Newser Story Index from December, 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.
Arlen Specter Does Stand-Up
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Dec 28, 2011 12:07 PM CST
(Newser) -
Arlen Specter has a new gig, and to hear him tell it, it’s a logical progression from his old one. “I’ve been in comedy now for 30 years,” he told the audience at the Helium Comedy Club in Philadelphia. “It’s sit-down comedy.” Yes, believe it or not, the former senator tried his hand at stand-up comedy last...
Under Obama, a Force of Killer Drones Evolved
Washington Post
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Dec 28, 2011 11:59 AM CST
(Newser) -
In the five years before President Obama took office, America’s drones launched 44 strikes, all confined to Pakistan, killing about 400 people. But during his Oval Office tenure there have been almost 240 strikes, killing at least four times as many people, and the US has built dozens of secret drone facilities, with bases in at least six countries,...
Iowa GOP to Count Votes at Secret Location
Politico
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Dec 28, 2011 11:23 AM CST
(Newser) -
Someone get Dick Cheney on the line, because the Iowa Republican Party needs an "undisclosed location" in which to count the impending caucus votes, sources tell Politico . Last election, votes were tabulated at the state’s GOP headquarters in Des Moines, but this year, with Occupy protesters planning to make themselves heard during...
Gwyneth, Snooki Top 'Bad Science' List
Telegraph (UK)
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Dec 28, 2011 10:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
If you’re getting your science education from celebrities, you may have a problem—but even so, the Sense About Science charity wants to set some things straight. The group has released a list of celebrities doling out “bad science” this year, the Telegraph reports. It includes: Simon Cowell : The onetime American Idol...
As More Die, Syria Frees 755 Prisoners
Associated Press
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Dec 28, 2011 10:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
At least six people are dead after Syrian troops fired into a crowd of thousands of protesters gathered in Hama, say activists. Arab League observers are scheduled to arrive in that city tomorrow, and the protesters were apparently working their way toward the main square to participate in a sit-in when troops opened fire and hurled tear gas. Two more...
Cranky Crocodile Steals, 'Drowns' Lawnmower
BBC
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Dec 28, 2011 10:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
Even by the less-than-happy-go-lucky standards of saltwater crocodiles, Elvis is one cranky and aggressive critter. The 16-foot croc, apparently annoyed by the sound of workers cutting the grass in his enclosure at an Australian reptile park, lunged at a lawnmower and dragged it into a pond. The croc, who lost two teeth in the encounter, "drowned"...
Tiger's Mistress No. 1 Pregnant
Huffington Post
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Dec 28, 2011 9:59 AM CST
(Newser) -
Christmas isn’t over yet, as these new pictures of a pregnant Rachel Uchitel clad in a candy-cane-striped bodysuit prove. Uchitel, who became famous as the first Tiger Woods mistress to emerge, tweeted the pictures last night and says she is five months along, the Huffington Post reports. She is expecting the baby with hubby Matt Hahn,...
Somalia's Rising Woe: Mass Rape
New York Times
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Dec 28, 2011 9:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
Add another item to Somalia's long list of woes: A country wracked by violence and famine is also seeing a frightening rise in rape, reports the New York Times , which recounts the findings of aid workers and the tales of victims. The sexual abuse is occurring at the hands of militant group al-Shabab, among others. Reports say these self-proclaimed...
Sorry, Trump: Endorsements Don't Matter
Washington Post
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Dec 28, 2011 9:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
Ask Donald Trump, and he’ll gleefully tell you how important his endorsement is. “Everybody wants it,” he tells the Washington Post . “I have millions of people waiting for me to do it.” But the Post isn’t convinced; research reveals that the power of endorsements has declined to virtually nothing, it reports....
Bill Maher in Hot Water After 'Vile' Tebow Tweet
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 28, 2011 9:09 AM CST
(Newser) -
Staunch atheist Bill Maher is apparently not a huge fan of staunch Christian Tim Tebow, so when Tebow’s Broncos lost to the Buffalo Bills 40-14 on Saturday, Maher wasted no time getting on Twitter. “Wow, Jesus just fucked #TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing , saying to Hitler ‘Hey, Buffalo's killing...
