The Social Climber: Khandi Alexander Joins the Cast of 'Scandal'; Sarah Palin Fights to Save Christmas

Nov. 6, 2013— -- quicklist: 1title: Khandi Alexander Will Play Olivia Pope's Mom on 'Scandal'text: Gladiators, are you ready to meet Mama Pope?

Khandi Alexander, 56, will begin appearing on "Scandal" this Thursday as Olivia Pope's mother.

The actress, who is best known for her roles on "CSI: Miami" and HBO's "Treme," will be seen in flashbacks, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

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quicklist: 2title: Sarah Palin Fights to Save Christmastext: Sarah Palin is back and ready to use her Alaskan superpowers in the battle for Christmas' heart.

The former Alaska governor has penned a new book, "Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas," that aims to teach people how to protect Dec. 25 from the onslaught of Dec. 24 and Dec. 26, which have long threatened to use their strategic alliance to boot Dec. 25 off the calendar altogether.

Palin announced her book tour this week, reminding people as she did of the tragic story of Feb. 30, which was never lucky enough to have a defender like Palin. media:20801175

quicklist: 3title: Ms. Marvel Will Be Muslim Teen Superherotext: Spider-Man and the X-Men can say hello to a new neighbor moving into town.

Marvel Comics is introducing Ms. Marvel, a 16-year-old Muslim girl with Parkistani parents living in Jersey City, N.J., learning to deal with superpowers, family expectations and adolescence. Kamala Khan will face all the trials and tribulations of any teen superhero, regardless of religion: dealing with superpowers, high pressure parents and hormones. media:20800817

quicklist: 4title: Astrodome on Last Legs, Voters Reject Plans to Save Ittext: Oh, Astrodome. We promise to think of you often from our new, better air-conditioned stadium that replaced you.

Voters in Houston rejected a plan Tuesday to save the Astrodome and turn the "Eighth Wonder of the World" into a convention center, meaning it's likely headed for demolition, according to The Associated Press. The Astrodome was a hallmark of Houston when it opened in 1965 as the first domed, air-conditioned stadium, according to the report. media:20800917

quicklist:5title: Pentagon Building an Iron Man Suittext: Tony Stark would be proud.The U.S. military is turning to Marvel Comics for ideas on how to protect its soldiers on the frontlines.

The Special Operations Command has launched an effort to produce an Iron Man suit, according to the Los Angeles Times, with plans to make a protective suit with bionic limbs, head-to-toe armor, built-in power supply and live data feeds. media:20801589

quicklist: 6title: Jennifer Nettles Talks Motherhoodtext: Country music star Jennifer Nettles has a lot to be proud of this year.

The singing half of music duo Sugarland is touting the launch of her first solo album and her first child: "That Girl" and Magnus, respectively.

Nettles announced Monday that the new album will debut Jan. 14. In the meantime, she's still working on taking care of Magnus, born 11 months ago. Nettles told the ASCAP Country Music Awards that the baby and new album have made her feel like a "huntress."media: