‘Twilight’ leads People’s Choice Awards nominees

LOS ANGELES — “The Twilight Saga” has a chance to eclipse the competition at the 2011 People’s Choice Awards.

Nominations were announced Tuesday, and the vampire love story and its stars racked up a leading eight bids.

The film is up for favorite movie and favorite drama, and stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are nominated for favorite on-screen team. Pattinson and Lautner are also nominated individually for favorite movie actor, Stewart is up for favorite movie actress, and she and Pattinson are also nominated for favorite movie star under 25.

Other multiple nominees in the movie category include Robert Downey Jr., who’s up for favorite actor, favorite action star and favorite on-screen team with Don Cheadle; “Iron Man 2,” nominated for favorite movie and action movie; and “Inception,” in the running for favorite movie, favorite drama and favorite on-screen team for stars Leonardo diCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy and Dileep Rao.

Favorite TV drama nominee “Grey’s Anatomy” led the television category, with individual acting nods for stars Patrick Dempsey and Sandra Oh. Dempsey, Oh and co-star Ellen Pompeo were also nominated for favorite TV doctor.

In the music category, Eminem, Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry, Beyonce, P!nk, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga were all double nominees.

Fans can vote for the winners online until Dec. 7. The People’s Choice Awards will be presented Jan. 5, 2011, at the Nokia Theatre and broadcast on CBS.

Rapper Wiz Khalifa arrested after NC concert

GREENVILLE, N.C. — Rapper Wiz Khalifa and 10 of his colleagues have been arrested on marijuana charges in North Carolina.

East Carolina University spokesman John Durham said Tuesday that police arrested the rapper, whose real name is Cameron Thomaz, shortly after a campus concert Monday night. Durham says officers had noticed a prevalent odor of marijuana around the backstage area.

Each of those arrested was charged with three drug counts, including maintaining a place for the sale of marijuana.

Officials at the Pitt County Detention Center said Pittsburgh-based Thomaz posted $300,000 bond Tuesday morning. His record company did not immediately return a message seeking comment, but Thomaz posted a message on Twitter saying, “jail sux.”

Conan’s first night whips rivals in viewership

NEW YORK — TBS says Conan O’Brien was welcomed back to television by more than 4.1 million viewers.

The former host of “The Tonight Show,” who left NBC eight months ago, returned to late night Monday with a new talk show, “Conan,” which premiered on basic-cable network TBS.

In the 11 p.m. Eastern hour, O’Brien’s opening night throttled his direct rivals on Comedy Central. “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” was seen by 1.3 million viewers, followed by “The Colbert (kohl-BEHR’) Report (ruh-POR’)” with 1 million.

Conan even beat Jay Leno, the host who reclaimed the “Tonight Show” chair from him. Starting at 11:35 p.m. Eastern, “Tonight” attracted 3.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Co. figures released on Tuesday.

Fire damages Neil Young memorabilia

SAN CARLOS, Calif. — A fire at a San Francisco Bay area warehouse early Tuesday damaged a vintage car and other memorabilia belonging to singer Neil Young, authorities said.

The 10,000-square-foot building in San Carlos contained only items belonging to Young and his family, including six vintage cars and paintings and what appears to be cases of musical equipment, said Belmont-San Carlos Fire Chief Doug Fry.

Some of the memorabilia was removed as the fire burned, but it’s not clear how much was salvaged, Fry said.

No one was injured.

Calls to representatives for Young were not immediately returned.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation although it did not appear to be suspicious, officials said.

The 64-year-old Canadian-born singer and songwriter was a member of Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills before embarking on a solo career that produced such hits such as “Heart of Gold” and “Southern Man.” He has also played with Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Young, an avid collector of classic cars, has more recently worked on a project to turn his 1959 Lincoln Continental convertible into an electric vehicle.

Actress Betty White made honorary Forest Ranger

JESSICA GRESKO

WASHINGTON — Betty White has had countless roles over her award-winning career, but now she has a gig she’s always wanted: “Forest Ranger.”

The actress known for her roles on “The Golden Girls” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was made an honorary ranger Tuesday by the U.S. Forest Service. White, 88, said that as a young girl she wanted to be a forest ranger, but women weren’t allowed to have the job.

On Tuesday, the Forest Service presented her with a badge and a ranger’s Stetson hat, which she donned during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center. When Smokey Bear arrived mid-ceremony, White gave him a big bear hug and later asked to take the Forest Service mascot with her. She settled for a toy Smokey with its own small hat.

“Wilderness is harder and harder to find these days on this beautiful planet, and we’re abusing our planet to the point of almost no return,” White said. “In my heart I’ve been a forest ranger all my life, but now I’m official.”

White said some of her first memories as a child are riding in front of her father on a horse into the High Sierras. They would stay for three weeks and never see “another two-legged soul,” she said. The family also went camping in Yellowstone National Park. White said her teachers eventually asked that she write essays on topics other than Yellowstone.

The Forest Service began in 1905, but very few women were employed during the early years. Today, women make up 38 percent of the Forest Service’s workforce.

White, who recently won an Emmy for her guest-hosting stint on “Saturday Night Live,” is in Washington for a ceremony to honor comedian Tina Fey, who is receiving the nation’s top humor prize.

“It’s a formal affair,” she said. “Would it be all right if I wore the hat?”