Trevor Noah To Replace Jon Stewart As Host Of "The Daily Show"

Trevor Noah - Live at the Apollo - London

South African comedian Trevor Noah will become the new host of Comedy Central"s The Daily Show, stepping into the role Jon Stewart has filled for 16 years.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Mark this next story as a sign of a changing nation. Comedy Central has announced the successor to Jon Stewart. Trevor Noah takes over "The Daily Show," the fake news program that"s often as influential as real news shows.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Stephen Colbert"s fake news program was recently taken over by Larry Wilmore, which means both high-profile shows will be hosted by black men. One of them was not always considered black. Trevor Noah was born in South Africa during the years of apartheid, as he has discussed on stage.

(SOUNDBITE OF STAND-UP COMEDY)

TREVOR NOAH: My mother"s a black woman, and then my father"s Swiss. So I was born a crime, which is something I don"t think they ever thought through because as a family, we couldn"t live together, you know? Like in the streets, we couldn"t even be seen together. My father would have to walk on the other side of the road. And he would just wave at me from far like a creepy pedophile.

INSKEEP: In South Africa, people of mixed race like Trevor Noah were not classified as black in those years but as colored.

(SOUNDBITE OF STAND-UP COMEDY)

NOAH: I wanted to be black, to be honest. That"s all I ever wanted, especially since one day, growing up, I met an American. And he was shocked that in South Africa we had all these titles. And he said to me - he said, well, you know, Trevor, if you go out to America, they"ll label you as black. I said, really? And he was like, oh, h**l, yeah (laughter). Yeah, buddy, everybody"s black out there, yeah. You"d be super black.

(LAUGHTER)

NOAH: That sounds good to me - super black.

GREENE: Whatever you call him, Trevor Noah now takes over one of the most prominent slots on American TV.

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Source: http://www.npr.org/2015/03/31/396505270/trevor-noah-to-replace-jon-stewart-as-host-of-the-daily-show

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Artist-owned streaming service TIDAL promises to re-establish the value of music

Rihanna, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj signing the Tidal For All contract 2015

This afternoon, Jay Z formally launched his new streaming music service TIDAL with an all-star event in New York City. As it turns out, Jay Z is merely a co-owner: Arcade Fires Win Butler andRgine Chassagne, Kanye West, Jack White, Daft Punk, Beyonc, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Rihanna,Madonna alsohave ownership interests in TIDAL.

All these artists were at hand for todays event and showed their commitment by signing a declaration on-stage.

TIDAL is described as a platform owned by artists with the goal to re-establish the value of music. Speaking on behalf of the group, Alicia Keysexplained, We want to create a better service and experience for fans and artists. Our mission goes beyond commerce and technology.

Update: Jay Z spoke to Billboard about his vision forTIDAL. Read below.

A video proceeding the event featured footage from a recent summit in which the owners of TIDAL gathered to discuss their vision. Daft Punk described the groupas the Avengers of Music.

As previously reported, TIDAL offers two paid subscriptionoptions: $19.99 a month for high-fidelity audio, and $9.99 for standard quality audio. TIDAL can be streamed on the web, and downloaded for iOS and Android devices.

Its reported that TIDALsowners will exclusively release their music through the platform, but that has yet to be confirmed.

Replay the event below.

Update: Jay Z spoke to Billboard about his vision forTIDAL.We didnt like the direction music was going and thought maybe we could get in and strike an honest blow and if, you know, the very least we did was make people wake up and try to improve the free vs. paid system, and promote fair trade, then it would be a win for us anyway, he explained.

People are not respecting the music, and [are] devaluing it and devaluing what it really means, Jay Z added. People really feel like music is free, but will pay $6 for water. You can drink water free out of the tap, and its good water. But theyre OK paying for it. Its just the mind-set right now.

