Naya Rivera booted from 'Glee' after feuding with producers, rift with Lea Michele: source

The actress reportedly feuded with show producers, not co-star Lea Michele, a source told The News. Rivera's rep denies she has been fired from the show.

JB Lacroix,WireImage/ Jon Kopaloff, FilmMagic A feud between Lea Michele (L) and Naya Rivera (R) has reportedly led to Rivera getting fired from the FOX teen drama.

There's only room for one "Glee" diva, and apparently it's Lea Michele.
Naya Rivera has been fired from the FOX series days after an initial report of an on-set feud involving the actresses surfaced, sources close to production told the Daily News.
Rumors of a rift between the actresses began to swirl earlier this month, with a "major altercation" coming to head on set April 15, Us Weekly reported.
But it appears Rivera's disagreement that day was with producers, and Michele's name was caught in the crossfire.

Adam Rose/FOX An apparent on-set feud between the two actresses reportedly came to a head April 15. 

 

'Mean Girls' is still 'fetch'

It's hard to believe it has been a decade since "Mean Girls" was released. The teen flick with a cast that included Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, Rachel McAdams and Lacey Chabert is a quotable cult classic. Let's catch up with where they are now:

How many of you have felt victimized by a Regina George?

If you raised your hand, you can attest that even a decade later "Mean Girls" still holds up.

Man recites 'Mean Girls' in 30 minutes

Whether it's because Tina Fey's script so authentically captures the high school experience or because of the multiple quote-worthy lines (admit it, you are glad "fetch" happened), the film about a group of teen girls who rule the school and the girl they sort of take under their wing is as popular now as it ever was.

"For the high-school genre, Fey's hilarious script was unusually astute and provocative," the Guardian said of the film in 2013. "Replicating teen doublespeak with brilliant authenticity, the dialogue was full of zingers, accounting for its continued life online."

April 30 marks the 10-year anniversary of the now cult classic. Not only can the 2004 movie be seen in heavy rotation on cable stations, but thanks to Netflix anyone can enjoy the adventures of "the Plastics." Social media has also fully embraced it with Tumblrs and trending hashtags devoted to the characters and their snappy dialogue.

Before gay rights were even being fully embraced, the movie offered up the loveable character of Damian, who was "too gay to function" and partial to singing Christina Aguilera's songs in the school talent show. And for those who have witnessed the train wreck that has become the life and career of "Mean Girls" star Lindsay Lohan, it also serves as a bittersweet time capsule of the days when she was billed as one of the most promising young actresses of her generation.

Based on the 2002 nonfiction book "Queen Bees and Wannabes" by Rosalind Wiseman, actress and screenwriter Fey was able to find the funny in what is often the victimization of young women in school.

In the film, Cady Heron is a 16-year-old daughter of zoologist parents who moves from Africa to the United States and is enrolled in public school after having been home schooled. She quickly catches the attention of the Plastics, a clique of girls who indoctrinate her into their ways, including rules about what days to wear pink and the fact that "ex-boyfriends are off-limits to friends. That's just, like, the rules of feminism.

The 9 stages of trying to get Beyonce and Jay Z concert tickets, as told in 'Scandal'

It certainly was a frantic struggle for some fans to get a hold of pre-sale tickets for Beyonce and Jay Z's "On the Run" tour on Tuesday, April 29.
Check out the nine stages Beyonce and Jay Z fans must have experienced when trying to get tickets for their local "On the Run" show as told in "Scandal" photos, because no other show could capture the stress, drama and thrill better
 
1. Preparation.
It's 7:58 a.m. Pre-sale tickets for Beyonce and Jay Z's "On the Run" tour go on sale at 8 a.m. You got your coffee, your computer up and running and your pre-sale code ready to go. You got this. (Credit: ABC / Carol Kaelson)


2a. Acceptance.
You knew this wasn't going to be easy if you went at it alone, but you're ok with that and ready to refresh all of your tabs until your computer can't take it anymore. (Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless)

2b. Rounding up the troops.
If you're not alone, you and your friends have this covered on all sides, all of you using several browsers and even more tabs within those browsers, constantly refreshing in hopes one of you hits the jackpot. (Credit: ABC/Danny Feld)

3. Slight panic.
It's been eight minutes, you forgot how many times you have refreshed the page six minutes ago and if you see that "High demand! No matches" message again, you might chuck your computer out of the window. (Credit: ABC/Danny Feld)

4. Desperation.
You whip out your smart phone and hope maybe, somehow the mobile ticket site will magically have a secret set of its own tickets that people don't know about -- but it's no use. (Credit: ABC/Richard Cartwright)
FOR MORE DETAILS
http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/The-9-stages-of-trying-to-get-Beyonce-and-Jay-Z-concert-tickets--as-told-in-Scandal-photos/9521474

Firefox 29 available to download, with all-new swoopy Australis interface

Mozilla this morning unleashed the largest update to Firefox since… well, ever. Firefox 29, which is available to download now for for Windows, Mac, and Linux, introduces an entirely new UI — called Australis — that does away with the Big Orange Button (BOG), adds some rounded corners, and, as a result, looks almost exactly like Google Chrome. In place of the BOG, Firefox 29 now has a new main menu (pictured below) that is joyously customizable. Other notable features include an “onboarding tour” to walk you through the new interface, and Firefox Sync is now more prominently positioned and easier to set up.

Rihanna Cover Your Nips, Or Else ... Says Instagram

Rihanna loves to be nekkid ... A LOT ... but Instagram says her displays of public nudity go way too far -- and is now threatening the singer within an inch of her exposed nipples.

Rihanna posted topless snaps Tuesday from her photo shoot with Lui, a French skin mag -- and within an hour IG yanked 'em down ... because they violated rules against nudity.

Our Instagram sources tell us Rihanna got an email that basically warned her ... keep your clothes on or risk having your account permanently shut down.

But like a bikini trying to contain her boobs -- IG couldn't stop RiRi ... and she just posted the banned nudes on Twitter instead. 

ref
http://www.tmz.com/2014/04/29/rihanna-nude-instagram-photos-nipples-warning/

Emma Stone opens up on feelings for Andrew Garfield: ‘I love him very much’

The 25-year-old actress doesn’t hold back when asked about her ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’ co-star and real-life love in a new interview.

Emma Stone admits how much she loves co-star and boyfriend Andrew Garfield.

 Emma Stone has admitted her real-life love for Spider-Man.

In a rare admission of affection, the 25-year-old actress opened up about her "Amazing Spider-Man 2" co-star and boyfriend, Andrew Garfield.
"He's obviously one of the greatest actors I think we have alive today, and he's also just a remarkable human being, so I love him very much."

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone filming a scene in 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2.'

 

The pair have been dating since meeting on the set of first installment of the Spider-Man films, however, they usually opt out of sharing details about their personal off-camera relationship.
Even Garfield, 30, who recently became angry with reporters for asking about Stone during the press tour for their upcoming flick, sweetly talked about the red-headed starlet to "GMA" earlier in the week.
"She's a full genius, or she has found her genius and she's doing it so beautifully. I think everyone who works with her, everyone who brushes shoulders with her or even makes eye contact with her gets a shot of sunshine," he said.

refhttp://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/emma-stone-love-andrew-garfield-article-1.1773891

Real Madrid power batters Bayern before speed ends tiki-taka's rule

Sergio Ramos's two set-piece goals put Real in charge and they completed the rout with brilliant counterattacking in Munich

Cristiano Ronaldo finishes off a lightning-quick break to score Real Madrid's third goal at Bayern Munich. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

The victory was extraordinarily more comprehensive, but this tactical battle was incredibly similar to the first leg, where Bayern Munich dominated possession without offering any penetration, and Real Madrid attacked at speed. In Madrid, the Spanish side's best two chances had come from ruthless counterattacking play – Karim Benzema putting Real ahead on the break, and Cristiano Ronaldo missing a golden chance to double the lead in similar circumstances. Here, the pattern was simply more extreme.
That was logical considering the slight differences in situation and lineups – whereas Bayern had played cautiously in the first leg, here they required a victory and necessarily played more adventurously. Thomas Müller was fielded as a supplementary striker, whereas Guardiola had previously used three midfielders, while the return of Gareth Bale ensured Real Madrid had yet another devastating weapon on the break.
But if the pattern was predictable, the sheer one-sidedness was remarkable. Real were rampant, and there were warning signs from the opening minutes, with Angel di María overlapping Ronaldo on the break in an almost identical situation to the movement shown by Fábio Coentrão for Real's goal in the first leg. Bayern started by playing more directly than we've come to expect, but then retreated into their shell and offered slow, patient and rather predictable passing football. Real simply sat deep in two banks of four, waited for Bayern moves to break down, then attacked at tremendous speed.
The use of that midfield quartet meant Ronaldo was able to play upfront alongside Benzema, and at transitions Bayern were simply unable to cope two-against-two at the back, with Jérôme Boateng and Dante lacking midfield protection. As Bayern were using a high defensive line, Manuel Neuer was forced to sweep up outside his box, twice getting his clearances wrong, allowing first Bale and then Ronaldo to attempt long-range efforts at an empty net – both were off target. When even Neuer, the ultra-dependable goalkeeper widely considered the best in the world, was unable to perform simple tasks which are usually second nature, it was clear Bayern were in for a difficult evening against Real's pace.
As vulnerable as Bayern were to counterattacking, however, their terrible set-piece defending was their most crucial failure. Twice Sergio Ramos headed into the net when unmarked, which represents a worrying regression from last season, when Bayern got their noses in front against Spanish opposition, Barcelona, at this stage because of their own set-piece power.
Indeed, it was something of a role reversal. Bayern were now playing the fruitless tiki-taka while their opponents powered their way in front from set plays, then turned a commanding lead into a rout with brilliant counterattacking. Real's third goal summed it up, with Benzema, Bale and Ronaldo motoring forward instantly when possession was won, constructing a lightning-fast break based around speed and selflessness.

Clayton Lockett writhed and groaned. After 43 minutes, he was declared dead

The Guardian's Katie Fretland was at Oklahoma state penitentiary to witness the state's first double execution since 1937. It soon became clear the procedure had been botched

The Oklahoma State Penitentiary, a 100-year-old maximum-security prison that house the state's death row, in McAlester. Photograph: Associated Press

We had been warned that the execution of Clayton Lockett, a convicted murderer and rapist who had shot his 19-year-old victim and ordered a friend to bury her alive, would take longer than usual.
Jerry Massie, a spokesman for Oklahoma's corrections department, explained to the group of witnesses permitted to watch the procedure that the first drug to be used under the state's new lethal injection protocol would take some time to have its desired effect.
“Don't be surprised," he said.
In the event, the warning rang hollow. It would be a full 43 minutes after the drug was administered before Lockett died – and only after he had thrashed on the gurney, writhing and groaning – as it became clear that the procedure had been botched.
The grim scenes were the culmination of an unprecedented legal and political dispute in Oklahoma that has propelled the state into a nationwide tussle over the growing secrecy surrounding the drugs used by states to kill prisoners.

The governor of Oklahoma, Mary Fallin, had even publicly challenged the authority of a panel of judges who temporarily put a halt to the execution, in order to consider the inmates' challenges over the constitutionality of the secrecy. The court backed down, and denied the prisoners' claims. Then, in a move that attracted international attention, the state scheduled the two executions on the same night, two hours apart, in its first double execution since 1937.
It was a decision that backfired badly.
The execution of Lockett was scheduled for 6pm. A group of 12 selected media witnesses, including the Guardian, were shuttled to the white-walled Oklahoma state penitentiary in McAlester from a nearby visitor's building. We waited in the prison law library, as inmates banged on their cells and hollered to mark the event.

Where Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and the New Cast of 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Come From?

The cast of the new "Star Wars" film has been announced -- and some very familiar actors will be in the movie.

In addition to the original stars, a slew of newcomers will appear in "Star Wars: Episode VII." According to the film's website, Adam Driver, John Boyeta, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar nominee Max von Sydow will join Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the film.

Here's how you know Driver, Isaac and the rest.

FSU baseball suspends Winston

Florida State quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston was issued a civil citation after sheriff's deputies say he walked out of a supermarket without paying for $32 worth of crab legs and crawfish

Mike Janes/Four Seam Images via AP ImagesJameis Winston has been suspended from FSU's baseball team after a citation for shoplifting.

Leon County Sheriff's Maj. Michael Wood said Wednesday that the 20-year-old Winston ordered the food at the deli in a Tallahassee, Fla.-area Publix on Tuesday night. After receiving the order, he left the store without paying.
Wood said Publix employees called deputies, who went to Winston's apartment.
Wood said Winston acknowledged not paying for the food, saying he forgot.
After consulting with Publix managers, deputies issued Winston a civil citation that will require him to complete at least 20 hours of community service. If he does that, no criminal charges will be filed.
Florida State announced Wednesday that Winston has been suspended from its baseball team as a result of the citation. A preseason All-American, he is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in 16 appearances this spring.
A source told SB Nation that Winston also will be fined $30 and will be required to do community service.
"As a result of his citation last night, we are suspending Jameis Winston from the baseball team," coach Mike Martin said. "I am confident he will complete his community service obligation and the situation will be resolved soon."
The university's athletic department code of conduct/discipline policy provides that a student-athlete with a civil citation is eligible to practice and compete, but that the head coach decides whether he/she will.
"I fully support Coach Martin's decision and will also make sure that Jameis meets all obligations, which I know he will," Seminoles football coach Jimbo Fisher said.
Winston led Florida State to the national championship last season as a freshman, starring in the undefeated Seminoles' 34-31 victory over Auburn in the championship game.
In December, the state attorney in Florida decided not to charge Winston after he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at an off-campus apartment on Dec. 7, 2012. The quarterback had faced felony charges.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights has since opened an investigation into FSU's handling of the allegations against Winston and potential Title IX violations by the university.

Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas in 'amicable split'

Prince Harry and his girlfriend Cressida Bonas have split up.

royal correspondent Peter Hunt tweeted that the break-up was "said to be 'amicable' and they remain 'the best of friends'".

Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas are said to remain "the best of friends"

He said the prince was "keen, according to those who know him, to make it clear the relationship didn't end because he found Cressida 'too needy'."
Their attendance at their first official engagement together in March had prompted engagement speculation.
The pair sat together and embraced in the stands at Wembley Arena at a We Day UK charity event.
Speculation had since mounted that the fourth-in-line to the throne would pop the question with his 30th birthday looming.
News of the split came as Clarence House announced Prince Harry would embark on a three-day official visit to Estonia and Italy next month.
The trip, from 16 to 19 May, will see the prince meet a range of servicemen from World War Two veterans to serving military personnel.

'Unwanted attention'

Prince Harry and Miss Bonas, 25, were reportedly introduced by Princess Eugenie in the summer of 2012.
It was not long after their meeting that photographs of a naked Prince Harry partying with a group of girls in a Las Vegas hotel room were front-page news across the world.

The couple attended their first official engagement together in March, sparking engagement speculation

The couple then endured a five-month separation when the prince was deployed to fly Apache helicopters with the British army in Afghanistan.
Their relationship resumed when he returned and the pair were often photographed together attending various events, like the Glastonbury music festival and a society wedding.
Refhttp://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27219684

Bob Hoskins Dead at 71

Bob Hoskins -- perhaps best known for his role opposite a bunch of cartoons in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" -- died on Wednesday. He was 71.

                                                           His agent told the BBC he passed away following a bout with pneumonia. Hoskins retired from acting in 2012 after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Hoskins' breakout role was in "The Long Good Friday" and was nominated for an Oscar for "Mona Lisa." He also appeared in "Mermaids," "Hook," "Nixon" and many other films. His final role was in "Snow White and the Huntsman."

Paul Simon, Edie Brickell spat stemmed from shoving match, her mom calling cops: attorney

The famed singer and his wife, herself a Grammy winner this year, were in court Monday over the Saturday dispute at their New Canaan, Conn., home, in which the two apparently shoved each other during an argument and Brickell’s mother called police. A judge let the two leave without putting in place a protective order. Brickell admitted later that she started the argument.

Alex von Kleydorff/The Hour/ AP Paul Simon holds hands with wife Edie Brickell at the hearing in Norwalk Superior Court Monday.

Guess the marriage is still crazy after all these years.

The songbird spouse of singer Paul Simon said Monday that she started a spat at their Connecticut house that got them both arrested for disorderly conduct.

“I got my feelings hurt and I picked a fight with my husband,” Edie Brickell said in a statement. “The police called it disorderly. Thank God it’s orderly now.”
Brickell’s lawyer after she and Simon clasped hands and went before a judge to face the music.

After Arkansas storm deaths we ask: How bad can a tornado get?

Storms tore a deadly path through at least three counties in Arkansas on Sunday evening and ripped houses, cars and forests to shreds, strewing rubble for miles.

The "Tri-State Tornado," which killed 695 people and injured 2,027, was the deadliest tornado in U.S. history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The tornado traveled more than 300 miles through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana on March 18, 1925, and was rated an F5, the most powerful under old Fujita scale (winds of 260-plus mph).

Though it's not yet official, weather forecasters strongly suspect tornadoes are to blame for at least 14 deaths and devastating damage in the state. Two more people died in storms on Iowa and Oklahoma.

A tornado's shearing, twisting winds can exceed 300 mph, and though they usually last only seconds, some cyclones endure much longer, razing swaths up to a mile wide that scar landscapes for months to come and inflict tragic human losses.

The tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011, killed 158 people and injured more than 1,000. The storm packed winds in excess of 200 mph and was on the ground for more than 22 miles.

The United States has the highest number of tornado occurrences in the world, with an average of 1,200 tornadoes reported each year, according to the National Weather Service.

Arkansas winds 'severe'

 

Meteorologists rank a tornado based on the strength of its winds and the area over which it spreads destruction.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale assigns tornadoes corresponding numbers from EF0, with gusts from 65 to 85 mph, to the mightiest EF5, with gusts over 200 mph.

The EF0's winds are described as "gale" winds; those of the EF5 are called "incredible." The figures for tornadoes' wind speeds are based on assessments of the damage they leave behind on the ground.

Only 59 EF5 storms have hit the United States since 1950, according to weather service records. The latest one devastated Moore, Oklahoma, in May of last year.

Though meteorologists have not finished analyzing the most recent Arkansas storm, so far the state has been spared an EF5, the NWS says.

CNN meteorologist Chad Myers estimates that the winds that ravaged the town of Mayflower, Arkansas, on Sunday had speeds of 130 to 150 mph, which would correspond to an EF3 tornado, which the Fujita Scale describes as "severe."

Let's take a look at the nature of the strongest tornadoes, the EF5s, the strongest storms on Earth.

Where do storms of this strength most commonly hit?

While EF5 storms are rare, the area in the Great Plains known as "Tornado Alley" gets more than its share. The alley runs through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa. There also seems to be a focus for strong tornadoes in an area known as "Dixie Alley," which covers parts of the Southeast and includes Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.

What factors give rise to a storm of this strength?

A number of factors have to come together at the right time and place to produce a strong tornado. The clash of warm and cold air at the surface combined with lift in the atmosphere and strong winds, both at the ground and high above, help contribute. The greater the temperature differences and the winds, the greater the chance for supercells, the thunderstorms that produce tornadoes.

How long does it take to assess the strength of a storm? Why does it take so long?

After a tornado, the local National Weather Service office sends a team to take a look at the damage. In the case of the monster twister in Moore last year, the Norman, Oklahoma, office sent numerous teams into the field to evaluate damage. Since this storm path was 17 miles long and the damage path was so wide, it took time to see all of the damage.

The strongest tornado on record to date struck Moore in 1999. It had winds recorded at 318 mph at 300 feet above the Earth's surface. Officials estimated winds at the surface were at 250 mph.

Paul Simon, Edie Brickell spat stemmed from shoving match, her mom calling police: attorney

The famed singer and his wife were in court Monday over the Saturday dispute at their New Canaan, Conn., home, in which the two apparently shoved each other during an argument and Brickell’s mother, who was present, called police. A judge let the two leave court without putting in place a protective order.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage Paul Simon and his wife, Edie Brickell, were arrested after a spat in their New Canaan, Conn., home on Saturday night.

 

Singer Paul Simon and his songbird spouse held hands and faced the music together Monday after they were busted for a spat that got physical at their Connecticut house.
Dressed in a navy blue suit and a green fedora that he took off before taking the stand, Simon admitted to a judge that he and Edie Brickell hit some troubled marital waters, but insisted “both of us are fine together.”
“We’re going to go home and watch our son play baseball,” Simon said in the Norwalk, Conn., courtroom where he and Brickell were arraigned on disorderly conduct charges. “We had an argument, which is atypical of us. Neither of us has any fear, or any reason to be threatened.”

Ariana Grande Talks 'Problem' Single & Second Album, Due Out August/September

The "Yours Truly" follow-up will feature a "fantastic and super-experimental" song with Zedd, along with collaborations with Benny Blanco, Ryan Tedder, Max Martin and Rodney Jerkins. 

Ariana Grande performs at the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on Saturday, April 26.

 When Ariana Grande's first album, "Yours Truly," started at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last September, the 20-year-old singer became just the 15th female solo artist to guide their first full-length to a No. 1 debut on the albums chart. Grande tells Billboard that she celebrated that accomplishment for approximately one hour after it happened, and then began thinking about her next album.

"I'm a workaholic, and a perfectionist," says Grande, who released "Problem," the first single from her as-yet-untitled second album, on Sunday night (Apr. 27) after performing the Iggy Azalea-assisted track for the first time at the Radio Disney Music Awards. "It was a very exciting thing for me to all of a sudden have this new mission, to make something as special as 'Yours Truly,' and to put my time and effort into something new and something I want to make just as good, if not better."

 

DJ E-Z Rock, best known for ‘It Takes Two’ with Rob Base, dead at 46

The pair were known for their 1988 iconic hit 'It Takes Two,' which has been named to the 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time, according to Rolling Stone magazine.

Aaron Davidson/WireImage/WireImage Rob Base (L) and DJ E-Z Rock (R) perform during the Legends Of Hip Hop Reunion Tour at Nova Southeastern University on April 27, 2012 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Harlem rapper Rodney Bryce, better known as DJ E-Z Rock, died on Sunday. He was 46.
The veteran musician's collaborator and friend Rob Base confirmed E-Z Rock's death but no further information has been released.
The pair were known for their 1988 iconic hit 'It Takes Two,' which has been named to the 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time, according to Rolling Stone magazine.

The duo's first single was “DJ Interview,” but it was 'It Takes Two' that propelled them to fame.
The song was sampled by many rap stars including Snoop Dogg, soundtracked in the 2004 Grand Theft Auto video game and featured in Sandra Bullock's 2009 comedy “The Proposal.”
Many hip-hop artists paid tribute and offered condolences to the DJ on social media.
DJ Scratch posted a late-Eighties picture of the duo on his Instagram, while Biz Markie tweeted, "R.I.P. to EZ Rock from Rob Base and EZ Rock. You will truly be missed."
"We Have Lost Our Very Own From Harlem NYC & The Hip-Hop Culture Our Brother DJ E-Z Rock. Rest In Peace,” DJ Red Alert also wrote.

Dani Alves eats banana thrown at him during soccer match

Kevin-Prince Boateng walked off during an AC Milan soccer match in Italy, but Dani Alves turned to humor in dealing with racist abuse during a Spanish league game.

Soccer star's reaction to tossed banana

The Brazilian was taking a corner during Barca's 3-2 win at Villarreal's El Madrigal stadium Sunday when a banana landed at his feet.

Maintaining his composure, Alves picked up the banana, peeled it and took a bite and got on with the game.

"Dani Alves owned him," tweeted the Brazilian's teammate Neymar. "Take That bunch of Racists. We are all Monkeys So What."

Dani Alves bites back

Former England international Gary Lineker , who played for Barcelona, also applauded Alves' quick thinking.

"Utterly brilliant reaction from Alves," tweeted Lineker. "Treat the racist berk with complete disdain."

Jay Z and Beyonce Announce 'On the Run' Tour

It's official: Jay Z and Beyonce announced this morning that they will be touring together for the "On the Run Tour" beginning this summer.

Singer Beyonce Knowles and rapper Jay-Z perform onstage during the 56th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center, Jan. 26, 2014 in Los Angeles.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

"On the Run Tour: Beyonce and Jay Z is coming this summer!" Jay posted on his Facebook page today.

Chase, the sponsor for the tour, also tweeted, "Beyonce and Jay Z are taking the stage together."

Read: Beyonce Tops Time Magazine’s 2014 ’100 Most Influential People’ List

Pre-sale for the show starts Tuesday morning.

Rumors had been wild all month that the super couple would be touring together for the first time. They took the stage together in February for the Direct TV Super Bowl Party in New York City, as well as the Grammy Awards.

Related: Beyonce Reveals Secrets Behind the Making of Her Chart-Topping Album

Beyonce posted tour dates on her site. The tour kicks off in on June 25 in Miami, Fla., and runs until August in California.

Mayflower Arkansas tornado kills 16, 1 dead in Okla., damage assessed

April 28, 2014 (VILONIA, Ark.) -- Emergency officials searched for survivors Monday in the debris left by a powerful tornado that killed at least 16 people in Arkansas and carved an 80-mile path of destruction through suburban Little Rock.

The tornado that slammed into Vilonia, just north of the state's capital city, grew to about half a mile wide Sunday and was among a rash of tornadoes and strong storms that rumbled across the Midwest and South. The National Weather Service warned that more tornadoes, damaging winds and very large hail would strike Monday in parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana.

