Breaking Bad, the Spanish version, was announced by Univision on Friday, and to here Sony tell it, you could have knocked them over with a feather.

A Sony representative, who chose to remain unnamed when speaking with The Wrap, said that a Spanish language pilot of the popular AMC show had been produced, but “it’s not in development with them or anything like that.”

The rep said that Sony had placed a call to Univision to express their disappointment at the announcement. The details of that conversation were not immediately available, nor has Univision released an explanation at the time of this story.

The Univision series will be called Metastasis, and will presumably follow the same plot line of Breaking Bad, in which a high school chemistry teacher finds out he has terminal cancer and then teams with a former student to cook and sell meth as sort of a last means of support for his family.

The American version will launch the second half of its fifth and final season on July 15. It stars Bryan Cranston as Walter White, the teacher, and Aaron Paul as his protege.

If you have yet to check this thing out, take it from someone who just watched the first four seasons on Netflix in a two-week time period last month: it’s must-see television.

If my Spanish was a little better, it would be particularly interesting to see how the dynamics change with Metastasis, or whichever adaptation ends up winning the blessing of Sony.

According to a conference call earlier today, a Univision rep told Slate that the show would be “customized in a culturally relevant manner,” while using original Spanish-language scripts, and “stars our community knows.”

Until then, here’s a preview of season five. Word of warning: do NOT watch if you’re still waiting to start the show:

Fans of the show need not cry too much over the cancellation. Spinoff talks are already underway with popular secondary character Saul Goodman being discussed as a frontrunner.

You can also pick up the DVDs or catch reruns on the Sundance Channel.

What are your thoughts on a Spanish-language version of Breaking Bad, and which character would you like to see get a spinoff when the series comes to a close later this year?

‘Breaking Bad’ Spanish Version Announced By Univision, That’s News To Sony is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Sacramento Kings are in the middle of a bidding war for the franchise and a record $625 million offer has now been made in Seattle.

A committee of owners voted two weeks ago that the Kings should stay in California and that announcement led group leader Chris Hansen to aggressively up his offer from $358 million to $406 million. Based on the total valuation of the offer the deal would increase from $550 million to $625 million.

The deal is already valued at nearly double the $377 million the Memphis Grizzlies received in October 2012.

In a statement regarding the offer Hansen revealed in a public statement:

“While we appreciate that this is a very difficult decision for the league and owners, we hope it is understood that we really believe the time is now to bring the NBA back to Seattle. It is paramount that we do everything we can to put Seattle’s best foot forward in this process.”

The team has also received a $341 million offer from a group of partners led by Vivek Ranadive. The second offer includes the promise of securing another $250 million in public money that would be used to build a new arena for the Sacramento Kings. The Ranadive offer is worth a combined $525 million.

Ranadive has tried to get on the good side of team owners by offering to forfeit tens of millions in revenue sharing over the next few years.

With the Seattle group offering to bring the franchise to a larger market they believe their offer will secure a brighter future and bring more revenue to the league.

In a statement on Friday Seattle mayor Kevin Johnson said:

“We feel very confident about the position we are in right now. The NBA leadership and owners have always said that their decision would not be dictated by a bidding war. This was always about whether Sacramento, a community that has supported the NBA for 28 years, can put together a plan and organization to ensure the franchise can rebuild and thrive.

The ownership group, the city, and the community have shown the NBA, without any shred of doubt, that the Sacramento Kings belong in Sacramento. I believe the NBA owners realize that there is far more to think about than just an increased bid. They know what this story means to the league. We look forward to talking with all of them again in Dallas.”

Do you think Seattle would make for a good new home for the Sacramento Kings?

Seattle Group Increases Bid For Sacramento Kings, Offers $625 Million is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rover-reversal is always sobering.

The Internet Changes People is a post from: The Inquisitr

Once upon a time America loved Justin Bieber.

We couldn’t get enough of his mop-topped hair, pre-puberty voice, bright eyed ‘kidness,’ and that irrepressible smile.

But the times, it seems, are a-changing and a new music-centric poll by Public Policy Polling,“Americans Hate Justin Bieber,” revealed citizens have not only turned their backs on the formerly beloved singer, they came together to do it.

Yes, Bieber has done what Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and Bush Jr. couldn’t, and what our present incumbent President Barack ‘Bangs’ Obama so far hasn’t: Unite the red and blues and those ever-shifting greys.

Thrown into a music superstar soup that included ubers such as Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Adele and even Chris Brown, the mix of Republicans, Democrats and Independents polled essentially said Bieber was the all but last one they’d fish out.

The exact figures for the 19-year-old?

Opinions on the teen were: 20% favorable, 54% unfavorable and 26% not sure.

But the real kicker? The Canadian is the only artist who punched in a majority of unfavorable ratings across party lines.

It could be worse, but not much. Brown, who looks set to spend the rest of his natural life in permanent public contempt after his 2009 beat down of his then, now, and perhaps always on-off girlfriend Rihanna, notched up a 57% negative rating. But obviously, that will be small solace to Bieber.

Lady Gaga also scored unfavorably along with Brown, albeit Democrats looked on both artists more favorably than Republicans.

Teacher’s pets, Swift, Adele, Beyonce and Timberlake aced with glowing reports   (53%, 54%, 51% and 52% respectively), with more Democrats liking the cut of their jibs than Republicans.

Timberlake’s hip (he takes drugs at music festivals and he’s touring with Jay-Z this summer) but equally urbane (he golfs a lot) appeal, found favor with 34% of all partisans polled as the artist they would most like to see as president.

Sadly, Sid and Nancy aka Brown and Rihanna’s political stump never made it out of the gate — 5% and 2% do not an Oval Office resident make.

Clearly, daily chronicling of Bieber’s Believe tour odyssey — a paparazzo face-off, vomiting, fainting, monkey troubles, late concert starts, Anne Frank, social media riot acts, passport pandemonium, persistent shirtlessness, tour bus drug bust, Dubai speeding fines, did I miss anything out? Oh, yes, battery allegations — have taken a toll on the American public’s patience.

So what does this now officially documented mass dislike mean for the Biebs?

A shuffling walk of shame back to Ontario? Public penance of some kind? A year as Drake Bell’s runner, swapping out his supercar collection for a family hatch, tattooing “Sorry” across his forehead, or perhaps daily Instagrams that read the same?

If I may suggest, none of the above. We’ve been here before folks. Freeze frame some of the biggest names in popular culture and you will find they’ve all spent time in the stocks.

Think a pre-white pantsuited Elvis Presley scandalizing 50′s America with hips that wouldn’t lie, Elizabeth Taylor’s scarlet lettering only marginally appeased by marriage to Eddie Fisher, and the rage heaped on Kristen Stewart post those Rupert Sanders pictures.

Think, too, of the undiluted venom slung at Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Hathaway, Kate Winslet and Kim Kardashian, and was once directed at Robert Downey Jr., John Mayer, Bill Clinton and Ben Affleck.

To most members of the public, being world famous — especially if you’re an in-your-face, impossibly rich, social media accelerated megastar like Bieber — means you’re fair game.

Add in an entertainment news cycle that feeds on and exploits lowest common denominators like envy, hate, and anger and revels in the type of coverage that today saw much tutting about an Instagram of Bieber legally drinking beer on a South African safari; and one reading of Public Policy’s poll is that the teen star really is an icon of our hypercritical times.

Whether it’s at the beginning, middle or end of their careers, ever-present pap tailing of big stars means more are finding themselves in the crosshairs, just ask Reese Witherspoon. The trick is to keep on moving.

Bieber’s recent history may be strewn with actual and perceived missteps and a look further back reveals a tendency to lose it under scrutiny or pressure, but he does have one advantage. He’s a teenager, and whether he knows or not, he will eventually grow up.

Perhaps one day the vast swathes of the American public that backs politicians who blocked expanded background checks on gun-owners, are part of the mass apathy towards the over 45 million without basic health insurance, continuing domestic fails like obesity, our prison system and ailing infrastructure, will also grow up and let Justin Bieber stumble into adulthood just like everybody else.

[Image via Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com]

Justin Bieber Unites A Divided Nation But This Too Shall Pass is a post from: The Inquisitr

Another one bites the dust.

TNT has canceled its freshman medical drama, Monday Mornings. 

The David E. Kelly/Sanjay Gupta was based on Gupta’s novel of the same name, which was released in March 2012 and became a New York Times bestseller. The series premiered on February 4, 2013, after Dallas.

Monday Mornings joins Southland, which was canceled after five seasons, four of which aired on TNT (the first season aired on NBC). The network acknowledged the uniqueness of the series, but also admitted that it had problems drawing an audience.

“We are extremely grateful to executive producers David E. Kelly, Bill D’Elia and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, on whose novel the series was based. They crafted a unique and powerfully moving drama full of memorable situations and characters brought to life by a terrific ensemble cast,” TNT said in a statement. “Unfortunately the show never built its audience enough to warrant its continuation. We wish everyone involved with Monday Mornings the best and hope to work with them again in the future.”

