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.
Clerics Invite Opposition to Talk
New York Times
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Jun 18, 2009 8:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Iran’s Guardian Council has invited all three opposition candidates to a meeting to air their grievances Saturday, the New York Times reports. But the opposition is likely to view that olive branch warily; it has already turned down the council’s offer for a partial recount. Protesters say they intend to continue their mass street campaign...
Tobacco Bill's Winners: Philip Morris, Lawyers
Washington Post
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Jun 18, 2009 7:55 AM CDT
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President Obama might have praised Congress' tobacco bill, but for George F. Will, the new legislation gives just two muscular groups reason to celebrate: Philip Morris and "the Democratic Party's fountain of funds, the trial bar." New restrictions on cigarette advertising will help Philip Morris vault over competitors, while a provision...
Lieberman, Dems Heal Old Wounds
The Hill
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Jun 18, 2009 7:45 AM CDT
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The rift between Joe Lieberman and his former party, which stretched wide after the senator supported John McCain for president, is closing, the Hill reports. The Connecticut independent, who caucuses with the Democrats, has been "critical" to the party, the majority whip says—Lieberman has praised the president on national security...
Kinkade's Art Firm Loses Court Battle
San Francisco Chronicle
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Jun 18, 2009 7:31 AM CDT
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Hugely popular painter Thomas Kinkade claims God is his art agent, but a federal appeals court has ruled against his company for putting art gallery owners through financial hell, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The plaintiffs accused Kinkade and his firm of exploiting their Christian faith to lure them into a scheme that made profits for the...
20 Killed in Somali Bombing
Associated Press
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Jun 18, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
(AP) -
A suicide bombing outside a hotel in western Somalia killed at least 20 people today including the national security minister. The Somali president accused al-Qaeda of being behind the attack. A witness said a small car headed toward the gate of the Medina Hotel in Belet Weyne, then drove into vehicles leaving the hotel and exploded.
As Iran Unrest Goes On, Watch the Clerics
New York Times
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Jun 18, 2009 7:08 AM CDT
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As protesters continue to express anger and defy arrest, the endgame of Iran's disputed election may take place not in Tehran, but in the holy city of Qom—where the country's powerful clerics have so far kept silent. Except for a few prominent reformists, Iran's mullahs have refused to take sides. The cleric to watch: Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani,...
Global Insurance Fraud Floods N. Korea with Cash
Washington Post
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Jun 18, 2009 6:54 AM CDT
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North Korea has collected hundreds of millions of dollars from global insurance giants on often suspicious claims of fires, floods, and other disasters, according to a Washington Post investigation. While insurers have kept mum about their losses, US officials and Korean defectors describe a sophisticated fraud that has provided Kim Jong-il...
Mich. Man Says He's NY Toddler Snatched in 1955
New York Daily News
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Jun 18, 2009 6:38 AM CDT
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A Michigan man believes he has solved the mystery of his own 1955 kidnapping, the New York Daily News reports. A decade ago, John Barnes' mother hinted on her deathbed that he was not her biological son. After extensive research, Barnes uncovered the unsolved case of a toddler—who had a dime-size birthmark and snaking facial scar similar to...
Older Recruits Grapple With Army Life
New York Times
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Jun 18, 2009 6:22 AM CDT
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A steady stream of over-35s have been joining the Army since the age limit was raised to 42, and both sides have had plenty of adjusting to do, the New York Times reports in a look at the 3,800 older recruits, whose numbers, though small, have surged this year along with the rise in unemployment. Basic training can be tough on their creaky joints,...
Slaughter of 37K Dogs Outrages Chinese
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 18, 2009 6:09 AM CDT
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The slaughter of 37,000 dogs, both strays and pets, in a city in eastern China has outraged the country's growing ranks of animal lovers, the Wall Street Journal reports. Dog ownership has become more widespread as China becomes wealthier, and the Hanzhong cull, ordered in response to a rabies outbreak, has been the focus of much angry online debate....
