Really?

Oprah Winfrey is expected to announce September 9th, 2011 as the final air date for her long-time running talk show, "The Oprah Winfrey Show." It's unclear what reasons are prompting Oprah to end production of her show, or if the show will move to the newly-formed Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011. [...]

In a message to syndicate stations airing "Oprah," Harpo Incorporated President Tim Bennett thanked stations for their long-time support. "Tomorrow, Oprah will announce live on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' that she has decided to end what is arguably one of the most popular, influential and enduring programs in television history," Bennett wrote Thursday in his note to affiliated stations.

I don't believe Oprah Winfrey can exist solely on the cover of her namesake magazine and cable. She lives for network. She is network television.

From court records that charge Kevin Todd Swalwell with arson in Greenwood (click image for a larger version):

God, that sucks.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Media Matters for watching every minute of every Glenn Beck show for us. That way, they catch moments like this, where Beck compares health care reform to raping an underage girl:

Keep it classy, GB.

She's got legs...

The controversial politician is in hot seat again through the Newsweek cover headlines. And Sarah Palin cover photo right now is where she took for a magazine “Runners World” with her attire showing off her legs. Newsweek asked on the cover “How Do you Solve a Problem like Sarah?
Recently, Sara Palin attacked the Newsweek cover on her Facebook account. You have to ask yourself the question: is the cover really sexist, or is this another attention distraction on the part of the former Vice Presidential candidate and former Alaskan Governor?

What about this image?

Prudence takes a hardline on fathers-in-law who hug too much but cuts some slack for fathers-in-law who fart too much. She also admits to being a habitual and indiscreet farter herself—and her dog's pretty gassy too. Um... thanks for sharing?

Jon Stewart took a few swipes at serial anti-immigrant zealot Lou Dobbs on last night's Daily Show, including this zinger: "Nothing says honest and straightforward better than a surprise announcement that you're quitting for reasons you can't explain to do something you can't discuss." Enjoy.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out:

Lou Dobbs, the longtime CNN anchor whose anti-immigration views have made him a TV lightning rod, plans to announce Wednesday that he is leaving the network, two network employees said.

A CNN executive confirmed that Mr. Dobbs will announce his resignation plans on his 7 p.m. program. His resignation is effective immediately; tonight’s program will be his last on CNN. [...]

More recently, Mr. Dobbs’ views on immigration provoked a protest by Hispanic groups. Members of the groups complained that CNN was allowing Mr. Dobbs “to spread lies and misinformation about us each night.”

Losing Dobbs—or any right-wing mouthpiece, for that matter—is the best thing that could happen to CNN. How long till network executives can jettison Nancy Grace? CNN should embrace its identity as the news source for progressives and moderates; those are the only people who watch it anyway. Screw neutrality. Be honest about your biases, CNN. The less you're pandering to Republican viewers, who aren't watching, the more the rest of us will tune in. I'd love to see Anderson Cooper—well, there are a lot of ways I'd like to see Anderson Cooper—unbridled. He's obviously biting his tongue when he could be shredding the tea-baggers, birthers, and conservative media—and look damn fine doing it—if CNN would let him. (Via AmericaBlog.)

UPDATE: And here's the video:

There won't be many mourners when this one goes down.

Things seem to be going from bad to worse at the Washington Times. And the continued operation of the newspaper, which is owned by Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, seems to be in serious doubt. There's already been plenty of speculation that the paper might fold or go online-only. Sources at the Times said they fear major changes and that the Moon family feud that's driving the paper's turmoil could lead to the Times shutting down in the coming months—with some suggesting that Preston Moon, the reverend's son who serves as chairman of News World Communications, the parent company of the Washington Times, came close to that decision last weekend.

Much more at TPM.

That's the annual salary of the lead editor at the the Texas Tribune, a new "12-person Web-based newsroom" that has adopted the "nonprofit" model—relying on donations and sponsorships—to cover its considerable expenses.

Pat Buchanan was talking with Chris Matthews about Florida Governor Charlie Crist on MSNBC's Hardball yesterday. Crist, a Republican, is running for the U.S. Senate, and he's drawn a primary challenger from the right. Will Crist be the next Republican to be Scozzafava'd? Buchanan said that it was a real possibility. Crist isn't popular with the Republican base and "gay rights issues" were a particular challenge for Crist because the GOP's base—Republican primary voters in Florida—are strongly opposed to gay rights.

But Crist, a married man (a legally married man), opposes gay rights. Crist backed efforts to ban same-sex marriage in Florida, he has defended Florida's ban on adoptions by same-sex couples (even as Florida places children in foster homes headed by same-sex couples), and has said that "a traditional family provides the best environment for children." (A statement that isn't supported by the facts—see here, here, here, here.)

So when Buchanan says that the GOP base has a problem with Crist where gay rights are concerned, gee, it kinda makes you wonder what Buchanan could possibly be referring to.

If you can't even throw a punch in the office in peace?

Washington Post editor Henry Allen, following news reports that he punched Style reporter Manuel Roig-Franzia on Friday night, told POLITICO that he was surprised by the huge reaction in the media world.

In the old days, said the 68-year-old, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, the press wouldn't have been so shocked by an expletive-filled, newsroom scuffle...

"Back when I got into journalism, the idea that a fistfight in a newsroom would turn into a news story was unthinkable," Allen said when reached Monday evening. "The guys in the sports department at the New York Daily News, they had so many, you wouldn’t even look up."

The line that preceded the fists of fury: “This is total crap. It’s the second worst story I have seen in Style in 43 years.” (Followed by: "Henry, don’t be such a cocksucker.” Followed by a mad search for the first-worst Style story ever.)

Previously.