El DeBarge drug arrest interrupts acclaimed comeback

DeBarge, 50, whose real name is Eldra Patrick DeBarge, was busted by undercover cops near a freeway interchange in Los Angeles’ Encino neighborhood, an LAPD spokeswoman told the Los Angeles Times.


Officers observed DeBarge and another man taking part in an apparent drug deal about 2 p.m. Monday, gossip website TMZ reports. Police also found illegal drugs in the area where DeBarge was standing, though they did not disclose what kind of drugs were found.


El DeBarge was arrested in connection with drug possession with intent to sell, according to the LAPD. That's a felony in California, punishable by up to three years in jail.


The possession element of the crime can be fulfilled in several ways: Actual possession means the drugs were found on the person; constructive possession means a person had access to the drugs and control over the drugs; and joint possession means two or more people had access to, and control over, the drugs. It's not clear what kind of possession El DeBarge was arrested for.


The arrest is a major blow to DeBarge, who had tried desperately to clean up his act. In the last year and a half he had showed the true power of public redemption with a high-profile comeback -- 2010’s Grammy-nominated, “Second Chance,” his first album in nearly two decades.


Once the lead singer of the popular '80s Motown family group DeBarge, he transitioned that early success into a solo career. But it became an afterthought when addiction -- which he has battled for more than two decades and has also plagued a number of his siblings -- and a laundry lists of legal troubles, including arrests on cocaine possession and domestic violence charges, crippled a once-thriving career.


His dependence on heroin and crack ultimately landed him in prison, where he spent 13 months before his release in 2009. But the new album gave him a renewed outlook on life.


“Second Chance,” DeBarge's first release on new label home Geffen, boasted production from Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Babyface, and collaborations with Faith Evans, 50 Cent and Fabolous. It was nominated for R&B album at this year's Grammys, but was bested by Chris Brown.


It appeared the singer had slipped back into old habits shortly after the album's release. Last year he dropped out of a tour with KEM and Lesidi to enter rehab to deal with substance abuse issues. "I hate to disappoint my fans, but it is necessary for me to take the time to work on me so that I may continue to share my music and my story with everyone," DeBarge said in a statement after that cancellation.


DeBarge, bounced back and The Times caught the singer’s nimble set at the 2011 Essence Music Festival in July, but shows have garnered shaky reviews. Mikael Wood called the singer’s recent show at Key Club "volatile all by itself, with false song starts, a baffling dance contest and the temporary disappearance partway through of DeBarge, who tearfully retreated behind a curtain at the rear of the stage after singing ‘Rhythm of the Night.’” He was also seen emotionally reuniting with Whitney Houston during her last public appearance at Hollywood's Tru nightclub two days before her death.

Kiefer Sutherland doesn't have the magic 'Touch' in new series

After eight seasons of protecting the free world from terrorists on “24,” Kiefer Sutherland wanted a break from television.


The 45-year-old actor worked on some films, took part in a Web series called “The Confession” and starred in a Broadway play. Then a pilot script for a new TV drama, “Touch,” landed in his lap.


“I was halfway through it and I remember thinking, ‘Oh no,’ ” Sutherland said. “I was falling in love with it. By the time I finished, I knew I would be very disappointed with myself if I found myself on the couch … just watching the show as opposed to being a part of it.”


Sutherland spoke to reporters from Moscow, one of the stops on his recent whirlwind tour through Europe to promote “Touch.” The show’s unprecedented global launch has it premiering in more than 100 countries this week.


Fox’s science fiction drama boasts an international appeal with its multi-cultural cast, scenes set in foreign cities and an intriguing premise: People around the world are linked to one another and their lives intersect — with potentially major repercussions — as a result of patterns hidden in numeric sequences.


Sutherland plays Martin Bohm, an under-employed single dad whose uncommunicative, mute son, Jake (David Mazouz), has barely defined, semi-mystical abilities. Jake sees patterns in numbers that allow him to predict the future and compel him to send his father to correct deviations in the patterns.


While Martin struggles to figure out what his son is trying to tell him (with the occasional help of Danny Glover as a disgraced scientist) and keep his troubled son out of state custody (with the regular help of Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a sympathetic social worker), subplots swirl around them that amplify the interconnected theme.


It’s a complete change-of-pace role for Sutherland, and he responds with one of his best performances, revealing Bohm’s elation, despair and confusion while grounding the fanciful story in real emotion. Unfortunately, his disciplined performance is done in by an undisciplined show that moves too slowly to put limits on Jake’s powers. Which, by the way, is the same flaw that doomed creator Tim Kring’s last show, “Heroes.”

Kristen Stewart to Recreate Herself in 2012

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner fans – You know you want it! It’s the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn part two trailer and it can’t seem to grace our eyes and ears quickly enough. Sure, there are other young adult novel adaptations to get excited about, including this month’s Hunger Games premier, which is where I intend to view the Breaking Dawn part two trailer for the very first time. It is followed by another Stephenie Meyer story in March 2013, The Host. At some point we’ll even get a City of Bones movie. But right this second, let’s focus on Twilight, shall we?


Kristen is expected, however, to completely dispel that notion with the release of Snow White and the Huntsman, which debuts in theaters this summer. The entire cast is in fact top-notch, with Stewart at the helm.


Another key to Kristen's longevity in the film world stems from the transition of her role in Twilight. Unlike many 'child' actors, her role of Bella Swan transitioned, too, from young teenager to married adult and mother. That plays a vital role in her believability among present and future viewers.


Snow White and the Huntsman, as well as On The Road--Kristen Stewart's other big 2012 film--will no doubt prove to skeptics that the Twilight actress is being recreated from that role into one of a versatile and immensely talented actor. On The Road will even feature Stewart dirty dancing and in various stages of undress.


2012 will no doubt be Kristen Stewart's year in a variety of ways. Fans are even hoping by year's end that word of an engagement between her and Robert Pattinson might emerge.


Do you plan to see Kristen in her new roles when both Snow White and the Huntsman and On The Road hit theaters? Do you believe that 2012 will find her recreated in the acting world?

'Cosmopolis' Teaser Has Plenty Of Robert Pattinson, Sex And Dinosaurs

The trailer for David Cronenberg's new film, Cosmopolis, hit the Web today, and by the looks of it the Twilight heartthrob has finally graduated to his first serious adult role in this sex- and violence-filled tale based on the novel by Don DeLillo.


It also, ladies, happens to show off his very naked torso, so check it out! (Word of caution: Trailer is of a graphic and sexually explicit nature.)




The flick chronicles a day and a night in the life of a 28-year-old billionaire asset manager who sets out across Manhattan to get a haircut. And in case you think Pattinson stretched out in Water for Elephants, Cosmopolis is a far cry from the veterinary medicine student he played in the former.


During the surreal Odyssey-like trek, our hero encounters his wife on several occasions, gets caught up in traffic jams caused by a presidential visit, finds himself cast as an extra in a movie, is stalked by two men and stumbles into a riot.


There are plenty of quick flashes of scenes throughout the teaser, but not enough to give us a sense of anything more than the movie's tone. In true David Cronenberg style, "Cosmopolis" will be noir, it will be dark, and it will be weird.


For you few uninitiated left out there, "Cosmopolis" is the adaptation of Don DeLilly's surrealist thriller novel of the same name. It follows Pattinson's character Eric Packer, a wealthy billionaire bored with the world, as he travels deeper and deeper into Manhattan's underworld over the course of 24 hours. He spends much of his time in a limo, and runs into a cast of colorful characters.


And, apparently, some imaginary dinosaurs along the way, as we see in the teaser. There's plenty of weirdness at play here, but we're willing to give ourselves up to it. And if you thought "Bel Ami" was going to have a ton of sex in it, just wait until you see the ways Pattinson is hooking up in "Cosmopolis."


The film doesn't yet have an American release date, but it is due in theaters in France on May 23 and in Portugal on May 31. It is largely expected that "Cosmopolis" will premiere at Cannes.

Acting Trumps Action In A 'Games' Without Horror

Suzanne Collins’s “The Hunger Games” (the first book in a best-selling trilogy) is a sensational piece of pop primitivism—a Hobbesian war of all against all. In a dystopian society in the future, a group of wealthy, epicene overlords—authoritarians with violet hair and the vicious manners of French courtiers—threaten and control an impoverished population. Years ago, the virtuous commoners rose up, unsuccessfully, against their decadent rulers, and they’ve been both cosseted and terrorized ever since by a yearly lottery in which two teens from each of twelve districts are selected, trained, and turned into media stars. They are then set loose in a controlled wilderness, where they must survive hunger and one another, until only one of them is left alive. The survivor will bring home to his district both glory and food, and everyone, rich and poor, watches the events on television. Collins’s idea seems to be derived from the bloodier Greek myths and Roman gladiatorial contests (the big shots have names like Cinna and Claudius); from William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”; and from TV spectacles like the myriad “Survivor” shows and sado-Trumpian elimination contests. Collins’s strategy of putting girls and boys (some as young as twelve) at the center of a deadly struggle adds tense, nasty excitement to the old tales and tawdry TV rituals she draws on


Out of 24 participants, only one child will live. And we hope it will be Katniss Everdeen, from the impoverished mining District 12 — a teen who, when her little sister is picked in the lottery, volunteers to take her place.


Why is it problematic? Kids killing kids is the most wrenching thing we can imagine, and rooting for the deaths of Katniss' opponents can't help but implicate us. But the novel is written by a humanist: When a child dies, we breathe a sigh of relief that Katniss has one less adversary, but we never go, "Yes!" — we feel only revulsion for this evil ritual.


If the film's director, Gary Ross, has any qualms about kids killing kids, he keeps them to himself. The murders on screen are fast and largely pain-free — you can hardly see who's killing who. So despite the high body count, the rating is PG-13.


Think about it: You make killing vivid and upsetting and get an R. You take the sting out of it, and kids are allowed into the theater. The ratings board has it backwards.


The packed preview audience clearly loved The Hunger Games, but I saw one missed opportunity after another. Director Ross has a penchant for showbiz satire, pleasant in Pleasantville but ruinous in Seabiscuit — a great book about the torturous underbelly of horseracing turned into a lame, movie-ish period piece.

Gunman dies in hail of bullets as French siege ends

Mohammed Merah was the sort of radicalized individual who makes Western counterterrorism officials very apprehensive: someone who was determined, trained, living legally in Europe or the United States and operating alone. One of dozens (perhaps hundreds) of militants either unknown to authorities or suspected of plotting a terrorist attack but whose real intentions and movements are difficult to track.
Merah was shot dead at the end of a lengthy siege on Thursday; he had been hunted by police in connection with the killings of seven people in the past 10 days. He had twice visited the Afghan-Pakistan border area, in 2010 and 2011, French officials said Wednesday. And after the standoff began in Toulouse, he claimed to have been trained by al Qaeda, they say.


Two police commandos were injured in the operation - a dramatic climax to a siege which riveted the world after the killings shook France a month before a presidential election.


"At the moment when a video probe was sent into the bathroom, the killer came out of the bathroom, firing with extreme violence," Interior Minister Claude Gueant told reporters at the scene.


"In the end, Mohamed Merah jumped from the window with his gun in his hand, continuing to fire. He was found dead on the ground."


Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said Merah had taken refuge in his bathroom, wearing a bullet-proof vest under his traditional black djellaba robe, as elite police blasted his flat through the night with flash grenades.


Police investigators were working to establish whether Merah had worked alone or with accomplices, Molins said, adding that Merah had filmed his three shooting attacks with a camera hung from his body and had indicated that he had posted clips online.

Tom Hanks adds Bill O'Reilly to apology

t turns out no famous person—not even Tom Hanks—is safe from the Internet and its vast depths of potentially humiliating material.


The Daily Caller, a conservative-leaning news site based in Washington, D.C., has posted a video featuring Hanks and the Eagles' Glenn Frey emceeing an event at the private St. Matthew's Parish School in Pacific Palisades. No big deal, right?




The ostensibly shocking footage shows a fellow parent—whom the Daily Caller identified as an investment banker—dressed in what apparently was his interpretation of an African tribal costume, complete with dark makeup on his face.


PlayClooney's Press Conference After Jail Release
And Hanks performed with this guy? What does the two-time Oscar winner have to say for himself? This is Tom Hanks we're talking about...


"For many years I emceed the annual fundraising auction for my kids' school," he said in a statement obtained by E! News. "In 2004, I was blindsided when one of the parents got up on the stage in a costume that was hideously offensive then and is hideously offensive now. What is usually a night of food and drink for a good cause was, regrettably, marred by an appalling few moments."

Elegant at every opportunity! Katherine Jenkins shows off her curves

Was this the best Dancing With the Stars Season Premiere night in history?! The judges seemed to think so, and unlike Chris Harrison on The Bachelor, they don't throw around superlatives like that every single episode of every season.


So you know Monday's Season 14 opener was at least pretty good, and with no one on the block tonight, the contestants were free to let loose, pressure-free!


Not to say we didn't learn who's in it to win it and whose cringe-inducing moves will likely make their stint on DWTS a short one, but all are safe this week! Let's get right to the biggest story, though: Jaleel White is no Steve Urkel.


His foxtrot with Kym Johnson closed the show, but DWTS saved the best dance for last apparently, as the former Family Matters star posted a 26! In Week One! Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins was elegant during her own foxtrot with Mark Ballas, also scoring a 26 and tying UJaleel for first place Monday.


