Where Can I See Them This Week?

CNN journalists and contributors are popping up all over the place this week. Here are a few of the scheduled non-CNN appearances.

You can see Jack Cafferty on more than just The Situation Room this week.

Monday, October 1, 2007- The Daily Show.

Thursday, October 4, 2007- The View.

Peter Bergen delivered a speech titled "Six Years After 9/11: Are We Winning the War on Terrorism?" at North Iowa Area Community College on September 13, 2007. His speech will be aired on Iowa Public Television (IPTV Plus) on Intelligent Talk TV on Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 9:00PM. IPTV posts many of their programs on their website, so if you don't live in their viewing area, but are interested in the seeing the program, it might appear on their website a few days after the initial airing.

Larry King will be the featured moderator at the Cleveland Clinic's 5th Annual Medical Innovation Summit at the InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center in Cleveland, Ohio on October 1, 2007. He will moderate a session from 2:10 - 3:40 P.M. on the State of Cardiovascular Medicine.

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Mystery Journalist

This week's Mystery Journalist was Chris Lawrence.

CNN Book Reviews

Over the past month or so several CNN regulars have released books to mostly great reviews. Here's a compilation of some of them...





Jeff Toobin's book "The Nine" -

From Publishers Weekly:

It's not laws or constitutional theory that rule the High Court, argues this absorbing group profile, but quirky men and women guided by political intuition. New Yorker legal writer Toobin (The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson) surveys the Court from the Reagan administration onward, as the justices wrestled with abortion, affirmative action, the death penalty, gay rights and church-state separation. Despite a Court dominated by Republican appointees, Toobin paints not a conservative revolution but a period of intractable moderation. The real power, he argues, belonged to supreme swing-voter Sandra Day O'Connor, who decided important cases with what Toobin sees as an almost primal attunement to a middle-of-the-road public consensus. By contrast, he contends, conservative justices Rehnquist and Scalia ended up bitter old men, their rigorous constitutional doctrines made irrelevant by the moderates' compromises. The author deftly distills the issues and enlivens his narrative of the Court's internal wranglings with sharp thumbnail sketches (Anthony Kennedy the vain bloviator, David Souter the Thoreauvian ascetic) and editorials (inept and unsavory is his verdict on the Court's intervention in the 2000 election). His savvy account puts the supposedly cloistered Court right in the thick of American life. (A final chapter and epilogue on the 2006–2007 term, with new justices Roberts and Alito, was unavailable to PW.) (Sept. 18) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Click here for a video of Jeff talking about the book. (Amazon.com)

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Jack Cafferty's book is "It's Getting Ugly Out There: The Frauds, Bunglers, Liars, and Losers Who Are Hurting America "

Reviews are here.

Click here for a video of Jack talking about the book. (Amazon.com)

Also to preview the first chapter of his book, click here.

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Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Book "Chasing Life"

Find some reviews for his book here and from Publisher's Weekly:

From Publishers WeeklyReaders seeking the key to everlasting life will find some clues in neurosurgeon Gupta's survey of the latest research on longevity. Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent, touches on recent breakthroughs as he offers some basic guidelines for adding years to what he and other aging experts call "health span." The goal, Gupta says, is not merely to live longer. To help readers live longer and better, he boils down conflicting health advice and makes some surprising prescriptions. For example, it is not what you eat, but how much you eat that affects longevity; vitamin supplements may be a waste of time and money; and a little upper-body strengthening is far more effective than an hour on a StairMaster. To support this advice, Gupta relates the experiences of a 103-year-old woman from Okinawa; a former executive who began training at age 86 and is a record-breaking sprinter at age 92; and others who are aging well by staying active, eating wisely, being positive and maintaining strong social networks. While stem cell injections, nanotechnology, cryonics and other possible therapies are on the horizon, Gupta tells readers that extending life today is as easy as eating less, moving more and exercising the brain. While Gupta's mix of futuristic science and do-it-yourself advice is far from seamless, many readers will find the lessons in his tales of the long lived worthwhile. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

National Book Festival

CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be in Washington, DC this weekend at the 2007 National Book Festival. On Saturday September 29, 2007, he will be discussing his book Chasing Life: New Discoveries in the Search for Immortality to Help You Age Less Today at 12pm ET and will be signing books from 1pm - 2pm ET.

The 2007 National Book Festival is on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 7th and 14th streets from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival is free and open to the public.

Can't make it to DC? Shortly after his appearance, a webcast will be posted to the Book Festival's website at: http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/authors/Gupta.html.

Did you know that he was a White House fellow? Did you know that he's working on a sequel to Chasing Life called Cheating Death? Matt Raymond, Director of Communications at the Library of Congress, interviewed Dr. Gupta last month for the an audio podcast that has been posted to the Book Fair's website. You can listen to it online here or download it from http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/podcasts/mp3/gupta.mp3.

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Earlier this week, Dr. Gupta participated in a Washington Post online discussion. The full transcript is available here. Below is an excerpt:

Washington, D.C.: Is there a direct relationship between the aging process and amount of sleep I get each night ?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: We know that sleep has more purposes that we previously thought. Our cells are constantly going through various states of rest and replication. Sleep allows those cells to remain in states that keeps the cells' machinery working more efficiently. As a result, it can help all the cells in our body and the tissues that they comprise stay younger.

Here's an interesting fact: Sleeping only six hours a night for a week in a row will make you feel on that eighth day as if you'd gotten no sleep at all. Seven and a half to eight hours remains the sweet spot.

Fairfax, Va.: How is the book festival going? How do you find time to write a book and be on TV?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: I'm looking forward to attending the book festival. Today will be the first day for me. As far as finding time, I try and synergize a lot of the things that I do. So in addition to writing the book I used a lot of the research that I'd done to also produce a documentary (CNN) on the same topic. Subsequently my Time magazine column also evolved around this interest of mine. So while I stay very busy I try to be as efficient as possible.

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Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Unfortunately I have to leave to attend a cancer awareness luncheon at the Capitol. Cancer prevention has been a passion of mine on a personal and professional for a long time. I'm staying in Washington this weekend and I hope to see you at the festival. Thanks for your great questions. Sorry we couldn't answer them all.

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Mystery Journalist

Friday brings us another Mystery Journalist clue. Do you recognize this smile?

Can you name this CNN journalist?

Let us know who you think it is and we'll reveal this journalist's identity in Sunday's post.

A Cocktail of Politics with a Side of Larry King

CNNpolitics.com

CNN is branching out again with the new CNN political site. This site is solely dedicated to bringing the news in regards to politics as it happens. You can check out the new site by clicking here.

Election Express
The CNN Election Express bus is hitting the road. Here is a video that air on CNN Newsroom with Tom “Mr. Raw Politics” Foreman giving the viewers a tour of this amazing bus.

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Larry King Upcoming Shows

Larry King has had some fantastic guest this week including Reba McIntyre, Chef Gordon Ramsey, Jenny McCarthy and Holly Robinson Peete. But this is just the beginning. In the next little while Larry will have a lot of great guests (unless breaking news warrants a change in schedule).

Upcoming Guests
* October 1: Financial guru Suze Orman
* October 2: Whoopi Goldberg and Jenna Bush
* October 3: Olympic skating champion Dorothy Hamill
* October 5: Rock superstar Kid Rock!!
* Vicente Fox
* Former President Jimmy Carter

* Stephen Colbert

* Joel & Victoria Osteen
* Donald Trump

* Bill Cosby

* Valerie Plame & Ambassador Joe Wilson

* Criss Angel

* Eric Clapton

* Jerry Seinfeld

* Terri Irwin

* Judge Judy

Dr. Sanjay Gupta interviews Ted Turner at the Clinton Global Initiative meetings in Manhattan

Dr. Sanjay Gupta interviewed Ted Turner this morning at Bill Clinton's Global Initiative meetings in Manhattan. Here are the highlights from the transcript:

On what motivated Ted Turner to donate $1 billion to establish the United Nations Foundation

GUPTA: Nearly 10 years ago, you decided to give away $1 billion. This whole spirit of philanthropy, what motivated you to give at that time?

TURNER: Well a lot of it actually came from starting CNN, learning about all of the problems that there were in the world, because as you know, we emphasized international news, so while we were doing it, I learned about a lot that was going on overseas and particularly the thing that triggered it is the United States was not paying its dues to the U.N. at that time and we were a couple of years in the rear, so and about $1 billion and the U.N. couldn't pay its bills. And so I was trying to figure, well I said I have $1 billion. I'll just step up and see if I can fill the gap for a while.

On the issues facing the world that Ted Turner sees as most pressing for our times

TURNER: Well the two things that I'm most concerned about are the nuclear arsenals and the fact that they are still on hair-trigger alert, the Russian and American arsenals and if something were to go wrong or a mistake and they get accidentally launched, it's the end of the world in an afternoon. I think that's probably the greatest danger that we face.

And the second one is probably global warming. So those are the two that I'm most concerned about, but I'm concerned about AIDS and measles and malaria, too. The U.N. Foundation is -- takes a holistic view and tries to help out at least some in every area. We still got to finish eradicating polio, too. So we don't let it come out of the bottle again.

GUPTA: It's amazing how many countries still have people who get polio every year.

TURNER: That's right, three or four. But we're 98 percent of the way there. But there's a lot of donor fatigue and it's not as sexy right now as HIV-AIDS or measles or malaria. But the very fact that we're close to eradicating we ought to go ahead and finish doing the job.


