Jason Wahler of The Hills Talks Suicide Attempt, Addiction: "I Was in the Fight For My Life"

Lauren Conrad will always be known as the "girl who didn't go to Paris" because she decided to stay in California with then-boyfriend Jason Wahler. But their summer ended in unexplained heartbreak. What The Hills didn't show was Wahler's intense struggle with alcohol addiction, which contributed to their failed relationship. 

Wahler returned to the show in 2007, claiming to be cleaning up his act, but it wasn't until his 2010 stint on Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew that the reality bad boy finally made a commitment to getting clean and sober. 

PHOTOS: The Hills stars: Then and now

In a telling new blog post for HuffPost Celebrity, Wahler opened up about his struggles with addiction and how his reality TV background fueled the flame and led to him almost dying. 

"I was in the fight for my life, but I didn't realize it," the newlywed star revealed. "My mistakes and run-ins with the law always hit the wires because of my time spent on MTV's Laguna Beach and The Hills. I was quickly becoming known as the non-stop partier from Orange County, when truthfully, I was just like any other alcoholic who was humiliated because of their spiral out of control. I knew that Laguna and The Hills weren't the source of my addiction, but the overnight success, fame and cash ignited my addiction much quicker."

Wahler's addiction became so bad that he almost took his own life at one point.

PHOTOS: Lauren Conrad's love life

"I was so uncomfortable in my own skin that I contemplated suicide a number of times, and even attempted it once," he revealed. "I took 10 times more Antabuse (a popular drug that helps alcoholics abstain from drinking) than I was supposed to in an effort to take my own life, but was saved after being rushed to the hospital and receiving treatment for my overdose. That was about four years ago, and I have now been sober for three."

After completing Season 4 of Celebrity Rehab, Wahler was in a much better place. He made amends with Conrad, who got engaged to boyfriend William Tell last weekend -- the same weekend Wahler himself got married.

PHOTOS: Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew: Stars we've lost

The California native credits much of his sober success to model Ashley Slack, his new bride. It's been a long journey for the star, but he remains committed to keeping clean. 

"I now take pride in how I look, and live a healthy lifestyle that is reflected in my physicality," he said. "I could see the obvious difference between who I was then at 19 and who I have become now -- and believe the public can see the same, too, despite my past reputation."

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/the-hills-star-jason-wahler-talks-suicide-attempt-addiction-i-was-in-the-fight-for-my-life-20131810
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High-speed chase closes US-Mexico border crossing (Providence Journal)

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Leaders Express 'Cautious Optimism' Over Iran Nuclear Plan

Catherine Ashton, the EU high representative for foreign affairs, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif share a light moment Tuesday at the start of two-day talks on Iran's nuclear program.

Fabrice Coffrini/AP

Catherine Ashton, the EU high representative for foreign affairs, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif share a light moment Tuesday at the start of two-day talks on Iran's nuclear program.

Fabrice Coffrini/AP

Iran's proposal for easing the standoff over its nuclear program got seemingly positive initial reviews at Tuesday's start of multiparty talks in Geneva.

A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the Iranian delegation had made a PowerPoint presentation outlining the plan at the beginning of the two-day session. The spokesman said the plan had been received with "cautious optimism" but gave no further details of the close-door meeting, describing the proceedings as "confidential."

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said there had been a "good" first reaction to Tehran's proposals, according to Reuters.

As the BBC reports:

"The discussions bring together Iran officials and representatives of the 'P5+1 group,' made up of Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany.

"In a Facebook entry posted at the weekend, [Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad] Zarif said the talks were the 'start of a difficult and relatively time-consuming way forward.' "

The talks are the first since moderate President Hasan Rouhani was elected four months ago. Since then, Rouhani has ratcheted down the bombastic rhetoric of his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. As The Associated Press writes, the talks are seen as "a key test of Iran's overtures to the West."

Foreign Policy says: "While there is little optimism that this week's talks will resolve the matter of Iranian nuclear weapons development entirely, U.S. officials have hinted that progress made could result in immediate relief from U.S. imposed sanctions."

Update At 1:45 p.m. ET:

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney warned that "despite positive signs" from the Geneva talks, "no one should expect a breakthrough overnight."

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/15/234638759/leader-express-cautious-optimism-over-iran-nuclear-plan?ft=1&f=1009
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WIRED Space Photo of the Day: Saturn From Above

This portrait looking down on Saturn and its rings was created from images obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on Oct. 10, 2013. It was made by amateur image processor and Cassini fan Gordan Ugarkovic. This image has not been geometrically corrected for shifts in the spacecraft perspective and still has some camera artifacts.The mosaic was created from 12 image footprints with red, blue and green filters from Cassini's imaging science subsystem. Ugarkovic used full color sets for 11 of the footprints and red and blue images for one footprint.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://www.nasa.gov/cassini and http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov.

