Newser Story Index from December, 2010
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.
Dispensary Trades Free Pot for Cans of Food
Associated Press
|
Dec 30, 2010 2:34 PM CST
(Newser) -
Want to know the secret of getting a whole bunch of canned food donations? Offer free pot. That's just what a medical marijuana dispensary near San Francisco did over the holiday season, reports AP . The Granny Purps dispensary collected 11,000 pounds of donated food by offering complimentary marijuana cigarettes for every four cans of donated food....
Tech-Savvy Travelers Rebook Flights Via Twitter
New York Times
|
Dec 30, 2010 2:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
An extra twist of the knife for the poor souls waiting in line for ticket agents to rebook flights: Some of their fellow travelers got it done with a tweet. Delta, for instance, has had several employees focused mainly on handling direct-message Twitter requests from tech-savvy passengers since the East Coast blizzard struck, reports the New York...
Nintendo to Little Kids: Don't Use Our 3D Console
Huffington Post
|
Dec 30, 2010 2:17 PM CST
(Newser) -
As Nintendo prepares to unveil its highly anticipated 3D gaming system , the company is warning that kids under 6 should steer clear. Because their eyes are still developing, the 3DS system could damage their vision, it says. In fact, users of all ages should be wary of eye fatigue with the glasses-free technology and ready to take a break. The Huffington...
Mom Charged in Son's Oil-and-Vinegar Death
WANE
|
Dec 30, 2010 1:56 PM CST
(Newser) -
An Indiana mother who thought her son was possessed by a demon forced him to ingest oil and vinegar three times, then held his mouth shut for 10 minutes. Latisha Lawson says that by then 3-year-old Jezaih King had stopped struggling, WANE reports. Lawson also allegedly forced daughter Kierra King, 10, to drink the mixture, but the little girl vomited....
Rattner Pays $10M to Settle Pension Fund Case
Wall Street Journal
|
Dec 30, 2010 1:10 PM CST
(Newser) -
New York's nasty legal fight between Andrew Cuomo and investment banker Steven Rattner—two of the city's major players in Democratic circles—is finally over. Rattner, who also served as President Obama's point man for the auto bailout, will pay $10 million to settle accusations that his company paid kickbacks to secure state pension fund...
If We're Going to Live to 100, We Need to Rethink 'Old'
Telegraph (UK)
|
Dec 30, 2010 1:01 PM CST
(Newser) -
Hitting "old age" doesn't mean what it used to: Writing in the Telegraph , Geraldine Bedell notes that almost 20% of people living in the UK right now will make it to the ripe old age of 100. So if we're living longer, when do we officially become old? According to some statisticians, we cross the magic threshold at 50—meaning a...
Russian Tycoon's Sentence Shows Putin Still Calling Shots
Washington Post
|
Dec 30, 2010 12:48 PM CST
(Newser) -
Russia watchers were keeping a close eye on the sentencing of tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky today on seemingly trumped up embezzlement charges to see whether Vladimir Putin might be loosening his grip. With a judge giving Khodorkovsky the maximum 6 years on top of his earlier 8-year sentence, that answer seems to be a "resounding no," writes...
A Single Tip Now Lands You on Terror Watch List
Washington Post
|
Dec 30, 2010 12:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
Be careful: The feds learned a lesson from the underwear bomber , and now all it takes is a single tip to land you on the terrorist watch list. Concerns were raised after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab wasn’t placed on the list, despite his father informing US officials of his son’s radicalization. Now, the criteria have been altered so that...
Real-Life Rosie the Riveter Is Dead at 86
New York Times
|
Dec 30, 2010 12:08 PM CST
(Newser) -
Meet the real Rosie the Riveter. The woman who inspired the "We Can Do It!" poster during World War II that was embraced as a feminist symbol in the 1980s is dead at age 86, reports the New York Times . Geraldine Hoff Doyle was working in a Michigan factory in 1942 when a UPI photographer took her photo. The image became the inspiration...
Amid $31M Bank Probe, Vatican Creates Financial Watchdog
Associated Press
|
Dec 30, 2010 11:53 AM CST
(AP) -
The Vatican today created a financial watchdog agency and issued new laws to fight money laundering and terrorist financing in a major effort to shed its image as a tax haven that for years has been mired in scandal and secrecy. The decrees, which go into effect April 1, were passed as the Vatican's own bank remains implicated in a money-laundering...
