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.
N. Korea Details Journos' 'Criminal Acts'
Associated Press
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Jun 16, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
(AP) -
Two American journalists sentenced in Pyongyang last week to 12 years' hard labor were detained in North Korean territory after crossing into the country illegally, state-run media said today, providing the first details about the circumstances of their arrest. Laura Ling and Euna Lee "admitted and accepted" their punishment of 12 years'...
GM Sells Saab to Tiny Swedish Custom Automaker
Associated Press
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Jun 16, 2009 7:11 AM CDT
(AP) -
Saab, the struggling Swedish company owned by GM, was rescued today by a consortium led by Koenigsegg Automotive AB, a tiny luxury automaker that produces only a dozen vehicles a year. GM said the sale would include an expected $600 million funding commitment from the European Investment Bank, guaranteed by the Swedish government. With a full-time...
Willis, Wife Burn Up W in S&M Shoot
W
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Jun 16, 2009 7:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Bruce Willis’ thoughts after finishing his steamy photo shoot with new wife Emma Heming? “Oh, it was awkward,” he tells W . “We did stuff that I know a lot of other actors would not have done.” His willingness to do the shoot could be a testament to how comfortable his new wife makes him feel—“ I’m just...
Mexico Kidnappers Snatched 10K US-Bound Migrants
Associated Press
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Jun 16, 2009 7:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mexican gangs preying on Central American migrants headed for the US kidnapped almost 10,000 people between September 2008 and February 2009, according to a new report from Mexico's national human rights commission. The average ransom paid was $2,500, according to the report, which said Mexican authorities participated in some of the abductions. The...
US Gets Its First Black Female Rabbi
Guardian (UK)
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Jun 16, 2009 6:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Last week Alysa Stanton was ordained as a rabbi at the Plum Street Temple in Cincinnati, one of the country's oldest synagogues, and a little history was made—the US had its first black female leader of a Jewish congregation. Stanton, born a Pentecostal Christian, converted in 1987, enduring hostility and isolation from both white Jews and...
Kim Jong-Il's Son 'Visits China as Heir'
Reuters
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Jun 16, 2009 6:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The youngest son of Kim Jong-Il is believed to have visited China last week as the heir apparent to North Korea's leadership, Reuters reports. Kim Jong-Un was sent as his father's envoy on the secret visit, according to Japanese media, and met with top Chinese leaders to request emergency energy and food aid.
Ayatollah Authority Undercut by Flip-Flop
New York Times
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Jun 16, 2009 6:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The about-face done by Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—first blessing the victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Friday's election then opening an inquiry into vote fraud yesterday—was a rare misstep for the shadowy, usually cautious ayatollah, the New York Times reports, and may have done substantial damage to his reputation, as well as incited...
US Steps Up Navy Challenges Against N. Korea
New York Times
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Jun 16, 2009 6:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Obama administration will instruct the Navy to attempt to inspect North Korean ships suspected of carrying arms or nuclear technology—but it will stop short of boarding them by force. The new effort to track North Korean ships is a component of America's "vigorous enforcement" of a UN Security Council resolution in the wake...
Feds Reject Plea for Calif. Bailout
Washington Post
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Jun 16, 2009 6:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The federal government has rejected pleas for emergency aid from top California officials, reports the Washington Post . State officials warn that its budget crisis is approaching the point of a "fiscal meltdown" that will cause massive cuts and deepen the state's recession. But the Obama administration fears bailing out California will...
Russian Veto Forces UN Out of Abkhazia
Deutsche Welle (Germany)
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Jun 16, 2009 5:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Russia today vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to keep troops and observers in Abkhazia, one of the two breakaway Georgian regions in last year's war. Western nations say that Abkhazia remains part of Georgia, but Russia has recognized its independence. The veto means that the UN will have to end its mission in Abkhazia, which began...
Retail Exodus Speeds Detroit's Fall
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 16, 2009 5:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The auto industry's woes have sped up the long decline of retail in Detroit, the Wall Street Journal reports. America's 11th-largest city now lacks a single outlet from any national grocery chain downtown. Starbucks has just four stores in the city of 900,000, and as of last week, Motor City residents can't even buy a Chrysler in town.
9/11 Memorial Exec Quits Amid Criminal Probe
New York Daily News
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Jun 16, 2009 5:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The construction executive in charge of the 9/11Memorial and other major New York City projects abruptly resigned yesterday amid a federal criminal probe into padded bills, the New York Daily News reports. James Abadie's employer, Bovis Lend Lease, is being investigated over allegations it inflated overtime bills on projects, including the memorial...
Scotland Yard to Grill LiLo in $500K Bling Theft
TMZ
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Jun 16, 2009 4:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Scotland Yard is seeking to question Lindsay Lohan as part of an investigation into the theft of some $500,000 in Dior jewelry she wore during an Elle photo shoot in London, reports TMZ. Lohan was featured on the cover. Lohan "kept going on about the jewels, asking if she could have them. We thought she was joking," a magazine source tells...
Same-Sex Marriage Wins Victory in DC
Washington Post
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Jun 16, 2009 4:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Opponents of gay marriage in Washington DC have been handed a major setback by the District's board of elections, the Washington Post reports. The board blocked a proposal to hold a referendum on recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. The ruling means that only a court will be able to stop such unions being recognized in...
Iran's Guardian Council Vows Recount as 7 Die in Protests
BBC
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Jun 16, 2009 3:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The most powerful body in Iran declared it will allow a recount in last Friday's controversial presidential election, the BBC reports. The announcement follows three days of massive protests in Tehran, in which seven people were killed. State radio claims the deaths came as protesters attacked a military post after yesterday's "illegal" rally....
Asian Stocks Follow US Drop
Bloomberg
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Jun 16, 2009 3:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Asian stocks followed the American markets lower today as investors grew worried about the sluggish pace of global economic recovery. The Nikkei in Tokyo and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong were both down about 3%, ending a rally that has sent Asian markets up 44% since March. "Those who bought stocks on a perception the economy would improve...
Twitter Delays Downtime to Aid Iran Protesters
ComputerWorld
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Jun 16, 2009 3:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Twitter has pushed back work that would have taken the site offline to avoid disrupting the flow of information from Iran, Computer World reports. The site, which has proven to be a vital link between Iranian protesters and the rest of the world, will now be offline 2 to 3 pm Pacific time for essential maintenance, leaving the channels of communication...
'Fire Dave' Group Takes to the Streets
New York Daily News
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Jun 16, 2009 2:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Despite another apology from David Letterman, Sarah Palin and her supporters aren't done yet with the beleaguered talk-show funnyman, reports the Daily News . The online group "Fire David Letterman" is organizing a rally tonight outside the Manhattan studio where Letterman films his program. The web site is sponsored by a Republican...
Superbug Kills Face, Hand Transplant Patient
Independent (UK)
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Jun 16, 2009 2:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A French man who received a groundbreaking face and double hand transplant to repair damage from severe burns has died from a massive infection, reports the Independent . The patient, 30, suffered a heart attack during surgery to battle a super bug invasion in his face. Despite the problem, his body did not reject the transplants, said doctors. He...
Gitmo Prisoners: We Lied to CIA to Stop Torture
CNN
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Jun 16, 2009 1:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Guantanamo prisoners fabricated information to give CIA interrogators after being physically and mentally abused, they told a 2007 military tribunal in transcripts released yesterday under the Freedom of Information act. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, self-proclaimed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and one of the prisoners who was repeatedly waterboarded,...
ADHD Drugs Linked to Teen Sudden Death
WebMD
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Jun 16, 2009 1:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A new study suggests that taking ADHD drugs like Ritalin puts young people at a higher risk of sudden cardiac death, WebMd reports. Children in the study who died suddenly and inexplicably were six to seven times likelier to have been taking ADHD medication containing stimulants.
Clinton Named UN Special Envoy to Haiti
Christian Science Monitor
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Jun 15, 2009 9:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Bill Clinton has officially been named UN special envoy to Haiti, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon awarded Clinton the $1-per-year post today, noting that “No one is better placed for this mission. He knows the country, he loves the people, and they love him.” Clinton will head a $350 million effort...
Conservative Christians Fight Hate-Crimes Law for Gays
USA Today
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Jun 15, 2009 8:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With Congress set to pass strengthened hate crime legislation this summer, Conservative Christian leaders are ratcheting up their opposition to a bill that would extend those protections to gays and lesbians, USA Today reports. Conservative leaders say they’re worried that clergy who preach against homosexuality could end up liable for inciting...
Von Brunn in 'No Condition' for Court: Judge
Associated Press
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Jun 15, 2009 7:27 PM CDT
(AP) -
A white supremacist accused of fatally shooting a security guard at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum is in no condition to appear in court, a federal judge ruled today. James von Brunn, 88, was shot in the face by guards who returned his fire last week and is still hospitalized. FBI officials have said he is likely to survive.
Letterman Apologizes to Palin, Bristol, Willow
TV Week
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Jun 15, 2009 6:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
David Letterman has apologized to Sarah Palin, daughters Bristol and Willow, "and everybody else who was outraged" by his joke last week about Alex Rodriguez impregnating the Alaska governor's daughter, TV Week reports. At this afternoon's taping of tonight's show, Letterman expanded on the apology he offered last week, saying. "It...
