Tuesday, January 27, 2004
U.S. to Start Airline Background Checks.
WASHINGTON - Homeland Security officials say a government plan to check all airline passengers' backgrounds before they board a plane could be implemented by this summer.
It's such an urgent priority that the government will order airlines to provide background information on their customers to test the program, Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson said Monday.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Hutchinson said he wants to begin testing this spring. His spokesman, Dennis Murphy, said the plan could be fully operational by summer.
"The information that is given by a passenger to the airlines is important for us to have — in terms of name, address, date of birth — so we can properly assure the safety of a particular flight," Hutchinson said.
The Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System, or CAPPS II, would screen all passengers by checking that information against commercial and government databases. Each passenger would be given one of three color-coded ratings.
Suspected terrorists or violent criminals would be designated "red" and forbidden to fly. Passengers who raised questions would be classified "yellow" and would receive extra security screening. Most would be "green" and simply go through routine screening.
Screening some foreigners after fingerprinting and photographing them already has resulted in 70 people being stopped from entering the country, although the foreigners-only program is only three weeks old, Hutchinson said.
Though none was a terrorist suspect, Hutchinson said the program, called US-VISIT, proved its ability to spot people trying to use fraudulent immigration documents to gain entry, he said.
US-VISIT is in place at 115 airports and a dozen seaports and allows U.S. authorities to check people instantly against terrorist watch lists and a national criminal database.
It's CAPPS II that has been criticized by privacy advocates, who contend it infringes on civil liberties and might wrongly label people as security threats.
U.S. airlines have been reluctant to cooperate with the government because of those concerns and possible backlash from passengers.
Northwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines already have come under fire for sharing passenger information with the government without letting customers know. They were criticized for voluntarily passing information in violation of their privacy policies.
Jim May, president of the Air Transport Association, the major airlines' trade group, said it's imperative that protections for passengers be in place before the government issues any directives to make the procedure mandatory. He questioned whether that can happen fast enough to allow full implementation this summer.
Top airline executives met at the Air Transport Association last week to discuss their misgivings about CAPPS II and agreed to work with the Homeland Security Department to ensure that traveler privacy is protected.
Hutchinson said the government will work with airlines to deal with their uneasiness but will compel them to participate.
"We expect at this point the airlines will want a clear rule or directive from the government before they'd release information," he said.
European airlines already have agreed to provide data, he said.
Testing would use old passenger data from the airlines' reservation systems, spokesman Murphy said. If it should happen to identify a terrorist suspect, Murphy said law enforcement officials would be notified.
In a wide-ranging discussion, Hutchinson said air cargo also is getting increased attention from federal security officials. Just before the national threat level was raised to orange, or high risk of terror attack during the Christmas and New Year's holidays, the government required random physical inspections of cargo loaded into the bellies of passenger planes, he said.
Hutchinson also said the National Football League's Super Bowl has been designated a special security site, which means extra resources will be devoted to security for the game in Houston. Pilots already have been notified of temporary flight restrictions over the stadium.
WASHINGTON - Homeland Security officials say a government plan to check all airline passengers' backgrounds before they board a plane could be implemented by this summer.
It's such an urgent priority that the government will order airlines to provide background information on their customers to test the program, Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson said Monday.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Hutchinson said he wants to begin testing this spring. His spokesman, Dennis Murphy, said the plan could be fully operational by summer.
"The information that is given by a passenger to the airlines is important for us to have — in terms of name, address, date of birth — so we can properly assure the safety of a particular flight," Hutchinson said.
The Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System, or CAPPS II, would screen all passengers by checking that information against commercial and government databases. Each passenger would be given one of three color-coded ratings.
Suspected terrorists or violent criminals would be designated "red" and forbidden to fly. Passengers who raised questions would be classified "yellow" and would receive extra security screening. Most would be "green" and simply go through routine screening.
Screening some foreigners after fingerprinting and photographing them already has resulted in 70 people being stopped from entering the country, although the foreigners-only program is only three weeks old, Hutchinson said.
Though none was a terrorist suspect, Hutchinson said the program, called US-VISIT, proved its ability to spot people trying to use fraudulent immigration documents to gain entry, he said.
