Taylor Swift Grammy Promo

Multiple Grammy-award winning Taylor Swift appropriately graces 2013's first Grammy promo, which features the 23-year-old superstar inspiring the next generation of music virtuosos and legends.

The short clip is the first of The Recording Academy's ad campaign for this year's Grammys titled #TheWorldIsListening, which will feature both established and up-and-coming artists. The artists confirmed to be involved include Rihanna, who will tell her story in the first commercial titled "Slammed Door," while the Kills, Snoop Lion and Taylor Swift appear alongside emerging artists such as Grace Potter, Kishi Bashi and Dam-Funk in the second commercial. The Black Keys appear in the third and last commercial, titled "Soundcheck."

Related: The 2013 Grammy Nominations

In addition, #TheWorldIsListening campaign has created a new website, www.grammyamplifier.com, that allows musicians to share their tracks via SoundCloud for a chance to have their music tweeted out by a panel of musical icons, including Linkin Park, RZA, and Snoop Lion.

The ultimate goal? Giving emerging artists who have the potential to be the next generation of Grammy winners a serious platform.

Video: Grammys Flashback '05 -- Kanye Wins First of Many

The 55th Annual Grammy Awards airs Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013 on CBS at 8 p.m.

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Newark Mayor Cory Booker files paperwork to raise money for his 2014 Senate run

Newark Mayor Cory Booker has filed paperwork allowing him to raise money to run for the US Senate in 2014, setting up intrigue over his political future and that of 89-year-old Frank Lautenberg, who currently holds the seat.

Booker made the filing Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission. The prolific social media user has not tweeted about it or made any public announcements about the filing.

But it came as no surprise. Booker, perhaps New Jersey's highest-profile Democratic politician, announced last month that he would not challenge Republican incumbent Chris Christie and run for governor in 2013. Instead, Booker said, he was looking at a run for the Senate next year.

WireImage for Glamour Magazine

Mayor Cory Booker speaks onstage at the 22nd annual Glamour Women of the Year Awards at Carnegie Hall in November.

US Rep. Frank Pallone, a Democrat from central New Jersey, has also expressed interest in the seat.

The interest puts some pressure on Lautenberg, the oldest member of the Senate.

When Booker said he might run for the seat, he praised Lautenberg for his service, but said he had not spoken with him about his plans. Through a spokesman, Lautenberg declined to talk about his political future.

But so far, he has not given any indication that he would like to retire.

And Booker has not said whether he would be willing to take on Lautenberg in a primary run if the senator tries to keep his seat.

Spokesmen for Pallone, Lautenberg and Booker did not immediately return calls to the Associated Press.

In 2008, New Jersey's Democratic establishment decided that Lautenberg was not too old to serve.

US Rep. Rob Andrews challenged him a primary. Most of the state's Democratic leaders stood with Lautenberg, who won handily then retained his seat in the general election.

Booker has 1.3 million Twitter followers and is known for responding to constituent complaints sent to him electronically. During Superstorm Sandy, he invited residents to charge their cellphones at his house. In April, he let the world know through Twitter that he rushed into his neighbor's house and rescued her from a fire. During a snowstorm, he helped shovel people out. And he recently finished spending a week living on a food stamps-level food budget as part of a challenge that came from a Twitter follower.

He was elected mayor of Newark in 2006 with 72 percent of the vote, four years after narrowly losing a bruising battle against longtime Mayor Sharpe James. The race was chronicled in the 2005 documentary "Street Fight." He was re-elected in 2010 with about 60 percent of the vote

A Stanford-educated Rhodes Scholar who grew up in suburban Harrington Park, NJ, Booker is the son of civil rights activists who were among the first black executives at IBM. He got his law degree from Yale Law School, then moved to one of Newark's most notoriously violent housing projects.

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Plan to add 100 Miami police officers wins city commission support

The Miami City Commission will move forward with a plan to expand its police department by 100 officers.

