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.
YouTube Video: 'Dad' Spanks Boyfriend for Statutory Rape
Huffington Post
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Jun 21, 2012 7:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An apparent act of vigilante justice is going viral on YouTube and sparking a debate over the proper punishment for statutory rape, Huffington Post reports. In the video, a supposed dad spanks the adult boyfriend of his young daughter for having had sex with her. "You got lucky, James," the dad says. "You could have had rape charges...
Oddly Close Alien Planets Witness Huge 'Planetrise'
Space.com
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Jun 21, 2012 6:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Two far-flung planets are orbiting the same star so closely that they can appear to each other as giant, colorful moons, Space.com reports. Spotted by the Kepler Space Telescope, a craggy "super-Earth" and a gaseous, Neptune-size world are 1,200 light-years away, but just 1.2 million miles apart, closer than any other known planets. Their...
Low-Fat Salad Dressing Won't Protect You From Disease
Daily Mail (UK)
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Jun 21, 2012 6:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
That low-fat salad dressing? Might keep you slim, but it won't help you stave off serious illnesses like cancer and heart disease, reports the Daily Mail . Researchers from Iowa State University served up salads to participants with different dressings: corn oil (for polyunsaturated fat), canola oil (for monounsaturated fat) and butter (for...
Moody's Slams BofA, Citigroup With Downgrades
New York Times
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Jun 21, 2012 5:47 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Moody's warned that the ax was coming , and today it came. The credit rating agency downgraded 15 major financial firms today in a move that is sure to hurt their bottom lines and rattle markets, the New York Times reports. Moody's knocked Credit Suisse down by three levels, Morgan Stanley by two, and left Bank of America and Citigroup...
Sandusky's Adopted Son: I Was Abused
Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pa.)
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Jun 21, 2012 5:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jerry Sandusky has a new accuser: His adopted son. Matt Sandusky told prosecutors this week that Jerry molested him, his attorney says. It's the first time Matt has made such allegations, though his biological mother testified before a grand jury last year regarding an unsettling relationship between her son and the former coach. Matt had been...
Facebook IPO Proves Need for Overhaul: Lawmakers
professional.wsj.com
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Jun 21, 2012 5:08 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Lawmakers led by Rep. Darrell Issa have penned a letter to the SEC urging an overhaul of the IPO system, saying Facebook's shaky public offering underlines the raw deal handed to small investors, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Republican House Oversight chair wrote that investment banks "dictate pricing while only indirectly considering...
Brutal Everest Fight May Inflame China and Tibet
outsideonline.com
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Jun 21, 2012 4:59 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A brutal encounter between hikers on Mount Everest could threaten the uneasy relations between China and Tibet, Outside Online reports. Last month, Tibetan graduates of a mountaineering school, working as rope fixers for expeditions, noticed a Chinese man by himself on Tibert's North Col route and concluded he had no hiking permit. So they attacked...
Uganda Bans 38 'Pro-Gay' Agencies
CNN
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Jun 21, 2012 4:35 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Uganda plans to kick out 38 nongovernmental organizations over their alleged support for gay rights, say officials there. "Some NGOs, under the pretext of providing social services, are receiving funds to promote homosexuality," its ethics minister says. "We will ask them to step aside and stop pretending to work in human rights."...
Senate Clears Huge Farm Policy Overhaul
Politico
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Jun 21, 2012 4:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Senate approved a historic farm bill today that eliminates all cash payments to producers, but invests massively in food stamps and crop insurance, Politico reports. The overall bill: $1 trillion over 10 years, which means $24 billion in savings, the New York Times says. The bill was forged by the unlikely partisan duo of newcomer Debbie...
Ignore Obama's '13-Point Lead'
fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com
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Jun 21, 2012 3:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Stats wiz Nate Silver has some serious doubts about Bloomberg's new poll showing President Obama with a 13-point lead over Mitt Romney. Silver's own analysis has Obama with just a slim lead over Romney, and little has changed over the past two weeks, he writes in his New York Times blog. Indeed, it's been a relatively quiet election...
