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.
Hatch: Save the Hummer ... for the Environment
Washington Post
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May 21, 2009 12:12 PM CDT
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Many Republicans won’t touch fuel economy issues, but not Sen. Orrin Hatch. He’s been an advocate for alternative-fuel vehicles for a decade, and yesterday got behind the wheel of the most muscular hybrid ever, reports Dana Milbank of the Washington Post . A company from Hatch’s native Utah has created a plug-in Hummer that gets...
Batman Tougher Than John Connor: Bale
Daily Mirror (UK)
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May 21, 2009 12:06 PM CDT
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Who would win in a battle between Batman and John Connor? Christian Bale’s money seems to be on the Dark Knight, the Mirror reports. “Batman’s a hell of a lot tougher to do because he’s all physical,” Bale told E! “He doesn’t use guns. He’s completely physical. John Connor uses guns. It’s just...
Green Day Won't 'Censor' Album; Wal-Mart Won't Sell It
Associated Press
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May 21, 2009 11:56 AM CDT
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Wal-Mart isn’t selling Green Day’s new album because of explicit lyrics, and the band isn’t happy about it. “They won’t carry our record because they wanted us to censor it,” frontman Billie Joe Armstrong tells the AP. 21st Century Breakdown merits a parental-advisory label, and Wal-Mart won’t stock CDs with...
Social Sites Don't Delete Photos Promptly: Study
BBC
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May 21, 2009 11:48 AM CDT
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Uploaded photos remain on social-networking sites long after users think they’ve deleted them, a study finds. Researchers put photos on 16 popular sites and then deleted them. A month later, the BBC reports, the photos were still accessible using their direct URLs on seven of those sites, including Facebook—which claims to delete them immediately....
Cheney 'Answers' Obama, Defends Bush Policy
CNN
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May 21, 2009 11:38 AM CDT
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Dick Cheney offered an “answer” to President Obama’s national-security speech today, standing up for the policies of the Bush administration and saying he remained “a strong proponent of our enhanced interrogation program,” CNN reports. “In the fight against terrorism,” Cheney said, “there is no middle...
Spider-Man Actress Found Dead
Telegraph (UK)
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May 21, 2009 11:35 AM CDT
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Lucy Gordon, a British actress who played a small role in Spider-Man 3 , was found dead in her Paris apartment yesterday, the Telegraph reports. The 28-year-old appears to have hanged herself. Elsewhere: Hugh Hefner’s ex Kendra Wilkinson has no problem with his new girlfriends—in fact, they’re invited to her wedding, she...
Designer Shorts Go Long on Price Tag
New York Times
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May 21, 2009 11:28 AM CDT
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Men’s shorts, once the outfit of choice for working outside or lounging around the house, are the new fancy dress pants—or so designers are trying to convince the world. And the new generation of shorts has the price tag to match, the New York Times reports, with high-end stores charging as much as $775 for drawstring shorts or $1,495...
Castration Drug Claims Rile Autism Community
Chicago Tribune
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May 21, 2009 11:21 AM CDT
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A drug used to chemically castrate sex offenders is being touted as a "miracle" autism treatment, but many leading doctors say the use of the chemical is medically indefensible, the Chicago Tribune reports. Lupron blocks testosterone, and users embrace the unsupported theory that autism emerges from a link between the hormone and mercury....
'I Wasn't Meant to Be Here': Michelle
Time
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May 21, 2009 11:13 AM CDT
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Michelle Obama often says she “wasn’t meant to be” in the White House, but those watching her “natural” progression to international figure might beg to differ, write Nancy Gibbs and Michael Scherer in Time . Most First Ladies get asked about what they’re “really like”—but with Michelle’s...
Inspector Finds IRS Lax in Disposing of Sensitive Docs
Reuters
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May 21, 2009 11:03 AM CDT
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Sensitive documents that could be used to steal taxpayers’ identities were found in trash bins outside several Internal Revenue Service bureaus visited during a months-long government inspection, Reuters reports. Because of the findings, the IRS has increased oversight of the contractors responsible for its waste. Identity theft is an increasing...
