Jennifer lopez idol return

First-year "American Idol" judge Jennifer Lopez says she's "on the fence" about returning to Fox's competition series for a second season.
The singer said in an interview on BBC Radio 1, "I don't know. I haven't been forced to make a decision, and I'm glad about that because honestly I'm very on the fence about it."

Lopez signed a one-year deal with the show in October for a reported $12 million. She offered mostly positive critiques of the contestants and got emotional when some were eliminated.
"I had an amazing time doing it and I loved it, but I have a lot of other things happening, and it's going to come down to making a choice of really what I want to do for the next year," she said. "We're not really at the breaking point of 'You have to make a decision right now!' So I'm not. I'm really enjoying the time of just waiting -- and seeing."
Lopez and husband Marc Anthony are currently working on the Latin competition show "Q'Viva! The Chosen." The project features the duo traveling around the world with director-choreographer Jamie King in search of undiscovered Latino talent, starting in July. It will be filmed in English, Spanish and Portuguese and broadcast simultaneously on TV networks across the Americas.
Source : Yahoo

Read more »

Posted in: jennifer lopez idol return

FDA sunscreen labels

Consumers will soon be able to better determine whether their sunscreen is truly protecting them from damaging rays. That's what the government is promising in a broad new effort to strengthen testing and labeling requirements for products that make a wide variety of claims.

"This is a very significant day," says Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation. For the first time, she says, a sunscreen that meets specific standards can specifically claim that it reduces the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging, along with preventing sunburn.

The standards are built around new required tests to determine the ability of a product to block both ultraviolent A and B rays. UVA's are considered to be the most dangerous when it comes to skin cancer development. And they also can cause skin aging, including wrinkles.
Sunscreens that show wide-ranging effectiveness will be called "broad spectrum." "Only sunscreens that are labeled both broad spectrum and SPF-15 or higher can have the claim they will reduce both skin cancer and skin aging when used as directed," Woodcock says. Sunscreens that don't meet these new standards must add warning labels that specifically state that they do not provide these protections.
In addition, sunscreens can no longer be labeled waterproof or sweat-proof. They can claim to be water resistant. But even then, Woodcock says, the front label must "tell how much time a user can expect to get the protection while swimming or while sweating." The idea is to emphasize to consumers that sunscreens must be re-applied often to provide adequate protection.
The changes are being praised by the American Academy of Dermatology. The head of the group, Dr. Ronald Moy, says skin cancer is exploding. "Each year in our country, we diagnose and treat more than 3.5 million cases of skin cancer. Current estimates are that one-in-five, that's more than 20 per cent of Americans, will develop skin cancer in a lifetime." Melanoma, which used to be predominantly a disease of older men, is now the most common form of cancer for young adults in their late 20's. And it's increasing faster among young women than among young men, in large part because of the growing use of tanning beds, Dr. Moy says.
Along with these new requirements, the FDA says it will be gathering data on concerns being raised about sunscreen sprays. It wants to determine if children especially are suffering health effects when they breathe in the vapors. Government scientists also will study whether sprays leave consumers without proper protection. "We want to know what SPF number you end up with," Dr. Woodcock says.
According to the FDA, SPF-15 blocks about 93 per cent of harmful rays. Any product with an SPF value of 50 or above adds little additional protection, it says.
The new sunscreen labels are expected to be in place by the summer of 2012.

Source : CBS

Read more »

Posted in: FDA sunscreen labels

Gay judge proposition 8 upheld

A U.S. judge's gay relationship is no basis for tossing out his decision overturning California's same-sex marriage ban, another federal judge ruled on Tuesday.
Doing otherwise would send a message that minority judges could not rule in civil rights cases, ruled Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware, who upheld the decision to overturn California's gay marriage ban.
In pointed language, Ware slapped down the attempt to throw out his gay former colleague's decision as an attack on standards of judicial impartiality, saying it ignored the idea that protecting the rights of minorities benefits all.

ProtectMarriage.com, the anti-gay marriage group defending California's ban, will appeal Ware's ruling, said Charles Cooper, an attorney for the group.
U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco last year struck down California's same-sex marriage ban, known as Proposition 8, and supporters of the ban now say his ruling was compromised and should be vacated.
The case was immediately appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
It could set national policy if it reaches the U.S. Supreme Court and is being watched throughout the nation, where same-sex marriage is legal in only a handful of states.
In a written ruling, Judge Ware said Walker's same-sex relationship was no reason to throw out his decision. Ware took over the case after Walker retired earlier this year.
Standards such as those advocated by the pro-ban attorneys would come dangerously close to forcing minority judges to excuse themselves from civil rights cases, wrote Ware, an African-American appointed by former President George H.W. Bush.
Source : Yahoo

Read more »

Posted in: gay judge proposition 8 upheld

Amber portwood hospital

"Teen Mom" star Amber Portwood is currently being treated at a hospital, following reports she threatened to kill herself.
"Our understanding is that Amber has been admitted to a local hospital but we have not been able to confirm the accuracy of any reports being circulated and are waiting for further details," MTV told Access Hollywood in a statement on Tuesday. "Our thoughts are with her and we hope to hear more soon."
On Tuesday, police in Anderson, Indiana, the reality star's base of residence, confirmed that she had threatened suicide.

"Late this morning (11:34 AM), Anderson Police responded to a call at a residence... According to the caller, 21-year-old Amber L. Portwood was depressed and threatening to end her life," the police's statement, obtained by Access Hollywood, read. " The victim, who did not appear to be injured, was transported to a local medical facility for further evaluation."
According to Radar Online, Portwood was visited at the hospital by Gary Shirley, her on-again, off-again boyfriend and father of the couple's child.
Portwood has been in the headlines for months. Just days ago, she was given probation after pleading guilty to two felony domestic battery charges, the Associated Press previously reported.
The plea was reportedly related to footage of the star on "Teen Mom," showing her slapping, choking and kicking Shirley.
Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read more »

Posted in: amber portwood hospital

Bachelor pad 2

"Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" fans have been waiting with bated breath for the official announcement of the cast of "Bachelor Pad" Season 2. And now, the list of the summer funfest has finally been leaked-- and it includes two couples who were formerly engaged!

The show features 18 former "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" cast members competing for a cash jackpot, with the shot of finding love along the way. But there may be no love lost when it comes to this cast list!
According to EW, the "Bachelor Pad 2" cast includes former love birds Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi, who infamously trashed each other last summer during a post-break up sit down with host Chris Harrison.
Also on the cast are former cast members Michael Stagliano and Holly Durst, who recently ended their engagement (Stagliano and Durst were slated to walk down the aisle in a double wedding with his twin bro, Stephen, and his fiance, "Bachelorette" alum, Deanna Pappas).
Talk about a voilatle cast!
Other "Bachelor Pad 2" cast members include some of the most controversial and outspoken former contestants of the ABC franchise.
Bad boy wrestler Justin "Rated R" Rego, Gia Allemand (who competed on the show last season), Jackie Gordon, Michelle Money, Ella Nolan, Erica Rose, Melissa Schreiber, Alli Travis, Graham Bunn and Kirk Dewindt are all on the cast, as well as Kasey Kahl (Girardi's new flame-- which will make for some interesting fireworks with Pavelka).
And also on the cast list: Three unnamed men from the currently-airing season of "The Bachelorette."
"Bachelor" Blogger Reality Steve, who plays an ongoing cat and mouse game with ABC, was sure he'd have the complete list posted before ABC beat him to the punch, working on the assumption that ABC would never release the names of current "Bachelorette" contestants while the show is still airing.
Last week Reality Steve posted on his blog, "Obviously I still don't have the full cast list, but I should have that within the next week or so. As long as I can get it out before ABC officially does that's fine with me."
But who'd have thunk that ABC would release the "Bachelor Pad" cast list with the names "Mystery Man #1, #2 and #3? Pretty clever move by producer the Fleissmeister (producer Mike Fleiss).
With three of the "Bachelor Pad" contestants coming from Ashley Hebert's explosive season of "The Bachelorette," we can only hope one of them is heartbreaker Bentley Williams-- because he's got some explaining to do!
"Bachelor Pad" will premiere on August 8 on ABC.
Source : Yahoo

Read more »

Posted in: bachelor pad 2

hamburg iowa levee breaks

A levee on the flood-swollen Missouri River near Hamburg, Iowa failed on Monday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood watch for the town of 1,200.

In addition to Hamburg, the areas expected to be inundated as a result of the failure include parts of Interstate 29 and the rural residences and county roads located between the Missouri River and Hamburg, the NWS said.

Source : Yahoo

Read more »

Posted in: hamburg iowa levee breaks

miracle-gro marijuana

 Scotts Miracle-Gro is reportedly exploring how to enter the medical marijuana market.

Scotts Chief Executive Jim Hagedorn told The Wall Street Journal that the company is considering the move to help boost sales at the lawn and garden company perhaps best known for weed killer.

"I want to target the pot market," Hagedorn told the newspaper. "There's no good reason we haven't."

Sales at Scotts rose 5 percent last year to $2.9 billion, but the Marysville, Ohio, company relies on sales at three key retailers -- Home Depot Inc., Lowe's Cos. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. -- for nearly two-thirds of its revenue, the newspaper reports.

And with consumers still cautious regarding spending, those retailers are not opening new stores as quickly as usual, making growth for suppliers like Scotts difficult. As a result, Hagedorn has asked his regional salesmen to look for smaller pockets of growth like the marijuana market to pad sales. To target marijuana growers, Scotts would likely buy niche dirt companies that already exist rather than create its own line of branded products, the Journal reports.

A total of 16 states have legalized medical marijuana. The market will reach $1.7 billion in sales this year, according to a report by See Change Strategy LLC, an information data services company.

 

Source : foxnews

Read more »

Posted in: miracle-gro marijuana

Anthony weiner

Rep. Anthony Weiner's behavior has been "inappropriate" and "a distraction," the White House said Monday as the House returned to work for the first time since eruption of the sexting scandal that has brought calls for the New York Democrat's resignation.

White House spokesman Jay Carney wouldn't say whether President Barack Obama believes Weiner should resign — as other Democratic leaders have said.
Weiner is on a temporary leave of absence, in treatment for an undisclosed disorder at an undisclosed location. He has acknowledged exchanging messages and photos that ranged from sexually suggestive to explicit, with several women online. The latest to surface appeared on the gossip website TMZ.
"The president feels, we feel in the White House, that this is a distraction, obviously," Carney said in response to questions from reporters traveling with the president on Air Force One to North Carolina. "As Congressman Weiner has said himself, his behavior was inappropriate, his dishonesty was inappropriate. But the president is focused on his job which is getting the economy continuing to grow, creating jobs, and obviously ensuring the safety and security of the American people."
Meanwhile, the No. 2 House Democrat spoke of Weiner's "bizarre and unacceptable behavior" in sending the inappropriate pictures of himself. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland said Sunday it would be "extraordinarily difficult" for Weiner to be effective in Congress.
Source : yahoo

Read more »

Posted in: anthony weiner