Mousavi Plans 'Day of Mourning' as Protests Spread
Times (UK)
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Jun 18, 2009 5:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Iranian regime is resorting to more extreme measures against supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi and other reformers, reports the Times of London, as the opposition planned yet another massive rally against alleged electoral fraud. Despite dozens of high-profile arrests and raids on universities, thousands are expected to join Mousavi today for...
Web Users Worldwide Help Iranians Thwart Censors
CNET
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Jun 18, 2009 5:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Iranians are using every trick in the book to get information past the country's tight censorship of the Internet and to the outside world—and the outside world is doing its best to help, CNET reports. Sympathizers have set up a huge number of proxy servers to help disseminate information about the nation's protests, making life much harder...
Clinton Falls, Fractures Elbow
Associated Press
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Jun 18, 2009 5:17 AM CDT
(AP) -
Hillary Clinton fractured her right elbow during a fall yesterday, and will undergo surgery to repair it in the coming week. The accident happened while the secretary of state was on her way to the White House, and she was taken to a university hospital for treatment before being released. Today Clinton had been scheduled to join Angelina Jolie for...
'Swine Flu Cruise' Quarantined
BBC
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Jun 18, 2009 3:51 AM CDT
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Venezuela has quarantined more than a thousand passengers and crew on board a visiting cruise ship, the BBC reports. Three crew members from the Ocean Dream have been diagnosed with swine flu and 11 more are showing symptoms. Barbados and Grenada had earlier refused to allow the Spanish-owned ship's passengers to disembark.
Astro Pudge Catches in Game 2,227
Houston Chronicle
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Jun 18, 2009 3:28 AM CDT
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The Houston Astros' Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez overtook Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk by catching in his 2,227th game in the majors yesterday, the Houston Chronicle reports. The 13-time Golden Glove winner got a raucous cheer from a larger-than-usual crowd at Rangers Stadium. The night was a mixed bag for Pudge, however. He committed two...
London 'Night Stalker' Strikes Again
Telegraph (UK)
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Jun 18, 2009 2:54 AM CDT
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Police fear London's "Night Stalker" is on the prowl again after a recent series of burglaries that included at least one sexual assault of an elderly woman, reports the Telegraph . The mystery man is believed to be responsible for some 100 break-ins that have involved sexual assaults of both elderly men and women. The man is believed to...
Kate Defends Spanking Daughter
Life & Style
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Jun 18, 2009 2:31 AM CDT
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In the latest brouhaha to hit Jon & Kate Plus 8 , the brood's beleaguered mom is defending her controversial spanking of daughter Leah that was captured by paparazzi. The series of still shots show Kate Gosselin jerking the arm of the 5-year-old, reaching around Leah's backside, and finally, Leah clutching her butt and screaming. "I love...
Aide's Salary Doubled During Affair With Senator
Las Vegas Sun
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Jun 18, 2009 2:09 AM CDT
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Campaign treasurer Cynthia Hampton's salary doubled after she began an affair with her boss, Sen. John Ensign, the Las Vegas Sun reports. Federal election documents show that pay for Hampton—whose husband and son also worked for Ensign—jumped from around $1400 to $2800 a month early last year.
RI Legalizes Medical Marijuana
Providence Journal
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Jun 18, 2009 1:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Rhode Island has become the third state to legalize the sale of marijuana for medicinal use, the Providence Journal reports. The state House and Senate overrode the governor's veto of the bill, which will allow the opening of three "compassion centers" where critically ill patients can buy the drug.
Brangelina Donate $1M to Aid Pakistan Refugees
People
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Jun 18, 2009 1:22 AM CDT
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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been keeping busy with charity work between film shoots, People reports. The Pitt-Jolie Foundation yesterday gave $1 million to help refugees displaced by fighting in Pakistan, and a $1 million donation from "the Brad Pitt family" was made to the newly christened Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center at St....
