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(Newser) – The Republican presidential debates are exerting a strong influence on this year's race, and even seem entertaining—but why? It's not just Rick Perry's penchant for the deadly 53-second pause or Michele Bachmann's ability to reinterpret US history, analysts tell the New York Times. It's our reality-TV culture of instant judgment: "Who gets kicked off the island, or who gets kicked off the talent stage, is now deeply embedded in the American culture," says campaign adviser Steve Schmidt. In bygone days, reporters hunted down campaign staff members to forge conclusions after a debate. “Now, it’s instantaneous,” Schmidt says. “It’s...

WEST VIEW, Pa. -- Police said a group of people dressed in Halloween costumes got into a fight outside the local McDonald's restaurant early Sunday morning, and now they are showing surveillance video of the incident. "I'm not saying I'm right for what I did, but it was just a very messed-up situation," assault suspect Melinda Klinge said. (Click the "play" button above to watch the video, with narration by a police officer.) Klinge may not end up as the only suspect. Police said more charges may be filed as they review the video and continue investigating. "I could see...

Two teenage girls near Tampa and their family members are facing charges after video of the girls fighting showed up on YouTube, with the parents reportedly watching. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Friday that the two adults were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The two girls have been charged with affray, which is being involved in a public brawl, or disturbing the peace.

SAYRE, OKLA. -- A brawl among California inmates housed in a prison in Oklahoma because of overcrowded lockups back home resulted in 46 injuries, authorities said Wednesday. The fighting broke out Tuesday at the North Fork Correctional Facility in Sayre, Okla., about 130 miles west of Oklahoma City. The prison holds 2,381 inmates, all from California, .. Inmates were involved in fights at various locations throughout the 2,500-bed, medium-security prison, .. Jackson said 46 inmates were hurt, 30 of whom were treated at the prison. Sixteen were taken to hospitals, three in critical condition. The injuries ranged from "normal scratches...

When oligarchs attack: Moment Russian media mogul Lebvedev 'neutralised' fellow billionaire on TV By Ted Thornhill Last updated at 1:30 AM on 19th September 2011 Alexander Lebedev, who owns The Independent and Evening Standard, unleashed a flurry of punches on another businessman taking part in a TV debate on the global economic crisis. In front of an astonished studio audience, the Russian billionaire landed a series of blows on oligarch Sergei Polonsky's head, knocking him off his chair. Afterwards Lebedev claimed that he’d had to ‘neutralise’ Polonsky because he feared he was going to be hit first. The incredible scene...

August 18, 2011 | Writer Jeff Francis Georgetown Basketball Brawl Breaks Out During Vice President Joe Biden’s China Visit A bench-clearing brawl broke out at a goodwill basketball game in China between visiting U.S. team Georgetown and Chinese Bayi Rockets. Although he was not in attendance during this particular game, the brawl coincided with Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to the country. According to the Washington Post and the Associated Press, the brawl erupted near the end of the tense game, then tied at 64. Tackles were made, punches were thrown and chairs and water bottles were sent aloft during...

UPDATE: Here is Gene Wang’s story from on the ground in China. One excerpt: What began as a goodwill trip to China for the Georgetown men’s basketball team turned violent Thursday night, when its exhibition game against the Bayi Rockets deteriorated into a melee during which players exchanged blows, chairs were thrown and spectators tossed full water bottles as Hoyas players and coaches headed to the locker room at Olympic Sports Center Stadium.

A chance encounter at the Orland Square Mall turned into a brawl for the wife and ex-wife of a Chicago man, police said. Orland Park Police cited Migdalia Rodriguez, 48, of the 10100 block of Morgan Street in Chicago and Lynnette M. Love, 50, of the 8400 block of Maryland Avenue in Chicago, for violating a village ordinance against battery around 4:15 p.m. May 25 after each demanded the arrest of the other.

While admitting to battering one Burger King employee and giving police a phony name, the Alabama woman whose videotaped spring break outburst has become a YouTube hit said today that she believes prosecutors have overcharged her in reaction to news coverage of the incident It now appears the bikini-clad women who gave an impromptu counter dance at a Panama City FL Burger King is not, as previously noted, named Kimesa Smith. This was the name she gave police when she was arrested for setting off a disturbance that resulted in more than $1000 worth of damage to the fast-food...

Center City Store Brawl Caught On Tape March 24, 2011 9:00 AM PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A brawl involving a number of young people, mostly girls, resulted in several arrests and charges being filed in Center City and the entire incident was caught on tape. Police took a number of unruly teens into custody around 7 p.m. Thursday, March 17, when group of teenage girls started to fight inside the H&M clothing store at 16th and Chestnut Streets. Police and store security were nearby and quickly broke up the feuding teens while onlookers grabbed their cell phones and started recording. A...

GILBERT, Ariz. (AP) -- Police say a bride was arrested at her own wedding reception near Phoenix after she kicked a police officer. Police spokesman Hugh White said Monday that officers had to restrain 28-year-old Angela Davito around 9:30 p.m. Saturday after she became disorderly at the suburban Gilbert home where her reception was held.

A brawl broke out on a New York City subway car after one passenger apparently got upset over another passenger eating a big container of spaghetti on the crowded car. The video was posted to YouTubeand first reported by nyctheblog. The user who uploaded it says that it involved a Brooklyn train. There is no indication of what line it happened and what day it took place. In the video, which contains profanity, starts with some arguing. Then one woman says, "What kind of animals eat on the train?" The woman eating the spaghetti responds, "What kind of fat ******...

HILLCREST (CBS 8) - A taco shop brawl in Hillcrest is getting a lot of attention on YouTube. The fight broke out between a group of cross-dressers and the whole thing was caught on camera.

least 20 police officers responded to a melee in Moorhead, Minn., early Sunday that involved up to a dozen young African immigrants fighting not only with hands and feet, but also with a taser, knives, a replica handgun and a shovel. More than 100 people looked on, many yelling, in the parking lot of a bowling alley on the city's north side, police said.

A soccer match played Friday between the Jordanian league's Al-Faisaly and Al-Wihdat ended in a 1:0 victory for Al-Wihdat. The real news, though, wasn't the score, but the skirmish that broke out, in which 250 fans and policemen were injured, after the wire fence that separates the spectators from the field collapsed. This wasn't just a clash between fans accompanied by stone-throwing, broken bones and arrests. It was a political battle pitting the Al-Wihdat fans, mostly of Palestinian descent, against the Al-Faisaly fans, mostly of Jordanian origin. This is not the first time a soccer match between these two teams...

South Korean parliament descends into mass brawl South Korea's politicians descended into a large scale brawl, building a furniture blockade as the government pushed through the 2011 budget. 12:03PM GMT 08 Dec 2010 The 2011 budget will be 309.1 trillion won (£174 billion), slightly smaller than the 309.6 trillion won proposed by the government, the Finance Ministry said in a statement, although it is about six per cent per cent more than this year's budget of 292.8 trillion won. The defence budget was increased to 31.4 trillion won after North Korea shelled a South Korean island last month, triggering a...

A Saturday night baby shower at a Wilson fire hall spun out of control after the hall manager confronted party-goers about overcrowding and underage drinking, which led to a crowd of 100 out on the street fighting and causing a near riot, police said.

Video Link Here Football mom Cathy Brady says she is still in shock after a weekend brawl at Ivor Wynne Stadium that sent her husband to hospital with a severe concussion. Brady and her husband John were watching son Matt — a Hamilton Hurricanes defensive end — play in an Ontario Football Conference semifinal against the St-Léonard Cougars Saturday evening when, with seconds left in the game, up to 20 St-Léonard players climbed into the stands behind their bench and began battling local fans. Hamilton police claimed no one so far has wanted to file a formal complaint, but Brady...

You Tube Description. San Francisco Giants fans have been getting out of control after each of the first two games of the 2010 World Series. After San Francisco's Game 1 victory on Wednesday, a large amount of Giants fans fought inside a McDonalds near AT&T Park. After Game 2, a handful of fans harassed two local reporters while they were on the air outside the stadium.

A memorial service and stop-the-violence rally for an 18-year-old slaying victim in north Minneapolis turned into a small melee Sunday, with the victim's mother arrested, officers injured and squad cars damaged.