Incomes and spending both slow in April

6 hours ago -AP - Consumer spending barely budged in April and growth in personal income slowed sharply, even though the government started sending out billions of dollars in economic stimulus payments.

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Nic & Weston's "Voodoo Child"

Weston & Nicolas Cage's Voodoo Child: Limited Edition Hardcover
Item# VCTH001
$29.99
Product Description
LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES WORLDWIDE

Big, bold new series! In 1860, the plantation of Mason Moore -- a known
Unionist sympathizer -- is burned to the ground by secessionists. In
the battle, Moore's illegitimate son is killed, but as he gasps his
last breaths, a voodoo bokor places a spell upon the dying boy. Flash
forward to 2005: four months after the worst natural disaster in its
history, New Orleans is gripped by fear as young girls start to
disappear from its streets while a brutal gang war rages. When
Detective Robert Julien starts to investigate, he finds that there's
something else out in the shadows: something that's neither dead nor
alive. The Enigma. But is it a possible ally or the darkest nightmare
of all?

--e-mail from a nicster on the issue of "Voodoo Child"

China quake survivors forced to scavenge

Dozens of men and women swarm over the mounds of debris of this ruined city, an eerie replay of the early days following China's devastating earthquake.

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Group: Music Is Key to Luring Young Latino Voters

The Latino vote could have a major impact in the presidential general election in November. In an attempt to appeal to younger Latino voters, Voto Latino, a voter registration group, is using popular music as part of its outreach. Rapper Armando Perez, a.k.a. "Pitbull," explains his role in the project.

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Cyclone survivors victimized by Myanmar soldiers

AP - It's not much, but the flimsy bamboo lean-to on the side of the road is all Aye Shwe has to keep his family dry. They lost their home to the cyclone and may soon be uprooted again — this time by soldiers ordering them to leave.

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U.S. Money May Get Makeover to Help the Blind

Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that the U.S. discriminates against the blind by producing currency that is not user-friendly for the visually impaired. A host of other countries incorporate shapes, colors and textures to help people identify denominations.

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Congo Highlights Safety in Search for Mine Operator

Congolese warriors used to smear a mineral all over their bodies before going into battle. It made them glow and frightened their enemies at night. Unfortunately, the mineral was radioactive. Congo's uranium deposits later became crucial to the Manhattan Project. Nowadays, the mining site is closed--or are they?

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Obama says he will fight McCain for western states

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama set his sights on the West on Tuesday, saying he will fight for states there that narrowly voted Republican in the last presidential election four years ago.

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Loan Auditor: Supervisors Covered Up Bad Loans

Millions of people are facing foreclosure because they got loans that should not have been approved. A big unanswered question is whether Wall Street banks knew they were selling garbage loans to investors. One former worker whose job was to catch bad loans says her supervisors covered them up.

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