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.
Pakistan Retakes Key Town From Taliban: Military
New York Times
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Apr 29, 2009 8:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
After deploying jets and helicopters yesterday in response to a Taliban incursion into the Buner district, Pakistan has taken back a key town, the military says. The country will also shift 6,000 troops from the Indian border to face militants along the Afghan border, said an official, a move welcomed by American authorities who say Pakistan is doing...
Boyle Tell-All in the Works
New York Post
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Apr 29, 2009 8:25 AM CDT
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Viral video sensation Susan Boyle is the talk of the Web—and the Britain’s Got Talent star wants to capitalize on her popularity by writing a tell-all, the New York Post reports. Boyle, whose agent is reportedly shopping the book, may be disappointed when she hears what one publishing exec told Crain’s : “She has a story,...
Economy Shrinks Faster Than Expected in 1st Quarter
Associated Press
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Apr 29, 2009 8:13 AM CDT
(AP) -
The US economy shrank at a worse-than-expected 6.1% pace at the start of this year as sharp cutbacks by businesses and the biggest drop in US exports in 40 years overwhelmed a rebound in consumer spending. Today's Commerce Department report dashed hopes that the recession's grip on the country loosened in the first quarter. Economists surveyed by Thomson...
Blind GOP Drove Specter Away: Snowe
New York Times
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Apr 29, 2009 8:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Arlen Specter’s departure is a “tremendous loss” for the Republican party, made “all the more painful because I believe it didn’t have to be this way,” Sen. Olympia Snowe writes in the New York Times . The party ought to have learned its lesson when Jim Jeffords switched teams 8 years ago, but instead plowed ahead,...
French Kidnap, Torture Gang Goes on Trial
BBC
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Apr 29, 2009 8:04 AM CDT
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A French gang accused of kidnapping, torturing, and murdering a Jewish man has gone on trial in Paris, reports the BBC. Presumed ringleader Youssouf Fofana—who allegedly ordered his accomplices to target Jews—faces charges of premeditated murder and committing "acts of torture and barbarism" over the death of the 23-year-old,...
Russian Ship Seizes 29 Suspected Pirates
Associated Press
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Apr 29, 2009 7:58 AM CDT
(AP) -
A Russian warship has seized a vessel carrying 29 suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia, RIA Novosti and other agencies are reporting, citing the nation's Defense Ministry. A Russian anti-submarine vessel seized the ship yesterday along with automatic rifles, pistols, and ammunition found on board.
New Owner's Cost Cuts Change Flavor at Budweiser
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 29, 2009 7:50 AM CDT
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Things haven't tasted the same since InBev's takeover—and makeover—of Anheuser-Busch, the Wall Street Journal reports. Cost-cutting has become paramount at a firm once known for its cushy treatment of employees. Jobs have been sliced, executive suites knocked down, and benefits like free baseball tickets made rare. Anheuser-Busch Inbev...
It's Day 100: Roll Out the Clichés
Financial Times (UK)
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Apr 29, 2009 7:45 AM CDT
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Today marks the 100th day of Barack Obama's presidency, an occasion acknowledged by a flood of articles assessing the meaning of a presidency after three measly months, writes Christopher Buckley in the Financial Times . The American satirist offers a breakdown of the most predictable interpretations. Refreshing change : Obama's brought a...
Olbermann Dogs Hannity Over Waterboarding
Associated Press
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Apr 29, 2009 7:29 AM CDT
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Keith Olbermann isn’t letting up as he pushes Sean Hannity to follow through on an offer to be waterboarded for charity, the AP reports. On his show Monday, the MSNBC host again urged his Fox rival to make good on the pledge, though how serious Hannity was isn't clear. Olbermann said yesterday he still hasn’t heard back from Hannity: “I...
Court Approves Ex-Inmates' Suit Against CIA
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 29, 2009 7:24 AM CDT
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Five men who allege they were kidnapped and tortured on the orders of CIA agents may bring suit in federal court, an appeals panel ruled yesterday. Presidents Bush and Obama both contended that the case should be dismissed to protect classified evidence. But a federal appeals court panel ruled presidential powers to guard state secrets "are...
Newt to Specter: Good Riddance
Washington Post
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Apr 29, 2009 7:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Newt Gingrich’s take on Arlen Specter’s defection? Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, senator. Specter left the party “in spirit” when he cast his vote for “a $787 billion big-spending bill no elected official had even read,” the former speaker tells the Washington Post. His official defection “is...
SocGen Chief Resigns Amid Growing Outcry
Reuters
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Apr 29, 2009 7:08 AM CDT
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The chairman of Société Générale announced his resignation today amid growing public criticism of his performance, Reuters reports. Daniel Bouton had been scolded by Nicolas Sarkozy for his handling of the rogue trading affair that cost the bank $6.4 billion; last month the president attacked the bank for its handling of...
Gibson Debuts Russian Lover
People
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Apr 29, 2009 7:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mel Gibson faced rampant affair rumors head-on last night when he brought girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva to a Wolverine screening, People reports. The 39-year-old Russian singer is signed to Gibson’s record label. “Mel has been single for almost 3 years and it's nice to see him getting out and enjoying himself,” his rep said. Gibson’s...
New Kansas Governor Is Party Switcher
Topeka Capital-Journal
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Apr 29, 2009 6:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With Kathleen Sebelius now confirmed as the country's new health and human services secretary, Kansas has a new governor: Mark Parkinson, a Republican-turned-Democrat who will serve out her term until the end of next year. At a hastily assembled inauguration ceremony Parkinson pledged to alleviate "the real pain that Kansans have suffered"...
Mexico Fears 1st Fatality Spread Flu Widely
Independent (UK)
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Apr 29, 2009 6:38 AM CDT
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Mexican authorities fear that the first person known to have died from swine flu may have been a modern-day Typhoid Mary, the Independent reports. The woman, a government census-taker whose door-to-door home visits in late March and early April put her in contact with some 300 people when the flu was at its most virulent, is believed to have infected...
Colleges Snoop on Applicants' Online Lives
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 29, 2009 6:30 AM CDT
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A quarter of colleges check applicants' social networking pages or run their names through search engines, according to a new report. The colleges didn't say whether their online findings could make or break an application, but the study's authors believe overly candid online postings have the potential to sink one's chances. "No school wants...
Crazy Colt Triggers Churchill Downs Tragedy
Horse and Hound
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Apr 29, 2009 6:23 AM CDT
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A colt who went bonkers during a workout at Churchill Downs threw his jockey then slammed into a filly who had to be put down because of her injuries, reports Horse and Hound . Several hopefuls for the upcoming Kentucky Derby were on the track, but none was injured. "The horse was just barreling down the track and nobody had time to scatter,"...
Retesting Nails 6 Olympic Drug Cheats
CNN
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Apr 29, 2009 6:07 AM CDT
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Six Olympic drug cheats have been exposed long after the end of the 2008 Beijing Games, CNN reports. The IOC—which keeps test samples on file for eight years after events finish—rechecked 948 samples after a new test for a banned blood booster was developed. Silver medal-winning Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin is among those whose tests...
Child in Texas Is 1st US Swine Flu Death
Reuters
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Apr 29, 2009 5:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A 23-month-old child in Texas has become the first person in the US to die of swine flu, a government official said today. The death of the boy, who traveled from Mexico to seek medical treatment, is the first to take place outside Mexico, where the outbreak began, Reuters reports. The US has confirmed 65 cases of swine flu, but almost all have...
Let Us Pay Out Bonuses, Citi Begs Geithner
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 29, 2009 5:47 AM CDT
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Citigroup is asking the Treasury for permission to pay special bonuses to many key employees it worries will leave the company—despite the fact that taxpayers will soon become the largest shareholder in the bank. Citi is chafing under Treasury restrictions on executive pay, particularly in its lucrative energy trading unit, Phibro, where senior...
