1. Oscar-nominated actor Michael Clarke Duncan, best known for his role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, died yesterday at the age of 54 from complications related to a heart attack that he suffered earlier in the summer. [via NYT]
2. Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong was rushed from a scheduled performance to a hospital in Italy over the weekend with an undisclosed illness; fellow band members Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool posted a video saying that they were “beyond devastated” about the missed show. [via NBC News]
3. Thanks to a really strong performance overseas, The Dark Knight Rises is now the 11th film ever to have made more than $1 billion worldwide in its original theatrical run. [via Deadline]
4. Funny, we wouldn’t have pegged Nicki Minaj for a Mitt Romney fan, but some lyrics from “Mercy,” a track which appears on Lil Wayne’s new mixtape, would suggest otherwise. [via Gawker]
5. “I’m sorry that my words about anyone feeling confused about their love were misunderstood. No one has been a greater advocate for the power of love in this world than I; both in my life and in my music. Clearly, love is love, between a man and a woman, a woman and a man, a woman and a woman and a man and a man. What I’m not confused about is the world needing much more love, no hate, no prejudice, no bigotry and more unity, peace and understanding. Period.” — Stevie Wonder would like to clarify a previous comment that he made about Frank Ocean.
Bonus Buzz: Lady Gaga Has Gone Steampunk