Newser Story Index from September, 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.
10 Webapps Worth Tweeting About
Lifehacker
|
Sep 19, 2009 5:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Not all webapps are blessed with Twitter’s marketing push and word-of-mouth, so Lifehacker profiles a few worth tweeting about: TinyChat : Connect with up to 12 people using live video in a chatroom. The rooms aren’t password-protected for non-paying chatters, but did we mention it’s all for free? YouMail : Stuck with...
Enter Doogie: Can He Save the Emmys?
Christian Science Monitor
|
Sep 19, 2009 4:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Last year's Emmys rated the worst in the show's 60-year history—so executive producer Don Mischer is working under a little, ah, pressure to turn things around. "All awards shows have been sliding in the ratings," he tells the Christian Science Monitor , and adds that on-set control room, live band, choreography, and host...
Athletics Boss: I Lied About Semenya
Mail & Guardian (South Africa)
|
Sep 19, 2009 4:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The president of Athletics South Africa admitted today that he lied to cover up gender tests conducted on runner Caster Semenya, saying he was trying to protect her, the Mail & Guardian reports. Leonard Chuene also admitted to rejecting advice from an ASA team doctor to withdraw Semenya from last month’s world athletics championships in...
Man In Terror Probe Skips FBI Questioning
Associated Press
|
Sep 19, 2009 4:01 PM CDT
(AP) -
A man under investigation in a terrorism probe in New York and Colorado did not report for a fourth day of FBI questioning today so he could spend a much-needed day with his attorney, the attorney's spokeswoman said. Najibullah Zazi had been scheduled to go to the Federal Building in Denver, but a spokeswoman for Zazi's defense team said he canceled...
Girls Who Try Sex Early Driven by Genes
Economist
|
Sep 19, 2009 3:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Absentee fathers may not be at fault for daughters who experiment with sex at an early age, the Economist reports. Researchers have long noted that girls with no dad around tend to reach sexual maturity earlier, suffer from depression, criticize their bodies, and get pregnant early on. But a new study suggests that runaway fathers and girls' sex...
Facebook 'Suck Sites' Have Their Day in Court
Chicago Tribune
|
Sep 19, 2009 3:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A lawsuit filed by administrators at an Illinois beauty school may set a precedent regarding so-called “suck sites,” the Chicago Tribune reports. Nicholas Blacconiere, a student at the Salon Professional Academy of Elgin, welcomed classmates to criticize teachers on a Facebook page. After students posted accusations of teacher incompetence...
John Edwards Ready to Admit Paternity—But Not Elizabeth
New York Times
|
Sep 19, 2009 2:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John Edwards once insisted on national TV that he did not father his mistress’ daughter. But secluded at his 100-acre estate in tony Chapel Hill, Edwards is now close to a public reversal—if he can convince his wife to let him, the New York Times reports. Elizabeth Edwards “has yet to be brought around,” says one family...
564 Amendments Await Baucus Bill Next Week
Bloomberg
|
Sep 19, 2009 2:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Well, this should zip right along: Members of both parties on the Senate Finance Committee have drafted no fewer than 564 amendments to be considered when the panel takes up chairman Max Baucus' health care bill next week, reports Bloomberg. Expect to hear the phrases "public option"—Democrat Jay Rockefeller is still pushing for it—and...
Flat-Screen TVs Must Use Less Energy: Calif.
San Jose Mercury News
|
Sep 19, 2009 1:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Move over Hummer, there's a new energy-hogging villain in town—flat-screen TVs. California yesterday became the first state to mandate better energy efficiency for televisions, reports the San Jose Mercury News . All sets sold there must reduce consumption 30% by 2011 and 50% by 2013. The industry is outraged, but advocates point out that...
Knox Trial Resumes as Court Examines Knife
Telegraph (UK)
|
Sep 19, 2009 12:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Amanda Knox murder trial resumed in Italy today, with prosecutors displaying a kitchen knife they say is the murder weapon, the Telegraph reports. One of three court-appointed forensic experts cast doubt on the claim, however, saying the knife isn't compatible with at least one of Meredith Kercher's neck wounds. Knox, on trial with boyfriend...
As Baby Boomers Age, Suburbs Try to Adapt
Wall Street Journal
|
Sep 19, 2009 12:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As baby boomers go, so go the suburbs. Now that boomers are entering or at least approaching retirement, the 'burbs are changing face to adapt to their needs, reports the Wall Street Journal . Across the country, communities are changing street grids to become walker-friendly, adding condos where single-family homes once dominated, and rethinking...
Obama Courts Risk With Sunday's 'Full Ginsburg'
Politico
|
Sep 19, 2009 11:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
They call it "the full Ginsburg" because Monica Lewinsky's lawyer, William Ginsburg, was the first to do the five-fecta of Sunday talk shows back in 1999. What Obama's doing tomorrow is a slightly (if significantly) modified version, Politico notes, with the president swapping out Fox for Univision in the fifth slot. But only eight people...
All-Time Best TV and Movie Drunks
Barstools.net
|
Sep 19, 2009 11:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Everyone likes a funny drunk, right? Barstools lists the most lovable movie and TV boozehounds of all time: Who comes to mind first? Norm Peterson from Cheers , of course. "The crowd shouted 'Norm' every time he walked through the door to belly up to the bar." Will and Grace sidekick Karen Walker "was always sloshed...
Court Handcuffs NFL on Drug Testing
New York Times
|
Sep 19, 2009 10:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A federal court has given the NFL—and, in fact, all sports leagues—a big headache in the effort to crack down on doping, the New York Times reports. A three-judge panel in Minneapolis made it much tougher for the league to suspend players caught using banned substances, ruling that they are protected by state laws just like any other...
Justice Department Narrows Inquiry Into CIA Tactics
Washington Post
|
Sep 19, 2009 10:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Eric Holder continues to take heavy flak from critics who think he should leave the CIA alone, and the Washington Post has news that should give them at least a bit of satisfaction: The Justice Department's preliminary investigation will be smaller than anticipated. The lead investigator will look at only a handful of cases of suspected mistreatment...
Obama Vows to End 'Fat' Exec Bonuses
Reuters
|
Sep 19, 2009 9:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama used his weekly radio address today to promise a continued crackdown on risky investment schemes that result in "fat executive bonuses" on Wall Street, reports Reuters. Obama pledged to use next week's G20 summit in Pittsburgh to push for sweeping reform of the world's financial markets. "Stopping the bleeding isn't enough,"...
Ahmadinejad: Captured US Hikers Must Be Punished
Reuters
|
Sep 19, 2009 9:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday dashed the hopes of parents of three American hikers who've been detained in Iran for 6 weeks, saying they broke the law when they strayed into Iranian territory from Iraq, and must be punished. The families had urged Ahmadinejad to bring the three with him when he visits New York to address the UN this week. The Iranian...
Obama: Anger Not About Race
Associated Press
|
Sep 19, 2009 8:55 AM CDT
(AP) -
Fear of "big changes" and hostility to the growth of government—not racism—are what's driving angry criticisms about his health care agenda, President Obama said in a series of network television interviews that will air tomorrow morning. "Are there people out there who don't like me because of race? I'm sure there are,"...
Fox: Tea Parties Not Covered CNN: You Lie!
Mediaite
|
Sep 19, 2009 8:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Rival networks were quick to go on the counterattack after being accused by Fox of ignoring last weekend's tea party protests in the capital, Mediaite reports. A full-page Washington Post ad from Fox asked, "How Did ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC And CNN Miss This Story," prompting the irate networks to make it clear that—as millions of...
Oprah Picks Short Story Collection for Book Club
Associated Press
|
Sep 19, 2009 8:15 AM CDT
(AP) -
Oprah Winfrey has blessed the book world's eternal underdog: the short story. Publishing's surest hitmaker yesterday picked Uwem Akpan's debut collection, Say You're One Of Them , guaranteeing sales generally unthinkable for short stories beyond works by Ernest Hemingway, John Cheever and other giants of the art form. Akpan, 38, is a native of Nigeria...
