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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.

Can BlackBerry Addicts Switch to iPhone?
Wall Street Journal | Aug 26, 2009 11:16 AM CDT
(Newser) - For BlackBerry users, the lure of the iPhone can be hard to resist, despite the Apple device's lack of a keyboard and AT&T-only service policy. The Wall Street Journal followed five BlackBerry users who switched to the iPhone and charted the highs and lows: All of them said they adjusted quickly to typing on the screen, though some said they...
Lt. Gov: Sanford Must Resign
State (Columbia, SC) | Aug 26, 2009 10:54 AM CDT
(Newser) - The heat gets turned up on Mark Sanford today: His own lieutenant governor will ask him to resign, the State reports. Andre Bauer plans to make the request in both a news conference and in a personal letter to the embattled South Carolina governor. Bauer says he would serve out Sanford's term but would not run for re-election in 2010, a key sticking...
Alzheimer's Test: Do You Recognize This Person?
Time | Aug 26, 2009 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - If you have trouble remembering who Britney Spears is, there’s some good news and bad news. Good news: You have managed to forget Britney Spears. Bad news: You might be at risk for Alzheimer’s, according to a new study. A team of scientists recently found that people with a high Alzheimer’s risk have to work harder to remember celebrity...
Kate Gosselin to Guest Host View
People | Aug 26, 2009 10:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - As if one argument-laced show isn't enough, Kate Gosselin is about to up her on-air time with a guest spot on the View , People reports. The weary reality TV mom will fill in for Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who's out on maternity leave, on Sept. 14 and 15. She joins other guest hosts Meghan McCain, LaToya Jackson, and ED Hill.
Broke, California Holds Huge Garage Sale
Associated Press | Aug 26, 2009 10:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - Just how bad has California’s budget crisis gotten? So bad that it’s holding what it’s calling the “Great California Garage Sale” this weekend, hoping to unload piles of junk and wasteful property that the state’s accrued over the years. Hundreds of items will be available, from BlackBerrys to desks to cars and CHiPs...
No, Joe, We Can't Put Off Health Care
Los Angeles Times | Aug 26, 2009 10:18 AM CDT
(Newser) - Joe Lieberman recently opined that, given our deficit woes, we should wait to reform health care, saying “There’s no reason we have to do it all now." Well, he’s dead wrong, writes David Lazarus of the LA Times . Without reform, costs will keep going up, and the ranks of the uninsured will keep growing, meaning reform will cost...
'Heartbroken' Obama Hails Kennedy as 'Greatest Senator'
Politico | Aug 26, 2009 10:16 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama said he was "heartbroken" to learn of the death of Ted Kennedy, whom the president called “one of the greatest senators of our time but also one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy," in an appearance on Martha's Vineyard, where the First Family is vacationing. The president was apprised of...
Ted Kennedy: A Life in Pictures
Boston Globe | Aug 26, 2009 10:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - Sen. Ted Kennedy's office wrote about 2,500 bills during his nearly half-century of service, points out the Boston Globe, more than 300 of which have become law. But when it comes to illustrating highlights, a picture speaks a thousand words. Click on the image box to the left for a slideshow.
Schreiber 'Giddy' in Drag
People | Aug 26, 2009 10:11 AM CDT
(Newser) - Acting is all about challenging yourself—just ask Liev Schreiber, who had to get a full body wax, sport a dress and master walking in high heels for his role as a transvestite in Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstoc k, People reports. “It was exhilaratingly humiliating," Schreiber said of cross-dressing. "I completely became giddy...
CBO Is Usually Wrong on Health Reform Numbers
New York Times | Aug 26, 2009 9:53 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Congressional Budget Office is a much-respected institution, and its integrity is beyond question, but it’s got a really lousy record when it comes to estimating the effects of health care reform, writes researcher Jon Gabel in the New York Times . It has drastically underestimated savings from each of the last three major Medicare reforms....
Randall Terry Booted From Va. Town Hall
Salon | Aug 26, 2009 9:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - Theatrical antiabortion protester Randall Terry was escorted from a town hall last night as he hammered Howard Dean for "baby-killing," Salon reports. Terry has been protesting outside town halls, but last night, he came indoors as the former DNC chair and Rep. Jim Moran met with constituents in Virginia. Things were “rowdy and ugly”...
Bernanke's Next Challenge: Undoing His Own Work
New York Times | Aug 26, 2009 9:22 AM CDT
(Newser) - In his first term as Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke played the role of savior, lending hundreds of billions to banks and businesses, backing the mortgage market, and cutting interest rates. In his second, Bernanke will have to turn “strict disciplinarian,” reversing earlier moves to respond to a massive deficit, writes Edmund Andrews in the...
Huge Kandahar Blast Kills 43, but Taliban Deny Role
Associated Press | Aug 26, 2009 9:09 AM CDT
(Newser) - A Taliban spokesman today denied that the group was behind a huge explosion that killed at least 43 and injured 65 more in Kandahar last night. Roughly 40 shops were destroyed in the blast, which went off outside a wedding hall just as people were breaking their Ramadan fast. Rescue workers are still pulling people from the wreckage.
Ted Was the Greatest Kennedy
Time | Aug 26, 2009 8:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - On the weekend of his inauguration, John F. Kennedy gave his youngest brother a cigarette case engraved with the words, “And the last shall be first.” Fifty years later, that prophesy has come true, writes Richard Lacayo of Time. The "long shadow of Chappaquiddick" may have kept Ted Kennedy out of the White House, but "as...
Phylicia Rashad Slims Down
New York Daily News | Aug 26, 2009 8:34 AM CDT
(Newser) - Dr. Huxtable would be proud: Phylicia Rashad has shed 35 pounds since December with a little help from Jenny Craig, reports the New York Daily News . Filling the shoes of past spokeswomen Kirstie Alley and Valerie Bertinelli, Rashad decided to take action after getting winded while walking up stairs. The 61-year-old reveals her new frame in a commercial...
Movies Need More 'Faces'
The Wrap | Aug 26, 2009 8:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hollywood’s gone off the rails, writes Naomi Serviss of TheWrap. Back in her day, movies were filled with “faces,” actors with “it” factor who could carry a film on pure savoir faire . People like Cary Grant, Bette Davis, Paul Newman, or Audrey Hepburn. “Manly Men. Manly Women. Who cared or even doubted sexuality...
Brown Had History of Violence With Rihanna
Los Angeles Times | Aug 26, 2009 8:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - Looks like Chris Brown's February attack on Rihanna wasn't the first time he had gotten physical with the singer, reports the LA Times . A court report filed yesterday highlighted two unreported incidents "related to domestic violence": a late-2008 fight in Europe, in which Brown shoved Rihanna into a wall after she slapped him, and...
Kennedy's Death May Breathe New Life Into Health Care
Reuters | Aug 26, 2009 8:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - While Ted Kennedy fought cancer, his absence damaged the health care battle he called the "cause of my life"—but his death may draw a wellspring of support for reform, reports Reuters. An outpouring of affection for him could find its expression in passage of the kind of health care program Kennedy would have backed.
Law School Grads Scramble as Big Firms Slash Hiring
New York Times | Aug 26, 2009 7:51 AM CDT
(Newser) - Top law school grads are competing this fall for just half the number of entry-level positions big firms offered last year, in what the New York Times calls the most difficult employment season in half a century. One of New York's biggest firms has cut its hires by more than 50%, while a respected Philadelphia firm has foregone hiring completely....
Kate Gosselin: 'Lonely,' but 'Busy'
People | Aug 26, 2009 7:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - While her soon-to-be ex-husband tomcats around and waxes poetic about how he'd like to have a 9-to-5 job, Kate Gosselin told Larry King last night that she's "lonely," but "too busy" to date. When prodded further about potential beaus eying the size of her brood, she responded, "I'm not really worried about it," People ...
Bike Theft Victims Turn to Web Posses
Wall Street Journal | Aug 26, 2009 7:18 AM CDT
(Newser) - Bike owners are turning to newer technology to help nail crooks stealing their rides by posting online pleas to lookout posses, reports the Wall Street Journal . Victims use Twitter, Facebook and other sites geared toward bikers to hook into a nation of eyes watching streets and classified ads for stolen bikes. "Harder times mean more thefts,"...
Recession Will Pass, but Dollar May Be Doomed
Wall Street Journal | Aug 26, 2009 7:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - The American economy is heading out of recession, but the long-term fate of the dollar may not be so bright, writes the Wall Street Journal . Growing numbers of economists and investors, including Warren Buffett, say that stimulus spending and rate cuts will boost inflation and weaken the greenback. At the same time, emerging economies like China...
Jackie O's Half Brother Busted for Child Porn
Associated Press | Aug 26, 2009 7:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ half-brother has been indicted on charges of possession, duplication, and distribution of child porn, the AP reports. Allegations by Jamie Auchincloss’ former personal assistant sparked the investigations; a police search of his home computer revealed a large number of graphic images of young boys. Locals in...
Kennedy's Seat Likely Vacant Until 2010
CBS News | Aug 26, 2009 6:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - Ted Kennedy's Senate seat will likely remain vacant until early next year, reports CBS News. Massachusetts law specifies that a special election be scheduled between 145 and 160 days from now, and doesn't allow Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint an interim successor. Kennedy himself urged Massachusetts legislators in a recent letter to overturn that...
Dem Fundraiser Charged in Citibank Scam
Reuters | Aug 26, 2009 6:12 AM CDT
(Newser) - A major fundraiser for Democratic candidates, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, was charged yesterday with using bogus documents to obtain a $74 million loan from Citigroup, Reuters reports. Hassan Nemazee, who did not enter a plea, faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors say he forged documents suggesting he had hundreds...
Gadhafi's Planned Visit to Jersey Sparks Fury
Washington Post | Aug 26, 2009 6:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi plans to visit New Jersey, perhaps unfortunately soon after he gave a hero's welcome to the freed Lockerbie bomber, reports the Washington Post, and Garden State residents aren't exactly rolling out the red carpet. Gadhafi plans to pitch his huge Bedouin tent in Englewood during his first trip in 40 years to America,...
Subprime Screwups Reap Subsidies
Washington Post | Aug 26, 2009 5:03 AM CDT
(Newser) - Many of the lenders eligible for $75 billion in taxpayer subsidies from the government's foreclosure prevention program are the very same subprime lenders who fueled the mortgage crisis in the first place, the Washington Post reports. According to a report to be released tomorrow, JPMorgan, Countrywide, Wells Fargo, and other subprime lenders qualify...
Killer Cows Stomp Four Brits to Death
Independent (UK) | Aug 26, 2009 4:34 AM CDT
(Newser) - A new kind of mad cow is plaguing Britain: four people have been trampled to death by bovines this summer, reports the Independent . This unusual spate of attacks by the generally docile animals prompted farmers yesterday to warn walkers against bringing dogs near cows—a factor in two of the fatal attacks.
Camelot Slips Away With Kennedy
Reuters | Aug 26, 2009 4:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - A fabled political dynasty sputtered with last night's passing of Sen. Ted Kennedy, who left no heir apparent in the powerhouse family. Though several younger generation Kennedys are active in civic life, none packs the punch of the senator or his famous brothers. "There seems to be no one to pick up the torch," said Thomas Whalen, Kennedy...
'Roo On the Lam in Germany
Der Spiegel | Aug 26, 2009 3:32 AM CDT
(Newser) - The silly season has reached its peak: Der Spiegel reports a lost kangaroo hopping through the western German countryside. Locals have spotted the stray marsupial on a highway and a sports ground, but nobody has been quick enough to catch it. With no zoos or kangaroo farms reporting a lost kangaroo, the origins of the animal—certainly not native...
Lockerbie Bomber Likely to Outlive Claim
Telegraph (UK) | Aug 26, 2009 3:05 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Lockerbie bomber freed from prison to return home to Libya due to terminal illness may live a lot longer than previously expected. Medical reports raise "significant doubt" that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi will die within the next three months as he has claimed, the Telegraph reports. The revelation that Megrahi could live many...
Argentina Court Rules Pot Prosecution Unconstitutional
BBC | Aug 26, 2009 2:37 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Argentine supreme court yesterday ruled against punishing personal use of marijuana, calling such laws unconstitutional, the BBC reports. Argentina joins a growing wave of Latin American countries supporting decriminalizing personal use of the drug, a marked contrast to US-backed drug war policy. Perhaps hoping to deflect criticism from churches...
Dems Must Reconnect to Populist Soul
Wall Street Journal | Aug 26, 2009 2:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - To save health care reform, Democrats need to remember what the real issue is: making the government work for average people, writes Thomas Frank for the Wall Street Journal . Health care is the Democrats' signature issue because it is quintessentially populist—a leveling of the playing field in the name of universal compassion. But this time...
CIA Manipulated Every Detail of Interrogation Sessions
New York Times | Aug 26, 2009 1:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - As the CIA discloses internal reports concerning “enhanced” interrogation techniques on detainees at secret prisons, the ugliest details—threats of execution and harm with a power drill—have grabbed headlines. But the documents also reveal an intriguing level of control that the CIA and Department of Justice maintained over...
Ted Kennedy Dead at 77
New York Times | Aug 26, 2009 1:01 AM CDT
(Newser) - Sen. Ted Kennedy, patriarch of one of the most powerful political dynasties in American history and long-time liberal lion of the Democratic Party, died late last night at his Massachusetts home in Hyannis Port, reports the New York Times . “We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration...
At Dallas' $1.2B Stadium, Video Board May Be Too Low
USA Today | Aug 25, 2009 10:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - The video board above the playing field at the new, $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium weighs 1.2 million pounds, is the world’s largest 1080p high-definition TV … and could be hanging too low, USA Today reports. Though it’s 90 feet above the playing surface—5 feet higher than NFL regulations—a punt hit it during Friday’s...
College Complaints Squash Some Bud Light 'Fan Cans'
Associated Press | Aug 25, 2009 10:10 PM CDT
(AP) - Anheuser-Busch is dropping its "Fan Cans" promotions from communities around the US where colleges have complained that the effort—which sells cans of Bud Light in school colors—promotes underage drinking and infringes on trademarks. Federal industry regulations require at least 70% of an advertisement's audience to be above 21,...
Common Psychology Myths
Cracked.com | Aug 25, 2009 9:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - Everyone likes to pretend they know things about psychology. Unfortunately, most of what you hear is total crap, a psychology student writes for Cracked . Some top offenders: Let Your Anger Out, You’ll Feel Better: Actually, you’ll just want to be more angry. “Lashing out to control your anger is like drinking to control...
Next Clunkers You Can Cash In On? Appliances
USA Today | Aug 25, 2009 8:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - If you missed out on cashing in on that clunker in your driveway, your next chance may be no farther than the kitchen, USA Today reports. Stimulus funds that will give consumers rebates as high as $200 for replacing old, inefficient appliances with newer models are due to start flowing Oct. 15. Utilities in many states also offer rebates to customers...
Addictive Leaf May Rob Yemen of Water
Time | Aug 25, 2009 8:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - It's no secret that Yemen loves khat—a leaf chewed to produce a mild, amphetamine-like effect. Nearly 90% of men and 25% of women indulge, and most families actually spend more on khat than food. The ramifications have been long chronicled, but Time points out a less obvious one emerging as a serious threat: Khat is robbing the parched nation...