US-VISIT is in place at 115 airports and a dozen seaports and allows U.S. authorities to check people instantly against terrorist watch lists and a national criminal database.
It's CAPPS II that has been criticized by privacy advocates, who contend it infringes on civil liberties and might wrongly label people as security threats.
U.S. airlines have been reluctant to cooperate with the government because of those concerns and possible backlash from passengers.
Northwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines already have come under fire for sharing passenger information with the government without letting customers know. They were criticized for voluntarily passing information in violation of their privacy policies.
Jim May, president of the Air Transport Association, the major airlines' trade group, said it's imperative that protections for passengers be in place before the government issues any directives to make the procedure mandatory. He questioned whether that can happen fast enough to allow full implementation this summer.
Top airline executives met at the Air Transport Association last week to discuss their misgivings about CAPPS II and agreed to work with the Homeland Security Department to ensure that traveler privacy is protected.
Hutchinson said the government will work with airlines to deal with their uneasiness but will compel them to participate.
"We expect at this point the airlines will want a clear rule or directive from the government before they'd release information," he said.
European airlines already have agreed to provide data, he said.
Testing would use old passenger data from the airlines' reservation systems, spokesman Murphy said. If it should happen to identify a terrorist suspect, Murphy said law enforcement officials would be notified.
In a wide-ranging discussion, Hutchinson said air cargo also is getting increased attention from federal security officials. Just before the national threat level was raised to orange, or high risk of terror attack during the Christmas and New Year's holidays, the government required random physical inspections of cargo loaded into the bellies of passenger planes, he said.
Hutchinson also said the National Football League's Super Bowl has been designated a special security site, which means extra resources will be devoted to security for the game in Houston. Pilots already have been notified of temporary flight restrictions over the stadium.
Candidates Wait As Voting Begins in N.H.
CONCORD, N.H. - Wesley Clark won the initial votes cast Tuesday morning in New Hampshire's Democratic presidential primary, but final pre-primary polls rated Sen. John Kerry the favorite.
The first state primary has upset more than its share of front-runners over the years. At stake are only 22 national convention delegates, but the hope of incalculable political momentum for the winner in the race to pick a Democratic challenger to President Bush.
The first votes were cast in ritual fashion shortly after midnight in the northern hamlets of Dixville Notch and Hart's Location. Clark had 14, Kerry eight, Sen. John Edwards and Howard Dean four each and Sen. Joseph Lieberman one.
All five of the major rivals arranged a last round of appearances during the day, capping a campaign that also included at least $9 million in television advertising.
"A few weeks ago this campaign was on the endangered species list," Kerry said Monday, referring to his startling comeback a week ago in the Iowa caucuses.
This time, it was Dean who campaigned for a surprise.
"I'm not sure it's a dead heat, but it's close and it's closing very fast," the former Vermont governor said, struggling to steady a campaign off balance since his third place finish in the Iowa caucuses and subsequent highly animated appearance before supporters.
After the heated exchanges of Iowa, the final eight days of the New Hampshire campaign were mild by comparison. Scarcely a jab was thrown in a debate last week, as if the candidates decided that Iowa voters had punished Dean and Rep. Dick Gephardt for an outbreak of attack politics.
Gephardt dropped out of the race on the day after the caucuses, and New Hampshire has historically sent also-rans to the sidelines as well.
Given the stakes, the civility wore thin in the last day or two of campaigning.
"Foreign policy experience depends on patience and judgment," Dean said on Monday. "I question Senator Kerry's judgment," he said in a continuation of his challenge to Kerry's support of last year's invasion of Iraq and his earlier opposition to the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
Kerry left it to an aide, Stephanie Cutter, to respond.
"Howard Dean wouldn't know good judgment on foreign policy if he fell over it. Remember, this is the same man who has said that the nation was not safer with the capture of Saddam Hussein, said we shouldn't take sides in the Middle East, and that Osama bin Laden should get a jury trial," she said.
Dean also dismissively lumped Kerry, Edwards and Lieberman together. "I'm not here to pick a fight with" the three members of Congress, he said, "All I'm saying is Washington is a place where sitting on a committee is considered to be experience."
Kerry, a Vietnam War veteran, helicoptered his way around the state on Monday, making six stops before winding up at his Manchester headquarters late at night.
Dean has campaigned energetically for the votes of women in recent days, and Kerry wasn't conceding anything.
"I'm the only candidate running for president who hasn't played games, fudged around" on the issue of abortion, he said.
"If you believe that choice is a constitutional right, and I do, and if you believe that Roe v. Wade is the embodiment of that right ... I will not appoint a justice to the Supreme Court of the United States who will undo that right."
Aides to Dean and Edwards' both took exception to Kerry's claim.
"Edwards has had a 100 percent record supporting a woman's right to choose," spokesman Roger Salazar said.
Edwards, who finished a strong second in Iowa last week, jabbed at Kerry as part of what aides described as an effort to finish no lower than third.
"It's one thing to talk about special interests," he said. "It's something else to do something about it." He emphasized he was not attacking Kerry, a Massachusetts senator. "It's a difference between Senator Kerry and me."
Clark also sought to position himself as apart from Washington.
"I'm an outsider. I'm not part of the problem in Washington. I've never taken money from a lobbyist. I've never cut a deal for votes," he said.
His campaign said lobbyists have donated roughly $20,000 to Clark's candidacy.
Lagging in the polls, Lieberman sought support from independents who helped Sen. John McCain of Arizona to victory in the 2000 Republican primary.
"It matters a lot to me that a lot of McCainiacs in New Hampshire have become Liebermaniacs," he said at a rally at the statehouse in Concord.
"They don't give a damn about the polls in New Hampshire," he said, then laughed and added, "I do want to mention parenthetically we are going up in the polls.
McCain, meanwhile, campaigned as a surrogate for Bush, whom he defeated handily in the state four years ago.
CONCORD, N.H. - Wesley Clark won the initial votes cast Tuesday morning in New Hampshire's Democratic presidential primary, but final pre-primary polls rated Sen. John Kerry the favorite.
The first state primary has upset more than its share of front-runners over the years. At stake are only 22 national convention delegates, but the hope of incalculable political momentum for the winner in the race to pick a Democratic challenger to President Bush.
The first votes were cast in ritual fashion shortly after midnight in the northern hamlets of Dixville Notch and Hart's Location. Clark had 14, Kerry eight, Sen. John Edwards and Howard Dean four each and Sen. Joseph Lieberman one.
All five of the major rivals arranged a last round of appearances during the day, capping a campaign that also included at least $9 million in television advertising.
"A few weeks ago this campaign was on the endangered species list," Kerry said Monday, referring to his startling comeback a week ago in the Iowa caucuses.
This time, it was Dean who campaigned for a surprise.
"I'm not sure it's a dead heat, but it's close and it's closing very fast," the former Vermont governor said, struggling to steady a campaign off balance since his third place finish in the Iowa caucuses and subsequent highly animated appearance before supporters.
After the heated exchanges of Iowa, the final eight days of the New Hampshire campaign were mild by comparison. Scarcely a jab was thrown in a debate last week, as if the candidates decided that Iowa voters had punished Dean and Rep. Dick Gephardt for an outbreak of attack politics.
Gephardt dropped out of the race on the day after the caucuses, and New Hampshire has historically sent also-rans to the sidelines as well.
Given the stakes, the civility wore thin in the last day or two of campaigning.
"Foreign policy experience depends on patience and judgment," Dean said on Monday. "I question Senator Kerry's judgment," he said in a continuation of his challenge to Kerry's support of last year's invasion of Iraq and his earlier opposition to the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
Kerry left it to an aide, Stephanie Cutter, to respond.
"Howard Dean wouldn't know good judgment on foreign policy if he fell over it. Remember, this is the same man who has said that the nation was not safer with the capture of Saddam Hussein, said we shouldn't take sides in the Middle East, and that Osama bin Laden should get a jury trial," she said.
Dean also dismissively lumped Kerry, Edwards and Lieberman together. "I'm not here to pick a fight with" the three members of Congress, he said, "All I'm saying is Washington is a place where sitting on a committee is considered to be experience."
Kerry, a Vietnam War veteran, helicoptered his way around the state on Monday, making six stops before winding up at his Manchester headquarters late at night.
