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.
How a Queens Kid Became an al-Qaeda Fighter
New York Post
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Jul 25, 2009 3:34 PM CDT
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Just before he left to become an al-Qaeda fighter 2 years ago, Long Island native Bryant Neal Vinas left a box of mementos. Inside were all-American keepsakes like Yankee caps, alongside dog tags and a copy of Inside the Jihad , a book by a spy who infiltrated al-Qaeda. That was when friend Victor Kuilan knew Vinas, a shy, straightedge punk kid, was...
Why Katherine Heigl Is Annoying
Newsweek
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Jul 25, 2009 3:10 PM CDT
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Katherine Heigl was “supposed to be America’s new sweetheart,” but somewhere we fell out of love. Sarah Ball, writing in Newsweek , lays some of the blame for her image as a “diva-like shrew” on "pure sexism. Every decade has a Most Annoying Actress,” Ball writes, “a distinction doled out via a caveman's...
Wire Creator Simon: NYT , Post Must Charge for Web
Columbia Journalism Review
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Jul 25, 2009 2:44 PM CDT
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How to save newspapers and, in fact, journalism itself? Wire creator (and former newspaperman) David Simon implores the publishers of the New York Times and the Washington Post to start charging for their websites. “Content matters," he writes in the Columbia Journalism Review . "And you must find a way, in the brave new world...
Barnes: Obama's an 'Economic IIliterate'
Weekly Standard
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Jul 25, 2009 2:00 PM CDT
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President Obama has big plans for the economy, and that’s too bad because he knows nothing about it, Fred Barnes writes in the Weekly Standard . All of his proposals and angry jabs at Wall Street are counter to his professed interest in growth and job creation. “Obamanomics pays lip service to a free market economy,” Barnes writes....
Shadowy Citi Trader Demands $100M Payout
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 25, 2009 1:40 PM CDT
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Andrew J. Hall, the man who runs Citi’s shadowy energy-trading unit, is demanding the company pay him up to $100 million to honor a previously agreed-upon 2009 pay package, the Wall Street Journal reports. If Citi doesn’t pay up, Hall could walk and sue, but paying could be a political and PR nightmare, raising the ire of the government’s...
Lance Keeps Podium Spot; Contador All But Seals Win
Reuters
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Jul 25, 2009 1:16 PM CDT
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Alberto Contador finished a respectable fourth in today’s stage of the Tour de France, giving him an all-but-certain lock on first place overall, Reuters reports. Only tomorrow's ride remains, and riders traditionally don't jockey for position on the final day. Lance Armstrong, meanwhile, rode well and will likely keep his 3rd-place position.
One of the Last WWI Vets Dies at 111
BBC
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Jul 25, 2009 12:50 PM CDT
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Harry Patch, the last British man to survive World War I’s trenches, has died at age 111, the BBC reports. He was the oldest man in Europe, and the third oldest in the world. “I had the honor of meeting Harry, and I share his family's grief at the passing of a great man,” Gordon Brown said. “The noblest of generations has left...
Suspect in NJ Probe Sold Black-Market Kidneys
Star-Ledger
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Jul 25, 2009 12:22 PM CDT
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The FBI says it's made the first organ trafficking arrest in US history, a strange byproduct of the sweeping corruption probe that nabbed dozens of New Jersey officials and rabbis, the Star-Ledger reports. Levy Izhak Rosenbaum is accused of dealing in kidneys: He'd buy them from donors in Israel for $10,000, then sell them to clients in the US for...
Wealthy Blacks Say Class No Barrier to Racial Profiling
Los Angeles Times
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Jul 25, 2009 11:41 AM CDT
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Money, power, and status count for little in the face of persistent racial profiling by police, African-American men tell the Los Angeles Times . Many say they know all too well how Henry Louis Gates Jr. must have felt in his home last week. The consensus generally seems to be that it's futile to put up a fight after, say, yet another traffic stop....
Torture Photos Should Be Secret—for Detainees' Sake
New York Times
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Jul 25, 2009 11:12 AM CDT
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Human rights groups may be upset that President Obama is classifying photos of detainee abuse, but former Army staff sergeant William Quinn thinks it’s a good thing—for the detainees’ sake. When Quinn was assigned as an interrogator at Abu Ghraib, he discovered that the detainees took a very different view of that prison’s photo...
Suicide Attackers Strike Afghan City
Associated Press
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Jul 25, 2009 10:51 AM CDT
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Taliban fighters wearing suicide vests and armed with AK-47 rifles and rocket-propelled grenades attacked the main police station today in the southeast city of Khost, triggering hours-long gunbattles that left seven militants dead and 14 people wounded, officials said. The attack began in the afternoon when at least six fighters stormed the area around...
Hubble Snaps Photos of Jupiter Impact
CNN
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Jul 25, 2009 10:24 AM CDT
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NASA pulled the recently upgraded Hubble space telescope out of testing yesterday to take a photo of the Earth-sized impact scar on Jupiter, CNN reports. “Because we believe this magnitude of impact is rare, we are very fortunate to see it with Hubble,” a NASA scientist says. “Details seen in the Hubble view shows a lumpiness to the...
Cronkite as VP? It Nearly Happened
Washington Post
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Jul 25, 2009 10:08 AM CDT
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A lot of things would have been better in America if Walter Cronkite had been elected vice president in 1972, writes Frank Mankiewicz in the Washington Post , and it could have happened. Mankiewicz was the political director for George McGovern’s campaign, and, “armed with a poll showing Walter Cronkite to be the most trusted man in America,...
Democrats Bicker While Health Care Reform Stalls
Washington Post
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Jul 25, 2009 9:45 AM CDT
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House Democrats looked on the verge of inter-party warfare yesterday, as they openly battled over health care, the Washington Post reports. Tempers ran especially hot in the Energy and Commerce Committee, where Chairman Henry Waxman accused Blue Dog Democrats of “empowering Republicans,” and suggested the bill bypass his committee entirely....
Gates, Cambridge Cop: Sure, We'll Have That Beer
Boston Globe
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Jul 25, 2009 9:18 AM CDT
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Henry Louis Gates Jr. and the Cambridge cop who arrested him both say they will take up President Obama on his offer to have a beer at the White House. "It is time for all of us to move on, and to assess what we can learn from this experience," Gates told the Boston Globe . A fellow officer says James Crowley also agreed to the meeting,...
Cops Weigh In on Responding to Insults
New York Times
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Jul 25, 2009 9:17 AM CDT
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Just how reasonable was Sgt. James Crowley being when he arrested Skip Gates for mouthing off to him? The New York Times asks a wide range of cops how they handle abuse in the field, and got a range of responses. “If you don’t have a tough skin, then you shouldn’t be a cop,” opines one LA officer. “We’re not dealing...
Obama: Health Bill Will Help Small Businesses
Politico
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Jul 25, 2009 8:27 AM CDT
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President Obama sought to win over small-business owners in his push for health care reform today, Politico reports. The president, whose planned overhaul has come under fire from the US Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations, cited a White House study showing that small businesses pay much more per worker than big ones, forcing...
Salt Lake Tops Best Airports List
Travel Leisure
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Jul 25, 2009 8:24 AM CDT
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Some airports just seem to be charmed when it comes to on-time departures. Travel + Leisure ranks the 10 best in America based on percentage of flights delayed: Salt Lake City: Last year's winner continues its reign, cutting delays by 2% from 2008, to just 12%. Portland, Ore. : At 15%, it held onto the No. 2 spot from 2008 (but just...
Newark Tops Worst Airport List
Travel Leisure
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Jul 25, 2009 8:14 AM CDT
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With summer vacations increasing your chances of an extended stay at an airport, Travel + Leisure offers its annual list of airports likely to leave you grounded. The good news? Airports are getting better; even this year’s “winner” improved its delays by 3%. The list: Newark: That 3% boost wasn't enough; it’s the...
Cheating Wives Blogs: Bragging or Therapy?
Independent (UK)
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Jul 25, 2009 7:58 AM CDT
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Women's "infidelity blogs" have surged in number in recent years and they're attracting a large and loyal following, the Independent reports. The bloggers say they're not trying to flaunt their affairs, but rather to use anonymity to share details of their secret lives and find support among like-minded people. "I feel there is ...
