St. James's Palace said Monday that the Duchess of Cambridge, formerly known as Kate Middleton, is expecting a baby, and is currently hospitalized with morning sickness. The palace said that since the pregnancy is in its "very early stages," the 30-year-old duchess is expected to stay in the hospital for several days and will require a period of rest afterward. In recent days, Middleton has kept up royal appearances — recently playing field hockey with schoolchildren at her former school. The confirmation of her pregnancy — following intense speculation ever since their lavish Westminster Abbey wedding last year — was greeted with congratulations. Prime Minister David Cameron wrote on Twitter that he was "delighted by the news," saying the royals "will make wonderful parents." Not only are the attractive young couple popular — with William's easy common touch reminding many of his mother, the late Princess Diana — but their child is expected to play an important role in British national life for decades to come. As the first-born to William — who is second in line for the throne after his father, Prince Charles — the couple's child stands an excellent chance of one day becoming monarch. Whether boy or girl, the child will be next in line behind William in the line of succession to the throne, Cabinet Office officials have said. Leaders of Britain and the 15 former colonies that have the monarch as their head of state agreed in 2011 to new rules which give females equal status with males in the order of succession. Although none of the nations had legislated to make the change as of September 2012, the British Cabinet Office confirmed that this is now the de-facto rule.

David Oliver Relin, Co-Author of Three Cups of Tea, Commits Suicide at 49
David Oliver Relin, a journalist who co-authored the controversial best-selling book Three Cups of Tea, has committed suicide. He was 49. Relin, who co-wrote the 2006 book with Greg Mortenson about how Mortenson, a former mountain climber, started building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, "suffered emotionally and financially as basic facts in the book were called into question." His family said Relin "suffered from depression" but would not give further details surrounding his death. As a journalist during the '90s, Relin focused on telling humanitarian stories including articles about child soldiers and traveling to Vietnam. This work was what led Viking Books to pair him with Mortenson. Three Cups of Tea sold over four million copies, but in 2011 60 Minutes and author Jon Krakauer – who released an E-book titled Three Cups of Deceit – both questioned the validity of major points in the book. Relin did not speak publicly about the accusations, but hired a lawyer to defend him in a federal lawsuit that claimed he and Mortenson defrauded readers. The suit was dismissed earlier this year. Relin is survived by his wife, Dawn; his mother, Marjorie; his stepfather Cary Ratcliff; and his sisters Rachel Relin and Jennifer Cherelin. 

Comedian Katt Williams arrested in Seattle

Stand-up comedian and actor Katt Williams has been released from jail after being arrested following a dispute at a Seattle bar. Police say he argued Sunday with another patron at the World Sports Grille, menaced the manager with a pool cue and refused to leave. "At one point during the altercation, Williams followed a family outside of the bar where, as the family got into their car, Williams flicked a cigarette through a car window at a woman, striking her just below her eye," the police news release said. "Williams also threw a rock at the family's car." "Two of Williams' associates were standing nearby and were pleading for Williams to calm down," the officer wrote. Police say Williams struggled with officers who arrested him and jailed him for investigation of assault, harassment and obstruction. He was released from King County Jail early Monday. Williams also was involved in an altercation with three fans Friday evening after they tried to take a photo with him. He said they had forced their way into his dressing room. Williams also made headlines last week after he slapped a Target employee in the face while in Sacramento. And just two weeks ago, the comedian was accused of hitting an 18-year-old man over the head with a bottle while in Oakland, Calif. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Williams began his career as a stand-up comic, gaining attention in 1999 for comedy club appearances. Television appearances on the BET network led to more success. His 2006 HBO special "Katt Williams: Pimp Chronicles Pt.1" raised his profile to a higher level. He has acted in several movies, including Eddie Murphy's "Norbit," and his voice is featured in several popular cartoons, including "The Boondocks."
 All hail King James! LeBron James is Sports Illustrated's 2012 Sportsman of the Year. "He was the most dominant athlete this year – MVP of the NBA regular season, MVP of the NBA playoffs, led the Heat to the NBA championship and Team USA to the gold medal in London," Paul Fichtenbaum, Editor of Time Inc.'s Sports Group says. At just 27, the eight-time NBA All-Star and former all-time leading scorer of the Cleveland Cavaliers joins athletes including his teammate Dwayne Wade, Brett Favre, Michael Phelps, Derek Jeter and Drew Brees. "The intangibles [James] brought to the court were significant in leading his teams to victory. He was a selfless player, doing whatever it took to will the Heat and Team USA, making all of his teammates better," Fichtenbaum says. But it was more than his athleticism that led to James being honored. The basketball player – who is dad to LeBron Jr., 8, and Bryce, 5, with finacée Savannah Brinson – established a program to benefit children in Akron, Ohio. Fichtenbaum says: "The program he built and developed in [the] Akron school district for young kids had a profound effect on children who ordinarily might fall through the cracks of an educational system," he says. "He didn't just lend his name to a cause, he was directly involved."


