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.
Silver: How Do You Rig 11M Votes? Easily
FiveThirtyEight
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Jun 20, 2009 1:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Nate Silver has a bone to pick with the ayatollah. In his attempt yesterday to quash claims of voter fraud, Ali Khamenei asserted that President Ahmadinejad had won by 11 million votes. "How can one rig 11 million votes?" he asked. That's faulty logic, cries Silver on FiveThirtyEight.com. In the West, it might prove impossible given all our...
Haute Cuisine Hides Out in Uruguay
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 20, 2009 1:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Nine hours in a plane from Miami, 125 miles through the Uruguay countryside, and 15 minutes down dirt roads will bring you to the ritzy restaurant Garzón, where a plate of ravioli will set you back $48. Garzón, in the village of the same name, is Argentinian celebrity chef Francis Mallmann’s latest venture, and only he could pull...
McD's Huge Angus Burger To Go National
Chicago Tribune
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Jun 20, 2009 12:54 PM CDT
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McDonald’s will roll out its deluxe Angus burger nationwide later this year, the Chicago Tribune reports. Until now, the one-third-of-a-pound burger made with premium beef has been available only in a handful of test markets. Though the fast-food chain has said publicly it would delay the launch until next year because of the economy, the ...
NYT Reporter Escapes Taliban After 7 Months
New York Times
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Jun 20, 2009 11:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A reporter for the New York Times held by the Taliban for 7 months in the tribal regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan has escaped, the paper says. The Times kept David Rohde’s abduction secret out of concern for his safety and had been in sporadic contact with him and his captors. Last night, he and a local reporter climbed over the wall of...
Madonna's New Daughter Leaves Malawi
Access Hollywood
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Jun 20, 2009 11:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Madonna’s newly adopted daughter left Malawi for London yesterday on a plane owned by the pop singer, Access Hollywood reports. Chifundo “Mercy” James was accompanied on the flight by a nanny and child nurse, airport sources said, and should meet her new brothers and sisters—including David, also a Malawian orphan—later...
Obama Boxes Himself In to False Choice on Iran
Weekly Standard
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Jun 20, 2009 11:30 AM CDT
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President Obama talks a lot about "false choices," and he's usually just blowing smoke rhetorically, but now he's got one regarding Iran, writes Fred Barnes in the Weekly Standard . “The president thinks he’s stuck with a dilemma,” Barnes writes: “Either support the democratic forces” or “preserve his...
France Considers Burka Ban
Times (UK)
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Jun 20, 2009 11:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
France’s parliament is making noises about banning head-to-toe Islamic women’s dress such as the burka and niqab, the Times of London reports. Opponents called the the dress “a moving prison” and a “tomb," and say it's cropping up more in big cities. If the burka is “contrary to republican principles,”...
Suicide Bomb Kills 50 in Iraq
Reuters
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Jun 20, 2009 10:35 AM CDT
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At least 50 people were killed in Iraq today when a truck bomb detonated near a crowd of worshipers leaving a Shiite mosque near Kirkuk, Reuters reports. The bombing occurred only hours after Nouri al-Maliki warned the country that terrorist violence may increase as the planned June 30 withdrawal of US troops approaches. The blast wounded about 175...
Let Steroids Users Into Hall of Fame
New York Times
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Jun 20, 2009 10:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Hall of Fame has become baseball’s weapon of last resort against players who’ve used performance-enhancing drugs. Baseball writers can’t ban drug users from the sport or take away their money—but they can deny them a spot in Cooperstown. This crusade is senseless, writes Zev Chafets for the New York Times . Millions of...
Venus Going for Title No. 6 at Wimbledon
USA Today
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Jun 20, 2009 10:21 AM CDT
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Wimbledon kicks off Monday with Venus Williams looking for a sixth title (and third consecutive) at a venue she’s come to rule, USA Today reports. “When she talks about Wimbledon, the tenor of her voice changes,” says Billie Jean King, whose Wimbledon total Williams would tie. “It connects with her. She’s won so much...
