A sweeping epic about Hadassah, the young Jewish orphan who becomes the biblical Esther, Queen of Persia.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Face of Fear at the Border
Friend of murdered rancher discusses Ariz. immigration law and border security
On Doomed Rig, There Was 'Nobody in Charge'
Published May 28, 2010 | The Wall Street Journal
AP
Apr. 21: An oil slick is seen as the Deepwater Horizon oil rig burns in the Gulf of Mexico.
Andrea Fleytas, a 23-year-old worker who helped operate the rig's sophisticated navigation machinery, suddenly noticed a glaring oversight: No one had issued a distress signal to the outside world, she recalls in an interview. Ms. Fleytas grabbed the radio and began calling over a signal monitored by the Coast Guard and other vessels.
Read More
Microsoft Running Out of Excuses
I’m wondering what excuses Microsoft will invent to explain away the fact that Apple has now surpassed Microsoft in terms of market value. The unofficial version from Microsoft, delivered over the past few years in off-the-record conversations, has basically boiled down to the notion that investors are fickle creatures who are so swept up in Apple’s hype and hysteria that they fail to see how great Microsoft still is. [NEWSWEEK has a content-sharing partnership with msnbc.com, a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.]
But honestly, when you look at charts like this one from The New York Times you do start to wonder how this once powerful company could have fallen so far so fast.
And it is getting harder and harder for Microsoft to keep insisting that its CEO, Steve Ballmer, is doing a great job.
Last year I wrote a column for NEWSWEEK explaining how poorly Microsoft has performed in the 10 years since Ballmer took over.
I followed up soon after that with an essay for NEWSWEEK predicting that Ballmer would be pushed out of the company in 2010.
All I did was point out the obvious. Microsoft stock has been a dud under Ballmer. The Vista operating system was a disaster. Microsoft missed pretty much every big, new important market for the past decade: Internet search (Google), digital music (Apple), social networking (Facebook). Microsoft once had a lead in mobile-phone software, and now has become an also-ran.
Read More
But honestly, when you look at charts like this one from The New York Times you do start to wonder how this once powerful company could have fallen so far so fast.
And it is getting harder and harder for Microsoft to keep insisting that its CEO, Steve Ballmer, is doing a great job.
Last year I wrote a column for NEWSWEEK explaining how poorly Microsoft has performed in the 10 years since Ballmer took over.
I followed up soon after that with an essay for NEWSWEEK predicting that Ballmer would be pushed out of the company in 2010.
All I did was point out the obvious. Microsoft stock has been a dud under Ballmer. The Vista operating system was a disaster. Microsoft missed pretty much every big, new important market for the past decade: Internet search (Google), digital music (Apple), social networking (Facebook). Microsoft once had a lead in mobile-phone software, and now has become an also-ran.
Read More
Artest beats buzzer, lifts Lakers past Suns
L.A. takes 3-2 lead in Western Conference finals with 103-101 win
Lucy Nicholson / Reuters
Lakers forward Ron Artest jumps into the arms of teammate Kobe Bryant after scoring the winning basket against the Phoenix Suns in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night.
BREAKING NEWS
updated 49 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES - A path through the lane suddenly opened up before Ron Artest. Kobe Bryant’s missed 3-pointer dropped right into his hands, and Artest’s awkward layup banked neatly through the net as the buzzer sounded on Game 5 of the Western Conference finals
.
What a pretty finish to an ugly game for the Lakers’ veteran troublemaker, who has struggled to find his role throughout his first season with the defending champions — and what a strange, thrilling way for Artest to carve out his own spot in the Lakers’ playoff lore.
Artest banked home the winning shot after grabbing the biggest offensive rebound of his career, nudging the Lakers past the Phoenix Suns 103-101 on Thursday night to take a 3-2 series lead.
Train 'sabotage' in India kills scores
Maoists blamed for 'tinkering done to the tracks,' blast as at least 65 die
By Bappa Majumdar
updated 7 minutes ago
NEW DELHI - Maoist rebels were suspected of sabotaging a high-speed train in eastern India on Friday, killing at least 65 people after it smashed into the path of a goods train, officials said.
