Jennifer Martin

In this Web exclusive, Rebuild the Dream’s Van Jones talks about the issues that will motivate young voters this year, including student loans, Trayvon Martin and Keystone XL. Jones says Obama’s big advantage is his authenticity, an issue that’s a big problem for Romney. Jones also says young people should get involved with direct action protests but should also “occupy the voting booths.”

A 12-year-old spelling bee whiz from St. John's came close to victory on Thursday at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Maryland. Jennifer Mong was one of 50 students who made it to the semifinals but she was eliminated after incorrectly spelling vellon. Mong added an 'e' to the end of the word.According to Merriam-Webster, the official dictionary of the spelling bee, vellon is defined as debased silver, especially when alloyed with considerable copper.Mong made it to the sixth round after correctly spelling 'lymphopoiesis' which is related to the formation of white blood cells.Mong was one of only two Canadians the other was 12-year-old Mignon Tsai of Abbotsford, B.C. to advance to the semifinals. Tsai didn't make it out of the fifth round when she was tripped up by 'macropodid.'There were 278 spellers competing for the title. They were reduced to 50 for the semifinals, and to nine who made the final round.In March, Mong qualified for the Scripps National Spelling Bee by winning the 2012 Postmedia Canspell National Spelling Bee.The event aired on CBC s Spelling Night in Canada. Her Canadian title came with a $7,500 prize.Mong is a student at MacDonald Drive Junior High in St. John's.Six-year-old Lori Ann Madison, of Woodbridge, Va., the youngest contestant in the history of the National Spelling Bee, reaches for the microphone during the second round, Wednesday, May 30, 2012, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)Lori Anne Madison, 6, of Woodbridge, Va., takes her seat as the youngest speller in the National Spelling Bee, before competing in the Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)Mignon Tsai, 12, of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, reacts as she misspells a word during round five of the semifinals at the National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, May 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)Lena Greenberg, 14, of Philadelphia, waits to compete in the National Spe

Debut feature director Jay Berman (Christopher Guest), steers cast and crew through a typically tumultuous independent film Home for Purim, an intimate period drama about a Jewish family's turbulent reunion on the occasion of the dying matriarch's favorite holiday. When Internet-generated rumors begin circulating that three of Purim's stars -- faded luminary Marilyn Hack (Catherine O'Hara), journeyman actor and former hot dog pitchman Victor Allan Miller (Harry Shearer), and ingenue Callie Webb (Parker Posey) -- may be perpetrating Award-worthy performances, a rumble of excitement rattles the cast. Once 'Hollywood Now' anchors Chuck Porter (Fred Willard) and Cindy Martin (Jane Lynch) pick up the buzz, Award fever infects the entire production. Unit publicist Corey Taft (John Michael Higgins), talent agent Morley Orfkin (Eugene Levy), and producer Whitney Taylor Brown (Jennifer Coolidge) all smell the sudden potential for a sleeper hit. As does Sunfish Classics President Martin Gibb (Ricky Gervais), who suggests some last-minute changes to the film that he feels will broaden the film's appeal. Meanwhile, Purim's screenwriters, Lane Iverson (Michael McKean) and Philip Koontz (Bob Balaban) grow steadily more horrified as they watch the first film adaptation of their work diverge from their original story. As the hopeful Purim team careens toward the end of production and the upcoming Award season, tenuous relationships and brittle dreams play out in unexpected ways...

Small-time street hood Gigli (Ben Affleck) has a reputation for big-time screw-ups. Ricki (Jennifer Lopez) is a tough gal gangster. When they're paired together on an assignment that careens wildlyout of control, will they find a way to work through their personal differences and work out their mutual attraction? Directed by Martin Brest (Scent of a Woman), GIGLI is a high-octane romantic comedy that packs serious heat!