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ShoreviewPress.com has an article on Heidi Collins and how she balances her career and family. Click here for the link.
So if you had ten minutes to interview Michael Ware, what would you ask?
Here's the transcript of my chat with him prior to last Thursday's event in LA.
All right, so -- back in Baghdad you seemed pretty happy, pretty centered again. Were you feeling it or were you faking it?
No, no, it's -- it's most unhealthy but there's a rather comforting factor to being back in Baghdad. It's where the boys are, it's with the story I know so well, it's just so familiar. I mean, that's been my life. I mean, Baghdad is more normal to me than sitting here in LA or back in New York or anywhere else. Now, there's a lot of other stuff that comes with that as well, but yeah, it's familiarity. That's my normal.
And how were the changes? I mean, it must be so much different than when you last left.
Well, certainly, firstly, just in terms of the bureau. The CNN bureau has shrunk enormously, like every other media outlet, so the press corps is a shadow of its former self. That's -- to a degree that's disheartening. I mean, it's expected, it's understandable, but it kind of hurts a bit, too.
On the street things are ... to the surface degree, much better. People are moving about a bit more now. People are resuming their lives to a degree. But that comes with a price. We're seeing, you know, concentration of political power in ways I'm not sure that are healthy, the creation of a new security apparatus that I think is being used in a way that's very hard to see but is also very malignant. And it also comes, of course, at the expense of US regional standing. I mean, President Obama made it very clear that he wished to bring a resolution to the conflict, the Bush administration signed the deal to set the timetable to end conflict, and that's not without some price.
You also have a political process that's currently underway in Iraq leading up to the national elections in the beginning of next year, so for now it's not in the interests of the major actors to create violence on the streets because everyone's rolling the dice to see what they can get out of the political process. What's going to count is next year when we see how the losers handle their losses.
And what about you, are you going to keep going back, are you going to do Afghanistan, Pakistan?
Well, I've just done Pakistan, I'm probably heading to Afghanistan in a month or so. These are my last couple of days, my last weekend, before I go and play with the Mexican drug cartels. So it's a new position [Michael is now Chief Primetime Foreign Correspondent] based in New York. I don't know whether it's a promotion or a punishment, I haven't figured that out yet. But it means there's no rest for the wicked and we all know that I'm certainly wicked.
Yeah, I've barely had longer than five or six days in one place. I mean, I've barely had five or six days in one place where I could rest my head.
Where things aren't blowing up outside.
Yeah, and I'm not rushing off to a story. I mean, I still have a terrible problem of waking up and I just don't know what city I'm in, I don't know what country I'm in, I don't recognize the room I'm in. I have terrible trouble with the days of the week. Sleep still eludes me. It's not pleasant when it comes. So, yeah, there's not a lot of rest at the moment.
And what are you seeing further down the road?
That I don't know. I think there's unbridled opportunity ahead but the challenge always is what one makes of it. And to get to the truth of that, you have to know what you really want. And to know what you really want, you have to know who you really are.
You still working on that?
(laughs) To say that's a work in progress is an understatement. I wish it was in progress -- it is in progress. It's a torturous affair, as you can imagine, but I mean, everybody goes through this. Everybody, you know -- that is one of the greatest questions in life, is who are we? And we all have our own particular, peculiar complicating factors and I just happen to be struggling with mine at the moment.
How's the book going?
We don't mention the b-word, darling.
Okay. What about other books, have you thought about --
I've got lots of books in my head.
Have you thought about teaching?
Um, it has kind of vaguely crossed my mind. I'd prefer more of a research post, but I do enjoy the interaction with a room full of people and I do enjoy shaping or warping young minds, be it on the rugby field as a coach -- I've always loved coaching and I'm just taking it up again in Brooklyn.
Really? That's fascinating.
Yeah. Not that I'm ever there... And you know, I have taught in the past, back in Australia at a university as a guest lecturer for two years.
Was that law or journalism?
Journalism. I would be the worst law lecturer in the world because I was the worst law student. No one was happier to see me leave law school than the law school. So I think about teaching but I'm most interested in strategic studies. And my other degree apart from law is in political science, so if I return to academia be it for a fellowship to write books, or be it to explore new avenues, it will be in those fields.
Interesting.
Yeah. Much less so journalism. I'm not a great believer in the teaching of journalism.
Yeah, I think it's gut. It's just -- either you feel it or you don't.
Yeah. So I'm more interested in looking at international policy and analysis. Because I think it's no surprise to say I've managed to form my own unique views of things and it helps me -- you know, this is where law school still comes into account. It allows me to bring a certain intellectual rigor to help harness my frontline madness to shape a perspective that I think is little seen out there.
It's a reality check.
Yeah, in fact I'm attempting to write an essay as we speak.
Good for you. I miss your writing, you're such a good writer.
Yeah, I haven't written for a long time. That really takes heart and soul.
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Wolf Blitzer on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on August 5th
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FOX is back on top in all time slots after receiving the most viewers in the Adults 25 - 54 demographic.
At 8PM, MSNBC swept the second place spot all five nights. HLN ends up in third place after coming in third place three nights and two nights in fourth place. CNN comes in fourth place after coming in fourth for three nights and third place twice.
The placement of the cable news networks are identical for both 9PM and 10PM: CNN comes in second place after coming in second three nights out of five (Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday); MSNBC comes in third place after coming in third three nights out of four (Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday); HLN comes in fourth place after coming in fourth all five nights.
