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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Feb 11, 2014
February 11, 2014
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The President at play:
Remember back last week when we had some explosive totally fake news about how Big BILL CLINTON totally did ELIZABETH HURLEY, but it was a lie from a completely drug-addled TOM SIZEMORE? Yeah, that is so over. The new hotness is that BARACK OBAMA is totally getting it on with BEYONCÉ.
The story appears to have originated in a radio interview with a French paparazzo named PASCAL ROSTAIN, which then got printed up in something called Gala, best described as the People magazine of France, and then found its way into France's second largest newspaper, le Figaro.
While the Google translation from the Gala magazine piece is predictably hilarious, basically, what Rostain is making up saying is there is something big happening in the United States, it'll go out tomorrow in the Washington Post (meaning today) and that it's not a tabloid story. Sorry, but The Post already said yesterday it wouldn't be covering this SHOCKING NEWS.
The rumor comes on the heels of French President FRANÇOIS HOLLANDE's own romantic controversy, having recently split with his partner of several years following rumors he was having an affair with a French actress. The White House had to destroy and reprint hundreds of embossed invitations to a state dinner being held this week because the first batch included the name of Hollande's now ex-girlfriend.
You see, the Obama rumor comes as François Hollande is traveling to the United States to visit the White House. Yesterday, he and Obama published a joint op-ed in the Washington Post about how the United States and France are crazy in love with each other ("Obama and Hollande: France and the U.S. enjoy a renewed alliance").
Editor's note: Isn't President's Mistress a cabinet post in France? (Maiman)I'm a Poll Man:
It appears that voters in Colorado are tad conflicted about approving the sale of small amounts of recreational marijuana. In a new Quinnipiac University poll, 51-percent of Colorado voters say the law is bad for the state's image, versus 38-pecent who say otherwise.
However, 58-percent of voters still support the law, compared with 39-percent who oppose it, a slight increase since last August. (Pacelli)What do women want?
Get a clue: Woman's Day magazine asks, "What do you want most this Valentine's Day?"
--A box of chocolates: 11 percent
--Red roses: 13 percent
--Diamond earrings: 20 percent
--A love letter: 56 percentMoney Talks:
The Wall Street Journal reports MasterCard and Visa have outlined a planned shift to the new EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) chip-and-PIN system in the U.S., with an October 2015 deadline to launch it. Other countries did away with the swipe-and-sign system years ago, and it's hoped this will keep credit card fraud incidents to a minimum.
Here's how it works, per Consumerist.com:
You use a smartcard embedded with a microchip and provide a PIN (Personal Information Number) to complete a transaction. The chips make reproducing a card difficult for criminals, and even if the credit card information is gathered, without the chip the card is useless.
With this system, the liability for fraud gets shifted too. When the new system is in place, if fraud occurs, credit card companies determine who's liable for the costs and the party with lesser technology will bear the liability: if a merchant is using the old swipe-and-sign system they are liable for the fraudulent charges if the customer has a chip card. If the merchant has the proper chip-and-PIN system but the bank hasn't issued a new chip-and-PIN card to the customer, then the bank is liable. (Kaye)On, off and way-off Broadway:
DIAHANN CARROLL has pulled out of the upcoming Broadway revival of the play, "Raisin In The Sun." It was going to be her first time back on the stage in more than 30 years. Playbill.com says Diahann is 78-year-old and could not take the heavy rehearsals and the usual eight shows a week. She has been replaced by LaTANYA RICHARDSON JACKSON, wife of actor SAMUEL L. JACKSON. She is 64 and will play the mother of DENZEL WASHINGTON's character. Denzel is 59. Previews begin March 8th at the Ethel Barrymore Theater and opening night is April 3rd. (Marino)
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