Broke Army Vet Sells Medal on eBay
MyFox Washington
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Jun 21, 2012 3:40 PM CDT
(Newser) -
An out-of-work veteran has found an enterprising means of supporting his family and starting a new business: selling his Army medal. It went for $5,200 on eBay today, skyrocketing from $2,000 a few hours earlier, My Fox Washington reports. "When i saw the amount that was posted on eBay, when I saw that it was $2,000, it was just, it was overwhelming,"...
Meredith Declines Today 's Job Offer
TMZ
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Jun 21, 2012 3:28 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Looks like NBC wanted to replace Ann Curry with the very co-host Curry replaced. Meredith Vieira reportedly turned down the network's offer of her old job back; she simply "wasn't interested," according to TMZ . The celebrity gossip source notes that ratings weren't the only reason for Curry's departure: Matt Lauer said...
Iran Reports 'Massive Cyber Attack'
Reuters
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Jun 21, 2012 2:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Iran says it sniffed out and prevented a fresh "massive cyber attack" against its nuclear facilities—and it's not being shy about who it suspects is behind it. "Based on obtained information, America and the Zionist regime along with the MI6 planned an operation to launch a massive cyber attack against Iran's facilities,"...
Don't Be Duped By Privatization Proponents
New York Times
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Jun 21, 2012 2:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
There's been a lot of talk about the benefits of privatization lately—particularly from Mitt Romney, who has appeared sympathetic to those who'd privatize Medicare, veterans' health care, and even public schools, via vouchers. "Birds do it. Bees do it. Even Harvard PhD’s do it," quips Gail Collins in the New York...
Chinese Gangs Making ... Fake Italian Train Tickets?
ABC News
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Jun 21, 2012 2:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Italian cops have seized phony train tickets worth a massive $35 million, but the forger of the "Leonardo Express" tickets didn't have the skills of the Rome airport train's namesake. The tickets, found in a shipping container from China, were paler than the genuine article and the numbers were printed in a different font, ABC reports....
Atlanta Jail to Inmates: Bust Through Locks, Win Food
Associated Press
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Jun 21, 2012 1:52 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The locks at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta have one small problem: The inmates can pretty much jam them and open them at will. "They just don't serve the purpose anymore of security," chief jailer Mark Adger tells WSBTV . So he's testing a replacement—and asking the inmates themselves to make sure they work.
Heart Attack Side Effect: PTSD
WebMD
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Jun 21, 2012 1:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Having a heart attack can leave you pretty messed up in the head, and being messed up in the head may actually make you more likely to have another heart attack, a new study suggests. By surveying 24 earlier studies, researchers found that roughly one out of every eight patients with some form of acute coronary syndrome winds up suffering from PTSD,...
Web's Gift to Bullied Bus Monitor: $260K
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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Jun 21, 2012 1:34 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Karen Klein had to put up with a shocking amount of bullying from students on the school bus where she works as a monitor—but thanks to the power of the Internet, her story has a happy ending. A 10-minute video of Klein being bullied to the point of tears went viral this week, though it's hard to get through even one minute of it as kids...
Louisiana Sex Offenders Must Say So on Facebook
edition.cnn.com
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Jun 21, 2012 1:22 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Louisiana sex offenders are getting a status update on Facebook—whether they like it or not. A new law that will go into effect Aug. 1 requires the state's sex offenders and child predators to identify themselves as such on social networks. It's the first such law in the US, says the state representative who championed the bill. "I...
LinkedIn Hit With $5M Suit Over Hack
Reuters
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Jun 21, 2012 1:07 PM CDT
(Newser) -
LinkedIn's security breach —the one in which some 6 million passwords were stolen and posted online—is about to get more problematic for the company. An Illinois woman has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the networking site, and is seeking class-action status for it, Reuters reports. LinkedIn "deceived customers" by...
