Morning Reading Avalanche: "American Idol" Notes And More

• Good news from the "American Idol" reject pool: The homeless kid, Josiah Leming (right), who most of us thought would make the top 24, has gotten a record deal. (Reuters)
• And good news for "Idol" producers who've had to explain away ratings slippage all year. The finale drew 31.7 million viewers, a million more than last year. (TV Decoder)
• The AP says cougars were the voting bloc that pushed David Cook over the top to win "Idol." Seriously. (AP)
• The end of civilization as we know it: Rosie O'Donnell and "Nanny" star Fran Drescher are working on a sitcom together. (Newsday)
• Barry Livingstone of "My Three Sons" is in a Hallmark Channel thriller with Dean Cain this weekend. Using "thriller" here to denote genre, not actual effect on viewers. (TV Squad)