"[White House National Economic Council Director Lawrence] Summers owns a 1995 Mazda Protege that's registered in Massachusetts." [Detroit News]

Following months of rumors, Rupert Murdoch's No. 2 at News Corp., Peter Chernin, has confirmed he plans to leave the company. The LA Times reports that Murdoch has no plans to name a successor. Instead, Murdoch "is expected to pick up many of the duties handled by Chernin, including oversight of News Corp.'s Fox movie and television operations." [LAT, WSJ]

The latest issue of New York has taken a look inside the mind of Bernie Madoff and come up empty. What launched him on the path to a $50 billion Ponzi scheme remains a puzzle.

You won't be able to pick up Metropolitan Museum posters and placemats for much longer, at least in places like Costa Mesa and Houston. The Met has announced that it plans to close 15 of its satellite shops around the country. [NYT/ArtsBeat]

[Katie Holmes, a marriage-worthy Earthling specimen, films a movie in New York; image via Splash]

Some prolix young woman wants to know, "How do I stop being a know-it-all?" But this poor, foolish girl went looking for answers from Salon's cheese-and-nutball advice columnist Cary Tennis. A professional know-it-all!

Excited for the potential Arrested Development movie? (Not you, Michael Cera.) A brand-new casting breakdown and release date would appear to confirm its production, but there's an unfortunate twist.

Ed Westwick and Jessica Szhor walking in the meatpacking district ... Peaches Geldof shopping in SoHo with a friend ... Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger kissing in the West Village ... Katie Holmes showing up to the set of her new film in Chelsea ... Leighton Meester and Chace Crawford shooting scenes for Gossip Girl outside Noho Star on Lafayette Street ... and Dustin Hoffman standing on the sidewalk outside of Nello's on Madison Avenue.

Have you read the controversial New Yorker profile of Rahm Emanuel? It's controversial because it uses that word, in describing Rahm, a bunch of times, and also it pissed off some liberals.

A couple of weeks ago, there was talk that Bernie Madoff's penthouse on East 64th Street could sell for as much as $8 million when it hits the market. (It's not officially up for grabs yet, although several brokers have been asked to assess its value in anticipation of a sale.) It seems the $8 million figure, though, doesn't factor in the fact that prospective buyers would be purchasing it from the devil himself, even though the proceeds would go to victims of Madoff's alleged scheme.

Here's what will happen to you if you join the Ukrainian army: you will ride on a tank and be chased by hot Ukrainian girls who will allow you to drink from their nectar pot.

Yes the Oscars were pretty darn gay this year. With the singing and dancing and Milking. But why? Is the awards show finally retreating to the realm of niche programming? Or are gays mainstream now?

It's the reorg to end all reorgs! Under widely loathed former management, Yahoo became famous for its dumb corporate reshufflings. New CEO Carol Bartz, a lovably profane taskmistress, is aiming to undo their mess.

Oh GOD, as if the recession and the layoffs weren't all heart-rending enough, now the poor old geriatric retirees are being forced to shuffle back into the workforce. Why is economic collapse so sad?

Penélope Cruz's Oscar victory may have been a great moment for Spain, but it was a terrible tragedy for America because it has forced statistician Nate Silver to break up with his greatest love: numbers.

Martha Stewart's show today was all about pot! Pot pot pot! Jimmy Fallon was there, and he talked about pot! But right in the middle of the winky-drug jokes GOD INTERVENED.

• Despite the gloomy predictions last week, this year's Oscars did better than last year's telecast: Ratings were up 13% according to Nielsen. [THR]
• Condi Rice has signed a three-book deal with Crown worth $2.5 million. [AP]
• The parent company of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News filed for bankruptcy protection on Sunday. [E&P]
• Some analysts are suggesting News Corp. shed its newspaper assets. [NYT]
• Conan's finale on Friday earned the show its best ratings in two years. [NYP]
• Ad guru Peter Arnell's rebranding work for Tropicana didn't work out as planned, and now the company says it will go back to its old packaging. [NYT]

Black people (so demanding!) weren't satisfied with one protest of the New York Post and the paper's shitty non-apology for Sean Delonas' racist chimp cartoon. What's behind this? Lots of history!

Why do people Twitter? Even the company's CEO, Ev Williams can't answer that question. Perhaps he is embarrassed by the true reason: We Twitter to reassure ourselves that we are alive.

Lady actors don't win Oscars based on film performances; it's all about giving the best acceptance speech. And the dirty, dirty Academy demands an orgasmic experience (or at least someone who can fake it well).