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.
Celebs Watch Prince Harry Play in NYC
Associated Press
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May 30, 2009 4:05 PM CDT
(AP) -
Prince Harry reminded New Yorkers today how much his mother had loved their city, then climbed onto a pony for a rousing game of polo to raise money for impoverished children in Africa. The 24-year-old prince drew a crowd that included stars like Madonna, actresses Kate Hudson and Chloe Sevigny, and rapper LL Cool J, but also lots of ordinary New Yorkers...
You Broke Promises, Obama: Now Quit
Springfield Journal-Register
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May 30, 2009 3:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
That jarring thud you just heard was Obamania crashing back to earth. For reneging on promises and making "Bill Clinton look like a paragon of integrity," President Obama must quit his post, Ted Rall writes in the Springfield Journal-Register . “Obama is useless. Worse than that, he’s dangerous,” Rall writes, eviscerating...
Octu-Mom Inks Reality TV Deal
Us Weekly
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May 30, 2009 3:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Nadya Suleman has just signed a deal to bring her brood of 14 children to television, Us Magazine reports. The “quasi-reality TV series” will periodically follow the family during big events, like the octuplets’ first birthday, said Suleman attorney Jeff Czech, who would not reveal the size of Octu-mom's paycheck.
Defense Giants Stalk Cyberwar Contracts
New York Times
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May 30, 2009 3:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Major defense contractors are already staffed with "hacker soldiers" who can help them earn billions of dollars in Washington's new cyberwar, the New York Times reports. Cranking rock tunes and piling up pop cans, engineers hack away at companies like Raytheon, working for the Pentagon or protecting internal documents. Now, with President...
What Charges? Brown Focused On 'Masterpiece'
People
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May 30, 2009 2:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Chris Brown collaborator says the disgraced singer is focused on music despite facing felony assault charges, People reports. “He's predicting this will be his biggest album,” said songwriter Robert Allen of Brown’s upcoming effort, Graffiti . “He wants this to be his masterpiece.”
'Mancow': Waterboarding 'Absolutely Real'
Chicago Tribune
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May 30, 2009 2:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Erich “Mancow” Muller is outraged by the Gawker report that he faked his own waterboarding, the Chicago Tribune reports. The right-wing shock jock defended himself last night on MSNBC's Countdown: “It’s like saying that Mike Tyson’s daughter didn’t really hang herself,” he said. He theorized that “dark...
NBC Gives NHL Little Love
Michigan Live
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May 30, 2009 1:57 PM CDT
(Newser) -
NBC is putting the NHL in the penalty box. Unwilling to sacrifice its weeknight programming, particularly Conan’s Tonight Show debut, the network has dictated that games 1 and 2 will be tonight and tomorrow, the first time games have been back-to-back since 1954. Then, it’ll kick games 3 and 4 over to little-watched Versus on cable. The...
Gen. Disputes Story, Says He Hasn't Seen Photos
Salon
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May 30, 2009 1:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Retired Army Gen. Antonio Taguba has seen photos of rape at Abu Ghraib, but they aren’t the ones the Obama administration is trying to keep from the public. “The photographs in that lawsuit, I have not seen,” he told Salon. The general says he was not misquoted in the Telegraph , but that when he described “torture, abuse,...
Former Iraqi Trade Minister Arrested on Graft Charges
BBC
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May 30, 2009 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Iraq’s erstwhile trade minister has been arrested on charges of corruption, the BBC reports. Abdul Falah Sudani resigned his post earlier this month after allegations emerged that he and other officials in his department were embezzling government funds. The dramatic capture today occurred after police requested Sudani’s flight to Dubai...
We Fell Out of Love With Cars
Wall Street Journal
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May 30, 2009 12:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Plenty of economists are trying to define what killed Detroit, but they’re looking in all the wrong places. “Fire the MBAs and hire a poet,” writes PJ O’Rourke in the Wall Street Journal. This isn’t a story of unions or financial crisis. “It’s a tragic romance—unleashed passions, lost love and wild...