Here is the full interview from American Morning.



Thank you to CNN for the info and Cyn for the video. ~Sheryn

Wolf Is Going To Dance!

CNN will be welcoming a new journalist to their Special Investigations Unit Team. Below are excerpts from yesterday's press release:

Abbie Boudreau, a multiple Emmy-winning investigative reporter with ABC15 in Phoenix, will join CNN as an investigative correspondent, it was announced today by Mark Nelson, vice president and senior executive producer of CNN Productions which produces CNN: Special Investigations Unit, CNN Presents and other programming. Boudreau, who will join CNN Oct. 15, will be based at the network’s world headquarters in Atlanta.

“Abbie comes as a welcome addition to CNN as we continue expanding our investigative reporting with CNN: Special Investigations Unit and other long-form programming and investigative packages,” Nelson said. “In Phoenix, she demonstrated the rare ability to uncover stories with national implications from a local station. With the resources of CNN at her disposal, we anticipate even more high-impact results.”

“Investigative reporting is my passion, and I’m honored to join CNN as it expands its enterprise reporting efforts through Special Investigations Unit and other distinctive programs,” Boudreau said.

While at ABC15, Boudreau’s investigations exposed a cult posing as a drug-rehabilitation center for teenagers and uncovered improper spending habits of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, a report that won her a regional Edward R. Murrow award. In 2005, she was the first to report a possible design flaw produced by Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., the nation’s fourth largest tire manufacturer. A year later, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into possible tire tread-separation defects in a line of Cooper tires.

Boudreau’s awards include four Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards for investigative reporting and writing, two regional Edward R. Murrow awards and honors from such groups as the Arizona AP Broadcasters Association, the Society of Professional Journalists and the American College of Emergency Physicians. Recently, her investigation into Cooper Tires earned her another regional Emmy nomination.

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On today's The Situation Room, Wolf Blitzer was showing off the Emmy CNN was awarded last night for the "America Votes 2006" midterm election coverage. Below are excerpts from today's press release:

The National Academy of Television and Arts and Sciences awarded CNN an Emmy award for the network’s live minute-by-minute coverage of the 2006 Election Day, in which Democrats took control of both the U.S. House and Senate for the first time in 12 years. The academy presented the 28th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 24, during a black-tie ceremony at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York City.

“We’re pleased the Emmys have recognized CNN for having The Best Political Team on Television,” said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. “Our inventive Election Night coverage – combining dazzling production with rock-solid information – is the hallmark of what CNN is all about: We’re the place where the news comes alive.”

For Election Night in 2006, CNN rolled out the latest news gathering and news production technology to offer viewers the most content-rich election programming available anywhere. CNN’s 25-foot-wide video wall offered real-time information at a glance, offering vote tallies, live reports and other data from around the country simultaneously. A “smart screen” provided an interactive demonstration of the balance of power in both the House and Senate as results poured into the newsroom.

A breadth of political talent enabled the network to not only staff the studio with top analysts and correspondents but to place them strategically across the country for live reports from the scenes of the key races themselves.

In addition, CNN hosted its first “CNN E-lection Night Blog Party” in which the nation’s top political bloggers gathered to provide their own perspectives of the election.

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The title of today's post has nothing to do with the new season of Dancing With The Stars. There's breaking news on the Ellen / Wolf saga.... Yesterday, we found out that Ellen and Wolf have spoken and have agreed to appear on each other's programs! We here at All Thing CNN don't take sides, so first, we have a clip from Ellen when her show is interrupted so that she can talk to Wolf. (Keep an eye on the crawl at the bottom of the screen.)

And now, from The Situation Room, Wolf's reaction to talking to Ellen:

Let's hope that scheduling conflicts don't get in the way of making these appearances happen.

Amanpour interviews Iran’s Ahmadinejad

Good evening everyone! It's certainly been a tense day on the Columbia University campus in New York City. Students, teachers, administrators and just about anyone on the streets of NYC had an opinion about Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at the prestigious Ivy League university. Quite frankly, I believe that we live in the land of free speech and that any head of state should be able to speak at Columbia University but apparently mine is not a popular opinion. And in light of the sound bites we've heard tonight on Out In The Open and AC360, Ahmadinejad was his own worst enemy.

Today, CNN announced that Christiane Amanpour will sit down with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday. Here is an excerpt from the press release from Turner Pressroom (click title for full text):

CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Secures Interview with Iran’s Ahmadinejad
Network to Air Full Interview on Anderson Cooper 360° on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 10 p.m. (ET)

CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour conducts an extensive interview with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday, Sept. 26, after the embattled leader finishes a tour of New York City that includes an address to the U.N. General Assembly, a videoconference with the National Press Club and an event before 600 students and faculty at Columbia University.

