TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19
NATIONAL HEADLINES:
ZIMMERMAN ARRESTED AGAIN AFTER DISTURBANCE
George Zimmerman was arrested again in Florida yesterday after police responded to a “disturbance call.” The 30-year-old, who was acquitted this summer of murdering unarmed teen Trayvon Martin, was booked into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility. He had allegedly gotten into a verbal altercation with his girlfriend andshe claims he pulled a gun on her. Zimmerman was charged with felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal mischief. This isn’t his first run-in with the law since the Martin trial ended. In September, he was taken into custody but released without charges after his wife called 911 claiming he threatened her with a gun. He has also been pulled over for speeding, once in July and once in September.
TORONTO MAYOR ACCUSES CITY COUNCIL OF STAGING A COUP
Problem-plagued Toronto Mayor Rob Ford arrived at City Hall yesterday and complained that City Council members are trying to stage a “coup” against him. He has remained defiant and refused to step down, despite admitting smoking crack, driving drunk and buying illegal drugs. Councilors met yesterday to vote on a motion to strip Ford of his staff, budget and many of his powers as punishment for his erratic behavior. Ford says local lawmakers have no right to sideline him and he plans to take them to court.
POLICE FIRED ON VAN FULL OF KIDS, AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATING
New Mexican authorities are investigating an incident involving a police officer opening fire on a minivan full of children during a routine traffic stop-gone-wrong last month. The episode, which was captured on a police dash-cam Oct. 28, began when police pulled over 39-year-old Oriana Ferrell for speeding. An officer approached the car and asked her to wait, but she drove away. When she was pulled over a second time, an officer ordered her out of the vehicle. She got out, and her 14-year-old son also got out and rushed the officer. After a scuffle, the teen ran back into the van. At this point, backup had arrived and an officer used his baton to smash a window. Another officer, appearing to aim low, fired three shots as the van sped away. There were five children inside at the time. The chase eventually came to an end outside a hotel. Ferrell was arrested and charged with intentional abuse of a child and fleeing an officer. Her son was arrested and charged with battery. Police are now probing the actions of the officers involved.
SHOOTING SUSPECT OPENS FIRE ON NEWSPAPER OFFICE, BANK IN PARIS
Authorities in Paris were hunting for a gunman yesterday after he opened fire at a bank and a newspaper office. The first shooting occurred in the lobby of the office for the Liberation newspaper. A 27-year-old photographic assistant for the paper’s “Next” magazine was shot in the abdomen and arm. Shortly after, three shots were fired in front of the Société General bank. The suspect hijacked a car after the shootings and fled. Police were reportedly looking for a bald man with a heavy build, 40-45 years old, dressed in khaki, armed and considered very dangerous.
BUTTERBALL ANNOUNCES SHORTAGE OF FRESH TURKEYS
This Thanksgiving there may not be enough turkey to go around! Butterball has announced a shortage of its fresh turkeys that weigh 16 or more pounds. The company is cutting all orders by 50 percent. "We experienced a decline in weight gains on some of our farms, causing a limited availability of large, fresh turkeys," Butterball said in a statement. "We sincerely regret the inconvenience that some of our customers have experienced as a result of this issue." On the plus side, the shortage only affects the Butterball brand, so other options are still available for Thanksgiving dinner.
SHOWBIZ NEWS:
BIEBER MAKES GUESTS SIGN CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT
Justin Bieber threw a wild party in Los Angeles Friday night that bothered his neighbors so much cops were called three times with noise complaints. But while neighbors may have been able to hear the bash, they’ll have a hard time finding out exactly what happened behind closed doors. That’s because, according to TMZ, guests were forced to sign a confidentiality agreement in which they agreed to keep their mouths shut and not tweet, text or write about it. In fact, anyone who violated the agreement would have to pay $3 million, according to the doc. And it sounds like someone’s going to have to pay up, because TMZ has found out a bit of info on what went on at the party. Sources say guests included at least 20 “big booty” strippers who walked around the bash naked. In addition, several female guests were seen partying in the buff.