Monday Mornings followed the lives of five doctors at the fictional Chelsea General Hospital in Portland, Oregon. The title is a reference to the weekly peer-reviewed conferences held on, well, Monday mornings. The series starred Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, Jamie Bamber, Sarayu Rao, and Jennifer Finnigan.

The season finale on April 8 drew 1.37 million viewers, slightly more than the audience for the series premiere which drew 1.34 million. While those numbers aren’t amazing, they were fairly consistent for all 10 episodes, something that is rare for most shows. Monday Mornings holds a 55 score, which indicates mixed or average reviews, on Metacritic based on 22 reviews.

Along with the cancellation of Monday Mornings and Southland, TNT picked up the unscripted series Inside Job. The Stephen Lambert (Undercover Boss) series follow puts executive job candidates through a unique screening process that is monitored by a company insider. TNT is planning to launch the series in 2014.

Were you a fan of Monday Mornings?

‘Monday Mornings’ Canceled is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper documented in American military history, will officially be portrayed in his upcoming biopic by Silver Linings Playbook star Bradley Cooper.

Cooper has been lusting after the role for some time, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, he has officially signed on to play the late American hero in the planned 2014 adaptation about his life an military career. The site also announces that Steven Spielberg has signed on to direct.

Spielberg was reportedly in the running to direct a film adaptation of American Sniper, Kyle’s 2012 autobiography. It is now confirmed that the project will be his follow-up to Lincoln, the 2012 biopic of the 16th president.

Spielberg and Cooper will also produce the film, with Andrew Lazar and his Mad Chance Productions, as well as Peter Morgan. The film’s screenplay was written by Jason Hall, who will executive produce. The film will be titled Sniper, and will not be a Warner Bros./DreamWorks co-production.

The book on which the film is based is titled American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History, and reveals how Kyle became the most prolific sniper in American history, boasting 160 confirmed kills (though the claimed number is higher at 255).

The book has been praised by critics for its honest and frank first-person narrative.

Kyle made headlines earlier this year after being tragically murdered by a fellow Iraq War veteran who suffers from PTSD. Kyle and a friend had taken him to a shooting range as part of their initiative to help other soldiers suffering the war’s emotional toll.

After returning from the war, Kyle started a successful tactical training company and worked with charity groups who assist other returning soldiers.

Do you think that Bradley Cooper will make a good Chris Kyle under Steven Spielberg’s direction?

[Image via: s_bukley, Shutterstock]

Bradley Cooper Officially Signs On For ‘Sniper’ Role is a post from: The Inquisitr

Malden, MA – We’ve all gotten shocking phone calls in our lifetimes, but probably not nearly as literal as the one Chris Plowman recently suffered. A lightning strike during a phone call nearly fried the poor guy.

Late Wednesday night, Plowman stepped outside to answer a phone call. He picked it up, heard a loud noise and lost his sight.

“The phone just blew right out of my hand and I couldn’t see anything for 30 seconds,” he said. “I just heard this ungodly noise and I said, ‘what the hell happened?’”

Plowman recalled he couldn’t feel his hands or see anything. He started to sweat profusely, and had what he called “the worst headache ever.”

He went to Massachusetts General Hospital where doctors said that his EKG showed an irregular heartbeat. He was released on Thursday morning.

Doctors told him the obvious: He had been struck by lightning.

“The doctor said I’m very lucky to be alive,” Plowman said.

Plowman’s front yard still has a burn mark in it from where he believes the lightning bolt actually struck. It was mere feet from where he stood.

“If I would have stepped out another foot or two, I wouldn’t be talking to you,” he said.

Next time he gets a phone call during a storm, Plowman joked he’d head for the basement.

Though getting hit by a bolt of lightning sounds like a death sentence, the odds of surviving a hit are actually pretty good. We couldn’t find any solid numbers because there’s a difference between being struck directly and being struck by proximity, which is what seems to have happened to Plowman. There are also health conditions and several other variables to consider.

Still, the odds of surviving a lightning strike are a lot better than the odds of ever being struck in the first place. The odds of being struck are about 576,000 to 1. To put that in perspective, your odds of winning the lottery (we’re talking the Mega Millions) are over 135,000,000 to one. So, I’d be on the lookout for lightning strikes if you’re the gambling sort.

Are you surprised Chris Plowman’s lightning strike phone call didn’t kill him?

[Image via: Giordano Aita, Shutterstock]

Lightning Strike During Phone Call Nearly Fries Massachusetts Man is a post from: The Inquisitr

Conservative groups rejected the IRS’ apology for singling them out and unjustifiably scrutinizing their tax-exempt status during the 2012 election cycle. The apology spurred calls for an investigation and seemed to validate conservatives’ fears of politically motivated regulation.