Obama's 6 Recess Picks Include AIG Consultant
Associated Press
|
Dec 30, 2010 11:43 AM CST
(AP) -
President Obama bypassed the Senate yesterday to make six recess appointments, the most controversial being a deputy attorney general whose links to the insurance giant AIG had stalled his confirmation. Obama first nominated James Cole to the No. 2 Justice Department post in May, but GOP lawmakers blocked his confirmation in part because of questions...
Slow NYC Cleanup Is Union Protest: Report
New York Post
|
Dec 30, 2010 11:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
If this proves true, there's going to be a lot of outraged New Yorkers: The New York Post reports that Sanitation Department bosses ordered workers to slow down snow cleanup as a budget protest. Among the tactics: keeping plow blades high and skipping some streets entirely, says the Post . It quotes a city councilman who says he met with three...
Queen 'Delighted' by First Great-Grandchild
Daily Mail (UK)
|
Dec 30, 2010 11:34 AM CST
(Newser) -
Queen Elizabeth is a great-grandmother now, and she’s quite pleased about it. The queen’s eldest grandson, Peter Phillips, welcomed a daughter yesterday with wife Autumn Kelly, the Daily Mail reports. “The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, Captain Mark Phillips, and Autumn's family have been informed and are delighted...
Our Kids Don't Need to Learn Chinese
New York Times
|
Dec 30, 2010 11:09 AM CST
(Newser) -
Nick Kristof and his family speak Chinese, and “let’s be frank,” he writes in the New York Times , “if your child hasn’t started Mandarin classes by third grade, he or she will never amount to anything.” Oh, actually … “just kidding,” continues Kristof, who disagrees with the current parental...
Michelle Williams 'Proud' of Oral Sex Scene
Reuters
|
Dec 30, 2010 10:59 AM CST
(Newser) -
Michelle Williams is pretty pleased with the oral sex scene that originally earned her film Blue Valentine an NC-17 rating . "I thought, 'I've never seen that before in a movie and I'm proud to be the first. Good on us for making that happen,’” she tells Reuters . “As the woman in the situation that was in question, I found...
Big Banks Up Their Lending to Businesses
Wall Street Journal
|
Dec 30, 2010 10:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
We may be on our way to clearing one hurdle on the path to economic recovery: We're seeing the first quarterly increase in commercial and industrial lending in two years, reports the Wall Street Journal , compliments of big banks like JPMorgan Chase and US Bancorp. Moody's Analytics estimates 0.2% fourth quarter growth over the third quarter, to...
Rupert Everett Slams Jen's 'Tasteless' Rom-Com Flops
Us Weekly
|
Dec 30, 2010 10:28 AM CST
(Newser) -
Rupert Everett is not a member of Team Jen. Talking to the BBC, the British actor bemoaned the fact that Jennifer Aniston is still a Hollywood A-lister despite less-than-stellar films, Us reports. Aniston “will have one too many total flops, but she's still a member of that club," Everett complained. "And she will still manage to...
Iraq Civilian Deaths Drop for Third Straight Year
Bloomberg
|
Dec 30, 2010 10:08 AM CST
(Newser) -
A glimmer of good news in Iraq: Civilians deaths from violence were down for a third straight year, dipping 15% to 3,976, according to nonprofit group Iraq Body Count. Two-thirds of those deaths were the result of bombings attributed to al-Qaeda in Iraq and other terrorist or sectarian groups. US troops were tied to 32 of the deaths, down from 64 last...
30 Rock : TV's Least Ethical Show
CNN
|
Dec 30, 2010 10:01 AM CST
(Newser) -
If the employees on 30 Rock were real, they’d be in serious trouble. The NBC show is the biggest offender when it comes to depicting ethical violations in the workplace, CNN reports. Incidents like Alec Baldwin’s character referring to a “chick lawyer” who’s “asking for it” helped the show to rack up an...
New for Skype on iPhone: Video Calls
New York Times
|
Dec 30, 2010 9:25 AM CST
(Newser) -
As of today, Skype users are no longer limited to their computers when it’s time to make a free video call. The service added video chatting to its iPhone application, allowing users to make Skype-to-Skype video calls over the 3G network or WiFi for the first time, the New York Times reports. A VP warns that the video quality will suffer...
