LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Betty White fans, prepare to fly your flags at half-mast.

NBC network has canceled the reality prank show "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" after two seasons.

The show offered a sort of geriatric version of "Punk'd," during which senior citizens would pull gags on people. The series got off to an encouraging start, scoring a 2.2 rating/6 share in the advertiser-sought 18 49 demographic with a January 16, 2012 preview, which was preceded by a 90th birthday extravaganza for White.

However, ratings were not too kind for the second season of the series. "Off Their Rockers" hit a series low of 0.8/3 last week, though it did grow to a 1.0/3 with its season finale on Tuesday.

White can still be seen on the TVLand sitcom "Hot in Cleveland."

As unseasonably warm temperatures continue to stall in the triple digits in large parts of the western United States, Yahoo asked residents to share their heat wave experiences. Here's one.

FIRST PERSON | RENO, Nev. -- The heat is doing more than making Reno-area residents sweat. As temperatures soar in northern Nevada, so does the chance of wildfires and heat-related injuries.

With record-high temperatures reaching 105 earlier this week, the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory until at least 10 p.m. Wednesday.

Many residents are staying inside or taking to the water to cool down.

"I get up and water my yard at 8 a.m. and then stay inside with the air conditioning going all day," said Sparks resident Glenna Gish. "It is too hot to go anywhere or do anything."

Gish, who has lived in Sparks since 1977, said this heat wave is the worst she has ever experienced. "I can't remember it ever being this hot here," she said.

Desiree McErquiaga Gray of Reno agreed. She said that she stays inside and has a Lifetime-Channel-a-Thon, watching sappy movies for hours on end.

If she has to go out she takes her kids to the Bowers Mansion Pool in New Washoe City or hits Yogurt Beach for a cool treat.

"I go kayaking or paddle boarding at Lake Tahoe," said Reno resident Christopher Foreman.

The Truckee River is also a hot spot for young and old alike. However, two people have already drowned after entering its cool but unpredictable waters on Tuesday.

Along with northern Nevada's sweltering heat comes the afternoon wind, thunderstorms, and possible brush fires and flash flooding.

Since Sunday, a fire has burned 96 acres near Silver City (the Pedlar Fire) and 5,400 acres have been consumed in the Red Rock Fire north of Reno.

For those avoiding the smoky skies and afternoon storms, their homes provide a safe haven from the heat.

"As long as the air conditioner keeps on cooling, I'll be fine, " said Gish's husband, Don.

And so far that has not been an issue yet.

"Fortunately, the heat has not caused any service issues. NV Energy has adequate resources to serve the company's 324,000 electric customers in northern Nevada," NV Energy spokesman Karl Walquist said.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Worries about rising interest rates and falling stock prices dinged U.S. consumer sentiment in early July, while other data showed a firm rise in wholesale prices, which could make the Federal Reserve more comfortable reducing its monetary stimulus.

The preliminary reading for the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's index of consumer sentiment edged down to 83.9 from 84.1 in June. The reading, released on Friday, fell short of forecasts although it remained near its highest level in almost six years.

"The collective mood of consumers may have slipped modestly but still remains upbeat," said Jim Baird, an investment officer for Plante Moran Financial Advisors in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The decline came after a series of signals from the Fed that it was getting closer to ending a bond-buying program, leading to a selloff in stocks in June and a surge in mortgage rates.

However, stocks have since recovered on reassurances from the Fed that interest rate hikes are a long way off, and Friday's data was consistent with the view that economic growth will accelerate toward the end of the year.

The decline in sentiment was more pronounced among upper-income consumers who worried about rising rates.

Some of those worries could be positive signals for near-term economic growth. One in five households with incomes in the top third said it was better to borrow before mortgage rates rose further.

While consumers worried about the future, they were much more sanguine about the present. The barometer of current economic conditions rose to its highest level since July 2007.

Investors on Wall Street were largely unfazed by the data and stock prices were little changed after closing at a record high a day earlier. U.S. Treasuries prices held onto gains chalked up earlier in the day.

PRICE RISE COULD PAVE WAY FOR FED

A separate report showed U.S. producer prices rose more than expected in June, which some analysts took as a sign that a worrisome downward trend in inflation might be leveling out.

The Labor Department said its seasonally adjusted producer price index increased 0.8 percent last month, the largest gain since September.

A Reuters survey of economists had forecast prices received by the nation's farms, factories and refineries rising 0.5 percent last month, and the data sends a reassuring signal that demand is still strong enough to push prices higher.

"If there is a time we want to see higher inflation, this is one of them," said Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust in Chicago.

While much of the increase in prices was fueled by a jump in gasoline, which could weigh on consumers, a gauge of underlying inflation pressures pointed to a bit more vigor in the economy as well.

So-called core producer prices, which strip out volatile energy and food costs, rose 0.2 percent last month, boosted by a 0.8 percent increase in the price of passenger cars. Economists had expected core prices to rise 0.1 percent.

The data could make policymakers at the Fed more confident about recent assertions that the economy was strengthening quickly enough for the central bank to begin reducing its bond-buying stimulus program by the end of the year.

The Fed's preferred measure of inflation showed a 1.3 percent gain in consumer prices in the 12 months through May, well below the Fed's 2 percent target. Several Fed policymakers have expressed worry over inflation drifting so low, with one arguing that the bond-buying program should continue at full steam until inflation firms.

(Reporting by Jason Lange; Additional reporting by Leah Schnurr and Richard Leong in New York; editing by Neil Stempelman and Paul Simao)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Adam Lambert is coming to the fifth season of Fox's "Glee."

Showrunner and co-creator Ryan Murphy broke the news Wednesday on Twitter.

It's unclear whether the role will be a guesting, recurring or regular role on the series. A show representative told TheWrap that there is no additional information on the role at this time.

Lambert's appearance on the show follows fellow "American Idol" alum Jessica Sanchez's appearance on the musical series last season. She appeared on two episodes as Frida Romero, the lead vocalist of the glee club, The Hoosierdaddies.

Lambert, who has been floated by reports, as a possible judge next season on "Idol," arrives to the series during a time of transition.

Recently, it promoted five recurring actors to series regulars. They replace five original cast members who won't be returning for Season 5 (unless they're tapped to guest star).

While Lambert has plenty of on-air experience, he hasn't done a lot of television acting. He has only really done a small part on ABC Family's "Pretty Little Liars" last season.

"Glee" returns Thursday, September 19 at 9/8c.

Kermit Gosnell, 72, was sentenced in May to three life terms without parole after being found guilty on three counts of first-degree murder. As part of a deal that spared him from the death penalty, Gosnell waived his right to appeal.

He was also sentenced to up to five years for the involuntary manslaughter of a patient, Karnamaya Mongar, 41, of Virginia, who died from a drug overdose after going to him for an abortion.

On Tuesday, Gosnell pleaded guilty to another series of charges, including conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, alprazolam, and codeine, and maintaining a place for the illegal distribution of those drugs. He will be sentenced on those charges in October.

Gosnell admitted to writing fraudulent prescriptions for thousands of prescription pills to individuals, in some cases without performing an exam. Customers were allowed to purchase multiple prescriptions under multiple names, according to prosecutors.

In January 2010, Gosnell wrote more than 2,300 prescriptions for controlled substances that were later filled at pharmacies, according to prosecutors.

Graphic trial testimony at Gosnell's murder trial centered on his actions at the now-closed Women's Medical Society Clinic in West Philadelphia, a clinic that served a predominantly black and low-income community. The trial cast a spotlight on the controversial practice of late-term abortions.

A clinic worker testified during the trial that Gosnell had delivered live babies during botched late-term abortions and cut their spinal cords.

