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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.

Museum Cluttered But Fun
Rotten Tomatoes | May 22, 2009 7:51 AM CDT
(Newser) - Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian is a lively improvement on its predecessor, even if it suffers a bit from information overload, say critics.  Betsey Sharkey, Los Angeles Times : With its legions of museum exhibit-come-to life characters, the sequel resembles "not so much a movie as a series of running antiquity gags."...
Toddler Buys $20K Digger Online
Telegraph (UK) | May 22, 2009 7:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - A tech-savvy New Zealand 3-year-old bought a $20,000 piece of heavy machinery while her parents were sleeping, the Daily Telegraph reports. Pipi Quinland went to the family computer after waking up early, entered the online auction site TradeMe—her mom had logged on earlier—and won an auction for a Kobelco digger with a few clicks of...
Pakistani Town Beats Back Taliban
Wall Street Journal | May 22, 2009 7:35 AM CDT
(Newser) - Armed residents of a town in the troubled Swat Valley fought off Taliban forces yesterday,  the latest sign that locals are helping the Pakistan army beat back militants, reports the Wall Street Journal . Several Taliban fighters were captured when hundreds of residents stormed out of the mountain town of Kalam, which has already been attacked...
Alert Air Passenger Warns of Fuel Leak
CNN | May 22, 2009 7:31 AM CDT
(Newser) - An eagle-eyed passenger warned a 747 flight crew about a fuel leak on a recent Japan-bound flight from Chicago, CNN reports. Air Force Sgt. Bartek Bachleda, who serves in an air refueling squadron, spotted vapor billowing from behind the wing and realized the jet was losing fuel fast. He alerted a flight attendant, who—after at first brushing...
Shell Accused of Crimes Against Humanity
New York Times | May 22, 2009 7:18 AM CDT
(Newser) - Next week Royal Dutch Shell will finally appear in court to answer charges that it was complicit in the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the author and oil company critic executed by Nigeria's former military regime in 1995. Saro-Wiwa's family accuses the oil company of "a systemic campaign of human rights violations" to silence opposition to its...
Weather Delays Shuttle's Return Until Tomorrow
Associated Press | May 22, 2009 7:10 AM CDT
(AP) - Stormy weather in Florida prevented space shuttle Atlantis and its crew from landing today, and the crew will try again tomorrow. The news isn't a huge surprise to the seven astronauts, who are wrapping up a successful mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. The weather outlook has been grim for days. The crew has enough supplies through Monday....
Mexico Captures Drug Suspect on Most-Wanted List
Associated Press | May 22, 2009 7:02 AM CDT
(AP) - Soldiers have arrested a suspected member of a powerful drug cartel who is listed among Mexico's 37 most-wanted traffickers. Raymundo Almanza Morales was captured in the northern city of Monterrey after soldiers received an anonymous tip. His brother was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of masterminding the killing of an army general in Cancun.
Air Force Pilot Killed in Mojave Desert Crash
Associated Press | May 22, 2009 6:51 AM CDT
(Newser) - A military pilot was killed when his jet crashed in the Mojave Desert north of California's Edwards Air Force Base yesterday, the AP reports. Military officials said the T-38 Talon was on a training flight. The navigator ejected and is in stable condition in hospital. The crash, still under investigation, is the second deadly one involving a plane...
Dollar Hits 2009 Low
Reuters | May 22, 2009 6:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - The dollar fell to its lowest level of the year today as investors grew nervous that the US could lose its triple-A credit rating, Reuters reports. The greenback declined to $1.39 against the euro and $1.58 against the pound, echoing similar drops across the world. Yesterday, Moody's said it was not changing America's AAA rating, but one foreign...
Bush Likes His 'Liberating' New Life in the Burbs
Associated Press | May 22, 2009 6:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - Being wrist-deep in dog poo makes a nice change of pace from being neck-deep in responsibilities, George W. Bush told a group of New Mexico high school seniors yesterday. Bush, in one of his few public appearances since leaving office, said it felt liberating to be out of the Oval Office and returning to normal life in suburbia, AP reports.