Local television showed the mangled wreckage of capsized carriages across the tracks and the death toll was expected to rise as many passengers were still trapped. At least 200 people were injured.
"So far we have recovered 40 bodies but the toll will rise further," N.S. Nigam, a senior local government official, told Reuters. Media reports quoting government officials said at least 65 people were killed.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said a bomb had hit the train, but police said they were also looking at other sabotage methods such as the removal of the tracks' "fish plates".
"From whatever I have been told the apprehension is the Maoists were involved," Banerjee said.
The crash occurred in West Bengal state in an area known to be a stronghold of Maoist rebels. Maoists, who say they are fighting for the rights of the poor and landless, have attacked trains in the past and have stepped up attacks in recent months.
Fence alone can't plug porous border
Oft-breached barrier doesn't stop politicians from citing it
 | A new border fence designed to stop vehicle traffic at the U.S.-Mexico border runs for several miles in San Miguel, Ariz. |
Ross D. Franklin / AP |
By JACQUES BILLEAUD
updated 7:10 p.m. CT, Thurs., May 27, 2010
NOGALES, Ariz. - The fence rises from the rock and hardscrabble of the desert floor, a formidable 15-foot-high curtain of corrugated metal that stretches into the mirage of heat and distance. Newer sections feature 20-foot high steel columns, deeply planted, narrowly spaced, so no human slips between.
The start-and-stop span — 646 miles long — has become a fierce polemic, a bumper sticker, a popular backdrop for campaign commercials during an election year with another sulfurous immigration debate.
The best known TV spot features Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain kicking along a dusty road in this hilly border city, fuming to his companion, the Pinal County sheriff, about drugs and immigrant smugglers and kidnappings. Wearing his Navy baseball cap and squinting into the sun, McCain could be rounding the corner to the gunfight at the OK Corral.
Game 5: Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers Live Stream | NBA Conference Finals 2010
Starting live by 9:00 PM ET, it’s Game 5of Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers for the NBA Western Conference Finals 2010 at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, California.The series is tied at 2-2 in the Western Conference Finals. Game 5 is pivotal for both the Lakers and the Suns.
The Lakers are reeling and didn't know what hit them in Phoenix while the Suns are scorching hot. Will the Suns continue their hot streak in LA?
Watch Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers live stream through various sports channels, both local and national as well as online live streaming websites such as SOPCast, uStream and JustinTV. More details below.
Those who would like to watch Suns vs Lakers live stream can check out the national broadcast at TNT. There are unofficial live streams available HERE but we cannot guarantee a good quality HD.
For live scores and commentaries of the Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers basketball match, you can head over to ESPN here to read how the game unfolds in real time.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE GAME
The Lakers are reeling and didn't know what hit them in Phoenix while the Suns are scorching hot. Will the Suns continue their hot streak in LA?
Watch Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers live stream through various sports channels, both local and national as well as online live streaming websites such as SOPCast, uStream and JustinTV. More details below.
Those who would like to watch Suns vs Lakers live stream can check out the national broadcast at TNT. There are unofficial live streams available HERE but we cannot guarantee a good quality HD.
For live scores and commentaries of the Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers basketball match, you can head over to ESPN here to read how the game unfolds in real time.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE GAME
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Birthright Citizenship Law Proposed in Arizona
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Expensive Aliens: How Much Do Illegal Immigrants Really Cost?
May 21, 2010
So which one is it?
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a conservative advocacy group that favors tighter immigration laws, argues that the answer is clear: illegal aliens cost U.S. taxpayers more than $100 billion each year.
Jack Martin, director of special projects for FAIR, says the group is still working on its estimate, but believes undocumented workers leave taxpayers with a fat bill, considering that the government spends money on the workers, and they almost never pay income taxes.
Read More
Obama orders 1,200 Guard troops to border
$500 million also sought to improve protection, law enforcement
Ross D. Franklin / AP file
A United States National Guard unit patrols the Arizona-Mexico border in Sasabe, Ariz., in this Jan. 19, 2007, file photo. President Obama on Tuesday pledged 1,200 National Guardsman but Arizona's two senators say that's not enough.
msnbc.com news services
updated 2 hours, 29 minutes ago
TUCSON, Ariz. - President Barack Obama on Tuesday ordered 1,200 National Guard troops to boost security along the U.S.-Mexico border, pre-empting Republican plans to try to force votes on such a deployment.
