TUESDAY, JULY 9
NATIONAL HEADLINES:
ASIANA PILOT WAS STILL IN TRAINING ON BOEING 777
Asiana Airlines revealed yesterday that the pilot of the plane that crash-landed at a San Francisco airport was still in training and had never landed a Boeing 777 at that airport before. According to the airline, pilot Lee Kang-kuk had logged 43 hours flying the 777 over nine flights, but it takes 60 hours and 10 flights to be considered fully qualified. Lee had 9,700 hours of experience flying other jetliners, and the co-pilot had more than 3,000 hours on the 777. Investigators are still trying to figure out why the jetliner failed to land safely at San Francisco International Airport Saturday. The plane, coming from South Korea, clipped a seawall as it came in for a landing and careened across the runway before coming to rest in a field and catching fire. Two 16-year-old Chinese students were killed and more than 180 people were injured. Authorities were investigating whether a fire truck may have run over one of the teenage victims as it raced to help.
CAIRO CLASHES LEAVE AT LEAST 51 PROTESTERS DEAD
Clashes in Cairo left at least 51 protesters dead and 435 injured yesterday, the Egyptian Ministry of Health said. Three security officers were also killed. Supporters of deposed President Mohammed Morsi had been holding a sit-in near the Republican Guard headquarters when the violence erupted. The Egyptian military claimed it was allegedly fired upon by “a terrorist group” that had tried to storm the building. But Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood and its allies painted a different picture. They accused security forces of attacking protesters first. Morsi was ousted by Egypt's military last week in the wake of huge protests demanding that he step down. An interim leader took his place and new elections were promised.
DEFENSE WITNESSES IDENTIFY ZIMMERMAN ON 911 CALLS
Defense witnesses took the stand yesterday and identified George Zimmerman as the male voice yelling for help in the 911 call made before Trayvon Martin was killed. Zimmerman’s mother and uncle testified that the screams came from Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch volunteer. Friends and co-workers of Zimmerman came to the same conclusion as the 911 call was played repeatedly in court. But Martin’s mother and brother took the stand on Friday and said it’s the slain teen who was screaming on the tape. The tape is a crucial piece of evidence because it could provide clues as to who was the aggressor in last year’s fatal confrontation. Zimmerman, 29, has been charged with second degree murder for the shooting death of 17-year-old Martin in a gated Sanford, Florida community. Zimmerman claims he reacted in self-defense.
HEINZ KERRY SUFFERED A GRAND MAL SEIZURE
Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of Secretary of State John Kerry, reportedly suffered a grand mal seizure of unknown origin Sunday. She was admitted to the hospital in critical condition and quickly stabilized, and as of yesterday her condition was upgraded to fair. Heinz Kerry, 74, was flown from a Nantucket, Mass. hospital toBoston for further medical treatment. A grand mal seizure is the most serious type and involves the entire body. It typically causes the victim to lose consciousness. The cause of the seizures is often unclear, especially if it’s an isolated incident.
STUDY: ALMOST HALF OF BABIES HAVE FLAT SPOTS ON THEIR HEADS
According to a Pediatrics study released yesterday, about 47 percent of infants have flat spots on their heads. The flat spots, called positional plagiocephaly, are usually caused because the child likes to lie in one position and their skull bones are soft. The increased number of flat spots may be the result of the 1992 AAP recommendation to put infants to sleep on their backs in order to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Seattle Children's Hospital pointed out that some children who have flattened skulls may have mild developmental delays that require additional treatment. Other children may experience torticollis, or muscle tightness that makes it difficult to move their neck. But for the most part, it’s a cosmetic issue. To prevent the condition, the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons recommends placing babies to sleep on their backs, but changing the direction they face. Researchers also suggest supervised playtime on their stomachs so they aren't always on their backs.
ROCK NEWS:
PEARL JAM TO HIT THE ROAD THIS FALL
At noon yesterday, Pearl Jam’s week-long countdown clock ended to reveal that the Seattle rockers are going on tour. The band will kick off a two-leg, 24-date North American tour on October 11th in Pittsburgh, PA, which includes two-night stands at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. As originally announced, the first leg ends with Pearl Jam’s appearance at the Voodoo Music and Arts Experience in New Orleans, November 1st -3rd (PJ’s exact date has yet to be announced). The second leg kicks off November 15th in Dallas, Texas, and features a two-night stand in Los Angeles. The trek ends in the band’s home city of Seattle, WA on December 6th. Tickets for all shows go on sale to the general public July 27th. Meanwhile, Pearl Jam seems to have re-set their countdown clock, which is counting down to Thursday. Speculation is they’ll announce either a new album, or possibly release a new single. They alsotweeted a picture of what some believe may be the cover of a potential new album. Up next for Pearl Jam is a July 16th show in Ontario, Canada, followed by the band’s much-anticipated Wrigley Field concert in Chicago on Friday, July 19th.
