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The State, a South Carolina newspaper, has published an intimate email exchange between South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and his Argentine mistress. Sanford shows a poetic side: "In the meantime please sleep soundly knowing that despite the best efforts of my head my heart cries out for you, your voice, your body, the touch of your lips, the touch of your finger tips and an even deeper connection to your soul.” Gawker reports that The State threatened to publish the emails, which it's had since December, before Sanford made his public confession. His mistress, identified as "Maria," calls Sanford her "impossible love." Sanford wrote: "I love your tan lines...the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of the night’s light." The newspaper said it obtained the emails in December, but was not able to verify them until now. They are dated from July.
Another violent day in Iran: A rally of as many as 2,000 people today is the subject of numerous contradictory reports, as many blogs have posted video and tweets that paint a picture of a brutal, violent crackdown by 500 government forces. The Associated Press reported that gunshots were fired into the air, but reports elsewhere cited significantly more violence. Andrew Sullivan's The Daily Dish quotes a dramatic phone-call broadcast on CNN of a protester describing the horrific scene. "All of a sudden some 500 people with clubs came out of [undecipherable] mosque and they started beating everyone. They tried to beat everyone on [undecipherable] bridge and throwing them off of the bridge," the woman said. The Lede backs up this story, saying that several Iranian bloggers have reported hearing gunshots at the rally. One tweet picked up by the Huffington Post and Andrew Sullivan is the most disturbing of all, "In Baharestan we saw militia with axe choping ppl like meat - blood everywhere - like butcher...Fighting in Vanak Sq, Tajrish sq, Azadi Sq - now.." Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said reiterated that the election results will stand and the government has reportedly banned the family of Neda, the slain woman whose death has become a rallying cry for protesters, has been evicted from their home and is not allowed to mourn.
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford said today that he paid for his most recent visit to Argentina (“It was my own ticket,” he told reporters), but one trip since his election in 2002 was financed by the South Carolina Department of Commerce. The trip most likely took place after he met his mistress, Politico reports, though it is unclear when exactly it occurred. But it’s unlikely that other aspects of his trip—or the affair—raise legal issues. According to John Simpkins, a professor at the Charleston School of Law, transfer-of-power requirements in the state of South Carolina don’t indicate Sanford violated any laws in fleeing the country without word of where he was going. “There's been a tradition that the governors will notify their lieutenant governors when they are out of state, typically," Simpkins said to NPR, "and when they are out of the country, certainly,” but his behavior was more “imprudent” than anything else.
More violence on Wednesday in Baghdad: Two bombs killed at least 69 people and wounded 116 more in an outdoor market. According to CNN, “The bombings occurred in Sadr City, the largely Shiite populous swath of eastern Baghdad that has been the scene of carnage during the Iraq war. A motorcycle rigged with explosives detonated in the Mredi outdoor market in Sadr City. A few minutes later, a roadside bomb exploded near the market.” On Saturday, a truck bomb killed 80 in northern Iraq. American forces are withdrawing next week, and these attacks raise concerns about the ability of Iraqi forces to maintain order once the troops leave.
Perez Hilton may have temporarily lost the battle—for once—when the manager for the Black Eyed Peas allegedly attacked him, but he intends to win the war in court. The celebrity blogger filed a civil lawsuit today in Los Angeles against Polo Molina, who he claims hit him three times for comments he made about the Black Eyed Peas’ new album on his website. Perez is seeking over $25,000 in unspecified damages for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, which he claimed violated his First Amendment rights. “Whether you love Perez or hate him, he is entitled to his freedom of speech without fear of physical violence,” said Bryan Freedman, Hilton’s lawyer. Hilton, an openly gay man, also called band member will.i.am a “faggot” and refused to apologize at the request of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Well, the Iranian diplomats probably would have been party-poopers anyway. The State Department has rescinded its invitation to Iranian envoys for its July 4 wienie roast, saying that the Iranians are no longer welcome. The invitation, approved by Hillary Clinton herself, was given a great deal of press several weeks ago, as it was a concrete sign of improving relations between the two countries. President Obama said Tuesday that it was up to the Iranians to decide if they still wanted to attend. But today, a State Department spokesman told the Associated Press that "the U.S. saw little reason for them to (attend) given the political crisis over their disputed presidential election."
As if losing their daughter weren’t sad enough: The Guardian reports that “The Iranian authorities have ordered the family of Neda Agha Soltan out of their Tehran home after shocking images of her death were circulated around the world.” Neighbors say that the family was forced to move after Neda’s death, and that “the police did not hand the body back to her family, her funeral was cancelled, she was buried without letting her families know and the government banned mourning ceremonies at mosques.”
South Carolina Mark Sanford may have returned from Argentina, but it’s reasonable to expect that now he’s permanently disappeared from the 2012 presidential field. At least he’s in good company: The Associated Press analyzes the GOP’s dim prospects in 2012: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal induced cringes nationally in his response to Obama’s first big speech; Texas Governor Rick Perry suggested that his state should secede; and Sarah Palin has been busy feuding with David Letterman. One person whose campaign has not yet been derailed? Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, who was recently in Iowa and New Hampshire. Jon Chait at The New Republic writes, “There are people who think that the solution to the GOP's image problem is to nominate a sleazy, corpulent, cigar-chomping lobbyist from the Deep South? Is Boss Hogg unavailable?”
The Academy Awards may get even longer: The Oscars have announced that, starting next year, it will double the number of best-picture nominees from five to 10. Academy President Sid Ganis said that, after reviewing last year's top contenders, they realized there was room for more in the premiere category—and they feel their decision will open the field up to more worthy films, including documentaries, animated movies, foreign-language films, and even comedies. "Everybody says the Academy will never nominate a comedy," Ganis said. "Well, maybe we will." The move marks a return to Hollywood's golden age 60-70 years ago, when having 10 or more nominees was common.
This time, Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s opponent may be less intimidating than Rosie O’Donnell, but the charges are more serous: The co-host of The View dismissed plagiarism charges against her as “without merit” before Wednesday’s episode. A self-published author named Susan Hasssett has alleged that Hasselbeck’s book, The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide, lifted from her “word for word.”
There’s a Clintonesque ring here, isn’t there? “I’ve never paid a woman,” Italian Prime Minister Silivio Berlusconi insisted in an interview with the magazine Chi, which he owns. “I never understood where the satisfaction is when you're missing the pleasure of conquest.” Berlusconi was accused last week of having a local businessman pay for women to attend his parties, at least one of whom he allegedly slept with.
The newest batch of tapes released by the Richard Nixon Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California will hardly help the infamous president's image. That they're profanity-laced should come as no surprise. According to the Los Angeles Times, the ever-charming Nixon told aid Chuck Colson after the Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion, "There are times when abortions are necessary—I know that...Suppose you have a black and a white, or a rape." Nixon also said that he'd "cut off the head" of the South Vietnamese leader to end the war. The tapes span January and February 1973, covering Nixon's second inauguration, the Hanoi peace deal, and the trial of the Watergate burglars.
No shortcuts to the top of the waiting list for Steve Jobs: “[He] was the sickest patient on the waiting list at the time a donor organ became available," said James Eason, chief of transplantation at the hospital in Memphis where Jobs received a liver transplant. “Mr. Jobs is now recovering well and has an excellent prognosis." Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Jobs received the liver transplant two months ago. He is scheduled to return to Apple by the end of the month.
Does Phil Spector need a cellmate? Joseph Brooks, 71, the Oscar-winning composer who wrote "You Light Up My Life" has been charged with 82 counts of rape, sexual assault, and other crimes against 11 different women, the New York Post reports. Brooks allegedly advertised on Craigslist and talent sites as an "Oscar-winning composer" looking for a "new face," lured women as young as 18 to his apartment, and then attacked them. His ploy was cliché, cops said. He allegedly told women they were trying out for the part of a wine-drinking prostitute, and asked them to drink glasses of wine "repeatedly and quickly" before urging them to disrobe and forcing himself on them. Brooks' assistant allegedly helped him select victims and is scheduled to turn herself in next week on nine counts of criminal facilitation.
Celebrity baby watchers will have plenty to talk about this week. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, who already have one child, son James Wilkie, 6, have become the proud parents of twin girls born Monday via a surrogate. People reports that little Marion Loretta Elwell weighed 5 lbs, 11 oz while Tabitha Hodge Broderick weighed 6 lbs at birth. The names "Hodge" and "Elwell" come from Parker's side of the family.
For the first time in four years a U.S. ambassador will return to Syria in an effort to mend relations with Islam and the Arab Middle East, The Washington Post reports. President Obama’s decision to reinstate an ambassador was announced Tuesday night by the office of Imad Mustafa, Syria’s ambassador to Washington. The U.S. fell out of favor in the region because of Arab opposition to the Iraq war and a perceived partiality toward Israel. In 2005, the Bush administration withdrew its Syrian ambassador to protest the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Harriri, in which Syrian intelligence officials are suspected. “We're determined to engage in a comprehensive way in the region,” said a senior administration official. “This is an important step we are taking as part of that strategy.”
The House will vote Friday on the biggest environmental bill in decades, after a deal was brokered Tuesday by key Democrats. The deal, which would delay the Environmental Protection Agency from hindering the ethanol industry and give the Agriculture Department control over reducing farm-based greenhouse gas emissions, was made hours after President Obama asked the House to pass the legislation. It would also require factories, power plants and refineries to reduce seven types of greenhouse gas emissions—including carbon monoxide, the biggest contributor to global warming—by 80 percent over the next 40 years. Though the bill’s opponents claim that it will hurt the U.S. economy and cost families thousands of dollars a year, estimates by the EPA show that it would raise the average household’s energy costs from only $80 a year to $111. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Henry Waxman, said it should pass as a result of support from three important groups: environmentalists, farmers, and a majority of the industries involved.
