The Weekly News Roundup - week of February 7 - 11

The Republic of Biebistan

- Quick, find a Wal-Mart! A new expanded version of the Justin Bieber comic book, "Fame: Justin Bieber" is now available, but only at the Wal-Mart. And while you're there you can also pick up the latest colors of his nail polish line. Just sayin. (JSYK)

- And in case you wanted a Bieber doll with touchable hair, the wait is almost over! In August, we'll all be able to buy JB dolls with "real" hair, red carpet duds and casual wear, and accessories like a skateboard or sunglasses. (JSYK)

- A new track called "Dr. Bieber" has been leaked online. Instead of talking about babies, it discusses the epidemic of Bieber Fever sweeping the nation. Shawty Mane reports. (JSYK)

- Bieber is on the cover of Mad Magazine. Or, the Mad guy is, but with a Bieber haircut. Either way, it's kind of awesome. (JSYK)

- Guess who has been asked to be the littlest Harlem Globetrotter! Well, he'll be a "Junior Globetrotter", sitting on the bench for the game and meeting all the players. Adorbs, as the kids say. (Cambio)

- JB and JS (Jon Stewart) swapped bodies for a Very Special Intro to the Daily Show. Twitter reference! (Teen)

- Continuing his media blitz, Bieber taught Regis and Kelly how to dougie. (video here, dancing kicks in around 12:15) (Cambio)

- And then he went over to Jimmy Kimmel where he got his head "shaved." (Cambio)

Movies

- Emma Watson confirmed she's been cast in the movie "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," which will film this summer. (JSYK)

- Selena Gomez has been cast in the movie "13 Reasons Why", which is based on the YA novel by Jay Asher. (4Tnz)

- "I Am Number Four" co-stars Diana Agron and Alex Pettyfer are a real-life couple, but contrary to other rumors, they are not engaged. Yet. (Teen)

- The new "X-Men: First Class" trailer is out, and it promises to at the very least be a lot better than X3. (Cambio)

- And the new trailer was released for Disney's "Prom." (Cambio)

Music

- Big Time Rush just released a music video for their newest single "Boyfriend," featuringSnoop Dogg. (JSYK)

- After 3 years, Panic at the Disco finally has a new single called "The Ballad of Mona Lisa", and they've released the video for it, too. (JSYK)

- During his concert at Madison Square Garden on Monday, Prince pulled someone namedKim Kardashian up on stage out of the audience. The fan was too shocked to dance, but so are a lot of people when they meet celebrities. (Cambio)

- Lady Gaga's new single "Born This Way" came out today, and according to every single person in my Facebook News Feed, it's a complete ripoff of Madonna's "Express Yourself." (Cambio and Facebook)

- Ashlee Simpson filed for divorce from Pete Wentz. I guess that counts as "music" "news." (Cambio)

TV

- Miley Cyrus will host SNL on March 5th, but is not slated to be the musical guest. I wonder if they could get Hannah Montana to play a few songs... (JSYK)

- Glee is back on tour this summer. The kids will be on stage starting May 21 in Las Vegas, and ending June 18th in the booming metropolis of Uniondale, NY. (JSYK)

- The series "Teen Wolf" will premiere June 5th on MTV, right after the MTV Movie Awards. (JJJ)

Video Games

- The iconic game Guitar Hero is being discontinued, losing the battle to Rock Band and to pretty much any game involving guns. (TweenTribune)

Trends

- A study shows that teens who have dogs get more exercise than teens who do not. No word on whether the study was sponsored by the Department of Common Sense. (JSYK)

- Building off the success of her line of shoes, Jessica Simpson is now designing prom dresses for the masses. (Cambio)

- The Kids Choice Award Nominees were announced this week. Voting begins March 1, with the ceremony on April 2 hosted by Mr. Jack Black. Full list of nominees here. (Cambio)

Doing Good

- A group of elementary school and secondary school students in Canada did a flash-mob at the Oakridge Center mall in Vancouver, but what made this one special was its message. Wearing pink shirts with the word "acceptance" on it, the kids danced to Bruno Mars' song "Just the Way You Are", all to spread an anti-bullying message. (JSYK)

- David Beckham made a more personal impact this week. A car carrying a Dad and his two kids broke down in the middle of a busy roundabout near Beckham's home in England, and Becks helped push the car to safety. (Cambio)

Magazines

- Chord Overstreet (Chord? Really? Who names their kid (or themselves) Chord??) has an extensive spread in the new issue of VMAN. (JSYK)

- There's a lovely article about Willow Smith in the March Teen Vogue (Teen Vogue)

- Miley Cyrus is on the cover of Marie Claire (Cambio)

- Vanessa Hudgens is in InStyle, but Julianne Moore is the one on the cover (JJJ)

Movies Opening this Weekend (imdb)

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

Gnomeo and Juliet

Just Go With It

Cedar Rapids (limited)

The Eagle

Top 10 in the Box Office Last Weekend (imdb)

1. The Roommate

2. Sanctum

3. No Strings Attached

4. The King's Speech

5. The Green Hornet

6. The Rite

7. The Mechanic

8. True Grit

9. Black Swan

10. The Dilemma

The Weekly News Roundup - week of January 31 - February 4

You Can't Stop the Bieb

- Justin Bieber is not only providing the vocals for the chorus of Sean Kingston's new song "Won't Stop" - he's also rapping in it. And here I was hoping his whole "Shawty Mane" persona was just a joke. (JSYK)

- "Never Say Never" had its Toronto premiere on Tuesday, and its NYC premiere on Wednesday. And here I thought the Snowpocalypse had shut down travel across North America.... (JJJ)

- Bieber tweeted a link to a video he did for the Grammys, where he talks about his early influences and does a cover of "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman. (JSYK)

- He won't confirm or deny that they're dating, but JB will admit that Selena Gomez is one of his best friends. Under some circumstances, that would be a bit of a red flag. (Teen)

- Bieb taught Regis and Kelly how to Dougie. Anyone else hope that when Reg retires this year, JB takes his spot? (Cambio)

- On Letterman this week, Justin denied allegations that he was manufactured by music industry bigwigs. He is a free-range organic pop star. (Cambio)

- To help boost interest in his upcoming film, the young Justin Bieber is releasing a 7-track album called "Never Say Never - The Remixes". Guest artists featured in these remixes include Usher, Miley, Jaden Smith, Rascal Flatts, and others. (Cambio)

TV

- ABC Family has green-lit three new series: "Switched at Birth", "The Great State of Georgia", and most importantly "The Nine Lives of Chloe King," starring the one and onlySkyler Samuels! (Cambio) Chloe King pix here (JJJ)

- It seems that Miley Cyrus has gotten her 4th tattoo. It's on her rib cage, in case anyone cares. (X17)

- Pay close attention to the Super Bowl commercials - the ad for "Rio" will include a special code that will unlock a special level in Angry Birds. Sweet! The actual Angry Birds Rio game will be available in March, and will have 45 levels. (JSYK)

- For the first time in its 45 years, the Super Bowl will have no professional cheerleaderswhatsoever. The cast of "Hellcats" are upset, presumably because now no one will ever want to see cheerleaders ever again. (Cambio)

- Lifetime is making a TV movie about the upcoming royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. No announcement yet on whether they'll also make a movie about Hugh Hefner and his blushing bride-to-be. (Cambio)

- Chloe Moretz just taped a guest spot on 30 Rock, which is apparently located on the corner of Awesome St and Badass Ave. (JJJ)

Music

- Mindless Behavior will open for Janet Jackson on her North American tour. (Cambio)

- The band Hey Monday is releasing a new version of their song "Candles" on iTunes. Yay. (JSYK)

- Selena Gomez uploaded a video of herself rapping along to Nicki Minaj. She's clearly bored and needs a productive hobby. (JSYK)

- Demi Lovato's album "Don't Forget" has gone gold. Not bad for a first album. I mean, it's no platinum... (Cambio)

- Joe Jonas filmed a video for Funny or Die. Keep an eye out for that one. (Cambio)

- According to Perez Hilton, the rumors that Britney Spears had to use a dance-double in her latest music video are completely unfounded. They had to use a double for the scene where she fights herself, but Brit did all he dancing on her own. Whew. (Cambio)

- Gwyneth Paltrow and Cee-Lo will do a song with the Muppets at the Grammys this year. Did that sound like a Mad-Lib to anyone else? (Cambio)

- Also, Selena Gomez will be a Grammy presenter. (JJJ)

- The Academy of Country Music Award nominations were announced this week. If this is in any way relevant to your life, you can check out the full list of nominees here. (Cambio)

Movies

- Henry Cavill will play Superman in the upcoming reboot, but Kristin Stewart will not be his Lois Lane (not because she turned down the role, but because she hasn't been approached to play it yet). (Cambio)

- Halle Berry had to drop out of the film "New Year's Eve" due to an upcoming custody battle, and Katherine Heigl stepped up to take her place. The movie is a sequel to "Valentine's Day" and will star Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, Zac Efron, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Lea Michele. (Cambio)

- Mark Wahlberg has decided to get his high school diploma, and has hired a tutor to help him reach his goal before his kids get their own diplomas. His lack of education certainly hasn't stood between him and success, but it's great that he still wants to go for it. (Cambio)

Extraordinary Ordinary Kids

- A 19-year-old Massachusetts boy saved his 97-year-old neighbor from a house fire. He saw smoke while he was taking out the trash, so he broke into his neighbor's home and guided her outside to safety. Pretty brave, if you ask me. (JSYK)

Doing Good

- Kat Graham is asking fans to join her in donating to The Water Project, a charity that helps communities in underdeveloped countries get access to clean water. Her goal is $5,000. (JSYK)

- Natalie Portman has teamed up with Free the Children, a charity that helps empower girls around the world through education. She is spearheading a new fundraising push that will send girls to FtC's new all-girls high school in Kenya. (Cambio)

- When a 7-year-old iCarly fan couldn't make it to Miranda Cosgrove's concert in Chicago because she couldn't leave the hospital, Miranda brought the concert to the fan, singing three songs just for her in the little girl's hospital room. So sweet. (JJJ)

- Hansen (yes, the band from the '90s) played a free concert at the 100 Club in London, as part of an effort to save the legendary venue from shutting down due to rising rents. So, in order to raise money, they didn't charge anything for tickets. I'm no math scientist, but that just doesn't add up. (Cambio)

Magazines

- Miranda Cosgrove is on the cover of Seventeen

- Ashley Greene will be on the March edition of Teen Vogue.

Movies opening this weekend (imdb)

Sanctum

The Roommate

Cold Weather (NYC only)

The Other Woman (LA/NYC)

The Weekly News Roundup - week of January 24 - 28

TV

- Justin Bieber surprised a fan on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and invited her to his concert in NYC. You know, I think the show "Extreme Makeover: Bieber Edition" would be a huge hit. (Cambio)

- Chloe Moretz will do a guest spot on "30 Rock" (JJJ)

- Not only will there be a special episode of Glee right after the Super Bowl ncalled "Sue Sylvester's Bowl Shuffle", but Lea Michele will also be part of the group of celebrities singing "America the Beautiful" during the Super Bowl Pre-Game Show. (Cambio)

- A week after Kim Kardashian said that "Teen Mom" is a bad influence because it glamorizesteen pregnancy, Rosie O'Donnell defended the series (which she watches with her 13-year-old daughter), saying it is an honest portrayal of the daily struggle of teenage single moms raising babies. (JSYK)

- Demi Lovato has returned home after a stay in a treatment center for emotional and physical issues. She will continue to work with doctors to keep her healthy and balanced. (Cambio)

- John Travolta turned down a guest appearance on "Glee" because they wouldn't give him as much time as he wanted to rehearse his sing & dance number. (Cambio)

Movies

- There are rumors that Kristin Stewart will be cast in the title role in the upcoming "Snow White and the Huntsman." Charlize Theron will play the Evil Queen. (JJJ)

- Now that the Twilight movies are just about done, the next series has been announced: Lionsgate will be producing the film adaptations of the "Hunger Games" series of books, with the first one coming out in March of 2012. (JSYK)

- Inspired by his costar's new haircut, Rupert Grint plans to do a big makeover once the Harry Potter films are completely wrapped. (Cambio)

- Mandy Moore is done with romantic comedies, saying she has "nothing to learn" from them. (Cambio)

Music

- Taylor Swift did a concert on board a Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship while it was docked in Cozumel, Mexico. Sounds like a good excuse for a vacation to me! (JSYK)

Ordinary Extraordinary Kids

- A baby grand piano appeared on a sand bar just off the Miami coast, and it turned out a teenage boy put it there as part of a ploy to make his college applications stand out more. Well, he's certainly gotten a lot of attention for it... (JSYK)

- A chronically ill teenager whose condition has left him with no immune system is attending high school... via robot. The robot goes to class for him, and is not only his eyes and ears in the room, but also allows him to interact with the teachers and students. Maybe the robot uprising won't be so awful after all... (JSYK)

- Connecticut teen Haley Copes designed the "Fight Back" bracelets, which have raised over $2500 in two months for the American Cancer Society. She was inspired to help make a difference after losing both parents to cancer within the space of two years. (JSYK)

Trends

- A high school in Lanaster, PA, is experimenting with segregation. Seriously. For 6 minutes per day, plus 20 minutes twice a month, black students are separated from white students, and they are then further divided by gender. These segregated classes are taught by teachers of the same race, in the thought that under-performing students will be more inspired if taught by teachers of the same race and gender. We shall see... (JSYK)

- Just as Facebook starts introducing the slightly-more-secure https security setting, Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook page got hacked. How awesome is that! The hacker was trying to get Facebook to allow users to invest in the site. (JSYK)

- American students are bad at science and math. So bad, in fact, that President Obama called for 10,000 additional math & science teachers in schools, so America stands half a chance of continuing to be a world leader. (JSYK)

- For the 20th year in a row, Labradors are the most popular dogs in America, according to the American Kennel Club. Let me know if you're in the market for a lab puppy - I know a guy. (JSYK)

Magazines

- Bailee Madison is on the cover of Dream Magazine (JJJ)

- Willow Smith will be in the February Vanity Fair (JJJ)

- Jamie Chung is on the cover of Crunch (JJJ)

- Leighton Meester is on the cover of Nylon (JJJ)

Box Office Top 10 for weekend of Jan 28-30 (imdb)

1. The Rite

2. No Strings Attached

3. The Mechanic

4. The King's Speech

5. True Grit

6. The Dilemma

7. Black Swan

8. The Fighter

9. Yogi Bear

10. TRON: Legacy

Oscar Nominees (full list at oscar.com)

Best Picture

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King's Speech

127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter's Bone

Actor in a Lead Role

Javier Bardem (Biutiful)

Jeff Bridges (True Grit)

Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)

Colin Firth (The King's Speech)

James Franco (127 Hours)

Actor in a Supporting Role

Christian Bale (The Fighter)

John Hawkes (Winter's Bone)

Jeremy Renner (The Town)

Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)

Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)

Actress in a Lead Role

Annette Benning (The Kids Are All Right)

Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)

Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)

Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams (The Fighter)

Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech)

Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

The Weekly News Roundup - week of January 17 - 21

One Bieb To Rule Them All

- Justin Bieber's hair cuts cost $750. Each. And he gets it cut every couple of weeks. For that kind of money, you can get a really good helmet-shaped wig. (PopEater)

- JB will perform during this year's Grammys with Jaden Smith and Usher. I hope he does one of the songs from his movie! (JSYK)

- Also timed to correspond with the release of his movie in February, Justin's line of nail polishis expanding from 6 colors to 14 of them. Girls everywhere are already trying to grow more fingers and toes. (JJJ)

- Last week it was math, and this week Justin is throwing his endorsement in with reading, doing an online reading of The Cat In The Hat for Book-It. What's next? Science?? (JSYK)

- Bieber has hired songwriter Sean Garrett to help reshape his sound because he wants to beJustin Timberlake. I really hope this doesn't come down to a duel. (Cambio)

- Animals Can Make U Smile. Or so says Bieber's PETA ad. (JSYK)

- Two Bieber songs will be on an upcoming episode of "Glee," but the Bieb himself will not put in an appearance. (Cambio)

TV

- Taco Bell has pulled its ads from the broadcast of MTV's new show "Skins" because they didn't think the show was a good match for their brand. This may or may not have been influenced by rumors that parts of the show had to be re-shot because MTV was concerned that the original scenes could count as child pornography. Yes, you read that right: MTV is now airing almost-kiddie-porn, and Taco Bell wants nothing to do with it. (NYTimes)

- Glee's Matthew Morrison will do a free performance at the world-famous The Grove on January 29th at noon. All the cool kids will be there... will we? (Cambio)

- Ashton Kutcher told Leno (and the rest of America) on Wednesday that he's in talks to revive "Punk'd", but with Justin Bieber as the host this time. Turns out Ashton doesn't like having everyone start looking for the cameras every time he's around. (Cambio)

- The "Hannah Montana" finale was on Sunday, and it attracted 6.2 million viewers. Yeah, but can she do magic? (Cambio)

- Jane Lynch said that her Sue Sylvester is based on Simon Cowell. Now that she mentions it, the resemblance is uncanny. (Cambio)

- Regis Philbin is retiring this year. Proving once again that the world will end in 2012. (Cambio)

Music

- Katy Perry has announced dates for her California Dreams 2011 World Tour. She will start in Portugal in February, make her way through Europe, the UK, Australia, and Japan, and will reach the US in June. (Cambio)

- Drake's inspiration for his next album? Winnie the Pooh. On the serious. (Cambio)

Blatant Gossip

- Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal went out to dinner together on Wednesday, sparking rumors that their autumn romance might be back on. (Cambio)

Movies

- Casting was announced for 2 roles in the next Bale-Batman movie: Anne Hathaway will playCatwoman, and Inception's Tom Hardy will play another villain - Bane. (Cambio)

- There are now rumors that Hailee Steinfeld could star in the upcoming movie version of "The Hunger Games." Previous rumors have put Chloe Moretz in the starring role. It would be impossible to go wrong with either one. (MovieFone)

- Will Smith is in talks to produce a remake of "Annie" starring, of course, his daughterWillow. (Cambio)

- Booboo Stewart turned 17 this week, and Fivel threw him a surprise party because she's a good sister. (JSYK)

Trendz

- The Kardashians have recovered from their Kardashian-brand debit card fiasco, and are now introducing their own line of Silly Bandz. There's a pretty good chance that unlike the debit cards, the Silly Bandz won't come with exorbitant hidden fees, but who knows. (JSYK)

- T-Mobile has introduced an app upgrade called DriveSmart Plus. When your car is in motion, the app automatically sends all calls to voicemail, and auto-replies to texts with a message saying that you're currently driving. The app can be overridden in case of emergency, but concerned parents can opt to receive alerts whenever this happens. I this this is a brilliant idea. (Engadget)

- In March, Nintendo will start selling a version of their handheld Nintendo DS system with a3D screen that does not require special glasses. A steal at only $250 (the original price of the Wii), the Nintendo 3DS comes with multiple built-in cameras that can not only capture 3D photos, it can also create a mii avatar of exactly you. Sweeeeeeet. (TweenTribune)

- A new study conducted in Germany showed a very strong link between advertising andteen smoking. The article did not list the scientists who conducted the study, but one of them is believed to be Captain Obvious. (JSYK)

Doing Good

- After one of the characters came out on the show, the cast of Pretty Little Liars recorded a "It Gets Better" PSA. (JSYK)

- Britney Spears is auctioning off the dress she wore in her Radiance ads, and the funds raised will go to help a friend's infant son, who was born with a brain injury. (Cambio)

- New Jersey has named the 3rd week in January "Teen Cancer Awareness Week." No word yet on whether those "I <3 Boobies" bracelets will be mandatory during that week. (JSYK)

Extraordinary Ordinary Kids

- 24 students from Valley Christian High School in San Jose CA have created the first student-designed, self-contained science experiment deemed worthy of heading to the International Space Station. In space. The experiment, which will test whether plants can grow in zero-gravity (or near zero-gravity) is being escorted to the ISS by the Japanese equivalent of NASA, on a shuttle scheduled to take off this week. It will take a week to reach its destination, where it will stay for a month before being brought back down to Earth. What did you do in your science class? Nothing that cool, I bet. (JSYK)

Movies Opening This Weekend (imdb)

The Company Men (Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones)

No Strings Attached (Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher)

The Way Back (Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess)

Top 10 Movies Last Weekend (imdb)

1. The Green Hornet

2. The Dilemma

3. True Grit

4. The King's Speech

5. Black Swan

6. Little Fockers

7. TRON: Legacy

8. Yogi Bear

9. The Fighter

10. Season of the Witch

Side note - how often do you get three Best Picture contenders in the box office top 5 (or 4 in the top 10) at this time of year? Makes me happy.

JSYK = http://www.jsyk.com/

PopEater = http://www.popeater.com/

Engadget = http://www.engadget.com/

TweenTribune = http://tweentribune.com/

JJJ = http://justjaredjr.buzznet.com/

Cambio = http://www.cambio.com/news/

The Weekly News Roundup - week of January 10 - 14

It's All About the Bieb-World

- Justin Bieber did a special edition "bookazine" called "Justin Bieber: My Private World" with Us Weekly, including an interview and photo shoot. (JSYK)

- Bieber is also on the cover of Scholastic MATH magazine. In the interview, he talks about how math factors into wind chill, which is important when you love hockey as much as he does. I keep forgetting he's Canadian. (JJJ)

- Bieber is returning to CSI, reprising his role as "troubled teen Jason McCann", and this time he gets a black eye. (JJJ) While on set on Wednesday, Bieber had an allergic reaction and had to be rushed to the hospital. He was totally fine, and was released within an hour. (Yahoo)

- Not only is Bieber on the cover of Vanity Fair, he's also guest-editing their Facebook page. (JSYK)

- Although one of Bieber's songs will be featured in an upcoming episode, there will not be a wall-to-wall Bieber episode of "Glee," but only because he doesn't have a big enough catalog of work yet. (JJJ)

TV

- It doesn't premiere until Monday, but the Parents Television Council is already calling MTV's "Skins" the "most dangerous show for teens." There's no such thing as bad publicity? (JSYK)

- Selena Gomez's Twitter and Facebook accounts got hacked this week, and the hackers posted a bunch of hateful and profantity-laden messages. Selena has since deleted all the fake messages and changed her passwords. Just goes to show it pays not to use the password "password." (Cambio)

- ABC Family has renewed "Pretty Little Liars" and "Secret Life of the American Teenager." (Cambio)

- Lea Michele has publicly apologized for snubbing True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld when she asked Lea for an autograph. No word on whether she also sent that autograph... (JJJ)

Music

- Taylor Swift released the video for "Back to December," the second single off Speak Now. It's rumored to be an apology song to ex-bf Taylor Lautner. (JSYK)

- Billboard and Nielsen Soundscreen named Taylor Swift the top-selling artist of 2010 (for the 2nd time in 3 years) and the most-played artist of 2010 (for the 2nd year in a row). She is also the top-selling digital artist (most paid-for downloads) in history. (JSYK)

- Cody Simpson turned 14 this week. (JSYK)

- Timbaland wants to work with Joe Jonas. (Cambio)

Awards

- The 2011 NAACP Image Award nominations have been announced. The nominees for Best New Recording Artist are Willow Smith, Jason Derulo, B.o.B., Bruno Mars, and Nicki Minaj. Various acting nominations went out to Victoria Justice, Keke Palmer, Selena Gomez, and Jaden Smith. (JJJ)

- The nominees for the 2011 BAFTA Rising Stars Award are Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, Gemma Arterton, Tom Hardy, and Aaron Johnson. (JJJ)

Trends

- We're not the only ones getting decimated by illness! A high school in Hudsonville, Michigan closed down for two days this week after almost 200 students (23% of the student body) had to stay home sick on Tuesday. That's just bananas. (JSYK)

- Just like in "A Christmas Story," an 8-year-old kid in Oklahoma got his tongue stuck to a metal pole after he licked it on a dare. No word whether it was a driple-dog-dare. (Tween Tribune)

- A new study showed that drinking soda and other sugary drinks significantly raises teens' risk of heart disease when they get older. (JSYK)

- According to a recent study, 10% of abstinent teens contracted STDs last year, and that isn't even counting all the abstinent teens who got pregnant like Bristol Palin. (JSYK)

- I'm not sure how to classify this one, but Coca Cola has introduced a free app called "Crammer Keeper" to help kids study. Basically, you enter a list or notes you need to remember (like in biology Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, etc), and the app will put it to a catchy tune to help you remember it. As if caffeine wasn't addictive enough... (JSYK)

- The zodiac signs changed! Or they didn't, depending who you ask. But a lot of people are convinced the old calculations were wrong, so now we all have to change our personalities. (Cambio)

Cashing In

- "Teen Mom" star Gary (Amber's babydaddy) is starting his own line of daddy-daughter clothing called "Gary Time." It will feature clocks. Between this and all those birds dying, I'm pretty sure 2012 is arriving ahead of schedule. (JSYK)

- There's going to be a "Glee" line of nail polish. Because why not. (Teen)

Last Weekend's Box Office (imdb)

1. True Grit

2. Little Fockers

3. Season of the Witch

4. TRON: Legacy

5. Black Swan

6. Country Strong

7. The Fighter

8. Yogi Bear

9. The King's Speech

10. Tangled

Opening This Weekend

The Green Hornet

The Dilemma

Barney's Version

Ong Bak 3

A Somewhat Gentle Man

The Weekly News Roundup - week of January 3

Bieber

- After months of denying any romance between them, Bieber and Selena Gomez were photographed kissing and snuggling. Predictably, she was promptly issued death threats via Twitter. I really wish I were making that last part up. (JSYK)

- A British animator made a 46-second YouTube vid called "The Justin Bieber Show" which is one of the oddest and most disturbing things I've seen this week. Me, and 1.4 million other people, apparently. (JSYK)

OMG

- Newly-found bone fragments have been sent off for DNA testing to see if they belonged toAmelia Earhart. They were found on the same tiny South Pacific island where other artifacts have been found that may have belonged to Earhart. It could be months before the DNA test results come back, but it would be pretty cool if it were a match. (Tween Tribune)

