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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: America

America stories: 60 news summaries

41 - 60 of 60 Stories | << Prev 1 2 3

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At 500, 1st 'America' Map Baffles

German monk closely mapped South America, unknown Pacific

Dec 4, 07 5:25 PM CST
(Newser) - The Library of Congress this week unveils the first map to use the name "America"—and the 500-year-old mysteries that go with it. The 1507 map by a German monk includes a surprisingly precise rendering of South America, Reuters reports, and seemingly predicts the contours of the continent's... More »

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maps • America • Library of Congress • South America • monks • Martin Waldseemuller • Amerigo Vespucci • Ptolemy • North America • Duke of Lorraine • Prince Johannes Waldburg Wolfegg • Magellan

Venezuela Calmly Goes
to Polls

Chavez seeks to end prez term limits, enact socialist reforms

Dec 2, 07 3:07 PM CST
(Newser) - Polls are orderly today as Venezuelans decide on an amendment that may make Chavez president for life, Reuters reports. Most surveys say voters are split 50/50 on the referendum, which Chavez vows will win by 10 points and usher in “21st century socialism.” Opponents say the changes, which... More »

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constitutional amendment • Venezuela • socialism • America • constitution • dictatorship • vote • Hugo Chávez • referendum • George W. Bush

Japanese Party Scrambles to Keep Boss
to Dodge Chaos

Opposition chief to quit amid deadlock mess

Nov 5, 07 2:30 AM CST
(Newser) - Members of Japan's opposition party are pleading with their leader to rethink his announced resignation, fearing the move will break up the party and hurt its chances at the polls. The head of the Democratic Party of Japan said he would resign yesterday after the party leadership resoundingly voted to... More »

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Afghanistan • Japan • Liberal Democratic Party • America • resignation • Indian Ocean • Democratic Party of Japan • refueling • Yasuo Fukuda • Ichiro Ozawa • parliament

Tiny Smart Cars Zip Toward US

Newsweek interviews president of Smart USA

Sep 19, 07 2:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - With the first Smart Car set to hit the US in January, Newsweek questions the company president on the intelligence of trying to sell a 1,750-pound vehicle in the land of bigger-is-better. Despite bad safety ratings from Consumer Reports and entrenched SUV love in the American psyche, he seems... More »

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America • Mercedes Benz • auto industry • Smart Car • David Schembri • cars

Rural America
Gets Wired

US has paid providers $1B to bring broadband to remote areas; progress is uneven

Sep 19, 07 7:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - Measured by President Bush's goal—to give every America access to broadband this year—it's not a success. But the effort to wire rural America has made impressive progress, the Economist reports. The US government has given more than $1 billion to internet providers in distant markets in an effort... More »

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Internet • broadband Internet • America • grants • rural area

America,
as Defined
by Wal-Mart

With firm grasp on US consumers, snapshot of giant's sales is a self-portrait

Sep 13, 07 4:29 PM CDT
(Newser) - Wal-Mart knows a lot about Americans, courtesy of the 208 million US consumers who shop there every year. ABC News takes a look at the superstore's sales figures and finds a portrait of the nation's changing face and taste. Some highlights: Boxers are tied with briefs; Ohio buys the most... More »

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retail • shopping • consumer • America • Americans • Wal-Mart

Midwest Jobs Take a Beating

Housing slump and
auto woes hit the region hard

Sep 10, 07 9:35 AM CDT
(Newser) - Jobs in the Midwest have taken a one-two punch from the national housing slump and the flagging Detroit auto industry, the Wall Street Journal reports. Factories that make the materials used to build new homes in high-flying markets from California to Florida are starting to downsize, following huge layoffs by... More »

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Midwest • housing market • Detroit • America • auto industry • job

Online Book Links Torture Tests to Government

'Torture bible' details studies

Sep 6, 07 11:52 AM CDT
(Newser) - A "torture bible" recently unearthed online indicates that the US government sanctioned and funded the torture of test subjects in psychological experiments in the '50s, apparently to perfect interrogation techniques, Boing Boing reports. The studies were commissioned by the government and involve methods "likely to be regarded as... More »

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torture • America • psychology • government study • interrogation • torture bible

Americans Own 30%
of World's Guns

The world's largest arsenal works out to 90 firearms per 100 people

Aug 28, 07 9:05 PM CDT
(Newser) - Americans form the biggest gun-toting posse on Earth, Reuters reports, boasting a high 90 firearms per 100 noncombatants. Other countries lag behind on a per capita basis: Yemen takes second with 61 per 100 and Finland places a surprising third with 56 for every 100 civilians. Many poor countries, like... More »

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Nigeria • America • weapon • Yemen • Small Arms Survey • gun violence • guns

Fattest States in America

Aug 27, 07 8:36 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Trust for America's Health has come out with its fourth annual report on obesity.  And the losers are:
  1. Mississippi
  2. West Virginia
  3. Alabama
More »

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obesity • health • childhood obesity • South Carolina • Arkansas • Kentucky • fat • Louisiana • weight • Michigan • Indiana • America • Alabama • Tennessee • Mississippi • Oklahoma • West Virginia

We're Still Getting Fatter

Obesity epidemic continues to spread

Aug 27, 07 6:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - Americans just keep getting fatter. Obesity rates were up in 31 states this year and declined in none, a new study by a health advocacy group finds. That brings the percentage of American adults who are either obese or overweight to 60%, Reuters reports, and the usual suspects are to... More »

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obesity • nutrition • childhood obesity • diabetes • obesity epidemic • heart disease • epidemic • America • Americans • Mississippi • stroke • health study

GAO Warns of Decline & Fall .... of America

US problems are the same that destroyed Roman Empire, chief declares

Aug 14, 07 3:42 AM CDT
(Newser) - America's dire state resembles that of the Rome just before its fall, the head of the General Accountability Office has warned in a grim new report. "Declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military, and fiscal irresponsibility," could lead to disaster here at... More »

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health care • Rome • America • modernization • morals • David Walker • GAO • Government Accountability Office • Social Security

Surrealist Simic Named Poet Laureate

15th national bard known for his dark humor and irony

Aug 2, 07 12:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - Charles Simic, a surrealist poet whose style gleams with dark imagery and ironic humor, will be named the United States' 15th poet laureate today. The 69-year-old, who replaces fellow New Hampshirite Donald Hall, has published more than 20 volumes of poetry as well as essay collections, translations and a memoir. More »

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literature • Pulitzer Prize • humor • America • Charles Simic • poet laureate • poetry • irony • creative writing • Yugoslavia • Library of Congress

America's Top Ten Diners

Don't look too far west of the Mississippi for any of them

Jun 17, 07 7:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
  1. AVALON DINER, Houston, TX
  2. BECKY'S DINER, Portland, ME
  3. BLUE BENN DINER, Bennington, VT
  4. CONNELLY'S GOODY GOODY DINER, St. Louis, MO
  5. DUTCH KITCHEN, Frackville, PA
More »

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food • travel • Texas • Vermont • list • Pennsylvania • America • Maine • diner • Missouri

Barker Tapes
His Final
'Price Is Right'

Legendary host says goodbye after 35 years of 'come on down'

Jun 7, 07 11:35 AM CDT
(Newser) - Bob Barker taped his final episode of "The Price is Right" yesterday after 35 years hosting the long-running game show. He treated it as just another day, signing off with his usual admonition to spay and neuter pets, but after the cameras stopped rolling, the 83-year-old legend thanked the... More »

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entertainment • television • Bob Barker • The Price Is Right • America • culture

Racial Generation Gap Opens

Whites are older,
minorities are younger

May 17, 07 2:54 PM CDT
(Newser) - The number of non-white Americans has passed 100 million—a third of the current population—for the first time, the Census Bureau reports, and the growing minority population is creating a new racial generation gap. Hispanics had the lowest median age at 27.4, while the median age of whites,... More »

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baby boomer • race • elderly • age • Census Bureau • children • America • minority • population • generation gap • voters • US Census • Hispanic

Al-Sadr Preaches Peace — But Not
Toward U.S.

Urges Iraqis to unite against "occupiers"

Apr 8, 07 5:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - Firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on Iraqis Sunday to stop killing each other—and join together to rid their country of Americans. On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad, he urged both Iraqi forces and insurgents to direct their fight against "the occupiers,"... More »

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Iraq • terrorism • Shiite • insurgents • Mahdi Army • America • war • Najaf • Muqtada al-Sadr

Islamic Scholars Need U.S.

Freedom fosters faith and scholarship

Apr 6, 07 4:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Iraq war may be unforgiveable, but America has given Islam a priceless gift: a haven for Muslim scholarship, says a professor at the University of Deleware. "Muslim scholars have always maintained that true happiness comes from the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge," writes M. A. Muqtedar Khan.... More »

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Iraq • education • Islam • America • school • scholarship • University of Delaware • Muslim • Iraq war

(Newser) - George Packer traveled the world from Baghdad to Malmo to Damascus to talk to the Iraqis, mostly young,  who have served the American military as interpreters, intelligence gathers and local experts.  He finds a disillusioned group of once pro-American Iraqis betrayed by mistrust, bureaucratic indifference, and outright lack... More »

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Iraq • military • America • stress • bureaucracy • troop withdrawal • US Army • PTSD

Apple:  America's Best Retailer

Steve Jobs Motto: "Ambush the Customer"

Mar 18, 07 8:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - Jerry Useem summarizes Apple’s unlikely rise as a retailer for Fortune. With sales at its New York store running a staggering $4,000 per square foot (50% higher than Tiffany’s), Apple is the best retailer in America.  More »

MORE ABOUT:
Steve Jobs • retail • United States • Apple • mac • America

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