Post head-injury, Kristin Chenoweth goes on a "Family Weekend"

By Zorianna Kit

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Tony and Emmy Award winning singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth is known for her perky personality ranging from roles in Broadway's "Wicked" to television's "Glee" and performing a closing number at February's Oscar ceremony with host Seth MacFarlane.

On Friday, the diminutive (4ft 11in) actress moves to the dark side in the indie movie "Family Weekend." She plays a mother so consumed by work that she ignores her own children and squabbles with her husband, until her teenage daughter kidnaps and ties up both parents in a bid to get their attention.

Chenoweth, 44, talked to Reuters about the film, her Christian faith and the serious accident last year that forced her to re-evaluate her life.

Q: What was it like being tied up for most of the duration of "Family Weekend?"

A: I am done with that tape! I was mostly in the same room and in the same position for four weeks. Lots of times I couldn't speak so I had to moan or grunt. And when I was spoken to, the tape (on my mouth) had to be ripped off. I was constantly getting waxed, I guess you could say.

Q: Are the parents the villains in the film?

A: One thing I learned is the basic good nature of people. They want to do right. This woman has a full plate and it has gone awry. It wasn't always bad. But with the pressure of being the breadwinner, she lost sight of what was truly important.

Q: Speaking of things going awry, you were cast on "The Good Wife" TV series but that all changed when a lighting rig fell on your head on the set last July.

A: It was bad. I was banged up, completely black and blue. My head was cut open, I had a skull fracture and cracked teeth. I had to get my memory going again (because) I was knocked out. My mom and dad came to stay with me and I was saying, "Why me? Why me? I was just standing there!"

My mom said: "Why not you? Life happens and you're no special or different or worse off or better off than anybody else. You're lucky to be alive and we are going to be grateful." It was a great piece of advice.

Q: Besides the physical trauma, what was the emotional damage?

A: One thing I really struggled with was having to stop and be quiet and still. That was the worst part about it. So I was like, Okay, clearly I'm supposed to be still. I've been going at it for so long, and so hard in so many different areas. Honestly, I think it was good. I can't believe I'm saying that, but it really makes you take stock of what's important.

Q: So how have you restructured you life post-accident? You still have a lot going on - voicing next year's animated film "Rio 2" and promoting a new ship that's being built for Royal Caribbean, among others things.

A: I'm being choosy with how I spend my free time. I can be very much a hermit and I'm trying not to do that anymore. I'm trying to enjoy the moments instead of going, 'Okay, I've got that behind me, what's next? I've got to do that and that and that ...' I want to enjoy it when it's happening.

Q: How does your Christian faith inform your professional and personal life?

A: Being a person of faith in show business is interesting. I've done lots of things maybe some Christians wouldn't do. But I've also said no to a lot of things that nobody knows about. It's a fine line to walk, but I have to keep true to my faith and pray and do the best I can.

I was at the History Channel (premiere) for "The Bible" miniseries and it's as important for me to go to that event as it is for me to go to a GLAAD event because I'm a gay rights activist. In some people's views, that is a direct conflict. But I don't see it as such. It's something that I've taken heat for and been praised for.

Q: You're adopted. How does that shape you?

A: Mainly that I feel a lot of love from my mom and dad who adopted me. Maybe I would have had a very different life had I not been adopted but my parents have really helped shape who I am. I do things sometimes they don't agree with, but I'm their kid and they love me. I know they feel like they won the lottery and I feel like I won the lottery. They got me and I got a home. The right home.

(Reporting By Zorianna Kit, Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Harry Potter actor Richard Griffiths dies after surgery

LONDON (Reuters) - British actor Richard Griffiths, best known for his roles in 'Withnail and I' and the Harry Potter films, has died at the age of 65 after complications following heart surgery, his agent said on Friday.

Griffiths spent almost four decades in radio, film, on television and on stage, and received some of his industry's top awards for his role in Alan Bennett's play "The History Boys".

The portly actor filled the screen as the lascivious Uncle Monty in the cult 1987 film 'Withnail and I'.

But younger fans will remember him for his portrayal of a much crueler avuncular figure - Harry Potter's red-faced and bullying uncle Vernon Dursley.

Daniel Radcliffe, who played the boy wizard and performed with Griffiths in the stage play "Equus", said the veteran performer had encouraged and coached him and helped him get over his nerves.

"Richard was by my side during two of the most important moments of my career ... any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence. I am proud to say I knew him," Radcliffe said in a statement.

Griffiths' agent, Simon Beresford, described him as "a remarkable man and one of our greatest and best-loved actors". He said Griffiths died in hospital on Thursday.

The actor was born in Thornaby-on-Tees in Yorkshire, northern England, the son of a steelworker. Both his parents were deaf and he learned sign language to communicate with them.

After studying drama in Manchester, he worked in radio and theatre, building a reputation as a Shakespearean clown.

He reprised his role as teacher Hector in a film of "The History Boys" in 2006. One of his best known roles on television was a cookery-loving detective in "Pie in the Sky".

On stage, he was known for his intolerance of mobile phones ringing during performances, and halted plays several times to complain and even eject offending audience members.

Nicholas Hytner, director of Britain's National Theatre, said Griffiths' unexpected death would devastate his "army of friends".

"Richard Griffiths wasn't only one of the most loved and recognizable British actors - he was also one of the very greatest," Hytner said in a statement.

Griffiths was given an OBE in 2008 and is survived by his wife Heather.

(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

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France's Bruni makes emotional defense of husband Sarkozy

PARIS (Reuters) - Former French first lady Carla Bruni took up a passionate defense of her husband Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday, saying it was unthinkable he could have tricked an old lady out of millions of euros.

In a blitz of interviews with French media, Bruni said a formal investigation of the ex-president opened last week for allegedly exploiting the mental frailty of 90-year-old L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt was causing her great pain.

"It's impossible to imagine that this man could have abused the frailty of a lady the age of his mother... It's unthinkable," Bruni told RTL radio in a shaky voice.

Sarkozy, who retreated from front-line politics after losing his re-election bid last May, rejects accusations that he took advantage of Bettencourt, France's richest woman, in 2007 to raise funds for his first election campaign. He wrote on Facebook this week that the probe against him was "unfair and unfounded".

The case could scupper any political comeback for Sarkozy, whose remains a popular figure for center-right voters and has said he would consider running for president again in 2017.

His lawyer, Thierry Herzog, has said he would seek to have the case thrown out on grounds that the investigation conducted by judge Jean-Michel Gentil was biased against Sarkozy.

Singer-songwriter and former model Bruni played a restrained role as first lady while Sarkozy was in power but has since returned to the media spotlight, performing last week at the ECHO Music Awards in Berlin.

Her public defense of Sarkozy coincides with her promotion of a new album due for release on April 1.

Bruni's 2008 marriage to Sarkozy after a whirlwind courtship irritated many French people who felt the high-profile romance blurred the lines between the president's private and public lives.

Asked if she was tempted to fight back publicly against the accusations and "show her claws", Bruni said: "Yes, I want to but I don't dare. It is difficult for me to talk about this, it's painful for my family."

(Reporting by Nicholas Vinocur; Editing by Catherine Bremer and Toby Chopra)

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Trailblazing TV journalist Barbara Walters to retire in 2014

(Reuters) - Pioneering journalist Barbara Walters, the first woman to co-anchor a U.S. evening news program, plans to retire in May 2014 after more than five decades as a prominent figure on U.S. television, a source familiar with her plans said on Thursday.

Walters, 83, is expected to announce her retirement to viewers herself in the coming weeks, the source said.

"It was very much her decision. I think she will best explain it herself," the source told Reuters.

ABC will broadcast a series of specials and tributes to Walters in the weeks before her exit, the source added.

ABC News executives declined to comment.

Walters, the creator and host of ABC's all-women talk show "The View," had open heart surgery in 2010.

She fainted, hit her head and suffered a concussion in January, and was then diagnosed with chicken pox, causing her to miss more than a month of work.

Walters is best known as one of the top interviewers on U.S. television, counting an array of world leaders as subjects, including Cuba's Fidel Castro, Britain's Margaret Thatcher, Saddam Hussein of Iraq and every U.S. president since Richard Nixon.

She got her start in television journalism in 1961 as a writer on NBC's "Today," a show she would later become the first woman to co-host.

In 1976, she became the first woman to co-anchor a television evening news broadcast on any U.S. network for "ABC Evening News." Walters has also worked as a producer and host of the ABC news magazine "20/20" and as a correspondent for ABC News.

ABC is a unit of Walt Disney Co.

(This story has been repeated to fix a typo in the lead)

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Todd Eastham)

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France's Bruni makes emotional defense of husband Sarkozy

PARIS (Reuters) - Former French first lady Carla Bruni took up a passionate defense of her husband Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday, saying it was unthinkable he could have tricked an old lady out of millions of euros.

In a blitz of interviews with French media, Bruni said a formal investigation of the ex-president opened last week for allegedly exploiting the mental frailty of 90-year-old L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt was causing her great pain.

"It's impossible to imagine that this man could have abused the frailty of a lady the age of his mother... It's unthinkable," Bruni told RTL radio in a shaky voice.

Sarkozy, who retreated from front-line politics after losing his re-election bid last May, rejects accusations that he took advantage of Bettencourt, France's richest woman, in 2007 to raise funds for his first election campaign. He wrote on Facebook this week that the probe against him was "unfair and unfounded".

The case could scupper any political comeback for Sarkozy, whose remains a popular figure for center-right voters and has said he would consider running for president again in 2017.

His lawyer, Thierry Herzog, has said he would seek to have the case thrown out on grounds that the investigation conducted by judge Jean-Michel Gentil was biased against Sarkozy.

Singer-songwriter and former model Bruni played a restrained role as first lady while Sarkozy was in power but has since returned to the media spotlight, performing last week at the ECHO Music Awards in Berlin.

Her public defense of Sarkozy coincides with her promotion of a new album due for release on April 1.

