Newser Story Index from July, 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.
Mickelson Looks to Buy Waffle House Franchise
Tennessean
|
Jul 23, 2009 6:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Phil Mickelson has made a bid for SouthEast Waffles, a group of 105 Waffle House restaurants in four southern states, the Tennessean reports. Mickelson’s GS Acquisitions offered to buy SouthEast Waffles out of bankruptcy for $20.2 million. Though neither Mickelson nor his two other partners at GS have any restaurant experience, the trio thinks...
Andy Rooney at Cronkite Funeral: 'I Can't Get Over It'
CBS News
|
Jul 23, 2009 5:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Family and friends of Walter Cronkite remembered the venerable television news anchor today at a memorial at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Manhattan, CBS News reports. Speakers at the service remembered Cronkite’s sense of humor, his love of sailing, and the strong emotions that lay beneath his calm, collected anchorman’s air. Sailing...
Jackson's Physician ID'd as Target of Investigation
Associated Press
|
Jul 23, 2009 5:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Court records filed today identify Michael Jackson's personal physician as the target of a manslaughter investigation into the singer's death, the Los Angeles Times reports. The development isn't exactly a shocker, given that authorities executed a search warrant yesterday at an office and public storage unit owned by the physician, Dr. Conrad Murray....
2 New Mozart Pieces Found
BBC
|
Jul 23, 2009 5:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two pieces of music found in the vaults of the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, Austria, have been confirmed as the work of Mozart himself, the BBC reports. The compositions are for solo piano, but other details are being kept under wraps until a formal announcement next month, said a foundation spokeswoman. They will eventually be performed...
Angelina Tours Iraqi Camps
People
|
Jul 23, 2009 4:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Angelina Jolie visited a refugee camp near Baghdad today, part of her duties as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, People reports. While visiting one displaced family, she asked if they wished to return to their home. "No way," said one daughter, in a reminder of the violence that still plagues Iraq. “Our neighbors returned...
Cheney's Libby 'Crusade' Strained Ties With Bush
Time
|
Jul 23, 2009 4:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Dick Cheney pursued a pardon for former aide Scooter Libby so doggedly in his final days in office that he pushed the bounds of his 9-year relationship with George Bush, reports Time . It wasn't so much a political issue as a moral "crusade" for Cheney, write Massimo Calabresi and Michael Weisskopf. He implored Bush not to leave "anyone...
Streep: Move Oscars Before Other Awards
USA Today
|
Jul 23, 2009 4:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two-time Oscar winner (and 15-time nominee) Meryl Streep has a suggestion for the Academy—the ceremony should be earlier, she tells USA Today . “The Oscars should be Jan. 2,” Streep said, “before the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, the Broadcast Film Critics.” Winners are so tired of awards by the time the Oscars arrive that the...
White Sox' Buehrle Throws Perfect Game
Chicago Tribune
|
Jul 23, 2009 4:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle retired 27 consecutive Tampa Bay Rays today for a perfect game and a 5-0 win, the Chicago Tribune reports. There were a couple of dicey moments, particularly in the ninth inning, when center fielder DeWayne Wise barely caught a drive by Gabe Kapler destined for the stands, the AP adds. It’s the first perfect...
QB Roethlisberger: Rape Claim 'False and Vicious'
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
|
Jul 23, 2009 3:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger today denied allegations he raped a woman at a Nevada resort last year, the Post-Gazette reports. The suit was filed last week, but today marked Roethlisberger’s first public statements. He called the allegations “an attack on my family” and vowed to “remain focused on the...
Toucan's Beak Really Outsized Thermostat
Wired
|
Jul 23, 2009 3:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
New research reveals an unexpected use for the toucan’s outsized bill, Wired reports. Thermal imaging shows that the bird can regulate its body temperature by increasing or restricting blood flow to its beak. “Bird bills are not ‘dead tissues’ incapable of playing a role in heat balance,” a researcher says. “Birds...
