How Elizabeth Banks Saved a Woman's Life

It's the day before Thanksgiving and everyone is counting their blessings, but this year, one woman has something extra to be thankful for -- she's sharing how a video made by actress Elizabeth Banks saved her life, one year ago today.

In 2011, Elizabeth starred in and directed the comedic, and ultimately life-saving short film "Just a Little Heart Attack," for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Movement. (You can watch the video here.)

Related: Elizabeth Banks Spills About Surrogate and Her Baby

Christie Thompson, 51, of Jefferson City, Missouri, received the video in an email forwarded by her sister-in-law, and watched it and had a good chuckle, but didn't think more of it. Little did she know, only a month later, she found herself experiencing the symptoms mentioned in the video. Because of the short film, she knew she was having a heart attack, called 911, and lived to tell the tale!

"When I first viewed the film 'Just a Little Heart Attack,' I laughed out loud. As a single mom raising two kids, I remember those crazy mornings trying to get everyone out the door on time and caring for everyone but myself," Christie tells ET. She adds, "Had the video not made me laugh, I don't think I would have retained the message about not ignoring heart attack symptoms, because I had no risk factors for heart disease."

"Because of Elizabeth Banks' dedication to this wonderful film, I am alive today! I am extremely grateful for her commitment to making this short film funny and memorable so that women like me are able to 'get the message,'" Christie says.

Related: Elizabeth Banks' Parenting Approach

Watch the video above to Christie's heartfelt thank you to Elizabeth, who just recently welcomed her second son. To learn more about the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign, visit www.goredforwomen.org.

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Police investigate man accused of making threats on Greyhound bus from Virginia to NYC

DALE CITY, Va. — Virginia State Police are investigating a man accused of making threats on a Greyhound bus traveling from Richmond to New York City at the start of the Thanksgiving travel rush.

Police say a passenger called 911 early Wednesday morning about a man on the bus making threatening comments. State police responded and evacuated the bus in the pre-dawn hours along Interstate 95 in northern Virginia.

Officers closed the HOV lanes for more than two hours, creating a traffic backup for miles.

Police say the man initially refused to leave the bus. But later, he was taken into custody without any further incident.

Investigators searched the bus for any suspicious packages, but nothing was found. The bus was cleared by 6 a.m.

Police say charges are pending against the suspect.

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Hottest tech products of fall 2012

Every year we roll out our fall list of the products getting the most attention from readers, and every year it ends up being a list dominated by phones. But not this year. No, this time you guys are spicing things up with a surprising mix of products. Here’s what’s getting your attention right now.

Sony Vaio Tap 20

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)

The good: By slapping a battery inside a 20-inch touch-screen all-in-one, the company has given birth to a new PC category with great potential in tech-savvy homes.

The bad: The touch screen has some frustrating drag, and Sony made a few missteps among some otherwise reasonable sacrifices for portability and price.

The cost: $999.99

The bottom line: A compelling experiment in tablet-desktop hybridization, the Sony Vaio Tap 20 is a great fit for home tech enthusiasts willing to try something new.

Toshiba Portege Z935-P300

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)

The good: This Toshiba product has very good features, performance and battery life for its price and is very thin and very light.

The bad: The keyboard may be too small for some users and the laptop doesn’t feel particularly sturdy, especially the lid and display.

The cost: $779.99 to $876

The bottom line: The Toshiba Portege Z935-P300 is an excellent ultrabook value if you can overlook its few design shortcomings.

Apple iPad Mini

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: The ultrathin and light design makes it seem far more intimate and booklike than the larger iPad, and its cameras, storage capacities, optional LTE antenna and general functionality offer a full iPad experience. The screen’s dimensions elegantly display larger-format magazines and apps.

The bad: It costs too much, especially considering the lower resolution of its 7.9-inch display, which isn’t a Retina Display. The A5 processor isn’t as robust as the one in the fourth-gen iPad and iPhone 5. Typing on the smaller screen is not quite as comfy.

The cost: $329.99 to $549.99

The bottom line: If you want the full, polished Apple tablet experience in a smaller package, the iPad Mini is worth the premium price. Otherwise, good alternatives are available for less money.

Apple iPhone 5

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: The iPhone 5 adds everything we wanted in the iPhone 4S: 4G LTE, a longer, larger screen, free turn-by-turn navigation, and a faster A6 processor. Plus, its top-to-bottom redesign is sharp, slim, and featherlight.

The bad: Apple Maps feels unfinished and buggy; Sprint and Verizon models can’t use voice and data simultaneously; the smaller connector renders current accessories unusable without an adapter; there’s no NFC; and the screen size pales in comparison with jumbo Android models.

The cost: $199.99

The bottom line: The iPhone 5 completely rebuilds the iPhone on a framework of new features and design, addressing its major previous shortcomings. It’s absolutely the best iPhone to date, and it easily secures its place in the top tier of the smartphone universe.

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Kendall man confesses to suffocating, raping wife and 8-year-old daughter, police say

A Kendall man confessed to suffocating his wife and raping her 8-year-old daughter inside a West Miami-Dade home, police say.

Alberto Sierra, 28, was charged early Tuesday with the murder of Gladys Machado and her two young daughters, whose bodies were found inside the bedroom closet of a home last week. Machado was also raped, according to an arrest report.

The shocking details cap a furious police investigation into a brutal killing that shocked South Florida. He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of sexual battery.

Sierra, a convicted felon who was long the main focus of the investigation, confessed after hours of questioning Monday night. Also on Monday, detectives found Machado’s missing car near the Kendall apartment where Sierra was staying with his mother.

According to an arrest report, Sierra accompanied Machado and her daughters to the Mall of the Americas in West Miami-Dade. The on-again-off-again couple began to argue and Sierra, armed with a knife, stabbed her.

Then, he drove the three to the Flagami-area home where the family had lived up until recently. The home was vacant because the couple had split.

According to police, Sierra put the daughters in an adjacent bedroom and suffocated Machado in the master bedroom, then raping her. Then, Miami-Dade police said, Sierra called the oldest daughter to the master bedroom, raping and suffocating her.

Then, police say, Sierra went to the other bedroom and suffocated the youngest daughter as she slept.

The bodies were not found until Tuesday afternoon. A woman who rents an efficiency in the home found Machado and Julia and Daniela Padrino, ages 8 and 4, laid out inside a closet.

A convicted felon with a long rap sheet, Sierra walked into the Kendall substation last Wednesday. After homicide detectives questioned him for several hours, he was allowed to leave. His criminal history includes convictions for drugs and weapons.

But armed with forensic evidence, Miami-Dade homicide detectives called him in for questioning Monday and he confessed.

Machado has a violent past. Back in 2010, Machado told police he bit her arm during a heated argument. Investigators later found him with 79 grams of Ecstasy, a stolen 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol and ammo.

After he was sentenced to one year of probation, he and Machado were married in October 2011.

That same month, Sierra was also investigated by the state’s child welfare agency after Julia told a teacher that her stepdad had bitten her on the arm.

The girls’ biological father asked for sole custody of the children, but the Department of Children and Families closed out its investigation when Sierra was again arrested in November on charges of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon. At the time, he was living with Machado at the same Flagami-area house where she was later found dead.

Officers seized a rifle, a shotgun and ammo. His probation was also revoked and Sierra later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 364 days in a Miami-Dade jail.

In June, Sierra was released from a Miami-Dade jail and had returned to living with Machado. It is not known when the two separated.

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Joy Bryant Parenthood Interview Across The Board

Joy Bryant brings tears to our eyes every week on Parenthood, but with her new webseries, Across The Board, she aims to turn that frown upside down!

Across the Board features interviews with celebrity guests who not only share Bryant's joie de vivre, but also her passion for board sports like surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding. ETonline caught up with the actress (who straps in under the name The Shreddy Negress) to find out how Across The Board came to be, which sport is on her "no-no" list and what's coming up for Jasmine on Parenthood!

ETonline: Where did the idea for this show stem from?

Joy Bryant: This was an idea that I had been thinking about for a few years. I figured it would be cool to do a show where it was me and a pro – snowboarder, surfer – and they'd be coaching me. Basically, it was me trying to get free lessons [laughs]. That was really my original point, but when I met Kevin Law [network co-chairman] and told him the idea, he liked it but wanted to open it up to more than just professionals. That's how it started.

RELATED - Monica Potter Opens Up About Parenthood's Personal Storyline

ETonline: How did you get involved with boarding to start?

Bryant: It started with snowboarding ... but I don't know why I stuck with it as much as I did because I was busting my ass left and right when I was first learning, as you will. It felt like I got run over by two trucks, then someone kicked me in the stomach and spit on me, but I was ready to go again the next day. I just loved it. When I learned how to snowboard, that year, my instructor told me that in the off-season I should take up skateboarding so I could be a better snowboarder, so I got a longboard skateboard. Then, I met a hot surfer in Mexico and he asked me if I wanted to learn how to surf, and I was in. There's nothing like a hot person asking to make you want to learn how to do something. "Wanna jump out of a plane?" Sure!

RELATED - Sam Jaeger Talks Parenthood

ETonline: Would you jump out of a plane?