Bruni's 2008 marriage to Sarkozy after a whirlwind courtship irritated many French people who felt the high-profile romance blurred the lines between the president's private and public lives.

Asked if she was tempted to fight back publicly against the accusations and "show her claws", Bruni said: "Yes, I want to but I don't dare. It is difficult for me to talk about this, it's painful for my family."

(Reporting by Nicholas Vinocur; Editing by Catherine Bremer and Toby Chopra)

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U.S. rapper Gucci Mane jailed for alleged assault

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Rapper Gucci Mane was jailed in Georgia on Wednesday for allegedly hitting a fan in the head with a champagne bottle at an Atlanta nightclub earlier this month.

Mane, whose real name is Radric Davis, turned himself in to authorities late on Tuesday, according to Fulton County Sheriff's Office records.

Mane, 33, faces an aggravated assault charge after causing a "severe laceration" to the man whom he hit with a champagne bottle on March 16, according to a police report. The fan had approached Mane and tried to strike up a conversation, police said. Mane left the nightclub before police arrived.

A magistrate judge denied bond for Mane at his first court appearance on Wednesday, sheriff's spokeswoman Tracy Flanagan said.

Mane did not enter a plea. His next hearing will be on April 10, Flanagan said.

Mane's attorney, Drew Findling, told Reuters he would appeal the denial of bond to a higher court. He said six witnesses interviewed by his office about what he described as a melee at the club did not pin blame on the rapper.

"None of them said Gucci had anything to do with it," Findling said.

The incident is the latest in a long string of legal troubles for the rapper, who has appeared in remixes with the Black Eyed Peas and Usher.

In 2001, Mane was arrested for cocaine possession and spent 90 days in jail. He served a six-month prison term in 2005 for assault, and in 2009 was imprisoned for a year for violating probation in that case.

A Georgia judge sentenced Mane to six months in jail in 2011 after he admitted to pushing a woman out of his car.

(Reporting by David Beasley; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Bernadette Baum and Leslie Adler)

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"Avatar" director donates dive craft, says 3D movie due in fall

By John Gaudiosi

(Reuters) - Film director James Cameron is donating the Deepsea Challenger craft he used to make a record-setting solo dive a year ago to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to speed research into the deepest parts of the world's oceans.

Cameron, who is focused now on pre-production for the sequels to his blockbuster movie "Avatar," said he hoped the donation to the non-profit research facility in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, would bring the technology he developed for the undersea craft into the mainstream.

In a telephone interview marking the one-year anniversary of his nearly 7-mile-deep (11.2-km-deep) dive in the western Pacific, the Oscar-winning director said that scientists had identified more than 60 new species, including bacteria, from material he brought back.

Cameron expects to release a long-awaited 3D movie of the dive in movie theaters in the fall of 2013.

Cameron also directed the 1997 movie "Titanic" as well as undertaking and filming several underwater expeditions exploring the wreck of the ship in the North Atlantic.

Q: What impact do you hope the Deepsea Challenger's transfer to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will have on continued research?

A: It drives public attention to the need for new technology and funding for deep ocean work, which WHOI is the leader of in this country. It will have a very specific and immediate effect of new vehicles and new vehicle platforms, our cameras, our communications, our syntactic foam and battery systems, they'll incorporate into their future stuff. The way we solved problems is so outside the box, they're eager to bring that into their projects.

I could leave the sub in my barn, but that's not going to do anybody any good while I'm off making "Avatar" films for the next few years. I want this technology to be out there and dynamic and adaptive.

Q: What are some of the new species and findings that have come from this dive?

A: I met with Doug Bartlett out of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (who was the chief scientist on the dive expedition) and he said there are at least 68 new species coming out of this, and that includes a number of arthropods and invertebrate animals and a lot of new bacteria.

Q: What will audiences experience when your 3D movie of this dive is released.

A: "The Deepsea Challenge" is coming out this fall. You go on the journey. It's about the team of these young guys and how they tackled the problems and overcame a lot of hurdles and set-backs. They got to see some pretty amazing stuff and got to bring back the footage in 3D. You'll feel like you've been through the whole thing, including actually diving inside the sub. I was jammed into this 42-inch (106 centimeter) sphere with all this equipment and a 3D camera with me at all time.

Q: How has filming underwater in 3D with this dive and past Titanic dives helped you as a Hollywood director?

A: There's always been a good synergy between the technology that's been developed for these expeditions and the technology that's used for the films. "Avatar" was shot with a second generation of the 3D cameras that were built for my 2001 Titanic expedition. We're constantly building and improving the technology. Some of the things that went into building the Deepsea Challenger cameras, which had to be so tiny, will probably be used in action cameras in the next "Avatar" films.

The odds are other filmmakers will use this technology before me because my company, Cameron Pace Group, supplies cameras to most of the big movies that are shooting in 3D. We develop something new, I use it on an expedition, and while I go off and write and design and fool around in pre-production, five other movies have gone out and used the cameras in the meantime. That was the case even when I had made "Avatar," a number of other films had already used those cameras.