Japan Tops Life-Expectancy List
Associated Press
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May 21, 2009 10:55 AM CDT
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Health initiatives and wars have flipped some of the world's life expectancies since 1990, the World Heath Organization said today. Some findings, via AP: Japanese women, at 86, and San Marino men, 81, enjoy the longest life expectancies. Sierra Leone men, 39, at Afghan women, 42, have the shortest. In the US, men gained 4 years,...
Specter Finds His Inner Democrat
Politico
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May 21, 2009 10:45 AM CDT
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Arlen Specter’s first days as a Democrat may not have gone well, but since then he’s settled in and sided with his new party on nearly every vote, Politico reports. He’s gone from staunch opponent of the Employee Free Choice act to a key negotiator for it, come to Nancy Pelosi’s defense against the CIA, and said he’s now...
Obama: Gitmo Made Us Less Safe
MSNBC
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May 21, 2009 10:40 AM CDT
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Standing in front of the Constitution, President Obama today delivered a watershed speech on terrorism, arguing that President Bush’s approach to war was, “quite simply, a mess.” He outlined his plan to clean up, saying he’ll try Guantanamo detainees in both federal court and military commissions and reiterating his intention...
Cannes: From Class to Crass
Daily Mail (UK)
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May 21, 2009 10:38 AM CDT
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The name “Cannes” once conjured up images of Hollywood glamor and French sophistication, but no more. The film festival has turned into a marathon of binge drinking and sleazy sex, attended by high-heeled, fake-tanned partiers who are “not interested in the films, only the party scene,” one tells the Daily Mail . “During...
Obama Meets With Human- Rights Leaders
Huffington Post
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May 21, 2009 10:28 AM CDT
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Dogged by criticism over recent decisions, President Obama invited a crew of human-rights and civil-liberties leaders and academics to discuss Guantanamo, tribunals, and transparency ahead of today’s speech on similar themes, the Huffington Post reports. Obama said he was unhappy with Congress’ denial of funds to close Gitmo and that he’d...
Terminator Splits Critics
Rotten Tomatoes
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May 21, 2009 10:28 AM CDT
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Critics agree on one thing about Terminator Salvation : It’s loud. As to whether quality matches volume, opinion runs the gamut: AO Scott, in the New York Times , praises director McG’s “efficient, reasonably swift storytelling” and “mastery of the vernacular of chases, fights, explosions and crashes.” “Comfortable...
Easy to Find Middle Ground on Gitmo: Klein
Time
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May 21, 2009 10:20 AM CDT
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Lawyers and soldiers are divided on how to deal with enemy combatants, but “it shouldn’t be too hard to find a middle ground,” writes Joe Klein in Time , because both arguments “are being made by unappealing extremists.” It’s unrealistic to try detainees in open civilian courts, as the ACLU wants, but Dick Cheney’s...
Mouthy Cheney Gains Popularity: Poll
CNN
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May 21, 2009 10:13 AM CDT
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A new poll shows that Dick Cheney, currently making headlines for his stance on torture, is gaining popularity. 37% of those polled by CNN hold a favorable opinion of the former vice president, up 8% from when he left office; 55% still view him unfavorably. Former president Bush, who’s remained out of the spotlight, gained 6% and now has a 41%...
Hollywood Bends to Yogi's Rocking Style
New York Times
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May 21, 2009 10:05 AM CDT
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Vinnie Marino is as likely as yoga teacher as Led Zeppelin is meditation music. Yet the recovering drug addict stretches some of Hollywood’s most elite muscles—Heather Graham and Adrien Brody among them—to his own tune. Marino, 50, has a cult of followers who live for his rocking, sweat-heavy sessions, as much about socializing as...
Rush Has a Butt Fixation
Salon
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May 21, 2009 10:00 AM CDT
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Lots of detractors say Rush Limbaugh talks out of his ass, but they’re missing something crucial, writes Gabriel Winant for Salon: He talks about his ass, too. And everyone else’s. Constantly. Limbaugh apparently has what Freud would call an anal fixation—specifically a fixation on anal rape. He’s complained that he’s...
