Reason TV’s Kennedy throws lumps of coal at the most un-libertarian Christmas movies and specials of all time, a list that includes A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Memory, Love Actually, White Christmas, and Miracle on 34th Street[*]. On the flip side, she explains why Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, It’s a Wonderfu Life, and The Sound of Music are her favorite fare when snuggling up to... 

Hundreds of thousands of people could soon get off the transplant waiting list as French doctors are celebrating the installation of a revolutionary artificial heart into a 75-year-old patient, paving the way for long-lasting robotic substitutes. The heart, which spent 25 years in the making and was produced by the French company Carmat, is somewhat of a technological marvel. The key differences with... 

Oil behemoths BP and Chevron dumped toxic waste – including some radioactive material – from their drilling operations into coastal waters, claims Louisiana parish Plaquemines in a lawsuit removed to federal court Thursday. Plaquemines Parish alleges the companies released oil field waste into ocean water “without limitation,” violating the Louisiana State and Local Coastal Resources... 

The inventor of the iconic AK-47 assault rifle, Mikhail Kalashnikov, has died at the age of 94. His ingenuity earned him widespread admiration, but his legacy became more controversial when his weapons were used in some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts. “Mikhail Kalashnikov’s entire life is a shining example of dedication to serving your country,” said a statement from Defense... 

Previously, Russian village life used to be associated with rosy village women, fresh air and clean snow. Nowadays, village life in the minds of many Russians brings up such associations as rickety black huts, deserted villages, bad roads, or their absence. What crippled the Russian village? Russia was traditionally considered an agrarian country. Before the Great October Socialist Revolution, revenues... 

Greenpeace is running ads in major transportation hubs around the world featuring an image of a depressed Santa Claus alongside the words, “The North Pole is melting. You’d better believe it.” amid historic snowstorm in the Middle East. The photo above, taken at a London underground station, encourages people to donate £3 to the charity, “To help save the Arctic and get a message from Santa.” However,... 

Fast & Furious actor Paul Walker did not die from the impact of the crash alone – he also burned alive, his death certificate has confirms. The 40-year-old’s official cause of death was given as the ‘combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries’ by an LA County Coroner. Walker’s official ‘Certificate of Death’ was released to the public today for... 

Belgium’s Senate has supported the bill allowing to extend mercy-killing to children found to be terminally-ill. Opponents of the proposed measure argue that what cries out to be taken for an “act of compassion” is in fact an “act of irresponsibility”. On Thursday, the upper house voted 50 in favor of the proposed measure, with only 17 against it. The bill allows terminally-ill... 

Icy blast: The Western Wall compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel, today was covered with snow as temperatures plunge below zero It’s a festive scene that’s adorned countless Christmas cards… and, for once, the Holy Land actually became a snow covered winter scene. The ancient city of Jerusalem, which normally basks in fierce heat, was dusted with a light covering of snow... 

Bubonic plague is mostly transmitted to humans by rats and fleas. At least 21 people have died this week in northern Madagascar after contracting pneumonic plague, the Health Ministry says. A village near the northwestern town of Mandritsara on the island of Madagascar is where at least 21 people perished following a deadly outbreak of the plague, the ministry said on Wednesday. Medical experts from... 

The number of Americans incarcerated in federal prisons throughout the country has increased by nearly 30 percent over the past ten years, according to a new report by an investigative arm of Congress. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released Monday attributed the 27 percent surge in prison population to mandatory sentencing minimums. The practice, in which a judge’s discretion... 

The National Football League once again revealed itself to be little more than an establishment political tool when it declined to run a Super Bowl ad submitted by rifle manufacturer Daniel Defense. The company’s “offensive” ad depicts a former marine arriving home to greet his wife and child, accompanied by a voice over stating, “no one has the right to tell me how to defend them.” The... 

American scientists exploring volcanoes in Antarctica came to a conclusion that some of them may wake up from hibernation any day. If this happens, the most southern continent of the Earth will get very hot. While the eruptions are unlikely to melt the entire Antarctic ice sheet, they are quite capable of losing most of it in the ocean. The glaciers of Antarctica are extremely stable. Over many millions... 

A new poll shows that a majority of Americans think that the United States should “mind its own business internationally.” Fifty-two percent of US citizens believe that their country should “mind its own business internationally and let other countries get along as they best can,” according to a new Pew Research poll released on Tuesday. This is the highest rating ever recorded by the Pew... 

Speculation has been raised that Pope Francis has been venturing out of the Vatican at night, disguised as a priest and meeting with the homeless in Rome. In a recent interview with Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, who has headed up the centuries-old position of seeking out the poor handing out alms for the Catholic Church, Krajewski seemed to imply that Pope Francis has been joining him on his nightly...