House panel wants answers on faulty stimulus data

Members of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee will ask questions Thursday about faulty data on the Obama administration's Recovery.gov Web site.

The site is fixing errors that appeared to show hundreds of millions of stimulus dollars were spent in nonexistent congressional districts, the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board said Wednesday.

The errors, first reported by ABC News, were seen on Recovery.gov summary pages breaking down how many stimulus dollars were received in each state's congressional districts.

Arizona's page, for example, showed the state's 52nd, 15th and 86th congressional districts received hundreds of thousands of dollars in stimulus money, according to CNN affiliate KNXV. However, no such districts exist in Arizona, which has only eight congressional districts.

A report released Wednesday by the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity said it found such errors on pages for all 50 states, four territories and Washington, D.C. More than $6.4 billion in stimulus funds were shown as being spent -- and more than 28,420 jobs saved or created -- in 440 false districts, it said.

The districts didn't exist, but the the money and jobs did, Obama administration officials have said. And the people who are to blame are recipients who apparently didn't know which congressional district they were in, the officials said.

"We report what the recipients submit to us. Some recipients clearly don't know what congressional district they live in, so they just throw in a number for their congressional district," Ed Pound, spokesman for the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, which operates Recovery.gov, said Monday.

In an appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" on Tuesday night, Vice President Joe Biden said the errors didn't indicate unaccounted-for spending but rather were the result of political ignorance.

"There was bad civics classes for those" who reported the data, Biden said. "They had to fill out a form, what district are you in, and there was no such district."

By Wednesday evening, incorrect districts appeared to have been removed from the states' summary pages. Arizona's page, for example, listed only the state's eight real districts and a category called "unassigned congressional district," which appeared to contain all the money that had been attached to the nonexistent congressional districts.

Arizona's "unassigned congressional district" row had $39,577,600, which is roughly the total that the Franklin Center said was previously linked to nonexistent districts.

Money that was reported as having been spent in a nonexistent district would be moved, in databases on the site, to the correct one in cases where the recipient reported a ZIP code, the board said Wednesday evening. Recipients who didn't submit a ZIP code will need to make corrections "during the next reporting period, which begins on January 1, 2010," the board said in a news release.

The errors raised the ire of Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wisconsin, and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. On Monday, he said the mistakes "are outrageous and the administration owes itself, the Congress and every American a commitment to work night and day to correct the ludicrous mistakes."

"Credibility counts in government, and stupid mistakes like this undermine it. We've got too many serious problems in this country to let that happen," Obey said.

The Top Ten Things We Learned About Hillary Clinton From Vogue Read more: The Top Ten Things We Learned About Hillary Clinton From Vogue -- Daily Int

This little goodie was given to me by my spin class partner Christine - please read and enjoy!

Jonathan van Meter recently spent some time with Hillary Clinton as she traveled throughout Africa and attended the United Nations General Assembly. His new feature for Vogue covers the requisite ground of any Hillary profile — her prominence, or lack thereof, as secretary of State; her relationship with President Obama and decision to serve in his Cabinet — but also contains interesting tidbits, both relevant and random, about Hillary's personality and lifestyle. The whole 7,768-word piece is worth a read, but for those too busy or easily distracted, we've compiled the ten best revelations in easily digestible form.

10. Hillary is a mother to the press corps — inquiring about their cooking injuries, getting them medicine when they're vomiting, and finding them hats to protect them from the sun.

9. Hillary applies her own makeup, even for public appearances. Makes sense, but we doubt all politicians (John Edwards?) could say the same.

8. Hillary drives in a 24-car motorcade, at least in Africa. (In comparison, Obama had 71 cars in his Beijing motorcade this week.)

7. Hillary's traveling press pool "obsesses" over her outfits and hair.

6. Hillary told former NBA star Dikembe Mutumbo that she was "in love" with him after he gave a moving speech at an event with her in the Congo.

5. Hillary is "absolutely engrossed in the fact that we all came from Africa," she said during her trip to the continent. "I find that just an amazing thought."

4. Hillary developed a crush on British foreign secretary David Milliband just by speaking to him over the phone, calling him "vibrant, vital, attractive, smart." Milliband, for his part, finds Hillary "delightful." Fabian will not be pleased.

3. Hillary can "nap on command."

2. Hillary watches Mad Men. "That's how it was!" she says of the male-dominated atmosphere. "That's why the women's-liberation movement was so shocking. It was like news from outer space."

1. Hillary lets it all hang out with her press pool:

In Cape Town, she threw a party for the press and drank with the best of us, talking for more than two hours, into the night, with surprising off-the-record candor about everything from her husband to her disdain for certain world leaders. She's fun. She laughs at herself. And she is full of surprisingly sharp, pointy little retorts, barbs, and comebacks.


Read more: The Top Ten Things We Learned About Hillary Clinton From Vogue -- Daily Intel http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/11/hillary.html#ixzz0XJYsAlVD

The Vampire's Guide to Vancouver

While filming Twilight, New Moon and the now-wrapped Eclipse,Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart,Taylor Lautner and the rest of the cast were spotted enjoying the best restaurants, shops and nightlife spots Vancouver had to offer. Should you find yourself in town and want to taste the life of a New Moon star, here's a list of some of their very special haunts.

• Opus Hotel
Rob and Kristen have partied with friends in the suites of this chic Yaletown hotel after a night on the town – and even ordered the occasional late-night pizza delivery. After the Juno Awards (the Canadian version of the Grammys) in March, Rob hung out in the Velvet Room of the hotel's Elixir Bistro, where he sipped a martini, enjoyed the French food and delighted the waitresses.
Visit: opushotel.com/vancouver

• Richard's on Richards
Rob and Kristen headed to this hotspot to catch their musician pal Sam Bradley and his band. "They were whispering in each other's ear and getting all cuddly," said waitress Alicia Bell of a visit in May. "They were acting like a girlfriend and boyfriend."
Visit: richardsonrichards.com

• India Bistro
In April, Taylor Lautner joined Pattinson and Stewart for Eastern fare at this Indian restaurant on Davie Street. Owner Kamal Mroke said a week doesn't go by that some Twilight-er didn't stop in. The group really liked the palak paneer (homemade cheese cooked with spinach, onions and Indian spices) and chicken jalfrezi (chicken cooked with onion, bell peppers and tomato in a light curry), he said.
Visit: indiabistro.ca

• Retro Rock Vintage Clothing
Did she pick up any of her trademark rocker teess? Rob and Kristen shopped for T-shirts, pants and jackets at this Vancouver vintage mecca, a shopkeeper said in September.

• Cin Cin
"Rob and Kristen were seated beside each other and very close all night," an onlooker said in September of the couple's dinner at this Tuscan eatery that specializes in contemporary Italian fare on Vancouver's bustling Robson Street.
Visit: cincin.net

• Miku
Kellan Lutz got his fill of raw fish at this gourmet Japanese restaurant that specializes in Aburi-style sushi. Rob, Kristen, Taylor, Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene, Elizabeth Reaser, Jackson Rathbone, Xavier Samuels and Bryce Dallas Howard all dropped in before filming began for Eclipse in August.
Visit: mikurestaurant.com

• Players Chophouse
Rob and Kristen partied with Kellan and Ashley at this downtown steakhouse and sports bar in September. The New Moon-ers were treated to musical entertainment courtesy of costar Jackson Rathbone's band, 100 Monkeys.
Visit: vancouverchophouse.ca

• The Backstage Lounge
Sneaking in after the lights went down, Rob and Kristen caught their friend Bobby Long's September concert at this venue, a favorite of local artists, on Granville Island. Nikki Reed, her beau Paris Latsis, and Elizabeth Reaser were also at the show.
Visit: backstagelounge.com

• Tropika
Nikki Reed and Elizabeth Reaser ate at this Malaysian and Thai restaurant on popular Robson Street in August.
Visit: tropika-canada.com

• Rodney's Oyster House
Kristen marked turning 19 on April 9 with Rob and their castmates during a party at this seafood spot on Hamilton Street.
Visit: rodneysoysterhouse.com

• Glowbal Grill and Satay Bar
For Rob's 23rd birthday, he picked this Yaletown steak and satay joint to celebrate with Kristen, Ashley Greene and Jamie Campbell Bower. The group sipped champagne cocktails and feasted on Kobe beef meatballs, lamb, steak, salads and roasted vegetables.
Visit: glowballgrill.com

Demi Moore in Photoshop Controversy

Demi Moore recently graced the cover of W magazine, but parts of her hip appear to be missing.

The actress' photo looks photoshopped to the point where she has an abnormally small left hip -- even smaller than her thigh. Judge for Yourself

James Franco promo: 'I like it here in Port Charles'

ABC’s pulling out all the stops to promote James Franco’s upcoming appearance on General Hospital. In this 60-second spot, Franco’s mysterious character may (or may not have) witnessed Claudia’s murder — but he sure seems mighty suspicious! For one, he wears all black. Two, he’s the guy behind all that strange graffiti, man! What do you think, non-soap fans? Will you, like Franco, be uttering the words “I like it here in Port Charles…folks are so friendly” beginning Nov. 20?

James Franco brings movie star magic to 'General Hospital'

Daytime dramas have helped launched the careers of many a star: David Hasselhoff, John Stamos, Julianne Moore and Meg Ryan, to name just a few.

But at least one actor is taking the reverse route.

Beginning Friday, James Franco will be appearing on "General Hospital," the long-running ABC soap opera.
Producers are trying to keep his story line under wraps, but here's what is known: The actor, best recognized for roles in "Pineapple Express" and "Spider-Man 3," will play a character known as Franco who has a connection to the art world and is pivotal to a story line involving "GH's" lead character, Jason Morgan.

"General Hospital" executive producer Jill Farren Phelps said Franco and Steve Burton, who portrays Morgan, are both clients of manager Miles Levy.

"[Franco] told his manager that he'd heard that [performing on a soap] was hard and that he thought it would be fun," Phelps said. "When Miles asked would we be interested, needless to say, we were very interested."

Phelps acknowledges that Franco's decision to tackle the small screen is an unusual career trajectory for most movie stars.
But she says Franco, who also recently filmed a guest spot on the hit NBC comedy "30 Rock," is showing that he refuses to be labeled or restricted as an actor.

"On some level, it just says much about who James Franco is," she said. "He goes to school, he does a soap opera, he does '30 Rock,' he's a movie star."

Franco is also one who apparently enjoys toying with his image. He re-creates some of his roles in a film titled "Erased James Franco."

His collaborator in the project, a multimedia artist and director who goes by the name of Carter, told Movieline that he was the inspiration for Franco's "General Hospital" stint.

"It was an idea that I posed to him, and it's tied to another film that he and I are working on now," Carter said. "It's not specifically for another project, because I know that he's really enjoying the challenge of working on a soap -- it's a very taxing job, and an interesting thing for him to be doing -- but it does have to do with another film that he and I are working on."

I think what he'll find is that there are some incredible actors on daytime.

--Lynn Leahey, editorial director of Soap Opera Digest

In an interview with New York magazine, the actor seemed to confirm that the soap gig is part of a greater plan.
"Well ... I've got other ideas for my participation in this soap opera beyond just being in this soap opera," Franco said. "But it's been a blast so far."

"GH" producer Phelps said producers talked with the actor and decided that Franco was not appearing on the show as a lark. He was respectful of the hard work and intensity that go into putting together the soap, she said.

Daytime actors put in long hours, and Franco was extremely professional and accomplished, memorizing dozens of pages of dialogue for a day's shoot, Phelps said.

"Everybody was so impressed," she said. "There was an enormous amount of respect and a lot of pleasure that the crew and the cast had in seeing this guy come and take it so seriously, do it so well and do such justice to it."

Phelps said the very handsome Franco also fit in quite well as a daytime hunk.

"He's a movie star," she said. "That's not to say I don't have any number of actors on this show who could qualify as movie stars, but there was something about what he brought that was just so much fun."

Lynn Leahey, editorial director of Soap Opera Digest, said Franco's appearance is generating buzz for "General Hospital" at a time when many soap operas are struggling with diminished advertising dollars and low ratings.

"The fact that someone like him wants to come on and wants to see what it's like I think is amazing," Leahey said. "I think what he'll find is that there are some incredible actors on daytime."

"People think of it as people who can't make it any place else go on daytime, and that's simply not true."

Leahey said the trend of prime-time actors coming to daytime is well established. Franco's appearance could spark interest in soap operas from other established movie actors, she said.

That would be just fine as far as "General Hospital's" executive producer is concerned.

"I do joke occasionally with Miles and say, 'Now get me Johnny Depp,' " Phelps said. "We invite anyone who would to like to try this -- because it's not easy -- to come and play."

Martha Stewart Disses Rachael Ray's Cooking

When it comes to cooking, Martha Stewart says Rachael Ray doesn't hold a candle to her.

In an interview with ABC's Cynthia McFadden, Stewart criticizes Ray's abilities, saying that she is "not good enough for me," The New York Daily News reports.

"She's more of an entertainer than she is, with her bubbly personality, than she is a teacher, like me. That's not what she's professing to be," Stewart explains in the 'Nightline' segment.

But Ray isn't upset with Stewart's remarks.

"Why would it make me mad? Her skill set is far beyond mine. That's simply the reality of it. That doesn't mean what I do isn't important, too ... I don't consider it needling. I really just think she's being honest," she tells ABC.

Referring to their food, Ray adds, "I'd rather eat Martha's than mine, too."

Exclusive: 'Smallville' movie gets a title!

It’s official: Smallville’s upcoming two-hour Justice Society-centric “movie” is now an actual movie.
Sources confirm to me exclusively that The CW has jettisoned the separate titles that were initially assigned to each of the two episodes — “Society” and “Legends,” respectively — in favor of the singularly sensational (and far more marketable) Smallville: Absolute Justice.

What’s more, I hear the movie — which marks the debut of Michael Shanks as Hawkman (pictured) — will air as a seamless two-hour event with only one set of credits.

By the way, the air date for Smallville: Absolute Justice was recently changed from Jan. 29 to Feb. 5. Adjust your schedules accordingly.

Janet Jackson: We Knew About Michael's Drug Problem

In an interview with ABC's Robin Roberts, Janet Jackson opens up about her late brother Michael Jackson's death, and how the family tried to help the King of Pop through his drug addiction.

"Of course, that's what you do. Those are the things that you do when you love someone. You can't just let them continue on that way. And we did a few times. We weren't very successful," she tells Roberts about trying interventions with Michael.

The singer also discusses her relationships, as well as how work was her savior after her brother died.



Michael understood why his family would intervene: "How do I say this? Understanding. I guess that will be the best way to -- understood that it was out of love, because of caring. But when it's something like that, people can tend to be in denial."

Was Michael in denial? "I wish he could answer this question for you and not me. I felt that he was in denial."

Janet knew ultimately he would have to help himself: "You can't make 'em drink the water. ... I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer -- but it's, it's something that you can't do for them. Something they have to do for themselves."

She believes Dr. Conrad Murray should be held responsible for her brother's death: "He was the one that was administering. I think he is responsible."

Trying to help Michael with his addiction was like trying to help her first husband, James DeBarge, with his: "It kinda goes back to my first relationship, something that you have to want. ... it's something they have to want."

She married DeBarge for rebellious reasons: "I wanted to be on my own and get out of the house. We were the kind of kids that -- we -- obeyed our parents, really obeyed our parents. If they said no, you don't ask why. You just understand that it's no."

His drug issues led to the breakup of their marriage: "He was my first love and very much so. And there was a lot going on in our relationship, a lot going on with him, I should say. And -- just being so young and not really -- not really knowing what life is really all about, just beginning to explore life and wanting to -- help him, thinking I could change him, if I only could do this and that, and not realizing that it was something that he had to do and want for himself."

She's not married to Jermaine Dupri: "I know people thought we were. ... I just heard that today. Someone said to me, or just yesterday, someone said, 'You engaged,' and I said, 'Who am I engaged to?' And they said to Jermaine. I said, 'Oh, I am?'"

In fact, they split up: "I adore him. Absolutely adore Jermaine. Love him to death and we're still very good friends to this day. Very good friends, but that's all I'll say."

Going back to work helped: "I needed to get back to work. It helped me get through it. I was able to put a lot of my focus someplace else."