French Tourist Attacked Near Tiananmen
Associated Press
|
Sep 19, 2009 7:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A French tourist was attacked and injured by a knife-wielding man near Beijing's Tiananmen Square today, raising tensions as the Chinese capital prepares to mark 60 years of Communist rule, the AP reports. Two security guards were killed and at least a dozen other people were injured in another attack Thursday night, when a knife-wielding...
Traffic Tweets Send Mixed Messages
Associated Press
|
Sep 19, 2009 7:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Safety experts complain that states are undermining their own no-texting-while-driving laws by offering motorists constant Twitter updates on traffic conditions, the AP reports. At least 22 states with laws that essentially ban drivers from using smartphones and similar devices behind the wheel provide such information, and, in some cases, readily...
Palin Won't Dine With Journo— Even for $60,000
Huffington Post
|
Sep 19, 2009 7:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A journalist willing to fork over $60,000 for a dinner with Sarah Palin found himself frozen out of a charity auction at the last minute, the Huffington Post reports. Joe McGinnis, a Palin critic who wrote a piece last fall slamming her handling of Alaska's gasline, slipped through the pre-approval process but found himself shut out as he closed in...
GOP 'Riding a Wave of Racism'
New York Times
|
Sep 19, 2009 7:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Racism is alive and well in today's America and the Republican Party is feeding off it, Bob Herbert writes in the New York Times . Nobody should need Jimmy Carter—who wasn't above pandering to racists himself in his 1976 presidential campaign—to point out the racist undertones behind many of the attacks on Obama, Herbert writes, or that...
Crowds Flock to Church's 'Porn Talk'
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
|
Sep 19, 2009 6:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Over a thousand people are descending on an Atlanta-area church this weekend for 3 days of talks on pornography, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The "Porn Talk" event, one of many put on by anti-porn Christian group XXXchurch.com, seeks to address the harm pornography is doing to children, families, and marriage. Sessions like...
Fox to Yard Salers: Unloading Wrong Toy Could Cost You $15M
Fox News
|
Sep 19, 2009 6:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Selling the wrong toy at a yard sale could lead to a fine of up to $15 million under a new government policy, Fox News reports. The Consumer Product Safety Commission's "Resale Round-Up" aims to stamp out the sale of used toys that have been recalled due to high lead levels or other safety concerns. Second-hand stores, jumble sales, and individuals...
Clinton Torn Between Leading and Blending In
Washington Post
|
Sep 19, 2009 6:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hillary Clinton has impressed many in her 8 months as secretary of state but her own leadership aspirations are sometimes all too obvious, Glenn Kessler writes at the Washington Post . Clinton has forged close working relationships with other Cabinet members and made her desire to cooperate clear, Kessler writes, but she has also seemed out of step...
Cool and Weird Places to Swim
WebUrbanist
|
Sep 19, 2009 5:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If you love swimming but tire of the ordinary and the chlorine-scented, consider these "unusual or cool places" uncovered by WebUrbanist: The Dead Sea : Lie back and read a good book in the world's saltiest body of water, which will likely keep you afloat while delivering "an awesome sensation."
Counterculture Made Kristol an Ex-Liberal
Washington Post
|
Sep 19, 2009 5:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
"Neoconservative" was originally a label applied to newly conservative ex-liberals and Irving Kristol, the late godfather of the movement, was among the first and finest of the kind, E. J. Dionne writes in the Washington Pos t. Kristol made a powerful case for "pragmatic liberalist" when he was still a moderate Democrat in the...
Russia Silent on Iran Concessions
New York Times
|
Sep 19, 2009 5:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
While Russia's leaders praised President Obama's decision to drop plans for a missile shield in Eastern Europe yesterday, they were conspicuously silent on whether they would, in return, join the West in pressuring Iran to halt its nuclear program, the New York Times reports. If Russia doesn't start taking a harder line against Iran, Obama will be...
Pawlenty Rips Obama's Pre-9/11-Style 'Appeasement'
Politico
|
Sep 18, 2009 10:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a possible Republican presidential contender in 2012, tonight compared President Obama’s diplomatic moves on Iran, North Korea and the missile shield to pre-World War II and pre-9/11 “appeasement,” Politico reports. “The lessons of history are clear,” he told Christian conservatives. “Appeasement...
NYC Terror Suspect May Have al-Qaeda Ties After All
New York Times
|
Sep 18, 2009 9:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The man federal officials are questioning in Denver over a terror plot in New York might in fact have some ties to al-Qaeda, the Times reports. After first denying any connections, Najibullah Zazi has told officials he could have come into contact with extremists in his native Pakistan, and there are signs he received training in explosives while...
Underwater Billboards? They're Suspicious in Seattle
Seattle Times
|
Sep 18, 2009 9:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
After unearthing plans laid long ago by its founder, a legendary Seattle seafood restaurant is pulling underwater advertising billboards out of Puget Sound—though Ivar’s accompanying advertising blitz and founder Ivar Haglund’s notorious record of self-promotion have residents smelling something fishy, the Times reports. “If...
Mac's Missile Shield Rant Off Target, Forgetful
Mother Jones
|
Sep 18, 2009 8:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Sen. John McCain’s savaging of President Obama over shelving the Eastern European missile shield could hardly more disingenuous, David Corn writes for Mother Jones . McCain said he hadn’t heard of the technology Obama plans to use instead, but not only did he publicly praise Obama for boosting funding for it, a Navy ship named for his...
Unhealthy? Then Shut Up About Health Reform: Maher
Huffington Post
|
Sep 18, 2009 8:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Fat? Out of shape? Otherwise unhealthy? Then shut your trap about health-care reform until you do something about your own well-being, comedian Bill Maher writes for the Huffington Post. “Unlike most liberals, I’m glad all those teabaggers marched on Washington last week,” he snickers. “Because judging from the photos, it’s...
On Net Neutrality, Feds Go With Google, Against ISPs
Wall Street Journal
|
Sep 18, 2009 7:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Consumers stand to benefit under a proposal, coming Monday, from the Federal Communications Commission that would mandate so-called net neutrality, forcing Internet service providers to treat all Web content equally and not restrict access to sites and services that take up more bandwidth. The Obama administration is siding with the likes of Google...
Tehran Rally Turns Violent
BBC
|
Sep 18, 2009 6:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A government-backed rally in Tehran turned violent today, the BBC reports, after opposition supporters turned out to protest June’s disputed presidential election and clashed with security forces. A state news said opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi was attacked and tear gas used during the event, intended to demonstrate support for Palestinians,...
Obama at the UN: Eloquence Is Not Enough
Economist
|
Sep 18, 2009 5:53 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama will get a respite from America’s rancorous political scene when he appears at the United Nations next week, but he may find international squabbles just as heated, Economist writes. An enthusiastic multilateralist, Obama is loved by leaders around the world. But topics like North Korea, Iran, and climate change could blow a...
S. Africa Team Hid Semenya Gender Tests
Mail & Guardian (South Africa)
|
Sep 18, 2009 5:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Officials at Athletics South Africa covered up tests showing that Caster Semenya had internal testes and unusually high testosterone levels, the Mail & Guardian and Times of London report. ASA leaders told Semenya that the tests, conducted early last month, were for drugs and let her compete in Berlin—where she became the 800-meter champion...
First Swine Flu Vaccine Will Be Nasal Spray
NPR
|
Sep 18, 2009 5:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The first Americans to take a swine flu vaccine will be spraying it up the nose, NPR reports. About 3.4 million hits of the nasal spray will come out early next month, a couple of weeks ahead of 195 million by-the-needle doses. Dubbed FluMist, the spray carries a live but neutered version of the H1N1 virus, making it ideal for the young and healthy....