(Reporting by Edith Honan; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Mohammad Zargham)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Steve Carell has inhabited many different roles, from a 40-year-old virgin, a bumbling office manager and a Vegas magician, but it is an evil villain in animated film "Despicable Me 2" where he finds a close connection as a real-life dad.

Carell, 50, who appears again as Gru in "Despicable Me 2," and as a dysfunctional dad in independent comedy "The Way, Way Back," both out in theaters this week, is also exploring new challenges in his career with the hopes of more dramatic roles.

The actor talked to Reuters about his similarities to Gru, not getting pigeon-holed and donning suits for "Anchorman 2."

Q: Now that he's a dad, was there any fear that Gru wasn't going to be quite as despicable as the first film?

A: I feel like you still see that dark side of him and when push comes to shove, he is an evil mastermind and he always will be. He's reformed, he can't be that anymore because he has kids. His career has to change but his sense of self doesn't really.

Q: Which part of Gru's story did you relate to in this film?

A: I have two little kids so I don't really relate to him as a super spy, but I do relate to him as a dad for sure, and the fact that he has a daughter that's getting to the age that she's interested in boys and dating, I have a daughter that is just on the verge of that age, so I think I related to that most of all.

Q: Are your priorities changing in your career now that you're getting older and your kids are getting older?

A: I've been doing some more dramatic work, I'm writing something now and eventually I might direct something. I've got some other things in the fire, but that's just to keep it interesting and exciting.

It's interesting how this movie mirrors what a lot of parents go through when they have kids, because initially, when you have kids, the focus becomes the kids. I know that became the case with my wife and I, almost at the expense of everything else, it became all about our kids. Which is fine, but within that, you can't lose your sense of self, you can't lose your career and what motivates you and what nourishes you. I think that's the character of Gru, he's at odds with himself, so he needs to find something that's not being a villain but is equally satisfying.

Q: Were you ever concerned you could get pigeonholed into a certain character from your comedy roles?

A: I've done big commercial movies and little independent movies, and I've played jerks and suicidal Proust scholars, and I feel like I've been really lucky to play all the different types of characters I play, so no, I don't worry about that. If I do get pigeonholed, it's nothing I can really control.

Q: You recently returned to "The Office" for the finale in May, was it difficult saying goodbye second time round?

"I feel like I really said goodbye to it the first time. When I came back, it was primarily to honor the show and out of respect for all of my friends and the people who created it, I just wanted it to be a simple tip of the hat to the show and not to take away from the goodbye and the farewell that all of those people were having, because I felt like I already had mine and I didn't want to step on their moments."

Q: Your upcoming film "Anchorman 2" has been getting a lot of attention. How is it getting back into the suits?

A: So much fun. It felt the same. The first time around, none of us knew what we were doing or whether it would be funny. We thought it would be funny, but you never know...if it's going to work or why it works necessarily, but that one we all felt like it could be really funny, and this, we have the same feeling about. It was just fun to do, it was ridiculous, we laughed until we cried everyday.

Q: How do you pay homage to the first film and also take the storyline forward with a sequel?

A: I think if you like the first one, you'll like this one as much. I don't want to oversell it, I don't want to hype it too much, I haven't seen it, I've just shot it. But based on what we've filmed, it seems like it's going to be a truly funny movie.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Paul Casciato)

The official Xinhua News Agency said one sedan, three minivans and one SUV fell into the torrent when the more than 40-year-old Qinglian bridge broke apart just before noon in the city of Jiangyou in the western province of Sichuan.

The local government said in a statement posted to its official website that an earlier report that a pair of passenger buses had plunged into the river was incorrect.

The two-lane bridge was completed in 1969, according to Xinhua, and a replacement span is under construction. China has been pouring resources into building infrastructure, but many older bridges and dams are of poor quality and urgently need repairs or replacement.

China's Civil Affairs Ministry announced Tuesday that flooding in Sichuan since Sunday has affected an area that is home to 360,000 people, damaging or destroying 300 homes, and forcing 6,100 to evacuate.

In an after-hours statement Monday, aluminum company Alcoa said strong demand for lightweight aluminum in autos and airplanes helped it cope with weak metal prices. Though the second-quarter loss was wider than a year ago, the results beat Wall Street expectations once costs for closing smelters and other one-off costs were stripped out.

Alcoa has customers in many industries, making it a gauge of the global economy's health. And as the first member of the Dow index to report quarterly results, its results draw extra attention from investors.

"Investors appear to be taking what news there is in better stride as earnings season gets under way," said Andrew Wilkinson, chief economic strategist at Miller Tabak & Co.

Also shoring up confidence was the news that Greece's eurozone partners have agreed to give the country the next batch of bailout cash it needs to avoid bankruptcy. That potentially gets rid of one of the risks that could have afflicted trading.

There was widespread relief in Europe, with the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closing up 0.9 percent at 6,513 while Germany's DAX rose 1.1 percent to 8,057. The CAC-40 in France finished Tuesday 0.52 percent higher at 3,843.

In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.4 percent at 15,287 while the broader S&P 500 index rose 0.6 percent to 1,650.

The gains seen over recent sessions suggest that some of the concerns over an imminent scaling back of the Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus have eased. Rather than fearing the end of the stimulus, investors appear to be applauding the prevailing trend of improving U.S. economic news.

"Normality appears to have returned to the markets, with investors buying on good news and selling on bad," said Craig Erlam, market analyst at Alpari.

Over the past few weeks, markets have been extremely volatile due to expectations of an imminent reduction in the Fed's monetary stimulus. The consensus in the markets is now that the Fed will first reduce the amount of financial assets it buys in September.

The publication on Wednesday of the minutes of the last Fed policy meeting in June and an ensuing speech by the central bank's chairman, Ben Bernanke, will be monitored in that context.

Earlier, Asian markets recovered their poise following Monday's big retreat. Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 2.6 percent to 14,472.90 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was up 1.5 percent to 4,881.70.

Other regional markets rose only moderately, reflecting continued caution. South Korea's Kospi inched up 0.7 percent to 1,830.35 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.5 percent to 20,683.01.

Mainland Chinese shares made small gains, with the Shanghai Composite up 0.4 percent to 1,965.45. The smaller Shenzhen Composite Index rose 0.4 percent to 892.93.

Elsewhere, markets were fairly settled.

In currencies, the euro was down 0.1 percent at $1.2771 while the dollar rose 0.2 percent to 101.08 yen. The price for crude oil was up 13 cents at $103.26 a barrel in New York.

TIRANA (Reuters) - If outgoing Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha was one of the most resilient leaders of the turbulent Balkans, his successor after a Sunday election is its most colorful.

Towering over most of his countrymen, former basketball player and artist Edi Rama won international acclaim by splashing paint and cleaning up his native Tirana in a decade as its energetic mayor.

He once vowed never to wear a tie and described politics in the former communist nation as "the highest level of conceptual art".

But now having reached the top, Rama faces a challenge to take his success in the city to the rest of the country - rundown, poor and still governed by patronage and muscle.

A Rama-led Socialist alliance won a landslide victory in Sunday's parliamentary election, denying 68-year-old Berisha an unprecedented third term and likely ending a career that stretches back to the fall of communist rule in 1991.

At 48, Rama is young enough not to feel the weight of more than four decades of Stalinist rule, when Albania was the North Korea of its day, paranoid and closed off under dictator Enver Hoxha.

"Rama is a typical intellectual of 1980s Tirana," said Shpetim Nazarko, an analyst and publisher. "Compared to (Berisha), he belongs to another generation that did not grow up in isolation."

It was rebellion against his sculptor father, who sat in the communist parliament and once made a statue of Hoxha and a bust of Karl Marx, that saw Rama turn instead to painting.

As an artist and university lecturer, he was one of the first Albanian intellectuals to clamor for change in 1990 when loyalists of Hoxha, who died in 1985, began to teeter with the fall of communism elsewhere in Eastern Europe.

