Psychic's Tools Go Up for Auction in DC

Brit firm founder an ex-soldier who removed section of toppled Baghdad statue

(NEWSER) - A British company official has been arrested after auctioning a buttock section of the massive Saddam Hussein bronze statue toppled when US forces stormed Baghdad in 2003. The arrest was made after the Iraqi government issued a complaint to British police following an auction in Derby, where the two-foot hunk of metal failed to fetch the minimum price of $375,000 set for the sale. Under a 2003 British law , all cultural property seized in Iraq must be handed over to police, reports the BBC . The bronze butt was offered for sale by Trebletap, a company that specializes in turning war memorabilia into art. Company director Jim Thorpe was busted and has been released on bail. More»

Eric Cantor, Mitch McConnell top the list

(NEWSER) - Who are the real power brokers in Washington? GQ names the top 50 in its biennial list of the most powerful people in DC—although, the magazine notes, "People with the last names Obama and Biden not included." The top five:

• Eric Cantor: The House majority leader is definitely the Democrats' least favorite Republican; you can thank him for Washington's hyper-partisanship and inability to compromise. GQ notes that he is widely expected to follow—or even push aside—John Boehner as speaker of the House.
• Mitch McConnell: "Even Cantor has to go through this guy eventually," thanks to his position as Senate minority leader.

Park Service has 30 days to get it right

(NEWSER) - A truncated quote etched onto the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in DC that critics say makes King sound like an "arrogant twit" ( Maya Angelou's words ) will be fixed, the Washington Post reports. Interior chief Ken Salazar tells the Post's Rachel Manteuffel (who raised the issue five months ago in a column) that he has given the National Park Service 30 days to consult with all involved and find an alternative. More»

First edition to be sold at auction

(NEWSER) - A rare first edition of John James Audubon's The Birds of America could fetch anywhere from $7 million to $10 million at auction, Christie's estimates. The auction house will sell the lavishly illustrated four-volume set, featuring more than 400 hand-colored plates, on Jan. 20 in New York. The 3½-foot-tall volumes, which show birds at their actual size, will be displayed at Christie's Rockefeller Center galleries Jan. 14-19, the AP reports. More»

But you'll need about $200 million

(NEWSER) - Titanic enthusiasts will soon have a chance to get their hands on a piece—or more accurately, 5,500 pieces—of history. The owner of the biggest collection of artifacts from the ship is preparing to sell the $189 million worth of items next year, the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking, the AP reports. Among the rescued objects are fine china and pieces of the ship itself. But following a judge's ruling, the items can't be sold separately: The collection is going as a unit. More»