The Weekly News Roundup - week of April 25 - 29

Ripley's Belieb It or Not

- Justin Bieber and Rascal Flatts got a CMT Music Award nomination for their collaboration, "That Should Be Me." So, I guess it is them. If they win, anyway. (JSYK)

- The Bieb is working on a new album that will be released later this year! Rumor has it the new album will actually have new material, and will not be a re-re-re-re-remix of his old stuff. (JSYK)

- His stint on CSI did lead to bigger and better things! First Ashton recruited him for a movie, and now Mark Wahlberg is jumping on the bandwagon, putting together a Paramount movie with himself and the one and only Bieber. (Cambio)

- During one of his concerts in Indonesia, JB performed a bit of Selena Gomez's song "Who Says," much to the dismay of the crowd who wanted to hear "Baby" and who also, presumably, want to believe he's still single and saving himself for them. (JSYK)

- Bieber tweeted his phone number and told his fans to call, except it totally wasn't his phone number it was his friend's and it was a birthday prank OMG LOL HE'S SO FUNNY! (Cambio)

Movies

- The trailer for Harry Potter 7.2 is out! Watch it. (JSYK)

- And the new trailer for X-Men: First Class! Hooray James McAvoy! (Cambio)

- Kristin Stewart thinks the birthing scene in Breaking Dawn isn't gross/graphic/nightmarish enough, and says it would have been so much more awesome if the movie were R-rated. Yeahno, I don't think that's necessary at all. At. All. (Cambio)

- In a publicity stunt that hopefully will become standard practice for movie promotion blitzes,Hayley Kiyoko and 15 dancers did a flash-mob in the Grove's Apple store to promote "Lemonade Mouth." It didn't make the movie any better, but it entertained a few people. (JSYK)

- The official poster for Monte Carlo makes Selena Gomez look like a kneeless dwarf. I'm not kidding. (Cambio)

- Emma Watson will be transferring out of Brown University in order to take courses not offered there. Even though you can totally just take courses elsewhere and transfer the credits in and graduate from Brown. But she's smart, I'm sure she thought of that option... (JSYK)

- Elizabeth Banks is the latest star signed on to The Hunger Games, joining Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, and Oscar-nominee Jennifer Lawrence. Yep, this is gonna be the next Twilight Potter. (Cambio)

Music

- The band Hot Chelle Rae released the video for their latest single "Tonight Tonight," featuring the one and only Chord Overstreet. A hell of a get, until you find out that Chord's brother is the lead guitarist in the band. (JSYK)

- Train and Maroon 5 will co-headline a giant national tour this summer, starting in July and wrapping up in Houston in September. Good call waiting that long to get to H-town - it'll probably have cooled off to like 95 degrees there by then. (Cambio)

- Chris Brown smacked down rumors that he'd proposed to his girlfriend Karrueche Tran. Too soon? (Cambio)

- Britney Spears is also apparently not engaged, she's just a fan of sparkly jewelry. (Cambio)

TV

- On Fallon this week, Daniel Radcliffe showed the world he's not just a movie star and Broadway actor - he also does stand-up. Or he did, anyway, making his first attempt at the art form right there on national television. Bold. (JSYK)

- Former American Idol Jennifer Hudson wants to return to TV as a guest judge on Simon's new show X-Factor. I'm sensing some complex motivations at work there. (Cambio)

- "The Voice" premiered this week, and according to my Facebook NewsFeed, it's pretty damn good. (Cambio)

Trends

- Now Ryan Phillippe is going to quit acting. Boy I tell ya, if they aren't quitting Twitter, they're quitting acting, and if they aren't quitting acting, they're having babies. (Cambio)

- Speaking of which, Kate Hudson is expecting her second child later this year, and has announced she will take a break from making movies for a while in order to be more present in the raising of her children. Can't wait to see The Onion article about the upcoming Rom-Com shortage. (Cambio)

- Even Justin Guarini is a parent now. I know, I forgot about Idol Season 1, too! (Cambio)

