Morning Roundup 1.22.09

My top stories of the day:

President Obama is off to a running start, having already signed an executive order to close down the detention center at Guantanamo Bay and create a task force to reevaluate interrogation methods.

Citing "personal reasons," Caroline Kennedy has withdrawn her bid for the New York Senate seat.

Oscar noms include posthumous supporting actor nod for Heath Ledger, best picture for Slumdog Millionaire (my fave!), and best original score AND song for Thomas Newman.
I'm not about to pretend that anyone other than Ledger will win that supporting statue, but I love that Robert Downey Jr. was nominated for Tropic Thunder!

Researchers say more British passengers died on the ill-fated Titanic because of their manners.

George Clooney rejoins the cast of ER- at least for a couple of episodes.
(btw- I thought ER was canceled...)

and, last but not least, the boyfriend's latest LAist article gets an L.A. Times mention, AND a correction! Very proud.

The Lion of the Senate

MSNBC reports Senator Ted Kennedy, after making such an impact in his much-talked about fedora earlier this morning, has fallen ill. He has been rushed to a D.C. hospital, where officials say he is alert and awake.