Newser Story Index from January, 2011
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.
Civil Unions Legalized in Illinois
Chicago Tribune
|
Jan 31, 2011 10:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
Illinois has become the sixth state to recognize civil unions between same-sex couples. A bill signed into law by Governor Pat Quinn Monday afternoon gives gay and lesbian couples many of the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts, including the right to visit a loved one in hospital, the Chicago Tribune reports.
New Hope or False Promise for MS Patients?
NPR
|
Jan 31, 2011 10:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
While multiple sclerosis has long been thought to be an immune disorder, Italian researcher Paolo Zamboni has posited that it may be something else entirely. Zamboni thinks that the disease may be caused by inflammation created when blood cannot exit the brain because of clogged veins. He calls this chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, or CCSVI....
Observatory to Unveil Search for Other Earths, Life
New York Times
|
Jan 31, 2011 7:09 PM CST
(Newser) -
There's a roving eye watching deep space for signs that the truth—or at least other Earth-like planets or even life—is out there, and we're going to get a glimpse this week. The $600 million Kepler observatory is tracking a small piece of sky filled with some 4.5 million stars, and the potential "Goldilocks" planets lurking between...
South Carolina Mulls Ban on Sharia Law
Talking Points Memo
|
Jan 31, 2011 6:23 PM CST
(Newser) -
South Carolina lawmakers are considering a bill that would explicitly state that "foreign law" could not be enforced in the Palmetto State—the latest in a series of laws that some critics say are really just trying to preemptively ban sharia law, Talking Points Memo reports. State Sen. Michael Fair, who introduced the bill, said that...
'Mouthy' Kids' Mom Spiraled Downward Before Killings
ABC News
|
Jan 31, 2011 6:14 PM CST
(Newser) -
Julie Schenecker shook emotionally in court today as she was charged with killing her two teenage children because they were "mouthy" and she was "tired of it," reports ABC. The charges come after Schenecker was released from the hospital for an unspecified pre-existing medical condition, and as revelations of a troubled Army...
Dear America, Eat Less. Sincerely, Feds
Washington Post
|
Jan 31, 2011 5:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
Not only are the feds picking on how many Twinkies vs. how many carrots you eat, but the New York Times reports that now they're picking on how much you eat, period. The newest federal nutrition guidelines, revised every five years, predictably admonish Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer salts and saturated fats, but they should...
America's Vainest Cities
Daily Beast
|
Jan 31, 2011 5:02 PM CST
(Newser) -
Which American cities work the hardest to look hot? The Daily Beast took the 25 cities that claim the highest percentages of residents who belong to gyms, and ranked the top 20, taking into account body mass figures and spending on "personal care"—at drugstores, salons, and other beauty centers. The results: San Francisco : Residents...
Obama's China Envoy Quitting—to Run in 2012
Politico
|
Jan 31, 2011 4:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
The White House confirmed today that it's looking for a new envoy to China, as Ambassador Jon Huntsman leaves to prepare a 2012 bid against his current boss, Politico reports. Huntsman has the support of several prominent GOP operatives, who've formed a PAC in order to begin the financial and organizational work necessary for a 2012 presidential...
Egyptian VP to Opposition: Let's Talk
Wall Street Journal
|
Jan 31, 2011 4:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
Egypt's new vice president said that the government would be willing to begin a dialogue with the opposition in order to mollify the violent protests that have rocked the country, the Wall Street Journal reports. Omar Suleiman said that President Mubarak had asked him to open an "immediate" dialogue with the protesters—a decision...
Google Exec Missing in Egypt
blogs.wsj.com
|
Jan 31, 2011 3:54 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Google exec has gone missing amid the chaos reigning in Egypt, the Wall Street Journal reports. Family and friends have been unable to reach Wael Ghonim, head of Google's marketing for the Middle East and North Africa, since 6pm on Friday. While spotty Internet access is making routine communication difficult, the fact that Ghonim's recent online...
Afghanistan's Top Bank Faces $900M Losses
New York Times
|
Jan 31, 2011 3:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
Kabul Bank might be on the brink of collapse. It's lost as much as $900 million in its fraud and mismanagement scandal , three times more than investigators originally expected, the New York Times reports. Investors and businessmen believe most of that cash wound up in the hands of elite Afghan insiders who shielded the bank from scrutiny, making...
Fla. Judge: Obamacare Is Unconstitutional
Associated Press
|
Jan 31, 2011 2:59 PM CST
(AP) -
A federal judge in Florida says the Obama administration's health overhaul is unconstitutional, siding with 26 states that had sued to block it. US District Judge Roger Vinson today accepted without trial the states' argument that the new law violates people's rights by forcing them to buy health insurance by 2014 or face penalties.
Egypt Strife Looks Like Bad News for Global Markets
New York Times
|
Jan 31, 2011 2:34 PM CST
(Newser) -
The political unrest in Egypt is sending shockwaves through the rest of the world, and causing widespread uncertainty in global markets. Though the US stock market has largely shrugged off other, similar unexpected events—the European debt crisis, rising interest rates in China—the situation in Egypt could have take its toll, especially...
Android World's No. 1 Smartphone Platform
CNET
|
Jan 31, 2011 2:23 PM CST
(Newser) -
Google’s Android is now the world’s most popular smartphone platform, having edged past Nokia’s Symbian in the fourth quarter of 2010. Vendors shipped 33.3 million Android-based phones that quarter, beating Symbian’s 31 million, a report out today finds. That’s good news for Android phone vendors LG and Acer, who saw sales...
Syrian Leader: You Won't See Protests Here
Wall Street Journal
|
Jan 31, 2011 2:08 PM CST
(Newser) -
Syria's strongman leader says the protests in Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen are ushering in a "new era" in the Middle East—but not in his country. You won't be seeing any mass protests on the streets of Damascus, Bashar al-Assad tells the Wall Street Journal , because his government has already taken steps to address people's economic...
BP Issues Final Payment to Just One of 91K Spill Victims
Associated Press
|
Jan 31, 2011 1:54 PM CST
(AP) -
BP's compensation fund for Gulf oil spill victims has issued a final settlement payment—to just one of the roughly 91,000 people and businesses waiting for checks, records show. And that $10 million payout went to a company after the oil giant intervened on its behalf. BP won't identify the business, citing confidentiality, but acknowledges...
Here's What Killed Those Dead Cows
AOL News
|
Jan 31, 2011 1:38 PM CST
(Newser) -
The latest mass animal death mystery has been solved: The 200 cows that dropped dead in a Wisconsin pasture two weeks ago were killed by, of all things, moldy sweet potatoes. The farmer who owned them originally suspected disease, but investigators ruled that out and determined the cows were likely poisoned by the spoiled sweet potatoes, which...
Egypt Coverage Marred by American Narcissism
Salon
|
Jan 31, 2011 1:23 PM CST
(Newser) -
In Egypt, thousands of people are fighting “for their fundamental human rights, a struggle that has very little to do with your opinions on anything,” writes Alex Pareene on Salon . But as far as the American media are concerned, it has everything to do with the US. “Our national narcissism is infecting every corner of the debate,...
Iran to Execute Two Porn Site Operators
AFP
|
Jan 31, 2011 1:08 PM CST
(Newser) -
Two people in Iran were condemned to death yesterday for running porn sites, reports the AFP . "Two administrators of porn sites have been sentenced to death in two different (court) branches and (the verdicts) have been sent to the supreme court for confirmation," said Iran's prosecutor general. In December, an Iranian-born Canadian resident...
Preschooler Suspended Over Potty Accidents
Washington Post
|
Jan 31, 2011 12:54 PM CST
(Newser) -
Didn’t think it was possible to get suspended from preschool? It is—and 3-year-old Zoe Rosso found herself booted for a full month, thanks to a few too many potty accidents. Rosso was removed from a Montessori preschool in Arlington, Va.—escorted out, along with her mother, by the principal no less—on Dec. 3, because she’d...
