USA TODAY

New Video Reveals Dark Side to Coca-Cola Bears

Alex Bogusky used to create highly successful ads for clients including food industry giants such as Coca-Cola. But now he's fighting the powerful soda brand campaigns that associate sugary beverages with happiness and health. Bogusky has teamed up with the Center for Science in the Public Interest ... More >>

Cat Cora On Robot Chefs; Bourdain Reads Snooki

In a recent interview with USA Today, Iron Chef Cat Cora talks about the possibility of kitchens being run entirely by robots: "People will no longer be able to claim they're lousy cooks. Android robots will do most of the work. 'Technology will take over the kitchen,' Cora says. 'Even if you can't ... More >>

Five Reasons Why You Shouldn't Give A Shit About What Hollywood Thinks About Paul Ryan...Or Anything

As you know, presidential hopeful Mitt Romney selected Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan to be his running mate in his quest for the White House. Per usual, Hollywood has chimed in about his selection -- and for some reason people care.Regardless of how you feel about Ryan, Romney, abortion, gay marri ... More >>

Nuns Help The Poor And Sick Too Much, Says Catholic Church

The Vatican thinks that nuns are wasting their time on human rights and social work -- you know, typical helpful nun stuff. Instead, the Catholic Church wants America's nuns to spend more time doing things that don't typically help people, like telling them not to have premarital sex, according to ... More >>

The Couple That Drinks Together Drinks Together, Study Finds

Ever notice that when you crack open your third bottle of wine, your boyfriend or girlfriend is uncorking his or her third bottle as well? This may be evidence of a broader trend among young couples, a new study finds. USA Today reports that researchers in Nova Scotia discovered they "were able to p ... More >>

Jon Bon Jovi Launches Pay-What-You-Can Resto; Discover Authentic Mexican Food in Queens

​The Institute of Medicine is calling for a law that requires food manufacturers to simplify the nutrition labels on their packaging. [NY Times] Bagged salad sold in New York and other states has been recalled due to salmonella concerns. No reported illnesses as of yet, says FDA. [NY Post] A ... More >>

Satellite Has Fallen, Location Unknown; 43% Think Obama Is Better Than Bush; Putin To Run For Prez Of Russia Again

​UARS -- the 6-ton satellite that just maybe was going to hit you -- fell back to earth sometime between 11:23 p.m. Friday and 1:09 a.m. Saturday EDT, NASA has said. But even though it "penetrated the atmosphere" over the Pacific Ocean, when and where it exactly fell is still unknown, so let t ... More >>

Barack Obama and the Birthers: Yes, White America's Mind is Still Lost, Poll Indicates

A paltry, pathetic 38 percent. According to the latest Gallup/USA Today poll, that's the percentage of Americans who definitely believe that President Barack Obama was born in the United States. It's in this toxic environment that the White House has released a copy of Obama's long-form birth cert ... More >>

Menthol Cigarettes to Stay Legal as Cops Bust Illegal Cigs in Brooklyn

​When police in Brooklyn pulled a 29-year-old driver over for not signaling while making a turn, what was supposed to be a routine inspection turned into a $60,000 bust of illegal cigarettes. The cigarettes had a street value of $40,000 and were unstamped. The New York Post reports that the ma ... More >>

Wall of Shame

CNN, USA Today, and other media organizations got fooled

Coconut Oil Makes a Comeback; New Chile is World's Hottest

​Gabrielle Hamilton on Blood, Bones & Butter: ""I wrote a book in a way that I would like more people to write books. I'm not afraid of the real truth. There is nothing you can tell me about yourself that is going to make me clutch my pearls." [NY Times] Once maligned for its cholesterol and ... More >>

Bristol Palin Memoir Is Allegedly Happening; Derrick Oaks Is Your New Subway Hero; 40 States Are Freezing

​• Bristol Palin, 20-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin and no longer teen mom (or Dancing With the Stars contender), has a memoir in the works. Of course she does! It's apparently 304 pages and currently titled "Untitled Bristol Palin Memoir," according to Amazon, where forums are busy discus ... More >>

Is Chick-fil-A Anti-Gay?; Starbucks Wins Rights to Instant Coffee

​Eddie Huang divulges his favorite picks for Chinatown eats, including Shanghai Cuisine on Bayard and Oriental Garden on Elizabeth. [NY Post] Cupcake Stop, Taco Truck, and Desserts Truck are among food trucks getting permanent addresses at brick-and-mortar locations. [NY Post] Taco Bell has ... More >>

Martha Stewart: When Our Dogs Headbutt Us

APBeware of dogs.​Martha Stewart has been in the news this week for a disfiguring accident she suffered when her French bulldog, Francesca, jumped up and headbutted her in the kisser. Now, why she's posted 34 images of her trip to the hospital, complete with shots of her swollen lip being stit ... More >>

Gayle King Is Oprah's Mother, Not Her Lover

​Remember when Oprah Winfrey told Barbara Walters that Gayle King is so very many things to her, including the mother she never had? Well, Gayle was moved to tears to hear that on TV, since it's not the kind of thing you get up the nerve to vocalize in person.

George W. Bush's "Mission Accomplished" Sign to Make the Presidential Library?

​In an otherwise softball-filled sit-down with Jay Leno, former President George W. Bush said he regretted speaking about the Iraq war in front of a banner that read "Mission Accomplished" (in addition to flying over the Hurricane Katrina damage and some "blunt" language). He probably says the ... More >>

Malaysian Kitchen Food Truck Spreading the Good Food News; Café des Artistes Murals to Live On

​McDonald's employees in Ohio received pamphlets with their paychecks encouraging them to vote Republican. [USA Today] Old Town Bar celebrated the 100th anniversary of its lovely Hinsdale Urinals last night, often cited as the most beautiful specimens in the city. [Wall Street Journal] Danny ... More >>

New York City Baby Names Hail from Twilight, Brittany Spears

​ The New York City Health Department has announced the city's favorite baby names for 2009, and despite Twilight falling off the top 50 of USA Today's Best-Selling Books list, Stephenie Meyer's characters (at least one of them) will live on in posterity for the next 80-some years. Isabella, t ... More >>

Skyy Vodka's New Ad Features Woman-on-Bottle Sex; $80 British Navy Rum Now Available in NYC

​Skyy vodka is sexing up its image with a new ad that features a woman in red shiny tights and spike heels appearing to have sex with a giant Skyy vodka bottle. [USA Today] White Dog is all the rage these days, but people aren't just drinking it. They're also making it at home, despite the fa ... More >>

Whole Foods Turns 30; Calorie Counts to Hit Planes, Trains & Movie Theaters

​Whole Foods turns 30 on September 20 and is rolling out several new initiatives: a welfare rating system that tells customers how meat animals were raised, a transparency program for seafood, and Wellness Clubs. [USA Today] Many portions at fast-food chain restaurants are at least two times ... More >>

Brick Lane Sells Super-Hot Curry; 97 Orchard Chronicles Tenement-Era Meals

​Roasting a pig in a pit anywhere in New York City is not only a big ordeal, but a fire hazard. [NY Times] A Thai grocer based in the Bay Area is looking to America's Latinos as a large potential market that uses many of the same ingredients found in Thai food. [Wall Street Journal] Brick La ... More >>

Today in Depressing Trends: People Getting Married in T.J. Maxx, Home Depot

​Has society finally fallen into decadence, like the late Roman Empire? If this new "trend" is to be believed, then yes, indeed it has. Instead of the traditional church/City Hall route, people are now getting married in our new temples: retail stores and shitty chain restaurants.

The Worst Opening Sentence in a Novel Is Pretty Disgusting, But Real Life Is Worse

​Novelist Molly Ringle has been awarded the Bulwer-Lytton prize for the worst opening sentence of the year, and, well, here it is, folks, straight from her book, The Ghost Downstairs: "For the first month of Ricardo and Felicity's affair, they greeted one another at every stolen rendezvous wi ... More >>

Sex and the City 2 Reviews: The 10 Best Slams

​If you're the kind of person who sometimes asks themselves why some people hate Sex and the City so much, you are either (A) not living in New York or (B) one of the imported creatures or various changes in New York City that Sex and the City is responsible for. Well, in the new movie, Carrie ... More >>

Jamie Oliver Praises Mickey D's; Lady Gaga on the Baby Food Diet

​The Times Square Alliance is seeking proposals from local businesses to operate concession stands in the pedestrian plazas located on Broadway between 42d and 47th Streets. [NY Times] The National Milk Producers Federation is lobbying the FDA to require that plant-based beverages, like soy m ... More >>

UNDER PRESSURE

Lady Scarlet Knights host St. John's Red Storm

Men's Health Lists New York Among "Least Drunk" U.S. Cities

​Thanks to the Riverfront Times, we have seen a preview of an upcoming list article in Men's Health about America's Drunkest Cities. USA Today says the magazine finds Fresno, California the nation's drunkest municipality. Metrics include liver disease and DUI rates. We note that in 2004 Fresn ... More >>

Latest Sign of the Apocalypse: National Rankings for Kid Basketball!

​In another sign of the coming apocalypse, there are now official national rankings for youth basketball teams. Let's just pause for a second and consider that. Sure, Division I, II and III college teams? I get that. Rankings for the metropolitan high school teams? Sure, if the tabloids want ... More >>

41 is the New 51: Why America's Political Numeracy Crisis Continues

​We were kidding (to the apparent mystification of some of our readers), but this front page item from the Philadelphia Metro discovered by Atrios shows the impression persists that Scott Brown's election, which turned the Democratic Senate advantage from 60-40 to 59-41, is actually the dawn o ... More >>

Fast-food Chains Target Dieters in January; The Price of Tea (in China, Everywhere) to Rise with Shortage

​Just weeks after McDonald's unexpectedly lost its no. 2 executive, Domino's Pizza's CEO, David A. Brandon, has announced he is stepping down from his position in March. J. Patrick Doyle is expected to be named as his successor. [Wall Street Journal] A global tea shortage may worsen this year ... More >>

The Shake Shacking of America; The Big Plate Revolution of New York

​Dale Hemmerdinger, the ex-MTA chairman and current landlord, is evicting Shamsher Wadud, who for many years owned the Indian restaurant Nirvana on the roof of the building next door. Wadud is broke and a Parkinson's sufferer, and claims his apartment is overrun by rodents. [NY Post] The Shak ... More >>

Cadbury Workers Mount Anti-Kraft Protest; Spain Gets a Molecular Cooking School

​Major fast-food chains are rolling out new cheaper menu options. McDonald's will start a Dollar Breakfast Menu in January; Burger King is touting its $1 double cheeseburgers; and Taco Bell is gearing up for its 89-cent Beefy 5-Layer Burrito and, later, the Five Bucks Box with four food items ... More >>

Meat for Kids Not Up to Scratch; Beer Can Collecting Gone the Way of the Dodo

​Public school kids are getting millions of pounds of beef and chicken that wouldn't meet the standards of many fast-food restaurants. McDonald's and Burger King test their ground beef 5-10 times more than the USDA does school meat. [USA Today] Giuseppe Cipriani, the Italian restaurateur who ... More >>

New York to Get FoodWorks Food Plan Today; Rachael Ray Doles Out Illegal Food Smuggling Tips

​Babycakes' Erin McKenna uses garbanzo bean flour to replace white flour, coconut milk as a substitute for butter, and agave nectar as a low-glycemic sugar substitute. [NY Daily News] City Council speaker Christine C. Quinn will unveil a long-term plan on food policy today. The initiative, du ... More >>

Totonno's to Reopen in a Fortnight; Food Bars for Dogs

​Totonno's Pizzeria in Coney Island is finally expected to reopen after a fire forced it to close earlier this year. It was announced at a Community Board 13 meeting that the oven will be fired up in the next two weeks. [NY Post] A new security law requiring crates of goods to be checked for ... More >>

Essex House Housekeeper's Alleged Murder Semi-Confession Revealed

​"Be honest... Do you always lock your hotel-room deadbolt?" asks USA Today. The question gains relevance from the current trial of Derrick Praileau, a housekeeper at the Essex House on Central Park, who is accused of trying to rape, and successfully murdering, a resident, 44-year-old Andree ( ... More >>

A New Food Network On the Way; Julia Child Contemporary Charlotte Snyder Turgeon Dies

​Scripps Networks has plans to launch a cooking-focused TV channel next year, called the Cooking Channel, that will replace Fine Living. The company has a growing appetite for food programming following a joint venture to bring the Food Network to Europe. [Wall Street Journal] New Jersey can ... More >>

Booze News: Anheuser-Busch Launches Wheat Beer; Lonely Men Like Gin & Whiskey

​ Following in the footsteps of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, Zagat has launched its own wine club in collaboration with Direct Wines. The Zagat Wine Club will deliver a new specially selected mixed case every three months. [Zagat] With wineries being hit just as ... More >>

Whole Foods Goes Back to Its Roots; Racy Burger Ads Embarrass Those Who Actually Sell Burgers

​To offset falling sales, Whole Foods is planning to return to its natural-foods roots. The chain will launch a "healthy eating" initiative this fall with cooking demonstrations and recipes, shifting its focus from gourmet eating. [Wall Street Journal] Fast-food chains have embraced racy adve ... More >>

Unilever to Cut Trans Fats; A Cocktail for Each Borough

​In response to popular demand from consumers, margarine maker Unilever has decided to remove all partially hydrogenated oils -- or trans fats -- from its soft-spread brands, including I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and Country Crock. [USA Today] Some 22 percent of restaurants in the city we ... More >>

Booze News--Ludacris Launches Cognac; Gastropubs Lag in Gastronomy

The farm-to-glass movement parallels the farm-to-table movement, only the chefs are of the bar variety. Such bar chefs prefer to shop for fresh produce at farmers markets and organic-food stores, and shun pre-mixed syrups and bottled juices. [USA Today] Upscale gastropubs are getting the pub part r ... More >>

High Line Park Results in New Restaurant Row; Green Roofs Everywhere

Mere months after reports claiming the exact opposite, a new study suggests that living near a fast food outlet actually does not increase weight in children, and that living near supermarkets, with their fresh fruits and vegetables, does nothing to lower weight. Go figure. [Science Daily] A survey ... More >>

Grim, Downscale Fashion Week Starts Today

The early reports on Fashion Week, which today begins its final stand at Bryant Park (they move to Lincoln Center next year), are less festive than usual. "FASHION WEAK: WHERE HAS ALL THE GLAMOUR GONE?" says the Post. "The current crop of beer and fast-food labels look like they belong at Talladega, ... More >>

Breaking: Six More Weeks of Winter

Religious leader/groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning which, depending on your belief system, either predicted or caused another six weeks of winter. Fox News leads with the news, then a few grafs down says "The Groundhog Day forecast for the Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, area sug ... More >>

Big Macs, Pretty Colors Console Nervous Shoppers

Prisons of Darkness

CIA leads U.S. in 'reaching for the low moral ground' in the war against terrorism

Why Do You Think They Call Him Dope?

Front Lines

Finding War Coverage on the Web

Puckfellas