Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

Election 2010 fallout:

San Francisco has become the first city in the country to ban Happy Meals.
   Under a new ordinance passed by the city board of supervisors on Election Day, restaurants are forbidden from offering free toys with meals containing more than certain amounts of calories, sugar and fat, and are required to include fruit and vegetables with meals that do come with toys.
   The vote came on the same day McDonald's reintroduced its McRib sandwich, "a pressed pork patty that gets half its calories from fat and has a cult-like legion of fans." (Maiman)

Sucking the life out of the wire services:

MTV's reality lineup has launched a few careers, couples and even a budding GOP super star! Us Weekly reports SEAN DUFFY won an open seat in Wisconsin's 7th Congressional district last Tuesday, but he's much more than a former district attorney --he was featured on "Real World: Boston" back in 1997. His bride, RACHEL CAMPOS, is also an alumna of the show --she made hay when the show was centered in San Francisco. The two seem to be a real match --they've been married since 1999 and welcomed their sixth child last April. (Lee)

Is CARRIE UNDERWOOD pregnant? Sources tell In Touch magazine that the country singer, who wed hockey player MIKE FISHER four months ago, is looking a little puffy in the lower belly area, leading the world to assume she might expecting.

On, off and way-off Broadway:

Look for "24" actor KIEFER SUTHERLAND to make his Broadway debut in the revival of JASON MILLER's 1972 drama "That Championship Season." Playbill says CHRIS NOTH --who played "Mr Big" in "Sex And The City," will co-star in the play along with BRIAN COX, JIM GAFFIGAN and JASON PATRIC as well.
   The show is about four former college jocks who get back together with their old basketball coach 20 years after winning the state championship.

Grace notes:

CEE LO's very naughty hit song will be featured in an episode of "Glee" that will air in two weeks. The Hollywood Reporter says GWYNETH PALTROW will sing it, but with the broadcast-friendly title and lyrics, "Forget You." (Marino)

Rescued Chilean miner, and major ELVIS PRESLEY fan, EDISON PENA is getting his promised trip to Graceland. Elvis Presley Enterprises announced yesterday that Edison will be in Memphis from January 6th through the 9th, which means he'll be in town for The King's birthday on January 8th. Edison will get a private tour of Graceland, then he'll be flown to Las Vegas to see the Cirque du Soleil show, "Viva Elvis." (Marino)

Off the beaten path:

Officials in Mumbai India are tightening security ahead of a visit from BARACK OBAMA.
   Agence France-Presse says they're so serious about protecting the U-S president, they're removing all the coconuts from the trees. Authorities say they're afraid rogue coconuts could fall off, landing on Obama's head. The president is set to visit the nation on Saturday. (Still)

Computers, and other techno-geek-a-zoid crap:

Here's an unsettling thought: PC World magazine reports researchers at Georgia Tech have used graphics processors to crack passwords.
   How does that work? Graphic processor units, or GPUs, are designed to process huge volumes of data, usually to render 3D stuff in games. But guys are now writing code to take advantage of the huge processing power for other applications... like cracking passwords.
   Used to be seven letter-or-digit passwords were OK, but with this new technology, a Tech researcher says seven digits are "hopelessly inadequate." RICHARD BOYD says at least 12 characters, since lengthening the passwords increases the difficulty exponentially. Good luck!