Obama Gets Knocked for Bad Science

(NEWSER) - Time has unveiled its latest tallying of the world’s 100 most influential people, and yes, of course, Barack Obama is on it. But the other 99 choices aren’t as obvious. Bernie Madoff makes the list, as do Rush Limbaugh, George Clooney, and 4Chan’s Moot. And as usual, Time has snagged some celebrity writers, making for some great pairings, like JK Rowling on Gordon Brown, Ashton Kutcher on the Twitter guys, and Arnold Schwarzenegger on uncle-in-law Ted Kennedy. More»

Tune into Ellen and The View for TV's most penetrating look at politics

(NEWSER) - The days when politicians could take refuge on daytime TV, hiding behind softball interviews and happy talk about favorite recipes, are over, Rebecca Traister writes for Salon. Tracing the trend from soaps through Phil Donohue to Oprah and Ellen to the unrivaled supremacy of The View, she observes, "It has recently become more common to see politicians, especially John McCain, made uncomfortable by the directness of the conversation on daytime television." More»

Outside groups rev up negative flyers, phone calls

(NEWSER) - Round two looks nastier already. As the presidential candidates swarm New Hampshire, a more aggressive wave of attack ads—from outside groups and the candidates themselves—is evident, the Washington Post reports. Labor and teacher unions, along with anti-tax and pro-life groups, have spent $4 million in recent months on mailings and phone calls, taking advantage of a change in campaign finance law. More»

Jennifer Lopez manages comeback to top annual list

(NEWSER) - Jennifer Lopez went from superstar to has-been … and has now apparently swung back to superstar. The American Idol judge tops the latest Celebrity 100, Forbes ’ annual list of the stars with the most money and fame , with $52 million in earnings over the past year. In addition to her new Idol gig, she’s gotten quite a bit of publicity thanks to her divorce, big endorsement deals, a clothing line and fragrance, and tons of fans and followers on social media. More»

Winfrey-Obama relationship breaks down, Edward Klein alleges

(NEWSER) - BFFs no more? A new, unauthorized, and contentious Barack Obama biography alleges that the relationship between Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey has been deteriorating ever since the early days of Obama’s presidency, the Telegraph reports. According to The Amateur, by former New York Times Magazine editor Edward Klein, Obama advisers Valerie Jarrett and Desirée Rogers grew worried about Winfrey’s closeness to the Obama family and Michelle herself became jealous of the influence Winfrey had over her husband. More»