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Top 5 Baja California restaurants you need to visit in 2017

Wed, 28 Dec 2016 05:00:00 -0500

Just a hop, skip, and a jump across the U.S.-Mexico border via San Diego, lies a foodie fantasyland – a flourishing culinary landscape in Baja, with award-winning restaurants and innovative chefs.

Baja, California may not be at the top of most must-see lists when it comes to travel in Mexico. Tourists likely will head to resort towns like Cancun or Cabo-- but if you’re on or near the West Coast, you owe it to yourself (and your stomach) to visit Baja to check out some of the best food south of the border.

NEW 'MOST INTERESTING MAN' IS A KNIFE THROWING, SAMURAI SWORD-WIELDING PARTIER

W. Scott Koenig is a San Diego-based journalist who specializes in reporting on Mexican food, culture, and travel. He has traveled extensively throughout Mexico and Baja California for over two decades. In 2012, he founded his blog, AGringoInMexico.com, a comprehensize travel guide covering his own experiences and recommendations.

Koenig is a "FoodieHub Food Expert" for Tijuana, Valle de Guadalupe, and Rosarito Beach. FoodieHub is both a website and an app curated by over 250 fexperts, worldwide.

FoxNews.com caught up with Koenig, ahead of the New Year for his top five, not-to-be-missed restaurants in the region-- and what drool-worthy dishes you need to order.

1. Seafood cocktail, La Guerrerense, Ensenada

Anthony Bourdain’s “favorite street cart on the planet,” La Guerrerense, according to the New York Times, is offers a brick-and-mortar location in Ensenada, offically called Sabina after owner Sabina Bandera. Bandera's seafood cocktail features morsels of chocolate clam, octopus, shrimp, and sea snail served in a light cocktail sauce. Slightly sweet and deliciously spicy, the delicate sauce allows the flavors and textures of the seafood to take center stage.

2. Chicharron in salsa verde at The Rib Shop, Tijuana

Chef Fernando Acosta is devoted to serving pork “snout-to-tail” at his casual eatery The Rib Shop, in Tijuana. The restaurant’s perfectly cooked and meaty chicharron (fried pork skin) is presented atop a layer of creamy, piquant salsa verde, topped with pickled red onion, and served with corn tortilla chips. In 2016, he opened a second location at Border Psycho Brewery in Plaza Fiesta.

3. Beet ravioli, Alma Verde, Tijuana

Alma Verde is Tijuana’s hippest new place to do brunch. The menu includes several vegetarian and vegan options, and the restaurant even has its own line of healthy juices. The beetroot raviolis are stuffed with a rich, creamy filling of cashew butter – substituted for the typical goat cheese – then topped with tangerine, garden greens, and chopped cashews.

4. Sope of curried chicken livers, Sanvil, Valle de Guadalupe

Chef Surinder Veer Singh Ortega caused a stir in Baja's local food community this year, opening new restaurant Sanvil based on the concept of fusing Indian and Baja California cuisine. There's lots of "Baja-Med," mixing Mexican with Medittarean food, and there's "Baja-Euro" fusions, but Singh is a pioneer in the "Baja-Indian" fusion in the region. A chicken liver curry sope (thick corn cake) with purslane leaves and diced potatoes, topped with a spicy ripe mango pickle, yogurt, cherry tomato, and micro greens is exemplary of the chef’s new cuisine.

5. Oyster Provençale, Andares, Tijuana

Andares De La Baja Cocina by chef Luis Enrique Gil Moreno is a stylish new eatery in the up and coming la Cacho neighborhood in Tijuana. Andares stands out among Tijuana's more traditional architecture with sleek modern fixtures and industrial materials. This new hotspot offers indoor and outdoor patio dining and a Baja California cuisine-informed menu-- meaning lots of fresh seafood and locally-grown produce. Their oysters Provençale feature a gigamoto oyster seasoned in herbs, combined with butter, baked, then grilled for a bit of added smoke.

2016 food trends we're so over and 5 big ideas we can't for in 2017

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 14:45:00 -0500

Although 2016 offered plenty of savory snacks and mind-blowing mashups, now that it's almost a new year, we're ready for something new.

What are we so over?

First up, poke bowls-- this simple and addictive Hawaiian dish (pronounced ‘poh-kay') is made of cubed raw fish, and seasoned with a plethora of Asian spices and sauces. This year, the dish was plenty of trendy restaurants from New York City to Los Angeles were giving this classic bowl a modern makeover with unusual fishes, fruit and different veggies. Poke is delicious but we're ready to go back to the classic Hawaiian preparation.

Next up? The whole “organic fast food” concept is as ubiquitous as quinoa and kale, but it's difficult to find an eatery that serves 100 percent organic fast food. One exception? The Northern California-based Organic Coup fried chicken restaurant.

Eating bugs? It just didn’t take flight. Yes, they’re high in protein, but they're still a long way from being popular on a menu near you.

NOW YOU CAN BUY LEFTOVER BUFFET FOOD FOR JUST $2

Goji berries are known as the fruit of immortality or “red diamonds” in China, and and many tout their supposed health benefits. But at $24 to $159 for a bag, we wonder if the price is worth it.

Orange you glad to say goodbye to turmeric? Let’s get to the root of it. Turmeric offers certain compounds that contain high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, but the flavor can be quite overpowering and just doesn't work well with every type of dish.

ARE INFANT CEREALS REALLY THE BEST FIRST FOOD FOR BABIES?

Toast is officially toast for 2016. Stop taking pictures of your avocado-slathered toast and realize that it’s just sliced bread.

Out with the old, and in with the new.

1. Business will keep booming for meal delivery kits

This is the wave of future. The concept reinvents dinner hand-in-glove for working couples, singles, and busy families who don’t have time to shop or prep. From Blue Apron to Plated, these players in the kitchen offer a variety of recipes, and without wasting produce and excess ingredients in your cabinet. One drawback? Companies need to find more eco-friendly ways of storing the pre-prepped ingredients than non disposable plastic baggies and large cardboard boxes.

2. Eat your veggies, all the time

Love trumps hating your leafy greens and more in 2017. Veggie-centric restaurants are becoming more popular than ever, and even omnimores are choosing to go a day or two a week without meat. Menus that go beyond animal-based proteins will come into focus, including innovative plates like mushroom pate, beet chorizo, and vegetable charcuterie to replace the beefy dishes of yesteryear.

3. Faux meat

Say hello to “mock meat.” Faux meat has evolved eons past the Boca burger from the frozen aisle. Today, there are hundreds of substitutes that can be quite surprising. From seitan or tempeh to eggplant as a bacon alternative, you may never again ask “where’s the beef?” Of course, not everyone is thrilled with some consumers' decision to forgo animal products. Vegan mayo producer Hampton Creek was sued by Hellmann's over its used of the word "Mayo" on its pea protein based spread. Will the same thing happen to tofurkey producers in 2017?

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4. Hyper-niche theme restaurants.

Welcome to the era of unlikely eateries as foodies seek unusual-- if not sometimes a bit over-the-top-- dining experiences.O ne example is Kellogg’s NYC, a cereal café set in Times Square in New York City. “People like to feel that somebody has curated something for them,” Sandra DiCapua, partner at Kellogg’s NYC told FoxNews.com. The menu at the cafe was curated by Milkbar's own dessert master Christina Tosi. “It’s the combination of people wanting comfort food, but still wanting to be wowed and delighted when they go out. They want the fun and the magic."

5. High-tech food delivery

High-tech food delivery is now. "Project Wing" has started using drones to deliver Chipotle burritos to hungry Virginia Tech students. Okay, yes this is still in the testing phase, but we're getting pretty close to a future where we'll be waiting on the pizza delivery drone-- not the driver-- to bring over our pies. Dominos recently demonstrated the world’s first autonomous pizza delivery drone in Australia. The company hopes that its newest “delivery expert” will become an official member of the Domino’s family in the future.

A brief history of the ongoing Donald Trump vs. Rosie O'Donnell feud

Wed, 04 Jan 2017 11:45:00 -0500

Going back over 10 years, President-elect Donald Trump and comedian Rosie O’Donnell have been at each other’s throats –and it doesn’t appear to be ending any time soon.

O’Donnell recently launched an attack on Trump for the new year accusing him of being “mentally unstable” and challenging America to “stop him.”

This is only the latest in a long era of mudslinging between the two.

1. 2006: O’Donnell takes the first swipe

Taking umbrage with Trump’s decision to allow Miss USA Tara Conner to retain her crown, O’Donnell slams Trump, the co-owner of the Miss Universe pageant, saying he’s bankrupt and not a moral authority for the country. Trump retorts O’Donnell is a “a real loser” and a “woman out of control.”

2. 2007: A brief pause

Trump comes to Rosie’s defense over her stance against the Iraq war – but it doesn’t last.

"On this one I think Rosie should win, but Rosie is not much herself," he told Extra.

3. 2011: Trump takes to Twitter

"I feel sorry for Rosie 's new partner in love whose parents are devastated at the thought of their daughter being with @Rosie--a true loser," he tweets.

2011 continues with Trump bashing O’Donnell about her show on Oprah's OWN network as a "complete and total disaster, and adding additional punches to MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell.

"It's really amazing," Trump said. "When I don't like somebody their shows do really badly."

4. May 2012: Trump hits Cher and O’Donnell

He tweets: "@Cher attacked @MittRomney. She is an average talent who is out of touch with reality. Like @Rosie O'Donnell, a total loser!"

5. August 2012: O’Donnell suffers a heart attack

The war pauses. Trump tweets: "Rosie, get better fast. I'm starting to miss you!" O'Donnell responds, "well thank u donald - i must admit ur post was a bit of a shock ... r u trying to kill me?"

6. April 2014: Rosie announces weight-loss surgery

"Rosie O'Donnell just said she felt 'shame' at being fat-not politically correct! She killed Star Jones for weight loss surgery, just had it!" Trump tweets.

Rose responds with: "Donald — go away."

7. July 2014: O'Donnell's return to 'The View'

Trump tweets: "Rosie is back on the View which tells you how desperate they must be. It is the standard short term fix and long term disaster." Then hours later with, "Rosie is crude, rude, obnoxious and dumb - other than that I like her very much!"

8. September 2014: O’Donnell says Trump bullies her

She tweets: "Probably the Trump stuff was the most bullying I ever experienced in my life, including as a child," O'Donnell said. "It was national, and it was sanctioned societally. Whether I deserved it is up to your own interpretation."

9. Febuary 2015: O'Donnell leaves 'The View'

Trump responds with: "Well, it's very sad what's happened to 'The View' and I predicted that with Rosie O'Donnell it would fail. I guess the prediction is correct, but, I mean she's a total trainwreck, so let's see what happens and I hope it works out well. ... I like the show a lot, but let's face it, Rosie is a loser."

10. 2016: Trump, O’Donnell fight during presidential debate

When asked about past comments regarding women, and claims Trump called them “fat pigs,” “dogs,” and “slobs,” he replies “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”

O’Donnell tweets with: "try explaining that 2 ur kids."

New campaign says the best way to thank a military veteran is to vote

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 13:53:21 -0400

With less than a month until the presidential election, a group of former military members and actors got together to ask Americans to honor veterans in a unique way – by voting.

Executive Director of Got Your 6, Bill Rausch, says the new voting PSA, titled “Don’t just thank;Vote!” is a campaign designed to channel people’s good intentions of thanking veterans into something productive, such as voting.

Got Your 6 unites Hollywood with other non-profits and governmental partners with veterans in the community.

The PSA includes actors Joe Manganiello, Rob Riggle (veteran), David Eigenberg (veteran), J.W. Cortes (veteran) and Tom Arnold.

“A great way to get folks involved and thank us for our service, especially this year, is to vote,” Rausch told Fox News Latino.

A recently released Got Your 6 2016 Veterans Civic Health Index shows that veterans vote about 15 percentage points higher than non-veterans during local elections.

Award-winning actor, Marine combat veteran, singer and filmmaker, actor, and filmmaker J.W. Cortés told Fox News Latino he wants people to feel invigorated and make a change in their lives by getting out to the polls and voting.

It's estimated that 240 million people in the country are eligible to vote, but only 129 million actually do.

Rausch said there is a way for people to show their support for the armed forces and veterans, and that is by casting their ballot on Nov. 8th.

“One way to repay us is to go out and vote,” he said.

He adds that he hopes the PSA will galvanize voters and drive up turnout numbers.

One group Got Your 6 hopes to reach is Latino voters. According to Pew Hispanic, Latino millennials will account for nearly half (44 percent) of the record 27.3 million Hispanic eligible voters projected for 2016.

Rausch and Cortes said they believe this election outcome means a lot for veterans – and Latinos.

“There’s a unique opportunity to showcase,” Cortes said,” that our voices are powerful and can be heard and will be heard.”

Are airline employees becoming unhinged?

Tue, 02 May 2017 10:37:00 -0400

It seems like everyone on an airplane has a hair trigger these days.

On April 21, a passenger aboard an American Airlines plane got into an altercation with a flight attendant he believed had hit a woman traveling with 15-month-old twins as he forcibly removed a stroller from her hands. The flight attendant was suspended.

Twelve days earlier, on April 9, a physician from Kentucky was pulled out of his seat and dragged off a United Airlines plane when he refused the airline’s demand that he give up his seat on a full flight from Chicago to Louisville. Dr. David Dao suffered a concussion, a broken nose and lost two front teeth in the incident, his lawyer claimed. On Thursday, the lawyers announced that Dao and United had reached an undisclosed settlement.

PASSENGERS CAUGHT IN VIOLENT PRE-FLIGHT BRAWL ABOARD ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS

Both incidents were recorded by other passengers on their cell phones, posted to social media and viewed by millions who now are understandably asking: What’s going on?

A recent study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that incidents like these are rare, but when they’re recorded on video, the public is quick to defend the passengers-- and blame the flight crew.

But the problem, says a flight attendant with a major U.S. carrier, is that the incident has already escalated when the cameras start recording. What isn’t seen is how it started.

"They're shaming us on the media, without knowing the whole story," said Patrice, who requested that her last name be withheld.

Almost all of the tens of thousands of flights that take off every day are uneventful, says Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. But she said the recent incidents are the result of a lot of unresolved issues.

“There’s been a major change in the aviation industry. People are packed in closer together. Seats are closer together. Seats are physically smaller. Passengers are getting charged for their bags. They have to go through security, and they feel like their space is being intruded upon.”

The airlines also cut flight crews as part of their efforts to save money, Nelson said. “Flight attendants on average are working 25 to 100 percent more than they did just 15 years ago.”

UNITED AIRLINES COMMERCIAL AXED FROM TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

But central to the misunderstandings is the public’s perception that flight attendants are simply servers in the sky, Nelson said.

“Flight attendants are certified safety professionals, and the number one reason they’re there — in fact, the reason they’re required to be there — is for the safety, health and security of the passengers on the plane.

“That’s a federal regulation, and many of the procedures they're charged with are enforcing safety regulations. Since 9/11, we’re the nation’s last line of defense in border security."

The airline industry nosedived after the September 11 terrorist attacks, going through a wave of bankruptcies while imposing brutal cuts to flight attendants’ pensions. Several airlines also merged, and today four major carriers account for 80 percent of domestic seats sold, according to the New York Times.

The smaller flight crews now find themselves trying to please more passengers who are burdened with less room and more irritating fees.

Heather Healy, a clinical social worker who works with the flight attendants’ union employee assistance program, estimated that she would see one in 12 flight attendants before 9/11. Today, she said, she sees one in seven.

“They need to be treated as the first responders as they are,” she said. “Those considerations aren’t given to them. If we truly treated them the way they deserved to be treated, there’d be a lot less incidents….

“They’re performing all these duties required by federal regulations, all while working to be welcoming and accommodating.”

Seth Kaplan, a managing partner with the industry publication Airline Weekly, said he isn’t sure if the number of incidents has increased or there are just more cases of cellphones recording them.

A lot of incidents happen, he said, because you have increasing numbers of people flying, and many of them are new to the experience.

“As a passenger who follows the rules, when I see somebody doing something that’s just going to delay us getting out, I get a little impatient, and the flight attendants are trying to balance all of that.

“I can see the flight attendants are trying to strike the balance between someone who doesn’t fly often with the needs of those who just want to get going."

Nonetheless, Kaplan believes good can come from cellphone cameras being everywhere. “It’s like police officers,” he said. “Some officers complain, but this is the reality now. Some people might be attention seekers, but most people don’t want to be the person on the news.”

One flight attendant said he wishes people knew how much the attendants care about their passengers, and how badly passengers can behave.

“I’ve noticed a shift in passenger attitudes,” said Griffin, who requested that his last name, and the airline he works for, be withheld.

He recalled a female passenger who decided to stand up during a landing. “She wanted to make a point. She wanted to be videotaped. She said she wanted to be knocked down and dragged off the plane.

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“I’ve had people say the most horrible and degrading things to me,” Griffin said. “I wish I’d recorded it. They’d be embarrassed if they heard themselves.”

Nathan Henderson, a flight attendant, told the New York Post that passengers are more "disrespectful and blame us" for their bad experiences.

He said he has 600 to 900 passengers on workdays, and "people are attacking us simply for making sure they are safe and following regulations."

In the end, though, “airlines will be vaporized if they continue down the path of treating customers disrespectfully,” said Eric Schiffer, CEO of Reputation Management Consultants. “They depend on people flying. Without them, the whole thing falls apart."

Baker serves up sweet revenge to internet trolls with clever cakes

Thu, 04 May 2017 06:45:00 -0400

What if you could get revenge on someone who trolled you on social media? Now you can. A baker from Brooklyn, N.Y. says, let them eat cake.

Kat Thek, 30, opened Troll Cakes Bakery and Detective Agency less then three weeks ago. Her novel idea: turn malicious internet comments into edible payback in the form of cleverly decorated cakes.

Thek, who works as a copywriter full time, says it all started when she saw the comment, “Your Mamma be so disappointed,” posted on her favorite singer Dolly Parton’s Facebook page.

“People were saying bizarrely mean things to Dolly Parton it made me really mad, she is a treasure everyone loves her what is the point of being mean to Dolly Parton?” she told NYPIX 11.

So Thek decided it was time for some of these so-called trolls to get a taste of their own medicine.

So how does it work? Any customer can just send the bakery/self-proclaimed detective agency the mean Tweet or Facebook post, then they track down the poster's physical location via the IP address. Thek will whip up a delicious retaliatory mini-cake with said comment decorated in icing or edible letters.

The cakes are boxed up and sent to the person who wrote the comment, with a copy of their original comment taped to the inside of the box.

Thek says she's been getting a slew of requests from people wanting to send cakes to the White House. She says she gets about two dozen people a day contacting her with Trump tweets.

“My theory is that it’s satisfying to know that this is an option," Thek told Fox News. "It feels good to identify the Trump tweet that speaks to you as being the most insane and know that it could be put on a cake and mailed to the White House."

“It’s almost like having a little parachute of sanity, knowing this is an option. I know I love reading them,” she adds.

The shaming mini-cake costs $35, if you know the address of where it’s being sent. If not, Thek using her modern-era Nancy Drew skills, does the leg work for you for an extra $25. She claims that it’s her industry secret as to how she finds the actual location of the offensive commenter.

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In addition to getting requests to send cakes to the president, the busy baker says she’s now getting a lot of Mother’s Day requests -- from people who want to send cakes to mother's enemy. She also says she's getting requests from people who seem to be going through particularly rough divorces.

“My greatest satisfaction is how weird it gets. You get these comments out of context and then put them on a cake and it gets funny. Things on cakes are funny," Thek says. "Then you’re mailing it and knowing that the person is like, ‘oh, wow, I’m getting this colorful box in an exciting package,’ and then they open it and it’s the realization of ‘oh, no.’ I like how funny, silly it gets."

Danny Trejo expands growing food empire with Los Angeles donut and coffee shop

Mon, 22 May 2017 13:45:00 -0400

With over 70 movie roles to his name, actor Danny Trejo can also add taco and donut shop entrepreneur to his credits.

It began in Los Angeles with the opening of Trejo’s Tacos in March 2016, then expanded to a mobile operation-- Trejo’s Truck-- and Trejo’s Cantina. Now, the Pacoima, Calif. native’s latest endeavor, Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts, which opened May 17, showcases a sweeter side of traditional Mexican flavors.

Trejo told Fox News he feels blessed every day to be able to do what he loves as an actor and also to open and operate restaurants – something he and his late mother had always wanted to do.

