Crain's Daily News Alert prepared for Top Executives

CHICAGOBUSINESS — POWERED BY CRAIN'S — Daily Business Briefing CRAIN'S LISTS SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR MULTIMEDIA WEEKLY JOB CHANGES TOP HEADLINES Tuesday, May 12, 2009 · IRS audits Tribune Co.'s ESOP · Loyola hospitals cutting jobs, again · Tollway first to issue Build America Bonds · Drinker cuts starting pay · Playboy closing in CEO replacement · New convention campaign urges local firms to stay close to home · Quinn appoints Ald. Ocasio as adviser · Baxter, FDA investigating heparin deaths · Boeing moves missile-defense HQ to Alabama · New York venture buys suburban bank branch · Grainger sees lower demand, April sales · In brief: General Growth | PNC | Inland offering  · Dart, Stroger, Quinn & Madigan's latest moves: Hinz blog · Dia Weil draws a crowd: Taking Names blog · Manny's contract; an unlikely All-Star: Biz of Sports blog  Final Markets Dow Jones 8,469.11 +50.34 +0.60% NASDAQ 1,715.92 -15.32 -0.88% Crain's Index 68.59 -0.09 -0.13% » View Other Top Headlines ADVERTISEMENT New Job-Hunting Tool from Crain's Want to do a speed search of jobs offered by Chicago-area companies? Check out the new, electronic Job Seeker Edition of Crain's Book of List—with direct links to job listings for each company. Plus a direct link to Crain's stories about each employer. It's just $49. To sample and buy, go to http://www.emagazines.com/shopaddtocart.asp?catalogid=112&affid=7. OTHER HEADLINES · 5 men convicted in Sears Tower plot Daily Herald · Olympics waiver allows transparency: Jarrett ABC 7 · Chrysler dealers fearing loss of franchise prepare to fight Automotive News Crain's Chicago Business | 360 N. Michigan Ave. | Chicago, IL 60601 ADVERTISEMENT TODAY'S FEATURES Check, Please! De Cero – Italian food at its best Tiffani Kim Griffith, founder of the Tiffani Kim Institute, is in the health and wellness business. So when she takes clients to lunch it has to be fresh. And she likes to eat—so it has to be good. Her favorite business-dining spot is Coco Pazzo. Read More · Chicago Business Today - May 12 · Social Whirl: Art Institute of Chicago · VIDEOS: Women to Watch 2009 · 40 Under 40 for 2009: Call for nominations SIGN UP FOR CUSTOM ALERTS Industries » Account Settings LISTEN LIVE: Traffic, weather and news from our news partner WBBM-AM.

ABC7 eNews

>>> Having trouble viewing this newsletter? View as a webpage. Top Stories Tuesday, May 12, 2009 Stroger defends tax rollback veto | VIDEO One day after using his veto power to prevent a repeal of the county sales tax, board president Todd Stroger says one of the county-run hospitals will have to close if commissioners vote to override his veto. Class canceled again after 2nd incident | VIDEO Classes have been canceled at both the central and east high school campuses in Lockport after a threat was phoned in. Blackhawks 8 wins away from Stanley Cup The hats came flying out of the seats and littered the ice at the United Center. The roar of the crowd was so loud that Chicago coach Joel Quenneville had trouble calling out line changes. Battle over Children's Museum move in court The fight over the Children's Museum's move to Grant Park is now in a Cook County courtroom. Meteorite that damaged home to be sold A 5-pound meteorite piece that crashed into a suburban Chicago home in 2003 is going up for auction. MORE STORIES Strange Meteorite that damaged home to be sold Rich man fined $109K for drunk driving Postal worker accused of stealing, selling stamps Book returned to library, 31 years late Hot dog! Dog statues stolen from art exhibit Consumer Aldermen urge ban of chemical Cost of coffee surging American to let customers use miles on 1-way trips CTA expands Bus Tracker Suburban homeowners may see property tax cut | VIDEO Healthbeat Fish, nuts good for eyes Women more likely to suffer major depression Group warns of risks from overly-salty meals Low folate levels may boost allergy, asthma risk Cane Fu Fighting MOST POPULAR Peterson attorney to ask for bond reduction Police wound man, 22, in shooting Burial set for Ill. mom, sons 3 teens shot on SW Side 3 charged in arson fire Advertisement TODAY'S WEATHER OUTLOOK 69°F 52°F Warmer with sunshine and patchy clouds; breezy this afternoon Hour-by-Hour | 7 Day Forecast | Radar & Satellite TONIGHT ON ABC 7:00 PM According to Jim 7:30 PM According to Jim 8:00 PM Dancing with the Stars 9:02 PM Cupid 10:00 PM ABC 7 News 10:35 PM Nightline Lottery Results Your Daily Horoscope AAA: More Memorial Day travel expected AAA says Americans are expected to travel slightly more during the Memorial Day holiday compared with last year. ABC7 Cheap Gas Price Finder Travel Times Flight Tracker: Check the status of your flight Countdown to Digital TV deadline In just one month, all broadcast television stations in the U.S. will drop analog signals and go totally digital. How does that impact you? Information about the DTV transition Where to recycle analog TVs SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS I'd like to receive the following newsletters from abc7chicago.com Daily Weather | Daily News | 190 North Sign up for news alerts