Obama Staying Extra Day in Paradise
Wall Street Journal
|
Dec 30, 2010 9:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
If the president isn't working, we don't have to, right? It only seems fair, considering Obama is taking an extra day of vacation. Instead of returning from shaved-ice paradise on Sunday, the president will leave Monday evening and arrive Tuesday afternoon, reports the Wall Street Journal . "After the extended lame duck and five-day delay of...
Jailed Teen Mom Makes How Much Money?!
Hollywood Life
|
Dec 30, 2010 9:12 AM CST
(Newser) -
Welcome to the 21st century: Amber Portwood, the 20-year-old who got pregnant at 16, landed a reality show with her baby, and was recently jailed for allegedly beating her babydaddy , makes a lot more money than most of us will ever see. A judge ordered Portwood to reveal her annual MTV salary in court, and it’s a whopping $280,000, Hollywood...
For Returning Troops, an Even Worse Job Reality
Washington Post
|
Dec 30, 2010 8:51 AM CST
(Newser) -
The job market is obviously bleak—but it's even worse when it comes to troops returning from war. The Washington Post takes a look at the 2 million veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, who spent as much as 10 years, on and off, in desolate war zones, racking up skills that have little value at home. The result, according to federal...
2010: The Year We Stopped Talking to Each Other
USA Today
|
Dec 30, 2010 8:33 AM CST
(Newser) -
In the seemingly unending onslaught of "best" and "worst" of 2010 stories, a declaration that's a mix. Writing for USA Today , Sharon Jayson dubs 2010 "the Year We Stopped Talking to One Another." The upside: We're Facebook BFFs with Kimmy from high school. The downside: We check email on dates. Writes Jayson, "Our...
After Heist, Bellagio Kills the $25K Chip
Associated Press
|
Dec 30, 2010 8:27 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Las Vegas motorcycle bandit who made off with $1.5 million in casino chips may not be able to cash them in himself , but he did accomplish one thing: making life difficult for a lot of high-stakes gamblers. Thanks to the thief, MGM Resorts—which owns the Bellagio, scene of the crime—is discontinuing its $25,000 chip, the AP reports....
To Be Released, Inmate Must Give a Kidney to Sister
Associated Press
|
Dec 30, 2010 8:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
A Mississippi inmate will have her life sentence suspended, as long as she abides by one interesting condition: She must donate a kidney to her sister. Jamie and Gladys Scott were convicted in 1994 of baiting two men into an armed robbery, in which only $11 was stolen. The sisters have spent 16 years behind bars while civil rights advocates have condemned...
In GOP-Led House, the Constitution Will Be God
Washington Post
|
Dec 30, 2010 7:48 AM CST
(Newser) -
When Republicans take over the House next week, they'll christen the new session with a dramatic reading ... of the Constitution. Apparently, the 4,543-word document has never—in 221 years—been read aloud in the chamber. But the GOP is determined to center the 112th Congress around the document when it assumes the majority: The sponsor...
Pakistan 'Disappearing' Thousands of Separatists
New York Times
|
Dec 30, 2010 7:46 AM CST
(Newser) -
In Pakistan, thousands are missing—and the US fears the country may be using the war as an excuse to round up and disappear political separatists. For years, human rights groups have reported on Pakistan’s security forces holding prisoners incommunicado, without charges; there are also concerns that some have been tortured or killed. Captured...
In New Mexico's Desert, 'Earthships' Rise
ABC News
|
Dec 30, 2010 7:09 AM CST
(Newser) -
One man's garbage is another man's ... Earthship? An architect in New Mexico is taking old tires, bottles, appliances, and other trash, and using them to create environmentally friendly, solar-powered, self-sustaining homes. Angled just so, to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer, the Earthship houses are always around 70 degrees, without...
Obama Bans Topless Photos
New York Times
|
Dec 30, 2010 6:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
President Obama is apparently getting shy (or flabby?) in his advancing years as president. Reporters have been given strict instructions not to snap pics of a topless president while he's vacationing in Hawaii, reports the New York Times . That means no more hunka-hunka shots and no more memorable headlines like the New York's Post's "Buff...
Ex-Israeli President Convicted of Rape
Associated Press
|
Dec 30, 2010 6:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav likely faces four to 16 years in prison after being convicted of raping an employee in 1998 when he was a Cabinet minister, reports the AP . Katsav was president of Israel from 2000 to 2007, but resigned two weeks before his term expired under a plea bargain that would have required him to admit to lesser charges...
Sound of Music Daughter Dies
Associated Press
|
Dec 30, 2010 6:36 AM CST
(Newser) -
Agathe von Trapp has climbed her last mountain. The oldest daughter of the musical family whose legendary escape from Nazi-occupied Austria was the basis for the equally legendary The Sound of Music died Tuesday at age 97. Agathe, a guitarist, was represented in the film by "I am 16-going-on-17" Liesl. But she wasn't nearly as outgoing...
Dr. Murray's Defense: Jacko Killed Himself
Associated Press
|
Dec 30, 2010 6:31 AM CST
(Newser) -
Dr. Conrad Murray, accused of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death, appears to be taking a novel approach to his defense: Claim the King of Pop killed himself. Or so says the prosecution, reports the AP. "I do think it's clear the defense is operating under the theory that the victim, Michael Jackson, killed himself," says...
'Oscar-Worthy' YouTube Snow Video Wows Roger Ebert
Gothamist
|
Dec 30, 2010 6:28 AM CST
(Newser) -
One of the gazillions of snow storm videos shot in New York is a crystalline standout that has won praise from none other than Roger Ebert as "Oscar-worthy." Indie cinematographer Jamie Stuart chronicled last week's record storm in his Queen's neighborhood, entitling the short film Idiot With a Tripod in homage to Russian film director...
Playboy Mansion a 'Squalid' Prison
Daily Mail (UK)
|
Dec 30, 2010 6:19 AM CST
(Newser) -
Is there anything more cringe-worthy than a 24-year-old babe sleeping with 84-year-old Hugh Hefner? Maybe: Living in Hef's "squalid" Playboy mansion and being part of his stable of second-string women who feel like prostitutes servicing a viagra-popping, plastic-surgery-obsessed octogenarian, reports the Daily Mail . The buxom crew's bedrooms...
In Venezuela Feud, US Yanks Ambassador's Visa
Businessweek
|
Dec 30, 2010 6:10 AM CST
(Newser) -
The US and Venezuela aren’t playing nice in the sandbox: The US has revoked the visa of Bernardo Alvarez, Venezuelan ambassador since 2003, following Venezuela's Dec. 20 rejection of American envoy Larry Palmer. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has refused to welcome Palmer since July, when Palmer angered him by criticizing Venezuela, Bloomberg...
Transocean Disses Feds' Subpoenas
Associated Press
|
Dec 30, 2010 6:00 AM CST
(AP) -
The Deepwater Horizon's owner is refusing to honor subpoenas from a federal board that has challenged the company's involvement in monitoring the testing of the blowout preventer, which failed to stop the oil spill disaster. Transocean says the US Chemical Safety Board does not have jurisdiction in the probe, so it doesn't have a right to the documents...
Hackers Take Down 4Chan Activists
BBC
|
Dec 30, 2010 4:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
Notorious message board 4Chan, a popular hangout for some high-profile hacker groups—including Anonymous, the group that launched attacks worldwide in support of WikiLeaks—was taken offline this week by an overwhelming Internet attack. While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, some are speculating it could be in retaliation...
San Diego Professor Stabbed to Death in Mexico
Associated Press
|
Dec 30, 2010 4:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
Authorities are still scrambling to find a motive behind the murder of a popular San Diego professor in Tijuana. Henry Acejo, who taught at three colleges in the San Diego area, was stabbed to death in his Mexico apartment late at night, reports AP . “He had a great sense of humor, a great love of life, and he loved his work and loved people,"...
GI Afghan 'Death Squad' Probe Now Targets Leaders
Guardian (UK)
|
Dec 30, 2010 3:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
With at least 5 US soldiers accused of forming a "kill team" that murdered Afghanistan civilians, the US military is now investigating the brigade's leadership, reports the Guardian . A brigadier general is conducting a "top to bottom" review of the army's 5th Stryker Combat Brigade after evidence emerged that the brigade's leadership...
Mickey Rourke to Play Gay Rugby Star
Independent
|
Dec 30, 2010 3:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
Comeback kid Mickey Rourke is preparing to come back to the big screen again as another athlete, but this time with a different sexual orientation. "The Wrestler" will play Welsh gay rugby star Gareth Thomas, who's touted by the Independent as the only active male sports professional to declare his homosexuality. Rugby is "one of...
Cops: Man Steals Game Boy From Teen's Casket
Tribune-Democrat
|
Dec 30, 2010 2:04 AM CST
(Newser) -
Now that's low. Indiana cops have busted a 37-year-old man they say swiped a Game Boy from the casket of a teen killed in a car accident. The heist occurred during viewing of the 11th-grader's body at a local funeral home, said investigators. The teen's uncle confronted the robber outside the home and recovered the Game Boy, but returned to find...
O'Donnell: Establishment Is Out to Get Me
Roll Call
|
Dec 30, 2010 1:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
Erstwhile Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell blasted reports of a federal investigation into alleged campaign finance fraud as an "establishment trick." We’ve "been warned by multiple high-ranking Democrat insiders that the Delaware Democrat and Republican political establishment is jointly planning to pull out all the...
Today's Leading Atheists Are Way Too Smug
New York Daily News
|
Dec 29, 2010 8:21 PM CST
(Newser) -
Some of the leading voices of modern atheism—the likes of Christopher Hitchens, Bill Maher, and Sam Harris—tend to view people of faith as closed-minded fools, writes fellow atheist S.E. Cupp in the Daily News . But with their smug condescension, she thinks they're the ones guilty of the charge. "The militant atheist wants nothing...
French Model in Anti-Anorexia Campaign Dead at 28
Associated Press
|
Dec 29, 2010 7:03 PM CST
(AP) -
Isabelle Caro, a French actress and model whose emaciated image appeared in a shock ad campaign against anorexia, has died at age 28. A friend said she didn't know the cause of death but that Caro "had been sick for a long time," referring to her anorexia. Caro was featured in a campaign called "No Anorexia" in 2007 for an Italian...
France Warns 100K Illegal Downloaders
Guardian (UK)
|
Dec 29, 2010 6:37 PM CST
(Newser) -
France's campaign to stop illegal downloads is well under way, with the program nicknamed Big Brother sending out warning emails to 100,000 people so far, reports the Guardian . Repeat offenders—whose details are gleaned through service providers—face fines and banishment from the web for a year. It's a pet program of President Nicolas...
Woman Sues Bengals After Drunk Fans Fall on Her
Cincinnati Enquirer
|
Dec 29, 2010 5:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Cincinnati Bengals fan—though maybe not anymore—is suing the team and everyone else responsible for alcohol sales at Bengals games for injuries sustained when two drunk men fell on her, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Rebecca Dunn says the fans' tumble broke her nose and index finger, bruised her femur, jammed her toe, cracked her...
Haikuleaks Mines WikiLeaks Cables for Poetry
geekosystem.com
|
Dec 29, 2010 5:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
Can't seem to make sense of the reams of information released by WikiLeaks? Haikuleaks can help. One enterprising soul has run the entirety of the diplomatic cables through a HaikuFinder program, which searches for sentences that naturally fall within the 5-7-5 pattern intrinsic to haiku, Geekosystem reports. Examples:
Woman Arrested After Calls to 911 About Manicure
New York Daily News
|
Dec 29, 2010 5:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Florida woman was jailed briefly for tying up 911 with a decidedly "non-emergency" issue: complaints about her manicure. Cynthia Colston called four times from the salon after getting into an argument with her nail technician, including once to complain about the deputy who arrived on the scene and another time after being warned not to...
Buzz Aldrin Sues Over Trading Card's Moon Image
Los Angeles Times
|
Dec 29, 2010 4:58 PM CST
(Newser) -
Buzz Aldrin doesn't mess around with his image as a moon-walker. The second man to set foot up there is suing Topps over its "American Heroes" series of trading cards, which features an image of the big moment without permission, reports the Los Angeles Times . The astronaut's lawyers helpfully reminded Topps that they've collected nearly...
