OBAMA TO SPEAK TODAY ON ECONOMY: President Obama will speak at the White House today (November 9th) on the economy, ahead of upcoming talks with congressional Republicans on avoiding the so-called "fiscal cliff." Republicans are continuing to insist against raising taxes on upper-income earners, something that was a key part of Obama's
presidential campaign. The "fiscal cliff" is a potentially economy-damaging set of tax increases and automatic spending cuts due to automatically take effect in January in nothing is done.

NYC, LONG ISLAND IMPOSE GAS RATIONING AFTER SANDY: With long gas lines continuing more than 10 days after Hurricane Sandy, New York City and Long Island imposed a gas rationing system Thursday (November 8th) that will let drivers fill up every other day. New Jersey, which was also hit hard by Sandy, had implemented the system earlier, under which drivers with license plate numbers ending in an odd number will be able to get gas on one day, and those with plates ending in even numbers the next. Officials said something had to be done to ease the long waits for gas, which they say has caused panic-buying and hoarding. New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg said the shortages could last another couple of weeks.

ROMNEY CAMP CONCEDES FLORIDA TO OBAMA: The vote counting is still going on in
Florida, with final results potentially not in until tomorrow, but Brett Doster, a senior adviser for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, told the Miami Herald Thursday (November 8th) that they're effectively conceding the state to President Obama. Florida would give the president a final total of 332 electoral votes and Romney would finish with 206. According to state
officials, Obama leads Romney by 49.92 percent to 49.22 percent, a margin of some 58,000 votes, with more than 97 percent of the vote counted. Florida's Democratic Party also declared victory yesterday for Obama in the state, and in a tacit concession, a spokesman for
the Republican Party of Florida said he and other Romney supporters were, quote, "obviously not happy with the result."

GIFFORDS PRESENT, HUSBAND SPEAKS, AS LOUGHNER SENTENCED: Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was on hand Thursday (November 8th) in an Arizona courtroom as Jared Lee Loughner, the man who shot her in the head, killed six people and wounded 12 others in a
January 2011 Tucson attack at one of Giffords' congressional events, was sentenced to life in prison. Before the sentence was imposed on Loughner, who's been diagnosed with schizophrenia and will likely serve his sentence in a prison psychiatric ward, statements were delivered by some of the victims and their families, including by Giffords' husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, who spoke for his wife because she still has difficulty speaking. Kelly, who spoke with Giffords at his side, said, "Her life has been forever changed. Plans she had for our family and her career have been immeasurably altered. . . . Every day is a
continuous struggle to do those things she once was so good at." He stated, "You may have put a bullet through her head, but you haven't put a dent in her spirit and her commitment to make the world a better place."  Before finishing, Kelly said, "Know this, Gabby and I are done thinking about you." In addition to her difficulty speaking, Giffords, who resigned
her House seat because of her injuries, was left partially blind with a paralyzed right arm and a limp.

PENTAGON REVEALS IRAN FIRED AT U.S. DRONE LAST WEEK: The Pentagon revealed Thursday (November 8th) that Iranian warplanes fired at an unarmed U.S. drone in international airspace last week, on November 1st, but didn't hit the aircraft. The incident was the first time Iran had fired at a U.S. aircraft, and it triggered a formal warning to Tehran through diplomatic channels. If Iran had hit the drone, it could have forced American retaliation. According to the Pentagon, the Predator drone was carrying out a routine, but classified, surveillance mission over Gulf waters.  Spokesman George Little said the Iranian aircraft fired multiple rounds at the drone and followed it for at least several miles as it moved farther away from Iranian airspace, but that the drone was at no point in Iranian airspace. There was no immediate comment by Iranian officials.

NAVY  SEALS PUNISHED FOR DISCLOSING CLASSIFIED INFO: Seven members of Navy SEAL Team 6, including one who was involved in the mission to kill Osama bin Laden, have been punished for allegedly disclosing classified information to the maker of a video game called, Medal of Honor: Warfighter. AP cited a senior defense official as saying the seven received "nonjudicial" punishment involving a punitive letter of reprimand and
a partial forfeiture of pay for two months. Four other SEALs are under investigation for similar alleged disclosures. The two main complaints were that the SEALs didn't seek permission from their command to take part in the video project, and that they showed the video designers some of their specially designed combat equipment that's unique to their unit.

