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.
Hollywood's New Green Crusaders
Grist
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Aug 29, 2009 5:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Celebs may not be known for living simply, but a new generation of eco-friendly stars is taking a stand for the planet. Grist rounds them up: Orlando Bloom owns a solar-powered house, drives a hybrid, and is a founder of Global Cool, which campaigns against climate change. Rachel McAdams keeps a blog called Green Is Sexy , gets...
US May Scrap Polish, Czech Missile Sites; Russia Pleased
New York Times
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Aug 29, 2009 5:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The White House may drop sites in Poland and the Czech Republic where the Bush administration planned to build a billion-dollar missile defense shield, the New York Times reports. The alternative plans under consideration would please Russia and Germany but strain ties with Eastern Europe, where the Obama administration's review of the shield has...
Gadhafi Won't Be Pitching Tent in New Jersey
WNBC-TV
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Aug 29, 2009 5:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Moammar Gadhafi won't be allowed to set foot outside New York City on his upcoming visit to the UN, NBC reports. New Jersey officials disturbed by Gadhafi's plans to stay in a Bedouin tent on the grounds of a Libyan-owned mansion in Englewood were relieved at the news that Gadhafi's visa will block him from venturing into the Garden State.
Obama Wouldn't Cover Kennedy: Huckabee
Politico
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Aug 29, 2009 1:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Passing health care reform in Ted Kennedy’s honor “not only defies good taste, it defies logic,” Mike Huckabee declared yesterday. Adding his own take on Sarah Palin's death panel meme, he said that under Democratic health care proposals, Kennedy would have been told to “go home to take pain pills and die” as soon as he...
Discovery, on 3rd Try, Blasts Off
Associated Press
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Aug 28, 2009 11:11 PM CDT
(AP) -
Space shuttle Discovery and seven astronauts blasted off seconds before midnight (EDT) from Florida, lighting up the sky for miles around. It was NASA's third launch attempt. Tuesday's try was called off by thunderstorms and Wednesday's by fuel valve trouble. Discovery is hauling a full load of space station supplies, including a treadmill named...
Bipartisan Crew Fetes 'Teddy'
Boston Globe
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Aug 28, 2009 9:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Politicians from both parties joined family and friends tonight in Boston, the Globe reports, to remember Sen. Ted Kennedy, who died Tuesday at 77. He was “the best ally you could have,” said Republican John McCain; GOP colleague Orrin Hatch said they were “like two fighting brothers.” Added Massachusetts Democrat John Kerry...
UAE Seizes Ship Bringing N. Korean Arms to Iran
Financial Times (UK)
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Aug 28, 2009 9:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates today seized a ship carrying weapons from North Korea to Iran, the Financial Times reports—a violation of United Nations resolutions barring Pyongyang from exporting arms. The shipment was headed for a company linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which has previously been banned from importing...
Tennis Cops Warn Players About US Open Tweeting
Associated Press
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Aug 28, 2009 9:00 PM CDT
(AP) -
Tennis authorities are telling participants in the US Open, which begins Monday, to watch their tweeting. Signs are posted in the players' lounge, locker rooms and referee's office at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center with the header: "Important. Player Notice. Twitter Warning." The signs, written by the Tennis Integrity Unit,...
NYC Cops: DJ AM Death Looks Like Drug Overdose
New York Post
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Aug 28, 2009 8:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A drug overdose looks to be the cause of death for DJ AM, the celebrity disc jockey found today in a SoHo apartment, New York police tell the Post . A crack pipe and prescription drugs lay near the bed where Adam Goldstein, 36, died sometime in the past few days; bottles of pills were found in the kitchen and bedroom.
Aide: Obama Eulogy to Focus on Kennedy's Impact on US
Politico
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Aug 28, 2009 8:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama is still working on the eulogy he’ll deliver at Ted Kennedy’s funeral tomorrow in Boston, an aide tells Politico tonight. Though Obama will offer “a personal take on the senator as legislator, mentor, colleague, friend and family member,” the aide says, it’s “more about his impact on the country.”...
