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.
Why Do Twits Grace Women's Mags?
SpliceToday
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Sep 29, 2009 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Aymar Jean Christian is fed up with the faces that appear on the covers of women’s magazines. Once upon a time, the women there were simply pretty. “Then sometime in the late 1980s and early 1990s, celebrity became more important than beauty.” And that was great, because not only were those gracing the covers “beautiful but...
Sore Throat May Have Axed T Rex
LiveScience
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Sep 29, 2009 12:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Tyrannosaurus rex could have been laid low not by a planetwide dinosaur holocaust or vicious infighting, but by a parasite that still affects modern birds. Researchers have taken a close look at lesions on T. rex fossils once presumed to be battle scars and concluded that they are the work of trichomonosis, a parasite that ravages a bird’s mouth...
Your Polanski Case FAQ
Slate
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Sep 29, 2009 12:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Scratching your head over this Roman Polanski business? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Here are some common questions and answers, courtesy of Slate: Why didn’t the French ever arrest the guy? Born in Paris, he's one of their own. France doesn’t have to extradite its citizens, and typically doesn’t except...
Nation at Odds? Miley's 'Party' to the Rescue
Slate
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Sep 29, 2009 12:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
At heart, Miley Cyrus is a “peace broker: She loves trying to get seemingly irreconcilable forces to hug, or at least sit together at the same lunch table.” Her most recent career milestone—“Party in the USA” became her highest-charting single ever—takes this role to a new level, making it clear that “she wants...
Facebook Divorce Rule No. 1: Don't Overshare
Salon
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Sep 29, 2009 12:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Like many things, the etiquette for dealing with marital troubles on Facebook isn’t exactly covered in the Terms of Service. And like any other Facebook action, Amanda Fortini writes, users would do well to think before they type. When a recently separated woman posted a status update reading “Going to pizza night and beyond,” she...
How Thin People Make Other People Fat
Time
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Sep 29, 2009 11:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Existing research suggests those trying to control their food intake should avoid dining with hefty companions with heaping plates. Not quite, says a new study. While the "I'll have what she's having" effect was confirmed in this experiment with college-age women, it was much more pronounced if the person supersizing portions was skinny....
'Jewmaican' Amy Tries to Rap
TMZ
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Sep 29, 2009 11:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
TMZ has stumbled upon a video of Amy Winehouse rapping with former backup singer Zalon. Many of the lyrics—with the exception of the notable line where she calls herself “Jewmaican”—are unintelligible, but listen for yourself at left. In other Winehouse news, she’s flying a faith healer over from St. Lucia to keep her...
Jon Cut From Jon & Kate Plus 8
People
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Sep 29, 2009 11:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jon Gosselin’s douchey antics appear to have finally gotten TLC’s attention. The network is dropping the reality dad from Jon & Kate Plus 8 as of Nov. 2 and changing the name to Kate Plus 8 . “Given Jon’s recent antics, there was no way the show could continue to portray him as a doting Dad, not while all this other crap...
Typhoon Kills 32 in Vietnam
Reuters
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Sep 29, 2009 11:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Typhoon Ketsana slammed central Vietnam today, flooding towns and villages and killing at least 32 people. Roughly 170,000 people were evacuated before the storm hit. State-run TV called it the worst storm the country had seen in more than three decades. Meanwhile, the death toll in the Philippines climbed to 246, Reuters reports. Officials there estimate...
Flavored Cig Ban Is Silly: Kids Don't Smoke Them
Reason Magazine
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Sep 29, 2009 11:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The FDA is all over the map—and all wrong—with its ban on flavored cigarettes, writes Steve Chapman. The agency touts the move against the “gateway” tobacco products, saying it will break the cycle of addiction “for the more than 3,600 young people who start smoking daily.” First of all, kids don’t smoke fruity...
Media Lose Interest in War Dead: Only AP Shoots Coffins
Washington Examiner
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Sep 29, 2009 11:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Back when George W. Bush was president, the media made a big fuss about the administration’s refusal to allow the press to photograph soldiers’ coffins, saying it hid the true cost of the war. President Obama lifted the ban in April, and the media flocked to snap shots of that first returning coffin. And then? Then they swiftly lost interest,...
Glut of Heifers Enter Milk-Flooded Dairy Industry
New York Times
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Sep 29, 2009 11:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Times are tough everywhere, but dairy farming, never the industry of millionaires, is reeling from a double-whammy of its own making. Three years ago, new semen-sorting technology allowed farmers to ensure nine out of 10 calves born were female (bull calves largely end up in McDonald's wrappers and the like). Now, that glut of heifer calves is finally...
Yorke, Flea in Unholy Union
New York
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Sep 29, 2009 11:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Radiohead purists, prepare yourselves: Frontman Thom Yorke is teaming up with, of all people, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The "sock-penised" bassist, along with Beck drummer Joey Waronker, percussionist Mauro Refosco, and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, will back Yorke up as he performs material from his 2006 solo album, The Eraser...
US Spies Are Voice of Caution in Iran Debate
New York Times
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Sep 29, 2009 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The global intelligence community is at odds over whether Iran is developing nuclear warheads, with US spies insisting it isn’t, and European and Israeli spies begging to differ. In what the New York Times calls a “mirror image” of the Iraq debate, the US say documents found by hacking Iranian computers prove the program halted...
Best and Worst of Milan Fashion Week
New York Times
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Sep 29, 2009 10:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With economic stresses making it more difficult for designers to be creative—and the growing trend of manufacturing being outsourced to other countries—the Italian spring collections in Milan were somewhat “joyless,” but still offered a few standouts, writes Cathy Horyn for the New York Times. The good: Angela Missoni:...
Addicted to Facebook? You're Likely Urban and Affluent
ComputerWorld
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Sep 29, 2009 10:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Facebook and Twitter users are more likely to be urban and affluent than the rest of the US population, according to a new Nielsen study, while MySpace aficionados tend to have lower incomes. People in the top third of the income bracket are 25% more likely to use Facebook than those in the bottom third, who, conversely, are 37% more likely to use...
DJ AM Death Ruled Accidental
TMZ
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Sep 29, 2009 10:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The New York City Medical Examiner today closed the sad final chapter in the life of DJ AM, ruling his death accidental. Cause of death is listed as "acute intoxication" due to the combination of cocaine, oxycodone, Vicodin, Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax, Benadryl, and Levamisole.
Terror Suspect Zazi Pleads Not Guilty
Associated Press
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Sep 29, 2009 10:19 AM CDT
(AP) -
Najibullah Zazi has pleaded not guilty to plotting a terrorist attack on New York City using common chemicals. The Afghan immigrant's lawyer entered the plea today in Brooklyn. Zazi was ordered held without bail during the brief hearing. Zazi's defense attorney says what he's seen so far "does not amount to a conspiracy" and added that he...
Forget Fetching Coffee: Interns Work From Home
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 29, 2009 9:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Companies have long used internships to avoid paying young people, but increasingly they don't want to see their interns at all. "Virtual internships," where recent grads do research and sales or work with social media from home, has expanded from an unheard-of practice to "something almost every college student has at least considered,"...
2010 Won't See Another Republican Revolution
New Republic
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Sep 29, 2009 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Hopeful Republicans are starting to play up the similarities between 1994 and 2010 but any talk of a second Republican Revolution is probably just wishful thinking, writes Ed Kilgore in the New Republic. The Republican capture of the House in '94 was made possible by retiring Democrats—some 22 of the 54 seats they picked up that year were open,...
Kardashian-Bush On, Others Off
People
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Sep 29, 2009 9:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Perhaps inspired by the sister Khloé's epic romance with new hubby Lamar Odom, Kim Kardashian got back together with Reggie Bush just a day after that sacred union took place. “They’re totally back together for real,” a source tells People. The same cannot be said for these sad celebrity couples:
Obama to Tighten Bush's Iran Sanctions
Washington Post
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Sep 29, 2009 9:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Obama administration’s plan to sanction Iran looks a lot like that of his predecessor. Officials say that if nuclear talks with Iran fail, they will likely tighten enforcement of Bush sanctions rather than impose new ones, the Washington Post reports. Obama has even retained the top architect of Bush’s effort, Treasury Undersecretary...
War Games Help Vets Cope With PTSD
American Medical News
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Sep 29, 2009 9:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Using realistic war games to re-create the sights, sounds, and even smells of combat is helping veterans overcome post-traumatic stress disorder in several clinical trials. Games like Virtual Iraq —modeled on Full Spectrum Warrior —help psychologists bring patients back to traumatic events and break down mental barriers. Researchers...
Polanski Taunt Brought DA Down on Him
Los Angeles Times
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Sep 29, 2009 8:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Roman Polanski may have his own lawyers to thank for his current predicament. This summer, in an attempt to get the charges against the director dropped, they told an appellate court that prosecutors weren’t actually trying to catch him, because they were afraid to face old misconduct allegations. That ticked off the DA’s office, which...
Home Prices Rise for 3rd Month
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 29, 2009 8:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In another sign the housing market is stabilizing, home prices climbed 1.6% in July, the third consecutive month they have risen, according to the S&P Case-Shiller home-price index of 20 major cities. Though they're down 13.3% compared with this time last year, the year-over-year declines still beat expectations. Las Vegas and Seattle were the...
