Tom Scocca · 02/12/14 03:49PM

Washington D.C.'s NFL team, with an All-Pro roster of PR scumbags defending its racist name, is now concern-trolling about Native Americans' "high unemployment, life threatening health problems, inadequate education and many other issues more pressing than the name of a football team."

Florida Man Set on Fire by His Dog

Adam Weinstein · 02/12/14 03:33PM

We natives of Broward County, Florida, are really good at two things: shopping, and screwing up voting. Oh, and also setting our dogs on fire, then letting the flaming dogs set our spouses on fire, then dumping our flaming dogs in swimming pools and getting on the news.

Is the Black Community Homophobic?: A Discussion With Yoruba Richen

Rich Juzwiak · 02/12/14 03:05PM

Yoruba Richen's documentary The New Black (opening today at New York's Film Forum) achieves what seemed impossible before it: It examines the generalized notion that the black community is homophobic with specificity and subtlety. Using the backdrop of the fight for marriage equality in Maryland in 2012 (where it was eventually approved by voters), Richen's film examines both sides of the debate within the black community by primarily using the National Black Justice Coalition Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks to represent the pro-equality side, and Maryland Marriage Alliance's Derek McCoy as the face of the anti-equality side.

Redneck States Are Borrowing a Confederate Plan to Protect Their Guns

Adam Weinstein · 02/12/14 02:31PM

Have you heard of "gun nullification"? It's all the rage. Seriously, so hot. It's especially popular in these Southern states who've used nullification before to tell the federales to butt the hell out of their business. Back then, nullification protected slavery and Jim Crow. Now, it protects your Smith & Wesson.

Sarah Hedgecock · 02/12/14 02:19PM

[Germany's Eric Frenzel celebrates winning the gold as he is flanked by Japan's silver medal winner Akito Watabe, left, and Norway's bronze medal winner Magnus Krog during the flower ceremony after the cross-country portion of the nordic combined on Wednesday. Image via Matthias Schrader/AP.]

Crazy Russian Daredevils Climb World's Second Tallest Building

Taylor Berman · 02/12/14 02:08PM

Here's something you should never watch if you're afraid of heights: A group of Russian daredevils filmed themselves climbing (and hanging from) the world's second highest building, the still under-construction Shanghai Tower. It's absolutely terrifying.

Sarah Hedgecock · 02/12/14 01:21PM

Rebecca Mead, author of My Life in Middlemarch, is answering questions over at Jezebel. Join in the discussion!

Adam Weinstein · 02/12/14 01:11PM

A federal judge just struck down Kentucky's law banning the state from recognizing gay marriages performed out-of-state, saying: "No one has offered any evidence that recognizing same-sex marriages will harm opposite-sex marriages."

Why Did Bill de Blasio Call the NYPD Over His Friend’s Arrest?

J.K. Trotter · 02/12/14 12:37PM

It’s good to be friends with the mayor of New York City. Soon after police arrested Brooklyn pastor and prominent de Blasio supporter Orlando Findlayter on Monday for two outstanding arrest warrants, Mayor Bill de Blasio called the NYPD’s press office to inquire about Findlayter’s status. According to Pervaiz Shallwani of the Wall Street Journal, the pastor was allowed to go home.

Airline Pilots Get Paid Crap

Hamilton Nolan · 02/12/14 12:01PM

Republic Airways announced this week that it's grounding 27 of its planes due to a "shortage of qualified pilots." Possibly related: many airline pilots get paid jack shit.

Vladimir Putin Hugs Actual Queer Person, Actual Queer Person Hugs Back

Rich Juzwiak · 02/12/14 10:57AM

Noted oppressor of gay people, Russian President Vladimir Putin deigned to put his hands on a potential corrupter of children's innocence, openly bisexual Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst. Wüst won a gold medal on Sunday, making her the first of the seven openly gay or bisexual Olympians competing at Sochi to do. You can watch the historic embrace above. This is a big moment for human-on-subordinate contact.

You Would Probably Be Happy If You Donated a Kidney

Hamilton Nolan · 02/12/14 10:32AM

More than 90,000 Americans today are waiting for a kidney transplant. If you're healthy, you can donate a kidney to one of them. And, according to a new study, it's overwhelmingly likely you'd be just fine afterwards.

Insane Video of Camera Falling Thousands of Feet Directly Into Pig Pen

Taylor Berman · 02/12/14 09:57AM

For some reason, skydivers decided to toss (or maybe accidentally dropped) a perfectly good GoPro camera from their plane. Eight months later, Mia Munselle found the camera, which had recorded its dizzying and amazing descent into a fenced-in mud pit, where a pig tried to eat it.