Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

State politics:

A growing number of white, middle-aged men from the U-S mainland are finding their way to the warmth of Hawaii, where transients can find themselves shelter, meals and free health care for as little as $3 a day --most of it funded by state taxpayers who face a $1.2 billion budget deficit.
   The University of Hawaii's Center on the Family estimates that Honolulu's homeless street population has shifted from being 21 percent Caucasian in 2005 to more than 43 percent today.
   Officials at Honolulu's Sumner Homeless Men's Shelter say 28 percent of their shelter and food budget (three meals a day), is spent on new arrivals from the mainland.
   A shelter official says the state needs to a way to distinguish between the "homeless by choice" and the "homeless by misfortune" and address them differently.
   One man, homeless for years in San Diego, saved enough money to buy a $400 ticket to Hawaii three months ago. Today, he makes up to $40 a day through Hawaii's recycling program. He sleeps at the shelter for $3 a day, with three free meals, $200 worth of food stamps and the state's free health care program.
   "I went to the dentist today, and I had a tooth pulled," he says. "It cost me nothing."

Top talkables of the day:

Got any gold in your portfolio? Well, you probably should. Coming off the massive bailout of Greece's economy, gold closed at an all time high yesterday, just above $1,230-dollars a troy ounce, beating the previous record set just this past December.
   It's a known fact that whenever there's domestic or global financial unrest, gold prices always jump. Some folks are predicting up to $2,000-dollars an ounce in the not too distant future. (Pacelli)

Sucking the life out of the wire services:

The on-again, off-again marriage of LARRY KING and SHAWN SOUTHWICK is back on again.
   Reuters reports the geriatric CNN host and his 50-year-old seventh wife have reunited and called off their divorce, with Larry moving back into the house.
   The fun couple released a joint statement saying "We love our children, we love each other, we love being a family. That is all that matters to us."

Tabloids:

Hollywood should start shaking now. MADONNA tells Us Weekly magazine that she's writing a movie about England's King Edward VIII (eighth) and his American lover, Wallis Simpson. (Myers)

Broadcast, cable and video news:

It's started. The whole BETTY WHITE Facebook campaign has spawned imitators already, and aside from nameless comedians trying to get a shot hosting "Saturday Night Live," the NY Times now reports that somebody's already created a Facebook page aiming to put CAROL BURNETT on the late night show.
   And, says the page's creator, the "Icing on the cake would be a cameo appearance by TIM CONWAY!"
   As of yesterday afternoon, more than 32,000 people have signed up as fans, but there's not a lot of hope Carol will be on one of this year's shows, since the "SNL" season finale, hosted by ALEC BALDWIN, is set for this Saturday.

Stupid people, stupid places:

When your name is just plain RICHARD SMITH, it can be tempting to change it to something with a bit more pizzazz. And so, Richard Smith of Carlisle, England, has done just that and legally changed his name to "Stormhammer Deathclaw Firebrand."
   "It's just a strange name," he tells the London Metro, "I like the sound of it."
   Editor's note: But his friends still call him Doogie... (Maiman)