"A BALKAN ORIGINAL"

Rama moved to Paris, living the life of a bohemian, but when he returned to Tirana in 1998 to bury his father, he was lured into politics by Prime Minister Fatos Nano, leader of the Socialist Party, the successor to the communists.

Nano made him culture minister, but it was as mayor of the capital from 2000 that Rama really made his mark, painting its drab Communist-era buildings in bright colors, planting thousands of trees and tearing down makeshift buildings that made the city dirty, chaotic and in some areas resemble an open-air urinal.

Rama won three terms and in 2004 was named World Mayor by an international think-tank for local government. Tall and slim, with cropped grey hair and salt-and-pepper stubble, he was described as "a Balkan original" in a profile in The New Yorker.

He still prefers not to wear ties, when he can, but has lost the earring that he returned from Paris with.

While his fans say Rama made Tirana shine, critics complain he bowed too often to big business and failed to properly regulate construction.

In 2005, when Nano lost an election to Berisha, Rama became leader of the Socialists, the anti-communist maverick taking the helm of the regime's successor-party.

In 2007, when Rama ran again for mayor, Albanian newspapers published pictures of him in the nude on a beach in southern France. He railed against an invasion of his privacy, and was duly re-elected.

Two years later, when the Socialists narrowly lost again to Berisha's Democrats, Rama called protesters onto the streets. Four were shot dead by security forces, deepening the country's polarization between supporters of the two men.

Twice divorced, Rama married for a third time two years ago. He was derided by Berisha, who said his opponent took a new wife for each new election.

(Additional reporting by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit; Writing by Benet Koleka and Matt Robinson; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

The energy business, including oil and gas producers, was hit by more targeted malware attacks from April to September last year than any other industry, said the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) report, citing data from a Houston-based security company, Alert Logic.

Cyber attacks on energy companies, which are increasing in frequency and sophistication, take two main forms, the CFR report said. The first kind, cyber espionage, is carried out by foreign intelligence and defense agencies, organized crime, or freelance hackers.

These parties covertly capture sensitive corporate data or communications with the goal of gathering commercial or national security intelligence. U.S. energy companies are subject to frequent and often successful attempts by competitors and foreign governments to access long-term strategic plans, bids tendered for new drilling acreage, talks with foreign officials and other trade secrets, the report said.

A campaign against U.S. energy companies by hackers based in China, called Night Dragon by McAfee, a leading security company that is part of Intel Corp, began in 2008 and lasted into 2011. The campaign stole gigabytes of material, including bidding data in advance of a lease auction. One unidentified energy company official believes his company lost a bid in a lease auction because of the attack, the CFR report said.

Many companies are either unaware of similar attacks or are afraid to disclose them for fear of upsetting investors, it said.

"That's too bad because it makes it harder for Washington to help them and it also makes it harder for the public to be aware of what threats are out there," said Blake Clayton, a fellow in energy and national security at CFR and a co-author of the report.

The second main cyber risk to energy companies is the disruption of critical businesses or physical operations through attacks on networks.

"This has a lower probability but potentially higher cost," said Clayton.

The Stuxnet virus, said to have been created by the United States and Israel to attack Iran's nuclear program, is an example of a campaign that ended up escaping from its intended target at the risk of causing harm to a U.S. company. Chevron Corp said late last year it had been infected by Stuxnet, but said without elaborating the virus was quickly controlled.

An attack dubbed Shamoon last year on Saudi Aramco, Riyadh's state oil company, ultimately disabled some 30,000 computers. The company said the attack was aimed at stopping oil and gas output at the biggest OPEC crude exporter.

Oil production was apparently unaffected, but damage could have been more severe had the attack penetrated further into the network, the report said.

Hackers from a group called "Cutting Sword of Justice," suspected to be insiders, claimed responsibility for the attack, which was believed to have been delivered using a USB drive.

(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Matt Driskill)