Layoffs at the Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune

UPDATE, Feb 15, 8 p.m. Eastern: Two were laid off, one person from the newsroom and another from the circulation department.

The Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune Guild president says Forum Communications plans to layoff “a few more employees.” Wayne Nelson of BusinessNorth.com writes:

Guild president Peter Passi said owner Forum Communications said it planned to layoff “a few more employees” in the latest round of cutbacks that has eliminated about one-third of the daily’s work force over the last two years. Passi said education reporter Sarah Horner was among the casualties. Ironically, she authored a bylined page one story in the Friday edition in the prime upper right position above the fold.

Guild reporters were expected to participate in a one-day byline strike — permitted in their union contract — in the Saturday, Feb. 13 edition.

Passi said the company refused the union’s offer of 2010 contract concessions in return for an assurance of no additional layoffs. Passi placed the value of those concessions at $77,000 during the year. In addition, the union was prepared to accept a one-day unpaid furlough during the year by all members, he said.

News Tribune Publisher Ken Browall didn’t respond Friday morning to an interview request.

On Feb. 4, members of the Lake Superior Newspaper Guild, the largest employee union at the Duluth News Tribune, voted 98 percent in favor of negotiating wage and benefit reductions with the newspaper’s Fargo, ND-based owner. The company-proposed cuts included a 1.5 percent wage reduction and the elimination of a 2 percent 401(k) match. Guild members were ready to make these sacrifices and go even further as necessary to prevent additional layoffs, Passi said. When the company’s no-promises proposal was put in front of Guild membership, 78 percent of those voting rejected the measure, he said.

Global Warming and Snow; the Left Can't Have It Both Ways

Dylan Ratigan of MSNBC has been telling his viewers the past few days that the recent major snowstorms on the East Coast are exactly what scientists have been predicting would happen as a result of global warming:



Contessa Brewer of MSNBC followed the same logic:



But these leaders have been saying the opposite, that the recent dry winters are evidence of global warming.

Robert F. Kennedy wrote a couple years ago:

In Virginia, the weather also has changed dramatically. Recently arrived residents in the northern suburbs, accustomed to today's anemic winters, might find it astonishing to learn that there were once ski runs on Ballantrae Hill in McLean, with a rope tow and local ski club. Snow is so scarce today that most Virginia children probably don't own a sled. But neighbors came to our home at Hickory Hill nearly every winter weekend to ride saucers and Flexible Flyers.

In those days, I recall my uncle, President Kennedy, standing erect as he rode a toboggan in his top coat, never faltering until he slid into the boxwood at the bottom of the hill. Once, my father, Atty. Gen. Robert Kennedy, brought a delegation of visiting Eskimos home from the Justice Department for lunch at our house. They spent the afternoon building a great igloo in the deep snow in our backyard. My brothers and sisters played in the structure for several weeks before it began to melt. On weekend afternoons, we commonly joined hundreds of Georgetown residents for ice skating on Washington's C&O Canal, which these days rarely freezes enough to safely skate.

Meanwhile, Exxon Mobil and its carbon cronies continue to pour money into think tanks whose purpose is to deceive the American public into believing that global warming is a fantasy. In 1998, these companies plotted to deceive American citizens about climate science. Their goal, according to a meeting memo, was to orchestrate information so that "recognition of uncertainties become part of the conventional wisdom" and that "those promoting the Kyoto treaty ... appear to be out of touch with reality."

StopGlobalwarming.org warned in 2006 that the lack of snow due to global warming was putting ski resorts out of business in Spain:

Global warming is threatening to put ski resorts out of business in Spain, where nearly all ski slopes are closed for lack of snow, the daily El Pais reported Tuesday. The Pyrenees only have a quarter of the amount of snow which is usual for the beginning of December, and the situation is similar in other wintersport areas.

The only place to go skiing are the Sierra Nevada mountains in the south, but even there, only four kilometres of pistes can be used.

The rest of Spain's 953 kilometres of ski pistes do not have enough snow, a situation which has not occurred to a comparable extent since 1995.

The Environment Ministry attributed the lack of snow to global warming, which threatens thousands of jobs linked to the skiing industry.

In 2007, The Washington Post said the same problem was happening in France and Switzerland:

Abondance is the French Alps' first ski station to fall apparent victim to global warming. It will almost certainly not be the last.

At 3,051 feet, this station between Mont Blanc and Lake Leman falls in the altitude range climate scientists say has seen the most dramatic drop in snowfall in recent generations.

