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.
Ron Paul Must Address Racist Newsletters
Daily Beast
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Dec 23, 2011 12:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
Ron Paul’s 20-year-old racist newsletters have come back into the spotlight recently, particularly thanks to a CNN interview that he walked out of . Paul insists that he didn’t write or even read the newsletters, that he disavows the statements, and that “anyone who knows me” can attest that he’s not racist. But that’s...
Mysterious 'Space Ball' Falls From Sky
AFP
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Dec 23, 2011 11:49 AM CST
(Newser) -
Namibian authorities are scratching their heads over a strange metal ball that fell out of the sky, they reveal. The ball, which weighs about 13 pounds and is 14 inches in diameter, was found lying about 60 feet away from the 12-foot-wide crater it left in the ground when it landed in mid-November. A few days earlier, locals had reported hearing small...
North Commands South: Show Respect to Kim Jong Il
New York Times
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Dec 23, 2011 11:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
Kim Jong Il’s death is leading to more tension between the Koreas: North Korea warned its neighbor today that it must “show proper respect” over Kim’s death by allowing citizens to attend his funeral. The statement accused South Korea of “insult and mockery” because it expressed sympathy over the North Korean leader’s...
Dragon Tattoo Looks Good, Lacks Depth
Slate
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Dec 23, 2011 11:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
David Fincher's adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a mostly faithful retelling of Stieg Larsson's novel: A young hacker and a journalist team up to solve the mystery of a girl's disappearance. The film is visually impressive, and Rooney Mara is compelling—but the movie as a whole isn't particularly profound. ...
Gay Group 'Sorry' for Killing Lawmaker's Marriage
boingboing.net
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Dec 23, 2011 11:07 AM CST
(Newser) -
After a married Minnesota state senator was caught in an "inappropriate relationship" with a male staffer, she quit her post as majority leader. And because Amy Koch was a staunch opponent of gay marriage who had pushed to amend the state constitution toward that end, the local gay community is not exactly sympathetic, notes City Pages ....
Air Jordan Release Leads to Brawls, Arrests Across US
KOMONews.com
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Dec 23, 2011 10:52 AM CST
(Newser) -
Nothing like pepper spray to make for a happy holiday story: When a Washington mall sold out of the new Nike Air Jordans released this morning, things turned violent and police had to spray the crowd. More than 1,000 people had lined up at 4am to buy the 11 Retro Concords, which retail for $180; about 50 walked away empty-handed. A fight broke out...
Suri Gets $5K VIP Ice Skating Session
New York Daily News
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Dec 23, 2011 10:37 AM CST
(Newser) -
Raise your hand if you think Suri Cruise is going to end up worse than Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian combined. The latest tale of extravagance in the 5-year-old’s life: Parents Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes paid $5,000 for exclusive use of a VIP-like area at New York’s Rockefeller Center ice skating rink (skaters usually pay $75 to get...
GOP Fell Into Democrats' 'Trap' on Payroll Tax
Washington Post
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Dec 23, 2011 10:23 AM CST
(Newser) -
Republicans really blew it in the payroll tax debate—both in terms of policy and politics, writes Charles Krauthammer. For one thing, the two-month extension simply doesn't make sense: It requires businesses to plan for "two-thirds of a one-quarter tax-holiday extension." More importantly, for Democrats, it was "the perfect...
To Keep Libya Missiles Safe, US Has a Plan: Buy Them
New York Times
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Dec 23, 2011 10:08 AM CST
(Newser) -
The US is currently trying to clean up an uncomfortable side-effect of Libya’s civil war: The country is now littered with thousands of shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft missiles pilfered from Moammar Gadhafi’s weapon caches. Dubbed "Manpads" (short for "Man-Portable Air Defense Systems"), these lightweight missiles pose...
Louis CK Makes a Cool Million off Web Video
Kottke.org
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Dec 23, 2011 9:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
The wild success story of Louis CK and his self-produced comedy album gets even wilder : The album, available via his website for just $5, sold 200,000 copies as of Tuesday, grossing the comedian a cool million ... in just 12 days. A quarter of that money will go to the video's production costs, and $220,000 will go to CK himself (he says he...
