Atlantic Monthly Contributors's Blog, page 1020

This New York Times Wedding Story Lives Up to the Hype

It's not every day that a New York Times wedding announcement takes off, but when you notice a bunch of people urging you to read a story about a professional juggler and an artist who sets things on fire for a living falling in love, well, it's hard to resist clicking.

The reviews over Saturday night, when the story was first posted, and Sunday morning were all enough to tantalize even the most jaded Internet veterans. "This is definitely one of the best NYT wedding stories I've ever read," Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch said. "His 'single comma' text is sumpthin else," Atlantic Wire contributor Jen Doll added. "In the NYT Vows column, is the bride ever NOT a professional juggler?" asked one person. "Weirdest NYT vows ever," said another. "Best. NY Times. Wedding Story. Ever. EVER!" screamed one reader. "Just your typical love story about a professional juggler and a man who sets giant sculptures on fire," said Uproxx writer Danger Guerrero. OK, OK, OK, you have our attention. 

Today, the Vows section brings you the story of how Lindsay Benner, a 31-year old professional juggler who has appeared on The Tonight Show, and Dan Das Mann, a 43-year-old artist who makes "monumental sculptures set ablaze, and capped by fireworks and explosions, including 900 gallons of jet fuel that blew up into a mushroom cloud," first met.

It's a classic tale of star-cross'd lovers who met at a party one half was attending with someone else. But there was an instant, undeniable connection the two couldn't deny. Eventually they started dating, despite Benner having another boyfriend, and they fell headfirst into an intense relationship. But, unfortunately, eventually something had to give: 

For six weeks, she juggled the weight of the two relationships — a precarious feat. She and Mr. Das Mann exchanged more than a thousand texts, and then, overwhelmed, she asked for a complete break. Mr. Das Mann, impressed by her kindness and integrity, respected her wish, but then he broke the silence with a single text of one comma.

“The comma was to signify that in my opinion, we were just on pause,” he said.

The break was short lived. It is the Weddings/Celebrations section, after all. This story does have a happy ending that includes fireworks -- both physical and spiritual -- and "gold-and-purple faux fur coveralls cut like tuxedos." Read the whole story, and make sure you all the way to the very bottom. Read every word because the kicker is, well, explosive. 

       

What to Expect from the President's Big Climate Change Speech

On Tuesday, President Obama will use a speech at the University of Georgetown to announce new, sweeping executive orders addressing climate change that will be designed to appease critics who have attacked the President for talking the green talk and not walking the green walk. Obviously, the White House is also hoping tackling climate change will get them some decent press in the wake of that pesky surveillance scandal. 

After signalling he was ready to act during a speech in Berlin last week, the White House released a video of the President teasing his plan to lay out new climate initiatives late Saturday. "This Tuesday, I'll lay out my vision for where I believe we need to go - a national plan to reduce carbon pollution, prepare our country for the impacts of climate change and lead global efforts to fight it," he says. "There's no single step that can reverse the effects of climate change. But when it comes to the world we leave our children, we owe it to them to do what we can."

The President is expected to use his executive powers to adopt a wide array of climate change measures, but no one is 100% sure what those measures are just yet. Reuters reports the President will detail "a strategy to limit greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants" to cap U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. (Power plants account for more than 40 percent of domestic CO2 emissions.) The Washington Post reports the President will also announce new short-term goals: 

In the speech at Georgetown University, according to individuals briefed on the matter who asked not to be identified because the plan was not yet public, Obama will detail a government-wide plan to not only reduce the nation’s carbon output but also prepare the United States for the near-term impacts of global warming.

They said those measures would include programs to enhance the resilience of coastal communities as well as Agriculture Department “climate adaptation hubs” that could help farmers cope with changes in temperature and precipitation.

The President promised big climate change initiatives during his second Inaugural address but has come under fire in some corners for not acting on those promises until now. Still, his combination of short- and long-term goals seem to fulfill his promise of responding to climate change, "knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations." The President also said the road towards climate change would be "long and sometimes difficult," maybe signalling a fight to pass bills through congress, but in reality his climate plan should be relatively easy to enact. Because Obama is using his executive powers, he avoids having to pass anything through the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. But The New York Times cautions the path towards climate change isn't exactly sunny and paved in green:

Mr. Obama’s decision to use his executive authority to regulate utilities reflects a determination that he has no prospect of passing such sweeping policies through Congress. But while the Supreme Court validated the power of the executive to regulate carbon emissions without further legislation, the president’s move may draw lawsuits and other challenges from industry and Republicans citing the economic costs.

Nothing is going to come easy for Obama when it comes to the environment, or any other issue for that matter. There's no indication as to whether or not Obama will approve the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. That move would certainly appease Republicans and make the entire climate change slate go down easier, but it would also infuriate climate change activists and potentially steal the headlines away from other initiatives. 

       

Beyond Moscow: Where Is Edward Snowden Going Next?

Update, 12:44 p.m.: The AFP reports the trip to Havana was red herring! Snowden has actually filed for asylum in Ecuador now: 

#BREAKING: Snowden has requested asylum in Ecuador: foreign minister

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) June 23, 2013

The Wikileaks connection makes so much sense now. 

Update, 12:26 p.m.: Things are getting more and more complicated by the minute for Edward Snowden. Sheremetyevo airport sources have informed Russia's Interfax that Snowden will not be able to leave without a valid visa:

"Snowden cannot be taken out of the airport even in a diplomatic car since he has neither an ordinary, nor a diplomatic visa," he said.

There were some reports saying Snowden would spend the night in the Ecuadorian embassy and never technically be on Russian soil because he would travel by diplomatic car. So this means he will have to spend the night in the airport until his flight to Havana departs. 

Wether this affects his plan to leave Russia remains unclear. He now has no visa and no passport. So far as we know, he doesn't have citizenship in another country that would allow him to travel legally. Stay tuned in case Edward Snowden turns into a Tom Hanks character. 

Update, 12:06 p.m.: Some curious new details from ABC's Akiko Fujita: apparently Snowden had his passport revoked on June 22 so he should never have been allowed to leave Hong Kong. Also, the U.S. has informed Moscow they would like Snowden deported: 

Russian govt notified by embassy in Moscow that Snowden no longer has valid passport & that US "desires to have him deported" via @meekwire

— Akiko Fujita (@AkikoFujita) June 23, 2013

Update, 9:34 a.m.: Russia's Interfax reports Snowden has landed in Russia and will spend the intervening hours before his flight to Havana in the airport without ever crossing through border control and therefore he'll remain out of Russian jurisdiction. He's still allegedly heading to Venezuela. At least, that's the plan. But, on the other hand, there's a rising tide of people who think Snowden is really headed for Ecuador because of the Wikileaks involvement. To that end, Ecuadorian diplomats met Snowden at the airport. 

Original: Edward Snowden is leaving on a jet plane and doesn't know when he'll be back again, oh no, he's on the go. The former government contractor left Hong Kong on a one-way flight to Moscow -- with Wikileaks' help -- where he will catch another flight to another "diplomatic" country after Hong Kong announced they were no longer housing Snowden in the early hours of Sunday morning because the U.S. extradition request didn't comply with Hong Kong law. 

There's a whole lot of conflicting information out there, but this is what we know: The New York Times reports the man who leaked sensitive National Security Agency information is on Aeroflot flight SU213, a one-way trip to Moscow, with one other person, who Wikileaks all but confirmed is Sarah Harrison, one of Julian Assange's closest advisors. He's allegedly scheduled to land in Moscow around 5 p.m. local time (9 a.m. EST) but RT.com sources say Snowden is actually already on the ground. Dmitry Peskov, Valdimir Putin's spokesman, said Russia would roll out the red carpet for him last week, should he choose to travel there. But statements from Wikileaks signal that Moscow is only a stop over for Snowden. Assange told the Sunday Morning Herald Post that Wikileaks arranged for Snowden to meet with diplomats from his desired destination, which is, according to Assange, a "democratic country," though he declined to say which one.

Wikileaks released this statement Sunday morning: 

He is bound for a democratic nation via a safe route for the purposes of asylum, and is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisors from WikiLeaks.

Mr Snowden requested that WikiLeaks use its legal expertise and experience to secure his safety. Once Mr Snowden arrives at his final destination his request will be formally processed.

Hong Kong released a statement Sunday morning announcing they didn't comply with requests to detain Snowden from the U.S. because, well, this is embarrassing. According to Hong Kong, the U.S. didn't fill out the legal forms properly: 

Since the documents provided by the U.S. government did not fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law, the HKSAR government has requested the U.S. government to provide additional information ... As the HKSAR government has yet to have sufficient information to process the request for provisional warrant of arrest, there is no legal basis to restrict Mr Snowden from leaving Hong Kong.

That will certainly warm diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China. It also doesn't help that Snowden was reportedly staying in an apartment owned and operated by Hong Kong's security branch to avoid "rendition" by U.S. spies. 

Various reports gathered by Reuters are pushing forward the idea that Moscow isn't a be-all-end-all destination for Snowden. It's merely a connecting flight to somewhere smaller, usually warmer, with even fewer diplomatic ties to the U.S.

His rumored destinations are: 

Cuba Venezuela Ecuador Iceland

So we know the former Booz Allen Hamilton contractor is on the way to Moscow. Separate Russian news agencies are reporting Snowden is scheduled to fly from Moscow to Havana, Cuba, where he'll catch another flight to Caracas, Venezuela, his alleged ultimate destination. Reuters is now reporting he'll fly to Havana on Monday before eventually going to Caracas. Snowden originally told The Guardian's Glenn Greenwald that Iceland was his safe-haven of choice all along, despite initially travelling to Hong Kong instead. Now it appears the Wikileaks team has convinced him that Venezuela has a complicated relationship with the U.S. and is much less likely to comply to U.S. pressure. Snowden's been holed up in China since arriving at the end of May, changing hotels, speaking with local newspapers as recently as the same day he made his request to move to Iceland, but all the while planning what to do next. But now he's on the move, an international jet-setter flying from one country to the next, each with an increasing amount of antagonism towards the U.S. as the last. 

       

Your Last Minute Guide to the Supermoon

Have no fear, the supermoon is here. Again. It's the time of year when the moon will spend the night closer to the earth than any other night of the year. We're here to make sure you sound like the smartest star-gazer at the party: here's everything you need to know about the very large, very Instagrammable moon. Once a year the moon spends one night all snuggled up with the earth. And that night is here! The moon will be roughly 221,824 miles from Earth on Sunday night, its closest point of the year, making it seem 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the pedestrian moons we're used to. It also just so happens to be a full moon. So yeah, technically the supermoon isn't until Sunday night but it's still going to look plenty big on Saturday night when you're out with your friends, a little lubricated and ready to snap pictures of just about anything. You can look up when the supermoon will shine brightest in your sky on the US Naval Observatory website. Last year, we explained how the supermoon won't drive you crazy or sink your ship or ruin the Internet. There's no reason to be afraid of the supermoon. With that in mind, here are a few more things to consider: 

What If I Don't Want to Look at the Supermoon?

Let's say you're a little superstitious of this extra large moon that will be bombarding your skyline this evening. It's big. It's unusual. You don't trust it. It smells funny.* You don't want to acknowledge that the moon is so big, even though it's only for one night of the year. The moon shouldn't change! Change is scary! Well, turns out there's something you can do: don't look at the supermoon. Ignore it. Or you can go in the other direction and take the advice space expert Heather Couper gave the BBC:

She suggested it might be possible to dispel the illusion by turning away from the Moon, bending over and looking at the sky from between your legs.

Get all of your friends to do it too so you don't feel so weird. Just make sure someone gets a picture.

How to Instagram the Supermoon

Let's be honest for a change: we're all going to Instagram the supermoon. Literally everyone on earth with a cell phone will snap a picture of this thing between Saturday and Sunday night. And that's why Wired made a guide catered specifically to snapping the best picture possible. They cater their instructions to pros using DSLR cameras and joes using their smart phones. You're going to need a steady hand and the ability to alter your camera's exposure. But the most important part, regardless of your equipment, is patience: 

This isn’t an action shot. This is a photo of a slow-moving celestial object. You’re going to have to take multiple test shots to get your exposure correct. Once that’s dialed in, start taking photos. Move the camera around to adjust the scene. Remember your composition is just as important as your exposure.

So, yeah, prepare yourself for a whole lotta pictures of this thing before the weekend is over. It might get obnoxious. Though, to be fair, there are worse things you could do on your Sunday or Monday morning than looking at pictures of the coolest moon of the year. Last year's pictures were spectacular. So, you know, don't be a supermoon hater. 

But What If I Miss It?

Here's the thing: you don't need to see the supermoon this weekend. The world isn't going to end if you stay in your basement watching movies until Monday morning without surfacing for air. The supermoon will be back next year and it's going to be bigger and brighter than ever. In fact, two years from now there's going to be the superest supermoon yet: "If you're looking for a more thrilling lunar event, a larger supermoon is expected on Sept. 28, 2015, and the largest supermoon until 2034 will occur on Nov. 14, 2016." But do you want to save your supermoon cherry for the year before it starts an eighteen year decline? No, you want to be the person who was looking at the supermoon before it was cool. Be a supermoon hipster and look up this weekend. 

