Brothel Advertising, Ted Stevens: Who is this guy?? and Free Money In Japan

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"Morning Meeting" is a recap of our daily editorial meeting. If we had a show today, these are some of the stories you would probably hear.

Credit: Silva Otte/Getty Images

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It's the last day of July, which is a little scary for two reasons. One: Summer is half over. Two: That means tomorrow is August 1st, which means our show goes live in exactly two months! So we have 60 days to post our rundowns, roll out our webcasts, take your comments and critiques and mix it all into one big cup of news each and every weekday morning.

So if we were on the air today, here's the brew we'd serve piping hot today. Or iced if you prefer. With room for skim and foam.

NEWSCAST: The tumble that sent Supreme Court Justice John Roberts to the hospital was caused by a seizure. The Taliban claims to have executed another Korean Hostage and a new deadline was set for the 20 remaining hostages. Tropical Storm Chantal forms in the Atlantic. Energy bill is being discussed in Congress, it included billions for nuclear energy. The FCC may decide if Google can bid on wireless bandwidth. The Bancroft family accepts Rupert Murdoch's 5 billion dollar offer to buy the Wall Street Journal. Iraqi parliament goes on vacation until September without resolving key issues.

Continue reading "Brothel Advertising, Ted Stevens: Who is this guy?? and Free Money In Japan" »

Alison Stewart

10:08 AM ET | 07-31-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

Gonzo Not Gone and Google Not God (Yet)

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"Morning Meeting" is a recap of our daily editorial meeting. If we had a show today, these are some of the stories you would probably hear.

Credit: Joshua Roberts/Getty Images

In spite of the heat, Alberto Gonzales remains in the kitchen.

Monday, Monday. It hasn't been an overly manic one here at BPP HQ, which left time for us to wonder whether more good songs have been written about Monday than any other day of the week. There's the Mamas and the Papas' classic, there's T-Bone Walker's oft-covered "Call It Stormy Monday," which B.B. King said inspired him to play electric guitar, and there's "Monday" by Wilco. But I do feel like I'm leaving one out, if only I could think of it. What's your vote for best Monday-inspired song of all time?

Alison is out today and Luke is still in Chicago riding the high of his brilliant turn as host of "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!" while preparing for another turn this weekend. He dialed in. Here's what we discussed...

Continue reading "Gonzo Not Gone and Google Not God (Yet)" »

Dan Pashman

10:14 AM ET | 07-30-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

A Week in Iraq Twofer

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Credit: Getty Images

Iraqis celebrate their national soccer team's victory in the Asia Cup semifinals Wednesday. The celebration was soon marred, however, by a pair of suicide car bombers.

Today we present two segments for the price of one for our Week in Iraq feature. We asked similar questions to two different guests to get two different perspectives, and produced two separate segments, all in one podcast. First we spoke to Professor Andrew Bacevich from Boston University, who analyzed the week's Iraq news from the military perspective. Afterwards, in a separate segment, we spoke to the Washington Post's Anthony Shadid, who provided some top notch news analysis. We put it all together in one 'cast, so take a listen and tell us what you think.

Dan Pashman

3:40 PM ET | 07-27-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

Today's Post Has Been Brought To You By The Letter "Doh!"

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"Morning Meeting" is a recap of our daily editorial meeting. If we had a show today, these are some of the stories you would probably hear.

Luke and Alison are pumped for The Simpsons Movie. (Make your own Simpsons avatar at the film's website.)

This post is a little later and shorter than usual, because we've already spent much of the day in the studio assembling a Week in Iraq segment that will be posted shortly. Come back in a bit for that. But in the mean time, we did have an abbreviated morning meeting today, sans Luke, who you should check out hosting "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!" this weekend. The BPP radar screen looks thus...

Continue reading "Today's Post Has Been Brought To You By The Letter "Doh!"" »

Dan Pashman

12:09 PM ET | 07-27-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

Don't Stand Too Close To Me, You Might Catch My Fat

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"Morning Meeting" is a recap of our daily editorial meeting. If we had a show today, these are some of the stories you would probably hear.

Credit: Getty Images

A NASA employee lost his laptop somewhere in this vicinity. Please let him know if you come across it.

I'm back from Croatia but Matt's gone to DC, Luke remains in Chicago, and Win missed the meeting for a doctor's appointment. Let it never be said that the BPP suffers from inertia. In fact it may be accurate to say that we've not yet spent an entire week all together in New York. Fortunately, our newsgathering powers can be transmitted through a speakerphone. Here are your morning meeting notes...

NEWSCAST: Tour de France enveloped in another doping scandal, Taliban executes S. Korean hostage, Vick to enter plea today, Sudan ordered to pay families of USS Cole bombing victims, West Nile cases up, Tsunami warnings down, and Fidel calls in sick on Revolution Day.

Continue reading "Don't Stand Too Close To Me, You Might Catch My Fat" »

Dan Pashman

9:06 AM ET | 07-26-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

Tony Soprano: NBA Ref? The Farm Bill Made Interesting and The Guys Who Brought You Wet Hot American Summer

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Credit: Getty Images

The 2007 Farm Bill promises to make some strange political bedfellows.

You know friends, before the BPP existed, the only place you could find a show with this kind of breadth and depth was in your dreams. Now, however, that show of your fantasy has gotten out of your dreams, as it were, and into your car, assuming your car has an iPod adapter.

On today's show we'll talk to Henry Abbott, who writes the True Hoop blog on ESPN.com, about the breaking scandal of an NBA ref who allegedly bet on NBA games. We'll also update you on the latest verbal smackdown between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and we'll go for a little Ramble, including a look at a study showing that Diet Coke drinkers had the same risk of heart disease as regular Coke drinkers.

Later we'll talk to Ken Marino and David Wain, the guys who brought you Wet Hot American Summer, about their new film The Ten. And we'll welcome actress, comedienne, and former Daily Show correspondent Stacey Grenrock Woods to the studio to talk about her new book, I, California.

Plus, do you know what's even more interesting than one guest talking about the 2007 Farm Bill? TWO guests talking about the 2007 Farm Bill! We've got NPR's Adam Davidson, who'll explain the economic and political angle in a way we can all understand, and writer Dan Imhoff, who'll give us his take on how the Farm Bill can make our food and environment healthier. They'll both help to connect the dots between an omnibus spending bill and your dinner table (and wallet).

Bon appetit!

Dan Pashman

1:37 PM ET | 07-25-2007 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

Cooking Up A Show

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Good morning everyone. No "Morning Meeting" today -- we're doing a show today, we're pushing to get that to you by 2:30ET. Talk soon...

Matt Martinez

8:46 AM ET | 07-25-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

YouTube Debates, Foul Ref, Meningitis On a Plane, The Farm Bill (seriously)

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"Morning Meeting" is a recap of our daily editorial meeting. If we had a show today, these are some of the stories you would probably hear.

Greetings everyone, Matt here. I'm sure everyone is still a little tired after all of last night's YouTube debate parties. The one I went to -- which was attended by me and a bottle of pinot noir -- lasted until 10. (Okay, 12:30) Whew, what night.

We're working on show for tomorrow which may include some of the stories below...

NEWSCAST: The Democratic YouTube debates, Libya frees HIV medics, FDA strongly urging folks to check their chili for botulism -- recall widens, an alleged dirty ref may sing, Illinois bans smoking, Drew Carey is the new host of "The Price Is Right", the House of Reps is moving forward on contempt-of-Congress charges against Bush Administration officials, a teen gets on a plane with meningitis, and a soda a day does not keep heart disease away -- so says a new study.

Continue reading "YouTube Debates, Foul Ref, Meningitis On a Plane, The Farm Bill (seriously)" »

Matt Martinez

10:26 AM ET | 07-24-2007 | permalink | comments (11) | e-mail post

Reverend Billy Spreads the Word

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For almost a decade, the activist Reverend Billy has spent a lot of time outside New York City stores spreading the gospel on the evils of consumer culture. He delivers his message as a louder-than-tarnation, brow-mopping, toe-tapping, Elvis-inspired evangelist; he's a hard guy not to notice. For Bill, there's no better way to get attention than giving a rousing sermon on a public street. But don't be fooled by his hair, the Reverend is very pious about the core of his message. Before sitting down with Luke and Alison on last week's show, he invited me to a Starbucks around the corner to watch him preach. Here's how the revival went down.

