USA NEWS NETWORK: 12/21/12

Friday, December 21, 2012

After User Uproar, Instagram Apologizes and Reverts to Old Terms of Service

Instagram has snapped to it. Earlier this week, after users lashed out against Instagram's updated terms of service, which implied the company might sell user photos and place them in ads, Instagram's CEO, Kevin Systrom, promised to revise the terms

Pheed, an Instagram-like app that gives users the option to monetize their own content by charging followers to see their posts, gained more new users than any other app in the United States. By Thursday morning, Pheed had jumped to the ninth most

Instagram ticked off a lot of people off this week. The popular photo-sharing network dramatically changed its terms of service, in preparation for rolling out some kind of advertising. It's not the advent of ads as much as the clunky way Instagram

Earlier this week, Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom followed in the footsteps of a long line of CEOs who've had to backpedal on announcements or apologize for product changes. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings reversed course on the Qwikster blunder. Bank of

Vikings QB Christian Ponder marries reporter Samantha Steele

samantha-steele-christian-ponder-married.jpeg. If ESPN reporter Samantha Steele and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder were trying to keep their marriage a secret, they did a pretty terrible job of it. Two days after they had their wedding

At the beginning of the month, he proposed to ESPN reporter Samantha Steele. On Monday, the duo tied the knot. LeBron James Is Making $17 Million This Season, But He rides a bike to and from home games every day. Joking aside, James cites the bike

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and ESPN reporter Samantha Steele have tied the knot.

As we discussed a couple of months ago, starting NFL quarterbacks occasionally date attractive women. That's no exception with Minnesota's Christian Ponder and ESPN sideline reporter Samantha Steele. Two months after news of their relationship was

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and ESPN reporter Samantha Steele have tied the knot.

The Sad Legacy of Robert Bork

Robert Bork, the conservative judge and scholar whose 1987 nomination by President Ronald Reagan to the Supreme Court sparked an epic battle which has defined Senate judicial politics ever since, has died at age 85. The Senate voted to reject Bork's

Robert H. Bork, the conservative legal champion whose bitter defeat for a Supreme Court seat in 1987 politicized the confirmation process and changed the court's direction for decades, died Wednesday. He was 85. The former Yale law professor and judge

The relentless honesty and arrogant mien of Robert Bork, who has died at 84, during his unforgettable 1987 Supreme Court nomination hearing resulted in two very important things for this nation. First, it precluded the ideologue from becoming a life

Jeffrey Rosen of The New Republic has a worthwhile post on the legacy of Robert Bork's contentious confirmation battle and its legacy. Walter Olson, a libertarian legal scholar who was quite critical of Bork's polemical turn in the 1990s, has a smart

Conservative judge Robert Bork died early Wednesday at the age of 85 at his home in Virginia, two sources close to his family tell CNN today. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominated Bork as a Supreme Court justice,

Mich. schools close amid threats tied to Maya calendar

Mayan calendar school threats unfounded, officials say. December 20, 2012 | 6:57 pm. increase text size decrease text size. Newport Harbor High School administrators sent out a message to parents saying rumors about violence planned on the Newport

The French Government is investigating the likelihood of apocalyptic sect activity or ritualized suicides due to the prophecy of an ancient Mayan calendar which also claims that Burgarach is the only place on Earth which will be saved from the apocalypse.

School officials nationwide planned to beef up security on Friday — and in a few cases hastily canceled classes for the rest of the week — amid rumored threats of violence, some related to doomsday scenarios based on the Maya calendar. Officials said

I am currently in Nahualá in the western highlands of Mayan Guatemala filming a documentary on the region, Unrecorded Spirits: Life in Mayan Guatemala. Nahualá is a 100-percent indigenous Mayan K'iché municipality, with a population of approximately

Gonzalo Alvarez, who had just arrived in Cancun for two weeks of revelry linked to a major milestone in the Mayan calendar, seemed reasonably cheerful for a man about to swallowed up by the Apocalypse."We came to party

After User Uproar, Instagram Apologizes and Reverts to Old Terms of Service

Instagram just released a new version of its iOS app which allows people to login through Facebook's iOS 6 single sign-on integrations. It also adds a n..

You complained, Instagram listened. The photo-sharing platform responded to an uproar from users after it changed its privacy policy earlier this week. The new policy appeared to allow for the company to sell posted photos to advertisers, and to share

Instagram's goal was clear: the service has tens of millions of users, but like its parent company Facebook (which has 1 billion users), Instagram is looking for ways to make money off of its users' content, in this case photos. Keep in mind that at

Winter solstice brings a weekend of rain, wind

A peek at five local events this weekend around Bedford, Concord and Lexington.

