PRES OBAMA TO ADDRESS NAVAL ACADEMY GRADUATES *

IT MARKS THE SECOND TIME PRES OBAMA HAS ATTENDED THE COMMISSIONING CEREMONY IN ANNAPOLIS, MD *

THE SPEECH COMES A DAY AFTER THE PRES DEFENDED HIS CONTROVERSIAL DRONE PROGRAM AND RENEWED HIS PUSH TO CLOSE GUANTANAMO BAY *

SECY OF STATE JOHN KERRY SAYS ISRAEL'S GOVT SHOULD PREVENT FURTHER SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION WHERE POSSIBLE TO HELP REVITALIZE MIDEAST PEACE TALKS *

BUT KERRY ISN'T CALLING FOR A COMPLETE SETTLEMENT FREEZE *

HE SAYS THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON RESTARTING DIRECT ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH COULD SET BORDERS FOR A TWO-STATE DEAL AND RESOLVE THE SETTLEMENT ISSUE *

KERRY MADE THE REMARKS TO REPORTERS IN ISRAEL *

SECY OF STATE JOHN KERRY BLASTS IRAN'S GUARDIAN COUNCIL FOR ELIMINATING HUNDREDS OF PRES CANDIDATES FROM THE JUNE 14 ELECTION *

KERRY SAYS VOTE CAN'T BE FREE, FAIR AND TRANSPARENT WHEN AN UNELECTED BODY CHOOSES CANDIDATES BASED "SOLELY ON WHO REPRESENTS THE REGIME'S INTERESTS" *

IRAN'S GUARDIAN COUNCIL HAS DISQUALIFIED SCORES OF CANDIDATES, INCLUDING FMR PRES AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI *

KERRY ALSO NOTED THERE ARE "TROUBLE SIGNS" THAT TEHRAN IS MEDDLING WITH IRAN'S INTERNET *

SPOX FOR NIGER'S GOVT SAYS TERRORISTS WHO ATTACKED A MILITARY INSTALLATION IN THE TOWN OF AGADEZ YESTERDAY DID NOT TAKE HOSTAGES, DESPITE EARLIER STATEMENTS *

SPOX SAYS GOVT MISTAKENLY THOUGHT THE HOMICIDE BOMBERS KIDNAPPED SOLDIERS BECAUSE ATTACKERS WHO SURVIVED THE INITIAL EXPLOSION RAN AWAY AND HID INSIDE A DORMITORY ON THE BASE *

ATTACK KILLED 20 SOLDIERS *

N KOREAN ENVOY DELIVERS A LETTER FROM LEADER KIM JONG UN TO CHINESE PRES XI JINPING, SAYING PYONGYANG WILL TAKE STEPS TO REJOIN STALLED SIX-NATION NUKE TALKS *

VISIT BY THE ENVOY IS PART OF N KOREA'S EFFORT TO REPAIR TIES WITH ITS ONLY ALLY *

PYONGYANG HAD ANGERED BEIJING OVER RECENT SNUBS AND ONGOING EFFORTS TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS *

MEANWHILE, SIX-PARTY TALKS ON N KOREA'S NUKE PROGRAM HAVE BEEN STALLED SINCE 2009 *

WA STATE OFFICIAL SAYS LAST NIGHT'S I-5 BRIDGE COLLAPSE INTO THE SKAGIT RIVER WAS CAUSED BY AN OVERSIZED TRUCK *

STATE PATROL CHIEF JOHN BATISTE SAYS THE TRUCK HIT AN OVERHEAD SPAN *

TWO OTHER VEHICLES WENT INTO THE WATER... THREE PEOPLE WERE RESCUED AND ARE RECOVERING *

FIVE CLIMBERS ARE MISSING AND FEARED DEAD ON THE WORLD'S THIRD-LARGEST MOUNTAIN *

THE FIVE DISAPPEARED MON ON NEPAL'S MOUNT KANCHENJUNGA *

BAD WEATHER HAS PREVENTED RESCUE EFFORTS *

THE CLIMBERS WERE LAST SEEN DESCENDING FROM THE SUMMIT AT AROUND 25,900 FT... KANCHENJUNGA IS 28,162 FEET HIGH *

LARGE EXPLOSION SHAKES AFGHAN CAPITAL OF KABUL *

BLAST COLLAPSED A BUILDING WALL, BUT IT'S UNCLEAR IF THERE WERE ANY CASUALTIES *

IT'S THE SECOND EXPLOSION TO HIT KABUL IN JUST OVER A WEEK *

EGYPTIAN SECURITY OFFICIAL SAYS 10 MALE RELATIVES KILLED A MOTHER AND HER TWO DAUGHTERS IN "HONOR KILLINGS" *

THE MEN SUSPECTED THE WOMEN OF HAVING AFFAIRS AND KILLED THEM TO PROTECT THE FAMILY'S HONOR *

THE THREE BODIES WERE FOUND IN THE NILE RIVER NEAR THE CITY OF LUXOR *

NJ GOV CHRIS CHRISTIE CUTS A RIBBON TO SYMBOLICALLY REOPEN THE JERSEY SHORE FOR THE SUMMER SEASON, SEVEN MONTHS AFTER IT WAS DEVASTATED BY MONSTER STORM SANDY *

CHRISTIE CUT THE FIVE MILE-LONG RIBBON IN SEASIDE HEIGHTS *

SANDY DID AN ESTIMATED $37 BIL WORTH OF DAMAGE IN NJ *

BRITISH POLICE ARREST TWO MEN OFF A PAKISTAN INTL AIRLINES PLANE THAT WAS DIVERTED TO STANSTED AIRPORT IN ESSEX *

THE PLANE WAS TRAVELING FROM LAHORE TO MANCHESTER WITH ABOUT 300 PASSENGERS ON BOARD WHEN AN UNSPECIFIED INCIDENT OCCURRED *

STORY DEVELOPING *

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ANY ONE SAYING ANYTHING SNARKY ABOUT ABC’s ROBIN ROBERTS GETTING PRES OBAMA INTERVIEW ON GAY MARRIAGE IS JEALOUS OR PETTY – OR BOTH

Have you noticed?  No one (absolutely no one) said ABC’s Robin Roberts’ interview of the President was in any way less than professional, thorough and news making.

But I have seen many snarky-ish references from snarky journalists’ hypotheses about how ABC’s Robin Roberts got the big interview with President Obama and hence got the scoop on his gay marriage statement.  Those who criticize Robin for getting the interview are simply jealous and / or petty.  Period. 

Can we journalists be honest for a second?  Everybody in the media uses his connections and reputation every day of the week to get big interviews.  I use every connection I have to get interviews – and so does everyone else.  Anyone in the business who says anything to the contrary is lying.

I don’t know that Robin (ABC) has any greater connections than others — look at the incredible NBC access last week in the Situation Room on the Osama Bin Laden killing anniversary. And if she does have better connections, the rest of us better work harder to beat her out next time.  Connections does not mean bias — it can mean respect for a history of fairness and years of hard work.

Everyone (yes, everyone!) wanted that interview with President Obama (I would have loved it) so now the jealous ones who did not get it show they are petty by taking swipes at Robin and how she got the interview.   Yes, she beat out the rest of us…can’t we for just one second tip our hats to her for beating the rest of us?

The sore losers always suspects something sinister when a big interview is landed.  I have seen one story that Robin got this interview because she is African American ….well then why didn’t all the other African Americans get the interview if that is the reason why? She certainly is not the only African American in the business.

Another story said Robin got the interview because she is not regarded as a “gotcha” interrogator.   Really?  Is being a “gotcha” interrogator and tripping up the interviewee the goal?  I thought viewers actually wanted information from an interview and that the viewers were not looking for a gladiator contest where a  journalist tries to show off  and draw blood?   You can get lots of information – and ask very tough and pointed questions – without being a boor.  Viewers got a ton of information from Robin’s interview with the President.  We know that to be true because everyone is still talking about the content of her interview days later!

What is MOST IMPORTANT, however, is this: NO ONE IS ACTUALLY CRITICIZING HER INTERVIEW (the content or how she conducted it.)  In other words, everyone concedes she did a great job.  So the only way for the jealous ones to get at her is to suggest that ABC had the inside track or a cozy relationship and that that is somehow sinister. They are trying to make less of Robin.  Go figure!

What matters is the interview – did she get the news or not?  And the answer is yes and that is the goal.

By the way, Robin is a very accomplished journalist with loads of experience and she showed it. 

PS – I still would have liked to have beaten her out for it!