He said the overriding goal is to ensure artists are properly compensated for your work, and not just the owners each of whom control a 3-percent stake in the company will reapthe benefits. For someone like me, I can go on tour. But what about the people working on the record, the content creators and not just the artists? If theyre not being compensated properly, then I think well lose some writers and producers and people like that who depend on fair trade. Some would probably have to take another job, and I think well lose some great writers in the process. Is it fair? No. If you put in work, everyone else, you go to work you get paid. Thats fair trade. Its what our country is built on.

Jay Z also said he hopes TIDAL will inspire artists to take more risks creatively. He explained, Artists come here and start making songs 18 minutes long, or whatever. I know this is going to sound crazy, but maybe they start attempting to make a Like a Rolling Stone, you know, a song that doesnt have a recognizable hook, but is still considered one of the greatest songs of all time, the freedom that this platform will allow art to flourish here,

And while he would not confirm it outright, he did tease TIDAL acquiring exclusive content from artists. Anything they want to offer, you know; just be as creative as possible, thats the only charge, really. Make it look really good and make everyone that consumes it think, Man, I got something really great. Treat the people with respect; make it memorable.

Source: http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/03/artist-owned-streaming-service-tidal-promises-to-to-re-establish-the-value-of-music/

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Beckham Kids at the Kids" Choice Awards 2015

Best & Worst Dressed Kids Choice Awards 2015

The three oldest Beckham children hit the red carpet for the Nickelodeon Kids" Choice Awards in LA on Saturday. Sixteen-year-old Brooklyn posed with his brothers, 12-year-old Romeo, and 10-year-old Cruz, as they made their way into the show, which included plenty of slimy moments. Brooklyn later shared on Instagram: "Great time with my bros." They weren"t the only celebrity kids at the event, since Angelina Jolie brought Shiloh and Zahara and Katie Holmes had Suri by her side.

The trio was without their famous parents, David and Victoria, though they"re no strangers to the spotlight themselves. Romeo has modeled in campaigns for Burberry, and Brooklyn"s been featured in a number of magazines.

Source: http://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/Beckham-Kids-Kids-Choice-Awards-2015-37183763

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Final Four rematch: It"s UK-Wisconsin again

2013-2014 Kentucky Basketball: "The Greatest Story Ever Told"
VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE FINAL FOURVideo | Final Four preview: No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Kentucky | 01:57

USA TODAY Sports" Scott Gleeson and Nancy Armour preview the Final Four matchup between Kentucky and Wisconsin.

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE FINAL FOURHow to beat Kentucky in the Final Four | 01:37

USA TODAY Sports" Scott Gleeson discusses the game plan to beating undefeated (38-0) Kentucky.

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE FINAL FOURVideo | Calipari, players after thrilling win | 17:53

Video | Kentucky talks after defeating Notre Dame

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE FINAL FOURVideo | UK fans celebrate in Lexington | 01:00

Kentucky basketball fans took to State Street in Lexington Saturday night to celebrate UK"s win over Notre Dame and earn a trip to the 2015 Final Four in Indianapolis. James Crisp / special to The Courier-Journal

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE FINAL FOURVideo | UK"s Cauley-Stein on defensive heroics vs. ND | 05:36

Video | UK"s Cauley-Stein on defensive heroics vs. ND

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE FINAL FOURVideo | UK"s Aaron Harrison on another clutch three | 01:16

Video | UK"s Aaron Harrison on another clutch three

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE FINAL FOURVideo | UK"s Andrew Harrison on clinching free throws | 01:16

Video | UK"s Andrew Harrison on clinching free throws

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE FINAL FOURVideo | UK"s Ulis has a new net necklace, Final Four ticket | 03:07

Video | UK"s Ulis has a new net necklace, Final Four ticket

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE FINAL FOURVideo | UK"s Towns hugs trophy, talks Elite Eight win | 03:06

Video | UK"s Towns hugs trophy, talks Elite Eight win

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VIDEOS | UK BASKETBALL IN THE FINAL FOURVideo | Can Anyone Stop Kentucky? | 02:41

BasketballInsiders.coms Cody Toppert and CineSports Brian Clark discuss Kentuckys dominant win over West Virginia, and discuss Wisconsin, Arizona and Notre Dames Sweet 16 wins.

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• Video | Final Four preview: No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Kentucky

• How to beat Kentucky in the Final Four

• Video | Calipari, players after thrilling win

• Video | UK fans celebrate in Lexington

• Video | UK"s Cauley-Stein on defensive heroics vs. ND

• Video | UK"s Aaron Harrison on another clutch three

• Video | UK"s Andrew Harrison on clinching free throws

• Video | UK"s Ulis has a new net necklace, Final Four ticket

• Video | UK"s Towns hugs trophy, talks Elite Eight win

• Video | Can Anyone Stop Kentucky?

Kentucky"s Aaron Harrison, far left, celebrates with his team after the Wildcats defeated the Badgers Saturday night at the Final Four at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. April 5, 2014

CLEVELAND Since Aaron Harrison"s final dagger dropped with six seconds left in last year"s national semifinal, Wisconsin has been on a mission.

"That loss left a sour taste in our mouth, so we wanted to get back," Badgers forward Sam Dekker said Saturday after winning the NCAA Tournament"s West Regional to return to the Final Four.

Since Connecticut ruined Kentucky"s storybook ending in the national championship game last season, the Wildcats have been similarly motivated.

"Just two more games," said Andrew Harrison late Saturday night after hitting the clinching free throws against Notre Dame to get UK into its second straight Final Four and fourth in five years under coach John Calipari. "You really remember that feeling you had after the (title) game last year. You don"t want to have that feeling again."

But someone"s redemption tour will be stopped short in the rematch. The undefeated Wildcats (38-0) must go through red-hot Wisconsin (35-3) again, this time in Indianapolis, for their shot at a ninth NCAA championship and college basketball"s first 40-0 season.

The Badgers, who returned eight of the nine guys who played in last year"s Final Four duel with Kentucky, have won 10 straight games and hit 10 of 12 3-pointers in the second half Saturday to blow by Arizona.

"I know (Wisconsin coach) Bo Ryan, and he"s a great friend, and how good he coaches," said Calipari, who has won 15 of his last 16 NCAA Tournament games. "I"ve said all along I thought the (four) best teams were us, Wisconsin and Arizona and Duke. And other teams are right there, but those four seem to be a little bit better than the others."

The Badgers have a combination of shooting and size seven players 6-8 or taller, including 6-9 Dekker and 7-foot All-American Frank Kaminsky to threaten the Cats. Kentucky, with just one major contributor shorter than 6-6, ultimately overtook the Fighting Irish with a massive mismatch in length.

"That"s a great matchup," said Notre Dame coach Mike Brey after his team fell just short in a 68-66 thriller. "Wisconsin"s a little bit like us: they"re skilled and they can spread people out. They have a little more bulk and frontline size, but they"re really skilled offensive guys, and certainly we were able to get some things tonight."

The Cats returned just five of the guys who played against Wisconsin the first time, and lost their top two scorers from that 74-73 classic, but that doesn"t mean the Cats are less equipped. This team is actually far better than that one. They added four McDonald"s All-Americans, including 6-11 freshman star Karl-Anthony Towns, who poured in 25 points against the Irish.

Junior 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein, the nation"s top defender who helped save Saturday"s game with a late block, was injured and didn"t play the Badgers last year. But he knows this will be a challenge.

"I"m glad we have a week to prepare for them," Cauley-Stein said. "The way they play together is the best in the country. This is when I"m glad we don"t have one day to prepare for them. One day to prepare for a team like Notre Dame? That"s why we couldn"t stop them. If we"d had a couple more days to see where the holes are . but the way they run their offense is crazy. You really can"t stop it.

"It"s really them missing shots, and you get the rebounds, and that"s how you stop them. Otherwise they"re going to get their shots up, and if they"re making them, it"s going to be a long night."

One of the Wildcats" newcomers, rookie point guard Tyler Ulis, is still familiar with Wisconsin"s best player, Kaminsky. They"re both former Illinois high school stars and played in the same league.

Ulis is new to this matchup, and this stage, but he knows what to expect.

"Another hard-fought game," he said, "and I feel like they want some get-back from last year."

Kyle Tucker can be reached at (502) 582-4361. Follow him on Twitter @KyleTucker_CJ.

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Source: http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/2015/03/29/final-four-rematch-kentucky-basketball-will-battle-wisconsin-trip-title-game/70628242/

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"Home" Sweeps Away Box Office

Jennifer Lopez - Feel The Light (Official Lyric Video) | HOME
March 29, 2015 2:59 p.m. ET

Home gave DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. a much-needed hit this weekend, surpassing expectations and topping the box office with an estimated $54 million.

The childrens film features an unlikely duo: singer Rihanna voices the character of Tip, a young girl who befriends an outcast alien voiced by Big Bang Theory actor Jim Parsons.

Last year, DreamWorks bumped the release date of Home from November to March, with executives saying it was a kinder window for an original-concept title. The movie that it swapped dates with, DreamWorks own Penguins of Madagascar, flopped, but the switch was the right move for Home, said Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution at Twentieth Century Fox, which distributed the movies. (Foxs parent company, 21st Century Fox, was until mid-2013 part of the same company as The Wall Street Journal.)

Were going into the big spring weekends, said Mr. Aronson, adding that Home faces little competition for family sales until Walt Disney Co.s Inside Out debuts June 19.

It also gives DreamWorks a hit at a time when the studio desperately needs one. The company has issued four write-downs on features like Turbo and Mr. Peabody & Sherman since November 2012. Earlier this year, the company announced a massive restructuring and creative overhaul that resulted in 500 workers being laid off. Home is the companys only release this year, making its box-office returns all the more important for the studios bottom line.

Overseas, the movie has grossed $48 million so far. Home is the second animated movie to perform well this year; The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water has collected $160 million since Viacom Inc.s Paramount Pictures released it in February.

The weekends other new release, the R-rated Get Hard, went after a very different audience and landed in second place with a solid $34.6 million. Distributed by Time Warner Inc.s Warner Bros., Get Hard stars Will Ferrell as a man preparing to go to prison with the help of businessman played by comedian Kevin Hart. Insurgent, from Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., fell to third place in its second week of release, grossing $86.4 million so far.

Audiences gave Home an A grade, according to the CinemaScore market research firm, while Get Hard received a B.

In other box-office news, the horror film It Follows expanded to wide release after good word-of-mouth led to robust returns in a handful of theaters. It collected $4 million in about 1,200 locations, and its distributor, Weinstein Co.s Radius-TWC, said it will expand further next week.

Write to Erich Schwartzel at erich.schwartzel@wsj.com

Source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/home-sweeps-away-box-office-1427655577

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Comcast"s New Customer Service Strategy: More Tweets

Comcast Doesn"t Give A F*ck

Comcast COMCAST CORP.CMCSA0.05% seems to be following through on promises made by its CEO Neil Smit to make fixing its customer service woes a priority for 2015.

The way we interact with our customers on the phone, online, in their homes is as important to our success as the technology we provide, Smit wrote on a company blog. Put simply, customer service should be our best product.

The company has already put a respected company veteran, Charlie Herrin, in charge of repairing its broken method of interacting with customers. It has also created an app which lets people know when a technician is en route to their home, ending the previous practice of subscribers having to wait around during a four-hour appointment window.

Now Comcast is taking its efforts to fix its customer relations a step further by hiring 40 workers for its social media team. These new hires will join an existing 20-person group in providing help with everything from scheduling appointments to troubleshooting Internet problems and setting up DVRs, CNN Money reported.

Why is Comcast doing this?

We have thousands of people answering service calls on the phone, and for many customers thats great. But some people would rather go online, and we want to make sure to give them that choice, Comcast spokeswoman Jennifer Khoury told CNN Money.

The company explained in a press announcement about the hiring effort that it has been using social media since 2007, but the use of platforms including Twitter TWITTER INC.TWTR0.18% and Facebook FACEBOOK INC.FB0.35% has increased over the years. This has shifted some customer support needs from traditional call centers to the social media team.

With a much bigger team, well be able to support customers across more platforms. And well be able to get to them faster. A larger team also means that well be able to increase bicoastal and bilingual coverage to make sure we are available 24/7 to customers who speak either English or Spanish.

The social care team has access to all the same advanced tools and training as our call center agents do, which means they can quickly jump in to solve problems. They also have a direct line to our tech teams so they can schedule appointments.

While this effort wont solve all of Comcasts problems, it will bring some customers immediate help. Its not a complete solution to a customer service culture which has been built around retention at any cost, but its a solid incremental step that should take pressure off the system.

Adding 40 people to the @comcastcares social media team shows that Smits vows to revamp customer service have actual money behind them. This isnt a token hire or a PR move; its likely a multimillion-dollar commitment to delivering actual improvement.

Comcast deserves credit

The media, myself included, has spent the past year shining light on Comcasts customer service failures. Those woes went viral when a recording made by former Engadget editor Ryan Block where a retention specialist essentially refused to allow him to cancel his service. That debacle led to a flood of embarrassing customer service issues being made public everything from bad service to names on bills being changed to derogatory terms.

Comcast probably deserved the scorn it got from the legitimate media and on social media. Now, however, the company deserves praise for not just saying its going to fix the problem but actually doing the hard work to turn around its culture, while backing those efforts with financial resources.

This is good business for the cable and Internet giant. A company cant treat its customers poorly when they can easily leave for other alternatives. But, aside from the long-term business gains the company should make, Comcast deserves credit for publicly tackling what is a thankless problem.

Bringing the customer service battle to social media is a smart move. Twitter and Facebook allow for quick problem resolution. That should result in happy customers and less stress on traditional phone-based customer service.

There are almost certain to be more problems and humiliating gaffes before Herrin and Smit completely change the companys culture. Still, adding 40 social media customer care reps is a win for customers, which is ultimately a win for the companys bottom line.

Source: http://time.com/money/3761427/comcast-customer-service-twitter/

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The Sight of Ashley Judd Wearing Glasses Really Bummed Out Doug Gottlieb

FULL INTERVIEW: Ashley Judd
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CBS cameras zoomed in on Kentucky superfan Ashley Judd reading something during todays victory over Florida. Perhaps a box score or a movie script. That part isnt important.

What is important is that she was using reading glasses, a development serious enough to throw analyst Doug Gottlieb into a downward spiral.

The very sight of Judd using cheaters caused him to lament the passing of time and how others have aged. Pretty heavystuff for a seemingly innocuous establishing shot.

Producers working Gottliebs future games would be well-served to avoid any type of celebrity cameo. Who knows how h**l react to Drake having a new team or a clean-shaven Jason Sudeikis.

RELATED:The Lights Went Out During Rutgers-Michigan, Created Less-than-Ideal Conditions

RELATED:Michigan States Inexplicable Late-Game Blunders Caused Tom Izzo to Lose His Mind, Fall Down

RELATED:Seton Hall Allowed Georgetowns Tyler Adams, Senior Sidelined by Heart Condition, A Dunk

Ashley Judd, Doug Gottlieb, Kentucky Wildcats, College Basketball

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Source: http://thebiglead.com/2015/03/07/the-sight-of-ashley-judd-wearing-glasses-really-bummed-out-doug-gottlieb/

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