Thanks for the wiretaps! Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on charges that he attempted to sell the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama and illegally withheld assistance for the Tribune Co. until editorial board members from the Chicago Tribune critical of him were fired. The 76-page FBI affidavit is a thing of beauty. It includes Blagojevich and his wife dropping the F-bomb 18 times. For example, Blagojevich says the Senate seat “is a fucking valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.” The FBI began investigating Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, in 2003.
Riots continue in Greece … after Tuesday’s funeral for a teenager who was killed by police on Saturday. Protesters marched in Athens, railing against the government, which holds a one-seat majority in parliament. During the worst riots on Monday night, youths tossed concrete slabs and police officers and destroyed storefronts. Gasoline bombs have been the weapons of choice. Tensions are expected to ease on Wednesday, when a general strike is planned.
Rescuers search for fourth victim in plane crash … The pilot of an F/A-18 fighter jet evacuated safely, but at least three people on the ground were killed when the plane crashed into a densely populated neighborhood in San Diego Monday. The three known victims were a son, mother and grandmother from one family. Rescuers are looking for another infant son. The crash destroyed two houses and damaged three others.
Last place calls for desperation … or is it genius? Jay Leno is taking his show to the 10 p.m. time slot for NBC. This means the struggling network, which has been stuck in fourth place in the ratings, will have to produce five fewer hours of original programming each week. Conan O’Brien is taking over Tonight Show duties in June. But Nikki Finke highlights some of the potential problems with the move: 4.8 million viewers isn’t that great for a prime time audience, and will Leno cannibalize O’Brien’s show at 11:30 p.m.?
Don’t have anything nice to say about Bush? Then read this cheat-sheet. The Los Angeles Times reports the White House sent out a two-page memo to Cabinet and other high-ranking officials that highlighted the Bush administration’s accomplishments. It conveniently doesn’t mention the bungling of the Iraq War or the thousands stranded after Hurricane Katrina.
