Comedian Russell Brand was invited to appear on MSNBC's Morning Joe yesterday, ostensibly to talk about his controversial world comedy tour Messiah Complex.

This is what has been happening on cable news for the past few hours: After insisting that they had confirmation from two separate sources that an arrest had been made in the marathon bombing, and while ignoring reports from nearly every other source that said otherwise, CNN was forced to admit that there were then three sources telling them that no arrest had been made and just recently changed their report status to "conflicted." Meanwhile, there were several different descriptions of the "suspect" that was never identified in the first place in is not at all in custody but might be for all we know.

Former Democratic strategist Karen Finney, who was once the first African-American spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, was revealed today to be the new host of a 4 p.m. weekend show on MSNBC. Good for her, and good for MSNBC, which adds Finney, pictured at left, to an already diverse roster of talking heads that includes Chris Hayes, Melissa Harris-Perry, and Al Sharpton.

Touré (pictured above interviewing T.I.) is a fine writer — or at least he was at one point. Now he mostly spends his time as a helium-filled talking head, floating drably across MSNBC's midday airwaves. This is a pretty cushy job, seeing as you can say basically anything without anyone giving a shit since the only people watching cable news during the day are those being crushed to death by boredom in lobbies across the country. But there's a catch: when you get paid to talk in circles every day, sometimes you'll find yourself arguing a position you probably should not be arguing. And if you're stubborn enough and your argument is stupid enough — you are on cable news, after all — then you might find yourself in the center of a firestorm.

Not to be forgotten, Al Roker—TV news correspondent, Today Show weatherman, and White House sharter—made everyone uncomfortable again today when he shouted insanely at the President and Vice President until they acknowledged his existence. "I love Joe Biden," said Al Roker, as he rocked back and forth like a small child waiting in line for the bathroom. Biden, ever-suave, ducked out of the parade to shake Mr. Roker's hand and that was that.

This morning, January 21, 2013, is the "most depressing day of the year" says Steve Doocey of Fox and Friends. Why? Because of "drab weather, holiday bills, and resolutions we have not met."

On CNN last Friday, Chairman of "Gun Appreciation Day"—which is to be held on Martin Luther King weekend—said this:

Speed of light, speed of sound — potato, parsec. Bottom line: Dude fell really, really fast.

Who coud have killed 12 people at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight in Aurora, Colorado? Former FBI profiler Clint Van Zandt, appearing on MSNBC with Chuck Todd, speculates: "is this simply the terrible, terrible collision between some dark Trekkie-like person's fantasy world and reality?" Uh, Clint: no. [thanks to @ArkansasFred]

As the results from last night's recall in Wisconsin came rolling in, the reaction on cable news outlets became more and more extreme. On tonight's Daily Show, Jon Stewart charted the reactions: the gloating on Fox News and the stages of grief on MSNBC.

On Sunday, MSNBC host Chris Hayes said the following, in a discussion about war, soldiers, and death: "It is, I think, very difficult to talk about the war dead, the fallen, without invoking valor, without invoking the word 'heroes'... I feel uncomfortable about the word 'hero' because it seems to me it is so rhetorically proximate to justification for more war... it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic."

Keith Olbermann was just fired from Current TV — and we hear that chances of him actually showing up to a slated appearance with old Sports Center cohost Dan Patrick at a panel in New York City next Thursday are not much higher than the lottery odds. Guess Dan will have to do this one by himself. Not that he should be surprised, given Keith's history of trouble with his networks.

In a refreshing move, MSNBC has officially "parted ways" with irrelevant old coonskin-cap-wearing racist Pat Buchanan, whose "kindly old grandpa" demeanor has been enough to keep him on ostensibly mainstream political shows, despite the fact that he is, at heart, a white supremacist.

Former Nixonite and coonskin cap-wearing sometime presidential candidate Pat Buchanan has always been a racist relic who appealed mostly to those caveman-like Americans anxious for a return to the Andrew Jackson era. Always. There has never been a time, during his long career as a smiley pundit, in which he was not a racist. So. Although it's kind of nice that he's been suspended by MSNBC, it's the media equivalent of giving all the homeless people in your city a one-way bus ticket just as long as the Olympics are in town.

Yesterday, we brought you a former Keith Olbermann employee's tale of how shitty it was to work for Keith Olbermann, as well as Keith Olbermann's multiple responses. Naturally, all of this inspired more Olbermann associates to write in. We now bring you one detractor, and one defender. [Bolding ours]

Because she is stupid, noted daughter and NBC News analyst Meghan McCain told her audience today that the Obamas deserve "an emoticon of privacy." Twice. She meant "a modicum." So close, Meghan.

Pompous thesaurus reader Keith Olbermann is currently embroiled in his latest feud with his latest employer, along with the mandatory feud with the reporters who report on Keith's feuds. Has Keith always been such a touchy, obsessive psycho? Perhaps an ex-employee could shed some light.

In her new role as MSNBC's junior nepotism correspondent (reporting to senior nepotism correspondent Luke Russert) Meghan McCain interviewed Michele Bachmann. Among Meghan's hard-hitting questions: What were you like high school?

Gather round, cable news promotional campaign junkies, because here's the latest ad from MSNBC's esteemed "Lean Forward" series — starring Al Sharpton! How do the suits go about portraying him as a common sense problem-solving liberal? Ed Schultz, for example, sips coffee in a crappy diner or wanders around a shipyard muttering to himself about labor, while Rachel Maddow stands next to a dam and says "how 'bout that dam." Only Al Sharpton, though, gets to scream about pie.