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Why are we so not surprised. The couple who crashed President Barack Obama's first state dinner are peddling their story to broadcast networks for hundreds of thousands of dollars, a television executive says.
The executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the network does not publicly discuss bookings, told The Associated Press that representatives for Michaele and Tareq Salahi contacted networks to urge them to "get their bids in" for an interview.
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*Former ESPN commentator Stephen A Smith, now with Fox Sports Radio is reporting that Allen Iverson may come out of his very recent retirement and play for the Philadelphia 76ers again.
He says numerous team sources confirmed on Friday that the 76ers' brass has already talked — and talks will only escalate this weekend — about bringing Iverson back to Philadelphia. Possibly as early as next week.
Why are we so not surprised. The couple who crashed President Barack Obama's first state dinner are peddling their story to broadcast networks for hundreds of thousands of dollars, a television executive says.
The executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the network does not publicly discuss bookings, told The Associated Press that representatives for Michaele and Tareq Salahi contacted networks to urge them to "get their bids in" for an interview.
Florida troopers who sought to interview golf great Tiger Woods and his wife on Saturday about how his SUV struck a fire hydrant and a neighbor's tree were told by his agent to come back the following day.
Two Florida Highway Patrol vehicles had arrived at Woods' $2.4 million mansion outside Orlando, but the patrol later issued a statement that the interview was postponed to Sunday.
"The Florida Highway Patrol has received information that Tiger Woods and his wife were not available to be interviewed ... as we had previously scheduled," Kim Montes, a sergeant with the FHP's Orlando division, said in a statement.
"This announcement came from his (Woods') agent. Troopers were asked to return tomorrow (Sunday). This is still an ongoing crash investigation."
Woods, 33, the greatest golfer of his generation and one of the world's most recognizable figures, hit a fire hydrant and tree as he pulled his Cadillac Escalade out of the driveway of his house at around 2:25 a.m. EST on Friday, the FHP said. He was taken to the hospital with some injuries, and released.
Click to read.
Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a single-car accident early Thanksgiving morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Woods pulled out of his driveway at 2:25 am when the crash occured. His 2009 Cadillac SUV struck a fire hydrant and then a tree.
Woods was taken to the hospital, where he is in serious condition. Alcohol was not a factor, according to police.
O'Neal plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. A spokesperson for the team told the Fayetteville Observer Shaq paid for Sunday's service, which was held in Fayetteville and attended by thousands.
The funeral reportedly averaged about $4,500.
The service was held at the Manna Church. At one point, more than a hundred looked through the windows of the church door because they couldn't get in.
Bradley Lockhart, Shaniya's father, was not scheduled to speak but got up and encouraged the community to not get angry about the situation.
Shaniya disappeared from her home on November 10, and her body was found days later in a wooded area just south of Sanford.
STORY: Antoinette Davis moved to state prison
STORY: Thousands gather at Shaniya Davis funeral
According to court documents, 29-year-old Mario McNeill killed the 5-year-old the same day she was reported missing.
Shaniya's mother, 25-year-old Antoinette Davis, is charged with human trafficking and child abuse involving prostitution.
Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary's Revelations Entertainment has thrown its financial resources and technical expertise behind Digiboo, a new venture that allows consumers to rent films by plugging a small USB 3.0 flash drive into kiosks that will be set up at retail outlets.
The L.A.-based Digiboo launches a pilot program in January with Oregon-based Movie Gallery that will see 100 digital movie kiosks operate in Hollywood Video and Movie Gallery retail stores, according to Variety.
The Hollywood Reporter's Steven Zeitchik posted a piece Thursday comparing the new Sandra Bullock movie "The Blind Side" with "Precious," calling the former a "red state" version of the latter.
Zeitchik begins: "It’s almost impossible to watch “The Blind Side,” a story of race and the power of education to overcome life’s brutalities, and not think of “Precious,” a story of race and the power of education to overcome life’s brutalities.
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Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry continues to give back to the community. The latest recipient of his largesse is the NAACP.
The country’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, announced Monday that Perry has donated one million dollars, marking the largest gift ever given by an individual entertainer.
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The doctor at the center of Michael Jackson's death investigation asked his church congregation to pray for him Sunday, the day before he returned to work at his Houston clinic.
At Houston's Antioch Baptist Church, Dr. Conrad Murray asked for "prayers for the journey he has ahead," according to RadarOnline.
South African track star Caster Semenya gets to keep her 800-meter gold medal from the world championships, and the results of her gender tests will be kept confidential, the South African sports ministry announced Thursday.
The last five weeks of the year, the days beginning with Thanksgiving and moving through the New Year, are days when we all wind down. Some of us don't want to admit it, citing business as usual. But the fact is that from the first thanksgiving party to the last holiday gift exchange, we have collectively decided that the year is over and we can't do much about it.
