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.

--

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.

--

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?

--

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.’

--

ADAM GADAHN CAPTURED

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

Update: It’s not him?

--

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.

--

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.

--

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]

--

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]

--

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]

--

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]

--

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.

--


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.


Chaos In Iran – Protests Rage After ‘Rigged’ Election

There are several great resources to catch the latest information on the aftermath of what appears to be a rigged election in Iran. Tehran Bureau is doing most of the hard round-it-up legwork so here’s a link in that direction. Their Sunday update was incredibly informative. Here’s a tidbit:

Also from my balcony facing north into the mountains, people are on their rooftops shouting “marg bar diktator” and “allaho akbar” [“Death to


Sy Hersh Quits Journalism To Make Things Up Full-Time

New Yorker scribe Seymour Hersh jumped the shark in April with his ‘assassination squads‘ nonsense — a claim backed up by no evidence whatsoever. And now Hersh wants to rewrite history in Pakistan. The man who tosses out headlines that never really stand up to any real scrutiny now claims that an assassination squad (his new favorite conspiracy) set up by Dick Cheney was behind the murder of Benazir Bhutto. Once…


Australian TV Station Rebroadcasts ‘Abuse’ Pictures

Here are the photos you weren’t supposed to see.

Scroll ahead to about 7 minutes for the controversial shots. These are a few among many that the President was attempting to block only days after he was attempting to release them. Now, Obama finds himself in an even more precarious situation as his argument for releasing the terror documents (the information was already public) fits this situation like a glove. This, my…


The Attack On Miss California Continues – Abuse Allegations

Let’s take a moment to remember something. This entire fiasco, which should have been put to bed yesterday, began after Carrie Prejean dared to answer a controversial question with the majority opinion not only in the U.S. but also in her home state of California. Since then, she has been attacked for several things. The latest attack is a dirt-digging operation centering on her parent’s divorce when she was a child. Like, I…


Wanda Sykes’ Low Blow: Rush Limbaugh Jab Draws Criticism

White House Correspondents Dinners are generally a time when the current administration pokes fun at both itself and the media. Past administrations are largely ignored at these events. But comedian Wanda Sykes (clearly a fan of Obama) had no interest in mocking the President. In fact, she kissed his ass for a solid twenty minutes before moving the target to more important victims. Sykes made an uncomfortable ‘abstinence’ joke aimed at Sarah Palin,…


New York Scare Flyover Photo Released – Military Office Chief Resigns

Someone had to pay the price

Louis Caldera, the man who organized the low-flying Air Force One plane that panicked New York City, has delivered his resignation.

President Obama accepted the resignation on Friday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement.

Obama has also asked Jim Messina, his deputy chief of staff, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates or his designee “to jointly review the organizational structure of


OPR Report May Seek To Disbar ‘Torture’ Memo Lawyers

It hasn’t leaked quite yet but the New York Times has some advance details on an Office of Professional Responsibility ethics investigation into the now infamous Bybee ‘torture’ memos. John Yoo, Jay S. Bybee, and Steven G. Bradbury face the brunt of criticism in the report and there may be a move to have one or all of them disbarred. The draft version of the report is a whopping 220 pages that I’ll…


Miss California Topless Photos May Take Beauty Queen Down + (PICTURE)

The campaign to discredit Miss California rolls on. This ‘leaked’ photo of the Carrie Prejean topless was surely meant to shut the beauty queen up. Scroll down below the photo for more…

miss california carrie prejean topless

This hit the Net late last night with a threat of more (and worse) photos to follow. The picture was leaked to a website called theDirty.com and another higher-res version was sent to celebrity blogger and Miss California-hater Perez Hilton.…


Backroom Audio: Inside The GE Shareholder Revolt

Sure, some of the drama that unfolded during the GE shareholder’s meeting yesterday was part of a setup — but that doesn’t make the reactions insincere. Remember when that crazy lady (Glenn Beck says she was a liberal hell-bent on causing chaos and not a true supporter) at a 912 event started talking about burning books? Republicans dismissed her as a trouble maker and the Democrats pointed to some folks in…


Obama Backtracks: CIA Memo Prosecutions Back In Play

This should please Russ Feingold. Last week Obama said it wouldn’t be ‘appropriate’ to look into persecuting officials involved in controversial interrogation procedures. But now he seems to be open to it. Could President Obama be opening the door for a 9/11 commission-like investigation into ‘torture’ by the United States government?

Odds are this is just an attempt by the Obama administration to walk the wire on this story. They don’t…


Misinformation In Iran: Ahmadinejad Welcomed Home – Update: Additional Videos Added

Take a look at that epic walkout video from yesterday and tell me where the ‘standing ovation‘ part begins. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad received a ‘sensational welcome‘ home if you are to believe the Iranian press. Iranian bloggers seem to disagree with the state media, they call the appearance an ‘embarrassment‘. Then again, they can be dealt with as well.

Update: There’s some controversy over the ’standing ovation’ line.…


The Aftermath: Miss California Swamped With Calls, Positive Messages

This may just be the most over-played story of the last month or so. Miss California is asked a question, the same question California voters have been asked on various occasions — She answered the same way, no. Do I agree with her? No. But she has every right to hold the opinion and not be looked at like she has seven heads by the political class and Perez Hilton. I asked Perez…


Craig’s List Killer Found?: Cops ID Person Of Interest

A few hours ago, photos of the ‘Craigslist Killer’ made their way onto the Net. Now, it looks like police have a solid lead and a person of interest in the case. No arrests have been made at the moment but get a good look at the guy in this photo. Apparently he was snapped outside of two hotels, one in Rhode Island and one in Boston, right after attacks in those…


Roxana Saberi Sentenced To Prison In Iran

saberi-large

First, Iranian officials charged American-born journalist Roxana Saberi with buying wine, an act which is illegal in Iran. Then, they decided to charge her with ‘illegally reporting’ in Iran. Now, she’s been tried and convicted of ‘espionage’ by a judge in Tehran. She will be forced to serve eight years in the infamous Evin Prison and there’s some chatter suggesting that, though in a weak state, she may begin a hunger…