LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Khloe Kardashian is fascinating like Sarah Palin, so believes Barbara Walters. Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian were named by Barbara Walters to her Top 10 Most Fascinating People of The Year broadcast, following the footsteps of Sarah Palin, Walter’s 2010 “honoree”.

Barbara Walters annually announces some, but not all, of her “10 Most Fascinating People” selections before the December broadcast. Today, Walters confirmed to news that she has selected celebrities from the world of music, sports, money, royalty, situation comedy, and reality television. The categories bare a resemblance to her news announcement in 2010.

Last year, all those genres were included along with politics. For 2010, Walters confirmed to news Justin Bieber. This year it’s Simon Cowell and Katy Perry. This year, she selected Derek Jeter; last year it was LeBron James. And while Kate Middleton made Walters’ list for 2010, this year it’s Pipa selected for the broadcast.

Donald Trump, Katy Perry, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet, and the Kardashians round out the selections. The show will air December 14th and mark Walters’ 19th year of the broadcast. In selecting the Kardashians, Walters reportedly only selected Khloe, Kim and Kourtney, but not didn’t chose Rob or the rest of the family for the “fascinating” broadcast.

• Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Sarah Palin is facing a divorce from husband Todd, claims  new reports. Sarah Palin divorce reports first surfaced in 2009 and were thereafter denied by the former Alaska Governor. But a new report today claims that Todd will divorce Sarah Palin if she tries to run for President.

In her book Going Rogue, Palin denied divorce reports at the time. “That day in sunny Texas when the divorce rumors were rampant in the tabloids, I watched Todd, tanned and shirtless, take the baby from my arms and walk him back to the ranch house so Trig could nap while I made calls,” she wrote. “Seeing Todd’s blue eyes smiling, I chuckled. ‘Dang,’ I thought. ‘Divorce Todd? Have you seen Todd?’”

Last year, Sarah Palin responded to a news report that she was facing a $20 million divorce.”I call Todd on the cell phone [from the grocery checkout] and I say, ‘Todd, you won’t believe this cover!’ And he says, ‘Twenty million? Write me a check’. ” She added “He’s good about laughing some of that stuff off.”

In 2009, AlaskaReport.com claimed that the extramarital affair allegations in the National Enquirer “led to a deterioration of their marriage.” The Enquirer claimed at the time “No less than three members of the man’s family including one by sworn affidavit have claimed that Sarah Palin engaged in an extramarital affair with hus­band Todd’s former business partner, Brad Hanson.”

Now the same newspaper today repeats the Hanson allegations. It also claims that  new book has created tensions. “Bitterly stung by Joe McGinniss’ book, “The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin,” Todd Palin plans to file for divorce AND Sarah’s been advised to forget a White House run, sources say” claims the Enquirer today.

• Comments (1)

LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Sarah Palin and Glen Rice “dated” in the 1980s, a new book claims. Sarah Palin and Glen Rice had a one night affair a year before she eloped with Todd, claims a new book being released this month. Joe McGinniss’ book “The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin” claims that Palin met Rice when he was in college.

McGinniss claims that Sarah Palin was working for Anchorage TV station KTUU at the time. She was reportedly just out of college when the 6-foot-8 junior at the University of Michigan allegedly romanced Palin for one night. McGinniss will allegedly also claim that, before meeting husband Todd, Sarah had a “thing” for black men. Palin and Rice have to comment on the book. The book is being published in advance of Palin’s decision whether or not to run for the 2012 Presidential Election.

In 2010, Palin prompted controversy among LL Cool J fans. At the time, to promote her upcoming special, Palin said LL Cool J had only a “fledgling career”. In January this year, Palin accused the “mainstream media” of engaging in “blood libel” over the term “target maps”. Palin told Sean Hannity that “Blood libel obviously means being falsely accused of having blood on your hands and in this case. That’s exactly what was going on.”

• Comments (1)

LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – While Mercede Johnston Playboy photos are expected to turn heads, Mercede Johnston’s remarks about Sarah Palin and Bristol Palin are already prompting controversy. Mercede Johnston, Levi Johnston’s sister, posed for Playboy pictures that will feature the blond 18 year old for the print and online publication. While Johnston has already said damaging remarks about the Palins before, her interview with Playboy’s George Gurley is reportedly explosive. Mercede Johnston was reportedly paid $25,000 by Playboy for the pictures and news interview. The interview was conducted by George Gurley.

When Mercede Johnston first came into the news in 2009, she had nothing but good remarks about Bristol and Sarah Palin. As Bristol and Levi Johnston split, Mercede Johnston’s remarks changed. In recent weeks, Mercede has been furious about Bristol’s book and her series of public remarks about Levi. While Mercede Johnston has yet to confirm any book deal, this Playboy interview is reportedly directly in response to Bristol’s recent news statements. However, Mercede Johnston also has a few words to say about Sarah Palin.

In March 2009, Mercede Johnston’s name first appeared across news after an exclusive interview with the Star. In the article  “World Exclusive: Bristol Palin’s Bitter Split”, Mercede said Bristol had virtually cut Levi out of Tripp’s life.

She told the paper “Levi tries to visit Tripp every single day, but Bristol makes it nearly impossible. She tells him he can’t take the baby to our house because she doesn’t want him around ‘white tr–sh’”. In that interview, Johnston said that Sarah Palin once had her support, but had lost it. Johnston said she had “lost … respect” for Sarah Palin by that time.

Mercede Johnston Pictures Set 1
Mercede Johnston Photo 1
Mercede Johnston Photo 2
Mercede Johnston Photo 3
Mercede Johnston Photo 4

Johnston is now opening up about Sarah Palin for Playboy’s Gurley. She said Sarah Palin would have a “mental breakdown” if she was President. She says that Sarah Palin is a quitter. And she claims that her hometown hates Sarah Palin.

Mercede Johnston tells Playboy “I think she’d have had a mental breakdown . . . As governor she quit on us. What does that say about her?” When asked how much of Wasilla likes Sarah, Mercede Johnston said “[they] can’t stand Palin” as much as “70 percent.”

Johnston says Bristol Palin hated Levi far before her pregnancy. She claims that Bristol sent a text to Levi after she learned she was pregnant that read “Ever since the moment I found out I was pregnant, I prayed to God you weren’t the father.” But Palin now says she was blessed with her pregnancy. She tells Dr Drew “Yes. And I`m very blessed. I can take care of trip financially. .. And I`ve gotten a platform to talk about things that are so important to me and so near and dear to my heart. And, so that side of it, I feel blessed.”

Mercede Johnston Pictures Set 2
Mercede Johnston Photo 5
Mercede Johnston Photo 6
Mercede Johnston Photo 7
Mercede Johnston Photo 8

The allegations don’t stop there. Bristol Palin claims her pregnancy was an accident. Not so, says Mercede Johnston. She tells Playboy it was a planned pregnancy. “Bristol’s pregnancy wasn’t . . . an accident. She and Levi planned it. They were trying to conceive for months.”

Palin writes in her book that her virginity was stolen. “Suddenly I`d wondered why it was called losing your virginity because it felt more like stolen and Levi wasn`t there to process or even confirm my greatly fear suspicions. Instead of waking up in his arms, I awakened in a tent alone as he talked to this friend on the other side of the canvass. I didn`t realize this is the sign of many things to come.”

Mercede Johnston Pictures Set 3
Mercede Johnston Photo 9
Mercede Johnston Photo 10
Mercede Johnston Photo 11
Mercede Johnston Photo 12
Mercede Johnston Photo 13
Mercede Johnston Photo 14

And Johnston even has a few remarks about Track Palin, Palin’s 22 year old son. She says he has used illegal substances, included OxyContin. “He did OxyContin.” Her mother, Sherry Johnston, was convicted in 2009 of dealing OxyContin. The Palins have yet to comment about the Playboy issue.

• 
  
  Comments (1)

LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Sarah Palin emails released today (read online below) could refocus attention on Walt Monegan and Mike Wooten (“Troopergate”) along with email exchanges with Todd Palin. Sarah Palin emails released today prompted a news media circus in Juneau, Alaska. Passed out were boxes of printed copies of Palins’ emails. One reporter called it “hundred of pounds” of paper with the emails released in hardcover format, not digital. Multiple news agencies requested the twenty-four thousand pages of emails.

But while news reporters this weekend quickly scan the printed versions of the emails into digital format and post them online for readers, insiders are wondering how much of Troopergate will be revealed. New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, and other news outlets were present this morning to take delivery of the messages that spanned from January 2007 through to September 2008. (Update: some of the emails are being posted online HERE as of 11 am PST.)

But will the emails reveal more about Troopergate? An October 2008 report found that Sarah Palin fired Walter Monegan because he wouldn’t fire Trooper Michael Wooton divorcing Palin’s sister. The 2008 report found that then “Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: to get trooper Michael Wooten fired.”

Palin was accused of trying to get fired Michael Wooton. The report found that Palin urged Commissioner Walter or Walt Monegan to fire him. But when Walt didn’t, she fired him. The report found that Palin sacked Monegna for that among other reasons. Wooton is the ex husband of Sarah Palin’s sister.

“The evidence supported the conclusion that governor Palin, at the least, engaged in ‘official action’ by her inaction, if not her active participation or assistance to her husband, to get trooper Wooten fired” found the report issued at the time. “Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: to get trooper Michael Wooten fired.”

The report found that Monegan wasn’t fired just because of his refusal to fire trooper Wooten, but that it was at least one of the factors.

• Comments (0)