Newser Story Index from June, 2012
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.
Military Makes Straight-Laced Reddit Knockoff
Wired
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Jun 27, 2012 12:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Pentagon thinks it's found a tool that will solve many of its most intractable problems: Reddit. OK, not actually Reddit, but a wannabe Defense Department-approved, servicepeople-only Reddit wannabe called "Eureka," Defense News reports. The site, which will launch next month, will encourage soldiers to post and vote on problems...
Why the Senate Needs Seersucker Thursday
Washington Post
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Jun 27, 2012 12:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Last Thursday, something tragic happened: The Senate cancelled Seersucker Thursday. Senate leaders thought the tradition, begun by Trent Lott in the '90s, of wearing the light pajama-esque suits and perhaps hitting up the dairy lobby's ice cream truck, would send the wrong message given the weighty issues of the day. "I agree that seersucker...
Thousands Must Fight Wildfires Uninsured
Washington Post
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Jun 27, 2012 11:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As if fighting an "epic" and "apocalyptic" wildfire doesn't sound bad enough, try doing it without health insurance. That's actually what an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 federal firefighters do, writes Sarah Kliff for the Washington Post . "Of all the jobs where you might want health insurance, firefighting near...
Talks Fail, House GOP Moves on Holder's Contempt Vote
Associated Press
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Jun 27, 2012 11:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The White House's last-ditch effort to avoid a contempt of Congress vote against Eric Holder has failed and John Boehner says the House will move forward with the vote, the AP reports. The Obama administration had offered to show congressional investigators some of the documents related to Fast and Furious, the ATF's failed gun-walking operation,...
Amazon Retailers' Big Threat: Amazon
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 27, 2012 11:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Amazon.com: friend or foe? For thousands of small retailers, it sure sounds like both. The Wall Street Journal today dives into the catch-22 of Amazon's Marketplace: It enables these third-party sellers to reach an audience vastly larger than they otherwise could (it has 45% more monthly visitors than eBay), but any success they find there...
Paula Deen Discovers the Miracle of Salad
People
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Jun 27, 2012 10:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Perhaps this will help you to associate her name with hope, rather than butter : Paula Deen is down 30 pounds, six months after her diabetes announcement and nearly three years after her actual diagnosis. How did she do it? By going heavier on the Greek salads and (baked! not fried!) fish instead of mashed potatoes, she tells People . "I do...
Happy 5th Birthday, iPhone
Business Insider
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Jun 27, 2012 10:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
On June 29, 2007, the first iPhones were sold. This week marks the five-year anniversary of the iconic Apple device, and the tributes are pouring in: In Business Insider , Henry Blodget "gawk[s] in awe at how it has changed the world." Let's see, not only has it "made Apple the most valuable and profitable company in the world"...
Why Tom Cruise Puts Bird Poop on His Face
Winnipeg Free Press
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Jun 27, 2012 10:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The secret to Tom Cruise's boyish good looks? Bird poop. The actor indulges in a expensive facials in which nightingale excrement is mixed with rice bran and water, the Winnipeg Free Press reports. "Tom doesn't go in for Botox or surgery but he does pay close attention to all the new and popular natural treatments," says a Now...
Why Things Are So Dismal at CNN
Politico
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Jun 27, 2012 10:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
CNN's glory days are unquestionably behind it. Want proof? Q2 of 2012 clocked in as its lowest-rated quarter in 21 years. In fairness, Deadline notes that all three cable news networks reported a dip, but when you stack up the numbers, things looks pretty gloomy for the network: It averaged 446,000 total primetime viewers to Fox News' 1.79...
Lab Creates Unbeatable Rock, Paper, Scissors Robot
Telegraph (UK)
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Jun 27, 2012 10:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It's official, robots have crossed the final frontier. First it was chess, then Jeopardy , and now it's that most human of games: rock, paper, scissors. Scientists at the University of Tokyo have created a robot that literally cannot be beaten at the ancient art of roshambo, the Telegraph reports. Of course, that's because it cheats.
