Baby Banderas Arrives: Avery Julie Sansone

And, the baby pictures are in! FNC correspondent Julie Banderas is finally getting her much needed “rest.” Proclaiming the good news this morning, Happening Now guest co-host Rick Folbaum and regular co-anchor Jenna Lee announced that Julie and her hubby (Andrew Sansone) welcomed their newborn daughter Avery over night.* As Jenna subsequently promised, HN produced photos of little Avery (one with her proud parents; a close-up in swaddling clothes: and a third with her big sister Addison): to boot, HN  revealed Avery’s middle name (Julie); her weight (eight pounds and five ounces); and her length (twenty-one inches).

Congratulations, Julie and Andrew!

Happening Now – 11/13/12 (@ 12:59 a.m. ET)

Update: In a Tweet to apparent friend, photographer Julie Bidwell, yesterday (11/13/12), Julie revealed, “Her full name is Avery Julie Bidwell Sansone. I named her after you! Haha.”

Huddy: A “Naughty” Heel?

Soles4Souls.org spokesman: “Still trying to get info” on Juliet Huddy’ promised shoes for the needy. On Thanksgiving Day, America Live guest co-anchor Juliet Huddy offered to sell her soul, er, sole(s) to the highest bidder to help raise money for impoverished people around the globe. Unfortunately, she has yet to deliver.

On that Thanksgiving Day AL show, Juliet and her fellow guest co-anchor Rick Folbaum interviewed Soles4souls.org CEO Wayne Elsey about his charity that supplies new and used shoes to the world’s poor. During the colloquy, Rick playfully bent down and stripped Juliet’s foot of her sleek stiletto and jested to Elsey that he would be sending it in the mail to Soles4Souls.org.

Almost an hour later, as the show was ending, Juliet revealed, “They [Soles4Souls.com] actually asked…if I would sign it and then they would try to do like a little, a little auction thing.” To the viewers, Rick announced, “Giveshoes.org [another Soles4Souls.org address].” As Juliet enthusiastically took her pen, Rick elaborated, “You [the viewer] can get these shoes!”

Amping up the ardor and anticipation for the bidding on Juliet’s worn shoes at Soles4Souls.com, Rick racily asked, “What size are they, by the way?” After answering that her high heels were a size eight, Julie suggestively upped the ante, adding, “And, they’re by Naughty Monkey’s Closet. Naughty Monkey!” Subsequently, she signed her sexy stiletto and ordered, “Bid! Giveshoes.org.”

Unfortunately for Juliet’s fans and fanciers, they have been unable to comply with her command: I.e., Juliet has yet to give her soles for the souls who need shoes. In fact, her chosen charity, Soles4Souls.org, has not even mentioned the auction at all on either of their web addresses since Juliet offered and signed her shoes up for bid.

Consequently, Carpe Diem has repeatedly called Soles4Souls.org for an explanation. On December 6, spokesperson Elizabeth replied that she had checked on Juliet’s shoes that day, that they were in route, and that they should be up for bid the following week. When they were not, Carpe Diem checked back on December 20: this time, Elizabeth indicated that she had checked with FNC and that they had not sent the shoes but that they should be in after New Year’s Day. Yesterday, when the Carpe Diem followed up yet again, Elizabeth said that Soles4Souls.org was “still trying to get info” on Juliet’s shoes.

Juliet, are you being a “Naughty” heel, and giving Soles4Souls.org the runaround? Remember your promise to the needy on Thanksgiving Day. Time to pony up!

Juliet Huddy Sells Her Sole

Offers it to the highest bidder. For Thanksgiving, America Live guest host Juliet Huddy gave the needy a leg up and foot fanciers a thrill up it yesterday. And, her fellow AL substitute anchor Rick Folbaum was more than happy to help in their interview of Soles4Souls CEO Wayne Elsey about the charity that collects shoes for impoverished people around the world. As Elsey concluded his spiel for more shoes, Rick intoned, “Wayne, I don’t know whether you need a red-and-white pump but I’m reaching down and taking off Juliet’s right now: we’ve got your address.” As Rick cheerfully bared Juliet’s supple foot with toenails of ruby red, a blushing Juliet laughed.

Being in another studio (without a vid feed apparently), Elsey replied, “I can’t see that.” Without answering, Rick continued, “Well, it’s in the mail.” More helpfully, Juliet interjected, “They’re beautiful. Trust me!” Looking at Juliet’s high heel, Rick readily agreed, “It is. It’s very nice!” Smiling, Juliet playfully snatched her shoe back from Rick and then thanked Elsey for his appearance on the show. As the segment ended, a still chagrined Juliet commented, “Alright, let me put my shoe back on while we do this next one: This is not the most p [trailing off].”

Whether she meant professional or not, her shoe was not destined to stay on. As America Live was about to conclude, Juliet declared, “[E]arlier in the show, we told you [the audience] about a charity called Sole4Soles….They actually asked if I–’cause you [Rick] took my shoe off, that was a little weird.” Bending down as she stripped off her shoe again, Juliet continued, “But, they asked if I would sign it and then they would try to do like a little, a little auction thing.”

Hopefully, Rick interposed, “Are you gonna do it? Sign it!” Arching her eyes at the audience, Juliet jested, “That’s gonna be a money-making thing! So, bids start at a million dollars. And, no, I’m just kidding.”

Pointing his pen, for emphasis, at the audience, Rick proclaimed, “Giveshoes.org!” Turning to Juliet, Rick instructed, Sign it!” As Juliet eagerly grabbed her pen, Rick remarked, “You [the viewer] can get these shoes!” Making the sell, perhaps, of Juliet, Rick racily queried, “What size are they, by the way?”

Looking down inside her sleek stiletto, Juliet responded, “Uh, they’re, I believe, an eight.” Saucily, Juliet quickly added, “And they’re by Naughty Monkey‘s Closet. Naughty Monkey!” Subsequently, after signing her sexy sole, Juliet held it up and commanded, “Bid! Giveshoes.org.”

While America Live‘s madam is away, its mistress doth play. Obey!

*America Live – 11/25/10 (1:56 p.m. ET)

**America Live – 11/25/10 (2:59 p.m. ET)

Update: In a Tweet before America Live Friday (11/26/10), Juliet teased, “Info on where to bid for my autographed shoes – and WHY to bid – in 2pm est hour!”

Update2: During the final segment of America Live Friday, Juliet and Rob reminded viewers where to go, namely, GiveShoes.org and why, i.e., charity, to bid for Juliet’s signed shoes that she wore Thursday. Unfortunately, the GiveShoes.org address does not link yet to the auction for Juliet’s shoes: Rather, it redirects one to the organization’s main site Soles4Soles.org.

Juliet: Texting or Sexting?

Huddy: “Because I don’t think that’s appropriate: You have a wife!” Poor Rick Folbaum! Introducing an America’s News HQ segment by Casey Stegall on candidates using text messages to reach voters, co-host Juliet Huddy joked that she probably sent three of the four billion text messages that Americans send every day.* After the story, Juliet commented, “Already, Case, thanks very much for that report, I got to get back to texting now.” Sounding hurt, co-anchor Rick asked, “How come you never text me?”

Looking down and smiling coyly, Julie responded, “Because I don’t think that’s appropriate: You have a wife!” Nodding his head and grinning rakishly, Rick queried, “Yeah. What kind of texts are you sending?” Her eyes widening and her countenance reddening, Juliet heartily laughed, “I didn’t mean that! Oh, geez, forget it! Just move on.”

Feigning ignorance, a smiling Rick replied, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” A giggling Juliet could barely contain herself as Rick read out the block. Perhaps, she thought or knew that he simply wanted the bare facts.

*America’s News HQ – 10/09/10 (@1:20 a.m. ET)

F&F Exposes Robin Hood 702

Not only did Fox & Friends air the “f-bomb” this morning but it also exposed the face of Robin Hood 702 I, a high roller who reputedly takes from the rich casino barons and gives to the poor. In a preview to its “Robin Hood 7002” segment,  F&F juxtaposed apparently new frontal footage of Robin Hood (albeit with sunglasses, a baseball cap, and a beard) with 02/25/10 F&F vid of a masked Robin Hood. When co-anchor Steve Doocy introduced Rick Levanthal as the one “who’s been following the story,” Levanthal abashedly grinned, saying, “He should have worn that mask when he was with [me?]. He didn’t, though!”*

Subsequently, during Levanthal’s report, F&F showed copious rather sharp shots of the benevolent bad boy at the casino (and, oddly, also included a darkened video of him). When Levanthal’s tale (which included Robin Hood’s surprising use of the f-word) concluded, Rick remarked, “I think the editor took a few minutes off this morning.” Apparently, Rick was not kidding: Not only did the editor miss the obscenity, but also s/he failed to digitally alter the facial features of Robin Hood for F&F.

However, when Rick narrated his account again on Happening Now, the “slumbering” editor had seemingly awakened: Not only was Robin Hood’s “f-word” excised from the footage but also his visage was digitally obfuscated. When Rick concluded his bowdlerized story, HN guest co-anchor Rick Folbaum remarked, “Now, obviously, Robin Hood wanted his identity disguised and that’s why we sort of pixellated his face.” Smiling sheepishly, Rick replied, “Right.”

However, Robin Hood 702 may not be so amused. The mysterious bandit has been covered by Levanthal as early as August 20, 2008. However, today, on Fox & Friends, he was stripped basically bare for the world to see.

*Fox & Friends – 07/19/10 (@8:46 a.m. ET)

*Happening Now – 07/19/10 (@12:55 a.m. ET)

“Weird Cal”: Just Repeat It

A possible successor to embattled RNC Chair Michael Steele? According to FNC contributor Cal Thomas, another African American, Ken Blackwell, who is “very, very intelligent, and articulate, and smart, and as Joe Biden would say, ‘clean.'”

During an America’s News HQ segment Saturday, co-anchor Rick Folbaum  asked the conservative columnist whether Steele should stay at his GOP post after his controversial comments about the Afghan war. After saying that he “was an early supporter of  Michael Steele…because he represented a different face for the party” and had a compelling life story, Thomas answered, “But, he’s not the only African-American in the party. One of those who ran against him for the chairmanship, Ken Blackwell, former Secretary of  state of Ohio, very, very intelligent, articulate, and smart, and as Joe Biden would say, ‘clean’ candidate.”* After smiling at his peculiar homage to the Veep, he continued, “If he’s still out there and still wants the job, I think…he might be a good candidate for it.”

As the reader may recall, Biden apologized for similar remarks about then Senator Barack Obama, his then Democratic primary opponent during the 2008 election season. (Biden characterized Obama as “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.”) To the author, it seemed strange at best that Thomas would intentionally happily echo what many consider to be a racially-charged “compliment” for another charismatic black candidate. Perhaps, he was tippling before his holiday weekend appearance on the America’s News HQ: It might help explain his racially rasping remark but it certainly does not excuse it.

*America’s News HQ – 07/03/10 (@6:06 p.m. ET