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.
Court Should Be Blind to Ethnicity: Will
Washington Post
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May 27, 2009 9:23 AM CDT
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Democrats are mistaken to consider the Supreme Court a representational institution, writes George Will in the Washington Post . Justices should be chosen based on their ability to uphold the law, he contends, not "categorical representation," which he detects in Sonia Sotomayor's nomination. "Her ethnicity aside, Sotomayor is a conventional...
Tucker Carlson Plans Rightie News Site
The Hill
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May 27, 2009 9:11 AM CDT
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Conservative pundit Tucker Carlson plans to launch a news website to serve as a right-leaning alternative to the Huffington Post, reports The Hill. The focus of TheDailyCaller.com will be "adding facts to the conversation" and driving the news cycle. "It will not be a forum for discussing the future of the Republican Party," Carlson...
Goode Family Not Great
New York Times
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May 27, 2009 9:02 AM CDT
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The Goode Family , an animated series about an eco-obsessed, passionately politically correct family that airs tonight on ABC, is fairly funny, but leaves reviewers scratching their heads: It “feels aggressively off-kilter with the current mood, as if it had been incubated in the early to mid-’90s,” writes Ginia Bellafante...
Chile's Thrift Pays Off as Downturn Bites Elsewhere
Wall Street Journal
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May 27, 2009 8:59 AM CDT
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Chile's thrifty finance minister is starting to look like a prophet as spendthrift, "grasshopper" economies founder around him, the Wall Street Journal reports. Andres Velasco's tight grip on the country's copper revenue during the commodities boom made him and his party deeply unpopular at the time, but the country now finds itself one...
Stocks Run In Place
Wall Street Journal
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May 27, 2009 8:44 AM CDT
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Stocks barely budged at the open today, with the Dow down less than 20 points, the Nasdaq down 0.4% and the S&P flat. General Motors sunk 17% on news of its near-certain bankruptcy, as did its parts suppliers. Bank of America, meanwhile, saw shares rise more than 4%. Stocks are expected to move more in response to existing-home sales data, due...
Ooops: Socialist Quote Sure to Dog Sotomayor
Gawker
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May 27, 2009 8:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Conservatives are likely to go crazy any second now, when they realize that Sonia Sotomayor is a (gasp) socialist. Sotomayor’s Princeton yearbook quote—“I am not a champion of lost causes, but of causes not yet won”—is from Norman Thomas, a six-time presidential candidate of the Socialist Party of America, Gawker reports....
Six Reasons Jon & Kate Are Faking It
Huffington Post
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May 27, 2009 8:32 AM CDT
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It’s not surprising that Monday’s drama-ridden premiere of Jon and Kate Plus 8 drew 9.8 million viewers—TLC’s best ratings ever. “What is surprising is that everybody believes Jon and Kate are having serious marriage problems,” writes Mark Pasetsky. On the Huffington Post and Cover Awards, he outlines six reasons...
Recession Will End Next Quarter: Economists
Bloomberg
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May 27, 2009 8:20 AM CDT
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If economists are right, the worst is over for the US economy. In a survey released today by the National Association for Business Economics, 74% of economists said the recession would end in the third quarter. But the coming recovery won’t be a strong one, they warned. Job losses will continue for the rest of the year, which will restrain consumer...
Lightning-Rod W. German Cop Unmasked as Stasi Spy
New York Times
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May 27, 2009 8:17 AM CDT
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The West German cop whose shooting of an unarmed protester in 1967 changed the country forever has been unmasked as an East German spy by historians going through Stasi files, the New York Times reports. The shooting sparked a wide, sometimes violent left-wing protest movement many believe spawned Germany's current liberal disposition. The revelation...
Canadian Snags Man Booker International
Guardian (UK)
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May 27, 2009 8:10 AM CDT
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Alice Munro, whose short stories the judges described as “practically perfect,” is the third winner of the $95,000 Man Booker International prize, the Guardian reports. The 77-year-old, author of 11 short story collections and one novel, is on a path to “international literary sainthood,” fellow Canadian author Margaret Atwood...
