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SWING STATE UPDATE: The New Hampshire Decision

MSNBC has just called New Hampshire's four electoral votes for Obama. He's now up in the electoral college 162-153. The president is now 108 electoral votes away from reelection.

President Barack Obama Just Won the 2012 Presidential Election

MSNBC just called the state of Ohio, with 18 electoral votes, for incumbent president Barack Obama. That gives him 274 votes in the 2012 presidential election. He needed 270 to get re-elected. That's all, New York. Let's go drink.

SWING STATE UPDATE: The Iowa Decision

MSNBC has just called Iowa, with a total of six electoral votes, for Barack Obama. The incumbent is now 14 electoral votes away from winning the 2012 presidential election, up on Romney 256-203.

Victoria Bekiempis' Year of the Takeout on FiTR Featured on Today Show Blog

FiTR's own Vic Bekiempis hiding behind some carryout cartons Fork in the Road (and Runnin' Scared) scribe Victoria Bekiempis has been eating her way through the city's largely unchronicled Chinese takeaway restaurants. She's completing her sixth week of a year-long project, and her efforts have al ... More >>

What We Talk About When We Talk About SOPA

SOPA, the Stop Internet Piracy Act, is the latest congressional move to put an end to the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material. The basic idea of SOPA -- now considered in the House of Representatives -- and its Senate analog, the Protect Intellectual Property Act, purportedly aims at ... More >>

Science Does Not Want Your Fat, Dead Body

As we are reminded regularly, much of America is overweight or even obese, and this is bad, bad, bad. Not only is it unhealthy for our bodies; it means our pants are uncomfortably tight. But beyond that, a certain pride in human life is being able to give your physical specimen away to science when ... More >>

Your Personality Smells

​According to the latest scientific smell-study, you can actually smell crazy (neurotically crazy, that is) people. You -- and we mean the universal you, not you in particular, don't be neurotic -- can smell the personalities of all sorts of people, from outgoing to anxious to dominant. The st ... More >>

Gingers Are Genetically Predisposed to Hate the Dentist, Says Science

Here is your bizarre yet enlightening scientific knowledge of the day. According to research published in the Journal of the American Dental Association, a gene that occurs frequently in redheads (a/k/a, gingers) makes them experience "heightened anxiety" when they visit their dental professional. T ... More >>

Niceness Is Genetic, Says Science

​Are you one of those unlucky people dubbed "nice" by everyone? Worse, do you live in the South, and therefore people call you "sweet"? According to a new study by those super nice folks known as scientists, having two copies of the "G" gene in your DNA tends to mean that you are more empathet ... More >>

Life, Not College, Is What Makes You Fat

​Today in news you can use to remind yourself that you're not in college anymore (unless you are, in which case, hooray!), MSNBC reports that the cursed, vile freshman 15 is actually not true, at least, so says a new study, which found that most college students don't actually gain 15 pounds i ... More >>

Cheesecake Factory Ranked Consumer Fave, Again; Only 2% of Food Imports Inspected

Kraft is recalling three flavors of Velveeta Shells & Cheese single-serve microwavable cups due to possible thin wire bristle pieces in the cups. [Chicago Tribune] In a widespread market survey, consumers ranked the Cheesecake Factory their favorite casual-dining restaurant for the second year in a ... More >>

Magnetic Boys Debunked By Killjoy Science Book Author

​Remember the Magnetic Boy from Serbia? He was joined by another magnetic child in Brazil, and a number of other magnetic kids in the Balkans, where children like this are apparently common. According to the author of a book on solving unexplained mysteries, this is all a sham. Are you shocke ... More >>

Absolut Wine? Say It Ain't So.; Yet Another Baby Gets Served Booze

​Absolut Wine? Not quite, but the Swedish vodka maker has paired up with Brancott Estate to release a 'sparkling fusion' of vodka and Sauvignon Blanc. [Decanter] A number of Long Island wineries have hired chefs, despite the state law that, in most cases, limits them to serving finger food. [ ... More >>

Link Found Between Pesticides and ADHD; Peruvian Food Next Big Thing (Again)

​BaoHaus's Sweet Bao fries, portabello fries at Sea Grill, and cactus fries at Toloache are just some of the alternatives to French fries around town these days. [NY Post] Now that we finally have healthy food in school cafeterias, food trucks selling junk are parking nearby to lure kids away ... More >>

Single People Are Doomed

​WTF, science? Today in news we could, perhaps quite literally, live without, it turns out that not only are single people kinda screwed tax-wise and forced to buy their married friends gifts in honor of their marriages and their children whom we must also affix photographs of to our sad littl ... More >>

Birth Control Now Considered Preventive Health Care, Will Be Available for Free

​The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has decided that FDA-approved contraceptive methods will be available for free, without co-pays or cost sharing, to women covered by new insurance plans in the U.S. "Not doing it would be like not covering flu shots," said Health and Human Serv ... More >>

Is It Time to Tax Junk Food?; Sex Toys Replace Food in Trucks

​Studies time and again reveal that foods high in sugar and fat and that are processed are bad for our health. Mark Bittman says it's time to start taxing them. [NY Times] Could the potato be fattening? We know that fries are, but a new study shows that ordinary potatoes eaten in moderation c ... More >>

What the Fingers Have to Say About the Penis

​Hooray for science, which informs us that a smaller ratio between the index and ring fingers "is linked to a longer stretched penis size," according to research published in the Asian Journal of Andrology. Not only that, but finger length may be able to reveal all sorts of things: "The ratio ... More >>

Casey Anthony Found Not Guilty Of Murder

Wikipedia​After two days of deliberation, a jury found Casey Anthony not guilty today on charges of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter in the death of her 2 year-old daughter, Caylee Anthony. Casey was, however, found guilty on four counts of providing fals ... More >>

The World's Most Annoying Sound Is Whining, Says Science

​Hooray for brave science, which has undertaken a new study to prove what the most annoying sound in the entire world is. These SUNY New Paltz researchers are intrepid, indeed! Analyzing people's reactions to sounds ranging from a buzz saw cutting wood to cloying baby talk to babies wailing (C ... More >>

Pierre Cardin's Maxim's Finally Getting Sold; The Limelight Marketplace Already Done For

​Pierre Cardin's now-defunct Maxim's restaurant at 680 Madison Avenue, which closed back in 2000, is finally being dismantled and sold. [NY Post] Gristedes owner and supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis' daughter will marry Richard Nixon's grandson this Saturday at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral ... More >>

Uganda Anti-Gay Bill Dropped From Agenda

​The bill in Uganda that might've included the death penalty or life in prison for homosexuals with HIV, same-sex rapists or "serial offenders," appears to have been dropped from parliamentary plans "after global condemnation," the Associated Press reports this morning. "The parliament should ... More >>

New York Times Traffic Down 24% From Paywall; Erik Wemple to Washington Post

​Lately the New York Times has lost a few of its star writers including legendary critic and columnist Frank Rich and foreign correspondent Dexter Filkins, along with a handful of others, and although people change jobs all the time and for a variety of reasons, the timing was enough to make u ... More >>

Rep. Peter King Was Mailed a Bloody Pig's Foot

​Long Island Republican Peter King, the congressman behind the disgraceful hearings on the threat of Islamic "radicalization" and a one-time passionate supporter of the I.R.A., was sent a bloody pig's foot in the mail, according to a "Capitol Hill source," NBC is reporting this evening. The pa ... More >>

Alec Baldwin Is Not Replacing Keith Olbermann

​Jack Donaghy is a fictional NBC executive on the show 30 Rock; Alec Baldwin is the actor who plays him. Neither is going to replace Keith Olbermann as the host of Countdown or any other show in the 8 p.m. slot on MSNBC because that would be ridiculous, despite a report from Popeater's Rob Shu ... More >>

What Will Keith Olbermann Tweet at 8 P.M.?