The additional personnel will boost the department’s ranks to 1,244 sworn officers, and better align the ratio of police to residents in Miami with cities like Baltimore, Atlanta and Memphis.

“If we are ever going to become the great city that we claim we are going to become, we need to do at a minimum what Philadelphia does,” said Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, noting that Philadelphia employs 4.3 officers for every 1,000 citizens, compared to the 2.6 officers for every 1,000 citizens in Miami.

While the commission did not take an official vote, a majority of members and Mayor Tomás Regalado expressed support for the initiative, and City Manager Johnny Martinez said he would begin work on a detailed strategy for police hiring.

“The number one priority should be policing,” Commissioner Francis Suarez said. “It’s a critical need in the city.”

Sarnoff, who pitched the idea in his first official act as commission chairman, wants to go further, adding 300 officers over the next three years.

It won’t be easy. Miami is already 50 officers shy of the 1,144 officers covered by the budget. City officials blame the shortage on administrative hiccups between the police department and the city’s human relations department.

Making the bottleneck worse, Miami must adhere to special guidelines from the Department of Justice when recruiting new officers.

Regalado said that streamlining the process for hiring police might require a change to the city charter. If that is the case, he said, it would have to wait until the next election.

But Police Chief Manuel Orosa said the city could reasonably hire between 150 and 200 new officers in 2013 by adding a few additional police academy instructors.

“Parts of our city are becoming more vertical,” Orosa said. “You need more officers to cover the density.”

Orosa estimated that the salaries for 100 new officers would cost about $7.4 million a year. There would be additional costs for the officers’ uniforms, cars and fuel, he said.

The commission would need to formally approve the additional expenses.

After Thursday’s discussion, Regalado said he was committed to expanding the police department as quickly as possible.

Martinez, the city manager, offered a note of caution.

“We need to be very strategic,” he said. “It’s not just hiring 100 officers, it is hiring the right 100 officers.”

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Oscar's Most Memorable Moments

The nominations for the 85th Annual Academy Awards have been announced, providing the perfect opportunity to relive some of the greatest moments of Oscar's past, from the unexpected streaker running behind David Niven and Muhammad Ali surprising Rocky star Sylvester Stallone to Halle Berry's emotional Best Actress acceptance speech and Heath Ledger's posthumous Dark Knight honor.

Related: Stars React to Oscar Nominations

Hosted by Seth MacFarlane, the 85th Academy Awards will air live from Hollywood Sunday, February 24, 2013 on ABC.

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Thousands rally for ailing Chavez at symbolic inauguration

CARACAS, Venezuela - Tens of thousands of chanting supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez rallied outside his presidential palace Thursday in an exuberant symbolic inauguration for a leader too ill to return home for the real thing.

Backers wearing T-shirts with the slogan "I am Chavez" waved flags while upbeat music from Chavez's last presidential campaign blared from speakers, proclaiming: "Chavez, heart of the people!"

The government organized the unusual show of support for the cancer-stricken leader on the streets outside Miraflores Palace on what was supposed to be his inauguration day. With Chavez out of sight in a Cuban hospital fighting a severe respiratory infection more than a month after cancer surgery, his swearing-in ceremony has been indefinitely postponed, despite opposition complaints.

EPA

Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez take part in a rally.

"We came to show support, so he knows his nation is with him," said Anny Marquez, a secretary and voluntary member of a civilian militia that Chavez has built in recent years. "We're with him in the good times as well as the bad."

Some wore paper cutouts of the yellow, blue and red presidential sash to show they were symbolically swearing in themselves in Chavez's place.

The government invited leaders from across Latin America and the Caribbean to add political weight to the inauguration without an inauguree, while the country's opposition demanded details about Chavez's state and called the delay of the formal swearing-in a violation of the constitution.

Presidents attending from allied countries included President Jose Mujica of Uruguay, Evo Morales of Bolivia and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro, whom Chavez designated his chosen successor last month, hosted a televised meeting with visiting leaders to discuss the Chavez-launched Petrocaribe program, through which the OPEC nation provides fuel under preferential terms to allies. Maduro said heads of state, foreign ministers and other officials from 19 countries had come to Caracas.

Maduro said the leaders would go to the presidential palace in the afternoon for the "main event." He said earlier that even though it wasn't an official swearing-in, Thursday's event still marks the start of a new term for the president following his re-election in October.

"A historic period of this second decade of the 21st century is starting, with our commander leading," Maduro said.

But glaring above all in the at times surreal event was Chavez's absence from the balcony of the presidential palace where he has so often spoken for hours to similar crowds, chiding his opponents and called for a socialist revolution.

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Unemployment claims on the rise in Miami-Dade

Miami-Dade County ended 2012 with more people joining the unemployment rolls than it did last year.

The late-year increase in first-time unemployment claims broke a trend of declining applications throughout most of 2012. First-time claims spiked about 15 percent in November and December, with about 17,500 new applications in all over those 60 days. That’s compared to 15,000 during the same time in 2011. For the entire year, claims were still down about 10 percent.

In Broward, overall claims were down 15 percent. In November and December, Broward residents applies for 10,200 first-time unemployment benefits, compared to about 10,500 in 2011 — a 3 percent drop.

DOUGLAS HANKS

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Hollywood OKs deal with Cinema Paradiso

Cinema Paradiso will soon have a sequel.

Hollywood’s Community Redevelopment Agency board agreed Wednesday morning to buy 3,000 movie tickets a year — at a cost of $30,000 — to help the small art house theater open a second location.

“The outpouring of support is amazing,” said Gregory von Hausch, the theater’s executive director. “Now we just have to work to get it open.”

Having a Hollywood location has been three years in the making. The theater, which shows documentaries, foreign and independent films and retro movies, currently operates from a spot near the Broward County Courthouse on Southeast Sixth Street in Fort Lauderdale, but wanted a second, more metropolitan location.

It’s worked out a deal to lease a nearly 3,000-foot space at 2008 Hollywood Boulevard.

It just needed the CRA’s guaranteed financial support in order to commit. And city leaders say the theater is the perfect for downtown, where they envision an arts and cultural district.

“This is more than a no brainer,” said Mayor Peter Bober. “This is a deal that makes absolute sense.”

The tickets will be given for free to area hotels to distribute to guests. The theater will also work something out to encourage Hollywood residents to view films there.

Several residents and theater supporters came out in favor of having a theater location in Hollywood.

“Here is a wonderful way of bringing people from all over Hollywood downtown,” said Terry Cantrell, president of the Hollywood Lakes Civic Association.

With the approval, von Hausch said they will immediately start work on the space to create a ticket booth, concession stand, screen and other theater necessities. The hope is for the theater, which will have about 100 seats, to open in three months.

Board Chair Alan Koslow is already dreaming of a second phase.

“This is just the start,” he said, adding that the film society would love to add a film school. “We want to bring Hollywood, California to Hollywood, Florida.”

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Why bother with a Facebook phone? Facebook’s app is already on 86% of iPhones and iPads

Rumors suggesting Facebook (FB) is working on a smartphone have resurfaced a number of times over the past year. Each time, Facebook denied the various claims. Facebook may indeed still be working on its own phone but as a new report from market research firm NPD Group shows, it probably doesn’t need to.

[More from BGR: Is Samsung the new Apple?]

Facebook makes money by gathering information about its users and serving targeted ads based on that data. Allowing users to update Facebook with fresh data as often as possible is obviously beneficial to the company, and smartphones present a terrific opportunity to give users access to their Facebook accounts from anywhere. The more people using Facebook’s mobile apps, the better, and Facebook’s smartphone penetration is absolutely staggering right now.

[More from BGR: iPhone 5 now available with unlimited service, no contract on Walmart’s $ 45 Straight Talk plan]

According to data published by NPD Group on Tuesday, Facebook’s iOS application was used by 86% of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners as of November 2012. On the Android platform, 70% of smartphone and tablet owners used Facebook’s mobile app in November.

No other third-party app even comes close to approaching Facebook’s mobile penetration. Google’s (GOOG) YouTube app is the next most popular third-party app on iOS with 40% penetration and Amazon’s (AMZN) mobile application is the second most popular third-party Android app with just 28% penetration.

So why would Facebook bother making its own phone?

One answer — perhaps the obvious one — is that an own-brand smartphone with custom software would give Facebook access to far more personal data than it can reach using third-party applications. Considering Facebook’s track record with matters relating to privacy, however, users may be reluctant to buy a Facebook phone.

In any case, a Facebook phone certainly doesn’t seem like a necessity for the time being. Instead, focusing on ways to effectively monetize the hundreds of millions of users who interact with Facebook from a smartphone or tablet each month might be a wiser use of resources.

This article was originally published on BGR.com

Social Media News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Robin Roberts Speaks About Returning to 'Good Morning America'

For the first time since beginning her medical leave of absence from Good Morning America in September, Robin Roberts has addressed her much anticipated return to the ABC morning show.

In a message posted on her Facebook page, the GMA co-host also gave a positive health update to her fans. "Wonderful Wednesday... I received very encouraging news from my doctors. They are extremely pleased with my recovery. I am getting stronger every day," she wrote. "I'm humbled by the speculation of my return to GMA."

RELATED: Robin Roberts Reveals Hospital Stay for Virus

The 52-year-old Roberts added: "My family and I are grateful that GMA/ABC's only concern is my full recovery. It's a great comfort not to feel pressured and a BLESSING to know I have a job waiting for me. Unfortunately not everyone in my situation can say that. Let's keep them in our thoughts and prayers."

Her message states that details of her return to the show will be revealed on the air in the coming days. "I'm so excited! Thank you for your patience and continued prayers," she wrote.

RELATED: Robin Roberts Health Update: 'Doing Great'

Roberts took a leave of absence from GMA to undergo a bone marrow transplant on September 20 in an attempt to combat
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood disorder that she
contracted after undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

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Brooklyn cops reunited scared Virginia tourist with husband

A Virginia tourist was left in dire straits after being separated from her husband -- and feared for his life until two quick-thinking Brooklyn cops reunited the couple, authorities said.

She then sent them a heartfelt letter thanking them for their compassion.

The woman, identified just as Patricia P., planned to meet up with her husband at the Carroll Gardens apartment they had been staying at on Dec. 23. But when she got there, she began to fear the worst as she kept knocking and no one answered the door, authorities said.

Her phone was dead, and it was raining.

Facebook

Officers Wilson and Serpani

“I was a bit shaken and afraid something tragic had occurred,” she said, in a letter posted on the NYPD Facebook page.

A good Samaritan called police, and Officers Wilson and Serpani from the 76th precinct, which covers Carroll Gardens, Red Hook and Cobble Hill, rushed to her rescue.

They urged her to stand under a small overhang to avoid the rain and checked to see if there were lights on anywhere in the home, cops said. They were able to open the exterior door and knocked repeatedly on the inside door, offering to force it open if the woman wanted.

“I didn’t want them to do that,” she wrote. “So they offered to take me back to the police precinct where I could dry off and get warm.”

She left a note on the apartment door with the phone number for the precinct. She warmed up at the Union Avenue stationhouse and charged her cell phone, cops said.

When her husband called the precinct, the couple quickly realized they had had a misunderstanding about meeting up. The police drove Patricia back to Smith Street, where the two reunited.

She wrote that many people believe New Yorkers are tough and uncaring-- and that the experience changed her view of the city.

“In this case, nothing could be further from the truth,” she said. “I write this e-mail with much thanks for the caring attitude these officers displayed toward my situation, even though it wasn’t an emergency (thought it might have been) and their kindness and compassion towards me.”

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