Detroit Reacts to News from Washington

Breaking news from Washington was welcomed in Detroit, as President Bush announced $17.4 billion in bridge loans for GM and Chrysler. The Free Press linked to 11 related stories and two opinion pieces from its home page. "Thank you, Mr. President," said the Tom Walsh business column. "Sigh of relief as Bush gets it, finally," said the headline on Stephen Henderson's blog. The Detroit News linked to an editorial, video, details of the plan and a cyber survey (Will the bailout plan work?). In other home page stories, the News printed a letter to Chrysler employees from CEO Bob Nardelli and reaction to the loans from GM's CEO Rick Wagner. Meanwhile, Detroit is being hit with a major snow storm that also is getting major play.

List in the News

On this the 10th anniversary of the impeachment of President Bill Clinton by the U.S. House of Representatives, the former president is again in the news. Clinton released a list of donations by foreign governments and other contributors to the William J. Clinton Foundation. Clinton agreed to make the list public after it became a potential stumbling block to his wife's appointment as Secretary of State. The Washington Post, New York Times and Los Angeles Times reported details of the list on Page One. "In Clinton List, A Veil is Lifted on Foundation," The New York Times said. Said the Los Angeles Times, "The Clinton Foundation's contributions include millions from Saudis and Indians." The Washington Post bulleted contributions on its front. What did your news organization do with the list?

Let It Snow, Let It Snow

The odds were good that the Las Vegas Review-Journal would do something creative with its front page after the area got up to 10 inches of snow, including a white coating along the Strip. The paper greeted the rare winter storm with a "Welcome to Las Vegas" photo. AME Greg Haas points out that "reporters rewrote the 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and it ran on the front page, with refers to the story inside." The rewrite began:

'Twas the week before Christmas, when all up the Strip
Not a sunbeam was shining, not even a bit.
The towers were shrouded in a gray, foggy cloud
As slushy snowflakes gently fell all about.
The tourists were bundled, their cheeks rosy red
While visions of jackpots danced in their heads.
Those hoping for sunshine could do nothing but mourn
As Las Vegas was hit with a rare winter storm.

But all good things seem to come to an end. On its Web site this afternoon, the Review-Journal predicts much of the snow will be gone by the end of the day.

Ripples Beyond Detroit

Chrysler announced that it is idling all 30 of its factories in the United States for a month, and the news carried well beyond Detroit. The decision impacts four plants in Indiana -- woes that "hit Indiana hard," said the Indianapolis Star. Its front page reported that more than 6,000 people are affected. Online, the Star offered an interactive graphic of the plants in Kokomo, Ind. In Ohio, the Toledo Blade included important numbers in its headlines -- "2 local plants" and "3,700 workers furloughed." The Blade bulleted information about the work stoppage. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch focused its story on talk of a merger between Chrysler and GM while noting that a pickup assembly plant in Missouri will be shut down from Friday into January.

Not a Question but a Statement

As President Bush was about to take questions at a press conference in Baghdad, a broadcast journalist threw shoes in protest of U.S. policy in the region. The Washington Post printed a series of four photos that showed shoes flying past the U.S. president and noted that "Throwing a shoe at someone is considered the worst possible insult in Iraq." Similar photos appeared on front pages in other places, including the Middle East. The BBC posted video and reported that the journalist, Muntadar al-Zaidi, works for Cairo-based al-Baghdadiya TV. Modesto (Calif.) Bee reporter Adam Ashton was in the room, and he shared a first-person account on his "Iraq Connection" blog. The Bee noted that it was Bush's last visit to Iraq as president. Said its headline: "War-zone farewell." The Post reported that al-Zaidi is being called a hero by some Arabs. Al-Zaidi's employer called for his release from Iraqi custody on the grounds that he has the right to free expression.

Exclamation!

It's not every day that it snows in Mississippi and Louisiana. In fact, it rarely snows there. So when southern Louisiana and parts of Mississippi got up to eight inches of snow, The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette, La., and the American Press of Lake Charles, La., simply said, "Snow!"

Added The Daily Advertiser, "For many South Louisiana residents, day was magical."

Indeed, the front page of The Times-Picayune of New Orleans captured the magic that fell in gentle white flakes (and closed schools and governments and caused power outages). Everyone took pictures, and The Times-Picayune is collecting pictures and video.

No Deal

It was the top headline on today's Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and New York Times. But no one said it better than the Detroit Free Press: "No Deal."

The U.S. Senate failed to reach a deal to bail out the Big Three automakers. "Without a Deal, Carmakers Face Bankruptcy Treat," The Washington Post said. A Free Press editorial called it a "Dreadful outcome for Detroit."

The Washington Post pictured players in the Senate, including two Republicans who played an active role in the revolt against the bailout plan approved by the U.S. House and supported by the Bush administration. In a front-page column, Daniel Howes of the Detroit Free Press wrote that the United Auto Workers have ignored Southern Republicans and "foreign-owned auto plants proliferating down South:" "Senators to UAW: It's payback time." The Los Angeles Times tallied up political donations by the Big Three and said, "Since 1990, the auto industry has cut $100 million in checks to the GOP, compared with $34 million to Democrats. But the Big Three is snubbed on bailout."