Vitter Denies Airport Meltdown

(NEWSER) - Sen. David Vitter, perhaps best known for admitting to patronizing a prostitute, had a very public meltdown at Washington’s Dulles Airport last week after arriving late for a flight, Roll Call reports. Finding the gate already closed when he arrived to board, the Louisiana Republican opened the door anyway, setting off alarms and sparking a confrontation with airline personnel. More»

Customs officials call case one of the oddest they've seen

(NEWSER) - Finding a pearl inside a clam is rare, but finding a bag of cocaine is rarer. Just ask Dulles International Airport customs officials who arrested a Central American man trying to enter the US with 15 bags of cocaine stashed in shells that had been opened, stuffed, and glued back shut, the Washington Post reports. “Smugglers attempt all types of creative concealment methods," says a customs official, "and this is one of the oddest we’ve seen." An X-ray of the bag did in the would-be smuggler. More»

Ducks query about filibuster, huffs into 'senators only elevator'

(NEWSER) - After using Senate procedure last week to block the extension of jobless benefits to millions, Republican Jim Bunning hid behind Senate privilege today rather than answer questions about it—after giving the middle finger to a reporter trying to ask him about it. ABC cameras didn’t catch that; reporter Jonathan Karl did corner Bunning, who escaped huffing, “Excuse me! This is a senators-only elevator. … I’ve got to go to the floor!” More»

If there is one, which we hope there isn't. Good idea, say Dems.

(NEWSER) - In the circus that is the Senate these days, a couple of anti-public-option Republicans—Tom Coburn and David Vitter—rolled out an amendment to the health care bill Friday requiring members of Congress to enroll in any such plan that might come to pass. When Dems didn’t object—Sherrod Brown, Chris Dodd, and Al Franken tried to cosponsor, but were rebuffed—GOP senators upped the ante and added in the president. The amended amendment would extend the mandate to the whole executive branch. More»

Watch it with the sound off

(NEWSER) - Congratulations are probably in order for YouTube’s latest celebrity: a Chinese woman whose temper tantrum at Hong Kong’s international airport has become the viral sideshow du jour, attracting more than half a million viewers to date. After missing her flight to San Francisco, the hysterical woman charges the security guard at the departure gate, then screams at the top of her lungs for 3 solid minutes. More»