The week is over, and it has been an incredibly hectic one here in the MTV Newsroom. March Madness has kept us captivated, and MTV's Musical March Madness has lead to some lively discussions and incredible developments among rival acts. There's more basketball and more voting going down over the weekend, but there will be more competition at UFC 128. We'll be live at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, observing the spectacle that is UFC and cheering on 23-year-old light heavyweight contender Jon "Bones" Jones as he takes on reigning champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

In between voting for your favorite bands in MTV's Musical March Madness and watching men elbow each other inside a cage, be sure to catch up with everything you might have missed on the MTV Newsroom blog this week.

» Seriously, just vote for your favorite bands in MTV's Musical March Madness.

» "The Celebrity Apprentice" rolled on, and this week Lisa Rinna got her walking papers.

» Lady Gaga maintained her stranglehold on the Billboard Hot 100, but watch out for Katy Perry's "E.T."

» Do you love Snooki but are bummed that "Jersey Shore" has its season finale next week? No worries — she'll be grappling at WrestleMania.
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Another busy week in the MTV Newsroom has come to a close, though the news certainly won't be stopping just because there are a few days off. In fact, the world will almost certainly remain focused on the cataclysmic tsunami that has swept over the eastern coast of Japan (and the fallout that will come because of that disaster). So before you do your part in the recovery effort and reach out to those in need, be sure to catch up with everything you might have missed on the MTV Newsroom blog this week, including the saga of late former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr, the new Foo Fighters video and a whole lot of "American Idol" madness.

» The rock world mourned the passing of former Alice in Chains member and "Celebrity Rehab" participant Mike Starr, who passed away at the age of 44.

» The week opened with a return to one of the MTV Newsroom blog's favorite television shows, as "The Celebrity Apprentice" came back around for another round of psychosis.

» A number of high-profile albums hit the street this week, including R.E.M.'s latest album Collapse Into Now, which will feature one video for each song on the album.

» Lupe Fiasco also released his long-awaited third album this week, and even though Lupe himself felt lukewarm about it, the critics had a much more enthusiastic reaction.

» Charlie Sheen still dominated a certain segment of the news this week, as he was officially fired from "Two and a Half Men." That opens the door for a replacement, but who will that be?
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The week is over, and for the first time in a long time, there aren't any awards shows demanding your attention on your days of rest. So you should feel free to catch up with any Oscar-winning films you might have missed, listen to R.E.M.'s excellent new album Collapse Into Now or simply make yourself a series of delicious omelets while watching old episodes of "Deadwood" (the latter idea probably applies to a very small percentage of you, but that doesn't make it any less good an idea). In the meantime, click through the links below to catch up with all the greatness you might have missed on this week's MTV Newsroom blog, including a boatload of music video premieres and a shocking number of entries about metal.

» The cast of "Dancing With the Stars" was announced earlier this week, and it's one of the most evenly balanced groups the show has ever had.

» Trent Reznor snagged an Oscar last weekend, which means he is halfway to his EGOT.

» You know who else had a good time at the Oscars (or at least at the Vanity Fair Oscar party)? Justin Bieber, who made out with Selena Gomez and shot the breeze with Mick Jagger.

» "American Idol" now has the 13 finalists who will compete for the top prize, a field that was entirely predicted by readers of the MTV Newsroom blog.

» There were all sorts of new music videos that premiered over the course of the week, including the new Lady Gaga clip for "Born This Way." It's epic, of course, and features an already-beloved intro that features space births, unicorns and machine guns.

» Lil Wayne also pulled the curtain back on the video for "6 Foot 7 Foot," which featured a tribute to "Inception" and Weezy's severed head.
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Another week is over and another huge batch of stories and events have unfolded in the pop culture universe. There was a new music video from Dr. Dre, a new hair style for Justin Bieber and a new group of people to vote for on "American Idol." And for those of you who are movie buffs, we're going to keep delivering stories all weekend, as the next two days brings the Independent Spirit Awards (which MTV News will be at on Saturday night, February 26) and the Academy Awards (which will air Sunday, February 27, preceded by a live stream hosted by "After Hours" host Josh Horowitz that will be live on MTV News). Along the way, there will be no shortage of results, interviews, analysis and party reports from the red carpets and back stage at some of the biggest film events of the year.

