Ledger’s family to arrive Friday for the funeral; police suspect overdose as cause of death
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NEW YORK -- Funeral arrangements for Heath Ledger have been completed and his relatives were expected to arrive in New York on Friday, a spokesman said.
The 28-year-old actor's body was taken to the funeral home on Manhattan's Upper East Side on Wednesday, a day after he was found dead in his SoHo loft with bottles of six different prescription drugs nearby.
An initial autopsy was inconclusive and further test results weren't expected for several days. Police have said the Australian-born actor's death appeared to be an accidental drug overdose.
Ledger's housekeeper and a massage therapist found the "Brokeback Mountain" star dead Tuesday, lying naked and face-down on his bed. Police said no illegal drugs were found in the apartment.
Ledger split last year from Michelle Williams, the mother of his 2-year-old daughter.
Stephen Colbert raises $171,000
for charity with 'WristStrong' bracelets
NEW YORK -- $171,525 is a lot of money for a joke to raise.
That's how much Stephen Colbert's "WristStrong" bracelets have raised since the mock talk show host began selling them as part of his "wrist awareness" campaign, started shortly after he broke his left wrist last June.
On Wednesday night's "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central, the comedian presented the proceeds to the Yellow Ribbon Fund, a charity that assists injured service members and their families.
Colbert has sold the bracelets -- a parody of Lance Armstrong's cancer-awareness "LiveStrong" bracelets -- and distributed them to any celebrity he could convince to wear one, including Katie Couric, Brian Williams and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Colbert earlier auctioned off the cast from his broken wrist, raising $17,000, which also benefited the Yellow Ribbon Fund. The bracelets have since been a badge of honor for the so-called Colbert Nation.
On the Net:
http://www.colbertnation.com
http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the--colbert--report/index.jhtml
http://www.yellowribbonfund.org
Amy Winehouse enters rehabilitation facility
for drug addiction, her record company says
LONDON -- Amy Winehouse, beset by allegations of substance abuse, entered a rehabilitation facility Thursday to battle drug addiction.
The announcement came just days after the 24-year-old singer was pictured in the British tabloid The Sun inhaling fumes from a small pipe. Police have launched an inquiry into the matter.
"Amy decided to enter the facility today after talks with her record label, management, family and doctors," Universal Music Group said in a statement.
"She has come to understand that she requires specialist treatment to continue her ongoing recovery from drug addiction," the statement said.
Winehouse, who is nominated for six Grammy Awards for her acclaimed "Back to Black" album, seems to be as famous for her drug problems as for her music. Since the album's U.S. release last year, she has canceled a slew of appearances amid reports of drug use.
The statement also indicated Winehouse still planned to attend and perform at the Grammys, to be held Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.
Federal agents raid California museums
searching for looted artifacts
LOS ANGELES -- Federal agents executed search warrants Thursday at several Southern California museums, looking for stolen antiquities, officials said.
Authorities were searching the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and the Mingei International Museum in San Diego, said Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A search warrant was also issued for the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena.
A law enforcement source who had been briefed on the matter but spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation said authorities are looking for looted artifacts from Southeast Asia and whether appraisals of the items were inflated for improper tax deductions.
No arrests have been made, authorities said.
Tom Petty talks Super Bowl performance, announces Heartbreakers summer tour
NEW YORK -- Tom Petty says he's not much of a football fan, but playing the Super Bowl halftime show was an offer he couldn't refuse.
"The most significant thing about it is the people watching worldwide ... it's probably the biggest audience you can have I would imagine," the 57-year-old singer told The Associated Press.
"It's quite an honor to be asked. If you look at the people who have done it, it's a very elite crowd ... it's a great opportunity to play for the whole world at once," Petty said.
Tickets for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' North American tour go on sale the day after their Feb. 3 performance at the Super Bowl halftime in Glendale, Ariz.
The band last went on tour in 2006. Back then, Petty told the AP that it could be their last. But, Petty said recently, "The band wants to go really bad, so we had a meeting about it, and we decided, why not?”
From the Associated Press
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Phylissa
Mitchell
Editing supervisor:
Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd