More Mel Madness [FishbowlLA]
Looking undeniably smarmy, L.A. County Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore gave a press conference today denying a coverup of Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic slurs.

Observer Owner Jared Kushner: $100,000 In Political Contributions Since 1992 [FishbowlNY]
Jared Kushner, the new owner of the New York Observer, may have "worked to develop a separate and distinct identity" from his imprisoned father, but it appears the donations he and other members of the Kushner family made to political candidates have been indistinguishable. According to the Center For Reponsive Politics, since 1992 Jared Kushner has made over $100,000 in political contributions — some 45 — to various causes and candidates — including Hillary Clinton — under the auspices of at least eight different companies.

The Nation vs. the Washington Times [FishbowlDC]
A source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, informed us that the article, which comes out in early September, aims to be an extensive, devastating expose of the Washington Times that relies on numerous sources inside the newsroom to exposé "the racism and sexism of [managing editor] Fran Coombs, as well as the craven attempts by [company president] Douglas Joo and [editor-in-chief] Wes Pruden to cover up for him."

MSNBC.com Celebrates 10th In NYC Tonight [TVNewser]
At anniversary day events in Redmond on July 21, every MSNBC.com staffer signed his or her own anniversary flag, an insider says.

The Publishing Equivalent of Madlibs? [GalleyCat]
Or, at least, an honest-to-goodness blind item in the form of a book so embargoed that HarperCollins doesn't want you to know who wrote it and what the subject matter's about.

What Do Bjork and Petroleum Jelly Have in Common? [UnBeige]
Lucky enough to be in San Francisco for a day, we made our way to SFMOMA for the Matthew Barney show "Drawing Restraint."

Useful Reader Email: Branding Yourself [MBToolbox]
Reader Dan Cooper sent me the following mini-tutorial on personal branding. If you are wondering just who the hell Dan Cooper is and why we should be listening to him, according to his bio, Cooper was a key member of the original 5-man launch team of the Fox News Channel.