Posted by William Neikirk at 6:04 a.m. CST

The Anna Nicole Smith story came along at a time when most Americans were focused on more important matters--the Iraqi war, the Iranian nuclear weapons controversy, and the budding presidential campaign

Yet when "serious" people were tuning out oppressive tabloid-style coverage of her death, a significant portion of the American population couldn't get enough of it. Roughly a third of the population followed the Smith story closely, according to the Pew Research Center.

And they gave the press (and by this we mean mostly cable television) high marks for their coverage, even higher than coverage of Iraq, Iran, and the presidential candidates racing around the country in search of donors.

Posted by Frank James at 5:05 pm CST

What do you do with a U.S. citizen detained by the U.S. military in Iraq and accused of aiding terrorists?

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for D.C. said today in a decision eclipsed by the wall-to-wall coverage of Anna Nicole Smith’s death that if you’re the U.S. government, you must give him a chance to argue his innocence in a U.S. court.

That’s not what the Bush Administration wanted to hear, however. The administration had wanted to turn Ahmed Omar over to an Iraqi court for trial.

Good morning.

Here are a few Washington events of note for Friday, August 18, as compiled by the Associated Press.

President Bush is meeting with his economic advisors at Camp David.

FEMA Director R. David Paulison is participating in a news briefing on lessons the government learned from Hurricane Katrina. 7:30 a.m.

Good morning.

Here are a few Washington events of note for Friday, August 4, as collected by the Associated Press.

The Labor Department is releasing its July unemployment report this morning.

2 p.m. JACKSON — Scheduled sentencing before U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III for Vernon Jackson, a technology executive who pleaded guilty to paying more than $400,000 in bribes in connection with a congressional corruption case.
Location: Courtroom 900, U.S. District Court, Alexandria, Va.

Posted by William Neikirk at 1:30 p.m. CDT

After the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Tuesday to remove protections for government workers who blow the whistle on official misconduct, the name of A. Ernest "Ernie" Fitzgerald immediately came to mind.

Who is that, you ask? Well, once Ernie Fitzgerald was a household name in America. He was a whistleblower's whistleblower. As a civilian Air Force analyst, he disclosed much Pentagon profligacy in the 1960s and 1970s, including a $2.3 billion cost overrun on the C-5 cargo aircraft program.

Good morning.

Here are some Washington events of note for Friday, May 26, as collected by the Associated Press.

Vice President Cheney is delivering the commencement address at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks at Georgetown University on the challenges facing the international community before returning to London.

Good morning.

Here are some Washington events of note for Monday, May 1, as collected by the Associated Press.

Vice President Cheney is speaking at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia luncheon.

The Supreme Court is meeting and may hand down decisions.