One Washington-based hero has emerged after three weeks of political turmoil, according to some: Robert Costa, the National Review's Washington editor, who "got so many scoops about the GOP's constantly changing strategy that congressional leadership warned members about leaking to the National Review, a fact also reported by the National Review," writes Joe Coscarelli.Coscarelli explores Costa's background, detailing just why he was the right man for the job of explaining Republican strategy:  "Most Capitol Hill reporters don't understand the conservative mind-set or why someone would be a Republican," political columnist Tim Carney explains.  "This gave [Costa] a …

In the latest complaint in the perennial why-don't-fashion-magazines-show-women-as-they-really-are file, Elle magazine has been garnering pushback for featuring the adorable, but definitely plus-sized, actress Melissa McCarthy on its November cover -- draped in a coat that obscures her whole body. Meanwhile, as Emma Bazilian points out, "Elle isn’t this month’s only magazine cover controversy. November’s Vogue features a heavily airbrushed version of Kate Winslet—or as Fashionista puts it, 'someone or something that vaguely resembles a human being … who vaguely resembles Kate Winslet.'”

Hearst is partnering with Awesomeness TV to develop a YouTube Seventeen magazine-branded channel targeting teen girls. "Seventeen magazine’s current YouTube channel has garnered more than 86 million views since its 2006 launch," writes Arti Patel. "The new channel is set to feature original shows, videos and tutorials across a myriad of topics including fashion, beauty, entertainment and relationships."

New York magazine execs are considering publishing the pub every other week rather than weekly "as rumors swirl that it will post a 2013 loss of several million dollars," due to a drop in print ad pages, writes Keith Kelly.We love the mag and are addicted to its crossword puzzles -- but could see how a biweekly schedule is realistic, especially considering that the pub is already cutting back on issues, with a total of 42 planned for 2013.

Time Warner Cable will start carrying arts channel Ovation Jan. 1 again, ten months after it was pulled from the lineup "amid a public push by the cable operator to cull its lineup of poorly rated channels," writes Shalini Ramachandran. Ovation's commitment to add original programming -- 200 more hours next year -- was a key factor in the return, according to Melinda Witmer, chief video and content officer for Time Warner Cable.Still, "what’s become of" the company's threat to pull channels with low audiences? asks Ramachandran "The operator has only dropped one other such channel—Current TV—after it …

Netflix will experiment with providing DVD-like extra features to its programming, first with original content like the series "Orange is the New Black."And "if testing with the company's original shows goes well, Netflix may go back and offer extras for more of its catalog," writes Richard Nieva.

Hearst Magazines held what it dubbed “the very first magazine Upfront,” introducing upcoming content and other new endeavors to media buyers and marketers. Among the news: rate base increases for five titles, including HGTV magazine; two two-day Cosmopolitan-branded conferences, Cosmo Live and Cosmo for Latinas Live, set to debut in fall 2014.

Comcast Ventures led the latest round of funding for SundaySky, which promises to "deliver video ads that are customized and updated for each viewer," writes Anthony Ha. Comcast is a customer of SundaySky, which launched in 2011; so far it has raised a total of $40 million in funding, with $20 million in this Series C round, aided by "participation from new investors Liberty Global Ventures and Vintage Investment Partners."

Making "threats of violence" is pretty much a surefire way to get banned from the comments section of the New York Times website, the pub's community manager Bassey Etim, tells Andrew Beaujon. Still, very few commenters have done so, as the number of those banned is "fewer than 10 nonspammers.” Etim also discusses how "the Times gets trolled less than other outlets," and how he sometimes emails "a commenter who seems 'sincerely confused' by rules," which occasionally leads to an unfruitful response: "an email full of curses."

Editorial staffers at New Republic sold subscriptions to the pub for two weeks as part of an office contest that was also a "team-building exercise," a company spokesperson told Jeff Bercovici. Bercovici thinks that's a job requirement that goes "too far....You could even argue that it pokes a hole in the traditional wall that’s supposed to separate editorial processes from business operations."