Brad Pitt for Mayor? 'I Don't Have a Chance'

Pitt visits New Orleans on Katrina anniversary

(NEWSER) - To mark the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Brad Pitt went on Meet the Press to talk about his Make It Right Foundation and the affordable, green, and safe houses they’re building in the Lower Ninth Ward. “These homes are elevated above Katrina floodwaters, they are stronger, they’ll take a category 4 (storm), and five times stronger than code, and they all have egress to get out on top,” he says. “So none of these homeowners will suffer those horrors.” More»

Brad discusses New Orleans, lawmakers swoon

(NEWSER) - Brad Pitt was in Washington yesterday for a serious reason, but the effect he had on lawmakers was not entirely professional, with many employees ditching their offices to nonchalantly hang out in the halls hoping to catch a glimpse of the superstar, AP reports. It wasn’t all fun and games, though: Pitt managed to snag a secret meeting with President Obama, a White House spokesman confirmed. More»

Taylor Swift donates $4M to Country Music Hall of Fame

(NEWSER) - Taylor Swift is donating a sizable $4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the largest gift ever donated to the museum by an artist. It will fund the Taylor Swift Education Center, a new classroom and exhibit space opening in 2014, the AP reports. Swift proves that not all celebrities spend their dough on things like $12,000 Chanel bicycles and $18,500 olive trees , and Celebuzz rounds up 14 more who give freely of their money and/or their time. And while some are obvious (hello, George Clooney) many might surprise:

• Sandra Bullock: Has donated $1 million to relief organizations that give aid to those affected by 9/11, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Japan.
• Ellen DeGeneres: Her pet cause is, ahem, animal rights and rescue organizations, and her pet food line benefits charity.

Quirky houses boast top material, solar panels

(NEWSER) - Officials bungled rebuilding New Orleans' Ninth Ward after Katrina, but the devastated district is sprouting colorful, quirky, elevated homes boasting top-notch materials and solar panels thanks to a massive effort spearheaded by Brad Pitt. The actor is highlighted in Spike Lee's new two-part HBO documentary If God is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise. "I've had a love for this place for a long time," Pitt explains in the film. "Like many, we couldn't believe the ineptitude of the recovery effort." More»

Also, New Orleans campaigns for a famous mayor, and more

(NEWSER) - In case you didn’t get enough of her on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, you’ll be able to see all of Heidi Pratt, née Montag, in September’s Playboy, People reports. “There is nudity. It's tasteful,” says a source. Elsewhere:

• Brad Pitt as mayor of New Orleans? Maybe. “We need outside help getting the city fixed—Brad can get that done,” a resident tells the Mirror.