Newser Story Index from June, 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.
Pelosi Gambles on Climate Bill Vote Despite Dem Grumbling
The Hill
|
Jun 24, 2009 4:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Nancy Pelosi has scheduled a vote this Friday on a controversial climate change bill despite the strong reservations of some Democrats, the Hill reports. Farmbelt lawmakers fear that the sprawling bill's measures to curb emissions will put a disproportionate burden on their states with no reward. The House speaker and other top Democrats have been...
Gosselin 'Rich Kids' Get $28K Playhouses
ABC News
|
Jun 24, 2009 3:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
While Jon and Kate discussed their painful decision to divorce on the latest episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8 , their kids were frolicking in their four new, custom-made playhouses that cost a whopping $28,000, reports ABC News. The super-pricey haunted house, pirate ship, veterinary clinic, and garden shop were proof of just how far from the "just...
Mousavi Silenced by 24-Hour Secret Police Guard
Independent (UK)
|
Jun 24, 2009 3:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi is constantly surrounded by guards and secret police and can no longer speak freely to supporters, protest spokesman Mohsen Makhmalbaf tells the Independent. Makhmalbaf, one of Iran's leading film directors, says Mousavi's lines of communications have been cut or confiscated.
Gates Launches Cyberwar Military Command
Los Angeles Times
|
Jun 24, 2009 3:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Defense Secretary Robert Gates launched the military's new cyberspace surveillance command yesterday, with a mission to defend military computers and to orchestrate potential cyber attacks on enemy nations, reports the Los Angeles Times. In the short run, the US Cyber Command will be part of the Strategic Command, which oversees the nation's nuclear...
Calvin Klein Yanks 'Orgy Ad' After Gripes
New York Daily News
|
Jun 24, 2009 2:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Calvin Klein has ditched a controversial Manhattan "foursome" billboard after angry New Yorkers complained that the ad was too much even for them, reports the New York Daily News . The ad, showing a teenage girl wearing only her Calvins making out with two stud muffins on a couch, as a third man, clothes disheveled, lies exhausted on the...
US Sending Ambassador to Syria After 4-Year Absence
Washington Post
|
Jun 24, 2009 2:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An American ambassador will soon be on the road to Damascus for the first time since early 2005, the Washington Post reports. The Obama administration plans to send an envoy to Syria as part of efforts to reengage with the influential Arab country. The move, which follows recent high-level diplomatic and military talks between the US and Syria, is...
Big Oil Drooling Over Iraq Contracts
Wall Street Journal
|
Jun 24, 2009 1:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Iraq is preparing to welcome back the foreign oil companies it ejected over 30 years ago, and the firms are giddy with anticipation, the Wall Street Journal reports. Contracts to revive production at neglected oil fields go up for auction next week, and competition is expected to be fierce. Oil firms believe Iraq's dozens of untapped fields represent...
Study: Babies Born Before 40 Weeks Have Lower IQs
Globe and Mail
|
Jun 24, 2009 1:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
New research suggests that inducing birth two or three weeks ahead of the full 40 weeks isn't as harmless as many doctors believe, the Globe and Mail reports. The study found that children born after 37 weeks tended to have IQs 1.7 points lower than those born at 38 or 39 weeks, and had a higher, though small, risk of dying in early infancy.
I'm a Celebrity Voters Boot Patti Blagojevich
Chicago Tribune
|
Jun 23, 2009 9:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Patti Blagojevich survived 23 days in the Costa Rican jungle, but she won't be a reality TV champ, reports the Chicago Tribune . Viewers voted Blagojevich off the NBC series I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here tonight. The wife of Illinois' notorious ex-governor took her husband's place on the show after a judge refused to let him travel...
Cheney Signs Deal to Write Memoir
Associated Press
|
Jun 23, 2009 9:10 PM CDT
(AP) -
Dick Cheney has signed a book deal with a conservative imprint of Simon & Schuster. The memoir is expected to be published in spring 2011, a few months after George Bush's book comes out. Financial terms were not disclosed, though a publishing official with knowledge of the negotiations figured it was worth at least $2 million. The work is currently...
