News Junkie - Live Wire

ROBERT FEDER’S GIMMICK

It’s a subject I’ve left mostly alone, not because I’ve been told not to address it but because I’m hesitant to give airtime or blog space to a man who still calls Web traffic ‘hits‘ and has an unhealthy obsession with WGN Radio. Tonight, on the podcast, I’ll dive into the mud on this one. Stay tuned.

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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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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


Moderates Lead In Israeli Vote

A quick update on the elections in Israel…:

JERUSALEM — Final results from Israel’s election, announced Thursday, leave the Kadima Party of moderate Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni with a slight lead over Benjamin Netanyahu’s hawkish Likud, but the hard-line bloc in the new parliament would have the power to stymie Mideast peace efforts.

Kadima will receive 28 seats in the 120-seat parliament and Likud 27, far less than the majority each would need


Hey McCain, Wanna Run Again?

“I do not envision a scenario,” Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) says in response to questioning on a possible 2012 run for President or Governor. He says Americans need to respect the landmark election.

He will, however, be defending his Arizona Senate seat in November of 2010…


Want To Work For Prez Obama?

(CNN) — If you want to work for President-elect Barack Obama’s administration, be prepared to spill almost everything there is to know about yourself.

The Obama transition team is sending a seven-page, 63-item questionnaire to every candidate for Cabinet and other high-ranking positions in the incoming administration.

The questions cover everything from information on family members, Facebook pages, blogs and hired help to links to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, American International


How Did Ballot Initiatives Fare?

Prop 8 in California, banning gay marriage in the stateagain, passed…

Florida voters passed Amendment 2, which bans gay marriages in the state

Measure 11 in South Dakota and Measure 48 in Colorado, both of which attempted to ban abortion to some extent in those states, failed by what seems to be a rather comfortable margin.

Possession of less than an ounce of pot is now a $100…


Double Voting In Georgia?

As the old sang goes, ‘vote early and vote often‘. More troubles to follow, I’m sure.


U.S. Forces Await Election Results

MOSUL, Iraq — U.S. soldiers in Mosul awaited the outcome of Tuesday’s presidential election that will decide the future of their mission in Iraq, but most of the dining hall TV screens were tuned to sports, not politics, as they ate breakfast.

Those who voted had already mailed in their absentee ballots long ago, and soldiers at Camp Marez in the northern Iraqi city said nothing special was planned for Election Day.


The Black Panthers Suppress Voters

“Security” with Weapons Preventing Entrance to Philly Polling Place

This is ridiculous… These guys need to be arrested and voting hours should be extended in the area. There’s no telling how many people were afraid to vote after noticing large, militant men with night sticks blocking the entrance. If these were white supremacists blocking black voters, the media would be going bananas. This is being treated as if it’s some sort of…


Grant Rally Park Set For Obama Bash

The Grant Park Election-Night rally for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will be held in two sections of the park—a southern portion on the softball diamonds at Hutchinson Field for some 70,000 ticketed guests of the campaign and a smaller non-ticketed event farther north near the Petrillo Music Shell in Butler Field.

Security precautions and logistics have steadily whittled away the size of the crowd expected at the event. Where the gathering


Nelson Predicts Obama Win In FL

I caught up with Florida Senator Bill Nelson at Obama’s Jacksonville rally. He told me he believes Obama will carry the state by 4 percentage points. “Florida has never seen a presidential organizational effort like this,” he said. “This overwhelms George Bush’s 2004 effort.”

It’s clear that Obama will win the election overall, the electoral map is just too daunting for him to overcome Obama’s lead, but I don’t think Florida will…


I Wonder Who He Voted For?

As your pooler waited for Barack Obama to arrive at the Beluah Shoesmith Elementary School, Bill Ayers showed up with his wife to cast his vote. Newsweek’s Richard Wolffe first noticed Ayers. Your pooler confirmed his identity after yelling out “Mr. Ayers, who did you vote for?” He turned around but did not answer. An official from the Chicago elections board told your pooler sternly not to yell at the polling station.


Chaos In Philly As Voting Begins

The first of many complaints, I’m sure…

GOP Election Board members have been tossed out of polling stations in more than half a dozen polling stations in Philadelphia because of their party status.

A liberal judge previously ruled that court-appointed poll watchers could be NOT removed from their boards by an on-site election judge, but that is exactly what is happening.

It is the duty of election board workers to monitor and


The News Junkie Live Election Map

This post will stay on top throughout the day. You will see live updates of elections across the country via the interactive map above. Once the AP calls a state, it will turn either red or blue.

Scroll down for the latest Election ‘08 coverage from The News Junkie


Results: It Comes Down To This

No matter who wins Tuesday’s presidential election, you can be sure of one thing: The networks aren’t going to hold back calling the election for Barack Obama or John McCain if either gathers the magic number of 270 electoral votes.

That means it’s possible, if not altogether likely, that the presidential election could be called before polls close in the West. That happened once before, in 1980, when the election was famously


Dixville Notch Votes For Obama

Barack Obama wins Dixville Notch 15-6, the first victory for a Democrat in the area for more than 30 years. This certainly could be a warning shot over McCain’s bow. Hart’s Location to follow.

This is an early sign that Republicans are in for a long Tuesday.

Update: Sure, it’s early, but Obama is 2-0 with a Hart’s Location win. This time, it’s 17-10.

Total Vote Count: 32-16 Obama over McCain