Parts of the interview will air throughout the day on both CNN/U.S. and CNN International with the full interview airing that evening during Anderson Cooper 360° at 10 p.m. (ET) Amanpour will provide live reports and analysis throughout the day.

Amanpour’s interview with Ahmadinejad marks her second with the Iranian president. She first interviewed him in September 2005 just hours before he addressed delegates at the U.N. General Assembly claiming Iran has a right to pursue nuclear power.

As the network’s chief international correspondent, Amanpour has not only reported on most crises from many of the world’s hotspots, including Afghanistan, the Balkans, Iran, Iraq, the Middle East, Pakistan and Somalia but has interviewed many of the world’s most important leaders. Such assignments have included exclusive interviews with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Pakistan’s Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Jordan’s King Abdullah and King Hussein, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Russia’s Mikhail Gorbachev.

Ms. Amanpour is my idol so I will definitely be looking forward to that interview!

Jeffrey Toobin has been making the talk-show rounds publicising his much-praised new book, The Nine which is on my short list of must-reads! I came across a radio interview Jeffrey did on Friday, September 21st with Leonard Lopate on NPR. You can listen to the interview here:




And last but not least, now that I'm up early to put my little girl on the bus for Kindergarten, I get a chance to catch a bit of American Morning with John Roberts and Kiran Chetry. I have to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed watching John Roberts squirm during Elizabeth Cohen's Who's Hot To You segment at the end of the program. I'm not sure exactly how to describe the following clip but it's simply priceless! Poor JR! You can't really see his face but I'm sure he's three shades of red! Way to go, ladies! And I'd like to thank Cyn for the clip!



Well, that's all I have for now! I hope you have a wonderful day. ~Sheryn

Soledad O'Brien's Pantry

Mystery Journalist

This week's Mystery Journalist was Soledad O'Brien.

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Soledad O'Brien is scheduled to speak at the 2007 Bishop's Dinner in Sioux City, Iowa. Below are a few excerpts from the Press Release:

The 11th annual Bishop's Dinner for Catholic Education will feature one of our country's premier journalists. Soledad O'Brien, an internationally recognized award-winning journalist will be featured at the October 21 dinner. The Bishop's Dinner supports more than 6,000 students who attend Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Sioux City.

Bishop R. Walker Nickless says Ms. O'Brien will be a thrilling speaker. "To have a celebrated journalist like Ms. O'Brien who has covered some of the most important stories of our time will be a privilege and a great treat for our Diocese," says Bishop Nickless.

O’Brien says she has a lot of experiences to share at the Bishop’s Dinner. “As a journalist I have the incredible privilege of covering stories whose roots are in our nations faith and values: Hurricane Katrina, which revealed devastating poverty in the Gulf, the Tsunami, which gave a close view of humanitarian response after a tragedy. Being knee deep in a story--(or in water or mud, as the case may be) often makes me reflect on my own faith, my own priorities. Examining the priorities of our nation is my job description,” said Ms. O’Brien. “I look forward to visiting the Diocese of Sioux City to discuss some of the toughest stories I've ever had to tackle and the personal impact those stories have had on my life.”

This year’s dinner is set for Sunday, October 21 at the Sioux City Convention Center. Tickets are $125 per person with $85 of each ticket going to Catholic schools within the Sioux City Diocese. Last year, nearly $161,000 was distributed to Catholic schools because of the success of the Bishop’s Dinner. Tickets go on sale mid-August.

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How healthy are your snacks? Earlier this year, Soledad let Iron Chef Cat Cora raid her snack cabinet...

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Happy Birthday to CNN Anchor Lou Dobbs whose birthday is on Monday, September 24th.

OT Politics

A couple of months back, I posted about politics over at ATA. I wanted to repost it here and see what every one's opinion was.

*Photo from Matthew Rond for CNN© 2007. A Time Warner Company. All rights reserved*

Sometimes it's easy to just look at someone and hear them talking and think, "I like him" or "she's horrible". But do we all really know what the candidates believe? Do we know what they stand for? More of us should probably vote based on that not just about liking someone because he or she seems good or bad. I admit I'm guilty of doing it. I was a pretty big fan of Obama until I started looking into what he would do regarding several serious issues this country is facing. I watched all the democratic debates and my mind really changed. Even though I do like him and think that one day he might make a good candidate I had to question if he's ready. That's just an example of what I mean.

So, here's some help to see who everyone might want to vote for in their state primary. And please do! If you are eligible, I hope everyone votes in not only the election, but in their primary which are coming up at the beginning of '08.

Here's a great chart to help you see where the candidates stand on important issues:

Click on the chart to enlarge

-To read a bit more on what each candidates thinks on social issues and to read a profile of each, you can click here.

