THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14

NATIONAL HEADLINES:

AID CAN’T REACH TYPHOON VICTIMS IN PHILIPPINES

Damaged infrastructure in the Philippines is keeping aid from reaching Typhoon Haiyan victims in desperate need of food and supplies. Aid workers said telecommunication is down in hard-hit areas and roads are blocked with debris. The airport for the devastated city of Tacloban was so badly damaged that much of the aid is being flown into the neighboring island of Cebu. The slow-moving aid has prompted residents to ransack houses and loot shops and warehouses for food, water and other supplies. It was also reported that eight people were crushed to death when a mob stormed a rice warehouse in Alangalang and carted away up to 100,000 sacks of rice. According to the United Nations, the storm killed over 2,000 people, displaced at least 600,000 and affected 9.5 million people across the Philippines.

TORONTO MAYOR ADMITS TO BUYING DRUGS

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford admitted at a city council meeting yesterday to buying illegal drugs. CouncilorDenzil Minnan-Wong confronted Ford directly at the meeting about whether or not he had purchased illegal narcotics in the past two years. After taking a long pause, Ford said: “Yes. I have.” His admission came a week after telling reporters that he had smoked crack cocaine. Nearly every city council member called on Ford to take a leave of absence. But Ford later said, “I’m most definitely keeping this job. I am not leaving here. I’m going to sit here and going to attend every meeting.”

MISSOURI MAN FREED AFTER 10 YEARS IN PRISON

Ryan Ferguson gave his first interviews yesterday since becoming a free man. The 29-year-old Missourianspent nearly 10 years in prison for second-degree murder and first-degree robbery charges, but the charges were dropped Tuesday after an appeals court ruled he did not have a fair trial. "It's been a wild ride," Ferguson told the Today show’s Savannah Guthrie yesterday. "Seeing the light come out and the sun come up, it's pretty incredible." He said he’s positive about the future and that for now he is focusing on the little things – like getting an ID and some new clothes. Ferguson was convicted in 2005 for the beating and strangling of newspaper editor Kent Heitholt in 2001 and had been sentenced to 40 years in prison. A friend had implicated him in the crime, but later recanted his story. There was no physical evidence tying Ferguson to the murder.

RELATIVES OF WHITEY BULGER’S VICTIMS TAKE THE STAND

A dozen relatives of James “Whitey” Bulger’s victims had some choice words for the Boston mobster yesterday. The family members spoke on the first day of a two-day sentencing hearing. Sean McGonagle, the son of Bulger victim Paul McGonagle, called Bulger "Satan," a "domestic terrorist" and a "sad, lonely and irrelevant old man." David Wheeler, whose businessman father was executed on Bulger's orders, echoed those sentiments. "You don't even matter anymore," he said. "You're a bag of jailhouse rags on cold steel." Bulger, 84, refused to meet the eyes of any of the family members who testified. He was convicted in August on a myriad of charges that included racketeering connected to a string of murders in the 70’s and 80’s, extortion and money-laundering.

LONDON POLICE SAY BRITISH SPY DEATH WAS LIKELY AN ACCIDENT

London police said yesterday that British spy Gareth Williams, whose body was found inside a locked duffel bag over three years ago, likely died in an accident with no one else involved. But the tentative conclusion did little to clear up the mystery of the bizarre death, which has sparked numerous conspiracy theories. It also conflicted with a coroner’s report last year that said Williams was probably killed by another person in a “criminally meditated act.” Police said they based their conclusion on the fact that investigators found little evidence of foul play. In August 2010, Williams’ naked body was discovered stuffed inside the padlocked gym bag at the bottom of his bathtub.

SHOWBIZ NEWS:

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY DELAYED

Fifty Shades of Grey fans will have to wait a little bit longer to see it on the big screen. Universal Pictures and Focus Features announced yesterday the film’s release is being pushed back. The movie, starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, was originally due out August 1^st, 2014, but will now hit theaters in time for Valentine’s Day, February 13^th, 2015. Meanwhile, fans get their first look at Dornan and Johnson together on the cover of the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. Dornan, who replaced Charlie Hunnam in the role of Christian Grey, said “there was a slight fear,” when he got the part, but adds, “beyond anything else, I was really f***ing excited.” Meanwhile, Johnson says she’s hard at work preparing for her very sexy role. "Obviously, I want to look good naked," says the 24-year-old daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. "I totally understand now why people exercise, because it kind of f**king feels awesome."

ANDY KAUFMAN STILL ALIVE?

The late comedian Andy Kaufman may actually be alive, according to his brother Michael. For years there have been rumors that Kaufman faked his death, but Michael says he now believes it’s true. On Monday, at the 9^th Annual Andy Kaufman Awards at Gotham Comedy Club in NYC, Michael revealed during his closing speech he had once found an essay in which Andy laid out plans to fake his death (he allegedly died from cancer in 1984). Michael then said in 1999 a man handed him a letter, allegedly from Andy, in which the former Taxi star explained he had secretly been living as a stay-at-home dad with a wife and daughter. Then Michael introduced a 24-year-old woman who he said was Andy’s daughter. The woman told the audience that the passing of Andy’s father in July made him “want to reach out” and that he considered revealing himself that night, but backed out.

BALDWIN’S STALKER JAILED FOR CONTEMPT

Alec Baldwin’s accused stalker has been sent to jail for contempt of court. On Tuesday,Genevieve Sabourin repeatedly interrupted Baldwin’s testimony with outbursts and on Wednesday she was interrupting her own attorney as he argued the case. Well, the judge had enough and ordered Sabourin to spend 30 days in jail. Meanwhile, during the trial yesterday, Baldwin’s lawyers submitted crazy emails Sabourin sent to the actor between 2011 and 2012. In them she threatened to start a “massive destructive war” against Alec if he didn’t pay for her to move to New York to live with him. [See Spotlight On for more.]

KATHERINE JACKSON APPEALS AEG CASE

Katherine Jackson will not accept defeat. TMZ reports Katherine has appealed the verdict in her lawsuit against concert promoter AEG. The jury in the case ruled that AEG was not responsible for Michael Jackson’s death. Katherine and Michael’s kids sued for more than $40 million.

CAREY SAYS IDOL WAS HELL

Mariah Carey is finally admitting she didn’t like being a judge on American Idol. "Honestly, I hated it," she admitted during an interview yesterday. "Here's what it was. I was the first person who signed on…I thought it was going to be a three-person panel. They gave me a nice…monetary moment, and I was just like, 'Okay, Randy Jackson will be there; I've known him forever. He used to play bass for me. Like, this isn't a big deal. This will be nothing.'" She then added, “But it wasn't that. It was like going to work every day in hell with Satan." Mariah never mentioned who exactly was “Satan” but it’s no secret she clashed with fellow judge Nicki Minaj during the entire season.

CAGE SEX PICS STOLEN

A handyman who worked at the home of Nicolas Cage’s ex-girlfriend Christina Fulton has been arrested for stealing photos of the former couple having sex.(Christina is the mother of Nicolas’ 22-year-old son Weston.) Thirty-nine-year-old Ricardo Orozco was arrested last month for stealing four computers and a box of private photos from Christina’s home back in April. So far the photos have not been recovered. Orozco was charged with felony burglary. He pleaded not guilty and remains in custody with bail set at $1 million. He is due back in court November 21^st.

WAHLBERG BLASTS WHINEY ACTORS

It sounds like Mark Wahlberg was a bit peeved by reports Tom Cruise allegedly compared acting to being a soldier. "For somebody to sit there and say 'my job was as difficult as being in the military.' How f**king dare you, while you sit in a makeup chair for 2 hours,” said Mark while speaking at the AFI Festival in L.A. "I don't give a s**t if you get your ass busted.  You get to go home at the end of the day.  You get to go to your hotel room.” 

RHYS MEYERS’ SALARY WITHELD UNTIL END OF DRACULA SHOOT

It’s no secret Jonathan Rhys Meyers has had trouble with substance abuse and his new employers wanted some security that he’d show up for work. According to The Hollywood Reporter, before NBC would agree to cast him in Dracula they set up an interesting payment plan in order to give him incentive to complete the show’s ten episodes without any problems. Sources tell the trade a substantial part of the actor’s salary, approximately $100,000 an episode, was kept from him until he completed all episodes. Instead he received a per diem during shooting in Budapest, as well as other small dispensations. Once completed, he received a lump sum payment.

