This past Tuesday's primaries took a backseat to the news of a plane crash in Alaska that killed Senator Ted Stevens and four other passengers. Former NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe was also on board, surviving with three others.

Regarding the primaries, a lot of the coverage focused on Connecticut and the race to replace retiring Senator Chris Dodd. Former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon won Connecticut's GOP Senate primary, setting up a general election battle against the state's attorney general.

A few political stories did get a little less news coverage, though, including these:

** Levi Johnston, the father of former AK Governor Sarah Palin's grandchild, is running for her old post of Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.  Not as a call to civic duty, rather as a reality show called "Loving Levi: The Road to the Mayor's Office."

** Vice President Joe Biden's Air Force 2 plane was involved in a minor accident when the plane's engines caused a small private plane to topple over. (NYDailyNews)

** If a Supreme Court Justice trips and is not hurt, is that news?  Apparently so… (WPRI-TV)

**The reigning Super Bowl Champs, the New Orleans Saints, celebrated their championship (6 months later) at the White House.  The White House press corps was treated to some BBQ shrimp compliments of one of the players.

Posted by: LKL Producer Hunter Waters
Filed under: Levi Johnston • Politics is King • Sarah Palin • Supreme Court • Vice President Biden

Bristol Palin’s Bombshell!

Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston engagement shocker! What will it mean for Sarah Palin?

Plus, a new Tea Party billboard compares Obama to Hitler and Lenin! How will it affect the Tea Party?

Take our poll: Does Bristol Palin & Levi Johnston’s engagement help or hurt Sarah Palin?

And! We want to hear from you!

What do you think about the Tea Party’s billboard? Propaganda…or free speech?

Weigh in below!

Filed under: Bristol Palin • Larry King Live • Levi Johnston • Politics

By Tim Nudd and Sandra Sobieraj Westfall
via People.com

"With her, his actions will have to speak louder than words," Bristol, 19, tells PEOPLE. "And he'll have to get his education and a job and be willing to support Tripp the right way. And then I think she'll come around."

What does she mean by "the right way" to raise their 18-month-old son?

"Like, not just have him around when the cameras are around but be there all the time and have a legitimate job and be supportive financially and just set a good example for him," says Bristol.

According to Bristol, Johnston is really changing. "Tons and tons of progress is being made," she says. "Like, he'll change a diaper without me even having to tell him, or he'll take him when I need a 15-minute break, or he'll come over and help with Tripp, and all that stuff is just so much appreciated."

(READ MORE)

Posted by: LKL Producer Michael Watts
Filed under: Bristol Palin • Levi Johnston • Sarah Palin

Via USMagazine.com

Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston reveal exclusively in the new US Weekly that they are getting married.

And, they tell US Weekly, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been kept in the dark about their plans ... until now.

"We got engaged two weeks ago," Bristol, 19, tells US Weekly. "It felt right, even though we don’t have the approval of our parents."

Bristol and Levi, 20 - who famously called off their previous engagement two weeks after welcoming son Tripp in December 2008 - tell US Weekly they reconnected three months ago while working out a custody plan for their 18-month-old son.

"I really thought we were over," Levi tells US Weekly. "So when I went, I had no hope. I think we both just started talking — and then we took Tripp for a walk."

Says Bristol, "When he left that night, we didn’t hug or kiss, but I was thinking how different it was. He texted me: 'I miss you. I love you. I want to be with you again' ... I was in shock."

Now comes the hard part: Getting the blessing of Sarah Palin, who has made no secret of her feelings for Levi. He provoked her fury last fall when he claimed that she had called her infant son Trig (who has Down syndrome) "retarded." She fired back, telling reporters that anyone who posed for Playgirl would "say and do anything for even more attention." Later, during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, she dubbed him "Ricky Hollywood" and called his "aspiring porn" career "heartbreaking."

Says Bristol, "It is intimidating and scary just to think about what her reaction is going to be. Hopefully she will jump on board."

The Palins released a statement on the Today how Wednesday morning: "Bristol at 19 is now a young adult. We obviously want what's best for our children. Bristol believes in redemption and forgiveness to a degree most of us struggle to put in practice in our daily lives."

Filed under: Bristol Palin • Levi Johnston

via Us Weekly

Levi Johnston did not reveal all in his photo shoot for Playgirl, a spokesman for the magazine tells Usmagazine.com

"Although Playgirl is ecstatic with the footage of the Levi Johnston shoot, and viewers are going to be pleased and surprised, Levi did not go completely full frontal, as was suggested by his camp a few weeks ago," Playgirl rep Daniel Nardicio tells Us.

In late October, Johnston's manager Tank Jones told Us that the 19 year-old Alaskan was "ready to shock the world." Johnston himself proclaimed: "I just get naked. That's what I do."

Alas, says Nardicio, "Levi looks great in the shoot, and was a consummate professional, and we look forward to releasing the photos very soon."

Responding to Playgirl's statement, Jones told Us simply, "People need to wait. I was on the shoot. I know what was shot."

After the excitement of his photo shoot Nov. 12 and 13, Johnston spent his Monday in front of the TV - watching Sarah Palin's appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

"We watched it together," Tank Jones tells Us. "He was really upset. He knew that it was all fake, even the laugh."

"I can't speak for him," Jones continued. "I thought she was very, very sarcastic." When Palin called Johnston 'Ricky Hollywood,' for example, "That was a joke between us," Jones explained. "This young man wants to let this go, but, if she wants to keep it going then let's roll. We're trying to move past this, but, she keeps bringing stuff up."

