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.
Curt Schilling: Firm's Collapse Cost Me My Baseball Fortune
Associated Press
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Jun 22, 2012 5:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Retired MLB all-star Curt Schilling says he lost more than $50 million of his own money, likely his entire career's worth of earnings, when his video game company fizzled and declared bankruptcy. The former Red Sox pitcher spoke on Boston radio station WEEI-FM for the first time since the meltdown of his company, 38 Studios. The pitcher said...
Man Gets 12 Years Over Threats to South Park Duo
Associated Press
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Jun 22, 2012 4:59 PM CDT
(AP) -
A Muslim convert from Brooklyn was sentenced today to nearly 12 years in prison for posting online threats against the creators of the South Park television show and others he deemed enemies of Islam. The sentence—largely in line with the term sought by prosecutors—came after Jesse Curtis Morton, 33, offered an apology for his conduct,...
NBC Still Has to Pay Ann Curry $10M a Year
TMZ
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Jun 22, 2012 4:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
TMZ says the rumors about NBC firing Ann Curry as a Today co-host are not only true, they're going to prove costly to the network. The site thinks Curry will get the boot next week, but NBC will still have to pay her $10 million a year for at least three years. Expect her to become a foreign correspondent—an extremely well paid foreign...
Netflix May Have to Provide Captions Online
San Francisco Chronicle
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Jun 22, 2012 4:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Netflix could soon be legally forced to offer closed captions on its streaming videos. The National Association for the Deaf sued the company, saying it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide captions for the bulk of its online content. Netflix asked a federal judge to dismiss the suit, asserting that the ADA doesn't...
14 Dead in Double-Bombing in Baghdad Market
Associated Press
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Jun 22, 2012 4:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two bombs in a Baghdad market killed at least 14 people and injured more than 100, reports the AP . The explosions came within minutes of each other in a heavily Shiite neighborhood in northeast Baghdad at a busy open-air market. With more than 160 people killed this month in attacks mostly connect to al-Qaeda-linked insurgents, the death toll for...
George Washington's Book Sells for $10M
Fox News
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Jun 22, 2012 3:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A 223-year-old book once owned by George Washington has raked in nearly $10 million at auction. The 106-page leather-bound edition of The Acts of Congress was printed for the first president in 1789 and includes a copy of the Constitution and a draft of the Bill of Rights. Washington's handwritten notes can be spotted in the margins, and his...
Sorkin's Newsroom Feels a Little Preachy
Daily Beast
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Jun 22, 2012 3:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
For those who believed Aaron Sorkin could do no wrong, The Newsroom is a disappointment. Chronicling the life of a cable news station as it grapples with events from years back—the BP oil spill, for insance—it's preachy and perhaps overly optimistic, critics say. In the Daily Beast , Howard Kurtz says the characters sometimes...
Cryptographers Solve 'Unbreakable' Code
news.cnet.com
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Jun 22, 2012 2:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A code that scientists thought should take at least thousands of years to unravel was cracked in a mere 148 days by 21 computers working in unison, reports CNET . The solution to the 278-character, 923-bit code broke a world record in cryptanalysis, and the victorious team of technologists used "next-generation" techniques to achieve the...
Europe Court: Sick Workers Can Retake Vacations
New York Times
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Jun 22, 2012 2:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Unemployment may be on the rise in Spain and throughout Europe, but those lucky enough to have jobs can enjoy this ruling: Workers who get sick on vacation are entitled to take a new vacation, reports the New York Times . The EU court ruled in favor of Spanish department store workers who filed suit over the principle, and the decision applies to...
Church Official Convicted of Child Endangerment
Associated Press
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Jun 22, 2012 2:01 PM CDT
(AP) -
A Roman Catholic church official was convicted today of child endangerment but acquitted of conspiracy in a groundbreaking clergy-abuse trial, becoming the first US church official convicted of a crime for how he handled abuse claims. Monsignor William Lynn of Philadelphia helped the archdiocese keep predators in ministry, and the public in the dark,...
