Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
| Subscribe to Newser's RSS feeds RSS | Follow Newser on Twitter Twitter

NEWS ABOUT: Best of 2008

Best of 2008 stories: 33 news summaries

1 - 20 of 33 Stories | 1 2 Next >>

Switch to grid view »

OPINION

 Top Films of the Year 

Foreign films rule among the year's best

Dec 31, 08 8:30 PM CST
(Newser) - With most year-end movie lists bask in the glow of award-season contenders, Dana Stevens grudgingly runs through her unranked, alphabetized top 10 on Slate, despite being "allergic to hierarchies, lists, and ranking."
  • A Christmas Tale: A French film about a crazed family that's "a glorious
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
film • foreign film • Harvey Milk • Milk • Best of 2008 • A Christmas Tale


 This Year's 
 Fashion 
 Felonies 

From Madonna to Michella Obama, the year's big misses

Dec 31, 08 1:10 PM CST
(Newser) - Sure, we like seeing pictures of chic, perfectly styled celebrities. But the worst-dressed fashion misses are way more fun. The Los Angeles Times' Elizabeth Snead snarks on her least favorite looks of the year:
  • Sarah Jessica Parker's "fashion nut case" acorn hat at the SATC premiere
  • Janet Jackson's
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
fashion • Michelle Obama • Janet Jackson • list • celebrity • Kate Hudson • Sarah Jessica Parker • Madonna • Jennifer Love Hewitt • Katy Perry • Best of 2008

(Newser) - In the vast, fragmented online universe, videos tend to entice some and disgust others. But every year offers a list of viral vids enjoyed by all. The Washington Post runs down 2008's best:
  • Tom Cruise on Scientology: A rambling, fervent Cruise extols his religion, saying he's the "
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Internet • YouTube • Scientology • Tom Cruise • viral video • FunnyOrDie.com • Will.i.am • Joss Whedon • 2008 • Best of 2008

Bright Spots
for Tech in 2008 


Dec 29, 08 5:37 PM CST
(Newser) - 2008 wasn’t a great year for tech or the economy, but some gadget-makers did invest in innovation, the San Jose Mercury News reports. Areas where tech made more than token gains:
  • Digital cameras grow up: Not only are consumer cameras getting sharper, but some professional models can
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
social networking • iPhone • Facebook • digital camera • gaming • Netflix • streaming media • iPhone applications • Best of 2008

 Year's Top 10 
 Moments of 
 Celeb Activism 

Oprah, Paris, Will.i.am make a difference

Dec 29, 08 11:50 AM CST
(Newser) - It’s been a big year for celebrity activism—so big that it deserves its own year-end top 10 list, Tina Daunt writes in the Los Angeles Times. Some famous faces that made a difference in 2008:
  • Oprah Winfrey fought hard for Barack Obama, including hosting a traffic-stopping garden
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Don Cheadle • Ron Burkle • Paris Hilton • Oprah Winfrey • Matt Damon • political activism • activist • Sarah Silverman • George Clooney • Will.i.am • Proposition 8 • Norman Lear • Best of 2008

 Best Political Scoops of '08 


Dec 27, 08 9:19 PM CST
(Newser) - Traditional media outlets and on-the-spot amateurs alike captured the year's biggest US political moments. Here is Politico's look at some of the biggest scoops:
  • Palin meets Couric: Interviewed by Katie Couric on CBS, Sarah Palin fumbled with softball questions such as which publications she reads. Democrats and Tina Fey
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • John McCain • Election 2008 • political scandal • Sarah Palin • Best of 2008

OPINION

 Best Sports Stories of 2008 

Evil Bill, golden Michael, ailing Tiger, and hapless Lions held our fascination

Dec 26, 08 3:02 PM CST
(Newser) - Every fan has favorite storylines from the year in sports, but a few were universally intriguing, Reid Cherner and Tom Weir write in USA Today:
  1. Michael Phelps' eight golds in the 08/08/08 Olympics gave America a reason to root.
  2. Our favorite hoodied villain, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, finally
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Michael Phelps • Tiger Woods • Roger Clemens • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Bill Belichick • Mitchell Report • Super Bowl XLII • Big Brown • Eight Belles • Best of 2008 • US Open Golf

OPINION

 Best Overlooked Albums of '08 

Catfish Haven and El Perro Del Mar in top 10

Dec 26, 08 2:15 PM CST
(Newser) - Catfish Haven's Devastator tops Spin's year-end list of overlooked albums. George Hunter's "old-soul blues exposes other rock'n'roll kings as pretenders to the crown." The top 10:
  1. Catfish Haven, Devastator: Hunter's voice is "a husky amalgam of Joe Cocker's world-weary croon and Bill Medley's baritone bombast."
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
music • Brazil • rock and roll • blues • album • Best of 2008 • El Perro Del Mar

OPINION

 2008's 
 Hottest 
 Ladies 

Fox News names the best bods

Dec 26, 08 12:02 PM CST
(Newser) - You didn't think Fox News would forget about the ladies, did you? Here's a sample of its choices for hottest bods of 2008:
  • Karolina Kurkova: She has no bellybutton, "but that didn't stop magazines from Photoshopping one on her for their photo spreads."
  • Angelina Jolie:
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Angelina Jolie • Lindsay Lohan • Tina Fey • celebrity • hot • Jennifer Aniston • sexy • The Girls Next Door • Kendra Wilkinson • Holly Madison • Bridget Marquardt • Karolina Kurkova • Best of 2008

OPINION

 2008's Hunkiest Guys 

Jackman, Beckham ... and Obama highlight Fox list

Dec 26, 08 11:44 AM CST
(Newser) - Fox News has a holiday gift for everyone: The hottest men of 2008. Here's a sample:
  • Barack Obama: "Slated to become the president with the meanest six-pack in history."
  • David Beckham: "Wow. We want to say something but just ... wow."
  • Brad Pitt: "
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Brad Pitt • celebrity • hot • David Beckham • Zac Efron • Christian Bale • sexy • Hugh Jackman • Best of 2008

OPINION

 Top New Phrases of 2008 

Schott compiles list of 2008's most memorable neologisms

Dec 26, 08 10:55 AM CST
(Newser) - 2008 will be remembered not only for a historic election and financial gyrations, but for the words and phrases that came into use this year. Ben Schott, author of Schott's Almanac, lists some of 2008's most interesting neologisms in the London Times.
  • Terrorist fist jab: A blunt Fox News-ism
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • vocabulary • Carla Bruni • 2008 • zero percent • Best of 2008

GLOSSIES

 2008 Hall of Infamy
Inductees 

A month-by-month gallery of the year's most ignominious figures

Dec 25, 08 8:21 PM CST
(Newser) - As we look back at the great people who made their mark this year, let us not forget to document the schlubby, the sneaky, and the just plain criminal. Vanity Fair has done the legwork, rounding up a month-by-month rogue's gallery. Some highlights:
  • January: Rudy Giuliani's Florida
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Rudy Giuliani • Robert Mugabe • politics • Eliot Spitzer • Carly Fiorina • Lipitor • Radovan Karadzic • Rod Blagojevich • Mark Penn • scandal • Robert Jarvik • He Kexin • Richard Fuld • Joe the Plumber • Best of 2008

OPINION

Best 2008 Movies You Probably Missed

Salon's critic's favorite flicks are an eclectic bunch

Dec 25, 08 5:18 PM CST
(Newser) - Behold: a top 10 movies list that doesn't include The Dark Knight. In a year that's hard to sum up, Stephanie Zarachek pulls together an eclectic mix of great flicks for Salon:
  • Even repeated viewings don't betray any flaws in Happy-Go-Lucky, a "luminous" tale of a London
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
movie review • critic • foreign film • movies • Best of 2008

 The Year in (Wiki) Questions

Month-by-month, WikiAnswers lists the top questions of 2008

Dec 25, 08 2:31 PM CST
(Newser) - Need a primer on 2008? TechCrunch runs down common questions from each month on WikiAnswers:
  • January: When was the last time snow fell in Baghdad?
  • February: Why did the Hollywood writers go on strike?
  • March: Why did Bear Stearns fail?
  • April: Which races has Danica Patrick won?
  • May: How
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Michael Phelps • Baghdad • Bear Stearns • Sex and the City • Hollywood writers' strike • Rod Blagojevich • bailout • Sarah Palin • Danica Patrick • wikis • Brangelina • Best of 2008

 Journal's Year in Pictures 

See the year again, for the first time

Dec 24, 08 8:55 PM CST
(Newser) - Rupert Murdoch always said he’d make the Wall Street Journal more visually interesting, and it doesn’t get much more visually interesting than the 2008 “Year in Photos” feature the paper began today. You can see many of the Journal’s selections, spanning global conflict, the financial... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Wall Street Journal • photography • photograph • photojournalism • Best of 2008

 Biggest Media Gaffes of 2008 


Dec 23, 08 7:30 PM CST
(Newser) - Politico runs down a list of some of the worst media mistakes of 2008:
  • New Hampshire primary: Just about everyone predicted Hillary would lose by double digits, ending her campaign. Not even close.
  • McCain-Iseman: The long-awaited New York Times story alleging an improper relationship between McCain and a
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
John Edwards • MSNBC • presidential primaries • media coverage • political coverage • Best of 2008

OPINION

The World's Worst Humanitarian Crises

Civil war and displacement fuel tragedies across the globe: aid group

Dec 23, 08 4:42 PM CST
(Newser) - Aid organization Doctors Without Borders has released its annual list of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Here's a sample:
  • Somalia: Increased friction between insurgents and the government unleashed some of the worst violence in a decade. One in five children there dies before turning 5.
  • Congo: Hundreds of
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Zimbabwe • Pakistan • HIV • list • humanitarian crisis • Doctors Without Borders • HIV/AIDS • Congo • Best of 2008

 Celebs' Stupidest 
 Moves of 2008 

Atlanta Journal-Constitution lists the year's worst celeb incidents

Dec 21, 08 1:07 PM CST
(Newser) - Celebrities broke new ground with their moronic bungles this year, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. And, let's face it, they're fun to watch:
  • Lil Jon: The rapper reacted to questions about his opening a winery: “I'm not like an expert, so don't ask me no questions. This is not
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Heather Mills • celebrity • Eliot Spitzer • Chad Johnson • Dr Phil • R. Kelly • Lil' Jon • Best of 2008

GLOSSIES

 10 Best Albums of 2008 

Infernal visions, playful funk, unflinching examinations top Rolling Stone list

Dec 21, 08 5:02 AM CST
(Newser) - Dear Science tops Rolling Stone's year-end best list with an album “that sounded the most like America in 2008." The top 10:
  1. TV on the Radio, Dear Science: "Infernal visions of war and economic desperation," but "amid the fear and loathing" is "defiance.
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Bob Dylan • John Mellencamp • Rolling Stone • Beck • Metallica • Lil Wayne • Coldplay • My Morning Jacket • TV on the Radio • Santogold • Vampire Weekend • Best of 2008 • Lil Wayne jail • Lil Wayne pleads guilty

GLOSSIES

 2008's Top 10 Singles 

Beyoncé heads Rolling Stone list of the year's best tunes

Dec 20, 08 3:41 AM CST
(Newser) - When it comes to belting out the single of the year, Beyoncé ran (wedding) rings around the competition, says Rolling Stone, which lists its top 10:
  1. Beyoncé, Single Ladies: "Irresistible and exuberant."
  2. Santogold, LES Artistes: "New Wave guitar hook of the year."
  3. MGMT,
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Beck • Kanye West • Beyonce • Lil Wayne • Coldplay • TI • My Morning Jacket • Estelle • MGMT • Santogold • Blitzen Trapper • Best of 2008 • Lil Wayne jail • Lil Wayne pleads guilty

1 - 20 of 33 Stories | 1 2 Next >>


from our news partners