Katherine Jenkins signs up for Dancing with the Stars

Katherine Jenkins, Jack Wagner and Melissa Gilbert are to take part in the next series of Dancing with the Stars.

The Welsh opera singer, the Melrose Place actor and the former Little House on the Prairie star are among the stars in the line-up for the 14th season of the hit show.

They will be joined by the likes of tennis legend Martina Navratilova, The View co-host Sherri Shepherd, and Jaleel White, who is best known as Steve Urkel from Family Matters.

TV host Maria Menounos, Motown great Gladys Knight, Disney star Roshon Fegan, NFL champion Donald Driver, singer Gavin DeGraw and Telenovela actor William Levy complete the line-up.

The contestants have already met their professional partners and last season's winner Karina Smirnoff - who won with war hero J.R. Martinez - has been paired with Gavin, while three-times winner Derek Hough is partnered with Maria.

Fan favourite Maksim Chmerkovskiy will teach Melissa her moves and his brother, Val Chmerkovskiy, will make his Dancing with the Stars debut with Sherri.

Two-time champ Mark Ballas will dance with Katherine and Cheryl Burker - who took Rob Kardashian all the way to the final on the last series - has got William.

The new season of Dancing with the Stars will start on March 19.

Donald Driver: 5 Things You Don't Know About Dancing With the Stars' New Contestant

Here, Us Weekly gets to know the athlete competing as part of DWTS' new cast.

1. Regardless of how his stint on DWTS pans out, Driver plans to throw around the pigskin for as long as the NFL will have him -- ideally until his 40th birthday. "If the Packers don’t want me, I've got to go somewhere else and play," the 36-year-old -- who has played 13 seasons in the NFL -- has said. "I don't have a choice. I'm not ready to hang the cleats up. My wife feels like I still got it. I feel like I still got it. If my family feels that way, then I'm going to continue to play. It's up to the organization to make that decision."

PHOTOS: DWTS' incredble body makeovers

2. Falling victim to poverty at a young age, Driver turned to a life of crime, stealing cars and dealing drugs to support his family. After a few brushes with the law, Driver was sent to live with his grandmother at the age of 14, in hopes of starting a new life. Excelling at sports at Houston's Milby High School, Driver went on to attend Alcorn State on an athletic scholarship, and could have qualified for the 2000 Sydney Olympics with his high jump skills.

PHOTOS: Celebs' high school yearbook pics

3. You may not know his name, but you just might know his voice. During his time with the Packers, Wisconsin-based Driver has appeared in marketing campaigns for brands including McDonald's, AirTran Airways, Kwik Trip, Goodwill and Time Warner Cable.

PHOTOS: Worst DWTS costumes ever

4. A dad of two, Driver has authored three children's books: Quickie Handles a Loss, Quickie Makes the Team, and Quickie Goes to the Big Game. Basing the books on his own storytelling experiences with his own family, Driver inherited the nickname "Quickie" from his mother, who was forced to chase him around the house in his younger years.

PHOTOS: A-list authors

5. Philanthropy is a cause close to his heart. Launching the Donald Driver Foundation in 2001 with his wife, Betina, the athlete works tirelessly to assist ill kids with medical bills and provides housing for homeless in his local area. Awarded the Ed Block Courage award by his Green Bay teammates in 2005, Driver recently helped place two homeless families in brand-new, fully furnished homes.

Read more: http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/donald-driver-5-things-you-dont-know-about-dancing-with-the-stars-new-contestant-2012282#ixzz1nlrIOc2a

Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe to retire in blow to GOP

In announcing her plans, Snowe, 65, emphasized that she is in good health and was prepared for the campaign ahead. But she said she was swayed by the increasing polarization in Washington.

“Unfortunately, I do not realistically expect the partisanship of recent years in the Senate to change over the short term,” Snowe said in a statement. “So at this stage of my tenure in public service, I have concluded that I am not prepared to commit myself to an additional six years in the Senate, which is what a fourth term would entail.”

Snowe’s retirement represents a major setback for the GOP’s efforts to regain a majority in the Senate. As a moderate Republican, she may be the party’s only hope to hold a seat in the strongly blue state.

Republicans did get some traction in the state in 2010, including electing Republican Paul LePage as governor.

But in a more neutral political environment, and in a federal race, Democrats will be heavy favorites to steal this seat from Republicans — their best pickup opportunity in the country, for sure.

Snowe’s announcement took Republican leaders completely by surprise; she informed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) of her decision today, according to a person familiar with the decision.

The person noted that Snowe had given no indication that she was doing anything but planning to run an aggressive reelection bid; she had hired Justin Brasell, a renowned Republican operative, to manage her campaign.

One Republican said Snowe had sent an invitation for a fundraiser as late as Monday.

Among the names mentioned as possible replacements on the ballot for the GOP: 2002 gubernatorial candidates Peter Cianchette, 2010 gubernatorial candidate Steve Abbott, state Treasurer Bruce Poliquin, state Attorney General Bill Schneider, state Senate President Kevin Raye and Jock McKernan, Snowe’s husband and the state’s former governor. Businessman Scott D’Amboise was already challenging Snowe in a primary.

On the Democratic side, Reps. Chellie Pingree (D) and Mike Michaud (D) could run, as well as former congressman Tom Allen (D), who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in 2008.

The filing deadline is fast approaching: March 15.

Snowe is known for her independent streak, often voting with Collins against many of her Republican colleagues. According to the just-released National Journal 2011 vote rankings, only Collins voted with Democrats more than Snowe last year.

The most moderate Democrat in the Senate — Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) — is also retiring.

Michigan primary: Results could reset GOP presidential contest

Seeking fresh momentum going into the Super Tuesday round of presidential contests, Republican contenders Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum were battling for advantage in crucial primary elections in Michigan and Arizona on Tuesday.

Polls closed in all but four Michigan counties at 5 p.m. Pacific time, with the rest to close an hour later. Santorum led Romney 42% to 37% in the first fraction of votes counted.

For Romney, anything less than a solid win in his native Michigan, which he won easily four years ago, was expected to deepen doubts about the potency of his appeal to GOP voters and the strength of his claim to the frontrunner mantle.


Santorum, his popularity slipping in national polls, hoped to gain badly needed validation of his status as the leading conservative in the party. Preliminary reports from Michigan suggested that election day turnout was low, repeating a pattern seen in other states this year. It was not immediately clear which candidate would benefit.

Santorum drew enthusiastic crowds in the closing days of the campaign and was thought to have the most devoted supporters. But Romney began election day with a potentially crucial advantage: a solid lead among those who cast absentee ballots. Opinion surveys suggested that he might have gained as much as a 50,000-vote lead among those who voted early.

The caustic race in Michigan, fueled by millions of dollars' worth of negative ads sponsored by wealthy supporters of both men, ended in a bitter round of name-calling on election day. Romney, speaking to volunteers at a campaign office, described Santorum as an "economic lightweight" and invoked Newt Gingrich's criticism of him as a "big-labor Republican."

Santorum, campaigning in Grand Rapids, shot back that Romney "is a lightweight on conservative accomplishments, which happens to be more important than how much success and how much money you've made in business."

A potential wild card was the opportunity for MichiganDemocrats, as well as independent voters, to participate in the state's open Republican primary. Early exit polls showed that Democrats cast 10% of the primary ballots, up from 7% in 2008; half of the Democrats said they voted for Santorum and only 15% for Romney, according to exit poll data.

With election eve polls showing a tight race, Romney accused Santorum of desperate "dirty tricks" designed to "throw" the election, a reference to the automated phone calls the Santorum campaign placed to Michigan Democrats urging them to vote for the former Pennsylvania senator.

Santorum defended the calls, telling reporters that he reached out to Democrats to show that "we can attract voters we need to win states like Michigan" in the fall.

And in a shot at his rival, he said, "I don't remember Mitt Romney running around and doing anything but trying to encourage Democrats and independents to vote for him in New Hampshire. When he does that it's OK, and in so doing trying to appeal as a moderate to get them to vote for him," Santorum said.

He also brushed aside Romney's criticisms by noting that the former Massachusetts governor used Santorum's own words endorsing him in the 2008 race on a robocall of his own.

"I didn't complain about it. I don't complain. You know what, I'm a big guy. I can take it," Santorum said. "If someone wants to go out and take cheap shots … "

The other GOP candidates were far behind the leaders. Gingrich did not contest Michigan, though his name was on the ballot; he spent the day campaigning in Georgia, which the former House speaker once represented in Congress. It is the biggest prize among the 11 Super Tuesday states that will choose delegates next week.

Rep. Ron Paul, who was hoping to grab a few convention delegates in Michigan, spent election night in Virginia, another Super Tuesday state.

The day's other contest, in Arizona, was vastly overshadowed.

Arizona offered 29 delegates, just one less than Michigan. But unlike Michigan, the state awards its delegates on a winner-take-all basis, and given Romney's considerable advantages -- a base in the sizable Mormon community, the backing of the entire state GOP establishment, lingering support from his run four years ago -- other candidates essentially surrendered rather than fight and risk walking away empty-handed.

Romney also benefited from an organizational focus on Arizona's early voters. As much as half the turnout was expected to come from ballots cast by mail or dropped off ahead of election day, with surveys showing Romney with a commanding lead even before the polls opened Tuesday.

In Michigan, the 30 delegates were expected to divide mainly among Romney and Santorum. All but two were awarded on congressional district basis, with the winner getting two delegates in each of 14 districts.

Hudson on witness list

CHICAGO, USA (AP) — Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson is on the witness list for the upcoming trial of a man accused of killing her mother, brother and seven-year-old nephew.

The Chicago Tribune reports, however, that prosecutors haven't yet disclosed whether Hudson will actually testify at William Balfour's trial, which is slated to begin April 9.

Jennifer Hudson  1/1

Balfour was the estranged husband of Hudson's sister, Julia. Hudson's mother and brother were found dead in the family's home on Chicago's South Side in 2008. Her nephew's body was found days later in a vehicle on the city's West Side.

Whitney Houston, Iconic Pop Star, Dies at 48

Whitney Houston, the iconic American singer whose battles with drugs, alcohol and ex-husband Bobby Brown marred her star power, has died. She was 48.

Houston's publicist confirmed the singer's death to ABC News. The cause of death is not yet known.

Six police cars were spotted in front of the Beverly Hilton hotel today, where Houston was staying. TMZ reports that paramedics were called there this afternoon and found Houston unresponsive in her hotel room.

According to TMZ, paramedics' attempts at CPR failed and Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. PT. TMZ reports that there were no signs of foul play.

Houston was last seen publicly on Thursday, when she appeared disheveled and disoriented in front of a Hollywood nightclub. According to the Hollywood Reporter, she got into an altercation with "X Factor" finalist Stacy Francis on Thursday at an event where she was said to be acting "belligerent."

Houston returned to rehab in May of last year seeking treatment for drug and alcohol dependence. "Whitney voluntarily entered the program to support her long-standing recovery process," her publicist said at the time.

The six-time Grammy winner staged a comeback in 2009, but was dogged by rumors that she was using drugs again. That year, she told Oprah Winfrey that marijuana laced with cocaine was her substance of choice during her 1992 to 2006 marriage to R&B singer Bobby Brown. They have a daughter together, Houston's only child, Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown.

Houston's appearance on "Oprah" was her first major television interview since 2002, when she talked to ABC News' Diane Sawyer.

At the time, Sawyer asked Houston about ongoing drug rumors that had started in 2000, when airport security guards found marijuana in Houston and Brown's bags at a Hawaiian airport. The singer alluded to having used cocaine, pills and marijuana -- but drew the line at crack in what turned into an infamous rant.

"First of all, let's get one thing straight," she told Sawyer. "Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight. OK? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is wack."

In August 2009, Houston released "I Look to You," her first studio album in seven years. It sold 304,000 copies in its first seven days on the market, sending Houston back to the top of the charts and giving her the best debut week of her career.

In 2010, Houston launched her "Nothing but Love" world tour. Though some said Houston's signature voice showed the stress of her ups and downs, she soldiered on, putting on shows in Asia, Australia and Europe even though fans and critics panned her performances.

At her peak in the 1990s, Houston was a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. She was one of the world's best-selling artists, selling out stadiums with powerful, poignant renditions of her greatest hits like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," "How Will I Know," and "I Will Always Love You."

Houston won six Grammy awards, two Emmys, 30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards, among others. Her album "Whitney" was the first album by a woman to ever debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Charts. She has sold more than 170 million albums world wide.

Her success launched her into the film industry, where she starred in hits like "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale." Her struggles with drugs, alcohol, rehab (she went at least three times) and Brown, against whom she filed a charge of domestic abuse in 1993, pushed her out the spotlight.

In 2009, talking to Winfrey about why she took a break from show business, Houston said, "It was too much. So much to try to live up to, to try to be, and I wanted out."

Whitney Houston is dead

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music’s queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, has died. She was 48.

Publicist Kristen Foster said today that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unclear.

At her peak in the 1980s and 1990s, Houston was the golden girl of the music industry and one of the world’s best-selling artistes.

Among her hits were How Will I Know, Saving All My Love for You and I Will Always Love You. She won multiple Grammys including album and record of the year.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies like The Bodyguard.

But by the end of her career, drug use took its toll as her record sales plummeted and her voice became raspy and hoarse.