Newser Story Index from May, 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.

Preggers Hudson Holds Baby Shower
Chicago Tribune | May 31, 09 7:59 PM CDT
(Newser) - A longtime friend of Jennifer Hudson confirmed rumors today that the singer is pregnant, the Chicago Tribune reports. Hudson held a baby shower yesterday at a relative's home, "a quiet gathering of friends and mostly family,” said actress/singer Felicia Fields. “They’re really trying to keep it kind of quiet.” Were gifts...

After Family Axes Wedding Plan, Man Cuts Off Penis
Associated Press | May 31, 09 7:34 PM CDT
(Newser) - A 25-year-old Egyptian man cut off his own penis to spite his family after he was refused permission to marry a girl from a lower class family, police reported today. After unsuccessfully petitioning his father for 2 years to marry the girl, the man heated up a knife and sliced off his reproductive organ. The young man came from a prominent family...

Twitter Trial to Test 'Remote Viewing'
Daily Telegraph (UK) | May 31, 09 7:06 PM CDT
(Newser) - A British psychologist plans to test the theory of "remote viewing" by asking Twitterers to identify far-off locations, the Telegraph reports. Professor Richard Wiseman, a psychic phenomena specialist, will show volunteers five photographs and ask which one a researcher has visited. If voters nail it in three of four trials, says Wiseman,...

Hurricanes Will Send Foreclosure Debris Flying
Associated Press | May 31, 09 6:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - It’s a perfect, er, storm: Some of America’s most hurricane-prone areas are littered with foreclosed houses likely send debris flying in a storm, the AP reports. Without caretakers to secure them, the houses will also endure greater damage and lose even more value. "A lot of these places will get destroyed,” a Florida resident...

Jobless Cling to Their Faith in Detroit
Detroit Free Press | May 31, 09 6:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - Thousands of Detroit's jobless are coping with fear and desperation by falling back on faith, the Detroit Free Press reports. Houses of worship are increasingly fielding calls from people seeking jobs, food, and housing—but above all, congregants say, they find comfort. "When the tension comes and the pressure comes, I just ask God for...

Falco Brings Soul to Mean Nurse Jackie
Newsweek | May 31, 09 5:47 PM CDT
(Newser) - Former Sopranos matriarch Edie Falco is back, and this time her cable series character is closer to the actress herself—a blue-collar woman who shirks appearances and works hard, Newsweek reports. But Falco isn't quite the brassy protagonist in Showtime's Nurse Jackie , either. The Long Island native is a warm, happy mother of two adopted...

Last Titanic Survivor Dead at 97
BBC | May 31, 09 5:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - The last Titanic survivor has died at age 97, with no memory of the disaster but pleased by the attention it brought her, the BBC reports. Millvina Dean was 9 weeks old when the ship sank in 1912 and claimed her father's life, but spared her mother and brother. The Deans abandoned plans to move to America and returned to Southampton. "If it hadn't...

Docs Corral Immune System to Battle Cancer
USA Today | May 31, 09 5:05 PM CDT
(Newser) - After decades of false starts, doctors are tapping the immune system to help stave off cancer, USA Today reports. Using proteins from patients' tumors, American researchers have created a vaccine that can put off lymphoma relapses by 14 months. In one study, a cocktail of the vaccine and two other proteins fooled immune systems into attacking...

Hamas-Police Gunfight Kills 6
Associated Press | May 31, 09 4:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - Palestinian forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas stormed a Hamas hideout in the West Bank and set off a fierce gun battle that left six dead today, the worst violence since the factions fought a pitched battle over Gaza 2 years ago. Militants lobbed grenades and fired automatic weapons to push back the raid in a two-story building in Qalqiliya,...

Like Father, Like Son: Dodd Fights for Future
Newsweek | May 31, 09 4:32 PM CDT
(Newser) - For the second time in recent memory, a Senator Dodd from Connecticut is accused of corruption and faces a rocky political future, Newsweek reports. The current senator, Chris Dodd, is a 28-year veteran and former presidential candidate, but after devising an AIG loophole and appearing to make shady housing deals, he faces 54% of voters who...

Red Wings Give Hard-Luck Detroit Reason to Cheer
New York Times | May 31, 09 4:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - As Detroit reels from the automotive crisis, a much-needed emotional uplift is coming from a dependable source: the Red Wings, currently in the Stanley Cup finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. We “are one of the good stories that are coming out of Detroit right now,” a Red Wings VP tells the New York Times . “It’s definitely...

GM to File Bankruptcy at 8AM, Name Interim Chief
Wall Street Journal | May 31, 09 3:43 PM CDT
(Newser) - General Motors will appoint Al Koch as chief restructuring officer when the company files for bankruptcy tomorrow at 8am, the Wall Street Journal reports. A managing director at an advisory firm, 67-year-old Koch has attended GM management meetings for months and helped negotiate pre-bankruptcy deals with shareholders and lenders. He is expected...

Donkeys Run Wild in Cyprus
Independent (UK) | May 31, 09 3:25 PM CDT
(Newser) - Wild donkeys are overrunning northern Cyprus, upsetting locals and pitting conservationists against politicians, the Independent reports. Decades after farming technology rendered them obsolete, the donkeys—now numbering about 1,000—are destroying crops and causing traffic accidents. "The donkeys are a real problem," said...

Police Arrest Suspect in Murder of Abortion Doc
Wichita Eagle | May 31, 09 3:02 PM CDT
(Newser) - Police in Wichita, Kan., have arrested a 51-year-old male suspect in the murder of abortion doctor George Tiller, who was gunned down today as he walked into church, the Wichita Eagle reports. Wichita police Capt. Brent Allred did not name the suspect but did say other agencies, including the FBI, are assisting on the case. Tiller, 67, was famous...

'Church Is About Forgiveness': Kissing Priest
Miami Herald | May 31, 09 2:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - His Catholic parish was scandalized when photos surfaced of the Rev. Alberto Cutié cavorting on the beach with a 35-year-old divorceé, but his new Episcopalian flock greeted his first sermon this morning with a standing ovation, reports the Miami Herald. From the altar of Miami’s Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Cutié...

As Long as We Use Oil, We'll Spill Oil
Yale Environment 360 | May 31, 09 2:21 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Exxon Valdez oil spill is still wreaking havoc on Prince William Sound 20 years later, and an increased push for drilling in Alaska has conservationists and fisherman girding for a repeat, Yale Environment 360 reports. The decimation of the sound’s herring population has affected everything from seabirds to killer whales. But the legacy...

'F@$%! I Wish I'd Refinanced My House'
ABC News | May 31, 09 2:02 PM CDT
(Newser) - Many homeowners are kicking themselves for not refinancing sooner now that mortgage rates are climbing, ABC News reports. “I was going to save $325 a month, and that covers all kind of things, from gas to groceries,” lamented one. “$325 is a lot of money.” And it’s money, economists say, that could have been used to boost...

Up Hits Box Office Heights
USA Today | May 31, 09 1:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - Pixar’s Up floated to the top of the box office this weekend with $68.2 million, USA Today reports. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian came in second with $25.5 million. Though critics loved it, Drag Me to Hell debuted to just $16.8 million, while Terminator Salvation ($16.1 million) and Star Trek ($12.8 million) rounded...

Cuba Open to US Talks on Migration, Mail
New York Times | May 31, 09 1:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cuba today said it's ready to restart talks with the US on migration and postal services, the New York Times reports. An American official confirms, meanwhile, that the island nation will also work with the United States on issues including terrorism, drugs, and disaster relief. The development marks another step toward improved relations between...

Clock Strikes 150 for Big Ben
Evening Standard (UK) | May 31, 09 1:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - London’s Big Ben will celebrate three 150th birthdays this year, starting with today’s anniversary of the first movement of the huge clock, the Evening Standard reports. July 11 marks the first ringing of “Big Ben,” the Great Bell that eventually gave its name to the tower, and September will see the anniversary of the first...

Pakistan Says It's Close to Swat Victory
BBC | May 31, 09 12:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - Pakistan’s defense secretary says the army will crush Taliban militants in the Swat Valley within days, the BBC reports. Just "5% to 10% of the job" is left, Syed Athar Ali told an Asian forum, though an army spokesman declined to give an actual timeline. Meanwhile, 40 rebels and four soldiers were killed in fighting near the Afghan...

Sotomayor the First Latino on Supreme Court? Not Exactly
Los Angeles Times | May 31, 09 12:12 PM CDT
(Newser) - Sonia Sotomayor is indeed the first Latino to be nominated for a Supreme Court post—if you don’t count Benjamin Cardozo, a justice serving in the 1930s who was born to parents claiming Portuguese descent. But, some ask, did that make him Latino? The answer, Antonio Olivo explains in the Los Angeles Times , depends on how people define...

Save the Trauma Excuses: You Failed on 9/11
Washington Post | May 31, 09 11:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - Ironically, Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice have defended their post-9/11 decisions by appealing for empathy, arguing that only those in charge on that bleak day could understand. “I have little sympathy for this argument,” Richard Clarke, who was there, retorts in a withering piece for the Washington Post , blaming them for ignoring...

Mexican Heroin Seeps Into Rural US
New York Times | May 31, 09 11:29 AM CDT
(Newser) - As the battle between drug cartels and law enforcement rages in Mexico, traffickers are gaining footholds in America's Heartland. Ohio saw heroin-related deaths spread into 18 new counties between 2004 and 2007, just one indication that dealers aren't limited to big cities. "It's like going to pick up beer," a former user tells the New York...

Nadal Falls in 4th Round
Associated Press | May 31, 09 11:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - Rafael Nadal's unbeaten run at the French Open is over. The four-time defending champion has lost to Robin Soderling of Sweden in the fourth round, ending his record 31-match winning streak at Roland Garros. Soderling, seeded 23rd at this year's tournament, ran Nadal ragged on center court with his hard serve and booming forehand.

Pentagon Builds Legion of 'Hacker Soldiers'
New York Times | May 31, 09 10:52 AM CDT
(Newser) - Military recruiters may still prize the strapping jock, but military contractors are wooing the scrawny computer geek to join the ranks of young "hacker soldiers" enlisted to defend the US in cyberwarfare, the New York Times reports. Most of the biggest companies, like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, have “cyber contracts”...

Graham: Sotomayor Thinks She's Superior
Politico | May 31, 09 10:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich have had their say, and today, the senators who will vote on Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation weighed in, Politico reports: On Fox News Sunday , Lindsey Graham demanded Sotomayor apologize for her “wise Latina” comment, saying the judge thinks she’s superior to people who haven’t...

GM Close to Hummer Sale That Would Save 3K US Jobs
Wall Street Journal | May 31, 09 10:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - GM has selected an unnamed investor to buy its hulking Hummer brand, in a move aimed at saving more than 3000 US jobs, sources tell the Wall Street Journal. They say the company hopes to seal the deal, rumored to be in the $200 million range, by September. An official spokesman declined to give any announcement, saying only that GM is "working...

What Happened to Kinder, Gentler Tom Hanks?
Los Angeles Times | May 31, 09 9:51 AM CDT
(Newser) - Where has Tom Hanks gone? Sure, he's still around on the big screen, currently breaking the bank with Angels & Demons, but what happened to the Tom Hanks that is "our Jimmy Stewart, a heartland guy, good people," wonders Betsey Sharkey in the Los Angeles Times . The "hero and stand-up guy" of movies like Big and Forrest...

Coleman-Franken Fight Heads to Minn.'s Top Court
The Hill | May 31, 09 9:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - Norm Coleman and Al Franken take their protracted election battle to Minnesota's Supreme Court tomorrow, reports the Hill, in what could be its final stage. Lawyers on both sides have spent some 6 weeks readying their arguments—including Coleman, himself a lawyer. Franken, meanwhile, holding to a slim ballot advantage, has instead played the...

GM Bondholders OK Debt-for-Equity Plan in Vote
Wall Street Journal | May 31, 09 9:08 AM CDT
(Newser) - GM bondholders voted yesterday to forgive $27 million in debt for equity in the restructured automaker, the Wall Street Journal reports. The move opens the door for a bankruptcy filing tomorrow morning, the New York Times notes. The Treasury Department was in charge of deciding whether enough bondholders backed the offer; “more than 50% agreed,”...

Brit Tycoon Murder Suspect Tried to Flee by Sea
Times (UK) | May 31, 09 8:47 AM CDT
(Newser) - A British millionaire sought in the murder of his Polish girlfriend in a tony Paris hotel tried to buy a cabin cruiser to flee, reports Times of London. Ian Griffin visited a British marina earlier this week after his girlfriend was found beaten to death and tried buy a vessel—but left because the process was taking too long. A friend has warned...

Common Tie for Women of Supreme Court? Nancy Drew
New York Times | May 31, 09 8:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - The women of the Supreme Court—Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and now likely Sonia Sotomayor—may come from wildly different backgrounds, but they all shared a common childhood pastime: curling up with a Nancy Drew novel. What was it about that wholesome teenage detective? wonders Mary Jo Murphy in the New York Times. ...

Chavez Cuts TV Debate After Row With Writer
BBC | May 31, 09 7:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez cancelled an edition of his TV show after a confrontation with famous Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, reports the BBC. Chavez had challenged Vargas Llosa to hold a televised debate with pro-Chavez academics. In a volley of insults, Vargas Llosa responded that he would only debate Chavez directly. The Chavez program,...

Hitler Sells Again in Germany
Los Angeles Times | May 31, 09 7:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Broadway hit musical comedy The Producers finally opened in Berlin to boffo box office receipts—but not before in intense sales push to break through German reluctance to see an ersatz Hitler hamming it up on stage, reports the Los Angeles Times . "If you put it on most places, then it's a jolly musical about friendship and trust,"...

Under Fire, USC Drops Ball in Sports Perks Probe
Los Angeles Times | May 31, 09 6:32 AM CDT
(Newser) - Years after footballer Reggie Bush was accused of accepting gifts from marketers while at USC, the university is still doing almost nothing to investigate the matter, despite the spread of allegations to a top basketball player and coach, the Los Angeles Times reports. Though the NCAA has expanded its own probe—with potentially dire consequences...

Hendrix 'Murdered by Manager'
Daily Mail (UK) | May 31, 09 6:11 AM CDT
(Newser) - Jimi Hendrix's manager murdered the legendary rocker to cash in on a $2 million life insurance policy, an aide reveals in a new book. Hendrix was "worth more dead to him than alive," according to roadie James Wright. Wright said manager Michael Jeffrey confessed to him that he filled the musician's mouth with sedatives and wine because Hendrix...

Bomb Defused on Iranian Airliner
BBC | May 31, 09 5:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - A home-made bomb found aboard an Iranian airliner was defused after an emergency landing, reports the BBC. Plainclothes security guards discovered the bomb in a bathroom of the plane shortly after take-off from Ahvaz, an oil-rich area along the Iraq border marked by unrest among minorities. The incident signals rising tension as presidential elections...

Brazen Paris Gunman Grabs $8M in Gems
BBC | May 31, 09 5:17 AM CDT
(Newser) - A lone gunman boldly stepped into a plush Chopard store in Paris and walked out with $8 million in gems yesterday, reports the BBC. The thief, dressed in a suit and fedora, forced the staff to hand over 15 pieces of jewelry, then calmly exited into the aftyernoon sun.  Late last year armed robbers stole $102 million in jewels from a shop off the...

JD Salinger Moves to Block 'Sequel' to Catcher In Rye
Daily Telegraph (UK) | May 31, 09 4:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - Lawyers for the famously reclusive author JD Salinger are considering legal action to block an unauthorized sequel to his classic The Catcher in the Rye, reports the Telegraph. The new novel, by a Swedish-American named John David California, is titled 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye.  It follows the Holden Caulfield-esque wanderings...

World's Most Luxe Pools
Woman's Day | May 31, 09 4:23 AM CDT
(Newser) - On the lookout for a unique summer vacation experience? Woman’s Day recommends eight stunning pools in some of the world’s most beautiful locations: The hanging pool atop the Joule hotel in Dallas projects 8 feet over the edge of the building. The Homestead Crater at Homestead Resort in Utah is a 55-foot-high dome filled...

Orlando Dumps LeBron, Cavs to Reach Finals
Orlando Sentinel | May 30, 09 10:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - There will be no LeBron-Kobe matchup in this year's NBA Finals. The Orlando Magic took care of that tonight with a 103-90 thumping of LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6, reports the Orlando Sentinel . Dwight Howard had 40 points for Orlando, which will take on Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in the finals. The Magic—which swept LA in...

US Reforms Bring Partying Expats Back to Cuba
Guardian (UK) | May 30, 09 7:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - Taking advantage of loosened US rules, Cuban-Americans are flocking back to Havana and sparking a mini economic boom, the Guardian reports. Expatriates are bringing everything from Victoria's Secret bras to M&Ms to toothbrushes—and, of course, American dollars—for their Cuban families. "Capitalism à la carte," said...

Obamas Dine Out, Do Broadway in NYC
Associated Press | May 30, 09 7:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - President Barack Obama made good on a campaign promise to his most important supporter tonight—his wife, Michelle. The president and first lady jetted for a date in New York late this afternoon, aides and media in tow. "I am taking my wife to New York City because I promised her during the campaign that I would take her to a Broadway show...

Saudi Arabia Displays Beheaded Convict
CNN | May 30, 09 6:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - Saudi Arabian authorities decapitated and publicly displayed a convicted killer last night, drawing fire from Amnesty International, CNN reports. A state press agency said Ahmed Al-Shamlani Al-Anzi was sentenced for murdering an 11-year-old boy and his father. The Saudis likely sewed Al-Anzi's head back on before his display, or "crucifixion,"...

Microsoft's Bing: Life-Saver, or Big Brother?
PC World | May 30, 09 6:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - Reviewers say Microsoft's new Bing search engine—still not officially released—is great for shopping and answering tricky questions. It's also Big Brother in disguise: "There's much to like," writes Mike Elgan in PC World , except Bing's top search matches—chosen by Microsoft, not popularity rankings. "It's...

8 Funky Boozing Trends
Esquire | May 30, 09 5:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - If you’re going to consume conspicuously, you may as well imbibe in style. Esquire distills eight drinking trends coming to a bar near you: The Enomatic, a high-end wine vending machine. This auto-sommelier pours a perfect glass every time, leading some bars to cut out the middleman (in this case, the bartender) and let you help yourself....

Berlusconi Blocks Release of Topless Photos
BBC | May 30, 09 5:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - Silvio Berlusconi can rest easy: Racy photos allegedly showing young, bikini-clad and topless women frolicking at his villa will be sealed, BBC reports. The Italian prime minister said the 700 images, furtively snapped by a photographer on the island of Sardinia, violated his guests’ privacy. Meanwhile pressure is mounting on Berlusconi to explain...

Boyle Loses Britain's Got Talent
News of the World (UK) | May 30, 09 4:51 PM CDT
(Newser) - Susan Boyle lost her bid today to win Britain’s Got Talent , reports News of the World . The Scottish songbird, performing the same song from Les Miserables that brought her international fame, finished second behind a young dance troupe, which won about $161,000 and an audience with Queen Elizabeth. “Lads, I wish you all the best,”...

Pols Pushed U. of Illinois Into Taking Students
Chicago Tribune | May 30, 09 4:32 PM CDT
(Newser) - Prominent state lawmakers have been pressuring administrators at the University of Illinois to accept favored applicants or risk facing their wrath, the Chicago Tribune reports. Analyzing 1,800 documents, the paper found that subpar applicants on a “clout list” gained admission over the objections of admissions officers after school lobbyists...