Djwhal Khul here. Tashi delek. This is the Winter Solstice 2012 essentially. What to expect, how to behave, what you can do in service to others. The Solstice actually happens as the Sun moves into Capricorn at about 3:12 am

Enjoy the winter solstice today · Varsity Girls Basketball: Napa 51, American Canyon 31 · Freshman Boys Basketball: Vintage 47, Pioneer 40 · JV Girls Basketball: Justin-Siena 38, Napa 34 · JV Boys Basketball: Napa 52, Sonoma Valley 18 · The Fishing

This is the first day of winter, and the shortest day of the year. Celebrate by taking a nighttime stroll along the creek tonight. The light display is spectacular this year. You'll have plenty of time to do it, since the sun sets at 4:39

I love the longest night of the year on December 21st more than the longest day of the year on June 21st. Winter Solstice is like the night before Christmas, filled with anticipation and expectation. While huddled in dark woods around my solstice

Tim Tebow, Camilla Belle: It's Over!

Aww, bummer! Joe Jonas' ex-girlfriend Camilla Belle and football star Tim Tebow have split. The duo dated for two months, but couldn't make it work longer.

Two months after spotted getting cozy with each other, Belle and Tebow reportedly end their romantic relationship because 'it just didn't work out.'

Aww, bummer! Joe Jonas' ex-girlfriend Camilla Belle and football star Tim Tebow have split. The duo dated for two months, but couldn't make it work longer.

"It just didn't work out," a source tells us of the New York Jets football star and the actress, dating for less than two months.

After less than two months of dating, the New York Jets quarterback and actress Camilla Belle have called it quits, a source tells Us Weekly exclusively. Explains the source of Tebow, 25, and Belle, 26: “It just didn't work out.”

The Sad Legacy of Robert Bork

Reason contributor Walter Olson has a piece in the New York Post recalling one of the most hotly contested issues surrounding the recently deceased Robert Bork's 1987 Supreme Court nomination. He's not talking about the back-alley abortion stuff

It warned darkly that if Romney were elected, he would nominate Robert Bork for the Supreme Court! Bob, who has inherited his father's wry sense of humor (as well as his intellect), played the ad on an iPad. Bob Sr. didn't react at first and we

Failed Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork has died at age 85. The conservative jurist was nominated to the court by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 but rejected by the Senate. The seat ultimately went to Justice Anthony

Robert H. Bork, the conservative jurist who fired Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox during the “Saturday Night Massacre” in 1973 and whose failed nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987 sparked an enduring political schism over judicial

Robert Bork died today at the age of 85, having had the distinction of becoming one of the most famous figures in the realm of public policy of the 20th century in part because of the unprecedented effort to destroy his

Instagram Does an About-Face

Amid the virtual gallons of digital ink that have been spilled about Instagram's changes to its terms of service, there seem to be two dominant strains of thought. One is that the photo-sharing service has been infected by the same nefarious privacy

After an uproar over privacy concerns, Instagram's co-founder, Kevin Systrom, said the service would revert to its previous user agreement. Read more

In the aftermath of the uproar over changes to Instagram's privacy policy update earlier this week, a number of photo-sharing applications have garnered unprecedented amounts of traffic and new users. Their founders say

Kim Kardashian is NOT happy with Instagram's invasive new rules and may soon leave the site! Details here!

Exclusive: Christina Aguilera's Birthday: The Bash, Cake and More Revealed!

From Nicki Minaj's lace-front wigs to Christina Aguilera's neon cornrows, these famous faces have taken eccentricity to the extreme. Click through the slideshow below to see the worst celebrity beauty looks of 2012, and tell us in the comments section

23,. Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images. You may have noticed them on "Mad Men," starring in their own sitcoms, or rocking the red carpet at the American Music Awards: curvy women, from Christina Aguilera to Christina Hendricks, are raising their profile in

PHOTOS: See Christina Aguilera's evolving hairstyles. The two judges chatted excitedly and posed with the gift before Aguilera toted the case over to both Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green's chairs to see, explaining the present to each of her fellow judges.

The Voice coach celebrated her 32nd year at a surprise birthday bash with close friends.

Christina Aguilera wears a Santa hat while leaving a late night birthday party on Tuesday (December 18) in Los Angeles. The 32-year-old The Voice coach wore a long coat over her Mickey Mouse t-shirt and fishnet stockings.

LIVE UPDATES: The End of World, Dec. 21, 2012

WOD for Friday, December 21, 2012. By admin. Strength: Deadlift – working percentages off your 3-rep max deadlift. Warm-up then perform 3 reps @ 80%, 3 reps @85%, 3 reps @90%. AMRAP in 10 minutes of: Rope climbs

December 21, 1962: Washington — Internal revenue men have stormed into club rooms, taverns and amusement halls across the nation in a series of raids that netted hundreds of pay-off pinball machines. …648 machines in raids of 448 establishments.

Article: Winter Solstice, December 21, 2012 - This Winter Solstice is astrologically special because of the planetary energies involved. Winter begins when the Sun enters Capricorn. This year, the Solstice Sun is close to Pluto

A charismatic and talkative man of Maya descent approached me one lively Friday evening just outside of La Plaza Grande in Merida, Mexico. With infe.

Kim has put together a short video reminder of what happened in 2012. KIM LAWTON: A wave of mass shootings renewed age-old theological discussions about evil, suffering and tragedy. Especially after the massacre at the Connecticut elementary school,

'The Voice' winner Cassadee Pope: 'A part of me didn't want to do this show'

Cassadee Pope was crowned winner of The Voice on the Season Three finale. The 23-year-old native of West Palm Beach, Florida, a member of country sing.

Season three of "The Voice" is over, and coach Cee Lo Green has nothing but well wishes for winner Cassadee Pope. But don't mistake his support for acceptance of the results. "I really did think that my Nicholas (David) did have a very strong chance

I can't say I was overly surprised by this season's winner of "The Voice" but before we get to that, let's look back at how the third season's finale played out.

Less than 24 hours after being named the winner of the third season of The Voice, Cassadee Pope is still catching her breath. I don't think it's reall.

A Top Recruit Announces He Will Attend Duke

Former Sports Illustrated cover boy Jabari Parker will be suiting up for Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils next season.

Simeon basketball star Jabari Parker is set to make the announcement that everyone has been waiting for: which college will he attend? Parker, an All-American and the No. 2 rated senior in the country is deciding between Duke, BYU, Michigan State,

Former Sports Illustrated cover boy Jabari Parker will be suiting up for Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils next season.

compare his Wikipedia page, which is nearly as big as Michael Jordan's, to that of the No. 1 football recruit, Robert Nkemdiche. The guy sitting next to me at Simeon introduced himself as Parker's Wikipedia biographer. Didn't know there was such a

The Sad Legacy of Robert Bork

Robert Bork.,53567780AW001_Bork_Discusse. Robert Bork in 2005. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images. The last time I spoke to Robert Bork, who died Wednesday, was 30 years ago this week. In mid-December 1982, I was a second-year law student at Yale

The battle over the Supreme Court nomination of Robert Bork revealed to the public a grave development that legal scholars had been observing for some time: a breakdown in consensus on the most basic American legal

Vikings QB Christian Ponder marries reporter Samantha Steele

A couple of weeks ago, it came out that Minnesota Vikings' quarterback Christian Ponder had gotten engaged to his girlfriend, ESPN reporter Samantha Steele. The two apparently started dating during the season, and I can't imagine that they've gotten to

In what can be described as a "whirlwind romance," Minnesota Vikings' quarterback Christian Ponder married his fiancee, ESPN's Samantha Steele, on Monday in Wisconsin.

With two games left in the season, Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder decided he couldn't wait another minute to marry fiancee Samantha Steele.

Exclusive: Christina Aguilera's Birthday: The Bash, Cake and More Revealed!

"I am thrilled to announce that Christina Aguilera is joining Jason Aldean as a performer at the People's Choice Awards," said executive producer Mark Burnett in a statement. "Christina is one of my dearest friends and lights up literally every stage

The coach of “The Voice” will also receive the People's Voice award at the event Jan. 9.

By Leah Ornstein - Radar Features Editor At 32 years old, Christina Aguilera is more Beautiful than ever! The Voice coach, who gained fame in the 1990s on The Mickey Mouse Club and later became an international star in

On Tuesday night, two of the show's judges, Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera, sat in the show's famed revolving chairs for the last time after announcing they would go on hiatus from the hit NBC series earlier this year. "We've become a family

The songstress rang in her 32nd birthday with a few well wishes from fans during the taping of the season three finale.

'The Voice' winner Cassadee Pope: 'A part of me didn't want to do this show'

(RollingStone.com) -- Less than 24 hours after being named the winner of the third season of "The Voice," Cassadee Pope is still catching her breath. "I don't think it's really settled in yet," she tells Rolling Stone. "It's just unreal. I can't

Last week, The Voice finalist Terry McDermott blew us away with his classic take on The Beatles' “Let It Be.” The Scottish rocker exclusively told Wetpaint Entertainment that he was the first music competition contestant to sing the iconic tune on

The winner of Season 3 of The Voice was crowned. Also, a video of Cassadee Pope performing with The Killers.

