“The good TV and the bad TV were often in conflict,” said Aaron Brown.

It was a recent Wednesday afternoon and the longtime television anchor and correspondent was sitting at a table in Harry’s of Hartsdale, a nearly deserted steakhouse, a few short blocks from his home in Westchester County. He was reflecting on his career.

Mr. Brown was dressed casually, in a short-sleeved black cotton polo, a bit of white stubble standing out on his well tanned chin. He leaned back in his chair and, by way of demonstration, tapped his right shoulder and then tapped his left. The angel speaking into one earpiece, the devil whispering into the other.  read more »

Even the gossipy bit—Who's That Girl?!?—that all of the tabs were after all day yesterday (us too, in fact) is broken first by The Times: Spitzer's prostitute "Kristen" is in fact known as Ashley Alexandra Dupré, though she was born 22 years ago as Ashley Youmans, in New Jersey. [The New York Times]  read more »

On Sunday's episode of 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper will report a story about the murder of Chauncey Bailey, the late editor of the Oakland Post, who was shot to death last summer while investigating a shady religious group, run out of an Oakland business called "Your Black Muslim Bakery."

According to CBS' press release, for the first time on television Mr. Cooper will interview the man who confessed to killing the award-winning journalist--and who now claims he gave a false confession and knows who the real killer is.

A snarky report in on Page Six of Wednesday's New York Post claimed that CNN publicists were scrambling this week to convince B-list guests to attend the network's first ever "Hero's Tribute," which took place last night at the Museum of Natural History, after first choices like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt did not confirm attendance.

Still: The show—hosted by Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour, and designed to honor some 18 "ordinary people" who, the network says, have helped change our world for the better—must go on! Tyra Banks was on the red carpet, in a Pamela Roland gown and vintage jewelry. "I didn't want to be too trendy," she said. "Anderson's here! I thought I had to look White House-ey!"  read more »

Via The Huffington Post, Joe Scarborough of MSBNC went after CNN this morning for allowing someone with ties to the Hillary Clinton campaign to pose a question at Wednesday's GOP debate.

"Don't tell me that CNN didn't know" that the questioner -- retired Brigadier General Keith Kerr, who asked about the issue of gays in the military -- was associated with the Clinton campaign.  read more »

Right after wrapping up the CNN/YouTube Republican debate last night, Anderson Cooper proudly told viewers that CNN's post-game analysis was "not going to focus on the horse race. Instead, tonight, we're looking at the issues."

It was this relentless focus on the issues that produced comments from CNN's panelists like those you'll find after the jump..  read more »

David Lauren and girlfriend Lauren Bush were just a few among the green movement's good-looking rear-guard to sip martinis and muse passionately if not altogether scientifically about the dangers of environmental degradation and the magnificence of the planet beyond Central Park.

“They really showed how beautiful our world is,” said the young Mr. Lauren. “It just overshadowed whatever beauty is in this room.”  read more »