'Subversive' Chinese Writer Gets 9 Years in Prison
BBC
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Dec 23, 2011 9:38 AM CST
(Newser) -
A Chinese writer has been hit with a nine-year jail sentence for "inciting subversion of state power" after he posted online essays demanding free speech and government reform, reports the BBC . The sentence follows a two-hour, closed-door trial that Chen Wei's wife called "a performance" whose outcome was settled beforehand....
House Passes Payroll Tax Cut Extension
Associated Press
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Dec 23, 2011 9:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
Americans will have something additional to toast to on New Year's Eve: The first day of 2012 will begin with the payroll tax cut firmly—albeit temporarily—in place. The House today green-lighted a two-month renewal of the cut and unemployment benefits, passing it by a voice vote in a nearly empty House chamber. The AP reports that...
Thousands Protest Egypt Violence
Al Jazeera Magazine
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Dec 23, 2011 9:16 AM CST
(Newser) -
It’s Friday, and you know what that means in Egypt: A massive protest following morning prayers. Today saw thousands gather in Tahrir Square, decrying both the military’s protracted rule, and its violent response to recent protests, which left 17 dead, and produced one particularly horrific YouTube video . Protests are also raging in other...
Agent to Jen: Take Brad's Sperm
New York
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Dec 23, 2011 8:44 AM CST
(Newser) -
New York ’s Vulture blog pulls this priceless tidbit from yesterday’s New York Times Magazine tribute to Hollywood super-agent Sue Mengers: In her piece remembering Mengers, who died this year, Maureen Dowd recalls the time that Mengers gave some advice to Jennifer Aniston after Brad Pitt left her for Angelina Jolie. Writes Dowd,...
How Everyone Could Lose in the GOP Primary
nationalreview.com
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Dec 23, 2011 8:31 AM CST
(Newser) -
Are you the kind of political junky who’s just dying to see complete chaos break out at the Republican National Convention? Well, good news: Brian Bolduc at the National Review has broken down the numbers and concluded that it’s actually conceivable—if not especially likely—that we could see a brokered convention, with no...
France Advises 30K to Yank Breast Implants
Reuters
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Dec 23, 2011 8:19 AM CST
(Newser) -
The French government today advised women who got breast implants from Poly Implant Prothèse to have them removed post-haste, and even offering up public health care funds to finance the operation, over fears that they might rupture or cause irritation. The PIP boobs were yanked off the market last year, over accusations that they were filled...
World's Oldest Yoga Teacher Is 91
Associated Press
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Dec 23, 2011 8:06 AM CST
(Newser) -
Bernice Bates is 91 years old, but she’s probably more flexible than you. She’s been practicing yoga for half a century, and now teaches it once a week at the community center of a Florida retirement village, making her the Guinness World Records’ oldest yoga teacher. In one recent class, the nonagenarian brought her knee to her nose...
House Expects to Clear Payroll Tax Cut Today
Washington Post
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Dec 23, 2011 7:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
The payroll tax cut deal is expected to be ratified today, with congressional leaders planning voice votes that would require just a handful of members to be present, the Washington Post reports. Politico notes that the House will be using unanimous consent rules, however, meaning a dissenting member could force a vote next week. Because of...
Suicide Bombs Rattle Syria; 40 Dead
Associated Press
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Dec 23, 2011 7:45 AM CST
(Newser) -
More than 40 people are dead and 100 injured after two suicide car bombings in Damascus, the Syrian government says. The blasts seemed to be targeted against government intelligence buildings, reports AP , and they come a day after Arab League observers arrived amid an increasingly violent government crackdown on dissent. "We said it from the...
Riskiest Part of Flight Might Now Be on Ground
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 23, 2011 7:25 AM CST
(Newser) -
"America's skies are the safest they have ever been," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told reporters this week, and the stats back him up: Deaths from accidents in US commercial aviation have plummeted over the last 15 years, with none registered at all in 2011. Aviation officials say they are now turning their attention toward somewhere...
