WEDNESDAY, JULY 24
NATIONAL HEADLINES:
PROUD PARENTS WILL AND KATE INTRODUCE ROYAL BABY BOY.
Prince William and his wife, Kate, introduced their baby boy to the world and a massive gathering of media camped outside St. Mary’s Hospital in London yesterday, one day after the future king entered the world at 8 pounds, 6 ounces. Photographers scrambled to capture the firstphotographs of the royal baby, while his father spoke to reporters, saying, “He’s a big boy, quite heavy. We’re still working on a name.” William, second in line to the throne, added, “Well he has a good pair of lungs on him, that’s for sure. He’s got her looks, thankfully.” Later, the Duke, Duchess, and Baby Cambridge left the hospital like “a normal couple,” with Prince William behind the wheel of their own car on their way home to Kensington Palace, where they will spend the next two weeks while William is on paternity leave.
WEINER ADDRESSES NEW SEX SCANDAL ALLEGATIONS.
This time with his wife by his side, former congressman and current New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner On Tuesday admitted to engaging in sexting with a woman he met online following his resignation from Congress. Weiner said in a statement: “I said that other texts and photos were likely to come out, and today they have. As I have said in the past, these things that I did were wrong and hurtful to my wife… While some things that have been posted today are true and some are not, there is no question that what I did was wrong. This behavior is behind me.”Huma Abedin, Weiner’s wife, who has worked with former Secretary of State Hillary Clintonsince 1996, said, “It took a lot of work and a whole of therapy to get to a place where I could forgive Antony. We discussed all of this before he decided to run for mayor, so really what I want to say is, I love him, I have forgiven him, I believe in him, and as we have said from the beginning, we are moving forward.”
OBAMA PLAN TO ARM SYRIAN REBELS MOVES TO FRONT BURNER.
Despite lukewarm support from Congress, the Obama administration is determined to make good on its promise to arm Syrian rebels, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday. Carney told reporters that the military aid in question is expected to include small arms, ammunition, and perhaps anti-tank weapons intended “to help the opposition resist” President Bashar al-Assad“and eventually prevail.” Meanwhile, at a congressional hearing yesterday, GOP Rep. Rich Nugent of Florida expressed concern weapons could fall into the wrong hands, saying, “We want to make sure that we don’t put our sons or daughters in any jeopardy particularly as it relates to arming those that we have no idea who they are.”
AL QAEDA GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR IRAQI PRISON RAIDS.
A militant group claiming to be affiliated with al Qaeda took responsibility Tuesday for carefully coordinated attacks on two Iraqi prisons over the weekend which left at least 21 prisoners and eight guards dead, and allowed over 500 inmates to escape. The attacks took place Sunday night at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, west of Baghdad, and al-Taji, north of Iraq’s capital city. State-run television reports suggested that guards at Abu Ghraib aided in the escape of prisoners. A group calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the attacks and said that “more than 500 of the best jihadi fighters” were among those freed. Meanwhile, at least 16 people were killed and dozens wounded in a new surge of explosions and shootings in Baghdad and Mosul on Tuesday.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OBTAINS EVIDENCE TIED TO ZIMMERMAN TRIAL.
Federal officials have obtained all evidence in connection to the George Zimmerman investigation from the Sanford, FL Police Department, including a gun, while the Justice Department mulls whether to pursue a civil rights case in connection with the death of Trayvon Martin. Attorney General Eric Holder has said the Justice Department will “act in a manner that is consistent with the facts and the law,” but added that in his opinion, Martin’s shooting was “tragic” and “unnecessary.” Federal officials opened an investigation into the Zimmerman case last year and will include testimony from his trial.
SHOWBIZ NEWS:
THE ROYAL BABY MAKES HIS DEBUT
Prince William and wife Catherine Middleton debuted their new bundle of joy yesterday in London. The baby boy, who still does not have a name, made his first appearance with his parents on the steps of St. Mary’s hospital in London. As for the tot’s moniker; apparently his parents are still deciding. “We are still working on a name, so we will have that as soon as we can," William told reporters.