House Republican leaders have vowed to investigate the incident. Lois Lerner, the director of the IRS unit that oversees tax-exempt organizations, revealed on Friday that some organizations were given additional scrutiny if their tax-exempt applications included words like “Tea Party” or “patriot.”

An Associated Press report explained that the practice began by “low-level” employees of the branch in Cincinnati. Lerner called a press conference about the situation on Friday, saying the actions of these employees were “absolutely inappropriate.” He added, “They didn’t do it because of any political bias.”

Rather, Lerner explained that it was a very poorly thought-out organizational “shortcut.” He further explained:

“It was an error in judgement and it wasn’t appropriate but that’s what they did … We’ve now corrected these issues, and we don’t expect that any of these will be repeated going forward.”

But the apology didn’t appease conservative groups the IRS targeted. Representative Dave Camp, the Republican chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees the IRS, announced that he will hold a hearing on the situation. He added, “The IRS absolutely must be non-partisan in its enforcement of our tax laws.”

Senator Carl Levin, a Democrat, agreed. Levin chairs the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He stated that his panel has been looking into the Internal Revenue Service’s “failure” to enforce a law requiring tax-exempt 501(c)(4) groups to be engaged exclusively in social welfare activities and not partisan politics.

Levin added that the latest development “raises a second issue: whether the IRS, to the extent it has enforced its rules, has been impartial in doing so. Both issues require investigation.” IRS civil servants routinely review tax-exempt applications for groups ranging from charities to labor unions.

None of the conservative groups subjected to additional IRS scrutiny were rejected yet for tax-exempt status. Because of this, a legal damages claim against the IRS is unlikely.

[Image via ShutterStock]

Conservative Groups Reject IRS Apology, Look For Investigation is a post from: The Inquisitr

ABC has renewed Scandal for a third season, a little less than one week before its season 2 finale.

Was there really any doubt that the political thriller from Grey’s Anatomy creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes would be coming back for another fast-paced, and likely equally as explosive, season? After all, the show’s rabid — and rapidly growing — fan base isn’t called ”Scandal obsessed” for nothing.

Part of Scandal‘s success is its social media presence. Every Thursday, fans of the series can chat with the cast on Twitter — where the show has over 181,000 followers – using the hashtag #AskScandal. On Facebook, the show has more than 750,000 likes and, at the time of this writing, over 150,000 were talking about the show almost a full 24 hours after the most recent episode.

If the show’s fan base weren’t enough to convince ABC that the show deserved a third season, a look at the ratings would easily erase any doubts. The May 9 episode, “A Woman Scored,” posted a series high of 8.87 million, and answered one of the underlying questions of the season: Who is the mole?

The previous episode, “Seven Fifty-Two,” gave fans a little glimpse of the life everyone’s favorite assassin, Huck (Guillermo Diaz), lived before joining Olivia Pope and Associates. That episode drew 8.07 million viewers and saw Diaz give one of his best performances of the series.

The Hollywood Reporter chatted with Diaz after the episode about his Emmy-worthy performance, and Diaz admitted how grueling the process was, and how it was worth it in the end.

“ I knew all the dark places I had to go to and I was down a lot and It was really difficult. I was down a lot and depressed while shooting the episode and would go home and there were nights I couldn’t sleep,” Diaz said. “My body automatically put itself in this kind of state that Huck was in. It was something I had to go through; it’s the only way I would have been able to do this episode. I’m really proud of the end result and my performance.”

We are, too, Mr. Diaz.

Are you excited that Scandal is coming back for a third season?

‘Scandal’ Renewed For Third Season is a post from: The Inquisitr

Pennsylvania’s Kutztown University has lifted its ban on guns.

The state-run university has made the controversial decision to reverse its campus policy in order to allow students with permits to carry concealed guns in open areas.

Per Kutztown University’s policy, any employee or student with said legal permit and “compelling” personal safety reasons can request authorization from campus security. The requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis. All weapons will still be banned from academic buildings, student residence halls, dining facilities and sporting events.

State lawyers warned public institutions that all-out weapons bans would not be legally defensible.

“While I am cognizant of the concerns associated with this change, as a state institution we must follow the advice of legal counsel and do what is necessary to comply with the Second Amendment,” Kutztown President F. Javier Cevallos wrote students in an email. “I can assure you that we have done everything to implement the strongest policy possible, while staying in compliance with constitutional rights.”

Though groups opposed to more lenient gun laws have not yet made formal statements on Kutztown University’s decision to allow students to carry guns in a limited capacity on campus, John Haller, the director of a student concealed carry advocacy group, told Fox News that the policy was a positive step toward greater freedom for gun owners.