METALLICA HEADS TO COMIC-CON
Metallica is going to Comic-Con in San Diego. On July 19th, the rockers will give a special live performance and answer questions at a Hall H Panel in support of their 3D feature film, Metallica Through The Never. All four members of Metallica – James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammettand Robert Trujillo – will take part in the panel, alongside the film’s star Dane DeHaan and director/writer Nimrod Antal. The intimate private concert will be held at a secret location in San Diego. Those attending the Hall H presentation will have the opportunity to win tickets to the show.
METALLICA ADDS MALAYSIA DATE
In other Metallica news…the band has announced their first-ever concert date in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as part of their Asian tour which kicks off August 10th in Tokyo. "With more than 30 years of traveling around the world behind us, there are very few places that we have yet to explore," said the band. "So it's rather thrilling for us to be back with yet another first, a stop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on August 21st at Stadium Merdeka.”
AS I LAY DYING FRONTMAN COMMENTS ON ARREST
As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis has made his first public comments since his arrest in May for attempting to hire a hitman to kill his estranged wife. “I've come across many comments, both private and public, asking me to explain more about my case or to explicitly state what my current worldview is. First, I simply am not allowed to do either of those things,” he wrote in a poston his Tumblr page, which was later taken down. “Someday I will be able to tell the story of all that has happened in detail to get the facts straight and representing the many sides to this fairly complex story. In the meantime, many of you will make your assumptions and take the sensationalism of the press focusing on selling points at face value. I can't stop that from happening, and I've learned something by not having that kind of control. The people who want understanding will wait until the formalities and trials are done.” Tim is currently out on bail and under house arrest.
IRON MAIDEN ALE SERVED IN PARLIAMENT
Iron Maiden’s brand of ale is being served in Britain’s House of Parliament. The band’s Trooper Ale was introduced by Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove, through the House of Commons’ guest ale program, which allows ministers to introduce beers to fellow serving members of Parliament. "As an Iron Maiden fan and an MP, it is a real treat to have this specialist ale as one of the guest ales in Parliament — the fact that I also get to try it for the first time on my birthday is just a bonus," Weatherley said on his website.
MUMFORD & SONS BACK ON TOP IN THE UK
Mumford & Sons’ 2012 release Babel has returned to the top of the UK charts thanks to their closing set at last month’s Glastonbury Music Festival. The band topped Michael Buble’s To Be Loved by just 125 copies to return to the top spot, the third time the album has been at number one since its release. Other bands to receive sales boosts thanks to Glastonbury include The Rolling Stones, whose 2012 album GRRR! went from 29 to 20, and Arctic Monkeys, whose 2006 releaseWhatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not landed at number 15.
STP WITH BENNINGTON HEAD TO JAPAN
Stone Temple Pilots have lined up a new gig. The band, featuring Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington as frontman, is confirmed to play Japan’s Loud Park 2013 on October 19th. Twenty-four other bands are on the bill at the Saitama Super Arena, including King Diamond and Trivium. This will be STP’s first show in Japan since 1993.
BON JOVI DONATES $1 MIL TO SANDY RELIEF
Jon Bon Jovi yesterday donated $1 million to help New Jersey’s recovery from super storm Sandy. The singer was in his hometown of Sayreville alongside Governor Chris Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie to announce the donation. "My being here is not political," said Jon. "It's emotional." This isn’t the first thing Jon has done for folks hit hard by the storm. He was one of the headliners at the 12/12/12 concert alongside fellow New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen, and is also the co-chairman of a storm relief fund designed to help people not covered by government aid or insurance.
SPRINGSTEEN DOC GETS RELEASE DATE
Springsteen & I, the fan-made documentary dedicated to Bruce Springsteen, will be released in more than 2,000 theaters in 50 countries around the world starting July 22nd. A complete list of theaters showing the movie can be found at http://www.fathomevents.com/#!springsteen-and-i/more-info/theater-locations
SHOWBIZ NEWS:
ROYAL BABY GETS TITLE…PLUS ANOTHER ROYAL’S PREGNANT
Prince William and Kate Middleton are expecting their first baby any day now, and while we have no idea whether it will be a boy or a girl, or what name they’ll give the child, we do now know the title it will hold. Buckingham Palace confirmed yesterday that the Royal Baby’s official title will be His or Her Royal Highness the Prince or Princess of Cambridge. The title isn’t much of a surprise, considering William and Kate’s official titles are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Meanwhile, William and Kate’s baby won’t be the only royal tot in the family. The Queen’s granddaughter, Zara Phillips and her husband, rugby player Mike Tindall, announced yesterday they are expecting their first child in the New Year.
MORE ON THE CLOONEY/KEIBLER SPLIT
Looks like the George Clooney/Stacy Keibler split rumors may be true. People is the latest outlet to claim the couple has ended their two-year relationship, and they say it was Stacy who decided it was over. "Stacy called it quits. She wants to have children and a family someday. She knows where George stands on that," a source close to the couple tells the mag. "They talked and they quietly stopped being a couple several weeks ago." As with most Clooney breakups, the pair remains on good terms. "They talk every day,” says the insider. “They were friends before they started dating and they'll be friends after. It was a friendly [breakup]."
JEN & JUSTIN STEP OUT IN LA
Jennifer Aniston and fiancé Justin Theroux put breakup rumors to rest over the weekend, enjoying a day of shopping together out in Los Angeles. Last month, tabloids claimed the pair was on the outs after reports surfaced they postponed their wedding, and were fighting over whether to live in New York or Los Angeles. But the two stars looked very much together as they were photographed out in public, with Jen still wearing her engagement ring.
KRIS HINTS AT NORTH’S TALK SHOW DEBUT
While most rumors claim Kim Kardashian and Kanye West will not debut their daughter North onKris Jenner’s upcoming talk show, Kris isn’t exactly confirming the reports. On the Today show yesterday, Matt Lauer specifically asked Kris whether her new granddaughter would make an appearance (especially to help the ratings) and Kris was non- committal. “I think you’re going to have to wait and see and tune in, because I’m not sure exactly what’s going to happen,” she said. “I won’t tell you it won’t happen. (I’ll) give you a little something to think about. You never know who’s going to show up.” Kris premieres Monday, July 15th on Fox.
VAMPIRE DIARIES STAR IN CUSTODY DISPUTE
The Vampire Diaries star Zach Roerig is currently embroiled in a custody battle over his two-year-old daughter. TMZ reports the 28-year-old actor, who plays Matt Donovan on the CW hit, filed papers in a Georgia court last month seeking full custody of his daughter, since her mother,Alanna Turner, is currently in a federal prison after pleading guilty to “various crimes.” It is unknown when Roerig and Turner ended their relationship, but in late May, Us Weekly reported Roerig had ended a relationship with his Vampire Diaries co-star Candice Accola (Caroline Forbes).
HOMELAND STARS AT ODDS
There may be some trouble on the set of Showtime’s Homeland. The National Enquirer reports that the drama’s stars Claire Danes and Damian Lewis aren’t as close as they once were. “Claire and Damian really got along for most of the first two seasons, but lately they seem to get on each other’s nerves – and then some,” claims an insider. It seems new mom Claire may be having a tough time juggling work and motherhood. “As a first-time mom, she’s understandably stressed out,” explained a source. “She basically just wants to get her scenes done and get back to littleCyrus. But Damian is very light-hearted, always joking around with the film crew and getting his picture taken with the locals when they’re on location. And that’s caused a lot of friction between him and Claire.” But it doesn’t sound like their problems will affect the show, considering Damian’s character is on the run, and their storylines don’t crossover much. Said the source, “Maybe it’s good they aren’t working together this season, because that chemistry is in short supply now.”
DAMON’S NORMAL LIFE
Matt Damon is happily married and raising four daughters, and tells Esquire magazine he does his best to give his family a “normal” life despite being in the public eye. He realizes that that’s something some of his more famous friends, like Brad Pitt, can’t do. “I remember telling him that I walk my kids to school, and his face just fell,” said Matt. “He was very kind, but he was like, ‘You b****rd.’ Because he should be able to do that, too. And he can’t.” Matt believes part of the reason he’s had success keeping his private life private is due to his wife Luciana. “I got lucky, I fell in love with a civilian. Not an actress and not a famous actress at that. Because then the attention doesn’t double – it grows exponentially,” he says. “'But I don’t really give (the media) anything …They can try to stake me out, but they’re always going to get the same story – middle-aged married guy with four kids. So as long as that narrative doesn’t change too much, there’s no appetite for it.”
REYNOLDS & LIVELY WANT A BIG FAMILY
Ryan Reynolds is ready to start a family with wife Blake Lively, and it’s going to be a big one. “We’d love to have a big family,” he tells Details. “We both come from big families — my parents did four, Blake’s did five. A lot of people say it’s crazy, but we’ll only know when we’re there, you know? We’ll walk through that fire pretty happily, I think.” Ryan doesn’t often talk about his personal life, but says it’s not necessarily on purpose "I don’t intentionally try to be evasive about that stuff,” he says. “If you ask me to describe my relationship, I mean — words are too clumsy to accurately describe how I feel in that regard, particularly in an interview. It’s a strange thing. I understand the climate we live in and why people are curious. But it’s just tough and almost emotionally violent — for anyone, I think — to see your personal life summarized in a sentence,"
FORMER BIGGEST LOSER CONTESTANT SUED FOR GAINING WEIGHT
Former Biggest Loser contestant Tara Costa is being sued by a company who claims she has gained too much weight to be their spokesperson. Costa, who lost 155 pounds on The Biggest Loser: Couples 2, signed an agreement with the fitness company FC Online Marketing Inc., which owns the website I Love Kickboxing. In a suit filed in Florida, they claim Costa “had gained far too much weight” to make personal appearances on their behalf, which violates a passage in her agreement. FCOM says they paid Costa’s foundation $45,000 in order to use her likeness, but say now that she’s put the pounds back on, her image is of no value to the company.
TAMRA’S KIDS WON’T BE ON WEDDING SHOW
Tamra Barney’s recent wedding to Eddie Judge was filmed for a Bravo spin-off, but not everyone in her family will turn up on the show. Radaronline reports Tamra’s ex-husband Simon refused to let their three children, Sidney, Spencer and Sophia, appear on camera. Simon claims he is protecting his kids, although he seems a bit of a hypocrite, since they all appeared on The Real Housewives of Orange County when he was still on the program. Tamra’s OC Wedding premieres September 2nd on Bravo.
PRATT SHOWS OFF TONED BODY
Chris Pratt has transformed his body for his latest role. The Parks and Recreation star posted a photo on Instagram, showing off his toned bod, which is for his upcoming role in the sci-fi epicGuardians of the Galaxy. Pratt’s transformation reportedly took six months and involved cutting beer out of his diet. This isn’t the first time Pratt has gotten in shape for a part. Last year he lost weight to play a member of Seal Team Six in Zero Dark Thirty.
DANE COOK HITS THE ROAD
Comedian Dane Cook is hitting the road for his first major stand up tour since 2009’s ISolated INcident. The new tour, titled Under Oath, will kick off September 12th in Washington DC, and run through October 19th in Boston, MA.
CARREY APOLOGIZES TO GUN OWNERS
Jim Carrey has taken to Twitter to apologize for calling gun owners names. Although he doesn’t refer to exactly what names he’s talking about, in the past he’s called gun control opponents things like “heartless mother***ers” and “maniacs.” But Carrey seems to have changed his tune, although not his position on guns. “Asslt rifle fans, I do not agree wth u, nor do I fear u but I do love u and I'm sorry tht in my outrage I called you names. That was wrong,” he tweeted, followed by, “Btw I don't need a crisis mgr, just a conscience. Calling ppl names is inappropriate but my position on assault weapons hasn't changed.”
RANDY TRAVIS IN CRITICAL CONDITION
Country star Randy Travis was admitted to a Texas hospital Sunday and is listed in critical condition, according to a statement released by his publicist. The 54-year-old is "suffering from complications of recently acquired viral cardiomyopathy," which is a disease of the heart muscle. It can lead to heart failure.
MISCELLANEOUS MOVIE NEWS
● Zap2it reports that James Franco is expected to appear as himself in the upcoming Veronica Mars movie. He’ll be one of several celebrities turning up in the picture as victims of a hidden camera scam in which someone hides cameras in famous people’s houses and then tries to sell the videos. So far there has been no confirmation as to Franco’s appearance.