Obama will also request $500 million for border protection and law enforcement activities, according to lawmakers and administration officials.
The president announced the deployment shortly after he returned from lunch with the 41-member Senate Republican Caucus, who told him that U.S. borders first need to be secured before work could start on a sweeping overhaul of U.S. immigration laws. Arizona's two Republican senators said the deployment wasn't enough.
Game 4: Los Angeles Lakers vs Phoenix Suns Live Stream | NBA Conference Finals 2010
Starting live by 9:00 PM ET, it’s Game 4 of LA Lakers vs Phoenix Suns for the NBA Western Conference Finals 2010 at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. The LA Lakers are looking to get a 3-1 series lead over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Western Conference Finals 2010. The Phoenix Suns are looking to tie the series to 2-2 apiece.
Watch Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers live stream through various sports channels, both local and national as well as online live streaming websites such as SOPCast, uStream and JustinTV. More details below.
“It’s all part of the game, every part of it,” Bryant said. “I love a long layoff. Everybody on our team is pretty much banged up, so it’s good to get rest and get ready for what’s in front of you.”
Those who would like to watch Suns vs Lakers live stream can check out the national broadcast at TNT. There are unofficial live streams available HERE but we cannot guarantee a good quality HD.
For live scores and commentaries of the Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers basketball match, you can head over to ESPN here to read how the game unfolds in real time.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE GAME
Watch Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers live stream through various sports channels, both local and national as well as online live streaming websites such as SOPCast, uStream and JustinTV. More details below.
“It’s all part of the game, every part of it,” Bryant said. “I love a long layoff. Everybody on our team is pretty much banged up, so it’s good to get rest and get ready for what’s in front of you.”
Those who would like to watch Suns vs Lakers live stream can check out the national broadcast at TNT. There are unofficial live streams available HERE but we cannot guarantee a good quality HD.
For live scores and commentaries of the Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers basketball match, you can head over to ESPN here to read how the game unfolds in real time.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE GAME
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Game 3: Los Angeles Lakers vs Phoenix Suns Live Stream | NBA Conference Finals 2010
Starting live by 8:30 PM ET, it’s Game 3 of LA Lakers vs Phoenix Suns for the NBA Western Conference Finals 2010 at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. The LA Lakers are looking to get a 3-0 series lead over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Western Conference Finals 2010.
Watch Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers live stream through various sports channels, both local and national as well as online live streaming websites such as SOPCast, uStream and JustinTV. More details below.
After both teams got a week off to rest and recalibrate, the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers will attempt to reach their third straight NBA finals when they take on the Phoenix Suns, starting in Game 2 on Monday night.
“It’s all part of the game, every part of it,” Bryant said. “I love a long layoff. Everybody on our team is pretty much banged up, so it’s good to get rest and get ready for what’s in front of you.”
Those who would like to watch Suns vs Lakers live stream can check out the national broadcast at TNT. There are unofficial live streams available HERE but we cannot guarantee a good quality HD.
For live scores and commentaries of the Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers basketball match, you can head over to ESPN here to read how the game unfolds in real time.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE GAME
Watch Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers live stream through various sports channels, both local and national as well as online live streaming websites such as SOPCast, uStream and JustinTV. More details below.
After both teams got a week off to rest and recalibrate, the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers will attempt to reach their third straight NBA finals when they take on the Phoenix Suns, starting in Game 2 on Monday night.
“It’s all part of the game, every part of it,” Bryant said. “I love a long layoff. Everybody on our team is pretty much banged up, so it’s good to get rest and get ready for what’s in front of you.”
Those who would like to watch Suns vs Lakers live stream can check out the national broadcast at TNT. There are unofficial live streams available HERE but we cannot guarantee a good quality HD.
For live scores and commentaries of the Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers basketball match, you can head over to ESPN here to read how the game unfolds in real time.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE GAME
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Game 3: Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics Live Stream | NBA Conference Finals 2010
All basketball fans are now tuned in to Game 3 of Magic vs Celtics happens for the NBA Eastern Conference Finals 2010 at Fleetwood Center, Boston, Massachussetts.
Watch Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics live stream through various sports channels, both local and national as well as online live streaming websites such as SOPCast, uStream and JustinTV. More details below.
The Celtics, with 17 NBA titles and names such as Larry Bird and Bill Russell hanging from the rafters, want to add to their lore and prove that the bullies from Beantown are back. They’ll have to do it against a favored Orlando team that’s hungry to win its first NBA championship.
Those who would like to watch Boston vs Magic live stream can check out the national broadcast at ABC. There is an unofficial live stream available HERE but we cannot guarantee a good quality HD.
For live scores and commentaries of the Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic basketball match, you can head over to ESPN HERE to read how the game unfolds in real time.
Password is : www.atdhe.net
Click here to watch the game
Watch Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics live stream through various sports channels, both local and national as well as online live streaming websites such as SOPCast, uStream and JustinTV. More details below.
The Celtics, with 17 NBA titles and names such as Larry Bird and Bill Russell hanging from the rafters, want to add to their lore and prove that the bullies from Beantown are back. They’ll have to do it against a favored Orlando team that’s hungry to win its first NBA championship.
Those who would like to watch Boston vs Magic live stream can check out the national broadcast at ABC. There is an unofficial live stream available HERE but we cannot guarantee a good quality HD.
For live scores and commentaries of the Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic basketball match, you can head over to ESPN HERE to read how the game unfolds in real time.
Password is : www.atdhe.net
Click here to watch the game
Friday, May 21, 2010
A Swinger's Case Sparks Debate About China's Attitude to Sex
Ma Yaohai, a 53-year-old college professor, smokes as he talks to journalists at his home in Nanjing, China.
AP
Ma Yaohai is a man who stands up for his beliefs. That has caused problems for the former computer science teacher, because one of his beliefs is in the virtues of group sex, which is against the law in China. On May 20, Ma was sentenced by a Nanjing court to a three-and-a-half year prison term for the crime of "group licentiousness." But he maintains he did nothing wrong, and his case has provoked broad public debate in this rapidly changing nation about sexuality and the lines between government control and personal freedom.
Prosecutors say the 53-year-old Ma, who divorced in 2003, began pursuing group sex in 2007. According to authorities, he used online chat groups to set up 35 meetings over a two-year period, half of which he participated in. Some, they claim, even occurred in the small apartment belonging to his mother, who has Alzheimer's disease.
(See photos of the making of modern China.)
Police tracked down the group and Ma was arrested last year, along with 13 other men and eight women, for organizing group sex sessions. His co-defendants all pleaded guilty; 18 were sentenced to jail terms of up to two-and-a-half years, while three were released without punishment. Ma, however, remains defiant. While he admits to organizing and participating in swingers' clubs, he says that because the activities occurred between consenting adults behind closed doors, he shouldn't be punished.
The Rise of Manny Pacquiao - Photo Essay
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao (pronounced /ˈpækjaʊ/; born December 17, 1978) is a Filipino professional boxer. Currently, he is the WBO World welterweight champion, The Ring light welterweight champion, and is rated by The Ring as the number 1 pound-for-pound best boxer of the world.
Pacquiao is also the former IBO World light welterweight champion, WBC World lightweight champion, WBC World super featherweight champion, IBF World super bantamweight champion, and WBC World flyweight champion. Furthermore, he is the former The Ring featherweight and super featherweight champion.
Pacquiao is the first boxer in history to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions.In addition, he is the only boxer to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes.For his achievements, Pacquiao was named the 2000-2009 "Fighter of the Decade" by the Boxing Writers Association of America. Aside from being a boxer, Pacquiao has participated in politics, acting, and music recording.
Last May 10, 2010, Pacquiao was elected as Member of House of Representatives in the 15th Congress of the Philippines representing the province of Sarangani. He established the record of being the first active boxer to become a congressman in the Philippines.
