A McCain campaign worker fabricated a story about an attacker cutting a “B” into her face. Why Muslim-Americans are passionate about Election Day. Atheist advertising could debut in London. These are the top stories making news right now.
Digital Journal — In case you’ve been living under a rock (or in a tent, because your house foreclosed), DigitalJournal.com has you covered: learn about Colin Powell’s long-awaited presidential endorsement, ‘Joe the plumber’ striking back, a dubious crime involving a carved “b” (for Barack) on a woman’s face, and the costly battle for (and against) gay marriage in California.
Don’t worry, there’s some lighter fare to satiate the curious George in you: atheist advertising in London, Willie Nelson and Jesse Ventura partner to “take back America”, and UFO experts claim a photo over Turkey points to alien life.
These are the top stories making news right now:
• McCain Supporter Attacked, ‘B’ Carved Into Her Face: In the Department of Huh?, a McCain-Palin campaign volunteer claimed she was attacked by a mugger who she said carved a “B” into her cheek with a knife. The news has made headlines all over the world, but in breaking news, Ashley Todd now admits she made up the story. Police say Todd now faces charges of filing a false police report and possibly other charges. Todd admitted to scratching the backward “B” onto her right cheek and making up a story about being attacked by a mugger outside an ATM. The woman is still being questioned by police who are expected to release more details later. Good luck getting a job, um, anywhere, Ashley. More details available here (the comments section is especially worth reading).
• Colin Powell Says He’s Voting For Obama: Is anyone surprised? Colin Powell announced he is backing Barack Obama, while also expressing disappointment at the McCain campaign for trying to link Obama to William Ayers. Perhaps Powell is trying to vie for a cabinet position in 2009.
• ‘Joe The Plumber’ Strikes Back: Hey Joe, we feel for you. Your life has been hurricaned by the news media who camp out on your front lawn to grab a 10-second quote. You have every right to feel used, and we hope the presidential candidates refuse to latch onto a regular Joe the next time they spout rhetoric.
• More Americans Feel McCain is Unfairly Attacking Obama, Poll Says: According to this Citizen Journalist report, a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll found six in 10 Americans disagree with McCain’s tactics to unfairly attack Obama. But as the article pointed out, it remains to be seen whether the attack ads will affect Election Day.
• Muslim-American Community Getting Involved in U.S. Presidential Race: The headline summed up the thesis nicely, but here’s a P.S. — “The one catalyst that brought forth [a Muslim-American]’s involvement in the race was due to the false e-mail about Obama’s religious faith.” Interesting to see how false rumours can inspire voters.
• Al-Qaeda Supporters: Sen. John McCain is the better choice for President: Could this endorsement be worse than a George W. Bush photo-op? A terrorist is backing John McCain in the prez race, claiming his nomination would encourage more unrest in the Middle East. The Republicans would like to earmuff this kind of news, undoubtedly.
• Republican party spent $150,000 for Palin’s dress and makeup in September: What a luxurious life — spending $50,000 at Saks Fifth Avenue, pouring just under $5,000 into hair and makeup. The decadent spending of Sarah Palin is under the radar as Obama supporters try to find ethical flaws in the McCain campaign. Too bad all that makeup couldn’t save Palin from Newsweek photographers.
• Willie Nelson and Jesse Ventura team up to take back America: Oh, country stars and ex-wrestlers, what won’t you do for the U.S. of A.? Nelson and Ventura plan to Web stream an event on Sunday revolving around music, “peaceful solutions” and Q&As with a 9/11 documentary filmmaker. Will you be watching?
• Turkey UFO pics- Sudden interest in UFOs in media, or more hype from tabloid trash?: A Citizen Journalist is skeptical about recent photos of a supposed UFO hovering over Turkey. Find out what fuels the speculation and make your own assessment on whether alien life is truly making a guest appearance in the sky.
• Proposition 8, One of California’s Costliest Campaigns: California’s constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage is already the costliest campaign about a social issue in U.S. history. Do you think gay marriage should be legalized? Better yet, should both sides of the battle pour millions of dollars into the issue? Have your say in the comments section.
• Atheist Advertising to Appear on Buses: The British Humanist Association and Richard Dawkins are raising money to fund atheist adverts on London buses. If and when this comes to pass, expect a holy war of words between the religious right and the unbelievers.
Special congrats to Sadiq Green for one of the more engrossing stories of the week, which also worked as a history lesson: a review of what crises first-time presidents faced, from Eisenhower to Nixon to JFK. Why is it timely? Joe Biden believes Obama will face a major test during his first few months of his presidency (wow, Joe is confident) and if history’s cycle prevails, he’s right.
And in this week’s episode of Digital Journal TV, we review one of the hottest DSLR camera of the year, the Sony Alpha A-900. If you or someone you know can’t get enough of high-end photography, this is a must-see episode.
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: Carolyn E. Price, Can Tran, Chris V., Phree, Paul Wallis, and Tse Hao Guang.
The Top Blogger of the Week Award goes to KJ, a long-time Citizen Journalist who recently felt the pain of her husband’s recent suffering. When Henry was struck with a heart attack, she instantly told the DigitalJournal.com community and members responded with kind sentiments. We also appreciated the updates and the insight into how a life can forever be changed when a loved one is hospitalized. Our thoughts are always with you and Henry, KJ.
