Wake Up Q

Heads Explode! Thursday Morning Prep

Here’s The Things You’ll Want To See Hear and Know Today.

The Big Picture

Former NFL player Aaron Hernandez was charged with murder yesterday, and prosecutors think they have him dead to rights.  The body of his friend Odin Lloyd was discovered last week in an industrial park near Aaron’s house.  And there are PILES of evidence linking him to the crime . . . including his OWN SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS.  But the thing that might end up clinching the case is a piece of chewed-up bubblegum that was found in Aaron’s rental car.  Here’s how a prosecutor presented it at the arraignment yesterday.  (It sounds like this guy didn’t even make an attempt to cover his tracks.  They have him on camera leaving his house with a gun on the night of the murder.  And the bubblegum was found in his rental car next to a SHELL CASING that’s the same caliber as the bullets found in Odin Lloyd.  This only scratches the surface.   The Patriots released Aaron immediately after the news broke that he had been arrested.

Yesterday the Supreme Court issued two huge rulings on gay marriage.  They struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which prevented the federal government from recognizing gay marriages.  And they dismissed the case involving California’s Proposition 8, which outlawed gay marriage in California but had already been struck down by a federal judge.

 

Showbizzy Newz

 

HERE IT IS!  This is about the funniest video we’ve seen in a long time. A montage of famous women’s heads exploding!

Here’s another one:

PAULA DEEN denied she was racist yesterday on the “Today” show.  And while she kind of acted like SHE was the victim, she did make us this offer . . . quote, “If there’s anyone out there that has never said something that they wish they could take back, then please pick up that stone and throw it at my head so hard it kills me . . . Hit me as hard as you can.”

PAULA DEEN lost two big partners yesterday:  Wal-Mart and Caesars Entertainment.

Wal-Mart says, quote, “We are ending our relationship with Paula Deen Enterprises and we will not place new orders beyond those already committed.”

Paula has restaurants in four Caesars casinos . . . in Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina and Mississippi.  They’ll be “re-branded” immediately.  The company says that even though she apologized, they decided it was in their best interest to part ways with her.

OPRAH tops this year’s “Forbes” list of the 100 Most Powerful Celebrities, which measures fame in a variety of categories.  Meanwhile, MADONNA was the top earner of the year with $125 million . . . and Will Smith, Jennifer Aniston, and Sandra Bullock are considered the most “marketable.”

 

Q Country Closeup

Shania Twain and Chely Wright are among the country stars voicing their support for the Supreme Court’s decision Wednesday on same-sex marriage.  The Canadian-born Shania tweets, “Congratulations to everyone celebrating #equality today in the U.S. #loveislove.”  Chely, who in 2010 became the first country star to come out, calls it “a huge day,” adding, “Please let it be a day that bends mightily toward justice, equality and love.”

Taylor Swift’s star power is on the rise.  The country-pop superstar is landing in the top ten on “Forbes” magazine’s 2013 “Celebrity 100” list, taking the number six spot.  She’s been on the list four times before.  Last year she missed the top ten, falling in at number eleven.

The genealogy show “Who Do You Think You Are?” is coming back next month.  This season they’ll be featuring Trisha Yearwood and Kelly Clarkson, among other celebrities.

Hunter Hayes now has a number one album to his credit.  “Hunter Hayes (Encore),” the revamped, deluxe edition of his self-titled debut album, is taking the number one spot on the Billboard Country Albums chart.  The original set peaked in the top five following its release in October 2011.  “Encore” is also giving Hunter his first appearance in the top ten on the Billboard 200.

 

The Backside of the News

A guy stopped to pee on a wall in New Orleans on Wednesday morning, when a one-ton slab of concrete fell forward and pinned him to the ground.  Someone heard him calling for help . . . and firefighters were able to rescue him.  The ground was wet and soft from rain . . . so his legs got pressed into the mud instead of getting crushed.  He just suffered a broken ankle.

Don’t believe me?  Read more http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Eyewitness-discovers-man-trapped-under-concrete-slab-in-Mid-City-213107111.html

A British man, who placed a plastic traffic cone over his head while joking with friends, but then had to be rescued by a policeman after he was unable to free himself. The man apparently had the traffic cone on his head for a few minutes and then realized he couldn’t get it off. A passerby caught the incident on video

http://youtu.be/rMx2TAXCC-k

Randoms

A guy in San Diego is facing 13 years in prison and $13,000 in fines . . . for writing on the sidewalk in chalk?

Read more

A 64-year-old in Australia tried to steal a car, and was foiled . . . because he took too long to load his walker.

Read More

There’s a new app for the iPhone called “Heard,” which records everything within earshot of your iPhone, and keeps it in the phone’s memory for five minutes.  Then the user can either save it, or it will be deleted.

Headlines

2 days ago in Community, Crime, Local

IPD arrests 4 in months-long drug, weapons probe

Ithaca Police arrested 4 people on Jan. 9 in a lengthy investigation into drug sales and weapons.

2 days ago in Community, Crime, Local

Arrests made in large police operation on Ithaca’s West End

On January 9, the Ithaca Police Department conducted a coordinated operation at Arthaus, which IPD initially referred to as narcotics-related.

3 days ago in Sports

Jalen Hurts’ resilience and big-game prowess to be tested in NFC wild card game

Jalen Hurts pointed at A.J. Brown — and just showed everyone watching, including a hapless defense — where he would throw the ball. Sure enough, Hurts tossed a strike down the sideline to Brown for an easy score earlier this season in a win over Minnesota.

3 days ago in Sports

Miami heading home for shot at national title after beating Ole Miss 31-27 in Fiesta Bowl

Miami's return to relevance was a long, winding road filled with more downs than ups. Even when the Hurricanes rejoined the national conversation, they were doubted, told they didn't belong. Through it all, they kept chugging along — straight into the national championship game.

3 days ago in Sports

Anthony Edwards, the 3rd-youngest player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career points: ‘It’s cool.’

Anthony Edwards became the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career points, when the Minnesota Timberwolves star swished a 13-foot fadeaway jumper from the baseline midway through the fourth quarter against Cleveland on Thursday night.

3 days ago in National

Protests over federal enforcement operations after shootings in Minneapolis and Portland

As anger and outrage spilled out onto Minneapolis' streets over the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, a new shooting by federal officers in Oregon left two people wounded, sparked additional protests and elicited more scrutiny of enforcement operations across the U.S.