Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Dennis Quaid Settles With Hospital Over Twins' Overdose

According to court documents obtained by E! News, Quaid and his wife Kimberly have accepted a settlement of $750,000 from the Los Angeles hospital, which last year took responsibility for giving the babies an overdose of blood thinners.

Zoe Grace and Thomas Boone Quaid, now both 1, were being treated at Cedars for staph infections in November 2007 when an employee accidentally administered dosages of heparin (commonly used to flush out I.V.s) that were 1,000-times the recommended amounts for newborns, 10,000 units per millileter apiece instead of the standard 10.

Cedars was fined $25,000 earlier this year by the California Department of Public Health for "multiple failures by the facility to adhere to established policies and procedures for safe medication use."

Though they never sued Cedars, the Quaids, blaming poorly labeled bottles, sued heparin manufacturer Baxter Healthcare Corporation for negligence last December.

Quaid also testified before Congress in May against a proposed statute that would make it more difficult for patients to take pharmaceutical companies to court.

Once a judge signs off on the Quaids' deal with Cedars, the couple will no longer be able to pursue litigation against the hospital as part of a good-faith stipulation in the settlement, although they could sue on their children's behalf for future consequences of the accident.
The Cedars settlement does not affect the Quaids' lawsuit against Baxter.
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Could Angie And Brad Be Having More Babies???

This could not possibly be true, right...???
In the Dec. 22 issue of Star — on newsstands now — we report that nearly five months after the arrival of babies Vivienne and Knox, the couple are adding another pair of twins to their brood, upping the total to a whopping eight.

Angelina is taking prenatal vitamins, visiting her ob-gyn, undergoing secret fertility treatments and gearing up for another set of twins.

"Angie's doctors told her that she has a strong chance of conceiving twins if she does it within two years after having her first pair," a friend tells Star. "She's been seeing a fertility doctor regularly. She and Brad are monitoring when she's fertile. And they're trying really hard in the bedroom!"
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Film Critics Hand Out Awards For 2008


Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button


The past week has seen winners named by four critics' groups: the National Board of Review, plus reviewers' guilds in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.


For best film, Slumdog Millionaire was the choice of the NBR and the D.C. crowd, Milk in New York and, in L.A., Pixar's summer hit WALL-E (which won for Animated film in the other groups).

Best directors were David Fincher for Benjamin Button (NBR), Danny Boyle for Slumdog (D.C. and L.A.) and Mike Leigh for Happy-Go-Lucky (New York).

Screenplay prizes were allotted to Slumdog, Benjamin Button, Happy-Go-Lucky, Rachel Getting Married and Gran Torino.

As best actor, New York and L.A. named Sean Penn for Milk; the NBR cited Clint Eastwood for Gran Torino, and D.C. pinned Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler.

Best actress: Sally Hawkins in Happy-Go-Lucky (New York and L.A.), Meryl Streep in Doubt and Anne Hathaway in Rachel.

Supporting actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight (L.A. and D.C.) and Josh Brolin, Milk (New York and NBR).

Supporting actress: Penelope Cruz as the passionate painter in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (NBR, New York, L.A.) and Rosemarie DeWitt as Rachel in Rachel (D.C.).
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Kate Gosselin Talks About Being Thrifty

The holidays are a busy time for most moms, but for Kate Gosselin, star of the TLC hit reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8, it's business as usual.

A master at managing chaos, Kate knows how to buy in bulk and feed a large crowd. "I'm a well trained shopper," the mother of twins (8-year-old Cara and Mady) and sextuplets (4-year-old Aaden, Joel, Alexis, Hannah, Leah and Collin) reveals.

Here she shares her holiday plans and tips for saving money.

What are your plans for Christmas?

"We're just going to continue our Christmas tradition of caroling. And we'll bake."

Are you working on songs for this year?

"I haven't started yet. But the kids are older now so they'll learn faster. Or we'll do the ones from last year!"

What gifts are the kids asking for?

"Well, we have 4-year-olds and I remember this from when Cara and Maddy were 4. They come running and say, 'Mommy, Mommy, I want this'... and I'll say, 'What is it? Where did you hear of that?' And they'll say, 'On TV!'

What kind of TV do they watch?

"They're Disney kids. And to be honest, our show is their favorite thing. They ask to watch it all the time. It's interesting. It's like them watching their memories."

Would you have ever thought 10 years ago you would be a TV star?

"No, it's ridiculously funny. I just think of myself as a mom so it's funny when people get all worked up about seeing us. It's not what I thought I'd ever be doing."

There are rumors that you are looking to move. Has that happened yet?

"We don't say, but we are planning to move at some point and it will be covered on the show. We've outgrown our house. But the show will go on."

Have you felt the economic crunch?

"We all have, but I have always cut coupons. I've always looked at the sale fliers and I've always planned my meals ahead of time. You know, long before gas prices went up and they were saying 'group your errands,' we were already doing that out of necessity."
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Keanu Reeves Is No.1 At Box Office

Keanu Reeves tops the holiday favorites Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn this weekend at the box office.

Reeves' sci-fi remake, The Day the Earth Stood Still, collected $31 million in its opening weekend. The film, about an alien visitor with a message for the planet, cost $80 million to produce, according to 20th Century Fox.

It also stars Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates andJon Hamm.

Four Christmases, starring Witherspoon and Vaughn, is still getting attention at the theaters, as is Twilight, which has passed the $150 million mark according to Variety.

The vampire flick --which recently switched directors this weekend, with Chris Weitz to replace Catherine Hardwicke -- remains in the third spot, followed by Bolt and Australia.

Milk, the film which received a Golden Globe nomination for lead Sean Penn, is at No. 9 with total earnings of $2.6 million.
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Rachael Ray May Not Need Surgery

Rachael Ray may not need to go under the knife for surgery on her vocal chords.

"During the course of normal pre-op care, Rachael started an intensive new vocal therapy, and it is now the opinion of her doctor that surgery may not be necessary since the treatment has had initial success," her rep said Monday.

The 40-year-old talk show host -- who previously revealed that she has a benign cyst on her vocal cords -- "is very grateful that it won't be a silent Christmas and thanks everyone for their prayers and well wishes."
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