Forecasters warned that the New York City region could face the worst of Hurricane Sandy as it bore down on the U.S. East Coast's largest cities Monday, forcing the shutdown of financial markets and mass transit, sending coastal residents fleeing and threatening high winds, rain and a wall of water up to 11 feet (3.35 metres) tall. It could endanger up to 50 million people for days.

Sandy strengthened before dawn and stayed on a predicted path toward New York, Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia— putting it on a collision course with two other weather systems that would create a superstorm with the potential for havoc over 800 miles (1,280 kilometres) from the East Coast to the Great Lakes. Up to 3 feet (0.9 metres) of snow were even forecast for mountainous parts of West Virginia.

Airports closed, and authorities warned that the time for evacuation was running out or already past. Many workers planned to stay home as subways, buses and trains shut down across the region under the threat of flooding that could inundate tracks and tunnels. Utilities anticipated widespread power failures.

The centre of the storm was positioned to come ashore Monday night in New Jersey, meaning the worst of the surge could be in the northern part of that state and in New York City and on Long Island. Higher tides brought by a full moon compounded the threat to the metropolitan area of about 20 million people.

"This is the worst-case scenario," said Louis Uccellini, environmental prediction chief for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

As rain from the leading edges began to fall over the Northeast on Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people from Maryland to Connecticut were ordered to leave low-lying coastal areas, including 375,000 in lower Manhattan and other parts of New York City, 50,000 in Delaware and 30,000 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where the city's 12 casinos shut down for only the fourth time ever.

The HMS Bounty, a 180-foot, three-mast tall ship, was last marked about 90 miles southeast of Hatteras.

The ship has sunk, according to the Coast Guard at 8:45 a.m. Monday.

Just before 8 a.m., the Facebook page for the HMS Bounty says 14 of the 16 people who had to abandon their ship have been hoisted to safety.

There have been conflicting reports on how many people were onboard. The manifest reportedly listed 16 people, and that's the number the Coast Guard has."

WITN-TV Article: http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Coast-Guard-Rescue-Underway-Now-16-People-In-Lifeboats-Off-NC-Coast-176228331.html

Seventeen people aboard a replica of the HMS Bounty abandoned ship early Monday while stranded at sea off the North Carolina coast, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a press release.

"The 17 person crew donned cold water survival suits and life jackets before launching in two 25-man lifeboats with canopies," the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The ship issued a distress signal late Sunday after taking on water, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The owner of the 180-foot, three mast ship -- which was built for the 1962 Marlon Brando movie, "Mutiny on the Bounty" -- lost communication with the crew and alerted the Coast Guard to the situation.

The Coast Guard then received a distress signal from the ship showing its position. It sent out an aircraft to speak with the crew, which reported that the vessel was taking on water and had no propulsion. It's currently located about 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C.

The ship, which is still floating upright and intact, is surrounded by 18-foot seas and 40 mph winds as Hurricane Sandy moves through the area.

The Bounty makes frequent trips around the country, offering a glimpse into maritime history, according to the ship's website. It was originally a British transport vessel, and the replica has appeared in several films, including the 2006 movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest," with Johnny Depp. Its last stop before its winter hiatus in Galveston, Texas, was to be in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Nov. 10.

It is unclear why the boat set out to sea with Sandy bearing down. Sandy could be the largest storm ever to hit the United States, according to NOAA's website.

Alicia Richman of Granbury, Tex. has been declared the new Guinness World Record holder for "Most Breastmilk Donated," CBS DFW reports. Between June 2011 and March 2012, The 28-year-old mother of one donated 11,115 ounces -- or 694 pounds -- of breastmilk to charity, according to Guinness. By volume, that's about 87 gallons.

Richman told CBS that after she gave birth in March 2011, she began pumping and storing her milk, and quickly realized she was producing much more than her son could consume.

When two freezers were chock full of pumped milk, Richman contacted the Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas, an nonprofit that collects breast milk donations for critically ill and premature infants in need.