US Illegally Subsidized Boeing, WTO Rules
Wall Street Journal
|
Jan 31, 2011 12:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
The US has given billions of dollars in illegal subsidies to Boeing, the World Trade Organization formally ruled today after months of investigation. The WTO has now found that both Boeing and Europe's Airbus received illegal aid from their respective governments, leaving the US and European Union to negotiate a settlement, according to the Wall...
Why the Oscars Are Already Over
Time
|
Jan 31, 2011 12:24 PM CST
(Newser) -
Spoiler alert: The Oscars are over, and The King’s Speech has won Best Picture. Why? Because "in Oscar voting, as in old Hollywood weepies, sentiment trumps sense," writes Richard Corliss in Time . Critics may have loved The Social Network , but not a single one of them is a voting member of the Academy—but plenty of Hollywood...
Behind Wikipedia's Millions of Articles: Mostly Men
New York Times
|
Jan 31, 2011 12:06 PM CST
(Newser) -
Wikipedia is one of the Internet's biggest success stories, with more than 3.5 million articles in English, and millions more in some 250 languages. The one thing it seems to be missing? Women. A study by the Wikimedia Foundation discovered that just 13% of the online encyclopedia's contributors are women—and it wants to boost that number to...
Egypt Inspired by Nameless Facebooker
Newsweek
|
Jan 31, 2011 11:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
The protests rocking Egypt have been fueled in part by a man who died before they began: Khaled Said, who was reportedly killed by police last summer. That’s the name that heads a Facebook page that has been helping to organize the demonstrations—but the page’s creator, who goes by the name El Shaheed, or martyr, remains completely...
Gemma Ward: Time With Heath Ledger Was 'Magical'
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
|
Jan 31, 2011 11:39 AM CST
(Newser) -
Gemma Ward’s relationship with Heath Ledger might not be as well-known as Michelle Williams'—but the supermodel was the last to date Ledger before his death, and now she's opening up about their relationship. "I have taken a break from the media spotlight for the past few years and it was something spurred by Heath's death," she...
Japanese Party Honcho Indicted
New York Times
|
Jan 31, 2011 11:26 AM CST
(Newser) -
The man behind the Japanese ruling party’s historic 2009 victory has been indicted for misreporting political funds. The move could expand divisions among members of the Democratic Party of Japan and help drive the opposition’s push for a new election, the New York Times reports. Ichiro Ozawa may face a trial; the prime minister has...
GOP's Got Nobody for 2012
Washington Post
|
Jan 31, 2011 11:04 AM CST
(Newser) -
The GOP's presidential 2012 field isn't pretty. "All—that's A-L-L—of the Republicans considering runs carry at least one major flaw," writes Chris Cillizza in the Washington Post . Mitt Romney signed a health care bill similar to President Obama’s. Mississippi governor Haley Barbour “virtually invented lobbying.”...
Kim Kardashian Cried Over Nude W Cover
Daily Mail (UK)
|
Jan 31, 2011 10:51 AM CST
(Newser) -
Kim Kardashian may have a sex tape and a Playboy spread in her past, but she was still upset over the extent of her nudity on the cover of W magazine last year. On last night’s episode of Kourtney & Kim Take New York , Kim was shown reacting to the magazine preview for the first time, the Daily Mail reports. “Oh my God, I'm...
Pakistan Has More Than 100 Nukes: Experts
Washington Post
|
Jan 31, 2011 10:39 AM CST
(Newser) -
Pakistan likely has more than 100 deployed nuclear weapons, or twice what it had just a few years ago, analysts tell the Washington Post . The country has sped up its uranium and plutonium production, and devised new delivery systems for it, pushing its nuclear capabilities ahead of India’s. That's unlikely to sit well with the US, which has...
Homeless Couple Wins Trip to Super Bowl
Fox11
|
Jan 31, 2011 10:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
Ouida Wright and her boyfriend may be homeless, but these Green Bay residents are going to the Super Bowl anyway. The couple won a Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau contest involving a “mystery man” who was wandering the streets of Green Bay on Saturday. To win, contestants had to locate the man and utter a secret phrase to him, found...
