Nuclear Intrigue Is Sexy, But Scary; Abstinence-Only Is Just Scary

PLUS: Alberto Gonzales moves to the EPA, well, sorta...We’re getting hot in here...Do you know what Scalia is cooking?..The guy who found a $4 million violin...The Nazi candidate...And George Bush isn’t “A-Listy” enough (we agree). It’s April 25th...is this thing on?

Celebration Excuse

Science, war, cannibalism, and other reasons to raise a glass. It’s April 25th, here’s why we’re patenting partying:

1792

Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle “La Marseillaise,” the French national anthem, and it’s been in our head ever since.

1847

Well fed on the flesh of their companions, the survivors of the Donner Party emerge from the wilderness.

1898

Because of some nonsense over freeing Cubans or a sinking ship or something the United States declares war on Spain.

1901

Nice plates...New York requires drivers to have a license plate, the first U.S. state to do so.

1953

Francis Crick and James D. Watson publish their groundbreaking paper describing the double helix structure of DNA, the gorgeous basis of all life.

1961

Robert Noyce gets patent for the integrated circuit...which is like important or something.

1990

So many stars! The Hubble Telescope is deployed from the Space Shuttle Discovery and begins its orbit around the earth.

Weirdest Birthday Movie Ever

1964: Hank Azaria, voice of Moe, Chief Wiggum, Apu and countless other Simpson’s characters

1969: Renée Zellweger, star of Bridget Jones’ Diary

1970: Jason Lee, former skateboarder and the original Mall Rat

Daybook

ON THE HILL

Senate

9AM

Senate Armed Services Committee: Full committee briefing (CLOSED!) on the treatment of detainees.

House

9:30AM

Field Trip! The House Homeland Security subcommittee on infrastructure protection heads to the Brooklyn Public Library for a hearing on “Protecting the Mass Transit Critical Infrastructure in New York City and in the Nation.”

STUMPIN’

John McCain: Morning: Hanging in Little Rock. Night: Fundraising in Oklahoma City

Hillary Clinton: Campaigning in North Carolina, Indiana

Bill Clinton: Campaigning (for Hillary) in North Bend, Oregon

WATCH MORE TV

Set Your TiVo

The View: Comedian Richard Lewis; Songstress Kate Nash

Regis/Kelly: Back-on-top Mariah Carey; SVU star Chris Meloni

Ellen: Desperate Housewife Nicolette Sheridan

Oprah: Kitchen makeovers

Tyra: Fat-sploitation

Stay Up Late

Leno: House star Hugh Laurie; the man who only needs one name, Prince

Letterman: Late night funny guy Craig Ferguson, “This American Life” host Ira Glass

Conan: Our favorite comedian, Tina Fey; funny guy Fred Willard

Kimmel: Harold and Kumar star Neil Patrick Harris; wow-it’s-been-a-while actress Marilu Henner

 

Eavesdrop

STEAL THIS AUDIO

Preview of Justice Antonin Scalia on 60 Minutes next Sunday

What: 60 Minutes journalist Leslie Stahl interviews Justice Scalia about his pivotal role in the decision Bush v. Gore.

When You Can See This For Real: Next Sunday, April 27.

Audio

Justice Scalia, at a previous speech, gets defensive on whether he should apologize for Bush v. Gore: “So there!”

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Justice Scalia gets defensive on Stahl’s question about whether his decision was politically motivated: “Gee, I really don’t want to get into…I mean this is…I mean, get over it. It’s so old by now.”

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Justice Scalia on the “scheme” that the Florida Supreme Court put together.

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Justice Scalia: When in doubt, blame Al Gore for taking it to the Florida Courts in the first place. (Ed. Note: Sorry, Mr. Scalia, but Candidate Bush went to the courts first to stop the recount.)

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[AP]

Popularity Contest

You’re too busy making fun weekend plans to keep up on the hottest news stories? No worries – we’ve got your back. Here they are – we only regret we couldn’t wrap them with a bow for you.

ABC: Why Can’t Barack Obama Close the Deal?

CBS: Scalia On Bush v. Gore: Get Over It!

CNN: Humans nearly wiped out 70,000 years ago, study says

FOX: Secret Service Catch Mexican Official Nabbing White House BlackBerries

NBC: Arby’s owner buying Wendy’s in all-stock deal

NYT: Maureen Dowd — Wilting Over Waffles

WP: David Broder — The Democrats’ Worst Nightmare

USAT: More U.S. retailers give BPA the boot

LAT: Run on rice makes its way to U.S.

BBC: Human line ‘nearly split in two’

REUT: Megan Fox crowned sexiest woman in the world

Masthead

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Mic Check is produced every weekday by Christy Harvey, Sara Langhinrichs and Nicole Murphy, and is a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Read more about Mic Check.

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