Jones added that Johnston plans to "address this stuff." On top of the list are Palin's claims that she didn't know Bristol and Johnston were having sex. "If you knew, what kind of parent are you? If you didn't know, what kind of parent are you?"

Filed under: Levi Johnston

Note: "Joe the Plumber,"  McCain campaign adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer,  and former NY congressional candidate Dede Scozzafava join Larry tonight to discuss all the bombshells from Sarah Palin's new book and interview with Oprah.

via ETonline

Former republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin went rogue with Oprah Winfrey, commenting on Levi Johnston's new-found fame, her time on the campaign trail with a pregnant teenage daughter and how she feels in hindsight about the infamous Kate Couric interview.

Palin appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Monday to promote her already bestselling book Going Rogue: An American Life. She opened up about the father of her grandson who has publicly bashed her, saying that Levi's "aspiring porn" career - referring to his deal with Playgirl magazine - is a "bit heartbreaking."

"I believe he goes by the name Ricky Hollywood now," she jokes to Oprah. "He's quite busy with media tours. ... That's Levi's gig right now."

Regardless of their differences, Palin says she realizes Levi is still a teenager and that he will "forever be the father of this beautiful baby," her grandson Tripp.

As for Bristol, Palin says that her daughter was "devastated" and "embarrassed" when the media got word that she was pregnant. "I was naive to think that the media would leave my kids alone," Palin says, reflecting on her time on the campaign trail. She recalls that she never wanted her daughter's pregnancy to be "glamorized."

Another memorable moment as a VP hopeful was Palin's interviews with CBS anchor Katie Couric, who Palin refers to as "the perky one." The former Alaska governor says that during those interviews she was "annoyed" and felt that her words would be twisted no matter what. "Her agenda was not necessarily to show me in the best of light," Palin says of Couric. "If people only know me from that interview, I don't blame them."

Palin's new tell-all book Going Rogue: An American Life hits bookshelves Nov. 17.

Filed under: Larry King Live • Levi Johnston

Via The Insider

"The Insider" breaks news that Levi Johnston is going to file for joint custody of Tripp, his son with Bristol Palin.

Levi told "The Insider" he is now going to take legal action because he had trouble when trying to see his infant son over the weekend. "At the end of the month I'm going to file for joint custody of Tripp."

He goes on to say that he's tried the friendly way and it's "Not working. I'm done. It's going to have to go to court. They just finally pushed me over the edge."

"The Insider" breaks news that Levi Johnston is going to file for joint custody of Tripp, his son with Bristol Palin.

Levi told "The Insider" he is now going to take legal action because he had trouble when trying to see his infant son over the weekend. "At the end of the month I'm going to file for joint custody of Tripp."

He goes on to say that he's tried the friendly way and it's "Not working. I'm done. It's going to have to go to court. They just finally pushed me over the edge."

Filed under: Levi Johnston

via New York Post

Levi Johnston is getting ready to let it all hang out. The father of Sarah Palin's grandson will go ahead with his much-hyped Playgirl shoot in mid-November "in order to get the pictures out for the holidays," a rep for the magazine told us.

"We're working out the actual details day-by-day, and have come to a very happy conclusion, which we feel readers will be enthralled by." Johnston's manager, Tank Jones, has said he's "90 percent sure" the shoot, for which Johnson has pulled in a reported six figures, will include full-frontal nudity.

Filed under: Levi Johnston

There will be no shortage of surprises and laughs tonight when "Life on the D List" star Kathy Griffin sits in for Larry.

She'll be mixing it up with her newest boy toy Levi Johnston (cougar alert!), chatting it up with Joan Rivers, and meeting the stars of TLC's reality show "Toddlers and Tiaras". That's all in ONE show. You won't want to miss this!

And we want to hear from you:

Do you think Kathy and Levi make a good couple?

Filed under: Kathy Griffin • Larry King Live • Levi Johnston

Editor's Note: Kathy Griffin sits in for Larry tonight! Among her guests: Levi Johnston, Joan Rivers, and the stars from TLC's "Toddlers and Tiaras."

From USmagazine.com

Odd couple alert!

Kathy Griffin brought Levi Johnston, the 19-year-old father of Bristol Palin's baby, as her date to Sunday's Teen Choice Awards in Universal City, Calif.

Griffin, 48, joked that the two have been an item for some time.

"Long-distance relationships are not easy, especially when he's in his igloo and I'm in my Hollywood tower," she said.

Johnston – who was in town for a Vanity Fair photo shoot – was less vocal about being Griffin's date.

"I just, you know, look at her, shut up and do what I'm told," he said when asked about being her date.

Griffin said she has yet to visit Johnston in his native Alaska, but has been there before.

"I have played Alaska, but so nowhere near where he grew up," said the Bravo reality star, who was not filming her carpet walk with Johnston for her My Life on the D-List show. "I played a Rosie [O'Donnell] lesbian cruise there and I'm pretty sure Levi wasn't on that cruise. I mean, I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure Levi is not kicking it with the lesbian cruises."

Johnston told E! News he'd even take Griffin hunting if she visited. He also added that 7-month-old son Tripp is "doing really good."

And we want to hear from you:

Do you think Kathy and Levi make a good couple?

Filed under: Kathy Griffin • Levi Johnston