Cheney Hopes 'Old Friend' Panetta Was Misquoted
CNN
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Jun 15, 2009 6:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As the CIA scrambled to do damage control today in the wake of director Leon Panetta's New Yorker interview, Dick Cheney fired back. The former VP's office released a statement that reads in full: "I hope my old friend Leon was misquoted. The important thing is whether the Obama administration will continue the policies that have...
For Latest on Iran Unrest, Check Online First
Washington Post
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Jun 15, 2009 5:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Traditional media are having a tough time covering the Iranian election fallout, but fear not: Web 2.0 is up to the task. The Washington Post runs down the best destinations for those hoping to stay on top of the situation: PicFog.com: Current, unedited photos containing "a level of gore or manipulation not found on traditional news...
AIG Comes Out Swinging in $4.3B Lawsuit vs. Ex-CEO
Associated Press
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Jun 15, 2009 5:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
AIG 's longtime CEO sold crucial assets in 2005 out of spite, the company's lawyers charged as they opened their civil suit against the ousted exec today in New York. “Hank Greenberg was mad. He was angry,” said a lawyer for the bailed-out mega-insurer. Greenberg was weeks away from being ousted as CEO when he authorized the sale of shares...
Dear Dave: Shut Up About Palin
Entertainment Weekly
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Jun 15, 2009 4:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sarah Palin is "glowingly happy to be in the national spotlight again and doesn't want to give it up any time soon," Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly observes in the course of offering David Letterman unsolicited advice: "Clam up." The Late Night host returns tonight after being off the air since Thursday—his Friday...
China Hosts 1st Gay Pride Fest
GlobalPost
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Jun 15, 2009 4:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In a breakthrough for gay rights, China’s gay community came to Shanghai last week for the country’s first-ever pride festival, Global Post reports. The weeklong event featured panel discussions, film screenings, play performances, and a large party—but no parade. The fact that the government allowed the festival without its signature...
Fear, Not Fraud, May Have Won Iranian Election
FiveThirtyEight
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Jun 15, 2009 3:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A pre-election poll of Iranian voters favoring Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been held up as proof that the election was fair. Not so, writes Nate Silver on FiveThirtyEight.com. The poll, conducted by Terror Free Tomorrow, found that 33.8% of respondents intended to vote for Ahmadinejad, versus 13.6% for Mir Hossein Mousavi. But a shocking 42.5% refused...
New England Starfish Boom Baffles Experts
Boston Globe
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Jun 15, 2009 3:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
New England beaches are swarming with starfish this spring, and nobody’s sure why, the Boston Globe reports. The spike may be connected to shellfish population; it could be due to a drop in spider crabs, which prey on starfish; it could be tied to water temperature or wind patterns. Whatever the cause, the “vast carpets” of the...
Manufacturing Stats Send Dow Down 187
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 15, 2009 3:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks fell today as a sharp monthly decline in the New York Fed’s manufacturing index hammered the materials, industrial, and energy sectors, the Wall Street Journal reports. Alcoa fell 6.3%, with Caterpillar, John Deere, and GE also down. In housing, the National Association of Home Builders’ index of demand for real estate unexpectedly...
Fashion Week Hits Africa
Reuters
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Jun 15, 2009 3:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The recession is taking a toll on demand for haute couture, but African designers are betting the youthfulness of their industry will trump the economy at the first pan-African fashion week. “We’re growing,” says a designer from Sierra Leone who trained in New York and Paris. "The excitement of youth is what African fashion really...
Forecast: 'Astonishing' New Cloud Type
USA Today
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Jun 15, 2009 3:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A photo taken by an Iowa paralegal may help secure the recognition of a new cloud type, USA Today reports. Meteorologists are analyzing the cloud's characteristics to determine whether it's an example of an unrecognized type. If the move to recognize the cloud type succeeds, undulus asperatus, whose Latin name means “turbulent undulation,”...
High Court Won't Hear Challenge to Border Fence
Fox News
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Jun 15, 2009 2:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Supreme Court has refused to hear a challenge to the completion of the border fence between the US and Mexico, Fox News reports. Environmental groups, an Indian tribe, and the city of El Paso brought the challenge, contending that a fence will cut off access to the Rio Grande for religious, cultural, and municipal purposes. The Obama administration...
Speidi vs. Al Roker: It Is On
Ryan Seacrest Productions
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Jun 15, 2009 2:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An interview with Al Roker on NBC’s Today show took a lot out of Heidi and Spencer Pratt, RyanSeacrest.com reports. “I'm still trying to figure out, was the weatherman asking us questions?” Spencer asked, befuddled. “I thought we were getting interviewed by Matt Lauer or something.” Heidi concurred. “He just made...
350K Fete Victorious Penguins
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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Jun 15, 2009 2:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Pittsburgh celebrated its Stanley Cup-winning Penguins today with a parade that may have drawn upward of 350,000, the Post-Gazette reports. Revelers began arriving at the parade route in center-city at 4:30am, and by 10:15 there were already 185,000 happy fans. At a downtown Starbucks with lines out the door, an employee said they had run out of...
