Danny Pang, the very colorful financier accused of operating a Ponzi scheme that cheated investors out of hundreds of millions—and who the authorities believed may have fled to China—was taken into custody today in California by the FBI. [WSJ]

I write to you in regard to an article by Brian Stelter that appeared in the New York Times on April 28, 2009, which contains a quote I provided to Mr. Stelter in an interview last week. The article is here.

On the day you're the guy who switches parties and potentially gives Democrats a super-majority in the U.S. Senate, there are certain perks. Like making people read your boring New York Review of Books piece.

[Singer Katy Perry in Miami today, protecting herself from Swine Flu; image via Splash]

Citizens: do not be alarmed that hundreds of your children are now being mangled by Killer Swine Flu Virus. The government will not stop until it has wasted billions on fighting this mild illness!

[Submit your own Gawker Stalker sightings to stalker@gawker.com] April 28 @ 10am Saw Casey Greenfield's alleged baby daddy J Toobin carrying a very lawyerish-looking briefcase/computer case. He is quite petite.

This has been around since yesterday but, you know, we're moving slowly. Who is the National Geographic Channel host who is terribly missed by the sad lady that asked Cary Tennis for help?

De La Soul's new album: a workout mix for Nike. De La doesn't work out!

Priyantha Silva is a notorious Manhattan party crasher known for posing as an editor or producer to worm his way into events and "charm" the ladies. Don't look now; he's still hovering right behind you:

Peter Thiel, foremost among Silicon Valley's loopy libertarians and the first outside investor in Facebook, has written an essay declaring that the country went to hell as soon as women won the right to vote.

In your brittle Tuesday media column: Angry newspaper editors, starry-eyed newspaper veterans, desperate newspaper companies, and dead newspaper revivals. And, Portfolio's final party:

Tom Hanks was honored with the Chaplin Award at the at the 36th annual Film Society of Lincoln Center Gala Tribute last night, where he was joined by an A-list crowd including Julia Roberts, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Charlize Theron, Sally Field, Glenn Close, Adrien Brody, Mike Nichols, Graydon Carter, Sam Mendes, Christopher Walken, Christy Turlington and Ed Burns, Christie Brinkley, Lorne Michaels, Jeff Zucker, Nora Ephron and Nick Pileggi, David Gregory, Joy and Regis Philbin, John Patrick Shanley, Bruce Springsteen, Ninah and Michael Lynne, Leslie and Robert Zemeckis, Roger Waters, Jonathan Demme, Jeremy Irons, Abby McGrew and Eli Manning, Ken Burns, Nigel Barker, Rob Wiesenthal, and Gillian and Sylvester Miniter, along with Tom's wife Rita Wilson and son Colin Hanks. [PMc, Wireimage, FWD, USA Today, People]

Go tell Isabella Rossellini that we've found the saddest music in the world. It's the sound of a dozen idiots chirping on The Hills. Last night, there was bible study. On The Hills. Religion!

De Niro's Film Materials Collection Opens at Ransom Center [Univ of Texas]
You Touchin' My Stuff? De Niro Files Available [NYT]

A dead stripper wife. A gambling habit. A made-up résumé. All Southern California financier Danny Pang needed to complete the picture was an SEC investigation of an alleged Ponzi scheme. Now he has that, too.

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt just got married and they're currently on what they're calling their "pre-honeymoon" in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Of course, that also happens to be prime swine flu territory at the moment, which is why they explained to Ryan Seacrest this morning that they're "wearing face masks" everywhere they go. "We're in isolation, we're in full hiding," said Pratt. If they're wearing facemasks and yet they're also in total isolation, does that mean they're just sitting around in their hotel suite with a thin layer of gauze covering their mouths? And is there any way to ensure that the masks remain there, like, permanently? You see, this swine flu may not be half as bad as you thought! [People via Daily Intel]

Oh look, a new study perfect for supporting any old opinion! Pew researchers found that half of American adults switch religion at least once—Catholics, out of conviction, and Protestants, out of laziness. Theory!

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) is switching parties to avoid a primary fight in 2010, which means the Democrats will have a "filibuster proof" 60-seat majority in the Senate. Except not really.

We're going to venture to say that if you actually paid $3 for one of these "Laid Off, Need a Job" wristbands, you probably have bigger life issues to concern yourself with than the fact you currently happen to be unemployed. [men.style.com]

The Way We Live Now: Rollin on Dubs. You can't keep the US auto industry down! Unless "you" are a superior foreign competitor. But if "you" are bankruptcy, forget it. USA car companies are back!