Charles, Camilla Cut Personal Spending by $1M
Guardian (UK)
|
Jun 23, 2009 8:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It's belt-tightening, royal style. Prince Charles and Camilla slashed their personal spending by about $1 million (American) last year because of the recession, reports the Guardian . Among the draconian cutbacks: Charles skipped his usual ski holiday to Switzerland, and Camilla scrapped her annual sailing trip to Greece. Both are said to be getting...
Bloggers Differ on Merits of HuffPo Question
Politico
|
Jun 23, 2009 7:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Calderone of Politico suggests that the Huffington Post and the White House got a little too cozy today before President Obama's press conference. "In what appeared to be a coordinated exchange," Obama called on HuffPo reporter Nico Pitney for a question on Iran, and he seemed to have a pretty good idea what it would be, writes Calderone...
Wandering Gov. Sanford of SC Returning to Work
State (Columbia, SC)
|
Jun 23, 2009 6:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
South Carolina's AWOL governor is expected to be back at work tomorrow, the State reports. Mark Sanford has been incommunicado for several days, save for a fleeting cell phone signal picked up near Atlanta. Aides say he's been hiking on the Appalachian Trail, though his political opponents are skeptical. "I don't believe it, but he said...
Parker, Broderick Name Their Twins ...
Access Hollywood
|
Jun 23, 2009 5:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Nothing too exotic for these guys. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's new baby girls are named Marion Loretta Elwell Broderick and Tabitha Hodge Broderick. Hodge and Elwell are names from Parker's side of the family, says a family rep. The couple hired a surrogate mother, who gave birth to the girls, both about 6 pounds, on Monday. "The...
US Drone Kills 60 in Pakistan; May Be Deadliest Ever
New York Times
|
Jun 23, 2009 5:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The American hunt for Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud—implicated, among other things, in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto—took two major twists today in Pakistan. Early reports suggest that a US military drone killed about 60 suspected militants after the funeral of an insurgent commander in South Waziristan near the Afghan border,...
Yzerman, Hull, Robitaille, Leetch Headed to NHL Hall
tsn.ca
|
Jun 23, 2009 4:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
This year's NHL Hall of Fame class is a stellar one, TSN reports. All three forwards inducted—Brett Hull, Steve Yzerman, and Luc Robitaille—are among the top 10 scorers in pro hockey history. Brian Leetch, meanwhile, was a two-time winner of the Norris Trophy, awarded to the league’s top defenseman. Also to be inducted in November...
Nixon Asked for More 'Attractive Women' in GOP
Associated Press
|
Jun 23, 2009 4:28 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Richard Nixon felt the Republican Party needed more “attractive women,” newly released Oval Office tapes reveal. In a phone conversation with George HW Bush (then Republican National Committee chairman) Nixon describes seeing two “very attractive women” in the South Carolina legislature, the Los Angeles Times reports. “God,”...
Broke Up Recently? Museum Wants the Remnants
BlackBook
|
Jun 23, 2009 4:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Not sure what to do with all those old love letters from your ex? Burning them seems too risky; keeping them, too sentimental. Why not put them on permanent display? The Museum of Broken Relationships allows you to do just that, BlackBook reports. Started as an art project in Croatia, the exhibit’s popularity led its creators to bring it online...
At $5B in Profits, One Client May Have Out-Madoffed Madoff
ProPublica
|
Jun 23, 2009 4:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
At least one person looks to have benefited more from Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme than Bernie Madoff, ProPublica reports. Jeffry Picower, a secretive philanthropist and investor in medical technologies, is on the books as having withdrawn some $5.1 billion in returns from 1995 to 2008, well beyond his original investment. Records show some fishy...
Obama Admits He Still Sneaks Occasional Cigarette
ABC News
|
Jun 23, 2009 3:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
He wasn't all that happy to be asked about it—again—but President Obama admitted during his news conference today that, yes, he still lights up the occasional cigarette, reports ABC News. “Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes.” Obama said he’s not a “daily smoker, a constant smoker,” and added, “I...