PHOTO ESSAY OF THE RISE OF MANNY PACQUIAO
The Full Text of the Arizona Immigration Law
There had been a lot of controversy with regards to this legislation. And it had divided our country into different segments with varying opinions. There were a lot of interpretation of this law. Some were on target but some were missing the point very badly.
As reported, Holder and Napolitano have not read this law thoroughly, this might be your chance to make your opinion about it once and for all.
THE FULL TEXT OF THE ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW
As reported, Holder and Napolitano have not read this law thoroughly, this might be your chance to make your opinion about it once and for all.
THE FULL TEXT OF THE ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW
States Gearing Up to Follow Arizona's Lead on Immigration
While Arizona faces the scorn of the White House and local governments across the country for its immigration law, lawmakers in several states are looking to follow the Grand Canyon State's lead.
Lawmakers and politicians in Texas, Rhode Island, Utah and Georgia are among those who, in the month since Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the law, have announced plans to introduce similar legislation.
The officials say states need to take matters into their own hands to tackle illegal immigration and in turn reduce the taxpayer cost associated with large undocumented populations in their hospitals, schools and prisons. They draw inspiration directly from the Arizona law, bucking the trend of local and state officials who have protested Arizona and called for boycotts against the state.
Read More
Lawmakers and politicians in Texas, Rhode Island, Utah and Georgia are among those who, in the month since Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the law, have announced plans to introduce similar legislation.
The officials say states need to take matters into their own hands to tackle illegal immigration and in turn reduce the taxpayer cost associated with large undocumented populations in their hospitals, schools and prisons. They draw inspiration directly from the Arizona law, bucking the trend of local and state officials who have protested Arizona and called for boycotts against the state.
Read More
Arizona Boycotts Could Hit Hispanic Hospitality Workers
The raft of boycotts being imposed on Arizona over its immigration law could up end hitting Hispanic workers as hard as anyone.
Hispanics make up a huge chunk of the state's hospitality and service sector workforce -- and with city governments and organizations pulling the plug on travel and conventions in Arizona, state officials point out that Hispanic workers stand to lose.
They say it makes little sense for officials protesting the Arizona law out of concern that it would subject Hispanic immigrants to racial profiling to register their dismay by targeting the tourism industry.
"These boycotts could be hurting the very same people that they profess to be helping," said Garrick Taylor, spokesman for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The worst-case-scenario estimates for the financial impact of lost convention business alone are staggering. Phoenix officials say their city could lose up to $90 million in the next five years over the protests. The figure represents not just lost convention and hotel fees but other money tourists would otherwise spend in the city.
Read More
Hispanics make up a huge chunk of the state's hospitality and service sector workforce -- and with city governments and organizations pulling the plug on travel and conventions in Arizona, state officials point out that Hispanic workers stand to lose.
They say it makes little sense for officials protesting the Arizona law out of concern that it would subject Hispanic immigrants to racial profiling to register their dismay by targeting the tourism industry.
"These boycotts could be hurting the very same people that they profess to be helping," said Garrick Taylor, spokesman for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The worst-case-scenario estimates for the financial impact of lost convention business alone are staggering. Phoenix officials say their city could lose up to $90 million in the next five years over the protests. The figure represents not just lost convention and hotel fees but other money tourists would otherwise spend in the city.
Read More
John Morton: Feds May Not Process Illegals Referred From Arizona
FOXNews.com
This article was updated at 4:36 p.m. on May 21. See editor's note at the bottom of the article.
A top Department of Homeland Security official reportedly said his agency will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities.
John Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, made the comment during a meeting
on Wednesday with the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune, the newspaper reports.
"I don't think the Arizona law, or laws like it, are the solution," Morton told the newspaper.
The best way to reduce illegal immigration is through a comprehensive federal approach, he said, and not a patchwork of state laws.
Read More
This article was updated at 4:36 p.m. on May 21. See editor's note at the bottom of the article.
A top Department of Homeland Security official reportedly said his agency will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities.
John Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, made the comment during a meeting
on Wednesday with the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune, the newspaper reports.
"I don't think the Arizona law, or laws like it, are the solution," Morton told the newspaper.
The best way to reduce illegal immigration is through a comprehensive federal approach, he said, and not a patchwork of state laws.
Read More
U.S. split over Ariz. immigration law
John Moore / Getty Images
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., denounces Arizona’s tough new immigration law April 24 in Tucson. Grijalva, who shut his Tucson office the day before because of death threats, called for an economic boycott of Arizona because of the new law, which he called racist.
By Alex Johnson
Reporter
msnbc.com
updated 11:41 a.m. CT, Thurs., May 13, 2010
Michael Clausen owns the Quality Inn in Nogales, Ariz.
For now.
Clausen says the hotel, which caters to people streaming across the Mexican border just seven blocks away, is in danger of closing, thanks to the state’s new illegal immigration law and the official and unofficial boycotts it has inspired.
The Sunday night after Gov. Jan Brewer signed the law on April 23, “we had three rooms occupied out of 97 in the hotel,” Clausen said. At the border, there was virtually no line to get into the country, he said. Usually, the wait is 1½ to two hours.
“It just fell through the floor,” he said. “People stopped crossing the border.”
The nearby Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, built 50 years ago by Bing Crosby, saw more than $300,000 of business vanish in just a week as customers canceled reservations.
Could you pass latest citizenship test?
In late 2008 a new version of the U.S. citizenship test was introduced by immigration authorities. Could you pass it? The questions are usually selected from a list of 100 samples that prospective citizens can look at ahead of the interview. Some are easy, some are not. We have picked some of the more difficult ones.
Take the quiz now!
Take the quiz now!
Heidi Montag vs. Optimus Prime?
7 stars who could fill Megan’s Fox-y ‘Transformers’ shoes
 | |
Mario Anzuoni / Reuters |
Access Hollywood
updated 5:03 p.m. CT, Thurs., May 20, 2010
With Wednesday’s news that Megan Fox won’t be back for “Transformers 3,” that leaves the blockbuster franchise missing one sexy leading lady. Who should take Fox’s place opposite Shia LaBeouf in the saga’s third installment? AccessHollywood.com has run down seven of our top choices..
Ashley Greene
The up-and-coming star has already proved she can handle a multi-million dollar franchise as sultry vamp Alice Cullen in “The Twilight Saga” — and with her dark-haired good looks, she’d be easy on the eyes of Megan-missers.
The up-and-coming star has already proved she can handle a multi-million dollar franchise as sultry vamp Alice Cullen in “The Twilight Saga” — and with her dark-haired good looks, she’d be easy on the eyes of Megan-missers.
Olivia Munn
As host of G4TV’s “Attack of the Show” — and with a recent cameo in “Iron Man 2” — Munn’s a geek goddess, though her green-lit upcoming NBC series “Perfect Couples” may mean she’s unavailable for shape-shifting robot action.
As host of G4TV’s “Attack of the Show” — and with a recent cameo in “Iron Man 2” — Munn’s a geek goddess, though her green-lit upcoming NBC series “Perfect Couples” may mean she’s unavailable for shape-shifting robot action.
Heidi Montag
Within minutes of the breaking casting news, Montag took to her Twitter page to ask for the role. “Michael Bay I love your work! I know what a [sic] artistic brilliant genius you are! Cast me in the next Transformers.” With “The Hills” wrapping up and Montag set on a new career as an aspiring Hollywood action star, perhaps the director should give the complimentary reality star the chance — at least he knows she’ll say nice things.
‘Grey’s’ pumps finale full of suspense
Jam-packed episode offers action and great acting
RECAP
By Linda Holmes
TODAYshow.com contributor
updated 11:28 p.m. CT, Thurs., May 20, 2010
There are a few ways to look at the jam-packed two-hour season finale of "Grey's Anatomy." It was a cleaning-out of a couple of characters that were going nowhere; it was a whirlwind tour through a bunch of long and drawn-out romantic story lines; and it gave several actors massive, Emmy-baiting showcases.
But mostly, it was an absorbing and suspenseful story that went just a little off the rails from the sheer amount of business heaped upon it.
