Tuesday, September 5
What did she wear?
Though the evening’s features included author Thomas Friendman and a photo of Tom Cruise’s progeny, the 13.6 mil-lion viewers that tuned into CBS Evening News were hungry for another scoop: What would Katie Couric wear during her CBS debut? To those who say the fashion focus is a giant step backward for feminism: “It is part of the story,” said media analyst Bob Steele in AP reports. “Presentation is always a part of television news.” And it’s especially important when you’re, like, the cutest TV journalist of all time. Sporting a simple, tailored white jacket with a plain black tank, Couric’s look was certainly toned down from her perky NBC “Today” show look. Fash-ion insiders claim Couric’s CBS stylists “have been handed a blank check to invest in a freshman-year closet from Barneys and Bloomingdale’s,” The New York Daily News reported. Couric’s not all fluff, though. She’s the first female to anchor a nightly news program solo, and ratings for her broadcasts have raised expectations for CBS, which is currently ranked No. 3 among the networks. She’ll have to play hardball against NBC’s Brian Williams and ABC’s Charles Gibson, with about 9.5 and 8.5 million viewers, respectively. And for that, she’ll need more than Manolos.
Wednesday, September 6
Allen rolling in entertainment cash
During his now infamous “macaca” speech in Southwest Virginia, George Allen told the crowd that his opponent, Jim Webb, was out in Los Angeles raising money from a “bunch of Hollywood movie moguls” rather than hangin’ in the “real America.” But according to today’s Washington Post, the Virginia senator has done more than his fair share of wining and dining with the L.A. set. Turns out that Allen himself is a leading recipient of entertainment-related campaign contributions. A nonpartisan analysis by The Center for Responsive Politics ranks Allen 16th among the 535 members of Congress. Over the past two years, he’s received campaign contributions from executives with Walt Disney Co., Time Warner, Comcast, America Online, Kirkorian Premiere Theatres and others, totaling $93,350.
Thursday, September 7
Don’t drink the water, don’t eat the cake
Saxophonist LeRoi Moore, a founding mem-ber of the Dave Matthews Band, celebrates his 45th birthday today, according to the Official Dave Matthews Band Web-site, www.davematthewsband. com. Moore, a multitalented woodwind musician, will honk his horns with the band at the John Paul Jones Arena on September 22 and 23. Moore is known as much for his shy stage presence as for his languid solos, and wears sunglasses at every gig to keep his cool. So try not to sing “Happy Birthday” too loudly at the shows.
Friday, September 8
CAAR and Train
Need a sure-fire way to raise money in Charlottesville? Hold a benefit concert! In today’s press release from the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors (CAAR), the organization thanked Starr Hill Presents and the Charlottesville Pavilion for generating more $35,000 for a housing finance program. The cash was raised via performances by Bruce Hornsby in 2005 and rock group Train in 2006. In addition to the two venues, CAAR also thanked the Charlottesville Radio Group, NBC 29, Coran Capshaw and Rick Daniels for helping to promote CAAR’s Work Force Housing Project, which provides financial assistance for people working in the areas of health care, safety, and education. Said CAAR President Pat Sury, “These individuals and organizations, through their partnership with CAAR and its members, have made a tremendous difference in our community.” If this doesn’t make Train’s “Drops of Jupiter” the most important song of the last decade, then we don’t know what will.
Saturday, September 9
Apologizing the presidential way
In a surprising speech last week, President Bush admitted to the existence of secret CIA prisons, as well as to the use of a tough, “alternative set of procedures” for questioning al-Qaeda suspects. Rather than apologizing for a mistake, however, Bush attributed his disclosure to the completion of the interrogation program. But there’s no doubt that the admission was at least partly prompted by the Supreme Court’s recent decision to declare military commissions (as opposed to trials) unconstitutional. Still, according to an article in today’s Washington Post, Bush isn’t really being evasive—just presidential. Even our own T.J. was a known nonapologist. “Thomas Jefferson was wrong about a lot of stuff,” Peter Onuf, professor of history at UVA, tells the Post. But rather than admit it, Onuf said, Jefferson simply refused to address certain issues, such as his rumored affair with slave Sally Hemings. Never having to say you’re sorry: a great perq for presidents and toddlers alike.
Sunday, September 10
’Hoos watching
UVA football fans yesterday were sorely missing Wali Lundy, the former Cavalier record-breaking running back—especially as the team could only produce 29 rushing yards against a bottom-of-the-barrel Wyoming squad, and only squeaked to victory after a bad extra point attempt from a Wyoming kicker in overtime. But Lundy devotees got to see him in action today, when he started for the Houston Texans. Though his numbers weren’t stellar—32 yards on 11 carries—Lundy’s start shows his work ethic and tenacity, as he won the spot as a rookie player who wasn’t picked until the sixth round of the NFL draft. Another former Wahoo getting his first NFL start today is left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, a first round draft pick by the New York Jets, who gave his quarterback enough time to pass for 319 yards.
Monday, September 11
We all remember
It’s the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and nary a news outlet doesn’t have a 9/11 story somewhere in their pages. The New York Times ran a special section on what’s happening at Ground Zero—which, five years later, still remains a 16-acre, 70′ hole in downtown Manhattan. The cornerstone for a planned Freedom Tower lays in storage until the monument is designed and built. The Washington Post reported on the “subtle shift in the undercurrent of everyday life” in Northern Virginia, which suffered the Pentagon attack in its backyard. Though the dust seems to have settled on the tragedy itself, The Daily Progress reported that Virginians are still on high alert, and worried about the possibility of terrorist attacks. A Virginia newspaper poll showed that 70 percent of voters believe a terror attack is likely within the next 12 months.