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.
Philippines Flood Toll Hits 1,200
Associated Press
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Dec 26, 2011 12:38 PM CST
(AP) -
Fishermen joined Philippine navy sailors, police, and firefighters in an ever wider search for bodies from entire villages swept away in one of the country's worst flash floods. More bodies have washed ashore, pushing the death toll to more than 1,200, an official said today. While more than 60,000 homeless spent a miserable Christmas in jam-packed...
Texas Family Killed by Relative Dressed as Santa
Associated Press
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Dec 26, 2011 12:14 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Christmas tragedy gets even worse: The Texas family found dead in the Dallas area yesterday had just opened their Christmas presents when one of their relatives apparently burst in dressed as Santa, shot them all, and then turned the gun on himself, police revealed today. Seven people were killed, including the shooter—the dead included...
Time to Make Wall Street Pay
Daily Beast
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Dec 26, 2011 11:47 AM CST
(Newser) -
At 75, novelist Michael Thomas has seen much. “If anyone asks me what has been the great American story of my lifetime, I have a ready answer,” he writes in Newsweek : “It is the corruption, money-based, that has settled like some all-enveloping excremental mist on the landscape of our hopes." He watched it happen first-hand...
Brazil Ousts UK as World's No. 6 Economy
BBC
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Dec 26, 2011 11:10 AM CST
(Newser) -
London had better hear Brazil calling: The South American powerhouse has overtaken the United Kingdom as the world's No. 6 economic power, reports the BBC . The shift is hardly shocking, given Brazil's hefty 7.5% economic growth last year, and represents an overall slide back for traditional economic powers in Europe as up-and-comers in Latin...
Apple Files Patent for Hydrogen-Powered Phones
Mashable
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Dec 26, 2011 10:37 AM CST
(Newser) -
Apple is working on a new way to power its fleet of consumer electronics: Hydrogen fuel cells. Apple has applied for two patents that cover using the fuel cells on portable electronics like iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks, which it boasts could make those products smaller, lighter, and able to run for “days or even weeks without refueling,”...
China Jails 2nd Writer for Subversion
Associated Press
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Dec 26, 2011 10:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
China handed yet another dissident yet another long sentence today: Chen Xi was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being charged with "incitement to subvert state power" following the online publication of 36 essays he had written. His wife called the verdict "utterly absurd," explaining that "Chen Xi told the court it...
Japan, China Cut Currency Deal, Shun Dollar
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 26, 2011 9:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda met with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing today, and emerged with a number of deals—including one that will marginalize the US dollar in Asia. The countries agreed to promote direct yuan-yen trades, the Wall Street Journal reports; until now, the money has usually been converted to dollars first....
Hugh Hefner, Crystal Harris Locked in Custody Battle
PeoplePets
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Dec 26, 2011 9:37 AM CST
(Newser) -
Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris may have called it off months ago, but it seems the drama isn't quite over. People reports that the two are locked in a custody battle over ... the pair's Cavalier King Charles spaniel. Hef says his runaway bride gave him the OK to keep Charlie, but now she apparently wants the dog back. Hef is trying...
Kids Who Hate Mom Twice as Likely to Become Obese
Daily Mail (UK)
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Dec 26, 2011 9:09 AM CST
(Newser) -
Most parents have gotten an "I hate you!" tossed their way. But if your toddler really seems to mean it, Mom, you may want to figure out how to improve the relationship. A study set to be published next month found that toddlers who were ranked as having the worst emotional relationship with their moms were more than twice as likely to be...
Man Robs Store on 'Shop With a Cop' Night
14news.com
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Dec 26, 2011 8:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
We don’t want to imply that there’s a right time to shoplift, but there’s definitely a wrong one, and that wrong one is on "Shop With a Cop" night. David Sherman, 49, tried to make off with a $79 DVD player from a Nebraska Walmart on Wednesday, apparently unaware that more than two dozen cops were in the store, WFIE 14...
Is Maria Shriver Changing Her Mind?
