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Highlights & Links for January 29, 2010

Politics/World

There’s a lot going on in political news today, so we’ll get right into it. The New York Daily News is reporting The White House ordered the Justice Department Thursday night to consider other places to try the 9/11 terror suspects after a wave of opposition to holding the trial in lower Manhattan. The dramatic turnabout came hours after Mayor Bloomberg said he would "prefer that they did it elsewhere" and then spoke to Attorney General Eric Holder.  Estimates put the cost of a multiyear terror trial in lower Manhattan at about $200 million a year. Leaders have suggested other venues for the trial, such as the Military Academy at West Point or Stewart Air National Guard Base in upstate Newburgh. (New York Daily News)

Fox news is reporting President Obama will Propose a $33B Tax Credit for New Jobs.  The plan, which Obama is scheduled to announce in a stop at a Baltimore business, would offer a $5,000 tax credit for each new worker hired this year, up to $500,000 per business.  The jobs plan, which needs congressional approval, would end on Dec. 31. Administration officials proposed funding it with money repaid to the government from the 2008-09 bank bailout program. (Fox News)

The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke for a second term.  Politico is reporting that while the Senate handily approved his nomination, 70-30, Bernanke still drew a record-breaking level of opposition and the Obama administration can’t feel entirely relieved that its nominee survived the rocky debate, since the distress and anger that fueled such a surge in anti-Bernanke feeling are unlikely to dissipate anytime soon. (Politico)

The Democratic-controlled Senate has pushed through a plan to allow the government to go $1.9 trillion deeper in debt. According to Breitbart.com The Democrats had to scramble to approve the plan, which means they won't have to vote on another increase until after the midterm elections this fall. To win the votes of moderate Democrats, President Barack Obama promised to appoint a special task force to come up with a plan to reduce the deficit. The House must still vote on the measure before it's sent to Obama for his signature. (Breitbart)

CNN is reporting Scott Roeder, the man on trial for gunning down Kansas late term abortion provider George Tiller in church said he had no regrets because "abortion is murder." He said he shot and killed Dr. Tiller as services began on May 31 to save the lives of the unborn.  Roeder's testimony was peppered with objections from prosecutors, many of which were sustained by Judge Wilbert, who has maintained he does not want the trial to become a forum on abortion. (CNN)

Tech News

Wow the Ipad really stole the mainstream tech thunder this week, but there are a couple of things that I want to tell you about. Engadget is telling us that Fring for iPhone now lets you call with Skype over 3G. Now that the iPhone software developers kit seems to allow for 3G  VOIP or Voice over internet protocol , it looks like the floodgates are beginning to open. Fring allows users to simply place calls as they usually do through the service -- yes, that includes Skype calls --  For those of you like me who don’t know what the hell Voice over internet protocol or VOIP means, I looked it up for you, basically, it’s a method for taking analog audio signals, like the kind you hear when you talk on the phone, and turning them into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet, meaning VoIP can turn a standard Internet connection into a way to place free phone calls. (Engadget)

So if you’re like me, you’re starting to notice that more and more of your older relatives are befriending you on facebook.  Mashable is reporting A new eMarketer report shows that the number of Baby Boomers embracing social media, especially Facebook, jumped drastically between 2008 and 2009 with 73% of the group claiming to maintain a Facebook profile.  Watch those pictures kids, you don’t want to freak out your nanna. (Mashable)

Mashable is telling us Motorola plans to launch a device with Google later this year that will be sold directly to consumers, the same strategy used with the Nexus One.  According to TheStreet.com, the move was revealed in a conference call earlier today with Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha, who said the to-be-named device would be one of 20 smartphones the company releases this year. At this point, it’s not clear which carrier, if any, will offer a subsidy on the device. (Mashable)

Gossip & Entertainment

CNN is reporting that J.D. Salinger, the famously reclusive author whose 1951 novel, "The Catcher in the Rye," became a touchstone for generations of readers, has died. He was 91.  The author died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in New Hampshire, according to a family statement that his literary agent, Phyllis Westberg, provided Thursday. (CNN)

