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December 2, 2008 10:05:08 PM CST


big gifts

big gifts news stories

9 Stories

Just in Time for
Holidays: No Job

Families struggle to save traditions on Tiny Tim budgets

(Newser) - Few things ruin the holidays like losing a job. Yet that's what's happening to thousands of Americans just as they were planning to treat friends and families to gifts and holiday gatherings. The turnaround is excruciating as families struggle to save traditions on extremely tight budgets, reports the New York Times . Lavish feasts are being transformed into potluck get-togethers, and parents are turning to churches and synagogues for gifts for their children. More »

More about:  Financial Crisis Christmas holiday gifts big gifts school holidays holiday depression chanukah Hanukkah

UPDATED

Stevens Pleads Not Guilty

Judge sets pre-Election Day trial date, but defers ruling on venue change to Alaska

(Newser) - Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens pleaded not guilty today in federal court in Washington to seven counts of corruption, the Anchorage Daily News reports. At his lawyers' request, the judge set a tentative trial date of Sept. 24, more than 5 weeks before the Nov. 4 general election. He'll rule on the defense team's request to move the trial to Alaska on Aug. 19. More »

More about:  Congress Senate Alaska corruption Ted Stevens big gifts

 Cruises Welcome Kidman's Kid  

Baby gifts include Hermes goods

(Newser) - Tom Cruise’s clan sent a huge baby gift basket to his ex-wife Nicole Kidman in celebration of the birth of her daughter Sunday Rose, People reports. Contrary to reports that Cruise filled Kidman's Nashville hospital room with flowers, he and his brood—including their two kids together—sent the tot luxury chenille blankets and items from the Hermes baby line. More »

More about:  celebrity parents Tom Cruise babies Nicole Kidman Katie Holmes big gifts Keith Urban

All I Want for Xmas is a
$1.6M Concert 

Private Kirov Orchestra show tops new Neiman Marcus gift catalogue

(Newser) - A $1.6 million concert by the Kirov Orchestra is just one eye-popping highlight of Neiman Marcus' brand new Christmas catalogue, which is chock full of super-extravagant gifts most of us can only salivate over. The private concert for 500 includes a Steinway Concert Grand piano autographed by the musicians. If that's too-too for some, they can opt for the relative bargain $73,000 cell phone featuring white and pink diamonds set in gold. More »

More about:  Christmas shopping robot artificial intelligence big gifts Neiman Marcus

UC Berkeley Gets $113M to Corral Profs

Gift will slow loss of good teachers to richer, private schools

(Newser) - UC Berkeley will announce a $113 million gift today, which the school will use to create 100 new endowed chairs—hopefully slowing the emigration of professors to the juicier paychecks offered by private universities. The gift is unusual in that it will go straight to ordinary activities rather than building a new building or program. More »

More about:  California education college higher education professor UC Berkeley big gifts teaching

Michael Moore Saves, Exploits His Enemy

The director cuts a check for rival's medical expenses, uses in film

(Newser) - The man behind an anti-Michael Moore website found himself on the right end of his target’s checkbook after the documentarian dropped 12K to cover the blogger's uninsured wife's medical expenses. Jim Kenefick received the anonymous gift after seeking help from visitors to Moorewatch.com, which aims to expose Moore's "deceptions and half-truths."  More »

More about:  health insurance documentary film director Michael Moore big gifts Sicko

$100 Million Here, $100 Million There...

U of I gets second huge gift in as many days to Illinois universities

(Newser) - And, as Illinois' late Senator Everett Dirksen once said, you are talking about real money. Tom Siebel, University of Illinois graduate and founder of Siebel Systems, a customer management relationship software firm, pledged $100 million in his will to the U of I. More »

(Newser) - An anonymous donor has pledged the largest gift ever—$100 million—to the University of Chicago. The gift's purpose is to eliminate student loans for undergraduates from low-income families. The donor came from a family of modest means and has, quite obviously, done well for himself . The university identified the donor only as a man.  More »

More about:  Chicago donation University of Chicago student loans big gifts

(Newser) - Raymond and Kathryn Eckstein donated $51 million to build Marquette University a new law school.  The gift is the single largest gift to a Wisconsin educational institution, topping the $50 million John Morgridge and his wife gave to the University of Wisconsin. More »

More about:  Wisconsin Midwest big gifts law school

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