NATIONAL HEADLINES:

GUNMEN STORM NAIROBI MALL, AT LEAST 68 KILLED

Masked gunmen connected to al-Qaeda stormed an upscale mall in Nairobi, Kenya Saturday, killing at least 68 people and injuring 175. They then took an unknown number of people hostage and engaged in a two-day standoff with security forces at the Westgate shopping center. As of yesterday, Kenyan military spokesman Colonel Cyrus Oguna said most of the hostages had been released and the Kenya Defense Forces had taken control of most parts of the building. The militant Islamic group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying via Twitter that it was in retaliation “for the lives of innocent Muslims” killed by Kenyan forces leading an African Union offensive against al-Shabab. The attack targeted anyone not of Muslim faith. Several foreigners, including a Canadian diplomat and three British citizens, were among the dead. American citizens, including a 26-year-old woman from San Diego and a woman from North Carolina, were reportedly among the wounded. President Obama called Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday to express his condolences and offer support. "President Obama reiterated U.S. support for Kenya's efforts to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice," a White House statement said.

OBAMA ATTENDS MEMORIAL FOR NAVY YARD VICTIMS

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended a memorial service yesterday for the victims of the Washington Navy Yard shooting. The Obamas joined the families of the 12 victims at the Washington Marine Barracks. "I fear there's a creeping resignation that this is somehow the new normal," Obama said. "It ought to obsess us, it ought to lead to some sort of transformation." He said no other advanced nation sees as much gun violence as the U.S. and that so far government gun laws have failed "to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous people." He said that Americans should not accept that nothing can ever change and should fight for tougher gun restrictions. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, Navy Secretary Ray Mabusand Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel were also in attendance. Aaron Alexis, a former Navy reservist, opened fire inside a Navy Yard building last Monday, killing 12 people before being killed in a shootout with police.

SUICIDE BOMBING AT PAKISTAN CHURCH KILLS AT LEAST 68

A suicide bombing targeted a church in the Pakistan city of Peshawar yesterday, killing at least 78 people and wounding more than 120. According to a Pakistani government officials, the victims all appeared to be Christians who were leaving their church near the 'Kohati gate' neighborhood. Two suicide bombers ran towards the main entrance of the church and blew themselves up. Officials said the attack was likely carried out by Taliban militants. A Pakistani intelligence official said there had been recent warnings of a major terrorist attack being planned by the 'lashkar-e-jhangvi' (LeJ), a Sunni Muslim militant group known to be loyal to al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

TYPHOON HITS SOUTHERN CHINA, 2 DEAD

A powerful typhoon hit southern China late Sunday, claiming at least two lives. The storm downed trees, cancelled flights and knocked out power to thousands. Typhoon Usagi made landfall near the city of Shanweiin the Chinese province of Guangdong, narrowly missing a direct hit on the densely populated Hong Kong.  The storm weakened from the “severe” category as it moved inland. In its severe stage, Usagi packed sustained winds of 109 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 132 mph.  The two deaths, in Shantou City, Guangdong Province, were blamed on a fallen tree blown over by strong winds.

POPE FRANCIS DENOUNCES WORLD’S IDOLATRY OF MONEY
Pope Francis traveled to one of Italy’s poorest areas yesterday and spoke out against the global economy’s idolatry of money. The pontiff spoke off the cuff to thousands of people in Sardinia’s capital of Cagliari, recounting his own personal financial struggles. "My young father went to Argentina full of illusions of making it in America," Francis said. "And he suffered the terrible crisis of the 1930s. They lost everything. There was no work." He encouraged the unemployed to fight for work and to not give up hope. "I find suffering here … It weakens you and robs you of hope," he said. "Excuse me if I use strong words, but where there is no work there is no dignity." In Sardinia, unemployment is nearing 20 percent with youth unemployment at 50 percent.

THE WEEKEND BOX OFFICE FROM BOX OFFICE MOJO:

SHOWBIZ NEWS:

ANDY SAMBERG GETS MARRIED!

Andy Samberg is a married man! The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star got hitched to singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom on Saturday. Samberg, 35, and Newsom, 31, had been dating for five years. They tied the knot in Big Sur at the Post Ranch Inn.

JON GOSSELIN PULLS GUN ON PHOTOG!

Jon Gosselin should know by now that putting himself in the public eye will never end well. After a week of being back in the news – with the revelation that he is now working as a waiter – the former reality dad had an unfortunate run-in with the paparazzi this weekend. Apparently, a female photographer tried to take pictures of the cabin where he lives in Pennsylvania and Gosselin pulled a gun on her! He allegedly fired a warning shot to get her to leave the property. The 36-year-old former Jon and Kate Plus 8 star defended his actions saying the paparazza was harassing him and refused to leave his land. “I am licensed to carry a concealed handgun, which I then withdrew and used to fire a warning shot away from the paparazza, which is well within my rights under Pennsylvania law when someone is trespassing on private property,” he explained.

ACTRESS CASEY WILSON ENGAGED!

Talk about a happy ending! Happy Endings actress Casey Wilson is engaged to Happy Endings creatorDavid Caspe! "I got engaged over Labor Day Weekend to my boyfriend of two years and I'm thrilled," the 32-year-old told Us Weekly. "He proposed with a beautiful family ring the first night we spent in our new house.” The couple worked on the series together from 2011 until it was cancelled in May of this year.

CHAD MICHAEL MURRAY SPLITS WITH LONGTIME FIANCEE!

Chad Michael Murray has split with his fiancee of seven years, Kenzie Dalton. A rep for the 32-year-old former One Tree Hill actor confirmed that the two parted ways earlier this year. The former couple met on the set of One Tree Hill in 2005, when Dalton, now 25, had a bit part as a cheerleader. Murray proposed to her in 2006 when she was still a senior in high school.

MILEY CRIES DURING PERFORMANCE!

Miley Cyrus broke down in tears during her performance at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas over the weekend. Clad in a tight corset and high waisted shorts, Cyrus got emotional while singing “Wrecking Ball.” The performance comes days after she announced her split with actor Liam Hemsworth. She thanked the audience for helping her song top the Billboard Hot 100 chart last week. Cyrus pulled it together for her second performance of the night, in which she wore another provocative outfit consisting of a see-through dress and pasties.

JAY-Z AND BEYONCE TOP FORBES’ HIGHEST PAID CELEB COUPLE LIST

Power couple Jay-Z and Beyonce have topped Forbes’ list of the highest-earning celebrity couples for the second year in a row. The duo earned an estimated $95 million between them from June 2012 to June 2013. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bundchen came in second with a combined estimate of $80 million, and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt placed third with a combined $50 million. In fourth place was former That 70’s Show co-stars Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher with $35 million, and rounding out the top five was Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, raking in an estimated $30 million.

BIO CLAIMS NICHOLSON WAS CHRONIC DRUG USER

A new biography is claiming that Jack Nicholson was a chronic drug user in the early years of his career. It says the actor, now 76 years old, started taking LSD in the early 1960s and that he regularly “got stoned and dropped acid” while writing the screenplay to the 1967 film The Trip. Biographer Marc Eliot also alleges that drugs were prevalent on the set of Easy Rider, and includes an account from actress Susan Anspach, Nicholson's ex-girlfriend, that he once even took cocaine to get though a crying scene in the 1970 drama Five Easy Pieces. Eliot writes that Nicholson began to curtail his drug use after the death of several close friends, physical problems and realizing “his drug use was taking a toll on his career.”

JENNER HAD PROCEDURE FOR SKIN CANCER

Bruce Jenner was spotted with a bandaged nose last week, but no, he didn’t get a nose job. TMZ learned that the Kardashian step-dad underwent surgery for skin cancer. According to sources, the procedure required 30 stitches. Doctors attributed the cancer to sun damage. Jenner underwent the same procedure back in 2012, having cancerous tissue removed from the side of his face.

ANISTON TRYING TO GET PREGNANT FOR OVER A YEAR

According to the Mail Online, Jennifer Aniston is irritated by the never-ending rumors that she’s pregnant. They say the main reason it bothers her is because she’s been secretly trying for a baby for more than a year. A source claims she and fiancé Justin Theroux have been trying to get pregnant ever since they got engaged in August 2012 and that the actress purposely “left her work slate clean for the next few months to prepare for motherhood.” The source said Aniston puts on a brave face in the midst of the rumors, but it’s only to mask her “desperate desire” to be a mother.

SHATNER TURNS DOWN SPACE TRAVEL

He may have played a space captain on TV, but William Shatner has turned down the chance for real space travel! The 82-year-old Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek, rejected an offer from Sir Richard Branson to travel into space aboard Virgin Galactic’s Spaceship Two. “He actually said he's frightened of airline travel – which is slightly disillusioning. Captain Kirk is scared of flying,” Branson was quoted as saying. But Shatner claims he said “no” for different reasons. He says Branson expected him to foot the $200,000 bill! “He wanted me to go up and pay for it and I said: ‘Hey, you pay me and I’ll go up. I’ll risk my life for a large sum of money,’” Shatner said. Virgin says it is preparing to launch its first spaceflights next year and claims to have sold 700 tickets so far.

BARBER AND FORMER MISTRESS EXPECTING BABY

Retired NY Giant/former Today Show correspondent Tiki Barber’s mistress-turned-wife is pregnant. Barber is set to reveal the news on an episode of Bethenny airing tomorrow. His wife, Traci Johnson, is the same woman Barber had an affair with in 2010 while his first wife Ginny was pregnant with twins. Barber married Johnson in a civil ceremony in July, just eight days after his divorce from Ginny became final. Barber and Johnson’s first child together is due in December.

ROCK NEWS:

METALLICA TO REPORT FOR DUTY ON THE COLBERT REPORT

The members of Metallica will visit Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report tomorrow night to tout their 3D movie, Metallica: Through the Never, which opens this Friday in select IMAX theaters, with a wider release scheduled for October 4. Meanwhile, the band made news last week when they posted a message on Facebook teasing the arrival of Metallica Christmas sweaters. The message read: “It’s getting colder, holiday parties are about three months away and we want you to be ready for it. Keep an eye on the MetStore for the incoming Scary and Master Holiday Sweaters!”

ATOMS FOR PEACE TO STOP BY THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART

Super cool supergroup Atoms for Peace – Thom Yorke, Flea, Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronkerand Mauro Refosco – are slated to make an appearance on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart this Wednesday. The band will chat about their current album, AMOK, and discuss their U.S. tour, which gets underway tomorrow in Philadelphia. The trek wraps October 20 in San Francisco.

KINGS OF LEON READY TO JUMP BACK ON MUSICAL MECHANICAL BULL

The new Kings of Leon album, Mechanical Bull, arrives tomorrow, and in an exhaustive interview with Billboard, frontman Caleb Followill recalls how exhaustion forced the group to take what now appears to be a well-timed break from the endless cycle of touring and recording. Looking back on his July 2011 onstage meltdown in Dallas that forced the band to cancel the remainder of the tour and begin an unplanned hiatus, Followill says, “It was just our time to step away for a second. We had oversaturated the market with Kings of Leon for so long that it was starting to take a toll on us. If we hadn’t taken that break, it [Mechanical Bull] would have been a forced album… Because, like I say, we were exhausted. We were spent.”

IOMMI AIMED FOR CREATING “HUGE SOUND THAT WAS REALLY HORRIFIC”

In a recent interview with Guitar Player magazine, Black Sabbath axeman Tony Iommi, who is often credited with being the architect of heavy metal, was asked what influenced him to create the sound now heard round the world. Iommi answered, “I think it was the dramatics of it all. I used to listen to the old classical stuff with the dynamics in the music, and I wanted…something that was really dramatic and big. I wanted to create a huge sound that was really horrific in some ways…”

WARD CREDITS BEATLES CLASSIC AS AID TO SOBRIETY

The course of countless lives have been altered by the music of the Beatles, but original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward says one song in particular may have actually helped save his. The musician told Sick Drummer magazine, “My youth was always push-and-pull. If I drove a fast car, I’d have to take it 130 miles per hour or more. [One day] I was a bit under the influence, and I was on my way down to the pub… I was listening to ‘A Day in the Life’…I was already doing 90 when I accelerated more. I hit a bump and just went out of control…the car and I landed exactly on the last note of the song. I couldn’t believe I was still alive, lying upside down in a ditch. It was terrifying – it sobered my ass right up.”

WYLDE WOULD AGREE TO HYPOTHETICAL PANTERA REUNION

In a recent interview, Zakk Wylde was asked if he would agree to fill in for late guitarist“Dimebag” Darrell Abbott if the other members asked him to join a hypothetical Pantera reunion. He said if the other guys “were all gonna do it and honor Dimebag and [if they said to me], ‘Zakk, would you wanna honor Dime and do Dime’s parts?’ Of course, I was a pallbearer for him…so, of course, I’d say, it would be a beautiful way to honor him…”

HENDRIX WOULD HAVE ADDED SECOND GUITARIST, INTERVIEWER SAYS

Journalist Keith Altham, notable for conducting the very last interview Jimi Hendrix did just one week prior to his death on September 18, 1970, recently shared audio from that fateful conversation in which the guitarist shared thoughts about forming a new group. Altham shared the audio with Classic Rock magazine, and Hendrix is heard saying, “I think I’ll get a small one together. It’s really hard to decide. I’d like to have both, if I could. I’d get two guitarists – one being myself – an organist, a singer, drums and bass. That would be out of sight.”

HENDRIX STATUE VANDALIZED ON ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH

Seattle police arrested two men accused of defacing a statue of native son Jimi Hendrix located in the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The crime reportedly occurred on September 18, the 43^rdanniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist’s death. Authorities say the unidentified suspects, reportedly intoxicated at the time, purchased spray paint from a nearby art supply store, then “tagged” the statue before painting nearby construction equipment and a building. Both men were easily identified, having blue paint on their hands and clothes.

RETUNED TELEVISION HAVE SONGS FOR POSSIBLE ALBUM RELEASE

Influential rock act Television have three U.S. concerts scheduled this November, and according to drummer Billy Ficca, sixteen songs the band recorded in December 2007 need vocals and mixing, and could see the light of day soon – or not. First the shows: the band is set to play November 5 in San Francisco, two days later in Athens, GA, and the following night in Austin, TX. As for the future album release, Ficca told Rolling Stone, “It might happen before we all die, I don’t know. It’s sort of laying there.”

PERRY PROFESSES “LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP” WITH HIS VOICE

Reclusive rocker Steve Perry made a rare public appearance last week at the City of Hope Spirit of Life gala in Los Angeles, where the former Journey frontman spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about why he’s stayed out of the spotlight. Perry, now, 64, said, “This love-hate relationship that I have with my voice is a tumultuous thing. You love music, but it’s a tough relationship. I walked away from all of it. I jumped off the Journey merry-go-round when it was still selling large venues. I got burned out and had to leave. I did become a bit of a recluse.”