Reese Witherspoon Expecting Baby No. 3

As multiple insiders confirm in the new Us Weekly, out now, Reese Witherspoon is pregnant with her third child -- her first with husband Jim Toth. And while the Oscar-winning actress, who turns 36 Thursday, isn't planning on announcing the big news, the evidence is becoming clear.


After weeks of speculation – whipped up after the actress sported a series of loose, bump-concealing frocks – several Witherspoon pals confirm that yes, the Oscar winner and her husband of almost one year, Hollywood talent agent Jim Toth, are expecting their first child together. 


On Wednesday, just as Us Weekly broke news of her baby-to-be, Witherspoon and a female pal were photographed taking a two-hour hike in the Santa Monica Mountains near her home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. "You could definitely see a small bump, which she covered-up with a loose fitting sweatshirt," an observer says. The star "was in good spirits" during the strenuous hike, pointing things out to her friend along the trail.


"Her baby bump is still small, but very noticeable," the onlooker adds. "But she is in great shape -- the hike was not that easy!"
Just a week and a half ago, in between promotional duties for her flick This Mean War, Witherspoon hung out by a hotel pool March 10 with gal pals in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Already mother to daughter Ava, 12, and son Deacon, 8, with ex Ryan Phillippe, the star covered up her small baby bump in a casual blue cotton dress worn over a bathing suit.

'Hunger Games': To like the movie, do you have to read the book?

The red carpet event at the School of Visual Arts Theatre was leaked on Twitter, drawing an unexpected crowd of admirers.


Held at bay by barricades and private security, fans cheered wildly as stars of the film pulled up in black cars. Actress Jennifer Lawrence walked over to greet the throng that was kept outside the W. 23rd St. theater.


“I can’t stay long,” Lawrence told the crowd outside screaming her name.


The fleeting encounter left 16-year-old Daniela Nogina of Brooklyn dazzled.


For most reviews, “Hunger Games,” which has currently sold more advance tickets than any non-sequel, scored ratings of at least four out of five stars, three out of four stars, and a few "A" grades. Critics particularly praised actress Jennifer Lawrence’s performance as heroine Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers to replace her sister in the deadly Hunger Games run by a dystopian government.


“At its center is Jennifer Lawrence, an ideal choice to play this strong, independent young woman,” Associated Press reviewer Christy LeMire wrote of the film. “There’s a youthful energy and even a vulnerability that make her relatable to the core, target audience of female fans. Lawrence is endlessly watchable." 


Chicago Tribune reviewer Michael Phillips said he would praise Lawrence as the best thing in the film if the rest wasn’t equally as good. 


“The young actress received an Oscar nomination for her work in "Winter's Bone," and her performance here is no less fierce and purposeful,” he wrote. 


“Liam! Liam! Over here,” shouted Simone Colson, 21, of Staten Island, who only got a wave from the actor who plays Gale Hawthorne in the film based on Suzanne Collins’ bestselling young adult book.


Organizers of the screening, hosted by The Cinema Society and the Calvin Klein Collection, pleaded with media outlets to keep the event secret to avoid gawkers.


But Allison Ortiz, 22, of Manhattan said she heard about it on Twitter.


“I was the only one here for hours,” Ortiz said. “Then people started showing up.”


The movie, set for a national release on Friday, got a five-star review Tuesday from Daily News film critic Joe Neumaier, who called it “exciting and thought-provoking in a way few adventure dramas ever are.”


Earlier Tuesday, fans descended on Union Square by the hundreds, drawn by a craving to meet the stars of the movie scheduled to appear at the Barnes & Noble store at the northern end of the square.


Some fans camped out long before dawn, hoping to get into a special 8 p.m. event promoting the film and Collins’ wildly popular trilogy.


Fifteen-year-old Lauren Silver, who lives in Manhattan, admitted she skipped school to stand in line.


“We have doctors notes,” she said.


As Lauren spoke, she displayed the yellow wristband that guarantees she’ll get a chance to meet the movie stars when they finally arrive.


