OBAMA AND BOEHNER MET SUNDAY ON FISCAL CLIFF: President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner held an unannounced meeting at the White House on Sunday (December 9th) to negotiate about the "fiscal cliff."  Both sides used identical language to describe the meeting and didn't give further details, saying, "This afternoon, the president and Speaker Boehner met at the White House to discuss efforts to resolve the fiscal cliff.  We're not reading out details of the conversation, but the lines of communication remain open." By keeping the details under wraps from the public, it could help both Obama and Boehner sell politically difficult aspects of an eventual deal to members of their parties in Congress.

EGYPT'S MORSI PARTIALLY CONCEDES, OPPOSITION NOT SATISFIED: Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi partially conceded to the opposition's demands overnight Saturday (December 8th) after weeks of protests in the streets, rescinding his decrees from late November that gave him near-absolute power. However, the liberal opposition wasn't
satisfied, since Morsi refused to cancel a planned December 15th referendum on a controversial draft constitution that was hastily adopted by his Islamist allies, and more protests were held on Sunday. The opposition said Morsi's rescinding of his decrees was an empty gesture since they'd already achieved their main goal of ensuring the adoption of the draft constitution. The decrees had blocked the courts from dissolving the assembly that passed the charter.  Morsi's opponents believe he and his Islamist allies are monopolizing power and trying to force their agenda.

U.S. HOSTAGE FREED IN AFGHANISTAN, SPECIAL OPS TEAM MEMBER KILLED: An American doctor who'd been abducted last week by the Taliban in Afghanistan was rescued early Sunday (December 9th), but one member of the U.S. special operations team that carried out the rescue was killed. Dr. Dilip Joseph of Colorado Springs, a medical adviser for the relief group Morning Star Development, was rescued after intelligence showed he was in
imminent danger. President Obama praised the special forces yesterday and the fallen team member, saying, "He gave his life for his fellow Americans, and he and his teammates
remind us once more of the selfless service that allows our nation to stay strong, safe and free."

FIVE KILLED ON CALIFORNIA TRIBAL RESERVATION: A 31-year-old man killed his daughter, his mother and her two brothers on a California tribal reservation Saturday night
(December 8th) and then was killed in a shootout with police some six hours later. Two of Hector Celaya's other children were wounded. Authorities haven't said what motivated Celaya to kill his family members, who lived on a compound on the Tule River Indian Reservation, which has about 800 people.

VENEZUELAN PREZ CHAVEZ TO HAVE CANCER SURGERY AGAIN: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will be undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba for a third time in a year and a half,
saying in a televised address Saturday night (December 8th) that the illness had returned. Acknowledging the serious of his condition, Chavez said for the first time that if he suffers complications, Vice President Nicolas Maduro should be elected as his successor to continue his socialist movement. The 58-year-old Chavez was just re-elected in October after having been in office since 1999. Chavez has never revealed what type of cancer he has or its precise
location, with it only known that it's in his pelvic region. However, experts have said it sounds like a soft tissue cancer.

EX-REPUBLICAN FLORIDA GOV. BECOMES A DEMOCRAT: Former Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who became an independent in 2010, is now a Democrat, announcing the news on Twitter Friday night (December 7th). Crist's tweet said, "Proud and honored to join the Democratic Party in the home of President @Barack Obama!," along with a picture of him and his wife as he held up a voter registration application.  According to the Tampa Bay Times, Crist signed the papers changing his affiliation at a White House Christmas reception, and President Obama gave him a fist bump afterward. In explaining his shift, Crist, who endorsed Obama this year and campaigned for him, cited the GOP's shift to the right on issues including immigration, education and the environment. Crist was elected governor in 2006 as a Republican, but when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2010, he faced a tough primary challenge, so he became an independent. He lost anyway in a three-way contest to Republican Marco Rubio. Crist's latest party switch increased speculation that he might run again for his old job in 2014 against current GOP Governor Rick Scott.

UNNAMED MAN IN 30s IS SECOND WINNER OF RECORD POWERBALL JACKPOT:
Lottery officials announced Friday (December 7th) that a married man in his 30s from suburban Fountain Hill, Arizona, is the other winner of November 28th's record $587.5 million Powerball jackpot and has claimed his winnings. The man decided to remain anonymous, which is allowed in Arizona. Because he's taking the lump sum option, the man will get $192 million before taxes. The unidentified winner later issued a statement that said, "It is difficult to express just how thankful we are for this wonderful gift. We are extremely grateful and feel
fortunate to now have an increased ability to support our charities and causes.  Obviously, this has been incredibly overwhelming and we have always cherished our privacy." There were two winning tickets for the drawing, and the other couple that won, a mechanic and his wife from Dearborn, Missouri, have already claimed their half of the largest-ever Powerball jackpot, which was the second-largest of any kind in U.S. history.

COWBOYS' BRENT ARRESTED, PRACTICE PLAYER DEAD IN DRUNK DRIVING CRASH: Dallas Cowboys practice squad player Jerry Brown was killed on Saturday (December 8th) and his close friend, nose guard Josh Brent, was arrested at the scene, accused of driving drunk and causing the fatal accident. Brent is facing charges of intoxication manslaughter. After leaving jail Sunday on $500,000 bond, Brent told reporters only, "Jerry Brown was my very best friend, and I'm just trying to deal with his death right now." The 25-year-old Brown was to become a father in a couple of months.

TEXAS A&M QUARTERBACK MANZIEL WINS HEISMAN: Texas A&M quarterback Johnny
Manziel won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday (December 8th), becoming the first freshman to ever win the award, which is given annually to the best player in college football. Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o finished a distant second and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein was third. Manziel, who's nicknamed "Johnny Football," is a redshirt freshmen, meaning he attended school and practiced with the team last year, but didn't play in any games. Manziel led Texas A&M to a 10-2 record in their first season in the SEC and played for an upset over then-Number One Alabama in November. He's also thrown for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns and run for 1,181 yards and 19 more scores to become the first freshman, first SEC player and fifth player overall to throw for 3,000 yards and run for 1,000 in a season.

• Manziel will be leading his team when Texas A&M takes on Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl on January 4th.

PACQUIAO KNOCKED OUT IN SIXTH ROUND: Manny Pacquiao was knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in the sixth round of his fight Saturday (December 8th) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a punch dropping him to the canvas where he lay sprawled with his face down for several minutes. The stunning outcome came in the fourth fight between the two men, two of which were scored in favor of Pacquiao, and the another one a draw, with the rivalry having no definitive moment in the ring. Marquez said afterward, "I threw the perfect punch," while Pacquiao stated, "I got hit by a punch I didn't see."

• In a moment before the fight that the New York Times described as "surreal," Mitt Romney, who watched the bout ringside with his wife, Ann, met Pacquiao in the dressing room, saying to him, "Hi, Manny. I'm Mitt Romney. I ran for president. I lost."

ALICE IN CHAINS RTELEASING NEW SONG NEXT WEEK: Alice In Chains has revealed that it will premiere a new song called "Hollow" on December 18th -- but wants fans to take part in the lead-up to the song's debut. The group is encouraging fans to follow them on Instagram, where they're posting lyrical phrases from the song. Fans are being asked to share photos they've taken or created that are inspired by the lyrics. Once the 18th rolls around, fans will be able to hear the song on the Alice In Chains website and view the photos
that the word inspired.

• Fans can submit their photos through either Instagram or Twitter.

DAVE GROHL’S DOCUMENTARTY ARRIVING ON FEBRUARY 1^ST: Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has announced February 1st as the worldwide release date for Sound City, the documentary he has produced and directed on the history and legacy of the title facility, a legendary and now-closed Los Angeles studio where classic albums from dozens of artists were recorded. The film includes interviews about the studio and the making of those
albums with Trent Reznor, Josh Homme, Mick Fleetwood, Tom Petty, Lars Ulrich, Krist Novoselic, Corey Taylor and more. Original musical collaborations between some of the participants were also filmed.

• The film will have its premiere screening at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah in late January.
• A digital download version of the film is now available for pre-order at the movie's website, for the low price of $10.
• In a note to fans at the site, Grohl writes, "I started this project a little over a year ago with ONE of my good old friends (Jim Rota from the band Fireball Ministry). That's right....just me, my drinking buddy, and a crazy idea that we should tell the story of a studio we had loved hanging around for years, and our heartbreak to see it close. It
       soon blossomed into something truly epic!"
• Grohl calls making the film "the most incredible experience of my life," adding, "I really feel like Sound City is my life's most important work. I hope you do too."

CHECK IT OUT: Pre-order Sound City at http://buy.soundcitymovie.com/buy

SIDE NOTES: Grohl guest-hosted the E! Network's Chelsea Lately on Thursday night (December 6th): See how he did in the job:

SLASH SAYS STONE TEMPLE PILOTS HAVE FIRED SCOTT WEILAND: Slash has said in an interview with Minneapolis radio station 93X that former Velvet Revolver singer Scott
Weiland is interested in getting back together with that band because he has been fired from his other group, Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland recently said that he thought it was "the
perfect time for Velvet Revolver to get back together," prompting Slash to respond, "That's because he got fired from STP, I think, all things considered, because these things always catch me by surprise, too, because I only find out about it through the media. I'm on the road in another country and I start hearing all this stuff, so I inquire within, and that's what I was
told."

• Slash did not cite specific sources for his information.
• Weiland recently told Rolling Stone about a Velvet Revolver reunion, "I am completely open to it, and I know there are other guys in the band that are completely open to it."
• Velvet Revolver has been without a singer and on more or less permanent hiatus since Weiland was dismissed from the band in April 2008. He rejoined Stone Temple Pilots at that time and has toured constantly and cut one album with them.
• On the status of STP, Weiland told Rolling Stone, "I think we kind of overplayed ourselves by playing the same set over and over. I think the band needs to take some time off and be creative again."
• Velvet Revolver did reunite with Weiland for a four-song set last January at a Los Angeles tribute concert for late songwriter John O'Brien, but Slash later said in a radio interview that he had "no

JOE PERRY SAYS AEROSMITH MAY HAVE RECIRDED THEIR LAST ALBUM: Joe Perry says that Aerosmith's new Music From Another Dimension album could be the band's last. While talking to Noisecreep, Perry spoke about the recent release, explaining, "We knew we had another record in us, despite what many said, and I make no bones about it, I don't know if we're gonna make another record."

He addressed the fact that over the past few years tensions between the bandmembers reached a fever pitch: "Our disagreements are what make us dynamic. If we all thought the same way, nothing good would happen, but even after we argue, we don't take it home. It's one of the things that allowed us to get back together. We'll argue things to death, but we deal with it, figure it out and move on. There's too much life out there to waste time being like
kids in high school. We had a meeting yesterday over a video, it got really heated, but then went down to look at Steven's motorcycle. All was fine. Then it was like, what are you doing tonight?"

• Perry was pressed as to how Music From Another Dimension stacks up against other Aerosmith albums: "In order to compare you have to not like something else. So I'll pick what I don't like and work my way up. I really didn't like Done With Mirrors.  I really didn't like Just Push Play. Then there are other records I really think we're good for their time, like Toys (In The Attic) and Rocks. I still listen to those and I put this one in that category of a record I will continue to listen to a lot. I can't get enough of this one."

ROB ZOMBIE’S NEW MOVIE HAS A RELEASE DATE: Rob Zombie's new movie, The Lords Of Salem, will be released on April 26th, 2013. Zombie has also announced that he will team up with award-winning horror author B.K. Evenson to write the official movie tie-in book for the film, saying, "The book offers a different experience from the film since it can obviously go into much more detail. The book and the film really complement each other." The book will be published on March 12th, 2013. The Lords Of Salem, Zombie's fifth live-action film as a director, stars his wife Sheri Moon Zombie as a DJ who discovers that playing a mysterious record somehow activates a curse placed on her town by a coven of witches 300 years ago. (Blabbermouth)

CHECK IT OUT: Watch the official trailer for Rob Zombie's The Lords Of Salem:

KRISTEN STEWART CONFIRMS NEW ROLE: Kristen Stewart has revealed
that she has scored the role to play opposite Ben Affleck in Focus. The film is about a veteran con artist who teams up with a young woman who is new to the business.

JAMES VAN DER BEEK SHOOTS DOWN REUNION RUMORS: James Van Der Beek spoke to Anderson Cooper and made it known that he's sick of being asked about a Dawson's
Creek reunion. He explained, "Well because there is no real good answer. Nobody is writing it, nobody's producing it. It's just stupid."

'IRON MAN 3' CASTS ITS VILLAIN: Chinese character actor Wang Xuegui has been cast to play the role of Dr. Wu in Iron Man 3. He can currently be seen in Caught in the Web -- China's official entry to the foreign language film category for the Oscars

CAN BEER FIGHT VIRUSES? Could drinking spuds help protect you from catching a cold this
winter? A new study cited by Sapporo Breweries, which operates out of Tokyo, Japan, says the compound humulone, found in beer, is effective in fighting against respiratory syncytial virus or RSV. RSV can cause pneumonia and bronchitis in infants and children, and cold-like
symptoms in adults. There is a catch though - the amount of humulone found in beer is so small that a person would have to drink about 30-cans of beer to get its protective effect. (Fox News)

COULD CHOCOLATE HAVE THE SAME EFFECTS AS VIAGRA? A Swiss-chocolate maker is claiming it might be possible to create a "turbo-charged chocolate" which would act like an erectile dysfunction drug when eaten. The chocolate-maker, Barry Callebaut, says that
when chocolate is produced, cocoa flavanols are usually removed, but that the flavanols help maintain normal blood flow in the body. Viagra works with chemicals that produce the same reaction in the body, only in a more targeted way. Callebaut says this could mean men will be swapping little blue pills for chocolate in the future. (The Stir)

IN 2014 YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO TEXT 9-1-1 YOUR EMERGENCY: The Federal Communication Commission, or F-C-C, says four major U.S. mobile service carriers have set up a service to allow people to send text messages to the emergency call center 9-1-1. The FCC says AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile are expected to have the service available nationwide by May of 2014. The change is expected to help people with hearing or speech disabilities in particular. For now, the only way to reach 9-1-1 emergency services is via a phone call. (Reuters)

THE SURPRISING THING THAT COULD GET YOU HIRED: Researchers from Northwestern University asked 120-professionals at law practice, banks, and consulting firms what qualities they value most when looking to hire someone. Over half the time, employers said the valued "cultural fit." This translates into how well you fit with the company's energy or how well you get along with the interviewer. The study's lead author, Lauren Rivera, Ph.D., says this is due to a psychological effect termed "merit is me," which means most employers assume they are the model of the ideal candidate, so they look for candidates who are most like themselves. (Men's Health)