Author: Alexander Abad-Santos

Anthony Weiner Is Beating the Tabloids at Their Own Game on His New Selfies

Reuters

Now that he's running for mayor and advancing his plan of pre-emptive damage control, has Weiner already takend the scandal out of the next scandal, when more naughty Twitter photos from his last days in Congress inevitably surface?

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 22, 2013

4chan's Mass Shooting Threats Are Bad Enough That They're Police Routine

The Dutch town of Leiden shut down over 20 of its schools on Monday and one arrest has been made — all because of a threat posted to 4chan. Yes, international police forces are on to the Internet's most notorious message boards. You know, as part of regular "Internet checks."

Comments | 2,522 Views

"We Got Him": Boston Manhunt Ends with Suspect Captured Alive

A sad and difficult week that began with the tragic bombing of the Boston Marathon and included the shutdown of a major American city, ends with a triumphant moment when a wanted suspect is taken alive.

Comments | 344,075 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 19, 2013

'I Will Die Young': The Eerie Subtext of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Social Media

In the most crowdsourced terror investigation on American soil, we have come a long way this week in the neverending game of amateur investigation on social media. Here are the few — if ominous — things we've learned about ourselves, and about a man who was, it seems minutes ago, just a stranger.

Comments | 72,758 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 19, 2013

Who Is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Man at the Center of the Boston Manhunt?

Here's everything else we think we know about "Suspect No. 2" — the one in the white hat, the one on the loose in a chaotic scene in Boston — and his dead brother, Tamerlan, based on the flood of incoming reports.

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The Boston Bombing 'Suspects' and the Story of the Victim Who ID'd One

The FBI has released images of two suspects in the Boston Marathon attack, and the public investigation was on — until a late-night situation unfolded in Watertown, the FBI released two more photos, and a report surfaced that a suspect had been captured.

Comments | 549,008 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 18, 2013

China Thinks Its Bird Flu Might Be Spreading from Human to Human

Since the first cases of the deadly H7N9 bird flu strain appeared in Shanghai earlier this month, Chinese health officials told the world not to panic because they couldn't find solid evidence of human-to-human transmission in any of what have grown into 82 reported infections. They maintained that until, well, guess what China's health experts are saying for the first time today?

Comments | 13,410 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 17, 2013

Reddit and 4Chan Are on the Boston Bomber Case

The Boston Marathon bombing is easily the most crowdsourced terror investigation in American history, with the FBI soliciting videos, cellphone pictures, and anything that could lead to the capture of whoever set off those pressure cooker bombs. This is what happens when you ask for the public's help.

Comments | 169,172 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos and Matt Sullivan

Apr 17, 2013

After 'Misinformation Flying Around,' New Video May Be Break in Boston Case

As night fell on an evacuated federal courthouse in Boston, confusing reports had provided a promising if unclear picture of a "breakthrough" in the case: Investigators appear to have just that — a picture, from a new surveillance video, that appears to show a man leaving a bag at the scene of the crime. But they may not have a name, and Gov. Deval Patrick pleaded for patience.

Comments | 161,260 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 17, 2013

Anthony Weiner's Rehab Tour Is Working

Anthony Weiner is trailing fledgling rockstar Christine Quinn — and only Christine Quinn — in a new poll, the first in the heated New York City mayor's race to include him, and the first evidence that his media blitz is slowly bringing him back from selfie shame.

Comments | 384 Views

Boston Meets Its Victims, Sees Its Bombs — and Copes with 'Early Stages' of Hunt

Tuesday night, in cruel echoes of a stubborn daytime before it, yielded precious but little new information the Boston bombs — and sad remembrances of one, two, and almost three of the dead. The bomber or bombers remained elusive, and President Obama was scheduled to visit the site of "an act of terror" Thursday. Catch up on the day after — and new medical information from Wednesday morning briefings — as authorities prepare for the days ahead.

Comments | 63,309 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 16, 2013

This Is What Boston Heroism Looks Like

As Mr. Rogers once said, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" These are some of the helpers we've met so far from Patriot Day.

Comments | 13,811 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 16, 2013

The Stories Behind the Most Indelible Images of the Boston Bombing

As images from the carnage in Boston continue to surface — of missing legs, of fallen men — so, too, has the truth behind some of the most memorable among them, however horrific or human. This is the truth we know so far.

Comments | 69,650 Views

Explosions at Boston Marathon Kill 3 — Now, a 'Potential Terrorist Investigation'

Even as a city and a nation came together amidst the chaotic scene, there was not much good news in Boston this April 15. Catch up on all the details on the victims, the persons of interest, the moment of horror, and eyewitness accounts with the definitive account of a dark Patriot Day.

Comments | 1.4 Million Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 15, 2013

Bearded Blade Runner Spends 'Low-Key Evening' Drinking, Flirting with Women

On the heels of a family statement claiming that Oscar Pistorius is constantly "mourning" the death of his girlfriend,whom he shot to death on Valentine's Day, there are reports that the Olympic runner was out in Johannesberg drinking with his buddies over the weekend and flirting with several women.

Comments | 1,686 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 15, 2013

Georgia Budget Hawk Celebrates Tax Day with 47% Endorsement Video

The words "47 percent" were the death blow to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign — even he admits it was "completely wrong." So why on Earth is Rep. Rob Woodall, a Republican from Georgia who sits on Paul Ryan's House Budget Committee, saying Mitt was so right?

Comments | 956 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 15, 2013

Rutgers's Abusive Ex-Coach Is Coaching 7th Grade Girls

Because, really, what could go wrong with a man who was fired for evidence of abuse — for kicking his 18-year-old male players, chucking basketballs at their heads, and using anti-gay slurs — moving on to supervise your 12-year-old daughter?

Comments | 375 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 15, 2013

Kim Jong-un Comes Out of Hiding for Missile-Free Holiday

After disappearing from the public eye for two weeks, America's favorite "artificial" head of state re-emerged at midnight Monday to celebrate the most important holiday in North Korea — albeit a scaled down version without any fireworks, figurative or otherwise.

Comments | 5,532 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 12, 2013

North Dakota Is Determined to Make You Have Your Baby

On the heels of a measure that bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and in the midst of a purposeful challenge to Roe v. Wade, North Dakota's legislature has sent another bill to be signed by Governor Jack Dalrymple—and this one would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks or pregnancy, built on the premise that fetuses feel pain.

Comments | 2,010 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 12, 2013

Back Off, World: Iran's 'Time Machine' Creator Isn't a Scientist

There is a sad reality to the otherwise hilarious non-time machine "time machine" story that came out of Iran this week: It's making the otherwise legitimate Iranian scientific community look bad, even though it knows — just like you — that the inventor is a total quack.

Comments | 4,497 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 12, 2013

How Bad Is 'Viral' Rape Shame? It Pushes Teenage Girls into Killing Themselves

Three boys have been arrested for assaulting a 15-year-old in California who hanged herself. If that sounds familiar, the arrests came one week after a 17-year-old in Canada hanged herself after an alleged attack by four boys at a party. There were photos. Indeed, if the combination of rape, victim-blaming, and a social media tornado from small towns to national outrage seems like something of a trend this year, perhaps this is the brutal new reality in age of Steubenville, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Comments | 37,824 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 12, 2013

North Korea Says Tokyo Is Target No. 1

Don't look now, but the birthday of Kim Jong-un's grandfather is on Monday, and nothing would do more poetic justice to North Korea's warped version of history and its "unacceptable" war-mongering rhetoric than to drown one of its oldest enemies in a sea of nuclear flames. Which absurdity will win out?

Comments | 208,676 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 11, 2013

George Zimmerman's Mom Thinks His Arrest Failed America Just to Please You

The mother of George Zimmerman released a letter on the one-year anniversary of his "most unfortunate arrest" Thursday, claiming that Florida police took him into custody to "placate the masses"—and not because he shot and killed an unarmed 17-year-old buying some Skittles.

Comments | 2,219 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 11, 2013

Jay-Z's 'Open Letter' Is Addressed to These People

While Jay won't say who he's rapping about in his (timely) new song, here's a news analysis based on the recent Hova headlines on his trip to Cuba, his new sports agency, and more.

Comments | 6,301 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 11, 2013

Iran's Latest Fake Invention Is a Time Machine That Fits in Your Computer

After mastering the art of drones (by way of Photoshop) and the science of sending a monkey (that was not real) into space, the latest breakthrough out of Iran is a "time machine." The only thing stopping production, apparently, is the fear that China will make millions of crappy versions of it.

Comments | 8,535 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 10, 2013

Jay-Z Is Making Philadelphia Good Again

Today in viral videos: the festival that turns Philly nightlife from terrible to pretty fun, Kim Jong-un with makeup, and the chillest seal in the world.

Comments | 552 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 10, 2013

No, Half the NFL Isn't Playing Hyped-Up Adderall Football

The NFL said that "half the league" would never get away with playing under the influence of the little blue pills, no matter what Seattle Seahawks All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman says.

Comments | 920 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 10, 2013

Montana Is About to Decriminalize Gay Sex, but Not Without Another GOP Fight

If you thought Virginia was weird, it's easier to pass a law through Montana's state legislature that allows citizens to eat their own roadkill than it is to strike down a law that made gay sex a felony punishable with up to 10 years in jail and a $50,000 fine.

Comments | 3,311 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 10, 2013

Can CNN Make Water-Cooler News That Works for the Middle?

New CNN president Jeff Zucker, as The Washington Post's Paul Farhi explains in a lengthy profile today, is a "hyper-competitive" but patient man who will try anything and everything to "blow up the place" and get you to watch the still struggling network without alienating the base — of viewers or advertisers.

Comments | 368 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 10, 2013

MTV Is at Muddy War with 'Buckwild' Because It Refuses to Die

MTV will cancel the show, a little over a week after of one the show's star cast members died of carbon monoxide poisoning. But does a network known for its questionable taste in reality TV owe it to the rest of the kids to keep the show on the air? That's what Buckwild​'s show runner is arguing, vehemently, as he vows to keep filming.

Comments | 2,202 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 10, 2013

Jay-Z & Beyoncé Probably Broke Rules of a Government-Approved Cuba Trip

A treasury department letter shows the U.S. government fully, officially approved Beyoncé and Jay-Z's "educational exchange" trip to Cuba, but some politicians still aren't satisfied that they played by the government rules.

Comments | 1,835 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 9, 2013

Here Is Beyoncé's New Song — 12 Whole Seconds of It

Today in viral videos: Beyoncé teases "Grown Woman" again, a raccoon pleases, and everything that's wrong with Les Miserables including Anne Hathaway. 

Comments | 4,221 Views

The Only White House Correspondents' Dinner Seating Chart You Need

All of the invite news leading up to DC's Nerd Prom can be a confusing batch of pomp and absurdity, so we'll be updating this handy, interactive, and officially unofficial guest list of media outlets and celebrities until that grandest of evenings is finally upon us.

Comments | 2,720 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 9, 2013

College Student 'Movement' Wants to Carry Guns on Campus, in Secret, Now

As Washington runs to-and-fro on firearm legislation, student gun enthusiasts at some universities are taking matters into their own hands by showing their desire for concealed weapons on campus. Here's how the gun lobby inside actual schools is trying — and failing — to set an example, one empty holster at a time.

Comments | 1,284 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 9, 2013

Is China Covering Up an Outbreak of the Bird Flu?

The total reported impact of this still very mysterious strain has grown to eight deaths and 24 infected people, but the bird flu might just be a lot worse than China is letting on — and it wouldn't be the first time the country's health officials have "covered up" a major disease threat.

Comments | 2,546 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 8, 2013

The Steubenville Rape Case Is Back — Are Parents at Party Houses to Blame?

The grand jury process has begun, and potential new civil suits against the adults who own the homes may shed light on what's next. But local law experts and an examination of testimony reveal that, well, the grown-ups in Steubenville might get off the hook — and the jagged puzzle of accountability may go unsolved.

Comments | 23,331 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 8, 2013

Science: Women Prefer Larger Penises

"I like small penises," said no women interviewed for an actually scientific study released Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, or PNAS. Yes, PNAS is a funny sounding acronym, and, yes, PNAS has found that size does matter — and that women prefer "showers" to "growers."

Comments | 30,129 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 8, 2013

Even the NRA Can't Keep Track of All the School Shootings

By the NRA's logic, one "detail" in the 225-page "report" that the gun lobby's National School Shield task force has now corrected should make the whole report just about useless. Yes, there are enough school shootings that last week's NRA-funded research findings managed to find a school shooting that never happened.

Comments | 1,078 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 8, 2013

Is There a Secret Nutella Black Market?

Thieves in the German town of Bad Hersfeld spirited away some 5.5 tons of the chocolate-hazelnut spread over the weekend. But if you can trick one of the top schools in the United States into paying $2,500 per week for Nutella, perhaps everyone should get in the chocolate topping business.

Comments | 49,741 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 8, 2013

WikiLeaks 'Kissinger Cables' Reveal How Much Russians Loved Joni Mitchell

With a cache this massive (and thus far, not that shocking), what you find all depends on what you're searching for — like, say, the Russian predilection for soft rock.

Comments | 5,940 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 5, 2013

The Problem with Torrington Is the Problem with Rape, Not Twitter

Everyone can agree that it's sickening: Students at a Connecticut high school continue to blame the victim on social media, even as the star athletes and accused rapists sit in prison. But does blaming the problem with rape culture on the new problems of the Internet ignore the cruel way rape victims have been treated in the past? Torrington, it seems, is about to find out.

Comments | 3,060 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 5, 2013

Yes, It's Okay for Obama to Hug Kid President

Today in viral videos: Kid President gets the White House tour he deserves, remembering Roger Ebert, and the best fake social media sites created by the television industry.

Comments | 358 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 5, 2013

How to Talk About the Final Four

Because you probably didn't go to Wichita State, and because you'll probably find yourself talked out when it comes to Louisville's Kevin Ware, here's a (not particularly avid) fan's guide to the rest of the weekend in college hoops.

Comments | 358 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 5, 2013

Four Mystery NFL Players May Be Ready to Come Out of the Closet

According to Brendon Ayanbadejo, the outspoken gay rights advocate and now former Baltimore Raven, there are at least three more gay players ready to speak out than previously believed. The Baltimore Sun sort of buries the lead, but there is a vague plan in place for as many as four players to announce publicly that they are gay, and on the same day.

Comments | 4,853 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 5, 2013

Judge Opens Up Morning-After Pill Access for All Teenage Girls

Consider this a win for women's health advocates: U.S. District Judge Edward Korman has ruled that the U.S. government must make the "morning-after" pill available over the counter and available to all ages.

Comments | 714 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 5, 2013

The Avian Flu Containment Is Reaching 'Contagion' Levels of Precaution

Six people are dead from the H7N9 strain. The number of infected has grown to to 14. A new scare just hit Hong Kong. The U.S. has begun early research for a vaccine. And now China has slaughtered 20,000 chickens, ducks, geese, and pigeons to try and cut off the health risk at the source. So: Is it time to panic yet?

Comments | 714 Views

Roger Ebert, the Heart and Soul of the Movies, Has Died

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that its longtime film critic Roger Ebert, whose long battle with cancer couldn't take him away from the words he loved so much, has passed away at the age of 70.

Comments | 27,730 Views

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