5:00 Local News on NBC

I have just finished watching the 5:00 local news on NBC. Out of the several short stories that were covered, very few were actually political (political in the sense of referencing government leaders, Congress, etc.) However, just because the majority of the stories weren’t political per say, it doesn’t mean that they lacked the element of politics all together, as there are policies and public procedures built into the framework of several of the stories that were covered. The stories, as they were presented in order, are as follows:

-Swine flu coverage: confirmed cases of the disease have been reported in New Jersey. Joe Biden made a comment about how he wouldn’t advise his own family to travel in confined spaces, such as on airplanes or subways; and Bloomberg counteracted his remark, as he has been urging people to still use public transportation. Also, it was noted that there is no evidence that dogs or cats can contract the swine flu.

-Ailing auto industry: Obama’s new plan for Chrysler to file bankruptcy was announced, as he believes this will produce roughly 30,000 new jobs for American workers as Chrysler will merge with Italian car industry, Fiat.

-Wall street news on stock market reports of the Dow and Nasdeq daily results.

-Bernie Madoff’s business sale was analyzed today, and it was found that he obviously overstated his personal income on purpose by several million dollars.

-Four people were killed in the Netherlands today after an attempted attack was made on the Queen and royal family.

-Brady Green of Georgia was found guilty on charges of stalking Tyra Banks.

-Reports have been made that Alex Rodriguez, a.k.a. “A-Rod,” also used steroids during high school while playing for his school’s team.

-A serious tornado took place in Kansas, causing major destruction.

-Several horses were rescued after a flood in Texas, and none of them died.

-(Weather Report # 1)

-The Department of Transportation took down an old bridge in Stony Point today that was unsafe.

-Red Bank Medical Center is stressing the notion that early detection for breast cancer is key; and in an attempt to draw attention to the issue, they have painted various parts of the town pink and have renamed it “Pink Bank” for the week.

-There was a partial building collapse in Tribeca today. Facts of the building, including the failure to maintain it, and the citizens’ reactions to it were discussed.
-A 64 year old woman was arrested for adopting 10 children and abusing/starving them.

-Lacey Peterson (a woman who was murdered along with her unborn son Connor, by her husband Scott)’s parents decided to drop the case today in which her husband would receive the death penalty. The Supreme Court will review her request.

-In Cape May, a ship sunk and only one out of the seven crew members survived. Investigations are underway to figure out the cause of the tragedy.

-Rescued captain of the ship “Alabama” is calling for the U.S. Congress to create a legislative plan to protect ships from pirates.

-The Swiss made a huge donation to New York City’s September 11th memorial fund.

-Many people have been fraudulently bending US metro card in order to scam the scanning-machine and get free rides. One main was just sentenced to two years in jail for extensively tampering with metro cards.

-How to avoid germs at the gym was discussed. It was stated that merely wiping down machines after use isn’t enough.

-Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd was interviewed today about Vice President Joe Biden’s comments about the dangers of traveling in confined spaces. He stated that the White House had to backtrack and work to explain Biden’s comments and define what he meant to actually say.

-Actress Christina Applegate recently underwent reconstructive surgery after undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She will appear on the front cover of People magazine.

-New York’s Botanical Garden now had dozens of different types of tulips in bloom, driving photographers and tulip fanatics crazy. The recent Dutch tulip craze in Holland was also discussed.

-(Weather Report # 2)

-A dog and a goat, named Thelma and Louise, have become the best of friends at an animal shelter in New York. Shelter employees are hoping that the two are adopted together.

-Betty Gordon, who has written the movies “Variety” and “Handsome Harry” for the Tribeca Film Festival was discussed, as well as her inspiration for the movies.

Again, it is evident that the majority of these stories aren’t really politically-based, however in several of the stories, there are underlying elements of public policy that were discussed. For the most part though, most of these stories lacked serious political content.