoners
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 19, 2009 3:59 PM CDT
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President Obama defended his friendly chat with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and asked Cuba to free its political prisoners, the Wall Street Journal reports. At the close of the Summit of the America's today, Obama brushed off Republican criticism, saying that turning a new page with Venezuela and Cuba represents "an opportunity for frank...
Archaeologist: Cleopatra, Mark Antony Tomb Is Close
Associated Press
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Apr 19, 2009 3:29 PM CDT
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An eccentric Egyptian archaeologist believes he knows where Mark Antony and Cleopatra were buried, the AP reports. An excavation team has uncovered a mask fragment with an Antony-style cleft chin, coins bearing Cleopatra’s likeness, and 10 mummies from the same time period in the Toposiris Magna temple, hinting that the doomed lovers may be buried...
Full-Price Fury Sends Writer to the Dumpster
Gourmet
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Apr 19, 2009 3:03 PM CDT
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Since February, W. Hodding Carter's family of six has been living within their means on $550 a month, which means making hummus at home and slashing extras like candy and fancy cheese. But now, in a fury over the "unconscionably insufficient number of sale items" at his local supermarket, Carter writes in Gourmet that he's ready for Plan...
Spitzer Walks Long Road to Redemption
Newsweek
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Apr 19, 2009 2:22 PM CDT
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As he returns to the public eye, Eliot Spitzer is working on being a normal person—a daunting task for a man long accustomed to power, Jonathan Darman writes in a Newsweek cover story. He’s grown less image-conscious, often spotted jogging around New York in sweatpants. And he makes no bones about having disgraced himself and his family....
Holocaust Tattoos Indelibly Link Fellow Survivors
Associated Press
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Apr 19, 2009 2:03 PM CDT
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Menachem Sholowicz and Anshel Sieradzki don't remember crossing paths briefly in 1944, at perhaps the defining moment of their lives, but the ink on their arms leaves no doubt. Serial numbers the Nazis tattooed on each man's arm at Auschwitz are consecutive—Sholowicz is B-14594 and Sieradzki is B-14595. "I rolled up my sleeve and sure enough—I...
Friends, Experts Skeptical of Huckaby Guilt
San Francisco Chronicle
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Apr 19, 2009 1:33 PM CDT
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Family and friends of Melissa Huckaby can’t believe the Sunday school teacher might have killed and raped 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "She was actually really mellow and a good friend, and she loved her daughter so much,” a college friend says. And with police still working the case, some observers...
Five '70s Cars That Plain Suck
Wired
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Apr 19, 2009 1:06 PM CDT
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The 1970s was "a decade of excess mediocrity in so many quarters it's hard to catalog it all," Tony Borroz writes in Wired . But you can start with the cars. Here follow five total flops. Ford Mustang Cobra II: "An over-glorified Pinto" that made a "mockery of the venerable Cobra name" and the car "that...
Dad Wants to Sell Slumdog Child Star
News of the World (UK)
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Apr 19, 2009 12:52 PM CDT
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The family of Slumdog Millionaire child star Rubina Ali really is stuck in the slums of Mumbai, and her father may be trying to trade her in for his ticket out, the News of the World reports. The tab contacted Rafiq Qureshi, posing as a rich Dubai couple interested in adopting Rubina, after hearing that Qureshi had offered to sell her.
Still Wrestling 'Fat Kid Thing,' John Goodman Returns to Stage
New York Times
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Apr 19, 2009 12:15 PM CDT
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Unlike millions of Americans, John Goodman hated Dan Conner, the beleaguered husband he famously played on Roseanne . “It’s one of those arrogant things that happen to you when you don’t realize the breaks you’re catching,” Goodman tells the New York Times . But the portly actor has moved on, and is readying his first...
Meghan McCain: 'Old School' GOP 'Scared Sh**less'
Huffington Post
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Apr 19, 2009 11:50 AM CDT
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Meghan McCain says “old school Republicans” are “scared shitless” of the future, Huffington Post reports. The new GOP it-girl told a friendly audience of Log Cabin Republicans that “too many Republicans want to cling to past successes. We’re seeing a war brewing in the Republican Party. But it is not between us and...
CIA Waterboarded Gitmo Detainee 183 Times in a Month
Emptywheel
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Apr 19, 2009 11:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Department of Justice memo that detailed interrogation techniques used on prisoners at Guantanamo Bay notes that in August 2002, suspected al-Qaeda official Abu Zubaydah was waterboarded 82 times, while the following March, 9/11 suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times. But as the blog Emptywheel points out, there's no way to get...
NATO Thwarts Pirate Attack on Norwegian Ship
USA Today
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Apr 19, 2009 11:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
NATO forces prevented Somali pirates from capturing a Norwegian tanker during a dramatic 7-hour battle, USA Today reports. Seven pirates attacked the ship but backed off after crewmembers fired warning shots at their skiff. NATO troops were forced to release the pirates after seizing their weapons because of legal and logistical hurdles involved...
Ahmadinejad: Ensure Jailed Journo's Rights
Reuters
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Apr 19, 2009 10:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In connection with the case of jailed Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written to Tehran's prosecutor to urge him to "make sure that the accused people will enjoy all freedoms and legal rights to defend themselves." Saberi's lawyer, who plans to appeal her 8-year sentence, approved of the president's message,...
Army May Not Want You So Bad After All
Washington Post
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Apr 19, 2009 10:14 AM CDT
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Rising unemployment and safer conditions in Iraq have boosted interest in joining the Army, allowing recruiters to raise acceptance standards. The Washington Post reports that felons and recent drug users need not apply, and the pool of applicants also is better educated. For the first time since 2004, the Army is on track this year to meet its goal...
Summers: End of Cuban Embargo 'Way Down Road'
Politico
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Apr 19, 2009 9:42 AM CDT
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The US trade embargo against Cuba won’t be ending anytime soon, President Obama’s economic adviser insisted today. “That’s way down the road, and it’s going to depend on what Cuba does going forward,” Lawrence Summers told NBC’s Meet the Press , saying Obama’s actions are “grounded in American...
Saddam Would Be Proud: Vice Is Back in Baghdad
New York Times
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Apr 19, 2009 9:09 AM CDT
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Religious extremists and kidnappers are mostly gone now from Baghdad’s streets, clearing the way for the return of prostitutes and gamblers, the New York Times says. Violence—and thus nighttime curfews—in Iraq’s capital has subsided, allowing liquor stores and nightclubs to revert back to their Saddam-era numbers. “Everything...
Two Koreas Agree to Rare Meeting
Reuters
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Apr 19, 2009 8:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
South Korea has agreed to North Korea's rare request for talks over a shared factory park, Reuters reports. South Korea will send 10 envoys north of the border Tuesday to discuss the Kaesong complex, where the North has been holding a South Korean worker for weeks after he derided its communist system. “Our priorities are the security of South...
After Big Promises, Has Obama Gone Soft?
New York Times
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Apr 19, 2009 7:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
During the campaign, President Obama promised sweeping changes and a new way of doing things in Washington—but in the Oval Office, he’s been noticeably willing to compromise, write David Herszenhorn and Jackie Calmes in the New York Times . While he’s not dropping his chief concerns, “The thing we still don’t know about...
Ron Paul's Pirate Solution: Bounty Hunters
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 19, 2009 6:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Texas Congressman Ron Paul looked to the history books for a solution to America’s pirate woes—and he says the government should put bounty hunters on the job, the Los Angeles Times reports. The idea has momentum in Congress, unlike some other notions suggested by the former presidential candidate. And the Constitution already provides...
MTV Ditches Rich-Kid Shows for Do-Good Obama Era
New York Times
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Apr 19, 2009 6:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
MTV is hoping to boost its sagging ratings by revamping itself in the image of the do-good Obama Era, reports the New York Times . In a new reality show, The Buried Life , four buddies road trip across the US, checking off the 100 things they hope to do before they die—with a good Samaritan twist: Deserving locals get help with their own wishes...
Bono: 'It's Not Charity, It's Justice'
New York Times
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Apr 19, 2009 5:41 AM CDT
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Bono returns to his New York Times guest columnist spot a week after Easter with a spiritual meditation about the holiday and economics. The season of Lent is not just a time for individual reflection, opines the singer, but also for rethinking our social priorities. Of global projects like the fight against AIDS and malaria, he writes: “It’s...
Madge Thrown From Pap-Spooked Horse
New York Daily News
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Apr 19, 2009 5:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Madonna was thrown from a horse in the Hamptons after camera-wielding paparazzi jumped from the bushes, spooking the animal, reports the New York Daily News . The longtime equestrian was rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment of her bruises and minor injuries. This is the second tumble for Madge, who famously broke three ribs, her hand, and...
Chavez Reappoints Ambassador to US
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 19, 2009 4:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has reappointed an ambassador to the US, reports the Wall Street Journal . Pending approval from Washington, the post will be the first exchange of diplomats between the two countries since Venezuela ejected its American ambassador last year in solidarity with Bolivia. The move is yet another signal from Chavez that...
Boyle Gets Duet Invite From Her Idol
Guardian (UK)
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Apr 19, 2009 4:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Overnight sensation Susan Boyle may see yet another dream come true. The aspiring singer, whose voice stunned viewers of Britain's Got Talent last week, has been invited to perform with her idol, British theater icon Elaine Paige, reports the Guardian . "It seems her performance has captured the hearts of everyone who saw it, me included,"...
Face It: Font Inspires a Certain Type of Backlash
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 19, 2009 3:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Comic Sans is a lighthearted font, easy to read and very popular. Too popular, if you believe its legions of detractors. Like many other comics-related entities, it even has a sworn enemy—the 10-year-old Ban Comic Sans movement, which compares misuse of the typeface "to showing up for a black-tie event in a clown costume," reports the...
5 Houston Kids Feared Dead in Flood
Houston Chronicle
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Apr 18, 2009 10:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Five children are feared dead in Houston after the car they were in was swept away in a flash flood, the Houston Chronicle reports. After the driver of the Lincoln Town Car lost control of the vehicle, it ended up in a drainage ditch in 9 feet of water. Two men and a 10-year-old girl escaped, but five other children were swept away in high water,...
US Boycotts United Nations Racism Meeting
Associated Press
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Apr 18, 2009 8:10 PM CDT
(AP) -
The Obama administration will boycott "with regret" a UN conference on racism next week over language in the meeting's final document that could single out Israel for criticism and restrict free speech, the State Department said today. The decision will likely please Jewish groups that lobbied against US participation, but it has upset human...
FBI to Vastly Enlarge DNA Database by Swabbing Suspects
New York Times
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Apr 18, 2009 7:37 PM CDT
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Following the lead of Britain and 15 US states, the FBI plans to swab suspects for DNA upon arrest—a move expected to massively expand the feds' genetic database and spark criticism from civil rights advocates, the New York Times reports. But law enforcement officials praise the practice and compare it to fingerprinting. “It saves...
Mideast Loves Syria's Weird, Sexy Lingerie
Der Spiegel
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Apr 18, 2009 6:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After picking up dishes and washing powder at local markets, Syrian women love to purchase something more intimate: edible, fruit-flavored underwear, Der Spiegel reports. Naughty skivvies have been hot for years in Damascus, where veiled mothers regularly buy maid’s costumes, musical negligees, and remote-controlled undies for their betrothed...
Now I Know Why Lefties Hate Me Too: Milbank
Washington Post
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Apr 18, 2009 6:22 PM CDT
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On the advice of a colleague, columnist Dana Milbank diligently read the comments left by some 1,800 readers last week. And he discovered some fascinating things. “On Tuesday, I learned that I am a right-wing hack. I am a certified idiot. I am Republican flack,” he writes in the Washington Post . “On Thursday, I realized that I am...
Chan Says 'Chinese Need to Be Controlled'
Associated Press
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Apr 18, 2009 5:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan may be picking a fight with a new foe—democracy, the AP reports. Speaking at a business summit today in China, the action star said he wasn't "sure if it's good to have freedom or not. I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what...
Fed Swears Stimulus Won't Spike Inflation
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 18, 2009 5:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Federal Reserve's plans to plunge more money into the economy are “necessary, safe, and effective" and “will not lead to adverse aftereffects,” Ben Bernanke's top deputy said today. Giving a speech at Vanderbilt University, Fed Vice Chairman Donald Kohn admitted that the Fed's balance sheet has swelled, but he said the...
Latin Leaders Praise Obama on Cuba, Press for More
Reuters
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Apr 18, 2009 5:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Latin American and Caribbean leaders praised President Obama today for reaching out to Cuba and urged him to end America's trade embargo with the communist nation, Reuters reports. After Brazil, Venezuela, and Caribbean nations applauded Obama's call for a "new beginning with Cuba" at a summit in Port of Spain, Venezuelan President Hugo...
EPA's Carbon Ruling Puts Heat on Congress
Time
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Apr 18, 2009 4:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
By issuing its long-awaited “endangerment finding” on carbon yesterday, the EPA is essentially putting a gun to Congress’ head, writes Bryan Walsh in Time . Capitol Hill is loathe to regulate carbon emissions, with Republicans and coal-state Democrats worried about the economic fallout. But by ruling that carbon is dangerous, the...
Shells Hit Baghdad's Green Zone After 3-Month Lull
Associated Press
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Apr 18, 2009 4:45 PM CDT
(AP) -
Suspected militants shelled Baghdad's protected Green Zone today in the first such bombardment in more than 3 months. The back-to-back strikes reverberated across the Tigris River to a popular promenade, sending families packing up from fish restaurants and abruptly halting a party at a club. No casualties or damage have been reported, the US military...
Deadly Genes Make Euro Jews Smarter: Scientist
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 18, 2009 4:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The genes that make European Jews susceptible to deadly diseases may also increase their intelligence, two scientists say. Arizona physicist Gregory Cochran stumbled on the theory when pondering why natural selection hasn't removed bad DNA from the gene pool that makes Ashkenazi Jews get so many diseases. His answer: The DNA that endured...
