Martin Bashir announced his resignation from MSNBC today, two weeks after he suggested, on-air, that someone should take a shit in Sarah Palin's mouth.

During his show on Friday, MSNBC host Martin Bashir correctly noted the idiocy of Sarah Palin comparing the federal debt to slavery. And then he suggested that someone should shit in her mouth.

It's that special time of year again, where we remember troops and solemnify 9/11, instead of reducing the whole of our overseas conflicts and anti-terror policy to some D-grade Seinfeldism about airport check-ins, taking our shoes off and whaaaat is the deeeaal with mini-shampoo bottles.

In your forthright Thursday media column: Martin Bashir heads to MSNBC, the WSJ says its reporter was wrongly arrested in Chicago, the NYT Co's second quarter earnings, and an angry rant from a retiring sportswriter.

Diddy stopped by Nightline recently to interview with the comically earnest Martin Bashir. Together, they dig into the hard hitting issues, including Diddy dog food, the definition of mind-f*cking, and the appropriateness of Diddy buying his son a Maybach.

Martin Bashir of Nightline has a few earnest questions for the Insane Clown Posse. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope struggle to explain to him the nature of the Juggalo.

The "SnOMGpocalypse of Death" today has us thinking of the BBC commentator's hilarious meta take on how the news networks report on disastrous weather—namely snow. It's a clever dissection of scare tactics, the word "treacherous," and people falling.

It was quite a day for female singers. Also either birthing, dying, or marrying today are Martin Bashir, novelist Robert B. Parker, Guy Day, Renee Zellweger, Bradley Cooper, and Top Chef tater tot Sam Talbot. Come find out which!

Country music legend/plastic doll Dolly Parton turns 64 today. Chef and TV personality Paula Deen is turning 63. Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos) is 38. Katey Sagal (Married with Children) is 56. Investigative TV journalist Martin Bashir is turning 47. Investing legend Peter Lynch turns 66. Photographer Cindy Sherman is turning 56. Eric Mangini, the former coach of the Jets, is 39. Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy is 48. Comedian Shawn Wayans turns 39. Former Full House cast member Jodie Sweetin is turning 28. And Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson celebrates her 18th birthday today.

What else? Joe Francis might have had something to do with Tila Tequila/Casey Johnson. Angelie Jolie's latest production: Salt-y. Artie Lange has a gig, Lydia Hearst has a mans, Patti Smith's still punk. Presenting your Sunday Morning Gossip Roundup:

ABC's Nightline ran a special on Scientology this weekend. It was typically strange and disconcerting, but nothing necessarily new. Except: What could provoke their spokesman to storm off the set of an interview? We get to learn. Paging Lord Xenu.

In a look at the shifting geography of late-night TV as Jay Leno prepares to move to 10 p.m., the New York Times' Bill Carter and Brian Stelter drop an idea we hadn't heard before: ABC is thinking of moving Nightline up to 10 p.m. as well.

The transcript was bad; the video is excruciating. Nightline host Martin Bashir—famous for interviewing Princess Diana and Michael Jackson—made some fratty/middle-aged comments last week when he was chosen to be the keynote speaker at the Asian American Journalist's Association: "I've never been in an environment with so many beautiful Asian babes in my life. In fact, I'm mightily relieved that the podium covers me from the waist downwards. I've been having trouble all evening." He also creeped out his ABC colleague, 20/20's Juju Chang. He's since said he's sorry (sorry he got caught!) Now that we have the video (full video from AAJA here), which will haunt him via the Internet for years, he'll be really sorry.

There are times when controversial comments are spliced up and taken out of context and come off worse in print. Unfortunately for Martin Bashir, the journo who delivered a sexist keynote speech at a conference last month, this isn't the case. And now there's video to prove it! [Gawker]

When the Asian American Journalists association announced that ABC's Nightline host Martin Bashir would be the keynote speaker at its July 25 Gala, the group's executive director said "We're excited to have Martin this year who is — so to speak —one of our own." It's true, because deep down the cancer-stricken Michael Jackson interviewer Bashir is just like you: A dude who wants to bone all of the women in his general vicinity, and is not afraid to go into detail about the causes of his erection on stage in front of a large crowd:

• At right, the new look of Nightline, premiering tonight. We can't wait to see if Martin Bashir tricks Cynthia McFadden into thinking he's her ally, only to destroy her. [TVNewser]
• Depending on how badly you want to make your eyes bleed, you may want to check out Madonna's "big toe" and ass-cheek goiter. [CityRag]
• Peter Braunstein hits America's Most Wanted levels of infamy. Can the show's prostrate viewers hunt him down? [AMW]
• Wal-Mart in Staten Island? Well, we suppose if it has to go somewhere... [Curbed]
• Author Rick Moody on baseball, and how all writers are on the same team. Except for the Gay ones. [TMN]
• Naomi Campbell goes on the Tyra Banks show, gets halfway weepy, and doesn't beat the crap out of anyone. [Jossip]