With clever donut names like “Gringo,” “Abuelita,” “O.G.,” “Lowrider,” and of course the "Machete," Trejo's Coffee features more sophiscated pastry flavors than your average Krispy Kreme. If it takes off, the “From Dusk Till Dawn" star’s food company could make Trejo’s brand worth $100 million, according to Eater. A spokesperson for Trejo's food company says they now employ over 100 people.

BEHOLD THE WILDLY COLORFUL SUSHI DONUT

The actor is set to open two more Trejo's Taco locations this year and maintain his presence at every Rams home game (he's an avid fan) with Trejo's Taco truck.

Trejo has been playing some rough characters on-screen for over 30 years, but in real life, he was a pretty serious bad guy. He started doing drugs at 8-years-old, heroin by 12, went from juvenile hall and for 11 years, he was in and out of jail -- then finally a stint at San Quentin prison. He was released in 1969 at 25-years-old.

Fox News spoke with the 73-year-old Trejo about his recently opened shop in the West Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, his commitment to hiring at-risk youth and why he chose to fearlessly throw himself into the city's increasingly crowded donut scene.

Fox News : You’re a successful actor, arguably one of Hollywood’s most prolific, so why go into the food industry?

Danny Trejo: My mom was a great cook. When my family was absolutely dead broke she could go the cupboard and whip up some meal with two boxes of stuff. We always joked about starting a restaurant, but my dad, he was like the Mexican Archie Bunker [a fictional character from the 1970s American television sitcom “All in the Family”]. Every time we talked about a restaurant, he would say,"Hey, we got a kitchen right there. Why don’t you whip us up a blue plate special?" This was the 50s and women didn’t work. So, we would always joke and talk about a Trejo’s tacos, but that was it.

Then I was doing a film called “Bad Ass” and the producer was a guy named Ash [Ash R. Shah]. He saw that I was a foodie, so, he said "Why don’t you start a restaurant?" I said, "Yeah, Trejo’s Tacos." But then he came to me with a business plan. I have two women I work with, because behind every good man, there better be a great woman. I showed the plan to my agent and secretary, and they looked over it. They said this was the first business plan that someone brought to me that I didn’t have to put up $500,000 for.

We started it with Trejo’s Tacos and it soared. Then Trejo’s Truck, then Trejo's Cantina, and now Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts, and we’ve sold out of the donuts every day since we’ve opened.

Fox News: Why the donuts and coffee?

Danny Trejo: California is a donut spot and I love the police. They’re the first ones in in the morning. The LAPD pick up a dozen and take them back to the station. They’re so cool. They don’t accept anything for free.

SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS

Fox News: Why do you think your food businesses have been so successful?

Trejo: People ask me if it’s because I’m a celebrity that my places are popular. I say, "Well, they may come in because of that, but the food better be good if you want them to come back." I’ve known celebrities who’ve started restaurants, but then they fold because people think they can just live on the celebrity name, and you can’t. It’s got to be good food.

Our concept was that maybe there’s seven or eight people all heading out for a meal, but inevitably someone is a vegan, or can’t eat gluten, so you have a hard time finding a restaurant. We’ve got gluten-free, we’ve got vegetarian, we’ve got vegan, and then we have our regular carne asada, carnitas and pulled-pork tacos. We’ve got three menus.

I started with gluten-free because I’ve got two step-kids who’re autistic. And I started working with them and a doctor told me that gluten isn’t good for autistic kids. So, we have a gluten-free menu. Parents bring their kids in so they can all eat dinner together. We’ve also got gluten-free donuts available as well.

Fox News: Any cool projects coming up?

Danny Trejo: Next month, we’re opening a Trejo’s Cantina next to the Pasadena Playhouse. In August we’re opening in the University Southern California (USC) Village, and I want to open one in the new Rams stadium in Inglewood.

Right now I’m doing a film called “Social Security.” It’s like a “Die Hard” in a senior citizen home. We want to get a lot of actors who haven’t worked for a while because of their age. You know in Hollywood, once you hit 40, if you haven’t already got a name, you’re not working -- and it’s worse if you’re a woman. I’d love to get Betty White to hit someone in the head with a bed pan. I just finished a movie called “Margarita Man.”

Fox News: You stay in good shape. How do you work off the donuts?

Danny Trejo: I walk. I lift a lot of weights. I’ve got to stay at 180 pounds.

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Fox News: Are you still working with Los Angeles communities facing drug addiction problems?

Trejo: I still work for Western Pacific Med Corp. [a narcotic treatment center] that detoxes heroin patients. We go to schools and talk to young people. The reality is that the good Lord put me in this position to be a spokesman. When you work with young people, first you have to get their attention. That’s impossible because they have none. Then you have to keep their attention. And that’s impossible because they have none. You have to show them that you’re cool, but if you’re ten years older than them, you automatically lose your cool.

My message is that alcohol and drugs will ruin your life and education is the key to anything you want to do.

The gift the good Lord has given me is that when I walk onto a campus, I have everybody’s attention. Not Danny Trejo, but the guy from “Heat,” “Desperado,” if you’re Mexican, the guy from “Blood In, Blood Out,” or “Spy Kids,” that guy has their attention. They want to hear what I have to say.

Fox News: Do you employ some of the recovering addicts in your restaurants?

Trejo: Our restaurants are full of what we call “second chancers.” They’re all people who’ve been in some kind of trouble, but now they’re great. They go through our training. I tell them it’s your job to keep them [customers] coming back.

That organic milk might not really be organic

Wed, 03 May 2017 09:45:00 -0400

Next time you’re in the grocery store trying to decide whether to splurge on organic milk or stick with milk from conventionally raised cows, consider that the two products may not be that different.

According to an investigative report published by the Washington Post Monday, cows at Colorado's Aurora Organic Dairy aren’t grazing in accordance with USDA organic standards, and after being submitted to chemical testing, the organic milk from Aurora wasn't dramatically different from the conventional.

Post reporters say they visited Aurora's largest production facility in Greeley, Colo. several times during the grazing season (early spring to first frost) and also captured high-resolution satellite images of the cow pens. The reporters allege that they never found more than a few hundred cows in the pastures at one time -- out of 15,000.

Grazing cows to organic specifications is expensive for farmers – which is why organic milk costs more, sometimes even double, its conventional counterpart in the dairy aisle.

ORGANIC FOOD ISN’T ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE, STUDY SUGGESTS

In order for the milk at dairies like Aurora to secure a USDA Organic seal, cows can’t be fed any hormones to stimulate production of milk. Their feed or pasture must be organic, meaning grown without synthetic pesticides and their diet needs to come from the grass they eat during grazing. More grazing equals more land and cows that are purely grass-fed produce less milk.

When Post reporters contacted Aurora’s inspectors to inquire about the time cows actually spent grazing, they discovered that inspectors didn’t know because they’d last visited the farm in November – after the grazing season had ended.

The USDA is under no obligation to inspect farms such as Aurora. Farmers are allowed to hire their own inspectors they choose from a list of private companies licensed by the USDA. The inspector and the farmer/owner can arrange the visit-- days or weeks in advance-- and, according to the Post, only 5 percent of inspections are done spontaneously.

The USDA reviews the inspections on average every 2-and-a-half years.

But organic food is a booming business. The new USDA Organic seal has seen a surge in food sales from $5 million annually in 2000 to $40 billion in 2015, according to the Organic Trade Association.

When Post reporters took samples of Aurora's milk for scientific testing at Virginia Tech, the results showed that the Aurora milk was basically no different than conventional non-organic milk, from a nutrient makeup.

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Grass fed cows produce milk with higher levels of two types of fat – conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) and an Omega-3 fat known as alpha-linolenic acid – the clearest indicator of grass feeding. In tests, Aurora’s milk levels were similar to the CLA and linoleic acid levels in regular milk, ranked slightly higher than conventional milks, but lower than other samples bearing the USDA organic label.

When reached via email, Sonja Tuitele, Aurora Dairy's director of communications, sent the following statement to Fox News:

"We are an 100% organic company and have always produced great tasting, high-quality certified organic milk throughout our history. We take extraordinary care of our animals, and we meet or exceed the requirements of the USDA National Organic Program.

"We completely reject the suggestion that organic compliance can be determined by a test, and so does organic certification. Certified organic dairy means making great tasting, quality milk that requires extraordinary care for animals and prohibits the use of synthetics pesticides, GMOs, antibiotics and added hormones. Certification is the only test for organic compliance."

ABC casts Chris Brown for 'black-ish' guest role amid more claims of domestic violence

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 10:30:00 -0400

ABC announced Chris Brown will make a guest appearance on "black-ish" one month after a judge ordered the rapper stay 100 yards away from ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran.

The model alleged in court filings Brown has repeatedly threatened to harm her and has punched her, pushed her down stairs and told friends he wanted to kill Tran. The "Kiss Kiss" singer has fervently repudiated her claims.

The 27-year-old will play a famous rapper in an episode that will air March 29 – the same day Tran and Brown are expected in court as the model wishes to have the restraining order extended.

"Ms. Tran is looking to expeditiously close this matter and quite frankly be able to move on with her life and put this matter behind her as quickly as possible," Tran's attorneys told E! News.

Amber Brockman, a spokesperson from ABC told Fox News are "not commenting at this time" about Brown's appearance on the show.

The "black-ish" episode featuring Brown will be titled "Richard Youngsta" and will be centered on Anthony Anderson's character, Dre, who is working on an advertising campaign with Brown's character. Dre finds himself torn when Tracee Ellis Ross' character, Bow and Jenifer Lewis' character, Ruby, aren't thrilled about Richard, since he plays on negative stereotypes.

When the news of Brown’s upcoming appearance on the show broke, people on Twitter seemed to more than bristle at the idea. The rapper infamously pleaded guilty to felony assault for an attack on ex-girlfriend Rihanna hours before the 2009 Grammy Awards.

Chief communications officer for the National Domestic Hotline, Camika Crawford, told Fox News she hopes that Brown’s appearance on the ABC show will spark a conversation about domestic violence.

"Society tends to overlook incidents of domestic violence with celebrities and people they look up because it can be hard for you to think about that person in the light of them being controlling or abusive," Crawford told us.

It seems like everywhere Brown goes, trouble follows.

Wednesday Brown was booed off stage in Reno, Nevada, after refusing to perform. Ticket-holders were refunded their money.

'Booze Traveler' Jack Maxwell opens up about bizarre beverages and wildest trips

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 11:00:00 -0400

If your dream job is to travel the world drinking cocktails made from insect venom or cow's blood, then Jack Maxwell, host of the Travel Channel’s “Booze Traveler,” is the man you want to be.

The former actor, who hails from Boston, now traverses the globe, meeting people from different cultures, while sampling some of the planets more unusual libations.

Now filming season four of the show, Maxwell says his love of travel and storytelling comes from his days in south Boston pubs, shining shoes and shooting the breeze over beers.

Fox News recently spoke with 54-year-old Maxwell in Los Angeles, and he shared a few of his favorite stories from the road, leaving our minds officially blown and our palates officially thirsty for more.

Fox News: What are some of the strangest drinks you've ever encountered?

Jack Maxwell: I’d say in Peru, in the native villages of the Amazon, it’s called chicha. It’s made from fermented corn. Also in Peru in the market, they skin a frog, and throw it in a blender-- it’s still alive now and they blend it in front of you.

I’ve had cow’s blood with the Maasai. They cut the neck, and it goes into a gourd with honey wine.

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In Cambodia, I drank tarantula venom wine. They catch them, snip their fangs, put them in a rice-based spirit and in a few hours or days you drink it. They pour it in the glass and they put a dead tarantula in the bottom, and then it comes out and it falls on your face. And I mean a tarantula like the size of your hand.

Fox News: Have you ever gotten sick from anything you've had to eat or drink?

Maxwell: Nothing’s ever made me sick. I take all the required immunizations. Before season one or two, I had nine shots in a week, but some last for years. We’re filming season four now, but in the whole show, I’ve only ever missed taping on one episode. I got the stomach flu in Brazil. But we all got sick. The whole crew.

Fox News: Are you ever scared to be in remote places being the only foreigner around?

Maxwell: I’ve never experienced an ounce of racism. People around the world judge you based on what kind of guy you are.

No one has ever said anything to me about being white or an American. We’re sitting down over cocktails, that makes us all a little color blind -- if not blind drunk.

I’ve had to be cautious. I’ve had a boa constrictor around my neck that could have squished me. I’ve run with the bulls in Madagascar, and that was dangerous, but [I've encountered] more natural disasters than people intending to do us harm.

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Fox News: What’s the biggest surprise you’ve had while traveling?

Maxwell: I get surprised all the time and that’s the beauty of travel. The people you meet when you duck inside little cafes. The show is really focused on the people and the cultures. The drink just gets us in the door.

I was in Norway and I found that the indigenous people have a great sense of humor. These people who were spared by the Vikings, because they thought they were shamans. They’re super-funny people.

In Mongolia, people just go walking all the time. Sometimes traveling hundreds of miles as nomads. I asked one guy what it’s like to not have a house, and he looked at me and he felt sorry for me, and he said, “The land is our living room, the sky is our roof.”

Fox News: You're on the road a lot but what do you consider vacation versus travel?

Maxwell: Hawaii is a vacation. But to live, to feel the blood pulsing through my veins, I want to sail through a fjord in Norway. I want to go to Turkey, a 99 percent Muslim country, and drink with folks. That’s what turns me on. You’d have to be dead not to enjoy this. I’m having the time of my life. Who knew the highlight would happen in this part of my life.

Fox News: What do you think makes you uniquely equipped to handle this kind of extreme travel?

Maxwell: I’m good at this because I’m an Irish kid from Boston and I easily become familiar with strangers. I have an appreciation of it and you never know what it’s going to be like with the Maasai or Sumo wrestlers. I’ve realized we have so much more in common than differences. Everyone wants to love and be loved and at the end of the day, they want to kickoff with a cocktail.

'I Am Heath Ledger' director: Actor 'was excited about every breath he took'

Mon, 24 Apr 2017 10:22:00 -0400

A new feature-length documentary pays homage to late actor Heath Ledger's life as an actor, artist, friend, and father.

“I Am Heath Ledger” premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival Sunday, and director Derrik Murray hopes audiences will come away understanding what an inspiring person Ledger was.

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“We started to learn little by little about his fascination with film and photography, and it started at a really young age,” Murray told Fox News. “Then when we talked to his friends we realized this wasn’t just a hobby, but something he was really serious about. That was something most people didn’t know about him. His fans didn’t know he was infatuated with being a director.”

Ledger died at the age of 28, in 2008, of cardiac arrest due to a prescription drug overdose. The film is told through interviews with those closest to the Oscar-nominee, including Ledger's parents, siblings, his “Brokeback Mountain,” director Ang Lee, and famous friends Ben Harper, Naomi Watts, and Djimon Hounsou.

The doc is packed with raw film footage taken by Ledger, outtakes of music videos he’d shot, and photos of him behind the camera on film sets.

“He was optioning scripts and he choose movies based on who was directing, so he could learn more about the craft… This guy was a true artist beyond what we see on the screen,” Murray said.

Ang Lee talks about how Ledger was fearless looking at dailies of himself. His friends talk about how he used his camera on himself to see how he moved and looked, all in an effort to hone his acting skills.

But off the set, on red carpets or press tours, Murray says, Ledger was uncomfortable. At one point in the doc, several of Ledger's friends talk about his almost eerie premonition that his life would be cut short.

Murray says it stemmed from Ledger’s interest in artist, Nick Drake, a 70s British singer-songwriter, who at the age of 26, died from an overdose. His death was determined to be a suicide.

“Besides being a multifaceted artist, Heath was influenced by and loved music, and when you see that section of the film, and friends talk about Heath’s own mortality, it’s in sync with the story around Drake and to some degree his [Ledger’s] new fatherhood [Ledger's girlfriend, actress, Michelle Williams had recently had a daughter together] – you bring a new person into the world and you think, 'I'm not going to be there forever.'

"With the depth of his sensitivity it was certainly something in his mind. It wasn’t thematic to the movie or reoccurring. It was around the time of the breakup [Ledger had recently broken up with Williams] and the filming of the ‘The Dark Night,’” Murray said.

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Williams was not interviewed in the film, but Murray says he never would have made the doc without her full support.

“At the end of the day, you get a sense of the depth of their relationship and their beautiful daughter and Heath’s story somewhat continues.

"Heath really kept his friends close. For us, it was really important that we had their trust and bring his school friends on-camera along with the family. They were very valuable and all of them are respectful and few people would have come in front of our cameras without the support of Michelle and the family,” Murray said.

The film portrays Ledger as being at his happiest and most proud of his work as the Joker in “The Dark Night,” but very near to the time of his death, Murray says the actor was suffering from insomnia, had pneumonia, was traveling a lot, and was taking prescription drugs.

In the end, Murray says the film is an important testament to Ledger’s willingness to live life to the fullest. “He was immersed in taking risks, whether it was creating images, videos or acting, it all provided him with a very inspired life. He was excited about every breath he took and loved life. I hope people will come away with that,” Murray says.

After the Tribeca festival, “I Am Heath Ledger” can be seen on May 3 for a one- night special event in select theaters across the country.

Spike TV premieres the film at 10PM ET/PT on May 17.

Canadian beer maker trolls President Trump with release of ‘Fake News Ale’

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 08:30:00 -0400

A Canadian brewery is releasing a new beer featuring President Donald Trump on the can-- but it's not exactly celebrating the American leader.

The craft brew, called Fake News Ale, is described by Toronto-based Northern Maverick brewing as “an easy-drinking beer,” perfect for “long discussions over world events with friends,” and pairs well with “small hands, striking comb overs, HUUUUGE egos, and all things Mexican.” And it's a mild 5 percent ABV, comparable to Budweiser.

Jason Kaptyn, founder Northern Maverick told Fox News, that each can sells for $2.23 (or three Canadian dollars).

"I was watching the news then "Saturday Night Live," while drinking six Ontario craft tall boys, and wondering if I could write a few jokes and raise money for a great cause at the same time," Kaptyn says.

The company is donating five percent from every can sold of “Fake News Ale” to what they're saying will “help reverse a questionable policy" being promoted by the president. The brewer intends to invite customers to nominate worthy causes on its site in the coming weeks to determine which charities will receive the proceeds.

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"We are going to provide a list of charitable causes on our website that can be voted on by the public. People can also write in a cause if they wish," Kaptyn says.

As for the other charitable beers, Northern Maverick hasn't decided on a cause or a focus for the next one. Kaptyn says that additional philanthropic ales will be released in six to 18 month increments.

The beer’s tagline is “Make beer great again," and Kaptyn adds that, "No free speech was harmed or sent out of the press room in the making of this beer."

This isn’t the first time someone has come up with a way to food-troll a politician.

Avery’s beverages created sodas for the presidential candidates running in 2016. Trump's was an acidic, bold grape flavor that tasted more like the actual fruit than the usual purple soda.

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Avery also offered a Hillary Clinton-themed beverage, called “Hillary Hooch”-- a berry-flavored soda with a “classified” marking on the label (get it?). Despite the confidential nature of the drink, it was a combination of raspberry and strawberry flavors with a hint of lemon.

A Baja California, Mexico-based beer, Cerveza Cucapá, also figured out a way to trick then candidate-Trump supporters into buying beer for Mexicans.

Cucapá brewed up a batch of blue t-shirts emblazoned with a picture of the presidential candidate, smiling, with his thumbs up, with the words “I Support Donald” beneath it.

The shirts were sold along beach boardwalks in southern California, and the proceeds went to buying a few rounds of beer for customers in Mexico.

When the sun hit the shirts, however, a red clown-nose appeared on Trump's face.

A healthier high seas vacation? Weight Watchers launches wellness cruise

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 13:34:00 -0400

If you’re the sort who makes a beeline to the all-you-can-eat buffet the moment you board a cruise ship, then MSC Cruise Line’s seven-night Caribbean excursion out of Miami next month is definitely not for you.

But if you’d like to return home and slip into those slacks that were a tad too tight when you left, a week aboard the luxury liner might be just the ticket.

It’s a wellness cruise, a partnership between Geneva-based MSC and Weight Watchers International — just the latest in a growing list of “theme” trips that cruise lines are offering to reach out to new customers.

“Fitness travel has been booming, and it's transferring over to cruising,” says Darlene Carenza, director of marketing for the travel agency CruConCruiseOutlet. “The cruise lines are working hard to overcome the stigma of lack of activity.”

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MSC’s cruises have focused on health and wellness for some time, Rick Sasso, chairman of MSC North America, tells Fox News. “We've had a category called wellness, and within that we have special services for those who want to indulge in a wellness experience.”

Citing a popular vegan-holistic cruise, Sasso said the days of gluttony at sea are over for many travelers. The Weight Watchers venture is about changing with the times and targeting a more affluent demographic, he said.

Jeri Donovan, owner of Well Traveled, a wellness travel agency, said she’s seen an uptick in fitness and wellness travel since she started her business in 2012.

“People want yoga classes, Pilates, fitness, healthy cuisine, a spa with an array of treatments … and the whole focus is mind, body and soul,” she said.

“I just booked six millennial-aged women on a bachelorette trip. They wanted a holistic weekend. I gave them five choices.”

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River cruises, many of which cater to American vacationers, used to be all about shopping and visiting museums, but they’ve recently introduced “go active” excursions in Europe and Asia and on the Nile in Egypt, Donovan said.

Guests can go kayaking in France and hiking or bicycling on the Rhine, and they can take guided bike tours through Budapest. “It’s a reflection of our times,” she said. “People are trying to take control of their health.”

Royal Caribbean, which currently offers a variety of fitness options that include rock wall climbing, fly wheel classes, surfing, ice-skating and roller-skating, has been the trendsetter in fitness, Carenza said, adding that Celebrity Cruises has homed in on the holistic wellness experience.

And if weight loss is the goal, there’s a bevy of vacation opportunities, Donovan said. The Ranch at Malibu offers a seven-day exercise vacation for customers who want to lose 3 to 6 percent of their body fat. It includes four hour hikes, fitness classes and a clean menu — for $7,200 per person.

And then there are the Biggest Losers resorts, which average around $2,500 per person for a week.

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“Mostly I get more people looking for fitness and well-being rather than just to lose weight,” Donovan said.

Weight Watchers has been working since 2015 to branch out from its longtime weight-loss model into a program that centers on health and wellness lifestyles.

“I’ve always been a fan of the cruise industry, and when we looked at Weight Watchers customers and cruise customers, they’re a very similar group,” said Ryan Nathan, Weight Watchers’ vice president of products, licensing and e-commerce. “We gravitated to the cruise to expand what we’re doing and find new ways to extend it.”

But the Weight Watchers cruise isn’t all about watching your weight.

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“Weight Watchers is about living life to the fullest and enjoying life and everything in moderation,” Nathan said. “We say don’t deprive yourself, but have a small portion and count and track what you’re having for the day and the week.

“Within our member base, the response was so enthusiastic. It’s a great environment to practice every day in a safe way with other members, and have a sense of community.”

The cabin blocs for the Weight Watchers cruise have sold out, and at a higher cost — an average of $945 per person — than MSC would normally charge. It's cheaper than some of the wellness spas frequented by celebrities like Hugh Jackman but is just a few hundred dollars over what you'd pay for standard accommodations on a Norwegian or Carnival cruise to the Caribbean for the same length of time.

The Divina will have four ports of call where passengers can hike, snorkel, dive and just get physical. A second Weight Watchers cruise is in the works for Nov. 11.

United slammed across social media, experts warn dragging incident may cause lasting damage

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 15:03:00 -0400

A shocking video involving a United Airlines passenger being forefully removed from his seat and dragged out of the plane has drawn widespread outrage on social media, with many experts warning that it could do permanent damage to the brand.

On Tuesday, two days after the incident, United CEO Oscar Munez issued a public apology to the customer, but airline insiders and branding professionals say it may be too little, too late.

“Social media and cell phones have changed everything. It used to be said a picture was worth a thousand words, well, a video is worth millions, and a viral video worth multi-millions,” Paul Hudson, president of FlyersRights.org, the largest non-profit consumer organization in the U.S. representing airline passengers, told Fox News.

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“We saw it with police shootings and that changed legal guidelines, then we saw children being gassed in Syria, and that changed a president’s mind and policies, and you can’t underestimate that,” Hudson says.

The Flyers Rights president also says his group hopes this latest incident will be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back when it comes to securing more rights for modern fliers.

“Right now U.S. carriers are at the bottom in terms of customer satisfaction in surveys done. The only industry that comes in lower is cable television,” he says.

The backlash over the dragging incident, which clearly hit a nerve with passengers who have long criticized carriers' cost-cutting measures (like seat shrinking and overbooking), has yet to die down.

Late Tuesday, the hashtag #NewUnitedAirlinesMottos, devoted to tongue-in-cheek catchphrases meant to replace the airline’s “fly the friendly skies” advertising tagline, was popping up all over the Internet.

But of course this isn’t the first time airline employees or airport officials have been caught with a cell phone and then called out on social media when things go viral.

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Just last month, United faced widespread backlash after refusing boarding priveleges to teenage girls wearing leggings. Though the young women were flying free under the airline's guest pass program-- and therefore required to adhere to a stricter code of dress-- celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and William Shatner blasted the airline for the policy.

In March 2016, two intoxicated women on a Spirit flight from Baltimore to Los Angeles started playing music loudly and, when fellow passengers started to complain, the women started to play the music louder-- and then a fight broke out. The mayhem was recorded and posted to a passenger’s Instagram page.

William "Rick" Crandall, Ph.D., chair and professor of management, marketing and International Business Department at University of North Carolina at Pembroke, says flight attendants and staff must now always be aware that cell phones are on them at all times, and “their customer service is being scrutinized both before and after the flight.

The professor continued, "We live in a virtual world, and social media is recording it.”

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Though social media trends come and go, in this new digital world where posts live forever online, experts say the dragging incident is likely to impart serious, longterm damage to the legacy carrier's brand.

Jim Linder, president and owner of marketing firm Fresh Branding Group suggests it might take United years to recover.

"They can’t stop people from using smart phones. It's a PR disaster for United," Linder told Fox News. "They’re going to have to run advertisements to convince passengers they are the "friendly skies," because they certainly haven't behaved that way."

Hudson says if United goes under it would affect many thousands of employees and suppliers.

"This airline has gone bankrupt twice, and it may not survive this time if passengers defect," Hudson says.

Hollywood braces for another writer's strike

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 14:52:00 -0400

Hollywood is bracing for an industry earthquake that could shake television to its bone, causing millions or even billions of dollars’ worth of damage — a writer’s strike.

Though a seemingly limitless number of broadcast networks, cable networks and Internet-based providers like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu raked in $51 billion in profits last year, the writers who created all their entertainment say they didn't get a fair slice of the pie. In fact, they say, their slice is getting smaller every year.

Now the earth is rumbling with rumors that they may take to the picket lines, just as they did in 2007, when a 100-day writers’ strike shuttered production of more than 60 TV shows and lost the networks millions in advertising money.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have been in heated negotiations for the last month. They will return to the bargaining table on Monday after a two-week hiatus.

The writers are seeking to strengthen their health and pension benefits and to improve their contract and royalty arrangements.

"For the last five or so years, on the one hand, the companies have seen a boom from the growth in TV,” said Chris Keyser, co-chair of the WGA negotiating committee. “There's been an ability to reach a huge number of people around the world at any time.

“On the other hand, writers have seen their fees go down by 23 percent."

Keyser said today’s TV shows offer fewer episodes than they used to and take longer to shoot, meaning the writers’ fees are stretched over longer periods of time. Other issues being discussed are low script fees and residuals for streaming and cable shows.

“It used to be that you’d create a show, and you’d get a percentage of the back end or the residuals,” said TV producer Kenchy Ragsdale, former head of development for Sofia Vergara’s production company, Raze. Another issue is the writers’ health plan. "Costs are up, and contributions are capped at our incomes,” Keyser said. “We've been in the red three of the last five years."

Unidentified sources told the Hollywood Reporter that negotiators for the studios have offered to fund 80 percent of the guild’s health care shortfall, around $45 million, with wage diversions — money that would otherwise go toward wage increases. They want the WGA to address the rest of the deficit, about $11 million.

Such a plan would essentially force an increase in premiums. The guild’s health care plan currently covers individuals at no cost and families for $600 per year.

The studios are suggesting that the guild also cut benefits or increase the earnings requirement — currently $38,302 per year — for writers to be eligible for coverage.

According to the Hollywood Reporter’s sources, the writers have rejected those suggestions and are seeking an increase of $67.5 million to the health care fund and as much as two 0.5 percent wage diversions in years two and three of a three-year contract — up to $22.5 million, for a total of up to $90 million.

The guild is asking for a 3 percent increase in minimums, script fees for the lowest paid writers and increased residuals from streaming services. Negotiations appear to be at a stalemate.

"Our objective continues to be to reach an agreement with the WGA at the bargaining table,” said the AMPTP’s spokesperson Jarryd Gonzales. “We hope the guild will engage with us on the issues in that forum when negotiations resume on April 10th."

"We took almost 50 percent off the table from our negotiations,” and they responded with key rollbacks,” Keyser said. “This is not a sufficient response. We didn’t counter, and they said don’t bother coming back to the table.

"We’ve agreed to come Monday to begin a conversation. If we were to strike — and we’re many steps away from that — every writer would put their pens down, and even if something is in the middle of production, the writers will stop writing."

On Monday, the WGA will poll its members for a strike authorization vote, with online voting to run April 19 to 24.

If there is a strike, it will come while broadcasters are officially on hiatus. But several cable and digital series are slated to be in production in May, including Netflix’ "Marvel" dramas and the comedy “One Day at a Time”; HBO’s “Divorce”; CBS All Access’ “Star Trek: Discovery”; and FX’s “American Horror Story.”

No one wants a strike, says Graham Yost, executive producer and showrunner on Amazon’s “Sneaky Pete.”

“We all get paid well because we’re highly skilled and there’s a demand for what we can do,” he said. “But when the rules change under your feet, it just doesn’t seem fair.”

Movie theaters are bringing in audiences in record numbers

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 20:30:00 -0400

Despite the offerings of streaming networks and video-on-demand, movie theaters are seeing tremendous audiences this year.

Ticket sales and domestic grosses haven't been this high since 2004, and with the current revenue for the first three months of 2017, so far the box office totals are on track to beat last year’s record $11 billion, according to Box Office Mojo.

And a study conducted by the National Association of Theater Owners found that more people are going to the theater than all professional sporting events combined.

One reason is that the studios, taking a page from premium cable and streaming channels such as Netflix, are doling out their films on an ongoing basis, not just waiting for the traditional summertime or award-season release times, says Leslie Combemale, a film critic at Cinema Siren.

“Studios are releasing films throughout the year, and people are getting excited about that,” she said. “And there are so many platforms available, and movie theaters and studios are watching that.”

“King Kong,” was released in early March, an extremely unusual time in the year for a big budget film, and it’s currently one of the top grossing films of 2017.

Also, many of this year’s blockbuster films were released in IMAX and 3D, where ticket prices are higher, she said, citing "Captin America: Civil War," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Logan" as examples.

Disney, which includes LucasFilm, Pixar and Marvel, is laying out a slate of movies and choosing its release dates three or four years ahead of time, forcing other studios to work around them by distributing their films throughout the year, said Patrick Corcoran, vice president and chief communications officer of The National Association of Theater Owners.

He said Amazon wants its films in the theaters first, and it wants to keep them in the theaters. “Manchester By the Sea” is still in theaters.

“They’re committed to the idea and they say their customers believe that movies that stay in theaters longer are higher quality, and it makes them more likely to go,” he said.

Theaters also have made some impressive changes to the movie going experience in recent years. They’ve dramatically improved their audio and video, they’ve redesigned their seats and they’re enabling customers to reserve specific ones.

“We’ve changed projection technology,” Corcoran said. “Some people prefer film to digital, but film degrades and shutters, and so people seeing it a few weeks in find it’s not as good. Digital doesn’t change.”

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While larger seats may mean fewer seats, audiences “love it,” Corcoran said, adding that the companies are making more money even with fewer seats. And being able to reserve seats gives people more time to stop at the concession stands — a big part of how theaters make their money.

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Though admission prices haven’t risen significantly, revenue has.

“Since 2001, we’ve had two recessions and unemployment rose to 10 percent,” Corcoran said. “With the average medium income today back to what it was in 2000, essentially we’ve managed to grow in a horrific economy, and looking ahead we’re poised for more growth.”

But regardless of Corcoran’s upbeat projections, the movie business is tricky. A film is usually released to cable or a streaming network after around 90 days in theaters, but audiences are increasingly demanding earlier releases to homes, and studios are putting pressure on theaters to comply.

The theater owners, understandably, are less than enthusiastic about the idea. They believe audiences will stay home and wait if films become available for rent or purchase within weeks of their release.

In 2011, Universal hoped to release “Tower Heist” a scant two weeks after it premiered in theaters, and theater owners threated to boycott the film. In 2015, when Paramount tried to get AMC theaters to allow an early release of “Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension,” Regal snubbed the movie altogether.

Looking for a clean hotel? Don't just trust ratings

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 08:29:00 -0400

When you’re booking your next hotel stay, you may want to look past the star ratings and have a gander at the cost and reviews. You may find some surprises.

The Amerisleep mattress company surveyed 8,000 publicly available inspection reports from over 3,400 hotels, motels and inns in Florida in 2015 and 2016, then compared the hotels’ star ratings with their average nightly room rates and TripAdvisor ratings.

Some of their findings were astonishing.

One of their discoveries was that 2-star hotels had the most issues with clean bedding and linen — but they had just one violation more than 5-star hotels. If you’re a fan of clean sheets, the 4-star lodgings had three times fewer violations than the 5-stars.

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But when you disregard the stars and go only by price, things become more predictable: The more you pay, the cleaner the bedding. Hotels that charged less than $100 a night had six times as many clean-bedding violations as hotels that charged $500 or more.

And contrary to what some may think, reviews matter. Amerisleep found that as TripAdvisor ratings went up, incidents of violations went down.

“According to the ratings and reviews on hotelscombined.com, typically properties that are 4-5 stars receive an 8-9.5 out of 10 for cleanliness, and properties with 3 stars or less receive 6-8 out of 10,” said Chris Rivett, Hotels Combined’s travel expert.

“This shows that while hotels across the board meet their guests’ expectations when it comes to cleanliness, hotels with high star ratings are consistently delivering high levels of service to live up to the expectation of their guests who are paying for a premium experience.”

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Here are a few other items guaranteed to bug germophobes:

--When Travel Math and air-quality experts EmLab P&K analyzed 36 samples taken from nine different hotels in the 3-star to 5-star range, they found that the average hotel room is dirtier than a typical home, airplane or school.

-A study conducted by the hotel review site Oyster found that hotel coffee mugs, water glasses, light switches and remote controls were hotbeds for bacteria such as E.coli.

-- As reported by Telegraph Travel, bathrooms are the cleanest places in a hotel room — much cleaner than mattresses and duvet covers — because they are the most thoroughly cleaned by hotel staff.

--Finally, according to Amerisleep, 4- and 5-star hotels do a good job of keeping vermin in check, but they’re not as good as they should be at keeping dishes clean for room service.

'Sushi doughnuts' are the prettiest food mashup to invade Instagram

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 09:45:00 -0400

The world is full of crazy food mashups, but it's pretty hard to miss this wildly colorful creation. Behold the sushi doughnut.

The basic concept of a sushi doughnut is simple: White rice and seafood are molded into a ring shape, then more fish is artfully arranged and piled high on top of the rice. It’s basically a beautiful circle of sushi, which explains why the craze is especially popular among Instagram users.

Though the first sushi doughnut posts started appearing last summer, some of the most extravagant examples — and maybe the most share-worthy — can be found at Miami hot-spot NaiYaRa, where executive chef Danny Khoetchapalayook is taking the dish to a new high-end level.

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Khoetchapalayook tells Fox News he was inspired after seeing similar recipes online, but he’s raising the bar with premium ingredients like uni (sea urchin), lkura (salmon roe), taraba kani (king crab) and even-non traditional items like shaved black truffle — with the cost of his intricately designed doughnuts hovering around $25 apiece.

“We don't want to have a standard tuna doughnut being served,” explains the chef. “We want to create a NaiYaRa specialty, which is a selection that is pleasing to the eye and palate.”

But where did this food trend really start?

Like many viral posts, it can be hard to pinpoint an exact origin but New Zealand-based recipe blogger and cookbook author Sam Murphy considers herself to be the godmother of the sushi doughnut after developing a fish-free version last summer. She later shared a video tutorial on her Instagram account SoBeautifullyReal.

As she tells Fox News, Murphy got the idea for a sushi donut after a similar dish she created last year — a vegan sushi burger — went viral overnight.

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"After purchasing some donut molds, I thought it would be a fun idea to mold some sticky sushi rice in them and decorate it … I hadn't seen them done anywhere," says Murphy.

"I didn't think much of it at the time as it was simply just for fun, but not long after posting on my Instagram [the posts] took off and I saw many recreations — both with fish or without — and even a few crazy colorful ones where users had colored the sushi rice with natural food dye," she adds.

The dish has now become so popular, that sushi doughnuts are popping up on food blogs, and Instagram accounts from all over the globe, with more and more restaurants eager to embrace the fad.

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But while Khoetchapalayook, of NaiYaRa, continues to push the sushi envelope with his over-the-top creations, he credits Jiro, the famed Japanese sushi chef from Tokyo, as the father of sushi-- and his ultimate inspiration.

"Jiro has set the standard for sushi chefs around the world,” says Khoetchapalayook.

“I may make extravagant Japanese fusion dishes like the doughnut, toro tartare and our specialty sushi dishes, but I always keep in mind the standards, traditions and quality that has been set by Jiro.”

Business is booming for the naked travel industry

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 08:00:00 -0400

Whether it’s hanging out on the beach, cruising the Greek isles, dining on a five-course vegan meal, or finding your Zen, some folks just want to do it all-- naked.

But are these uninhibited adventurers just looking to let it all hang out or truly get wild?

The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) is the largest organization of its kind in North America. With roots dating back to 1931, the association serves over 200,000 members throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and beyond.

According to the AANR, would-be nude vacationers should understand the different types of leisure opportunities out there before booking. Traditional nudist clubs are actually far less sexually charged than places where bikinis, thongs, or other provocative clothing are worn.

So nudists take note: many of the resorts, cruises and activities that identify themselves as "clothing optional," can sometimes mean "swingers" welcome.

Regardless, nudist travel is booming, says Nancy Tiemann, president and co-owner of Bare Necessities Tour & Travel, which has been in business since she and her co-founder/ex-husband first booked 30 nude travelers on a sailboat 27 years ago.

Today, they're booking hundreds of travelers at a time, filling up ships. “We’ve grown exponentially,” Tiemann said.

Looking to get in on the bare bones action?

Here are five vacations and activities you can do wearing nothing but a big smile.

1. Try big boating in the buff.

Bare Necessities Tour & Travel may offer cruises where patrons relax in the buff, but they’re hardly bare-bones. An all-inclusive Tahiti cruise on the Paul Gauguin hosts nearly 300 people and runs from $15,000 to $20,000 per couple. Tiemann said several guests also booked over-water bungalows, owned by the Sofitel hotel, for $1,000 a day, per person, prior to cruising.

2. Resort without the robe.

Cypress Cove resort ranked No. 1 out of 58 "specialty resorts" reviewed on Trip Advisor. Open for 54 years, the Kissimmee, Fla. getaway is one of just a few family-friendly nudist resorts. The newly remodeled property offers two pools, a lake, a clothing store, aptly called Fig Leaf, and two restaurants-- one is cheekily named Cheeks.

Jeffrey Baldasarre, director of sales and marketing for Cypress Cove, told Fox News that guests range in age from 47 to 65, but they’re working on bringing in more millennials.

Want to head south of the border? Try Hidden Beach Resort in Cancun, Mexico, it's the only 5-star “au natural” resort in Mexico, according to specialist travel agency Go Away Nude.

Go Away Nude says this retreat has upscale food and "it’s more exclusive, quiet, and laidback." This vacation spot is recommended for novice nudists.

3. Namaste Nude

Naked in Motion says it seeks to provide safe, inclusive spaces where people can exercise in the nude.

"We’re blazing a new trail in the world of fitness, yoga, and nudism, and we're challenging the very definition of nudity in favor of equity, looking towards a future where all people can comfortably experience the liberation and empowerment of [the] Naked! movement," according to the website.

If you're not fully ready to disrobe, women and those who identify as transgender, have the option of practing their downward dogs with bottoms on.

4. Stay fit while naked

The “Philly Naked Bike Ride,' is a free ride taking cyclists through a 10-mile stretch of Philadelphia. In 2016, nearly 3,000 people participated in the clothing optional event which lasted about three hours. The next ride is set to take place Sept. 10. But is it legal? Read the FAQ on its website.

Marathoners may take to the “Bare Buns Fun Run," which has been running (literally) for 31 years. Runners start at the Kaniksu Ranch in Washington, a family nudist resort, running au natural through the woods for a 3-mile sprint. But the fun doesn’t end when the race does. In fact, the festivities take place for an entire weekend. This year, the Bare Buns Fun Run takes off July 30.

5. Nude Dining

The Bunyadi is the only clothing-optional restaurant in London. The pop-up restaurant which opened in June, is the brainchild of Seb Lyall, an avant-garde restaurateur behind the “Breaking Bad” themed cocktail bar.

Traditionalists may balk at Lyall’s idea, but the Pangea-themed restaurant has a waiting list of over 30,000 people, according to the Independent.

Starbucks has another new initiative -- are consumers over it?

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 13:43:00 -0400

Starbucks wants liberals and conservatives to talk to each other, not just yell across the aisle-- and they’re encouraging that discourse by offering a complimentary cup of coffee.

The idea is a collaboration with "‘Hi from the Other Side," a startup founded by Harvard Business School student Henry Tsai, and the Seattle-based coffee giant.

Tsai told Fox News that he started the project after the presidential election, when he believed people in the U.S. were talking past each other and not having civil conversations.

"I believe in the power of hearing people’s stories. So I think that face-to-face or one-on-one conversations over phone or video chat can help us see that," said Tsai. "'Hey, this is someone who also wants what’s best for the country. Maybe they’re not dumb or evil after all.'"

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Participants of any political leaning can sign up using a Facebook app. They will then be matched with someone in close physical proximity who identifies with an opposing political party. Both users then receive half of the information needed to unlock a Starbucks gift card. When both of the parties meet, they must work together to solve riddle, and can then collect their gift card.

“We’re happy be able to get involved with activities like this that bring people together – in fact, we do this all the time,” a Starbucks spokesperson told Fox News via email.

Starbucks added that this is not a formal partnership or initiative, but a limited contribution of under 300 gift cards, offered as “a gesture of support" provided to customers, partners and organizations pursuing "positive social impact."

Though the new collaboration may be limited, the coffee chain is no stranger to making political statements, and has endured plenty of pushback.

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In 2012, Starbucks' support for the legalization of same-sex marriage sparked calls for a boycott, and in 2013, Schultz declared Starbucks' U.S. stores as gun-free zones -- which resulted in gun-rights activists intentionally bringing firearms to stores during a "Bring Your Gun to Starbucks Day" organized via social media.

During the presidential election, followers of then-president elect Trump took to Starbucks, asking baristas to write “Trump” on their cups in a movement known as #TrumpCup.

In January, in response to President Trump’s travel ban and suspension of America’s refugee program, Starbucks’ CEO, Howard Schultz, vowed to hire 10,000 refugees worldwide, causing Trump supporters to threaten a boycott of the company.

Dan Hill, CEO of Hill Impact, a firm that works with celebrities, nonprofits, and businesses performing reputation and crisis management, told Fox News that when it comes to Starbucks’ political initiatives, it cuts both ways always.

“We saw what happened with Chick-fil-A, people were boycotting, but then others lined up to support it. It depends on your ideology,” Hill says.

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“As much as people may complain about Starbucks, you don’t see much of an impact in terms of sales… the biggest point is that it has to be consistent with the mission and values the business lives and breathes every day. If you try to be timely or catch fire, that’s when it backfires," Hill said.

He added, "In the case of the “Race Together” campaign it seemed like they were trying to capitalize on something in the news."

As for the latest attempt, Tsai says he's gotten a lot of positive feedback from those involved.

A Trump supporter wrote: "This is a great tool to help us all better understand the other side. We had a great hour and a half conversation. We both respected each other’s position. I would like to have more conversations with others from the ‘other side.'"

A Clinton supporter wrote: “I want to reiterate how grateful I am for this program. It was a great experience learning about each other’s lives and dreams, talking civilly about where we diverge, and finding surprising amounts of common ground.”

Bad boy chefs Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay don't represent reality, insiders say

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 12:15:00 -0400

Fans of cooking shows like "Hell's Kitchen" are all too familiar with swearing celebrity chefs and over-the-top kitchen antics, but food industry insiders say they don't represent reality.

The cursing, the social media jabs, the on-air scuffles, the hurling of foodstuffs — it all makes for great entertainment, but many in the culinary world say chefs on some of these popular TV cooking shows aren't showing what kitchens are really like-- and may be casting a negative shadow on the profession as a whole.

Brendan Walsh, dean of culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America, says he can't watch a lot of the cooking shows currently airing today.

"It’s such a bad representation. We hold ourselves to a higher standard of professionalism," Walsh told Fox News. "Really, the modern chefs are guys looking at how to engender creativity, and you can’t do that with people running scared."

But Walsh thinks the era of the bad boy chef may be coming an end.

"I think it’s starting to flip to the other side. People think, 'Oh, it’s just another drug-addict crazy person who found their way in the culinary profession,'" he adds.

ANTHONY BOURDAIN SAYS HE WILL NEVER EAT AT TRUMP'S DC HOTEL RESTAURANTS

Chef, author and television personality Anthony Bourdain is a graduate himself from the Culinary Institute of America.

He became known for his 2000 betselling book "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly," which chronicled the darker side of rising through the ranks of some of the world's toughest kitchens. Since then, Bourdain has become a household name after hosting numerous food and travel series on Food Network, Travel Channel and, mostly recently, "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown," which debuted on CNN in 2013.

Bourdain is infamous for his unapologetic attacks on other celebrity chefs, going after famous faces like Rocco DiSpirito, Emeril Lagasse, Alice Waters, Rachael Ray, Adam Richman, Paula Deen and Guy Fieri, to name a few.

And then there's the notoriously foul-mouthed, award-winning Gordon Ramsay. The British chef is similarly liberal with his culinary crituques, many of which he spouts on his four top-rated Fox shows — “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Masterchef,” “Masterchef Jr.” and “Hotel Hell." (His new Fox series, "The F-Word," is scheduled to debut in May.) Ramsay is known for outrageous behavior in the kitchen, including his foul-mouthed outbursts and on-set scuffles with show contestants.

Dan Gainor, vice president of business and culture for the Media Research Center, says that television and social media platforms have forced some celebrities to sink to the lowest common denominator in order to be popular.

“Unfortunately, when you‘re trying to reach the common mass market, shock sells. They sell it as an entertainment,” Gainor told Fox News.

“Gordon Ramsay uses the F-bomb like salt to season his recipes. It is part of everything he does now."

Ross Pangilinan, chef and owner at Mix Mix in Santa Ana, Calif., told Fox News that most people understand shows like “Hell’s Kitchen” feature heightened drama, and aren't an accurate representation of all restaurant kitchens.

Pangilinan, who has worked in several Michelin-starred kitchens in New York and Paris, says, “I've heard stories of chefs throwing knives and pots at people … it can be the culture in super high-end chef-driven kitchens. But Le Bernardin was one of the most quiet and calm kitchens I’ve ever worked in," Pangilinan says.

On the other hand, Pangilinan says most high-end kitchens operate with military precision.

“The idea is to get better and better, and to work hard enough so you never get yelled at,” Pangilinan says.

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Robert J. Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for television and popular culture at Syracuse University, says being a celebrity chef also has elements in common with being a professional wrestler.

“Feuds and trash talk add an important dramatic foundation and an ongoing narrative,” Thompson told Fox News.

“It also seems that feuding chefs, like celebrity couples, get more attention together than they would have apart. This isn’t anything new, but Ramsay and Bourdain seem to really be serial feudists. It’s what they do,” he adds.

During an appearance at the Critics Association press tour, renowned chefs Alice Waters and Jacques Pepin made it clear how they felt about shows such as “Top Chef,” and “Chopped,” telling The Wrap that reality shows misrepresent the industry while promoting the “fast food culture” of American cuisine.

“It’s a disservice very often because this is not what cooking is all about,” Pepin said. “That kind of confrontation that you have there is not really how you learn to cook. Or how you understand food.”

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Gina Stipo, chef and owner of At the Italian Table in Louisville, Ky., says the bane of her existence is young guys who think that being a chef is all about being tattooed, doing drugs and sleeping with as many women as possible-- a trope possibly influenced by what people are seeing on TV.

“Where’s the respect for ingredients and the people you’re feeding? It’s all about the bad-boy image, and they see it on the Food network … it’s about being outrageous,” Stipo tells Fox News.

Despite the proliferation of cooking shows across many channels, Walsh still thinks the media only shows a very limited view of what it's really like to be a chef today.

"A chef is a lot larger than simply a crazy guy in the kitchen," Walsh told Fox News. "We’re involved in feeding people, health, nurturing people in a variety of types of settings. So to look at it through such a small lens, it’s not what a chef is anymore.

The chef added, "I’m happy networks are making good money from this, but I think this is misleading-- and leading young people away from this beautiful business with a lot of opportunities."

Fallon, Colbert virtually tied in late night war

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 04:00:00 -0400

It's official, according to recent Nielsen ratings, Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert are essentially neck-and-neck in the late night ratings war, with Colbert most-recently edging out Fallon by a slim margin for the eighth week in a row.

Over the past several months, Fallon's "Tonight Show" ratings have been falling as fast as Colbert’s "Late Show" numbers have been rising, leaving the two virtually tied.

This week, Fallon has averaged 2.7 million total viewers and Colbert has averaged 2.8 million. Still, Fallon has a higher rating with adults in the key demo of 18-49.

Back in February 2016, Fallon was bringing in 3.5 million total viewers, and Colbert was reeling in 2.5 million. By the same time this year, Fallon dropped to 2.9 million, and Colbert powered up to 2.9 million, according to Nielsen's February 2017 report.

Experts say the hosts' tone and recent takes on President Trump are the reason.

“Until Trump became president, Colbert's show was in big trouble. There was even talk of replacing him. But Colbert has beaten out Fallon when it comes to trenchant commentary and sarcasm dealing with the new administration and is pulling in viewers who want to see what Colbert will do next,” Joe Saltzman, professor at University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, told Fox News.

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Saltzman suggested Fallon has fallen into a kind of Jay Leno-type of predictable format, using impressions and contests between himself and a celebrity guest.

“As the news cycle continues on its breathless pace, Fallon is seeming a little out of it,” said Robert J. Thomson, professor of television and popular culture at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

Recently, however, Fallon appears to have added more and more political commentary to the show.

And Colbert hasn't been shy when it comes to skewering Trump on the air.

Nielsen numbers shows Colbert's audience has grown 29 percent compared to the same period last year, while Fallon has lost about 17 percent of his audience each year from the time he started until now.

But Thompson isn't sure Colbert will be able to hold on to his newly acquired viewers.

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“Even though Fallon is the least innovative in many people’s eyes, and critics agree, and they said the same thing about Leno, we’ll just have to see if Colbert’s politcal tack will stick with viewers,” Thompson said.

Bling Ring 2.0: Are celebs partly to blame for rash of robberies?

Tue, 28 Mar 2017 12:36:00 -0400

Call it the circle of strife.

In a roughly 10-mile radius of Los Angeles, celebrities are being targeted by thieves going after their pricey belongings.

The LAPD has launched a task force to investigate the robbery rash, which some are calling “Bling Ring 2.0” – a reference to the “Bling Ring” group famous for a string of star burglaries in 2008 and 2009.

But one expert says spending money on this type of policing is misplaced and claims the celebs may be partially to blame for the burglaries because they have are so lazy about their security.

Mark Chinapen, celebrity security expert and CEO of Big Time Affairs, believes the celebs need to be doing more to protect their property.

“Celebrities are the cheapest folks, and they always want to take shortcuts until it’s too late -- not locking doors or turning on security alarms. We’re wasting time putting a task force together when the celebrities aren’t doing their part,” Chinapen adds.

Kendall Jenner had $200,000 worth of jewelry stolen from a bedroom in her Hollywood Hills home on March 16, Alanis Morissette was robbed of $2 million in jewelry in February, and Nicki Minaj had $175,000 worth of jewelry and other valuables taken from her home.

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Other celebs hit by the recent Hollywood heists include Kevin Hart, Chris Brown, Scott Disick, Blac Chyna, Jamie Pressley and Cesar Millan.

All of the celebrities were struck when they were out of town, and the focus of the criminals has been stealing jewelry and cash from safes.

LAPD detective William Dunn told Fox News that he believes the majority of the burglaries are not inside jobs.

"They could be social media driven, and that could make the celebs a target, but in general most of these incidents are random,” he said. “A lot of people just don’t turn on their security systems. They leave everything in in the bedroom, and they don't hide things. They don't take the precautions and no one knows their neighbors anymore.”

KENDALL JENNER REPORTEDLY ROBBED OF $200G IN JEWELRY

In a news conference in mid-March, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that he and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck don’t think the celebrity burglary cases are related.

“Beck and the police department are committed to solving these cases,” Garcetti said. “We’ve seen pockets that have happened on the Westside [west San Fernando Valley] a while back, and we were able to break up one ring, but we don’t think that these ones are a single ring or any connection.”

Chinapen claims there are 45,000 gang members in Los Angeles, and this is how they make their money.

"Celebrities can afford to do what it takes to stay safe, but they take chances until it’s too late," Chinapen added.

Dunn said that most people who work for the celebrities -- domestic workers, gardeners and drivers -- are honest hard-working people and the finger is often pointed at them.

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London terror attacks: Is it safe to travel to the UK?

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 15:38:00 -0400

In the wake of Wednesday's deadly attacks just out side of London’s Parliament, many visitors are wondering how safe the city is now as they scramble for information.

Police in London are treating the attack as an act of terrorism, one of the most serious since the bus and train bombings that took place more than a decade ago.

Thursday, many tourists within the country expressed concern online, while those with travel plans to the U.K. are wondering whether to cancel.

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“I was planning to go to #London for tourism but that city is no longer safe. I canceled my plan, I'm extremely worried,” one potential traveler to London posted on Twitter.

Brianna Glenn, owner of Milk & Honey Travel, told Fox News that over the last couple of years, she’s seen quite a few of these types of events that often occur in areas frequented by tourists.

“I have people going to London next month, and they’ll come to me and ask me about cancelling, and what are the risks. I’ll discuss it with them,” Glenn said.

“But we have to be realistic and understanding that safety can’t be accurately predicted. We have to be sensible about risks, but I don’t want them to cheat themselves and live inside a safety bubble."

One of the biggest terrorist attacks in London occurred July 7, 2005. Sometimes referred to as "7/7," the series of synchronized terrorist suicide bombings in the central city targeted civilians using the public transport system during rush hour.

But Wednesday's attacks are unlikely to have any lasting effect, say tourism industry insider.

David Scowsill, the president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) told Fox News via email that his organization is "deeply saddened by yesterday's attack" but knows the city will remain strong.

He continued, "England and London specifically are very resilient tourism destinations. We do not expect this isolated incident to have an impact on people's decision to travel to the country nor its capital.

"As the security forces are investigating the attack, Londoners continue with their daily lives."

But more recently, France-- another major destination for American tourists-- has been hit hard by a series of devastating attacks. After the 2016 attacks in Nice, France, Glenn said she had one cancellation-- but that client wasn't even traveling to France.

"Sometimes it’s irrational," Glenn admitted but still, she recommends that all travelers purchase travel insurance for big trips. "I’ve had people change routes of flights to avoid certain airports."

Wednesday’s tragic event took place in one of London’s most populated areas, near Parliament Square.

Steve Born, vice president of marketing for the Globus Family of Brands, told Fox News that across his company they currently have 69 guests in London, and all are accounted for in their home base hotels. A few guests are staying near the location of the attack.

“Nine of the 69 tourists were staying at the Park Plaza Westminster hotel, so there was a logistical situation for them given traffic and getting them to maneuver around Parliament House,” Born said.

“They had a theater night pre-scheduled, and we gave them the option to change plans or continue on. They all chose to continue, which speaks to the level of comfort in London, and now that they know everything is under control, they can continue to enjoy their vacation,” he added.

DO US CITIZENS REALLY NEED A VISA TO TRAVEL THROUGH EUROPE THIS SUMMER?

Nearly ten percent of tourists in Britain last year came from the U.S., according to government statistics. In 2015, France, the U.S., and Germany were the top three markets to visit the U.K. accounting for 30 percent of the country's visitors, according to Visit Britian. In the first nine months of 2016, the English capital welcomed a record 14 million foreign visitors.

Several tourist attractions were immediately impacted by Wednesday’s attack.

Not far from Parliament, The London Eye, one of the city’s most popular attractions, was shut down as the attack unfolded, trapping hundreds of guests inside until police secured the area.

The London Eye tweeted, “We will always take every precaution to ensure the safety and security of our guests and staff.”

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The attraction reopened Thursday afternoon, local time.

Members of Parliament were evacuated to Westminster Abbey until police had the attack under control.

The Abbey followed by closing to visitors for the day. Today, it is only open to those attending worship services.

According to Metro UK, police are advising tourists to avoid traveling to or through several highly trafficked areas Thursday including the following places:

--Parliament Square

--Westminster Bridge (closed to traffic both ways for the ongoing investigation)

--Lambeth Bridge

Tube passengers may travel through the Westminster station but will not be allowed outside the station. And those with planned river tours down the Thames should note that boats not allowed to sail west of Blackfriars near Westminster. Police are also urging visitors to report any suspicious activity to authorities immediately.

Demi Lovato, Emma Watson photo leaks investigated by FBI?

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 08:48:00 -0400

Hollywood's biggest stars have recently had their private photos stolen and leaked online, but it is not clear if the FBI is making any moves to investigate the recent resurgence of celebrities' personal pics online.

Demi Lovato, Emma Watson, Amanda Seyfried, Mischa Barton, Rose McGowan, figure skater Analeigh Tipton, model Dylan Penn and "Arrow" star Katie Cassidy are all among the latest victims of a list that continues to grow.

The celebrity nude photo leak is being compared to August 2014’s massive photo leak, where over 500 private nude photos of more than 100 female celebrities were distributed across the internet.

The images range from benign snapshots from clothes fittings, to nudes and an alleged sex tape featuring Barton.

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Fox News reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department, and Drake Madison, a media relations spokesperson, said the LAPD wasn't looking into the recent leaks stating, “There is no information regarding the celebrities listed.”

An FBI spokesperson in the Los Angeles office told Fox News the FBI could neither confirm nor deny an investigation into the recent leaks. The FBI does, however, have an ongoing investigation into the 2014 hack.

Lovato, who was a victim of the 2014 hack, spoke out about the recent incident via Twitter and laughed it off.

She tweeted, “I love how everyone’s freaking out about one picture. It’s not nude and it’s just cleavage."

She added: “Besides the world has seen me nude BY CHOICE before… #vanityfair.”

The site Celeb Jihad recently shared private images of Seyfried and Watson. Despite being threatened with legal action, the website has not pulled down the photos of Watson, 26, and Seyfried, 31, and has instead made more celebrity nude photos public.

“Photos from a clothes fitting Emma had with a stylist a couple of years ago have been stolen. They are not nude photographs. Lawyers have been instructed and we are not commenting further,” Watson’s spokesperson told the BBC.

According to The Sun, the “Beauty and The Beast” star is now taking legal action against the leak.

According to TMZ, Seyfried's legal team is also looking to press charges.

Seyfried's attorney sent a letter to Celeb Jihad, demanding the site remove the images that were intended to be private. The letter states the photographs were unlawfully obtained by a third party, and leaked to the site without Seyfried’s consent.

MISCHA BARTON APPARENT VICTIM OF 'REVENGE PORN'

In 2014, one of the major hacking victims Jennifer Lawrence sat down for an interview with Vanity Fair.

“I can't even describe to anybody what it feels like to have my naked body shoot across the world like a news flash against my will,” the "Hunger Games" star said. “It just makes me feel like a piece of meat that's being passed around for a profit.

“Just because I'm a public figure, just because I'm an actress, does not mean that I asked for this. It does not mean that it comes with the territory. It's my body, and it should be my choice, and the fact that it is not my choice is absolutely disgusting. I can't believe that we even live in that kind of world,” she added. “People forget that we're human.”