“It’s a positive movement,” Haller said. “Properly trained and licensed Pennsylvanians should be able to exercise their Second Amendment rights on a college campus the same way they would elsewhere.”

He continued, arguing that students who have the freedom to carry concealed weapons don’t represent a risk, but a possible deterrent to violence on campus.

“Criminal activity can happen anywhere and I think you saw that very clearly with the Boston bombings,” Haller said. “Of course, universities want to create a dynamic academic environment where people can exchange ideas safely, but the carrying of firearms by properly trained and licensed people is not incompatible with that, quite frankly. We should be allowing college students the ability to defend themselves.”

What do you think of Pennsylvania’s Kutztown University’s decision to allow students to carry concealed firearms?

[Image via: Joshua Minso, Shutterstock]

Pennsylvanian University Lifts Gun Ban is a post from: The Inquisitr

Santa Fe, TX – The Santa Fe Police have charged a local woman with one count of injury to a child with intent to commit bodily injury after she failed to seek immediate medical attention for her son who sustained a gunshot wound.

The incident occurred around 6:30 pm Tuesday in the family’s home on the 10440 block of 27th Street, but authorities did not learn of the shooting until 2 am Wednesday, reports the Houston Chronicle.

A family friend living in the residence, 24-year-old Pete Jesse Rodriguez, was casually playing around with a firearm, pointed it directly at the teen, and for reasons unknown pulled the trigger. Rodriguez claims the gun just went off. The unnamed teen was struck in the upper left thigh.

Deborah Tagle, 55, is accused of intentionally waiting several hours before taking her injured teenage son to the hospital after the 14-year-old was shot in the leg. For nearly seven hours Tagle allegedly researched the boy’s injury on the internet, using sites like WebMD. Doctors typically caution against relying on internet searches to diagnose critical conditions, including gunshot wounds.

Eventually Tagle drove her son to Mainland Medical Center and the boy was later transferred to Mainland Medical Center by ambulance. Tagle was arrested, booked, and freed on a $40,000 bond.

Authorities accused Rodriguez of making false statements and after investigating further, charged him with one felony count of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury.

A gunshot wound to the leg can either fracture the femur (long bone of the thigh) or hit a major blood vessel causing a hemorrhage. One can quickly lose up to a liter-and-a-half-of-blood with this type of injury. The human body circulates a blood volume of roughly 5 liters or the equivalent of 1.32 gallons, which accounts for seven percent of overall body-weight. Losing more than a liter of blood can have adverse effects, resulting in dizziness, weakness, unconsciousness, and death.

An untreated gunshot wound allows for the possibility of infection, which in time, can lead to additional swelling and pain radiating from the entry wound, redness, and discharge. The injury can eventually become septic.

Along with exsanguination and blood poisoning (sepsis), the patient can also go into shock. Hypovolemic shock is an emergency condition in which severe blood and fluid loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body. This type of shock can cease function in other organs and ultimately lead to death.

[Image via Shutterstock]

Mother Used Internet Search To Diagnose Son’s Gunshot Wound In Lieu Of ER is a post from: The Inquisitr

One World Trade Center reached 1,776 feet tall on Friday after the skyscraper’s world-class broadcast antenna was finally installed. The silver spire’s installation ended an emotional 12-year effort to restore a key part of the NYC skyline.

The 408-foot spire, which weighs 758 tons, was lifted into place by New York construction company Tishman. Workers secured the final two portions of the spire with 60 bolts at 1,701 feet.

Loud applause and shouts were heard from construction workers assembled below the spire at One World Trade Center as the massive piece was gently lowered and secured in place.

The building, which stands at the site where the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks destroyed the 110-story Twin Towers, now holds the spot as the tallest building in the country.

Speaking from a temporary platform on the roof of One World Trade Center, project manager for Tishman Construction Juan Estevez stated, “It’s a pretty awesome feeling. It’s a culmination of a tremendous amount of team work … rebuilding the New York City skyline once again.”

One World Trade Center’s height, 1,776 feet, is a tribute to the year the US declared its independence. The building rises from the northwest corner of the site the Twin Towers once stood. The 72-story Four World Trade Center and other buildings are also under construction.

The newest trade center will open for business in 2014 with tenants like publisher Conde Nast, the government’s General Services Administration, and Vantone Holdings China Center.

The elegant spire erected on Friday will both give One World Trade Center the height needed to claim the title, as well as provide world-class broadcasting services to the same companies who used a spire atop the Twin Towers.

For Lee Ielpi, whose firefighter son died when responding to the attacks on 9/11, the near-complete trade center was exciting. He stated on Friday from his office at the nearby 9/11 Tribute Center, “The building looks spectacular … I’m looking forward to the day when the cranes come down and they light the spire at night. It’s supposed to be a very moving experience.”

