Week of April 1, 2009

On the eve of a global economic summit, President Barack Obama promised

world leaders he would listen, not lecture, as they seek a common fix to the

financial crisis. "We can only meet this challenge together," he said Wednesday

as the U.S. and Russia spoke on the summit sidelines about nuclear warhead

reduction.

Tech news - Virus doesn’t live up to its hype - Latest moves by the “dreaded”

Conficker warm are by no means an Internet Armageddon. The worm's outbreak

entered a new phase this week as clocks around the world ticked into the first

day of April, the day it was scheduled to change programming.

But security experts appeared correct in their predictions that the day was likely

to come and go without any major disruptions, even though the worm has

infected anywhere from 3 million to 12 million PCs running Microsoft Corp.'s

Windows operating system. Computer infections now are all about making

money by stealing people's personal information. And Conficker's authors stand

to make more money from renting out parts of their huge "botnet" to spammers

or identity thieves than by destroying parts of the Internet.

The U.S. expects North Korea to go ahead with the launch of a satellite-bearing

missile, an Obama administration official said, as Kim Jong Il’s regime threatened

military action against any attempt to shoot it down.

President Barack Obama told his South Korean counterpart, Lee Myung-Bak, at

the Group of 20 nations summit in London today he won’t allow North Korea to

drive a wedge between them, said the official, who spoke on condition of

anonymity. Obama praised Lee for exercising restraint in dealing with

provocations from the North. Both leaders agreed to respond to the launch by

registering a firm protest with the United Nations.

President and First Lady

In London - President

Obama and South Korean

leader Lee Myung-bak,

meeting on the sidelines

of the G-20 meetings in

London, agreed that a

united international

response will be needed if

North Korea conducts a

planned rocket launch.

British websites are mostly

shrugging off Michelle

Week of April 1, 2009

Obama's "extraordinary" breach of protocol with Queen Elizabeth yesterday.

Obama correctly curtsied, but then put her arm around the Queen, who returned

the latter gesture.

"No-one -- including the ladies-in-waiting standing nearby -- could believe their

eyes," the Daily Mail of London reports. "In 57 years, the Queen has never been

seen to make that kind of gesture and it is certainly against all protocol to touch

her." But the website quotes an eyewitness who says the Queen "didn't seem to

mind a bit and was smiling and joking throughout."

The number of Americans filing new jobless claims jumped unexpectedly last

week, while those continuing to receive benefits hit a 10th straight record high.

Both figures show the labor market remains weak and is unlikely to recover

anytime soon.

London - Concluding his first

international summit, President

Barack Obama hailed agreements

at the emergency meeting of world

powers Thursday as a "turning

point in our pursuit of global

economic recovery." But he

cautioned, "There are no

guarantees." Obama said the

heads of industrial countries that

met in London agreed on

"unprecedented steps to restore

growth and prevent a crisis like this from happening again." He spoke shortly

after G-20 leaders pledged an additional $1.1 trillion in financing to the

International Monetary Fund and other global institutions and declared a

crackdown on tax havens and hedge funds. The leaders announced the creation

of a supervisory body to flag problems in the global financial system — but did

not satisfy calls from the U.S. and others for new stimulus measures.

As North Korea fueled a multistage rocket for its threatened satellite launch,

President Barack Obama promised a "stern" response and Japan vowed to press

for an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council. Senior U.S. defense

officials said that trailers and vehicles carrying rocket propellant were in place at

North Korea's coastal launch site and that fueling had begun.

Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and five others were indicted Thursday with

scheming to auction off President Barack Obama's U.S. Senate set, pressuring a

congressman for campaign money and lying to FBI agents. The 19-count

Week of April 1, 2009

indictment alleges Blagojevich and his aides discussed the possibility he could

get a Cabinet post in the new president's administration, substantial fundraising

assistance or a high-paying job in exchange for the Senate seat.

At Binghamton, NY - 13 people were killed when a

gunman ( Jiverly Wong ) walked into an immigrant

services center and opened fire, Gov. David

Paterson said. A federal law enforcement official

said the gunman was found dead in the building.

"I speak for all of New York when I offer my

prayers for the victims and families of this tragedy,"

Paterson said hours after the gunman shot several

people and took dozens hostage. The gunman first

blocked the back door with his car, authorities said.

