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Archive: May 2011 (71-77 of 77)

May 2 2011 03:22 PM ET

Osama bin Laden death sets Twitter record

Filed under: News and tagged: Politics, Tech

Twitter recorded its highest sustained rate of tweets ever last night, as millions took to the social network site to share in the news of the death of terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, according to the company. Between 10:45 p.m. ET and 2:20 a.m, there was an average of 3,000 bin Laden-related tweets per second (TPS), peaking at 11:00 p.m. when that figure reached 5,106 TPS.

Compare those figures to February’s Super Bowl, which peaked at 4,064 TPS, and Friday’s Royal wedding, which topped out at 3,966 TPS. The Japanese earthquake and tsunami generated enormous Twitter traffic — it topped 5,000 TPS five times on March 11 — but the all-time Twitter record remains New Year’s Eve in Japan, when revelers piled up 6,939 TPS.

Last night’s avalanche of bin Laden-related tweets began with two posts from unusual sources: Donald Rumsfeld’s chief of staff Keith Urbahn, and… Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock. At 10:24 p.m., eight minutes before a CBS reporter tweeted a confirmation, the Fast Five star posted, “Just got word that will shock the world — Land of the free…home of the brave DAMN PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”

Urbahn posted at the same time and included specifics: “So I’m told by a reputable person they have killed Osama Bin Laden. Hot damn.” Since then, the former Navy intel reserve officer has seen his Twitter followers go up more than 15-fold.

May 2 2011 03:11 PM ET

Michael Jackson trial delayed as Conrad Murray's defense requests more time

by Jeff Labrecque

Filed under: Music, News and tagged: Lawsuits, Musics

A judge has delayed the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray until September, ruling that his lawyers need more time to prepare his involuntary manslaughter defense in the Michael Jackson case, according to the Associated Press. Murray’s attorneys requested more time after prosecutors announced plans to call expert witnesses, a move that required Murray himself to waive his right to a speedy trial within 60 days of his preliminary hearing. A progress hearing was set for June 3, and a new jury will be determined on Sept. 8.

May 2 2011 02:40 PM ET

Rick Springfield taken into custody for DUI

by Kate Ward

Filed under: News and tagged: Misc.

“Jessie’s Girl” singer Rick Springfield has been arrested for driving under the influence. According to People, the 1980s rock star was pulled over Sunday in Los Angeles county with a blood alcohol level of 0.10, which is 0.2 higher than the legal limit. Springfield’s rep has not returned EW’s request for comment.

May 2 2011 01:00 PM ET

Lindsay Lohan may plead no contest, says source

by Kate Ward

Filed under: News and tagged: Lawsuits

Image Credit: Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage.com

Looks like Lindsay Lohan is serious about shifting the public’s focus from her legal troubles to her career: A source close to the actress confirmed to EW that Lohan is considering pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges that she had stolen a $2,500 necklace from a jewelry store in Venice, Calif. Though the actress has rejected plea deals related to the case before — they likely involved jail time — she’s weighing accepting one that would put an end to the criminal case, and avoid a trial. Though, by making the move, the actress certainly would not be admitting that she stole the necklace — a no contest plea does not point to guilt. Lohan was already sentenced to 120 days in jail on April 22 for violating her probation on a 2007 drunk driving case; she’s currently out on bail. Her next court date, should she not plead no contest beforehand, is scheduled for May 11.

Should Lohan be able to avoid a lengthy trial, her schedule would likely be freed up to pursue film projects, including Gotti: Three Generations, the biopic about the mob family in which she’ll play Kim Gotti. She’s also signed on for Mob Street, another film greenlit by Fiore Films, the production company behind Gotti. Last week, after posting bail, she appeared on The Tonight Show and told host Jay Leno about her desire to move past her well-documented problems: “I made a lot of poor decisions in the past,” she said. “And I’m dealing with the consequences of those decisions. So, yeah, there were times when I was concerned [about getting work], but I’m a fighter. And I know I have to work to gain the respect back. And I’m willing to do the work that I have to do to follow through with being an actress.”

Follow Kate on Twitter @KateWardEW

May 2 2011 12:35 PM ET

Mariah Carey renews vows with Nick Cannon -- with Rev. Al Sharpton in tow

by Kate Ward

Filed under: News and tagged: Weddings

Just one day after Mariah Carey gave birth to twins in Los Angeles, the singer and husband Nick Cannon renewed their vows. The man who conducted the ceremony? Rev. Al Sharpton, who tweeted that he also had blessed the newborns: “Mariah looks GREAT, and the babies are beautiful,” he wrote. The couple was continuing their tradition of renewing their vows every anniversary; they celebrated their third year of marriage on Saturday.

May 2 2011 12:30 PM ET

Former 'Bachelor' Travis Stork to be a bachelor no more

by Kate Ward

Filed under: News and tagged: Weddings

Dr. Travis Stork’s girlfriend has accepted his rose — and a marriage proposal. The Doctors host — and former Bachelor — will wed pediatrician Dr. Charlotte Brown. The couple, who have been dating for two years, got engaged in Hawaii, People reports. No wedding date has yet been set.

May 2 2011 09:32 AM ET

Celebrities react on Twitter to Osama Bin Laden's death

by Jeff Labrecque

Filed under: News and tagged: Politics

With the news that Al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden has been killed by American forces at the leader’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Twitter has been abuzz with people celebrating the demise of the elusive terrorist who plotted the 9/11 attacks nearly 10 years ago.

“I predict that Osama’s picture will get little more than a smattering of tepid applause on the next Emmy “In Memoriam” reel.” — Seth MacFarlane

“I’m proud of our men and women in uniform. Wherever you are, take a minute to say thank you to one of the brave heroes who serve our country” — Arnold Schwarzenegger

“Does Elton John do a bin laden version of ‘Candle in the Wind’… ‘Like a giant hellish fireball in the wind…’ ” — Adam McKay READ FULL STORY »