TMZ
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Dec 26, 2011 8:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
It appears there may be a tiny chance that Arnold Schwarzenegger will ultimately get the big thing he asked Santa for ... at least, according to TMZ . The gossip site claims that Maria Shriver is reconsidering her decision to divorce Arnie, and has gone so far as to share her uncertainty with friends. Shriver, who filed for divorce on June 1, is...
Racists Rally Behind Ron Paul
New York Times
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Dec 26, 2011 7:58 AM CST
(Newser) -
Ron Paul has long been a fringe candidate, and he has gathered some unpleasantly fringe supporters—namely, racists. The American Free Press, which publishes books like March of the Titans: A History of the White Race , is blanketing New Hampshire with a collection of Paul’s speeches, and the neo-Nazi site Stormfront is brimming with Paul...
US May Allow Saleh to Come ... Here
Reuters
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Dec 26, 2011 7:34 AM CST
(Newser) -
After nine protesters were killed in Yemen on Saturday, outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh pledged to leave the country to "calm the atmosphere for the unity government to hold the presidential election" scheduled for February ... and said he would head to the US. And Reuters reports that the US is considering his request. Saleh would...
Kim's Older Brother Placed 'Under Chinese Protection'
New York Times
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Dec 26, 2011 7:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
North Korea today awarded Kim Jong Un yet another title—he's now the head of the ruling Workers’ Party. But for his brother, no such accolades. South Korea's Yonhap news agency today reported on the whereabouts of Kim Jong Il's oldest son, Kim Jong Nam: He apparently arrived in Beijing several days ago, and "has been...
Syria Shells Homs, Kills 13
Reuters
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Dec 26, 2011 6:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
Arab League observers are headed to the turbulent city of Homs tomorrow to see if Bashar al-Assad is keeping his pledge to end the violent crackdown on dissent, and they might find themselves amidst a firefight when they get there. Syrian forces shelled the Baba Amr district today, killing 13 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding...
Gingrich's Chances in Virginia: Slim
Washington Post
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Dec 26, 2011 6:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
Newt Gingrich hasn't given up on Virginia just yet. After learning Saturday morning that he would not be on the state's primary ballot then vowing to run an "aggressive" write-in campaign, only to find out that write-ins aren't permitted on primary ballots there, his campaign rep explains that the candidate is "exploring...
Romney Running Away With NH
Boston Globe
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Dec 26, 2011 5:34 AM CST
(Newser) -
Mitt Romney is currently running away with New Hampshire's GOP support, according to the latest polls. Romney has the backing of 39% of the state’s likely Republican voters. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are tied with 17% each, just ahead of Jon Huntsman, who is backed by 11% of likely GOP voters, reports the Boston Globe .
Tiger Mom: I'm a Paper Tiger When It Comes to College
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 26, 2011 4:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
You can all relax. Tiger mom Amy Chua isn't driving her first-born daughter nuts haranguing her to study and barring sleepovers and TV now that she's in college ( Harvard, of course ). The fiercely strict mom is "probably the most hands-off" college parent, Chua writes in the Wall Street Journal . "We never ask Sophia what...
Ad Exec's 3 Daughters Die in Savage Conn. Blaze
New York Daily News
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Dec 26, 2011 4:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
The marketing brain behind Calvin Klein's Marky Mark underwear ads was one of only two survivors who made it out of yesterday's horrific Connecticut home blaze that killed her parents and three young daughters. Madonna Badger, 47, and a male friend escaped the roaring inferno that erupted before dawn in Badger's sprawling Stamford home,...
Secret Gitmo Punishment Block Cost $700K
Miami Herald
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Dec 26, 2011 3:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
A once-secret Guantanamo disciplinary cell block was built for a whopping $700,000, reports the Miami Herald . The existence of "Camp Five-Echo"—intended as a grim punishment section for "uncooperative" detainees—was only confirmed last week, even though it was built by the military in 2007. The 24-unit boxcar-style...