Swiss Shrink Revives LSD Research
Der Spiegel
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Jul 25, 2009 7:17 AM CDT
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A Swiss psychiatrist has revived research into the use of LSD to treat emotional disorders after decades of neglect, Der Spiegel reports (unable to resist the headline "Tune In, Turn On, Cheer Up"). Albert Gasser, the first person to study the psychiatric use of the hallucinogen in 35 years, has been treating patients who suffer crippling...
Collectors Eye California IOUs
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 25, 2009 6:57 AM CDT
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California's recently issued IOUs are only the latest in a long history of dollar substitutes in America, the Wall Street Journal reports, and they're already being eyed by collectors of temporary currency on everything from leather to plywood to old tires to clamshells. Schwarzenegger's scrip is plain in comparison to Depression relics...
'09 Grads Picky Despite Grim Jobs Market
New York Times
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Jul 25, 2009 6:28 AM CDT
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Many of this year's college grads are confounding career advisers by rejecting suggestions that they can't afford to be choosy about what job to take in a recession, the New York Times reports. The grads say they don't want to be forced into less-than-ideal jobs and career paths by economic circumstance, but college officials blame the trend on the...
Jiggy Wedding Video Goes Viral
Washington Post
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Jul 25, 2009 6:14 AM CDT
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A Minnesota couple's all-dancing wedding march has become a massive hit on YouTube, the Washington Post reports. Seven bridesmaids, five groomsmen, and four ushers strut their stuff down the aisle to the sounds of Chris Brown's "Forever" in front of delighted guests, followed by somersaulting groom Kevin Heinz and dancing bride...
Iraqis Attempt to Arrest US Soldiers After Shooting
Washington Post
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Jul 25, 2009 6:05 AM CDT
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The rift between American and Iraqi forces got a lot wider after a shooting incident in Baghdad this week, the Washington Post reports. When insurgents attacked their convoy Tuesday, US forces pursued them through alleys, and raided several houses, killing two men and a boy. An Iraqi commander ordered the men to be arrested for shooting at civilians....
Cuba's Black Market Hits the Internet
GlobalPost
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Jul 25, 2009 5:15 AM CDT
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The Internet has lured Cuba's black marketeers online, GlobalPost reports. In a nation that bans most private commerce, a Craigslist-style website has emerged offering everything from American razor blades to True Blood DVDs. Buyers with fatter wallets can pick up computer equipment, a $6,000 illegal Internet hookup, or a sham marriage "if you...
Octuplet Mom Signs $250K Reality TV Deal
E! Online
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Jul 25, 2009 5:08 AM CDT
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Nadya Suleman's 14 kids will be paid $250 a day for starring in a reality show under a deal she signed yesterday, E! Online reports. The octuplets and her six other children will earn a total of $250,000 for 71 days of shooting over three years under the contract with European production company Eyeworks, makers of Breaking Bonaduce and The Biggest...
Bush Considered Deploying Military for US Terror Arrests
New York Times
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Jul 25, 2009 5:02 AM CDT
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President Bush seriously considered deploying the military to arrest terror suspects in a Buffalo suburb in 2002, former Bush administration officials tell the New York Times . Dick Cheney was in favor of the almost unprecedented deployment of troops on American soil, the officials say, while Condoleezza Rice and others were opposed. Bush ultimately...
Fearing Bloodshed, Zelaya Leaves Honduras
Associated Press
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Jul 24, 2009 9:49 PM CDT
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Ousted President Manuel Zelaya took a symbolic step into his homeland today, vowing to reclaim his post a month after soldiers flew him into exile. But he stayed less than 30 minutes before returning to Nicaragua, saying the risk of bloodshed was too great. He said he would give talks with the coup-installed government another try. "I am not afraid...
Jacko Estate Worth Millions After All
E! Online
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Jul 24, 2009 7:50 PM CDT
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Michael Jackson's estate is $5.5 million richer than previously thought and may remain solvent despite $400 million in debt, E! Online reports. Recovered from Jacko's former advisers, the cash and "tangible personal property"—along with new deals worth "tens of millions of dollars"—can pay a monthly allowance for Jackson's...