This year is different from many others. One in six Americans does not have a job. One in four African Americans is unemployed. This means that our holiday parties must be muted by the challenge of acknowledging and supporting those who are impaired in our midst. It also means lifting up those who deserve the lift up, those who have done such phenomenal things this year that they need a shout out.
I will lift up my sister friend Susan Taylor for her National Mentoring Cares Movement ad for the phenomenal love she sows into African American people as we grow, develop, and learn to heal from our hurt. As she crosses the country, she infuses her gentle spirit into the many ways we can embrace our futures. She is a force that must be loved, respected and appreciated.
I will lift up Dr. Boyce Watkins for his embrace of Heather Ellis, the young sister from Missouri who faced 15 years in jail for cutting a line. Heather Ellis did what so many of us do - went to the store with a friend (cousin), took separate lines, and decided that whoever got up first would hook the other up. How did this turn into a racial farce of utter insanity? It would take the people in Kennett, Missouri to tell us. Here is what I know - Boyce Watkins spent time, effort, energy and money in rallying people around heather Ellis. I am grateful for his activism and lift him up for his work.
I will lift up Donna Richardson Joyner, who has both embraced Bennett College for women and black women around the globe in her positive and joyful commitment to healthy living. Thanks to Donna, we are doing work on growing a healthy garden and embracing healthy habits at Bennett, but more importantly, thanks to Donna, we all have a model of how to live and how to be.
I will lift up Blanche Williams and the National Black Women's Town Hall and the many ways that Blanche is into hooking sisters up. Blanche's mantra is "Embracing Greatness" and she is unselfish about that embrace. She is a blessing and a lesson, a joy and a leader. I am so very excited about their work.
There are so very many more that deserve the lift up. And, there are so many that must be acknowledged as they struggle through these times. I am especially concerned by those who are marginalized by the notion of these holiday celebrations, marginalized by the reality that they have not much to celebrate. What do we celebrate through the storm? Mostly we celebrate that we are still here. Still here? Still navigating, functioning, managing, holding it up. And we celebrate the fact that in the middle of the wind-down, we are indeed winding down.
I always find the end of the year poignant. We always have much to reflect on, much to celebrate. We lift up those who have assisted, accomplished, and moved us more aggressively to a better world. And, at the same time, we acknowledge those who have been tousled by our economy. We ask that all of us do the work we must do to provide analysis as we move forward. We wonder if we suffer from the paralysis of analysis.
At the end of the day, we know that the end-year act of winding down offer us an amazing possibility to lift up and respect our past and yet be challenged by our present. We know that there are those whose contribution has been stellar; we know we all want to do more. We inhale this moment called the end of the year, appreciating the opportunity to wind down, looking forward to the challenge of winding back up.
As long as there are racial economic gaps, there is cause to work, challenge, and focus. When the black unemployment rate is nearly twice the white rate, when black wealth is a tenth of white wealth, there is work to do. For many the end of the year should be nothing more than a momentary respite. There is, still, much work to do.
Dr. Wilmer J. Leon, Howard University
With the release of her new book Going Rogue: An American Life, former Alaskan Governor and Republican party VP nominee Sarah Palin is once again being given a spotlight she does not deserve. Under normal circumstances Palin would have drifted into obscurity by now; a political has-been who never was. Instead, a sub-par politician with no substantial constituency; no command of relevant issues, and no solutions to substantive problems, is being given air and face time as though she really matters. The simple reality that few are willing to articulate is, if she were not relatively attractive, of European ancestry and a woman, Sarah Palin would be day old bread.
Former Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ) did not select Palin as his running mate because she was a “rogue”, innovator, or had demonstrated intellectual heft. McCain simply pandered to the Conservative Right, tried to siphon off some of the disgruntled Senator Clinton supporters, and gave America more of the same ole’ politics. From that point until now, Sarah Palin has continually tried to reinvent herself, but continues to give Americans more of the same; “all sizzle and no steak”.
Early on the campaign trail, presidential candidate Barack Obama said, "This country is ready for a transformative politics of the sort that John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Franklin Roosevelt represented." Socially, President Obama is beginning to move in such a positive transformative direction.
After 12 years of languishing in Congress, on Wednesday, October 28, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard / James Byrd Hate Crimes Bill. By signing this bill, the president expands the federal definition of hate crimes to include those motivated by gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. It also allows federal authorities to pursue hate-crimes cases when local authorities are either unable or unwilling to do so. This law was named after Matthew Shepard, a gay man murdered in Wyoming in 1998, and James Byrd, the African-American man dragged to his death behind a pickup truck in Texas that same year.
Five Gainesville residents are suing a Florida rapper, his record label and a local club after they were shot during a 2006 concert.
Billy Dee Williams, Michael Lamar Daymon, Edwin Devasco Faircloth, Steve Ruben Jean-Jacques and Dorian Shannel Johnson are suing rapper Plies, whose real name is Algernod Lanier Washington. They are also suing night club 238 West and Washington's record label, Slip-N-Slide Records Inc., for compensatory damages.
