National Budget for 12.15-16
<font size="2">GateHouse News Service National Budget
For 12/15-16/07 editions
Here are the top national stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/. Please submit stories below no later than 6 pm local time, unless you have breaking news that is changing significantly.
Contacts: Jean Hodges, (630) 348-3350, (630) 956-8834, jhodges@gatehousemedia.com
Michael Toeset, (630) 348-3356, (630) 835-8870, mtoeset@gatehousemedia.com
FYI:
NOTE: ELECTION LOVERS AND HATERS: Story by national reporter Lauren FtizPatrick, illustrated by Dave Granlund. See NEWS below.</font>
<font size="2">END OF YEAR: We'll compile some end-of-year stories in entertainment, best of weird news and more. Budget coming Monday. If you have some global stories, let us know. Stories by Dec. 21.
ABOVE & BEYOND - Is there someone in your newsroom whose dedication made a difference to a recent edition or Web project, to their peers or to the community? Nominate them for GateHouse Media's Above & Beyond award!
Download the NOMINATION form here.
Lifestyles
BETH MAYER: HOLIDAYS AND EATING DISORDERS - Newton-based clinic director about the holidays are the worst time of year for people with eating disorders. Ledger, 6 p.m.
CHARLES WINOKOOR: A TIP FOR THE HOLIDAY? BE POLITE - It's as simple as pie: I don't want my derriere powdered and buffed, but the friendlier and more attentive the service is the better the odds are I'll be coming back to buy more anchovies or sneakers. Taunton Daily Gazette, on wire now
A.S. MAULUCCI POETRY COLUMN: Maybe not for dancing, but all poetry has definite rhythm. - Whether written in formal or free verse, every line of good poetry has a rhythmic beat and a measured length. Norwich, on wire now
VIDEO REPORTS:
-A look at a NY man who makes miniatures.
Opinions
FOR SUNDAY: Holmes: The truncated primary season has presidential candidates invading the holiday season and may force a decision before most people have heard from some pretty good candidates in the second tier. Can go with Granlund illustration, or as package with GHNS Fitzpatrick piece on political do-not-call registry.
MetroWest, 6 p.m.
FOR SUNDAY: EDITORIAL - As evidence and alarm over global warming escalate, the United States is again an obstacle to international action when it should be a leader.
MetroWest, 6 p.m.
MORTGAGE MESS: Realistically, Uncle Sam can't rescue the 2.2 million adults who signed up for subprime home loans. Nor can the feds be white knights for lenders who sought out risky clients. EDITORIAL/PEORIA/Illinois Opinions and GHNS Opinions.
Sports
*******STEROIDS***********
ILLUSTRATION: Baseball with needle/syringe shooting into it. CANTON
CARTOONS: On steroids, by Granlund, Mahoney and Britt.
Granlund: How 'Rocket' Clemens got his boost. MetroWest, on wire now
Mahoney CARTOON: Roger Clemens autograph 'for my pharmacist' Ledger, on wire now
BRITT CARTOON: Baseball as pin cushion. Springfield, on wire now
FOR SUNDAY: Meltzer: The reaction to the Mitchell report misses a point: Why should sports leagues be dictating to adult athletes what they should be putting into their bodies?
MetroWest, 6 p.m.
FOR SUNDAY: EDITORIAL - Too much of the steroids debate is still focused on millionaire professional athletes. Meanwhile, few school sports leagues even bother to test the young athletes who are much more likely to be harmed by steroid use.
MetroWest, 6 p.m.
*******STEROIDS***********
PILGER'S RAMS NOTEBOOK: The season has not been a good one for the St. Louis Rams, but don't blame wide receiver. Holt has eight consecutive 1,000 yard seasons. He's just the ninth player in NFL history with at least eight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He and teammate Isaac Bruce have the most 1,000-yard receiving seasons in franchise history with eight. PILGER/SPRINGFIELD/Illinois Sports and Pro-football.
BEARS: Feature looking ahead to Monday night game. SCHRECK/ROCKFORD/Illinois Sports
FLAWLESS FARLEY: When you pick against the Patriots, be prepared for hate mail. ... Also, weekly NFL game picks.
BROWNS VS. BILLS: Canton plans stories.
News
ELECTION LOVE HATE: Blogs and YouTube let everyone play pundit this election, and clearly campaigns are listening to the ground. But what about the haters who are sick of all the hoopla? A look at how ordinary folks are jumping onto campaign bandwagons ¬ and other folks who are totally opting out. Then www.stoppoliticalcalls.org hosts a political Do Not Call Registry to keep Rudy G¹s ringing from ruining another family dinner. FITZ
ART: illustration by Dave Granlund
WITH: short breakout on opting in and opt out
THIS WEEK IN WEIRD: Drunken naked people, falling tree limbs and a TV that looked like a bomb were some of the more unusual stories reported by GateHouse papers this week. </font>
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HARVARD STUDENT MISTRIAL: Former Harvard student's manslaughter trial ends in mistrial - After 10 days of deliberations, a judge declared a mistrial in the case of a former Harvard student accused of stabbing to death a Cambridge resident. Cambridge Chronicle, 10 inches, on wire now
DEAD COYOTE HANGING: Hanging a dead coyote from a tree? Troubling for some, but legal. Although it may be distasteful to neighbors, it is perfectly legal to hang a dead coyote from a tree in your yard. Enterprise, Melanson, 8 inches, on wire now
ART: With photo
GOLDEN COMPASS: NOTE: Check with your churches to localize. The Catholic Diocese of Peoria has instructed its pastors to discourage church members from attending 'The Golden Compass' or buying the books due to the author's anti-Christian sentiments. We'll check with other churches, too. MILLER/PEORIA/Illinois News
STOLEN ASHES: Donetta Ernst is pleading for whoever stole the ashes of her slain 3-year-old son, Logan Bratton, to return them. The Bloomington woman has carried her son's ashes in a heart-shaped silver box in her purse since he was killed April 4. The former boyfriend is charged. Ernst's purse was stolen Wednesday night from her car. We're talking to her and will wrap in background on the case. DOUBET/PEORIA/Illinois News
Coming Monday
BIZ BITS: Weekly business rail, with items on a $4 million J.K. Rowling book, how to be an effective leader at work and more.
WORKWISE: The appeal of small companies -- large companies may well be losing their glow, according to a white paper by Hale Cochran, executive adviser at Polachi, an executive search firm in Framingham, Mass.
WEB SITE FOR ARTISTS Web site hopes to become home for job-seeking artists - The idea sounded like a can't-miss proposition: Take MySpace-style social networking tools and build a Web site where aspiring actors, musicians and other creative types can make connections and look for jobs. Ledger, Adams, 18 inches, on wire now
ART: With photos
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