http://www.newsmeat.com/NEWSMEAT publishes daily news and Americas most popular campaign donor search engine.Copyright 2007 Polity Mediaen-ushttp://www.newsmeat.com/images/nmlogo.gifhttp://www.newsmeat.com/Sat, 7 Nov 2009 06:52:40 -0500HeadlinesPresident Barack Obama is traveling to Capitol Hill on Saturday to try to close the sale on his signature health care overhaul, facing a make-or-break vote in the House certain to be seen as a test of his presidency.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875203&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Erica WernerSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:51 GMTAP Featureshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875203&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 President Barack Obama, seeking to reassure a nation shaken by the mass shooting on an Army post in Texas, said Saturday that the training designed to keep U.S. forces safe abroad prevented further deaths and ended a rampage at Fort Hood.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875181&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Philip ElliottSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:47 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875181&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Russia could back sanctions against Iran if it fails to take a constructive stance in international talks over its nuclear program, President Dmitry Medvedev said in remarks released Saturday.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875173&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Vladimir IsachenkovSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:46 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875173&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 A Chinese scholar persecuted during the Cultural Revolution for smuggling a rare collection of mushrooms out of China before World War II was honored Saturday when the collection was returned more than 70 years later.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875169&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281David WivellSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:46 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875169&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 A chaplain exhorted hundreds of mourners gathered at a candlelight vigil to not give up hope as Fort Hood and its surrounding community looked to each other for comfort after an Army psychiatrist allegedly went on a deadly shooting spree at the military base.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875170&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Brian Skoloff and Angela K. BrownSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:46 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875170&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for serious consideration of a levy on financial activity to help insure the banking system from another crisis.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875158&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:45 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875158&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Tens of thousands of South Korean workers rallied Saturday to protest the government’s plan to begin implementing contentious labor laws.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875096&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:39 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875096&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Some women strode the catwalk in vicious spiked bracelets and body armor. Others had their heads covered, burqa-style, but with shoulders — and tattoos — exposed. Male models wore long, Islamic robes as well as shorts and sequined T-shirts.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875044&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Chris BrummittSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:38 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875044&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Pushing back against international criticism, Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday that the top U.N. official in the country overstepped his authority by giving instructions on how to rid the government of corruption and warlords.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875029&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Heidi VogtSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:31 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875029&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 A natural disaster has been declared in parts of Australia’s east coast as torrential rains cut main roads and leave thousands of people stranded.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875027&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Reuters VideoSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:31 GMTReuters News Videohttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62875027&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 The Palestinian uncle of Fort Hood shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan says his nephew loved America and wanted to serve his country.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874484&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:21 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874484&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Members of Philadelphia’s largest transit union and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority are set to vote on a contract to end the strike that has idled buses, subways and trolleys for five days.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874467&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:20 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874467&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Senior Iranian lawmakers rejected on Saturday any possibility of Tehran shipping uranium abroad for further enrichment, intensifying pressures on the government to reject the U.N.-backed plan altogether.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874365&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Ali Akbar DareiniSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:18 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874365&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 The Navy is commissioning its newest battleship with a bow forged from steel that once held up the World Trade Center.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874350&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Verena DobnikSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:14 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874350&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 A top Pentagon official says President Barack Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan will be certain to include reinforcements of foreign troops.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874349&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Slobodan LekicSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:12 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874349&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that a NATO airstrike in the western province of Badghis mistakenly hit a joint base housing coalition troops and Afghan security forces, killing four Afghan soldiers and three policemen.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874348&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:10 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874348&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 A senior Vatican official said Friday he has asked Cuba’s government to allow the Roman Catholic Church more access to mass media, saying Cubans are a religious people and should be given broadcast access to their pastors.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874304&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:08 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874304&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Paraguay needed a military shake-up to create opportunities for young officers with a proven commitment to democracy, President Fernando Lugo said Friday in his first explanation for removing his top commanders this week.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874302&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:07 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874302&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Mexican police caught a prison official who spent a year on the run from charges of killing a 19-year-old inmate, whose beating death sparked riots that left nearly two dozen dead, including two American prisoners.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874301&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:07 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874301&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 A Cuban blogger who has gained international attention for her searing commentary about life on the communist island said she was briefly detained Friday and warned by state security agents about her opposition activity.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874300&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Andrea RodriguezSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:07 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874300&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 A week of torrential rain has flooded the homes of more than 200,000 people along Mexico’s Gulf coast, officials said Friday. Residents in some towns complained that no help had arrived.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874299&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:07 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874299&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 While a drought has put Caracas under widespread water rationing for the first time in years, for Venezuelans in this hillside slum it’s just more of the same.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874298&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Ian JamesSat, 07 Nov 2009 10:07 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62874298&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signaled that Moscow could back sanctions against Iran if it fails to take a constructive stance in international talks over its nuclear program.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873802&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:54 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873802&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Afghan Defense Ministry says mistaken NATO airstrike kills 4 Afghan soldiers, 3 police.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873705&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:38 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873705&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Esther Heymann was overflowing with grief for her stepdaughter. Standing in a blustery snow, overlooking the empty field where Flight 93 had crashed a couple of years earlier, she couldn’t stop crying.