-Take a quiz to match you up with a candidate who thinks like you..... Click here. And here's another one.

I thought I'd put up a poll to see how our readers are feeling about the election and the candidates.(NOTE: All references to "Thompson" relate to Fred Thompson, not Tommy Thompson who has taken himself out of the race.)

Is the campaign going on too long this time?
	Yes, waaaay too long!
	Yes, it's a bit much
	No, it's just the right amount of time
	No, I wish it was longer
	I don't care about the election
pollcode.com free polls

What changes should be made to the current election process?
	The candidates should have less time to campaign
	All candidates should have the same amount of money to campaign
	Limit the number of candidates that can run
	Raise the age limit for running
	Other
	None of the above
	All of the above
pollcode.com free polls

Who will be the Democratic nominee
	Edwards
	Clinton
	Obama
	Richardson
	Dodd
	Gravel
	Biden
	Kucinich
	Other
pollcode.com free polls

Who will be the Republican nominee?
	Thompson
	McCain
	Giuliani
	Brownback
	Huckabee
	Hunter
	Romney
	Paul
	Other
pollcode.com free polls

If the election were tomorrow who would you vote for?
	Thompson
	Giuliani
	Clinton
	Obama
	Edwards
	Richardson
	McCain
	Biden
	Romney
	Other
pollcode.com free polls

*The YouTube Republican debate has been rescheduled for Wed. Nov 28th in St. Petersburg, Florida. According to the New York Times:

"It looks as if the Republican presidential candidates, at least most of them, will be participating in a YouTube debate after all. The forum is now set for Nov. 28, the Wednesday after Thanksgiving.

The campaigns of Rudolph W. Giuliani and Senator John McCain have signed on, according to CNN, which will broadcast the event. CNN said it had not heard from Mitt Romney, who has been critical of the format, in which the public poses questions via video sent to YouTube. Mr. Romney’s spokesman could not be reached last night."

To read the whole article click HERE.

Have a great week!

Fed Up: America’s Killer Diet

This week's Special Investigations Unit focuses on Americans' diets with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. An excerpt from the CNN Press Release:

Americans are among the fattest people in the world, and since the 1980s, the nation has experienced an unprecedented spike in obesity rates. CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on the surprising science behind how diet affects the body and brain and how unhealthy food remains central to the American diet despite growing consumer awareness about health.

CNN: Special Investigations Unit – Fed Up: America’s Killer Diet will premiere on Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m., 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. (ET).

Fed Up is the first CNN documentary to be broadcast in high-definition television.

The documentary features Adrian McHargh, who embarked on a steady diet of fast food following his family’s relocation to Kennesaw, Ga., from Kingston, Jamaica, just over a year ago. The 12 year-old gained more than 30 pounds and developed high cholesterol, high blood pressure and borderline Type 2 diabetes. After enrolling in an innovative three-month program with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta that included weekly visits with a nutritionist and a personal trainer, Adrian changed his eating habits and lost 15 pounds.

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Have you ever wondered what's in a Twinkie? Dr. Gupta takes a look in the following CNN clip.

Warning: Twinkie fans might want to skip this one.

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The saga between Wolf and Ellen continues... earlier this week, it appears that Ellen dumped Wolf for another anchor.

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Evidently, becoming a Jeopardy champion is not as easy as some CNN anchors have make it look. Below is a clip from Nancy Grace's attempt.

credit:colemaster

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Mystery Journalist

This is not one of my better screen capping momements, but it does make for an interesting Mystery Journalist clue.

Can you name this CNN journalist?

Let us know who you think it is and we'll reveal this journalist's identity in Sunday's post.

Upcoming Book Signings :)

With the release of his newest book, “The Nine” CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin is about to embark on a book signing tour that is a whirlwind across the United States. Jeffrey will be making stops from New York to Los Angeles and many cities in between over the next few months. Check out the CNN Calendar of Events for the upcoming dates and cities Jeffrey will be visiting. Just click on a date and the information about the event will appear. Jeffrey’s first signing is also an interview conducted by Anderson Cooper. Jeffrey Toobin is CNN's Senior Legal Analysis and is a regular contributor to Anderson Cooper 360 as well as many of the other CNN show.

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Speaking of Book Signings, Jack Cafferty of the Cafferty File on The Situation Room will be having a book signing on September 24th in New York City for his new book "It's Getting Ugly Out There: The Frauds, Bunglers, Liars, and Losers Who Are Hurting America". Information for this book signing is also up on the CNN Calendar of Events.

If anyone get a chance to check our Jeffrey or Jack at a Book Signing, we would love to hear your encounter stories and see your pics. You can email us at allthingscnn@hotmail.com

CNN's Coverage of The Jena 6

A few weeks back I posted about CNN coverage on the Jena 6 case. At the end of my post I said that I was sure Susan Roesgen would be Keeping Them Honest and I was defiantly right on that one. CNN has released the following press release in regards to the up coming coverage they are planning on the Jena 6 story.