REPUBLICAN HOUSE SPEAKER: OBAMACARE IS 'LAW OF THE LAND': With the re-election of President Obama on Tuesday (November 6th), it looks like Republicans might have decided to give up the fight to repeal the Affordable Care Act health care law, which has been dubbed "Obamacare." In an interview with ABC News Thursday (November 8th), Republican
House Speaker John Boehner was asked if repealing the law was, quote, "still your mission," and said, "The election changes that. It's pretty clear that the president was
re-elected. Obamacare is the law of the land." However, a spokesman for Boehner said later that the speaker and the House Republicans, quote, "remain committed to repealing the law."

WHO'S LEAVING ADMINISTRATION IN OBAMA'S SECOND TERM?: As President Obama now readies to begin his second term, he's expected to have to fill a few Cabinet posts, as their current occupants will be leaving either before his second term begins or soon after. The most high-profile of those expected to go is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has said
previously that she'd only serve for one term. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, is high on the list of those who might replace her. Also expected to depart are Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Defense Secretary Leon
Panetta, and potentially Attorney General Eric Holder, who said Thursday (November 8th) that he hasn't yet determined whether he'll leave or not, saying he has to speak with both Obama
and his family.

CALLS FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FOR PAKISTANI GIRL SHOT BY TALIBAN: Tens of thousands of people in Britain called on their government Friday (November 9th) to nominate Malala Yousufzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani girl shot in the head by the Taliban for standing up to the Islamist militants and advocating for girls' education, for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Yousufzai is receiving medical treatment in England for her injuries after she was shot on
October 9th as she got on her school bus in Pakistan's Swat Valley. The attack has drawn widespread condemnation, both within Pakistan and around the world, and Yousufzai has
become a symbol of resistance to the Taliban's attempts to subjugate women.
More than 30,000 people have signed a petition in Britain on Change.org as part of a global push by women's rights advocates to nominate Yousufzai for the prize, and there are
similar campaigns in Canada, France and Spain. Under the Nobel Committee's rules, only
prominent figures, such as members of national assemblies and governments, are
able to make nominations. Yousufzai's doctors say she is recovering well.

POPE GETTING HIS OWN TWITTER ACCOUNT: The Vatican announced Thursday (November 8th) that Pope Benedict the 16th will be joining the Twitter-verse, getting his own
personal Twitter account. Details about the pontiff's Twitter name and other information will be released when the account is officially launched, potentially before the end of the year. While the new Twitter account will be Benedict's own, it's unlikely that he himself will write the tweets, but will probably sign off on messages written in his name. The pope sent his first
tweet from a Vatican account last year, when he launched the Vatican's news information portal.

SEA LEVEL RISE SPEEDING UP ALONG EAST COAST: Researchers gathered in North Carolina for the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America said Thursday (November 8th) that sea levels are rising at so-called "hotspots" along the East Coast about three times more quickly on average than they are globally. That is the fastest rise in the world -- and it's speeding up. Researcher Larry Atkinson of Old Dominion University said that computer models suggest that if the acceleration continues at the same pace, the rise along the East Coast, from North Carolina to Massachusetts, could be 5.3 feet by 2100. Sea levels around the world are rising due to the melting of glaciers, as well as the expansion of water caused by heating. There are other factors at play as well leading to the acceleration of the rise on the East Coast, including the sinking of land in the mid-Atlantic, a process called subsidence.

NHL LABOR TALKS TO CONTINUE TODAY: The NHL labor negotiations between the league and the players will continue today (November 9th) for a fourth straight day. Both sides were
close-mouthed about what was going on in the talks, with players' association executive director Donald Fehr saying, "All I can tell you is we have been meeting, and we will be
meeting again. I can't say more than that. We haven't talked about [the weekend], but if there is something to talk about then I expect we will be." The player lockout is in its 55th day, and is threatening to force the second cancellation of an NHL season in seven years if it's not settled.