Washington is best known for his 2007 single "Shawty" featuring T-Pain.
The white glove worn by Michael Jackson as he moonwalked his way into pop culture history at the 1983 Motown 25 television special will go on the auction block Saturday in New York.
"There is no question it is the Holy Grail of Michael Jackson," said Darren Julien, president and CEO of Julien's Auctions, the company behind the sale at New York's Hard Rock Cafe.
TRENTON, N.J. — Retired NBA star Jayson Williams has agreed to a plea deal that would send him to prison for up to three years for accidentally shooting a driver at his New Jersey estate in 2002, a person with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Williams, who retired in 2000 after playing nine seasons in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, was to face a retrial in January on a reckless manslaughter count.
I was intrigued by recent reports that the Ku Klux Klan had a rally on the Ole Miss Campus recently. It might surprise you to know that I am essentially unconcerned by their presence on campus. Don't get me wrong, Klansmen are incredibly ignorant. Also, we cannot deny their historical reign of terror over people of color in America. But I can also give you a list of reasons that we should stop paying attention to the KKK.
1) They thrive off of attention: The KKK has very little power. They don't do very much anymore, and even in this rally, it appears that there were only a few members present. The truth is that the klan only has power because we give it attention. They are like a grease fire: The more water you put on it, the more it grows. But if you starve the fire of oxygen, it eventually dies out. The klan must be starved of attention, and then they will go away. They only remain relevant because we want them to be.
WASHINGTON – A bruising debate on health care awaits the Senate after Thanksgiving now that the historic legislation has cleared a key hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama.
The bill would extend coverage to roughly 31 million who lack it, crack down on insurance company practices that deny or dilute benefits and curtail the growth of spending on medical care nationally.
In the final minutes of a daylong session, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., accused Republicans of trying to stifle a historic debate the nation needed.
The Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said the vote was anything but procedural — casting it as a referendum on the bill itself, which he said would raise taxes, cut Medicare and create a “massive and unsustainable debt.”
Click to read.
*Hip-Hop activist Erica Ford, CEO and founder of Life Camp Inc., has partnered with the Rev. Al Sharpton to lead "National Day of Outrage," a nationwide protest against violence on Nov. 23.
Sharpton will lead a rally in Atlanta while other gatherings are scheduled to take place in Houston; Cleveland; Philadelphia; Boston; Syracuse; Savannah; Eunice Louisiana; Greensboro, North Carolina and Los Angeles.
CHICAGO – For more than two decades, Oprah Winfrey has been the inspirational, change-your-life champion who reigned over daytime television much like Johnny Carson once ruled late night.
Now she's ready to say goodbye, leaving a huge void for broadcast TV even as she raises the possibility of more Oprah than ever when she starts her own cable network.
Winfrey told viewers Friday that she will dim the lights on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" at the close of its 25th season in late 2011.
read more click here
Oprah Winfrey will announce on Friday that her popular daytime talk show, "The Oprah Winfrey Show," will end its run in 2011, Tim Bennett, the President of Harpo, announced in a letter released to ABC affiliates on Thursday.
"Tomorrow, Oprah will announce live on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' that she has decided to end what is arguably one of the most popular, influential and enduring programs in television history," he wrote in the letter, obtained by Access Hollywood. " The sun will set on the 'Oprah' show as its 25th season draws to a close on September 9, 2011."
My mother raised me to believe that black men are supposed to stand up for black women. Heather Ellis is the woman who now faces 15-years in prison for an incident deriving from her being accused of cutting line at a Walmart. Based on my knowledge of the Heather Ellis case (and seeing the Walmart surveillance video that has not yet been released to the public), it seems difficult to argue in favor of a conviction.
I accompanied Dr. Christopher Metzler (Georgetown University), Dr. Wilmer Leon(Howard University), King Downing (Attorney with the Sean Bell Justice Project) and Elliot Millner (Legal Advisor for the Your Black World Coalition) to Kennett, MO. The trip was long, but rewarding. You can visit TheHeatherEllisCase.com to read more about the rally and how it all happened. The town shut down and took notice because they'd never seen black people come together to fight for their rights, at least not in that way.
There are some who seem to believe that if Heather cut the line, cursed at the cashier or kicked one of the officers, she should go to prison (The officer's allegations can't be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and don't appear on any video that I've seen. Police reports here have questionable credibility, since King Downing has data which shows that the Kennett police are systematically biased when arresting and convicting black defendants). But after witnessing egregious and illegal behavior on the part of many non-black college students for the past 16 years (ever been to a campus frat party?), it's interesting that most of them are let go with a slap on the wrist, but some think it's ok to send a black woman to prison over a minor incident. If I came to most universities (including my own), had a raid on a fraternity house and chose to send students to prison over whatever contraband I found, there would be outrage.
