WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28
NATIONAL HEADLINES:
U.S. GETTING READY FOR MISSILE STRIKES AGAINST SYRIA
Senior U.S. officials said yesterday that the U.S. could hit Syria with three days of missile strikes, starting as early as Thursday. The strikes’ purpose would be more to send a message to the Syrian regime than to overthrow Syrian leader Bashar Assad or cripple his military. “The options that we are considering are not about regime change,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said. “They are about responding to the clear violation of an international standard that prohibits the use of chemical weapons.” According to officials, the Pentagon would assess the effectiveness of the strikes and could potentially order further attacks.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE STILL THREATENING SAN FRAN UTILITIES
A massive California wildfire near Yosemite National Park was 20 percent contained yesterday, but continued to pose a threat to the surrounding areas. The so-called Rim Fire was bigger than the size of Chicago – about 280 square miles – and was expected to move farther into the park. On Sunday, the fire had moved to within 2 miles of Yosemite's Hetch Hetchy Reservoir on the Tuolumne River, which provides 85 percent of San Francisco with water. About 4,500 structures were also in danger. In total, 179,480 acres have been charred, making the blaze California’s seventh largest fire in state history.
FT. HOOD GUNMAN DECLINES TO GIVE STATEMENT DURING SENTENCING PHASE
Prosecutors rested their case yesterday in the punishment phase of Fort Hood gunman Maj. Nidal Hasan’s court martial. Family members and shooting victims took the stand to describe Hasan’s actions have affected them. Joleen Cahill, the widow of retired Chief Warrant Officer Michael Cahill, said, "The shooting is not going to destroy my life or my children's. He is not going to win. I am in control.” Hasan, who is acting as his own attorney, was given the opportunity to testify, but declined, only saying “the defense rests.” He was convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder for the 2009 rampage at the Texas Army base. The 42-year-old is confined to a wheelchair after being shot by police during the massacre. A jury of 13 U.S. Army officers is expected to start deliberating Hasan's sentence today.
BOY WHO CONTRACTED BRAIN AMOEBA DIES
A 12-year-old boy in Florida was taken off life support Monday night after he was left brain-dead by a water-borne brain amoeba. According to a Facebook post by his family, Zachary Reyna’s organs were donated. Reyna is thought to have contracted the amoeba Naegleria fowleri three weeks ago while knee-boarding in a water-filled ditch near his family’s home. He was diagnosed with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare and mostly fatal form of meningitis caused by the amoeba. The parasite thrives in warm, standing freshwater and the sediment of rivers and lakes. It can cause fatal brain swelling if inhaled through the nose. Early symptoms include a severe frontal headache, fever, nausea and vomiting, according to the CDC. A 12-year-old girl in Arkansas is also battling the amoeba, but showed signs of recovery last week. Only two other people have been known to have survived the infection.
LAWYER EXPLAINS TIMING OF MANNING’S SEX-CHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT
An attorney for Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Army Pvt. Bradley Manning, gave more details yesterday on Manning’s desired sex change. Attorney David Coombs said Manning decided to announce her desire to live as a woman the day after sentencing took place because a military prison said it would not provide hormone treatment. Manning had initially intended to wait to make the announcement until the attention from the trial had died down, but changed her mind after the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas stated publicly that it would not provide any sort of medical treatment. Coombs said he hoped the military prison "will simply do the right thing" so Manning will not have to sue in military or civilian court. Coombs also stated that at this point, Manning does not want sex-reassignment surgery and expects to be kept with men in prison. Manning was sentenced to 35 years for leaking government secrets to Wikileaks in 2010.
SHOWBIZ NEWS:
MILEY CYRUS POSTS RAUNCHY PICS ON TWITTER!
Haters? What haters? Miley Cyrus seems to be taking criticism of her VMA performance in stride. A day after her raunchy appearance on the awards show, the 20-year-old shared some risqué photos of herself on Twitter. In one photo, Miley is seen hanging out in what seems to be a supply closet filled with sports jerseys. She’s seen only from behind, wearing a red sports bra, tight white biker shorts and a black thong. The caption reads, "#23 #youcanthangwithus #boyslockerroom." In another booty shot, Cyrus squats while wearing a skimpy cheerleader outfit emblazoned with "Jordan" and the number 23. She also shrugged off the uproar over her routine with Robin Thicke, posting a quote of praise from Rolling Stone: "Miley was the one star in the room who truly understood what the MTV Video Music Awards are all about! Miley stole the night, which is why the nation is still in recovery today. Thanks, Miley…"
MICHAEL BUBLE WELCOMES A BOY!
Michael Buble welcomed a baby boy with his wife, Luisana Lopilato yesterday. The 37-year-old crooner announced the birth on Instagram. "Overjoyed and filled with gratitude at the arrival of our son Noah Buble," Buble wrote in a caption of a photo of the newborn and Lopilato. "Born this morning, August 27th at 2:26 am in Vancouver, Canada." It is the first child for Buble and Lopilato, 26.
ALEC SCUFFLES WITH PAPARAZZI!
Alec Baldwin got involved in yet another scuffle with a paparazzi yesterday in New York City. A source claimed that the photographer was the aggressor. "He even chased Alec's wife [Hilaria] into a store after the incident,” the source said. But the photog claims he did nothing wrong."All I can say is I was doing my job asking him normal questions and he flipped," he said. "That's all." Both parties admitted to shoving each other, but no one was injured and no police report was filed. Baldwin, 55, and his wife Hilaria, 29, welcomed a baby girl named Carmen Gabriela last Friday.
PARIS JACKSON DOING MUCH BETTER!
Paris Jackson is doing much better since her suicide attempt in June, her grandmother Katherine Jacksonsaid in a new interview with UK’s HELLO! magazine. "She is in a good place, getting the help she needs," Katherine said. Paris, the 15-year-old daughter of the late Michael Jackson, is receiving treatment at an undisclosed facility. The troubled teen tried to kill herself by cutting herself with a kitchen knife and overdosing on “20 Motrin.” Katherine and her grandson TJ share legal guardianship over Paris and her two brothers, 16-year-old Prince and 11-year-old Blanket. "All I wanted these kids to be is happy,” Katherine said.
LAMAR ODOM ON DRUGS WHILE IN NBA/REJECTS INTERVENTION FROM TEAMMATES
The situation seems dire for Lamar Odom as more details are revealed about the extent of his alleged drug use. According to TMZ, Odom was doing drugs while he was playing for the Dallas Mavericks and there is also evidence he was doing the same thing while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Sources connected to a Westin hotel in Memphis told TMZ that in March of 2012, shortly before Lamar was cut from the Mavs, he stayed in one of the rooms and caused major damage. They found burn marks on the carpet, white powder on the desk and the room reeked of noxious smoke. Sources said Lamar was smoking Oxycontin and cocaine at least part of the time he was playing for the Mavs.
Meanwhile, RadarOnline reported that Odom’s teammates from the Los Angeles Clippers and his former teammates from the Lakers tried to stage an intervention late Monday afternoon in a Los Angeles hotel room. The talks lasted three hours, during which Odom appeared to be under the influence of a substance. The 33-year-old husband of Khloe Kardashian ultimately bolted from the room and refused to return.
Further adding to his trouble, Odom is set to face his ex, Liza Morales, in court on September 12. Morales, who has two kids with Odom, wants an increase in monthly support from $10,000 to $25,000.
GIRLS GONE WILD FOUNDER SENTENCED TO JAIL
Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis was sentenced yesterday to serve 270 days in jail. Francis, 40, was found guilty in May of three counts of false imprisonment, one count of assault causing great bodily injury and one count of dissuading a witness, stemming from an incident at his Bel Air mansion in 2011. Prosecutors say Francis took three women home following a night out and refused to let them leave. He was also accused of attacking one of the women and bashing her head onto the floor. In addition to the jail time, Francis will also serve 36 months of probation, attend psychological counseling for one year, and an anger management course.
TERESA AND JOE GIUDICE REFUSE TO PAY $5 BEACH FEE!
Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa and Joe Giudice are apparently so hard up for cash that they can’t even pay a $5 beach fee. The couple, who are currently facing fraud charges, had a run-in with police atNew Jersey’s Long Beach on Saturday. According to TMZ, the couple showed up with about 30 family members and friends and refused to pay the mandatory $5 per person admission fee. They were confronted by a young worker and one member of the group reportedly yelled, “F*** you, f*** this we are not paying for the f***ing beach. This is a joke!” The teen worker left in tears and the beach police department got involved. The group continued to argue, but they finally paid up.
MISC. MOVIE NEWS!
Evan Ross has been cast in the role of Messalla in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Parts 1 and 2.Messalla is part of the TV crew that travels around with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) as she tours the districts following an uprising.
TV TIDBITS!
Wonder Woman’s Linda Carter has been booked to play “a version of herself” in the upcoming 11th season ofTwo and a Half Men, EW.com reports.
ROCK NEWS:
ARCADE FIRE TEASES UNKNOWN EVENT SET FOR SEPTEMBER 9 AT 9P
For the past few weeks, graffiti art with the word “Reflektor” has popped up around the country, and the latest connects Canada’s Arcade Fire to the word and an unknown event set to take place on September 9 at 9p. A banner hanging on a building in New York City features the band’s name, the time and the date. The group’s as-yet untitled fourth album is scheduled to be out on October 29.
KINGS OF LEON COMEBACK WAS DESTINED TO HAPPEN, DRUMMER SAYS
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill was asked about the tumultuous times the band went through surrounding the recording and release of their disappointing 2010 album, Come Around Sundown, and specifically whether he thought the band was on the verge of breaking up. He said, “No. Being a family band, we were bound to have that awkward first time hangout at a show or at Christmas or Thanksgiving. If the band even stopped, we’re still a family and would see each other. So that wasn’t a thought in any of our minds. We all knew we needed a break, but we knew it wasn’t over.” Kings of Leon’s sixth album, Mechanical Bull, arrives September 24.
NINE INCH NAILS’ HESITATION MARKS STREAMING ON ITUNES
Fans of Nine Inch Nails can sample the group’s new album, Hesitation Marks, in its entirety right now on iTunes, in advance of its release this coming Tuesday. Meanwhile, the band has lined up a very special and intimate show Tuesday night at the famous Troubadour club in Los Angeles to celebrate the album release. Nine Inch Nails’ Tension 2013 fall North American tour will begin on September 28.
PORTNOY ANNOYED BY WARD-LESS BLACK SABBATH REUNION
Drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold) says he has an issue with Black Sabbath’s decision to reunite to record an album and mount a tour without original drummer Bill Ward. In a recent interview, Portnoy said, “Here’s my issue with it. My issue is that they’re calling it a Black Sabbath reunion. It’s not a Black Sabbath reunion without the four of them. It is now just the latest Black Sabbath lineup. But it’s not a true Black Sabbath reunion without Bill Ward. It’s just Black Sabbath 2013.”
NEIL EXPANDING RESTAURANT CHAIN
With retirement on the horizon, Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is looking to expand his outside business ventures, starting with adding three more locations of his Tatuado (Spanish for tattooed) restaurant chain. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Neil will be taking over three Rocking Rita’s bars at Circus Circus on the Vegas Strip and transforming them into Tatuado Bar B Q locations. Meanwhile, Motley Crue’s 12-show “Evening in Hell” residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino gets underway September 18 and runs through October 6.
THE NATIONAL CUT LOOSE IN CLIP FOR “GRACELESS”
The members of Cincinnati-bred and now Brooklyn-based The National display a much more playful side to their personalities in the just-released video for “Graceless,” the latest off their album, Trouble Will Find Me. Ironically, according to singer Matt Berninger, trouble did find several of the band members, who got injured during the shoot. He said bassist Scott Devendorf received a concussion on the slip and slide, and Berninger himself smacked his face while riding a bike in a pool. He told Rolling Stone, “It was really fun, but it cost us. No one died, though.”
NEW FRANZ FERDINAND ALBUM ALMOST NEVER HAPPENED
On Tuesday, Scottish dance rock unit Franz Ferdinand released its fourth album, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions, but according to singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos, making a follow up to 2009’s Tonight: Franz Ferdinand was never a sure bet. He told Billboard, “I met up with (bassist)Bob (Hardy) before we started this record and had a very forthright conversation. I said we should either make a record because we want to enjoy making one, or we shouldn’t make one at all. It shouldn’t be through obligation or financial motivation.”
FORMER RUNAWAYS BANDMATES TEAM FOR NEW HOLIDAY SINGLE
Former Runaways bandmates singer Cherie Currie and guitarist Lita Ford have reunited to record a new Christmas tune. The two had a fallout after Currie left the band in 1977, but recently buried the hatchet to record the Ford-penned “Let’s Rock This Christmas Down.” As for the chances of a full-fledged Runaways reunion with Joan Jett, Jett recently told the LA Weekly, “I don’t really get why we should do it. The downside is much bigger than the upside. I’m just not sure it’d be the reunion the fans are looking for.”
STARR INCLUDES NEW VERSION OF “OCTOPUS’S GARDEN” IN KIDS BOOK
Kids of all ages are sure to enjoy Ringo Starr’s upcoming children’s book, Octopus’s Garden, available October 13. The little ones will certainly enjoy the fun artwork and story, while parents will be thrilled to learn that the former Beatles drummer has included a previously unheard version of the fun Fab Four favorite. A post on Starr’s Facebook page reads: “The song will be brought to life by illustrator Ben Cort and published with a CD of Ringo reading the story and an original, previously unheard recording of the song…
