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.
ASU Student Survives 10 Days in Snowbound Car
My Fox Phoenix
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Dec 22, 2011 1:12 PM CST
(Newser) -
A student at Arizona State University survived 10 days in her snowbound car before Forest Service workers happened across her by accident, reports KSAZ-TV . Lauren Elizabeth Weinberg, 23, had only two candy bars to eat and melted snow to drink, but she's doing fine. Weinberg set off from the Phoenix area to explore remote parts of the state but...
Time for a New Approach to a New North Korea
New York Times
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Dec 22, 2011 12:58 PM CST
(Newser) -
North Korea's change in leadership provides the US a chance to rethink its Pyongyang strategy, which might actually be backfiring, writes Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times . Our sanctions have isolated the country, but that isolation has helped the Kims keep their grip on power. And in a nation where the government pumps propaganda into...
British PSA: Don't Get Drunk, Fall Under Train
Guardian (UK)
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Dec 22, 2011 12:40 PM CST
(Newser) -
British police have a new public service announcement out asking people to take it easy on the booze over the holidays, and it's illustrated by a drunken woman falling under a subway train. Luckily, said train was stopped at the time, and the woman got pulled to safety with only minor injuries, reports the Guardian . Mercifully, she is unidentified.
iPhone Losing Ground Abroad
Reuters
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Dec 22, 2011 12:27 PM CST
(Newser) -
There's actually a pocket of the world that's beginning to be less iPhone obsessed—and it's a big pocket. While Americans and Brits are still snapping up the latest Apple phones, the company's share of the continental European market is slipping, thanks to a weakened economy and competitors' price drops, Reuters reports....
Amid Mass Die-Offs, Pockets of Brown Bats Survive
Washington Post
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Dec 22, 2011 12:15 PM CST
(Newser) -
White nose syndrome has killed millions of bats over the past five years, decimating the little brown bat population by more than 90% in some areas, but scientists have found reason to hope: In Vermont and Pennsylvania, there are surviving colonies of the threatened species. “I’m cautiously hopeful that eventually these animals can be...
Out of Congress, Ideas but No Compromise
Politico
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Dec 22, 2011 11:34 AM CST
(Newser) -
The theme of the day is compromise—at least, politicians offering their ideas about what a compromise should look like, without deciding to actually compromise. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell came out with one of his own, in what Politico describes as "a blow to House Republicans." McConnell's idea: House Republicans...
NH Newspaper Endorses ... Jon Huntsman
Concord (NH) Monitor
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Dec 22, 2011 11:18 AM CST
(Newser) -
Jon Huntsman's go-for-broke strategy in New Hampshire paid off today with an endorsement from one of the state's biggest newspapers. The Concord Monitor weighs in: "Huntsman, a consistent but never doctrinaire conservative, would present the greatest challenge to Obama," write the editors. "If elected, he would provide mature,...
Occupy Los Angeles Protesters Can Avoid Trials...
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 22, 2011 11:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
To avoid court trials, all many arrested members of Occupy Los Angeles have to do is pay $355 … for a course on free speech. Protesters who opt to take this route will apparently learn that "the First Amendment is not absolute," as a city attorney explains, adding that the Supreme Court has granted the government the power to regulate...
Game Change Trailer Stars Terrifying Sarah Palin
USA Today
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Dec 22, 2011 11:04 AM CST
(Newser) -
For all of you who have spent the past nine months wondering how Julianne Moore’s Sarah Palin impersonation will stack up against Tina Fey’s , you finally have your answer. HBO debuted its first teaser trailer for Game Change , the film due in March that's based on the Mark Halperin-John Heilemann book about the 2008 presidential...
Tsunami Survivors: Nissan Leaf Batteries
New York Times
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Dec 22, 2011 10:48 AM CST
(Newser) -
Nissan is getting some good news from the tsunami that devastated Japan in March: Two dozen of Nissan's new Leaf were destroyed, but unlike the Chevrolet Volt , their heavily shielded batteries did not catch fire and remained intact. “Considering how they were tossed around and crushed, we think that is a very good indication of the safety...
