The breaking news trickled in from Alaska in bits and pieces. First it was: 'Gov. Sarah Palin Won't Run for Re-Election.' Soon enough the cable news networks were scrambling to confirm that Palin would be stepping down as Governor, which she is, on July 25th. As a news conference - without live transmission - was underway at Palin's Wasilla, Alaska home, the national news media was 4,000 miles away waiting for word.

• At 3:02pmET CNN's Rick Sanchez reported that Palin would not be running for a second term. He would repeat the news a few more times until 3:29pmET when, sourcing Alaska affiliates, that Palin would be stepping down as Governor.

• FNC reported that Palin would not be running for a second term at 3:10pmET. At 3:34pm Gregg Jarrett broke in again to report that Palin was handing over power to the Lieutenant Governor, again sourcing a local Alaska reporter. At 3:42, Jarrett reported that FNC had spoken to Todd Palin who confirmed the news.

• MSNBC first reported the news that Palin would not be running at 3:13pmET. An hour later MSNBC broke in again, this time with the tape of Palin announcing her plans.

FNC's Chris Wallace wondered why the soon-to-be former Governor made the announcement with such little fanfare, asking: "Wouldn't you have scheduled it in a way that all of the national media could get up there with satellite trucks and broadcast it live and we could be broadcasting it instead of talking about it? This does not feel like the act of a woman who wants to have a national career."

Meanwhile, CNN's Sanchez has his own questions about the step-down: