Afternoon Briefing:
Clamoring for Clinton: The bidding for serial rights to Bill's big book has gone up to $500,000 so far, with Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner believed to be leading the pack. At the same time, people at Knopf say they might not even sell them at all. (NY Post)
A bit of judicial sanity: A small-claims court judge ruled today that CBS parent company Viacom doesn't have to pay a Utah man $5,000 in damages because he was forced to see Janet Jackson's naked breast during the Super Bowl halftime show. The man claimed that he was led to believe the show would be family-oriented and appropriate for his three small children, so he was a victim of false advertising. He says he may appeal. (AZCentral)
Single again? Singer Marc Anthony filed for divorce from his wife today amid rumors that he's hanging out with -- and giving rings to -- Jennifer Lopez. (E!)
Papal decree: Pope John Paul told a group of U.S. bishops visiting the Vatican today that American society is in danger of giving in to agnosticism and relativism. He said the church leaders need to "respond to the profound religious needs and aspirations of a society increasingly in danger of forgetting its spiritual roots and yielding to a purely materialistic and soulless vision of the world." (AP)
And a note from Sir Paul: Paul McCartney told a magazine interviewer that he thinks the U.K. might have been too hasty throwing in with the U.S. in Iraq. "It would have been better if the U.N. had been together," he said. "Now it's become very bloody with Iraq; it's very difficult." (BBC)
-- Karen Croft
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Turn On:
If "The Day After Tomorrow" doesn't capture your imagination, but you still want to see some shots of Mother Nature in action, Friday's "National Geographic's Most Amazing Moments" (9 p.m. ET; National Geographic) might be for you. Then there's the terrifying natural force that is Hugh Hefner: See his "Biography" (8 p.m. ET; A&E), followed by a look "Inside the Playboy Mansion" (10 p.m. ET; A&E).
-- Scott Lamb
Morning Briefing:
A nester, not an Upper West Sider: Former POTUS Bill Clinton has shot down reports that he's looking to buy an apartment on New York's Upper West Side to cut down on his commute from Chappaqua. "No offense to the Upper West Side, but ... I'm not a two-house sort of guy," Clinton said at a press conference at his Harlem office. "I'm kind of a nester. I've got a place to live, and I'm going to live there." (Page Six and N.Y. Daily News)
Boone's bizarre blame game: Pat Boone is calling for a boycott of CBS because the channel broadcast images of Abu Ghraib prison abuse on "60 Minutes II." "For me, CBS has become 'the enemy within,' and I hope never to watch the network again," Boone wrote in a note to NewsMax.com. "I think most Americans ought to reflect on the results of their irresponsible and unpatriotic behavior and perhaps narrow their viewing options by one network. The next time America or Americans suffer at the hands of terrorists, thank CBS." (Page Six)
Ben Affleck, is that you? Matthew Perry? Owen Wilson? Speculation is apparently rampant as to the identity of an L.A. blogger claiming to be an A-list actor and calling himself "Rance." But Rance himself says, "The guessing game distracts from any message I might have. Then again, I'm not yet sure I have a message." Ah, more uncertainty. (Reuters via Drudge)
What, you thought maybe Adriana wasn't really dead? Nope. Steve "Little Steven" Van Zandt, who plays Silvio on the "Sopranos," says his character really did whack Adriana out amongst the trees, even though the camera didn't actually show her dying. "She's gone," he said. "The camera panning up was an artistic decision." Added Van Zandt, "Believe me, it was the hardest thing I'll ever do as an actor," (Rush and Molloy)
-- Amy Reiter
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