Newser Story Index from August, 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.
iPhone 'Makes Life Miserable'
Salon
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Aug 24, 2009 10:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
We’re supposed to be in awe of the iPhone, the device that “was supposed to be our savior.” But after owning four of the "smug, narcissistic little iPhones," Amanda Fortini is fed up. Amid reports that iPhones are overheating and blowing up, “I at last feel free to say it: The iPhone sucks. It makes life miserable....
Lieberman to Baldwin: 'Make My Day'
Associated Press
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Aug 24, 2009 10:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Alec Baldwin has "no use" for Joe Lieberman and is kicking around a move to Connecticut to run for his Senate seat in 2012—to which Lieberman tells CNN, "Make my day." The independent says he respects Baldwin as an actor and comedian, and "if he wants to run, that's his right."
Afghan Elections a Setback for Women
Associated Press
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Aug 24, 2009 10:17 AM CDT
(AP) -
For women, Afghanistan's recent elections appear to have been more of a setback than a step forward. Early reports strongly suggest that voter turnout fell more sharply for women than for men in last week's polls. Election observers blame Taliban attacks, a dearth of female election workers, and the closure of at least 650 polling stations for women.
Iraqi Shiites Ditch Maliki in New Coalition
Washington Post
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Aug 24, 2009 9:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Iraq’s major Shiite parties have formed a new coalition without Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki or his Dawa Party, they announced today. That means that unless Maliki finds new allies, he will likely lose his job following the January elections. If the new coalition wins a majority, he’ll be replaced by a leader with much closer ties to...
Obesity May Shrink Your Brain
New Scientist
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Aug 24, 2009 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Important cognitive brain regions are smaller in older obese people than fit ones, scientists have found. Shrinking brains are tied to dementia, so the discovery fuels the notion that obesity can raise the risk of the cognitive disorder, New Scientist reports. In a review of 94 brain scans, subjects with higher body mass indexes had memory and planning...
Teen ADHD Drug Abusers Suffer Serious Side Effects
Associated Press
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Aug 24, 2009 9:30 AM CDT
(AP) -
Calls to poison control centers about teens abusing attention-deficit drugs soared 76% over eight years, a new study shows, highlighting the dangerous consequences of prescription abuse. The calls were from worried parents, emergency room doctors, and others seeking advice on how to deal with side-effects of ADHD drugs, which can include rapid heartbeat...
Jacko Kids Take Vegas
People
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Aug 24, 2009 9:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Michael Jackson’s three children spent the weekend at their old home—the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas, where they lived with the King of Pop briefly last year, People reports. This time around, Prince, Paris, and Blanket were joined by grandma Katherine and three friends, and spent a few hours yesterday playing—and dancing—at...
Goldman Gives Trading Tips to Top Clients First
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 24, 2009 9:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Goldman Sachs is withholding stock tips from the thousands of clients who receive the company's written research reports until days after they're passed along to the firm's own traders and some 50 favorite clients, the Wall Street Journal has learned from an analysis of company documents. Confidential “trading huddles” are held weekly...
Madoff Dying of Cancer: Inmates
New York Post
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Aug 24, 2009 9:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Bernie Madoff may not serve much of his 150-year sentence: The Ponzi schemer is suffering from cancer, fellow inmates tell the New York Post , and has been telling everyone he doesn't have long to live. “He’s been taking about 20 pills a day for his cancer,” one tells the tabloid. "He talks about it all the time. He's not doing...
Obama Replaces CIA With Special Interrogators
Washington Post
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Aug 24, 2009 9:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama has ordered the creation of an elite squad that will take over terror interrogations from the CIA, senior officials tell the Washington Post. Dubbed the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group, or HIG, the unit will be housed with the FBI, but overseen by the White House through the National Security Council. Its director will likely...