Let the Kim Jong Un Mythmaking Begin!
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2011 10:26 AM CST
(Newser) -
Considering nature basically exploded at the passing of Kim Jong Il—at least, as reported by the state-run Korean Central News Agency—it shouldn't be too shocking to hear that the mythmaking for Kim Jong Un has already begun. The AP reports that a newspaper editorial calls him "born of heaven" (but, bummer, details of...
Americans to Congress: Do Your Job
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2011 9:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
Congress has been extremely unpopular for some time , but Washington's inability to pass a payroll tax cut extension before adjourning for the holidays appears to have people disgusted like never before, reports the AP . "It's just another smack in our face for the working public. We just can't get ahead," said an Illinois...
Unlikely Grammy Winner: Steve Jobs
Huffington Post
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Dec 22, 2011 9:51 AM CST
(Newser) -
Guess what Lady Gaga, Eminem, and Steve Jobs have in common? All are Grammy Award winners. Yes, really. For his revolutionary work with entertainment technology, Steve Jobs will be awarded a posthumous Grammy in February, the Huffington Post reports. The Apple founder will receive the Trustees Award because he "helped create products and technology...
Medvedev Rips 'Provocateurs, Extremists'
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2011 9:34 AM CST
(Newser) -
Outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev used his final state-of-the-nation address today to offer reforms in the wake of the massive protests and upheaval that have gripped the country since the Dec. 4 parliamentary elections , but he also railed against the "provocateurs and extremists" who threaten stability, reports the AP . Russia...
If Payroll Tax Cuts Expire, Here's What Happens...
Washington Post
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Dec 22, 2011 9:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
We know the "what": The payroll tax cut is set to expire within days, meaning changes to jobless benefits and doctors who treat Medicare patients will kick in, and the average American will miss out on $40 a paycheck . The Washington Post explores the "what does it mean" side of things, discussing the consequences with economists....
Conjoined Twins Share Single Heart
BBC
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Dec 22, 2011 9:27 AM CST
(Newser) -
Conjoined twins Jesus and Emanuel, born in Brazil on Monday, have two heads with two functioning brains, but just one heart. The condition, dicephalic parapagus, is extremely rare, thought to affect just one in 100,000 pregnancies—and half don’t reach full-term, the BBC reports. Doctors say Jesus and Emanuel, who also have two spinal...
Relax, Catholics: No Porn at Vatican.xxx
The Register
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Dec 22, 2011 9:01 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Vatican may be an expert on the heavenly domain, but apparently it's still a bit shaky when it comes to domain names. A Vatican spokesman complained yesterday that someone had bought up Vatican.xxx, presumably to commit any number of sacrileges against the Holy See. "This domain is not available because it has been acquired by someone...
Anthony Weiner Becomes a Dad
New York Post
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Dec 22, 2011 8:45 AM CST
(Newser) -
We're guessing Anthony Weiner is finally using the word "baby" in a significantly more wholesome manner: The former congressman is now a dad, after wife Huma Abedin gave birth to son Jordan Zane yesterday. The babe weighed in at a little more than 7 pounds, a source tells the New York Post , and reportedly came 10 days early. The...
Palin Rips Obama Family Holiday Card
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 22, 2011 8:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
Is someone a little put out that she didn’t get a holiday card from the first family? Sarah Palin was recently on Fox News criticizing the Obama family’s pic , noting that the card—which features Bo Obama in front of a White House fireplace—focuses on the dog instead of “family, faith, and freedom,” which she finds...
Ford Hawking New '67 Mustang Shells
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 22, 2011 8:19 AM CST
(Newser) -
The 1967 Ford Mustang is no longer an endangered species. Just in time for classic car buffs' Christmas, Ford has added a brand-new shell for the '67 Mustang convertible to its Ford Restoration Parts line, giving enthusiasts a chance to build their own from scratch, the Los Angeles Times reports. The $16,000 auto part is built with modern...
