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.
Lil Wayne Pupil Drake Thrills in NYC
Village Voice
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May 28, 2009 10:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Child-actor-turned-rapper Drake had fans and luminaries like Kanye West enthralled at a small New York show Tuesday, where the as-yet-unsigned artist tried to live up to the buzz. “Drake's greatest gift is his ability to translate his love of rap's many styles into his own music,” Chris Ryan writes of the Lil Wayne protégé...
Get Your Priorities in Order: Sex, Then Sleep
Daily Mail (UK)
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May 28, 2009 10:41 AM CDT
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Research reveals that more than three-quarters of Britons want sleep more than sex, which is understandable, writes Jackie Clune in the Daily Mail . In most people's busy lives, “sex just seems like another thing on the long list of Things To Do.” But it’s important for couples not to let it fall by the wayside, she points out: “Sex...
US Plans Giant New Embassy in Pakistan
McClatchy Newspapers
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May 28, 2009 10:30 AM CDT
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The US is planning to invest $1 billion in building a bigger diplomatic presence in Pakistan and Afghanistan, including a huge new embassy in Islamabad, McClatchy reports. The Obama administration is seeking $736 million from Congress for the embassy and permanent housing for American officials in Pakistan’s capital—further evidence of...
Stimulus Hasn't Reached States That Need It Most
USA Today
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May 28, 2009 10:20 AM CDT
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The states President Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package was most intended to help aren’t yet getting much out of it, USA Today reports after analyzing government contracts. The eight states with unemployment rates higher than 10% have seen an average of $7.42 per person from the $4 billion dispersed so far; the US average is about...
FDIC May Ditch Public-Private Bad-Assets Plan
Wall Street Journal
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May 28, 2009 10:12 AM CDT
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The government may scale back or put on hold parts of its controversial, slow-starting plan to get toxic assets off banks’ books, the Wall Street Journal reports. With both buyers and sellers expressing reluctance, and banks looking healthier, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp will likely delay next month’s scheduled test-run of its...
I Didn't Threaten Fiancée: Lohan Dad
E! Online
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May 28, 2009 10:04 AM CDT
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Michael Lohan, who pleaded not guilty to accusations he threatened to kill his fiancée, tells E! that Erin Muller wants to drop the charges. “By no means did I threaten to cause harm to Erin or myself,” he says. “As a matter of fact, Erin even told the court that she didn’t want to pursue anything.” Lohan—now...
Warming Earth Down to Its 'Last Chance': Charles
Telegraph (UK)
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May 28, 2009 9:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Prince Charles warned yesterday that the world's unwillingness to take action on climate change means disaster is looming, the Daily Telegraph reports. The prince, addressing the Nobel Laureates Symposium, said that although a "mercifully small—if vociferous—number" of people still reject the science of climate change, a far...
Ill. Remains Not Stacy Peterson
Chicago Tribune
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May 28, 2009 9:35 AM CDT
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The body found last week near a river in suburban Chicago has been identified as male, the Tribune reports. The discovery confirms the remains are not those of Stacy Peterson or another missing area woman. “We’re disappointed,” said a spokesperson for the family of Peterson, who’s been missing since 2007. “But we’re...
GM, Bondholders Strike Sweetened Deal
CNBC
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May 28, 2009 9:31 AM CDT
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Trading of GM shares was briefly halted today after a committee of its bondholders accepted a sweetened version of the debt-for-equity deal, CNBC reports. The deal may not stop a GM bankruptcy, but would smooth the process. Under the deal, bondholders will go along with GM’s plan to sell its good assets to a new government-funded company, in...
FBI to Expand Role Battling Terrorism
Los Angeles Times
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May 28, 2009 9:21 AM CDT
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The FBI will take a bigger role in the fight against terrorism, the Los Angeles Times reports, moving into investigation and criminal prosecution of accused terrorists. The shift marks a change from the secretive CIA operations favored by the Bush administration, and ties in with President Obama’s assertion that most alleged terrorists should...
Pinning Burris for Perjury Difficult: Experts
Politico
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May 28, 2009 9:11 AM CDT
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Controversy surrounding Roland Burris' appointment to the Senate has heated up after the release of his conversations with Rod Blagojevich’s brother, taped by the FBI, but a criminal case against him is still iffy, Politico reports. The possibility of perjury charges over inconsistencies in Burris’ statements is slim, experts say, because...
Dump Levi, Get a Car: Dad to Bristol
New York
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May 28, 2009 9:06 AM CDT
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The chill between Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin is thawing, but the same can’t be said for Johnston and his babymama’s parents: Todd Palin offered, more than once, to buy Bristol a car if only she’d dump Levi. That tidbit, as well as the revelation that Johnston is capable of stringing together entire sentences, emerges in an upcoming...
Sotomayor Vote Carries Risks for These Senators
Politico
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May 28, 2009 9:02 AM CDT
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Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation looks likely, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be some drama between here and there. Politico runs down which senators have the most to win—and the most to lose: Patrick Leahy: Facing his first nominee as judiciary chairman, Leahy’s eager to get Sotomayor through ASAP, but...
Stocks Up on Jobs, Durables
Wall Street Journal
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May 28, 2009 8:45 AM CDT
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Stocks headed higher at the open today, after a pair of promising economic reports. The Dow added 75 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P rose 1.1% and 1% respectively. Durable goods orders rose 1.9% last month, and new jobless claims fell 13,000 last week; both numbers beat analyst estimates. Trading was halted on GM shares, after bondholders struck...
Time Warner Set to Spin Off AOL by Year's End
Wall Street Journal
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May 28, 2009 8:43 AM CDT
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Time Warner plans to to shed its AOL division by the end of the year, the company said today, spinning it off into a publicly traded firm, the Wall Street Journal reports. Many predicted the move when Time Warner tapped Google ad exec Tim Armstrong as AOL’s CEO, and amended its debt agreements to make the move possible.
Photog Sues Brown Over Bodyguard Beatdown
Associated Press
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May 28, 2009 8:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Chris Brown is being sued by a paparazzo who says he was assaulted by Brown’s bodyguards after taking pictures of Brown at a Los Angeles gym May 13, the AP reports. Brown himself is not accused of any violence. Brown’s attorney says Robert Rosen has filed such suits before; a man with the same name filed a similar claim against Pierce Brosnan...
Only Trade Can Rescue World Economy: Brown
Wall Street Journal
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May 28, 2009 8:35 AM CDT
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The banking crisis has stabilized, according to Gordon Brown, but a new calamity has replaced it: "a trade crisis" that is killing jobs in industrialized nations and exacerbating poverty in developing ones. Globalization has compounded the downturn, but it can also accelerate the pickup, the British PM writes in a Wall Street Journal...
Not All Schools Embrace Teen Hugging Fad
New York Times
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May 28, 2009 8:26 AM CDT
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Hugging is hip these days among teens: School hallways are clogged with pairs, or trios, of kids embracing, the New York Times reports. “We’re not afraid, we just get in and hug,” said a high school junior. But some schools aren’t so happy with the public affection. “Touching and physical contact is very dangerous territory,”...
'Quiet Radical' Bernanke Reinvents Fed
Washington Post
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May 28, 2009 8:22 AM CDT
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Barack Obama has a huge decision coming up this summer: whether to reappoint Ben Bernanke as chairman of the Fed or turn to obvious challenger Lawrence Summers. If he’s smart, he’ll stick with the soft-spoken incumbent, writes David Ignatius of the Washington Post. “He has been a veritable tiger,” he writes. “The Bernanke...
Congo Battles Gorilla Pet Trade
Telegraph (UK)
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May 28, 2009 8:19 AM CDT
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Conservationists trying to save the Republic of Congo's gorillas are fighting to protect the primates from poachers and the pet trade, the Daily Telegraph reports. One foundation, which warns that the gorilla population will be half what it is now by 2020 at the current rate of extermination, has founded the world's only sanctuary for rescued gorillas...
