People Magazine

Joining the lofty ranks of Hollywood dreamboats like George Clooney and Brad Pitt, Matt Damon has been named People magazine’s newest “sexiest man alive.” No longer the boyish beefcake he was in Mystic Pizza or even Good Will Hunting, Mr. Damon, 37, told the magazine: “You gave an aging suburban dad the ego boost of a lifetime … My 9-year-old stepdaughter now thinks I’m cool—well, cooler.”

The Margaret star—who is also the father of a one-year-old daughter with his wife, Luciana Bozan—also flexed his funny muscle in his letter to People. “Unfortunately, after all those years out on the trail, the meet and greets, the fundraiser, the stump speeches, I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that this is a mantle I wasn’t meant to hold,” he wrote. The “sexiest man alive” issue will hit newsstands on Friday.

Damon named People’s ‘sexiest man alive’ [AP via Yahoo]

This afternoon, Time Inc. announced it was discontinuing Teen People magazine after the September issue. The title will survive on the Web, however. The full memo follows:

To: Time Inc. Employees From: Ann Moore and John Huey Re: Teen People

We regret to inform you that we are suspending publication of Teen People magazine, effective with the September 2006 issue. We will continue to invest in the brand through TeenPeople.com which shows promise and growth. Teen People's groundbreaking launch in 1998 as a magazine and website was an industry first, and one that we remain proud of.

This decision was a difficult one because of the hard work of the magazine's talented staff and the support of its many loyal readers. We are taking immediate steps to place as many Teen People magazine employees as possible within Time Inc.

A. M. J. H.

Shortly before 9:00 a.m. this morning, the Pentagon announced that the number of U.S. troops who have died in Iraq has reached 2,500.

In the wake of the announcement, the following happened:

Fox News released the results of a Fox News poll touting a five point rise in Bush's approval ratings.

White House spokesperson Tony Snow responded to reporters' questions about the death toll with the opening line, "It's a number. And every time there's one of these 500 benchmarks, people want something."

House Republicans and Democrats went head to head over a Republican-proposed resolution that says, among other things, that an "arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment" of troops is not in the national interest.

And People magazine reported that Jessica Simpson likes to kiss with her eyes open.

-- Lizzy Ratner

If and when Queen Latifah runs for U.S. Senate, she'll have the Carolyn Maloney endorsement locked up. Read all about it in People magazine. (Seriously.)

Sandy Dalal pulled a U-turn on Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn Heights in his navy blue 1986 Toyota Land C  read more »

Wednesday, December 10  read more »