No John King this morning on State of the Union. Jessica Yellin anchored the program in his place. Yellin started the program with a live in studio interview with Christina Romer, Chair of the WH Council of Economic Advisors. They discussed the economy and the unemployment rate. Romer believes that after five months the stimulus package is working and will deliver 3.5 millions jobs (either created or saved) by the end of 2010. Yellin also asked her about corporate executive bonuses.
Romer is the only woman on the White House Council of Economic Advisors.
Next on the program was a taped interview that John King did with Senator John McCain. They talked about the economy and the long term impact the stimulus package will have. McCain conceded that the stimulus package has provided "short-term improvements."
The next topic was health care reform and the Senator does not like the idea of a public health insurance option. McCain's advice for Obama:
When the Senator described the blue dog democrats he used phrases like: bark and no bite and roll over and play dead. He doesn't see that Washington has changed any with Obama as President.
King also asked McCain about whether or not he will support Judge Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination. Senator McCain will be spending at least part of his August recess overseas. King asked him about whether additional troops would be required in Afghanistan and about nuclear concerns with Iran. McCain criticized the US' allies for relying too much on diplomacy.
And of course, King had to ask about Palin's resignation. Senator McCain "respects" her decision. When asked about who he would support in the 2012 Republican primary, he wouldn't comment.
Turns out McCain has more twitter followers than the White House.
And another taped segment from John King- this one about Blue Dog Democrats in his American Dispatch. He went to western Idaho to talk to conservative voters.
For more coverage on the Blue Dog Democrats in Idaho, see this story from the CNN Political Ticker.
Later in the program, we saw some of the same people in the CNN Diner segment. He was at Bud's diner and spoke to Dr. Patricia Bauer, Don Griesel, and William Bauer. They talked about Fmr Gov. Palin, health care reform, and how President Obama has done over the first 200 days of his administration.
Reliable Sources with Howard Kurtz started off this morning with comments made by Glenn Beck about the President being a racist. The first panel included Michel Martin, Amanda Carpenter, and Michelle Cottle. Cottle summed it up well: "crazy sells."
The next was a discussion about the birther debate and CNN's Lou Dobb's commentary. FOX's O'Reilly defended Dobbs; MSNBC's Maddow criticized him and Dobb's fought back by calling her names. And what would a discussion about last week's media be without bringing up the beer summit- when has four men sitting around a table drinking a beer received so much coverage?
The same panel also discussed remarks that Former Governor Palin's made about the media. (She just won't go away, will she?)
The next panel included Harvey Levin, Sharon Waxman, and Amy Argetsinger . They discussed the reliability of trusting TMZ as a source.
Next, Kurtz interviewed a fifteen year old journalist from the Bronx: Myles Miller. He's the Political Editor for Children's Press Line
. Here's a quick quote from the interview that gives me hope for the next generation of journalists:I mean, I think that as a journalist, I'm very objective. I make sure that all my questions are asked from a point of view that don't have my opinion in it. And I also make sure that the reporters that I manage are asking questions that are objective because I feel that that's the integrity of journalism.
We've lost integrity a lot. And I feel that we are the ones who are going to bring it back.
Source: CNN Transcript, State of the Union with John King/ Reliable Sources, August 2, 2009
Jessica Yellin was back for the 11AM hour and the Sounds of Sunday or as I like to call it: the hour of pundits. First panel for this hour included Bill Bennett and Donna Brazile. They talked about the economy and whether or not there has been any improvement and whether or not the stimulus package has anything to do with it. They debated the lack of change inside the beltway (what happened to bipartisan legislation/ Congress). Brazile compared the health care legislative debate to "sausage making" and that some of the ingredients she wouldn't have accepted.
The next panel included Chris Cillizza, Karen Tumulty, and Peter Baker. They discussed possible tax increases in order to pay for health care reform, the economic recovery (will it be a jobless recovery), health care reform, the "Cash for Clunkers" program, reform on the housing market and on Wall Street, and Fmr. Gov. Palin's relationship with the media.
Then a report introduced by Deborah Brunswick that is part of the CNN series called In Focus. A Health Care Co-op that includes a doctor on a motocycle.
This brings us to the beginning of the noon "repeat" hour. Live broadcasting resumed 44 minutes later for the Last Word.
Joseph Stiglitz joined Yellin via satellite to discuss possible tax increases. Stiglitz thinks that we may need more stimulus packages and argued that the deficit would be just as high even if we didn't have the stimulus spending.
Here are this week's podcasts:
Want to voice your opinion on the second 100 days of the Obama administration? Thursday night, CNN will repeat their Report Card program – this time for the last 200 days. You can put in your vote at: http://www.cnn.com/reportcard.
Tom Foreman had another article in this week's Metro: OMG: That’s so dangerous!:
Picture a car careening down a Los Angeles freeway in rush hour with the driver crunching a phone between his cheek and shoulder, one hand holding a sputtering tape recorder, the other furiously scribbling in a notebook, all while he steers with his knees. Here is a great truth of the American roadway: I have multitasked at 70 mph in heavy traffic like a Zen master.
But now, like a congressman caught in a sex scandal, I am ready to swear I’ll never do it again.
At least when it comes to the practice of messaging or texting while behind the wheel.
A new report coming out of Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute says texting while driving is not merely dangerous, but something akin to juggling rabid cats. Try it enough times and you’ll get hurt. In real studies of real drivers in real traffic, the researchers found that truckers were 23 times more likely to have an accident if texting, and Tom Dingus, who runs the VTTI, says there is no reason for the rest of us to think we’ll do any better.
The rest of the article can be found on Metro's website: OMG: That’s so dangerous!.
Web Wire has a new article with more details from Christiane Amanpour on her new show. Click here for the article.
