Spider named after Bono

People

Obama to present King with Gershwin Prize

President Obama is putting on a show at the White House next week for singer-songwriter Carole King. She’s the first woman to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress.Saturday

R&B singer chosen newest ‘American Idol’

Candice Glover was crowned the new “American Idol” on Thursday after defeating country singer Kree Harrison. The booming 23-year-old R&B vocalist from St. Helena Island, S.C.Friday

Kennedy Center revamps process

The Kennedy Center is unveiling a new process to select artists who receive one of the nation’s top arts prizes after an outside group said Latinos have been largely excluded.Friday

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It appeared Bono and arachnids didn’t mix when his “Spider-Man” musical had a rough Broadway run, but that didn’t keep a biologist from naming an actual spider species after the U2 singer.

Jason Bond of Alabama’s Auburn University has identified 33 new species of trapdoor spider, including three of them in the California desert at Joshua Tree National Park. The park’s namesake is featured in the title and cover of U2’s 1987 album, “The Joshua Tree.”

The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports that Bond named two of the spiders after Indian tribes and one, A. bonoi, after Bono.

Bond has named other spider species after Angelina Jolie, Cesar Chavez and Stephen Colbert.

Armstrong film due

He’s already gotten the Oprah treatment. Now Lance Armstrong is headed for the silver screen.

Paramount Pictures and J.J. Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot, are planning a biopic about the disgraced cyclist, a studio spokeswoman said Friday.

They’ve secured the rights to New York Times reporter Juliet Macur’s upcoming book “Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong,” due out in June. Macur covered the seven-time Tour de France winner for over a decade.

No director, writer, star or start date has been set.

Happy birthday

Among celebrity birthdays today: Actress Piper Laurie is 81. Actor Seymour Cassel is 78. Actor John Hurt is 73. Singer Steve Perry is 64. Bassist Teddy Gentry is 61. Actress Linda Blair is 54. Actress Diane Lane is 48. Singer Regina Nicks is 48. Rap DJ-actor Jazzy Jeff is 48. Actor Balthazar Getty is 38. Singer Willa Ford is 32. Actress Beverley Mitchell is 32.