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.
Defector Specter Just Playing to Pa. Primary Politics
Talking Points Memo
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Apr 28, 2009 2:47 PM CDT
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Why did Arlen Specter defect? It’s tempting to paint Specter as part of a post-Obama ideological realignment, but there’s a much more concrete explanation, Eric Kleefeld writes for Talking Points Memo: reelection. Pennsylvania is a closed-primary state, and between 150,000 and 200,000 registered Republicans switched parties to vote for...
Yes, He Did: Ahmadinejad Appropriates Obama Slogan
Guardian (UK)
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Apr 28, 2009 2:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Seeing Barack Obama’s success in the 2008 election, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has borrowed the US president’s most famous phrase for his own reelection campaign, the Guardian reports. In a campaign video, the Iranian president stands in front of a blackboard with the Farsi words “Ma Mitavanim,” or “We Can,” written on...
US Prisons Leave Driving to Greyhound
WFAA
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Apr 28, 2009 2:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Federal convicts regularly transfer themselves between prisons unescorted, riding public transportation without a guard in sight, WFAA-TV reports. Some 5,300 have switched prisons on their own since April 2006; 54,000 have headed to halfway houses. And in 2003-05, 77 escaped while en route. “It’s an inherent safety and security risk for...
Calif. Declares Emergency Over Swine Flu
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2009 2:25 PM CDT
(AP) -
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today declared a state of emergency that will help California agencies coordinate efforts in response to the outbreak of swine flu. The proclamation from Schwarzenegger—who cautioned that "there is no need for alarm"—sets in motion a series of administrative actions, including ordering all agencies to...
UK Set to Name First Female Poet Laureate
Independent (UK)
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Apr 28, 2009 2:20 PM CDT
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The UK looks set to honor a woman as poet for the first time, the Independent reports, and an openly gay woman at that. At 53, Carol Ann Duffy is Great Britain’s most widely read poet, and might’ve already been named poet laureate but for former PM Tony Blair, who thought that a lesbian wouldn’t be accepted by Middle England.
Key to Winning: Scrubs Having a Breakout Season
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 28, 2009 2:08 PM CDT
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It takes more to build a winning baseball team these days than pure statistical analysis, writes Darren Everson in the Wall Street Journal . You need someone with what Everson terms “Bellhorn Syndrome.” Mark Bellhorn, owner of a .264 slugging average the previous year, became an inexplicable hero for Boston during its 2004 World Series...
Microsoft, Verizon Look to Launch iPhone Competitor
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 28, 2009 1:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Microsoft and Verizon are in talks to launch a smartphone on the carrier’s network early next year, the Wall Street Journal reports. The phone would likely run on a souped-up version of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system, and have access to Windows Marketplace, its version of Apple’s App Store. A third party will likely...
China's Rules Stymie American Adoptions
Time
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Apr 28, 2009 1:38 PM CDT
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Americans are adopting far fewer Chinese children thanks to a set of Chinese fitness rules aimed at accomplishing just that, Time reports. Adoptions from the US have fallen 50% since May 2007, when China instituted rules requiring prospective parents to be, among other things, married, under 50, non-obese, and not on antidepressants. “Three...
Rodman Fined $225K for Inappropriate Touching
TMZ
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Apr 28, 2009 1:27 PM CDT
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Dennis Rodman must fork over a six-figure fine to a Las Vegas waitress he touched inappropriately in a 2006 incident, TMZ reports. The 28-year-old “beverage manager” said the former basketball star was incredibly intoxicated when he slapped her rear and tried to force her to dance with him. The $225,000 ruling was handed down by a Federal...
Mormon Hunks Have Church Up in Arms
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 28, 2009 1:09 PM CDT
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An entrepreneur who says his aim was to improve the image of Mormons has been excommunicated by the church for publishing a calendar with photos of shirtless members of the faith. The “Men on a Mission” calendar doesn’t “tear down the beliefs of the church at all," Chad Hardy protests to the Los Angeles Times. It overcomes...
Obama 'Thrilled' to See Specter Join Dems
Politico
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Apr 28, 2009 1:06 PM CDT
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Within minutes after Sen. Arlen Specter announced he was switching from the Republican to the Democratic Party, President Obama called Specter from the Oval Office, welcoming him into the fold, Politico reports. We are “thrilled to have you,” Obama said, adding, “You have my full support.” Obama may have had an inkling it was...
Baby Gorilla Stashed in Smuggler's Bag
MSNBC
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Apr 28, 2009 1:00 PM CDT
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A live baby gorilla was found at the bottom of a smuggler’s plastic bag in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a 3-month undercover smuggling probe, MSNBC reports. The female eastern lowland gorilla, which has a street value of up to $20,000, had been in the bag for 6 hours. She "remains weak, and is suffering from dehydration and malnutrition,...
Supreme Court Backs FCC's Profanity Policy
SCOTUSblog
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Apr 28, 2009 12:51 PM CDT
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The Supreme Court ruled today that the Federal Communications Commission may fine broadcasters for even a single utterance of a curse word, Lyle Denniston writes for SCOTUSblog. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that the FCC’s recent switch in policy from discouraging “dirty words” to a stringent ban on “fleeting expletives”...
Tab: Real Housewives Married to Mob
National Enquirer
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Apr 28, 2009 12:47 PM CDT
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Two of the stars of Bravo’s reality show Real Housewives of New Jersey are married to mafia kids, the National Enquirer reports. Dina and Caroline Manzo each wed a son of Alberto “Tiny” Manzo, who was executed in August on suspicion of stealing from a mafia casino. Tiny’s sons—along with Dina and Caroline—now...
Swine Flu Emergency Is a Cover-Up: Pro-Life Groups
The Hill
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Apr 28, 2009 12:41 PM CDT
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Is the swine flu emergency just an Obama administration plot? Anti-abortion groups think so, noting that confirmation hearings begin today for would-be Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Some people think that declaring a state of emergency about the flu was a political thing to push the Sebelius nomination through,” the president of...
We're All to Blame for Torture
Guardian (UK)
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Apr 28, 2009 12:30 PM CDT
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Suddenly, Democrats in Congress are calling for the prosecution of CIA agents for torture. But that torture was never a secret, and when it was politically prudent, Democrats had no problem backing it—and neither did many Americans, writes Naomi Wolf in the Guardian . We’ve all got “blood on our hands,” and prosecuting CIA...
Why Swine Flu Is Deadlier in Mexico
Slate
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Apr 28, 2009 12:22 PM CDT
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Why is swine flu deadlier on one side of the US-Mexico border than the other? Writing in Slate, David Dobbs examines some explanations as to why the virus has killed about 100 of 1,600 infected in Mexico, and zero of 300 in the United States. The best bet is actually “bad math,” Dobbs writes. “It's perfectly conceivable Mexico has...
New Super-Corn Packs Multi-Vitamins
Los Angeles Times
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Apr 28, 2009 12:12 PM CDT
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Scientists have genetically engineered a strain of corn that dramatically boosts the naturally occurring amounts of three critical vitamins, the Los Angeles Times reports. The enhanced strain of African white corn produces six times the vitamin C, double the amount of folate, and 169 times the beta carotene, a vitamin A precursor. It is the first...
Fellow Models Hate Madonna's Boy Toy
New York Daily News
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Apr 28, 2009 11:58 AM CDT
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Watch out, Jesus Luz: Your fellow male models have it in for you. At a recent New York event, “they were gossiping like catty girls about how they couldn’t wait for his career to fizzle out,” a source tells the Daily News . “Jesus had no career until Madonna arrived,” adds another—but Luz doesn’t seem to care...
Pakistan Launches Strikes Against Taliban
BBC
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Apr 28, 2009 11:44 AM CDT
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Pakistan has deployed troops and begun airstrikes against suspected Taliban sites in the Buner district, uncomfortably close to the capital. A military spokesman said some 500 militants are in the district, just over 60 miles from Islamabad, violating a peace agreement, the BBC reports. Meanwhile, tens of thousands have fled the nearby region of Lower...
Specter Defects to Democrats
Politico
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Apr 28, 2009 11:38 AM CDT
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Arlen Specter is jumping to the Democrats, leaving the party excruciatingly close to a filibuster-proof Senate majority, reports Politico. Sources say VP Joe Biden was key to the effort to recruit the Pennsylvania senator. “Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right,” Specter...
Obama: NYC Flyover 'Was a Mistake'
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2009 11:27 AM CDT
(AP) -
President Barack Obama says it was a mistake for one of his official airplanes to be sent zooming through the New York City skyline for a publicity photo shoot. "It was a mistake, as was stated," he said. "It will not happen again." Early yesterday, one of the Boeing 747s used by Obama and an F-16 jet circled the Statue of Liberty,...
Mr. Big Is Back for Sex Sequel
MSNBC
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Apr 28, 2009 11:10 AM CDT
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Sex and the City fans, rejoice: Chris Noth, aka Mr. Big, has signed on for the sequel, Sarah Jessica Parker tells E! Elsewhere: Hollywood is panicking over news that the Jolie-Pitts’ ex-bodyguard might write a tell-all, MSNBC reports. “If this kind of thing can happen with Brad and Angie, it can happen to anyone,”...
Giants Pitchers Show Poor Control (on Twitter)
CNET
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Apr 28, 2009 10:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
On Saturday night, Brian Wilson told 3,000 of his closest friends—including Chris Matyszczyk of CNet—that he was out clubbing in Arizona, where he ran into some “overaggressive males.” Harmless fun, you say? Not for Giants fans, who watched the closer blow an easy 4-1 lead the next afternoon. Afterward, Wilson tweeted, “WARNING-do...
Jobless China Faces Grad Glut
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 28, 2009 10:53 AM CDT
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In recent years, the sight of an unemployed college graduate in China was as rare as a panda. But up to one third of last year's 5.6 million college graduates remain jobless, the Wall Street Journal reports. After years of the country's mostly state-run universities upping enrollment by as much as 30% annually—and expanding their campuses using...
It's Hunters vs. Rush in Righty Showdown
Washington Times
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Apr 28, 2009 10:48 AM CDT
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Can hunters do what other critics have conspicuously failed to do: face down Rush Limbaugh without taking it back? Recreational shooters' groups are incensed that Limbaugh has been doing public-service radio spots for the Humane Society, denouncing dogfighting and animal cruelty, the Washington Times reports. It's not that they love dogfighting or...
Yes, Yes! Brit Jailed for Loud Sex
Telegraph (UK)
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Apr 28, 2009 10:36 AM CDT
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A British woman whose amorous moans and groans were so loud that even a partially deaf neighbor complained has been jailed for breaching a court order, the Daily Telegraph reports. The woman, 48, was "banned from making excessive noise" anywhere in England earlier this month but she landed back in court yesterday after neighbors complained...
Dems Launch Site to Track Voluble Rep. Bachmann
Politico
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Apr 28, 2009 10:26 AM CDT
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Perhaps tapping the perverse thrill liberals get from the sometimes-bizarre, ultra-conservative statements from Rep. Michele Bachmann, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has set up a website to monitor the Minnesota Republican, Politico reports. BachmannWatch.com points out past hits, including her suggestion that Congress be investigated...
Swine Flu Derails Wolverine in Mexico
Variety
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Apr 28, 2009 10:24 AM CDT
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Even Wolverine isn’t safe from swine flu. The X-Men Origins film's Thursday launch is being delayed in Mexico City since most of the theaters will likely be closed, Variety reports. Major theater operators have already shut down following a request from the mayor, and the rest are expected to follow suit. A new release date will be announced...
Chrysler Creditors Strike Deal to Avoid Bankruptcy
Washington Post
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Apr 28, 2009 10:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Treasury Department struck a deal with Chrysler’s creditors last night to avoid what had looked like a probable bankruptcy, the Washington Post reports. The creditors, a disparate group of 45 financial firms, agreed to write down all but $2 billion of the $6.9 billion Chrysler owes them, in exchange for a 10% stake in the automaker.
Steele Finally Catching More Flak From Dems Than GOP
CQPolitics
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Apr 28, 2009 10:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Steele got off to a rocky start in his job as chairman of the Republican National Committee but he promised he’d deliver election victories in places like New York’s 20th district. Now that the GOP has lost that election, Steele is catching flak. But, CQ Politics reports, criticism is surprisingly coming from Democrats, who...
Neeson's Return to Film 'Extraordinary': Director
Associated Press
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Apr 28, 2009 10:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Director Atom Egoyan praised the “extraordinary” Liam Neeson for returning to work on his film Chloe so soon after the March 18 death of wife Natasha Richardson, the AP reports. “He was very committed to the film and finishing his role,” Egoyan said. “It was just such an unspeakably generous thing for him to do.”...
Rush: Obama Caused Swine Flu
Huffington Post
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Apr 28, 2009 9:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Newspapers failing? Blame it on Obama. CNN in trouble? Obama’s fault. Swine flu? Yep, the president caused that, too, Rush Limbaugh said yesterday on his radio show, the Huffington Post reports. “Everywhere Obama is spreading Obamaism, there is a deadly disease taking place, either in the TARP community or in the newspaper business,”...
House Dems Want to Impeach Judge for Torture Memos
Politico
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Apr 28, 2009 9:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
House Democrats may start a constitutional confrontation over the fate of Judge Jay Bybee, and there’s nothing anybody—not even lukewarm President Obama—can do to stop them, reports Politico. As liberal think-tanker John Podesta argues, Bybee “authorized things that were illegal under US law” when he wrote memos endorsing...
Today's Bargain: Australia's Islands
Telegraph (UK)
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Apr 28, 2009 9:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
No man is an island—but now is the time for him to own one. Australia’s ritzy Queensland island resorts are going for bargain prices, but between the recession, a slew of natural disasters, and a nasty oil spill, no one’s biting, reports the Telegraph . Dunk Island is on the market for half of its last sale price of $36.4 million,...
Unlike, Say, Iran's Nukes, Flu Is Worth Real Worrying
Washington Post
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Apr 28, 2009 9:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In the modern world, it’s hard to know what to be scared of, writes Eugene Robinson in the Washington Post . We watch the flashy threats—Russia, Pakistan, terrorists—and end up worrying about the wrong disaster. “But we also should think about other threats that could potentially cause much greater loss of life than any conceivable...
Turner Prize Nods Include Crystal Cave
Guardian (UK)
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Apr 28, 2009 9:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A diverse quartet of artists has been nominated for this year's Turner Prize, one of the art world's most visible awards. Two artists from London and two from Glasgow are up for the UK prize, which comes with a $36,000 purse. They will exhibit their work, which runs the gamut from figurative painting to collage to complex installations, at the Tate...
Borders Tighten as Swine Flu Deaths Hit 152
New York Times
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Apr 28, 2009 9:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Countries are tightening borders and stepping up containment methods as the swine flu body count continues to rise, the New York Times reports. The disease is suspected in 152 deaths, all in Mexico; 50 US cases are now confirmed from California to New York City. Health officials in Japan and at least eight other Asian countries are now screening...
US Amps Up Planning for Cyber Arms Race
New York Times
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Apr 28, 2009 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With daily attacks on both public and private computer systems in the US mounting into the thousands, President Obama is expected to announce an overhaul of US strategy to defend against cyberwarfare—building on a $17 billion program Congress approved last year—and name a White House cyberwarfare boss, the New York Times reports. But...
Banks Give Stocks the Flu
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 28, 2009 8:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Swine flu fears, and negative reports about the banks left investors feeling ill this morning. The Dow fell 65 points, while Nasdaq fell 0.8% and the S&P 0.9%. Bank of America and Citigroup were headed south, down 7.5% and 6.2% respectively on reports that they’d need to raise capital following poor stress test showings. Airlines were also...
