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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.

Obama Slips in New Polls
Wall Street Journal | Jul 29, 2009 6:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - Two big polls are out with the same general conclusion: President Obama is losing support for his health care overhaul among the public, and his approval rating is settling in to mere mortal levels. A Wall Street Journal /NBC survey puts his approval rating at 53%, down 3 points in a month and 8 points from April. That's comparable to George...
America's Best National Parks
Forbes | Jul 29, 2009 6:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - In the recession, international air travel is down and national park attendance is way up. Forbes runs down the crème de la crème of America’s national treasures, but be warned: “It's been incredibly hard to get camping space at most national parks,” one travel agent says. Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii: ...
Boston Cop Suspended After Racial Slur on Gates
Boston Globe | Jul 29, 2009 5:54 PM CDT
(Newser) - The fallout from the Henry Louis Gates arrest continues: A Boston cop has been suspended for referring to Gates as a "jungle monkey" in an email, the Globe reports. Officer Justin Barrett, 36, faces a disciplinary hearing next week and could be fired. He used the phrase while describing media coverage of the arrest to members of the National...
Twitter Is Just a Fad
MarketWatch | Jul 29, 2009 5:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - Jon Friedman doesn’t really like Twitter, he writes for MarketWatch. He thinks the 140-character cap keeps Tweets superficial—which is why Ashton Kutcher loves it. It proved useful for Iranian protesters, but for those of us in relatively stable countries, Friedman agrees with blogger Jon Taplin: "Twitter has no business model,"...
Rejection of Google iPhone App Sets Dumb Precedent
Lifehacker | Jul 29, 2009 5:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - Apple has rejected Google’s application to distribute its Voice application through the App Store, and that shows that Apple is dead-set against innovation, Adam Pash writes on Lifehacker. The official line is that Google Voice “duplicates features already on the iPhone—namely the Phone and Messages app,” but that’s malarkey....
Obama TV Has Become a Snore
New York Observer | Jul 29, 2009 4:58 PM CDT
(Newser) - Say what you want about President Nixon, but at least his press conferences were entertaining. “It was the Colosseum, and everybody’s thumb was down,” recalls staffer Pat Buchanan. “It was something worth watching.” The same can’t be said of President Obama’s all-too-frequent appearances. Last week’s...
Bare-Chested Phelps Rebounds With Record
ABC News | Jul 29, 2009 4:33 PM CDT
(Newser) - Michael Phelps today rebounded from yesterday's stunning loss by shattering his own world record in the 200-meter butterfly at the FINA World Championships in Rome, ABC News reports. Phelps achieved the feat without a full-body suit, wearing only an ankle-to-waist version. In his loss yesterday, he lost to a swimmer wearing the most high-tech of suits,...
Trustee Sues Ruth Madoff for $44M
Newsday | Jul 29, 2009 4:14 PM CDT
(Newser) - The trustee in the Bernie Madoff case sued the swindler's wife today to demand the return of $44 million to bilked investors, Newsday reports. The complaint doesn't allege criminal activity by Ruth Madoff but says she directly received funds from her husband’s multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme. Ruth Madoff gave up all but $2.5 million of her...
MillerCoors Testing Mini-Keg for Fridge
Wall Street Journal | Jul 29, 2009 4:04 PM CDT
(Newser) - MillerCoors is trying out a novel presentation of its Miller and Coors Light beers with the “Home Draft,” a 1.5-gallon mini-keg that stays fresh in the fridge for a month, the Wall Street Journal reports. The set-up is similar to boxed wine. Amid a drop-off in domestic beer sales, repackaging has become a go-to strategy for brewers. “In...
Loner Author Charts His Own Course
New York Times | Jul 29, 2009 3:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - Author William T. Vollmann is an odd bird—“a loner, a bit of a recluse,” Charles McGrath writes in the New York Times , “and a throwback: a wandering, try-anything writer-journalist in the tradition of Steinbeck or Jack London.” And his new book, Imperial , about Southern California, illegal immigrants, and water, illustrates...
Phillies Strike Deal for Cliff Lee
Fox Sports | Jul 29, 2009 3:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Phillies will get pitcher Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians, Fox Sports reports. In return for the 2008 Cy Young winner and outfielder Ben Francisco, Philadelphia will trade Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson to the Indians.
'French Eminem' Ignites Censorship Fight
BBC | Jul 29, 2009 3:25 PM CDT
(Newser) - A rapper slammed for backing violence against women has sparked a censorship debate that’s reached the upper levels of France’s government, the BBC reports. OrelSan, the “French Eminem,” was dropped from a music festival after former presidential candidate Segolene Royal warned she might pull public funding. The governing party...
Dow Slips 26 as Oil Prices Fall
Wall Street Journal | Jul 29, 2009 3:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - Markets were off today on plunges in the energy and manufacturing sectors brought on by falling oil prices, the Wall Street Journal reports. A poorly received auction of T-notes also did little to inspire confidence. The world’s largest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal, slipped 7% on a larger than expected loss, and the tech sector took a hit...
Holocaust Museum Shooter Indicted
Washington Post | Jul 29, 2009 2:58 PM CDT
(Newser) - The 89-year-old man who shot and killed a guard at the Holocaust Memorial Museum last month was charged today with first-degree murder, killing in a federal building, and bias-motivated crime, among other accusations, the Washington Post reports. If convicted, James von Brunn faces life in prison, though four of the counts could also carry the death...
Organic Food Won't Make You Any Healthier: UK Scientists
BBC | Jul 29, 2009 2:52 PM CDT
(Newser) - Organic food has no health benefits compared to ordinary food, according to a report commissioned by the UK’s Food Standards Agency. Reseachers looked at 55 studies on the subject from the past 50 years, and concluded that the differences, where they existed, weren’t particularly significant from a public-health standpoint. But sustainable-food...
Coroner Delays Release of Jackson Autopsy
Associated Press | Jul 29, 2009 2:40 PM CDT
(AP) - The Los Angeles County coroner's office says release of Michael Jackson's autopsy results will be delayed. Officials had said they planned to make the reports public this week, but Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said today the announcement will probably not come until next week. Winter did not discuss reasons for the delay.
'Brutal' Heat Wave Bakes Pacific Northwest
Associated Press | Jul 29, 2009 2:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - A heat wave continues to pummel the Pacific Northwest, the AP reports, though tomorrow will likely bring some relief. Temperatures at Seattle’s airport could easily break the 1994 record of 100 degrees today; yesterday, temps in Portland came within 1 degree of the 1984 record of 107. The region is ill-prepared, and emergency cooling stations...
Caller in Gates Arrest Didn't Mention Race
New York Times | Jul 29, 2009 2:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Massachusetts woman who called 911 on Henry Louis Gates and his chauffeur as they wrestled with the Harvard professor’s front door said today she never mentioned race to Sgt. James Crowley, the officer who arrested Gates. Lucia Whalen’s statement contradicts the police report filed by Crowley, which states that Whalen described “two...
Doting Obamas 'Demote' Pooch Wrangler
US News & World Report | Jul 29, 2009 2:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - Dale Haney has been wrangling White House animals since 1976, but these days his responsibilities are much diminished, insiders tell US News & World Report . “He doesn’t see Bo as much because the girls and Mrs. Obama, the whole family, is taking care of Bo, so Dale has been demoted a bit,” a staffer says. “He misses the...
Blue Dog Deal Means No Vote on Health Before Recess
The Hill | Jul 29, 2009 1:59 PM CDT
(Newser) - The House will not vote on a health care bill before the August recess, the Hill reports. Rep. Henry Waxman agreed to the delay as part of a deal with “Blue Dog” Democrats on his Energy and Commerce Committee, who had been threatening to block the bill. Waxman now expects the committee to finish marking up the bill by Friday.
Fed Sees More Signs of Recovery
Associated Press | Jul 29, 2009 1:50 PM CDT
(AP) - The economy is finally beginning to show signs of stabilizing in some parts of the US, bolstering hopes of a broader-based recovery this year. A Federal Reserve snapshot of economic conditions issued today finds that most of the Fed's 12 regions indicated either that "the pace of decline has moderated" or "that activity has begun to...
'Every iPhone in the World' at Risk Tomorrow
Forbes | Jul 29, 2009 1:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - The iPhone’s text-messaging system has a dangerous flaw that hackers could exploit to take control of your phone, researchers say. They’ll reveal the trouble at a conference tomorrow, Forbes reports. So if you get a text with a “single square character,” turn off your phone right away—it could mean someone’s already...
It's a Sex Toy —for Dogs
K9 Magazine | Jul 29, 2009 1:24 PM CDT
(Newser) - A Brazilian company has designed a truly unique pet accessory, K9 Magazine reports: the “DoggieLoverDoll,” a sex toy for canines. The DoggieLoverDoll is a female canine molded out of soft rubber, and anatomically correct enough for a male’s, er, satisfaction. According to PetSmiling’s website, non-neutered pups who used the...
Cooking: What Separates Men From Apes (and Women)
Salon | Jul 29, 2009 1:14 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cooking—not just eating—meat is what prompted human evolution, Richard Wrangham argues in his book Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human , and he discusses his beliefs—including an opposition to the trend of raw diets—with Salon. “Raw foodists argue quite strongly that it is our natural diet,” the doctor says....
1-800-Flowers First Retailer Inside Facebook
TechCrunch | Jul 29, 2009 1:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - 1-800-Flowers.com continues its record of early technology adoption, Robin Wauters writes in TechCrunch, opening a storefront within Facebook. The company hit the Internet at the surprisingly early date of 1992, and was the first retailer on AOL two years later. It claims it’s the first retailer operating on Facebook, evidence that the site is...
Racing Legend Schumacher Will Return for Ferrari
Associated Press | Jul 29, 2009 12:55 PM CDT
(AP) - Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher is making a comeback for Ferrari to replace injured driver Felipe Massa. Ferrari said today in a statement that the 40-year-old German had agreed to drive just until Massa's ready to return. "Though the Formula One chapter has long been closed for me," Shumacher said, "it is also...
Why MicroHoo Won't Kill Google
PC World | Jul 29, 2009 12:41 PM CDT
(Newser) - Wondering what the Microsoft/Yahoo pact will mean for you, the tech-loving consumer? Probably not much, writes Todd Weiss for PC World . His reasons: “I tried Bing, I played with Bing, I experienced Bing, but Bing, you’re no Google search,” Weiss opines. Even with Yahoo’s help, and even with its interesting features,...
Obama's Health Plan Will Crack Whip on States
Salon | Jul 29, 2009 12:25 PM CDT
(Newser) - Doctors nationwide are “outraged” by President Obama’s health care plan, but “I call it progress,” writes one Missouri physician for Salon. The reform would take oversight out of the hands of states, which seemingly specialize in “lax regulation of private insurers” and poor handling of Medicaid. Ford Vox sees...
US Finally Buying Soccer's Pitch
Wall Street Journal | Jul 29, 2009 11:58 AM CDT
(Newser) - After years of intermittent sniffling, Americans may finally be catching soccer fever, the Wall Street Journal reports: Some 4 million watched the US men’s team almost beat Brazil last month; some 2 million are likely to attend games featuring top European teams this summer; Seattle’s Major League Soccer team pulls in more attendees on...
Why the Public Isn't Buying Obama's Health Care Plan
FiveThirtyEight | Jul 29, 2009 11:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - Americans still want health care reform, polls show, but they're losing confidence in the Democrats' plan, and who can blame them, writes writes Nate Silver on FiveThirtyEight.com, because Democrats don’t actually have a plan yet. It probably would've been better if Obama had given them a plan, instead of letting them hash one out on their...
