Following a semi-disastrous group lunch at Borough Food & Drink [Ed: Jeffrey Chodorow's kitschy new enterprise, and home to the worst roasted duck salad in all the land] your enterprising young Jossip editors were sitting at our desks, wishing we'd ordered the harder-to-ruin BLT sandwich while simultaneously trying to block out the crazy ramblings of our all-too-audible officemates and marveling about how today is the slowest, least eventful news day in the world.

And then, as luck would have it, we received the following email missive from the indefatigable Intern Wendy.

"I LOOOVE FoxNews.com," she writes, in what we can only interpret as unbridled sincerity. "This is on their front page right now," she adds, referring to a topless photo of Russian prez Vladamir Putin (semi-appropriately captioned, "Ravishing Russian: Vladimir Putin poses stripped to the waist, fishing rod in hand.")

CONTINUED »

Sad news! According to TVNewser, Fox News Channel's SVP of programming has announced that The 1/2 Hour News Hour (a.k.a. the G.O.P.'s crotchety attempt at humor) "will not continue the Half Hour News Hour beyond its current 15 episode run."

Which is really surprising, actually, since we figured an unfunny Republican version of The Daily Show had "smash hit" written all over it.

• Bancroft family to have private meeting re: Dow Jones; Rupert Murdoch to stand outside the boardroom with a water glass pressed against the door.

• Stone Phillips is out at NBC News. Related: Dateline's ratings decline, viewers tuning in to watch The Surreal Life and infomercials for ProActiv instead.

• On the plus side, however, Phillips and his wife have finally unloaded that overpriced penthouse triplex!

• CBS says it led television ratings for fifth year; ABC, NBC respectfully disagree.

• The 1/2 Hour News Hour was the top-rated show on Sunday night, proving once again that Republicans have no sense of humor.

• The accessories director at In Style is quitting her job to open a chintzy trinkets store in Omaha, Nebraska.

Exclusive

We hear that – despite advice from the liberal blogosphere – Fox News is going ahead with The 1/2 Hour News Hour, it's stab at taking on The Daily Show. (Clips here, if you missed them.)

Though you wouldn't be hard pressed to find a negative review of the show (which had a pair of episodes aired to test the market), the second pilot picked up 1.4 million viewers on its Sunday night airing, which was enough to make FNC brass happy enough to ink a deal for 13 episodes, says a source. We're told to expect a formal announcement shortly.

• Money Honey cheated on her high school boyfriend with a whiny loser! Fortunately for her, the lucky "other man" is still bragging about rounding second base with her a mere twenty years later.

• Radar rounds up all of YouTube's greatest accidental talents, and reminds us why they're hilarious pitiable.

• Cartoon Network looks for new chief who will focus on multiplatform initiatives, not getting fined $2 million for "fake" terrorist attack.

• With a little help from Slate, even the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue can be boring!

• We all know Anna liked yogurt, SlimFast and Worcestershire sauce, but what's in CNN's fridge? Expired milk and a Victoria's Secret bag.

• If The 1/2 Hour News Hour loses the laugh track, will anyone still be laughing? (Answer: No, no they will not).

How long did you think it would take for Ann Coulter to pop up in The 1/2 News Hour? If you thought she would the first time around, well, you were sorely mistaken. But the second clip to arrive from the right-wing-spun Daily Show imitator? Yes, that's where we welcome Coulter, and all her mismanaged attempts at humor. Right next to Rush Limbaugh's.

Though Fox News won't own up to being "influenced by" shows like Colbert Report and The Daily Show, it's new righty satire show The 1/2 Hour News Hour is at least identifying its SNL "Weekend Update" origins. (But hell, so are we.)

With 24 producer Joel Surnow behind it, one might assume 1/2 Hour would have a ticking clock in the lower third. But nah, just a pair co-hosts – comedians Kurt Long and Jenn Robertson – and some BO magazine jokes. FNC is only testing the waters at this point, so don't get too excited about a regular bag of punchlines for Stephen Colbert to dig through just yet. But for now, you can tune in at 10pm on Sunday and see if Roger Ailes has another hit show to tout.