DJ AM Found Dead at 36
TMZ
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Aug 28, 2009 6:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
DJ AM, who less than a year ago survived a plane crash, was found dead this afternoon in a New York apartment, TMZ reports; his real name was Adam Goldstein, and he was 36. Police, called by a friend who hadn’t seen Goldstein in several days, found drug paraphernalia at the scene after breaking down the door of the SoHo apartment.
Guitarist Noel Gallagher Quits Oasis, Blames Brother Liam
BBC
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Aug 28, 2009 6:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After years of sibling rivalry that often escalated into brawls, guitarist Noel Gallagher quit the band Oasis today, the BBC reports, and blamed brother Liam. “It’s with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight,” Noel, who’s 6 years older than Liam, 36. “People will write and say what they like,...
How to Spend Your $333M Mega Jackpot
ABC News
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Aug 28, 2009 6:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With the Mega Millions jackpot at $333 million, ABC News investigates the best ways to spend it: A new pad: "I would think they'd want to own a truly extraordinary home," says a real-estate agent. How about 3 townhouses in Greenwich Village, at just $16 million a pop? That's "one for myself, one for the rest of my family...
Halloween II a Gory Dud
Metacritic
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Aug 28, 2009 5:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Dimension Films refused to screen Rob Zombie's Halloween II for critics—which is looking like a wise move based on the reviews coming out: "Creatively comatose, even by the standards of a sequel to a remake," writes Rob Nelson in Variety . "Zombie's hatchet job on the series he revived so artfully two years ago...
Political Luminaries Arrive to Celebrate Kennedy
Associated Press
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Aug 28, 2009 5:23 PM CDT
(AP) -
Now that the public has said goodbye to Sen. Edward Kennedy, a who's who of politics is converging on Boston for a private service featuring music, laughter, and, in all likelihood, calls to grant Kennedy's last political wish—health coverage for all Americans. The event, billed as "a celebration of life," will contrast with the solemnity...
Cops Probe Garrido Link to Murdered Hookers
Associated Press
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Aug 28, 2009 5:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Police obtained a warrant today to search the Pittsburgh, Calif., house of Jaycee Dugard's alleged kidnapper in connection with the murders of several prostitutes in the 1990s, the Los Angeles Times reports. Garrido allegedly worked at an industrial site near where the victims’ bodies were found. He also served time from 1977 to 1988 on a separate...
Office Star to Tie the Knot
People
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Aug 28, 2009 4:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Office star John Krasinski and actress Emily Blunt are engaged, People reports. The couple have kept it low-key, showing up at this year's SAG Awards separately and dating far from paparazzi in Los Angeles. "It's not about celebrity or not," Krasinski, 29, says of his relationship with Blunt, 26. "It's all about, do you have...
Sheriff Sorry for Missing Jaycee Case
Associated Press
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Aug 28, 2009 4:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Sheriff of Contra Costa County apologized to Jaycee Lee Dugard’s family today for not investigating the case earlier, the Los Angeles Times reports. Sheriff Warren Rupf said a 911 caller warned years ago that children were living in tents in Phillip Garrido's backyard. But a deputy responding to the call let Garrido off with a warning....
Alleged Jaycee Kidnappers Face Life Sentences
Contra Costa Times
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Aug 28, 2009 4:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Phillip and Nancy Garrido, the couple accused of kidnapping 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard in 1991 and holding her captive for 18 years, were charged today with 29 felony counts and the possibility of multiple life sentences if they're convicted, the Contra Costa Times reports. The charges include forcible rape, kidnapping, and false imprisonment...
Gadhafi Son: Why the Fuss Over Bomber's Release?
