Anderson Cooper had a new report from Niger on 60 minutes, he went there to see how things have changed after his Emmy-winning report in 2005. It's great to see that 60 minutes allows him to report on issues that matter and that he has passion for, not limiting him to celebrity interviews. Anybody who missed it --watch it here!
UPDATE: Anderson is going to Congo next weekend on assignment for 60 Minutes
For all of our international readers, enjoy!
Thanks Ivy!
Thanks to Marie!!!
First Part
Second Part
Well tonight is the expected Chesney interview.... I think we will be blogging live... depending of how the piece goes... because I might tune in Bill Maher instead. But in the meanwhile, here are some interesting information of the city of Manaus, from where Anderson Cooper Petting Zoo expedition is supposed to be transmited next Monday. Probably he rather pet a little piranha instead of going back to New York... that would be a great headline: Jeff Corwin saves Anderson Cooper of the Piranhas, although I think that kid - AC - knows how to swim with sharks...
Short briefing on Manaus, Amazonas - Brazil
Manaus (formerly Manáos) is a city in northwest Brazil and capital of Amazonas State. Located on the Negro River near its confluence with the Amazon, it is the chief port and a hub for the region's extensive river system. Manaus estimated population is 1,800,000 inhabitants.
Manaus is a cosmopolitan city and, because of its location in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, it attracts a substantial number of Brazilian and foreign tourists who can find plenty of boat and land trips into the surrounding jungle. A great diversity of wildlife can be found even in the surroundings of Manaus. It is also place for one of the most endangered primates in Brazil: the Pied tamarin.
The Amazonas Theather , an opera house built in 1896 is a notable landmark of Manaus, reflecting the massive wealth of the turn of the century rubber boom. The theatre was prominently featured in Werner Herzog's 1982 film Fitzcarraldo. The elegant interior of this 1896 opera house, completed after 15 years, contains crystal chandeliers, wrought-iron banisters, and Italian frescoes; it also contains a museum. Enrico Caruso and Sarah Bernhardt performed there.
Manaus is one of the most isolated metropolitan areas of the world, accessible by ground transportation only by two highways or by the rivers surrounding the city. The city is served by the Eduardo Gomes International Airport.
Manaus time is 1 hour earlier than Brasília, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (GMT - 3 hrs). Roughly two-thirds (60%) of the population of the Brazilian state of Amazonas (which has an estimated population of 2.8 million habitants) lives in Manaus or in the greater metropolitan area.
It is warm all year round and, there is a `dry season' in the summer months of July - August - September, the period of the conference, with the temperatures around 26 °C - 36° C.
Although the main industry of Manaus through much of the last century was rubber, it is no longer as important as it once was. Given its location, timber and Brazil-nuts make up important trades, as do petroleum refining, soap manufacture and chemical industries. Over the last decades, a system of federal investments and tax incentives have turned the surrounding region into a major industrial center as a Free trade Zone (the Zona Franca of Manaus).
On October 24, 1848 Manaus was granted city status and became the Capital of the state of of Amazonas since 1850. .
Years later, one of the most important economic booms hit the state: the Rubber Trade. During these years, northern immigrants fled the droughts and settled down near the rubber plantations. There was only one dream: to get rich. At the same time, English alliances played an important role in improving the city infrastructure. A sewer system, plumbing, electricity, a port, and electric streetcars contributed to the city's development. Many of these services did not even exist yet in other parts of the country.
The Rubber Boom was an era of great luxury during which time merchants sent their children off to Europe to study and the local buildings were built entirely of material imported from Europe. The famous Teatro Amazonas opera house and the Mercado Municipal market are highlights of this time and even today remain proud landmarks of a local architecture whose style denotes neoclassicism and art nouveau influences.
Later, for half a century the city suffered from the drastic plunge in rubber prices brought about by Asian competition. As a solution to this problem and to ensure that regional development would continue, a Free Trade Zone was created in Manaus in 1967. As a result, Manaus experienced a massive influx of tourists and a number of hotels were constructed to cater to the growing tourist industry. Today, the Free Trade Zone is still the State's main source of income.
Let´s see some exotic Jungle locations:
CIGS Zoo The Cigs Zoo is the largest animal centre in the entire Amazon region. It houses all sorts of animals from leopards to birds.
Manaus Port 
The cottages they will have to stay Manaus Tropical Hotel 
Manaus a metropolis in the middle of the forest. The system of river in the Amazon region, which offers one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles, is an important network of navigable freshwater waterways integrating the most diverse regions in the country. Both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans can be reached through such waterways. This fact has attracted many maritime transportation companies motivated by the average increase of 70% in exports throughout the last four years. This has awarded the Manaus Industrial sector one of the best exporting performances in the country.
The increase in exports has reflected the aggressive policy adopted by the established industries in the search for new markets. The Manaus Free Trade Zone products have at their disposal the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) comprising such countries as Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Together they add up to approximately 12-million square kilometer geographic area with a 217-million people market and a GNP in excess of U$ 1 trillion representing one of the world’s fourth largest economies.
MERCOSUR has also signed Free Trade Area Agreements with Bolivia, Chile and the Republic of South Africa that turns it into a 282-million people market.
Another potential market for the PIM’s exports is the CAN (Andean Community) Free Trade Area comprising such countries as Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru with a 105-million people market and a GNP of 267 billion Dollars. And, furthermore, NAFTA, European Union and Japan.
Brazil's resurgent Amazon powerhouse By Kieran Cooke Manaus, Brazil When Jose Fujita heard his company was opening a factory in Manaus, a city in the heart of the Amazon, he jumped at the opportunity to relocate from Sao Paulo. "In Sao Paulo, life is getting difficult, crime is increasing and the pollution is very bad," says Mr Fujita, a finance manager with components manufacturing company Wapmetal. "In Manaus, there are good jobs, things are much more peaceful and my family can breath clean air." More Brazilians are following the Fujita family's lead. Twenty years ago, the population of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas - by far Brazil's biggest state - was less than 200,000. Now, nearly two million people live in the city. 
I have to admit this is a topic I never saw coming! Ay Divina Madre de Dios!
Kenny Chesney: I'm Not Gay
(CBS) In his first comments about his annulment from Renee Zellweger, Kenny Chesney explains why the word "fraud" was checked on the separation document and denies the gay rumors it fueled.Quote"It's not true. Period. Maybe I should have come out and said no, I'm not (gay), but I didn't want to draw any more attention to it … I didn't have to prove to anybody that I wasn't (gay) … I didn't feel like I really did."Kenny Chesney
Good morning Freaks! Just a few things before you read Larry's remarks...Today is Martin Luther King Day. Actually it's his birthday and MLK has the distinction of being one of three individuals to have a day commemorated in his honor. Let's just say it's not an honor that Bush will ever receive. Did anyone happen to catch Scott Pelley's interview with Bush on 60 Minutes last night? Bush actually believes his own line of bullshit. Interesting, but scary.
Also, the Betty Ann/Lorie Ann/Gotta Be an Ann saga continues. In the beginning, the "360" blog was groundbreaking. Now, it's becoming a joke. I publicly ask the blog producers at CNN to clean up this mess now! They have the power to decide who gets posted and who doesn't. They are seriously lacking a measurable accountability. We are not the only blog who has noticed the pattern and it is discussed on other forums and sites. In a recent post, I counted 15 responses from "fangirls" that I know by name, real or fake. Perhaps this is the reason Cooper doesn't post more often.
And for those of you fascinated by the glamour (or the lack) of the movie business, the Awards season kicks off tonight in Hollywood with the Golden Globes. Yes, sadly, I will be watching. And on a personal note, if you have a chance to see "A Painted Veil", I would highly recommend this movie. Edward Norton and Naomi Watts in a beautiful love story set in horrible conditions in 1920's China. Enjoy your Monday.
Count Larry King among Katie Couric's fans. The venerable CNN host watches the new anchor of the CBS Evening News and thinks her ratings struggles have more to do with gender than with journalism.
"It might still be hard for a woman to anchor the evening news," King says. "And that's sad."
Couric, whom King calls "smart and certainly attractive," will commandeer the host's chair on Larry King Live in April to interview King as part of a special week of shows honoring his 50th year in broadcasting.
King also believes Couric suffers from the stigma of representing a network news division that is trailing in the ratings.
"Maybe you just can't change the way you are branded," he says. "CBS can't do well in the morning, either. [ The Early Show] is a good show. If they moved Katie to the morning, would it help? Maybe not. They may just be branded [as unsuccessful in the mornings]."
As others have suggested, it may take a major news event to help the former Today host shed her "perky" image, says King: "Hurricane Katrina made Anderson Cooper. It could happen to Katie that way."
Speaking of Cooper, King says he has no problem with the way CNN has been marketing the anchor and other rising stars at the network.
"I would be promoting Anderson, too," he says. "He has a bright future. I hope they don't lose him."
Copyright The Associated Press 2006. All Rights Reserved.
For all of us wondering just how long a life Cooper has at CNN it looks like we'll be watching him for another two years according to Gail Shister...
Two months after Ed Bradley's unexpected death, his 60 Minutes colleagues are finding solace in his untouched office.
"It's very comforting," says correspondent Steve Kroft. "It feels like he's still here. In some ways, it almost feels like he's off shooting a story."
Bradley, known as Butch in his old West Philadelphia neighborhood, died Nov. 9 of complications from leukemia. He was 65. A very private man, Bradley had kept his illness a secret to virtually everyone at CBS.
"It's good to walk into Ed's office and just remember him," says 60 executive producer Jeff Fager. "There is something of him still in there. It helps some people to see the office as it was."
Bradley's space was always seen as a refuge, with its muted lighting and abundant greenery. You knew he was in town when you heard his beloved jazz playing softly in the background.
With 60 real estate at a premium, the office won't stay unoccupied indefinitely, of course. Bradley won't be replaced as a correspondent, however, until next season, according to Fager.
"It's like trying to replace Lou Gehrig. It's impossible. Ed was a superstar who died too young. He left us before anybody expected it. It was a shock to the broadcast. He was a huge figure here."
Kroft, 61, in his 18th season with 60, is now dean of the correspondents' corps. That means his face replaces Bradley's as the first up in the show's introduction. ("I'm Steve Kroft.")
It's a seniority thing. Closest full-timer to Kroft is Lesley Stahl, 65, who began in 1991. Fun fact: Stahl was the last full-time correspondent to join the newsmagazine.
Being lead-off hitter "is an honor," Kroft says. "It's not something I would have wanted to happen under these circumstances, though. Nobody expected Ed to die. It was not on anybody's radar, including people who knew he was sick. We wish he were still here."
Kroft, nicknamed "Kid" when he broke into the lineup in '89, "is as good as it gets," in Fager's unbiased view. "He's one of the best reporters and best writers who ever worked in broadcast journalism. If you look at the body of his work, he doesn't do clunkers. He only does good stories."
CNN golden boy Anderson Cooper, 39, in his first season as a 60 contributor, is high on Fager's wish list as a possible Bradley replacement. (Cooper will do four to five pieces for 60 this season.)
Odds are slim. Cooper's locked in at CNN for almost two more years.
Fager labels the silver-haired Cooper "a terrific talent. I can't say now he's the guy who will get the next full-time job, but he sure could. He's got so much to offer... . I would seriously consider him."
Consider, sure. But smart money says Fager will name a person of color to succeed Bradley, the first - and only - African American correspondent in the august broadcast's 39-year history.
"We definitely have our eye out for a minority correspondent," Fager says. "It's important that our correspondents represent a cross section of America. That's important in journalism, as in all walks of life."
Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes last night:
and Part II:
I'm slightly disappointed I didn't hear him introduce himself at the beginning of the show, but maybe next time, huh?
Thanks, Marie!
Cooper fronted stories for the now-defunct "60 Minutes II," but the original show is still viewed as the pinnacle of TV journalism and could serve as a tryout of sorts. "He brings a lot to the table," said "60 Minutes" executive producer Jeff Fager. "We're always looking for the next full-time correspondent who will eventually join us down that road. He's going to show what he can do in the next couple of years. We'll see how it goes. I'm optimistic." Cooper will interview Abu Ghraib whistleblower Sgt. Joe Darby, who turned over the infamous photos of U.S. soldiers abusing prisoners there. Darby and his wife have not been able to return to their home and are still in hiding. "He doesn't want anyone to know where he lives," said Cooper. "He and his wife are still kind of looking over their shoulders. The piece is about how that decision (to turn in the pictures) has completely changed his life, and changed it in many ways for the worse." Cooper worked on the story with associate producer Casey Morgan and longtime "60 Minutes" producer Bob Anderson, who generated the story, said Fager. "Anderson was seriously involved in the story," he said. "It's a collaboration between the producer and correspondent. We really believe in that process. Anderson is a serious reporter who really knows how to collaborate well. It's part of why he fits in so well here." Cooper's "60 Minutes" stories will air on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" after they appear on CBS. CNN executives granted Cooper permission to appear on "60 Minutes" only if it didn't interfere with his day job, which means Cooper works on the pieces during weekends and vacations, he said. "I don't really take vacation anyway, so it hasn't been too bad," he said. But he views his work at "60 Minutes" as an "incredible opportunity to learn," he said. "The bar is pretty high over at '60 Minutes.'"
New York Daily News
Anderson Cooper, the face of CNN, makes his debut on CBS' "60 Minutes" Sunday, the first of multiple reports Anderson is scheduled to do for the famed newsmagazine.
Thank God it's not Kenny Chesney!
Today we learned that a remarkable journalist has died. I was actually at 60 Minutes in the middle of a screening when they got the call that Ed Bradley had died from leukemia.
I didn't know Ed personally. We'd only met once in passing, but I think all of us who watched him on 60 Minutes feel like we knew him.
He was a trailblazer who started working for CBS in Paris in 1971. He then went to Vietnam and also covered the war in Cambodia. I remember watching some of his old reports when CBS re-aired them on their short-lived cable channel. He always got close to the action and, in fact, was wounded in Cambodia by a mortar round.
Ed Bradley had been at 60 Minutes for 25 years, and it's hard to imagine the program without him. He was a scrupulously honest reporter, and always seemed to be a truly decent man.
He listened to those he interviewed, and the conversations were real. I recently saw the piece he did with producer John Hamlin profiling Muhammad Ali. There is a great moment when Ali pretends to fall asleep at a meal and then surprises Ed. The whole table breaks out laughing, and watching at home it was hard not to laugh along with them.
It is hard to believe Ed Bradley is gone.
Posted By Anderson Cooper: 12:25 PM ET
