TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4
NATIONAL HEADLINES:
1ST OF 3 WINTRY STORMS HITS EAST COAST
The first of three wintry storms forecast for this week hit the East Coast yesterday. Nearly 1,000 flights were cancelled – the majority at Philadelphia International, Newark, New Jersey, and New York’s LaGuardia airport. As much as eight inches of snow was expected from Boston to Washington, D.C. A second storm was developing in the Rockies and could dump 5 to 10 inches of snow from Colorado to Iowa today. That storm will make its way to the East Coast Wednesday, bringing rain, sleet and snow along the coast. A third storm is expected to sweep across the country near the end of the week, bringing a potential Nor’easter next weekend. Meanwhile yesterday, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said a "severe weather warning and preparedness task force" will recommend how the state can better prepare for storms. Roughly 2 inches of snowfall largely shut down metro Atlanta last week, and Deal hopes to avoid a repeat of that.
YELLEN SWORN IN AS NEW FED CHIEF
Janet Yellen was sworn in yesterday as the first female chair of the Federal Reserve. The 67-year-old was confirmed by the Senate in early January and she assumes duties from previous Fed chair Ben Bernanke. According to the Washington Post, Yellen has requested that the Fed’s staff refer to her as “Fed chair” instead of “chairwoman.” Bernanke is set to join Washington, D.C. think tank the Brookings Institution as a distinguished fellow. He served as Fed chair from 2006 through January 2014.
FISHERMAN SURVIVES 13 MONTHS LOST AT SEA
It was a real-life Castaway situation for this fisherman. Jose Salvador Alvarenga, 37, arrived ashore yesterday after reportedly spending more than a year lost at sea. Alvarenga, who had long hair and a scruffy beard, washed up on the remote Marshall Islands, some 5,500 miles from Mexico. He said a storm blew his boat off course during a shark fishing trip off the coast of Mexico in December 2012 and he survived 13 months by eating fish, birds and turtles. He said he also drank bird blood to quench his thirst. His companion on the boat, a teenager named Ezekiel, died a month after they became lost. After a medical check is complete, Alvarenga – who is from El Salvador but had been working in Mexico before his ordeal – hopes to go home. Officials are hoping to verify his story.
MICHIGAN AUTHORITIES SEARCHING FOR ESCAPED CONVICT
Michigan authorities yesterday located a stolen Jeep that had been hijacked by an escaped prisoner. Convicted murderer Michael David Elliot, 40, broke out of the Ionia Correctional Facility Sunday disguised as a prison worker. He abducted a woman using a knife or box cutter and forced her to drive to Elkhart, Indiana, but the woman managed to escape when he stopped for gas. Her red Jeep was later found abandoned, police said. Elliot was serving life behind bars for fatally shooting four people and burning down their Gladwin County house in 1993. Elliot and his accomplices were trying to steal money from a drug dealer.
HOMELESS MAN ATTACKED BY MOUNTAIN LION IN CALI
A 50-year-old homeless man was believed to have been attacked by a mountain lion in California over the weekend. The unidentified man suffered severe injuries to his face, chest, head and arms, according to officials. He was injured near a makeshift shelter near Highway 74 in Perris, and was taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery. He’s expected to survive. Authorities have placed baited traps in an attempt to catch the lion and have warned residents in the area to be on the lookout.
ROCK NEWS:
STP S.T.O.P.’S RUMORS “RECORDING DELAYS” CAUSED NIXED GIGS
The members of Stone Temple Pilots are hoping to correct the record regarding reports that the band’s recording schedule forced them to bail on planned concerts in Australia and elsewhere. In a statement posted on Facebook, the band states: “We regret that, due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, our forthcoming tour dates in Australia, the Middle East and Hawaii have had to be cancelled. An initial statement citing ‘recording delays’ wasn’t true – the conflict wasn’t related to recording new STP material.”
GUNS N’ ROSES READY RETURN TO SIN CITY FOR SECOND RESIDENCY
It appears Guns N’ Roses will head back to Las Vegas for a new round of shows at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The Sin City hotspot posted a teaser image with the band’s logo, writing, “coming spring 2014,” and “Text GNR to 97580 to be the first to hear the big news.” Neither the band nor venue has issued a statement confirming what would be the groups’ second residency at the resort.
ARCTIC MONKEYS ADDED TO READING & LEEDS FESTIVALS LINEUPS
British indie rock favorites Arctic Monkeys have been added as headliners for the historic Reading and Leeds festivals in the UK this summer. Drummer Matt Helders told Britain’s NME, “We’ve got a lot of history with the festival. It’s the first festival I ever went to, we all went to as kids… We were 15 or 16 and it was a big deal going to a festival like that on your own.” The duel festivals will take place August 22-24.
MASTODON MOUNTING 13-SHOW SPRING TOUR
Heavy metal heroes Mastodon will hit the road for a series of 13 U.S. tour dates, starting April 29 in Portland, OR. Additional stops on the headlining trek include Oakland, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Washington, DC, New York Boston, Philadelphia and Columbus, OH, where the run will end on May 18. Mastodon is wrapping work on its forthcoming sixth studio album, with details to be announced soon.