Pittsburgh - A man opened fire on officers

responding to a domestic disturbance call

Saturday morning, killing three of them, before

barricading himself in the home, a police official

said. Three officers were killed, said a police official at the scene who spoke on

condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. At

least five officers were wounded, police spokeswoman Diane Richard said. It's

not clear if that included the slain officers.

A powerful earthquake in mountainous central Italy knocked down whole blocks

of buildings early Monday as residents slept, killing at least 50 people and

trapping many more, officials said. Thousands were homeless.

The earthquake's epicenter was about 70 miles northeast of Rome near the

medieval city of L'Aquila. It struck at 3:32 a.m. local time in a quake-prone region

that has had at least nine smaller jolts since the beginning of April. The U.S.

Geological Survey said Monday's quake was magnitude 6.3, but Italy's National

Institute of Geophysics put it at 5.8.

Syria's foreign minister praised President Barack Obama's address to the Arab

and Islamic world in Turkey, and many Arabs were cheered by the American

leader's promises to push for a Palestinian state. On his first visit as president to

a predominantly Islamic nation, Obama reached out to Arabs and Muslims in his

Ankara address, saying the United States "is not and never will be at war with

Islam." He also spoke of the Arab-Israeli peace process, saying he will "actively

pursue" the goal of creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

On a trip shrouded in secrecy, President Barack Obama flew into Iraq on

Tuesday for a brief look at a war he opposed as a candidate and now vows to

Week of April 1, 2009

end as commander in chief. Obama flew into the country hours after a car bomb

exploded in a Shiite neighborhood of the capital city, a deadly reminder of the

violence that has claimed the lives at least 4,266 members of the U.S. military

since March 2003. The visit came at the conclusion of a long overseas trip that

included economic and NATO summits in Europe and two days in Turkey.

Miley Cyrus says that “The last thing I ever want to

do is disappoint my parents," she tells May's

Glamour. My mom's dad died when she was 18,

and if something ever happened to one of my

parents, I'd want them to go knowing I made them

proud. I think it's selfish to go out partying all the

time, especially if you have little ones [in your

family]. I have a 9-year-old sister, and I don't want

her to go to school and have people make fun of her

for it." The peer pressure can be hard to avoid. "At

one of the very first awards shows I ever did, there

was a bottle of vodka in my gift bag," she says. "No

one cared that they were giving this to a 12-year-

old."

More Miley… She’s coming to "American Idol." The

16-year-old superstar, who is gearing up for the

release of "Hannah Montana The Movie," pre-taped

a performance of her hit song, "The Climb," for the hit FOX reality competition on

Wednesday night. The performance will air on April 15.

Three men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering South

African reggae star Lucky Dube in 2007, Dube, 43, was killed in a botched

carjacking in October 2007. Dube recorded more than 20 albums and had shared

a stage with Sinead O'Connor, Peter Gabriel and Sting.

Mr. Pop Gossip This Week - Televison news - George Lopez is the latest

entry in the increasingly crowded late-night tv ring. TBS will launch the George

Lopez talk show in November and will air at 11 p.m. Monday - Thursday, its

second half-hour running against NBC’s The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien

and CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman . George’s sitcom ran for six seasons.

This week - The final ER . NBC will have an hour-long retrospective at and then

the two-hour season finale of the show . Old favorites come back this season in

previous episodes, and a couple more are coming back for this show including

George Clooney

Week of April 1, 2009

CBS cancels Soap “Guiding Light” after a seriously long run.

Jay Leno’s prime-time show will launch nationwide this fall -- except in Boston.

The NBC affiliate in Beantown, WHDH-TV, says it won't air the show and will

instead opt for a local newscast in the 10 p.m. hour. The station thinks it can get

better ratings with news than with Leno's show, which will run every weeknight at

10 ET starting in the fall.

Levi Johnston is in big

trouble at the Sarah Palin

household. After talking about

sex on "The Tyra Banks

Show," Johnston - the 18-

year-old father of Bristol

Palin's baby - was hit with a

blistering response from

Bristol's mother, Alaska Gov.

Sarah Palin. "Bristol did not

even know Levi was going on

the show. We're disappointed that Levi and his family, in a quest for fame,

attention, and fortune, are engaging in flat-out lies, gross exaggeration, and even

distortion of their relationship," says the statement from the Palin family rep.

"Bristol's focus will remain on raising Tripp, completing her education, and

advocating abstinence," the statement continues. "It is unfortunate that Levi finds

it more appealing to exploit his previous relationship with Bristol than to

contribute to the well being of the child."