Sotomayor Aced 2 Previous Senate Hearings
Washington Post
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May 28, 2009 8:08 AM CDT
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Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are still debating how tough they'll be at Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearing, but as the Washington Post reports, the Supreme Court nominee doesn't buckle under pressure. In the long-delayed 1997 hearing that elevated her to the Second Circuit, Sotomayor survived a GOP grilling on everything...
British MP Billed Taxpayers for 'Servants' Wing'
Times (UK)
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May 28, 2009 7:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Just when the scandal over British MPs' expenses seemed to be petering out comes news that a Conservative legislator charged taxpayers $27,000 to build servants' quarters at his second home, the Times of London reports. Sir John Butterfill told the BBC the suggestion he had servants was a "gross misrepresentation." But then he slipped...
National Security Adviser: Obama Makes US Safer
AFP
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May 28, 2009 7:33 AM CDT
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President Obama's policies have made America a safer place, his national security adviser said yesterday in his first speech since taking the job. James Jones cited strategies like the renewal of ties with allies and rejected suggestions the president had made the US more vulnerable, AFP reports. "No administration is going to suggest...
French to Queen: Oh Fine, Come to D-Day Event
Daily Mail (UK)
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May 28, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
France has finally relented and extended an invitation to a miffed Queen Elizabeth to D-Day ceremonies next week with President Obama, reports the Daily Mail . A French official said earlier this week the queen would not be included in the 65th anniversary commemoration in Normandy because it was very much a "Franco-American occasion." Yesterday,...
Brit Mayor Crowd Surfs at Christian Rock Concert
Telegraph (UK)
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May 28, 2009 7:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The mayor of Worthing, England, has become a YouTube superstar since he got a hands-on lesson on crowd-surfing at a recent Christian rock festival, the Telegraph reports. The 65-year-old politician was hoisted over the crowd of 14,000 people for two full minutes, wearing a suit and his chain of office as fans gasped and giggled.
China Takes Bulldozers to Ancient Islamic City
New York Times
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May 28, 2009 6:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Islamic city of Kashgar, in China's far west, has some of the best preserved traditional architecture on the ancient Silk Road, and more than a million tourists a year visit the rambling mud-and-straw buildings that Genghis Khan once passed by. Now, however, the Chinese government wants to tear down Kashgar's Old City, supposedly to "preserve...
CD Smells Like Teen Spirit , Sounds Like a Lullaby
Sun (UK)
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May 28, 2009 6:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A new CD is lulling babies to sleep with the gentle sounds of Nirvana, AC/DC, and Queen, the Sun reports. The makers of Rockabye Baby created lullaby renditions of hits like "Smells Like Teen Spirit" with xylophones, wood blocks, and glockenspiels. The CD—which also includes songs from Bob Marley and Radiohead—has been a hit...
After 1st Rant, Boyle Lights Into Cops
Sun (UK)
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May 28, 2009 6:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Foul-mouthed songbird Susan Boyle not only had a few choice words about a judge on Britain's Got Talent , she also blew up at fans yesterday and lit into a British bobby who subsequently tried to calm her down, reports the Sun . London cops intervened when Boyle screamed at comments by passers-by. When a cop asked: "Is there a problem?"...
Abortion Rights Groups Uneasy With Sotomayor
Los Angeles Times
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May 28, 2009 5:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Advocates of abortion rights are getting jittery about Sonia Sotomayor, who, despite a decades-long paper trail, has never issued a ruling on the right to choose. Barack Obama's nominee to replace David Souter—himself famous for surprising his pro-life supporters by upholding Roe v. Wade —was raised Catholic and is a member of a group...