Win Rosenfeld

2:49 PM ET | 07-23-2007 | permalink | comments (14) | e-mail post

AIDS Issues, A Rascally Referee and 140 Vicodin?????

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"Morning Meeting" is a recap of our daily editorial meeting. If we had a show today, these are some of the stories you would probably hear.

Credit: Getty Images

So, you think our show sounds too watercooler-ish? Put 'em up! Put 'em up!

Good morning all you Leos on the first day of your month long astrological dominance. You are both creative and enthusiastic but can be a little full of yourself and fly into rages when your integrity is challenged. Sound like any little NPR show in development you know? It was a busy news weekend and an equally active Monday morning...so let's get to it.

NEWSCAST: The first ever YouTube debate is tonight. New HIV infections outnumber treatments. American ally Turkey re-elected its Prime Minister who leads an Islamic inspired party. The last King of Afghanistan died at 92. The nearly completed Dubai Tower to become world's tallest building. Tens of thousands without power as the UK experiences its worst flooding in 60 years. Car bomb kills 12 in mainly Shiite area of Baghdad. A 35-year old minor league baseball coach for Tulsa Drillers, Mike Coolbaugh, died after being struck in the head by a line drive.

Continue reading "AIDS Issues, A Rascally Referee and 140 Vicodin?????" »

Alison Stewart

10:06 AM ET | 07-23-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

The Bryant Park Project: Show #4

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Hey everyone -- here it is, our latest pilot. We tried a few new things, not sure if they completely worked -- let's see what you think.

"PLAMEGATE": Yet another twist in the so-called "Plamegate" story: A federal judge dismissed the civil suit former CIA operative Valerie Plame wanted to bring against Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby, Richard Armitage, and Karl Rove.

WEEK IN IRAQ: Another busy, bloody week in Iraq comes to a close. To help you understand what has happened there militarily and politically, we talk to Michael Gordon, the chief military correspondent for The New York Times, who is in Baghdad. In Kirkuk, there were bombings and attacks. In Washington, tired lawmakers video conferenced with Ryan Crocker, the United States' ambassador in Baghdad; Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno; and Gen. David H. Petraeus...the Bush Administration announced that a high-ranking Iraqi insurgent, working for al-Qaida in Iraq, was captured...and a new National Intelligence Estimate indicates that the odds of another terrorist attack on an American target is high.

EXPAT AIR: In a few short weeks, for 900 bucks, you could book a plane ticket to Baghdad. ExPat Air plans to offer regular commercial flights between Iraq and Jordan, to Americans and Europeans only. Will the service take off? We keep our line to Baghdad open. Mike Drummond, a reporter for McClatchy Newspapers, who wrote about the airline, joins us from the Iraqi capital.

SPORTS TUTORIAL: Alison talks to Bill Wolff, a sports junkie -- and her better half, about baseball, the British Open, and this weekend's brawl between Bernard Hopkins and Winky Wright.

SCANDAL DOGS MICHAEL VICK: Michael Vick, star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, has been indicted for operating an illegal dog-fighting ring, in Virginia. The folks at PETA called for his suspension. Nike postponed the release of a new Michael Vick sneaker. And Senator Robert Byrd, of West Virginia, condemned dog fighting on the Senate floor. We talk to Sam Farmer, who writes about the NFL for the LA Times.

THE RAMBLE: The TSA will permit passengers to carry their lighters on airplanes...The King County Board of Health has banned trans-fats...And the catchiest -- and most non-sensical -- song on YouTube: Chocolate Rain.

NYC INFRASTRUCTURE: Two days after a steam pipe exploded in New York, during evening rush hour, it's business as usual here. Grand Central Station is back open. Trains are running on schedule -- mostly. And everyone has breathed a hopefully-asbestos-free sigh of relief. Many wonder if something like this could happen again. Brooklyn-based photographer Stanley Greenberg has explored the nexis of tunnels, pipes, and corridors beneath Manhattan's busy streets. He tells us what he's seen. Check out his site here.

