8146: FYI, W, GM, FDA.

A Midweek MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• No “Beer Summit” was necessary to smooth things out between Kanye West and George W. Bush. The former president wrote in his new book that having West blurt, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people,” during a 2005 telethon for Hurricane Katrina victims was “an all-time low” of his time in office. “I would tell George Bush in my moment of frustration, I didn’t have the grounds to call him racist,” said West in an interview that aired today, adding that sometimes “we as human beings don’t choose the right words.” Taylor Swift would wholeheartedly agree. “I’m not a hater. I don’t hate Kanye,” said Bush. “…No one wants to be called a racist if in your heart you believe in equality of race.” Bush should now hold a summit with New Orleans residents—including the ones who are still unable to return to the Chocolate City.

• General Motors announced 3Q profits at $2 billion, the largest amount for the automaker since emerging from bankruptcy in July 2009. “We know we have much more work to do,” said Chief Executive Dan Akerson. “We still need to fix Europe. We continue to be vigilant in reducing cost in the enterprise, and we have just started doing a better job in marketing our brands to consumers.” Well, the jury is still out on that last point.

• The Food and Drug Administration unveiled proposed new labels for cigarettes, including some that depict more graphic warnings (see images below). Hey, the explicit ones should be mandatory additions to all print advertisements.