Zimbabwe Unity Government Divided Over 2 Key Posts
Reuters
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May 21, 2009 9:54 AM CDT
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The appointment of two key officials has become a sticking point in the tenuous power-sharing agreement between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Reuters reports. The rivals can’t agree on an attorney general or central bank chief, and Tsvangirai has called upon the Southern African Development Community...
Gore Throws Weight Behind Climate Bill
Politico
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May 21, 2009 9:32 AM CDT
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With controversial cap-and-trade climate legislation now in committee, former vice president Al Gore has mobilized his lobbying organization and grass-roots movement behind the bill, even calling some wavering Democrats personally, Politico reports. While some groups feel the measure is too soft on polluting industries, the Nobel Prize winner supports...
Mogul Who Paid for Ex's Murder Faces Execution
BBC
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May 21, 2009 9:25 AM CDT
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An Egyptian tycoon and the ex-cop he hired to kill his Lebanese pop singer ex-girlfriend have been sentenced to death by hanging, the BBC reports. The trial of billionaire Hisham Talaat Moustafa, an associate of president Hosni Mubarak's son Gamal, has gripped the Arab world. Although Suzanne Tamim was murdered in Dubai, the trial took place in...
Worst (Un)Retirements in Sports
New York
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May 21, 2009 9:09 AM CDT
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With Brett Favre mulling yet another unretirement, Will Leitch of New York magazine looks back on the worst unretirements in sports history. They range from cringe-worthy to incomparably cringe-worthy: Ricky Williams: How many drug tests can one man fail? Lance Armstrong: "It’s difficult to come up with a better final...
Allen's Idol Win Another Triumph for Religious Right
Huffington Post
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May 21, 2009 9:05 AM CDT
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Last night’s American Idol was more than just a reality-show finale: It was a symbolic victory of the religious right over the liberal left; red states over blue states. At least according to two bloggers. “For a theory about how Kris Allen pulled an upset over the wildly popular Adam Lambert, the Christian vote is a pretty good one,”...
'Great White' Pratt Releases Rap Single
Us Weekly
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May 21, 2009 8:59 AM CDT
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Spencer Pratt is a celebrity, and he wants the world to know it. The Hills “actor” and newly minted “rapper” released his first single, aptly titled “I’m a Celebrity,” last week. Pratt—aka “The Great White”—dubbed himself “a part of music history” and told Us , “First...
Electric Bike Performs, Lacks Motorcycle Sound, Speed
Wall Street Journal
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May 21, 2009 8:55 AM CDT
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The Zero S electric motorcycle is everything an electric car should be—quiet, emission-free, affordable—but the formula doesn’t necessarily translate well to bikes, Jonathan Welsh writes in the Wall Street Journa l. The performance mimics a typical 500cc gas-powered bike, with peppy acceleration, and a city-worthy 60mph top speed,...
Stocks Plummet on UK's Credit Woes
Wall Street Journal
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May 21, 2009 8:49 AM CDT
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Stocks plummeted at today’s open after Standard & Poor’s warned it might downgrade the UK’s credit rating, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow tumbled 126 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P each fell more than 1%. Investors now fear other major economies, including the US, could face downgrades. Job data were mixed, with...
Fraud Colleges Admit Terror Suspects to UK
Times (UK)
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May 21, 2009 8:47 AM CDT
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Thousands of young Pakistanis have entered Britain by applying for visas to study at sham colleges that issue fake diplomas and attendance records, the Times of London reports. Ten of the 12 men arrested last month when police busted an alleged al-Qaeda plot were enrolled at a bogus college; other terror suspects have been registered at a school...
I Dated Miss Cali's Mom: Ex-Galpal
Star
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May 21, 2009 8:44 AM CDT
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Infamous gay marriage opponent Carrie Prejean is back in the tabloids. Miss California’s mother, Francine Coppola, had an affair with another woman, Star reports. “Yes, Francine and I dated,” her ex-girlfriend Valerie Vetrano says. But it ended when “Francine explained how she was a Christian and that her loved ones would...