Ex-Jets player questions the manhood of Mark Sanchez

Chris Strauss, USA TODAY Sports11:58a.m. EST December 20, 2012. CommentsShare. 20121220sanchezhaircut. First Mark Sanchez got benched, now he's hearing criticism from former teammate Kris Jenkins. (Photo: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports)

With two games left in the season, the New York Jets may not be done bumbling publicly in 2012, but they committed their last fail with playoff implications on Monday night in Nashville.

From the blog Shutdown Corner: The New York Jets' quarterback situation now resembles a dumpster fire to which another dumpster fire has been added, and there may be more ignition to this series of disasters in the

By our estimations, it would take some serious cajones for the Jets to somehow shuffle Mark Sanchez off Broadway, quietly dump Tim Tebow, and bring the polarizing Michael Vick to town. But it seems that Jets management might have adamantium balls.

Mich. schools close amid threats tied to Mayan calendar

In an international poll of more than 16,000 people, Reuters found that 1 in 10 respondents worried that the Mayan calendar could signal the end of the world. The poll, which was taken in May, also found that 15 percent of those responding said they

Perhaps the main reason that the Maya went one step further and created a linear calendar was that they could—and the reason that they could was that (unlike the Romans, for example) they discovered a way of expressing numbers using a fixed base

If the Mayans were right, this may be the last episode of TUAW TV Live -- ever. That's a good enough reason to watch the show today, right? Well, that.

This is the 9/11 generation. They've grown up with terrorism as a real, palpable and ever-present threat. They've witnessed disasters like hurricanes Katrina and Sandy on cable TV. They hear that their country is in decline

The Sad Legacy of Robert Bork

Robert Bork was a federal judge, an originalist, dedicated to understanding and carrying out the intent of the framers of the Constitution. His name had been fun to say already in 1973, when as Nixon's solicitor general he'd carried a machete in what's

Death Robert Bork. Posted by Dan Savage on Wed, Dec 19, 2012 at 7:17 AM. Borked. Bush, no With Bork on the Supreme Court, the progress of gay rights alone would have been delayed at least 10 years. Anthony Kennedy ain't perfect,

Instagram and the perils of an incomplete apology

At first glance, one may revel in the glee and exuberance of childhood innocence in the photo professional skateboarder Tony Hawk posted to his Instagram earlier this week. Hawk is seen swinging his delighted 4-year-old daughter, Kadence Clover, into

Instagram released an updated version of its privacy policy and terms of service, and they include lengthy stipulations on how photographs uploaded by users may be used by Instagram and its parent company, Facebook.

Instagram's problems could get A LOT worse 'cause the app's #1 user -- Kim Kardashian -- is telling friends she's considering LEAVING unless its new…

Remember all the way back on Tuesday, when everyone and their artistically-filtered dog was freaking out about Instagram's new privacy policy? How long ago that seems, now that

Vikings QB Christian Ponder marries reporter Samantha Steele

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and ESPN reporter Samantha Steele were married late afternoon Monday, Dec. 17, in St. Croix County Court in Hudson, Wis., according to court officials. Ponder, 24, and Steele, who turned 27 last week, were

The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram is reporting that Ponder married ESPN reporter Samantha Steele on Monday afternoon at the St. Croix County Government Center in Hudson. READ THE FULL STORY. The wedding happened less than two weeks since the

With two games left in the season, Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder decided he couldn't wait another minute to marry fiancee Samantha Steele.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and ESPN reporter Samantha Steele tied the knot in a Wisconsin courtroom on Monday in what may be the quickest moving sports relationships we've ever seen. Back in October, we

Ex-Jets player questions the manhood of Mark Sanchez

Mark Sanchez can't buy a break this year. First, his New York Jets brought in Internet demigod Tim Tebow to create a quarterback controversy in the sports-media capital of the world. Then, he was just plain bad. Then he got even worse, and created a

The Jets have apparently run out of patience with Mark Sanchez, and will attempt to trade the quarterback in the offseason. If he's released by the Eagles, Michael Vick may be targeted as a replacement.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mark Sanchez watched the slew of cameramen jockeying for position from across the locker room. A playoff-sized media crowd descended Wednesday upon the Jets' practice facility, poised to capture every sound bite in the wake of

We now enter the portion of the New York Jets discussion where everyone blames Mark Sanchez and his deplorable season for all of the franchise's ill. Wednesday night it was former Jet Kris Jenkins' turn on Showtimes' "Inside the NFL": "What Sanchez has

Children safe after Amber Alert

Authorities have issued an AMBER Alert for two Chesterfield County, South Carolina children. Their father is also missing. According to SLED, Dennis Matthew Penny III and Grace Elizabeth Penny were abducted from the Mount Croghan area of Chesterfield

Police in Colorado Springs have canceled an Amber Alert for a 2-year-old girl who went missing Monday.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children had issued an Amber Alert shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday for the missing 2-year-old girl. She was last seen Monday night with Tonia Shetina near downtown

A statewide Amber Alert has been issued for a San Antonio toddler who police say was abducted by his father. Eleven-month-old Jonathan Jose Guillen Jr. was reported missing at midnight Sunday, according to San Antonio

An Amber Alert for a toddler missing from Colorado Springs since late Monday night was cancelled Wednesday afternoon. Colorado Springs Police had been looking for Essence Lovato, 2, who was last seen with Tonia Shetina, 38, an acquaintance of the

LeAnn Rimes answers 'X Factor' chatter

LeAnn Rimes took the stage on "X Factor" last night, and delivered a weird performance that has a lot of people wondering if she hit the bottle before…

She sings "How Do I Live" with Carly Rose Sonenclar; Britney Spears calls her "shockingly amazing"

Simon Cowell says “The X Factor” girl group Fifth Harmony reminds him of One Direction, and reveals Demi Lovato “wants to come back” for Season 3.

X Factor contestants pay tribute to Sandy Hook shooting victims.

Christina Aguilera Goes From 'The Voice' To People's Choice

Christina Aguilera celebrates her 32nd birthday today. Give it up for The Voice coach and pop superstar!

Brad Pitt, Katie Holmes, and Christina Aguilera may not seem like they have much in common, but all three superstars were born on the same day, December 18 ñ of course, in different years. 2012 was also pretty big for all three of them: Pitt got

The songstress rang in her 32nd birthday with a few well wishes from fans during the taping of the season three finale.

Christina Aguilera celebrates her 32nd birthday today. Give it up for The Voice coach and pop superstar!

An astrologist weighs in on the year ahead for the birthday celebs.

The Sad Legacy of Robert Bork

6, look no further than Wednesday morning's news of the death of Robert Bork. The constitutional originalists may have taken some heart in the passing of their embattled icon, since they'd already gotten a Bork on the Court—Antonin Scalia, nominated

Robert Bork, a former solicitor general perhaps best known for his controversial Supreme Court nomination which failed in 1987, died Wednesday due to heart complications, PJ Media and National Review report. He was 85.

In a way, Robert Bork had the last laugh. Ted Kennedy went to his grave a rancid, lumbering, pathetic laughing stock. Bork went from intellectual triumph to intellectual triumph, contributing now-classic studies to the library of

The real Brothers Grimm were stranger than fiction

Google is honoring the 200th anniversary of folk tales by Brothers Grimm with one of its famous interactive Google Doodles on the homepage. The Doodle allows web visitors to toggle between storyboards of the classic “Little

Search giant Google on Thursday paid tribute to the Brothers Grimm - German authors who popularized many European tales - with an interactive doodle. Visitors to Google's homepage (www.google.com) were greeted with a doodle that told the story of

Head over to Google's homepage on Thursday and you'll enjoy a scrollable comic strip telling the story of Little Red Riding Hood. The doodle celebrates the 200th anniversary of "Grimm's Fairy Tales," a compendium of European folk tales first published

For the 200th anniversary of the Brothers Grimm, Google has a pretty sweet doodle today that's a wordless comic retelling the story of Little Red Riding Hood. It's a very cute little illo; unfortunately the actual doodle doesn't

'The Voice' winner Cassadee Pope: 'A part of me didn't want to do this show'

Naturally, as with any season finale results show, "The Voice." filled up 120 minutes with plenty of musical acts until the results were revealed. We've decided to take a look at the performances that include coaches, finalists or

Cassadee Pope was crowned winner of The Voice on the Season Three finale. The 23-year-old native of West Palm Beach, Florida, a member of country sing.

She may be involved in YET AGAIN another break-up with rumored boyfriend Chris Brown, but Rihanna didn't even bat an eyelash - let alone show any indication that she was anything but COOL and FEROCIOUS - during her appearance on last night's

Lessons from Facebook's Instagram Photo Flap

The latest privacy shenanigan involves Facebook's Instagram, a photo sharing service acquired for $1 billion this past summer in a bid to bolster Facebook's mobile business. Make no mistake, Facebook is firmly planted in the era of money making. The

The reality star is the No.1 user on the photo-sharing company, and her decision to axe her account could seriously hurt Instagram.

On Tuesday, the popular mobile photo-sharing app Instagram backpedaled on a plan to sell users' photos to advertisers after an outcry on social media and privacy rights blogs. That was shortly after it announced policy changes for January related to

The reality star is the No.1 user on the photo-sharing company, and her decision to axe her account could seriously hurt Instagram.

LeAnn Rimes gets attention for strange 'X Factor' performance

Simon Cowell says “The X Factor” girl group Fifth Harmony reminds him of One Direction, and reveals Demi Lovato “wants to come back” for Season 3.

OK, "X Factor" watchers, we're almost there. The final performance show of the season began with an anxious-looking Simon Cowell introducing a tribute to the victims of Sandy Hook: Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone," featuring most of this season's

"The X Factor" opened part one of the Season 2 finale with a tribute to Sandy Hook Elementary.

Simon Cowell opened Wednesday's X Factor Season 2 final performance show by saying, "Words cannot describe what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School last week. We're all deeply saddened by the tragedy and our hearts right now go out to the

Fox's X-Factor performance finale led Wednesday night in the ratings, though slipped 18 percent from last year's similar episode. Simon Cowell's singing competition series was seen by 8.3 million viewers and had a 2.7 adults 18-49 rating. That's soft

Olivia Culpo wins Miss Universe 2012: Boston University sophomore becomes ...

With curvaceous figures and a confident strut, these 20 Latinas will compete for the crown Wednesday night when Miss Universe 2012 goes live from Las Vegas, Nevada.

A 20-year-old beauty queen who plays the cello and is a breast cancer advocate was crowned Miss Universe on Wednesday, the eighth time an American has won the pageant where the world's most beautiful women parade in bikinis and ball gowns.

Olivia Culpo from Rhode Island makes it an eighth victory for the USA after beating Miss Philippines -23-year-old Janine Tugonon. The new Miss Universe beat 88 contestants from from other countries at the pageant held in Las Vegas. Culpo will spend the

Besting Miss Philippines Janine Tugonon and Miss Venezuela Irene Sofia Esser, the 20-year-old Boston University student brings the title back to America for the first time in 15 years.

Abigail Hyndman, who is competing as Miss British Virgin Islands in the Miss Universe 2012 competition, is one step away from becoming a nun with the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

Vikings QB Christian Ponder marries reporter Samantha Steele

ESPN reporter Samantha Steele and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder wed inside a Wisconsin courtroom Monday, E! News confirms. Court Commissioner Stephen Dunlap officiated the private wedding held at the St. Croix County Court.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and ESPN reporter Samantha Steele have tied the knot.

There will be no amount of dragging of feet in this household, because Christian Ponder and Samantha Steele don't mess around. Word is the two were officially married in a private ceremony on Monday. Twin Cities reports the Vikings quarterback and ESPN

Congress says goodbye to Sen. Daniel Inouye

Daniel Inouye had been shocked, and very hurt to face anti-Japanese racism and hatred of 'Nips” after the war. But over the next decades he seemed more and more to mask his passion.

Sen. Daniel Inouye, who died Monday at age 88, will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday, the Washington Post reported. His casket will be arrive Thursday morning for public viewing from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and a

150px-First_Lt_Daniel_Inouye.jpg I have no special standing to speak on the career of Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, who died yesterday at age 88 -- apart from his having been in public office for the entirety of my conscious life. David Graham did a

Daniel Inouye started serving his country long before Tim Scott was born. As a teenager, he saw the Japanese bombers over Pearl Harbor and was one of the Japanese-Americans who volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most

Senate titan Daniel Inouye passed away Monday at 88. The Hawaii senator was the longest-serving member in the chamber at the time he died. Sen. Daniel Inouye toured the site of the Honolulu rail transit project in August. Photo: Office of Daniel Inouye

Bruno Mars fails to top Billboard's chart

Ellen DeGeneres invites Bruno Mars to play special Sandy Hook tribute on show.

Today in the Fix: Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift vie for top of the Billboard 200; L.A. Reid will be honored at Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party; YouTube calls 2012

I think we can all agree right now we need a lot of love out there, said Ellen DeGeneres as she introduced Bruno Mars at the top of her show today. Th.

On the other hand I'm a big Bruno Mars fan, a fact that I have taken a lot of flak for in the past and will probably continue to take in the future. I don't really care—he writes big, crowd-pleasing hits with enough retro flourishes to evoke the

Last night before Cassadee Pope was crowned the winner of Season 3 of The Voice (congrats!), Rihanna and Bruno Mars hit the stage to show of their most definitive voices. These two have been been making the competition show rounds this season

Christina Aguilera Goes From 'The Voice' To People's Choice - Music, Celebrity ...

What makes The Voice social media engine tick? We went backstage to find out how the show keeps viewers engaged online. These stats might surprise you.

The finale of "The Voice" scored the show's best final-episode ratings ever on Tuesday, improving by more than 2 million viewers and half a point in adults 18-49 over last spring's finale. CBS -- the only other network running all original programming

It could have been any of them, but in the end it was Cassadee Pope who emerged the Season 3 winner of "The Voice." The 23-year-old pop-rock singer who'd stepped away from her band, Hey Monday, to see if she could make it on her own proved, once

(CNN) -- Less than 24 hours after being named the winner of the third season of "The Voice," Cassadee Pope is still catching her breath. "I don't think it's really settled in yet," she tells Rolling Stone. "It's just unreal. I can't believe it. I haven

Less than 24 hours after being named the winner of the third season of The Voice, Cassadee Pope is still catching her breath. I don't think it's reall.

Are Curvy Celebs Here to Stay?

You may have noticed them on "Mad Men," starring in their own sitcoms, or rocking the red carpet at the American Music Awards: curvy women, from Christina Aguilera to Christina Hendricks, are raising their profile in Hollywood. But according to America

Hollywood actress Christina Aguilera celebrated her 32nd birthday on Tuesday, Dec 19, 2012, in a funny outfit. It seemed like she forgot to wear her pants for 'The Voice' after party. She was seen in a ripped T-Shirt, fishnet stockings and a Santa cap

Christina Aguilera said in a statement issued days before the sentencing that although she knows that she's often in the limelight, Chaney took from her some of the private moments she shares with friends. "That feeling of security can never be given

Kim Kardashian looks like she's already overindulged as she covers up her curves in black · Christina Aguilera exited The Voice afterparty in a festive Santa hat, sparking black coat - Christina Aguilera celebrates turning 32 dressed as a sexy Santa

'Gossip Girl' finale hits season high

On Monday night, Gossip Girl wrapped up its six seasons' worth of serialized escapism by revealing the identity of its eponymous character—who, until last night's finale, was voiced by Kristen Bell. The revelation was so

While some of our deepest, truest, purest hopes for our favorite Gossip Girl couples came true in the Season 6 series finale, others were left on the cutting room floor. For every ten Chair shippers who sewed their Chuck (Ed Westwick) and Blair

Gossip Girl sent out her last text alert last night, and the ping of phones that for six seasons signaled that the Upper East Side's queen of mean had released fresh tittle-tattle sounded this time for her juiciest scoop yet: her own identity. Like

The final moments of the last-ever episode of Gossip Girl last night threw me for a loop–not only because it made absolutely no sense that Serena paid no mind to Dan's deceptive double life as Gossip Girl (spoiler alert!)

Jenni Rivera dead, funeral service: Fans say goodbye to Jenni Rivera Los ...

Jenni Rivera funeral is set to take place on Tuesday, where “La Diva de la Banda” family members, fans and celebrities will be able to say goodbye one last time. The service will be held in Long Beach, Calif., the city where the Mexican-American singer

Fans will have their last chance to say goodbye to 'La Diva de La Banda' today. Singer Jenni Rivera's funeral will take place this morning in Los Angeles, California. Last week, the Rivera family confirmed there will be a funeral service for the public

LOS ANGELES (LALATE) - The Jenni Rivera funeral, memorial will get unprecedented live streaming video coverage online today. After fans wondered last week.

The life of Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera, who was tragically killed in a plane crash in Mexico on Dec. 9, was celebrated in a public memorial service at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles on Dec. 19. The memorial was presided over by her

Are Curvy Celebs Here to Stay?

Christina Aguilera celebrates her 32nd birthday today. Give it up for The Voice coach and pop superstar!

A Florida man who hacked into celebrity email accounts was sentenced Monday to prison after several big-name victims including Scarlett Johansson and Christina Aguilera made statements via videotape. Aguilera said in a

"Thank you fighters for the many sweet birthday messages today," The Voice judge tweeted Tuesday.

Christian Ponder's marriage to Samantha Steele no longer a secret

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and ESPN reporter Samantha Steele wanted to keep their marriage quiet, so they tied the knot in enemy territory Monday with no family or friends present. Even so, the secret didn't even last two days. "We

Samantha Steele is talking about her fiancé, something she has not done publicly at great depth. His name is Christian Ponder and if you are an NFL fan, you have no doubt heard of him. This is the new normal for Steele, a 26-year-old reporter for ESPN

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder (a.k.a. White Sanchez) married ESPN college football reporter Samantha Steele in Wisconsin on Monday just two weeks after the couple announced their engagement and just a couple

Cassadee Pope: Before She Was 'The Voice' - Music, Celebrity, Artist News ...

