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US News Archive for August 2007:
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Family clings to homes devastated by Katrina
Robert Green and his cousin live in two narrow trailers on the lot where his house used to be. He wants to rebuild but the $700 he got in federal grant money wouldn't buy enough cement to pour a slab. "But this is home," he says. "By hook or by crook, I will stay on Tennessee Street." full story...
CNN - August 28, 2007
Firebrand cleric calls for calm
Dozens of people are killed and hundreds wounded in clashes between Shiite militias in Karbala and Baghdad, Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was urging calm from his supporters, his spokesman said. full story...
CNN - August 28, 2007
Senator: 'I did nothing wrong'
Sen. Larry Craig said that he "overreacted and made a poor decision" in pleading guilty to disorderly conduct after his June arrest following an incident in a Minneapolis airport bathroom. full story...
CNN - August 28, 2007
The Lede Blog: Burning Man Comes Early This Year
Somebody set the festival's grand finale alight four days early. Now what?...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
The Quad Blog: Return of Steve Logan
The return of Steve Logan to college football as Boston College?s offensive coordinator will be embraced by anyone who enjoys wide-open offenses, trick plays and honest answers. Logan had the reputation of being a maverick when he was the head coach at East Carolina. He was ushered out in 2002, and the program promptly fell [...]...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Officer Is Acquitted of Charges Over Abu Ghraib
An Army officer was acquitted on all charges of mistreatment of detainees at the prison in Iraq...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
City Room: Unease About Giuliani?s 9/11 Reading
Some 9/11 family members are upset over Mayor Bloomberg's decision to invite his predecessor to the ground zero ceremony...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Poverty Rate Falls, but More Are Uninsured
The U.S. poverty rate fell in 2006, but the percentage of Americans without health insurance hit a new high, the Census Bureau said...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Horticulturalists Seek to Go Native on Interstates
In part as a frugal move at least a dozen states have increased native plantings on their highway medians...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Idaho Senator Says He Did Nothing Wrong
Senator Larry Craig?s comments came amid calls by lawmakers for an ethics committee review of his conduct...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Republicans Plan to Penalize States for Early Primaries
Republicans plan to penalize at least four states holding early primaries by refusing to seat at least half their delegates at the party?s national convention, a party official said...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Obstacles Keep Iraqi Refugees From U.S.
Despite a stepped-up commitment from the United States to take in Iraqis who are in danger because they worked for the military, few are signing up to go, officials say...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
NBC Universal Agrees to Buy Sparrowhawk Media
Sparrowhawk, the owner of the Hallmark channel, will be integrated into NBC?s global networks division, bringing in an additional 60 million subscribers...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
EarthLink to Cut 900 Jobs; Shares Rise
Shares of EarthLink climbed more than 6 percent today after the Internet service provider said it would cut about half its work force and close four offices to reduce costs...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Former Wal-Mart Executive Faces Resentencing
Thomas Coughlin, who was sentenced to home detention after pleading guilty to five counts of wire fraud and one count of filing false tax returns, got off too light, an appeals court ruled...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Former Goldman Sachs Employee Pleads Guilty
Eugene Plotkin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and eight counts of insider trading, admitting he plotted to steal more than $6.7 million...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
AT&T Prepares to Consolidate Some Ad Assignments
AT&T has placed in review its media planning and buying account as it seeks to consolidate media chores, now handled by five agencies, at one of them...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Fed Hoped Market Would Right Itself
Fed policymakers meeting in early August acknowledged that they might have to act to ease a credit crunch, even as they hoped for '?a return to more normal market conditions?' without an intervention...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Dow Falls 280 Points on Economic Concerns
There did not appear to be a single catalyst for the drop, but several problematic readings were bruising to investor confidence...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Tennis: Djokovic eases through
Novak Djokovic opens his US Open campaign with a crushing 6-2 6-1 6-3 win over Dutchman Robin Haase...
BBC News - August 28, 2007
US senator in lewd conduct furore
A US senator says he was wrong to plead guilty to disorderly conduct after being arrested in a men's toilet...
BBC News - August 28, 2007
Boeing 737s inspected after fire
The US federal Aviation Authority orders an inspection of the wing slats on newer Boeing 737s...
BBC News - August 28, 2007
Colorful village rises for New Orleans musicians
Standing outside his new mint-green house, Fredy Omar hears the rumble of construction trucks, the buzz of drills and the thud of hammers. It's all an overture for something far sweeter -- the sound of music. full story...
CNN - August 28, 2007
Taliban to release Korean hostages
South Korean negotiators in Afghanistan have reached a deal with Taliban militants holding 19 South Korean Christian aid workers for over a month, a presidential spokesman in Seoul said Tuesday. full story...
CNN - August 28, 2007
Wheels: Inside a Citroën Museum of Sorts
The Citroën Conservatoire is a private museum of sorts. Tucked into the side of the Citroën headquarters outside of Paris, the Conservatoire houses nearly every Citroën ever built -- and even some that weren't...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
City Room: Zombie Apocalypse on a Synagogue
The “Resident Evil: Extinction” billboard. Enlarge this image. (Photo: David W. Dunlap/The New York Times) The giant words seem jarring on the wall of a synagogue — “Resident Evil: Extinction” — and, indeed, they have stopped pedestrians in their tracks along West 34th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. The sign on the side of Congregation Beth [...]...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Math and Reading SAT Scores Drop
The slight declines occurred as the number of high school students taking the standardized exam grew larger...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
The Lede: Portland Water Bureau Names Names
Taking the vandal by the horns and public shaming him...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Big Decline in U.S. Poverty Rate
The Census Bureau reported today that 36.5 million Americans, or 12.3 percent, were living in poverty last year, down from 12.6 percent in 2005...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Split Verdict in Abu Ghraib Case
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) -- A military court Tuesday acquitted an Army officer of failing to control U.S. soldiers who abused detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, but it found him guilty of disobeying an order not to discuss the abuse investigation...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Iraq Orders Pilgrims to Leave After Violence
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Police ordered a curfew Tuesday in Shiite holy city of Karbala and told more than 1 million pilgrims to leave after two days of violence claimed at least 27 lives during a religious festival. More than 100 people were wounded...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Religious Candidate Wins Turkish Presidency
Abdullah Gul prevailed today in a parliamentary vote in a fundamental reversal of Turkey?s political hierarchy...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Arby?s Owner in Confidentiality Agreement With Wendy?s
The billionaire investor Nelson Peltz has said his company, Triarc Cos., which owns Arby?s, would be a natural buyer for Wendy?s...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Stocks Retreat Ahead of Fed Minutes
The Dow Jones industrials dropped more than 140 points as investors awaited minutes from the Fed?s last meeting that could provide insight into whether it may cut rates...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Consumer Confidence Down in August
Consumer confidence weakened in August as volatile financial markets and housing problems took a toll, a private research group said...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Home Depot Sells Supply Business
A consortium of private equity firms agreed to pay $8.5 billion, nearly $2 billion less than the original agreement...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Market jitters hit US confidence
Market turbulence hit consumer confidence in the US in August, according to a survey...
BBC News - August 28, 2007
UK conman admits to US visa fraud
A Norfolk businessman faces up to ten years in a US jail after pleading guilty to forging the US visa applications of British families...
BBC News - August 28, 2007
Most weapons 'in civilian hands'
A survey says three-quarters of the world's small firearms are in the hands of civilians, more than thought...
BBC News - August 28, 2007
Afghan bomber kills Nato troops
Three Nato soldiers are killed in a suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan, the alliance says...
BBC News - August 28, 2007
Cuba custody case before US court
A Cuban girl is at the centre of a custody case in Florida, evoking echoes of the battle over Elian Gonzales...
BBC News - August 28, 2007
US officer cleared of Iraq abuse
A US Army officer is cleared of abuse charges at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison but found guilty of disobeying an order...
BBC News - August 28, 2007
3 Disciplined Over Fatal Fire at Bank Tower
Three senior fire officers were relieved of their posts for failing to inspect the building or planning for a fire there...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Gonzales, Loyal to Bush, Held Firm on War Policies
Time and again, Alberto R. Gonzales returned to the theme that in wartime the president has broad powers to protect the country...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
News Analysis: Departures Offer Chance for a Fresh Start as Term Ebbs
For President Bush, the back-to-back resignations of two longtime aides amount to a political housecleaning for his last months in office...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Gang politics 'over' in Jamaica
Jamaica's political ombudsman says campaigning for next Monday's poll has been the most peaceful on record...
BBC News - August 28, 2007
Who's next? The name-dropping game begins
It happens when any high-level White House official resigns -- political observers and Washington reporters go into overdrive about possible replacements. The scenario played out soon after Alberto Gonzales announced he was stepping down as attorney general. full story...
CNN - August 28, 2007
Senator, Arrested at Airport, Pleads Guilty
Senator Larry E. Craig of Idaho pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after making what a police officer described as sexual advances from an adjoining stall...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Awaiting Sentence, Vick Speaks of Mistakes
In the statement of facts that accompanied the agreement, Michael Vick admitted to financing the dogfighting operation and to being complicit in the killing of six to eight dogs that underperformed...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Attorney General Held Firm on War Policies
Time and again, Alberto Gonzalez returned to the theme that in a time of war the president has broad powers to protect the country...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
A Defender of Bush?s Power, Gonzales Resigns
The embattled attorney general offered no clear explanation of the reasons for his departure or its timing...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
3 Disciplined Over Fatal Manhattan Fire at Bank Tower
Three senior fire officers were relieved of their posts for failing to inspect the contaminated Deutsche Bank building or developing a plan for fighting a fire there...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Sports Business: A FedEx Cup Prize Well Worth the Wait
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson whined a bit recently that the winner?s prize for the four-tournament FedEx Cup playoff will be inaccessible until the victor is at least 45...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Nonprofit Payday Loans? Yes, to Mixed Reviews
Nonprofit groups are stepping into an industry that has been widely criticized as predatory but that has reached as many as one in 20 Americans...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Wealthy Get Extra Shield for Wildfires
The insurance company AIG is spraying a fire retardant goop on expensive homes threatened by wildfires in Idaho...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Egypt: Order Goes to Airbus
Airbus won a contract from EgyptAir for five 330-200s, a deal valued at $881 million at list prices. The order from the expanding Egyptian carrier includes options for an additional three planes, Airbus said. EgyptAir, the state-owned airline based in Cairo, said in a preliminary announcement Aug. 15 that two A330-200F planes to be used for training were part of the order, which will bring to 12 the number of A330-200s in EgyptAir?s fleet. Airbus is based in Toulouse, France...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
China: Insurer?s Profit Doubles
The China Life Insurance Company, the country?s largest life insurer, said its first-half profit had more than doubled, topping forecasts. It was helped by investment gains in a strong stock market and rising premiums in the fast-growing Chinese economy. China Life said it earned 23.29 billion yuan ($3.08 billion) in the first half, compared with 8.97 billion yuan in the period a year earlier. China Life?s net investment income more than doubled, to 24 billion yuan, from a year earlier. Its gross written premiums and policy fees rose 17 percent, to 63.7 billion yuan, in the first half...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Courts Allow Mittal-Arcelor Deal
Courts in the Netherlands and France refused to grant injunctions seeking to block the Mittal Steel Company?s proposed $41 billion acquisition of a rival steel maker, Arcelor. Legal actions in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by three hedge funds and in Paris by an activist shareholder were rejected by judges, removing obstacles to the creation of what would be the world?s largest steel maker, measured by sales. The steel companies already call themselves ArcelorMittal...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Japan: Bank Noted a Credit Risk
Many members of the Bank of Japan policy board agreed in early July that there was uncertainty in the outlook for adjustments in the American housing markets because of subprime mortgage problems, minutes of the central bank?s meeting of July 11-12 showed. Some members said it was not highly likely that the subprime loan problems would severely affect credit markets, the minutes showed, but if that were to happen, there was a ?possibility that global financial and economic conditions could be badly affected.? The nine-member board agreed by an 8-1 vote to keep the overnight call rate target at 0.50 percent. The policy makers maintained the view that the United States economy would probably achieve a soft landing toward the end of the year...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Switzerland: Abb to Sell Plant
ABB, the Swiss engineering company, will sell an oil and gas production plant, Lummus Global, to the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company for $950 million, ABB said. The buyout, subject to approval by regulators and Chicago Bridge shareholders, is expected to close in the fourth quarter, ABB said. ABB?s chief executive, Fred Kindle, said the sale was the final step in his company?s strategy to focus on power and automation technology. Lummus Global provides proprietary process technologies, project management, engineering and procurement services to the oil and gas industry. It has 2,400 employees and reported sales of $988 million last year. Chicago Bridge is based in the Netherlands...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Stocks & Bonds: ?A Normal Down Day? on Weak Home Sales
Wall Street lost momentum from last week?s gains after news of declining existing home sales stirred concerns about the strength of the economy...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
On The Road: Best Choices to Be Stranded: Syracuse, Albany, Pepperoni
The crew of a Delta flight that had been diverted to Syracuse to avoid thunderstorms did something novel for the inconvenienced passengers: they let them off the plane and ordered pizza for everyone...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Frequent Flier: For Dance Troupe, Travel Is a Test of Poise
For dancers in the Mark Morris Dance Group, air travel is a bitter enemy...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Perking Up Convention Halls
The competition for conventions is so strong that the big box with loading docks will no longer do...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Topps Delays Vote on Buyout Offer
The Topps Company has postponed a shareholder vote on a proposed $384.5 million buyout from a group led by Michael D. Eisner, the former Walt Disney Company chief executive, giving investors more time to consider the offer...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
U.S. Steel to Buy Canadian Company for $1.1 Billion
United States Steel will buy the Canadian steel producer Stelco for $1.1 billion, a purchase making it the world?s fifth-largest steel maker...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
2 Big Law Firms Announce Merger
Two major New York law firms announced yesterday that they had agreed to merge, creating what will be one of the nation?s largest law firms, with broad international reach...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Thornburg Pays Collateral Owed to Wachovia
Thornburg Mortgage Inc., the jumbo mortgage specialist sued by the Wachovia Corporation last week, said that it repaid the $5.1 million in collateral that was the basis of the bank?s litigation...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Advertising: New Shop Promises Results Clients Can Gauge
A new agency, called Engauge, intends to provide marketers with tangible results from campaigns and plans to grow by acquiring other agencies...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
For the Pilgrim on a Budget, the Vatican Has Air Charters
The Vatican introduced a low-cost airline that will fly Catholic pilgrims from Italy to religious destinations around the world...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Refco Trusts Sue on Behalf of Currency Clients
Trusts representing creditors of the defunct commodities broker Refco said that they had sued its legal and accounting advisers on behalf of 75 foreign exchange customers...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Kazakhs Suspend Permits for Oil Field
The move threatens to slow the development of the largest oil find in the world in three decades...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Existing-Home Sales Fall to 5-Year Low
Sales of previously owned homes fell to a five-year low in July and the glut of unsold properties climbed to the highest since 1991 as the housing slump dragged on...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Taiwan?s Acer to Acquire Gateway
Acer plans to buy the U.S. computer maker for $710 million in a deal that will push it past China?s Lenovo Group to become the world?s third largest PC vendor...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
Beijing Seeks New Scrutiny of Investments by Outsiders
Chinese lawmakers are set to pass legislation this week that would limit foreign acquisitions in China on national security grounds...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
In Volatility, Redemption for Manager
The debacle in mortgage lending that spurred wild daily swings in the markets has tripped up many hedge funds...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
News Analysis: Redone Deal Not Thought Contagious
As the credit markets tighten, some investors fret that the renegotiated deal for Home Depot?s wholesale supply unit may be an omen for other buyouts...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
In Washington, Aid to Homeowners Debated
Home foreclosures are expected to keep rising for months, and both parties in Washington are weighing a philosophical question with huge practical implications...
New York Times - August 28, 2007
'Credible' US justice chief urged
Congress seeks a successor to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales who will restore faith in the US justice system...
BBC News - August 28, 2007
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