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.
Lighten Up on Presidential Gaffes
Washington Post
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Jul 31, 2009 9:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Saying the Cambridge police acted "stupidly" wasn't Barack Obama's first or even worst gaffe; as president-elect he mused about Nancy Reagan séances, and he still hasn't lived down his awful joke on Jay Leno. But gaffes are okay, writes Michael Kinsley in the Washington Post —we want a president who speaks honestly, even if...
Add Rogen, Apatow to List of Heigl Haters
Associated Press
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Jul 31, 2009 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Critics hate Katherine Heigl’s new movie and Internet commenters hate her attitude—and it turns out her colleagues aren’t too happy with her either, the Los Angeles Times reports. Heigl’s Knocked Up director and co-star are still pissed she implied the film was sexist back in 2007, and they took the opportunity to slam her...
Silicon Valley Unemployed Turn From Tech
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 31, 2009 8:45 AM CDT
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After holding its own against the economic tide, the tech industry is hurting—and many jobless in Silicon Valley are heading to other sectors, the Wall Street Journal reports. One group that helps job-seekers grew to capacity this year, from 180 to 225 members, with 450 on the waiting list; some 80% of members worked in tech, and a third of...
US Frontier Mythology Is Alive and Dangerous
Guardian (UK)
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Jul 31, 2009 8:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Sarah Palin took to the national stage in August 2008, and two weeks later Lehman Brothers collapsed. That's a helpful metaphor, writes Naomi Klein in the Guardian , who sees the former Alaska governor as "the last clear expression of capitalism-as-usual before everything went south." The financial crisis should have voided Palin's belief...
Krugman, Noonan Agree: Just Build on Medicare
New York Times
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Jul 31, 2009 8:25 AM CDT
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Everyone's suddenly allergic to letting the government into health care, but Paul Krugman has news: The government is already knee-deep in health care, he writes in the New York Times . It's called Medicare, and without it almost no one over 65 would be covered. You can also thank tax subsidies and government mandates for the fact that your employer-provided...
Obama's Sister Moving to DC
New York Times
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Jul 31, 2009 8:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama's half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng is moving with her family from Hawaii to Washington for the next several months, reports the New York Times . Soetoro-Ng, the daughter of Obama's mother Stanley Ann Dunham and an Indonesian father, has quit her job as a high school teacher to write a book. Her stay in DC will mark the first time brother...
GDP Slows Descent, Falls Just 1%
Bloomberg
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Jul 31, 2009 8:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The US economy contracted in the second quarter, but it was a mild decline that beat analyst estimates, Bloomberg reports. GDP fell 1%, less than the 1.5% economists predicted, and a heck of a lot less than the 6.4% and 5.4% drops seen in the two previous quarters. “We’re well on our way to a recovery,” says one economist. “But,...
Roseanne Poses as Hitler: Cue Controversy
Heeb
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Jul 31, 2009 7:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Roseanne Barr, always good for a controversy, recently dressed up as a “Nazi domestic goddess” for Jewish magazine Heeb , causing quite a flap. “Yes, the story of this infamous satirist/Jewish grandmother pulling a tray of burnt ‘Jew cookies’ out of an oven has been making its way around the Internet,” writes publisher...
Brit Big Brother Contestant Slashes Wrists
Guardian (UK)
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Jul 31, 2009 7:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A contestant on the British edition of Big Brother slit his wrists after he was voted off the show, reports the Guardian . Sree Dasari, still being treated in the hospital, was an unpopular character; he faced mockery after flirting with another housemate who wasn't attracted to him, and when he left the house he was booed. The incident has reignited...
Apatow's Funny People : Insightful, Smug, Too Long
Rolling Stone
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Jul 31, 2009 7:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Judd Apatow doesn't dispense entirely with his raunchy humor in Funny People , but his venture into more serious themes meets mixed success with critics. Most, however, love Adam Sandler as a gravely ill comedian confronting the emptiness of his life. Peter Travers, Rolling Stone : "Apatow scores by crafting the film equivalent of a stand-up...
Upbeat Earnings Have CEOs Singing Rebound
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 31, 2009 7:20 AM CDT
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CEOs and investors have springs in their steps. After a week full of positive earnings reports, many now believe worst is over, the Wall Street Journal reports. Yesterday saw a slew of reports that matched or beat estimates, including Motorola, Goodyear, Sony, and Kellogg Co. The economy “has found bottom,” says Dow Chemical’s CEO,...
British MS Victim Wins Key Right-to-Die Ruling
Guardian (UK)
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Jul 31, 2009 7:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A British woman has won her legal battle to force the government to clarify its law on assisted suicide, the Guardian reports. Multiple sclerosis sufferer Debbie Purdy, whose health is deteriorating, wants to travel to a Swiss euthanasia clinic to die when her condition becomes unbearable. Britain's highest court agreed that the government needs...
Cops Seeking Tab Dirt in Parker Birth Busted
E! Online
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Jul 31, 2009 6:48 AM CDT
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A pair of Ohio police chiefs have been arrested for allegedly breaking into the home of Sarah Jessica Parker's surrogate mother to hunt for tabloid fodder they could sell for profit, AP reports. The woman gave birth to Parker and Matthew Broderick's twin girls last month. Local officials confirmed that the men were arrested, but declined to name the...
'Makeovers' Spell Doom for Oceans' Ugliest Fish
Washington Post
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Jul 31, 2009 6:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Don't like the sound of slimefish fillets? How about some orange roughy instead? Efforts to "rebrand" ugly, unpopular types of fish to make them more palatable to consumers have been successful— too successful, the Washington Post reports. Many species once considered "trash fish" have become dangerously depleted as...
Tiger Flees Magic Act for Vegas Streets
Associated Press
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Jul 31, 2009 6:13 AM CDT
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An escaped tiger ended up roaming the streets of Las Vegas after pulling a disappearing act from its magician owners, AP reports. Police, who heard reports from residents about a wandering tiger, say they recaptured the tame animal without incident after it was found in a back yard. The animal is believed to belong to the Fernando Brothers magic act....
Suu Kyi Verdict Delayed, but Rumors Fly
Times (UK)
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Jul 31, 2009 5:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Burmese court trying Aung San Suu Kyi has postponed its verdict for two weeks, surprising her supporters and foreign observers who expected a finding of guilt today. Although the court said it needed more time to decide the case, one diplomat told the Times of London that the junta may be "trying to deflate the foreign reaction." Another...
Dobbs' Ratings Plummet After Birther Talk
New York Observer
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Jul 31, 2009 5:17 AM CDT
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Even Bill O'Reilly thinks that Lou Dobbs' continuing sympathy with the birther movement questioning President Obama's birth certificate is just a ploy "to get ratings, trying to be provocative." But if Dobbs is pushing conspiracy theories to bump up viewership, it isn't working, reports the New York Observer . Over the past two weeks Dobbs'...
Gates: 'Thank God' for Cops
The Root
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Jul 31, 2009 4:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The beer meeting at the White House has come and gone, but Henry Louis Gates offers a postscript: "I thank God that I live in a country in which police officers put their lives at risk to protect us every day," he writes in the Root , where he is editor in chief. The Harvard professor also thanks President Obama for bringing him and Sgt....
Ho-Ho-Hold on a Minute, Xmas in July?
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 31, 2009 4:38 AM CDT
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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in malls across the country as stores angle for some extremely early holiday dollars, the Wall Street Journal reports. Retailers like Toys'R'US, Sears and Kmart have dragged Santa away from his summer break and launched July Christmas promotions, hoping to boost sales with a touch of festive spirit and...
Kudrow: Making Friends Was Hell
Telegraph (UK)
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Jul 31, 2009 4:11 AM CDT
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Funny, goofy Lisa Kudrow lived through hell making friends—back in high school. "I used to cry every night," she tells the Telegraph . "With high school, for many people, it’s just a case of trying to keep breathing and getting through it." The former Friends star reminisced about the bad old days as she talked...
Brit Kidnappings Linked to Iraqi Officials
Guardian (UK)
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Jul 31, 2009 3:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The kidnapping of five British men in Baghdad two years ago appears to have been masterminded by Iraqi officials instead of insurgents, a Guardian investigation finds. Technology specialist Peter Moore and his bodyguards were seized from Iraq's Finance Ministry by 40 men in police uniforms. Interviews with Iraqi and British sources reveal that the...
Discovery's Shark Week Back With a Bite
USA Today
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Jul 31, 2009 3:26 AM CDT
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Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the Discovery Channel, Shark Week is back. The channel's wildly popular annual look at the predators returns next week with six new documentaries, including a look at the deadly 1916 shark attacks off New Jersey that inspired Jaws . Channel execs say they're trying to mix entertainment with a serious...
NY Google Wiz Fights Back After He's Bashed by Branch
New York Daily News
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Jul 31, 2009 2:59 AM CDT
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A Google engineer was fighting for recovery yesterday after suffering severe head injuries when a 100-pound branch slammed into his head as he was walking through New York's Central Park. The 33-year-old father of two responded to commands to open his eyes yesterday after being in a coma, reports the New York Daily News. Doctors battled to reduce...
Leibovitz Sued Over $24M Loan
Telegraph (UK)
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Jul 31, 2009 2:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A financial firm is suing Vanity Fair photographer Annie Leibovitz for failing to cooperate to repay a $24 million loan, reports the Telegraph . Leibovitz last year put up her photographs and two homes as collateral for the money to pay off debts. But now Art Capital Group said the 59-year-old photographer is engaging in "boldly deceptive"...
Jackson Autopsy Results Delayed Indefinitely
Los Angeles Times
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Jul 31, 2009 2:11 AM CDT
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The Los Angeles County coroner's office has delayed the release of Michael Jackson's autopsy results indefinitely after meeting with police investigators, the Los Angeles Times reports. Officials, who earlier said that the results would probably be out next week, now say they have no idea when they will be made public. The results are expected to...
Pope Plans Christmas Album
Guardian (UK)
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Jul 31, 2009 1:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Pope Benedict XVI has joined Guns n' Roses and Snoop Dogg on Geffen records' roster of artists and plans to have an album out in time for Christmas, the Guardian reports. The pontiff won't be crooning holiday standards, however. The album will feature Benedict singing a prayer and reciting litanies in several languages, accompanied by some...
Houses Passes Sweeping Food Safety Bill
Washington Post
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Jul 31, 2009 1:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The FDA would gain broad new powers to oversee food safety under a far-reaching bill passed by the House yesterday, the Washington Post reports. The measure—representing the first major changes to food safety laws since the 1930s—would give the agency vastly increased oversight of the nation's food chain from field to store, and would...
David: Seinfeld Reunion Will Be Big Part of Curb
Star-Ledger
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Jul 30, 2009 9:01 PM CDT
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So what are Kramer, George, Jerry, and Elaine up to 11 years after Seinfeld went off the air? Larry David says fans can get an idea of how the characters turned out on the seventh season of his Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO, reports the Star-Ledger . He shed more details today on the season's main storyline, which will revolve around a show-within-a-show...
Lawmakers Pushing to Extend Stimulus Tax Breaks
The Hill
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Jul 30, 2009 8:20 PM CDT
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It's like a second, mini-stimulus. Lawmakers from both parties are pushing to extend the life of various tax breaks and benefits included in the original $787 billion stimulus package, the Hill reports. All told, the wish list adds up to about $88 billion. The biggest chunk of that would be $65 billion to extend unemployment and health benefits due...
Beer Summit Is Ho-Hum; Gates, Crowley to Talk Again
Boston Globe
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Jul 30, 2009 7:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Turns out the president was right: the beer summit was pretty boring. In fact, it wasn't even the first time Skip Gates and Officer Crowley had gotten together after the arrest. "Even before we sat down for the beer, I learned that the two gentlemen spent some time together listening to one another, which is a testament to them," said Obama...