Peace Corps Pulls Out of Bloody Honduras
BBC
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Dec 22, 2011 8:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
Life in Honduras is no walk in the park: The country sees some 20 homicides daily, giving it the unfortunate title of Central America's most dangerous country. And so the Peace Corps has decided to pull out. Though it says the 158 volunteers it has in the country are safe, they will all return home next month. The Peace Corps, which has had a presence...
Economy Surges, But Trouble Looms
New York Times
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Dec 22, 2011 7:58 AM CST
(Newser) -
Surging economic data, such as new construction, small business confidence, and initial jobless benefit claims, show the American economy is growing at the fastest clip since the recession started—at 3.7% annualized in the fourth quarter, that's four times faster than it was growing at the start of 2011. So why are economists so pessimistic?...
Report Blames US in Deadly Pakistan Strike
New York Times
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Dec 22, 2011 7:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
A lack of trust between the United States and Pakistan was the key culprit in a series of blunders that resulted in the killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers on Nov. 26 , reports the Wall Street Journal . US forces made two major errors that day: not informing the Pakistanis that the 150-man border operation was taking place and, when they checked with...
Large Hadron Collider Observes First New Particle
BBC
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Dec 22, 2011 7:54 AM CST
(Newser) -
It’s no God particle, but it’s exciting nonetheless: For the first time since it opened in 2009, the Large Hadron Collider has made a clear observation of a new particle. Chi-b (3P), as it is called, will help scientists gain a better understanding of the strong nuclear forces holding matter together, the BBC reports. It is a more excited...
Lockerbie Bomber: I Can Prove I'm Innocent
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2011 7:01 AM CST
(Newser) -
Stop if you've heard this one before: The Lockerbie bomber is on the verge of death ! "I am about to die and I ask now to be left in peace with my family," Abdel Baset al-Megrahi said in a newly published interview. Megrahi says he deserves to be left alone because he's innocent—and says he can prove it, thanks to new evidence...
Pyongyang: Sky Glowed Red Before Kim's Death
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2011 6:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
Weird and wonderful events surrounded the death of Kim Jong Il , according to North Korea's state-run media. The country's official news agency claims that a snowstorm suddenly ceased and the sky glowed red over the sacred Mount Paektu minutes before Kim departed. A frozen lake cracked with a loud rupture, and a Manchurian crane circled...
Dummy Firms Squeeze Millions From Medicare
Reuters
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Dec 22, 2011 4:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
Fraudsters using complicated networks of ghost companies are sucking hundreds of millions of dollars out of Medicare every year and it's a bit like taking candy from a baby, a Reuters investigation finds. The probe—which officials say will likely lead to a criminal investigation of the firms involved—found that the "companies"...
63 Dead as Explosions Rip Baghdad
New York Times
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Dec 22, 2011 4:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
At least 63 people have been killed as powerful explosions ripped Baghdad early today in the first major violence in Iraq since US troops left. Nearly 200 people were wounded as bombers believed linked to Al-Qaeda in Iraq targeted schools, grocery stores and government buildings, reports the New York Times . The attacks come amid increasing upset...
Congressman Rants About Michelle Obama's Butt
Daily Mail (UK)
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Dec 22, 2011 4:02 AM CST
(Newser) -
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner might want to keep his voice down time next time he decides to discuss the first lady's behind in a public place. A Democratic operative overheard the not-so-thin Wisconsin Republican on his cell phone in an airport lounge, loudly recounting how after buying some "crap" at a church auction, a woman approached him...
Knicks Fans Boo Kris Humphries
ESPN
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Dec 22, 2011 3:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
Who knew so many Kim Kardashian fans like basketball? They were apparently out in force when the New York Knicks played the New Jersey Nets at Madison Square Garden yesterday—and resoundingly booed Kardashian's 72-day hubby, Kris Humphries. The Knicks crowd zinged Humphries every time he touched the ball during his six-minute stint on court...
Yahoo to Unload Asian Assets?