It began with Gary Clark, who's been suing the hospital over the death of his wife. He showed up with a gun and almost immediately did away with the little used Dr. Reed Adamson, one of the Mercy West imports, in the supply room.
Justin Bieber and his head take on glass door
Incident captured on video as teen singer exits German hotel
updated 11:27 a.m. CT, Fri., May 21, 2010
BERLIN - Teen idol Justin Bieber walked smack into the glass of an automatic revolving door when trying to exit a German hotel, sending his fans into a blogging frenzy.
"Ouch! I just walked into that door ... my forehead hurts ... I walked right into the window," Bieber told a local broadcast team that captured the incident on camera as he was exiting the Radisson Blu hotel in Frankfurt.
Bieber can be seen in the video trying to push the automatic door, then turning to walk out, but instead smacking his forehead against the glass.
Lindsay Lohan expected in court on Monday
Actress to return to Los Angeles Saturday after partying in France
Matt Sayles / AP
Lindsay Lohan is in legal trouble again after missing a mandatory court appearance.
By Sandy Cohen
updated 1:57 p.m. CT, Fri., May 21, 2010
Los Angeles - Lindsay Lohan is expected in court next week after missing a mandatory hearing on Thursday.
Lohan's attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, says the 23-year-old actress will return to Los Angeles on Saturday and appear in court Monday morning.
After a few breezy days at the Cannes Film Festival, where she attended various events to promote her Linda Lovelace film and partied into the wee hours on the day she was supposed to be in court in Beverly Hills, Lohan is coming home to a litany of legal woes.
In blindness, soldiers find new niche in military
A small group who lost their sight in Iraq, Afghanistan stay on active duty
Mike Groll / AP
Capt. Scott Smiley, right, greets Col. Michael Tarsa before giving a tour of his staff's offices in West Point, N.Y. Smiley is one of only a few blind soldiers to remain on active duty since the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
By MICHAEL HILL
updated 1:38 p.m. CT, Fri., May 21, 2010
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Since a car bomb blinded Capt. Scott Smiley in Iraq, he has skied Vail, climbed Mount Rainier, earned his MBA, won an Espy award and pulled himself up from faith-shaking depths.
Smiley, a 30-year-old father of two, has snagged attention for his big accomplishments. But the daily ones are telling, too, including the recent tour he gave of his staff's offices at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he plans to attend President Barack Obama's address of the Class of 2010 on Saturday.
Unable to see the path around the workers' cubicles, Smiley stepped forward with a joke to the camouflage-clad officers he was showing around: "I walk around, and when I hit things, I move," he said.
BP delays attempt to plug leak with mud
White House taps Graham, Reilly to lead investigative panel
John Moore / Getty Images
Phil Radford, executive director of Greenpeace USA, inspects oil-covered reeds while visiting Venice, La., on Thursday.
By GREG BLUESTEIN
updated 32 minutes ago
ROBERT, La. - It will be at least Tuesday before engineers can shoot mud into a blown-out well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, BP said Friday in yet another delay in the monthlong effort to stop the oil that is now washing into wetlands and onto at least one public beach.
A so-called "top kill" has been tried on land but never 5,000 feet underwater, so scientists and engineers have spent the past week preparing and taking measurements to make sure it will stop the oil that has been spewing into the sea for a month. They originally hoped to try it as early as this weekend.
BP spokesman Tom Mueller said there was no snag in the preparations, but that the company must get equipment in place and finish tests before the procedure can begin. BP already has three deepwater rigs and other equipment near the blown-out well.
Dora the Explorer: illegal immigrant?
Cartoon character becomes unlikely symbol of heated debate
 | This composite image of Dora the Explorer was created late last year by Debbie Groben of Sarasota, Fla., for a contest for the fake news site FreakingNews.com. |
AP |
By SOPHIA TAREEN
updated 1:56 p.m. CT, Fri., May 21, 2010
CHICAGO - In her police mug shot, the doe-eyed cartoon heroine with the bowl haircut has a black eye, battered lip and bloody nose.
Dora the Explorer's alleged crime? "Illegal Border Crossing Resisting Arrest."