Sandusky's Fate Now in Jury's Hands
USA Today
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Jun 21, 2012 12:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Jerry Sandusky's fate is now in the jury's hands. In his closing argument, defense attorney Joe Amendola attempted to discredit the first alleged victim who came forward, claiming that Victim 1's lawyer is after money and that he and investigators prompted the alleged victim to come forward with more damning testimony. "Hundreds of...
Rielle Hunter: I Am With John
People
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Jun 21, 2012 12:36 PM CDT
(Newser) -
If all the teases of Rielle Hunter's soon-to-be-released memoir had you just salivating to know whether she and John Edwards are still an item, here's your answer: yes. "We're still together as a couple," she tells People , although she's vague on where the relationship is headed: "Marriage? Have no idea. I'm...
Military Plane Slams Into Jakarta Homes
Associated Press
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Jun 21, 2012 12:21 PM CDT
(AP) -
An Indonesian air force plane slammed into a military housing complex and ignited a huge fireball today while trying to land in Jakarta, killing all seven people aboard as well as two toddlers and their nanny in a home. The pilot, co-pilot, and five trainees aboard the Fokker F-27 were on a routine training flight when it crashed into houses in a neighborhood...
Syrian Pilot Defects With Plane
Reuters
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Jun 21, 2012 11:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Syrian fighter pilot deserted today—and he took his jet with him. A pilot identified as Colonel Hassan Hamada, 44, went AWOL during a training mission near the Jordanian border today, then landed in Jordan and requested political asylum, Reuters reports. His motives aren't terribly mysterious: His hometown of Kfar Takharim has been under...
Incumbent Ads Avoid 'C' Word
Washington Post
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Jun 21, 2012 11:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Lawmakers running for reelection this year have been carefully avoiding some loaded words—like "Congress," "representative," and "senator," the Washington Post observes. With Congress' approval rating standing at just 17% (hey, it's been worse ), lawmakers are eager to distance themselves from the body....
Photograph Could Lead to Porn Charge for Ai Weiwei
Reuters
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Jun 21, 2012 11:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Ai Weiwei is free—sort of—but his problems could just be beginning. China lifted the strident conditions of the artist's bail today, allowing him to leave his home without alerting police for the first time in a year. But police also told him that he is suspected of other crimes, including porn, bigamy, and illegally exchanging foreign...
Eating Disorders Plague Older Women, Too
USA Today
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Jun 21, 2012 11:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
It's commonly believed that eating disorders "end at age 25," says an expert—but new research shows that's far from the case. Indeed, some 13.3% of women 50 and older reported battling symptoms of such disorders. It's an issue "all doctors need to be aware of regardless of a women's age," says the lead author...
Behind Kim Kardashian's Sex Tape ... Her Mom?
TMZ
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Jun 21, 2012 10:51 AM CDT
(Newser) -
We all know that Kris Jenner, mom to the Kardashian Klan, cares more about her children's well-being than, say, their level of fame, right? So it's a bit shocking to hear that Kris Humphries, destined to forever be known as the ever-so-brief spouse of Kim Kardashian, claims Jenner actually told Kim to make the infamous sex tape that skyrocketed...
Bryson Resigns After Seizure, Car Accidents
Politico
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Jun 21, 2012 10:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
After taking a leave of absence earlier this month after a seizure and a series of car accidents , Commerce Secretary John Bryson is stepping down, Politico reports. He informed the department's employees today in a letter obtained by the Wall Street Journal , and said he has submitted his resignation to President Obama. "I have come...
Mom Had to Choose Who to Try to Save in Christmas Fire
today.msnbc.msn.com
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Jun 21, 2012 10:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Madonna Badger woke up on Christmas to a smoke-filled room, but no alarm had gone off, she tells Today in her first public interview since the fire that killed her kids and parents. "It was the scariest silence," she says in a conversation with Matt Lauer that's as heart-wrenching as you might expect. After climbing out the window...
Supreme Court Strikes Down FCC's Profanity Policy
Associated Press
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Jun 21, 2012 10:14 AM CDT
(AP) -
The US Supreme Court has thrown out fines and sanctions against broadcasters who violated the FCC policy regulating curse words and nudity on broadcast television. The justices declined today to issue a broad ruling on the constitutionality of the FCC indecency policy. Instead, the court concluded only that broadcasters could not have known in advance...
Greece to Lenders: Give Us 2 More Years
Reuters
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Jun 21, 2012 10:14 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Greece is just a day from an all-or-nothing showdown with Germany—at least in the Euro 2012 soccer championship. In the world of international economics, however, Greece's new coalition government plans to ask for two more years to make its financial targets, reports Reuters . That would mean pushing its 2014 deadline, at which time its...
Illinois Prosecutors Won't Defend Gay Marriage Ban
Associated Press
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Jun 21, 2012 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Illinois is home to a 16-year-ban on gay marriage, and some 25 same-sex couples have been gearing up for a big court fight against it. Problem is, the defense's table is looking pretty empty. The AP reports that the state's attorney general and the Cook County state attorney are both refusing to defend the law defining marriage as between...
Depp Buys Rumored New Gal ... a Horse
Sun (UK)
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Jun 21, 2012 9:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Johnny Depp never married Vanessa Paradis, but his break-up could still cost him up to a whopping $157 million, or half his fortune, one lawyer estimates. It won't be a breeze for Paradis to claim the money—she'll need to go to court—but Depp will probably "make a lump sum payment as a settlement" to avoid costly litigation,...
US May Send Jets to Yemen
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 21, 2012 9:37 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The US military is considering sending military aircraft, vehicles, and other supplies to Yemen to help the government in its fight against terrorists. Yemen currently relies on beat-up Soviet-era helicopters and trucks, and some commanders tell the LA Times that upgrading those capabilities will allow them to capitalize on recent battlefield gains....
Northeast Broiling as Summer Begins
CNN
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Jun 21, 2012 9:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Summer started off with a bang in the Northeast yesterday, with temperatures often higher than 90 degrees up and down the East Coast. In some states, the heat index hit as high as 105 degrees, and New York City and parts of New Jersey expect that number to get higher, CNN reports. The New York Times notes that it was the city's hottest day...
Now Online: Zimmerman's Story, as Told by Zimmerman
Orlando Sun-Sentinel
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Jun 21, 2012 9:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Want to hear exactly what George Zimmerman told police the night he killed Trayvon Martin? Well now you can. Zimmerman's lawyers have posted a number of documents online , including audio and video recordings of his police interrogations. The story Zimmerman tells is a familiar one; Zimmerman says Trayvon circled his car and then assaulted...
CIA Guiding Weapons to Syrian Rebels
New York Times
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Jun 21, 2012 8:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are buying and funneling automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition, and even antitank weapons to Syrian rebels—and in the middle of that shadowy network, a small number of CIA officers are helping to coordinate who gets those weapons, reports the New York Times . The CIA has apparently had officers...
Prince William Turns 30, Gets Millions
Telegraph (UK)
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Jun 21, 2012 8:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Prince William stands to inherit the British throne someday, but for now, he'll have to make do with the nearly $16 million or so that he inherits today. This is the prince's 30th birthday and he can now get his hands on half of Princess Diana's estate, reports the Telegraph . The prince, who already has a few million of his own, is...
Explosives Found Near Sweden Nuclear Plant
Associated Press
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Jun 21, 2012 8:08 AM CDT
(AP) -
Sweden raised the security alert for the country's three nuclear power plants today after explosives were found on a truck at the southwestern Ringhals atomic power station. Police said they were investigating possible sabotage. Bomb sniffer dogs detected the explosives during a routine check yesterday afternoon by security staff while the truck...
Assad May Be Offered Clemency Deal
Guardian (UK)
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Jun 21, 2012 7:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
To end the conflict in Syria, American and British officials are considering offering Bashar al-Assad safe passage to peace talks in Geneva and a chance to avoid being prosecuted for his regime's crimes against civilians if he gives up power, according to the Guardian . "It is hard to see a negotiated solution in which one of the participants...
Romney to Florida: Hush Up on the Great Jobs News
Bloomberg
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Jun 21, 2012 7:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has been touting the Sunshine State's sunny jobs news—and the Romney campaign would like his forecast to get a little cloudier, two sources tell Bloomberg . Scott's re-election campaign recently boasted that Florida's unemployment rate dropped to 8.6% in May from 8.7% in April, giving the state 11 consecutive...
Tech Billionaire Buys Most of Hawaiian Island
CBS News
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Jun 21, 2012 7:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison has picked up a sweet vacation spot: 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai. It's not clear what he paid for the 141-square-mile isle, but it was offered for sale for up to $600 million by Castle & Cooke, a company owned by billionaire David Murdock. "We look forward to welcoming Mr. Ellison in the near future,"...
Pakistan Nominates New Prime Minister
Associated Press
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Jun 21, 2012 7:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
No sooner had Pakistan's ruling party nominated a new prime minister today than a warrant was issued for his arrest on drug trafficking charges. The PPP picked Makhdoom Shahabuddin to replace the recently ousted Yousuf Gilani, the AP reports. Shahabuddin is a longtime PPP stalwart, having held various positions in both Gilani's Cabinet...
Scores of Asylum Seekers Feared Drowned off Indonesia
Associated Press
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Jun 21, 2012 6:31 AM CDT
(AP) -
Indonesian and Australian navies launched a rescue for about 200 people on a boat that capsized earlier today south of Indonesia in an apparent attempt to reach Australia to seek asylum. Scores of people were feared drowned. The boat capsized about 120 miles north of the Australian territory of Christmas Island—and about the same distance south...
Executive Privilege a Risky Move for Obama
Washington Post
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Jun 21, 2012 6:30 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama's decision to invoke executive privilege for the first time in his administration is a bold but risky move in an election year, pundits say. Here's a look at what he's up against now: Most administrations assert executive privilege at some point, but Obama has started what will probably be a long, embarrassing, and...
Starbucks to Open Tea-Only Shop
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 21, 2012 6:17 AM CDT
(Newser) -
No wonder Starbucks ditched the words on its logo last year. The coffee behemoth is continuing to move beyond java with the opening of its first tea-only shop this fall in Seattle, reports the Seattle Times . The announcement comes just three months after it opened its first juice bar , called Evolution Fresh. The tea shop will be called Tazo,...
Police Chief Axed Over Trayvon Case
MyFox Orlando
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Jun 21, 2012 3:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The police chief whose officers failed to arrest George Zimmerman after the Trayvon Martin shooting has been fired. Bill Lee, who stepped down temporarily three months ago amid fierce criticism of his handling of the case, was dismissed by Sanford's city manager, reports the Orlando Sentinel . "I have determined the police chief needs...
Egypt Delays Election Result
CNN
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Jun 21, 2012 2:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Egypt's election authority is delaying releasing the results of the presidential election—probably for "a day or two"—while it investigates hundreds of complaints of electoral violations made by rival candidates Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq. Muslim Brotherhood candidate Morsi, and Shafiq, ousted leader Hosni Mubarak's...
Matt Groening Ends Life in Hell
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 21, 2012 2:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Matt Groening has decided to pull the plug on acclaimed comic strip Life in Hell , 34 years after he started it and many years after its anthropomorphic rabbits and gay lovers were eclipsed by his other creations. Groening, 58, started the strip when he was a struggling artist in 1978 and kept producing it weekly even after becoming a multimillionaire,...
