WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9

NATIONAL HEADLINES:

OBAMA WON’T NEGOTIATE WITH GOP UNTIL GOV’T IS REOPENED

President Obama said he would not give in to Republican demands in order to end the government shutdown, but he did say he might be willing to accept a short-term agreement that could jump-start negotiations with Congress.  “We can't make extortion routine as a part of our democracy,” Obama said at the White House during a press conference yesterday. “We're not going to pay a ransom for America to pay its bills.” He said he will not negotiate with Republicans until they pass a non-conditional spending budget and raise the national debt limit. “Re-open the government, extend the debt ceiling,” Obama said. “If they can't do it for a long time, do it for a period of time in which these negotiations are taking place.” Meanwhile, the government shutdown was taking its toll on the relatives of fallen soldiers. The shuttered government is currently withholding a $100,000 payment, known as the death gratuity, typically sent to families of the fallen within three days to help them cover funeral costs or travel to meet the flag-draped coffins of their loved ones.

In a bit of good news, a billionaire Texas couple has donated $10 million to help keep Head Start programs running during the government shutdown. The programs serve at-risk children.

HIGGS BOSON SCIENTISTS WIN NOBEL PRIZE

Two scientists won the 2013 Nobel Prize in physics yesterday for their work on the Higgs boson, also known as the “God particle.” Francois Englert, 80, of Belgium, and Peter Higgs, 84, of Britain, theorized about the existence of the particle in the 1960s to provide an answer to why matter has mass. They believed the tiny particle made it possible for other basic building blocks of nature to stick together, slow down and form atoms. Scientists at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, were able to confirm the particle’s existence in July 2012.

9-YEAR-OLD STOWAWAY HAD BEEN IN TROUBLE BEFORE

A 9-year-old who managed to sneak onto a flight from Minneapolis to Las Vegas last week has gotten into trouble before. According to a report in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, authorities have carried out assessments on the boy’s family four times since December. His mother is reportedly an employee at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. “The reports have been inconsistent and there have been no injuries to the child; however, there is a pattern of behavior,” according to Janine Moore, the director of Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department. Apparently, the boy stole a car just weeks before his flight to Vegas, leading to his arrest on Highway 35. Moore also said that the boy allegedly told people that his mother had been “stabbed and died,” and that he would sometimes sneak into a waterpark. The boy somehow made it past airport security last Thursday and boarded a Delta flight. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and Child Protective Services took the child into custody when the plane touched down.

POLICE IDENTIFY MOTHER OF BABY HOPE

After over two decades, investigators have finally been able to identify a woman they believe is the mother of a dead child known only as Baby Hope. The New York Police Department received a tip from someone after the case gained renewed publicity over the summer. The tip led to the woman and a DNA match was made last week. Chief police spokesman John McCarthy said the woman had been interviewed and was cooperating with police. She told police that her husband disappeared with her two daughters in 1991, and that she never told the police because she feared what her husband might do. Her older daughter returned home about eight years later, but never told her mother what happened to her sibling. On July 23, 1991, a road worker discovered the remains of the 3-to-5-year-old girl inside a picnic cooler along the Henry Hudson Parkway. The body appeared malnourished and showed signs of possible sex abuse. At the time, cops pursued hundreds of leads that ultimately went nowhere. Detectives began calling the victim “Baby Hope” because they hoped and prayed they would solve the case.

TEST RESULTS REVEAL AMERICAN ADULTS WAY BELOW INTERNATIONAL AVERAGE

According to the results of a global test released yesterday, American adults scored below the international average. The test included three categories – math, reading and problem-solving using technology – which are all essential workplace skills. Adults in Japan, Canada, Australia, Finland and multiple other countries scored significantly higher than the U.S. in all three areas. The test also revealed just how large the gap is between the U.S.’s high- and low-skilled workers and how difficult it is to move ahead when your parents are lacking in education. In both reading and math, those with college-educated parents did better than those whose parents did not complete high school. Researchers tested about 166,000 people ages 16 to 65 in more than 20 countries and subnational regions.

SHOWBIZ NEWS:

KRIS & BRUCE JENNER HAVE SEPARATED

After months of denials, Kris and Bruce Jenner confirmed yesterday they have separated. “We are living separately and we are much happier this way,” the couple, who’ve been married for 22 years, told E! News. “But we will always have much love and respect for each other. Even though we are separated, we will always remain best friends and, as always, our family will remain our number one priority.”

WHY KHLOE WON’T DIVORCE LAMAR

Khloe Kardashian knows she should file for divorce from Lamar Odom but has put off taking that step because she’s too worried about her hubby. Sources tell TMZ Khloe thinks divorce is “inevitable” but she fears Lamar will overdose and die, or commit suicide, if she makes a move. Insiders say divorce papers have been drawn up but Khloe has no plans to file them in the immediate future. Meanwhile, yesterday Khloe posted a cryptic tweet that may give insight into what she and Lamar are dealing with. "Not all scars can be seen and not all love can be explained," she wrote. "The deepest love is also the hardest to express. Only those in it, understand."

LAMAR’S COACH WORRIED ABOUT HIM

Meanwhile, Lamar’s college football coach is very worried about him. Jim Harrick, who was a father figure to Lamar, is concerned the NBA star might die if he doesn’t get help for his addiction. “The stories I hear frighten me tremendously,” said Harrick. “I fear for his health, his safety, I thought everything was under control, but clearly it wasn’t. I fear for his life. I worry about him, as if he was my own son. I love the guy.” Harrick, who coached Lamar at the University of Rhode Island, adds, “When he can’t face things, Lamar runs and hides to cope with the pressure. Now I fear the drug could kill him, or he could commit suicide. He’s got too much to live for.”

KANYE TO APPEAR ON KIMMEL

Sounds like the Kanye West/Jimmy Kimmel feud may be coming to an end. Kanye is confirmed to be a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight, two weeks after he went off on a Twitter rant, upset that the talk show host spoofed his BBC1 interview, using a kid in the place of Kanye. Kimmel announced the news on Twitter, writing, “TOMORROW NIGHT, MY GUEST WILL BE @kanyewest (for real, yes and was it all a setup, no).”

REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY STARS SUED

Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Jacqueline Laurita, her husband Chris and Joe Gorga(Melissa Gorga’s hubby) are being sued over a March brawl that took place at the Moxie Salon in New Jersey. Johnny “The Greek” Karagiorgis and his wife Penny say they were beaten up by the trio. Johnny claims Chris and Joe punched “him in the face and/or head with a closed fist,” and that Jacqueline hit him on the head with “a stiletto-type shoe.” John and Penny say they suffered “bruising, scarring, disfigurement, fractured bones, facial lacerations, mental anguish, psychological health problems, physical discomfort, pain and suffering, economic losses, and shame and embarrassment,” at the hands of the reality stars. They are seeking unspecified punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.

GUN-TOTING CARSON WENT TO CONFRONT WIFE OVER CHEATING SUSPICION

A new biography about Johnny Carson reveals that the late night talk show king was such a jealous man he once brought a gun with him to confront his second wife Joanne who he thought was cheating with football star Frank Gifford. Henry Bushkin, a lawyer who worked with Johnny for 18 years, writes in his book, Johnny Carson, that he was with Johnny and a private eye when they broke into Joanne’s secret New York apartment. “I have reason to believe my wife is cheating on me,” Carson told him. “I also have an idea who the son of a bitch is that she’s shacking up with.” When Carson got into the apartment, he found Gifford’s pictures all over the walls, at which point, “Carson leaned against the living room wall and began to weep.” Bushkin then writes that when Carson’s raincoat opened he noticed the funnyman was carrying a .38 revolver. Joanne, who is now 81, denies she had an affair with Gifford, telling the New York Post she had only been friends with the player, who is now married to Kathie Lee Gifford. Joanne also doubts Johnny had a gun. “Please,” she told the paper. “Johnny would have never carried a gun. First of all he was terrified of guns.”

HANKS REVEALS HE HAS TYPE 2 DIABETES

Tom Hanks revealed on David Letterman Monday night he has been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The actor said he’s suffered through symptoms for twenty years but only recently got the diagnosis. “I went to the doctors and they said, ‘You know those high blood sugar numbers you've been living with since you were 36, well you've graduated, you've got Type 2 Diabetes young man,’” explained the two-time Oscar winner. Hanks says he has gotten in better shape to control the symptoms, but his doctor suggested he lose even more weight and get down to his high school weight of 98 pounds, which Hanks admits is impossible. “My doctor said, ‘If you can weigh what you weighed in high school, you'll essentially be completely healthy and not have Type 2 Diabetes,’” explained Tom, who then joked, “Well I'm going to have Type 2 Diabetes then.”

HUDSON’S SON WANTS HER TO GET HITCHED

Kate Hudson has been engaged to Muse frontman Matthew Bellamy for more than two years, and she tells Ellen DeGeneres her 9-year-old son Ryder (dad is Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson) is anxious for her to finally set a wedding date. “Ryder [is pressuring me] a little bit," Hudson told Ellen. "I think he looks forward more to the party than actually the idea of us getting married. Because he has it really planned out what he's wearing.” And what exactly does Ryder want to wear? “Apparently he wants to wear a neon green tux," said Hudson. "I'm all for it. He's a bit of a fashion boy."

HOUGH VS. BALLAS

Sounds like we may have a little Dancing with the Stars feud going on. On Monday’s episode, former dancer Julianne Hough sat in as a guest judge and made what many believe was a diss toward dancer Mark Ballas. “There were moments where I felt like choreography-wise, I felt like it was two people dancing side-by-side rather than together," she said during her critique of his performance with Christina Milian. "So I really want to see [Milian] shine. I've danced with Mark. You have to stand in front to make sure you're seen." Although Julianne laughed after the comment, Mark barely smiled and looked a bit annoyed. Later he told Us Weekly that he didn’t appreciate the crack. “The one comment for me that was a little funny is that I make it all about me… all the critiques were at me, and not at [Milian]. So I thought that was a little hypocritical comment," he explained. "I was the one who kind of got the heat, but you know what, that's OK! It's fine."

BAM MARGERA WEDS

Jackass star Bam Margera married fiancée Nicole Boyd during his band’s gig in Iceland Saturday. The couple said their “I Do’s” on stage during the Random Hero Festival, an event that benefited a local skate park and other charities. Bam released a video [Note Content] of the ceremony, where he’s seen kissing his bride, and then launching into a song immediately following the vows. This is the second marriage for Bam, who was previously married to childhood friendMissy Rothstein.

BILLY RAY SAYS MILEY’S HAPPY AFTER BREAKUP

Billy Ray Cyrus says his daughter Miley Cyrus is a happy girl despite her recent split from fiancéLiam Hemsworth. "All I know for sure is I heard my daughter say today she's the happiest she's ever been in her life immediately following [the breakup.] That's when I saw Miley being so happy," he told Entertainment Tonight. "All of a sudden she's like the sun, and when she smiles it's light….Everything happens for a reason and the main thing for me, as Miley’s daddy, is she's happy."

THE NEXT BRANGELINA?

Growing Pains star Alan Thicke thinks his son Robin Thicke (“Blurred Lines”) and wife Paula Patton (Baggage Claim) are such a talented pair they could be the next Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. In fact, Alan has some quick advice on how they could reach the super couple’s status. He told Us Weekly, "I told [Robin], 'You're a power couple now. If you only adopt a few Ethiopian kids, you'd be the next Brangelina.'"

TV TIDBITS

● NBC has picked up a new comedy series from Amy Poehler’s younger brother Greg Poehler.Welcome to Sweden is described as a fish-out-of-water story based on Poehler’s personal life. His character Bruce, a New York accountant, falls in love with a Swedish girl named Emma (Josephine Bornebusch) and follows her to Sweden. Lena Olin, Illeana Douglas and Patrick Duffy also star in the series, which will feature cameos by Will Ferrell, Aubrey Plaza and KISSfrontman Gene Simmons.

● Rapper T.I. has landed a multiple episode arc on Showtime’s House of Lies. He’ll play Lukas, who owns a clothing company with childhood friend Dre (Mekhi Phifer). The pair enlists Marty (Don Cheadle) to help expand their empire.

MISCELLANEOUS MOVIE NEWS

● Zero Dark Thirty’s Jennifer Ehle has joined the cast of Fifty Shades of Grey, playing the mother of Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson).

ROCK NEWS:

ARCADE FIRE’S REFLEKTOR REFLECTS SIGHTS, SOUNDS OF HAITI

A 2011 trip to earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s Carnival served as the inspiration for many of the songs found on Arcade Fire’s fourth studio album, the double disc Reflektor (due October 29), frontman Win Butler says. He told Rolling Stone, “It was life-changing. There’s people dressed up as slaves with chains and black motor oil all over their faces. Wearing a mask and dancing, I felt less of a break between the spirit and the body. It really makes you feel like a hack being in a rock band. I was opened up to a new influence.”

BENNINGTON BEGINS BALANCING STP AND LP

In a recent interview with Billboard, new Stone Temple Pilots singer Chester Bennington said all the members of his new band and his longtime unit Linkin Park are on the same page about him balancing his time between both groups. Bennington emphasized that both bands “have great relations. We all respect each other.” That said, Bennington added that Linkin Park just stared recording a new album.

ALTER BRIDGE ALTERS APPROACH ON NEW ALBUM FORTRESS

The fourth studio album from Alter Bridge arrived yesterday, and in a new interview with Billboard, guitarist Mark Tremonti says the normally more melodic band decided to go in a much heavier sonic direction for Fortress. Tremonti said, “When we first started putting the album together me and [frontman] Myles [Kennedy] kind of kept in mind that we had to play each song night after night and wanted to keep it a high-energy, fun record to perform live. That kind of steered us to writing those songs a little more aggressively.”

PEARL JAM STREAMING LIGHTNING BOLT AHEAD OF TUESDAY’S RELEASE

Seattle superstars Pearl Jam and iTunes have teamed to stream the band’s forthcoming tenth studio album, Lightning Bolt, in its entirety ahead of its official release this Tuesday, October 15. Of the new record, frontman Eddie Vedder recently told Rolling Stone, “I say this in the least-competitive way possible, but we’re trying to make not just the best Pearl Jam record, but just thebest record.” The band begins its extensive North American tour this Friday in Pittsburgh.

CARRIE SOUNDTRACK HOLDS HORDES OF TUNES BY INDIE ROCKERS

A plethora of the finest indie rock acts are featured on the upcoming soundtrack for the remake of the horror classic Carrie. The 12-track soundtrack comes out this Tuesday, and features cuts byVampire Weekend, Portugal. the Man, HAIM, Passion Pit, Rogue Wave, The Naked & Famous, the Civil Wars and Cults. The frightening film opens Friday, October 18.

RAMONES SIX-DISC BOX SET DUE OCTOBER 29

On October 29, the incomparable Rhino Records will release a stellar six-disc box set featuring theRamones’ first six Sire Records albums. The appropriately titled Ramones: The Sire Years (1976-1981) houses shiny new copies of the seminal group’s 1976 self-titled debut, 1977’s Leave Home, 1977’s Rocket to Russia, 1978’s Road to Ruin, 1980’s End of the Century and 1981’s Pleasant Dreams. the expanded 11-album digital version, Ramones: The Sire Years (1976-1989) includes the aforementioned six records plus 1983’s Subterranean Jungle, 1984’s Too Tough to Die, 1986’sAnimal Boy, 1987’s Halfway to Sanity and 1989’s Brain Drain.

FORMER POGUES GUITARIST PHILIP CHEVRON DEAD AT 56

Irish punk rock pioneers The Pogues announced on their website that former guitarist Philip Chevron died Tuesday morning following a six-year battle with cancer. He was 56. The Pogues said in a statement: “After a long illness Philip passed away peacefully this morning. We all send our sincere condolences to his family.” Chevron joined the Irish punk rockers following the1984 release of their debut album, Red Roses for Me. Before joining the group, Chevron founded one of Ireland’s first punk rock outfits, Radiators From Space, in 1976.

KISS’ SIMMONS’ USED GUM SELLS FOR CLOSE TO $250K ON EBAY

Disgusting (in more ways than one) doesn’t begin to describe the thought of someone actually spending close to a quarter of a million dollars to own a piece of Kiss bassist Gene Simmons’ used chewing gum. According to KISSopolis, an unidentified buyer purchased Simmons’ saliva-slathered gum on eBay, beating out 99 additional bids. The silver lining in all of this silliness is that all proceeds from the sale are going to the Street League organization, a UK-based charity that uses sports programs to combat youth unemployment.

MASTER MUSICIAN CLARK MAKING ROUNDS ON TELEVISION

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Gary Clark Jr. will be all over the small screen this week and next month in addition to still being on the road in support of his current album, Blak and Blu. Catch Clark today on The Queen Latifah Show and this Friday in the Ron Howard-helmed documentary, Made in America, which premieres on Showtime at 9p. On November 7, the Austin, TX guitar great will make his fourth appearance (this time solo) onThe Late Show with David Letterman. Finally, Clark has 20 more shows left on his North American tour, including one tomorrow in Salt Lake City. Appropriately, the run wraps with a hometown gig on November 29.