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[h=4]The Short List: SXSW film far from 'ugly;' Putin's mystery absence; Arias juror speaks[/h]Out of the loop today? We've got what you missed on South by Southwest, Robert Durst and the juror who spared Jodi Arias' life.
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Out of the loop today? We've got what you missed.(Photo: Michael Buckner, Getty Images)
Cyberbullies called her the 'ugliest woman in the world.' She brings a beautiful message to SXSW
The woman who online bullies called the "ugliest woman in the world" is turning a message of hate into love at South By Southwest. Lizzie Velasquez, 25, of Austin, has a rare syndrome that causes accelerated aging as well as fat loss from the face and body. She's never weighed more than 70 pounds. When she was in high school, she stumbled across a YouTube video with millions of views titled "World's Ugliest Woman." It was about her. In a TED talk in 2013, Lizzie said she was determined to fight back. Now her documentary, A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, is premiering at SXSW. It chronicles her journey from cyber-bullying victim to anti-bullying activist. "The biggest thing that I think is so important about the story is that yes, it's my face on the screen and yes it is my story, but at the same time, it's everybody's story," she said. Other awesome things going on at SXSW: anti-robot rallies; Adrian Grenier dropping an f-bomb for social good; Jimmy Kimmel admitting he has 700 apps on his phone; Meerkat bringing live-streaming to Twitter; 3D printers that make prosthetic arms; and St. Bernards that rescue dying cellphones.
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Lizzie Velasquez has an incredibly rare syndrome that prevents her from gaining weight. After stumbling upon a YouTube video cruelly making fun of her, she decided to create a documentary that is premiering at South By Southwest. VPC
Where in the world was Vladimir Putin?
It was a mysterious 11-day absence from public view that spurred all kinds of rumors about Russian President Vladimir Putin. There was the one about his bout with the flu (admittedly pretty benign). There was Botox treatment gone bad (now we're talking), a secret love child being born (!) and even some swirling death rumors. Earlier today, Putin deepened speculation about his whereabouts when he ordered a surprise inspection of parts of the nation's military, but then didn't show up for the drill. The missing president finally appeared in public late today, seen in St. Petersburg, meeting in the Constantine Palace with Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambaev. Speaking about the health rumors, he told reporters in Russia's second city on Monday that "It would be boring without gossip." He gave no explanation for his disappearance.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared in public on Monday for the first time since March 5. Rumors from a bout with the flu to Botox treatment gone bad, a secret love child being born and even death swirled during his absence. VPC
'The Jinx' ending beat 'Serial's' ending in the craziest way imaginable
HBO's documentary series The Jinx, about real estate heir Robert Durst, had its finale on Sunday. But the night before, Durst was arrested on a first-degree murder charge. Fans of the show can see why: In the last episode, Durst is heard mumbling to himself, "There it is. You're caught. What the hell did I do? Killed them all of course." Now Durst, 71, is accused of fatally shooting writer and friend Susan Berman in 2000. (This situation in which a docu-series reignited interest in a murder case has been compared with the popular podcast Serial.) A New Orleans judge on Monday ordered Durst be immediately returned to Los Angeles to face the murder charge. Like in the Serial case, people are taking to Twitter to collectively freak out about the true-crime drama. (Unlike the Serial case, people don't seem so split on whether the accused killer is guilty.)
I JUST WATCHED THE JINX AND WANNA TALK TO THE ENTIRE WORLD ABOUT IT.
— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) March 16, 2015
The juror who saved Jodi Arias' life speaks out
It only took one juror to spare the life of convicted killer Jodi Arias. Now Juror 17, a 33-year-old mother of three, says her life is being threatened. "I didn't ask for this," she said. "I just showed up for jury duty." Arias was found guilty in 2013 in the savage murder of her boyfriend Travis Alexander. Her first sentencing trial, to determine whether she would be put to death, ended in a mistrial. The second sentencing trial, which Juror 17 served on, also ended in a mistrial, taking the death penalty off the table. Juror 17 says she didn't want to be involved and understood the gravity of the case. The 11 jurors who voted for the death penalty say she made few comments during deliberations and they even tried to have her kicked off the jury. Another twist? The prosecutor in Arias' case also prosecuted Juror 17's ex-husband 15 years ago. Now there's a conspiracy theory that Juror 17 spared Arias' life to get revenge against the prosecutor for putting her ex-husband behind bars. Hear more of her story in the video below.
Facebook: 'Fully exposed buttocks' are not OK
Ever wondered what kind of content gets banned on Facebook? The giant social network on Monday updated its "community standards," which determine what's acceptable and what's not. Some of the rules are clear, like ones around pornography or threats to public safety. But in other areas, not so much. Take nudity, for example. Genitals and "fully exposed buttocks" are not OK. Female breasts with nipples are not OK. Breastfeeding pics? Those are OK. When it comes to violence, graphic images shared "for sadistic pleasure or to celebrate or glorify violence," are not OK. Graphic images that show human rights abuses to raise awareness, those are OK. Are you seeing a pattern here? Basically, for Facebook, context is key. You can read more about its community standards here.
Facebook clarifies what content it bans.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: AP)
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Extra Bites
Nice pipes. Artwork of Russian President Vladimir Putin is installed for an outdoor exhibition in Moscow entitled "Crimea: Return to Home Port." See more photos in our Day in Pictures gallery.
An Anti-Maidan activist installs artwork of Russian President Vladimir Putin during an outdoor exhibition in Moscow entitled "Crimea: Return to Home Port."<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Yuri Kochetkov, European Pressphoto Agency)
Have you seen it? Six Flags unveiled a new, seven-story looping roller coaster. Mind-bending.
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Six Flags unveils a new, seven-story looping coaster at three parks nationwide. The ride will feature a mind-bending series of 360-degree loops that will suspend riders upside down. VPC
This couple took 100 voyages on the same cruise ship. Hey, they know what they like.
The White House is removing a federal regulation that subjects its Office of Administration to the Freedom of Information Act. Interesting timing during Sunshine Week.
We know this will make you feel old and we're sorry. But you still have to watch these kids try to figure out how to use a VCR.
What else is on our reading list:
Cop: Tsarnaev shootout 'non-stop' for 8 minutes
Feds promote artificial turf as safe despite health concerns
As anchor stores close, aging malls fizzle
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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.
Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard, John Bacon, Carly Mallenbaum,Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY; Brahm Resnik, KPNX-TV, Phoenix; KVUE-TV, Austin
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