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.
TV to Go 3D in 2010
CNN
|
Sep 18, 2009 1:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
HDTV is about to become old hat. Sony, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, and JVC all intend to debut new 3D television sets next year. The manufacturers are likening the move to the standard-to-high-def switch—or even the shift from black-and-white to color. “TV finally becomes real,” a Panasonic VP tells CNN. “You’re in it. It’s...
'God Chose Me' to Defend Marriage: Prejean
Politico
|
Sep 18, 2009 1:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Carrie Prejean says she believes she was divinely chosen as a defender of traditional marriage, Politico reports. “God had a plan for me” when he arranged for her to answer Perez Hilton’s question on gay marriage during the 2009 Miss USA pageant, Prejean told the Value Voters Summit in Washington. “I’m so proud of the...
Airports Crack Down on Powder
Chicago Tribune
|
Sep 18, 2009 1:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Air travelers have yet another thing to worry about when packing their bags: powder. Federal authorities haven’t banned or even restricted baby powder, makeup, talcum powder, and the like, but the TSA is outfitting airports around the country with new kits to test such seemingly innocuous material for explosives. If security screeners spot a...
Young Grow Poorer While Old Get Richer
USA Today
|
Sep 18, 2009 12:49 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Young and middle-aged people, particularly men, saw their incomes plummet from 2000 to 2008, leaving many age groups at 30-year nadirs, new Census data show. The recession has exacerbated the problem, widening the gap between young and old at an unprecedented rate, USA Today reports. Worst hit were those in their peak earning years—between...
It's Not Too Late to Extend Your Lifespan
BBC
|
Sep 18, 2009 12:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
You knew smoking and fatty foods were bad for you, but thanks to a huge 40-year study, we now know exactly how bad. Researchers followed 19,000 men, starting in the late 1960s. Those who were still smoking, had high blood pressure, and had high cholesterol—the three top killers of middle-aged men—lived to an average age of 73. Those with...
Merrill's Thain Rues Picking Pricey Office Decor Over Ikea
Bloomberg
|
Sep 18, 2009 12:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Merrill Lynch's former CEO issued an apology of sorts for spending $1.2 million—including $35,000 for a commode—to redecorate his office as the firm bottomed out, Bloomberg reports. “We decorated it in the style that Merrill Lynch offices were, which was very, very nice,” John Thain said at Wharton. “That was a mistake,...
100 Definitive Songs of the '00s
Telegraph (UK)
|
Sep 18, 2009 12:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As the 2000s draw to a close, the Telegraph takes a look at the 100 songs that define the decade. The top 10: "Rehab," Amy Winehouse (2006) "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor," Arctic Monkeys (2005) "Crazy In Love," Beyonce (2003) "Yellow," Coldplay (2000) "Paper...
ACORN Takedown Campaign Overblown, Misguided
Salon
|
Sep 18, 2009 11:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The conservative campaign against ACORN—which has now, thanks to a few video “sting” operations, lost its federal funding—is built on an outrageous set of exaggerations and falsehoods, writes Joe Conason for Salon. “No doubt it was fun to dupe a few morons into providing tax advice to a ‘pimp and ho,’ but what...
'Midwest Diva' Aims to Be Next Britney
CNN
|
Sep 18, 2009 11:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
She’s a size 16, loves plastic-jewel-encrusted sweaters, lives with her parents, and marries gay couples in her spare time—but Leslie Hall, a white rapper from Iowa, sees herself as a peer of “Britney, Rihanna, Beyoncé, we’re all doing the same thing,” she tells CNN. Hall became a self-proclaimed “ce-Web-rity”...
Michelle Pushes Reform, Recalls Sasha's Illness
Politico
|
Sep 18, 2009 11:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Michelle Obama joined her husband's push for health care reform today with a personal pitch aimed at women, reports Politico. She recalled her father's fight with multiple sclerosis as well as an illness daughter Sasha suffered as an infant. "I think about what on earth would we have done if we did not have health insurance," she told a group...
Putin Praises US for Ditching Missile Shield
New York Times
|
Sep 18, 2009 11:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In a development sure to further tick off President Obama's critics on the right, Vladimir Putin says he's quite pleased with the decision to scrap an American missile-defense system in Eastern Europe, the New York Times reports. “I very much hope that this correct and brave decision will be followed by others,” said the Russian PM. Still...
Nerd Alert: Roddenberry's Mac for Sale
Wired
|
Sep 18, 2009 10:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Deep-pocketed Star Trek and Apple fanatics will battle it out next month in an auction for the first Macintosh Plus—a computer that happened to be owned by Gene Roddenberry. The Mac Plus was the third Mac model, released 2 years after the original, and the first to offer a whole megabyte of RAM. Apple gave the machine to Roddenberry as a gift,...
AWOL: Orlando Bloom's Career
Huffington Post
|
Sep 18, 2009 10:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
He “has a record six movies that have grossed $300 million+ in the US,” has worked with hugely successful directors, and was once “a big-league heartthrob whose poster adorned the walls of many a teenage girl,” writes Scott Mendelson for the Huffington Post. So why is Orlando Bloom “nowhere to be seen in today’s...
Sometimes a Bad Bill Is Good Enough
New York Times
|
Sep 18, 2009 10:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Progressives will soon face their "long-dreaded moment of truth" on health care reform, Paul Krugman writes in the New York Times . Any bill that emerges is bound to disappoint, and "the question is where to draw the line," he explains. "How bad does a bill have to be to make it too bad to vote for?" The Baucus bill is...
Beck Is the Next Limbaugh
Politico
|
Sep 18, 2009 10:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Two people ought to be scared of Glenn Beck, one GOP media strategist tells Politico: Barack Obama and ... Rush Limbaugh. The Fox host’s success in drumming up health care protests and taking down Van Jones have many wondering whether he’s captured Limbaugh’s crown. “Beck is the man of the moment,” says Michael Goldfarb...
Changes Afoot for Hollywood Trade Pubs
Associated Press
|
Sep 18, 2009 9:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Variety will go back behind a pay wall next year, less than 2 years after tearing down its old one, the Los Angeles Times reports. Variety.com will be open only to print or online subscribers, just as it was before February 2007. “Everyone thought then that if you got more traffic, you could sell more ads and make a ton of money,” said...
Real Housewives Spawns Fashion Line
Associated Press
|
Sep 18, 2009 9:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Not sure what to wear as you lounge around in your fancy house, engaging in catfights with your neighbors while your reality TV show's cameras roll? Never fear: The Real Housewives fashion line hits a store near you this fall. The collection, inspired by Bravo’s franchise, will consist of premium denim, loungewear, activewear, handbags, and...
To Save the Music Industry, Ban Music—and Whistling
TechCrunch
|
Sep 18, 2009 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The music industry wants royalties for the 30-second previews on iTunes—which is "bullshit," writes Nicholas DeLeon for TechGear. It's yet another foolish move in the battle to save the music industry, complains DeLeon. Luckily, he has a "foolproof" way to do just that: Ban music, "shut the whole damn industry down,"...
Obama Doesn't Lie—But He Does Mislead
Washington Post
|
Sep 18, 2009 9:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Joe Wilson wasn’t quite right. President Obama doesn’t lie, exactly, writes Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post , but he still has an odd “relationship to the truth.” For example, Obama promised to veto any bill that grew the deficit, then with his very next sentence promised to require more cuts “if the savings...
Adidas, Puma End 60-Year Feud—With a Soccer Game
BBC
|
Sep 18, 2009 9:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The family feud is over. Adidas and Puma are putting aside their differences, 60 years after the brothers who founded the German sportswear giants had a falling-out. Adi and Rudolf Dassler divided the town when each started his own company in Herzogenaurach, Germany, after a disagreement during World War II. On Monday, employees will shake hands and...
