The Huffington Post - Read the Latest News from the U.S.

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Crossposted with TomDispatch.com.Looking for a way out of Afghanistan?  Maybe it's time to try something entirely new and totally different.  So how about putting into action, for the first time in recorded history, the most enlightened edict ever passed by the United Nations Security Council: Resolution 1325?More...

Why Peace Is the Business of Men (But Shouldn't Be): A Modest Proposal for the Immodest Brotherhood of Big Men

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Sarah Palin will give her first interview since the Arizona shootings--and her controversial "blood libel" video--to Fox News' Sean Hannity. Palin will appear on "Hannity" on Monday, Jan. 17. The New York Times first reported the news. The Times said that the interview is scheduled to span over several commercial breaks.Palin has been a locus for criticism in the wake of the shootings, as people centered on her infamous crosshairs map, and then on the video she released on Tuesday which contained the "blood libel" statement.More...

Sarah Palin Appearing On Sean Hannity's Fox News Show Monday (VIDEO)

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, honoring one the greatest civil rights leaders of all time.Celebrated this year on January 17, 2011, the holiday falls on the third Monday of January every year, right around King's birthday, which is January 15. King would have been 82 this year.More...

MLK Jr. "I Have A Dream" Speech (VIDEO)

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In the wake of the Saturday shooting in Tucson, Ariz., Rep. Peter King (D-N.Y) announced he will introduce legislation to make it illegal to bring a gun within 1,000 feet of a government official -- but if recent political events are any indication, there's been little interest in separating guns and U.S. politics.Just last year, Giffords's Republican opponent Jesse Kelly encouraged voters to join him in rallying to oust Giffords from office by shooting a fully-loaded assault rifle: "Get on Target for Victory in November Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly," the invitation read. Tea Party darling Joe Miller, a staunch supporter of Second Amendment rights, recently defended his gun-toting Senate campaign supporters who marched in a local Alaska parade carrying substantial weaponry alongside their Joe Miller signs. And appearing at a three-day machine gun social in Kentucky last year, Sen. Rand Paul (then a candidate for the seat) said, "The president says that you're out here in the middle of the country clinging to your guns and ammunition. What I tell the President is, 'We're clinging to our guns, our religions and our ammunition," according to The Daily Caller's report.More...

Guns In U.S. Politics: 10 Recent Examples

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The media's (all too predictable) obsession with Pope Benedict's recent "condom" comments has obscured other noteworthy aspects of his recently released book-length interview, Light of the World.  German journalist Peter Seewald engages Benedict in an extensive exchange on the global ecological turmoil facing our planet. The Pope's responses show no hint of "denialism" or of any flimsy "God won't let man destroy the planet" naiveté. Instead, the Pope is frank and direct: "Sacred Scripture tells us, and experience too tells us, that we do not remain here forever. But surely, we are doing something wrong" (p. 43). Later, when asked if there is any chance that we can "save our planet by our own power" he is even blunter:

"Man is clearly in danger, and he is endangering both himself and the world...Man can be saved only when moral energies gather strength in his heart; energies that can come only from the encounter with God..." (p. 184).

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The Pope, The Environment and Religiously Inspired Self-Restraint

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As you prepare to watch the television event of the season, you may be experiencing some common concerns. How will you make sense of all the intense competition, sparkly dresses and complicated interview questions? How will you know what the contestants are secretly thinking? Fear not! My Unofficial Miss America Live Blog will guide you through, every step of the way.More...

Miss America Pageant 2011 Live Blog

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When I do these interviews, I have found myself just as interested, if not more so, with what informs our muses as I am with what they're wearing. For example, it's not a coincidence that Nina loves minimal color, clean silhouettes and photography with spare landscapes, and, as a result, has enough space in her head to read volumes of profound literature.Until recently she was a purveyor of trends for forecasting companies, which led her to opt out of the overstimulation of fashion fluctuations in favor of a very considered wardrobe that is interchangeable and that she can pack in a carry-on in fifteen minutes.More...

Nina Stotler Is Modern And Minimal (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

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In light of the recent tragedy in Arizona, we wanted to round together books about the state to help shed light on the incident. From history texts to novels, here are 15 books about, or set in, Arizona.Have you read any? Know any other books about the state? Let us know in the comments section below.More...

Arizona: 15 Books To Help Understand The State (PHOTOS)

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In the wake of the current mortgage crisis, the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America is helping thousands of Americans find some relief. The nation's leading non-profit organization begins their Save-the-Dream Tour next week with a week-long foreclosure prevention event for Los Angeles homeowners. Hundreds of counselors from NACA--which has contracts with major lending services such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac--will help borrowers to obtain affordable mortgage payments. For one Van Nuys family, Save-The-Dream made a happier future possible, "...We left the event with our mortgage lowered by $679 a month. My baby and 2-year-old son will now be able to grow up in our dream home thanks to NACA," said Taneka Johnson.The Save-The-Dream Tour has already helped thousands in need with reductions inMore...

NACA's Mortgage Convention Helps Los Angeles Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure

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As I wrote yesterday, expectations are a funny thing.  For months, if not a year, The Green Hornet (review) was pegged as a costly sure-fire flop.  Plagued by alleged reshoots, a date change from December 2010 to January 2011, and a seemingly desperate quick-conversion to 3D.  But the film started screening for the geek crowd to mostly positive responses, and the buzz started building.  The tracking estimated around $40 million for the four-day opening weekend.  Yet when the film opened on Friday to $11.1 million, the pundits shouted 'disappointment!', 'failure!', and/or 'under-performer!' for daring to actually meet but not exceed expectations.  So yes, the Michael Gondry superhero action-comedy The Green Hornet debuted at number one over the long Martin Luther King day holiday, with $34 million over three days and a projected $40 million for the four-day weekend.  In my book, meeting positive expectations puts you in the 'win' column.The film scored a B+ from Cinemscore, played about 61% male and about 50/50 between genders.  Whatever comes from here on out, the film is a winner for at least its first four days.   The film cost way too much (anywhere from $110 million to $150 million, depending on who you ask), so merely scoring on opening weekend won't be enough to make the film profitable without strong overseas dollars.  But the market is pretty bare for around a month, with no hardcore geek projects until Drive Angry on February 25th, and no general audience action-adventure pictures until I Am Number Four on February 18th.  The film took the third-biggest three-day opening weekend in January history, behind Star Wars: Special Edition ($36 million) and Cloverfield ($40 million).More...

HuffPost Weekend Box Office in Review: Green Hornet dominates MLK holiday