Free Republic

The first Republican presidential debate of the season without front-runner Donald Trump generated smaller viewer interest than all but one of this cycle's prior GOP gatherings, according to preliminary Nielsen estimates — but still drew four times as many viewers as Trump's competing event. In the metered-market overnights, which represent 56 of the nation's largest markets, Fox News Channel's debate from Iowa averaged an 8.4 household rating. This is up vs. the 7.4 overnight rating for the most recent GOP debate, on Fox Business Network earlier this month, but it stands as the second lowest-rated of the six Republican gatherings...

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: I was almost right. My gut was telling me yesterday that this thing was not over when the show ended yesterday, that the possibility of Trump showing up at the debate was not over. We've learned that the moderators, the moderating crew -- Bret Baier, Chris Wallace, Megyn Kelly -- even as late 8:45 thought Trump might bop over. There were negotiations going on all during the day. Trump was never serious about it. And I figured it out when I learned that Trump made a demand to Fox News, $5 million donation to his veterans group....

Instead of joining his GOP rivals for the Fox News debate on Thursday, Donald Trump will be hosting his own event in Des Moines that will benefit veterans. Trump announced Tuesday that he will not participate the debate in Des Moines because of a feud with moderator Megyn Kelly, of Fox News. Trump plans to hold his alternative event at Drake University’s Sheslow Auditorium. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the event starts at 8 p.m.

WGCL (CBS 46) reporter Fred Powers seems to like his role as "stunt reporter" for the perennial ratings bottom-dweller in the local news race 'round these parts.Powers has been set on fire, bitten by attack dogs, tasered, "rescued" from a building as part of a firefighter training exercise, and most recently, shot while wearing a bulletproof vest by local police as a part of a training exercise -- all in the line of duty, and usually as part of "sweeps month" stunts.No wonder he's being dubbed the "human piñata" by TV wags.Not coincidentally, his biggest stories tend to pop up...

Reality Show to Feature 1000 Men Competing to Impregnate Woman without Sex LONDON, July 23, 2004 (LifeSitenews.com) - A proposed television reality show has pushed the boundaries of offence by offering a program in which a thousand men compete for the chance to impregnate a woman by IVF. It is unlikely that the production company, Brighter Pictures, will find a market in the UK; a spokesman for the BBC has already said, "It is absolutely not for the BBC." In its coverage of the intended program, called Make Me A Mum, The Daily Mail has called the idea "sick" and...

(CBS) In an exclusive interview with CBS Anchor Dan Rather, Iraqi president Saddam Hussein says he will die before going into exile. Hussein also denied links with Osama bin Laden and indicated he would not set fire to Iraq's oil fields or other sabotage in the event of a U.S.-led invastion. In the interview, which airs on 60 Minutes II on Wednesday, 9 p.m. EST, 8 pm CT., Saddam answered key questions about what his actions might be in the event of a U.S.-led war against Iraq. The interview with Rather was Saddam's first with an American journalist in about...