CBS

As we reported last week, in her new memoir "Going Rogue" Sarah Palin writes about the campaign interviews she gave to Katie Couric. Palin contends McCain aide and former CBS News political contributor Nicolle Wallace "pushed for Katie Couric and the CBS Evening News:"

Nicolle went on to explain that Katie really needed a career boost. "She just has such low self-esteem," Nicolle said. She added that Katie was going through a tough time. "She just feels she can't trust anybody."

I was thinking, And this has to do with John McCain's campaign how?

Nicolle said, "She wants you to like her."

Hearing all that, I almost started to feel sorry for her.

Well now we're hearing from Wallace, who tells a producer from MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show:

The whole notion there was a conversation where I tried to cajole her into a conversation with Katie [Couric] is fiction... I am not someone who throws around the word 'self-esteem.' It is a fictional description. Katie Couric was selected because we did evening anchors... I did not advocate an interview for anyone I am friends with.

The Maddow clip is after the jump...

> Related: Live Feed: Palin Gives Oprah Biggest Audience in Two Years

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A 5-month CBS investigative report by CBS News' Armen Keteyian and producer Laura Strickler led to a policy change this week within the San Antonio police department:

In response to a CBS News investigation on untested rape kits, the San Antonio Police Department made a major announcement: it will now test all rape kits in stranger cases and will also go back and test all untested stranger rape kits in storage.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus began the Monday press conference by saying, "We are here this morning to talk about the CBS story about the rape kits." He told reporters, "We don't want to let any case where somebody was sexually assaulted fall through the cracks...We want to raise the potential that person is going to get caught by pulling them into a database."

Video of the CBS report, which aired earlier this month, after the jump.

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An editor from People Magazine will appear on the CBS "Early Show" tomorrow to reveal the cover of the "2009 Sexiest Man Alive" issue, which will hit newsstands this Friday. The segment will be the magazine's official reveal. Apparently, some forgeries have already made the rounds on the internet.

CBS News anchor Russ Mitchell makes a guest appearance on tomorrow night's episode of CBS' "The Good Wife." In the scene, Mitchell, who plays himself, conducts a jailhouse interview with Peter Florrick, played by (the once and future Mr. Big) actor Chris Noth.

CBS News is following up its CBS REPORTS: Children of the Recession with CBS REPORTS: Where American Stands.

In an email to staff, obtained by TVNewser, CBS News & Sports president Sean McManus writes the multi-platform, multi-week, multi-broadcast effort, "will gather and convey a realistic assessment of our country's status and preparedness on a range of the most critical national, social and cultural indicators."

The stories will cover issues including the military, healthcare, crime, and education and they will appear on several CBS News programs and on CBSNews.com.

More details after the jump...

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Um... that headline about says it all.

The wrong-place/wrong-time veterinary correspondent is Debbye Turner Bell.

"Only one, maybe two" staffers at "48 Hours Mystery" have contributed to the reported $100,000 defense fund for suspended "48" producer Joe Halderman, says Susan Zirinsky, executive producer of the CBS newsmagazine.

In her first public comments since Halderman's arrest Oct. 1 on charges of attempted grand larceny, Zirinsky said yesterday that the hard-charging producer had raised the bulk of the money "from family and friends, not from people in the shop."

That was all Zirinsky said. Like everyone at CBS, she is on media lockdown about the case. No mystery there. "Late Show" host David Letterman, the target of Halderman's alleged $2 million extortion try, is a cash cow for CBS.

Halderman's attorney, Gerald Shargel, argued in court yesterday that his client is guilty of no crime and that charges should be dropped. Halderman was only trying to sell a screenplay to Letterman, Shargel said, not shake him down about his intra-network sexual liaisons.

Letterman's attorney, Daniel J. Horwitz, labeled it "classic blackmail," not a business transaction. Both sides said they would go to trial, if necessary. The judge is expected to rule in January.

Meanwhile, Halderman's suspension went from paid to unpaid about two weeks ago, CBS sources confirm. Reason? He broke the morals clause in his contract, they say.

While current CBS employees aren't talking, several alums are, including Marcy McGinnis, who worked with Halderman when she ran the London bureau from 1992 to '97. She considers him a friend.

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CBS News correspondent Kelly Wallace tweets: "In courtroom for Halderman hearing. Halderman didn't comment as he entered. A reporter shouted how does it feel to be on other side of mic?" Maybe we'll be seeing a report about CBS News producer Joe Halderman on the "CBS Evening News" tonight.

We're posting Wallace's tweets after the jump.

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Alleged David Letterman blackmailer Joe Halderman is appearing in court today where his attorney is asking a judge to dismiss the extortion case.

The NY Post reports that Halderman, a CBS News producer, is no longer being paid by his network:

CBS has cut off the "48 Hours" producer's paychecks, changing his status to suspended-without-pay effective two weeks ago, sources told The Post.

It was decided that he had violated the morals clause of his contract, one source explained.

A long-time colleague of Halderman's, Dr. Bob Arnot, appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" earlier today and said, "There will be some jaws that drop on this one." Clip:

By the way: don't worry. Your "ripped from the headlines" Law & Order episode is on the way.

CBS News producer Joe Halderman will appear in a Manhattan court tomorrow for his first hearing regarding the David Letterman extortion scandal, which came to light just over a month ago.

NY Observer's Felix Gillette reports that a quick plea agreement, which has financial benefits for Halderman and would save Letterman further embarrassment, is looking unlikely:

Over the weekend, Dr. Bob Arnot, a friend and former colleague of Mr. Halderman, told The Observer that Mr. Halderman is currently planning to try and take the case all the way to trial. In a recent interview with Newsday's Verne Gay, Mr. Halderman's attorney Gerald Shargel likewise suggested that no plea agreement is in the works.

The Observer also reports that Halderman has raised $100k dollars for his defense thus far.