Streaming Links for Gustav

For those wanting streaming media links concerning Hurricane Gustav, please check out these links below.

WWL- CBS 4 New Orleans

WGNO - ABC 26 New Orleans

WDSU - NBC 6 New Orleans

WVUE - FOX 8 New Orleans

KPLR Moves Primetime Newcast

KPLR, the St. Louis CW affiliate, has announced that it will move its half-hour long 9 p.m. newscast to 7 p.m. and expand to one hour. I find this an interesting choice. What do you think? Click here for the full MediaWeek article.

Turner Report: 7 (Really) Strong!

The Turner Report has July numbers for the Joplin market newscasts. Once again KOAM, the CBS affiliate, is dominating its competitors. Another pleasant surprise continues to be KFJX 9 p.m. newscast.

Coming Up on Sunday...

Meet The Press will have Minnesota Governor (R) Tim Pawlenty along with its usual reporter/analyst roundtable.

Face The Nation will interview Rudy Guiliani, Joe Lieberman, and Carly Fiorina.

This Week on ABC will speak with Cindy McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R).

Fox News Sunday will have an exclusive John McCain interview, his first tv discussion since he chose Gov. Sarah Palin.

CNN's Late Edition has a plethora of guests in place, including Florida Governor Charlie Crist (R), former Presidential candidate Fred Thompson (R), and former Presidential candidate Chris Dodd (D).

Hurricane Gustav Is Here...

Hurricane Gustav has his eye set on the Gulf of Mexico and by the time he gets there, he could be a dangerous major hurricane. Below is the latest satellite shot of Gustav.

For the latest details on Gustav, head to www.nhc.noaa.gov ! It is likely that Gustav will become a major US story during the next 5 days. Stay tuned!

Thank Goodness For C-Span

All you get if you watch any of the news networks (cable and broadcast) is constant yapping. I want to hear speeches dang it! How can I know what a party stands for if I can't listen to the speeches. McCaskill was only covered by C-Span and that was disappointing. Behind Kennedy and Michelle Obama, she had one of the best speeches of the night. Unfortunately, "the place for politics" was busy talking with "the best political team on television" and being "fair and balanced" and not showing anything of substance. My thoughts?

SHUT UP AND LET ME WATCH THE CONVENTION! Thanks C-Span.

Claire McCaskill To Speak Tonight

Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill will be speaking at around 9 p.m. central at the Democratic National Convention.

KY3's David Catanese is at the convention and is blogging. You can check out his posts by clicking here.

John King: King Of The Wall

If you have been watching CNN lately, you've seen a lot of John King. You might know him better as the man behind CNN's magic electoral wall. For people who have been following his career, it is no surprise to them that the once unknown has become an integral part of the CNN family. The Providence Journal profiled part of the "best political team on television" in today's edition. It is quite an interesting read.

CNN First Network To Confirm Biden as Pick

While ABC had the most telling scoop of last night (the fact that the Secret Service detail had been dispatched to the Biden home), CNN was the first to confirm that Sen. Joe Biden would be Obama's running mate. The confirmation came around 11:40 central time last night, just after I went to sleep (figures!!!).

Does KMBC Know Something The Rest of Us Do Not?

KMBC is reporting that bumper sticker company Gill Studios has been ordered to make Obama/Bayh products, leading some to wonder if Evan Bayh could be Obama's VP choice. I really think it is unlikely and I personally believe that the leak of the information could be a decoy. If the news turns out to be correct, however, KMBC will have some great bragging rights!

KSPR To Move One Of Its Evening Newcasts

It was an experiment when it began back last year. Now, the 5:30 news is moving. The newscast will fall in line with the other two network stations in Springfield and will begin airing a 6 p.m. broadcast, effective September 8. World News w/ Charles Gibson will move back to the 5:30 p.m. slot. The 4:30 broadcast will remain in place.

Dan Abrams Out; Rachel Maddow In

Dan Abrams will no longer be hosting his show on MSNBC at 8 p.m., effective this Thursday. He will be replaced, starting on September 8th by Rachel Maddow. Maddow, a liberal talk show host from Air America, has been filling in for Keith Olbermann with success in recent months. Abrams will now be designated to MSNBC Live duties as well serving as legal coorespondent for the network.

