TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
NATIONAL HEADLINES:
SILENCE IN MANY HARD-HIT AREAS OF THE PHILIPPINES/SURVIVOR GIVES BIRTH
There has been no word from many communities since the massive Typhoon Haiyan brought utter destruction to parts of the Philippines over the weekend – and it has emergency officials concerned. "What worries us is there are so many areas that we have no information from and when we have this silence this usually means that the damage is even worse," Joseph Curry, country representative for Catholic Relief Services, said. The storm was believed to have destroyed up to 80 percent of buildings in its path in the provinces of Samar andLeyte. Officials say the death toll could rise to 10,000. Tacloban, the capital of Leyte, is already experiencing a health crisis. A shortage of clean water is leading to cases of dysentery. The city was also without electricity and facing severe water and food shortages.
But a story of hope emerged among the devastation yesterday. Emily Ortega, 21, gave birth to a healthy baby girl at Tacloban’s airport, after swimming for her life and clinging to a post to survive. The baby was named Bea Joy Sagales, after her grandmother Beatrice, who remained missing yesterday.
OBAMA COMMEMORATES VETERANS DAY
President Obama commemorated Veterans Day yesterday with a traditional ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. He laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns before giving a speech at the Memorial Amphitheater honoring “patriots who have rendered the highest service any American can offer this nation.” He said his administration would continue to push for veterans’ rights to health care – including mental health care – even for those not covered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The president took time to praise the post-9/11 generation of veterans, saying they are “defining one of the greatest generations of military service this country has ever produced.” Obama also introduced 107-year-old Richard Overton, America’s oldest living veteran, who fought in World War II.
MUSICIAN KILLS 2 BAND MEMBERS, 1 OTHER IN BKLYN
A musician associated with the indie band Yellow Dogs went on a shooting rampage in Brooklyn early yesterday, killing two members of the band and one other musician before taking his own life. Police said 29-year-old Raefe Akhbar fatally shot Yellow Dogs guitarist Soroush Farazmand, 27, and drummer Arash Farazmand, 28, as well as another musician, 35-year-old singer Ali Eskandarian, at an apartment inWilliamsburg. A fourth man was injured and managed to call 911 to report the shooting. Responding officers found the gunman dead on the roof of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to a statement from Yellow Dogs’ publicist: “The shooter was not a former member of the band The Yellow Dogs, he was in another band from Iran and the two groups were acquaintances in the past.” Police Commissioner Ray Kellysaid the shooting appeared to stem from a dispute over money.
TOP HAQQANI MILITANT KILLED IN PAKISTAN
A high-ranking militant with connections to al-Qaeda was assassinated yesterday in Pakistan. Nasiruddin Haqqani, a top figure in the powerful Haqqani network, was standing at a bakery to buy bread when two gunmen on motorcycles opened fire. It is not yet known who orchestrated the kill. The Haqqani network is led by Nasiruddin's brother, Sirajuddin Haqqani, and is believed to have been responsible for a series of attacks against U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
NJ MAN, EX-GIRLFRIEND FIGHTING OVER POWERBALL JACKPOT
A New Jersey man who won a multi-million-dollar Powerball jackpot is fighting his ex-girlfriend in court over the money. Pedro Quezada was the sole winner of the $338 million drawing last spring, worth about $152 million after taxes. His lawyer says Quezada’s ex, Inez Sanchez, has no claim to the money because the couple was never married. But attorneys for Sanchez say Quezada bought the ticket based on the couple’s shared earnings. Sanchez’s lawyers say the two lived together for 10 years, have a child together and shared ownership of a grocery store in Passaic. A judge is now set to decide whether Sanchez is entitled to a share of the money.
SHOWBIZ NEWS:
CLOONEY DISHES ON CROWE & DICAPRIO
George Clooney isn’t one to keep his opinions to himself. In an interview with Esquire magazine, the Gravity star dishes about his fellow actors. Specifically, Clooney details a feud he had with fellow A-lister Russell Crowe, who Clooney says “really went after him” in a GQ article years ago, calling him a “sellout” and a “Frank Sinatra wannabe.” Clooney says Crowe later tried to make amends, but he was having none of it. “The truth is that [Crowe] did send me a book of poems to apologize for insulting the s–t out of me, which he did,” said Clooney. “He picked a fight with me. He started it for no reason at all. I think he said 'I was misquoted' and I was like, 'Yeah, yeah. Whatever.'" Clooney also recounts how playing basketball with Leonardo DiCaprio and his friends, caused him to worry about the actor. Clooney said he was put off by Leo’s pals, who did a lot of trash talking on the court. "We're all like fifty years old, and we beat them three straight: 11-0, 11-0, 11-0. And the discrepancy between their game and how they talked about their game made me think of how important it is to have someone in your life to tell you what's what,” said Clooney. “I'm not sure if Leo has someone like that.” Clooney’s rep clarified the actor’s statements about Leo. “The Leo comments made by George were all made in fun about basketball. Not about Leo's life," said he rep. "The writer and George were laughing about basketball buddies." The rep did not retract the Crowe comments though, saying, “As for the Russell Crowe story, George was asked about it and told the truth.”
CLOONEY’S ANTI-TWITTER
In the same Esquire article, George Clooney reveals he is not a fan of Twitter, and can’t understand why any celebrity would make themselves so available. "So one drunken night, you come home and you've had two too many drinks and you're watching TV and somebody pisses you off, and you go 'Ehhhhh' and fight back,” he says. “And you go to sleep, and you wake up in the morning and your career is over. Or you're an a**hole. Or all the things you might think in the quiet of your drunken evening are suddenly blasted around the entire world before you wake up.” For example, he mentions Ashton Kutcher, who once tweeted his support for the late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, during the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Said Clooney, “Fifteen minutes longer and a thought process and probably you wouldn’t have done that.”
BROOKE MUELLER’S BOYS TO BE TESTED
We may finally find out whether Brooke Mueller was abusing drugs and alcohol while she was pregnant with twins Bob and Max. According to Radaronline, during a meeting last week between Brooke, Denise Richards and Child Protective Services, Brooke finally agreed to have the boys tested for fetal alcohol and drug syndrome. If it comes back positive, it could explain the violent behavior Denise says the boys have been exhibiting towards her daughters and her dogs. There have always been rumors that Brooke was still doing drugs during her pregnancy. In fact, multiple sources have told Radar she was drinking, and also doing meth.
ABC’S AMY ROBACH REVEALS BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS
ABC News correspondent Amy Robach revealed yesterday she has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and can thank Good Morning America for the early detection of the disease. The 40-year-old mother of two, who is married to Melrose Place star Andrew Shue, was asked last month to take a mammogram live on the air as part of “GMA Goes Pink Day.” She reluctantly agreed, and a few weeks later she was informed by her doctors she had breast cancer. “Robin Roberts and ABC saved my life by telling me to go into that van for a mammogram,” she said on GMAyesterday. Robach revealed on her blog that she will undergo a “bilateral mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery” on Thursday. She added, “Every producer, every person who urged me to do this, changed my trajectory. The doctors told me bluntly: ‘That mammogram just saved your life.’”
SPECIAL ANCHORMAN CONTEST ANNOUNCED
Will Ferrell appears as Ron Burgundy in a new video for a contest to raise money for charity. The video has the Anchorman star giving the Top Ten reasons why fans should enter to win an exclusive opportunity to join him, Steve Carell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, David Koechner and Jack Black for a live, on-stage reading of the original Anchorman movie. Fans can enter by donating $10 at omaze.com/anchorman2. All proceeds from the contest will benefit the non-profit organization 826LA, dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their writing skills. The grand prize winner will also receive airfare and 4-star hotel accommodations for them and their guest.
WILL & JADA TOGETHER IN VEGAS
Despite rumors of marital trouble, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith sure looked like a happily married couple over the weekend. The pair, along with kids Jaden, 15, and Willow, 13, were in Las Vegas to help Will’s eldest son Trey celebrate his 21st birthday. About 50 people were on hand for Trey’s big bash at the Sin City hotspot Hakkasan. Sources tell Us Weekly, Will and Jada, “were in high spirits, rarely leaving one another's side.”
CONAN RECEIVES BACKLASH FOR SUPERHERO TWEET
Conan O’Brien is the latest comedian receiving backlash for a joke. Last week, in response to news that Marvel was going to introduce a Muslim female superhero, the late night talk show host tweeted, “Marvel Comics is introducing a new Muslim Female superhero. She has so many more special powers than her husband's other wives.” Well, the tweet didn’t sit well with some people, who felt it was offensive. “Real classy bigotry, @ConanOBrien. Did you enjoy having a laugh at the expense of the marginalized? (ht @irevolt),” wrote one follower, while another added, “@ConanOBrien Really? We get a female Muslim super hero and you decide to diminish this victory with a cheap and tasteless joke? Disappointed.” The tweet has since been taken down.
WOMAN WHO “SLEPT” WITH BIEBS GIVES INTERVIEW
The woman who photographed Justin Bieber sleeping is doing her best to extend her 15 minutes of fame. Tati Neves sat down for an interview with Globo TV Fantastico and confirmed that she slept in the same bed as the Biebs, but stopped short of admitting anything else. When asked if she even kissed the 19-year-old, she said, “what do you think, if I was sleeping in the bedroom, just me and him?” Neves knows there are tons of girls who would have loved to be in her position that night. “It’s true isn’t it,” she said. “I send a kiss to all the fans.”
FURY PRODUCERS INFURIATE VILLAGE
Producers of Brad Pitt’s next movie Fury have angered locals in the English village of Shirburn, Oxfordshire after filming Nazi war scenes early Sunday, which was Remembrance Day in England. Filming included a staged pre-dawn explosion, and extras dressed in Nazi uniforms. The movie has been shooting in the area for the last month, and residents received leaflets warning them to expect gunfire and explosions, but it said nothing about whether they planned to shoot on the national holiday. And a request by the nearby town council to hold off filming Sunday was apparently ignored. A council chairman told the Daily Mirror, “Whoever is responsible is insensitive.” The film’s director David Ayer, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, took to Twitter to apologize to the folks he offended. “My heartfelt apologies for any disrespect on Remembrance Day. I am a veteran myself. It is an honor to film here in the UK,” he tweeted Monday.
CUOCO DENIES SHE’S PREGNANT
The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco has taken to Twitter to shoot down an online report that suggested she was pregnant. "I would like to make something very clear to anyone who cares," she wrote on her account. "I AM NOT EFFING PREGNANT. Do with that what you will." The story, which was actually a blind item, hinted that Kaley and fiancé Ryan Sweeting rushed into their engagement because she was expecting.
THE GOOD WIFE CAST DOES GOOD FOR SANDY VICTIM
Julianna Margulies and the cast of CBS’s The Good Wife celebrated their 100th episode (airing December 1st) by doing something, well, good. Margulies and costars Chris Noth, Zach Grenierand Josh Charles spent Sunday helping rebuild a Rockaway, New York, home destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. “The people of the Rockaways are still suffering from Superstorm Sandy,” Margulies told the New York Post. “There was no better way to celebrate our 100th episode.” And the lucky homeowner, Margaret McNulty, couldn’t have been more thankful for all the help. “I just basically started jumping up and down and kissing them,” she told CBS. “I just couldn’t believe it . . . Not just getting rebuilt, but by the cast and crew of The Good Wife. It’s just the icing on the cake.”
REYNOLDS DENIES VOMIT STORY
Ryan Reynolds is shooting down a Radaronline story from last month, in which they claimed a woman threw up on him during a flight to New Orleans, forcing him to go shirtless throughout most of the trip. "That is utterly made-up,” he told New York magazine at Michael J. Fox’s annual Parkinson’s Disease fundraiser over the weekend. “I don't know where that stuff comes from. It's fantastic, it sounds like a great story." In fact, the 37-year-old says it’s been a very long time since a girl has vomited on him. "Someone threw up on me in fifth grade. That was the last time it happened,” he said. “Sherry Piper, while we were square dancing. Trafalgar Elementary School. Yeah, that was the last time."
LANSBURY AGAINST MURDER SHE WROTE REBOOT
Angela Lansbury isn’t too happy NBC plans to reboot her classic series Murder She Wrote, withOctavia Spencer taking on her role of Jessica Fletcher. "I think it's a mistake to call it Murder, She Wrote," Lansbury said, "because Murder, She Wrote will always be about Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person. … So I'm sorry that they have to use the title Murder, She Wrote, even though they have access to it and it's their right." Not that she has anything against Spencer. "I saw her in The Help and thought she was absolutely wonderful, a lovely actress," Lansbury said. "So I wish her well, but I wish it wasn't inMurder, She Wrote."
SPIKE LEE SUED OVER TWEET
Director Spike Lee is being sued over a tweet. After the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, Spike carelessly tweeted what he thought was shooter George Zimmerman’s address, but was actually the address of an elderly couple. David and Elaine McClain claim in their lawsuit Lee put their lives in grave danger by encouraging “a dangerous mob mentality.” They say following the tweet they began receiving hate mail and were forced to temporarily move from their home. The McClains add that due to people retweeting the address they believe they are still in danger, and have trouble sleeping.
REALITY STAR ENGAGEMENT NEWS
● Survivor’s Aras Baskauskas got engaged over the weekend. Aras, who is currently competing on Survivor: Blood vs. Water with brother Vitas, popped the question to girlfriend Christy Petersen Saturday in Big Sur, California. The couple has been dating for four years.
● America’s Next Top Model winner Whitney Thompson is getting married. Thompson, the show’s first and only plus-size winner, got engaged to boyfriend Ian Forrester over the weekend in Dublin, Ireland.
RANDOM NEWS
● Arrested Development’s David Cross will guest star on an upcoming episode of NBC’sCommunity. He’ll play the estranged son of Professor Hickey (Jonathan Banks) who joins the study group for “the second most important game of Dungeons & Dragons ever.” So far there’s no word on when Community will return to the schedule.
● The Broadway musical Big Fish will close Sunday, December 29th. The show, based on Tim Burton’s 2003 film, opened just three months ago.
● Comedy Central has cancelled The Jeselnik Offensive after only two seasons.
● Disney yesterday announced plans to turn the 1987 Rob Reiner cult classic The Princess Brideinto a stage musical. No timeline or casting for the show has been announced.
ROCK NEWS:
WARD WARDS OFF LISTENING TO CURRENT BLACK SABBATH ALBUM
Exiled original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward said he had a hard time listening to his former bandmates’ new album, 13, confessing he tried but couldn’t get past the first minute. In a recent interview, Ward said, “The only thing I’ve heard from 13 is maybe 40 seconds of the first song, and then I turned it off. I haven’t heard anything off that album at all. And to be quite honest, I don’t care to either. It’s too painful. If I want to rip my guts out, I’ll put it on.”
MUSE SHARES SNEAK PEEK OFF UPCOMING LIVE IN ROME CD/DVD
The mad dash to snatch up copies of the forthcoming Muse concert CD/DVD Blu-ray Live in Romebegins December 2 but the trio has treated fans to a taste of what they can expect with the release of their (NOTE CONTENT) performance of “Madness.” Footage for the upcoming set was culled from the band’s July 6 concert at Rome’s Olympic Stadium in front of an audience that topped over 60,000.
HETFIELD HELPS LITTLE KIDS ROCK OUT TO “ENTER SANDMAN”
Proud parents posted footage of Metallica frontman James Hetfield jamming onstage with a group of Bay Area kids taking part in the Little Kids Rock charity’s annual Rockin’ the Bay benefit last Saturday night. Hetfield, who was handed the inaugural Livin’ the Dream Award, led a league of future rock stars in a rousing rendition of the Metallica classic “Enter Sandman.” The Little Kids Rock charity works to raise funds to save music programs in school districts hit by budget cutbacks.
SELF-DESCRIBED “DISABLED DRUMMER” NAILS FOO FIGHTERS’ NUMBER
Thanks to the miracle of YouTube, the world can marvel at a miraculous performance of the Foo Fighters mile-a-minute hit “Everlong” by self-described “disabled drummer Cornel Hrisca-Munn. Hrisca-Munn, a Romanian orphan who was born without forearms and only one functioning leg, lets nothing get in the way of him commanding the drum kit with skills that must be seen and heard to believe.
MORRISSEY TO ISSUE COVER OF REED’S “SATELLITE OF LOVE”
Former Smiths frontman Morrissey is set to release a cover of the late Lou Reed’s “Satellite of Love” to accompany the audio book of his memoir, Autobiography, due December 3. Morrissey’s version of the Reed nugget was recorded at the Chelsea Ballroom in Las Vegas on November 25, 201. The digital version of the track will be available December 3.
MUSICIAN SHOOTS, KILLS TWO MEMBERS OF IRANIAN INDIE ROCK BAND
A musician shot and killed two members of indie rock band the Yellow Dogs and a third musician early Monday morning at their Brooklyn apartment before killing himself on the roof, according to the New York Daily News. The Yellow Dogs, originally from Iran, were granted asylum in the United States three years ago. Two of the dead were Sourosh Farazmand and his brother,Arash, both members of the band, while the third victim was Ali Eskandarian, also a musician but not a member of the band. The shooter was identified as Raefe Ahkbar, a member of another band from Iran, the Free Keys. Police suspect the killings took place as a result of a dispute over money.
PLANT SHARES 2003 TRIP TO MALI IN MINI WEB SERIES
With a well-earned reputation as an Indiana Jones of world music, Robert Plant is well versed in sounds from every corner of the planet because he’s practically visited every corner of the world. The Led Zeppelin frontman documented his 2003 trip to Mali to perform at the Festival of the Desert which he is now sharing as part of an eight episode series on his YouTube channel calledZirka. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer described the experience to Rolling Stone as “a journey of revelation – one of the most illuminating and humbling experiences of my life.”
CASPIAN CONTINUES TO CAST INSTRUMENTAL SPELL ON SIX-SONG EP
Instrumental four-piece unit Caspian is back with its just released six-song EP, Hymn for the Greatest Generation (out now), the follow-up to last year’s Waking Season. In support of the release, the Massachusetts based group just kicked off a fall run of live dates which includes a show tonight in Salt Lake City and features upcoming stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Nashville, New York and Washington, DC before the tour closer in Philadelphia on November 26.
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS PRESS PEDAL TO METAL ON NEXT ALBUM
Alt-rock mainstays Drive-By Truckers are gearing up to release their next as-yet untitled album this February, frontman Patterson Hood told Billboard. Asked how far along the band was in the recording process, Hood revealed, “It’s done, it’s in the can, it’s good. We made it quickly. It’s pretty diverse. It definitely moves…”
DALTREY GIVES MOON BIOPIC THUMBS UP
Describing a future biopic on Keith Moon of The Who as focusing on the late musician’s “wild side” would seem redundant – and obvious. Nevertheless that’s exactly how The Hollywood Reporter characterized the future film which has received support from frontman Roger Daltrey who is collaborating with producers of the as-yet untitled project. Daltrey said, “The Keith Moon project is one close to my heart so I am excited to reinvigorate it…” Moon died of an overdose in 1978 at the age of 32.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES
New albums out today: Lamb of God – As the Palaces Burn (10th Anniversary Edition);Keane – Best of Keane; Counting Crows – Echoes of the Outlaw Roadshow; The Killers– Direct Hits; The Beatles – On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2; The Who – Tommy (Super Deluxe Edition).