Dean has campaigned energetically for the votes of women in recent days, and Kerry wasn't conceding anything.
"I'm the only candidate running for president who hasn't played games, fudged around" on the issue of abortion, he said.
"If you believe that choice is a constitutional right, and I do, and if you believe that Roe v. Wade is the embodiment of that right ... I will not appoint a justice to the Supreme Court of the United States who will undo that right."
Aides to Dean and Edwards' both took exception to Kerry's claim.
"Edwards has had a 100 percent record supporting a woman's right to choose," spokesman Roger Salazar said.
Edwards, who finished a strong second in Iowa last week, jabbed at Kerry as part of what aides described as an effort to finish no lower than third.
"It's one thing to talk about special interests," he said. "It's something else to do something about it." He emphasized he was not attacking Kerry, a Massachusetts senator. "It's a difference between Senator Kerry and me."
Clark also sought to position himself as apart from Washington.
"I'm an outsider. I'm not part of the problem in Washington. I've never taken money from a lobbyist. I've never cut a deal for votes," he said.
His campaign said lobbyists have donated roughly $20,000 to Clark's candidacy.
Lagging in the polls, Lieberman sought support from independents who helped Sen. John McCain of Arizona to victory in the 2000 Republican primary.
"It matters a lot to me that a lot of McCainiacs in New Hampshire have become Liebermaniacs," he said at a rally at the statehouse in Concord.
"They don't give a damn about the polls in New Hampshire," he said, then laughed and added, "I do want to mention parenthetically we are going up in the polls.
McCain, meanwhile, campaigned as a surrogate for Bush, whom he defeated handily in the state four years ago.
Monday, January 26, 2004
'Rings' wins four Golden Globes.
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" reigned Sunday evening at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony, hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The final installment of the trilogy based on the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasies won four Globes, including best picture/drama.
"Lost in Translation" ran a close second, as Sofia Coppola's culture-clash/unrequited romance won three Globes: best picture/comedy, best actor/comedy (Bill Murray) and for Coppola's screenplay.
Clint Eastwood's atmospheric drama "Mystic River" won two acting Globes: Sean Penn -- who didn't attend the ceremony -- for best actor/drama and Tim Robbins for best supporting actor.
HBO's "Angels in America" soared, dominating the TV portion of the Globes. The six-hour production based on playwright Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about AIDS in the '80s won every category in which it was nominated, including best miniseries or movie made for television.
Charlize Theron was named best actress/drama for her performance as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in "Monster." Clearly thrilled about receiving her trophy from Jack Nicholson, she announced, laughing, "He wants to know if I'm nice and relaxed," then let out a shriek not dissimilar to Howard Dean's at last Tuesday's Iowa caucuses.
Diane Keaton was named best actress/comedy for her role in the romantic comedy "Something's Gotta Give." Keaton read her speech word for word from notes (except for an extemporaneous expletive that wasn't quite bleeped out), referring to herself as "a rediscovered eccentric" and exulting in the fact that Hollywood had managed to make a romantic comedy starring "two people whose combined age is 125." Nicholson, her co-star, shook his head incredulously.
When asked backstage if there will be more nudity in her future because of her recent success, the 57-year-old Keaton, who had never appeared naked before in a film, joked, "Always. I'm always going to be doing nudity. I'm going to insist on it in all my contracts."
When Murray faced the press, he reflected on his career by noting, "I've gotten a little older, I guess. I don't get summer-camp movie scripts that often."
While this is the last film in the "Rings" cycle, Jackson seemed undaunted. "The challenge for me in the future is not to try to be better than 'The Lord of the Rings' or bigger. The challenge is to make good movies. I look forward to making lots of different films of different sizes," he said backstage.
For the second year in a row, Renee Zellweger took home a Globe, following last year's best actress win for "Chicago" with one for best supporting actress for "Cold Mountain." Though the film received eight nominations -- the most of any film -- Zellweger signaled its only win.
Other Globes won by "Lord of the Rings" included best director (Peter Jackson), best original score (Howard Shore), and best song ("Into the West").
Michael Douglas received the Cecil B. DeMille Award, honoring "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment." In introducing Douglas, his friend Danny DeVito declared, "We didn't know if Michael was going to become an actor or a gynecologist, and we're very happy that he chose both."
The Afghan film "Osama," about a young girl posing as a boy to escape oppression from the Taliban in pre-Sept. 11 Afghanistan, was named best foreign language film.
The Hollywood Foreign Press scarcely has the same trepidation at giving awards to acclaimed TV-cable projects that plagues the Emmy Awards. Sunday night, it awarded the best TV series/comedy trophy to "The Office," which is seen on BBC America, the smallest network in the category. Still, series co-creator and star Ricky Gervais needed to be told that the event was sponsored by the Hollywood Foreign Press.
"I'm not from around these parts," he offered by way of explaining his ignorance. "I'm from a little place called England -- we used to run the world before you." Gervais also won the trophy for best TV actor/comedy.
HBO won in seven of the 11 television categories Sunday evening. NBC, the network broadcasting the event, went home empty-handed except for the advertising revenue for expected good ratings.
In addition to its trophy for best miniseries or movie made for television, "Angels in America" won Globes for best actor (Al Pacino), actress (Meryl Streep), supporting actor (Jeffrey Wright) and supporting actress (Mary-Louise Parker).
Streep, who was also a winner last year (for "Adaptation"), offered the evening's only vaguely political comment. In an otherwise playful acceptance speech, Streep got serious momentarily, referring to President George W. Bush's assailing gay marriage in his State of the Union speech, declaring, "I don't think the biggest (problem) in America (is) that people want to commit their lives to one another."
Parker was scarcely political, but made some dough on her acceptance speech. "Janel Maloney (Parker's former co-star on "The West Wing") told me she'd pay me $1,000 if I thanked my newborn son for making my boobs look so good in this dress," Parker said with a laugh, adding, "get out your checkbook!"
Fox's "24," the real-time terrorism thriller, was named best TV series/drama. Sarah Jessica Parker seemed flustered as she accepted her trophy for best actress in a TV series/comedy for HBO's soon-to-depart "Sex and the City." Frances Conroy of HBO's "Six Feet Under" was named best actress in a TV drama. Anthony LaPaglia of CBS's "Without a Trace" was named best actor/TV drama; after heading for the stage wings, he returned to the microphone and announced, "I'll get killed if I don't do this -- and thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press."
Apparent death threats to winners who don't thank them notwithstanding, this has been a challenging season for the HFPA. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences pushed its own Oscar ceremony up a month in a pointed effort to blunt the influence of other awards, particularly the Golden Globes. Oscar nominees will be announced Tuesday, meaning Globe victories will have no effect on the nomination process. Moreover, a recent documentary by an Oscar-winning director on the cable network Trio attacked the HFPA and the validity of its awards program (in fact, Trio repeated the film during the ceremony).
The attending controversies certainly didn't dissuade any celebrities from participating in the proceedings. And unlike the bloated leviathan that is the Academy Awards show, the Globes actually finished before its scheduled time.
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" reigned Sunday evening at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony, hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The final installment of the trilogy based on the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasies won four Globes, including best picture/drama.
"Lost in Translation" ran a close second, as Sofia Coppola's culture-clash/unrequited romance won three Globes: best picture/comedy, best actor/comedy (Bill Murray) and for Coppola's screenplay.
Clint Eastwood's atmospheric drama "Mystic River" won two acting Globes: Sean Penn -- who didn't attend the ceremony -- for best actor/drama and Tim Robbins for best supporting actor.
HBO's "Angels in America" soared, dominating the TV portion of the Globes. The six-hour production based on playwright Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about AIDS in the '80s won every category in which it was nominated, including best miniseries or movie made for television.
Charlize Theron was named best actress/drama for her performance as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in "Monster." Clearly thrilled about receiving her trophy from Jack Nicholson, she announced, laughing, "He wants to know if I'm nice and relaxed," then let out a shriek not dissimilar to Howard Dean's at last Tuesday's Iowa caucuses.
Diane Keaton was named best actress/comedy for her role in the romantic comedy "Something's Gotta Give." Keaton read her speech word for word from notes (except for an extemporaneous expletive that wasn't quite bleeped out), referring to herself as "a rediscovered eccentric" and exulting in the fact that Hollywood had managed to make a romantic comedy starring "two people whose combined age is 125." Nicholson, her co-star, shook his head incredulously.