Boeing Drops; Dow Loses 16
Wall Street Journal
|
Jun 23, 2009 3:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks were mixed today, between a slide by Boeing and a successful auction of 2-year Treasury notes, the Wall Street Journal reports. Another delay for its Dreamliner dragged Boeing down 6.27%; Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase both advanced after yesterday’s sell-off. The Dow fell 16.10 to 8,322.91. The Nasdaq lost 1.27, settling at 1,764.92,...
GOP Meets Ensign Apology With 'Love and Kindness'
The Hill
|
Jun 23, 2009 3:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Disgraced Sen. John Ensign gave Republican colleagues a well-received apology today for “embarrassing the Senate” by having an affair, the Hill reports. One colleague said the apology was “very contrite, very sincere.” Sen. Orrin Hatch pointed out that “everybody has flaws,” and said “all we can do is show...
Woman Sues Hasselbeck Over Cookbook Plagiarism
Boston Herald
|
Jun 23, 2009 3:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A woman who sent Elisabeth Hasselbeck a cookbook to help deal with an autoimmune disorder now claims The View co-host pirated the ideas for her own tome, the Boston Herald reports. Self-published author Susan Hassett’s federal lawsuit claims she sent Living With Celiac Disease to Hasselbeck in 2008, and that Hasselbeck’s The G-Free...
Fehr's Whiff on Steroids Tarnishes Great Legacy
Fox Sports
|
Jun 23, 2009 3:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If not for one pesky scandal, “Don Fehr might rightly be hailed as one of the greatest leaders in the history of American labor,” Ken Rosenthal writes for Fox Sports of the retiring baseball players union boss. “Alas, he missed on steroids, missed about as badly as a person of his intellect could miss.” Fehr also failed in his...
Ex-Wilco Guitarist Died of Accidental OD: Coroner
Associated Press
|
Jun 23, 2009 2:53 PM CDT
(AP) -
Authorities say former Wilco guitarist Jay Bennett died of an overdose of a pain killer, and that they're investigating his death as an accident. Champaign County (Ill.) Coroner Duane Northrup says tests show the 45-year-old musician died after taking fentanyl, a drug found in patches commonly prescribed to treat chronic pain.
In Prison Visit, Ex Closed Book on Markoff
Boston Herald
|
Jun 23, 2009 2:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Philip Markoff’s ex-fiancée visited the accused “Craigslist killer” in jail two weeks ago to say goodbye, the Boston Herald reports. Megan McAllister told Markoff “that in all likelihood she would not be coming back to Boston," her lawyer said today, adding that though McAllister had originally stood by Markoff,...
DC Subway Car 2 Months Overdue for Brake Work
Washington Post
|
Jun 23, 2009 2:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Washington subway car that rear-ended another yesterday, killing nine passengers, was two months overdue for brake maintenance, a Metro source tells the Post today. “These components are supposed to be changed out to prevent failures,” the source said; officials have not said if they think the car’s age and condition played...
Emanuel's Media Blitz Goes 'Relentlessly' 24/7
Washington Post
|
Jun 23, 2009 2:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rahm Emanuel is “in constant touch” with journalists, offering a “round-the-clock offensive” on behalf of the White House, writes Howard Kurtz in the Washington Post . “He calls, drops a few F-bombs, makes his point and hangs up,” says one commentator. Brief he may be, but “perhaps no White House chief of...
Bolivian TV's Flight 447 Photos Actually From Lost
Telegraph (UK)
|
Jun 23, 2009 2:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In what was either a bizarre prank or heinous gaffe, a Bolivian TV station broadcast two photographs last week from the ABC series Lost as exclusive photos from the final moments of Air France Flight 447, the Telegraph reports. The first shows passengers in an aircraft cabin using oxygen masks, while the other shows passengers being sucked out...
Perez Eyes Lawsuit in Will.i.am Melee
New York Daily News
|
Jun 23, 2009 2:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The scuffle between Perez Hilton and the Black Eyed Peas has only just begun. Polo Molina, the band’s manager, “is being prosecuted for assault in Toronto” after Sunday’s alleged assault on Hilton, Hilton’s lawyer tells the New York Daily News . Hilton “intends to take immediate action to make sure that Mr. Molina...
Council Asks Ayatollah to Extend Iran Election Probe
Reuters
|
Jun 23, 2009 2:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The top body investigating the results of the recent election is asking Iran’s supreme leader to give it more time to clear up any and all “ambiguities,” Reuters reports. “We are urging you to allow us to extend the deadline to receive further complaints five more days,” the Guardian Council wrote to Ayatollah Khamenei....
Buzz Aldrin Raps With Snoop Dogg
USA Today
|
Jun 23, 2009 2:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
What’s next for a man who’s walked on the moon? For 79-year-old astronaut Buzz Aldrin, it’s recording a rap song, USA Today reports. “I'm not too good at carrying a tune, but I do have rhythm,” says Aldrin, who collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Soulja Boy, and Quincy Jones on “Rocket Experience.” Buzz has “the...
Oscar-Winning Songwriter Indicted in 6 Sex Attacks
New York Post
|
Jun 23, 2009 1:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Oscar-winning songwriter Joseph Brooks turned himself in to New York police today on suspicion of rape, the Post reports. Six women have accused Brooks of casting-couch sexual assault under the pretense of auditioning for movie roles. Brooks won Best Original Song in 1977 for You Light Up My Life , from the film of the same name, which he wrote...
Shah's Son: I'd Serve If Elected
Washington Post
|
Jun 23, 2009 1:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Though his family wasn’t much for democratic rule in Iran, the son of Iran’s last shah says he would return to serve the country if that’s the will of the people, Dana Milbank writes in the Washington Post . Reza Pahlavi, 48, hopes Iran’s post-election protests turn into a revolution, though he avoids that word because it “has...
Iran 'Retires' Soccer Players Over Protest
Guardian (UK)
|
Jun 23, 2009 1:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Iran has barred four of its national soccer players from the field for life after they wore green wristbands during a match last week in apparent support of opposition presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, an Iranian pro-government newspaper said. Six players wore the bands; most took them off at halftime, the Guardian notes.
Hallelujah: E! Goes Speidi-Free
E! Online
|
Jun 23, 2009 1:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Christmas has come early for anyone who sick to death of the antics of Spencer and Heidi Pratt. E! has decided to go Speidi-free after a recent poll, in which 94% of respondents said the “stars” of such reality gems as T he Hills and I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! should be banned from coverage. And the world rejoiced.
Ex-FLDS Member Wants Hard Time for Polygamists
Houston Chronicle
|
Jun 23, 2009 1:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Former FLDS member Flora Jessop is “hoping against hope” that the men charged with child abuse at the polygamist compound in Eldorado get harder time than those convicted in similar crimes elsewhere, she told the Houston Chronicle. “Thirteen days, 45 days, nine months,” says Jessop, rattling off sentences handed down...
Cleveland to Shaq: We're Big Enough for Ya
Cleveland Plain Dealer
|
Jun 23, 2009 12:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Shaquille O’Neal may be big, but if the superstar NBA center joins the Cavaliers, Cleveland has plenty of room, write Mary Schmitt Boyer and Jodie Valade in the Plain Dealer . Some suggestions: Though he’d be playing for a team in a cold-weather city for the first time, Shaq already knows Furs by Weiss, having bought coats (including...
'The Show Must Go On': Kate
Variety
|
Jun 23, 2009 12:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jon and Kate may be divorcing, but “the show must go on,” Kate said on last night’s episode. But how, exactly? TLC is probably pretty pleased Jon and Kate Plus 8 will continue shooting despite the title couple leading—and filming—separate lives, Variety reports, considering the high ratings the network will likely...
Court? Bah. Rihanna's Jewelry? Very Important.
Gawker
|
Jun 23, 2009 12:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sure, sure, Chris Brown copped a plea yesterday in his assault case. But more important, what was his victim wearing? Thanks to Michele Marie PR, you no longer have to wonder, the Cajun Boy blogs for Gawker. Who cares that Rihanna was in court “to testify against a man who nearly beat and strangled her to death”? Public relations “will...
Shadowy Militia Is First Line of Defense for Iran Regime
CNN
|
Jun 23, 2009 12:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Iranian regime’s first response against pro-Mousavi protesters last week was not the Revolutionary Guard but its volunteer branch, the Basij militia, CNN reports. Iran says the militia, created by the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, numbers 12 million; the actual count is probably a smaller—but still effective—300,000. “Basij...
Manny's Return Captivates Albuquerque
Los Angeles Times
|
Jun 23, 2009 12:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Manny Ramirez may play for the Albuquerque Isotopes tonight, and droves of locals are planning to be there, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Triple-A team sells 7,715 tickets for a typical game; tonight it expects up to 15,000. Fans aren’t much concerned about the slugger’s suspension for using a performance-enhancing drug. “He’s...
Calif. Program Trains 'Green Collar' Workers
San Francisco Chronicle
|
Jun 23, 2009 12:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The first waves of graduates from California's pioneering "green collar" training program are ready to put their new skills to work reducing the state's carbon footprint, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The trainees, including ex-cons and low-income residents, have finished an extensive course in construction skills to equip them for...
Obama: World 'Appalled' by Iran Violence
Associated Press
|
Jun 23, 2009 12:09 PM CDT
(AP) -
President Obama today declared the United States and the entire world are "appalled and outraged" by Iran's violent efforts to crush dissent, a clear toughening of his rhetoric as Republican critics at home pound him for being too passive. Obama condemned the "threats, beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days." At least...
Yet Another Photo 'Oops' for Miley
Sun (UK)
|
Jun 23, 2009 11:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Miley Cyrus, star of such photo scandals as “racy Vanity Fair shoot” and “slanty-eyes group shot,” is going for the trilogy, reports the Sun . Adam Shankman, the 44-year-old director of her latest film, posted two suggestive shots of her on Twitter, but took them down when the backlash started. Elsewhere: Paris Hilton...
Feds Had Told DC to Bench Crashed Train
Associated Press
|
Jun 23, 2009 11:54 AM CDT
(AP) -
The subway train that plowed into another stopped train yesterday, killing nine people and injuring scores of others in Washington, was part of an aging fleet that federal officials had sought to phase out because of safety concerns, an investigator said today. The Metrorail transit system kept the old trains running despite warnings in 2006, Debbie...
UK Kicks Out Iranian Diplomats
BBC
|
Jun 23, 2009 11:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The UK will expel two Iranian diplomats, in retaliation for Tehran’s own banishment of two British diplomats yesterday, the BBC reports. Gordon Brown said that he was “disappointed that Iran has placed us in this position.” He defended the UK diplomats, saying the accusation that they were “involved in activities incompatible...
Ad Exec Scores as UPS 'Whiteboard Guy'
Wall Street Journal
|
Jun 23, 2009 11:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
He’s an ad exec by trade, but Andy Azula displays his acting chops—not to mention his drawing skills—in UPS commercials so popular a rival is spoofing them. In the ads, the long-haired Azula diagrams UPS service on a whiteboard. FedEx recently launched a website that features a similar spot with an Azula lookalike, the Wall Street...
Parker's Surrogate Gives Birth to Twins
WTRF
|
Jun 23, 2009 11:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Sarah Jessica Parker’s surrogate mother gave birth to twins last night, sources tell CBS affiliate WTRF-TV. Security is tight around the eastern Ohio hospital, with additional guards brought in to handle the media. Parker and her husband, Matthew Broderick, are expected to make an announcement before leaving the hospital later today.
In Myanmar, Soccer Offers Relief
Wall Street Journal
|
Jun 23, 2009 11:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Myanmar has had something to cheer about lately, the Wall Street Journal reports. In a country where gatherings of more than five people are officially illegal and free speech is nonexistent, the Myanmar National League has been drawing huge crowds of screaming fans. Launched in May, it’s the country’s first pro soccer league, and fans...
