News Corp. has settled 37 cases of phone hacking at a cost of possibly £10m, The Guardian has reported. As part of the process, the media conglomerate made what a high court called an “admission of sorts” that it covered up evidence of phone hacking by its British tabloid newspapers.

Sean Hannity was so eager to defend his pal Newt Gingrich on last night’s Hannity, you’d think Gingrich was in trouble for saying something racist rather than because his ex-wife dropped a bombshell on ABC News - that Gingrich had wanted an “open marriage” while he was married to her and having an affair with the woman who is his current wife.

The first part of Saturday's (1/14/12) Bulls and Bears focused on EU downgrades. Sudddenly, the topic turned to cutting corporate taxes in order to create jobs. Predictably, cutting taxes was presented as a panacea that two of the five panelists argued against.

If a new Public Policy Polling report is to be believed, most Americans probably do not believe Fox News’ “fair and balanced” mantra is accurate. In a survey asking which news source is the most trusted, conservatives overwhelmingly choose Fox but moderates, independents and liberals rate it the least trustworthy. For the second year, PBS is the most trusted source.  Sadly, the poll notes “Television news has become just as polarizing as the politicians themselves,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “Democrats trust everything except Fox News, while Republicans trust nothing except Fox News.”

Dennis Miller mocked those who thought racial politics were played against Fox’s Juan Williams at Monday night’s Republican debate. Kicking off what was supposed to be an O'Reilly Factor discussion last night about President Obama’s trip to Disney World, Miller said to Bill O'Reilly, “Billy, Billy, heck of a show tonight. Tell Jew-Ann Williams he was great.” A few days ago, O’Reilly complained, “I don’t like this race business” when a Democrat said he thought the Republican candidates had been insensitive to South Carolina’s African Americans. But now, O’Reilly chuckled heartily. Oh, and Funny-Man Miller also had a message for the captain of the capsized ship in Italy: "Open up a wrist in a bathtub pal and do the right thing!" He also hoped the guy would get raped in prison. Classy as ever.

In Fox's latest ridiculous effort to pretend Donald Trump is a serious pundit, Greta Van Susteren hosted him last night (1/18/12) for a double session in which she treated Trump – whose only real business experience is in real estate – as an expert on the Keystone pipeline, the related environmental issues, the 2012 presidential election, Snooki and - my personal favorite – Iran. 

Politico’s Dylan Byers reports that FoxNews.com lifted material from John Hudson of the Atlantic Wire about Navy-trained dolphins. Byers reports that Fox News never responded to his inquiry about the piece. But he did find a note on their website apologizing for failing “to properly source and add original reporting or language that would significantly distinguish it from an article that was posted (earlier) on theatlanticwire.com.”

Jerry Springer visited Fox & Friends this morning, ostensibly to discuss the “liberal slant” of Newsweek for its cover story by Andrew Sullivan calling President Obama’s critics “dumb.” But he didn’t pussy foot around calling out the hypocrisy of Fox News accusing anyone else of bias. He obviously touched a nerve belonging to Gretchen Carlson. Go, Jerry!

In reporting on Alveda King's commentary, on Monday's Fox & Friends, "Jezebel" nails it in their description of the interview, on her uncle's birthday, as an example of how Fox News can "wrap a crap sandwich in a lie and call it history."  And that's precisely what the right wing is trying to do in attempting to change the legacy of MLK, Jr. in order to make it more user friendly for right wing memes. No social justice or union advocacy here so move along. As part of her revisionist history of MLK, Jr., ultra anti-choice, anti-gay conservative Alveda King claimed, on Fox, that he was a "pro-life conservative." While we have no King quotes regarding abortion, one thing is clear - he was a staunch supporter of Planned Parenthood, admired Margaret Sanger, and advocated for all women to be able to control their fertility. If anything, he would be appalled by his niece's right wing militancy.

We at News Hounds know as well as anyone what it's like to have your work pirated on the internet. But Congress' so-called solution not only creates more problems, it threatens the very freedom and openness that we cherish in the internet. Wikipedia, which has blacked out for the day, has more. Please join us in speaking out!

(Original graphic by longtime News Hound supporter Dee, PbD.)