At Home, In The Car & Online...NewsRadio 980 KMBZ!
----
And we're off...and into another Monday.
In the end, no victory to relish.
After a run where relish and mustard spent most of the race playing ketchup,
I have no condiment. Saturday night at the K, with thousands looking on, Nick Wright,
aka Ketchup, continued his hot dog winning ways by winning the end of the 6th inning
run over Chris Hamblin and myself. The slew of negative text messages following
the race lead me to believe that some may have had green riding on green.
That seems like a bad idea.
Jesus -- legos!
Children at a church in Sweden have been especially interested in a new
6-foot-tall statue of Jesus that was unveiled Easter Sunday. That's because
it's made out of Lego blocks -- 30,000 of them. Forty volunteers spent about
18 months putting the tiny plastic blocks together. The result is a standing
Jesus with arms outstretched. Some of the children in the congregation
couldn't help but touch the white artwork. A church spokesman says it's a copy
of a statue on display in Copenhagen by a Danish sculptor. Although it's all white
on the outside, some of the donated Lego blocks that were used were of other
colors, and were placed inside the statue.
Roll over Segway! Now we can be lazy...by sitting!
GM has teamed up with Segway to try and build a people mover that's small, safe
and fuel-efficient. Here's the scoop.
Bob's Biscotti are clean. Really clean! The KC health department is out with its list of super clean kitchens and it's no
surprise that Bob's is on the list. The official biscotti of Kansas City's Morning News
with E.J. and Ellen once again, getting high marks! And they're oh-so tasty.
What the pizza delivery guy thinks you should know.
This morning, we told you some of the 13 things the pizza guy won't tell you. Here they are,
with some bonus tips too!
'General'ly good stuff.
General Richard Myers (former head of the Joint Chiefs and Shawnee grad) was
on the show this morning talking about his career, life after 9-11 and where we
go from here. The interview is right here.
A jolly good breakfast!
Tea and cumpets for a power breakfast? Anyway, the prez and the p.m.
had breakfast this morning before a joint news conference. The leaders
are in Britain ahead of tomorrow's G-20 summit. ABC's Ann Compton is
with President Obama and spoke with E.J. and Ellen this morning.
The Madness begins!
Today's Eating OutsideIndex = 5.01!
The brackets are done, let the games begin!
The NCAA tourney gets underway today here in KC and across the country.
If you're gonna be near the Sprint Center over the next few days, watch out.
There are road closures around the arena.
Not all babies are cute...but hey at least it's alive! (AP Photo/Karori Wildlife Sanctury,Tom Lynch,HO)
A hatchling of a rare reptile with lineage dating back to the dinosaur age has
been found in the wild on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in about
200 years, a wildlife official said Thursday. The baby tuatara was discovered
by staff during routine maintenance work at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in the capital,
Wellington, conservation manager Raewyn Empson said.
-------------------------------------------------
Happy St. Patty's Day.
Today's Eating OutsideIndex = 10! Borat...uh...Bruno does it again.
Sacha Baron Cohen doesn't need to be Borat to pull the wool over people's eyes.
He's done it again. This time he tricked some members of the Alabama National Guard.
They allowed him into the Alabama Military Academy, gave him a military uniform
and briefly let him train. All of it, supposedly, for a German TV documentary. The prank
included Baron Cohen exposing his thong underwear while changing clothes.
All was going well until a young cadet recognized him and notified officers who didn't
realize who he was. Footage from the visit could be included in Baron Cohen's
upcoming movie featuring his character Bruno, a gay Austrian fashion writer.
Sesame Street, brought to you by
the letter "L" for Layoffs!
Word today that Sesame Street is the latest victim of the economy. You're
hearing that story all morning with E.J. and Ellen. Our trivia question this
morning...what changed about Oscar the Grouch from season 1 to
season 2 of the show? The answer...see above!
Now that's an ice house! Rebecca Craig / Times Photo
Click on the pic above to see more pix of ice houses. Wow!
High winds have driven ice over seawalls and into homes in one stretch of Lake Huron
beachfront in Bay County. Authorities evacuated about 30 homes along Linwood,
Brissette and Killarney beaches. They're on Saginaw Bay in Kawkawlin Township,
about 100 miles north-northwest of Detroit. WNEM-TV said large ice chunks pushed
against homes, crashing through windows in some cases. The Saginaw News said
evacuees were asked to shut off power before leaving. It said no injuries were reported.
After a nice 4-5 days of warm temperatures and great EOI's..Gary has torpedoed our chances of eating outside this week...
at least at the beginning. Today's Eating OutsideIndex = 4.1! 4.1? It's gonna be 54. While that may be brilliant outside
eating weather if you live in an igloo...4.1? C'mon!
So this is what happens in Florida in winter! AP Photo, Rob O'Neal
The winner of an annual Conch Shell Blowing Contest in Florida says success
involves more than just "the lips and cheek muscles.'' He says "it comes from the heart and soul.''
The Key West resident is claiming top honors after playing his renditions of the classic
Hebrew folk song "Hava Nagilah'' and Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night.'' The bicycle tour
operator says he takes his conch on tours, blasting it through the neighborhoods.
Contestants ranged from less than 3 years old to seniors. They were judged on the quality, novelty, duration and loudness of the sounds they produced. The winning group was an 18-piece "conchestra.'' Band members blew their shells while dancing to a Jimmy Buffett song.
Airport security...yeah right!
Did they change the rules about liquids and getting on airplanes?
Check out my E.J.'s Red Button Blog to read about the implications...
or lack thereof.
----------------------------------------------------------------
What a day!
Today's Eating OutsideIndex = 10! High temp, 70!
------------------------------------------------
Like your tater crispy?
Tater 1 - Dog 0 Pic taken by the Olathe FD.
Tater the cat has eight lives left after a dog set the family home on fire. Fire officials say
the dog chewed through a laptop power cord, sparking the blaze Wednesday afternoon
at a duplex at 1739 Spruce Ave. Investigators say the fire began on the couch and quickly
spread. A woman and her young son escaped, along with the dog. Tater stayed inside
until firefighters found him. The cat suffered some smoke inhalation, but is said to be
recovering just fine.
Here kitty, smokey, kitty, tokey, kitty....
Seriously...duuuuuude!
Here's the bong.
...and litte Shadow is still mellooooooooow.
And here's the story. A Nebraska man who tried to calm down his
hyper cat by stuffing her into a homemade bong faces animal cruelty charges.
Deputies say they saw the man smoking marijuana through a hose attached
to a box into which the cat had been stuffed. One officer says the cat,
6-month-old Shadow, was just dazed.
Sooooooooooooey! Here congress, congress congress!
Somebody's cookin' bacon in Washington again!
Here are some more details on the porky budget bill that Congress is
gonna try to get passed this year (info from bloomberg.com). Oink, onk,
oink.
The projects, listed on more than 750 pages, include $2 million to promote
astronomy in Hawaii, $1.8 million for swine odor and manure management research in Iowa
and $190,000 for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming.
The plan would provide $400,000 to combat bullying at schools in Montana,
$2.2 million for the Center for Grape Genetics in Geneva, New York, and $381,000 for
music programs at the Lincoln Center in New York City.
The vast majority of lawmakers request the projects, including some who recently
left Capitol Hill to serve in the Obama administration. White House Chief of Staff Rahm
Emanuel, a former Democratic congressman from Chicago, secured $900,000 in the
omnibus bill for the city’s Adler Planetarium, $190,000 for its Children’s Memorial
Research Center and $95,000 for the Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago.
Talk about being in the hole!
Here's what it looks like to live in a Cave near St. Louis.
Click on the pic to see the auction.
You've heard of a homeowner being underwater -- but how about underground?
Curt and Deborah Sleeper want to sell their underground house. The home is
built inside a cave in suburban St. Louis. Of course, an underwater home refers
to house that's now worth less than its outstanding mortgage. The Sleepers have
put their three-bedroom cave home up for auction on eBay. Bidding starts at $300,000.
The Sleepers say they have a big balloon payment due and they haven't been able
to arrange new financing. They add they might not sell if they're able to get a
new loan for their cave.
Look who's back!
Tiger Woods takes to the links tomorrow after many months off
for knee surgery. We'll have a preview.
And reaction to the speech.
President Obama addresses a joint session of Congress tonite. You'll
hear the speech live on KMBZ. Tomorrow, we'll recap it and see what Missouri
Senator Kit Bond and Congressman Dennis Moore think about it.
And the Oscar for best and worst dressed goes to....
Um...okay then.
Okay, so what do we know about fashion? Click on Goldie to see
a gallery of some of the best and worst dressed from last night's
Oscars.
Who pierces a kitty?
A Pennsylvania dog groomer has been ordered to stand trial on animal
cruelty charges for selling "gothic kittens" with ear, neck, and tail piercings.
Holly Crawford's home outside Wilkes-Barre was raided Dec. 17 after
the county Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals got a tip. A prosecutor
says Crawford inflicted pain on the cats, which were listed for sale for
hundreds of dollars on the Internet. Crawford's attorney says state law says
nothing about piercing cats or docking their tails.
If you like dividends (and who doesn't)...
