LIGHTS OUT

‘Painter of light’ Thomas Kinkade dead at 54

Thomas Kinkade screen grab via AP

The self-anointed “painter of light” and “most collected” U.S. artist, Thomas Kinkade, has passed away of what his family says are natural causes in his home in Los Gatos, California.

MOM IS FIGHTING FOR DRUG REFORM

Regulate marijuana billboard grabs eyes near Mile High Stadium

A billboard placed in Denver by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. Photo: Courtesy, RegulateMarijuana.org.

Colorado’s Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol has just fired its first big advertising salvo, and it looks to be an effective one.

QUALITY STUFF

The insider’s guide to cancer prevention

breast exam image via Shutterstock.com

These experts spend their lives fighting cancer. They have heard every tip, sensible or not, for how to avoid it. They tell Oliver Laughland how their lifestyles have changed as a result .

BEST IDEA EVER!

Armed neo-Nazis patrol the streets of Sanford, looking for race riots

NSM rally in 2009 in California via Flickr

Heavily armed neo-Nazis are said to be patrolling the streets of Sanford, Florida to protect “white citizens in the area” in case of race riots.

LATEST THING TO BE PARAOID ABOUT

Facebook vulnerability allows hacking of iPhone app

iphonebeach-flickruserNicoKaiser

Earlier this week, a Facebook app developer reported that he had found a security hole which allows the log-in information sent to Facebook from a variety of mobile devices to be hacked.

CASTING CALL FOR FRACTIVISTS

Matt Damon about to start filming ‘anti-fracking blockbuster’

Matt Damon in 2011 via AFP

The Hollywood is hunting for some “great character faces” for a feature film he is making with director Gus Van Sant about fracking.

Tech News

Milwaukee Zoo arranges iPad ‘play dates’ for oragutans in other zoos

The young orangutan reaches his hand through the cage and rubs his knuckles over an…

Twitter sues creators of spam-generating software programs

Twitter on Thursday turned to a US federal court in its latest effort to stop…

Media

The new face of the U.S. Border Patrol is a semi-automatic-toting Steven Seagal

Yes, it’s the return of Officer Steven Seagal, this time making sure the US-Mexico border…

Current TV: Olbermann has specialized in pounding the table

Current TV slammed political commentator Keith Olbermann on Thursday, after the infamously volatile pundit filed…

World

Investigative reporter Seymour Hersh details U.S. training of Iranian terrorist group

Although the dissident Iranian group known as the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) has been listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the…

Suicide bomber kills Afghan peace envoy and his son

A suicide bomber assassinated an Afghan peace envoy and former mujahedeen commander on Friday, in the latest blow to stuttering…

Pirates hijack Chinese cargo ship near Iranian port

A Chinese cargo ship was hijacked by pirates on Friday in the Gulf of Oman, not far off the south…

Women’s rights activist poised to become Malawi’s new president

Joyce Banda, who rose to prominence in Malawi as a relentless advocate for women’s rights, now appears set to become…

U.S. News

National Review writer ignites firestorm over ‘disgusting rant’ on race

Conservative columnist writes piece urging parents of ‘nonblack’ children to shield kids from contact with…

Rick Santorum’s daughter hospitalized again

WASHINGTON — The youngest daughter of Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who suffers from a…

Navy jet crashes into Virginia apartment building

WASHINGTON — A US Navy F-18 fighter jet crashed just after take-off Friday, plunging into…

Gov. Scott Walker repeals Wisconsin Equal Pay law

With little fanfare, union-busting Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) yesterday signed a repeal of Wisconsin’s equal…

Board rules that Marine who called Obama the ‘enemy’ should be discharged

A US Marine faces possible dismissal after posting critical remarks on Facebook about US President…