Million-Dollar Reagan Statue Unveiled in London

Seth Abramovitch · 07/05/11 12:12AM

Londoners have a 10-foot-tall sculpture of Ronald Reagan to call their own. Unveiled at its permanent home outside the American Embassy, the statue was constructed at a cost of $1 million, paid for by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation "as part of a worldwide effort to promote his legacy" in this, the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Watch the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Grand Finale

Matt Cherette · 07/04/11 09:47PM

Tonight, the 35th annual Macy's Fourth of July fireworks display lit up New York City as 40,000 shells were fired off from half a dozen barges in the Hudson River. NBC aired the show live for those not in Manhattan. But because nobody watches NBC, here's video of the grand finale for your visual pleasure.

The Week in Celebrity Snapshots

Matt Cherette · 07/04/11 07:40PM

Every day, celebrities across the world are followed and photographed by the omnipresent paparazzi, often to entertaining results. From Taylor Momsen in London to Julia Roberts in Los Angeles to Lady Gaga in Taiwan, here are some of the more amusing shots from the past week.

Some Fireworks Safety Tips for Tonight

Max Read · 07/04/11 03:27PM

Happy Independence Day, America! And what better way to celebrate President Whitmore's famous speech than with fireworks? But please, be safe! We've collected some important fireworks safety tips here. Print out several copies and bring them to your barbecue! It's a great way to make friends.

Renegade Kobabayshi Sets World Hot Dog Eating Record

Max Read · 07/04/11 12:59PM

Takeru Kobayashi, who refuses to sign an exclusive contract with "Major League Eating," set a world hot dog eating record (at an independent event) by consuming 69 in ten minutes. Joey Chestnut won the official Nathan's contest with 62. [NYDN]

Toddler Falls Ten Stories, Is Caught by Passer-By

Max Read · 07/04/11 11:22AM

How are your baby-catching skills? Probably not as good as those of Wu Juping, a 32-year-old Chinese woman who apparently caught ("bare-handed," according to state news agency Xinhua) a two-year-old girl who'd fallen from a tenth-floor apartment.

Prince William, Kate Heckled by French Canadians

Max Read · 07/04/11 10:09AM

Wills and Kate visit Canada, only to be shouted at. Paris Hilton and the director of The Hangover remind us why we never, ever want to go to an L.A. nightclub. Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber play patty-cake. This is what the Founding Fathers fought for: Monday gossip.

Obama Assassinated, According to Hacked Fox News Twitter

Max Read · 07/04/11 08:33AM

The Fox News Politics Twitter account was hacked early this morning, and a number of Tweets claiming that President Obama had been assassinated were sent out. Fox has acknowledged the hack, but apparently still can't access the account—as of this post, the Tweets still haven't been taken down.

Super-Litigious 'Pinball Wizard' Is the World's Biggest Victim

Lauri Apple · 07/03/11 05:27PM

John Luckett asserts that the lawsuits he files all the time, against everyone, are not "frivolous" at all. "I've just had a bad experience of the whole world trying to screw me. I have had a lot of horrible things happen," he tells the Las Vegas Weekly.

Thailand Elects First Female Prime Minister

Max Read · 07/03/11 03:20PM

Thai opposition party Pheu Thai has won a majority in Thailand's parliamentary elections, likely making Yingluck Shinawatra the country's first female prime minister. Shinawatra's older brother is former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in a 2006 coup. [BBC]

'Funny' Republican Thad McCotter Joins Race

Max Read · 07/03/11 02:51PM

Everyone welcome Thad McCotter to the race for the Republican presidential nomination! Who? you ask. Well, according to our notes, McCotter is a... congressman from... Michigan who, let's see, is supposed to be sort of funny? (According to Andrew Breitbart McCotter is "blunt, sarcastic, pop-culture-savvy, constitutionally sound and an authentic voice.") Also, he looks vaguely like my AP US History teacher, so he'll definitely have the Princeton High School class of 2003 vote locked. Oh, and the issues! McCotter's "themes" are: "The challenge of globalization, the war for freedom against terrorists, the rise of Communist China and whether moral relativism erodes a nation built on self-evident truth." McCotter announced his bid for the presidency yesterday at the "WAAM Freedom Fest," where he also played guitar. [Detroit Free Press]

How to Be a Young Lady in 1939 Manhattan

Max Read · 07/03/11 01:03PM

While sorting books, Reddit user unmoderated found a copy of New York: Behind the Scenes, a 1939 guide by Lee Mortimer, and scanned the very valuable "Young Lady in Manhattan..." section (apparently part of a larger "Family in Manhattan" chapter). It's fascinating. And, admittedly, a little out of date ("unescorted ladies might as well hang themselves after ten p.m."), though the job market for young New Yorkers doesn't sound all that different from now: