TUESDAY, JANUARY 21
NATIONAL HEADLINES:
RUSSIAN SECURITY SEARCHING FOR “BLACK WIDOWS”
Russian security forces are possibly looking for as many as four “black widows” tasked with carrying out terrorist attacks related to the Winter Olympics. One suspect in particular was identified as Ruzana Ibragimova, also known as Salima, a 22-year-old widow of an Islamic militant killed by Russian security forces last year. In wanted posters distributed throughout Sochi, she was described as having a limp in her right leg, a left arm that does not bend at the elbow and a 4-inch scar on her cheek. Militant groups in the unstable Caucasus area are known to use “black widows,” female terrorists named such because some seek to avenge the deaths of their husbands.
U.N. UNINVITES IRAN TO SYRIA PEACE TALKS
The United Nations yesterday uninvited Iran to Syria peace negotiations after Tehran said it did not support the political transition deal that is the basis for the talks. In a brief statement, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon withdrew the invitation, saying he was “deeply disappointed” by Iran’s statements. "He (Ban) continues to urge Iran to join the global consensus behind the Geneva communiqué," Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirkysaid. "Given that it has chosen to remain outside that basic understanding, (Ban) has decided that the one-day Montreux gathering will proceed without Iran's participation."
2 KILLED IN NEBRASKA PLANT EXPLOSION
Two people were killed and 10 others were seriously injured when an animal feed processing plant in Nebraskaexploded and partially collapsed yesterday morning. A search for more victims lasted most of the day, butOmaha Police Lt. Darci Tierney said yesterday evening that all 38 of the workers who were in the building at the time had been accounted for. Authorities still don’t know what caused the blast. The International Nutrition plant makes products that are added to livestock and poultry feed to make them more nutritious.
CHIEF OF NJ STORM RECOVERY DENIES CHRISTIE WITHHELD STORM AID TO HOBOKEN
The chief of New Jersey’s storm recovery office shot down claims yesterday that Gov. Chris Christiewithheld Superstorm Sandy relief funds from the city of Hoboken. Marc Ferzan, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding, said Hoboken was treated the same as other communities who were seeking aid in the aftermath of the storm. He said most of the state’s programs were focused on getting people back into their homes after Sandy and specifically targeted individuals. “There is some suggestion out there that Hoboken has not received grant funding that other communities have. We’ve tried to have an objective process … that prioritizes the communities most in need, with the least financial resources,” Ferzan said. "And I think we’ve accomplished that.” Christie’s office has been responding to the latest allegations of bullying against the Republican governor. Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, a Democrat, said on Saturday that two senior members of Christie’s administration said the city would be withheld Sandy relief funds unless she approved a redevelopment project.
STUDY: DARK CHOCOLATE, RED WINE MAY HELP LOWER RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES
Dark chocolate, berries and red wine may help lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, a new study has revealed. The study, published Sunday in the Journal of Nutrition, shows that people who eat items that contain certain groups of flavonoids have lower insulin resistance and can regulate their blood sugar better. Dark chocolate, red berries, red grapes and blue-colored fruits and vegetables are among the foods that contain these flavonoids. The study involved 2,000 women keeping a diary of all the food and drink they consumed and blood samples being analyzed.
ROCK NEWS:
U2 TO BE FALLON’S FIRST MUSICAL GUEST ON THE TONIGHT SHOW
Millions of music fans were already counting the days before Jimmy Fallon takes over for Jay Leno on The Tonight Show, but now they have one more big reason to have February 17 get here:U2! The Irish Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band will be Fallon’s first musical guest, the show’s music booker, Jonathan Cohen, confirmed via Twitter on Sunday night. Variety reports actor and sometime rapper Will Smith also join Fallon as he makes his debut immediately following NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics.
METALLICA PLANS ONE-OF-A-KIND VERSION OF “ONE” AT GRAMMYS
Hard rock icons Metallica and Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang are looking to make Grammy history this Sunday with a once-in-a-lifetime rendition of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band’s classic “One.” Guitarist Kirk Hammett told Rolling Stone, “Lang Lang has interjected himself into the song in a way I don’t think anyone else has ever done in the course of our career. He’s gonna be playing major parts of the song. He’s gonna be playing through the melody.” The 56th annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast on CBS at 8p this Sunday.
HAMMETT HOPES METALLICA MAKES MOVE BACK TO STUDIO SOON
If it were up to Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band would already be back in the studio working on its next album. Hammett told Billboard, “When we start, that’s going to be our main priority…but we’ve been procrastinating greatly with it. We’ve pretty much come up with every sort of excuse we can not to start work on the album, but we’ve run out of excuses, so we pretty much have to start work on it now.”
FOO FIGHTERS POST STRONG HINT BAND BACK IN STUDIO
Fans of the Foo Fighters can really begin to get excited about a new album being on the horizon after the band posted a picture of master tapes to its Instagram account last week with the caption: “It’s F***ing ON!” The next group effort will serve as the follow-up to 2011’s Grammy-winningWasted Light. Back in November, Dave Grohl told Rolling Stone, “We begin recording soon, but…we’re writing the album in a way that I don’t think has been done before.”
COOPER COULD CLIMB ABOARD CRUE’S FAREWELL TOUR
There has been some indication that Motley Crue has hand-picked Alice Cooper as the opening act for the band’s forthcoming farewell tour. A tour poster that listed Cooper as the “very special guest” briefly appeared online last week, and the members of Motley Crue have never made a secret of calling Cooper one of their rock and roll heroes. Motley Crue is expected to announce details of their “RIP: All Bad Things Must Come to an End” farewell tour during a press conference scheduled for January 28 in Los Angeles. It is also rumored that later that day, the band will perform on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!
MINISTRY’S JOURGENSEN HEADING TO REHAB FOR ALCOHOL ABUSE
Industrial rock groundbreaker Al Jourgensen of Ministry has entered a rehab center to beat his battle with the bottle. The groundbreaking rocker broke the news on his Facebook page, writing: “I’ve just been informed I will be checking in on Feb 3…so I can get s**tfaced watching the Super Bowl on the 2nd. My sobriety will not and I repeat not knock off my sarcasm…if anything…it will intensify…kicked dope and crack by myself…but I need help on this one…so all your thoughts and prayers are more than welcome…thanx!
BLESSTHEFALL PLOTS SPRING THE HOLLOW BODIES TOUR
Spring will bring Blessthefall to a city near year. The band announced they’ll kick off their Hollow Bodies North American tour on April 8 in El Paso, TX, and end the run on May 15 in Mesa, AZ. In between, the group will bless fans in cities such as San Antonio, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, Denver and San Francisco with shows they will not soon forget.
NUGENT TAKES AIM AT MOVIE MOGUL MAKING ANTI-GUN FILM
Longtime NRA supporter Ted Nugent put Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein in his crosshairs, calling the filmmaker a “subhuman punk” and a “brain-dead idiot” for having the audacity to make a movie promoting the sale of fewer guns in America. During a recent radio interview, Weinstein said, “I don’t think we need guns in this country, and I hate it, and I think the NRA is a disaster area.” In response, Nugent said on an NRA-sponsored “news” show, “People will see that [Nazi propaganda master] Joseph Goebbels and [left-wing activist] Saul Alinsky is alive in the form of a fat punk named Harvey Weinstein, and as he tries to destroy the NRA it will backfire on him… Harvey Weinstein is on the side of criminals. The NRA is on the side of innocent victims protecting themselves from criminals.”
SHOWBIZ NEWS:
BRADLEY COOPER FALLS VICTIM TO UKRAINIAN PRANKSTER
Ukrainian prankster/journalist Vitalii Sediuk was at it again this weekend. Sediuk, who was one slapped in the face by Will Smith when he tried to kiss him and crashed Adele’s Grammy acceptance speech in 2013, went after Bradley Cooper at the SAG Awards Saturday night. Not long after the American Hustle star arrived on the red carpet, Sediuk lunged at the actor, hugging him around his waist, with his face in his crotch. An embarrassed Cooper tried to lift Sediuk off of him and after several tries the prankster left on his own, but not before whispering something into Cooper’s ear.
BIEBER’S TEAM WANTS HIM IN REHAB FOR SIZZURP ADDICTION
It sure sounds like Justin Bieber has a major drug problem. TMZ reports that the 19-year-old pop star is addicted to sizzurp, a mixture of cough syrup with codeine and usually Sprite (although they say Justin likes grapefruit Fanta), and his team is urging him to go to rehab. According to the site, when cops raided Bieber’s home earlier this month there were drugs and drug paraphernalia all of his home, including two large cookie jars full of pot, as well as bongs and empty codeine bottles. Cops were only in the house looking for surveillance tapes for the egging incident so Justin didn’t get busted for the drugs.
RODMAN IN REHAB
Dennis Rodman has checked himself into an undisclosed rehab facility for treatment of alcohol abuse. The former basketball star recently traveled to North Korea where he went off on a bizarre rant during an interview. He later admitted he was drunk, and had been drinking during the entire trip. Rodman is not stranger to rehab. He’s completed several stints, and also appeared on season three of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.
