Another 'Jersey Shore' cast member arrested

24-year-old Ronald "Ronnie" Ortiz-Magro, a reality TV star seen on the popular MTV show Jersey Shore has been arrested, according to the Associated Press and Seaside Heights Police. Ortiz-Magro was arrested on outstanding warrants from two other communities around the Garden State area. The offenses involve parking violations. 


Press reporting on the matter say that he was released after satisfying the conditions of the warrants in question. He was taken into custody at about noon on Sunday. 


The arrest is not the first brush participants of the show have had with the law while living in the New Jersey house in which the show is set. Another contestant, nicknamed Snooki, was arrested on disorderly conduct charges around two weeks ago. Ortiz-Magro, himself, was also arrested in 2009 by Seaside Heights officers on charges of disorderly conduct. 

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'Next Top Model' contestant's amazingly thin waist

Ann, a six-foot-two contestant on the hit show 'America's Next Top Model', may just have one of the thinnest waists many will ever set eyes on. The Dallas girl, according to a fellow judge, will be making Miss J eat Tic-Tacs' for the rest of the season - referring to the highly competitive weight aspect of modeling.

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Former model for 'The Price is Right' claims she was fired for being pregnant

According to gossip website TMZ, yet another former employee of the TV show 'The Price is Right' claims that she was fired from the show's staff for becoming pregnant. What's more, she specifically singles out Bob Barker - the host of the show - as being instrumental in forcing her out.

Shane Stirling has told the gossip site that it wasn't long after she announced her pregnancy to members of the show's staff that she was "forced into an early pregnancy leave, was not allowed to return to work for almost a year after her child's birth, and was fired abruptly."


A lawsuit filed Friday reveals the extent to which Barker plays a part in her ouster, according to her side of the story. "The host of the game show had always been very kind and generous to Stirling until he learned that she was pregnant," the suit claims. Barker, Stirling says, didn't want her being pregnant and working at the same time because he considered it to be 'dangerous' and she would become a 'liability'.

This isn't the first brush with controversy Baker and the show have come across recently. It was reported not long ago that another former staff member claimed that she, too, was treated poorly when she became pregnant. 

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Paul Henry's got so much money, he can afford to lash out at his employer

The straight-talking former radio station owner turned host of TVNZ's Breakfast, Paul Henry, can clearly afford to lash out at his employer, TVNZ, calling its programming "banal" and "unwatchable" as well as, The Sunday Star Times reports, questioning the taste and intelligence of the TV watching public. 

According to the Star Times:

Henry, who as presenter of TV One's Breakfast has delivered sniggering put-downs of targets including a hirsute Greenpeace spokeswoman and British singer Susan Boyle, said "banal" stories on TV One's news show Close Up and its TV3 rival Campbell Live end up being some of the "most-watched, the most commented-upon stuff" on television.

"I sometimes see stuff and personally despair, and I think: is that current affairs? But it actually is."

Henry has had a long career in broadcasting, having previously owned a radio station before returning to New Zealand to take up a position with the state broadcaster.

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Hollywood's hoping Buzz Lightyear will come to the rescue, sending their profits to infinity...and beyond

You'll have to excuse the sorry pun that titles this post, but it is very much a true statement. Disney/Pixar's new installment in the Toy Story franchise is the movie Hollywood execs hope will help bolster profits for all studios, the New York Times reported. Read the full article at NYT.

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Larry King's wife overdoses on pills

The wife of iconic suspender wearing CNN talk show host Larry King has reportedly overdosed on pills, according to Radar Online. Shawn King, who's father found her unconscious inside her Utah home, was "confused about which pills she had taken". 

"I don't think she's done it on purpose", the father told emergency operators in a frantic 911 call. "She's unconscious. I slap her and I holler at her and she opens her eyes half way and puts them back down again."She is said to be in a stable condition.

A full recording of the call can be heard here. [Image via Getty Images]

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Bieber themed lesbian get-togethers become popular

The New York Post reported this morning that parties lesbian parties themed around looking like Justin Bieber have become increasingly popular. As well as this, the Post revealed that lesbians just 'go wild' for another woman who looks like Justin Bieber.

The tween heartthrob has sparked a craze among lesbians who look and sound like the star -- inspiring the brilliant Web site lesbianswholooklikejustinbieber.tumblr.com, as well as Bieber nights at gay bars. West Hollywood hot spot The Abbey is hosting a "Biebian" night Monday.

"Bieber is not only a hit with teenage girls", the Post reports, but he's also a hit with lesbians who like the look of the 16-year-old singer.

Read the NY Post article here.

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Gary Coleman dies at 42

Gary Coleman, the former child star of the hit 1970s TV sitcom Diff'rent Strokes has died at age 42 after having an intracranial haemorrhage, it was reported last night.

Coleman, who stood just 4' 8", had reportedly struggled to keep up with numerous legal, medical and financial troubles - and even ran against Arnold Schwarzenegger for the governorship of California in 2003.

He died in Utah where he had been no life-support since Thursday, after suffering the haemorrhage on Wednesday at his home near Salt Lake City.

He had reportedly suffered from kidney disease, which stunted his growth as a child. Coleman also attempted suicide twice by overdosing on pills, or so he claimed in a 1993 television interview.

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50 Cent loses a lot of weight for role as cancer patient (PHOTOS)

Rapper 50 Cent has lost an astounding quantity of weight as he prepares for a role as a cancer patient in an upcoming film, 'Things Fall Apart'. He dropped to 160 pounds from 214 pounds for the role, which sees him playing a football player who is struck down by cancer.

Before:

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Oprah's Angel Network Charity to close

The charity of high profile talk show host, Oprah Winfrey will close, according to the Associated Press, and stopped accepting donations today. The organization reported on its website that it intends to dissolve after all of its remaining funds have been disbursed.

The charity was formed in 1998 and financed through donations from Winfrey's TV viewers. Winfrey has announced she intends to leave the show in 2011 - ultimately leading to the closure of the Angel Network.

According to the AP:

Winfrey isn't ending her philanthropic efforts. The website notice says her new cable network will highlight charitable organizations in coming years.

Winfrey announced her round-the-clock Oprah Winfrey Network earlier this year. It is to start next January. She revealed last month that she'll host one of its programs, a nighttime travel and conversation show called "Oprah's Next Chapter." 

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The Simpsons opens show with 'Lost' spoiler

With the knowledge that the final episode of the hit series 'Lost' was the main attraction for TV viewers on Sunday night in American households, The Simpsons, the animated cartoon comedy, included a spoiler for the episode in their opening sequence.

On the 'blackboard gag' that plays at the beginning of every episode, the creators of The Simpsons included this message: 'End of "Lost": It was all the dog's dream. Watch us.'

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Woods' divorce talks turn nasty, reported NZ$1.1 billion settlement proposal

The New York Post has reported that the divorce talks between Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren have been fairly civil up until now, but recently turned nasty as settlement proposals spiral up into the billions of New Zealand dollars.

Nordegren is also reportedly refusing to sign a lifetime "confidentiality clause" that would prevent her from writing a book or doing any interviews related to the collapse of the couple's marriage.

She also wants full custody of their two kids, the newspaper reported, even though it was first believed that they were going to agree to joint custody.

In addition to this, Nordegren has demanded, according to the Post, around NZ$1.1 billion in settlement money relating to any divorce.

It has been reported that Woods recently hired a lawyer to help handle any upcoming custody or family settlement arrangements.

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Cowell reveals he suffered from depression

American Idol's infamous straight-talking judge, Simon Cowell, has revealed in an interview with talk show queen Oprah Winfrey that he suffered from depression and that he had "made some horrific mistakes in the past".

"I get very, very down", Cowell told Winfrey on her show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, also recalling his experience of losing his job, car and home after a business deal turned sour.

You should never put on a fake smile, Cowell noted, "when you're feeling down, you're feeling down."

Although he is often seen as being the most arrogant and abrasive judge on the show, it is clear that he is aware of his reputation, while admitting that he has a big ego.  "I thought that I was absolutely untouchable".

Cowell's interview with Winfrey was broadcast one week before the finale of American Idol.

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Dame Kiri has a go at "whizz bang" Susan Boyle

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has blasted Susan Boyle in true opera singer style today, saying that she [Boyle] is a 'wizz-bang' product of reality television.

In an interview with the Radio Times, Te Kanawa distanced herself from the singer who found sudden fame after appearing on the reality talent quest, Britain's Got Talent. 

She did not restrict her criticism to Boyle, however, also stating that she thought the judges were rather incompetent, and 'didn't know what they were talking about'.

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Jennifer Aniston denies allegations of baby-food diet

Although it has been claimed that actress, Jennifer Aniston is on a diet of baby-food alone, the actress is reportedly denying all possibility of such a diet.

According to Stuff.co.nz, the 'Baby Food Cleanse' (the diet that Aniston is rumored to be on) consists of fruit smoothies, pureed oatmeal and cinnamon. You are also allowed to eat lean meat and vegetables in small amounts.

Jennifer has now denied the reports, insisting she only eats adult food. "I've been asked lately, 'Jen, what's this baby food diet all about?' I kept thinking, 'That's the strangest question ever.' Sorry, but the last time I had baby food, I believe I was one. I've been on solids for about 40 years now." 

Cover Media reported.

"You can lose 5 lb in a week without torturing yourself", she said.

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New-look 'Fair Go' ratings surge

The New Zealand Herald has reported that Fair Go, which recently underwent a facelift for its return to TV One, has surged in ratings.

According to the Herald:

Ratings for the first two episodes of the programme show the introduction of Mau, alongside Gordon Harcourt and stalwart Kevin Milne, has helped to build on the long-running show's success.

The first episode attracted 554,170 viewers aged 5 and over, up from 542,870 for the first episode of last year's series.

Viewership then jumped 18 per cent for the second episode, attracting 609,310 viewers.

The same episode last year drew in 448,840.

Part of the success of the new program can be traced back to the promos that showed leading up to the relaunch. "Don't buy a lemon, watch Fair Go and get the juice".

Read the original article here.

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US television network, NBC has cancelled Heroes

The Hollywood Reporter has today....reported that the television network, NBC will be killing off Heroes, the television show that has also been showing in New Zealand.

The Reporter said:

The network seriously mulled bringing back "Heroes" for a shortened final season to wrap up the serialized show, possibly as a two- or four-hour movie.

In the end, given the fairly high cost of the drama, the show's consistently declining ratings and the number of new hour-long shows coming to NBC next season, the network decided the series wasn't worth an additional episode order.

The show has long had a rocky relationship with its fans. Out of the gate, "Heroes" was a big hit for the network -- an ethnically diverse big-concept ensemble that performed well overseas. It was NBC's "Lost."

It has not yet been announced how this will affect viewers in New Zealand.

Read the full article here.

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OHAI GUIZ, I heard you were leaving everybody blogs on The Murray Report so I thought I would leave you one since you were leaving everyone else one

Kim Jong-il has been declared a fashion icon. 

It’s not uncommon to view movie stars, basketball players, and models as fashion icons, especially considering that they can easily afford to look their very best.

It is, however, quite unusual to bestow the title of ‘fashion icon’ to an authority figure, let alone the world’s most brutal and nonconformist dictator. Yet according to the North Korean government, Kim Jong-il is exactly that—a fashion icon.

A report released Wednesday, April 8, through North Korea’s communist-party newspaper Rodong Sinmun claimed that Kim Jong-il’s sense of style—including a zippered tunic, matching trousers, and, of course, the infamous sunglasses—is a “global fashion trend.” (Telegraph)

Their exact statement was, “The Great General, who is always wearing the modest suit while working, leaves a deep impression on people’s mind. That is because his image as a great man is so outstanding.” (Newser)

Plus according to the report, an unidentified French fashion expert who backs their statement said, “[The] Kim Jong-il mode, which is now spreading expeditiously worldwide, is something unprecedented in the world’s history.” He basically made it sound as if the entire world’s fashion sense hovers around Jong-il’s unique albeit rather lackluster style.

The report goes on to declare, “People around the world are attracted to and following not only the jacket our Great Leader is wearing, but also his attitude, facial expressions, hand gestures, and even his handwriting.” (ABC News)

The report ends by proclaiming that Kim Jong-il’s zippered jacket is “the most valuable and noble item” in the world.

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Lena Horne, actress and singer, dies aged 92

Ms. Horne in 1981 after she won two Grammy awards for
"Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music."

An African American icon, Lena Horne has died aged ninety-two. Her death was announced by her son-in-law, Kevin Buckley. In the early 1960s Ms. Horne, always outspoken on the subject of civil rights, became increasingly active, participating in numerous marches and protests, while still a strong participant in the arts, where she excelled. 




The New York Times reported:

Ms. Horne might have become a major movie star, but she was born 50 years too early, and languished at MGM in the 1940s because of the color of her skin, although she was so light-skinned that, when she was a child, other black children had taunted her, accusing her of having a “white daddy.”

Ms. Horne was stuffed into one “all-star” musical after another — “Thousands Cheer” (1943), “Broadway Rhythm” (1944), “Two Girls and a Sailor” (1944), “Ziegfeld Follies” (1946), “Words and Music” (1948) — to sing a song or two that could easily be snipped from the movie when it played in the South, where the idea of an African-American performer in anything but a subservient role in a movie with an otherwise all-white cast was unthinkable.

Ms. Horne is survived by her daughter, Gail Lumet Buckley. Her husband died in 1971; her son died of kidney failure the same year.

Looking back at the age of 80, Ms. Horne said: “My identity is very clear to me now. I am a black woman. I’m free. I no longer have to be a ‘credit.’ I don’t have to be a symbol to anybody; I don’t have to be a first to anybody. I don’t have to be an imitation of a white woman that Hollywood sort of hoped I’d become. I’m me, and I’m like nobody else.” 

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Reporting....now!

Welcome to the Murray Report, which has now been delivering news since, well...a couple of hours ago. As you look around, you'll see our homepage populate with news, commentary and opinions from all around the world.
We hope that the aggregated blog and news site will become a regular fixture in your daily news intake.

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