But before you finalize your Oscar picks and start preparing your seven layer dip that somehow pays homage to "Winter's Bone," check out what you might have missed this week on the MTV Newsroom blog.

» Justin Bieber trimmed his trademark locks this week, likely with the hope that he'll end up on the left side of this handy hair-based infographic.

» The Bieber haircut was the talk of the Internet for most of the week, and it reminded us of when Joe Jonas made his own dramatic decision about his mane.

» Bieber's follicles weren't the only conversations happening online this week — in fact, a lot of them were devoted to videos of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke dancing. (We still haven't gotten tired of that conversation.)

» After weeks of seemingly endless auditions, we finally know the 24 people who are this season's "American Idol" finalists.

» Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" continued its assault on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, spending another week at the top spot. Will anything be able to unseat it?

» The NBA trade deadline passed this week, but not before a flurry of deals, one of which sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks.
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It may be Friday, but things are just getting warmed up here in the MTV Newsroom. We'll be tracking Justin Bieber's movie "Never Say Never" all weekend, and we're also in Los Angeles for the 53rd Grammy Awards, where we'll be backstage, at the parties and on the red carpet all weekend. MTV News will be live online at MTV.com (and right here on the MTV Newsroom Blog) this Sunday, February 13 at 6 p.m. for "Snooki & Sway: Live From the Grammys," a red-carpet live stream. They'll be talking to all the biggest stars, getting predictions and taking a look at all the best fashions from one of music's biggest nights.

In the meantime, be sure to check out all the stuff you might have missed this week on the MTV Newsroom Blog, and come back on Sunday night (February 13) for the official Grammys live blog.

» The week began with the Super Bowl, one of the biggest cultural events of the year. The Green Bay Packers won the game, but Eminem won the commercial Olympics.

» At halftime of the Super Bowl, the Black Eyed Peas brought a light and sound spectacular that featured an extra-loud drop-in from Slash.

» After he won the Super Bowl MVP, Aaron Rodgers celebrated with a heavyweight championship belt.

» The one lasting talking point after the Super Bowl? Christina Aguilera's unfortunate lyric flub during "The Star-Spangled Banner."

» Want to know what Grammy categories are the most contentious? Interested in some Grammy flashbacks? Everything you have ever wanted is right here.
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Another week is in the books here in the MTV Newsroom, and while every day is a hard-hitting sprint to get you the biggest and best stories, it feels like we went just a little bit harder this week. We were on top of Justin Bieber's movie premiere (and believe us, we're just getting warmed up), all over the unveiling of Rihanna's controversial new video for "S&M" (which continues to make waves over its extra-sexy content) and first on the scene when it was announced that "Beavis and Butt-head" were coming back to the fold (welcome back, boys — everybody missed you). And that's not even mentioning Britney Spears' album title, the break-up of the White Stripes and the continuous roller coaster ride that is "American Idol."

So before you start waiting in line for next week's premiere of "Never Say Never" or get your chili recipes together for the Super Bowl, check out all the juicy tidbits you might have missed this week on the MTV Newsroom Blog.

» Britney Spears announced that her new album will be called Femme Fatale, which hopefully means she's start wearing a lot of trench coats.

» Rihanna pulled back the curtain on the video for "S&M," which immediately sparked all kinds of controversy and was banned in a handful of places. But is it her most provocative clip?

» Justin Bieber introduced the world to his new movie "Never Say Never," and we were on the ground rubbing elbows with the biggest fans.

» In other Bieber news, he's excited that "Beavis and Butt-head" are back. So are we, and we'd also welcome the return of "The Head."

» In sadder news, the White Stripes announced that they were packing it in for good. Who will carry the garage torch now?
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For the first time in months, there's no football to watch this weekend (well, there's the Pro Bowl, but since nobody watches it and it's always terrible, it doesn't really count). With that in mind, it's time to catch up on the things in your life that don't involve football, like your growing Netflix queue (time to finally sit down and check out "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World," because it's totally underrated and awesome), experiment with some meals (tackle those vegan burritos or that root beer-based recipe for pulled pork) or indulging in a whole different sports obsession (both the professional and college basketball worlds are getting interesting right now). Or you could just go see "The Mechanic."

But no matter what you end up doing, try not to slip and fall on the ice, and be sure to catch up with the featured MTV Newsroom Blog posts you might have missed this week.

» "American Idol" had another banner week, delivering an early competition favorite and one of the biggest tearjerking moments in the history of the show. And all the while, Steven Tyler has kept the flame of our love for the show extra hot.

» The Oscar nominations were announced this week, and while "The King's Speech" got the most nods, "The Social Network" has the greatest music video pedigree.

» The nominations for the Razzie Awards were also announced this week, and since there isn't a category for Worst Song, we happily obliged.

» The Pittsburgh Steelers not only earned a trip to the Super Bowl but also inspired dozens of terrible songs about their success.

» Speaking of the Super Bowl, Christina Aguilera will be singing the national anthem at the big game, which is a good sign for the Steelers.

» Another reason to watch the Super Bowl? Justin Bieber's collaboration with Ozzy Osbourne.
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It was another short week thanks to the holiday, but it was still a busy one here at MTV News thanks to the premiere of "American Idol," the continued dominance of Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" and the Golden Globes. Also, Friday afternoon has been taken up mostly by a single question: If "The Real World" had a seven person all-legends team, who would be in there? And would it be cool to have both Pedro and Puck in there? (These are the philosophical questions that keep us sharp on slower news days.)

So before you head out to your local cinema to see "No Strings Attached," prepare for the last weekend of NFL playoffs before the Super Bowl and try desperately not to freeze in the open air, be sure to check out everything you might have missed on the MTV Newsroom Blog this week.

» "American Idol" came back and delivered some comedy, some tears and the staggering greatness that is Steven Tyler.

» Look, did we mention how much we love Steven Tyler? Stay tuned all season for more "American Idol" news, opinions, interviews and insight.

» The world also welcomed Coachella back into the fold, as the lineup for the 2011 festival was unleashed.

» Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It's the second time for her and only the 18th time in history.
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There were a pair of massive new singles, a huge video premiere, a handful of fantastically strange video experiments and a snow storm, but we once again managed to arrive at the end of the week. There is a three-day weekend ahead of us (Monday, January 17 is Martin Luther King Day, so celebrate accordingly), so that will give you extra time to reflect on the past, watch playoff football, finally get around to taking down that Christmas tree or reveling in the awards season (you can catch the Critic's Choice Awards Friday night on VH1 and the Golden Globes on Sunday night on NBC, and we'll be covering them both at MTV News and MTV Movies Blog). But before you do any of that, you should really catch up with everything you might have missed on the MTV Newsroom Blog this week, because our cup was overflowing with excellence.

» The big news this week was the new single from Britney Spears. It's called "Hold It Against Me," and it awakened out inner pickup artist.

» Spears' new song attracted a lot of attention, including that of the Bellamy Brothers.

» Of course, Spears wasn't the only star dropping a huge single this week, as the Kanye West/Jay-Z tag team song "H.A.M." also reared its head for the first time.

» "H.A.M." doesn't have a video yet, but you should watch this compilation of ham-related videos (you know, like the meat) to tide you over.

» Our video editing equipment was extra-busy this week, as in addition to the "H.A.M." clip, we also put together a "Jersey Shore" remix of Bruno Mars' "Grenade."

» In other news, we looked back on the one year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, and it turns out there's an awful long way to go.

» Taylor Swift debuted her new video for "Back to December," and it features an empty bathtub and an indoor snow storm.
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Now that you've enjoyed "Paramore: The Last Word," it's time to start your weekend. Will you be standing in line to see "Season of the Witch"? Watching playoff football action (where the Jets, Chiefs, Eagles and Saints will advance)? Or maybe you'll just be avoiding the cold and the snow (again). No matter what you end up doing, do it safely and make sure it's fun. But before you do any of that, be sure to catch up with all the stuff you might have missed on the MTV Newsroom Blog this week. It was a great one, with a handful of tributes, plenty of arguments and a heaping boatload of cast members from "Jersey Shore."

» We're already excited about a lot of developing stories in 2011. Case in point? The inevitable horse race between iconic divas Britney Spears and Lady Gaga, both of whom have new albums coming out soon.

» In other Lady Gaga news, she showed the world her derriere in celebration of her new album.

» In other Britney news, actor Stephen Dorff took us behind the scenes of the singer's classic video "Everytime."

» Welcome back, "Jersey Shore." You have been missed.
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