BEN AFFLECK’S PRIVATES ARE A BIG JOKE
Ben Affleck’s penis was the butt of a few jokes at the Producers Guild Awards over the weekend. When Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre went to accept his special Normal Lear Achievement Award in Television he told a story about encountering Ben at a urinal at the Golden Globe Awards last week. "Yes, I peeked, and yes, he can play Batman," Lorre, cracked, later making another reference to a "Ben Affleck chubby." When Ben took the stage to announce the Best Picture prize (which went to both 12 Years a Slave and Gravity), he played along with the joke. "I want to thank someone tonight. Evidentially, I was in the bar briefly and I came back to my seat and someone said, 'You know there was a guy on stage who said you have a big d**k,'" said Ben. “Whoever you are God bless you. I'm often confused with Matt Damon but rarely withMichael Fassbender, so it's a nice change,"
ANNA TREBUNSKAYA WELCOMES DAUGHTER
Dancing with the Stars’ Anna Trebunskaya is a mom. The hoofer and boyfriend Nevin Millanwelcomed daughter Amalya Millan on Saturday. "We're thrilled to welcome our beautiful, healthy baby into the world," the couple told Us Weekly. "We couldn't be happier."
GOSSELIN’S TWINS FINALLY SPEAK
Just a few days after their embarrassing Today interview, Kate Gosselin’s twins Mady and Carawere a bit more talkative during an appearance on The View yesterday. The pair discussed how they help their mom around the house, and dissed two of today’s hottest musical acts. "If I'm going to be 100 percent honest, I don't like Justin Bieber," Mady said. "But I (like)… One Direction." Cara isn’t a fan of One Direction and prefers Demi Lovato. The pair was also asked about how they dealt with their parents’ divorce. The twins burst into giggles, before Mady responded, "Honestly, it wasn't hard for us. I think it was harder for you, definitely" turning to her mom. "It didn't really affect me and we still saw both parents… we were little, we were like 8 or 9." Mady continued, "We knew what was going on, but we didn't see the stuff…"
CLARKSON HAVING A GIRL
Kelly Clarkson revealed on Twitter yesterday that she and husband Brandon Blackstock are expecting a little girl later this year. “We just found out we're having a girl officially! I knew it! Only a girl could cause this much drama with all this vomiting ha!" she tweeted.
SHIPPING WARS STAR DIES
Roy Garber, who starred on the A&E reality show Shipping Wars, died Friday after suffering a major heart attack. Garber, who had an ongoing heart condition, was 49.
BACHELOR HOMOPHOBIC CONTROVERSY
ABC found themselves in a bit of a pickle over the weekend when their current Bachelor Juan Pablo made what some felt were homophobic comments to a blogger during a TV Critics Press tour. When asked if he thought there could ever be a gay or bisexual Bachelor he replied “no,” explaining “I respect them… but, honestly, I don’t think it’s a good example for kids to watch that on TV.” He then added, “There’s this thing about gay people… it seems to me, and I don’t know if I’m mistaken or not… they’re more pervert in a sense… and to me the show will be too strong, too hard to watch on TV.”
After news of his comments hit, Juan Pablo took to Facebook to apologize and explain himself. “I want to apologize to all the people I may have offended because of my comments on having a gay or bisexual Bachelor. The comment[s] [were] taken out of context,” he wrote. ‘The word pervert was not what I meant to say and I am very sorry about it. Everyone knows English is my second language and my vocabulary is not as broad as it is in Spanish and, because of this, sometimes I use the wrong words to express myself.” He added, “What I meant to say was that gay people are more affectionate and intense and for a segment of the TV audience this would be too racy to accept.”
Meanwhile, ABC did all they could to distance themselves from the controversy. “Juan Pablo’s comments were careless, thoughtless and insensitive, and in no way reflect the views of the network, the show’s producers or studio,” they said in a statement.
JIMMY FALLON TALKS TONIGHT SHOW
Jimmy Fallon revealed over the weekend that Will Smith and U2 will be his first guests when he takes over The Tonight Show on February 17th Fallon told media at the Television Critics Association Press tour that while the program won’t be that different from his current show, he will, on the advice of Jay Leno, make his monologue longer. "Imagine being a monologue writer, you've got to be real psyched when you get that advice," said Fallon. "They're already stressed out, so now they've got to write double the material."
ONE DIRECTION STAR’S DUCK DYNASTY TWEET CAUSES PROBLEMS
One Direction star Liam Payne got in a bit of hot water over the weekend when he appeared to tweet his support for the values portrayed on A&E’s Duck Dynasty. On Saturday the 20-year-old posted to Willie Robertson, “@williebosshog huge love to you/your family huge respect for your business prosperities and the family values you still all behold.” The media took the tweet to mean Liam agreed with Phil Robertson’s anti-gay comments, but he was quick to defend himself, writing, “Being a fan of someones show and the way they still hold a family together doesn't mean i am ok with all they say."
AMERICAN HUSTLE WINS BIG AT THE SAG AWARDS
American Hustle took home the trophy for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Saturday. Just like the Golden Globes, Matthew McConaughey was named Best Actor for Dallas Buyers Club, Cate Blanchett won Best Actress for Blue Jasmine and Jared Leto won Best Supporting Actor for Dallas Buyers Club. Only the Supporting Actress category was different, with 12 Years A Slave’s Lupita Nyong’o beating outJennifer Lawrence for the prize. On the TV side, Breaking Bad won Outstanding Ensemble, Drama, with star Bryan Cranston taking home Best Actor. Maggie Smith won Best Actress, Drama for Downton Abbey. Finally, Modern Family was named Best Comedy Ensemble, while the show’s Ty Burrell won Best Actor and Julia Louis-Dreyfus won Best Actress for Veep.
MORE JOHNNY/AMBER ENGAGEMENT RUMORS
It sounds rumors of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s engagement may be true. Speculation began last week after Amber was seen wearing what some thought was an engagement ring, and now sources tell Us Weekly the pair do indeed plan to marry. "The proposal happened a while ago," claims an insider. "She just didn't wear the ring." So far there has been no confirmation from the couple, who met on the set of the 2011 movie The Rum Diary.
DID KENDALL JENNER GET A NOSE JOB?
Eighteen-year-old Kendall Jenner may be taking after her mother Kris Jenner when it comes to plastic surgery. Radaronline is speculating that the teen may have had a nose job. “Kim‘s little sister appears to have a littler nose!” plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn, who has never treated Kendall, tells Radar. “Kendall looks like she’s undergone some thinning and shortening of her nose, making it more resemble the nose of her famous sister, Kim.” (Check out the alleged before andafter.) The doctor suggests that if Kendall didn’t have rhinoplasty, she may have had a different “less invasive procedure” in which filler is injected to smooth out the bridge of her nose. The report comes just weeks after Khloe Kardashian revealed her mom wanted her to have a nose job when she was only nine.
KIM WANTS A MILLION KIDS
Kim Kardashian was gushing about daughter North on Friday’s Ellen DeGeneres Show, telling the host her seven-month-old daughter is simply perfect. “She changes all the time. One day she'll look like (dad) Kanye (West), one day she'll look like me. It's so crazy,” said Kim, adding, “And her personality is so cute. She is really calm and really quiet.” Kim told Ellen she always wanted to have kids. In fact, she admitted she “always wanted about six,” but now she’s changed her mind. “After having her I would have a million,” Kim said, although being pregnant doesn’t exactly thrill her. "I mean, it's all worth it in the end, so I would definitely suffer through that," she explained. "But pregnancy was not a good experience for me. At all." As for Kanye, Kim said, “He is honestly themost amazing dad. He loves her so much.” But one thing Kanye doesn’t do is change diapers. “He would if it's an emergency,” she said. “But I love that time. I know it sounds crazy, but I love my time with her when she's on the changing table. She tries to talk so much and I really enjoy that bonding time when I'm with her.”
UN-RETOUCHED LENA VOGUE PHOTOS HIT INTERNET
Lena Dunham is on the cover of this month’s Vogue and it goes without saying the magazine did some re-touching before her photos made it to the magazine. Last week, Jezebel offered $10,000 for the un-retouched pics of the Girls star and received six shots within two hours. There aren’t a lot of major changes, although in the shot where Lena’s leaning on a tub it’s obvious they changed the outline of her back, shaped her jawline and fixed her ill-fitting dress.
STEFANI EXPECTING THIRD BOY
Gwen Stefani revealed Friday that she and husband Gavin Rossdale are expecting their third boy later this year. “I was ready to hand over the crown. but I guess I am still queen of the house. #itsaboy #surroundedbyboys” she wrote on Instagram. The couple, who’ve been married for 11 years, are already parents to sons Kingston, 7 and Zuma, 5.
QUEEN’S GRANDDAUGHTER ZARA PHILLIPS WELCOMES BABY GIRL
Queen Elizabeth is a great grandmother yet again. Buckingham Palace announced Friday the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips and husband Mike Tindall welcomed a baby girl. So far, the child’s name has not been revealed. The baby, who is Queen Elizabeth’s fourth great grandchild and the 16th in line to the throne, weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces.
SHIA APOLOGIZES FOR BAR FIGHT
Shia LaBeouf has apologized to bar patrons for head-butting a guy in a London pub last week.Video of the altercation showed Shia getting violent with the unidentified man after he allegedly said something offensive to the mother of Shia’s girlfriend Mia Goth. But video shot after the incident shows a drunk Shia apologizing to someone at the bar, explaining that he gets angry when “people s**t on my girl’s mom,” adding, “I’m super normal…like more normal than most.”
SCHWARZENEGGER GETS $3 MIL FOR SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL
Arnold Schwarzenegger is making some big money off the Super Bowl. The New York Postreports the Terminator star is getting paid $3 million to star in a Bud Light ad that will air during the game. Although Schwarzenegger has starred in ads in Japan, this is the first time he’s appeared in a commercial in the U.S. Said a source, “persuading him to promote a beer is a big coup for Bud Light.”
BLOOM CAUGHT FLIRTING WITH WOLF OF WALL STREET STAR
Orlando Bloom is ready to move on now that he’s split from wife Miranda Kerr. Sources tell Starmagazine the Pirates of the Caribbean actor had his eye on The Wolf of Wall Street’s Margot Robbie during a Golden Globes after-party in Hollywood last weekend. “There was flirting going on at the party, and why not? She is single and gorgeous,” said an insider.
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK STAR OUT OF COMA
Orange is the New Black star Michelle Hurst (Miss Claudette) has woken up from a medically induced coma she’s been in since suffering “major injuries” in a car accident right before the holidays. “She is progressing slowly, but progressing,” read a fundraising page set up for the actress. “She is out of the coma (after 16 days) and has opened her eyes.” The fundraising pagewas set up to help Michelle’s sister pay for the actress’ medical expenses and has raised over $12,000, way over the initial goal of $5,000.
OCTOMOM PLEADS NOT GUILTY
Octomom Nadya Suleman pleaded not guilty Friday to three counts of felony welfare fraud. The mother-of-14 is charged with cheating the welfare system out of more than $16,000. She faces six years in prison, although she could land a deal if she pays back the money.
THEATER NEWS
Hugh Jackman is plotting his Broadway return. Earlier this year the X-Men star dropped out of a planned Houdini musical, but he’s already found his next project. According to the New York Post, Jackman, considered Broadway’s number one box office draw, will star in The River, about man who invites a woman to his cabin in the woods for the weekend.
Ocean’s Eleven director Steven Soderbergh will direct a new play called The Library, starringCarrie’s Chloe Grace Moretz. She’ll play the survivor of a high school shooting, who is struggling to deal with her parents, authorities and the media. It will debut at The Public Theater in New York April 15th.
TV TIDBITS
● Kris Jenner’s self-titled talk show will not be back next year. It was announced Friday that Krisis not on the syndication schedule for Fox stations, although there’s always a chance it could be back in 2015.
● The second half of The Walking Dead’s fourth season will return Sunday, February 9th.
● The new season of Dancing with the Stars will return to ABC on March 17th.
● Mary Steenburgen has landed a recurring role on FX’s Justified. She’ll play Katherine Hale, an attractive southern belle who was married to Wynn’s Duffy’s (Jere Burns) mentor in crime.
● NBC has renewed Parks and Recreation for a seventh season.
● NBC announced they will follow up The Sound of Music Live! with a production of Peter Pan. It is expected to air December 4th.
● Guys with Kids’ Anthony Anderson will star in a new pilot for NBC. Black-ish is described as a semi-autobiographical comedy about an upper middle class black man struggling to raise his children with a sense of cultural identity.
● Friday Night Lights’ Kyle Chandler will star in a new Netflix family thriller from the creators ofDamages. The series revolves around a family of adult siblings whose secrets come back to haunt them when their black sheep brother returns.
● Nick Lachey has landed a new gig. The 98 Degrees singer will host VH1’s pop culture news show Big Morning Buzz Live! when it returns to the air in the spring. He’ll replace original hostCarrie Keagan, who taped her last show December 20th.
MISCELLANEOUS MOVIE NEWS
● The big budget Superman vs. Batman film has been delayed. The movie, starring Ben Affleckas the Caped Crusader and Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel, will hit theaters on May 6th, 2016. Initial rumors claimed the film was delayed because Affleck had injured his leg, but that has been denied.
● Lindsay Lohan announced yesterday at the Sundance film festival that she will be starring in the psychological thriller Inconceivable. She will also produce the film,