“It was so worth it,” said an exhausted Lauren, who brought her copy of the book and a magazine for stars of the movie to sign.


Fans of “The Hunger Games” descended on Union Square by the hundreds Tuesday, drawn by a craving to meet the stars of the much-anticipated movie.

Mauritania to hand over ex-spy chief to Libya

 Libya is vying with France and the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) to try Gaddafi's former right-hand man, arrested on Friday when he flew in to the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott using a false passport.


Mauritanian sources played down Libyan suggestions that a deal to extradite Senussi was almost finalized and said other countries also had a say in the case.


"We have an assurance from Mauritania that it will extradite ... Senussi, but there are legal procedures which must be respected and we will wait," Libyan government spokesman Nasser al-Manee told reporters before boarding the plane.


"No date has been set for his physical extradition, but it will be soon," he added. A diplomatic source said the plane later took off as scheduled.


Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abu Shagour, leading the delegation, said after talks with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on Tuesday that Aziz had given his consent to Senussi's extradition, adding he would "soon be in a Libyan prison."


The former intelligence chief is accused of attacking civilians during the uprising in Libya last year and of the 1989 bombing of a French airliner. He was considered Qaddafi's "black box" and known to be among his inner circle of confidants. He was also the ousted leader's brother-in-law.
Al-Senoussi was detained Saturday in Mauritania.
The International Criminal Court, France and Libya have all said they want to prosecute al-Senoussi.
He is wanted in Libya for a number of crimes, including his alleged role in the Abu Salim prison massacre of more than 1,200 prisoners by Qaddafi's regime in 1996.
Judges at the Netherlands-based ICC issued an arrest warrant for al-Senoussi last June on two counts of crimes against humanity -- murder and persecution -- for allegedly masterminding attacks on civilians in the early days of the uprising that eventually toppled Qaddafi from power.
Mauritania is not a member of the court.
The court also indicted Qaddafi but the ousted leader was killed by rebel fighters in October. Libyan authorities say they want to put Seif al-Islam, one of Gadhafi's sons, on trial at home instead of turning him over him to the court.

Mitt Romney says he's 'almost there' after Illinois

CHICAGO — Mitt Romney swept to victory in the Illinois Republican primary on Tuesday, using the full force of his campaign and an argument that he has the best chance of defeating President Obama to overcome doubts among the more conservative voters at the heart of his party.


Tonight's win means we are that much closer to securing the nomination, uniting our party, and taking on President Obama," the Republican front-runner wrote in a campaign email sent late Tuesday.


He urged the party to fall in line behind his bid, saying, "We are almost there."


The former Massachusetts governor and his allies spent hundreds of thousands of dollars more than Santorum and his backers in Illinois, and it showed in the results: Romney was beating Santorum by 47 percent to 35 percent.


As Mr. Romney addressed supporters in a hotel ballroom in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, he congratulated his rivals and immediately turned his focus to the president. He belittled Mr. Obama’s experience as a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago and as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, saying the president was ill suited to lead the nation to economic prosperity.


“It’s time to say this word: enough. We’ve had enough,” he said. “We know our future’s brighter than these troubled times. We still believe in America, and we deserve a president who believes in us, and I believe in the American people.”


Illinois is the third state in the industrial Midwest that Mr. Romney has carried in the last month. The electorate, particularly in the suburbs of Chicago, where he overwhelmed Mr. Santorum, was also reflective of relatively moderate states that will vote across the Northeast in April.


Surveys of Illinois Republicans leaving polling places showed that Mr. Romney not only won among the groups that usually support him — moderates, college graduates and wealthier voters — but also was competitive among Mr. Santorum’s generally more loyal coalition of Tea Party supporters and married women.


Mr. Santorum, who had been badly outspent by Mr. Romney and his supportive “super PAC” on television here, was winning in the rural and western portions of the state, a point he emphasized as he spoke to his supporters Tuesday night in his home state of Pennsylvania, a must-win for him on April 24.

