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By Michael Lopez

It seems the tabloids aren't able to scoop the public on every chisme story. In a surprising revelation, Jennifer Lopez told CNN that her daughter Emme was born with a lump on her head that was initially thought be cancerous.

Thankfully after multiple MRI tests, doctors were able to give Emme a clean bill of health, much to the relief of Lopez and papa Marc Anthony. Jennifer confessed that the medical scare proved to be an excruciating experience.

"I just remember that feeling of something is wrong with that baby and I'm gonna die," she explained. "I remember looking at [Marc] and saying, 'If Emme's not going to be OK, I'm not going to be OK. He's like, 'I'm not going to be OK—none of us are going to be OK.' "

The incident actually prompted Lopez and Anthony to launch a pediatric charity called The Maribel Foundation. They chose the name Maribel to honor Marc's sister, who died of brain cancer at the age of 8. You can find out more about its mission, by visiting the official site.

Has anyone in your family had a cancer scare? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Agentes De Cambio, Blogger: Michael Lopez, CNN, Emme Anthony, Health, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Maribel Foundation

By Michael Lopez

It seems Batman's newest enemies may be a couple of Chinese security guards. Dark Knight star Christian Bale was reportedly “roughed up” this week after attempting to visit a political activist in China.

The incident took place in the eastern Shandong province, where outspoken dissident Chen Guangcheng was being held under house arrest. Chen, who is blind, has gotten quite a bit of attention in the country for his campaigns against forced abortions.

Bale had been with a CNN crew and wanted to speak Guangcheng about his views. But that meeting never happened because when Christian arrived, he was physically overpowered by several Chinese guards.

The news crew captured the entire altercation, with Bale saying,

"Why can I not visit this free man? Shake his hand, and say what an inspiration he is."

Ironically, Christian was in the country to promote his pro-China movie The Flowers of War.

Do you think the Chinese government is too strict? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chen Guangcheng, China, Christian Bale, CNN, Politics, The Flowers of War

By Michael Lopez

If you think about it, who would be better to hand out an inspirational award than J.R. Martinez? The Iraq war veteran touched millions with his moves on Dancing With The Stars and proved to be a fantastic presenter at this weekend's CNN Heroes event.

Looking very dapper in his grey and black suit, J.R. stood alongside notables like Anderson Cooper, Chris Colfer, and Piers Morgan for the Saturday ceremony. The event helped honor everyday people who are doing extraordinary things in their daily lives.

Tr3s fave Sofia Vergara also made a memorable appearance and even posted a glammed up picture from her Twitter account.

Of course, the real attention was focused on the honorees. Several Latinos were recognized this year for their Heroic efforts, including Elena Durón Miranda (who works with poverty-stricken children in Argentina) and Eddie Canales (who helps injured teenagers on the football field).

But the big Hero of the night was Robin Lim. Also known as "Mother Robin",  she offers free prenatal care and medical aid to underprivileged Indonesian women. Lim's work scored her 2011's Hero of the Year award as well as $250,000 to continue her efforts.

Is there anyone in your community who you would call a Hero? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Agentes De Cambio, Anderson Cooper, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chris Colfer, CNN, CNN Heroes, J.R. Martinez, Piers Morgan, Robin Lim, sofia vergara

By Larry Yepez Jr.

Wow… that was quick! Just five days after Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple Inc. and creator of the coolest inventions in our lives passed away due to pancreatic cancer, Sony Pictures is already on the move, buying the rights to Jobs' life story and to make a film about it.

Looks like the film is set to be based upon the book, ingeniously titled Steve Jobs, written by Walter Isaacson, the former CNN chairman and Time Magazine managing editor. The book is set for release on October 24  as Sony is offering up $1 million to gain the feature film rights.

The book, a hot upcoming commodity, became even hotter with the news of Jobs' death, moving its publication date up almost a month from the initial November release date.

So it comes as no surprise that the soon-to-be-published biography, Steve Jobs, has already sold its feature rights. It's likely to expect such a thing with such a high profile personality such as Steve Jobs. The film will be the second movie about Job's life, the first was The Pirates of Silicon Valley,  aired on TNT.