CNN, which has led broadcast networks in coverage of the “Jena 6,” will originate much of its programming this week from Jena, La., where people from around the nation will gather on Thursday, Sept. 20, for a day of demonstrations.

On Thursday, CNN’s American Morning, CNN Newsroom and Anderson Cooper 360° will carry live reports from Jena on all of the latest developments. At 8 p.m. (ET), CNN will premiere a one-hour documentary, CNN: Special Investigations Unit – Judgment in Jena, an investigation reported by Kyra Phillips examining the complex issues of this case. In addition to Phillips, the network has moved Sean Callebs, Tony Harris, David Mattingly and Susan Roesgen to the town for live reports.

For Judgment in Jena, Phillips reports on racial tensions within the small Louisiana town where whites and blacks have existed in the sort of separate-yet-civil existence typical of many rural Southern towns. Phillips interviews local residents, who have split largely along color lines in their view of the students. She will ride along with radio personality Michael Baisden and protestors on a bus from Alexandria, La., to Jena.Phillips secured exclusive interviews with District Attorney Reed Walters, who decided to pursue the adult charges for the students, and with family members of the accused. In addition, the investigation includes an interview with the mother of the white student who was beaten, and an interview with U.S. Attorney Donald Washington, who explains the charges against the Jena 6 and why hate crimes charges were not applied against the noose hangers.

“The events in Jena have become a national touchstone in race relations,” said Jon Klein, president CNN/U.S., “As we do with all major stories, CNN is mobilizing massive resources to cover this story from every angle.”

Roesgen was among the first national reporters to investigate events surrounding the “Jena 6” – five Jena High School students and a sixth student who were arrested and charged as adults following the beating of a white student. The beating followed a series of incidents that began with nooses being hung from a campus tree. The original charges against some of the Jena 6 included attempted murder, although some of these were later reduced. Viewers can playback video from the network’s early reporting on this coverage at www.CNN.com/video using the keyword “Jena.”

Also on Thursday, Callebs, one of CNN’s New Orleans-based correspondents, will report on Jena’s preparations for the day’s demonstrations for American Morning beginning at 6 a.m. (ET). Harris will join Callebs at 9 a.m. and co-anchor the morning CNN Newsroom broadcast from Jena. Roesgen will continue coverage from various locations for CNN’s afternoon and evening broadcasts. Mattingly will contribute live reports from Jena for Anderson Cooper 360°.

CNN.com Live will carry all reports throughout the day of the key events.

This week’s extensive coverage is the culmination of CNN’s continuous investigative reporting on these events over the last few months. In July, Roesgen updated her original reporting with the felony sentencing of Mychal Bell of the Jena 6. To view this report, please visit: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/07/01/roesgen.la.jena.6.update.affl.

To view Roesgen’s report on Bell’s overturned conviction, please visit: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/09/14/jenna.six.overturned.cnn.

On Sunday, Sept. 16, CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux interviewed Bernice King and Martin King III on what the case may indicate about the state of modern race relations. For video of this
interview, please visit www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2007/09/17/nr.king.intv.CNN.

Its Getting Ugly Out There

I picked up my copy of Jack Cafferty's book last week. I found it propped up next to Ann Coulter's book (now that's just wrong!).

The title of Jack Cafferty's book, "It's Getting Ugly Out There: The Frauds, Bunglers, Liars, and Losers Who Are Hurting America" couldn't be more appropriate or more on target. And if you have any doubt about it prior to reading the book, afterwards, it will be crystal clear. There's been so much of it over the last few years, that it's easy to overlook an incident or two or three- just out of shear volume!

The best way to describe this book is it's part Cafferty Files and part memoir. If you like the tone and format of the TV version, you're going to love the book version. Cafferty has included many of his best rants and viewer comments with topics including the Iraq war, elections, the war on terror, the Bush Administration, Hurricane Katrina, media news coverage, and more. I don't always agree with Cafferty's opinions, but I'm still able to enjoy watching the Cafferty Files on TV and the same goes for the book. He tells it the way that he sees it and then opens the door for the viewers to do the same.

Prior to this book, I didn't know very much about Cafferty's pre-CNN background. Throughout the book there are stories about growing up in Reno, his marriages, the jobs that he's had, his military service, and his kids.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. I typically struggle when reading nonfiction finding an endless supply of excuses why NOT to continue reading. This book provided no excuses and I breezed through it.