Katherine and Mark will no doubt be hoping to recreate their previous success on DWTS when the show returns on Monday night.
The pair won rave reviews from the judges following their foxtrot, which judge Carrie Ann Inaba told them was the ‘best first dance on the first episode ever’.
But the couple are likely to face strong competition from fellow competitors including Maria Menounos, who is determined to move things up a gear this week with a sizzling Quickstep.
The Extra host, 33, looked in good spirits as she headed to a 'long rehearsal' with her professional partner Derek Hough yesterday.


And it appears Hough - who has won DWTS twice with Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Grey in recent years - has been putting her through her paces.
She wrote on Twitter: 'Quickstep is kicking my butt!!!!!!'
Menounos also uploaded a humorous video on her website, suggesting Hough is quite the demanding choreographer.
The Utah-native is seen sweaty and out-of-breath as he collapses on a seat, shouting: 'Water!'

The Hunger Games

There’s a short anxious scene in the new film “The Hunger Games,” when its 16-year-old heroine, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), races through a deep, dark forest, falls down a hill and rolls and rolls only to rise up and thrust herself again into the unknown. Katniss, the lethally tough linchpin from Suzanne Collins’s trilogy turned rather less imposing film heroine, is a teenage survivalist in a postapocalyptic take on a familiar American myth. When she runs through that forest, and even when she falls, there’s something of the American frontiersman in her, as if she were Natty Bumppo reborn and resexed.


For as long as this brief scene lasts it seems possible that Gary Ross, the unlikely and at times frustratingly ill-matched director for this brutal, unnerving story, has caught the heart-skipping pulse of Michael Mann’s “Last of the Mohicans” if not that film’s ravishing technique and propulsive energy. Alas, Mr. Ross, the director of the genial entertainments “Pleasantville” and “Seabiscuit,” and whose script credits include “Big,” has a way of smoothing even modestly irregular edges. Katniss, who for years has bagged game to keep her family from starving, was created for rough stuff — for beating the odds and the state, for hunting squirrel and people both — far rougher than Mr. Ross often seems comfortable with, perhaps because of disposition, inclination or some behind-the-scenes executive mandate.


The Hunger Games, Lawrence is essentially reprising her Oscar-nominated role from Winter’s Bone: an adolescent girl tasked with providing for her family by whatever means necessary. She plays Katniss, a 16-year-old drafted into an annual competition in which teenagers from different social and economic strata are forced to fight to the death. The government-sponsored contest, which is watched on live TV by millions, is used by the tyrannical President Snow (Donald Sutherland) to keep the masses in check. The screenplay, written by Ross and Collins and Billy Ray ( Shattered Glass), replaces the novel’s first-person narration by Katniss with banal observations about sheep-herd mentality and the vacuous news media and our cultural obsession with celebrity and the perils of reality television and blind American Idol worship. Doesn’t this all sound awfully tired? Hasn’t this field been tilled enough?


With nothing to engage the mind, The Hunger Games aims for the heart. Katniss’ tentative romance with a fellow contestant, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), is surprisingly sweet and touching — he and Lawrence share all of the film’s best moments — but there’s something rote and programmed about it, too. You never question whether things will work out for them, because this is an overly timid movie about a wild and outrageous concept. There’s no sense of danger or menace in The Hunger Games, which is a big problem for a movie that should feel like any of its characters could die at any given moment. The most exciting scene in the entire film involves the sawing of a tree branch. By the time the CGI monsters showed up, I was actively longing for the “Game Over” sign.

Scammers exploit new Dr Who girl with Twitter smut video

Budget 2012: Government to allow film industry-style tax breaks for the UK's animation and video game producers


MPs want firms to withhold ads from papers ignoring new complaints body
Committee chairman recommends advertisers sign a pledge to force papers to follow PCC replacement's rules


Times libel ruling restores Reynolds defence
Publication of allegations about police corruption involving extradition of Russian oligarchs was legitimate, rules court


The BBC announcement on Wednesday unsurprisingly made the name of the 25-year-old actress a trending topic on Twitter. Porno spammers latched onto this trend by mentioning "Jenna-Louise Coleman" in messages containing links references to supposed sex videos. In reality, users are been tricked through the combination of a smutty lure and a clickjacking exploit into unwittingly following a Twitter account, as explained in a post by Graham Cluley on Sophos's Naked Security blog here.


"The webpage you are taken to doesn't have any content (pornographic or otherwise) related to the Time Lord's latest sidekick. Instead, you'll find what appears to be a portal for an Asian hardcore porn video website," Cluley explains.


"Clicking on the video thumbnails is definitely ill-advised. When I examined the page, I found that each of the videos were masking a secret Twitter follow button."

Doctor Who's' New Companion Jenna-Louise Coleman

The latest companion of "Doctor Who" has been revealed. Jenna-Louise Coleman, who is best known for her role as Jasmine Thomas on British soap "Emmerdale", has been cast to star opposite titular character depicter, Matt Smith, on the long-running sci-fi series.


Gushing about Coleman's character, executive producer Stephen Moffat said when announcing the casting news, "It's not often the Doctor meets someone who can talk even faster than he does, but it's about to happen." He coyly added, "Jenna is going to lead him on his merriest dance yet. And that's all you're getting for now."


"Who she's playing, how the Doctor meets her, and even where he finds her, are all part of one of the biggest mysteries the Time Lord ever encounters. Even by the Doctor's standards, this isn't your usual boy-meets-girl," he went on teasing.


on British soap Emmerdale, set in a fictional village in Yorkshire Dales, appearing in more than 150 episodes from 2005-09. On the ITV series, Coleman played Jasmine Thomas. She was nominated at the British Soap Awards for best newcomer one year and also was included in the most popular newcomer category at the National Television Awards. In 2009, she was also nominated in several categories, including best actress and sexiest female at the British Soap Awards.
She appeared in Captain America: It was a small role, but Coleman appeared as Connie in 2011's summer blockbuster Captain America: The First Avenger, which starred Chris Evans. It also marked her big-screen debut.
She co-stars in Julian Fellowes' Titanic miniseries: She plays Annie Desmond in the four-part miniseries Titanic. In an interview with The Guardian, Coleman described her character as a "cheeky little cockney." "Fellowes has given me a gift," she said. "I'm the Eliza Doolittle of the ship."
She will first appear as the new Doctor Who companion later this year: Coleman is first expected to appear in her new Doctor Who role in the series' Christmas TV special.

American Idol" Billy Joel Week: Just the Gay You Are

Sorry. I was out all day on a media tour of a “Zombie Tour” of Atlanta, which took us around to spots around metro Atlanta where the first season of “The Walking Dead” were shot as well a couple of “Zombieland” moments, too. The first official tour is March 31.


But back to the real world and a very late entry into the day here. I will be live blogging tonight by the way.


- P. Diddy, who has appeared on “Idol’ before, will be mentoring tonight with Jimmy Iovine on Billy Joel night. Will he add much to the proceedings? I doubt it.


