“I think we have bigger problems in our country than sending armed FDA agents into peaceful farmers’ land and telling them they can’t sell milk directly from the cow,” Rand Paul said yesterday in a rousing speech calling for an end to the Food and Drug Administration’s police powers. More from the transcript, provided by Paul’s office: Some of you might be surprised the FDA is armed. Well, you shouldn’t… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Reason Magazine – Hit & Run Discovery Date : 23/05/2012 23:51 Number of articles : 2
Toronto MC talks up the Believe track ‘Right Here’ and details his plans to hit the studio after his Club Paradise Tour. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Drake Photo: MTV News Drake has a jam-packed schedule taking his Club Paradise Tour city to city, but the Toronto rap star still manages to find time to record, especially since he has a studio on his tour bus. Right after Club Paradise’s last show in Boston, Massachusetts, Drizzy will begin recording new music, possibly for his next album. “I’m really excited to start working on new music. I start like June 18,” Drake told MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway when the two met backstage in Houston on May 17. “I got a studio bus out here so me and 40 started working on a couple joints the other night. Just getting warmed up,” he continued. “I did like the ‘Amen’ track for Meek [Mill] and I did ‘No Lie’ for 2Chainz.” Fans have already raved over Drizzy’s performance on both “No Lie” and “Amen,” which appears on the Philadelphia MC’s recently released Dream Chasers 2 mixtape . Still, the Young Money star has a few more collaborations that fans will hear in the coming weeks, one of them being French Montana’s “Pop That.” “I’m on French Montana’s single; me, him, Ross and Wayne, which is a crazy lineup,” Drake said. “And then on Justin Bieber ‘s record. I wrote a song for him as well.” At the time of the interview, Drake wasn’t sure of the name of the Bieber record or if the song would even be included on Justin’s upcoming Believe LP. “Awkward Justin Bieber moment,” Drizzy joked after pondering the very slim chance that he wouldn’t make the final cut. “Yeah, we’ll see. It’s a good song though; produced by Hit-Boy.” Well, Drake doesn’t have to worry. On Monday, the Biebs unveiled his Believe track list , and his fellow Canadian does appear on the song “Right Here.” We have no reason to doubt Drake’s word about “Right Here,” but we’ll all will just have to wait until June 19 when Believe is released to finally hear it. Are you excited to hear Justin and Drake’s “Right Here”? Tell us in the comments Related Videos Drake Brings His Club Paradise Tour To Houston Related Artists Drake Justin Bieber
Pusha tells MTV News his tourmate Future is ‘in the underbelly of the street and the ‘hood, with a following.’ By Nadeska Alexis, with reporting by Rahman Dukes Pusha T Photo: Daniel Boczarski/ WireImage Pusha T is gearing up to drop his debut solo album later this year, but the G.O.O.D. Music signee will head out on tour with Atlanta rapper Future before that rolls around. Pusha embarks on the Pluto Tour beginning May 29, and he’s looking forward to it. “To me, it’s gonna be reminiscent of when I went out on my first album-promo tour,” Pusha told MTV News while taking a break from recording his album in Atlanta this past weekend. “I’m going out with Future, and right now, he’s in the underbelly of the street and the ‘hood, with a following. “It’s grown to the point where we can do House of Blues shows all across the country,” he added. “So, it’s gonna be a mix of everything in the show.” Pusha, who released four albums with his brother Malice as part of the Clipse , is looking forward to dropping his first solo project, and is still surprised that the opportunity has already arrived. “It was something that was in the plans once we went through the label drams,” he said, referencing the Clipse’s very public falling out with Jive Records. “But at the end of the day, I never thought it would just be myself.” Malice, who took a break from recording music to publish his memoir “Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind and Naked,” has no plans to drop an album soon. “We went through the drama, did the Re-Up Gang mixtape series, and from that point, we were like, ‘Man, we really need to expand the brand as much as possible,’ ” Pusha explained. “That means I’ve gotta do a solo project, [Malice] is gonna do one — it was always about expanding the brand, but I didn’t know it would happen so quickly.” Upcoming dates for the Pluto Tour, featuring Future and Pusha T:
Ha! Kidding. But don’t tell me you’ve never wanted to lick the guy. Wait, what? We can’t have that privilege, either? What is going on here? Anyway, here are some sweet new postage stamps featuring directors John Huston, Billy Wilder, John Ford and Frank Capra. They are available today for philatelists and the snail-mail enthusiast in your life. (Hint, hint.) Read on for full details via the USPS and its partners at the American Film Institute. [Click above for bigger image] SILVER SPRING, MD — Four extraordinary film directors — Frank Capra, John Ford, John Huston and Billy Wilder — received a stamping ovation today with the issuance of the Great Film Directors First-Class Forever stamps. The dedication took place at the American Film Institute Silver Theatre and Cultural Center where some of their works were showcased. Available nationwide today, the stamps can be purchased online at usps.com/shop, by calling 1-800-STAMP-24 (1-800-782-6724) or by visiting Post Offices. “With these stamps, we’re bringing these filmmakers out from behind their cameras and putting them in the spotlight so that we can learn more about them,” said Samuel Pulcrano, U.S. Postal Service vice president, Corporate Communications in dedicating the stamps. “Movies offer a window into our history and heritage and tell the story of America. Similar to movies, stamps honor our past and celebrate our achievements while encouraging us to learn more about the people, places, and ideas that shape the American experience.” Joining Pulcrano in dedicating the stamps were Jean Picker Firstenberg, American Film Institute president emerita and Postmaster General’s Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee chair; Dr. Bernie Cook, associate dean and director of media studies, Georgetown University; Ray Barry, director, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center; Silver Spring Postmaster Tony Thompson; and, Arch Campell, ABC television arts and entertainment critic who emceed the event. “The American Film Institute’s mission is to preserve and showcase the cinematic treasures created by these and other directors and it is our hope that these Forever stamps will encourage Americans to see their classic movies that gave us a mirror on our country’s character and values,” said Firstenberg. Following the ceremony, AFI Silver Theatre provided the audience with a screening of Billy Wilder’s The Apartment . The four filmmakers received multiple Academy Award nominations, 15 Oscars, and numerous other honors during their lifetimes. But their greatest accomplishment lies in the vitality and artistry of the stories they told through film. Over a period of approximately 40 years, the quintessentially American filmmakers captured multiple contradictions, tensions, dark and light sides in deeply personal interpretations that conveyed the American experience as never before. The stamp art combines a portrait of each director with a scene from one of his most iconic works. The background art for the stamp honoring Frank Capra shows a scene from It Happened One Night , a comedy in which a runaway heiress (played by Claudette Colbert) and a reporter (Clark Gable) compare their hitchhiking skills. For the John Ford stamp, the background recalls a scene from The Searchers , an influential Western starring John Wayne and making Ford’s characteristic use of the American landscape. The Maltese Falcon inspired the background art for the John Huston stamp. In this classic mystery, gumshoe Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) goes up against various unscrupulous characters (among them Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet). For Billy Wilder, the stamp background artwork was inspired by Some Like It Hot , a farce about two male musicians (Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis) who seek refuge from gangsters by posing as members of an all-girl band featuring luscious singer Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe). Art Director Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, designed these stamps using art by award-winning illustrator Gary Kelley of Cedar Falls, IA, who created the images using pastels on paper. Customers may view the Great Film Directors Forever stamps, as well as many of this year’s other stamps, on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps , through Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview . Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for background on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news. ###
Cast teases the ‘awesomeness’ of next season, in which several characters find their voices outside McKinley High. By Jocelyn Vena, with additional reporting by Christina Garibaldi “Glee” Photo: FOX Now that the graduating class of McKinley High has said their big goodbye following Tuesday’s season finale , fans might be wondering what will go down in season four. It seems that much of the cast will be dispersing across the country to pursue lives outside of the New Directions, while others stay behind to finish high school. When MTV News caught up with the cast recently, Lea Michele explained that season four’s “show-within-a-show” format will allow them to expand on the plots already introduced while also allowing new plots to breathe life into the series. “You basically have the kids who have graduated and their story lines, as well as the kids back in high school,” she said. “I think it’ll be really great because it gives us the opportunity for the characters who have been on the show for a while to move on and to start new story lines, but then the kids who are newer on the show will get to continue on.” “I think it’ll add more to the show,” Chris Colfer added, noting that with guest stars like Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Hudson signed on to make cameos, fans should expect a lot of “awesomeness.” So is Michele equally excited by the prospect of chilling with the two fashionable A-listers on set? “They’re the best,” she gushed. “It’s really cool.” Michele and Colfer are hardly the only two characters returning to “Glee.” Show creator Ryan Murphy confirmed that everyone will be back for more. And, Darren Criss notes, it could mean some drama for Blaine and Kurt . “I think people got hung up on the idea that it’s over, which it’s not at all,” he said. “It’s just another departure point. When you graduated high school it’s not the end of the world.” “[Blaine]’s going to be a senior. I’m curious to see where his journey takes him,” Criss added. “Him and Kurt seem to be pretty strong, but Chris [Colfer] and I liked a little drama, so we like things being shook up maybe for more than one episode. So, I don’t know. We’ll see. I’m just happy to be invited to the party.”
Per LaDonna Harris, president and founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity (ahem): “‘Johnny is reprising the historic role of Tonto, and it seemed like a natural fit to officially welcome him into our Comanche family. I reached out, and Johnny was very receptive to the idea. He seemed proud to receive the invitation, and we were honored that he so enthusiastically agreed. Welcoming Johnny into the family in the traditional way was so fitting,’ Harris said. ‘He’s a very thoughtful human being, and throughout his life and career, he has exhibited traits that are aligned with the values and worldview that Indigenous peoples share.'” [ Indian Country TMN via THR ]
Gaga’s tour promoters are negotiating with government officials for Jakarta concert to go forward despite threats from extremist groups. By John Mitchell Lady Gaga Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage Lady Gaga has responded to the increasingly volatile situation surrounding her “Born This Way” concert in Indonesia, saying on Twitter that she has been asked by authorities to censor her show and has received threats of violence from Islamic hardliners should it go on as planned. Earlier reports indicated that Gaga’s planned June 3 concert at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium had been canceled after Indonesian national police refused to issue a permit, citing objections from Islamic groups who worried that Gaga’s performance would corrupt the nation’s youth. However, Gaga’s tour promoters are currently negotiating with government officials and police for the concert to go forward as planned. “The Jakarta situation is 2-fold: Indonesian authorities demand I censor the show & religious extremist separately, are threatening violence,” Gaga tweeted Tuesday (May 22). “If the show does go on as scheduled, I will perform the BTWBall alone.” Fifty thousand tickets for the show have been sold. While Indonesia is a secular state governed as a multi-party representative democratic republic, it has the world’s largest population of Muslims, most of whom practice a moderate form of the religion. However, there are also more extremist fringe groups that have in recent years become increasingly vocal, particularly regarding Western entertainers visiting the country. Beyonc
After 10 months in hiding, Casey Anthony may soon resurface after being subpoenaed in a lawsuit by Zenaida Gonzalez, a.k.a. Zanny the Nanny. Investigators have been waiting outside her residence in Florida for days to serve her with a subpoena in a defamation lawsuit filed by Gonzalez . “Our investigation team has had her whereabouts pinned down,” says Gonzalez’s lawyer, Matt Morgan . “Their backs were against the wall.” “Her attorneys said that they would accept service on her behalf.” Gonzalez filed suit over Anthony’s comments in 2008 that a babysitter named Zenaida Gonzalez had kidnapped Anthony’s 2-year-old daughter Caylee . The toddler was found dead and Anthony was charged with murder. She was found not guilty after a sensational trial in July and went into seclusion. There was no babysitter by that name, but Gonzalez – who had nothing to do with Casey – claimed defamation because the two names are the same. The defamation case has proceeded , with Anthony living in a secret location in Florida (where she must remain due to her probation for check fraud). A judge finally ordered that Casey Anthony’s attorneys must disclose her whereabouts so that she may be served and answer questions under oath. Anthony had planned to leave the country after her probation was finished in September, but she now will must return to Orlando to face Gonzalez. Gonzalez, who is seeking unspecified damages, is “happy” to hear that Casey “will be held accountable just like everybody else,” says her attorney.
Reality TV is getting the Cannes treatment at the world’s premiere film festival. Italian director Matteo Garrone (pictured above right with actor Nando Paone) brought Reality to the fest’s competition, following up his critically acclaimed gangster pic Gomorrah several years ago. The film centers on a village fisherman who sacrifices everything for the perceived chance to become a reality-television celebrity. After being persuaded to apply for the Italian version of Big Brother , Luciano gets a follow up interview in Rome. He is initially reluctant to pursue the role, but after an interview he thinks went well, Luciano begins to believe he’s in the running for the series. After returning to Naples, he begins to believe he’s still “being cast” as he goes about his daily life. Soon, he lives as if he’s already on the show. A chance meeting with people from Rome turns into an “incognito casting session,” and soon it gets worse as he loses sense of actual reality. “After Gomorrah , I was waiting for a theme that would be as powerful,” Garrone said in Cannes on Friday morning. “I wanted a surprising film, but after Gomorrah , I didn’t realize I’d be hitting a brick wall.” The film is chock full of thematic takeaways, including the religious metaphor that through good works, one can achieve paradise: In the film, Luciano begins to give up his worldly possessions, believing the people secretly watching him will be charmed by his selflessness — much to the horror of his family. Reality could also be an indictment of the meteoric rise of reality television itself over the past decade, though Garrone said the film takes a neutral stance — at least officially. “We shot the film without trying to be critical in any way,” he said. “The main character is like a modern day Pinocchio. One can always re-invent this story. We were thinking of Pinocchio as we were making this film… People can read into this story what they like.” Still, Garrone alludes to some vague overriding associations. “In Rome he finds some kind of redemption,” he noted. The cult of fame topic is not new to modern Italian cinema. Back in 2009, Erik Gandini brought his documentary Videocracy to the Toronto International Film Festival. The film explores how celebrity worship and the quest for television stardom has threatened Italian democracy itself, turning the country into a culture of banality. Garrone’s Reality does not overtly condemn society on that level, but there is enough wiggle room to formulate conclusions. “We wanted to simply tell a tale that’s close to the people,” Garrone said. “We weren’t trying to critique politics or society. We follow this character and then he loses his inner identity and goes mad.” Read more of Movieline’s Cannes 2012 coverage here .
Sean Penn isn’t a fan of us right now. Or you, or anyone else. On Friday at the Cannes Film Festival, the actor-activist slammed the media and public for abandoning Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010. “It’s not only celebrities who went for a day,” Penn told reporters of his perceived injustice. “It’s the whole f–king world. It’s all of you. The reason we have ‘Haiti fatigue’ is because there was never a commitment in the first place.” A vocal proponent of humanitarian aid, Penn also called upon President Barack Obama to meet with Haiti’s newly elected president Michel Joseph Martelly. “It’s time our elegant, formidable president stood side by side [with Martelly],” he said. The outspoken actor was part of a news conference with Petra Nemcova and director Paul Haggis, all of whom work with nonprofit organizations in Haiti. The trio joined forces for a benefit for the country at the famed cinema gathering. [Photo: WENN.com]
