"Were you wearing yoga pants, the type that are really sexy and tied up top and flare out at the knee?" Colbert asks. more ›

In an interview with BlogTalkRadio, Tom Brokaw relayed some advice to college grads: "I wouldn't be looking just within our borders for opportunities. I'd be looking to see what the chances are of getting a job in the Middle East, for example. Or in India. Or in China. I've talked to a number of very senior American executives who -- so much of their work now is offshore -- say one of the things they need are people who are willing to pack up and go there and become middle managers." Wait, is this a plug for a show on Brokaw's former network? more ›

A Manhattan butcher whose car broke down on the Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx was fatally hit by another car and flung over the guardrails early Friday morning. It was the same spot where a three-car accident involving NBC newsman Tom Brokaw occurred less than 10 months ago, and which also sent a person flying over the guardrail. "That's so sad, and it really is quite eerie. It sounds to me like that's just a God-awful one-in-a-million coincidence," Brokaw told the Daily News. more ›

Some more details have emerged about yesterday afternoon's three-car accident on the Bruckner Expressway that claimed the life of a SUV driver and left former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw unharmed but shaken. According to the Daily News, the SUV driver, "A police source said [Suejaes] Estrada, of the Bronx, was speeding. It was unclear whether she was wearing a seat belt." more ›

Earlier this afternoon, a tragic car crash unfolded on the eastbound Bruckner Expressway. A woman in an SUV was killed, while two other vehicles—a postal truck and Tom Brokaw's car—were also involved. Brokaw and his wife were not injured; the condition of the USPS employee is not known. According to MyFoxNY, "Just before the crash, a spool of cable bounced along the far right lane, according to the Brokaws, who were traveling in the far left lane." more ›

During today's Meet the Press, Tom Brokaw noted President-elect Obama's recent admission that he slipped up a few times during the campaign and returned to his smoking habit. He then asked Obama if this would be a problem, considering the White House's no-smoking policy. "I have, but what I said was that at times I have fallen off the wagon." Brokaw then interjected, "But wait, that means you haven't stopped." To which Obama replied, "Fair enough. Well then, what I would say is that I have done a terrific job under the circumstances of making myself healthier and you will not see any violations of these in the White House." Could we be looking at the "no new taxes" promise that will haunt him in 2012? In 2007, a Fox News story revealed what they called "Obama's dirty little secret" and asked viewers, "Would you vote for a smoker for president?" more ›

NBC News just announced that retired Nightly News anchor and eminence grise Tom Brokaw will moderate "Meet the Press" through the 2008 election. NBC News president Steve Capus said, "A lot has been said in recent days about what 'Meet the Press' means to NBC News and to the nation. To have someone of Tom's stature step up and dedicate himself to ensuring its ongoing success is not only a testament to his loyalty to Tim, but his enduring commitment to NBC News and our viewers." more ›

That just happened! Senator Barack Obama won the Democratic Iowa Caucus with at least 37% of the vote (projections are changing). Former Senator John Edwards got 30% of the vote while Senator Hillary Clinton got 29%. The media is playing this as a huge failure for the Senator from New York, given how powerful the Clinton machine has seemed. Also stunning: There were 82% more Democratic voters in this year's caucus compared with 2004, which pundits suggest means Iowa, which President Bush won in 2004, is certainly in play for the Democrats. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a staircase collapse on Pennsylvania Ave. in Brooklyn, an unusual escort on Van Wyck and Atlantic Aves. in Queens, and a person fatally struck by a train at 170th St. and Jerome Ave. in the Bronx.
• 2007 marks the 25th anniversary of the Commodore 64 PC. The computer, which attached the primary system with the monitor and the keyboard, had a whopping 64K of memory. 17 million were sold.
• A bootleg recorded by an audience member at Rutgers turns out to be the only surviving recording of a live Woodie Guthrie performance in existence.
• Manhattan doormen vs. Brooklyn doormen. Union vs. Non-Union. A comparative study.
• Reporting that one's breasts are humongous seems akward. We imagine Tom Brokaw announcing that he's hung like a horse would be less so.
• An improperly vented furnace and dryer nearly killed 19 people at a party in Newark, NJ, as carbon monoxide accumulated in a house.
• If you've ever been to a Betsey Johnson boutique, then how her apartment is decorated should come as no shock.
• Warning: Pop Burger burgers are bigger than they appear, according to Midtown Lunch.

A look at some noteworthy television this week: Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (Sunday, 8:00 p.m., HBO) A look at America's favorite insult comic and last surviving member of the “Rat Pack”, the octogenarian Don Rickles from director John Landis. Everyone from Chris Rock to Bob Newhart to Clint Eastwood to Sidney Poitier talk about the comic. 1968 (Sunday, 9:00 p.m., History Channel) 1968 was a turbulent and tragic year and Tom Brokaw not... more ›

The best part of Mayor Bloomberg's maybe, maybe-not presidential aspirations is that we can debate about whether they are going to happen until the Democratic and Republican conventions next year! The NY Times now reports that the "excitement seems to have fizzled" about the idea of Candidate Bloomberg. It's a bit more detailed that Dan Rather's August proclamation that the Mayor would not run for president. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg is back from London, just in time to deliver an address at Cooper Union while the world's media is milling about NYC for the U.N.'s General Assembly. Bloomberg will be appearing as part of a panel near Astor Place to discuss national policy matters. According to The New York Sun, an online site is attracting a growing number of supporters to draft Mayor Bloomberg as a third party candidate in the 2008 Presidential election. Bloomberg resigned from the Republican Party in June, ending a five-year affiliation that allowed him to win consecutive elections for mayoral office without slogging through a Democratic primary race. more ›

The Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center's observations decks, opens today after being closed for 19 years, and it will soon become something anyone visiting New York for the first time or someone who has lived here for ages will want to do. We've been excited about this since reading the NY Times article in March, and Gothamist was able to head up there before today's opening and we weren't disappointed. It truly is breathtaking. There will undoubtedly be a rivalry between The Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building, as there was back in the heyday, but there are notable differences. For one thing, the The Top of the Rock offers something different - an unobscured view of Central Park, not to mention one of the Empire State Building. more ›

Peter Jennings, the ABC News anchor up until this past April when he announced he had lung cancer, died last night at his Central Park West home. The NY Times obituary describes him as "urbane", which definitely rings true: Of the Big Three anchors, Dan Rather was blunt and straight-talking, Tom Brokaw was more paternalistic, and Jennings was simply smooth. Jennings was an international journalist at heart, relishing the opportunity to report from overseas, notably being the first bureau chief for an American station in an Arab country (Lebanon, 1968). Other parts of Jennings' personal background were interesting to the public: The fact that he was Canadian, how he was a high school drop out, and his three marriages. This morning, Tom Brokaw calls Jennings his and Rather's "prince," as the three anchors were good friends. It really is the end of an era of news anchors; the only ones we can think of these days are Brian Williams (we watched a lot of MSNBC in our day) and Bob Schieffer (he's been around forever). more ›

While Gothamist hasn't been watching much Dan Rather lately (we do love David Letterman's montages of various Ratherisms), we are a bit sad. When we were little, we'd watching the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather with our parents, and afterwards, we'd play "pretend anchor" with pages and pages of scribbles. Dan, we'll miss you. more ›

Gothamist used to remember when we'd have a good idea of who would be president around dinner time. However, the very special episode of "America Picks A President" in 2000 had special guest appearances by "Hanging Chad," "James Baker," and "Overanxious Journalists Who Wanted To Call The Election." So this year, we must wait before we know who will be kicking his legs up in the White House come next January. Will it be a man who can choke on a pretzel or a man who looks a lot like Herman Munster? We'll be glued to all the news channels, desperately waiting some information. more ›

For our money, we're enjoying the pictures of Ron Reagan, who interviewed Michael Moore, taking the future of America on a pub crawl, via MSNBC's Hardblogger. Gothamist is sure someone is live-blogging the convention. Also, since Gothamist thinks it's going to be a little slow in NY, news-wise, for the next month, as everyone gears up for the Republican National Convention, so expect more posts on animals! more ›

When Tom Brokaw reported that White House officials said that many of the images from President Bush's speech last night, aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, would appear in re-election commercials, it became clear that's what this speech was: Ostensibly to talk about Iraq, but really the first stump speech Bush is giving. And the setting alone was artful and dramatic. Forget the speech, his Bush's handlers and the Republican party seized an awesome moment: Flying onto the aircraft carrier in a jet ("helping" fly, natch), walking out the expanse of the deck on a beautiful clear day past sailors standing up tall, and giving a speech in front of cheering men and women who seemed to appreciate him. It's the best politcal propaganda Gothamist has seen in a while, and that's frightening though visually stunning. more ›

It's Day 2 of Polls at Gothamist, and it seems that President Bush's approval rating is pretty high here in New York State. He is even viewed more favorably than Senator Hillary Clinton (which doesn't seem THAT hard), let alone the Democratic hopefuls for President, Senators Joe Lieberman and John Kerrey. Analysts attribute that to Americans feeling glad the war is being handled swiftly, and, the Democratic analysts especially, expect his ratings to drop afterward. more ›

Gothamist saw funeral mourners starting to gather outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral today, to remember David Bloom. We were surprised that the police were setting up barricades, as David Bloom, while a popular journalist, was not the most famous. But, as parts of his funeral was covered on MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News, it's clear that he symbolizes something bigger than just journalism: a passion for his work, rapport with the audience, the public's desire to connect with an event... more ›