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*We really don't know if she even cares since she's not elected, but according to a new poll, First Lady Michelle Obama is experiencing the same drop in numbers as her husband, the president.
As we noted, she's not an elected official and not charged at least officially with making the tough executive decisions that come out of the Oval Office.
The emergency medical technicians accused of refusing to help a dying pregnant woman were never asked to examine her or told the extent of her condition, their lawyer said Thursday.
Attorney Douglas Rosenthal said his clients were only asked to summon an ambulance on Dec. 9 when they were taking a break in a Brooklyn eatery. He said Jason Green and Melisa Jackson never saw Eutisha Rennix, who was in the back of the Au Bon Pain store, and that other employees didn't seem overly concerned about her condition.
"There was no apparent panic," Rosenthal said in a statement.
Witnesses have said the EMTs told workers to call 911, then left when they were asked to help the 25-year-old pregnant woman. Rennix, who also was the mother of a 3-year-old boy, died at a hospital shortly afterward. The cause of death has not been determined. Her baby did not survive the premature birth.
By theGrio
8:25 AM on 12/23/2009
HONOLULU (AP) - A woman accused of telling the Secret Service she would "blow away" Michelle Obama was in federal custody as the Obama family planned to travel to Hawaii...
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5:01 PM on 12/22/2009
VIDEO - A Florida man is recovering after being run over during a dispute over a parking space.The brutal incident was caught on tape...
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4:24 PM on 12/22/2009
NEW YORK (AP) - Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh bulled past the guys who play the glamour positions and proved you don't have to score touchdowns...
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3:44 PM on 12/22/2009
The NFL is partnering with Boston University brain researchers who have been critical of the league's stance on concussions...
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2:55 PM on 12/22/2009
HAVANA (AP) - American R&B pioneers Kool & the Gang helped Cuba get its funk on, bringing their eclectic mix of sounds to an open-air stage...
By theGrio
1:36 PM on 12/22/2009
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says he and the first lady have relatives who are unemployed and suffering...
By theGrio
10:21 AM on 12/22/2009
(AP) - Playing her best at the most important events, Serena Williams re-established herself as the top player in women's tennis in 2009...
By theGrio
9:30 AM on 12/22/2009
NEW YORK (AP) - Two EMTs accused of refusing to help a pregnant woman who collapsed in the coffee shop where they were taking a break were suspended...
By theGrio
9:29 AM on 12/22/2009
VIDEO - A little girl born in Mobile, Alabama may be the world's tiniest baby...
By theGrio
9:22 AM on 12/22/2009
WASHINGTON (AP) - The FBI says murders fell 10 percent across the U.S. in the first half of 2009...
WASHINGTON — Homeland security officials improperly gathered intelligence on the Nation of Islam, a black Muslim group, but government rules were “unintentionally and inadvertently violated” and only publicly available information was collected, according to documents made public Wednesday.
Internal correspondence shows the 2007 report – titled “Nation of Islam: Uncertain Leadership Succession Poses Risks” – was created by an intelligence group working within the Homeland Security Department.
Hours after the report was issued, officials recalled it, deciding the report violated intelligence rules against collecting or disseminating information on U.S. citizens for an extended period of time. It had been disseminated widely over the Internet to numerous federal agencies, state and local law enforcement, several congressional committees, intelligence agencies and parts of the private sector, a reviewing officer found.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
The other night on the Oprah Winfrey Christmas special, President Barack Obama made an unwise move. When asked what grade he deserves as president, Obama gave himself a B+. Giving himself a grade was not necessarily the best decision, since there are over 300 million Americans who then realized that they should be giving him grades as well.
So, allow me to be the first to provide our president with a grade for his performance. I've been giving grades to college students for the last 16 years, and one thing my students will tell you is that I am fair. My other argument is that I never actually GIVE you a grade; I simply report the grade that you've earned.
1) Handling of the Economy (B-): President Obama is better than John McCain ever could have been when it comes to managing our economic downturn. The problem is that while the president has spiraled our deficit out of control, our nation has yet to see any concrete evidence that the economy's fundamental strength has returned. He has made an enemy out of Wall Street by grandstanding around executive pay issues, but he has lost the backing of Main Street because job losses continue to mount. That's the problem with always reaching across the isle: Sometimes, you don't have firm support on either side of it. The president's inability to translate massive spending into real jobs is going to cost him big time.
2) Management of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (B): On one hand, the president must face the stern reality that you can't just walk out of a war in the middle of it. We all know that Bush got us into these messes, and Obama must get us out. At the same time, Obama pledged to get us out of the wars faster than he is actually doing it, and it is incredibly awkward for a man to accept a Nobel Peace Prize while simultaneously escalating the troop presence in an occupied country. Sure Obama didn't give himself the Nobel Prize, but he still must be held accountable.
Even after a shocking sex scandal that tarnished Tiger Woods, it was tough to ignore what he achieved on the golf course.
He won 64 times around the world, including 12 majors, and hoisted a trophy on every continent golf is played. He lost only one time with the lead going into the final round. His 56 PGA Tour victories in one incomparable decade were more than anyone except four of golf's greatest players won in their careers.
Woods was selected Wednesday as the Athlete of the Decade by members of The Associated Press in a vote that was more about 10 years of performance than nearly three weeks of salacious headlines.
Just like so many of his victories, it wasn't much of a contest.
Woods received 56 of the 142 votes cast by AP member editors since last month. More than half of the ballots were returned after the Nov. 27 car accident outside his Florida home that set off sensational tales of infidelity.
Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor who won the Tour de France six times this decade, finished second with 33 votes. He was followed by Roger Federer, who won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other man, with 25 votes.
Record-setting Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps came in fourth with 13 votes, followed by New England quarterback Tom Brady (6) and sprinter Usain Bolt (4). Five other athletes received one vote apiece.
Rihanna HERPES Diss Tila Tequila – We are not certain that Rihanna will be spending Christmas with Tila Tequila.Tila Tequila took to her blog to blast Rihanna and to claim she has herpes after the singer called the reality star out on a radio interview for making nasty comments about her.Tila Tequila said:
My sources are very legit, and they work in Rihanna’s legal camp, and that is how I know! SO RIHANNA HAS HERPES, STD’S & WAS SCARED TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT IT CUZ SHE DIDN’T WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW THAT SHE HAS HERPES AND INFECTED SOMEONE ELSE WITH IT! BAD RIHANNA!
In real life you are a major bitch who could give 2 shits about your fans and all the people who have been supporting you! Including myself!
Rihanna has STD’s and Herpes everyone! & that is the truth from my legit source that has told me. YIKES! So boys, be careful when u wanna tap that ass, cuz that ass will give your dick Herpes if you dont put 3 condoms over it!
Officials at Nevada's Lovelock Correctional Center are denying reports that its star inmate, O.J. Simpson, was the victim of an old-fashioned jailhouse beatdown.
Pleasure P Child Molestation News Statement – Pleasure P has just put out statement to deny the allegations that surfaced recently claiming that he molested two toddlers.The former Pretty Ricky singer said:
“All of the recent rumors and accusations that are being circulated about me are 100% false. They are disgusting and vile; and they are being spread by individuals with their own sick agendas. The purported documents that are also being circulated are forgeries. I have never met or known anyone by the name of “AGoldstein” or Laura Goldstein or Ashley Goldstein, which I believe are fictitious names. I have never been represented by an attorney named Goldstein.
For someone to go to such depths to assassinate my character and slander my good name is truly criminal. My attorneys are investigating this matter and will take all necessary and appropriate action to protect my name and reputation.”
Denzel Washington Too Old To Play Obama – Denzel Washington has revealed that he will be too old to play Barack Obama in a movie,when they the do make the biopic in the future.The Oscar-winner said:
“When Obama’s story is ready to be told, I’ll be too old to do it.”
The 54-year-old explained that he doubts that Obama will have time to help the young actor that will land the role.Washington added:
“He has too much to do to have me asking for tips on how to play him.”
By theGrio
8:39 AM on 12/13/2009
VIDEO - In Zachary, Louisiana, the students from the Louisiana School for the Blind searched for just the right tree...
By theGrio
7:16 AM on 12/12/2009
VIDEO - Imagine having your own personal bodyguard outside your home all day and all night at no cost. That's what an Albuquerque non-profit group is providing, specifically for abused women...