Romney looks to seal the deal

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush endorsed Mitt Romney after Romney’s lopsided win in Illinois Tuesday night. The former Florida Governor – a Republican heavyweight – called on members of the party to coalesce behind Romney.
“Congratulations to Governor Mitt Romney on his win last night and to all the candidates for a hard fought, thoughtful debate and primary season,” said Bush in a statement. “Primary elections have been held in thirty-four states, and now is the time for Republicans to unite behind Governor Romney and take our message of fiscal conservatism and job creation to all voters this fall.  I am endorsing Mitt Romney for our Party’s nomination.  We face huge challenges, and we need a leader who understands the economy, recognizes more government regulation is not the answer, believes in entrepreneurial capitalism and works to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to succeed.”


The Illinois victory appeared to follow established patterns so far in the Republican race, with Romney doing well in urban and suburban areas while top conservative rival Rick Santorum ran strong in rural areas.
In Chicago, Romney had 55% of the total with 99% of precincts reporting, while Santorum notched 25%, according to the city's election website. In Lake County, one of the surrounding counties near Chicago, Romney had 56% with all precincts reporting, according to the clerk's office website, and Santorum had 28%.
Texas Rep. Ron Paul and Gingrich, who is battling Santorum for conservative support against the more moderate Romney, trailed well back, according to unofficial results from local clerks and election boards.
"We thank the people of Illinois for this extraordinary victory," Romney told supporters in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg Tuesday night. "Elections are about choices. Today, hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois joined millions of people in this country in this cause."
The results gave Romney at least 41 of the 54 delegates up for grabs in the state, increasing his total to 562, according to CNN's estimate. Santorum is second with 249, Gingrich third with 137 and Paul last with 69.

Peyton Manning consider the Chiefs

 KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have aggressively sought to improve their offense this offseason, signing running back Peyton Hillis, tight end Kevin Boss and right tackle Eric Winston.


When Pioli went to Kansas City, he had no qualms about bringing Cassel with him, but in the three years since he's been with the Chiefs, Cassel has been up and down. And aside from a solid 2010 season, Cassel has been down more often than not.




“Clearly he had a plan. He let me know that,” Pioli said. “He didn’t get into the details. He was up front about what he was doing, some of the visits he wanted to take, and we initially weren’t a part of that.”


Manning wound up agreeing a $96 million, five-year deal with AFC West rival Denver.


“I’ve spent a lot of time with him, around him, communicating with him, competing against his teams. He had a plan, he executed it and he never explained to me, nor did I ask,” Pioli said.


The Chiefs were among the teams rumored to be in the running for Manning after owner Clark Hunt expressed his admiration for him during a television interview. Pioli had also said that he wanted to create competition for Matt Cassel as the team’s starting quarterback.


Cassel will be returning from a season-ending injury to his throwing hand. The team recently signed former Broncos backup Brady Quinn to create some depth.


Pioli refused to get into details about his conversations with Manning and his agent, but he did say that Cassel was aware that discussions had taken place. Pioli also said he’s comfortable with the three quarterbacks currently on the roster — he drafted Ricky Stanzi in the fifth round last season — which makes it unlikely that the Chiefs will select another in the April draft.

Peyton Manning: The NFL’s Best Salesman

The Peyton Manning sweepstakes came to an end Monday when the free agent quarterback informed the NFL teams pursuing him that he intended to sign with the Denver Broncos.


That was the fun part. While it’s not like the hype is about to die down, the discussion can now turn to the performance Manning can give for one team rather than several, and what the Broncos can expect from the $96 million, five-year contract they doled out for the former Colt. NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks sees an offensive system that will be entirely tailored to Manning’s strengths, and a young receiving corps that can only benefit from his experience. More importantly, Manning’s considerable ability to work in a no-huddle offense will be more potent than ever in Denver’s high-altitude environment. “Opponents routinely wilt under the challenging conditions of the Rocky Mountains; the no-huddle will only exacerbate the difficulties of playing in thin air,” he writes. “With defenders playing at a rapid pace without the opportunity to get an occasional breather on the sideline, the Broncos will eventually wear down their opponents.” ESPN’s Bill Williamson also anticipates a quick learning curve for Manning, and sports analytic firm numberFire predicts his numbers will be comparable to his last few healthy years in Indianapolis, assuming his neck is back to normal. The only sure bet is that Denver’s accounting team will be a lot busier: ticket demand for the Broncos home games jumped up a reported 25%, preceding an inevitable merchandising boost.


The Titans lost their bid to bring Manning back to the state where he played in college for the University of Tennessee.


John Elway said at the news conference that current Broncos starting QB Tim Tebow took the news of Manning’s decision to play at Denver with class. As AP explained:


Broncos executive John Elway says Tim Tebow was disappointed but very positive when they talked about Denver’s plans to sign Peyton Manning.


Speaking Tuesday at a news conference to introduce the 11-time Pro Bowl selection as the newest Bronco, Elway said Tebow’s response was typical of the exciting young quarterback.


Elway said Tebow was “very positive. He’s like, ‘We’re talking about Peyton Manning. I understand what you’re doing.’”


Tebow turned Denver around last season but misfired on passes and was often more effective as a runner. Manning is one the best QBs in league history and won a Super Bowl in 2007.


Elway didn’t say exactly what will happen to Tebow but, “It would be our goal for us to get (Tebow) in the best situation possible.”

Cornered Suspect Planned New Attack, French

TOULOUSE, France — A 23-year-old man suspected in the methodical killings of four men and three children in this region over the past 10 days barricaded himself in a small apartment building in Toulouse early Wednesday as negotiators tried to secure his surrender.


French police have named Mohammed Merah, A 24-year-old Toulouse resident of Algerian descent, as the suspect in the shooting deaths of four people at a Jewish school on Monday and three soldiers in two other shootings. Mr. Merah has claimed to have links with al Qaeda, telling police trying to secure his surrender that his goal was to avenge Palestinian children and object to the French army's presence in Afghanistan.


Officials identified the man in French media reports as Mohammed Merah, a French national of Algerian descent. Interior Minister Claude Guéant, speaking at the site, said the man told negotiators that he belonged to Al Qaeda and that the attacks were meant to avenge the deaths of Palestinian children and to protest French military deployments abroad.


Investigators believe the suspect was the motorcyclist behind the killings of three paratroopers in Toulouse and the nearby city of Montauben, all three of Arab descent, over the past 10 days ago. They also believe he conducted an attack on Monday outside a Jewish school that killed a rabbi, two of his young children, and an 8-year-old girl. The gunman held the girl by the hair to execute, pausing to switch to a 9-millimeter gun when his .45 jammed. Investigators believe he was wearing a camera around his neck at the school to record his murders.


The chief editor of France 24 said in a televised interview that she had spoken by telephone to a man who claimed to be the shooter in the hours before the police surrounded his building. “He was calm, was speaking in very good French and punctuated by Arabic expressions,” said the editor, Ebba Kalondo. She said he spoke of planning more attacks and that he intended to post video of his killings online.


The suspect had traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan and called himself a mujahedeen, or freedom fighter, and had been under surveillance by the French domestic intelligence service for several years, Mr. Guéant said, “though nothing whatsoever allowed us to think he was at the point of committing a criminal act.” He became a suspect on Monday afternoon, after investigators traced an IP address, used in connection with the killing of the first paratrooper 10 days ago, to the suspect’s mother, according to Pierre-Henry Brandet, a spokesman for Mr. Guéant.


Aviv Zonabend, the vice president of the local branch of the Crif, France’s most prominent Jewish organization, who met with Mr. Guéant on Wednesday morning, gave a slightly different account, saying that investigators apparently had been unable to locate the suspect before the shootings on Monday.