The Herald (UK)
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Aug 28, 2009 3:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The release of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi had nothing to do with commerce, Moammar Gadhafi's son tells the Scotland Herald . What's more, he blames the celebration of Megrahi's return on the British news media—“Everyone knew from Sky and the BBC that he was going to land in Tripoli in four hours,” Saif...
Dow Drops 36 as Consumer Data Saps Stocks
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 28, 2009 3:28 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks mostly fell today despite good news from the tech sector, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Reuters/University of Michigan index of consumer confidence fell in August, dragging the markets down. Intel rose 4.32% after raising its third-quarter profit forecast, while Dell gained 1.89% on second-quarter earnings that beat expectations. The...
Best New Travel Websites
Times (UK)
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Aug 28, 2009 3:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The summer is winding down, but there’s still time for a last-minute vacation. The Times of London lists 10 new websites to check out: Tripbod: Answer questions about your interests and hobbies, and a local expert will plan an itinerary for you. Vimeo: The travel group on this video site features good information on countries,...
Dutch Museum's 'Moon Rock' an Out-of-This-World Fake
BBC
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Aug 28, 2009 3:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A “moon rock” exhibited at the Dutch national museum is actually petrified wood, the BBC reports. The three Apollo 11 astronauts gave the object to former PM Willem Drees on a tour following their 1969 moon mission; NASA shared similar artifacts with more than 100 other countries. The purported moon rock was once insured for $500,000.
Vodka Tampons? A Ridiculous Myth
Phoenix New Times
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Aug 28, 2009 3:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Internet’s been all atwitter with talk of vodka-soaked tampons and anal beer bongs, supposedly new fads in teenage intoxication. The talk stems from an Arizona TV news piece in which a rehab spokeswoman, Stephanie Siete, said teens were shoving liquor into their unmentionables to hurry it into the bloodstream. But she’s probably just...
Federal Court Ruling Shakes Up Cable Industry
Reuters
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Aug 28, 2009 2:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In a decision that could revolutionize the communications industry, a federal appeals court has struck down an FCC rule prohibiting a cable TV company from serving more than 30% of the market, Reuters reports. The court declared the rule "arbitrary and capricious,” noting that cable operators face competition not just from one another but...
Coroner Confirms Jackson's Death Was Homicide
MSNBC
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Aug 28, 2009 2:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Confirming reports leaked Monday, the LA County coroner's office said today that Michael Jackson's death was a homicide. The ruling means someone else caused the death but does not assign blame or even necessarily mean a crime was committed, MSNBC reports. The official cause of death is "acute intoxication" with the powerful...
Madoff-Burned Owners Must Sell Mets: Author
Reuters
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Aug 28, 2009 2:23 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Wilpon family will have to sell the New York Mets after losing $700 million to Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme, according to an author who wrote about the money manager. “It's possible they would have to sell by next year,” says Erin Arvedlund, author of Too Good to Be True . The team denied it, calling her remark "completely false" and...
'Great White Hope' Outcry an Overreaction
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Aug 28, 2009 2:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Lynn Jenkins' remark that Republicans are seeking "the great white hope" has been blown far out of proportion, Cynthia Tucker writes in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Sure, the freshman lawmaker welcomed young GOP stars "who are, well, white," but she was just drawing on a cliché. She likely doesn't even know...
Petraeus Sorry for Razzing Air Force
Air Force Times
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Aug 28, 2009 1:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The head of US Central Command has apologized to the Air Force after making a joke at the service's expense, the Air Force Times reports. A rep for the Air Force chief of staff said the apology was accepted. David Petraeus, an Army general who commands US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, cracked the joke as a lead-in to a speech to Marines.
Film's Best Cross-Dressers
Nerve
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Aug 28, 2009 1:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Liev Schreiber was “giddy” playing an ex-Marine transvestite in Taking Woodstock , and in his honor, Nerve lists the best cross-dressers in film history: John Cameron Mitchell, Hedwig and the Angry Inch: He "is the epitome of ferocity and theatricality that drag queens around the world aspire to.” Dustin...
