Sarah Palin thought Africa was a country. Newt Gingrich considers a run for RNC Chairman, the Ku Klux Klan and Black Panthers show up in election coverage and during events. These are the top stories making news right now.
Digital Journal — With Barack Obama continuing to soak up headline ink all across the globe, it’s perhaps no surprise that anything to do with the election is also popular in the news right now.
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is getting flogged for her (not-so) familiarity of the world, and that has people talking. The woman who was a “heartbeat away” from becoming president has faced one embarrassing moment after another.
The Republican Party also continues to make headlines as the future of the party is up in question. As the political rumour mill turns, news that Newt Gingrich could be involved is causing media frenzy.
What else is big in the news right now? The KKK, Black Panthers, medical marijuana and proposition 8, to name a few.
These are the top stories making news right now:
• Republican VP Candidate Palin Pranked by Canadian Radio Duo: Sarah Palin is no stranger to media attention, and the days coming up to the election were no exception. Still hot in the news right now, Palin was pranked by two Canadian DJs who got the Republican VP candidate on the phone after they pretended to be French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The prank, which happened before the election, is still being talked about. Check out this in-depth coverage (with the audio feed of the prank call) to find out why the Alaskan governor is fuming, and why it led to so much bad press for the Republican Party.
• Sarah Palin Thought Africa Was a Country: In other Palin news, the Alaskan governor is facing massive criticism from the media and from within her own party ranks, after she was accused of knowing very little about things outside Wasilla. For example, Palin reportedly didn’t know Africa was a continent (she thought it was a country), and she wasn’t sure who was in The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Palin’s lack of knowledge has put her party under a bus, and it hasn’t taken long for insiders to distance themselves from the verdant politician. Check out our coverage, including a video interview with the Fox reporter who broke the story.
• Live Blog: In-Depth Election Coverage, Live State-by-State Results: Election, election, election. Obama, Obama, Obama. You can’t go anywhere this week without the inundation of political news. Digital Journal hosted live coverage of the election on November 4, including 3.5 hours of live commentary, background info on battleground states and live state-by-state coverage of results. The coverage was a huge hit, and a special thanks goes to all readers and citizen journalists who spent hours covering the event. Check out a full replay of the commentary and debate here.
• Did Black Panthers Intimidate Voters at a Philadelphia Polling Station?: More on the political beat, race is also becoming a big issue with this election. One of the top stories on Digital Journal right now is a report that Black Panthers camped out at a polling station in Philadelphia on election day. Some who were on the scene allege the two men, one brandishing a nightstick, were there intimidating voters. An Obama supporter says the men were not intimidating anyone, but confirmed they were indeed Black Panthers. Police asked the men to leave. Check out the coverage on DigitalJournal.com, including video of the two men.
• Opinion: KKK threatens Obama with ‘race war’: More on the election, more on race. In addition to alleged threats from Black Panthers, the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan has put in their own (worthless) two cents on Barack Obama winning the White House. Hot in the news right now is a story of the KKK declaring the group is in a race war in the United States and they “welcomed” Obama’s victory because “it could mean an awakening of our spirit and blood.” Check out full coverage for more detail.
• Michigan Voters Legalize Medical Marijuana, Massachusetts Loosens Penalties: Outside of news about race wars and Sarah Palin’s political gaffes, there is big news about medical mary jane in Michigan. Part of this year’s election process included various states voting on important issues, and in addition to California shooting down gay marriage, Michigan got the right to toke. Well, sort of. Pot was legalized in the state for medical use. Check out more detail on the proposition and law here.
• US Election Day 2008 Aftermath: What Passed? What Was Shot Down? Surprise, surprise, more election news is on top of the news heap right now. In addition to medical marijuana and gay marriage propositions, the U.S. voted on a laundry list of issues. Top news on Digital Journal right now includes a very detailed summary of what passed and what was canned. Check out detailed coverage here.
• Newt Considers a Run for RNC Chairman: Exploding in popularity right now is news that Newt Gingrich might run for chair of the Republican party. The buzz comes from Sherri Reese out of Kennesaw, GA. Check out Reese’s coverage (that has earned more than 300 upvotes at time of writing) here.
• Opinion: Dear ‘Republicans’: An opinion piece, also from Reese, is also making the rounds of popularity right now. After Obama and his Democrats creamed the GOP in the presidential race, Reese offers some words of wisdom for the defeated party, writing with great passion:
Don’t you ever again entertain the little thought in your head that it is up to us to work harder for you. Don’t let your little mind travel through the trap of how we should have donated more money, volunteered more time to man phones, make calls, hand out signs, or walk neighborhoods. We are not here to serve you and get your asses elected. You are elected to serve and represent us.
• Another Leak In Caylee Anthony Case: Defense Memo Alludes To Death By Drug OD: And finally, top in the news right now is actually a story that is not political in nature. Instead, it’s more tragic news about a now famous missing girl. This time, a defense memo apparently reveals that if the death of Caylee Anthony did occur, it would have been caused by an “unwitting dose of sedative and attributed to chloroform.” Check out more details in this sad ongoing case.
TopFinds Awards
The winners of this week’s TopFinds Awards attracted the most attention and widest readership. Digital Journal honours the following Citizen Journalists with Awards for their ardent reportage and passion for covering the top issues of the day: Can Tran, Stephen Dohnberg, Chris V. Thangham, Paul Wallis, Michael Billy, Sherri Reese and Nikki Weingartner.
