Midday Roundup: Photographer releases shots of alleged bomber's arrest

Face of terror. A new twist in the ongoing uproar over Rolling Stone’s flattering cover photo of alleged Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: An outraged Boston police photographer released photos from the night of Tsarnaev’s arrest, showing him disheveled, defeated, and bloody. Now the photographer, 25-year veteran Sgt. Sean Murphy, has been suspended pending a disciplinary hearing. Murphy didn’t have permission to release the photos to Boston Magazine, but he told the publication he was so mad over Rolling Stone’s portrayal of Tsarnaev that he wanted people to see the “real Boston bomber, not someone fluffed and buffed for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.” Murphy also told Boston Magazine, the only publication to get the photos and an interview with the photographer, Rolling Stone’s softly lit cover photo insults police officers killed in the line of duty and glamorizes the “face of terror.”

Fat flap. The Boy Scouts of America is facing another potential scandal. First, critics accused the organization of discriminating against homosexuals. Now it’s catching flak for discriminating against fat people. All participants—adults and Scouts—in the National Scouts Jamboree, taking place this week and next in the mountains of West Virginia, had to have a body mass index below 40. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers anything above that figure to be in the obese range. Although the Scouts had the same rule last year, it’s only just now generating attention. The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance “believes that this decision promotes bias and negative attitudes and furthers the discrimination against boys of larger body size.” Never mind that Jamboree participants will be hiking, zip-lining, and rock climbing.

False advertising. A class-action lawsuit filed against The Coca-Cola Company over its marketing of Vitaminwater could force the beverage maker to change its advertising campaign but won’t cost it any money. A New York judge ruled yesterday the plaintiffs could not sue for monetary damages but could try to force Coke to stop claiming the flavored, sweetened water has health benefits. Among other things, Coke’s Vitaminwater ad campaign claimed the drink could promote healthy joints, boost the immune system, and help people fight eye disease.

No end in sight. Comi-Con, the biggest gathering of pop-culture loving, super-hero worshiping, costume-wearing geeks in the world is on like Donkey Kong in San Diego this week. Although the event gets a lot of attention for its visuals—think Star Wars storm troopers marching down city streets—the conference also boasts more serious discussions on television, books, and film. One of yesterday’s panels featured Ender’s Game, the upcoming movie based on the popular book by Orson Scott Card. Gay rights groups are staging a boycott of the film because of Card’s strong stance on traditional marriage. During the panel discussion, when asked about the boycott and criticism of Card, one of the film’s producers, Roberto Orci, said he wanted to use the controversy as an opportunity to highlight the film company’s support for LGBT rights. And the criticism doesn’t seem to be hurting the film with fans or critics.