Travel trailers and motor homes are piled on top of each other at Mayflower RV in Mayflower, Ark., Sunday, April 27, 2014.A powerful storm system rumbled through the central and southern United States on Sunday, spawning tornadoes. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston) (AP Photo/ Danny Johnston)

"We don't have a count on injuries or missing. We're trying to get a handle on the missing part," Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe said at a news conference Monday. "Just looking at the damage, this may be one of the strongest we have seen."

Brandon Morris, spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, said crews were sifting through the rubble in the hope of uncovering survivors and to assess the damage.
"Right now, the main focus is life safety," Morris said. "We're trying to make sure everyone is accounted for."
Karla Ault, a Vilonia High School volleyball coach, said she sheltered in the school gymnasium as the storm approached. After it passed, her husband told her their home was reduced to the slab on which it had sat.
"I'm just kind of numb. It's just shock that you lost everything. You don't understand everything you have until you realize that all I've got now is just what I have on," Ault said.
The tornado that hit Vilonia and nearby Mayflower would likely be rated as the nation's strongest to date this year, as it has the potential to be at least an EF3 storm, which has winds greater than 136 mph, National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Hood said.

Tornadoes strike central, southern US, killing 12 (Mayflower Arkansas)

MAYFLOWER, Ark. — A broad tornado sliced through Little Rock's suburbs Sunday, killing at least 11 people and leaving behind a miles-long path of destruction as a powerful system rumbling off the Plains provided a violent kick-start to the nation's tornado season.


The scene was the same in town after town, with emergency workers and volunteers going door-to-door to check for victims. State troopers performed the same task among the damaged and toppled 18-wheelers, cars and trucks on a two-mile stretch of Interstate 40, a major thoroughfare in and out of Arkansas' capital city.
"It turned pitch black," said Mark Ausbrooks, who was at his parents' home in Mayflower when the storm arrived. "I ran and got pillows to put over our heads and ... all hell broke loose."
"My parents' home, it's gone completely," he said.
Forecasters had warned for days that violent weather would strike this weekend, ending an unusually calm weather pattern. A morning storm forced a delay at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon and by afternoon the weather system had grown deadly, spawning a tornado that killed a person in Quapaw, Okla., before moving north into Kansas.
When it reached Baxter Springs, a Kansas community of roughly 4,200 residents just across the border from Quapaw, the twister was estimated to be three blocks wide said Cherokee County emergency manager Jason Allison. It destroyed 60 to 70 homes and another 20 to 25 businesses in the city, he said.
The twister injured 25 people in Baxter Springs and one person also died there, but it wasn't clear if the death was related to the storm, said Kari West, a spokeswoman for the Southeast Kansas Incident Management Team.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/04/27/3156606/early-storm-forces-delay-of-oklahoma.html?sp=/99/1640/#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/04/27/3156606/early-storm-forces-delay-of-oklahoma.html?sp=/99/1640/#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/04/27/3156606/early-storm-forces-delay-of-oklahoma.html?sp=/99/1640/#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/04/27/3156606/early-storm-forces-delay-of-oklahoma.html?sp=/99/1640/#storylink=cpy

Columbus Short Not Returning to 'Scandal'

HipHollywood told you first that Columbus Short was issued a warning to get his life together or else by Scandal Executive Producer Shondra Rhimes, and it looks she’s had enough.





Short issued a statement via his publicist Friday (April 25) announcing that he would not be returning for season 4.
“At this time I must confirm my exit from a show I’ve called home for 3 years, with what is the most talented ensemble on television today. I would like to first thank [creator] Shonda Rhimes for the opportunity to work with such an amazing cast. Thank you GLADIATORS, who have supported me throughout my entire career and of course to ABC and Shondaland for allowing me to play such a pivotal role in the Scandal series. I have enjoyed every single minute of it. Everything must come to an end and unfortunately the time has come for Harrison Wright to exit the canvas. I wish nothing but the best for Shonda, Kerry and the rest of the cast, who have become like a second family to me in such a short amount of time. For this, I will forever be grateful.”
The statement comes just a week after news broke of a domestic altercation at Shorts Calabasas, CA home. According to reports, Short got into a fight with his wife and threatened to kill her and take his own life. Just a couple weeks earlier Short was also involved in a bar fight which resulted in him knocking a man unconscious and breaking his nose. Sources say the accuser may not press charges, but Shorts wife Tanee has filed for divorce (for a third time), and a judge has ordered him to vacate his home.
ABC, has not yet released a statement, but based on the climatic season 3 finale it was obvious his character Harrison was being set up for a write off. Lets just hope this motivates Short to finally get his personal life in order. You know what they say about hitting rock bottom?

Vince Carter's buzzer-beater lifts Mavericks over Spurs :::

Vince Carter  knew right away the exact date of the last time he had a buzzer-beating try in a playoff game -- 13 years ago.

Vince Carter hits the game winning shot against the San Antonio Spurs.

It's seared in the memory of the 16-year veteran because he missed that one. He was on target Saturday.
Carter hit a double-pump 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Dallas Mavericks a 109-108 victory in Game 3 and a first-round series lead over the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs.

With 1.7 seconds left, Carter took an inbound pass from Jose Calderon in the left corner. After a quick pump fake got Manu Ginobili in the air -- moments after the Argentine guard had given the Spurs the lead -- Carter released the ball just in time.

He strutted stone-faced toward Dirk Nowitzki, who was waving his arms wildly as he jumped on Carter. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban joined the celebration on the court before the automatic review confirmed the obvious: The shot was good.

And it's one Carter said he practiced.
"May 20th, Game 7," said Carter, referring to an 88-87 loss to Philadelphia in the 2001 Eastern Conference finals when he was he was the dunking sensation known as "Vinsanity" with Toronto. Carter had graduated from North Carolina earlier that day before flying on a private plane to Philadelphia.
"I don't mind taking the game-winning shot," said Carter, who otherwise had a rough day before finishing with 11 points. "I don't mind missing them, and dealing with it. So I think having that mentality helps me.

Jon Jones still the man to beat after UFC 172 win over Glover Teixeira

BALTIMORE -- The last time Glover Teixeira had lost a prize fight, Jon Jones was a couple of months shy of his high school graduation. So one guy was vowing redemption following a decision loss to a pre-The Ultimate Fighter Ed Herman in a community college gym in Gresham, Ore. The other was planning prom night in Endicott, N.Y.

