Indiana's Republican legislature tried to pass a major anti-union bill this morning, as is the hot new trend. It would have passed. But thanks to the Wisconsin example, Indiana's Democrats knew how to respond and have fled the state to deny Republicans a quorum for a vote. They're either in Illinois or Kentucky because, as the Indianapolis Star explains, they "need to go to a state with a Democratic governor to avoid being taken into police custody and returned to Indiana." This gets more fun by the day. Aren't you having fun? Well, in any case.

In your finally Friday media column: journalism's least competent weed dealer located, a Wikileaks smear scheme exposed, Rupert Murdoch believes in himself, AP employees put their cars on strike, and Eminem only speaks to middle school news outlets.

In your stranded Monday media column: an AP vs. NYT journo-feud, Jon Stewart is slobbered over again, business cable news networks are finally making the big bucks, and Nick Kristof loves China so much.

[Colorado is definitely going to have a white Christmas after being pummeled by winter storms. This Colorado woman clears out her walkway. Image via AP.]

The AP, even with its recession-inspired cutbacks, is a great news service—but a pricey one, by newspaper standards. So Thomson Reuters is starting a competing U.S. news service. Like AP, but crappier cheaper.

Yesterday a demolition crew blew up a 275-foot tower at the old Mad River Power Plant in Springfield, Ohio to great fanfare. But there was one problem — it fell the wrong way and took out the area's electricity.

In your cooling Thursday media column: Roger Ailes has apprentices, newspaper websites are popular, the AP gets rid of its writers, and Jack Shafer defends Joe Nocera.

In your pre-vacation Friday media column: the AP warns reporters on war propaganda, another Newsweek departure, China's "future of journalism" candidate, and ABC pulls a story, while standing by it.

In your comeuppance-laced Thursday media column: Bill O'Reilly tussles with Newsmax, an airline magazine that doesn't suck is discovered, business journalism salaries revealed, and the AP kills the "Ground Zero mosque."

The AP is seeking a Washington, DC bureau chief on Craigslist(!). And a futon.

Fox News is moving to the front row of the White House Briefing Room, beating out Bloomberg and NPR to take an empty spot occasioned by the retirement of longtime Hearst reporter Helen Thomas. And the AP moved somewhere, too!

Bruno Souza, a popular goalie, has been arrested, along with his wife and several friends, for murdering his 25-year-old mistress, chopping her up, and feeding the pieces to dogs. He says he will "laugh at all this" later. [via, Image:AP]

It's the New York Times new-ish headquarters and the American Institute of Architects has declared it the most unattractive in the city, more so than a T.G.I. Friday's and a Trump tower. Really? We're not so sure about that.

Alvin Greene, the South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate who didn't campaign for his primary win, is feeling the fatigue of a general election. (Even though he still doesn't campaign.) The once media-friendly figure in now just shooing AP reporters away.

The AP's opinionated Washington editor Ron Fournier will become editor-in-chief of the National Journal Group.

Today we heard that Simon Rich, wealthy son of New York Times writer Frank Rich and product of Dalton and Harvard, has a new movie in the works, in addition to a gig writing for SNL. Is that unfair?

[A crazed fan celebrates after Brazil scored a goal during the team's 2-1 victory over North Korea at the World Cup. He was one of thousands who gathered to watch the game on Rio's Copacabana beach today. Image via AP]

The 16-year-old almost lost at sea is speaking out: "I think that a lot of people are judging me by the standards they have for their teens...and thinking 'she's exactly like them.' They don't understand." Spoken like a typical teen.

Say it with us now: Bwunnnnnnnnnnk! The South African noisemaker of choice, a plastic horn thing that makes a loud, obnoxious drone, will not be banned at International Soccer Christmas, at least for the time being. Sorry, millionaire ball-kickers. [NYT]

Minnesota's lunatic congressmonster, Michele Bachmann, was on a little radio program this morning talking about our sinister president Barack Obama and she essentially asserted that he is the worst president ever. Then she threatened to karate-kill him. Oh boy.