Neocon Founder Kristol Dead at 89
Washington Post
|
Sep 18, 2009 4:39 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Irving Kristol, the "godfather" of neoconservatism and a key intellectual force behind the Reagan Revolution, died today from lung cancer in Arlington, Va., the Washington Post reports. He was 89. Once a New York liberal, Kristol grew disaffected with liberalism in the 1940s and founded conservative magazines like Encounter and the...
Court Rescinds Cap on Political Spending by Nonprofits
Washington Post
|
Sep 18, 2009 4:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A federal appeals court today rescinded FEC limits on “soft money,” the Washington Post reports. The federal regulations had required that funds used by a nonprofit to influence a federal election be drawn from “hard money” accounts—individual contributions of “hard money” are capped at $5,000. The court...
Feds Probe BofA-Merrill Deal
Charlotte Observer
|
Sep 18, 2009 3:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Bank of America's acquisition of Merrill Lynch is the focus of an ongoing investigation by the FBI and Justice Department, sources tell the Charlotte Observer, the bank's hometown paper. The SEC and the AGs of New York and North Carolina have already launched civil probes of the timing of huge bonuses paid to Merrill execs shortly before...
Lockerbie Bomber Bids to Clear Name
Telegraph (UK)
|
Sep 18, 2009 3:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Lockerbie bomber has launched a website that makes available documents from an appeal he mounted before being released for medical reasons, the Telegraph reports. Relatives of the passengers on Pan Am Flight 103 say Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi's site contains nothing new: “It's a lobbying effort. It's almost as if he thinks that if he says...
Dow Up 36 Points; Consumer Stocks Gain
Wall Street Journal
|
Sep 18, 2009 3:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stocks posted gains today, closing out a strong week as consumer stocks saw advances, the Wall Street Journal reports. Procter & Gamble gained 3.21% after Citigroup upgraded the firm’s shares to “buy.” Optimism about a recovery in consumer spending drove Starbucks up 3.64%, with PepsiCo and Philip Morris also gaining about 1%....
CIA Chiefs Ask Obama to Scrap Interrogation Probe
The Hill
|
Sep 18, 2009 3:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Seven former CIA directors—appointees of both political parties—are calling on the Obama administration to call off the Justice Department’s investigation of Bush-era interrogation practices, the Hill reports. The probe, ordered by AG Eric Holder, will reveal too much about the CIA’s methods in an environment where...
Ivy League Crimes Are More Equal Than Others
Slate
|
Sep 18, 2009 2:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The killing of Yale grad student Annie Le dominated headlines around the world, "but every murder is uniquely dramatic," Jack Shafer writes for Slate. Why this one? It involves a magic word. "Three murders at a Midwestern college equal one murder at Harvard or Yale," Shafer calculates. "If you kill somebody and want the...
Contractor Bought Guns on Black Market: Ex-Employees
ProPublica
|
Sep 18, 2009 2:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Triple Canopy, the company that succeeded Blackwater as the top US security contractor in Iraq, bought its weapons on Iraq’s black market, former employees allege in court documents obtained by ProPublica. “We’re spending a lot of money on these rifles, millions of dollars—where do you think that money is going?” said...
Love Happens Is Manipulative Tripe
Rotten Tomatoes
|
Sep 18, 2009 2:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If only love didn't happen. Critics are lambasting Jennifer Aniston's new rom-com, Love Happens —the story of a courtship between a florist and a grieving grief counselor—as predictable and manipulative: It's "an inorganic soap opera," writes Michael Sragow in the Baltimore Sun. "Love happens here with a banality...
Obama's Gandhi Act Ties Supporters in Knots
Boston Globe
|
Sep 18, 2009 2:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Even President Obama's fans are beginning to wonder when—or even if—his "inner fighter" is going to emerge, writes Ellen Goodman of the Boston Globe . His collaborative style entranced many during the campaign, but supporters are groaning as the president listens calmly to the opposition rather than putting up his dukes. It’s...
