The most iconic movies filmed in each state

Had Woody Guthrie been born about 70 years later, would he have switched out the "red wood forests" lyric for something about flux capacitors? No. Of course he wouldn't. But that's not the point.

The point is, movies play a big part in defining the cultural identity of an area. More so than our state flowers, mottos and definitely birds, movies give outsiders at least a rudimentary idea of what our home state is like. Trust us, New Zealand tourism exists almost solely because of this phenomenon.

See also: 10 Famous Film Locations Revisited in Google Street View

These maps, created by HotelsCombined, attempt to break down the most iconic films shot in each state in the U.S., as well as the biggest films shot in different areas of New York City. Read more...

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Monkey Cage: Reporting on polls is improving, but could still be better

The following is a guest post from NYU political scientist Nathaniel Beck.*****On Jan. 31, the New York Times (in print and on-line) had a fascinating Page One story about opinions of Americans on global warming, primarily as a function of party identification. The continuation page of the article had a long (12 paragraph — p. 12 used 12 column inches for this material; the online description is here) discussion of the methodology of the poll, and on first reading I was ecstatic to see such details. I do not know when newspaper polls starting telling people that sampling error is hardly the only source of uncertainty, but I was pleased to see it. In particular, the last two paragraphs read:Read full article >>

Adidas app lets you reserve limited edition shoes without waiting in line

When Kanye West's new Adidas sneaker launches, you will be able to snag a pair of the much-hyped kicks without waiting in line.

That's thanks to the new app Adidas Confirmed, which allows users to reserve a pair of limited edition shoes before they launch

See also: Adidas 'Ultra Boost' sneakers: a marathoner's dream?

Kanye's long-rumored sneakers will be the first product that will launch through the app, Adidas said. However, the company hasn't revealed when the shoes will be available.

Before the debut of a limited edition shoe, users who have the app — it's available for both iOS and Android — will receive a push notification, alerting them when reservations are open. They then select a size, choose a store nearby and receive a confirmation and pickup window. Once you have a confirmation, the shoes are guaranteed, provided you come during the pickup window. Read more...

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In the Loop: Netanyahu’s 1996 speech to Congress got rave, bipartisan reviews

Last month’s nasty little spat over Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s planned speech March 3 to a joint session of Congress may cause his reception to be a bit more muted than the loud applause, standing O’s —  including one five-minute ovation — and bipartisan raves over his first such speech back in 1996.Read full article >>

Super Bowl XLIX is the most-watched program in TV history

The New England Patriots' nail-biting victory over the Seattle Seahawks was the most watched Super Bowl — and TV program — in history

According to NBC, the game attracted 114.4 million total viewers, topping last year's Super Bowl XLVIII on FOX by 2.2 million viewers

See also: Super Bowl 2015 commercials: Watch them all, here

Last year, 112.2 million people watched the Super Bowl, and until now, was the largest television audience in U.S. history.

That's not the only record set by the big game, which saw New England prevail 28-24

NBC also announced that overnight ratings (meaning the ratings in the top 56 U.S. metered markets) had set a new record with a 49.7, meaning nearly half of all TV-owning households tuned into the game. That's up 4% from last year and up 3% from the existing record, 48.1, set in 2013. Read more...

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Spanish Ticketing Startup Ticketea Acquires Germany’s TodayTickets

Spanish ticketing startup Ticketea continues its mini shopping spree. The company, which claims to be the leading platform for event promotion and ticket selling in Spain, has acquired TodayTickets, the German last-minute ticket booking app. Read More

The Fix: Iowa: No country for Republican establishment men

There is something about today's Republican Party. The grass-roots base -- call it the "tea party" if you must -- simply loves to joust with the party establishment.And nowhere is that more the case than in the first contest of the 2016 presidential election: the Iowa caucuses.Read full article >>