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Thứ Tư, 15 tháng 5, 2013

From rich to richer: Stars who grew up with a silver spoon in their mouths

Gwyneth PaltrowMitchell Elvy/Globe Photos, Inc./ImageCollect, KGC-11/starmaxinc.com/ImageCollect
Lady GagaSeth Poppel/Yearbook Library, Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMAPRESS.com/ImageCollect
Kobe BryantSeth Poppel/Yearbook Library, Tleopold/globephotos/ImageCollect

Everyone loves a rags to riches story - especially in Hollywood. But not every A-List actor or Billboard pop star waited tables until they got their big break. Some of them had more than a little help from their well-connected families or a top-notch theater programs at elite colleges. Our friends at Snakkle.com find out which stars went from rich to richer.

Click here to see the rest of “Stars Who Grew Up Rich—Before They Were Stars” photos

Gwyneth Paltrow

THEN: Gwyneth didn't exactly luck into fame and fortune. The star is the daughter of the late producer-director Bruce Paltrow, and her mom is actress Blythe Danner. Like many jet-setting teens, Gwyneth grew up in L.A. and New York City, where she attended the elite all-girls Spence School.

NOW: Starring in megahits like “Iron Man 3” and appearing on the 2013 cover of People magazine’s “Most Beautiful Woman” issue is only going to add to Gwyneth’s bottom line. It certainly doesn’t hurt that her husband, Chris Martin, continues to rake in millions of dollars of his own thanks to the ongoing success of his group, Coldplay.

Lady Gaga

THEN: Lady Gaga moved to New York City’s gritty Lower East Side before she hit it big, but she grew up in a duplex on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Gaga’s father, Joe Germanotta, became rich by investing in hotel Wi-Fi services.

NOW: Gaga attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart, a Manhattan private school that cost an estimated $35,000 per year, but the pop superstar still slams "everyone that was spitting in my face and making me feel so worthless." Worthless is exactly what Gaga isn’t. She’s amassed a giant fortune over the past few years.

Kobe Bryant

THEN: Kobe Bryant’s life seemed destined to be a slam-dunk success right from the start thanks to his position as the son of NBA star Joe “Jellybean” Bryant.

NOW: Though Kobe was accused of sexual assault on a 19-year-old in 2003—rape charges were later dismissed— the basketball player managed to bounce back. He helped the Lakers make the 2008 NBA Finals. They lost, but Kobe assisted in bringing them back to win the championship title the next year. Kobe scored two gold medals as part of the U.S. basketball team during the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and the sports star is still going strong today.

Miley Cyrus

THEN: Miley Cyrus started out life in the shadow of her famous country crooner father, Billy Ray. He made millions off his hit song, “Achy Breaky Heart,” and kept his future superstar daughter on a $300 monthly allowance (not bad if you ask us).

NOW: Miley far surpassed her father’s earning power years ago, and she’s now worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The former “Hannah Montana” star oversees a massive merchandising empire, and she now has several chart-topping albums under her belt.

PHOTOS: Stars Who Went to School Together!

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Taco Bell tests the Waffle Taco

Published May 15, 2013

FoxNews.com

Look out McGriddles, there’s a new fast food breakfast in town. Taco Bell is currently testing out the Waffle Taco as a possible breakfast item in at least one Southern California location.

Initially reported by Brand Eating, Instagrammer Sarah1ch5 took a photo of the fabled Waffle Taco while passing through a Taco Bell in Santa Ana, proving the fluffy breakfast taco does in fact exist. Her response, “It was awesome!”

The Waffle Taco, currently listed at 89 cents, features a sausage and scrambled egg folded into a waffle with a packet of syrup on the side.

"We are testing the waffle taco in a handful of Southern California restaurants," Taco Bell reps confirmed to TODAY.com. "We’re pleased with the initial reaction from our customers and if the waffle taco does well in testing, we’ll roll it out to all our restaurants that serve breakfast.”

Taco Bell started selling breakfast last year, with a list of items labeled the “FirstMeal Menu,” in about 800 locations in 10 states. Eventually, the company says, the full breakfast menu will be offered in all 6,000 locations nationwide.

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Acting IRS commissioner resigns in wake of agency scandal

President Obama announced Wednesday that acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller has resigned in the wake of the agency scandal in which conservative groups were targeted.

The president made the announcement in a brief statement at the White House, following a meeting with Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and other top department officials in which they reviewed a highly critical inspector general’s report on the practice. The report concluded poor management allowed agents to improperly target Tea Party and other groups for more than 18 months, starting in 2010.

Obama said Lew asked for the resignation and Miller agreed, after being on the job since November 2012.

“Americans have a right to be angry about it, and I’m angry about it,” Obama said from the White House.

Republicans, who along with Democrats have slammed the IRS for the practice, welcomed the resignation Wednesday but made clear they would continue to investigate and press for accountability.

Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., said the resignation "is a necessary first step but more heads need to roll."

Miller’s resignation was part of three-step plan Obama outlined to fix the problem.

The other steps are to put in place the safeguards recommended in the IG report and to work with Congress as it investigates.

“The good news is we can fix this,” Obama said.

Miller became acting commissioner after Commissioner Douglas Shulman completed his five-year term. Shulman had been appointed by President George W. Bush.

The president has proceeded cautiously since the IRS controversy was made public Friday. While he initially said the accusations were "outrageous," he also said he wanted to wait until the report was released before addressing what should be done to hold accountable those responsible.

Obama said he would hold a press conference Thursday.

The report lays much of the blame on IRS supervisors in Washington who oversaw a group of specialists in Cincinnati who screened applications for tax-exempt status. It does not indicate that Washington initiated the targeting of conservative groups, but it does say a top supervisor in Washington did not adequately supervise agents in the field even after she learned the agents were acting improperly.

The Justice Department is also investigating the IRS targeting, as are three congressional committees.

Sources told Fox News that Miller will remain on the job "for a couple of weeks."

The House Ways and Means Committee said after the announcement of Miller's resignation that he still will attend a hearing Friday.

And the House Committee on Oversight and Government Affairs sent a letter Wednesday afternoon to the IRS requesting five employees named in the IG audit be made available for transcribed interviews by committee staff.

The Republican-led committee wants to start the interviews Monday.

The names and titles of the IRS employees requested are Holly Paz, a director; John Shafer, a manager; Gary Muthert, a screener; Liz Hofacre, a case coordinator; and Joseph Herr, a manager.

"The resignation of Steven Miller is a positive and important step as this agency struggles to try to regain the public’s trust," said Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. "A clean slate at the IRS with new leadership is imperative to fix this egregious encroachment on the lives of honest, hard-working Americans whose only sin was that they want to express their beliefs."

Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney sidestepped a question about whether Obama still had confidence in Miller, saying he wouldn't discuss personnel matters. He said Obama has expressed his overall view that IRS personnel had acted inappropriately.

"He wants to see that the actions taken, as revealed by the Treasury report, that are inappropriate, are met with consequences," Carney said. "He will make clear to Treasury Department leaders that he expects action."

Carney said Obama wants the public to "understand and believe that the IRS applies our tax laws in a neutral and fair way to everyone."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Lawmakers outraged as allegations against soldier said to include sexual assault, forced prostitution

The allegations against the latest military official accused of sexual assault include claims that he may have arranged for a woman to engage in prostitution, sources say.

The charges have sparked outrage on Capitol Hill, as it emerged the accused soldier, whose name has not been made public, was assigned as a coordinator of a battalion-level sexual assault prevention program at Fort Hood. He has been suspended from all duties but has not been charged with any crime.

It is the second time in the last month that a military official who led a sexual assault prevention unit was accused of sexual assault.

The nature of the accusations is still unclear. A source on Capitol Hill told Fox News the investigation includes allegations of forcing one woman into prostitution and sexually assaulting two others.

A defense official told The Associated Press the allegations include a claim that the soldier may have arranged for one of the women to have sex for money. This official said it's not yet clear whether the woman was forced into that arrangement.

George Little, spokesman for Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, said Hagel has informed President Obama about the accusations against the Army sergeant first class, and Obama made clear he wants the behavior stopped.

Little told reporters that Hagel's staff is working on a written directive that will spell out steps aimed at resolving a problem that has outraged lawmakers.

"The president has made very clear his expectations on this issue," Little said.

Lawmakers are calling for changes in the wake of the allegations.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., on Wednesday called for Hagel to create a tougher review process for individuals applying for sexual assault prevention unit positions.

"This crisis has reached a breaking point that requires more than the traditional process for filling military jobs," they wrote in a letter Wednesday.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement: "This latest incident clearly demonstrates that the military's efforts to prevent sexual assault are failing miserably."

The case, along with another one involving an Air Force officer, highlights a problem that is drawing increased scrutiny in Congress and expressions of frustration from Hagel.

"This is sickening. Twice now, in a matter of as many weeks, we've seen the very people charged with protecting victims of sexual assault being charged as perpetrators," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said.

Hagel said he was directing all the services to retrain, re-credential and rescreen all sexual assault prevention and response personnel and military recruiters, Little said after Tuesday's announcement that the Army sergeant was accused of pandering, abusive sexual contact, assault and maltreatment of subordinates.

The soldier was being investigated by the Army Criminal Investigation Command. No charges had been filed, but officials say they expect them fairly soon.

Little said Hagel was angry and disappointed at "these troubling allegations and the breakdown in discipline and standards they imply." He said Hagel had met with Army Secretary John McHugh and ordered him to "fully investigate this matter rapidly, to discover the extent of these allegations and to ensure that all of those who might be involved are dealt with appropriately."

The Fort Hood soldier had been assigned as an equal opportunity adviser and coordinator of a sexual harassment-assault prevention program at the Army's 3rd Corps headquarters when the allegation arose, the Army said.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., said in a statement he was "outraged and disgusted by the reports out of Fort Hood."

Just last week an Air Force officer who headed a sexual assault prevention office was himself arrested on charges of groping a woman in a Northern Virginia parking lot.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said his panel was considering a number of measures to counter the problem, including changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and will act on them next month.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said she intends to present new legislation on Thursday to overhaul the military justice system by removing chain-of-command influence from prosecution of sex abuse crimes.

The Pentagon is struggling with what it calls a growing number of sexual assaults across the military. In a report last week, the Defense Department estimated that as many as 26,000 military members may have been sexually assaulted last year, based on survey results.

Of those, fewer than 3,400 reported the incidents, and nearly 800 of those simply sought help and declined to file formal complaints against their alleged attackers.

There also is an ongoing investigation into more than 30 Air Force instructors for assaults on trainees at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, as well as the recent arrest of the Air Force's head of sexual assault prevention on charges of groping a woman.

An Arlington County, Va., police report said Air Force Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski was drunk and grabbed a woman's breast and buttocks in a parking lot earlier this month. The woman fought him off and called police, the report said. A judge has set a July 18 trial date for Krusinski.

Such cases and two recent decisions by officers to overturn military juries' guilty verdicts in sexual assault cases has precipitated a storm of criticism on Capitol Hill.

McCaskill is holding up the nomination of Air Force Lt. Gen. Susan Helms, tapped to serve as vice commander of the U.S. Space Command, until McCaskill gets more information about Helms' decision to overturn a jury conviction in a sexual assault case.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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World's first flat pack truck developed for emerging markets

Published May 15, 2013

FoxNews.com

Next Slide Previous Slide

Talk about a special delivery.

A British philanthropist has built the world’s first flat-pack truck.

Automotive World reports that Sir Torquil Norman’s Global Vehicle Trust developed the simple, low-cost vehicle to service emerging markets in Africa and Asia.

The boxy, compact pickup can be disassembled in less than six hours and have all of its parts, including the four-cylinder diesel engine and independent suspension, stored within the confines of its chassis, allowing six of them to fit in a standard shipping container. Three people can then reassemble it in about 12 hours upon delivery. No special tools are required.

Shorter in length than most compact cars, the tough little front-wheel-drive truck can reportedly carry 4400 pounds and ford water two and a half feet deep. Configured for passengers, thirteen people will fit on board, including three in the front cabin. The driver sits in the middle allowing the vehicle to be used in right and left hand drive countries without requiring any extensive reengineering.

Norman says his group spent $1.5 million to build the prototype, but needs $4.6 million more to get it ready for production. He hopes to sell the vehicles to other non-profit charities and aid organizations who will distribute them throughout the developing world.

The price of the vehicle has not been determined, but the goal is to keep it as low as possible. A similar low-cost truck concept proposed by Kenya’s Mobius Motors has a target price of $6,000.

Photos: The $6,000 SUV

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Benghazi emails show State Department had heavy hand in watering down account of attack

Published May 15, 2013

FoxNews.com

WASHINGTON – Early versions of the Obama administration's internal account regarding the Benghazi attack did in fact state that "Islamic extremists with ties to Al Qaeda" participated in the assault -- though the line was later taken out -- according to emails and notes the White House released late Wednesday.

The White House released 100 pages of emails and notes related to the administration's response to the attack on a diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, last September.

The White House had until now declined to make the documents public and had let congressional investigators review the documents without making copies.

The documents describe how the administration developed "talking points" to describe what the administration wanted to discuss publicly immediately after the Sept. 11, 2012, attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Now we know -- Team Obama both corrupt and incompetent

By Michael Goodwin

Published May 15, 2013

New York Post

- President Obama agitated by scandal?
- Obama operating out of two different playbooks?

As a metaphor for big government, it is hard to top the Justice Department’s seizing of journalists’ phone records from The Associated Press.

Unless, of course, you think the best example is the Internal Revenue Service turning the screws on groups it viewed as conservative and, therefore, unworthy of fair treatment.

The Obama administration is both corrupt and incompetent. It is a double whammy that spells trouble for the nation, at home and abroad.

Or maybe the winner is the sneaky spreading of ObamaCare’s tentacles, with insurance companies now predicting the law will drive up the cost of individual premiums by as much as 400 percent.

There are no losers in this race to the bottom — except the American people. It is tempting to ask whether they’ve had enough Hope & Change, but the question is premature. With 44 months to go in the reign of the Great Mistake, the gods are not done punishing us.

To continue reading Michael Goodwin's column in the New York Post, click here.

Michael Goodwin is a Fox News contributor and New York Post columnist.

Michael Goodwin

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