THURSDAY, AUGUST 1
NATIONAL HEADLINES:
GOV’T DECLASSIFIES SURVEILLANCE DOCUMENTS
In order to increase transparency, the Director of National Intelligence declassified documents yesterday relating to the government surveillance of phone records. The three newly released documents, some parts of which were heavily redacted, include the 2009 and 2011 reports on the government’s “Bulk Collection Program” under the PATRIOT Act. An order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court detailing how data should be gathered and stored was also made public. The documents were released in response to widespread outcry over privacy concerns after information on the NSA surveillance programs was leaked by former government employee Edward Snowden.
O.J. SIMPSON GRANTED PAROLE ON SOME CHARGES, WILL REMAIN IN JAIL
O.J. Simpson was granted parole yesterday on some charges connected to his 2008 kidnapping and armed robbery convictions. But the former football star will remain locked up in a Nevada jail for now. Since he was convicted on multiple charges, Simpson still faces at least four more years in prison on sentences that were ordered to run consecutively. Simpson pleaded for leniency in front of a two-member parole board last Thursday, saying he regretted his actions and has tried to be a model inmate while behind bars. He was convicted of holding up two sports memorabilia dealers at a Las Vegas hotel room, and has been locked up for the past five years.
WEINER AIDE LASHES OUT AT FORMER INTERN
In a further blow to Anthony Weiner’s floundering mayoral campaign, a top Weiner aide launched a foul-mouthed tirade against a former intern, calling her a slew of vulgar names. In an interview with Talking Points Memo, Weiner's communications director Barbara Morgan vented her frustrations after ex-intern Olivia Nuzziwrote a tell-all New York Daily News article about her experience working on the campaign. "I'm dealing with like stupid f***ing interns who make it on to the cover of the [New York] Daily News even though they signed NDAs [non-disclosure agreements] and/or they proceeded to trash me," Morgan said. She also called Nuzzi a slut, as well as some other crude slurs, and threatened to sue her. Morgan later said she thought the TPM interview was off the record and that she has since apologized to Nuzzi.
4TH JEWELRY HEIST IN CANNES, POLICE TO GET REINFORCEMENTS
There was another jewelry heist in Cannes yesterday – the fourth in recent months. The latest robbery occurred at a store just down the street from the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel, where a thief stole $136 million worth of gems on Sunday. Two men wearing hats and sunglasses, and armed with an automatic pistol and a hand grenade, entered the store in broad daylight and left with 40 watches. Police said the suspects were in their 30s and spoke French. They did not say whether they believe the robbery was connected to Sunday’s hotel heist. Cannes police were getting reinforcements from other cities in order to help stop the brazen thefts. The extra officers arrive today and will concentrate on luxury stores.
UNITED AIRLINES EMPLOYEE AND GIRLFRIEND CHARGED WITH STEALING LUGGAGE AFTER ASIANA CRASH
A United Airlines employee and his girlfriend have been charged with stealing luggage at San Francisco International Airport in the wake of the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash. Sean Sharif Crudup, 44, andRaychas Elizabeth Thomas, 32, were arrested July 25 while waiting to board a flight to Hawaii. Police said luggage had been piling up in the terminal because of the Asiana crash and the two suspects saw it as an opportunity. Airport surveillance showed Crudup, a customer service representative, rifling through a bag stranded at the airport’s United Airlines terminal on July 8, just two days after the fatal Asiana crash. Later, Thomas allegedly tried to return about $6,000 worth of stolen clothing at Nordstrom. Authorities said there was no evidence at this point that Crudup and Thomas were specifically targeting Asiana passengers who endured the crash, but “it could still play out that way.” They were charged with grand theft and commercial burglary.
SHOWBIZ NEWS:
COWELL TO HAVE BABY WITH FRIEND’S ESTRANGED WIFE
Simon Cowell is going to be a daddy. Us Weekly reports The X Factor judge is expecting a baby with New York socialite Lauren Silverman, the wife of his close friend Andrew Silverman. According to reports, the Silvermans are still married, but they “have been unhappy in their marriage for some time and their divorce has been in the works for a while.” Insiders say as the marriage broke down, Simon and Lauren became close, with sources telling The Mail they’ve been seeing each other for at least a year. Insiders say Lauren is “about 10 weeks along.”
LOHAN OUT OF REHAB
Lindsay Lohan is out of rehab. The Mean Girls star’s 90-day court-ordered stint in rehab is over and she was photographed leaving Cliffside Malibu Rehab Center on Tuesday. According to TMZ, she’s expected to stay with a sober living coach for the next few days. Lindsay’s lawyer Shawn Holley was in court yesterday with proof that Lindsay completed her sentence. The CEO of Cliffside sent a note to the judge suggesting Lindsay needed three, 50-minute therapy sessions a week, explaining, “If these sessions are not required by the court and attendance verified once a month to ensure accountability, it is a set up for almost certain failure." The judge apparently agreed, and ordered Lindsay continue counseling for the next 16 months.
OPRAH HATES THE N-WORD
Oprah Winfrey has no tolerance for use of the N-word. In a new interview with Parade, the former talk show host explained, “It shows my age, but I feel strongly about [the n-word] … I always think of the millions of people who heard that as their last word as they were hanging from a tree." Oprah adds that kids today don’t know "diddly-squat" about the civil rights movement, and says she thinks more needs to be done regarding race relations. "Are more people judged by the content of their character than by the color of their skin? Yes,” she says. “Is everybody judged by the content of their character? Absolutely not."
NIGELLA GRANTED DIVORCE
Nigella Lawson was granted a divorce from her husband Charles Saatchi yesterday. Neither Nigella nor Charles was in court for the 70-second hearing that ended their 10-year marriage. Court papers show Nigella cited Charles’ unreasonable behavior as reason for the divorce, which will become final in six weeks. In June, paparazzi snapped photos that appeared to show Charles choking his wife while they were out to dinner. He claimed the photos were misinterpreted, and announced he was divorcing Nigella for not standing up for him.
VANITY FAIR’S BEST DRESSED LIST REVEALED
Just because she’s been pregnant for the last nine months, doesn’t mean Kate Middleton lost her sense of style. In fact, the new mother has just landed on Vanity Fair’s International Best Dressed List. Others making the list include: Kerry Washington, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen, China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan, Keith Richards, Victoria Beckham, LeBron James, Brooke Shields and Charlize Theron.
IDOL’S KRIS ALLEN WELCOMES SON
American Idol champ Kris Allen and wife Katy welcomed a baby boy on Tuesday. Oliver Neil Allen weighed in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces. The proud papa tweeted the good news, writing, “Happy Day!!!! My little stud was born today. Oliver is here people!"
J.K. ROWLING RECEIVES SETTLEMENT OVER PSEUDONYM LEAK
J.K. Rowling has settled a lawsuit brought against the law firm responsible for outing her pseudonym. The Sunday Times broke the news last month that the Harry Potter author wrote the mystery novel The Cuckoo’s Calling under the name Robert Galbraith, after receiving an anonymous tweet. It was later revealed the tweet came from a friend of Chris Gossage, a partner at the law firm Russells. Rowling sued Gossage and the firm for divulging confidential information and she was awarded an undisclosed sum, which will be donated to the UK’s Soldiers’ Charity. Gossage and representatives for the law firm also apologized to Rowling, and agreed to reimburse her legal costs.
ASHLEE SIMPSON GOES PUBLIC WITH NEW BEAU
Ashlee Simpson and new boyfriend Evan Ross made their first red carpet appearance together Tuesday. The pair, who was first linked in early July, attended the launch of Jessica Simpson’sFall 2013 Campaign in New York, and walked hand-in-hand on the red carpet. Sources say Ashlee and Evan, Diana Ross’s son, have been friends for over ten years, and things recently turned romantic. “They have a long bond,” a source tells Us Weekly. “They already know each other really well.”
CLOONEY SPENDS MONEY SPYING
George Clooney is using his paycheck to spy on a war criminal. The Ocean’s Eleven star recently revealed that the money he makes doing overseas commercials for Nespresso goes to fund a spy satellite aimed at the Sudan. “Most of the money I make on the [Nespresso] commercials I spend keeping a satellite over the border of North and South Sudan to keep an eye on Omar al-Bashir [the Sudanese dictator charged with war crimes at The Hague],” he explained. “Then he puts out a statement saying that I'm spying on him and how would I like it if a camera was following me everywhere I went and I go 'well welcome to my life Mr. War Criminal.’ I want the war criminal to have the same amount of attention that I get. I think that's fair.” Al-Bashir has reportedly fled to Nigeria. He is accused of committing gruesome atrocities in the Darfur region of the country.
WINTER’S MOTHER DENIED CUSTODY
The mother of Modern Family star Ariel Winter was denied in her attempt to regain custody of her daughter. At a hearing in California yesterday, Senior Court Judge Michael Levenas stood by his March 29th decision that gave Ariel’s sister Shanelle Gray guardianship over the 15-year-old until October 16th. Mom Chrisoula Workman was accused of emotionally and physically abusing her daughter and the judge said he hasn’t seen evidence that she had repaired her relationship with the TV star.
PALTROW WARNS AGAINST CLEANSES
Gwyneth Paltrow opens up about her eating habits in an article for the UK’s Telegraph and warns people against certain popular juice cleanses. "I've done juice cleanses in the past, and in my twenties I did the Master Cleanse, which left me hallucinating after 10 days," she said. "Be aware: a juice detox can crash your metabolism and lead to future weight gain." The skinny Paltrow also advises the public to skip the scale. "There is something punitive about weighing yourself," she wrote. "It can leave you vulnerable to shame and guilt, and it messes with you psychologically. Women naturally gain and lose weight during their monthly cycle anyway, so it can be more realistic to monitor your body shape with a measuring tape."
BAILON FAKED BOYFRIEND TO GET RID OF KARDASHIAN
The Real co-host Adrienne Bailon admitted on the show this week that she faked a boyfriend in order to get rid of ex Rob Kardashian. Rob and the former Cheetah Girl dated for two years and broke up when he admitted cheating on her. An old episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashiansshowed Rob reading a letter from what was allegedly Adrienne’s new beau, but she now admits she was the one who wrote it. “What all ya'll thought was that it was written by my boyfriend. It was not written by a boyfriend,” she explained. “That was written by me and my girl sitting on the sofa one day deciding to ourselves, ‘Well, how can we make him stop calling me?’’” She added, “I got left alone. I think it worked!”
FULL HOUSE STAR NOT IN REHAB
Former Full House star Jodie Sweetin is denying a National Enquirer report that claimed she checked herself into rehab. The tab suggested the 31-year-old, who has struggled with cocaine, crystal meth and alcohol addictions in the past, entered a $50,000-a-month residential treatment center. But Sweetin tells TMZ the story is “such bulls**t … I am absolutely NOT in rehab." In fact, Jodie says she is working at an LA rehab center, and her boss is letting her live in a studio apartment on the property while she deals with her divorce from husband Morty Coyle. One thing the tab did get right is that Jodie has decided not to fight Coyle for full custody of their 2-year-old daughter Beatrix. Instead, the pair will share joint custody.
FORMER MASTERCEF RUNNER-UP ARRESTED
Season three MasterChef runner-up Josh Marks was taken into custody in Chicago earlier this week after a bizarre run-in with cops. According to TMZ, a University of Chicago police officer noticed an injured Marks trying to use an emergency phone, and asked him if something was wrong. Marks then lunged at the officer, struck him and grabbed for his gun. It took five officers, as well as pepper spray and a baton, to eventually take him down. Marks was transferred to a hospital, and when cops asked him why he went ballistic he blamed MasterChef host Gordon Ramsay, calling him an “a**hole” who possessed his body and transformed him into God. Marks is still hospitalized, but has been charged with assaulting a cop and resisting arrest, among other things.
WEINER’S SEXTING PARTNER TROLLED FOR MEN
Anthony Weiner sure picked a doozy of a sexting pal. According to TMZ, his latest gal Sydney Leathers has been actively seeking sugar daddies on the internet for more than three years. The site found Sydney’s profile on the hookup site SeekingArrangement.com, where she wrote she was “looking for a discreet, mutually beneficial relationship.” Sources say the 23-year-old has been trolling these types of sites since she was 19 and found guys who’d pay her between $300 and $4,000 to Skype, share pictures or meet for dinner. Earlier this week Sydney was spotted leaving the offices of porn company Vivid Entertainment, leading to speculation she may be in talks to film a video. On Tuesday, she gave an interview where shared her two cents about Weiner’s chances of becoming mayor of NYC. “I mean as funny as it would be to have a Mayor Carlos Danger, I think he’s a little too busy j—–g off to do anything for the city,” she said, adding, “Okay, how are you going to be mayor of New York City if you’re c—ing like five times a day?”
DENZEL BACK ON BROADWAY
Denzel Washington is returning to Broadway. The actor, whose new movie 2 Guns opens Friday, announced he’s set to appear in a revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, which begins previews in March. Diahann Carroll, Anika Noni Rose and Sophie Okonedo round out the cast. Washington last appeared on Broadway in a 2005 production of Julius Caesar.
TV TIDBITS
● Deadline.com reports that Rob Lowe and Rashida Jones will be leaving NBC’s Parks & Recreation midway through the upcoming season. The series is set to return September 26th for 22 episodes, but both Lowe and Jones are only expected to appear in the first 13.
● Eva Green and Josh Hartnett have been cast in the upcoming Showtime drama Penny Dreadful. The psychological horror story is set to begin production in London in October.
● Fringe’s Anna Torv and Fast Times at Ridgemont High’s Jennifer Jason Leigh have joined the cast of Ryan Murphy’s HBO pilot Open, described as a multi-character exploration of sexuality, monogamy and intimacy in relationships.
● Lifetime has given the go-ahead for a pilot that will delve into the world of reality shows. Unrealwill follow a young producer on the set of a Bachelor-type TV show, whose job it is to get contestants to say and do outlandish and humiliating things.
ROCK NEWS:
PEARL JAM, BLUR, ARCADE FIRE TOP DOWN UNDER’S BIG DAY OUT FEST
The lineup for the 2014 edition of Australia’s long-running Big Day Out music festival was announced yesterday, with Pearl Jam, Blur and Arcade Fire installed as headliners. Meanwhile, Pearl Jam has agreed to perform at all six Big Day Out locations in order to promote their forthcoming album Lightning Bolt, available October 15. Big Day Out 2014 will take place January 17 in Auckland, the 19th in Gold Coast, the 24th in Melbourne, the 26th and 27th in Sydney, the 31stin Adelaide, and February 2 in Perth.
PEARL JAM PRODUCER SHEDS MORE LIGHT ON LIGHTNING BOLT
Longtime Pearl Jam producer Brendan O’Brien (Vs., Vitalogy, No Code, Yield) was back behind the board for the recording of the band’s upcoming 10th studio set Lightning Bolt, and recently sat with Rolling Stone for an in-depth Q&A. Among the many subjects discussed, O’Brien talked about the band’s work ethic, saying, “It’s easy for a band that’s been around for a long time to gear down a bit when it comes to songwriting and making records. But not these guys. They want it badly. I think that’s awesome. I’m very happy with that.”
ZOMBIE LAYS OUT REASONS WHITE ZOMBIE REUNION WOULD “SUCK”
Despite some fans still holding out hope for a White Zombie reunion, frontman Rob Zombieinsists a comeback is not in the cards. In a recent interview, Zombie said of a reunion, “It wouldn’t be good. A lot of people forget they went to see White Zombie and they were 15 years old, and everyone in White Zombie was 23 years old. They’re going to come to the concert at 40, look at White Zombie, who are all going to be 50, and go: ‘This sucks.’ I don’t want to come back and do it again just so that it can be inferior.”
SLASH BOOKED FOR ARIZONA FIREFIGHTERS BENEFIT CONCERT
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Slash has signed on to headline a benefit concert to help raise funds for those affected by the deadly fires in and around Yarnell, AZ in which 19 firefighters lost their lives. The Rock N 2 Remember show will take place August 25 in Prescott, AZ with proceeds benefitting the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, Prescott Fire Fighter Charities, 100 Club of Arizona, and displaced residents of Yarnell.
WARD CLAIMS HE WAS FIT TO PLAY WITH BLACK SABBATH
In a recent interview with Guitar International, original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward refutedOzzy Osbourne’s claim that he wasn’t in good enough physical shape to play on Sabbath’s current album 13 and reunion tour. Ward said, “I would never, ever show up for a commitment I could not do physically. So that should answer that one…” As for reports Ward offered to play a few songs a night, he says, “Playing partially would kind of be aligning to my demise in Sabbath and minimizing me. I’m the drummer in Sabbath and quite capable of doing the job.”
MUMFORD & SONS MEMBER IRKED AT BEING LABELED CHRISTIAN ROCKER
British folk rockers Mumford & Sons have often been described as Christian rockers for their supposedly religious lyrics, and for the most part the band members simply shrug it off. But banjo player Winston Marshall recently spoke out, saying, “Yeah, it pisses me off. Just being thought of as a Christian is pretty annoying. Not that there’s anything wrong with it.” He adds that some fans have come up to him and asked him if they can pray together, to which he says, “My reaction is. ‘Thank you, but no thank you.’ And if I’m in a band mood, ‘F*** off!’ No, I mean, it comes from a good place… But it’s just quite invasive.”
PANIC! AT THE DISCO DRUMMER COMES CLEAN ABOUT ADDICTION
In an open letter posted on the band’s website, Panic! and the Disco drummer Spencer Smithopens up about his two-year addiction to prescription drugs like Vicodin and Xanax and drinking to combat anxiety and depression. Smith admits a traumatic event surrounding “the health of a loved one” triggered his descent “into my addiction.” He adds, “I was taking a dangerous amount of bills while drinking to chase that high…” Thankfully, Smith says he is now clean, writing, “I can honestly say that without the love and support of those closest to me, I wouldn’t be here, sober, and able to write this today.”
BLONDIE’S HARRY REFUTES RETIREMENT RUMORS
Revered new wave and punk band Blondie made headlines yesterday when drummer Clem Burke told UK’s Daily Mail lead singer Deborah Harry, 68, was considering retirement. Burke said, “Debbie is 11 years older than the rest of us, so it’s on her mind. We’ve tried to keep it going for as long as possible, but it’s just not up to me. Nothing is finalized yet, but obviously there’s no Blondie without Debbie Harry.” Yesterday, Harry issued the following statement: “In relation to the recent news articles regarding Blondie breaking up: We want to clarify this rumor has no truth in it whatsoever. We are still very much working together as a band on new music, plans for the future, and look forward to seeing our fans on tour around the globe.”
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND PLAN SURPRISES FOR PEACH MUSIC FESTIVAL
Southern rock royalty the Allman Brothers Band are gearing up to host their second annual Peach Music Festival August 15-18 at Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA, and according to drummer Butch Trucks the band is “looking for really bigger things” out of this event, promising something “really cool.” Regarding the location, Trucks said, “The second stage is in a water park, so you got half of the audience standing in a wave pool, grooving and listening to the music, and everybody else is coming down water slides.” In addition to ABB, other acts set to play include Bob Weir’s RatDog, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Gov’t Mule, the Black Crowes and Jaimoe’s Jassz Band.