- Hayden Panettiere warned her fans this week not to get foreign-language tattoos in foreign countries, after learning that her Italian-language tattoo (which she got in Italy) is spelled wrong. Fantastically, the tattoo was supposed to read "live without regrets." I <3 irony. So, so much. (Cambio)

Awesome

- Heather found this awesome story about a Dutch soccer team signing this 18-month-oldto a 10-year contract after seeing the video of him kicking soccer balls into his toy box. If you only watch one video from this week's news, make it this one. (Yahoo Sports)

- Jamie Oliver is winning! He went on Jimmy Kimmel this week with the LAUSD Superintendent, who announced that when the school board convenes in July, he'll recommendbanning flavored milk, as part of a bid to cub childhood obesity. (TweenTribune)

- And an intrepid duck in Medina, Ohio, built a nest on a pile of mulch bags outside a supermarket, and she ain't movin. The momma Mallard has laid 10 eggs in the nest, and the store has put a sign next to the bags, urging customers to leave the duck alone and get their mulch from another pile. Go ducks go! (TweenTribune)

- A British woman vacationing in Florida saved a 1-year-old's life, catching the little girl after she fell from a 4th story balcony. This is not recommended as replacement entertainment during the NFL lockout. (TweenTribune)

Movies Opening This Weekend (imdb)

Fast Five

Prom

Hoodwinked Too! Hood VS Evil

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (limited)

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (limited)

13 Assassins (limited)

Sympathy for Delicious (NY/LA)

The Robber (NY/SF)

Top 10 Movies in the Box Office Last Weekend (imdb)

1. Rio

2. Big Momma's Big Happy Family

3. Water For Elephants

4. Hop

5. Scream 4

6. African Cats

7. Soul Surfer

8. Hanna

9. Insidious

10. Source Code

The Weekly News Roundup - week of April 18 - 22

Movies

- James Franco isn't satisfied with having a BA from UCLA, an MFA from Columbia, and his impending PhD from Yale - he has enrolled at the University of Houston in their literature and creative writing department, seeking his second PhD. He also turned 33 on Tuesday. Is there anything he isn't currently doing? (Cambio)

- Blake Lively was just cast in Oliver Stone's upcoming movie "Savages." Lindsay Lohansays she'd had her heart set on the role, but someone should tell Lindsay that so did everyone else, and she had the same chance they did. (Cambio)

- A remake of "Total Recall" is in the works, with Colin Farrell in the Schwarzenegger role, and Kate Beckinsale subbing in for Sharon Stone. I'm thinking Oscars for everyone! (Cambio)

- This week we finally learned that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will not play the Riddler in Batception, but will play a Gotham police officer instead. Marion Cotillard will also join the cast, as a high-powered socialite. This could be the best Nolan Batman yet! Especially when Batman has to enter Bane's dreams and plant the idea that he has to leave Gotham City. (Cambio)

Music

- Friends of the show Augustana have released the video for their song "Steal Your Heart." Check it. (TeenVogue)

- Nick Jonas co-wrote and produced Charice's new song "One Day", but he doesn't sing on it. DEALBREAKER. (JSYK)

- Before opening for Selena Gomez on her summer tour, All Star Weekend will do their own headlining tour around North America, starting May 14 in Burlington, VT, and including 16 dates before they join Selena on July 24. Yeah but I headlined five tours around both Americas, so... (JSYK)

- And they're smart to strike out on their own, because Selena Gomez said in an interview recently that she would like to stop touring as a musician and focus on her acting career instead. (Cambio)

- In a recent interview with Time Magazine, Justin Bieber said he thought the most influential person in the world is Charlie Sheen because, and I'm completely serious here, Charlie got a million Twitter followers in a day, has tiger blood, and is "always winning." My mind is boggled. I keep forgetting he's just some teenager. (JSYK) This may or may not have had anything to do with Bieber being named to Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world, alongside Blake Lively, the soon-to-be-wed royal couple, and of course Obama and Oprah. (Cambio)

- The Ready Set has released the video for their single "Young Forever." W00t. (JSYK)

- Mere weeks after Justin Bieber surprised Willow Smith on stage during one of her concerts, Joel Madden did the same to the Bieb during his concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Way to be original, Joel. (Cambio)