Google Set to Add Microblog Search
Ars Technica
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Jun 15, 2009 2:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Evidence suggests that Google will soon introduce a “MicroBlogsearch” feature, indexing and searching Twitter and its imitators, Ars Technica reports. Google-watchers noticed a reference to the new feature hidden in Google’s translation service. Unlike Twitter’s own search, which seeks out any and all tweets containing the search...
Forget Red: Jackson Is NBA's Greatest
Yahoo
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Jun 15, 2009 1:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With his 10th NBA championship win yesterday, Phil Jackson has shattered the record of Red Auerbach, a man who “loathed” Jackson and believed his nine championships as coach could never be surpassed, writes Adrian Wojnarowski on Yahoo. “Roll over Red. Phil Jackson is the greatest coach ever,” Wojnarowski asserts. Jackson knows...
Jews Eat Up Kosher 'Koogle' Search Engine
Reuters
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Jun 15, 2009 1:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Orthodox Jews have long been discouraged from searching the Internet due to rabbinical restrictions on viewing immodest content. No longer, Reuters reports. Enter Koogle—the name is a mashup of Google and a traditional Jewish noodle dish—a Hebrew-language search engine that filters out non-kosher content and appears to meet Orthodox standards....
McCain to CIA Chief Panetta: Retract Cheney Slam Now
The Hill
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Jun 15, 2009 1:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sen. John McCain called today on CIA director Leon Panetta to “retract immediately” his suggestion that Dick Cheney might want another attack on the US, the Hill reports. Panetta told the New Yorker that “it’s almost as if” Cheney is “wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point”...
Poor Harry Still Pines for Chelsy
Daily Mail (UK)
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Jun 15, 2009 1:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Prince Harry split with his latest galpal, British TV host Caroline Flack, when he realized ex Chelsy Davy was “the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he told friends. “The fling with Caroline has focused Harry’s mind back on Chelsy,” one tells the Daily Mail . Elsewhere: After a brief break, Susan Boyle...
Little Static in Digital TV Switch
USA Today
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Jun 15, 2009 12:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The digital TV switch took place Friday, and you’d be forgiven for missing it. The FCC is patting itself on the back, USA Today reports, because the long-planned, long-delayed switch went off without any major hiccups. By Saturday, the FCC had fielded 315,000 calls from consumers, but that died down to 60,000 by yesterday afternoon, and most...
16-Year-Old Quits School for Pros
Las Vegas Review-Journal
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Jun 15, 2009 12:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A 16-year-old baseball player is skipping his last 2 years of high school to head to college—and hopefully a big-league contract, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Bryce Harper’s father acknowledges that “there are going to be critics” of the move, but says “Bryce is always looking for his next challenge. He's going...
Mel's Babymama Debuts Song
People
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Jun 15, 2009 12:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Oksana Grigorieva is more than just Mel Gibson’s Russian lover. She’s a musician whose first single is “naked, intimate, raw emotion, little more than piano and voice as if it is a cry from the soul,” she tells People . She collaborated with her babydaddy himself on “Say My Name” from her forthcoming album Beautiful...
Hip-Hop? Heck, No! Black Singer Embraces Country
Chicago Tribune
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Jun 15, 2009 12:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Liz Toussaint is a rising country music star, but her journey was a bit unorthodox: The black singer grew up in Chicago with a hip-hop DJ for a brother and an R&B pianist for an uncle. “You're supposed to be a hip-hop queen,” her brother once told Liz, who sang alongside a young Jennifer Hudson. Now, Toussaint is releasing her first—country—album,...
'Ecobarriers' Wall In Rio's Poor
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 15, 2009 12:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
They’re called “ecobarriers,” but critics say the walls being erected in Rio de Janeiro aren’t there to protect trees. The 10-foot cinderblock walls are supposed to prevent Rio’s favelas, or shantytowns, from expanding into the rainforest, but critics say they’re really a means of segregating the poor people who...
Air France Airbuses Get New Speed Sensors
Associated Press
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Jun 15, 2009 12:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
All of Air France’s long-haul Airbus jets have had their airspeed sensors replaced, AFP reports. A pilots union says the airline accelerated its program to switch out questionable pitot tubes on A330s and A340s. Though the circumstances are unknown, some think a faulty sensor could have caused Flight 447 to break up and plunge into the Atlantic...
Obama: Health Care a 'Time-Bomb'
MSNBC
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Jun 15, 2009 11:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The current health care system is a “ticking time-bomb” for the federal budget, Barack Obama told the American Medical Association today, speaking before a crowd of doctors in Chicago. He sharply criticized the current system, which pays doctors for each test or treatment provided, saying it “has taken the pursuit of medicine from...