Reuters
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Dec 22, 2011 3:43 AM CST
(Newser) -
Yahoo is considering selling off its Asian assets—the most valuable part of its business by far—to raise cash and breathe new life into its declining US operations. The company is considering unloading most of its stake in China's Alibaba and all of its stake in Yahoo Japan in a complicated deal valued at some $17 billion, Reuters...
Mexico Disbands Corrupt Veracruz Police Force
BBC
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Dec 22, 2011 2:57 AM CST
(Newser) -
Mexican authorities have stamped out corruption in the Veracruz police force by stamping out the Veracruz police force. The port city's police department has been disbanded, and all 800 officers and 300 administrative staff have been fired, the BBC reports. The Mexican navy is taking responsibility for law enforcement in the city of 600,000 people.
Big Hips Sink Ships, So Ferry Rules Are Changing
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2011 2:37 AM CST
(Newser) -
Anchors away. Americans are getting bigger so ferries in Washington will be carrying fewer of them for safety's sake. Officials are trimming the capacity of the state's ferries after having raised the estimated weight of travelers from 160 pounds to 185 pounds, notes AP . The largest ferry system in the nation will now be transporting fewer...
Walmart Pulls Formula After Baby's Death
Associated Press
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Dec 22, 2011 2:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
Walmart has pulled a batch of powdered infant formula from stores nationwide after the death of a newborn boy in Missouri. The retailer says customers who bought 12.5-ounce cans of Enfamil Newborn powder with the lot number ZP1K7G can return them for a refund or exchange. No government recall has been issued but Walmart says it is acting out of an...
Duct Tape Dad Charged
ABC News
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Dec 22, 2011 12:37 AM CST
(Newser) -
A Chicago dad is behind bars for posting a picture on Facebook of his baby daughter bound with duct tape . Andre Curry, 21, has been charged with a felony count of aggravated domestic battery and is being held on $100,000 bond, AP reports. At a hearing, his attorney argued that the case had been blown out of proportion, but the judge disagreed,...
In California, Devoted Await Solstice 'Illumination'
Los Angeles Times
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Dec 22, 2011 12:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
Let there be light. Just after dawn on the winter solstice, a 200-year-old California mission is bathed in such a dazzling blaze of sunlight that the altar appears to burst into flames. It's an annual "illumination" that draws the devoted, presenting what some observers consider awesome "special effects," reports the Los Angeles...
Judge Nearly Doubles Douglas Sentence
New York Daily News
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Dec 22, 2011 12:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
Telling Cameron Douglas he was the most reckless defendant he'd ever had in his courtroom, a federal judge has nearly doubled his five-year prison term. Michael Douglas' 32-year-old son confessed to having heroin and pills smuggled into the prison where he was serving time for drug dealing . Judge Richard Berman—who described Douglas'...
Ron Paul Walks Off CNN Interview
Mediaite
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Dec 21, 2011 7:17 PM CST
(Newser) -
Ron Paul had a testy interview with CNN today that he ended by unclipping his microphone and saying, "Goodbye" as Gloria Borger continued to pepper him with questions, reports Mediaite . The source of the friction was questions about political newsletters that went out under Paul's name about 20 years ago that had racist and homophobic...
English Soccer Star Faces Criminal Charge of Racism
BBC
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Dec 21, 2011 6:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
The captain of England's soccer team faces a criminal charge of hurling racial insults at an opponent during a game, the BBC reports. John Terry allegedly let loose on black player Anton Ferdinand during a match in October. Prosecutors studied the footage and said it amounted to a "racially aggravated public order defense," notes AP...
IT Guy Foils Burglar From 6 Blocks Away
New York Post
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Dec 21, 2011 5:52 PM CST
(Newser) -
A burglar made a huge mistake yesterday when he decided to break into the Manhattan apartment of a computer geek who had set up a motion-detecting camera that transmitted photos directly to his smartphone, reports the New York Post . Levent Cetiner was six blocks from his home when he received an email showing a thief looting his stuff.
BofA Pays $335M to Settle Claims Over Minority Loans
Wall Street Journal
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Dec 21, 2011 5:36 PM CST
(Newser) -
Bank of America's purchase of Countrywide in 2008 just got more expensive. BofA agreed today to pay $335 million to settle a Justice Department complaint that Countrywide discriminated against black and Hispanic home buyers. The Wall Street Journal calls it the "largest residential fair-lending settlement in history." The allegations...
$6.5M Ranch Comes With ... Herd of Elk
ksl.com
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Dec 21, 2011 5:06 PM CST
(Newser) -
A 13-bedroom lodge and 3,800-acre ranch in Utah is on the market for $6.5 million, and the sale offers a unique amenity: a herd of 50 elk. They contribute to the allure of the ranch as an upscale getaway for hunters, but the animals were not enough to keep the initial asking price of $10 million from plummeting in the dismal economy, reports KSL.com...
Milestone: 2 Women Share 'First Kiss' in Navy Tradition
Associated Press
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Dec 21, 2011 4:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
Those who still pine for don't ask, don't tell better not look, either: Two female sailors shared a traditional "first kiss" today after a Navy ship returned from sea, reports AP . Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta kissed her partner, Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlalic Snell, after Gaeta's ship docked in Virginia Beach after...
Democrats Prank Gingrich With Website
USA Today
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Dec 21, 2011 4:26 PM CST
(Newser) -
Newt Gingrich's campaign would like you to know, we're sure, that his official campaign website is Newt.org . If you happen across NewtGingrich.com , however, it's a whole different story. The site provides links to negative or embarrassing stories about Gingrich, including references to his Freddie Mac days, early campaign woes, Tiffany's,...
Former Players Sue NFL Over Brain Injuries
Bloomberg
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Dec 21, 2011 4:04 PM CST
(Newser) -
Three retired football players are suing the NFL because they say they got banged up so much in their playing days it left them with brain injuries. They want the league to set up a program to monitor the problem among all former players, reports Bloomberg . The three former athletes—Harry Jacobs, Jerome Barkum, and Tommy Mason—each suffer...
Activists: Syria 'Massacre' Killed 100
Associated Press
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Dec 21, 2011 3:48 PM CST
(AP) -
As government troops advanced on a village in northwestern Syria, activists say the terrified residents fled into a nearby valley. What happened next, one of the activists said, was "an organized massacre." The troops surrounded the valley and unleashed a barrage of rockets, bombs, and gunfire in an hours-long assault, according to two human...
Obama Calls Boehner to Press for Payroll Tax Deal
The Hill
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Dec 21, 2011 3:29 PM CST
(Newser) -
President Obama raised the pressure on John Boehner over the payroll tax standoff with a personal phone call today, reports the Hill . But, surprise, surprise, no magical breakthroughs resulted. From the official accounts, it sounds like the two just spouted talking points at each other—Obama telling Boehner to pass the two-month extension...
US First in Charity Index
Stashitwear
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Dec 21, 2011 3:19 PM CST
(Newser) -
Pat yourself on the back America; you’re the most giving nation in the world, at least according to the Charities Aid Foundation. The US jumped from fifth place to first in the second annual World Giving Index (pdf here ), with an all-time-high 60% rating. The score is based on Gallup’s World Poll survey, averaging each country’s...
Suspicious Senior Deaths Often Go Uninvestigated
ProPublica
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Dec 21, 2011 2:51 PM CST
(Newser) -
Too many suspicious deaths of senior citizens go uninvestigated because the nation's coroner and medical examiner's offices don't have the money, time, or inclination to look into them, reports ProPublica . It found about 40 cases in which alleged neglect, abuse, or possibly murder went undetected until whistleblowers brought attention...
House Passes Bill... for New Churchill Bust
ThinkProgress
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Dec 21, 2011 2:14 PM CST
(Newser) -
Democrats made a last-minute push to get an up-and-down vote on the Senate’s payroll tax bill this morning, only to have Republicans ignore them—and apparently even cut the C-SPAN feed. As Steny Hoyer called for the vote, speaker pro-tem Michael Fitzpatrick walked away. Hoyer kept yelling, and was about to hand off to Chris Van Hollen,...