For Hispanics, Sotomayor Cause for Cheers, Musing
New York Times
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May 27, 2009 8:05 AM CDT
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For many Hispanics watching yesterday as one of their own was nominated for the nation's highest court, it was what one New York assemblyman calls “a Jackie Robinson moment" long overdue such a sizable voting bloc. For others, though, Sonia Sotomayor's Hispanic background doesn’t necessarily make her a “superhero,” a Colombian...
Inner-Ear Woes Linked to Many Elderly Tumbles
Time
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May 27, 2009 7:45 AM CDT
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Researchers have shed light on the frequent, debilitating, and sometimes life-threatening falls among the elderly: many tumbles may be caused by inner-ear imbalances, Time reports. Some 35% of Americans over 40 have such vestibular dysfunction; the condition affects more than 50% of Americans 60 and older. An inner-ear imbalance multiplies the risk...
Idol Loser's Fans Say AT&T Tainted Voting
New York Times
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May 27, 2009 7:33 AM CDT
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Furious fans of American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert are accusing AT&T of stuffing the virtual ballot box with votes for Kris Allen, the New York Time s reports. Company reps allegedly attended Arkansas parties for native son Allen, providing phones that were for free text-messaging services and instructions on how to cast 10 votes at the touch...
Sotomayor's Record Reveals Rigor, Little Else
New York Times
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May 27, 2009 7:19 AM CDT
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Sonia Sotomayor’s decisions “are not always a pleasure to read,” writes Adam Liptak of the New York Times , but “they are usually models of modern judicial craftsmanship.” They are exhaustive and technical, with even uncontroversial propositions justified with detailed footnotes. They also reveal strikingly little about...
Bondholders Reject GM Deal; Bankruptcy Looms
Associated Press
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May 27, 2009 6:59 AM CDT
(AP) -
General Motors says not enough of its bondholders agreed to swap their debt for company stock, meaning the troubled automaker is almost certainly headed for bankruptcy protection. GM has until Monday to finish restructuring or file for bankruptcy. But the company said today that its offer to exchange $27 billion in unsecured debt for 10% of the company's...
North: Korean War Is Back On
Washington Post
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May 27, 2009 6:56 AM CDT
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North Korea warned today that it no longer considers itself bound by the 1953 truce that brought the Korean War to an effective—but not official—end. The country said South Korea's announcement yesterday that it is joining a US-led initiative to stop ships suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction amounts to a "declaration...
Gentlemen, Start Your Bidding on Bruni Nudie
Daily Mail (UK)
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May 27, 2009 6:44 AM CDT
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A nude photo of France's first lady is expected to be the subject of fierce bidding at a Berlin auction next week, the Daily Mail reports. The photo, one of just 10 numbered copies was taken by photographer Pamela Hanson in 1994 at the height of Carla Bruni's modeling career, when she was 26 and dating Mick Jagger. It shows her reclining in bed;...
Ash to Twitter: I'll Boycott Over Reality Show
CNN
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May 27, 2009 6:18 AM CDT
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Twitter king Ashton Kutcher has threatened to turn off the tweets if the site goes ahead with a reality show, CNN reports. "I really don't like being sold out. May have to take a twitter hiatus," Kutcher tweeted in response to news that the microblogging site had plans for a show that would put people on the trail of celebrities.
Student Booted in Shooting Says Harvard Racist
Boston Globe
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May 27, 2009 5:58 AM CDT
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A Harvard student ordered off campus in the wake of the fatal shooting earlier this month has accused the university of singling her out because she is black, the Boston Glob e reports. Chanequa Campbell has been banned from campus and told she will not graduate. She is friends with the girlfriend of accused killer Jordan Copney, but insists she has...
Giant Dinos 'Held Heads High'
BBC
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May 27, 2009 5:36 AM CDT
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Giant dinosaurs like Diplodicus and Apatosaurus spent most of their time with their incredibly lengthy necks held tall like giraffes instead of slouching forward as seen in most museum reconstructions, according to a new study. Reseachers compared the bones of sauropods with mammals and birds, the only modern animals that share dinosaurs' upright...
Disgusted Mancow: Hannity Still Says It's Not Torture
Huffington Post
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May 27, 2009 5:10 AM CDT
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Right-wing mouth Sean Hannity, who chickened out on a dare to be waterboarded for charity, still claims the procedure is not torture, says conservative shock jock Erich "Mancow" Muller, who discovered firsthand it "absolutely" is. Mancow again described his experience being waterboarded to Keith Olbermann last night as "horrific,"...
Queen Livid at French Snub for Obama D-Day Fete
Daily Mail (UK)
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May 27, 2009 4:35 AM CDT
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Queen Elizabeth is furious at not being invited by the French for D-Day ceremonies next week that will include President Obama, reports the Daily Mail . The French never had any intention of inviting members of the British royal family to the 65th anniversary commemoration in Normandy in order to allow president Nicolas Sarkozy to focus on the "main...
GOP Faces Battle Issues Over Sotomayor
Washington Post
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May 27, 2009 4:15 AM CDT
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The battle over Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court is beginning to heat up within the Republican Party, the Washington Post . GOP senators have been largely restrained in their response to the nomination, acknowledging that an overly aggressive position would be political suicide among Latino voters. Conservatives, meanwhile, have vowed...
Tiger Kills New Zealand Zookeeper
Times (UK)
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May 27, 2009 3:43 AM CDT
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A rare white tiger mauled a New Zealand zookeeper to death today in front of stunned visitors as the man entered the animal's enclosure for cleaning, reports the Times of London. The victim just months ago fought off an attack by the same tiger at the wildlife park to save a colleague. This time, his partner beat the tiger with a fire extinguisher,...
Zune HD Hits Stores This Fall
CNET
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May 27, 2009 3:22 AM CDT
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The Zune HD will be out this fall, Microsoft has announced, ending months of speculation. The next-generation media player, designed as a direct rival to the iPod Touch, will feature an organic light-emitting diode touchscreen, an HD radio tuner, and a browser with a customized version of Internet Explorer, reports CNET. No word yet on pricing or capacity.
Obama Demands Suu Kyi Freedom
BBC
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May 27, 2009 2:59 AM CDT
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President Obama issued a sharply worded statement yesterday demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, reports the BBC. Her "detention, isolation, and show trial based on spurious charges cast serious doubt on the Burmese regime's willingness to be a responsible member of the international...
Energy Chief: Paint World White to Stop Warming
Times (UK)
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May 27, 2009 2:36 AM CDT
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A colossal coat of paint could do as much to slow global warming as removing all cars from the Earth for 11 years, Energy Secretary Steven Chu told a climate change conference yesterday. Chu said painting roofs white and making roads a lighter color—which would reflect heat and reduce energy use—is one of many measures needed to usher in...
30 Killed in Lahore Bomb Blast
BBC
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May 27, 2009 2:09 AM CDT
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At least 30 people were killed today when a bomb flattened the main police station in the Pakistan city of Lahore, reports the BBC. Some 100 were injured in the attack that began as gunmen opened fire and hurled grenades before a vehicle packed with explosives hurtled through a barricade into the building. The blast was powerful enough to shear walls...
Mexican Drug Sweep Snares 10 Mayors
CNN
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May 27, 2009 1:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Ten mayors and several police chiefs were busted in a major drug raid yesterday in Mexico's Michoacan state. The public officials provided a "protection net" for the deadly Michoacan Family drug cartel, said law enforcement authorities. The cartel is linked to the murder of 7 people and wounding of 100 others late last year.
Mickey D's Aims to Mug Starbucks in Europe
Financial Times (UK)
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May 27, 2009 1:25 AM CDT
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Just as Starbucks is scaling back its European expansion, McDonald's plans to open hundreds of new outlets offering high-end coffees and pastries on the continent, reports the Financial Times. “We can become the biggest seller of coffee in Europe,” boasted McDonald's chief financial officer. The company plans to launch 1200 new McCafés...
TNR 's Rosen: 'Of Course' She Should Be Confirmed
New Republic
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May 26, 2009 10:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After writing a much-discussed article in the New Republic earlier this month raising questions about the qualifications of Sonia Sotomayor, Jeffrey Rosen wants to be clear: "Of course, Judge Sotomayor should be confirmed to the Supreme Court," he blogs. Rosen complains that conservatives have adopted much of the original article, in which...
Widow of Victim in Soccer Mob Attack Pleads for Peace
Telegraph (UK)
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May 26, 2009 9:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The wife of a Catholic man beaten to death by a mob of Protestant soccer fans in Northern Ireland wants no violence in her husband's name, the Telegraph reports. "He wouldn't want retaliation for it," said Evelyn McDaid, who has two black eyes and a bruised face from trying to save her husband. "He was trying to keep the peace."...
'She's Tough to Pigeonhole'
Washington Post
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May 26, 2009 8:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Conventional wisdom says Sonia Sotomayor—who grew up poor in the Bronx—would be a reliable liberal vote on the Supreme Court. Those who know her well tell the Washington Post that she has too much respect for the law to be blinded by ideology, a trait that first surfaced in an "even-handed" student note she wrote about Puerto...
Defiant North Korea Fires Another Missile
Yonhap News (South Korea)
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May 26, 2009 7:59 PM CDT
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So much for international outrage. North Korea fired off yet another short-range missile tonight, reports South Korea's Yonhap news agency. The missile is the third launched by Pyongyang since its nuclear test yesterday. Analysts suspect the North is engaging in a bit of saber-rattling, possibly to keep US and South Korean reconnaissance planes...
Burris Offered Blagojevich a Personal Check
Chicago Sun-Times
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May 26, 2009 7:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Senate Ethics Committee will have an interesting conversation to ponder as it considers whether Roland Burris engaged in any shady business before being appointed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, reports the Chicago Sun-Times . In an exchange secretly taped by the FBI between Burris and Blago's brother before the gubernatorial scandal broke, the...
Savvy Slim Bets on NYT Being a Monopoly
New Yorker
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May 26, 2009 6:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Carlos Slim, the elusive Mexican billionaire who bailed out the New York Times to the tune of $250 million, is betting that the Times will be one of a very few major-league news organizations left standing when the current newspaper shakeout is over, Lawrence Wright writes in a profile of Slim in the New Yorker . That would put the paper in line...
Tyson's Young Daughter Dead
Associated Press
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May 26, 2009 6:31 PM CDT
(AP) -
Mike Tyson's 4-year-old daughter died today after accidentally hanging herself from a cord dangling from a treadmill in the family home. Exodus Tyson had been on life support since being found yesterday by her older brother in their Phoenix home. Mike Tyson was in Las Vegas at the time but flew home after getting word of the accident.
GOP Can't Stop Her, But They Can Look 'Silly'
FiveThirtyEight
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May 26, 2009 6:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sonia Sotomayor can take these numbers to heart as she awaits her Senate confirmation hearing. When she needed Senate approval for her current post in 1998, she got it by a vote of 67-29 (with not a single Democratic nay). Forty-six of those senators are still in office, and they approved her by a comfortable margin of 35-11, notes Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com....
Wanted: Female Bloggers Not Afraid of Math
DoubleX
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May 26, 2009 5:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
What movies do broke people watch? How do lipstick sales reflect a limping economy? A review of women's blogs shows a dangerous emphasis on "recession lite," writes Linda Hirshman for DoubleX. What women need is someone willing to do the math and go to bat against the men arguing that they should get more of the stimulus pie.
Sorry, Exercise Doesn't Boost Metabolism
MSNBC
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May 26, 2009 5:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
You went for a half-hour run this afternoon, so it’s OK to have that extra slice of cake tonight, right? That’s actually wrong, say scientists, and they’re just as surprised about it as you. The now-debunked assumption was that exercise leaves the body with more power to burn fat for up to 24 hours, MSNBC reports.