When asked backstage if there will be more nudity in her future because of her recent success, the 57-year-old Keaton, who had never appeared naked before in a film, joked, "Always. I'm always going to be doing nudity. I'm going to insist on it in all my contracts."
When Murray faced the press, he reflected on his career by noting, "I've gotten a little older, I guess. I don't get summer-camp movie scripts that often."
While this is the last film in the "Rings" cycle, Jackson seemed undaunted. "The challenge for me in the future is not to try to be better than 'The Lord of the Rings' or bigger. The challenge is to make good movies. I look forward to making lots of different films of different sizes," he said backstage.
For the second year in a row, Renee Zellweger took home a Globe, following last year's best actress win for "Chicago" with one for best supporting actress for "Cold Mountain." Though the film received eight nominations -- the most of any film -- Zellweger signaled its only win.
Other Globes won by "Lord of the Rings" included best director (Peter Jackson), best original score (Howard Shore), and best song ("Into the West").
Michael Douglas received the Cecil B. DeMille Award, honoring "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment." In introducing Douglas, his friend Danny DeVito declared, "We didn't know if Michael was going to become an actor or a gynecologist, and we're very happy that he chose both."
The Afghan film "Osama," about a young girl posing as a boy to escape oppression from the Taliban in pre-Sept. 11 Afghanistan, was named best foreign language film.
The Hollywood Foreign Press scarcely has the same trepidation at giving awards to acclaimed TV-cable projects that plagues the Emmy Awards. Sunday night, it awarded the best TV series/comedy trophy to "The Office," which is seen on BBC America, the smallest network in the category. Still, series co-creator and star Ricky Gervais needed to be told that the event was sponsored by the Hollywood Foreign Press.
"I'm not from around these parts," he offered by way of explaining his ignorance. "I'm from a little place called England -- we used to run the world before you." Gervais also won the trophy for best TV actor/comedy.
HBO won in seven of the 11 television categories Sunday evening. NBC, the network broadcasting the event, went home empty-handed except for the advertising revenue for expected good ratings.
In addition to its trophy for best miniseries or movie made for television, "Angels in America" won Globes for best actor (Al Pacino), actress (Meryl Streep), supporting actor (Jeffrey Wright) and supporting actress (Mary-Louise Parker).
Streep, who was also a winner last year (for "Adaptation"), offered the evening's only vaguely political comment. In an otherwise playful acceptance speech, Streep got serious momentarily, referring to President George W. Bush's assailing gay marriage in his State of the Union speech, declaring, "I don't think the biggest (problem) in America (is) that people want to commit their lives to one another."
Parker was scarcely political, but made some dough on her acceptance speech. "Janel Maloney (Parker's former co-star on "The West Wing") told me she'd pay me $1,000 if I thanked my newborn son for making my boobs look so good in this dress," Parker said with a laugh, adding, "get out your checkbook!"
Fox's "24," the real-time terrorism thriller, was named best TV series/drama. Sarah Jessica Parker seemed flustered as she accepted her trophy for best actress in a TV series/comedy for HBO's soon-to-depart "Sex and the City." Frances Conroy of HBO's "Six Feet Under" was named best actress in a TV drama. Anthony LaPaglia of CBS's "Without a Trace" was named best actor/TV drama; after heading for the stage wings, he returned to the microphone and announced, "I'll get killed if I don't do this -- and thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press."
Apparent death threats to winners who don't thank them notwithstanding, this has been a challenging season for the HFPA. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences pushed its own Oscar ceremony up a month in a pointed effort to blunt the influence of other awards, particularly the Golden Globes. Oscar nominees will be announced Tuesday, meaning Globe victories will have no effect on the nomination process. Moreover, a recent documentary by an Oscar-winning director on the cable network Trio attacked the HFPA and the validity of its awards program (in fact, Trio repeated the film during the ceremony).
The attending controversies certainly didn't dissuade any celebrities from participating in the proceedings. And unlike the bloated leviathan that is the Academy Awards show, the Globes actually finished before its scheduled time.
