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.
Explosions Rock 2 Hotels in Indonesia; 8 Dead
Associated Press
|
Jul 16, 2009 8:49 PM CDT
(AP) -
A pair of powerful bombs exploded at two luxury hotels in an upscale Jakarta business district, killing 8 and wounding at least 50, officials said. The blasts at the neighboring Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels blew out windows and scattered debris and glass across the street. Both hotels are strong draws for foreigners. No group has claimed responsibility ...
Obama: 'No Excuses' for Black Kids in US
New York Times
|
Jul 16, 2009 7:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama made his most direct appeal yet to black America with a rousing speech that sounded more like a sermon, the New York Times reports. Addressing the NAACP on its 100th anniversary, Obama said the "pain of discrimination" still exists in America, but he told black parents they must rise above it to take responsibility...
Watson Relives Old Glories Before Delighted Brits
Times (UK)
|
Jul 16, 2009 6:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Tom Watson—yep, that Tom Watson—found himself in an unusual spot today: explaining how on earth he's atop the leader board at the British Open at age 59. “I think there was some spirituality out there," he said after his 5-under-par 65, "just the serenity of it was pretty neat." Watson beat Jack Nicklaus by a stroke...
Unreleased Jackson Song Surfaces
TMZ
|
Jul 16, 2009 6:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Jackson supposedly has heaps of unreleased songs out there, and the first has surfaced. TMZ today posted an audio recording of "A Place With No Name." It's not clear when Jackson recorded the song, which is similar to the 1971 hit by America called "A Horse With No Name." The group gave its blessing for his version years...
Music Industry Hunts for Cash in Pirate Bay Sale
CNET
|
Jul 16, 2009 5:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The music industry wants its money back from those copyright vigilantes at Pirate Bay, and now it sees a decent chance to get it, reports CNET. An industry trade group plans to go after the $3.6 million in damages awarded by a Swedish court now that a software company has announced it will buy the file-sharing website for $7.8 million.
CBO: Dems' Health Plans Will Raise Costs
Washington Post
|
Jul 16, 2009 5:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The health care reform bills being pushed by House Democrats and the Senate health panel would not cut costs as advertised, says the director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. In fact, Douglas Elmendorf believes they would raise costs, the Washington Post reports. “We do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be...
Angela's Ashes Author McCourt Gravely Ill
New York Daily News
|
Jul 16, 2009 4:58 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Angela's Ashes author Frank McCourt is battling skin cancer and meningitis and is near death, his brother tells the New York Daily News . McCourt, 78, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his 1996 memoir about growing up in poverty in Ireland, is under hospice care, says his brother Malachy. "His faculties are shutting down. He is not expected to...
5 Jersey Cops Shot; 2 Suspects Killed
Associated Press
|
Jul 16, 2009 4:47 PM CDT
(AP) -
Five police officers were shot—two of them critically wounded—in a running gunfight in Jersey City today. Both suspects were killed in the shootout, which began on the street about 5am and ended when SWAT officers fought their way into an apartment where the man and woman had taken cover. The assaulting officers were met by shotgun blasts...
Architecture Photographer Shulman Dead at 98
Los Angeles Times
|
Jul 16, 2009 4:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Architectural photographer Julius Shulman has died at the age of 98, the Los Angeles Times reports. In a career spanning two-thirds of the 20th century, Shulman became the premier photographer of modernist architecture and worked with the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright and Eero Saarinen. But his most famous shot is a photo of Pierre Koenig's Case Study...
'Beckham of Classical Music' Is Hit on Charts, With Ladies
CNN
|
Jul 16, 2009 4:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
He covers Michael Jackson songs, and considers Mozart and Metallica equally influential—David Garrett is not your average classically trained violinist, but perhaps that’s why his self-titled debut has sat atop the classical crossover charts for three weeks. The German-born 28-year-old—who modeled on the side during his time at Juilliard—has...
