Brit Hume is going into semi-retirement, Howie Kurtz reports.
Brit Hume, a top anchor and executive with Fox News since the channel was launched 12 years ago, plans to step down at year’s end. But he won’t disappear entirely.
Sources familiar with the situation say that Hume, 65, will give up his job as Washington managing editor and anchor of “Special Report.” They say he is near a deal to continue with Fox in a senior statesman role, not unlike that of Tom Brokaw at NBC, for roughly 100 days a year.
In his new role, Hume would be a senior political analyst, anchor special events, serve as a panelist on “Fox News Sunday” and occasionally substitute for the host, Chris Wallace.
This was apparently expected. Certainly, the man’s got plenty of money and has earned the right to a lighter schedule.
As I’ve noted many times, I’ve all but stopped watching television news since starting the blog. I always enjoyed Hume, though, as an anchor or as a panelist.
UPDATE: Reactions are starting to pour in.
Matt Sheffield, Newsbusters: “He’ll be missed. Special Report was a rare island of sanity in the chaotic sea of cable news.”
Matt Corley, Think Progress, reports without comment. His commenters stay classy, as always.
David Hauslaib, Jossip: “Perhaps he’ll use the opportunity to make the official transition from hard news anchor to opinionated pundit.”
Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday dinner was last night and the event was filled with celebrities who were lucky enough to be invited.
Mandela became the oldest elected President of South Africa when he took office at the age of 77 in 1994. He decided not to stand for a second term as President, and instead retired in 1999, to be succeeded by Thabo Mbeki.
Other guests at Mandela’s birthday dinner included Pierce Bronson, Neil Diamond, Forrest Whitaker, Will Smith, Bill Clinton and Annie Lennox. What an interesting, yet diverse group of people.
What others said:
Dlisted says, “Naomi showed up with her new boyfriend, Marcus Elias. New boyfriend did a good job of hiding the bruises on his face because you know Naomi beats his ass.”
The sports world has no doubt had its fair share of hot female athletes, here’s a list of the Top 10 of all time.
10. Peggy Fleming
Peggy Fleming was a figure skater in the 60’s, winning a gold medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics. She parlayed her good looks into a job commentating on figure skating events that she held for over 20 years, including several Winter Olympic games. Fleming is now a breast cancer activist after successfully battling the disease in the late 90’s.
9. Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova is absolutely stunning, but she’s also a phenomenal athlete which makes her all the more attractive. While some women make this list almost primarily for their looks, Sharapova is just as noteworthy for her career achievements. Watching her play is always an enjoyable experience.
8. Gabrielle Reece
Gabrielle Reece was named by ELLE magazine as one of the five most beautiful Women in the World in 1989. Even though she was a very talented beach volleyball player, Reece was probably more well known for her modeling and television work. Most people who grew up watching MTV in the early 90’s will remember her as host of MTV Sports.
7. Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick is so hot she makes people care about IndyCar racing, at least for one weekend a year. That’s a hell of an achievement and pretty much enough said.
6. Biba Golic
I feel pretty comfortable saying that Biba Golic is the hottest table tennis player to ever live. She’s also the only table tennis player I’ve ever technically heard of, but I’m still willing to bet she’s the hottest.
5. Jennie Finch
Softball players don’t immediately come to mind when you think of hot female athletes, but Jennie Finch is definitely the exception. Probably for that reason, she’s the most famous softball player of all time. Finch has appeared in SI’s swimsuit issue and won an online ESPN.com poll naming her hottest female athlete.
4. Chris Evert
Chris Evert is one of the most popular women athletes the United States has ever had. Her nickname for quite awhile was actually “Chrissy America”. She was linked to damn near every high profile actor and athlete in the 70’s (including Burt Reynolds, Geraldo Rivera, Adam Faith, Vitas Gerulaitis, Pat Boone, and John Gardner “Jack” Ford, son of U.S. President Gerald Ford) and even hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.
3. Anna Kournikova
Anna Kournikova would probably break the internet if she ever posed nude. She gets slammed unfairly for being a poor tennis player (she’s never won a singles tournament), but she was at times one of the best doubles players in the world, even reaching #1 at various times. And she has a poker named after her. Ace King. Looks good but hardly ever wins.
2. Katarina Witt
Katarina Witt appeared in Playboy in December of 1998. It was the second issue of Playboy to ever sell out, the first being the inaugural issue featuring Marilyn Monroe.
1. Natalie Gulbis
Possibly a controversial choice, but Natalie Gulbis is ridiculously, ridiculously hot. Female golfers have come a long way in perceived attractiveness in the past ten years, and Gulbis is leading the way, having sold a personal calendar as well as posing in magazines like FHM.
Katarina Witt NSFW photos after the jump!
For more pictures of these lovely ladies, visit [popcrunch]
The Kiss Army fan club has an enthusiastic new recruit: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
In a departure from her normally staid diplomatic duties, Rice met the legendary glam rock quartet when they happened to share a hotel in the Swedish capital. Rice was in Stockholm on Thursday for an international conference on Iraq. Kiss had a sold-out gig to play on Friday.
“I was thrilled,” Rice said of her late-night encounter with frontman Gene Simmons and bandmates Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer in the executive lounge of the Sheraton Hotel where they signed autographs and handed out backstage passes and T-shirts to her staff. “It was really fun to meet Kiss and Gene Simmons,” she told reporters, noting they seemed well informed about current events. The band had asked if she could stop by after she finished dinner with the Swedish foreign minister and Rice readily agreed, she said.
Simmons and his crew, who are on a European tour, weren’t wearing their trademark stage makeup, but were recognizable as rock stars to even non-fans by their hair, according to State Department officials who were with Rice.
Rice, a classically trained pianist, said she has eclectic musical tastes ranging from Beethoven to Bruce Springsteen. Hard stadium rockers like Kiss are included in the mix and Rice said her favorite tune of theirs is “Rock and Roll All Nite.” But, she conceded she had never seen the group in concert.
In fact, although she frequently attends classical music performances, Rice claims to have been to only four rock concerts in her life. The first was in the early 1960s when she went as a 10-year-old to see Paul Revere and the Raiders in her home state of Alabama. After her family moved to Colorado, Rice went at the age of 16 went on her first date with an Air Force cadet to see Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. She later saw Earth, Wind and Fire in Denver and her last rock and roll show was a U2 concert in Washington, she said.
CNN personality Richard Quest was busted in Central Park early yesterday with some drugs in his pocket, a rope around his neck that was tied to his genitals, and a sex toy in his boot.
Quest, 46, was arrested at around 3:40 a.m. after a cop spotted him and another man inside the park near 64th Street, a police source said.
The criminal complaint against Quest said the park was closed at the time - something Quest should have known because of all the signs saying “Park Closed 1 a.m. to 6 a.m.”
Quest was initially busted for loitering, the source said. Aside from the oddly configured rope, the search also turned up a sex toy inside of his boot, and a small bag of methamphetamine in his left jacket pocket.
It wasn’t immediately clear what the rope was for.
The criminal complaint says the officer at the scene was able to ID the drug because of “his prior experience as a police officer in drug arrests, observation of packaging which is characteristic of this type of drug, and defendant’s statements that . . . ‘I’ve got some meth in my pocket.’ ”
He was charged with loitering and criminal possession of a controlled substance. His unusual get-up didn’t lead to a lewdness charge because he wasn’t exposing himself, the police source said.
Quest’s unidentified companion was given a summons for not carrying any identification, the source said.
Quest’s lawyer, Alan Abramson, had a much more innocuous version of events.
“Mr. Quest didn’t realize that the park had a curfew,” Abramson said. He was simply “returning to his hotel with friends.”
At a hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court, Quest agreed to undergo six months of drug counseling in return for an “adjournment in contemplation of dismissal,” which means the misdemeanor charges against him will be dropped and the case sealed if he stays out of trouble and completes his drug program.
He was released with no bail after spending most of the day behind bars.
Both news people and politicians have gone to the shitter. Although it’s been a long time since Richard has posted on his blog at CNN — it might be a good place to leave him a message.
What others said:
Dlisted says, “And I thought Anderson Cooper was the kinky bitch at CNN.”
Gawker says, “Using the trash can drug meth makes a person mighty paranoid. So it was probably fear of having his genitals stolen that moved CNN talker Brian Quest (who is British) to attach them to his neck with a rope.”
source: KINKY NEWS NETWORK-CNN’S QUEST A VERY ‘KNOTTY’ BOY [new york post]
Just because your favorite dramas and comedies are back on the air after the writers strike doesn’t mean you’re necessarily watching them. A preliminary look at ratings of returning programs on the big broadcast networks reveals that the “majority of original programming has failed to return to its pre-strike levels among key demos,” according to Havas media-buying shop MPG. The firm found that audiences are “coming back to some of the shows, but not most of them,” said Nina Kanter, VP-director of communications analysis at MPG.
[...]
There are legitimate reasons for the ratings declines. Some shows have seen their competition alter as networks rearrange their schedules. CBS’s “NCIS” and “Criminal Minds” now face Fox’s “American Idol,” for instance. Because most networks put the bulk of their marketing spending into promos that run on their own air, it’s quite possible that TV audiences, turned off by repeats and strike-replacement programming, didn’t get those messages, according to MPG’s analysis.
Some returning shows are doing well. NBC’s “The Office” and “Scrubs” have demonstrated improved post-strike ratings, MPG said, though both have aired without regular competitor “Grey’s Anatomy” on the air. CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother” also posted ratings gains compared to its pre-strike performance, but the sitcom may also have benefited from a guest appearance by singer Britney Spears.
It may just be that the traditional model has been overtaken by events, with the strike-forced hiatus helping push trends along.
With the exception of sporting events, I seldom watch television shows “live” anymore, instead watching the handful of shows that we TiVo. And, increasingly, my wife and I are mega-time shifting our viewing, simply waiting until the shows are available on DVD. The ability to watch the entire run of a series at one’s own pace and without commercial interruption makes it very difficult to go back to episodic viewing.
Lindsay Lohan has been slapped with a $55,000 lawsuit by a man who claims the actress never paid him while he was her bodyguard.
In papers filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, David Kim claims he was hired by the star via “various oral and text messages” to provide personal security at a rate of $4,000 per week for 24-hour service – but never got paid.
The suit alleges that Kim accompanied Lohan, 21, to industry events, protected her from fans and paparazzi, paid gratuities to the staff and valets at venues where the actress partied out of his own pocket and was never reimbursed.
Kim claims he was contracted from Oct. 13, 2006, to March 10, 2007, and is owed more than $55,000 in unpaid wages alone. In addition, he says Lohan’s driver caused nearly $1,500 worth of damage to Kim’s personal car while making an illegal turn trying to get away from the paparazzi.
The lawsuit, which also names Lohan’s company Crossheart Productions as a defendant, says the actress breached an oral contract with Kim and violated a host of labor codes.
A rep for the Lohan responded: “I’m not aware of that bodyguard. I’ve never even heard of that person.”
Is it just me, or are all ‘reps’ stupid and pointless?
source: Lindsay Lohan Sued by Former Bodyguard [people]
New York Governor Elliot Spitzer is “involved” in a prostitution ring. Details are still sketchy.
Gov. Eliot Spitzer has informed his most senior administration officials that he had been involved in a prostitution ring, an administration official said this morning. Mr. Spitzer, who was huddled with his top aides inside his Fifth Avenue apartment early this afternoon, had hours earlier abruptly canceled his scheduled public events for the day. He had scheduled an announcement for 2:15 this afternoon after inquiries from the Times. But his appearance was delayed by at least 45 minutes.
Mr. Spitzer, a first-term Democrat who pledged to bring ethics reform and end the often seamy ways of Albany, is married with three children.
Just last week, federal prosecutors arrested four people in connection with an expensive prostitution operation. Administration officials would not say that this was the ring with which the governor had become involved. But a person with knowledge of the governor’s role said that the person believes the governor is one of the men identified as clients in court papers.
The governor’s travel records show that he was in Washington in mid-February. One of the clients described in court papers arranged to meet with a prostitute who was part of the ring, the Emperors Club VIP on the night of Feb. 13. Mr. Spitzer appeared on a CNBC television show at 7 a.m. the next morning. Later in the morning, he testified before a Congressional committee.
Aside from a general sense that chief executive officers ought to obey the laws they’re charged with enforcing and that married men ought to be faithful to their wives, I really don’t care much about this story. The interesting angle, really, is the hypocrisy bit:
Spitzer has built his political legacy on rooting out corruption, including several headline-making battles with Wall Street while serving as attorney general. He stormed into the governor’s office in 2006 with a historic share of the vote, vowing to continue his no-nonsense approach to fixing one of the nation’s worst governments.
Time magazine had named him “Crusader of the Year” when he was attorney general and the tabloids proclaimed him “Eliot Ness.”
But his stint as governor has been marred by several problems, including an unpopular plan to grant driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and a plot by his aides to smear Spitzer’s main Republican nemesis.
Spitzer had been expected to testify to the state Public Integrity Commission he had created to answer for his role in the scandal, in which his aides are accused of misusing state police to compile travel records to embarrass Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno.
Having only cursory knowledge of the two scandals, the misuse of the powers of office to harass a political opponent strikes me as more problematic than patronizing prostitutes.
More commentary will follow if the story develops into something more interesting.
Other reax:
Marc Ambinder notes “Spitzer is a Clinton superdelegate.”
Flip Bidot entitles his post “From Troopergate To Shtupergate”
Steve Benen: “[I]t’s hard to believe brilliant people in positions of responsibility could be this stupid and this self-destructive. And yet, here we are.”
Jon Henke wonders if it isn’t time to change the laws.
Sean Hackbarth: “The man who demagogued his way to the governor’s mansion on the backs of Wall Street firms ends up in deep doo-doo.”
Will Bunch: “WNBC-TV says prosecutors have text messages from Spitzer(no link yet). On MSNBC, there’s also talk that this prostitution ring is linked to a probe of the Gambino crime family — still, just wow.”
Bob Owens: “It remains to be seen what political impact this breaking development will have, but all snark aside, my thoughts and prayers go out to his daughters—I think they are teenagers—and his wife.”
UPDATE: Various reports have Spitzer resigning. Headline changed accordingly. Developing.
CNBC reports that, “If Eliot Spitzer resigns, he would be succeeded by Lt. Governor David A. Paterson, who would become New York’s first African American governor and the first who is legally blind.”
UPDATE:Fox’s report on Spitzer’s resignation, “Sources: Spitzer to Resign Following Reports of ‘Involvement’ With Prostitution Ring, Faces Indictment,” is the most cited. Thus far, however, no confirmation. His presser was oblique:
Gov. Eliot Spitzer, accused in news reports of being involved in a prostitution ring, apologized to his family and the public on Monday at a hastily called news conference. He did not elaborate on the story.
With his wife at his side, Spitzer told reporters that he “acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family.” “I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself,” he said. “I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family.”
The “private matter” bit is straight out of Bill Clinton’s playbook.
Vicki Iseman has come into the news because of an alleged sex scandal with John McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate for president. Both McCain and Iseman vehemently deny any romantic involvement.
Lynelle Bryant, some woman with an account at Yahoo, asks, “Who is this Vicki Iseman woman and what deos she see in John McCain?”
It’s a good question!
Wikipedia informs us that she was born September 1, 1967 and “is a Washington, D.C. lobbyist with the lobbying firm of Alcalde & Fay.
A website of her alma matter, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated with a degree in elementary education in 1990, documents her fast rise in the world of lobbying.
Iseman, the site notes, secured a job at the firm Alcalde and Fay only a few months after graduation, mostly for secretarial work. Soon thereafter, however, she began moving up the employment ranks. And eight years after she started, she became the youngest partner at Alcalde. Her clients included PAXtv, Religious Voices in Broadcasting, Telemundo, the Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation, and Computer Sciences Corporation.
From her page on the firm’s website — which was pulled from the web shortly after the New York Times story broke — there is this: “[Iseman] has consulted for clients who are interested in government contracting opportunities. She has assisted corporations through the authorization and appropriation process. An active fundraiser, she has organized and participated in many political fundraising events.”
So, an education major gets hired as a secretary and winds up a partner in a PR firm in just 8 years? That’s odd.
McCain — who we understand is a chick and not the Senator in question — asks the slightly ungrammatical question, “Vicki Iseman is John McCain’s Affair?” and says the story is,
A typical hit piece by the liberal New York Times which will pull out all of the stops for Obama to win an election in November. They name no sources except for the usual suspects, the universal “inside sources” and do not even state they had an affair. They only suggest it because they do not actually have any evidence.
This is also old news. The Drudge Report covered this rumor last year.
These two bitches can’t keep their claws to themselves. Lindsay Lohan was kicking it at Avalon in LA for a Grammy after party. Instead of letting everyone get their drink on in piece, she started a bitch fight with Paris Hilton. The hotel pelvis princess entered the club and made her way to the VIP section. As Lohan was trying to woo Timbaland, Paris tried to upstage ol’ fire-crotch.
When Lindsay saw Paris’ attempt to distract Timbaland she shot her a death glare, pointed at her and yelled “What the hell is that bitch doing here? I didn’t know she was on the list.” Hilton answered back “F**k off you bitch!” Oh how clever. As the girls of 3AM sat watching the events unfold, a source explained that they are both after the affections of Timbaland in order to breath life into their musical careers…on in this case lack there of.
“Lindsay began fluffing up her hair extensions and launched into verbal attack. After her outburst she flounced past Paris, giving the hotel heirhead a death stare. And taking a huge swig of Red Bull, she made her move - clambering over a sofa towards her prey. Not to be outdone, nimble Paris hurdled a barrier and flung herself at him first.”
He was unimpressed with their desperate display. He ignored them the rest of the night despite efforts at positioning themselves as close as possible. I couldn’t imagine why. Just a few days ago Paris was out in Boston crooning “Stars are Blind” for a giggling crowd as her nipple almost slipped out of her dress. Beyond drunk, Hilton just tucked that puppy back in and went on with her inebriated serenade of the worst song I have ever been subjected to hearing.
Source: Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton fight at Grammys party [Mirror UK]
The Kiss Army fan club has an enthusiastic new recruit: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Quest, 46, was arrested at around 3:40 a.m. after a cop spotted him and another man inside the park near 64th Street, a police source said. 
In papers filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, David Kim claims he was hired by the star via “various oral and text messages” to provide personal security at a rate of $4,000 per week for 24-hour service – but never got paid.
“Lindsay began fluffing up her hair extensions and launched into verbal attack. After her outburst she flounced past Paris, giving the hotel heirhead a death stare. And taking a huge swig of Red Bull, she made her move - clambering over a sofa towards her prey. Not to be outdone, nimble Paris hurdled a barrier and flung herself at him first.”