BYNES HOSPITALIZED FOR MENTAL EVALUATION
Amanda Bynes’ crazy has finally caught up with her. TMZ reports she has been hospitalized on a 5150 hold after starting a small fire in the driveway of a home in Thousand Oaks, CA, Monday night. According to authorities, the fire department responded to the home and found Amanda standing in the driveway next to the fire. After asking her why she was there they determined she needed to be hospitalized. Amanda is currently being held for mental evaluation, but she can only be held for 72 hours. TMZ got a hold of a 911 call from the incident, in which the caller describes the fire as a flaming cloth sitting on top of a gas tank. The caller said he couldn’t determine whether the tank was full or not. He talked to reporters yesterday and said when he found Bynes she was lying down near the driveway and her pant leg was on fire, although it was quickly put out and she was not injured.
BYNES ACCUSED OF TRESPASSING AT OLD FOLKS HOME
Meanwhile, Amanda Bynes got into an argument with a cab driver in Los Angeles Sunday night after being turned away from a retirement community. According to TMZ, the What I Like About You star was trying to get into an old folks home in Thousand Oaks when management refused to allow her inside because they thought she was drunk, and accused her of trespassing. Management called Amanda a cab, but when she got in the car she told the driver, “Get me the f**k out of here…I don’t have any money.” Well, cabs aren’t free, so the driver kicked her out, which forced Amanda to walk back to the retirement home, and they reportedly called the cops. It is unclear what happened to Amanda following this incident, although there is no report of her being arrested.
GOMEZ ENDS INTERVIEW AFTER BIEBER QUESTIONS
Selena Gomez is sick of answering questions about Justin Bieber. The star, who celebrated her 21st birthday Monday, cut off an interview earlier this week after being blindsided by questions about her on-again/off-again beau. Chicago interviewer Dean Richards was quizzing the Disney star via satellite, when he started probing her about Justin. “You’re, you know, probably as close a friend to Justin Bieber as they come,” he said, before asking, “Is there something about him that we don’t get or we don’t understand?” Selena clearly didn’t know what to say, and Dean continued his line of questioning, but she refused to answer. Eventually, Selena just smiled and had the satellite feed cut off.
KRIS ATTEMPTS TO BRIBE CRITIC
Kris Jenner isn’t above bribing people to get what she wants. New York Post TV critic Linda Stasi reports that the infamous momager actually sent her a gift after reading the horrendous review Linda gave to Kris’ talk show. Linda called the show “horrible,” “boring,” and “self-involved,” saying she, “couldn’t bear it.” Well, that didn’t stop Kris from trying to change Linda’s mind. She sent the reviewer a $425 Tiffany pen and cupcakes, along with a note that read, “Dear Linda, Sorry you didn't like the show. I'm still a huge fan of your column. Love and blessings, Kris,” adding, “P.S. When you think I've improved, maybe you will write a better review with this.”
COHEN DROPS OUT OF FREDDIE MERCURY BIOPIC
Sacha Baron Cohen has dropped out of the planned Freddie Mercury biopic. The Borat star had been attached to play the Queen frontman since 2010, but left the project earlier this week over creative differences with the surviving members of Queen. According to Deadline.com, Cohen wanted the film to be a “gritty tell-all” about the homosexual Mercury, while the members of Queen wanted it to be a more family friendly story.
JIMMY FALLON AND WIFE WELCOME DAUGHTER
Surprise – Jimmy Fallon is a new dad. People reports that the future Tonight Show host and wifeNancy Juvonen welcomed a baby girl Tuesday morning. A rep for the talk show host told the mag that the first time parents are “overjoyed about the arrival of their beautiful daughter.” So far a name for the baby had not been revealed.
PENELOPE & JAVIER WELCOME BABY GIRL
The Royal Baby wasn’t the only tot born Monday. Reports claim Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem welcomed a baby girl in Madrid on the same day. This is the second child for the Oscar-winning couple. Their son Leo is two.
JERSEY TOWN WANTS TO BAN SNOOKI & JWOWW
A New Jersey community is trying to get Snooki and her buddy JWoww booted from their island. According to the Star-Ledger, residents of Pelican Island are asking the town to bar MTV from filming the Jersey Shore spinoff Snooki & JWoww, claiming it’s a big distraction for the area, which was devastated by Hurricane Sandy last October. The town is said to be worried the filming will cause increased traffic and unwanted tourists. But Snooki took to Twitter to respond to their criticism, and basically told the town to “grow up.” "Unable [sic] how adults are trying to ban my son, fiancé and I from enjoying our summer at the shore," she tweeted. "Grow up, get over yourself and move on. This is not how we should be treating one another. Absolutely sick and very sad.” She added, “I pray for you. There's much bigger things to worry about in life than trying to ban my family from your neighborhood."
ROSE McGOWAN ENGAGED
Former Charmed star Rose McGowan has gotten engaged to artist Davey Detail. This is Rose’s third engagement, although she’s never made it down the aisle. She was previously engaged to rocker Marilyn Manson, who she dated for three years, and her Grindhouse director Robert Rodriguez, who she split from in 2009.
JENELLE HAS APPENDIX REMOVED
Teen Mom Jenelle Evans went to the hospital Monday and underwent emergency surgery to have her appendix removed. According to Radaronline, Jenelle had been in pain for a month, before her boyfriend Nathan Griffith suggested it could be her appendix and dropped her off at the hospital. She was expected to be released yesterday.
ZETA-JONES OPENS UP ABOUT BIPOLAR DISORDER
Catherine Zeta-Jones revealed in 2011 she had been battling bipolar disorder, and says her husband Michael Douglas’ cancer diagnosis was a trigger for the disease. "[Bipolar] is something I have been dealing with for a long time," she tells the UK’s Telegraph. "When you get sideswiped like that [with Douglas's illness] it's an obvious trigger for your balance to be a little bit off – not sleeping, worry, stress. It's a classic trigger." Zeta-Jones says she decided to go public with her battle in the hopes it will help others like her. "I know I'm not the only person who suffers with it or has to deal with it on a day-to-day basis," she explains. "So if I’ve helped anybody by discussing bipolar or depression, that’s great."
TV TIDBITS
● Kim Kardashian’s ex has landed a TV gig. NBA star Kris Humphries, who was married to Kim for 72 days, will play himself on an upcoming episode of Fox’s The Mindy Project. This will be Kris’ first scripted role on TV. Of course, he made several appearances on his ex’s reality showsKeeping Up With the Kardashians and Kourtney & Kim Take New York. The new season of The Mindy Project premieres Tuesday, September 17th.
● ABC Family announced earlier this week they have cancelled Bunheads after one season.
● FX is moving three of their comedies to their new FXX network, which launches Monday, September 2nd at 7 am. Season nine of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia will premiere Wednesday, September 4th at 10 pm, with The League’s fifth season kicking off at 10:30 pm andTotally Biased with W. Kamau Bell airing at 11 pm. In addition to new episodes of these comedies, FXX will air repeats of classics such as Freaks and Geeks and Sports Night.
● The Screen Actors Guild will honor actress Rita Moreno with their Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual ceremony in January. The 81-year-old Puerto Rican native is one of only 11 artists who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.
ROCK NEWS:
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS WRAP I’M WITH YOU SESSIONS RELEASES
The final three sides of the Red Hot Chili Peppers I’m With You sessions releases are now available at iTunes and the band’s official website as 7” vinyl. The final installments of the series include “Catch My Death” backed by “How It Ends,” “This is the Kitt” backed by “Brave From Afar,” and “Hanalei/Open/Close.” Order the entire 7” singles collection bundle, including nine 7” vinyl records, digital downloads and a recycled vinyl holder at redhotchilipeppers.com.
LAST SLASH SUMMER GIG TO BE BROADCAST LIVE TOMORROW
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators will broadcast their final summer concert live online from the House of Blues in Las Vegas tomorrow night at 9p PT via EVNTLIVE. Slash and his cohorts are wrapping up their touring cycle in support of their current album Apocalyptic Love featuring the radio hits “You’re a Lie” and “Standing in the Sun.”