EU Urges Sri Lanka Ceasefire; 50K Trapped
Associated Press
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Apr 29, 2009 5:35 AM CDT
(AP) -
The foreign ministers of France and Britain arrived in Sri Lanka today and urged the government to accept a ceasefire in its war with ethnic Tamil rebels. Bernard Kouchner and David Miliband insisted that the fighting must stop now in order to safeguard the estimated 50,000 civilians trapped in the coastal strip where the rebels are mounting their...
Driver Clings to Stolen Truck in 70-Mile Cop Chase
CNN
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Apr 29, 2009 4:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A driver leaped onto his stolen truck as it pulled out of Georgia parking lot and held on for a 70-mile high-speed cop chase, reports CNN. The driver called police from his cell phone from the truck, and clung to the rig as the thief gunned it. The getaway was finally foiled by police spike strips that deflated the tires. The trucker leaped to the...
US Wild About Obama's 100 Days
NBC
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Apr 29, 2009 4:05 AM CDT
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Today marks President Obama's hundredth day in the job and he's more popular than his two immediate predecessors were at this point, according to an NBC/ Wall Street Journal poll. Over half of those polled said Obama is off to a good—or great—start, 61% approve of the job he is doing as president, and 64% see him in a favorable light.
Yankees Slash Luxury Ticket Prices to Fill Empty Seats
Associated Press
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Apr 29, 2009 3:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The New York Yankees are cutting top-end ticket prices up to 50% after the best seats in the team's new stadium proved too pricey even for big spenders, AP reports. The team hopes the reductions—on seats costing up to $2500 for front-row seats near home plate—will fill the empty seats that have been an embarrassment at home games. Hundreds...
Britney Pals Slapped With Restraining Order
People
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Apr 29, 2009 3:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Los Angeles court has ordered former manager Sam Lutfi and lawyer Jon Eardley to stay away from Britney Spears for the next three years, People reports. Britney's father—who filed the request—charges that the men have harassed his daughter and tried to undermine the agreement giving him control of her affairs. Lutfi has filed a defamation...
US Preps Plans to Take Out Taliban Poppy Crop
New York Times
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Apr 29, 2009 2:51 AM CDT
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American commanders in Afghanistan are preparing a huge assault on the Taliban's opium-growing heartlands this summer, reports the New York Times . Taking out the opium crop is key to NATO strategy, and commanders expect casualties on both sides will be high as the militants stand their ground to defend the poppy fields that fund their insurgency....
Swine Flu Shuts 2nd NY School
New York Daily News
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Apr 29, 2009 2:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A second school in Queens has been shut down after dozens of students suffered symptoms of swine flu, reports the New York Daily News . Cases have also been found in Brooklyn and the Bronx, and an outbreak is suspected at a Catholic school in Manhattan. The public school closed yesterday, which serves some 400 autistic students, is less than two miles...
Twitterers Aren't Sticking With It
Advertising Age
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Apr 29, 2009 1:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Twitter's sign-up figures are skyrocketing but the site's reach will remain limited to less than a tenth of online consumers unless it can reduce the proportion of quitters, Neilsen exec David Martin tells AdAge . Over 60% of people who get a Twitter account soon abandon the service, according to Neilsen figures, meaning that surges in user numbers...
'No Child' Law Fails to Narrow Racial Gap
New York Times
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Apr 29, 2009 1:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The achievement gap between white and minority students has not been changed by federal No Child Left Behind initiative, the New York Times reports. Scores from a federal test considered to be the most accurate yardstick of reading and writing proficiency show that elementary students have improved across the board since the law went into effect...
At Least 4 Dead in Calif. Bus Crash
KSBW
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Apr 28, 2009 10:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A bus carrying French tourists overturned in central California, killing at least four and injuring scores more, reports KSBW-TV. The bus was carrying about 50 tourists from San Francisco to Santa Maria when it flipped over and skidded into a guardrail near Soledad. The cause is unclear. "I personally have never seen anything this severe,"...
Silver: Specter Will Shift Left, But Not Too Far
FiveThirtyEight
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Apr 28, 2009 9:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Now that Arlen Specter is flying the Democratic colors, his new party can expect a tangible—if modest—change in his voting behavior, writes Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com. "Democrats have ample reason to be pleased," writes Silver, who crunched the numbers of all previous congressional party-switchers. "Nevertheless,...
Researchers Find Genetic Clue to Autism
BBC
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Apr 28, 2009 8:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A new batch of studies offers strong evidence that genetics plays a role in autism, the BBC reports. The studies in the journal Nature show that most victims have a variation in their DNA in the area that controls how brain cells interact, notes the LA Times . The results raise the hope for better diagnosis and treatment, researchers...
Parker, Broderick Expecting Twins Via Surrogate Mom
E! Online
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Apr 28, 2009 7:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker are expecting twin girls this summer via a surrogate mother, reports E! Online. The couple—Broderick is 47, Parker 44—have a 6-year-old son and have been trying unsuccessfully for another child. "They could have kept trying on their own," says a friend, "but they've always wanted...
PETA to Octuplet Mom: Please Don't Buy a Pig
Us Weekly
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Apr 28, 2009 7:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
PETA is asking Octomom to hold off on the pets, please. After reports surfaced that Nadya Suleman wanted to buy a dog and a pig—an idea hatched in the pre-flu days, presumably—the animal-rights group wrote Suleman a letter pleading with her to reconsider "adding two more dependents to your family," Us Weekly reports.
Feds: Expect US Deaths From Swine Flu
New York Times
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Apr 28, 2009 6:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Swine flu continued its steady spread across the world, with federal officials warning to expect deaths in the US, the New York Times reports. The disease has been confirmed in seven countries and in five US states, but the only deaths—more than 150 so far—remain in Mexico. Five of the 68 confirmed US cases have required hospitalization....
Senate Confirms Sebelius as Health Secretary
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2009 6:00 PM CDT
(AP) -
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius won Senate confirmation today to serve as the nation's health and human services secretary. She already has a public health emergency on her hands with the swine flu sickening dozens of Americans. The 65-31 vote came after Democrats urged quick action so Sebelius could get to work leading the federal response to the flu...
Finally, a 'Leak-Proof' Tomato
ABC News
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Apr 28, 2009 5:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Dutch scientists say they've built a better tomato, ABC News reports. The “Intense” variety is being heralded as “leak-proof” and an end to soggy sandwiches by Tesco, the British supermarket chain that will sell it. The tomato—the result of a Dutch seed-breeding program—leaks virtually none of its juices into bread....
Wind-Borne Chihuahua Safe
Detroit News
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Apr 28, 2009 5:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It is never fun to be a chihuahua in a wind storm, but this tale has a happy ending. It seems Tinker Bell, all 6 pounds of her, blew away from her owners amid 70mph gusts while at a flea market, the Detroit News reports. Her owners consulted a pet psychic, assembled 50 volunteers, and, lo and behold, found Tinker Bell two days later nearly a mile...
10 Most Influential Films of the Decade
Slashfilm
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Apr 28, 2009 5:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Though "the task is ridiculous," Brendon Connelly has come up with 10 films from the last decade that will prove influential 20 years down the road. Slashfilm has the list: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow : "On the list for kick-starting green-screen mania." The Bourne Ultimatum : A technical triumph for...
Facebook's Goal: 'Blowing Up the Browser'
Time
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Apr 28, 2009 4:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Facebook has opened its user “feeds” to widget developers, paving the way to a new existence in the decentralized, cross-platform “AfterWeb,” Josh Quittner writes in Time . Though the move is seen by some as a counter to rival Twitter, which can already be accessed in myriad ways, Quittner sees a more radical rationale. Facebook...
Prince Recalls Childhood Epilepsy, Seizures
Huffington Post
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Apr 28, 2009 4:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Prince suffered from epilepsy as a child, the musician told Tavis Smiley on his PBS show last night. "I've never spoken about this before, but I was born epileptic, and I used to have seizures when I was young," Prince told Smiley. "My mother and father didn't know what to do or how to handle it, but they did the best they could with...
Limbaugh to Specter: Take McCain Family, Too
CNN
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Apr 28, 2009 4:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rush Limbaugh thinks erstwhile Republican Arlen Specter should take some “other people who aren't really Republicans” to the other side of the aisle, CNN reports. “Take McCain and his daughter with you,” a laughing Limbaugh said today. Though he said Specter's party switch was “ultimately good” because it weeds out...
Gordon Gecko Returns: Wall Street Sequel Is a Go
Access Hollywood
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Apr 28, 2009 4:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Will Gordon Gecko have a change of heart? The fictional Wall Streeter who famously declared that "greed is good" in 1987 is returning to the big screen, Access Hollywood and Variety report. Michael Douglas and director Oliver Stone have signed on for the Wall Street sequel, which will catch up with Gecko upon his release from prison....
South Koreans Clone Beagles—and They Glow
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2009 3:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
South Korean scientists have cloned a group of four female beagles that glow red under ultraviolet light, the AP reports. The researchers inserted fluorescent genes during the cloning process, an achievement that could lead to advances in human medicine and science. “What’s significant in this work is not the dogs expressing red colors,”...
All Flu Is Bird Flu: Scientists
Slate
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Apr 28, 2009 3:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
People, pigs, and birds aren’t alone in their influenza woes. Horses, whales, and seals catch the virus, but scientists think all flu is actually avian flu, explains Brian Palmer in Slate. Birds carry each of the 144 types of influenza, which is able to jump species by mutating to fit cell receptors in other animals; pig cells in particular are...
Roberts Brings Dirty, Dirty Mouth to Tom Hanks Tribute
Us Weekly
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Apr 28, 2009 3:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Julia Roberts brought quite the potty mouth to a Tom Hanks tribute in New York yesterday, Us reports. “Alright well, it’s late and I’m paying my babysitter overtime and I have to pee,” the actress said as she took the stage. “So Tom, everybody fucking likes you. All my bits are gone.” Roberts also poked fun at...
Financials Sink; Dow Off 8
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 28, 2009 3:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The markets ended flat after mixed economic signals today, the Wall Street Journal reports. Stress-test troubles for Bank of America and Citigroup depressed financials, but news that consumer confidence rose in April—to 39.2, from 26.9 in March—gave stocks a boost. The Dow fell 8.05 to close at 8,016.95. The Nasdaq lost 5.60, closing...
Specter: I'm Not 'Automatic 60th Vote' for Dems
Politico
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Apr 28, 2009 3:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Newly minted Democrat Arlen Specter said he will not blindly toe the party line, Politico reports. “I will not be an automatic 60th vote,” the veteran Pennsylvania senator said, pointing out recent opposition to a unionization bill. “If the Democratic Party asks too much, I will not vote with them.”
Mineral Overdose Killed Polo Horses: Officials
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2009 3:03 PM CDT
(AP) -
Florida officials say a mineral overdose is the probable cause of death for 21 Venezuelan-owned polo horses that fell ill as they prepared for a championship match earlier this month. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said today the animals likely overdosed on selenium, a common mineral that can be toxic in high doses.
Undead Take Over College Campuses
Boston Globe
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Apr 28, 2009 3:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Zombies are a growing scourge on college campuses, but fear not: They can be stopped with Nerf guns, pool noodles, or rolled-up socks. The game Humans vs. Zombies—“tag” for the 21st century—began at a college near Baltimore and has spread to some 50 campuses. “It really caught on to a degree that no one expected,”...