- A flock of 4-5,000 birds fell out of the sky in Arkansas on New Year's Eve, apparently from "massive trauma." In another part of the state, 100,000 fish washed up dead on the banks of the Arkansas River, although in that case disease is the suspected cause. The End Of Days conspiracy theories are fantastic! (CNN)

Movies

- Natalie Portman is pregnant and engaged. The mourning on Facebook and Twitter was astonishing. (Cambio)

Theater

- The actors in the Broadway musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" have been dropping like flies. After sustaining a concussion, the lead actress left the show at the end of December, and she was one of the lucky ones - the latest Spider-Man cracked ribs and had internal bleeding after a 20-foot fall during a performance, and two other Spider-Men before him were seriously injured by a sling-shot effect. Oh, and they're still in previews. The show officially opens February 7th. (NYTimes)

Sports (!!!)

- 14-year-old golfer Jim Liu became the youngest Junior Amateur Champion, beating Tiger Woods' record. He says that Tiger is one of his heroes, and that unlike Tiger, he plans to complete college before going pro. No word on whether he plans to beat more of Tiger's records in his personal life, too. (JSYK)

- And another teen golfer, 17-year-old Jessica Korda, completed the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament and announced she's going pro. (JSYK)

Trends

- Angry Birds was the top iTunes app of 2010, and it's now coming to PSP and Playstation3, starting this week. In unrelated news, America's productivity will drop to zero, starting this week. (JSYK)

- And now there's a Silly Bandz game for Nintendo DS. Something about shooting Silly Bandz at things and collecting stars. Or Silly Bandz. Does it matter? It'll make a bazillion dollars. (JSYK)

- According to a survey conducted by the British tabloid Daily Mail, 33% of British teens have faked a mental and/or physical illness in order to be more like their favorite celebrities, and a full 16% think celebrities make mental disorders "fashionable." Let's hope the same is not true here in the States. (JSYK)

- A new study showed that American teens smoke more pot than their predecessors, to the point that they're actually smoking more pot than cigarettes. But another survey showed thatteen pregnancy is at an all-time low. Feel free to draw your own conclusions there. (JSYK)

Top 10 Gifts for 2010 (JSYK)

1. iPod Touch
2. iPad
3. Xbox Kinect
4. iPhone
5. Kindle
6. MacBook
7. Playstation 3
8. Never Shout Never, 'Harmony'
9. Uggs
10. Digital Camera

The Weekly News Roundup - week of November 29 - December 3

The Biebmachine

- After being nominated for 2 Grammys, Bieber tweeted a little reaction vid. (4TNZ)

- YouTube yanked Bieber's video for "Pray" after he posted it, because he violated their copyright rules. With his own music video. For serious. Turns out the copyright is owned by his label, and the video now lives on Vevo. YouTube did apologize to the Bieb, even though they were technically in the right. (JSYK)

- There was this massive rumor that Bieber got a new haircut (HEAVEN FORFEND!), but it turns out he had just brushed it the other way. We can all go about our normal lives now. (JSYK)

- Bieber can solve a Rubik's cube in 1 minute 23 seconds. What you got, hmm? (JSYK)

- Biebmeister is getting some company on his "My World" tour - starting Dec 9 he'll be joined by band of 13-year-olds Mindless Behavior, whose hit "My Girl" has been tearing up YouTube. (JSYK)

- Biebster is auctioning some of his t-shirts, jeans, jackets, and sneakers, plus a special UK-only meet-n-greet deal on England's eBay site, all to benefit the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. Awwww. (Cambio)

Holy Crap

- NASA held a press conference on Thursday to announce their discovery of a microbe that is chemically different from all other known forms of life on this planet. Next stop: District 9. (everywhere)

- Three teens survived 55 days in a tiny boat adrift in the Pacific, drinking rainwater and eating flying fish. Seriously. This is some crazy Life of Pi nonsense, right here. (Teen Tribune)

Movies

- In a delightful Funny or Die video, Daniel Radcliffe thinks he's Harry Potter. (Cambio)

- Taylor Lautner met new girlfriend Lily's dad - Phil Collins. I know he's crazy famous, but Bruce Willis would have been a lot scarier. (Teen)

- Nooooo! Justin Timberlake hurt his leg on Wednesday while filming on the set of his new sci-fi movie "Now" with Amanda Seyfreid. (Cambio)

- Bailee Madison and Chloe Moretz will play ballerina nemeses in the upcoming movie "Dance of the Mirlitons." Kristin Bell will play Bailee's overbearing momager, and Jackie Earle Haley will play her sadistic ballet teacher. (JJJ)

TV

- Demi Lovato released a Thanksgiving video thanking her fans. It was pre-recorded a while back, though, and was not actually recorded during her time in recovery. (JJJ)

- The final season of Hannah Montana will be released on DVD in March. (JJJ)

- AJ Michalka will join her sister Aly in the cast of Hellcats. (JJJ)

Music

- A complete list of Grammy nominees can be found here.

- Miranda Cosgrove is going on tour to support her album "Sparks Fly." The tour starts in Missouri in January and wraps up in Anaheim on February 24. (J14)

- Entertainment Weekly named Taylor Swift their Entertainer of the Year. Lesser entertainers also mentioned include Kanye West, James Franco, Jon Hamm, and Katy Perry. (EW)

- Billboard released their first ever Social 50 chart, which ranks musicians' use of social media. Rihanna came in #1, with Bieber and Eminem not far behind. Gaga was fourth, and Nicki Minaj rounded out the top 5. (Cambio)

- Z100's 2010 Jingle Ball concert will be viewable on TV nationwide for the first time this year, but one performer will only be seen live in Madison Square Garden - The Bieb. Those of us stuck everywhere else on the planet will have to make do with televised performances by Katy Perry, Enrique Iglesias, Paramore, B.o.B., Bruno Mars, Taio Cruz, Selena Gomez, and Travis McCoy. Sheesh, what a let-down. (JSYK)

- Flo Rida gave out his personal cell phone number on Chelsea Lately, and was somehow surprised when he received over 10,000 texts within 24 hours. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm surprised, too. Didn't realize Chelsea was getting that many viewers. (Cambio)

Trends

- Lamar High School in Houston, TX has tossed out almost all their books in favor of e-books, and converted the library to a coffeehouse. Now where is my flying car? (JSYK)

- A school in North Carolina banned lip balm because students might share them and catch germs. (Apparently no one makes out there. Lamest. School. Ever.) There is a loophole to the rule, though - you can have Chapstick if you get a doctor's note. (JSYK)

- Two Pennsylvania students filed a free-speech lawsuit against their school district after those "I <3 Boobies" bracelets were banned. I kind of love this trend. Too bad it'd never get past S&P. (JSYK)

- The term "UGG moccasins" has been topping search lists in the past month. No word on whether it's at the top of Christmas lists, too, or if it's just morbid curiosity. (JSYK)

- According to a study conducted by Intel and published in Wired, 99% of teens think it's important to be good at math & science. I have this sneaking suspicion there's some bias in there somewhere. (JSYK)

Cashing In

- Cashing out, actually - a month after endorsing a line of prepaid debit cards, the Kardashian sisters took their names off the product because the company was charging users excessive fees. This marks the first time in history that any of the sisters considered anything to be excessive. (JSYK)

Giving Back

- Lady Gaga is quitting Twitter as of 12/1 as part of the Keep a Child Alive campaign. Confused yet? She and others are going radio-silent on Twitter and Facebook until text donations reach the $1 million mark. All that money is being raised to give medical assistance to families affected by AIDS in India and Africa. (4TNZ)

- The Florida-based nonprofit To Write Love On Her Arms has been nominated as Must-Follow Non-Profit at the 2010 Mashable Awards. The organization helps teens struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. (JSYK)

Magazine Covers

- Taylor Swift is on the cover of Entertainment Weekly

- Victoria Justice is on the cover of Zooey

- Ashley Greene is on the cover of Cosmo

- Shay Mitchell is on the cover of Runway

Yahoo's Top 10 Searched Terms for 2010 (CNN)

1. The Gulf of Mexico oil disaster

2. The World Cup soccer tournament

3. Miley Cyrus

4. Kim Kardashian

5. Lady Gaga

6. iPhone

7. Megan Fox

8. Justin Bieber

9. American Idol

10. Britney Spears

Top 10 movies in the box office last weekend (imdb)

1. HP7

2. Tangled

3. Megamind

4. Burlesque

5. Unstoppable

6. Love and Other Drugs

7. Faster

8. Due Date

9. The Next Three Days

10. Morning Glory

Movies opening this weekend (imdb)

Black Swan

All Good Things (limited release)

I Love You Phillip Morris

Night Catches Us (limited release)

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (NY)

The Warrior's Way ("Ninjas. Damn.")

Meksada (limited release)