Jon Jones kept Glover Teixiera off balance with improvisation to defend his light heavyweight belt.

Patrick Smith/Zuffa LLC

In the time between that evening in March 2005 and their meeting on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 172 at dusty old Baltimore Arena, the burly, brawny, bruising -- I could go on -- Brazilian light heavyweight had won 20 straight fights, 12 of them by knockout, six by submission. He proved himself to be a man who when he picks a fight, finishes a fight.

Not this time. This time the testament of Teixeira's toughness was not an early ending but that the fight went the distance. That was the best he could manage, and it was indeed an accomplishment. Glover lost every round -- every second of every round, really -- on all three judges' scorecards as Jones successfully defended his 205-pound championship for the seventh time with a consistently methodical, sporadically creative beatdown of a man unaccustomed of being treated that way.
Teixeira (22-3) had walked into the octagon in the midst of an unthinkable run. But this time he was not in with Ryan Bader, James Te Huna, Quinton Jackson, Fabio Maldonado or Kyle Kingsbury, his five conquests since joining the UFC two years ago. This time his dance partner was of a different breed. Jon Jones is not some awkward teenager anymore. He's a grown man. In mixed martial arts, he's The Man.

But you knew that already. If you've ever witnessed a cage fight or paid even a little attention to sports coverage that delved into the letters U, F and C, you'd seen or at least heard people tell of plentiful evidence suggesting that Jones (20-1) is the most sublime athlete in combat sports. You didn't need to see him choreograph a 25-minute victory dance over Teixeira to affirm that. But the 26-year-old, who three years ago became the youngest champion in UFC history, seemed determined to show some new steps.
It began with Jones's walkout, which began with a short rendition of a dance step familiar to Baltimore fans -- the herky-jerky moves of former Ravens linebacker/leader Ray Lewis. We later learned that old No. 52 in purple was in the house, as the champ gave him a shout-out in his postfight interview in the octagon. That was a crowd-pleaser, as you might expect. So were the champ's words of respect for Brazil -- yeah, he spoke kindly of not just his opponent but the guy's entire country. Then, after the interview finished, Jones slowly walked along the barrier in front of seating sections on two sides of the cage, high-fiving fans.
"It felt good to have the fans on my side again," Jones said at the postfight press conference. "It's been a long time since I'd had cheers. I thought, let me embrace that and give the audience some entertainment."
Jones seemed on a mission to win fans via both his fighting and his very being. This has been increasingly cited as Jon's other fight. There's a perception out there that he's not a popular champion. By "out there" I mean on the Internet, where there's much sniping at Jones. But on the Internet there's much sniping at everything, right?
On this night, the arena was Jones's hou
se. The 13,485 in attendance -- the biggest crowd ever for a sporting event in the 51-year-old building, bringing the UFC the arena's second-biggest gate, behind only a Stones concert -- made that clear hours before he walked to the octagon. Every time his face was shown on one of the video screens, the place went wild. Then, when it finally was time for the main event, Teixeira was booed during his walkout, and Jones got a hero's welcome.

Then he put on a heroic performance. Right from the start, he was in control, landing punches and kicks and elbows and moving out of the way of much of what Teixeira threw his way. In the first round, Glover threw significantly more strikes than Jones did but, according to FightMetric statistics, landed a meager 28 percent (to Jones's 61 percent). And that's the way the entire fight went, with Teixeira swinging at air like a club fighter trying to touch Muhammad Ali.

George Clooney, lawyer girlfriend Amal Alamuddin engaged:

The longtime bachelor is finally off the market after sources confirm Alamuddin was flaunting an engagement ring at dinner. 

 

It's official, ladies: George Clooney is off the market.

The 52-year-old Oscar winner popped the question to new flame, 36-year-old British lawyer Amal Alamuddin, according to People magazine.

“George and Amal are trying to keep things very low-key, but they also aren’t really trying to hide this, it doesn’t seem,” a source told the magazine.

A beaming Alamuddin was spotted showing off a brand-new sparkler to model Cindy Crawford as the trio dined at Nobu Malibu on Thursday, according to “Entertainment Tonight,” which quoted “multiple” sources.

It hasn’t been revealed when Clooney proposed to the raven-haired Alamuddin, but it may have been on a recent vacation in ritzy Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Us Weekly reported.

The couple was spotted “toasting their engagement” at celebrity hotspot Craig’s restaurant in West Hollywood on April 23, according to the magazine.

They were first spotted out together in London in October — and have been inseparable ever since.
Alamuddin, an alum of the NYU School of Law, worked as a student law clerk for now-Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

“This is the healthiest relationship I’ve ever seen George in,” a source recently told Us Weekly. “He seems incredibly happy, and Amal is such a sweet and intelligent girl, who has her own thoughts and ideas and doesn’t just bow down to everything he says.”

Two sources told People they saw Clooney and Alamuddin celebrating the engagement at Craig’s, with Alamuddin sporting a “huge ring.”

The “Monuments Men” star was married once before. He tied the knot with actress Talia Balsam in 1989, but the couple divorced four years later.

Since then, Clooney has dated a mind-boggling number of lovely ladies. Hollywood’s most prolific bachelor’s former gal pals include model Lisa Snowdon, Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis and former professional wrestler and model Stacy Keibler.

Donald Sterling is the NBA's and its owners' mess, not Chris Paul's and the Clippers'

For now, everyone's turning to the wrong people to make owner Donald Sterling accountable for a lifetime of deviance. From Chris Paul to Doc Rivers, they're asking the African-American leaders of these Los Angeles Clippers to make a stand while missing the years and years of those responsible for the true negligenc

Sterling has never been a Clippers problem, but an NBA problem. The commissioner's office believed Sterling was sick and dying, that he would go away, and only he comes back to haunt and embarrass the NBA again. The NBA deserved those audio tapes to come out from TMZ. The owners and commissioner's office deserved for Sterling to reveal himself again publicly as a racist and scoundrel.

This isn't about Chris Paul, the president of the National Basketball Players Association. This isn't about Doc Rivers, the president and coach of the Clippers. It isn't on them to make declarations and stage protests now. The NBA chooses its owners, and it makes its rules. It wields an iron fist with executives, coaches and players, and now it needs to do its job to begin the process of removing him as an owner.

"The content of his lawsuits alone should have been acted on, but the other members of the club – in addition to Stern – should have [held him] accountable," one high-level NBA official told Yahoo Sports on Saturday. "But no one would touch it. We were always holding players, teams and coaches accountable, yet the standard for owners has been a double standard."

