Donald Trump has hit back over claims he is racist for questioning President Barack Obama’s background. The 64-year-old veteran businessman and reality show star has recently questioned the validity of Obama’s birth certificate and also insinuated the US President only got into Harvard because he was black. Newscaster Bob Schieffer delivered a scathing statement against Trump on the CBS Evening News over Trump’s comments that Obama did not have the grades to get into the prestigious school. Schieffer said, "That’s just code for saying he got into law school because he’s black. This is an ugly strain of racism that’s running through this whole thing." But now Trump has retaliated saying it is ‘terrible’ he has been accused of racism. He told TMZ.com, "Affirmative action is out there. It’s a program that is available. But I have no idea whether it applies in this case. I’m not suggesting anything." Trump would not say if he supports or opposes affirmative action. But he was clearly trying to douse the flames he ignited, by adding, "Grades are the least important aspect of somebody being President. "It’s not a big subject for me."

President Barack Obama joined high-profile celebrities at the White House for the Kennedy Center Honors that recognise those who have defined culture through the arts.

Bruce Springsteen, Robert De Niro, Mel Brooks, Grace Bumbry and Dave Brubeck all received the prestigious laurel. Obama said of Springsteen: “I’m the president, but he’s The Boss.”

Continuing the Obamas’ passionate support of music that began with their inauguration, the president also said: “These performers are indeed the best. They are also living reminders of a single truth – and I’m going to steal a line from Michelle here – the arts are not somehow apart from our national life, the arts are the heart of our national life.”

The Kennedy Honors are also a living memorial to the late President John F Kennedy. Jon Stewart launched the Springsteen recognition, saying: “I’m not a music critic, nor historian, nor archivist. But I am from New Jersey. And so I can tell you what I believe. I believe that Bob Dylan and James Brown had a baby.”

He continued the allegory to say that Dylan and Brown abandoned the child on the New Jersey Turnpike, leaving the child to be raised by a “pack of feral vaudevillians. That child is Bruce Springsteen”.

The Boss was reported to break into a smile, while First Lady Michelle Obama erupted into laughter. American music patriotism reigned with John Mellencamp singing Born In The USA, Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland Glory Days, Sting singing The Rising, and Melissa Etheridge performing Born To Run to a standing ovation.

Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss and Saturday Night Live’s Fred Armisen have tied the knot in Long Island City, New York, a rep for the couple has confirmed.

Moss, 27, who plays Peggy Olson in the 1960s-inspired TV hit Mad Men, got engaged to the SNL funnyman in January.

The ceremony took place at The Foundry, in front of friends and family.

Moss earlier revealed that she would be wearing a Claire Pettibone dress for her wedding. “[She] was actually the only and first designer I ever wanted. I just thought [the dresses] were really beautiful.”

Armisen, 42, is best known for his impression of President Barack Obama on the popular NBC show.

The director has his sights set on Netherland, a book by Joseph O’Neill about cricket-playing expatriates in post-September 11 New York.

Mendes, 44, is the director of American Beauty and a cricket nut who is jumping at the chance to turn the acclaimed novel into a movie. The book became a bestseller in the US after President Barack Obama recommended it in a newspaper interview.

Netherland, according to the UK Independent newspaper, is “not dissimilar to a cricket match; intricate, absorbing, compelling, and with the occasional longueur that sends you to the beer tent”.

Christopher Hampton will write the screenplay for the film. He said: “I don’t think it is possible to make cricket clear to people who don’t understand the game. But, luckily, there isn’t much ball-by-ball stuff in this novel, and it is actually more popular in the US than we imagine.”

Hollywood couple Rachel McAdams and Josh Lucas might only have been dating four months but it seems their romance is serious already.

The pair have been spotted checking out apartments in New York together.

It seems the couple are ready to move in together, even though they only got together in January.

Sherlock Holmes star McAdams, 30, previously had an on-off relationship with her Notebook co-star Ryan Gosling, while Lucas, 37, dated Latin beauty Salma Hayek for two years.

The couple first went public with their romance when they were spotting smooching at Barack Obama’s Inaugural Purple Ball in Washington DC.

Source: Splash News

If Etta James thinks she should beat down Beyonce for covering her song, then by her own logic, Etta should get her butt kicked too because ‘At Last’ was just a cover too. Etta went on stage in Seattle last week and told the crowd that she’s going to give Beyonce a beat down for “singing my song” at Obama’s Inauguration Ball. However, the 71 year old didn’t even write the song nor was she the first to record it. Glenn Miller sang it first in 1942, followed by Nat King Cole in 1957. Etta recorded her version in 1961. In fact, Glenn’s version ranked higher on the Billboard Pop Singles chart than Etta’s.

Plus, Lady Gaga recorded a Dear Mr. President video drop for Pepsi’s Refresh Everything campaign. Check out her special message for Barack Obama!

Lady Gaga’s Dear Mr. President Video

Click here to view the embedded video.

Enter the “Just Dance” Dance-Off on IBeatYou.com!

If you?re a Bruce Springsteen fan, a Billy Joel fan and a Democrat with money to spend all rolled into one, then I?ve got the entertainment event for you. The two rock stars are teaming up for the first time ever for a benefit concert for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. The concert is scheduled to take place on October 16th at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, following the final presidential candidate debate at Hofstra University. And yes, Barack is on the guest list. I wonder if John McCain has anything like this event going down for him.

Barack Obama is working hard to get all the votes he can gather, but he’s a shoe-in if he runs again in 18 years. His youngest fan, James Wilkie Broderick, wishes he could vote! James is the son of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.

SJP says, “He’s very into Barack Obama. On his own!” She goes on, “He’s really, truly into this election. He’s come to this conclusion on his own based specifically on Barack’s gender. Its that deep. He’s a fan and a true supporter of Barack Obama.”

If only we started letting people vote in kindergarten.