Thank you Flagger's for a great Hoe Down!

Hey, Thanks to all you Flaggers that came out to the Hoe Down today! It was great time and very nice to meet ya'll and just hang out for awhile! Congrats to the all the winners!!

I look forward to talking to you on Monday Morning.

BIG WEEKEND AHEAD!

TGIF Flagers! Big weekend ahead! Tomorrow (Saturday) starting at 10am it's The K-Flag Hoe-Down! Where: The Findlay Motor Company on The Parkway in BHC What: Reb's Big Red Hair Contest...Audience applause pics the winner, bring your friends! Free Bar-B-Q, 100 Corvettes on display, The K-Flag big ass prize wheel will be... there, spin to win George Strait, Reba concert Tickets! CYA there!

KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC UPDATE

Lady Antebellum will be front and center at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday (January 31st) night for the Grammy Awards. In addition to their two nominations for Best Country Performance by A Duo Or Group With Vocals and Best Country Song for "I Run To You", the trio will perform during the three-plus hour live broadcast.

Lady A members Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood are thrilled to be such a big part of the Grammys this year, but they're also a little overwhelmed, Dave tells us:"The Grammy night, especially this year, is gonna be, I think, a little nerve-wracking. I mean, we're performing on the show, which is an unbelievable honor. I mean, they announced us in the first round, too. It's like Beyonce, Lady A and (Dave and Hillary Scott) Black Eyed Peas. I mean, it's huge. (Hillary) What? (Dave) It's really huge for us. It's our chance to hopefully, you know, step up to the plate and make something happen. Hopefully that'll kind of make us forget about the nominations that night as well (laughs).

The group is bound to be nervous to take the stage with so many superstars in the audience, but Hillary tells us she already has a plan. "When all else fails you look past the first 20 rows and look up into the crowd of the Staples Center. It's like, if you get a little too nervous and you're like, 'Oh crap! There's Bono, there's Jay-Z and Beyonce . . . ' If you start to let yourself go there, the nerves are gonna continue to just kind of feed off of themselves, so you kind of have to make it about, 'I'm gonna sing to the fans who are up in the nosebleeds.' Like, I hope that everybody in the first 20 rows really digs what we do, but we have to focus on the people beyond that."

• Lady Antebellum will perform at the MusiCares Tribute to Neil Young in Los Angeles tonight (Friday, January 29th).
• Their new CD, Need You Now, was released earlier this week. The trio is on track to sell more than 325,000 copies this week. If that happens, Lady A will debut at Number One spot on the Billboard pop and country charts next week.

FAST FACTS

• Lady Antebellum hasn't had to wait too long for success -- the trio wasn't even formed until 2006.
• Prior to signing to Capitol Records, the group made its debut as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone."

Forecasts of bad winter storms are the reason that George Strait and Reba McEntire are postponing this weekend's scheduled shows in Knoxville, Tennessee and Charlottesville, Virginia.

George issued a statement saying, "Due to our concern for the safety of our fans and crew, we are rescheduling shows this weekend. We regret the change but it's
best to take all the necessary precautions."

Tonight's (Friday, January 29th) show at the Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville has been rescheduled for April 2nd, while Saturday's (Janaury 30th) performance at the JPJ Arena will now happen on April 3rd.

• Forecasters in Knoxville are predicting six or more inches of snow on top of a freezing rain, while in Charlottesville, meteorologists are anticipating the possibility of double that amount.
• George and Reba's tour, featuring special guest Lee Ann Womack, will resume on February 5th in Phoenix.
• George is nominated for three Grammy awards at Sunday's (January 31st) show. He's up for Best Country Album for Twang, Best Country Collaboration for "Everything But Quits" with Lee Ann Womack, and Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Living For The Night."

FAST FACTS

• The new George and Reba tour just kicked off last weekend.
• It wraps up on April 10th in Des Moines.

Despite reports to the contrary, Taylor Swift and Kanye West have no plans to collaborate. Outlets have reported that the two will team up for a remake of the 1985 charity ensemble hit, "We Are The World." The alleged recording session was supposed to take place on Monday (February 1st) in Los Angeles, the day after the Grammys, but a spokesperson for Taylor told GossipCop.com that the 20-year-old will not attend any such recording session. In fact, Taylor has to head to the airport as soon as the award show wraps to fly to Australia for a string of dates there.

Taylor is nominated for eight trophies at Sunday (January 31st) night's Grammy Awards. All eyes will be on Taylor that night, as she is the critics' choice to win big, but the singer still has not decided on an outfit for the show. On Wednesday (January 27th), she told US Weekly magazine, "I still have to find something to wear, but I think it'll all come together the day before!"

• Taylor is scheduled to perform during the live broadcast, which airs on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

The Super Bowl XLIV (44) pre-game festivities will kick off with Carrie Underwood's performance of the national anthem. Queen Latifah has also been tapped to perform "America the Beautiful" before the big game between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts, which will take place at Sun Life Stadium in Miami on Sunday, February 7th. The performances will be televised live on CBS beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

• Previous country stars who have sung the anthem prior to a Super Bowl include Garth Brooks, Faith Hill and the Dixie Chicks.
• The NFL previously announced that The Who will perform in the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show.

FAST FACTS

• More than 151 million viewers in the U.S. watched last year's Super Bowl, the most-watched television program in history.
• The pregame show and Super Bowl XLIV will be broadcast worldwide in more than 230 countries and territories.

Dierks Bentley is becoming a regular fixture at the Grammy Awards. The singer is again nominated this year for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for "Beautiful World," a duet with Patty Griffin on Dierks' current Feel That Fire CD. Dierks tells us that working with Patty was a dream come true, not to mention sharing a Grammy nomination. "Just looking at my album and seeing her name on the back of the album, that we did a song together, is really special to me, so just to hear that our name will be called out as a nomination, especially for a song that wasn't even a single. All the other songs that we're goin' up against -- well, most of 'em -- were singles. It's just an album cut, but it's a powerful song and I'll save whatever nomination card I get. Whether we win or not, I'll save that as some sort of plaque somewhere cause it means just as much to me as winning would be."

In addition to the possibility of taking home a trophy, Dierks says he is excited about being part of the whole Grammy experience. "This is my third time going to the Grammys, I think, and I enjoy it every time more and more cause I really do enjoy the whole circus that it is and enjoy being part of it and appreciate it more every time cause you never know when it's gonna be your last time, so I enjoy lookin' around at everything that there is. On the country scene, we're a pretty tight-knit community and you know everybody. It's a different kind of deal. This is more like a spectacle, with all the rock and pop and craziness. I love soakin' it in and all the parties and all the free beer and food. I love it!"The 52nd annual Grammy Awards takes place on Sunday (January 31st). The show will air live from Los Angeles on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

• Dierks continues to work on his next album, which will be a bluegrass CD. No release date has been set yet.

The 52nd annual Grammy Awards takes place on Sunday (January 31st) in Los Angeles. The show will air live from the Staples Center on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

Here is the rundown of country nominees in ll categories:

Record Of The Year
"Halo" - Beyonce
"I Gotta Feeling" - The Black Eyed Peas
"Use Somebody" - Kings Of Leon
"Poker Face" - Lady Gaga
"You Belong With Me" - Taylor Swift

Album Of The Year
I Am... Sasha Fierce - Beyonce
The E.N.D. - The Black Eyed Peas
The Fame - Lady Gaga
Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King - Dave Matthews Band
Fearless - Taylor Swift

Song Of The Year
"Poker Face" - Lady Gaga & RedOne, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
"Pretty Wings" - Hod David & Musze, songwriters (Maxwell)
"Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" - Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Beyonce)
"Use Somebody" - Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon)
"You Belong With Me" - Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

Best New Artist
Zac Brown Band
Keri Hilson
MGMT
Silversun Pickups
The Ting Tings

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
"Hometown Glory" - Adele
"Halo" - Beyonce
"Hot N Cold" - Katy Perry
"Sober" - Pink
"You Belong With Me" - Taylor Swift

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
"Sea Of Heartbreak" - Rosanne Cash & Bruce Springsteen
"Love Sex Magic" - Ciara & Justin Timberlake
"Lucky" - Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
"Baby, It's Cold Outside" - Willie Nelson & Norah Jones
"Breathe" - Taylor Swift & Colbie Caillat

Best Rock Instrumental Performance
"A Day In The Life" - Jeff Beck
"Warped Sister" - Booker T. Jones
"Playing With Fire" - Brad Paisley
"Mr. Surfer Goes Jazzin'" - Brian Setzer Orchestra
"Now We Run" - Steve Vai

Best Female Country Vocal Performance
"Dead Flowers" - Miranda Lambert
"I Just Call You Mine" - Martina McBride
"White Horse" - Taylor Swift
"Just A Dream" - Carrie Underwood
"Solitary Thinkin'" - Lee Ann Womack

Best Male Country Vocal Performance
"All I Ask For Anymore" - Trace Adkins
"People Are Crazy" - Billy Currington
"High Cost Of Living" - Jamey Johnson
"Living For The Night" - George Strait
"Sweet Thing" - Keith Urban

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
"Cowgirls Don't Cry" - Brooks & Dunn
"Chicken Fried" - Zac Brown Band
"I Run To You" - Lady Antebellum
"Here Comes Goodbye" - Rascal Flatts
"It Happens" - Sugarland

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
"Beautiful World" - Dierks Bentley & Patty Griffin
"Down The Road" - Kenny Chesney & Mac McAnally
"Start A Band" - Brad Paisley & Keith Urban
"I Told You So" - Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis
"Everything But Quits" - Lee Ann Womack & George Strait

Best Country Instrumental Performance
"Under The (Five) Wire" - Alison Brown
"The Crystal Merchant" - The Greencards
"Mansinneedof" - Sarah Jarosz
"Producer's Medley" - Steve Wariner

Best Country Song
"All I Ask For Anymore" - Casey Beathard & Tim James, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
"High Cost Of Living" - Jamey Johnson & James Slater, songwriters (Jamey Johnson)
"I Run To You" - Tom Douglas, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)
"People Are Crazy - Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones, songwriters (Billy Currington)
"White Horse" - Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

Best Country Album
The Foundation - Zac Brown Band
Twang - George Strait
Fearless - Taylor Swift
Defying Gravity - Keith Urban
Call Me Crazy - Lee Ann Womack

• This year's performers include Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles.
• Presenters are Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert.

Kenny Chesney's No Shoes Radio will be broadcasting live from South Beach in the days leading up to the Super Bowl. Kenny may or may not be there, but No Shoes Radio will definitely be airing live from Miami's Surfcomber on Tuesday (February 2nd) from 5-7 p.m. and Thursday (January 4th) from 11 a.m-2 p.m. Wednesday's (February 3rd) broadcast begins at 8 p.m. and features a live concert from Kenny's one-time duet partner, Uncle Kracker.

Kenny is currently working on his upcoming concert movie, Summer In 3-D, as well as beginning work on his next album. With all that going on, it's unlikely that Kenny will be able to join the broadcast, which he hates, he said, "because I took a year off from the big tours to be able to do this kind of stuff, and I know this one's gonna rock. . . If I don't get there, I'm gonna be bummed, but these movies are a lot more work than you think!"

There's no word yet on which team Kenny is cheering on to win the Super Bowl. He's in a tough spot -- the New Orleans Saints are coached by his friend Sean Payton, but another friend, Peyton Manning, is the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts!

• Kenny's new single, "Ain't Back Yet," will head to radio later this month.
• Kenny Chesney: Summer In 3-D will be released in theaters on April 21st.

FAST FACTS

• Kenny first kicked off No Shoes Radio in August of last year.
• The superstar is taking a break from a full-fledged tour this year, but will be playing various dates, including some festivals.

Taylor Swift has changed her iPhone wallpaper to a photo of herself with director Steven Spielberg, which was taken at Wednesday (January 27th) night's Entertainment Industry Foundation's (EIF) Unforgettable Evening event where the superstar performed. She Tweeted about the change and posted the new pic on Twitter yesterday (Thursday, January 28th). Click here to see the new wallpaper: http://twitpic.com/106smb

Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Julianne Hough joined Taylor as attendees at the Unforgettable Evening on Wednesday (January 27th) in Los Angeles. Tim and Faith were presented with the organization's Courage Award for their own charitable organizations the Tug McGraw Foundation and Neighbor's Keeper. The event benefited EIF's Women's Cancer Research Fund.

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles has been added as a performer at Sunday (January 31st) night's Grammy Awards. Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban have also been added as presenters on the show, which airs live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

Merle Haggard has signed with indie label Vanguard Records. His new album, I Am What I Am, will be released on April 20th. The CD will include 12 original songs all written by Merle.

Wynonna, The Oak Ridge Boys, Lee Greenwood, Phil Stacey and several other artists joined a children's choir of more than 250 elementary school students on Wednesday (January 27th) in Nashville to record a song called "Come Together Now." All proceeds from the song, which will be released shortly, will benefit relief efforts to Haiti.

COUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. What is the name of Alan Jackson's first country Number One song in Billboard?

A. 1991's "I'd Love You All Over Again"

COUNTRY ON THE TUBE TODAY!

Friday, January 29th

EARLY SHOW/CBS 7:00AM (ET)
Taylor Swift

CMT TOP 20 COUNTDOWN/CMT 11:00AM (ET)
Josh Turner

SOUNDSTAGE/GAC 11:00AM, 4:00PM (ET)
Kenny Chesney

DRAFTING PARTNERS/GAC 5:00PM (ET)
Darryl Worley, Carl Edwards

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS TODAY!

• Portia De Rossi (actress, Arrested Development's Lindsay, wife of Ellen De Generes) (37)
• Justin Timberlake (pop star) (29)
• Kerry Washington (actress, Ray, The Last King of Scotland, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Fantastic Four, Lakeview Terrace) (33)
• Minnie Driver (actress, Grosse Pointe Blank, Good Will Hunting, Hope Springs, The Phantom Of The Opera) (40)
• Nolan Ryan (Baseball Hall Of Fame pitcher, the all-time strikeout leader) (63)
• Kelly Lynch (actress, Drugstore Cowboy, Bright Lights Big City) (51)
• Philip Glass (composer) (73)
• John Lydon (frontman of the Sex Pistols; also known as Johnny Rotten) (54)
• Anthony LaPaglia (actor, Without A Trace) (51)
• KC (Harry Wayne Casey) (of KC & the Sunshine Band, "Boogie Shoes") (59)
• Carol Channing (actress) (89)
• Phil Manzanera (guitarist, Roxy Music) (59)
• Bobby Moynihan (actor, Saturday Night Live, The Invention of Lying, When in Rome) (33)

ON THIS DAY IN COUNTRY!

• Alan Jackson's father, Eugene Jackson, died of an aortic aneurysm in Newnan, Georgia in 2000.
• Tim McGraw's Not A Moment Too Soon album was certified quintuple-platinum in 1997.
• Garth Brooks sang the national anthem during a pre-game show that also featured Tanya Tucker, Billy Burnette and Fleetwood Mac at Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California in 1993.
• MCA Records bought ABC Records in 1979, gaining such top country artists as Barbara Mandrell, Roy Clark, Freddy Fender, and Donna Fargo.
• Tom T. Hall appeared at Number one on the Billboard country chart for the first time with "A Week In A Country Jail" in 1970.
• Merle Haggard recorded the Number One single "The Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde" in 1968.
• Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton recorded the Top 10 single "Holding On To Nothin'" in 1968.
• Kitty Wells recorded her first sides for RCA Victor in 1949.

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

SANDRA BULLOCK AND HUSBAND HIRE JESSICA SIMPSON'S DOG-FINDER: Sandra Bullock's husband Jesse James has hired the same service that helped Jessica Simpson look for her ill-fated maltipoo, in the search for his lost pit bull, Cinnabun. Colleen Busch, from the company Find Toto, told E! on Thursday, "She has not been found yet that we know of. There was just a recent sighting about three or four hours ago off the 405 and Seal Beach Boulevard. I'm in contact with them all day today. We've been going back and forth checking on tips. [Bullock] has been tweeting everything and retweeting all of our posts." There is also a fan-orchestrated Facebook page set up for Cinnabun, and James is offering a $2,000 reward.

RENEE ZELLWEGER IN MINOR CAR ACCIDENT: Renee Zellweger was involved in minor car accident on Thursday (January 28th) morning after stopping by boyfriend Bradley Cooper's new house. TMZ.com reports that as she went to get in her car, an elderly woman driving a BMW hit the door to the Prius, causing a large dent. Cooper -- who hasn't moved into the house yet as its still under construction -- reportedly arrived at the scene 15 minutes later and drove off with Zellweger.

WARNER BROS. BLASTS SIMON MONJACK'S WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIM: Warner Brothers is firing back at Simon Monjack's claim that the studio is responsible for his wife Brittany Murphy's death. After news broke that Monjack was planning wrongful death lawsuit because a lost role in Happy Feet supposedly left Murphy fatally devastated, a rep for Warner Bros. said, "Any claim that Warner Bros. Pictures was somehow responsible for Brittany Murphy's tragic death is demonstrably false, reprehensible and defamatory. Despite press reports to the contrary, Warner Bros. Pictures and Ms. Murphy never entered into any deal for Happy Feet 2, and thus, there was no contract to cancel."

GISELE HAD A WATER BIRTH: You'll never hear a hospital dish on Gisele Bundchen's labor -- because she give birth to son Benjamin at the Boston home she shares with husband Tom Brady. The supermodel told the Brazilian magazine Fantastico, "I gave birth in the bathtub." The magazine's reporter commented that Bundchen is "radiant, beautiful and as in shape as always, six weeks after the birth of her baby."

ANNE HATHAWAY HONORED AT HARVARD: Anne Hathaway was honored by Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals student drama troupe on Thursday with a parade down Massachusetts Avenue near the university followed by a roast where she received her pudding pot from Harvard men in drag. She joins a distinguished list of past recipients that includes Katharine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall and Meryl Streep.

'REAL HOUSEWIFE' IN CAR CRASH: In other car accident news, the Real Housewives of New Jersey star Danielle Staub was involved in a minor crash earlier this week. RadarOnline.com, reports that Staub and one of her daughters were taken for treatment at a New Jersey hospital where Staub was overheard complaining of back pains while her daughter was being pushed around the emergency room in a wheel chair. A spokesman for the local police in New Jersey said: "We can confirm that Miss Staub was involved in a minor car accident after the vehicle she was traveling in lost control in some icy conditions."

EMILY MORTIMER GIVES BIRTH: Emily Mortimer welcomed her second child, a daughter, on January 15th. The Daily Telegraph reported that the birth came just three days before the actress's sister had a baby boy, who she named John, after their late father. Emily commented on the births saying, "It has been a very exciting few days. Of course, John died this time last year, so it is just rather a wonderful thing. It does help to think there will be two more of his little grandchildren running around the garden he loved so much. It is really marvelous that life goes on."

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

MILEY CYRUS AND DEMI MOORE TO STAR TOGETHER? Miley Cyrus and Demi Moore are reportedly in talks to star in the upcoming comedy, L.O.L.: Laughing Out Loud. Variety reports that the movie is a remake of the 2008 French hit, which centers on a 15-year-old girl who is dumped by her boyfriend and experiences a strained relationship with her divorcee mother.

ZAC EFRON GETS NEW ROLE: Zac Efron has signed on to star in and executive produce Fire, a thriller based on the same-named graphic novel. E! News confirmed that Efron will play an undergrad who is chosen for a special CIA project that tests whether ordinary citizens can -- with singing and dancing proper training -- be turned into "forces to be reckoned with."

SETH MCFARLANE TO HOST WGA GALA: Family Guy's Seth McFarlane will host the 2010 Writers Guild Awards gala at the Hyatt Regency Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on February 20th. Meanwhile, Curb Your Enthusiasm's Susie Essman will simultaneously host the ceremony for the NYC crowd at the Millennium Broadway Hotel's Hudson Theater. McFarlane said, "I'm honored and humbled to be chosen as host of the WGA awards. I look forward to catching up with my strike buddies from 2007 and making some new strike buddies for 2011."

'AMERICAN IDOL' REPORTEDLY GIVES THE PRESIDENT A BOOST ON FOX: American Idol is doing its part to help President Obama. Preliminary overnight figures showed that Wednesday night's State of the Union averaged 30.69 million viewers on the broadcast networks, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. Nielsen initially claimed that Fox's Obama coverage drew the largest number of viewers, 8.96 million, likely due to a large lead-in audience from American Idol.

IS 'PANTS ON THE GROUND' A RIP-OFF? This week a new viral video surfaced from the Green Brothers, who presented "Back Pockets on the Floor." The Green Bros. claim their rap was recorded in 1996, 13 years before Larry Platt became a sensation on American Idol. The "Pockets" video was posted on YouTube on January 23 by a user called "greenbrothers71," with the following description: "This is in regards to the General Larry Platt 'Pants on The Ground.' His song is a takeoff of the Green Brothers song 'Back Pockets On The Floor.' 'Back Pockets On The Floor' was written by G. Green and was copyrighted and recorded by the Green Brothers in 1996. The General's song have the same intent, idea and in part the same message. YOU BE THE JUDGE AMERICA!!" Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/yasr6ur

JAY LENO TALKS NBC LATE NIGHT WITH OPRAH WINFREY

Jay Leno appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show yesterday, where he gave his side of NBC's late night debacle story. Leno portrayed himself as a victim of NBC's ill-thought decisions, saying that being informed he'd be replaced on Tonight by Conan O'Brien was heart-breaking, but the resulting switch-er-oo had nothing to do with him.

He and Oprah talked about the logistics of the past few weeks: "(Oprah) Do you see in any way how you've been selfish? They think that you took the job away from Conan. (Jay) Well, it all comes down to numbers in show business. People think you're behind the scenes pulling strings. There's no strings to pull. I have a show that's been canceled, so why would I have any power to go, oh, I want that. What happened was NBC came to me and they said, look, your show was down 14 percent, Conan's show was down 49 percent. We have a plan, we want to keep you -- because I asked, I said can I be released from my contract? And they said no. (Oprah) This was your contract on the prime time show? (Jay) On the prime time. (Oprah) When did you ask that, Jay? (Jay) I asked maybe a day after we got canceled. No, you're still a valuable asset. I said you fired me twice, how valuable can I be? Oh, no, we want to keep you."

Leno admits his 10 p.m. experiment failed: "No I was given enough time, you know, I got it, I'm a big boy. It didn't work.

• He said that the cancelation of The Jay Leno Show was not personal: "I got fired this time because my show did not perform. It makes perfect sense to me."
• As for the barbs that have been exchanged on late night TV recently, Leno mentioned that he felt "sucker-punched" by his interview with Jimmy Kimmel during which the other host railed on him. Still, he said, "It's my show, I could have edited it, but it's my show, but I said, no put it out there, I walked into it."
• No matter what happens, Leno said he welcomes a rivalry with O'Brien: "I think he will have a successful show on Fox or wherever he goes and then we will all compete again and may the best man win."

SAMANTHA HARRIS LEAVING 'DANCING WITH THE STARS'

Samantha Harris is leaving Dancing With the Stars. Harris, who co-hosted the reality hit with Tom Bergeron for the past eight seasons, said that she will instead focus on other projects like her correspondent duties at The Insider, which she says have expanded in the past year, and her gig at Entertainment Tonight Weekend.

Harris told People magazine, "I interned at Entertainment Tonight 15 years ago, the summer after my sophomore year at Northwestern and I dreamed of working in the same space as hosts Mary Hart and Mark Steines and now I'm living that dream."

• Bergeron said, "I'm going to miss Samantha. We had a nice rapport off-camera and on. I could see that her workload was picking up on The Insider and then she started doing Entertainment Tonight Weekend. As somebody who's been known to juggle a few jobs myself, I know that that can pull you in eight different directions."
• A replacement for Harris has yet to be named.

JUST OUR OPINION

TMZ recently reported that ABC was looking to sign Paula Abdul to a $1 million deal that was conditional upon her involvement on DWTS. Could these two moves be connected?!?

'BACHELOR' COUPLE JASON AND MOLLY TO MARRY IN ABC TV SPECIAL

The Bachelor franchise hopes to produce its second successful couple on March 8th, when Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney tie the knot in a televised ABC special. The Hollywood Reporter announced that the two-hour "The Bachelor: Jason and Molly's Wedding" will include the bride's dress fitting, planning for the big day, bachelor and bachelorette parties and the ceremony. Past "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" couples and participants will be on the guest list.

When the first married Bachelor couple -- Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter -- got hitched after meeting on The Bachelorette in 2002, their televised nuptials drew more than 17.1 million viewers.

Despite Jason's apparent happy ending, he and Molly didn't end up together on the show. He dumped her and proposed to Melissa Rycroft on The Bachelor finale -- but later changed his mind, broke up with Rycroft, and eventually popped the question to Malaney.

TENSION ON 'IDOL' SET REPORTEDLY RISING BETWEEN ELLEN AND SIMON

Tension between American Idol judges Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres has reportedly escalated to the point where the two aren't even speaking. Sources told RadarOnline.com, "Their relationship started poorly but now the situation has escalated."

The two reportedly got off on the wrong foot when Simon arrived an hour-and-a-half late for Idol's first taping with Ellen. Another insider claimed the reports of Simon's late arrival are greatly exaggerated, countering, "He showed up exactly 14 minutes late."

• Despite the details of his lateness, Idol began taping without Simon -- a move that immediately put the two at odds.
• The insider continued, "There's two camps on the show this season. It's a lot more tense than previous seasons. It seems as if Ellen has decided to try to take control since Simon is on his way out and that's created problems."

MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY REPORTEDLY GETTING PRESSURED TO MARRY BY GIRLFRIEND'S MOM

Matthew McConaughey is getting pressure to make his relationship with Camila Alves official -- by the model's mother. The National Enquirer claims that Alves' mother, Multo Abrigado, wants the actor to formalize his relationship with the mother of his children, even if they don't get married.

A source told the tabloid, "Camila's mother is very traditional, and she's worried that since they are not married, Matthew could leave her daughter high and dry with two kids if he falls out of love with her."

• The insider added, "Now Multo is pressuring (Camila) to get Matthew to commit to a legal agreement. She said, 'He wanted you to carry his babies -- he ought to take real responsibility.' "
• According to the source, McConaughey has no desire to comply and the situation has "caused a rift" between he and Alves, who have a newborn daughter and 18-month-old son together. The source noted, "Matthew's kind of scratching his head over it. He told me, 'It seems kind of cold, doesn't it?' But he's got to realize that when couples love each other, they usually get married."

SOURCES SLAM BROOKE MUELLER 'WELLNESS CENTER' STORY

Sources close to the situation are saying that Brooke Mueller is indeed at rehab being treated for drug and alcohol addiction, and did not -- as her lawyer claims -- fly across the country to relax at a "wellness center."

Insiders told RadarOnline.com that Charlie Sheen's wife has been "out of control" for months, and when she was hospitalized last week with an infection and pneumonia she was then told to go directly to rehab. The original plan was reportedly to send Mueller to rehab in California, but the location was switched to North Carolina in the hopes that her treatment would remain a secret.

• A source said of Mueller's lawyer, "His story is ridiculous and completely transparent." Medical experts told the website that "We don't recommend people fly with pneumonia unless their oxygen is monitored which isn't done on a commercial airplane it would have to be on a medically equipped aircraft with a physician," meaning it's unlikely Mueller would have been transferred cross-country to benefit her heath.
• An insider close to Brooke admitted that Mrs. Sheen has a serious problem. The source said, "After her friends tried to bring her drugs in the hospital we felt we had to get her out of L.A. And she didn't put up a fight."