Calif. Teen Finishes Record Round-the-World Sail
Los Angeles Times
|
Jul 16, 2009 3:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Zac Sunderland, 17, returned to Los Angeles today, completing a 13-month journey and earning the title of youngest sailor ever to circumnavigate the globe, the Times reports. Sunderland, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., was greeted by cheering crowds aboard yachts and sailboats. He traveled 25,000 miles, crossing three oceans and five seas, enduring a pirate...
Hill Aide Threatens Pesky War Widow With Jail
Fox News
|
Jul 16, 2009 3:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An apparently harried congressional aide picked the wrong woman to threaten with police action, Fox News reports. Marianne Stringer, widow of a Vietnam veteran, was petitioning congressmen to oppose a decrease in benefits for veterans’ spouses. When she politely emailed the office of a reticent lawmaker, the aide shot back with accusations of...
Dow Up 96 Despite CIT Woes
Wall Street Journal
|
Jul 16, 2009 3:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks gained today as the tech sector continued to inspire and economist Nouriel Roubini predicted a recovery in late 2009, the Wall Street Journal reports. Though the looming bankruptcy of CIT Group depressed stocks most of the day, financials were able to trim losses before the close. The Dow rose 95.61, closing at 8,711.82. The Nasdaq gained...
Frugal Mainers Easily Weather Economic Storm
Boston Globe
|
Jul 16, 2009 3:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A long history of sparse employment and hardships of all stripes has built a culture of frugality that leaves Maine perfectly suited to the current recession, the Boston Globe reports. “Everybody now is into shopping thrift shops, but in most of Maine, people never stopped,” a banker says. “It’s ingrained in people here to...
Romney Emerges as GOP's 2012 Frontrunner: Poll
CQ Politics
|
Jul 16, 2009 3:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The 2012 presidential race is heating up—at least in a Gallup poll of Republican voters. CQ Politics looks at the results, which have former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney out front, with 26% saying he should top the GOP ticket. Sarah Palin snags 21%, Mike Huckabee gets 19%, and Newt Gingrich scores 14%. But the poll also reports favorability...
Judge Quashes Trump's Suit Against Author
Philadelphia Inquirer
|
Jul 16, 2009 2:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Donald Trump will have to live with being regarded as somewhat less astronomically wealthy, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, after a judge today dismissed his defamation suit against Timothy O’Brien, author of TrumpNation . O’Brien estimated that Trump is worth $150-$250 million; Trump says he’s worth billions, and claimed that...
Daughter-in-Law Scolded Astor for Breaking Hip
New York Post
|
Jul 16, 2009 2:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Brooke Astor’s daughter-in-law berated the 101-year-old socialite for breaking her hip in 2003, the New York Post reports. “We had to cancel our trip to London all because of you!” Charlene Marshall groused to the hospitalized Astor, according to testimony from housekeeper Angela Moore. Anthony Marshall is accused of changing his...
After 13 Years, New Element Gets Name: Copernicium
BBC
|
Jul 16, 2009 2:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The scientists who discovered the newest element want to name it “copernicium” to honor Nicolaus Copernicus, the astronomer who proposed the heliocentric theory of the solar system, the BBC reports. Element 112 was discovered in fusion experiments 13 years ago and added to the periodic table a few weeks ago.
On Twitter, Palin Sings Praises of Grizzly Moms
Politico
|
Jul 16, 2009 2:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sarah Palin Tweeted her immense respect for—or perhaps envy of—the adult female grizzly bear yesterday after meeting Alaskan biologists, Politico reports. The soon-to-be ex-governor praised “mama bears’ gutteral raw instinct to protect & provide for her young” and described the animal in action. “She sees danger?...
Microsoft Ad Campaign Gets Under Apple's Skin
CNET
|
Jul 16, 2009 2:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Apple demanded Microsoft ditch TV ads featuring shoppers mulling the relative value of PCs and Macs, CNET reports. In the ads, which Microsoft’s chief operating officer calls “completely unscripted,” shoppers get to keep money they save by choosing a PC over a Mac. “We got a call from the Apple legal department,” Kevin...
Starbucks' New Flavor: Local Shop Names
Seattle Times
|
Jul 16, 2009 2:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With traffic waning, Starbucks has a new strategy: It’s dropping “Starbucks” from store names and rebranding them to reflect their neighborhoods, the Seattle Times reports. 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea, for example, won’t feature the Starbucks logo—even bags of coffee will be labeled “15th Avenue.” The shop...
WHO Gives Up on Counting Swine Flu Cases
Reuters
|
Jul 16, 2009 1:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The World Health Organization today instructed member nations to stop counting cases of the rapidly spreading swine flu pandemic and focus instead on the most serious, Reuters reports. “Trying to register and report every single case is a huge waste of resources,” a spokesman said. Authorities should continue to report clusters of infections,...
CIA Assassination Scheme No Big Deal In-House
Time
|
Jul 16, 2009 1:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Not only was the CIA's “targeted killing” program an “open secret,” but there's also “less to it than meets the eye,” Robert Baer writes for Time. The former intelligence officer notes that the Washington Post broke the story in 2001, and a New York Times reporter's book gave the name of the project, "Box...
Yoga Retreats See Karmic Convergence in Recession
New York Times
|
Jul 16, 2009 1:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Many left unemployed or weary by recession are heading to yoga retreats, where they get meals, lodging, spiritual education, and quiet reflection for some chores and a low fee. “I figured if I stayed for a year, the economy would be warming up by then, and I could head back and see what’s available,” one participant—who’s...
Beach Sand Is Bad For You: Study
San Diego Union-Tribune
|
Jul 16, 2009 1:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Bird droppings, road runoff, and raw sewage are just some of the contaminants present at your local beach—and the reason playing in the sand could be hazardous to your health, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. A new study, which assessed the health of more than 27,000 beach-goers over 4 years, found individuals who played in the sand had...
1 Dead After Stage for Madonna Show Collapses
BBC
|
Jul 16, 2009 1:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
One person was killed and six injured today when a stage being built for a French stop of Madonna’s tour collapsed, the BBC reports. Construction workers were assembling the stage at a Marseille stadium when it “started shaking and collapsing,” allowing most of the workers to get clear, a city councilman said. The concert, planned...
Taliban Threatens to Kill Captured American Soldier
Voice of America
|
Jul 16, 2009 12:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Taliban says it will execute a captured American soldier if the US does not withdraw from two districts in southeastern Afghanistan, the Voice of America reports. A Taliban rep said today the soldier is healthy but will be killed if operations in Paktika and Ghazni continue. The fate of the soldier, whom the military has classified as "believed...
For Every Naked Kid, There's An Adult With a But
New York Times
|
Jul 16, 2009 12:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
When does a child’s naked bottom go from cute to inappropriate? Depends who’s judging, the New York Times reports. In some families, nudity is no big deal. “It’s a stage he’s going through, and he’ll grow out of it," says the dad of a 4-year-old who likes to watch TV sans pants. Often, grandparents have a...
NASA: Oops, We Erased the Moon Landing Tapes
NPR
|
Jul 16, 2009 12:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After searching 3 years for the original tapes of the 1969 moon landing, NASA officials realized they’d spaced: The footage had most likely been taped over, NPR reports. They picked through “racks of documents, tapes, all kinds of things from NASA and other agencies,” says a searcher, before it occurred to them that NASA had run low...
Long Buried, PTSD Emerges in WWII Veterans
Cleveland Plain Dealer
|
Jul 16, 2009 12:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
For many World War II veterans, decades-old memories of war aren’t as deeply buried as they once believed. The veterans administration estimates that 5% of the 2.5 million US World War II vets suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Older vets came of age when “expressing psychological symptoms...
GOP Foresees August Vote on Sotomayor
Associated Press
|
Jul 16, 2009 12:19 PM CDT
(AP) -
Republicans cleared the way today for a Senate vote next month to confirm Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, placing her firmly in line to become the first Hispanic justice. "I look forward to you getting that vote before we recess in August," said Jeff Sessions, the senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee. He spoke as Sotomayor...
Kid Chorus Rides Lady Gaga, Coldplay Covers to Viral Hits
MTV
|
Jul 16, 2009 12:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The newest viral video stars are the fourth- and fifth-grade members of New York’s PS22 Chorus, thanks in part to celebrity blogger—and fan—Perez Hilton. “He’s the one who really got these kids on the map,” chorus director Gregg Breinberg tells MTV. But it’s the choir’s offbeat song choices—they’ve...
Jon's Not Engaged ... or Maybe Secretly Engaged
Us Weekly
|
Jul 16, 2009 12:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Reports of Jon Gosselin’s engagement to galpal Hailey Glassman “are absolutely 100% false,” a Gosselin friend tells Us . But wait! “They’re engaged but nobody is allowed to say. They’ve been warned to keep it secret,” a source—this one friends with the jeweler from whom they apparently bought a ring...
Sanford Disappeared Last Year, Too, Emails Show
State (Columbia, SC)
|
Jul 16, 2009 11:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mark Sanford’s recent Argentine excursion wasn’t the first time he had gone missing: His commerce secretary didn’t know where to reach him in June 2008, either, emails reveal. “Need contact number for (Sanford) ASAP,” the secretary wrote to a Sanford staffer on the 28th—a day the South Carolina governor saw his lover,...
9/11 Suspects Boycott Gitmo Hearing
Miami Herald
|
Jul 16, 2009 11:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
While relatives of the victims waited in the courtroom, the five Guantanamo inmates accused of conspiring in the 9/11 attacks boycotted a pretrial hearing this morning, the Miami Herald reports. The proceeding was intended to determine whether the defendants who aren't representing themselves are competent to stand trial. Alleged mastermind Khalid...
Forget Best : Colbert Wants to Be Worst
Huffington Post
|
Jul 16, 2009 11:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Stephen Colbert is a glutton for punishment. Keith Olbermann dished some out to conservative media outlets Tuesday, spanking them for plying Gov. Mark Sanford with email offers of friendly treatment, and awarding them “Worst People in the World” honors. But he omitted Colbert, despite Colbert’s email offering Sanford “a friendly...
Jackson's Legs Show Abuse
Daily Mail (UK)
|
Jul 16, 2009 11:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
More photos of Michael Jackson’s apparently drug-abused body have surfaced, this time showing bruises and needle marks on his legs, the Daily Mail reports. The images, originally broadcast on ABC, also show a large black wound where an IV line apparently fed into his leg. More on Jackson: Michael is undoubtedly the biological father...
Paulson: BofA-Merrill Deal Saved US From 'Great Peril'
MarketWatch
|
Jul 16, 2009 11:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says his role in Bank of America’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch was appropriate and necessary, MarketWatch reports. “I am confident that our responses were substantially correct and that they saved this nation from great peril,” Paulson told a House oversight committee today in response to concerns...
Johns Hopkins Tops Hospital Rankings
Baltimore Sun
|
Jul 16, 2009 11:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Johns Hopkins has been named America’s best hospital for the 19th year in a row, the Baltimore Sun reports. The closely followed US News & World Report rankings placed Hopkins first in rheumatology, urology, and ear, nose and throat; it was second in neurology and neurosurgery, geriatrics, gynecology, ophthalmology, and psychiatry. Rounding...
Fetuses Form Memories: Study
Associated Press
|
Jul 16, 2009 10:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Fetuses can form memories, an important indicator of nervous-system maturation that may help doctors detect developmental problems, Dutch researchers say. Fetuses exposed to sound and vibration for 1 second every 30 seconds became accustomed to the stimuli, a process known as habituation. "Habituation is a form of learning," a study co-author...
Sleep Coach Crunches Z's, May Even Help You Get More
New York Times
|
Jul 16, 2009 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Strap on a headband, and the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach—basically, a $400 alarm clock—will tell you all about your night, graphing when you were in light sleep, heavy sleep, or rapid-eye movement sleep. Upload to the Web, and you can “slice, dice and cross-compare your sleep data in a million ways,” David Pogue writes in the ...
Bathroom Is for Texting, Not Talking: Pitt
Wired
|
Jul 16, 2009 10:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The times, they are a-changin’—and that calls for new rules of etiquette. To help out, Brad Pitt addresses issues ranging from inter-Rock Band dynamics to texting in the bathroom for Wired : Problem: Your Rock Band bassist sucks. Solution: “Fire his ass. Bonus: It'll put the others on notice.” Problem: Your ...
Beck Melts Down, Screams at 'Pinhead' Caller
Oliver Willis
|
Jul 16, 2009 10:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Conservative radio host Glenn Beck had an on-air fit yesterday when a caller questioned him about health care and wouldn’t back down, the Daily Kos reports. The caller, “Kathy,” started by talking about the high cost of care. Beck countered that he doesn’t believe there are “people dying in the streets” because they...
White House Gets Tough on Congress' Critics, Skeptics
Politico
|
Jul 16, 2009 10:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The White House is cracking down on its critics—and on laggards within the Democratic Party, too. Republican naysayers on the economic stimulus and health care are getting the roughest treatment, Politico reports. After Kentucky Sen. Jon Kyl railed against the efficacy of stimulus spending, four Cabinet secretaries wrote to his state's governor...
Firefox Loses Some of Its Edge: Mossberg
Wall Street Journal
|
Jul 16, 2009 9:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mozilla's Firefox is still good, but it doesn't stand out as much as it used to, Walter S. Mossberg writes in the Wall Street Journal . The latest edition of the web browser, version 3.5, works well on both PCs and Macs, but "Firefox has lost its traditionally biggest advantage: greater speed than its rivals." In tests, Mossberg found that...
After Rash of Deaths, UK Rethinks Afghanistan
New York Times
|
Jul 16, 2009 9:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Eight British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan last week within just 24 hours, the worst day of casualties the UK had seen in 30 years. After 15 fatalities in July alone, Gordon Brown is facing severe criticism for underfinancing the war effort, particularly for not providing enough helicopters to troops, reports the New York Times . Washington...
A Baptist and a Mullah Team Up to Fight Taliban
Wall Street Journal
|
Jul 16, 2009 9:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Baptist Army officer has teamed up with an Afghan mullah to fight Taliban propaganda that calls the Afghan army godless. “The only way we can keep people from becoming Taliban is by promoting the Muslim nature of the Afghan National Army,” says the mullah, Lt. Col. Abdul Haq. So Capt. James Hill, assigned as one of the US military's mentors...
JFK Jr. Recalled, a Decade Later
New York Daily News
|
Jul 16, 2009 9:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
John F. Kennedy Jr. “seemed to belong not only to our family, but to the American family,” his uncle Ted said in his eulogy. On the 10th anniversary of his death, the New York Daily News remembers the president’s son the public knew as as John-John—a nickname he hated—and the tragedy of a death caused by the thing that...
Willis What? Sears Tower Changes Names
Chicago Sun-Times
|
Jul 16, 2009 9:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An insurance company no one's ever heard of is suddenly a big name in Chicago. Starting today, the Sears Tower—the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere—becomes Willis Tower, after Willis Group Holdings, the Sun-Times reports. Chicagoans grumbling about the name change, which Willis earned by leasing just three of the building's...
Family Guy Scores Nod; 30 Rock Leads With 22 Noms
Associated Press
|
Jul 16, 2009 8:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The list of Emmy nominations, out today, is full of familiar names. One surprise: Family Guy is nominated for best comedy series—it's only the second animated show to get a nod in the category, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Fox stalwart is up against Entourage, 30 Rock, The Office, Flight of the Conchords , Weeds, and How I Met Your...