Blue Ivy Now an Honorary Citizen of Croatian Town
AFP
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Jun 27, 2012 9:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Blue Ivy Carter has her own signature scent , a spot on the Billboard charts , a crystal-coated bathtub … and now dual citizenship. The Croatian town of Hvar has named the daughter of Beyonce and Jay-Z an honorary citizen, and it's all thanks to her unique name: Blue Ivy is said to have been named for a tree wrapped in blue ivy that...
ACLU Agrees to Defend KKK
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Jun 27, 2012 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Ku Klux Klan has a right to adopt a highway , the American Civil Liberties Union said yesterday, announcing that it would accept the white supremacist group's request for representation in its dispute with the Georgia Department of Transportation. The ACLU has previously said it views the case as a free speech issue, but its state executive...
Pakistan Court Threatens to Oust Prime Minister Again
Washington Post
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Jun 27, 2012 9:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Don't get too comfortable, Raja Pervez Ashraf. Pakistan's new prime minister may only be on the job for a matter of weeks, thanks to the ongoing showdown/constitutional crisis/farce between his party and the Supreme Court. The court today ordered Ashraf to reopen the long-festering corruption case against Asif Ali Zardari—the exact same...
Another Rapper's Kid Snags UCLA Football Scholarship
E! Online
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Jun 27, 2012 9:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Apparently UCLA really did not give a fig about all the controversy it stirred up by handing a $54,000 football scholarship to Diddy's kid , because now it's gone and doled out yet another football scholarship to yet another rapper's son. This time around Snoop Dogg's progeny, Cordell Broadus, is the lucky recipient, though Larry...
130 Saved in Another Christmas Island Sinking
BBC
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Jun 27, 2012 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
For the second time in a week, a boat crowded with asylum seekers sank off Christmas Island—but this time, at least 130 of the estimated 150 on board have been rescued, the AP reports. In Thursday's capsizing , which happened in the same area—a popular destination for refugees hoping to make it to Australia—110 of the 200 passengers...
Cops Nab Thieves —With 9.5 Tons of Garlic
Associated Press
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Jun 27, 2012 8:26 AM CDT
(AP) -
It's a heist that didn't exactly require sniffing dogs: Austrian police stopped three overloaded and sagging vans about to cross into Hungary from Austria today and found them packed to the roof with allegedly stolen garlic—about 9.5 tons of the pungent cargo. After questioning the five men—all Romanian nationals—in the vehicles...
Activists: Quit It With Oracle Animals
Der Spiegel
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Jun 27, 2012 8:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
World Cup wonder Paul the octopus has been succeeded by Nelly the elephant and a menagerie of other animals allegedly capable of predicting soccer outcomes, but the trend has gotten out of hand during Euro 2012, animal rights groups complain. "It's too much, almost every dog and pig in the country being made into the next oracle,"...
Greek Gunmen Drive Van Into Microsoft HQ
Reuters
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Jun 27, 2012 8:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If idle hands are the devil's hands, Greece is finding out the hard way: Gunmen this morning stormed Microsoft's Athens headquarters, ramming the building with a gasoline-laden van before setting fire to it. The attack injured no one, but heavily damaged the building's first floor and shut the office for at least the day, in what Reuters...
US' New Biggest Bankrupt City: Stockton
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 27, 2012 8:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The city of Stockton, Calif. , will today file for bankruptcy, becoming the largest city in the US ever to do so, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Stockton, a river port and agricultural city of nearly 300,000 about 90 miles east of San Francisco, became a victim of California's housing crash. During the mid-2000s economic boom, the city—long...
If ObamaCare Goes Down, GOP Plans to Do ... Nothing
Politico
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Jun 27, 2012 7:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, expect Republicans to do one thing: smile. Once, House leaders had planned to try to preserve the most popular parts of the law, like requiring insurance companies to cover people with preexisting conditions, letting young adults stay on their parents' policies, and reducing seniors'...
Nora Ephron 'Gave Women a Voice'
Huffington Post
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Jun 27, 2012 7:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Nora Ephron, who has died at age 71 , gave women a voice and opened door for them, Lisa Belkin writes in a tribute at the Huffington Post , praising the late screenwriter, director, and author's gift for celebrating—and roasting—romance, sex, and aging. "By putting the female experience on the screen and on the page, she made...
Apple Wins Big: Judge Bans Sales of Samsung Tablet
All Things Digital
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Jun 27, 2012 7:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is such an iPad rip-off that it can no longer be sold in the US, a district court judge announced yesterday, issuing a preliminary injunction against the sale of Samsung's tablet. Samsung "does not have a right to compete unfairly by flooding the market with infringing products," Judge Lucy Koh wrote in her order—which,...
Queen, Ex-IRA Chief Shake Hands
New York Times
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Jun 27, 2012 7:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A hugely symbolic moment of reconciliation occurred across the pond today, as Queen Elizabeth II shook hands with a former Irish Republican Army commander. The New York Times describes it as "one of the most anticipated gestures in recent Irish history," and the Times and the Telegraph prop up its importance by noting a trio of...
Lawyer: Casey Anthony Had Mental Health Issues
Associated Press
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Jun 27, 2012 5:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Casey Anthony's lawyer criticizes cops, prosecutors, reporters, and "groupies" in his new book, Presumed Guilty, Casey Anthony: The Inside Story . Jose Baez says his client had "serious mental health issues," reports the AP in a look at an advance copy, and detectives should have realized that her lies were the results of...
Tens of Thousands Flee Colorado Fires
MSNBC
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Jun 27, 2012 4:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
At least 32,000 people have been evacuated from the Colorado Springs area as the monster Waldo Springs wildfire continues to burn out of control. Witnesses described "apocalyptic" scenes as the fire, which has breached fire lines and destroyed an unknown number of homes, unleashed waves of flame and showered ash on roadways full of evacuees,...
Assad: Syria Is in State of 'Real War'
Reuters
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Jun 27, 2012 4:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
After more than a year of describing the uprising against his rule as the work of scattered militant groups, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad now says the country is at war. "We are in a state of real war, in every aspect of the words, and when we're in a state of war, all of our politics has to be concentrated on winning this war," he...
Meteorite Yields New Ancient Mineral
LiveScience
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Jun 27, 2012 4:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A mineral new to science but older than our planet has been found in fragments of a meteorite that smashed into northern Mexico in 1969. Panguite was found in bits of the Allende meteorite by Caltech researchers who used an electron-scanning microscope to study minerals that were trapped inside the meteorite as it formed, LiveScience reports. The...
Savannah Guthrie Tapped to Replace Curry
Washington Post
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Jun 27, 2012 3:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Looks like a new Today for Savannah Guthrie. She's been tapped by NBC to replace bounced Today co-host Ann Curry , sources tell the Hollywood Reporter . She's already been offered the job, but there's no immediate word on her response—or the deal she may be negotiating, notes the New York Times . The network wants a new...
NY Probes Chamber of Commerce Political Funding
New York Times
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Jun 27, 2012 3:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The New York Attorney General has launched an investigation to determine if organizations are secretly channeling money to the US Chamber of Commerce to be used to impact political campaigns. The tax-exempt chamber is a major player in US politics, but not required to disclose the identities of its donors. AG Eric Schneiderman yesterday issued a subpoena...
Poll: Obama Clinging to Lead
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 27, 2012 3:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama is still on course to narrowly win a second term despite recent setbacks, according to the latest Wall Street Journal /NBC poll. Obama is ahead of Mitt Romney 47% to 44%, according to the poll. The survey also finds the president further ahead in a dozen swing states which, as a whole, favor him 50% to 42%. More voters view Romney...
