More than CES, dead birds and Justin Bieber's Vanity Fair cover — the first week of January 2011 will be remembered for a trio of faces, led by the feel-good story of Ted Williams — the panhandling homeless man with a "golden voice" and rap sheet discovered in Columbus, Ohio.

A viral video by a Columbus Dispatch reporter brought overnight fame and offers to become the voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers (with a house, which Williams joked would be LeBron James' old manse), MSNBC's "Lean Forward" campaign, a Kraft mac & cheese commercial (and inquiries from ESPN, NFL Films, MTV and others) — a reunion with his mother.Continue reading...

Altria, R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard face tougher tobacco marketing rules in US.

Apple launches app store for Mac software.

Bank of America categorizes clients, adds fees.

Boeing loses major 747 order due to delays.

BP spill inquiry to report that disaster "likely" to recur; and hears that microbes may have mitigated methane damage in the Gulf.

CNN books Oprah as first guest for Piers Morgan's post-Larry King debut on Jan. 17; Madonna still banned as "boring."Continue reading...

Bank of America Merrill Lynch to expand its online brokerage business.

BMW poised to maintain world's #1 luxury car brand title.

Coke taps McCann for creative work in central, southern Europe.

Microsoft rumored to be opening a retail store in NYC next year.

MySpace not in talks to sell the company, CEO says.

Doubts brew about NASA’s new arsenic life.

Netflix strikes streaming deal with Disney, ABC. Continue reading...

The Republican Party won big in Tuesday’s elections, capturing a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, neutralizing the Democratic Party in the U.S. Senate, seizing a handful of key governorships and state legislatures across the country and marking the ascendancy of the Tea Party. Among other industries, the shift has big implications for the branding and marketing community. 

AOL revenue drops 26% on slumping ad sales.

Apple's iPad dominated 95% of the market for tablet computers last quarter.

Bugatti launches Veyron model in India, priced at $3.6 million.

Chase partners with DreamWorks for Megamind 3D movie.

Discovery Communications notches huge gains in ad sales.Continue reading...

AT&T is sponsoring Latino TV network Azteca America's Spanish-language celebrity blog, Paparazzi.

Barnes & Noble found a friend in a Delaware judge who sided with the bookseller in a legal spat with billion investor Ron Burkle.

BlackBerry is facing a new challenge in India, where officials are threatening to block the wireless service unless they get access by Aug. 31.

US fast food eatery Chick-fil-A is speeding its operations as it expands its urban footprint.

In the wake of today's strong earnings report and CEO resignation, GM's IPO could be filed tomorrow.

Microsoft has filed a trademark application for the name ONIT, intended for a men's lifestyle website.

MTV's Jersey Shore star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi was denied the right to trademark her name in light of Snooky the cartoon cat's prior claim.

Paris Hilton was hit with a $35M breach of contract suit for wearing the wrong hair extensions.Continue reading...

The Wall Street Journal calls BP's capping of the Gulf oil leak the end of the beginning, with "crunch time" ahead. Pressure tests will be performed today to see if the cap can be left on the well.

The New York Times revisits BP's safety record, while U.S. senators want the company's role in Lockerbie bomber release investigated.

BP's talks with Apache are causing concern, as Abu Dhabi's crown prince reportedly considers taking a stake.

Pepsi is offering $1.3 million for ideas to aid the Gulf (submit here through Thursday at noon ET), while Jersey Shore's Snooki is doing her bit.

ExxonMobil, meanwhile, is treading lightly these days.

Brands generating buzz this hour:

Apple's iPhone snub of Adobe's Flash heats up with CEO Steve Jobs statement.

Facebook executive agrees privacy is a site issue.

Starwood Hotels forecasts a bright 2010.

Motorola's Droid is paying off.

P&G is banking on emerging markets.Continue reading...

MotorWorld gives auto brands due recognition. [CNN Money]

BMW beats its competitors in the vehicle industry. [WSJ]

The National Enquirer lacks a Pulitzer Prize award. [Business Insider]

Paramount, Seagate pre-load movies on hard drives. [Reuters]

Scripps, Weight Waters, Lorillard among worst companies. [NY Times]

Companies use sports arenas for promotions. [Boston Herald]Continue reading...