You're Going to Hell, and There's Nothing You Can Do About It

City could see three times its average annual snowfall

(NEWSER) - A major snowstorm is expected to hit Seattle tonight, dumping as much as a foot by tomorrow evening. And it looks like things will get worse: Weather.com is predicting up to 18 inches in parts of the Seattle area within 48 hours; MSNBC notes that is three times the city's average annual snowfall of 5.9 inches. Other sections of Washington could see even more—and as much as 3.5 feet could hit the Cascades. In Portland, where the average annual snowfall is 2.4 inches, up to 8 inches of snow are expected. More»

Texas evangelicals spurn hometown favorite Newt Gingrich

(AP) - Rick Santorum's quest to emerge as the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney received a boost today from a group of evangelicals and others who voted to back his candidacy in a last-ditch effort to stop the front-runner's march to the nomination. About 150 social conservatives meeting in Texas sided with Santorum over a home-state favorite, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. More»

It's got real 'queer cred,' says the Advocate

(NEWSER) - The Advocate has crunched the numbers to determine the "gayest cities in America." This isn't some census-based survey, but rather a "decidedly objective" equation that factors in everything from the number of elected LGBT officials to the presence of nude yoga classes. And the winners are:

1. Salt Lake City, Utah: Salt Lake? Yup. It's changed, boasting "more than a half-dozen hot spots for men and women," plus a lesbian-owned wine bar. The Sundance Film Festival brings in LGBT movie fans, too.
2. Orlando: Gay Days at Disney World, protections for domestic partners, and "more gay softball teams than you can shake a Louisville Slugger at," writes Matthew Breen.
3. Cambridge, Mass: Laws have protected transgenders since 1997, plus it has a gay club with male dancers six nights a week.
4. Fort Lauderdale: With less spring break thuggery and a growing number of gay bars and restaurants, this is a "rising homo mecca."
5. Seattle: A "robust LGBT scene," not to mention Dan Savage.

Poll asked who viewers blame for death of Christ

(NEWSER) - A Fox staffer in Latin America thought a good way to promote a Christmas special would be with an online poll asking people whether they thought the Jewish people were responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. Other options included Pontius Pilate or the high priests. Fox pulled the poll and apologized after receiving complaints, AP reports. The Simon Weisenthal Center in Buenos Aires called the poll a reference to Vatican propaganda that "resulted in the persecution and murder of Jews for two millennia." More»

Annual cleaning ignites tensions

(NEWSER) - Not a very nice birthday present for Jesus: Dozens of rival monks brawled at his birthplace today, as the feuding clergy members were performing an annual cleaning of the holy spot. The Church of the Nativity, built over the site where Jesus is believed to have been born in Bethlehem, was being cleaned ahead of next month’s Orthodox Christmas celebrations when the broom brouhaha broke out. Western Christians had already celebrated Christmas in the church. More»