3/13 Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

Switzerland breaks with tradition on tax evasion (AP) March 13, 2009 at 10:51 am AP - The Swiss government said Friday it would cooperate on cases of international tax evasion, breaking with a long-standing tradition of protecting wealthy foreigners accused of hiding billions of dollars in the Alpine nation. Tough task ahead to find Madoff money, co-schemers (AP) March 13, 2009 at 10:43 am AP - With Bernard Madoff behind bars, investigators have their work cut out for them identifying who else may have been involved in his nearly $65 billion scam. 10 drink windshield wiper fluid at Ark. day care (AP) March 13, 2009 at 10:31 am AP - Ten children drank windshield wiper fluid after a staffer at an Arkansas day care mistakenly put the liquid in a refrigerator and served it, hospital officials said Friday. Michelle Obama begins advocacy as first lady (AP) March 13, 2009 at 10:26 am AP - The nation owes not only gratitude but tangible assistance to the nation's military and their families, and she'll make that a focus of her time in the White House, first lady Michelle Obama says. NY accused of beheading wife pleads not guilty (AP) March 13, 2009 at 10:22 am AP - The founder of a Muslim-American television channel has pleaded not guilty to murder in the beheading of his wife. Can Marijuana Help Rescue California's Economy? (Time.com) March 13, 2009 at 10:15 am Time.com - The state legislature has received a bill that argues that legalizing marijuana could earn the budget-crunched Golden State tons of cash Troubling portrait of Alabama gunman emerges (AP) March 13, 2009 at 10:08 am AP - The investigation into the recent life of Alabama's gunman paints a troubling portrait of a depressed young man who couldn't hold a job and was a self-proclaimed survivalist who ordered instructional videos on how to commit violence. China "worried" about US Treasury holdings (AP) March 13, 2009 at 9:28 am AP - China's premier didn't say it in so many words, but the implied warning to Washington was blunt: Don't devalue the dollar through reckless spending. NAACP says bank giants steered blacks to bad loans (AP) March 13, 2009 at 9:16 am AP - The NAACP is accusing Wells Fargo and HSBC of forcing blacks into subprime mortgages while whites with identical qualifications got lower rates. Phelps talks to NBC about marijuana pipe photo (AP) March 13, 2009 at 8:22 am AP - Michael Phelps insists he's more worried about the pain he caused family, friends and fans than losing money in endorsements after he was photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe. Anna Nicole Smith's boyfriend, doctors charged (AP) March 13, 2009 at 8:17 am AP - Anna Nicole Smith's lawyer-turned-boyfriend and a doctor surrendered to face charges that they conspired to provide the Playboy Playmate with thousands of prescription pills before her 2007 fatal overdose. A second doctor also is accused. German police try to determine if they were duped (AP) March 13, 2009 at 8:02 am AP - German police worked with U.S. authorities Friday to determine if they had fallen victim to an Internet hoax as they investigate a school shooting in southern Germany that killed 15 people. Obama to get report on stimulus plan from Volcker (AP) March 13, 2009 at 7:32 am AP - President Barack Obama is getting an update on the nation's economy from former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker. Woman buys used couch and finds cat living inside (AP) March 13, 2009 at 7:27 am AP - The mysterious mewing in Vickie Mendenhall's home started about the time she bought a used couch for $27. After days of searching for the source of the noise, she found a very hungry calico cat living in her sofa. Eating a Bit Less Salt Can Be a Big Health Boon (Time.com) March 13, 2009 at 3:00 am Time.com - Americans consume way, way too much salt. Cutting just one gram a day would go a long way toward preventing heart disease and premature death, according to a new report Brazil leader takes regional clout to White House (AP) March 13, 2009 at 2:33 am AP - His meet and greet with the U.S. president was bumped to Saturday, and when the White House announced his official visit, they misspelled his name. J.Lo, Jane Fonda Facing Monster-in-Lawsuit (E! Online) March 12, 2009 at 11:10 pm E! Online - Years after battling it out for Michael Vartan's devotion in Monster-in-Law, Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda find themselves on the same side of a contentious coin. Madoff's new home: Cell the size of walk-in closet (AP) March 12, 2009 at 9:29 pm AP - Bernard Madoff's new Manhattan home is the size of a walk-in closet, with cinderblock walls, linoleum floors and a bunk bed. Breakfast will be served before sunrise, and the disgraced financier can stretch his legs outside, but only every other day — in a cage. Obama confronts Dem skepticism on economic plans (AP) March 12, 2009 at 9:29 pm AP - Confronting misgivings, even in his own party, President Barack Obama mounted a stout defense of his blueprint to overhaul the economy Thursday, declaring the national crisis is "not as bad as we think" and his plans will speed recovery. Stewart hammers Cramer on `The Daily Show' (AP) March 12, 2009 at 9:20 pm AP - Jon Stewart hammered Jim Cramer and his network, CNBC, in their anticipated face-off on "The Daily Show," repeatedly chastising the "Mad Money" host for putting entertainment above journalism. Police make 3 arrests in Neb. missing-car case (AP) March 12, 2009 at 7:55 pm AP - Police have arrested three executives from a troubled western Nebraska car dealership where 81 vehicles worth roughly $2.5 million — as well as the executives themselves — vanished in recent days. Steele 'choice' gaffe sparks GOP revolt (Politico) March 12, 2009 at 7:30 pm Politico - Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele’s series of gaffes turned into something more serious Thursday, as leaders of a pillar of the GOP—the anti-abortion movement—shifted into open revolt over comments in an interview with the men’s magazine GQ. Texas