New Hope for Pregnant Diabetics
BBC
|
Jan 31, 2011 10:10 AM CST
(Newser) -
An artificial pancreas can dramatically reduce the risks of pregnancy for women with Type 1 diabetes, British researchers say. Self-management of insulin levels can be very difficult because physiological and hormonal changes make the safe range for blood sugar levels much narrower—in fact, pregnant diabetics' levels fall outside what is recommended...
Japanese Volcano May Be Headed for Big Bang
South China Morning Post
|
Jan 31, 2011 9:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
Japanese officials urged more than 1,000 people to evacuate today, as the Shinmoedake volcano's first eruption in 52 years rages on, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The order is not mandatory, however, and some are opting to stay in their homes. But vulcanologists warn that the eruptions, which have been spewing ash and debris into the...
71% Think GOP Should Listen to Tea Party
Gallup
|
Jan 31, 2011 9:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
A whopping seven out of 10 Americans think it’s important that Republicans "consider Tea Party movement ideas" as they craft their policies, according to a new Gallup poll , and that includes plenty of Democrats who don’t even like the movement. While only 6% of Democrats are Tea Party supporters, and only 11% have a favorable...
Freed Hiker Called Back to Iran to Stand Trial
Reuters
|
Jan 31, 2011 9:29 AM CST
(Newser) -
Sarah Shourd, the American hiker freed from Iranian prison in September, has been called to return to the country and stand trial on Feb. 6, Reuters reports. Should Shourd decide not to show up, the trial of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, who have been jailed since being detained on July 31, 2009, will be delayed. “The hearing will be held on...
US Braces for 'Historic' Storm
Weather.com
|
Jan 31, 2011 9:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
The storms keep on coming —and the latest, expected to impact one-third of the US population, is being described as “potentially life-threatening” by the National Weather Service and “potentially historic” by the Weather Channel . It will begin today and last through Wednesday, reaching from the Colorado Rockies to the...
AOL Co-Founder to Head 'Startup America'
Bloomberg
|
Jan 31, 2011 9:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
President Obama's entrepreneurship campaign is getting a helping hand from the tech industry. AOL co-founder Steve Case will lead the "Startup America Partnership," a drive to increase investments in startups and small businesses, Bloomberg reports. The initiative already has the backing of a number of tech giants: Intel says it will invest...
China Blocks 'Egypt' Search Term
Los Angeles Times
|
Jan 31, 2011 8:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
As protests continue to rage across Egypt, Chinese authorities have blocked Internet searches for the country’s name in its microblogging services. Big portals like Sohu.com and Sina.com have been offering the Twitter-like services, but a search for "Egypt" on Sina.com returns this message: "According to relevant laws, statues...
Rabid Football Fan? The Super Bowl Could Kill You
Time
|
Jan 31, 2011 8:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
Whether you’re a Steelers fan or a Packers fan, try not to get too excited about the Super Bowl—or you could end up … dead. Scientists found that a Super Bowl loss is associated with a spike in heart-related deaths, while a win is associated with a decrease in such deaths, Time reports. Sure, the Super Bowl may not seem like...
Assange: WikiLeaks Shares Founding Fathers' Values
Telegraph (UK)
|
Jan 31, 2011 8:11 AM CST
(Newser) -
Julian Assange says he doesn’t dislike the US; instead, WikiLeaks is motivated by the same values as the Founding Fathers. “Our founding values are those of the US revolution,” he told 60 Minutes last night. “They are those of people like Jefferson and Madison.” Indeed, the website doesn’t “go after a particular...
US Will Fly Every American Out of Egypt
Associated Press
|
Jan 31, 2011 7:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
The State Department is serious about wanting US citizens out of Egypt —so it’s planning enough chartered flights to evacuate all of them. Charters are flying from Cairo and will likely land in Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus, but spotty Internet connections are making it difficult for Americans to get information about their options, the...
SAG Red Carpet: Who Rocked It?
Go Fug Yourself
|
Jan 31, 2011 7:34 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Screen Actors Guild Awards are “awards season’s most self-congratulatory show,” writes Fug Girl Jessica Morgan, but that didn’t stop her from live-blogging the red carpet on the Fug Girls' website . Baby bumps were definitely very trendy, as were plunging necklines . Click through some of the highlights (and lowlights)...
Chrysler Only Lost $199M This Quarter
Associated Press
|
Jan 31, 2011 7:07 AM CST
(Newser) -
Chrysler lost $199 million in the fourth quarter, but that qualified as good news for the beleaguered automaker—after all, it lost a whopping $2.7 billion over the same period in 2009, the AP reports. The company says it expects to jump to profitability in 2011, setting the stage for an IPO toward the end of the year.
Hundreds Protest Outside Koch Brothers' Retreat
Los Angeles Times
|
Jan 31, 2011 6:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
Nearly a thousand protesters rallied against two major conservative backers at a California resort yesterday, slamming “corporate greed” as they chanted and waved signs. The Rancho Las Palmas resort was the site of a meeting of top conservatives held by the Koch brothers, who run the country’s second-biggest private company and fund...
Clinton Calls for Historic Meeting of US Envoys
Associated Press
|
Jan 31, 2011 6:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
What with the crisis in Egypt and the fallout from the leaked diplomatic cables , the last few months haven’t exactly been calm for Hillary Clinton—and now the secretary of state is calling for an unprecedented meeting of US ambassadors. The top envoys from almost all of America’s 260 diplomatic posts will gather today for the...
Egyptians Plan Million-Man Protest
Al Jazeera
|
Jan 31, 2011 6:20 AM CST
(Newser) -
Protesters in Egypt are calling for the biggest demonstration yet tomorrow, hoping to topple the wobbly Mubarak regime. Organizers hope that more than a million people will take to the streets in Cairo alone, reports al-Jazeera . "It seems as if they are saying: 'We are here to stay. We are re-invigorating our movement and we are not going anywhere',"...
Burma Opens First Parliament in 20 Years
Associated Press
|
Jan 31, 2011 6:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
Burma's first parliament in more than 20 years opened under tight security today, with armed police manning roadblocks on all routes leading to parliament and checking all buses carrying representatives for bombs. Delegates wore traditional attire, but were banned from carrying mobile phones, cameras, computers, and other electronic devices into the...
Climber Survives 1,000-Foot Fall
Guardian (UK)
|
Jan 31, 2011 5:51 AM CST
(Newser) -
After Adam Potter lost his footing and fell 1,000 feet down one of the steepest mountain ridges in the Scottish Highlands, rescuers expected to find a corpse. Instead, they found the 36-year-old Scotsman standing up and looking at a map. Potter, who tumbled over three cliffs on the way down before he was stopped by a boulder, survived with back injuries,...
Tracy Morgan Zings Palin Again
Hollywood Reporter
|
Jan 31, 2011 5:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
Just days after making a crude joke about Sarah Palin that had TNT executives apologizing , Tracy Morgan was right back at it. This time, he called the former governor a "MILF" while on E!'s red carpet special for the SAG awards yesterday. Actually, he said, "Sarah Palin, you'e the hottest MILF in the world!," to an E! host, then...
Bond Theme Composer John Barry Dead at 77
BBC
|
Jan 31, 2011 4:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
John Barry, the soundtrack composer famous for scoring 11 James Bond films and winning five Academy Awards, died yesterday of a heart attack. His first Oscars came in 1967 for Born Free , earning him best score and best song, followed by best score for The Lion in Winter , Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves (for which he also won a Grammy)....
Holograms Will Greet Travelers at UK Airport
Sky News
|
Jan 31, 2011 4:09 AM CST
(Newser) -
Don't be startled if you accidentally bump into a staff member at Manchester Airport and pass right through them. The British airport recently unveiled their latest effort to reduce security queues—holograms of its staff members. The holographic projections will greet travelers and lecture them on topics such as liquid restrictions and boarding...