- Lady Gaga has apologized for using the word "retarded" during an interview with British music mag NME. But only after a bunch of advocacy groups got completely up in arms over it. She used the word in reference to people thinking she totally ripped off Madonna for "Born This Way." Riiiight. I'm starting a pool on how long she has left before her career completely implodes. Who wants in? (Cambio)

- And Rihanna's song "S&M" went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, her 10th chart-topper in under 5 years, which is the fastest a solo artist has ever managed to get 10 #1 hit songs. Of course, the Beatles did it in under two years. Just sayin. (Cambio)

TV

- Chris Colfer wrote a pilot for the Disney Channel called "The Little Leftover Witch," based on a children's book, and the pilot is due to start shooting soon. Because it's always that easy. (JSYK)

- Apparently JLo has been enjoying her American Idol gig, because she has signed a deal to develop a TV series searching for untapped musical talent in Latin America. Where have I heard that concept before?? (Cambio)

- Matthew Morrison is campaigning to get Adele to guest star on Glee. That wouldn't suck. (Cambio)

- Demi Lovato will not be returning to her show "Sonny With a Chance," and will instead focus on her music. It is unclear whether she or Disney made that decision, but she's making the best of it. (Cambio)

Trendz

- The biggest star on YouTube this week was a little penguin named Cookie, who laughs when tickled. It's adorable. (TweenTribune)

- Lauren Conrad has launched a new beauty website, TheBeautyDepartment.com, which aims to give beauty tips and tutorials on hair & makeup to girls, because, as Lauren said, she never learned how to do these things properly when she was young and the results weren't always great. Her words, not mine. (JSYK)

- In an effort to curb childhood obesity, schools in Malaysia will start adding the student'sBody-Mass Index to their report card, so that their parents will know if the child needs to change their eating patterns. The government has already banned fast-food and sugary soft drinks from school cafeterias, and they hope adding the BMI to report cards will further help to reverse trends in childhood obesity. (TweenTribune)

Doing Good

- Richard Branson is creating a lemur colony on Moskito Island, his uninhabited island in the Caribbean. That felt like a MadLib. Lemurs are endangered primates, and this new colony will be the only wild lemurs outside of Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. (TweenTribune)

Movies Opening This Weekend (imdb)

Water for Elephants

Madea's Big Happy Family

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (limited)

African Cats

Incendies (limited)

Stake Land (limited)

When Harry Tries to Marry (NY/LA)

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (limited)

Top 10 in the Box Office Last Weekend (imdb)

1. Rio

2. Scream 4

3. Hop

4. Hanna

5. Soul Surfer

6. Arthur

7. Insidious

8. Source Code

9. Your Highness

10. Limitless

The Weekly News Roundup - week of April 11 - 15

Movies

- Tom Hanks' production company bought the movie rights to the Green Day Broadway musical "American Idiot." I hope it turns out exactly like "That Thing You Do!" (Cambio)

- The trailer is out for Selena Gomez and Cory Monteith's upcoming movie "Monte Carlo." Watch it. Or don't. (JSYK)

Music

- Taylor Swift bought her parents a $1.4M home in Nashville, not too far from her condo. Careful, Tay. If you give a mouse a cookie... (JSYK)

- Yellowcard and Good Charlotte will co-headline a 5-week tour starting in June. (JSYK)

TV

- Miranda Cosgrove has been accepted to NYU and USC, but hasn't decided which one she'll attend yet. What Would Carly Do? (JSYK) Especially since "iCarly" was just renewed for a 5th season? (Cambio)

- Kelly Ripa is devastated that "All My Children" was cancelled. Toootally forgot she used to be on that show! (Cambio)

- Kim Kardashian is reportedly already shopping for wedding dresses and knows what kind of engagement ring she wants from basketball player boyfriend Kris Humphries, even though he hasn't popped the question. No word yet whether she's trying for her own spin-off series on E!, or whether she's at all freaked out that her boyfriend spells his name the same way as her mom. (Cambio)