Big Business Wants to Put Global Warming on Trial
Los Angeles Times | Aug 25, 2009 7:42 PM CDT
(Newser) - Facing broad new US regulations on emissions, big business wants to put the science behind global warming before a judge, the Los Angeles Times reports. “It would be evolution versus creationism,” says an executive for the US Chamber of Commerce, which is pushing the idea of a public hearing. “It would be the science of climate...
Limbaugh: Jay-Z Diss 'Means I Made It'
Huffington Post | Aug 25, 2009 7:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - Rush Limbaugh says he’s finally an A-lister, the Huffington Post reports, after being name-checked by Jay-Z in a track leaked recently off the rapper’s forthcoming The Blueprint 3 album. “Tell Rush Limbaugh to get off my balls, it’s 2010 not 1864,” goes the lyric from Off That . Replies Limbaugh: “As far as I...
'Hasidic Reggae Guy' Matisyahu Stretches Sound
Associated Press | Aug 25, 2009 6:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - Matisyahu Miller is tired of just being the “Hasidic reggae guy,” the singer tells AP. His newest CD, Light , shows a wider range of influences, including guitar rock, electronic pop, and folk. As a Hasidic Jew who sang reggae—complete with Jamaican accent—Matisyahu was a curiosity act who broke into the mainstream with the...
Discovery Delayed 2nd Time
Space.com | Aug 25, 2009 6:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - NASA called off another launch attempt for the shuttle Discovery, scheduled for early tomorrow, due to a broken valve in the craft’s liquid propellant system, Space.com reports tonight. It’s the second time the mission has been postponed in less than 24 hours: Storms early this morning forced the agency to scrub a planned launch just after...
Chris Brown Sentenced to 5 Years' Probation
Associated Press | Aug 25, 2009 5:56 PM CDT
(AP) - A judge today sentenced Chris Brown to five years' probation and six months' community labor for the beating of Rihanna, then ordered the R&B singer to stay away from his former girlfriend for the next five years. The judge told Brown he could be sent to state prison if he violated any terms of his sentence, including an order to stay 100 yards...
Lizzie Borden's Hometown Museum Wins Rights to Name
Boston Globe | Aug 25, 2009 5:32 PM CDT
(Newser) - Lizzie Borden would be so proud. Merchandise bearing her name is now the exclusive property of her hometown Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast in Fall River, Mass., the Boston Globe reports. The B&B prevailed before the US Patent and Trademark Office in securing the rights to the infamous spinster’s name. The loser, a Salem shop formerly...
Grumpy Dad Captivates Twitter
Telegraph (UK) | Aug 25, 2009 5:04 PM CDT
(Newser) - An acid-tongued septuagenarian is all the rage on Twitter, the Telegraph reports. The feed, @shitmydadsays, comes courtesy of his son—“I’m 28. I live with my 73-year-old dad. He is awesome. I just write down shit that he says"—and has almost 70,000 followers despite being just 3 weeks old. Number of Twitterers the old...
Comic's Mother-in-Law Sues Over Jokes
Associated Press | Aug 25, 2009 4:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - The situation faced by comedian Sunda Croonquist sounds like it’s from one of her routines: mother-in-law sues comedian after being the butt of one too many jokes. But Croonquist’s mother-in-law is serious—she says her daughter-in-law makes her sound like a racist. She’s seeking unspecified damages and demands that the comedian...
Beer Prices Going Up
Wall Street Journal | Aug 25, 2009 4:23 PM CDT
(Newser) - The nation’s largest brewers plan to raise beer prices in the fall, the Wall Street Journal reports. Anheuser-Busch InBev—maker of Budweiser—and MillerCoors will further test the notion that beer is generally recession-proof. “The environment is very favorable, we think,” says an Anheuser exec. Both companies have been...
US Near Deal to Restart Mideast Talks
Guardian (UK) | Aug 25, 2009 4:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - In exchange for a tougher US and European line on a nuclear Iran, Israel is prepared to freeze the majority of settlement construction in Palestinian territory, paving the way for renewed Mideast peace talks, the Guardian reports. The groundwork—George Mitchell and Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to hammer out the details tomorrow—could...
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