All those years watching his guests spar has served Jerry Springer well. During a snipe-filled, three-hour hearing before the Chicago City Council, the talk-show king repeatedly beat back nasty jabs from his hosts. He never directly said if the violence on his show is real or if the guests were coached. Springer’s major revelation: he’s never watched his own program. “I’m interested in politics and sports,” he said. “I’d much rather watch one of your council meetings.” Especially when he steals the show.
Jackson’s Son Rises
Perhaps Luciano Pavarotti can be forgiven a little operatic exaggeration. When Pavarotti announced that Michael Jackson had skipped a concert in Italy because his son was “dying,” the tabloids pounced. In fact, the Jacksons’ doctor says Michael Jr., 2, is “fine” and recovering from the viral infection that sent him to a New York hospital with febrile seizures. The Jackson most in need of help may have been Michael’s wife, Debbie, who learned about her son on TV. “To hear that your child is dying on the news–and it not be true–is terrifying,” she says. Bet Junior won’t travel without her again.
Prayers for a Panda
If Hsing-Hsing’s famously melancholy face looks sadder these days, there’s a good reason: he’s dying. The giant panda, a gift from China to Washington’s National Zoo in 1972, has kidney disease. Doctors have ruled out dialysis because Hsing-Hsing, 28, is too old, though he’s taking antibiotics and anti-nausea drugs. The plucky panda has already survived more than his share of illness, including testicular cancer and spinal arthritis, not to mention the 1992 death of his mate, Ling-Ling. While zoo officials say that Hsing-Hsing is not expected to die immediately, they’re negotiating with China for two more pandas–no easy feat considering the tense U.S.-China situation. Then again, could anyone ever replace the nation’s favorite furball?