AFI CIRCLES OCTOBER 22 AS RELEASE DATE FOR NEXT STUDIO ALBUM
FYI: Northern California rock act AFI is readying the release of its ninth studio set Burials, slated to be released October 22. Asked about the new collection, frontman Davey Havok told Rolling Stone, “This album is very layered and very rich and far, far less straightforward than what we did on the last record [2009’s Crash Love]. When [guitarist] Jade [Puget] and I began writing, we were immediately quite prolific.”
THE LUMINEERS PREP DELUXE EDITION OF SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM
Denver-based folk rock band the Lumineers hope to parlay the huge success of their hit single “Ho Hey” into bolstered album sales with the release of a Deluxe Edition of their self-titled debut, available August 20. The expanded edition will feature five bonus tracks, including studio versions of songs the group has often played in concert but hadn’t yet recorded. The package will also contain a DVD featuring live performances, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the band.
PANIC! AT THE DISCO SERVES UP BUFFET OF BEATS ON NEXT ALBUM
The always eclectic and unpredictable Panic! at the Disco seems to have upped the audio ante on its upcoming album Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, due October 8. In an attempt to describe the cornucopia of influences on the next record, frontman Brendon Urie told MTV, “This time around, the songs are pretty different. One song sounds like it could be an 80s, Depeche Mode type deal, another sounds like a mix of a Toto drum part with, like, weird arena-rock guitars. I listened to a lot of hip hop… Hip hop is doing the new rock thing; there are no rules. And that’s inspiring.”
QUEEN, COHEN PART WAYS ON MERCURY BIOPIC
Comedian/actor Sascha Baron Cohen has reportedly bowed out as star of the upcoming Freddie Mercury biopic due to creative differences with the surviving members of Queen, according toDeadline Hollywood. Reportedly, the members of Queen have the power of final script and director’s approval, and they decided to exercise their right because they were hoping for a more PG version of the singer’s life story, while Cohen was aiming for “a gritty, R-rated tell-all” about Mercury’s rise to fame and demise due to AIDS. Producers are now on the hunt for a new leading man.
EVERLAST TO DELIVER THE LIFE ACOUSTIC AUGUST 27
Grammy winning singer/songwriter Everlast has announced an August 27 release date for The Life Acoustic, a collection of classic solo and House of Pain tracks presented in their rawest form. Everlast explains, “I wanted to dig up some of the songs that I felt were gems, yet they didn’t get enough of a look the first time; and maybe in this light, they’ll shine.” A sample of the tracklist includes “Sad Girl,” “Today,” “Broken,” “Weakness,” “Stay,” “My Medicine,” and “Grandma’s Hand.”
ROCKER WRITES ON 50 SONGS THAT TELL ROLLING STONES STORY
Author Bill Janovitz, a members of Boston band Buffalo Tom, attempts to nail down the 50 songs that define the Rolling Stones’ 50 years in rock in his new book Rocks Off: 50 Tracks That Tell The Story of The Rolling Stones (out now). Janovitz, who also authored The Rolling Stones: Exile On Main St., told Rolling Stone magazine, “The important thing about the list I made is…these are not my favorite Stones songs. A lot of them are there, but I wanted to get the whole arc of the career.”
LP, PHOENIX, GROUPLOVE SET FOR MUSIC EDUCATION BENEFIT GIG
Acclaimed American singer/songwriter LP (“Into the Wild”), French rockers Phoenix, and American indie rockers Grouplove have been booked to perform a benefit concert for the Grammy Foundation’s Grammy in the Schools music education programs at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on August 11. Meanwhile, LP has wrapped work on her full-length debut album, targeted for an early 2014 release.
VINTAGE TRIO THE WINERY DOGS DISPENSE DEBUT ALBUM, SET TOUR
New power trio The Winery Dogs – guitarist/singer Richie Kotzen (Poison, Mr. Big), bassist Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big), and drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold) – yesterday released their self-titled debut album, and next month will embark on a nine-stop tour to support the set. The trek will get underway August 3 in New York and include shows in Lancaster, PA, Fords, NJ, Newton, NJ, Chicago, Agoura Hills, CA, Las Vegas, and San Diego before coming to a close in San Juan Capistrano, CA on October 6.
