Cheat Sheet - Put James Franco in Detention!

Today: At Least 63 Killed in Iraq Bombings, GOP Continues Tax Squabbling, Lockerbie Bomber Gives 'Last Interview' December 22, 2011 PHONY 1. Put James Franco in Detention! An New York University professor has sued the school over his firing, allegedly for giving student/actor James Franco a D. Upon hearing the news, The Daily Beast's Lee Siegel had an epiphany: Franco's nothing more than a professional phony—a fraud whose fame has relied on the growing synergy between Hollywood stardom and reality television. Is it time for the Rise of the Planet of the Apes star to retire? Read it at The Daily Beast TERRORISM 2. At Least 63 Killed in Iraq Bombings At least 63 people died in Baghdad Thursday after a dozen bombs went off around the city, mostly during rush hour. It's the first major violence since American troops pulled out of the country earlier this week, though there have already been troubling political signs as well: Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's arrest of a Sunni leader and threat to abandon a power-sharing government. No one has yet taken responsibility for the attacks, though they appear similar to previous attacks by Al Qaeda in Iraq. Read it at The New York Times POLITICS 3. GOP Continues Tax Squabbling How many more days of criticism will the House GOP endure over its failure to pass a payroll-tax extension? The latest turn of the screw: In interviews with 10 current and former congressional Republican advisers, The Washington Post notes a "recurring critique" of House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor for failing to warn their Senate counterparts of House opposition—a failure that allowed nearly all Senate Republicans to vote in favor of the extension. ABC News' Jonathan Karl predicted from conversations with GOP insiders that House Republicans would cave and pass the Senate bill before taxes go up on January 1; however, after his report a top House GOP aide wrote to call the Senate bill "disastrously bad" and say the House rank and file want leadership to better defend their position. Read it at The Washington Post LIBYA 4. Lockerbie Bomber Gives 'Last Interview' After this, we will hear from Lockerbie Bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi no more. In what he insists will be his last interview before he dies, al-Megrahi tell the UK Press Association, "I am an innocent man. I am about to die and I ask now to be left in peace with my family." He claims to have never met or seen the witness shopkeeper who helped identify him at his trial. Megrahi was released from a Scottish prison in 2009 on compassionate grounds after he was diagnosed with cancer. However, he has outlived his three-month prognosis at the time. Read it at The Guardian TESTY 5. Ron Paul Storms Out of CNN Interview A few months back, Ron Paul's supporters complained he wasn't getting enough media coverage. My, how things have changed! The GOP presidential candidate stormed out of a CNN interview, saying he was sick of being "pestered" by reporters about racist newsletters that were sent in his name during the 1990s. When CNN's Gloria Borger asked Paul if he ever read the newsletters, he snapped back, "Why don't you go back and look at what I said yesterday on CNN and what I've said for 20 something years… I didn't write them, I disavow them." The usually even-tempered Congressman grew more irritated as Borger further pressed the issue, saying there were reports he made "almost a million dollars" off the newsletters in 1993. The two went back and forth before Paul took off his mic and walked off the stage. Borger later explained, "He thinks it's been asked and answered…it's clearly a question he'd rather not be asked." Read it at Mediaite EUROPE France: Remove Bad Breast Implants Expected order could affect 30,000 women. SEEING DOUBLE The Fake Mark Zuckerberg Speaks! Israeli entrepreneur on his Facebook battle. JERKS GOP Rep: First Lady Has 'Large Posterior' Overheard in airport lounge. SURPRISES Conjoined Twins Born in Brazil Twins have separate brains, but share a body. UNPOPULAR Kris Humphries Most Hated NBA Player According to new poll. GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET The Yes List Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. Michael Tomasky on the GOP's Christmas Gift to Obama by Michael Tomasky Arrests of Service Men Raises Question of Racism in Soldier's Death by Diane Herbst America's Worst Drivers (photos) by The Daily Beast

ABOUT US | CONTACT US | SUBSCRIBE Copyright 2011 The Newsweek/Daily Beast Company LLC 555 W. 18th Street , New York NY 10011 Privacy Policy

If you are on a mobile device or cannot view the images in this message, click here to view this email in your Web browser. To ensure delivery of these emails, please add thedailybeast@e2.thedailybeast.com to your address book. If you have changed your mind and no longer wish to receive these emails, or think you have received this message in error, you can safely unsubscribe here.