Wife Left Suspected 'Santa Claus' Killer This Year
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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Dec 28, 2011 9:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
Police are piecing together a troubling timeline of the Texas murder-suicide that left seven people dead on Christmas day in a Dallas suburb. The shooter is believed to be Aziz "Bob" Yazdanpanah, whose wife, Fatemeh Rahmati, left him and moved to Grapevine with their two children earlier this year, according to media reports. After Rahmati,...
China Lays Blame for Bullet Train Crash on 54 Officials
Associated Press
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Dec 28, 2011 8:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
Forty people died when two bullet trains crashed into each other in China in July—and 54 officials are to blame. The announcement comes via a long-awaited government report on the tragedy, which points to "serious design flaws and major safety risks," and notes errors in equipment procurement and management. Also found to be lacking:...
New Yorkers Living Longer Than Most of Us
New York Times
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Dec 28, 2011 8:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
A Big Apple a day might help keep the Grim Reaper away: Newborn New Yorkers can now expect to live a lot longer than the average American, Mayor Michael Bloomberg says. At 80.6, the city's life expectancy—which was long well below the national average—is up almost three years from 2000 rates and is more than two years above the national...
Quietly, Canada Slips US Bomb-Grade Uranium
CBC (Canada)
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Dec 28, 2011 8:33 AM CST
(Newser) -
Canada is discreetly moving hundreds of pounds of weapons-grade uranium to the US, with one payload already across the border, a confidential memo obtained by the Canadian Press reveals. The shipments are the result of a pact President Obama and Canadian PM Stephen Harper signed last year to keep the material out of terrorist hands, but the shipments...
Obama 'Pardons' Sea Turtles
USA Today
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Dec 28, 2011 8:10 AM CST
(Newser) -
Apparently it’s not just turkeys that are eligible for a presidential pardon—sea turtles are, too. President Obama "pardoned" four of them yesterday during a visit to Hawaii’s Sea Life Park, releasing the 18-month-old turtles into Hanauma Bay. The president was accompanied by his daughters and a group of friends, USA...
Home Prices Dive, Indicate Gloomy '12
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 28, 2011 8:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
After five straight months of gains through August, many market watchers had hoped home prices were finally trekking northward for good. No such luck: According to the just-released S&P/Case-Shiller Index, home prices fell in 19 of the nation’s 20 largest cities from September to October, bringing the index 3.4% lower than it was at this...
Iran Threatens to Block Flow of Gulf Oil
Reuters
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Dec 28, 2011 7:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
A blustering Iran yesterday threatened to choke the flow of oil through the Gulf's Strait of Hormuz if the West imposes sanctions on its oil exports—sanctions that the the White House is prepping and the EU is considering as a way to punish the country for its nuclear work. Closing the Strait would affect the transport of about 20% of the...
Ron Paul Still Winning in Iowa
Public Policy Polling
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Dec 28, 2011 7:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
Public Policy Polling caused a stir with last week’s poll showing Ron Paul leading in Iowa, and it looks like the result wasn’t a fluke. PPP’s numbers barely budged this week, with Paul leading Romney 24% to 20% and both comfortably ahead of the rest of the pack—Gingrich is at 13%, Michele Bachmann at 11%, Ricks Perry and...
Kim's 2-Day Funeral Begins
BBC
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Dec 28, 2011 7:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
Tens of thousands of soldiers lined the snowy streets of Pyongyang today as North Korea began two days of funeral services for Kim Jong Il. Successor Kim Jong Un walked alongside the hearse, followed by other senior officials who included his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, the AP reports. State television, clearly strained to cover the motorcade along the...
Michigan May Take Over Detroit
MSNBC
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Dec 28, 2011 6:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
If Detroit can't get its finances in order soon, it may become the biggest American city ever to be taken over by a state. Rick Snyder, Michigan's Republican governor, has appointed a team to review the city's finances. If members conclude that the situation constitutes an emergency, Snyder is expected to appoint an emergency manager to...
All Signs Point to Runaway Election Fraud in Russia
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 28, 2011 5:55 AM CST
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The bad news just keeps rolling in for Pooty-Poot: The Wall Street Journal took a long, hard look at Russia's Dec. 4 elections and finds solid indicators of major, widespread, in-your-face fraud—by one measure, casting doubt on some 14 million of the 65.7 million votes purportedly cast. Seems Vladimir Putin's United Russia did astoundingly...
Perry Sues to Get On Va. Ballot
MSNBC
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Dec 28, 2011 5:32 AM CST
(Newser) -
Rick Perry is taking Virginia to court over the ballot rules that have kept him and Newt Gingrich off the ballot for the state's March 6 primary. Virginia's requirement for candidates to gather 10,000 signatures is "unrealistic and onerous," says his campaign communications director. Perry's challenge in federal court claims...
Argentina's President Has Cancer
Telegraph (UK)
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Dec 28, 2011 4:31 AM CST
(Newser) -
Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has been diagnosed with cancer barely two weeks after she was sworn in for a second term. Routine tests uncovered papillary carcinoma in the thyroid of the 58-year-old leader, CNN reports. She is due to undergo surgery next week, and will be on medical leave until Jan. 24.
'Transformed' Perry: No Abortion, Even in Rape, Incest
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 28, 2011 4:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
Rick Perry's views on abortion have undergone what he calls a "transformation"—just in time for the Iowa caucuses. Perry has decided that he's no longer in favor of allowing abortions in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is at risk, USA Today reports. The candidate says watching the anti-abortion film...
Stalled Career, Ageism Drove Ex- SNL Writer to Suicide
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 28, 2011 4:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Joe Bodolai's long career in show business came to a sad end in a Hollywood hotel room. The 63-year-old comedy writer and TV producer was found dead the day after Christmas, having apparently committed suicide by drinking a mixture of antifreeze and Gatorade. Bodolai, who wrote for Saturday Night Live and co-wrote Wayne's World , left a...
Israelis Erupt After Orthodox Extremists Harass Girl, 8
BBC
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Dec 28, 2011 3:32 AM CST
(Newser) -
Thousands of Israelis poured into the streets yesterday to protest calls by Orthodox Jewish extremists for gender segregation. Fury erupted after a group of Orthodox Jews harassed young girls on their way to school for not dressing "modestly." Stop Israel "from becoming Iran," said signs held by protesters in the town of Beit Shemesh...
Gingrich Links Romney to 'European Socialists'
ABC News
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Dec 28, 2011 1:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
As the Iowa caucuses loom, Newt Gingrich's campaign is seeking to paint Mitt Romney as a "Massachusetts moderate"—who gets his ideas from "European socialists." The Gingrich campaign has pounced on recent Romney comments in which he suggested that a European-style value added tax could replace part of the tax code at the...
Online Volunteers Should Scour Moon for Alien Signs: Experts
Guardian
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Dec 28, 2011 1:04 AM CST
(Newser) -
Some astronomers are seeking to mobilize an army of volunteers to scan online photos of the lunar surface to search for any evidence of ancient alien civilizations. Online cosmic sleuths could scour hundreds of thousands of photos of the moon for any evidence of alien technology, mining and rubbish heaps, according to the proposal by professors at...
DSK Story May Be Heading to Big Screen
Deadline
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Dec 28, 2011 1:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
The sordid tale of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, as well as the sexual hijinks of Bill Clinton and Silvio Berlusconi, may soon be playing at a movie theater near you. Gerard Depardieu and Isabelle Adjani are being eyed as stars in a possible project involving Bad Lieutenant director Abel Ferrara and writer Chris Zois, who are working on a feature script,...
Mel Gibson Loses Half His $850M Fortune
People
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Dec 28, 2011 12:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
In what's believed to be the largest Hollywood divorce settlement in history, Mel Gibson is having to cough up $425 million—half of his estimated fortune—to ex-wife Robyn Denise Moore. The two, married 31 years and parents to seven children, didn't have a prenuptial agreement, so Moore is entitled to half his wealth under California...
Cheetah the Chimp Dead at 80
Associated Press
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Dec 28, 2011 12:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
America's most famous chimp has died of liver failure at a primate sanctuary in Florida. Cheetah was once believed to have starred alongside Johnny Weissmuller in the '30s Tarzan movies. But an author hired to write his "autobiography" debunked most of the famous chimp's life story , determining that Cheetah—once owned...
Denise Brown's Son Busted for Domestic Violence
TMZ
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Dec 27, 2011 7:49 PM CST
(Newser) -
Today can't have been an easy day for Denise Brown. After the high-profile 1994 death of her sister—a murder OJ Simpson was famously acquitted of—Denise created the Nicole Brown Foundation to fight domestic abuse. So she probably wasn't too pleased to hear that her own son, Sean Brown, was arrested today after police responded to...
Slain Girl's Grandfather Had Been Sex Offender
Associated Press
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Dec 27, 2011 7:12 PM CST
(Newser) -
One of the nagging questions about the horrific murder of 9-year-old Aliahna Lemmon in Indiana: Why would a mother move into a trailer park full of convicted sex offenders with her three young daughters? The answer from AP is a wrenching one: Tarah Souders made the move to care for her father, who lived in the trailer park but died of emphysema...
Gingrich: I Wouldn't Vote for Ron Paul
politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com
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Dec 27, 2011 6:09 PM CST
(Newser) -
Does this qualify as going negative? Newt Gingrich laid into Ron Paul in serious fashion today, delivering the ultimate rebuke: He said definitively that he would not vote for Paul if he wins the Republican nomination. "I think Ron Paul's views are totally outside the mainstream of virtually every decent American," Gingrich told Wolf...
Mom Killed in Hit-and-Run Carried List of Dreams
New York Daily News
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Dec 27, 2011 5:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
New York's Daily Intel blog calls it the "saddest story you'll read, ever," so be warned. A single mom in New York City was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on Christmas morning, reports the Daily News . Donna Fountain, 38, had an 8-year-old son at home, who was waiting for her to return from work to open presents. The...
Photo Album Worth $4.5M
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Dec 27, 2011 5:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
Few have heard of Henry Peter Bosse, but his 19th-century photographs have earned a home in a federal vault—and a single album is worth $4.5 million. Sotheby's recently appraised the album, which illustrates the changing Mississippi River in the 1880s, and its value had quadrupled over 20 years. But the album's history isn't so illustrious:...
Boars on Rampage in Islamabad
Washington Post
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Dec 27, 2011 5:45 PM CST
(Newser) -
Just another winter in Islamabad: Wild boars with healthy appetites are wreaking havoc in the city, streaming in to munch on the Pakistani capital's garbage. Visiting some of the city's ritziest locations—including the president's home and classy hotels—they have reportedly caused car accidents, injuries, and some deaths, the...
Navy to Test Kamikaze Drone From Submarine
USA Today
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Dec 27, 2011 5:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
It's small enough to be carried in a soldier's backpack—and now, it's heading underwater. The Switchblade kamikaze drone will be test-launched from a Navy submarine next year. The Army already has used what USA Today calls "essentially a self-propelled, remotely guided missile"; now, the Navy is getting ready to fire...
Thousands Protest in Syria During Observers' Visit
Associated Press
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Dec 27, 2011 5:12 PM CST
(AP) -
Tens of thousands of defiant Syrian protesters thronged the streets of Homs today, calling for the execution of President Bashar Assad shortly after his army pulled its tanks back and allowed Arab League monitors into the city at the heart of the anti-government uprising. The pullback was the first sign the regime was complying with the League's...
Romney's New Gingrich Dig: Lucy at Chocolate Factory
Politico
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Dec 27, 2011 4:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
Mitt Romney couldn't resist a dig at Newt Gingrich's failure to get on the Virginia ballot , with this line getting most of the attention today: "I think he compared that to ... what was it, Pearl Harbor?" said Romney when prompted by a reporter. "I think it's more like Lucille Ball at the chocolate factory. You've got...
Car Owner Spurns Lawyers, Takes On Honda Herself
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 27, 2011 4:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Los Angeles Times says it has the potential to become a "small-claims flash mob"—and a major headache for the auto industry along with attorneys looking for a fat payday: A California woman is spurning a proposed class-action settlement and instead taking Honda to small-claims court because her 2006 Civic hybrid hasn't performed...
El Salvador Sees Record in Murders
AFP
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Dec 27, 2011 3:12 PM CST
(Newser) -
Ridden with gang violence, El Salvador saw more murders this year than it has in any year since its civil war ended in 1992, police say. Of the country's 6.1 million people, some 4,308 were murdered in 2011, breaking the 2009 record of 4,223 and marking an increase of 9.3% from last year, AFP reports. Despite a government crackdown, some 12 people...
Santorum: If I'm Last in Iowa, I'll Drop Out
The Hill
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Dec 27, 2011 2:58 PM CST
(Newser) -
He won't be accused of raising the bar too high, but Rick Santorum is nonetheless making a defiant pledge about the Iowa caucuses: "If I finish dead last behind the pack I'm going to pack up and go home," he tells radio station WHO, reports the Hill . Santorum has been running low in the polls from the start, but he's confident...
Clerk KOs Armed Burglar
WYFF4 (SC)
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Dec 27, 2011 2:41 PM CST
(Newser) -
It looked like the thief's lucky day: A shop clerk in North Carolina who was usually armed didn't have his gun on him. But when an armed robber threatened him, the clerk dealt the intruder a knockout punch—and the whole thing was caught on security cameras, WYFF4 reports. After the thief showed We Buy Gold clerk Derek Mothershead his...
Think Kim Should Pay More Taxes? You're Wrong
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 27, 2011 2:26 PM CST
(Newser) -
Kim Kardashian has crossed a line—not by divorcing after just 72 days, but by not paying enough in state taxes. Oh, she pays what she owes to California, William McGurn clarifies—she just doesn’t pay what the Courage Campaign thinks she should . Specifically, this “self-appointed advocacy group” is upset that Kardashian...
US Hangs Iraqi Translators Out to Dry
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 27, 2011 2:12 PM CST
(Newser) -
When the US signed up translators in Iraq, it promised them an inside track for a special visa to the US. But now that the war is over, the visa approval process has slowed to a crawl, leaving translators stuck in Iraq—where many want them dead for helping the Americans, the LA Times reports. “I served the Americans very well, but now...
6-Year-Olds Rule: Middle Childhood Getting Its Due
New York Times
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Dec 27, 2011 2:00 PM CST
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The New York Times today sings the praises of middle childhood, that often overlooked stage from about age 5 to 13. Preschoolers and angsty teens may get all the attention, but kids in this age group are undergoing a stage of development whose importance is only now becoming evident to experts in the field, writes Natalie Angier. The physical changes...
Bad News for Dems? Ben Nelson Retiring
Politico
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Dec 27, 2011 1:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson won't seek reelection next year, potentially harming Democratic hopes to hold onto the Senate majority, Politico reports. Though Nelson's approval ratings had struggled, they were on the rise this year, thanks in part to $1 million in national Democratic Party advertising. Meanwhile, Republicans spent hundreds of...
Greece's Economic Mess Fuels a Medical One
New York Times
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Dec 27, 2011 1:33 PM CST
(Newser) -
As Greece's debt crisis mounted and the country looked for austerity measures, its unwieldy and often corruption-riddled universal health care system became a prime target, with spending cut 13%. But that has had dire consequences, the New York Times reports. Public clinics are suddenly overwhelmed, as patients newly unable to afford private...
To Really Shake Up Your Life, Change Your Name
New York Times
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Dec 27, 2011 1:18 PM CST
(Newser) -
Twelve years ago, Alina Vilenkin took her mother's maiden name and became Alina Simone, and with the switch came a whole new life. She went from being a person who never followed through on anything to one who finally pursued her true passion: singing. "I changed my name and it changed me," she writes in the New York Times . "I...
