James Murdoch’s announcement that the 169-year-old Sunday tabloid News of the World will be shut down was tragedy for the hundreds of staffers who found out via wire service that they were fired due to their superiors’ irresponsibility. But it’s an embarrassment of riches for media conspiracy theorists looking to link media tycoon Rupert Murdoch with politicians, celebrities, royals and the exploitation of civilians and vicitims of every major news story in a decade.

One of the biggest mysteries of the unraveling phone hacking scandal is why the dozens British detectives on the News of the World case since 2006 failed to uncover the full extent of it.  Complicating the weak investigation is evidence that the paper was bribing Metropolitan police officers.  Read More

Food Network‘s Hamptons doyenne Ina Garten has somehow found herself at the center of a magazine rumor mill. 

Last night Gawker posted this conflict-of-interest theory about Stephen Drucker’s quick exit from Town & Country:

Drucker’s longtime partner is high end real estate broker Frank Newbold. Frank Newbold is the business partner of Ina Read More