In the middle of a playoff series, in a championship chase, star players are supposed to make a stand on a degenerate owner? Get lost with that nonsense. This is letting the NBA off too easy, letting it stay silent and inactive when that's what it's mostly been for decades on Sterling.

Cliven Bundy: Another conservative folk hero exposes racial nerve

Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy's remarks about whether "the Negro" fared better under slavery represents the latest in a series of incendiary racial comments from a new crop of folk heroes embraced in some conservative circles.

 

"They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton," Bundy said to reporters, according to The New York Times.

"And I've often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn't get no more freedom. They got less freedom," he was quoted as saying.

Bundy, 67, a rancher whose much-publicized land dispute with the federal government endeared him to conservatives, defended his comments as idle thoughts.

"In my mind I'm wondering, are they better off being slaves, in that sense, or better off being slaves to the United States government, in the sense of the subsidies? I'm wondering. That's what. And the statement was right. I am wondering," he said Thursday on "The Peter Schiff Show."

refhttp://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/24/politics/bundy-and-race/

Too little, too late for Warriors

OAKLAND, Calif. -- It's understandable the Warriors feel wronged after the result, given that Chris Paul made contact with Stephen Curry on the game's final shot. When asked if Paul fouled him, Curry succinctly answered, "100 percent," while also elaborating further with, "Point of emphasis this year is you can't body-contact a guy shooting a jump shot, so, I thought that's what happened."

While you can hardly fault their frustration, it's difficult to come away from the game believing Golden State to be the better team. It trailed for three quarters and needed a couple of furiously contested Curry 3-pointers to get within striking distance. Though the Warriors feel robbed, victory would have meant stealing this game.

It was a spirited comeback from 18 points down in the third quarter, though, and the Warriors should be credited for it. They went small, blitzed the Clippers and nearly wrenched away victory from a team that was looking indomitable. Much of the late surge was created by Golden State's indefatigable utility player Draymond Green, who ended the game with 13 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. All three of the steals came in during the frantic fourth-quarter comeback.

"We just defend, scrapping, got out in the open floor," Green said of the small-ball push. The fourth-quarter success was a reminder of Warriors' struggles throughout the season, flaws that will probably prove fatal now that Andrew Bogut's out with a rib injury.

‘Parks and Recreation’ makes a bold, feminist leap forward

This post discusses the sixth-season finale of “Parks and Recreation,” which aired on April 24.

Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt and Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope. (Ben Cohen/NBC)

“Are you ready?” a tuxedoed Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) asked his wife, Leslie Knope, at the end of the season finale of “Parks and Recreation.” “Not at all,” Leslie told him. “But that’s never stopped us before.”
Whatever challenge was waiting for them at the bottom of their elevator ride was not exactly clear, which was the point. Ben and Leslie were really talking about an audacious three-year leap into the future the show had just taken, fast-forwarding to a moment when Leslie and Ben’s triplets are toddlers, and Leslie is fully entrenched as a regional director for the National Parks Service.

The change to the show is permanent. “We turned our minds toward doing something that would inject another season’s worth of story into the finale,” showrunner Mike Schur told Alan Sepinwall. “It’s a jolt of creative energy, and if you don’t jolt your show with a bolt of electricity every so often it can get stale.” Bolts like that can also fry a show. But in this case, I think “Parks and Recreation” has made a very promising move.

Rita Ora Talks Rihanna Comparisons

U.K.-bred Roc Nation singer chats about bringing her music to the U.S.

Rita Ora is ready to take America by storm. The London-bred Albanian beauty sat down with The Breakfast Club on New York's Power 105.1 Wednesday (April 23) and faced a firing squad of questions about everything from comparisons to Rihanna to a rumored affair with Beyoncé's husband.
Ora, 23, signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation as a teen. Without a huge U.S. single under her belt, the "R.I.P." singer has yet to blow up musically in the states as she has in the U.K., but she has had to deal with stories about her personal life and her similarities to fellow Roc Nation-signee Rihanna. She's unfazed.
"First of all, I love her," Ora said of Rih. "I think she is dope. And all these kind of comparisons, it’s kind of pretty flattering ... Good thing is, though, I’m doing my own thing, she's doing her own thing. We don't need to watch what each other is doing. We just do our own thing."
And when asked about old rumors that she and Jay had an affair, Ora shot back quickly. "Don't you dare disrespect Beyoncé like that ever again in your entire life," she told the radio hosts. "You should know better than that ... that's just straight up disrespect."
Instead, Ora's focused on a proper introduction to the U.S. Her new album, she said, features production from DJ Mustard and she's reconnected with Diplo. "This album for me is more about just really telling people that Rita's real. ... [T]his time around I just wanted to tour the states. I wanna see the world, and I wanna see people. I get inspired by you guys [Americans] all the time. I love your culture, I love your food and I love how you dress, and I love the whole vibe of it."

Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, wife divorcing after 2 years

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson said Wednesday that he “made the difficult decision to file for divorce” from wife Ashton, according to a statement through the team.

  

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is getting divorced from his wife of more than two years, Ashton, he announced in a statement Wednesday.

“I have made the difficult decision to file for divorce,’’ said Wilson in a statement released to media outlets through the Seahawks. “Clearly, decisions like these don’t come easy. Ashton and I respectfully ask for prayers, understanding and privacy during this difficult time. Moving forward, I will have no further comment on this personal matter.’’

Wilson had known the 26-year-old Ashton since they attended high school in Richmond, Va., and according to previous stories, began dating while each went to North Carolina State, where Wilson played quarterback and was on the baseball team. Wilson finished his college career with one season at Wisconsin in 2011.

They were married on Jan. 14, 2012 at The Country Club of Virginia in Richmond. According to a 2012 story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the wedding featured “a dramatic winterscape of 20 full-size trees’’ and a ”reception for 300 guests soared off the charts as Big Swing and the Ballroom Blasters took to the stage.”

Olivia Wilde, Jason Sudeikis welcome baby boy

Actress Olivia Wilde proudly announced the birth of her baby boy on Wednesday, tweeting a photo to share the news with her fans.

Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis attend the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 2 in West Hollywood, California

"Ladies and gentlemen, Otis Alexander Sudeikis has LEFT the building! (I'm the building)," she wrote.

The photo posted by the 30-year-old actress shows her smiling, with the baby's head pressed against her cheek.

Dallas Cowboys: 5 Bold Predictions for 2014 NFL Draft

At this point in the offseason, just about everything has been written about the Dallas Cowboys and their plan for the 2014 NFL draft.



