News

Singing “Zip-O-Dee-Doo-Dah” (seriously), John Boehner held a press conference this afternoon to announce his resignation both as House Speaker and from Congress entirely.

WOW. The New York Times: “Mr. Boehner was under extreme pressure from the right wing of his conference over whether or not to defund Planned Parenthood in a bill to keep the government open.” Teabagistan is going to explode in utter joy. Story developing… UPDATE: The Hill reports. “Speaker Boehner believes that the first job of any Speaker is to …

Pope Francis is just landing at an East River helipad for his motorcade through Manhattan to St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. It’s a short ride but the security presence is the most massive ever seen in New York City.

Pope Francis is on his way to the US Capitol where a large crowd is awaiting his unprecedented address to Congress. The below live-stream will begin at 9:30AM.  Last night Rachel Maddow reported that 16 members of Congress, eight from each party, have been assigned to perform as de facto papal bodyguards, should any of their colleagues breach protocol and …

Broadcasters and filmmakers may finally use Happy Birthday To You without paying royalties to Warner Music. Via the Guardian: A federal court judge in Los Angeles has declared the song Happy Birthday To You belongs in the public domain, dealing a blow to the music publishing company that has been collecting royalties from the song for decades. US district judge …

Thousands of people either camped out all night or arrived outside the White House in this morning’s predawn hours in advance of the arrival of Pope Francis. Reuters reports on today’s events: Pope Francis and President Barack Obama are set to hold private talks at the White House on Wednesday before the pontiff parades through streets of Washington on the …

A few weeks ago I posted a tentative look at Philadelphia’s “vehicle exclusion zone” for the visit of Pope Francis. Above is the final map. The rules: Drive your car outside the green box above after Thursday, Sept. 24, and you can’t drive it back in until sometime Monday, Sept. 28. If your car is parked either within the area …

The Afghan tradition of “bacha bazi” – literally “boy play” – is illegal both under Sharia law and civil code, yet few are prosecuted – especially if the perpetrators are powerful men. Yesterday the New York Times reported that the US soldiers have been told to ignore the practice, even when it takes place on military outposts. From their story: …

Jackie Collins, whose 32 novels have sold over 500 million copies in more than 40 languages, has died of breast cancer at the age of 77. CNN reports: People magazine reported that Collns was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer six-and-a-half years ago and chose to keep the illness private. The magazine said she confided in her three adult daughters, …

MTV reviews: Written and directed by “Twilight’s” Catherine Hardwicke, the video opens with a warning of its graphic content. “I hope that this PSA, with its raw and truthful portrayals, will send a clear message that we need to support these courageous survivors and end this epidemic plaguing our college campuses,” Hardwicke said in a statement. “Till It Happens To …

Times Square’s AMC Empire 25, which bills itself as the nation’s busiest movie theater, is once again infested with bedbugs, forcing the glitzy premiere of Maze Runner to relocate across the street. More from the AV Club: In what was possibly a failed marketing stunt or an act of corporate sabotage, the New York City premiere of Maze Runner: The Scorch …

In our second kiss cam story today, the New York Mets have announced that their kiss cam will no longer feature opposing players as a “joke” to the fans in the stadium. CNN reports: The kiss cam will continue, said Jay Horwitz, vice president of media relations, but it will no longer feature players in the heart-shaped frame in an …

NBC reports: The Atlanta Braves’ “Kiss Cam” entertainment at Turner Field featured a famous couple Thursday night: former President Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn. The two were in their usual seats near the Braves dugout during a 5-0 loss to Toronto, and they received a loud cheer when shown on the video board. Carter kissed his wife and then gave …

Responding to the worsening refugee crisis in Europe, yesterday Pope Francis declared that any church that isn’t using their empty facilities to house refugees should pay property tax. “Some religious orders say ‘No, now that the convent is empty we are going to make a hotel and we can have guests, and support ourselves that way, or make money,’” the …

NASA’s Cassini–Huygens probe launched back in October 1997 and 18 years later it continues to provide fascinating discoveries. Via Science Daily: A global ocean lies beneath the icy crust of Saturn’s geologically active moon Enceladus, according to new research using data from NASA’s Cassini mission. Researchers found the magnitude of the moon’s very slight wobble, as it orbits Saturn, can …

Mark Zuckerberg today announced that Facebook is finally going to roll out a “dislike” button. Business Insider reports: “I think people have asked about the dislike button for many years. Today is a special day because today is the day I can say we’re working on it and shipping it,” Zuckerberg said during a Q&A at Facebook’s headquarters. Zuckerberg said …

Via press release: “Extra’s” Mario Lopez sat down with Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for a candid one-on-one interview. Hillary sounding off on everything from what she thinks of Republican candidate Donald Trump to Kim Kardashian and her husband, Kanye West. Hillary telling Mario what she this of Donald Trump’s popularity, “I am watching this with some concern because I think …

Stick around for the end. Talking Points Memo recaps last night’s show: “Last Week Tonight” — with the help of some popular crime show actors — presented a new Miranda rights speech Sunday night to include important qualifiers about public defenders. “Fifty years after the Supreme Court gave everyone the fundamental right to an attorney, even if you can’t afford …

Huge news from the Sydney Morning Herald: Malcolm Turnbull will become Australia’s 29th prime minister after beating Tony Abbott in a dramatic leadership ballot in Canberra on Monday night. Mr Turnbull’s victory is reminiscent of the coup former prime minister Julia Gillard staged against Kevin Rudd in 2010 and makes the former communications minister Australia’s fifth prime minister in just …

Two years behind schedule and $400M over its $2B budget, the 1.5 mile extension of the 7 line to Hudson Yards finally opened yesterday. The New York Times reports: In a West Side neighborhood long isolated from the rest of Manhattan, crowds gathered on Sunday for a truly rare sight in New York City: the opening of a new subway …