Last week, Jack participated in an online chat at The Huffington Post. Below is an excerpt:

Daniel asks: Mr. Cafferty, Why has the media allowed the "surge" to fall into an argument of whether an extension of the surge is or is not necessary, when the original debate about the surge was let's give it one last shot, if it doesn't work we get out? Now we are arguing lets keep going till next year because by then we can draw down without losing gains. Why is that accepted logic? We know that the troops must draw down by then simply because troop rotation require that the troops come home, because there aren't any more troops to send, and the military can't sustain the surge beyond that. Why has the media ignored this and the fact that this being used to allow forced reductions next year seem like the results of a victorious strategy of Bush Admin. and GOP right before the Nov. election so they can claim "We were right"?

Cafferty says: I don't think President Bush ever had any intention of leaving Iraq. I think we have been lied to about that the same way we were lied to about WMD. Military bases are under construction all over the country including one on the Iran-Iraq border. I talked yesterday on the Situation Room about the drawdown of troops being in the cards for next spring with or without a grand announcement from the Decider. Unless the administration extends deployments or further digs deeper into the reserves or National Guard, they have to start coming home. It's about time! It's just too bad there won't be more of them leaving.

William asks: Why do people continue to assume that the president is stupid and that the administration doesn't know what it's doing? Isn't that an easy out for them? At what point do we, as an American public, take the president at his word and assume that he knows exactly what he is doing and that the outcome is intended?

Cafferty says: Bill, I absolutely agree the outcome is intended. I don't for one minute think President Bush ever plans to leave Iraq. As for him knowing what he is doing... well, that's another subject altogether. Some of this is addressed in It's Getting Ugly Out There. Do you have your copy yet?

Cafferty has also done several radio interviews promoting the new book.

On Monday, September 10, 2007, he was on the Bill Press Show. The podcast of the show is available for download to subscribers.

The same day, he was also on the The Stephanie Miller show during the Celebrity Hotline segment. The interview is available for download from the shows blog or this link.

There have also been multiple interviews on CNN. Below is a clip from this past Sunday's Reliable Sources with Howard Kurtz.

Of course, Wolf Blitzer interviewed Cafferty on the Situation Room, as well.

Want to try the book out before buying? Both the book's publisher, Wiley, and CNN have posted excerpts. CNN's excerpt is from the Preface. Wiley's excerpt is of the first chapter of the book, Boy in the Bubble.

If you're a Jack Cafferty fan, you have to check out http://givecaffertyashow.com/. They have Cafferty quotes, videos, and a petition for Jack Cafferty to get his own show.

We'll get a taste of what a Jack Cafferty show might be like Wednesday, when an hour long Cafferty File airs at 8pm ET.

Whoopi Goldberg will be his guest and its rumored that Wolf Blitzer might make an appearance as well.

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We wish a speedy recovery to CNN anchor Lou Dobbs. He's currently recovering from surgery. Below is the transcript from the beginning of last night's Lou Dobbs Tonight:

ANNOUNCER: This is LOU DOBBS TONIGHT: news, debate, and opinion for Monday, September 17.

Live from New York, sitting in for Lou Dobbs, Kitty Pilgrim.

PILGRIM: Good evening, everybody.

We begin tonight with some news about Lou. Now, many of you have been asking where Lou is. Well, he's just had a tonsillectomy and he won't be here for the next two to three weeks. We're pleased to report that Lou is doing fine, and we thank you all for your concern.

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I mentioned the Bill Press Show earlier. CNN's John King is a regular guest on the show each Monday morning (typically during the last 15 minutes of the show). The show is nationally syndicated but if your local talk radio station doesn't carry it, it can also be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio, Sirius Left 146, Monday - Friday, 6-9 a.m. EST.

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A Happy Birthday to Soledad O'Brien, who will celebrate her birthday on Wednesday, September 19th!

Jeffery Toobin's Newest Tome

Jeffery Toobin's newest book, The Nine hits your favorite bookstore today. Here's a book synopsis and a few of the early reviews and some info on JT's other writings.

"Bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin takes you into the chambers of the most important—and secret—legal body in our country, the Supreme Court, and reveals the complex dynamic among the nine people who decide the law of the land.Just in time for the 2008 presidential election—where the future of the Court will be at stake—Toobin reveals an institution at a moment of transition, when decades of conservative disgust with the Court have finally produced a conservative majority, with major changes in store on such issues as abortion, civil rights, presidential power, and church-state relations.Based on exclusive interviews with justices themselves, The Nine tells the story of the Court through personalities—from Anthony Kennedy's overwhelming sense of self-importance to Clarence Thomas's well-tended grievances against his critics to David Souter's odd nineteenth-century lifestyle. There is also, for the first time, the full behind-the-scenes story of Bush v. Gore—and Sandra Day O'Connor's fateful breach with George W. Bush, the president she helped place in office. The Nine is the book bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin was born to write." ~Amazon book description

"A major achievement, lucid and probing." ~ Bob Woodward, co-author of The Brethren

"This is a remarkable, riveting book. So great are Toobin's narrative skills that both the justices and their inner world are brought vividly to life." ~ Doris Kearns Goodwin

"It's not laws or constitutional theory that rule the High Court, argues this absorbing group profile, but quirky men and women guided by political intuition. New Yorker legal writer Toobin (The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson) surveys the Court from the Reagan administration onward, as the justices wrestled with abortion, affirmative action, the death penalty, gay rights and church-state separation. Despite a Court dominated by Republican appointees, Toobin paints not a conservative revolution but a period of intractable moderation. The real power, he argues, belonged to supreme swing-voter Sandra Day O'Connor, who decided important cases with what Toobin sees as an almost primal attunement to a middle-of-the-road public consensus. By contrast, he contends, conservative justices Rehnquist and Scalia ended up bitter old men, their rigorous constitutional doctrines made irrelevant by the moderates' compromises. The author deftly distills the issues and enlivens his narrative of the Court's internal wranglings with sharp thumbnail sketches (Anthony Kennedy the vain bloviator, David Souter the Thoreauvian ascetic) and editorials (inept and unsavory is his verdict on the Court's intervention in the 2000 election). His savvy account puts the supposedly cloistered Court right in the thick of American life." ~ Publisher's Weekly

To purchase this book or to read more reviews just follow the link.

Did you know....

Jeffery Toobin served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Brooklyn?

He also served as an associate counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel Lawrence E. Walsh?

Toobin earned his bachelor's degree from Harvard College and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review?

Toobin remains a staff writer at The New Yorker where he has been covering legal affairs for the magazine since 1993? (information obtained from Jeffery Toobin's CNN bio)

Other Jeffery Toobin books:

A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal that Nearly Brought Down a President

The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson

Too Close to Call: The 36-Day Battle to Decide the 2000 Election.

Masquerading as Optimus Prime

We've received this scheduling update from CNN: Suzanne Malveaux will be anchoring the primetime weekend newscasts this week for Rick Sanchez who continues anchoring the weekday 8pm hour, Out in the Open, for the next several weeks. Suzanne Malveaux has had a busy week with substituting for Wolf Blitzer in the Situation Room on Friday and then filling in for Rick Sanchez Saturday and Sunday nights!

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CNN's Glenn Beck is scheduled to host the Premiere Radio Networks NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner & Show later this month. Below is an excerpt from the NAB press release:

Talk radio personality Glenn Beck of Premiere Radio Networks will host the NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner & Show on Thursday, September 27 during The NAB Radio Show in Charlotte.

Established in 1989 and named after inventor and Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi, The NAB Marconi Radio Awards are given to radio stations and outstanding on-air personalities to recognize excellence in radio. Winners will be announced at the NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner & Show at the Charlotte Convention Center.

About the NAB Radio Show

The NAB Radio Show is the largest annual convention for radio. This year's show, Sep. 26 - 28 in Charlotte, features interactive sessions, special events and exhibits and is co-located with the R&R Convention.

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On April 24, 2007, CNN's Chief National Correspondent, John King, interviewed former Secretary of State, James A. Baker, III about his book Work Hard, Study…and Keep Out of Politics!. The interview was done as part of the Kentucky Author Forum at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in Louisville. PBS station KET aired the interview in May and since then its aired on several other PBS stations across the country. Recently, KET released the interview on its website.

This hour long interview is a surprisingly interesting look at political history over the last 30 years from the perspective of a DC insider.

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Mystery Journalist

Who was this masked journalist? Optimus Prime?

Our Mystery Journalist this week was Ali Velshi. The screen caps were taken from American Morning on July 24th. Below is the video clip.

Upcoming

We received this from CNN and wanted to pass it along to everyone:

Suzanne Malveaux will be interviewing Bernice King and Martin King III on Sunday evening (16 September) for this week's "Sunday Spotlight" at approximately 10:30pm ET for CNN Newsroom. Malveaux and the Kings will discuss the recent developments in the Jena 6 case and the planned 20 September rally being organized by Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and others.

Bernice King is the youngest child of the late Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. She is the only one of their children to be come a minister and is also a popular lecturer. Read more about her at Wikipedia.

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If you missed the SIU special on Sat "Lifting the Veil" about women's struggles since the regime change in Afghanistan you can catch it on Sunday at 8pm est. It's a moving, heartbreaking and wonderfully done piece. All woman should watch this and hopefully respond. It's sickening that women are being treated like this in today's world. Watch more clips here.

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According to some of the weekend anchors, AC360 will be focusing on the Madaleine McCann disappearance on Monday's show. Check it out at 10pm

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Happy Belated Birthday to David Mattingly! His birthday was last Wed. Don't forget a CNN related event... check out our CNN Calendar of Events.