Here, I will explore the unconventional routes owner Jerry Jones could take to bolster his roster.
Most mock drafts have the Cowboys focusing on defense, at least in the early rounds. Dallas needs to upgrade its defensive line and could also be in the market for a safety and linebacker.

On offense, things are a little more unclear. It appears the team will take a wide receiver at some point, but that’s the only position that seems definite.

With that said, let’s examine five bold directions the Cowboys can take in this draft.

ref:http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2040211-dallas-cowboys-5-bold-predictions-for-2014-nfl-draft

"Meet The Parents" actress Teri Polo files for bankruptcy

Like the rest of the public, Hollywood stars can sometimes find themselves in financial hot water.

Actress Teri Polo filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 14, according to legal documents obtained by E! News.
The documents state that Polo has accrued debts to the IRS, credit card companies and lawyers totaling roughly $1 million.

The 44-year-old TV and film star is best known for her turn in the three "Meet The Parents" films. She played Pamela Focker nee Byrnes, the fiancee and later wife of Gaylord Focker (Ben Stiller) and daughter of Jack Byrnes, memorably played by Robert De Niro.

Teri Polo arrives to the 25th annual GLAAD Media Awards on April 12, 2014, in Los Angeles. Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images

Eric Hill Dead: Bachelorette Contestant Dies After Paragliding Accident :

Eric Hill, the Bachelorette contestant who was severely injured in a paragliding accident on Sunday, April 20, has died, his sister Karen Tracy shared via Facebook on Wednesday, April 23.

Eric Hill, a contestant on Andi Dorfman's upcoming season of The Bachelorette, died April 23 following a paragliding accident in Utah on April 20 Credit: Courtesy of Eric Hill

"Eric shared his final journey with us this morning as all his immediate family were able to be at his side when he passed away," she wrote after his death. "Thank you to all of your love and support and prayers and fasting. It was amazing to be with so many of his friends and family yesterday in the hospital who came to express their love for Eric."

Read more: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/eric-hill-dead-bachelorette-contestant-dies-after-paragliding-acciden-2014234#ixzz2zoYQvo6D

Lupita Nyong'o named People's most beautiful person of 2014

Lupita Nyong'o has seen her star rise, including a best supporting actress Oscar for her first major role. In April 2014 she was named People magazine's most beautiful person of 2014. 

 

 

Lupita Nyong'o is having quite the ride.

The "12 Years a Slave" actress has won an Oscar for best supporting actress, signed a deal with cosmetics giant Lancôme to become its first black ambassador, and now People magazine has bestowed one of its highest honors on her - "Most Beautiful person for 2014." 

The Mexican-born Kenyan beauty joins a cast of Hollywood A-listers who have headed the list, including Julia Roberts, Cindy Crawford, Tom Cruise and Beyonce. This year she topped others on the list including "The Americans" star Keri Russell, singer Pink and Johnny Depp's future wife, actress Amber Heard.

During the 2014 awards season Nyong'o was often hailed for being one of the most fashionable on the red carpet. She made headlines in February for a moving speech she gave while accepting the best breakthrough performance award at the 7th annual Black Women in Hollywood luncheon.

"I remember a time when I too felt unbeautiful," she said. "I put on the TV and only saw pale skin. I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin."

Blackhawks (Patrick Kane nets game-winner in overtimeChicago TribunePatrick Kane raced into the offensive zone and let loose with shot that pulled the Black)

CHICAGO -- St. Louis Blues forward Ryan Reaves called the Blackhawks "gutless" Monday if they taunted forward David Backes after he was injured on a hit by Brent Seabrook in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
A television microphone picked up audio of someone saying "Wakey, wakey, Backes," after Backes was dazed by Seabrook's hit on Saturday. Backes will miss Monday's Game 3 with an upper-body injury.

      The Blackhawks-Blues first-round playoff series has been a physical battle from the very start.

"I don't know who was saying anything," Reaves said Monday. "It doesn't matter who was saying it, whether they caught them on camera or not. If something was said, it's gutless. He has to live with
it, not me."
Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith were both near Backes after the hit, and neither player knew what exactly was said.
"There's a lot of things that get said out on the ice in the course of a hockey game, especially in playoffs," Keith said. "I mean, I'm an emotional guy. It's an emotional game. I don't remember everything that gets said throughout there.
"I don't know how many times you want me to say the same thing. I'm skating around, didn't see the play, come in there to help support [Seabrook]. Like I said, there's lots of things that get said over a course of a game. You know I don't remember everything that gets said."
Toews said he began talking to Backes after Backes offered to fight him.
"I didn't say anything really until he actually ... I mean, I don't know what he was feeling or going through," Toews said. "I guess you can imagine what he was like against the boards there. I think he was pretty fired up. He asked me to fight. That's the only reason I started talking to him.

Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) Earnings Beat Takes Everyone By Surprise

Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) pleasantly surprised Wall Street by comfortably beating expectations when it reported earnings for its March quarter after the market close today (Wednesday).
The Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant also threw existing holders of Apple stock several goodies, including an expansion of the stock buyback program, a seven-for-one stock split, and an 8% increase in the dividend.
The Apple stock buyback program will expand by $30 billion, to bring the total by 2015 to $130 billion.The raft of happy news sent AAPL stock up more than 8% in after-hours trading.



Apple reported earnings per share of $11.62, a healthy $1.46 above the $10.16 analysts had forecast as well as the $10.09 reported in the same quarter a year ago.
Revenue was $45.6 billion, which was $2 billion above both the year-ago quarter and analyst expectations.

2014 NFL Schedule: Ranking the Thursday night games

The 2014 NFL schedule was released on Wednesday night and it features a slew of impressive Thursday night games. CBS and the NFL Network are partnering to bring those games in a unique fashion and, frankly, fans should be pumped for the quality of football they'll be getting.

Aaron Rodgers gets to face the Seattle defense again in Week 1. (USATSI)

The 2014 NFL schedule was released on Wednesday night and it features a slew of impressive Thursday night games. CBS and the NFL Network are partnering to bring those games in a unique fashion and, frankly, fans should be pumped for the quality of football they'll be getting.
“The Thursday lineup … it's really good” CBS Sports Jim Nantz said Wednesday night. “I can't imagine they could do better as far as giving out good games than they've done this year. I don't think anyone would ever question this is the strongest Thursday night lineup we've ever seen for the NFL.”
With this being the first-ever year for such a format, we decided to break down the 16 Thursday night games — not counting Thanksgiving but including the season opener — from best to worst.