NEW YORK (AP) - A representative for Donald Trump says that the reality television star will host a $50,000-a-head fundraiser with Mitt Romney this week. But the Romney campaign isn't so sure.
The presumptive Republican presidential candidate's campaign reported Tuesday afternoon that there will be no meeting with Trump this week.
Minutes later, the Trump representative confirmed the event, which is expected to bring at least 50 people to the home of stock investor Martin Zweig in Manhattan's Pierre Hotel.
The fundraiser is planned for Thursday, the same day the Supreme Court is set to decide the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's signature health care overhaul.
Trump met with Romney in Las Vegas about a month ago. He has consistently questioned Obama's citizenship, and Romney has refused to condemn Trump's remarks.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Helen Mirren, Jennifer Hudson, James Franco and the Backstreet Boys are among the famous folks getting stars on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2013.
Actress Marg Helgenberger and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced the new 24 inductees Friday at a press conference on Hollywood Boulevard's star-lined sidewalk.
A committee selects celebrities eligible for a star and those who accept pay $30,000 in costs and fees.
Other entertainers slated for a star next year are Javier Bardem, Viola Davis, Simon Baker, Bryan Cranston, Jane Lynch, Katey Segal, Matthew Perry, Ellen DeGeneres and Olympia Dukakis; performers Penn & Teller; makeup artist Rick Baker; filmmaker Ron Howard; radio personalities Steve Harvey and "Shotgun" Tom Kelly; and musicians Jane's Addiction, New Kids on the Block, Janis Joplin, Usher, Thalia and Luther Vandross.
LONDON (AP) - The man who once was among the world's most eligible bachelors has turned 30 - but things are not so bad for Prince William as he celebrates his birthday with family and friends.
Palace officials say William will mark the milestone in private with his wife, the former Kate Middleton, and perhaps some close friends.
William has been pursuing a military career as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot while easing into married life and taking on more royal duties.
He and his wife have made a number of public appearances in recent weeks, often representing his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, at events to mark her Diamond Jubilee.
William is second in line for the throne behind his father, Prince Charles.
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<VIDEO> In 2013, Hollywood will stop shipping movies on celluloid film. Some call it the biggest change since movies got sound. Theaters will have to go digital, or go dark. The AP's Lee Powell finds one theater hoping to keep the pictures flickering.
<VIDEO> Microsoft unveiled the Surface on Monday, a new tablet computer that's expected to compete with Apple's iPad. The Surface is 9.3 millimeters thick and works on the Windows RT operating system.
<VIDEO> Young fans of Steven Spielberg's ET celebrated the iconic film's 30th anniversary with a free outdoor film screening and a re-creation of the famous bike ride scene through the streets of Los Angeles.
<VIDEO> Chris Brown, girlfriend and bodyguard injured in brawl; Jury sides with Kevin Costner in BP spill lawsuit; Bob Seger among Songwriter Hall of Fame inductees.
<VIDEO> Penelope Cruz and Woody Allen open the Los Angeles Film Festival with the premiere of their latest movie, 'To Rome With Love,' and talk about Cruz's sexy role.
<VIDEO> Tom Cruise honored with Entertainment Icon Award by the Friars Club; David Arquette files for divorce from Courteney Cox; Judge grants Jeff Goldblum 3-year stay-away order.
<VIDEO> SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Most of Apple's mobile devices will get a new operating system this fall, including a different mapping service and a built-in bond with Facebook.
The company says its iOS 6 software will sport more than 200 new features, though some won't be available on all devices. It will be a free upgrade for iPhones released since 2009, as well as last year's and this year's iPad models. It will also work with newer iPod Touch devices.
Without providing a specific date, Apple said the updated software will be released this fall. Apple typically upgrades its mobile software around the same time it starts selling a new iPhone. Last year, it happened in October to take advantage of the holiday shopping season. A preview version of the new iOS was made available to application developers starting Monday.
Here are some highlights of iOS 6:
- Maps.
Apple's mobile devices will have a mapping program, built in-house.
