Alaska and Georgia Move Up Primaries

Don't expect formal candidates until February at the earliest

(NEWSER) - Five Republicans had filed to run for the presidential nomination at this time four years ago; right now, there isn’t one. We can’t expect any formal declarations until February at the earliest, reports the Wall Street Journal . Why? For one thing, the first primaries won’t happen until a month later than they did in 2008. Plus, an RNC ruling requires any winner-take-all contests to take place later in the calendar year, possibly April. More»

From reindeer fat ice cream to 2-foot-long hot dogs

(NEWSER) - Some states are pudgier than others—here's looking at you, Texas—but none escapes this list of beloved yet fat-filled dishes. Health.com tracked down the worst offender in each of the flabby 50:

• Alaska: Eskimo Ice Cream, a mix of blackberries and salmon berries—in reindeer fat and seal oil.
• Connecticut: The Hartford-area Doogie's hot dog joint serves one of the insanest franks known to man: a 2-foot-long pork and beef hot dog topped with a half-pound of chili, cheddar cheese sauce, bacon, and more.

Woman who won Miss Alaska title is running in Georgia

(NEWSER) - The woman who deprived Sarah Palin of the Miss Alaska title (she had to settle for Miss Congeniality) is entering the political arena. Maryline Blackburn, now a resident of Georgia and a singer and actress to boot, is mounting a bid for the state House of Representatives, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Blackburn bested Palin in 1984, becoming the first African-American to snag the title. She's a Democrat, and, yes, she voted for Obama. More»

2008 running mate brought in to counter Hayworth

(NEWSER) - With JD Hayworth breathing down his neck, John McCain is looking for help in the Arizona primary race from a familiar campaigner: Sarah Palin. The former Alaska governor and Tea Party favorite will travel to Arizona next weekend to stump for her onetime running mate. The joint appearances will be their first since they conceded the 2008 election, notes the Arizona Daily Star . More»

Northeast, Midwest would lose seats if today's census was used

(NEWSER) - The South is gaining population and power at the expense of the Northeast and Midwest, according to Census Bureau estimates released yesterday. If House seats were distributed based on the estimates, which are believed to be a strong predictor of the 2010 census results, Texas would be the big winner, gaining three seats, with Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington each adding one. More»