Afternoon Briefing:
Critical shift? Variety is reporting that A.O. Scott will move into the position of chief movie critic at the New York Times and that film reviewer Elvis Mitchell will leave the paper -- but the Times is mum so far. (Variety via Yahoo! News)
Playboy on the move: About a year and a half after former Maxim editor James Kaminsky joined Playboy as editorial director, he has been shifted to V.P. for special projects. Magazine consultant Martin Walker surmised, "It's Hefner's baby. It's like Daddy wanting to stay in charge and not giving Kaminsky enough freedom and support to stay and do what he wanted." (Chicago Sun Times via Romenesko)
Quincy makes some calls: Musical legend Quincy Jones is gathering talent in Rome this May 16 at the Circus Maximus for a show to raise money for children in war-torn areas of the world. "We Are the Future" will feature Alicia Keys, LL Cool J, Andrea Bocelli, Muhammed Ali, Oprah Winfrey and others. (AFP)
Winning the fight? Drudge is following the Arbitron ratings today that show Howard Stern is No. 1 in morning drive time in New York City for the first three months of this year. (Drudge)
Making friends wherever she goes: Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth walked off ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in a huff after spotting a lie detector machine she thought was there for her. The Kimmel people say it was to be used for a skit, not for the "Apprentice" diva. (TV Guide)
-- Karen Croft
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Turn On:
On tonight's premiere of "Iron Chef America" (10 p.m. ET; Food Network), it's Bobby Flay vs. Hiroyuki Sakai, the Iron Chef all-time champ whose restaurant opens next month in Hawaii. According to Heather Havrilesky, "Sakai, who's actually nicknamed 'Fish Sakai' because he's never lost an Iron Chef battle involving fish, goes nuts with all that trout, and emerges with soup, tartar and trout ice cream." Mmmm.
-- Scott Lamb
Morning Briefing:
The Kelley fallout continues: Not only has a second top USA Today editor, news managing editor Hal Ritter, stepped down following the publication in the paper of a detailed report finding, among other things, that "a so-called culture of fear permeated the newsroom environment and contributed to the failure to catch [shamed star reporter Jack] Kelley," but a third head, executive editor Brian Gallagher, has told his colleagues that his days at the paper are numbered as well. (Associated Press)
Jacko lays backo: As his lawyers prepare their challenge to his indictment by a grand jury yesterday -- on legal and procedural grounds -- and his P.R. people wring their hands at the gag order preventing them from discussing the case, Michael Jackson is apparently hiding out ... in the lap of luxury. The accused molester has plunked down an undisclosed sum to rent out a new 12-bedroom, 19-bathroom central Florida mansion (for himself and his entourage) from real estate developer David Siegal. Siegel's wife, Jacqueline, said that when she and her husband got the two-week rental request, they figured, "Well, why not? We'll make a little extra money." (WFTV)
The shots heard round the world: Tami Silicio and her husband and co-worker, David Landry, may have lost their jobs as military contractors for taking this photo of caskets in an aircraft at Kuwait International Airport and releasing it for publication in the Seattle Times. But thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, a Web site called the Memory Hole has wheedled the Air Force's release of 361 photographs of soldiers' remains arriving home. The Defense Department has now ordered that no more photographs be released. And "World News Tonight" exec producer John Banner and New York Times executive editor Bill Keller have admitted to not having requested the release of the photos themselves because they had no idea that the shots even existed.
Speaking of images made popular on the Web: Anyone who hasn't already seen the notorious Paris Hilton sex video (all three of you) -- and those of you who want to watch it on your TV again and again and again -- will soon be able to rent a video version of it, called "One Night in Paris," at your friendly neighborhood adult video store. Red Light District Video, which purchased the rights to the tape from Hilton's costar, Rick Salomon, plans to start distributing the tape on June 15. It will run 45 minutes, seven minutes longer than the Internet version, and will include "never-before-seen scenes" of Salomon and Hilton's sexual escapades. (N.Y. Daily News)
Money Quote:
Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth of "The Apprentice": "I wouldn't describe myself as a villain. I'm more of a diva." (Entertainment Weekly via Rush and Molloy)
-- Amy Reiter
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