Before I get to the compliments, let me enjoy a quick screed: 1) Why does Elise sully her lovely vocals with those "thuggy" hand gestures? Thugs don't wear magenta dresses and vests! I remember that from social studies. 2) This girl should be dressing like Rickie Lee motherf***ing Jones. Bring me a kickass men's shirt and superfly jeans, please. Screed over. So wahoo, Elise finally garnered the judges' full respect. She's a dandy vocalist who sounds like a mashup of late Joni Mitchell and, well, early Rickie Lee Jones. I don't know if that's ever a genre that Idol voters can learn to care about, but the point is this girl rules, even on a Billy Joel song I've never heard before. It's the kind of fire that could make a middle-aged songwriter drive drunkenly into a house. Yay, I finally made that Billy Joel joke.


Colton's vocals have long been underestimated in the competition (by me, too :/ ), but realness scholar Diddy said it best: "Piano Man" was made for Colton. The lanky ivory-tickler pulled through, y'all. Likably melodramatic, pitch-perfect, and not too self-consciously Gavin DeGraw/Ben Jelen-esque in execution. Now, time for the fun speculation: This kid gay or straight? I want to know. It won't make me like him more or less, but Colton has a cheeky streak, and I associate that quality primarily with homosexuals. Regardless, he has to have taken part in at least one homoerotic VMan photo shoot, right? Let's get to work Google-

‘American Idol’ 2012: Top 10 perform Billy Joel songs

‘American Idol”s top 10 contestants sang the songs of Billy Joel Wednesday night as music mogul Jimmy Iovine brought in Diddy to help coach the contestants on their performances. Designer Tommy Hilfiger was on hand to help them work out their clothes, and Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson offered their opinions from the judges’ table.
Here’s what happened:
DeAndre Brackensick was up first, singing “Only the Good Die Young,” and Jimmy told him to have fun with it. DeAndre worked the stage well, but he looked like he was concentrating on remembering the lyrics for most of the performance. Steven thought it was a little too happy, and Jennifer thought it showcased who DeAndre is as a performer. Randy wasn’t jumping up and down over it, but he thought it was “Okay.”
Erika Van Pelt knew “New York State of Mind” was an anthem for New Yorkers going into it. Jimmy and Diddy warned her about over singing. As for her style, Tommy convinced Erika to chop her hair off and dye it black. It was a stunning transformation, and the new look paired nicely with Erika’s smoky yet strong voice. Randy loved the new look, and he also loved her vocals. Jennifer didn’t even recognize Erika when she hit the stage, and encouraged her to engage her body a bit more in future performances. Steven called Erika’s performance “outstanding.”


Enter the judges: Randy Jackson, wearing a shirt that looks like the rug in front of the concession stand of the AMC 13-plex at the end of a Saturday night…Steven Tyler wearing some kind of striped boating jacket and looking like a man who fell into the drink watching the Henley Regatta…and Jennifer Lopez in a form fitting leather number -- a sort of full-body Jimmy Choo.


Tonight is the song book of Billy Joel night on “Idol.” Congratulations, Billy Joel on reaching this pinnacle of your career. Nothing left but the Kennedy Center Honors now!


And who better to coach the Idolettes than the man who is known as The Man Who Nobody Has the Nerve to Say Is Nothing Like Billy Joel, Really – Sean Combs. What shall we call you tonight, Mr. Combs, among your rich catalogue of names? Just Diddy, apparently.


Plus…fashion advice from Tommy Hilfiger, the man known as The Poor Man’s Ralph Lauren.


How young is DeAndre Brackensick? Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley were already divorced when he was born, that’s how young. Diddy and “Idol” staff mentor Jimmy Iovine try to explain to DeAndre that “Only the Good Die Young” is about a shy teenager trying to win the favors of a Catholic girl; DeAndre is listening like a kid who’s never had a problem in that department. “Sing it to Jennifer, “ Jimmy advises. “She’s a Catholic girl.”

Billy Joel

William Martin "Billy" Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American pianist, performer, singer-songwriter, and composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to the RIAA.
Joel had Top 40 hits in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, achieving 33 Top 40 hits in the United States, all of which he wrote himself. He is also a six-time Grammy Award winner, a 23-time Grammy nominee and has sold over 150 million records worldwide. He was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame (1992), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1999), the Long Island Music Hall of Fame (2006), and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame (2009). In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary, with Billy Joel positioned at No. 23. With the exception of the 2007 songs "All My Life" and "Christmas in Fallujah," Joel discontinued recording pop/rock material after 1993's River of Dreams, but he continued to tour extensively until 2010.


Face-to-Face tours
Beginning in 1994, Joel toured extensively with Elton John on a series of "Face to Face" tours, making them the longest running and most successful concert tandem in pop music history. During these shows, the two have played their own songs, each other's songs and performed duets. They grossed over US $46 million in just 24 dates in their sold out 2003 tour. Joel and John resumed the Face to Face tour in March 2009 and it ended again, at least for the time being, in March 2010. In February 2010, Joel denied rumors in the trade press that he canceled a summer 2010 leg of the tour, claiming there were never any dates booked and that he intended to take the year off.Joel told Rolling Stone magazine: "We’ll probably pick it up again. It’s always fun playing with him."




In 1996, Joel merged his long-held love of boating with his desire for a second career. He formed, with Long Island boating businessman Peter Needham, the Long Island Boat Company.
In November 2010, Joel opened a shop on Oyster Bay, Long Island to manufacture custom-made, retro-styled motorcycles and accessories.
In 2011, Joel announced that he was releasing an autobiography that he had written with Fred Schruers, titled The Book of Joel: A Memoir. The book was originally going to be released in June 2011, but in March 2011 Joel decided against publishing the book and officially cancelled his deal with HarperCollins. Rolling Stone noted, "HarperCollins acquired the book project for $3 million in 2008. However,Joel is expected to return his advance on that sum to the publisher." According to Billboard, "the HarperCollins book was billed as an 'emotional ride' that would detail the music legend's failed marriage to Christie Brinkley, as well as his battles with substance abuse. In explaining his decision to cancel the book's release, Joel stated, "It took working on writing a book to make me realize that I'm not all that interested in talking about the past, and that the best expression of my life and its ups and downs has been and remains my music.


Marriages, relationships, and family
Joel married his business manager, Elizabeth Weber Small, on September 5, 1973. She was the former wife of his music partner, Jon Small, in the short-lived duo Attila. They divorced on July 20, 1982.
Joel mentioned in a television interview on the UK's Channel Five that he had dated Elle Macpherson in the 1980s prior to his marriage to Christie Brinkley. Joel has also said that the songs "This Night" and "And So It Goes" were written about his relationship with Macpherson.
Joel married Christie Brinkley on March 23, 1985. Their daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, was born December 29, 1985.Alexa was given the middle name of Ray after Ray Charles, one of Joel's musical idols. Joel and Brinkley divorced on August 25, 1994, although the couple remain friendly.
On October 2, 2004, Joel married 23-year-old Katie Lee. At the time of the wedding, Joel was 55. Joel's daughter, Alexa Ray, then 18, served as maid-of-honor. Joel's second wife, Christie Brinkley, attended the union and gave the couple her blessing. Lee works as a restaurant correspondent for the PBS show, George Hirsch: Living it Up!. In 2006, Katie Lee hosted Bravo's Top Chef. She did not return for a second season, instead going on tour with her husband. She then began writing a weekly column in Hamptons magazine, and became a field correspondent for the entertainment television show Extra. On June 17, 2009, both confirmed that they had split after five years of marriage.

R. Kelly Brings Back 'Trapped In The Closet' Series

The soap opera/musical (or hip-hopera, if you will) began as videos to accompany songs from the album “TP.3 Reloaded” and were then released on DVD and premiered on IFC. The last chapter, No. 22, was released in 2007.


In December, the musician told TMZ he had 32 new chapters that he was “trying to put out.” In an announcement this week, R. Kelly said, “The Alien is back and It has brought friends along.”


(He’s referred to his creation this way before: “It’s an alien. People ask me why is it an alien and I say it’s come down to show us new genres and new ways to produce movies, magic, song and dialogue which have all been put together, and has never been done as far as I’m concerned.”)


For the next chapters, Kelly is teaming up with IFC again. He said in a statement Wednesday: "The Alien is back and It has brought friends along."


"When I first began experiencing the unknown journey of writing `Trapped in the Closet,' I knew after the first chapter that I had tapped into something that was not of this earth," he said. "'Trapped in the Closet' fans put on your seatbelts `cause `Trapped in the Closet' is coming to take you away."


Ann Carli, the producer of "Trapped," said filming for the new chapters will begin in Chicago in the spring and be out by the fall, along with new characters.


"You'll see pretty much most of the main characters back, and you'll find out pretty early on what the package is, and whose got the package," said Carli, referring to the cliffhanger of the last chapter.


Carli said in a phone interview Wednesday that the series almost didn't get made. When Kelly presented his 16-minute "Trapped" song to his Jive record company at the time, the label didn't know what to do with it, Carli said.


She pushed to make a series of videos like a movie to accompany it, and the song and the videos became a sensation.

'Trapped in the Closet' will return on IFC

R. Kelly announced Wednesday that he’ll release several new chapters in his "Trapped in the Closet" saga, a "hip hopera" that already notched 22 installments from 2005 through 2007.


"When I first began experiencing the unknown journey of writing ‘Trapped in the Closet’ I knew after the first chapter that I had tapped into something that was not of this Earth," the hip-hop star said in a statement. "And being the nosy person that I am, I more than anyone wanted to know what the second chapter would be. And now here we are at Chapter 23, trapped in the million dollar question — what the hell is the package?


"Well, ladies and gentlemen, not only am I ready to reveal what the package is, but I have many more chapters to share."


“Trapped in the Closet” is a song that never really featured a coda, even when the last chapter was released in 2007. The story line follows poor Sylvester, a man who has an affair with a married woman, then can’t escape as a succession of new characters, starting with her husband — each with his or her own secret — pile inside the story line as if it were a circus clown car.


Fan favorites Rufus, Gwendolyn, Big Man and Rosie the Nosy Neighbor will return in the new chapters, R. Kelly announced. The videos will appear on IFC and IFC.com.


The story, about the chain of events that take place after a one-night stand, has grown to encompass a bizarre cast of characters, including Rosie the Nosey Neighbor, Big Man and Pimp Lucius.


Those characters and more will be back for the new chapters of the tale, which, as always, is executive produced, starring, written and co-directed by R. Kelly.


In addition to "Trapped in the Closet," IFC is premiering a new comedy series starring podcasting phenomenon Marc Maron. Maron's "WTF" podcast has revived the comedian's career with his candid interviews with famous comedians, includingLouis C.K. andConan O'Brien.


The IFC series, tentatively titled "Maron," will fictionalize Maron's life in a "Curb Your Enthusiasm" kind of way. He'll play a trouble comedian whose career has been revived with a podcast called "WTF" involving comedian interviews.


Other new series include the animated comedy "Out There," about the coming-of-age adventures of boys in a small town; and "Bunk," a comedy game show in which comedians compete in "inane challenges" to win prizes.


Additionally,"Portlandia"will be back with a special episode during the summer and a third season beginning in January.

JONATHAN CHEBAN SLAMS JON HAMM

Appearing on The Today Show with his Mad Men co-stars, Hamm stuck to his guns and stood by remarks he made about Kardashian and fellow reality TV star Paris Hilton in a recent interview.


"We're at a place where the idea of being 'elite' is somehow considered a negative," he said in the new April issue of Elle UK magazine. "Whether it's Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian or whoever, stupidity is certainly celebrated.


"Being a f**king idiot is a valuable commodity in this culture because you're rewarded significantly," he opined.


"And incuriousness has become cool. It's celebrated. It doesn't make sense to me."


Burger King!? Jonathan, you are bragging about how great Kim is because of how many peeps wouldn’t recognize Jon at a fast food joint??? You are equating how to measure Kim Kardashian’s universally mocked life and Jon Hamm’s shinning career with how people who would recognize them at BURGER KING! ? So according to this idea, how many people recognize you at a mall is the barometer of a great career? How many people at Jonathan Cheban’s hypothetical mall (that Jon Hamm just happens to be chillin’ and illin’ at) would recognize Joe Biden, the Vice President of America? Not sure, but I don’t think AMC’s target audience for their multi Emmy-Award winning show is the patrons of a mall Burger King. If I stumbled into Kim, Joe or Jon after picking up the newest Twilight shirt at my local mall's Hot Topic, the only one I wouldn’t want to talk to is Kim Kardashian. I’ve already killed enough brain cells with too many vodka Diet Cokes – I don’t need to make myself any stupider.
Moronic people like Jonathan Cheban, with skewed views of fame and what is important, constantly amaze me. America’s fascination with pretty but worthless people doing stupid sh*t is why Jersey Shore is gearing up to film its sixth season. That show was funny for half a season and then it just made me sad about humans.
So back to the interview at hand: Cheban's also took a big dig at about Hamm's staying power. "It's a lot of work, and she's here to stay. Let's see where he is after Mad Men."
Oh very funny, tough guy. Where is Jon Hamm, the recent star of Sucker Punch, 30 Rock, Bridesmaids and Friends with Kids, going to be after Mad Men ends? How About: Still super famous, rich as sin and starring in a ton of projects. That’s my guess. Get real, fancy PR Man, I barely even remember your name by the end of this story …
Guess we know who won’t be coming to my Mad Men season five viewing party on Sunday night! But that’s good ‘cause What’s His Face – and his hair are NOT invited.

Meow! Kim Kardashian's BFF Jonathan Cheban Bashes Jon Hamm

The dashing “Mad Men” star, who recently called the reality TV bobblehead a “f---ing idiot,” has made yet another mention at the brunette bombshell’s expense.


In a new interview with Time Out London, Hamm says he has no desire to be known as a sex symbol in Hollywood.


“The sexy thing is so ephemeral and meaningless other than in the world of selling magazines,” Hamm, 41, tells the British magazine. “Who cares, when it's reduced to just that? You might as well be a Kardashian and have a sex tape.”


The actor’s dig makes reference to Kardashian’s infamous “leaked” sex tape with then-boyfriend Ray J in 2007, a scandal that ultimately skyrocketed the socialite’s career.


“It's not for me to define. It's exclusively in the purview of others and I can't remotely be a part of it,” Hamm adds. “I guess it's better than the alternative. I mean, what's the opposite of a sex symbol? A person who makes children cry when they see their picture?”


The actor, though, told the Daily News Tuesday that he was ending his verbal assault on Kardashian, 31.


Acclaimed Mad Men actor Hamm, 41, ranted to ELLE UK, "Whether it's Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian or whoever, stupidity is certainly celebrated. Being a f-cking idiot is a valuable commodity in this culture." The Golden Globe winning hunk later said the comments weren't "personal" -- but they were, he insisted, "accurate."
But Kardashian's bestie Cheban argued that she is more famous than Hamm -- and will be so for a long time.


"Put Jon Hamm in a mall, and more people will go up to the people working at the Burger King than they will to him," he told Us. "Bring Kim to a mall and there will be a riot. They're in two different businesses. Kim's pop culture and what people like."
Cheban's not sure about Hamm's staying power. "It's a lot of work, and she's here to stay. Let's see where he is after Mad Men."
Mad Men's fifth season premieres this Sunday on AMC.
Tell Us: Whose side are you on?

'Hunger Games' demolishes the YA competition

There’s a short anxious scene in the new film “The Hunger Games,” when its 16-year-old heroine, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), races through a deep, dark forest, falls down a hill and rolls and rolls only to rise up and thrust herself again into the unknown. Katniss, the lethally tough linchpin from Suzanne Collins’s trilogy turned rather less imposing film heroine, is a teenage survivalist in a postapocalyptic take on a familiar American myth. When she runs through that forest, and even when she falls, there’s something of the American frontiersman in her, as if she were Natty Bumppo reborn and resexed.


Detractors might more productively spend their time wondering why Collins' vision resonates with its target audience.


Here's what today's young people are looking at: High schools fail to graduate 25 percent of their students. Youth unemployment at a 60 year high. College grads are trying to pay off $1 trillion in debt with jobs on a two-decade run of wage stagnation. Borrow from your folks? They're $700 billion underwater in their mortgages. Of course, you could always enlist, with endless deployment to combat zones. And, oh yeah, if you go out for Skittles some Town Watch numbskull with a loaded weapon might shoot you.


Sorry, baby boom worry-warts, but John Hughes is not going to cut it for these kids.


You can hardly blame YA readers for responding to Collins' vision of a two-tiered society that, for folks on the bottom, has stopped moving forward. In her book, that status quo is maintained by a totalitarian surveillance state that uses the so-called hunger games to provide a gruesome bread-and-circuses spectacle and to show its whip hand to the subjugated.


Combatants are selected by lottery, and "Games" - brought shrewdly to screen by director Gary Ross - begins when a coal-miner's daughter named Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) steps forward to take the place of her drafted younger sister.


It's her first act of self-sacrifice, but by no means her last. She's a heroine of rare moral intelligence, the attribute that makes her such a stand-out character in kid-lit, and doubly so in movies

Doctors find clue in quest to predict heart attack

 Doctors are one step closer to a simple test that could predict whether a patient is about to have a heart attack — by using a blood sample to detect cells that have sloughed off of damaged blood vessel walls.


The finding, published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, could potentially address "the greatest unmet need" facing cardiologists, said lead author Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist at the Scripps Translational Science Institute in San Diego. Though physicians can easily detect a heart attack that's already underway, every year tens of thousands of patients walk away from the doctor's office after having passed a stress test, only to suffer a devastating heart attack within a few weeks.


Topol called the phenomenon the "Tim Russert syndrome," referring to the newsman who died of a heart attack in 2008, weeks after undergoing a stress test with apparently normal results.


"When someone is having the real deal, we know that," Topol said. "The real question is, is something percolating in their artery? We'd like to prevent the heart attack from happening," or mitigate its effects with drugs.


Next, Topol said his team soon will begin needed studies to learn how early those cells might appear before a heart attack, and if spotting them could allow use of clot-preventing drugs to ward off damage. Some San Diego emergency rooms will study an experimental blood test with chest-pain sufferers whose standard exams found no evidence of a heart attack, he said.


Don't expect a test to predict heart attacks any time soon , a lot more research is needed, caution heart specialists not involved with the study. But they're intrigued.


"This study is pretty exciting," said Dr. Douglas Zipes of Indiana University and past president of the American College of Cardiology. It suggests those cells are harmed "not just in the minutes prior" to a heart attack, he said, "but probably hours, maybe even days" earlier.


"It's a neat, provocative first step," added Dr. William C. Little, cardiology chief at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. "But it is not a biomarker ready for prime time."


About 935,000 people in the U.S. have a heart attack every year, according to government figures. Doctors can tell who's at risk: People with high blood pressure and cholesterol, who smoke, have diabetes, are overweight or sedentary.


But there's no way to tell when a heart attack is imminent. Tests can spot that an artery is narrowing, or if a heart attack is under way or already has damaged the heart muscle. They can't tell if the plaque inside arteries is poised to rupture.

Jim Skinner

James Alan Skinner (born 1944 in Illinois) is an American business executive. He was the Vice Chairman and CEO of McDonald's Corporation. Skinner began his career with McDonald's in 1971 as a restaurant manager trainee in Carpentersville, Illinois.


After serving nearly ten years in the United States Navy, Skinner began his career with McDonald’s as a restaurant manager trainee in Carpentersville, Illinois in 1971, and since then has held numerous leadership positions. He never graduated from college .
Prior to becoming CEO, Skinner was President and Chief Operating Officer of the McDonald's Restaurant Group with corporate management responsibility for Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), and Latin America. Prior to that, he was responsible for McDonald’s Japan Limited, their second-largest market. Skinner held numerous positions in the U.S. Corporation, including Director of Field Operations, Market Manager, Regional Vice President and U.S. Senior Vice President and Zone Manager.


Jim Skinner was named CEO of McDonald's Corp. in 2004 and refocused the company on customer strategies, business disciplines and close global alignment. Jim Skinner currently serves as Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for McDonald’s Corporation. Vice Chairman was a position that he held before becoming CEO in November 2004. Beginning his career with McDonald’s in 1971, Skinner quickly advanced and held many leadership positions during his 39 years with McDonald’s. These positions include President and Chief Operating Officer of the McDonald's Restaurant Group and President and Chief Operating Officer of McDonald's - Europe, Asia, Pacific and Middle East. Along with his current positions, he also serves on the Board of McDonald's Corporation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Walgreen Company and ITW (Illinois Tool Works). His greatest accomplishment, the “Plan to Win” strategy, managed to flip the company by reversing its falling profits. This strategy focused on improving on locations that already existed instead of expanding and building more. They hoped to achieve “faster, friendlier service; tastier food; a more appealing ambiance; better value; and sharper marketing.” By shifting strategies, Skinner and his team were able to increase McDonald’s total sales, increasing from $50.1 billion in 2004 to $70.1 billion in 2008. Because of his outstanding leadership, vision and execution, Chief Executive magazine named Jim Skinner 2009 CEO of the Year.

McDonald's CEO Skinner announces retirement

OAK BROOK, Illinois  – McDonald's said Wednesday that Chief Executive Officer Jim Skinner will retire later this year, handing over responsibility for running the world's largest burger chain to the company's president.




Skinner, who has been CEO since 2004, will step down June 30 after 41 years with McDonald's (MCD). Donald Thompson, a 22-year McDonald's veteran who is responsible for global strategy and operations for its more than 33,000 McDonald's restaurants in 119 countries, will take over the next day, the company said.
Thompson, who has long been considered among the top candidates to succeed Skinner, will be the first African American to head McDonald's since it was founded in 1955.
Andy McKenna, chairman of McDonald's board, said Thompson's track record and experience "speak to his qualifications to further drive the company's momentum."
The challenge for Thompson, 48, will be to continue the momentum that Skinner, 67, started with the company.
Skinner was among the group of executives that designed the "Plan to Win," which was rolled out in 2003. That plan is credited with turning around the company, which had seen its stock drop after years of corporate expansion.




McDonald’s performance has improved consistently under Skinner’s tenure and stock price has climbed consistently higher, even through the financial crisis. Company stock was trading at about $32 when Skinner took over, and closed at $96.72 Wednesday.


McDonald’s chairman Andrew McKenna noted that total annual shareholder return was 21 percent during Skinner’s tenure, and the company’s market capitalization crossed the $100 billion mark.


Skinner described Thompson as “well prepared” to take over. “Under his leadership, our company will continue to meet the needs of our 68 million customers around the world every day,” he said.


Wall Street has seen Thompson as heir apparent since 2010, meaning invetors are unlikely to be surprised by the move.


Thompson, who lived on Chicago's Near North Side until sixth grade, started at Oak Brook-based McDonald's in 1990, working his way up to become president of McDonald's USA in August 2006 and then president and chief operating officer of McDonald’s Corp. in January 2010.


Trained as an electrical engineer at Purdue University, Thompson was working at defense contractor Northrop Corp. when he received a call from a McDonald's recruiter. He soon went from designing radar-jamming systems to restaurant equipment systems.


McDonald’s in recent years has benefited both from frugal consumers and from the company’s global reach. It operates 33,000 restaurants throughout the world, including more than 14,000 in the U.S.


In the U.S., Skinner and Thompson have focused on improving McDonald’s store operations, and perception with so-called “veto voters,” who can steer a group to another restaurant. The company has targeted women, and mothers in particular, to earn their trust in food they buy for their children, and eventually to sell them something as well.


In recent years, the company has retooled its menu to include higher-quality salads and coffee. McDonald’s has also expanded into lattes, smoothies and blended-ice beverages.

New photos of asteroid Vesta reveal surprisingly bright spots Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/03/22/new-photos-asteroid-vesta-reveal-surprisingly-bright-spots/#ixzz1pwvbzeTz

A NASA spacecraft orbiting the huge asteroid Vesta has snapped amazing new photos of the colossal space rock, images that reveal strange features never before seen on an asteroid, scientists say.
The new photos of Vesta from NASA's Dawn spacecraft highlight odd, shiny spots that are nearly twice as bright as other parts of the asteroid — suggesting it is original material left over from the space rock's birth 4 billion years ago, NASA officials said Wednesday.


With a width of about 330 miles (530 kilometers), asteroid Vesta is one of the largest and brightest objects in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. NASA's Dawn probe has been orbiting Vesta since 2011 to study the space rock in unprecedented detail.


Li and his colleagues unveiled Dawn's new views of Vesta today at the 43rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas.
The photos show surprisingly bright spots all over Vesta, with the most predominant ones located inside or around the asteroid's many craters. The bright areas range from large spots (around several hundred feet across) to simply huge, with some stretching across 10 miles (16 kilometers) of terrain. [Video: Vesta — Asteroid or Dwarf Planet?]
"Dawn's ambitious exploration of Vesta has been going beautifully," said Marc Rayman, Dawn chief engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., which oversees the mission. "As we continue to gather a bounty of data, it is thrilling to reveal fascinating alien landscapes."
Dawn mission scientists suspect the bright patches on Vesta were exposed during violent collisions with other space rocks. These impacts may have spread the bright material across the asteroid and mixed it together with darker material on Vesta's surface, researchers said.
Astronomers have known about variations in Vesta's brightness for some time. Photos taken by the Hubble Space Telescope before Dawn arrived at the asteroid also revealed the bright patches.

Ibuprofen may ward off altitude sickness

The anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen can reduce acute altitude sickness suffered by a quarter of the millions of Americans who travel to the mountains to ski or hike, according to a clinical study published Tuesday.


Grant Lipman, the Stanford University researcher who led the study, described altitude sickness as being like "a really nasty hangover."


The symptoms include headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and poor appetite.


In the worst cases, altitude sickness can cause cerebral edema, an often fatal brain swelling.


Ibuprofen, an active ingredient in over-the-counter painkillers like Advil, reduced altitude sickness symptoms by 26 percent in a study of 58 men and 28 women, Lipman and his research team reported.


The study was published in the online version of the Annals of Emergency Medicine.


The study participants traveled to an area of the White Mountains northeast of Bishop, California, where they spent the night at 4,100 feet.


At 8 am, they were given either 600 milligrams of ibuprofen or a placebo before heading up a mountain to a staging area at 11,700 feet. There, they were given a second dose at 2 pm.


They then hiked to 12,570 feet, where they received a third dose at 8 pm before spending the night on the mountain.


Of the 44 participants who received ibuprofen, 19, or 43 percent, suffered symptoms of altitude sickness, whereas 29 of the 42 participants who received placebos had symptoms, according to the study.


Sixty-nine percent of the participants who took placebo during the ascent developed the headaches, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue that characterize altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness. By contrast, just 43 percent of people who took ibuprofen developed the condition.


