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.
Celebrex Fraud Docs Reveal Deception at Pfizer
New York Times
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Jun 25, 2012 1:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A federal judge has unsealed documents in a long-running fraud case against Pfizer, maker of the arthritis drug Celebrex—and selected quotes are none too pretty. "They swallowed our story, hook, line and sinker," wrote a research director at Pfizer, which had said Celebrex was safer for the stomach than other arthritis drugs. But Pfizer...
Postal Workers Go on Hunger Strike
Washington Post
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Jun 25, 2012 1:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Postal workers, activists, and even Dennis Kucinich took to Capitol Hill today to announce a four-day hunger strike on behalf of the beleaguered US Postal Service. Kucinich himself won't be joining the strike, which will include 10 postal workers, union activists, and supporters, but he was there for moral support, Politico reports. "Make...
Salvation Army Rep: Gays Should Die
theatlanticwire.com
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Jun 25, 2012 1:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Salvation Army official, charged with, of all things, media relations, has ignited a firestorm over the charity's stance on homosexuality: Appearing on an Australian radio show, Major Andrew Craibe was asked about a Salvation Army doctrine that decrees gays "deserve death." Responded Craibe in a story picked up by the Atlantic ,...
In Jail, Sandusky Faces Taunts, Suicide Watch
thedaily.com
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Jun 25, 2012 12:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jerry Sandusky is back behind bars and again on suicide watch following his conviction Friday of sexually abusing 10 boys. And he's probably not having a great time at the Centre County Correctional Facility, where he also spent a night in December before being released on bail: The Daily reports that during his last stint there, Sandusky was...
Gadgets Double Cost of Lightning Strikes
Reuters
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Jun 25, 2012 12:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Between 2004 and 2011, the total number of insurance claims paid out for lightning strikes dropped by one-third—so why, during the same time period, did the cost of those claims almost double? Simple: new gadgets that are susceptible to power surges. As TVs get more high-tech and computers or videogame consoles become more common, lightning strike...
ObamaCare Can Survive Without the Mandate
Salon
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Jun 25, 2012 12:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A ruling on ObamaCare is now expected Thursday , and the most widely anticipated outcome is that most of the law will be upheld but the individual mandate will be struck down. Though "conventional wisdom holds that the law is as good as dead" if that happens, writes Steve Kornacki at Salon , several analysts have shown that health care...
Jenny McCarthy Does 7th Naked Playboy Spread
People
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Jun 25, 2012 12:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jenny McCarthy has taken it all off for Playboy once again, appearing naked on the cover of the July/August issue just months before turning 40. "I'm really proud of it," she tells People . "The pictures are really gorgeous and classy. They could be out of W magazine. They're really elegant." The New York Daily...
Murdoch to Romney: Stop 'Playing It Safe'
Mediaite
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Jun 25, 2012 12:12 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Rupert Murdoch is flummoxed by Mitt Romney's campaign. "When is Romney going to look like a challenger?" he said yesterday in a tweet spotted by Mediaite . "Seems to play everything safe, make no news except burn off Hispanics." This shouldn't be so hard, the media mogul later added. "Easy for Romney to spell out restoration...
Scalia: Arizona Ruling 'Boggles the Mind'
CNN
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Jun 25, 2012 12:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Reactions are flying in to the Supreme Court's decision to strike down much of Arizona's immigration law, but one of the most extreme came from the court itself. Speaking in dissent of the ruling, Antonin Scalia questioned whether Arizona and other states would have even joined the union if they'd known today's ruling was coming,...
Mets Send 'Seinfeld' the Chicken Down ...to Sanctuary
New York Post
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Jun 25, 2012 11:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The New York Mets' roster acquired a new member last week, but he's not too good with a glove. After a teammate called the Yankees "chickens," appropriately-named pitcher Tim Byrdak bought the team a pet chicken for luck ahead of a series against the Yanks. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the cards for the fowl dubbed "Little...