US Suspending Cash for Clunkers: It's Too Popular
Associated Press
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Jul 30, 2009 6:45 PM CDT
(AP) -
The government plans to suspend its popular "cash for clunkers" program amid concerns it could quickly use up the $1 billion in rebates for new car purchases. The Transportation Department called lawmakers' offices to alert them to the decision to suspend the program at midnight Friday. The program offers owners of old cars and trucks $3,500...
Jon and Kate Returning, Without Their Couch
Associated Press
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Jul 30, 2009 6:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
They're back. Jon and Kate Gosselin's reality show—on hiatus since they stopped being Jon and Kate—will return to TLC Monday night, reports the Los Angeles Times . Loyal viewers will note one obvious change: gone is the couch they sat on together to describe the perils of raising eight kids. Now they'll sit in separate chairs. The show...
White House Invites CEOs for Lunch—Then Bills Them
Politico
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Jul 30, 2009 5:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Four top CEOs who sat down to lunch with President Obama at the White House have an unusual memento: the bill for their meals. White House staffers collected the credit card numbers of the executives from Coke, Xerox, AT&T, and Honeywell so they could pay up afterward, Politico reports. The White House says it wanted to avoid any conflicts of interest...
It's Beer Time at White House
ABC News
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Jul 30, 2009 5:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It's happy hour at the White House. President Obama, Joe Biden, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and James Crowley are clinking beer glasses in the White House Rose Garden, but alas, the media isn't invited to listen in. Earlier, the president sought to tamp down expectations, noting that he's "fascinated with the fascination with this evening." (CNN...
Wright's 'Temple on the Hill' for Sale in LA
NPR
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Jul 30, 2009 4:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A fixer-upper is on the market in Los Angeles, but it will still set you back $15 million. Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House, which he built in 1924 and nicknamed the "temple on the hill," is for sale, reports NPR. The architectural gem boasts magnificent views of the city and an impressive Hollywood resume, with guest spots in movies such...
Boxer Gatti's Death Suicide, Wife Off Hook: Brazil Cops
Associated Press
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Jul 30, 2009 3:59 PM CDT
(AP) -
Boxer Arturo Gatti's death was ruled a suicide by Brazilian police today, and a judge ordered the release of his wife, once suspected of killing the former champion. Investigator Paulo Alberes says authorities decided Gatti killed himself July 11 while at a seaside resort. When asked if police had determined the case was a suicide, Alberes said "yes,"...
Nigerian Rebel Leader Dies in Police Custody
BBC
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Jul 30, 2009 3:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The leader of an uprising set on introducing Islamic law in Nigeria died in custody today, the BBC reports. Mohammed Yusuf was captured in his in-laws’ goat pen in Maiduguri—and was later seen standing and with no visible injuries by a Reuters reporter. “He has been killed,” a police spokesman said. “You can come and see...
Dow Climbs 84, Hits '09 High
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 30, 2009 3:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Good earnings reports and stellar performance by General Electric had markets at 2009 highs for a time today, the Wall Street Journal reports. “We have gotten so close to the S&P 1,000 level, you just sort of sense that unless there’s a horrible GDP number tomorrow, we’re going to have to go up and challenge this thing,”...
Green Sex: Healthier, Apocalypse-Proof
New York Post
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Jul 30, 2009 2:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A green approach to sex, sexual aids, and protection is not only environmentally conscious but also healthy and prescient, the New York Post reports. “It’s really good to know you can power something up with your own body!” says the purveyor of a hand-cranked sex-toy. “It really is sort of post-apocalyptic: When you really...
Emails Show Rove Knee-Deep in Attorney Firings
Washington Post
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Jul 30, 2009 2:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Karl Rove was intimately involved in the firing of at least three of the US Attorneys sacked for purportedly political reasons during the Bush administration, emails obtained by the Washington Post show. One note mentions a senator who “asked that we remove the US Atty” and “couldn’t be more serious about this request.”...
Medals of Freedom Will Go to Milk, Kennedy, Poitier
Los Angeles Times
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Jul 30, 2009 2:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
This year's Medal of Freedom recipients share a capacity to change the world, President Obama said today in naming the eclectic group. Among the 16 honorees are Sen. Ted Kennedy, slain gay-rights activist Harvey Milk, actor Sidney Poitier, tennis great Billie Jean King, and retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the Los Angeles Times...
Judge Orders Gitmo Detainee Returned to Afghanistan
Washington Post
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Jul 30, 2009 2:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Guantanamo Bay inmate may be released to Afghanistan next month after successfully challenging his detention under habeas corpus, the Washington Post reports. US District Judge Ellen Huvelle ordered Mohammed Jawad’s release based on the dodgy evidence against him—mainly, a confession allegedly obtained by threatening to kill Jawad or...
Desperate NBC May Move Leno to 10:30: BBC Exec
Washington Post
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Jul 30, 2009 1:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After months of promoting Jay Leno's move to 10pm, NBC may shake up its prime-time schedule again, moving its late local news to 10 and Leno to 10:30, the network's onetime programming head speculates. Garth Ancier, now chief of BBC America, shared his speculation with critics at the summer press tour this week in Los Angeles, Washington...
Sniping Fashion Blogger Unmasked as 'Nice' Designer
New York Times
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Jul 30, 2009 1:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Eric Gaskins has had some success in the fashion industry, but he’s never been a big-name designer. His alter ego, on the other hand, has made waves, the New York Times reports. Now that Gaskins’ shop is closing, the “nice guy” has revealed himself as Fluff Chance, the man behind a blog that blasts a “perverted”...
How to Tip Like a Local
Conde Nast Traveler
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Jul 30, 2009 1:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sure, you’ve mastered tipping etiquette in the good old US of A. But what happens when you go abroad? Not only do tipping rules vary by country, they also vary by region and scenario. Condé Nast Traveler has you covered with a new tipping guide. Highlights: Dubai: You can add a few dirhams to the 10% service charge added at...
NY Times Video Obits Give the Departed 'The Last Word'
Editor & Publisher
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Jul 30, 2009 1:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Obituaries are a newspaper standby, but the New York Times has removed the journalistic middleman with its series of video obits, Editor & Publisher reports. After starting 2 years ago with humorist Art Buchwald’s greeting of “Hi, I’m Art Buchwald and I just died,” the Times has added 30 more to its “Last Word”...
Manny, Ortiz Both on '03 Doping List
New York Times
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Jul 30, 2009 1:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Insiders say both Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz are on “the list” of baseball players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, the New York Times reports. Ramirez recently finished a 50-game suspension for taking a banned drug; it’s the first time Ortiz—Ramirez’s teammate on two World Series-winning...
Joe Jackson: 'I Knew Michael Had Another Son'
NewsOne
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Jul 30, 2009 1:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The rumors are true: Michael Jackson “had another son,” his father tells NewsOne. Omer Bhatti “looks like a Jackson, he acts like a Jackson, he can dance like a Jackson. This boy’s a fantastic dancer,” Joe Jackson says. Discussing Michael, he became emotional, saying he didn’t view his son's body in the casket. “I...
TARP-Funded Banks Kept Awarding Bonuses
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 30, 2009 12:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The financial crisis and government bailouts did little to change Wall Street’s executive compensation habits, New York's attorney general says. All nine banks given assistance by TARP paid out bonuses in 2008—well before any paid back government loans, according to a survey ordered by Andrew Cuomo. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan...
HBO Campaign Doc Shows Same Cool Obama
Variety
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Jul 30, 2009 12:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A new documentary on Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign depicts not much more or less than the restraint and measured response we’ve come to associate with our president, Ted Johnson writes for Variety . HBO’s By the People , to air Nov. 3, was not intended as an “exposé,” producer Edward Norton says, but rather as...