The show must go on—just not quite yet. In the wake of Monday night’s episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8, in which the couple announced they’re getting a divorce, the TLC network is putting the reality show on hiatus until August, The New York Times reports. The episode set a record with 10.6 million viewers and became the highest-rated telecast on cable TV this year, but will viewers still tune in now that the couple has split? TLC president Eileen O’Neill said the show will focus on the “parent-child relationship,” and executives think viewers can relate to divorce and will want to watch how the situation unfolds. The decision to push the remainder of the show’s season back to August 3 was made so that “everyone could adjust to the new circumstances,” O'Neill said.
Things are looking troubling in Tehran: According to Reuters, “riot police and Basij militia appeared to have largely quelled mass protests against the June 12 poll.” Also, a conservative candidate, who originally disputed the election results, withdrew his complaint on Wednesday. And The Huffington Post has translated a report from a newspaper loyal to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that lays the groundwork for the arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi. It claims, “Tens of dead and injured, widespread destruction of public property, widespread fires, and hundreds of citizens' cars destroyed are the results of two weeks of dodging the law and the selfishness of Mir Hossein Mousavi.”
Citigroup is determined, it seems, to remain the most hated bank in America: Bloomberg reports that “Citigroup Inc., the U.S. bank that got $45 billion of government funds, will raise base salaries by as much as 50 percent to help compensate for a reduction in annual bonuses.” The biggest raises will go to investment bankers and traders, while workers in consumer banking, credit cards, and risk management will see smaller increases. Banks like Morgan Stanley and UBS AG have already boosted base salaries to compensate employees for lost bonuses. Compensation and benefits were Citigroup’s biggest operating expense last year.
Things continue to worsen in Iran: Zahra Rahnavard, the feminist leader and wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi, defended her husband’s supporters’ right to protest, and said it was “as if martial law has been imposed in the streets.” The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, "On the current situation, I was insisting and will insist on implementation of the law. … For sure, neither the system nor the people will give in to pressures at any price." Meanwhile, The Huffington Post's Nico Pitney reports on a violent protest in Baharestan Square, where apparently about 5,000 demonstrators have been attacked by police. Gunshots have been heard and police beatings have been reported.
It's McCain vs. Obama all over again, and pundits can't get enough. A vocal critic of Obama's Iran policy, McCain may have been a target when Obama accused his Iran policy detractors of partisan bickering, noting "only I'm the president of the United State." But the man who wishes he was president kept speaking out, and pulled his military trump card, citing "long years of experience on these issues." Time Magazine’s Joe Klein, who reported from Iran during the election, has now jumped into the fray. On Monday, when asked about McCain’s remarks, Klein said, "Be quiet. You don't need to do this. You know? You know what you're doing is a self-indulgent at this point. Sen. McCain, if he's going to talk about this, should also talk about the fact that the United States supported Saddam Hussein in the Iran/Iraq war for eight years. Every one of those protesters out in the streets, every last one of them believes the United States supplied Saddam Hussein with the poison gas that has debilitated tens of thousands of Iranian men."
The strange story of missing South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford took a bizarre twist this morning when he returned to South Carolina... from Buenos Aires. According to the Charlotte Observer, the governor spent seven days in Argentina recharging after a difficult legislative session where he argued with lawmakers over how to spend stimulus funds. In the interim, Sanford's disappearance caused a global media frenzy. Sanford said that he didn't know why his staff said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, but that, in fairness to them, he'd said he might go hiking. In scenic Buenos Aires, the governor said drove along the coast by himself, but declined to give further details. "I don't know how this thing got blown out of proportion," he said of the kerfuffle over his absence. Politico reports that state officials say Sanford failed to make arrangements for executive decisions during his trip.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck's best-selling book, The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide is under attack. The Associated Press reports that The View co-host is being sued for plagiarism by Susan Hassett, who filed a federal lawsuit in Massachusetts on Monday alleging that Hasselbeck's book lifted "word for word" from Hassett's self-published Living with Celiac Disease. Hassett further alleged that Hasselbeck's book "slavishly reproduces" passages from her book and is inaccurate when it comes to celiac disease, a digestive disorder that involves intolerance to gluten. According to Hassett, she sent Hasselbeck a copy of her book last year after learning Hasselbeck suffers from celiac disease. Hasselbeck's representatives had no comment on the suit.
Not all words written by Dick Cheney are classified: The Associated Press reports that Cheney has signed a deal to write his memoirs with a conservative imprint of Simon & Schuster. The book will be published in the spring of 2011, shortly after President Bush’s memoir, and will cover Cheney’s long career dating back to the Ford administration. "I'm persuaded there are a lot of interesting stories that ought to be told," Cheney told the Associated Press. "I want my grandkids, 20 or 30 years from now, to be able to read it and understand what I did, and why I did it."
Don't go to Mark Sanford with your questions about the Argentinian coastline: Turns out that he went to Buenos Aires not for the views, as he originally claimed, but instead for a fling with an Argentinian woman. It began, he said, with emailing and developed over the past year into a sexual relationship. "I've let down a lot of people," Sanford said, and he called his press conference "the first step in a very long process." He also resigned as the chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
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