Sarah Palin Won’t “Shut Up”

In her first interview since the shootings in Tucson, Arizona, Sarah Palin fought back against critics who believed that the use of a graphic featuring crosshairs may have contributed to the shooter’s motivations.

From CNN:

“The graphic that was used was crosshairs. That’s not original. Democrats have been using them for years,” Palin said in the interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, where Palin is a paid contributor.

Meanwhile, when asked about speculation the recent controversies have disrupted any future political ambitions, Palin vowed she will continue to speak her mind.

“I am not ready to make an announcement about what my political future is going to be. But I will tell you … I am not going to sit down. I am not going to shut up,”she said.

Tiger Woods Hurt in Car Accident

UPDATE 2: Were injuries caused by Tiger’s jealous wife?

UPDATE: Injured Tiger Looks to be Out of the Woods.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident early this morning.

No confirmation of any specific details that I have seen yet except for brief updates by CNN and ESPN. I saw on RotoWorld.com that Tiger Woods agent told CNBC that Woods was fine. We’ll have to keep watching and hope that Tiger is OK.

If anyone does hear or find any links to more information, please feel free to leave in the comment section.

From the Associated Press:

Authorities say Tiger Woods has been seriously injured in a car wreck in Florida.

The Florida Highway Patrol says the PGA star hit a fire hydrant and a tree as he pulled out of his driveway early Friday in his 2009 Cadillac sport utility vehicle.

Woods was taken to Health Central Hospital. His condition was not immediately known, though the news release said his injuries were serious.

The highway patrol says the crash is still under investigation, and charges are pending. However, the highway patrol said the crash was not alcohol-related.

From CNN:

Golfer Tiger Woods has been taken to a Florida hospital after suffering serious injuries in a car wreck early Friday, officials said.

The one-car accident occurred about 2:25 a.m. near his home in Windermere, a suburb of Orlando, according to an incident report from the Florida Highway Patrol.

Woods, 33, had just pulled out of his driveway and begun to drive down the street when his Cadillac SUV struck a fire hydrant, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The front of his vehicle then struck a tree. He has been transported to Health Central Hospital, the statement said.

From USA Today:

Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident early this morning, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.

Woods pulled out of his driveway in the Isleworth community about 2:25 a.m. ET when he struck a fire hydrant, and then drove into a tree at his neighbor’s property, the FHP reported, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Woods was transported to Health Central Hospital in Ocoee in serious condition, FHP told the newspaper. However, a hospital employee said at 2:30 p.m. ET that Woods was not a patient. A hospital operator would not say if Woods had been treated and released.

From the Miami Herald:

Famous pro golfer Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car crash early Friday outside his Orlando home, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

The single-car crash occurred early Friday when Woods, 33, apparently slammed his Escalade into a fire hydrant and a tree at his neighbor’s property, the newspaper said quoting Florida Highway Patrol officials.

The crash occurred as Woods pulled out of his home in his Escalade in the Isleworth community at about 2:25 a.m.

Lou Dobbs Leaving CNN

Lou Dobbs announced today that he is leaving CNN.

Although his contract was not set to expire until the end of 2011, he told viewers that CNN had agreed to release him from his contract effective immediately.

I bet he ends up at Fox News. Just a hunch.

From CNN:

“Over the past six months, it has become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us, and some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving as well as to contribute positively to a better understanding of the great issues of our day and to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible,” Dobbs said during his 7 p.m. broadcast.

Dobbs, 64, said he discussed the issue with CNN President Jonathan Klein, who agreed to release him from his contract. The move “will enable me to pursue new opportunities,” said Dobbs.

Dobbs, who is the last of the 29-year-old network’s original anchors, said he is considering “a number of options and directions.”

In a written statement, Klein called Dobbs “a valued founding member of the CNN family.”

“For decades, Lou fearlessly and tirelessly pursued some of the most important and complex stories of our time, often well ahead of the pack,” Klein said. “All of us will miss his appetite for big ideas, the megawatt smile and larger-than-life presence he brought to our newsroom, and we’re grateful to have known and worked with him over the years.

From the New York Times:

“Some leaders in the media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond my role here at CNN and engage in constructive problem-solving,” Mr. Dobbs said just after 7 p.m., suggesting that he would remain involved in the civic discourse, but perhaps not on television.

“I’m considering a number of options and directions,” Mr. Dobbs added.

Wednesday’s program will be his last on CNN, one of his employees said earlier in the evening.

From Gawker:

Dobbs would fit much more snugly into the right-wing stable of shouting heads over at Fox than he did at CNN, where he made an awkward lie of the cable network’s attempt to position itself as a non-partisan straight-news alternative to MSNBC on the left and Fox News on the right. But Dobbs hasn’t exactly been a ratings dynamo: He was recently losing not only to Shep Smith at Fox but Chris Matthews at MSNBC and even Jane Velez Mitchell at CNN’s HLN (formerly Headline News). Burn.

Maybe once Dobbs is unshackled from his CNN overlords he can finally make a bright future for himself in a foreign TV land, one that believes in true opportunity for downtrodden and wandering émigrés like himself.

Ex-Miss California Admits to Making a Sex Tape

Carrie Prejean, the former Miss California, has called a sex tape that she made for an ex-boyfriend several years ago the biggest mistake of her life.

From the Associated Press:

Prejean told Fox News on Monday and NBC’s “Today” show on Tuesday that she shot the X-rated video of herself alone when she was 17 and sent it to a boyfriend.

The 22-year-old tells NBC: “It was for private use, but does that justify what I did? No. It was the biggest mistake of my life.”

From Fox News:

The former Miss California USA told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Monday that she shot the racy tape by herself for a boyfriend she loved when she was 17. Later, he “betrayed” her and sold it.

“They can call it whatever they want to call it, but it was the biggest mistake of my life,” Prejean told Hannity. “I was all by myself and I was sending a boyfriend at the time who I loved and cared about a video of me … I was not having sex with anybody and you call it whatever you want.”

Prejean, now 22, said she was young and exhibited bad judgment at the time.

“I was a teenager at the time and never did I think it would ever come out. But it was bad judgment and it’s embarrassing and it’s humiliating to be talking about this now on national TV if you can imagine.”

Burgerville Affordable Health Care Program Featured on FOX & Friends

Be sure to check out footage of client Burgerville from FOX & Friends this morning which features President and CEO Jeff Harvey discussing the chain’s affordable health care program for hourly employees.

Under Burgerville’s health care plan, employees who have been with the company for at least six months, and work 20 hours a week, are eligible for health insurance which costs the employee $15 per month. The cost for an employee and children is $30, employee and spouse is $60 and a full family plan is just $90. This coverage comes with no deductible.

Burgerville pays more than 90 percent of the premium for employees and their dependents. The most recent survey by the company found that nearly all of Burgerville’s 579 eligible hourly employees are enrolled.

The Pacific Northwest chain has been able to offer their affordable health care plan for nearly 4 years, and as a result, has experienced reduced turnover, increased long-term retention and increased operational productivity.

Burgerville saw turnover drop from 128% in 2005 to 54% in 2006 (the first year of the program).

Initiatives such as this industry leading health care program, an expanded leadership development training program for employees, the company wide use of wind power, recycling of used trans fat free cooking oil into biodiesel, as well as an expanded recycling and composting program, are all based around Burgerville’s belief that it is good business to adopt practices that are good for their guests, employees, the local community and the environment.

Barbara Boxer: Respect My Authority

Sounds a lot like a line from South Park!

The controversy began when Brigadier General Michael Walsh was testifying during a hearing before California Senator Barbara Boxer’s Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and called Boxer “ma’am.”

Here is Boxer’s response: “You know, do me a favor, could you say ‘senator’ instead of ‘ma’am?”

From Fox News:

She may be a lady and a senator, but don’t expect an apology from Barbara Boxer for making the distinction to an Army brigadier general this week.

Aside from a briefly worded statement about a “friendly” conversation she had with Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh after dressing him down for calling her “ma’am,” Boxer remained silent Friday in the face of growing calls for her to apologize.

“Senator Boxer spoke with General Walsh yesterday and he said he was fine with her comments at the hearing,” Boxer spokesman Zachary Coile said in a statement sent Friday to FOXNews.com.

“It was a very friendly conversation and they reiterated their respect for each other and how much they look forward to working together,” he said.