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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: USA

USA stories: 15 news summaries
OPINION


 Thanks for 
 the Memories, 
 Bob, 'Cuz 2008 
 TV Stunk 

The golden age of TV may have died this year

Dec 28, 08 12:32 PM CST
(Newser) - Today's golden age of TV lost a little shine this year, Heather Havrilesky writes on Salon. Twelve quick months gobbled up all of the momentum and promise from years past, leaving “a haze of crappy, unoriginal new programming, lackluster sophomore shows, flaccid sitcoms and pointless cable comedies.” Old... More »

MORE ABOUT:
television • NBC • CBS • cable TV • ABC • HBO • Showtime • Fox • USA • network television

OPINION

 US Phrases That Annoy Brits 

"Happy Holidays", and "Have a nice day," irksome Americanisms

Dec 27, 08 6:50 PM CST
(Newser) - Toby Harnden must live among Yanks in his job as a correspondent for the UK's Telegraph, and sometimes American phrases drive him nuts. Here are his worst offenders:
  • Happy holidays (just say Christmas, please)
  • Have a nice day (make it stop)
  • You're welcome (this one's just "Pavlovian" to
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
United Kingdom • British • holiday • USA • American • George Bernard Shaw

US Dominance 'Fading Fast'
as Global Upheaval Looms


Report predicts increasingly unstable world future as wealth and power shift

Nov 21, 08 2:15 AM CST
(Newser) - US intelligence agencies believe the next 20 years will be the twilight of America's global dominance, the Times of London reports. A report from the National Intelligence Council paints a bleak future of an increasingly unstable world in which new powers and alliances emerge as competition for dwindling resources heats... More »

MORE ABOUT:
America • US intelligence • global economy • USA • intelligence agencies

 Monk Will Go Out on Top 

USA says quirky detective show will end after upcoming season

Nov 17, 08 1:23 PM CST
(Newser) - The news that the upcoming eighth season of Monk will be its last has fans in mourning, but the USA Network staple leaves a rich legacy, Media Life reports. Monk ushered in the era of original cable programming and has consistently scored top ratings in key demographics. Tony... More »

MORE ABOUT:
television • cable TV • comedy • Emmy Awards • USA • Tony Shalhoub • Monk • cancelled

1M New
Citizens Break
Century Record

Fee increase helps immigration service clear huge backlog

Nov 7, 08 3:49 AM CST
(Newser) - Over a million new American citizens took the oath of allegiance last year—the highest number since the government began keeping records a century ago, reports CNN. The number of people going through the naturalization process has been steadily climbing for decades. The clearing of a major 2007 backlog—along... More »

MORE ABOUT:
citizenship • Department of Homeland Security • naturalization • immigrant • USA • US citizenship

Half of America's Population Growth Now Hispanic

Baby boom among '90s immigrants behind surge in Latino population

Oct 24, 08 6:50 AM CDT
(Newser) - A Hispanic baby boom accounts for more than half of America's population growth over the last decade, the Houston Chronicle reports. A survey found 50.5% of the growth in that period was among Hispanics, even though the group currently makes up just 15% of the population. The growth is... More »

MORE ABOUT:
population • demographics • USA • Hispanic • Pew Hispanic Center • demographic trends

GLOSSIES

 The State of US Wine,
 in 50 Bottles

Can good wine be made anywhere?

Aug 29, 08 2:37 PM CDT
(Newser) - Wine snobs contend that "terroir"—soil, climate, and topography—restrict great wines to certain regions. But are they right? All 50 US states make wine, so Joel Stein sampled a bottle from each to test the claim in Time. He discovered "quite good" varietals from surprising states... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Kentucky • wine • Delaware • grapes • USA

 Study: Homeless Numbers Drop

First study to count homeless over a full year finds numbers down 15% in '07

Jul 30, 08 7:43 AM CDT
(Newser) - The number of chronically homeless Americans fell by 15% last year, a study has found. The survey is the first to track homelessness over a full year, the Los Angeles Times reports. Homeless advocates argue that the promising numbers may in part be due to different counting methods—and that... More »

MORE ABOUT:
housing • homeless • poverty • USA • housing crisis • Department of Housing and Urban Development

Petrodollars Snap Up Americana

Foreigners 'recycle' bucks with trophy buys
like Chrysler Building

Jul 10, 08 4:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - Foreign investors flush with dollars from the global commodities boom are using those greenbacks to buy flashy American properties, the New York Times reports. The government of Abu Dhabi bought a 75% stake in the Chrysler building Tuesday. Other recent "trophy" buys have included Donald Trump's Palm Beach mansion... More »

MORE ABOUT:
foreign investment • Abu Dhabi • USA • petrodollar • Chrysler Building • Abu Dhabi Investment Authority • sovereign wealth funds

 Say, That
 Star-Spangled
 Banner Is Huge! 

Gigantic flags greet sports fans nationwide

Jul 4, 08 4:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - A decades-old trend for field-sized Stars and Stripes at sporting events shows no signs of flagging, writes the New York Times. A flag big enough for the Statue of Liberty to wear as a cape will cover Yankee Stadium's turf before the upcoming all-star game—and the giant 150-foot banner... More »

MORE ABOUT:
stadium • flag • USA • patriotism

Apple Has Top Brand, World Consumers Say

But survey says Microsoft, USA need to revamp marketing

Mar 31, 08 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - Apple is the world's "most inspiring brand," as well as the one most consumers say they can't live without, according to a new survey on brand impact. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Microsoft was the brand buyers thought most in need of an overhaul—with the United States as... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Microsoft • brands • consumer • marketing • Apple • USA

 UN Pleads for $500M in Food Aid 

May cut food shipments to 73M hungry

Mar 24, 08 4:59 AM CDT
(Newser) - A United Nations food program has issued an extraordinary emergency plea for an extra $500 million in aid, warning that shipments to the world's hungry may be rationed if the money can't be raised over the next month, reports the Financial Times. The World Food Program feeds some 73 million... More »

MORE ABOUT:
United Nations • hunger • European Union • Canada • Easter • oil price • USA • World Food Program • extraordinary emergency appeal • rations

 Blair Pitches Global Climate Pact 

Warns change will be irreversible if something isn't done now

Mar 14, 08 3:44 AM CDT
(Newser) - Former British prime minister Tony Blair will seek to privately broker a new international agreement to cut carbon emissions by 50% before 2050 that would include China, India and the US, reports the Guardian. Blair has been working on the project with climate change experts since he left office last... More »

MORE ABOUT:
China • climate change • Tony Blair • India • global warming • G8 summit • Yasuo Fukuda • USA • Kyoto treaty • G20 • Climate Change Group • industrialized nations • carbon emissions

OPINION

Only Obama
Can Rescue
US 'Brand'

The Nike of the field draws praise from marketing experts

Mar 3, 08 3:40 PM CST
(Newser) - Hillary Clinton is the sturdy candidate resembling Microsoft, John McCain evokes Hummer, and Mike Huckabee’s the Applebee’s of the field, but only Barack Obama "has the secret sauce that Brand America needs to regain its appeal." media consultant Jeff Yang writes in Salon. Yang is part... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • John McCain • advertising • Apple • Mike Huckabee • Nike • USA • American dream

The Arctic Is Ours: Kremlin

Russia claims polar mineral wealth

Sep 21, 07 2:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - In the latest audacious claim by Russia, the nation is insisting that rock samples taken 13,000 feet beneath the North Pole prove that a large part of the Arctic seabed is rightfully Russian territory. The US, Canada, Norway and Denmark also have territorial claims to the mineral-rich area that's... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Russia • United Nations • oil • global warming • gas • Canada • Arctic • Norway • Kremlin • Denmark • Lomonosov Ridge • Arctic 2007 • minerals • USA

15 Stories


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