WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
NATIONAL HEADLINES:
OBAMA ADDRESSES U.N. ABOUT SYRIA, IRAN
President Obama addressed the members of the U.N. General Assembly yesterday, saying that Syria’s use of chemical weapons and Iran’s nuclear program threaten the security of all nations. "We will not tolerate the development or use of weapons of mass destruction," Obama said. "Just as we consider the use of chemical weapons in Syria to be a threat to our own national security, we reject the development of nuclear weapons that could trigger a nuclear arms race in the region, and undermine the global non-proliferation regime." He called for a Security Council resolution on Syria that would impose consequences on President Bashar al-Assad if he doesn’t comply with his promise to surrender all chemical weapons within the year. As for Iran, Obama said one of his top second-term priorities would be a new round of diplomatic outreach with newly elected President Hassan Rouhani. Later in the day, Rouhani was a no-show at a U.N. luncheon.
Meanwhile, Obama was caught on camera Monday telling a U.N. official he hasn't had a cigarette in six years. "I hope you quit smoking," Obama told Maina Kiai, on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. "I haven't had a cigarette probably in six years. That's because I'm scared of my wife." Actually, according to statements made by his aides and his family, it's probably been more like three or four years.
SEIGE ON NAIROBI MALL OVER/BRITISH BOY SAVES FAMILY
The siege on a Nairobi mall is finally over, Kenya’s president said yesterday. Security forces have killed five terrorists and arrested 11 suspects in connection with the attack on the shopping center, which left at least 67 people dead. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said three floors of the Westgate mall collapsed and that there are "several bodies still trapped in the rubble including the terrorists." He declared three days of national mourning. The al-Qaeda linked suspects, believed by Kenyan officials to include two or three Americans and a British woman, stormed the mall Saturday and opened fire, targeting anyone who was not Muslim. The Somalia-based militant group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to a report from The Sun, a 4-year-old British boy saved his family during the attack by calling one of the suspects “a bad man.” Elliott Prior reportedly stood up to the gunman to protect his 6-year-old sisterAmelie and his mother Amber, who was shot in the leg. After Elliott shouted, "You're a bad man, let us leave," the militant allegedly gave him a couple of candy bars and told his family: "Please forgive me, we are not monsters." Then, he let them go.
CHEROKEE GIRL TRANSFERRED TO ADOPTIVE PARENTS
The South Carolina couple who adopted a Cherokee girl finally got to take the 4-year-old home Monday night, after a yearslong custody battle with the girl’s biological father. Matt and Melanie Capobianco took custody of Veronica just hours after Oklahoma's highest court dissolved a temporary court order that had kept the child in the Cherokee Nation with her father and his family. Veronica had lived with the Capobiancos from birth until she was 27 months old, when the biological father Dusten Brown was awarded custody under the Indian Child Welfare Act. But a U.S. Supreme Court decision later went against Brown, and a South Carolina court finalized the Capobiancos' adoption earlier this year. Brown had then turned to Oklahoma's courts for help. But finally on Monday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that it didn’t have jurisdiction in the case.
AUTOPSY REPORTS ON CHRISTINA, ETHAN ANDERSON RELEASED
According to an autopsy report released yesterday, the mother of 16-year-old Hannah Anderson was killed by at least a dozen blows to the head. Christina Anderson was bound and gagged before officials found her body and the remains of her 8-year-old son, Ethan, at the charred home of family friend James DiMaggio last month. The San Diego County Medical Examiner report indicated that 44-year-old Christina Anderson had a fractured skull and cuts and swelling on her face and scalp. Ethan’s body was so badly burned that examiners could not determine a cause of death. His remains showed fractures to his skull, ribs, legs and arms. DiMaggio, 40, was accused of killing the two and then kidnapping Hannah. FBI agents killed DiMaggio and rescued Hannah in the Idaho backcountry, six days after the bodies were discovered.
HOME PRICES RISE FOR 4th MONTH IN A ROW
According to new reports yesterday, home prices have risen in all of America’s 20 largest cities for the fourth month in a row. The average U.S. home prices rose 12.4 percent in July compared with a year ago, the biggest jump since February 2006. “It’s probably rising about as fast as we’re likely to do,” said Standard & Poor’s economist David Blitzer. “This is the fastest rate of gain we’ve seen really since the boom.”
SHOWBIZ NEWS:
KANYE CLAIMS SELF DEFENSE IN PAPARAZZI ALTERCATION
Kanye West has filed a countersuit against the photographer who is suing him for damages in connection with an altercation at LAX in July. In court papers, Kanye says he acted in self-defense when he shoved paparazzo Daniel Ramos, explaining the photographer “willfully and wrongfully caused (West) to reasonably believe his safety was in danger.” In addition to Ramos’ civil suit, Kanye is facing criminal charges of battery and attempted grand theft. If convicted he could face up to a year in prison.
KANYE CALLS KIM FAMILY
Kanye West couldn’t say enough good things about his baby mama Kim Kardashian during his BBC interview Monday. “Family time – it’s what Kim gave me,” said Kanye. “She gave me everything. She gave me a family. She gave me a support system.” And Kanye says that since Kim was already a rich woman, he knew her love was real. Explained Kanye, “She was in a powerful enough situation where she could love me without asking me for money, which is really hard for me to find.”
JON HAMM TO UNDERGO THROAT SURGERY
Mad Men’s Jon Hamm will go under the knife next week to have a large polyp removed from his vocal chords. Although Life & Style claimed Hamm went to the doctor for tests after coughing up blood, a rep for the actor insists that claim is false. The surgery, which will take place in Boston, is considered a routine procedure and he’s expected to make a full recovery.
KHLOE DROPS ODOM
Khloe Kardashian may have given the public a hint as to the status of her marriage to Lamar Odom. On Monday, the reality show star removed Lamar’s surname from her Instagram account, and is now simply going by Khloe Kardashian on the site. While Lamar hasn’t been seen out in public for several days, Khloe certainly hasn’t been hiding. She was spotted Monday (with her wedding ring) enjoying dinner at a steakhouse in Topanga Canyon in California, and then laterhanging out with The Game and some friends at Tru nightclub in LA.
MILEY NAKED ON ROLLING STONE COVER
Miley Cyrus is naked (and again sticking out her tongue) on the cover of this month’s Rolling Stone. Inside, the self-proclaimed “semi-nudist” opens up about her controversial performance withRobin Thicke at the MTV Video Music Awards. "No one is talking about the man behind the ass. It was a lot of 'Miley twerks on Robin Thicke,' but never, 'Robin Thicke grinds up on Miley.' They're only talking about the one that bent over," she says. "So obviously there's a double standard." Miley admits she was nervous before her performance, but got some words of encouragement from, of all people, Kanye West. “He came in and goes, ‘There are not a lot of artists I believe in more than you right now,’” she explains. “The whole room went quiet. I was like, ‘Yo – can you say that again?!’” She adds, “I just kept repeating that over and over in my mind, and it made me not nervous.” In other Miley news…yesterday she tweeted a picture of herself twerking with a monkey on her back.
MILEY GIVES JUSTIN ADVICE
Miley Cyrus also talks to Rolling Stone about Justin Bieber’s attempt to be taken seriously. “I’m not much older than him, so I never want it to feel like I’m mentoring him. But I do mentor him in a way,” she says. “He’s trying really hard. People don’t take him seriously, but he really can play the drums, he really can play guitar, he really can sing. I just don’t want to see him f*ck that up, to where people think he’s Vanilla Ice. I tell him that. Like, ‘You don’t want to become a joke. When you go out, don’t start sh*t. Don’t come in shirtless.’” She adds, “But the thing is, I think boys are, like, seven years behind. So in his head, he’s really, like, 12.”
DINA PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO DUI
Dina Lohan was in a New York courtroom yesterday where she pled not guilty to DUI. Since Dina didn’t have a previous criminal record, she was released without bail, but a judge did suspend her license. Dina was arrested earlier this month in Long Island for speeding, and she blew a .20 on a breathalyzer. She’s due back in court October 23rd.
BILL NYE INJURED
Bill Nye the Science Guy may be out at Dancing with the Stars. The 57-year-old tripped and injured his knee at the end of Monday night’s performance, and may have to bow out of the program. “We can confirm Bill Nye was injured during his performance last night and is currently seeking medical attention,” said ABC in a statement. “We will continue to keep you posted on his progress.” The network is reportedly waiting for MRI results to see if Nye will be able to continue competing on the show.
VIDEO OF BROOKE MUELLER SMOKING COCAINE
Radaronline has gotten a hold of shocking video which shows why Brooke Mueller lost custody of her two sons. In the video, Charlie Sheen’s ex is seen smoking cocaine out of a glass pipe, and also scoring crystal meth. “Where is the crystal? I am giving you $1500,” Mueller is heard telling her drug dealer. The Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services removed sons Bob and Max from Brooke’s custody in May. Since then they’ve been living with Sheen’s other ex-wife Denise Richards.
SHEEN SHOWS UP FOR JURY DUTY
Charlie Sheen showed up to a Los Angeles courthouse yesterday, but believe it or not, he wasn’t in any kind of trouble. TMZ cameras caught the Anger Management star as he showed up for jury duty. He told the cameraman he’d love to sit on a “multiple homicide case” because it would be interesting. He also thinks he’s “more qualified” to judge a drug case because of his past history. But Charlie won't get a chance to judge any of it. He was dismissed from jury duty at around 3 pm.
DUMB AND DUMBER STARS BACK IN CHARACTER
Here’s more proof that the sequel to Dumb and Dumber, titled Dumb and Dumber To, is finally happening. Stars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels (who just won an Emmy for The Newsroom) began production yesterday and posted a picture of themselves in character as loveable Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne. Incidentally, the book in the picture is Carrey’s new children’s book How Roland Rolls.
BYNES MENTALLY UNFIT TO STAND TRIAL
Amanda Bynes is still receiving treatment at mental facility and it may help her get out of a DUI. The 27-year-old was supposed to be in court yesterday in connection with her April, 2012 DUI arrest in California, but her lawyer told the judge she didn’t have the mental ability to understand the proceedings. The judge then transferred the matter to the mental health court, which will hold a hearing to determine Amanda’s mental capacity.
DR. DREW REVEALS PROSTATE CANCER BATTLE
Dr. Drew Pinsky yesterday revealed that he has survived prostate cancer. The HLN host wrote a personal essay on his website, explaining he was diagnosed in 2011 after getting a checkup at the urging of his wife Susan. The doctors monitored his tumor, until eventually they felt it was spreading and he needed surgery, which took place in July of this year. “Why am I telling you this? I want you to hear it from me. Not from the Internet. Not from a gossip column. Not from someone who doesn’t know me,” wrote Dr. Drew. “And I want to make you aware. Men, you are likely to get prostate cancer. The odds are you will if you live long enough. When you do, don’t freak out. You don’t need to take action today. In many cases, time is on your side.”
REMINI SAYS SCIENTOLOGY WANTS HER TO FAIL
Leah Remini talked about the Church of Scientology during Monday night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars. The former King of Queens star, who left the church earlier this year, was rehearsing the samba and explained to partner Tony Dovolani why it was really important for her to get it right. "I'm going through a personal and big change for me and my family," the actress explained. "The church is looking for me to fail so they can say to their parishioners, 'See what happens when you leave the church?' They're waiting for me to fail." She also said that her more than 30 years in the church affected her self-confidence. “I was always so scared to be myself,” she said. “You’re used to everything that happens to us is our fault. You’re used to taking a lot of negativity on yourself.”
THE SIMPSONS NAMED TOP CARTOON IN TV HISTORY
TV Guide has compiled a list of the Top 60 cartoons in TV history, and not surprising, The Simpsons, which has been on the air for 24 seasons, is at number one. Coming in second is the 60s classic The Flintstones, followed by Looney Tunes, Peanuts and Scooby Doo. Rounding out the Top Ten are: Rocky and his Friends/ The Bullwinkle Show, Batman: The Animated Series, SpongeBob SquarePants, Family Guy and South Park.
Top Ten Cartoons in TV History
1. The Simpsons
2. The Flintstones
3. Looney Tunes
4. Peanuts
5. Scooby Doo
6. Rocky and his Friends/The Bullwinkle Show
7. Batman: The Animated Series
8. SpongeBob SquarePants
9. Family Guy
10. South Park
ANNA GUNN EXPLAINS WEIGHT LOSS
Earlier this week, the public was criticizing Breaking Bad’s Anna Gunn for looking too skinny at the Emmy Awards. Well, Gunn tells People there’s a perfectly good reason she looks thinner. "I was actually ill while I was filming (Breaking Bad) and it affected my weight," she told the mag. "They gave me cortisone and I puffed up and gained weight. Now I'm better, thank God." While Gunn, who won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress, would not elaborate on her illness, she says she’s now “doing fine,” and also credits exercise and her two daughters with her slimmer figure. “I run around after two kids,” she said. “And I do Pilates.”
P. DIDDY NAMED HIGHEST PAID HIP-HOP ARTIST
P. Diddy tops Forbes’ list of the world’s Highest Paid Hip-Hop Artists. According to the mag, Diddy earned $50 million in the past year to top the “Cash Kings” list, beating out Jay-Z, who only made $43 mil. Coming in at number three is Dr. Dre ($40 mil), followed by Nicki Minaj ($29 mil) andBryan “Birdman” Williams ($21 mil). Kanye West landed in sixth place with $20 mil.
JACKSON CRITICIZES OBAMA
Samuel L. Jackson rants against President Barack Obama in the new issue of Playboymagazine. The interviewer asked Jackson what he thought of “President Obama or other highly educated Americans consciously drop[ping] gs off the ends of words to sound like Joe Average.” Well, Jackson wasn’t too happy with it. “First of all, we know it ain’t because of his blackness, so I say stop trying to ‘relate.’ Be a leader. Be f**king presidential,” he said. “Look, I grew up in a society where I could say ‘It ain’t’ or ‘What it be’ to my friends. But when I’m out presenting myself to the world as me, who graduated from college, who had family who cared about me, who has a well-read background, I f**king conjugate.”
MISCELLANEOUS MOVIE NEWS
● Gerard Butler is in talks to join Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in Gods of Egypt.Butler will play Set, a god who in Egyptian mythology killed and mutilated his own brother Osiris. Coster-Waldau will play Horus, the son of Osiris, who seeks revenge against Set for killing of his father.
● Nicole Kidman’s Grace Kelly flick Grace of Monaco won’t be up for Oscar contention this year. Miramax has decided to move the film from November, and will now release it next spring.
TV TIDBITS
● Kim Kardashian will voice an alien in an upcoming episode of Fox’s American Dad. She’ll play an extraterrestrial whose spaceship crashes into Langley Falls, where she falls for the other alien in town, Roger, voiced by Seth MacFarlane.
● Vanessa Redgrave is coming to TV. The Oscar winner will join British actress Kelly Reilly inThe Black Box, a 13-episode limited-run series for ABC. Reilly will play Elizabeth Black, a world-renowned neuroscientist who is haunted by her struggle with mental illness. Redgrave will play Black’s psychiatrist and the only one who knows all her secrets.