Some Obama Critics Actually Are Racists
Washington Post
|
Sep 18, 2009 9:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jimmy Carter was right when he said racism fuels some of President Obama's critics, Eugene Robinson writes for the Washington Post . Carter may have overstated it—plenty of naysayers have legit policy concerns over issues such as health reform—but "the most vitriolic attacks" reject Obama's "legitimacy as president,"...
Kate to Shoot Talk Show Pilot
Radar
|
Sep 18, 2009 8:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Kate Gosselin is cashing in on her fame—or infamy—as quickly as possible. She and co-host Paula Deen are shooting the pilot of their proposed talk show this weekend, Radar reports. The show, based on popular website Mom Logic, will be a mash-up of advice, health and beauty tips, and an issue Kate should be an expert on—celebrity gossip.
Another Murder Defies Race Stereotypes
Jeff Pearlman
|
Sep 18, 2009 8:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
When news of Annie Le's murder first emerged, scaremongering commentators seized on the dangers of studying on an "urban" campus, blogs author and sportswriter Jeff Pearlman—by which they didn't mean "an endless stream of Starbucks storefronts." Lo and behold, her alleged murderer is a "khaki-wearing white guy"...
New Recession Villain: Warren Buffett's Cell Phone
Time
|
Sep 18, 2009 8:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If Warren Buffett knew how to use his cell phone, the financial world might be in better shape, blogs Karen Tumulty of Time . Just before Lehman Brothers collapsed last year, a Barclays executive attempting to rescue the firm with an assist from Buffett left a message on the Oracle of Omaha's phone. Problem is, Buffett never got the message—until...
Jennifer's Body Not So Hot
Rotten Tomatoes
|
Sep 18, 2009 8:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Megan Fox vehicle Jennifer's Body hits the screen today, and most if not all critics are unimpressed by this horror-comedy about a high school girl possessed by the devil. " Jennifer's Body has an impressive writer in Diablo Cody, who won an Oscar for Juno , writes Claudia Puig of USA Today, but "it tries hard to be cool,...
ACORN Sting Duo Says Nobody Put Them Up to It
Washington Post
|
Sep 18, 2009 8:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles say there's no conservative conspiracy behind their decision to dress up as a pimp and prostitute and walk into ACORN offices with a hidden camera. They’re just a pair of concerned citizens, who’ve managed to wound the mighty activist group on a budget of just $1,300, they tell the Washington Post ....
Right Steals Left's Language of Protest
Politico
|
Sep 18, 2009 7:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If you go to Amazon to buy Rules for Radicals , Saul Alinsky's classic treatise on left-wing protest, you'll see authors that other readers are also interested in: Glenn Beck, Michelle Malkin, and GOP Sen. Jim DeMint. For Politico, that's one of many signs that conservatives have co-opted liberal techniques, from singing the pro-labor song "This...
Chad Ochocinco to Fly Twitter Fans to His Games
Mashable
|
Sep 18, 2009 7:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Cincinnati Bengal Chad Ochocinco really likes Twitter, so he wasn't happy about the NFL's new policy banning tweets before, during, and after games. He tried to do an end run—vowing to use hand signals to pass messages to a tweeter in the stands, but the NFL banned having a representative tweet during games, too. So the wide receiver came up...
Clark Tried to Cover His Tracks as Cops Searched
Hartford Courant (Conn.)
|
Sep 18, 2009 7:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Before his arrest, murder suspect Raymond Clark tried to cover his tracks even as FBI agents and police searched the Yale lab where he worked. Clark, who has been charged with the murder of grad student Annie Le, was seen cleaning areas where Le had been before she died and trying to hide blood-spattered equipment, the Hartford Courant reports.
Chemo Killed Swayze: Somers
National Post
|
Sep 18, 2009 7:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Suzanne Somers thinks she knows what killed Patrick Swayze, and it wasn’t cancer—it was chemotherapy, she tells the National Post . “They took this beautiful man,” says Somers, a cancer survivor who has a book about the disease coming out next month, “and they basically put poison in him.” Somers herself rejected...
Bill Clinton: Obama Will Win Health Battle
Bloomberg
|
Sep 18, 2009 7:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama will prevail in his fight to pass a health reform bill, his predecessor Bill Clinton insists in an interview with Bloomberg. The former president predicts that Olympia Snowe and probably Susan Collins, Maine's two moderate Republican senators, will be persuaded to vote for the Baucus bill, which he says is the broadest the Senate will...
NYC Unemployment Hits 10.3%
New York Times
|
Sep 18, 2009 7:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Big Apple's unemployment rate hit double digits last month for the first time since 1993, the New York Times reports. At 10.3%, the rate is now higher than the national rate of 9.7%. State officials say continuing layoffs on Wall Street are to blame for the rise, highlighting the need to retrain financial industry workers for other jobs.
Holocaust a Lie, Pretext to Create Israel: Ahmadinejad
New York Times
|
Sep 18, 2009 7:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Iran's president repeated his assertion that the Holocaust is a myth today, calling it a "pretext" used to create Israel, the New York Times reports. "It is a lie based on an unprovable and mythical claim," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told attendees at an anti-Israel rally in Tehran. "Confronting the Zionist regime is a national...
Katherine Heigl's Baby Debuts
Us Weekly
|
Sep 18, 2009 6:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Katherine Heigl and husband Josh Kelley released the first photo of adopted daughter Naleigh, Us reports; the family is “together and doing well,” her rep says. The 10-month-old is named for Heigl’s mother, Nancy, and sister, Margaret Leigh, who was also adopted from Korea. “They are thrilled to have a child in their lives,...
NATO Chief: Let's Combine US, Russian Missile Defenses
Reuters
|
Sep 18, 2009 6:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
One day after the US decided to scrap a missile-defense system that Russia opposed, NATO wants to make relations with Moscow even cozier. Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen proposed combining Russia's anti-missile defenses with those of NATO and the US, Reuters reports. He pitched it as a shared interest: "If North Korea stays nuclear...
Alleged Queens Terror Plot Eyed NYC Travel Hub: Source
CNN
|
Sep 18, 2009 6:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A major New York City transportation hub may have been the target of the suspected terror plot uncovered earlier this week in Queens, CNN reports. Sources close to the investigation say signs point to a potential attack on a large number of people in an area where security is minimal—like at a train or subway station.
The Informant! Is 'Devilish Fun'
Rotten Tomatoes
|
Sep 18, 2009 6:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Steven Soderbergh's The Informant! puts a comic spin on its serious story of a '90s corporate whistle-blower, say critics, with highly entertaining but sometimes muddled results. Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer : This "truth-based film about a compulsive liar wavers between corporate thriller and screwball comedy," with an...
Strip Clubs, Lap Dances Part of Corporate Life in UK
Telegraph (UK)
|
Sep 18, 2009 6:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The sex industry has become a mainstream part of corporate culture in Britain and is damaging workplace equality, a report from a women's group finds. Researchers found that many firms authorize the use of expense accounts for entertaining clients in lap dancing and strip clubs, and that most strip clubs happily provide "discreet receipts"...
Fed Plans to Oversee Bankers' Pay
Wall Street Journal
|
Sep 18, 2009 5:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A wide-ranging plan by the Federal Reserve to limit executive pay would allow government regulators to probe private financial institution's pay practices—and let the Fed block any policy it thinks may encourage undue risk. The plan is still being formulated and won't be finished for weeks, but it requires only a board vote and not approval from...
Suu Kyi Launches Appeal as Junta Frees 7K Cons
Associated Press
|
Sep 18, 2009 5:33 AM CDT
(AP) -
Lawyers for detained Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi today appealed her recent conviction that extended her years of house arrest, a day after the ruling junta announced it was releasing thousands of prisoners. Reporters were banned from the hearing, where her lawyers insisted that the law under which she was convicted is invalid because...
SEC Moves to Ban Lightning-Fast Trading
New York Times
|
Sep 18, 2009 5:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The SEC is seeking a ban on the financial technique known as flash orders, a controversial method in which powerful computers survey other investors' trades and adjust strategies within milliseconds to turn a profit. SEC head Mary Schapiro said that flash orders "may create a two-tiered market" since only those with access to the best...
'Paris Hilton' Palin Perfect Politician for Internet Age
Reason Magazine
|
Sep 18, 2009 4:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Politics is due for a shake-up of the kind the Internet gave to music and newspapers—and Sarah Palin looks like the only politician ready to deliver, Greg Beato writes in Reason . Palin's resignation makes her a true maverick, Beato writes. Just like Paris Hilton realized you don't need to act to be a Hollywood star, Palin has realized you don't...
Fox Anchor Apologizes to Chickens Everywhere
Associated Press
|
Sep 18, 2009 4:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Fox anchor who stirred up a fricassé when he almost suggested a co-worker go pluck a chicken has apologized for his on-air bleep, reports AP. "I misspoke," said veteran New York broadcaster Ernie Anastos. "I apologize for my remarks to anyone who may have been offended." A manager roasted Anastos over the cheep trick,...
'Montauk Monster' Killed in Panama
Telegraph (UK)
|
Sep 18, 2009 4:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A bizarre-looking creature found on a Panama beach has excited the world of cryptozoology, the Daily Telegraph reports. A group of teens said they feared for their safety and beat the hairless creature to death as it crawled from a cave and moved toward them. The animal—dubbed "Gollum" in the press—has been compared to...
Japan Cops Get Tough on Subway Gropers
Guardian (UK)
|
Sep 18, 2009 3:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Japan has dispatched undercover police officers across Tokyo's commuter rail system to make sure men with wandering hands feel the strong arm of the law, the Guardian reports. Sexual harassment has long been a problem for Tokyo's subway, with two-thirds of young women saying they have been inappropriately touched while traveling. A recent surge...
Co-Workers: Clark's a 'Control Freak'
Associated Press
|
Sep 18, 2009 3:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Raymond Clark's co-workers at the Yale animal lab where he worked say the murder suspect was a domineering "control freak" who considered the animal cages his territory, a law enforcement source tells AP. Clark was placed in solitary confinement yesterday after being charged with murdering grad student Annie Le, and has now been transferred...
Mob 'Acid' Hitman Gets Life Behind Bars
New York Daily News
|
Sep 18, 2009 2:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A mob hitman who used acid to melt his victims' bodies has been sentenced to life, reports the New York Daily News . Charles Carneglia smirked in a Brooklyn courtroom as he listened to statements from his four victims' relatives, including one who called him an "animal" with a "dark soul." Carneglia "led a profane life; his...
Rwanda Gorilla King Dies at 35
Independent (UK)
|
Sep 18, 2009 2:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The 35-year-old king of Rwanda gorillas has died, reports the Independent . The once fearsome silverback, Titus, succumbed to old age after a brief illness, said officials. His troupe in a mountain forest of the African nation appeared to be mourning their fallen leader, observers said. Titus shot to fame when a researcher with scientist Dian Fossey...
Docs Demand Crackdown on Pro-Anorexia Websites
Independent (UK)
|
Sep 18, 2009 1:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Doctors are calling for urgent action to combat the growing number of websites promoting eating disorders as a lifestyle choice, the Independent reports. The sites encourage young women to become anorexic and bulimic, doctors warn, offering tips on how to deal with the pain of extreme hunger during starvation and how to conceal excessive weight loss...
Obama Backlash Isn't About Race
New York Times
|
Sep 18, 2009 1:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It's a mistake to see the growing backlash against President Obama through the prism of race, David Brooks writes in the New York Times . The anti-Obama movement springs not from racism, but from the long American tradition of popular distrust of the urban elite, argues Brooks. He notes mostly white anti-government protesters happily mingled with...