SNL's F-Bomb Coulda Been Staged
E! Online
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Sep 29, 2009 8:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With the Jenny-Slate-says-fucking-on-live-TV clip going viral and making Saturday Night Live nearly relevant again, E! has to wonder—was it staged? It unrolls its best guess at what happened: Sarah Palin bows out of politics, which means no more Tina Fey on SNL. Lorne Michaels realizes he'll have to wait until next season to...
Ex-Aide: Clinton Got a Little Too Close
New York Daily News
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Sep 29, 2009 8:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Move over, Monica. President Clinton had his eye on another young political staffer, and she’s recounting at least one incident with him in her upcoming tell-all. During the 2000 G8 Summit in Japan, Clinton allegedly called Stacy Parker Aab, then 26, to his room and embraced her on the balcony—for an inappropriate length of time, she writes—as...
Smoke Breaks Bad for Health, Good for Business
Financial Times (UK)
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Sep 29, 2009 8:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It’s a good thing that smokers have been banished to huddle outside or in special smoking rooms at work, writes Michael Skapinker of the Financial Times . Not just because it keeps their second-hand smoke away from the rest of us, but because it brings them closer together. Sure, it's bad for their health, but where would office gossip be without...
Obama's Approval Ratings Stabilize
Politico
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Sep 29, 2009 7:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama’s approval ratings have stabilized this month, after taking a beating over the summer. According to the latest Gallup poll, Obama rests at a healthy 52% average approval rating, putting him on par with most recent presidents. He “is certainly doing as well as, or better than, Reagan or Clinton,” Gallup’s editor-in-chief...
Elizabeth Smart to Testify on Sanity of Her Kidnapper
Radar
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Sep 29, 2009 7:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Elizabeth Smart is ready to testify against the homeless street preacher who abducted her at knifepoint seven years ago. At a hearing Thursday to determine if Brian David Mitchell is fit to stand trial, Smart will tell the court how he acted over her nine-month captivity. The prosecutor thinks she’ll provide important observations about his preoccupation...
Jude Law Wants Paternity Test for Lovechild
News of the World (UK)
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Sep 29, 2009 7:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Don’t roll out the Father of the Year award for Jude Law just yet. The alleged babydaddy has yet to meet Samantha Burke’s daughter Sophia because he’s waiting on a DNA test to prove he’s the father—though he did pay for the birth. “It was an act of kindness rather than an admission that he was the dad,” a friend...
Taiwan Teen Severs Dad's Hands Over Abuse
Associated Press
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Sep 29, 2009 7:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Police in Taiwan arrested a 17-year-old boy who chopped off his father's hands, allegedly after suffering years of physical abuse. The boy used a knife cut through both of his father's wrists while he slept, although doctors succeeded in reattaching them. Local media reported that the boy suffered frequent beatings and had bought a knife after his...
This Looks Like a Job for the Neocons
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 29, 2009 7:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Neoconservatives are making a comeback and it's about time, writes Bret Stephens. They're back "because Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il, and Vladimir Putin never went away," Stephens writes in the Wall Street Journal , and because the world wants America to use its strength to stop Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs in light of the...
Starbucks Goes Instant
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 29, 2009 6:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Following a three-city test run, Starbucks is rolling out its new Via coffee across the country today, offering java-fiends an instant brew that costs less than a buck—and is purported to taste just as good as the real thing. The recession-hit coffee chain is selling the powder in Target and Costco stores and has a promotional deal with United...
Danielle Steel Aide 'Fesses to $400K Ripoff
San Francisco Chronicle
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Sep 29, 2009 6:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A long-time assistant has pleaded guilty to embezzling $400,000 from best-selling romance queen Danielle Steel. Kristy Watts admitted depositing checks for Steel into her own bank account and using the author's credit card points to obtain gifts and airline tickets. Steel, who has written 76 best-selling novels, claims Watts defrauded her of $2.7 million...
Israel Committed War Crimes in Gaza: UN Report
CNN
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Sep 29, 2009 6:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Israel committed "actions amounting to war crimes, possibly crimes against humanity" during the three-week Gaza war, according to a UN special report that will be released today. The fact-finding mission, headed by the Jewish South African judge Richard Goldstone, also determined that Palestinian militants committed war crimes, but reserved...
Erratic Obama Cheapens the Presidency
Washington Post
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Sep 29, 2009 6:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama has been in office for nearly a year, but for Richard Cohen, he's still "the candidate-in-full," unaware that he is already president. Watching Obama alongside Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy last week, the Washington Post columnist perceived "a faux Cuban missile crisis"—and a president dangerously eroding...
Outside DC, Palin's Still a Star
Politico
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Sep 29, 2009 5:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Call her a quitter or a laughingstock, but Sarah Palin is still one of the most popular figures in the Republican Party—as admired by local leaders as she is doubted in Washington. A Politico survey of grassroots GOP members nationwide found particular support for her among Westerners, many of whom cited her values of freedom and self-sufficiency....
Vatican Slams Sex Abuse in Other Religions
Guardian (UK)
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Sep 29, 2009 5:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Vatican hit out at critics of its handling of the church's sexual abuse crisis yesterday, maintaining that most of its abusive clergymen were gay men and not pedophiles. The Holy See's UN representative cited "available research" that only 5% or less of its clergy were involved in child sex abuse, and that up to 90% of them...
'Nanobees' Sting Cancer Cells
Wall Street Journal
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Sep 29, 2009 4:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Scientists working to harness the power of bee venom in the fight against cancer have created "nanobees" that can actually sting a tumor to death. Melittin, an ingredient in bee venom with anti-tumor properties, was attached to tiny spheres that sought out and attacked cancerous cells in mice. Previous efforts to use bee venom to fight cancer...
24th Suicide Hits France Telecom
Independent (UK)
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Sep 29, 2009 4:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A call-center worker has become the 24th victim of what France Telecom calls a "spiral of suicides" among its employees over the last 18 months. The 51-year-old father of two jumped from a bridge onto a highway during morning rush hour in a small town in the French Alps, the Independent reports. He left a note blaming "the atmosphere...
2 US Soldiers Killed in Philippines
BBC
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Sep 29, 2009 3:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Two American soldiers and a Filipino marine were killed when their vehicle rolled over a land mine in the southern Philippines today. The men were fetching supplies for a school when their vehicle was hit, officials say. The American soldiers, part of a 300-strong force helping the Filipino army fight al-Qaeda-linked Islamic insurgents, are the...
Yellowstone Fire Grows
CNN
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Sep 29, 2009 3:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A wildfire at Yellowstone has consumed almost 10,000 acres of pine forest and closed one of the main roads through the national park. Hundreds of firefighters are working to manage the blaze and keep it away from the park infrastructure. The fire has been burning for at least two weeks but officials hope it will die down soon when cooler, wetter weather...
Rise in Mergers Signals Fresh Confidence
New York Times
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Sep 29, 2009 3:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mergers and acquisitions activity is still way down from pre-financial crisis levels, but a recent flurry of big deals suggests America's chief executives are regaining confidence in their own businesses. Recent mergers have involved strategic buys by big companies instead of the debt-fueled private equity buys seen a couple of years ago. That bodes...
Berlusconi Adds Michelle to His 'Tan Obama' Dig
Times (UK)
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Sep 29, 2009 2:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Daffy Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi thought his first joke about President Obama being "tan" was so funny he repeated it —and this time included Michelle in the fun. "I bring greetings from a man, what's his name? Some tanned guy—Barack Obama," Berlusconi said at a rally after returning from the G20...
Popular Kids Become Healthier Adults
BBC
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Sep 29, 2009 2:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Children with few friends at school are much more likely to suffer poor health as adults, according to a new study. Swedish researchers asked 6th graders in 1966 which children they preferred to work with at school, then matched that data with hospital admissions between 1973 and 2003. They found that the "low-status" children least accepted...
Get the Freaking Phone! Jackman Stops Play for Fan's Cell
Reuters
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Sep 29, 2009 1:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Don't mess with the wolverine. Miffed Hugh Jackman stopped his Broadway play in its tracks to tell an audience member to turn off his cell phone. Jackman suddenly pulled out of character and asked the errant cell-phone user: "Do you want to get that?" while the the gadget rang. "Just turn it off. We can wait," he added while the...
Prof: Starbucks Kills Community
Telegraph (UK)
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Sep 29, 2009 1:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Starbucks sells itself as a "third place" between work and home, but its customers fail to interact the way people used to in public spaces, according to history professor Tom Simon. "Rarely do these different people doing different things actually talk and exchange ideas. But talk and ideas are crucial to the making of community,"...
Conan: I Hit My Head So Hard I Understood Lost
Associated Press
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Sep 28, 2009 9:56 PM CDT
(AP) -
Conan O'Brien was back at work today on the Tonight Show , and joking about a stunt accident Friday that gave him what he calls a slight concussion. According to an NBC transcript of tonight's monologue, O'Brien says he hit his head so hard that for five seconds he understood the plot of Lost .
240 Dead, 375K in Shelters After Philippines Floods
BBC
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Sep 28, 2009 9:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
At least 240 people are now confirmed dead in flooding in the Philippines after more than 90 new deaths were reported in Manila. Moreover, 375,000 have been displaced by the disaster, more than double earlier official figures. As government officials appeal for international help, a BBC correspondent says getting supplies to the refugees has taken...
