Melanie Jones

Visitors to Luoyang, China were shocked this week when the Jian (or Jianhe) river turned a lurid blood red overnight. Investigators found the blood-red shade came from an illegal chemical dumps by nearby plants, but locals claim the river often changes color from pollutants. Here, see pictures of China's eerie River of Blood.

As longtime manager Lupe De Leon confirms that the legendary blues and R&B singer is dying of leukemia, Etta James' live-in doctor is asking fans to pray for her, saying her cancer is now incurable. James, best known for instant classics like love song At Last, released a final album, The Dreamer, only two and half years ago.

Following her assault on Gingrich during last night's GOP debate, Bachmann's campaign team went for the jugular in an attack on Newt Gingrich's politics and integrity, telling reporters he was a false conservative who morphs his views according to who's paying him. As the GOP presidential hopefuls head to the Iowa caucuses, Bachmann is pulling no punches in her attack.

If you missed the leaked Dark Knight Rises prologue, don't worry: a new trailer for the Batman film has just been leaked, and interviews with director Christopher Nolan and stars Christian Bale and Tom Hardy provide more than enough teasers and spoilers to fill in fans. How brutal is Bane? Will Batman die? And where is Catwoman?

The first woman to head NYT and a pioneer of digital media, Robinson's abrupt departure as head of The Times Co. has left analysts and insiders baffled, with many speculating that plummeting stocks pressured the CEO, the first woman to head NYT, to quit and others wondering who will replace Robinson after her unexplained exit.

Bonfire Brewing will premiere its new barley wine when the Denver Broncos play New England Patriots this weekend, and promises a high octane beer that gets better as you drink it down. Find out what went into the creation, how to play the Tebowing drinking game, and whether Tim Tebow would approve of the alcohol christened in his name.

The Geminid meteor shower is one of the most beautiful and intense series of shooting stars in the year, with 120 meteors sighted per hour during its peak. Before the 2011 shower ends, take advantage of our ten tips for watching tonight's star show, from how to find the best spot (and block the moon) to taking pictures of the meteors.

Unsurprisingly, there are several tweets from both Donald Glover and George Takei. From Mos Def's reaction to a Justin Bieber fan and Samuel L. Jackson's first Twitter post to Rihanna tweeting about curves and Dr. Ruth's advice for Hurricane Irene, here are the top 20 most hilarious tweets by your favorite celebrities.

Following the tragic death of Suzanne Hart in a freak elevator accident yesterday, investigations reveal records of countless violations for all 13 of the building's elevators, including a history of defects, unsatisfactory inspections and hazardous code violations, and local tenants say the elevators were known for dangerous conditions.

Not many were surprised when Lindsay Lohan decided to go naked for Playboy, but few know stars like La Toya Jackson, Bo Derek and Oscar winner Charlize Theron have graced Playboy's cover, too. From better-known names like Kim Kardashian to shockers like Ronald Reagan's daughter, here are ten surprising stars to pose nude for Playboy.

The UNC student, who was shot over five times after her two captors kidnapped her and forced her to withdraw money from an ATM, repeatedly told them they didn't have to do what they were doing. At accused killer Laurence Lovette's trial, witness McNeil said Carson asked Lovette and accomplice Atwater to pray and begged them to let her go.

A man dressed as Santa Claus has poisoned a 15-year-old girl by slipping a date rape drug into a glass of schnapps, in what is only the latest in a string of poisonings targeting young women at the Alexanderplatz Christmas market in Berlin, Germany. Press have dubbed the poisoner the schnapps spiker, and a reward is being offered for his capture.

When Tyra Batts, the only black student on a girls' high school basketball team in Kenmore East, N.Y. heard the chant 1-2-3-N****r, she couldn't believe it had been a team tradition for years. When Batts confronted her teammates about the racial slur, they shrugged it off as a joke. Now Batts has gone public, her team is suspended, and tensions are high.

Despite recent gains in Iowa that tie him with Newt Gingrich, a national poll by NBC News/Wall Street Journal shows Texas Rep. Ron Paul still far behind his Republican rivals for the GOP nomination, and coming off worst in a head-to-head against President Obama. Even with a victory in Iowa, does Paul stand a chance?