RING CYCLE FATIGUE: The New York City Triathlon is this weekend. Endurance athletes from around the world will flex their muscles in Central Park. Only a few blocks away, on the Upper West Side, endurance athletes of a different stripe continue to flex their might. The Lincoln Center Festival and the Metropolitan Opera are presenting composer Richard Wagner's famous -- and famously long -- Ring Cycle. We check in with Ari Shapiro, our newly minted legal affairs CORRESPONDENT, who has watched more than fifteen hours of Wagner this week.

REV. BILLY: Every week, in Washington Square Park, the Rev. Billy preaches against consumerism. He visits our studios, sporting his signature white suit and wild bleach-blond pompadour, fresh off a "shopocalypse" at the corner Starbucks.

HARRY POTTER: The final installment of J. K. Rowling's series will hit store shelves at midnight. Although the book has been kept under lock and key, and embargo, a few copies have been sold, some newspapers have printed reviews, and websites have published pages. We talk with Melissa Anelli. She blogs on the-leaky-cauldron.org.

Hope you enjoy listening...and don't forget to leave your comments!

Matt Martinez

4:30 PM ET | 07-20-2007 | permalink | comments (11) | e-mail post

The Best Song (But Mostly Dance) In The World (But Mostly A Filipino Prison) Today!

Filed under: The Best Song In The World Today

A little somethin' somethin' to pass the time as you wait for us to post today's show...

Thanks to hot tippers Jen and Vanessa who sent along this truly stunning piece of video. Take a few hundred prisoners, a lot of spare time, and a healthy (bordering on unhealthy) appreciation for The King of Pop, and you get this gem. Thrilling indeed.

Luke Burbank

3:12 PM ET | 07-20-2007 | permalink | comments (7) | e-mail post

Next Show On Its Way

Filed under: Inside The BPP

No 'Morning Meeting' today. We are furiously preparing our next show for you. It will be up in the next couple of hours...stay tuned...

Matt Martinez

1:45 PM ET | 07-20-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

BPP On The Scene: The New York Steam Pipe Explosion

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Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

A firefighter walks past the scene of a steam pipe explosion on Lexington Avenue Thursday in New York City. Steam and mud were forced from the ground near Grand Central Station on East 41st street from Third to Lexington Avenue forcing people to evacuate the area and also causing subway delays.

As you probably know by now, there was a steam pipe explosion yesterday in Midtown Manhattan, a few blocks from our office. When we got the word, I grabbed my camera and took off toward the plume. Producer MJ Davis and I made our way through the crush of humanity and landed a block away from the explosion, in the middle of a speculation extravaganza. "That sound is the building collapsing," said one guy who probably wasn't a structural engineer. Another woman was yelling that someone had reported seeing a giant fireball. We didn't see any evidence of that either, but the geyser of steam and debris was visually horrifying enough. The street was filled with smoke and sirens, and there was no visibility whatsoever through 41st Street. From the fog, a seemingly endless parade of ragged New Yorkers in impossibly filthy business suits emerged. It was, needless to say, evocative of a much darker hour.

I pointed my camera at the plume and saw that my battery was out. I'd been filming a behind-the-scenes-of-the-BPP piece over the last two days and hadn't gotten a chance to charge up. At that point, I briefly indulged in some cursing and self-loathing, which lasted until I remembered my backup. I had brought the little digital still camera, a birthday present from a few years back (thanks Mom!) It too could roll small bits of video...there would be salvation! No, not really. It died too. I suddenly remembered running those batteries dry a few weekends ago in Atlantic City while taking pictures of my friends eating funnel cake and lamenting the loss of their chips at 4 am on the boardwalk.

