The Associated Press Declares Hillary Clinton the Democratic Presumptive Nominee

Apropos of nothing, the Associated Press called the Democratic primary race for Hillary Clinton on Monday night, declaring her “the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee on the eve of Tuesday’s voting.” The news agency cited a survey of super-delegates, who do not actually vote until the convention.
Ferguson Is Gouging Journalists on Freedom of Information Requests
According to an Associated Press report, Ferguson, Mo., officials are apparently using exorbitant fees to discourage news organizations from requesting documents through the state's freedom-of-information Sunshine Law.
Big victory for ecumenical proponents of gay marriage. Also, big reminder from the AP that phrasing makes all the difference.
Associated Press Introduces New Style Guide
Unfortunately, the tweet, taken from this Instagram, was deleted a few minutes after it went up. Too bad.
ABC, NYT Repeatedly Lied About CIA Operative Robert Levinson
ABC News and The New York Times have known since 2007 that Robert Levinson, the ex-FBI agent who was kidnapped in Iran, was not, as the U.S. government and his family claimed, an independent businessman: He was working for the CIA. The Times’ report today discloses this timeline; ABC News’ report does not—but a source…
Associated Press: "NIN closed the night with a slow and smoky cover of Johnny Cash's 'Hurt,' which earned nonstop cheers from the crowd."
After the Justice Department responded tersely to an AP letter questioning the government's decision to seize its phone records, the wire service has published a new letter saying the DoJ's explanation "does not adequately address our concerns."
Why Did the Government Secretly Obtain Two Months of AP Phone Records?
The Associated Press found itself in an interesting predicament today when it was forced to report that the Justice Department surreptitiously obtained two months of its own employees' phone records.
Hacked AP Twitter Account Tweets of 'Explosions in the White House'
A hacker briefly shook the world today by cracking into the Associated Press' official Twitter feed and sharing this. The account was swiftly suspended as AP employees sheepishly assured everyone it was a hack.
Why Did the AP Run A Story About All the Gun Deaths on One Day and Not Mention It Was Gun Appreciation Day?
Yesterday, the Associated Press released a story that soberly chronicled some of the deaths caused by gun violence on a single day in America. The single, typical day was January 19th, which as the article states, was the beginning of the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, as well as the weekend of the presidential…
Associated Press: 'Husband' and 'Wife' Are for Heterosexual Couples Only
From the Associated Press today, a bizarre memo that specifies the terms "husband" and "wife" are to be used to refer to heterosexual couples only. The initial memo, posted first by Romanesko Romenesko, reads:
Not All People Dislike Obama Because He's Black, But These People Do
In an Associated Press article from earlier this month, national affairs writer Jesse Washington posed the question, "Does racial bias fuel Obama foes?" "The question of whether race fuels opposition to President Barack Obama has become one of the most divisive topics of the election," Washington continued. "It is…
A 6-Year-Old is Going to The Scripps National Spelling Bee: or, The AP Profiles the Littlest Tyrant
The Associated Press profile of future President of the Milky Way Galaxy Lori Anne Madison who, at 6 years old, is the youngest person ever to gain entrance into the Scripps National Spelling Bee, is charming in that it finds her bounding around a nature preserve in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. searching for…
So Ron Paul Likes Buying Fancy Airplane Seats, What Do You Care?
There are so many excellent ways that the Associated Press could investigate Ron Paul, given his long congressional record and status as a competitive major party presidential candidate with views radically outside the mainstream, something you don't see too often. He's a character, a real life political character.…
Um, Why Is There a Giant At Kim Jong-Il's Funeral?
A sharp-eyed user of the social news site Reddit spotted this giant among the bystanders during Kim Jong-Il's funeral procession. Is this a genetically-modified superwarrior, or just a famous North Korean basketball player? (Click the photo to enlarge.)
Lady Takes Baby Pictures Beside Osama Bin Laden's Hideaway
A Pakistani woman with a Burberry purse photographed her daughter beside the gate to Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad compound today. An Associated Press photographer captured the moment.