KORN REUNITING WITH FOUNDING GUITARIST FOR FESTIVAL DATES: Korn will reunite with founding guitarist Brian "Head" Welch for two German festival shows next summer, according to Blabbermouth. The shows, set to take place at the Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals that take place between June 7th and 9th, will feature Welch playing full sets with the group. Korn posted a statement at its website saying, "Head returns as a special guest to play two full shows with Korn for the first time since 2004."

  • Welch joined Korn onstage for the song "Blind" last May 5th at the Carolina Rebellion festival in Rockingham, North Carolina, marking the first time in eight years that
         Korn played with Welch.

BLINK-182 RELEASING NEW MUSIC ‘IN A FEW WEEKS’: Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus
has hinted that new music from the trio is coming very soon, writing on his Twitter feed, "We're releasing some new blink-182 songs in a few weeks.  Watch this space." Hoppus did not reveal any other details, but he did tell NME last month that the band has begun working on material for a new record -- although he did not expect to have that album ready until sometime next year.

Singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge also tweeted that Blink will have a new EP ready to go before Christmas -- but did not indicate how it would be released.

DEFTONES STREAMING NEW ALBUM: Deftones are streaming their new album, Koi No Yokan, online in its entirety at RollingStone.com. The group's seventh studio disc arrives in
stores on Tuesday (November 13th) and follows 2010's Diamond Eyes.  Frontman Chino Moreno said about the new record, "This time, we had a little more chance to experiment and
just play." Check out the stream at http://tinyurl.com/cjhd6y9

NEW P.O.D. LIMITED RELEASE: P.O.D. will release a limited edition vinyl pressing of its latest album, Murdered Love, on November 20th. The vinyl version of the disc will come in either transparent red or clear with red splatter, with the latter only sold online at the band's label website. P.O.D. will join Daughtry and 3 Doors Down as special guests on those two bands' co-headlining U.S. tour, which begins on November 17th in Mississippi and runs through mid-December.

 

HOW TO DESTROY ANGLES EP STREAMING: How To Destroy Angels,the new band featuring Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, is streaming its new EP, An Omen, online in its entirety. The six-song release comes out next Tuesday (November 13th) and will serve as an appetizer for the band's full-length debut, due out sometime in 2013. Listen to An Omen at http://tinyurl.com/cge4emr

 

FORMER 'AMERICAN IDOL' JUDGE LANDS TEACHING GIG: Former American Idol
judge Kara DioGuardi is teaching a class, "Hit Songwriting," at Boston's Berklee College of Music. She told The Hollywood Reporter, "I took a position at Berklee because I want to help educate and guide songwriters/artists in the early part of their careers . . . I love working
with promising talent, and I aim to share my experiences with my students so as to better prepare them creatively and emotionally for an industry fraught with change and competition."

KRISTEN STEWART HINTS THAT 'SNOW WHITE' SEQUEL MAY BE IN THE WORKS: Actress Kristen Stewart saw her whole world get flipped upside down when news of her affair with Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders broke last summer but that won't stop her from working on a potential sequel. During a recent interview, she hinted that a sequel may be in the works. She said, "No one's positive or anything, but I think there's a strong possibility."

DANIEL CRAIG SAY THERE WOULD NEVER BE A GAY JAMES BOND: After a few film goers reacted to a scene in Skyfall where James Bond's head is caressed by the villain, people started to wonder if they're could ever be a gay James Bond. Skyfall star
Daniel Craig told E! News, "No . . . Because he's not gay."

 

JAVIER BARDEM GETS STAR ON HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME: On Thursday, November 8th, Oscar winner Javier Bardem was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Skyfall director Sam Mendes and co-stars Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe were on hand for the ceremony.

REESE WITHERSPOON SHOWS OFF HER NEW SON: Reese Witherspoon has been keeping a low profile since the birth of her son, Tennessee Toth, in September. The star was photographed out in Los Angeles on Wednesday, November 7th with the baby.

BROOKE BURKE-CHARVET BATTLING THYROID PROBLEM: Dancing With The Stars co-host Brooke Burke-Charvet, who is the mother of four children, is battling thyroid cancer. The reality star took to Youtube to share the news of her physical condition. She said, "I need to have thyroid surgery and a thyroidectomy, which means I'm going to have a nice, big scar right here across my neck."