TMZ is reporting Steven Jackson -- the starting running back for the St. Louis Rams -- has been accused of one of the most vile crimes imaginable ... beating up his girlfriend while she was nine months pregnant with his child.  In her complaint, Harris says, "Steven became enraged and pushed me to the ground, repeatedly."  Harris says Jackson took her to a nearby hospital -- but instructed her to lie and tell doctors that she was injured from a fall in the shower.  Ten days after the alleged incident, Harris gave birth to their son. According to the complaint, Harris claims she left Steven 4 months later -- after he threatened to beat her up again at a music festival in New Orleans. (TMZ)

Jay Leno appeared on Oprah Thursday and the Huffington Post is reporting During his Winfrey appearance, Leno said he was devastated when NBC executives asked him to leave the "Tonight" show because they wanted to give the show to O'Brien. He said he told "a white lie on the air" when he said he was going to retire because he assumed he would find another job in show business.  He said he felt "really bad" for O'Brien, whom he hasn't talked with. "I think it's unfair, but TV is not fair," Leno said. (HuffPo) (TMZ)

In my last bit of news today TMZ is telling us that "General" Larry Platt's gripe with saggy bottoms has gotten the "American Idol" star all the way to the Grammys – he’s gonna be performing on the red carpet.  TMZ spoke with Platt's manager -- a charming woman named Pinky -- who told them the "Pants on the Ground" king will bust out his intoxicating anthem right before the awards show. (TMZ)

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMwhl4IrPNc

Highlights & Links for January 28, 2010

Politics/World

We’ll get started with political news today. I’m still a little loopy after playing the Huffington Post State Of The Union Drinking Game 2010, not really, but that was a hilarious bit, find the link at cloudcast news.com (State Of The Union Drinking Game 2010 on Huffington Post), In last nights State of the Union Speech President Obama took a populist tone, declaring that he was fighting for the “little guy.”  His focus was mainly on jobs and the economy but he also mentioned that he wanted to move forward with Healthcare reform.  There wasn’t a huge Joe Wilson moment, although Justice Alito looked to have mouthed the words quote “not true”  when the president criticized the Supreme Court's campaign finance decision.  President Obama said Wednesday night he will work with Congress and the military to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bars gays and lesbians from openly serving in the armed forces. The Fox news headline reads “Obama Vows to Press Ahead With Agenda After 'Difficult' First Year, the CNN headline states Obama calls for unified effort to confront nation's problems and those combined pretty much sum it up. Find links to the full reports at CNN, Fox News, The Huffington Post, & The New York Times at cloudcastnews.com. (CNN) (HuffPo) (Fox News) (New York Times)

The Republican response was given by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. He hammered the president on unemployment, taxes, spending, and the handling of national defense, specifically the Christmas day bomber receiving the same rights as US Citizens.  Find the link to the entire rebuttal at cloudcastnews.com (Read the entire response at CBS.com)

In other national news Fox News is reporting that the Human remains discovered on Va. farm are those of missing Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington. She was last seen at a Metallica concert in Virginia last October. (Fox News)

CNN is reporting that Toyota announced Wednesday night that it is adding another 1.1 million vehicles to an an earlier 4.2 million vehicle recall originally announced in November.  This recall is separate from one announced last week regarding accelerator pedals that could stick on their own. Find a link to the article containing all of the models recalled at cloudcastnews.com. (CNN)

Tech News

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S68CEaDyNm4

Let's just call this tablet news, this is all you’re getting in tech today friends. It’s official, yesterday Apple CEO Steve Jobs launched the newest offering from Apple, the I-Pad. Personally I’m already tired of the jokes, the I –tampon, yada yada, we get it, people, we get it. Some people are loving the new product and some are hating it here are some highlights of the new gadget. It’s 9.5 inches by 7.5 inches and ½ an inch thick, it weighs 1.5 lbs. or 1.6 lbs for the 3G model and it has a battery life of about 10 hours. Mashable sums it up best, it’s light and it’s fast. It looks like a bigger version of the iphone, it runs safari for internet browsing, google maps, but it doesn’t support adobe flash, which a lot of people are having a problem with, since that plug-in is responsible for much of the rich media content on the web. There are two models based on connectivity, both with WIFI access and the higher end model with 3G access. The 3G model has to be used on AT&T, but there is no contract necessary. The plan costs 14.99 for 250 MB worth of data or 29.99 for unlimited data.

The Ebooks and publishing features look pretty amazing. Ibooks is the new native app for the Iphone, Ipod Touch & Ipad that allows you to browse, download & read ebooks. Steve Jobs had this to say about I Book” “The iBooks app is a great, new way to read and buy books. Just download the app for free from the App Store, and you’ll be able to buy everything from classics to bestsellers from the built-in iBookstore. Once you’ve bought a book, it’s displayed on your Bookshelf. To read it, all you have to do is tap on it and it opens up. The high-resolution, LED-backlit screen displays everything in sharp, rich, color, so it’s very easy to read, even in low light.”

Next up on the feature list is TV, Movies & Video The video display itself is crisp and sharp, and that was on clear display when Apple demoed several movies on the device. The video interface is just like the iPhone’s video interface, with options for bookmarking, fast-forwarding, rewinding, etc. Oh, and it plays video in HD.  It also has an iTunes store-like interface for browsing videos, movie chapters, and purchasing video content.

The Gaming aspect of the IPad is set to make a huge splash, as EA and others will be building amazing games for the new platform. The same things that made the iPhone a popular gaming platform were apparent in these demos, however the iPad’s HD capabilities and its more advanced touch screen will make it a stronger gaming platform. And with all iPhone games running on the device, there’s already a big library in its collection.

Finally For productivity and business work on the iPad, Apple has introduced a new version of its iWork software specifically designed for the touchscreen device.

What’s this gonna cost? Pricing starts at 499 and goes up to 829 based on memory, and wifi or wifi + 3G.

Like I said before, some people are trashing the device, some are loving it. The hype was astounding and I hope I didn’t just bore you to tears with the rundown I just gave. Personally, I think it’s the first generation of a product that will change the way we consume media in the future, and I’m pretty stoked about it. Every tech website on the planet is covering this thing, my favorite coverage was from Mashable.com. Find a link to their comprehensive guide to the Ipad and the entire keynote at cloudcastnews.com. (Mashable) (Apple Keynote Video)

Entertainment & Gossip:

People is reporting that John Edwards and wife Elizabeth quietly separated before his admission he fathered a love child.  A spokeswoman for Elizabeth has released a statement saying she's "moving on with her life" after a "excruciatingly painful period for her." (People)

TMZ is reporting Tarino Lightbourne -- the ambulance driver who transported John Travolta's dying son to the hospital and has been charged with extortion -- says he's broke and needs help. Travolta retrial -- which is definitely putting a dent in Tarino's pocketbook -- is scheduled to start September 6.  (TMZ)

According to TMZ Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton won't be playing in the NBA any time soon -- they've officially been suspended for the season for bringing guns to the locker room. NBA Commissioner David Stern announced today that the two Washington Wizards players have been suspended for the remainder of the season without pay. (TMZ)

Here’s your video of the day, nine inches, huh fella?

Highlights & Links for January 27, 2010

Politics/World

There’s a lot going on in the world, so we’ll get started with a quirky little story out of New Zealand. According to Breitbart.com A German man who stuffed 44 small lizards into his underwear before trying to board a flight has been sentenced to prison in New Zealand for plundering the country's protected species.Hans Kurt Kubus, 58, will spend 14 weeks behind bars and must pay a 5,000 New Zealand dollar ($3,540) fine before being deported to Germany as  soon as he is released. (Read the whole article at Breitbart.com)

Fox News is reporting Toyota is suspending U.S. sales of eight car and truck models to fix sticking gas pedals and halting production lines at plants from Texas to Canada to deal with the problem.   There are 2.3 million vehicles involved in the recall, which was announced last week. Toyota has said it was unaware of any accidents or injuries due to the pedal problems associated with the recall, but could not rule them out for sure. Find a link to the entire article with the recalled models listed at www.cloudcastnews.com.  (Read the whole article at Foxnews.com)

Remember the film-maker that made waves with his undercover videos of ACORN last year? Politico.com is reporting Federal authorities have arrested four men on felony charges for attempting to infiltrate Sen. Mary Landrieu’s New Orleans office, including James O’Keefe, who targeted the community group ACORN last year in damaging undercover videos.  The men were charged with entering federal property under false pretenses and attempting to gain access to the Democrat’s office by posing as telephone repairmen, according to a copy of an FBI affidavit unsealed Tuesday. (Read the whole article on Politico.com)

In case you haven’t heard, the New York Times is slated to make people pay for articles online next year. If that does end up happening they have to hope things go better for them than for Newsday, a Long Island Daily Newspaper that started charging for access to their site 3 months ago. The New York Observer is reporting that 35 people have signed up for the pay service ouch. (Read the whole article at the New York Observer.com.)

