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Romney Wins Nevada Caucus, Obviously

Louis Peitzman · 02/05/12 09:51AM


Sorry, Newt, but we all saw this coming — Mitt Romney won the Nevada caucus on Saturday, further establishing his position as Republican frontrunner and thorn in Gingrich's side. But rather than focus on the man he's been debating, Romney took some jabs at Obama.

Daniel Radcliffe Still Bigger Box Office Draw Than Whales

Louis Peitzman · 02/04/12 03:40PM


Well, we can't give all the credit to Daniel Radcliffe, but — we kind of can, right? The Boy Who Lived as Harry Potter For a Decade has moved on to a starring role in Woman in Black. Despite low expectations, Reuters reports that the horror film opened strong at $8.3 million on Friday. (It's worth noting that CBS Films predicted $11 million for the entire weekend.) The other big surprise was Fox's teens-with-superpowers thriller Chronicle, which actually beat out Woman in Black on Friday. Relax, Dan Rad fans — his movie is expected to surpass its competition.

Romney Poised for Second Consecutive Win, Not That Gingrich Cares

Louis Peitzman · 02/04/12 11:35AM


Once again, Mitt Romney has a significant lead in a Republican caucus — this time in the Mormon-heavy state of Nevada. CNN reports that the Republican frontrunner is well ahead of his opponents, which should come as no surprise to those who remember Romney's showing in 2008. (He's big in Nevada.)

What's the Most Annoying Possible Euphemism for 'Media Person?'

Hamilton Nolan · 02/02/12 05:19PM

Man, I remember when "Interactive Guru" seemed like the absolute most annoying possible euphemism for someone with a job vaguely related to the media. Seems like a long time ago. Then, of course, we got "Social Media Ninja" and "Knowledge Curator" and the whole thing just turned into an exasperating arms race of bullshit.

Did Cocktail Snobs Help Destroy an Antarctic Glacier?

Ryan Tate · 02/02/12 04:43PM

The Antarctic region is losing its glaciers to global warming, but now comes evidence humans are helping erode the ice masses in a more direct way: Chilean authorities arrested an entrepreneur for making off with five and a half tons of the Jorge Montt glacier in Patagonia.

Bill to Legalize Gay Marriage Clears Major Hurdle in Washington State

Nell Jensen · 02/02/12 01:17AM

The Washington state Senate voted 28 in favor (including four Republicans) to 21 against late Wednesday evening to pass a bill legalizing gay marriage. The bill now goes to the House, where it's expected to pass, and Governor Chris Gregoire has already said she will sign it. So basically, the hard part is over and gay and lesbian couples will be able to get married by June unless crabby homophobes can muster around 120,000 signatures before that time to force a referendum.

Mitt Romney: 'I'm Not Concerned About the Very Poor'

Leah Beckmann · 02/01/12 09:55AM

Mitt Romney appeared on CNN's Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien this morning to gloat over yesterday's win in Florida and instead told her he doesn't care about poor people. Romney said his "current focus is not on the poor" as "we have a safety net there," and he instead plans to focus on all those suffering members of the middle-class.

The Insufferable Facebook IPO 'News' Frenzy Begins Tomorrow

Ryan Tate · 01/31/12 10:39PM

Facebook will file to go public tomorrow, in case you missed the rolling thunder bombardment of news articles this week, or in the months preceding. There won't be the faintest reason for the average person to care about this IPO until shares actually start selling months from now, but in the meantime you should steel yourself for endless breathless hype pandemonium. Oh, it's going to be awful.

What Comes After Segregation?

Hamilton Nolan · 01/31/12 11:56AM

Fifty years ago, segregation seemed to be the most pressing racial problem in America. The civil rights movement took it as its explicit goal to end segregation. Integration was seen as the logical precursor to equality. If separate meant unequal, then living together could only mean equality.

What's a Fair Minimum Wage?

Hamilton Nolan · 01/30/12 03:30PM

The New York state legislature is considering a bill to raise the state's minimum wage to $8.50 an hour. The current minimum wage in New York is $7.25 per hour, which, at a standard 2000 hours per year, works out to a pre-tax income of $14,500.

Ketamine Is the World's Dumbest Drug

Brian Moylan · 01/30/12 02:57PM

Since all things go in 20 year cycles, we're about to be inundated with all sorts of '90s nostalgia. While I'm all for ironically dancing to "Poison" and embracing M.C. Hammer harem pants, there is one relic from my good old days that needs to stay in the past: Special K.

Beef Is Mighty Expensive, That's For Sure

Hamilton Nolan · 01/30/12 02:02PM

Beef: It's What's For Dinner—Provided You Can Afford Its Record Price These Days. That is the slogan that Big Beef doesn't want you hearing. But facts are facts, folks: "Retail beef prices, now near record levels, will likely rise 4% to 5% this year following a 10% increase in 2011."

NYPD Doubts That NYPD Commissioner's Son Is a Rapist

Hamilton Nolan · 01/30/12 09:21AM

Last week, NYC Fox News anchor Greg Kelly, the son of NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly, was accused of rape by a woman who said that he, you know, raped her in her office following a night of drinking. Now, anonymous police sources tell the city's least trustworthy tabloid that Kelly may be innocent.

More Than 400 Occupy Protesters Have Been Arrested in Oakland

Louis Peitzman · 01/29/12 04:53PM


The number keeps rising, but Reuters is now saying more than 400 Occupy Oakland protesters have been arrested as Saturday night's protests continue into Sunday. That's obviously a pretty significant number, and it trumps the "between 200 and 300" number authorities gave earlier in the day. As has been the case throughout the Occupy movement, police officers and government officials claim they are only doing their jobs of maintaining the peace, while protesters insist the authorities are going way overboard.