All Blog Posts from Couric & Co.
Sit. Stay. Read.
Our good friend and faithful web-izen Richard Schlesinger is filing a report for tonight's Evening News on dogs in the workplace. We hounded him, and he agreed to file the following. Thankfully, he didn't make us sit up and beg. - Ed.
One of the titles I wear most proudly is Chief CBS NEWS dog lover. My office is a destination for colleagues who stop by to tell me their dog stories or admire my museum quality collection of photos of my dog Sally.
So I was delighted to get to this company in North Carolina where the employees are encouraged to bring their dogs. Turns out..it's good for business. Any dog lover knows he or she is happier when they are allowed to be with their hound. That happiness, in many cases means higher productivity! So I argue dogs are good for business. I say this with some risk. CBS frowns on people bringing dogs in. Who knows, maybe the powers-that-be will change their minds when they see how much more productive we would all be. Besides if you knew Sally like I know Sally (Oh, oh, oh what a girl!) You'd want her in your office too.
One of the titles I wear most proudly is Chief CBS NEWS dog lover. My office is a destination for colleagues who stop by to tell me their dog stories or admire my museum quality collection of photos of my dog Sally.
So I was delighted to get to this company in North Carolina where the employees are encouraged to bring their dogs. Turns out..it's good for business. Any dog lover knows he or she is happier when they are allowed to be with their hound. That happiness, in many cases means higher productivity! So I argue dogs are good for business. I say this with some risk. CBS frowns on people bringing dogs in. Who knows, maybe the powers-that-be will change their minds when they see how much more productive we would all be. Besides if you knew Sally like I know Sally (Oh, oh, oh what a girl!) You'd want her in your office too.
Sit. Read. Stay.
Our good friend and faithful web-izen Richard Schlesinger is filing a report for tonight's Evening News on dogs in the workplace. We hounded him, and he agreed to file the following. Thankfully, he didn't make us sit up and beg. - Ed.
One of the titles I wear most proudly is Chief CBS NEWS dog lover. My office is a destination for colleagues who stop by to tell me their dog stories or admire my museum quality collection of photos of my dog Sally.
So I was delighted to get to this company in North Carolina where the employees are encouraged to bring their dogs. Turns out..it's good for business. Any dog lover knows he or she is happier when they are allowed to be with their hound. That happiness, in many cases means higher productivity! So I argue dogs are good for business. I say this with some risk. CBS frowns on people bringing dogs in. Who knows, maybe the powers-that-be will change their minds when they see how much more productive we would all be. Besides if you knew Sally like I know Sally (Oh, oh, oh what a girl!) You'd want her in your office too.
One of the titles I wear most proudly is Chief CBS NEWS dog lover. My office is a destination for colleagues who stop by to tell me their dog stories or admire my museum quality collection of photos of my dog Sally.
So I was delighted to get to this company in North Carolina where the employees are encouraged to bring their dogs. Turns out..it's good for business. Any dog lover knows he or she is happier when they are allowed to be with their hound. That happiness, in many cases means higher productivity! So I argue dogs are good for business. I say this with some risk. CBS frowns on people bringing dogs in. Who knows, maybe the powers-that-be will change their minds when they see how much more productive we would all be. Besides if you knew Sally like I know Sally (Oh, oh, oh what a girl!) You'd want her in your office too.
Crikey
Here's one from this morning, but worth a second look.
Video: If you missed it, here's a quick glimpse at Steve Irwin'sfuneral in Australia, as reported by Sheila McVicar.
It's worth watching, if only to see and hear Irwin's adorable and incredibly poised young daughter. Click the monitor to watch.
What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been
(AP)
This mission was supposed to happen in 2003 and then Columbia disintegrated and the Atlantis flight to the space station was put on hold. Three years passed, and then when Atlantis was finally given a green light an unbelievable series of events kept it grounded for two more weeks.
Let's recount the problems. To start with, a lightning bolt hit the launch pad. Then an approaching Hurricane Ernesto pushed NASA into a Keystone Kops caper. Atlantis was hustled, well slowly moved, off the pad and then when the hurricane turned, the shuttle itself did a U-turn.
Once the weather cleared, the technical glitches began. A pump on one of the fuel cells failed and a squirreley fuel sensor acted up. But, Atlantis finally lifted off and the mission itself went beautifully. Space walking astronauts installed a 17 and a half ton truss and solar panels on the international space station. The work was done ahead of time, and only a couple of bolts were lost in the process.
So, the crew and NASA were feeling good about a job well done and Atlantis began its trek home.
And that's precisely when the mystery objects began to appear. First there was one, then another, and now three more -- little specks of space debris or tiny UFOs, which are causing NASA some big headaches.
Engineers were worried the debris may be pieces of the shuttle's heat shield needed for a safe re-entry, but now those fears have eased. Experts studying the strange images think the mystery objects may be small bits of material which simply floated out of the shuttle's cargo bay, perhaps even pieces of lint or small twists tie used to secure cables.
In any case, the objects appear to be more of a nuisance than a threat and NASA is increasingly optimistic the shuttle will come home tomorrow.
And when it lands, there will be a collective sigh of relief that one very strange trip has finally ended.
"It seems the streets here run with blood..."
(CBS)
It is the middle of the night in Baghdad and from my window I can see the city lying in darkness. The night is quiet.
But I think about all the homes where a bed is lying empty, that terrible empty space where someone used to lay before they disappeared — another person kidnapped, another person who disappeared on the way somewhere and has not been seen or heard of since. Another family waiting in pain.
This is how it works. Iraqis say: "if they haven't found the body, then they are probably still alive. Then you can still hope." That's the only way most people have any idea about the fate of their disappeared.
Sometimes they know immediately. When the lock is broken in the middle of the night and they walk into your home, through the rooms where your children sleep and drag your sons from their beds and tear your husband out of your arms – then, even before the bodies are found you know the men you love are most likely never coming back. Many say the men wear uniforms, police uniforms. The police say these uniforms are stolen or bought and have nothing to do with them.
It doesn't matter anymore.
The damage is done...
Check out the full story here.
Aaaaaaayyyyeeeeeh!
Correspondent Trish Regan took a spin last night on the Evening News – a few of them, actually. Click on the monitor to the left to see her story about Electronic Stability Control, the new technology that will be required in all cars. And then read on for her description of what it was like. – Ed.
Well, I'm a believer. In electronic stability control, that is. All it took was driving with and without ESC (that's the trade "lingo") to convince me this could be a life saving technology. Consumer Report's Chief Car Tester, David Champion, gave me a test drive (yes, the giant helmet was mandatory) to see how a car handles with and without stability control. For the first three times through the cones, David kept the stability control on. We drove at 50 miles an hour, veering around orange cones in a series of tight turns. Sure, we got thrown around a bit – but overall? The car made it through pretty easily.
The next step was to give it a shot WITHOUT the stability control. I braced myself for this one…and rightly so. The minute we tried to get around the first cone we began losing control. By the time we were trying to turn around the second cone, forget it. We were spinning in circles. My husband tells me, as a teenager he and his friends would get in their pickup trucks and do "donuts" on snowy Saturday mornings in their high school parking lot in Buffalo, New York… I'm guessing they would have liked this test drive…because that's exactly what we did:-"donuts". We repeated the test six times so that the cameraman could get all the angles -- and every time, we spun out.
The difference between having ESC and not having it, was remarkable. Imagine being on a highway and trying to quickly avoid something…you might swerve to your left and then try to pull to your right to get back to your lane. Without ESC, there is a high probability you'll spin out of control. That's the reason why studies predict ESC will save more than 10,000 lives a year. Consumer Reports says this is the biggest development in auto safety since the seat belt. I asked if there were any downsides at all to the technology. David Champion told me, he had looked but the only drawback he could find was that ESC wouldn't allow people who wanted to spin their cars around for fun to do so…I guess future teenagers who like to do "donuts" (like my husband did!) will be out of luck.
Remembering Richards
(AP (file))
The question that day was whether Texans could support a woman on the Democratic ticket.
At a rally at the state capital in Austin, Ann Richards settled that issue by pointing out that she had been the top vote getter in Texas in her election as State Treasurer. And, alluding to her gender, she said "My momma didn't name me Bubba."
It got a roar from the crowd and quashed any concerns about Ferarro's electability among Texas voters.
(Of course, that didn't help much come November. Mondale-Ferraro lost in Texas and almost every other state...)
A second cup of Joe
On last night's Evening News, Byron Pitts offered a surprising and inspiring portrait of a genuine sports hero: Penn State Coach Joe Paterno. You can see the piece by clicking the monitor on the left. Late yesterday, Byron filed a few more thoughts on his encounter with Paterno. We think this Joe is worth a refill. Enjoy. – Ed.
He's taller than you think. And in better shape than most men half his age.
I've met my share of football coaches, but none like Penn State's Joe Paterno. He was even better than advertised.
We were introduced on the 50-yard line on Media Day at Penn State. I was expecting to meet a legendary and cranky old coach (based on many of the most recent press clippings on the guy). But the man I shook hands with was actually bigger than his legend and far from a cranky old coach.
His first words to me were "Nice to meet you Byron. So glad you made it home safe from the Middle East." I thought we'd talk x's and o's... and he was more interested in world affairs and the well-being a stranger. That, it seems to me, is the less-widely-known portion of the Paterno legend. He certainly cares about the game he's coached for 56-years (41 as head coach at Penn State), but he genuinely cares more about the kids he's coached and people he's met along the way.
We were told '"Coach is on a tight schedule." We had 20 minutes for the interview and he gave us an hour. I can't remember the last time I learned more or laughed more. He's thoughtful, funny and cares deeply about issues well beyond football.
I asked Paterno if he felt more like a teacher or a coach. He said he saw little difference between the two. I wanted to hear about all the All-American's he'd coached and NFL Hall Famers who played for him at Penn State, but Coach preferred to talk about his players who'd gone on to become doctors, lawyers, businessmen, husbands and fathers.
He did talk in detail about a former player who didn't like to read before coming to Penn State, but as a requirement to play, Paterno made him read several books. Can you imagine, in this age when so many big time college athletes are allowed to skate through college, Paterno insisted one of his top recruits actually get an education, or else? He once kept a star player out of a bowl game, because the kid cut class.
Paterno's old school. No throat slash'n, trash talk'n, put a kid's name on the back of his journey at Penn State. And thank God for that.
Make no mistake... Paterno doesn't run a perfect program, but it's one I'd be honored to have a child play for. He graduates 84% of his players. That's higher than the national average for any major college football program.
I've been blessed to interview some wonderful people in my career... and I'd rank Coach Joe Paterno with the best of them.
Here's some good news: Coach had a physical recently and the doctor said he could coach another 8-10 years. Paterno joked you never saw a sadder group than when he shared the good news with his assistant coaches.
Honestly, all who love college football....or who love adults who take a real interest in shaping young people... just have to love a man like Joe Paterno. His dad wanted him to be a lawyer, to "make a difference." Well at 79 going on 19... Coach Paterno has done at least half of what his dad wanted.
I'd bet money... for everyone All-American on a Paterno team.. there are at least 20-kids who go on to become All-AMERICAN men.
Bob Orr: Spinning a Tragedy
Bob Orr has been covering the FAA and the air industry for years. This afternoon, he takes a hard look at the Comair crash two and half weeks ago outside Lexington, Kentucky -- and raises some serious questions about what happened then, and what's happened since. - Ed.
There's something about the crash of Comair flight 5191 that really bugs me.
I've covered more than a dozen major air disasters in the past decade or so and each one has been awful – emotionally distressing and physically exhausting – and a personal tragedy for the families involved.
We usually find some comfort in the fact that safety lessons are learned: The US Air accident in Pittsburgh revealed a design flaw in the Boeing 737, the explosion of TWA 800 underscored the dangers of sparks and fuel vapors, and the crash of an American Airlines jet in Queens reminded us that even big planes can break if pushed beyond their limits.
But, that's what makes the Comair crash so sad. We aren't learning much except that the accident never should have happened and the parties involved seem to be working overtime to dodge the blame.
Now let's be clear about one thing: The pilots caused this accident. While the National Transportation Safety Board won't officially determine a "probable cause" for months, the evidence is unequivocal. The wreckage of flight 5191 came to rest at the end of the WRONG runway. It is the sole responsibility of the flight crew to properly select the correct runway for take off. The pilots failed to do that. Case closed.
So, what's with all the noise about control tower staffing and runway construction? Two agendas seem to be at play here and they both involve money.
This accident will be incredibly expensive for Comair, a struggling bankrupt airline that is a commuter feeder for Delta, a larger struggling bankrupt airline. Aviation lawyers began circling the crash debris shortly after the smoke cleared and there is no doubt that lawsuits and settlements will run into the tens of millions of dollars.
It would help Comair's case and its pocketbook if others share the blame. To that end the airline contends the pilots of the flight 5191 were likely confused by recent changes to the taxiway leading to both the right and wrong runways. Newly issued government charts, Comair argues, failed to show the changes, making it difficult for pilots to find their way in the dark.
The airline and others also point a finger of blame at the control tower, and controllers, in turn, are pointing at the FAA. There was only one controller on duty the morning of the crash and he was working on two hours of sleep with his back to the airfield as flight 5191 roared down the wrong runway to its demise. That sounds bad but, in fact, the controller did nothing we know of to contribute to the accident. Investigators who have listened to the air traffic tapes say his radio instructions were professional and clear.
There is one semi-legitimate issue here. The FAA admits it violated its own policy by having only one controller on duty. There should have been two – one to handle ground operations and the other radar. Now the controller's union, NATCA, is jumping up and down saying the FAA is to blame for compromising safety.
Well, not exactly. Aviation experts say despite the FAA's policy, two controllers really weren't needed at 6:10 am when the crash occurred. In the 45 minutes leading up to the accident, the lone controller handled a total of THREE airplanes. And even if TWO people had been in the control tower, it's not at all certain that either would have been able to see the pilots' mistake in time to radio any kind of alert. In any case, it is not the controller's primary job to watch the take-off.
NATCA, of course, would like more controllers in all towers. The union and the FAA have been involved in a bitter long term feud over jobs and benefits. The FAA recently imposed a new contract that pays new controllers much less than their experienced colleagues. And the union warns that a rash of retirements could leave the air traffic system strapped and undermanned. NATCA may be right to raise the issue, but it played no role in what went wrong at Lexington's Blue Grass Airport.
And that really is the problem.
The post-crash debate has focused too much on blame-shifting and union posturing and not enough on HOW and WHY such a foolish mistake was made by experienced men in the cockpit. Getting answers to those questions might be our only chance to learn anything of value from this accident.
(CBS)
I've covered more than a dozen major air disasters in the past decade or so and each one has been awful – emotionally distressing and physically exhausting – and a personal tragedy for the families involved.
We usually find some comfort in the fact that safety lessons are learned: The US Air accident in Pittsburgh revealed a design flaw in the Boeing 737, the explosion of TWA 800 underscored the dangers of sparks and fuel vapors, and the crash of an American Airlines jet in Queens reminded us that even big planes can break if pushed beyond their limits.
But, that's what makes the Comair crash so sad. We aren't learning much except that the accident never should have happened and the parties involved seem to be working overtime to dodge the blame.
Now let's be clear about one thing: The pilots caused this accident. While the National Transportation Safety Board won't officially determine a "probable cause" for months, the evidence is unequivocal. The wreckage of flight 5191 came to rest at the end of the WRONG runway. It is the sole responsibility of the flight crew to properly select the correct runway for take off. The pilots failed to do that. Case closed.
So, what's with all the noise about control tower staffing and runway construction? Two agendas seem to be at play here and they both involve money.
This accident will be incredibly expensive for Comair, a struggling bankrupt airline that is a commuter feeder for Delta, a larger struggling bankrupt airline. Aviation lawyers began circling the crash debris shortly after the smoke cleared and there is no doubt that lawsuits and settlements will run into the tens of millions of dollars.
It would help Comair's case and its pocketbook if others share the blame. To that end the airline contends the pilots of the flight 5191 were likely confused by recent changes to the taxiway leading to both the right and wrong runways. Newly issued government charts, Comair argues, failed to show the changes, making it difficult for pilots to find their way in the dark.
The airline and others also point a finger of blame at the control tower, and controllers, in turn, are pointing at the FAA. There was only one controller on duty the morning of the crash and he was working on two hours of sleep with his back to the airfield as flight 5191 roared down the wrong runway to its demise. That sounds bad but, in fact, the controller did nothing we know of to contribute to the accident. Investigators who have listened to the air traffic tapes say his radio instructions were professional and clear.
There is one semi-legitimate issue here. The FAA admits it violated its own policy by having only one controller on duty. There should have been two – one to handle ground operations and the other radar. Now the controller's union, NATCA, is jumping up and down saying the FAA is to blame for compromising safety.
Well, not exactly. Aviation experts say despite the FAA's policy, two controllers really weren't needed at 6:10 am when the crash occurred. In the 45 minutes leading up to the accident, the lone controller handled a total of THREE airplanes. And even if TWO people had been in the control tower, it's not at all certain that either would have been able to see the pilots' mistake in time to radio any kind of alert. In any case, it is not the controller's primary job to watch the take-off.
NATCA, of course, would like more controllers in all towers. The union and the FAA have been involved in a bitter long term feud over jobs and benefits. The FAA recently imposed a new contract that pays new controllers much less than their experienced colleagues. And the union warns that a rash of retirements could leave the air traffic system strapped and undermanned. NATCA may be right to raise the issue, but it played no role in what went wrong at Lexington's Blue Grass Airport.
And that really is the problem.
The post-crash debate has focused too much on blame-shifting and union posturing and not enough on HOW and WHY such a foolish mistake was made by experienced men in the cockpit. Getting answers to those questions might be our only chance to learn anything of value from this accident.
"When we get behind closed doors..."
...then everyone lets their hair hang down. Which may be why nearly half the Bush fundraisers this year have been behind closed doors. Mark Knoller has the juicy details. Ed.
By attending a luncheon today sponsored by the Republican National Committee for big-money donors, President Bush brings to 47 the number of fundraisers he's done this year for the GOP and its candidates.
And of those 47, fully 23 have been closed to press coverage.
Nearly all of those events are held at private residences. The White House has said it doesn't want to subject those homes to the abuse a visit from reporters, TV crews, and photographers would inflict.
The Clinton White House made the same argument – but eventually relented and allowed a single print reporter to cover the event and provide a "pool report" on it to the rest of the press corps. In addition, the White House Communications Agency was authorized to provide reporters with an audio feed of the president's remarks.
The Bush White House is holding firm against that practice, choosing not to allow any coverage – or to provide an audio feed.
As recently as today, I asked the White House to provide the press with a transcript of the remarks the president makes at these closed events. Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino says she relayed my request but "there's been no change in the policy."
That means what the president says at these closed events cannot be covered or reported.
Today's RNC luncheon is being held at the Evermay mansion in the Georgetown section of Washington. It's a privately-owned Federal-period house built in 1801 and now rented out to various groups looking for an elegant place to host an upscale gathering.
The website of The Evermay Societybills the house as "a sanctuary located at the heart of America's hometown and the Nation's Capital."
Well, it certainly serves the GOP as a "sanctuary" from the press.
A Republican party spokeswoman says today's luncheon there will bring in $850,000 for the party.
In this midterm election year, President Bush has helped to raise over $104-million dollars for the GOP and its candidates.
It's actually a bit more than that. Mr. Bush attended a fund-raiser last month for the re-election campaign of Sen. George Allen, R-Va. But his campaign refuses to disclose how much the event generated.
In the decade that I've been tracking presidential fund-raising, it's one of the few times a campaign has declined to say how much money was raised.
By attending a luncheon today sponsored by the Republican National Committee for big-money donors, President Bush brings to 47 the number of fundraisers he's done this year for the GOP and its candidates.
And of those 47, fully 23 have been closed to press coverage.
Nearly all of those events are held at private residences. The White House has said it doesn't want to subject those homes to the abuse a visit from reporters, TV crews, and photographers would inflict.
The Clinton White House made the same argument – but eventually relented and allowed a single print reporter to cover the event and provide a "pool report" on it to the rest of the press corps. In addition, the White House Communications Agency was authorized to provide reporters with an audio feed of the president's remarks.
The Bush White House is holding firm against that practice, choosing not to allow any coverage – or to provide an audio feed.
As recently as today, I asked the White House to provide the press with a transcript of the remarks the president makes at these closed events. Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino says she relayed my request but "there's been no change in the policy."
That means what the president says at these closed events cannot be covered or reported.
Today's RNC luncheon is being held at the Evermay mansion in the Georgetown section of Washington. It's a privately-owned Federal-period house built in 1801 and now rented out to various groups looking for an elegant place to host an upscale gathering.
The website of The Evermay Societybills the house as "a sanctuary located at the heart of America's hometown and the Nation's Capital."
Well, it certainly serves the GOP as a "sanctuary" from the press.
A Republican party spokeswoman says today's luncheon there will bring in $850,000 for the party.
In this midterm election year, President Bush has helped to raise over $104-million dollars for the GOP and its candidates.
It's actually a bit more than that. Mr. Bush attended a fund-raiser last month for the re-election campaign of Sen. George Allen, R-Va. But his campaign refuses to disclose how much the event generated.
In the decade that I've been tracking presidential fund-raising, it's one of the few times a campaign has declined to say how much money was raised.