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute/G. Ugarkovic [high-resolution, seriously click this]

Caption: NASA

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After Escape, Fla. Killers Signed In With Authorities

A story that already sounded like something out of the movies has gotten even harder to believe:

Joseph Jenkins and Charles Walker — convicted killers who were recently released from a state prison in Florida thanks to faked documents featuring forged signatures of a judge and prosecutors — later walked into an Orlando County jail to register as felons.

Convicted killer Charles Walker in a photograph taken on Oct. 11 by the Orange County, Fla., Sheriff's Office — after he escaped from prison. Walker went to the Orange County Jail to register as a felon.

AP

Convicted killer Joseph Jenkins in a photograph taken on Sept. 20 by the Orange County,Fla., Sheriff's Office — after he escaped from prison. Jenkins went to the Orange County Jail to register as a felon.

AP

According to The Associated Press:

"They signed paperwork. They were fingerprinted, and they were even photographed before walking out of the jail without raising any alarms."

As The Orlando Sentinel says, the killers went to the jail in Orlando "not to turn themselves in, but to re-enter society."

The AP adds that:

"Felons are required to register by law. When they do, their fingerprints are digitally uploaded to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and a deputy at the jail verifies that they don't have any outstanding warrants, said jail spokesman Allen Moore.

"By registering as the law required, they likely drew less attention.

" 'If there's no hit that comes back, they're free to go,' said Isaiah Dennard, the Florida Sheriff's Association's jail services coordinator. If felons do not register, a warrant is put out for their arrest, Dennard said."

Jenkins and Walker are still at large. NPR's Greg Allen tells our Newscast Desk that a nationwide alert has been issued. He adds that "Florida's Department of Corrections says it's now changed its procedures — requiring verification by the sentencing judge before any inmate is released."

Authorities are also, obviously, looking into who created the forged documents.

According to the Sentinel:

"Jenkins, 34, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 1998 killing and botched robbery of Roscoe Pugh, an Orlando man. ... Walker, 34, was convicted of second-degree murder in a 1999 slaying in Orange County. He told investigators that 23-year-old Cedric Slater was bullying him and he fired three shots intending to scare him."

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/19/237613871/after-escape-fla-killers-signed-in-with-authorities?ft=1&f=1003
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With Shutdown Over, The Race To Feed Low-Income Seniors Is On

Meal deliveries to some low-income seniors stopped during the shutdown, and distributors are now racing to get meals out.

iStockphoto.com

Meal deliveries to some low-income seniors stopped during the shutdown, and distributors are now racing to get meals out.

iStockphoto.com

The USDA is back to funding its meals program for low-income seniors. That's good news for those who depend on the weekly food deliveries, which stopped during the government shutdown.

Across Michigan, tens of thousands of seniors turn to dozens of agencies for assistance. In Grand Rapids, where we first reported on the program freeze, a local agency is playing catch-up, relying on volunteers to fill the void.

The race to feed low-income seniors is on. In a warehouse half the size of a football field, more than a dozen volunteers form an assembly line, filling boxes with government surplus food.

They're surrounded by stacks of cereal, canned veggies, soup and dried milk from the USDA's Commodity Supplemental Food Program.

"I'm hoping we can get 3-, 400 boxes packed today," says Stacie Nobles, a volunteer from Feed America.

It's a lofty goal, but she's confident it will get done. She's disturbed by the idea the food here has been sitting the past two weeks, not getting to the stomachs of vulnerable seniors.

"You know, that's our grandparents. What do you do? You go hungry. And how long do you go? Two weeks is a long time," Nobles says.

Kent County's Community Action Agency is pushing to make sure its weekly deliveries go out on Friday. Nobles says 600 boxes are ready to go — but there are 1,500 low-income seniors to serve.

"We've got to try to get everything in by the end of the month now," says Ron Cusin, who runs the warehouse and makes deliveries.

He says those 60 or older with an annual income under $15,000 qualify.

"They'll be very happy to see me, I'll tell you that much," Cusin says. He says he'll be happy to see them, too.

Across the country, in warehouses like this one, the scene is being repeated as volunteers quickly try to put food back on the plates of the elderly poor who rely on them.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/10/17/236368853/with-shutdown-over-the-race-to-feed-low-income-seniors-is-on?ft=1&f=1053
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Teams Take A Step Closer To World Series

The Cardinals beat the Dodgers Friday night, and Detroit and Boston are back at Fenway on Saturday. Host Scott Simon talks with Howard Bryant of ESPN about the games and what's ahead for the World Series.

