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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check
November 9, 2010
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Dep't of Homeland Insecurity:
New security rules are now in place because of last month's mail bomb plot.
All cargo from Yemen and Somalia have now been banned and Homeland Security has announced that the U-S will ban toner and ink cartridges over 16 ounces from domestic U-S-bound passenger flights. (Maiman)Small Business Saturday:
Mom & pop retailers have been hit hard by the recession but American Express wants you to visit small retailers and has come up with an idea: Small Business Saturday.
American Express hopes that over time, Small Business Saturday will have a similar standing as Black Friday for big box stores and Cyber Monday for online stores.
The company has agreed to giving free online ads to independently-owned small businesses and a credit to card members who shop at them on Nov 27, the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. (Maiman)Trash talk and satellite dish:
"Breaking Dawn" may be the hottest of the "Twilight" films to date. Photographers for Us Weekly were on-hand in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to catch ROB PATTINSON and KRISTEN STEWART filming some steamy scenes for the upcoming film. Word is they had a "serious makeout session," which is big news in entertainment --the romantic couple is known for being secretive about their romance and shuns public displays of affection. (Lee)
Broadcast, cable and video news:
In these days when soap operas are a dying breed, NBC has just renewed the soap "Days of Our Lives" for another two years. Yesterday, by the way, was the soap's 45th season, making it the second longest-running soap opera currently on TV in the US after "General Hospital."
The show began as a half-hour drama in 1965 and expanded to an hour 10 years later. So far this year, it's been averaging 2.6 million viewers.Oscars:
Deadline.com says producers of this year's Oscar ceremonies have offered the hosting gig to HUGH JACKMAN again. He hosted the show two years ago, but has turned down the gig because he'll be too busy shooting the sequel to "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" at that point.
That, of course, leaves producer still casting around for a host --or, like last year, a pair of hosts (STEVE MARTIN and ALEC BALDWIN).
Last nine Oscar hosts: Steve Martin (2000, 2002), WHOOPI GOLDBERG (2001), BILLY CRYSTAL (2003), CHRIS ROCK (2004), JOHN STEWART (2005, 2007), ELLEN DeGENERES (2006), Jackman (2008), Martin and Baldwin (2009).Grace notes:
ROD STEWART opened his eight-concert residency Saturday night at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The Hollywood Reporter says some older folks in the crowd were expecting to hear Rod croon standards from his five "Great American Songbook" albums, he only did one: COLE PORTER's "I Get A Kick Out Of You."
The rest of the 90-minute show was filled with Rod's many rock and pop hits, which pleased the majority of the baby-boomer crowd as well as the under-40 crowd, If this run goes well, word is that Rod will rotate weeks worths of concerts at Caesars' Colosseum Theater with CELINE DION and SHANIA TWAIN. (Marino)Jedi mind tricks:
A city in New Zealand cut crime by cranking up classical music in the streets.
The Christchurch Press says street-crimes and anti-social behavior have dropped dramatically in the city of Christchurch since the program started.
Officials installed loudspeakers in the town center a year ago. Before they started piping in the BACH and MOZART, cops were dealing with about eighty crimes per week. Now, they are averaging only two a week. And, police say drug and alcohol incidents have stopped altogether.
A spokesperson for the project says they were originally considering playing BARRY MANILOW. But, they found classical music more soothing. (Still) -
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