Tim Russert, NBC journalist and political heavyweight host of “Meet the Press,” has died after collapsing at NBC’s Washington news bureau, a source said. He was 58 years old.
Russert, who rose from the inside world of politics where he was former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo’s press secretary and one-time chief of staff to the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, was able to successfully cross over to political journalism and rise to become one of its leading lights.
Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” program when he collapsed, the network said. He and his family had recently returned from Italy, where they celebrated the graduation of Russert’s son, Luke, from Boston College.
CHRIS CUOMO: You know what we have this morning? Special treat. We all know about Prince William.
ROBIN ROBERTS: Sure.
CUOMO: He’s the man. He’s the heir. Harry has been over in Afghanistan fighting because he’s expendable. So, Harry– So, Harry’s in Afghanistan.
ROBERTS: What did you say?
CUOMO: It’s true. The reason that Harry is allowed to be in Afghanistan is because he’s not the heir to the throne. William’s not allowed to be there.
ROBIN ROBERTS: But he’s not expendable!
CUOMO: Well, but that’s why he’s there. They all love Harry very much. And so do we.
ROBERTS: Good. Good. Right. Right.
CUOMO: He’s got great hair. William has been here living his life and he’s been followed by a film crew. They shot him inside the palace. Inside his apartment. Never showed it before.
ROBERTS: That’s right. Barbara Walters will be here for part two of her preview of the show you can see tonight, complete access to the royals.
He’s got great hair! LOL! The mainstream media comes through again!
India’s newest talk show host, billed as the local Oprah Winfrey, hitched up her sari and looked for her stylist’s approval. “Very feminine. You look gorgeous, like a goddess,” he said, smiling reassuringly, as he braided a garland of fresh jasmine into her hair.
Rose, host of a new Tamil-language show, was once known as Ramesh Venkatesan.
When it is broadcast on Vijay television to an audience of up to 64 million people in the southern state of Tamil Nadu later this month, Ippadikku Rose (“Yours, Rose”) is expected to cause a sensation, introducing India’s first transgender celebrity to television.
Ramesh - A “Rose” by any other Name?
The first nine episodes of the half-hour talk show will tackle divorce, sex and relationships among the mostly young employees in India’s call centers, and sexual harassment.
A 28-year-old, American-educated former Web site designer with a master’s degree in biomedical engineering, Rose/Ramesh started wearing women’s clothes full time four years ago and is still waiting for acceptance from her family and society at large. Transsexuals in India are known as “hijras” and most are shunned by their families. “Transgenders in India are seen as immoral and evil,” Rose said. “I will break that image by being articulate, intelligent and a bit like the girl next door.”
Pradeep Milroy Peter, who leads programming at Vijay, a Tamil-language channel owned by Rupert Murdoch, acknowledged that he was nervous about how the show would be received. “We don’t know how much acceptance there will be,” he said. “We are crossing our fingers.”
Rose said attitudes were no less hostile in parts of the United States, where she had spent three years studying at Louisiana Tech University. “There, people were aggressively homophobic,” she said. “America is very hypocritical when it comes to its stand on sexual minorities.”
Perhaps Rose should have lived in San Francisco instead of Ruston.