...Barron's is out with a list of stocks that might interest you. We talked about
it this morning. The big categories represented, drugs, cigs, food and cell phones.
Check out Barron's 20 Best Dividen Plays for 2009.
Retired? Not here.
He may have said he's hanging it up, but he's still with
us on Wendesdays at Kansas City's Morning News. So how
does Sam Donaldson think the Prez is doing, one month
into the new gig? Find out here.
------------------------------------------------
Politics, politics, politics.
If you search for "Sebelius telephone.."
on google images, this is one of the first pictures to come up!
Why? I have no idea. But the point of the picture was to find her on the
phone so we could run the headline, "Waiting for the Gov to call."
Governor Sebelius didn't make it onto the show this morning to talk about
the budget mess so we're waiting for her to call about tomorrow.
...Obama Cupcakes!
A double portrait of Presidents Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln
faces the prospect of being eaten away -- not by the ravages of time,
but by visitors to the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington.
Created by artist Zilly Rosen, the portrait titled "A New Birth of Freedom,''
is made of more than 5,600 yellow cupcakes with different colored icing.
The 9-foot by 15-foot portrait is on display at the museum.
The public is invited to "de-install'' the portrait by eating the cupcakes.
C'mon! It's not what you think!
This picture outta the skies of Wichita has some thinking we
really might not be alone. The amateur photographer got a picture
of SOMETHING in the sky near Rose Hill, Kansas. He says it came
out of the clouds really fast then went back upward like a jet and disappeared.
Boeing in Wichita says it can't identify the aircraft. McConnell Air FOrce base wouldn't comment.
Duh?
Would he look like this after 200 years?
Couldn't resist when we found this picture. Abe Lincoln would be
200 years old today and his legacy lives on, perhaps more than any
other former President of the United States. Here's our talk about his
life and legacy with historian Jon Earle of the Dole Institute.
And it just keeps getting better!
Check out today's other podcasts. Click on the pic!
It's quintuple podcast Wednesday!
Click the ipods to get to the podcasts, and settle in 'cuz you don't
wanna skip any of these:
-We could be in Iraq for another half-decade or more? That's what Thomas Ricks thinks.
-Ann Compton, once again, with great insights into what the White House is thinking
as this financial crisis continues.
-Charles Herman tried to fill in the blanks that the Treasury Sec'y didn't (resulting in a
massive market drop).
-GM and Ford aren't outta the woods in KC, if you go by John Stoll of the WSJ.
-And Sam Donaldson talks cheerleader-in-chief.
Cute as a Stump!
We love aminals at Kansas City's Morning News with E.J. and Ellen.
Little known (and potentually untrue) fact that Ellen actually took
this week off to watch the Westminster Dog Show and no doubt, she
was thrilled with the outcome:
This old dog taught Westminster a new trick. At 10, a Sussex spaniel called
Stump became the oldest best in show winner at America’s top canine
competition, coming out of retirement last week and taking the big prize Tuesday night.
Stump won the sporting group at Westminster in 2004, then went into retirement.
Soon after, he nearly wasted away and spent 19 days in a pet hospital. Once he recovered,
Stump mostly spent his days hanging out with Sommer, living a dog’s life.
That was more than fine with Sommer. He’d handled a great Bichon Frise called J.R.
to the best in show at Westminster in 2001, and wasn’t looking for Stump to try again.
...highlights from a rockin' Tuesday show!
Bill Lacy, Wayne Klotz (the big-dog civil engineer) and Charles Herman.
Don't miss'em.
Tomorrow morning...
In-depth on the cuts at GM and some speculation about Claycomo
Sam Donaldson will join E.J. and Ellen
And a look at the last three years in Iraq...what a difference a surge makes.
And of course... more Love from Christopher Elbow.
...with stimulation. Claire McCaskill
on the stimulus package.
Check out the podcast of our by clicking on the pic.
And that's not all.
We talked to the lady who oversees the spending of those tarp funds,
to ABC's Ann Compton and somewhere in there, we interrupted
Ellen's vacation to wish her Happy Birthday. All of it, is right here.
Honk if you know what's wrong
with this picture! Zombies, on the Interstate? Despite a traffic warning sign on I-255 east of St. Louis,
zombies really aren't on the loose. But hackers are. Pranksters have been messing
with electronic warning signs. The latest incident came during Tuesday's morning
rush. The sign was altered to read: "DAILY LANE CLOSURES DUE TO ZOMBIES.''
Transportation officials warn such pranks can distract drivers and endanger road crews.
Sign hacking is also a misdemeanor.
Listen to this!
Tylenol, the White House and the Chiefs all part of the show this morning.
You can hear what you missed by clicking on the headphones.
Hey look...
...kitty tower!
We've been talking about the kitty tower this morning because of its odd
connection to the kansas city federal reserve. Find out more on E.J.'s
blog!
Job interview? Show no weakness!
What's that one question that can kill you in any interview? Joann
Lublin talks about it with E.J. and Ellen.
Also in podcasting news...
Ann Compton, Sam Donaldson and Melanie Sloan on the scandals at the White House.
Phil was hungover?
Superbowl party leads to 6 more weeks of winter.
Groundhog day, once again. And just like in the movies, it's the same thing
all over. ABC's Dan Gura was in PA and tells E.J. and Ellen that Old Man
Winter isn't done just yet.
TGIF people!
What a week!
And layoffs were a big part of it. We talked about them this morning on the
week in review. Hear it here along with Charles' Herman's update on the
economy.
Super Sunday is almost here. Check out our preview here and if you missed it, you can also listen
to Johnny Avello talk about some of the odd bets you can place on the game.
Podcasts you can bet on!
These podcasts are golden! Crazy stuff to bet on for the Superbowl
and the latest on the economy including a tax credit that might make you
wanna reconsider buying a house! Click the ipod and away we go!
Keystone cops? No! Dumb escapees! Check out these morons in New Zealand!
----------------------------------------------
Money, money, money!
Podcastoriffic stuff about your money!
Peter Coy of Business Week, Bob O'Brien of Barron's and Charles Herman
of ABC News on zombies, Sprint and everything else money. Click the Ipods.
As part of our continuing coverage of the start of Barack Obama's presidency,
Kansas City's Morning News with E.J. and Ellen is set to bring you unparalleld
coverage of all of the festivities in Washington D.C. Our Bill Gallo is leading our
coverage from Washington D.C. Here's what he told us on Monday morning.
On Sunday, Bill was on the Mall in D.C. for the We Are One concert even. Here are
a few pics and Bill's thoughts:
It took almost 2 hours for me to get through security, as I didn't have tickets for the "We are One" concert at the Lincoln Memorial. Once we got in, we were as tight as sardines. But it was worth it to see stars like Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks and Garth Brooks (as seen in this picture). Garth actually got the crowd going more than any other performer (except Obama, of course).
Although the National Park Police don't do official crowd estimates anymore (they were heavily critized after allegedly screwing up the crowd size at the "Million Man March" in 1995), local officials estimate that between 400,000 and 500,000 people attended yesterday's concert at the Lincoln Memorial. This view is looking back toward the Washington Monument, where people gathered after the first section near the stage filled up.
There's been talk that there won't be enough porta-potties for the estimated 2 million people attending the Inauguration on Tuesday. But at the concert on Saturday, there seemed to be enough.
The public transportation system in DC is superb. The "Metro" is clean, accessible, and very very very busy. It's how I've been getting around in the District. Transit officials have extended the hours into the wee hours of the morning in order to help traffic flow more smoothly.
We also talked with ABC's Ann Compton and Aaron Katersky about the preparations for tomorrow's swearing in. You can hear everything right here.
Much appreciated! Yeah, right!
They spoke once directly, and more via the Gov's chief of staff. But all Blago
apparently got outta Rahm was appreciation. So will the connections to the
new Obama administration end here? ABC's Steve Roberts talks about
the scandal in Illinois and it's tentacles.
Open mouth...insert foot....
Chances are you'll meet a friend or a family member over the holidays who
will be without a job because of the economy. What in the world do you say
to them? E.J. and Ellen talk about the options with Ellen....
...And all through the IPod.... Scott Parks talks politics and his love for Celine Dion. Charles Herman with the latest on the auto bailout and the economy.
.
It's Wednesday. That means: Powerball, burnt ends...and Glenn Beck!
The Christmas Sweater, Glenn's latest stage show goes live across the nation tonite
at cinemas everywhere. Above, a video of one of the rehearsals for the show. And right here is our talk with Glenn about the book and the production.
What will Wall Street bring today?
ABC's Charles Herman talks about yesterday's big Fed rate cut and where
we go from here.
Let it...
Somebody break out the sled. It's go-time! Up to date news, weather and traffic
all morning long because of the snowy weather and throughout the day on KMBZ.
What do the Chiefs and
the economy have in common?
They're both podcastastic. QB Damon Huard talks about the departure of Carl Peterson. Charles Herman has the latest on the economy.
Aloha Kansas City!
Apparently the travel industry is feeling the pinch. From airfare to hotel rooms, prices
are headed south (unlike those of us without Florida timeshares). Genevieve Brown
with Travelocity says go get your deals NOW.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
It really doesn't... but oh if it did!