Bryant: I would not do that. I almost got talked into skydiving once and I just booked it left. I have no desire to jump out of a plane, at all. Same with bungee jumping. I won't be space diving any time soon.

ETonline: Well, I'm sure that's a relief to NBC's insurance teams since having one of their stars actively space diving probably isn't high on the list of approved activies. Personally, I've been loving this season. What's your take?

Bryant: It's just been so intense. I love what they've given me to do this year. Especially The Talk episode with Jabbar. That was one of my favorite episodes ever. I love where they're about to take the storyline. Hopefully we come back for a fourth season so we can continue down the path they're taking us on.

ETonline: What can you tease about Jasmine and Crosby's future?

Bryant: There's some really good drama coming up this season. I don't want to spoil anything, but just because you're married, that doesn't mean the drama stops. One type of drama stopped for them, but there's a whole other host of issues that occur which you'll never experience as a single person. It's not like you get a fairytale once you're married; marriage and family is work. Plus, now that you're together and bonded, you gotta ride through the storm. You can't walk away. The drama definitely doesn't end, it only gets richer and deeper.

For more information on Across the Board, click here and Parenthood airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on NBC.

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Elmo voice actor Kevin Clash resigns as second man files underage sex lawsuit against him

Getty Images

Actor/Puppeteer Kevin Clash poses with Elmo.

The voice of Elmo, Kevin Clash, resigned today amid new allegations of sexual misconduct with underages boys, “Sesame Street” producers announced.

“Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding Kevin’s personal life has become a distraction that none of us wants, and he has concluded that he can no longer be effective in his job and has resigned from `Sesame Street,’ “ according a statement by Sesame Workshop, the education nonprofit that produces the venerable children’s show.

“This is a sad day for `Sesame Street.’ ”

Sesame Workshop thanked Clash, who has been the voice of Elmo since 1984, for all his years of service.

“Sesame Workshop’s mission is to harness the educational power of media to help all children the world over reach their highest potential,” according to Sesame Workshop.

“Kevin Clash has helped us achieve that mission for 28 years, and none of us, especially Kevin, want anything to divert our attention from our focus on serving as a leading educational organization. “

Clash’s sudden downfall came hours after published reports emerged that a man in his mid-30s filed a lawsuit against Clash, accusing the beloved puppeteer of having underaged sex with him when he was just 15.

The federal civil complaint, filed in New York by Cecil Singleton, alleged that Clash -- now 52 -- picked him up in 1993 on a gay phone chat line.

Singleton said he was 15 at the time, while Clash was 32.

"[Clash] trolled gay telephone chat line rooms to meet and have sex with underage boys,” Singleton claimed in his explosive lawsuit.

"[Clash] groomed [the accuser] to gain his trust by, among other things, taking him to nice dinners and giving him money."

Even though the alleged sex happened nearly 20 years ago, Singleton said he remained silent all this time, because he didn’t know the psychological and emotional damage the intimate, underaged contact did.

The lawsuit said Singleton "did not become aware that he had suffered adverse psychological and emotional effects from Kevin Clash's sexual acts and conduct until 2012."

Singleton is asking more than $5 million.

Clash faced a similar accusation of underage sex last week, in a complaint that just won’t go away.

Sheldon Stephens, 24, accused Clash of sexual misconduct this summer before the allegations went public last week.

Stephens then withdrew his complaint but now wants to recant his recantation.

He’s interviewing lawyers in hopes of ripping up the $125,000 deal he reached last week with Clash, TMZ said.

Stephens’s Pennsylvania lawyers last week released this statement: 'He [Stephens] wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship.”

Now Stephens wants to go back to his previous position: That he and Clash had sex when he was just 16, according to the celebrity-gossip Web site.

Clash, a divorced Upper West Side dad, has been on a leave of absence from “Sesame Street” since the sordid story broke last week.

He’s conceded to having a fling with Stephens, but vehemently insists the sex didn’t happen until his boy toy became legal.

Additional reporting by David K. Li and Rebecca Rosenberg

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Startups take the stage at South Florida events

NewME brought its first Popup Accelerator to Miami last week, and together with the Knight Foundation and LAB Miami, gave 65 South Florida participants a two-night pitch workshop, a one-on-one mentoring session with a Silicon Valley venture capitalist or NewME expert and the opportunity to present their ventures at Demo Night.

On Wednesday evening, 38 startup teams pitched to a crowd filling the risers of The Light Box Theater in Wynwood, and competed for tens of thousands of dollars in prizes. On the intimate stage, the teams made their two-minute pitches, each one accompanied by a pitch deck of 8 to 10 slides.

“Can’t you feel the energy? This is super exciting,” said Matt Haggman, program director of the Knight Foundation’s Miami office, which has been supporting and funding projects to help the startup community. “What’s going on here clearly shows there is something special happening and we look forward to contributing to it further.”

After the pitches, which were judged by two investors and Angela Benton, founder of NewME, Benton announced the winners:

•  First place: Sew Love, pitched by Sabrina Scandar. Sewlove.co, founded by sisters Sabrina and Silvia Scandar, is a platform for crowdsourcing fashion design. The Scandars want to raise $300,000 to help them continue developing their platform, make some key hires and fire up a marketing strategy. They won a prize package worth $45,000 in goods and services to help them build their startup, plus they were accepted into NewME’s 2013 Accelerator class.

•  Second place: Gozump, pitched by Charleston Malkemus. Gozump is a platform to help people buy homes, which will begin by targeting the military market. “We are Marines on a mission to change the way real estate works forever,” Malkemus pitched. Gozump won $23,000 in goods and services.

•  Third place, Indira, pitched by Carrie Ann Mantha: Indira is a fashion tech platform that creates personalized fashion and decor for weddings. It has a factory running in Little Haiti and is launching next month. Indira won $7,000 in goods and services.

Honorable mentions: ToddlerTV, SkillU, GoGeekster and NightPro. “We thought the judging process would be a lot easier. There was a lot of great technology,” said Benton, speaking Friday by phone after returning to San Francisco, where the NewME Accelerator is based.

All winners received co-working space at LAB Miami, which is soon moving to a larger space in the Wynwood neighborhood. All participants received a one-month “connect” membership to LAB Miami. Read more about the NewME PopUp here.

Many of the PopUp participants said getting the opportunity to mingle with other startups in South Florida was also valuable.

“We were really excited to meet more of the startup tech community,” said Mantha, who moved Indira from New York City to Little Haiti about six months ago. “It is much more dynamic than we realized.”

Last week was also big for other entrepreneurs taking the stage. Several hundred women attended the two-day Women’s Success Summit, where summit founder Michelle Villalobos and her business partner Jessica Kizorek laid out a system for work/life balance (hint: It starts with scheduling in your playtime, involves firing your least-profitable clients and includes developing strong systems for efficiency.)

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Pembroke Pines hosts winter camp for special needs kids

The City of Pembroke Pines is accepting registration for its two-week Winter Camp for special needs children ages 6 through 14.

Participants will engage in indoor and outdoor activities, games, arts and crafts, and other activities.

Participants must be independent in toileting skills and be able to administer, with supervision, their own medications.

The camp will be held at Rose G. Price Park, 901 NW 208th Ave., Pembroke Pines.

The camps will be 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 24 and 26 -28; and Dec. 31 and Jan. 2-4.

One week will cost $100; two weeks will cost $175. The fee does not include snacks, lunch or drinks, but it does include camp supplies. Payment is due at time of registration.

For additional information, contact Mary Wilson Palacios, Special Population Coordinator, at 954-450-3663 or mpalacios@ppines.com.

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Lindsay Lohan Faces A Lot of Hate in 'Liz and Dick'

Though there are obvious parallels between the lives of Lindsay Lohan and Elizabeth Taylor, for example their start as child stars, nowhere is this more apparent than in this scene from Liz & Dick, where Lindsay playing Elizabeth gets hounded by vicious paparazzi.

"Repent your ungodly ways, that's a new one," she says, clearly upset by the harsh treatment she's receiving because of her relationship with Richard Burton (played by Grant Bowler).

Video: The 'Intense Situation' of Filming 'Liz & Dick'

And it's not hard to imagine that Lindsay, a tabloid favorite, has heard worse in real-life.

Related: Lindsay Lohan Went Method for 'Liz & Dick'

Liz & Dick premieres Sunday, November 25, at 9 p.m. on Lifetime.

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Former president Bill Clinton sees Sandy's devastation first-hand in Rockaways visit

Former president Bill Clinton hugs a woman in the Rockaways

He feels their pain.

Former president Bill Clinton visited the Rockaways this weekend, and got a first-hand look at Hurricane Sandy devastation that rocked the normally tranquil Queens neighborhood.

Clinton Global Initiative volunteers and the 42nd president hit the streets for their Day of Action efforts to pick up the pieces left behind by Sandy.

"We were glad to make a small but meaningful difference in the community and were moved by the perseverance and kindness of those living through such hardship in the storm's wake," Clinton wrote on his Facebook page late last night.

Clinton was warmly greeted by neighborhood residents and his volunteers, who snapped pictures and shook hands with the popular former president.

Daughter Chelsea Clinton also pitched in over the weekend and tweeted to all the volunteers: “Thanks for coming out!”

The former first daughter said she spent a day ripping down dry wall at one storm victim’s house.

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