The News reader from Sicilian.Net

NPR Topics: News NPR news, audio, and news podcasts. Coverage of breaking stories, national and world news, politics, business, science, technology, and extended coverage of major national and world events. Pageant Protest Sparked Bra-Burning Myth 5 Sep 2008 at 6:21pm Think the feminists who protested the 1968 Miss America pageant in the name of women's liberation burned their bras? Think again. No bras were set aflame that September day. But the idea that they were helped launch the movement onto the national stage. Global Economic Worries Flare Up Again 5 Sep 2008 at 2:34pm Fears about the global economy have flared up again, with worries starting in the United States and then infecting Asian markets. Nearly every stock index in Asia lost 2 percent to 3 percent of its value Friday, and European shares also started the trading day lower. The latest flight from financial markets was sparked by gloomy reports on U.S. retail sales and the U.S. labor market. Abramoff Gets 4 Years In Jail, Pens Memoir 5 Sep 2008 at 2:27pm Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist at the center of a Washington, D.C., corruption scandal, was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison. According to the Washington Post, he told the judge he is no longer the person who "happily and arrogantly" engaged in a lifestyle of corruption. In fact, he's now a writer. European Leaders Meet On Georgia-Russia Conflict 5 Sep 2008 at 12:53pm European foreign ministers open two days of talks Friday in southern France to discuss sending civilian monitors to Georgia. The aim is to convince Russia to remove its troops. Detroit Mayor Acknowledges 'Poor Judgment' 5 Sep 2008 at 12:43pm Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has agreed to step down later this month and serve 120 days in a county jail as part of a plea deal. Kilpatrick's resignation ends an almost six-month fight to stay in office amid obstruction of justice charges. Thursday night, Kilpatrick made his first public speech to Detroiters after the plea bargain. Bad Economic News Sends Stocks Tumbling 5 Sep 2008 at 12:42pm The stock market took another hit Thursday on bad economic news. All of the major indices were down. On Friday morning, investors await the government's latest jobs report. McCain Challenges Obama, GOP To 'Change' 5 Sep 2008 at 12:29pm John McCain accepted the GOP's presidential nomination in a nearly hour-long speech Thursday night at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. McCain complimented rival Barack Obama for winning the Democratic nomination, but offered a long list of criticisms of the Illinois senator. Bhutto's Widower Expected To Win Presidency 5 Sep 2008 at 10:00am In Pakistan, lawmakers will select the country's next president Saturday. Asif Ali Zardari is the frontrunner to succeed President Pervez Musharraf, who resigned under pressure last month. Zardari took over the Pakistan Peoples Party after his wife and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in December. McCain Vows To Reach Across Party Lines 5 Sep 2008 at 10:00am It was John McCain's night to shine Thursday at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. In accepting the party's presidential nomination, McCain promised to work against constant partisan rancor and reach across party lines. McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, aren't wasting any time and began the day campaigning in Wisconsin. Obama Talks Economy, Foreign Policy In Pa. 5 Sep 2008 at 10:00am Determined not to let the Republicans get the entire spotlight, Barack Obama has been campaigning hard in swing states. On Thursday, he was in Pennsylvania, which Democrats have won in the past two presidential elections. Patriots' Kraft Banks On New Mall At Stadium 5 Sep 2008 at 8:09am With the NFL season under way, the New England Patriots are asking fans, "Are you ready for some shopping?" Team owner Robert Kraft has built a huge new mall next to Gillette Stadium that costs as much as the stadium itself: more than $300 million. In Ukraine, A Conflict Over Russian Relations 5 Sep 2008 at 4:48am In the wake of Russia's invasion of Georgia, Ukraine is in turmoil over a battle between the president and the prime minister. They disagree over how best to handle relations with Russia and the West. Transcript: Cindy McCain's Speech 5 Sep 2008 at 1:27am In her speech Thursday evening, Cindy McCain said the world is facing perilous times and Americans need to help each other. She calls her husband a "source of inspiration" who has "shown the value of self-sacrifice." And she describes her upbringing, her role as a mother and her world charity work. Lobbyist Abramoff Gets Four-Year Prison Term 4 Sep 2008 at 8:55pm Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff is sentenced to four years in prison for conspiracy in connection with a highly publicized public corruption case. The scandal involved a number of members of Congress, many of them Republicans, and contributed to several key election defeats in 2006. Dow Slides On Economic Fears 4 Sep 2008 at 8:46pm Stocks have fallen Thursday amid worries about the economy. The Dow Jones industrial average fell by more than 300 points. The slump is stocks Thursday followed an unexpected increase in the number of jobless claims. Newsfeed display by CaRP