The Alps as a whole, which pull in about 70 million tourists every year primarily for winter sports, are "particularly sensitive" to climate change, according to a study last winter by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

It calls climate change a serious threat to Alpine ski resorts and the regional economies that depend on them. The most recent World Cup ski circuit was badly hit by lack of snow, with several races in the Alps _ even at high altitudes _ called off.

This report was based on a report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which said in 2006:

The Alps are particularly sensitive to climate change and recent warming there has been roughly three times the global average. The years 1994, 2000, 2002, and 2003 were the warmest on record in the Alps in the last 500 years (according to high resolution reconstructions of the climate in the region since 1500AD). Climate model projections show even greater changes in the coming decades, with less snow at low altitudes and receding glaciers and melting permafrost higher up.

Presently 90% - 609 out of the 666 medium to large Alpine ski areas - normally have adequate snow cover for at least 100 days per year. The remaining 10% are already operating under marginal conditions. Future climate change could mean a drop in the number of ‘snow-reliable’ ski areas with a 1°C increase in temperature dropping the number to 500, 2°C to 400, and 4 °C to 200.

Of the countries studied, Germany is most at risk, with the 1°C warming scenario leading to a 60% decrease in the number of naturally snow-reliable ski areas. Austria (where half the tourism income, or 4.5% of the national economy, is from winter tourism) is slightly more sensitive than the average. France is about average, Italy slightly above average, and Switzerland would suffer the least though even there a 1°C increase would reduce natural snow by 10% and +4°C would halve the number of snow-reliable slopes.

Despite the description on Drudge's link ("NYT:The Blizzards Are From The Warming..."), John M. Broder of New York Times took a fairly balanced look at the issue:

WASHINGTON — As millions of people along the East Coast hole up in their snowbound homes, the two sides in the climate-change debate are seizing on the mounting drifts to bolster their arguments.

Skeptics of global warming are using the record-setting snows to mock those who warn of dangerous human-driven climate change — this looks more like global cooling, they taunt.

Most climate scientists respond that the ferocious storms are consistent with forecasts that a heating planet will produce more frequent and more intense weather events.

But some independent climate experts say the blizzards in the Northeast no more prove that the planet is cooling than the lack of snow in Vancouver or the downpours in Southern California prove that it is warming.

So, which is it? Couldn't it be possible that we had a few good winters, and now we are having a snowy one? I tend to believe it's just a snowy winter in the Northeast, and that we were due. What is clear is that you can't have it both ways when making a political argument. Either global warming is real or it is not; and if it is real, then it either causes less snow or more snow, but not both.

Journal Communications Sees Net Income of $7.2 Million in 4Q

Journal Communications Inc. today announced that its fourth-quarter revenue decreased by 16.4 percent compared with a year ago. The media company, whose flagship newspaper is the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, posted a net income of $7.2 million, compared with a net loss in the year-ago quarter.

Its news release reports:

"In a year where revenue has been challenged, we closed 2009 with our strongest quarter. We showed sequential improvements in revenue comparisons throughout the quarter, including an improving automotive category," said Steven J. Smith, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Journal Communications. "This revenue performance, together with significant, and in many cases permanent reductions in our cost structure, resulted in increased operating margins and net earnings for the quarter.

"Our focused financial discipline allowed us to generate nearly $77 million in cash from operations for the year. We reduced debt by more than $20 million in the quarter and $63 million for the year, enhancing our financial flexibility.

"As we move into the first quarter of 2010, we expect revenue comparisons to continue to improve, helped by Olympic and political advertising. We will remain diligent on cost controls and will continue to execute our local market business strategy in order to position Journal for a return to top line growth."

Note that unless otherwise indicated, all comparisons are to the fourth quarter ended December 28, 2008.

For the fourth quarter, revenue of $112.2 million decreased 16.4% compared to $134.3 million. Operating earnings of $15.4 million included a $1.2 million non-cash impairment charge for broadcast licenses and a $1.0 million charge for workforce reductions in the quarter. Excluding these two items and a $336.3 million non-cash impairment charge for goodwill and broadcast licenses and a $1.1 million charge for workforce reductions, both in the fourth quarter last year, operating earnings of $17.6 million compared to $12.6 million, an increase of 40.4%. Net earnings were $7.2 million compared to a net loss of $223.0 million.

In the fourth quarter 2009, basic and diluted net earnings per share of class A and B common stock were $0.12 for both. Excluding the impact of the $0.6 million after-tax non-cash impairment charge and $0.5 million after-tax charge for workforce reductions, basic and diluted net earnings per share of class A and B common stock were $0.14 for both. This compared to basic and diluted net loss per share of $4.46 for both in 2008. Excluding the impact of the $228.7 million after-tax non-cash impairment charge and the $0.7 million after-tax workforce reduction charge in 2008, basic and diluted net earnings per share of class A and B common stock were $0.12 for both in 2008.

