Inside the Beltway

Free music? Indeed. Librarian of Congress James Billington, musician Harry Connick Jr. and Sony Music President Richard Story introduce the National Jukebox on Tuesday, a free interactive website featuring 10,000 historic sound recordings - popular music, opera, early jazz, famous speeches, poetry, humor. The library’s bustling site (www.loc.gov) will allow users to create and share their own playlists.

“This is an extraordinary milestone in the preservation of our nation’s aural heritage, considering that a national study found that only 14 percent of commercial sound recordings produced in the U.S. between 1895 and 1965 were currently made available to the public by rights holders,” a Library spokeswoman says.

MISS PALIN

Bristol Palin is not done with show biz yet. As an encore to her glittering appearance on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars,” Miss Palin has signed on for a 10-part “docu-series” for the Bio Channel, chronicling a move from Alaska to Los Angeles with her toddler son Tripp. The scenario has the single mom working for a charity and living with former dance partner Kyle Massey and his actor brother Christopher. No title yet, though producers for Associated Television International promise, “This will be the first time shes opening up her real life.”

POLL DU JOUR

• 52 percent of American believe Republican and Democrats are not adequate and a third major political party is needed.

• 68 percent of independents and 60 percent of tea party supporters agree.

• 52 percent of Republicans and 33 percent of Democrats also agree.

• 52 percent of liberals, 52 percent of moderates and 51 percent of conservatives also support a third party.

• 40 percent overall say Republicans and Democrats “do an adequate job.”

• 32 percent of tea partyers agree.

Source: A USA Today/Gallup poll of 1,013 adults conducted April 20-23 and released Monday.

• Numbers, opinions, fitness plans to jharper@washingtontimes.com

© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.