As we move into politics, we’re getting closer to the Bernanke Senate vote, which will be on Thursday. Politico.com is reporting it appears Bernanke has at least the 51 votes he needs to squeak into a second term at the helm of the central bank. It looks to be a tight race, even though Bernanke received only one opposition vote his first time through the Senate he now could face the narrowest confirmation vote in recent history. (Read the whole article at Politico.com)

CNN analyst David Frum is predicting that tonights State of the Union speech isunlikely to ease worries,  Frum said Obama's new populist tone, which he said emerged after the Democrats' surprising loss in the Massachusetts special Senate election, might work short-term if he uses it in Wednesday's speech, but it won't work over the long haul.  (Read the whole article at CNN.com.)

In the last bit of political news, CNN is reporting Only three in ten Americans say they want Congress to pass legislation similar to the health care reform bills that have already been approved by the House and Senate, according to a new national poll.  A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey also indicates that nearly half the public, 48 percent, would like federal lawmakers to start work on an entirely new bill, and 21 percent feel Congress should stop working an any bills that would change the country's health care system.  (Read the whole article at CNN.com.)

Tech News

Engadget is reporting that Effective immediately, bus drivers and interstate commercial truckers are disallowed from texting while operating a motor vehicle, and should they choose to send that one last SMS anyway, they'll be hit with "civil or criminal fines of up to $2,750." Probably not a bad idea. (Read the whole article at Engadget.)

Mashable is reporting that LinkedIn will soon roll out a nifty new contact browsing interface . The update adds a panel that you can use to browse contacts by their companies, industries or locations. You can also find folks based on various tags that you define and recent activity. The interface also has a search field where you can narrow things down by entering names or other information that might appear in a contact’s profile. (Read the whole article at Mashable.)

What’s that other bit of tech news going on today, oh that’s right, today’s the day that Steve Jobs introduces the tablet to the world. As a mac fanboy I’m looking forward to being wowed. All of the rumors and speculation have definitely gotten the best of me. What we know for sure is that Apple will be announcing a Tablet, thanks to McGraw Hill’s CEO confirming it for us on CNBC. It’s touted as the everything killer.  Engadget is reporting that According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is asking book publishers to set the price point for digital versions of hardcover bestsellers at either $12.99 or $14.00, "with fewer titles offered at $9.99." (Read the whole article at Engadget.com.)

One last bit of Apple news, Mashable is reporting that Apple Is Fighting To Drop iTunes TV Episodes to $0.99.  Apple believes that $1.99 is more than a lot of people are willing to pay, and that the change would greatly increase sales.  (Read the whole article at Mashable.)

Gossip & Entertainment

The Super Bowl is right around the corner, and as usual many of us are looking forward to the ads that come with it.  ABC news is reporting that one advertisement that is already gaining attention is an ad purchased by Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian organization and featuring University of Florida football Player Tim Tebow. The Associated Press reported this week that the ad’s theme will be “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life,” with Pam Tebow sharing the story of her difficult 1987 pregnancy -- instead of getting an abortion she decided to give birth to Tebow, the now-famous quarterback who went on to become a Heisman Trophy winner, leading the Gators to two BCS wins.(Read the whole article at abcnews.com.)

