Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Jun 1, 2011

Posturing, Posing and Press Releases:

SARAH PALIN continues to toy with the media as her "One Nation" bus tour rides through the Northeast. She had pizza with DONALD TRUMP in New York City last night and plans to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island today.
She met with Trump at his residence before they both went out for a little chow.
In a blog post on her website yesterday, Palin said that she's touring historical sites because "it's so important for Americans to learn about our past so we can clearly see our way forward in challenging times."
Editor's Note: And reporters continue to whine about how they're being kept in the dark regarding where she's going. Good for her. I frankly don't think she's close to presidential material, but after she's been savaged for the last four years, do you think she gives a crap about what reporters think? Why should she? (Pacelli)

Sucking Up:

In a move likely to fuel more calls for him to run for president, TX Republican Gov RICK PERRY will replace DONALD TRUMP at a Manhattan Republican dinner next month in New York. Trump cancelled his appearance when he decided to drop his White House run and renew his "Apprentice" contract with NBC. (Pacelli)

Filling a need:

Space age components for some earth-bound delivery trucks.
New UPS trucks will be made of a plastic that will boost fuel efficiency by 40 percent. Trucks of this size typically weigh around five tons, depending on the packages being delivered. The new plastic reduces the weight of these vehicles by around a thousand pounds, compared to the usual sheet metal.
Other new design elements include switching all lights to more efficient LEDs, and a nearly modular design that allows for various parts (bumpers, side panels) to be replaced easily, quickly, and cheaply.
Those adjustments make the new truck efficient enough that the typical 200-hp engine could be replaced with a sprightly 150-hp engine without losing power.
What can brown plastic do for you? (Maiman)

Gossip Central: tabloids with Cory Myers:

Will JIMMY FALLON quit his job to save his marriage? According to Star magazine, he and his wife only see each other on weekends while she's in LA and he works in New York. He wants producers to move his show to LA and has said that if they don't, he will threaten to leave at the end of his contract in a year.

Broadcast, cable and video news:

Lotsa buzz about PATRICK DEMPSEY leaving "Grey's Anatomy" after this next season. In an interview with the Italian edition of Vanity Fair magazine, he said the current season would be his last, adding "I do not know what's going to happen to the other characters, but for me it's done." Afterward, his PR flack released a statement to Entertainment Weekly magazine yesterday, saying "we don't know what the future holds" after McDreamy's contract is up at the end of the season.

The Reel Deal:

No surprise to find out that Warner Brothers has already begun work on a third edition of "The Hangover" after the huge weekend debut. The Wrap web site says Warners has already hired the same guy who wrote the second film, although it may be a bit premature, since none of the film's stars have signed up for another sequel.
And director TODD PHILLIPS speculated about a third film at a recent press conference, saying "The third would very much a finale and an ending... [but] I haven't discussed it with the actors."

Grace notes from Vinny Marino:

ADELE has postponed five concerts on her sold-out North American tour. Her official website says she has laryngitis. Adele was diagnosed last Thursday in Minneapolis and was ordered by doctors to rest. She tried to perform in Denver on Saturday but that only made her condition worse. For now, Adele's next show will be this Saturday at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, California. (Marino)