LAWYER USES HEAVY METAL AS SOUNDTRACK TO SUPER BOWL AD
A Savannah, GA personal injury attorney used the hard-hitting heavy metal track “Devil Gets Your Soul” by composer Nick Nolan to help nail down his message in a local two-minute ad that aired during the Super Bowl on Sunday. In the commercial, lawyer Jamie Casino claims he used to defend “cold-hearted villains” before converting to defend innocent victims of senseless crimes after his little brother and his friend were killed.
SIMMONS SCOLDS “STUPID” ROCK STARS WHO ABUSE THEIR BODIES
In a recent interview, Kiss singer/bassist Gene Simmons again railed at rockers who drink too much and take drugs. The soon-to-be Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee said, “There is a smart rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle and a stupid rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. But in the end the coolest rock stars are all dead. Jimi Hendrix is dead, Jim Morrison is dead, Kurt Cobain is dead… I am clever and I’ll survive because I live a smart rock ‘n’ roll life. I’ve never done drugs and it’s a personal choice… You should get the best from your life, without giving up any part of it.”
PLANT SUPPORTED UK TV HOST DURING BATTLE WITH CANCER
A longtime friend of Led Zeppelin and singer Robert Plant in particular is crediting the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with helping him beat back prostate cancer. Bob Harris, who befriended Plant when he was the host of the 70s UK music show The Old Grey Whistle Test, told Britain’s Mirror, “When it looked as though it really got serious again, and I really needed to talk to somebody about this…I phoned Robert Plant, and he offers such unbelievably good advice. He really saw me through that moment, and then when we got the all clear again, he said, ‘Fine, OK. Well, I’m not going to be phoning you every single day now.’”
DEPECHE MODE CATALOG COMING ON VINYL, STARTING TODAY
Starting today, Rhino Records will begin reissuing the back catalog of Depeche Mode on vinyl. Albums available today include Some Great Reward, Music for the Masses, Songs of Faith and Devotion and Black Celebration. On March 25, DM LPs will be out for the albums A Broken Flame,Ultra, Construction Time Again and Violator, and on May 27 fans can pick up fresh 12” versions ofSpeak and Spell, Exciter, Playing the Angel and Sounds of the Universe.
FLAMING LIPS’ COYNE CEMENTS 5 NEW STOPS ON RECORD STORE TOUR
Preparing to press more flesh with fans, Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne has lined up five more meet and greet gatherings as part of his Record Store Tour, during which he is signing copies of the band’s first-ever EP, The Flaming Lips 1st EP. Starting this Saturday, Coyne will converse with fans in New York, Brooklyn, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Meanwhile, on Thursday the Flaming Lips will pay tribute to the Beatles with a performance on The Late Show with David Letterman in celebration of the Fab Four’s first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, 50 years ago this Sunday, February 9.
THE BEATLES: WE LOVE THEM, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH
In anticipation of this Sunday’s 50th 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 are snippets of the Fab Four’s first press conference at New York City’s JFK Airport on February 7, 1964. Next, Ed Sullivan introduces the Beatles to America.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES
New albums out today: Augustines – Augustines; Broken Bells – After the Disco; The John Butler Trio – Flesh & Blood; Within Temptation – Hydra; Behemoth – Satanist.
SHOWBIZ NEWS:
THE LATEST ON PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN’S DEATH
TMZ reports that police are looking into whether a deadly strain of heroin was responsible for the death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. Insiders say cops do not know exactly what type of heroin was found in the actor’s apartment, but they are currently tracking a strain laced with fentanyl, a potent drug prescribed for terminal cancer patients, that has already killed over 40 people on the East Coast in the last month. The site also says cops found as much as 50 bags of heroin. Fox 411 reports that a witness told police he saw Hoffman purchase drugs from two men outside a bank near his apartment around 8 pm Saturday. Meanwhile, Radaronline reports that those close to Hoffman weren’t so shocked by his death Sunday. An insider says Hoffman’s addiction was so bad he had been spending upwards of $10,000 a month on heroin and he had also been using Oxycontin. “He was what we call a heavy red liner,” said a source. “That means he liked to shoot (heroin) with a needle, but he also sniffed it daily. And was majorly hooked on Oxy, too.”
HUNGER GAMES CAST REACT TO HOFFMAN’S DEATH
Jennifer Lawrence and the rest of the Hunger Games cast and crew are mourning the loss of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was found dead Sunday of an apparent heroin overdose. "Words cannot convey the devastating loss we are all feeling right now," read a statement from Lawrence, director Francis Lawrence, author Suzanne Collins, and others on behalf of theHunger Games team. "Philip was a wonderful person and an exceptional talent, and our hearts are breaking. Our deepest condolences go out to his family." Hoffman joined the franchise in Catching Fire, playing game maker Plutarch Heavensbee. Reports claim he had about seven days left of shooting on the final installment Mockingjay.
FORMER CO-STARS PAY TRIBUTE TO HOFFMAN
Also paying tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman is his Talented Mr. Ripley co-star Gwyneth Paltrow, who posted a photo of herself, Hoffman and Jude Law taken during the filming of the 1990 drama. The shot was captioned, “Ischia 1998, post dinner, post shooting…Philip was a true genius. #philipseymourhoffman.” George Clooney, who directed Hoffman in The Ides of March, told the Hollywood Reporter, “There are no words. It’s just terrible.” And his Charlie Wilson’s Warco-star Tom Hanks added, “This is a horrible day for those who worked with Philip. He was a great talent. Our hearts are open for his family.”
SUPERNATURAL STAR GETS FLACK OVER HOFFMAN TWEET
Meanwhile, Supernatural star Jared Padalecki was criticized for his tweet about Philip Seymour Hoffman. Writing about the actor’s death, the 31-year-old tweeted, “‘Sad’ isn't the word I'd use to describe a 46 year old man throwing his life away to drugs. ‘Senseless’ is more like it. ‘Stupid.’" After receiving tons of negative feedback from Twitter followers, Jared deleted the tweet but then went on to explain, “I didn’t mean PSH is stupid or that addiction isn’t a reality. I simply meant I have a different definition of ‘tragedy,’” adding “When I think ‘tragedy’ I think of St Judes, of genocide, of articles I read in the paper. But, yes, either way, a death, is sad.”
LINDSAY BANNED FROM NEW YORK NIGHTCLUBS
Lindsay Lohan has worn out her welcome on the New York club scene. According to the New York Post, the Mean Girls star has been banned from several Manhattan hotspots, most recently being denied access to 1Oak on Friday. “She stared the doorman down and was surprised they wouldn’t let her in,” said a witness. “She was definitely shaken up.” Sources say the ban was put in place Thursday after Lindsay accused someone of stealing her fur coat. Witnesses say that after stars like Paris Hilton, Kate Upton and Ryan Phillippe easily walked into the club, Lindsay “turned away to her friends and looked really embarrassed.”
MILEY DISSES YOUNGER FANS
Miley Cyrus became a superstar thanks to her young fans, but it sounds like she really doesn’t care about them anymore. Miley’s naked on the cover of the March issue of W magazine, and inside she shows contempt for the fans who helped make her famous. "I don't love kids. They're so f—ing mean,” she says. "Sometimes I hear kids with their parents, and I want to go over and, like, smack them myself. Like, if they meet me, they'll be like, 'Mom, don't you know how to use an iPhone? Like, can you take the picture?' I'm like, 'Dude, if I ever talked to my mom like that when I was a kid, I would have had no phone, no computer, no TV, no anything.'"
AMBER HANGS OUT WITH JOHNNY’S DAUGHTER
Amber Heard was seen bonding with fiancé Johnny Depp’s daughter Lily-Rose during a shopping trip in Los Angeles Sunday. Amber and the 14-year-old were spotted having lunch at Fred Segal, before enjoying a day of retail therapy. Sources say Lily-Rose and the 27-year-old Amber got along instantly. They reportedly met soon after Amber started dating Johnny.
MODEL ANNE V SPLITS FROM MLB STAR
Victoria’s Secret model Anne V (Vyalitsyna) is single again. Us Weekly reports the 27-year-old has split from New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey after eight months of dating. “The split was amicable and they remain good friends,” said a source. Anne V previously dated Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine.
FORMER DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES STAR OPENS UP ABOUT ADDICTION
Former Desperate Housewives star Shawn Pyfrom, who played Bree Van de Kamp’s gay son Andrew, is opening up about his addiction issues. "Against the advice of others; I had to write this open letter. I can't stay quiet anymore about this…I am an alcoholic and a drug addict," he wrote on his Tumblr page. "And yesterday I celebrated five months of sobriety.” He added, "I've considered what's at stake, for myself, by sharing this—but I find myself without regard for that. I won't allow my selfish needs to get in the way of potentially reaching another human being's life." Pyfrom decided to share his story after hearing of the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman, explaining he, “could not hear of another person being robbed of their life, due to addiction; knowing that I stayed quiet about mine. Knowing that if, by sharing my story, I could potentially save a life—and didn't; that I would no longer be able to look myself in the mirror with the same pride I've allowed myself to have, for overcoming the thing that almost took my life."
COVER OF VANITY FAIR HOLLYWOOD ISSUE REVEALED
Vanity Fair has released the first look at their annual Hollywood issue. Stars on the cover includeGeorge Clooney, Julia Roberts, Idris Elba and Chiwetel Ejiofor, while Jared Leto, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Naomie Harris, Brie Larson, Chadwick Boseman, Margot Robbieand Lea Seydoux are featured in the foldout.
MISCELLANEOUS MOVIE NEWS
● Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz will star in the film The Lobster, the English-language debut of Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos. The film is described as an unconventional love story set in a world where finding a partner is a matter of life and death.
TV TIDBITS
● Former Quantum Leap star Scott Bakula will star in the next NCIS spin-off, set in New Orleans. Bakula will appear in a two-part episode of NCIS that will serve as a back-door pilot for the new show. He’ll play NCIS Special Agent Pride, who works in the New Orleans office, which handles cases everywhere from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle.
