-
Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check
November 5, 2009
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
NRA Update:
Guns sales typically increase during Democratic presidencies, but sales have hit a record high this year, with gun and ammunition revenues jumping 42 percent and 49 percent, respectively.
The uptick in bullet sales has created a nationwide ammunition shortage and led some gun owners to stockpile ammo for guns that they don't even own. "It's just like playoff tickets," remarked the owner of a Texas sporting goods store.
Over the past year, officials say that Americans have purchased 12 billion rounds of ammunition, up from 7 billion to 10 billion during a normal year. In spite of the sales, FBI statistics showed that crime hit a 9-year low last year and that rates are expected to decrease in 2009. As for concern that Obama might crack down on guns, a White House spokesman has stated that the president supports the "tradition of gun ownership in this country."
Editor's note: Makes you wonder who started that rumor about Obama taking away your guns. My guess is, it was the NRA, in a clever effort to boost sales. Ya think it worked? Anyone feel a bit duped? (Maiman)
Anniversaries:
PRESIDENT BUSH and wife LAURA celebrate their 32nd anniversary today.
--1965: The Poppin' Fresh Pillsbury Dough Boy is born.
Quotable: "Lotta people get really depressed when they get into their 40's, and it looks like Poppin' Fresh was no exception. They found him this morning with his head in the oven." (Maiman)
Damage Control:
You just know the minute this news dropped that half the people following this story said the same thing: Where can I find the video?
CARRIE PREJEAN has dropped her million-dollar lawsuit after Miss California USA Pageant attorneys dropped a Triple X home video sex tape in her lap. She stars in it.
TMZ, which broke the news, claims to have a copy of the video. They claim they obtained the video months ago but decided not to post it because it was so raunchy. How racy? To quote TMZ, "Let's just say, Carrie has a promising solo career."
According to the gossip site, Carrie dropped her lawsuit like a bad habit --in about 15 seconds-- and is walking away with nothing.
The Pageant is paying around $100-grand to her lawyers and publicist --a fraction of her bills. (Maiman)
Broadcast, cable and video news:
The pressure's on! How would you like to be MERYL STREEP's daughter --and an actress? Big shoes to fill, huh?
As it turns out, Meryl's daughter, GRACE GUMMER, is now 23 and just got a gig playing a girl just like herself --the 17-year-old daughter of a famous celebrity couple. The TeenNick series is called "Gigantic," and also stars JOE MANTEGNA's 19-year-old daughter, GIA. It debuts next Spring.
MARIO LOPEZ will be returning as the host of the Miss America Pageant again this year. Set for Jan 30, 2010, the pageant will include women from all 50 states, along with contestants from the District of Columbia, Virgin Islands and --for the first time in 50 years-- a contestant from Puerto Rico as well.
Big numbers for that remake of the alien series, "V," on Tuesday night. Overnight Nielsen numbers say more than 14 million viewers tuned in to see flying saucers hover over the world's 29 biggest cities and try to figure out who was a human --and who was an alien infiltrating the Earth's governments and businesses.
In the original 1980s series, the alien leader ate a guinea pig. There was no eating of small animals by the alien lizards on the first episode. Four episodes will be shown on ABC before being interrupted by the Winter Olympics; the remainder of the first season will be shown after the Olympics, beginning in March, 2010.
-
-