BRITTANY MURPHY’S FATHER THINKS SHE WAS POISONED
The father of actress Brittany Murphy doesn’t believe his daughter died of natural causes. In fact,The Examiner reports Angelo Bertolotti has launched his own investigation into the Cluelessstar’s 2009 death and he believes she was murdered. The tab claims Angelo obtained Murphy’s hair, blood and tissues and had them tested for “heavy metals and toxins.” The company that performed the test claimed they found 10 heavy metals “at levels above the WHO (World Health Organization) high levels recommendation.” The lab concluded, “the only logical explanation would be an exposure to these metals (toxins) administered by a third party perpetrator with likely criminal intent.” Said Angelo, “I will not rest until the truth about these tragic events is told. There will be justice for Brittany.”
USA TODAY’S OFFENSIVE HEADLINE
USA Today was blasted over the weekend for their racially insensitive headline regarding this weekend’s number two movie The Best Man Holiday. Writing about the box office race, the paper tweeted, “Holiday Nearly Beat Thor as Race-Themed Films Soar.” Well, needless to say, Twitter followers reacted harshly to the post. “USA Today calls movies with black people in them race-themed Cos black people are a genre. Like superhero movies,” tweeted one person, while another added, “Why are movies that star people of color ‘race-themed’ but movies starring whites are notUSA Today? Is friendship a race theme?” The paper quickly changed their headline to “HolidayNearly Beats Thor as Ethnically Diverse Films Soar,” and deleted the original tweet.
IRELAND BALDWIN DEFENDS DAD
Alec Baldwin’s daughter Ireland took to Twitter over the weekend to defend her father against accusations he is homophobic. “My dad is far from a homophobe or a racist,” she tweeted. “For someone who has battled with anger management issues, my dad has grown tremendously.” Ireland knows all too well about Alec’s anger. In 2007, a voicemail leaked online in which he was heard calling his daughter a “little pig.” As for last week’s outburst against a paparazzo, Ireland explained her dad was under a lot of pressure due to his stalker trial. “Sometimes we let our tempers get the best of us,” she wrote. “Tempers are like wildfires. Something or someone can easily fuel the fire.”
SMITH SCHOOL TAUGHT SCIENTOLOGY
A principal who used to work at Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s now-defunct New Village Leadership Academy in California insists the school taught Scientology. Jacqueline Olivier says when she was hired she was assured the school had no ties to the controversial religion, but now she believes otherwise. She recently told an anti-Scientology blog that the school was devoted to the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard’s religion and says she was fired when she didn’t go along with it.
LAWRENCE BATTLED SOCIAL ANXIETY IN HER TEENS
Jennifer Lawrence tells the latest issue of the French magazine Madame Figaro that in high school she took medication and went to therapy to treat her social anxiety. “My nickname was ‘Nitro’ as in nitroglycerin. I was hyperactive, curious about everything,” said Jennifer. “When my mother told me about my childhood, she always told me there was like a light in me, a spark that inspired me constantly. When I entered school, the light went out. We never knew what it was, a kind of social anxiety.” But that all changed when Lawrence began acting. “(Acting) made me happy because I felt capable whereas before I felt good for nothing,” explained the Hunger Gamesstar. “This is why mom fought for me to become an actress."
SWIFT ACCEPTS MEDIA’S FASCINATION WITH HER LOVE LIFE
Taylor Swift understands the press isn’t going to stop writing about her love life. “There’s a spin on every single celebrity out there,” she tells New York magazine, who dubbed her the “biggest pop star in the world.” “I know that one of my spins is: ‘Oh, Taylor’s heartbroken. Oh, Taylor fell in love and the guy broke her heart. She’s sad all the time, and lonely.’” And speaking of men who broke her heart, Taylor says she actually “heard from the guy that most of Red is about.” [Rumors claim it’s Jake Gyllenhaal.] “He was like, ‘I just listened to the album, and that was a really bittersweet experience for me. It was like going through a photo album.’ That was nice. Nicer than, like, the ranting, crazy e-mails I got from this one dude,” she says.
EMERSON COLLEGE RENAMES SCHOOL AFTER RON BURGUNDY
Now this is an interesting marketing scheme. Boston’s Emerson College will rename its school of communications the Ron Burgundy School of Communications on December 4th to honor Will Ferrell’s Anchorman character. Ferrell, in character, will be on hand for the big day, attending a news conference and renaming ceremony. Ferrell, as himself, will also introduce a screening ofAnchorman 2: The Legend Continues, which hits theaters December 20th.
TOM & GISELE WEDDING BODYGUARDS SENT TO JAIL
Two bodyguards who shot at paparazzi during the 2009 Costa Rican wedding of Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady were sentenced to five years behind bars last week. Miguel Solis andAlexander Rivas initially requested the memory cards from photographers trying to snap a picture of the nuptials, but then opened fire. While no one was hit, the bullets ripped through the photographers’ vehicle. In addition to jail time, both men were fined $10,000.
SEMI-CELEBRITY BABY NEWS
New Girl’s David Walton and his wife, Roswell’s Majandra Delfino welcomed a baby boy, Louis Augustus, in Los Angeles Sunday. This is the second child for the couple, who married in March, 2011. They are already parents to a 17-month-old daughter Cecilia Delphine.
Teen Mom 2’s Kailyn Lowry and husband Javi Marroquin welcomed son Lincoln Marshall Marroquin Saturday. "I am exhausted, but we are so excited and surprised by our new baby boy," Lowry told Us Weekly. This is Kailyn’s second child. She has a three-year-old son from her previous relationship with ex Jo Rivera.
TV TIDBITS
● CBS is moving forward with a How I Met Your Mother spinoff. The network has ordered a pilot forHow I Met Your Dad, which will feature a brand new story and set of characters. How I Met Your Mother is currently in its final season.
● TNT will premiere the first half of Dallas’ third season on Monday, February 24th.
● The Killing has survived yet again. After being cancelled a second time by AMC, Netflix is reviving the drama, ordering a six-episode fourth season in order to give the show a “proper send-off.” Stars Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman are expected to return.
● Bravo is adding three new reality shows to its lineup in January. Among them: Toned Up, which premieres January 2nd and stars Katrina Dawn and Karena Hodgson, best friends and business partners who run the website ToneItUp.com; Blood, Sweat & Heels, premiering January 5th, about a group of up-and-comers in the worlds of New York fashion, real estate and media, and 100 Days of Summer, premiering January 7th, about a group of young successful Chicagoans.
● Breaking Bad’s Anna Gunn and two-time Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver will join David Tennantin Fox’s event series Gracepoint, set to premiere during the 2014-2015 season. Set in an American town, Gracepoint is the American version of the UK drama Broadchurch, which Tennant also starred in.
MISCELLANEOUS MOVIE NEWS
● Variety reports that a sequel to the holiday classic It’s A Wonderful Life is in development. The film, It’s a Wonderful Life: The Rest of the Story, focuses on George Bailey’s grandson, who is visited by an angel who shows him how life would have been like for everyone if he’d never been born.
ROCK NEWS:
FOO FIGHTERS’ HAWKINS TALKS CHEVY METAL/BIRDS OF SATAN
For Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, what started out as the fun side project covers bandChevy Metal has turned into writing and recording new material as the Birds of Satan. Asked when fans can expect to hear stuff from Birds of Satan (including a nine and a half-minute title track co-written by Dave Grohl), Hawkins told Rolling Stone, “I’m hoping before the end of the year…” Asked if Chevy Metal will become a full band and mount a tour, the percussionist surmised, “Probably not… My main priorities are my family and then the Foo Fighters.”
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE PUT FANS IN CHARGE OF INTERACTIVE VIDEO
Fans of Queens of the Stone Age will be in the driver’s seat of the band’s brand new interactivevideo for “The Vampyre of Time and Memory,” another cut off their sixth studio album, …Like Clockwork. Meanwhile, QOTSA is currently on tour in Europe through December 1 but will return to the U.S. for a series of radio station holiday festivals starting December 6. Finally, today the band released the Spotify-exclusive …Like Cologne EP featuring three live tracks from their September 4 gig in Germany.
MASTODON LIVE AT BRIXTON DUE DIGITALLY DECEMBER 10
It’s likely Mastodon will toast the December 10 audio and video digital release of its new concert collection Live at Brixton with a pint of their own double black IPA Black Tongue craft beer which is due itself on December 3. The audio and video for Live at Brixton was culled from the band’s February 11, 2012 gig in support of their album The Hunter.
NEIL, HAGAR HARBOR HOPES OF MOUNTING ROAD TRIP TOGETHER
During a recent interview with Vegas Rocks! magazine, Motley Crue singer Vince Neil addressed his post-Crue retirement plans and dropped a huge hint about an upcoming co-headlining tour withSammy Hagar. Neil said, “I have my own stuff. I have my solo band, and we have a lot of touring coming up. And actually, it looks like me and Sammy Hagar are gonna go out together for a long tour next year. I’ll be carrying the torch for Motley Crue when Motley Crue is done.”
3 DOORS DOWN GEARS UP FOR ACOUSTIC TOUR
Mississippi rockers 3 Doors Down will kick off their “3 Doors Down Acoustic – Songs from the Basement” tour January 10 in Reno, NV. Each stop will feature the band performing a host of hits as well as additional fan favorites from their catalog that rarely see the light of day. Frontman Brad Arnold explains, “We experimented with an acoustic show in Nashville and had such a great response that we decided to take it on the road. We’ve never toured like this before; some of these songs have never been played live!”
FOSTER THE PEOPLE PREPARES POTENTIALLY “POLARIZING” NEXT ALBUM
Fans of Foster the People continue to get pumped up about the prospect of hearing the group’s follow-up to their breakout Torches album featuring the huge hit “Pumped Up Kicks.” Asked what he wants people to take from their next studio effort, frontman Mark Foster told Rolling Stone, “It’ll be interesting. It’s not the record that people are gonna expect us to release second. It’s definitely an evolution for us, and it’s a more polarizing record for us, so I’m excited to see how it’s received, for better or worse.” Foster says he expects the album to be out next year, adding, “We’re going to have a song at radio in January.”
TYLER TAPS RUBIN TO OVERSEE SOLO STUDIO ALBUM
Though nothing is set in stone, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has given a strong indication that highly sought after producer Rick Rubin is his first choice to helm his forthcoming solo album. The singer told Rolling Stone, “I’m working on it. I just got back from Russia. Tour was over last week, so I set up my studio, and I had dinner with Rick Rubin last night. We did do ‘Walk This Way’ with Run-D.M.C. That was his idea.” There’s no word yet when the Tyler solo record will be released.
BYRNE TO STAGE BENEFIT SHOW FOR VICTIMS OF TYPHOON HAIYAN
Stating that “The show is about the resiliency of the Philippine people – it couldn’t be more timely,”David Byrne has announced he and the original cast of the stage musical Here Lies Love will perform a special benefit concert version for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan this Monday at Terminal 5 in New York City. Byrne added, “Most of our cast is Filipino, and all of us feel the same way. It’s personal for all of us.” All proceeds from the show will benefit Doctors Without Borders.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES
New albums out today: Five Finger Death Punch – The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 2; A Perfect Circle – Three Sixty (Deluxe Edition); Ghost B.C. – If You Have Ghost; Rush – Clockwork Angels Tour; David Lee Roth – Greatest Hits: The Deluxe Edition; Daughtry – Baptized; Nickelback – The Best of Nickelback Volume 1; Jake Bugg – Shangri La.
