Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

The President at play:

Get ready for PRESIDENT OBAMA's next book --a new children's book due out Nov 16, just in time for the lucrative, gift-giving season!
   "Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters," will celebrate the lives of 13 Americans, among them GEORGE WASHINGTON, JACKIE ROBINSON and GEORGIA O'KEEFFE.
   It's part of a three-book deal Obama inked in 2004. With this and "The Audacity of Hope," the president has one more to go. Last year, Obama made $5.5 million, mostly from book sales.
   Proceeds from the book will be donated to a scholarship fund for the children of fallen and disabled U-S troops. A first run of 500-thousand copies is planned. 
   The 40-page book was completed before Obama became president and was illustrated by LOREN LONG of "The Little Engine That Could" fame. (Pacelli/Maiman)

Rejected Obama children's books (Maiman):

   --"The Grinch Who Stole the Stimulus"
   --"Wikileaks and the Little Sissy Who Snitched"
   --"When John Boehner Dresses Like Mommy"
   --"When Joe Biden Meets Mr. Taxidermist"
   --"Tea Parties Are for Kids"
   --"Curious George and the TSA Cavity Search"
   --"Things Rich Kids Have, but You Never Will Unless we End Tax Cuts for the Wealthy"
   --"Oh the Places You'll Go When You're Kicked Out of the White House"
   --"Getting Lost in Afghanistan"

Tampering with Mother Nature:

SHEYLA HERSHEY, the Houston woman who tried to have the world's largest breasts, was having so many health problems, she's had her giant, M-cup implants, removed. Hershey had reportedly been suffering from severe infections after her recent surgery in Brazil. She had to have the implants done in Brazil because it's illegal to put that size implants in if you're in the U.S.

Guilty Pleasures:

No winner in Saturday night's drawing for the Powerball Lottery. That means tonight's drawing is valued at $94 million ($51.5 million cash value). Powerball is played in 41 states, Washington DC and the U-S Virgin Islands. Chances of winning the grand prize (all five numbers plus the powerball) are 1 in 195.2 million.

Designer Update:

"Mad Men" boasts some of the greatest vintage styles on the tube --and they're coming to your closet!
   The NY Post's Page Six gossip column reports the lead stylist from the show --JANIE BRYANT-- is launching her own fashion line that features designs straight out of the 50's and 60's.
   Old-fashioned gals can look forward to buying capelets, faux fur jackets and lots of "bold-statement pieces" when the collection debuts today on QVC. (Lee)

Broadcast, cable and video news:

As we told you yesterday, JOAQUIN PHOENIX will appear on "The Late Show with DAVID LETTERMAN" next Wednesday (Sep 22). It'll be his first sit-down with the host since Letterman tore into him in that bizarre appearance on the show in February 2009. In preparation for next week's show, Letterman will be re-running that February show tomorrow night.
   Phoenix is presumably appearing to plug CASEY AFFLECK's new documentary about him, "I'm Still Here." The film is about Phoenix's transformation from well respected actor to weirdo recluse to rapper. The film will include the original Letterman interview.

JIMMY SMITS returns to TV tonight as a Supreme Court Justice fed up with the system in the debut of "Outlaw." The debut episode tonight is the one that was shot as the pilot for the show.