DMVs: Please Stop Smiling
USA Today
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May 26, 2009 5:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Four states are demanding that motorists stop saying cheese when they get their driver's license photo, and more may follow suit, reports USA Today . It's not the grinch patrol. Smiles can interfere with technology used to make sure people don't apply for illegal licenses, say officials in Arkansas, Indiana, Nevada, and Virginia. Not all states...
US Likely to Own 70% of Bankrupt GM
New York Times
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May 26, 2009 4:57 PM CDT
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If General Motors goes into bankruptcy next Monday—as is widely expected—the US government will own 70% of the automaker, the New York Times reports. Under a plan that GM officials detailed today to union members, the UAW would take a 17.5% stake though its health care fund, with a potential for 2.5% more. Bondholders, who have more...
Boy Can Stay With Parents After They Agree to Chemo
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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May 26, 2009 4:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A judge in Minnesota allowed 13-year-old Daniel Hauser to return to his parents' custody after they agreed to have him undergo chemotherapy treatments, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune . The judge allowed the family to pursue alternative remedies along with the chemo for Daniel, who has Hodgkin's lymphoma. The boy and his mom fled to California...
Limbaugh Calls Sotomayor 'Reverse Racist'
Time
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May 26, 2009 4:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rush Limbaugh took some calculated shots at Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on his show today, calling her a "reverse racist," a "hack," and "an affirmative action case extraordinaire," notes Mark Halperin's The Page blog at Time. Limbaugh—who punctuated his criticisms with the phrase, 'AP, you gettin this?"—said...
Pizzeria in Town Built by Domino's Chief Not Domino's
News-Press (Florida)
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May 26, 2009 3:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The first pizza shop in Domino’s founder Thomas Monaghan’s Catholic university town of Ave Maria, Fla., will not be a Domino’s, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. Domino’s says the town is covered by another franchise’s delivery radius, and Ave Maria will get a Milano’s instead. And that sit-down restaurant serves...
City-Friendly Trail Talk Hasn't Translated
Salon
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May 26, 2009 3:37 PM CDT
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Unlike his immediate predecessors, President Obama is a pretty citified guy, and has ignited hope among urban-policy experts. Obama has made promising appointments, tweaked policy in city-friendly ways, created a new White House Office of Urban Affairs. But, advocates tell Salon, how federal government deals with cities is a tough nut to crack. “Hope...
Heart and Gum Disease Linked by Gene: Study
BBC
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May 26, 2009 3:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Scientists have identified a link between gum disease and heart disease, the BBC reports, finding the same genetic variation in a group of patients with heart disease and a group with severe periodontitis. “Now we know for sure that there is a strong genetic link, patients with periodontitis should try to reduce their risk factors … at...
Dow Up 196 on Confidence Data
Wall Street Journal
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May 26, 2009 3:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A positive report on consumer confidence gave stocks a boost today, despite poor numbers from the housing sector, the Wall Street Journal reports; financials and construction-related stocks jumped as much as 5%. Home prices, however, were down 19.1% from the first quarter of 2008. The Dow gained 196.17 to 8,473.49. The S&P was up 23.33 to 910.33....
Women Indeed Dominated Obama's Court List: Insiders
Huffington Post
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May 26, 2009 3:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama's short list for his Supreme Court pick consisted of four women: Solicitor General Elana Kagan, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, US Court of Appeals judge Diane Wood, and the eventual selection, Sonia Sotomayor. By Friday, Obama thought he was ready to make the pick, but decided to take the weekend to make sure he was certain,...
'Bueller? Bueller?' Film House Hits Market
Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Ill.)
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May 26, 2009 2:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Chicago-area house immortalized in a glass-breaking, Ferrari-plunging shot from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is for sale, the Arlington Heights Daily Herald reports. “It’s spectacular inside,” said the realtor offering the glass-walled modern home at $2.3 million. “It’s like living in a tree house.” The...