TMZ is reporting that Kiefer Sutherland plunked down almost a million bucks in what prosecutors say was a cattle investment scam -- and the alleged perpetrator is being prosecuted.  According to court documents, obtained by TMZ, Kiefer fronted the suspect -- Michael Wayne Carr -- $550,000 for a cattle deal in 2006 in which Carr claimed he would buy cattle in Mexico and sell them in the U.S. for a profit.  Carr -- who also allegedly ran the scam on several other investors -- is charged with 12 felonies, including grand theft and embezzlement.(Read the whole article at TMZ)

According to TMZ Nancy Grace has been ordered to sit for a deposition on Thursday with a camera rolling .. according to a judge's order obtained by TMZ. Grace and CNN are being sued by the parents of a woman who committed suicide after appearing on Grace's TV show. The parents claim Grace accused the woman of being responsible for the disappearance of her son.  The judge ruled that Grace's depo can be videotaped, but the tape cannot be released to the media or anyone else without the court's permission. (Read the whole article at TMZ)

That’s about it, but before I go today, I do have a viral video for you to check out. It’s the vid by for the song “Sometimes I hang out with my white friends.” By Duece Poppi  Give it a peek. See ya tomorrow!

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1izqZJmGF4

Highlights & Links for January 26, 2010

World/Politics

We’ll start with the one big headline that seems to be everywhere today including the New York Times, Fox News, Huffington Post, CNN and Politico.com. President Obama will call for a three-year freeze in spending on many domestic programs, administration officials said Monday.   Senior officials said Obama will seek increases in some spending on unspecified priorities such as education and the environment.  "Some agencies will be up, some agencies will be down," a senior official said.  Republicans said any freeze will be small in the context of federal spending under Obama's watch. (Read the article at the New York Times.) (Read the article at Fox News.)

CNN is reporting most Americans applaud the loss of the democratic supermajority.  A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday  indicates that 7 in 10 Americans believe that the Democrats' loss of their 60 seat supermajority in the Senate is a positive move for the country.  While the survey's numbers are not great news for the Democrats, "the coming midterm campaign may not be smooth sailing for the Republicans either," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland "Nearly half the public says they are angry at both parties.” (Read the whole article on CNN.com)

In one last bit of presidential news Gallup is reporting that Republicans have turned overwhelmingly against President Obama, while Democrats are still largely supportive -- leading to the most polarized approval ratings ever recorded during a president's first year in office, a new report by Gallup finds. (Read the whole article at Gallup.)

Tech News

There’s a lot of apple news today, much of it rumors and guesswork about the keynote speech to be delivered this Wednesday and we’ll get to all of that stuff in a minute but there are a couple other tech stories I want to touch on first today.

First up engadget is reporting that Acer, The world's second-largest PC manufacturer is telling Bloomberg today that it's "aggressively pursuing" Chrome OS "so there's a change to the Microsoft-Intel environment,"  Acer also promised to fully detail a 6-inch monochrome e-reader by June and a forthcoming free / cheap application store that will be compatible with Android, Windows Mobile, and, obviously, Chrome OS.  Engadget also reports that an Acer tablet is in the works as well, accompanied by the candid admission that the Taiwanese giant is waiting to see what Apple has in store before finalizing its own plans.  (Read the whole article at Engadget.)

Next up, Mashable is reporting The yfrog Twitter image-sharing service can now simultaneously post to MySpace, Twitter and Facebook. You don’t have to go to each website to share that vacation pic you took; just select your image, check the boxes for the services you want to send to and click “Post It!”  (Read the whole article at Mashable.com.)

I’m going to wrap up tech news with a plethora of apple goodness. Engadget is reporting that Apple posts $3.38b Q1 profit: iPhone sales double, Macs up 33 percent, iPods down eight percent. Tech Crunch is reporting on the same story and had a couple of interesting quotes from Steve Jobs, the first ““If you annualize our quarterly revenue, it’s surprising that Apple is now a $50+ billion company.” And the second “The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we’re really excited about.”(Read the whole article at Engadget) (Read the whole article at Tech Crunch.)

Of course the new product is the highly touted apple Tablet.  Everyone expects the tablet to go directly after the Amazon Kindle, but one unanswered question so far is whether Apple will add books and magazines to iTunes or create an entirely new e-book store from scratch.  Tech Crunch believes there is a good chance there will be a Barnes & Noble bookstore built into the Apple Tablet, either as one of the showcase apps which launches with the device, powering a new book section in iTunes, or integrated directly into the Tablet’s e-reader. The two companies are thought to be working closely together, increasing the likelihood that Barnes & Noble will be part of the announcement on Wednesday.(Read the whole article at Tech Crunch.)