I made my way over to a Duane Reade drugstore, hoping to find some way of documenting what was going on. It turns out that they sell video cameras. I saw one behind the counter that looked kind of like a bad iPod knockoff, on sale for 40 bucks. I pleaded with woman in front of me to let me cut her in line. I told her I was press and was trying to cover the same explosion that she was miserably (and very loudly) misreporting to whoever was on the other end of her pink Motorola Razr. She would not relent (or really even make eye contact with me) so I waited, cursing and loathing her, while she bought some mouthwash and chewing gum.

A few minutes later, I was back on the street. Luckily there were very few injuries and more than a few people who were willing to share their real stories. Here's what we finally got with that drugstore camera.

Win Rosenfeld

12:43 PM ET | 07-19-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

Midtown Manhattan Erupts, The GOP Begs the Prez, RECALL!, Flies In His Head and Chocolate Rain

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"Morning Meeting" is a recap of our daily editorial meeting. If we had a show today, these are some of the stories you would probably hear.

Morning everyone, Matt here. We're sure you don't care about our woes this morning, but let's just say that yesterday's steam pipe explosion in Midtown Manhattan did not make our commutes easy. Packed, slow trains along with closed streets and air so muggy there was no need to shower made for grumpy and put-out BPP staffers. Oh, woe is us! That said, New York's aging infrastructure wasn't enough to stop The BPP's Morning Meeting. Let's go...

NEWSCAST: As mentioned above, a steam pipe exploded on 41st St. and Lexington Ave. in New York, leaving a huge crater. One person is dead, dozens injured -- two critically. Russia expels four British diplomats because of a row over the murder investigation of Alexander Litvinenko. The president says he will veto a proposal to boost funding for an insurance program for poor children. Two suicide bombers kill more than thirty-three people in Pakistan. Florida ends temporary halt to executions. New Zealand bans using images from Parliament to satirize lawmakers. The Emmy nominations were announced, Sopranos get 15 nods. (I still haven't forgiven them.)

Continue reading "Midtown Manhattan Erupts, The GOP Begs the Prez, RECALL!, Flies In His Head and Chocolate Rain" »

Matt Martinez

10:19 AM ET | 07-19-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

BPP NUMBER 3 -- Politics, Race and Furry Creatures In One Big Show!

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Hey Folks -- Thanks for listening to our podcast. We really tried to create a diverse rundown -- let's see if it works for you. As this is an open process, constructive criticism is welcome, of course .

"You suck" is not.

(Full Disclosure: Frankly, we had one segment go bust -- so, we're sparing your ears. It didn't work for a number of reasons. 'Nuff said. --Matt)

ON THE SHOW:

THE POLITICAL PAJAMA PARTY: For the political junkies -- MSNBC's David Shuster joins us with the low down on why the Senate stayed up all night and who didn't want to order pizza.

THE HOT GHETTO MESS: For those who like a little controversy -- the creator and host of a new BET show called Hot Ghetto Mess explain why they think it's a good thing to put videos of people acting a fool in on TV.

THE HOMER SIMPSON MODEL: What can the Wall Street Journal learn from The Simpsons should it be added to Rupert Murdoch's media empire? Vanity Fair writer John Ortved explains. Click here to read John's piece. And click here for Jack Shafer's piece about the Simpsons and Murdoch at Slate.com.

16 SPY AGENCIES AT WORK: The National Intelligence Estimate says Al Qaeda is not on the run but on the move. Georgetown Professor Daniel Byman explains the details of the report.

BIG BADGERS: Iraqis are reporting giant badgers are terrorizing the city of Basra and that the British Military is to blame. A badger expert, yes we found one, explains to us why that couldn't happen.

THE RAMBLE: Elizabeth Edwards on Hilary Clinton -- the woman, HBO's steamiest show yet, the new blackberry has arrived, The 1-18-08/ Cloverfield movie mystery, and do those alcohol ankle detection bracelets really work?

Alison Stewart

2:15 PM ET | 07-18-2007 | permalink | comments (10) | e-mail post

We are working on the podcast....

Filed under: Inside The BPP

...and it will be posted this afternoon.

Coming your way -- a breakdown of the National Intelligence Estimate, which Senator had the worst bed head after last night's Senate debate-a-thon and the mystery of Cloverfield.

Check back soon!

Alison Stewart

2:12 PM ET | 07-18-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

Senate Slumber Party, New Terrorism Assessment Released, And Iraqis Face Yet Another Challenge: Giant Badgers.

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"Morning Meeting" is a recap of our daily editorial meeting. If we had a show today, these are some of the stories you would probably hear.

Every Time You Forget To Read Our Blog, We Yell At This Puppy.

Hello friends (and people we're pretending we like), the staff here at BPP World Headquarters couldn't help but notice that Alison sashayed into today's Morning Meeting with a certain... um... sassyness. It was the unmistakeable stroll of someone who'd recently been named AfroBella Of The Week . Congrats Ali. Don't get too cocky though, I was just named "NPR Host Most Likely To Panhandle", which is also pretty awesome.

Continue reading "Senate Slumber Party, New Terrorism Assessment Released, And Iraqis Face Yet Another Challenge: Giant Badgers. " »

Luke Burbank

10:10 AM ET | 07-17-2007 | permalink | comments (10) | e-mail post

Big Losers In Philly, Competition for Craigslist and an Americans Only Airline

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"Morning Meeting" is a recap of our daily editorial meeting. If we had a show today, these are some of the stories you would probably hear.

Happy Monday all! We have recovered from Friday's pilot and are ready to dive back into the pool. Quite a few things went down over the weekend so we were not at a loss for stories. We did try to mix it up a bit and hopefully in today's rundown you will find something that will inform, entertain, enrage and/or engage you. BTW ... new pilot ... Wednesday.

NEWSCAST: A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hits Japan killing at least 6 and injuring hundreds. IHOP buys Applebees for 2.1 billion dollars -- blueberry syrup on your nuevo nachos..yummm! Gerber recalls its organic rice and organic oatmeal due to a choking hazard for babies -- apparently it forms huge lumps. In Kirkuk, Iraq, at least 80 people have been killed and 136 wounded by car bombs. Last night at about 8:40pm EST, the Philadelphia Phillies became first team in baseball to lose 10,000 games. Harry Potter had a better weekend, The Order of the Phoenix made 77.4 million dollars. Eighty-three year old Shimon Peres sworn in as Israel's ninth president.

Continue reading "Big Losers In Philly, Competition for Craigslist and an Americans Only Airline " »

Alison Stewart

10:16 AM ET | 07-16-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

Teddy Thompson Performs On The BPP

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Credit: Verve Records

At age 18, Teddy Thompson moved from his home in England to Los Angeles and started a band. It seemed just about the right course for the son of folk legends Richard and Linda Thompson. He's toured with Rosanne Cash, and his last album, Separate Ways, was a critical success. His new album, which will be released next Tuesday July 17, is somewhat of a departure from his folk-pop roots -- it's an album of country covers, all the music he grew up listening to.

Alison and Luke talk with him about why he decided to cover these songs, and he performs a couple from the album, including an original composition called, "Down Low." We also hear his cover of George Jones' "She Thinks I Still Care," and he plays us out with "You Finally Said Something Good (When You Said Goodbye)"

If you happen to be in NYC next Tuesday, he has a record release party at 7p at Mo Pitkin's. He'll also be performing on The David Letterman Show on Wednesday. Check out his MySpace page to find out when he might be coming to a stage near you.

And if you can't catch him live, this is the next best thing -- his performance of "She Thinks I Still Care" from this morning's show:

Matt Martinez

2:34 PM ET | 07-13-2007 | permalink | comments (13) | e-mail post

PILOT #2 or There's A Reason They Call This Process 'Rough Cuts'

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So picture this.. a staff of four, on Friday the 13th, in a studio trying to figure out what to do when a guest goes MIA, another has put you on indefinite hold, you've blown through one newscast and it appears another won't make it, and an idea that looked really good on paper sounded a little boring.

Well then, if you can picture that, you pictured the making of our second show. So we scrambled, re-wrote on the fly and thankfully were blessed with the talents of singer Teddy Thompson who made his part of it look so easy.

