Janessa's Blog

On the front page of almost every newspaper in the nation today ran a story about yesterday's massacre at Virginia Tech. Almost every paper, that is, except for the Minnesota Daily.

The school shooting took up half of the front page of today's Star Tribune, but in the Minnesota Daily, there was no mention of the shooting until an Associated Press story that ran on page 6. On the Minnesota Daily's website today there is no story about the shooting.

An Associated Press story about the gunman was posted on the Star Tribune website today. The story labeled the killer as a "sullen loner who alarmed professors and classmates with his twisted, blood-drenched creative writing..." The AP story reported that a picture of Cho Seung-Hui, a 23-year-old senior majoring in English, was released to the media today. The Star Tribune printed the photo; the AP story called it "chilling."

The Associated Press story also claimed that news reports said that Seung-Hui may have been taking medication for depression and that he was becoming increasingly violent and erratic.

A similar Associated Press story about the killer's identity was posted on the Pioneer Press website today. This AP story was less about the killer, more focused on yesterday's events. In this story's headline, they called Seung-Hui a "Virginia Tech senior from South Korea." The story also mentioned that yesterday's shooting is deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history.

Posted by Janessa at 11:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to DNA tests, Larry Birkhead is the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter. Birkhead emerged from a court hearing earlier today to proclaim that his daughter would soon be home.

MSNBC posted an Associated Press story about the DNA finding's on their website today. The same exact story appeared on the Star Tribune's website.

The Associated Press reported that after the trial, Birkhead hugged his rival, Howard K. Stern, Smith’s lawyer-turned-companion who has been caring for baby Dannielynn since Smith's sudden death in February. They also reported that the hearing left unresolved who will have custody of the baby girl, and that another custody hearing is scheduled for Friday.

Kare 11 also posted a story about the DNA findings on their website today. They reported that Dr. Michael Baird, an expert in genetic evidence, said DNA analysis proved Birkhead is Dannielynn's father after he analyzed the results of a March 21 DNA test. Kare 11 also reported that Stern would not seek custody of the child.

Both the Associated Press story and Kare 11's ended by stating that baby Dannielynn could inherit millions from the estate of Smith's late husband, J. Howard Marshall II. Smith had been fighting the Texas oil tycoon's family over his estimated $500 million fortune since his death in 1995.

Posted by Janessa at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Disney Tigger actor who was accused of hitting a 14-year-old boy won't face charges. Both the Star Tribune and the Pioneer Press ran identical Associated Press stories today about the Florida State Attorney's Office announcement Thursday to not press charges against the actor.

Prosecutors made the decision after reviewing a complaint from New Hampshire resident Jerry Monaco. Monaco's videotaped his son posing with the costumed Michael J. Fedelem at Disney-MGM Studios in January. At some point a confrontation occurred between the boy and Fedelem. The father later watched the videotape and said Fedelem intentionally hit his son "on or about the head."

NBC.com also ran a similar story about the dropped charges, also by the AP, with the same details as those in the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press's AP story.

Posted by Janessa at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anna Nicole Smith, 39, died today at a hotel in South Florida. The former model and Playboy playmate collapsed at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and was rushed to a hospital. The cause of death is under investigation and an autopsy is scheduled for Friday. The Star Tribune posted an article on their website today 4:51 p.m. It stated that Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger said a private nurse called 911 after finding Smith unresponsive in her sixth-floor hotel room. Tiger said Smith's bodyguard administered CPR for about an hour before she was declared dead. Read their story here: http://www.startribune.com/484/story/990220.html.

The Star Tribune also reported that Smith's attorney Ron Rale told The Associated Press that he had talked to Smith on Tuesday or Wednesday, and she had flu symptoms and a fever and was still grieving over her son who, just five months ago, died suddenly at the age of 20 in the Bahamas in what was believed to be a drug-related death.

CNN.com posted a story on their website at 5:17 p.m. Although CNN's story was much shorter than the Star Tribune's, it did report that Tiger said Smith was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood at 2:10 p.m. where she died. Read their story here:http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/08/anna.nicole.collapses/index.html.

Posted by Janessa at 10:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Severe storms blew threw central Florida at about 3:15 a.m. Friday and killed at least 14 people. An Associated Press story that ran in the Pioneer Press today said it was the deadlist tornado the state has seen in a decade. Read their story here: http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/nation/16606857.htm. As reported in their story, Gov. Charlie Crist told reporters in Tallahassee as he declared a state of emergency in four counties.

The Star Tribune also can an Associated Press story about the Florida storms in their paper today. Read their's here: http://www.startribune.com/484/story/976595.html. Their story reported that Lake County spokesman Christopher Patton confirmed the 14 deaths, 11 in Paisley and three in Lady Lake, both towns in Lake County about 50 miles northwest of Orlando. No further details were available.

However, the Pioneer Press reported that two of the victims, one boy and one girl, were high school students whose names have not yet been released.

Posted by Janessa at 9:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)