Elvis, Marilyn Treasures Up for Auction
BBC
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May 28, 2009 5:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The last clothing Marilyn Monroe wore and Elvis Presley's pill bottles are hitting the auction block in Las Vegas next month, reports the BBC. Monroe's bathrobe, believed to be what she was wearing the night she overdosed on sleeping pills in 1962, is expected to fetch some $6,000. Her receipts for booze, signed checks, several photos, and a fur stole...
Hugo Chavez Stoked for 4-Day TV Talkshow
Guardian (UK)
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May 28, 2009 5:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
That wacky Hugo Chavez is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his weekly talkshow, Alo Presidente, by taking to the airwaves—for four solid days, the Guardian reports. Starting today, the unscripted show will be in segments "like a soap opera," Chavez promises. Viewers expect the Venezuelan president's usual mix of singing,...
7.1 Quake Strikes Off Honduras
Reuters
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May 28, 2009 5:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A powerful earthquake struck early this morning about 40 miles northeast of an island off the coast of Honduras, Reuters reports. No injuries have been reported, but the 7.1 magnitude quake triggered a tsunami watch for Honduras, Belize and Guatemala. The quake's epicenter is nearest to Roatan, an island popular with tourists that is surrounded by...
White House Plans Unified Banking Regulator
Wall Street Journal
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May 28, 2009 4:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Obama administration is working on plans to create a single agency to do the work of the mishmash of regulators who failed to see the financial crisis coming, the Wall Street Journal reports. The new agency, which may be proposed to Congress next month, would strip powers from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Federal Reserve. The...
Abu Ghraib Photos Reveal Rape: US Officer
Telegraph (UK)
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May 28, 2009 4:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Unreleased photos of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib depict apparent rape and sexual abuse, according to a retired American officer who conducted an inquiry at the infamous Iraqi prison. Two photos depict the rape of a male and a female prisoner, while others show sexual assaults using a truncheon, wire, and a phosphorescent tube, Major General Antonio...
Roman Soccer Fans Will Kick, Er, Stab Your Butt
BBC
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May 28, 2009 3:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
People who attend soccer games in Rome have to watch their backsides, warns the BBC. That's because Romans are particularly fond of stabbing rival fans in the butt. Stabbings are "now so frequent they're hardly reported in the press," said a professor who has studied the attacks. "A rival fan is stabbed at nearly every Roma game."
DNA Proves Argentine Dad Fathered Daughter's 7 Kids
BBC
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May 28, 2009 3:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An Argentine man fathered seven children with a daughter in sex attacks that began when the girl was 8, new DNA evidence proves, reports the BBC. Armando Lucero, 67, had claimed the girl, now 35, was not his biological daughter. He is currently on trial for incest and sex assault, and faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted. His daughter finally...
US, South Korea on High Military Alert
BBC
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May 28, 2009 3:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The US and South Korea have boosted their military status to high alert after North Korea's warning yesterday that it's scrapping the treaty that halted the Korean War, the BBC reports. Military officials are closely analyzing transmissions and movement from the North, which has threatened a "powerful military strike" if any of...
Why Corporate Boards Seldom Do Their Jobs Well
New Yorker
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May 28, 2009 2:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Recent shareholder meetings at Citigroup and the Bank of America devolved into morality plays—wronged shareholders berated executives, executives apologetically vowed to improve—with a rather curious epilogue: every member of the board of directors was reelected. The reason is that corporate boards are often filled with under-informed,...
Jay-Z Close to Sony Deal— or Maybe Warner
Billboard
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May 28, 2009 2:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Following his departure from Def Jam, Jay-Z is close to making a deal with a new label—the question is, which one? Sources tell Billboard a deal with Sony’s Epic Records “is 95% complete,” while the New York Daily News reports a deal with Warner Music Group/Atlantic is in the works. The rapper has close ties to execs in...
Obama Orders Review of Government Secrecy
Washington Post
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May 28, 2009 1:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama has ordered a sweeping review of the government's secrecy policy, the Washington Post reports. Obama sent a memo to government officials reaffirming his administration's commitment "to operating with an unprecedented level of openness," and directed his national security adviser to review how classified information...
