Billy Crystal to Host Oscars
SAVIDGE: Just want to give you a reminder: the Penn State board of trustees will meet in a few minutes. And when that meeting gets under way, we hope to bring it to you live. So, stay tuned for that. Checking stories across country right now: In Atlanta, big concerns that two members of the local "Occupy" movement may have contracted a drug resistant strain of tuberculosis. The group's leader was quoted in a newspaper saying the two cases involve residents of a homeless shelter where demonstrators have taken refuge since their eviction from a city park. The National Park Service has begun weatherizing the Washington Monument. Park officials say it is critical to, temporarily that is, fill in the cracks created from, remember the earthquake in August? They add that the quick fix won't hinder the monument's eventual restoration. And then check out what arrived in Madison, Wisconsin, yesterday -- two alligators flown in from Pennsylvania for veterinary treatment. The gators belong to a man's private zoo that was recently burglarized. Both gators were hurt during the break-in and one suffered a broken leg. No word what happened to the burglar. Time for your "Showbiz headlines". The Oscars have found an old pro to replace Eddie Murphy as host. "Showbiz Tonight's" A.J. Hammer is here. So, A.J., who's got the job?</s>A.J. HAMMER, HLN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Well, Billy Crystal's coming back, Martin, after Eddie Murphy exited his hosting gig for the 84th Academy Awards on Wednesday. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science really had to make some quick work of finding a replacement and they did. They went with a familiar face. It's going to be Crystal's ninth time hosting the award show, that doesn't including when he did it back in 2006. He opened the show back then. He broke the news on his Twitter account in fine Billy Crystal fashion. Let me read to you what he tweeted. "I'm doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions. I'm looking forward to the show." And to take nothing away from Billy Crystal, I have to believe that the folks at the academy are at least a bit disappointed with how everything went down because they were really looking to shake things up this year, putting first timers Brett Ratner in the producer's chair and Eddie Murphy on the hosting stage. However, Martin, for my money, you still can't go wrong with Billy Crystal.</s>SAVIDGE: No, I'm absolutely in agreement with you on that. Let me ask you this, this morning Ashton Kutcher learned something I guess we've known for decades that it is good to have an editor. Tell us about this Twitter controversy.</s>HAMMER: You know, Ashton Kutcher is learning something about Twitter that we have known as far as it pertains to celebrities. It can be your best friend and it could be your worst enemy. He sent a tweet defending Joe Paterno without knowing the whole story. And there was a resulting firestorm which has him now changing the way he manages his Twitter account. He actually tweeted, "How do you fire Joe Paterno?", hash tag/no class. Well considering the situation that Paterno was in that tweet obviously ignited this huge firestorm and Kutcher has since apologized. In fact, he posted a picture of himself with a sign saying, "I am with stupid". And he now says as a result he's turning over his Twitter account to his professional media advisors, which is probably a smart thing. Kutcher, of course, was one of the first celebrities to really endorse Twitter. He got more than eight million followers. So this is a huge comeuppance for Ashton. I'm a bit surprised that he didn't know more about the story. But he claims he just thought that Paterno got fired and didn't know the whole back story there. I can't imagine anybody doesn't know the whole back story here by now. But we're going to be hearing from Ashton in a very different way -- Martin.</s>SAVIDGE: Yes well clearly A.J. he needs more CNN. We'll bring it to him. Thanks very much, A.J. You'll be back with us by the way next hour with more "Showbiz Headlines". Howard Stern could be moving to network television. A.J. will tell you where he might be headed next hour. And we also want to remind you that we are continuing to, well, take a look inside here. The Penn State board of trustees will be meeting in just a few minutes, we understand. We'll be allowed to listen in. We'll be bringing that to you live when it happens.