Report finds NY governor David Paterson misled ethics investigators about receiving free World Series tickets.

The House was back, briefly, from its month-long vacation today for a quickie vote on a $26 billion jobs bill. It passed! But then Rep. Charlie Rangel made members stick around for another half-hour, to yell about his innocence.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters was charged with three ethics violations today, including a breach of the rule that members "behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House." Enforcing this rule could be a slippery slope!

Rep. Charlie Rangel's ethics trial is officially old news, now. Why? Because we might just be getting a second House Democrat's ethics trial soon, for longtime congresswoman Maxine Waters. Why can't these busybody ethics investigators just play it cool?

The subcommittee investigating Rep. Charlie Rangel has recommended giving him a "reprimand"—a firm slap on the wrist, essentially—for his numerous terrible ethics violations, as opposed to the harsher "censure" or "expulsion." So anticlimactic! [Image: Getty]

So Rep. Charlie Rangel was unable to finalize any sort of settlement today before the House ethics committee revealed and read the violations (13!) against him, publicly. Does this mean the window has closed, and a trial's inevitable?

WCBS reports that Rep. Charlie Rangel will cut a deal to avoid the embarrassing ethics trial that's scheduled to proceed within hours. It would involve acknowledging his fuck-uppery, but no resignation. But we'll see! Remember, he's extremely stubborn. [Photo: Getty]

Mean, stubborn crook Rep. Charlie Rangel has finally realized that he's two days from the start of a House ethics trial, so maybe it's time to deal? Unfortunately, this would involve him admitting any wrongdoing, which is unacceptable to him.

While nothing short of a mobilized Allied army seems capable of forcing Rep. Charlie Rangel out of Congress, the House ethics committee will charge him with official ethics violations, essentially setting up a trial — the first in eight years.

Now this is a weird story: apparently the congressional ethics office is investigating some congressmen for fundraising from industries that are subject to pending legislation. Suddenly Washington's absolute favorite activity, overt bribery, is worthy of selective investigation?

ESPN is airing an hourlong teevee special tonight, for basketmaking machine Lebron James to announce which team he's going to sign with. To get this, ESPN ceded near-total control of the show's advertising (and reporters' question-asking!) to Lebron. The explanation?

Former Washington Post "conservative movement" reporter Dave Weigel, who resigned last week after some unflattering (but silly!) private listserve emails about Matt Drudge and other conservatives leaked, has spoken up: he should never have written those things, but come on.

Torture memo author John Yoo thinks Elena Kagan is unfit to serve on the Supreme Court.

Last week, Lavender magazine outed anti-gay Minneapolis pastor Tom Brock as a gay man. The magazine did it by going undercover at a "confidential [12-step] meeting of gay men 'struggling with chastity.'" The ends don't justify the means.

The Way We Live Now: Scrutinizing one another. Verrrrryyy carefully. Where did you get that money, exactly? Why is your bed so expensive? And are you sure this job application is accurate? You know you don't have any "skills."

A judge in Cuyahoga County, Ohio is suing the local paper, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, for disclosing that certain comments on its website came from her email address. The paper says it had no choice. Does privacy trump news?

Yesterday, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint with the Senate and House Ethics Committees charging all those congresscreeps who live in The Family's secretive C Street sin dorm with paying below-market rent.

Chloe Sevigny told the AV Club that she thought this past season of Big Love was "Awful." Today she offered her excuse: she was tired! Also, she invoked the Golden Rule. What does immortal philosophy say about Chloe Sevigny's behavior?

Here's a totally friendly memo from the New York Times that went out to all their freelancers, apropos of nothing in particular, reminding them to please not accept free stuff. Looks like someone is in trouble!

David Paterson is now in trouble for some other unethical thing he did.