The Port Authority stated that the light atop One World Trade Center will be activated in the next few months.

[Image via Mariordo (Camila Santos Ferreira/Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz)]

One World Trade Center Reaches 1776 Feet After Spire Installed is a post from: The Inquisitr

Zack Braff raised more than $2 million for his follow-up to the movie Garden State thanks to online platform Kickstarter and his involvement with the crowdfunding sourced immediately drew criticism.

After allowing critics to fully voice their opinions about the platform the company on Thursday blogged about it’s mission and focus. In the blog post Kickstarter writes that the platform was built to help projects  ”big or small, established or Indie, serious or fun.”

The company’s founders then write:

“That’s our mission. We’re a tool available to anyone (in the U.S. and UK, currently) to fund and build a community around their creative project.”

When talking about celebrity campaigns taking away from other worthwhile posts the platforms founders write:

“The Veronica Mars and Zach Braff projects have brought tens of thousands of new people to Kickstarter. 63% of those people had never backed a project before. Thousands of them have since gone on to back other projects, with more than $400,000 pledged to 2,200 projects so far. Nearly 40% of that has gone to other film projects.”

Kickstarter gave a similar response in 2012 when critics became concerned that too many veteran game developers were using the platform to raise money for entertainment projects.

Kickstarter became a widely used crowdfunding project after it helped several unknown company’s become successful.

Zach Braff reached his $2 million funding goal for Garden State 2 and his involvement on Kickstarter hasn’t seemed to effect any other funding programs.

With new projects popping up each day the truth is that Kickstarter projects will attract people who are truly interested in those projects. For example, Zach Braff is not likely to attract the same clientele as someone offering a state of the art Google Android peripheral or a new streaming set-top box.

Do you think Zach Braff’s involvement on Kickstarter undermines the crowdfunding platform?

Kickstarter Responds To Controversy Over Zach Braff Campaign is a post from: The Inquisitr

Newtown, CT — Sandy Hook Elementary School will be demolished and another building will be constructed in its place. The decision was made on Friday by a taskforce in Newtown.

The panel of 28 elected officials struggled with the decision on what to do with Sandy Hook, the school where 20 first-graders and six educators lost their lives in a shooting rampage on December 14, 2012.

The choices of what to do with the building were already narrowed down to: renovating Sandy Hook Elementary School, tearing the building down and constructing another on the same site, or tearing it down and constructing a new school on nearby property.

But the taskforce came to a unanimous decision on Friday night after residents of Newtown expressed mixed opinions on what should be done with the school. The proposal will go to the local school board next, which has final authority.

Residents expressed mixed opinions on what should happen to the school, with teachers telling the taskforce it would be too traumatic to ever work at the building where so many lives were lost.

Brian Engel, whose six-year-old daughter, Olivia, was killed, stated that he and his wife wanted Sandy Hook to have a school, but not at the same location. He explained he didn’t want Olivia’s younger brother to ever walk into the building where the massacre that killed his sister took place.

Gunman Adam Lanza broke into Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14 after killing his mother at their home in Newtown. He opened fire with an assault rifle, killing 20 children and six adults. When police arrived on the scene, he took his own life.

Despite months of investigation, police have yet to uncover a possible motive for the killings. However, they stated that Lanza expressed an interest in other mass killings and also played violent video games.

The 430 surviving students of Sandy Hook are currently attending class at a renovated school renamed for theirs in the neighboring town of Monroe. Should the school board approve the decision to demolish the old Sandy Hook Elementary building, the proposal would likely go to voters as a referendum.

Sandy Hook Elementary School To Be Demolished is a post from: The Inquisitr

Lisalla Montenegro has some a big-time modeling contract with Maybelline, a cushy Victoria’s Secret gig, and now a big rock from her baseball star fiance.

This week Lisalla got engaged to her boyfriend, Los Angeles Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson. The Brazilian supermodel announced the engagement with a tweet and a picture of the big ring she got.

Lisalla wrote: “I literally can’t have imagined a more perfect proposal. So excited to marry @str8edgeracer !! #Engaged”

Wilson can likely afford some nice jewelery for his fiance. The pitcher signed a five-year, $77.5 million contract with the Angels two years ago.

Though she may not be too known in baseball circles, Lisalla Montenegro has made quite a name for herself in the modeling world. Born and raised in Brazil, she grew up wanting to be a doctor but was discovered at a young age and encouraged to pursue modeling.

Lisalla was participating in a contest for Miss Goias in her hometown when modeling scouts saw her potential and brought her to America. Since then Montenegro has appeared in a number of fashion magazines including Vogue, Glamour, Italian GQ, and worked with a many of fashion’s top designers, including Michael Kors and Armani.

Lisalla Montenegro is currently the face of Maybelline Cosmetics.

The Brazilian model has been dating Wilson for about a year, and last month he told Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard about the best and worst parts of dating a supermodel like Lisalla Montenegro.

The worst: “Having to answer questions about how you met your supermodel girlfriend from teammates who want to have a supermodel girlfriend.”

But the best seemed to make up for it: “If they ask for a table at a restaurant, they’re going to get it. We’re always seated right away.”

Now that he is marrying Lisalla Montenegro, C.J. Wilson will never have to wait for a table again.

Lisalla Montenegro: C.J. Wilson’s Fiance A Rising Star Among Supermodels is a post from: The Inquisitr

Toronto Maple Leafs fans waited nearly a decade for playoff hockey to return. Now they will get at least one more game after the Maple Leafs defeated the Boston Bruins on Friday to force a sixth game.

Toronto claimed Game 5 on Friday night by a 2-1 margin, getting a shorthanded goal from Tyler Bozak and another goal from Clarke MacArthur. James Reimer came up big in the net for Toronto, stopping 43 shots to allow his team to stay alive in the playoffs.

Though the Maple Leafs now get to go home for Game 6 on Sunday, forcing a decisive seventh game in Boston won’t be an easy task. The Bruins have already won twice in Toronto during the series, and actually haven’t lost a playoff game in Toronto since 1959.

The Boston Bruins are trying to avoid another playoff collapse. In the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals the team blew a 3-0 series lead against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are just trying to hang on to play another day.

“We came in with the mindset to just get it back to Toronto to give ourselves a chance. We’ve done that,” MacArthur said. “We want to keep going. We’ve worked hard all year and I can see it starting to pay off.”

Leafs coach Randy Carlyle knows his team has a big task ahead.

“I’m sure that we’ve poked the Bruins,” Carlyle said. “They’re going to be a very desperate team come Sunday night, and we have to be equally desperate.”

Some of that desperation was on display Friday. After falling down 2-0, the Bruins outshot the Leafs 32-8 in the second and third periods.

“The third period was more like our team,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “If there’s anything you need to understand from this, it’s that we’ve got to play three periods like we did in the third if we’re going to close this off.”

The Toronto Maple Leafs had been out of the playoffs since 2004, which was the longest active drought in the NHL.

Toronto Maple Leafs Win In Boston To Force Game 6 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chevy lovers everywhere are likely drooling at the sight of the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Edition. But the Detroit automaker stepped it up a notch for the World’s Best Driver film, put out by Hot Wheels, which features a glow-in-the-dark Camaro.

The glow-in-the-dark wrap was provided by 3M and turned the already bright blue sports car into an even more beautiful machine.

The Hot Wheels Camaro features a 426-horsepower V-8 engine, complete with special paint, exterior decals, a unique rear spoiler, seats stitched with the Hot Wheels logo, and 21-inch black aluminum wheels.

The standard 2013 Camaro is already fast and bristling with attitude, thanks to its aggressive body style. A six-speed manual transmission comes standard, though you can splurge and additional $1,185 for a six-speed automatic. And considering the Camaro’s history as a muscle car, combined with today’s feather-light manual transmissions, the shifter and clutch pedal are the way to go.

The glow-in-the-dark Camaro was part of the World’s Best Driver shoot, which also included three other custom cars for the shoot, designed for driving at high speeds over several different surfaces. The Blue Mule and Green Ripper looked more like desert buggies, while the Rip Rod was a combination of some off-road characteristics and more ’30s-era streamlining.

The Rip Rod boasted an impressive 125 mph top speed with a 1.2-liter, four-cylinder engine pumping out 184 horse power. The actual glow-in-the-dark Camaro paint package isn’t part of the original $6,995 Hot Wheels upgrade. However, it is available for a cool $8,995.

The Hot Wheels package is available on the 2LT V-6 and 2SS v-8 coupes and convertibles. It isn’t the first time Chevy has shown a Hot Wheels-inspired concept car, but it is the first time the company has put the beautiful design into limited production.

Would you consider getting a 2013 Chevy Camaro Hot Wheels Edition? What if it was also glow-in-the-dark?

[Image via Norbert Aepli, Switzerland]

Glow-In-The-Dark Camaro Is Beautiful, Will Cost $8,995 More is a post from: The Inquisitr

Community has been renewed by NBC for its fifth season, a boost for the embattled cult favorite that once seemed destined for the chopping block.

