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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Apr 10, 2012
April 10, 2012
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Culture Shock:
"The Hunger Games" has achieved a new milestone. It's made it to the list of most frequently banned books in America.
Each year the American Library Association releases its annual report on the state of the nation's libraries, and a highlight includes the books that are challenged and/or banned in communities all across the country. The list is based on the number of challenges filed in the libraries and school districts of these communities --326 of them last year-- and compiled annually by the ALA. The general objections tend to fall under the large categories of racism, sex and religion.
Despite the easy access to material, either digitally, or in the case of "The Hunger Games," in theaters, the books continue to be singled out. Among those making the list for 2011 include two perennials that are also literary classics: HARPER LEE's "To Kill a Mockingbird," published over half a century ago, and ALDOUS HUXLEY's 80-year-old novel, "Brave New World," about a dystopian future society (sort of like "The Hunger Games" --Maiman).Recall:
Diamond Pet Foods is issuing a recall over fears its dog food may be contaminated with salmonella.
A news release posted on the company website explains the Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice isn't just hazardous to pets that may eat the product, but also to the humans who handle it. The affected products come in six, 20 and 40 pound packages. It was distributed in a dozen states, but may have ended up in others through various food channels. (Page)Trolling for publicity:
Don't expect to see JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT's goodies just because she plays a call girl. The new star of "The Client List" tells People magazine she simply isn't comfortable doing nudity and finds it "sexier not to show everything." (Lee)
Meanwhile, Overnight Nielsen ratings show the series is Lifetime's most watched series debut since the 2009 premiere of "Drop Dead Diva," which also averaged 2.8 million viewers. That's especially good, considering that "Client List's" debut was on Easter Sunday.Grace notes from Vinny Marino:
ROBIN GIBB of THE BEE GEES may be near death. The UK's Sun newspaper says his older brother BARRY has flown to London to be by his side. Robin's liver cancer is in remission, but he's come down with pneumonia. Doctors say his body is so weak from all of the cancer treatments and recent surgery to clear a twisted bowel that Robin may be too sick to recover. (Marino)
Bad luck:
A child's Easter egg hunt in England almost turned deadly on Sunday.
The NY Post says organizers of the pre-school event in the town of Holford cancelled the event after one kid found a grenade. A bomb squad showed up, evacuated the park and detonated the device.
The grenade is believed to have been a World War Two relic. Police did not confirm whether or not the device was live. (Still)Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places:
He was fruitful; they multiplied.
BERTOLD WIESNER, a British man who founded a London fertility clinic with his wife more than 50 years ago, may have helped hundreds of women conceive using his sperm, according to two men who have researched the clinic.
The men, both of whom were conceived at the clinic, conducted DNA tests on 18 other people conceived there, and found that two thirds of them were Wiesner's progeny. They extrapolated that number out over the around 15-hundred babies conceived at the clinic to arrive at their estimate of 600 little Wiesners. (Maiman) -
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