Charges Against ‘New Black Panthers’ Dropped by Obama Justice Deptartment
May 30, 2009
Charges brought against three members of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense under the Bush administration have been dropped by the Obama Justice Department, FOX News has learned.
The charges stemmed from an incident at a Philadelphia polling place on Election Day 2008 when three members of the party were accused of trying to threaten voters and block poll and campaign workers by the threat of force — one even brandishing what prosecutors call a deadly weapon.
Pictured: New Black Panther Party members march toward the gates of Duke University as they surround their leader, Malik Z. Shabazz (Back-C) May 1, 2006 in Durham, North Carolina. The action follows allegations of a sexual assault of a woman hired as a private dancer to a party attended by Duke lacrosse team members on March 13. (Photo by Sara D. Davis/Getty Images)
Obama Setting Up Better Security For Computers
May 30, 2009
America has for too long failed to adequately protect the security of its computer networks, President Barack Obama said Friday, announcing he will name a new cyber czar to take on the job.
Surrounded by a host of government officials, aides and corporate executives, Obama said this is a “transformational moment” for the country, where computer networks are probed and attacked millions of times a day.
“We’re not as prepared as we should be, as a government or as a country,” he said, calling cyber threats one of the most serious economic and military dangers the nation faces.
Pictured: US President Barack Obama speaks on securing cyber infrastructure May 29, 2009 in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC. Plans to reorganize the US government’s approach to IT security come amid a growing threat of cyber spying and attacks, including reported breaches of the US electricity grid and the F-35 fighter jet program. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
African AIDS activists slam US funding shortfall
May 30, 2009
Health activists said Tuesday that a shortfall in promised U.S. funding for HIV/AIDS projects would affect over 30 million people and means President Barack Obama risks reversing the gains made by his predecessor.
“Such projects are like planes … they must have a forward momentum or they will stall and crash,” said Dr. Paul Zeitz, the executive director of the Global AIDS Alliance.
He singled out a reduced rate of funding for President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a pet project of President George W. Bush that is credited with saving millions of lives.
Dr. Dre debuts “Detox” in Dr. Pepper ad
May 30, 2009
It may just be a few seconds of music, but Dr. Dre fans will remember the new Dr. Pepper ad as the spot where they heard the first officially released beats from his much-delayed album “Detox.”
The L.A.-based hip-hop producer appears in the last installment of an ad campaign entitled “Trust Me, I’m A Doctor,” and teases music from the long-awaited album, currently slated for a late 2009 release on Interscope. The commercial will begin airing on Monday.
Pictured: Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, music producer Dr. Dre, and producer Robin Antin attend the Pussycat Dolls by Robin Antin Fall 2008 fashion show after party during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on March 13, 2008 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Maui and Sons)
Rihanna to Testify Against Chris Brown Next Month
May 30, 2009
Rihanna is ready, willing and—as it happens—required to take the stand against ex-beau Chris Brown at a hearing next month.
The singer’s attorney, Donald Etra, told E! News that Rihanna will be called to testify at the June 22 preliminary hearing in Brown’s felony assault case.
“The judge advised me that there will be a subpoena for Rihanna as a witness at the preliminary hearing,” Etra said following a morning hearing. “She will definitely comply.”
And she will be doing so while facing her alleged attacker.
AICPA Celebrates 40 Years of Dedication to Minority Initiatives in the Accounting Profession
May 30, 2009
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants is proud to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of its Minority Initiatives Committee. To commemorate the landmark establishment of the AICPA committee, the AICPA is releasing an eBook entitled “CPAs of Color: Celebrating 40 Years,” to illustrate the accomplishments of minority CPAs.
While 2009 marks an historic year for the nation with the inauguration of the first African-American president of the United States, the AICPA is also making history. Forty years ago the AICPA recognized the need to support people of color within the public accounting profession. The Institute launched the Minority Initiatives Committee during a time when the nation was navigating its way through the Civil Rights Movement.
LL Cool J at the GRAMMY Celebration Concert Tour
May 30, 2009
Rapper LL Cool J performs onstage during the Grammy Celebration Concert Tour at Terminal 5 May 28, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
Candids: Toni Braxton attends Lupus LA Orange Ball
May 30, 2009
Singer Toni Braxton and guest attend the 9th annual Lupus LA Orange Ball at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on May 28, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Skin Cancer Is Colorblind — No ‘Free Pass’
May 30, 2009
When Tiffany Wilson noticed a small growth on her left hip, she didn’t think much of it.
“It was bizarre,” recalled the 41-year-old salon owner from Minneapolis, Minnesota. “I just thought it was a pimple.”
Wilson, who is African-American, can’t say exactly what prompted her to point out the bump to her physician, but she said she remembered thinking the diagnosis wouldn’t be anything serious.
“It never occurred to me that it was skin cancer,” she said. But it was. She had basal cell carcinoma, the most common skin cancer.
Wilson spent long hours as a child in the summer sun at Lake Nokomis in Minnesota and went to the tanning bed before visiting relatives in the Caribbean, she said. She also said she never wore sunscreen.
Jennifer Hudson to perform for President Obama
May 30, 2009
Grammy and Oscar-winning Jennifer Hudson performed at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in California where President Barack Obama was expected to be in attendance, according to KTLA.com.
Hudson seems to have won fans in the DNC, having performed her soulful, gospel-toned “Star Spangled Banner” last year during the party’s national convention in Denver.
Hudson is a gospel talent whose voice continues to give depth to music by reaching back to her youthful days in the church choir. As a result, she has a fuller sound, which can be heard on her self-titled CD.
She recently concluded her first concert tour with R&B artist Robin Thicke.
Since returning to public life earlier this year, after mourning the brutal slayings of her mother, brother and nephew last fall in Chicago, the former “American Idol” contestant has been on a roll and it doesn’t appear that her time in the spotlight will be dimming any time soon.
Pictured: Singer/actress Jennifer Hudson performs at WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden on April 10, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
New US jobless claims fall in past week
May 29, 2009
New US unemployment claims fell to 623,000 in the past week, the Labor Department said Thursday, a decline that was better than forecasted by most analysts.
The department said seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims in the week ending May 23 dropped by 13,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 636,000.
The consensus of analysts forecasts was for a higher 628,000 initial claims as businesses slash payrolls to cope with the severe and prolonged recession.
The weekly report has shown new jobless claims above 600,000 for several months after hitting a peak of 674,000 in late March.
“Troubles remain severe, but there continue to be signals that the rate of deterioration is beginning to ease. Since hitting their peak in March, initial claims have been on a gradual yet discernible downward trend,” said Andrew Gledhill at Moody’s Economy.com.
The Labor Department said the adjusted insured unemployment rate rose to 5.1 percent for the week ending May 16, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week.
Staying Fit Is All Mental, Beyonce Knowles Says
May 29, 2009
Beyonce Knowles is far from being stick thin like many Hollywood female stars. As a matter of fact, Beyonce is perhaps the first one to admit that she’s curvy and proud of it, although that’s not to say that she doesn’t work hard to maintain her weight. After dissing the “gym look,” again a favorite with many stars, the singer is now speaking to Self magazine on what motivates her to keep going, and how reaching a goal is all mental.
First off, Beyonce says, working out should never be only about losing weight, since it also implies striving to be healthy – and this is precisely what she’s all about. Given that she’s also a touring artist, Beyonce has to work out to be physically able to take on the challenge of performing in sky-high heels while also singing. The motivation for all that can only come from within and, if it doesn’t, then it will not come at all, she believes.
Pictured: Singer Beyonce Knowles arrives at the Unforgettable Evening Benefiting The Entertainment Industry Foundation held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on February 10, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
TERRENCE HOWARD ENGAGED
May 29, 2009
IRON MAN star TERRENCE HOWARD is to wed girlfriend ZULAY HENAO after asking her to marry him in Prague, Czech Republic.
The actor popped the question while filming war movie Red Tails on location, after the Colombian actress jetted over to Europe to visit him.
Although he has never confirmed his relationship with Henao, the pair has been spotted together at showbiz events and they were snapped frolicking in the sea together during a vacation in December 2007.
And when WENN.Com bumped into the couple partying at a bar in Prague on Friday night (22May09), he confirmed, “I just got engaged”.
Howard, 40, hooked up with Henao after splitting with ex-wife Lori MCCommas for the second time in 2005.
Howard and MCCommas ended their 14-year marriage in 2003, but he successfully wooed her back and they remarried, only to split for good soon after.
Just last year (08) the actor revealed how he had bought MCCommas her childhood home and stalked her in a bid to win her back.
But, after their second split, he moved on and found love with Henao, who helped him recover from the heartbreaking death of his beloved mother Anita to cancer last September (08).
The couple can be seen together in 2009 movie Fighting.
Pictured: Actor Terrence Howard attends the premiere of ‘Fighting’ at the Regal Union Square Stadium 14 on April 20, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
Cancer Deaths on the Decline, Study Finds
May 29, 2009
According to a new report released by the American Cancer Society Thursday, the cancer death rate has been steadily declining over the last few years.
The Cancer Facts & Figures 2009 report found a 19.2% drop in the cancer death rate among men during the 1990-2005 time period. The cancer death rate among women dropped 11.4% from 1991-2005.
The study also found that cancer incidence rates are on the decline, with a decrease of 1.8% per year among men from 2001-2005 and 0.6% per year for women from 1998-2005.
“A drop of 1 or 2% per year may sound small, but as this report shows, that adds up to 650,000 cancer deaths avoided over 15 years,” said American Cancer Society CEO John Seffrin.
Chris Brown sued by photographer for bodyguard scuffle
May 29, 2009
On the day Chris Brown took to YouTube to say he’s “not a monster,” a photographer sued the R&B singer, saying Brown’s bodyguards beat him as he tried to take pictures at a gym.
Robert Rosen sued Brown and LA Fitness International, claiming he was assaulted by a bodyguard after snapping pictures in a gym in Universal City. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for multiple claims, including assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence.
The suit states Rosen snapped photos of Brown and friends on the basketball court at the LA Fitness on May 13, roughly a month after the singer’s arrest for allegedly assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna. Brown has pleaded not guilty in that case, which is scheduled for a hearing Thursday.
Rosen’s lawsuit states he fell down a flight of stairs after being chased by Brown’s bodyguards, who assaulted him. It does not allege violence by Brown.
Pictured: Chris Brown attends the 2009 GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons honoring Clive Davis at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 7, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