Finally, the last bit of Apple news today mashable is reporting that Bloomberg speculates that T-Mobile will get the iPhone this summer with all additional U.S. carriers getting the phone in rapid succession in the following months.

This latest dish comes by way of Tim Horan, a telecommunications analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. He asserts that not only will AT&T lose exclusivity come mid-year, but T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint and Clearwire will all jump on the iPhone bandwagon soon thereafter. (Read the whole article at Mashable.)

Entertainment & Gossip

TMZ is reporting Nancy Kerrigan's 70-year-old father was found dead at the former Olympian's childhood home in the Boston area Sunday -- and her brother was arrested in connection with the incident.

Nancy's mother told police the fight was over the telephone -- when Daniel refused to let Mark use the phone, Mark grabbed him by the throat. When Daniel was choking, Mark thought his father was "faking it." Nancy's brother, Mark Kerrigan, pled not guilty to charges of assaulting Daniel. (Read the orginal report at TMZ.) (Read the updated report at TMZ.)

More Drama on the set of American Idol according to Deadline Hollywood., It was American Idol's newest judge Ellen DeGeneres’ first day of taping the Hollywood segment, and she was excited and nervous, but then that turned to anger because Simon Cowell was an hour and a half late for the taping. And Ellen stewed while she waited for good reason: to accommodate both her talk show hosting duties and her American Idol judging duties, she had moved up her schedule so that now she shot the talk show earlier in the day and then jumped in the car to go to Idol. Ellen called Simon Cowell a prima donna. So right from the start, the chemistry isn't great," an insider reports. (Read the whole article at Deadline Hollywood.)

Since today is Tuesday it’s the day that DVD’s drop, the big one that people will be lined up for will be Michael Jacksons “This Is It.” Also out today are Saw 6, Whip It, Surrogates, Bright Star & Tennessee.

Do you like a good viral video? I know I do. Today I came across 3 that I’ve posted here for your viewing pleasure.  The first is a Wal Mart ad that aired during the NFL playoff games last weekend.

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Axx5ZUFEc

The second is an amazing save the date message from a random couple called Jeff & Erin’s Epic Wedding Trailer. It’s an awesome spoof of several genre’s of movie trailers, definitely worth a peek.

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTqLyCTESjg

I saved my favorite for last, if anyone saw Brendon Frasiers crazy clap at the Golden Globes last week or if you saw Joel McHale laughing about it on The Soup last week you’ll appreciate this remix. Hilarious.

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q03BlD22-NQ

Highlights & Links for January 25, 2010

Politics/World:

Reuters is reporting that U.S. securities regulators originally treated the New  York Federal Reserve's bid to keep secret many of the details of the AIG bailout like a request to protect matters of national security. The request to keep the details secret were made by the New York Federal Reserve -- a regulator that helped orchestrate the bailout -- and by the giant insurer itself, according to emails received by Reuters.  Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have labeled the AIG bailout a "backdoor bailout" for the 16 financial institutions.

The new batch of emails, along with others that have become public in recent weeks, reveal that some at the New York Fed had gone to great lengths to keep the terms of the bailout private and the SEC may have played a role in contributing to some of the secrecy surrounding the AIG rescue package. (Read the whole article at Reuters)

The Huffington Post is reporting that job creation will be the Obama Administration’s main focus in the coming months.  White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. Obama will press for doing "everything possible to create an environment where the private sector is hiring again." Ambitious health overhaul plans are being scaled back, at least for now. While White House officials still insist they inherited a broken economy from President George W. Bush, there's little doubt that people now fully see it as Obama's economy – and expect him to lead the way in fixing it.

Forecasters say it could be years before the employment rate drops below 8 percent, let alone to pre-recession levels of 5 percent to 6 percent. It took four full years for employment to regain its peak after the mild 2001 recession. (Read the whole article on the Huffington Post)

The New York Times is reporting that The GOP seeks to widen the field of play in the upcoming fall elections. Just since Tuesday, half a dozen Republicans have expressed interest in challenging Democrats in House races in New York, Pennsylvania and potentially Massachusetts, party officials said.

Republicans need a net gain of 40 seats to regain control of the House. That still seems unlikely, though hardly impossible.(Read the whole article on The New York Times.)