Apple Stores Defy Recession's Bite on Retailers
Bloomberg
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Aug 24, 2009 9:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Recession or no recession, customers have kept lining up to buy iPhones and other Apple products, Bloomberg reports. Apple’s store revenues grew 2.5% over the first six months of 2009, even as retail sales overall fell 9.2%. In New York, where boutiques on Fifth Avenue are largely deserted, the Apple store enjoyed a 22% surge in traffic in the...
Bye, Bye Birdie Scene Too Risque for Broadway
New York Daily News
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Aug 24, 2009 8:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
High school drama clubs have been putting on Bye Bye Birdie for nearly 50 years—apparently they didn’t realize they've been staging a certain scene so risque it makes Broadway blush. The upcoming Broadway revival will cut a dance sequence featuring Rose cavorting on and around a table with a group of fez-adorned men. Why? “It seemed...
DNA Testing Snags Fish Imposters
Miami Herald
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Aug 24, 2009 8:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If you ordered grouper ($12 per pound) at a restaurant, and the chef slipped you catfish ($2.50 per pound) instead, could you tell the difference? Most diners can’t, which is where Mahmood Shivji comes in. Shivji’s a DNA researcher, who’s developed a method of testing the DNA in seafood dishes. In the past two years, he’s analyzed...
'Embarrassed' Amy Wants Blake Back
Daily Mirror (UK)
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Aug 24, 2009 8:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Amy Winehouse will be the first to admit that going back to her jailbird ex-hubby would be embarrassing, but she can’t help it: Blake Fielder-Civil is “my man,” she told the Mirror after a recent performance. “We can make it. We’re so strong together,” she continued before breaking down: “I’m so embarrassed,...
After Beck Flap, Advertisers Leery of Politics
Advertising Age
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Aug 24, 2009 8:00 AM CDT
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Glenn Beck’s antics could just kill the entire political talk show genre, Advertising Age reports. Beck will return to the air tonight 33 advertisers lighter, after calling President Obama a “racist." But the fallout could spread to other talk shows, too—Clorox has already announced it’s pulling its ads from all...
Facebook to Boost Staff 50%
Bloomberg
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Aug 24, 2009 7:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Facebook is planning to expand its 1,000-strong staff by up to 50% this year, Mark Zuckerberg says, taking advantage of a surplus of engineers in a weak job market. In an interview with Bloomberg, the 25-year-old CEO also says he wants to turn a profit by next year, in part by clamping down on costs. "The thing I want to remind people of...
Krugman Spat With Professor Explodes Online
Independent (UK)
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Aug 24, 2009 7:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Niall Ferguson picked the wrong Nobel-winning economist to mess with. The Scottish historian, who teaches at Harvard, has been caught up in a high-profile academic feud with New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, who has called him a "poseur" and a "whiner" in recent blog posts. Ferguson hit back at Krugman for being "patronizing"—but...
As Fewer Fly, Airline Delays Nosedive
USA Today
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Aug 24, 2009 7:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With fewer travelers taking to the skies, airline delays have dropped significantly compared to recent years, USA Today reports. Delays topping two hours fell by more than a quarter this year from 2008 and 2007 levels, while traffic at big hubs has dropped 9% compared to last year. Traffic at airports hardest hit by airline restructuring, like Pittsburgh...
Recession Soon Over, but Here Comes Another
Financial Times (UK)
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Aug 24, 2009 7:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The global recession is nearly over, but the recovery is far from certain, writes NYU professor and professional pessimist Nouriel Roubini in a Financial Times op-ed. The economist who predicted the financial crisis chides colleagues who foresee a V-shaped recovery, with a quick return to growth. Rather, the recovery will be either U-shaped,...
Firefighters Battle Blazes Near Athens
Associated Press
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Aug 24, 2009 6:41 AM CDT
(AP) -
Fire crews outside Athens are scrambling to exploit a lull in high winds as they fight massive wildfires that broke out Friday and have razed about 58 square miles north of the Greek capital. The flames are still spreading, and a dozen nuns had to be rescued from a convent threatened by one blaze. Up to 2,000 firefighters, soldiers and volunteers...
48 Years Later, Julia Child Tops Bestseller List
New York Times
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Aug 24, 2009 6:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Nearly half a century after it was published, Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking is entering the New York Times bestseller list—at No. 1. The film Julie & Julia , starring Meryl Streep as the famous chef, has electrified sales of the cookbook despite its antiquated recipes calling for artery-clogging amounts of butter....
Venezuela Keeps Miss Universe Crown
Associated Press
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Aug 24, 2009 5:54 AM CDT
(AP) -
Miss Venezuela was the fairest of them all, again. Stefania Fernandez won the 2009 Miss Universe pageant in the Bahamas last night, receiving the crown from her predecessor, fellow countrywoman Dayana Mendoza. The sparkling tiara fell to the floor at one point, as Fernandez danced in joy. Beauty-obsessed Venezuela has won the Miss Universe pageant...
US Commanders: We Need More Troops in Afghanistan
New York Times
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Aug 24, 2009 5:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
American military officials leading the NATO mission in Afghanistan told the Obama administration they need more troops to do their job, compounding Washington's headaches in the wake of an allegedly fraudulent presidential election. Support for the Afghan war is diving among Americans, and several US senators said this weekend that they had lost...
Beer-Drinking Model Gets Ramadan Caning Reprieve
Reuters
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Aug 24, 2009 4:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Muslim model sentenced to caning for drinking beer in Malaysia has been granted a reprieve during the holy month of Ramadan, Reuters reports. The caning will be carried out in late September, officials said. Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a mother of two who lives in Singapore, was arrested while drinking a beer in a hotel lobby in Panang; she demanded...
Health-Care Reform Holds 'Bonanza' for Insurers
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 24, 2009 4:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Regardless of how health-care reform eventually shakes out, one industry will likely reap a windfall: health insurance companies, reports the Los Angeles Times . All the leading overhaul proposals would require all citizens to have health insurance, which would guarantee tens of millions of new customers. "It's a bonanza," said a former...
Paquin: 'I Take Off My Bra for Sex'
Extra
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Aug 24, 2009 4:00 AM CDT
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Sassy Anna Paquin has absolutely no trouble stripping down for scenes in HBO's steamy series Tru Blood , she tells Nylon in a let-it-all-hang-out interview. "I'm sorry, maybe there are women who keep their bras on while they have sex. I don't happen to be one of them," quips Paquin, who plays delectable telepath Sookie Stackhouse.
LOL! Dirty Text Collectors Strike it Rich
Detroit Free Press
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Aug 24, 2009 3:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Raunchy and funny text messages about love and lust have rocketed two recent college grads to easy street, reports the Detroit Free Press . Michigan friends Ben Bator and Lauren Leto loved their pals' outlandish texts so much they launched a Web site to share the fun. It was an instant hit, to the tune of 3 million daily visits. The two are now sifting...
Justice Report Recommends Prisoner Abuse Investigations
New York Times
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Aug 24, 2009 3:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A report by the ethics office of the Justice Department recommends reopening a dozen cases of alleged prisoner abuse, a move that would expose CIA employees to prosecution if it's determined they tortured terrorism suspects, reports the New York Times . Legal experts predict Attorney General Eric Holder will launch a new criminal investigation...
Lockerbie Fury Threatens to Topple Scottish Govt.
Times (UK)
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Aug 24, 2009 2:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Scottish government is in a fight for its life as anger over the release of the Lockerie bomber continues to mount, reports the Times of London. Opposition parties are preparing to hold a confidence vote in the wake of the freeing of Libyan terrorist Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi. The move has been blasted by the US and many in Britain amid reports...
Discovery Set to Blast Off
Space.com
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Aug 24, 2009 2:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
NASA has cleared the Space Shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven to launch tomorrow, as long as a slight chance of lightning doesn't delay fueling efforts, reports Space.com. NASA won't fuel the spacecraft—preparing for a 13-day resupplying mission—if there is a 20% or greater chance of lightning within five miles. So far, skies are expected...