Jon's Galpal Sued After 'Face First, Drunk' Fall
Radar
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Jul 24, 2009 7:22 PM CDT
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Jon Gosselin's new gal isn't taking him to court—at least not yet—but has sued a Chicago restaurant for letting her fall drunk on her face, Radar reports. Kate Major tumbled down the stairs at Tavern on Rush 3 years ago and refused medical treatment on the scene. Seven months later, she sued. "Kate was drunk," the accident...
Cats Are Left or Right-Pawed
New Scientist
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Jul 24, 2009 6:57 PM CDT
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Cats may appear ambidextrous when pawing a ball of string but actually lean lefty or righty when it comes to tough tasks, the New Scientist reports. It comes down to sex: girl kitties are mostly righties and boys lefties, say researchers at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland. Hormone levels may account for the difference—earlier...
A 5-Minute Fix for Your Insecure Passwords
Slate
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Jul 24, 2009 6:33 PM CDT
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The recent hacking debacle at Twitter proved how vulnerable the company was, writes Farhad Manjoo for Slate. All of its internal communication was held in email accounts protected only by insecure passwords. And chances are your password security is also terrible—a familiar word, like your favorite album, with a 1 or ! at the end or beginning...
Recession Sparks Efforts to Legalize Pot
Time
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Jul 24, 2009 6:06 PM CDT
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The recession has given marijuana-legalization advocates an unexpected boost, Time reports, as cash-strapped states are tempted by possible revenues from pot taxes. With an existing medical-marijuana market and cuts to education and health services pending due to a huge budget deficit, California advocates are preparing both legislation and ballot...
Calif. Assembly OKs Budget Plan; Schwarzenegger Next
Associated Press
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Jul 24, 2009 5:33 PM CDT
(AP) -
California's state assembly today approved a plan to close most of its $26 billion budget deficit, sending the package of financial fixes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's expected to sign it by Monday. The Assembly rejected two of the most controversial measures, a plan to take about $1 billion in transportation funding from local governments,...
Cops Find 150 Dead Dogs in Mich. House
Detroit Free Press
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Jul 24, 2009 5:25 PM CDT
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Authorities in a Detroit suburb say they’ve found more than 150 dead dogs in a house where more than 100 live Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes were found during the previous 2 days, the Free Press reports. The search began following a neighbor’s complaint earlier this week about a foul smell coming from the home of Kenneth Lang Jr., 56....
Ahmadinejad Caves to Hardliners, Cans Iran VP
Associated Press
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Jul 24, 2009 5:05 PM CDT
(AP) -
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad caved in to pressure from hardline clerics and the country's supreme leader today and allowed the resignation of his top deputy after a week-long standoff. For days, the president had resisted pressure to dismiss Esfandiar Rahim Mashai from the key post of first vice president. Mashai last year angered conservatives...
Black, Gay Lit Trailblazer E. Lynn Harris Dead at 54
Associated Press
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Jul 24, 2009 4:17 PM CDT
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Author E. Lynn Harris, who offered a glimpse into the secret lives of closeted gay black men, died last night at 54, the AP reports. His publicist says the cause is unknown, and that Harris suddenly took ill just days ago. An autopsy will be performed next week. Harris was the author of 11 books, 10 of which landed on the New York Times bestseller...
Multifaceted Chardonnay a Welcome Surprise
Forbes
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Jul 24, 2009 4:01 PM CDT
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Chardonnay is ubiquitous, but the “countless weak versions,” especially in the $10 category, disappoint wine lovers, writes Eric Arnold in Forbes . Nevertheless, Americans gulped down about 60 million 9-liter cases in 2008. If you’re willing to beef up your budget and experiment a bit, you may be surprised at the variety of “styles...
Hatch, Cornyn Get on GOP's Anti-Sotomayor Bandwagon
CNN
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Jul 24, 2009 3:37 PM CDT
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In an indication that conservative Republicans are uniting against Sonia Sotomayor, Senate Judiciary Committee members John Cornyn and Orrin Hatch today pledged to vote against her, CNN reports. Though moderate Republicans worry opposition could hurt the party with Hispanics, the conservative base has lobbied hard against the Supreme Court nominee....
Tech Snaps Nadaq's Streak; Dow Climbs 24
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 24, 2009 3:24 PM CDT
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The tech sector exerted downward pressure on stocks today, snapping the Nasdaq’s 12-day winning streak, the Wall Street Journal reports. Microsoft sank 8.9% after reporting a 29% drop in quarterly earnings, while Amazon fell 8.3% after also reporting a disappointing quarter. Alcoa, Pfizer, and Merck helped the Dow climb with modest advances....
Agent Orange Linked to Risk of Parkinson's, Heart Disease
HealthDay News
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Jul 24, 2009 3:11 PM CDT
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Exposure to Agent Orange appears to increase the risk of developing heart disease and Parkinson’s, a congressionally mandated report says. The carcinogenic defoliant has not been definitively linked with the illnesses, but a professor who led the report says there is “limited or suggestive evidence of an association." More evidence...
Bring Back the Summer Suit
Wall Street Journal
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Jul 24, 2009 2:57 PM CDT
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“Having a distinct summer wardrobe was once the mark of a man in the know,” writes Eric Felten in the Wall Street Journal . A seersucker suit Harry Truman wore in June 1945 led reporters to call him “confident” and “optimistic.” Damon Runyon once wrote, “Only very rich men ever wear seersucker clothes.”...
Obama Regrets 'Acted Stupidly' Jab at Cops
New York Times
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Jul 24, 2009 2:42 PM CDT
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President Obama today backpedaled from his comment that the Massachusetts police who arrested Henry Louis Gates Jr. “acted stupidly,” the New York Times reports. In an unannounced appearance at the daily White House briefing, Obama said he “could have calibrated” his words more carefully in speaking on the incident, adding...
Critics Shrink From Adopting Orphan
Rotten Tomatoes
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Jul 24, 2009 2:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Critics are divided over Orphan , a horror flick about an adopted child who makes scary things happen: “Actors have to eat like the rest of us, if evidently not as much, but you still have to wonder how the independent-film mainstays Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard ended up wading through Orphan and, for the most part, not laughing,”...
Architect: Mix Bacteria, Sand for Wall to Stop Sahara
BBC
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Jul 24, 2009 2:21 PM CDT
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With the spread of the Sahara desert threatening the livelihoods of millions in Africa, architect Magnus Larsson proposes solidifying sand into a 3,700-mile wall, the BBC reports. Speaking at a conference today in England, Larsson outlined a plan to saturate sand dunes in a line stretching from Mauritania to Djibouti with a bacterium—Bacillus...
Mount Washington Mascot Dies
Boston Globe
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Jul 24, 2009 2:10 PM CDT
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Mount Washington’s mascot of 12 years died last week at 19 or possibly 20, the Boston Globe reports. Nin the cat “brought a little piece of home” to the New Hampshire mountain’s observatory, says its executive director. He wasn’t much bothered by the site’s vicious weather, occupying himself by following researchers...
Ladies, It's Time to Enjoy Porn
Oprah.com
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Jul 24, 2009 1:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
For years, women have “been told that we won’t—or shouldn’t—be turned on by porn,” but that can, and should, change, writes Violet Blue for Oprah.com. If you just can’t get into the “hokeyness—the ridiculous costumes, the awful cinematography, the ludicrous story lines, the terrible acting,”...
To Appease EU, Microsoft Offers Browser Choice With Windows 7
Bloomberg
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Jul 24, 2009 1:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Microsoft will offer a choice of web browsers to European users of the new Windows 7 operating system to avoid an antitrust fine, Bloomberg reports. “When you’re looking at ongoing fines in a downturn, it makes more sense to settle,” one analyst says. The EU says the software giant will ship Windows 7 with a “ballot screen”...
Here Comes the Robot Bride
Sun (UK)
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Jul 24, 2009 1:38 PM CDT
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A Japanese fashion designer has enlisted a humanoid robot to model wedding dresses on the runway, the Sun reports. The robot, “Miim,” took to the catwalk like a pro, strutting and casting glances at the audience like her human counterparts. “We hope she can work in fashion and entertainment,” Miim’s creator says. But...