The AP is reporting Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day airline bombing attempt in Detroit, in a audio message released Sunday, and vowed further attacks on the U.S.  The message suggests that bin Laden wants to show he remains in direct command of al-Qaida's many branches around the world.  (Read the AP Article)

In related news the AFP is reporting Osama bin Laden's word choice in the latest audio message attributed to him is seen as a "possible indicator" of an upcoming  attack by his Al-Qaeda network, a US monitoring group warned Sunday.  IntelCenter, a US group that monitors Islamist websites, also said that manner of the release and the content of the message showed it was "credible" that it was a new release from the Saudi extremist. (Read the AFP Article.)

In world news Fox News is reporting An Ethiopian Airlines plane carrying 90 people crashed into the Mediterranean Sea early Monday just minutes after takeoff from Beirut, Lebanon's transportation minister said.  The cause was not immediately known. But police ruled out terrorism and said the crash was likely weather-related. Beirut has seen heavy rain and lightning since Sunday.  (Read the rest of the Article at Fox News.)

Tech:

This Wednesday is the day that Mac Fanatics have been waiting for and if what Tech Crunch is reporting is correct it may be well worth the wait. Referring to the soon to be launched Apple Tablet Steve Jobs was said to be heard saying “This will be the most important thing I’ve ever done.” Sweet, I can’t wait to see and hear all about this device come Wednesday. (Read the whole article at Tech Crunch)

Mashable’s has had a few interesting things going on this weekend. Staying on the apple thing for a minute, Hot Hardware is saying that at&t could lose it’s iphone exclusivity as early as this Wednesday.  So now rumour has it that at least one of the other 3 U.S. carriers may add the iPhone to its roster next week. The inside sources that conveyed the news didn’t disclose any details about which carrier that might be, but earlier rumors point to Verizon as a likely candidate. (Read the whole article on Mashable.)

Another interesting story at Mashable, involves Youtube getting into the online movie rental game.  The video sharing site is talking to the major movie studios about offering up their content for rental.  It’s not clear how far along YouTube might be in its negotiations with the studios, but it’s going to be one of the major stories to watch with the company this year. (Read the whole article at Mashable)

The last bit of tech news for today again comes from Mashable.com who is reporting Ustream is launching a pay-per-view live video service  where entertainers and other public figures will be able to charge for virtual admission to live shows and premium content.  Comedian Dane Cook will be the first act to use Ustream’s new platform. He’ll do a Miami-based pay-per-view presentation of his “ISolated INcident” stand-up routine live at 6:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, February 6. To watch, you’ll have to buy a ticket for $5 at Ustream’s ticket sales site. (Read the whole article at Mashable.)

Entertainment & Gossip:

People.com is reporting that Friday night's celebrity telethon Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief has so far raised more than $57 million – a record for a disaster relief telethon, said the event’s organizers.

In addition the star-studded Hope for Haiti Now album, featuring performances from the evening, is the biggest one-day album pre-order in iTunes history. (Read the whole article at People.)

People.com is also reporting that Gary Coleman has been arrested on one misdemeanor count of domestic assault and is currently being held on $1,725 bail in Santaquin, Utah, TMZ.com reports.  (Read the whole article at People.com)

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw9oX-kZ_9k

There’s a few things going on over at TMZ that I want to tell you about. First and foremost multiple people directly connected with Brangelina tell TMZ that Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie are not pulling the plug on their relationship, There's a report out that Brad and Angie are calling it quits. One source -- who should know -- says, "It's B.S."

There are a few different articles on TMZ from last weekend about Andy Dicks shenanigans. It all started on the morning of January 23, Andy Dick was arrested in West Virginia on two felony counts of sexual abuse in the first degree. According to the criminal complaint, Dick was talking to a guy when he "unexpectedly and without invitation grabbed the victim's crotch, repeatedly groping then kissing him." Dick faces 1-5 years in prison if convicted. (Read the whole article at TMZ)

Wrapping things up today, I’ll let you guys know that CBS has announced the cast for the upcoming Season of Survivor, Survivor 20 Heroes vs. Villains. It looks like it’s going to be a great season, Entertainment weekly has video interviews with all of the cast mates on their site, click here to watch the Survivor 20 cast videos at Entertainment Weekly.