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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Attempt To Kill Obama With HIV?

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

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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.


Rash Of Beheadings Shocks Thailand

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BANGKOK – Thai police were searching Monday for the body and identity of a foreigner whose head was found hanging by a rope off a Bangkok bridge over the weekend.

The severed head of a Western man, aged between 30 and 40, was found Sunday afternoon dangling about five metres below the Rama VIII bridge, which crosses the Chao Phraya River in north-western Bangkok.

“We still don’t know the name of the


Chimp Attack Story Getting Outlandish

Sandra Herold’s relationship with her pet chimp is getting even more bizarre by the minute. She slept, drank wine and cuddled intimately with ‘Travis’ the chimpanzee:

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She fed him filet mignon and lobster tails. They shared cozy glasses of wine. They bathed and slept together. He tenderly brushed her hair. She gave him gifts and sweet kisses. He drew her pictures.
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“It’s just weird,” one friend said. “It’s


Suicide At A California Mega Church

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GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — A man shot and killed himself in front of a cross inside televangelist Robert H. Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral on Wednesday as a nearby volunteer told a group of visitors about the church’s suicide-prevention program, police and church officials said.

The man handed a note and his driver’s license to two ushers, walked to the cross and then shot himself in the head as he appeared to be praying,


Chimpanzee Attack 911 Audio Released

You can listen to the shocking audio here…:

STAMFORD, Conn. — The frantic owner of a 200-pound chimpanzee that went berserk in Connecticut pleaded with police over the phone to help her stop the animal from mauling her friend, begging them to “Hurry, please! He ripped her face off.”

Police in Stamford released 911 tapes of Sandra Herold’s desperate call to police Monday as her 15-year-old chimp, Travis, was attacking 55-year-old Charla


Self-Immolation Protest In Calgary

CALGARY – Bystanders in downtown Calgary looked on in horror Thursday as a man doused himself with a flammable liquid, then set himself on fire.

An ambulance that was transporting another patient happened to drive by and attendants jumped out with extinguishers and put out the flames.

They called another ambulance to take the man to hospital.

He’s still in serious condition with second-degree burns on over 40% of his body.…


Breaking: CIA Agent In Rape Video?

Drudge is running this tidbit… and it could be massive story…:

ABCNEWS: CIA Spy Boss Allegedly Drugged Muslim Women, Made Secret Sex Videos… station chief in Algeria under investigation…

More:

The discovery of more than a dozen videotapes showing the CIA officer engaged in sex acts with other women has led the Justice Department to broaden its investigation to include at least one other Arab country, Egypt, where the CIA officer had been


Shock: Burma Refugees Cast Adrift

More than 1,000 refugees pushed out to sea… several boats may have capsized.

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THE first pictures have emerged showing hundreds of refugees who had fled Burma being towed into international waters on the order of the Thai Army and abandoned at sea.

The Herald reported last week that about 1000 refugees had been taken into international waters by Thai Army boats and abandoned with barely a day’s supply of rice and


Santa Letter Brings Abuse Arrest

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PHARR — A 9-year-old girl’s letter to Santa Claus asking that a relative stop touching her sister and her has led to the arrest of a 55-year-old Pharr man, authorities reported.

Andres Enrique Cantu, 55, of Pharr, faces a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a young child, The Monitor of McAllen reported.

Cantu remained in the Hidalgo County Jail on Monday night. His bail was set at $100,000.

The charge is


Every Parent Should Watch This

Parents expressed concern Friday after learning a man has been molesting children at a Marin County bookstore.

Folks, we’re dead in the heat of the holiday season right now. Watch this video. Remember it. Remember that sick bastards like this are all over the place and while you’re doing your Christmas shopping you have to watch your kids like a hawk. These people are brazen and warped enough to molest children…


F-18 Crashes In Cali Neighborhood

SAN DIEGO – An F-18 military jet crashed in a San Diego neighborhood on Monday, sparking at least one house fire.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether anyone was injured, said Maurice Luque, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Television news footage showed one house and two cars on fire.

The plane crashed shortly before noon Monday as it prepared to land at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, said Ian Gregor,


Man Kills Self On Live TV

A former police chief in Argentina, wanted for alleged crimes against human rights, has shot himself dead in front of television cameras.

Mario Ferreyra was giving an interview on top of a water tank at his home in the northern province of Tucuman.

Police were coming to arrest him when he killed himself.

Mr Ferreyra was wearing his customary black shirt and cowboy hat and told the interviewer that he was innocent


Shock: Man Killed By White Tigers

Nordin Bin Montong, 32, a Malaysian working as a cleaner at the zoo, leapt into the moat of the white tiger exhibit and was attacked, said Biswajit Guha, assistant director of zoology at the Singap More..ore Zoo in a statement.

The noise from the attack caught the attention of zookeepers nearby and they eventually managed to distract the tigers and rescue Nordin.

“Keepers managed to separate the worker from the tiger. While


Attorney General Mukasey Collapses

This happened just minutes ago, during a speech.

As of 10:30PM EST they are still working on him on the stage area.

Update: Just hit the AP wire

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Michael Mukasey has collapsed during a speech and is being taken to a hospital.

Associate Attorney General Kevin O’Connor says Mukasey began shaking during a speech to the Federalist Society and collapsed. He did not immediately regain consciousness.


Think YOU’RE Having A Bad Day?

Nov. 13: A crocodile bites an unsuspecting zebra’s head as it crosses the Mara river in the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya.