Some of the news that is fit to print

Endangered ape

U.N. Says Great Apes in Danger Worldwide [AP]
Poachers shoot them. Smugglers sell their babies as exotic pets. Illegal loggers wipe out the rain forests where they live. And civil wars drive them away.

Rich: America Tunes In for the Money Shot

America Tunes In for the Money Shot [NYT]
By Frenk Rich
People are turned on by the Michael Jackson story because it's about pedophilia at a time when the sexual fetishization of children is commonplace.

More searching...

Congress Expands FBI Spying Power [Wired]
Congress approved a bill on Friday that expands the reach of the Patriot Act, reduces oversight of the FBI and intelligence agencies and, according to critics, shifts the balance of power away from the legislature and the courts.
A provision of an intelligence spending bill will expand the power of the FBI to subpoena business documents and transactions from a broader range of businesses -- everything from libraries to travel agencies to eBay -- without first seeking approval from a judge.

Endangered coats...

Wild Animal Slaughter Surges for Fashion's Sake [Reuters]
The return of fur to the world's fashion catwalks has spelled death to thousands of endangered animals with a boom in demand for their skins, a top wildlife protection officer said on Friday.

Gay merriage stories...

Opponents Of Gay Marriage Divided [WP]
A broad array of religious groups and conservative political activists has united behind the idea of a constitutional amendment against gay marriage. But the fledgling coalition is deeply divided about what, exactly, the amendment should say.

Blacks Object to Gay Marriage Comparison [AP]
Conservative blacks are objecting to recent comparisons between the gay marriage and civil rights movements, arguing that sexual orientation is a choice.

Billy defends Mel...

Graham Defends Gibson's Film About Christ [AP]
The Rev. Billy Graham gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to Mel Gibson's biblical epic, "The Passion of Christ," after a private screening with the movie star.

That's not y'all...

Scholars of Twang Track All the 'Y'Alls' in Texas [NYT]
A National Geographic Society survey of Texas speech is helping to throw a scientific light on the mythologized (and sometimes ridiculed) Texas twang.

MJ links...

a bit of a Michael Jackson round-up...
NYT has an interesting story about MJ's financial situation...
Debt Is Seen Taking Toll on Jackson's Lavish Style [NYT]
By CHARLIE LeDUFF and LAURA M. HOLSON
According to advisers and court records, Michael Jackson's wealth is being consumed by lawsuits and an appetite for monkeys, Ferris wheels and surgery.
But there are more taudry things out there of course...
You can watch the transformation of Michael's face...
With that information, you can take the 'Is this Michael's nose?' quiz...
and, of course, jokes...
The CJD-fav... Q: What's the difference between Michael Jackson and a grocery bag?
A: One is white, made out of plastic, and dangerous for kids to play with and the other you carry your groceries in !!
BaDumDum!

More Nielsen flap...

Nielsen Tries To Explain Ratings Drop [NYT]
Why have younger viewers switched off the TV this fall? The ratings are down. So down, in fact, that network execs have begun blaming Nielsen, the ratings company. Now Nielsen has produced a report attempting to explain the dropoff. "The report from Nielsen, which has stoutly defended its data since the complaints from the networks began, found that changes in Nielsen's methodology that started as long as a year and a half ago are partly - but not wholly - to blame for the decline in viewership of network series among men ages 18 to 34."

CBS wins November sweeps...

CBS beats NBC in November sweeps Cancellations, reruns drive a low-key race [USAToday]
CBS will coast to an easy victory in the important November sweeps race, widening last year's razor-thin lead over NBC by nearly 3 million viewers.