Cinderella
Saoirse Ronan ("Atonement"), Alicia Vikander ("Anna Karenina") and Gabriella Wilde ("The Three Musketeers") are all set to test for the title role in Mark Romanek's live-action take on "Cinderella" at Disney. Cate Blanchett is already in negotiations to play the evil stepmother.
  The San Antonio Spurs' bad week just got a whole lot worse. Days after commissioner David Stern fined the team $250,000 for sitting its star players during a nationally televised game with the Miami Heat, a less-than-pleasant photo of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker has surfaced online that is sure to cause the organization another headache. The image, appears to have been taken on Halloween. It shows Parker and Duncan, both in costume, pointing toy guns at the head of a man dressed as NBA referee Joey Crawford.  Crawford can be one of the league's more controversial referees, and once he even ejected Duncan from a game while the Spurs big man was on the bench. The league suspended Crawford for the incident.


Mercy
Chandler Riggs ("The Walking Dead") and Joel Courtney ("Super 8") are set to join Peter Cornwell's horror thriller "Mercy" at Blumhouse, Wonderland Sound and Vision, and Universal Pictures. The story is an adaptation of Stephen King's 1984 short story "Gramma." The young actors will play brothers who go with their mother (Frances O’Connor) to take care of their grandma. Unbeknownst to them, the grandmother is a witch, who made an evil deal using black magic years earlier.
 

Epic Fail
Jon Hamm is considering starring in the Kevin Costello-scripted comedy "Epic Fail" which Mark Teitelman is set to direct. Hamm will play a prick of a high school teacher who, in an attempt to appear more heroic, hires two students to secretly stage a kidnapping of his wife.


All You Need Is Kill
Marianne Jean-Baptiste ("Won't Back Down," "Without a Trace") has joined Doug Liman's sci-fi thriller "All You Need Is Kill" which is currently shooting in London. Jean-Baptiste will portray scientist Dr. Whittle. The story centers on a soldier (Tom Cruise) in a war against aliens who relives his last day over and over after being killed. Emily Blunt also stars.


White Bird In A Blizzard
Dale Dickey ("Winter’s Bone") has been cast in Gregg Araki’s "White Bird In A Blizzard". Shailene Wooley plays, a young woman whose mother disappears. Dickey will play Mrs. Hillman, Kat’s blind next door neighbor. Angela Bassett, Eva Green, Christopher Meloni and Gabourey Sidibe also star.

Howard Stern returning to 'America's Got Talent'

Howard Stern is returning for a second season of "America's Got Talent." He joins host Nick Cannon, whose return to the show was announced last week. Judge Howie Mandel is also expected to return, though Sharon Osbourne is not.  She said over the summer that she would not be back, accusing the network of discriminating against her son, Jack, by cutting him from the reality series "Stars Earn Stripes" after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. NBC has denied her claims, saying it offered the younger Osbourne other positions on the series and that he turned them down. The upcoming season of "America's Got Talent" -- in which judges offer their take on a wide array of colorful competitors -- will be the show's eighth. Auditions are underway.
 Everything appears to be rosy between Kristin Chenoweth and her new beau Jake Pavelka. "We have been spending a little time together," Chenoweth says of her dates with the former Bachelor star. The actress, 44, met her new man, 34, at an event in October and it was not long before the couple was spotted dining together in West Hollywood as well as more recently at a cafe near Pavelka's home in Texas. Squeezing dates into her busy schedule has proven difficult in the past, admits Chenoweth, who performed at an Audi-sponsored Trevor Project event Sunday, and is currently rehearsing to co-host the American Country Awards, airing Monday, Dec. 10 on Fox. "A lot of people know that I got hurt in July," says Chenoweth of suffering a head injury while filming The Good Wife. "I am doing so much better but I think it slowed me down and I've realized life is short. I want to do things that make me happy."

TV NEWS
AMC reports that The Walking Dead‘s midseason finale opened to 10.5 million total viewers — up 58 percent versus Season 2′s fall closer — and across two encores added 4.7 mil. In the 18-49 demo, TWD‘s 9 pm showing drew almost 6.9 mil, besting any and all non-sports programming of the fall.


Justified baddie Jere Burns has joined A&E’s Psycho prequel Bates Motel. His role is being kept under wraps, but is said to be “pivotal.”


S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order) has landed a recurring role in NBC’s midseason series Deception, playing leading lady Meagan Good’s mother.


Covert Affairs‘ Piper Perabo has booked a guest arc on NBC’s Go On — and no, it’s not one of Annie’s really deep cover gigs. Perabo will play a former member of Lauren’s support group who returns for some therapy and strikes up a relationship with Ryan. The actress will be around for three episodes. She’s the latest big name to spend some time on the NBC comedy; Parenthood‘s Lauren Graham and Olympic beach volleyball champ Misty May-Treanor recently took guest turns.


Spike TV has renewed Ink Master and Tattoo Nightmares for third and second seasons, respectively.


Rob Kardashian accuses Rita Ora of cheating

Rob Kardashian, 25, took to Twitter to seemingly call out his reported girlfriend (and presumably now ex) Rita Ora, 22, for cheating. After month of rumors, Rob publicly confirmed in October that they were dating , when he posted a kissing pic of the two together on Twitter. In August, he posted a photo of his and Rita's knuckles tattooed with each other's names. "S--- got crazy tonight… What can I say… #tatmynameonya," he tweeted. He has since unfollowed Rita on Twitter and deleted all of his tweets and pictures on Instagram related to her.