Week of January 8, 2005

Exit polls show a victory for Mohmoud Abbas - for Palestinian authority

president.

The White House says that its two-year hunt for weapons of mass destruction in

Iraq has ended. No stockpiles were found.

The Sudanese government and southern rebel groups sign an agreement that

ends of Africa’s longest wars - some 21 years.

Insurgents, using a roadside bomb - blow up another Bradley fighting vehicle -

killing two American soldiers.

In Graniteville, South Carolina - a lethal plume of chlorine gas leaking from a rail

tanker car keeps 5,000 residents away from their homes - this after a train

collision.

Rain mud/landslides in the tiny

town of La Conchita in California

have claimed four more victims. Six

are confirmed dead and there are

still more missing. The area has

been hard hit with rain.

Palestinian militants set off

explosions at a commercial

crossing into the Gaza Strip and

then opened fire on civilian

workers. Six Israelis are dead.

Donald Trump breaks ground on

his first California project - 36

multi-million-dollar mansions in

Palos Verdes - near Los Angeles -

right on the ocean.

The last four British prisoners being held at the U.S Navy base in Guantanamo

Bay, Cuba will be freed.

CBS News dismisses four staffers and appoints a new standards executive after

an independent panel issues an exhaustive report on how questionable

documents led the network to air false stories about President Bush’s military

service.

Week of January 8, 2005

Passing - Rosemary Kennedy (86) - sister of John F. Kennedy who spent much

of her life shielded from the public and struggled with mental retardation.

The nation’s unemployment remains at 5.4%.

Entertainment news -

It’s a final divorce settlement for Halle Berry

and ex Eric Benet.

Technology -

Google begins selling a server that promises

to help small business sift through their data

as easily as they can search the web.

Costing about 45,000 - it’s less powerful

than the Google search Appliance.

Apple unveils cheaper models of its IPod - a

$99 IPod.

Shares of Apple Computer rise 7.3% to a

four-year high after an analyst said holiday

demand for iPod digital music players was

better than expected.

Sports - Baseball owners and players have agreed to toughen their anti-steroids

policy in a new plan that requires frequent testing, a wider range of banned

substances and harsher disciplinary measure.

Football playoffs - the Minnesota Vikings defeat the Green Bay Packers 31-17.

Music news - Queen Latifah will host the 47 th annual Grammy Awards on Feb

13.

Look for Madonna, Maroon 5, Mary J. Blige, Diana Ross and others - as the

lineup for the NBC Universal telethon for tsunami relief. “The “Tsunami Aid: A

Concert of Hope will also feature Steve Wonder, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Brian

Wilson, Kenny Chesney, Usher and Norah Jones

Television news -

On Dr. Phil Friday - Custody battles.

Week of January 8, 2005

CBS cancels reality series “The Will” after just a single airing. It featured

participants vying to be sole heir to a rancher’s fortune.

CNN announces a new prime-time block of programs. Look for “Showbiz

Tonight,” hosted by A.J. Hammer and Karyn Bryant. Also starting - “Nancy

Grace” best known for her appearances on Court TV.

ESPN has a new series called “Tilt,” - about

cheating at the new fad - poker! It’s the

network’s second dramatic series. The other

one was “Playmakers” from 2003. Series

stars Michael Madison and Chris Bauer.

E! Entertainment can’t be in the courtroom,

but they sure can produce reenactments of

Michael Jackson’s child-molestation trial -

and that they’ll do. They’ll present daily re-

creations from court transcripts. Gotta love

it. Who’ll play Jackson?

Look for “Queer Eye for the Straight Girl” a

take off from “Queer Eye for the straight Guy

- this time with four members of a gay style

police tearing into the home of a Los

Angeles women and pick through her stuff - eat her food. All on Bravo!

Passing - Meta Rosenberg (89) - agent and producer of the popular 1970’s

series “The Rockford Files.’

Saturday night television -

CBS - The Will (debut and last show!), 48 Hours Mystery,

NBC - Movie-Battlestar Galactica, SNL

A BC - ESPN Zone, Movie-The Mean Season

Fox - Cops, America’s Most wanted

CNBC - Tim Russert, Suze Orman

Oxygen - Snapped - Talk Sex with Sue

Johanson

Saturday Night Live - Live Luke Wilson with U2

as musical guests.

At the movies -

Meet the Fockers

White Noise