Cash-Strapped Country Clubs Welcome the Public
Washington Post
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May 21, 2009 8:39 AM CDT
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Struggling country clubs have decided to ditch their exclusiveness to stave off extinction, the Washington Post reports, slashing fees and opening facilities to the public. Long-standing members often sniff as dress codes vanish, nachos replace filet mignon on menus, pickup trucks appear in parking spots, and the public floods in—but directors...
Uncertainty, Not Poverty, Behind Recession Blues
New York Times
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May 21, 2009 8:32 AM CDT
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Americans are worrying more than they were last year, and happiness is down while sadness is up, writes Daniel Gilbert in the New York Times . But it’s not the lightness of our pocketbooks that’s weighing on us; it’s the uncertainty of the times. While most of us still have more than our grandparents ever did, the possibility of...
Sex-Abuse Report Shames Ireland, Church
Irish Times
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May 21, 2009 8:28 AM CDT
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The massive report released yesterday documenting the systematic abuse of children in Irish Catholic schools and institutions is "a monument to the shameful nature of Irish society throughout most of the decades of the 20th century," writes Mary Raftery in the Irish Times . The painstaking disclosure of physical abuse and sexual torture...
In Recession, Sales of Sex Toys Boom
Advertising Age
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May 21, 2009 8:20 AM CDT
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The recession is good news for at least one retail segment: Sales of so-called sexual enhancement devices are through the roof, Advertising Age reports. Lubricant sales jumped 32% in the first quarter, and sales of “marital aids” sold in food, drug, and mass-market stores have soared 74%. “When the economy goes down, sex goes up,”...
Afghan Peace Talks Hinge on US Pullout
New York Times
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May 21, 2009 8:17 AM CDT
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Peace talks are under way in Afghanistan between militant leaders and intermediaries, but the insurgent groups—which include the Taliban—continue to insist on US withdrawal as a condition for peace, the New York Times reports. The Afghan government is backing the talks and optimistic about American backing, even as the US mounts...
Vick Begins House Arrest
Associated Press
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May 21, 2009 8:08 AM CDT
(AP) -
Michael Vick arrived at his Virginia home today after being released yesterday from federal prison. After 19 months in a Kansas lock-up, the suspended NFL player will spend the remaining two months of his sentence for financing a dogfighting operation under home confinement, wearing an electronic monitor and working a $10-an-hour job as a laborer...
Schwarzenegger Blew Chance for Real Reform
Los Angeles Times
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May 21, 2009 7:59 AM CDT
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Arnold Schwarzenegger came into politics with an uncommon opportunity to tell Californians hard truths about taxes and governance, using his surprising mandate to press for reform. Instead, he became just another governor repeating "the same lies and the same nostrums," pretending citizens can have good public services without paying for...
Stanley Cup Could Use Spell Check
Wall Street Journal
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May 21, 2009 7:50 AM CDT
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As hulking as NHL players may seem on ice, they can be even more daunting to etch in silver, reports the Wall Street Journal in a look at the quirky typos that decorate hockey's storied Stanley Cup. An influx of Eastern European and Scandinavian players has the league's official silversmith quaking, hoping not to become an unfortunate part of hockey...
3 US Troops Among 25 Killed in Iraq Bombings
Associated Press
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May 21, 2009 7:36 AM CDT
(AP) -
Three American soldiers were killed and nine others wounded today as bombings in Baghdad and the northern city of Kirkuk claimed at least 25 lives, the AP reports. The attacks came a day after a car bomb exploded near a group of restaurants in a Shiite neighborhood of northwest Baghdad, leaving 41 people dead and more than 70 others injured.
GMAC Gets New $7B Bailout
Wall Street Journal
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May 21, 2009 7:19 AM CDT
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The Treasury is prepared to inject another $7 billion into GMAC as the first stage in a new bailout that could double to $14 billion, putting the government on a trajectory to be the majority stakeholder in both GMAC and General Motors by year's end, the Wall Street Journal reports. GMAC, which provides fleet financing for dealerships as well as...
