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.
After Diagnosis, Kennedy Wanted a 'Good Ending'
New York Times
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Aug 27, 2009 7:03 AM CDT
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When Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer, he insisted that he would have a "good ending for myself," and friends tell the New York Times that the late senator's last 15 months were filled with joy. He and his wife Vicki spent evenings watching 24 and James Bond films, and in July he enjoyed near-nightly dinner parties with family....
Star Trek Perfume: The Final Frontier
Telegraph (UK)
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Aug 27, 2009 6:46 AM CDT
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Smells like sci-fi spirit. A new line of aftershaves and perfumes is targeting the Star Trek fan base, reports the Daily Telegraph . Creator Genki Wear touts the "casual yet commanding" men's cologne Tiberius, branded after Captain Kirk's middle name, as a scent "difficult to define and impossible to refuse. In any universe."
Brit Cops Hunt Burka-Clad Robbery Gang
Independent (UK)
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Aug 27, 2009 6:39 AM CDT
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British police are investigating three robberies in which men covered in burkas stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry. In separate incidents, the men burst into travel agency and jeweler shops, threatening employees with a knife, a gun, and even an ax, reports the Independent. The crimes took place in different cities northwest...
Americans Are Addicted to Work We Hate
Esquire
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Aug 27, 2009 6:06 AM CDT
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We job-obsessed Americans like to say we work like dogs, but over in Russia they call it "working like Americans," notes Stephen Marche in Esquire , where he probes the "insane" American addiction to work. It's a habit we may finally break, but only thanks to soaring unemployment. Americans work absurdly hard, Marche writes—at...
Defeat All but Certain for Japan's Aso, Ruling Party
Washington Post
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Aug 27, 2009 6:00 AM CDT
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Sunday will likely mark a milestone in Japanese politics as voters dump the Liberal Democratic Party after more than a half-century in power, the Washington Post reports. Even senior LDP leaders acknowledge that Yukio Hatoyama will probably trounce incumbent Prime Minister Taro Aso, and polls predict a staggering turnout with a record 89% of voters...
iPhone Nears China Debut
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 27, 2009 5:35 AM CDT
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Apple has won a technical license from the Chinese government to operate a version of the iPhone that could work with the country’s mobile network, the Wall Street Journal reports. The approval brings the company closer to debuting its hottest product in China’s massive mobile phone market. It’s not clear exactly how many bureaucratic...
Mexican Drug Informants Import Violence to US
Washington Post
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Aug 27, 2009 5:03 AM CDT
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The Obama administration and state governments are spending billions to keep Mexico's escalating drug war from spilling over the border. But the feds fighting trafficking have also relied on Mexican cartel members for intelligence—and that, says the Washington Post , has unleashed gangland-style violence in American cities. Drug kingpins living...
Stewart Spotted 'Ghost' in Godot
Telegraph (UK)
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Aug 27, 2009 4:38 AM CDT
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Actor Patrick Stewart reported seeing a "ghost" in the wings while performing Waiting for Godot in London, reports the Telegraph . The former Star Ship Enterprise captain was apparently not up to snuff during one scene. When co-star Ian McKelllan asked him what happened, Stewart replied: "I just saw a ghost." Stage hands believe...
Colombia Gunmen Slaughter 12 on Indian Reservation
BBC
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Aug 27, 2009 4:08 AM CDT
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Hooded men killed 12 indigenous victims this morning in a Colombian region notorious for coca plantations and armed rebel activity, BBC reports. At least four children were among family members killed in a dawn raid on an Awa tribal reservation, where both Marxist and right-wing rebels are active. The gunmen demanded to see a woman who purportedly...
'Conspiracy' Video Claims to Show Jacko Still Alive
Telegraph (UK)
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Aug 27, 2009 3:45 AM CDT
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A new "conspiracy" video making the rounds on YouTube purports to show Michael Jackson being escorted from a coroner's van after his death, reports the Telegraph . The poster claims to have received the video from a "trustworthy" source, though there is absolutely nothing on the video that supports the claim or even places the...