TR Knight Leaving Grey's Anatomy
Entertainment Weekly
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Jun 17, 2009 8:46 PM CDT
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It won't come as a huge shock to Grey's Anatomy fans, but TR Knight—aka Dr. George O'Malley—is leaving the show, reports Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly . Knight has been unhappy with his shrinking role and has reportedly clashed with creator Shonda Rhimes. Knight's character was seriously injured in the season finale, and his...
US Has Decided Fate of Half of Gitmo Prisoners
Reuters
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Jun 17, 2009 8:20 PM CDT
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About a quarter of the 229 detainees at Guantanamo Bay will face trial, says Attorney General Eric Holder. Speaking to a Senate panel today, Holder said the US had decided the fate of about half the remaining prisoners, though he did not offer specifics, reports Reuters. President Obama plans to shut the facility next January, and the administration...
NYT Poll Continues Theme: Control the Deficit
New York Times
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Jun 17, 2009 7:42 PM CDT
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The second major poll of the day is out, and a clear theme is emerging for President Obama: Take care of the budget deficit. About 60% of respondents in a New York Times /CBS poll say the president hasn't developed a clear strategy to keep the deficit down. The findings echo an earlier poll from the Wall Street Journal and NBC. In the NYT ...
Businesses Fight to Keep Corporate Flight Info Private
ProPublica
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Jun 17, 2009 7:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Business execs who jet around in private planes are fighting to keep their flights secret, reports ProPublica. After a freedom-of-information request from ProPublica, the FAA agreed to change policy and reveal which businesses are allowed to keep their flight records out of public databases. Before the information came out, however, a group of...
WSJ Poll: US Likes Obama, Iffy About Economic Moves
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 17, 2009 6:29 PM CDT
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Barack Obama remains a popular president—75% of poll respondents like him personally—but a new survey by the Wall Street Journal and NBC finds growing worry about his financial policies and the deficit in particular. Overall, Obama's approval rating fell to 56%, down 5 points from April. Nearly 7 in 10 are concerned about the scope of...
Police Say Mia Farrow's Brother Killed Himself
Associated Press
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Jun 17, 2009 5:49 PM CDT
(AP) -
The death of actress Mia Farrow's brother has been ruled a suicide. Police say Patrick Farrow, a 66-year-old sculptor, shot himself in his Vermont gallery Monday night. Police initially classified Farrow's death as suspicious, but later said the medical examiner's ruling of suicide was consistent with evidence found at the scene. He and Mia are...
Third Emanuel Brother Key to Health Reform
New Republic
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Jun 17, 2009 5:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Zeke Emanuel may not get the press brothers Rahm and Ari do, but he’s a figure to watch as the health-care reform debate heats up, the New Republic reports. As head of the National Institute of Health’s bioethics division, Emanuel became one of the most influential bioethicists in the US. Now he’s working for the Office of Management...
NY Man Posed as Dead Mom in Alleged Fraud Scheme
New York Daily News
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Jun 17, 2009 5:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Shades of Norman Bates in Psycho : A Brooklyn man accused of dressing up as his dead mom to collect Social Security checks and rent subsidies worth $115,000 has been indicted on 47 counts of grand larceny, forgery, and conspiracy, the New York Daily News reports. Thomas Prusik-Parkin, 49, and his accomplice, who posed as the frail woman's nephew,...
Iran Accuses US of Meddling
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 17, 2009 4:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As protesters clogged the streets of Tehran for a fifth consecutive day, the Iranian government accused the US of “intolerable” meddling, reports the Wall Street Journal . The government summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents American interests in the country, to complain about “interventionist” statements made by US...
Judge Shelves Catcher In the Rye Knock-Off
Reuters
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Jun 17, 2009 4:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A federal judge today blocked the publication of a modern novel featuring the characters of The Catcher in the Rye while she weighs whether there’s a valid copyright case. Author JD Salinger, 90, sued the Swedish publisher of 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye for not seeking his permission, Reuters reports. The new novel is literary...