The economy and your money continue to be the hot topics...from the auto
bailout, to Madoff to credit card debt. We've gotcha covered with the host of
KMBZ's The Bottom Line, Randy Hallier and ABC's business editor Charles
Herman.
It's Friday so let's get to it!!!! E.J. and Ellen's Rundown:
Auto bailout -- gridlocked?
Will we wake up next week with a solution to the auto industry's trouble?
And who will have to give in to make it happen? This week in review is all
about the auto industry, the implications and what needs to happen next.
And while you're at it....
Check out the rest of this morning's podcasts.
E.J. and Ellen go to the dogs, Thursday 4 December 2008
Cesar joins our pack.
Cesar Millan talks about finding that perfect puppy for under the tree. Or in front
of the fireplace. Wait it's in the kitchen now! Oooh and it's doing it's thing! CESAR!!!!!!!!
We know Detroit is burning...
But will Congress show up to douse the flames? Vic Ratner's on the Hill today watching and listening to the Big 3 hearings. ABC Biz Editor Charles Herman's paying attention as well. Can the Big 3
scare Congress into action?
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown of love, Wednesday 3 December 2008
We're Americans...and it's killing us.
Okay, a little dramatic? Maybe, but the United Health Foundation is out with
it's 19th annual America's Health Rankings and we continue to decline.
Dr. Manuel Selva talked about the trends with E.J. and Ellen this morning. Hear
it here.
Hey, it could be worse!
The markets opened lower this morning after a rally on Tuesday. Sometimes it
seems futile to ask why, but we do. And we will continue to until we're through
this mess. And then we may ask some more. Here's our daily update with
Charles Herman.
Blame the 7 swans-a-swimming!
The Christmas Price Index (the actual cost of everything in the 12 Days of
Christmas, purchased each day as in the song) went up by 11 percent this year.
And it's all for the birds! Bill Stone of PNC Wealth Management has the details
with E.J. and Ellen.
GMA gets Funky. In his latest mammy-gate-, volunteer ordinance-, sparring-with-the-city-coucil-induced
national appearance, Mark Funkhouser made it onto GMA this morning with his wife
at his side. Click on the pic and see interview for yourself.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Tuesday, 25 November 2008
They're doing what?????
The "for sale" part of that sign oughta read "move on in!" A group in Miami called
"Take back the land" is moving people thrown out of their homes into empty homes
that have been foreclosed on. It's an interesting and odd story. ABC's Matt Gutman has the details.
Lezak hears voices...of old man winter!
Gary's winter forecast is out and while it doesn't sound like things will be as
bad as they are in this picture...we could still be in for a wild ride! Hear Gary's
Winter Forecast right here!
And of course...
It's not a morning without money and politics. Bill Lacy of the Dole Institute at KU talks
politics while Charles Herman, biz editor at ABC, handles the money! Hear them both here.
Obama is all about going green!
And with the economy the way it is, he wants as much green to be spread around as possible.
The Prez-elect is talking stimulus in the hundreds of billions of dollars and at the same time
showing off his economic team.
The WSJ gets Funky.
Mayor Funkhouser's made his appearance in the Wall Street Journal thanks to the
volunteer scandal at city hall and there's only one place you'll hear from the author.
It was 45 years ago Saturday that John F. Kennedy was killed in Dallas. Eric Bushman's series "Debunking the Bullet" takes a look back and a look at new evidence in the case.
Former rivals John McCain and Barack Obama met yesterday in Chicago to talk about
how they can work together now that Obama's gonna be Prez. ABC's Ann Compton
tells us what happened.
Bush 41 comes to the Dole.
Former President George H.W. Bush faced a few hecklers yesterday at the University of Kansas. During a speech to accept the 2008 Dole Leadership Prize, he reminisced about his career and reflected on the economic and international issues dominating the end of his son's presidency.
Both Ann Compton and Steve Roberts talked about Bush 41 as well when we discussed
the latest on the transition to the Obama administration. You can hear those comments
here.
It's FRIDAY! That means week in review.
And the wreck that is the global auto industry was a big part of the
discussion. Check it out right here.
Guess who came to dinner!
The incoming and outgoing veeps got together last night to check out where Joe
Biden will be living for the next 4 years. ABC's Pam Coulter has more on the fireworks.
Politics and Money
"Finance is a gun. Politics is knowing when to pull ze trigger." -Don Lucchesi
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Thursday (hooray) 13 November 2008
The economy: where do we go from here?
We put that question to a bunch of folks this morning in light of the shift in plans
by the treasury secretary, the continuing problems with the auto industry and the overall economy.
Check these out:
Obama and the military. A new administration. Will it bring a new approach to the wars we're fighting? Listen
closely to what Retired 4-star Jack Keane has to say. May make you wonder if
the time for timelines passed once the election was over.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Wednesday 12 November 2008
A Peruvian pooch for the Prez?
Peru has a nomination for the new first dog. President-elect Obama promised
his two young daughters a puppy when they move into the White House. At a
recent news conference, Obama said he prefers a pooch that won't aggravate
his daughter Malia's allergies. So, how about a Peruvian hairless dog? The Friends
of the Peruvian Hairless Dog Association is offering the new first family a
4-month-old pup. The breed is completely bald and older than the Incas.
To bail, or not to bail? That's the question as the auto industry gets nervous.
Congress wants a bailout of the auto industry. The Prez wants strings attached. And you,
judging by your calls, texts and emails during the show this morning, you're not happy about
the prospect of another bailout...not happy at all. Pam Coulter and Charles Herman
have the latest as they talk with E.J. and Ellen.
When you sneeze, google forwards the cold!
The search giant is helping the government track the flu. How? Why? Find out here as E.J.
and Ellen talk to ABC's Jim Hickey.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Tuesday 11 November 2008
Remember!
The American Cemetery overlooks Omaha beach in Normandy.
Thousands of Americans gave their lives here to free Europe and
may who survived did so because of the efforts of the 77th Evacuation
Hospital unit. It was set up at Utah beach soon after D-Day and led by
30 docs and 50 or so nurses from KU Med. Dan Ginivan has
produced a new film about the unit and he talked about it with us
earlier today.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Monday, 10 November 2008
Was Biden right? Is the test coming?
Reports out of Britain about the coming threat! And they say it will be worse than September
11th. ABC's Linda Albin has more details.
Obama meets Bush. And he has the hat for it.
The Prez-elect meets the Prez today at the White House. No doubt terror and the
economy will be top of mind. ABC's Steve Roberts talks about both.
Statin drugs...the good, the bad and the skinny.
A new study says that Statin drugs can reduce heart attacks, strokes and other heart problems that can kill you. But is there more to the story and do we know what it is? ABC News Medical Consultant Dr. Marie Savard has the skinny on the potentially good and bad news.
Make a difference: Coats for kids!
And it's time again to help children across the metro area. Find out all you need know about
Coats for Kids 2008 here and here's Theresa Van Goethem who runs the program for
the KCK schools! Please help us make a difference.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Friday 7 November 2008
Just too Funky!
The fight over the volunteer ordinance is far from over.
KC's mayor is getting all legal and stuff. He's taking on the measure passed by
the city council...the one that keeps his wife from volunteering in his office. Our
Bill Grady was one of 4 reporters who talked to the mayor about the case and
Bill talked with us during the week in review.
Also on the week in review, we talked about the election with presidential historian
Jonathon Earle, Scott Parks and Steve Glorioso. And Jordan Goodman joined us
to talk about the economy.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Thursday, 6 Ocotber 2008
Time to get moving!
President-elect Barack Obama hasn't been celebrating, all reports indicate, he's working on
making the transition from campaign to administration. He gets an intel briefing this morning
and will no doubt continue to the process of filling the most important posts in his admin.
As for the rest of the transition, former McCain advisor Torie Clark spoke with us along with ABC's Ann
Compton and Pam Coulter. You can catch the podcasts here.
Oh...and you may remember from our Day at the Dole (scroll down) the KU freshman who was undecided and running for the state house of representatives? Tyler Holmes joined us this morning to talk about his run, what he learned and who he eventually voted for!
Seriously?
Just one hole-in-one isn't enough for golfer Curt Hocker. The Central Illinois amateur duffer
has sunk five aces in the last week, including two on Saturday. That brings his total to seven
for the year. Hocker says he doesn't know what to think. He adds every time he feels his
streak is over, he gets another hole-in-one. Buddy and pro Steve Fulton says Hocker's luck
is "incomprehensible.''
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, The Day After!
President-elect(ed)!
Barack Obama's victory speech from Grant Park.
And the morning after, in-depth coverage of the election continues with...
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown on the day before Election 2008!
After 1 year 364 days, it's all come down to this. Obama and McCain both begin the day in Florida by the end Senator Obama will
be in Indy, Senator McCain will still be on the move. He's doing 7 stops in 7 states today.
On election day...
You expect and you'll get in-depth team coverage. We'll hear live from the campaigns
and from the sites where the candidates will await the results. We'll be live at the polls
and of course we'll have live coverage of the returns all night from the Applebee's at
95th and Quivira. We'll see you there!
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Thursday 30 October 2008
Questions for the Candidates
Today, the race for the 6th district congressional seat in Missouri.
Former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes and incumbent Congressman Same Graves
taking your questions. Check out the podcasts.
And on the road to the White House... The talk is about last night's Obamamercial.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Wednesday 29 October 2008
So many questions, so little time!
This morning, answering "Questions for the Candidates," KS 2nd district incumbent Nancy
Boyda and her challenger, KS state treasurer Lynn Jenkins. You can hear their
interviews with E.J. and Ellen here.
...and from the trail....
Everybody's in Florida trying to grab votes there today. Barack Obama will go prime time tonite
with a half-hour infomercial. And John McCain's hangin' with Joe the plumber!
One week and counting!
With one week to go until election 2008, the candidates have announced plans to
return to Missouri. Meanwhile, they continue to concentrate on Ohio, PA and Florida.
As the Road to the White House winds through a sea of red, blue and purple
toward Pennsylvania Avenue, we continue to bring you in-depth team coverage.
ABC's Ann Compton is with the Obama campaign. Vic Ratner is with John McCain.
And Steve Roberts has his own take on the race. Hear them all here.
Questions for the candidates. Today is Missouri Governor's Day. Congressman Kenny Hulshof takes questions
for the candidates. Hear his answers here! Attorney General Jay Nixon did not accept
our invitation to take questions on the show.
Kansas City's Morning News -- The Day at the Dole. Here's a a variety of pix from our Day at the Dole Institute of Politics on Thursday, 23 October 2008. For the first time, we took the entire morning show on the road for a live broadcast. It included in-depth interviews with political and media experts from around the country as well as two townhall meetings -- one with community members and listeners and the other with students from the University of Kansas! CLICK HERE TO SEE THE GALLERY.
-
LIVE from the Dole Institute of Politics!!
We are live this morning from the Dole Institute of Politics on the campus of the
University of Kansas. Kansas City's Morning News has teamed up with the
institute to bring you an in-depth look at the 2008 election that you'll only hear here.
The topics this morning: political strategy with Republican strategist and one of VP Dick
Cheney's top advisors Mary Matalin. The media and politics with Chuck DeFeo of Townhall.com
and former DNC spokesman Terry Michael. Technology and the election wth Ray Strother,
democratic fellow at the Dole Institute. The youth and politics with Burdette Loomis, KU poly sci
prof. And energy policy with former energy secretary Spencer Abraham.
Once we hear from the experts, it's your turn. We're holding a townhall meeting that
includes community members and listeners and another one exclusively for for KU students.
The road to the White House heads for home... With two weeks left until election day, we were joined by several folks this morning
on the road to the White House.
Show us the money!
The White House is said to be considering going along with a new stimulus package.
Congress wants to do it one way and the White House wants it another. So will
it happen? ABC's Ann Compton talked about it with us this morning.
Watching what we spend!
The cover story on Business week is about The New Frugality: how folks who don't need to, are pinching pennies and scaling back their credit-driven lifestyles. Steve Hamm wrote the article and goes in-depth on frugality and how it's popping up in some unusual places.
Obama's Colin is clear!
Colin Powell, the retired general and former Sec State made it official on Sunday. He's voting for
Barack Obama. Surprise? Final nail in the coffin? Or was it just a matter of time? Here's what ABC's Steve Roberts thinks.
(Ding! ding!) The Final Round.
Will anyone score a knockout punch? The third and final debate of the race will be held tonite.
Of course, you'll hear it here live on KMBZ during 980 Live with Darla Jaye. And we'll get you
the previews and post-debate analysis right here on Kansas City's Morning news.
Up, up and away for the holidays?
Are there still travel deals out there for the holidays? With falling oil prices and the economic
slowdown, you'd think so.
The Dow took it's biggest leap ever on Monday, rising 936 points on hopes that
the government resuce plan (formerly called the bailout) would soon take hold.
Foreign markets have followed suit.
Senator McCain will announce his ideas for the economy today, a day after Senator Obama did the same and following the President's remarks on the bailout/rescue plan.
Really...who is this guy?
Actually...I'm just doing this to humor Ellen.
Neel Kashkari, heading up the bailout for the treasury department...OR...
...is he the guy who played Imhotep from the Mummy movie.
Ellen is convinced there's a consiparcy here somewhere.
Regardless, Neel's getting alot of attention because of his age...35...and his massive responsibility...heading up the rescue plan for our economy. Both ABC's Biz Editor Charles Herman and White House correspondent Ann Compton talk about him. Hear the podcasts here.
It may only be the middle of October, but it's already time to...
In Johnson County, voting is about to get underway...weeks before election day. And, can the McCain campaign turn it around in time?
Bill Adair joined us this morning to talk about the latest debate, the stump speeches
and the political commercials. As the St. Petersburg Times' Washington Bureau Chief and
editor of politifact.com, he and his staff put the claims to the test on the truth-o-meter.
The host of The Radio Factor (heard here weekdays from 2-4 pm) joined us this
morning to talk about the race for the White House and his new book. Here's the podcast.
Forget last night's debate! Check out Beth and KJ!
Our listener debate panel got together again this morning to talk about last night's
presidential debate. We talked about the bailout and healthcare...and boy did we talk
about health care. Here's the entire panel discussion with Beth Donovan, Sam Kane and
KJ Turner. Here's the photo gallery.And here is the podcast...be ready...it gets loud!
On e.j.'s blog, we try to highlight the moments that happen off-air...the ones you don't get to hear.
It was one of those discussions that led to the fireworks during this morning's panel. Get the inside scoop right here.
Will the markets continue to see red? Differing opinions among this morning's guests!
The economy and its effect on the presidential race were the hot topics this morning...so of course, that's what we were talking about. Here's what the experts have to say:
Riding the economic rollercoaster!
Another huge drop on the street Monday but things weren't quite as bad in Asia and
Europe this morning (at least so far). Jeff Bell's working the economy story this morning
at the top and bottom of every hour here on Kansas City's Morning News.
A project-based charter school in Kansas City has suspended a teacher because of a classroom project that provoked criticism about political bias in the classroom. The video depicts middle school students at the Urban Community Leadership Academy on Paseo doing a chant and drill-team-like march on behalf of Barack Obama. When it was posted on YouTube recently, it drew negative comment on blog sites, with concerns expressed about taxpayer money supporting political preference. The school's board will conduct a hearing for the suspended teacher before deciding his fate. The video was made last May, apparently with the Obama-vs-Clinton primary in mind.
Liar! Crook! Terrorist associater!
Ahhhh...the dirty debate continues....
Debate number 2 is tonite and you'll hear it live here on Newsradio 980 KMBZ. In the meantime, the campaigns are getting really dirty, with Obama and McCain calling each other names and implying all sortsa stuff about their previous associations with various shady characters.
If you missed it... Today's podcasts from Kansas City's Morning News run the gamut...from Chiefs
to the economy. From Sam Graves to the beginning of the end in the presidential race?
Earlier today in a radio-exclusive, Presidential nominee and Senator John McCain
talked with E.J. and Ellen about a wide variety of topics on the road to the White House.
Among those topics, the story that Gwen Ifill is about to release a book about
Barack Obama. The story comes as Ifill prepares to host the VP debate.
Here's an excerpt from the interview where the Senator is clearly caught
off-guard by word of the book.
You can hear the complete interview starting tomorrow morning on Kansas
City's Morning News with E.J. and Ellen.
Straight talkin' in Kansas City.
Senator McCain reacts to word from his staff that the interview with E.J. and Ellen is "a go!"
Republican President-wanna-be John McCain is in town today. He'll be speaking at the Truman Library later this morning. After that appearance, the campaign tells us he will talk with E.J. and Ellen in an interview you'll hear tomorrow morning on Kansas City's Morning News. Of course, the campaign also tells us that if something changes or the Senator has to high-tail it back to D.C., we may have to change the interview date.
Dennis Moore talks bailout/rescue...
The Kansas Congressman joined E.J. and Ellen to talk about his bailout vote and what needs to happen next. Hear their conversation here.
Debating the debate! John McCain and Barack Obama went at it on Friday evening. This morning, our panel of listeners went at it. K.J. Turner, Sam Kane and Beth Donovan joined E.J. and Ellen to talk about the debate, their impressions and the sway-factor. Hear the first of our four debate panels here or by clicking on the picture above.
E.J. & Ellen's Rundown, Wednesday, 24 September 08
$700 billion? Not necessary...at least in some opinions!
Henry Paulson says 700 billion, right now! Economist Brian Wesbury is one of the folks talking about an alternative that would not involve such a massive bailout...rather a limted change to accounting rules. Here's his written take on things and here's our conversation with him.
Ripoff artist or news anchor with style?
A Maine TV news anchor who bears a resemblance to the Republican vice presidential nominee says she's been getting "hate mail and nasty phone calls'' from viewers who think she's trying to copy Sarah Palin's signature style. Cindy Michaels from WVII-TV has long brown hair that she sometimes wears up in a style similar to Palin's, and she also wears glasses on occasion. Michaels says viewers recently began accusing her of trying to copy Palin's style or, worse, somehow trying to subliminally sway votes. While smarting over accusations of bias, Michaels says she's generally flattered by the comparisons to Palin. Michaels describes her as a "beautiful woman.''
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Tuesday 23 September 2008
Backing up on who backs up the backup....
The Chiefs' head coach Herm Edwards, said to be weighing his options when it comes to the quarterback this weekend. Will it be Damon Huard or Tyler Thigpen? We may know later today or maybe Herm will wait until after his weekly press conference when all the mics aren't pointed in his direction. We'll see.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Monday, 22 September 2008
So if you're a Kansas City sports fan, THINK HOCKEY! We can't lose!
Hockey comes to the Sprint Center tonite...so we can try to forget about another Chiefs loss and the Royals closing out the home season with a loser to the ChiSox. Josh is covering all things sports this morning and we have updates in our news and information updates at the top and bottom of every hour.
When the big names talk...you'll hear them here!
If you missed it this morning, former DNC chair and former Hillary campaign boss Terry McAuliffe and former Bush admin insider Dan Bartlett were on talking about the current financial crisis and the race for the White House. Here's their talk with E.J. and Ellen... Thursday, they're speaking at JCCC. More info on that event, here.
If money and politics were ever linked...
It's now...with the financial crisis. How are they getting along with each other? ABC's Steve Roberts fills us in.
End of an Era.
Mark, who "flies the plane" during Kansas City's Morning News is wearing a black armband today, now that Yankee Stadium has hosted its last game. But, there's next year and a new stadium with plenty of luxury boxes! Here is one of my favorite pictures from the bleachers of old Yankee Stadium. (copyright e.j. 2006. don't even think about using it!)
-------------------------------------------------
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, 19 September 2008
It's Friday!
'Nuf said.
Alot to do this weekend in KC!
Of course there's the Plaza Art Fair. And tonite at the zoo, Save Inc. is having a big fundraiser to help support its housing programs. More info on tonite's event is right here.
Once again, the big names talk to E.J. and Ellen
She's on the stump for Barack Obama but she's a big name all by herself. Madeline Albright was in town this week to prop up Senator O's foreign policy credentials during a speech at UMKC. And she talked with us about the financial crisis, foreign affairs and the Senator who would be prez.
Wacky, Wild Wall Street
After another 400+ point loss on Wednesday, the markets are looking for a reason to bounce back. That may come as the Fed and European Central Banks pump money into the worldwide economy, trying to spur lending in the banking sector. Our Eric Bushman is working the story this morning and ABC's Charles Herman talked about it with us.
Senator Kit Bond is trying to work with the Fed and the Treasury Department to set up some regs for lending, especially where consumers are involved. He talked about it with us.
Can she change minds?
Madeline Albright, President Clinton's Sec State, is in town stumping for Barack Obama today. She's speaking about foreign policy at UMKC. She's also scheduled to join us tomorrow morning on Kansas City's Morning News.
O.J., on the rocks.
The O.J. trial continues out in Las Vegas. On the stand again today, the detective who has led the robbery investigation. This is also the guy who managed to get the tape of the confrontation that has led to O.J.'s latest arrest and the lastest charges that could land him in prison for life...again.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Friday, 12 September 2008
IT'S RED FRIDAY KANSAS CITY Jeff Bell's out seeing red this morning as the city gears up for its first big tailgate and homegame of the season.
Friday means: Roundtable! But this week, no horses on the screen in the background. This is an old picture.
The week in review roundtable this week welcomes Mike Shanin from Shanin and Parks, Jackson County exec Mike Sanders, Steve Penn from the Star and ABC's Torie Clarke to talk politics. Chris Kuehl of Armada Corporate Intelligence talks money and takes your questions in the second half.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Thursday, September 11th, 2008
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Biden time with E.J. and Ellen
The democratic VP hopeful Joe Biden gave us an exclusive interview on Tuesday and you're hearing it all morning long on Kansas City's Morning News. After the show, you'll also find it here!
E-voting's time has come...and gone?
Jeff Bell's working the story of an email hoax this morning that warns if you don't cast your Johnson County ballot in less than 2 1/2 minutes, it won't count. JoCo elex leaders say you can cast that thought away. Hear Jeff's reports at the top and bottom of every hour this morning on Kansas City's Morning News.
New Nano
Apple's out with a bunch'a new ipod colors and the shape is different too. If you look at the end, it's oval now...not square. Prices are nothing new. The more the RAM, the bigger the bite Apple takes outta your wallet.
Today's Palin pic!
Hey, who says it has to be Sarah Palin? Michael Palin became famous with Monty Python long before Sarah Palin was killing mooses (or is it meese?).
Snakebit?! .
Herm thinks so. 3 injuries in 7 games and once again the backup QB is back in the game. That has Herm Edwards thinking. He tells the Star that "availability always weighs into every decision you make as a football coach." The team's apparently set to workout some other QB's today as potential fill-ins but reports appear to indicate that the team's committment to Croyle is steady.
"Sit Down!"
T. Boone Pickens, in town yesterday for the Newsradio 980 KMBZ Business Forum AND IT WAS GREAT. He spoke and took questions for an hour, talking about energy independence and talking about how politicians don't listen. Perhaps one of the most insightful comments was that in America, we wait for things to go wrong before we fix them even though we knew the trouble was coming. We asked Billl Greiner of UMB Bank about that this morning when we talked about the mortgage market and credit crunch.
One of the most memorable moments of the luncheon (other than his remarks about the failings of dry-erase markers) was when he yelled at Ellen to "sit down." She was just doing her job! Hear the business forum here.
How do you solve a problem like Maria Sarah?
That's the question the Obama campaign is tossing around as Alaska Governor and VP wanna-be Sarah Palin continues to draw huge crowds and huge support. Their dilema...how to point out what they perceive to be the Gov's weaknesses while not alienating female voters and others who may be on the fence and still within reach. ABC's Ann Compton talked about just that issue with us this morning.
Drink up!
Talk about a Big Mac attack! Don Gorske says he's eaten 23,000 Big Macs in 36 years. The Wisconsin prison employee says he has every burger receipt to prove it. Gorske's Big Mac obsession began in May of 1972 when he got his first car. He's eaten a Big Mac every day since, except on the day his mother died.
Voters in Vermont go to the polls today for a primary. But elections officials hope they don't see any votes for Mickey Mouse, Madonna or Bart Simpson. Manchester Town Clerk Linda Spence says some voters might think the joke write-ins are funny. But she says it wastes the taxpayers' money. Officials say the write-in ballots have to be counted by hand, which can be an expensive and time-consuming process.
It's an experience more than a few of us have had: you buy an expensive new phone with all the bells and whistles. But since you don't know how to use all the features, you end up with a costly basic phone that can do a whole lot more that you let it. Sprint Nextel is trying to change that. It has created a formal program to make store employees explain the devices and set them up for you when you go into a store to buy them. The campaign kicks off today. It's the first official arrangement by a cell phone carrier to make sure customers know how the use the phones they bought.
Russian prosecutors say an episode of South Park is extremist and have issued a warning to a Russian TV station that broadcast it. The Prosecutor General's Office says investigators have concluded that the episode of the cartoon show "offends the honor and dignity of Christians and Muslims and insults the feelings of believers irrespective of their faith.''
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, 8 September 2008
If you were John McCain, where would you stay? The straight talk express was planted right outside the Hilton President last evening when the motorcade rolled up, dripping with sauce from Arthur Bryant's. And next thing you knew, there they were.
The ticket was kind enough to take a picture with Liam and Collin Elder (no relation to Matt) and John Matulis and shake hands briefly with their parents. There were secret service folks EVERYWHERE and plenty of KCPD. E.J. stuck around the Drum Room for a few minutes to see if anyone recognizable would show...but no soap.
The Straight Talk Express will deliver Senator McCain and Governor Palin to Lee's Summit later this morning. Jeff Bell's setting up the day's visit and Bill Grady will be live with the candidates today.
Steve Roberts, Vic Ratner and Ann Compton, all from ABC are also part of our coverage of the Road to the White House. Hear their interviews here.
Close...but "close" is not enough.
The chiefs were in a position to win at the end of the game, but couldn't get it done in the VERY red zone. In-depth with Roger Twibell, right here.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Thursday, 4 September 2008
Apparently she's not Palin in comparison! (photo from Getty Images) (Is that Bill Clinton down there to the right?)
Sarah Palin apparently made quite a splash last night with her speech accepting the Vice Presidential nomination in St. Paul. In introducing her family, talking about John McCain, taking jabs at her dem opponents and talking policy, she was greeted with repeated, indeed sometimes thunderous applause. Our Scott Parks is in St. Paul covering the convention and says Palin's speech is up there among the best of any delivered at either convention.
(photo from Reuters)
At the end of the speech, her family joined her on stage as did John McCain. He takes to the stage tonite to accept the nomination and then it's on the road again!
(H)OOPS!
Former Kansas stars Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur were sent home yesterday from the NBA's mandatory rookie transition program for violating unspecified league rules. Officials from the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzles didn't divulge the reasons for the departures, BUT ESPN reports the guys, attending the program which educates rookies on some of the potential trappings of the job (like drugs, the entourage, etc.), were caught with funny weed and women. They could face suspension and thousands in fines before they even take the court for the first time.
Volunteer no more! Mayor Mark Funkhouser wants a 60 day cooling off period ! The mayor told reporters he'd like city council to put a new volunteer policy on hold . If approved, it would ban his wife Gloria Squitiro from volunteering in his office. The mayor also says she's a personal assistant, not a volunteer.
Drink up!
Here's some stuff from the lighter side this morning....
Mistake one: Using a stolen credit card. Mistake two: Signing your own name on the receipts. Police in Iowa City report they didn't have much trouble finding the guy accused of using some stolen plastic -- because he signed his real name when using the card. Officers charge Kody Merrival bought a latte at a coffee house and smokes at a tobacco store with the charge card taken from an unlocked apartment.
Microsoft is cutting the price of the Xbox 360. Beginning tomorrow, the Xbox 360 Arcade will sell for $200 rather than $250. The 60-gigabyte version will now sell for $300 instead of $350, and the Elite 360 will take a $50 price cut and sell for $400. Microsoft says in a statement, "History shows that more than 75 percent of all console sales happen after the price falls below the $200 mark.'' By comparison, the 80-gigabyte PlayStation 3 sells for $400, and the Wii retails for $250.
People attending the Democratic National Convention kept their phones super-busy while they were there. Verizon Wireless says its customers completed nearly 10 million more calls and data transmissions than normal during the convention in Denver last week. On Thursday, the day Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president, customers completed nearly 200,000 voice, messaging and data connections per hour. Verizon Wireless says that's 16 times the normal amount for that area on a typical weeknight.
Baseball's first use of instant replay backed an onfield call of a home run for Alex Rodriguez during the ninth inning of the New York Yankees game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The third-base umpire signaled a home run after A-Rod's two-run shot caromed off the catwalk behind the foul pole in left field. TheRays catcher protested the call and the umpires convened before leaving the field to check the replay on a monitor. It took 2 minutes, 15 seconds to uphold the homer that gave the Yankees an 8-3 lead.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Quite a catch!
And America will be watching tonite! So much reporting from the convention, so many comments from delegates and from listeners about how Sarah Palin is a great pick for VP, tonite she will make her case to the American people that she's the right catch for the McCain ticket.
The big payoff of last night's events came when Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman took to the stage to speak.
The best comment of the night had to be when Fred Thompson commented on Sarah Palin's ability to field dress a moose. That highlight and others from the night's speeches are right here.
Crossing NASCAR Summer is traditionally a time where blood donations drop so this year, the Red Cross has found a way to get it's message across quicky...very quicky.
NASCAR's #16 Greg Biffle is part of the Red Cross' push to get racing fans to donate blood. Find out more at www.redcrossracing.com and by listening to Greg with E.J. and Ellen.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Tuesday, 2 September 2008
It's a family affair.
Bristol Palin is off limits, at least to Barack Obama and his campaign. The democratic presidential nominee declared yesterday he would fire any member of his staff who tries to make political hay of the just-revealed pregancy of Sarah Palin's 17 year-old daughter.
Of course, the topic is not off-limits at the Republican National Convention. Indeed, it is THE STORY of the first day. not even Gustav could conquer Bristol.
So how will it play out for the Republican ticket? Did the McCain campaign really know about the pregnancy? Did they do a good enough job at looking into Sarah Palin's background? Does any of it matter? These are the questions we are posing to our political team this morning. Scott Parks is live from the RNC in St. Paul and Bill Lacy from KU's Dole Institute sort it out between 6 and 8 this morning. You can also hear the podcasts here .
Hi Ho!
Gustav is calling in help from around the country. Here you see crews from KCP&L heading south to help restore power to the million or so customers in the dark along the gulf coast. Governor Blunt is sending a total of 1300 National Guard troops down to help and the Kansas Guard has about 100 troops mobilizing from Olathe this morning. Jeff Bell and Bill Gallo are working this story this morning.
You sure you need to pay that medical bill? (graphic from Businessweek.com)
Medical bills you don't need to pay...they're the subject of a big Business Week article this week and of our talk with the author of the piece, Chad Terhune. Listen to it before you pay that next medical bill!
Plug in the water cooler...
Here are some of the off-beat stories we've been working on this morning:
As it continues to overtake the entire world, Google is set to release a web browser today to compete with internet explorer and firefox. Some are saying this move will turn the cold war between google and microsoft red hot. The browser called "Chrome" will apparently be open source so that developers can mess with it and try to make it better.
Curtis and Curran Carter have two centuries between them. The identical twins turned 100 last Friday and are among the oldest sets of twins in the country. They've spent their entire lives in southern Indiana and bought farms about a mile apart from each other. The Carter twins' 100th birthday even prompted an invitation to be on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno.'' But they refused. It turns out Curtis is afraid to fly.
Roz Savage has gotten to Hawaii the hard way -- by rowing. The British environmentalist is trying to become the first woman to row alone across the Pacific Ocean. She's now completed the initial leg of her epic voyage -- a 99-day, 2,900 mile row from San Francisco to the Hawaiian islands. Savage says she wants to raise awareness about plastic garbage polluting the ocean.
"Oh no! I didn't mean to delete that!'' New software from Diskeeper called "Undelete 2009'' may be able to help. "Undelete'' replaces the Windows recycle bin with a "recovery bin'' that captures data that Windows might miss. It recovers deleted digital photos and files, as well as "saved over'' versions of MicrosoftWord, Excel and Powerpoint. A free trial is available at www.undelete.com.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Labor Day, 1 September 2008
Before we get to today's news...TOMORROW MORNING...
That medical bill you've been looking at, you know the one where you know you paid your co-pay and the insurance paid its share, but the provider keeps hounding you? You probably don't have to pay it. Find out how to stop being bullied by the people who are supposed to help you. Kansas City's Morning News, tomorrow morning 5-9 on Newsradio 980 KMBZ.
Now, for today....
Gustav 1 - RNC 0
In New Orleans this morning, at least at 5:20a.m., they're cautiously optimistic that Gustav is heading far enough to the west that The Big Easy may be spared the worst of the storm.
In St. Paul, the pageantry has been done away with. The Republican Convention will open with a limited amount of business as all attention is turned toward Gustav and the Gulf Coast. Our Scott Parks says that First Lady Laura Bush and First Lady wanna-be Cindy McCain will speak at the convention this afternoon but beyond that, business is expected to be limited to the bare necessities.
You can hear our discussions of the potentially "stormy" political situation the republicans face right here. They feature Scott and ABC political analyst Steve Roberts. And you can check out all of our coverage from the Republican National Convention here. Scott Parks and Eric Bushman will be posting news updates, information, web-exclusive materials, pictures, video, interviews and oh so much more, all week long.
Until Sunday, there were preps underway for folks displaced from the Gulf Coast and Gustav to come to Kansas City. Kemper Arena was one possible destination. Some local hospitals could have taken patients as well. But now, those plans have changed. Jeff Bell is working that story at the top and bottom of every hour. Tune in to hear his live reports on Newsradio 980 KMBZ.
ABC's Jim Ryan was part of our in-depth coverage of Gustav as well, standing in the storm as it came toward New Orleans.
T's running out...and T stands for:
Time To get Tix for T. Boone!
Oil tycoon, author and now really windy guy T. Boone Pickens is the featured speaker at the next Newsradio 980 KMBZ Business Forum 2008 brought to you by UMB Bank. He speaks NEXT MONDAY so get your tickets NOW!
Speaking of oil...
Prices were up overnight in Asia because of hurricane Gustav. The rigs and refineries in the Gulf Coast region are shut down to ride out the storm. There are, of course, plenty of warnings that if there is damage or delays in reopening that the cost at the pump could continue to head back up after several weeks of price drops.
Look! Baby Panda!
Rule number one: always put pictures of cute, fluffy animals on your website whenever possible. Atlanta's giant panda family just got larger. A cub born Saturday night is the second offspring for Lun Lun and Yang Yang. Zoo spokeswoman Simone Griffin says the cub is the only one born at a U.S. zoo this year. It comes just a week before the second birthday of their cub Mei Lan. Keepers won't know the sex of the cub for a few weeks. They can't examine it until Lun Lun lets them touch her baby. Mother and cub won't appear in public for several months but can be viewed on the zoo's webcam.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Friday 29 August 2008
Really?! Who?
The AP says it's a done deal:
John McCain's campaign confirms that McCain has chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (PAY'-lin) to be his running mate. In an announcement, the campaign says Palin "has the record of reform and bipartisanship that others can only speak of.''
A historic nominating convention ended last night with Barack Obama accepting the democratic nomination and laying out a laundry list of things he wants to do as president. Now he and Joe Biden head to Pittsburgh today where they'll begin a bus tour through Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.
Both Mike Shanin and Scott Parks talked with us this morning about the historic nature of Barack Obama's speech last night. Was the Senator eloquent enough to woo Mike from his seemingly permanent place on the right side of the center line? Hey, the Eagles got back together didn't they?
Complete election coverage continues online at kmbz.com with more podcasts, web-exclusive content, pictures, blogs and if you dig deep enough, burnt ends might even pop out of the computer screen.
McCain takes a break to say congrats.
John McCain grabbed some headlines before Barack Obama's speech yesterday by releasing this ad congratulating his opponent on his achievement.
