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The Cain Train Has Pulled Into Failure Station

Lauri Apple · 12/03/11 02:07PM

Hyperactive pepperoni stick Herman Cain just emerged from his big-ass tour bus, theme song playing and teensy wife by his side, to take to a rental podium and announce that he's suspending his presidential campaign. You all distracted him with your accusations about affairs and leg-touching moments too much!

Is Barnes & Noble in Trouble?

Hamilton Nolan · 12/02/11 09:00AM

Borders, America's second biggest book store chain, died this summer, its red-trimmed outlets sinking inexorably into a savage sea of red ink. (Beat that lede, Wall Street Journal!) For Barnes & Noble, the most popular book chain, this could be interpreted as good news: its biggest competitor was gone. Or, bad news: book stores are a dying industry.

Jewish Group Won't Let Ron Paul into Its Debate

Jim Newell · 12/01/11 06:31PM

The Republican Jewish Coalition is hosting a forum for our merry band of Republican presidential candidates next week. The contenders are expected to flesh out a broad range of opinions about Israel, its future, and its relationship with the United States. Oh, except for Ron Paul, who was not invited. It seems his "extreme views"—like how he would stop giving Israel a few billion dollars each year to purchase weapons from the American defense industry—would be too controversial even within the context of a debate of ideas.

A Visual History of White House Christmas Decorations

Brian Moylan · 12/01/11 05:15PM

Last night Michelle Obama unveiled this year's White House Christmas decorations and the first family lit the National Christmas Tree. It's no Rockefeller Center, but it's something! In honor of the holiday season taking over the country's most prestigious domicile here's a look at how 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, has looked over the years.

Innocuous Long Island Joke Threatens Senate Comity

Jim Newell · 12/01/11 04:30PM

It's time for your daily dose of news about the important debates taking place in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body, the United States Senate. What critical public policy issues are its senior statesmen debating in good faith today? Who knows! Sens. John McCain and Chuck Schumer are pretending to fight over a Long Island joke, though. That's something, ain't it?

The Good and Bad News on Unemployment

Hamilton Nolan · 12/01/11 04:17PM

The bad news is that nearly 50% of people under 25 in Greece and Spain are unemployed. The good news is you don't live in Greece or Spain. The bad news is unemployment applications are rising here, too. The good news is that the federal government gives you 99 weeks of unemployment benefits. The bad news is, not for long! The good news is, you still have a job. The bad news is, one in five Americans believe they'll lose their job next year. The good news is, you're not one of them.

Shocker: Poor Schools Get Less Money

Hamilton Nolan · 12/01/11 03:10PM

If you've ever consulted your own common sense, one of the things it probably told you was, "I bet that shitty schools in poor neighborhoods get less money spent on them, than schools in richer neighborhoods." At long last, the US Education Department has done a real live study on this topic. The shocking results:

Republicans' Top Message Man Has a Plan to Counter 'Occupy Wall Street'

Jim Newell · 12/01/11 01:10PM

Ubiquitous GOP "message guru" Frank Luntz is the guy who teaches Republicans how to kill things. When Democrats introduce a bill and Republicans decide that they'd like to kill it, for sport, they ask Luntz to come up with a couple of phrases to reiterate hundreds of times a day, so as to terrify the American people.

Man, Wikileaks' New Leak Sucks

Adrian Chen · 12/01/11 11:25AM

Julian Assange just unveiled Wikileaks' latest release, and it's embarrassing: A bunch of brochures and manuals they downloaded from public websites, and some stuff that the Wall Street Journal published last month.

Kris Humphries: 'Kim Needed a Groom to Fuel Ratings'

Lauri Apple · 12/01/11 07:09AM

Fartastical fraud victim Kris Humphries has pressed on with his belief that he was merely a plot device used by his temporary wife Kim Kardashian to boost ratings. "I felt like I was on a fast roller coaster and couldn't get off when now I know I probably should have," TMZ quotes the genteel giant as saying. "I got caught up in the hoopla and the filming of the TV show." It happens.