To Spur Creativity, Try a Noisy Café
Time
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Jun 22, 2012 1:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Forget peace and quiet—a little noise can be your friend when it comes to generating ideas, a study finds. Sure, you don't want sirens blaring outside your window, but the "ambient noise" of, say, a hopping coffee shop could actually help you work better. It's distracting, but in a good way: It can prompt "disfluency"...
Dick Cheney's Daughter Marries Her Partner
Daily Caller
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Jun 22, 2012 1:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Dick Cheney's daughter Mary wed her longtime partner today in Washington, reports the Daily Caller . Mary Cheney married Heather Poe, and the former VP is thrilled, according to a statement from him and his wife. “Mary and Heather have been in a committed relationship for many years, and we are delighted that they were able to take advantage...
Romney Can Win—if He Goes Beyond Applause Lines
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 22, 2012 1:16 PM CDT
(Newser) -
There's a school of thought out there that Mitt Romney can win by not saying or doing much of anything. In fact, Romney himself seems to have bought into the philosophy judging by his recent speeches, writes Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal . They're filled with superficial "applause lines" and not much substance. "It's...
Merkel Softens Her Opposition to Stimulus
Associated Press
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Jun 22, 2012 1:02 PM CDT
(AP) -
The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain agreed to push for a growth package worth up to $163 billion at a European Union summit next week aimed at kickstarting the economy and safeguarding the currency bloc. French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, and Italian Premier Mario...
GM Recalls 475K Chevy Cruzes
Detroit Free Press
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Jun 22, 2012 12:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A black eye for GM today: It's recalling more than 475,000 Chevy Cruzes because the engines might start on fire, reports the Detroit Free Press . The recall covers all those in the 2011-12 model years and comes after reports of 30 fires. Most occurred after fluid got trapped after oil changes, though no injuries were reported. The Cruze was...
Doomsday Prophet Guilty of Tax Evasion
Huffington Post
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Jun 22, 2012 12:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jurors didn't buy a doomsday prophet's excuse that he didn't pay his taxes because he believed the end of the world was nigh. Ronald Weinland, who was found guilty of federal tax evasion Wednesday, apparently believed that the Swiss banking system would survive the apocalypse and second coming of Jesus Christ better than the American one...
Health Insurance Ads Go Cuddly
New York Times
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Jun 22, 2012 12:10 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Health insurers are targeting a new audience: you. If the health care law's individual mandate remains intact, the companies could be looking at 120 million new potential customers by 2020, an analyst tells the New York Times . Regardless of the Supreme Court decision on the law, insurers believe the future of their industry lies with individual...
Obama's Immigration Move Is Wrong; Just Ask ... Obama
Washington Post
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Jun 22, 2012 11:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama calls his loosening of deportation rules on young illegal immigrants the "right thing to do," but Charles Krauthammer has another description: "naked lawlessness." To support his case in the Washington Post , Krauthammer quotes none other than President Obama. When the Dream Act failed to pass, Obama said this:...
Bo Xilai's Wife Admits Murder: Newspaper
Telegraph (UK)
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Jun 22, 2012 11:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Two twists in the China scandal involving ousted political leader Bo Xilai and wife Gu Kailai: Confession? A Japanese newspaper reports that Gu has confessed to killing British businessman Neil Heywood , apparently because she was worried he knew too much about her illegal financial dealings. The report quotes anonymous Chinese sources as saying...
Arkansas High Court Strikes Down Execution Law
Associated Press
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Jun 22, 2012 11:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A split Arkansas Supreme Court says the state's execution law is unconstitutional. The state's constitution says that execution rules must be set by the legislature, but a 2009 law put matters in the hands of the Department of Corrections, the AP reports. Under that law, the director of the department selects the chemicals used in lethal...
Bullied Bus Monitor's Take Breaks $500K Mark
CNN
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Jun 22, 2012 11:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
She may officially be $500,000 richer, but bullied school bus monitor Karen Klein is unimpressed with the apologies she's gotten so far from the foul-mouthed kids caught bullying her in a now-infamous video. "Of course he's going to say anything," Klein said of one apology to Anderson Cooper at CNN . "Josh, he always has...
Ex: Rodman Attacked Me Then ... Took Me to Breakfast
TMZ
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Jun 22, 2012 10:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
TMZ has a bizarre tale today from Dennis Rodman's ex-wife, Michelle: She claims the former NBA star came to her home, wasted, at 2:30am on May 28; attacked her; then—and this is where it gets really weird—came back a few hours later, still drunk, and took her and their son out to breakfast. "Breakfast," for Rodman, consisted...
Lincoln: Vampire Hunter No Better Than It Sounds
Globe and Mail
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Jun 22, 2012 10:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Believe it or not, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a film about Abraham Lincoln hunting vampires. And that's about all there is to it, critics say: "The trouble with the so-called high-concept film is that too often the concept is the best thing about it and the actual movie essentially a series of rather rote, progressively more...
Paltrow, Martin Score $10M Mansion
TMZ
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Jun 22, 2012 10:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin are "richer than you," TMZ declares, and they've gone and proved it by spending somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 million on a new house. The mansion in question, built by famous architect Windsor Smith in 2011, is one of LA's swankiest estates, with six bedrooms and eight bathrooms. TMZ has ...
In Romney's Bain History: A Lot of Jobs Outsourcing
Washington Post
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Jun 22, 2012 10:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mitt Romney likes to talk about the jobs created by Bain Capital, and today the Washington Post takes a look at the ones Bain helped create in places like ... India and China. During Romney's decade-plus at Bain, the private equity firm owned companies that led the way in terms of relocating call center and computer-component factory jobs abroad....
Tony Parker Sues Club for $20M Over Hip-Hop Brawl
New York Post
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Jun 22, 2012 9:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The fallout from Chris Brown's throwdown with Drake's entourage continues: Now Tony Parker is suing the New York City nightclub where it happened for a cool $20 million. The NBA star says the club, WiP, should have known that allowing Brown and Drake—who've both been involved with Rihanna—in at the same time was a terrible...
Clinton Rocks Crazy Glasses at Ceremony
New York
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Jun 22, 2012 9:44 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The new assistant secretary for public affairs loves the color purple, according to Politico —but Hillary Clinton doesn't own any violet pantsuits. So she decided to celebrate Michael Hammer's swearing-in with a number of other purple accessories, including Mardi Gras beads, a ring, and some flamboyant eyewear: a pair of purple and green...
Groundbreaking Surgery Removes Tumor From Fetus
BBC
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Jun 22, 2012 9:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Miami doctors made history with a first-of-its-kind operation in which they removed a dangerous tumor from the mouth of a fetus, reports the Miami Herald . A routine ultrasound at 17 weeks turned up a peach-size teratoma tumor growing on the fetus' mouth. Teratomas are benign but still dangerous, as they grow rapidly and can cause bleeding and...
Suu Kyi Makes Historic Speech
Reuters
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Jun 22, 2012 9:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday asked the UK parliament for help in bringing democracy to Burma, becoming the first non-head of state ever to address both Houses, reports Reuters . "We have an opportunity to reestablish true democracy in Burma. It is an opportunity for which we have waited decades," said Suu Kyi. "If we do not get things...
Legless Man Scales Kilimanjaro on Hands
ABC News
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Jun 22, 2012 9:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro's 19,300 feet is tough enough for most people. But Spencer West just spent seven days climbing to the top on his hands, reports ABC News . West, who lost both his legs when he was 5 years old, estimates he did 80% of the climb on his own, taking about 20,000 "steps" to make it to the top. (He used a wheelchair...
Anderson Cooper to Fan: B****, What Are You Doing?
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 22, 2012 8:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Anderson Cooper had some choice words for a fan who tried to snap some iPhone photos of him during a 6am plane flight yesterday. "I grabbed the guy on the shoulder and I said something to the effect of, 'Bitch, what the f*** are you doing?" he told Kathy Griffin on her new Bravo show last night. "Normally I would just be like, 'We're...
Breivik Is Sane, Insists ... Defense
Reuters
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Jun 22, 2012 8:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It's not exactly the way you'd expect things to shake out: Prosecutors want Anders Breivik ruled criminally insane—but the confessed killer's own lawyers say he knew what he was doing, Reuters reports. "Breivik wishes to be punished for his actions—that is, to be treated as criminally sane by the court," one said...
Thief Strolls Out of Gallery With $150K Dali Painting
New York Daily News
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Jun 22, 2012 8:23 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Some art thieves use ingenious methods, some use brute force—and some just casually walk out with stuff. Police are looking for a thief who swiped a $150,000 Salvador Dali painting from a New York City gallery using the latter approach, reports the New York Daily News . The thief, who was captured on surveillance cameras, posed as a customer...
Pakistan Picks Another PM
New York Times
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Jun 22, 2012 8:09 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It's been a wild few days for Pakistan's leadership. First the country's high court gave Yousuf Raza Gilani the boot; then the ruling party's new nominee for prime minister was hit with an arrest warrant over alleged drug trafficking. Now, the party has nominated a new contender—and he's likely to become prime minister...
Polygamous Towns in Arizona, Utah Sued by Feds
Associated Press
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Jun 22, 2012 7:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Two adjoining towns on the Utah-Arizona border are being sued by the Justice Department, which charges that the polygamous towns are discriminating against nonbelievers in the area, reports the AP . The bulk of residents belong to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a group controlled by convicted pedophile Warren Jeffs...
Politico Reporter Suspended Over Romney 'White Folks' Dig
New York
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Jun 22, 2012 7:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Politico has suspended White House correspondent Joe Williams following his implication that Mitt Romney is only at ease among "white folks." Williams told Martin Bashir on MSNBC yesterday that Romney is "very, very comfortable ... with people who are like him," Thus he can be "awkward" in town hall meetings, but "when...
Egyptians Again Pack Tahrir Square
Al Jazeera Magazine
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Jun 22, 2012 7:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Once again, thousands of Egyptians are protesting in Tahrir Square, this time against the military's power grab following the country's first free presidential election. Muslim Brotherhood members and supporters chanted, "Down with military rule," and are expected to be joined by secular groups later today. But Muslim Brotherhood...
Assange Just Doesn't Want to End Up in US
Reuters
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Jun 22, 2012 6:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As he continues to fight to gain asylum in Ecuador, Julian Assange says he's not trying to dodge questions over sexual assault allegations in Sweden. It's the US he's worried about: If Sweden sends him here, he believes he could face the death penalty, Reuters reports. It's "a very serious matter in the United States," Assange...
20 Dead as Taliban Hotel Takeover Ends
BBC
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Jun 22, 2012 5:46 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The takeover of a hotel near Kabul by heavily armed Taliban gunmen has ended. Kabul police and other Afghan security forces backed by US-led NATO troops stormed the Spozhmai Hotel in the Lake Qargha area, freeing the remaining 45 civilian hostages. At least 20 people were killed in the operation, including civilians, three hotel guards, a police...
Mexico Busts Drug Kingpin's Son
New York Times
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Jun 22, 2012 4:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Mexican Navy has captured a man believed to be the son of Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, the country's most-wanted drug lord. Jesus Guzman Salazar, 26, was paraded before the media in Mexico City after his arrest yesterday. His father runs the Sinaloa cartel, and officials say Guzman Salazar had a major role in the organization, running...
Romney Sings Different Tune on Immigration
New York Times
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Jun 22, 2012 4:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
In what his critics will no doubt call an " Etch a Sketch " moment, Mitt Romney now sounds a lot more relaxed about immigration than he did during the Republican primaries. When he spoke to a gathering of Latino voters in Florida yesterday, his talk of "self-deportation" was gone, replaced by promises to find bipartisan ways of...
Ranger Dies Saving Injured Mt. Rainier Climbers
Associated Press
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Jun 22, 2012 3:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A ranger has died during a mission to rescue four injured climbers stranded on Mount Rainier. The 34-year-old ranger slid more than 3,000 feet to his death as he helped prepare the climbers to be taken from the 14,400-foot Washington mountain, reports AP . The four climbers from Texas were roped together when they fell on a glacier on their way down...
LeBron Gets His Ring as Miami Heat Routs Thunder
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 22, 2012 3:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
LeBron James was king of the court last night as the forward finally made good on his promise to bring an NBA championship to Miami. The Heat suffocated the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 in Game 5. LeBron was the star, chalking up a triple-double in 44 minutes, with 26 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. The Heat led by 24 points after three quarters,...
David Duke Endorses Black Politician
New York Daily News
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Jun 22, 2012 3:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Looks like former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard and Senate candidate David Duke hates Jews even more than he hates black people. Duke has endorsed radical black city councilman Charles Barron, a fierce critic of Israel who has compared Israelis to Nazis, in New York's 8th District Democratic primary, reports the New York Daily News. Barron's...
Chemical Fumes Sicken 80 at Indiana Pool
CBS
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Jun 22, 2012 2:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
At least 80 people, most of them children, were hospitalized after being overcome by chemical fumes at a public pool in Indianapolis. Investigators say a toxic out-of-balance mix of chemicals was pumped into the pool, creating chlorine gas, reports the Indianapolis Star . The gas wasn't as lethal as the stuff armies used on each other in World...
Millionaire Missing From Florida Yacht
ABC News
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Jun 22, 2012 2:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Florida millionaire's yacht came ashore this week—without the millionaire. Fort Lauderdale police are hunting for Brazilian-born Guma Aguiar after his empty yacht beached with the ignition running and lights on. The Coast Guard suspended its search yesterday after 70 hours hunting for the missing man in vain, and Aguiar's mother filed...
Breast Cancer Survivor Can Swim Topless in Seattle Pool
ABC News
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Jun 22, 2012 1:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A breast cancer survivor has won the right to swim topless in a public pool in Seattle. Jodi Jaecks, who had both breasts removed in her cancer fight, was having a difficult time finding comfortable swimming suits, and since she had no breasts to cover up, appealed to swim top-free. Officials initially insisted on "gender appropriate" clothing....
Baldwin: Assaulting Photog a Joke
New York Daily News
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Jun 22, 2012 1:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Obstreperous Alec Baldwin stepped from his home to face the media in Manhattan yesterday, and declared his recent confrontation with a Daily News photographer a joke. As he walked from his East Village apartment with his 16-year-old daughter, Ireland, he laughed when asked if he'd consider anger management therapy. When queried by a News ...
Not a Peep From Tweeters as Twitter Crashes
CNN
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Jun 22, 2012 12:35 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Tweeters were squawking yesterday when Twitter crashed hard. The system was down from noon to 1 pm ET, but then crashed again an hour later and intermittently throughout the afternoon when Twitter admitted the "issue in ongoing," reports CNN . Most service was restored by late afternoon. The problem was caused by "a cascaded bug in...
18 Taliban Hostages Freed as Siege Continues
New York Times
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Jun 21, 2012 10:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Afghan police have freed 18 hostages and killed two Taliban gunmen who stormed a popular lakeside hotel in Kabul tonight, Reuters reports. But the siege continues and the militants are still holding more captives, and have reportedly killed a hotel guard, officials warned. "Two terrorists have been killed, and we have cleared the second floor...