Get a Thumbs-Up in Hitchhiking
New York Times | Jul 29, 2009 11:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hitchhiking, though controversial, remains the epitome of frugal traveling. Ben Bachelder, who has thumbed his way through 35 countries and six continents—including Antarctica—gives the New York Times tips on how to do it right: Start slow : “First-time hitchhikers should go with a friend, just for a little more security....
As Head Ref, Reid Feels Heat in Health Debate
Politico | Jul 29, 2009 11:31 AM CDT
(Newser) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has prided himself on his hands-off leadership style, but pretty soon he’s going to get those hands dirty, Politico reports. Reid will soon have to reconcile two radically different health care bills coming out of committee—as if that weren't enough, he’s up for reelection next year, and Republicans...
Hipsters 101: Their History, Bleak Future
Time | Jul 29, 2009 11:12 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hipsters. They “sneer when you cop to liking Coldplay”; they “sport cowboy hats and berets”; they’re “the only ones in America who still think Pabst Blue Ribbon is a good beer.” But they’re certainly not a new phenomenon, writes Dan Fletcher for Time . The first jazz-loving hipsters emerged in the 1930s;...
China Says It Will Slash Executions
New York Times | Jul 29, 2009 10:58 AM CDT
(Newser) - China holds more executions yearly than any other country—but this week, state media announced China will be more forgiving, the New York Times reports. Only “an extremely small number” should be executed, said the vice president of the Supreme People’s Court. In 2008, Amnesty International claims, China executed 1,718 people,...
Men's Sites Want Less Megan Fox
New York Daily News | Jul 29, 2009 10:54 AM CDT
(Newser) - Men are already sick of Megan Fox, with a dozen male-focused websites calling for a media blackout of the Transformers star Aug. 4, the New York Daily News reports. “You can have too much of a good thing,” says the editor of AskMen.com. Elsewhere: Madonna’s newest gig: foreign correspondent for Israel’s biggest daily...
Health Care Needs a Real Free Market
Washington Post | Jul 29, 2009 10:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - America’s best shot for a new, better health care system lies in a strong health care exchange, argues Ezra Klein in the Washington Post . “Compared with the crazy-quilt system we have now, the idea is weirdly simple:” A single market where consumers can shop for plans and pick their favorite. You know, the way we buy everything...
Drug Curbs Alcoholism—but Should Addicts Drink at All?
Time | Jul 29, 2009 10:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - More and more doctors are prescribing the anti-craving drug baclofen to alcoholics, and patients describe a “switch” that suddenly allows them to resist temptation—even as they keep drinking in moderation, Time reports. While some argue this can reduce harm—one drink is better than 10—the approach is at odds with traditional...
DC Deficit Fixer: Print on Both Sides of Paper
Wall Street Journal | Jul 29, 2009 10:12 AM CDT
(Newser) - A short while ago, President Obama called on his Cabinet to make budget cuts in their departments totaling $100 million. They came up with $102 million, but some of the cuts were so obvious one wonders why it took a presidential edict to elicit them, the Wall Street Journal notes. They show how "unbelievably outdated" the government is,...
Obama Plans 8-Point Health Pitch
Washington Post | Jul 29, 2009 9:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - President Obama is taking a repackaged health care message on the road in North Carolina and Virginia today , where he'll unveil an eight-point plan intended to cut wonkish policy to the chase for voters. While the Washington Post can't come up with a catchy moniker for the plan, it lays out the highlights:
Gates, Crowley Share Irish Ancestor
Irish Central | Jul 29, 2009 9:25 AM CDT
(Newser) - The beer James Crowley and Henry Louis Gates have with the president should be a Guinness if genetics are anything to go by, Irish Central reports. The Harvard professor and the Cambridge cop—along with about 3 million other people—are distant cousins with shared Irish heritage, both descended from 4th-century Irish warlord Niall of the...
Dems' 2010 Prospects Start to Dim
Politico | Jul 29, 2009 9:16 AM CDT
(Newser) - Things looked rosy for the Democrats in January—but amid economic concerns and trouble for party governors, 2010 could be tougher than expected, Politico reports. Midterm elections typically favor the opposition, and “we don’t have the burden of Iraq as we did in 2006 and don’t have the economy on the Republicans’ watch...
Brit Nursery Schools Ban Cuddlies on Swine Flu Fears
Guardian (UK) | Jul 29, 2009 9:03 AM CDT
(Newser) - Teddy bears have been given their marching orders from British nursery schools and day care centers as the government seeks to stop the spread of swine flu, the Guardian reports. New guidelines say soft toys should be removed since they are hard to clean properly, and the sharing of pencils and crayons should be discouraged. School assemblies should...
GOP Looks Tacky in Vote on Sotomayor
Washington Post | Jul 29, 2009 8:56 AM CDT
(Newser) - Senate Republicans locked arms against Sonia Sotomayor yesterday … or would have, if they’d bothered to stay for the Judiciary Committee’s vote. Instead, half ducked out, leaving Jeff Sessions to repeat “No by proxy,” over and over, writes Dana Milbank in the Washington Post . It was an ugly display of partisanship—though,...
Ireland Agrees to Take in 2 Gitmo Detainees
Irish Times | Jul 29, 2009 8:42 AM CDT
(Newser) - Ireland has agreed to resettle two Uzbek detainees from the US’ Guantanamo Bay detention center, Ireland’s foreign minister tells the Irish Times . The detainees are among those who are not considered a threat, but can’t be returned to their home countries. Dermot Ahern, a longtime proponent of closing the Guantanamo prison, says...
Gates: Troops May Leave Iraq Early
Associated Press | Jul 29, 2009 8:37 AM CDT
(AP) - The United States is considering speeding up its withdrawal from Iraq because of the sustained drop in violence there, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today, following discussions with his top commanders in the war. "I think there's at least some chance of a modest acceleration," this year, Gates said, calling the situation "better...
Jon Resumes Dad Duty as Kate Buys Suburban DC Pad
Radar | Jul 29, 2009 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - Jon Gosselin is back with his kids, and it’s Kate’s turn to go out gallivanting. She’s buying a condo in the Washington, DC, suburbs, Radar reports—with the bachelorette pad just a block away from the Maryland office of bodyguard—and rumored lover—Steve Neild. From their Pennsylvania home, meanwhile, Jon tells People...
iPhone Feature Catches Thieves
Mashable | Jul 29, 2009 8:22 AM CDT
(Newser) - Apple addicts were excited by the new Find My iPhone feature, and that excitement paid off for one Colorado teen, who used it help catch a thief, Mashable reports. Dustin Simantob, 15, pinpointed his phone, stolen after his father’s car was broken into during a camping trip; police recovered two iPhones, Simantob’s wallet, and a GPS device—as...
FDA Warns Against Steroid-Laced Supplements
Associated Press | Jul 29, 2009 8:12 AM CDT
(Newser) - The FDA has issued a serious warning urging consumers to steer clear of bodybuilding supplements advertised as containing steroid-like substances, the Los Angeles Times reports. The products are unapproved drugs, not dietary supplements as claimed, and adverse effects include kidney failure and major liver damage, officials warn.
NYC Buys Homeless Tickets Out of Town
New York Times | Jul 29, 2009 8:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - New York City has quietly taken a new approach to combat homelessness—since 2007, the Bloomberg administration has bought more than 550 families one-way tickets out of town. Social workers help the homeless to find relatives who may take them in, and some have been flown as far as France or South Africa. The city spends $500,000 annually on the...
Jacko Probe Extends to Dozen Docs
TMZ | Jul 29, 2009 7:56 AM CDT
(Newser) - Dr. Conrad Murray isn’t the only one coming under the microscope for his possible role in Michael Jackson’s death. More than a dozen doctors are now under investigation, and that number could double—making this potentially the biggest case against doctors who enable celebrity drug addictions, law enforcement sources tell TMZ. The...
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