Swimmer Takes Fur Protest to Beijing

Maine blueberries, New York bagels make ABC's odd-tax list

(NEWSER) - Federal taxes may provoke the loudest partisan bickering, but some states impose taxes that could leave you at a loss for words. Fur? Nudity? Bagels? You bet—not to mention blueberries and playing cards. ABC News rounds up a few of the weirdest:

• Blueberries: Maine, which produces 99% of all US blueberries, taxes them in lots of ways: buying, selling, processing, handling, growing... everything but eating them.

Animal rights group slams her threat to sue flour-tosser

(NEWSER) - If you ever wondered what it would take to make PETA look like a rational, down-to-Earth organization that's not given to stunts whatsoever , well, the answer is as simple as it is predictable: Kim Kardashian . The animal rights group, almost as known for ill-advised naked antics as Kardashian herself, is bashing the famous-for-nothing celeb's threat to sue the woman who doused her in flour this week, saying the move would serve as a glaring reminder "of her selfish, callous disregard for the cruel deaths that she causes by wearing fur." More»

Spoof Nintendo game proves popular

(NEWSER) - Some of PETA's stunts seem like jokes , but apparently its rather absurd anti-Mario campaign actually was one. After the group attacked the cartoon plumber for his Tanooki suit, a rep tells Kotaku that Mario fans should “relax.” Its violent game parody, in which players act as a bloody tanuki chasing down Mario, "was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, a fun way to call attention to a serious issue, that raccoon dogs are skinned alive for their fur.” More»

Animal rights organization basically just shills nudity now

(NEWSER) - PETA loves to get normally-clothed celebrities to strip down for ad campaigns, but with the addition of Sasha Grey to the stable, the animal rights organization “is basically a porn site now,” writes Jen Carlson on Gothamist . Grey is, of course, “the charming young lady you've seen in films such as Fuck Slaves”—ie, an actual porn star. Check out her ad, as well as a few other recent naked ladies courtesy of The Frisky and PopEater , in the gallery. More»

Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and more flaunt their fur

(NEWSER) - For every celebrity willing to pose naked in a PETA ad, there’s one who is equally willing to flaunt fur clothing all over town. The Frisky rounds up PETA’s 10 worst enemies:

• Kelis: The singer recently accused PETA of being “the death of fashion.”
• Lindsay Lohan: The actress was famously doused with flour by a PETA activist.
• Kate Moss: Though PETA is no fan of Moss when she wears fur, the organization does like the fur-free line she designed for Topshop.
• Paris Hilton: Another celeb who got “floured” by PETA—and she uses pets as accessories, too.
• Victoria Beckham: She wears fur and leather. Enough said.