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.
How Supreme Court Keeps Obamacare Ruling a Secret
Associated Press
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Jun 24, 2012 2:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hoping for a leak from the Supreme Court on its upcoming Obamacare ruling? Don't hold your breath. Unlike the legislative and executive branches of government, the Supreme Court is known for having a tight lip. That means keeping nine justices as well as clerks, aides, support staff, family members, and others mum on the historic ruling—which,...
Want to Be 100? Sleep and Eat Right
blogs.smartmoney.com
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Jun 24, 2012 1:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
What can you do to live for more than a century? Researchers from UnitedHealthCare surveyed a group of centenarians and collected advice on achieving longevity. Here are their tips, courtesy of SmartMoney :
Greece Dying to Sell $166M Luxury Resort
Bloomberg
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Jun 24, 2012 1:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
In a desperate bid for cash, Greece is trying to sell off a famed seaside resort and meet requirements of its bailout package, Bloomberg reports. For sale is the 3.3-million-square-foot Astir Palace complex, which has housed guests such as Frank Sinatra and Jane Fonda since opening in 1960. Asking price: around $166 million, plus much, much more...
Debby Looming, La. Declares Emergency
Associated Press
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Jun 24, 2012 1:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With Tropical Storm Debby bearing down on Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal was taking no chances with his state today, declaring a state of emergency in the low-lying coastal areas the storm threatened to flood. Debby had already unloaded significant amounts of rain on Florida today, and was forecast to increase to hurricane strength by the time she makes...
Issa: We Got a Lie, a Cover-Up
Politico
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Jun 24, 2012 12:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Darrell Issa was busily holding Eric Holder in contempt all over the Sunday talk show circuit today, blasting the Justice Department and White House alike in the Fast and Furious fiasco, telling Meet the Press that "We got a lie, we got a cover-up." The House Oversight Committee chair told This Week that were President Obama to back...
Don't Swim After Eating? That's Bunk
Washington Post
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Jun 24, 2012 12:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
There are so many myths about summer safety, it's a wonder anyone has any fun. Heard that poison ivy is contagious? Not true. Scared of swallowing watermelon seeds? They'll just pass through you. The Washington Post debunks a host of summer myths: Mosquitoes love people who taste sweet? Nope—mosquitoes are more into your breath....
Greek PM Bails on EU Summit After Eye Surgery
Associated Press
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Jun 24, 2012 11:41 AM CDT
(AP) -
Greece's new prime minister will not be well enough to travel to a critical EU summit in Brussels after undergoing an eye operation, the government said today. Antonis Samaras, 61, underwent surgery for a detached retina for nearly four hours yesterday, just three days after being sworn in at the head of a three-party coalition government. The...
Cory Booker Gets In on New Rescue
Star-Ledger
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Jun 24, 2012 10:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Cory Booker might be dead to the White House , but he's trying to burnish his knight-in-shining-armor cred again. Seems the mayor was on the scene when a Newark pedestrian was hit by a car Friday, tweeting that he was among a group that "got man stabilized & into ambulance. He'll b OK. Thanx 2 all who helped." But this time the...
Nigerian Scams Purposely Sound Unbelievable
Gizmodo
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Jun 24, 2012 10:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
"Nigerian scams" are so well-known that we call them, well, Nigerian scams. So why don't the scammers update their tactics a bit, rather than coming right out and admitting they're from Nigeria right there in the body of the email? The answer, according to a Microsoft researcher , is simple: The scammers want to target only the truly...
'I Ask That You Live': Pat Tillman's Love Letters to His Wife
New York Post
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Jun 24, 2012 10:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Before he was an NFL star, Army Ranger, and fallen war hero, Pat Tillman was just a guy who loved a girl. Tillman's high school sweetheart and widow, Marie, reveals snippets of that guy via the letters he wrote her over the course of their 11-year relationship in a new book, The Letter . Highlights of Tillman's writings, via the New York...
Islamist Morsi Wins Egypt Election
BBC
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Jun 24, 2012 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Islamist Mohamed Morsi has won Egypt's closely contested presidential runoff election, the country's election commission said today in a protracted announcement that held an entire nation mesmerized, reports al-Jazeera . Morsi triumphed over Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, garnering almost 52% of the vote, reports the...
The Nastiest Thing in Your Hotel Room Is...
LiveScience
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Jun 24, 2012 9:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Bad news for germophobes: Light and lamp switches are among the dirtiest things found in hotel rooms, according to a new study. TV remote controls also rank near the top of the most-contaminated list, LiveScience reports. Of course, your remote at home may not be any cleaner, but in a hotel room, "there's a stranger factor" at work,...
Iran Nuanced, Not 'Crazy'
New York Times
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Jun 24, 2012 9:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Nicholas Kristof may be mad at President Obama for protecting "odious" regimes such as Syria and Sudan, but Iran—despite its nuclear weapons program and terrible human rights record (and having accused Kristof of being a spy back in 2004)—deserves "a dollop of humility and nuance," he writes in the New York Times...
Mom Charged With Locking Girl in Closet, Starving Her
Kansas City Star
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Jun 24, 2012 8:16 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An anonymous call to a child-abuse hotline led police to 10-year-old girl who weighed just 32 pounds, locked in a closet and surrounded by her own waste, reports the Kansas City Star . Identified only as "LP," the girl told police she was rarely allowed to leave the closet and often went days without being fed. LP's mother, Jacole...
Congress Riddled With Insider Trading
Washington Post
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Jun 24, 2012 7:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Washington Post has pored over the 45,000 stock transactions made by members of Congress between 2007 and 2010, in a mammoth investigation into just how bad the government's insider trading problem is. The result—130 members of Congress or their families bought and sold up to $218 million in 323 companies registered to lobby on...
Anti-Incumbent Fever May Give Dems a Shot at House
New York Times
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Jun 24, 2012 7:01 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Stats guru Nate Silver may have President Obama slightly favored to win re-election in November, and the battle for Senate in a tossup, but what does he think about the House? In his latest blog post in the New York Times , Silver calls Republicans "reasonably clear favorites" to keep control of the House—Republicans and Democrats...
Why Eating Dirt Is Good for Us
New York Times
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Jun 24, 2012 6:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
We scrub away germs to ensure good health, but in the long term, our "squeaky-clean" culture may be backfiring on us. Our immune systems developed to fend off a constant threat of invading organisms, learning to distinguish helpful and harmful invaders throughout life, writes Jeff Leach in the New York Times . Today, though, we deny our...
Turkey Demands NATO Meeting Over Downed Jet
BBC
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Jun 24, 2012 6:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Turkey acknowledges its F-4 Phantom may have crossed into Syrian airspace briefly, but it left immediately and had been back in international airspace for 15 minutes when Syria shot it down Friday, reports the BBC . "According to our conclusions, our plane was shot down in international airspace, 13 nautical miles from Syria," says Turkey's...
As Guns Spark Fires, Utah Gov Pleads With Shooters
Christian Science Monitor
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Jun 24, 2012 5:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With 20 wildfires around Utah this year believed to be caused by target shooters firing in bone-dry conditions, states are urging gun owners not to shoot in high-risk locations. “Now is not a good time to take your gun outside and start shooting in cheat grass that’s tinder dry,” says Utah Gov. Gary Herbert. But Herbert is asking...
Egypt on High Alert Ahead of Vote Results
Associated Press
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Jun 24, 2012 5:12 AM CDT
(AP) -
Authorities deployed extra security forces in Cairo streets and near key state institutions and police were ordered to "confront with firmness" any violation of the law just hours ahead of the official announcement of Egypt's highly disputed presidential election results. The June 16-17 runoff vote between the Muslim Brotherhood's...
Lonely? You May Not Live as Long
CNN
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Jun 23, 2012 7:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Loneliness and living alone may actually affect your longevity, according to two new studies in the Archives of Internal Medicine . The first found that participants ages 45 and up who had or were at risk of developing heart disease were more likely to die from heart complications if they lived alone. Among those ages 45 to 65, the risk was 24% higher...
Healthy Eaters Go 'Kosher' Despite Evidence
NPR
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Jun 23, 2012 5:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Love seeing that "kosher" food label when you go shopping? You're not alone: More than 25% of all new foods released since 2007 claim to be kosher, a 10-fold increase over kosher products released in 2002, NPR reports. The market has expanded from orthodox Jews to, well, everyone who likes "purity" in the handling of foods....
Crusader Against Gay Marriage Swaps Sides
New York Times
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Jun 23, 2012 4:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
One of the most respected opponents of gay marriage has changed his mind, arguing that too many of his political comrades are simply prejudiced against gays and lesbians, the New York Times reports. David Blankenhorn, who wrote The Future of Marriage and argued for California's Proposition 8 as an expert witness, revealed his new opinion...
10 Romantic Celebrity Marriage Proposals
Celebuzz
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Jun 23, 2012 3:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Matthew McConaughey recently revealed to Jay Leno just how he proposed to now-wife Camila Alves , and it's as heart-stoppingly romantic as you'd imagine from someone so frequently shirtless. It involved eight boxes before Alves finally unwrapped her ring on Christmas day, and her first word was, somehow, not "yes," he told Leno....
Oil Workers Flee; Tropical Storm Brewing in Gulf
msnbc.msn.com
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Jun 23, 2012 3:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
High winds are whipping up a 90%-chance tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico today and causing oil companies to evacuate rig workers, MSNBC reports. If Tropical Storm Debby does form, the northern Gulf Coast may see tropical storm warnings, and localized flooding and heavy rain could strike Mexico, Cuba, and Florida "over the next day or two,"...
Sea Levels Rising Way Faster Than We Thought
AFP
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Jun 23, 2012 3:01 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Living near a coastline? Sea levels are expected to rise by up to 55 inches worldwide over the next century, according to a study that radically reinterprets the results of climate change. The US National Research Council study, released yesterday, concludes that sea levels will increase 20 to 55 inches by 2100—far more than rise of 7 to 23 inches...
Downed Turkish Warplane 'May Have Crossed Border'
bbc.co.uk
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Jun 23, 2012 2:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Turkish fighter jet shot down by Syria may well have violated its airspace, Turkey's president admitted today. But he said that such high-altitude border crossings happen all the time. "It is routine for jet fighters to sometimes fly in and out over borders... when you consider their speed over the sea," said President Abdullah Gul....
Devoted Sports Fan Dies From Exhaustion
Daily Telegraph (Australia)
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Jun 23, 2012 2:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A Chinese soccer fan has paid the ultimate price for supporting his favorite teams, the Telegraph reports. Jiang Xiaoshan, a fan of France and England, died this week from exhaustion after staying up for 11 sleepless nights to watch every Euro 2012 match-up. With the time difference, he watched games at night with friends and trudged to work the...
King Family Won't Invite Fiancée to the Funeral
TMZ
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Jun 23, 2012 1:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
One person who's not coming to Rodney King's funeral: his own fiancée. The king family plans to hold services in Hollywood next Saturday, but Cynthia Kelley isn't invited, sources tell TMZ . Why the riff? The family doubts her description of King dying in his own pool , considering he was such a good swimmer. What's more, she's...
Producers Quite Unhappy With LiLo
TMZ
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Jun 23, 2012 1:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Though they should have known what they were in for the moment they hired her, the producers of Lindsay Lohan's upcoming Lifetime movie are reportedly "hysterical" over the actress' recent car crash and exhaustion incident . Sources tell TMZ the producers are particularly worried they may lose their insurance over the car crash,...
