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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Iran Behind Marine One Security Breach?

WPXI Pittsburgh stumbles upon a possible Marine One security breach:

PITTSBURGH — Target 11 has learned a Cranberry company that monitors peer-to-peer file-sharing networks discovered what it said is a potentially serious security breach involving President Barack Obama’s helicopter.

Tiversa employees found engineering and communications information about Marine One at an IP address in Tehran, Iran.

Bob Boback, CEO of Tiversa, said, ”We found a file containing entire blueprints and avionics package


Mitt Romney Wins CPAC Straw Poll

Did Governor Bobby Jindal’s ‘response speech’ hurt his chances?:

Romney took 20 percent of the vote, followed by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal with 14 percent, Texas Rep. Ron Paul with 13 percent, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin with 13 percent, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with 10 percent and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee with 7 percent. Others on the ballot included South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Florida Gov.


Wiretapping Case Headed For Court

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration has lost its argument that a potential threat to national security is a good enough reason to stop a lawsuit challenging the government’s warrantless wiretapping program.

A federal appeals court in San Francisco on Friday rejected the Justice Department’s request for an emergency stay. The Obama administration, like the Bush administration before it, cited the so-called state secrets privilege as its defense. The government claimed national security would


Wanna Call Obama’s Speechwriter?

How did I miss this gem? Getty Images photog Alex Wong snapped an over-the-shoulder shot of President Obama delivering his speech to Congress on Wednesday. As noted on the D.C. Examiner blog Yeas & Nays, you can make out speechwriter Jon Favreau’s phone number on the top of the page. Now everyone seems to be hiding the photo… I though you might want to see it.

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I’m guessing his messaging service is full…


Obama Sets A Date For Iraq War End

August 31, 2010:

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President Obama, declaring there is “renewed cause for hope in Iraq,” on Friday announced his plan to end combat operations in Iraq by August of next year.

Let me say this as plainly as I can. By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end,” Obama told Marines at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

In stating it ‘plainly’ President Obama glossed over the key fact that though the…


4th Quarter Numbers Are In

…and they’re beyond unimpressive. The economy shrank 6.2%:

The Commerce Department report released Friday showed the economy sinking much faster than the 3.8 percent annualized drop for the October-December quarter first estimated last month. It also was considerably weaker than the 5.4 percent annualized decline economists expected.

Over on Wall St. folks seem to be handling the news rather well as the market recovers from session lows. I’m guessing the first quarter numbers are much worse.


Final Edition: Rocky Mountian News

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It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to you today. Our time chronicling the life of Denver and Colorado, the nation and the world, is over. Thousands of men and women have worked at this newspaper since William Byers produced its first edition on the banks of Cherry Creek on April 23, 1859. We speak, we believe, for all of them, when we say that it has been an honor


Attempt To Kill Obama With HIV?

An assassination attempt? Or a mentally disturbed ‘fan’ of President Obama?

hivblood

A man from President Obama’s hometown of Chicago has been arrested for allegedly sending Obama and his staff envelopes containing HIV-infected blood, in the hopes of killing or harming them.

It’s only the second time ever that HIV-infected blood has been sent with malicious intent through the U.S. mail system, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said.


Obama Iraq Pullout Plans Coming

WASHINGTON — A “substantial” number of the roughly 100,000 U.S. combat troops to be pulled out of Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010, will remain in the war zone through at least the end of this year to ensure national elections there go smoothly, senior Obama administration officials say.

That pacing suggests that although Obama’s promised withdrawal will start soon, it will be backloaded, with larger numbers of troops returning later in the 18-month


Senate Votes To Quash ‘Fairness’

At the very least, the Senate is on record as opposing…:

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The Senate approved an amendment Thursday that would outlaw the so-called “Fairness Doctrine,” an off-the-books policy that once required broadcasters to air opposing viewpoints on controversial issues.

Republican Sen. Jim DeMint’s amendment passed by a wide margin of 87-to-11. The South Carolina senator had attached his proposal, called the Broadcaster Freedom Act, to a bill to give the District of Columbia a voting representative in the House.


Biden Wrong On Job Loss Claim

Joe Biden makes an error that I’m sure Rick Sanchez will be sure to point out this afternoon…

“But what I don’t understand from Governor Jindal is what would he do?,” asks Joe Biden while on the Early Show.

And That rhetorical question to Governor Jindal on the CBS morning show, was followed with this. “in Louisiana there’s 400 people a day losing their jobs, what’s he doing?” asks Biden.


Video Released Of Missing Girl

A new video has been released in the Haleigh Cummings case…:

This video was filmed Christmas morning of ‘08. The family released it this morning in an attempt to drum up new tips. Is anyone else amazed that the reward in this case is still only 25 grand? The reward for details on Caylee Anthony’s whereabouts was close to a quarter million bucks at one point.


Pastagate: Israel Blocking Macaroni

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Israel says it’s refusing to allow the delivery because macaroni isn’t ‘an essential food item’. A few years back and a few dollars ago, I virtually lived on macaroni and cheese so I would take them to task on their food item classification methods if this weren’t such a ridiculous story. Why not check the shipment for weapons and if it has none, and it is clearly a ‘food item’, let…


Market Watch: 02/26/09

Dow futures are up… and it looks like the market may follow them:

This chart will update in real-time as the day progresses…


Hospital To Hold Octomom Babies?

Actually, the hospital has no say in the matter. This is just exhibit G in the ‘holy cow this lady is straight-up crazy’ case as Nadya Suleman stretches out her 15 minutes.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) – Nadya Suleman has voiced concern that the hospital where her octuplets are being cared for may prevent her from taking them home when they’re healthy enough in coming weeks. But in reality, hospitals don’t prevent