Why the Pentagon Axed Its Afghan Warlord

Why the Pentagon Axed Its Afghan Warlord: "Public beheadings in Afghanistan are usually associated with the Taliban, but on Monday it was Defense Secretary Robert Gates metaphorically wielding the axe from the Pentagon platform. Gates announced that he had asked for and requested the resignation of his top commander in Afghanistan, Army General David McKiernan, after only 11 months in that theater. The 37-year veteran will be replaced by Army Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal. Army Lieutenant General David Rodriguez, the Defense Secretary's own top military aide, is to serve in a newly created post as McChrystal's deputy."

US files murder charges in Iraq soldier shooting

US files murder charges in Iraq soldier shooting: "An Army sergeant who was due to leave Iraq soon after multiple tours has been charged with murder and aggravated assault in the fatal shooting of five fellow soldiers at a military counseling clinic in Baghdad, a U.S. official said Tuesday."

O'Reilly's Ark: Gay marriage could lead to goat, duck, dolphin, and turtle marriage | Media Matters for America

O'Reilly's Ark: Gay marriage could lead to goat, duck, dolphin, and turtle marriage Media Matters for America: "Bill O'Reilly again theorized that the legalization of gay marriage could lead to interspecies marriages, stating to Margaret Hoover, '[Y]ou would let everybody get married who want to get married. You want to marry a turtle, you can.' O'Reilly has previously suggested that gay marriage could ultimately allow for a person to marry a goat, duck, or dolphin."

U.S. stimulus to save 3.5 million jobs by end 2010: official

U.S. stimulus to save 3.5 million jobs by end 2010: official: "The Obama administration's fiscal stimulus plan will meet previous estimates to save 3.5 million U.S. jobs by the end of 2010, but the unemployment rate at that time may be higher due to further deterioration in the economy, a senior administration official said on Monday."

Ore. babies switched at birth meet 56 years later

Ore. babies switched at birth meet 56 years later: "On a spring day in 1953, two babies were born at Pioneer Memorial Hospital in the Eastern Oregon town of Heppner — DeeAnn Angell of Fossil and Kay Rene Reed of Condon. The girls would grow up, get married, have kids of their own and become grandparents. Then, last summer, Kay Rene's brother, Bobby Reed, got a call from an 86-year-old woman who had known his mother and had also lived next door to the Angell family in Fossil."

US military: 44 Afghan cases of white phosphorus

US military: 44 Afghan cases of white phosphorus: "The U.S. accused Afghan militants Monday of using white phosphorus as a weapon in 'reprehensible' attacks on U.S. forces and in civilian areas."

REPORT: On Supreme Court, cable news turns to Republicans for comment | Media Matters for America

REPORT: On Supreme Court, cable news turns to Republicans for comment Media Matters for America: "A Media Matters analysis found that in the week following Justice David Souter's retirement announcement, significantly more Republican members of Congress, especially on Fox News, participated in daytime cable news discussions about or touching on the Supreme Court than did Democratic members of Congress and Obama administration officials."

American kills 5 fellow soldiers at clinic in Iraq

American kills 5 fellow soldiers at clinic in Iraq: "An American Army sergeant shot and killed five fellow soldiers following an altercation at a military counseling center in Iraq Monday, officials said. The attack drew attention to the issues of combat stress and morale among soldiers serving multiple combat tours over six years of war."

Limbaugh has repeatedly smeared progressives, media by linking them to terrorists | Media Matters for America

Limbaugh has repeatedly smeared progressives, media by linking them to terrorists Media Matters for America: "In the fallout over comedian Wanda Sykes' comments about Rush Limbaugh, Media Matters has revisited the numerous instances in which Limbaugh has attacked Democrats, progressives, and the media by linking them to terrorists."

Crain's Daily News Alert prepared for Top Executives

CHICAGOBUSINESS — POWERED BY CRAIN'S — Daily Business Briefing CRAIN'S LISTS SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR MULTIMEDIA WEEKLY JOB CHANGES TOP HEADLINES Monday, May 11, 2009 · County to lower home assessments · Cook tax hurts sales in county line towns: study · Children's Museum move opponents take fight back to court · Hartmarx workers rally to preserve firm · Foreclosure suit hits Motor Row condo project · Health program saved Illinois $100M, state says · Creditors hit Ackman's new plan to finance General Growth · Empty big-box stores drive up retail vacancy · Playboy's 1Q loss triples · Takeover offer for Deerfield's CF Industries raised to $4.2B · Dow closes down nearly 156 points · In brief: Hobby Lobby | Schaumburg renewal | Inland offering  · Chicago execs hit D.C.'s 'nerd prom': Taking Names blog · Quinn has own recipe to cook pension books: Greg Hinz blog · Fire's Greeley says building awareness top priority: Biz of Sports blog  Final Markets Dow Jones 8,418.77 -155.88 -1.82% NASDAQ 1,731.24 -7.76 -0.45% Crain's Index 68.68 -1.510 -2.151% » View Other Top Headlines ADVERTISEMENT New Job-Hunting Tool from Crain's Want to do a speed search of jobs offered by Chicago-area companies? Check out the new, electronic Job Seeker Edition of Crain's Book of List—with direct links to job listings for each company. Plus a direct link to Crain's stories about each employer. It's just $49. To sample and buy, go to http://www.emagazines.com/shopaddtocart.asp?catalogid=112&affid=7. OTHER HEADLINES · Council committee postpones vote on city furlough plan Chicago Sun-Times · R. Kelly lawyers may take Blago's case Daily Herald · Macy's Inc. expected to show first-quarter loss Chicago Sun-Times · Grilled chicken a Kentucky fried fiasco Advertising Age ADVERTISEMENT TODAY'S FEATURES Social Whirl: Art Institute of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, wife Maggie and major donors Anne and Ken Griffin joined more than 1,000 guests at the very grand opening of the Modern Wing. See our photos.Read More · Chicago Business Today - May 11 · Focus - Small Business: the personal toll · 40 Under 40 for 2009: Call for nominations · VIDEOS: Women to Watch 2009 SIGN UP FOR CUSTOM ALERTS Industries » Account Settings LISTEN LIVE: Traffic, weather and news from our news partner WBBM-AM.

Drudge posts dubious picture of Obama "laugh" at joke about Limbaugh's kidneys | Media Matters for America

Drudge posts dubious picture of Obama "laugh" at joke about Limbaugh's kidneys Media Matters for America: "Matt Drudge posted a picture of President Obama in a context that suggested that Obama had laughed and pointed at comedian Wanda Sykes after her joke about Rush Limbaugh. However, a video that Drudge linked to of Sykes' remark about Limbaugh does not show Obama pointing at Sykes."

