WebProNews

Author: Val Powell

  • Sadie Robertson Impresses Judges With “Romantic” Rumba On DWTS

    A non-elimination episode on Dancing With The Stars saw Sadie Robertson partner up with Derek Hough, but she returned this week with regular partner Mark Ballas to score high. Robertson and Ballas performed what the judges called a “romantic” rumba to garner a score of 35 out of 40, including a perfect 10 from guest judge Pitbull.

    Robertson and Ballas performed the rumba to Rihanna’s hit song “Diamonds” and impressed the judges. Julianne Hough said that the pair’s rumba was like a “beautiful story about falling in love.” She evidently thought that Robertson and Ballas pulled off the rumba in their own way, despite it usually being “a very passionate dance… raunchy.”

    Pitbull was also impressed and said, “It was simple, it was powerful….. I felt it was believable. Both of y’all did an amazing job.”

    Ballas’ concern that his choreography wouldn’t be enough for the judges was apparently unfounded. “I wanted to find the correct balance between being appropriate and doing the right dance,” he said before the performance. Meanwhile, Robertson had also been nervous about their sanitized rumba, saying, “I hope this week, it doesn’t come off as sexy, but it comes off as sweet. It’s just so awkward to me, and when I get awkward, I laugh a lot.”

    It seems that Robertson doesn’t have much about her dancing skills to worry about, as proven by the partner switch-up in the previous week. Robertson wowed the judges even when she was partnered with Derek Hough to dance the Charleston to the tune of “Crazy Stupid Love” from Cheryl Cole feat Tinie Tempah. Her performance earned Robertson a 36 out of 40 as well as rave reviews from judges Hough, Carie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and guest judge Jessie J.

    For her consistently high-scoring weekly performances, Robertson is one of the solid contenders for the Mirror Ball on finals night of Season 19.

  • Bristol Palin Allegedly Punched And Dragged In House Party Brawl [Audio]

    An audio recording obtained from the Anchorage Police Department details the investigation of a September 6 brawl at a private birthday party that reportedly involved Bristol Palin. In the recording, Bristol is sobbing to police about how a man pushed and dragged her across the grass after she tried to defend her sister Willow. Bristol’s mother Sarah Palin can also be heard in the recording speaking in an agitated manner to the police.

    As Bristol tells it, her sister Willow came to her while she was sitting in the family’s rented limo and Willow complained that a 60-year-old woman pushed and punched her. Bristol reportedly went to confront the woman and encountered a man whom she claimed punched her, pushed her down to the grass and dragged her.

    Eyewitnesses claim otherwise, saying that it was Bristol who punched the man, identified as Korey Klingenmeyer, several times in the face. According to the police report, Klingenmeyer told officers that Bristol had been hitting him hard.

    “Korey said that he approached Bristol and got in her way, telling her that it was his house and his party and that she was not going to start any fights and that she needed to leave. Korey said that he then told Bristol to leave again and she began punching him in the face repeatedly, using both hands. Korey said that it did not knock him down but that it hurt and he grabbed Bristol’s arm and held her back, pushing her down while holding her hand as she was attempting to strike him,” said the police report.

    Matthew McKenna, who was holding his birthday party at Klingenmeyer’s house with his twin brother Mark, told police that he knew Todd and Sarah Palin and invited them to the party. However, he corroborated eyewitness accounts that Bristol had punched Klingenmeyer several times, though admitted she was first pushed by some women she had confronted before her encounter with the owner of the house.

  • The Avengers Sequel Will Have Record-Breaking Number Of Visual Effects

    The Avengers Sequel Will Have Record-Breaking Number Of Visual Effects

    Special visual effects were what made the fight scenes of the film The Avengers look amazing, and its sequel will reportedly be benefiting from a record-breaking number of them. Avengers: Age of Ultron will be featuring over 3,000 visual effects shots in it, employing the most number of such effects in one film.

    The news was revealed in a keynote speech given by Victoria Alonso, executive producer of Avengers: Age of Ultron, at the Visual Effects Society Production Summit at the W Hollywood on Saturday, October 18. Alonso reportedly said that she expected more than 3,000 VFX shots to be used in the Joss Whedon-helmed film. This number is greater than previous films on which Alonso also worked, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy, which counted 2,500 and 2,750 VFX shots, respectively.

    Alonso further revealed in her speech that Avengers: Age of Ultron’s special effects will be made by seven to 12 different VFX companies around the world. One advantage to this global collaboration for the film’s production, she continued, was that people in other countries could contribute unique ideas that don’t occur to the main studio. Alonso added that Marvel is raring to adopt emerging technologies for the film’s special effects, such as high dynamic range.

    The 3,000 VFX shots in Avengers: Age of Ultron will reportedly be used in action scenes as well as in characterizing each superhero with their powers. Effects will be used for Paul Bettany’s look in the film, supported with makeup, and the all-important shape of The Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo.

    Meanwhile, the successful film The Avengers still remains fresh in the minds and hearts of its fans, including actor Robert Downey Jr., who plays Iron Man. Because of an offhand comment he made on the set, he now owns the 30-foot-tall “A” prop used in the film to decorate the Avengers Tower. “So now we have a massive Avengers ‘A’ that will be prominently placed,” said Downey of the prop.

  • Brittany Maynard Nears Date Of Death, Champions Death By Dignity Act

    November 1 is the date that 29-year-old Brittany Maynard has chosen to end her life. Maynard was diagnosed with one of the deadliest forms of cancer, Gliobastoma, on New Year’s Day of 2014. After undergoing partial craniotomy and a partial resection of her temporal lobe, Maynard was told in April that she only had six months to live. Instead of choosing to get treatment that would render her physically unable to enjoy her last days alive, Maynard and her husband Dan Diaz then chose to move from California to Oregon, which is one of five states in the US with a “Death With Dignity Act.”

    Maynard is relieved that the option of a physician-assisted suicide assures her that she doesn’t have to go through periods of losing consciousness or losing her speech, which are effects of having a brain tumor. However, she has already had to live with the dramatic changes brought on by her illness, from experiencing seizures and gaining 25 pounds to giving up her dream of having children and her valued teaching job.

    Her story has reignited the debate on physician-assisted suicide, and made Maynard the target of criticism due to religious concerns about the issue. “I struggle to even think of this woman’s plan to end her own life prematurely, as courageous. Because it is not. Rather it is anything but. In fact, in my mind, it is a self-destructive act of selfish cowardice to end your own life before God’s perfect timing,” wrote Chaplain Adele M. Gill on Catholic Online.

    Only Washington, Oregon, Montana, Vermont and New Mexico allow physician-assisted suicide, but the organization for which Maynard now volunteers, Compassion & Choices, is reportedly working to make it legal in other states. Maynard recounted how moving to Oregon to avail of death by dignity required a tremendous amount of resources and support from friends and family that may not be available to other people. “I had to find new physicians, establish residency in Portland, search for a new home, obtain a new driver’s license, change my voter registration and enlist people to take care of our animals, and my husband, Dan, had to take a leave of absence from his job. The vast majority of families do not have the flexibility, resources and time to make all these changes,” Maynard said.

    “I didn’t launch this campaign because I wanted attention; in fact, it’s hard for me to process it all. I did this because I want to see a world where everyone has access to death with dignity, as I have had. My journey is easier because of this choice,” said Maynard.

  • Ringo Starr: Not Too Cool To Sell Skechers Shoes

    As a member of The Beatles, Ringo Starr stands to be one of the most recognizable faces of our time. Footwear company Skechers was most likely banking on Starr’s immense popularity when it recently signed him on to represent its Relaxed Fit footwear campaign, which will be released in spring 2015.

    On October 20, Monday, the shoe brand announced that Starr was the newest face of its popular footwear line, which was previously endorsed by sports greats such as Joe Montana, Mark Cuban and Joe Namath. Starr is the first musician to endorse the line, signaling the brand’s crossover from sports into music.

    “Ringo possesses the charm, cool charisma and instant global recognition that will elevate awareness for our popular Relaxed Fit footwear collection both in the United States and around the world,” said Skechers President Michael Greenberg. He said that the campaign for the shoe line is moving from the sports world to the music world, and that “Ringo is the perfect ambassador to illustrate how our comfortable footwear helps keep you relaxed in any situation.”

    — Fashionista.com (@Fashionista_com) October 21, 2014

    The Skechers press release also called Starr “not only a music icon, but also a style icon,” making him the perfect person to represent the brand in ads next spring boasting of a “roomier fit” and “instant comfort” with humor. It referenced Starr’s recent stint as a model for a John Varvatos campaign tied to the drummer’s charity called Peace Rocks.

    For every photo posted on social media of a person flashing the peace sign and captioned with the hashtag #PEACEROCKS, John Varvatos donates $1 to The Ringo Starr Peace and Love Fund at the David Lynch Foundation. The fund helps pay for the teaching of Transcendental Meditation, a stress-relief technique, to beneficiaries such as students of inner-city schools, veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress, and women and children who are victims of violence and abuse.

    — The Beatles (@thebeatles) September 19, 2014

  • Ebola In Ohio: Family Defends Nurse That Contracted Virus

    Amber Vinson, the second nurse from Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas to contract the Ebola virus, has reportedly been getting negative comments about her recent trip to Ohio. Vinson flew from Dallas to Cleveland on October 10 to plan her wedding and flew back to Texas on October 13. Although she was not showing symptoms for Ebola at the time of her trip, about 153 people in Ohio are being monitored by officials because they came into contact with her, and the state seems to have been put on edge.

    An Ohio store called Coming Attractions Bridal Shop was reportedly visited by Vinson during her trip, and its owners are now feeling the effects of the stigma brought by the Ebola virus. Donald and Anna Younker had their shop treated by ultraviolet ray machines on Sunday, October 19, in order to convince customers that their shop was safe. “I’m hoping that this will ease everybody’s mind that if there’s anything floating in my store that it’s gonna be gone,” said Anna. She has also been placed under monitoring for three weeks by the Health Department for coming into contact with Vinson as she waited on her at the shop.

    Meanwhile, Vinson’s family issued a statement on Sunday in reaction to the negative comments Vinson was receiving about her travel while infected with Ebola. “To be clear, in no way was Amber careless prior to or after her exposure to Mr. Thomas Eric Duncan. She has not and would not knowingly expose herself or anyone else,” said the statement.

    Vinson’s family claims that the nurse did not feel symptoms when she traveled to Ohio and had been in contact with Center for Disease Control and Protection officials before she flew back to Dallas. The statement then went on to clarify that Vinson complied with health officials’ request that she monitor her fever once she reported it, and that she had been cleared by them to travel back to Dallas in order to be treated at Texas Presbyterian Hospital, where she worked.

  • Seth Rogen Supports Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease With Hilarity For Charity

    As a call to arms in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, Seth Rogen and wife Lauren Miller recently held an event that raised more than $900,000 for the cause. Rogen and Miller staged the third annual Hilarity For Charity event on October 17, Friday, to raise money for efforts to combat Alzheimer’s disease and succeeded in getting donations while providing a variety show full of fun.

    Artists such as Rob Lowe, Taylor Lautner and Marcia Gay Harden as well as personalities like Judd Apatow and Maria Shriver showed up at The Hollywood Palladium to pledge their support for the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. They watched artists such as Sarah Silverman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Weird Al Yankovic and Craig Robertson and The Nasty Delicious give entertaining performances. A highlight of the variety show was when Rogen and Miller joined singing group Bell Biv Devoe onstage to perform their 1990s hit, “Poison.”

    — TheWrap (@TheWrap) October 19, 2014

    — Variety (@Variety) October 18, 2014

    Hilarity For Charity was a prom-themed event that had artists, donors and supporters for Alzheimer’s disease awareness showing up in their best prom wear. Rogen wore a white tuxedo and sneakers, while Miller was dressed in blue ruffles and wearing a corsage.

    Rogen has been a vocal advocate for the fight against Alzheimer’s disease for a decade, since Miller’s 63-year-old mother Adele has had it. “We look to the government and we realize that it’s ridiculously underfunded,” said Rogen in an interview with Huffington Post. Because of this, Rogen and Miller reportedly set up Hilarity For Charity, which has successfully raised money for the disease for three years.

    Rogen’s upcoming film The Interview has recently gotten some publicity due to the media disappearance of Kim Jong Un, leader of North Korea, who is a character in the comedy. “It is amazing. It’s almost as if we gave (Kim) a list of, ‘Here’s what you can do that would help promote our film.’ And he’s doing pretty much all of it,” joked Rogen.

  • Goldie Hawn And Kate Hudson Rock Pink Hairdo [Photo]

    In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, veteran actress Goldie Hawn and her daughter Kate Hudson hit the salon to sport a new look. Hawn and Hudson made a salon visit on Friday, in order to get pink streaks in their hair. Pink is the official color of breast cancer awareness, and the Hollywood mother and daughter wanted to show their support for the worthy cause.

    Hudson showed off her hair and Hawn’s in an Instagram post. The photo shows Hudson flashing a peace sign at the camera while her stylist is pulling her pink streaks into view. Over Hudson’s shoulder in the photo is Hawn grinning with her own lock of pink hair in full view.

    “In honor of my bestie Juliana, my assistant Kathy, my grandmother Laura, Mimo and all the people who are fighting and have fought breast cancer. Your courage shines and inspires. We decided to show our support by wearing pink proud! Thank you@majormoonn for taking us there #breastcancerawarenessmonth #familyfun #pinkpower #pinkproud #courage #showthelove,” wrote Hudson in the caption.

    The stylist in the photo is Danny Moon, who has also touched the hallowed locks of such celebrities as Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry and Nicole Richie.

    According to E! News, both Hawn and Hudson had previously expressed their support for breast cancer research. In 2013, Hudson attended the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Hot Pink Party to support the institution’s cause.

    Meanwhile, although Hawn has mostly retreated from the limelight, her daughter has had a healthy career. Most recently, Hawn’s son Oliver Hudson has joined his mother and older sister in showbusiness, playing the character of Jeff Fordham on the ABC country drama Nashville. Hudson also gushed about her brother on Instagram following her post about her pink streaks, saying, “My brother plays such a schemer!!!! Ah! Love it!”

  • Kate Gosselin Holds Yard Sale Following News Of Jon’s Home Eviction

    Reality TV star Kate Gosselin plans to hold a yard sale this weekend, causing some to question whether she’s strapped for cash. According to In Touch Weekly, a local radio station has announced that Kate will be selling some of her family’s used possessions at a yard sale on October 25.

    Speaking to Y102’s Jackie and Scott, Kate announced that her family, including her eight children made famous by the TLC reality show, will be selling their pre-loved items at a yard sale at St. Johns United Church of Christ. Kate and her children will be letting go of unwanted or no longer needed items that were “clogging up their house.”

    Although questions on whether Kate is desperate for cash were sparked by the announcement of the yard sale, the family’s website counters that rumor. An announcement for the yard sale posted on the site states that a portion of the profits from the items will be donated to the Local Animal Rescue League.

    — In Touch Weekly (@intouchweekly) October 20, 2014

    Kate has been criticized for selling items that were gifted to her and her children, but she has apparently been managing her finances better than her husband Jon, who recently got evicted from his home in Pennsylvania. According to The Stir, Jon was also fired from his waitering job because he was “blowing off shifts and coming in late,” which might explain why he couldn’t make payments for his house and his checks had been bouncing.

    — POPDUST (@Popdust) October 15, 2014

    “It’s true. The eviction happened [in early October]. He could no longer afford the rent. He has moved out and is already in a new place in the same neighborhood,” a source told E! News.

    Meanwhile, Kate has been involved in a slew of projects to support her brood financially, besides her reality specials for Kate Plus 8 on TLC. Despite criticism of her methods, Kate seems to be pulling her weight as a parent. “[TV] is a pretty fantastic way to feed my children, keep them in an amazing house, at an amazing school and make memories together,” she said in June.

  • Maria Menounos Attacked While Riding In Her SUV

    As her vehicle was pulling out JFK Airport in New York, Maria Menounos and her entourage were reportedly attacked on the morning of Thursday, October 16. A tire wrench was thrown into her SUV while Menounos and her group were trying to get onto the Van Wyck Expressway, and the object shattered her right rear window.

    “It really felt like something out of a movie. I heard an explosion and I started screaming, ‘Everyone down, we’re being shot at. Everyone down!” she told E! News. Menounos added that she believed that someone had been trying to rob them but probably stopped when they saw a police car close by. “We didn’t know if we were being targeted,” said Menounos.

    Although Menounos was unhurt by the incident, she was obviously shaken by it, expressing her incredulity on Instagram and Twitter right after it happened. “Omg this just happened. Huge explosion thought we got shot… now we think someone approached the car in traffic and blew out our window. This is what they used!!! This is so crazy!!! We are all freaked out,” she wrote on a photo she posted on Instagram of her holding the tire wrench.

    This is what they used!!! This is so crazy!!! We are all freaked out

    A photo posted by maria menounos (@mariamenounos) on

    Menounos’ makeup artist was covered with glass when the rear window was broken by the assailant, who escaped without being seen. She tweeted, “Crazy morning….@iachilleas ended up with glass shattered all over him.someone threw a tire wrench.” Menounos also shared on Twitter a comment by the driver of her vehicle, who said that he’d never seen an incident like that happen during his 10 years as a driver, “even driving [Snoop Dogg]!”

    The incident didn’t seem to rattle Menounos too much as she was still able to attend an Ocean Spray event at Rockefeller Center on the same day. People took the opportunity to ask Menounos about pregnancy rumors. “I think it’s funny. It’s new to me. It’s never happened. But you know, people are always curious, and I’m definitely getting to that age where everyone’s wondering,” she said.

  • Nicole Scherzinger Launches Second Solo Album In UK

    Former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger has carved another notch in her musical career by releasing her second solo album, titled Big Fat Lie. Scherzinger has reportedly admitted that the album tackles her heartbreak over her boyfriend, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. The couple apparently spent a long period apart in 2013 and reunited earlier this year.

    Scherzinger celebrated the release of Big Fat Lie by holding a signing for her new LP at HMV in London on Monday, October 20. She showed up in an eye-popping ensemble of a black bralet covered by a white jacket and white skirt. Her lips were a bright red to match her red studded booties, and her look was made edgy with giant metal accessories and some of her hair pulled back into small braids. Scherzinger reportedly looked happy and goofed off in front of cameras, delighting the fans who came to see her.

    According to London Evening Standard, Big Fat Lie was also an opportunity for Scherzinger to address some old personal issues such as past relationships and her eating disorder. “It’s a very personal album to me. It’s a transitional album, and it’s very honest and authentic,” Scherzinger said. “I’m in a different place in my life now. I feel a bit more confident and comfortable in my own skin to be able to talk about things that I hadn’t talked about before.”

    Writing the album was apparently like going through “therapy” for Scherzinger, who also said, “It feels good to be truthful because not everyone’s perfect.”

    Before she launched her album, Scherzinger was also seen partying in a little black dress at the Toy Room Club with friends on Saturday night, only stopping at 4 AM the next day. Scherzinger had also put some time in for a good cause at the Stand Up To Cancer 2014 telethon on Friday, October 17, where she performed a single from Big Fat Lie.

    Big Fat Lie will be available in the US early next year via Epic Records.

  • Bear Eats Man After He Dies Of Heart Attack

    A man living “off the grid” experienced a heart attack while fetching water on October 8, and his body was found and eaten by a black bear taking shelter nearby. Marion Lee Williams, a 65-year-old man, lived in a trailer in the community of Briceland in Humboldt County and was reportedly checking on his water supplies when he experienced cardiac arrest near where the bear made its home, said Humboldt County Deputy Coroner Roy Horton.

    Authorities believe that the bear had come across Williams’ body and treated it the way it would any food source: drag the body to its cave to eat. Investigators were reportedly able to identify Williams using his fingerprints, dentures and pieces of clothing after the bear had eaten most of his body.

    “The bear saw the opportunity for a food source and took advantage of it,” Horton said. The bear supposedly stripped Williams of his clothes and necklace and fed on him for several days. “The bear did eat most of this guy. He was about 85 percent consumed,” added Horton.

    After noticing that Williams seemed to be missing, his friends called the sheriff’s department on October 11. Williams’ friends also reportedly visited his property and could smell his decaying body.

    California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Andrew Hughan said that authorities initially tried to capture the bear in order to euthanize it but called off the attempt because it was doubtful that the animal would stay in the area of Redway, where Williams’ residence is located.

    “The bear does not pose a public threat. It was just doing what bears do,” said Hughan. He added that there were no reported cases of black bears mauling people in California.

    According to Horton, the bear was behaving naturally upon coming across Williams’ body, and black bears are usually timid, not aggressive.

  • Ebola Travel Ban May Do More Harm Than Good

    Some US lawmakers are calling for a travel ban on people from West African countries most affected by the Ebola virus in the attempt to safeguard Americans from the disease. However, experts are advising against the Ebola travel ban, saying that it would make the disease harder to control in different ways.

    One proponent of the Ebola travel ban is Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, where two nurses have been infected by the virus after treating a patient with Ebola. “Air travel is, in fact, how this disease crosses borders and it’s certainly how it got to Texas in the first place,” said Perry.

    Experts from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claim that the Ebola travel ban could hurt efforts to control the disease in West Africa and prevent an outbreak in the US. “When some commercial flights stop going into those countries, our people are delayed going in, our people are delayed going out… it does not enhance our ability to stop the epidemic,” said Tom Skinner, spokesman for CDC.

    White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Thursday, October 16, that President Barack Obama was not considering an Ebola travel ban. Earnest said that people traveling from West Africa have been subjected to several screenings prior to travel and upon landing in the US.

    “Now, if we were to put in place a travel ban or a visa ban, it would provide a direct incentive for individuals seeking to travel to the United States to go underground and to seek to evade this screening and to not be candid about their travel history in order to enter the country,” said Earnest. He added that this would make it harder for authorities to monitor individuals who could potentially carry the disease and undermine efforts to contain the Ebola virus.

    Although President Ronald Reagan prevented people with HIV/AIDS from traveling to the US in 1989, a ban that was repealed in 2009 by President Obama, the US has not yet imposed a travel ban on people from a certain country due to an epidemic.

  • Elle Macpherson Moves Underwear Line To US While Heidi Klum Takes Over Bendon

    Supermodels are battling in the lingerie market, with Australian model Elle Macpherson pitted against German-born Heidi Klum. MacPherson, 50, recently announced that she was ending her partnership of 25 years with Australian-based company Bendon, which produces her Elle Macpherson Intimates lines. Meanwhile, the company has signed on Klum, 41, to take over the brand with Heidi Klum Intimates.

    Macpherson will be moving her three lines, Elle Macpherson Intimates and its subsidiaries Macpherson Men and The Body, to the US. She will aims to start her own lines for active wear, swim wear there with the move.hough Machpherson has yet to announce with whom she’ll be partnering for the venture.

    “I am relocating to the US with my family and I’m excited about energizing the further growth of the brands in the US market. I am very proud of the Elle Macpherson Intimates, The Body and Macpherson Men brands which I created and nurtured for the past 25 years,” said Macpherson. The model, TV host and entrepreneur reportedly raked in $150 million for Bendon during her time with them, which helped Macpherson to build her personal worth of $60 million.

    Meanwhile, Bendon CEO Justin Davis-Rice said that Klum’s social media reach will double Bendon’s market share and reinvigorate the brand. Klum reportedly has 2.54 million followers and a global fan base that will help her promote her own Intimates brand when it launches in January.

    Klum has acknowledged that Macpherson built “quite an empire” and “quite an amazing business” with Bendon, and shared that she was excited to join the company. “I feel like with all the social media that I have, with the campaigns that we do, I hope that people will hear that I took over and I hope that they’re happy about it. It wasn’t me knocking at the door saying I want to take over. It was offered to me,” Klum said.

  • Chocolate Prices May Soar Due To Ebola Outbreak

    The price of chocolate is predicted to rise with the onset of the year’s biggest candy-consuming holidays: Halloween and Christmas. Because most of the world’s cocoa is produced in West African countries, chocolate production is being affected by the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Liberia and Guinea.

    According to NPR, half of the world’s cocoa, a key ingredient in chocolate, is produced in Ivory Coast and Ghana, which are next door to Liberia and Guinea. Since Ivory Coast has shut its borders to human traffic from the Ebola-affected countries, migrant workers from Liberia and Guinea are unable to cross the border and take part in the harvest season for cocoa, which lasts from October to March.

    Normally, chocolate companies send agronomists during this time of the year to West Africa to count trees and pods and use mathematical modeling to predict the output of cocoa for the year, which sets prices. However, due to the Ebola virus, many of the pod-counters chose not to go to the region this year.

    “The speculators who agree to set prices for raw cocoa don’t know how the Ebola epidemic is going to affect the harvest and production of it,” said Virginia Whetstone, owner of Whetstone Chocolate, in an interview with FOX 31 in Denver.

    The chocolate industry had already been experiencing a decline in supply due to the waning productivity of West African cacao trees in recent years. The spread of the Ebola virus in the region has reportedly put even more pressure on chocolate production.

    The current price of cocoa is at $3,118 per metric ton, but, according to Financial Post, an executive from World Cocoa Foundation recently told reporters in Copenhagen that it could more than double to $6,000 or $8,000 if cocoa farms don’t start producing more. Thus, chocolate companies are reportedly participating in various efforts to stabilize the supply of cocoa to meet the steadily increasing demand for chocolate all over the world.

  • Teal Pumpkin Project Safeguards Children With Allergies On Halloween

    For children with allergies, Halloween treats can be a matter of life or death. An initiative started by parents called the Teal Pumpkin Project is helping children with allergies take part in the fun holiday without putting their health at risk with Halloween candy.

    Becky Basalone of Knoxville, Tennessee, had attended a Halloween party for children with allergies two years ago and brought along a pumpkin painted in the color for allergy awareness, which was teal. She later decided to put in on her front porch to signal that she had treats that were safe for children with allergies. “At the same time, it empowered my children, who were so willing to explain to people why we had a teal pumpkin,” said Basalone.

    Food Allergy Research & Education offered to promote the idea nationwide after they picked it up on social media, launching the Teal Pumpkin Project. “The Teal Pumpkin Project is an easy way to make a big impact in your community. Food allergies can be life-threatening, and they affect 1 in 13 children in the United States. We are thrilled to see so many people embracing the Teal Pumpkin Project as a way to ensure kids with food allergies can enjoy a safe, fun Halloween experience just like their friends,” said Veronica LaFemina, a spokeswoman for the group.

    The Teal Pumpkin Project encourages people to offer non-food treats such as stickers, temporary tattoos, small toys and crayons for children with allergies who go trick-or-treating. Households can place a teal pumpkin by their door to let parents and children know that they provide safe treats.

    Parents like Ellie Sears, whose three-year-old daughter Sarah has allergies, are happy that the Teal Pumpkin Project allows their children to experience the fun of Halloween without getting allergies. “It’s totally optional. So if you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to do it, but if you just want to make that extra step, families like us, we are overjoyed by it,” said Sears.

  • Boyz II Men Returns To Philadelphia Roots, Celebrates New Album

    On Tuesday, Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men held a free concert at the old performing arts high school they once attended. The group met at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative & Performing Arts more than two decades ago and returned to pay tribute to the teachers and the school that helped them cultivate their talents. The Boyz II Men concert was a private show the artists performed for 300 students and Sirius XM subscribers. Sirius XM will also be broadcasting the concert on October 21 to coincide with the release of their new album Collide.

    The Philadelphia High School for the Creative & Performing Arts was a creative place that fostered talents such as Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, who formed The Roots. “There were so many talented people in there, we always say that any other four guys could have been Boyz II Men. We just happened to be the ones to get out,” said Nathan Morris.

    Morris noted in an interview with CBS Philly that the School District of Philadelphia has been experiencing consistent cuts in music and art programs over the past 10 years. Despite these setbacks, the Philadelphia High School for the Creative & Performing Arts has continued to support students in their artistic pursuits.

    “The energy of what the kids are about and what they believe in here is the same. It feels good to be back,” Morris said. “We hope that they’re inspired, that we’re just like them, we are just a little older with some gray hair and we’re still learning.”

    Boyz II Men will be holding a free 50-minute concert on Monday, October 20, at the Americana at Brand in Glendale, California, to celebrate the release of Collide. The album will be available on Monday at the Barnes & Noble store at the Americana ahead of its public release on Tuesday. The first 100 customers to buy it there will get to meet and greet Boyz II Men after the concert.

  • Boyfriend Of Nina Pham Reportedly In Isolation For Observation Of Ebola

    Boyfriend Of Nina Pham Reportedly In Isolation For Observation Of Ebola

    The boyfriend of Ebola patient Nina Pham has been placed in isolation, according to an e-mail sent by his employer to his colleagues. Jeff George, CEO of Alcon in Fort Worth Texas, apparently sent an e-mail to his employees that a person who had been in contact with Pham and works for the company was admitted to the hospital on Sunday, October 12.

    The e-mail allegedly states that an Alcon employee was admitted to the hospital and was being monitored for Ebola symptoms, although the name of the employee was not released. The employee is believed to be Pham’s boyfriend, who works for the company, as do Pham’s parents.

    “The associate has not shown any signs of symptoms of the Ebola virus. After consultation with the Texas Department of Health, we are confident that there is no risk for Alcon associates,” wrote George.

    According to Dallas News, Rev. Jim Khoi of Our Lady of Fatima Church in East Fort Worth was told by Pham’s mother that a friend of her daughter’s had also been admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, although he was not told of the nature of their relationship.

    Meanwhile, Pham is reportedly keeping in touch with family members through Skype and phone calls. She has been in quarantine since Friday, October 10, after contracting the Ebola virus from “patient zero” Thomas Eric Duncan, who died just two days before.

    However, Pham received a blood transfusion from Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly on Monday, according to Daily Mail. Brantly arrived at Texas Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday night to donate his blood.

    Brantly contracted the virus while working for Samaritan’s Purse in Liberia, after which he was flown back to the US for treatment. He survived after being treated with the experimental serum Z-Mapp at the Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.

  • Glenn Close Discloses She Was Raised In A Religious Cult

    As a celebrated actor, Glenn Close exudes an innate sophistication, but the 67-year-old recently revealed that her childhood was actually spent growing up in an oppressive cult. Close made the shocking revelation in a recent issue of The Hollywood Reporter, where she appears on the cover.

    Close revealed that she entered the cult when she was aged seven and could only escape from its oppressive environment when she turned 22. Her father, Dr. William Taliaferro Close, entered into a conservative religious group called Moral Re-Armament with his family and even moved them to live in the group’s headquarters in Switzerland.

    — Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) October 16, 2014

    “You basically weren’t allowed to do anything, or you were made to feel guilty about any unnatural desire. If you talk to anybody who was in a group that basically dictates how you’re supposed to live and what you’re supposed to say and how you’re supposed to feel, from the time you’re seven till the time you’re 22, it has a profound impact on you,” said Close.

    It was only when Close started attending the College of William and Mary that she was able to sever her ties with the religious group in 1970. Even after leaving the group, however, Close was still haunted in her dreams by its influence. Since Close didn’t seek professional help, she processed her childhood trauma through these dreams.

    “I had these dreams, and they started with betrayal, a sense of betrayal, and then they developed into me being able to look at these people and say, ‘You’re wrong. You’re wrong.’ And then the final incarnation of those dreams was my being able to calmly get up and walk away. And then I didn’t have them anymore,” Close said.

    — Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 15, 2014

    Close never resumed contact with the group and has since forgiven her father for her traumatic childhood. “I always thought, the way life works, the burden of forgiveness is on the child,” Close said.

  • Amber Vinson Contracts Ebola, Virus Spreads In The US

    The second nurse to be diagnosed with Ebola in Dallas has reportedly been identified as Amber Vinson. After treating a patient diagnosed with Ebola who later died, Vinson herself came down with the virus, making her the second nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas to be infected; the first was Nina Pham.

    Vinson had treated Thomas Eric Duncan, who flew from Liberia to the US with Ebola and died on October 8, while he was at the Dallas hospital.

    According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Vinson complained of a fever on Tuesday and was subsequently isolated. Preliminary tests reportedly showed that Vinson was positive for Ebola, but confirmation testing is under way. Health and Human Services reportedly said that Vinson will be transported to Emory Universal Hospital in Atlanta, which is equipped to handle Ebola. Vinson is said to be ill but in stable condition, and the CDC is apparently monitoring the three people she came into contact with before going into isolation.

    — NBC News (@NBCNews) October 15, 2014

    Vinson flew on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 from Cleveland to Dallas on Monday, said the CDC. She reported having a fever of 99.5 degrees before boarding the flight, which Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of CDC, said was reason enough for her not to have boarded the commercial flight. Authorities are now monitoring the 132 passengers on the flight with Vinson, although Frieden said that their exposure to Ebola was “an extremely low likelihood.”

    — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) October 16, 2014

    “She did not vomit. She was not bleeding. So the level of risk of people around her should be extremely low,” said Frieden.

    — CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) October 16, 2014

    Meanwhile, Vinson’s relatives are also being closely monitored by authorities in Ohio. Police have reportedly taped off the home of Vinson’s mother on Stonegate Trail in the Stonegate Reserve housing development in Tallmadge, according to 3WKYC. Up to seven police cars were seen in front of the home, and police are reportedly restricting access to the neighborhood.

  • Elisabeth Hasselbeck Takes Time Off From TV To Recover From Secret Surgery

    Fox & Friends announced on October 15, Wednesday, that host Elisabeth Hasslebeck will be absent from the show for two weeks. Hasslebeck reportedly underwent surgery on October 14 and will be taking time off from the program in order to recover. Although the type of surgery Hasslebeck went through wasn’t disclosed, she is reportedly “feeling good” and expects to be back on the show soon.

    Co-hosts of Hasslebeck, Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade, made the announcement on Wednesday after calling viewers’ attention to the fact that Hasslebeck was not on the show for that episode. They also introduced the episode’s replacement for Hasslebeck, Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is usually seen on the channel’s The Five. According to TV Newser, replacements for Hasslebeck will be rotated in the course of her two-week absence.

    “In case you were wondering where Elisabeth is today and this week, well, she had some surgery yesterday and she’s going to be out for a couple of weeks. But she’s doing just fine, she’s on the mend,” said Doocy on Fox & Friends.

    Kimeade added a lighter note to Hasslebeck’s absence, saying, “But as you know if you watch the show, she is strong, she is tough and a better athlete than me. We heard from her last night and she said she is feeling good. So, in a short time, she’ll be back on the set.”

    According to E! Online, Hasslebeck has been silent on Twitter, with her last post being on October 10. Meanwhile her last post on Instagram on October 6 was an inspirational quote: “Just because time doesn’t stand still, doesn’t mean you have to rush. Dare to stand still & see something precious.”

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    Hasslebeck was reported to have celiac disease and has written a book titled The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide.