MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3

NATIONAL HEADLINES: 

OBAMA TAKES ON O’REILLY
President Obama squared off against Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly yesterday, defending his record on everything from health care to the Benghazi attack. Obama was grilled by O’Reilly on why he didn’t fire Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius over the botched launch of the Obamacare website. The president said that while everyone is being held accountable for the problem-plagued rollout,  “I try to focus not on the fumbles, but on the next play.” He said the initial problems with the Heathcare.gov website  have been fixed and that his main priority was making sure it delivers for the American people. O’Reilly also pushed the president on how he and his aides handled the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic facility in Libya. Obama denied misleading the American people on the nature of the attack and said the main lesson was that diplomats need better protection.

GROUNDHOG PREDICTS SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER

It’s official: Six more weeks of winter! Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil popped out of his underground home yesterday in front of thousands of fans in Pennsylvania. According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow, it means we get another month-and-a-half of cold weather. If he doesn’t see it, we get an early spring. In reality, Phil’s prediction is decided ahead of time by a group called the Inner Circle. The members wear top hats and tuxedos for the annual ceremony, which took place on Gobbler’s Knob, a tiny hill in the town of Punxsutawney.

WINTRY STORMS TO HIT NORTHEAST, MIDWEST, AND PARTS OF SOUTH THIS WEEK

The groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter and it certainly seems like an accurate forecast! More wintry weather conditions are headed for the Midwest and Northeast, and even the South, today. The first storm of the week is expected to bring snow to the Northeast and progress to the Ohio Valley, centralAppalachians and northwest Texas. Forecasters predicted not more than four inches in more states, but southeastern Oklahoma has the potential to be an exception. A second storm will bring rain to the Northeast as the region warms up Tuesday. According to weather.com, the Midwest might see a “significant swath of snow” in the middle of the week. Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan could get six or more inches of snow between Tuesday and Wednesday.

WOMAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY DUMPING SON’S REMAINS

A Michigan woman arrested for allegedly dumping body parts on the side of the road is now believed to be the victim’s mother. Police said the 59-year-old woman reported her 32-year-old son missing Sunday, Jan. 26. Witnesses allegedly spotted the same woman tossing garbage bags outside of her SUV Thursday. Those bags contained remains of the missing man. The woman was arrested Saturday and is awaiting arraignment. Police have yet to release the identities of both mother and son.

DIVER DIES WHILE WORKING ON CONCORDIA WRECKAGE
A diver died Saturday while working on the wreckage of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy. The man apparently gashed his leg on an underwater metal sheet while preparing the ship for removal. He was unable to get free and lost a lot of blood before a fellow diver was able to bring him to the surface. The diver, who was not yet identified, was the first to die in the line of work  on the decaying ship. The cruise liner slammed into a reef off Giglio island on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 passengers and crew.

THE WEEKEND BOX OFFICE FROM BOX OFFICE MOJO

ROCK NEWS:

NEIL NOTES MOTLEY CRUE “NOT BREAKING UP”

During a radio interview last week, Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil was careful to make the distinction between the band announcing it will never tour again following its “Final Tour,” and the band breaking up. The singer said, “Here’s the thing.” Motley Crue’s not breaking up. We’re still gonna be making music. We’ll probably…do songs for certain things. Motley Crue will still be around, we’re just not gonna tour anymore. That’s really kind of it.” The band’s The Final Tour kicks off on July 2 in Grand Rapids, MI, with Alice Cooper opening the shows.

BONO INSISTS “INVISIBLE” PAINTS PICTURE OF NEXT U2 ALBUM

After taking the wraps off U2’s new song “Invisible” during Sunday’s Super Bowl, singer Bono said the song isn’t actually the first official release off the band’s forthcoming album. He told Rolling Stone, “’Invisible’ is not the album’s first single. We have another song we’re excited about to kick off the album. This is just sort of a sneak preview – to remind people we exist.” U2 will serve as the first musical guest when Jimmy Fallon takes over for Jay Leno on The Tonight Show on February 17.

STANLEY SETS SCHEDULE FOR SERIES OF BOOK SIGNINGS

Now that he’s finally put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard?), Kiss singer/guitarist Paul Stanley will support the April 8 release of his long-awaited autobiography, Face the Music: A Life Exposed, with several book signings. Stanley will be signing copies of his memoir at Barnes and Nobles locations in New York City on April 7 and Staten Island on the 8^th, Bookends in Ridgewood, NJ on the 9^th, Barnes and Noble in Los Angeles on April 16 and at the Jewish Community Center in San Francisco on April 25. Meanwhile, Kiss will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT COMES BACK TO LIFE, KICKS OFF NEW TOUR

Just short of a decade after putting the final nail in its coffin following a 16-year career, punk rockers Rocket from the Crypt have resurrected and are out on tour. The way frontman John Reis sees it, the group called it quits because “Interest in the band was waning.” Today, he tellsRolling Stone, “It seemed like people were interested again because we went away.” Rocket from the Crypt’s current tour kicked off last week in San Diego and following seven shows in Australia picks up again in San Francisco on March 28 and runs through April 5 in Washington, DC.

KODALINE TACKS ON SECOND L.A. TO UPCOMING “LOVE LIKE THIS” TOUR

Irish foursome Kodaline has happily added a second Los Angeles show to its now 20-date forthcoming Love Like This Tour. The new gig will take place on February 28. The North American trek will get underway this Saturday in Toronto, and will hit cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, Denver and Minneapolis before wrapping in Chicago on March 7. Kodaline’s debut album, In a Perfect World, was released in October.

PEARCY SAYS RATT READY TO CRAWL BACK INTO OUT OF THE CELLAR

This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of Ratt’s 1984 debut album Out of the Cellar, and according to frontman Stephen Pearcy, he hopes to turn back the clock on the band’s next studio effort. The singer said, “[Guitarist] Warren [DeMartini] and I are spearheading the next record to be what it should be: a more Out of the Cellar thing. Just real hardcore, basically. We have so much good music we haven’t even tapped into. It’s good stuff.”

THE BEATLES: WE LOVE THEM, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH

In anticipation of this Sunday’s 50^th anniversary of the Beatles’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, we’ve collected some rare soundbytes from John, Paul,George and Ringo talking about the dawning of Beatlemania. First, here’s Ringo on arriving at New York City’s JFK Airport on February 7, 1964. Next, Paul Talks to the BBC about touching down at JFK.

LETTERMAN LISTS ACTS SET FOR BEATLES WEEK ON THE LATE SHOW

CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman will celebrate the impending 50^th anniversary of theBeatles’ first performance on The Ed Sullivan Show with a week-long series of musical tributes to the Fab Four. Tonight, indie rock duo Broken Bells will sing “And I Love Her;” Sting will perform “Drive My Car” on Tuesday; Lenny Kravitz will tackle an as-yet undetermined Beatles classic on Wednesday; Sean Lennon, the son of John Lennon, will join rockers the Flaming Lips for a rendition of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” on Thursday, and Friday’s lineup will be announced later this week.

JOHN AND YOKO INTERVIEWS COLLECTED IN 8-CD BOX SET

The exhaustive eight-CD box set, I’m Not The Beatles: The John & Yoko Interviews with Howard Smith 1969-1972, will be released on April 14. As its title implies, the collection contains John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s five extensive conversations with Village Voicejournalist and radio host Howard Smith, discussing “music, love, creativity, peace and politics” post-Beatles, none of which have ever been available on CD.

SHOWBIZ NEWS:

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN DEAD AT 46

Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead of an apparent drug overdose in his New York apartment yesterday. He was 46. The actor, who was nominated for a total of four Academy Awards and won Best Actor for Capote, was discovered by a playwright friend who went to check on him after he failed to pick up his kids Sunday morning. According to cops, Hoffman was found in his bathroom with a needle in his arm. Five empty bags of what was believed to have been heroin were found near the body, along with three unused bags. “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Phil and appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have received from everyone,” read a statement from his family. “This is a tragic and sudden loss and we ask that you respect our privacy during this time of grieving. Please keep Phil in your thoughts and prayers.” Hoffman had a history of drug addiction and checked himself in to rehab last May.   He had reportedly been clean for 23 years before relapsing in 2013. He most recently appeared in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and was due to appear in the film’s third installment Mockingjay as well. According to Lionsgate, the studio behind the film, Hoffman was just seven days shy of completing his work on Mockingjay.   His role is not expected to be recast, although it will likely be scaled back.

DYLAN FARROW REVEALS SHOCKING ABUSE BY WOODY ALLEN

Over the weekend, The New York Times ran a letter written by Woody Allen’s adopted daughterDylan Farrow in which she detailed the sexual abuse she says she endured at the hands of the famous director. “What's your favorite Woody Allen movie? Before you answer, you should know: when I was seven years old, Woody Allen took me by the hand and led me into a dim, closet-like attic on the second floor of our house," Farrow, now 28, wrote. "He told me to lay on my stomach and play with my brother’s electric train set. Then he sexually assaulted me." Allen was first accused of abusing Dylan back in 1993, but he has always denied it. Dylan says that because of the abuse she began cutting herself and also developed an eating disorder. Dylan finally decided to speak out after Woody was given another Oscar nomination for his film Blue Jasmine. "It felt like a personal rebuke, like the awards and accolades were a way to tell me to shut up and go away,” she wrote. “But the survivors of sexual abuse who have reached out to me – to support me and to share their fears of coming forward, of being called a liar, of being told their memories aren’t their memories – have given me a reason to not be silent, if only so others know that they don't have to be silent either."

ALLEN’S TEAM DENIES ALLEGATIONS

Meanwhile, on Sunday, a lawyer and a publicist for Woody Allen rejected Dylan Farrow’saccusations of sexual abuse. The lawyer seemed to blame Dylan’s mom, and Woody’s ex Mia Farrow. “It is tragic that after 20 years a story engineered by a vengeful lover resurfaces after it was fully vetted and rejected by independent authorities,” read the statement from lawyer Elkan Abramowitz. “The one to blame for Dylan's distress is neither Dylan nor Woody Allen.” The publicist added, “Mr. Allen has read the article and found it untrue and disgraceful. He will be responding very soon…At the time, a thorough investigation was conducted by court appointed independent experts. The experts concluded there was no credible evidence of molestation; that Dylan Farrow had an inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality; and that Dylan Farrow had likely been coached by her mother Mia Farrow. No charges were ever filed.”

COP INVESTIGATED FOR SNAPPING BIEBER

Another Justin Bieber investigation is going on in Miami, but this time it’s the police who may have done something wrong. According to TMZ, Miami PD is investigating whether a female patrol officer tried to take a picture of the pop star while he was in custody. The officer had no connection to the arrest and a sergeant saw her pull out her cell phone to attempt a snapshot. The sergeant blocked the photo and then ordered the woman out of the area. She was later written up for “conduct unbecoming an officer.”

GPS SHOWS BIEBER WASN’T SPEEDING

In other Justin Bieber news…TMZ got ahold of GPS records from the rented Lamborghini Justin was driving when he was arrested in Miami and they say it proves the 19-year-old couldn’t possibly have been drag racing. Cops claimed Justin and his friend Khalil were going between 55 and 60 when they were stopped, but the report shows Justin was only going 27 mph at the time of the supposed drag race, which was under the 30 mph speed limit. Cops also say two Escalades were stopped to block traffic for the racers, but a report shows the Escalade Bieber’s dad was driving didn’t stop until Justin was arrested.

IN OTHER JUSTIN BIEBER NEWS…

A picture hit the Internet over the weekend showing Justin Bieber and friend Khalil sucking on the breast of a stripper at a recent party. Sources say the stripper was hired to “perform” for Justin and his friends at an L.A. recording studio.

Bieber was in New York for the Super Bowl over the weekend, but it did not go without incident. When his private jet arrived in New Jersey it was held at the airport for several hours while police searched it because it “smelled of pot.” No drugs were found and Justin and his entourage were later allowed to leave the airport.

DEMI HAPPY BUT NOT ENGAGED

Demi Lovato was gushing about her boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama last week, but despite tabloid reports they are not engaged. Rumors that Wilmer had popped the question started last week after Demi posted a picture of herself on social media with what looked like an engagement ring. Adding fuel to the fire, Demi captioned the picture with a series of heart emoticons, and the message, “'Sooooo I don't think I've ever been happier in my life than this very moment that I am fully living in….” Then on Thursday she posted a collage of pictures with Wilmer along with the message, “To the funniest, most inspiring, incredible man I know.. @WValderrama – thank you for helping me get through my darkest moments.. You truly are a light to this world and to my life.. Happy Birthday!!!” But despite what appears to be strong evidence, reps for the 21-year-old star deny the pair is engaged.

J.K. ROWLING’S POTTER REGRETS

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling now says she wishes Harry had ended up with good friend Hermione in the books, instead of Hermione falling for Ron Weasley. "I wrote the Hermione/Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfillment," Rowling tells Wonderland magazine guest editor and Hermione portrayer Emma Watson. "That's how it was conceived, really. For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron." Rowling admits the differences in Ron and Hermione probably would become a problem later in their marriage. "I know, I'm sorry, I can hear the rage and fury it might cause some fans, but if I'm absolutely honest, distance has given me perspective on that," said Rowling. "It was a choice I made for very personal reasons, not for reasons of credibility." She then added, “Am I breaking people's hearts by saying this? I hope not."

HOUSEWIVES FEUD: RAMONA VS. JILL

Real Housewives of New York City’s Ramona Singer is not happy Jill Zarin is trying to get a little publicity at her expense. After word hit the press last week that Ramona was ending her 22-year marriage to husband Mario, Zarin tweeted, "I am glad you finally told the truth @ramonasinger. I hope he gets what he deserves. Mario CHOKED her." One of Singer’s fans noticed the tweet, and asked. "Why in the hell is @jillZarin discussing anything at all about @ramonasinger?" adding, “STFU Jill. You nor your gossip are relevant." Ramona apparently agreed, and quickly tweeted, "Think it's sad she feels the need to use my personal business to try to make herself relevant."

FAMILY OF HUGH’S LOVE CHILD WANTS A VISIT

The family of Anna Eberstein, the Swedish woman who gave birth to Hugh Grant’s love child, says the actor has yet to meet anyone in the family. Anna’s aunt Elizabeth Berggren told The Mirror that while Anna visited them in Sweden several times since the child’s birth 16 months ago, Hugh has never accompanied her. “We all love the baby to bits….we are thrilled Hugh is the father but he has not been to visit yet,” said Elizabeth. “We’d love it if he did and we would give him a warm welcome.” Elizabeth adds that the baby resembles his mom’s side of the family. “It’s funny, the baby does not look like (Hugh), he looks more like Anna’s mom when she was little,” said Elizabeth.

MANDEL SUED

Howie Mandel and TBS are being sued by a Los Angeles restaurant owner who claims the comedian’s prank show ruined his establishment. The owner of Cowboys and Turbans says that when the show Deal With It filmed there in October they trashed a piano, as well as furniture and patio heaters, causing $104,408 worth of damages. The owner is seeking damages and attorney’s fees.

CELEBRITY FRIEND OFFERED TO HELP ARNOLD HAVE A CHILD

Tom Arnold revealed on The Wendy Williams Show that when he and his wife Ashley were having fertility issues, Parenthood star Dax Shepard offered to help them. Tom had gone through years of in-vitro with four different women and when his current wife suffered her second miscarriage he thought about using a sperm donor. "I think the thing is, as a husband, because I'd been down this road, I knew in my heart it wouldn't work,” he said. “I wanted to go immediately to a doctor. I wanted to do a sperm donor. My friend Dax Shepard offered to donate his sperm. And his wife Kristen Bell allowed that. And it was about the nicest thing ever. And I wanted to do that but Ashley wanted to keep trying." Turns out, before Arnold could take Dax up on his offer Ashley became pregnant again, and the couple welcomed son Jax in April, 2013.

CELEBRITY BABY NEWS

Owen Wilson is a dad again. The actor and his personal trainer Caroline Lindqvist welcomed a baby boy on Thursday. So far a name for the child has not been released. Owen also has a three-year-old son, Ford, from a previous relationship.

Kristin Cavallari and her NFL star husband Jay Cutler announced over the weekend they are expecting another boy. The couple, who tied the knot in June 2013, is already parents to 17-month-old Camden.

Kevin Jonas and his wife Danielle welcomed a baby girl on Sunday. Alena Rose Jonas is the first child for the couple, who married in 2009.

SCARLETT BUYS HAMPTONS HOME

Scarlett Johansson has bought herself a summer home. The actress, who just split from the humanitarian organization Oxfam over her gig with SodaStream, has purchased a $2.2 million home in the Hamptons. The 3,500-square-foot, custom-built pad sits on 1.4 acres in Amagansett, and features four bedrooms, including a master suite with its own balcony.

FIRST LADY A FAN OF SCANDAL

ABC’s Scandal has a new, very important, fan. First Lady Michelle Obama confessed during an interview that she recently began binge-watching the Kerry Washington hit. “You know what, I hadn’t watched it until this past vacation — we went to Hawaii so I had a long flight — so I watched all the seasons,” she said. “I caught up on Scandal, I never watched it … I love Kerry Washington, she is amazing, so it makes the show fun, it really does, it was fun to watch.”

LONDON TO GET BACK TO THE FUTURE MUSICAL

A musical version of the 1985 Michael J. Fox hit Back to the Future is coming to the London stage. “The Power of Love” and “Johnny B. Goode” are among the tunes set to appear in the show, along with new music to be written by Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri. The musical is expected to debut on London’s West End stage in 2015, which happens to be the 20^th anniversary of the film.

TV TIDBITS

● Law & Order’s Dianne Wiest has landed a role on NBC’s The Blacklist. She’ll play the head of Amnesty United, an organization that fights against the death penalty. The Blacklist is currently on a break for the Winter Olympics, but will return to the schedule Monday, February 24^th.

● Syfy is moving forward with a sequel to their hit film Sharknado. Sharkando 2: The Second One,which will again star Ian Ziering and Tara Reid, will see a freak weather system in New York turn deadly, unleashing a “sharknado” on the city’s population.

MISCELLANEOUS MOVIE NEWS

●  The Social Network’s Jesse Eisenberg and Reversal of Fortune’s Jeremy Irons will join Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck in Zac Snyder’s Batman vs. Superman flick. Jesse will play the iconic Superman villain Lex Luthor, while Irons will play Batman, aka Bruce Wayne’s trusted valet Alfred.

● David O. Russell is looking to re-team with Jennifer Lawrence for a third time. Russell, who already directed Lawrence in American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook, is in talks to write and direct a biopic of Joy Mangano, the inventor of the Miracle Mop, who transformed herself from a single mother in Long Island to a QVC star. Sources say Russell is eyeing Lawrence for the lead role, although so far no deals have been made.

● Universal Pictures has announced a slew of new movie release dates. Among them: Pitch Perfect 2, which will hit theaters May 15^th, 2015; Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak, due out October 16^th, 2015 and A Walk Among the Tombstones, starring Liam Neeson and Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens, which comes out September 19^th, 2014.

 ● SNL’s Bill Hader is in talks to join Amy Schumer in Judd Apatow’s next project Trainwreck. The plot of the film is being kept under wraps. It is due in theaters July 24^th, 2015.

● Shia LaBeouf has apparently decided not to retire. The Transformers star will join Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Danny McBride and Zooey Deschanel in Rock the Kasbah, an indie comedy directed by Barry Levinson. The film centers around a has-been rock manager who takes his last remaining client on a USO tour of Afghanistan.

● Constance Zimmer is returning to Entourage. The actress will reprise her role of Dana Gordon in the upcoming movie based on the popular HBO series.