Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

People & Entertainment
Madonna got apology for bird

From news service reports

NEW YORK - The British hip-hop artist M.I.A. has apologized to Madonna for making an obscene gesture during the Super Bowl halftime show, Madonna's spokeswoman said.

click image to enlarge

Madonna performs during halftime at Sunday’s Super Bowl game. She says she has forgiven British rapper M.I.A. for making an obscene gesture at the audience.

The Associated Press

click image to enlarge

Donald Trump

Additional Photos Below

Select images available for purchase in the
Maine Today Photo Store

Madonna said in radio interviews on Friday that she had no idea M.I.A. would extend her middle finger during the performance in front of 114 million people, according to Madonna's spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg. The singer didn't find out about it until after the show.

"I wasn't happy about it," Madonna told Ryan Seacrest in one interview. "I understand it's kind of punk rock and everything, but to me there was such a feeling of love and good energy and positivity, it seemed negative."

She said it was like something a teenager would do.

"It seemed out of place," she said.

Madonna forgave her, and thought M.I.A. just got caught up in the moment, Rosenberg said. Madonna said she remains a fan of the "Paper Planes" rapper and said she doesn't want it to spoil what was one of the biggest moments in Madonna's life.

Trump teed off about wind farm off golf course

EDINBURGH, Scotland - The feel-good era between New York property tycoon Donald Trump and Scotland's political leaders seems to have come to a dramatic end.

Trump has launched a blistering attack on Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond over plans to build a "horrendous" wind farm off the coast of his luxury Scottish golf resort. In an open letter, Trump accuses Salmond of being "hellbent on destroying Scotland's coastline and therefore Scotland itself."

The bitter words are a far cry from the love-in the two men enjoyed four years ago when Salmond backed Trump's $1.2 billion golf development 12 miles north of Aberdeen despite protests from locals about damage to rare sand dunes.

Back then, Trump heaped praise on Salmond's government after it overruled local lawmakers who rejected the plan.

The Scottish leader backed the golf course by claiming it would create hundreds of tourism jobs.

Locals and environmentalists campaigned in vain to save the sand dunes which were home to numerous species of wildlife, but the dunes were bulldozed. The course is due to open in July.

'Rosie Show' ditches live audience

CHICAGO - The downsizing of "The Rosie Show" is picking up steam. After moving from a 260-seat studio to a 70-seat studio in mid-January, the show has eliminated the audience completely, executives confirmed Thursday.

Speaking to her television audience on Feb. 3's broadcast, O'Donnell explained the rapidly evolving decision to go with one-on-one interviews from a new, smaller set.

"I loved doing the other show with the audience but truthfully, I'm 49 years old," O'Donnell said. "It doesn't feel real for who I am today. I don't want to perform or present. ... I just want to talk."

The total elimination of the studio audience was first reported by Crain's Chicago Business.

The show, taped at Harpo Studios in Chicago, has been struggling to find an audience since it premiered in October.