Tonight Nightline will broadcast a segment on Foxconn's massive factories in Shenzhen, which has a population of workers greater than NYC. That they toil for low pay in exploitative conditions to make our shiny Apple products is an open secret the mainstream media is finally covering. But monologuist Mike Daisey shining on a spotlight on Foxconn factories for years, particularly with his electrifying play The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. Having read a transcript of the Nightline segment, Daisey says it "does a lot for actually helping to give a human face to people who have been ignored forever." However, "context is everything." On his blog, he writes: more ›

A day after freaking out and smashing a window in a dressing room at ABC's Times Square studios, singer Chris Brown has apologized for his behavior. On BET's 106 and Park Brown said, "First of all, I want to apologize to anybody who was startled in the office, or anybody who was offended or really looked, and [was] disappointed at my actions. Because I'm disappointed in the way I acted." more ›

Tonight is Diane Sawyer's first night at the anchor of ABC's World News Tonight—and she's offering an exclusive interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. more ›

Well you gotta hand it to Kari Ferrell, aka the Hipster Grifter. Five months after her story lit up the blogosphere and she's now in a Utah jail after being arrested for her fraudulent and thieving past, Ferrell continues to play the media like a fiddle. Ferrell has now taken her publicity tour to a bigger stage, giving "an exclusive jailhouse interview" to ABC News, providing her with a platform to express herself the way one would in an online profile. Among the choice tidbits and quotes that Kari shares: more ›

ABC has announced that Charlie Gibson will retire in January, to be replaced by Diane Sawyer as anchor of the ABC World News evening broadcast. The two had worked together closely since reviving Good Morning America in 1998; Gibson left that program in 2006 to take over ABC World News after Bob Woodruff was injured in Iraq and the network decided to replace his co-anchor, Elizabeth Vargas. Sawyer has long sought the anchor chair, so this must be exciting for her, though ABC now has some big shoes to fill at GMA. In email to his staff, Gibson wrote, "I love this news department, and all who work in it, to the depths of my soul... I have received much comment, and quite a few emails and letters referring to the signoff Eddie Pinder convinced me to use—wishing that everyone has had a good day. But the proudest part for me has been saying '...for all of us at ABC News...', since those words signify in my mind that I have been in a position to speak for an entire news department that I consider second to none." And, after the jump, video of a very giddy Sawyer the day after President Obama's inauguration: more ›

In Day 2 of the Sarah Palin Interview on ABC, the Republican vice-presidential candidate touched on a number of topics--abortion, earmarks, and Hillary Clinton. more ›

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin had her first big (elitist?) media interview yesterday. The McCain-Palin camp selected Charlie Gibson of ABC News to conduct it, and ABC News spread the footage out between World News Tonight, Nightline, Good Morning America and 20/20 over last night and today. She told Gibson that she's "ready" to serve the country and did not hesitate when John McCain asked her to be his running mate, "I answered him yes because I have the confidence in that readiness and knowing that you can't blink, you have to be wired in a way of being so committed to the mission, the mission that we're on, reform of this country and victory in the war, you can't blink." more ›

ABC News has seemingly won the Sarah Palin interview sweepstakes, with the Republican vice presidential candidate agreeing to an interview with Charlie Gibson (timing TBD). The McCain-Palin campaign has denied that it is shielding the Alaska governor from the press, instead claiming that the media has been sexist and unkind in its scrutiny of Palin and saying she would be interviewed when "news media is going to treat her with some level of respect and deference." (Um, McCain campaign--please watch this Daily Show clip!) Related: Some Republican women are upset that Oprah won't interview Palin! more ›

After speculation stirred up by the National Enquirer and debate about whether mainstream media should cover it, John Edwards has admitted to having an affair with filmmaker Rielle Hunter. Nightline will broadcast an interview tonight, where Edwards will also deny being the father of Hunter's daughter (forget a paternity test--apparently the baby's birthdate tells him it's not his; a former campaign staffer says he's the daddy). Edwards apparently “made a point of telling [Bob] Woodruff that his wife’s cancer was in remission when he began the affair with Hunter.” But ABC News leads its web article with how the one-time presidential candidate "repeatedly lied during his Presidential campaign about an extramarital affair." Gawker points out this announcement comes as it was reported ABC News investigative reporter Brian Ross was working on the story. more ›

Given the presidential candidates' interest in a series of town hall-style forums for them to show their stuff to voters, Mayor Bloomberg and ABC News president David Westin proposed this morning that Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama kicks things off in NYC and participate in a 90-minute town hall at Federal Hall in lower Manhattan. However, McCain's and Obama's campaigns aren't so sure. more ›

Yesterday, Senator John McCain was welcomed and endorsed by President Bush. Bush referenced McCain's doubters and past history, "John showed incredible courage and strength of character and perseverance in order to get to this moment. And that's exactly what we need in a President: somebody that can handle the tough decisions; somebody who won't flinch in the face of danger." more ›

CNN, NBC, and the AP are projecting Senator John McCain will clinch the Republican presidential campaign, after winning the primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island and clinching the 1,191 delegates needed. A source tells NBC that President Bush has invited McCain to the White House tomorrow and will endorse him. McCain will be having a victory party in Dallas tonight, complete with banner that says "1,191." more ›

A Hillary Clinton campaign stop in Cincinnati became an opportunity for her to blast Barack Obama over what she called "blatantly false" campaign literature. Clinton said, "Shame on you, Barack Obama," as she held the literature in question. “It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public. That’s what I expect from you. Meet me in Ohio. Let’s have a debate about your tactics and your behavior in this campaign.” more ›

After the NY Times story revealed how NYC votes for Barack Obama appear to have been undercounted for the unofficial (yet official enough to be sent to the AP and other news outlets) results on primary night, State Senator Bill Perkins of Harlem spoke out. Perkins, who supports Obama, told the Post

: "Every election has problems, but in this case, all the problems seem to have been his," said state Sen. Bill Perkins (D-Harlem). "He got all the zeroes and undercounting. more ›

Not only are New York gyms poorly run, but the establishments that are supposed to make you healthier are doing the opposite. The Daily News reports on the germ-ridden gyms of the city in a fairly unsurprising article. more ›

The Waldorf Astoria loves to brag about how every president since Herbert Hoover has been a guest at their hotel, but they rarely disclose what delicacies our rulers savor while there. But starting this month, guests at the Waldorf Towers and diners in the hotel’s Bull & Bear steakhouse can have a taste of presidential luxury that, until now, only taxpayer money could buy. more ›

As of 11:45 p.m., Hillary Clinton and John McCain are projected to win their New York primaries. The Democratic primary distributes NY delegates proportionally, so the final total will be important in determining how many will go to Clinton and how many to Barack Obama. more ›

Senator John McCain won the Republican primary in New Hampshire, with the race being called for him early on. Senator Hillary Clinton beat Senator Barack Obama by a few thousand votes in a very close race. Comebacks all around! more ›

At last night's ABC News/Facebook debate in New Hampshire, both parties' candidates held debates. After the Thursday's Iowa results presented Barack Obama as a winner and Hillary Clinton as a disappointing (to her campaign) third place, some interesting things transpired during the Democratic debate. Obama and Iowa runner-up John Edwards apppeared to team up against Clinton. The NY Times called it an "allegiance of convenience" and noted that the defining moment was when Clinton tried to call out Obama's leadership:

As Mrs. Clinton attacked Mr. Obama as waffling on the Patriot Act and Iraq war funding, she sought to make an ally out of Mr. Edwards. She suggested that Mr. Obama had hypocritically tried to paint Mr. Edwards as inconsistent on the issues. All eyes turned to Mr. Edwards, and he delivered a coup de grace — siding dramatically with Mr. Obama instead of Mrs. Clinton. more ›

Rudy Giuliani's good financial fortune derived from the formation of Giuliani Partners is leading to political misfortune, as yet another piece of lucrative business he conducted in the private sector has come back to haunt his candidacy. Recently, his involvement with Purdue Pharma--the producers of the painkiller OxyContin--has come under scrutiny. more ›

A look at some of this week's noteworthy television: more ›

Just in time for last night's Republican debate, political website Politico broke a story claiming that former mayor Rudy Giuliani billed "obscured city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses" for extra-marital Hamptons trips with future wife Judith Nathan. When Giuliani would travel outside the city, he would be accompanied by a police detail. And if he stayed overnight, the police would also need lodging and other expenses taken care of. Politico... more ›

A grand jury voted to indict former police commissioner Bernard Kerik on federal corruption charges yesterday and, this morning, he surrender to the FBI in White Plains. The indictment was sealed, but the 16 counts include charges of "conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, tax fraud and making false statements." The U.S. Attorney's office, which sought the indictment, and the FBI are giving a press conference now; U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York... more ›

Reporters Away
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Regular polls asking who voters want for president are boring, so ABC News asked Americans who they would "rather have as a traveling companion on a drive across country" - Senator Hillary Clinton or Rudy Giuliani? And Clinton won 48% to Giuliani's 39%. Well, of course - can you imagine that trip with Rudy? It would be all about 9/11! And Clinton probably knows the best fast food places because of Bubba. more ›

A look at some noteworthy television this week: more ›

Joel Siegel, perhaps best known as Good Morning America's film critic (a program he was on weekly since 1981), died yesterday in New York at the age of 63. Siegel had been battling colon cancer, though many didn't even know he was sick as he stayed positive until the end and kept working until just two weeks ago. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: person under a bus at Park Ave. South and East 24th St., a shooting on Church Ave. in Brooklyn, and shots fired on East 169th St. and Tinton Ave. in the Bronx.
• As part of its 20th anniversary weekend, WFAN 660-AM will be airing four hours of old Imus shows, which used to be the morning anchor of the station.
• Queens and Brooklyn residents team up to protest eminent domain at City Hall - at stake, Willets Point and the Atlantic Yards.
• The New York highway system was ranked 48th worst out of the 50 states. Only New Jersey and Alaska were deemed worse in the survey.
• Huh: Circle Line lost its contract to run ferries to the Statue of Liberty; instead, the service that runs ferries between San Francisco and ALCATRAZ will be taking over.
• The News of the Weird reports that the growing wealth of a certain class of New Yorkers and Brits has resulted in a critical shortage of professional butlers; no word on whether there's a shortage of personal umbrella handlers.
• ArtsJournal.com is reporting that the historical validity of the 6th Century BCE Etruscan chariot at The Metropolitan Museum is being questioned.
• ABC News is issuing alerts of storm warnings this evening all over the tri-state area.