In the past, Apple has given prominent billing to Google Inc.'s mapping app. But the two companies have increasingly become rivals as people buy more devices running Google's Android operating system. Google also has been keeping some features, including turn-by-turn directions spoken aloud, exclusive to Android.
Apple's new Maps application will have a voice navigation feature. It will have real-time traffic data and offer alternative routes as traffic conditions change.
It will also include "flyover" three-dimensional images taken by helicopters hired by the company to fly over major cities. Google said last week that it has been dispatching its own planes to produce similar 3D images that will soon be available on its mapping service.
Apple's map program will be integrated with its Siri virtual assistant so that you can ask for directions and pose other questions.
- Facebook.
The new software promises better integration with Facebook. The idea is you enter your password just once, and you can post to Facebook from a variety of apps. You can also post about websites directly from Apple's Safari browser.
Facebook will be integrated with Apple's online app store so that you can declare that you "like" specific apps there, as well as songs and movies in iTunes.
Events in Facebook's calendar and birthdays of Facebook friends will also appear on your phone's calendar.
- Siri.
IOS 6 will have enhancements to Siri, which interprets voice commands and talks back to the user. It is also coming to the iPad for the first time.
Since Siri was introduced in October with the iPhone 4S, Siri has been "studying up and learning a lot more," says Scott Forstall, Apple's senior vice president for iPhone software. Siri's sharpened intellect will be especially apparent when the voice assistant is fielding questions about movies, restaurants and other things, according to Forstall.
He demonstrated that by having Siri tell whether LeBron James or Kobe Bryant is the taller basketball player. Siri replies, "LeBron James appears to be slightly taller" as the cards of both players are displayed on an iPhone screen.
Apple says it is partnering with Yelp Inc. so that Siri can include ratings and prices of restaurants when you ask her about places to eat. The company is also partnering with OpenTable Inc. to make reservations.
Siri will now be available in more languages and more countries.
Apple also says it's working with car manufacturers to let you use a button on the steering wheel to talk to Siri, allowing you to keep your hands on the road. Apple says General Motors Co., BMW AG and Daimler AG's Mercedes are among the automakers that have promised to offer Siri integration in the next 12 months.
- Calls
Don't want to be disturbed?
Apple's new software will give you more options for preventing messages and text notifications from disturbing you at night, for instance.
You can control how and when you get back to people. If you can't call someone back right away, you can set a reminder to call that person back later or have a text message sent directly to the caller.
There's a "call when you leave" feature that reminds you to call back when you are leaving a building or office. The phone can detect when you are leaving.
- Passbook
Apple's new Passbook feature will be a central place to keep your boarding passes, tickets and gift cards.
When you get to a Starbucks, for instance, the device will bring up your gift card if you have one and if you have the location feature turned on. Likewise, when you get to a movie theater or baseball stadium, the ticket will pop up. Passbook will also alert you to gate changes and flight delays once you have a boarding pass stored.
Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin suspects Passbook will be the foundation for a digital commerce hub that Apple is trying to implant on its mobile devices starting with the next iPhone. "This looks like a harbinger of a digital wallet that could handle a variety of transactions," Golvin said.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Next month, Apple will release its new operating system for Mac computers.
Dubbed Mountain Lion, Mac OS X 10.8 will cost $19.99 - $10 cheaper than what the current system, Lion, costs. Those buying Mac computers starting on Monday will get the upgrade for free when it's available.
Apple Inc. already demonstrated many of the Mountain Lion features in February. The new software narrows the gap between the PC and phone software packages, making Mac personal computers work more like iPhones.
It's similar to what Microsoft Corp. is doing with its forthcoming Windows 8 system. That system, expected this fall, will bring the look and user interface of Windows Phone to PCs.
Among the features of Mountain Lion:
- The new software will have better integration with social networks such as Facebook Inc.'s. It will have built-in features to facilitate sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and other services. For instance, you'll get notifications when you get a message or a mention in a Facebook or Twitter post. You need to sign in only once, and you can share directly from other apps you are using.
- Power Nap keeps your Mac updated even while it's in power-saving "sleep" mode. It will get your email messages, back up your files and download software updates automatically. It will work with recent MacBook Air computers and the higher-end MacBook Pro model, the one with the sharper, "Retina" display.