Kidnapper's Dad: My Son Is a 'Crazy Person'
Associated Press
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Aug 28, 2009 1:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The father of the man accused of kidnapping, raping, and imprisoning Jaycee Dugard says his son was a model youth—until he discovered acid, reports the Los Angeles Times . "Everyone loved him," Manuel Garrido says of Phillip, who played guitar in a band, cracked jokes, and always helped around the house. That changed in his teens....
Woodstock Not Worth the Trip
Rotten Tomatoes
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Aug 28, 2009 1:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Taking Woodstock isn’t really about the music: it’s more about coming of age on the outskirts of the festival. Critics are lukewarm about Ang Lee's latest effort: “You can’t deny the smiling mood that wafts through the film like incense,” admits Anthony Lane of the New Yorker , “and to that extent it honors...
NFL to Dallas: Don't Move the Scoreboard
Dallas Morning News
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Aug 28, 2009 12:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
When a preseason punt hit the high-tech video screen at the Cowboys’ fancy new stadium, it prompted talk of moving the board. Now, the league says it can stay where it is, at least for this season, the Dallas Morning News reports. If another punter hits it—the team thinks the opposing kicker did it on a lark because it was preseason—the...
Thousands Come Out for Day 2 of Kennedy Wake
Boston Globe
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Aug 28, 2009 12:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Thousands more well-wishers flocked to the Kennedy Library in Boston today to pay their respects to Ted Kennedy, the Globe reports. Mourners stood in an eight-wide line that snaked back and forth throughout the parking lot. Among the mourners were several state lawmakers, a group from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and noted Republican activist...
Crist Names Aide to Senate
MSNBC
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Aug 28, 2009 12:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Florida Governor Charlie Crist has appointed his former campaign manager and chief of staff to fill the Senate seat of Mel Martinez, MSNBC reports. George LeMieux will represent the state until next year's election, when Crist himself will vie for the GOP nod. “George is bright, capable, and an accomplished administrator," Martinez says....
Aruba Resort Pays Guests to Make Babies
USA Today
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Aug 28, 2009 12:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Getting knocked up really pays off, at least at one Westin resort in Aruba, USA Today reports. In honor of coral's spawning season, couples who shell out $399 for a daily package are eligible for a $300 “conception credit” toward their next vacation—if they conceive during their stay. How do you prove it? A doctor's note, putting...
The Latest Ozone Villain: Laughing Gas
Time
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Aug 28, 2009 11:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Nitrous oxide is the new chlorofluorocarbons. A study published today fingers N2O, aka laughing gas, as the most dangerous ozone-depleting gas in the air, Time reports. Nitrous oxide isn’t as dangerous as CFCs, but it’s incredibly common, emitted by everything from fertilizer to sewage treatment plants to cars. “Pretty soon, human-caused...
The September Issue Delivers
Rotten Tomatoes
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Aug 28, 2009 11:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The September Issue is a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Vogue ’s September 2007 issue—and at the woman in charge of it all. RJ Cutler's film may change minds about editor in chief Anna Wintour and her brutal reputation: Stephanie Zacharek of Salon calls the film “documentary gold.” It “exists,...
Gun-Toter's Pastor Prayed for Obama's Death
Talking Points Memo
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Aug 28, 2009 11:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The man who brought an assault rifle to an Obama town hall in Arizona last week had attended a sermon the day before during which the pastor said he would “pray for Barack Obama to die and go to hell,” TPM reports. “I’d like Barack Obama to melt like a snail tonight,” said the pastor, Steven Anderson, calling Obama “the...
Chris Brown's Mom Thanks Fans
E! Online
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Aug 28, 2009 11:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Chris Brown’s mother is speaking out for the first time since her son's assault on Rihanna, thanking fans for supporting him, E! reports. “I can now say this has been the most painful moment in my entire life,” Joyce Hawkins writes on his fan club website. “This whole thing isn't about Chris, it's about God. He wants to show...