Sandusky Juror: His Reaction Was 'Confirmation'
MSNBC
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Jun 23, 2012 1:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jerry Sandusky spent his first night as a prisoner isolated from other inmates and on a precautionary suicide watch, reports CNN . One of the jurors who sent him behind bars , meanwhile, said Sandusky's lack of emotion in court last night spoke volumes. "I looked at him during the reading of the verdict and just the look on his face. No...
Horse Racing's New Scandal: 'Frog Juice'
New York Times
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Jun 23, 2012 1:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Horse racing fans can expect to hear a lot soon about a small South American critter commonly known as a waxy monkey tree frog. It seems the frog's skin produces a powerful substance called dermorphin that masks pain and helps horses run faster, explains the New York Times . In recent weeks, more than 30 horses in Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico,...
As ObamaCare Decision Nears, Reform Money Flows
Politico
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Jun 23, 2012 12:33 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Supreme Court is expected to rule next week on whether President Obama's health care overhaul is constitutional, but no matter how that shakes out, Politico and the New York Times weigh in with reminders that will likely cheer supporters of the law and tick off opponents: Billions of federal dollars have been spent on it already. In fact,...
Unemployment Taking Toll on Middle-Aged
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 23, 2012 11:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The unemployment rate among younger workers may be higher, but economists are equally worried about those who are middle-aged and out of work, reports the Wall Street Journal . That's because the years between 45 and 60 should be prime earning years, a time when parents might well be trying to send kids to college and simultaneously caring for...
New Matchmaking Trend: Stinky T-Shirts
Associated Press
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Jun 23, 2012 11:15 AM CDT
(AP) -
Sniff your way to love? Singles who have attended so-called pheromone parties haven't ruled it out. The get-togethers—which have been held in New York and Los Angeles and are planned for other cities—ask guests to submit a slept-in T-shirt that will be smelled by other participants. Then, voila! You can pick your partner based on scent,...
State and Local Spending Drops to Lowest in 30 Years
USA Today
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Jun 23, 2012 10:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
State and local governments have cut back spending to the lowest level in 30 years, according to a USA Today analysis. Both Democrats and Republicans are denying handouts, even with tax revenue going up and powerful interest groups lobbying for funds. Local and state spending dipped 0.8% this year (2.7% with inflation) to $2.4 trillion. This belt-tightening...
Google Doodle Offers Brain-Teaser Tribute
Google
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Jun 23, 2012 9:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Google today honors pioneering mathematician Alan Turing with one of its more ambitious Google Doodles. As USA Today explains, it simulates one of his theoretical concepts, a Turing Machine. "There are six puzzles to solve, one for each letter in the Google logo," writes Nancy Blair. "After completing it the first time you can play...
White House Would Like Your Wedding Gifts
Mediaite
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Jun 23, 2012 8:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
"I now pronounce you, husband and White House?" In a fundraising move already getting tweaked from the right , the Obama re-election team has unveiled the "Obama event registry." Instead of asking friends and family to buy gifts for the newlyweds (or birthday boy, or whomever), you can just shovel all that money to the Obama campaign,...
Mugly Is 'World's Ugliest Dog'
Associated Press
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Jun 23, 2012 8:48 AM CDT
(AP) -
A Chinese crested's short snout, beady eyes, and white whiskers earned it the title of World's Ugliest Dog at the annual contest in Northern California yesterday. Competing for fame, $1,000, and a year's worth of dog cookies, Mugly won the honor by beating out 28 other ugly dogs from around the world. The 8-year-old rescue dog from the...
US Drones' New Mission: Caribbean Drug Traffic
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 23, 2012 8:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
No wonder the US has so many drone bases scattered about the country: The drones keep getting extra duties. In the latest development, the US plans to ramp up flights over the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico to catch drug smugglers, reports the Los Angeles Times . The move will "dramatically increase US drone flights in the Western Hemisphere"...