Ozzy Sues Bandmate Over Sabbath Name
Rolling Stone
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May 30, 2009 12:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Trouble in heavy metal land. Ozzy Osbourne is suing Black Sabbath bandmate Tommy Iommi over rights to the band's name—and its lucrative merchandise, reports Rolling Stone . Ozzy says Iommi illegally took ownership of the name when he toured in the 1990s without the original band members. The prince of darkness maintains that the Sabbath reunion...
Woodward Working on Obama Book
New Republic
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May 30, 2009 11:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It's almost a political rite of passage at this point: Bob Woodward is writing a book about the Obama administration, reports Gabriel Sherman in the New Republic . No word on the focus, but Sherman notes that Woodward has a knack for making administrations nervous. “Every White House is wary of Woodward,” a veteran reporter tells him....
Kennedy Raising Voice Again on Health Care
Politico
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May 30, 2009 11:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Ted Kennedy is back, and ready to make the more liberal argument for health care, Politico reports. The ailing senator had been working on the issue behind the scenes as he battled brain cancer, but yesterday his committee began circulating a 12-page “policy overview” on a potential bill. The day before, he wrote an op-ed in the Boston...
Sexist? Racist? Chill Out, GOP Pundits
Washington Post
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May 30, 2009 11:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The conservative chattering class needs to chill out about Sonia Sotomayor, writes Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post . Bloggers are frothing with rage over Sotomayor’s infamous comment that a Latina woman might make better decisions than a white man. “Could a white man get away with saying something comparable about a Latina? Of course...
Summer Book Suggestions
Wall Street Journal
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May 30, 2009 10:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It’s almost summer, and that means it’s time to forget about the economy, grab a book, and head to the beach. The Wall Street Journal has some suggestions: The Secret Speech , by Tom Rob Smith: Nothing says “escapism” like this novel—set in the paranoid nightmare of Soviet Russia. The Bourne Deception...
Shriveled Sports Scene Irks Some Ivy Alums
Wall Street Journal
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May 30, 2009 10:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Ivy League has a reputation for excellence in all things, but the consignment of its sports programs—particularly the more visible ones like football and basketball—to college athletics’ second tier has alumni clamoring for change, the Wall Street Journal reports. Academic standards limit the pool of top student-athletes for...
Suu Kyi Forgives American for Intrusion
Associated Press
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May 30, 2009 10:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Aung San Suu Kyi feels no ill will toward the American who infiltrated her home in an act that could land her another 5 years of prison, the AP reports. “Suu Kyi said she bore no grudge against (John) Yettaw or his family,” her lawyer said after a meeting today. Meanwhile, Myanmar officials said Suu Kyi is “provided with adequate...
McAuliffe Denies DNC Offered Money to Nader
Blue Virginia
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May 30, 2009 10:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Ralph Nader's claim that then-DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe offered him cash to stay out of key state races in 2004 is far from the truth, McAuliffe campaign strategist Mo Elleithee tells the Blue Virginia blog. McAuliffe did speak to Nader—who Elleithee claims was being funded by the GOP—to try to convince him not to run, or at least not...
Pakistan Retakes Key Swat City
Reuters
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May 30, 2009 9:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Pakistan's military has regained control of the main town in the Swat Valley, raising hopes that at least some of the 2 million refugees from the region may be able to return home, reports Reuters. Battles on the outskirts remain, but the military said today it has ousted the Taliban from the central part of the city after a week of intense fighting....
Bush Says Clinton Is Like a Brother to Him
New York Times
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May 30, 2009 9:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The audience probably expected a throw-down. What they got was a sewing circle. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush sat down for a friendly chat yesterday in Toronto, emphasis on the friendly. The ex-presidents went out of their way to be agreeable, at times almost seeming like a support group, the New York Times reports. Bush even said that his mother...