Fay Has Her Eyes Set on Florida...

Tropical Storm Fay formed late yesterday and today sits just south of Cuba. This storm is expected to become a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and the latest track has its eyes set on Florida, including Tampa Bay. Keep a close eye on this one...

KSDK Smashes Local Competition In July

Ratings are out for the St. Louis TV stations for July and it was KSDK by a mile. The network won the morning, 5, 6, and 10 p.m. broadcasts by an average of 2.5 ratings points. KTVI, the Fox affiliate in St. Louis, came in second in the morning, but finished third in all three evening newscasts. KMOV, the CBS affiliate, finished a distant third in the morning before closing the gap during the 5, 6, and 10 broadcasts. KSDK is the NBC affiliate in St. Louis.

As an interesting side note, St. Louis's ABC affiliate does not have a news product.

KOMU Is Getting Up Earlier

As Kansas City NBC station KSHB unveiled a new high definition set on the day of the Olympic Opening Ceremony, on August 8th, Columbia's NBC affiliate KOMU made the transition to high definition.

According to this press release issued by KOMU, they are also going to be waking up a little earlier to bring Mid-Missouri residents morning news. Their morning show now begins at 4:30 a.m. KMIZ and KRCG have morning shows which begin at 5 a.m.

Breaking News: Colin Powell To Endorse Barack Obama?

This is coming from Fox News and panelist from Special Report, Bill Kristol. Check the link here.

Everybody's Got Olympic Fever...

Count me in on that, too. I have been soaking in every minute of Olympic action I can. Since the opening ceremonies began, NBC has been averaging over 30 million viewers each night. According to information from TV By The Numbers, they believe that approximately 44 million viewers were tuned in to see the Women's All Around Gymnastics finals last night between 10:30 and midnight. Even more impressive, approximately half of all 18-49 year olds who were watching tv during the 11:00 pm central time hour last night were watching the Olympics. To put that into perspective, that is much better than an American Idol finale.

Can NBC keep up this average or will its viewers get Olympic fatigue? I am not tired of it yet. The coming days will show us if others are though.

The Huckmeister Live!

The New York Post is reporting that former Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has filmed a pilot for his new tv news show that is likely to appear in the the Fox News Channel's weekend lineup sometime later this fall. It also appears it will be in front of a live studio audience.

In the article, Huckabee also downplays any notion of accepting a cabinet position from McCain, if he wins in November.

Bye Bye Steve!

Bottom Line Communications is reporting that Steve Chamraz has been let go from St. Louis CBS station KMOV, along with the rest of the Investigation Department there. Chamraz is likely better known to most in the media as one of the investigative reporters from KCTV 5 who helped launched their "in your face" investigations a few years back.

Remembering Bernie Mac

Larry King will have a special one-hour show tonight as friends of comedian Bernie Mac will come together to pay tribute to him. Among King's scheduled guests tonight are Cedric The Entertainer and Steve Harvey.

You can actually send in questions, thoughts, or comments to King's show by clicking here. Some may be included in the broadcast!

Is That A Snake In My Pants...

Or is that a snake in my pants?!

I would have fainted had I been KCCI-TV Meteorologist Kurtis Gertz out of Des Moines, IA. While broadcasting from that state's fair, a snake decides to do more than just drape itself across his shoulders!!!

Click here to see the story and the video to see what happened.

MSNBC on MSNBC... A Lot

If you are like me and enjoy the Olympic games and are lucky enough to have DVR, you might find yourself using the device so that you can catch as much of the games as you can. The past two mornings (Saturday and Sunday) I have set my DVR for the 4-8 a.m. coverage of the Olympics on MSNBC. What I noticed was something very surprising. At least 95% of the commercials on MSNBC Saturday morning were about the network itself (okay, okay...that is an exaggeration, but you get my point)!

I didn't think to do it on Saturday's coverage, but during today's coverage as I fast forwarded through the commercials I made sure to count each time the MSNBC Convention Coverage commercial appeared. In 4 hours or 240 minutes, the commercial aired 16 times. That's right... the same commercial appeared 4 times an hour (approximately). But that's not all. The ad either came at the beginning or the end of a three MSNBC ad block. In between were advertisements for Countdown or a profile of MSNBC hosts Andrea Mitchell, Keith Olbermann, or Chris Matthews or sometimes a MSNBC Documentary ad. That means that 12 MSNBC commercials ran PER HOUR.

This brings us to a grand total of 48 commercials in 4 hours soley from the network showing the Olympic coverage advertising itself. This isn't just a need to fill a void, however. The powers that be at MSNBC believe they can keep some of the Olympic audience around after the games... and if they do, it might just be the lift the 3rd place cable news network needs. Otherwise, they just lost a lot of potential revenue.

KSHB Debuts New Set

KSHB, the NBC affiliate in Kansas City, debuted their new high definition friendly news set last night. Miss the broadcast? Don't live in the Kansas City market? Check out the link here to see the station's video on the new set.

Mr. Montee Has Drugs and Mr. Edwards Has Affair

Wow, talk about a bad day for Democrats yesterday! First, the news is finally wide open about John Edwards and his affair back in 2006. Then comes word that Susan Montee's son was found with marijuana. The main question I am asking this weekend is this: do these stories matter politically? If so, who do they impact? Feel free to chime in via the comments section or via email. The email address is: thenews2k@gmail.com !

Comedian Bernie Mac Dead at 50

That is the word coming across the wires just about an hour ago, according to a CNN Breaking News email. Apparently it was due to complications with pneumonia. For the complete story, click here.

Texas Bus Crash Kills 15; Connected To Ozarks

The Joplin Globe is reporting this morning that a north Texas bus crash this morning, that has been making national news, was a group of "Vietnamese worshipers on a pilgrimage to Marian Days in Carthage." 13 are reported dead at this time with many more reported injured. They were originally from the Houston area.

UPDATE: That crash has now claimed 14 lives... make that now 15 confirmed fatalities.

Olympics Alter MSNBC Schedule

It is exciting times around the world as the Olympics begin today. The opening ceremonies are actually taking place right now, but will be delayed and broadcasted in primetime on NBC, beginning at 6:30 central. Because of NBC's plans to air the Olympics on all its networks, MSNBC will not have daytime news during the Olympic games. MSNBC will run Olympic coverage from 4 am - 4 pm daily, followed by a daily wrap-up show hosted by MSNBC anchor Tamron Hall.

Normal MSNBC Primetime coverage will begin at 6 p.m., with Hardball. The remainder of the primetime schedule will continue like usual.

It's My Birthday And I'll Blog If I Want To...

Today is my birthday! I am turning the big 2-5. :-) Anyway, the next day or two may feature limited blog posts while I am spending time with family and friends.

Without Further Ado... The Candi Awards... Primary Edition

With the primary pretty much behind us and the general election just weeks away, it is time to hand out some awards (some serious... some not so serious) in its recap of the August 5th primary... something we call the Candi Awards: Primary Edition

Nominees are as follows (winners are highlighted in yellow):

1) Outstanding Work for Cinematography
* KSDK - Election Coverage
* KYTV - Live from Hulshof/Steelman Headquarters
* KSPR - Election Night Webcast
* KMBC - Election Coverage

2) Supporting Actress in a Political Primary
* Molly Williams from "I'm Just Here So Chris Koster Can Get Elected"
* Mary Williams from "I Really Did Try To Be Lt. Governor"
* Kay Barnes from "Bring It on Sam!"
* Roseanne Bentley from "I May Be Old, But Damn It I Can Still Win A Primary!"