NBC announced on Friday that Community would come back for a fifth season, just one day after the comedy ended its fourth season on a high note. The season finale drew 3.1 million viewers and a 1.3 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic.

Though Community continues, it will do so without Chevy Chase, who left the show in November after growing frustrations on set and some public spats with the show’s director. Chase was reportedly upset with the direction his character, Pierce Hawthorne, was being taken.

In October Chase had an outburst on set, using the N-word when questioning his character’s dialogue, though he says he immediately apologized to the case.

The renewal is a boost to the show’s devoted fans, especially after it entered the fourth season on the bubble. Creator and original showrunner Dan Harmon left the show after last year, leaving it to executive producers David Guarascio and Moses Port, and NBC kept pushing back the start date until Community finally premiered in February.

Community will now enter its fifth season on much stronger footing. It makes its syndicated debut on the fall on Comedy Central, which could give the show a boost with an expanded audience. Reruns of The Big Bang Theory on TBS are said to have helped the show reach its record-setting ratings this year.

The show also appears to have survived NBC’s reinvention of its comedy brand. The series about Greendale Community College joins Parks and Recreation as the only remaining half-hour shows, as all other freshmen comedies will not be coming back for a second season.

Now that Community has been renewed by NBC, the show’s fans may get the “six seasons and a movie” they’ve been hoping for.

‘Community’ Renewed By NBC For Fifth Season is a post from: The Inquisitr

The advent of hormonal birth control measures such as the pill gave rise to generations of women more effectively able to plan their families, but a second compelling use for the medications has emerged in recent years — manipulating menstrual cycles.

Using the pill to schedule or even stop periods is not an entirely new phenomenon, and a version of the medication marketed specifically for this purpose (called “Seasonale”) has been available for some time to women using hormonal birth control.

It’s long been known that skipping the pill’s “inactive week,” which is not even a true menstrual period, will allow a user to be period free for several cycles. Forms of birth control such as Nuvaring and the patch can be used in the same way, eschewing the week in which bleeding occurs — a feature some suggest exists to assure women they are indeed not pregnant at the end of every cycle.

Over the past few years, however, the practice has become widespread — and a new study indicates that more women than previously believed to have been doing so are manipulating their menstrual periods with hormonal birth control.

A study on the practice of skipping periods was recently published in Contraception, the official journal of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals and the Society of Family Planning, and researcher Christopher Minson of the University of Oregon says gynecologists may need to be proactive in examining a patient’s menses manipulation as many women are receiving information through friends or the internet.

Minson says:

“These findings emphasize the need for health care providers to carefully interview combined hormonal contraceptive users on how they are using their method — for example, many women may be skipping pills to extend their cycles … With a greater understanding of the issues, health care providers may be able to more effectively engage in conversations with college-aged women and educate them about available options.”

More than half the women in the study cited convenience as the main factor in skipping periods or altering menstrual cycles deliberately with hormonal contraceptives.

Women Now Regularly Manipulating Menstrual Cycles, Study Indicates is a post from: The Inquisitr

A series of emails related to the Benghazi attacks on September 11, 2012 were turned over to Congress on Friday. A long-simmering dispute over the White House’s account has turned again into an all-out war between the Obama administration and those who claim the administration covered up what really happened.

The emails show the White House coordinating with the State Department, the CIA, the FBI, and other agencies to obtain the final version of the talking points on Benghazi, which were then turned over to UN Ambassador Susan Rice, who used them in television appearances in the days after the attack.

In particular, the Benghazi emails show that the State Department wanted to remove all references to al Qaeda and Ansar al-Sharia — the Libyan militant group suspected of carrying out the deadly attack, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

The department also asked to remove warnings about other potential terrorist threats from the talking points, which were drafted initially by the CIA.

The Benghazi talking points, which went through at least 12 versions before being given to Ambassador Rice, also showed how the State Department expressed concern that the CIA-drafted version could be used by some in Congress to criticize the preparedness of the Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. A US intelligence official familiar with how the talking points were drafted stated:

“The changes don’t reflect a turf battle. They were attempts to find the appropriate level of detail for unclassified, preliminary talking points that could be used by members of Congress to address a fluid situation.”

Along with Ansa al-Sharia and al Qaeda, the fact that unknown gunmen carried out at least five attacks around Benghazi against “foreign interests” in the days before the attack on the US Consulate.

Understandably, the Benghazi emails first disclosed in a report by House Republicans last month, then detailed on Friday by ABC News, left the White House in a difficult situation.

[Image via Pete Souza]

Benghazi Emails Disclosed, Show Flurry Of Talking Points Changes is a post from: The Inquisitr