Billy Joel Splits With Third Wife
New York Daily News
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Jun 17, 2009 4:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Billy Joel has split with third wife Katie Lee, 27, seen lately in the arms of an Israeli fashion designer—at parties the 60-year-old Joel prefers to skip, pals tell the New York Daily News . “It was really that age difference that caught up with them,” a friend says. Both have hired lawyers, though Joel is thought to have a prenup...
Don't Go Buy Another iPhone, Just Get OS 3.0
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 17, 2009 4:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Apple launched its new iPhone operating system today, two days ahead of the 3G S model, begging the question whether existing users should fork out $200 for new hardware. “Faster circuitry makes a huge difference,” David Pogue writes for the New York Times , though Walt Mossberg, in the Wall Street Journal , demurs: “I regard these...
Wii Sports Cause Real Injuries
Washington Times
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Jun 17, 2009 4:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Nintendo Wii players may find themselves saddled with the same sprains and fractures that haunt athletes, often because they don't treat the virtual games like real sports, doctors tell the Washington Times . Sprains are the most common injury because Wii Sports don't provide the same resistance that actual tennis, bowling, baseball, golf, and boxing...
EPA Declares Asbestos 'Emergency' in Mont. Town
CNN
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Jun 17, 2009 4:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Environmental Protection Agency has declared a “public health emergency” in a Montana town where 200 people have died from asbestos poisoning, CNN reports. For 10 years the EPA has been involved in a cleanup of Libby, contaminated by castoff from a nearby vermiculite mine and insulation plant. The mine operator was acquitted last month...
Google Will Censor Street View in Germany
Associated Press
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Jun 17, 2009 3:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Google has bowed to German privacy concerns and will censor its Street View program to block out faces, house numbers, and license plates of people opting out of the service. The company’s panoramic mapping service has faced opposition as it expands worldwide, the AP reports. When it launches in Germany, a link will be available for people to...
For Now, Edwards 'Working Quietly' Against Poverty
Washington Post
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Jun 17, 2009 3:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John Edwards is spending a lot of time out of the spotlight these days, but that doesn’t mean he’s given up his trademark fight against poverty, he tells the Washington Post . “If I can help the most by working quietly, that’s what I’ll do,” the disgraced former presidential candidate said. “If as time goes...
LA Flocks to Lakers Parade
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 17, 2009 3:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An estimated 150,000 clogged streets in downtown Los Angeles today as the NBA-champion Lakers took a victory lap around downtown, the Times reports. Some 80,000 more jammed the Coliseum for a rally at parade’s end. Police, hoping to avoid the looting and chaos that followed Sunday’s clinching victory over the Orlando Magic, turned out...
Tweeting LiLo Loses Sam, Again
People
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Jun 17, 2009 3:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson have split for good, a source tells People . The pair hadn’t even made the reunion official before LiLo’s antics—including a new love for Twitter—made even friendship impossible. And it’s not just Ronson who’s suffering from the tweets: Lohan posted a dark photo of Justin Timberlake...
Obama Plan Puts Dow Off 7
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 17, 2009 3:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Markets were mixed today as a perky health-care sector was held in check by poor performance in energy stocks and wariness over President Obama’s financial regulatory plan, the Wall Street Journal reports. Oil and commodities prices slipped as investors seemed to gird for a continued lull in consumer activity. The Dow was off 7.49, to 8,497.18....
More Want Brad in Skivvies, But Give Obama Style Edge
Associated Press
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Jun 17, 2009 3:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Americans would rather see Brad Pitt in his undies than any other man, the Los Angeles Times reports. Rounding out the top five in a Jockey survey pegged to Father’s Day are Matthew McConaughey, Hugh Jackman, Will Smith, and President Obama. Underwear fantasies aside, Reuters adds, the president is the world’s most stylish man, according...
