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Russian Skateboarder Should Have Checked His Ramp Before Trying This Trick
In the grand tradition of amateur skateboarders around the world, this Russian kid has bigger ambitions than his skills.
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Obama At Infamous Slave-Trade Site: 'We Have To Remain Vigilant In Defense Of Human Rights'
Obama and his family visited an infamous embarkation point for slaves, bound for the United States. At the so-called House Of Slaves on Senegal's Goree Island, the President said that the site is a powerful reminder of the horrors of the slave trade and how still, today, we need to protect human rights.
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It's Friday! Here's A Video Of A Baby Snow Leopard
The Tulsa Zoo is welcoming the birth of an endangered snow leopard cub. The little guy's named Niko, and he's about 7-weeks old and 7 pounds.
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Nancy Pelosi On Congressional Softball: "It's One Of The More Competitive Games"
Earlier this week, women in Congress gathered for the annual softball game. The competition isn't just for fun, it's also a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness and research.
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It's Cheaper To Adopt Black Babies Than White Ones
It's a phenomenon that makes most people uncomfortable, but it's also a fact: Adoption agencies have a harder time placing non-white babies in homes, and as a result, agencies have lowered the cost of those adoptions. It turns out even adoption follows a discomfiting version of supply and demand.
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North Korea Reinvents The iPad, Forgets To Include Internet
The Samjiyon is North Korea's version of the iPad, and it's got everything you'd expect in a great new tablet - except internet. Which basically means it's a giant touch screen device that comes pre-loaded with government propaganda and an Angry Birds rip-off.
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See Elizabeth Taylor's First Wedding Dress That Just Sold For Nearly $200k
Elizabeth Taylor's first wedding dress was auctioned off at Christie's in London on Wednesday for $188 thousand. She wore the gown in 1950 when she was 18 and marrying Paris Hilton's great grandfather and hotel heir, Conrad "Nicky" Hilton Jr. The marriage only lasted three months with Taylor to wed seven more times afterward.
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DNA-Based Diabetes Vaccine Could Potentially Aid Millions
Researchers are conducting trials of a vaccine that could help millions of people suffering from Type 1 diabetes, the most severe form. The so-called "reverse" vaccine works in the opposite way of most -- instead of boosting immune responses, it shuts down part of the system that destroys insulin-creating pancreatic cells. Future trials could lead to widespread use, though it'll probably take years.
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Filibuster Be Damned: Texas Gov. Will Just Try To Pass Anti-Abortion Laws All Over Again
Texas Gov. Rick Perry called for a second legislative session to try and pass a harshly anti-abortion bill that was blocked a day earlier. State Sen. Wendy Davis was deemed a hero by pro-choice supporters when she staged a filibuster for more than 10 hours to stop the legislation from passing.
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Home Movies Of Michael Jackson And His Young Kids Shown In Court
Videos that Michael Jackson made with his kids Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket were shown in the wrongful death trial for the Prince of Pop. MJ's mom, Katherine Jackson, is suing AEG, claiming that the promotion company negligently hired Dr. Conrad Murray, who was sentenced to prison for his role in the pop star's 2009 death.
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Chinese Workers Free American CEO After Holding Him Hostage Over Back Pay
Charles Starnes, the CEO of Specialty Medical Supplies, based in Florida, was visiting his company's Beijing factory to lay off 30 workers. Instead, the workers took him prisoner, claiming they were owed two months of back pay. Starnes, who denies the claim, was held for almost a week before being released.
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Rep. Ellison Likes To Play Blues Guitar Mid-Interview
NowThis's DC crew sat down with Congressman Keith Ellison, a Democrat from Minnesota. We ran through some of the standard political fare, but the highlight, by far, was when he started to talk -- and demonstrate -- his love for blues guitar.
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Rep. Ellison On Education: We Need To Put Our Money Where Our Mouth Is
The Minnesota congressman says we cannot double interest rates on student loans.
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Obama: 'If You're Married In Massachusetts And You Move, You're Still Married'
At a press conference in Senegal, Obama said that if a gay couple gets married in a state where that's legal, they should be able to move anywhere and still have the marriage recognized -- addressing a major concern about yesterday's Supreme Court ruling that struck down DOMA. He also acknowledged that legally, there were issues that still needed to be resolved for that to happen.
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Obama In Africa: Nelson Mandela Is A Hero For The World
Part of Obama's trip to Africa will include a visit to South Africa and to see their ailing former president, Nelson Mandela. The Nobel Peace Prize winner is in critical condition but smiled and opened his eyes when hearing of Obama's visit, according to his daughter. In remarks in Senegal on Thursday, Obama spoke of the anti-apartheid leader saying that if and when he dies, "his legacy is one that will linger on throughout the ages."
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Obama Won't "Wheel And Deal" With China To Get Snowden Back
In a press conference in Senegal on Thursday, Obama commented on the international relations issue NSA leaker Edward Snowden has become. Snowden has avoided extradition to the U.S. in both Hong Kong and Moscow, but Obama says he's not about to call either China or Russia's presidents to get him back. They should call him.
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SCOTUS Gay Marriage Rulings: Great News For Gay Couples In California, Less So In Arkansas
Yesterday, the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act and punted Prop. 8 back to the lower courts, paving the way for legal gay marriage in California. Advocates are celebrating the decisions as a huge victories for gay rights - but most of the changes will only come to couples living in the dozen or so states with legal same-sex unions.
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He's A Robot, He's A Butler, He's British
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University created a robot who acts as a butler, accomplishing tasks like heating up food in a microwave or grabbing a book. Using a computer algorithm, the electronic butlers can solve problems and then retain the information to remember how to do so. Turns out, the Jetsons called it.
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Meet The Woman Who Single-Handedly Filibustered Texas' Abortion Bill In Pink Sneakers
On Tuesday night, nearly 200,000 people tuned in to watch a live stream of the Texas Senate - high ratings for a legislative debate. They'd tuned to watch the culmination of a day-long process to block (at least for now) a strict new Texas abortion bill, led by one woman, Wendy Davis, whose back-breaking old-fashioned filibuster drew national attention. So who is she?
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Bunostegos: World's Ugliest Dinosaur Discovered
Fossils of a cow-sized dinosaur with bizarre bony protrusions all over its face have been discovered in Niger. The remains of the beast, which scientists are calling Bunostegos, are about 260 million years old. It was believed to be a plant-eater and would have lived on the mega-continent Pangea.
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