With his long silver beard and white braided uniform, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop became one of the most recognizable figures of the Reagan era — and one of the most unexpectedly enduring. His nomination in 1981 met a wall of opposition from women's groups and liberal politicians, who said President Ronald Reagan selected Koop, a pediatric surgeon and evangelical Christian from Philadelphia, only because of his conservative views, especially his staunch opposition to abortion. Soon, though, he was a hero to AIDS activists, who chanted "Koop, Koop" at his appearances but booed other officials. And when he left his post in 1989, he left behind a landscape where AIDS was a top research and educational priority, smoking was considered a public health hazard and access to abortion remained largely intact. In 1996, he rapped Republican presidential hopeful Bob Dole for suggesting that tobacco was not invariably addictive, saying Dole’s comments ‘‘either exposed his abysmal lack of knowledge of nicotine addiction or his blind support of the tobacco industry.’’Koop, who turned his once-obscure post into a bully pulpit for seven years during the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and who surprised both ends of the political spectrum by setting aside his conservative personal views on issues such as homosexuality and abortion to keep his focus sharply medical, died Monday at his home in Hanover, N.H. He was 96.  "I will use the written word, the spoken word and whatever I can in the electronic media to deliver health messages to this country as long as people will listen," he promised. In 1986, he issued a frank report on AIDS, urging the use of condoms for "safe sex" and advocating sex education as early as third grade. He also maneuvered around uncooperative Reagan administration officials in 1988 to send an educational AIDS pamphlet to more than 100 million U.S. households, the largest public health mailing ever. Koop personally opposed homosexuality and believed sex should be saved for marriage. But he insisted that Americans, especially young people, must not die because they were deprived of explicit information about how HIV was transmitted. Koop further angered conservatives by refusing to issue a report requested by the Reagan White House, saying he could not find enough scientific evidence to determine whether abortion has harmful psychological effects on women. xKoop was by far the best-known surgeon general, and decades after he left the job he was still a recognized personality. Dr. Koop’s first wife died in 2007; he is survived by their three children, Allen, Norman and Elizabeth Thompson; eight grandchildren; and his second wife, Cora Hogue, whom he married in 2010.
 Janet Jackson is off the market! The singer, 46, and Qatari businessman, Wissam Al Mana, tied the knot last year, the couple's rep confirmed. "The rumours regarding an extravagant wedding are simply not true," they said. "Last year we were married in a quiet, private, and beautiful ceremony." The couple adds, "Our wedding gifts to one another were contributions to our respective favourite children's charities." "We would appreciate that our privacy is respected and that we are allowed this time for celebration and joy," the two said in their statement, signing off, "With love, Wissam and Janet" This is a third marriage for Jackson, 46, who was previously wed to James DeBarge and René Elizondo, Jr. Her marriage to Elizondo was also initially kept a secret.


Brady, Pats deal
Quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have agreed upon a three-year contract extension valued at $27 million, essentially assuring Brady will be a Patriot for life. The 35-year-old, three-time Super Bowl champion was already signed through 2014, and this extension keeps him on the New England payroll until 2017, when he’ll be 40. In signing the extension, Brady helped clear nearly $15 million from the Patriots’ salary cap.
 It's no joke: Andy Samberg is engaged! The former Saturday Night Live funnyman popped the question to singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom after five years together. In addition to her role as a singer-songwriter, Newsom, 31, also plays the harp, piano and harpsichord. The Celeste and Jesse Forever actor, 34, and Newsom attended the Independent Spirit Awards together on Saturday, which Samberg hosted.

Dancing with the Stars Season 16 Cast Revealed

With season 16 of Dancing With the Stars just weeks away, 12 new cast members – including former Olympic champs Dorothy Hamill and Aly Raisman, as well as Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump – were announced on Good Morning America Tuesday. There may also be a country music rivalry in the ballroom: two singers, Wynonna Judd and Kellie Pickler, will dance this season. Here's the Season 16 cast:

• Wynonna Judd, five-time Grammy-winning country star (with Tony Dovolani)
• D.L. Hughley, comedian and actor (with Cheryl Burke)
• Jacoby Jones, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver (with Karina Smirnoff)
• Lisa Vanderpump, star of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and "Vanderpump Rules" (with Gleb Savchenko)
• Andy Dick, actor and comedian (with Sharna Burgess)
• Victor Ortiz, former WBC Welterweight Champion (with "So You Think You Can Dance" finalist Lindsay Arnold)
• Zendaya Coleman, Disney Channel star (with Val Chmerkovskiy)
• Aly Raisman, Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics (with Mark Ballas)
• Ingo Rademacher, "General Hospital" star (with Kym Johnson)
• Kellie Pickler, country music star and former "American Idol" contestant (with Derek Hough)
• Dorothy Hamill, Olympic gold medalist in figure skating (with Tristan MacManus)

 Pregnant reality TV star Kim Kardashian has turned up the heat for the cover of a French magazine after stripping with her boyfriend Kanye West for a sexy photo shoot depicting them in the throes of passion. They are set to become parents to their first child this summer, but that didn't stop the stars from posing suggestively for the steamy picture for L'Officiel Hommes. During the chat, Kardashian admits she has softened her stance on having children out of wedlock after previously giving her sister Kourtney a hard time after she became pregnant with her son, Mason, now two. She tells the magazine, "I was like, 'You're not married! How could you do this?' I was really firm and strict. But she was like, 'Marriage isn't what I want.' And later, I realized she had a better family life than I did." The 32-year-old insists she and West have discussed getting married in the future, but after her second union to basketball player Kris Humphries fell apart after just 72 days, she no longer wants to rush into such a big decision. She says, "[Marriage] is something I know that we both want in our future, but I don't have this sense of urgency about it. I have this best friend who understands me and helps me through all my tough experiences, and vice versa, you know? It just feels like this is it for me."