News Junkie - Live Wire

FOX/CNN/MSNBC DISSECTED

Some great analysis of the current cable media landscape from CJR today. I disagree with a few points (especially the bit about MSNBC offering a rainbow of opinons) but this quote is interesting:

From personal experience covering news around the world, you almost always run into a CNN crew or stringer. You almost never run into a Fox reporter, and never one from MSNBC.

Read the whole thing at CJR’s website.

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ROY ASHBURN: “I’M GAY”

California State Senator Roy Ashburn admits to being a homosexual in an interview today on KERN. You can listen to the interview in this post and read the details here. Ashburn vows to carry on.

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BETTY WHITE TO SNL

After a massive online movement to draft her into the hosting duties at Saturday Night Live, Betty White confirms she will appear on the show.

But will she host?

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PETA TARGETS SEAWORLD

PETA sees a wounded opponent in SeaWorld after last month’s killer whale attack. Their latest mantra: “Let whales and dolphins ‘out of prison.’

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ADAM GADAHN CAPTURED

HUGE news out of Pakistan: American-born al-Qaeda leader Adam Gadahn has been arrested.

Update: It’s not him?

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NYT ON SCIENTOLOGY

‘Breaking With Scientology’ won’t hit print until tomorrow but you can read the New York Times assault on Scientology online right now.

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PHOTOS: TOYOTA HEARINGS

Executives from Toyota Motor Corp made the journey to Washington D.C. this morning to face down angry customers seething over their company’s recall follies. Take a look at these pictures from today’s event.

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THE BLOOM BOX

I can’t decide if the Bloom Box is the greatest invention ever or if I’m a bit like an old lady being conned by a slimy auto mechanic. Regardless, you have to watch this video. [Video]

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SCOTTY LAGO PHOTOS

Snowboarder Scotty Lago leaves the Olympic village in Vancouver after sexually suggestive photos of the bronze medalist and his trophy surfaced online. Lago says he’s in a ‘blackout’ and can’t talk about the event until next month. [View The Photos]

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RAY GOSLING ARRESTED

What happens when you admit to a murder on British public television? Well, you get arrested, of course. BBC presenter Ray Gosling arrested on suspicion of murder. [Details]

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TIGER WOODS PRESSER

Tiger Woods will finally reemerge from the shadows this Friday. The golf pro and reported sex addict is planning on holding a press conference at the PGA headquarters at 11AM Eastern. [Details]

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JOE BIDEN’S FOREHEAD

As I was watching President Obama’s stimulus update presser today, several readers emailed to ask ‘What’s that spot on Joe Biden’s forehead?’ Joe Biden is the first Catholic Vice President the U.S. has seen so each Ash Wednesday these questions float in like crazy. It’s Ash Wednesday, folks.

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Mumbai Terror Attack Update

The only terrorist captured alive after the Mumbai massacre has given police the first full account of the extraordinary events that led to it – revealing he was ordered to ‘kill until the last breath’.

Azam Amir Kasab, 21, from Pakistan, said the attacks were meticulously planned six months ago and were intended to kill 5,000 people.
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And as Indian commandos ended the bloody 59-hour siege at the Taj


Black Friday Up Year To Year

Sales on the day after Thanksgiving rose to $10.6 billion, according to preliminary figures released Saturday by ShopperTrak RCT Corp., a Chicago-based research firm that tracks sales at more than 50,000 retail outlets.

Last year, shoppers spent about $10.3 billion on the day after Thanksgiving, dubbed Black Friday because it was historically the sales-packed day when retailers would become profitable for the year.

Amazing. In the midst of the media’s GREAT DEPRESSION narrative, sales are up.


NFL Star Shot At NYC Nightclub

Sorry, Giants fans, Plaxico Burress won’t be on the field any time soon…

(AP) New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress has been accidentally shot in the leg at a nightclub, it was reported Saturday.

I’m not sure what is meant by ‘accidentally shot in the leg‘ but it doesn’t sound good.


CNN Reporter Attacked On TV

In the second day of the siege in Mumbai, some members of the media are finding themselves in the middle of local anger. CNN’s Sara Sidner is the network’s New Delhi correspondent. Sidner was reporting about the situation at the Taj Hotel when several locals began interrupting her live shot. Sidner would later report, “As we were standing outside a large group of people came around, many of them young, with the


Black Friday: Death At Toys R Us

Shots were fired at a Toys R Us store in Palm Desert, causing shoppers at the busy store to scramble for cover.

Details about the shooting were still spotty, but witnesses said the scene at the store and nearby businesses was choatic.

“I’ve got a bunch of people from Toys R Us that ran out of the building,” Jeff Vallaire, a worker at a nearby World Gym, told The Sun newspaper in


Room 2324: Counting The Hours

An amazing Mumbai attack experience piece in the New York Times today

Also, it appears the Weekly Standard was right to point at Pakistan so early. Reading into the details of how this operation went down, it’s clear that this was no rag-tag bunch. These fighters were young, trained and determined to cause chaos. All signs point to Karachi at this early point. It should be noted that even as I…


Mumbai Terror Battle Still Raging

An Israeli diplomat, speaking to Israeli TV from the scene, said: “Five bodies of hostages have been found inside the Chabad House. We still don’t know whose bodies.”

Mumbai’s police chief confirmed five hostages were found dead.

It is understood at least six people were being held hostage inside the centre, including a rabbi and his wife.

A crowd gathered outside the headquarters of the Jewish outreach group Chabad Lubavitch earlier thought


Black Friday: Death And Destruction

A worker died after being trampled and a woman miscarried when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island Wal-Mart Friday morning, witnesses said.

The unidentified worker, employed as an overnight stock clerk, tried to hold back the unruly crowds just after the Valley Stream store opened at 5 a.m.

Witnesses said the surging throngs of shoppers knocked the man down. He fell and was stepped on. As he


Planned Parenthood Gift Cards

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Gift certificates have become a popular holiday gift option, but a controversial new one, already has people talking.

For the first time, Planned Parenthood in Indiana is offering gift certificates. The organization said a bi More..g increase in calls and visits from newly unemployed and uninsured Hoosiers prompted what it calls the unusual, yet practical gift option.

“People are making really tough decisions about putting gas in their car


Next Target: NY Transit System?

NEW YORK (CBS) ― The world’s economic fears were violently pushed aside on Wednesday by another global threat — terrorism.

A massive coordinated attack was launched in Mumbai, India just hours after the FBI warned that Al Qaeda may be targeting New York’s subways and railroads.

If Al Qaeda terrorists have their way there will be chaos and mayhem here this holiday season, a mass transit bomb plot that would probably affect


Obama On The Mumbai Attacks

“President-Elect Obama strongly condemns today’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and his thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the people of India. These coordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism. The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks. We stand with the people of India, whose democracy will


More: Mumbai Attacks Continue

The Taj Hotel in Mumbai is now aflame…

Neither the White House or President-elect Obama have weighed in:

Neither the White House nor President-elect Barack Obama have yet weighed in on today’s series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India, the first major terrorist incident since Obama’s election.

Rolling updates on Twitter.com #mumbai

A wild collection of Mumbai Terror Attack photos via NDTV.

Indian forces now battling terrorists at the…


Updates: Mumbia Terror Attack

Over 40 western hostages are reportedly being held at two luxury hotels in soutern Mumbai, say the Times of India.

A group calling itself the “Deccan Mujahedeen” has claimed responsibility for the attacks, according to the Press Trust of India.

Eyewitness reports say the attacks were aimed at British and American nationals.

The photo above shows a member of this ‘Deccan Mujahideen’ group during an attack.

NDTV says 9 terrorists have been…


Mumbai Terror Attack Toll Rising

Mumbai: In one of the most violent terror attacks on Indian soil, Mumbai came under an unprecedented night attack as terrorists used heavy machine guns, including AK-47s, and grenades to strike at the city’s most high-profile targets — the hyper-busy CST (formerly VT) rail terminus; the landmark Taj Hotel at the Gateway and the luxury Oberoi Trident at Nariman Point; the domestic airport at Santa Cruz; the Cama and GT hospitals near


Markets Close Up For Third Day

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stocks climbed on Wednesday as bargain hunting in the tech sector and renewed hopes of a General Motors bailout helped investors shrug off data depicting a worsening global economic downturn.

Wall St. has a fever… and the only cure is more bailouts. Is GM next?