The verdict's in on Illinois ex-governor Rod Blagojevich: he's guilty of one count of lying to the FBI. The jury deadlocked on 23 other counts. He faces up to five years in jail, a $250,000 fine, and a retrial.

Here in America, product placement is an unstoppable commercial machine that will only continue to insert brand advertisements into ever more ridiculous niches. In Europe, though, they're awfully conflicted; they'll allow product placement, but only by making it awkward.

Billionaire plutocrat Steve Schwarzman committed a "gaffe" recently when he said that Obama's effort to raise taxes on private equity firms is "a war...like when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939." Steve! We are shocked you'd say (or do!) something stupid.

Gay marriage will be prohibited in California while the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals considers the legal challenge to the state's gay-marriage ban. But don't throw away your invites: They've expedited the process so that oral arguments begin December 6.

In your murderous Monday media column: Mexico's reporters have a terrible job, the NYT Co. tests its paywall on a small stage, nobody trusts TV news, and James Kilpatrick dies.

On Friday, President Obama spoke out supporting the right of the developers of the Cordoba House—the so-called "ground zero mosque"—to build at their site. And Republicans wouldn't shut up about it. It's okay! We have other ideas.

Have you seen clips of Jodie Fisher, the woman whose sexual harassment claims against HP CEO Mark Hurd led to his resignation, acting in 90s softcore? If so, you're just like Hurd, who "looked at clips from racy films" online!

[India-hating Time "satirist" Joel Stein might not like this, but Sunday was India's Independence Day! Happy Independence Day, India! These are some schoolchildren performing for the celebration in Bangalore. Pic via AP.]

Boston University medical student Philip Markoff allegedly killed an escort he hired through Craigslist and robbed a couple more. Days after he was arrested on April 20, 2009, he was placed on suicide watch. He killed himself in jail today.

In your finally Friday media column: News Corp attacks your iPad, a magazine editor's suicide considered, Howie Kurtz vs. Jake Tapper on a topic of import, and media softball is here, for what it's worth.

Wednesday, police arrested 33 year-old Elias Abuelazam as he boarded a plane bound for Tel Aviv. They say he's the serial killer who attacked and stabbed nearly 20 victims, most in Michigan. Below, what we know about him so far.

Billionaire Clinton pal and model wrangler Ron Burkle is salivating metaphorically at the prospect of getting his hands on Barnes & Noble, the once-mighty book chain that's now in play. Why?

According to an internal memo, JetBlue hates hero flight attendant Steven Slater for being awesome. But Steven Slater still wants to work for them. How does Slater not realize that this is never, ever going to happen?

Police yesterday arrested a man suspected of being the serial killer who's attacked 20 victims in Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia, killing five. The suspect worked at a party store, and was reportedly "really flirty with the ladies." [Pic: AP]

JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater became an instant hero following his emergency slide-assisted resignation, prompted by abuse from a passenger aboard the flight. But now three other people tell the Wall Street Journal that Slater "instigated the confrontation." What gives?

Wikileaks is sitting on as many as 15,000 more Afghanistan war documents, according to the Washington Post. And these are "potentially more explosive" than the 91,000 records already out there. What's Wikileaks founder Julian Assange about to drop?

[On an aid trip to Haiti, George W. Bush mingles with the locals in Port-au-Prince. Image via AP.]

You know why certain people are scared of Mexican immigrants? Because they might bring their gay marriage-tolerating with them! Yes, Mexico, or at least the Mexican Supreme Court, is more progressive than the States when it comes to gay marriage.

[This is a snow leopard cub at the Oklahoma City Zoo, investigating the photographer's camera. So cute! But yeah, it would actually eat you, for sure. Pic via AP.]

Primaries just happened! Former World Wrestling Entertainment Executive Linda McMahon won the Republican Senate nomination in Connecticut, performing [wrestling joke] on her opponents. In Colorado, Obama-backed incumbent Senator Michael Bennet beat challenger Andrew Romanoff for the Democratic Senate nomination.