Neil Young's Latest Redefines Compilations
Chicago Tribune
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Jun 17, 2009 2:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Neil Young leaves other retrospectives in the dust with a look back at his career that spans 10 Blu-ray discs or DVDs, or eight CDs, the Chicago Tribune reports. Neil Young Archives: Volume 1, 1963-1972 contains everything from high school band recordings through Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to his first solo work, a 20-years-in-the-making...
Bing's Week 2: Not So Bad
CNET
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Jun 17, 2009 2:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Bing's second week wasn't such a bad one, CNET reports. Microsoft’s brand-new search engine has eaten into the market share of its competition, tacking on a 1% gain in both number of searchers and results returned last week, putting it up about 3% in both categories since launch: It captured 16.7% of search users and returned 12.1% of all results...
Bachelor Parties: Creating Hangovers Since 500 BC
Time
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Jun 17, 2009 2:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With The Hangover ’s bachelor party tale dominating the box office, you might be wondering: Just where did this ritual come from? Time offers a brief history: In the 5th century BC, the ancient Spartans celebrated the groom’s last night as a single man with dinner and toasts. In 1896, rumors circulated that a belly dancer...
Mickelson Eyes Open Trophy for Wife's Sickbed
Washington Post
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Jun 17, 2009 2:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Phil Mickelson says he’s going all out at this week’s US Open under the assumption he won’t play again soon because of his wife’s breast-cancer diagnosis, the Washington Post reports. “She has left me a number of little notes, texts, cards, hints that she would like to have a silver trophy in her hospital room,”...
Weird Al Pokes Fun at Craigslist
CNET
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Jun 17, 2009 2:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Ready or not, Weird Al is back. The king of geeky parody music has released a new single making fun of Craigslist, CNET reports. There’s no reference to, say, prostitution ads—just Yankovic’s goofy riff on the site’s strange brand of commerce. It’s also a musical parody, this time lampooning the style of the Doors, with...
Sotomayor Will Tilt Court to Left: Rosen
New Republic
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Jun 17, 2009 2:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sonia Sotomayor will certainly sway the Supreme Court to the left, writes Jeffrey Rosen in the New Republic , offering an analysis of her decisions that obviously attempts to make up for his earlier, widely excoriated takedown before Sotomayor got the nod from President Obama—and before he had a studied her opinions carefully. The 21 dissents...
Parthenon Gets the Museum It Deserves
Vanity Fair
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Jun 17, 2009 1:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Parthenon has been called the one “absolutely right” building on the planet, and it now has a fitting memorial, Christopher Hitchens writes in Vanity Fair . Hitchens is among the first to visit the new Acropolis Museum in Athens, and it does not disappoint. Artifacts, expert reproductions, and a stunning view of the Parthenon are key....
Brit Engaged to Agent: Tab
Star
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Jun 17, 2009 1:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Britney Spears is engaged to be married to agent/lover Jason Trawick, Star reports. The two have been in an on-again, off-again relationship for 3 years, but sealed the deal on a recent Bahamas vacation. “He didn’t exactly get down on one knee, but Brit didn’t care,” an insider said. “She said yes, and they opened a...
Eddie Bauer Goes Bankrupt
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 17, 2009 1:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Eddie Bauer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today, the Wall Street Journal reports. The clothing retailer lost $44.5 million in the first quarter and has $187.9 million in long-term debt. Shares plummeted on rumors of the bankruptcy after it failed to convert part of that debt into equity and avoid penalties. There's already a prospective buyer,...
Climate Change Report: We Ain't Seen Nothing Yet
Time
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Jun 17, 2009 1:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Climate change has already brought warmer winters to the Midwest and rising sea levels—and barring quick intervention, the mainland US could heat up 7 to 11.5 degrees by 2090, says a new report to Congress by federal agencies and universities. The report holds no new research, Time notes, but surveys what’s happened and what’s ahead,...