● CBS is looking to spin off NCIS yet again. The network is planning a two-part episode that will air this spring, and serve as a jumping off point for a new series set in New Orleans. The show’s first spinoff, NCIS: Los Angeles, premiered in 2009.
● FX has renewed The Bridge for a second season.
ROCK NEWS:
KINGS OF LEON KICKSTART GOOD MORNING AMERICA
The members of Kings of Leon took over ABC’s Good Morning America Tuesday, waking up viewers with rockin’ renditions of their mega hit “Use Somebody” and new single “Supersoaker,” the first single off their just-released album, Mechanical Bull. The band is set to perform at this Saturday’s Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park, followed by dates in Chicago,Austin and Las Vegas.
ARCADE FIRE REVEALS REFLEKTOR TRACKLIST
Canada’s Arcade Fire has shared the complete tracklist for its forthcoming double-CD album,Reflektor, due October 9. I all, the set will feature 15 songs divided up as “Vol. 1” and “Vol. 2.” A sample of “Vol. 1” songs includes the title track, “We Exist,” “Normal Person” and “Joan of Arc,” while a few of the tunes found on “Vol. 2” include “Porno,” “Afterlife” and “Supersymmetry.”
BONO DOES SPOT-ON IMPRESSION OF FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON
He’s a world famous rock star and a world renowned human rights activist, but few new U2frontman Bono was also one hell of an impersonator until he stepped onto the stage at the recent Clinton Global Initiative conference in New York and did his uncanny impression of former president Bill Clinton. Video shows the Irish musician doing a little over a minute of Clinton’s famously raspy voice. When the real Clinton eventually came back onstage, he quipped, “I must be really easy to make fun of.”
MEGADETH SETS SUPER COLLIDER TOUR DATES
Hard rock heavyweights Megadeth has unveiled dates for their forthcoming Super Collider tour which is scheduled to get underway November 23 I St. Paul, MN. The trek includes stops inMadison, WI, Grand Rapids, MI, Detroit, Montclair, NJ, Boston, Silver Spring, MD, Charlotte, NC, and Lake Buena Vista, FL before coming to a close in Houston on December 12.
LP FORCED TO 86 FALL TOUR DUE TO INJURY
Singer/songwriter LP has announced she has to axe her forthcoming fall tour after suffering an unspecified injury that has left her unable to perform. Doctors say the Los Angeles-based musician is expected to make a full recovery in a matter of weeks, but not in time to head out on her planned trek with Noah and Whale which is slated to begin September 27 in Vancouver. LP’s debut full-length studio album is due early next year.
COSTELLO ADDED TO NEW YORK’S GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL
Global superstar Elvis Costello has been added to the lineup of this Saturday’s Global Citizen Festival, taking place in New York’s Central Park. Costello has agreed to perform a brief acoustic set at the second annual event, which also features Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Kings of Leonand Alicia Keys. Last year’s show featuring Neil Young and Foo Fighters drew a crowd of around 60,000.
HACKETT DOESN’T RULE OUT GENESIS REUNION, BUT…
File this under the anything is possible but it doesn’t mean it will necessarily happen file. FormerGenesis guitarist Steve Hackett told Billboard a band reunion is “possible but improbable.” The musician added, “I’m always up for it – I’ve always said that publicly. I think it would be wonderful, extraordinary, but you’ve got to get everyone to say yes…or at least two guys to say ‘yes’ and hope that everyone else will follow.”
DYLAN GOES HEAVY METAL…SORT OF
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bob Dylan caused quite a stir when he famously plugged in and went electric decades ago. Today, the singer/songwriter is, in a way, going heavy metal by readying iron sculptures for an upcoming art exhibit titled “Mood Swings” featuring seven gates welded by Dylan. He told the BBC, “I’ve been around iron all my life, ever since I was a kid. I was born and raised in iron ore country… And I’ve always worked with it in one for or another.” “Mood Swings” swings open this November at the Halcyon Gallery in London.