gov. rejects stimulus money for unemployment (AP) March 12, 2009 at 7:07 pm AP - Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday rejected $555 million in federal stimulus money that would expand state unemployment benefits, saying the money would have required the state to keep funding the expanded benefits after the stimulus money ran out. Perry, an outspoken critic of President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus bill, did accept most of the roughly $17 billion slated for Texas in the plan. Obama Says U.S. Can't Afford 'Bubble-and-Bust' Cycles (Bloomberg) March 12, 2009 at 5:13 pm Bloomberg - March 12 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama warned a group of chief executive officers that the U.S. can't continue with "endless cycles of bubble and bust" and must build a new foundation for future economic growth. Army fired 11 soldiers in Jan. as openly gay (AP) March 12, 2009 at 3:43 pm AP - The Army fired 11 soldiers in January for violating the military's policy that gay service members must keep their sexuality hidden, according to a Virginia congressman. Democratic Rep. Jim Moran said he has requested monthly updates from the Pentagon on the impact of the policy until it is repealed. On the Net: Mock Web sites extend sitcom gags (AP) March 12, 2009 at 3:43 pm AP - In the olden days, "555" alerted any viewer to a fake phone number in a TV show or movie. Thankfully, today, there's no equivalent for fake Web sites. Wall Street rallies on hopes of relief for banks (AP) March 12, 2009 at 3:40 pm AP - Wall Street rallied strongly for a third straight day on Thursday as hopes for relief for banks sent financial shares higher, bringing the rest of the market along with them. Obama official not a target in FBI raid: spokesperson (Reuters) March 12, 2009 at 3:34 pm Reuters - The FBI raided the former office of Obama administration official Vivek Kundra and arrested two people in a corruption probe on Thursday, but Kundra is not a target of the investigation, a spokeswoman for Washington's mayor said. GOP's Steele clarifies his opposition to abortion (AP) March 12, 2009 at 3:32 pm AP - GOP national chairman Michael Steele said Thursday that he's opposed to abortion and that Roe v. Wade should be repealed, commenting a day after a magazine quoted him as saying abortion was "an individual choice." Steele clarified his stance in a written statement after online publication of the interview with GQ magazine. Pollution dims skies as well as befouling the air (AP) March 12, 2009 at 3:27 pm AP - The skies are dimming, for most of the world. Increases in airborne pollution have dimmed the skies by blocking sunlight over the past 30 years, researchers report in Friday's edition of the journal Science. Rendell: Steele's 'days are numbered' (Politico) March 12, 2009 at 2:39 pm Politico - Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell predicted on Thursday that Michael Steele's "days are numbered" as chairman of the Republican National Committee. Fed reports record fall in household net worth (AP) March 12, 2009 at 2:20 pm AP - The net worth of American households fell by the largest amount in more than a half-century of record keeping during the fourth quarter of last year. Suspected US missiles kill 7 in Pakistan (AP) March 12, 2009 at 2:10 pm AP - Missiles believed fired from a U.S. unmanned plane slammed into a house used by militants in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing seven people, a government official and a witness said, Helicopter crashes off Canada coast, 16 missing (Reuters) March 12, 2009 at 2:07 pm Reuters - Rescuers combed the frigid waters off Canada's Atlantic Coast on Thursday looking for survivors after a helicopter carrying 18 people crashed as it ferried workers to two offshore oil facilities. GM says it doesn't need $2B from gov't in March (AP) March 12, 2009 at 1:49 pm AP - General Motors Corp. says its restructuring plan is starting to take hold, improving the automaker's fortunes at least to the point that it won't need a $2 billion government loan installment that it had requested for March. Every sip you take: Singer Sting is selling wine (AP) March 12, 2009 at 1:38 pm AP - After singing of "Fields of Gold," British rock star Sting is tending fields of grapes as he prepares to market red wine made at his country estate in Tuscany. Math whiz, dead for 450 years, gets TV bill (Reuters) March 12, 2009 at 1:31 pm Reuters - A German mathematician who died 450 years ago has been sent a letter demanding that he pay long-overdue television license fees, residents at his former address said on Wednesday. "Vampire" unearthed in Venice plague grave (Reuters) March 12, 2009 at 1:19 pm Reuters - Matteo Borrini, an anthropologist from the University of Florence, said the discovery on the small island of Lazzaretto Nuovo in the Venice lagoon supported the medieval belief that vampires were behind the spread of plagues like the Black Death. Space junk threat worries space station (AP) March 12, 2009 at 12:52 pm AP - The crew of the international space station survived a close call with space junk Thursday. 'Saturday Night Live' tourism skit stirs Hawaii (AP) March 12, 2009 at 12:35 pm AP - Hawaii's lieutenant governor and some in the state's tourism industry aren't laughing over a "Saturday Night Live" skit they fear could deter people from visiting the islands. 5 Facts About Friday the 13th (LiveScience.com) March 12, 2009 at 12:30 pm LiveScience.com - If Friday the 13th is unlucky, then 2009 is an unusually unlucky year. This week's Friday the 13th is one of three to endure this year. Profit, Patriotism and Bear Raiders (RealClearPolitics.com) March 12, 2009 at 11:30 am RealClearPolitics.com - Warren Buffet has repeatedly compared this financial crisis to World War II. Franklin Roosevelt used to analogize the Great Depression to wartime. But if an economic crisis swallows a nation like war, then how should we receive "bear raiders" who are taking advantage of the current rules and market chaos to pummel businesses and worsen the crisis?