EBITDA (net earnings (loss) excluding the gain/loss from discontinued operations, net; total other expense, net; provision (benefit) for income taxes; depreciation; amortization; and non-cash impairment charges) of $23.8 million increased 26.4% compared to $18.8 million.

The operating margin was 13.8% this year. Excluding the charges for non-cash impairment and workforce reductions this year and last year, the operating margin was 15.7% compared to 9.3%. The operating margin improvement is a result of significant cost reduction efforts throughout the year.

USA Today Announces Furlough Program; Continued Moratorium on Pay Raises

USA TODAY Publisher David Hunke today announced that all employees must take a one-week furlough between Feb. 28 and July 3. As Jim Hopkins at Gannett Blog notes, this comes after the newspaper reported fourth-quarter paid advertising pages fell 10.5 percent, to 705 from 788, in the year-ago quarter.

Also in the memo is a 90-day extension in the pay raise moratorium that has already lasted a year.

To: USA TODAY Colleagues
Fr: Dave Hunke
Dt: February 11, 2010

As you'll recall, USA TODAY took a number of significant cost containment steps approximately one year ago in reaction to the rapidly deteriorating national economy. Among the decisions, we specifically instituted furloughs and a wage freeze. Recently, some business conditions have improved slightly. That’s a good sign. However, national advertising revenues in general were still down from the previous year as were paid advertising pages at USA TODAY. Business travel and hotel occupancy, and consequently, circulation sales continued to be lower in Q4 -- all the while the nation's economic recovery still appears inconsistent and unsure.

As a result, USA TODAY will implement the following steps:

All employees will be furloughed for one full week (Sunday through Saturday) during the time period of Sunday, February 28 through Saturday, July 3, 2010. To be clear, a furlough means no one will be permitted to work while on furlough and no one will be exempt, except for business necessity. That means when you are on furlough, there is no work, no office phone calls, no voice mail, no e-mail and no PDA checking. Exempt, salaried employees must take one full payroll week within the pay period. Non-exempt, hourly employees can take five days at any pre-approved time. All furloughs must be completed by July 3rd. If you are not sure which category you are in, check with your manager.

The one year moratorium on pay increases which went into effect on February 1, 2009, will be extended for a minimum of an additional 90 days. We will evaluate business conditions on a quarterly basis and institute a fair and equitable compensation increase plan as soon as conditions permit. This is a top priority and we will do our best to keep you well informed on our progress.

Gibbs Losing Laughs During His White House Briefings

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs played the crowd during a recent White House press briefing for writing notes on her hand at last week's Tea Party Convention, with a grocery list and the words change and hope in case he "forgot".

But as Patrick Gavin, Vivyan Tran and Luke Freedman report in POLITICO, the laughter has started to die down:

Back in May, POLITICO analyzed the press briefings and found that the instances of laughter — as indicated by "(Laughter)" being noted in the official transcript — occurred more than 10 times per day during press secretary Robert Gibbs's briefings.

But the laughter has been reduced by half in recent months: In the first six months of the Obama administration, briefings produced an average of 179 laughs per month. Over the past six months, the average has dropped down to 89.

Chalk it up to the close of any administration's initial honeymoon — and the Obama administration's tough second half of 2009, as it wrestled with health care and saw the late Ted Kennedy's U.S. Senate seat filled by a Republican.

"The tone is one reason for less laughter," says American Urban Radio's April Ryan. "There are lots of serious questions begging for serious answers. Those questions do not meld with laughter and light banter."

But there's also some frustration a-brewing among press corps members.

"There definitely aren't a lot of laughs around the briefing room these days," says Washington Examiner White House correspondent Julie Mason. "Robert's little digs and evasions have lost their power to amuse — particularly since we haven't had a presser since July."

Mason also reports frustration in the ranks: "Reporters know how close the press secretary is to the president, and yet the quality of the information we get doesn't often reflect that."

NYT Co. Reports 11.5 Percent Drop in Revenue in Fourth Quarter of 2009

The New York Times Co. reported today that total revenues fell 11.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. Normally that would be bad news, but when you compare it to the 16.9 percent drop in the third quarter, it loses its sting.

The full report can be found here. Excerpts include:

•Operating profit excluding depreciation, amortization, severance and the special items discussed below grew 10.9 percent to $157.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared with $142.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. On a GAAP basis, the Company had an operating profit of $136.0 million compared with $63.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2008.

•Operating costs excluding depreciation, amortization and severance declined 16.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 versus the fourth quarter of 2008. On a GAAP basis, the Company’s operating costs declined 15.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 versus the fourth quarter of 2008. For the year operating costs declined by approximately $475 million as a result of reductions in nearly all major expense categories.

•Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations excluding severance and special items were $.44 per share in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared with $.36 per share in the same period of 2008. On a GAAP basis, the Company had diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $.48 per share in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared with $.19 per share in the fourth quarter of 2008.

•The Company has reduced its debt by over $290 million to $769 million from its balance at the end of 2008 of $1.059 billion. As of the end of the quarter, excluding $67 million in letters of credit, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Company’s $400 million revolving credit facility.

Total revenues were down 11.5 percent in the quarter, a significant improvement from the third quarter decline of 16.9 percent.

“We were pleased to see advertisers increase their rate of spending across our newspapers, Web sites and other platforms as advertising trends improved during the fourth quarter,” said Janet Robinson, president and CEO. “Our results also reflect our ability to restructure our cost base, introduce new products and innovations, leverage our brand strength and extend our reach to new audiences.

“In the fourth quarter total advertising revenues declined approximately 15 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2008, as a 20 percent decrease in print advertising was offset in part by growth in digital advertising, which rose nearly 11 percent. While the advertising market remains challenging, the rate of decline across the major advertising categories – national, retail and classified – lessened as the quarter progressed.

“Circulation revenues increased 2 percent as we were able to command higher subscription and newsstand prices at The New York Times and The Boston Globe. This growth demonstrates the strong demand and loyalty for our high quality news and information in print, even as the content marketplace becomes increasingly digital.

“Once again we were encouraged by the strong performance at the About Group, whose fourth-quarter operating profit rose 80 percent to $18 million. The Group’s advertising revenues grew 23 percent on healthy gains in both cost-per-click and display advertising.

“We continued to capitalize on our ability to aggressively manage our expenses, as evidenced in an approximately 16 percent decline in operating costs. And we remain focused on securing strong performance on costs as we continue to reposition our Company for the evolving media marketplace.

"Looking ahead, visibility remains limited for advertising. In the first quarter of 2010, we expect the rate of decline for print advertising to continue to improve modestly from the fourth quarter of 2009, while digital advertising is expected to perform in line with the fourth-quarter level.

“Lastly, we have begun taking steps to enhance our digital strategy by planning to introduce a paid model for NYTimes.com in 2011, to create an additional revenue stream while preserving our robust advertising business. We continue to embrace innovative new platforms and devices that provide rich experiences for our content.”

Another Iranian Condemned to Death; Regime Has Arrested Eight More Journalists

Another Iranian citizen has been sentenced to execution for particiapting in an anti-government riots at the end of December, the ISNA news agency reported on Tuesday. A total of 12 people have been sentenced to death.

"Nine leaders of the Ashura troubles have been condemned -- one to capital punishment and nine to prison sentences," said ISNA, quoting the Tehran prosecutor's office and without providing details.

Eight people were killed and hundreds more hurt in the December 27 demonstrations on Ashura, a Shiite Muslim holy day, the latest in a series of protests over what many in Iran believed to have been the rigged re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June.

Hundreds more people were arrested during or after the Ashura protest.

Meanwhile, senior justice official Seyyed Ebrahim Raissi said another nine people already condemned to death are awaiting the outcome of an appeal.

"Their case is before the appeals court and its decision must be awaited," he said.

Of the 12 people in total condemned to hang, two were executed on January 28.

Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmani Pour had been convicted of being Mohareb (enemies of God) after being charged with plotting to topple the Islamic regime.

Meanwhile, the prosecution said "the conviction of 35 elements" arrested during the demonstrations "has been confirmed and sent to the judge for carrying out of the sentence. They were accused of "gathering in contravention of security, propaganda against the regime, attacks on the forces of order, destruction and arson."

Here is Al Jazeera report on the earlier executions:



Reporters sans frontières said today that it deplores the fact that, as a result of arrests in the past few days, the number of journalists and netizens detained in Iran now exceeds 65.

“This is a figure that is without precedent since Reporters Without Borders was created in 1985,” the press-freedom organization’s secretary-general, Jean-François Julliard, said. “The detainees include journalists based in Tehran and the provinces.”

At the same time, the Internet has been experiencing a great deal of disruption since the evening of 6 February and some mobile phone companies are no longer allowing users to send SMS messages. The measures appear to be part of a concerted effort by the authorities to prevent opposition protests during the Islamic Revolution’s 31st anniversary celebrations on 11 February.

Intelligence ministry officials arrested at least eight journalists yesterday and the day before and took them to unknown places of detentions. Those arrested include:

Akbar Montajabi of Etemad-e Mell (a daily closed by the authorities)

Ahmad Jalali Farahani (arrested a day after being fired from the Meher News agency)

Mahsa Jazini of the Isfahan-based daily Iran

Somayeh Momeni of the monthly Nasim Bidary

Zeynab Kazem-Khah, an arts reporter for the ISNA news agency

Amir Sadeghi, a photographer with the daily Farhangh Ashti

Hassan Zohouri of the Mirass Farhanghi news agency

Ehsan Mehrabi of the daily Farhikhteghan

Vahid Pourostad of the daily Farhikhteghan


Reporters Without Borders has not received any news of several other journalists and netizens who were also reportedly arrested in recent days.

The press freedom organisation has learned that Ali Mohammad Islampour, editor of the Qasrnews blog and editor of the Navai Vaghat newspaper, was arrested on a charge of “publishing false information liable to upset public opinion” on 3 February after being summoned by a revolutionary court in the western city of Kermanshah.

In a press release yesterday, the intelligence ministry announced the arrests of seven journalists for “collaborating with Zionist satellite TV stations.” The journalists are accused of “receiving professional training abroad in the preparation of a velvet revolution,” disturbing public order and “collaborating with Radio Farda (Radio Free Europe).” A senior Radio Farda representative denied the allegation and said the station had no journalists in Iran.

In an open letter to international media that have been invited by the Iranian authorities to cover the 31st anniversary celebrations, ten Iranian exile journalists said they had detailed information from Iran about the government’s plans to give the impression that it is supported by most of the population. It not only wants to prevent an opposition rally on Azadi Square, where President Ahmadinejad will give his speech, but also to ensure that there will only be government supporters in the square, the letter said.

Inviting foreign journalists to cover the Islamic Revolution’s official anniversary was a trap, the journalists wrote. A government that has already arrested, jailed and charged journalists working for foreign news media, now wanted to demonstrate its popularity to the entire world and thereby conceal the protests, they said.

The letter added: “You are going to Iran not only as media representatives of the free world, but also as representatives of your Iranian fellow journalists who are either in prison or in exile outside Iran. Your host is a government that is anti-freedom, anti-free media, and one that violates the most basic human rights of its people.”

Reporters Without Borders wrote to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay on 4 February voicing concern about the situation in Iran and requesting an interview. The organisation also wrote to the foreign ministers of the European Union’s 27 member countries urging them to recall their ambassadors from Tehran “to protest against the arbitrary repression of government opponents, denounce the judicial farce of the Stalinist-style show trials and publicly express your concern about the imminent risk of executions.”

Obama Makes Surprise Visit to Daily White House Press Conference

President Barack Obama made a surprise visit during today's daily White House Press Conference. He said that a meeting between him and Democrat and Republican congressional leaders went well.

Reporters even moaned when he wanted to get a balance of questions and then called on MSNBC's Chuck Todd.

Morningstar Acquires Footnoted.Org

Morningstar Inc., a leading provider of independent investment research, today announced it has acquired the Footnoted business of Financial Fineprint Inc., a privately held firm based in Peekskill, N.Y. The acquisition includes the Footnoted.org website and the Footnoted Pro service. Terms were not disclosed, according to a press release.

Footnoted.org was founded in 2003 by Michelle Leder, author and journalist. Footnoted's research staff pores over hundreds of SEC filings a day to unearth critical information buried in the fine print, such as evidence of aggressive accounting, excessive compensation, or the type of questionable self-dealing that can indicate more serious problems at a company. With original insight and analysis culled from corporate filings, Footnoted's free site has become a must-read for professional money managers and analysts, as well as individual investors and journalists. The company also publishes Footnoted Pro, a service for institutional investors, such as hedge fund firms, that provides insight on actionable items and trends in filings.

Leder will continue to run Footnoted, and Morningstar will make some content from the site available on Morningstar.com, the company's investment website. In the near future, footnoted.org will become footnoted.com. Additionally, Morningstar will also offer Footnoted Pro to its individual investor, advisor, and institutional clients.

"Morningstar is always looking for ways to provide investors with information to make investing as transparent as possible. There are few better examples of that principle in action than the work Footnoted does to demystify the often-complex details hidden deep in companies' federal filings," said Kunal Kapoor, president of individual investor software at Morningstar. "Its content is a natural fit with our investor-centric offerings at Morningstar.com and is a perfect companion to our tools, reports, and research."

"Footnoted and Morningstar share a common goal to shed light on investing, but many investors remain in the dark," Leder said. "For the past six years, Footnoted's small staff has uncovered lots of examples of self-serving actions at publicly traded companies. As part of Morningstar, we'll be able to provide Footnoted.org's loyal readers with additional resources from a trusted source for independent research, and we'll expose thousands of Morningstar clients to our unique content—and what's truly lurking in public filings."

Snow Forces Cancellation of Washington Press Club Foundation Congressional Dinner

An impending snowstorm, the second major one within a week, has caused the cancellation of Wednesday night's 66th annual Washington Press Club Foundation Congressional Dinner.

Jim Kuhnhenn, the foundation president and AP Washington Bureau writer, released this statement this evening:

"Sadly, we have been forced by impending weather to reschedule Wednesday's Washington Press Club Foundation Congressional Dinner. Many members are still stranded in their home states and the threat of another massive snowfall has made it necessary to hold the dinner on another date. We are discussing alternative dates with our key participants and will advise as soon as possible.

"We regret having to make this decision, as we were all looking forward to hosting a convivial evening this week for members of Congress and the press; unfortunately, that won't be possible on Feb. 10. We thank all the organizations that have purchased tables and the sponsors that are supporting us. Though postponed, the show will go on.

"We appreciate your patience as we reschedule the festivities."

The master of ceremonies was to be Joe Scarborough of MSNBC. Featured speakers were to be Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana and Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri. Invited guests included Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania Dead at 77

Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. John Murtha, 77, has died after complications from gallbladder surgery. The Vietnam War veteran was one of the most powerful congressmen on Capitol Hill and a strong opponent of the war in Iraq.

Chad Pergram of FOX News reports:

A native of New Martinsville, W.Va., voters elected first elected Murtha to Congress in a 1974 special election that spelled impending doom for President Nixon and congressional Republicans. That fall, Democrats wrestled away 49 House seats from the GOP, reeling from the scourge of Watergate and a presidency in shambles.

Murtha rose to become the chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee that controls spending for the Pentagon. Chairs of the appropriations subcommittee panels are viewed with such prestige on Capitol Hill that they’re called “cardinals.” That’s a nod to Rome because of the eminence these lawmakers hold over spending for their federal fiefdom.

Murtha was also the endorsed candidate of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to become majority leader when Democrats won control of Congress in 2006. But current House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) overwhelmingly defeated Murtha by secret ballot in a hard-fought leadership contest.

Murtha enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1952 and became a drill instructor at Parris Island. He served in Korea and received a Bronze Star and Two Purple Hearts for his service in Vietnam. He continued to be a member of the Marine Corps Reserves until he resigned as a colonel in 1990.

Murtha voted to go to war in Iraq the fall of 2002. But two years later, the Pennsylvania Democrat called for the U.S to withdraw from. Later on the House floor, Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH), the newest member of the House at the time, spoke in favor of the war and chided Murtha that “cowards cut and run, Marines never do.” Schmidt’s remarks ignited a firestorm on the House floor as lawmakers rose to Murtha’s defense. Schmidt later said she didn’t know that Murtha was a Marine. She withdrew her comments and apologized.

A hint of scandal lingered over much of Murtha’s career. The FBI named Murtha an “unindicted co-conspirator” in its ABSCAM sting operation in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. ABSCAM resulted in the conviction of five House members and one senator. The FBI recorded Murtha on videotape declining a $50,000 bribe from federal agents posing as Arab sheiks. But the Congressman did say he could be interested in future dealings.

Nicknamed “The King of Pork,” Murtha also faced scrutiny for earmarking federal dollars for projects in his district. Numerous news reports lambasted the Congressman for steering money to the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport. The facility received $150 million from Washington for upgrades despite limited commercial use. But the airport is also used for military purposes.

The Congressman also faced scrutiny for campaign contributions he and other appropriators received from the now defunct PMA lobbying firm. Murtha scored nearly $2.5 million in donations from PMA and its clients over a nearly 20 year period. The feds continue to scrutinize PMA. The Office of Congressional Ethics asked the House Ethics Committee to drop any inquiries into the dealings Murtha had with PMA.

Washington Post to Deliver Most of the Remaining Sunday Newspapers Today

Michael Calderone of POLITICO reports that most of those Washington Post readers who did not get their Sunday newspaper because of the storm this past weekend should expect them today.

The Washington Post managed to deliver 400,000 to 450,000 Sunday papers, according to a representative. But for those who didn't get a weekend paper yet, I'm told that 80 percent or more copies still undelivered should arrive by tonight. (In total, there should have been 642,000 delivered this past weekend).

Besides the print edition, the Post's website witnessed a surge in readers, reinforcing the idea that local papers should never overlook the public's appetite for up-to-the-minute traffic and weather.

The Post's site brought in twice the typical weekend pageviews, with a daily average of 16.4 million, according to the Post's statistics. Also, the local page was up 182 percent from a recent weekend, and the mobile site clocked in an additional 500,000 views Saturday.

Another Show Trial in Iran Threatens Reporter's Life

The Iranian regime has started another mass trial of government opponents before a Tehran revolutionary court for their role in protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election, including the major demonstrations on Dec. 27, the journalism freedom advocacy group Reporters sans frontières announced.

The group said on its website that all of the 16 defendants in the latest trial, which began on Jan. 30, are accused of being “mohareb” (enemies of God) and “corrupt on earth” – charges that carry the death penalty – and of activities against national security. They include Omid Montazeri, a young reporter for various newspapers, who was arrested on Dec. 28 because of journalistic activities that have included giving interviews for news media based abroad.

“The regime’s leaders seem to think that prisoner executions will help to restore calm in Iran,” Reporters sans frontières said. “Several of the currently detained journalists and bloggers, who were arrested illegally, are accused of being ‘enemies of God’ and are being subjected to considerable pressure to make confessions.” The group described the trial as Stalinist. “The new round of Stalinist-style political trials that has just started is a judicial farce and even violates Iran’s own laws. We caution the international community that the regime is now capable of taking this macabre scenario to the bitter end.”

Here is the rest of the agency's report:

Montazeri, who wrote for Shargh and Kargozaran, newspapers that have been closed by the government, was arrested after responding to a summons to report to the revolutionary court. The previous day, 27 December, plain-clothes agents from the intelligence ministry searched his home and arrested his mother, Mahin Fahimi. Following Montazeri’s arrest, both were transferred to an unknown place of detention.

Various sources say Montazeri is being pressured to confess links to organisations based abroad that are opposed to the regime. His lawyer has not been able to visit him or see the prosecution case file. He has also not been told when Montazeri will appear in court and has not been allowed to go to the court.

“The regime intends to make Montazeri suffer the same fate as his father, who was murdered 21 years ago, in 1988, like many other political prisoners,” Reporters Without Borders added.

As in the previous Stalinist-style show trials in August, the defendants are not being allowed to talk to their lawyers, who are unable to find out what their clients are alleged to have done. Instead, the Tehran state prosecutor has appointed defence lawyers with the links to the intelligence services.

Reporters Without Borders has learned of the arrests of three more journalists in the past few days:

Alireza Saghafi, the editor of Rah Ayandeh (a magazine closed by the authorities in May 2008), was arrested on 1 February after responding to a summons to go to the intelligence ministry. On the evening of the same day, computers and books were seized in a search of his home. A member of the Iranian writers’ association, he was previously arrested on 1 May 2009, an hour before the start of May Day demonstrations, and was freed on 10 June on payment of 70 million toman in bail. He was summoned several times before his arrest.

As ceremonies marking the 40th day of mourning for Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri’s death were taking place on 29 January, police arrested several people including Ali Asharf Fathi, a theologian at the Koranic school in the religious city of Qom who edits the Tourjan website. A moderate known for criticising extremists, he is the son of a famous Revolutionary Guards commander who was killed in the Iran-Iraq war.

Photographer Mehraneh Atashi and her husband were arrested on 12 January. After working for various international media for several years, Atashi had recently decided to concentrate on artistic photography. It is not known where she and her husband have been held since their arrest.

Internet connections have meanwhile been slowed right down in several cities ahead of the Islamic Revolution’s 31st anniversary, as they have been during all events likely to be used by the opposition to stage demonstrations. Several websites have been also been the targets of attacks by hackers, including the Radio Zamaneh website, which was attacked by the “cyber-army,” a Revolutionary Guards group.

Thomson Reuters Union Taking Its Complaint to the Streets

The union representing U.S.-based employees at Thomson Reuters Corp. today launched a multimedia campaign that asks whether the company’s imposition of nearly 10 percent in pay cuts on its journalists and other employees will reduce the quality of Reuters news and information.

In its press release, the union announced that billboard trucks will roll daily through Manhattan’s financial district and midtown with the message: “Reuters is bad news for its employees. Is it bad for your bottom line?” The billboards refer readers to reutersexposed.com for information about the profitable global media company’s refusal to continue contract talks with the Newspaper Guild of New York, which represents about 420 of the company’s journalists, technicians and support staff throughout the country.

The Guild also launched a targeted online campaign informing Thomson Reuters financial clients about the dispute and questioning whether the company’s strategy of attacking its staff would hurt news quality.

Union officials said that Thomson Reuters is financially strong, saying that its third-quarter 2009 underlying operating profit rose 3 percent, beating analysts’ forecasts, while underlying operating profit margin rose to more than 22 percent. The union said that Thomson Reuters chief executive officer Tom Glocer was paid $36 million in 2008.

“Company managers seem oblivious to the contradiction of asking journalists to make extraordinary efforts to cover the news clients need for crucial financial decisions, while asking them and their families to make do with less,” said Guild President Bill O’Meara.

The Guild, Local 31003 of the Communications Workers of America, represents U.S.-based staff in print, photo, video, technical and related work at Thomson Reuters, which employs about 50,000 people worldwide and was formed when Thomson Corp. acquired London-based Reuters Group Plc in 2008.

Newsday's Union to Examine Paper's Finances

Newsday union leaders will meet with management Tuesday afternoon to examine the paper's financial status in preparation for talks aimed at procuring fair terms for the workers who report, photograph, edit, produce and deliver the Long Island paper every day, Local 406 GCC/IBT announced in a news release this morning.

George Tedeschi, the president of the Graphic Communications Conference of the Teamsters Union, will lead talks for Local 406 GCC/IBT. Bruce Lambert, a former Newsday reporter who helped launch the editorial unit of Local 406 in 1976 and was a union vice president for more than two decades, will assist him, the union said. Others who are expected to participate in the talks are Joe Molinero, director of the Teamsters Newspaper, Magazine, and Electronic Media Workers Division, and Jim Kimball, director of the Teamsters Economics and Contracts Department.

On Jan. 23, Local 406 overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to reduce salaries by 10 percent to 15 percent, cut vacations, and lengthen the workweek.

After the 473-10 vote, Local 406 members have been displaying solidarity by wearing the same color on chosen days. The group expects the spontaneous color events to continue through the talks.

The news release said that union leaders are ready to help Newsday management, which says the paper is financially troubled. A union accountant is ready to examine Newsday's financial statements when the paper agrees to release them. There are 550 reporters, photographers, editors, press operators, plate makers, electronic pre-press workers, truck drivers and building and maintenance workers represented by the unit.

Note: I was a member of the union for more than a decade.

Blog or No Blog, Olbermann's Taking a Beating

I've been struggling with my health lately, so I'm behind the times on this note (and the whole blog actually). But I thought I'd share this.

Here's Keith Olbermann defending his ratings last week:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Olbermann doesn't have nice things to say about blogs, and the people who use them to gather information for their own publications. I must say I'm guilty of that, as I have a regular job, a family and not much time to make independent phone calls to sources. I just don't get paid for this.

But Olbermann does. The funny thing about his show is that it's usually just a rehash of the Daily Kos. Basically, I've stopped watching Olbermann because I have usually read most of the materials hours ago ... on a blog.

Be that as it may, here's the latest cable news ratings, from (I'm sorry ... the blog TV Newser).

If you look at them, Olbermann is having his lunch served to him in both the 25-54 demographic and the total viewer demographic. Now, I know it's a blog, but the source cited is Nielsen.

In January, Olbermann fell behind Nancy Grace! The numbers were as follows: The O’Reilly Factor Fox News 983,000; Nancy Grace Headline News 282,000; Countdown With Keith Olbermann MSNBC 263,000; Campbell Brown CNN 233,000.

U.S. Military Deaths in Pakistan Should Surprise Nobody

Christina Lamb, writing for The Sunday Times of London, today, expressed her surprise that three American soldiers were among the dead in a suicide bombing in a Pakistan town, saying that this would reignite the fears of many Pakistanis that Washington was set on invading their country.

Barack Obama has banned the Bush-era term “war on terror” and dithered about sending extra troops to Afghanistan, but across the border in Pakistan, the US president has dramatically stepped up the covert war against Islamic extremists.

US airstrikes in Pakistan, launched from unmanned drones, are now averaging three a week, triple the number last year. “We're quietly seeing a geographical shift,” an intelligence officer said.

For the past month drones have pounded the tribal region of North Waziristan in apparent retaliation for the murder of seven CIA officers in Afghanistan by a Jordanian suicide bomber working with the Pakistani Taliban.

The discovery of the dead US soldiers revealed that America’s shadowy war in Pakistan not only involves drones but also small cadres of special operations soldiers.

But why should anyone be surprised? Obama promised during his campaign that he would target Pakistan in his administration's fight against the Taliban.


The story is getting some extensive play through a link on Drudge. But anyone following the campaign and this presidency would never have been caught off guard by this revelation.