Evel Knievel Jumps Pearly Gates

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Nice take-off: Despite claims in this month's Maxim to the contrary ("Evel Never Dies") Motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel dies at age 69, nearly three decades after retiring from the life-threatening, bone-shattering, leaps of insanity that should have killed him long ago.

• Developing (into a campaign issue): The Hillary Clinton HQ hostage crisis rages on, with at least one hostage presumed to still be in captivity. The hostage taker is said to be a man in his 40s who is known to police. At post time, we were moments away from a pundit spinning this into a health care issue for the New Hampshire primary—oh, wait! Someone on Chris Matthews just did it!

• WGA in a full nelson: NBC deals writers another blow as they release plans to add an additional three hours of reality television to their January lineup, which coincides nicely with the triumphant return of American Gladiators. Writers lament being replaced by Malibu and Turbo.

• Rock the vote: Chris Rock introduces Barack Obama at the Apollo with black people/white people jokes: "You'd be real embarrassed if he won and you wasn't down with it. 'I can't call him now! I had that white lady.'"