Here are today’s top stories in no particular order:
- Blagojevich-appointed Senate seat successor Roland Burris was turned away from the Capitol when he came to claim his seat this morning. Burris, who was expecting to fill Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat, is supposedly not certified by the State of Illinois because of the Blagojevich seat-selling debacle.
- Two UN schools were hit by Israeli missiles today, as the death toll in Gaza rises to around 600.
- An Australian woman has been charged with murder after setting her husband’s genitals on fire. The enraged wife set her husband’s package ablaze after claiming to see him hug another woman, and is quoted as saying, " I just wanted to burn his penis so it belongs to me and no one else."
- Ron Asheton, guitarist for the legendary proto-punk outfit the Stooges, was found dead this morning at his Ann Arbor, Michigan home. The cause of death has not been determined. Asheton was 60 years old.
- Yesterday’s autopsy of John Travolta’s teenage son Jett is raising more questions than answers.
- Toyota will close its factories and hold production for 11 days in an effort to reduce the number of cars being produced. The production halt is due to poor vehicle sales and the sinking economy.
- Controversial Republican pundit Ann Coulter’s scheduled appearance on NBC’s Today Show was cancelled. Instead, she brought her inflammatory antics to the Early Show, where anchor Harry Smith called her "goofy."