Pigeons Ace Math Tests
New York Times
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Dec 23, 2011 6:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
Don't let those blank stares fool you: Pigeons, it seems, are the math nerds of the bird world. Researchers found that the creatures can do more than count—they can handle numbers in the abstract sense, an ability never before seen outside primates, the New York Times reports. Pigeons were able to perform as well as rhesus monkeys when...
65K Arlington Graves May Have Problems: Army
Washington Post
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Dec 23, 2011 6:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
After a meticulous, year-long survey of graves at the Arlington National Cemetery, Army investigators have discovered some discrepancy with 65,000 of them—one quarter of all the graves at the military site. Many problems may be minor, including typographical errors in paperwork, reports the Washington Post . Some of them may be linked to more...
Facebook Wants to Be Your Social Planner
TechCrunch
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Dec 23, 2011 6:41 AM CST
(Newser) -
Have you ever stayed home on a Saturday night wishing someone would have sent you a Facebook invitation to something, anything? Well, if so, Facebook has your back. It recently quietly rolled out a new “suggested Events” feature, replacing the old “Friends’ Events” one. It recommends events to you based not only on what...
60 Homeless After San Francisco Fire
Associated Press
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Dec 23, 2011 6:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
It took three hours and 150 firefighters to calm an apartment blaze in San Francisco that left 60 people homeless. Three buildings were caught in flames in the fire, whose cause will be investigated today. It apparently started in a neighboring Victorian home and spread from there, reports AP . The only real injury was a firefighter treated for a...
Mitt: I Won't Release My Tax Returns
Huffington Post
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Dec 23, 2011 5:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Mitt Romney says that even if he becomes the Republican nominee, he has no intention of releasing his tax returns, reports the New York Times . Romney—one of the richest men ever to run for president—would be alone among nominees of recent decades if he fails to release his returns. If released, the returns would put the spotlight on...
Suu Kyi's Party Registers to Run
Associated Press
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Dec 23, 2011 4:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
More than 20 years after it overwhelmingly won a general election—which the ruling military junta then ignored—Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy is poised to take part in elections in Burma. The party has been formally registered for any upcoming elections, and Suu Kyi herself is expected to seek a seat in an upcoming...
Ex Citigroup CEO Selling Yacht for $69.5M
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 23, 2011 4:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
After selling his Manhattan penthouse to a 22-year-old Russian heiress for $88 million , former Citigroup chief Sandy Weill is trying to offload his yacht as well. The 200-foot super yacht April Fool , which Weill rarely used in the five years since he bought it new, is being offered for a mere $69.5 million, the Wall Street Journal reports....
House Frosh May Balk at Payroll Deal
Politico
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Dec 23, 2011 3:21 AM CST
(Newser) -
Most members of Congress have already headed home for the holidays, but a few freshmen Republicans in the House are so unhappy with the last-minute payroll tax deal that they might return to Washington to try to derail it. At least two freshmen legislators (Mo Brooks and Mike Kelly) have hinted that they might object to the measure passing by unanimous...
Yale Coach Quits After Rhodes Lie Exposed
New York Times
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Dec 23, 2011 2:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
Yale quarterback Patrick Witt made headlines last month when he ditched his Rhodes Scholarship interview to lead his team against Harvard . But his decision was influenced by a fib from coach Tom Williams, the New York Times reports. The coach told Witt that he had been in almost identical circumstances and never regretted choosing football—but...
Slashed Prices Signal Retailer Worries
New York Times
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Dec 23, 2011 2:11 AM CST
(Newser) -
While store bargains may have shoppers saying "ho, ho, ho," they've got retailers thinking: "Oh-oh." Heavy discounts in the last days before Christmas are a signal companies are worried they'll be stuck with inventory that isn't moving off the shelves. Retailers had high hopes for the season, but sluggish sales are forcing...
'Postman Santa' Wins Standoff With US Mail
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 23, 2011 1:39 AM CST
(Newser) -
After getting some bad publicity, the US Postal Service has decided not to prevent a kindly, bearded man from wearing a red hat and jacket as he makes his mail deliveries. For the last decade, letter carrier Bob McLean had worn a Santa hat and jacket during the holiday season, but after a colleague this year complained that he was violating the dress...
Edwards Seeks Trial Delay
ABC Local
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Dec 23, 2011 1:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
John Edwards is suffering from an undisclosed medical condition and will be too sick to stand trial next month, his lawyers say. The former presidential candidate's attorneys filed a motion seeking to have the trial, which was due to begin Jan. 30, pushed back another 60 days, ABC reports. Edwards is accused of using $1 million in undisclosed...
Muslim Hits Nurse for Removing Wife's Burka During Birth
Daily Mail (UK)
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Dec 23, 2011 12:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
A Muslim man has been sentenced to six months in a French prison for slugging a nurse as she removed his wife's burka during childbirth. Nassim Mimoune, 24, was first ejected from the delivery room at a Marseille hospital after he accused the health-care worker of "rape" during a medical examination, reports the Daily Mail . He then...
Strong Quakes Rock Christchurch
BBC
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Dec 23, 2011 12:31 AM CST
(Newser) -
A series of strong earthquakes shook Christchurch, New Zealand, today, 10 months after a major quake killed 182 people and destroyed much of the downtown. A 5.8 quake was followed by a 5.3 quake minutes later, and a 6.0 quake an hour after that, along with many smaller ones, the BBC reports. A few dozen people suffered minor injuries, but the only...
Tot Beats Tot at Nursery School
BBC
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Dec 23, 2011 12:06 AM CST
(Newser) -
A 2-year-old girl apparently viciously beat another toddler at a British pre-school, leaving the victim bruised and cut, reports the BBC . The 3-year-old victim "had gashes to her lips and a terrible black eye," her mom told the Daily Mail . " Katie looked like she had been in a fight with a dog that had mauled her. We had to take...
Cardinal Likens Gay Rights Movement to KKK
Chicago Tribune
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Dec 22, 2011 7:03 PM CST
(Newser) -
Gay rights groups in Chicago are criticizing the city's Catholic cardinal for drawing a comparison between the gay rights movement and the Ku Klux Klan, reports the Chicago Tribune . Weighing in on a dispute between a local pastor complaining about the timing of a gay pride parade, Cardinal Francis George told MyFox Chicago he sided with the...
Man Who Found Remains Sues Casey Anthony
articles.orlandosentinel.com
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Dec 22, 2011 6:42 PM CST
(Newser) -
Casey Anthony is apparently nowhere near done with the courts. The meter reader who found Caylee's remains has sued her for defamation, reports the Orlando Sentinel . Roy Kronk says her lawyers tried to pin the blame on him after he made the discovery, and he points out a logical contradiction: If Anthony was telling the truth in court that...
Arab League Observers Arrive Amid Syria Violence
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2011 6:15 PM CST
(AP) -
Bashar Assad's regime would appear to be setting itself on a collision course: It let in outside observers for the first time today to monitor his commitment to halting the crackdown on dissent, even as his security forces unleashed a fiercer onslaught this week, killing more than 200 in two days. Fresh raids and gunfire by government forces killed...
Mom's Christmas 'Miracle': Son Wakes From Coma
ABC News
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Dec 22, 2011 5:57 PM CST
(Newser) -
If you thought an Arizona State University student's 10-day survival in a snowbound car was something, the University of Arizona can trump that: Student Sam Schmid woke from a coma as doctors were considering taking him off life support and hospital officials raised the topic of organ donation to his family, reports ABC News . Schmid had been...
Zuckerberg Has Grown-Up Plans for Facebook
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 22, 2011 5:31 PM CST
(Newser) -
With Facebook's IPO on the way, Mark Zuckerberg is looking to the future. Over the past year and a half, the site's CEO has worked toward a more mature company, reports the Wall Street Journal . He's seeking blue-chip status and beyond. "There was a period in Microsoft's evolution where they said, we want to put a computer on...
Manning WikiLeaks Hearing Ends
New York Times
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Dec 22, 2011 5:07 PM CST
(Newser) -
Bradley Manning's court hearing ended today almost a week after it began . Prosecutors revealed an alleged al-Qaeda propaganda video that featured militants describing how they used leaked documents to their advantage. Manning, prosecutors said, "aided in the publication of those files, knowing that our enemies would use those files."...
House GOP Agrees to Payroll Tax Cut Deal
CNN
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Dec 22, 2011 4:43 PM CST
(Newser) -
Get ready for a lot of "Boehner blinks" headlines. House Republicans have agreed to a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut after all, reports CNN . "Senator Reid and I have reached an agreement that will ensure taxes do not increase for working families on January 1," the House speaker said today. As part of the deal, the...
Girl Lost in 2004 Tsunami Found Safe: Report
MSNBC
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Dec 22, 2011 4:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
Seven years ago, an 8-year-old girl was pulled from her mother's arms by the tsunami in Indonesia; now, word is she's been discovered alive. An acquaintance brought a 15-year-old girl to her grandfather's home this week; his name—Ibrahim—was the only one she could remember, state news reported. The acquaintance had found the...
Elder George Bush Backs Romney
blog.chron.com
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Dec 22, 2011 4:23 PM CST
(Newser) -
It's like an endorsement-lite: George HW Bush tells the Houston Chronicle that "I think Mitt Romney is the best choice for us." But, political semantics alert, the elder Bush added that his praise does not constitute an official endorsement, at least for now. He called Romney the "most electable" because of his "stability,...
Best Buy: We Can't Fill All These Online Orders
Chicago Tribune
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Dec 22, 2011 3:16 PM CST
(Newser) -
If you're waiting on Best Buy to ship a last-minute Christmas gift, better check your email. The retailer is informing customers that it can't fill all online orders, reports the Chicago Tribune . It's not clear yet how many will be affected. One analyst chalks it up to a big surge in online buying this year but warns that unhappy customers...
Congressman Apologizes for Mocking Michelle's Rear
Politico
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Dec 22, 2011 2:58 PM CST
(Newser) -
After getting caught ridiculing Michelle Obama's "large posterior ," a Wisconsin congressman has sent her an apology. "I regret my inappropriate comment and I have sent a personal note to the first lady apologizing," GOP Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner says in a statement. Meanwhile, a parishioner at the church where he made the comment...
Birthers Can't Sue Obama: US Court
latimesblogs.latimes.com
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Dec 22, 2011 2:26 PM CST
(Newser) -
Sorry, birthers: You've got no right to sue the president, a US court of appeals says. Dozens of birthers tried to bring President Obama to court over claims he wasn't born in the US, but their complaint contains no grievance that the court has the power to remedy, a panel of judges in Pasadena ruled. Among the plaintiffs was a minister who...
Hidden Victims of Border Fence: Black Bears
New York Times
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Dec 22, 2011 1:57 PM CST
(Newser) -
They're seeing their homeland divided by a border fence—and with very little say in Washington, there's not much they can do about it. The fence along the border of Arizona may pose a threat to ... black bear migration, researchers say. Using pieces of barbed wire to catch fur samples, experts discovered that black bears in Arizona's...
How Indie Bookstores Can Battle Amazon
Slate
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Dec 22, 2011 1:42 PM CST
(Newser) -
After sparking a debate over the value independent bookstores , Farhad Manjoo is presenting a peace offering. Independent bookstores may be inefficient from a financial perspective, but that doesn't mean they're "doomed," he writes at Slate . If we want to keep such bookstores going, we can't just go and browse: We need to...
Obama to House: 'This Is About People'
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2011 1:33 PM CST
(Newser) -
President Obama tried to turn the screws a little tighter on House Republicans today by showcasing people who said they'd be hurt if the payroll tax cut fails to go through. He again used the $40 argument , the average amount people would lose from their paychecks, reports the AP . "Now there may be some folks in the House who refuse to...