EU Going After Microsoft, Again
Wall Street Journal
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May 30, 2009 8:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
European Union regulators are taking yet another shot at Microsoft, and this time they’re hoping to do more than fine the software giant, the Wall Street Journal reports. Their latest strategy: forcing Microsoft to bundle alternative web browsers with Windows, thereby diluting Internet Explorer’s inherent advantage. They may also demand...
US Taxpayers, Too, Billed for Lawmakers' Cars, Cameras
Wall Street Journal
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May 30, 2009 8:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
No moat-cleaning, but there were cameras, TVs, and fancy cars among the expenses members of Congress have charged to taxpayers recently, a Wall Street Journal investigation inspired by the British expenses scandal finds. House members are given up to $1.9 million a year and senators get up to $4.5 million to spend on job-related expenses, but, the...
Olympic Snowboarder Dies in Climbing Accident
AFP
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May 30, 2009 7:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Former Olympic snowboarding champ Karine Ruby of France died yesterday after she and two fellow climbers tumbled into a glacial crevasse while descending Mont Blanc in France. One of her companions survived the fall, but sustained serious injuries and was air-lifted to the hospital. The 31-year-old Ruby, who won a gold medal in 1998 and a silver in...
LED Spells End of Disposable Light Bulbs
New York Times
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May 30, 2009 7:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The rapid advance of light-emitting diode technology is blazing the way to greener lighting, the New York Times reports. LED lighting, once used only in the likes of traffic lights and scoreboards, is now being adopted by a growing number of cities and businesses. Experts say the lights, which last for decades, are twice as efficient as compact fluorescent ...
55 Whales Beach on S. African Shore
Associated Press
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May 30, 2009 7:25 AM CDT
(AP) -
Dozens of pilot whales beached this morning near the storm-lashed tip of South Africa, prompting a massive rescue operation. Six bulldozers were deployed to push the 55 whales back into the water, but "as soon as we put them back into the sea, they swim back to the beach again," said a spokesman for the rescue effort. "It's not a very...
Common Hails Triumph of Actual Style Over Bling
Los Angeles Times
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May 30, 2009 7:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The world of hip-hop style is forsaking gaudy bling for refinement, to the delight of trendsetting rapper-actor Common. “It’s great that is gone,” he tells the Los Angeles Times of the pendant-and-Cristal days. “That really didn't exemplify style. It was just like, ‘I have the money to buy this.’” Common...
Business Grads Promise a More Ethical Future
New York Times
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May 30, 2009 6:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The next generation of business school grads may change the face of finance for the better, the New York Times reports. MBA programs across the country are seeing an explosion of interest in ethics courses, and at Harvard Business School a full 20% of this year's grads have signed a pledge that the goal of a business manager is to “serve the...
Homeless Use Street Smarts to Stay Wired
Wall Street Journal
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May 30, 2009 6:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A growing number of middle-class Americans are being forced onto the streets, creating a homeless population that increasingly values an Internet connection, the Wall Street Journal reports. Big-city shelters have responded by adding computer terminals, and some determined people manage to keep their laptops with them despite the problem of finding...
Man Wins $1B Judgment Against Castro, Guevara
Miami Herald
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May 30, 2009 5:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Cuban-American who blames Fidel Castro and Che Guevara for his father's suicide has been awarded more than $1 billion by a US court, the Miami Herald reports. Gustavo Villoldo, whose father and his General Motors dealerships became prime targets for Castro and Guevara after the 1959 revolution, will attempt to obtain the cash from frozen Cuban...
Iran Hangs 3 for Mosque Blast
Reuters
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May 30, 2009 5:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Iran publicly hanged three men today in connection with the bombing of a Shi’ite mosque last week that killed at least 30, Reuters reports. Responsibility for the blast has reportedly been claimed by the Sunni militant group Jundollah, which Iran says is part of the al Qaeda network and is backed by the US. Washington denies the claim.
Leno Takes Final Bow on Tonight Show
Variety
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May 30, 2009 4:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jay Leno said goodnight to the Tonight Show last night with a low-key farewell that included a look back at the host’s 17-year run, Variety reports. "When we started the show, my hair was black and the president was white," he quipped. The grand finale was an onstage parade of the 68 children born to staffers since Leno took over...
Obama: Sotomayor Race Charges Are 'Nonsense'
MSNBC
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May 30, 2009 4:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama said yesterday that while Sonia Sotomayor would probably like to rephrase her controversial 2001 comment about race, it doesn't warrant "all this nonsense that is being spewed out by conservative critics.” In an interview with NBC that will air next week, Obama stressed that Sotomayor’s comment came as part of a longer...
Gates: US Won't Tolerate a Nuclear North Korea
Reuters
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May 30, 2009 3:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has warned that the US will not accept a nuclear-armed North Korea, Reuters reports. Gates said any transfer of nuclear material from North Korea to another country or group would be considered "a grave threat." "We will not stand idly by as North Korea builds the capability to wreak destruction on any...
The Way You Hold Your Drink Speaks Volumes
BBC
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May 30, 2009 2:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The way you hold your drink says a lot about you, psychologist Glenn Wilson tells the BBC. Wilson studied 500 drinkers at the behest of a bar chain, and discerned a series of notable types. Among them: The gossip: Will hold a wineglass by the bowl, often gesticulating with it or leaning over it to impart some morsel.
Lakers Crack Nuggets 119-92, Return to Finals
Associated Press
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May 29, 2009 11:01 PM CDT
(AP) -
Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are heading back to the NBA finals after dispatching the pesky Denver Nuggets with a 119-92 victory in Game 6 tonight. Bryant got plenty of scoring help from Trevor Ariza, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom as the Lakers shot 57.3% from the field to avoid having to play a Game 7 in the Western Conference finals back at...
Germany to Magna: GM's Opel Is All Yours
Wall Street Journal
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May 29, 2009 8:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Canadian auto supplier took a huge step toward acquiring GM's European brands today, the Wall Street Journal reports. Emerging from negotiations, Germany's finance minister approved Magna's merger with GM's German arm Opel, pledging about $2.1 billion to help keep Opel afloat. But details remain: Germany is still pushing to separate Opel and...
Travolta 'Struggling' With Son's Death: Denzel
People
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May 29, 2009 8:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Denzel Washington said today he recently spent hours on the phone listening to John Travolta grieve over the death of his son, People reports. "Needless to say, he's struggling," said Washington at a press conference for their film, Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 . "So more than talking to him, I listened to him, for about two or three hours."...
Gunmen Strike Iran Prez Campaign Office
Los Angeles Times
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May 29, 2009 7:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Gunmen raised political tensions in Iran today by shooting up a campaign office in Zahedan, the town where a mosque bombing left 23 dead yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reports. Tehran officials accused Washington of supporting the gunmen, who injured up to three people in the office of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A Sunni militant group, meanwhile,...
Climate Change 'Affects 300M': Think Tank
Guardian (UK)
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May 29, 2009 6:57 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Global warming is affecting 300 million people and taking 300,000 lives per year, according to the first wide-ranging research on the impact of climate change. Released by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan's think tank, the study says floods, fires, storms, and heatwaves are costing the world more than $125 billion annually—and will kill...
Infamous Terrorist Flees to Lebanon
Associated Press
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May 29, 2009 6:25 PM CDT
(AP) -
A master bomb maker who once targeted commercial airliners and was suspected of aiding the Iraq insurgency has fled to Lebanon, an FBI official has confirmed. There is information that 73-year-old Abu Ibrahim was reportedly in Tripoli, a city in northwest Lebanon, the official said earlier this week. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity...