101mph Winds Rattle Scotland
BBC
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Dec 26, 2011 2:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
It was a very airy Christmas in Scotland yesterday as winds topping 101 mph rattled the Shetland Islands. "Scotland's weather is notoriously unpredictable," the local transport minister noted in a display of understatement. A warning was issued to all travelers to take extra care. The rest of the UK enjoyed unseasonably mild weather....
Is Bo Obama a Pricey Jetsetter?
Politico
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Dec 26, 2011 2:13 AM CST
(Newser) -
Oh-oh. The star of the Obamas' holiday card is in trouble again. After the first family got a shellacking from Sarah Palin for featuring their dog, Bo, alone, on their White House greetings, they're now under fire for transporting the dog all the way back from Hawaii just to appear in a photo op with the president during a shopping trip in...
Mortars Hit Iran Dissident Camp in Iraq
Reuters
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Dec 26, 2011 2:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Two mortars have hit an Iranian dissident camp inside Iraqi borders. It's unclear if any of the exiles were killed or injured in the attack just days after Iraq reached an agreement with United Nations to extend a deadline to shut the camp and relocate the 3,000 people living there, reports Reuters . The US turned over control of Camp Ashraf,...
Sex Assault on Chihuahua Gets Ex-Convict 10 Years
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 26, 2011 1:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
A wheelchair-bound California parolee has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting an eight-month-old Chihuahua. He must also register as a sex offender in what could be the first such requirement in an animal abuse case. Robert Edward De Shields was renting space in a Sacramento house when the homeowners returned to find him with...
Tot, 3, Shoots Boy, 5, to Death
ABC News
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Dec 26, 2011 1:33 AM CST
(Newser) -
A 3-year-old Colorado toddler has shot and killed a 5-year-old friend, according to police. An adult who brought the gun into the home where the shooting occurred has been arrested on charges of child abuse resulting in death and criminal negligence. Adam Laham, 23, was not related to either of the boys, but was visiting the home from Kansas along...
Demi Lovato Furious Over Disney Anorexia Joke
Us Weekly
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Dec 26, 2011 12:01 AM CST
(Newser) -
After battling anorexia, singer/actress Demi Lovato is furious her former boss, the Disney Channel, joked about the eating disorder on a TV show. A character on the program Shake It Up said recently: “I could just eat you up. Well, if I ate.” Lovato responded in an incensed, all-capitals tweet. “I find it really funny how a company...
22-Year-Old Buys $88M NYC Digs
ABC News
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Dec 25, 2011 7:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
And you thought Suri Cruise was spoiled . A 22-year-old Russian heiress is treating herself to a Manhattan pad at a whopping cost of $88 million—and she only plans to use it when she's visiting New York. Ekaterina Rybolovleva, daughter of Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, is scooping up the nearly 7,000-square-foot digs at 15 Central...
Nigerian Blasts Kill at Least 39
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2011 5:28 PM CST
(AP) -
Terror attacks across Nigeria by a radical Muslim sect killed at least 39 people today, with the majority dying on the steps of a Catholic church after celebrating Christmas Mass as blood pooled in dust from a massive explosion. Authorities acknowledged they could not bring enough emergency medical personnel to care for the wounded outside St. Theresa...
7 Dead in Christmas Shooting
Dallas Morning News
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Dec 25, 2011 5:11 PM CST
(Newser) -
Police found seven people dead today in a grisly Dallas-area Christmas shooting, the Dallas Morning News reports. Authorities have not yet identified the bodies of four men and three women in the apartment, but say the shooter is likely among them. Two guns were also found on the scene. "It's a very tragic situation. It could have been...
Biblical Angels Were Just 'Lucid Dreams'
Daily Mail (UK)
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Dec 25, 2011 4:42 PM CST
(Newser) -
What if Biblical characters who saw angels were all simply dreaming? Researchers in Los Angeles tested that theory by asking participants to re-enact the experience of Elijah, the prophet who was awakened by an angel carrying much-needed bread and water. Following instructions, volunteers at the Out-of-Body Experience Research Center tried to control...
How Much Caveman DNA Do You Have?
blogs.discovermagazine.com
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Dec 25, 2011 4:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
If you've ever wondered whether your boorish ex or oafish boss may be closely related to our caveman ancestors, you can now officially prove it with a genetic test. Genome-mapping company 23andMe is offering "The Neanderthal Test" this holiday season. Simply submit your saliva and you can find out how much DNA you share with our loincloth-clad...
Pakistani Cricketer Draws 100K+ to Rally
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2011 4:10 PM CST
(AP) -
More than 100,000 people rallied in support of Pakistani cricket legend and opposition politician Imran Khan in the southern city of Karachi today, further cementing his status as a rising force in politics. His message of cracking down on corruption and standing up to the US has found new resonance at a time when Pakistanis are fed up with the country's...
Can Your Name Influence Your Job Choice?
Telegraph (UK)
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Dec 25, 2011 3:53 PM CST
(Newser) -
Ever noticed how perfect the name Wordsworth is for a poet, or wondered whether Usain Bolt's last name prompted his running career? Researchers are currently investigating whether one's name can influence one's choice of job, with one study already suggesting it can. Indeed, it's become a big enough field to earn its own name: nominative...
Character Trait Makes for a Mean Drunk
LiveScience
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Dec 25, 2011 3:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
Ah, Christmas: good cheer, festive dinners, and people who drink enough to say what they really think of you. Clearly some personality types should hold off on that third drink. Scientists recently studied the subject and found that people who focus on the here and now—rather than on repercussions—are most likely to get nasty, LiveScience...
I Was 'Touch and Go' With Pneumonia: George Michael
Sun (UK)
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Dec 25, 2011 3:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
Pop icon George Michael opened up about his month-long bout of pneumonia and revealed it was nearly fatal, the Sun reports. "Well, I would say it was touch and go for a couple of weeks," the singer said outside his London mansion Friday, breaking into tears. "We played it down, I didn't want to worry my fans too much." Suddenly...
Biden Tells Iraqis to Mend Fences —Like, Now
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2011 2:32 PM CST
(Newser) -
Joe Biden called Iraqi officials today, urging them to calm rising sectarian tensions after a bombing killed at least 63 people there earlier this week, the AP reports. Biden and other US officials have been phoning Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as well as Sunni and Kurdish leaders all week, asking them to "stop hurling accusations at each...
Bathroom Bling— It's the $130K Toilet
news.cnet.com
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Dec 25, 2011 2:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
Some people can't help pissing away money. And for them, a Japanese company has introduced a $130,000, crystal-covered toilet, reports CNET . Called the Satis, this luxury commode is covered with 72,000 Swarovski crystals, and is on display at the company's Tokyo showroom. "2011 was a really tough year for Japan, with the earthquake and...
Hackers Rob US Security Think Tank
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2011 1:44 PM CST
(Newser) -
Hackers say they stole credit card numbers from a US security think tank today and began using them to make donations to charity, the AP reports. The hackers are members of the loose-knit movement known as "Anonymous." The victims are members of a highly guarded list of clients of Stratfor, including the US Air Force, US Army, and Miami...
Top 10 Actors We Stalk on IMDb
Mashable
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Dec 25, 2011 1:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
When you want to ogle an actor, the Internet Movie Database is a reasonable destination. So which 10 celebs racked up the most IMDb profile page views in 2011? The top spot now belongs to Natalie Portman , who snagged the crown from Johnny Depp (now No. 3, he's been No. 1 for six out of the last seven years). IMDb's managing editor certainly...
Huckabee: 2012 Too 'Toxic'
Politico
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Dec 25, 2011 1:04 PM CST
(Newser) -
One might think that Mike Huckabee—along with any other red-blooded Republican who ever had presidential aspirations—would regret having sat this race out. Not so, says Huck, calling the 2012 political environment "so toxic and negative that it's not a water I'm ready to jump into right now." "If I ran it would be...
Conn. House Fire Kills 5
New York Times
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Dec 25, 2011 12:11 PM CST
(Newser) -
A pre-dawn blaze tore through a million-dollar house in Stamford, Conn., this Christmas morning, killing three children and two adults in what the town's mayor called "a terrible, terrible day for the city of Stamford. There probably has not been a worse Christmas day in the city of Stamford." Two people, a man and a woman, were pulled...
Iran: We Might Still Stone Adulteress
Associated Press
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Dec 25, 2011 11:26 AM CST
(AP) -
The dizzying saga of Sakineh Mahammadi Ashtiani took another turn today, with Iran saying that it was going forward with plans to execute the convicted adulteress by stoning—unless, of course, it decides to just hang her instead, reports the AP . "There is no haste," said Malek Ajdar Sharifi, a chief justice official in the province...
Virtual Swear Jar Turns Your Potty Mouth Into Charity
Good
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Dec 25, 2011 11:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
If your New Year’s resolution is to stop swearing so much, why not do some good at the same time? Giving a modern twist to the idea of putting money into a glass jar every time you curse, " Charity Swear Box" monitors your Twitter feed for naughty words. At the end of the month, the site will let you know how much you owe to charity—$1...
Sans Philip, Royal Christmas Goes on
People
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Dec 25, 2011 10:40 AM CST
(Newser) -
Britain's Prince Philip remained hospitalized today, recovering from coronary stenting , but the royal show must go on, and so it did: Queen Elizabeth and her entire brood attracted throngs of Brits as they attended Christmas services this morning at the queen's retreat in Sandringham. Kate, in her first Christmas as Duchess of Cambridge,...
Proposal Planners Help You Get the Big Question Right
New York Times
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Dec 25, 2011 9:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
In a day and age when proposals are expected to be cinematic masterpieces or something similarly unique , what’s a guy to do? The New York Times has the answer in its report on a growing niche in the wedding industry: proposal planners. Men, and sometimes women, hire these people for anything from just the idea to the actual execution...
N. Korea Signals Rise of Kim's Uncle
Reuters
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Dec 25, 2011 9:29 AM CST
(Newser) -
Pyongyang was busily hailing Kim Jong Un as its "Supreme Commander" yesterday, but today's spotlight in the who's-running-North-Korea spectacle is on Kim's uncle, Jang Song Thaek, reports Reuters . Seems official state media are running photos of Jang dressed as a general, in what many are interpreting as a sign of his growing...
29% of Drone Pilots Are Burned Out, Exhausted
NPR
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Dec 25, 2011 9:17 AM CST
(Newser) -
Drones may be unmanned, but they're not pilot-less, and many of those pilots are having a pretty rough time. NPR reports on a new Pentagon study, commissioned by the Air Force, that looks at the mental toll that fighting "remote-controlled war" takes, and the stats are somewhat disheartening. The Air Force employs about 1,100 drone...
Man Crashes $380K Car 6 Hours After Winning It
ksl.com
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Dec 25, 2011 8:23 AM CST
(Newser) -
A Utah contest winner received a $380,000 Lamborghini Murcielago last Saturday … and promptly crashed it six hours later. "Yeah, I got it on Saturday and I wrecked it on Saturday," David Dopp tells KSL.com . Dopp had entered a "Joe Schmo to Lambo" contest organized by convenience store chain Maverik and nonprofit organization...
US Climber, 15, Sets 7-Peak Record
BBC
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Dec 25, 2011 8:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
While most of you were busily sucking down eggnog, Jordan Romero, the boy mountain climber who became the youngest to scale Mt. Everest , was down in Antarctica setting a seven-peak record. The 15-year-old reached the summit of Mt. Vinson Massif yesterday, making him the youngest to climb the tallest peak on each of the seven continents, reports the...
Decorated Soldier Shot, Paralyzed at Welcome Party
KTLA-TV
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Dec 25, 2011 7:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
A Purple Heart recipient who survived a suicide bombing last year in Afghanistan came home for the holidays—only to be paralyzed in a shooting at his own welcome-home party, reports KTLA . Christopher Sullivan, 22, was shot late Friday in San Bernardino after a fight broke out over football, and a man pulled out a gun and started shooting. Sullivan...