Her donations have fed "hundreds, and more likely, thousands of premature babies across the United States," Amy Vickers, executive director of the milk bank, says in a press release.

Richman says she went for the Guinness record because she wanted to raise awareness for the cause and encourage other women to donate to milk banks.

"I'm so thankful that I'm able to help not only my own baby, Drake, but all of the little babies who need it and are sick," Richman told News 8. "It really feels amazing and I'm so thankful that I'm able to do it."

Forget distinctions like tropical storm or hurricane. Don't get fixated on a particular track. Wherever it hits, the rare behemoth storm inexorably gathering in the eastern U.S. will afflict a third of the country with sheets of rain, high winds and heavy snow, say officials who warned millions in coastal areas to get out of the way.

"We're looking at impact of greater than 50 to 60 million people," said Louis Uccellini, head of environmental prediction for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

As Hurricane Sandy barreled north from the Caribbean — where it left nearly five dozen dead — to meet two other powerful winter storms, experts said it didn't matter how strong the storm was when it hit land: The rare hybrid storm that follows will cause havoc over 800 miles from the East Coast to the Great Lakes.

"This is not a coastal threat alone," said Craig Fugate, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "This is a very large area."

President Barack Obama was monitoring the storm and working with state and locals governments to make sure they get the resources needed to prepare, administration officials said.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency Saturday as hundreds of coastal residents started moving inland and the state was set to close its casinos. New York's governor was considering shutting down the subways to avoid flooding and half a dozen states warned residents to prepare for several days of lost power.

Sandy weakened briefly to a tropical storm early Saturday but was soon back up to Category 1 strength, packing 75 mph winds about 305 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., as of 11 p.m. Forecasters said the storm was spreading tropical storm conditions across the coastline of North Carolina, and they were expected to move up the mid-Atlantic coastline late Sunday. Experts said the storm was most likely to hit the southern New Jersey coastline by late Monday or early Tuesday.

Governors from North Carolina, where heavy rain was expected Sunday, to Connecticut declared states of emergency. Delaware ordered mandatory evacuations for coastal communities by 8 p.m. Sunday.

Christie, who was widely criticized for not interrupting a family vacation in Florida while a snowstorm pummeled the state in 2010, broke off campaigning for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in North Carolina on Friday to return home.

"I can be as cynical as anyone," the pugnacious chief executive said in a bit of understatement Saturday. "But when the storm comes, if it's as bad as they're predicting, you're going to wish you weren't as cynical as you otherwise might have been."

The storm forced the presidential campaign to juggle schedules. Romney scrapped plans to campaign Sunday in the swing state of Virginia and switched his schedule for the day to Ohio. First lady Michelle Obama canceled an appearance in New Hampshire for Tuesday, and Obama moved a planned Monday departure for Florida to Sunday night to beat the storm. He canceled appearances in Northern Virginia on Monday and Colorado on Tuesday.

In Ship Bottom, just north of Atlantic City, Alice and Giovanni Stockton-Rossini spent Saturday packing clothing in the backyard of their home, a few hundred yards from the ocean on Long Beach Island. Their neighborhood was under a voluntary evacuation order, but they didn't need to be forced.

"It's really frightening," Alice Stockton-Rossi said. "But you know how many times they tell you, 'This is it, it's really coming and it's really the big one' and then it turns out not to be? I'm afraid people will tune it out because of all the false alarms before ... (but) this one might be the one."

A few blocks away, Russ Linke was taking no chances. He and his wife secured the patio furniture, packed the bicycles into the pickup truck, and headed off the island.

What makes the storm so dangerous and unusual is that it is coming at the tail end of hurricane season and the beginning of winter storm season, "so it's kind of taking something from both," said Jeff Masters, director of the private service Weather Underground.

Paris Hilton was in the Halloween spirit last night (Oct. 26) as she made her way to a private party in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The socialite, 31, flaunted her famous curves in an "Alice in Wonderland" costume, complete with stockings, a choker and ruffles.