MICHAEL JACKSON'S FATHER GETS HEARING IN ESTATE CASE

Joseph Jackson, father of the late Michael Jackson, will finally get his day in court as he seeks a sizable allowance from his late son's estate. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff said Thursday (January 28th) that he would hold an evidentiary hearing on May 26th.

• The Jackson patriarch is seeking more than $15,000 from the pop star's estate, and first challengeed the estate back in November. He says he has little income.
• Michael's will stipulated no monies for his father, with whom he had a strained relationship. The will named as administrators lawyer John Branca and music executive John McClain, who have both opposed the elder Jackson's claims.

MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND!

Opening today (January 29th) is the new romantic comedy When in Rome, starring Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Danny DeVito, Jon Heder, Will Arnett and Dax Shepherd. The film centers on a young woman, played Bell, who takes a trip to Rome and steals coins from a fountain of love, igniting the passion of the men who threw them in: a sausage magante, played by DeVito, a magician, played by Heder, a painter, played by Arnett and a model, played by Shepherd. But when she meets a reporter, played by Duhamel, and he chases after her with equal enthusiasm, she must decide whether or not it's the real thing.

• When in Rome is rated PG-13 and has a running of 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Opening today (January 29th) is the new thriller starring Mel Gibson, Edge of Darkness. The film centers on detective Thomas Craven, played Gibson, who must investigate the murder of his activist daughter and uncovers a corporate cover up that brings the attention of an agent whose job is cleaning up evidence of crime. Edge of Darkness also stars Danny Huston, Ray Winstone and Shawn Roberts; the film was directed by Martin Campbell.

• Edge of Darkness is rated R and has a running time 1 hour and 50 minutes.

HEADLINE NEWS!!

Friday, January 29, 2010

JUSTICE DEPT. ORDERED TO LOOK FOR OTHER PLACES THAN NYC TO HOLD 9/11 SUSPECTS' TRIAL: The White House has ordered the Justice Department to look for other places to try alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspects in the terrorist attacks after increasing opposition to holding the trial in lower Manhattan, the New York Daily News reported last night (January 28th). According to the report, the move was made soon after New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called Attorney General Eric Holder saying he'd, quote, "prefer that they did it elsewhere," citing the disruption to neighborhood residents and businesses that would be caused by the extremely tight security that would be required for what's expected to be a lengthy trial. Bloomberg had initially supported the plan to try the men in Manhattan federal court when Holder announced it last month. The White House said, however, that this doesn't change the administration's position that Mohammed and the other suspects should be tried in civilian court.

OBAMA TOUTS HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECTS IN TAMPA: President Obama hit the road Thursday (January 28th) on the day after his State of the Union address, heading to Florida to tout his intensified focus on jobs. Appearing at a town hall-style meeting in Tampa, Obama unveiled $8 billion in grants for high-speed rail projects that the White House said will create thousands of jobs and transform train travel in the U.S. The president said the rail projects would be one of a series of job initiatives he would lay out in coming weeks. Obama also continued the appeal to bipartisanship he spoke about in his big speech Wednesday night, saying yesterday, "Let's start thinking of each other as Americans first." Having cast the GOP as the party of "no," Obama said, "I want the Republicans off the sidelines. I want them to work with us to solve problems. I don't want an attitude, 'If Obama loses, then we win.' I mean, that can't be a platform. . . . All of us should be rooting for each other."

BERNANKE CONFIRMED FOR SECOND TERM: The Senate confirmed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke for a second four-year term Thursday (January 28th), but the 70-30 vote was the closest ever for the position. The confirmation came after criticism of Bernanke from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for bailing out Wall Street and for earlier actions that they charged contributed to creating last fall's economic crisis. However, supporters Bernanke with preventing the Great Recession from turning into the second Great Depression. In the end, 11 Democrats and an independent joined 18 Republicans in voting against Bernanke, who was first appointed by former President George W. Bush and renominated by President Obama.

TODAY'S FYI:

RETURN TO MOON REPORTEDLY SCRAPPED: Former President George W. Bush's goal of returning to the Moon is apparently dead, according to reports that President Obama wants a different path for NASA. AP cited an unnamed White House official as confirming Thursday (January 28th) that Obama is proposing an additional $5.9 billion over five years for NASA, which isn't enough to carry out the Constellation moon landing plan. John Logsdon, who was on Obama's space campaign advisory committee, told AP the president is adopting the preferred option of the panel of experts. It includes extending the life of the International Space Station to 2020, relying on a commercial spaceship for travel to and from the space station after the shuttle fleet is retired, and a, quote, "flexible path" for human exploration. That could mean making trips to a nearby asteroid, a moon of Mars or a brief visit to the Moon instead of Bush's plan of establishing a moon base by 2020.

FORD POSTS $2.7 BILLION PROFIT IN 2009: Ford Motor Company posted its first annual profit in four years in 2009, reporting Thursday (January 28th) that it made $2.7 billion for the year and predicting a full-year profit in 2010. That's a big turnaround from the year before, when it lost a record $14.6 billion. The results separated Ford from the other big U.S. automakers, GM and Chrysler, who had to be rescued by the federal government, while it earned money in three of four quarters last year. Ford was boosted by cost-cutting, a $696 million profit in its credit division, and popular cars and trucks like the Ford Fusion sedan and Ford Escape SUV.

'CATCHER IN THE RYE' AUTHOR J.D. SALINGER DEAD AT 91: J.D. Salinger, the famously reclusive author of the iconic novel The Catcher in the Rye, died Wednesday (January 27th) at his New Hampshire home, where he'd lived for decades in isolation. He was 91. A mainstay of middle school and high school curriculums, The Catcher in the Rye, first published in 1951, features the teenage anti-hero Holden Caulfield, who presents the world as a struggle between the goodness of young people and the corruption of adults. The novel has had a role in tragedy, cited by John Lennon killer Mark David Chapman as an inspiration, and a copy of the book was found in John Hinckley's hotel room after he tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. Salinger's other works included Franny and Zooey and the collection Nine Stories, but he published his last story in 1965 and retreated from public view. He has two children from his second marriage, which ended in divorce in 1967.

MICHAEL 'HECKUVA JOB BROWNIE' BROWN GETS A RADIO GIG: Michael Brown, the former FEMA director who bore the brunt of the public blame for the botched response to Hurricane Katrina and was forever immortalized when then-President George W. Bush told him "heckuva job Brownie," has gotten a radio gig. Denver Westword reports that after resigning in the wake of the Katrina debacle, Brown opened a disaster-consulting business in Colorado, and began making radio appearances. He's now gotten a full-time weeknight shift at a Denver talk radio station, where his goal is to give, quote, "an objective point of view to talk about current issues, showing, 'Here's how things really work in Washington, behind the scenes.'" Brown describes himself as "center-right, conservative with a strong libertarian bent," but says he understands there are two sides to every issue.

• In addition to his radio job, Brown has a book coming out this summer called, Deadly Indifference: An Insider's Look at the Politics of Disaster.

SPORTS:

ANDY MURRAY IN AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL: Scotsman Andy Murray will be playing for the Australian Open championship after beating Marin Cilic of Croatia 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the semi-final Thursday (January 28th) to reach his second Grand Slam final. Murray will play the winner of the semifinal Friday night between Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as he attempts to become the first British man to win one of the four majors since 1936.

(Headline News, FYI and Sports stories were compiled in part from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.)

ON THE TUBE TODAY AND THIS WEEKEND!

CBS

• GHOST WHISPERER - Melinda discovers a secret that has killed before and could kill again.
• MEDIUM - Allison dreams of a schizophrenic child, whom she later meets as a missing psychiatric patient's roommate; Bridgette's feelings for a boy confuse her.
• NUMB3RS - The team searches for a serial killer who targets men who solicit prostitutes; Colby and Nikki deal with the aftermath of a car crash.

NBC

• LAW & ORDER (repeat)
• DATELINE NBC - A reporter tries to find justice for a murder victim.
• THE JAY LENO SHOW - Howie Mandel

FOX

• DOLLHOUSE - Echo and the surviving Dollhouse team try to stop an apocalypse.
• KITCHEN NIGHTMARES - (season premiere) Chef Ramsay heads to Philadelphia to try and help the owners of the Hot Potato Cafe.

ABC

• SUPERNANNY - Mike Ruggles tries to help Roberta, who has given up on her four children, and Allan, her short tempered husband.
• SHARK TANK - An entrepreneur wants to bring back old-fashioned ice-cream men; a couple's pitch is about providing unique legal services at a coffee house.
• 20/20 - Andrew Young, former aid to Sen. John Edwards, discusses his upcoming memoir.

CW

• SMALLVILLE - Oliver's past comes back to haunt him when his former teacher wants revenge.
• SMALLVILLE (repeat)

DAY TIME TALK SHOW

THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - Josh Duhamel, Matthew Bomer
THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW - Oprah Fridays Live
THE VIEW - Catherine Zeta-Jones, Oscar De La Renta

LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS

THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - (repeat)
THE JAY LENO SHOW (NBC) - Howie Mandel
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN (NBC) - (repeat)
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) - Josh Duhamel, Shorty Rossi, John Mayer
THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - Jon Heder, Corinne Bailey Rae, Dana Eagle
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - (repeat)
LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - (repeat)

SATURDAY

NBC

• SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE - Jon Hamm hosts; Michael Buble performs.

SUNDAY

CBS

• THE 52ND ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS - Festivities at Staples Center in Los Angeles honor excellence in the recording industry; Beyonce, the Black Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift, Green Day, Lady Gage and Pink are among those slated to perform.

NBC

• DATELINE NBC - Medical residents at Arkansas Children's Hospital embark on their residency; a ring of jewelry smugglers thats outsmarted the police around the world.
• SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE PRESENTS: SPORTS ALL-STARS - Sports related sketches from current and past seasons.

FOX

• THE SIMPSONS - Homer misses a date with Marge so he can buy a lottery ticket; after winning the million dollar jackpot, Homer spoils his family with anonymous gifts.
• THE CLEVELAND SHOW - Cleveland takes a group of delinquent teens under his wing and forms a club called "The Crazy Eights."
• FAMILY GUY - Brian starts tailing Meg for research when he gets a job writing about the average American girl for a teen magazine.
• AMERICAN DAD - Stan changes his opinion on social programs after he develops an addiction.

ABC

• EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION - Jewel and Ty Murray help the team rebuild a home for a mother battling stage four cancer.
• DEPSERATE HOUSEWIVES - Hostility grows between Angie and Gaby; Susan makes friends with a stripper; Bree is afraid Orson may take his own life.
• BROTHERS & SISTERS - Robert and Nora work as guest chefs in Scotty's struggling restaurant to boost business; Sarah gets frustrated with Roy.

HBO

• BIG LOVE - An audit uncovers insurance discrepancies at Home Plus; J.J. approaches Alby with a solution that confuses Nicki; Bill decides that Ben should have a change of scene.

E!

• KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS - Kourtney and her sisters go on an ill fated trip to Santa Barbara; Kylie gets jealous of Kendall.

OFF BEAT BRIEFS

MAN FINDS $200,000 OF COUNTERFEIT MONEY: A man from Georgia bought a car from a towing company and found $200,000 worth of counterfeit cash inside the vehicle. According to the Cherokee County Sheriff's office, Tye Kuykendall found the money in a hidden compartment behind the back seat of the car. The car was towed away by police about three years ago and has been in the impound yard until Kuykendall purchased it. Cherokee officials have called the U.S. Secret Service to help with the case.(AP)

ISRAELI SOLDIERS GETS ODOR-FREE SOCKS: Israeli soldiers will no longer have problems with foot odor when they receive odor-free socks that can be worn for two weeks straight without stinking up feet. According to Gen. Nissim Peretz, the commander of the Israeli military's logistics division, foot odor is an important issue that causes many problems during training. The socks, which will be given to all new infantry recruits, also prevent athlete's foot. They are composed of fabric that contains metal components to keep away bad odors. (AFP)

ARGENTINE PRESIDENT SAYS EATING PORK HELPS SEX-LIFE: The president of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez, is promoting the swine industry with a sexy, straightforward message that says eating pork is better than Viagra. Argentines were even more surprised when President Fernandez said that she has personally proven her message. In a meeting with representatives held on Wednesday, the president joked about enjoying some pork meat with her husband, Nestor Kirchner. Her comments made headlines all over Argentina prompting discusssions on whether Argentines should add more meat to their diet. (AP)

BOY FACES CHARGES FOR BEE STING PRANK: An Indonesian third-grader is facing criminal charges for causing a classmate to be stung by a bee. The boy allegedly stuck the bee on the cheek of a female classmate, whose father later filed a report. According to the Jakarta Post, the boy was accused of breaking the Indonesian Criminal Code which could result in a 32-month jail sentence for the boy. The boy is being tried in the Surabaya District Court in East Java. (Reuters)

DID YOU KNOW?

MEN AND WOMEN HAVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF JEALOUSY: Researchers studying adulterous relationships have uncovered 'his 'n' hers' versions of the emotions felt when a partner cheats. Psychologists found that when a man is caught cheating, it is not the sex that upsets the woman but that he might form an emotional attachment with the other woman. But when a woman is caught cheating, it is the sex that upsets the man, not the fact that she might fall in love with her new partner. They do not want children of other men diluting the gene pool. The study, in journal Psychological Science, said: 'Men learned over eons to be hyper-vigilant about sex because they can never be absolutely certain they are the father of a child, while women are more concerned about having a partner who is committed to raising a family.'

IS THE TWITTER TREND OVER? Just a year after its peak, it seems that Twitter has already fallen out of favor. Figures show that the number of visitors to the micro-blogging website has plunged since its height last summer. In September, 49,393,000 - up from 3,364,000 in January --logged on to Twitter, compared to 36,208,000 in December. Analyst Alex Burmaster, of internet tracking company Nielsen, which compiled the figures, said he believed Twitter was a victim of its own success. Like many dot-com firms in the Nineties, its rise has been so stratospheric it cannot hope to meet expectations, he claimed.

SENIOR SEX LIVES ARE BOOMING: Senior citizens who have active sex lives are in the majority, according to studies that were part of the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project. Some 84% of men and 62% of women between 57 and 64 reported having sex in the past year, and some 38% of men and 17% of women ages 75 to 85 said they'd had sex. The research, conducted at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, gathered facts on several areas of older-adult sexuality. JB Berns, author of Do It or Age Quickly, said, "There's no reason a man or a woman can't have sex regularly into their 80s."

SIGNS HE'S NOT THE ONE (YourTango.com)

You have a list of things he needs to stop doing/saying/wearing if he wants your relationship to work. If you're fixating on his flaws, he's either not the one you want or you're not ready for a serious relationship. Cutting him loose allows you time to grow and gives you the opportunity to meet a guy whose flaws you can embrace -- or at least accept.

• You don't trust him. A small dose of jealousy can be healthy, but if you're hacking into his email account, and popping Xanax when he hits up happy hour without you, something's wrong. If there's something about him that truly warrants your distrust, then perhaps he's not the right one for you.
• You avoid conflict at any cost. Fighting is healthy. And, when done right (in the non-accusatory, rational sort of way), it can be a great way to air grievances, fix problems in your relationship and come to a deeper understanding of each other. Ignoring problems is not the same as having no problems at all... even if it looks that way.
• When you're sad, you don't turn to him for comfort. When you're a giant ball of tears and snot, do you lock yourself into the bathroom so he can't see you at your worst? If you're worried about scaring him away, one of you isn't ready for total commitment. Mr. Right should make you smile through your tears, and be a calming, not stressful, presence.
• One of you is struggling with an addiction. He's sweet. He's exciting. He loves you very much. But he loves his alcohol habit or his weekly gambling fix more. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you can change him or that your relationship will be strong enough to withstand the heartache that addiction will inevitably bring. An addict may be able to change, but he'll do so on his own terms.
• You can't really imagine him as the father of your children. Ask yourself: Would he make a great parent? Is he financially responsible? Would he be an equal partner in your future together? If you have doubts, he's probably not the one.
• Your long-term, non-negotiable goals in life are incompatible. You want kids; he doesn't. You go to church every week; he's an atheist. He lives in the country and doesn't want to move; you can't imagine ever leaving the city. Superficial differences can be overcome, but differences in basic values are harder to smooth over. Ask yourself: "Would I be willing to compromise on this?" If the answer is absolutely not, you may not be right for each other.
• You don't respect each other. He puts you down in front of your friends and complains about you to his parents. You roll your eyes when he talks because there's just something about him that embarrasses you. A relationship without respect can't sustain itself.
• You're not attracted to him. Sex is a hugely important component of a romantic relationship. If he doesn't do it for you, he's probably not your best long-term match.
• On paper he seems great, but you have this strange feeling... Don't ignore your gut. You may get along on a superficial level, but if your instincts are telling you he's not the one for you, listen. That little voice inside your head does not lie.

IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION

According to Wikipedia, feminist icon Gloria Steinem was the stepmother of what famous actor?

A: Christian Bale

Bale's dad married Steinem, and died at the age of 62 on 30 December 2003, from brain lymphoma

More Americans are Clipping Coupons

Americans have been clipping and using more coupons during the Great Recession, redeeming 27 percent more of them in 2009 than they did the year before. More Americans are also increasingly getting their coupons by printing them out from Internet sites like CouponMom.com. The founder of the site, Stephanie Nelson, had an unprecedented jump in membership during the fall of 2008, and it has increased steadily since then. Nelson has a new book out, The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, and again showing that people are paying attention to coupons, it's been on the New York Times bestseller list for three week.

FREEEEEEE MOVIE PASSES FOR FLAGGER'S!!

Want some free movie passes to go see the new Jacki Chan movie “The SpyNext Door” Tonight at Ultra Star Cinemas in Havasu?? Just stop by McDonalds in Havasu Thursday 1/28 across from the airport between 11:30 and 1pm and tell them you’re a Flagger and you have free tickets! Then you and aguest are off to the movies Thursday night in Havasu for free!

KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC UPDATE

Rascal Flatts are beginning their second decade as a hit-making trio, and they want to pay a debt of gratitude to the more than 75 songwriters who have penned the songs that made them superstars. Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney will host a party at the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville on Wednesday (February 3rd). Among those being honored are Number One hit songwriters Blair Daly, Marcus Hummon, Wendell Mobley, Jeffrey Steele, and Neil Thrasher.

• Jay said, "It all starts with a song, we've believed that from day one. We are so grateful and humbled by the fact that so many of Nashville's finest song writers have been with us on this incredible ride. We've lent our voices to some of these songs that have, quite literally, changed people's lives. What an enormous blessing. This is just our small way of saying thanks for an incredible first ten years and then, toasting to the next ten!"
• Rascal Flatts continue on their American Living Unstoppable tour, with shows this weekend in Canada.
• Their next U.S. date will be on February 4th in Evansville, Indiana.

FAST FACTS

• To date, Rascal Flatts has released six albums and sold more than 20 million copies.
• They have charted 11 Number One singles, and have more titles in Billboard's Top 100 Songs of the Decade than any other group in the format.
• As the most awarded country group of the new millenium, Rascal Flatts has brought home nearly 40 trophies from the Academy of Country Music, American Music Awards, Country Music Association, People's Choice Awards and more.
• The trio has played 400 dates as a headline act, 700 total since 2000, with a ticket tally of nearly six million.

Taylor Swift's new line of American Greetings cards will be in stores in just a few weeks. The 20-year-old not only wrote the content, but had a hand in the "sparkly card design", according to US magazine.

Taylor told the publication, "I've always been fascinated by how we express feelings to each other. My idea of a great song is a song that says how I feel better than I could. I feel the same way about cards."

Taylor's new American Greetings creations will include gift packaging and stationery.

In other Taylor news, the superstar now holds the record for best first-week download sales by a female artist with "Today Was a Fairytale" which got more than 325,000 downloads. The song is set to debut at Number One on the Billboard Digital Songs chart and at Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100.

Tonight on the tube....CSI/CBS 9:00PM (ET)
Taylor Swift

• "Today Was A Fairytale" is from the Valentine's Day movie soundtrack, which will be released on February 9th.
• The movie, which also stars Taylor, will hit theaters on February 12th.

Terri Clark has reached out to her fans during a personally difficult time. The singer shared the unfortunate news that her mother's cancer has progressed, and she asked fans for their prayers in a letter posted on her website on Tuesday (January 26th).

She said, "This won't be a very long post, as I only wanted to ask that you please keep my Mother, and our family in your prayers at this time. We just got some devastating CT scan results after she had been admitted to the hospital, as a result of on-going pain, and discomfort. The scans showed considerable progression of the disease in a short span of time. The doctors have done all they can at this point.

We haven't given up all hope and still believe in miracles but this is, and will continue to be an extremely difficult time. Thanks for your positive energy, prayers, and well wishes..."

• Terri's mother, Lynn Clark, was diagnosed with a rare cancer of the pancreas in 2007.

FAST FACTS

• Terri was in Los Angeles last week to shoot her career 21st video for her latest single, "A Million Ways To Run."
• Her latest album, The Long Way Home, was released last year.

Joe Jonas says that he is "reconnecting" with ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift -- who he famously dumped over the phone in 2008. The middle Jonas Bro revealed to E!'s Daily 10, "We've actually recently reconnected, which is good. I hope she gets a Grammy. She deserves it."

Swift is nominated in eight categories at the annual music ceremony, including 'Album Of The Year', 'Song Of The Year' and 'Record Of The Year.' Joe and his brothers will be presenters at the ceremony.

• After the Swift split, she and Jonas expressed their mutual animosity through their song lyrics. Taylor's "Forever & Always" featured the lines: "Was I out of line? / Did I say something way too honest? / That made you run and hide like a scared little boy?"
  Jonas appeared to shoot back with: "And all the tears on her guitar / I'm not bitter / But now I see / Everything I'd ever need / Is the girl in front of me / She's much better."

CHECK IT OUT: How to be friends with your ex after a breakup: http://tinyurl.com/m2d7xp

For the second year in a row, the three newcomer awards at the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards will be voted on by fans. Under the new category names of Top New Solo Vocalist, Top New Vocal Duo and Top New Vocal Group, fans may cast their vote for this year's winner online at VoteACM.com beginning on February 26th.

This year's nominees in those categories are:

Top New Solo vocalist

• Luke Bryan
• Jamey Johnson
• Chris Young

Top New vocal duo

• Bomshel
• Joey + Rory
• Steel Magnolia

Top New Vocal Group

• Eli Young Band
• Gloriana
• The Lost Trailers

Votes of professional members of the ACM will be combined with fan votes to determine the winners of the Top New categories at the ACM Awards.

• Fan voting will close on March 12th.
• The winner in each category will be announced in mid-March and will move on to compete for Top New Artist. Voting for the Top New Artist category will run from April 1st through April 18th at VoteACM.com.
• The winner will be announced live during the 45^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards broadcast on CBS on April 18th.
• The complete list of nominees for the ACM Awards will be announced in February.

Martina McBride is a nominee at Sunday (January 31st) night's Grammy Awards. She's up for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her hit single, "I Just Call You Mine."

The song likely caught the attention of Grammy voters because of its universal theme, Martina tells us: "Well, I think that song is the kind of song everybody can relate to, really, and I think that's probably one of the reasons it was nominated. I've heard people relate to it in so many different ways. Obviously it's a love song between a man and a woman or two people, but people have said, 'It reminds me of my child, it reminds me of my brother, it reminds me of my best friend, it reminds me of so many people, so I think it's kind of that universal kind of love song."

Martina says she's picky when it comes to love songs, and "I Just Call You Mine" made the cut. "I love love songs. There's something about this one. You know, I really haven't recorded many straight up love songs. I think probably 'Valentine' was the last one I did, but there was something about this one that had a fresh, kind of interesting perspective and twist to the lyric, and it just seemed different to me."

• Martina will not be in attendance at the Grammy Awards because of a previously scheduled concert on her Shine All Night tour with Trace Adkins.
• Trace is also nominated at Sunday's award show for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "All I Ask For Anymore."
• The 52nd annual Grammy Awards airs on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

FAST FACT

• Martina's competition in the Best Female Country Vocal Performance category are Miranda Lambert for "Dead Flowers," Taylor Swift for "White Horse," Carrie Underwood for "Just A Dream," and Lee Ann Womack for "Solitary Thinkin'".

LeAnn Rimes has tapped Vince Gill to produce her next album. The CD will reportedly be a collection of love songs that have already been hits for male artists. LeAnn and Vince are set to begin work on the album next month. No release date has been announced.

A new Loretta Lynn album featuring guest artists from a variety of genres will be released by Sony Nashville sometime this fall. The project marks the 50th anniversary of her debut single, "I'm A Honky Tonk Girl." Reissues of Loretta's 1976 autobiography and movie, Coal Miner's Daughter, are also due out this year. Loretta is being honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award this weekend in Los Angeles.

COUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. What was the name of Trace Adkins's 1996 debut album?
A. Dreamin' Out Loud

COUNTRY ON THE TUBE TODAY

SOUNDSTAGE/GAC 8:00PM (ET)
Kenny Chesney

CSI/CBS 9:00PM (ET)
Taylor Swift

DRAFTING PARTNERS/GAC 9:30PM (ET)
Darryl Worley, Carl Edwards

OUR SONGS: JAMIE O'NEAL & RODNEY GOOD/GAC 10:30PM

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS TODAY!

Elijah Wood (actor, The Ice Storm, "Frodo Baggins" in the Lord Of The Rings movies, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Sin City) (29)

• Alan Alda (actor, M*A*S*H, Murder At 1600, What Women Want) (74)
• Mo Rocca (correspondent, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart) (41)
• Frank Darabont (director, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Mist) (51)
• Karen Lynn Gorney (actress, Saturday Night Fever) (65)

ON THIS DAY IN COUNTRY!

• Reba McEntire's duet with Vince Gill, "The Heart Won't Lie," written by Kim Carnes, was released in 1993.
• Randy Travis' "Deeper Than The Holler" climbed to Number One on the Billboard country chart in 1989.
• Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and Waylon Jennings joined 43 other artists to record "We Are The World," a song to combat starvation in Africa, in 1985. Other artists who participated included Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles and Billy Joel.
• Alan Jackson's "Gone Country" hit Number One in 1995.
• Roy Acuff recorded "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" in 1947.
• Elvis Presley made his first national television appearance in 1956.

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

BRITTANY MURPHY'S HUSBAND TO FILE WRONGFUL DEATH SUIT? Brittany Murphy's husband reportedly plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Warner Brothers, claiming that the studio is responsible for the 32-year-old's fatal heart attack. Simon Monjack told The Daily Beast that Murphy was devastated after losing a role in the sequel to "Happy Feet," and he claims her grief over the lost role is what ultimately led her to go into cardiac arrest. TMZ claims he'll file in the suit in the next few days.

'HEROES' STAR BUSTED FOR DUI: Heroes star Adrian Pasdar was arrested early Wednesday (January 27th) morning on suspicion of DUI. TMZ.com reports that police claim the 44-year-old was driving at more than 90 mph when police pulled him over on a Los Angeles freeway. Pasdar was taken to a nearby jail, where he was booked and placed behind bars. His bail was reportedly set at $15,000 -- higher than normal because he refused to take a breathalyzer test.

MICHAEL DOUGLAS'S SON PLEADS GUILTY: Michael Douglas's son pleaded guilty to trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine in court on Wednesday (January 27th). Cameron Douglas was arrested in July 2009 at a Manhattan hotel. He was originally put under house arrest, but got transferred to jail after his girlfriend allegedly tried to smuggle heroin to him in an electric toothbrush. Douglas now faces a minimum ten years in prison.

WRESTLER CHRIS JERICHO ARRESTED AT GAS STATION FOR BEING DRUNK: WWE wrestler Chris Jericho was arrested at a Kentucky gas station early Wednesday (January 27) morning for being "extremely intoxicated" in public, TMZ.com reports. Jericho and fellow wrestler Greg "Hurricane" Helms were both arrested at around 5 AM for "alcohol intoxication in a public place." The wrestlers were released on $120 bond.

WILL FERRELL IS A DAD AGAIN: Will Ferrell and his wife Viveca Paulin welcomes their third son on Saturday (January 24th). Axel Ferrell was born just hours after Viveca showed off her baby bump on Conan O'Brien's final Tonight Show. Will's rep confirmed the birth, saying, "All the Ferrells are well."

BROOKE HOGAN IS SINGLE: The reality star confirmed that she and rapper Yannique "Stack$" Barker have split after nearly a year of dating. The singer's publicist tells Life & Style magazine, "Brooke Hogan and Stack$ have split but remain friends. He was a big part of her life for a very long time, and she still cares about him and his family dearly. Brooke would like to thank her fans for their kind words and sensitivity during the break-up." The couple started dating last spring after Stack$ appeared in Hogan's "Falling" video.

ZELDA RUBINSTEIN DIES: Poltergeist actress Zelda Rubinstein died on Wednesday (January 27th) at the age of 76. Rubinstein, who played the psychic hired to rid a home of demonic forces in the horror film, died at Barlow Respiratory Hospital after a series of health problems. She also appeared in "Frances," "Sixteen Candles," "Teen Witch" and "Southland Tales," and was a regular on the TV series "Picket Fences." Rubenstein, who was 4' 3", founded the Michael Dunn Memorial Repertory Theater Company, comprised of 16 actors all less than 4 feet 6.

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

ABC CANCELS 'UGLY BETTY': ABC has canceled Ugly Betty. EW.com reports that the network recently informed the show's producers that its current fourth season will also be its last -- and ABC has trimmed the show's episode order from 22 to 20. Executive producer Silvio Horta and ABC president Steve McPherson confirmed the news in a joint statement: "We've mutually come to the difficult decision to make this Ugly Betty's final season, and are announcing now as we want to allow the show ample time to write a satisfying conclusion. We are extremely proud of this groundbreaking series, and felt it was important to give the fans a proper farewell."

CALISTA FLOCKHART WANTS TO LEAVE 'BROTHERS & SISTERS'? Rob Lowe may not be the only actor departing ABC's Brothers & Sisters. PerezHilton.com reports that Calista Flockhart, who plays Lowe's TV wife, is working a lighter schedule next season and appearing only in select episodes. ABC declined to comment on whether she would remain a series regular. Supposedly Calista's decision to scale down her role prompted Lowe's move, as he felt his character would become insignificant without his wife in the picture.

GUY RITCHIE REPORTEDLY DROPS OUT OF 'LOBO': Guy Ritchie has reportedly pulled out of directing the alien action movie Lobo to concentrate on a Sherlock Holmes sequel. Joel Silver told the Los Angeles Times, "I don't think he's going to do it (Lobo) now. The studio wants us and Guy to focus on making another Sherlock Holmes. So I think we're going to be doing that. But we're seeing what happens with this. Everybody is analyzing everything. It's all kind of happening right now as we talk. Sherlock is sitting at just about $400 million in worldwide gross and showing itself to be pretty effective and pretty strong. So we're trying to see if we can do something quickly with another Sherlock Holmes movie. We have some ideas and some good story points."

'HARRY POTTER' COMING TO IMAX: Warner Brothers will release the next two Harry Potter films in 3D. The Hollywood Reporter acknowledged that studios have been looking to expand into 3D after seeing the success of Avatar and it's likely that Warner Bros. will be releasing the upcoming Clash of the Titans in 3D as well.

JAY LENO HASN'T TALKED TO CONAN O'BRIEN THROUGHOUT LATE NIGHT MESS

Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien did not communicate throughout Tonight Show-gate. Leno sat down with Oprah Winfrey for an interview that airs today in which he discussed the heated late night situation at NBC.

He told Oprah, "I haven't talked to him through all this. No, I haven't." Leno said that he wanted to phone Conan, "but it didn't seem appropriate . . . I don't know. I think it -- let things cool down and maybe we'll talk, you know."

• Jay acknowledged that the whole situation is a "mess" but said that the barbs he and Conan traded on their late night monologues weren't necessarily indications of real-life animosity. He explained, "They were jokes. And that's okay. It's what we do, you know? You can't -- it's like being a fighter and say when you got punched in the head, did it hurt? Well, yeah. But you're a fighter. That's what you do."
• Leno's prime-time show will end on February 9th and he'll resume hosting the Tonight Show after the Olympics on March 1st.

AUDTIONS IN DALLAS WERE SUCCESSFUL ON 'AMERICAN IDOL'

Neil Patrick Harris and Joe Jonas guest judge for 'American Idol's' Dallas auditions. Although auditions in Texas had a rocky start, 31 contestants receieved golden tickets to Hollywood. One of the contestants from day one was Julie Kevelighan, who was no stranger to Randy and Simon. Kevelighan auditioned for 'Idol' eight years ago with her rendition of 'Lady Marmalade' and didn't do any better this time around. Erica Rhodes, on the other hand, went from being a kid on 'Barney and Friends' to a 23-year-old woman with a whip. Erica's prop worked out for her in the end, as it helped her win a golden ticket to Hollywood. Although these two contestants received unanimous votes, Neil Patrick Harris and Simon Cowell rarely got along. In fact, it was hard to tell who was more critical between the two judges. The tension eased on day two when Joe Jonas took over as guest judge. Overall, auditions in Dallas turned out to be successful.

CONAN O'BRIEN PILOT GETS PICKED UP BY NBC

Conan O'Brien's tumultuous relationship with NBC is not over yet. Although the network publicly dethroned O'Brien as host of the Tonight Show, NBC has picked up the pilot of a one-hour show called Justice from Conan's production company, Conaco.

E! reports that a clause in Conan's $45 million exit deal specified that his production company would stay with NBC Universal until the end of development season.

• O'Brien will serve as executive producer on the hour-long drama, which is about a judge who quits the Supreme Court to start his own legal practice.

LAWYER SAYS CHARLIE SHEEN'S WIFE IS AT WELLNESS CENTER, NOT REHAB

Despite reports that Charlie Sheen's wife Brooke Mueller checked into rehab, her lawyer claims the 32-year-old is in a North Carolina "wellness program" where she can continue to recover after battling a serious case of pneumonia. Yale Galanter confirmed that Mueller is in a "facility where she can rest, rest, rest" and get "competent medical care for her mind and body."

TMZ reports that Mueller is at Two Dreams Outer Banks, the mission statement of which reads, "Two Dreams is a comprehensive wellness program providing exemplary care for individuals who dream of recovery from addictive disorders or co-dependent behaviors.

• Galanter insists that despite Mueller's past history with drug addiction, she is not in a drug rehab program. He told People magazine, "She has been drug free for six months. Since Christmas day, she has been assaulted by her husband, almost lost her life, and developed pneumonia. She was released from the hospital a couple of days too early, so she needs to be somewhere doctors can treat her if necessary."
• Brooke's mother told the magazine, "Brooke is having a massage right now. I insisted she come with me for some stress reduction based on suggestions from her doctors. . . I don't want my daughter to have a nervous breakdown."

CHECK IT OUT: See the facility where Brooke is supposedly staying: http://www.twodreamsouterbanks.com/

JAMES EARL JONES AND TOM HANKS ARE THE MOST TRUSTED CELEBRITIES

James Earl Jones and Tom Hanks are among the most trusted celebrities in the country. The actors came out on top in a Forbes poll that asked participants to rate stars on their trustworthiness, awareness and appeal.

Michael J. Fox came in third.

• Forbes staff writer Lacey Rose explained, "A premium was put on likability, reliability and credibility. The stars on our list tend to be endearing characters on screen and off. With private lives that are kept precisely that, they have earned, and maintained, the respect of their fans."
• Rounding out the list were TV host Mike Rowe, Morgan Freeman, Sally Field, Ron Howard, Will Smith, Bill Cosby and Denzel Washington.

RUMORS CONTINUE TO SWIRL AROUND BRANGELINA BREAKUP

Despite the widespread denial of their breakup, sources are now saying that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie did indeed recently visit a Los Angeles lawyer -- but only to protect their assets.

A source told the New York Daily News, "They aren't married, so they need to protect their children and property in case there's a rift in the future. People hear 'legal papers' and assume it means a divorce. But it could mean exactly the opposite. Either way, they're making sure to get their ducks in a row, which they'll need whether they split or stay together forever."

• Insiders believe that the speculation about the state of their relationship stemmed more from their absences on high-profile red carpets than anything else. In fact, People magazine reported that the couple was actually out to dinner together in Los Angeles when news of their supposed split broke across the internet.
• Jolie's father, Jon Voight, commented on the supposed split telling Access Hollywood, "Nonsense. It's all made up stuff."

ON THE OTHER HAND. . .

The tabloids all seem to think the couple is over. Here are their headlines this week:

• Us Weekly: "Brad's Misery:
• In Touch: "How Jen Split Them"
• OK! (With a picture of Jen and Brad) "Yes They're Together Again"
• Star: "Jen Tells Brad: I'll Take You Back"

SUSAN BOYLE 'FINE' AFTER BRUSH WITH TEENAGE INTRUDER

Susan Boyle is dealing with police after finding an intruder in her Scotland home late Tuesday (January 16th) night. The BBC reported that Boyle was returning home after a few days away to work on Simon Cowell's Helping Haiti charity single, when a 16-year-old male intruder ran out past her.

A police statement read, "Lothian and Borders Police were called to an address in Blackburn at around 9:50 p.m. yesterday following reports of a disturbance. A man was detained in connection with the incident and released without charge pending further inquiries."

• A spokesman for the Lothian and Borders Police Department said, "The owner was very distressed to find someone had been within her home."
• Boyle assured fans she's alright, telling well-wishers on Wednesday, "I'm fine. It's in the hands of the police now."

CHECK IT OUT: Teen pranks gone wrong: http://tinyurl.com/y88rqfc

HEADLINE NEWS!!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

OBAMA DELIVERS FIRST STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: President Obama delivered his first State of the Union address last night (January 27th), taking on an at-times feisty tone as he vowed after a tough first year in office to continue to fight for his goals for the country. Seeking to boost a presidency that has been weighed down by the continued high employment rate and the months-long battle for still--not-achieved health care reform, Obama focused the majority of his 69-minute speech on the economy and domestic issues. And despite the tough economic times, like the presidents before him, he declared the state of the Union to be sound:"Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it's time the American people get a government that matches their decency, that embodies their strength."

Obama said the economy is beginning to improve, but that he understood the toll the 10 percent unemployment rate is taking, and said jobs would be the main focus this year. "But I realize that for every success story, there are other stories, of men and women who wake up with the anguish of not knowing where their next paycheck will come from, who send out resumes week after week and hear nothing in response. That is why jobs must be our number one focus in 2010 and that's why I'm calling for a new jobs bill tonight." jobs bill tonight.) On other economic issues, Obama defended the stimulus, saying two million people have jobs today because of it who otherwise wouldn't, called for a partial three-year domestic spending freeze starting next year to begin addressing the record-high stimulus, and stood by health care reform, saying it needs to be passed.

Foreign affairs and homeland security took up a much smaller portion of Obama's speech, and a less detailed one as well. The issues discussed included ending the Iraq war, with Obama saying all combat troops would be out by the end of August, and the president's pledge to work this year to repeal don't ask, don't tell, which keeps gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

GEITHNER GRILLED ON CAPITOL HILL: Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was grilled on Capitol Hill by both Democrats and Republicans yesterday (January 27th) over his role in the bailout of insurance giant AIG. As president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Geithner was one of the original architects of the government's response in 2008 to the financial crisis. Testifying before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Geithner defended his actions as being necessary to head off, quote, "potentially catastrophic damage to the economy." But members of the committee weren't buying it, asking why AIG was given money that they then passed on to big Wall Street banks and international banks that they owed money to, and why they were paid the full amount, 100 cents on the dollar. Geithner insisted he played no direct role in the AIG deals to pay back banks or in keeping information about it from the public, saying that once President-elect Obama picked him on November 24th to be Treasury Secretary, he withdrew from monetary policy decisions and day-to-day management at the New York Fed. The congressman expressed skepticism about that explanation.

TEENAGED GIRL RESCUED IN HAITI AFTER 15 DAYS: A 17-year-old girl was miraculously pulled alive from the rubble of a home in Haiti by French rescuers Wednesday (January 27th), 15 days after the earthquake that devastated the desperately poor country. Darlene Etienne was severely dehydrated with a broken left leg and described as being moments from death when she was rescued. She was rushed to a French military field hospital and then to the French military hospital ship Sirroco for treatment. It's rare for anyone to survive more than 72 hours without water, but Etienne may have had some access to water from a bathroom of the collapsed home, and rescuers said she mumbled something about having a little Coca-Cola with her.

TODAY'S FYI:

APPLE UNVEILS iPAD TABLET COMPUTER: Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the company's highly-anticipated iPad tablet computer yesterday (January 27th), similar in design to the iPhone but in a larger size. The half-inch thick iPad features a 9.7-inch touch screen, weighs one-and-a-half pounds, and has a battery that lasts for 10 hours. Users can surf the web and applications for the iPhone can run on the iPad, which also has a book reading interface that looks like a paper book and puts it in competition with Amazon's Kindle and other e-book readers. Software that comes with the iPad includes a video player, iPod software for playing music, maps and a calender. The iPad will have a starting price of $499 when it goes on sale in March, with $599 and $699 versions available that have more flash memory storage.

BUT WHAT'S WITH THE NAME?: While techies weighed the pros and cons of the new iPad Wednesday, lots of others were wondering with led Apple to choose a name commonly used for a feminine hygiene product. Some noted that Apple should have anticipated the reaction, pointing to a comedy skit from a few years back on MadTV in which two businesswomen discussed Apple's newest product for women -- named the iPad. A video of the sketch on YouTube got a boost yesterday with the news of the name. #iTampon quickly became a big trending topic on Twitter, with comments like these:

• tjakabon: "It surfs the web AND stops the bleeding."
• CarolBlymire: Is Apple making an iPad for light-flow days? Just wondering...
• Trish1981: iPad? Really? All I can say is, I'm sticking with Always.
• tremendousnews: So I can say "That chick is on her iPad" and not be called a pig? Thank you Apple.
• kathycacace: Okay, just one more. The iPad: protecting your data from embarrassing incidents.

And from the women-oriented website Jezebel.com:

• fauxfruit: If I order this, will my boyfriend and I have to worry if it comes late?
• andBegorrah: If you and your friends all buy one, will they sync up?
• morninggloria: Don't wear white jeans while using an iPad, and especially don't use an iPad in front of your crush. You're a teen magazine embarrassing moment waiting to happen.
• Vesuvius At Home: But what if the cute boys see me shopping for one? What if my dad has to take me??

JOHN AND ELIZABETH EDWARDS DIVORCING; POSSIBLE MISTRESS SEX TAPE: One week after former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards admitted to fathering a nearly two-year-old child with his former mistress, Rielle Hunter, it was reported Wednesday (January 27th) that he and his wife Elizabeth are divorcing. A friend of Elizabeth Edwards, who has incurable cancer, confirmed to the Associated Press that the couple are separating after more than 32 years of marriage. Edwards himself said in a statement, "It is an extraordinarily sad moment," adding that he still cares deeply about his wife. The news came out ahead of the release this weekend of a tell-all book from a former aide to John Edwards, who initially claimed at Edwards' urging that he was the father of Hunter's child. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that in the book, called The Politician, Andrew Young claims to have discovered a sex tape of Edwards and Hunter. He writes, "It was like watching a traffic pileup occur in slow motion -- it was repelling but also transfixing." Fox411.com claims that Young believes the graphic video was made when Hunter was already pregnant with Edwards' child.

WHAT WERE ARRESTED CONSERVATIVES TRYING TO DO IN SENATOR'S OFFICE?: Some conservative leaders were distancing themselves yesterday (January 27th) from 25-year-old James O'Keefe, who was hailed as a conservative hero last fall for his undercover videos that damaged the liberal group ACORN, after he and three other young men were arrested two days earlier for an alleged plot to tamper with Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu's office phones. But supporters were offering an explanation that didn't involve the four trying to tap the phones in the Louisiana senator's New Orleans office. According to the Washington Post, the four were trying to show on undercover video that people trying to call Landrieu to complain about issues couldn't get through. So two of the men dressed in work clothes said they were phone repairmen to get access to the phone system, while O'Keefe -- who was already inside the office's waiting room -- secretly tried to film them with his cell phone camera. According to prosecutors, the two phony repairmen tried to call the unused reception phone with their cell phones. Opponents of the health care reform legislation had said that they repeatedly got busy signals earlier this year when they tried to call Landrieu's office.

LABRADOR RETRIEVER IS MOST POPULAR DOG FOR 19TH YEAR: The American Kennel Club said Wednesday (January 27th) that the Labrador Retriever is the most popular purebred dog in the country for the 19th year in a row. Moving up high on the list was the German Shepherd, which passed the Yorkshire Terrier to claim second place for the first time in more than 30 years. The top 10 most popular dogs are:

1. Labrador Retriever
2. German Shepherd
3. Yorkshire Terrier
4. Golden Retriever
5. Beagle
6. Boxer
7. Bulldog
8. Dachshund
9. Poodle
10. Shih Tzu

SPORTS:

ARENAS, CRITTENTON SUSPENDED FOR REST OF SEASON: Washington Wizards players Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton were suspended for the rest of the season Wednesday (January 27th) by NBA Commissioner David Stern for bringing guns into the team's locker room, violating NBA rules against firearms on team property. Both players brought a gun -- or guns in Arenas' case -- into the Wizards' locker room after a dispute stemming from a card game on a team flight. Arenas had already been suspended indefinitely by the NBA earlier this month.

SERENA WILLIAMS, HENIN TO PLAY FOR AUSTRALIAN OPEN TITLE: Defending champion Serena Williams will face Belgian Justine Henin in the Australian Open final after both beat their semifinal opponents Thursday (January 28th), who both happened to be from China. Williams beat Li Na 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1) one day after Li beat her sister Venus in the quarterfinals. In the other match, Henin -- who's only playing in her second tournament after coming back from retirement -- defeated Zheng Jie 6-1, 6-0.

On the men's side, fifth-ranked Andy Murray and Number 14 Marin Cilic were playing in a semifinal match Thursday night. In the other semifinal, top-ranked Roger Federer will play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga after Tsonga beat third-ranked Novak Djokovic late Wednesday (January 27th) 7-6 (8), 6-7 (5), 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. Federer reached the semis by beating Number 6 Nikolay Davydenko 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5 on Wednesday.

(Headline News, FYI and Sports stories were compiled in part from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.)

ON THE TUBE TODAY!

CBS

• LIVE FOR THE MOMENT - An event inspires a person to share insights on how to change one's life.
• CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (repeat)
• THE MENTALIST (repeat)

NBC

• COMMUNITY (repeat)
• PARKS AND RECREATION (repeat)
• THE OFFICE (repeat)
• 30 ROCK (repeat)
• THE JAY LENO SHOW - TBA

FOX

• BONES - A human skeleton is found in the trenches of a Civil War battleground; Booth's brother returns from his trip with surprising news.
• FRINGE - When a group of wedding guests in Massachusetts suffocate from the inside out, the team must find out how the toxin was delivered and targeted.

ABC

• THE DEEP END - Beth faces her father in court; Addy's new clients put the firm in danger.
• GREY'S ANATOMY (repeat)
• PRIVATE PRACTICE (repeat)

CW

• THE VAMPIRE DIARIES - Damon and Stefan try to identify the new vampire in town; Matt gets a job at the Mystic Grill.
• SUPERNATURAL - A teenager creates a body switching spell and swaps bodies with Sam.

BRAVO

• THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY - TBA

FX

• ARCHER - Malory hosts a dinner party in an effort to get a new weapons contract for ISIS; a group of rival assassins targets Mr. Utne.

LIFETIME

• PROJECT RUNWAY - TBA

USA

• BURN NOTICE - TBA

DAY TIME TALK SHOW

THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - Corinne Bailey Rae, Mario Lopez
THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW - Jay Leno: The Tonight Show Fiasco
THE VIEW - Kevin McKidd, Tim Hasselbeck

LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS

THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - (repeat)
THE JAY LENO SHOW (NBC) - TBA
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN (NBC) - (repeat)
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) -Will Arnett
THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - Rosie O'Donnell, Wilco
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - (repeat)
LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - (repeat)
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Doris Kearns Goodwin
THE COLBERT REPORT (COMEDY CENTRAL) - David Gergen
LOPEZ TONIGHT - Ludacris, Elisha Cuthbert

OFF BEAT BRIEFS

STRESSED OUT MEN PRACTICE FLOWER ART: Japan's traditional art of flower arranging, which is dominantly practiced by women, is now being practiced by male employees who are looking to release their stress. Ikebana, or ''the way of the flowers'', first blossomed among male artisans and aristocrats about 500 years ago. The art has now found its way back to its masculine roots. Ikebana is an art aimed toward harmony and spirituality. "Flower arrangement adds that unreal flavor to my life and lets my mind roam free," said Koji Otusbo, a student of Ikebana, "at the same time, such an artistic hobby is like a bridge that connects me to the real world." (Reuters)

PETA SUGGESTS ANIMATRONIC GROUNDHOG: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an animal rights group, wants organizers of Pennsylvania's Groundhog Day festival to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a robotic stand-in. PETA says that it would be unfair to keep the groundhog in captivity and then expose Punxsutawney Phil to the large crowds and bright lights. Instead, the group is suggesting an animatronic model. According to William Deeley, the animal is ''being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania''. Deeley claims that PETA is simply looking for publicity. (AP)

POLICE STOP MAN WITH A BUTCHER KNIFE-POOL CUE WEAPON: Police stopped a man from Alexandria, L.A. who was riding a bicycle with no headlights. The 51-year-old man was carrying a weapon made from a butcher knife that was attached to a pool cue. According to police, the man was also carrying a razor blade in his hat. He was charged for illegally carrying a weapon, doing so after a felony conviction, resisting an officer, public intoxication and at least five outstanding warrants.
After searching the man, police found painkillers under someone else's name as well as a push rod used for smoking crack cocaine. (AP)

BAGEL CAUSES EVACUATION IN PORTLAND'S CITY HALL: A burning bagel causes an evacuation of Portland's City Hall. Everyone was forced to evacuate City Hall for about 20 minutes on Wednesday after an overdone bagel was found in the break room of Mayor Sam Adam's office. According to The Oregonian, there is no word on who burned the bagel. However, Mayor Adams apologized for the interruption caused by the evacuation. (AP)

IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION

According to Wikipedia, what actor got his first break in a small role in Paula Abdul's video, "Forever Your Girl"?

A: Elijah Wood

DID YOU KNOW?

KIDS BORN IN AUGUST LESS LIKELY TO GO TO COLLEGE: Children born late in the school year are significantly less likely to go to college than their older classmates, a study by the Higher Education Policy Institute found. Just 28 percent of August-born children went to college during the six years of the study compared with 32 percent of those born in September, an analysis of college admissions by birth month showed.

RENT-A-TIGER: Asylum.com noted that in Indonesia, where they are faced with a dwindling tiger population and a lack of funds to help with conservation -- the tigers are being rented out to the highest bidder. Though not many environmental groups or, probably, people with a lot of sense think it's a good idea, the plan is to let wealthy Indonesians rent pet tigers at the cost of just over $100,000. Renters have to provide spacious housing and allow visits from veterinarians, animal-welfare officers and ministry officials (and probably paramedics, for when the tigers maul them). The tigers are technically state property and will be returned when they are no longer wanted.

DIVORCED COUPLES DON'T WANT TO BE LEFT WITH THE HOUSE: Fadi Baradihi, the president of the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts told MSN.com, "It used to be that couples fought over the house because of continuity and stability for the children. That's not happening anymore. Now everybody wants to run from it." If the couple isn't selling the house, the spouse who is staying has to refinance the mortgage -- that's the only way the bank will let the other go. Otherwise, the departing spouse is equally liable for the entire mortgage, and, if the spouse who is in the house misses a mortgage payment, the other is liable to pay but has no claim to any equity in the house. But when there's negative equity, it's pretty much impossible to refinance.

SHOULD WE EMBRACE MORE LANGUAGES? A blogger on Lemondrop.com wrote, "Now that I've spent a good chunk of time abroad in the past year, I've come to realize the importance of language. As in, being able to communicate in ones you don't speak. I don't speak Czech. I don't speak German, Austrian or Hungarian either, but it didn't keep me from getting around those countries on my first trip abroad. Often the menus, and the dishes, were written in several languages, including English, to accommodate the tourists. Which made it possible for me to at least know what I was ordering, then smile and point. Not in America. It's English or starve here. We don't even accommodate our own second language: Spanish. I mean, if you come to America, you better learn the language, right? I'm pretty sure I've said that before and meant it, but after traveling abroad and having trouble asking for simple things like a bathroom or a tissue to blow my nose, I see why being a multilingual nation could greatly help our failing economy."

LIFE STARTS AT 40? Life really can begin at 40, an expert claimed yesterday. Psychologist Dr Carlo Strenger told the Harvard Business Review, "As people start living longer and fuller lives, we have to cast aside that stereotype and start thinking in terms of "mid-life transition" rather than "mid-life crisis". If you make fruitful use of what you have discovered about yourself in the first half of your life, the second half can be the most fulfilling. He said that most of us will have married, bought a home and chosen a career by the age of 30 or so. With those difficult decisions behind us, we are free to start enjoying life -- and learn from our mistakes.

Oregon Voters Say 'Soak the Rich'

Voters in Oregon bucked decades of tradition Tuesday (January 26th) to approve tax increases on businesses and the rich amid the tough economy. Although Oregon is a Democratic-leaning "blue" state, it has a long tradition of voters rejecting tax increases in ballot votes. But under the two measures approved Tuesday -- one by a 54-46 vote and the other by a 53-47 margin -- taxes will go up on those with incomes over $125,000, and many businesses that had been paying an annual minimum of $10 will see that go up to at least $150.

100-Year-Old Woman Gets 'Bucket List' Diploma Before Dying

A retired New Hampshire schoolteacher had her dream of getting a bachelor's degree in education fulfilled less than one month after her 100th birthday, and just one day before she died on Saturday (January 23rd). Harriet Richardson Ames' daughter said of the diploma, "She had what I call a 'bucket list,' and that was the last thing on it." Ames earned a two-year teaching certificate in 1931 and became a schoolteacher. Over the years, she'd taken classes at Keene State and the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth Teachers College to earn credits for her degree. But she stopped in 1971, and was never sure if she had enough credits. Her wish became known a couple of years ago, and Keene State decided to research her coursework. They found out she in fact did have enough credits, and delivered her diploma to her bedside in hospice care one day before her death.

KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC UPDATE

For the second year in a row, Trace Adkins is nominated for a Grammy. This year's nod is for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "All I Ask For Anymore." You'd think Trace would be over the moon about getting to be part of the Grammy Awards, but he tells us that last year's experience left a bad taste in his mouth. "Well, last year I got nominated for a Grammy and then I found out that they have two Grammy shows. I only thought they had one Grammy show, and then I went out there and found out that the B team don't get to go to the big show. I had to go to the little show, which nobody was there, along with all the other polka bands and swing groups and jazz acts and us country guys, and then they called whoever won and nobody clapped."

Trace's busy tour schedule this year prevents him from being in Los Angeles for the big night. "I ain't goin' anyway. I got a show that night. Me and Martina are doin' a show that night. She's nominated and she can't go either."

• Trace and Martina McBride's Shine All Night tour plays in Fairfax, Virginia on Sunday night (January 31st), the same night as the Grammy Awards.
• The third installment of Trace's comic book alter ego, Luke McBain, will hit newsstands today (Wednesday, January 27th). Since the launch of the series in November, the adventures of Luke McBain has become a hot item on both the shelves and at Trace's concerts. The first issue sold out from distributors in less than 48 hours, while the second issue, which was released in December, outsold the first.
• Trace is currently working on a new album, his first for Toby Keith's Show Dog-Universal Music record label.

SIDE NOTE

• Trace's fellow nominees in this category are Billy Currington for "People Are Crazy," Jamey Johnson for "High Cost Of Living," George Strait for "Living For The Night" and Keith Urban for "Sweet Thing."

Jason Aldean claims the top of the Billboard country chart this week with his latest hit, "The Truth." This is Jason's third consecutive Number One hit from his platinum-selling Wide Open CD. The singer has held the top spot for a total of seven weeks since the album was released in April of last year.

Jason may have developed a reputation as a bit of a rocker, but he tells us he has been partial to "The Truth" from the very beginning. "From day one it's been my favorite song on that album, which is really weird. Most people look at me as the uptempo guy, and to come and say, 'This ballad is my favorite song on the album' is kind of surprising to a lot of people, and it's the most traditional thing that I think we've ever released, which is really cool. I think it was time to kind of change it up a little bit and show people a different side of what we do, and I'm just glad people took to it and seemed to like it."

• Jason's Wide Open tour continues on to Cedar Park, Texas on Thursday (January 28th).
• His first dates of the year, which he played last weekend in Greenville, South Carolina and Macon, Georgia, were both sold out.

FAST FACTS

• Jason's special guest on this leg of the Wide Open tour is fellow Georgia native Luke Bryan.
• Jason celebrated the platinum success of his Wide Open CD at a party in Nashville just last week.

LeAnn Rimes might have been feeling a bit of remorse for cheating on her soon-to-be ex-husband on Monday (January 25th) night when she performed at the ASCAP Music Cafe at the Sundance Film Festival. She debuted a song about breaking someone's heart, warning the audience, "This song is going to make me cry. It's about love."

Last year, LeAnn's affair with married actor Eddie Cibrian made headlines and ultimately ended her marriage of seven years to Dean Sheremet.

Part of the untitled song's lyrics were, "What have I done? I broke the heart of the sweetest man. What have I done? I broke the heart of the only man who's ever loved me. Who have I become? I hope you find someone new, someone who deserves you."

US magazine reports that one source told them LeAnn wrote the song "during the height of the cheating" and that it is "100 percent" about Dean, while another says it "was written several years ago before the situation with Dean and the cheating," adding, "I can understand how it can be interpreted to be about what happened."

• LeAnn and Dean will officially be divorced on June 19th.
• Eddie and his wife, Brandi Glanville, are also in the midst of a divorce. The couple share two young children.

Keith Urban and John Mayer kept the audience on its feet throughout last night's (Tuesday, January 26th) taping of CMT Crossroads in Nashville. They collaborated on a total of eight songs from one another's catologue of hits, including Keith's "Sweet Thing," "Tonight I Wanna Cry," "Til Summer Comes Around," and "If Ever I Could Love," and John's "Perfectly Lonely," "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room," "Say," and "Gravity." They closed the show with an energetic rendition of George Michael's "Faith."

• The star power of Keith and John brought out a few of their famous friends, including Taylor Swift, Kix Brooks, Jake Owen and Eric Gunderson from Love And Theft.
• The one-hour CMT Crossroads will air later this year, although a release date has not yet been announced.

FAST FACTS

• Keith and John are the only artists to be featured on two episodes of Crossroads.
• Keith first paired with John Fogerty in 2005.
• John teamed up with Brad Paisley in 2004.

Carrie Underwood and her fiance, pro hockey player Mike Fisher, made their first red carpet appearance together on Monday (January 25th) night in Quebec. The newly engaged couple were attending a charity event hosted by Mike's team, the Ottawa Senators. Money raised went to four local hospital foundations.

Neal McCoy is currently on a USO/Armed Forces tour to the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. This is Neal's 14th USO tour. The singer is accompanied by four Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders on the tour, which wraps up on Sunday (January 31st).

Wynonna will join her friend Wyclef Jean for their first-ever collaboration on the CBS Early Show on February 6th. The two will be in Miami for the performance, which comes on the eve of the Super Bowl Sunday.

COUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. With what song did Tim McGraw land his first Top 10 hit in 1994?
A. "Indian Outlaw"

COUNTRY ON THE TUBE TODAY!

LIVE WITH REGIS & KELLY/SYN (check local listings)
Larry The Cable Guy

THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW/SYN (check local listings)
Lady Antebellum

GAC NIGHTS/GAC 11:00AM (ET)
Jeff Bridges, T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham

INTRODUCING . . . EMILY WEST/GAC 9:30PM (ET)

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS TODAY!

• Tracy Lawrence (42)
• Patton Oswalt (actor-comedian, The King Of Queens) (41)
• Alan Cumming (actor, GoldenEye, the Spy Kids movies, X2's Nightcrawler) (45)
• Bridget Fonda (actress, Single White Female, Singles, Jackie Brown, daughter of Peter Fonda, niece of Jane Fonda) (46)
• Mimi Rogers (actress, Someone To Watch Over Me, The Doors, Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery) (54)
• James Cromwell (actor, All In The Family, the Babe movies, L.A. Confidential, The Green Mile, The Queen) (70)
• Keith Olbermann (MSNBC anchor) (51)
• G.E. Smith (former musical director of the Saturday Night Live band) (58)
• Nick Mason (drummer, Pink Floyd) (66)
• Frank Miller (comics and graphic novel writer, The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil, Ronin) (53)
• John Roberts (Supreme Court Chief Justice) (55)
• Bobby "Blue" Bland (blues singer, "Turn On Your Love Light") (80)
• Lil Jon (rapper) (39)
• Rosamund Pike (actress, Die Another Day, Jane Bennett in Pride & Prejudice) (31)
• Bob Mintzer (smooth jazz saxophonist, of the Yellowjackets) (57)

ON THIS DAY IN COUNTRY!

• Rodney Atkins' "Watching You" took the top spot on the Billboard country chart in 2007.
• The Dixie Chicks' "Without You" became their fifth Number One single in 2001.
• The Dixie Chicks' first major label album, Wide Open Spaces, was released in 1998.
• Jo Dee Messina made her chart debut with "Heads Carolina, Tails California" in 1996.
• Marty Robbins recorded the Number One single "El Paso City" in 1976.
• Marty Robbins underwent heart bypass surgery in 1970.
• Elvis Presley's Number One single "Heartbreak Hotel" was released in 1956.

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

KIEFER SUTHERLAND INVOLVED IN CATTLE SCAM: Kiefer Sutherland is involved in a cattle scam. Police say that the 24 actor was a customer of Michael Wayne Carr, who told investors he would by steers from Mexico and sell them for profit in the United States. Carr allegedly took $869,000 from Sutherland and $177,000 from a New Mexico couple -- but never made good on his promise. Prosecutors have charged Carr with 12 felonies, including grand theft, forgery and embezzlement. He was scheduled to be arraigned earlier this week, but a judge postponed it to February 8th after his attorney was removed.

BROOKE MUELLER RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL: Charlie Sheen's wife has been released from a Los Angeles hospital after spending nearly a week being treated for pneumonia in both lungs, which was linked to a recent operation to remove her wisdom teeth. Her mother Moira Fiore confirmed Brooke Mueller's release, telling People magazine, "I picked her up and brought her to a friend's house in Los Angeles where we will stay until we decide what we are going to do and where we will go." Despite a protection order put into effect stemming from their Christmas altercation, Sheen was allowed to visit his wife in the hospital. A hearing to review the order was postponed until February 8th after Mueller fell ill.

AMANDA PEET IS HAVING A GIRL: Amanda Peet is expecting her second daughter. The 38-year-old, who welcomed daughter Frances in 2007, revealed at the Sundance Film Festival, "We're having a baby girl." Peet has been married to screenwriter David Benioff for three years.

JOHN TRAVOLTA DELIVERS HELP TO HAITI: John Travolta arrived in Haiti on Monday (January 25th) to deliver relief supplies to the earthquake-ravaged country. The actor flew his personal jet, on which he carried four tons of ready-to-eat military rations, medical supplies for earthquake victims and well as a team that included doctors and Scientology ministers. The Church of Scientology said that the actor and his wife Kelly Preston planned to return home after unloading their passengers and supplies.

BILL MURRAY REPORTEDLY HURT AT SUNDANCE: Bill Murray is getting around Sundance a little slower than most celebrities. RadarOnline.com reports that the actor is on crutches after injuring his leg in a ski accident. A source told the website, "He couldn't move very well because of his leg brace. But he was shimmying as best as he could . . . He was suddenly sitting down with the Svedka ice bucket on his lap. One guy went up and asked him if he was the guardian of the ice, and Bill laughed and said it was to cool down his knee, which was acting up."

JAMES MCAVOY WILL BE A DAD: James McAvoy and his girlfriend are expecting their first child. The actor's rep told TheStar.com, "We are happy to confirm that James McAvoy and Anne-Marie Duff are expecting their first child -- we have no further comment or information at this time." McAvoy is known for his roles in Wanted and Atonement, but his girlfriend, Anne-Marie Duff, is also an accomplished actor, having been nominated for three Bafta TV awards and a Bafta Film award for Nowhere Boy in which she played John Lennon's mother.

CHERYL BURKE IS SINGLE: Cheryl Burke and her boyfriend, model Maxwell Zagorski, have split. A rep for the Dancing With the Stars pro confirmed the breakup to People magazine, while an insider cited location as the reason 25-year-old Burke and her 22-year-old former beau couldn't make it work. The source told People, "The distance was so hard on the relationship. She lives in L.A. and he lives in New York. After a while it was just really hard for them to get together."

PERNELL ROBERTS DIES AT 81: Pernell Roberts died on Sunday (January 24th) after a battle with cancer. The 81-year-old was best known for his roles on Bonanza and Trapper John, M.D. His TV credits also included "The Virginian," "Hawaii Five-O," "Mission Impossible," "Marcus Welby, M.D.," "Banacek," "Ironside" and "Mannix."

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

ANNE HATHAWAY TO REVEAL OSCAR NOMINEES: Anne Hathaway will be on hand to announce the nominees for this year's Academy Awards. The actress and Academy President Tom Sherak will reveal the nominees in 10 of the 24 categories live on the morning of February 2nd. The 82nd Academy Awards will be broadcast March 7th on ABC.

ASHLEY JUDD PUBLISHING MEMOIR: Ashley Judd is writing a memoir. Her publisher, Ballantine Books, said that the book will detail how painful childhood experiences led her to advocacy work for abandoned women and children in poor countries. The actress will draw upon 500 pages of journal entries she wrote about her childhood with her country music star mother, Naomi Judd. Judd was treated for depression in 2006. She told Glamour magazine at the time that attending 13 schools in 12 years and living at various times with her mother, father and grandmother made her "a hyper-vigilant child" and obsessed with perfectionism as an adult. The memoir is set to be released in 2011.

TYRA BANKS LAUNCHING NEW MODEL SEARCH: Tyra Banks announced her latest model hunt -- the first-ever "fiercely real" plus-sized teen model search. The talk show host announced her latest competition on The Tyra Show and put out a call for women between the ages of 13 and 19 to enter. She noted that the teens must have a dress size of 12 to 20 and stand 5'9"-- 6'1" tall. Banks added, "I want young girls to realize that what's considered plus-sized is the average American woman. That woman is healthy, fit and beautiful. Adolescence is such an impressionable time in a young woman's life, and I hope this contest helps teen girls discover their own beauty from the inside out."

ORLANDO BLOOM IS A NO-GO FOR NEXT 'PIRATES' INSTALLMENT: Orlando Bloom will not be a part of the fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean. The actor told Extra, "Will's swimming with the fishes." When pressed if a return could be in the cards he insisted, "Not this time. No. No. No." The film is due to be released in 2011.

FOREST WHITAKER TO STAR IN 'CRIMINAL MINDS' SPIN-OFF: Forest Whitaker will star in a proposed spin-off of CBS' Criminal Minds. The Associated Press reports that the project, which revolves around a new group of profilers who work outside the FBI bureaucracy, will be introduced on an episode of "Criminal Minds" in the spring. Whitaker will play Cooper, the leader of the squad, who is described as a "dynamic, mysterious, charming and a father figure to the rest of the team."

'AVATAR' IS THE HIGHEST-GROSSING MOVIE EVER

Avatar is officially number one. GossipCop.com reported that as of Tuesday (January 26th) morning, the sci-fi blockbuster surpassed Titanic's $1.8 billion worldwide haul -- making Avatar the highest-grossing movie of all time.

Domestically, Titanic is still at the top with $600.8 million, but Avatar is on pace to break that record as well.

• The New York Daily News reports that Titanic would still be ahead of Avatar if not for inflation, but the rise of ticket prices combined with the higher cost of Avatar's 3-D screenings made it easier for James Cameron's newest flick to out-earn his previous hit.

L.A. GUEST JUDGES WERE HARD TO PLEASE ON 'AMERICAN IDOL'

'American Idol' held auditions in Los Angeles with guest judge Avril Lavigne on day one of auditions and Katy Perry on day two. Day one in L.A. kicks off with 19-year-old Neil Goldstein who produced more sweat than he did talent. Despite a 'NO' from all four judges, Goldstein insisted that he would go to Hollywood. Not only was L.A. filled with persistent contestants, the city also contained many 'wannabes', particulary those who looked like Adam Lambert. One of them, by the name of AJ Ortiz, may have looked promising, but only managed to receive a good laugh from Ms. Lavigne. Day two was also not very successful. Not only was the talent rarely found, it seemed as though Katy Perry and Kara DioGuardi were far from being friends. Ms. Perry told the camera that she was known for being brutally honest and that is exactly what she was. It got to the point where Katy Perry threatened to throw her Coca-Cola in Kara's face. In the end, 23 received golden tickets to Hollywood.

SNOOKI TO WORK MTV'S GRAMMY RED CARPET?

Even though the Jersey Shore cast is still negotiating a deal for season two, series star Snooki could be back on MTV as soon as this weekend. Her agent Scott Talarico told RadarOnline.com that the pint-sized reality vixen is in talks to serve as a correspondent for the network's coverage of the Grammys red carpet.

Talarico said, "She's actually going to be part of the red carpet for the Grammy's. It isn't 100 percent confirmed because we are working on the details. MTV brought it to us and all the logistics still need to be worked out, but it looks like she will be on the red carpet at the Grammy's."

• He added that Snooki isn't likely to be disappearing from the public radar anytime soon, noting that she has "a lot of upcoming appearances" scheduled.

CHECK IT OUT: 10 things you need to know about Snooki: http://tinyurl.com/ygeasgl

MARTHA STEWART GOING TO THE HALLMARK CHANNEL

Martha Stewart is moving to cable. The lifestyle queen announced on Tuesday (January 26th) that as of September, her daily program will air on the Hallmark Channel. The Martha Stewart Show currently is syndicated to broadcast channels throughout the country.

The move comes on the heels of Oprah Winfrey's recent announcement that she'll be forgoing broadcast syndication in favor of cable. In 2011, Oprah's show will be moving to a network created for her by Discovery Communications.

• As part of Stewart's deal with Hallmark, her company will control two and a half hours of programming in daytime each weekday.

REPORT: BRAD PITT AND ANGELINA SKIPPING THE OSCARS

Despite vehement denials of a breakup, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie reportedly won't be attending the Oscars together. Even though Pitt's Inglorious Basterds is expected to rack up several nominations, sources tell E! it's unlikely he'll be in the house to support the film.

Jolie, on the other hand, is pretty much a definite no. E! reports that the actress is heading to Venice at the end of February to start production on The Tourist, a remake of a French thriller costarring Johnny Depp.

• Although Pitt is due at the Directors Guild of America Awards this coming weekend, he's skipped out on the Golden Globes and Screen Actor's Guild Awards, despite the recognition Inglorious received at both.
• The Oscars will take place -- with or without Brangelina -- on March 7th.

ANGELINA HONORS MOM

In other news, Angelina and her brother made a tribute video for their mother to commemorate the third anniversary of her passing. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/ybufzly

CHECK IT OUT: Places not to go on a first date: http://tinyurl.com/y9u96ax

JERSEY SHORE'S VINNY CONSIDERING LAW SCHOOL

Not all of the Jersey Shore cast members are banking on a life-long career in reality TV. 21-year-old Vinny Guadagnino told Usmagazine.com that he's planning on having a successful life, no matter what happens with MTV.

He explained, "I took the LSAT. My score was decent. I had a plan that if my score was really well [sic], then I might of just went to Yale or Harvard. . . But it was just mediocre. I can get into law school. I had a 3.9 GPA, Latin Honors, but I'm doing this right now. Law school is always on the back burner."

• However, he said, "To tell you the truth, man, [being a] lawyer isn't something I wanted to do. Nobody wants to be a lawyer -- it's hard work. But it was kind of my academic route," adding that if he were to practice, he'd go into "business or corporate law."
• As for the ride he's on now, Vinny said, "I was always humble and I was the person on the couch watching this and never even imagined it would happen to me. And now I'm suddenly right there in the front row being interviewed, so just the whole experience is a dream."

CHECK IT OUT: Things to do with your law degree (besides practice law): http://tinyurl.com/ye68na3

WILL TOMMY MOTTOLA REPLACE SIMON COWELL?

The list just keeps on growing for who will be replace Simon Cowell on American Idol. The latest scoop is that former Sony Music boss Tommy Mottola could step in when Cowell bids farewell at the end of this season. According to Deadline Hollywood, Idol execs have come up with 25 potential Cowell replacements, and Mottola, who now owns Casablanca Records, is at the top of the list.

But rumor has it, Cowell wants Mottola for his new own new reality talent show, The X Factor. One source says, "Mottola has remarkable leverage because of this tug of war and will get a big payday from somebody." The reported second choice is Guy Oseary, Madonna's longtime business partner and former head of her Maverick Records, followed by Interscope/Geffen/A&M chief, Jimmy Iovine.

• Mottola was once married to Mariah Carey and has helped launch the careers of several artists, including Taylor Dayne, Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Lopez.

WILL TOMMY MOTTOLA REPLACE SIMON COWELL?

The list just keeps on growing for who will be replace Simon Cowell on American Idol. The latest scoop is that former Sony Music boss Tommy Mottola could step in when Cowell bids farewell at the end of this season. According to Deadline Hollywood, Idol execs have come up with 25 potential Cowell replacements, and Mottola, who now owns Casablanca Records, is at the top of the list.

But rumor has it, Cowell wants Mottola for his new own new reality talent show, The X Factor. One source says, "Mottola has remarkable leverage because of this tug of war and will get a big payday from somebody." The reported second choice is Guy Oseary, Madonna's longtime business partner and former head of her Maverick Records, followed by Interscope/Geffen/A&M chief, Jimmy Iovine.

• Mottola was once married to Mariah Carey and has helped launch the careers of several artists, including Taylor Dayne, Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Lopez.

PAULA ABDUL REPORTEDLY BEING COURTED BY ABC

ABC has reportedly offered Paula Abdul a $1 million development deal. TMZ.com revealed the supposed offer, but noted that there's one catch -- Abdul would have to appear on Dancing With the Stars.

According to the proposed deal, ABC would still allow Paula to do The X Factor with Simon Cowell, a collaboration that seems certain to happen. Sources told TMZ that Simon and Paula met a week ago to discuss the show, and it looks like a done deal.

• TMZ claims that Paula must accept or decline ABC's offer soon as they want her for the upcoming season of DWTS, which begins in March.

WOMAN BEING PORTRAYED BY HALLE BERRY ARRESTED

Doris Payne, an international jewel thief whose life story is the subject of an upcoming Halle Berry film, was arrested in Southern California on Friday for practicing her craft. The 79-year old allegedly removed the tags from a $1,300 Burberry trench coat at a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Costa Mesa, California, and walked out without paying, according to police.

• The West Virginia native is known for snapping up diamond rings from jewelry stores in Las Vegas, New York, Paris, Tokyo, and other exotic locales. Her rap sheet is extensive, but so impressive that it sparked the upcoming film Who is Doris Payne?, in which Berry is attached to play the title character.
• Payne, who was out on parole at the time of her arrest, is currently in custody without bail for a probation violation.
• Who Is Doris Payne? is still in development at this time.

TAYLOR LAUTNER TO PLAY SUPER BOWL CELEBRITY GAME

Taylor Lautner has signed on to participate in DirecTV's Fourth Annual Celebrity Beach Bowl. The football game -- flag, not tackle -- serves as part of the weekend festivities surrounding the Super Bowl. The game will feature former NFL pros Troy Aikman and Warren Moon serving as quarterbacks of the two teams.

Some of the celebrities Lautner will competing with or against include Chace Crawford, Jessica Szohr, Victoria's Secret model Marisa Miller, Christian Slater, celebrity food connoisseur Guy Fieri and "Entourage" star Kevin Dillon.

• MTV reports that the game traditionally takes place in the sand with teams of seven.
• Immediately following the game and trophy presentations, the All-American Rejects will perform a post-game concert. This year's festivities will be overseen by Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning, who will coach one of the teams.
• Lautner was spotted this past weekend at the Colts game in Indianapolis alongside actor Rob Lowe.

HEADLINE NEWS!!

TOYOTA SUSPENDS SALES OF EIGHT VEHICLES MODELS: Toyota suspended sales in the U.S. yesterday (January 26th) of eight models of cars and trucks, including the Camry, the best-selling car in the country, to fix a problem with gas pedals sticking that could make the vehicles accelerate without warning. The suspension comes after a recall of the same models last week involving 2.3 million vehicles because of the problem. The models affected are: the Corolla, Matrix and RAV4 from 2009 to 2010; the Camry and Tundra from 2007 to 2010; the Avalon from 2005 to 2010; the Sequoia from 2008 to 2010; and the 2010 Highlander.

OBAMA TO FOCUS ON ECONOMY IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: The economy will be the main focus of President Obama's first State of the Union address tonight (January 27th), as he speaks to Americans who are anxious and angry as the nation is dealing with a 10 percent unemployment rate amid the slow emergence from the Great Recession. Some of that anxiety and anger is being directed at him, and Obama wants to show that he knows Americans are struggling and is offering assistance, including new measures to help the middle class. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said, "What he'll discuss more than anything is getting our economy moving again."

PILOT IN LEBANON CRASH REPORTED MADE 'FAST AND STRANGE TURN': Lebanon's transportation minister said Tuesday (January 27th) that the pilot of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea just minutes into its flight early Monday made a, quote, "fast and strange turn" after takeoff from Beirut in a thunderstorm. But he cautioned against making any conclusions about the cause of the crash. All 90 people on board were believed to be dead, although search teams continued to look for human remains, wreckage and the black boxes. Transportation Minister Ghazi Aridi said the Boeing 737 abruptly flew in the opposite direction from the path recommended by the control tower after initially following the tower's guidance on takeoff. He told AP, "They asked him to correct his path but he did a very fast and strange turn before disappearing completely from the radar." Ethiopian Airlines said the pilot had more than 20 years of experience.

TODAY'S FYI:

FORT HOOD SHOOTING HEROES TO BE STATE OF THE UNION GUESTS: Two police officers hailed as heroes for ending last November's shooting rampage at Ford Hood by an Army psychiatrist will be among the guests of First Lady Michelle Obama during tonight's (January 27th) State of the Union address by her husband, President Obama. Sergeants Kimberly Munley and Mark Todd will sit with the first lady in a gallery overlooking the House floor. The two civilian officers opened fire on Major Nidal Malik Hasan, wounding him and ending his deadly rampage, for which he's accused of killing 13 people. Munley was also wounded.

NANCY KERRIGAN'S BROTHER SENT FOR MENTAL EVALUATION IN DEATH OF FATHER: Mark Kerrigan, the brother of former Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, has been sent for a mental evaluation after being charged with assaulting their 70-year-old father, who later died early Sunday (January 24th). Mark Kerrigan pleaded not guilty Monday to to assaulting Daniel Kerrigan at the family's suburban Boston home, where the 45-year-old had been living with his parents. Family members claim that Kerrigan died of a heart attack and that his death was unrelated to the argument. Mark Kerrigan has a history of domestic violence arrests and was sued by his parents to get back money they'd lent him.

TEEN PREGNANCY UP AFTER DECADE OF DECLINE: Teen pregnancy is on the rise in the U.S. again, up in 2006 after a decade of decline, the Guttmacher Institute reported Tuesday (January 26th). The overall teen pregnancy rate rose three percent in 2006, with the figures showing that seven percent of all teenage girls got pregnant that year. While researchers aren't sure why there was an increase, or if it was the start of a new trend or just a blip, Guttmacher's director for domestic research, Larry Finer, told Reuters, "It's interesting to note that this . . . is happening at the same time that we've seen substantial increases in funding for abstinence-only programs. We do know that when we saw the big decline in the '90s, that a lot of that decline was due to improved contraceptive use among teens." The Obama administration's budget eliminates spending for abstinence-only programs, shifting funds to pregnancy prevention education that includes abstinence along with other information.

NEW HAMPSHIRE LOSES 'BIG WIND' TITLE: For more than 60 years, New Hampshire's Mount Washington held the title of being the site of the fastest wind gust ever recorded on Earth, 231 miles per hour. Recorded on top of the mountain on April 12, 1934, it was known as the "Big Wind" and was a source of pride in the state. But it looks like the record has been topped, as the World Meteorological Organization posted on its website that experts reviewing extreme weather and climate data discovered a 253-mile-per-hour gust on Australia's Barrow Island during Cyclone Olivia in 1996, a record that hadn't been noticed at the time. Scott Henley, director of the Mount Washington Observatory, was sad to hear the news, saying, "It's obviously a big disappointment."

SPORTS:

VENUS WILLIAMS UPSET AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN; NADAL, RODDICK OUT: Venus Williams was upset in her quarterfinal match at the Australian Open Wednesday (January 27th), falling to 16th-ranked Li Na of China 2-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5. Williams had been just one game away from winning, serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set. But Li broke Williams' serve and eventually forced a tiebreaker that she won, leading to the deciding third set. This is the first time Li has ever reached a Grand Slam semifinal, and her win gives China two players among the last four of tennis major for the first time. Zheng Jie is playing a semifinal match against Belgian Justine Henin.

On the men's side, defending champ Rafael Nadal of Spain withdrew while trailing Britain's Andy Murray 6-3, 7-6 (2), 3-0 after injuring his knee in their quarterfinal Tuesday. American Andy Roddick lost 7-6 (4), 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 to Marin Cilic.

(Headline News, FYI and Sports stories were compiled in part from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.)

ON THE TUBE TODAY!!!

CBS

• THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE (repeat)
• GARY UNMARRIED (repeat)
• STATE OF THE UNION - President Obama addresses Congress and the nation.
• TWO AND A HALF MEN (repeat)

NBC

• MERCY (repeat)
• STATE OF THE UNION - President Obama addresses Congress and the nation.

FOX

• AMERICAN IDOL - Auditions continue in Dallas; Neil Patrick Harris and Joe Jonas are guest judges.
• STATE OF THE UNION - President Obama addresses Congress and the nation.

ABC

• MODERN FAMILY (repeat)
• THE MIDDLE (repeat)
• STATE OF THE UNION - President Obama addresses Congress and the nation.
• COUGAR TOWN (repeat)

CW

• GOSSIP GIRL (repeat)
• LIFE UNEXPECTED (repeat)

FX

• NIP/TUCK - Christian has a crisis of conscience when Kimber's mother visits; a patient is in need of plastic surgery after being attacked by a wild animal.

MTV

• THE REAL WORLD - TBA

TNT

• LEVERAGE - The team has to work with Sterling to free Maggie from a Ukranian jail.

DAY TIME TALK SHOW

THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - Jenna Elfman, Chris Harrison, Lady Antebellum
THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW - Before you grocery shop again: Food 101 with Michael Pollan
THE VIEW - E.D. Hill

LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS

THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - (repeat)
THE JAY LENO SHOW (NBC) - (repeat)
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN (NBC) - (repeat)
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) -Mel Gibson, Kate Micucci, Mayer Hawthorne
THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - Eddie Izzard
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - (repeat)
LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - (repeat)
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Ethan Watters
THE COLBERT REPORT (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Arthur Benjamin
LOPEZ TONIGHT - Kristen Bell, Charlie Wilson

OFF BEAT BRIEFS

WOMAN USES iPHONE TO GET PREGNANT: A British woman used an iPhone application in order to get pregnant. After four years of infertility, Lena Bryce, 30, downloaded an iPhone App that helped her conceive. Bryce told The Sun, ''It began to weigh heavily on us. We were considering IVF and adoption when [my husband] Dudley gave me the iPhone for my 30th. I typed in 'get pregnant' and downloaded five apps.'' Bryce chose to download the Free Menstrual Calendar, which showed her most fertile day. Bryce was pregnant after two months of downloading the app. (mashable.com)

WORLD'S SECOND PREGNANT MAN PREPARES TO GIVE BIRTH: The world's second pregnant man is preparing to give birth to his baby boy next month. Transgender couple, Scott Moore and husband Thomas, already have two children who Thomas had with a previous female partner who passed away. The couple has decided to name the child Miles. ''We know some people will criticize'', said Moore, ''but we are blissfully happy and not ashamed.'' Moore, who started life as a girl named Jessica, first realized that he wanted to be a man by the age of 11, and later met his husband at a support group meeting for transgender men. (Dailymail)

TRAVELLERS BUY $3 TICKETS DUE TO GLITCH: There was a major computer glitch that allowed Chinese air travellers to buy online tickets from Chinese Easter Airlines for less than three dollars. According to The Global Times, China's major carrier sold approximately 300 tickets last week, including first-class fares for a price of 20 yuan ($2.90) each. The company has acknowledged the computer error and said they would honor the tickets. (AFP)

MAN TRIES TO BREAK INTO JAIL: A man from Oregon tried to break into the Jackson County Jail at about 4:10am on Monday, according to police. Jail officials spotted the man scaling the fence around the area where officers usually unload potential prisoners to take them inside. The 28-year-old man who had been caught said that he had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. The man told police that he was trying to get help at the jail but there was no answer at the front entrance. Police cited the man for disorderly conduct and trespassing. (AP)

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GIRL SCOUT COOKIES:

Lemondrop.com prepares us for cookie season!

Scout cookie sales began in 1917 in Muskogee, Okla., when the Mistletoe troop began baking and selling cookies in its high school cafeteria as a service project.

1942, Girl Scouts sold calendars in lieu of cookies due to sugar, flour and butter shortages during World War II.

Cookie variety was limited to the Sandwich, Shortbread and Chocolate Mints in 1951 (now renamed the Peanut Butter Sandwich/Do-si-dos, Shortbread/Trefoils and Thin Mints, respectively).

Thin Mints are the biggest seller, making up 25 percent of all sales, followed by Samoas/Caramel deLites at 19 percent.

As of 2005, 71.5 percent of women in the U.S. Senate and 67.1 percent of women in the House of Representatives are Girl Scouts alumnae.

Jennifer Sharpe, age 15, of Dearborn, Mich., holds the record for most cookies ever sold, with 17,328 boxes in 2008. Of the $21,000 her troop raised to go on a 10-day tour of Europe, $14,000 was due to Sharpe.

Different types of cookies are sold in different regions at varying prices set by individual Girl Scout councils. And sometimes even the same cookies have different names. Do-Si-Dos, formerly called Gauchos, are also called Peanut Butter Sandwiches in other areas. Confusing, right? This is because there are two licensed bakers, ABC and Little Brownie, that get to propose and name the cookies that they bake.

About 200 million boxes are sold every cookie season; the Girl Scout cookie program has generated about $700 million per year since 1999.

DID YOU KNOW?

16 PERCENT OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION WANTS TO MOVE: According to a recent Gallup poll, 700 million people worldwide, or about 16 percent of the world's population would, if given the chance, leave their own country and move permanently to another one. A move to a country in Europe was the most popular choice among those polled (210 million), followed by America (165 million) and Canada (45 million).

REPEAT MARRIAGES KEEP ENDING IN DIVORCE: Two-thirds of second marriages in the U.S. and three-quarters of third ones end in divorce. These dismal statistics about second and third marriages in the United States reported on by AskMen.com are far less commonly published than those regarding first marriages (i.e. that half of them end in divorce). Regardless, they suggest that people who marry frequently tend not to learn from the mistakes made in prior relationships, instead bringing bad relationship habits with them from marriage to marriage.

WOMEN LIVING IN STRESSFUL TIMES GIVE BIRTH TO MORE GIRLS THAN BOYS: When times are tough -- during drought or famine, for instance, or even during a more modern-style calamity such as massive layoffs from a large company -- stress hormones in a woman's body have an influence on the sex of her child or children, should she have them at this time: Thanks to evolution, there's a slightly higher chance she'll have a girl, since daughters stand a better chance to reproduce during hard times than men do. Recently, UC Berkeley researchers discovered that stress hormones make the uterus slightly more hostile to a male fetus during tough times, and further, that the body will spontaneously abort more boys than girls.

SEX CAUSES CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME: A controversial new U.K. report suggests that too much sex is responsible for wrist pain. The Sun reported that repetitive movements during lovemaking put extra weight on the wrists, which can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Dr. John Zenian, writing in the journal Medical Hypotheses, said, "Sexual intercourse can explain the increase in the overall incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome seen in recent years, since it is the most widely practiced activity that uses both hands at the same time."

IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION

According to The Economist, what is regarded as the most difficult language in the world?

A: The Tuyuca language -- which is spoken by no more than 600 or so in the eastern Amazon in South America

It was determined to be the hardest because it combines a difficult sound system with agglutination (combining many words into one term), a massive number of noun classes (between 50 and 140), and finally, its evidential aspect: special verb endings on statements are required to "show how the speaker knows something", a feature that ought to make "any journalist tremble."

L.A. Council Wants Fewer Pot Shops

The Los Angeles City Council thinks there are too many pot shops in the city, so they tentatively approved an ordinance yesterday (January 26th) to close most of L.A.'s medical marijuana dispensaries. If passed next week, the ordinance would cap the number of dispensaries at 70, and require them to be at least 1,000 feet from places like schools, parks and other public gathering spots, meaning those that remain would likely have to move to industrial areas. As many as 1,000 pot dispensaries have opened in L.A. in the past few years, up from just four in 2005. Medical marijuana advocates argue that it's because the council hasn't be able to provide clear regulations that there's been such a boom. California is one of 14 states that allow medical marijuana.

School District Pulls Dictionary Over 'Age-Inappropriate' Words

The Menifee Union School District in California has pulled all copies of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary from its shelves after an elementary school student's parent complained when the child found the entry for "oral sex" with a pretty clinical definition, according to a Fox News report. Now a committee of principles, teachers and parents has been formed to look through the dictionary and determine whether it's appropriate for elementary school children. Unsurprisingly, free speech advocates aren't happy. The school may decide to swap the collegiate edition dictionaries out for ones targeted towards children, like the one Merriam-Webster itself publishes.

Saints Victory Newspapers Keep Selling Out in New Orleans

Copies of New Orleans' Times-Picayune newspaper that came out on Monday (January 25th), the day after the Saints won the NFC championship and a first-ever trip to the Super Bowl, keep selling out. The paper with the headline "Super Saints" sold out early Monday morning, then more papers were printed and sold Tuesday at the paper's six offices. Several shipments went, and according to the paper, deputies showed up in some places to direct traffic because of long lines. The Times-Picayune said it will continue selling copies Wednesday morning at their bureaus and downtown office until all copies are sold.

KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC UPDATE

Lady Antebellum releases their brand new CD, called Need You Now, today (Tuesday, January 26th). The project is the trio's second, and while most acts feel the angst of the "sophomore jinx," Charles Kelley tells us the success of their debut single did away with that. "'Need You Now' had taken a tremendous amount of pressure off of . . . just purely from the fact, like, all you can really ask for from a record is that one big song, and we're so incredibly fortunate enough to have 'Need You Now' right out of the gates do what it did, so already we feel like at least, 'Alright, it's not gonna be a complete failure,' so you can breathe a little easier."

All three Lady Antebellum members had a hand in writing eight of the disc's 11 tracks. They also earned their first co-producer credit on the album, which Charles says made them all feel a lot more invested in the project. "We're extremely proud of this record. We had a much bigger hand in it, and we felt like we had more of a handle on who we were, so we feel really confident in the record, but there is always that little nervous energy of like, 'Gosh, are they gonna love this?' But, we've been fortunate enough (that) we've got so many people workin' with us on our team and stuff and we put a lot of trust in them, and we had a lot of encouragement and a lot of great feedback from our team, so we feel good about it."

• The title track from Need You Now recently topped the country charts for five weeks.
• Lady Antebellum will perform on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday (January 27th).
• They are nominated for Best Country Performance by A Duo Or Group With Vocals and Best Country Song for "I Run To You" at Sunday's (January 31st) Grammy Awards. The show airs live from Los Angeles on CBS.
• They were also invited to perform at the MusiCares Tribute to Neil Young on Friday (January 29th).

SIDE NOTES

• Lady Antebellum's additional upcoming TV appearances include a two-song outdoor concert on Jimmy Kimmel Live on February 2nd and a live performance on the Today show from the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver on February 16th.
• The trio will hit the road on Tim McGraw's Southern Voice tour on February 11th in Omaha, Nebraska.

Reba McEntire celebrated the biggest hit single of her career with a party in Nashville yesterday (Monday, January 25th) afternoon. "Consider Me Gone" held the Number One spot for four weeks late last year, giving Reba the 34th Number One of her career in as many years.

Reba spoke with us about the feat. "It's really hard to put it in words how much it means to me for me to be able to have a career chart-topping song after bein' in the business for 34 years. It's pretty overwhelming."

Reba thanked her team of supporters for the victory. "I give total credit to the songwriters and to Valory (Music Group) and to radio and to the fans. I'm doin' the same thing I've always done. I get up and I sing and I have a great time and thank the Lord for a great job, so it's timing, it's bein' with the right people. We're all really thrilled. (It's) just hard work, dedication, great ideas of things to do to get the music out and I am just ecstatic!"

• Reba's new single, "I'll Keep On Loving You," is making its climb up the charts.
• She kicked off her tour with George Strait and special guest Lee Ann Womack last weekend. The trek rolls on to Knoxville, Tennessee on Friday (January 29th).
• Tickets to their February 20th show in Tulsa sold out in less than an hour on Saturday (January 23rd). This marks the first time in the history of the Bank of Oklahoma (BOK) Center that over 18,000 tickets have been sold for one event.

FAST FACTS

• "Consider Me Gone" is the longest-running Number One hit for a female country artist since Taylor Swift's "Our Song" logged a multi-week stint at the top of the charts in 2007.
• Reba's very first chart-topping single, "Can't Even Get the Blues" claimed the top of the charts in January of 1983.

Kenny Chesney is headed to Sin City for a four-night stint later this year. The superstar will perform at the The Joint at the Hard Rock Las Vegas on May 14th and 15th and July 2nd and 3rd.

• After playing stadiums and arenas, Kenny is anxious to be back in a venue that allows him to get closer to his audience. He said, "That's what so great about a gig where the capacity is under 4000. . . It's the best of both worlds: you get the energy of a club, but it's still enough of a stage that there's room to run around and have fun, because when we do these smaller, less structured shows, we like to let loose without tripping over each other or getting tangled in someone's chord."
• The shows will be similar to his Keg In The Closet tour of college bars.
• Kenny is currently working on his upcoming concert movie, Summer In 3-D, which will be in theaters on April 21st.

John Mayer and Taylor Swift -- who recently collaborated on Mayer's song "Half My Heart" -- were spotted dining together in Nashville this past weekend. Mayer is in Nashville to tape an episode of CMT's Crossroads today.

The two were with a large group but according to People magazine, they sat next to each other and appeared to be friendly but not romantic. A source says, "It looked like a big group of Nashville friends." The source continues, "They were so nice."

INTERNET COMMENTS

• People.com Reader Trisha O'Malley Says: "Collaborating. Is that what the kids are calling it now."
• PerezHilton.com Reader Bella753 Says: "NOOOOO!!! Taylor! Stay away! Plus, he's way too old for you! NOT TO MENTION JOHN MAYER IS MIIIINE! but no really, I don't see think he matches her at all. I think she's going through that "experimental rebellious" phase. Fine live a little. but not with Mayer"
• PerezHilton Reader Chelsea Says: "Watch out john, treat her right or she might write a song about ya. oh wait . . . he'd probably love that, since he's a huge fame whore and all."

Keith Urban will team up with John Mayer tonight (Tuesday, January 26th) in Nashville to tape an episode of CMT Crossroads before an invitation-only audience. There is no word yet on when this show with air.

Taylor Swift will be in Los Angeles tomorrow night (Wednesday, January 27th) to perform at the Unforgettable Evening event at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel to benefit the Women's Cancer Research Fund. The event's honorary chairs are Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson and Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw.

Kellie Pickler is sporting a new do these days. Her short, blonde pixie cut is reminiscent of one of Lorrie Morgan's signature styles. Kellie told People magazine, "I remember being in love with Lorrie Morgan's hairstyles growing up. I've always thought she was beautiful and confident. Having short hair makes me feel like I set myself apart (style wise) from the other women in country music."

Darryl Worley is featured in a special artist spotlight on MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball. Go to the website to see Darryl perform and chat with host, Tara Gore, about his early days, the Atlanta Braves and his new album, Sounds Like Life.

American Idol season eight finalist Danny Gokey is giving fans a 48-hour exclusive premiere of his debut music video, "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me.", beginning today at AmericanIdol.com. Danny's debut album, My Best Days, will be released on March 2.

Hank Williams Jr. will head out on the road with Jamey Johnson, Eric Church, and The Grascals for the Rowdy Friends tour 2010. The trek runs every weekend in April, beginning on April 2nd in Charleston, West Virginia. More dates will be added to the tour, according to organizers.

So far, the dates are as follows:
April 2 - Charleston, WV
April 3 - Louisville, KY
April 9 - Bossier City, LA
April 10 - Lafayette, LA
April 17 - Pikeville, KY

• Tickets for the shows will go on sale Saturday (January 30th) at 10 a.m. at all venue box office locations as well as TicketMaster locations.

FAST FACT

• Hank Williams, Sr. nicknamed his son Bocephus after Grand Ole Opry comedian Rod Brasfield's ventriloquist dummy.

OUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. What Johnny Cash song stayed at Number One on the chart for six weeks back in 1956?
A. "I Walk The Line"

COUNTRY ON THE TUBE TODAY!

INVITATION ONLY: REBA McENTIRE/CMT 12:00PM (ET)

CMT CRIBS/CMT 1:00PM (ET)
Jason Aldean, Paula Deen, Jamie O'Neal

GAC NIGHTS/GAC 8:00PM (ET)
Jeff Bridges, T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham

RON WHITE: THEY CALL ME TATER SALAD/CMT 9:00PM, 10:15PM (ET)

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS

Eddie Van Halen (rock guitarist) (55)

• Ellen DeGeneres (actress-comedienne-talk show host) (52)
• David Strathairn (actor, Silkwood, Eight Men Out, A League Of Their Own, The Firm, L.A. Confidential, The Bourne Ultimatum) (61)
• Scott Glenn (actor, Apocalypse Now, The Right Stuff, The Hunt For Red October) (69)
• Bob Uecker (Former professional baseball player; broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers; actor, Mr. Belvedere, the Major League movies) (75)
• Wayne Gretzky (former hockey player, one of the best National Hockey League players ever) (49)
• Anita Baker (R&B singer) (52)
• Andrew Ridgeley (member of 80s pop duo Wham!, along with George Michael) (47)
• Angela Davis (professor and political activist) (66)
• Kirk Franklin (gospel singer) (40)
• Jean Knight (singer, "Mr. Big Stuff") (67)
• Suleman Octuplets (1)

ON THIS DAY

• Chris Young's "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)" was released to radio in 2009.
• Toby Keith's "Honkytonk U" was released to radio in 2005.
• Reba McEntire began her critically acclaimed stint playing the lead role of Annie Oakley in the revival of the Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun in 2001.
• The Dukes Of Hazzard debuted on CBS in 1979.
• Hank Williams wrote "I Saw The Light" in 1947.
• Bob Wills recorded the classics "Roly Poly" and "Stay A Little Longer" in 1945.

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

DENNIS HOPPER'S ESTRANGED WIFE RESPONDS TO DIVORCE FILING: Dennis Hopper's estranged wife has drafted legal papers in an attempt to get custody of the couple's six-year-old daughter, Galen, plus child and spousal support. TMZ.com reports that in the papers, Victoria Duffy claims Hopper is extremely sick from his cancer battle and often smokes marijuana -- sometimes in front of Galen. She said Dennis has told her he doesn't actually want to get a divorce -- and that she believes his family members are controlling him in order to cut her out financially.

MODEL ACCUSED OF HITTING LEONARDO DICAPRIO TO FACE THE LAW: A former model accused of attacking Leonardo DiCaprio has finally agreed to face the law. TMZ.com reports that 39-year-old Aretha Wilson is accused of hitting DiCaprio in the face during a house party in the Hollywood Hills in 2005, however she fled the country after the incident. Wilson was finally taken into custody in Ontario last week -- and has agreed to be extradited back to the U.S. Authorities claim DeCaprio needed 17 stitches to close up his face and ear. TMZ reports that he's expected to testify in the case against Wilson.

JOHNNY DEPP'S REP ADDRESSES DEATH HOAX: Johnny Depp is alive and well, despite the umpteenth celebrity death hoax in recent months. Although a fake internet report claimed that the actor had been killed in France last Saturday night after a car crash, his rep clarified, "He isn't dead. He's fine." Over the past year, fellow stars including Taylor Lautner, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Hanks, Miley Cyrus, and countless others have found themselves the victims of such hoaxes.

JENNIFER ANISTON AND LINDSAY LOHAN HELP HAITI: Jennifer Aniston is the latest celebrity donating major cash to help out in Haiti. E! reports that the actress has given $500,000 to Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health and AmeriCares for their recovery efforts in the disaster-stricken Caribbean nation. She also participated in last week's Hope for Haiti telethon, which has raised over $58 million. Lindsay Lohan is helping out as well -- on a lesser scale. Lohan said that 100% of the proceeds on one of her legging designs will go to Haiti.

KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN BLASTS OK!: Kourtney Kardashian is lashing out at OK! magazine after the publication photoshopped an image of her on their cover, which made it look like the reality star had dropped all of her baby weight. Despite the tabloid's claim to have an exclusive on her "body after baby," Kourtney also says she never spoke to OK! for the story, which quotes her as well as her friends and stepfather, Bruce Jenner. Kourtney told Women's Wear Daily, "They doctored and Photoshopped my body to make it look like I have already lost all the weight, which I have not."

JAMES MITCHELL DIES: Soap star James Mitchell has died at the age of 89. His longtime partner said that the actor died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, having suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for years, complicated by a recent bout of pneumonia. Mitchell played gruff patriarch Palmer Cortland on All My Children for nearly three decades. His film credits include 1953's "The Band Wagon" with Fred Astaire, 1954's "Deep in My Heart" and 1955's "Oklahoma."

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

SCARLETT JOHANSSON WINS RAVE REVIEWS ON BROADWAY: Scarlett Johansson is earning rave reviews for her role in Broadway's A View From The Bridge. Critics from the New York Times and USA Today praised the 25-year-old for her performance in the classic Arthur Miller drama, with the latter calling her performance "enchanting." Liev Schreiber co-stars in the production.

'HURT LOCKER' WINS AT PRODUCER'S GUILD: The Hurt Locker scored the top honor from the Producers Guild of America. The Iraq war drama beat out "Star Trek," "District 9," "An Education," "Invictus," "Up" and "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' By Sapphire," building momentum for an Oscar victory. The film stars Jeremy Renner and is directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

JANE FONDA RETURNING TO WORKOUT VIDEOS: Jane Fonda is reportedly going to film a workout DVD aimed at older women. Starpulse.com reports that the 72-year-old, who recorded and released a series of hit exercise videos throughout the 1980s, wants to make a fitness comeback. She's quoted as having said, "We will film them in mid-March. Mine will target an audience that has been left out, my age group and the (baby) boomers. I want to get to people who have stopped working out or never did."

'HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER' CREATORS DEVELOPING NEW SHOW: The creators of "How I Met Your Mother" are developing a new comedy project. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Carter Bays and Craig Thomas have also signed a new deal with the show's producer, 20th Century Fox TV, which states that if Mother continues its successful run, their three-year pact will likely reach eight figures. The new show, a hybrid romantic comedy that revolves around a young couple and their friends, is the duo's first since Mother premiered in 2005.

JAMES CAMERON TALKS 'AVATAR 2'

An Avatar sequel is a sure thing -- but it won't be in theaters anytime soon. James Cameron told E!, "We always planned on continuing the world and continuing the characters. In fact, that was part of the original pitch to 20th Century Fox."

He said that production for the sequel will be fairly easy, explaining, "We're going to spend a lot of money building this world and all these digital characters and digital plants and trees and mountains and so on, and then once we've got it, we've got it. It's not like it's a practical set that when you build it, you have to tear it down and you're left with a big pile of lumber out behind the studio. We have all that stuff so we can go again."

• Cameron continued, "We just have to come up with a great story, which we haven't done yet. I have a rough story, but you need to make a script, so that might take some time. Don't start going to buy your tickets."
• He commented on the film's astounding box office success saying, "Oh yeah, we have a plan in place already for how to break these records. Are you kidding?! This is so random that this is happening. There's no way to have predicted this."

TIGER WOODS VISITED BY ELIN IN REHAB; MORE DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT CRASH

Tiger Woods reportedly received his first visit from wife Elin Nordegren at the Mississippi rehab center where he's receiving therapy for sexual addiction. Elin spent several days at the Gentle Path Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, before returning home to Orlando, Florida, on Sunday (January 24th). "The marriage is not over. They both want to save it," a source told RadarOnline.com.

Meanwhile, more details are emerging about what happened between Tiger and Elin just before his car crash in his driveway last Thanksgiving, the event that brought to light the golf pro's massive cheating. According to TheDailyBeast.com, Elin set things in motion on November 27th by impersonating her husband in a text to Rachel Uchitel, his number one mistress.

• According to the report, Tiger put Elin on the phone with Rachel so the party hostess could convince Elin that her relationship with Tiger was purely platonic, but later a suspicious Elin texted Rachel pretending to be Tiger and Rachel texted back. Elin then called Rachel.
• Meanwhile Tiger had taken Ambien and was groggy when Elin woke him screaming about the affair. Soon after, Tiger texted Rachel but Elin found the text and chased Tiger from the house, where he climbed into that SUV and never made it past the driveway after crashing into a tree.
• According to People.com, Elin is waiting until Tiger completes his rehab before deciding whether to file for divorce or not.

SIDE NOTE

• And another mistress has come to light, a 42-year-old British woman that the 37-year-old Tiger met at his favorite Orlando nightclub in May 2008. Tiger was reportedly so wild about Emma Rotherham that he made her wear a wedding ring to keep other men away from her. The woman reportedly received $500,000 from the golfer to keep quiet about their affair, according to U.K. tabloid News of the World.

AMERICAN IDOL CONTESTANT CUT AFTER DAD TALKS TO LOCAL PAPER

An American Idol contestant has reportedly been cut from the competition after violating his confidentiality agreement with the show. People magazine reports that Michael Lynche was axed after his father told the St. Petersburg Times that his son had made the top 24.

Idol rules state that singers and their families are required to keep the Hollywood week results quiet until they're broadcast.

• The New York Post claims that Lynche was replaced in the top 24 over the weekend.
• Last season, top-36 finisher Joanna Pacitti was replaced by Felicia Barton because Fox found she was "ineligible to continue in the competition." Reports that circulated in the aftermath of Pacitti's dismissal indicated that she had connections to executives at Idol producer Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment.

SIMON COWELL REPORTEDLY WANTS A RECORD DEAL WITH ROB PATTINSON

Rob Pattinson could be going from vampire to singing sensation. The U.K. Sun reports that Simon Cowell wants to sign the Twilight star -- who has contributed tracks to the movie soundtracks -- to a record deal.

A source told the paper, "Robert is reluctant to be turned into a pop star -- he takes his music very seriously." The insider added, "He is a bit wary of signing up with Cowell who is, of course, associated with X-Factor and pop."

• Pattinson also plays the piano and the guitar.

CHECK IT OUT: Reasons to change careers now: http://tinyurl.com/y93x3ls

CHELSEA HANDLER REPORTEDLY DUMPS HER BOSS

Chelsea Handler has reportedly split from her boyfriend Ted Harbert -- the president and CEO of Comcast, which owns E!, the network that airs Chelsea Lately. Last summer, the couple denied breakup rumors, but now Gawker.com claims the two have split for real.

Handler first got together with Harbert -- who is nearly 20 years her senior -- in 2006, after her reality-sketch series The Chelsea Handler Show wrapped, but before plans for Chelsea Lately were set in motion. The timing of her success and their coupling led to accusations that she'd slept her way to the top, however Handler has always laughed off the implications of the relationship and frequently makes light of it on her show.

• Gawker.com claims it was Handler who did the dumping.

JANE LYNCH TO MARRY GIRLFRIEND?

Glee actress Jane Lynch will reportedly marry her longtime girlfriend, Dr. Lara Embry. RadarOnline.com claims the couple is set to tie the knot in May.

• 49-year-old Lynch was best known for her roles in The 40-Year-Old-Virgin, Best In Show and Two-And-A-Half Men before her star turn on Glee while Embry, a psychologist, made headlines last year for her triumph in a landmark same-sex custody lawsuit in Florida. For her efforts in that case, she was honored by the National Center For Lesbian Rights with the organization's Justice Award.

FORMER 'BACHELOR' LAUNCHING NEW SHOW

Former Bachelor Matt Grant has a new show in the works. The British financier -- who had a short-lived engagement to Shayne Lamas after the show's 12th season -- told Usmagazine.com that Warner Brothers has picked up his project, which is called Pimp My Bride.

He explained, "[It's] an organic follow-up to the Bachelor. It's about the groom being in control of the wedding."

• In addition to the new series, Grant was approached by the shows producers to star on the upcoming Bachelor spin-off, Bachelor Pad.
• He revealed, "They've asked me to possibly do this Bachelor Pad show. It's like Big Brother Bachelor with all the Bachelors in a house. I've thought about doing it because I'm obviously not famous anymore and it would give me fifteen minutes of fame!"

HEADLINE NEWS!!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

OBAMA TO SEEK SPENDING FREEZE: In an effort to start cutting into the record $1.4 trillion deficit, President Obama will ask Congress to freeze spending for some domestic programs for three years beginning in 2011, the Associated Press reported last night (January 25th). The Pentagon, veterans programs, foreign aid and the Homeland Security Department would be exempt. Obama is expected to talk about the spending freeze in tomorrow's (January 27th) State of the Union address, and he also previewed parts of the speech separately yesterday in comments about new proposals to help the middle class during the current tough economic times. The measures include: increasing the child care tax credit; reducing the size of monthly federal college loan repayments; and spending more to help people pay for child care and care for their elderly parents.

37 KILLED IN IRAQ HOTEL ATTACKS; 'CHEMICAL ALI' EXECUTED: Suicide attacks at three Baghdad hotels favored by Western journalists killed 37 people Monday (January 25th) and wounded more than 100. No Westerners were killed or seriously injured. The blasts took place in succession over about 15 minutes, hitting near the Sheraton, Babylon and Hamra Hotels. They came shortly before Iraq announced that it had hanged "Chemical Ali," Saddam Hussein's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, for gas attacks that killed more than 5,000 Kurds in 1988. There was no claim of responsibility for the hotel attacks, but although Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has portrayed recent attacks in Baghdad as being carried out by members of Saddam's former Baath Party working with al-Qaida in Iraq, officials stopped short of saying Monday's attacks were possible revenge for Chemical Ali's execution.

BERNANKE'S CONFIRMATION BID BOOSTED: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's chances at being confirmed by the Senate for a second four-year term were boosted yesterday (January 25th) by a White House effort that included the support of President Obama in an ABC News interview. Obama said, "He has my strongest support. I think he's done a good job." Once seen as likely to be reconfirmed, opposition increased last week among some senators from both parties, before the tide seemingly began to reverse again yesterday. Critics blame Bernanke for not recognizing signs of trouble ahead of the financial crisis and for being part of the massive bank bailout. At the same time, advocates credit him for launching aggressive countermeasures that prevented a financial collapse.

STACY PETERSON TOLD NEIGHBOR 'I'M ALREADY DEAD' BEFORE DISAPPEARANCE: A one-time neighbor of former Illinois police officer Drew Peterson and his missing fourth wife Stacy testified yesterday (January 25th) that Stacy said days before her 2007 disappearance that she was sure her husband would kill her, stating, "I'm already dead." Sharon Bychowski was testifying during a hearing to determine whether hearsay evidence can be used in Peterson's trial on charges that he murdered his third wife, Kathleen Savio, in 2004. Bychowski said she found Stacy crying outside her suburban Chicago home, and that her 23-year-old neighbor told her she wanted a divorce and had asked Drew to leave, but he had refused. Bychowski testified, "She said, 'If I disappear, Sharon, it's not an accident. He killed me.'" Drew Peterson hasn't been charged in Stacy's disappearance, but authorities say he's the only suspect.

TODAY'S FYI:

NANCY KERRIGAN'S BROTHER ACCUSED OF ASSAULT IN DEATH OF THEIR FATHER: Daniel Kerrigan, the 70-year-old father of former Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, died early Sunday (January 24th) after what police said was a violent struggle with his 45-year-old son in the family's suburban Boston home, where Mark Kerrigan was living with his parents. Mark, who has a history of domestic violence arrests and was sued by his parents to get back money they'd lent him, pleaded not guilty Monday to assault charges. According to police, when they arrived at the home after a 911 call, Mark appeared intoxicated and was, quote, "belligerent and combative." He reportedly told police that when he wanted to use the phone and his father wouldn't let him, he struggled with father, putting his arms around his neck, and his father fell to the floor. However, he told police he thought he father was faking it. But family members, including Daniel's wife, insist he died of a heart attack and the argument didn't play a role.

• Nancy Kerrigan, who won the Olympic silver medal in 1994 and the bronze in 1992, was clubbed in the knee ahead of the 1994 Games in an attack arranged by the husband of one of her competitors, Tonya Harding. She married her manager in 1995 and the couple have three children and live not far from her parents' home.

BIDEN'S SON WON'T RUN FOR DAD'S FORMER SENATE SEAT: Vice President Joe Biden's son Beau, the attorney general of Delaware, said yesterday (January 25th) that he won't run for the U.S. Senate seat from the state that his father held for 36 years. Beau Biden's decision was a surprise, since Ted Kaufman, his father's confidant and former chief of staff, was appointed to the vice president's old seat to essentially keep it warm for Beau until this year's election. But the attorney general said he needs to remain focused on the high-profile case of a pediatrician accused of sexually assaulting several of his patients, with prosecutors believing he may have molested more than 100 children over the past decade. However, political observers believe Biden's decision was also influenced by the fact that it's likely to be a tough election year for Democrats.

CENSUS BEGINS ITS COUNT IN ALASKAN VILLAGE: The 2010 U.S. Census got underway yesterday (January 25th) as Census Bureau Director Robert Groves flew to the remote Alaskan village of Noorvik to count the first household in the Inupiat Eskimo community of 650 people. Census workers will also visit 217 other rural Alaska communities in the coming weeks before census forms are mailed to the rest of America on March 15th. Alaskans in rural communities like Noorvik that aren't linked by roads have been the first residents counted since the 1990 census. This is done because it's easier to get census workers to the villages before the muddiness of the spring thaw, and to count everyone before many of the villagers who still live off the land leave for fishing camps and hunting expeditions.

COMPANY WANTS TO REPLACE OBAMA BILLBOARD WITH ONE OF PALIN: If outwear company Weatherproof can't have President Obama for its Times Square billboard, they want Sarah Palin, hoping to use the image of the former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate who's wildly popular with Republicans. Weatherproof's original billboard showed Obama standing by the Great Wall during his trip to China while wearing a Weatherproof jacket, along with the tag line, "A Leader in Style." However, the company never got permission to use Obama's image, and the White House asked earlier this month that it be taken down. Weatherproof is still waiting to hear back from Palin, after learning their lesson and asking for her permission first.

SPORTS:

NFL CONFERENCE TITLE GAMES GET BEST RATINGS IN 28 YEARS: The NFL conference championship games Sunday (January 25th) that decided the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints as this year's Super Bowl teams drew the biggest TV ratings for the conference title games in 28 years. The telecasts averaged 52.9 million viewers, up 34 percent from last year.

• The NFC title game on Fox that the Saints won in overtime over the Minnesota Vikings drew 57.9 million viewers, the most since 1982, and it was the most watched non-Super Bowl program since the series finale of Seinfeld 12 years ago.
• The Colts' win over the New York Jets on CBS drew 46.9 million viewers, the most for an AFC title game since 1986.

HENIN ADVANCES TO AUSTRALIAN OPEN SEMIFINALS: Belgian Justine Henin, who's playing in the Australian Open as an unranked wild-card entry, advanced to the semifinals Tuesday (January 26th) with a 7-6 (3), 705 win over Nadia Petrova. The formerly top-ranked Henin is playing in her first Grand Slam since returning to tennis last month following a 20-month retirement. The 27-year-old has won seven Grand Slams in her career.

CRITTENTON IS SECOND WIZARDS PLAYER TO PLEAD GUILTY TO GUN CHARGE: The Washington Wizards' Javaris Crittenton pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge Monday (January 25th), saying he had the weapon because he was afraid that teammate Gilbert Arenas would shoot him or blow up his car after the two argued over a card game. Yesterday's hearing was the first time it was confirmed that Crittenton was the other player involved in the Wizards' locker room confrontation with Arenas, who pleaded guilty on January 15th to a felony gun charge. Crittenton was sentenced to a year of unsupervised probation and ordered to mentor young people in D.C. and help with relief efforts for Haiti. He faces a possible suspension or fine from the NBA. Arenas, who has said that the incident in which he showed Crittenton several guns was a misguided attempt at a joke, has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 26th.

(Headline News, FYI and Sports stories were compiled in part from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.)

ON THE TUBE TODAY!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

CBS

• NCIS - When an assassin targets the government's key witness in an embezzlement case, the team must help the witness make it home alive.
• NCIS: LOS ANGELES - After learning that an agent is in danger, the team rushes to a crime scene.
• THE GOOD WIFE (repeat)

NBC

• THE BIGGEST LOSER - The contestants compete for immunity; one team wins a coveted prize.
• THE JAY LENO SHOW - Mel Gibson

FOX

• AMERICAN IDOL - Auditions continue in Los Angeles; Avril Lavigne and Katy Perry act as guest judges.
• HUMAN TARGET - Chance becomes embroiled in an international arms deal while trying to find a friend's killer.

ABC

• SCRUBS - Dr. Cox makes Lucy his 'Hell Week' leader; Turk feels threatened when an internationally renowned surgeon visits.
• BETTER OFF TED - Ted helps his brother get a job selling lab equipment; Veronica receives an award.
• LOST (repeat)

CW

• 90210 (repeat)
• MELROSE PLACE (repeat)

MTV

• TEEN MOM - TBA

DAY TIME TALK SHOW

THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - Will Arnett, Harry Connick Jr., Adam Lambert
THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW - Denise Richards and Mrs. Ted Haggard: Surviving a public scandal
THE VIEW - Alicia Silverstone, Laura Linney

LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS

THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - (repeat)
THE JAY LENO SHOW (NBC) - Mel Gibson
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN (NBC) - (repeat)
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) - Harrison Ford, Kristen Bell, Silversun Pickups
THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - Quentin Tarantino, Adrianna Palicki
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - (repeat)
LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - (repeat)
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Elizabeth Warren
THE COLBERT REPORT (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Paul Begala, Mika Brzezinski
LOPEZ TONIGHT - Sofia Vergara, James van der Beek, Jamie Kennedy

OFF BEAT BRIEFS

WOMAN CLAIMS TO BE EATING POWDERED DOUGHNUT: A woman from east Tennessee told police that the powdery substance around her mouth was a ''sugary doughnut''. The 21-year-old woman was later arrested for cocaine possession. She was also cited for driving with a suspended license, driving without proof of insurance, failure to maintain her lane of traffic, and possession of drug paraphernalia. According to the Alcoa police report, the white substance that the woman put in her mouth was in fact not a powdered doughnut. (AP)

WOMAN CHARGED WITH THIRD DWI IN A WEEK: A New Hampshire woman was accused of driving while intoxicated three times in one week. According to state police, the 55-year-old woman was charged with a DWI after a car crash on January 16th. She was again charged, five days later, after crashing into a guardrail on Interstate 93. Her third charge happened on Friday when she rear-ended a pick-up truck, pushing it into another car. She is being held on a $20,000 cash bail. (AP)

PRIEST ACCUSED OF SHOPLIFTING IN WALMART: A Roman Catholic priest is being accused of shoplifting butter and a sofa cover from a Walmart in southern Illinois. Rev. Steven Poole, 41, was charged with two felony counts. According to police, Poole did not scan a $3.22 container of butter and $60 sofa cover at a self-checkout. He then allegedly went to the store's bedding section and switched the barcode of a memory foam mattress so that it would scan for $31 instead of $145. (AP)

WOMAN FALLS AND RIPS PICASSO PAINTING: A Pablo Picasso painting, ''The Actor'', was damaged after a woman fell into it in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The woman, who was coming from an art class, lost her balance and fell into the significant painting causing it to tear vertically. The tear is about six inches in the lower right-hand corner of the unusually large canvas. The painting was created in Picasso's ''Rose Period'' and was painted in the winter of 1904 to 1905. (AFP)

DID YOU KNOW?

WE CAN'T PROCESS MANY FACEBOOK FRIENDS: While we may be able to count 5,000 friends on Facebook, scientists have shown that humans' brains are capable of managing a maximum of just 150 friendships. Oxford University Professor Robin Dunbar has conducted a study of social groupings throughout the centuries, from neolithic villages to modern office environments. His findings, based on his theory 'Dunbar's number', developed in the 1990s, asserts that size of the part of the brain used for conscious thought and language, the neocortex, limits us to managing 150 friends, no matter how sociable we are.He compared the online 'traffic' of people with thousands and friends to those with hundreds. His findings show that there is no discernible difference between the two. He has also found that women are better at maintaining friendships on Facebook: "There is a big sex difference though ... girls are much better at maintaining relationships just by talking to each other. Boys need to do physical stuff together."

YOUR WAITER BETTER BE GOOD: MSN.com reports that service at restaurants is much more important in these tough economic times than it has been in the past. A restaurant owner in Boston said, "service is really an attitude. Every waiter, busboy, hostess is grateful you're in our restaurant, and we need to really go aboveboard to let people know." This is true because restaurant goers are more careful than ever about how they spend their money, food alone will not draw them in or keep them coming back. But making them feel special -- "We're so happy to see you again;" "Your favorite table is waiting" and "Of course we remember you don't like a lot of salt" -- just might do the trick. It is an attitude being shared by restaurants across the country, all along the dining spectrum.

WIVES ARE MORE EDUCATED THAN THEIR HUSBANDS: Asylum.com reports that among married couples between the ages of 30 and 44, the woman is more likely to have obtained a higher level of education. Using information gleamed from the 2007 American Community Survey, which has a sample of about 3 million addresses, The Pew Research Center found that, among couples, 28 percent of women are more educated than their husbands, whereas only 19 percent of men are more educated than their wives. In 1970, these numbers were reversed, with the males being more educationally accomplished in 28 percent of couples, while females attained a higher education status in 20 percent of pairs. Partially as a result of this shift, 22 percent of women now have a higher income than their spouses -- up from 4 percent in 1970.

POPE TO PRIESTS: BLOG: Pope Benedict XVI has a new commandment for priests struggling to get their message across: Blog. The pope, whose own presence on the Web has heavily grown in recent years, urged priests on Saturday to use all multimedia tools at their disposal to preach the Gospel and engage in dialogue with people of other religions and cultures. He said, "The spread of multimedia communications and its rich 'menu of options' might make us think it sufficient simply to be present on the Web," but priests are "challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources."

WHEN TO... BAG AN eBAY BARGAIN: 'Between 9am and 11am on weekdays,' says Jasmine Birtles, financial expert at moneymagpie.com. This is usually when there are fewer bids and final selling prices are lowest. And don't bid too early. Hold your nerve until the last minute or get a free bidding service, such as gixen.com, to do it for you.'

BUY A CAR: "The last working day of the month or, better still, the last day of the quarter (March, June, etc.) when car dealers are desperate for that extra sale to get their bonuses,' advises Steve Fowler, Editor of What Car? "Timing is key according to what you're buying, too. Discounts are few and far between on 4x4s at the moment because they are in high demand. Come summer, however, you'll pay far less."

BUY SHOES: "In the afternoon," says podiatrist Dr Mike O'Neill, as feet can swell by a whole size during the day.

GO GROCERY SHOPPING: "Go on Wednesday afternoon and you'll get your shopping done in half the time it takes at the weekend," says Richard Dodd of the British Retail Consortium. "Saturday is the busiest day of the week, while Sunday is more intense because of the shorter opening hours."

BUY A HOUSE: "The housing market no longer has the traditional "double-hump" in the spring and autumn,' says Peter Bolton King, of the National Association of Estate Agents. "If you're looking for a home (rather than an investment), have found the right property and can get a mortgage, then the right time to buy is now."

BOOK A FLIGHT: "The cheapest flights take off Tuesday to Thursday - very early morning and late evening,' explains Shahab Siddiqui, CEO and founder of cheapflightsfinder.com. If you must fly at the weekend, try Saturday to Monday instead of Friday to Sunday.

MAKE A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT: "Call in the afternoon, as mornings - particularly Mondays - are usually busy with patients trying to get emergency appointments,' explains Dr Martin Johnson, of The Patients' Association. And try to get one of the earliest appointment slots of either the morning or afternoon surgery," he adds, because hold-ups have a knock-on effect for the rest of the day.

IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION

According to Wikipedia, what was Ellen DeGeneres's successful self-titled sitcom called during its first season?

A: These Friends of Mine. It was later changed to Ellen

'Move Your Money' Movement Wants to Limit Power of Big Banks

Americans disgusted with the power of big banks and the massive bailout they got because they were "too big too fail" have launched a movement to limit their power. The Move Your Money movement is urging people to take their money out of the big Wall Street banks and put it into community banks and credit unions. They explain that these smaller financial institutions are usually less risky in managing their money, are more closely connected to the people and businesses who live near them, and are more inclined to make loans they know will get paid back. To help people make the move, the Move Your Money website has a "Find a Bank or Credit Union" search that lets people enter their zip code for a list of well-rated community banks and credit unions near them.

• Link: http://moveyourmoney.info/

NASA Working on Designs for a Personal Flying Suit

NASA is working on designs for a personal flying suit that goes beyond the strap-on jet packs of sci-fi flicks. The New York Times reports that conceptual designs for an experimental personal flying suit called a Puffin were introduced by a NASA aerospace engineer at a meeting of the American Helicopter Society last week. The step-in, self-contained Puffin suit is designed to be 12 feet long and 300 pounds with a wing span of 14-and-a-half feet. It would have helicopter-style blades allowing for high-altitude flying, and be powered by electric motors, making it quieter, more lightweight, more reliable, and environmentally greener. If the Puffin ever does get made, its initial use won't be to help people fly above traffic and get to work faster. The Times writes that it might be used for covert military missions or rescue operations.

KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC UPDATE

Monday, January 25, 2010

Taylor Swift is turning her new Nashville penthouse into the home of her dreams. The 4,000-plus-square-foot condo will have some special touches that you don't see everyday.

Taylor told Rolling Stone magazine, "It's going to be my fantasy world. There's a pond in the living room ... the pond is a moat around the fireplace, and may possibly have koi fish in it. You step on a stepping stone in the pond in order to get on a spiral staircase, which takes you up to the human-sized bird cage observatory. They're delivering a human-sized birdcage, which I'll put a brass telescope in. The ceiling of my living room is painted like the night sky."

• Taylor's new neighbors reportedly include Julianne Hough, Kings of Leon lead singer Caleb Followill and American Idol creator Simon Fuller.
• Taylor's new digs cost the superstar more than $2 million.
• The February 4th issue of Rolling Stone featuring Taylor's Q&A is on newsstands now.
• Her new single, appropriately titled "Today Was A Fairytale," is from the Valentine's Day movie soundtrack, which will be in stores on February 9th.

SIDE NOTE

• On Friday (January 22nd), Taylor performed at the Hope For Haiti Now benefit concert. So far, the event has raised more than $57 million for earthquake recovery.

Dierks Bentley has spent the last several weeks in the recording studio working on his first bluegrass project. Dierks had high hopes of cranking out two CDs this year, but he tells us that might not happen after all. "I started off the year sayin' I'm gonna make two albums -- one straight up bluegrass and the other a country record -- but I've had so much fun makin' this bluegrass record. Of course, it's kind of morphed over this time to be something really unique. It's kind of a bluegrass, acoustic. It's a hybrid, but I'm cutting some songs from local guys here, some songs I've written on my own. (I) cut a Bob Dylan tune. I've got a Buddy Miller song, so it's kind of Americana, it's bluegrass, it's country. I hope my fans will like it."

Dierks says he wanted to shake things up a little bit while paying homage to one of his true musical loves at the same time. "I've always had strong ties with the bluegrass community and really wanted to always make a record that focused a little bit more heavily on those relationships, and I just really love the record. It was just time to throw a wrench in everything and really switch it up. In the meantime, I'm writing a bunch of stuff for another record, but I'm really having fun with this. This might be the only record I put out this year. I'm just really having fun with it!"

• There is no release date yet for Dierks' bluegrass CD.
• The singer is nominated for Best Country Collaboration for "Beautiful World", a duet with Patty Griffin, at Sunday's (January 31st) Grammy Awards. The show will air live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

FAST FACTS

• Dierks' latest CD, Feel That Fire, has already produced two Number One singles -- "Feel That Fire" and "Sideways."
• His latest single, "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes," made it all the way to Number Two on the country charts.

Tim McGraw is pretty impressed with Gwyneth Paltrow's singing talent. The two play husband and wife in the upcoming movie, Love Don't Let Me Down, which is currently being filmed in Nashville. Gwyneth plays a washed up country star trying to make a comeback, but as Tim tells us, there's nothing down-and-out about the actress' vocal talents. "She's fantastic. I think she's gonna really surprise a lot of people how well she sings. She's makin' some good records with this. She's been in the studio workin' hard and makin' some really good soundin' stuff!"

• Gwyneth and Tim will be at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium on February 2nd to film a concert scene for the movie. Casting directors are looking for about 2,000 extras to be in the audience, but you must be 18 or older. The Lost Trailers will also perform.
• Tim will kick off his Southern Voice tour on February 11th in Omaha, Nebraska with special guests Lady Antebellum and The Lost Trailers.

FAST FACT

• Gwyneth also played a singer in the 2000 movie Duets with Huey Lewis.

Carrie Underwood says she had a blast on the set of her first sitcom. She taped her guest appearance on CBS' How I Met Your Mother last week in Los Angeles. On Friday (January 22nd), she blogged about her experience, joking, "I have officially decided that I'm giving up the music business. I'm going to become a professional sitcom actress!"

Carrie's experience ran the gamut, including being at the wrong end of a baby pig. She said, "I got to hang out with the whole cast, dress up like a flight attendant, play a cavewoman, and had a baby pig poop on me...jealous?"

She gave kudos to the show's cast and crew who she said, "made me feel right at home and were super nice and great with me and my lack of experience."

• The episode of How I Met Your Mother featuring Carrie is set to air sometime in March. The show airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.
• The singer reportedly begins filming her first movie this week in Hawaii. The film, called Soul Surfer, also stars Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt and Kevin Sorbo.

CHECK IT OUT

• Click here to see Carrie on set with Neil Patrick Harris: http://img49.yfrog.com/i/marr.jpg/

Miranda Lambert charts her very first career Number One single this week with "White Liar." On Sunday (January 24th), she Tweeted, "Thank you fans and Country Radio. We did It together. White Liar is my first #1. Time to celebrate!" The song is the second release from her Revolution CD.

Jack Ingram's new single, called "Free," heads to radio this week. It's the third release from his Big Dreams & High Hopes CD.

Loretta Lynn has been added to the lineup for this year's Lilith Fair. The "Coal Miner's Daughter" will join previously announced country acts Miranda Lambert, Emmylou Harris and Sugarland on the all-female tour. Fifteen cities have also been added to the trek, according to Billboard.

• Loretta said, "I have never done shows just with other girl singers before. When I first started out, they said girl singers couldn't sell records or concert tickets. We've come a long way since then and we're gonna have a big time out there!"
• Mary J. Blige, Colbie Caillat, Norah Jones, Heart, and Sheryl Crow are also among those on the bill.
• While city stops have been announced, concert dates are still unconfirmed for Lilith Fair.

FAST FACTS

• Lilith Fair was created by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan.
• The tour originally ran from 1997 to 1999.
• The concerts raised millions of dollars for several different charities.

Halfway to Hazard has reached the end of their musical journey together. Duo members David Tolliver and Chad Warrix recently posted their parting on their website.

• In a letter to fans, David wrote: "I want to first thank you guys for all your support and love over these past few years, you guys are awesome!!! It has been a wild ride so far and we have made so many great friends and memories but at this time in my life I have to take a step back and deal with some personal and family issues that I have neglected to address until now. I am gonna take a break from Halfway to Hazard and put my energy into making myself a better man, father and husband! I will miss you guys but it will only be for a short time, after that we'll see how this life is gonna go! God bless you all, I love each and everyone of you like family!!! Thanks for everything."
• Halfway To Hazard released their self-titled debut in 2007, followed by their Come On Time CD, which was released in October of last year.

FAST FACTS

• Tim McGraw championed Halfway To Hazard early on, selecting them to open shows on the Soul2Soul2 tour with Faith Hill in 2007.
• Since their debut in 2007, the duo hosted an annual Charity Trail ATV and dirt-bike ride in Crockettsville, Kentucky.

COUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. Which country star has one of pro wrestler Ric Flair's robes hanging on the wall in his house?
A. Darius Rucker

COUNTRY ON THE TUBE

TOP 20 COUNTRY COUNTDOWN/GAC 10:00AM (ET)
Lady Antebellum

ON THIS DAY IN COUNTRY!

• Carrie Underwood collected a gold award for her single "Jesus, Take The Wheel" in 2006.
• The Recording Industry Association of America awarded a platinum album for Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted in 2006.
• Kenny Chesney's album Be As You Are (Songs From An Old Blue Chair) was released in 2005.
• Tracy Lawrence scored his first Number One single with "Sticks And Stones" in 1992.
• Emmylou Harris joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1992.

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

ANDY DICK ARRESTED ON SEXUAL ABUSE CHARGES: Andy Dick was released on $60,000 bail following his arrest on sex charges on Saturday (January 23rd). Dick was detained in Huntington, West Virginia in the early hours of Saturday morning and arraigned later that day on two counts of felony sexual abuse for allegedly grabbing a security guard's crotch. Starpulse.com added that he's also facing allegations that he kissed a male bar-goer without invitation. Dick, who is currently on three years' probation after pleading guilty to drug possession and battery in October 2008, is due back in court on February 2nd. His lawyer told TMZ.com that his client "is stunned by these allegations" and he is "strongly denying any criminal conduct."

KIM KARDASHIAN GRANTED TEMPORTARY RESTRAINING ORDER: Kim Kardashian has obtained a temporary restraining order against an "extremely delusional" fan. The Associated Press reported that Kim's court filing claimed that 26-year-old Dennis Shaun Bowman "has repeatedly showed up her appearances, sometimes in facepaint depicting him as the Joker character from "Batman" fame." She sought the order after Bowman allegedly ignored cease-and-desist letters from her attorney and orders from Los Angeles police to stop pursuing her. She wrote in a declaration, "I am extremely frightened by Mr. Bowman because he appears to be obsessed with me and is extremely delusional."

SIMON COWELL WON'T BE A FATHER: Simon Cowell's rep denied that he's expecting a child with rumored girlfriend, British model Jasmine Lennard. Lennard, who recently announced she was pregnant, refused to name the father. She and Cowell were romantically linked in 2006, but he denied such a relationship. StarPulse.com reports that his rep responded to the fatherhood speculation by saying, "There is no point in asking (Cowell), when I know the answer. It is a lovely thought, but not unless it is a kind of divine conception. I don't think he has spoken to her for about a year."

JEAN SIMMONS DIES AT AGE 80: British actress Jean Simmons died on Friday (January 22nd) at the age of 80. Simmons, who starred alongside Laurence Olivier in Hamlet, had been suffering from lung cancer. Throughout her career, Simmons also appeared in such films as Guys and Doll, Elmer Gantry, and Spartacus, and won an Emmy award for her work in the 1980s miniseries The Thorn Birds. She was twice nominated for an Academy Award, once for best actress in The Happy Ending, and once best supporting actress in Hamlet.

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

KRISTEN STEWART AND DAKOTA FANNING JOIN JOAN JETT ON STAGE: Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning joined Joan Jett on stage Saturday (January 23rd) night in Park City, Utah at the Harry O's Concert Series. All three women are at Sundance to promote The Runaways, a biopic about Jett's 70's band. Starpulse.com reports that Jett called Kristen and Dakota up on stage, where the girls waved and smiled before heading backstage to watch the rest of the show.

FARRAH FAWCETT ESTATE BATTLING DOCUMENTARY PRODUCER: Farrah Fawcett's estate is suing Craig J. Nevius, the executive producer of Farrah's Story, claiming that he embezzled "hundreds of thousands of dollars" from the late Charlie's Angels star. According to court documents, Fawcett's estate claims that the embezzlement occurred after the actress turned down his version of the documentary and gave creative control to partner Ryan O'Neal. Nevius responded to the allegations telling E! News, "These accusations are nothing more than a fabricated press release disguised as a lawsuit. As much as I would like to answer the allegations and disprove them right here and right now in the court of public opinion, I will wait to do so in a court of law."

LIAM NEESON DROPS OUT OF MOVIE: Liam Neeson has dropped out of a film project with Jeremy Irons, citing his grief following the death of his wife Natasha Richardson last year. Starpulse.com reported that Neeson had signed up to star in a new film by Scottish director Norman Stone about legendary historical figure Saint Columba, but Stone says the 57-year-old has now scrapped plans to appear in the historical drama. Stone said, "The script was with him for several months and I understand he loved it. He has decided not to go ahead, which is a pity, but the decision was made after what has been a difficult time for him and I respect the circumstances. He is a truly great actor."

'MAD MEN' ACTOR TO APPEAR ON 'DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES': Mad Men actor Sam Page is joining Desperate Housewives in a multi-episode arc. EW.com reports that the actor, who plays the husband of Christina Hendricks' Joan on Mad Men, will star as Jeremy, a well-trained cook who idolizes Bree and her old-fashioned values. Page's first episode is slated to air in late February.

'INGLORIOUS BASTERDS', SANDRA BULLOCK AND JEFF BRIDGES TAKE TOP HONORS AT SAG AWARDS

Inglorious Basterds took home top honors at Saturday (January 23rd) night's 16th annual SAG Awards, winning the prize for best cast as well as best supporting actor for Christoph Waltz. Sandra Bullock is edging out Meryl Streep for awards this year in the best actress category after her SAG win, while Jeff Bridges followed up his Golden Globe with another trophy here.

Waltz and Mo'Nique are securing their places as Oscar front-runners with victories in the supporting actor categories, which also echo the Golden Globe results.

On the television end of things, the casts of Glee and Mad Men won top honors for their respective genres. Although their show's cast was edged out for best comedy ensemble, 30 Rock stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin each won their umpteenth individual acting trophies.

• Dexter star Michael C. Hall and The Good Wife's Julianna Margulies were drama's best performers, while Kevin Bacon and Drew Barrymore were honored for their work in made-for-TV movies.
• Prior to her big win, Sandra Bullock presented her The Proposal co-star Betty White with a Lifetime Achievement award.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Drew Barrymore again had trouble getting through an acceptance speech after winning an award for her work in Grey Gardens. In similar fashion to her Golden Globes speech, the actress fumbled on stage, but eventually pulled it together enough to pay tribute to her family's acting legacy.
• Felicity Huffman needed help from co-presenter Alec Baldwin to read the nominees for outstanding actor in a drama series. The Desperate Housewives star went on stage sans-eyeglasses and admitted that she couldn't read the teleprompter.
• In hopes of getting the show off the air at its scheduled time, the last few winners were asked to keep their speeches brief, a command that Jeff Bridges ignored. After seeing a 'wrap it up' cue, presenter Meryl Streep encouraged him to 'ignore it,' so Bridges complied.
• Betty White showed off her signature wit while accepting her lifetime achievement award in a dress that was rather revealing for an 88-year-old! The turquoise number featured a high-cut slit in its skirt.
• Sandra Bullock thanked her hot husband, "And to my husband, Jesse, who works so hard all day, and you get dressed up in monkey suits, and you sit at a table with people you don't know. And I leave you there and then you come back with, like, Morgan Freeman's email. I don't know how you do it. I love you so much, and you're really hot. And I want you so much."
• The cast of Inglorious Basterds took no individual credit while accepting their trophy, rather dedicating the award to director Quentin Tarantino.
• Tina Fey made the night's lone NBC reference, saying in her acceptance speech, "I just wanted to take a moment to say to everyone at NBC, we are very happy with everything."
• The gals of Nine gave nominee Penelope Cruz bunny ears backstage when her nomination was announced.
• Mo'Nique took her time getting to the stage after her win was announced. The actress kissed and thanked many of her fellow actors before finally taking the stage.
• George Clooney eluded to a sexual relationship with Betty White, thanking the 88-year-old for keeping quiet about what happened when he guest-starred on Golden Girls.

WINNERS' LIST

FILM

Ensemble Cast: Inglorious Basterds
Male Actor in a Leading Role: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Female Actor in a Leading Role: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Mo'Nique, Precious
Stunt Ensemble: Star Trek

TELEVISION

Male Actor in a TV Drama: Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Female Actor in a TV Drama: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
TV Drama Ensemble: Mad Men
Male Actor in a TV Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Female Actor in a TV Comedy: Tina Fey, 30 Rock
TV Comedy Ensemble: Glee
Male Actor in a Made-for-TV Movie: Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
Female Actor in a Made-for-TV Movie: Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
Stunt Ensemble: 24

CHECK IT OUT: See the red carpet fashion: http://tinyurl.com/y8keh4y

WORST OF THE RED CARPET

• Nicole Kidman: Husband Keith Urban's country roots appear to be rubbing off on her, but Kidman can't pull it off. Her colorful frock and curly hair looked out of place on her stoic and statuesque body.
• Tina Fey: Her shiny, knee-length cocktail dress was great -- if she was my mom. At my Bat Mitzvah.
• Jane Lynch: This strangely-structured poofy sapphire gown was an insult to my favorite color.
• Elizabeth Moss: Your decision to marry Fred Armisen offers some insight into your taste, which sort of explains the black sequins.
• Betty White: No one ever said 88 was too old to show off some leg! Maybe someone should.
• Penelope Cruz: She used to be so fun on the red carpet. This year its one boring black dress after the other.

EXES REUNITE AT HOPE FOR HAITI TELETHON

George Clooney's Hope for Haiti telethon may have raised over $58 million for the earthquake-ravaged country -- but more importantly for the tabloid world -- it brought several high-profile exes back together. Although Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz reportedly had a nasty breakup after ending a four-year relationship in 2007, the pair appeared happy to catch up with one another last Friday (January 22nd).

Usmagazine.com reported that Diaz was spotted "touching Timberlake's chest and looked up at him warmly." They were photographed having what appeared to be "close, friendly chit-chat."

• Right after their split, at a 2007 awards show, Diaz reportedly had a temper tantrum when she saw Timberlake flirting with his now-girlfriend Jessica Biel, and confronted him angrily.
• Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston both participated in the telethon, but there were no reports of their interaction. The event marked the second time the two were confirmed to have been in the same place at the same time since their split in 2005. The first was at the 2009 Oscars.

OTHER TELETHON NEWS

Usmagazine.com reported that the Hope for Haiti Now album, with telethon tracks recorded live by Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Sting, Bono, Rihanna, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen and many more, is the biggest one-day album pre-order in iTunes history.

• George Clooney spoke at the telethon, reminding audiences, "At the core of every religion is the belief that we care for one another, we take care of each other. . . especially in times of need. The Haitian people need our help, they need to know they're not alone, they need to know that that we still care."

WEEKEND MOVIE WRAP-UP

Director James Cameron's 3-D sci-fi blockbuster Avatar was the top movie at the North American box office for the sixth weekend in a row, lifting its domestic total to $552.8 million and its worldwide take to $1.841 billion. That's just $2 million behind the $1.843 billion made by 1997's Titanic, Cameron's previous movie, putting Avatar on track to surpass the all-time champion and give Cameron the two biggest films of all time.

The thriller Legion, starring Paul Bettany as an angel fighting for the human race against the Apocalypse, opened in second place. It also stars Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson and Charles S. Dutton. The family comedy Tooth Fairy, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Ashley Judd, Julie Andrews and Billy Crystal, debuted at Number Four. It stars Johnson as a hockey player who becomes a tooth fairy after he tells a little girl that the magical creatures don't exist.

The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington as a traveling prophet in a post-apocalyptic America who battles an evil gang leader played by Gary Oldman while protecting the last known Bible, came in at Number Three in its second week. The drama Extraordinary Measures, starring Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser, opened in seventh place. Ford and Fraser play a doctor and businessman who team up to develop a drug to treat a rare genetic disorder that affects children, including the two younger children of the character played by Fraser.

1. Avatar, $36 million
2. Legion, $18.2 million
3. The Book of Eli, $17 million
4. Tooth Fairy, $14.5 million
5. The Lovely Bones, $8.8 million
6. Sherlock Holmes, $7.1 million
7. Extraordinary Measures, $7 million
8. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, $6.5 million
9. It's Complicated, $6.2 million
10. The Spy Next Door, $4.8 million

CONAN O'BRIEN IS A 'FREE BIRD' AFTER FINAL 'TONIGHT SHOW'

Conan O'Brien's tenure as host of the Tonight Show is officially over. The comedian signed off after Friday's (January 22nd) show, capping a tension-fueled couple of weeks, in which NBC's late night troubles spilled out over the airwaves.

Despite the network's controversial decision to restore Jay Leno to his 11:35 timeslot, Conan said on his last broadcast, "To set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want. And what I want to say is this: between my time at Saturday Night Live, The Late Night show, and my brief run here on The Tonight Show, I have worked with NBC for over twenty years. Yes, we have our differences right now and yes, we're going to go our separate ways. But this company has been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible."

He continued, "Walking away from The Tonight Show is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Making this choice has been enormously difficult. This is the best job in the world, I absolutely love doing it, and I have the best staff and crew in the history of the medium. But despite this sense of loss, I really feel this should be a happy moment. Every comedian dreams of hosting The Tonight Show and, for seven months, I got to. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second. I've had more good fortune than anyone I know and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-Eleven parking lot, we'll find a way to make it fun."

O'Brien's final show was not without humor. The broadcast featured appearances by Tom Hanks, Steve Carrell and Will Ferrell -- who sang "Free Bird" while O'Brien was on guitar to close out the program.

COST AND RATINGS FOR FINAL SHOW

Despite his kind words for NBC, Conan still jabbed the network where he could. The Roots' drummer and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon house band leader Questlove tweeted that NBC paid $500,000 for Tom Hanks to walk out to The Beatles' Lovely Rita (in honor of Hanks' wife, Rita Wilson) on the Friday night show. He wrote, "yo i hate spoiling but i will have you know that walk on song we just heard was half a milli. i know cause i got the list rate at nbc . . . anytime you use the beatles on tv that will cost you dearly."

• The New York Daily News reported that Conan's swan song earned a whooping 7.0 rating.

(See 'Last Night's Audio' for sound from the show)

CHECK IT OUT: Watch Conan sign off to "Free Bird": http://tinyurl.com/y99gydd

SOURCES DENY REPORTS OF BRANGELINA SPLIT

Sources close to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are denying a blockbuster report in News of the World, which claimed the pair had split -- even going so far as to sign legal documents dividing their fortune and family.

An insider told People magazine, "Everything is fine," noting that the British tabloid story is "totally false."

• Under News of the World's supposed split deal, the pair would have joint custody over the kids, who would live full time with Jolie. The tabloid claimed the agreement was drafted by a Los Angeles law firm.
• The couple has been the subject of breakup rumors in the last several weeks as Pitt appeared solo at Friday's Hope for Haiti telethon while neither star appeared at the recent Golden Globes.

JERSEY SHORE CAST DEMANDING BIG PAYDAYS; CAST APPEARANCE SPARKS NEAR-RIOT

The Jersey Shore cast is banding together in their quest for a major payday from MTV. TMZ.com reports that the network offered Snooki, Pauly D, "The Situation" and the others each a $10,000 signing bonus and $5,000 an episode for season two, but the cast rejected the offer, making clear that all must be paid the same amount -- one much higher than what was first put on the table.

Sources say MTV came back and doubled the offer to $10,000 an episode, but the cast has yet to respond.

• TMZ noted that MTV has a contractual hold on the cast for another year, so technically they have no right to renegotiate, but it's done all the time with hit shows.
• The show's season finale drew in 4.8 million viewers.

CAST APPEARANCE LEADS TO NEAR-RIOT

In other Jersey Shore news, a local Jersey newspaper reported that 2,000 fans descended on a Montclair club where the cast was appearing last week, causing chaos that lead to the arrests of four people. Montclair Police Chief David Sabagh says fights broke out among the crowds who gathered for the advertised meet and greet with the cast. Four people were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and drunken driving. Police closed a stretch of the main business strip outside the club for two hours.

CHECK IT OUT: What do reality stars make? http://tinyurl.com/yj7gxx9

GARY COLEMAN ARRESTED ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGE

Actor Gary Coleman is in the news again, TMZ.com reportd that the diminutive actor was arrested Sunday (January 24th) by police in Santaquin, Utah on one count of misdemeanor domestic assault. He was picked up because of a warrant stemming from a prior incident. The victim in the assault has not been identified. At press time, Coleman was being held on $1,725 bail.

SIDE NOTES

• Coleman was previously married to Shannon Price, who divorced him in 2008 after just eight months of marriage.
• Earlier this month, the 41-year-old Coleman was taken to an L.A. hospital by ambulance after feeling faint and vomiting at a hotel while in meetings for the film Midgets Vs. Mascots. The actor has had two failed kidney transplants.

HEADLINE NEWS!!

Monday, January 25, 2010

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES PLANE CRASHES WITH 90 PEOPLE ON BOARD: An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 jet with 90 passengers and crew on board crashed into the Mediterranean Sea early Monday (January 25th) just minutes after takeoff from Beirut, Lebanon, en route to the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. A rescue effort had recovered four bodies in the immediate hours after the crash as they searched the waters in intermittent rain, thunder and lightning. AP cited a police official as saying weather was likely the cause of the disaster, while Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said terrorism was not suspected.

HAITIAN GOVERNMENT SAYS 150,000 ALREADY BURIED: As yet another aftershock rocked Haiti yesterday (January 24th), this one registering a magnitude-4.7, a Haitian official said that more than 150,000 quake victims have been buried by the government, but she said that doesn't count the bodies still in destroyed buildings, those buried or cremated by relatives, or the dead in outlying areas outside the capital of Port-au-Prince. International aid workers were getting more food to Haitians, but the need was still greater, and officials were saying setting up tent cities for refugees could take weeks. Key officials from around the world will be meeting today in Montreal to discuss ways to better coordinate relief efforts in Haiti. Nations around the world have pledged some $1 billion in emergency aid for the devastated country, including $57 million so far from Friday night's "Hope for Haiti Now" international telethon.

BIN LADEN ENDORSES ATTEMPTED XMAS DAY PLANE ATTACK IN NEW AUDIOTAPE: Osama bin Laden endorsed the failed attempt to blow up a U.S. plane on Christmas Day and threatened new attacks against America in a new audiotape released yesterday (January 24th). Although the message appears aimed at showing he maintains some direct command over al-Qaida-inspired groups, AP cited U.S. officials and experts who track terrorist groups who said there's no evidence bin Laden or his lieutenants had anything to do with the attempted attack by a largely independent al-Qaida affiliate in Yemen, or even knew about it ahead of time. The one-minute message threatens more attacks in response to America's support for Israel, and in a message to President Obama -- quote, "from Osama to Obama" -- bin Laden said, "America will never dream of security unless we will have it in reality in Palestine." This is the first message from bin Laden since last September.

TODAY'S FYI:

BRISTOL PALIN GOES TO COURT FOR CHILD SUPPORT: Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol has gone to court seeking $1,750 a month in child support from 19-year-old Levi Johnston, the father of her one-year-old son Tripp. The court motion filed Thursday (January 21st) says that Bristol, who's also 19, is paying nearly 100 percent of Tripp's care, and that Johnston has paid only $4,400 in more than a year. Bristol is also seeking back child support of $18,350, based on an estimate of Johnston's income last year of more than $105,000 for media interviews and modeling work. An attorney for Johnston said he hopes Bristol and Johnston can work out an agreement with a mediator in which they'd be free of, quote, "influence by outside forces." This latest action comes as Bristol is also seeking full custody of Tripp, something Johnston opposes.

TSA WORKER WHO PULLED PRANK ON PASSENGER NO LONGER WITH THE AGENCY: A Transportation Security Administration worker is no longer with the agency after pulling a prank on a passenger earlier this month in which he pretended to find a plastic bag of white powder in her carry-on luggage. Rebecca Solomon, a 22-year-old University of Michigan student, wrote in a school newspaper column that she was having her bag screened before a January 5th flight from Philadelphia to Detroit when the TSA employee stopped her, reached into her laptop computer bag, and pulled out the plastic bag, demanding to know where she'd gotten it. She wrote, "He let me stutter through an explanation for the longest minute of my life. Tears streamed down my face as I pleaded with him to understand that I'd never seen this baggie before." Soon after, she said the worker, quote, "waved the baggie at me and told me he was kidding, that I should've seen the look on my face." Solomon filed a complaint over the January 5th incident, and a TSA spokesperson told AP Saturday (January 23rd) that the employee was no longer with the agency, but didn't say whether he'd been fired or quit, only saying that disciplinary action had been taken.

SPACE STATION ASTRONAUTS ARE NOW ONLINE: The International Space Station has gotten Internet access, as astronaut Timothy "TJ" Creamer posted the first-ever live Twitter from space Friday (January 22nd), writing. "Hello Twitterverse! We r now LIVE tweeting from the International Space Station -- the 1st live tweet from Space! :) More soon, send your ?s." Creamer had been working with flight controllers to establish Internet access since he got to the space station last month. Previously, astronauts had to send things like Twitter updates by e-mail to Mission Control in Houston, where controllers would post them. Crewmembers can now use a laptop at the space station to reach a desktop computer at Mission Control and access the Internet themselves.

• Link to Creamer's Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/astro_tj

16-YEAR-OLD GIRL BEGINS SOLO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD: A 16-year-old California girl began her attempt Saturday (January 23rd) to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone. Abby Sunderland departed from Marina Del Rey, California, on her 40-foot boat called Wild Eyes as her family and friends cheered. Plans are for her to be at sea for five or six months, sailing alone but able to communicate via satellite telephone and on her blog at abbysunderland.com. The current recordholder is 17-year-old Mike Perham of Britain, who took the title from Sunderland's then-17-year-old brother Zac.

TOP BASEBALL PROSPECT GIVES IT ALL UP FOR THE PRIESTHOOD: A 23-year-old top prospect for the Oakland A's announced Friday (January 22nd) that he's giving up baseball to enter the priesthood. Minor league outfielder Grant Desme made his decision after a breakout season in which he was the MVP of the Arizona Fall League. The lifelong Catholic explained, "I was doing well at ball. But I really had to get down to the bottom of things. I wasn't at peace with where I was at." There was speculation that Desme, who was picked by Oakland in the second round of the 2007 amateur draft, might be invited by the A's to the major league team's spring training next month. Instead, he'll be entering a California seminary in August.

SPORTS:

IT'LL BE SAINTS VS. COLTS IN THE SUPER BOWL: It's going to be the New Orleans Saints versus the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl on February 7th in Miami, as the teams won the NFC and AFC titles, respectively, yesterday (January 24th), earning their tickets to the NFL championship.

Saints Beat Vikings 31-28: The Saints are headed to the first Super Bowl in their 43-year history after a 31-28 overtime victory over the Minnesota Vikings on their home turf at the Superdome. The teams had gone to overtime after a 28-28 tie at the end of regulation. The Saints won the toss, and got close enough for Garrett Hartley to kick the winning 40-yard field goal. The victory sends Saints quarterback Drew Brees to Miami, but ended the Vikings' Brett Favre's dream of becoming the oldest quarterback to play in a Super Bowl. Favre played a part in that loss, however, throwing an interception with 17 seconds left in regulation as he was trying to get to field goal range.

• After the game, Saints head coach Sean Payton recalled New Orleans recent past, when the Superdome was home to thousands after Hurricane Katrina, saying, "This is for everybody in this city. This stadium used to have holes in it, and used to be wet. It's not wet anymore. This is for the city of New Orleans."

Colts Top Jets 30-17: The Colts dashed the dream of the wild card Jets to get to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1969, getting a 30-17 win in their home stadium. The Jets had started strong, building a 17-6 lead late in the second quarter as they tried to get their third playoff upset. But the Colts, led by quarterback Peyton Manning, battled back, scoring 24 unanswered points, including a big touchdown right before half-time, and simply dominating the second half, despite good play by Jets QB Mark Sanchez. Indianapolis is returning to the Super Bowl for the second time in four years after winning the 2006 championship over the Chicago Bears.

(Headline News, FYI and Sports stories were compiled in part from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.)

ON THE TUBE TODAY!

Monday, January 25, 2010

CBS

• HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (repeat)
• ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE (repeat)
• TWO AND A HALF MEN (repeat)
• THE BIG BANG THEORY (repeat)
• CSI: MIAMI (repeat)

NBC

• CHUCK - Chuck goes on his first solo mission to Paris; Casey helps Morgan battle Jeff and Lester for control of the Buy More.
• HEROES - H.R.G. exacts his plan to take down the carnival; Sylar visits Matt; Pete warns Emma about Samuel's intentions.
• THE JAY LENO SHOW - Mark Harmon

FOX

• HOUSE - The men on the team are charmed by a female executive experiencing random bouts of excruciating pain; House tries to make amends with a former colleague.
• 24 - Jack and Renee track dangerous leads; President Taylor learns that a larger threat is jeopardizing the peace accord with President Hassan.

ABC

• THE BACHELOR: ON THE WINGS OF LOVE - Jake and the remaining nine women take a trip up the coast of California; Jake makes a surprising decision.
• CASTLE - A family discover a dead man in the house; Castle is featured as one of New York's most eligible bachelors.

CW

• ONE TREE HILL - Taylor and Quinn's ex-husband show up at Haley and Nathan's house; Brooke turns to Alexander for support.
• LIFE UNEXPECTED - Cate and Baze are evaluated by a social worker; exectives at the radio station pressure Cate to deny she is has a daughter.

FX

• DAMAGES - (season premiere) A new case pits Patty Hewes against the Tobin family and their attorney; Ellen Parsons adjusts to the challenges of her new job, and life, away from Patty.

MTV

• TRUE LIFE - TBA
• THE BURIED LIFE - The crew heads south to make a toast at a stranger's wedding; the guys help an artist get in touch with a son he hasn't seen in 17 years.
• MY LIFE AS LIZ - TBA

SHOWTIME

• SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL - (season premiere) A joint interview with Billie Piper and the real Belle.
• TRACY ULLMAN'S STATE OF THE UNION - (season premiere) TBA

TNT

• MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE - Joe visits his father; a commercial for the auto dealership implies that a co-worker is Owen's son.

DAY TIME TALK SHOW

THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - Valerie Bertinelli, Zachary Levi
THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW - Rosie O'Donnell: Life after the breakup and her new love
THE VIEW - Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos

LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS

THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - (repeat)
THE JAY LENO SHOW (NBC) - Mark Harmon
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN (NBC) - (repeat)
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) - (repeat)
THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - Carl Reiner, Alicia Witt
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - (repeat)
LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - (repeat)
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Bill Gates
THE COLBERT REPORT (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Kati Marton
LOPEZ TONIGHT - Cheech Marin & Tommy Chong, Regina King, Train

OFF BEAT BRIEFS

150 FERRETS RESCUED IN MEXICO: After a high-speed chase, 150 ferrets were rescued from armed robbers in Mexico City by the police. According to police, the ferrets were found after the robbers had crashed their car against a tree and fled on foot. The robbers took 14 boxes of United States imported ferrets from a truck that had left the Mexico City airport. Two suspects were arrested and one had escaped. The ferrets, which were unharmed, were reclaimed by the veterinarian who had purchased them. (AP)

COUPLE FINDS DEER IN KITCHEN: A couple from Illinois awoke to the sound of glass breaking and hooves on Saturday, and shortly found a 10 to 12 point buck in their kitchen. Mark Page from Belleville and his wife found the deer with its head in the sink and immediately returned to the bedroom after spotting the animal. The deer was spooked and barreled through a closed window to escape. The injured animal could not be found by the police. (AP)

PENNSYLVANIA BAR MADE OF ICE: A resturant in eastern Pennsylvania contains a bar made of 50 tons of ice. The pirate themed bar in the backyard of Damenti's Restaurant in Butler Township has an air conditioner that brings the mercury down to 20 degrees. Owner, Kevin McDonald, is hoping the bar will bring a crowd. Approximately 40 people can fit 480-square-foot structure. The bar is entirely decorated with pirate motif and sayings etched into the wall. (AP)

DID YOU KNOW?

ARE RELATIONSHIP ANNIVERSARIES NECESSARRY? TheFrisky.com reports that while everyone celebrates wedding anniversaries, not every couple celebrates the relationship anniversary. The basic idea of this type of anniversary is to commemorate the beginning of a relationship, and celebrate the relationship itself. The trouble is that we already have a day for that: Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day was basically invented to serve as the relationship anniversary day for every couple in the world, and you don't have to worry about remembering the date thanks to the massive amount of advertising that companies buy up in February.

DO FACEBOOK STATUSES AFFECT YOUR SELF ESTEEM? At any given time when you sign onto Facebook, you'll see a friend's status with, perhaps, up to a dozen comments on it! You put your own up, waiting for your alters to come flooding in . . . and they never do. You thinks: Do my friends not like me? Are my statuses boring?

CLUB HAS BRA-SIZE PROMOTION: A nightclub in Singapore just came up with a new marketing strategy: a "boobs for booze" promotion that rewards female patrons with free drinks based on their bra sizes. The OverEasy nightclub upped the ante on the traditional "Ladies Night" with its "Fill My Cups" gimmick to promote events hosted by an Australian spinner that goes by the name "DJ DCUP." According to a Yahoo! report, the promotion allows A-cup patrons one free drink, B-cups two, C-cups three and D-cups can claim a free bottle of vodka. Women don't even have to show their bras to claim free booze. The OverEasy uses one male and one female judge to gauge the size of each female's cups.

DINER REPORTEDLY DENIED TOOTHPICK: A diner at a hotel in northern England says he was refused a toothpick on health and safety grounds, The Sun reported that a man wanted to remove a piece of meat after eating out, but a waiter at the Macdonald Portal Golf and Spa Hotel in Cheshire told him he could not have the "potentially dangerous" implement. However, a spokeswoman for the Macdonald Hotels chain denied the man's account.

QUESTIONS WOMEN WOULD LIKE TO ASK THEIR DATES BUT DON'T (Lemondrop.com)

Were you disappointed or excited when you first saw me? The answer to this question could indicate where your relationship is headed because there is a saying that women become more attracted to the men they fall in love with, but men fall in love with the women they're attracted to.

