Friday, May 6, 2016

Prince's death: The latest

Fans continue to mourn the loss of music legend Prince as state and federal officials piece together his final days.
Developments are emerging along two tracks: the cause of his death and what to do with his vast estate. Here's the latest:
The U.S. Attorney's Office and the Drug Enforcement Agency announced Wednesday they're joining forces with local investigators led by the Carver County Sheriff's Office.
They will provide "federal resources and expertise about prescription drug diversion," according to a statement issued by federal prosecutors in Minneapolis.
According to a law enforcement source, investigatorsfound prescription opioid medication on Prince and in his Minnesota home after his death.
    So far, investigators haven't found valid prescriptions for the painkillers, law enforcement sources told CNN last week and again Thursday.
    Federal investigators will try to determine if people in Prince's inner circle may have helped obtain drugs for him, law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation told CNN.
    The DEA has an entire branch devoted to prescription drug abuse, which can involve complicit doctors or pharmacists, patients obtaining multiple prescriptions from a variety of physicians or the purchase of illegally obtained prescription drugs from illicit sources.
    Officials have yet to publicly comment on what killed Prince. Results of an April 22 autopsy are still pending.

    His issues with addiction

    Also Wednesday, we learned that Prince's team sought help from Dr. Howard Kornfeld, an eminent opioid addiction specialist, the day before the entertainer died. Kornfield sent his son, Andrew, to Minnesota, to prep the singer for a possible trip to California for treatment.
    By the time he arrived at the singer's Paisley Park complex on the morning of April 21, it was too late. Andrew Kornfeld ended up calling 911 to report Prince had been found unresponsive.
    Since then, a former attorney for two of Prince's dead siblings has come forward with more troubling information. Lawyer Michael B. Padden said the siblings revealed Prince had an addiction to Percocet decades before his sudden death in April.
    Duane Nelson, who died in 2013, was adamant that Prince was in no way just a recreational user, Padden said. The singer started using the drug to help him deal with the rigors of performing, Nelson said. Another half-sibling, Lorna Nelson, confirmed Prince's drug use but was not involved in getting drugs for him, Padden said. She died in 2006.
    See more at: http://edition.cnn.com/

    Monday, May 2, 2016

    In 'Game of Thrones' twist, Jon Snow is...

    Disclaimer: The following story includes spoilers from Sunday's episode of "Game of Thrones."

    Jon Snow is dead, fans have been repeatedly told.
    But following the apparent death of the character in last season's finale there was still doubt in the magical world of "Game of Thrones."
    Even President Obama was suspicious enough to ask the show's director whether Snow, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, was really dead. He was "deader than dead," director David Nutter assured the president.
    Yet, after months of theories, debates and steadfast denials, the HBO fantasy drama revived the hero on Sunday night.
    The episode ended with Snow opening his eyes and taking deep gasps before immediately cutting to the credits.
    In the moments following Snow returning to the world of Westeros, fans came alive themselves, flooding social media with shock, excitement, and a bit of anger.
    Snow ended last season being stabbed to death by his own men, a fact that fans refused to accept.
    This lead to months of creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff shooting down theories and speculation that Snow, who is played by Kit Harington, would return.
    HBO used the the question of Snow's possible life after death in much of its marketing heading into last week's premiere.
    "Home," the second episode of the hit show on HBO, which like CNN is owned by Time Warner(TWX), ended the question once and for all.
    The final moments were filled with tense silence as fans awaited to see if the character would again open his eyes following a spell cast on him by mystical Melisandre.
    Once he did, fans were overjoyed if not a bit unsurprised.
    "You'll never guess what happened," tweeted Dave Itzkoff, culture writer for The New York Times.
    See more at: http://money.cnn.com/

    Thursday, April 28, 2016

    Source: Prince had opioid medication on him at time of death

    (CNN)Authorities investigating the death of music legend Prince found prescription opioid medication on his person and in his Minnesota home, a law enforcement official told CNN on Wednesday.
    The pills are commonly used to treat pain, and investigators have brought in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to help with the case, the source said.
    Investigators believe a health scare about a week before Prince's death, which caused an unscheduled landing of his plane in Illinois, was likely the result of a reaction to the pain medication, the official said.
    The pilot told air traffic control that a passenger, later known to be Prince, was unresponsive.
    See more at: http://edition.cnn.com/

    Friday, April 22, 2016

    Prince's last days: Health scares, thrilling shows, purple pianos

    (CNN)At the height of his stardom in the 1980s and '90s, Prince was ubiquitous, a marquee star who sold out stadiums, stole the silver screen and slayed fans with his bare-chested sass and sexuality.
    Then a dispute with his record company changed his worldview and he retreated from the public eye.
    Save for the occasional awards show, benefit or tour, Prince kept his private life private -- no small feat in the age of social media.
    As he fought to protect his brand in an industry known for its formulaic approach, he maintained a tight grip on his music, restricting it from YouTube and streaming services, and prohibiting any photos or videos from being taken at his shows.
    All of which made his death Thursday that much more shocking. A look at the last few days of his life provides some clues in hindsight that all was not well, but it's safe to assume that if Prince knew death was close, he did not want us to know.

      April 7: Atlanta shows postponed

      Fans were lined up outside Atlanta's Fox Theatre when the news broke: Prince had to postpone two back-to-back shows scheduled that evening.
      They were nearly inconsolable -- not just because of the postponement, but the reason given by the venue: "the entertainer is battling the flu."
      Fans worried that a bigger health problem could be afoot; many expressed their anxiety in meme form.
      See more at: http://edition.cnn.com/

      Monday, April 18, 2016

      Coachella: Kesha surprises and Guns N' Roses returns

      (CNN)Surprise guests stars and the return of some legendary rockers set the tone for Day 2 of Coachella.
      Kesha led the charge of guest stars when the singer surprised fans during Zedd's nighttime set Saturday to join the DJ for a rendition of "True Colors," the title track off the EDM star's 2015 album. It marked the "Tik Tok" singer's highest-profile live performance since all the media attention surrounding her legal battle against producer Dr. Luke.
      Kesha's accusations of being drugged, raped and emotionally and verbally assaulted by the music maker were dismissed by a New York judge earlier this month. The accusations have been vehemently denied by Dr. Luke, who has never been criminally charged.
      The 29-year-old singer did not address the crowd during her appearance.
      Kesha wasn't the only famous face who surprised Coachella attendees during the second night of the 2016 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. Panic at the Disco! singer Brendon Urie joined singer Halsey during her set, while rappers Run The Jewels got emcee Nas to hit the stage as well as an introduction video from Sen. Bernie Sanders.
        British electronic duo Disclosure pleasantly surprised the crowd during their 50-minute set with a cameo by Lorde and later Sam Smith for their biggest hits "Omen" and "Latch.
        But UK duo AlunaGeorge was the first of Disclosure's special guests, hitting the main stage just moments after their own solo set at the Sahara tent. For frontwoman Aluna Francis, the annual festival is a non-stop reunion.
        "This Coachella is insane. I've never been to a festival where I know so many of the artists playing," Francis told CNN earlier in the day. "It feels very buoyant and like you're at some sort of huge outdoor house party."
        Coachella turned into a nostalgic house party Saturday night as rap and rock legends took over the main stage.
        Rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube welcomed fellow N.W.A members MC Ren and DJ Yella onstage, thrilling fans but leaving them slightly disappointed that Dr. Dre was not in the house. The trio performed two songs now made even more famous by their megasuccessful feature film "Straight Outta Compton" before Cube brought out his son O'Shea Jackson Jr., who portrayed him in the movie, and Common, who currently stars alongside him in "Barbershop: The Next Cut." Later rapper Snoop Dogg joined Cube for "Go to Church" before giving the crowd a small bit of the absent Dre's hit "The Next Episode."
        Closing out the night was the highly anticipated return of Guns N' Roses.
        Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan put on a marathon-long performance with Rose being confined to sitting in a throne onstage due to a foot injury. The group also brought AC/DC guitarist Angus Young to the stage, just hours after it was announced Axl Rose would be joining AC/DC on tour as their replacement lead singer after Brian Johnson had to drop out due to hearing issues.
        Even those festival goers watching other acts in other tents broke out into a run toward the main stage when they heard GNR classics such as "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child O' Mine."
        British singer James Bay, who's been on a wave of success with his debut album "Chaos and the Calm," was one of the many GNR fans excited for the band's reunion set. Bay, who performed to an overflowing Mojave Tent earlier in the day and led the crowd in a sing-a-long of his mega hit "Let It Go," told CNN after his set about his fandom for GNR as a child.
        "When I was 13 I spent my pocket money on my first ever album that I sort of bought myself," Bay said. "It was 'Appetite for Destruction' by Guns N' Roses."
        The 25-year-old Grammy-nominated singer was in disbelief that he was playing the same festival as his childhood heroes.
        "It's mad isn't it," the singer said of being at Coachella with Guns N' Roses. "If I could tell my 13-year-old self that I don't think he would believe me."
        See more at: http://edition.cnn.com/

        Thursday, April 14, 2016

        Katy Perry closer to convent purchase, but hurdles remain

        (CNN)Singer Katy Perry is closer to keeping a rather coveted Los Angeles convent from becoming "The One That Got Away" after a judge's decision tossing out a prior sale.
        Superior Court Judge Stephanie Bowick on Wednesday "Unconditionally" tossed out a previous sale by nuns living in the convent, saying they didn't have authority to sell it without the approval of church officials.
        Perry wants to buy the scenic convent of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary -- which comes with a swimming pool and a sweeping view of the San Gabriel Mountains -- for a reported $14.5 million.
        The convent's five remaining nuns -- who could hardly be considered "California Gurls" -- apparently chose restaurateur Dana Holister's $15.5 million offer over Perry's "Dark Horse" offer in part because they didn't like the singer's sexy body of work, according to reports.
        But the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which wants to sell the property to Perry, said in effect that the convent is "Part of Me" and filed suit last year to block the sale on grounds that the nuns did not have the authority to sell it without the approval of church officials.
          And while a "Wide Awake" attorney for the nuns, John Scholnick, says they are considering an appeal, Perry's lawyer said with a "Roar" that he's confident the sale will go forward.
          "We will file the necessary paperwork to move forward with the purchase immediately," Perry's attorney, Eric Rowen, said not "Last Friday Night" but on Thursday.
          The Archdiocese said it was pleased by the ruling, even if it wasn't a "Teenage Dream."
          Church officials said in a statement that they didn't want to launch the "Firework" over the sale but had no choice.
          "The Archdiocese was forced to take legal action to protect all the five sisters from being taken advantage of by the Dana Hollister transaction in which Hollister improperly took possession of their property for only $44,000 in cash and a contingent promissory note," the church said in a statement.
          See more at: http://edition.cnn.com/

          Saturday, April 9, 2016

          Stop the presses! 'All the President's Men' and great journalism movies

          That was the mantra that came out of "All the President's Men," released 40 years ago Saturday. In fact, those three words became such a common saying that, these days, people assume it was part of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's book.
          It wasn't. Screenwriter William Goldman essentially coined the phrase for the movie.
          That wasn't the movie's only influence.
          The 1976 film, which starred Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as the Watergate-exposing Washington Post reporters, was said to have inspired a generation of students to enter journalism (though some authors have doubted the claim). It was a box office success, the fourth highest-grossing movie of the year.
            And it was widely praised. It garnered eight Oscar nominations, including best picture, though it lost to "Rocky."
            Even today, it may be the gold standard of journalism movies, a rich genre in movie history.
            "All the President's Men" certainly takes care of the checklist: dogged reporters in pursuit of a big story, slammed doors, painstaking research and even a little newsroom jocularity. In addition, It portrays investigative reporting as something noble, a quality it shares with the most recent best picture winner, "Spotlight."
            Not every journalism movie does. In fact, some of the great ones cast a skeptical eye on what is supposed to be a skeptical job. But then, why should it be otherwise?
            So stop the presses. In no particular order, here are 16 news-oriented films that are fit to print -- on film stock or digital. (Warning: Some of the clips contain adult language.)
            See more at: http://edition.cnn.com/