​Keith Olbermann, recently departed host of MSNBC's Countdown, is coming back to the 8 p.m. slot just three days after he signed off. Despite talk in this morning's New York Times of a gag order, in which Olbermann can not speak about his departure, he has promised a dispatch tonight on his ne ... More >>

Japanese Chefs Shun Gotham Water; Yet Another Egg Recall

​After restaurants with a "C" grade from the Health Department were outed, a number of diners are shocked and now say they will stop frequenting them. [NY Post] Japanese chefs at the Culinary Institute of America's three-day forum on Japanese cuisines refused to use local water and instead co ... More >>

Press Clips: Murderous Monday Feelings

​Have you ever received a piece of mail with a tracking number and you know it's there but everyone keeps passing the buck off to someone else until someone finally says "Oh, it'll show up in a day or two!"? That just happened to me for the second time. I am going to Fucking. Kill. Someone. Pr ... More >>

OLBERMANN DOWN: Keith Olbermann Suspended Indefinitely From MSNBC, Sir

​Following revelations that he made political contributions in what's apparently a direct violation of MSNBC's Code of Ethics, Keith Olbermann has been indefinitely suspended from MSNBC. If there's any other way to react to a media bombshell like this other than "Wow," we'd sure like to know.

MSNBC to Sub-In for Olbermann With Nation Editor Chris Hayes...Who Should Also Be Immediately Suspended! (UPDATED)

​The New York Times' Brian Stelter just Tweeted that Keith Olbermann will be replaced tonight on MSNBC by The Nation's Washington editor Chris Hayes, who has been a guest host on MSNBC previously. On that note, Chris Hayes should probably be suspended. UPDATED.

Five Potential Countdown Hosts for Tonight

​Whoops! Looks like the guy they tried to replace the now-suspended Keith Olbermann with tonight isn't going to be clocking in at MSNBC tonight because we noticed he -- like Olbermann -- doesn't meet MSNBC's supposed "standards" (that John Cook at Gawker just found out might not be getting any ... More >>

I Talked 'Facebook Movie' On MSNBC

​On Saturday, I popped by MSNBC to discuss the young-ambition epic The Social Network with anchor Alex Witt, a conversation which many people felt compelled to turn off their computers and phones to watch. I described Facebook as the place where you share such important factoids as your ongoi ... More >>

Science: Saying "Fuck" Makes You Feel Better...Unless You Work at the New York Times

​Today the New York Times Freakonomics blog points out that dropping the f-bomb, among other choice delicacies, has an upside: It's good for you! There's a new study out from Bellevue that finds that "swearing can also be used as a psychological tool in the service of helping." In fact, it may ... More >>

Long Island as Vegan Heaven; 20 Secrets Your Waiter Won't Tell You

​Long Island has a growing vegan scene, as is evidenced by several restaurants serving vegetarian, non-dairy options, such as vegan pizza at Three Brothers Pizzeria, "un-cheesecake" at the Moo-Cluck bakery, and mock-crab cakes made with tofu and served with dairy-free tartar sauce at Tula Kitc ... More >>

Olbermann and I Discuss Balloon Boy...

...and balloon girl Carrie Prejean, ba dum pum! Yes, in a riveting, panoramic segment on MSNBC's Countdown With Keith Olbermann last night, we talked about that zany little balloon boy and why his dad once commissioned TV theme songs that sound like the Beverly Hillbillies tune on extra mooonshin ... More >>

The Queer Issue: A Conversation with Rachel Maddow, Reluctant Sex Symbol

I Discussed Gay Marriage on Olbermann

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy Last night, I was on MSNBC's Countdown With Keith Olbermann and talked with substitute host David Shuster about that Miss USA contestant's remarks about gay marriage and Rudy Giuliani's too, linking them both in ignominy. Ab ... More >>

Binghamton Update: Three Suspects Reported, 2 in Custody, 1 at Large UPDATE 2: Shooter Dead

(Earlier coverage here.) What was reported as a single-shooter incident at the American Civic Association in Binghamton is now portrayed as a situation with three suspects -- two of whom have been apprehended. Witnesses tell MSNBC the two arrested men appear to be Asian and around 5-foot-9, as the s ... More >>

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