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High School Outcasts Rule the World

So let's stop treating them like misfits: Alexandra Robbins

(Newser) - High school graduation feels more like the end of a prison sentence for far too many students, writes author Alexandra Robbins in the Los Angeles Times . But here's some solace for the outcasts: "The differences that cause a student to be excluded in high school are often the... More »

Believe It or Not, America Fell Out of Love With Reagan

Kornacki: Conservative whitewashing obscures Gipper's real legacy

(Newser) - Republicans sometimes bristle at the comparisons between Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama because of their midterm troubles. A favorite conservative theme about Reagan is that the "love fest" between him and the American people continued during and after his presidency, writes Steve Kornacki at Salon , who singles out this... More »

Half of 6-Year-Old Brit Girls Wish They Were Skinnier

In study, 50% would like to be 3 sizes skinnier for popularity

(Newser) - Half of the 6-year-old girls in Britain would like to be a lot skinnier than they are. That’s the conclusion of a Cambridge study that asked the pint-size participants to choose an ideal body from digitally altered photographs of themselves. Fifty percent went with the skinniest image, which was... More »

Facebook Tops Yahoo as Web's No. 2 Site

Social network and search giant switched spots over New Year's

(Newser) - Facebook has felled another Internet giant, surpassing Yahoo in January to become the second most visited website in the US. In December, Facebook had 132.1 million unique visitors to Yahoo’s 133.4 million. But last month the tables were turned, Mashable reports, with Facebook garnering 133.6 million... More »

Animal Collective's Rise Is Well Deserved

They brilliantly mix 'accessible' and 'avant-garde'

(Newser) - The rise of Animal Collective in 2009 is often attributed to concessions to accessibility, Jonah Weiner writes. “Going by the blurbs alone, you might assume that, in a few years, Animal Collective will complete its career-long metamorphosis into ABBA.” But that’s just not the case. The quirky... More »

World Thinks Better of US With Obama at Helm: Poll

(Newser) - President Obama’s election has increased America’s standing in the world, new polling shows. Global attitudes toward the US have been bolstered by Obama’s election to levels not seen since the Clinton administration, the New York Times reports. In Indonesia, for instance, where the president spent part of... More »

Mouthy Cheney Gains Popularity: Poll

He and Bush more popular now than when leaving office

(Newser) - A new poll shows that Dick Cheney, currently making headlines for his stance on torture, is gaining popularity. 37% of those polled by CNN hold a favorable opinion of the former vice president, up 8% from when he left office; 55% still view him unfavorably. Former president Bush, who’s... More »

US Wild About Obama's 100 Days

President enjoying 'Reagan-like' levels of popularity as early milestone is reached

(Newser) - Today marks President Obama's hundredth day in the job and he's more popular than his two immediate predecessors were at this point, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. Over half of those polled said Obama is off to a good—or great—start, 61% approve of the job he... More »

Economy Saps Sarkozy's Approval Ratings

'Action-man president' looks powerless on crisis

(Newser) - Nicolas Sarkozy should be well positioned to gain political capital from the global recession, having warned against capitalist excess years before the crisis quashed pro- deregulation argument. But the French president’s approval rating keeps dropping, the Economist reports. It fell another 2% in April, to 36%. As the crisis... More »

Michelle Is Even More Popular Than Hubby

Her transformation is 'remarkable:' Smith

(Newser) - Americans like Michelle Obama even more than they like her husband, a new Gallup poll shows. Nearly three-quarters view her favorably, compared to 69% for the president. And while Barack's ratings have fluctuated, the first lady's keep rising. "Her transformation in the public eye is one of David Axelrod's... More »

Hillary Reprises Star Role in Her Third Act

First lady, senator duties prepared her well for State job

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton showed off her "substantive and unspectacular" side on her trip to the Middle East this week, writes David S. Cloud in Politico. Hearkening back to her early days in the Senate, she impressed colleagues by chipping away at details, figuring out how to play her new role.... More »

Obama's Popularity Still Strong

(Newser) - The economy is sinking, but President Obama's popularity is rock solid, the Wall Street Journal reports. A new poll by NBC and the Journal puts his approval rating at 60%, even though 70% of Americans are dissatisfied with the economy. What's more, the number of Americans who say the nation... More »

Wallflower or Life of the Party? It's in Your Genes

Study of twins finds genetic link to social position

(Newser) - Whether a person becomes a wallflower or social butterfly and what group of friends they develop is apparently significantly affected by their genes, National Geographic reports. Scientists examined social groupings of more than 1,000 pairs of teenage twins and discovered that identical twins, who share the same genes, were... More »

Facebook Nation Now Counts 150M, and Going Strong

Growth outside US could put networking site at 200M by spring

(Newser) - John McCain and the iPhone may be so 2008, but Facebook is going strong. The networking site now claims 150 million users, just four months after surpassing 100 million. At this rate, CEO Mark Zuckerberg will have a delightful 25th-birthday gift this spring: 200 million users. Most new members live... More »

Clinton Would Stomp Palin in Prez Race: Poll

Hillary scores 2-1 over Palin among women voters

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton would make moose meat of Sarah Palin in a head-to-head election battle to be president, according to a new poll among women voters. In a theoretical 2012 faceoff,  women voters said they would back Hilary 61% to Palin's 27%, reports the New York Daily News. Clinton is... More »

One Place Stalin Can Win a Popularity Contest? Russia

Some may have tampered with web ballot, but brutal leader in Kremlin's top 12

(Newser) - An effort to celebrate Russian nationalism has turned up an uncomfortable number of votes for Josef Stalin, the Wall Street Journal reports. The dictator blamed for the deaths of millions of Russians often led during 3 months of Internet balloting for the nation’s top historical figure, but was pushed... More »

'I'm Left of Nic,' Carla Confesses

Still, 'I'd vote for him,' she gushes

(Newser) - They may look like an always-happy couple, but France's First Lady Carla Bruni has confessed she doesn't agree with husband Nicolas Sarkozy's right-wing politics. She's not alone. Just a year after his election, polls have shown Sarkozy is the most unpopular president in six decades, reports the Daily Telegraph. "... More »

Rivals Don't Hide Scorn for Mitt

Dislike is palpable in competing GOP campaigns

(Newser) - If the primary season were a popularity contest, Mitt Romney would have retired long ago. He’s the least liked among the Republican presidential candidates, fielding ugly insults from rivals angry about perceived attack ads, policy pandering, and endlessly deep pockets. The New York Times was unsurprised that unloved Romney... More »

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