NEWSCAST: The House of Representatives passed legislation requiring U-S troops to withdraw by April 1, 2008. UN inspectors are headed to supervise the shut down of a North Korean nuclear reactor. New Mexico Governor & presidential hopeful Bill Richardson apologizes for gay gaffe. Nine people filed a 1.3 million dollar lawsuit against tuberculosis patient Andrew Speaker. The CEO of Whole Foods John Mackey was called out for posting disparaging comments on Internet financial forums about rival Wild Oats Markets, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" raked in a whopping $44.8 million dollars for the biggest Wednesday opening ever.

WEEK IN IRAQ: First shot at a weekly feature to provide some context for all the information coming out of Iraq from politics to military moves to human casualties. Guest: NPR's Rachel Martin just back from Baghdad explains what it is like to report from the ground, live life in a war zone and return home to spend a day at Babies R Us.

MLB'S BARRY BONDS PROBLEM: Mr. Bonds could break Hank Aaron's home run record this weekend. Considering the controversy around the size of this man and how he got that way, will MLB celebrate the milestone or look the other way? Guest: Will Leitch from Deadspin.com

JANE MAGAZINE R.I.P: The magazine that tried to make a generation of girls and women not hate their bodies or buy stuff they didn't need, was forced to go mainstream two years ago but failed and now is folding. Someone who was there from day one has written a novel with this exact story line. Only her book came out two months ago! Guest: Karen Yompolksy, author of "Falling Out of Fashion."

RAMBLE: Stories that deserve an honorable mention! Rep. Tom Tancredo loves black people, Miss New Jersey loves to take sassy pictures, BET loves a controversy and the BPP loves to "Walk it Out" with the creator of the mash-up of the week.

TEDDY THOMPSON: Interview and performance with singer songwriter about his new release of country covers, it's called "Upfront & Down Low."

Okay, guys -- tell us what you think...it's all yours...

Alison Stewart

1:24 PM ET | 07-13-2007 | permalink | comments (10) | e-mail post

BPP Hour Show #2. The Revenge.

Filed under: Inside The BPP

We figured Friday The 13th was as good a day as any to roll out our second hour-long show. As long as we don't go skinny dipping in Crystal Lake everything should be cool.

Thanks so much to all of you who listened to our last effort and posted your comments. We think we've got a really good lineup this week, so please check back in later today and tell us what you think.

Luke Burbank

10:03 AM ET | 07-13-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

Teddy Thompson Performs Live On The BPP

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"Upfront & Down Low" by Teddy Thompson (Verve Forecast)

Tune into tomorrow, Friday 7/13, for a live performance by singer/guitarist Teddy Thompson. His new album is called "Upfront & Down Low." It's released on July 17. Teddy joins us on our second hour-long show -- it'll be ready on iTunes and streamed here by 2:30p ET.

If you don't know Teddy, you're in for a treat. He's the son of British folk legends Richard and Linda Thompson. His latest album is all country music covers and one original composition called, "Down Low."

"As strange as it may seem, country music was the music I was brought up on," says Teddy. "It's the music that's closest to my heart and the music that speaks to me the most, and it's always been a big influence on my own songwriting. I was obsessed with country music when I was a kid, and it's definitely had a huge influence on the way I write songs. I was always attracted to songs that had a brilliant pun or a clever turn of phrase, but came from a dark, bitter place. As a writer, I've always gravitated towards that feeling."

Teddy plus the news, tomorrow on The BPP from NPR.

Matt Martinez

3:55 PM ET | 07-12-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

Al Qaeda Outlook: Strong To Very Strong. So How Is That Whole Iraq Thing Going? Bulls 13, Drunks 0.

Filed under:

"Morning Meeting" is a recap of our daily editorial meeting. If we had a show today, these are some of the stories you would probably hear.

Credit: A. ARRIZURIETA/Getty

My Tummy Doesn't Feel So Good.

Welcome to a place beyond all imagination, a lush paradise we call, The Bryant Park Project.

We're knee-deep in preparation for our second hour long show tomorrow, so we're keeping this post kind of economical (read: short).

