In Russert's Life, Lessons for All

Co-founder is one of 4 staffers let go

(NEWSER) - Slate co-founder Jack Shafer, who has been with the online magazine since before its official launch in 1996, is being laid off, it was announced yesterday. The media critic is one of four staff members being let go; Timothy Noah , June Thomas , and Juliet Lapidos are the others, reports the Washington Post . (The Washington Post Co. bought Slate in 2004 from Microsoft.) Some reactions:

• "If you weren't reading [Jack, Tim, June, and Juliet's] stuff, you're in luck—it'll be online 'til the Internet dies," writes Slate colleague David Weigel. "If you write, you should study it, because these people think and write circles around most everyone in the job-formerly-known-as-the-Life-of-Kings."

WWII veteran, preceded in death by son Tim Russert, dies of natural causes

(NEWSER) - Tim Russert’s father Timothy, subject of Tim’s book Big Russ and Me, Father and Son: Lessons in Life, died yesterday. Russert, 85, was also the grandfather of NBC News correspondent Luke Russert, Mediabistro reports. “While he was affectionately known to the world as ‘Big Russ,’ he carried no more important nor meaningful titles than those of father, grandfather, great-grandfather, patriot and friend,” his family said in a statement. More»

(NEWSER) - A media watchdog ad attacking CNN anchor Lou Dobbs for his "racially charged" support of conspiracy theorists who question President Obama's birth certificate is all set to run tomorrow on CNN. But there's fat chance you'll ever see it on CNN. Five of the six cable providers who sold ad time to Media Matters rejected the ad for CNN. More»

(NEWSER) - Freshly fired by Time, Michael Kinsley checked out the much-ballyhooed Newsweek makeover. Let’s just say he’s less than impressed. In his introductory note, editor John Meacham says, “We are not pretending to be your guide through the chaos of the information age.” Already, Kinsley sees a mistake: “Why not at least pretend?” More»

(NEWSER) - This year saw the passing of many notable people, from Paul Newman and Michael Crichton to William F. Buckley and designer Yves St. Laurent. Here are a few that made the lists of the NY Times and LA Times:

• Tim Russert (b. 1950)—TV journalist and 16-year host of Meet the Press.
• Charlton Heston (b. 1923)—star of Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments, and later NRA activist.
• George Carlin (b. 1937)—legendary rabble-rousing comedian.
• Heath Ledger (b. 1979)—rising star's credits include Brokeback Mountain; Oscar rumblings for Dark Knight.
• Steve Fossett (b. 1945)—billionaire adventurer missing since September 2007.
• Albert Hoffman (b. 1906)—research chemist who discovered LSD.