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Population, Reproductive and Sexual Health
» Spring 2005
Population, Reproductive and Sexual Health
Section Newsletter
Spring 2005
In this issue:
Message From the Chair
Capitol Hill Rally
Action Board
Nominations Committee Report
From the Hill
Adolescent Reproductive Health
Management/Sustainability Task Force
Sexuality Task Force
Other Committee and Task Force Information
Annual Meeting Program Plans
In Memoriam
Join the Section Listserv!
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Section Web Site
Submissions to the Newsletter
Newsletter Archives
Message From the Chair
Dear PFPRH colleagues,
The past few years have been highly challenging
for those of us working in the PFPRH field. At times, virtually all the areas that make up our diverse Section have been under attack. The Global Gag Rule continues to frustrate our efforts to expand integrated international family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) services. Safe abortion in the United States is increasingly restricted, and Roe v. Wade's days may be numbered. Comprehensive sex education is increasingly attacked and replaced by abstinence-only approaches. In international settings, the widely known ABC approach to HIV prevention (A for abstinence, B for being faithful, C for condoms) is more and more limited to A and B. International organizations are discouraged from undertaking programs with commercial sex workers, programs that could prevent thousands of new HIV cases every year. "Language police" attempt to restrict use of progressive terms that form the basis of our work. The list goes on and on.
As a result of these trends, we too often find ourselves on the defensive, wondering what restrictions will come next and how they will affect us, rather than focusing our full energies on
the vital and worthy goals of our work
. Instead of increasing access to quality FP/RH services, and promoting favorable policies that expand sexual and reproductive rights, sometimes it seems we are struggling just to stay afloat. Then again, as an unknown philosopher once said, a smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.
What do these worrisome trends have in common? Most reflect increasing government intrusion into private sexual and reproductive health issues, and restrictions rather than expansions of individual rights. But it seems to me that an even more worrisome answer is that they all demonstrate, to greater or lesser degrees,
a trumping of ideology over science and evidence.
Further, the ideology often comes backed by misinformation—-what I call anti-evidence—-that allows ideological decisions to masquerade as evidence-based.
For example, rather than expand the ABC approach in international programs to ABC+, based on evidence showing that more than A, B, and C is needed to prevent HIV in all common circumstances, ideology forces programs to restrict activities to large A, medium B, and small C. In the worst cases, anti-evidence of dangers associated with condom use are used to scare people from using that method, and the program becomes A-B-no-C. Meanwhile, in the United States, recent evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health showed that 88 percent of students who took "virginity pledges" had sex before marriage, and their rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were almost identical to non-pledgers. But this is not likely to diminish proponents' eagerness to enforce abstinence-only approaches.
Some political leaders may disagree with our causes based on deeply held and reasoned beliefs, but far too many have allowed short-term political interests to prevail over evidence that clearly points in other directions. As a result, worthy approaches and proven best practices are restricted or ended, leading to increased numbers of unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, HIV/AIDS cases, and other adverse sexual/ reproductive health outcomes for individuals, families, and the global community.
Given these recent trends and events, it seems to me that the theme for this year's APHA Annual Meeting—-
Evidence-Based Policy and Practice
—-couldn't occur at a better time. Over the course of history, science and evidence-based practices periodically undergo challenges, but their base of logic generally prevails in the end. The ability to test and replicate findings, the resulting breakthroughs leading to irrefutable gains, and the logic of sound evidence, all should eventually lead to favorable policy decisions and effective programs. I genuinely believe that people throughout this country—-red state or blue—-would support all our FP/RH positions if they had even a fraction of the evidence that we have through our work. In many ways, it is our inability to make supportive evidence more widely known that allows political leaders to be swayed by opposition voices.
Yet even in this environment,
there are many things we can do
as PFPRH Section members to counter these trends:
Go to APHA… and beyond.
First and foremost, please bring the best of your ideas and research to the APHA Annual Meeting this year. This is a golden opportunity to challenge opposing ideologies and start shifting policies and decisions back toward best practices known to improve health outcomes. It's also a golden opportunity to challenge our own mindsets, broaden our minds, and present new ideas for programs and approaches to improve sexual and reproductive health. So let's make it a great turnout in New Orleans, and help give the conference high visibility. I know that Young Mi Kim is well on the way to producing an outstanding program!
Share your important findings beyond APHA
as well, through journal articles, presentations, interviews, letters to newspapers, etc. The wider our Section's research is known, the harder it will be for anti-evidence to refute.
Stay informed and become active. Read APHA newsletters and act on their alerts.
APHA advises periodically about specific PFPRH issues, but all APHA positions deserve our support. Many are related to FP/RH, and supporting them can strengthen APHA as a body, increasing its effectiveness when PFPRH issues arise.
Please see Lois Uttley's report below on her experience as Section representative to the
APHA Action Board
. She would love more Section members to become involved with policy and advocacy issues that will further our goals. Become active—-our opponents are, and so should we!
Help build our Section leadership.
We will elect new leaders through web-based elections May 13-June 17. Please watch for an announcement from APHA telling you how to vote, and most important, please vote! We have a great slate of candidates. See the complete list of those running in the report of the Nominating Committee below as well as in the most recent edition of
The Nation's Health
Please also take advantage of the Annual Meeting each year to
become more active in our Section yourself
. Join a Task Force as a way to stay informed and influence the APHA annual program and policies. Task force leaders always welcome new members at business meetings, usually held on Sunday at the beginning of the week of the conference. See the reports of Task Force Chairs in this newsletter for more information. Task Force Chairs and other current officers are also listed on our Section Web site, <
>, which also has useful information on policies, fact sheets, standing committees, awards, etc.
Let us know your ideas.
Please e-mail me <
> or other Section leaders with any ideas you have for improved leadership and effectiveness. This can include anything from information requests, information you'd like to share with the Section, and ideas for improved Section visibility or action. There is a tremendous amount of expertise and energy in our Section membership and leaders. I am eager to explore ways to utilize it creatively for the benefit of improved FP/RH.
Keep doing good work based on good evidence.
No matter the political climate, we must keep striving for good programs that advance FP/RH, meet people's needs, and that reflect the best available evidence. We are energized by our own ideology as well, so as good social scientists, we must always listen to our own evidence and be willing to challenge our own ideas. This is how we have continually improved programs through the years, and will continue to do so in the years ahead, and how we will once again eventually shift to a more supportive PFPRH policy environment.
May we find calmer seas ahead someday, and become "skillful mariners" in the meantime! I look forward to seeing you in New Orleans!
Section Chair Tim Williams,
John Snow Inc., 1616 N. Fort Myer Drive, 11th Floor, Arlington, VA 22209 Phone: (703) 528-7480 Fax: (703) 528-7480 E-mail: <
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Capitol Hill Rally
On Nov. 9, 2004, during APHA's 132nd Annual Meeting & Exposition, hundreds of APHA members joined forces to walk Capitol Hill for public health, including a number from our Section. The solidarity and genuine interest expressed by hundreds of members during the rally to walk the Hill for public health was made evident by the fact that together APHA members visited more than 495 congressional offices.
Among those participating from our section were Section Chair Claire Brindis of California and Action Board representative Lois Uttley of New York. They and other Section members were able to express special concern to members of Congress about reproductive health issues, including the failure of the Food and Drug Administration to approve over-the-counter status for Plan B emergency contraception.
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Action Board
Increasing APHA's Advocacy Power on Reproductive Health Issues
How can APHA increase its advocacy power in Washington at such a critical time for public health, including reproductive health? The Association's national Action Board explored this question during a two-day retreat held at APHA headquarters in Washington, D.C., in February 2005. I attended, representing the Population, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health Section.
APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, MPH, addressed the Action Board, giving an inspiring talk about how
he views APHA as a "sleeping giant"
when it comes to our collective potential to influence national public health policy. He urged the Action Board and APHA staff who were present to work together to make our organization's voice more powerful in Washington. Key issues for APHA action this year include
saving Medicaid
(which is an extremely important source of health insurance coverage for low-income women of reproductive health age) and
addressing health disparities
Among the steps that I and other members of the Action Board will be taking to meet Dr. Benjamin's challenge are these:
Reviewing the base of existing APHA policy to identify any gaps in policy or out-of-date policies that need to be updated.
Of special interest to our Section are three policy areas that have been identified in which new policies are being developed or need to be developed:
Comprehensive sexuality education in grades K-12.
A proposed policy has been drafted by the HIV/AIDS Section and is moving forward through the APHA policy review process. I contributed suggestions for improvement of the draft policy, acting on behalf of our Section.
Policy on mid-to-late-term abortion.
APHA staff have identified this as an area in which little or no policy exists and is asking for development of proposed policy. Anyone interested in working on this can contact me at
Pharmacist refusals to dispense birth control or emergency contraception, based on religious or moral beliefs.
APHA staff have asked our Section to draft such policy so that the staff will have a clearer policy base from which to take action. I am gathering a working group to begin drafting a proposed policy and will welcome participation by interested Section members. Our goal will be to prepare what is known as a "late-breaker" resolution that could be submitted close to the time of the November APHA Annual Meeting and considered for adoption by the Governing Council during that meeting. Contact me at <
> if you would like to work on this.
Identifying ways in which new and existing APHA policy can be implemented, both at the national and state level.
APHA has a strong and extensive base of existing policy, and new policies are adopted each year. If you are unfamiliar with our policies, visit the Legislative, Advocacy and Policy section of the APHA Web site at <
>. When issues arise in Congress, APHA staff consult the base of existing policy in determining what position to take. So, getting a policy adopted does matter, and has long-term potential to improve APHA's ability to take action, even years after the policy is approved. APHA staff are very responsive to suggestions from members, especially those of us on the Action Board. So, if a reproductive health issue has arisen on the national level, and you believe existing APHA policy would allow us to take action, let the APHA staff or me know immediately.
Seeking advocacy action by APHA members to help staff in communicating public health concerns to Congress and federal officials.
The APHA advocacy staff is small and can only do so much. They need the help of our members in communicating with federal officials. You can help in the following ways:
Join the APHA's Legislative Advocacy Network.
It's easy to do. Just go to <
> and click on "Join APHA's Legislative Advocacy Network." You will begin to receive e-mail alerts from APHA staff on current issues that need our advocacy attention. Please respond to these alerts as quickly and diligently as possible.
Keep informed about top health issues before Congress.