3 years later...deja vu! Katrina, meet Gustav. Oh..."hey there Hanna!"
Today marks three years since Katrina came ashore and changed New Orleans forever. It also marks another day of preparations in the Big Easy as worries mount that Gustav could show up in the next couple of days and do the same number on the city and surrounding areas. On the map, you can also see the wind predictions to the right...that's Hanna who right now appears to be tracking toward south Florida.
Joanna Boldt fled the 'Nawlins area three years ago and after surveying the destruction, decided not to rebuild there, rather she relocated here. She spoke on Kansas City's Morning News about the experience and has some advice for folks in Gustav's path.
His day has come! Last evening, in a heavily choreographed move, Hillary Clinton moved that Barack Obama be selected by acclamation as the Democratic Party's nominee for POTUS. Bill Clinton spoke last night, Joe Biden did too and as you see above Obama showed up on stage too...an unusual move as the nominee ususally doesn't appear until the acceptance speech. We talked about all of that with political analyst Torie Clark and ABC White House reporter Ann Compton. Tonite he will accept the nomination in Denver's Invesco field. Here's a sneak peak at the stage that some were calling "Greek" in nature yesterday...
...but now we're told it's meant to invoke the spirit of the Lincoln Memorial where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I have a dream" speech. Today is the anniversary of that speech. Supposedly the podium can raise and lower so we'll see if the Senator makes a rock-star entrance or just walks on stage.
Kansas City's best election coverage is on Kansas City's Morning News and Newsradio 980 KMBZ. In-depth coverage, analysis, pix, podcasts and web-exclusive content too. It's all right here.
And the nominee is...?
We're hearing that John McCain has decided who his VP nominee will be...
He's expected to announce his choice tomorrow morning in Dayton, Ohio. Supposedly only a handful of folks know who it will be and our Scott Parks, who is covering the convention live from Denver, suggests that with all the attention focused on Obama's speech tonite, there aren't any reporters chasing McCain and Co. trying to figure out who it is. Hear our talk with Scott here. Of course, as soon as we know, you will know. Stay tuned to Newsradio 980 KMBZ and check kmbz.com throughout the day.
There's so much content on this page to this point, it seems like time for traffic and weather together on the 9's. You get that, of course, every morning during Kansas City's Morning News with E.J. and Ellen.
Just so you know...tomorrow on the show...
We'll be wrapping up our coverage of the Democratic National Convention LIVE from Denver. In the week in review at 8 we'll recap the Dems and look ahead to the GOP party. Live in studio, Bill Lacy, head of the Dole Institute at KU, local attorney and Democratic party advocate Jim Wirken, plus Scott Parks and more.
The 'Daily' grind.
While covering the convention in Denver, Eric Bushman had a chance to talk with Shawnee Mission South grad and Daily Show correspondent Rob Riggle. Their interview is here and you can check out more coverage...
at the Daily Show's website. (View it at your own risk.)
Surf as you will!
Off all companies, microsoft is working on a browser that won't keep track of where you've been online.
Microsoft is testing a new version of Internet Explorer that allows people to surf the Internet without leaving a trace. The beta version of Internet Explorer 8 allows users to engage a mode called InPrivateBrowsing. It covers temporary Internet files and cookies, and it stops a list of visited sites from being stored on the computer. Companies, including Microsoft, use that kind of information to target ads to users. The InPrivateBlocking mode takes it further, blocking certain types of ads and third-party content.
Speaking of surfing...the Gulf of Mexico is about to be rocked again.
Alot going on outside of politics this morning. Jeff Bell's been working a story about some guys headed down the Missouri to St. Louis on their own makeshift cruise ship. They're headed to the Edward Jones Dome for Mizzou football game this weekend. Jeff's also at the Red Cross where, days in advance, volunteers from the Kansas City area are headed to Louisiana for preparations in case...
Gustav makes an unwanted visit to the Big Easy. Out in the Atlantic, there's another tropical depression hanging out and two more areas that could potentially develop into depressions or storms.
E.J. and Ellen's Rundown, Wednesday 27 August 2008
2nd Day, First Clinton!
Proof that there's always someone around with a camera...Hillary Clinton didn't deliver the keynote address for the Democratic National Convention last night, but she gave the biggest speech. And by so many accounts, she did what she needed to do...delivered a genuine speech and gave her wholehearted support to Barack Obama.
In-depth this morning on Hillary's speech and Bill's speech to come with Scott Parks, Sam Donaldson and Aaron Katersky. Hear the podcasts from the convention!
Hillary Clinton wasn't the only woman who spoke last night during the convention. Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius spoke as well.
Ken James breaks down her talk all morning during Kansas City's Morning News.
Eric Bushman is also live in Denver all week. He's working the party angle this morning...all those delegates seem so serious? Well, after the TV coverage ends, the parties begin. Hear Eric's reports all day long on Newsradio 980 KMBZ. Southwest eliminating flights from KCI
Southwest Airlines is gonna cut 6 flights outta kci come January. As you'd suspect, the cuts come because of lower demand and higher fuel prices. routes to Albuquerque, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Oakland, California. Southwest will have 67 daily nonstop departures from KCI to 20 cities after the cuts. ABC's Jim Ryan talked with us in-depth about the cuts.
While we're talking about airlines....
A major FAA glitch yesterday kept flights on the ground across the country. There are two places in the country where commercial flight plans are processed, one in Utah and the other in Atlanta. The Atlanta center had the problem and that meant trouble. On the left...that's what the FAA's flight delay status board is supposed to look like -- all green. On the right, what it looked like yesterday afternoon and evening...orange is great if you're a pumpkin but not if you're trying to fly somewhere.
One day down, three more to go as the Democratic National Convention continues in Denver! Last night's big highlights...
.
Ted Kennedy Michelle Obama
Senator Obama was in a family home in Brookside last night where he watched the speeches and then did a live TV hit with Michelle and his kids (see him on the screen there with Michelle?). Listen all morning long, all week long for in-depth team coverage of the convention with KMBZ's Scott Parks and Eric Bushman plus ABC's Aaron Katersky and the entire ABC news team.
Scott Parks is talking with us live all weeklong during the DNC and offering insights into the convention from the convntion floor. Don't forget that he will also be doing his part of the Shanin & Parks show live from Denver as well.
And ABC's Ann Compton is travelling with Senator Obama who is waking up in KC this morning. We spoke to Ann about his journey to Denver and the continuing importance of Missouri.
They're "Rednecks for Obama'' and they're proud of it. Tony Veissman and Les Spencer like to hunt and fish. They also like Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. The buddies drove from Rolla, Missouri, to the Democratic Convention in Denver to show their support for the Illinois senator. Veissman and Spencer stood outside the Pepsi Center with a banner reading "Rednecks for Obama.'' Veissman is a retired Missouri state trooper and says Obama is "bright.'' He adds they're "trying to get all the rednecks to vote for Obama.''
Have you seen John McCain's "Debra" commercial? Click on it to check it out!
Debra is a Hillary supporter who now says she supports John McCain. It's the latest McCain commercial that actually uses Clinton and the supposed discord between her camp and Senator Obama's to try and woo Clinton supporters.
Gary was hangin' with the dog whisperer on Monday. Check this out.
E.J. & Ellen's Notes from KC's Morning News, Monday 8/25/08
The Road to the White House runs through Kansas City's Morning News with E.J. and Ellen...
...with live reports all week long from the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Scott Parks and Eric Bushman will cover both conventions gavel to gavel. Scott will join us live with insight and analysis (here's today's conversation with him)and you'll hear Eric reporting live during our top and bottom of the hour newscasts. Our in-depth team coverage of this historic election is complemented this morning by Bill Gallo who's reporting on Barack Obama's visit to KC tomorrow and by Jeff Bell who is talking to you about the selection of Joe Biden as the VP nominee.
We also spoke with ABC's Aaron Katerskywho is reporting on the convention and with Steve Roberts who provides analysis for us on Monday mornings. Both of them will be at the convention with Scott and Eric for the entire week.
Whoa! No blood in K.C. Community Blood centers say they have less than a day's supply of blood on hand and need donations desperately. Find more info here!
Madonna is infusing politics into her new international tour.
She kicked off the "Sticky and Sweet'' tour Saturday night in Cardiff, Wales, and took a none-too subtle swipe at Republican presidential candidate John McCain. At the packed Millennium Stadium, a video interlude carried images of destruction, global warming, Adolf Hitler, Zimbabwe's authoritarian President Robert Mugabe -- and McCain. Another sequence pictured John Lennon, followed by Al Gore, Mahatma Gandhi and Barack Obama.
A couple of really big speakers coming to town courtesy of KMBZ. Find out about the next KMBZ Business Forum presented by UMB Bank. T. Boone Pickens is the guest author/speaker. Also coming to town, Lance Armstrong as part of the Boots, Barbeque and Business Luncheon. Tix for that one are right here!
This cat hears EVERYTHING...and everyone wants to talk to him!
His upbringing included a cage in a suburban Chicago bar where customers poked fun at his appearance. But since Yoda the four-eared cat's photo was posted on a Web site, the smoke-colored feline has found fame. Yoda's owners, Ted and Valerie Rock, rescued him from the bar. They say that since their son posted Yoda's picture, they've fielded calls from "Good Morning America,'' "Fox News'' and "The Tyra Banks Show.'' The Rocks say the media attention is amazing, and their phone is ringing off the hook.
Ellen thinks it's the end of Paula on American Idol! Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi has joined AMERICAN IDOL as a fourth judge. She will sit alongside Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson at the judges’ table and use her background as an award-winning songwriter and producer to praise or critique the wannabe hopefuls throughout the competition. “We are turning the heat up on ‘Idol’ this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara to the judges’ table,” said creator and executive producer Simon Fuller. “She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America's most successful songwriters. We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show.”
E.J. & Ellen's Notes from KC's Morning News, Thursday 8/21/08
An apology from the Bishop of the Kansas City Catholic Diocese...a follow-up to the priest sex abuse settlement story we told you about yesterday and the demise of the Woodlands...those are our top local stories this morning. Eric Bushman and Jeff Bell lead our team coverage at the top and bottom of every hour. More on our top stories, right here.
Another chance to win Seinfeld tickets tomorrow. CONGRATS TO PAT IN FAIRWAY FOR WINNING TODAY'S TICKETS by doing his best Kramer. Get your favorite bit from Seinfed ready to go and listen again tomorrow for your chance to call in and win.
If you don't win here, you can score tix starting Friday morning. A second show has been added at 9:30pm on September 19th at the Midland Theater downtown.
ABC political analyst and former John McCain staffer Torie Clark joined us to about the pending announcement of Barack Obama's VP, McCain's latest poll numbers and the legacy of Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, the Ohio congresswoman who just died from a stroke.
He's back... Sanjaya Malakar from American Idol (from the season-before-last). He's singing and asking for advice from a wise-man in a new Nationwide Insurance Commercial.
If you've got time for another day trip before the kids head back to school...how about Sedalia?
Diana Lambdin Meyer's continuation of the Shifra Stein series will give you plenty of ideas for your day off.
Can Gary really shoot hoops? That's the question. Here's the answer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
E.J. & Ellen's Notes from KC's Morning News, Wednesday 8/20/08
Our top story this morning...the Kansas City Catholic Diocese appears close to a settlement of some of the Priest sex abuse cases that have been filed against it.
Jeff Bell is on the story this morning. You can hear him reporting at the top and bottom of every hour.
CONGRATULATIONS TO STACY OF OVERLAND PARK. She's the first of three winners in our... Seinfeld Bit contest. Thursday and Friday mornings, you have more chances to win tix to see Jerry Seinfeld live at the Midland Theater. Don't know what to do? Click here and hear how the competition works.
Olympics update...Kansas City's Muna Lee will try to win the gold in the 200m this morning our time. And the "redeem team" in men's basketball will take on Australia starting at about 7am. They remain undefeated and have more or less crushed all comers so far.
Michael Phelps, making headlines in the bowl this morning...but the bowl is full of MILK. You'd expect him to show up on a cereal box...a box of Wheaties perhaps? Not this time.
Phelps and his 8 pieces of hardware will be on Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes boxes. Maybe Tony the Tiger will snack on the rooster during the cereal box vacation.
As far as the weather goes...Gary was"frustrated" this morning. He says there's a 100% chance of sprinkles, but doesn't know how intense they might be. The complete forecast comes your way every 10 minutes on the 9's all morning long on Kansas City's Morning News.
Another solution for high gas prices? BUTTER! That's right. Some student from the state university of New York will be showing their 900 pound butter sculpture today. Perhaps it looks something like this one.
When the fair is over...they'll melt it all down, remove the protein and water and PRESTO...96 gallons of bio-diesel. COW-POWER!
The Wall Street Journal says some retailers like Kohl's are marketing to kids by selling them stuff on websites like Stardoll.com, a virtual community for teens and tweens where kids can fork over "Stardollars"-purchased online at a nominal sum-to buy apparel for their online characters. WHAT? Here's the scoop with Cheryl Tan of the WSJ.
E.J. & Ellen's Notes from KC's Morning News, Tuesday 8/19/08
Our top story this morning takes place smack in the middle of The Road to the White House. Barack Obama's said to be looking at four people to be his VP and one of the possibilities apparently continues to be....
...Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. Jeff Bell is working the story and getting your reaction this morning.
Can you believe that airfares are headed south? United recently had a sale and others may be following suit. The question is, how do we find out about the deals so we can grab'em before they're gone? Find out with George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com. Here's the podcast.
Tropical Storm Fay has come ashore near Naples Florida having never gone hurricane. South Florida could see substantial flooding but as of 6am our time, no reports of major damage or injuries.
Every year, Beloit College comes out with its mindset list. It's a look at the things that this year's crop of college freshmen know and do not know about the world (based on what's happened during their lives). Check it out here...can you believe that green-glass coke bottles have been replaced by plastic for almost 2 decades?
The war in Iraq is over? Apparently so, according to Bing West, former Assistant Secretary of Defense.
So what does that mean for Iraq, our fighting men and women and the continuing war on terror? Find out in our discussion with him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E.J. & Ellen's Notes from KC's Morning News, Monday 8/18/08
Our top stories this morning -- a half-dozen new schools are open for business in Independence today after they were transfered from the Kansas City district. Eric Bushman and Jeff Bell had our team coverage.
The olympics, once again commanding alot of attention as history was made of the weekend -- Michael Phelps winning his record 8th gold medal of the games. ABC's Alex Stone joined us to talk about how the focus of the games shifts now that Phelps can put his flippers up and relax. Check out Alex's photography work from Beijing.
Over the past couple of weeks we've spoken with Janet Dunnichay of Topeka. She recently returned from Beijing where she watched her neice Mary Beth compete in the pairs diving competition. This morning she talked with us about her trip, what she did immediately upon her return and her overall impressions of China.
The Chiefs were in action on Saturday night. Roger Twibell called the game and talked about it with us.
And it's the week before the Democrats hold their nominating convention in Denver. As the road to the White House runs through Kansas City's Morning News, we have complete coverage for you. This morning, political analyst Steve Roberts and local Democratic Party strategist Steve Glorioso talked about Barack Obama's potential picks for VP.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liver Life Walk, August 16, 2008
The Liver Life Walk, sponsored by News Radio 980 KMBZ, went off just after nine this morning at Theis Park.
Both Ellen and E.J. helped the Liver Foundation's Debbie Allen kick off the event by talking about their connections to liver disease...both have family members with liver transplants. Ask E.J. about his dad's pre-transplant Christmas gift! <-- That's Ellen's head.
This year's walk had twice as many participants as the last walk and the fundraising goal was well within reach with plenty of time left in the collection effort.
Ellen and KC's Morning News executive producer Jayme Monacelli watching the awards ceremony after the walk. The local Liver Foundation's next event -- a fashion show. Ellen and E.J. have volunteered to emcee...but with a history of wrinkled t-shirts and ratty shorts, no word if they'll actually let E.J. into the event. Congrats and thanks to Debbie and everyone who helped make this year's Liver Life Walk such a success.
E.J. & Ellen's Notes from KC's Morning News 8/15/08
Here's Friday's show rundown....
The Kansas City Liver Life Walk takes place tomorrow at Theiss Park across from the Nelson, just east of the Plaza. Come join E.J. and Ellen for some great weather, a nice walk and the chance to support efforts to defeat live disease. Experts say 1 in 10 people are affected by it. That means you do or will know someone who suffers from liver disease in some way. The program starts at 9am with the walk shortly thereafter. We look forward to seeing you there.
ABC's Alex Stone continues to report on the Olympic Games from Beijing. He's been to the high profile stuff...swimming and gymnastics and the Chinese have only tried to stop him from doing his job on one occasion. As we move into next week, he'll begin shifting to track and field. You can hear Alex daily at 5:20 throughout the games. You can also check out the pix he's taken by clicking here.
We talked with Dr. Jim Hinson, super of the Independence schools and he says the district's new schools are ready to go Monday when the school year begins.
We talked about the Mayor's latest dilema with Scott Parks. KC Mayor Funkhouser is facing a measure by the city council that, if passed, would require his wife to stop working in his office. Scott and Mike will no doubt toss this around on Shanin & Parks this afternoon.
The mayor joined us as well and talked about the proposed change to city hall volunteer protocol that would affect his wife's work. We also hit on the job cuts coming to American Airlines.
At 8am Fridays we take a look at the week's biggest stories and provide in-depth analysis. This week, the Olympics and the Chiefs were among the subjects. During our Olympics discussion, we talked with Dr. Joann Dahlkoetter about the psychology of being an Olympian. She says that we can use the same techniques that athletes use to get ahead in our own lives.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.
.
![""]("http://imgsrv.kmbz.com/image/kmbz/UserFiles/Image/ejs%20pix/seinfeld460x276.jpg")
![""]("http://imgsrv.kmbz.com/image/kmbz/UserFiles/Image/Petersdom_von_Engelsburg_gesehen.jpg")
![""""](""http://imgsrv.kmbz.com/image/kmbz/UserFiles/Image/Petersdom_von_Engelsburg_gesehen.jpg"")
<-- That's Ellen's head.
.jpg)