X17online.com has photos of Hilton and her boyfriend River Viiperi, who dressed as the Mad Hatter, heading to the bash with some friends.

"Mad Hatter w my love @ParisHilton "AliceinWonderland" #BestHalloweenEver," Viiperi tweeted last night, with Hilton adding, "Ready for a night out on the town."

Looks like these two had a spook-tacular evening.

Nicki Minaj typically uses a few key ingredients in her super sexy music videos: outrageous costumes (always featuring cleavage), plenty of bright wigs, and water. Well, her latest effort, for new single "Va Va Voom," has all that plus unicorns and princesses. Some might say this is the jackpot.

In the video, Minaj dances in the woods with a hunky huntsman in a sparkly pantsless number, wears a hat that looks like a horse's head, gets attacked then rescued from a glass box like Snow White, and finally morphs into the sexiest evil queen we've ever seen. All of this goes down in a quick three minutes, 20 seconds. Impressive, right?

Oh, and two "unicorns" gallop through a babbling brook in at least two of the scenes in the Hype Williams-directed piece.

Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up is due out November 19. The two-disc album features tracks from Roman Reloaded, plus seven new songs.

We'd like to say we're far past being shocked by what Miley Cyrus wears, but we've got to hand it to the girl: she sure knows how to turn heads.

Ever since the 19-year-old chopped off her long hair, she's been stretching her legs in the style department. A goth look for the grocery store? Fine with Miley. A shaved head on the red carpet? Even better. No top? No problem. Most recently, the newly-engaged star stepped out in Los Angeles in a particularly interesting look.

While on her way to a recording studio on Friday, the future Mrs. Liam Hemsworth tried loud, printed leggings, a crop top, a gold "Miley" necklace and some of the chunkiest thigh-high boots we've ever seen (her shoe of choice, apparently). And while we have no problem with fashion experimentation, something about this look is a little overwhelming for us. Trend overload, perhaps?

We may remain unconvinced of the merits of this outfit, but what about you? Check out the photo and tell us what you think.

Earlier this week, the much-anticipated trailer for Iron Man 3 debuted. Unfortunately, our requests to discuss the trailer with the star Robert Downey Jr. were denied. (This is a lie, we never asked.) But, the good news is that we may have the next best thing: our old friend The Chitauri Warrior from The Avengers. So, let's find out what he's been doing since our last visit and maybe just get a scoop or two about Iron Man 3.

(Also, you're welcome, nobody.)

Thanks for joining me, Chitauri Warrior.
You're welcome. And, please, call me Steven.

I thought you went by Steve.
My agent felt that Steven the Chitauri Warrior sounded classier than Steve the Chitauri Warrior. Also, apparently there's already a "Steve the Chitauri Warrior" in SAG.

So, Steven, what did you think of the Iron Man 3 trailer?
I think there's a misunderstanding, I was not under the impression we'd be talking about Iron Man 3.

But that's why we wanted to talk to you today. You know, we were thinking that you could break it down for us with all of your insider knowledge.
[Silence]

Chitauri Warrior?
Look, compared to other Chitauri Warriors, I'm a pretty easy Chitauri to get along with. But I was told that I was here to talk about my upcoming appearance on Chicago Fire.

Oh, sorry for the confusion, Chitauri Warrior. OK, who do you play on Chicago Fire?
I play a human being who is in a building that is on fire.

How did you get this role?
Well, a good friend of mine, David Faustino, knows one of the producers and he put us in touch. David is a great guy.

How did you approach your role on Chicago Fire in comparison to how you prepared for The Avengers?
Well, for one, when I was in The Avengers, I didn't realize that it was a movie. I mean, I really thought I was invading Earth. They didn't let us in on the fact that it was all fiction until after shooting was complete.

Is this why you don't want to talk about Iron Man 3?
Do you want to know the reason? To be honest, I just don't like the guy.

Tony Stark?
Tony Stark is a fictional character. I'm talking about Robert Downey Jr.

Wait, he seems so charming. Why would you say that, Chitauri Warrior?
I let a lot of things go. When The Hulk punched my friend, Mitch, in the face ... I didn't hold a grudge. In fact, when I've seen Lou Ferrigno around town, we've had very pleasant conversations ...

Wait, Lou Ferrigno didn't play Hulk in ...
But the one thing I can't accept is intolerance.

What are you trying to say?
Between invasion rounds -- I later found out these were "takes" -- I overheard Downey make a snide remark about the comedic stylings of Sinbad. If there's one thing that the Chitauri love, it's Sinbad.

Are you in Iron Man 3, Chitauri Warrior?
Yes, but it's hard to see me.

Oh, who are you playing?
In the trailer, do you know that scene in which a helicopter shoots a missile that destroys Tony Stark's house? I'm the one flying the helicopter. This scene was never in the final script, that's just me acting on my own accord because of the Sinbad comments. Later, I learned they decided to keep it in the movie.

Colin Powell's former chief of staff condemned the Republican Party on Friday night, telling MSNBC's Ed Schultz, "My party is full of racists."

Retired Army Col. Lawrence Wilkerson made the comment in response to Mitt Romney campaign surrogate John Sununu's suggestion on Thursday that Powell's endorsement of President Barack Obama's re-election was motivated by race. Wilkerson, who served as Powell's chief of staff when the general was secretary of state during the first George W. Bush term, told Schultz that he respected Sununu "as a Republican, as a member of my party," but did not "have any respect for the integrity of the position that [Sununu] seemed to codify."

When asked by Schultz what, if anything, the remark said about the attitudes of the Republican Party, Wilkerson said:

    My party, unfortunately, is the bastion of those people -- not all of them, but most of them -- who are still basing their positions on race. Let me just be candid: My party is full of racists, and the real reason a considerable portion of my party wants President Obama out of the White House has nothing to do with the content of his character, nothing to do with his competence as commander-in-chief and president, and everything to do with the color of his skin, and that's despicable.

The retired colonel also said that "to say that Colin Powell would endorse President Obama because of his skin color is like saying Mother Theresa worked for profit."

Powell, a Republican, endorsed Obama for the second time on Thursday morning -- he also backed the president in 2008 -- saying on CBS' "This Morning" that he was "more comfortable with President Obama and his administration" than with Romney on a host of issues.

Sununu, no stranger to incendiary rhetoric this election cycle, reacted to the endorsement on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight," saying that "when you take a look at Colin Powell, you have to wonder whether that's an endorsement based on issues or whether he's got a slightly different reason for preferring President Obama."

Obama himself dismissed Sununu's suggestion on Friday, telling radio host Michael Smerconish:

    Any suggestion that Gen. Powell would make such a profound statement in such an important election based on anything but what he thought was what's going to be best for America doesn't make much sense.


Sununu backed off his remarks shortly after his CNN appearance, issuing a statement that said Powell is a friend and, “I respect the endorsement decision he made, and I do not doubt that it was based on anything but his support of the President’s policies."

U2 frontman Bono may be one of the world's highest-profile musicians, but you wouldn't know it from the low profile his family tends to take. Case in point: The rocker's 21-year-old daughter, Eve Hewson, who's been building an acting career in an understated, non-splashy fashion. Not too many people are familiar with Hewson's stunning looks--have you seen her before?

The beautiful blue-eyed brunette--the second-oldest of Bono and wife Ali Hewson's four children--stunned onlookers in New York at a screening of her new film, This Must Be The Place, which co-stars Sean Penn and Frances McDormand.

The movie competed at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and will go into limited release domestically on November 2. Hewson plays the teenaged Mary, a friend to Penn's portrayal of an aging Dublin rock star seeking revenge for his father's torment at the hands of a Nazi guard.

The Irish-born Hewson, who lives in Brooklyn, made her feature-length acting debut in the 2008 drama The 27 Club. She also features prominently in Irish band the Script's music video "For The First Time."