Continue reading "Al Qaeda Outlook: Strong To Very Strong. So How Is That Whole Iraq Thing Going? Bulls 13, Drunks 0. " »

Luke Burbank

11:39 AM ET | 07-12-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

Bryant Park: Road to Respect XVIII

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The scrappiest eight acres in New York City face more disrespect in the latest installment of our series. We've been digging into the history of Bryant Park. Here's the second part of a several-part series. With violent draft dodgers and dope dealers running the show for a hundred or so years, things get worse for Bryant Park before they get better.

If you haven't seen the first part, click here to take a look...

Win Rosenfeld

2:50 PM ET | 07-11-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

Ex-Surgeon General Says He Was Pressured. McCain Melt Down? Crunk & Wagnalls.

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"Morning Meeting" is a recap of our daily editorial meeting. If we had a show today, these are some of the stories you would probably hear.

Rapper, Goblet-Holder, Word-Inventor, What Can't You Do Lil' John?

Hello Sweet Spirits, it's been an educational week here in New York for the BPP staff (by which I mean me). I've learned that there is a whole other level of stink that happens when piles of garbage heat up to 120 degrees, and that I shouldn't go on a long jog before getting on a packed subway car. You know that really sweaty / creepy guy you try not to make eye contact with? I'm that guy.

Aw well, at least I'm not the person in charge of proofreading these ads that are posted ALL OVER the NY subway system.

Continue reading "Ex-Surgeon General Says He Was Pressured. McCain Melt Down? Crunk & Wagnalls. " »

Luke Burbank

10:25 AM ET | 07-11-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

The Best Song (And Dance) In The World Today!

Filed under: The Best Song In The World Today

Forget chocolate in your peanut butter, You Got UNK In My Fosse!

What?

Here's what: Last September Atlanta rapper UNK dropped Walk It Out, a catchy little dance number you probably heard blaring from finer house parties and parked Escalades the nation over. Of course, catchy hip hop songs are like romantic relationships with Paris Hilton, they wither and die after about three months. Enter Bob Fosse. That Bob Fosse? Yeah, that Bob Fosse, the legendary American choreographer. Some genius person figured out that Walk It Out goes perfect with an old 60's Fosse dance routine known as Mexican Breakfast. The crazy thing is how well the song works with the dancing, even though they were recorded 40 years apart.

If you're at work, turn up your speakers and have a One Minute Dance Party.

Oh, and here's the original music the routine was set to.

Luke Burbank

3:21 PM ET | 07-10-2007 | permalink | comments (18) | e-mail post

No Happy Ending: The David Vitter Story

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Our Buddy Once Went To The Second Best Little Whorehouse In Texas... Big Mistake

During this morning's meeting we couldn't quite decide how we'd cover the saga of David Vitter were we doing a real show today.

On the one hand, it's got all the makins' of good story: A conservative Republican senator who's taken many a moral stand gets busted for allegedly fraternizing with a lady of the night. On the other, it might just be a juicy sex story proving that (Shock!!) some politicians are as skeezy as we suspect they are.

We want your thoughts. Is this a story worth covering? Why? Why not? And if we did talk about it, what angle would interest you all?

Let us know.

Luke Burbank

2:47 PM ET | 07-10-2007 | permalink | comments (8) | e-mail post

Pounds of Paxil, Vitter and the Vixen, and Don't Mess with China

Filed under:

"Morning Meeting" is a recap of our daily editorial meeting. If we had a show today, these are some of the stories you would probably hear.

A pill popping population!

NEWSCAST: In the Red Mosque raid at least 58 people died when Pakistani troops flushed out militants holed up inside a women's religious school, a Nano iPhone announced, fires in the West break records in Utah, hurricane director quits mid-season, 17 people dead and 30 wounded after a suicide bomber blows himself up near a NATO convoy southwest of Kabul, leaked report says Iraqi government has not reached important benchmarks, Louisiana Senator admits to being on DC Madam's call list, CDC says anti-depressants are the most prescribed drugs.

Continue reading "Pounds of Paxil, Vitter and the Vixen, and Don't Mess with China" »

Alison Stewart

10:15 AM ET | 07-10-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

Iraq Pullback Deba