ABC7 eNews

>>> Having trouble viewing this newsletter? View as a webpage. Top Stories Monday, May 11, 2009 Murder charges filed in double-fatal crash | VIDEO It began as investigation into a fatal car accident. It is now a murder investigation. A man is now charged in connection with the deaths of two women. Lawyer: US reporter leaves jail in Iran | VIDEO A U.S. journalist has been released from prison in Iran. Roxana Saberi had been behind bars for five months. School dismissed after suspicious bottle found Classes have been dismissed for the day at Lockport High School's central campus after an improvised chemical device was found in a hallway. Hartmarx workers considering sit-in Workers at the company that makes President Obama's suits will decide today if they will stage a sit-in should they lose their jobs. Blagojevich case due in federal court Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's corruption case is due in federal court Monday morning. MORE STORIES Strange Hot dog! Dog statues stolen from art exhibit Man, 81, cited for nudging pedestrian with vehicle Duck gets early Mother's Day gift High school orders shot glasses as prom favors Stolen phones mistakenly sent to FBI Consumer Kmart launches social networking site Identity affects women more than men Clothing maker won't charge more for DD bras Jury convicts infomercial pair on fraud charges KFC offers rain checks on coupon Healthbeat Study suggests recovery from autism possible | VIDEO Vibration machines may fight fat Losing job may be health risk Healthbeat Report: Forecasting your health | VIDEO Lupus patients may suffer loss of smell MOST POPULAR School dismissed after suspicious bottle found Peterson attorney to ask for bond reduction Charges filed in Michigan Avenue shooting Murder charges filed in double-fatal crash 2 women, 2 girls claim kidnapping, assault Advertisement TODAY'S WEATHER OUTLOOK 62°F 41°F Cool with intervals of clouds and sunshine Hour-by-Hour | 7 Day Forecast | Radar & Satellite TONIGHT ON ABC 7:00 PM Dancing with the Stars 8:32 PM Surviving Suburbia 9:02 PM Castle 10:00 PM ABC 7 News 10:35 PM Nightline Lottery Results Your Daily Horoscope First-class stamps now 44 cents The post office wants two more pennies for your thoughts. Shuttle fueled, readies for launch to Hubble Space shuttle Atlantis was fueled Monday for one last flight to the Hubble Space Telescope, an extraordinarily ambitious repair mission that NASA hopes will lift the celebrated observatory to new scientific heights. Weather looks great for Monday launch to Hubble Suburban native to make 5th spaceflight The Crew: Seven-person team The Mission: One last house call to Hubble The Timeline: Hubble's up-and-down journey SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS I'd like to receive the following newsletters from abc7chicago.com Daily Weather | Daily News | 190 North Sign up for news alerts

Health industry offers to rein spending

Health industry offers to rein spending: "Health industry groups are promising to reduce the growth of spending by $2 trillion over 10 years by improving coordination, focusing on efficiency and embracing better technology and regulatory reform."

US journalist freed by Iran, reunites with parents

US journalist freed by Iran, reunites with parents: "An American journalist jailed for five months in Iran was freed Monday and reunited with her parents after an appeals court suspended her eight-year prison sentence on charges of spying for the U.S."

Pakistan: Up to 700 militants killed in offensive

Pakistan: Up to 700 militants killed in offensive: "Pakistani warplanes bombed suspected militant positions in a stronghold close to the capital Monday, pressing ahead with a fierce offensive the government claimed had killed 700 insurgents and put the Taliban on the run."

Pope in Israel calls for Palestinian homeland

Pope in Israel calls for Palestinian homeland: "Pope Benedict XVI called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian homeland immediately after he arrived in Israel Monday, a stance that could put him at odds with his hosts on a trip aimed at easing strains between the Vatican and Jews."

STIMULUS WATCH: Early road aid leaves out neediest

STIMULUS WATCH: Early road aid leaves out neediest: "Counties suffering the most from job losses stand to receive the least help from President Barack Obama's plan to spend billions of stimulus dollars on roads and bridges, an Associated Press analysis has found."

Health care cost cuts could kick-start reform

Health care cost cuts could kick-start reform: "When President Bill Clinton took on health care reform, industry leaders fought back, killing the White House proposal before it could gain any traction. Now those industry leaders are trying to help President Barack Obama find a solution to the problem of uninsured Americans, offering $2 trillion in spending reductions over 10 years."

Obama pokes fun at himself, Dems and GOP - Yahoo! News

Obama pokes fun at himself, Dems and GOP - Yahoo! News: "It was the hottest ticket in town, a black-tie dinner gathering of Washington's political and media elite but Dick Cheney couldn't make it. The former vice president was busy, President Barack Obama joked, working on his memoir 'tentatively titled, How to Shoot Friends and Interrogate People.' '"

Sri Lanka artillery barrage kills 378, doctor says

Sri Lanka artillery barrage kills 378, doctor says: "An unrelenting hail of artillery in Sri Lanka's war zone killed at least 378 civilians, according to a government doctor who survived the attack as shells flew near the makeshift hospital. More than 100 of the victims were children, the U.N. said Sunday."

Concerns white phosphorus used in Afghan battle

Concerns white phosphorus used in Afghan battle: "Doctors voiced concern over 'unusual' burns on Afghan villagers wounded in an already controversial U.S.-Taliban battle, and the country's top human rights groups said Sunday it is investigating the possibility white phosphorus was used."

Experts say GM bankruptcy almost inevitable

Experts say GM bankruptcy almost inevitable: "For General Motors Corp., the task at hand is so difficult that experts say a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing is all but inevitable."

Conservatives are foaming at the bench

May 08, 2009 Conservatives are foaming at the bench As news that Supreme Court Justice David Souter will be stepping down at the end of this term thus providing President Obama with his first Supreme Court appointment continued to burn up the airwaves this week, Media Matters released an extensive report documenting and correcting common myths and falsehood propagated by the media on the subject -- an essential primer for anyone following or covering the story.   Yes, there's nothing like a pending Supreme Court nomination to get media conservatives hot under the collar.   Even Obama's desire for an empathetic nominee was maligned. Several media figures and outlets -- among them The Washington Post, Fox News congressional correspondent Major Garrett and O'Reilly Factor guest host Laura Ingraham -- falsely suggested that Obama said that he will seek a replacement for Souter who demonstrates the quality of "empathy" rather than a commitment to follow the law. Blinded by the rest of Obama's statement, they ignored the simple fact that immediately after stating that he saw the "quality of empathy" as "an essential ingredient for arriving as just decisions and outcomes," Obama stated that he would "seek somebody who is dedicated to the rule of law, who honors our constitutional traditions, who respects the integrity of the judicial process and the appropriate limits of the judicial role."   Others advanced the bizarre claim that, in the words of a National Review editorial, "[e]mpathy is simply a codeword for an inclination toward liberal activism." Perhaps they'd benefit from a review of two recent studies of Supreme Court justices indicating that in two key categories, those most frequently labeled "conservative" were also among the most activist. Moreover, several former Republican senators have previously cited "compassion" as a qualification for judicial nominees.   Of all the names on the media's short list for Obama, Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor has been the subject of the harshest criticism from media conservatives, with many misrepresenting her past comments. For example, Fox News host Jane Skinner asserted that Sotomayor "is coming under some fire for making some comments that were recorded on tape a while back, saying that it's her job, really, to make policy from the bench" when, in fact, Sotomayor did not say that. Still others, like The New Republic's Jeffrey Rosen and Fox News' Andrew Napolitano, sank to citing anonymous sources criticizing Sotomayor, including law clerks, which an American University law professor called "extremely problematic." Rosen, incidentally, has perhaps been Sotomayor's harshest critic, even resorting to misrepresenting a footnote in making his purported "Case Against Sotomayor."   Conservatives in the media have also sought to prop up the profile and background of Sen. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, who was selected to lead the Republican minority on the Senate Judiciary Committee leading into the Supreme Court confirmation hearings. The Washington Times reported that Sen. Sessions' 1986 nomination to a federal court was "blocked by Democrats," but offered no explanation for that opposition. However, two Republicans voted against Sessions' nomination, which failed amid accusations that his pursuit of voter fraud charges against three African-American civil rights activists as U.S. attorney in 1985 were racially motivated and that he had made racially insensitive comments. Which must explain why Fox News' Neil Cavuto described Sessions as "widely respected on all sides." I'll wait while you finish laughing.   Finally, if you really want to get a feel for just how off the wall conservative media coverage of this story has been over the past week, you need only look at the Fox News' new website, Fox Nation which this week stated (with a question mark to play it safe): "Why aren't white males being considered for Supreme Court?"   Other Major Stories This Week:   Hate crimes: Backed into a corner, media conservatives cry "pedophilia" Perhaps fearing a hate crimes bill that protects gay, lesbian, and transgender people will soon be enacted, many media conservatives have seen fit to maliciously attack the legislation often times raising the right-wing's favorite red herring that efforts to protect the LGBT community will somehow protect "pedophiles."   During a recent edition of his top-rated cable program, Fox News' Bill O'Reilly said of the hate crimes bill, which not only adds gay, lesbian, and transgender people to the list of protected classes but the disabled as well, "[Y]ou could make an argument that a pedophile has a disease, and because the disease is there, he's a target or she's a target." O'Reilly later added that pedophiles could be included because "[d]isability is included. They have a mental disability." He's wrong. Pedophilia is not considered a "disability" under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; in fact, the ADA specifically excludes pedophilia. But then, bringing up "pedophilia" during discussion of gay and lesbian issues is old hat for those opposed to full equality for the LGBT community.   O'Reilly wasn't alone pushing this line of attack at Fox News. Sean Hannity, Bill Hemmer, and The Fox Nation website all advanced the false claim that House Democrats voted to "protect" or "defend" pedophiles. On-screen text along the bottom of the screen on Fox quite literally read, "HOUSE DEMS VOTE TO PROTECT PEDOPHILES, BUT NOT VETERANS." Equally misleading were the false claims by media conservatives that passage of the bill would somehow suppress religious thought or speech. During a segment on Fox News' America's Newsroom, correspondent Molly Henneberg reported without question that religious groups are concerned that "they may be prosecuted for their religious beliefs if they believe that homosexuality is a sin, that it could gag ministers who preach that, or even if a church may not want to marry a gay couple. There is concern that they could face lawsuits as well." In fact, the legislation in question specifically protects an individuals First Amendment's right to free speech and exercise of religion - something you just won't hear from those lined up against the bill.   What discussion of LGBT civil rights wouldn't be complete without a healthy dose of mean-spirited hate from the likes of Rev. Pat Robertson, who this week suggested the "ultimate conclusion" of legal same-sex marriage is legal polygamy, bestiality, child molestation, and pedophilia, or self-described "openly gay, pro-choice, gun owning, pro-death penalty, voted-for-President Bush authentic feminist" Tammy Bruce who chatted about how the "gay Gestapo," as she put it on Fox News, "ultimately smears every gay person."   The right obsesses over Obama's choice of food again -- this time it's mustard   Stop the presses -- President Obama is eating a hamburger with the Vice President! In all seriousness, if you were watching cable news this week you may have heard news that Obama, horror of horrors, asked for mustard rather than ketchup on his lunchtime burger -- spicy mustard, no less. That's right, following his visit to Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, Virginia (which I highly recommend to anyone visiting the Commonwealth) Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Rush Limbaugh Show guest host Mark Steyn criticized the president as an elitist because he ordered a burger with "spicy mustard" or "Dijon mustard." Hannity claimed that Obama ordered a "fancy burger" with a "very special condiment," while Steyn asserted Obama is trying "to enlighten us" through his order. Ingraham asked of Obama: "What kind of man orders a cheeseburger without ketchup but Dijon mustard? ... The guy orders a cheeseburger without ketchup? What is that?" In their discussions of Obama's burger order, Hannity, Ingraham, and Steyn all referenced a Grey Poupon commercial featuring actors portraying wealthy British men expressing desire for the mustard. Wonder why Fox News' attempt at a comedy show never worked out? Here's a hint -- they aren't funny.   MSNBC's Ed Schultz did an admirable job highlighting Hannity's Dijon derangement, while the Chicago Tribune's food blog, The Stew, interviewed Barry Levenson, curator of the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum, who noted, "There's nothing pretentious about Dijon mustard ... It's a very simple product. To say that it's elitist to put Dijon mustard on a hamburger is absurd." Indeed.   Regular readers of Media Matters know this isn't the first time right-wingers in the media have gone berserk over Obama's choice of food or beverage.   Pentagon pundits redux   You may recall mention here of David Barstow's Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times exposé detailing the hidden relationship among numerous media military analysts, the Pentagon, and defense contractors. Shortly after Barstow's piece was published, Media Matters released an exhaustive report which found that since January 1, 2002, the pundits named in the Barstow's story appeared or were quoted more than 4,500 times by news outlets.   Earlier this year, The Washington Post reported the findings of a January 14 report by the Defense Department's inspector general's office on the Pentagon's Retired Military Analyst program, which found that, according to the Post, "The Pentagon did not violate internal policies or regulations in a program that gave briefings to retired military officers who served as news commentators on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, nor did those analysts use their access to benefit their business interests." But with the exception of brief write-ups in two blogs and an online column, the Post has yet to report that the inspector general's office this week withdrew its findings. Reporting on a May 5 memo by the Pentagon's deputy inspector general for policy and oversight, Barstow wrote that "the report was so riddled with flaws and inaccuracies that none of its conclusions could be relied upon." He added: "In addition to repudiating its own report, the inspector general's office took the additional step of removing the report from its Web site."   It makes you wonder if aides to former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will continue to bash Barstow in news reports now that the initial DOD inspector general's report has been withdrawn and disowned.   MSNBC's Rachel Maddow ran a hilarious "special report" on the withdrawal and attacks on Barstow, while Democracy Now's Amy Goodman sat down for a fascinating exclusive interview with Barstow that everyone should take some time to watch - definitely some must see web-TV. Keep in mind, his exposé came out more than a year ago and Goodman is still able to call this interview an "exclusive." As Barstow notes, he hasn't received "any invitations" to appear on "any of the main network and cable programs." Surprise, surprise.   The Washington Times vs. reality on Obama's popularity   County Fair, the official Media Matters blog, last week called out the conservative Washington Times for its bizarre, fact-free editorial that claimed President Obama's job approval ratings were "in the basement" and that he was historically unpopular. True Alice-in-Wonderland stuff since recent polling data suggest the exact opposite about the president's popularity. Well, it took a whole week, but the Times finally walked back that nonsense retracting the entire editorial noting, "We hereby retract our April 28 editorial 'Barack's in the basement' because we misapplied several polling comparisons of various presidents after their first 100 days in office." That's being generous when you consider the entire piece was completely made up.   So, now the only question that remains is whether those who ran with the Times editorial will do the right thing and run a retraction of their own. We're talking to you Amy Holmes, Ann Coulter and Jim Pinkerton.   This week's media columns   This week's media columns from the Media Matters senior fellows: Eric Boehlert looks at how Limbaugh is living large while his radio boss Clear Channel implodes; Jamison Foser asks where Sonia Sotomayor should go to get her reputation back; and Karl Frisch details how the media still can't get it right on hate crimes 10 years after Matthew Shepard. Week in review video Do you Facebook or Twitter? If you use the social networking site Facebook, be sure to join the official Media Matters page and those of our senior fellows Eric Boehlert, Jamison Foser and Karl Frisch as well. You can also follow Media Matters, Boehlert, Foser and Frisch on Twitter! This weekly wrap-up was compiled by Karl Frisch, a senior fellow at Media Matters. Frisch also contributes to County Fair, a media blog featuring links to progressive media criticism from around the web as well as original commentary. Forward This E-mail To A Friend Share your concern about conservative misinformation Sign up Did a friend forward you this email? Click here to sign up to receive Media Matters for America email alerts.   © 2008 Media Matters for America 1625 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20036