Brown Blocks Comments on His YouTube Channel
Times (UK)
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Apr 28, 2009 8:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The British government has tried to harness the power of the Internet, but for Gordon Brown, the Web’s been prickly: a video of him picking his nose, for example, has been viewed far more often than recent policy address. Now the prime minister’s team has disabled comments on its YouTube portal, saying that moderating them would be a mammoth...
Sri Lanka Restarts Airstrikes, Bars Diplomat
Guardian (UK)
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Apr 28, 2009 8:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Sri Lankan army bombarded the tiny coastal strip where ethnic Tamil rebels are mounting their last stand, the Guardian reports—a day after the government said it would end airstrikes. Tens of thousands of civilians are trapped in the region. The eruption comes as Sweden’s foreign minister, scheduled to visit to push for a ceasefire,...
Angry Shareholders Pelt Bank Chairman With Shoes
Financial Times (UK)
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Apr 28, 2009 8:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An emergency meeting of troubled Belgian bank Fortis had to be suspended today after raucous shareholders raided the stage and pelted the bank's chairman with shoes. The bank is attempting to broker a sale to BNP Paribas, the French giant, but angry small shareholders booed, shouted down speakers and demanded the chief's resignation. They even...
It Must Have Been the Pork: Leno
People
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Apr 28, 2009 8:26 AM CDT
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Jay Leno was back in form last night, joking on The Tonight Show that his hospital stay started when he “ate a raw pig a friend brought back from Mexico,” People reports. The host didn’t reveal the real cause of his illness, but found time to joke about NBC’s overly dramatic nurse, Conan trying to kill him, and his “really...
UAW to Own 55% of Chrysler
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 28, 2009 8:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The United Auto Workers are about to own Chrysler. In exchange for a variety of concessions, the union will eventually get a 55% majority share in the automaker, according to a summary of the restructuring deal, which was sent to union leaders late last night and reviewed by the Wall Street Journal. Fiat will eventually own 35% of the stock, with...
ADHD Signs Tied to Lack of Sleep
BBC
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Apr 28, 2009 7:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Kids who get enough sleep may be less likely to show signs of ADHD or other behavioral issues, the BBC reports. A Finnish study of 280 healthy kids aged 7 and 8 found that those who slept less than 8 hours were most hyperactive. Researchers say a third of US kids likely don’t get enough rest—and instead of appearing tired, those children...
Republicans Think Colbert's Serious: Study
Huffington Post
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Apr 28, 2009 7:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Geez, why do Republicans keep letting Stephen Colbert interview them?” some Ohio State researchers might have the answer: They don’t realize he’s making fun of them. According to a new study, conservatives “were more likely to report that Colbert only pretends to be joking, and...
Honda Ready to Take On the Prius
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 28, 2009 7:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Honda is rolling out a fresh—and worthy—competitor to Toyota’s Prius, king of the hybrid market, writes Joseph P. White in the Wall Street Journal . The 2010 Insight will sell for just under $20,000, some $2,000 less than the most popular Prius model, and gets “minicar mileage” while offering enough room for a bike in...
Fed Tells BofA, Citi to Raise Billions
Wall Street Journal
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Apr 28, 2009 7:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Federal Reserve regulators are urging Bank of America and Citigroup to raise more capital, based on their preliminary stress test results, sources tell the Wall Street Journal . Sources familiar with Bank of America say the shortfall numbers in the billions. But both banks are protesting, with Bank of America expected to issue a detailed appeal today.
Israel's Stance on Swine Flu Isn't Kosher
Haaretz (Israel)
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Apr 28, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Israel has confirmed its first case of swine flu—but don't call it that, says the head of the country's health department. The minister, a member of one of the ultra-Orthodox parties in Benjamin Netanyahu's government, insisted yesterday that the infection should be referred to as "Mexico flu," since pork is non-kosher. For Haaretz...