For example, you can find out about Medicaid and its importance for reproductive health by visiting APHA's Medicaid Advocacy Center on the APHA Web site at <
.htm>. The Medicaid Advocacy Center has a Medicaid Backgrounder for APHA members that includes specific discussion of reproductive health issues. I contributed this information on behalf of our Section.
Find out who your Congressional representatives are and contact them on key reproductive health issues.
APHA staff have repeatedly stressed how important it is for APHA members to develop working relationships with their own Congressional representatives. A visit to your Congressperson in his/her district office during Congressional recesses can be a great idea. Let your Congressional representative know you care about reproductive health issues and will be watching his or her votes. Offer to provide background or educational information for your representative on key issues.
Participate in APHA rallies and advocacy days in Washington.
A number of PRHFP Section members participated in the rally and advocacy day held in conjunction with last November's Annual Meeting in Washington.
PFPRH Section Gets Representation on Joint Policy Committee
APHA's Joint Policy Committee is the entity that reviews proposed APHA policy statements and resolutions and works with authors of these statements to ensure that all policy and scientific/medical concerns are properly addressed. The JPC includes representatives from the APHA Action Board, Science Board, and Education Board. This year, Lois Uttley (the Section's representative to the Action Board) was appointed to the JPC to represent the Action Board. She participated in the JPC's annual spring policy review session at APHA headquarters in Washington April 19 and 20, 2005. She was further appointed by the JPC to chair one of the public hearings that will be held at this fall's APHA meeting in New Orleans. She will preside over the public hearing on all proposed policy statements pertaining to "access to care" issues.
Board Representative Lois Uttley,
Education Fund of Family Planning Advocates of NYS, 17 Elk Street, Albany, NY 12207 Phone: (518) 436-8408 Fax: (518) 436-1048 E-mail: <
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Nominations Committee Report
It is almost time to vote for new leaders for our Section. We have an outstanding slate of candidates for Chair, Secretary, Governing Council, and Section Council to help us advance over the next few years. See the complete list of candidates below. Many thanks to all who agreed to run, and good luck to all!
Web-based elections will be held May 13-June 17.
Please watch for an announcement from APHA telling you how to vote, and most important, please vote!
(vote for 1):
Margaret E. Green, PhD, MA
Karen Hardee, PhD
Rebecka Lundgren, MPH
(vote for 1):
Yvette Cuca, MPH, MA
Lawrence B. Finer, PhD
Iris Meltzer, MPH. MA
Governing Council
(vote for 1):
Walter Klausmeier, BA
Lindsay Stewart, MPH
Lois Uttley, MPP
Section Council
(vote for 2):
Henry Gabelnick, PhD
Melodie Holden, MPH. MS
Rebecca Warne Peters, MPH
John Santelli, MD. MPH
Hannah Searing, MHS, MA
Chair Tim Williams,
John Snow Inc., 1616 N. Fort Myer Drive, 11th Floor, Arlington, VA 22209 Phone: (703) 528-7480 Fax: (703) 528-7480 E-mail: <
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From the Hill
Predictions of dire consequences resulting from President Bush being re-elected and Republican control of both houses of Congress prior to the November 2004 election have not materialized—-so far.
As it did during the last four years, however, the Bush administration and its congressional allies are expected to continue their assaults—-legislative and administrative—-to undermine international family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) programs. Among the trends likely to continue unabated:
Comprehensive family planning and reproductive health strategies will be undermined, such as by promoting undefined "abstinence-until-marriage" activities in HIV/AIDS prevention efforts and by a generalized attack on risk reduction approaches to public health;
Attacks on the landmark Programme of Action of the 1995 International Conference on Population and Development, other international agreements, and important international organizations like the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and even UNICEF will be ramped up;
More brazen initiatives such as expanding the Global Gag Rule (GGR) to U.S. non-governmental organizations (NGOs) may also be attempted (see <
>) as foreshadowed by an impending extension of a requirement that organizations receiving U.S. HIV/AIDS assistance have an official policy opposing the legalization of prostitution and sex trafficking—l-ike the GGR, previously applied only to foreign NGOs—-to U.S. organizations;
Efforts to divert blocked UNFPA funding to non-FP/RH related programs such as anti-trafficking will persist;
Scientific data and peer-reviewed studies, available on government Web sites, will continue to be deleted or sanitized to appease narrow political interests; and
Funding for global health conferences will be withdrawn because of questioning of U.S. policy, and government scientists restricted from attending international meetings with their peers.
Since the last Section newsletter, in addition to the election, a number of important legislative and policy developments have occurred in Washington—-most notably the belated approval of the fiscal year 2005 appropriations bill, the release of the President's FY 2006 budget request, and skirmishes over the GGR on the Senate floor.
Currently, however, Washington policymakers remain preoccupied with finalizing a FY 2006 budget resolution and completing work on an $81 billion supplemental appropriations bill for the Iraq war and for tsunami relief, as well as intense Senate debate on the use of the filibuster for judicial nominations.
Current Year Appropriations
On Dec. 8, 2004, President Bush signed into law a massive $388 billion omnibus appropriations package (H.R. 4818), which contained the foreign operations bill, including FP/RH funding and policy provisions, as well as eight other appropriations bills.
The $19.8 billion FY 2005 foreign operations bill largely maintains the status quo for U.S. international family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) programs, in terms of both funding levels and policy restrictions. Here is a summary of some of the major FP/RH-related provisions:
Total funding of $441 million for FP/RH has been earmarked for FY 2005, to be channeled through the U.S. Agency for International Development, including $375 million from USAID's Child Survival & Health Programs Fund. This funding level, slightly above the $432 million provided in FY 2004 and $16 million more than the President's request, will ultimately be reduced due to an across-the-board cut of 0.83 percent in all non-defense, non-homeland security spending. [After the cuts, total funding will equal $437.3 million, of which $371.9 million is from the CSH account.]
The legislation provides $34 million for UNFPA, subject to Kemp-Kasten restrictions (which prohibit funding to organizations that are judged to "support or participate in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization" and that President Bush has used to withhold UNFPA funding for the past three years.) UNFPA is unlikely to receive any of this U.S. contribution in 2005 due to the rejection of a provision added to the Senate bill by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) that would have modified the Kemp-Kasten amendment. However, the legislation does include language stipulating that any FY 2005 monies withheld from UNFPA under Kemp-Kasten must be reprogrammed to USAID for FP/RH programs, a significant development because of ongoing attempts by the Bush administration to divert UNFPA contributions to non-FP/RH programs.
Reprogramming of Blocked FY 2004 UNFPA Contribution:
The legislation specifies that only half of the $25 million that has been withheld from UNFPA in FY 2004 will be provided to USAID for FP/RH programs in Congo, Ethiopia, Georgia, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ukraine. The other $12.5 million will be diverted to the administration's anti-sex trafficking programs.
Global Gag Rule:
Regrettably, provisions included in the original Senate version of the foreign operations bill that would have overturned the GGR and/or exempted condoms and contraceptives from the GGR were not included in the final agreement.
For the full text of the bill, go to: <
-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_bills& docid=f:h4818enr.txt.pdf>
FY 2006 Budget
Bilateral Assistance
Under the President's FY 2006 budget request released in early February, family planning and reproductive health are slated to receive $425 million from all funding sources--the identical request levels recommended by the President last year and for the preceding three years—-of which $346 million is from the Child Survival and Health Programs Fund. The $425 million requested for FP/RH is a part of the $1.251 billion included in the CSH fund to address "critical health and family planning needs worldwide," according to State Department budget documents.
Of the two numbers, the amount from the CSH is the more significant to watch because the USAID Office of Population and Reproductive Health exerts greater control over how the funds are spent. [The difference between the CSH number and the total request from all funding sources is made up by additional funds programmed for FP/RH activities from other accounts such as the Economic Support Fund and assistance provided to Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics.]
Please click on link below to view table of relevant figures in recent years, for purpose of comparison:
U.S. Contribution to UNFPA
The major change in the FY 2006 budget request from previous years is the manner in which the UNFPA contribution is handled. This year, the budget request proposes that "up to" $25 million be made available to UNFPA from the CSH fund "if not otherwise prohibited" (e.g. if the Kemp-Kasten prohibition is invoked), rather than funded out of the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account, along with all of the voluntary contributions for other UN agencies. In the budget requests for FY 2003, 2004, and 2005, there was no line-item budget allocated specifically for a UNFPA contribution.
By moving the UNFPA contribution to the CSH Fund, USAID will be required to reserve $25 million worth of CSH funds and will not be able to program those funds for other bilateral health activities—most likely those designated for FP/RH—until later in the year when Congress is expected ignore the President's proposal regarding UNFPA and earmark a contribution from the IO&P account. In the meantime, the programmatic difficulties will be compounded by budgetary shortfalls resulting from the significant reduction in the overall request for the CSH fund.
Senate Repudiates the Global Gag Rule
On April 5, the Senate adopted a bipartisan Boxer-Snowe amendment repealing the Global Gag Rule during consideration of a combined State Department/foreign assistance authorization bill (S. 600) on a vote of 52 to 46.
Sponsored by Senators Barbara Boxer, (D-Calif.), and Olympia Snowe, (R-Maine), the vote on the amendment was an important reaffirmation of the Senate's opposition to this destructive policy and particularly encouraging given the more conservative makeup of the chamber in the wake of the November 2004 election. Eight Republican Senators voted in favor of the Boxer-Snowe amendment—-Senators Chafee (R-R.I.), Collins (R-Maine), Murkowski (R-Alaska), Smith (R-Ore.), Snowe (R-Maine), Specter (R-Pa.), Stevens (R-Alaska), and Warner (R-Va.)—-and not a single Democrat voted against the amendment. Senators Allard (R-Colo.) and Kennedy (D-Mass.) were absent.
The amendment ensures that U.S. foreign policy is consistent with American values, including medical ethics and practice, as well as free speech. It prevents the imposition of requirements that would be unconstitutional or untenable as a matter of policy here in the United States from being exported as a matter of U.S. foreign policy.
In 2003, the Senate adopted an identical Boxer amendment overturning the GGR. Like the current situation, the amendment was attached to the foreign aid authorization bill. Unfortunately, due to difficulties of getting an authorization through both the House and Senate, the last time such a bill was signed into law was 1985. As in past years, it is unlikely that the foreign aid authorization bill will make it to the President's desk this year. Consequently, the GGR will likely remain in effect for the remainder of the Bush Administration.
What You Can Do
As a constituent, voter, and public health professional, your well-informed opinion on these vital programs has tremendous credibility and carries great weight with your Senators and Representative. Educate yourself and your friends, families, and colleagues on the positions of their Representative and Senators. Please let them know what you think.
Members of APHA are urged to join the PAI action network to keep up with political developments in Washington. Go to
.htm to sign up.
Terri Bartlett,
Vice President, Public Policy and
Craig Lasher,
Senior Policy Analyst, Population Action International, 1120 19th Street, NW, Suite 550, Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 659-1833 E-mail: <
> (Terri) and <
> (Craig)
Related Files:
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The APHA Abortion Task Force met during November's Annual Meeting, with the election results weighing heavily on our minds. Needless to say, at the start of the meeting our mood was grim. And yet the 13 of us in attendance had an energizing, strategy-focused discussion. We started with an overview of the public policy and legislative landscape at the federal, state and international levels. One encouraging note that emerged from the discussion was the report that there are some positive developments in terms of the acceptability of and support for post-abortion care in the Bush administration and at USAID. There was an extensive post-abortion care meeting at APHA earlier in the day.
We then moved on to a discussion of
strategies for addressing the challenges ahead
and the role that APHA and APHA members can best play. Given the limited presence of APHA staff and leaders in the public discourse around abortion, we focused on how to leverage our public health and abortion expertise most effectively.
Position statements: 1) We should all remember that APHA has many very strong
policy statements on abortion
, and we should use them and refer to them in our own work; 2) Since APHA recently archived some "out-of-date" statements, including abortion related statements, we agreed that reviewing the existing statements to assess if there are any gaps is worthwhile.
Messaging (public health, morality): 1) Given the "morality" theme that emerged from the election exit polls and APHA's expertise in public health, we should work to develop a few strong
talking points on public health and morality as they relate to safe, legal abortion.
The two areas where we focused were a) the disproportionate impact of illegal abortion on various communities, and b) the mortality rates of safe abortion vs. unsafe abortion. 2) Review Bush's speeches and pull out
language that the president uses that is consistent with our positions
and use this for messaging. For instance: We agree with President Bush that health care decisions should be between a patient and their doctor; We agree with President Bush that women should have access to post-abortion care. We don't agree that women should be exposed to unsafe abortion before they can access that care. 3) We could work to get research into the public discourse re: the impact of coercion (i.e. "informed consent" laws that are actually biased counseling) and an adversarial environment on women. Perhaps frame this as "abortion stigma syndrome" when the public discourse is focused on post-abortion stress syndrome; and b) outcomes for women who were denied abortion and for their children.
We finished with a discussion of the need to look for uncommon coalitions and partnership opportunities, for instance, with organizations that work on foster care and child abuse issues.
At the end of the meeting, we had a list of items that we wanted to work on, including:
Set up a listserv for the Abortion Task Force.
Develop the list of abortion-related issues for which we can provide experts and e-mail that list to the Task Force and the Population, Family Planning and Reproductive Health Section listserv so we can fill in the experts.
Research Bush's speeches for areas where we agree.
Review existing APHA policy statements to see if there are gaps and if amendments or additional policy statements are needed.
Develop a few talking points on abortion related to public health and morality.
Locate "10 Commonly Asked Questions" document for review.
Locate research that has been done re: 1) women who were denied abortion and their children, and 2) impact of coercion and adversarial environments on people's mental health (to draw parallels with the climate around abortion and "informed consent"/biased counseling).
We have set up an Abortion Task Force listserv, but unfortunately we haven't made much progress moving forward on the other action items we generated at our meeting. If any of them spark your interest, please let us know. And if you'd like to join the listserv, e-mail Laureen Tews, the Abortion Task Force chair, at <
Chair Laureen Tews
Medical Abortion Initiative Director, National Abortion Federation, 1755 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 667-5881 E-mail: <
> <
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Adolescent Reproductive Health
The Adolescent Task Force is interested in promoting the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents. The Task Force provides a forum for discussion of critical issues in the reproductive health for teenagers including:
Access to reproductive health services and sexuality education;
Confidentiality of care;
Sexual behaviors;
Prevention of STIs and unintended pregnancy; and
Government policies and local programs.
The Task Force sponsors or co-sponsors invited scientific sessions on topics of interest to members. Recent discussions at the Annual Meeting have focused on U.S. federal policies which are designed to promote abstinence until marriage and enforcement of statutory rape reporting laws. The Task Force is currently working with the Society for Adolescent Medicine to develop a position statement on abstinence-only programs and policies.
At the 2005 meeting in New Orleans, we plan to provide an update on policy developments in abstinence education and reporting of statutory rape.
Co-Chairs John Santelli,
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Clinical Population & Family Health, Heilbrunn Department of Population & Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Avenue, B-2, New York, New York 10032 (212) 304-5634 Fax: (212) 305-7024 E-mail: <
> and
Susan Newcomer
DBSB/CPR/NICHD, 6100 Executive Boulevard, Building 61E, Room 8B13, Bethesda, MD 20892-7510 Phone: (301) 496-1174 E-mal:
Iris Meltzer,
Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, One Perkins Square, Akron, OH 44308 Phone: (330) 543-8914 E-mail: <
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Management/Sustainability Task Force
The Management and Sustainability Task Force sponsored an exciting panel session at the 2004 Annual Meeting in D.C., "Managing and Sustaining Family Planning and Reproductive Health Programs in the Face of Change: Funding Shifts, Health Reform and Political Swings." Panelists presented papers on planning for contraceptive security in Latin America and the Caribbean as USAID phases out its contraceptive support, strengthening family planning in a newly decentralized health sector in the Philippines, creative approaches to funding family planning services in Massachusetts in the face of declining state and federal funding, and a review of Mexico's family planning program several years after donor support was withdrawn.
Erica Fishman, a co-chair of the Management and Sustainability Task Force, concluded the panel by presenting the common elements among the presentations that cut across the countries and domestic U.S. and international family planning programs. Similarities included using data to inform key financial and management decisions, understanding client needs and providing programs that respond to them, responding to government funding restrictions, using innovative approaches to continue services as donor or government funding declined, and the need to build collaborations. Many of these themes were echoed by audience members during the question and answer period, with a lively discussion of how best to target donated or subsidized products to lower income groups. Directly following the panel, the Management and Sustainability Task Force held its annual meeting to discuss the upcoming year and potential topics for the next Annual Meeting.
The co-chairs reviewed all the abstracts submitted under management and sustainability for this year's Annual Meeting in New Orleans. We are excited about the number and quality of abstracts received, and look forward to some informative panel presentations.
For further information, please contact Lisa A. Hare (contact information below).
Co-Chairs Erica Fishman,
Asthma Program Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Health, P.O. Box 9441, Minneapolis, MN 55440-9441 Phone: (612) 676-5213 E-mail: <
Lisa A. Hare,
Senior Policy Advisor, DELIVER - JSI, 1616 North Fort Myer Dr., 11th Floor, Arlington, VA 22209 Phone: (703) 528-7474 E-mail:
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Sexuality Task Force
The last straw…: Sexuality Task Force Report
Are we just feeling our age, or is it actually becoming unbearable to wake up and read the newspaper every day? Over the past several years, we have started to feel that in addition to Operation Iraqi Freedom and the War on Terror, there is another war – perhaps a bit more metaphorically, but no less a war for that – being waged right here on American soil, right under our very noses, and we would call it…
The War on Sex.
Of late, we have seen key skirmishes in this endless war around federal funding for abstinence-only education, wardrobe malfunctions, access to emergency contraception, and minors' rights to travel across state lines for pregnancy terminations. In some creepy way, even the Terry Schiavo case seems part of the same nefarious project; the underlying object of these thrusts and parries is to deprive us even of the right to say when we are alive or not. Depending on the moment, the forces of evil are flexible in their sometimes simultaneous deployment of discourses in which government must be kept out of people's intimate lives while at the same time imposing rigid federal guidelines on what can happen in the classroom – or even the bedroom.
We are not given to conspiracy theories (well, maybe just a little), but we have to admit that the last straw came for us when for two years running the Sexuality Task Force was scheduled to meet at 6 a.m. during the APHA Annual Meeting. We had been chugging along nicely up to then, having successfully written a policy proposal on comprehensive sexuality education that was endorsed by APHA's Governing Council, sponsored a number of well-attended sessions, and gathered at least a dozen people at our annual Task Force meetings at APHA. Now we realize that this was not a decision made by any of our dear friends in the Section leadership, and so we can only conclude that somehow the forces of evil have realized that those who participate in the PFPRH section's Task Forces are in some ways the Maginot line, the last stand between here and some Handmaiden's Tale-like future, and so they are trying to keep us from gathering our energies effectively and planning an effective collective response.
We will not, however, be vanquished. All of us who work on all the Task Forces are in our various ways committed to the same underlying project – the rights to reproductive health, to pleasure, to self-determination, to gender equity and, more broadly, to a just and sustainable future, and now more than ever it is critical that we join forces and consider what we can do as a Section, as Task Forces, and as individual public health advocates to keep our agenda moving.
We are looking forward to meeting with renewed vigor this coming November in New Orleans, and hope to have more than a quorum as we pause to consider what is to be done in the days, months, and years ahead. At our Task Force meeting we will be sharing the results from our pilot survey from last year's Annual Meeting about the Section name, and discussing what those findings suggest about whether and how we should move ahead with the name-change issue. New Orleans, as the center of Sin in the heart of the red south, is a perfect place to sit, sip a hurricane, and ponder our nation's ambivalence about sexuality. We hope it also the perfect place to begin to craft a Section-wide agenda in response.
See you in The Big Easy!
Co-Chairs Jennifer Hirsch,
Associate Professor, Dept. of Sociomedical Sciences,
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032 Phone: (212) 305-1185 E-mail: <
Leslie Kantor,
Kantor Consulting, 600 Prospect Street, Maplewood, NJ 07040 Phone: (973) 763-3904 E-mail: <
Dina J. Feivelson,
141 E. 33rd St., #9J, New York, NY 10016 Phone: (212) 532-4724 Fax: (212) 305-3702 E-mail: <
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Other Committee and Task Force Information
Chair, Erica Fishman,
Asthma Program Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Health, P.O. Box 9441, Minneapolis, MN 55440-9441 Phone: (612) 676-5213 E-mail: <
Co-Chairs S. Marie Harvey,
Associate Professor of Public Health & Director of the Research Program on Women's Health, Center for the Study of Women in Society, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 Phone: (541) 346-4120, Fax: (541) 346-5096 E-mail: <
Paula Tavrow,
Deputy Research Director, Quality Assurance Project, University Research Company, LCC, 7200 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814, Phone: (626) 796-1890, Fax: (301) 941-8427 E-mail <
Men and Reproductive Health Task Force
Héctor Sánchez-Flores,
Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy, University of California, San Francisco, Box 0936, San Francisco CA 941143-0936 Phone: (415) 476-3375 Fax: (415) 476-0705 E-mail: <
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Annual Meeting Program Plans
New Orleans, Louisiana November 5-9, 2005
Preliminary session titles for the scientific sessions to be held at the 2005 Annual Meeting in New Orleans are as follows:
Oral Presentations
Abstinence Programs: Policies and Empirical Research Evidence
Access to Safe Abortion Services in the United States
Addressing Safe Abortion
Communication Campaigns and Social Marketing in Reproductive Health
Community Change Models: Preventing Adolescent Pregnancies, STDs, HIV/AIDS
Expanding Contraceptive Choice through Integration and Scaling-up of Newer Family Planning Methods
Funding Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services
Gender-Based Violence: Context, Consequences, and Program Responses
HIV/AIDS Issues in High Prevalence Countries
HIV/AIDS Risk for Married Women
HIV/AIDS: Preventive Interventions to Treatments
IUD: Recent Evidence and Country Efforts to Revitalize the Method
Implementing Best Practices Initiative: A Global Collaboration
Improving and Monitoring Reproductive Health Commodity Security
Improving and Sustaining Reproductive Health Programs for Youth in Developing Countries
Innovative Methodologies to Conduct Behavioral Surveillance of STD Risk Behaviors
Integration of Family Planning & HIV/AIDS Services
Men and Reproductive Health: U.S. and International Experiences and Lessons
Monitoring and Evaluation: Implementing and Evaluating Reproductive Health Programs
Optimal Birth Spacing: Evidence-based Practices
Pharmacy Refusal – Limited Access to Contraceptives in the U.S
Pharmacy Refusals to Dispense Emergency Contraceptives
Post-Abortion Care: Programming for Success
Research and Practices in Maternal and Child Health
Scaling-up of Reproductive Health Programs: Lessons Learned around the World
Sex in the Cities: Sexual Relationships, Communication and Decision Making among African American and Puerto Rican Young Adults
Sexuality and Gender Relations in Cultural Diversity
Tools and Approaches to Financial Sustainability for Reproductive Health Programs
Tools and Strategies for Performance Improvement and Quality
Poster Sessions
Abortion: U.S. and International Perspectives
Best Practices and Knowledge Management: Tools, Interventions and Outcomes
Contraceptives: Introducing New Methods and Reinforcing Existing Methods
Emergency Contraceptives: Challenges and Lessons
Factors That Affect the Sexual and Reproductive Health of Young People
HIV/AIDS/STI: Prevention to Care
Issues in Maternal and Perinatal Health
Monitoring and Evaluation: Improving Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services
Reproductive Health for Young People: U.S. and International Viewpoints
Cost-effective Reproductive Health Programs: Challenges and Lessons
Gender, Violence, Male Involvement
Youth, Abortion, Emergency Contraception
Chair-Elect Young-Mi Kim,
Center for Communication Programs, 111, Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, MD 21202 Phone: (410) 659-6258 E-mail: <
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In Memoriam
Penny Satterthwaite
A remembrance by Dick Grossman:
Many of you knew Penny Satterthwaite, who was a member of our Section. She lived from Feb. 6, 1917, until Feb. 15, 2005 -- 88 years. During that time she did pioneering work on clinical trials of oral contraceptives in Puerto Rico. Later she worked with the Population Council, the Ford Foundation, and UNFPA in several countries.
I first met Penny at APHA meetings, then visited with her in Pennsylvania. She was always warm and friendly, with a wonderful memory for people and events, but very modest about her role in the important work she did. I will miss her.
Penny graduated Magna Cum Laude from Pomona College in 1937, and from the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco in 1942. She worked in Puerto Rico after finishing her internship, where she met and married William Satterthwaite. The young couple, along with their son David, traveled to rural China in 1947. Here Penny was involved in a UNICEF program to train "barefoot doctors" -- villagers who gave basic medical care to people in their communities. Tragically, William died in 1949; Penny and David returned to the United States in 1951.
Penny and David settled again in Puerto Rico in 1952, where Penny was moved by the poverty and suffering she saw around her -- particularly the plight of women who had more children than they could care for. She became involved in running the first clinical trials on oral contraceptives.
After 15 years in Puerto Rico, Penny lived and worked in other countries (including Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mexico and Venezuela) contributing to international family planning programs. Later she worked as a short-term consultant in several other countries.
After retiring from her primary profession as a public health physician, Penny moved to Langhorne, Pennsylvania, where she had a very active life as a volunteer. She served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, plus acted as a translator for indigent Spanish-speaking patients. Penny received many awards, including the NCIH (now Global Health) International Health Award, and the Women's Health Award of the American Medical Women's Association.
She is survived by her son, David Satterthwaite.
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Join the Section Listserv!
The Population, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health Section has a listserv for its Section members. Join the listserv – and use it! Let other Section members know about:
the latest developments in our field,
job postings,
grants that are available,
action alerts,
new projects,
upcoming conferences,
releases of new publications,
and any other information you think might be of interest to the Section memberhship.
Here's how to subscribe:
* In the "To" line of the e-mail, type:
. Note: use lower-case letter "L" and not the number one.
* In the "Subject" line of the e-mail, type . Note: use lower-case letter "L" and not the number one.
* Leave the body of the message blank and send.
Please note that if you signed up for the listserv before it was established at APHA about two years ago, you need to sign up again. If you haven't received any notices from the listserv in recent months, please sign up again. Note that one does not need to be a PFPRH Section member to receive the listserv; it is open to everyone.
To post a message to the listserv, send an e-mail addressed to <
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New Resources
From the
World Health Organization's Department of Reproductive Health and Research
comes the latest edition of WHO's important publication,
Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use.
It can be downloaded from: <
-health/publications/RHR_00_2_medical_eligibility_criteria_3rd/index.htm>. This document aims to improve access to quality care in family planning by providing recommendations on medical eligibility criteria for selection and use of contraceptive methods. The document is intended to be used by policy-makers, programme managers, and the scientific community, and aims to assist the preparation of guidelines for service delivery of contraceptives. The document contains guidance on 22 different family planning methods.
The Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
announces a new toolkit entitled
Resources for Emergency Contraceptive Pill Programming
. This toolkit is intended to help program managers, policy-makers, and donors make emergency contraceptive pills widely available to women in developing countries through reproductive health programs. In most countries of the world, women do not know about ECPs or have easy access to them. The toolkit provides guidance, technical information, and sample materials developed by PATH and other organizations. The toolkit contains ten modules, and can be found on the emergency contraception resources page at <
-tookit.htm> and can be accessed by clicking on <
.pdf>. It is also available on CD-ROM in both English and Spanish. To order a copy of the CD-ROM, please send a message to <
Population Council
announces several new publications on
Early Marriage.
Early marriage is a neglected human rights abuse that affects millions of girls worldwide. The Population Council has developed two-page country-specific briefing sheets to inform and draw greater attention to this issue. Briefing sheets are currently available for Ethiopia: <
.pdf>, Mali: <
.pdf>, Mozambique: <
.pdf>, Nigeria: <
.pdf>, and Zambia: <
.pdf>. There is also a new brief on
The Implications of Early Marriage for HIV/AIDS Policy
, based on research by Judith Bruce. Over the next decade in developing countries, more than 100 million girls under the age of 18, "children" as defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, will be married. In countries with HIV epidemics, these girls, most of whom live in Africa and Asia, are at substantial risk for HIV/AIDS infection. This brief is based on a background paper prepared for the WHO/UNFPA/Population Council Technical Consultation on Married Adolescents, which brought together experts from the United Nations, donors, and nongovernmental agencies to consider the evidence regarding married adolescent girls' reproductive health, vulnerability to HIV infection, social and economic disadvantage, and rights. This brief is online at <
.pdf>. The French-language version is now available at <
is pleased to announce a new resource:
Youth-Friendly Services: An Annotated Web-Based Guide to Available Resources.
This guide describes the 14 major existing global resources for building stronger youth-friendly services, with URL links to the available documents. The resources are grouped into advocacy/planning, assessment/implementation, provider training curricula, job aids, and evaluation. The guide is presented in two forms: as a quick, Web-based reference tool and also as a short publication that can be downloaded and used in planning meetings. EngenderHealth, YouthNet/Family Health International, PATH, and the World Health Organization developed this resource.
Interagency Gender Working Group
announces the
Implementation Guide on Reaching Men to Improve Reproductive and Sexual Health for All
. The Implementation Guide captures the programmatic issues discussed at the Reaching Men to Improve Reproductive Health for All international conference held in Dulles, Va., Sept. 15-18, 2003. It provides examples of how to develop, implement, and evaluate reproductive health programs that involve men in ways that promote gender equity and improve health outcomes for men and women. The primary audience for this guide is in-country reproductive health program managers and technical staff of implementing agencies, government, and non-governmental organizations. View (and download) the Web-based version at <
> or order the CD-ROM at <
> (listed at the bottom of the page). The guide was produced for the Interagency Gender Working Group (IGWG) by the Health Communication Partnership (HCP) based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs.
Alan Guttmacher Institute
has recently released several publications related to
Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (including HIV) in Sub-Saharan Africa
. These new publications cover Malawi, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Uganda and Ghana. In addition, there is also a policy analysis of the role of reproductive health providers in preventing HIV and the costs and benefits of sexual and reproductive health interventions. Please go to <
> to download the publications or order hard copies. These include:
Short Summaries:
In Their Own Words: Adolescents' Views on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Sub-Saharan Africa; Reducing Unintended Pregnancy and Unsafe Abortion in Uganda: Early Childbearing in Nigeria: A Continuing Challenge; Adolescents in Burkina Faso: Sexual and Reproductive Health; Adolescents in Ghana: Sexual and Reproductive Health; Adolescents in Malawi: Sexual and Reproductive Health; Adolescents in Uganda: Sexual and Reproductive Health; Role of Reproductive Health Providers in Preventing HIV; The Benefits of Investing in Sexual and Reproductive Health.
Full Reports:
Qualitative Evidence on Adolescent's Views of Sexual and Reproductive Health in Sub-Saharan Africa; Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Malawi: A Synthesis of Research Evidence; Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Uganda: A Synthesis of Research Evidence; Assessing Costs and Benefits of Sexual and Reproductive Health Interventions.
Journeyworks Publishing
announces the publication of nine new sexual health pamphlets, available in both English and Spanish, including:
How to Say No to Unwanted Sexual Attention; Teaching Your Teen About Sexual Responsibility; 6 Great Things About Abstinence; Birth Control: Share These Questions with Your Partner;
HIV and STDs: Share These Questions With Your Partner.
Free review copies are available to health professionals and educators by calling (800) 775-1998, sending a fax to (800) 775-5853, visiting the web site at <
>, or writing to Journeyworks Publishing, P.O. Box 8466, Santa Cruz, CA 95061-8466. For information on bulk pricing, call (800) 775-1998; prices start at $16 for 50 pamphlets and $1.95 per poster.
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Section Web Site
The Population, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health Section web site can be accessed at <
> or at <
.htm>. Thanks go to Section Council member Larry Finer, who developed the site.
You can find general information about the Section and its leadership; information on our standing committees, Task Forces, Section awards, and listserve; current and past newsletters; links to other sites of interest; Section contact information; and more.
If you have suggestions for further improvements or can help to maintain the website, please contact Cynthia Green at <
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Submissions to the Newsletter
Share your news! Let us know about books or papers you have recently published, upcoming conferences you are involved in, or policy or program news that might be of interest to fellow Section members. Perhaps we can abstract an article or include a description of an innovative program.
Please send all submissions by
Monday, August 29, 2005
Susanna Binzen
Division of Reproductive Health, MS K-35
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
4770 Buford Highway, NE
Atlanta, GA 30341
Phone: (860) 232-3262
Fax: (860) 232-6648
E-mail: <
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Publication: The Tampa Tribune
09/06/2009 - Two groups have frozen the debate over climate change in this country. On one side are wholehearted believers pushing for an environmental revolution to avoid impending doom. On the other are disbelievers who see any sacrifice as a job-killing waste.Further confusing things are special interests trying to grab government subsidies or raise more money for their cause or employer. Everyone else has been mostly shut out....A good starting point is a presentation by former Sen. John Warner and retired Navy Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn. They came to Tampa recently as part of a national tour to get informed debates going on university campuses and military bases.Backed by Pew Charitable Trusts, they invite you to look at the climate issue from military and economic perspectives. Their approach is prudent, fact-based and eye-opening.Read the full article Remove Chill from Climate Debate on The Tampa Tribune's Web site.

subset: commoncrawl


text: All of me Poodle precedentBy Anna North PO Edit124L Meet The Original Sex PoodleWhen Al Gore's "sex poodle" scandal broke, we wondered if anyone had ever used the phrase before. The answer is yes: Victoria Tennant in 1984's All of Me. And yes, it's still weird. » 7/07/10 12:53pm 7/07/10 12:53pmMedia Rushes To The Defense Of Nobel Prize-Winning Sex Poodle


text:
Manti Te'o Hoaxer Ronaiah Tuiasosopo Is Gay . . . And / Or "Confused"
DR. PHIL'S two-part interview with MANTI TE'O hoaxer RONAIAH TUIASOSOPO begins airing TODAY . . . but a preview aired on the "Today" show yesterday.
--In it, Dr. Phil confirms Ronaiah's motive: He fell in love with Manti.
--The Good Doctor says, quote, "Here we have a young man that fell deeply, romantically in love. I asked him straight up, 'Was this a romantic relationship with you?' And he says, 'Yes.'
--"I said, 'Are you then therefore gay?' And he said, 'When you put it that way, yes.' And then he caught himself and said, 'I am confused.'"
--It's unclear what he means by that. Is Ronaiah gun-shy about embracing his sexuality . . . is he unsure what his sexuality is . . . or is he gay AND confused?
--Dr. Phil also reveals that Ronaiah told him Manti was, quote, "absolutely, unequivocally" NOT involved in carrying out the hoax.
Katy Perry Was Seen with the Drummer from Muse . . . and John Mayer Was Spotted With the Hot Chick from "Girls"
Are KATY PERRY and JOHN MAYER exploring their options? Because they were both allegedly spotted with other people recently.
--On Sunday night, Katy caught the MUSE gig in L.A., then headed for the after-party . . . and drummer DOMINIC HOWARD.
--A witness says, quote, "They were all over each other. I was shocked to see her acting so affectionate with another rock star because I thought she was dating John Mayer."
--Another source adds, quote, "Katy had her arms around Dominic, and they were facing each other, bodies touching. He had his eyes on her all night. Katy loved all the attention."
--Meanwhile, John was spotted at the Village Hotel with ALLISON WILLIAMS, a.k.a. the hot chick on "Girls". They attended a party at the hotel, then went to dinner, before returning to the hotel.
--They weren't seen again until the next morning, when they left . . . separately.
--But this one could very likely be innocent. John is good friends with Allison's BOYFRIEND . . . CollegeHumor.com founder Ricky Van Veen.
Did Bradley Cooper Lose a Girlfriend Because He Was Obsessed with Her Feet?
Ladies . . . If you had the chance to have relations with BRADLEY COOPER, would you give it up if you discovered he had a MINOR fetish?
--According to "In Touch Weekly", Bradley was hooking up with a model named Laura Simpson, but she dumped him because he was obsessed with her feet. In fact, he kept touching them and asking her to text him pictures of them. A source says, quote, "It was weird, so she broke it off."
Lindsay Lohan's Judge Told Her, "I'm Glad You're Feeling Better"
LINDSAY LOHAN'S judge had some fun with her in court yesterday morning, telling her, quote, "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."
--That was a reference to the fact that Lindsay tried to skip the hearing, claiming she was sick in New York. But she got BUSTED when TMZ posted pictures of her out shopping this past Saturday.
--Lindsay allegedly LIED to police about her hit-and-run accident over the summer. She's not only facing charges for that, but she's also still on probation for her necklace theft. She was given a March 18th trial date.
Rihanna Says Taking Back Chris Brown is Her Mistake to Make
Whether RIHANNA and CHRIS BROWN are dating again or just hanging out, Rihanna makes it pretty clear in the new issue of"Rolling Stone" that the rest of us should BUTT OUT.
--She says, quote, "I decided it was more important for me to be happy. I wasn't going to let anybody's opinion get in the way of that. Even if it's a mistake, it's my mistake."
--She adds, quote, "After being tormented for so many years, being angry and dark, I'd rather just live my truth and take the backlash. I can handle it."
--She says the relationship is a lot more stable now . . . quote, "We don't have those types of arguments anymore. We talk about [stuff]. We value each other. We know exactly what we have now, and we don't want to lose that."
--Still, she's giving Chris little room for error . . . quote, "He doesn't have the luxury of [effing] up again. That's just not an option.
--"I can't say that nothing else will ever go wrong. But I'm pretty solid in the knowing that he's disgusted by that. And I wouldn't have gone this far if I ever thought that was a possibility."
Ashley Judd and Dario Franchitti Are Over
Actress Ashley Judd and champion race car driver Dario Franchitti are ending their marriage after more than 11 years.
--A representative for the actress confirmed the news Tuesday.
--The actress attended Franchitti's races for years. She cheered from the sidelines, wearing floppy hats and cheery sun dresses.
--Shortly after the news broke, Judd tweeted that the pair will remain "family forever" despite the divorce.
--"Family forever," Franchitti tweeted her back. His tweet was later deleted, but still appeared in a log on his website.
--The pair got married in his native Scotland in 2001.
Is Beyonce Being a Diva As She Prepares for the Super Bowl?
The not-always-reliable British tabloids say BEYONCÉ is being a total DIVA as she prepares for her Super Bowl halftime performance.
--Among her huge list of demands is this one: That her daughter Blue Ivy's cedar bed be shipped from New York to the Louisiana Superdome, where it will be placed in a nursery decorated with rose-scented candles.
--That nursery must also be kept at a constant 78 degrees.
--A source says, quote, "She's by far one of the most difficult celebrities we've ever dealt with. The list is as long as my arm. She may be a superstar, but this day is about football not her."
--However, an NFL rep calls this, quote, "pure pulp fiction," adding, "Beyoncé and her team have been great to work with throughout this process."
Is Alec Baldwin Having a Baby With His 29-Year-Old Wife?
"In Touch Weekly" says that 54-year-old ALEC BALDWIN is having a baby with his 28-year-old yoga instructor-wife HILARIA THOMAS.
--A source says, quote, "They are both so excited and Alec is so in love with her. She says she is so in love with Alec and he tells all her friends that she is the best thing that has ever happened to him."
--Alec's rep wouldn't confirm the news . . . quote, "When or if Alec and Hilaria have news they want to share, they will share it. Until then, no comment."
--Alec already has a 17-year-old daughter named Ireland, with his ex-wife KIM BASINGER. This is the daughter he once called a rude, thoughtless little pig in a voicemail to her.
Barbara Walters is Out of the Hospital
Is BARBARA WALTERS the KEITH RICHARDS of daytime talk? Is there ANYTHING that can kill her? In less than two weeks, she fell and hit her head AND came down with chicken pox. And she's 83 years old.
--But ABC announced yesterday that she's out of the hospital, recovering at home and, quote, "getting stronger." There's no word when she'll return to work.
It's Official . . . Lance Armstrong Has Admitted to Using Performance-Enhancing Drugs
During Part 1 of their interview last night, LANCE ARMSTRONG admitted to OPRAH WINFREY right up front that he used performance-enhancing drugs during all seven of his Tour de France wins.
--He was relatively straightforward in admitting he had no excuse . . . but at the same time, he did play the "everybody else was doing it" card a few times.
--In this little lightning round of yes or no questions, we learned that Lance did indeed use performance-enhancing drugs to win ALL SEVEN of his Tour de France titles.
--Those drugs included EPO . . . testosterone, cortisone and human growth hormone. He also used "blood doping" and blood transfusions.
--And he admitted that he did not believe it would have been possible to win all those titles without doping.
--One thing Lance readily admitted to was that he ruined a lot of people who tried to call him out on his doping over the years. And he said he's trying to make amends.
-One of the people he has already spoken to personally is BETSY ANDREU, the wife of Armstrong's former teammate FRANKIE ANDREU. And while she hasn't quite forgiven him yet, he did set one thing straight with her.
--Apparently, she believed that he had called her, quote, "a fat, crazy [B-word]." But he says during their recent conversation, he told her, quote, "Listen, I called you crazy. I called you a [B-word], I called you all these things, but I never called you fat." (What?!???)
--Lance also said he'd help clean up cycling if asked . . . and yes, he knows how hypocritical that sounds.
Ozzy Osbourne Was Injured in a House Fire After His Wife Fell Asleep With a Candle Burning
OZZY OSBOURNE suffered minor injuries in a house fire yesterday morning, that was started by a candle that was left burning too long.
On "The Talk" yesterday, SHARON said, quote, "Ozzy's front of his hair from (his ear down is), gone! His eyebrows (are gone) . . . he's got like, skinned cheeks."
--The fire broke out around 5am at their Beverly Hills home. It started because Sharon fell asleep with a CANDLE still burning.
--Luckily, firefighters showed up before things got out of hand. But Ozzy did suffer some minor injuries. Sharon described those injuries yesterday on "The Talk".
--She said, quote, "My husband had an operation on his hand yesterday so he's in a complete cast . . . He comes down and goes, 'Oh, the fire, the fire!' (and tries to put it out) with his hand in the cast.
--"Then he opens the French doors and I go into the kitchen and throw water on it and it erupted.
--"Ozzy's front of his hair from (his ear down is), gone! His eyebrows (are gone) . . . he's got like, skinned cheeks. We are, like, two idiots, it was like The Three Stooges.
--"Everything you are not meant to do . . . go to bed with candles alight, open the doors and put water on . . . we did it all."
--She added, quote, "I apologize to my husband because he put himself out. He made his hand worse, it started to bleed, the whole nine yards, and I'm sorry and I love you and I will never light a candle again."
Michael J. Fox Doesn't Want His Son to Date Taylor Swift
At the "Golden Globes", TINA FEY and AMY POEHLER made a joke about TAYLOR SWIFT going after MICHAEL J. FOX'S 23-year-old son Sam. Would Michael be okay with that? Apparently not.
--He was asked about it at an event in New York City the other day and he said, quote, "No, no . . . just back off."
--Although he added that he hardly even knows who she is . . . quote, "I don't keep up with it at all. Taylor Swift writes songs about everybody she goes out with, right? What a way to build a career."
"Ted 2" is Happening
Since "Ted" is the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time internationally, a sequel is pretty much a no-brainer.
--On ANDERSON COOPER'S show today, MARK WAHLBERG says, quote, "Seth [MacFarlane] is writing now and I've never done a sequel before, but I have just so much confidence in Seth. He's such a talented and funny guy."
--He added that he and Ted, the computer-animated bear, will appear at the Oscars.
DJ Skrillex Caught His Hair on Fire While Blowing Out His Birthday Candles
SKRILLEX . . . the Dubstep DJ that Smiley loves . . . celebrated his 25th birthday on Tuesday with a private get together.
--The highlight of the night was when he blew out the candles on his cake . . . and briefly set that long, greasy hair of his ON FIRE. At least he was able to laugh about it.
"American Idol's" Season Premiere Ratings Were Down 19% from Last Year
The 12th season premiere of "American Idol" averaged 17.9 million viewers on Wednesday night. That's down 19% from last year's premiere, which attracted 21.9 million viewers. It's also an ALL-TIME LOW for a season premiere . . . assuming you're not counting Season One, when no one knew what "Idol" was.
Is Lindsay Lohan Working as an "Escort" to Pay Her Bills?
The rarely-reliable "Star" tabloid says that LINDSAY LOHAN is working as a high-priced ESCORT in order to pay her bills.
--Now, nobody's saying she's giving up the goods. As far as anyone knows, she's just being paid to be arm candy for rich guys.
--Lindsay's "clients" have included one of the princes of Brunei . . . who supposedly paid her $100,000 to spend New Year's with him in London . . .
--And a Spanish-American painter named Domingo Zapata . . . who has let Lindsay crash at his apartments in New York and L.A. in exchange for . . . well, whatever.
--A sources says, quote, "The dates last for days, and the guys pay for everything . . . hotel, travel costs, food, whatever . . . as well as jewelry and other gifts."
Brent Musburger is Not Sorry for Ogling Katherine Webb During the BCS Title Game
BRENT MUSBURGER makes no apologies for commenting on Miss Alabama KATHERINE WEBB'S attractiveness during the BCS Title game.
--Asked if he thought his comments were inappropriate, Brent said NO.
--As for ESPN's apology, he said, quote, "Individuals say what individuals say. And corporations do what corporations do. Obviously, they felt it was the right thing for them to do."
Nicole Kidman Didn't Think Peeing on Zac Efron in "The Paperboy" Was a Big Deal
In the movie "The Paperboy", NICOLE KIDMAN pees on ZAC EFRON after he gets stung by jellyfish. You'd think that would be a tough scene to film, but for Nicole, it was just another day at the office.
--She says, quote, "I just don't find urination shocking. I think I peed in the beginning of 'Eyes Wide Shut', too. But then, I don't find a lot of things shocking! Violence is a lot more shocking than sex . . . sex is primal."
--She adds, quote, "I felt shy singing in 'Moulin Rouge!', but peeing . . . no, not shy."
--In unrelated news, Nicole was also asked whether Scientology played a part in her divorce from TOM CRUISE.
--She said, quote, "I've chosen not to speak publicly about Scientology. I have two children who are Scientologists and I utterly respect their beliefs."
Will Ferrell's Production Company Is Developing a "Morning Show" That Will Air at Midnight . . . and It's *Not* a Joke?
"TV Guide" says the USA Network is developing a new LATE NIGHT talk show . . . with WILL FERRELL'S production company . . . that will actually be modeled after MORNING talk shows.
--You know, like "Live with Kelly and Michael", and the fourth hour of "Today", which is hosted by KATHIE LEE GIFFORD and HODA KOTB. Basically, it's aiming to be "the first 'morning show' of the day" . . . literally . . . at 12:01 A.M.
--An "insider" says, quote, "They're dead serious. It'll have coffee cups, the whole thing. They want it to be a comedy-type program, but not a parody." There's no word on any hosts yet. Producers hope to hire a male-female hosting team soon.
Thursday TV Reminders
--"American Idol" [Auditions] . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Fox.
--"Oprah's Next Chapter" . . . 9:00 to 10:30 P.M. on OWN. Lance Armstrong admits to using performance enhancing drugs. The second part airs tomorrow.
The Livestrong Foundation Speaks
The Livestrong Foundation finally broke its silence yesterday regarding what everyone expects to be LANCE ARMSTRONG'S big confession in the interview with OPRAH that airs tonight and tomorrow night.
--The cancer charity says, quote, "We expect Lance to be completely truthful and forthcoming in his interview and with all of us in the cancer community. We expect we will have more to say at that time.
--"Regardless, we are charting a strong, independent course forward that is focused on helping people overcome financial, emotional and physical challenges related to cancer.
--"Inspired by the people with cancer whom we serve, we feel confident and optimistic about the Foundation's future and welcome an end to speculation."
Jennifer Lopez Wants an Oscar
It sounds like JENNIFER LOPEZ is finally giving up on winning a Grammy . . . and moving on to an OSCAR.
--She says, quote, "I think everybody that has ever taken acting seriously would love to be recognized in that way. Of course! Why not?"
--It sounds like she's been planning her acceptance speech for YEARS. She says, quote, "It changes every so often over the years . . . Different people, different things."
Will Kim and Kourtney Kardashian Breastfeed Each Other's Kids?
KOURTNEY and KIM KARDASHIAN were on the "Today" show yesterday, and they talked about how cool it is that Kim is pregnant, because they can breastfeed each other's kids.
--Kim said, quote, "You know what [Kourtney] said to me on the way over here? She said that in the old days . . . and maybe we should try this . . . one sister should babysit all the kids so I can go out, or vice versa, and then whichever sister's babysitting should just breastfeed all the kids that are there."
--Kourtney insisted that she didn't suggest they ACTUALLY try it . . . but at the same time, she said the idea wasn't weird to her.
Tony Danza Threw Up on a Plane . . . and Kate Upton Thinks He Was Hung Over
The "New York Post" reports that TONY DANZA filled his throw-up bag in first class on a flight from New York to L.A. And he told the other passengers he was fighting the flu.
--But KATE UPTON happened to be sitting nearby, and she told a different story. Kate was flying with a manager from her modeling agency named Lisa Benson.
--And after the incident she Tweeted, quote, "I just found out [Lisa] has a phobia of throw up. I don't want to laugh but it is kind of funny the guy next to her is hungover."
(--Apparently, Kate didn't know who Tony was. But that's understandable. As the website Gawker.com points out, she was born two months after "Who's the Boss?" went off the air.)
Megan Fox Began Speaking in Tongues When She Was 8, and She Believes in the Loch Ness Monster
MEGAN FOX gave quite a revealing interview to "Esquire" recently. Of course, there were revealing pictures but what she had to say is of a bit more interest.
--For instance, she says she SPEAKS IN TONGUES. It all started at a Pentecostal church in Tennessee when she was 8.
--She says, quote, "The energy is so intense in the room that you feel like anything can happen . . . have you ever watched footage of a Santeria gathering or someone doing voodoo? You know how palpable the energy is? Whatever's going on there, it's for real."
--Megan still goes to church, and still has the urge to let the spirit speak through her.
--For those of you who've never spoken in tongues, here's what it's like . . . quote, "It feels like a lot of energy coming through the top of your head . . . I'm going to sound like such a lunatic . . .
--"And then your whole body is filled with this electric current. And you just start speaking, but you're not thinking because you have no idea what you're saying.
--"Words are coming out of your mouth, and you can't control it. The idea is that it's a language that only God understands. It's the language that's spoken in heaven. It's called 'getting the Holy Ghost.'"
--Megan also cops to believing in stuff like aliens, leprechauns and the Loch Ness monster. She says, quote, "[I am] childlike in my spirit, and I want to believe in fairy tales. I believe in all of this stuff."
--She adds, quote, "Would you not be so much more interested in finding out that Bigfoot existed than in watching a really good movie? . . . These are my celebrities."
Ryan Gosling's Perfect Day Would Involve . . . Knitting?
Here's something you're not going to hear too many guys admit: RYAN GOSLING loves to KNIT.
--He says, quote, "I did this scene in 'Lars and the Real Girl' where I was in a room full of old ladies who were knitting, and it was an all-day scene, so they showed me how. It was one of the most relaxing days of my life.
--"If I had to design my perfect day, that would be it. And you get something out of it at the end. You get a nice present. For someone who wants an oddly shaped, off-putting scarf."
Wednesday TV Reminders
--"American Idol" [12th Season Premiere] . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Fox. Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban will be joining Randy Jackson at the judges table with Ryan Seacrest returning as your host.
--"Amish Mafia" [1st Season Finale] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Discovery Channel.
--"Ghost Hunters" [9th Season Premiere] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Syfy.
Here We Go Again: Has Robert Pattinson Dumped Kristen Stewart?
Britain's "Sun" tabloid clams ROBERT PATTINSON and KRISTEN STEWART are OVER. Supposedly, he broke it off this past weekend.
--A so-called "source" breaks it down like this: Quote, "Kristen was supposed to be Rob's date for the Golden Globes, but he told her he wants to cool it off.
--"He loves her . . . but would rather go back to being good friends so they can rebuild their trust and focus on work after 'Twilight'
--"Kristen's upset but understands. She shouldn't have pushed him to reconcile after her infidelity. She's hoping he'll come around and time will be a great healer."
"GQ" Magazine Picks the 100 Hottest Women of the 21st Century . . . and Beyoncé is #1
With 87 years to go, it's kind of early to call this, but "GQ" magazine has chosen the 100 Hottest Women of the 21st Century. And they gave BEYONCÉ the ultimate title of "Miss Millennium".
--It's not just a straight, ranked list. It's pretty much all over the place, and in some cases it doesn't seem entirely serious. But here are some of the other entries . . .
--The JESSICAS . . . Simpson, Biel, Alba and Paré
--Katie Holmes . . . apparently on the strength of her nude scene from the 2000 movie "The Gift".
--Britney Spears
--Halle Berry
--Hillary Clinton
--Jennifer Aniston
--Blue Chicks . . . a.k.a. Rebecca Romijn and Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique in the "X-Men" movies, Zoe Saldana in "Avatar", and Smurfette
--Connie Britton
--Charlize Theron
--Sarah Silverman
--Christina Hendricks
--The Breasts of "True Blood"
--Kim Kardashian
--Marisa Tomei
--Kate Upton
Prince Harry and George Clooney Are Among the World's Most Eligible Bachelors
PRINCE HARRY and GEORGE CLOONEY are among the World's Most Eligible Bachelors, according to "Town & Country"magazine.
--The magazine's list of the 40 most eligible single guys includes a lot of people you've never heard of . . . mostly the offspring of royalty and rich people. Here are the most notable names . . .
--NBA stud Jeremy Lin
--Tim Tebow
--Patrick Schwarzenegger . . . son of Arnold
--Conor Kennedy
--The Winklevoss Twins . . .(--They're the ones who supposedly got squeezed out of Facebook. But they ended up with MILLIONS from it anyway.)
--Jack Nicholson
--George Hamilton
The Oscar Nominees Have Been Announced
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its nominations for 2013 Academy Awards this morning.
--The Oscar telecast, to be hosted by Seth MacFarlane, will air on Feb. 24 on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT.
--Here are the nominees for Best Picture. You can see the entire list of nominees at www.oscars.go.
"The Hunger Games" Was the Big Winner at the "People's Choice Awards"
"The Hunger Games" dominated the "People's Choice Awards" last night. It won FIVE trophies, including Favorite Movie of the Year.
--KATY PERRY was next, winning four awards . . . if you count her win for "Favorite Music Fan Following," whatever that is. And SANDRA BULLOCK was given the first ever "Favorite Humanitarian" award for her work in New Orleans.
Music Awards:
Favorite Male Artist: Jason Mraz
Favorite Female Artist: Katy Perry
Favorite Song: "What Makes You Beautiful", One Direction
Favorite Band: Maroon 5
Movie Awards:
Favorite Movie of the Year: "The Hunger Games"
Favorite Movie Actor: Robert Downey, Jr.
Favorite Movie Actress: Jennifer Lawrence
TV Awards:
Favorite Network TV Comedy: "The Big Bang Theory"
Favorite TV Comedy Actor: Chris Colfer . . . from "Glee"
Favorite TV Comedy Actress: Lea Michele . . . from "Glee"
Favorite Network TV Drama: "Grey's Anatomy"
Favorite TV Drama Actor: Nathan Fillion . . . from "Castle"
Favorite TV Drama Actress: Ellen Pompeo . . . from "Grey's Anatomy"
Favorite TV Crime Drama: "Castle"
Favorite Daytime Talk Show Host: Ellen DeGeneres
Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host: Jimmy Fallon
Have Justin and Selena Broken Up for Good?
"Us Weekly" says JUSTIN BIEBER and SELENA GOMEZ have broken up . . . and it's for good this time. They had flown to Mexico for a New Year's vacation, but Selena bailed on December 30th, and they both ended up spending New Year's in the States . . . separately.
--A source says, quote, "They had another huge fight, and Selena won't forgive him . . . [She's] done with him."
Rosie O'Donnell and Her Wife Have a Baby
ROSIE O'DONNELL and her wife Michelle Rounds have a new baby girl. Rosie Tweeted a picture of the three of them, along with the caption, "we r thrilled to announce the arrival of r daughter Dakota – #withloveandthanks – AMEN."
--There's no word where the child came from. Rosie has four others. Three are adopted, and the fourth was born to Rosie's ex-wife, Kelli Carpenter.
Did Lindsay Lohan Steal One of Elizabeth Taylor's Bracelets?
RadarOnline.com claims that LINDSAY LOHAN stole one of ELIZABETH TAYLOR'S bracelets during the filming of "Liz & Dick".
--Supposedly, Lindsay became friends with one of Liz's actual nurses while she was making the movie. When Liz was alive, she'd given that nurse one of her expensive bracelets, which the woman cherished.
--Well, Lindsay visited the nurse one day . . . saw the bracelet and fell in love with it. And after she left, it was GONE.
--The nurse called Lindsay, who denied taking it . . . either on purpose or by accident. A source says, quote, "It took over a week to get the bracelet back from Lindsay and it was only returned after the nurse threatened to call the cops.
--"One of Lindsay's people eventually returned the bracelet to the nurse, who was extremely upset about what had transpired."
Beyonce Will Sing the National Anthem at President Obama's Second Inauguration
BEYONCÉ has been chosen to sing the National Anthem at PRESIDENT OBAMA'S second inauguration ceremony on Monday, January 21st.
--KELLY CLARKSON will perform "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" . . . and JAMES TAYLOR will sing "America the Beautiful".
Adam Sandler and "Twilight" Lead the Razzie Nominees
Oscar nominees will be announced tomorrow morning. Which means that today, we get the RAZZIE nominees. The Golden Raspberry Awards celebrate the WORST in cinema.
--The final "Twilight" flick, "Breaking Dawn - Part 2", leads the pack with 11 nominations . . . in 10 CATEGORIES.
--ADAM SANDLER also cleaned up with EIGHT nods for "That's My Boy". "Battleship" rounds out the top three with SEVEN nominations.
--Last year, Sandler set a record with 11 nominations for three crappy movies: "Jack and Jill", "Just Go With It" and "Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star".
--And "Jack and Jill" went on to sweep EVERY CATEGORY.
--He might not have a banner year this time around, though, since this is the Razzies' last opportunity to crap on "Twilight".
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Bought an $11 Million Mansion
KIM KARDASHIAN and KANYE WEST bought an $11 million mansion in Bel Air.
--It's 9,000 square feet and has a gym, movie theater, hair and makeup salon, bowling alley, basketball court and indoor and outdoor pools.
Will Lance Armstrong Admit to Oprah that He Was Doping?
LANCE ARMSTRONG has agreed to give his first interview since he was stripped of all his Tour de France titles for allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs. And no big surprise . . . he'll give it to OPRAH.
--The 90-minute interview will air next Thursday night, January 17th, at 9:00 P.M on OWN.
--There's been some talk over the last few days that Lance is ready to ADMIT he was doping. And the gossip site Showbiz411 says that's exactly what he'll do. He'll also beg for mercy . . . and a reversal of his lifetime ban from cycling.
--But this won't help: "60 Minutes" says that in 2004, one of Lance's reps offered a $250,000 "donation" to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
--They're the ones whose investigation of Lance led to him losing his titles, not to mention MILLIONS in endorsements.
--The head of the USADA says, quote, "It was a clear conflict of interest. We had no hesitation in rejecting that offer."
The Woman Who's Writing the "50 Shades of Grey" Script Says She's Going for an NC-17
Those "50 Shades of Grey" books are definitely aimed at women. But the movies might have something for the guys, too.
--Because KELLY MARCEL . . . the woman who's writing the script for the first installment . . . is aiming for an NC-17 rating. She says, quote, "It's going to be raunchy. We are 100% going there."
--Not every sex scene can be represented in a 90-minute movie. Marcel says, quote, "We did go through and decide which are our favorites and which are not. Most of them are in there, but I can't say more than that."
If One Direction Doesn't Remain Together for Three More Years, the Whole Group Loses Millions
ONE DIRECTION has agreed to a massive new record deal, which requires them to make three new albums over the next three years. It also binds them to each other.
--A so-called "source" tells Britain's "Sun" tabloid that if just ONE member drops out, the whole group will lose out on A TON OF MONEY.
--Supposedly, the contract was designed so that the five guys will each get a big payout three years from now . . . but ONLY if the group is still intact at that point.
--There are no specifics . . . so there's no word how much we're talking about . . . but the source emphasizes that it's not just a few bucks, it's, quote, "millions."
"Men's Health" Magazine Names Katy Perry the Hottest Woman of 2013
We're only a week into the year, but "Men's Health" magazine has already decided who the 100 Hottest Women of 2013 are. And at the top of their list is KATY PERRY.
--Here's the Top 10 . . .
#1.) Katy Perry
#2.) Mila Kunis
#3.) Christina Hendricks
#4.) Jennifer Lawrence
#5.) Jennifer Aniston
#6.) Scarlett Johansson
#7.) Angelina Jolie
#8.) Beyonce
#9.) Gisele Bundchen
#10.) Amber Heard
LeAnn Rimes Tips Off the Paparazzi Where She's Going to Be . . . And Then Shows Up Looking Good
Have you noticed how LEANN RIMES is always photographed looking hot in a bikini or having a nice family moment? Well, it's no accident. According to Radar Online, she actually tips off the paparazzi in advance of where she's going to be.
--This serves two functions: One is so LeAnn can make sure she looks just right . . . because that's what every woman wants.
--But it's also a built-in PR move to show the world she's a good wife to EDDIE CIBRIAN . . . and a wonderful stepmom to his kids.
--A source said, quote, "LeAnn wants good pictures out there. She wants to look good and she wants people to see how she looks happy with Eddie, that's why she does that."
Josh Brolin Was Arrested for Public Intoxication
JOSH BROLIN was arrested for public intoxication on New Year's Day. It was actually New Year's NIGHT . . . just before midnight on January 1st.
--There aren't many details. Brolin was arrested in Santa Monica, and released the next morning on $250 bail. But the case is already over. Brolin wasn't cited and won't have to go back to court.
--A source says Josh was hanging out with his guy friends and, quote, "had too much fun."
--It may have been a little more serious than that, though. The police report says Brolin was, quote, "intoxicated and unable to care for himself."
NBC Has Picked Up Michael J. Fox's New Sitcom
A while back, we heard that MICHAEL J. FOX was returning to TV on a sitcom inspired by his life. Well, now there are a few more details.
--First off, NBC has picked it up . . . and it's in the running to be on their schedule beginning next fall. But there's no title yet.
--On the show, Michael plays a newscaster who had to quit his job due to Parkinson's Disease . . . but is now returning to work because a new medical regimen has helped him control many of the symptoms.
Tom Selleck Wants to Do Another "Three Men and a Baby" Movie
TOM SELLECK wants to do another "Three Men and a Baby" movie . . . and he's actually talked to TED DANSON and STEVE GUTTENBERG about it.
--He says, quote, "We'd love to get back together if they've got a good idea. And I think that's a good idea. But it seemed to be real and then disappear, so I don't know."
(--"Three Man and a Baby" came out in 1987, and was followed by a sequel, "Three Men and a Little Lady", in 1990.)
Wade Boggs is Part of a Group That Bought the Property Where "Field of Dreams" Was Filmed
Baseball Hall of Famer WADE BOGGS is part of an investment group that just bought the property where the classic KEVIN COSTNER flick "Field of Dreams" was filmed.
--They paid $3.4 million for the property, and plan to build a youth baseball complex consisting of 24 fields and 60 clubhouses.
--Boggs played in the majors from 1982 to 1999. He spent his first 10 years with the Boston Red Sox, then went to the Yankees, where he won his only World Series in 1996. He spent his final year with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Kanye West Pulled Over For Speeding
Kanye West is on the fast track with more than just Kim Kardashian.
--The rapper, who earlier this week announced he's expecting a baby with the reality-TV star, was pulled over by West Hollywood police late Wednesday night outside Chateau Marmont for allegedly speeding and having tinted windows, reports E! News.
--West was apparently driving Kardashian's Mercedes Benz G63 SUV.
--Lucky for him, police let the rapper off with a warning.
Patrick Dempsey Buys a Coffee Chain
Actor Patrick Dempsey said it appears his bid to buy a small coffee chain has prevailed in a bankruptcy auction.
--Late Thursday night, Dempsey announced that his company, Global Baristas LLC, made the winning bid for Tully's Coffee. He noted in a KOMO-TV interview that a bankruptcy judge will have the final say on Jan. 11. Still, Dempsey tweeted "We got it! Thank you Seattle!"
--"I'm thrilled that we won and I'm even more excited about saving Tully's Coffee and its hundreds of jobs," he said.
--Tully's Coffee has 47 company-owned locations in Washington and California. The company, with more than 500 employees, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October.
Britney Spears Is Rich
In case you're wondering ... Britney Spears is loaded ... in a good way.
--The judge in Britney's conservatorship case issued an order -- obtained by TMZ --which says just SOME of Britney's assets total more than $27 million ... and that's as of Jan 1, 2011. As you know, she's made a bundle since then -- including $15 mil on "X Factor."
--On top of that ... Britney has several trusts which are worth many millions of bucks and are not reflected in the judge's total.
"Star Wars" Creator George Lucas is Engaged
A spokeswoman for Lucasfilm Ltd. says the 68-year-old director is engaged to 43-year-old investment firm president Mellody Hobson. No other details were provided.
--Hobson serves as chairman of DreamWorks Animation and is a financial contributor to ABC's "Good Morning America."
--Lucas has three children: Amanda, Katie and Jett. He was previously married to film editor Marcia Lucas from 1969 to 1983.
--Lucas helped to launch the modern blockbuster age with his "Star Wars" sagas and "Indiana Jones" adventures. The original "Star Wars" still stands as the No. 2 film in terms of tickets sold domestically, behind only "Gone with the Wind."
--Disney completed its acquisition of Lucasfilm and the "Star Wars" franchise from Lucas for $4.06 billion in cash and stock last month.
Madonna Stalker Sentenced
A former firefighter with a crush on Madonna has been sentenced to three years' probation for resisting arrest outside the singer's New York City apartment building.
--Robert Linhart was convicted in November after being twice arrested in September 2010.
--Police say the then-59-year-old Linhart was nabbed after he parked his SUV outside the Material Girl's former Manhattan apartment and spray-painted love notes on poster boards. He returned a few days later and was arrested again.
--His attorney had argued that it was no crime to adore Madonna, the singer of pop hits including "Like a Virgin" who performed at last year's Super Bowl halftime game.
--The judge on Wednesday also ordered Linhart to attend anger management sessions.
--Attorney Lawrence LaBrew tells the Daily News that Linhart is appealing the conviction.
Kris Allen was in a Car Accident and is going to be a Dad
Kris Allen was in a car accident on New Year's Day, but though he's bruised a bit, 2013 is already shaping up to be a wonderful year for the former "American Idol" champion.
--"Thank you @ford for equipping me with a car that kept my whole family @katyallen @ZorroPup and the little one we have on the way safe," he tweeted last night, letting slip the news that he and his wife are expecting a child. Just in case fans missed the clue, he followed up with, "Yes I got in a really bad wreck tonight and yes I'm having a lil baby. #gonnabeadaddy."
--Allen's mother, Kimberly had previously tweeted the car wreck news saying, "From Kris: he's in a lot of pain, arm broke, may not play guitar for a while. Prayers welcome please! #headoncollision," and "Kristopher and Katy are both pretty beat up but ALIVE! Thank you Jesus! They are setting his arm now and will have surgery tomorrow."
--Lastly, Allen reassured fans that his injuries would not interfere with his upcoming tour: "Don't worry everyone I may have broken my wrist but the #OutAliveTour is still on."
( EW.com)
Kim Kardashian is NOT Having Morning Sickness
So far, Kim Kardashian's first pregnancy has been smooth sailing!
--Three months pregnant with Kanye West's baby, the Kourtney and Kim Take Miami star tells Us Weekly she's been lucky to avoid the dreaded morning sickness most expectant mothers face in the early stages of pregnancy.
--"I have felt good. I haven't had any morning sickness, but it still isn't the easiest," the mom-to-be told Us on New Year's Eve when she hosted a bash at Las Vegas nightclub 1OAK. "People always say it's easy and fun. It's definitely an adjustment learning about your body and stuff like that. I've been feeling really good so that's good."
--Calling the next phase of their lives together "so exciting," the pregnant star says she intends to find out the gender of her firstborn -- when the time is right. "Of course I do want to know. I can't find out yet, but I do want to know," she told Us at Monday night's New Years Eve party.
--Once Kardashian's divorce from Kris Humphries is settled, a source close to West hints that the dad-to-be will get down on one knee and propose to Kardashian.
Kim Kardashian Won't Get Help Losing Baby Weight
Two major weight loss companies won't touch Kim Kardashian's with a 10-foot pole ... TMZ has learned they have zero interest in signing the pregnant celeb to a Jessica Simpson type deal.
--Reps for Jenny Craig and Medifast tell TMZ they won't be be helping Kim K shed her post-baby weight -- and their reason, ironically enough, is the reality TV star isn't real enough.
--Medifast said its not looking for any celeb endorsements -- but Jenny Craig was more specific, telling us they're ... focusing on "real results for real women" this year.
JONAS BROS Fan Sues -- They Have A Huge Crush On Me
A Jonas Brothers fan has sued the group, claiming they're so popular, she was crushed during a concert by crazed groupies.
--Ashleigh Johnson filed the lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- in which she claims she was at The Grove in L.A. back in May, 2010, watching the boys perform an early bird special (3 PM), when she was pushed by an uncontrolled crowd against a guard fence.
--Ashleigh says she was "agonizingly crushed" into the fence and suffered serious mental, emotional and physical injuries as a result.
Miley Cyrus Outraged by Paparazzi Death
Miley Cyrus is outraged by the death of a photographer who was taking photos of Justin Bieber's white Ferrari on a Los Angeles street Tuesday.
--"Hope this paparazzi/JB accident brings on some changes in '13," she wrote. "Paparazzi are dangerous! Wasn't Princess Di enough of a wake up call?!"
She went on to say, "It is unfair for anyone to put this on to Justin's conscious as well! This was bound to happen! Your mom teaches u when your a child not to play in the street! The chaos that comes with the paparazzi acting like fools makes it impossible for anyone to make safe choices."
--Bieber, meanwhile, who was not in his car at the time, has issued a statement to E! about the incident. "While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim."
--He added, "Hopefully this tragedy will finally inspire meaningful legislation and whatever other necessary steps to protect the lives and safety of celebrities, police officers, innocent public bystanders and the photographers themselves."
(USA Today)


text:
The first years of practice can be a time of great hope and exhilaration -- and fatigue and anxiety. This group is designed to allow new teachers and veterans alike to connect and share that sense of community that is so important in the first years.
Valentine's Day Themed Lessons
Just had to share these Heart Day Lessons that I found via a new search engine I'm testing out called http://edyoucator.com
Here are some fun lessons it led me too http://theapple.monster.com/training/articles/2615-valentines-day-themed...
Have a great day,all!


text:
- September 2, 2012
- 8:36 a.m.
- Suggest removal
- Reply to this post
smokedoctor writes:
There isn't a picture there.
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