Health: From The Canadian Press on Friday, the World Health Organization confirmed a case of bird flu spreading from a man to his brother in Pakistan. Both died. This is the first reported human-to-human case of the H5N1 virus.
Living: The Associated Press (via the Boston Globe) reports that the latest sell-from-home trend is the Taser party. Price for the prettier-in-pink stun gun — $349.99.
Arts: Farewell to journalist/author George MacDonald Fraser,who the BBC reports died Jan. 2. Fraser, a respected Scottish journalist, was best known for his series of hysterical historical novels featuring the dashing cad, Sir Harry Flashman.
Journalism: Editor & Publisher reprints the letter sent by the publisher of New Jersey’s Star Ledger to his staff that paints a dismal picture of what is happening at newspapers around the nation. “We need to cut our expenses drastically, and we need many new sources of revenue,”George Arwady writes. “As far as expense reductions are concerned, you only need to open the paper to see a significant decline in the page count. The Ledger also has intentionally reduced its circulation, particularly ’sponsored’ circulation that costs more than it brings in. We have reduced the non-represented work force through voluntary buyouts, purchased labor-saving technology, reduced production shifts and made dozens of other cuts in expenses.” I feel their pain.
Washington:Late last year, Maine’s Rep. Mike Michaud called for impeachment hearings to begin on Vice President Dick Cheney. MaineToday.com reports that two Democratic candidates for Congress back the move.
O P I N I O N
Kudos to ABC News for holding back-to-back debates of presidential candidates tonight. It will be a good opportunity to assess the players just ahead of the New Hampshire primary. Beginning with the Republican candidates at 7 p.m. ET followed by the Democrats around 8:45, the debates will include (GOP) Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Fred Thompson, (Dems) Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Bill Richardson. Absent from the debates, however, will be Dems Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel — both added refreshing frankness to past debates, and the GOP’s Duncan Hunter. ABC said the candidates failed to meet support benchmarks that had been set before the Iowa primary.
ABC is not the only network being exclusive. Fox did not issue invitations to Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter for its GOP debate tomorrow night.
This censoring is a shame and it highlights the need for true campaign finance reform. Such a system slants in favor of those who can attract big money — and perhaps remained tethered to it — and discourages possibly better candidates with fresh ideas who are untethered. The networks that are of course tethered to big money get to silence voices that should be heard. And so it goes in America.
♣Nation/world news tally in my local paper today: 1 page plus 2 pix of Obama & Huckabee
Feed me 5 Under the Radar
