the buzz log

Emotions ran high on Tuesday, as political brouhahas came to a head, a video game challenged business as usual, and an incomprehensible crime stunned a nation.

Righting Wright
Was Reverend Jeremiah Wright defending the black church? Repairing his reputation? Taking revenge against a former follower? Whatever his motivations, Buzz readers picked up on AP's criticism of the pastor's timing, Salon's assessment of his narcissism, and one Huffington Post writer's thank-you for bringing race talks into the 21st century. Wright provoked a 600% rise in online searches for his sermons, speeches, and weekend appearances, and prompted Barack Obama to deliver what the Dallas Morning News characterized as their "divorce papers."

Gaming Systems
Put aside for a moment that Grand Theft Auto is, at its essence, just an R-rated game. Reviews from USA Today and Salon are rapturous, and record sales are predicted. Its release has lifted its troubled publisher's stock price and may strengthen the company's takeover defenses. Reviewers are raving about GTA's newfound conscience and sense of consequences, both of which were notably absent in its formerly insouciant approach to body counts and ... er ... human relations. This could be a case of a game for adults that's finally all growed up. 

Searching Souls
As family members, authorities, and fellow countrymen try to make sense of the ongoing, soul-sickening investigation into the Austrian incest case, the AP story reported on a family reunion of the victimized daughter and her children. Readers sought to comprehend the crime with an AP follow-up looking into possible psychiatric disorders that led to the crime, while a Time.com story examined how Austrians are trying to make sense of how such crimes could happen among them.

Other stories spiking in Buzz

• The father of former Saturday Night Live cast member Cheri Oteri was killed by his roommate Saturday night. The tragedy prompted a search upswell of more than 3,000%. Although she has yet to release a public statement, People quoted her brother as calling their father a "man of peace."

• Being groomed this week: mint sprigs, ostentatious hats, and thoroughbred horses. The Kentucky Derby debuts this Saturday, but NPR dares to ding some of its traditions. The Daily Herald reports one shall hold: The racetrack will remain honest-to-goodness dirt rather than synthetic materials.

• As the population ages, Medicare costs may balloon. According to HealthDay, a U.S. National Cancer Institute study predicts cancer treatment for elderly patients—currently $21.1 billion over 5 years—will increase significantly.