Chavez Takes Control of Iron, Steel Firms
AFP | May 22, 2009 6:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hugo Chavez has ordered the nationalization of several large iron and steel companies in Venezuela, AFP reports. The president said the takeovers marked the start of a "process of nationalization to create an industrial complex." The move, which follows the nationalization of 39 oil service providers, would help build a "solid platform...
Biden Visits Lebanon Ahead of Elections
Associated Press | May 22, 2009 6:28 AM CDT
(AP) - Vice President Joe Biden visited Lebanon today to reinforce US support for the government ahead of key parliamentary elections. The vote in two weeks could see a pro-Western majority ousted by a coalition led by the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. Biden is the highest-ranking US official to visit Lebanon in more than 25 years and the second...
Facebook Bares Chou Chou , Cuddly Wife
Sky News | May 22, 2009 5:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - It must be time to bolster political support. Not only has French President Nicolas Sarkozy launched his own Facebook page, he has also posted a video of himself "casually dropping in" on a magazine interview with his wife. The two can barely tear their eyes away from each other, as Sarko purrs: "Doesn't she look great?" As he leaves,...
Feds Seize Florida Bank in $4.9B Bust
Wall Street Journal | May 22, 2009 5:05 AM CDT
(Newser) - Florida's BankUnited went bust yesterday as the FDIC seized the critically undercapitalized bank and sold it off to a private-equity team including Blackstone, reports the Wall Street Journal . BankUnited's troubles stemmed from overeager moves in the housing market. It specialized in loans for foreigners wanting to buy Florida property. After Indymac,...
Mom Admits Killing Son Twice
CNN | May 22, 2009 4:42 AM CDT
(Newser) - An Albuquerque mom has confessed to police that she killed her toddler son—twice—and buried his body in a playground. She suffocated 3-year-old Ty, then changed her mind and used CPR to revive him before deciding again to suffocate him, Tiffany Toribio told detectives. She killed him because she "didn't want him to grow up with no...
Yank: Suu Kyi Swim Spurred by 'Vision of Danger'
Independent (UK) | May 22, 2009 4:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - The American who jeopardized Aung San Suu Kyi’s freedom by swimming to the lakeside home where she was under house arrest told the court yesterday he did so because he “had a vision” that Suu Kyi’s life was in danger, the Independent reports. John Yettaw planned to alert Suu Kyi, and hoped to post a video of the pro-democracy...
Beekeepers Stung by Rustlers
Independent (UK) | May 22, 2009 3:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - A spate of thefts has rocked Britain's once close-knit beekeeping community, the Independent reports. Many farmers have lost hives, sometimes up to 100 in one theft, worth many thousands of dollars. A shortage of honey after massive bee die-offs over two harsh winters has made bees valuable enough to be targeted by thieves, and victims believe...
New Series by Beavis Creator Lampoons Green Buttheads
Wall Street Journal | May 22, 2009 3:23 AM CDT
(Newser) - Goodbye Hank Hill, hello Gerald Goode. Beavis and Butthead creator Mike Judge's new animated series lampoons a vegan, hybrid-driving Midwestern family whose motto is: "What would Al Gore do?" The Goode Family sends up the greener-than-thou clan’s efforts to maintain an environmentally friendly, strictly PC lifestyle just for the...
Brit Pedophile Probed in Maddy Case
Telegraph (UK) | May 22, 2009 3:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - Private detectives are investigating a violent British pedophile in the disappearance of toddler Madeleine McCain, reports the Telegraph . Raymond Hewlitt, 64, was living near the Portugal resort where Maddy vanished from her bedroom two years ago while on a family vacation. Hewlitt, a former soldier, has served time for armed assaults on young girls...
Iran Busts 'Agatha Christie Killer' for Murder Most Foul
Guardian (UK) | May 22, 2009 2:37 AM CDT
(Newser) - Iranian authorities have arrested a female serial killer whose methods were inspired by Agatha Christie's murder mysteries, the Guardian reports. The woman, 32, has confessed to befriending at least four elderly women at shrines, then knocking them out with drug-spiked drinks before suffocating them and stealing their valuables. Police say she has...