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

You know, this week there's been no shutdown of sports.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SIMON: The pennants are falling into place. The St. Louis Cardinals going back to the World Series after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers last night by a score of, I don't know, I had to go to sleep. It looked like about 50 to nothing. And tonight, in the American League, the Detroit Tigers roar back into Fenway Park. But would you bet against the Red Sox to win a game there? They lead the series three games to two. A bunch of reds could be in the World Series. For more we go to Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. He's at the studios of New England Public Radio. Howard, thanks for being with us.

HOWARD BRYANT: Good morning, Scott. It wasn't that bad. It wasn't 50 to nothing. It was 9 to nothing, but it felt like 50 to nothing.

SIMON: This is the fourth World Series the Cardinals will be going to in ten years. Now of course, as you realize, for a Cub fan, this is hard to say, b-b-b-b-b-but year in and year out the Cardinals are one of the great franchises, not only of all time, but of all now. How do they do it?

BRYANT: It's a fantastic thing. When you start looking at the Cardinals, I always refer to Major League Baseball as there are four legs to the table in terms of the four franchises that have been historically and successfully the most popular teams, is the Cardinals, the Red Sox, the Dodgers and the Yankees. And those teams stand above the rest every year for some reason, whether it's the Red Sox - even when the Red Sox underachieve, they were somehow the team that people wrote about and talked about and they were always, they had so much influence in Major League Baseball.

The Cardinals are the Midwest team. In a year where Stan Musial, the greatest Cardinal, passed away, they win the pennant. They've won 19 pennants, 22 pennants overall since 1883; they've won nine since 1996. And they do it the old-fashioned way, in a lot of different ways. They still go out and they get free agent players, but they have a lot of homegrown players.

They don't overspend, and gee, the kid, Michael Wacha - this kid has played - he's pitched nine starts in his career and he is the difference-maker right now. And how did they get Michael Wacha? By not giving Albert Pujols the $250 million and letting him go, and now this young homegrown talent pitched them into the World Series last night, giving up only two hits.

SIMON: Yeah. Let's go to the American League. As we mentioned, Boston is ahead three to two. So Detroit's not down by much, but did that second game put the series into a kind of groove?

BRYANT: Second game changed everything. You've got back-to-back guys throwing no-hitters. You've got a 1-nothing lead on the road, you're up 5 to nothing, and then 5 to one with two outs in the eighth inning, so you're about to go home for three games, up two games to none, with your best pitcher on the mound.

David Ortiz hits a grand slam, you lose the game in the next inning. And all of a sudden everything turns around. Then they beat Verlander at home, you know, in Detroit, and so now instead of having a chance to go up three games to none, the Tigers are facing elimination. And the good news for the Tigers is that they've got their two best pitchers.

You've got Max Scherzer going tonight, who's probably going to win the Cy Young Award next month, and you've got Verlander if they win tonight, going to a game 7 and you don't want to face Verlander in a game 7. So on the one hand, the Red Sox are a game away from going to the World Series, but if you're the Tigers, you are the defending American League Champions. You went to the World Series last year, and you've got your two best pitchers going the next two games if it gets that far.

SIMON: Got to ask you quickly about Prince Fielder. I saw him slide into second base this week. It was like dredging the Panama Canal. He hasn't had a successful playoff series in a long time.

BRYANT: No, and it's tough. You look at all the stat guys and the Bill James people that I completely disagree with so many times when they talk about how there's no such thing as clutch hitting and there's a small sample size in the postseason. And I disagree with that. I think that what you do in the postseason, it's pressure. It's not comparing you to the regular season. It's what you do in this moment when everybody's watching.

If you look at Carlos Beltran last night...

SIMON: Oh, what a catch. Yeah.

BRYANT: What a catch. He got them going and he wins game 1 for them. He's an amazing, amazing offensive player and defensive player, and then you look at Prince Fielder who's had a terrible postseason. He needs to break out or people are going to wonder if he's a pressure player - at $214 million over nine years.

SIMON: Yeah. We actually have 20 seconds left. We're building into the clock. I got a tweet last night as you and I were watching the game I want to run by you. Thomas Alma writes: Sorry I don't share your love of the game. Professional sports are corrupt, child-like and pathetic. Howard, he's talking about us.

BRYANT: He really is. And he's not wrong, but we love them anyway.

SIMON: Thanks very much, Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. And you're listening to WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News.

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