Kennedy a Green Warrior Before His Time
Climate Progress
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Aug 27, 2009 3:15 AM CDT
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Ted Kennedy was a crusader for environmental protection and energy efficiency long before those causes became fashionable. Climate Progress lists his accomplishments: He eliminated the “oil depletion allowance,” which excluded 22% of oil producer’s revenue from taxes. Kennedy created the 2007 American COMPETES Act, which...
'Mob Sewage' Closes Capri's Blue Grotto
Independent (UK)
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Aug 27, 2009 2:53 AM CDT
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The famous Blue Grotto of the Italian island of Capri has been closed after its striking cerulean waters were fouled by raw sewage believed to be dumped by the Mafia, reports the Independent. La Grotta Azzurra , a favorite haunt of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, is celebrated for its striking waters and the silvery shimmer of cave rocks. Two men have...
France Investigates Exploding iPhones
BBC
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Aug 27, 2009 2:21 AM CDT
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After a glass shard from his exploding iPhone allegedly hit a French security guard in the eye, consumer groups are investigating eight reports of spontaneously cracking or combusting iPhones in France. Consumers in other European countries have reported similar problems with iPhones and iPods, including a UK man allegedly paid hush money by Apple...
Apple's Snow Leopard Sleek, Speedy
New York Times
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Aug 27, 2009 1:55 AM CDT
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Apple's Snow Leopard arrives in stores tomorrow, and advance reviews find it a sleeker beast than the typical upgrade. Rather than decking out OS X Leopard with new features, Apple has shrunk and sped up the program. David Pogue in the New York Times greets the upgrade as a long-overdue end to bloatware, and hopes the rest of the industry will take...
Vick's Fans, Critics Plot Rallies Ahead of Eagles Game
Associated Press
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Aug 27, 2009 1:28 AM CDT
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Michael Vick’s first NFL game since his conviction for dog fighting has triggered strong reactions among animal and civil rights advocates in Philadelphia and they plan to let him know it, AP reports. Before he steps onto the field today as the Eagles’ quarterback, the Pennsylvania SPCA will throw a “tailgate” party across town...
The Astor Trial So Far: High Society, Low Class
Vanity Fair
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Aug 26, 2009 10:56 PM CDT
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Meryl Gordon has a plum seat at the so-called Brooke Astor trial, in which her son, Anthony Marshall, stands accused of thievery. Complete with the crème de la crème of New York society recounting terrible things and scathing Astorisms, Gordon writes in Vanity Fair , it’s a “story about money that everyone could understand,...
Kennedy First on Hill With Own Site
Sunlight Foundation
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Aug 26, 2009 10:00 PM CDT
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Amid the praise for the late Ted Kennedy, one blogger reminds that the Massachusetts senator was the first member of Congress with his own website. “Back in 1993, this was no small feat,” writes Paul Blumenthal for the Sunlight Foundation. “At the time there were no congressional offices connected to the Internet.”
Dalai Lama to Visit Taiwan
Associated Press
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Aug 26, 2009 9:30 PM CDT
(AP) -
Taiwan has agreed to let the Dalai Lama visit the island to comfort survivors of a devastating typhoon, a decision that could anger China. Beijing considers the Buddhist spiritual leader a "splittist" for promoting autonomy in the Chinese region of Tibet. Allowing him to visit Taiwan could undermine the rapidly improving relations between...
LeBron Doc Soundtrack Lands Some Heavy Hitters
MTV
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Aug 26, 2009 8:47 PM CDT
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Four of hip-hop’s biggest names have collaborated on a track inspired by an upcoming documentary on NBA star LeBron James, MTV reports. Forever was originally supposed to include just Drake and Kanye West, but Eminem and Lil Wayne have since jumped into the mix. The track is expected to drop Friday; More Than a Game hits theaters Oct. 2.
Kennedy Honored at Fenway
Boston Globe
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Aug 26, 2009 8:15 PM CDT
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His hometown Boston Red Sox honored the late Ted Kennedy tonight, the Globe reports, with an Air Force sergeant playing Taps before a pre-game moment of silence at Fenway Park. The team also played a video tribute midway through the first inning to the Massachusetts Democrat—who, the team owner noted, threw out this season’s ceremonial...
Easier Prenatal Tests May Replace Invasive Amnio
DoubleX
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Aug 26, 2009 7:50 PM CDT
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Amniocentesis may become a thing of the past, as new procedures are developed that can non-invasively but definitively test for Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities, writes Amanda Schaffer for DoubleX. The procedures, expected to be available in the next few years, take advantage of a recent discovery: Early in pregnancy, DNA from the...
Writer Dominick Dunne Dead at 83
Vanity Fair
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Aug 26, 2009 7:08 PM CDT
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Dominick Dunne, the best-selling author who covered some of the past two decades’ highest-profile trials for Vanity Fair , died today at 83; his son, actor Griffin Dunne, told the magazine bladder cancer was the cause. Dominick Dunne served in World War II and produced TV shows and feature films before penning such novels as The Two Mrs. Grenvilles...
$4.6M Bid Falls Through for Crypt Above Monroe's
Associated Press
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Aug 26, 2009 7:00 PM CDT
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The $4.6 million bid for the crypt above Marilyn Monroe has fallen through. Attorney David Camel, who represents the widow auctioning off her late husband's crypt on eBay, says the bidder declined. Camel says he's working with eBay to resolve the outcome of the auction. He also says there are no plans to move Elsie Poncher's husband until a new occupant...
Obama Will Deliver Kennedy Eulogy
Boston Globe
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Aug 26, 2009 6:35 PM CDT
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President Obama will deliver the eulogy at Sen. Ted Kennedy’s funeral Saturday in Boston, the Globe reports this evening. Obama will make the short trip from Martha’s Vineyard, where he’s vacationing, to the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help for the morning service; Kennedy will be buried that evening at Arlington National...
Sanford: I Won't Be 'Railroaded' Out of Office
Associated Press
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Aug 26, 2009 6:25 PM CDT
(AP) -
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford rebuffed his lieutenant governor's call to resign today, two months after he admitted an affair, saying he will not be "railroaded" out of office and plans to finish his term. At a news conference hours after Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer called for him to step down, Sanford said the people of South Carolina want to...
Fibs Are Good for Marriage
Newsweek
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Aug 26, 2009 6:00 PM CDT
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Raina Kelley is not happy with this "new spate of advice talking about how lying is bad for a relationship," she writes in Newsweek . "That is my line in the sand. Marriages cannot exist without dishonesty." Now, she doesn't mean the big stuff, like adultery. She's talking little fibs. "I don't want to sound like Erma Bombeck,...
Best Sci-Fi Languages
Wired
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Aug 26, 2009 5:25 PM CDT
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Creators of true geek art follow JRR Tolkien’s example and craft fictional languages to populate their worlds. Wired lists the best examples: Klingon. The Star Trek creation is the king of all sci-fi languages, with fully realized grammar and vocabulary. City Speak. Blade Runner ’s vision of earth as a mishmash of Western...
Why Such Rage at Obesity? Start With 'Self-Loathing'
Newsweek
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Aug 26, 2009 5:00 PM CDT
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If so many people are fat in this country, why is there so much venom against the overweight? Part of it can be chalked up to "self-loathing," write Kate Dailey and Abby Ellin in Newsweek . We're conditioned to consider extra pounds unattractive, and we get ticked off when we can't shed them. "The same people that tend to get very angry...
Let Employees Roam the Web
Slate
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Aug 26, 2009 4:37 PM CDT
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Protecting against viruses and encouraging productivity is all well and good, Farhad Manjoo writes on Slate, but “locking down” company computers isn’t the way to go about it. Companies that “block the Web and various other online distractions on the theory that a cowed workforce is an efficient one” are actually losing...
US Airways Raising Bag Fees
East Bay Business Times
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Aug 26, 2009 4:16 PM CDT
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US Airways is following the lead of its competitors and raising bag fees, reports the East Bay Business Times . On domestic flights, the first checked bag will cost $25 and the second will cost $30, a $5 bump for both. If the bags are checked at the airport instead of online, tack on another $5 each. On transatlantic flights, the airline is adding...