Although Sony has not commented on the book deal, it appears the Mark Gordon (Saving Private Ryan) will produce along with Management 360. Remember that this is the same studio that produced the Oscar-nominated The Social Network, so we know that they will do a good job in taking the audience inside the world of a computer genius and make it exciting and thrilling, specially in telling the incredible life story of the genius that was Jobs.

The book was originally titled iSteve: The Book of Jobs but Isaacson changed it to have a better chance of earning Jobs' permission and cooperation. The writer, also a biographer of Ben Franklin and Henry Kissinger, was hand-chosen by Jobs out of a long list of authors to capture his legacy during his battle with cancer.

The 448-page biography took two years to complete and features over 40 interviews with the Apple co-founder himself. There are over 100 stories shared by friends and family, colleagues and competitors.

The story of Jobs’ life is very compelling. The man made a career following his curiosity and combining practicality with aesthetics, function with beauty. He undoubtedly revolutionized the computer, music and mobile industries.

One paragraph from the book's summary that could sum up the feature film reads:

"At a time when America is seeking ways to sustain its innovative edge, and when societies around the world are trying to build digital-age economies, Jobs stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination. He knew that the best way to create value in the twenty-first century was to connect creativity with technology. He built a company where leaps of the imagination were combined with remarkable feats of engineering."

In the right hands, Jobs' story could make an excellent film. David Fincher made the Facebook story one of the most engrossing films of the past few years. On the other hand, it is sad that the whole industry is thriving on exploiting Jobs’ death rather than celebrating his life.

What do you think about a Jobs biopic so soon after his death?

Tags apple inc., Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, CNN, David Fincher, Facebook, Management 360, popnews, sony pictures, Steve Jobs, The Social Network, Time Magazine, TNT, Walter Isaacson

By Astrid Rivera

Scarlett Johansson is no stranger to the spotlight, but earlier this month the Avengers star was placed onto a very uncomfortable stage by a group of dangerous hackers. Right before Johansson's scheduled trip to East Africa, these hackers allegedly broke into her phone and leaked private nude photos of the star on the Internet.

The actress, 26, has never appeared fully nude in a film and instead of ignoring the situation has taken to the media to defend her right to privacy. She sat down for an interview with CNN while in Kenya for the first time since the photos were divulged and was adamant about the right to privacy for all, even high-profile celebrities such as herself.

Johansson said,

"Who doesn't want to protect their own privacy? Just because you're an actor or make films or whatever doesn't mean you're not entitled to your own personal privacy. If that is sieged in some way, if feels unjust. It feels wrong."

She hasn't been the only one to get hacked; other celebrities like Paris Hilton and Disney darling Vanessa Hudgens have all been the victims of hackers. But unlike these other celebrities, Johansson saw the opportunity to use the situation as a precautionary tale to others and as a platform to take a stand against these hackers.

As soon as these photos hit the web, the actress fought back with the help of the FBI and a group of skillful lawyers. The question remains, who are the hackers? And how exactly were they able to get access to this sort of personal information? One thing is sure, these hackers better watch out because ScarJo is not backing down!

Putting the issue of her nude photos aside, the beautiful actress got back to business and acted upon her duties as ambassador for Oxfam. An active ambassador since 2004, she traveled to Kenya to stress the intensity of human suffering happening in many parts of Africa. She documented her experiences on CNN and the Huffington Post and by doing so, hopes to spread the word on the urgency for change in Africa.

This was a life changing experience for Johansson, who was deeply touched by all of the stories and people she encountered in refugee camps. She reveals,

"What struck me the most is the fact that people are just surviving, they are sort of in a state of limbo."

ScarJo is just another incredible example of how the power of fame can be used to help others in need. Maybe other celebrities will start taking cues from this amazing movie star (Paris Hilton anyone?).

Check out Scarlett's adventures in Kenya!

Tags Avengers, Blogger: Astrid Rivera, CNN, Huffington Post, Oxfam, Paris Hilton, popnews, Scarlett Johansson, Vanessa Hudgens

By Michael Lopez

You've got to hand it to Piers Morgan, he certainly knows how to get a guest to open up. Tr3s fave George Lopez happened to be on his CNN talk show this week and spoke very candidly about his past, his present, and his views on politics.

Delving into his younger years, Lopez spoke very fondly about his dearly departed grandmother. He explained how she had raised him from the age of 10 and played a very important role in his upbringing.

"She was the one that, whether good or bad, I loved the most," a teary George explained. "I wish that I would've told her that there was nobody that loved her or would have protected her more than me."

Of course knowing Lopez, things didn't stay on a sad note for long. George quickly lightened the mood by taking jabs at controversial politician Sarah Palin. When asked what he would do if she were elected President, he said,

"I would move to Canada! I like my politicians to actually have a political background."

One other interesting topic that Piers got Lopez to discuss was his ex-wife Ann Serrano. As you may recall, George went through a bitter divorce last year after 17 years of marriage. Speaking fondly about their relationship, he concluded,

"I was fortunate enough to be married to her for 17 years. And as marriages go, it was fun. We used to look at each other and laugh, and we had nothing when we started. So it was a great period."

Which celebrity would you most like to see open up in an interview? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, CNN, George Lopez, Piers Morgan, Sarah Palin, Television

By Michael Lopez

OK, can we “officially” admit that Cuban-American talk show star Cristina Saralegui was edged out of Univision? She originally said it was a mutual parting of ways when she left the network after 21 years, even implying that she may be headed into retirement. But now it is clear that is not the case, with rumors flying that Saralegui is close to signing a deal with CNN en Español.

Since the cancellation of her popular daytime talk show, Saralegui has become much more vocal about her discontent for Univision. She recently told reporters that she's been fielding several offers from such competing Spanish-language networks as Telemundo, Azteca TV and Televisa.

But according to AOL Latino, the real winner may be CNN en Español. Sources there claim that Cristina and her husband Marco Avila are in deep negotiations with the cable channel, which could potentially include a primetime show and crossovers with the English CNN network.

One thing is abundantly clear — 63-year-old Cristina is not retiring. And why should she? When she left Univision, Saralegui was at the top of her game and still scoring major interviews with stars like Ricky Martin and Shakira. With her strong connections and upbeat interviewing skills, we imagine she’ll have plenty of A-list talent ready to follow her wherever she goes.

Would you like to see Cristina back on TV? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags CNN, cristina, Cristina Saralegui, Hot Stuff, Talk Shows, Television, univision

By Sharmaine Jones

Last night (October 5) on the 36th floor conference room of New York's Mandarin Oriental Luxury Hotel, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) held their Alumni Hall of Fame Gala and we were in attendance.

The Hall of Fame Gala celebrated and acknowledged the achievements of outstanding HSF alumni recipients who personify the power of higher education. Keeping the program moving along was this years master of ceremonies: CNBC's personal finance expert Carmen Wong Ulrich. Ulrich did an excellent job using witty, lighthearted humor to keep the audience engaged. And boy did we need a few laughs throughout the ceremony because there was a short video shown for each inductee giving a brief description of their family's struggles and explaining the impact HSF had on their ability to go to college. These videos – what we like to describe as – “Messages of Hope” showed touching stories of survival, perseverance, sacrifice and strong family values. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. This years alumni inductees – all the first in their family to go to college – include:

Altruista, Yesmi Rios, English Language Learner Coordinator, Clark County School District, NV
Brillante, Lisa Pino, Deputy Administrator, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Food
and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Inspirador, Roger Cepeda, Associate General Counsel, CT, GE Healthcare
Optimista, Edgar Martinez, D.O., F.A.C.P.S., Medical Director, Dr. Edgar Martinez Medical Center

CNN's Anderson Cooper was in attendance to present the Corporate Honoree award to Time Warner. Chairman and CEO Jeff L. Bewkes accepted the award on the company's behalf.

Giving one of the most touching speeches of the night was Honorary Inductee: “Triunfador” Cesar Conde, President, Univision Networks. He spoke about how HSF afforded him the opportunity to compete with tools of education and emphasized that in the Latino community “High School dropout rate is too high and college matriculation is too low.” He also shared his motivational mantra: “Dream big, work hard and stay humble”.

