• Wal-Mart is in a unique position as a big-time grocer. With 140 million people who shop at their stores each week, their products can have a major effect on the food that people eat – both good and bad. So, as a way to take advantage of that, the mega-corp announced it would be making some changes to the foods it stocks, in line with Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity campaign:

• 25% the amount of salt Wal-Mart plans to remove from its processed foods by 2015 (good job!)
• 10% the amount of sugar the retail chain plans to remove from those foods, which is a great idea source

• » Also good to note: They’ll also be ditching such unhealthy things as trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils. They made this announcement while chief executive Bill Simon was randomly hanging out with Michelle today. “No family should have to choose between food that is healthier for them and food they can afford,” Simon said. So, has the federal government ditched their pro-cheese program yet?

• I’m sure that him having worked so well for me will be a great asset in any Republican primary.
• Barack Obama • Talking about former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, the current U.S. ambassador to China, who has brought up plans of running for president in 2012. Did Obama just extinguish a guy’s 2012’s chances with a single quip? It sure sounds like it. Haha. source

• eight ministers loyal to Ben Ali are out, and a powerful central committee that included them has disbanded
• 33 members of Ben Ali’s family, have been charged with “crimes against Tunisia” for their gaudy lives
• 1,800 political prisoners have been released from jail, and those with short sentences should be released, too source

• 12.3% jump in existing home sales in December source

• » Oh yeah, some more good news: The annual rate of 5.28 million homes, while far below the mid-naughts peak of 7 million in September 2005, is a bit higher than analysts expected. The number hit a low of less than 4 million home sales back in the middle of last year. Granted, people’s homes are still getting foreclosed en masse, but this isn’t bad news.

• 100+ people were arrested by the FBI in New York and New Jersey this morning for mob ties
• 24+ of those were members of the NYC area’s five crime families; the rest were associates source

• » Among the charges face: Murder (some dating back to the ’80s and ’90s), extortion, loan-sharking, gambling and labor-racketeering in some of the mob’s continued strongholds – the construction industry and the waterfront. Not the waterfront!

• Inside this backpack was a bomb. Not just any kind of bomb. An incredibly sophisticated bomb the likes of which law enforcement officials haven’t seen, loaded with shrapnel that was designed to hurt people. Worse, the bomb was placed in a position that was designed to attack a parade route in Spokane, Wash. The bomb was designed to be remotely controlled. And wanna know what that parade route was for? That’s right, an MLK Day parade. So why is this story getting underplayed? By, well, everybody? A few examples:

Buried a little

• CNN: Buried in a listPerhaps it hasn’t caught the full attention of the network that this might perhaps have been a huge terror attack. Ricky Gervais is in the infamous features slot. Also, the story’s short.
• MSNBC: A video teaseNot a top news item, and further down the page than CNN. Considering the nature of the attack, doesn’t this seem like underplay? But at least they have a photo of the thing, right?

Further down the list …

• Washington Post: Also buriedEven lower on the page than MSNBC, the Post’s coverage of the incident is just a link to an AP story, rather than any unique coverage from a local angle.
• 
  Fox news: also buriedSo, according to this list here, domestic terrorism ranks at a similar level as “Drug-Smuggling Pigeon Caught in Colombia.” Check. Great job.

Basically nonexistent

• WSJ: Near the bottomBelow such stories as “Is the NFL Telegraphing Drug Tests” and “Pandas Can Stay in D.C. 5 More Years” is a story about the incident. It’s short, but written by WSJ staffers.
• 
  NY Times: Hah! Yeah, it’s not hereThe Times appears not to have given the story any play on its front page at all today. You have to go all the way to the bottom of the National page to even find it. It’s also from yesterday.

• » Why this might be: We think there are a few factors at play here. First of all, since the bomb was caught before anyone was hurt, it effectively dulled its “immediate danger” factor. But the firepower of the bomb suggests a much more sinister danger and motive that should increase the story’s play, but isn’t due to its lack of obvious eye-catching imagery and clear motive. There’s a motive suggested by the situation and the nature of the bomb, but few details to back this up. The lack of details make it hard to play it up. (Even the Spokane Spokesman-Review has played it down at this point.) Finally, there has simply been a lot of news in the last two days – the health care repeal, Giffords, Joe Lieberman, Steve Jobs, etc., and it’s the kind of thing that might get buried. None of these are excuses for underplaying it, but just a thought process as to why this happened. source

• 2006 Rosie O’Donnell made a kinda-crude impersonation of Chinese people when she was on “The View,” leading right-wing bloggers to jump all over her and force an apology from the firebrand.
• 2011 Rush Limbaugh does the exact same thing – except five times as long, more exaggerated and while talking about the Chinese president. So, what’s gonna happen this time, guys? source

• 3 initial federal charges for Loughner; more will likely be coming source

• » And in case you’re wondering: Loughner could face the death penalty for the charges, which include attempted assassination of a congresswoman.

• If anyone from other religions felt disenfranchised by the language, I want to say I am sorry. I am sorry if I offended anyone in any way.
• Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley • Giving one of those non-apology apologies we kinda sorta love after he decided to throw all non-Christians under the bus in his first speech as governor. Hint: Anytime anyone says “I am sorry if I offended anyone,” it means they’re not apologizing for their stance, but for putting it in the public sphere for the dogs to pick at. Here’s a word of advice for Mr. Bentley: Like the brand of cars that shares your name, stay elegant and classy. And also, do things that make people of all cultures and walks of life – even rappers – like you. Set the standard for others to follow. Just a tip from your friendly news bloggers. source