Preakness Winner Rachel Alexandra Won't Run in Belmont
Associated Press
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May 29, 2009 5:54 PM CDT
(AP) -
Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra will not run in the Belmont Stakes, opening the way for jockey Calvin Borel to return to Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird in his quest for a personal Triple Crown. Co-owner Jess Jackson said today the filly "deserves a well-earned vacation."
Palin's Tweet Ruins Colbert's Iraq Surprise
Videogum
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May 29, 2009 5:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Fans of Stephen Colbert know he’s taking his show on the road next month, though the Comedy Central star hasn’t gotten more specific than “the Persian Gulf.” Enter Sarah Palin, who blew his cover today on her Twitter feed, Videogum reports, with the Alaska governor spilling that she was taping a spot to be shown next month when...
Sotomayor's 'Word Choice Was Poor': Gibbs
The Hill
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May 29, 2009 5:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Robert Gibbs said today Sonia Sotomayor regrets the way she phrased 2001 comments that have some Republicans calling the Supreme Court nominee a racist, the Hill reports. “I think she'd say that her word choice was poor,” the White House press secretary said. He suggested that Sotomayor was not trying to say Latina women make better judges...
Paper Runs 'Unfortunate' Obama-Assassination Ad
Editor & Publisher
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May 29, 2009 4:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Federal authorities are on the case after a Pennsylvania paper ran a classified ad that appears to call for the assassination of President Obama, Editor & Publisher reports. “May Obama follow in the footsteps of Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley & Kennedy!” the ad read. Those presidents were assassinated in office. The publisher called...
The Best and Worst NFL Franchises
Fox Sports
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May 29, 2009 4:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Great NFL organizations don’t always win Super Bowls, so Adam Schein separates the well oiled from the well Lombardi’d for Fox Sports, ranking franchises on everything from their coaching staffs to public-relations people. The top three: New England Patriots: “The model franchise in all of professional sports.” ...
Jon & Kate Plus ... Child Labor Investigation
Associated Press
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May 29, 2009 4:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor is investigating Jon & Kate Plus 8 to see if the show violates child labor laws, the AP reports. TLC says it complies with all state regulations; the department would not reveal who made the complaint, saying only “any complaint we get, we investigate.” At issue is whether the Gosselin kids are...
Angelina Back at Work After Bumping Noggin on Set
People
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May 29, 2009 3:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Angelina Jolie is back at work on the Long Island set of Salt after bumping her head and being rushed to the hospital this morning, People reports. "As a precautionary measure, Ms. Jolie will be taken to the hospital and examined," Columbia Pictures said in a statement. Jolie, who also sustained a scratch on her famous face, "is...
Guitar Hero Spin-Off Lands Jay-Z, Eminem
USA Today
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May 29, 2009 3:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two of the biggest names in rap are on board with Guitar Hero ’s latest spin-off, USA Today reports. When DJ Hero launches this fall, its celebrity lineup will include Jay-Z and Eminem. Both are working with manufacturer Activision and developer FreeStyleGames to finalize their playlists. “I have a ton of content, I just need the pipeline,”...
Obama Makes Second Burger Outing, Spends $80
Chicago Tribune
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May 29, 2009 3:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Yes, President Obama would like fries with that. The commander-in-chief made another cheeseburger run today, shelling out almost $80 on lunch for an entourage that included NBC’s Brian Williams, the Chicago Tribune reports. The president took aides and the Nightly News anchor, who’s trailing him for a “day-in-the-life” documentary,...
Oil, Transport Send Dow Up 97
Wall Street Journal
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May 29, 2009 3:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Markets tacked on solid gains today, with the Dow and S&P 500 up for a third consecutive month, the Wall Street Journal reports. Oil was up to a 6-month-high, as were transport stocks on hopes of orders. “There are signs things are being transported,” a manager said. The Dow was up 96.53 to 8,500.33. The S&P gained 12.31 to 919.14....