During the event we had the pleasure of dining with HSF scholarship recipient Sergio F. Serratto. Mr. Serratto spoke with us about how he volunteered to help out with the event as his way of “giving back”. He now attends NYU Stern and will be a part of the Finance and International Business class of 2011.

Serratto is another example of HSF's importance and success. Celebrating 35 years of excellence, HSF is the nation's leading Hispanic scholarship organization, providing the Hispanic community more college scholarships and educational outreach support than any other organization in the country. Designed to be a relief valve for students ready to enter college, as well as their families, HSF has successfully created a national movement awarding over $300 million, resulting in close to 100,000 scholarships to students in need.

What's so amazing about this program is that it's not only designed to send Latinos to college, they also educate their families about the important role parents play in the process. To accomplish this, “Your Words Today” – launched April 27, 2010 – is a multi-media, bilingual PSA campaign aimed to reinforce among Hispanic parents that their involvement is crucial and their encouragement is vital.

Attending the event was such an honor and being in the presence of such prominent successful Latinos gave us an overwhelming sense of pride and hope. Kudos to HSF for not only addressing a Hispanic issue, but an American issue.

For more information about how to apply for scholarships or donate to the cause, visit www.HSF.net.

Tags Agentes De Cambio, Anderson Cooper, Carmen Wong Ulrich, CNBC, CNN, Edgar Martinez, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Lisa Pino, Roger Cepeda, Time Warner, Yesmi Rios

By Elis T. Ortiz

CNN is set to launch a new arts and culture show called “icon” airing this August 25th, which will
showcase everything art-related from architecture, to fashion, to music. Para este último tema,
they’ve joined forces with music magazine Songlines to shortlist the top 20 globally recognized icons of the past 50 years.

The best part? La música Latina is being represented by the late great reina de la salsa Celia Cruz, and Colombian pop superstar Juanes!

Other greats who’ve made the shortlist are Bob Marley, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and The Beatles. Fans will have the opportunity to narrow the list even more by choosing their top 5 icons from the pre-selected top 20.

You can visit CNN’s website to vote for your favorite icons and possibly get Juanes and Celia to the top! Los más populares seran revelados on the CNN site the night of the “icon” premiere on the 25th.

The series will be a monthly show, exploring the iconic people and places that stand out in pop culture all around the globe. Esperemos que nuestros países latinoamericanos sean bien representados.

Will you be tuning in to catch “icon”? Weigh in below or @MTV3!

Tags Celia Cruz, CNN, Cultura, icon, Juanes, latin, poll, show, Tr3s

By Sharmaine Jones

Back in 1997, Capone-N-Noreaga enjoyed massive street credibility, thanks (in part) to the release of their debut album, The War Report. Poised to once again make their mark in the rap game, the duo is taking it back to their roots with the release of The War Report 2, hitting stores and digital outlets on July 13. If tracks on the album are anything like their smash hits "T.O.N.Y" and "Closer," fans are in for a treat!

Although we would have appreciated it if Noreaga had recorded a few more Spanish language songs to reflect his Puerto Rican heritage — as he did with his 2006 album N.O.R.E. y la Familia...La Tu Sabe — we're loving that the The War Report 2 will feature the L.O.X., Faith Evans, Busta Rhymes, Imam T.H.U.G., Musaliny, a verse from Tragedy Khadifi, and Raekwon.

Rae appears on 3 tracks. The rap legend is an executive producer on the album and C-N-N are signed to his label, Ice H20 — the same imprint that brought last year's acclaimed Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II sequel.

A hot track to look out for from The War Report 2 is “With Me,” featuring Nas. The single didn't even require a studio session! Nore shared the details with MTVNews.com:

"I can't remember [how long ago] we finished the song, because me and Nas have recorded so much material in the past," Nore said. "We came across this [particular song and] made a new beat to it, switched a lot of things around. But it's a wonderful thing. It's not a recent verse from Nas. It was something in the vault, but we made it brand-new. If you don't know it's old, you won't know. It's the way a lot of people want to hear Nas."

We are definitely looking forward to vintage Nas!

Check out this video for "Thug Planet," another sizzlin' track from The War Report 2: