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.
Top Court Candidates Differ Widely on Exec Power
New York Times
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May 25, 2009 4:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Most Supreme Court watchers say that Barack Obama's choice to succeed David Souter will change little, since the retiring justice was a reliable member of the court's liberal bloc. But on critical questions of presidential power, which Souter regularly sought to check, the new justice's vote could be crucial. Obama's top court candidates...
North Korea Conducts Nuke Test
New York Times
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May 25, 2009 2:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
North Korea announced today it had successfully conducted its first nuclear test since 2006, catching the South and the US off guard and drawing a swift denunciation from Barack Obama. The underground test produced a 4.7-magnitude earthquake, but as with the previous test, it remains unclear whether the North has successfully expanded its weapons...
Spain's Human Rights Probes Spark Backlash
Washington Post
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May 24, 2009 7:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Judges in Spain are pressing human rights cases against top officials around the world, prompting threats abroad and criticisms at home, the Washington Post reports. Invoking so-called universal jurisdiction, judges are probing 16 cases, including US approval of torture and Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. But nervous Spanish lawmakers reacted...
Israel to Let Settlements Expand
Haaretz (Israel)
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May 24, 2009 7:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Israel will let settlements grow in the occupied West Bank despite President Obama's call to freeze expansion, Haaretz reports. "We do not intend to build any new settlements," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today, "but it wouldn't be fair to ban construction to meet the needs of natural growth." Less than a week ago,...
Woman Won 'Male Rights' Fighting in Civil War
NPR
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May 24, 2009 6:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A veteran of 40 Civil War skirmishes and battles kept one secret under wraps: her breasts. Union Army soldier Albert Cashier was really Jennie Hodgers, one of hundreds of women who fought in the war. "The country needed men, and I wanted excitement," Hodgers said. She also benefited from 19th-century male-only rights like a paycheck, a ballot,...
Social Security, Medicare Going Broke? Terrific!
Newsweek
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May 24, 2009 6:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Social Security and Medicare are headed toward disaster, and that’s a good thing, Robert J. Samuelson writes in Newsweek . The programs are expected to run out of money by 2017 and 2037, respectively, and when they do, politicians will have to make painful, necessary reforms. “The counterintuitive lesson: a ‘crisis’ is just...
Daily Show Regular Riggle Moonlights as a Marine
NPR
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May 24, 2009 6:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rob Riggle is really funny as a fake-news correspondent on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart . He’s also such a good Marine Corps reservist that he was just recommended for promotion to lieutenant colonel, NPR reports. "I know that being in the Marines has definitely served my comedy," Riggle says. "It's a character study for me."...
Pakistan Claims Key Square in Swat City
New York Times
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May 24, 2009 5:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Pakistan says it has claimed a crucial part of the Swat Valley’s largest city from the Taliban, the New York Times reports. Ten Taliban fighters and six Pakistani soldiers died fighting over Mingora’s Green Square, known as “Slaughter Square” for its reputation as a beheaded-body dumping ground under the Taliban. Militants...
Boyle Sings Rousing 'Memory' From Cats
Associated Press
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May 24, 2009 5:21 PM CDT
(AP) -
Surprise singing sensation Susan Boyle made a new television appearance today, showcasing once again her soaring voice—but refusing to compromise on the frumpy look that made her an Internet sensation. The shy church volunteer gave a rousing, but occasionally nervous, performance on the American Idol -style show Britain's Got Talent , with...
Top UK Poetry Prof Refuses to Step Down
Guardian (UK)
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May 24, 2009 5:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The first woman to hold Britain's highest academic post in poetry refuses to resign despite an uproar over whether she ran a dirty election campaign, reviving decades-old sexual harassment claims against her main rival, Nobel laureate Derek Walcott, the Guardian reports. Oxford Professor of Poetry-elect Ruth Padel admits she pointed two journalists...
Stiller's Museum Beats Terminator
Reuters
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May 24, 2009 4:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Even the Terminator couldn’t beat Ben Stiller's Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian , which banked $53.5 million this weekend, Reuters reports. Terminator Salvation finished second with $43.0 million—but did haul in a $56.4 million 4-day total after opening Thursday. Star Trek ($22 million), Angels & Demons ($21.4...
'Housemade' the Latest Word in Fine Dining
Newsweek
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May 24, 2009 4:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A word that isn’t yet in the dictionary has been cropping up on menus across America: “housemade” is the new trend. Don’t confuse it with “homemade,” which has lost its buzz and now suggests an unprofessional cook or a hokey menu-writer. “Housemade has more cachet,” one restaurateur tells Newsweek .
Castroneves Wins 3rd Indy 500
Associated Press
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May 24, 2009 3:58 PM CDT
(AP) -
Helio Castroneves won his third Indianapolis 500 today, beating 2005 winner Dan Wheldon by 1.981 seconds and leaving Danica Patrick in third, the best finish by a woman at Indianapolis. With 10 laps to go, Castroneves' lead was 1.38 seconds, and he continued widening the gap the rest of the way. Townsend Bell was fourth and Will Power fifth. Last year's...
Bizarre Dust Stains Snow-Capped Rockies
Los Angeles Times
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May 24, 2009 3:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A veil of dust coating the snowcapped Colorado Rockies is accelerating river runoff and has farmers scrambling to avoid an arid crop season, the Los Angeles Times reports. An unusually high number of dust storms and unseasonably warm temperatures have caused rivers to swell near flood stage. “It creates a high-pressured game of Twister for...
Tamil Tigers Confirm Death of Leader
BBC
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May 24, 2009 3:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The defeated Tamil Tigers have admitted that leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is dead, the BBC reports. The rebels declared a week of mourning after their “incomparable leader” was killed while "fighting the military oppression of the Sri Lankan government," a statement said. The Tigers have also renounced violence, said a spokesman,...
Accused Bronx Bombers' Gals Cry 'Entrapment'
New York Daily News
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May 24, 2009 3:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The girlfriends of two accused synagogue bomb plotters say their beaus were duped by an overeager informant, the New York Daily News reports. "David is the most sensitive man I've ever met," said Cassandra McCoy of her Bronx boyfriend, David Williams. "He has three leatherbound books of poetry." Kathleen Baynes claimed that an...
Haneke's White Ribbon Wins Palme d'Or
Associated Press
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May 24, 2009 2:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon took the top prize at Cannes today, while Lars Von Triers’ controversial Antichrist was vindicated with a Best Actress award for Charlotte Gainsbourg, the AP reports. French film A Prophet won second place, with Fish Tank and Thirst tying for third. Christoph Waltz took Best Actor for his portrayal...
Early Retirees Face Shaky Financial Future
Los Angeles Times
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May 24, 2009 2:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A growing number of older US workers are bucking expectations and retiring early, risking financial hardship in their senior years, the Los Angeles Times reports. Instead of staving off retirement to rebuild diminished nest eggs, many older Americans, frustrated by the job market, are simply calling it quits. Add aging Baby Boomers to the mix,...
Two Crash on Lap 1 of Indy 500
Associated Press
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May 24, 2009 2:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Today's Indianapolis 500 had barely started when Mario Moraes drifted to the outside and made contact with Marco Andretti, sending both cars into the wall going into the second turn. "The kid doesn't get it, and he never will," Andretti said, blaming Moraes for the crash. "He's just clueless out there."
Pelosi Won't Slap China on Human Rights
Washington Post
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May 24, 2009 1:29 PM CDT
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Like Hillary Clinton before her, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will sidestep Beijing's human rights record on her weeklong trip to China that began today, reports the Washington Post . Pelosi, who has been a vocal critic of the Tiananmen Square massacre and Chinese policies on Tibet, says the focus of her trip will be climate change.
This Summer, Catch Up on Neglected TV Series
NPR
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May 24, 2009 12:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As the American Idol dust clears and you resign yourself to never understanding Lost, TV's fallow season looms, just begging you to catch up on some excellent viewing you might have missed. NPR blogger Linda Holmes has some suggestions: Mad Men : "Works very well when you can grab it on DVD and watch it in long, meditative...
Forget Tea Parties: Irate Brits Talking 'Bout a Revolution
New York Times
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May 24, 2009 12:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Britain’s embattled politicians may have another revolution on their hands, but this time one that’s brewing on their own soil. Citizens are fuming over outrageous personal expenditures—including a miniature “duck house” and the clearing of a moat—by members of Parliament, but tensions have been simmering for well...
Bankruptcy Looms in Leibovitz's Viewfinder
New York Post
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May 24, 2009 12:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Annie Leibovitz pulls down $2 million a year from Vanity Fair to shoot Hollywood A-listers, but a lighting company that claims the shutterbug owes it about $200,000 may force her to file for involuntary bankruptcy. Leibovitz is already underwater—with other lawsuits over real estate and unpaid bills, she borrowed $15.5 million last year against...
Bitter, Frustrated S. Koreans Mourn Dead Ex-Prez
Los Angeles Times
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May 24, 2009 11:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
South Koreans spent the day yesterday mourning their former president, whose suicide left them sharply divided over his efforts to crush the very kind of corruption of which he was accused, the Los Angeles Times reports. “He was a two-faced person," said one researcher. “He set himself up as this crusader who was going to clean up...
Recession Whacks Tinseltown Agents
Independent (UK)
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May 24, 2009 11:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hollywood's toughest power brokers—the big shot "10 percenters" of the top talent agencies—are no longer immune to the recession, reports the Independent . With the merger between former rival agencies William Morris and Endeavor officially approved, 100 top agents got the ax . Officials of the new entity hope the combined strength...
The Death of the 'Old Army Buddy'
Washington Post
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May 24, 2009 11:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
On Memorial Day, former soldiers of all ages will be touching base with their brothers in arms, but as Michael Auslin writes in the Washington Post , real Old Army Buddies are on the verge of extinction. The men who willingly served during the drafts of the '50s and '60s came home with rich experiences and lifelong bonds that soldiers don't get today....
Powell to Rush: I'm Not Leaving GOP
Politico
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May 24, 2009 11:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Sorry, Rush Limbaugh: Colin Powell isn’t leaving the Republican Party. Striking back at critics, the general burnished his GOP credentials on Face the Nation today. “Rush will not get his wish, and Mr Cheney was misinformed” about Powell’s supposed exit from the party. Powell added that if the GOP isn’t more inclusive,...
Atlantis Lands Safely in Calif.
Space.com
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May 24, 2009 10:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With weather conditions in Florida remaining too soggy for a safe shuttle landing, Atlantis instead touched down at Edwards Air Force Base in California this morning. This was the 53rd west-coast landing for a space shuttle, a $2 million decision made easy by the balmy conditions in the Mojave Desert. Atlantis will make it back to Kennedy Space Center...
Berlusconi Irate Over Pesky Media Questions
Guardian (UK)
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May 24, 2009 10:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Silvio Berlusconi owns nearly half of Italy’s television stations—but not La Repubblica, the Italian daily that has incensed the PM with questions about his connection to an 18-year-old model, the Guardian reports. When a reporter asked about Berlusconi's appearance at her birthday party, Berlusconi took offense, saying “shame...
'Candid' Laura Bush Tells Her Story
Politico
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May 24, 2009 10:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Shortly before the election last November, Laura Bush sought to shape her somewhat hazy legacy. The former first lady spoke to historians, reporters, and other DC insiders in a 3-hour “legacy lunch,” at which she was called “candid,” “funny,” and “open” as she answered questions, Politico reports. “No...
Covert Journos 'Bribe' Way Into Queen's Palace
BBC
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May 24, 2009 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In an exposé operation, undercover reporters were allowed into “sensitive” sections of Buckingham Palace, the BBC reports. The News of the World journalists reportedly paid a chauffeur at the palace $1,600 for a tour; dressed as Middle Eastern businessmen, they were ushered in without security checks and one was allowed to sit...
Gun Battle in Vienna Temple Wounds 6
Reuters
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May 24, 2009 9:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A mid-afternoon shootout between members of two families at an Indian religious temple in Vienna left nine people seriously injured, Reuters reports. Authorities arrested six men who barged into the Sikh temple with knives and a gun. The men, who number among the wounded, apparently were extremists who opposed the teachings of the preacher, the BBC...
Ore. Mom Busted in Son's Drowning
Associated Press
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May 24, 2009 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Authorities arrested an Oregon mother yesterday after local residents heard screams and found her children drifting in a chilly river, the AP reports. Amanda Jo Stott-Smith’s 7-year-old daughter is expected to survive, but her 4-year-old son could not be revived. “I can't imagine what it must be like to be a child in this cold river,”...
College Students Dig Farm Internships
New York Times
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May 24, 2009 8:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Liberal arts students are ditching traditional summer internships of office coffee-fetching for life on the land, reports the New York Times. As part of a generation well-versed in Michael Pollan's attack on industrial agriculture and interested in social change, these students see organic farm work as a political statement. "Everyone eats,...
Spiderman Actress Fought With Lover Before Suicide
Daily Mail (UK)
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May 24, 2009 7:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
British Spiderman actress Lucy Gordon had a loud row with her older lover before she hanged herself in their Paris apartment last week, neighbors told the Daily Mail . Boyfriend and cinematographer Jerome Almeras was sleeping in bed following the argument when Gordon, 28, killed herself. He discovered her body, cut her down and raced into the street...
Reuters Journo Held by US in Iraq 8 Months
Los Angeles Times
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May 24, 2009 7:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Amid the outrage over journalist Roxana Saberi’s detention in Iran, the US is holding a Reuters photographer in Iraq without charges, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ibrahim Jassam, 31, has been held since September “as the result of his activity with a known insurgent organization,” said a US military rep. An Iraqi court ordered...
11 Killed in Morocco Concert Stampede
BBC
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May 24, 2009 7:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
At least 11 people were killed by a fan stampede after a Moroccan concert, reports the BBC. Some 40 others were injured when a wire fence collapsed, causing a mob to surge forward at the event packed with 70,000 spectators. The Rabat event was part of the week-long Mawazine world music festival that included several top musicians, including Stevie...
Thug Swipes Bacon Phone Packed With Celeb Contacts
New York Post
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May 24, 2009 6:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A brazen Manhattan subway thug swiped actor Kevin Bacon's Blackberry, likely packed with phone numbers of his A-list celebrity pals, reports the New York Post . Bacon gave chase, but the thief maneuvered through the crowd at a midtown subway station to freedom. Bacon and his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, are no strangers to being crime targets. They were also...
Maddy Parents Demand Pedophile Come Clean
Independent (UK)
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May 24, 2009 6:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Madeleine McCann's parents are demanding a brutal British pedophile come forward with any information he has about the disappearance of their daughter, reports the Independent. Raymond Hewlett, who has served time for assaulting young girls, was staying at a campsite near the Portugal resort where Maddy McCann vanished two years ago during a family...
Partners of Gay, Lesbian Diplomats Win Full Benefits
New York Times
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May 24, 2009 5:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The State Department will offer same-sex partners of American diplomats all the benefits given to married spouses, reports the New York Times. An internal memo from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed to a gay and lesbian Foreign Service organization outlined the changes, which would ensure diplomatic passports, access to medical facilities...
Swine Flu Hits US Troops in Kuwait
BBC
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May 24, 2009 5:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In the first appearance of swine flu in the Gulf region, 18 American soldiers have tested positive for the disease, reports the BBC. All affected troops have left Kuwait and received medical attention. The soldiers at the military base—a logistics outpost for troops serving in Iraq—did not come into contact with the local Kuwaiti population,...
Iran Blocks Facebook As Election Nears
BBC
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May 24, 2009 5:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Iran has blocked access to Facebook just in time for June elections, reports the BBC. The move is viewed as an effort to hurt presidential reform candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, whose Facebook page lists 5000 supporters and who is considered a possible threat to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Facebook blasted the action at a time when "voters are...
Get Fired Up for Grill Season
Esquire
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May 24, 2009 4:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With the outdoor cooking season kicking off this week, barbecue guru Steven Raichlen offers some grill tips in Esquire you shouldn’t have gone so long without: Get the grill screaming hot: Put your hand 3 inches off the grate, and if “ouch” comes in 2-3 seconds, you’re good. Keep it clean: Scrub the grate...
GOP Rep. Blasts RNC Video Linking Pelosi, Pussy Galore
Politico
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May 23, 2009 11:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Republican congressman tells Politico that a new RNC video depicting Nancy Pelosi as Pussy Galore is "reprehensible, irresponsible and unpersuasive." Utah's Jason Chaffetz says the GOP must "get away from the politics of personal destruction." The video, which juxtaposes Pelosi with the infamous James Bond villain, is...
Online Obama Comic in Talks With NBC
Washington Post
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May 23, 2009 7:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama's self-proclaimed "impersonator in chief" is gaining ground, hosting one of YouTube's 100-most-popular channels and talking to NBC about a pilot, the Washington Post reports. Iman Crosson grabbed national attention last year by parroting the prez online—imitating TI's "Whatever You Like" as Obama...
Franken, Coleman Fight Over $94K in Legal Fees
Talking Points Memo
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May 23, 2009 7:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Norm Coleman and Al Franken are tussling over $94,000 in legal fees as they head to the Minnesota Supreme Court, Talking Points Memo reports. A county clerk ruled this week that Coleman, after losing a court ruling in the Senate race, owed Franken the money under a loser-pays election law. But Coleman's lawyers say "costs and disbursements will...
Up for Some Wine Tasting? Try Twitter
Forbes
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May 23, 2009 7:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Wine connoisseurs are uniting in an unlikely venue—Twitter. The microblogging site is the perfect place to talk wine, writes Alyssa Rapp for Forbes . After all, “there’s no apologizing for spilling wine on someone else’s rug, and no one has to drive home.” A few simple tools can help drown out the noise of thousands of...
Boyle Advances in Britain's Got Talent
Associated Press
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May 23, 2009 6:42 PM CDT
(AP) -
Britain's unlikely singing sensation Susan Boyle, the frumpy church volunteer who wowed the world with her angelic voice, was today voted into the next round of a TV talent show that propelled her to global fame. Cowell and his fellow "Britain's Got Talent" judges said Boyle is among 40 performers they've selected to advance in the competition....
Parental Neglect a Thorny Issue
Newsweek
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May 23, 2009 6:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
“Parental neglect” is a tricky term that may indicate just the opposite: devoted parents who care for their children, but in a way authorities oppose, Kate Dailey writes in Newsweek . It’s a paradox illustrated by two moms who fled with their sons this week, one to prevent him from receiving chemo—she prefers holistic healing—and...
Angry Man Threatens to 'Punch Out' Giuliani
New York Post
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May 23, 2009 5:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A "slim, well-dressed man in his fifties" ran up to Rudy and Judi Giuliani in the Hamptons today and threatened to deck him, witnesses tell the New York Post. Sitting outside a Bridgehampton, NY, bakery, the pair was initially startled by the man. "Alright, do it then!" the former mayor yelled. But the Giulianis slipped away as...