Cop Who Arrested Gates Teaches Racial-Profiling Class
Associated Press
|
Jul 23, 2009 3:33 PM CDT
(AP) -
The white police sergeant criticized by President Barack Obama for arresting black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. at his Massachusetts home is a police-academy expert on racial profiling. Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley has taught a class on racial profiling for 5 years at the Lowell Police Academy after being hand-picked for the job by former police Commissioner...
Obama: Delay on Health Bill 'OK,' But Keep Working
Associated Press
|
Jul 23, 2009 3:23 PM CDT
(AP) -
President Barack Obama stepped up his pitch for overhauling health care today, saying the American people need it and must overcome resistance from opponents in Washington, whom he described vaguely as naysayers and skeptics. "Reform may be coming too soon for some in Washington," the president told a town-hall meeting in a Cleveland suburb....
Dow Finishes Up 188, Above 9K
Wall Street Journal
|
Jul 23, 2009 3:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sustained increases in home sales and robust earnings fueled a broad-based rally today, pushing the Dow above 9,000 for the first time since January and marking a 12-day winning streak for the Nasdaq—the first in more than a decade, the Wall Street Journal reports. AT&T and 3M both gained on better-than-expected reports. The Dow added 188.03,...
Mousavi Plans New Party for Iranian Opposition
BBC
|
Jul 23, 2009 3:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Mir Hossein Mousavi announced today that he will form a new political group based on the broad opposition that has asserted itself since Iran’s contested elections last month, the BBC reports. Mousavi, the top reformist candidate in those elections, says the organization would give a legal political framework to the Green movement, named after...
Nabbed NJ Pols Lived in 'Ethics-Free Zone': Feds
Star-Ledger
|
Jul 23, 2009 2:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The 44 New Jersey politicians and New York and New Jersey rabbis arrested this morning were the subject of a 10-year probe, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. “The politicians willingly put themselves up for sale,” the US Attorney says. “For these defendants, corruption was a way of life. They existed in an ethics-free zone.”...
Baseball Hall Pass Means Cushy Retirement
Wall Street Journal
|
Jul 23, 2009 2:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
This weekend, Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice are headed for baseball’s Hall of Fame—and a life without financial headaches, the Wall Street Journal reports. Retired players make money with autographs, speeches, and endorsements, and a place in Cooperstown means their values skyrocket. “‘HoF’ after a signature is the single...
Scientists Breed Mice From Stem Cell Alternative
Washington Post
|
Jul 23, 2009 2:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Scientists in China have created mice using stem cells made from modified skin cells—hinting at an alternative to embryonic stem cells, the Washington Post reports. Separate teams used viruses to manipulate genes that caused mice skin cells to regress back into induced pluripotent stem cells—which, within a placenta sheathing and in the...
iPhone App Would Let Users Text God
Sacramento Bee
|
Jul 23, 2009 2:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The iPhone already handles many aspects of contemporary life—texts, emails, web surfing, phone calls—so why not prayer? That’s the idea behind “A Note to God,” an iPhone app being developed based on a write-in suggestion from a California teen, the Sacramento Bee reports. Allen Wright’s app, awaiting approval,...
World Thinks Better of US With Obama at Helm: Poll
New York Times
|
Jul 23, 2009 2:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama’s election has increased America’s standing in the world, new polling shows. Global attitudes toward the US have been bolstered by Obama’s election to levels not seen since the Clinton administration, the New York Times reports. In Indonesia, for instance, where the president spent part of his childhood, 73% of respondents...
What Your BLT Says About You
Chicago Tribune
|
Jul 23, 2009 1:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Online dating sites and jury-selection pools may have a new criterion for determining personality traits: sandwich choice. A new study breaks down the deli line, finding, among other things, that BLT lovers are devoted perfectionists who are best matched with loyal, unselfish seafood-salad lovers, the Chicago Tribune reports. More culinary match-ups:...
Youths Charged With Sexual Assault of 8-Year-Old Girl
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
|
Jul 23, 2009 1:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Four boys aged 9 to 14 are being held in connection with the sexual assault of an 8-year-old girl in Phoenix, the Arizona Republic reports. All of the children are Liberian refugees. Police say the boys lured the girl into a shed with chewing gum and “took turns” assaulting her. The girl is in state custody after her family disowned her....
5 Sites Keeping You Tuned Into Online Music
CNN
|
Jul 23, 2009 1:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The wide world of online music now offers a range of ways to stream your tunes, from pay sites to musical social-networking services. It’s hard to tell which will stick around, but experts say they may help save the music industry, CNN reports. A sampling: Napster : It’s back and it’s legal, and for $5 a month, you can...
Vegans Sue for Cancer Warning on Hot Dogs
Los Angeles Times
|
Jul 23, 2009 1:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A group that promotes a meat-free diet wants hot dog packages to carry a label warning of their association with cancer, the Los Angeles Times reports. “Just as tobacco causes lung cancer, processed meats are linked to colon cancer,” says a lawsuit filed by the vegan-friendly Cancer Project. “Companies that sell hot dogs are well...
Deface the Bible— Don't Worry; It's Art
Telegraph (UK)
|
Jul 23, 2009 1:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An exhibit at Scotland’s Gallery of Modern Art intended to “reclaim the Bible as a sacred text” did not go entirely as planned, the Telegraph reports. Visitors were invited to “write your way back into” the Bible on display, and the resulting additions ranged from the angry—“This is all sexist pish”—to...
Swine Flu Vaccine Trials to Hit 8 Cities in Aug.
Seattle Times
|
Jul 23, 2009 12:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The National Institutes of Health will supervise a nationwide test of a swine flu vaccine in eight cities starting in August, the Seattle Times reports. Test subjects will be drawn from Seattle, Baltimore, Iowa City, St. Louis, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Houston, and Nashville. Thousands will receive “a vaccine you can't otherwise get,” one...
No Vote on Health Care Reform Before Fall: Reid
Associated Press
|
Jul 23, 2009 12:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Senate will not vote on the health-care bill before the August recess, Majority Leader Harry Reid said today, citing the need to build bipartisan support—or even unified Democratic support—for such comprehensive reform, the AP reports. “Working with Republicans, one of the things that they asked for was more time,” Reid...
Kimchi Without the Stench? Korean Woman Has It Down
Los Angeles Times
|
Jul 23, 2009 12:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Kim Soon-ja eats kimchi everywhere she goes, but she’s noticed that outside of Korea, people tend to wrinkle their noses. South Korea’s beloved fermented cabbage dish is among the world’s smelliest foods, the Los Angeles Times notes—so Kim took it upon herself to invent a freeze-dried kimchi that retains the dish’s taste,...
Gates to Black People: 'Don't Step Onto That Porch!'
Daily Beast
|
Jul 23, 2009 12:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Henry Louis Gates is upset about his arrest, in which he sees wide implications and a potential "teachable moment." The Harvard professor talks it over with the Daily Beast in the person of Elizabeth Gates, who happens to be his daughter: On the police: "I’m glad that this lady called 911. I hope right now if someone is...
Leno Website Previews 'Terrible Jokes'
Movieline
|
Jul 23, 2009 12:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The days of thejaylenoshow.com being a funny site—back when it was owned by a stubborn realtor refusing “to budge in the face of increasingly desperate corporate pressure” from NBC—are over. Sadly, the URL now belongs to The Jay Leno Show , writes Seth Abramovitch for Movieline. Though ostensibly a comedic destination,...
Pranksters Crash Lecture by Torture Memo Writer
Wired
|
Jul 23, 2009 12:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If ex-Justice Department hand John Yoo thought he could fade into obscurity after writing infamous memos justifying the government’s use of torture and warrantless wiretapping, he was wrong. An Australian comedian crashed his class at Chapman University School of Law in California last week, dressed up like a detainee from the Abu Ghraib photos,...
New Swine Flu Cases Double in England
BBC
|
Jul 23, 2009 11:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
New swine flu cases have doubled in the past week in England, to 100,000, as the country sets up a National Flu Service to handle the outbreak, the BBC reports. The service will allow flu sufferers to get medication via the phone or Internet without having to consult a doctor; it’s the first system of its kind in England.
Mass. Cop Won't Fault Obama Over 'Acted Stupidly' Jab
Boston Globe
|
Jul 23, 2009 11:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Asked if he blamed President Obama for saying he’d “acted stupidly” in arresting Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley took the high road, the Boston Globe reports. He told a radio show today it was “regrettable” that anyone would speak without knowing the “whole story,” but declined...
Winehouse Assault Trial Begins
People
|
Jul 23, 2009 11:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hair and booze, two of Amy Winehouse’s better-documented crutches, came into play at the start of her assault trial today, People reports. When demonstrating the height difference in court between herself and the dancer who accuses Winehouse of slapping her, Winehouse pointed out, “my hair does make a difference.” For her part,...
Swine Flu Leads to Unhappy Campers
New York Times
|
Jul 23, 2009 11:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
H1N1 may not have ended civilization as we know it, but it’s ruined a lot of stays at summer camp, the New York Times reports. Camps are dry tinder for flu outbreaks, and many have canceled or postponed this year's sessions. Others have been split nearly in half to quarantine infected campers. “We’ve never had flu in the summer...
Family Friends Believe Mystery Kid Is Jacko's
MSNBC
|
Jul 23, 2009 11:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Jackson’s rumored “secret son” has a long history with the family, sources tell MSNBC. Omer Bhatti, who called himself Michael J, told Jackson’s nephew that Michael was his father “out of the blue” in 1992, says a family friend. Bhatti was a constant presence at Neverland Ranch from then until 2000 or ‘01....
Poll: Stewart the New Cronkite
Time
|
Jul 23, 2009 10:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In an absurd world, maybe the only people we can trust are the comedians. A Time.com poll asked readers who the most trusted newscaster in America is, now that Walter Cronkite has passed on. The overwhelming response? Jon Stewart. The Daily Show maestro took 44% of the 9,409 votes, trouncing Brian Williams’ 29%, Charlie Gibson’s 19%,...
New O'Hare Runway Eases Travel Nationwide
Wall Street Journal
|
Jul 23, 2009 10:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The 8-month-old runway at the nation’s second-busiest airport has helped Chicago’s O’Hare escape its status as the “tar pit” of US air travel, writes Scott McCartney in the Wall Street Journal . With three runways now available, the airport’s on-time arrival rate increased 27% this year over the same period last...
Pollution During Pregnancy Makes Kids Dumber: Study
Time
|
Jul 23, 2009 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Smog might be just as bad for your brain as it is for your lungs, a study finds. Researchers monitored the air pollution 249 mothers were exposed to during pregnancy, then monitored their children. They found that high pollution levels corresponded to a four-point drop in the kids’ IQ scores by age 5, Time reports.
Post to ESPN: Vid Scandal Is Your Fault
New York Post
|
Jul 23, 2009 10:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
ESPN may have banned New York Post staffers from its airwaves after the paper printed images from the Erin Andrews nude video, but the Post shot back today, blaming ESPN itself for the video coming to light. It had gone basically unnoticed since February, but that changed when ESPN demanded its removal for a website. From there it was quick work...
Home Sales Send Dow Over 9,000
Associated Press
|
Jul 23, 2009 10:22 AM CDT
(AP) -
The Dow Jones industrials are back above 9,000 today for the first time since the beginning of January. A report of a jump in home sales eased investors' worries about one of the economy's biggest trouble spots. They responded by buying stocks across the market, lifting the major indexes more than 1.5% and sending the Dow up 150 points, past 9,000.
Holdouts, Converts Swelter Through Recession Without AC
New York Times
|
Jul 23, 2009 10:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
This summer, some Americans are more concerned about their wallets than their comfort—so they’re turning off the air conditioning and putting up with the heat, the New York Times reports. Window air conditioner shipments from manufacturers to distributors dropped 39% the first half of the year versus the first half of 2008; central AC...
Business-World Divisions May Ease Path to Plan
Washington Post
|
Jul 23, 2009 10:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The US Chamber of Commerce launched an ad campaign this week opposing health-care reform, but businesses are hardly united against the administration's proposals, the Washington Post reports. Wal-Mart was a high-profile defector, as was temp firm Kelly Services; both back an employer mandate. And many small and medium-sized businesses are open to...
Switchover to Windows 7 a Big Pain
Wall Street Journal
|
Jul 23, 2009 9:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The latest Windows incarnation beats Vista and XP, but don’t expect a smooth transition: upgrading from XP to Windows 7 is an ordeal, writes Walt Mossberg in the Wall Street Journal . “In fact, the process will be so painful that, for many XP users, the easiest solution may be to buy a new PC preloaded with Windows 7,” Mossberg notes....
Porn Star's Hubby Loses Town Manager Gig
News-Press (Florida)
|
Jul 23, 2009 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Porn cost Scott Janke his job. He didn’t download it at work, but he did marry an adult video star. The Fort Myers Beach, Fla., town manager and Anabela Mota (stage name: Jazella Moore) wed last year, but the mayor and council members didn't hear about it until Tuesday, the News-Press reports. Hours later, they voted unanimously to fire Janke...
NJ Mayors, NY Rabbis Busted in Corruption Probe
Star-Ledger
|
Jul 23, 2009 9:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In a huge corruption bust, FBI agents arrested 30 people today, including the mayors of Hoboken and Secaucus, the deputy mayor of Jersey City, a New Jersey assemblyman, and several Brooklyn and New Jersey rabbis, the Star-Ledger reports. The arrests stem from a 2-year money-laundering probe centered on New York’s Syrian Jewish community....
Climate 'Urgency' Takes a Backseat to Progress: Will
Washington Post
|
Jul 23, 2009 9:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
At their recent summit, the G8 nations vowed to cut emissions 80% ... within 41 years. That seems like a pretty lethargic response to a so-called “emergency,” but as Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi said, the effort is virtually futile while “5 billion people continue to behave as they have always behaved.” The real problem,...
Secret 'Batman' Tech Heroes Protect Internet: Prof
BBC
|
Jul 23, 2009 9:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Internet keeps functioning thanks to the efforts of an army of unsung heroes, a Harvard cyberlaw expert told a tech conference yesterday. The professor used as an example Pakistan's attempt last year to take YouTube offline—the site went down across the world, but volunteers from a tech forum had it back up within hours. "It's like when...
Gates Arrest a 'Battle of Egos'
The Grio
|
Jul 23, 2009 8:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Racial profiling may have played a role in the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr., but fellow black scholar Boyce Watkins says there's no reason to feel sorry for Gates. At heart, the scene was likely “a battle of two egos,” Watkins writes in the Grio. “What is abundantly clear is that this is NOT the case of a poor black male being...
Obama Presser Didn't Seal the Deal
Politico
|
Jul 23, 2009 8:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama took over the network airways for an hour last night, but pundits doubt the dull press conference will move the needle on health care. Here’s what they’re saying: Obama blew his chance to turn the conversation around, writes Mike Madden of Salon. “If you'd listened to him talking about health care reform before,...
Stewart to 'Birther' Dobbs: Do You Even Watch CNN?
DailyShow.com
|
Jul 23, 2009 8:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The “birthers” who doubt Barack Obama’s citizenship are multiplying, but CNN performed a “thorough debunking of this silliness on July 17,” Jon Stewart said last night on the Daily Show . So why did Lou Dobbs bring it up again three days later? “Do you even watch CNN?” Stewart asked. “It’s your...