Cyprus Wants a Bailout, Too
Bloomberg
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Jun 25, 2012 11:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Another day, another European Union bailout. This time Cyprus is the one lining up for a handout, Bloomberg reports. Officials today officially asked European authorities for access to the euro bailout fund, saying they were being hammered by contagion from Greece, the government said in an emailed statement.
Arab Spring an ‘Islamic Nightmare': Allen West
Politico
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Jun 25, 2012 11:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Muslim Brotherhood's victory in Egypt's presidential election proves that "the Arab Spring is nothing more than a radical Islamic nightmare," Rep. Allen West posted today on his Facebook page . "A year ago there were those of us who warned the Obama administration of a Muslim Brotherhood takeover in Egypt," he noted....
Greece's New Finance Minister Quits
Bloomberg
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Jun 25, 2012 11:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It may not be an encouraging sign for Greece's financial affairs, but the country's brand-new finance minister is resigning, Bloomberg reports. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras accepted Vassilis Rapanos' resignation today, according to a text message from the premier’s office. Rapanos had just been named the new minister last week...
'Charmingly Geeky' Dancing Matt Is Back
Inquisitr
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Jun 25, 2012 11:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Matt Harding has been dancing all over the world three times for his viral videos " Where the Hell Is Matt? " And now Harding is back with a fourth video, as "charmingly geeky" as ever and with more "heartwarming adorableness," notes Kim LiCapria on Inquisitr . This time, however, features something approaching choreography,...
'Sterilization Team' Cleans Away Madonna's DNA
Daily Mirror (UK)
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Jun 25, 2012 10:42 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Madonna is so amazing that, she apparently fears, her fans may just want to steal her DNA. So she does what any normal person would do: She has a "sterilization team" charged with wiping down her dressing room after every gig so that no stray hair, skin, or saliva remains. The Mirror gets this fascinating tidbit from a concert promoter...
9 Bare-Faced Celebrities
Huffington Post
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Jun 25, 2012 10:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Admit it: You love looking at pictures of decidedly less glamorous celebrities when they're wearing no makeup. The Huffington Post rounds up nine such photos, from Lady Gaga looking possibly her most normal ever to Snooki looking possibly her most beautiful ever. Check out a sampling in the gallery or click through for the complete slideshow,...
America Has Abandoned Human Rights
New York Times
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Jun 25, 2012 10:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Ever since the 9/11 attacks, the US has put human rights on the back burner—a grave problem in a country that should be "the global champion of human rights," writes Jimmy Carter. In 1948, we committed to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; today, "our government’s counterterrorism policies are now clearly violating...
Supreme Court Strikes Down Mont. Campaign Finance Law
Associated Press
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Jun 25, 2012 10:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The US Supreme Court today struck down a Montana campaign finance law that would have allowed states to curb the impact of the court's earlier Citizens United ruling. In a 5-4 vote along the court's usual ideological divide, the court issued a summary reversal, ignoring liberal justices' calls for a full hearing on the case, which they...
Dan Rather: HBO's Newsroom Totally Gets It
Gawker
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Jun 25, 2012 10:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Early reviews slammed Aaron Sorkin's new HBO show The Newsroom ; Emily Nussbaum at the New Yorker , for example, feels it "gets bad so quickly that I found my jaw dropping." But a bona fide TV news legend begs to differ. "The show gets close to the bone of what really happens behind the scenes in newsrooms and the boardrooms...
Supreme Court Kills Most of Arizona Immigration Law
CNN
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Jun 25, 2012 9:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Supreme Court has struck down most of Arizona's controversial immigration law in a 5-3 decision, but left intact the so-called "check your papers" provision. The decision struck down the parts of the law that made it a crime for immigrants not to possess federal registration cards, made it a crime for illegal immigrants to apply for...
NYC Teens Trash 9/11 Memorial
New York
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Jun 25, 2012 9:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
During a class trip to the 9/11 memorial, New York City junior high students were on less-than-charming behavior, hurling trash and other items into its reflecting pools. "Kids were throwing baseballs in the pond thing," one student tells the New York Daily News . The education department is investigating the incident, which followed one...
Venus Loses Round 1 at Wimbledon
Associated Press
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Jun 25, 2012 9:15 AM CDT
(AP) -
Five-time champion Venus Williams lost in the opening round of Wimbledon for the first time since 1997, falling 6-1, 6-3 to Elena Vesnina of Russia. Williams lost the first five games and then saved two set points before making it 5-1. But she was broken for the fourth time in the next game as Vesnina clinched the set with a forehand return winner.
TSA's New Plan: 'Walk-Through' Security
New York Post
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Jun 25, 2012 9:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Imagine a world in which you're allowed onto your airplane without ever having to flash your ID, take off your shoes, take out your laptop, or walk through a metal detector. That's the future the TSA envisions with a new planned security process, though it's admittedly still seven to 10 years away. "We see it as a walk-through process,"...
White House Squabbles Cost Us in Afghanistan
Washington Post
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Jun 25, 2012 8:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A new book gives an in-depth look at the Obama White House as officials made momentous choices about the war in Afghanistan—and author Rajiv Chandrasekaran sees some major missteps. Among them: Despite former top Afghanistan adviser Richard Holbrooke's expertise on ending wars—he played a role in peace deals for Vietnam and Yugoslavia—other...
Moody's Will Downgrade Spain's Banks
Reuters
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Jun 25, 2012 8:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Moody's intends to cut the credit rating on every single bank in Spain today, sources tell Reuters . The cuts, which could come in a matter of hours, follow on the heels of Moody's slashing Spain's sovereign rank by a whopping three grades on June 13. The banks have been informed of the move, the sources say.
Fukushima Fish Go on Sale
Associated Press
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Jun 25, 2012 8:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Today you can buy fish caught off Japan's Fukushima coastline for the first time since the disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant last year, although you're stuck with octopus or whelk, a type of marine snail. Testing showed no detectable radiation, but radiation fears are still keeping other types of seafood, including flounder and...
Morsi: I'll Rethink Israel Peace, Build Iran Ties
Reuters
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Jun 25, 2012 7:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mohammed Morsi's government will "reconsider the Camp David Accord," the 1979 treaty declaring peace between Egypt and Israel, the newly-elected president told Iran's state-run Fars News Agency today. Morsi was also quoted as saying that he wanted to build closer ties with Iran to "create a strategic balance" in the Middle...
Dozens Defect Syrian Army as Rebels Cry Genocide
english.alarabiya.net
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Jun 25, 2012 7:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Syrian military has been hit with a raft of new defections: Six officers and 33 soldiers today quit the country for Turkey. Reports suggest they brought their families along, bringing the total number to 224 people. Accounts differ as to whether the defectors included an army general. They add to seven others, including three pilots, who have left...
Texas Cattle Die-Off Linked to Grass
CBS News
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Jun 25, 2012 6:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A sudden die-off of almost an entire herd of Texas cattle has been linked to a hybrid of Bermuda grass, reports CBS . Fifteen of the 18 animals on an 80-acre Elgin ranch began bellowing, went into convulsions, and quickly died three weeks ago when they were let loose on the grass hybrid known as Tifton 85, which has been growing on the ranch for 15...
Hispanic Voters Focus on Economy, Not Immigration
Gallup
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Jun 25, 2012 6:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mitt Romney recently rolled out a decidedly more relaxed attitude on immigration , likely in an attempt to appeal to Hispanic voters—but perhaps he needn't have bothered: A new Gallup poll finds that registered Hispanic voters in the US care more about a whole host of other issues than they do immigration. Even when looking at all US Hispanics,...