Rockefeller Twisted by Twin Disorders: Shrink
Boston Globe
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May 28, 2009 1:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The accused kidnapper who calls himself Clark Rockefeller suffers from multiple mental illnesses, a psychologist testified yesterday in a pre-trial hearing. Rockefeller, who went on the lam with his young daughter, has delusions of grandeur and a narcissistic personality disorder, said the expert, whose testimony will be used at trial to bolster Rockefeller's...
Kidnapping Hoax: Philly Mom, Daughter Found in Fla.
Philadelphia Inquirer
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May 27, 2009 10:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A mother who claimed that she and her 9-year-old daughter were kidnapped after a car accident in Philadelphia have been found safe and sound at Disney World in Orlando, reports the Inquirer . The mother, 38-year-old Bonnie Sweeten, has been charged with filing a false report, notes CNN. The motive for her apparent ruse, which set off a massive manhunt...
Toys 'R' Us Buying FAO Schwarz
New York Times
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May 27, 2009 10:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
One of the biggest names in toys is buying one of the oldest. Toys 'R' Us will announce tomorrow that it has struck a deal to purchase FAO Schwarz for an undisclosed amount, reports the New York Times . The store's name won't change. FAO has been a New York City institution since 1862, and Tom Hanks famously danced on its giant keyboard...
Is Lambert Gay? 'Keep Speculating,' He Says
People
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May 27, 2009 9:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Don't look to Adam Lambert to put to rest the guessing game about his sexual preferences. At least not yet. "Calm down," said the American Idol runner-up. "Keep speculating." Asked if he'll address the matter at some point, he responded, "Maybe," reports People . In the meantime, Lambert says, "it's a really, really...
Fidel to Cheney: It's Torture
Associated Press
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May 27, 2009 8:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Fidel Castro thinks those creative forms of interrogation used by the US amount to torture, and he criticized Dick Cheney for defending them, the AP reports. In an online essay, Castro argued that torture should never be used to get information from terror suspects. In fact, he went one better and accused the US of acts of terrorism against...
Democratic Congressman Plans Run Against Specter
CNN
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May 27, 2009 8:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Geez, what's a guy got to do to win some love from his own political party? Even though Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania switched parties to become a Democrat, he's still going to face a big-name challenger in a party primary. Rep. Joe Sestak told Wolf Blitzer on CNN today that he plans to run. “I don’t think that a D next to your...
Pricey Yoga Mats Defy Recession
Time
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May 27, 2009 7:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Consumers are cutting back in all sorts of ways amid the recession—just not when it comes to yoga. Sales of designer mats, which fetch in the ballpark of $100, are surging, reports Time . One leading company, Manduka, has seen sales shoot up 87% on Amazon in the last 4 months. It's now teaming up with the national Dick's chain to take advantage....
Bill Settles In to New Role
New York Times
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May 27, 2009 7:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Bill Clinton: globetrotter, world diplomat, crafts shop enthusiast. Peter Baker profiles the former president in New York Times magazine as he adjusts to his new role—this time as the spouse of a Cabinet member. "We've reversed roles," says Clinton, who loves to shop for Hillary and female staffers in between speeches. Clinton has...
Freed Journalist: 'It's Wonderful To Be Back'
CNN
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May 27, 2009 6:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Roxana Saberi, the 32-year-old journalist recently sprung from a prison in Iran, got a face-to-face meeting today with Hillary Clinton to express her thanks, reports CNN. "When I found out that I had the support while I was in prison, I gained a lot of strength and hope, and I didn't feel so alone anymore," Saberi said. "It's wonderful...
Winona Still Remembers Pain of Depp Breakup
People
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May 27, 2009 5:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Winona Ryder says she's getting her act together at the age of 37, but she still vividly remembers being thrown for a loop after her teenage breakup with Johnny Depp. In an interview with the UK edition of Elle , as reported by People , Ryder says the breakup occurred at the height of her fame, which complicated things.