The doctored picture, one of several circulating widely in the aftermath of Arizona's controversial new immigration law, may seem harmless, ridiculous or even tasteless.
But experts say the pictures and the rhetoric surrounding them online, in newspapers and at public rallies, reveal some Americans' attitudes about race, immigrants and where some of immigration reform debate may be headed.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Bret Michaels suffers ‘warning stroke’
Rocker readmitted to hospital after suffering numbness on left side of body
updated 2 hours, 25 minutes ago
Bret Michaels has suffered what doctors call a "warning stroke," or a transient ischemic attack, according to his Web site.
The rocker, 47 — who is still recovering from a brain hemorrhage — was "readmitted to the hospital this week after suffering numbness on the left side of his body, predominately his face and hands," according to a statement posted on his site.
While undergoing tests — including an MRI and CT scan — doctors also discovered he has a hole in his heart.
Oil Spill Go From Bad To Worse
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Sex and the Shiite
Rima Fakih—the Muslim pole-dancer and swimsuit-wearer who just became Miss USA—is not so unusual as you might think.
May 20, 2010
Do clothes make the Muslim?
The French cabinet approved a draft law this week that would make it illegal for women to veil their faces so that only their eyes—and sometimes not even their eyes—are visible. Wearing what are called burqas or niqabs, the women in question keep their bodies cloaked and their hands gloved even in the heat of summer. They say this is their religious duty and their civil right.
In the United States, meanwhile, controversy continues about Rima Fakih, a 24-year-old Arab-American from a Lebanese Shiite Muslim family who won the Miss USA beauty pageant on Sunday after her stellar appearance in a bikini. At least one surly blonde tried to suggest Fakih has family ties to Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon, but the big question that briefly threatened her hold on the crown was whether she was too sexy in a pole-dancing competition she entered a couple of years ago.
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Rima Fakih Photos
The French cabinet approved a draft law this week that would make it illegal for women to veil their faces so that only their eyes—and sometimes not even their eyes—are visible. Wearing what are called burqas or niqabs, the women in question keep their bodies cloaked and their hands gloved even in the heat of summer. They say this is their religious duty and their civil right.
Isaac Brekken / AP
In the United States, meanwhile, controversy continues about Rima Fakih, a 24-year-old Arab-American from a Lebanese Shiite Muslim family who won the Miss USA beauty pageant on Sunday after her stellar appearance in a bikini. At least one surly blonde tried to suggest Fakih has family ties to Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon, but the big question that briefly threatened her hold on the crown was whether she was too sexy in a pole-dancing competition she entered a couple of years ago.
Read More
Rima Fakih Photos
Peace restored, anger still burns in Bangkok
By NBC News’ Warangkana Chomchuen
BANGKOK – Although the leaders of anti-government Red Shirt protesters surrendered to the police Wednesday and most of the demonstrators packed up and went home, the divisions in Thai society are far from over.
Buildings still smoldered and smoke hung over Bangkok’s skyline Thursday from the dozens of buildings set ablaze a day earlier. Sporadic gunfire could still be heard in the heart of the city and a nighttime curfew was extended in Bangkok and 23 other provinces for three more days. The curfew was the first for Bangkok since pro-democracy protests in May 1992.
Meanwhile, groups of soldiers dismantled the protesters encampment in the center of the city Thursday, taking down tents, the protesters’ main stage, stacks of speakers and projectors.
Barbara Walton /EPA
A firefighter cleaning up Thailand's largest shopping complex, Central World, the second largest in Asia, which was set on fire by Red Shirt anti government protesters in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday.
Some locals and tourists snapped pictures of part of Central World, a shopping center that had collapsed after being set on fire. One passerby called it "Thailand's Ground Zero." In the background a military vehicle drove slowly by playing a song written to honor the Thai king.
But there are widespread fears that the army’s crackdown on the antigovernment Red Shirt movement might further inflame divisions that have polarized the country for years.
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| VIDEO: After crackdown, Bangkok feels 'unnaturally quiet' |
Day of mayhemOne analyst described Wednesday’s clashes as the most widespread violence in Thailand’s history. At least 15 people, including an Italian news photographer, were killed and scores injured.
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