- A new Messages app, copied from Apple's mobile operating system, will replace iChat. It will allow you to send messages to other Apple users, whether that person is on a Mac or an Apple mobile device.
- Mountain Lion will be integrated with iCloud, the new Internet storage service designed for the mobile devices.
- The software will bring dictation to Macs, essentially allowing the computer to type as you talk.
- Game Center will store high game scores and help users find opponents on both Macs and Apple mobile devices.
Apple said the Facebook integration features won't be available right away. The company did not say exactly when in July the Mountain Lion software will be available, nor did it say when the Facebook features will be ready.
Upgrades will be available as a download through Apple's Mac App Store. Those upgrading must already have either the Lion or Snow Leopard operating systems on their Macs.
<VIDEO> 'Once' crowned best musical at the Tony Awards; Lady Gaga struck by pole during New Zealand show; 'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted' tops the box office.
<VIDEO> Tom Cruise showed up early for the Rock of Ages premiere in Hollywood just to get some extra time with his die-hard fans and to talk to ET's Mark Steines. The movie opens June 15. Tom Cruise showed up early for the Rock of Ages premiere in Hollywood just to get some extra time with his die-hard fans and to talk to ET's Mark Steines. Mark got the megastar to reveal the inspiration behind his character, the fictional rock god Stacee Jaxx. RELATED: Tom Cruise Rocks Ages Tom, who had never had a professional singing lesson prior to working on the film, went all-in for this role, studying the history of rock 'n' roll. The Oscar winner disclosed that he didn't model his performance based on just one singer, or even one time period. "I took it obviously from the '80s, too," said Tom. "But there's a through line to some of these rock guys."
<VIDEO> Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, L.A. Reid, and Simon Cowell fill in Louis Walsh leave their seats when a contestant does the unthinkable. Get the details.
<VIDEO> Underwood takes her 3rd video of year win at CMTs; Actress Amanda Bynes pleads not guilty in DUI case; Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth tweets picture of engagement ring.
<VIDEO> 2012 CMT Award show hosts Kristen Bell and Toby Keith vow to 'bring it' to the stage as they walk a purple carpet ahead of the ceremony. Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum and Jason Aldean also showed up hoping to take home a coveted buckle.
<VIDEO> As Apple reportedly prepares to roll out its own, internally developed navigation service for iPhones and iPads later this year, Google unveiled improvements to its competing Google Maps program.
<VIDEO> Two Hollywood stars arrived at federal court in New Orleans Monday. Stephen Baldwin and Kevin Costner are in a legal fight over investments in a device used to try to clean up BP's 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
LONDON (AP) - Paul McCartney has confirmed an Olympic-sized rumor, saying he'll be the closing act at the London 2012 opening ceremony.
Earlier this year the former Beatle disclosed that he was in talks to play a role in the celebrations.
On Monday, he confirmed: "I've been booked."
He told BBC radio station 5 Live that he would be "closing the opening" of the games.
The lineup for the ceremony, overseen by "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle and themed "Isles of Wonder," is a closely guarded secret, but many had suspected McCartney would be involved.
<VIDEO> Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and director Christopher Nolan presented never-before-seen clips of The Dark Knight Rises at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday. VIDEO: New Trailer: Batman Returns in The Dark Knight Rises After an emotional remembrance of the late Dark Knight star Heath Ledger, the cast and director unveiled a teaser of the upcoming film that might raise more questions than it answers.
<VIDEO> 'The Hunger Games' cleans up at MTV Movie awards; Crowds flock to see the Queen on her Royal barge; 'Snow White and the Huntsman' tops US Box Office.
<VIDEO> British-born entertainer Richard Dawson died of esophegeal cancer on Sunday. Dawson gained fame as an actor and comedian, and won a daytime Emmy Award as best game show host in 1978.
<VIDEO> Ridley Scott is joined by Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender at the world premiere of his new sci-fi thriller 'Prometheus,' where he jokes that the main difference in making the movie, compared to making 'Alien' in 1979, was the overall cost.