Sean "Diddy" Combs turned the big 4-0 on Nov. 4, but he is waiting until this Thursday (Nov. 19) to celebrate the birthday milestone in grand style.
According to the New York Post's Page Six, Diddy has booked the Grand Ballroom inside of New York's Plaza Hotel for the extravaganza.
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Oprah Winfrey gave Robin Givens a lengthy apology on her live show last Friday over the manner in which she dealt (or didn't deal) with a comment made last month by the actress' ex-husband Mike Tyson.
On a previous episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Tyson was asked about their 1998 Barbara Walters interview, in which Givens revealed that he physically abused her.
Last month, as part of her "Women Around the World" episode, talk show host Oprah Winfrey conducted an interview via Skype with Dr. Lamees Hamdan, a Dubai mother of four who owns Shiffa, a line of high-end skin-care products.
In the online introduction to the segment, Oprah's team writes of the United Arab Emirates: "Thanks to this country's rich oil supplies, the government provides its citizens with free water, electricity and health care. The best part? No income tax!"
Tyler Perry's TBS sitcom "Meet the Browns" will be syndicated in more than 70 percent of the U.S. next fall.
Syndicator Debmar-Mercury has cleared the comedy for a September debut on several major station groups, including Fox, Tribune, Weigel, CBS, Capital, Cox, Meredith, Granite and Belo.
*It's now official. Producers of the upcoming Broadway musical "Fela!" have confirmed that rap mogul Jay-Z and Hollywood couple Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have joined the show's producing team.
Rumors about Jay-Z's backend participation had been circulating ever since he told the Associated Press last month that he might get involved in the musical, which celebrates the life of Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
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Clarence Coe, 30, was arrested and charged with first-degree kidnapping, after a witness claims to have seen him taking 5-year-old Shaniya Davisout of a Fayetteville, NC trailer park. He claims he is not guilty of the charges against him.
Fayetteville Police Department spokesperson, Theresa Chance, told the Sun Herald this was “not a random occurrence.”
Coe has a criminal record, including a conviction in April for misdemeanor breaking and entering. In addition, he has prior convictions for assault on a female, larceny, robbery, felony breaking and entering, and several other charges dating back to 2001, according to the Herald.
By
The health care reform bill (HR 3962) that just passed the House of Representatives is bad on so many levels it is difficult explain. As it stands, it will destroy both the doctor patient relationship and change the practice of medicine as we know it.
We have one of the finest health care systems in the world. It has been built on a foundation of choice. Doctors were free to choose the care that they deemed necessary to treat their patients, and patients were free to seek the medical care of their choice. Initially, the foundation was shaken by the rise of the managed care system with capitation. However, over the past 10 years, capitated plans which limit access to specialists have given way to the rise in power of insurance companies. They have used their anti-trust exemption to craft a system that has used monopoly to increase profits on the backs of both doctors and patients.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
When I heard that black Columbia University professor Lionel McIntyre punched out a white university employee, I was obviously taken aback. I was even more intrigued by the fact that the two were having a heated conversation about white privilege when the alleged punch took place. Given that the fight was in a bar, I immediately thought about the Jamie Foxx excuse: "blame it on the alcohol." My goddaughter is an athlete at Columbia, but I had no idea that Columbia University professors could be so athletic in their free time. Although professor McIntyre's actions are obviously inexcusable, the truth is that our actions "under the influence" tell a deeper story about our psyches, so there is more to this incident than meets the eye.
1) Call me crazy, but I understand how Lionel McIntyre felt. I would never punch out anyone from the frustration I've felt when dealing with white privilege, but then again, that is probably why I chose not to drink alcohol, since I am genuinely concerned about how I might react to the stinging pain of consistent racism. What is also true is that although some black scholars are afraid to admit it, many of us have felt incredibly angry and irritated by the arrogant nature of white privilege within academia. It's not that black scholars dislike their white colleagues, it's that many of us are tired of being thought of as second-class citizens. If any black Ph.D. student or professor says they haven't thought about jumping over someone's desk and "whooping ass" at least once, they're telling a lie. Some of us hold in the frustration until we die of heart disease. Some of us submit ourselves to the system and become groveling Sambos, while many black scholars simply leave academia altogether. Either way, there is as much frustration for black scholars in America as there is within nearly every other profession dominated by whites. So as the comedian Chris Rock once said in a skit about O.J. Simpson, "I'm not saying he should have done it, but I understand."
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President Barack Obama's half brother has broken his media silence to discuss his new novel — the semi-autobiographical story of an abusive parent patterned on their late father, the mostly absent figure Obama wrote about in his own memoir.
In his first interview, Mark Ndesandjo told The Associated Press that he wrote "Nairobi to Shenzhen" in part to raise awareness of domestic violence.
This show is an interview between Dr. Elaina George and Dr Emelita Breyer. Dr. Breyer is from the Breyer Foundation, an independent organization dedicated to finding solutions to health care reform that does not add to the deficit, or raise money on the backs of the people through taxation.
She has a thorough understanding of the sanctity of the doctor patient relationship. And has real solutions that will protect the things that make the US healthcare system the best in the world.
The New York Post's Page Six is reporting that Anthony Anderson was at the Sony Cierge holiday party in NYC recently when he randomly tapped an Asian girl on the shoulder and exclaimed, "Would you take a photo with me? I love Asians!"
If anyone needed a huge postfight bonus at UFC 104, it was Pat Barry. The heavyweight out of New Orleans, scored Knockout of the Night and Fight of the Night for his victory over Antoni Hardonk. That was good enough for $120,000.
Good thing, Barry needed the infusion of cash in the worst way. He confirmed to MMAScrapsRadio that he was completely down on his luck before the fight, agreeing that he had little to eat in Los Angeles the week of the fight.
WASHINGTON – One year after his election, President Barack Obama is coaxing states across the country to rewrite education laws and cut deals with unions as they pursue his vision for school reform.
Obama is visiting Wisconsin, where lawmakers are poised to change a law to boost their state's chances at $5 billion in education grants, the most money a president has ever had for overhauling schools.
Nine other states have taken similar steps, even though states can't apply for the money yet and only a few states may end up getting grants.
Celebs Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington and Oprah Winfrey were among the mix of prominent Democratic fundraisers, and heavyweights from the financial services and high-tech industries who have visited the White House since Barack Obama took office in January.
Winfrey, who campaigned for Obama, interviewed the first lady Feb. 17 and was on the guest list for an inaugural reception Jan. 20. Actor Denzel Washington appears on the visitor list for two White House tours.
The rally is on! Visit www.TheHeatherEllisCase.com for more information. Dr. Boyce Watkins and The Your Black World Coalition are organizing the rally, along with the NAACP, SCLC and ACLU. Come down to Kennett Missouri with us on March 16!
Students at Harvard University will be able to learn more about understanding and combating urban social issues through a new course based on HBO's critically-acclaimed series "The Wire," which followed the struggles of urban life in Baltimore.
“‘The Wire’ has done more to enhance our understanding of the systemic urban inequality that constrains the lives of the poor than any published study” said sociology professor William J. Wilson, according to The Harvard Crimson newspaper.
by Dr. Deborah Stroman, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Got Sugar in the Blood? Change Your Lifestyle Today!
Do you remember your elders speaking about “sugar in the blood”? Do you have a friend or family member who suffers from diabetes? The importance of understanding high blood sugar is critical to the management of our often fast-paced, unhealthy, and stressful lives. A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit the “Bodies – The Exhibition” and experienced the most engaging presentation on the anatomy and pathology of the human body. Cadavers, adult and fetus, were on display to showcase the miracle of the body and the importance of good health and exercise. This poignant visit, which highlighted all of our major bodily systems, provides the inspiration to urgently share information regarding sugar – the crack cocaine of the Black of the community!
With her first feature film "Precious" generating Oscar buzz ahead of its nationwide release next Friday, first-time actress Gabourey Sidibe is already fielding offers to star in other projects.
The 26-year-old is currently in negotiations to join Showtime's comedy pilot "The C Word," which stars Laura Linney as a suburban wife, mother and a teacher forced to face a diagnosis of cancer but who manages to find the lighter side of a dark situation.
After starring in seven episodes of NBC's "The Office" last season, British actor Idris Elba will return to the network as the executive producer of a new legal drama.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the untitled project centers on a vigilante lawyer who uses any means necessary to defend his clients against a corrupt district attorney and city establishment.
Usher's soon-to-be ex-wife Tameka Foster said she found out about her divorce the same way everyone else did – via the Internet.
"It was rumored (on the internet), so friends and family called, saying, 'Are you OK?' I didn't really understand why," Foster told People magazine. "But Usher and I weren't really speaking then. He was away recording, and I was angry at other things going on. He filed two days later."
The Republican National Committee took down a fan-posted photo on its Facebook page that showed President Obama eating fried chicken with the slogan, "Miscegenation Is a CRIME against American values... Repeal Loving v. Virginia."
Loving v. Virginia is a milestone civil rights case that led the Supreme Court to rule that prohibiting interracial marriage violates the Constitution.
Just when you thought black celebrities didn't care anymore, the "Bad Boy of Radio,"Michael Baisden announced today that he is going to give $5,000 to the legal defense fund of the family of Heather Ellis, a 24-year old black female college student who faces 15-years in prison after cutting in line at a Walmart.
One of the most well-known underground cartoonists has turned the Bible’s book of Genesis into an illustrated comic book starring God as a superhero, according to the Washington Times.
"The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb" was published last month, and will go on display at Los Angeles' Hammer Museum until Friday. It’s also slated for exhibition in other cities, including New York and Portland, Ore., through February 2010.
Jay-Z's Rocawear clothing line is doing its part for breast cancer research by teaming with the Susan G. Komen For The Cure charity to release special edition shirts called Roc For The Cure Polo.
Rocawear will donate 5% of sales through December 31, 2009 to the breast cancer organization. The minimum guaranteed donation from the brand however is $20,000.
read more click here
NBC has added an African American comedy to its development slate.
"Ordinary People," from "America's Next Top Model" co-developer Kenya Barris, is described as "Mad About You" meets "The Cosby Show," according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Inspired by Barris' real-life experiences, the sitcom revolves around Kevin and Kelsey Whitmore, a married couple in their late 20s who are fast-tracked professionals with four kids. After spending most of his time on the road as a Rolling Stone music reporter, Kevin is promoted to columnist and works from home, a change that requires adjustment for everyone in the family.
The latest brouhaha over President Obama’s whereabouts now includes his golf endeavors. A seemingly innocent respite away from the White House arrows and darts has turned into a diatribe over women’s equality, inclusion, and diversity. And you thought golf was a boring game for old men! Ha!
The story began with a news report, which is debatable in its own right of being news, that described Pres. Obama’s recent golf outing with one of his senior leaders, Melody Barnes. Ms. Barnes, the nation’s chief domestic policy adviser to the president, was pictured sharply dressed lugging her golf bag. Golf is generally played in groups of four so the interest increased when it was determined that she was joining or barging in on the president’s regular team of men. Oh my! Katy bar the door!
People play golf for one (or a combination) of three reasons: exercise, sport competition, and business. The days of ill dressed overweight men with tires around their waists, who huff and puff on cigars as they tee off are long gone. In fact, it is now a fashion faux pas to dress less than professional (gym clothes are not welcome) and to smoke during a round. Sir Tiger changed the game in many ways and one of the most important is his devotion to fitness. His workout regiment to be the best golfer in the world motivates all ages to get in shape to improve their game. Avid golfers and wanna-bees are seeking Pilates, yoga, stretching, strength and core training customized golf programs to reduce the number of swings to get that little white ball in the hole. And now walking the golf course is more popular, so a stop at the gym or a jog around the neighborhood is no longer necessary. Exercise by strolling through a meticulously manicured lawn decorated with exotic foliage and 18 tee boxes -- Yes!
Dr. Wilmer Leon, Howard University, Sirius/XM Satellite
One of the things that make America unique is its Constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights. In its original form, the Constitution did not include a list of basic civil liberties or guarantees to the individual. Many prominent Americans, including Thomas Jefferson insisted that a list of fundamental protections be included to restrain the national government from tampering with the fundamental rights and civil liberties of its citizens. The intent of the framers of the Constitution was to level the playing field. They felt it necessary to restrain the very powerful government, prosecutors, and police from arbitrary and capricious action against the less powerful individual. Over time these protections have been passed down to the state level.
The case of Heather Ellis is a perfect present day example of why individual American citizens need to be protected from over zealous capricious prosecutors and police. For a young woman to be facing up to fifteen years in prison for trespassing, disturbing the peace, and two felony counts of assaulting a police officer, all for allegedly cutting a check-out line at a Wal-Mart is unconscionable.
by Dr Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University, Your Black World
I've always had mixed feelings about Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. I feel that he is better than the previous chairman, Alan Greenspan, but the Fed Chairmanship (like the presidency) is almost never given to the right man. Just the fact that it is almost always given to a man is problematic enough, and the truth is that only white men need apply for the job.
Well, when you are limited in your option pool for the top job, bad leadership and flat out ignorance can sometimes be the result. While Fed Chairman Bernanke might know some nuts and bolts about economics, he appears to be shockingly misinformed about economic disparities between blacks and whites. His embarrassing and highly inappropriate statements at Morehouse College serve as a significant case in point.
In a recent interview at Morehouse, the Fed Chairman was asked what he felt to be the reason for the wealth gap between blacks and whites. In response, Bernanke said that the gap was due to a lack of "financial literacy" and "financial education" on the part of African Americans. That's all he mentioned.
by Dr. Elaina George, Your Black World Medical Correspondent
There has been a lot of confusion about what ingredients are in the H1N1 Vaccine. In order to distill the information to make it easier for you to make an informed choice, here is a brief synopsis of the information provided by the manufacturers in their package inserts.
There are 4 manufactures who have been approved to sell H1N1 vaccine in the US. They are: Novartis, CSL, Sanofi/Pasteur and MedImmune
1. Novartis makes an injectable vaccine for ages 4 and above
Ingredients: Thimerosal (Mercury) both in the single dose and the multi dose vials
Antibiotics - polymyxin and neomycin (can be neurotoxic)
Manufactured with phenol (the chemical used on skin in cosmetic face peals to remove wrinkles)
Note: They recommend that children ages 4-9 get 2 injections one month apart. This would increase the risk from a reaction to the mercury (e.g, neurological damage such as Gullain-Barre or possibly Autism)
*NBA superstar LeBron James has taken on the role of mentor to Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, hoping to school him on the ups and downs of being a celebrity athlete.
"(I'm) trying to mentor him and get him through 'life in the spotlight,' which I've been through," the Cleveland Cavaliers player said after a preseason game in Columbus on Wednesday night.
MSNBC's Contessa Brewer has apologized for getting her black civil rights activists mixed up on live TV. [Scroll down to watch.]
During a segment on homelessness, Rev. Jesse Jackson was shown on the right side of the screen via satellite from NBC's Burbank studio, while Brewer was seen on the left side of the screen - introducing him to viewers as Rev. Al Sharpton.
Eeek! look at the evidence:
Everyone remembers when Diddy had members of Making the Band 2, go to Brooklyn for Cheesecake right? Well, the place where they went was Junior’s.
The joint has delectable desserts sitting in the pastry windows, but there are guests that come and give you a tour through each one. Sounds like great service doesn’t it?
Well, the host isn’t human, if that’s what you were thinking. According to reports, the extra customer service personnel is a rat.
It appears that someone was able to catch him on film doing what he does best.
MIAMI (AP) — Hall of Fame players Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson famously kissed moments before tip-off of Game 1 of the 1988 NBA finals.
Today, the relationship clearly isn't anywhere near as close.
Thomas told SI.com earlier this week that he is "really hurt" over criticisms levied by Johnson in a new book chronicling the careers of Johnson and Larry Bird. According to Thursday's SI.com report, Johnson said Thomas questioned his sexuality after the Los Angeles Lakers star retired in 1991 after being diagnosed with HIV.
Members of an Atlanta church have offered a reward to help police there find the killer of a homeless woman. Jeanette Smith was known to sleep outside West End Church of Christ on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard for the past three years.
Last week Smith, 66, was found shot to death right in front of the church.
"We felt like we need to step up and do something in this community and see if we can bring some resolve to this case," said church elder Floyd Williams.
As the trade deadline loomed only a few hours away Tuesday afternoon, a high-ranking AFC executive was rattling off some tidbits about potential movement around the league when the conversation turned to the value of Buffalo Bills wideout Terrell Owens(notes).
Still hyped by the media as a commodity at this week’s deadline, Owens had been relegated to footnote status long ago by this particular talent evaluator.
He’s hit the wall,” the AFC executive said. “I think he has. I think it’s done or close to it. He’ll have a couple of games here and there where he shows up, but big picture, long term, I think it’s done.”
*Eddie Murphy has knocked $15 million off the asking price of his home, hoping to spark some activity after it sat dormant on the market for nearly five years.
The New Jersey estate had an original price tag of around $30 million when the actor listed it in 2004.
The Harlem Globetrotters will once again star in an animated television series thanks to a new licensing and production partnership with the Cookie Jar Group, a Toronto-based company that has become the traveling team's global licensing agent.
The sports/entertainment property was last in make-believe form in 1971 and '72, when Hanna-Barbera Prods produced an animated series for CBS' Saturday morning cartoon slate.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP)—Cedric Benson(notes) believes the Chicago Bears did all they could to prevent him from signing with another team.
Released in June 2008 after two alcohol-related arrests, Benson will come face to face with his former team when the Cincinnati Bengals host the Bears on Sunday. Although he insisted he’s not out for revenge and won’t try to send a message, Benson clearly has some bad feelings for the Bears.
Lil Wayne was in a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday for a hearing to judge whether a DNA profiling technique used in his 2007 gun-possession case is accepted within the science field.
The 27-year-old pleaded not guilty to charges filed after police searched his tour bus and found a gun in his belongings. He faces at least 3 1/2 years in prison if convicted.
Paula Wagner has been busy since leaving her gig at United Artists. In addition to developing a film version of Broadway's "Miss Saigon" for director Lee Daniels, the film executive is creating a new original musical with legendary rap group Run-DMC.
"I feel their story lends itself perfectly to the stage," Wagner said, according to Variety. "This project has been a passion of mine for some time and I couldn't be more thrilled to be working with them."
It's now official – "Precious" director Lee Daniels will direct a film based on the hit Broadway musical "Miss Saigon."
As previously reported, Daniels had mentioned the possibility of directing a screen version of the play during red carpet interviews for his critically acclaimed second feature "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," opening Nov. 6.
Funnyman DAVE CHAPPELLE failed in his attempt to set a new record for comedy endurance - by walking offstage during his performance to go to the bathroom.
The comic took the stage at Hollywood's Laugh Factory on Sunday (28Oct09) in a bid to break the club record for the longest time on stage, previously set by Dane Cook in a seven-hour, 34-minute marathon last year (08).
However, Chappelle's attempt to outdo Cook failed after five hours when he was disqualified by owner Jamie Masada for taking a bathroom break.
The original record was set by the late Richard Pryor who spent two hours and 41 minutes on stage in 1980. Chappelle previously recorded a time of six hours before Cook's triumph in 2008.
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Kanye West did not die in a car accident yesterday, as was tweeted all across Twitter and the Internet late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
According to MTV.com, computer security blog Sophos.com tracked the bogus story to hackers who used the rumor to push the false reports to the top of Internet search engine results. By Wednesday morning (Oct. 21), "Kanye West died" (and variations of the phrase) had become one of the most-searched topics on Google Trends.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A fragrance marketing company is suing British supermodel Naomi Campbell for breach of contract, saying she kept millions of dollars in profits that she owed the company for perfumes it helped her develop.
Campbell "has made millions of dollars from the sale of fragrances and cosmetics products conceptualized, created, developed and marketed with the assistance of" Moodform Mission, said the lawsuit, filed by Moodform on Monday in New York State Supreme Court.
Kennett, MO. (PRWEB) October 28, 2009 -- Heather Ellis, a college student out of Kennett, MO is now facing 15 years in prison if she is sentenced after being accused of cutting line at a local Walmart. Her case has gotten the attention of the nation, and has been the subject of extensive online protests. Please see Missouri case number 08DU-CR00039-01, Dunklin County District Court for more details.
The case opens up a can of racial worms for a small town that is known for having the strictest legal system in the state of Missouri. Ellis, a college student and minister's daughter with no criminal record, has been traveling the country to get support for her case. The work paid off when her family's story was featured on CNN recently. To learn more about the case, visitTheHeatherEllisCase.com. Thousands around the nation have rallied to support Ellis, including many leaders, scholars and activists. Ellis goes on trial on November 18th and faces up to 15-years in prison if convicted.
Believe the hype. This Is It dispels any doubts about Michael Jackson's creative genius.
Clearly separating him from other artists of his day, longtime collaborator and the film's director Kenny Ortega emphasizes exactly why Michael Jackson earned his "King of Pop" title. Culled from more than one hundred hours of footage, This Is It goes beyond the best of Michael Jackson's rehearsal reels. Instead, Ortega - better known now for directing the High School High Musical films than his many other achievements which include co-creating and co-directing Jackson's Dangerous and HIStory world tours, elects to highlight Michael Jackson's creative process and erases any doubt that what you saw with Michael came from anybody but him and God.
In a world of manufactured music where contemporary artists, many with big names, are unable to sing and dance simultaneously, This Is It reminds us that Michael Jackson was of a generation of cultivated and honed talent where practice did indeed make perfect. There was no resting on laurels with Michael Jackson. It wasn't just magic. It was tireless work and effort - the two attributes that aren't often applied to the genius of African-American performers so liberally.
Followers of Diddy's Twitter page know that he loves turkey sandwiches. But after premiering the first video from his group, Dirty Money's "Angels" on BET's 106 & Park, it seems that he's been snacking on humble pie.
Prepping for the release of the group's debut album Last Train to Paris, the man that sold out arenas with hip-hop's shiniest spectacle, the No Way Out tour just over a decade ago, said that he wouldn't mind performing at smaller spots or even opening for another artist.
Akon's baby mother is still allegedly chasing behind her ex for child support payments, but according to Akon she needs to look harder.
Farrah Coleman, the mother of one of Akon's kids, claims the Senegal-born singer hasn't been paying his child support for the one child they have together.
Every time attempts are made to file him legal papers, he's allegedly nowhere to be found. She's now threatening to take an ad out in Monday's edition of the Los Angeles Times.
We all can agree the worth of the dollar isn't what it use to be. But apparently, neither is the value of gold.
Translation? The Detroit Shock, winners of three of the last seven WNBA titles, confirmed this week the team will immediately be relocating to Tulsa, Oklahoma based solely on financial considerations. Thus almost overnight, one of the league's most decorated and respected franchises is no more. No more, at least in the original sense of its being.
And with that, a league that is struggling for eyeballs and attention about as badly as the parents of Falcon "Ballon Boy" Heene goes from a market with a populace of more than a million residents to one with about 385,000---or roughly the average number of empty seats on any given night of a Shock game at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
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Much has been talked about which producers should've produced on Jay-Z's latest album, The Blueprint 3 sequel. Although DJ Premier is absent in the liner notes, he did submit three beats that were left on the cutting room floor.
In the process of recording the album, according to Premier, Hov asked the legendary hip-hop producer to send a few tracks.
"I ran into him at [DJ] Cassidy's birthday party," Premier tells VIBE. "I hadn't seen him in a while and he told me to send him three tracks. But I have a habit of not getting my tracks to [artists] at the time that they need them, so by the time I got them to Jay he was really in a rush to wrap up his album."
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