Tech

- That Flip cam is now a collector's item - Cisco announced this week that it is discontinuing production of Flips. It seems they were no match for the video recording prowess of smartphones. (JSYK)

Trends

- Justin Bieber is the latest celeb to take a Twitter break (or "Twake"), and somehow people are blaming Israel. Typical. (JSYK)

- Soccer is now the #1 sport among tween girls who have watched this video. (JSYK)

- Glee + Flash Mob = Glee Flash Mob (JSYK)

Cashing In

- Cody Simpson is now a breakfast cereal. Cody Crunch. It's an appalling part of a healthy breakfast! (JSYK)

Movies Opening This Weekend (imdb)

Rio

Scream 4

Henry's Crime (limited)

The Conspirator (limited)

Top 10 in the Box Office Last Weekend

1. Hop

2. Hanna

3. Arthur

4. Soul Surfer

5. Insidious

6. Your Highness

7. Source Code

8. Limitless

9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 Rodrick Rules

10. The Lincoln Lawyer

The Weekly News Roundup - week of April 4 - 8

TV

- Gregg Sulkin had to leave the Wizards of Waverly Place set yesterday afternoon for an emergency appendectomy. The surgery was a success, and the now appendix-free actor will return to the show soon. (Cambio)

- In an interview with the Daily Mail, Betty White said she's disgusted by "ungrateful" starslike Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen, who take their success for granted and don't appreciate their fame. Amen, sista. (Cambio)

- Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham isn't done exposing the torrid details of her life for profit - since TV is so limiting, she's now writing an autobiography. I think this'll be the Great American Novel, don't you? (JSYK)

- The notorious Justin Bieber put in an appearance on the season premiere of Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory on MTV, and to the shock and surprise of absolutely no one, JB managed to complete the missions set to him, and won the prize: a 3-wheeled purple motorcycle. (JSYK)

- Selena Gomez sang "Who Says" during a guest appearance on Dancing With the Stars this week. Hooray. (JJJ)

- Tina Fey is pregnant with her second child. No word yet how this will affect Liz Lemon's quest for love. (Cambio)

Movies

- Hailee Steinteld has been cast in an independent production of Romeo & Juliet, to be shot (poor word choice) in Italy later this year. (JSYK)

- Robert Pattinson is pissed off that photos from the Breaking Dawn set were leaked online, and is saying as much to everyone in earshot. Seems like an overreaction, but I hear that's a good way to get an Oscar a few years down the line. (Cambio)

- Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth were cast in The Hunger Games this week, joining the recently-announced Jennifer Lawrence. (JSYK)

- Will Smith is teaming up with his son Jaden again, this time for a sci-fi movie with M. Night Shyamalan. What they don't realize is that M Night has actually been a dead alien the whole time. (JJJ)

- The trailer is out for Selena Gomez's movie "Monte Carlo." (Cambio)

- The latest addition to the cast of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is Mae Whitman. (...her?) She joins Emma Watson and Logan Lerman. (JJJ)

Music

- Matthew Morrison is doing a solo tour this summer, and he wants regional glee clubs to open for him in each city. The contest to be chosen begins today, so submit your videos now! (JSYK)

- Selena Gomez isn't sure whether she'll record a duet with her boyfriend Justin Bieber. This is not news. (JSYK)

- Taylor Swift won Entertainer of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards last weekend. She responded with well-produced gushing about her fans. (JSYK)

- Nicki Minaj is the latest performer to be mentioned as a possible Enrique substitute on Britney Spears's tour this summer. Turns out Usher hasn't signed up for the tour yet. I stand by last week's speculation as to why. (Cambio)

- Dolce & Gabbana will throw Justin Bieber a party in Milan after his concert there on Saturday just because he's such a good kid and wears their clothing on the red carpet all the time. (JSYK)

- A new study at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine showed a very strong correlation between teen depression and listening to a lot of music, but they did not figure out whether listening to that much music causes depression, or whether depressed teens use music as an escape. But if they're listening to The Cure, I bet I know which way the causality goes. (JSYK)

Wait, What?

- When her parents wouldn't get her a horse, a 15-year-old in Germany spent two years training the family's cow to jump gates as if it were a horse. It's cray-cray for totes. (JSYK)

- Miley isn't getting enough attention, so she reactivated her Twitter account and is trying to get one million followers by next week. C'mon people, LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN! (JSYK)

- Rutgers University is paying Nobel-winning novelist Toni Morrison $30,000 to do their commencement address this spring, but they paid $#%@ing Snooki $32,000 to just show up and yak about GTL and her hair. Seriously. Because apparently they believe none of this crop of Rutgers students will ever win a Nobel, but if they set their minds to it, they might just be able to achieve an Oompa Loompa shade of orange like the Snookster. (TweenTribune)

- The Boy Scouts of America organization is introducing a new merit badge next week:robotics! In addition to actually being fun for once, the badge will promote science, technology, engineering, and math. (TweenTribune)

Doing Good

- Kelly Clarkson visited an orphanage in South Africa recently. The House of Hope looks after abused and abandoned children with HIV in Cape Town. (Cambio)

- A new PSA by the New Boyz (timed to coincide with the release of their album "Too Cool to Care") urges teens to embrace their originality, be themselves, and be Too Cool to Care (and presumably buy the album and quote it and get that meme going). (JSYK)

- Darren Criss will perform with the Yale Glee Club at a gala in San Francisco in May to benefit an anti-bullying NPO and one that strives to get teens thinking about social issues in a productive way and to help them make healthier life choices. (JSYK)

- The Smithsonian and MIT have created a massive online science game for middle schoolers that already has thousands of participants despite not launching until 4/11. The game requires students to gather clues at their local museums, then collaborate in online forums with kids across the country, and to use critical thinking and problem-solving to figure out the mystery. I'll admit, I'm very very jealous and want to play, too. (TweenTribune)

Movies Opening This Weekend (imdb)

Your Highness

Arthur

Hanna

Born to be Wild

Soul Surfer

Meek's Cutoff (NY/LA)

Ceremony (NY/LA)

Top 10 in the Box Office Last Weekend (imdb)

1. Hop

2. Source Code

3. Insidious

4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules

5. Limitless

6. The Lincoln Lawyer

7. Sucker Punch

8. Rango

9. Paul

10. Battle: Los Angeles

The Weekly News Roundup - week of March 28 - April 1

TV

- Jenelle Evans from Teen Mom season 2 was arrested for breaking in & entering and marijuana possession, and ceded guardianship of her kid to her mother, but now she's gone and actually done something bad. Over the weekend, she was videotaped beating the crap out of a girl, allegedly because the girl was flirting with Jenelle's boyfriend, and of course the video made the rounds on the internet. I'm so glad we're giving today's youth role models like this on television, aren't you? (JSYK)

- Betty White is the host and EP of a new prank show on NBC called "Off Their Rockers". In the show, a group of senior citizens plays practical jokes on unsuspecting young rubes. Although this sounds like a joke pitch, I'm assured it is in fact real. (Cambio)

- There was a big ol' article about Miranda Cosgrove in last Sunday's New York Times magazine. Interesting stuff! (NYTimes)

Music

- Bieber's latest prank victim is Willow Smith, but it's more of a surprise than a prank. During her concert in Manchester (UK) last week, Biebs, Scooter, Jaden Smith, and another Bieber entourage member all joined Willow on stage for "Whip Your Hair". Bieber even added some cowbell to the tune. pranking starts 1:30 in. Willow has vowed revenge. (JSYK)

- Katy Perry released the video for her song "E.T." this week. It's every bit as bland, literal, and low-budget-looking as you'd expect from a video by Mrs. Brand featuring Kanye. (Cambio)

- Enrique Iglesias opted out of Britney Spears' tour this summer. Undaunted, Britney invitedUsher to join her instead. No word on whether she realizes he's a performer, or if she thinks he'll just help steer her to the stage every night. (Cambio)

- Taylor Swift's album sales passed the 20,000,000 mark this week. She was presented with a plaque commemorating the event backstage before her concert in London on Wednesday. 3 albums, 20 million copies. Damn, son. That's a lot of love. (Cambio)