Spying 101: US Wants Colleges to Train 007s
Washington Post
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Jun 20, 2009 9:28 AM CDT
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It's like a cloak-and-dagger version of ROTC. The government wants universities to help train the next generation of spies, the Washington Post reports. The proposed program would recruit first- and second-generation students from diverse ethnic backgrounds, the Mideast and Asia in particular, and run them through a specialized set of courses to...
Let's Teach Teens How to Drink (Wisely)
The Atlantic
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Jun 20, 2009 9:20 AM CDT
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It's time to stop treating underage drinking like a joke—5,000 deaths and 100,000 sexual assaults a year should make that clear—and give states the freedom to get creative with their laws, writes John McCardell in the Atlantic . The federal age-21 restriction only pushes the drinking underground and makes it more dangerous, he contends,...
UN: Hunger Affects Record 1B
BBC
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Jun 20, 2009 8:17 AM CDT
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United Nations food officials warn that a record 1 billion people worldwide aren't getting enough to eat, the BBC reports. The UN said the number of people affected by hunger—defined as getting less than 1,800 calories daily—has jumped by 100 million people over the last year because of the "devastating combination" of...
Sunken Gold Ship Found, Now Where's the Loot?
BBC
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Jun 20, 2009 7:59 AM CDT
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The wreck of a trawler carrying $18 million in gold and silver that sank in January has been found off the coast of Argentina, the BBC reports. The big question: Does it still have the loot aboard? Rescuers hired by the main insurer, Lloyd's of London, plan to send down a robotic submersible but have been prevented from doing so by harsh weather....
Iran Braces for Showdown Today
Associated Press
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Jun 20, 2009 7:33 AM CDT
(AP) -
Iran's government threatened harsh action today if opposition supporters take to the streets again to demand a new election in open defiance of the country's supreme leader. Web sites run by supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi called for street protests, but the candidate himself issued no public statement. It was not clear if Mousavi...
Jobs Had Liver Transplant 2 Months Ago
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 20, 2009 7:14 AM CDT
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Steve Jobs had a liver transplant in Tennessee about 2 months ago, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Apple boss, who has been on medical leave since January for an undisclosed medical condition, is recovering well and is expected to return to work later this month. Jobs will likely "work part-time for a month or two," says one insider....
Schwarzenegger Plane Makes Emergency Landing
Associated Press
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Jun 20, 2009 6:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s private jet made an emergency landing at a small airport near LA last night after the pilot reported smoke coming from the cockpit, the Los Angeles Times reports. Nobody was injured and the California governor posted a photo of the plane to his Twitter page, calling the incident a “little adventure.”
FBI Squeezed Deep Throat
Associated Press
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Jun 20, 2009 6:11 AM CDT
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The FBI made a huge effort to stop the spread of '70s porn hit Deep Throat , documents newly released to the AP reveal. Top agents and field offices in almost every major city were involved in the probe, in which negatives were analyzed, copies of the film seized, and interviews conducted with everybody involved in the film—from star Linda Lovelace...
Tough Times Threaten New England's Triple-Deckers
New York Times
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Jun 20, 2009 5:35 AM CDT
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The distinctive three-decker homes found throughout urban New England are swiftly becoming an endangered species, the New York Times reports. The homes—mostly built around a century ago to accommodate new immigrants—were snapped up by investors in boom times who rented them out without doing any maintenance. They are now being foreclosed...
8 Infamous Hotel Rooms
Travel Leisure
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Jun 20, 2009 5:05 AM CDT
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Eliot Spitzer put Washington’s Renaissance Mayflower Hotel on the map with his Ashley Dupre tryst—and before Spitzer, televangelist Jim Bakker did a similar service for Florida’s Sheraton Sand Key Resort with Jessica Hahn. Travel + Leisure takes a look at a few other famous—or infamous—hotels: Al Capone ran a...
New Prostate Cancer Drug Amazes Researchers
MinnPost.com
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Jun 20, 2009 4:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The total recovery of two patients suffering inoperable prostate cancer under a new treatment has amazed researchers at the Mayo Clinic, the Minnesota Post reports. The men, who suffered from a highly aggressive and deadly form of the disease, were found to be cancer-free after treatment with an experimental drug that affects the immune system, and...
World's Oldest Man Thanks 'Cigs, Whisky, Wild Women'
Independent (UK)
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Jun 20, 2009 3:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
British WWI veteran Henry Allingham learned yesterday that he is now the world's oldest man following the death of 113-year-old Tomoji Tanabe, the Independent reports. Tanabe eschewed alcohol and tobacco but Allingham, also 113, once quipped that his longevity was due to "cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women." The retired engineer lives...
Sotomayor Quits Elite Women-Only Club
Politico
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Jun 20, 2009 3:12 AM CDT
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Sonia Sotomayor has ended her membership in an exclusive women-only club following pressure from GOP lawmakers, Politico reports. Senators suggested the Supreme Court nominee's membership in the Belizean Grove—a 120-strong club of influential women that hosts annual Latin American retreats—violated codes of conduct banning judges from belonging...
US Has Huge Shortage of Primary Care Docs
Washington Post
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Jun 20, 2009 2:41 AM CDT
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Congress may be unable to agree on the details of an overhauled health care system, but there’s one fact on which there’s little debate: America urgently needs more primary care doctors. Experts predict the nationwide shortage of family physicians will reach 40,000 within the next decade, a shortfall that could become “much more severe”...
Caylee's Autopsy Results Released
Orlando Sentinel
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Jun 20, 2009 1:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Autopsy results released yesterday state that there were no drugs found in the body of Caylee Anthony, but duct tape had been placed over the slain 2-year-old's mouth before decomposition, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The toddler's skeletal remains were found mixed with garbage bags and a laundry bag, states the report, which lists the cause of...
US Army Evangelism: Is It a 'Crusade'?
Newsweek
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Jun 19, 2009 8:30 PM CDT
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US Army chaplains have distributed Arabic-language Bibles in Iraq, told soldiers to "hunt people for Jesus," and speculated that President Obama is a secret Muslim. Enough already, says a religious rights watchdog: Led by Air Force veteran Mikey Weinstein, the group is suing the Pentagon over alleged religious-based practices and chaplains...
Tiger 10 Back, Weir Shoots 64 at US Open
Associated Press
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Jun 19, 2009 8:00 PM CDT
(AP) -
Tiger Woods couldn't get off the course fast enough. Mike Weir, Lucas Glover, Ricky Barnes, and Phil Mickelson were among those at the US Open and thrilled they didn't have to leave until it was too dark to continue. Despite a double bogey on his back nine, Weir closed with back-to-back birdies for a 6-under 64, giving him a two-shot lead over Peter...
LA Latinos Are Gay Marriage Wild Card: Poll
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 19, 2009 7:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A new Los Angeles Times poll shows why gay marriage advocates and opponents are targeting LA Latinos after Proposition 8: Unlike African Americans, they are divided on the issue. While African American voters oppose gay marriage by 54% to 37%, Latinos are split, 45% in favor and 46% against. Among Latinos, women, the young, and the college-educated...
'Nerd' Ron Paul Was Right After All
The Stimulist
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Jun 19, 2009 7:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Boy, the winter of 2007-2008 seems like a lifetime ago. Back then, Ron Paul was "the class nerd" at Republican primary debates, eliciting eye-rolls and laughter with seemingly bizarre opinions. Now, Paul's "rants about the Federal Reserve, monetary policy and the devaluation of the dollar" are the only issues conservatives...
