* Excellent interview on Kingston Community Radio (WGHQ) this morning. Co-host Sue Wittig wouldn't let Sen. Bill Larkin do his usual meandering for 15 minutes. Instead, she got him back on point and pinned him down on several important issues. There's not nearly enough hardball questioning on local radio. Many hosts treat politicians like houseguests, not public officials. You can be a polite interviewer without handing your subject a free pass.

* The phrase "Breaking News" has been the coin of the realm in cable TV for years, and now you're seeing it on newspaper Websites like ours. When you log on or tune in and see "Breaking News" across the screen, the presumption is you'll stop and learn about something that happened a relatively short time ago. But "Breaking News" can't be "Breaking News" for many hours. Unfortunately, CNN hasn't gotten the memo. You're as likely to see the same "Breaking News" logo on CNN during the day and as you will in primetime on Larry King. After a while, "Breaking News" loses it cache, sort of like Chicken Little.

* Why all the hubbub about Leon Panetta's appointment to head the Central Intelligence Agency? He'll be new to the intelligence community and lots of experienced hands are better qualified, some say. How'd that experienced intelligence community do prior to the Iraq war? Barack Obama promised change. This is a big one.