Feds to Send GM Into Bankruptcy
Washington Post | May 22, 2009 2:12 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Obama administration is preparing to steer General Motors into bankruptcy next week, sources tell the Washington Post . The restructuring plan, which aims to shrink GM and turn it into a globally competitive automaker, will bring the company an extra $30 billion in federal loans, for a total of $45 billion in government aid. The government has...
Ex-GI Spared Death Penalty for Iraq Murders
USA Today | May 22, 2009 1:47 AM CDT
(Newser) - A former US soldier convicted of raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and killing her and her family has been spared the death penalty after a civilian jury failed to come to an agreement on his punishment, reports USA Today . Steven Green, 24, will be formally sentenced to life in prison without parole this fall. His lawyers had urged the jury not...
Mexico City Lifts Flu Restrictions
BBC | May 22, 2009 1:24 AM CDT
(Newser) - Mexico City has lifted all measures introduced to curb the spread of swine flu, and changed its alert status to the lowest level, the BBC reports. "We can calm down now," said Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, telling residents they no longer have to wear masks. No new cases of the H1N1 strain have been reported in the city for over a week.
RI Lawmaker: Let's Waterboard Bush for Charity
Westerly Sun (R.I.) | May 21, 2009 9:23 PM CDT
(Newser) - A Democratic state lawmaker in Rhode Island thinks George W. Bush and some of his top cronies should be waterboarded for charity, reports the Westerly Sun . State Rep. Rod Driver sent letters via certified mail to Bush, Dick Cheney, and Condoleezza Rice offering to donate $100 for every second they undergo the interrogation technique. Only Rice has...
Politics? This Was Ali vs. Frazier
Washington Post | May 21, 2009 8:41 PM CDT
(Newser) - Today's "televised smackdown" between Obama and Cheney was the "political world's equivalent of Ali-Frazier," writes Dana Milbank in the Washington Post . After the president warned against "fear-mongering," Cheney came out swinging. He "used the word 'attack' 19 times, 'danger' and 'threat' six times apiece, and...
Conan Ready for Hollywood
New York Times | May 21, 2009 8:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - Conan O’Brien moves to the slot once occupied by his hero Johnny Carson next month, raising the question of whether his shtick will play to a wider—and presumably more mainstream—audience. “The biggest mistake would be to alter my signal to make sure that I reach all these different people,” O’Brien tells Lynn Hirschberg...
Cheney Spouts 'Red Herrings and Lies'
Slate | May 21, 2009 7:34 PM CDT
(Newser) - Today's speech was "classic Dick Cheney," writes Fred Kaplan in Slate, and he doesn't mean it as a compliment. The former VP "built a case on straw men, red herrings, and lies" and put his "Manichean worldview" on full display. Kaplan labels as "blatant evasion" a core part of Cheney's argument: that harsh...
Reid: We Still Need Details; McCain: Obama Is 'Punting'
Politico | May 21, 2009 6:47 PM CDT
(Newser) - Leading Democrats praised President Obama's speech today while making clear that they still need details about closing Gitmo, Politico reports. “We’re all awaiting the details of the plan and the president is going to come up with one,” said Harry Reid, echoing the sentiment of fellow senators. Several seemed to soften their outright...
Gov. Sanford Sues State Lawmakers Over Stimulus
State (Columbia, SC) | May 21, 2009 6:05 PM CDT
(Newser) - The fight over stimulus money in South Carolina is now a federal case. Gov. Mark Sanford sued the state legislature last night for passing a budget that requires him to accept $350 million in federal money for schools, the State reports. Sanford, adamantly opposed to the stimulus cash, says state lawmakers are voiding his constitutional authority...
Porn Spammers Hit YouTube
BBC | May 21, 2009 5:19 PM CDT
(Newser) - YouTube removed hundreds of pornographic videos posted to the site today in a coordinated attack, the BBC reports. The offending files, uploaded under names such as the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana, started innocently enough before turning graphic. “I'm 12 years old and what is this?” went a comment on a fraudulent video entitled “Jonas...