Grandma Hates Email? Snail Mail Service to the Rescue
Time
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Jun 19, 2009 6:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If grandma is too obstinate or tech-befuddled for email, a few services have cropped up to help, Jeninne Lee-St. John writes in Time . The latest one, Sunnygram, actually prints up emails and photos in a weekly newsletter and mails them. Others, like Presto and Celery, deliver messages via fax and color printers. The so-called "unplugged population"...
Genetic Link Between Anorexia, Autism: Study
Time
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Jun 19, 2009 6:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Anorexia might not be a social or psychological malady but rather an inherited genetic problem, Time reports. Furthermore, researchers see commonalities between that condition and autism. “Both autism-spectrum conditions and anorexia share a narrow focus of attention, a resistance to change and excellent attention to detail,” one doctor...
Fox, Handed Ensign Affair, Commits Ugly Fumble
Washington Post
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Jun 19, 2009 5:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Fox News had the bombshell about Sen. John Ensign’s affair in its lap and didn’t do anything with it, Howard Kurtz writes in the Washington Post . A Fox producer tells the Huffington Post the network never received a letter Douglas Hampton, the husband of the Republican’s mistress, sent last week, but did get an email from him on...
Bruno's Blitz Turns MySpace Into 'MeinSpace'
Advertising Age
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Jun 19, 2009 5:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sacha Baron Cohen has partnered up with MySpace to promote his new film, Bruno , in a move that could help revive the struggling social networking site, Advertising Age reports. MySpace is hosting a movie site for the gay Austrian fashionista—MeinSpace—and the parent site has started running an unrestricted trailer. Cohen was convinced...
Daily Show Argument Exposes Obama as Bush Lite
Washington Post
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Jun 19, 2009 4:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Justice Department lawyer argued in court yesterday—with a straight face—that releasing statements Dick Cheney made during the Valerie Plame investigation could cause future administration officials to hold back out of fear their statements would “get on The Daily Show .” The judge overseeing the hearing seemed skeptical,...
Street Protests Cool, But Iran Opposition Takes to Rooftops
MSNBC
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Jun 19, 2009 4:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Calls of “Allahu Akbar” punctuated Tehran’s evening quiet as some residents took to their rooftops to protest Ayatollah Khamenei’s support of what they see as fraudulent election results, MSNBC reports. Despite the rooftop protests—a tactic used in the 1979 revolution—outright street demonstrations from supporters...
In NYC, Murders Mirror Mercury
New York Times
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Jun 19, 2009 4:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Summer heat brings people onto the streets—and the murder rate up, the New York Times reports. In the city, September is historically the worst month for homicide, according to an analysis of police data. August is a close second. And the deadliest time? 10pm on a September Saturday. “Homicides vary with social acting,” a criminology...
Stanford Indicted for $7B Ponzi Scheme
Associated Press
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Jun 19, 2009 3:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Alleged billionaire fraudster Robert Allen Stanford and six of his associates were indicted today on charges that they ran a $7 billion Ponzi scheme, the AP reports. Stanford turned himself in to authorities yesterday. “A fair jury will find him not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing,” Stanford’s lawyer said. He argues that any missing...
This Week, Gisele Is Pregnant
People
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Jun 19, 2009 3:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After weeks of speculation and denials—including a none-too-definitive one from husband Tom Brady— People is reporting that supermodel Gisele Bundchen is pregnant with her first child. “Gisele has been talking about it with friends,” according to a source. “She says she’s ready for a family.” The leggy Brazilian...
Stocks Mixed; Dow Off 16
MarketWatch
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Jun 19, 2009 3:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks ended mixed for the day and lower for the week, as gains in financials made up for losses in energy spurred by falling oil prices, MarketWatch reports. Bank of American and American Express each rose about 2%, which analysts saw as investors covering short positions. The Dow fell 15.87 to 8,539.73. The Nasdaq added 19.75, settling at 1,827.47,...
10 Protests That Changed History
LiveScience
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Jun 19, 2009 3:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The post-election storm brewing in Iran prompted LiveScience to round up some of history's most significant protests: A piece of paper nailed to a church door in 1517 sparked the Protestant Revolution. Parisians moved more boldly, beheading the Bastille's governor to spark the French Revolution in 1789. The Boston Tea Party in 1773...
Injured Nadal Won't Defend Wimbledon Title
BBC
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Jun 19, 2009 2:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rafael Nadal announced today that he will not defend his Wimbledon title, the BBC reports. A nagging knee injury and losses in exhibitions today and yesterday appear to have convinced the world’s No. 1 tennis player to bow out of the tournament, to begin Monday. “He is having difficulties bending and it seems his treatments aren’t...
On Immigration Reform, Obama Skips Specifics
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 19, 2009 2:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Lackluster support for immigration reform has forced President Obama to be purposefully vague about a timeline for legislation, Michael Muskal writes in the Los Angeles Times . “I’m committed to passing comprehensive immigration reform,” Obama told Latino leaders today. But his “vague language on timing for immigration reform...
Stevie Finds Wonder Amid the 'Craziness'
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Jun 19, 2009 2:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stevie Wonder’s back on tour for the third time in less than 2 years, a treat for fans after a long drought. And while it’s been a big year for him—an inauguration performance, a Gershwin Prize—events like the Holocaust Museum shooting have him worried and writing. A new tune, he tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , reminds...
Why People Lie About Having Voted for Obama
Slate
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Jun 19, 2009 2:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A lot of people are lying about having voted for President Obama. A recent Wall Street Journal poll gives Obama a 50%-39% edge over John McCain—a big bump over his actual 7% victory. A New York Times survey shows Obama winning with a nearly 2-to-1 margin. That’s a remarkable number, but don’t get too excited; this always happens,...
Burris Won't Face Perjury Charges: Ill. Prosecutor
Springfield Journal-Register
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Jun 19, 2009 2:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sen. Roland Burris will not be charged with perjury for neglecting to tell an Illinois House impeachment panel about additional discussions he had with associates of then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the State Journal-Register reports. While Burris did omit conversations about the Senate appointment with members of Blagojevich’s inner circle, they...
Collect Him! Trade Him! Bo Stars on Baseball Card
USA Today
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Jun 19, 2009 2:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Do you—or does someone you love—have Bo fever? Are you one of the apparently considerable number of people who have bombarded the White House with requests for info about him? Michelle Obama's press staff has heard your call. Send a request (and preferably an SASE), and your new friends in the East Wing will send you a Bo trading card,...
Husband Outed Ensign Affair to Fox News
Las Vegas Sun
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Jun 19, 2009 1:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The husband of John Ensign’s mistress sent a letter detailing the affair to Fox News just days before the senator’s public admission, the Las Vegas Sun reports. A spokesman said Ensign acknowledged the affair because Doug Hampton had approached “a major television news channel.” The senator's office cranked up the dispute...
How China's Boy Boom Hurt US Economy
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 19, 2009 1:47 PM CDT
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Lots of theories have been floated about the how the US housing and credit bubbles came to be, but this one gets points for originality: New research suggests that China's overabundance of males played a role, reports the Wall Street Journal . It begins with this: Because of the high male-to-female ratio, Chinese families with boys tend to save more...
Coach Tries to Make Winner of Hapless Sudan Soccer Team
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 19, 2009 1:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stephen Constantine is known for tackling lost causes. He’s brought unexpected success to such hard-luck national soccer squads in India, Nepal and Malawi. “I seem to get the really tough jobs others don’t want,” he tells the Wall Street Journal . Now he’s got arguably his toughest yet: Sudan. The hapless Desert Hawks...
Recession Drives Boom in Auto Fraud
Newsweek
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Jun 19, 2009 1:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Car-insurance fraud spurred by the recession is continuing unabated, Newsweek reports. “Give-ups”—feigning theft or arson to collect insurance money on an unwanted vehicle—are up 24% this year over last, according to an industry group. And claims stemming from suspicious car fires are up 27%. “Normally honest people...