  • Burke-Charvet discovered the cancer during a routine physical. She says that she plans to stay positive. The reality star explained, "I'm just going to make a positive out of this negative thing . . . I'm going to be a really good patient, and I'm going
         to do everything that I need to do. I've booked my surgery."
  • She added, "I'm good . . . I'm ready to deal with it, and I'm going to be fine. I feel really, really strong. Doctors say this is a 'good' kind of cancer to have . . . My doctor did tell me this is a happily ever after ending kind of thing."
  • After her Dancing With The Stars co-host, Tom Bergeron took to Twitter
         to express his support, Burke-Charvet went on Twitter to thanks her fans
         for all of their support. She tweeted, "I was scared to get on twitter and hear what people are saying . . . now I can breathe easy.  Thank you for the support . . . I'm feeling the love today from friends, family, #DWTS, tweeties, fans. You warm my heart."

CHECK IT OUT

TATTOO PARLOR TILES FLOOR WITH PENNIES: The owner of a Pittsburgh tattoo parlor said she found covering her shop's floor with pennies was cheaper than buying tile. Mel Angst, owner of the Artisan tattoo shop, said she and a team of helpers spent about 300 hours gluing 250,000 pennies to the floor of her store, costing about $3 per square foot. She has
offered to compensate helpers who spent at least 30 hours working on the floor
with a complimentary Abraham Lincoln penny tattoo. (New York Daily News)HERD OF ELEPHENTS GO ON DRUNKEN RAMPAGE: Fifty drunken elephants caused
havoc in an Indian Village after drinking over 100 gallons of alcohol. The pack had been drawn out of the jungle by the smell of a local alcoholic beverage called Mahua. They drank more than 18 containers before setting off in search of more, destroying three houses near the shop and some crops before villagers were able to push them back into the jungle. (Huffington
Post)

 

IPHONE NO LONGER WORLD'S BEST SELLING SMARTPHONE: Apple's iPhone has been dethroned. Market research from Strategy Analytics indicates the iPhone is no longer the world's number-one selling smartphone. The top position now belongs to Samsung's Galaxy S III. In the last quarter Samsung shipped 18-million units, while Apple came in number-two,
shipping an estimated 16.2-million units. Apple's iPhone-5 is expected to regain the top title in the December quarter. (Fox News)SCIENTISTS SAY GARGLING WITH LEMONADE COULD HELP YOU QUIT SMOKING: Scientists say if you're desperate to quit smoking they might have bizarre aid- gargling with lemonade. Scientists have found that the interaction of sugar on the tongue boosts attention and energy and can improve self-control, at least temporarily. To find this, scientists had students perform a task to deplete their self-control, and then a second task that required the use of more self-control. While doing the second task, some students rinsed their mouths with lemonade sweetened with artificial sweetener, and some rinsed with lemonade sweetened with real sugar.  Those who rinsed with real-sugar-lemonade improved their performance of the second-task. Scientists say the sugar triggers the motivational centers of the
brain where self-related goals are stored, and tells it to pay attention. (Daily
Mail)18 WEIRD POLITICAL GAG GIFTS: http://tinyurl.com/c8l3yggDOGS PREFER CLASSICAL MUSIC, STUDY SAYS: Researchers from Colorado State University performed an experiment and found that dogs in animal shelters were less likely to bark and more likely to sleep when classical music was played for them. Heavy metal had the opposite effect, and induced nervous shaking and barking. For the study, scientists played different types of music to dogs in a shelter over the course of four-months and recorded
the responses of the dogs. (Daily Mail)HOLIDAY SHOPPERS EXPECTED TO USE SMARTPHONES TO FIND DEALS: A study by
Prosper Mobile Insights finds most people who own a smartphone or tablet plan to use their devices to research items, purchase gifts, and locate stores. Research shows that when shoppers are inside a physical store, 66-percent will use their mobile device to compare prices with another physical store, and 60-percent will use them to check the prices of online retailers. One expert says these are shopping strategies smart consumers have adopted to stay within their budgets. (Fox News)