The prospect of using an over-the-counter pain reliever to stave off altitude sickness is appealing, the researchers say, because the only two drugs currently approved to prevent and treat the condition, acetazolamide and dexamethasone, are prescription-only and carry a risk of side effects.


In fact, many doctors are reluctant to prescribe acetazolamide or dexamethasone unless a person has experienced altitude sickness before, says Dr. Robert Roach, director of the Altitude Research Center at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study.


Ibuprofen appears to be nearly as effective as acetazolamide and dexamethasone, so it may be an option for people traveling to high altitudes who don't yet know if they're susceptible, Roach adds.


In general, he says, 20 percent to 30 percent of people will experience altitude sickness at 7,000 feet, and up to 50 percent will get sick at 10,000 feet.


The study took place in California's White Mountains. Eighty-six men and women who lived close to sea level spent the night at 4,100 feet. In the morning, they drove to an elevation of 11,700 feet and proceeded to hike to 12,570 feet, where they again spent the night.


The participants took the four doses of ibuprofen (or placebo) about every six hours. Each 600-milligram dose was equivalent to three standard over-the-counter ibuprofen tablets.


The men and women had to be healthy enough to hike at a high elevation, but they weren't necessarily experienced hikers or mountain climbers. That suggests the ibuprofen regimen used in the study could be helpful for everyday tourists on ski or hiking vacations, not just elite climbers, says lead author Grant S. Lipman, M.D., a clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

McMahon leads Shays, trails Dems

A majority of Republican voters prefer former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon to former Rep. Christopher Shays in the Connecticut senatorial primary, according to a new survey.
Fifty-one percent of GOP primary voters support McMahon, while 42 percent back Shays, reports a Quinnipiac University poll Thursday.


McMahon ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2010.
Rep. Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.), who leads the Democratic primary for the retiring Joe Lieberman’s Senate seat with 37 percent support, leads McMahon 52 percent to 37 percent in a hypothetical matchup. Shays fares better, with 40 percent to Murphy’s 41 percent in a head-to-head matchup.


In a potential general election matchup, Shays nearly ties U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, the leading Democrat. The poll shows Murphy with 41 percent of the vote, compared to Shays with 40 percent. In contrast, Murphy leads McMahon, 52 percent to 37 percent.
In a matchup with former Democratic Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, Shays garners 43 percent of the vote, compared to 42 percent for Bysiewicz. Versus state Rep. William Tong, Shays leads 50 percent to 25 percent.
In contrast, Bysiewicz bests McMahon, 49 percent to 39 percent, while McMahon leads Tong, 43 percent to 39 percent.
The candidates are all hoping to fill the seat being vacated by the retiring U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent and former Democrat. A primary is expected for both the Republicans and the Democrats.
On the Democratic side, Murphy continues to hold a double-digit lead over his closest competitor, Bysiewicz. He leads her by a 37 percent to 25 percent margin, or 12 percentage points. In September, his lead was similar, 36 percent to 26 percent. Tong garners four percent of the vote, compared to one percent in September's poll.
In the state's GOP presidential primary, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has a commanding lead over rivals Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.
The survey shows Romney with 42 percent of the vote. He's followed by Santorum with 19 percent, Gingrich with 13 percent and Rep. Ron Paul with 9 percent.
Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York and Rhode Island are holding GOP primaries on April 24.

Dassault Aviation : 2011 annual results

PARIS  -- French plane maker Dassault Aviation SA reported Thursday a steep decline in its 2011 operating profit due to a drop in deliveries of its Falcon business jets, and said that recovery of this key market for the company at a time of stressed military spending remains uncertain.


Operating profit fell 36% last year to EUR377 million on a 21% drop in revenue to EUR3.31 billion, giving an operating margin of 11.4%, down from 14% a year before. Profitability was hurt by a EUR70 million year-on-year increase in research and development spending.


Net profit increased by 10% to EUR407 million due to Dassault's 26% equity stake in French defense electronics company Thales SA (HO.FR). Excluding the dividend from Thales, Dassault's core net profit fell 29% to EUR282 million.


The company blamed the poor earnings performance on reduced deliveries of Falcon jets to 63 last year from a record 95 in 2010. The company said the recovery of the business jet market has begun, "but its evolution remains uncertain."


Order intake 36 FALCON compared to - 9 in 2010
MIRAGE 2000 upgrade contract in India
Deliveries 63 FALCON and 11 RAFALE compared to 95 FALCON and 11 RAFALE in 2010
Net sales EUR 3,305 million, down by 21%
Net income Excluding THALES, EUR 282 million , down by 29%
Including THALES *, EUR 407 million, up by 10%
Net margin Excluding THALES, 8.5% (- 0.9 point)
Including THALES *, 12.3% (+ 3.4 points)

Boeing, Airbus and Embraer to Collaborate on Aviation Biofuel Commercialization

 The three aircraft makers signed a memorandum of understanding at the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva, Boeing said in a statement.


"Two of the biggest threats to our industry are the price of oil and the impact of commercial air travel on our environment," Boeing CEO Jim Albaugh said.


A new EU law that took effect from January 1 makes it obligatory for airlines flying in and out of the region to buy carbon permits to offset their emissions.




Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Jim Albaugh, Airbus President and CEO Tom Enders, and Embraer Commercial Aviation President Paulo Cesar Silva, signed the agreement at the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva.


"There are times to compete and there are times to cooperate," said Jim Albaugh. "Two of the biggest threats to our industry are the price of oil and the impact of commercial air travel on our environment. By working with Airbus and Embraer on sustainable biofuels, we can accelerate their availability and reduce our industry's impacts on the planet we share."


"We've achieved a lot in the last ten years in reducing our industry's CO2 footprint - a 45 percent traffic growth with only three percent more fuel consumption," said Tom Enders. "The production and use of sustainable quantities of aviation biofuels is key to meeting our industry's ambitious CO2 reduction targets and we are helping to do this through Research and Technology our expanding network of worldwide value chains and supporting the EU commission towards its target of four percent of biofuel for aviation by 2020."


"We are all committed to take a leading role in the development of technology programs that will facilitate aviation biofuels development and actual application faster than if we were doing it independently," said Paulo Cesar Silva. "Few people know that Brazil's well known automotive biofuels program started within our aeronautical research community, back in the seventies, and we will keep on making history."


The collaboration agreement supports the industry's multi-pronged approach to continuously reduce the industry's carbon emissions. Continuous innovation, spurred by competitive market dynamics that push each manufacturer to continuously improve product performance, and air traffic modernization, are other critical elements to achieving carbon-neutral growth beyond 2020 and halving industry emissions by 2050 based on 2005 levels.


"Having these three aviation leaders set aside their competitive differences and work together in support of biofuel development, underscores the importance and focus the industry is placing on sustainable practices," said ATAG Executive Director Paul Steele. "Through these types of broad industry collaboration agreements, aviation is doing all it can to drive measurable reductions in carbon emissions, while continuing to provide strong global economic and social value."