McCartney Recalls 'Madness' of Death Rumor
Telegraph (UK)
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Aug 26, 2009 3:53 PM CDT
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The infamous rumor that Paul McCartney died in 1966—and was replaced by a man who looked and sounded like the original—had Beatles’ fans regularly checking the musician’s appearance to see if he was the genuine article, McCartney tells Mojo magazine, as noted by the Telegraph . “I could see people sort of looking at...
Neeson 'Taking Each Day as It Comes'
E! Online
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Aug 26, 2009 3:43 PM CDT
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Liam Neeson and his boys are “taking each day as it comes,” he tells ABC. In his first interview since wife Natasha died in March, Neeson says his two sons, ages 13 and 12, are “getting along as best they can." The actor says he's "still getting extraordinary condolence letters from American people that's deeply touching,"...
Dow Up 4 Despite Strong Housing Data
Wall Street Journal
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Aug 26, 2009 3:33 PM CDT
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Stocks barely eked out gains today, as positive reports on housing and durable goods orders failed to excite investors, the Wall Street Journal reports. New-home sales rose 9.6% in July, beating expectations, while inventories dropped to the lowest level since April 2007. The Dow closed up 4 points at 9,544. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 were flat,...
700K Cars Sold Under Clunkers
Los Angeles Times
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Aug 26, 2009 3:05 PM CDT
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The final numbers for the Cash for Clunkers are in, and they’re pretty rosy, the Los Angeles Times reports. Dealers had until yesterday to file for rebates, and the total was 690,114 new cars sold—and 690,114 clunkers traded in—for a total of $2.9 billion, just shy of the congressional allotment of $3 billion. “This is one...
'Big Gay Ice Cream Truck' Roams Streets of NYC
Gelf Magazine
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Aug 26, 2009 2:50 PM CDT
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This summer, there’s a new kind of ice cream truck on the streets of New York: the big, gay kind. Doug Quint, owner of the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, tells Gelf Magazine about his weirdest topping (wasabi pea dust), the definition of a choinkwich (“a freshly-made chocolate ice-cream sandwich with a layer of caramelized bacon”), and...
Palin to Fans: Watch Beck
Politico
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Aug 26, 2009 2:29 PM CDT
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Sarah Palin is using her social-media soapbox to plug Glenn Beck’s Fox News show, Politico reports. In a message to her 829,000 Facebook friends, Palin says the host has been "doing an extraordinary job this week walking America behind the scenes of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and outlining who is actually running the White House."
America's Top BBQ Joints
Travel Leisure
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Aug 26, 2009 2:20 PM CDT
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Matt and Ted Lee had a mission. Determined to find the best barbecue in America, they set out on a 3,000-mile odyssey from Kansas City to North Carolina. They’d roll into town and ask the locals where the best barbecue was, making sure to try local favorites like snoots (pig snouts) in St. Louis or mutton in Owensboro, Kentucky. Their favorite...
Ya-Ya Sisterhoods Stab You in the Back
Salon
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Aug 26, 2009 2:09 PM CDT
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According to today’s “Sex and the City ethos,” friends are there when romance falters. But in truth, female friendships “are just as complicated as marriages,” author Lucinda Rosenfeld tells Salon. That’s particularly true when it comes to envy, a theme of Rosenfeld’s new novel, I’m So Happy for You...
Kennedy Funeral Saturday; Burial in Arlington
MSNBC
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Aug 26, 2009 1:54 PM CDT
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Ted Kennedy will be buried at Arlington Cemetery near his brothers, MSNBC reports. Other details are firming up: His funeral will be Saturday at Mission Church in Boston, and a two-day wake will take place Thursday and Friday at the JFK Library and Museum, also in Boston. Kennedy will be buried somewhere near JFK's eternal flame gravesite, where Bobby...
Karzai Widens Lead in New Poll Returns
Associated Press
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Aug 26, 2009 1:47 PM CDT
(AP) -
President Hamid Karzai extended his lead over his top challenger in Afghanistan's presidential election, but he remained short of the 50% threshold that would allow him to avoid a two-man runoff. With only 17% of the vote counted, Karzai has 44.8%, while Abdullah Abdullah has 35.1%. The count is proceeding slowly, and final certified results may not...
Cruise Just Cooler than Pitt
E! Online
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Aug 26, 2009 1:42 PM CDT
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A Brad Pitt rep says the Inglourious Basterds star didn’t actually make fun of Tom Cruise’s Valkyrie , as one German magazine reported. But just in case he did, Joal Ryan of E! wants to you to know that Cruise is way cooler anyway. Why? Eye patches are interesting—mustaches not so much. Brooke Shields is cool. She's...
Byrd: Rename Health Bill for Kennedy
Politico
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Aug 26, 2009 1:38 PM CDT
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Senator Robert Byrd wants his colleagues to honor Ted Kennedy by renaming health care legislation in his honor, Politico reports. “As a tribute to his commitment to his ideals, let us stop the shouting and name calling,” said Byrd, 92, himself in poor health. "My heart and soul weeps at the loss of my best friend in the Senate, my...
Health Care Bills Don't Offer Real Choice
New York Times
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Aug 26, 2009 1:22 PM CDT
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Health insurance firms are essentially monopolies because employers, not individuals, choose which plans to offer. This freedom from competitive forces has allowed insurance to become flaky and opaque—and the reform currently being debated in Washington would do little about it, writes David Leonhardt for the New York Times . Even if a public...
Joan & Vicki Kennedy: The Liberal's Lionesses
USA Today
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Aug 26, 2009 12:59 PM CDT
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Over the years, Ted Kennedy relied a lot on his wives, first Joan Bennett and then Vicki Reggie, and the two women couldn’t have been more different, writes Martha Moore of the USA Today . Joan, one of the celebrated Camelot-era Kennedy wives, was reserved and troubled, but it was she who campaigned for Kennedy when he broke his back in 1964.
Got a YouTube Smash? Now You Can Share Ad Revenue
San Francisco Chronicle
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Aug 26, 2009 12:53 PM CDT
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Think you’ve got the next “Chocolate Rain”—or any other recent viral video—in you? Well, now there’s a chance you could actually make money off of it, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. YouTube is rolling out a new Partnership Program that will offer one-off “monetization invitations” to sufficiently...
Biden Chokes Up in Kennedy Tribute
ABC News
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Aug 26, 2009 12:28 PM CDT
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At an energy department event today, Vice President Biden departed from the planned topic for an emotional speech on his “friend” and “anchor” Ted Kennedy, ABC News reports. Kennedy, with whom Biden served as a senator for 36 years, “made everybody he worked with bigger, both his adversaries as well as his allies,”...
Microsoft Apologizes for Racial Photoshopping
CNET
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Aug 26, 2009 12:21 PM CDT
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Microsoft has apologized after eagle-eyed Twitter users and bloggers noticed it swapped a white head onto the body of a black model in an image for its website in Poland. The image on Microsoft’s US homepage, captioned “Empower your people,” shows a white woman, a black man, and an Asian man. But on the Polish page, the black man’s...
Woman of the Year: Beyonce
Billboard
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Aug 26, 2009 12:10 PM CDT
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How fierce: Beyoncé has been named Billboard's Woman of the Year. The magazine singled her out as the most inspirational female recording artist of the last 12 months. The honor comes on the heels of a world tour to promote I Am...Sasha Fierce that saw the singer's philanthropic alter ego emerge as well: Beyoncé donated 2,500...
Need to Think Hard? Hold a Big Clipboard
Science Blogs
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Aug 26, 2009 12:00 PM CDT
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Holding heavier objects could affect your thoughts and how you deal with problems. A University of Amsterdam researcher broke subjects into two groups, giving half a 1.5-pound clipboard and the rest a 2.3-pound clipboard. He then asked them several questions and discovered that the mere 0.8-pound difference had a significant impact on responses, with...
Whitney 'Sublime' After 7 Years Away
Chicago Sun-Times
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Aug 26, 2009 11:35 AM CDT
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It’s been seven years since Whitney Houston’s last album, and many younger listeners probably know her better for her recently-troubled life than for her series of huge hits. But her new album, I Look to You , marks a triumphant return, writes Jim DeRogatis in the Chicago Sun-Times . “Houston’s singing is still incredibly...