By theGrio
7:05 AM on 12/12/2009
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Clark County says University Medical Center has suspended six employees while it investigates claims that a woman was ignored for so long in an emergency room that she went home and gave birth to a premature baby who later died...
By theGrio
7:00 AM on 12/12/2009
VIDEO - African Americans are participating in skateboarding on both a recreational and a professional level.
By theGrio
7:00 PM on 12/11/2009
BALTIMORE (AP) - A woman has filed a $70 million lawsuit against Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, claiming he is father of her two children and assaulted her multiple times.
By theGrio
5:34 PM on 12/11/2009
DETROIT (AP) - Detroit The attractive, 27-year-old mother of three was shot several times in the pre-dawn hours of April 30, 2003, while sitting in a parked car.
By theGrio
4:24 PM on 12/11/2009
VIDEO - A news camera was rolling when a speeding car plowed into a wreck already blocking part of a busy Los Angeles freeway early this morning...
By theGrio
11:27 AM on 12/11/2009
VIDEO - One day after a 3-year-old Alexia Bostick accidentally shot herself with a gun police said is registered to her grandmother, the Detroit police chief is calling the case tragic.
By theGrio
11:19 AM on 12/11/2009
VIDEO - Jamison knows a little something about shedding baby weight. The wife of the Washington Wizards superstar gave birth to her third child, Rucker King...
By theGrio
10:03 AM on 12/11/2009
10 firefighters, including four minorities, who took the 2003 tests but were not plaintiffs in the court case were promoted along with an inspector.
*Singer-turned-reality TV star Keyshia Cole and her boyfriend, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Daniel "Boobie" Gibson are reportedly expecting.
An audience at the famous New York venue Carolines on Broadway got a surprise recently when comedian Dave Chappelle popped in to see his former "Chappelle's Show" castmate Charlie Murphy perform.
After a five-minute standing ovation, Chappelle ended up doing a 30-minute stand-up set, according to the New York Post.
Regis Philbin wasn't the only celebrity in his 70s to have hip surgery this week.
Little Richard, 77, has also come through a successful hip replacement and is currently back at his home near Nashville hoping to recover quickly, reports the Associated Press.
Vevo, the ad-supported music video streaming service that the major music labels hope will rival MTV's cultural influence, launched on Tuesday night in New York City with stars like 50 Cent, Rihanna and Ciara on hand.
Gatorade has announced its decision to end its Tiger Woods drink but says the decision was made before the golfer's car accident led to a media firestorm surrounding his personal life.
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Kam Williams: Mr. Freeman, thanks so much for the time. I’m honored to be speaking with you.
Morgan Freeman: Well, thank you.
KW: First, let me say congratulations on winning the National Board of Review’s Best Actor Award for Invictus.
MF: Thank you very much.
KW: Was making this movie a labor of love? I heard that it was something that you’d wanted to do for a long time.
MF: Well, it wasn’t necessarily this project, but I felt destined to do something about Mandela. I don’t know whether you know that in 1992, when he published his autobiography, he was asked who he would want to play him, if the book ever became a movie. And he named me. So, I was sort of the chosen one, as it were. Therefore, I expected that eventually I would play him, but we always thought it would be in a movie version of “Long Walk to Freedom.” It didn’t turn out that way, however.
KW: But you obviously also liked Invictus.
MF: My partner and I thought that this story was ideal. This one, we felt was perfect to go with.
KW: Are you referring to your partner in Madidi restaurants and Ground Zero blues club?
MF: No, to my producing partner, Lori McCreary.
R&B/funk legend Sly Stone has signed with Los Angeles-based Cleopatra Records, reports Billboard.com.
The former Sly & the Family Stone frontman is said to be working on an album for release in early summer 2010, featuring new original material and re-recorded versions of his greatest hits.
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*News of Bryant Gumbel’s battle with lung cancer may have been premature, according to a friend of the television personality who says Gumbel donesn't have the condition.
Playgirl claims to have obtained nude photos of Tiger Woods from a source eager to sell, and will publish them once it's confirmed that the pictures are real.
"We were approached by a third party who wanted to know our interest level," Playgirl spokesman Daniel Nardicio claims in several published reports. "Our lawyers are currently going over them, the source, the entire package."
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Tiger Woods has a problem and now so do I. I was naïve to think that I could survive this holiday season of Tigervision with its seemingly minute-by-minute reports of his self-described transgressions. Every media outlet needs a story to remain viable in this world of at-your-touch news and Tiger’s naughtiness provides the perfect scoop. This tale probably has no beginning and quite possibly no end. However, my nerves became frayed and I saw the immediate end of my sideline observer role when I changed the channel and popped in on the Joy Behar Show. As they discussed the latest Tiger escapade, Ms. Behar cleverly asked for insight on how the African-American community might possibly feel about his sins. Her query was directed to a female African-American guest, Karith Foster, who calmly stated that Tiger was finally acting like a black athlete. Pump your brakes!
Although Ms. Foster’s listed occupation is comedian, she made her bold statement sans smile or giggle. She was very serious and obviously hurt by his choice of women in this scandal. She went on to describe how the black athlete needs a white woman – a trophy wife – to be successful. Ms. Foster’s understanding of the black male athlete is a stereotype and confusion-filled. Shame on her and the media for supporting the racist mindset that promulgates a representation of the black male athlete as a superhuman man that seeks sexual pleasure from every white female that worships his athletic prowess. Surely we in 2009 know better, right? Yes, the ESPNification of our sports world has created larger than life entertainment figures. Money, power and women. That’s the ticket out of a poor situation – mentally and physically. It is no longer satisfactory to score a touchdown and hand the ball to the referee or dunk the basketball and hustle back to play defense. Instead we see many of our athletes (and more likely a black man) showboating, drawing attention to themselves, and discounting the teamwork necessary to achieve such success. We as fans are drawn to the television waiting to see the clownish antics instead of running to the restroom or going back for more chips.
Call it the $6 billion boycott.
By boycotting a key House committee vote last week and threatening to abandon support for banking regulations, members of the Congressional Black Caucus got $4 billion added to a Wall Street regulation bill and $2 billion to a proposed House jobs bill in spending they sought for African American communities.
House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., this week inserted $3 billion to the legislation to provide low-interest loans to unemployed homeowners in danger of foreclosure. He added $1 billion for neighborhood revitalization programs.
The money would come out of the $700 billion financial rescue fund.
"For those of us who walked out, it was absolutely essential that we have parts of that legislation directed toward helping people who have been left out of all of these bailouts," Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., one of 10 black caucus members in the Financial Services Committee, said.
Rihanna says she is disappointment in her estranged father for granting interviews with various media outlets regarding her February fight with then-boyfriend Chris Brown and suggesting he was close with the R&B star.
Sean “Diddy” Combs made a killing with his Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 appearances on the Home Shopping Network to hawk several items from his Sean John fragrance line.
The channel has announced that Puff's entire scent collection sold out in the 15 minutes following his appearance, setting a new sales record.
For her role in the critically-acclaimed film "Precious," Mariah Carey will receive a Best Supporting Actress award at the 14th annual Capri-Hollywood Film Festival" in Italy, reports Variety.
The movie, directed by Lee Daniels, will also have its Italian premiere at the fest, which runs Dec. 27- Jan. 2 with its awards presented on Dec. 28.
*Boxing legend Muhammad Ali showed up in person for the opening of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, a newly expanded complex in Phoenix, Arizona that provides treatment for Parkinson's disease.
According to AFP, officials said the facility is now the most comprehensive in the nation for the treatment of the illness that causes tremors, slowed movement and disrupted speech.
Morgan Freeman will visit South Africa to attend the local premiere of his latest film "Invictus," which stars the Oscar winner as former South African president Nelson Mandela.
As part of the trip, Freeman will also support various charity initiatives around the film’s Dec. 11 release.
*Rapper-turned-reality TV star MC Hammer is now an equity partner in Cash4Gold, the company that first hired him to pitch the product in TV commercials that poked fun at his headline-making financial freefall.
The Cash4Gold Web site, launched in 2007 by company CEO Jeff Aronson, specializes in purchasing precious metals – mostly gold. Since its inception, the site has grown to serve over 800,000 customers, in addition to employing over 300 workers, who sift through thousands of ounces of gold per day.
Ironically, the inspiration for "The Princess and the Frog," Disney's first feature starring an African American princess, came from two Caucasian men: current Pixar-Disney chief John Lasseter and the late Walt Disney himself.