Europe Stocks Slump Ahead of EU Summit
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 25, 2012 4:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
European stocks and the euro all fell this morning, as investors remain skeptical that this week's EU summit is going to accomplish much of anything, reports the Wall Street Journal . The euro fell to $1.2490 from $1.2574 last Friday, while indexes were down across the continent, with the Stoxx 600 index down 0.9%. Yields on 10-year government...
Teen Babysitting His Siblings Shoots Intruder
KNXV-TV
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Jun 25, 2012 3:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Phoenix teenager babysitting his siblings shot and critically wounded a home intruder, police said. The unidentified 14-year-old boy was in charge of his younger siblings, 8, 10, and 12 years old, when first a strange woman, then a man pounded on the door of the home. He raced upstairs to retrieve his father's handgun when the man broke through...
Lonesome George Dead at 100
CBS News
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Jun 25, 2012 2:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Galapagos giant tortoise nicknamed Lonesome George, the last of the giant Pinta Island tortoise subspecies, has died, reports CBS News . He was believed to be about 100 years old, relatively young for a species that can live up to 200 years. Scientists had tried to get George to mate with females of related subspecies for years, but none of...
N. Korea Furious After US, South Use Flag in Drills
Associated Press
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Jun 25, 2012 2:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Last week, a North Korean flag appeared during the largest US-South Korea military drills since the Korean War; now Pyongyang is taking the countries to task. "It is an extremely grave military action and politically-motivated provocation to fire live bullets and shells at the flag of a sovereign state without a declaration of war," the North...
Debby Changes Track, Stays Close to Florida
Reuters
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Jun 25, 2012 2:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Tropical Storm Debby slowly closed in on Florida last night, leaving one person dead in tornadoes spawned by its winds, and one man missing and presumed drowned at an Alabama beach, reports Reuters . The National Hurricane Center reported significant changes for Debby's predicted path. No longer expected to grow to hurricane strength and head...
Colorado Wildfires Destroy 250 Homes, Ravage Parkland
Denver Post
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Jun 25, 2012 2:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
More than 11,000 Colorado residents—and tourists—have been ordered to evacuate as eight wildfires burn across the state, destroying homes and threatening popular sightseeing spots. Vacation cabins in Estes Park have already been destroyed and the main entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park has been closed. Smoke threatens the massive...
Alex Trebek Suffers Heart Attack
ABC News
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Jun 25, 2012 1:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jeopardy king Alex Trebek has suffered a mild heart attack. The 71-year-old host of the long-running game show was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles over the weekend. Doctors expect him to make a full recovery, and he plans to be back on the Jeopardy set next month when taping begins, reports ABC News . “Trebek is in...
Kin: Dead Reporter Said NYT Would Kill Him
Politico
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Jun 25, 2012 1:03 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The award-winning New York Times reporter who died in Syria of an acute asthma attack in February said before he left that, if he died, the Times would be to blame, reports Politico . Anthony Shadid engaged in screaming matches with his editors from Turkey before going to Syria, criticizing the logistics of his trip, and slamming the phone in...
Pro-Alien Group Flies Swastika Over Jersey Shore
Manasquan Patch
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Jun 25, 2012 1:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The image of a swastika entangled with the Star of David flew over Manhattan, Long Beach, and the Jersey Shore this weekend—and the organization responsible attributes concern to a "misunderstanding." Police received several calls when the symbol, and the word "proswastika," were seen on a banner being pulled by a small plane....
Saudis Allowing Women to Compete in Olympics
BBC
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Jun 25, 2012 12:27 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Whoah. Saudi Arabia has decided to allow female athletes to compete in the Olympics for the first time in history. The move ends speculation that the country might have faced banishment from the London Olympics for gender discrimination. The only female competitor currently up to Olympic standards is show jumper Dalma Rushdi Malhas, said officials....
Flier Forced to Sit Next to Corpse for 10 Hours
Huffington Post
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Jun 25, 2012 12:02 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Partial reimbursement for a flight was apparently enough to placate a Swedish passenger forced to sit across the aisle from a corpse for most of her 10-hour flight to Tanzania. The extremely ill passenger was sweating and suffering from convulsions when Swedish radio reporter Lena Pettersson boarded the Kenya Airways plane in Amsterdam. "Air hostesses...
1 Dead, 1 Trapped, 22 Hurt in Ontario Mall Collapse
CBC (Canada)
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Jun 25, 2012 12:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The rooftop parking lot of a northern Ontario mall collapsed over the weekend, sending debris through two floors of the building. A pair of cars also reportedly crashed through. Now officials say they believe one person was killed in the incident; another is trapped but may still be alive after apparently responding to rescuers' yells. Some nine...
Ice Cream Crisis Rocks Northeast
Associated Press
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Jun 24, 2012 7:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Forget your concerns about the eurozone—we've got a real crisis on our hands. Northeasterners are grappling with a shortage of three crucial Good Humor bars: the Toasted Almond, Chocolate Eclair, and Candy Center Crunch. The company blames the problem on high demand during a hot spring. "We are confident that all issues will be resolved...
'Crazy' Sandusky Lawyer Remarks May Help Appeal
New York Post
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Jun 24, 2012 5:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jerry Sandusky's loose-lipped lawyer may have unwittingly given his client extra ammunition for an appeal, the New York Post reports. Convicted on 45 counts of child sexual abuse, Sandusky is facing up to 442 years in prison—but fellow defense attorneys say remarks by lawyer Joe Amendola were unconscionable. “That’s just...
Dear Dems: Get Angry if ObamaCare Goes Down
Daily Beast
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Jun 24, 2012 5:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama "needs to stand up there and get mad" if the Supreme Court strikes down some or all of ObamaCare, writes Michael Tomasky in The Daily Beast . "The law may be unpopular , but he and the Democrats are stuck with it, and being stuck with it, they need to stick by it." The provision that prevents health insurance companies...
Giant Solar Plant in Mojave Could Flip Airplanes
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 24, 2012 4:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The largest solar energy plant in the world could bring a surprising array of dangers to the Mojave Desert when constructed is completed, reports the LA Times . First off, it's huge: 170,000 large mirrors will be installed at the Ivanpah plant, heating water in three 45-story towers to 1,000 degrees. Critics say no one can specify the dangers...
3 Missing After Trains Collide in Oklahoma
Associated Press
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Jun 24, 2012 4:15 PM CDT
(AP) -
Three Union Pacific Railroad crewmembers were missing after two freight trains collided today in Oklahoma. An eastbound train carrying vehicles and a westbound train crashed about 10:08 a.m. near Goodwell in western Oklahoma, Union Pacific regional spokeswoman Raquel Espinoza said. A two-person crew was aboard each train, and officials were unable...
New Egyptian Prez: I Will 'Preserve' Military
Al Jazeera Magazine
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Jun 24, 2012 4:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Egypt's new Muslim Brotherhood-backed president addressed the people in a televised speech tonight as tens of thousands gathered in Tahrir Square, Al Jazeera reports. "I have no rights, only responsibilities," said Mohammed Morsi, who won today's election with nearly 52% of the vote. "If I do not deliver, do not obey me."...
Vatican Hires Fox News Journo for Media Gig
in.reuters.com
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Jun 24, 2012 3:31 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Vatican has hired an American journalist from Fox News to smooth its rocky relationship with the media and help guide the Church through its latest scandal , reports Reuters . Greg Burke, 52, a member of the conservative Opus Dei group, will leave his Fox post in Rome to become communications adviser for the Vatican secretariat of state. The...
'Celibate' Octomom Snags Young Bodybuilder
TMZ
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Jun 24, 2012 2:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
You may not want to picture this in great detail, but it looks like the Octomom has ended her celibate lifestyle in the arms of an amateur bodybuilder, TMZ reports. "Frankie G," 23, picked up the bankrupt 36-year-old porno actor at LAX today and greeted her with a kiss. Asked how they met, Nadya Suleman said, "Through church."...