The Real Housewives of New York star Kelly Bensimon says her feuding days

with Bethenny Frankel are finished. Asked about their recent fiery exchange on

the show, she tells Us, "It was just two girls having conflict. I really don't think

anything of it. It's over." She says they're even on better terms these days: "We

are friendly." But she doesn't regret having words with Frankel. Says Bensimon,

"You have to stand up for yourself. I don't really think anything of it." Not all of

Bensimon's drama is over: She still faces a misdemeanor assault charge for

punching her boyfriend in the face. (She has pleaded not guilty.)

Lindsay Logan and Samantha Ronsonhave split again and this time, Sam means

it. The couple -- who first debuted their relationship in May 2008 at the Cannes

Film Festival -- got into a fight over the weekend at a party Samantha threw for

her fashion-designer sister Charlotte Ronson at West Hollywood's Bar Marmont.

Bachelor star Melissa Rycroft didn't win over the judges on Monday's Dancing

With the Stars . She and partner Tony Dovolani earned one of their lowest scores

Week of April 1, 2009

of the season, a 25 out of 30, for their Paso Doble, dropping them out of the top

three. Although judge Bruno Tonioli called her a "molting heartbreaker," Len

Goodman said she had some "blunders" and Carrie Ann Inaba noted that she

"needed more curve"

Top movies this week in

2009-

Fast and Furious

Monsters Vs. Aliens The

Haunting in Connecticut

The Knowing

I Love You, Man

Adventureland

Duplicity

Race to Wich Mountain

12 Rounds

Sunshine Cleaning

Taken

The Last House on the

Left

Watchmen

Slumdog Millionaire

Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes

To Jail

Paul Bart: Mall Cop

Gran Torino

Under the Sea 3D

He’s Just Not In To You

Hotel For Dogs

The Reader

Sin Nombre

Coraline

Two Lovers

Week of April 1, 2009

Top TV Last Week -

1. American Idol (Wednesday)

FOX

2. American Idol Results Special (Thursday)

FOX

3. Dancing With The Stars

ABC

4. NCIS

CBS

5. The Mentalist CBS

CBS

6. Dancing with the Stars Results

ABC

7. Grey's Anatomy ABC

ABC

60 Minutes

CBS

9. Criminal Minds

CBS

10. CSI: Miami

CBS

11. CSI: NY

CBS

12. Amazing Race 14

CBS

13. Cold Case

CBS

14. Two And a Half Men

CBS

15. CBS NCAA Basketball Championship (Friday)

CBS

16. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

ABC

17. CBS NCAA Basketball Championship (Saturday) CBS

18. CBS NCAA Basketball Championship (Thursday) CBS

19.

FOX

20. ER

NBC

Hot Hits This Week in 2009 -

Right Round - Flo Rida

Gives You Hell - All-American Rejects

Poker Face - Lady GaGa

My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly

Clarkson

Dead and Gone - T.J. Feat. Justin

Timberlake

You Found Me - Fray

Sober - Pink

Circus - Britney Spears

Week of April 1, 2009

Kiss Me Through the Phone - Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em Feat. Sammi

Heartless - Kayne West

Mad - Ne-Yo

Just Dance - Lady GaGa Feat. Colby O’Donis

Beautiful - Akon Feat. COLBY O'DONIS & KARDINAL OFFISHALL

How Do You Sleep? - JESSE MCCARTNEY FEAT. LUDACRIS

Love Story - Taylor Swift

Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas

If U Seek Amy - Britney Spears

Love Sex Marriage - CIARA

FEAT. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

The Climb - Miley Cyrus

Candle (sick and tired) - White

Tie Affair

Shinedown - Second Chance

Halo - Beyonce

Hot Alternative Rock -

Use Somebody - Kings of Leon

Feel Good Drag - Anberlin

Lifeline - Papa Roach

Sometime Around Midnight -

Airborne Toxic Event

Love Hurts - Incubus

Audience of One - Rise Against

Hot Country -

It Won't Be Like This For Long - Darius Ricker

River of Love - George Strait

Don’t Think I Can’t Love You - Jake

Owen

It’s America - Rodney Atkins

She’s Country - Jason Aldean

Nothin’ To Die For - Tim McGraw

Here Comes Goodbye - Rascal Flats

I Told You So - Carrie Underwood Feat.

Randy Travis

It Happens - Sugerland

Ride - Martina McBride

Shuttin’ Detroit Down - John Rich

Smooth Jazz -

Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart) -