Armstrong Sued By Book Buyers Following Confession

Trouble is still finding Lance Armstrong as two men who bought the cyclist's book prior to his doping confession to Oprah Winfrey are suing Armstrong, saying they "would not have purchased the books had they known the true facts concerning Armstrong’s misconduct and his admitted involvement in a sports doping scandal."

A Republican political consultant in Sacramento, Rob Stutzman, and a professional chef, Jonathan Wheeler, filed a federal class-action lawsuit in California on Tuesday against the 41-year-old athlete, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles late last year, the Los Angeles Times reports. "Stutzman bought the book in California and read it cover to cover. Although Stutzman does not buy or read many books, he found Armstrong’s book incredibly compelling and recommended the book to several friends," the lawsuit reads (via LA Times).

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Stutzman even met Armstrong while serving with former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005, and reportedly thanked the cyclist for being an inspiration. Wheeler was also "so impressed" with Armstrong's book that he bought the second one.

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Decoding The 'AHS' Season Three Clues

Season two of American Horror Story came to a close last night, and now that we know how things ended for Sister Jude, Lana Winters, Kit Walker and the rest of Briarcliff's brethren, it's time to begin thinking about what season three of Ryan Murphy's amorphous anthology will look like.

Much as he did with season one, Murphy scattered clues about his season three plans throughout the final few American Horror Story: Asylum episodes, but said that this year, "it's a different kind of clue," meaning it wouldn't be as overt as Psychic Billie Dean Howard's long soliloquy about paramagnetic grip (how evil can be absorbed by an environment, ie: an Asylum).

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So ETonline scoured the final few episodes for clues, and have come up with some pretty good theories. Although, if I'm being honest, one stands heads and shoulders above the other.

The first possibility revolves around Hollywood and the lengths people go to in the quest for fame. Not only were there countless pop culture references littered throughout Asylum, but at a recent Q&A, while talking about Lana's arc in the season finale, Murphy said, "I also like that meditation on fame, which was somewhat loosely modeled on all that Capote In Cold Blood stuff, which I am obsessed with. I thought [that corruption of fame] was really interesting."

This theory could be supported by the fact Ryan Murphy also said Jessica Lange's season three character would "have the best designer gowns, ever. She's going to play a really glamour cat. " Potential Title: American Bandstand Horror Story. Although, some could argue the last string ofAsylum episodes perfectly handled this topic, it would no doubt be exciting to see Murphy return to his Nip/Tuck stomping grounds.

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The second possibility focuses on the world of politics, and the dirty dealings its players engage in. While that might not instantly bring "horror" to the front of your mind, think about the terrifying world brought to life in Richard Condon's 1959 novel, The Manchurian Candidate and the delicious role Angela Lansbury dug her talons into with 1962's cinematic adaptation. Potential title: American Horror Story: Capital Gains.

While politics were lightly touched on in regards to Monsignor Timothy Howard (played by Joseph Fiennes), many are looking to a passing reference in the season finale to Norma, the play Lana's partner Marion performed at The MET, name-checked by April Mayfield during Lana's Kennedy Center interview.

Henrik Ibsen's play is a politically-charged take on Vincenzo Bellini's opera Norma, which deals with Druid priests and priestesses, unrequited love, infanticide and betrayal. The world of politics would not only allow Murphy to set the action in various cities and times, which he's already confirmed for season three, but would also open the door for the Romeo & Juliet-like relationship he plans to deliver next season.

But, if I were a betting man, I'd expect season three to focus on witches, pagans and the practice of magic.

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In terms of clues, both I Put A Spell On You and Love Potion #9 played on the Briarcliff jukebox, while many have mentioned that Dr. Arden's suicide by immolation could be a reference to witches being burned at the stake in order to purify their souls. But it's another "sole" that perhaps yields the biggest clue.

In The Name Game, Jude's marvelous musical hallucination sees all the patients participating in her performance, and while no one but Jude changes clothes, Lana's shoes go from asylum-issued flats to fancy "ruby" heels [video embedded below for good measure ... and pure fun]. Could Murphy have been signifying a sartorial similarity between Lana and Dorthy of Oz, who faced down The Wicked Witch of The West?

Perhaps more tellingly, during that aforementioned Q&A, Murphy said season three is "really about female power," "is more historical in nature" and that their big bad (ie: The Rubber Man, Bloody Face) is a woman this year. Potential title: American Horror Story: Salem. Or, given that season two took place in Massachusetts, American Horror Story: Voodoo, as New Orleans would offer up as much black magic, but far fewer New England accents.

While all of that is me speculating (for all I know, season three could take place aboard a space station in the year 3045), there are a few things we know for sure.

Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters are all confirmed to be returning, some familiar faces from season one (including Taissa Farmiga) will be back. Everyone will, once again, tackle a role that's 180 degrees away from what they just played. Season three will be lighter in tone; Murphy says he and Lange missed the humor of season one and AHS might be welcoming their biggest star to-date for season three.

We've all written or read countless stories about actors approaching Murphy for roles on Glee, and at that Q&A, I asked if he's noticed a shift in which show people ask to be on now that American Horror Story has become so popular. He said, "I think that people are drawn to, in the zeitgeist, what is hot.Horror Story has had that great ride this year, but also, I've never had people with multiple Oscars call and ask to do arcs. That's a new thing."

So, perhaps Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Robert DeNiro, Jodie Foster or Denzel Washtington will be checking in to American Horror Story next season!

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West Coast gets swing at San Francisco jazz center

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Full of shimmer and swing, San Francisco's sleek new jazz concert hall opened Wednesday with an opening night gala featuring McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea and Esperanza Spalding aimed at cementing respect for and expanding the reach of the jazz idiom on the West Coast.

Called SFJAZZ Center, the 700-seat specially designed concert hall nestled in the heart of the city's arts district was brightly lit amid a light rain and attracted a crowd of hundreds with a high-energy, inaugural celebration emceed by Bill Cosby.

Cosby played percussion during the night's first number, along with several others including Oakland percussionist John Santos.

"This is just fabulous, it's a tremendous opportunity for everyone here," Santos said.

Billed as the first freestanding building in the West built for jazz performance and education, the center opened Wednesday after raising more than $60 million over more than a decade to build a home for SFJAZZ, the nonprofit that puts on the city's jazz festival.

A building that stood opposite the hall was decked out with giant black-and-white photographs of jazz greats.

"This is the revival of the jazz scene in San Francisco," said attorney and attendee Kirk Boyd.

After three decades of renting trucks to drop off pianos and drums for gigs at outside venues, spokesman Marshall Lamm said the organization was delighted to open a permanent home, which soon will boast a New Orleans-style cafe and cocktail lounge led by The Slanted Door's chef Charles Phan.

"It's just not like someone inherited some money and they built a building," said San Francisco bassist, jazz composer and bandleader Marcus Shelby. "This a concept and idea and practice that has been developed for decades and this building is the result of all of that hard work to give the West Coast a venue that has to be respected."

Wednesday, the show drew celebrities including Tom Waits, Danny Glover, Amy Tan, former Secretary of State George Shultz and hundreds of other jazz aficionados.

The venue will need to play multiple, distinct roles: attract exclusive, high-level performers, support local musicians and school groups such as the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars and celebrate the legacy of the city's Fillmore District.

A half-century ago, hundreds of black-owned businesses including jazz and blues nightclubs thrived in the Fillmore, then nicknamed "Harlem of the West." After the government decreed the area blighted, wrecking balls erased many such hotspots and forced thousands of people from the neighborhood through eminent domain. After a decades-long urban renewal project by the federal and local governments, the Fillmore was reshaped — and gradually jazz clubs have started coming back.

None, organizers say, will have the weight and promise of SFJAZZ Center, whose acoustics are custom designed to showcase the sound coming off the stage and enhance the listener's experience.

"For the musicians to flow, it requires a stage where you can hear very clearly, " said Sam Berkow, who designed the acoustics and sound system for SFJAZZ Center as well as Jazz at Lincoln Center. "For the audience watching the band, with seating around the stage you'll get that collective sense of the listening experience, which is important when musicians are not just playing a chart but offering a solo in response to the crowd's energy."

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10 finalists named for international Booker prize

10 finalists named for international Booker prize

JAIPUR, India (AP) — American author Marilynne Robinson, Israel's Aharon Appelfeld and China's Yan Lianke are among 10 finalists announced Thursday for the Man Booker International Prize for fiction.

The award, an offshoot of Britain's better-known Man Booker novel-of-the-year prize, is awarded for a lifetime's work. It is open to authors of all nationalities whose work is available in English.

Prize organizers said both China's Yan and Russian finalist Vladimir Sorokin have had books banned in their homelands.

Yan fell foul of the authorities with "Dream of Ding Village," about the AIDS crisis caused by HIV-contaminated blood, and "To Serve the People," which features a character who can be aroused only when his lover smashes images of Chairman Mao.

Sorokin, best known for "The Ice Trilogy," had his early books banned in Soviet times.

Other finalists announced at the Jaipur Literary Festival in India include Lydia Davis of the United States, Pakistan's Intizar Husain, France's Marie NDiaye and Indian writer U.R. Ananthamurthy.

Josip Novakovich — a Croatia-born Canadian writer — and Switzerland's Peter Stamm round out the list.

Academic Christopher Ricks, who chairs the judging panel, said the 10 were "astonishingly different" writers who ranging in age from their 40s to their 80s.

Previous winners of the 60,000-pound ($95,000) award include Canada's Alice Munro, Nigeria's Chinua Achebe and Philip Roth of the United States.

The prize, awarded every two years, causes fierce debate and occasional controversy. In 2011, British spy writer John Le Carre asked for his name to be removed from the shortlist — he said he eschewed awards — and one of the jurors resigned at the choice of Roth as winner.

This year's winner will be announced in London on May 22.

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Kate Hudson to Design a Line for Ann Taylor

Add Kate Hudson to the list of celebrity designers.

Kate, who recently landed on all the best-dressed lists thanks to her stunning Alexander McQueen gown at this year's Golden Globes, is designing a capsule collection for Ann Taylor, which will mark the stylish 33-year-old's first foray into fashion design.

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Kate's been the face of Ann Taylor since last year, when she starred in their well-received spring 2012 campaign. Her upcoming collection, which she worked closely on with Ann Taylor creative director Lisa Axelson, is reportedly inspired by her bold red-carpet style, but "reinterpreted" for everyday occasions.

The collection is set to hit stores in May.

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"Working with Ann Taylor has been a great creative experience, and there is a really wonderful connection," she says about the successful partnership. "Ann Taylor is great at creating iconic wardrobe staples and updating them season after season. I love that Lisa Axelson is designing clothes for real women." 

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Manti Te'o Talks to Katie Couric About Girlfriend Hoax

In a sit-down interview with Katie Couric, Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o recalls falling asleep on the phone with his girlfriend every night and waking up with her still on the line the next morning.

"It goes back to what my parents taught me," the Notre Dame football star tells Couric. "To always be there for somebody when they need help."

"I hope you have rollover minutes," Couric quips.

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The problem, of course, which came to light last week, is that Te'o's girlfriend did not exist. Lennay Kekua was the product of an elaborate hoax that involved a faked death and numerous falsified social media accounts in service of an inspiring story: a Heisman-candidate linebacker winning a football game hours after his girlfriend tragically passed away after a battle with leukemia.

The question remains: Was Te'o in on the stunt, or was he a victim? In his interview with Couric, Te'o recalls being on the phone with the girlfriend when she emerged from a coma.

"She started to whisper my name," he said. "And I jumped for joy. I was like, 'She is out! She is talking!' ... I was like, 'See they were right, I... do help her.'"

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Michael Buble Baby News

Singer Michael Buble has revealed he's going to be a father!

The 37-year-old crooner and his wife, Argentine actress Luisana Lopilato, 25, announced the news Thursday in a YouTube video message. 

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"Mike, Lu and… mini Bublé!!" text on the video screen reveals, followed by an ultrasound image of the baby. The video ends with the words, "We're having a baby Bublé!"

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Ratings: Idol Down; CSI Rises to Season High

Ratings: Idol Down; CSI Rises to Season High

American Idol took a dip in Week 2, but still propelled Fox to a Wednesday win. 

The two-hour episode drew 16 million viewers and a 5.4 in the adults 18-to-49 demographic, down 10 percent from last week's premiere. 

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CBS took second, as CSI (11.5 million, 2.7) hit a season high, jumping 17 percent. Criminal Minds (11.7 million, 3.0) was also up.

ABC's comedies were either up or even, save for Modern Family(10.8 million, 4.1), which fell to a season low. Nashville (5.5 million, 1.8) slipped four-tenths.

On The CW, Arrow (3.1 million, 1.1) and Supernatural (2.1 million, 0.9) were even.

8 p.m.

CBS: Criminal Minds (R) 6.8 million (1.5) 

ABC: The Middle 8.5 million (2.5); The Neighbors 6.3 million (1.9)

NBC: Whitney (R) 2.6 million (0.8); Guys with Kids (R) 2.2 million (0.8)

Fox: American Idol 16 million (5.4) [8-10 p.m.]

CW: Arrow 3.1 million (1.1)

9 p.m.

CBS: Criminal Minds 11.7 million (3.0)

ABC: Modern Family 10.8 million (4.1); Suburgatory 6.3 million (2.3)

NBC: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (R) 2.3 million (0.7)

CW: Supernatural 2.1 million (0.9)

10 p.m.

CBS: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 11.5 million (2.7)

NBC: Chicago Fire (R) 2.5 million (0.8)

ABC: Nashville 5.5 million (1.8)

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Linda Pugach, blinded in infamous NYC crime, dies

Linda Pugach, blinded in infamous NYC crime, dies

NEW YORK (AP) — Linda Pugach, who was blinded in 1959 when her lover hired hit men to throw lye in her face — and became a media sensation after later marrying him — has died, her husband said Thursday. She was 75.

The infamous New York City crime was detailed in the 2007 documentary "Crazy Love."

Pugach, who hid behind dark glasses for the rest of her life, died Tuesday at the Long Island Jewish Hospital in Queens. The cause was heart failure, said her husband, Burton Pugach, who spent 14 years in prison for hiring the thugs to attack his then-girlfriend Linda Riss after she spurned him. He was married at the time, and the heinous attack became an instant tabloid sensation.

After his release, Pugach divorced his first wife and convinced Riss to marry him in 1974. He proposed to her on live television.

"This was a very fairy tale romance," a sobbing Pugach told The Associated Press on Thursday.

After the release of "Crazy Love," Pugach praised filmmaker Dan Klores for revealing a story that for the first time "has colors — it was no longer black and white."

Two decades after his release from prison, Pugach was accused in another case with chilling similarities but acquitted of the charges in 1997. He had been accused of threatening and harassing another lover after she tried to end their five-year affair. That woman testified that he threatened to make it "1959 all over again."

He told the AP in an interview at the time: "Haven't you ever threatened to kill your husband? Did you mean it? Of course not. ... This has been blown out of proportion like I've never seen."

Linda Pugach testified at that trial, describing her husband as a good man. Under cross-examination by Pugach, a disbarred lawyer who defended himself, she said couldn't have sex with him after undergoing heart surgery in 1990.

"He was a naughty little boy and he was caught," she said as she left the courtroom on his arm. She said he was an adulterer, not a criminal.

Pugach said his wife went into the hospital on Dec. 26, 2012, two days before they had scheduled a trip to Florida to buy a property in Boca Raton.

"I don't know how I'm going to go on without her," he said.

On Thursday he again denied that he was ever involved in the attack.

"If I had told anyone to throw lye at her, would she have married me? A monster does that," he said.

Linda Pugach was being laid to rest in a crypt in Paramus, N.J. on Thursday.

"There's a place for me there. We'll be together," he said.

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Netflix stocks soars 37 pct after strong 4Q report

Netflix stocks soars 37 pct after strong 4Q report

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix stock is on its way to its biggest one-day gain since the video subscription service went public more than a decade ago.

The stock had climbed $38.40, or 37 percent, to $141.66 in early afternoon trading Thursday as investors celebrated a fourth-quarter earnings report that Netflix Inc. released late Wednesday. Earlier in the session, the shares hit a new 52-week high of $149.17.

The results were highlighted by an influx of 2 million more U.S. subscribers to Netflix's Internet video service and an unexpected profit during the final three months of the year.

Netflix ended December with 27.1 million U.S. subscribers to its service that streams movies and TV shows over high-speed Internet connections. The company, based in Los Gatos, Calif., is aiming to reach 90 million subscribers.

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