Brown to Purge Cabinet After Expenses Flap
Guardian (UK)
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May 21, 2009 7:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Gordon Brown has been dropping hints of a major reshuffle and possible constitutional reform as the crisis over British MPs' expenses continues. The Telegraph alleged today that two ministers fiddled with the rules to avoid paying capital gains tax after selling their homes. The PM is said to be preparing an overhaul of his cabinet, and modernizers...
Obama, Cheney Ready Dueling Gitmo Speeches
CNN
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May 21, 2009 7:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In what’s becoming a much-hyped political showdown, Barack Obama and Dick Cheney will deliver back-to-back speeches on national security this morning, CNN reports. Obama’s 10am speech will lay out a framework for closing Guantanamo Bay, offering a high-minded defense of his decisions so far regarding it and its detainees. He'll argue that...
US Trading Partners See Huge GDP Falls
Wall Street Journal
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May 21, 2009 6:16 AM CDT
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Yesterday Mexico became the latest country to disclose a sharp economic contraction as a result of the slowdown in US consumption of imported goods. Mexican GDP fell at an annualized rate of 21.5% in the first quarter, following Germany, down 14.4%, and Japan, 15.2%—its worst performance since 1955. As the Wall Street Journal reports,...
White Supremacist Invited to Queen's Garden Party
Daily Mail (UK)
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May 21, 2009 6:15 AM CDT
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The convicted leader of a far-right political party is heading to the queen's summer tea party at Buckingham Palace, and Brits are furious, reports the Daily Mail . A member of the whites-only British National Party was given an invitation because of his place on the London Assembly. He decided to make party leader Nick Griffin—who has a conviction...
Supreme Court Buzz Centers on Wood, Kagan
Washington Post
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May 21, 2009 6:01 AM CDT
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The Washington rumor mill is focusing on two names as President Obama steps up the search for a Supreme Court nominee, the Washington Post reports. Federal Appeals Court Judge Diane Wood visited the capital Tuesday, ostensibly to attend a judicial conference, but insiders say she met with the president for an interview, the first of several...
Sex Harassment Cases Besiege UN
Wall Street Journal
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May 21, 2009 5:58 AM CDT
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The United Nations is being hammered by a string of sexual harassment cases filed by employees, reports the Wall Street Journal . The development is particularly painful for an organization that is supposed to uphold human rights around the world. Victims complain about an old-boys' network of adjudication that allows colleagues to clear associates,...
Junta Again Boots Media, Diplomats From Suu Kyi Trial
CNN
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May 21, 2009 5:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Burmese military regime abruptly reversed a decision yesterday to allow diplomats to visit Aung San Suu Kyi, and once again ejected journalists from the democracy leader's trial. A British envoy allowed into the courtroom yesterday told CNN that Suu Kyi was in good spirits and "extremely in charge of the situation." She was not allowed...
Death Row Challenges Hurt by Newsroom Cuts
New York Times
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May 21, 2009 5:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The huge cuts in newsroom staff around the country may have inadvertently condemned some innocent prisoners to death, the New York Times reports. Lawyers complain that many of the investigative journalists who would have once hotly pursued a story about a wrongly accused Death Row inmate aren't working any more. Overworked reporters who remain are...
Wife of D'Backs Pitcher Found Dead at Home
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
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May 21, 2009 5:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The wife of Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Scott Schoeneweis was found dead in the couple's home yesterday, the Arizona Republic reports. Investigators have yet to determine how Gabrielle Schoeneweis died, but they said there are no signs of foul play. Schoeneweis learned of his wife's death just before last night's double-header against the Florida...
Couple Vanishes After $6M Bank Deposit Error
Telegraph (UK)
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May 21, 2009 4:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Police are searching for a New Zealand couple who disappeared after withdrawing a fortune mistakenly credited by their bank to their account. Westpac Bank blamed the $6 million deposit blunder on "human error," and executives want the money back. Unlike the "Bank Error In Your Favor" Monopoly card, the couple will likely go directly...