Entourage Stars 'Treated Me Like Meat:' Irina Voronina
Fox News
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Aug 28, 2009 11:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Russian model and Playboy Playmate was treated “like a piece of meat” by the stars of HBO’s Entourage —and was subsequently fired for ignoring their sexual advances, she tells Fox News. Some shots required the actors to “have their hands all over us,”Irina Voronina says, but “when the cameras stop I expect...
Not So Fast, UN: Darfur War Isn't Over
GlobalPost
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Aug 28, 2009 11:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A top UN official has declared that the "real war" in Darfur is over, but that might come as a surprise to the 3 million or so refugees still living in fear of militia attacks, writes Andrew Meldrum for Global Post. He talks to relief officials who find the pronouncement "incredibly premature," in the words of one. It "directly...
Big Fan Scores with Critics
Rotten Tomatoes
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Aug 28, 2009 11:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Critics are big fans of Big Fan , a funny yet tragic look at football devotees directed by The Wrestler screenwriter Robert Siegel. Here’s what they’re saying: Star Patton Oswalt “gives a tour de force performance,” writes Ray Greene of Box Office Magazine , and Siegel finds “the highest of human stakes...
Time Warner Enlists Networks for Internet TV Test
Charlotte Business Journal
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Aug 28, 2009 10:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Time Warner has signed up at least a dozen networks for a new Internet TV service, and plans to test the service in select markets soon, the Charlotte Business Journal reports. Onboard are CBS, HBO, Syfy, AMC, and Time Warner’s own TNT and TBS, among others. Time Warner is promising the service, dubbed “TV Everywhere,” will include...
Senior Bushes Will Skip Kennedy Funeral
Associated Press
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Aug 28, 2009 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush won't attend Ted Kennedy's funeral tomorrow, the AP reports. All of the living presidents had been expected at the senator's service in Boston, but the 85-year-old Bush changed his mind after learning his son would be among the mourners, a rep says. Bush 41 will "amply and well represent" the family, the...
Portman Loves 'Dirty Rap'
Interview
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Aug 28, 2009 10:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Among the confessions Natalie Portman makes to interviewer—and co-star—Jake Gyllenhaal in Interview : She was scared of Smurfs, is obsessed with Carvel ice cream cake, and loves “really, really obscene hip-hop,” she says. “I love it so much. It makes me laugh and then it makes me want to dance. Those are like my two favorite...
Berlusconi Slaps European Papers With Libel Suits
Reuters
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Aug 28, 2009 10:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Silvio Berlusconi is suing Italian and foreign media outlets for libel regarding his personal life, Reuters reports. “We have instructed our colleagues to evaluate, according to the laws in their countries, the most serious cases of real, true defamation,” said the Italian PM's lawyer. Berlusconi’s legal team has already filed suits...
August Deadliest Month for US in Afghanistan
Associated Press
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Aug 28, 2009 10:18 AM CDT
(AP) -
A bomb blast in Afghanistan killed an American service member today, making August the deadliest month of the 8-year war for US forces. The service member's vehicle struck a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan, NATO forces said, bringing the number of troops killed in August to 45, one more than the total in July.
The Memorial Killings: What Katrina Doctors Did
ProPublica
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Aug 28, 2009 10:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the staff at one New Orleans hospital faced a torturous dilemma: For critically ill patients who would have to be carried down as many as 8 flights of stairs and back up to the roof of a garage, evacuation seemed impossible. With rumors of rioters preparing to attack and police ordering everyone who could go into...
Barton: Tooth Surgery Led to Breakdown
TimeOut
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Aug 28, 2009 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mischa Barton is speaking out for the first time about last month’s “involuntary psychiatric hold,” and the troubled actress pins much of the blame on wisdom tooth surgery. “It was a nightmare," she tells Time Out New York . "I’ve never had surgery before—it all went wrong and I had to have a second surgery,”...