Check out Rihanna's FLAWLESS performance of Diamonds on the season finale of The Voice last night HERE!

Cassadee Pope was crowned winner of The Voice on the Season Three finale. The 23-year-old native of West Palm Beach, Florida, a member of country sing.

"The Voice" has crowned its third-season champion, pop singer Cassadee Pope, and it's clear from her victory, won after the most votes ever cast for a "Voice" finale, that America wants her to have a long and successful singing career. But as those who

'The X Factor': final performance night

As the revamped second season of "X Factor" comes to an end, the remaining three contestants have one more night of performances to look forward to before the ultimate winner is announced. It was in this setting that MTV News caught up with the final

x-factor-khloe-kardashian-carly-rose-sonenclar-mario- Khloe Kardashian made her professional hosting debut on Season 2 of "The X Factor" and now that the show is winding down, she says she's ready for more. "I've had a phenomenal time," Kardashian

Like NBC's “The Voice” did two days earlier Fox's “The X Factor” opens its final performance night with a musical tribute to the victim's of Friday's elementary school shooting in Newton, Conn. In a cold opening, “X” Supreme Judge Simon Cowell, sitting

Amber Alert cancelled; missing 2-year-old found safe

Two days after entrusting the care of her daughter to a friend, a Colorado Springs mother and police are asking the public for help in a search for a missing 2-year-old.As of 7:30 a.m., an Amber Alert had been issued for the

Police in Colorado Springs have located a 2-year-old girl and the Amber Alert has been canceled.

Amber Alert canceled: 2-year-old Essence Lovato found. Tonia Shetina (left) may be with missing child Essence Lovato (right). UPDATE: The Amber Alert issued this morning for Essence Lovato has been canceled. Colorado Springs Police say the two year

Police in Colorado Springs have canceled an Amber Alert for a 2-year-old girl who went missing Monday.

Reports: Jets shopping Mark Sanchez

From the blog Shutdown Corner: Even after all the circuses, all the bad plays, and all the execrable coaching decisions, the New York Jets actually still had a shot at the 2012 playoffs if they could keep the fires burning and get

NFL insider Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com relays a message directly from the Jets locker room. Jets player to me on Mark Sanchez: "I've never seen a guy lose his confidence to this level.

SI Tracking Blog - Breaking Sports News As It Happens From The MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, NCAA And Formula 1.

The silver lining for the Jets and for their fans in Monday's loss to the Titans is that the Mark Sanchez era at quarterback may be over.

Updated Dec 20, 2012 1:48 AM ET. A day after announcing they are benching starting quarterback Mark Sanchez, the New York Jets are shopping him around, gauging trade interest around the league, according to numerous reports Wednesday. Rex Ryan

'The X Factor': final performance night

Buy this image "X Factor" contestant and Belton resident Tate Stevens reacts after watching fans at the Belton Freshman Center cheer for him on Wednesday, Dec. 19. Up to 5,000 fans attended the viewing party to watch country music singer Stevens

LeAnn Rimes & Khloe Kardashian: 'X Factor' Finale Party!

According to data released by Fox and citing Bluefin Labs, X Factor is the most social broadcast show and has quadrupled its social TV activity with its second season. What kind of numbers are we talking about? Some 522,000 social media comments per

Who should win Season 2 of “The X Factor”: Fifth Harmony, Tate Stevens or Carly Rose Sonenclar? Take our poll and let us know!

Christina Aguilera forgets her pants at The Voice afterparty

If there is one thing that Christina Aguilera has, it's an amazing vocal range. The singer got her start on "Star Search" in the early 1990s and has since skyrocketed to fame with hits like "Beautiful" and "Hurt," a slew of Grammy awards and a spot on

The coach of “The Voice” will also receive the People's Voice award at the event Jan. 9.

An astrologist weighs in on the year ahead for the birthday celebs.

Christian Ponder's marriage to Samantha Steele no longer a secret

The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram reports: Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and ESPN reporter Samantha Steele were married late Monday in Wisconsin, according to court officials. The couple reportedly met earlier this season on the set of ESPN's

Ponder, 24, and Steele, who turned 27 last week, were married by Court Commissioner Stephen Dunlap. According to county records, Steele listed an Arizona address, while Ponder listed his residence as Excelsior, Minn.

The whirlwind romance of Christian Ponder and Samantha Steele apparently is complete. According to the Leader-Telegram newspaper in Eau Claire, the couple was married late Monday afternoon in St. Croix County Court