Prefer Dunkin Donuts? You Might Be a Republican
ABC News
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Jun 23, 2012 7:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
If you love BMWs, Dunkin' Donuts, and Subway, you just might be a Republican. Democrats, meanwhile, prefer Jeeps, Starbucks, and Wendy's, a study finds. Researchers clocked 4,000 people's reactions to various brands to the millisecond, and found a divide between left and right, ABC News reports. "People will gravitate toward brands...
Whoops: Mexico Admits Suspect Isn't Kingpin's Son
bbc.co.uk
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Jun 23, 2012 7:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mexican authorities celebrated a huge arrest on Thursday, the son of Sinaloa cartel chief Joaquin Guzman. But it turns out that the man they paraded before the cameras wasn't Guzman's son after all; instead, it was a used-car salesman named Felix Beltran Leon, reports the BBC . Now Mexico is blaming the US for the bad information, and the...
Top Actors Cut From Big Movies
Huffington Post
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Jun 23, 2012 6:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Bloated running times, terrible performances, a 60-pound weight gain—there are a host of reasons why even the most well-known actors are sometimes cut from films. The Huffington Post takes a look at 11 notable instances of big names getting axed from big movies: Ryan Gosling, The Lovely Bones: Gosling thought his character should be...
Germany Boots Greece —From Soccer Tourney
Associated Press
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Jun 23, 2012 6:15 AM CDT
(AP) -
With Chancellor Angela Merkel cheering every step of the way, Germany dominated Greece—on the soccer field. The Germans reached the European Championship semifinals for a record seventh time by beating Greece 4-2 yesterday in a match played amid the contentious political backdrop between the countries.
Paraguay in Crisis After Ouster of Leftist President
Associated Press
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Jun 23, 2012 5:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The ouster of Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, a former Roman Catholic bishop elected with a strong anti-poverty mandate, is whipping up fierce criticism around the region, with the leaders of other South American countries calling it a "coup" and threatening not to recognize the new government, reports the AP . Argentina "is not...
FAA Fire, Storms Snarl Travel in Northeast
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Jun 23, 2012 5:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Storms around the Northeast and a fire in a FAA technical center in New Jersey combined to create some brutal travel chaos yesterday, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Delta canceled 321 flights in and out of New York alone, US Airways had 46 mainline and more than 200 Express flight cancellations around the region, and JetBlue reported...
Syria Shoots Down Turkish Fighter Jet
bbc.co.uk
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Jun 23, 2012 5:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Syria confirmed this morning that it did shoot down a Turkish F-4 fighter jet yesterday, saying it was flying low and well inside Syrian airspace, reports the BBC . Turkey has not said yet whether it considers the incident provocative, and much could depend on whether the plane's crew survived. Turkey-Syrian relations have deteriorated badly since...
Jerry Sandusky Guilty on 45 Counts
Associated Press
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Jun 22, 2012 9:13 PM CDT
(AP) -
Barring a miracle, Jerry Sandusky is going to spend the rest of his life in prison. A jury tonight convicted the former Penn State assistant football coach on 45 of 48 counts of sexually abusing boys. The jury of seven women and five men, including nine with ties to Penn State, deliberated more than 20 hours over two days. Sandusky, 68, showed little...
Stick Shift Foils Car Robbery
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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Jun 22, 2012 6:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a nice entry for the dumb-criminals file: Robber holds up man at gunpoint, then tries to flee in the victim's car—only to discover it's a manual transmission, which he can't drive. The robber then accepts a ride from the victim and thanks him when getting dropped off. Police haven't made any...
Google CEO: 'Nothing Seriously Wrong With Me'
Business Insider
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Jun 22, 2012 5:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Wall Street was abuzz today with rumors about Google CEO Larry Page's health after he skipped yesterday's shareholder meeting and the company said he'd miss two upcoming events as well. So much so that Page wrote an email to employees to say that "there is nothing seriously wrong with me," reports the Wall Street Journal ....