       

Edward Snowden Left Hong Kong

Update, Sunday 7:41 a.m.: The New York Times reports Edward Snowden left Hong Kong on a one-way flight to Moscow on Sunday morning. We'll have a full, updated post about his travel arrangements within the hour. 

Update, 6:10 p.m.: The New York Times' Gerry Mulaney and Scott Shane report Snowden is staying in what is essentially a Hong Kong government safe house: 

For the past week, Mr. Snowden, 30, appears to have been staying in an apartment in Hong Kong’s Western District that is controlled by the Hong Kong government’s security branch, according to a person who has followed the case and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Mr. Snowden appears to have been granted access to the apartment after seeking protection from the Hong Kong police against a possible rendition attempt by the United States, the person said.

Just because Snowden is staying in a government safe house, it doesn't mean Snowden is completely safe from being extradited to the U.S. Hong Kong is a special administrative region belonging to China. Hong Kong has a long autonomy leash, yes, but the big red machine handles most of the important decisions. So if China decides to cooperate with the U.S. then Snowden is out of luck, regardless of support from Hong Kong. And White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon told CBS News they "expect" China to cooperate. 

Original, 11:39 a.m.: The day after the U.S. government filed espionage charges against him, the first step in the process to have him extradited, Edward Snowden has revealed his current location -- to an extent. He is, surprisingly, in the same place he's always been. The South China Morning Post reports Snowden is still in Hong Kong. They don't elaborate where, though. Snowden is in a "safe place," he allegedly told the paper. He hasn't been detained and he's not under police protection. We've been tracking his whereabouts ever since this scandal broke. And, for about the last week or so, we've had no real clue where Snowden was hiding. He could have been anywhere. But now we know where is, and where he's heading. 

Snowden has always been open about his eventual goal: he wants to seek asylum in Iceland. And it appears he's been going through the motions to make that happen, potentially with the help of Wikileaks' legal team, but for now he's still in hanging out in Hong Kong. The Justice Department formally filed charges against Snowden and requested Hong Kong authorities detain him on Friday.  Those actions were the first two steps in the simple six-step process to have Snowden extradited back to the U.S. Once Snowden is in custody, the government will have 60 days to file and indictment with a Hong Kong court to have him shipped home where he will stand trial. 

Of course, there's always a chance China won't go along with that process. "The Global Times, a mainland newspaper controlled by the Communist Party, called an extradition of Mr. Snowden an 'inconceivable option' in a recent commentary," The New York Times reports. China not going along with the west's wishes is something Snowden's been counting on from the beginning. And, hmm, given that Snowden also told the SCMP that the U.S. hacks Chinese mobile companies to access text messages and SMS data, they may not feel inclined to play along. Oh, and some people think he's a Chinese spy. They're silly. 

       

Boston Police Search Aaron Hernandez's (Doll) House

Boston law enforcement spent over three hours searching the home of New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez and they left no stone -- or doll house -- unturned. The Boston Globe reports more than a dozen police officers started searching Hernandez's house (with a warrant!) around 1:45 p.m. on Saturday with the help of two police dogs. CBS Boston adds that State Police Crime Lab units were seen going in the house at different points. What they're looking for is unclear but it's not surprising that they ended up doing a thorough search of Hernandez's home after reports said he trashed his security system and cell phone and had his house cleaned this week. Police were seen taking bags full of evidence out of the house all afternoon. 

Things aren't looking good for the Patriot player. He was questioned almost immediately after Odin Lloyd was shot in Boston on early Monday morning. Lloyd — reportedly dating the sister of the Hernandez's girlfriend —  was found in an industrial park a mile away from Hernandez's house and video evidence proved the two were together a few hours before he was killed. 

A lot of police and media attention focused on a mammoth doll house in the back yard of Hernandez's sprawling North Attleborough home:

Seriously, does this dog sublet? “@KevinGArmstrong: Detectives now searching doghouse out back of Hernandez house pic.twitter.com/kv3GhzJv3u”

— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurke_SI) June 22, 2013

If we can't figure out if its a dog house or doll house being taken from Aaron Hernandez's home, this is a trickier guy than anyone expected

— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) June 22, 2013

Aaron Hernandez dog house is literally bigger than my own house: pic.twitter.com/ymSQme9RJm

— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) June 22, 2013

Things apparently got hairy inside the house at one point. Police were trying to open... something that a crowbar couldn't handle. They had to call in an expert: 

Detective comes out for two-prong pry bar. Heads back in. Another came out to get flashlight.

— Kevin Armstrong (@KevinGArmstrong) June 22, 2013

Crow bar must not have worked. Local locksmith now being directed by cops outside house.

— Kevin Armstrong (@KevinGArmstrong) June 22, 2013

But Hernandez was not taken away with police when things wrapped up around 5:30 p.m. He was left behind at the house with his lawyer, Michael Lee, who showed up halfway through the search. 

       

The 'World's Ugliest Dog' Has an Adorable Problem

[image error]Every year a panel of distinguished judges must decide on a new "world's ugliest dog." Some past "winners" were hideous. There is very rarely any debate about the choices. But there's controversy swirling around this year's choice because the dog is actually pretty freakin' adorable.

Meet Walle, the 4-year-old beagle, boxer and basset hound from northern California who was entered at the last minute, according to the Associated Press. He beat out 30 other dogs being judged on their "natural ugliness" for this year's crown. Judge Brian Sobel weighed in: "This dog looked like he's been photo-shopped with pieces from various dogs and maybe a few other animals." But the Internet, the great arbiter of everything cute and adorable, disagrees with the assessment of Sobel and his team of judges: 

What? That dog is cute as hell. RT @nypost: Meet the new "World's Ugliest Dog" http://t.co/eE755MAmlF pic.twitter.com/DgfzmP5rac

— Kevin Roose (@kevinroose) June 22, 2013

For the record, the new "ugliest dog" is fucking adorable and everyone is a jerk. http://t.co/EPpioGC5Mu

— Philip Bump (@pbump) June 22, 2013

World's Ugliest Dog is Freakin' Awesome Looking: http://t.co/zCjScXzPYa

— WFMU (@WFMU) June 22, 2013

Ugly?? This guy's pretty darn cute -- He ain’t nothin’ but the World’s Ugliest (part-hound) Dog http://t.co/fxUGcReWrI

— The Chronicle Herald (@chronicleherald) June 22, 2013

Not ugly. Just a big smoocher. RT @nypost: Meet the new "World's Ugliest Dog" http://t.co/o2CPuGlE7p pic.twitter.com/iCACdPPKGg

— Judy Farah (@newsbabe1530) June 22, 2013

The people have spoken and they think Walle is a lil' cutie. And The Atlantic Wire agrees: Walle is adorable and these judges are crazy. But Walle's defenders should know that he's not walking away with nothing more than a crown, sash and a horrible self-esteem. Walle and owner Tammie Barbee get $1,000 and a slew of television appearances. Walle will be on The Today Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live this week.

[image error]One explanation for the backlash is that Walle doesn't fit our preconceived notions of an ugly dog. It seems his choice bucked a trend. "Walle overcame the dominance in recent years by nearly hairless Chihuahuas, Chinese Cresteds, or combinations of the two," the AP explains. For instance, 2011's winner was Yoda, a 14-year-old Chinese Crested and Chihuahua mix. That's him on the right. There was no debate when Yoda won. Everyone agrees that he is an impossibly ugly dog. But Walle is a combination of three of the most popular breeds. Beagles are the fourth most popular breed in the U.S. according to the American Kennel Association. Boxers are seventh while basset hounds are further down the list but still in the top 50. 

How could a dog that's a combination of two of the most popular breeds in the U.S. win an the distinction the world's ugliest dog? The Atlantic Wire does not know. If we cannot trust the world's ugliest dog judges, who can we trust?

We are sure of one thing, as first dictated by Atlantic Wire writer Philip Bump:

Prediction: that dog will be at BuzzFeed headquarters before the week is out.

— Philip Bump (@pbump) June 22, 2013

You can bet on that. "People come up to me and say that dog is not right," Barbee told the AP, "but I love him." We do, too.

[All photos via the AP]

       

Not so Fast, Google: the FTC Wants to Review That Waze Deal

Google's billion dollar deal for Waze was a win, with Apple and Facebook left behind, but the excitement at Google's Santa Clara headquarters will be put on hold while the Federal Trade Commission takes a good, long look at the deal. The New York Post reported the FTC would be scrutinizing the Waze deal, despite the fact that the deal closed on June 11, and Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal confirmed the news with Google. 

The California tech giant won't be able to integrate any of the crowd-sourcing technology that made Waze the toast of the map app world until regulators have determined everything is on the up-and-up. Waze quickly became the toast of the tech world before Google scooped it up, garnering attention from Apple and Facebook, too. And it's because of this wide-spread interest among tech titans that the FTC will be looking at closely, as the Journal explains:

The FTC would have to determine whether Waze would have become a head-to-head competitor with Google, whose Google Maps software is the dominant digital mapping and navigation service around the world, or whether there is any evidence, such as emails, that showed Google wanted to acquire the company only to keep it from rivals.

Before the purchase, Waze was seen as the first competitor who stood a chance of potentially taking down Google Maps as the go-to map app. When Google did finally pay slightly north of $1 billion for the app, some questioned why the FTC wasn't getting involved. Google was buying a direct competitor, after all. Quartz's Christopher Mims figured it was just the Silicon Valley way that was allowing them to get away with it: "Absolutely blows my mind that the FTC thinks it's OK for Google to acquire Waze. But whatever, competition, feh." The Post and the Journal say Google didn't need to submit the deal for FTC review because Waze made less than $70 million in American revenue. But the commission exercised their right to look at the deal regardless, so Google users will have to wait for that sweet, sweet crowd-sourced traffic info. Sorry, people who live in LA. You'll have to guess whether you should turn onto La Brea or Fairfax.

       

Paula Deen's Unlikely Defender: Bill Maher

[image error]After spending a few days roasting over an open fire, Paula Deen is cooked. She lost her job with the Food Network on Friday meaning that she is, for all intents and purposes, gone from our lives now. But an unusual voice spoke up in her defense last night: professional opinioner Bill Maher. Eater pointed us towards this video of Maher defending the former Food Network star on last night's Real Time with Bill Maher. This week, Deen was informed her contract wouldn't be renewed after she apologized for occasionally using "the N-word" and wanting a "Southern plantation style wedding" for her brother. "This may have been a shakedown," the host told his roundtable of guests. "People may have been trying to shake her down, that happens all the time, so I'm not sure what the original charge is. But she did admit to using the n-word, so the Food Network cut her off..." 

After a quick rehash of events, the discussion quickly focuses on Maher and guest Bob Hebbert. Maher thinks that the Food Network overreacted by getting out of the Paula Deen business. "If you're 66 years old, and you were raised in Georgia, and you were a child before the civil rights movement, do you get a bit of a pass?" he asked. Hebbert, who is black and was sitting right next to Maher, immediately said no. 

But Maher stood his ground, and argued that the move to fire Deen was another instance of the outrage economy that dominates modern discourse claiming a new victim. "I also think that people shouldn't have to lose their shows and go away when they do something bad," he said. Deen clearly did something reprehensible, that isn't up for debate, Maher says. But he also thinks firing her maybe wasn't the right thing to do. "It's just a word, it's a wrong word, she's wrong to use it. But do we always have to make people go away?" Hebbert argued that, yeah, you do have to go away if you're going to throw "the N-word" around. "It's a free country, she has the right to say that word. It's not illegal to say that word. But her boss said, 'you've gotta go if you're gonna use that word.'" 

[Inset via AP]

       

Edward Snowden Is in a 'Safe Place' in Hong Kong

The day after the U.S. government filed espionage charges against him, the first step in the process to have him extradited, Edward Snowden has revealed his current location -- to an extent. He is, surprisingly, in the same place he's always been. The South China Morning Post reports Snowden is still in Hong Kong. They don't elaborate where, though. Snowden is in a "safe place," he allegedly told the paper. He hasn't been detained and he's not under police protection. We've been tracking his whereabouts ever since this scandal broke. And, for about the last week or so, we've had no real clue where Snowden was hiding. He could have been anywhere. But now we know where is, and where he's heading. 

Snowden has always been open about his eventual goal: he wants to seek asylum in Iceland. And it appears he's been going through the motions to make that happen, potentially with the help of Wikileaks' legal team, but for now he's still in hanging out in Hong Kong. The Justice Department formally filed charges against Snowden and requested Hong Kong authorities detain him on Friday.  Those actions were the first two steps in the simple six-step process to have Snowden extradited back to the U.S. Once Snowden is in custody, the government will have 60 days to file and indictment with a Hong Kong court to have him shipped home where he will stand trial. 

Of course, there's always a chance China won't go along with that process. "The Global Times, a mainland newspaper controlled by the Communist Party, called an extradition of Mr. Snowden an 'inconceivable option' in a recent commentary," The New York Times reports. China not going along with the west's wishes is something Snowden's been counting on from the beginning. And, hmm, given that Snowden also told the SCMP that the U.S. hacks Chinese mobile companies to access text messages and SMS data, they may not feel inclined to play along. Oh, and some people think he's a Chinese spy. They're silly.