Another breaking Politco scoop: academics like Obama and some of them have money! Did you know that "the stereotypes of rumpled, cash-strapped professors don't always apply"?

Al Gore's Current TV, a "youth-oriented news company," is filing for a $100 million dollar public offering. Which means we all get to find out that apparently Gore's little tv station has been lying about its profitability for three solid years. Fast Company, NewTeeVee, the New York Times, and BusinessWeek all repeated claims by Current reps that the company was profitable. Turns out, not so much. "The youth-oriented news company had a net loss of $9.8 million in 2007, based on revenue of $63.8 million. It lost $7.6 million in 2006 and $14.3 million in 2005. Altogether, Current had $36.5 million in debts as of the end of last year." Why, Al? Why do you continue to lie to us? The wind chill is 30 below back where we're from, we can all see right through your deceptions! [NewTeeVee]

Former Gawker editor Choire Sicha interviewed BusinessWeek's Jon Fine—husband of confused gazillionaire Mediabistro lady Laurel Touby—for this internet video thing called Bloggingheads. And he sorta made Jon uncomfortable! No one likes to talk about money, especially when they have lots and lots of it. "This short clip is my final, incoherent (and actually feverish) attempt at rehashing his wife Laurel Touby's complaints about her riches in the New York Times," Choire says. Enjoy Jon's hip Ramones shirt and admire his vast record collection, after the jump!

"I'm a little shocked at the numbers," said sociologist Pamela Smock of the results of a recent survey of 1,134 median-income Americans, among whom "two-thirds of women and half of the men said they were 'very' or 'extremely' willing to marry for money." Mmm? "It's kind of against the notion of love and soul mates and the main motivations to marry in our culture." Oh, those are the main motivations to marry in our culture? We had gotten the impression that televised rose ceremonies, Jumbotron engagements, and fancy gift registries were the main motivations! But whatever, it is kind of sweet that someone is still surprised that most people would enter into contractual prostitution for less than the asking price of a one-bedroom luxury condo in Greenpoint. Money changes everything, Pamela!

A few weeks back, Wired told us about how all the bad boys at Vice want to be taken seriously now that they've got a bunch of Viacom money to build their mostly unwatched Vice TV (oh, we're sorry, "VBS.tv," because they wouldn't want it to be too associated with their immature lifestyle mag) website, so they've driven off co-founder and provocateur Gavin McInnes and report from Iraq and stuff. And today the New York Times reports that those Vice bad boys are all much more mature now and taking on serious issues in their immature lifestyle mag and also involved in this crazy VBS.tv venture with Viacom.

"The novelists Robert Olen Butler, 50, and Elizabeth Dewberry, 32, knew they were meant for each other when they could sit in a room together and not only write but also write well," begins that couple's Vows announcement from twelve years ago. And earlier today we wondered what Pulitzer winner's wife left him for a captain of industry. Now we've gotten what we believe is the full insane insane INSANE email that Bob Butler sent to his department, describing the breakup of their relationship.

Why, it's another feather in golden child and New York Observer owner Jared Kushner's cap! We're sure his family back in Livingston, NJ is absolutely kvelling with delight. And we can't help but notice that Ron Burkle (bottom row) is looking a little haggard in that pic. Radar got ya down, Ron? (Click image for the full array of Power Players.)