From rumors that the iPad 3 will be transparent and rimless to speculation that Apple's newest tablet will sport 4G LTE connectivity and an amazing high-resolution display screen, here's a rundown on which of the Apple iPad 3 rumors are likely to be true and whether the tablet's upgrades are worth all the hype.

From a family devoted to their iPhones more than they are to each other, to San Juan Mayor Jorge Santini posing in front of a stuffed antelope and jaguar, to three young boys clad in what can only be described as bacon suits (yes, you read that right), here are 20 of the best of the worst, the most awkward and hilarious photos from the Christmas and Holiday season so far.

A gambler who thought he'd won a $57 million jackpot at the slot machines was shocked to receive only $100 and a free meal after casino owners brushed off the win as a computer glitch. Merlaku is suing the Austrian casino for his winnings in the biggest civil claim of its kind, saying he will fight until my death to get Casinos Austria to pay up.

Mairah Yeater's ex Robert Powell has come forward with a shocking revelation in the Justin Bieber paternity scandal: not only did Yeater make up the Bieber baby daddy story, but she sold it to a tabloid for $50,000... all while hiding the fact that Powell was the real father. Read the exclusive interview, and find out why Yeater picked Bieber to set up.

Donald Trump has backed out of moderating the Dec. 27 GOP debate, but those who hope the businessman and reality TV star is leaving the 2012 electoral race are destined to be disappointed. In a statement Tuesday, Trump said he was withdrawing because he is considering running as an independent and didn't want a conflict of interest to emerge.

Carey Mulligan may have been hesitant to go nude in the upcoming Steve McQueen film Shame, but once she bared all, the actress found the naked scene kind of fun. Here, get Mulligan's take on character Sissy, her reaction to the nude scene (and a staged suicide attempt), and even singing for McQueen on the NC-17 set.

From the royal wedding to the Libyan uprising and the Occupy Wall Street protests, these Flickr users chose to recreate 2011's biggest stories through Lego, crafting intricate pictures of everything from Buckingham Palace to Zuccotti Park. Check out the best Lego pictures here, and find out where to see the rest of the Lego project.

Taylor Swift turns 22 today, and the pop-country singer wasted no time tweeting thanks to her fans for their birthday wishes. Take a look back at some of Taylor Swift's hottest looks to date, and relive her top singles by watching her greatest music videos so far. Happy 22nd birthday, Taylor Swift!

Perrette, best known as the go-to goth girl Abby Sciuto on NCIS, has been voted one of TV's Most Likeable stars, thanks to her recent announcement not to marry fiance Thomas Arkie until California's Prop 8 is overturned. Watch Pauley Perrette's NOH8 video here, and find out why she was voted the most likeable TV star.

Newt Gingrich is standing behind his comment that Palestine is a nation of invented people with no real right to their own state. His comments have inflamed Arab sentiments and may alienate some Jewish voters, but Gingrich insists his remarks are factually accurate and historically true. Watch his initial comments and response here.

A jury condemned Joshua Komisarjevsky to die for the brutal murders of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and daughter Hayley and Michaela. Komisarjevsky will join accomplice Steven Hayes on Connecticut's death row for the triple killing, despite defense arguments that he is mentally ill and was horribly abused as a child.

Dutch architects MVRDV may describe their tower design as a pixeled cloud, but all viewers see are the Twin Towers exploding, and the striking resemblance has sparked instant controversy and threats against the designers. Though MVRDV claims the association is accidental, an earlier interview reveals Sept. 11 was a design inspiration for the team.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar of 19 Kids and Counting have lost their 20th child in a miscarried pregnancy, but Michelle plans to name the child she lost anyway. Duggar has miscarried once before, and says that's the reason she doesn't use contraception, claiming the first loss taught her that birth control goes against God's plan.

A new University of Chicago study shows that rats demonstrate compassion for fellow rodent friends when one of them is trapped, even when they themselves are free and were offered food for ignoring their captured companions. The experiments present compelling evidence for rodent empathy, going against the idea that rats are greedy and selfish.

Karina Smirnoff may be celebrating her first win on Dancing With the Stars, but the dancer's love life is far less rosy: after postponing her wedding in October, Smirnoff has called her engagement to Brad Penny. Find out why the DWTS star split from her baseballer fiance, including rumors that the Penny didn't support her and that Smirnoff outgrew the relationship.