Evicted Settlers Leave West Bank Peacefully
Washington Post
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Jun 27, 2012 3:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In stark contrast to earlier evictions, dozens of Jewish settlers ordered to leave their homes in the West Bank yesterday did so peacefully. Israel is in the process of evacuating the Ulpana outpost on the orders of its Supreme Court, which determined that five apartment blocks had been illegally built on private Palestinian land, reports the Washington...
Flier: TSA Screener Spilled Grandpa's Ashes
ABC News
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Jun 27, 2012 2:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Death offers no escape from shabby treatment by TSA agents, an Indianapolis man warns. John Gross, 30, says he was on his way home from Florida with his grandfather's cremated remains when an agent at Orlando airport searching his carry-on bag twisted open the jar and accidentally spilled at least a quarter of its contents on the floor. The agent...
Fallen Soldier's Photo Used in Craigslist Scam
ABC News
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Jun 27, 2012 1:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Five years after he was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, Sgt. Sean Fennerty's photo is being used by online scam artists. The Oregon soldier's photo appeared next to ads on Craigslist Pensacola and fundraising site Indiegogo.com containing a plea for funds from somebody claiming to be his twin sister, ABC reports. The ads, which have now...
Canterbury Archbishop: Christians Must Overcome Gay 'Disgust'
Daily Telegraph
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Jun 27, 2012 12:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A surprise champion has stepped up to call for improved attitudes about homosexuality—a short time after he blasted the British government for considering legalizing same-sex marriages. Britain's Archbishop of Canterbury has admonished Christians for their failure to overcome their "disgust" of homosexuality. The Church of England...
Hatch, Rangel Beat Back Primary Challenges
Associated Press
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Jun 27, 2012 12:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Tea Party failed to claim another victim in Utah after Sen. Orrin Hatch easily won the state's Republican primary. Hatch—facing his first primary challenge since taking office in 1976—beat former state Sen. Dan Liljenquist after spending close to $10 million on advertising, and building one of the biggest campaign operations Utah...
Nora Ephron Dead at 71
TMZ
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Jun 26, 2012 7:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron has died at age 71, reports TMZ . Ephron, who wrote the screenplays for Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally , had "emerged over the past four decades as one of America's warmest and most acute chroniclers of contemporary culture," says the Washington Post in a photo tribute. But she was...
Coming in the Fall: Spice Girls, the Musical
Associated Press
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Jun 26, 2012 7:06 PM CDT
(AP) -
The Spice Girls reunited onstage today to announce details of a musical based on their songs—a tale of fame and female friendship that will open in London in the fall. The music of the 1990s "girl power" group is being revived in Viva Forever , which tells the story of four friends whose bond is tested when their band enters a TV talent...
FBI Snags 24 Suspected Credit Card Hackers
Reuters
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Jun 26, 2012 6:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Federal agents have been watching websites where hackers illegally distribute credit card data—and their work has paid off. Today, they arrested 11 people in the US and 13 overseas, reports Reuters . Under the two-year sting, agents set up a fake online forum of their own where people could trade stolen account numbers. The arrest foiled about...
NCAA Star Anthony Davis Trademarks His Unibrow
MSNBC
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Jun 26, 2012 6:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Anthony Davis has more assets than just his basketball skills. Poised to be the NBA's No. 1 draft pick this week, the single-browed star is ready to go pro: He's already trademarked a pair of eyebrow-based slogans, "Fear the Brow" and "Raise the Brow." "I don’t want anyone to try to grow a unibrow because of me...
Bye-Bye, BCS: College Football to Get 4-Team Playoff
espn.go.com
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Jun 26, 2012 6:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
It wasn't just a dream for BCS haters: College football today formally decided to ditch the much-reviled system of picking a champion and switch to a four-team playoff, reports ESPN . The move takes effect in 2014. Though some details remain to be worked out, the AP says a committee will pick four teams to play in two semifinal games, and...
UVa. Board Backtracks, Reinstates President
Washington Post
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Jun 26, 2012 5:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Thomas Jefferson's university has just wrapped up a two-week stretch that was as tumultuous as it gets in the realm of higher education: The University of Virginia's governing board today reinstated Teresa Sullivan as president 16 days after unceremoniously giving her the boot, reports the Daily Progress . Sullivan's firing set off a...
Senate Reaches Deal to Freeze Student Loan Rates
Washington Post
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Jun 26, 2012 4:51 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Student loan rates will stay at 3.4% for another year, thanks to a Senate deal on the issue, insiders tell the Washington Post . With President Obama and Mitt Romney both pushing for the freeze—which prevents rates from jumping to 6.8% July 1—the agreement is no surprise, the Post notes. There's still a few legislative logistics...
Couple in China Harassed After Forced Abortion
BBC
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Jun 26, 2012 4:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Chinese couple forced into a late-term abortion that prompted international anger over China's one-child policy have been facing relentless harassment for being "traitors"—abuse that has driven the husband into hiding, a family member tells the BBC . The 23-year-old wife, Feng Jianmei, is still in the hospital, and she tells...
Zynga Churns Out 3 More 'Ville' Titles
USA Today
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Jun 26, 2012 4:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Tired of FarmVille? Never fear: Amid reports of departing users, Zynga is releasing three new potential addictions. The Ville, by the guy who brought you CityVille and FarmVille, is a lot like the Sims doused in Facebook updates. ChefVille offers a restaurant environment, and FarmVille 2 takes the franchise 3-D, USA Today reports. In what the company...
Here's Who Pays for Health Care Reform
CNNMoney
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Jun 26, 2012 3:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Assuming the Supreme Court doesn't strike it down, the Affordable Care Act will extend health care to millions of Americans—which isn't a cheap proposition. CNN breaks down who would wind up paying for the law, and how: The wealthy: Starting next year there's a Medicare surtax on incomes above $200,000 a year, or $250,000...
This Is Humbling Day for Murdoch
Guardian (UK)
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Jun 26, 2012 3:30 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rupert Murdoch has had some lousy days of late, but it's a safe bet that today is the worst of all. In fact, reports that his News Corp might spin off print operations from its more lucrative entertainment side could make this "the most humble day" of his life, writes Murdoch biographer (and Newser founder) Michael Wolff in the ...
Claire McCaskill Skipping Democratic Convention
Talking Points Memo
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Jun 26, 2012 2:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A major Obama ally won't be at his side in Charlotte this summer. A Claire McCaskill aide tells Talking Points Memo that the Missouri senator will not be attending the Democratic National Convention, making her the latest in a line of red- and purple-state Democrats snubbing the event. But the aide insisted McCaskill wasn't avoiding the president.
Greek Cabinet Hit With Another Resignation
Associated Press
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Jun 26, 2012 2:18 PM CDT
(AP) -
A second Greek Cabinet member has resigned, marking the second casualty in as many days for the financially struggling country's new conservative-led government. Giorgos Vernicos, deputy minister for Greece's merchant marine ministry, announced his resignation today, and it was accepted by the government. He did not immediately give a reason...
God Not Necessary for Big Bang: Scientists
Space.com
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Jun 26, 2012 2:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Big Bang could have brought the universe into existence whether or not God exists, researchers said at the recent SETICon 2 conference. "The Big Bang could've occurred as a result of just the laws of physics being there," said one astrophysicist. "With the laws of physics, you can get universes." That means, basically, that...
Losing Egypt Candidate Flees Country
Associated Press
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Jun 26, 2012 1:50 PM CDT
(AP) -
With his presidential bid thwarted, people cursing him in the streets, and an investigation looming, Ahmed Shafiq decided to get out of Dodge today. A Cairo airport official says Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister left the country at dawn today, just hours after the country's prosecutor general opened an investigation into allegations that...