(Reporting By John Gaudiosi in North Carolina, editing by Jill Serjeant and Cynthia Osterman)

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Justin Bieber flies back to Los Angeles and into more trouble

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop sensation Justin Bieber flew from Europe back to his Los Angeles area home on Tuesday and into an argument with one of his neighbors - the latest in a series of odd incidents involving the teen singer.

Deputies were called to the 19-year-old's house in Calabasas, California, on Tuesday morning after a neighbor claimed that he had been threatened and struck by Bieber, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.

A police report alleging battery and threats by Bieber had been filed and was being investigated, Whitmore said. No charges have been filed against the Canadian pop star and Whitmore declined to give details, citing an ongoing investigation.

Under California law, a misdemeanor battery charge can include unwanted touching or spitting.

The alleged altercation took place after the "Boyfriend" singer flew overnight from Poland, startling photographers and Lodz airport officials by stripping off his shirt on a freezing evening as he walked through security and to his private jet.

Bieber's publicist did not return calls for comment on Tuesday's incident, which follows odd behavior by the singer during his European tour, including turning up late for a London concert and wearing a gas mask on a night out.

A source close to the star said the Calabasas dispute stemmed from a neighbor who came by to complain about parties at the house while Bieber was away. Words were exchanged but no physical altercation took place, the source said, citing the singer's security detail.

Celebrity website TMZ.com said the dispute was provoked by Bieber driving a newly delivered Ferrari up and down the street at high speed early on Tuesday morning. The Bieber source disagreed with that claim.

Bieber has been playing concerts around Europe for his "Believe" tour for several weeks, and his next concert is scheduled for Munich, Germany, on March 28.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

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Kristen Stewart, One Direction win twice at Kids Choice Awards

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Green slime spewed furiously at the Kids Choice Awards on Saturday, where "Twilight Saga" star Kristen Stewart and British boy band One Direction won two awards apiece.

Stewart, 22, escaped the slime but plunged her hands into the green goo, saying she "felt like I have finally found my kindergartner self," as she accepted trophies for movie actress and favorite female butt kicker.

Organizers said more than 350 million votes were cast online in more than 20 categories, spanning film, television, books, music and sport for the stunt-filled annual award show on youth channel Nickelodeon.

Hosted by "Transformers" actor Josh Duhamel, who is married to singer Fergie, the show in Los Angeles featured performances by Pitbull and Christina Aguilera, as well as Ke$ha.

Johnny Depp and Katy Perry accepted orange blimp-shaped trophies for favorite female singer and movie actor respectively and both stars had words of wisdom for the audience of kids and young teens.

"This is such a cool award ... stay safe, stay in school, don't do drugs," Perry told them. Depp said he was "truly honored and humbled. Thank you for what you are, which is the future."

Selena Gomez, 20, the ex-girlfriend of pop star Justin Bieber, took the female TV actress award for her Disney Channel series "Wizards of Waverly Place," even though the show came to an end more than a year ago.

Bieber, who is on tour in Europe, was voted favorite male singer and was among several stars who did not make it to accept their award in person.

No-shows included One Direction, who are also on tour and who won for favorite music group and song for "What Makes You Beautiful," "X Factor" judge Simon Cowell (favorite villain), and Ross Lynch, 17, who was named favorite TV actor for Disney Channel's pop star series "Austin & Ally."

Sandra Bullock, Neil Patrick Harris, Duhamel, Pitbull, Nick Cannon, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and dozens of audience members got covered in slime gushing out from water cannons, presenter's podiums, ceilings, and even the tail of a fake gymnastic horse.

Other awards went to Nickelodeon's "Victorious" for top TV show, "The Hunger Games" for favorite movie, "Wreck-It Ralph" for top animated movie, and race car driver Danica Patrick and basketball player LeBron James for top athletes.

The Kids Choice Awards will be broadcast around the world in more than 25 languages, Nickelodeon said.

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by David Brunnstrom)

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Actress Tilda Swinton sleeps in glass box for NY museum performance

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Visitors to the Museum of Modern Art in New York had the chance to see an unusual performance on Saturday: Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton sleeping in a glass box.

For a performance piece call "The Maybe," Swinton wore a light blue shirt, dark blue pants and shoes while lying on white bedding with eyeglasses beside her.

"Living artist, glass, steel, mattress, pillow, linen, water, and spectacles," a description card said.

First performed in London in 1995, the performance piece will be repeated periodically throughout this year, museum spokeswoman Margaret Doyle said.

"The nature of the concept is that it not be announced in advance, nor publicized by the museum," Doyle said.

Swinton, 52, won an Oscar for best supporting actress in the 2007 film "Michael Clayton." Other credits include the title role in "Julia," "Burn After Reading" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

(Reporting by Corrie MacLaggan and Daniel Trotta; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

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Kristen Stewart, One Direction win twice at Kids Choice Awards

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Green slime spewed furiously at the Kids Choice Awards on Saturday, where "Twilight Saga" star Kristen Stewart and British boy band One Direction won two awards apiece.

Stewart, 22, escaped the slime but plunged her hands into the green goo, saying she "felt like I have finally found my kindergartner self," as she accepted trophies for movie actress and favorite female butt kicker.

Organizers said more than 350 million votes were cast online in more than 20 categories, spanning film, television, books, music and sport for the stunt-filled annual award show on youth channel Nickelodeon.

Hosted by "Transformers" actor Josh Duhamel, who is married to singer Fergie, the show in Los Angeles featured performances by Pitbull and Christina Aguilera, as well as Ke$ha.

Johnny Depp and Katy Perry accepted orange blimp-shaped trophies for favorite female singer and movie actor respectively and both stars had words of wisdom for the audience of kids and young teens.

"This is such a cool award ... stay safe, stay in school, don't do drugs," Perry told them. Depp said he was "truly honored and humbled. Thank you for what you are, which is the future."

Selena Gomez, 20, the ex-girlfriend of pop star Justin Bieber, took the female TV actress award for her Disney Channel series "Wizards of Waverly Place," even though the show came to an end more than a year ago.

Bieber, who is on tour in Europe, was voted favorite male singer and was among several stars who did not make it to accept their award in person.

No-shows included One Direction, who are also on tour and who won for favorite music group and song for "What Makes You Beautiful," "X Factor" judge Simon Cowell (favorite villain), and Ross Lynch, 17, who was named favorite TV actor for Disney Channel's pop star series "Austin & Ally."

Sandra Bullock, Neil Patrick Harris, Duhamel, Pitbull, Nick Cannon, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and dozens of audience members got covered in slime gushing out from water cannons, presenter's podiums, ceilings, and even the tail of a fake gymnastic horse.

Other awards went to Nickelodeon's "Victorious" for top TV show, "The Hunger Games" for favorite movie, "Wreck-It Ralph" for top animated movie, and race car driver Danica Patrick and basketball player LeBron James for top athletes.

The Kids Choice Awards will be broadcast around the world in more than 25 languages, Nickelodeon said.

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by David Brunnstrom)

11.35 | 0 komentar | Read More

Actress Tilda Swinton sleeps in glass box for NY museum performance

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Visitors to the Museum of Modern Art in New York had the chance to see an unusual performance on Saturday: Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton sleeping in a glass box.

For a performance piece call "The Maybe," Swinton wore a light blue shirt, dark blue pants and shoes while lying on white bedding with eyeglasses beside her.

"Living artist, glass, steel, mattress, pillow, linen, water, and spectacles," a description card said.

First performed in London in 1995, the performance piece will be repeated periodically throughout this year, museum spokeswoman Margaret Doyle said.

"The nature of the concept is that it not be announced in advance, nor publicized by the museum," Doyle said.

Swinton, 52, won an Oscar for best supporting actress in the 2007 film "Michael Clayton." Other credits include the title role in "Julia," "Burn After Reading" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

(Reporting by Corrie MacLaggan and Daniel Trotta; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

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DNA Links 3 Lake Highlands Rapes to One Attacker

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Dallas police now say they are looking for only one person in connection with three sexual assaults in Lake Highlands that occurred over the last month.

The series of attacks took place Feb. 22, March 15 and March 19 at homes along Ferndale Road and Aldwick Drive.

Maj. Jeff Cotner said Friday that DNA evidence obtained from the cases all point to one attacker.

"Today, Southwest Institute Forensics Sciences (SWIFS) released their findings into forensic evidence collected from the March 15 and 19 sexual assaults in the Lake Highlands community of Dallas. The DNA profile from these offenses matched the DNA profile obtained from the Feb. 22 offense. We have one suspect," Cotner said. "The DNA profile has been entered into statewide and national databases. No match was identified. He is unknown."

DPD: Looking for One Attacker in Lake Highlands

Dallas police say they are looking for only one person in connection with three sexual assaults in Lake Highlands that occurred over the last month. The sketches, police say, are from the first two offenses on Feb. 22 and March 15.

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Cotner said they believe the man sustained injuries in the most recent attack and may have scratches on his face, cheeks and neck as well as bite marks on his hands and fingers. Police said the man may also have a deep laceration on one finger.

During a news conference Friday, police revealed two sketches of the attacker from the first two assaults. Victim descriptions of the attacker have varied and included references to the man being black or Latino, between 5 feet 6 inches tall and 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing between 140 and 200 pounds.

"Our victims provided this information to us," Cotner said. "They encountered a very violent attack. This information is through their trauma. Based upon the individual dynamics of their attack, this is what they can give us. Our suspect can be black; he can be dark-complected. He can be Hispanic. We don't know."

Despite the different descriptions, Cotner said DNA evidence indicates all three attacks were committed by the same person.

"The DNA profile tells us it is one guy for all three," Cotner said.

Dallas police said an anonymous donor has increased the reward from $5,000 to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case. To be eligible for the reward, the tip must be received through Crime Stoppers by calling 877-373-8477.

Officials said more than 100 tips have been received in the case, and they urge the public to continue reporting anything suspicious. They urge citizens to call 911 if the situation requires an immediate response. An additional tip line is available at 214-670-4415, though tipsters using that number will not be eligible for the reward.

Timeline of Attacks

Feb. 22 attack on Ferndale Road: A woman was assaulted in her home after a man broke in at about 12:45 a.m. and assaulted her in her bed at knife-point. Police said the attacker entered the home through a window and was described as 35-years-old, black with bald or short hair and that he spoke with an African accent. He is estimated to be about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 180 lbs.

March 15 attack on Ferndale Road: A woman was assaulted at about 10 p.m. inside her home on Ferndale Road after a man entered the home through a window. The man was described as Latino and in his 20s with a round, chubby face and a buzz cut. He was clean-shaven and spoke English with a Spanish accent. He is estimated to be about 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 200 lbs.

March 19 attack on Aldwick Drive: A woman was assaulted at about 6:45 a.m. inside her home on Aldwick Drive after a man kicked in the front door. The man is described as Latino, in his early 20s with light skin, a thin build and a thin mustache. He is estimated to be 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds. The man spoke English with a Spanish accent and wore a gray hoodie and black leather gloves. Police said the man may have a scratch on his body.

Residents on Edge

Despite the heavy police presence in the area, Lake Highlands residents say they are not letting their guard down.

Kristi Manning said she has armed herself in case the worst happens.

"Every time I get out of my car, I look both ways," she said. I have my keys out -- they say that's one of the best ways to defend yourself."

She said she also has started carrying mace for the first time.

One of the assaults happened a few blocks from Seth Harrington's home. He updated his alarm once the rapes started in the neighborhood.

"My alarm was working before; that didn't mean I set it every day," he said. "But now, I make sure every time I leave, I set my alarm. And I actually made sure the window-break system was working, as well."

NBC 5's Omar Villafranca contributed to this report.

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2 Arrested in Slaying of 79-Year-Old Woman

Eric King, NBC 5 News

Dallas police have arrested two men in the slaying of a 79-year-old woman who was killed in her East Dallas home. David Herron, 29, and Daniel Brooks, 28, will be charged with capital murder.

2 Arrested in East Dallas Slaying

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Dallas police say they have made two arrests in the slaying of a 79-year-old woman who was killed in her East Dallas home two weeks ago.

Police found the body of Avanell Cowgill in home home in the 11300 block of Earlywood Drive on March 9 after her daughter asked officers to check on her.

Dallas police said late Friday night that David Herron, 29, and Daniel Brooks, 28, will be charged with capital murder in Cowgill's death.

"It was a brutal murder," Maj. Jeff Cottner said. "It was a clearly irresponsible and just dasterdly deed. We don't know why. They took a life of a grandmother, needlessly."

Police said Brooks was in custody at DPD headquarters, while Herron was at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Officials did not elaborate on his injuries or what caused them.

Investigators said Herron and Brooks took Cowgill's purse and used her credit cards to buy an electronic device at Wal-Mart, a purchase that was captured on surveillance video.

Dallas police last week released surveillance photos and video of two men at a Wal-Mart who used Cowgill's credit cards.

Surveillance video also recorded Herron and Brooks attempting to withdraw money from Cowgill's account at an ATM, police said.

Police learned where Herron and Brooks sold the electronic device they had purchased with Cowgill's credit card and then learned the identity of Brooks. Investigators then determined that the two had been arrested Wednesday and were being held in the Richardson jail on an unrelated theft charge.

Investigators have said that Cowgill left church at approximately 3:30 p.m. on March 7 before going to a store and then home. Police have said she may have been killed that night.

NBC 5's Eric King contributed to this report.

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Police Investigate 3-Year-Old Girl's Death

Chris Van Horne, NBC 5 News

Hurst police looking into the killing of a 3-year-old Anastasia Williams.

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Police in Hurst are looking into the death of 3-year-old Anastasia Williams.

Officers told NBCDFW that Williams was found dead inside of her bedroom at an apartment unit in the 800 block of Cullum Drive. The discovery was made Friday afternoon.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office determined the manner of death is homicide. Her death was the result of blunt trauma to abdomen. The report said another person or persons caused a cut to her liver.

Hurst's assistant police chief said Williams' father found the little girl around 3:30 p.m. Friday and called 911.

Investigators stress that the investigation is still in its early stages. They do not have much more information as of now.

As of Saturday at 6:00 p.m., there are no arrests in this case.

No one answered the door when NBC DFW stopped by the home late Saturday afternoon.

Williams just turned 3-years-old on February 25.

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Cowboys Stadium Painted with Light

Andres Gutierrez, NBC 5 News

NBC 5's Andres Gutierrez reports on RIT's Big Shot project to shoot a picture of Cowboys Stadium with thousands of volunteers.

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Saturday's dreary weather cooperated for organizers of a large scale photo shoot and for the first time ever, every single light at Cowboys stadium was shut off.

2,430 people from across north Texas, the nation and the world participated for Saturday's shoot.

With different lights sources, participants used a technique called painting with light. The technique requires volunteers to shine a light source at Cowboy stadium as a 30 second exposure at F16 at ISO 400 photograph was taken.

A series of four photographs were taken Saturday night. 

"[Watching the teams come] to help us light is really--very heartening for me to see that and to have it come to life," said Bill DuBois, one of the project's organizers and professor emeritus at R.I.T.

In years past they've lit the Alamo, however Cowboys Stadium is the project's 28th shoot and their biggest ever.

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Man Killed by DeSoto Police After Chase, Showing Gun

Chris Van Horne, NBC 5 News

A man is dead after DeSoto Police say he displayed a gun to officers who were trying to pull him over following a shots fired call.

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A man was shot and killed by DeSoto police in Lancaster on Saturday afternoon after he refused to pull over and displayed a handgun at officers, DeSoto police said.

Two officers were involved in the shooting that started out as a report of shots fired in a DeSoto neighborhood. DeSoto Police Capt. Ron Smith says officers spotted the vehicle involved in that report and pursued him to the Spanish Trails Motel parking lot in Lancaster near Interstate-35E.

Witnesses say the officers told the man to put his hands up and then to drop a gun. They said shortly after that command they opened fire.

"A red truck pulls into the parking lot of the hotel, three Desoto cops behind him we heard them yelling 'put the gun down, put the gun down'," said Michael Polson. "I guess the guy, they must have seen a gun, all of a sudden they started shooting at him." 

DeSoto Police have not revealed where the initial report of shots fired came from in the city, but say no one was injured and that it could be related to some kind of domestic disturbance.

Those residing in the motel say they're not scared to stay the night, but were a little unnerved about what happened.

"It's the first thing that's ever really happened [here]," Donna Meyer said. "The cops were just doing their job, I mean, they had to shoot because he had a gun. I don't want nobody getting killed, they got to protect themselves and they got to protect the people around here too."

The Texas Rangers are now leading the investigation. Capt. Smith said that makes the investigation go smoother since this incident crossed jurisdictions from DeSoto to Lancaster.

The man killed has not yet been identified.

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Arlington Man Gunned Down In Tulsa

Kevin Cokely, NBC 5 News

Arlington man gunned down while making a delivery to Papa John's restaurant in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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Police have identified the 53-year-old man fatally shot outside of a Tulsa Papa John's Pizza early Saturday morning.

Tulsa police say Robert Horton was a part of a two-man delivery team delivering supplies to the Papa John's Pizza near 11th Street and Delaware Avenue. Horton was outside the store when his co-worker inside heard a loud crash around 6:15 a.m.

The co-worker went outside and found him lying on the ground. Thinking Horton was suffering from a heart attack, the co-worker called 911 and reported a fall with injury.

Emergency crews arriving on the scene discovered Horton had been shot in the chest twice, police say.

Horton was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Both men are from the North Texas area, officials said. Horton was from Arlington, Texas.
Police say three suspects were seen leaving the area and are currently looking for a vehicle of interest.

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Police Rescue Boy Trapped in Mud

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A 9-year-old boy is alive thanks to the heroic efforts of several police officers. 

On Saturday, around 3:45 p.m., police were dispatched to a home on Billows Drive in East Greenwich, New Jersey. When they arrived, they learned that a 9-year-old boy with autism had wandered from the home in an unknown direction around 3:30 p.m. East Greenwich Police, along with the police departments, fire departments and emergency crews from neighboring towns began to search for the boy.

After searching for about an hour and a half, police and K9 units found the boy several hundred yards behind his home stuck in the Mantua Creek during low tide. The boy was about a quarter mile away from the shoreline and was submerged up to his neck in mud in extremely cold temperatures. Police say the boy was within several minutes of drowning due to the tide coming in.

Police officers quickly took action and ran into the creek. At one point, investigators say the officers became submerged in the mud and water as well but managed to free themselves and get to the child. The boy was eventually freed and carried safely to land. The child was not seriously hurt and was reunited with his father after being treated at the hospital.

"The officers did an excellent job and are credited with saving the child's life," said Lieutenant Charles Barone of the East Greenwich Township Police Department. "The only casualties were several destroyed police uniforms."
 

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Out-of-Control Car Lands on Neighbor's Roof in L.A. Suburb

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A man in a suburb of Los Angeles lost control of his vehicle Saturday, sending the car down an embankment and landing on a neighbor's roof.

After the vehicle in Glendale, California came to a stop on the roof, a neighbor rushed over with a ladder, helping the driver and a female passenger off the home.

"There was a gentleman that was in the house that was home at the time, but he was not hurt," Glendale Fire Department spokesman Carlos Guerrero said.

Authorities used a crane to remove the vehicle.

A preliminary report indicated there was a mechanical issue with the car, according to the Glendale Police Department.

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Endangered Giraffe Born in Conn. Zoo

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A rare, nearly 6-foot-tall giraffe listed as an endangered animal, has been born in a Connecticut conservation center.

According to The Greenwich Times, Petal, a 6-year-old  giraffe gave birth to a female calf  on Friday as a group of other giraffes and staff at the LEO Zoological Conservation Center watched.
 
When fully grown, the newborn, who will live with a group of five giraffes including two pregnant giraffes, could reach 18 feet in height.
 
The calf is the first born at the off-exhibit conservation center.
 
Rothschild giraffes were named and described by Lord Walter Rothschild, a British zoologist, after an expedition to East Africa in the early 1900s.

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Bodybuilding icon Joe Weider dies in Los Angeles at 93

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Joe Weider, the self-made fitness and bodybuilding guru who built a magazine empire that included more than a dozen popular publications such as Muscle and Fitness, Shape and Men's Fitness, died on Saturday at the age of 93.

Weider, also known for starting the Mr Olympia bodybuilding contest in the 1960s and mentoring a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, passed away from heart failure at a Los Angeles area hospital, his longtime publicist Charlotte Parker said.

"Joe Weider was a titan in the fitness industry and one of the kindest men I have ever met," Schwarzenegger said in a statement posted on his official website.

"He leaves behind a fantastic legacy of a fitter world," the film star and former governor of California said. "Very few people can claim to have influenced as many lives as Joe did through his magazines, his supplements, his training equipment and his big-hearted personality."

Born in a tough neighborhood of Montreal in 1920, Weider began lifting weights as a teenager to stand up to bullies and older boys before competing in his first bodybuilding contest at the age of 17, according to a biography provided by Parker.

He started his first magazine, Your Physique, in the early 1940s and with his younger brother Ben rented Montreal's Monument National Theater to host the first Mr Canada contest during that same decade.

The two brothers also founded the International Federation of Bodybuilders and in 1965 Weider created the Mr Olympia competition, the sport's premiere bodybuilding contest.

Weider met Schwarzenegger at a bodybuilding contest in Europe and convinced him to move from his native Austria to the United States to seek wider recognition.

"He saw a lot in Arnold," Parker said. "He felt that the sport needed a star and right away he could see that Arnold was something special."

Schwarzenegger, then nicknamed the "Austrian Oak," first gained fame by winning a string of Mr Olympia titles in the early 1970s before going on to a successful career in such films as "The Terminator" and "Total Recall."

He was elected governor of California in 2003 and served two terms before retiring from politics.

"Joe didn't just inspire my earliest dreams; he made them come true the day he invited me to move to America to pursue my bodybuilding career," Schwarzenegger, who visited Weider in the hospital before his death, said in the statement.

"I will never forget his generosity. One of Joe's greatest qualities is that he wasn't just generous with his money; he freely gave of his time and expertise and became a father figure for me," he said.

Schwarzenegger also credited Weider with getting him his first acting role, in a movie called "Hercules in New York," by claiming that the hulking young Austrian was a Shakespearean actor from Germany.

Weider, who also created a line of sports nutritional supplements and ultimately founded more than a dozen fitness magazines including Fit Pregnancy, Living Fit and Flex, sold his Weider Publicans to American Media Inc. in the early 2000s.

He is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Betty.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, David Brunnstrom and Jackie Frank)

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Kristen Stewart, One Direction win twice at Kids Choice Awards

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Green slime spewed furiously at the Kids Choice Awards on Saturday, where "Twilight Saga" star Kristen Stewart and British boy band One Direction won two awards apiece.

Stewart, 22, escaped the slime but plunged her hands into the green goo, saying she "felt like I have finally found my kindergartner self," as she accepted trophies for movie actress and favorite female butt kicker.

Organizers said more than 350 million votes were cast online in more than 20 categories, spanning film, television, books, music and sport for the stunt-filled annual award show on youth channel Nickelodeon.

Hosted by "Transformers" actor Josh Duhamel, who is married to singer Fergie, the show in Los Angeles featured performances by Pitbull and Christina Aguilera, as well as Ke$ha.

Johnny Depp and Katy Perry accepted orange blimp-shaped trophies for favorite female singer and movie actor respectively and both stars had words of wisdom for the audience of kids and young teens.

"This is such a cool award ... stay safe, stay in school, don't do drugs," Perry told them. Depp said he was "truly honored and humbled. Thank you for what you are, which is the future."

Selena Gomez, 20, the ex-girlfriend of pop star Justin Bieber, took the female TV actress award for her Disney Channel series "Wizards of Waverly Place," even though the show came to an end more than a year ago.

Bieber, who is on tour in Europe, was voted favorite male singer and was among several stars who did not make it to accept their award in person.

No-shows included One Direction, who are also on tour and who won for favorite music group and song for "What Makes You Beautiful," "X Factor" judge Simon Cowell (favorite villain), and Ross Lynch, 17, who was named favorite TV actor for Disney Channel's pop star series "Austin & Ally."

Sandra Bullock, Neil Patrick Harris, Duhamel, Pitbull, Nick Cannon, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and dozens of audience members got covered in slime gushing out from water cannons, presenter's podiums, ceilings, and even the tail of a fake gymnastic horse.

Other awards went to Nickelodeon's "Victorious" for top TV show, "The Hunger Games" for favorite movie, "Wreck-It Ralph" for top animated movie, and race car driver Danica Patrick and basketball player LeBron James for top athletes.

The Kids Choice Awards will be broadcast around the world in more than 25 languages, Nickelodeon said.

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by David Brunnstrom)

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