The Wire: January 12, 2011

• Editorials

  7:06 p.m.

  TWT

  

  EDITORIAL: Blood libel against Palin, Limbaugh

  Sarah Palin issued a statement yesterday condemning the “reprehensible” response to Saturday’s shooting in Tucson by some members of the media. “Within hours of a tragedy unfolding,” she wrote, “journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn.”
• Editorials

  7:05 p.m.

  TWT

  

  EDITORIAL: Chicken Little eats crow

  Doomsayers who make a living warning that the sky is falling victim to human-induced pollution need to take a deep breath. It turns out Mother Nature has her own resources for cleaning up the air.
• Basketball

  7:04 p.m.

  Ravens' other Ray key to playoff hopes

  His name is Ray, and he serves as both a playmaker and leader for the Baltimore Ravens.
• Editorials

  7:02 p.m.

  TWT

  

  EDITORIAL: Avoiding the next Tucson

  Last weekend’s tragedy in Tucson is helping focus needed attention on the intersec-tion between serious mental illness and crime. Modern society prides itself on being open-minded, but there’s still much room for progress in how we look at the mentally ill.
• National

  7:02 p.m.

  

  Ex-CIA agent on trial for hiding militant past

  A federal prosecutor told jurors Wednesday that an ex-CIA agent and nemesis of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro “can do anything he wants to the Cuban regime” but broke federal law when he lied about it under oath while seeking American citizenship.
• National

  7:01 p.m.

  

  Former Iowa player: Accuser 'the aggressor'

  A former University of Iowa athlete who claims she was raped by two football players “was the aggressor,” and it was her idea to have sex with him, one of the two accused assailants testified Wednesday.
• Baseball

  7:00 p.m.

  AP Source: Farnsworth nears deal with Rays

  Free agent reliever Kyle Farnsworth is approaching an agreement on a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
• Letters

  7:00 p.m.

  TWT

  Fight terror through historical alliance

  The United States does not want to be the caretaker of the planet. Despite this, there comes a time when someone has to step up to the plate and declare that enough is enough. The European Union has not had the will to confront the terrorist threat and those nations that support terrorism. It isn’t too late for the EU to challenge the threat and begin to turn back the tide of internal chaos.
• Letters

  7:00 p.m.

  TWT

  Obamacare cuts mental health care

  If you take the time to check out Obamacare’s changes, you will find the cuts in services including physical therapy, caregivers and visiting nurses that home-bound senior citizens need just to get by. The cuts will have a devastating effect.
• Letters

  6:59 p.m.

  TWT

  Resurrect our nation's founding values

  Our country is hemorrhaging from reckless spending, leaving the people in debt with the interest payments alone while the presses are busy printing more currency. Will the recently elected Republican House of Representatives follow our words or fall into the same old routine as its forerunners by neglecting those it represents to follow its own agenda? To those newly elected congressmen, listen to your hearts. We must restore honor and truth in this country before the candle of liberty is snuffed out.
• Letters

  6:59 p.m.

  TWT

  Papering over parentage

  This February, the State Department will be issuing a revised passport application replacing the mother and father questions with requests for identification of “parent one” and “parent two” in the new spirit of gender neutrality (“Heather has two passports,” Comment & Analysis, Jan. 11).
• Letters

  6:59 p.m.

  TWT

  Emphasize academic content, not process

  I agree that too much time and effort have been spent on the skills required for teaching and not enough on the mastery of the subject by the teacher (“America woefully out-scienced,” Web, Dec. 29).
• National

  6:57 p.m.

  Chinese bank launches yuan service in New York

  A state-owned Chinese bank says its New York City branch has begun offering accounts denominated in China’s tightly controlled yuan in a new move to expand the currency’s global reach.
• Culture

  6:56 p.m.

  Twitter messages reveal location

  The words you write on Twitter can tell people more than just the status of your relationship or how you like the latest Bon Jovi CD. It may just indicate not only how you’re living, but where you’re living in the U.S.
• Economy

  6:54 p.m.

  Geithner warns Beijing on currency policies

  China’s currency is substantially undervalued, and Beijing is moving too slowly to fulfill its promise to let it rise, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner said Wednesday.
• Commentary

  6:45 p.m.

  TWT

  

  BERG: Who should lead the GOP?

  The 168 members of the Republican National Committee (RNC) will be voting tomorrow to elect a new chairman. Most Republicans don’t even know about this election, but its importance cannot be overstated. The outcome will have much to do with whether a Republican president is elected in 2012.
• Commentary

  6:43 p.m.

  TWT

  

  MELADY: Michael S. Steele for RNC chairman

  Tomorrow, Republicans through their state chairmen and committeemen will elect the chairman of the Republican National Committee. There is special importance to the election as this chairman will lead the party in the national presidential elections of November 2012.
• Commentary

  6:41 p.m.

  TWT

  

  GAFFNEY: The provocative danger of weakness

  Two recent episodes offer an insight into a world in which the United States deliberately adopts a policy of pursuing international peace despite weakness, rather than practice what Ronald Reagan called “peace through strength.”
• Culture

  6:32 p.m.

  Culture Briefs

  “TV today is inhospitable to series like ‘All in the Family,’” writes Matt Zoller Seitz at Salon.
• Technology

  6:30 p.m.

  Study: Consumers not fazed by DNA health results

  Consumers who get their DNA tested for health risks take the results in stride, says the first major study of how people react to commercial genetic testing.
• National

  6:24 p.m.

  American Scene

  The nation’s first museum about gays, opening in San Francisco’s Castro District, showcases a variety of items ranging from Harvey Milk’s pink-framed sunglasses to manuscripts and sex toys.
• Entertainment

  6:13 p.m.

  

  TV's last Nelson, David, dies at 74

  David Nelson, who starred on his parents’ popular television show “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” has died, a family spokesman said. He was 74.
• Politics

  6:09 p.m.

  TWT

  Senator wants to mix it up at Obama address

  Sen. Mark Udall wants his colleagues to adopt a new seating arrangement, calling on lawmakers to break with tradition by sitting next to a member of the opposing party during President Obama’s State of the Union address Jan. 25.
• Entertainment

  6:00 p.m.

  Aretha Franklin says her health is 'superb'

  A month after surgery in Detroit for an undisclosed ailment, Aretha Franklin says her health is “superb.” Franklin called in to Wednesday’s installment of “The Wendy Williams Show,” telling the host she was relaxing at a casino hotel in her hometown and hopes to begin traveling soon, saying she’ll be “looking for a fabulous beach.” She says she has two more weeks of down time as she continues her recovery.
• Baseball

  6:00 p.m.

  

  Hoffman retires after 601 saves in 18 seasons

  Trevor Hoffman used to arrive for work late at night, with heavy metal music blaring from the speakers.
• Entertainment

  6:00 p.m.

  Winfrey's film flop caused mac-and-cheese binge

  Oprah Winfrey says her worst career moment was the box-office failure of her movie “Beloved.” It sent her into what she calls a “macaroni-and-cheese-eating tailspin.”
• Entertainment

  6:00 p.m.

  

  Actor David Nelson of famous TV family dies at 74

  David Nelson, who starred on his parents’ popular television show “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” has died, a family spokesman said. He was 74.
• Sports

  6:00 p.m.

  Blackmon, Weeden returning to Oklahoma State

  All-America receiver Justin Blackmon and quarterback Brandon Weeden are returning to Oklahoma State, giving the Cowboys another season with the two key playmakers in one of the nation’s most dynamic offenses.
• Sports

  6:00 p.m.

  

  Les Miles has a new 7-year contract at LSU

  Les Miles made it clear, in his own particular way, that he is living in the present.
• Basketball

  6:00 p.m.

  

  Iverson needs lesion removed on right leg

  Former NBA star Allen Iverson plans to have a lesion removed from his right leg in the United States and intends to rejoin his Turkish team in time for the playoffs.
• Technology

  6:00 p.m.

  CDC: Asthma rate in US up a little to 8.2 pct

  Asthma seems to be increasing a little, and nearly one in 12 Americans now say they have the respiratory disease, federal health officials said Wednesday
• Sports

  5:15 p.m.

  Cal freshman G Gary Franklin transfers to Baylor

  Freshman guard Gary Franklin is transferring to Baylor after starting 11 of California’s first 13 games this season.
• Entertainment

  4:45 p.m.

  HBO to film pilot episode in Maryland for series

  HBO will film a pilot episode in Maryland for a series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
• Sports

  4:30 p.m.

  Winter weather forces postponement of UAB-ECU

  The Conference USA game between Alabama-Birmingham and East Carolina scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed because of to travel disruptions caused by a recent winter storm.
• Sports

  4:30 p.m.

  MSU hires Collins as co-defensive coordinator

  Mississippi State has hired Geoff Collins as its co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
• Sports

  4:15 p.m.

  Michigan gets its man, hiring Brady Hoke

  Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon is learning that Brady Hoke is a pretty popular coach.
• Baseball

  4:15 p.m.

  Koyie Hill, Cubs agree to $850,000 contract

  Catcher Koyie Hill and the Chicago Cubs have agreed to an $850,000, one-year contract, avoiding arbitration.
• Politics

  4:14 p.m.

  House pays emotional tribute to Arizona victims

  Grief-stricken members of Congress paid tribute Wednesday to the victims of the Tucson shooting rampage amid consultations with security advisers on how they can protect themselves and their aides against such savage attacks.
• World

  3:58 p.m.

  Torrential rains, mudslides in Brazil kill 140

  Torrential summer rains tore through Rio de Janeiro state’s mountains, killing at least 140 people in 24 hours, Brazilian officials said Wednesday. Rescuers using heavy machinery, shovels and bare hands struggled to dig through tons of mud and debris in a search for survivors.
• Entertainment

  3:52 p.m.

  

  HBO to film new series pilot in Maryland

  HBO will film a pilot episode in Maryland for a series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
• Baseball

  3:45 p.m.

  Raburn, Tigers agree to $3.4 million, 2-year deal

  Outfielder Ryan Raburn and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a $3.4 million, two-year contract.
• Entertainment

  3:15 p.m.

  Reba invites Blake Shelton to co-host ACM awards

  Reba McEntire has invited good friend Blake Shelton to join her as co-host of this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas.
• Politics

  3:12 p.m.

  

  Angle: Don't blame me for Tucson shooting rampage

  Former U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle said on Tuesday that she’s not to blame for the Arizona shooting that left six people dead and 13 wounded.
• Politics

  3:03 p.m.

  Haley takes oath as South Carolina's first female governor

  Nikki Haley has taken the oath of office, becoming South Carolina’s 90th governor and the first woman to run the state.
• Politics

  2:59 p.m.

  Doctor: Giffords making small movements on her own

  Four days after being shot in the head, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was making small movements on her own, tugging at her hospital gown and touching her wounds, one of her doctors said Wednesday.
• Culture

  2:57 p.m.

  Obama 'HOPE' artist and AP settle copyright claims

  The Associated Press and the artist who created the Barack Obama “HOPE” image announced Wednesday they have agreed to settle their copyright infringement claims against each other and will work together again in projects that use the news agency’s pictures.
• Entertainment

  2:15 p.m.

  Argument leads to police questioning homeless man

  A trip to Hollywood for appearances on “Dr. Phil” and “Entertainment Tonight” got off to a rough start for an Ohio homeless man whose golden voice has made him an Internet sensation.
• Politics

  1:44 p.m.

  

  Palin: Media incite hatred, a 'blood libel' after Arizona shooting

  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has posted a nearly eight-minute video on her Facebook page condemning those who blame political rhetoric for the Arizona shooting that gravely wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
• Sports

  1:30 p.m.

  Vitale agrees to ESPN extension through 2014-15

  Dick Vitale’s exclamations of “Awesome, baby!” will ring out on ESPN for at least four more seasons.
• Entertainment

  1:15 p.m.

  

  DVRs give 'Conan' the lead among young viewers

  After two months on the air, Conan O’Brien’s late-night talk show is the favorite of younger viewers _ that is, when DVR usage is factored in, according to basic-cable network TBS.