Movies

- John Travolta officially signed on to play John Gotti in Nick Cassavetes' upcoming biopic of the "alleged" mobster. (Cambio)

- Russel Brand has two more comedies currently in development, and he told reporters he wants to direct both films. I'm sure as an actor he's prepared for that job. After all, I've had lots of dental work done over the years, which has fully qualified me to be a dentist. (Cambio)

- Batman is getting re-re-booted. After next year's "The Dark Knight Rises," Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale will be done with their trilogy, and Warner Brothers will "reinvent" the franchise yet again. Because clearly that was necessary. Um... (Cambio)

- Hide your kids, hide your wife: Justin Bieber is in talks to star in an R-rated comedy withAshton Kutcher called "What Would Kenny Do?" about a 17-year-old who meets a hologram (claiming to be his 30-year-old future self), who helps him navigate high school and whatever will get them an R rating. (CNN)

- James Franco will actually be a professor at NYU, teaching a directing class to 3rd year grad students. This portion of his inevitable biopic will be very boring, but will probably introduce the romantic foil who will carry us into Act 2. (Cambio)

- Jennifer Garner will play Miss Marple in an upcoming "reimagining" of Agatha Christie's classic detective stories. Because if there's one actress who springs to mind when you think of an old unassuming biddy from the English countryside who can investigate and solve crimes undetected because no one would think such a nice old lady would be doing anything like that, it's Jennifer Garner. (Cambio)

- The latest addition to the Superman cast is Amy Adams as Lois Lane. (Cambio)

In the Series of Tubes

- Tyler "Tornado Boy" Tubbs blew up online this week after he posted a video he shot as a tornado touched down next to his home in western Pennsylvania. The video has gotten almost 400,000 hits on YouTube, and has been mentioned on GMA and Jimmy Kimmel. Spoiler Alert: he survived the twister. (JSYK)

- This week, Amazon.com released their new products: Cloud Drive and Cloud Player. Cloud Drive is basically an online external hard drive, much like Google Docs but with more structure, and it can be accessed using any browser. You can store everything up there including music, and use Cloud Player to play that music on any web-enabled device. 5GB free, or pay for up to 1000 GB. (Cambio)

- While the Egyptian cobra was on the loose this week after escaping her cage in the Bronx Zoo, she popped up on Twitter, under the name @BronxZoosCobra. I'll admit, I was a big fan, and I wasn't alone - over 200,000 followers kept up with the cobra's adventures around NYC. (Twitter)

- My other online obsession right now is the website for Sokoblovsky Farms, Russia's Finest Purveyors of Miniature Lap Giraffes (like the one seen in those DirecTV ads). The site has a giraffe-cam, where you can watch the tiny Vladimir in his enclosure on the farm. Seriously, check it out. And as they say, "if not see him, don't worry he come back." You will, too. Nearly half a million people have signed up to be on the waiting list for their very own miniature lap giraffe. Awesome.

- Jackie Chan is not dead, although he was the latest celeb to get an "RIP" trending topic on Twitter this week. Glad he's still with us. (Cambio)

Trends

- President Obama wants to overhaul the current national education laws, and reduce the amount of standardized testing. Tests would be administered every few years instead of annually, and schools would also be assessed by other measures, like attendance. Representatives of the manufacturers of #2 pencils could not be reached for comment. (TweenTribune)

- Teen hospital visits due to complications from use of the drug Ecstasy increased 74% between 2004 and 2008. I, for one, am impressed. That's a hell of an increase. (JSYK)

Doing Good

- Miranda Cosgrove is the face of Nickelodeon's new anti-bullying TV campaign. (Cambio)

Movies Opening This Weekend

Hop

Source Code

Insidious

Super

In A Better World (NY/LA)

Cat Run (limited)

Rubber (NY/LA/Austin)

Trust (limited)

Top 10 in the box office last weekend

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules

2. Sucker Punch

3. Limitless

4. The Lincoln Lawyer

5. Rango

6. Paul

7. Battle: Los Angeles

8. Red Riding Hood

9. The Adjustment Bureau

10. Mars Needs Moms