THE REASON BROOKE HAD FERTILITY TREATMENTS

A shocking report on Radaronline claims Brooke Mueller used in vitro fertilization to get pregnant because she wanted to give Charlie Sheen two kids but only thought she could stay clean long enough to endure one pregnancy. “There was no medical reason why Brooke needed to have in vitro fertilization,” said an insider. “But she was absolutely obsessed with giving her new husband twin sons and desperately wanted to only get pregnant once…She didn’t think she’d be able to stay sober during another pregnancy.” Radar also reports Brooke actually became pregnant with triplets in 2008 but terminated one of the fetuses behind Charlie’s back. Charlie told L.A. DCFS Brooke told him she lost one of the babies but he later learned the truth.

CHARLIE SELLING BROOKE’S HOME

Meanwhile, sources tell TMZ Charlie Sheen doesn’t want Brooke Mueller as his neighbor anymore. Charlie currently pays for Brooke’s home in his gated community, but sources say he’s ready to sell it. And Charlie is so desperate to get Brooke out of his neighborhood he’s selling it for $4.8 million, the same exact amount he paid for it. The price will also allow Charlie to stiff Brooke. As part of their divorce settlement Brooke will get half of any profit Charlie makes on the sale, so if he makes nothing, she gets nothing.

BROOKE SUED BY NANNY

And in more bad news for Brooke Mueller…she is being sued by a former nanny. Norma Lavizzo, who worked for Brooke for four years, is seeking up to $10 million claiming within the last four years she regularly worked more than 40 hours a week and was never paid any overtime. Norma claims she was always on call for Brooke which means she worked 24 hours a day, and was not allowed “uninterrupted rest and meal periods.”

KIM SHARES NEW PICS OF NORI

Kim Kardashian has shared some new adorable pictures of baby Nori on Instagram. The first picshows the five-month-old being held by Givenchy creative director Riccardo Tisci, while the second is of little Nori giggling, which Kim captioned “Lol.” Meanwhile Us Weekly claims Kim andKanye West are already talking about having another baby. “She'll try to get pregnant next summer, after the wedding," a source tells the mag, adding that the pair want a “big family” and want their children to be “close in age.”

PHOENIX DATING TEEN DJ

Joaquin Phoenix has a new, young girlfriend. The 39-year-old Her star was spotted on a romantic stroll in Rome with 19-year-old DJ Allie Teilz. The Mail reports the pair was seen walking hand-in-hand around the Italian capital earlier this week. There’s no word on how long they’ve been together.

SMITH RAVES ABOUT AFFLECK’S BATMAN SUIT

Movie fans were not so happy when Ben Affleck was cast to play Batman in the upcomingSuperman sequel, but one comic book aficionado isn’t worried at all. Kevin Smith, who directed Affleck in several films, revealed on his podcast that he has seen director Zack Snyder’s take on the batsuit and he is thrilled. “I saw the Batman costume. More than that I saw a picture of him (Affleck) in the costume,” explained Smith, who said he “instantly bear-hugged (Snyder)” after seeing it. “You have not seen this costume in the film before. Because every other movie has done this Matrix, X-Men black armor thing,” said Smith, adding, “there wasn’t a single nipple on this fricking suit.” Finally, he said, “for a comic book fan it was mind-bending. I’m already a flag waver for this movie, but the costume, it blew my mind.”

LIAM SAYS HE’S SINGLE

Actor Liam Hemsworth wants the world to know he’s currently single. During an interview withExtra to promote his new film The Hunger Games, Miley Cyrus’ ex was asked about his relationship status and he replied, “I don’t have a lady at the moment.” And even though he and Miley are no longer engaged, he has nothing negative to say about her. Said Liam, “I’m extremely happy for all her success.”

CAROLINE MANZO’S DAUGHTER ENGAGED

Caroline Manzo is gaining a son. Lauren Manzo, the daughter of the former Real Housewives of New Jersey star, has gotten engaged to longtime boyfriend Vito Scalia. “My baby’s engaged,” Caroline revealed on her website, along with a picture of the happy couple. Caroline recently left the Real Housewives of New Jersey to star in her own Bravo spinoff, Manzo’d with Children.

TV TIDBITS

● MTV is making some changes for the upcoming 29^th season of The Real World, which will take place in San Francisco. The show will be retitled Real World: Ex-Plosion, and will contain a big twist. Like always, seven strangers will move into a home together, but after a month in the house they’ll go on a day trip and when they return they’ll find their exes have moved in as well.

● Bravo has renewed the Andy Cohen late night talker Watch What Happens Live for two more years. In addition, Cohen will develop new shows for Bravo under his own production company, but he will no longer serve as executive vice president for talent and development at the network.

● There will be a Friends reunion on TBS’s Cougar Town. Matthew Perry has signed on to guest star on Courteney Cox’s sitcom. The two stars, who played husband and wife on Friends, reunited last season on Perry’s defunct NBC sitcom Go On. Cougar Town is set to return Tuesday, January 7^th at 10 pm.

● Lifetime has ordered a new fashion competition series hosted by Project Runway’s Tim Gunn.Under the Gunn, premiering January 16^th at 9 pm, will feature Project Runway alums Mondo Guerra, Anya Ayoung-Chee and Nick Verreos mentoring and managing a fashion empire with 15 up-and-coming designers.

● Paramount Television is developing a TV pilot based on the hit Patrick Swayze/Demi Mooreflick Ghost. The film starred Swayze as Sam, a murdered man who becomes a ghost and teams up with a psychic (played by Whoopi Goldberg) to avenge his death and communicate with his girlfriend Molly (Moore). So far there’s no word on how the film’s story will be adapted for the small screen.

● CBS’s midseason drama Intelligence will hit the airwaves earlier than planned. The series, starring Lost’s Josh Holloway and CSI’s Marg Helgenberger, was supposed to premiere in February but will now debut January 13^th, after a preview on January 7^th. The series will air Mondays at 10 pm, taking over for Hostages which will finish its 15-episode season on January 6^th. Intelligence stars Holloway as an intelligence operative with a super computer microchip in his brain.

● USA Network has ordered a six-episode action series, Dig, from Heroes creator Tim Kring andHomeland co-creator Gideon Raff, who also created the Israeli series on which Dig is based. The series will film in Jerusalem and premiere in late 2014. It follows an FBI agent named Peter who is stationed in the Israeli capital. While investigating the murder of a female archeologist he uncovers a conspiracy that threatens to change the course of history.

● The CW is developing a reboot of the 1980s anthology series Tales from the Darkside, which was created by George A. Romero. The original ran for 90, half-hour episodes, with each telling a short story that ended with some sort of twist. If the CW moves forward with the reboot it will likely air next summer.

● Jamie Lee Curtis and Rob Reiner are returning to Fox’s New Girl. The pair will once again play the parents of Zoey Deschanel’s character Jess in an episode called “Birthday” which, as the title suggests, centers around Jess’ birthday. Bridesmaids’ Ben Falcone will also guest star, playing Mike, a condescending bartender where Cece (Hannah Simone) works.

● NBC will bring back Last Comic Standing this summer with Wanda Sykes as executive producer. This will be the eighth edition of the series. So far no host for the program has been selected.

● FXX has cancelled Totally Biased with Kamau Bell. Its last original episode will air tonight.

MISCELLANEOUS MOVIE NEWS

●  Paramount announced yesterday that Mission Impossible 5 will hit theaters December 25^th, 2015.

 ●  Parks and Recreation’s Chris Pratt is in talks to join Bryce Dallas Howard in Jurassic World, the next installment in the Jurassic Park franchise. His character is described as a rugged ex-military man.

● Don Cheadle will star as jazz pioneer Miles Davis in the upcoming biopic Kill the Trumpet Player. Cheadle will also direct the film, which he has been trying to make for years. Production is expected to begin in June.

● Sony announced yesterday that Independence Day 2, the sequel to the 1996 hit, has been delayed a year and will now be released July 1^st, 2016 instead of July 3^rd, 2015 as originally planned. The new film will hit theaters exactly 20 years and one day after the original blockbuster came out.

● Rupert Sanders, who infamously had an affair with his Snow White and the Huntsman starKristen Stewart, has landed himself a new job. He has signed on to direct Napoleon, described as a Scarface-style look at the French leader.

ROCK NEWS:

NEW U2 ALBUM DUE IN APRIL

The next U2 studio album is reportedly being readied for an April 2014 release, Billboard reports. Superstar producer/songwriter/musician Danger Mouse has been behind the board for recording sessions that for the most part have taken place at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. The forthcoming as-yet untitled album will serve as the follow-up to U2’s 2009 record No Line on the Horizon, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album sales survey.

CONCERT PROMOTER LIVE NATION EYEING U2’S MANAGEMENT COMPANY

In related U2 news, concert promotion giant Live Nation is reportedly very close to acquiring the band’s management company. Sources tell the New York Times that Live Nation is prepared to pay $30 million for Principle Management, U2 manager Paul McGuinness’ company, as well asMadonna’s management firm Maverick, owned by her handler Guy Oseary.

KEENAN AND BANDMATES STILL TINKERING WITH NEXT TOOL ALBUM

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Tool man Maynard James Keenan was asked why there hasn’t been a new band album since 2006’s 10,000 Days, which means in at least 2,555 days. Keenan, who has been busy with his other two bands, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, replied, “I don’t write the music. They write the music. I wait for them to bring music to me. They tend to back over and over stuff. It’s a long process. For a person like me, it can be a very tedious process.”

AS I LAY DYING SINGER ENTERS NOT GULITY PLEA

The ongoing murder-for-hire case centered around As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesiscontinued its legal course Wednesday when the singer entered a not guilty plea in a Vista, CA courtroom. The singer is facing a felony solicitation of murder charge for allegedly attempting to hire an undercover police officer to murder his estranged wife. A tentative March 11 trial date has been set.

UK AC/DC FANS HOPE TO HEAR MORE “HIGHWAY TO HELL” THIS XMAS

Fed up with the current crop of pop stars holding the holiday charts hostage with their sappy songs, AC/DC fans in the UK are spearheading a campaign to send the band’s demonic anthem “Highway to Hell” to the top of the charts, come hell or high water. Currently, the toughest competition standing in the way of “Highway to Hell” ascending to the top of chart heaven is a duet between middle-aged Scottish vocalist Susan Boyle and the long-deceased Elvis Presley.

WATERS WORKING ON FIRST ALL-NEW ROCK RECORD SINCE 1992

There is a light at the end of what has been an over two-decades long recording tunnel for Roger Waters. The former Pink Floyd frontman told Rolling Stone he’s just put a bow on his first all-new rock album since 1992’s Amused to Death, saying, “I finished a demo of it last night. It’s 55 minutes long. It’s songs and theater as well. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s couched as radio play. It has characters who speak to each other, and it’s a quest. It’s about an old man and young child trying to figure out why they are killing the children.”

WATERS FINALLY FINDS OUT DETAILS OF FATHER’S DEATH

Former Pink Floyd principal Roger Waters has a 93-year old World War II veteran to thank for finally solving the mystery of his father’s death. Harry Shindler, who now heads a veteran’s group but fought at the Battle of Anzio in Italy on February 18, 1944, was able to unearth the official records of the battle and discovered that Eric Fletcher Waters was killed in a ditch at 11:30a. After receiving the news, Waters told UK’s Telegraph, “Harry is such a remarkable man. This isn’t a one-off for him. He’s made it his life’s work to find out what happened to men who served.”

HAGAR RESTAURANT SHUTS DOWN AFTER OWNER GOES MISSING

The mysterious and sudden disappearance of the owner of Sammy Hagar’s Roseville, CA eatery Sammy’s Rockin’ Island Bar and Grill has led to the establishment’s equally abrupt closure. Sacramento’s KCRA-3 TV reports local businessman Stephen Pease hasn’t been seen by his family and friends for weeks leading to his family filing a missing persons report with local police on Halloween. Pease, who remains a part of an investors’ group scheduled to open another Rockin’ Island Bar and Grill location on December 15, was last seen in Fort Bragg, CA on November 2.