• Are you mentally unstable? (Alternative phrasing: Is anyone in your family koo-koo for cocoa puffs?) It would be nice to know if you're dating the next Jeffrey Dahmer before it's too late.
• Do you share food? If a guy doesn't want to share a bite of his chicken parmigiana with you, he may not be generous in other areas of your relationship. The same goes for guys who don't tip well.
• How many pairs of shoes do you own, and which pair do you wear the most? This would tell you pretty quickly where he lands on the grooming-maintenance scale. And the pair he lives in would tell you if he's, say, an Italian moccasin, Polo grounds-visiting type or a Vans-wearing, skateboard-loving, laid-back kind of guy.
• Are you doing your dream job -- and do you care? Men who don't identify with the work they do could end up depressed on a daily basis. And if he doesn't seem interested in finding a job he would like, then do you want to be with someone who has such low standards?
• How many girls have you hooked up with this year? If he's already hooked up with a double-decker busload, you can decide whether you want to be another one.
• Does anyone else think they're dating you right now? People tend to ask if their date is seeing anyone else, but the answer might not be the whole truth. In other words, your guy may think he is not dating anyone else, but the woman he slept with last Saturday night may think otherwise.
• What's the most common thing you've heard when girls see you naked for the first time? If the most common reaction is "Wow!", you're in for a real treat. On the other hand, an "Oh ..." may at least prepare you for a little disappointment.
• Why did your last relationship really end? This will come up eventually, but you want the unedited version of the story.
• How do you fight? Everyone gets angry at some point in the relationship, but it could save you a lot of trouble to know what type of behavior to expect in the future.
• When I say the word "marriage," what do you think? Does he gulp, cringe, laugh? This is a great way to see where your date is at on the ready-for-a-relationship scale.
• What percentage of the time do you think your pee actually hits the toilet water? If a guy doesn't care enough to aim straight, then you've really got to wonder how clean he is in other areas of his life.
• How soon would you be open to kids, and do you even want children? Most women don't ask about this for months or years but if it's really important to you, it would be nice to know from the get-go.

IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION

According to the Innocence Project (IP), post-conviction DNA testing has freed how many people from prison?

A: 248, according to data through 2009. IP researchers further claim that eyewitness testimony was presented as the primary evidence in almost 75% of those cases, and in a third of those cases, there was more than one eyewitness.

Nevada Brothel Hires "Prostidude"-- America's First Legal Male Prostitute

A Nevada brothel that's been in business for 17 years has decided to give equal time to the ladies, hiring the country's first legal male prostitute after getting state and county approval. Going by the name Markus, the 25-year-old former U.S. Marine had a brief stint as a porn actor before coming to the Shady Lady Ranch, located near the desert town of Beatty between Las Vegas and Reno. Markus will not be servicing male clients, only women, a decision madam Bobbi Davis and her husband and co-owner Jim Davis left up to him. However, the Davis' have forbidden Markus from doing any more interviews, after he told Details magazine that his pioneering role in the sex industry was, quote, "just the same" as civil rights icon Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus.

Obama Skipping Jury Duty in Suburban Chicago

Unlike the rest of us, when President Obama got a jury duty notice recently, he didn't have to think up an excuse to get out of it. Obama was called for jury duty at the Bridgeview court in suburban Chicago starting today (January 25th), but an administration official told AP that the president notified the court weeks ago that he wouldn't be able to make it. The summons had gone to the Obamas' home on Chicago's South Side.

Miami Beach Burger King To Serve Beer

Beer will be flowing alongside the Whoppers and fries at a new Burger King in Miami Beach that will be the chain's first U.S. location to serve alcohol. Guests at the Whopper Bar South Beach scheduled to open next month will be able to order an Anheuser-Busch or MillerCoors beer with their Whopper, and can add fries for a $7.99 combo. Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy told AP that Burger King is trying out selling beer at selected locations around the world as part of an effort to reinvent itself as a fast-food restaurant with a sit-down feel.

Want $20 CASH for just test driving a car?

I do mean CASH!!! Go to Copper Canyon Nissan on 95 by the Shops in LHC tomorrow (SATURDAY) only and ask for Ricky...tell him you are a Flagger, Test Drive a car or truck and Ricky will give you $20 bucks CASH! It is that easy!!! Crazy I know....But true!

KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC UPDATE

George Strait and Reba McEntire kick of their co-headlining tour tonight (Friday, January 22nd) in Baltimore, Maryland. The trek runs through April 10th in Des Moines, Iowa with special guest Lee Ann Womack.

The two superstars teamed up in concert for the very first time over the summer for the sold-out Cowboy's Stadium inaugural show. George tells us the fit was so natural that doing an entire tour together made perfect sense. "I'm really excited about this! I don't know why we hadn't done it before. When we opened up the new Cowboys Stadium it was like a light went off -- 'We gotta take this out on the road!'"

• George's latest CD, Twang, debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart. This is the fourth time in his career that a new release has debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200 chart and the 13th time to debut at the top of the Top Country Albums chart. The current single and title track is a Top 15 hit on the charts.
• Reba's latest hit, "Consider Me Gone," is the longest-running Number One single of the superstar's career.

FAST FACTS

• With a career spanning more than 25 years, George has the most number one singles of any artist in history, including Elvis Presley, with 57 to date. He has sold more than 67 million records and with 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums, has the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres, behind The Beatles and Elvis.
• Reba was recently recognized by Billboard, Country Aircheck and Mediabase as the biggest female hit-maker in country music history. She has sold over 55 million albums worldwide, and her last 13 studio albums have all achieved platinum status.
• DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN TICKETS TO THE SHOW!! Join me, CP and Tyrone at Findaly Motor Company on the Parkway for the K-FLAG HO DOWN on Sat. Jan 30th 10am to noon for your chance to win tickets to the show Feb 5th, at the US Airways Center in Phoenix along with tons of other great prizes to be had. Free Dance lessons and so much more!
  

In addition to her performance on tonight's (Friday, January 21st) Hope For Haiti Now earthquake relief concert, Taylor Swift will be manning the phones and taking donations. She told The Tennessean, "I've never actually worked a phone bank before, but I want to do everything I can to help out this horrible situation. I'm passionate about this. This one was an immediate yes."

• Hope For Haiti Now will also feature a group performance by Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock. The show, which features performers from all genres, will air at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, the CW, HBO, MTV, VH-1 and CMT.
• All musical performances from the show will be available on iTunes beginning on Saturday (January 23rd).
• In other Taylor news, her new single, "Today Was A Fairytale," from the Valentine's Day movie soundtrack, sold nearly 100,000 digital downloads in one day on iTunes. Taylor's digital sales total has now exceeded the 25 million mark, making her the top-selling digital artist in the world.

FAST FACTS

• The Valentine's Day soundtrack will be released on February 9th.
• The movie will be in theaters on February 12th.

Jason Aldean begins his 2010 Wide Open tour tonight (Friday, January 22nd) with a sold out show in Greenville, South Carolina featuring opening acts Eric Church and Love And Theft. For those fans who saw Jason on the road back in 2009, you might want to take another look. Jason tells us the entire show has been revamped, including the set. "I'm really excited about this year. I just saw our stage for the first time. It's been in the process of being built for the last two months. They've been workin' on it and I just saw it for the first time about three days ago. We spent the last two days rehearsing, gettin' ready for the show, and it's killer, man! It's the first time ever I've actually had some toys up there. It's like a little playground, so it's gonna be fun, man, so I'm excited!"

Jason's recent success has allowed him a little room to improve the show's production, but he says it's not over-the-top. Visually, I think it's really cool, but it's not like a lot of shows these days where there's so much production you kind of lose focus of what's really goin' on, which is the people that are actually playin', so we tried to create something that was visually cool, but it's still . . . you know, you didn't get lost in the production, and it just really added to the show, and I think it's killer. It's a completely different show, different set list, different show than anything we've ever done before, so it's gonna be cool!"

• Tomorrow night's (Saturday, January 23rd) show is in Jason's hometown of Macon, Georgia. It is also sold out.
• Earlier this week, Jason celebrated the platinum success of his Wide Open CD.

FAST FACTS

• Jason's first two singles off his Wide Open album -- "She's Country" and "Big Green Tractor" -- both topped the country charts.
• His latest hit, "The Truth," is quickly making its way toward the Number One spot.

Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith and Tim McGraw are the only three country acts included on the Los Angeles Times' "Ultimate Top 10" list of the past decade's most successful album and ticket sellers. Kenny leads at Number Two with $742 million, followed by Toby at Number Six with $591.9 million and Tim at Number Nine with $550.7 million.

Luke Bryan's recent Number One hit, "Do I," has been certified gold for digital sales of more than a million copies. His new single, "Rain Is A Good Thing," heads to radio next week.

Sarah Buxton will release her self-titled debut CD on February 23rd. She wrote 10 of the 11 songs on the album, which includes her latest single, "Outside My Window."

Lonestar will release their first studio album in four years on April 27th. The CD is called Party Heard Around The World, and all four group members produced the project in addition to writing eight of the 10 tracks.

COUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. What Texas town is Willie Nelson's birthplace?
A. Abbott

COUNTRY ON THE TUBE TODAY!

CMT TOP 20 COUNTDOWN/CMT 11:00AM (ET)
Laura Bell Bundy

MARTINA McBRIDE: LIVE IN CONCERT/GAC 12:00PM (ET)

CMT CRIBS/CMT 1:30PM (ET)
Jason Aldean, Paula Deen, Jamie O'Neal

DRAFTING PARTNERS/GAC 5:00PM (ET)
Darryl Worley, Carl Edwards

HOPE FOR HAITI NOW/ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, CMT 8:00PM (ET)
Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock

TOP 20 COUNTRY COUNTDOWN/GAC 8:00PM (ET)
Lady Antebellum

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS TODAY!

Teddy Gentry (Alabama) (58)

• Linda Blair (star of The Exorcist) (51)
• Olivia D'Abo (actress, The Wonder Years' Karen Arnold) (41)
• John Hurt (actor, Alien, The Elephant Man, the Harry Potter films, and Midnight Express) (70)
• Diane Lane (actress, Murder At 1600, The Perfect Storm, Unfaithful, Under The Tuscan Sun) (45)
• Piper Laurie (actress, Twin Peaks, the wicked mother in Carrie) (78)
• Balthazar Getty (actor, great-grandson of J. Paul Getty, appeared in the Traffic miniseries and Ladder 49) (35)
• Steve Perry (former lead singer of Journey) (61)
• Steven Adler (former drummer, Guns N' Roses) (45)
• Beverley Mitchell (actress, Lucy on 7th Heaven) (29)
• Graham Kerr (TV chef, The Galloping Gourmet) (76)

ON THIS DAY IN COUNTRY!

• Chuck Wicks' debut album, Starting Now, was released in 2008.
• Darryl Worley's "Awful, Beautiful Life" led him to the top of the Billboard country chart in 2005.
• Kenny Chesney's Greatest Hits album was certified gold and platinum simultaneously in 2001.
• Hal Ketchum joined the Grand Ole Opry cast in 1994.
• Aaron Tippin's first album, You've Got To Stand For Something, was released in 1991.
• Glen Campbell's single of "Wichita Lineman" was certified gold in 1969. It was the Arkansas native's first gold record.
• Porter Wagoner debuted on the Grand Ole Opry in 1955.

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

MISCHA BARTON SUED FOR BACK RENT: Mischa Barton's landlord has filed a lawsuit against the actress, alleging that she's refused to pay rent on her $7,000-a-month apartment in New York City. The lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday (January 21st) says that Barton's one-year lease began in September, but she's rebuffed efforts to collect the last three months' worth of rent. The landlord wants Barton -- whose most recent TV project was quickly canceled last year -- to pay the rent and legal fees.

LINDA HOGAN SETTLES WITH SON'S CRASH VICTIM: TMZ.com reports that Linda Hogan reached a financial settlement in an auto negligence lawsuit with the family of John Graziano -- who was the passenger when son Nick Hogan crashed his car into a tree while racing down a Florida highway in 2007. The terms of the settlement are confidential. A lawyer for the Graziano family told TMZ that they don't expect Hulk Hogan or Nick to settle before the next scheduled court date in September.

TARA REID ENGAGED: Tara Reid is engaged. The 34-year-old actress confirmed that her businessman boyfriend Michael Axtmann recently proposed at a Los Angeles restaurant. Reid's rep told People magazine, "Michael surprised Tara with a beautiful round brilliant cut ring. Tara was so happy, and the other patrons clapped and yelled out, Congratulations." The couple is planning a small summer wedding.

GABRIEL BYRNE WAS SEXUALLY MOLESTED: Gabriel Byrne has revealed that he was sexually molested and viciously beaten during his training to become a Catholic priest. The In Treatment star told Irish broadcaster Gay Byrne, "Unfortunately, I experienced some sexual abuse. It was a known and admitted fact of life amongst us that there was this particular man, and you didn't want to be left in the dressing room with him. There were certain boundaries, sexual boundaries, that were crossed. It didn't go on over a prolonged period but it happened at a very, very vulnerable moment. I feared being beaten, and I was beaten very regularly. It did affect my sense of myself."

SCOTT BAIO IN TWITTER WAR: Scott Baio is receiving death threats after posting an unflattering photo of Michelle Obama on his Twitter page. One commenter threatened to harm his wife and family while another wrote, "Easy to find your house Scottie boy and finish you." He responded online writing, "I did NOT alter that picture. Stop bashing my Charity just because I post an unflattering pic of a woman. Grow up ppl, have some humor."

CONAN O'BRIEN BIDS GOODNIGHT TO 'TONIGHT SHOW'

NBC finally confirmed that today will be Conan O'Brien's last as host of the Tonight Show. The network said in a statement yesterday, "NBC and Conan O'Brien have reached a resolution of the issues surrounding O'Brien's contract to host 'The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.' Under terms of an agreement that was signed earlier today, NBC and O'Brien will settle their contractual obligations and the network will release O'Brien from his contract, freeing him to pursue other opportunities after September 1, 2010."

Jeff Gaspin, chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment, added, "We're pleased that Jay Leno is returning to host the franchise that he helmed brilliantly and successfully for many years. He is an enormous talent, a consummate professional and one of the hardest-working performers on television."

• Leno's first day back on the job will be March 1st, while NBC is expected to air reruns of Conan on Tonight until the Olympics begin.
• RadarOnline.com reported that Conan's total boy-out package was valued around $44 million: $32 million for himself, and an additional $12 million for his staff.
• His guests tonight are Will Ferrell and Tom Hanks.

CHECK IT OUT: Tips for securing a fat severance package: http://tinyurl.com/6hpuer

TIGER WOODS ANGERS FELLOW REHAB PATIENTS

Tiger Woods continues to stir controversy even while reportedly in a rehab facility for sex addiction. According to the U.K.'s Sun tabloid, the disgraced golfer is earning the ire of fellow patients who say Woods is getting special treatment at the Hattiesburg, Mississippi facility.

• For instance, while other patients must attend group sessions to discuss their histories and triggers, Woods has opted for one-on-one counseling. He is also reportedly getting maid service, while other patients are required to scrub toilets and more as part of their therapy. "When Tiger enters one of the public areas, other patients have been told they have to leave the room," said a source. "Other patients share a cabin, but Tiger has his own. His special privileges are causing a lot of resentment."
• Woods reportedly continues to insist that he does not have a sexual addiction, but is taking part in the six-week Gentle Paths program at the Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services clinic to appease his wife, Elin Nordegren. The Swedish beauty threatened to leave him and take their two children to her homeland if he didn't.
• Though Elin has not visited Tiger at the facility, the program requires her to show up for a brutal "disclosure day," when the golfer must confess to all of his affairs.
• According to the Enquirer, Tiger has rented a nearby luxury home as well as armed guards in anticipation of Elin's arrival with daughter Sam, 2, and son Charlie, 11 months.

SIDE NOTES

• Tiger's rehab program reportedly includes getting up at 5:30 a.m. each day, eating breakfast, then getting treatment from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The program also includes meditation and the classic 12-step program model.
• At group sessions, the therapist writes a so-called "stop word" on a blackboard -- if a patient tells a sexual story and another patient in the room starts to get aroused, they yell the "stop word" to pause the session until passions subside. Tiger has refused to take part in these group displays.
• Gentle Path's program includes "shame-reduction work," yoga, relapse-prevention counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy.

EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON SHILOH'S TOMBOY OUTFIT

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's 3-year-old daughter, Shiloh, recently stepped out in Los Angeles wearing a tie and bowler hat -- much to this dismay of some bloggers, who criticized the girl's tomboy look. Insiders tell UsMagazine.com that Shiloh typically picks out her own clothes. Still, the photograph sparked some debate over whether it's normal to have children choose their wardrobe.

UsMagazine.com spoke with some experts who say it's just fine. Manhattan psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert, says, "It's quite healthy, as she is learning to make choices and think independently." But Alpert says kids could get "picked on" by her peers because of their clothes.

CHECK IT OUT: How to be a Tomboy: http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Tomboy

INTERNET COMMENTS: DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE?

India Andrews writes on UsMagazine.com,"There's nothing wrong with her clothes, and if she turns out to be a tomboy, there's nothing wrong with that either. It's good for parents to allow little kids to make some of their own choices. You don't want them to be too dependent."

Arlene M Barlos writes on UsMagazine.com, "Shi will eventually see the difference and change accordingly. She's only 3 for heaven's sake and her competitive spirit has yet to blossom, and when it does she will be just adorable and will want to keep up with the other kids."

kelly writes on UsMagazine.com, "get it together youre a mother for a reason to guide your children in the right direction and this is not great guidance!"

'AVATAR' AND 'THE HURT LOCKER' LEAD BAFTA NOMINATIONS

Avatar and The Hurt Locker lead this year's British Film Academy Awards nominations -- the U.K's equivalent to our Oscars. Both films, along with the smaller British flick, An Education each received eigh nods. District 9 follows close behind with seven and Up In The Air and Inglourious Basterds scored six each. The BAFTAS will take place February 21st.

Here is a partial list of nominations:

BEST FILM
Avatar
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Precious
Up In The Air

LEADING ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up In The Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Andy Serkis, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

LEADING ACTRESS
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Saoirse Ronan, The Lovely Bones
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Audrey Tatou, Coco Before Chanel

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alec Baldwin, It's Complicated
Christian McKay, Me And Orson Welles
Alfred Molina, An Education
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Anne-Marie Duff, Nowhere Boy
Vera Farmiga, Up In The Air
Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air
Mo'Nique, Precious
Kristin Scott Thomas, Nowhere Boy

DIRECTOR
James Cameron, Avatar
Neill Blomkamp, District 9
Lone Scherfig, An Education
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Hangover
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious
Up In The Air

CHECK IT OUT: See the complete nominee list here: http://tinyurl.com/yz4zz3x

JERSEY SHORE'S 'JWOWW' SELLING CUSTOM-MADE PARTY TOPS

While all the Jersey Shore cast members are getting big bucks for personal appearances, Jenni "JWoww" Farley has found another way to cash in on her fame. On her website, jwoww.com, Farley is selling a collection of skimpy made-to-order party tops so others can her replicate signature cleavage-baring look.

The site reads, "Jenni has created the ultimate in fashionable clothing. She will be reinventing the term "Sexy Sophisticated." Not only will her line be "Edgy" and "Sexy", but it will make people of all ages and body type feel more confident in "the scene." This exclusive line will be limited and custom made to your body type."

• Farley also offers up her email address for fans to share pictures of themselves wearing the top for her to post on her site.

CHECK IT OUT: See the shirts: http://www.jwoww.com/clothing.php

INTERNET COMMENTS: DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE?

• From birdman on People.com: "Sophisticated? I went to JWoww's website, and my anti-virus software said my computer just contracted an STD."
• From nikd on People.com: "Sexy and sophisticated? No. Strip club ready? Yes."

IS JON CRYER'S EX TRYING TO KILL HIM?

The FBI is reportedly working with Jon Cryer after the Two and a Half Men star told authorities that he believes his life is in danger. TMZ.com reports that a scare on the TV series' set last week had to do with Cryer's belief that his ex-wife, Sarah Trigger, hired a hitman to kill him.

TMZ noted that Cryer and his ex have been embroiled in a bitter custody fight, which has gotten even more intense recently.

• Sources told TMZ that the FBI has been on the case for a week, but its believed that don't have any suspects. Cryer's ex-wife told TMZ last Friday she was unaware of any threat against Jon.
• Her lawyer said yesterday, "This is the father of her child, and I think it's outrageous that these rumors are being spread. I can tell you that Sarah and I have not been contacted by the FBI. I don't think she's involved at all."

CHECK IT OUT: How to get rid of a psycho ex: http://tinyurl.com/ybrcydt

BRUCE WILLIS FINDS SOCIAL NETWORKING 'DISTURBING'

It's a good thing Twitter-addict Demi Moore is no longer married to Bruce Willis because the actor is "disturbed" by social networking. He told the German website TrailerSeite.de, "What really disturbs me is the danger that lies in the fact that people want to communicate information quicker and quicker. I am not a big fan of social networks in electronic form. If the electricity dies, we would have to go home right now."

• He added that Michael Jackson's death was an example of the frightening power of the web, explaining, "The whole world knew in four seconds or at least a short time. Ten, 20 years ago that would have been Utopic. Information gets more compact and quicker."

CHECK IT OUT: Ten reasons your company should not use Twitter: http://tinyurl.com/co56d5

MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND!

Opening today (January 22nd) is the new drama Extraordinary Measures, starring Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser and Keri Russell. The film, directed by Tom Vaughan, follows John Crowley, played by Fraser, who, after his two younger children are diagnosed with a fatal disease, leaves his job and teams up with Dr. Robert Thornill, played by Ford, a brilliant scientist. Together the men battle against the odds as they race to find a cure.

• Extraordinary Measures is rated PG and has a running time of 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Opening today (January 22nd) is the new family comedy Tooth Fairy, starring Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd, Julie Andrews and Billy Crystal. Tooth Fairy follows Tess, a six year old girl, who is very dissapointed when Derek, played by Johnson, tells her that the tooth fairy isn't real and Derek is subsequently put to work as a real tooth fairy and begins to rediscover his own forgotten dreams. Tooth Fairy was directed by Michael Lembeck.

• Tooth Fairy is rated PG and has a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes.

HEADLINE NEWS!!

Friday, January 22, 2010

SUPREME COURT MEANS MORE CORPORATE, UNION MONEY IN ELECTIONS: A landmark Supreme Court ruling yesterday (January 21st) reverses campaign finance legislation restricting corporate and union spending in elections, opening the gates for what's expected to be a flood of such spending as soon as this fall's midterm elections. Under the 5-4 ruling -- supported by the conservatives on the high court and opposed by the liberals -- corporations can now spend freely on ads for candidates for president and Congress, although the restriction remains on them making direct contributions to candidates. Their funding of the ads would also still have to be revealed. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said the campaign finance limits violated the constitutional free speech rights of corporations, while the dissenters said letting corporate and union money flood the political marketplace would corrupt democracy. The ruling reverses a century-long trend of limiting the political power of corporations and organized labor.

400,000 HOMELESS HAITIAN QUAKE VICTIMS TO BE MOVED: The Haitian government will be moving 400,000 homeless earthquake victims from their improvised camps in Port-au-Prince to new resettlement areas on the outskirts of the devastated capital city, the chief of staff to President Rene Preval said yesterday (January 21st). The move, expected within a week to 10 days, is coming amid worries about sanitation and disease in the makeshift camps. Aid workers with water, food, drugs, clothing, and other supplies continued to stream into Haiti. But although delivery had improved, there were still many difficulties in getting the help to the victims. The U.S. military reported a waiting list of 1,400 international relief flights seeking to land on Port-au-Prince's single runway, where 120 to 140 flights were arriving every day.

OBAMA WANTS NEW RESTRICTIONS ON BIG BANKS: President Obama yesterday (January 21st) proposed new regulations to limit financial risk-taking by Wall Street banks. The proposals -- which would require congressional approval -- go after some banks' biggest money-making operations, which Obama blamed for causing the crisis that brought the financial system to the brink of collapse. Among them are:

• Banning banks from investing in, owning or sponsoring a hedge fund or private equity fund.
• Setting a new limit on banks' size in relation to the overall financial sector -- trying to avoid the "too big to fail" problem.
• Barring banks from making bets on financial markets with their own money for their own profit rather than executing a trade for a client.

JOHN EDWARDS ADMITS FATHERING EX-MISTRESS' CHILD: Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has finally come clean, admitting in a statement yesterday (January 21st) that he is the father of his former mistress Rielle Hunter's child, Frances Quinn, who'll be two years old next month. He said in the statement, "It was wrong for me ever to deny she was my daughter, and hopefully one day, when she understands, she will forgive me." Edwards also said he's been visiting with and providing financial support for Quinn and will continue to do said, and added, "To all those I have disappointed and hurt, these words will never be enough, but I am truly sorry." Edwards admitted the extramarital affair publicly in August 2008, more than six months after dropping out of the presidential race. While admitting to the affair, Edwards adamantly denied that he was the father of Hunter's baby. Edwards is telling the truth just a couple of weeks before a book is being published on the scandal by his former aide, Andrew Young, who initially claimed paternity of the child.

TESTIMONY: PETERSON SAID HE'D KILL HIS FOURTH WIFE: The stepbrother of former Illinois police officer Drew Peterson, who's accused of killing his third wife, testified in court yesterday (January 21st) that he believed he might have helped Peterson dispose of the body of his fourth wife, who disappeared more than two years ago. Speaking during a hearing into whether prosecutors can use hearsay evidence against Peterson at trial for the 2004 murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, Thomas Morphey testified Peterson suggested when they talked on October 27, 2007, that he intended to kill his fourth wife, Stacy, because she planned to divorce him, win custody of their children and take Peterson's money. The next day, Morphey helped Peterson move a large blue barrel that he estimated weighed up to 150 pounds and that he testified felt warm. He said the two men put the barrel in Peterson's SUV and Peterson drove Morphey home and told him, "This never happened." The barrel has never been found.

• Peterson hasn't been charged in Stacy's disappearance, but authorities say he's the only suspect.

TODAY'S FYI:

MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON PLANE BEING AUCTIONED OFF: The jet that US Airways Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger safely landed in the Hudson River a year ago after the engines were disabled by a bird strike is being auctioned off. An online auction for the banged-up and water-damaged Airbus A320 -- without the two engines -- is being held by insurance firm Chartis. Bidding will continue until March 27.

• Link for the Chartis page on the auction: http://www.aigaviation.com/aviationsalvage/salvagedetail.aspx?faano=N106US

LIBERAL RADIO NETWORK GOES BELLY-UP: Liberal radio network Air America announced yesterday (January 21st) that it's filing for bankruptcy, and ended live programming immediately. Although the network, which has about 100 affiliates, cited a "very difficult economic environment," Air America never was on sound financial ground nor found a substantial audience since launching in 2004. It's been through several owners and attempted revamps, as well as a previous filing for bankruptcy protection in 2006, although it managed to stay on the air that time. The most notable alumni of Air America are Rachel Maddow, who now anchors a prime time program on MSNBC, and former comedian and current Democratic Senator Al Franken of Minnesota, who hosted a show on the network from 2004 to 2007. Air America will broadcast repeats of shows until Monday (January 25th), and will then end programming.

TOYOTA RECALLING 2.3 MILLION VEHICLES: Toyota said Thursd