Penns May Be Back Together
People | May 21, 2009 5:05 PM CDT
(Newser) - This is getting hard to keep straight. Sean Penn and wife Robin Wright Penn appear to be reconciling. Again. The actor filed a court request in Marin County, California, to dismiss his legal separation case, reports People . The two began divorce proceedings in 2007 after 11 years of marriage, only to halt them 4 months later. All seemed well until...
Apple Plans Cheap(ish) Wireless Tablet
Apple Insider | May 21, 2009 4:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - Apple is preparing a foray into the “netbook” market, AppleInsider reports. The computer company has put out feelers to parts suppliers in a bid to create a web-connected, 7- to- 10-inch tablet one analyst thinks will retail for $500-$700. “It is increasingly clear that Apple is investing more in its mobile computing franchise,”...
Liddy to Leave AIG
Wall Street Journal | May 21, 2009 4:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - AIG chief Edward Liddy is stepping down after eight months on the job, the Wall Street Journal reports. The government appointed Liddy chairman and CEO last fall after the feds bailed out the insurance giant. Liddy recommended splitting the job into two roles and will remain until his replacements are chosen. AIG's problems occurred well before...
Jay-Z Leaves Def Jam
RapRadar | May 21, 2009 3:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - Jay-Z confirmed to RapRadar today that he has left Def Jam Records after more than a decade. The news follows an unconfirmed report on HitsDailyDouble that the rapper bought out his contract for $5 million. Jay-Z, 39, owed Def Jam one more album, but he was eager to move on to his new Roc Nation venture under the Live Nation umbrella. His Blueprint...
'Showgirl' Crack Is Berlusconi's Latest Gaffe
Reuters | May 21, 2009 3:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - Emma Marcegaglia runs Italy’s industrialist association and just might be the country’s most powerful woman. But that didn’t stop Silvio Berlusconi from likening her to a showgirl today, Reuters reports. Speaking to Marcegaglia’s organization, the gaffe-prone Italian premier recalled when “an usher told me a showgirl was...
Dow Worries Its Way Down 130
Wall Street Journal | May 21, 2009 3:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - Markets were off today on news that credit raters might downgrade England and other countries, the Wall Street Journal reports. Though oil remained stable, the stocks of construction-related firms like Home Depot, Caterpillar, and Alcoa plunged; the price of gold surged. The Dow was off 129.91 to 8,292.13. The S&P fell 15.14 to 888.33. The Nasdaq...
Biden's Big Mouth Irks Obama: Book
Fox News | May 21, 2009 2:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - The rocky relationship between President Obama and Joe Biden comes under scrutiny in a new book by a Newsweek reporter, Fox News reports. In Renegade: the Making of a President , Richard Wolffe writes that Obama is “distracted by his vice president's indiscipline” and has had to personally rebuke his gaffe-prone No. 2. “He can't...
Sea Lion Saved on Highway
San Francisco Chronicle | May 21, 2009 2:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cops near San Francisco made an unusual rescue today on a local expressway: They saved a wandering sea lion, the Chronicle reports. After a brief chase, they corralled the 30-pound confused critter, probably only about a year old. The sea lion, named Moody in honor of a fallen officer, is malnourished and will get a physical and a good meal before...
Female Body Found Near Peterson Home
ABC News | May 21, 2009 2:29 PM CDT
(Newser) - Drew Peterson’s infamously bad luck might have just gotten worse: Authorities uncovered a decomposing woman’s body and a mysterious blue barrel near his Illinois home yesterday. If the woman turns to be his fourth wife, Stacy, it could undermine his claim she fled with another man. But the body could also be that of another local woman...
NOAA Predicts Average Hurricane Season
Tampa Tribune | May 21, 2009 2:06 PM CDT
(Newser) - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the 2009 hurricane season will see nine to 14 tropical storms, of which four to seven will develop into full-fledged hurricanes, the Tampa Tribune reports. As many as three could become Category 3 storms, with winds above 111 mph. The prediction jibes with one from the respected Colorado...
Bo Obama Becomes Comic Book Star
MTV | May 21, 2009 2:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Just in time for back-to-school shopping, the first family’s puppy will star in his own comic book, MTV reports. Puppy Power: Bo Obama , due out in September, will offer what the publisher calls an “insider’s look at the White House.” In the works from the same company are “Political Power” and “Female Force”...
GM, UAW Cut Deal on Labor, Health Care
Detroit Free Press | May 21, 2009 1:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - Monitored by the Treasury department, General Motors and the United Auto Workers have reached a tentative deal to modify conditions of their labor contract and retiree health care trust, which could save the flatlining automaker more than $1 billion. Still, Chapter 11 bankruptcy remains likely for GM, and union reps must approve the pact, the Detroit...
Ciara Lost on Fantasy Ride
Pitchfork | May 21, 2009 1:33 PM CDT
(Newser) - Ciara's tiny voice can't survive in the spaces her producers leave on her new album, Fantasy Ride , but the disc does provide a few fascinating diversions. Some critical opinions: "That's what you get with Fantasy Ride ," Tom Breihan writes on Pitchfork. "A few brilliant left turns that feel almost accidental mixed in with a...
Accused NY Plotters, 'Eager' to Kill Jews, Denied Bail
Journal News (NY) | May 21, 2009 1:19 PM CDT
(Newser) - A federal judge today ordered three New York men accused of plotting to blow up a synagogue and target military aircraft to be held without bail, the Journal News reports. “These were people who were eager to bring death to Jews,” said an assistant US attorney. The aspiring terrorists wanted to create “a fireball that would make...
Despite Its Faults (and Costs), Hubble Remains Crucial
CNET | May 21, 2009 1:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Hubble Space Telescope has expanded our knowledge of black holes, so it’s ironic that critics complain the $9.6 billion device is sucking up money and energy that could be shifted to other programs. But, on CNET, Don Reisinger defends the telescope as earthlings’ best shot at unlocking the secrets of the universe, like determining its...
'Accidental Millionaires' May Have Fled NZ for China
Otago Daily Times | May 21, 2009 12:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - A New Zealand couple on the lam after they became accidental millionaires may be in China, and an investigator has been dispatched to look for the fugitives, the Rotorua Review reports. Interpol is also on the case. Of the $3.6 million originally transferred into a gas station's account because of a bank error, $2.4 million has been recovered, the...
Web Killed Big Acts, Saved Music: Kot
Time | May 21, 2009 12:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Internet has so fragmented music that there may never be another big act like U2. But that’s just fine for music critic Greg Kot, author of Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music . “Art thrives best when it’s created without regard to making any kind of compromise,” he tells Time , saying labels have long...
School Censors Tween's Report on Harvey Milk
San Diego Union-Tribune | May 21, 2009 12:37 PM CDT
(Newser) - The ACLU is threatening to sue a California school district that restricted access to a 12-year-old’s report on gay-rights activist Harvey Milk, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. When the school learned of the subject, it delayed the presentation and sent letters to parents requiring permission slips for their children to attend. The presentation,...
Snark Makes Wolf Shirt a Best Seller
Chicago Tribune | May 21, 2009 12:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - What’s so great about “Three Wolf Moon,” a T-shirt that’s shot to the top of Amazon’s sales chart? Let top reviewer B. Govern explain. “Pros: Fits my girthy frame, has wolves on it, attracts women. Cons: Only 3 wolves.” That review went viral, causing a storm of sarcastic comments that has really paid off....
2010 Olympic Torch Looks Familiar ... to Potheads
Toronto Star (Canada) | May 21, 2009 12:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - The 2010 Olympic torch gets attention wherever it goes, much of it from people who look at the sleek metal shape and see a joint, the Toronto Star reports. The resemblance is probably unintentional——the design is supposed to look like the tracks skis and skates leave on snow and ice—but "people who already enjoy a joint will...
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