Obama Vacay: No Kennedy Visit, No Golf With Tiger
WCVB Boston
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Aug 24, 2009 1:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Obama's week-long vacation in Martha’s Vineyard brings the president close to Sen. Ted Kennedy's Hyannis Port vacation home, but the First Family has no plans to visit the ailing senator, reports WCVB Boston. The White House deputy press secretary shot down another "bad rumor" that Obama would play golf with Tiger Woods.
Schools Are Ground Zero in Swine Flu Fight
Washington Post
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Aug 24, 2009 1:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Groups of kids or young adults in close proximity, often with lax sanitary standards, make typical school conditions hot spots for a swine flu resurgence, reports the Washington Post . To make matters worse, people 6 months to 24 years old appear to be especially susceptible to the H1N1 virus. But unless conditions quickly deteriorate, schools plan...
Murder Suspect Found Dead in Vancouver
Vancouver Sun
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Aug 23, 2009 9:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Reality TV star Ryan Jenkins, accused in the murder of his swimsuit model ex-wife, has been found dead in a British Columbia hotel room, where he apparently hanged himself, the Vancouver Sun reports. "It would be speculation to say how long he had been in there," a rep for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said. Authorities in California...
Cuba Unveils Pic of 'Healthy' Fidel Castro
BBC
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Aug 23, 2009 7:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Fidel Castro is dressed sharply and looking healthier in a photo released by a state-run newspaper today, the BBC reports. Dressed in a white shirt instead of his trademark tracksuit, with his nearly white hair combed back, the nation's ailing former leader is seen chatting with Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa. He also made made his first television...
Rogue Hurricane Bill Wave Kills Young Girl
Associated Press
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Aug 23, 2009 7:35 PM CDT
(AP) -
The Coast Guard says a 7-year-old girl has died after a large wave stirred up by Hurricane Bill swept her and two others off a rocky ledge at Acadia National Park in Maine. A Maine official says the girl's name isn't being released but that she was from New York state. The girl was one of three people plucked from the water by rescuers. The other two...
Most Obama Posts Still Not Filled
New York Times
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Aug 23, 2009 7:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama is still missing more than half his team after 7 months in the Oval Office, the New York Times reports. Facing a grueling confirmation process for appointees, the president has filled only 43% of more than 500 top policymaking positions that require Senate approval. Planning to reform financial markets, improve cybersecurity, and...
Millions Face Shrinking Social Security Payments
Associated Press
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Aug 23, 2009 6:35 PM CDT
(AP) -
Millions of older people face shrinking Social Security checks next year, the first time in a generation that payments would not rise. The trustees who oversee Social Security are projecting there won't be a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the next 2 years. That hasn't happened since automatic increases were adopted in 1975.
Writer Wrestles With Visit to Long-Necked Thai Tribe
Washington Post
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Aug 23, 2009 6:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Most travel companies refuse to take tourists to Thailand’s Burmese Padaung tribe—whose women wear neck coils that artificially elongate their necks—arguing that the practice is exploitative. But Amit R. Paley, writing for the Washington Post , ultimately found a guide and wrestled down his conscience. "My ability to write...
Anchorage Homeless Deaths Spark Conspiracy Theories
Anchorage Daily News
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Aug 23, 2009 5:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A rash of homeless deaths during warm-weather months has alarmed residents and homeless advocates in Anchorage, Alaska. In a feature article ranging from serial killer conspiracy theories to chronicles of life on the streets, the Anchorage Daily News looks at the 12 homeless deaths and points out the most likely killers: chronic alcoholism and prejudice...
Thieves Loot Lohan's Home
TMZ
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Aug 23, 2009 5:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Three men were caught on tape breaking into Lindsay Lohan’s Hollywood Hills house this morning, TMZ reports. The actress discovered the burglary when she came home at 3am, then called her father. "The safe was ripped out of the wall, and the door was off the hinges and door handles removed," Lohan’s mother tells People . "Bags,...
Town Hall Gun-Toters in Same Righty Group
TPM
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Aug 23, 2009 4:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two men who brought guns to events featuring President Barack Obama belong to the same right-wing organization, Talking Points Memo reports. Chris Broughton, who carried an assault rifle into an Arizona town hall this week, and William Kostric, who brought a handgun to a New Hampshire forum last week, are "team members" of the Arizona chapter...
Marriage Cuts Male Health Risks by 10%
Daily Mail (UK)
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Aug 23, 2009 4:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Marriage is healthier for men than lowering their blood pressure or even quitting smoking, a new study says. Researchers at the University of Arizona looked at 1,715 people aged 57 to 85 and found that married men had less of a protein that has been linked to stroke, depression, and heart disease. Guys not wearing a ring had almost twice as much C-reactive...
Hotties Hate Marriage in Prospect Park West
New York Post
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Aug 23, 2009 4:04 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Kudos to Carrie Bradshaw for seeking sex in the city, because marriage in the city apparently stinks, Annie Karni writes in the New York Post . Author Amy Sohn’s dark new tome about marriage and motherhood, Prospect Park West , is garnering praise as the next Sex and the City , following the story of four thirtysomething Brooklynites who bitterly...
Iraqi Bombing Suspect Paid $10K to Pass Checkpoints
Associated Press
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Aug 23, 2009 3:42 PM CDT
(AP) -
Attackers paid $10,000 to get a bomb-laden truck past checkpoints and next to the Iraqi Finance Ministry in last week's attacks, one of the suspected masterminds said in a confession broadcast today. Seeking to fend off widespread criticism over security lapses, the Iraqi military released what it said was the confession of a Sunni man it identified...
Basterds Hunts Down Box Office Win
USA Today
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Aug 23, 2009 3:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Inglourious Basterds had a glorious opening weekend, scalping the box office for $37.6 million to give Quentin Tarantino the best opening of his career, USA Today reports. District 9 continued its strong showing in second place with $18.9 million, while GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra ($12.5 million), The Time Traveler's Wife ($10 million), and...
Thieves Kill Sumatran Tiger, Swipe Pricey Fur, Bones
Associated Press
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Aug 23, 2009 3:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Thieves at an Indonesian zoo slaughtered an endangered tiger and swiped most of its body in a caper officials believe was motivated by greed, the AP reports. “It was sadistic,” said the director of the zoo, where staffers found the remains of the female tiger yesterday. “The killers left only its intestines in the cage.” The...
Is Teddy's Care Too Costly for Real Reform?
Politico
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Aug 23, 2009 2:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Edward Kennedy’s terminal illness has become a powerful symbol in the health care debate, Politico reports, though not necessarily in the way the Massachusetts senator would like. Although Kennedy recently wrote that he wants all Americans “to get the same treatment that US senators are entitled to,” experts say that cost-saving reform...
High Court May Lift Restrictions on Corporate Cash in Politics
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 23, 2009 2:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
September 9 could mark a watershed in campaign finance, as the Supreme Court hears a special argument for overturning long-standing rules that restrict corporations from buying political advertisements, the Los Angeles Times reports. The court has used the case of Hillary: The Movie , a documentary that a lower courts decided fell under the definition...
Reid Trails 2 Republican Challengers in Poll
Politico
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Aug 23, 2009 1:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is trailing not one but two GOP challengers in the race for his seat, Politico reports. In a poll released today, Reid lags behind both college basketball star Danny Tarkanian, 38% to 49%, and state GOP chairwoman Sue Lowden, 40% to 45%, in one-on-one match-ups. The poll surveyed 400 registered Nevada voters and has...
Procrastinators Rush In as Clunkers Runs Out
New York Times
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Aug 23, 2009 1:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Cash for Clunkers revved into overdrive during its final weekend, the New York Times reports. After Thursday’s announcement that the Car Allowance Rebate System would end tomorrow at 8pm, consumers across the country raced to dealerships, resulting in long lines, epic haggling sessions, and hours of overtime work. “Everybody who was thinking...