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873686&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Jennifer C. YatesSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:33 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873686&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Madagascar’s political rivals have agreed on posts within a transitional government that will hold power until next year’s elections.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873685&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:32 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873685&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 A Mexican mother has been reunited with her one-year-old daughter after the baby girl was allegedly sold to another woman by a baby-selling ring in Mexico City.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873676&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Reuters VideoSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:31 GMTReuters News Videohttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873676&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Pakistani soldiers killed 12 militants in gunbattles over the past day, officials said Saturday, as government forces pressed on with their offensive in the mountainous Taliban sanctuary of South Waziristan.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873640&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Asif ShahzadSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:30 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873640&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 European lottery officials say two British ticketholders have shared a jackpot of 90 million pounds ($150 million) — the largest lottery prizes ever paid out in the United Kingdom.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873615&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:24 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873615&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 As word spread that a gunman had opened fire at Fort Hood leaving a trail of carnage, a chilling realization swept across the U.S. Muslim community: He has an Islamic name.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873598&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Eric GorskiSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:23 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873598&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Some women strode the catwalk in vicious spiked bracelets and body armor. Others had their heads covered, burqa-style, but with her shoulders — and tattoos — exposed. Male models wore long, Islamic robes as well as shorts and sequined T-shirts.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873411&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Chris BrummittSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:19 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873411&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday that the top U.N. official in the country overstepped his authority by giving instructions on how to rid the government of corruption and warlords.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873405&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Heidi VogtSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:18 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873405&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Employees at an engineering firm recognized their former co-worker when he drew a handgun from under his shirt, police said, and shot his first victim dead in the reception area. He then walked into the office and unloaded several more rounds, wounding five other employees at the company that fired him two years ago.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873403&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Mike Schneider and Antonio GonzalezSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:17 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873403&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 President Barack Obama will meet leaders of Southeast Asian nations, including Myanmar, in a high-level affirmation of Washington’s new policy of engaging the military-ruled country despite its dismal human rights record.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873378&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Jim GomezSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:15 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873378&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 British treasury chief Alistair Darling urged the world’s top finance officials on Saturday to reach an agreement on bearing the cost of fighting climate change before a UN summit on global warming next month.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873337&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Jane WardellSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:05 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873337&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Suspected swine flu is sweeping a traditional Eskimo whaling village on a remote Alaska island — prompting an urgent medical mission to deliver help.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873310&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Rachel D'OroSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:03 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873310&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 President Barack Obama is heading to Capitol Hill for talks with House Democrats as they scramble to find enough votes to pass landmark legislation to overhaul the nation’s health care system.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873308&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:03 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873308&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Investigators cracked a youthful burglary ring that preyed on Hollywood’s rich and famous, often brazenly walking into their unlocked homes to make off with cash, jewels and family heirlooms, authorities said.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873299&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Ken Ritter and Thomas WatkinsSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:01 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873299&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Ida has become a tropical storm again, with top winds of 45 mph (72 kph), as it swirls in the Caribbean on a track that could bring it to the U.S. Gulf Coast next week.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873298&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:01 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62873298&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 A top Iranian lawmaker has rejected the possibility of Iran shipping uranium abroad for further enrichment.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62872847&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 08:55 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62872847&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 A Seattle teams has collected a $900,000 prize in a NASA-backed competition to develop the concept of an elevator to space — an idea spurred by science fiction novels.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62872663&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281John AntczakSat, 07 Nov 2009 08:43 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62872663&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Ida has become a tropical storm again, with top winds of 45 mph, as it swirls in the Caribbean.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62872492&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 08:33 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62872492&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Donald Baimhttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62871928&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 08:19 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62871928&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 On the day his side lost the Vietnam War, Hung Ba Le fled his homeland at the age of 5 in a fishing trawler crammed with 400 refugees. Thirty-four years later, he made an unlikely homecoming — as the commander of a U.S. Navy destroyer.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62871911&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Ben StockingSat, 07 Nov 2009 08:14 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62871911&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 A top Pentagon official says President Obama’s new plan for Afghanistan will certainly involve an increase in the number of international troops.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62871864&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281StaffSat, 07 Nov 2009 08:06 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62871864&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 The 13 people killed when an Army psychiatrist allegedly opened fire on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, included a pregnant woman who was preparing to return home, a man who quit a furniture company job to join the military about a year ago, a newlywed who had served in Iraq and a woman who had vowed to take on Osama bin Laden after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Here is a look at some of the victims.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62871386&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Caryn Rousseau and Robert ImrieSat, 07 Nov 2009 07:57 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62871386&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 The high school buddies who trolled the streets looking for Hispanics to attack called it "beaner hopping."http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62871098&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Frank EltmanSat, 07 Nov 2009 07:45 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62871098&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 Rifts among the world’s top financial officials are threatening to stymie their attempts to secure future global growth and break a deadlock over who bears the cost of fighting climate change.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62870869&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Jane WardellSat, 07 Nov 2009 07:38 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62870869&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 A space elevator may not be rocket science but it can be just as complicated — and rewarding.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62870858&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281John AntczakSat, 07 Nov 2009 07:37 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62870858&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281 He was by turns caring and contentious, a man quick to say "I am blessed" in casual greeting yet one who seemed to stew in discontent that he could not always keep to himself.http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62870855&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281Brett J. BlackledgeSat, 07 Nov 2009 07:36 GMTAP Newshttp://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=62870855&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281