3) Supporting Actor in a Political Primary
* Daniel Carroll from "I Can Pull 15% In A Governor's Primary Without Even Trying"
* Brock Olivo from "It May Be My First Time Voting, But Hey I Want To Be Your Congressman"
* Scott Long from "Who?"
* Mark Peters from "I Spent $175 on This Campaign And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt"

4) Lead Actress in a Political Primary
* Sarah Steelman from "I Can Win Kansas City, St. Louis City, and Springfield Yet Still Lose The Primary"
* Margaret Donnelly from "Recount Likely"
* Andria Simckes from "Darn That Clint Zweifel!"
* Robin Carnahan from "This Primary Is As Easy As Pie"

5) Lead Actor in A Political Primary
* Chris Koster from "Pretending To Be A Democrat And Fooling Enough Voters To Make Me The Nominee"
* Kenny Hulshof from "Thank You Northeast Missouri!"
* Clint Zweifel from "Whoever Thought That Matt Blunt Cutout Could Be So Effective?"
* Jay Nixon from "Dang It, Now I Really Have To Campaign"

6) Primary Headline of the Year
* "Pretending To Be A Democrat And Fooling Enough Voters To Make Me The Nominee"
* " I Can Win Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield Yet Still Lose The Primary"
* "Thank You Northeast Missouri!"
* " Recount Likely"

Not So Fast Senator Bond...

It may have made a nice headline for last night and the early morning newspapers, but simply put... you were wrong. Last night Senator Kit Bond claimed prior to Republican Governor nominee Hulshof's speech that the nominee would carry the 7th US Congressional District despite losing to Steelman in Greene County.

Well, all of the votes are in, and the Senator is wrong. The News2K took to task and tallied the votes for governor in the 7th district and here is what we found:

Steelman: 36,296 (50.5%)
Hulshof: 34,252 (47.6%)

While it was rather close (just 2,000 votes or so), anyone willing to bet this announcement around 10:00 p.m. had more to do with wanting to keep up the image of the nominee being the strongest in the 7th district?

Oh, and just for fun... running uncontested yesterday in the 7th district, Roy Blunt (who endorsed and campaigned with Hulshof in his final days) won only 85% of his own party's constituents. Over 10,000 Republicans refused to cast their ballot for him even though no one ran against him. Big deal or not?

We report, you figure it out. ;-)

Bottom Line Communications: KMBC Wins July Sweeps

Kansas City's ABC affiliate KMBC-TV has won the July sweeps, with critical wins in the 6 and 10 p.m. timeslots, according to Bottom Line Communications. To get a full rundown of the ratings for the non-sweeps month of July, check out the report by clicking here.

Drumroll Please...

Here are your statewide matchups for the November election:

Governor
Jay Nixon
Kenny Hulshof

Lt. Governor
Sam Page
Peter Kinder

Secretary of State
Robin Carnahan
Mitch Hubbard

Attorney General
Chris Koster
Mike Gibbons

State Treasurer
Clint Zweifel
Brad Lager

Things To Be Answered Tomorrow...

Two races tonight remain too close to call...

1) The Democratic race for Attorney General: with 92% of the vote in... 2,500 votes is the difference between current leader Chris Koster and Margaret Donnelly.

2) The Democratic race for Treasurer isn't as close, but still is too close for comfort. Clint Zweifel has come from behind to take the lead over Mark Powell by 7,500 votes.

I will post the final results and general election pairings tomorrow. For now, I must get some rest. Thanks to everyone for stopping by the blog today! I have had a huge number of visitors and I thank you for checking things out.

Election Results, Part Three

10:00 p.m. - * I imagine this may be the last thread for the blog tonight... I guess we will have to see.

* Margaret Donnelly is the St. Louis comeback queen. She has now just a couple thousand votes behind Koster in the Democratic race for Attorney General with the Kansas City metro now mainly in.

* Stick a fork in Sarah Steelman...she's done.

10:15 p.m. - * Clint Zweifel has come back to take the lead over Mark Powell in the Democratic nomination for State Treasurer. This could be a squeaker, too...

10:20 p.m. - * McDonald County has come in for Hulshof. It looks like he cleaned up the Joplin television market. Barry and Stone counties remain the only counties in SW Missouri without any reporting yet on the governor's race. Much of Jackson County (Kansas City metro) remains unreported, too. Still, I don't see how Steelman pulls this off.

10:35 p.m. - * Barry and Stone counties have come in for Steelman but not by a wide enough margin for her to come back.

10:40 p.m. - * The AP has called the Republican Governor's race for Hulshof.

Election Results, Part Two

9:05 p.m. - * It's just after 9 p.m. and with 28% of the vote in, Hulshof leads Steelman 49%-44%. Much of Kansas City, St. Louis, and far SW Missouri is still not in. Newton county just came in for Hulshof.

9:10 p.m. - * The AP has just called the Republican Lt. Governor's race for Peter Kinder. Duh!

9:25 p.m. - * Lawrence County has gone for Sarah Steelman. Brad DeLay won the sheriff's race there as well.

* Webster county has also gone for Steelman.

9:30 p.m. - * Barton county has gone for Hulshof. It appears that unless the Kansas City numbers are huge, Steelman will lose the primary.

* Barry County has chosen Jim Fohn as the Republican county cororner, in what many call an upset. Also, incumbent Mick Epperly has been selected to represent the Republican party in the fall for sheriff.

9:35 p.m. - * It appears that Richard Monroe will be the Democrat who will face off against Roy Blunt in the November election for the 7th Congression US House seat. He leads 77%-22% over his opponent.

* St. Charles County has finished reporting, and now leaves Steelman about 15,000 votes behind Hulshof. Still not a lot of the Kansas City metro has reported.

9:50 p.m. - * Ken Copeland has won the Republican Sheriff Primary in Newton county.

* Hulshof has picked up Jasper county.

* It appears that Chris Koster may run away with the Democratic nomination for Attorney General. This has to be concerning to the Democrats since he has been a Democrat for less than a year.

9:55 p.m. - * Here comes the Lawrence County showdown once again. Incumbent Don Ruzicka has defeated Pierce City mayor Mark Peters by a substantial margin to once again take on "Doc" Dake in the 132nd State Rep. race in November.

* Chad Livengood of the Springfield News-Leader just reported that US Senator Kit Bond has reported that he believes Hulshof will ultimately carry the 7th Congressional District. We shall see when all the votes are in.

Election Results, Part One

7:30 p.m. - First thoughts:

1) Rep. Governor results so far are predictable... Hulshof is carrying early precincts in the bootheel as well as in the Jeff City area. Steelman is pulling early precincts in Texas, Hickory, and Pulaski counties.

2) The tightest race of the night may be for the Democratic race for Attorney General. Koster and Harris are very close right now in the early returns with Donnelly not too far behind.

7:55 p.m. - * Steelman is going to have pick up her advantage in SW Missouri by quite a bit if she wants to win tonight. She trails Hulshof by 450 votes with 1.5% of the vote counted.

* Sam Page is leading the Democratic candidates for Lt. Governor right now. He sits at 33% while four other contenders sit in the teens. One will have to break out to challenge him.

* Jay Nixon is struggling to carry 80% of the vote in what was supposed to be a landslide. While it is, does he have a weakness that the Republican winner can exploit to their advantage to get some Democratic voters in November?

8:05 p.m. - * The first St. Louis County results are in and Hulshof leads Steelman by about 23% points. While some of the other counties that Hulshof are winning are by huger percentage margins, they don't have overwhelming numbers of voters. Hulshof needs to extend that advtange in St. Louis County.

8:25 p.m. - * Greene County results are coming in. While Steelman is winning the county, she doesn't have a huge lead (about 13 points). She needs to extend that advantage with the last few precincts. With 9% of the vote counted, Hulshof leads Steelman 48% - 46%.

* Unless something catastrophic happens, Sam Page (Dem) and Peter Kinder (Rep) are your nominees for the Lt. Governor race.

8:45 p.m. - * Roseanne Bentley looks to hold off Lincoln Hough with 88% percent of the votes counted in Republican Greene County Commissioner Race. Jim Arnott will likely be the Republican Sheriff nominee for the county as well.

* It may be about time to call in the life raft for Sarah Steelman. With about 20% of the vote counted she is down by over 7,000 votes. While it isn't over for her, it isn't looking good. The Hulshof campaign should be happy about its numbers in places like Vernon and St. Clair counties.

Just a Few Minutes Left...

Polls close in just about 15 minutes. Will it be a long night? Stay tuned...

St. Louis Primary Turnout "Pitiful"

That is the word at this hour coming from election officials in and near St. Louis, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Numbers in the St. Louis area are running about 20%, as of about 2:00.

One has to wonder what impact this low voter turnout will have on the governor's race. This area is Kenny Hulshof territory, according to most conventional wisdom I have read. I guess we really won't know until the numbers are in.

I have still seen no numbers from places like St. Charles County or the Columbia / Jeff City area.

Midday Primary Update

Turnout in Greene County, according to KTTS radio, is sitting at a little over 20% at the noon hour.

I have heard nothing about turnout in Jasper County at this point.

Reports coming in from St. Louis indicated turnout is very light there, although I have seen or heard no hard numbers.

The Kansas City Star is reporting light turnout in their metro area as well.

I have heard nothing about turnout in the Columbia/Jeff City region.

What The Stations Are Saying...

Here is a look at the local political headlines of random Missouri TV station websites as of 11:15 p.m. Primary Eve:

KMOV (St. Louis)- Governor's Candidates Make Final Push

KTVO (Kirksville) - Governor's Candidates Starting From SW Missouri

KFVS (Cape Girardeau)- Primary Election Preview

KYTV (Springfield)- Hulshof, Steelman Begin Last Day of Primary In Springfield

KCTV (Kansas City)- Democrats Battle In Rancorous Mo. AG Primary

KMBC (Kansas City)- Voters Head To Polls On Primary Day

KQTV (St. Joseph)- Attorney General Hopeful Stumps in St. Joseph

Twas The Night Before The Primary...

Twas the night before the primary and all across Missouri
Not a politician was sleeping, not even Matt Blunt's email attorney.
The yard signs were placed on the lawn with great care
With hope that the candidates they supported would win fair and square.

The ads were still playing on television sets
While visions of swaying voters still danced in their heads.
With Sarah Steelman courting moderates, and Hulshof Republican fatcats
Tonight they will likely not settle down for any sort of nap.

When then in the kitchen there arose such a clatter
I sprung from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the telephone I flew like a flash
Hoping a friend or relative hadn't been in a crash.

The words on the phone said caller unknown
while the moon shone down brightly on the Ozarks below.
But what to my groggy ears should I hear
but a robo call from Sam Page, oh dear! oh dear!

With the time nearing two a.m. I knew pretty quick
that this had to be a darned ole Republican trick.
More rapid than eagles his qualifications they came
All the things he had voted for, he called them by name!

Free healthcare! Better Education! A true hero for us!
I heard about everything from him but tax cuts.
Around Missouri, in towns big and small
People were waking at midnight to all of these calls.

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So I opened the door and out it the phone threw
with the caller id and the answering machine, too.

And then in a flash I heard on the roof
what sounded like tiny little donkey hoofs.
As I drew in my hand and was turning around,
Down the chimney Jeff Harris came with a bound.

He was dressed in a suit from his head to his foot
But now his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
His cheeks were like roses but his eyes were all bleery
I thought to myself, this man is in the same party as John Kerry?

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow
like he had given a thousand campaign speeches in a row.
Give 'em Hell Harris was the speech he recited to me
and when he was done, I bade him to leave.

On the porch was a man with a broad face and little round belly
Jay Nixon, when he laughed, shook like a bowl full of jelly.
He had thought about calling for support, that jolly old elf,
but decided instead to come see me himself.

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Reminded me of one thing I had forgotten with dread.
Tonight the calls were just the beginning of his work
The general election was still weeks away he said with a smirk.

Now the dawn was coming quickly and I needed to dose.
But before going to bed the chimney flu I did close.
As I laid back down in bed faintly I heard a the whine of a whistle
and I prayed to the good Lord that the Common Sense Express wasn't coming to visit.

Tomorrow some candidates would give up the fight...
While others would say Thank you to all... see you again on election night!

HAPPY VOTING TO YOU ALL... AND TO ALL GOOD LUCK GETTING SLEEP TONIGHT!

Less Than 24 Hours Until The Primary

It is down to the wire and Missouri voters have just about 24 hours remaining to make up their minds as to who they want their respective party's nominees to be. There are several very contested races across the state and The News2K will be filling you in on the results as they happen.

You can find all the statewide races and who is running by clicking this link.

Edouard Media Links

Please check out these links for media information from Edouard:

www.kfdm.com - CBS affiliate out of Beaumont, TX
www.khou.com - CBS affiliate in Houston, TX
www.myfoxhouston.com - FOX affiliate in Houston, TX
www.click2houston.com - NBC affiliate in Houston, TX
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/index - ABC affiliate in Houston, TX
http://www.kbmt12.com/ - ABC affiliate in Beaumont, TX
http://www.kplctv.com/ - NBC affiliate in Lake Charles, LA

Hello Edouard!!

Tropical Storm Edouard has developed in the Gulf of Mexico this evening. At this time, a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for portions of coastal Louisiana and a Hurricane Watch is in effect for northern coastal Texas and adjacent coastal Louisiana. Edouard is expected to make landfall on Tuesday in Texas. For the latest, head to http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ .

Joplin, MO on CNN

So... what are residents of Missouri looking for in their next President? CNN made a trip to Joplin to find out. You can check out the one minute of responses they collected by clicking here. By the way, I would argue that these responses don't span the spectrum of views shared by residents of Joplin, let alone SW Missouri.

Did Nancy Grace Lead Woman To Suicide?

The case involving Linda Duckett and Nancy Grace moved forward this week after a judge would not dismiss the lawsuit that the Duckett family has against the CNN Headline News host.

According to the Associated Press:

A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit that claims CNN's Nancy
Grace pushed the mother of a missing toddler to suicide through aggressive
questioning.

CNN and Grace argued the wrongful death lawsuit brought by Melinda
Duckett's family would "severely chill" journalists' coverage of missing-persons
cases. But U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges on Thursday denied their
motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Duckett, 21, was on Grace's show after her son Trenton went missing
from her apartment in August 2006. Grace grilled the woman, accusing her of
hiding something because Duckett did not take a lie-detector test and answered
vaguely regarding her whereabouts.
Duckett fatally shot herself before the
network aired the pre-taped interview.

The case is now ready to proceed. We shall see where this leads in the weeks ahead.

Is Sarah Steelman Closing The Gap?

A new SurveyUSA poll has been released in the Republican primary race for governor that is being used by KCTV and KSDK. It shows Hulshof with a 12 percentage point lead. That being said, there are some very important components to look at that can't be measured by this poll. I believe the race is much closer

First, I took a trip today to the Ozark Empire Fair and spent a couple of hours. I had a chance to talk to the people running the Republican party booth. They indicated that there was more interest toward Steelman at the fair than Hulshof. It was also interesting to note that the Steelman signs were out in the front of the booth.

Secondly, I headed down to the Democratic party booth where one of the individuals working discussed with me about the fact that many Democrats are voting for Steelman in the primary come Tuesday and that potential supporters for Nixon would be lost if she won the primary.

These two factors might not be any indication of what is to come on Tuesday although I have a feeling (and an educated one at that) that this governor's race may be within two to four points EITHER WAY.

Here is what to watch for:

1) Turnout: Kansas City and SW Missouri are Steelman's best areas. Big turnouts there will be good for her. A strong showing in Columbia and Northeast Missouri seems to ensure a Hulshof win.

2) Who votes: If large numbers of Independents and Democrats vote in the Republican primary, Steelman gains an advantage. This would mainly be an issue in SW Missouri and the the middle part of the state where few contested Democratic races are being fought locally.

3) Undecided voters: The percentage of undecided voters stands at 15. There are twice as many undecided females as males. That would seem to bode well for Steelman.

Either way, it should be an interesting Tuesday night.

Having Problems At Home

My home computer is refusing to let me on Blogspot to update the blog. Until that problem is resolved I will have to do my updates from a different computer or not at all. I can't imagine what is causing this problem. It is having problems with all BlogSpot sites, except KY3's political blog. I see a post there by Mr. Catanese and so apparently their team has the resources to fix their page. I am not so lucky.

UPDATE: Thanks to Ole, I have now fixed the issue.

Chris Nagus Heading East

Bottom Line Communications is reporting that KMBC 9 reporter Chris Nagus is heading from Kansas City across the state to KMOV 4 in St. Louis. He will be joining several Kansas City TV alumni in the process. Nagus' last day in KC will be August 7th. He joined the station in 2005.