Daniel Allen Cox is the 33 year old Canadian author of the current bestseller "Shuck," and the 2006 novella "Tattoo This Madness". "Shuck," a novel about a New York hustlers coming of age, was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award. Cox also appeared in multiple X magazines and videos in the 90s under the name "Brian Cox". Upper photo shows Cox today, while the lower photo is from Honcho Magazine. 
TV/JACKSON "FLASH" TO BE REVIEWED: The US Supreme Court has ordered a re-examination of a ruling that threw out a fine over Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during 2004's Super Bowl. Federal regulators had initially fined CBS TV $550,000 in September 2004 for airing the glimpse of Jackson's breast during the broadcast. But an appeals court quashed it in July last year saying the watchdog acted arbitrarily in issuing the fine. Some 90 million viewers saw the incident during the half time show. Jackson was performing alongside Justin Timberlake when he reached for her bra and the "malfunction" occurred. About 542,000 complaints were received by CBS. Now the high court has directed the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia to consider reinstating the fine imposed by the FCC. The order follows a high court ruling last week that upheld the FCC's policy that subjects broadcasters to fines against even single uses of swear words on live television. Last year, the appeals court threw out the fine against CBS, saying that as the incident lasted 9/16 of 1 second, it should have been regarded as "fleeting". The appeals court said CBS could not be held liable for the acts of Jackson and Timberlake, now that ruling will be reviewed in view of the Supreme Court's order in the case. Lawyers for CBS had urged the Supreme Court to reject the FCC's appeal.
TV/NBC ANNOUNCES PART OF FALL SCHEDULE: NBC announced a portion of its Fall primetime plans today, but has left several questions unanswered until later this month. NBC has officially picked up new dramas "Trauma," "Mercy," "Parenthood" and "Day One" (which will air as a limited-run event) and new comedies "Community" and "100 Questions." NBC also gave a go-ahead to returning shows "Southland," "Heroes," "Parks and Recreation" and another round of Thursday night "Saturday Night Live Weekend Update" episodes. Missing from the pickup list so far: "Chuck," "Law & Order," "Medium" and "My Name Is Earl." The original "Law & Order" is still expected to get a reduced order for midseason, while insiders have already said that "Medium" is on its way back but an episodic number must still be hammered out. "Earl," on the other hand, saw its fortunes decline greatly when NB opted to once again pick up the Thursday night "SNL Weekend Update" episodes. NBC said it will announce its additional pickups and renewals on May 19, when it holds a comedy event for advertisers. They also plan to announce their full fall schedule that night. NBC is expected to split its year into 2 halves, using the Winter Olympics as a natural mid-way point. Previously announced pickups include Thursday night comedies "The Office" and "30 Rock," as well as drama "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and reality franchises "The Biggest Loser" and "Celebrity Apprentice." Then there's the still unofficially titled "The Jay Leno Show," which airs across the week at 10:00pm starting in the fall. NBC also has new alternative series that had previously been announced, which include "Breakthrough with Tony Robbins," "The Marriage Ref" and "Who Do You Think You Are?" Among the pilots still in contention are the new dramas from David E. Kelley and Dick Wolf. Full details on NBC plans, including plot outlines for the new shows, can be found on multiple websites, including Variety, TV Guide, and NBC.
THEATRE/"HAIR" TO TOUR NEXT YEAR: The current Broadway revival of “Hair” will send out a national touring production during the 2010-11 season. After scoring strong reviews, “Hair” has become one of the season’s top-selling Musical revivals, along with “West Side Story.” The Musical is expected to garner several Tony noms, which will be announced tomorrow. The current Broadway show opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theater in March. Producers have yet to name cities or venues for the tour. 
Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird is headed to the Preakness. The trainer of the gelding that won the Derby on Saturday at 50-1 odds said his horse will run in the May 16 Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown. Mine That Bird, ridden by Calvin Borel, won the Derby by 6 3/4 lengths over Pioneer of the Nile, the largest margin of victory since Assault in 1946. Mine That Bird will be shipped to the Baltimore for the 1 3/16 mile Preakness on May 11 or 12. Other Derby horses expected to take on Mine That Bird are 4th place finisher Papa Clem and possibly Pioneerof the Nile, 3rd place Musket Man, 7th place Join in the Dance and 10th place General Quarters. Potential newcomers include Delta Jackpot winner Big Drama, Withers winner Mr. Fantasy, Take the Points and Miner's Escape. The Preakness is limited to 14 starters. The big question, of course, is whether Mine That Bird can win the Preakness and set up a Triple Crown attempt in the Belmont Stakes on June 6. The last Triple Crown winner was Affirmed in 1978. Last year, Big Brown won the Derby and the Preakness, but finished last in the Belmont after being pulled up on the turn for home.
Mexico lowered its health alert level today, citing improvements in the battle against swine flu. The level was lowered from red, or "high," to orange, or "elevated." But US health officials cautioned that the H1N1 virus is still on an "upswing" in the United States. And the World Health Organization warned that after the number of cases begins to subside, the swine flu could return this year "with a vengeance." The number of confirmed cases worldwide was expected to cross reach 1025 cases across 20 countries. There were 26 reported deaths, including 1 in the United States. Mexico reports 727 confirmed cases, and 1922 suspected case. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 286 cases across 36 states. In Mexico, where the worldwide outbreak began, officials said the wide-ranging closure of public venues might be lifted by Wednesday. As hard as they are pushing to contain the outbreak, health officials in the United States and worldwide are working around the clock to develop a vaccine.They're learning from the swine flu pandemic of early last century. "In 1918, the Spanish flu showed a surge in the spring and then disappeared in the summer months, only to return in the autumn of 1918 with a vengeance," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said yesterday. "And we know that that eventually killed 40 million to 50 million people." It is unknown whether the current swine flu would come back in a more dangerous form. But health officials said they are not taking chances.
European media have reported that a KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES Boeing 747 experienced a fire while inflight last week. KLM Flight 785 was on Scheduled International Service from Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, when the incident took place last Thursday, April 30. Flight 785, with 399 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency reporting a fire in the passenger cabin, shortly after departure from Curacao. The aircraft landed back at Curacao without incident or injury. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection and repairs according to officials in Curacao. According to media reports, passengers onboard Flight 785 reported that they were told that there was a fire in the internal wiring near the TV screens in the lower deck, around the seating area of Row 51. Passengers also reported that flames were visible behind the overhead panels. Flight Attendants used fire extinguishers and were able to put the fire out. The media reports today said that KLM has yet to respond to queries regarding the incident.
FLAPS STUCK ON PINNACLE CRJ: PINNACLE AIRLINES Flight 5800 was on Schedule Domestic CRJ900 Service from Atlanta, Georgia, to Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina, on behalf of DELTA CONNECTION, when it had to make an emergency landing in Greenville, yesterday, May 3. Flight 5800, with 19 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency on approach to Greenville due to the left hand flaps becoming stuck. Emergency Services were deployed, however the CRJ landed without incident. The aircraft has been removed from service for inspection and repair.
ALERT FORCES JET 777 TO DIVERT: JET AIRWAYS Flight 122 was on Scheduled International Boeing 777 Service from Delhi, India, to London Heathrow, when it had to divert while enroute, on Saturday, May 2. Flight 122, with 262 passengers and 15 crew members onboard, was about 4 hours into its flight, when the crew declared an emergency due to smoke detector alert from a cargo hold. The 777 was diverted to Baku, Azerbaijan, where it landed without incident. Post flight inspection revealed the alert was false, thus the aircraft was allowed to continue on its flight to London, where it arrived late on Saturday, without incident.
A RAINBOW WAS CAPTURED AFTER AN EARLY AFTERNOON RAINSHOWER, TODAY, NEAR INVERARAY, ENGLAND.
MUSIC/DYLAN TOPS UK ALBUMS CHART: Bob Dylan has topped the UK album chart today for the 7th time in his career, nearly 40 years since his last #1 album. "Together Through Life" is the folk music legend's 33rd studio album. He last topped the UK chart with "New Morning" in 1970. His 1st, in 1964, was "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan". Dylan now holds a record, previously held by Tom Jones, for the longest gap between solo #1 albums. "Together Through Life" was recorded late last year and is Dylan's 1st studio album since 2006 and is his 53rd album, including compilations and soundtracks. The album chart's other highest new entry was The Enemy's 2nd album, "Music For The People," which went straight in at #2. "The Fame," the debut album by Lady Gaga, fell 2 places to #3. In the singles chart, Tinchy Stryder's "Number 1" claims the top spot for the 2nd week running. La Roux remains at #2 with "In For The Kill" and the highest new entry was "Tiny Dancer," a collaboration between UK hip-hop artists Ironik and Chipmunk and Elton John, which went in at #3. 
Swine flu in Mexico, the epicenter of the world outbreak, has peaked, the Mexican health minister has said. Jose Angel Cordova said the virus, blamed for at least 19 deaths in Mexico, appeared to have peaked between April 23 and 28. "The evolution of the epidemic is now in its declining phase," Mr Cordova told a news conference. World Health Organization officials said authorities should remain vigilant as the virus could return. Asked about Mr Cordova's comments, WHO official Gregory Hartl said the current "round of activity" could have peaked. But he added: "We cannot lower our guard. There is a high possibility that this virus will come back, especially in colder periods."The WHO says it has found swine flu in 787 people in 17 countries, while collated national figures give a tally of more than 900. Person-to-person transmission has been confirmed in 6 countries. In Mexico, just over 100 people are thought to have died from the virus, though only 19 cases have been confirmed. The 1st cases surfaced at the end of the northern hemisphere's winter flu season, and experts fear that infections could accelerate in the autumn. In other key developments today:
An ASK ROSTO Antonov 2 was on a Positioning Flight from Lensk to Yakutsk, Russia, when it crashed near the Yakutsk Airport, on Thursday April 30. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations informed the media of the accident today. According to media sources, witnesses near the Airport reported the Antonov attempted to land 3 times in poor weather conditions, including heavy snow. At 5:48pm, on the 3rd attempt, the aircraft clipped power lines and crashed. All 3 crew members onboard the Antonov were killed in the crash. Russian aviation officials have opened an investigation into the accident.
ENGINE FAILS ON SAS NORDE 737: SAS SCANDANAVIAN AIRLINES NORWAY Flight 1452 was on Scheduled International Boeing 737 Service from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Oslo, Norway, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, May 2. Flight 1452, with 122 passengers and 6 crew members onboard, declared an emergency shortly after takeoff, due to the the failure of the right hand engine while climbing to cruise level above 14000 feet. The 737 was diverted to Gothenburg, Sweden, where it landed without incident about 30 minutes after its initial departure. Local media reported that passengers stated that the right hand engine shook the whole aircraft and produced strong vibrations before it was shut down. The 737 has been removed from service for inspection and repairs.
FLU FORCES COPA 737 TO DIVERT: COPA PANAMA AIRLINES Flight 279 was on Scheduled International Boeing 737 Service from Panama City, Panama, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, had to divert enroute, on Tuesday, April 28. The incident was just reported by the press yesterday. Flight 279 was diverted to Lima, Peru, due to the H1n1 outbreak, after a 29 year old female passenger fell ill with symptoms of influenza. The passenger, who was hospitalized in Lima, tested postive for H1N1 the next day. She had been enroute from Mexico to Buenos Aires, via Panama. The other passengers on Flight 279, who were examined and provided with Tamiflu, were allowed to fly on to Buenos Aires on Wednesday, April 29. Argentina announced later in the week that it was closely following and assisting 8 passengers and crew who had close contact with the passenger. No one else has yet to fall ill. 
1. HEART OF GLASS--BLONDIE
TRAVEL/"THE LEDGE" COMING TO CHICAGO: Visitors won't have to crane their necks to see straight down from Chicago's Sears Tower Skydeck when the building adds 4 glass-bottomed balconies, nicknamed "The Ledge," to its 50-mile views in June. The Skydeck on the 103rd floor of the building that is changing its name to Willis Tower, opened in 1974, and has always provided a view of 4 states. But to see what's directly beneath them, visitors always had to get as close to the building's windows as possible. The Ledge is scheduled to open next month, according to a spokeswoman for the Skydeck. The addition of the boxes is part of a larger, multimillion dollar renovation of the Skydeck, according to a spokeswoman. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the architecture firm that designed the tower, also designed The Ledge, whose 4 1.5 inch thick glass boxes are being placed on the building's west side. The retractable boxes will extend 4.3 feet out from the side of the building at 1353 feet above street level. Each of the 4 Ledge boxes is comprised of 3 layers of 1/2 inch thick glass. They are designed to hold about 5 tons, much more weight than they are expected to have to carry when they have a full group of visitors, and also higher than the 2 tons required by city code.
Longshot thoroughbred Mine That Bird plowed down a muddy track at Churchill Downs to win the 135th Kentucky Derby today by several lengths. "50-to-1!" jockey Calvin Borel exulted after the race, referring to the odds on his mount at post time. "It's all in the head." Borel and Mine That Bird worked their way up from the middle of the pack in the home stretch to finish with a 6 and 3/4 length lead over 2nd place finisher Pioneer of the Nile, a 4-1 pick. Musket Man, at 20-1, finished 3rd. It was the largest margin of victory in the Derby since Assault won by 8 lengths in 1946. Mine That Bird covered the 1.25 miles in 2:02.66 and paid $103.20 to win. The payout was the 2nd largest in Derby history behind Donerail ($184.90) in 1913. It was Borel's 2nd time riding a Kentucky Derby winner, having won the 2007 race aboard Street Sense. And it was a bad day for favorites, with top overnight pick I Want Revenge scratched after trainers found a problem in its left front ankle and post-time top pick Friesan Fire finishing 18 in a 19-horse field. I Want Revenge wrenched its ankle while training on the wet track yesterday morning, race officials said, and trainer Jeff Mullins said the horse is also not likely to run in the Preakness, the 2nd event in horse racing's Triple Crown, on May 16.
A UK library, in Kent, has been visited almost every day for 2 years by its own "puss in books", the council has said in a news release. Fidel, an 8 year old black cat, turns up at Deal library almost every day while his owners are at work. He spends the day on his favorite blue chair, only leaving the building when he sees his owners arriving home. Staff say they have never tried to encourage Fidel with food and even used to put him outside when he first began to visit them, but he always came back. Heather Hilton, district manager for Deal Library, said: "Fidel certainly seems to like coming here and he's very popular with our customers. I think he's a bit of an art critic too because we sometimes see him examining the pictures on the gallery wall," she added. A spokeswoman for Kent County Council which runs the library said Fidel was such a "dedicated customer" that he sometimes arrived before staff and could be found waiting at the front door. Fidel is a rescue cat, whose owners chose him from a local sanctuary after he was found abandoned in a flat in Deal. The story is reminiscint of Dewey, the library cat from Iowa. "Dewey" is the worldwide bestseller that tells the story of how Dewey came to be a library cat.
There is no evidence of the swine flu virus spreading in a sustained way outside North America, a top World Health Organization official says. Dr Michael Ryan, WHO Director of Global Alert and Response, praised European nations' handling of cases and said events did not seem out of control. Mexico has cut its suspected death toll by 75 to 101, indicating the outbreak may not be as bad as initially feared. The country has ordered a 5 day shutdown in a bid to contain the virus. Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said that based on samples tested, the mortality rate was comparable with that of seasonal flu. The WHO's Ryan told a daily press briefing: "We have no evidence of sustained community spread outside of North America." And he said the emergence of more cases in Europe did not mean the WHO would necessarily need to raise its global pandemic alert level. "I think it would be, at this stage, unwise to suggest that, in any way, those events are out of control or spreading in an uncontrolled fashion," he told a daily press briefing. "I think the next few days will tell as this develops." Dr Ryan added: "At the present time I would still propose that a pandemic is imminent because we see the disease spread." The WHO was still trying to establish the severity of the swine flu virus, he added. Italy reported its first case today, bringing the number of countries affected to 17. In other key developements today:
