WebProNews

Author: Val Powell

  • John Boehner Fed Up With Conservative Base

    On Thursday, Republican House Speaker John Boehner attacked the conservative base for their indiscriminate opposition to the latest bipartisan budget deal, saying they had lost their credibility. According to Huff Post, conservative groups such as The Club for Growth, Heritage Action for America, FreedomWorks opposed the bill immediately after it was released. In fact, some did so even before it was released.

    “This budget agreement takes giant steps in the right direction,” Boehner said. “But when groups come out and criticize something they’ve never seen, you begin to wonder just how credible those actions are.”

    Boehner accused the conservative groups of “using the Americans people.” In particular, Boehner accused the groups of pushing the Republican party into a dubious plan to shut down Obamacare. “Frankly I think they’re misleading their followers. I think they’re pushing our members in places where they don’t want to be. And frankly, I just think that they’ve lost all credibility.” he said. Boehner was also not amused when one group that was behind the plan admitted that they knew it would never work. “Are you kidding me?” Boehner yelled.

    Boehner showed signs of frustration on Wednesday when some groups opposed the budget even before the details were out. “Yesterday when the criticism was coming, frankly I thought it was my job and my obligation to stand up for conservatives here in the Congress who want more deficit reduction, stand up for the work that Chairman Ryan did,” Boehner said.

    The proposed budget, if passed, would set funding levels for the next two years. Over the course of those two years, the budget would increase federal government spending by $63 billion. The deal was brokered by House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan together with Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray. The deal would help increase savings and avoid future congressional fights over money. It is for this reason that Boehner says he doesn’t understand why anyone can oppose such a deal. “That’s exactly what this bill does, and why Conservatives wouldn’t vote for this or criticize the bill is beyond any recognition I could come up with.”

    (image via YouTube)

  • Julie Chen Badmouths ‘The View’s’ Jenny McCarthy

    The rivalry between ‘The Talk’ and ‘The View’ got turned up a notch Wednesday when ‘Talk’ hosts Julie Chen and Sharon Osbourne appeared on ‘The Howard Stern Show’. When asked by Howard Stern if ABC made a mistake in hiring Jenny McCarthy, Chen flatly said that “The View” made a big mistake because “No one wants to hear Jenny McCarthy talk about the New York mayoral race or politics,”

    http://youtu.be/ZuaWQoUuwFY

    The harsh criticism may have left some wondering why Julie Chen feels the need to diminish another woman in the media who has done her no harm. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but why is Chen seemingly trying to give producers of “The View” reason to dismiss Jenny McCarthy from her job?

    McCarthy joined ‘The View’ on Sept. 9. The 41-year-old single mother said she was grateful for the new job. Shortly after joining the show, McCarthy said,”This is the greatest show in the world. Thanks to the fans who supported me to get here. I hope I do you justice.”

    Do the women on  ‘The Talk’  feel like they need to take jabs at ‘The View’ to boost their show’s ratings?

    Recently, ‘The Talk’s’ 61-year-old co-host, Sharon Osbourne, flat out disrespected ‘The View’ when she said that except for Barbara Walters, the other ‘View’ host should “go f**k themselves.” She later realized that she embarrassed herself and had to apologize.

    “I want to apologize to Jenny, Sherri and Whoopi, who are all accomplished, self-made women who have amazing careers. They have achieved so much. Please understand it was irreverent behavior and no disrespect meant.” said Osborne during an airing of  “The Talk”.

    Ok, it was a rude statement, but it’s far from the worst thing that Sharon Osbourne has ever said or done on TV.

    Julie Chen, however, who recently made news when she announced she had plastic surgery, continued to hack away at McCarthy and ‘The View’ on The Howard Stern Show. “What made ‘The View’ so popular and so good was that it was five different women from five different walks of life discussing politics.”  She continued by saying, “The View” simply “doesn’t know what it is now. What put them on the map and made them good and famous — they don’t do that anymore.”

    However, Chen did soften her criticism of McCarthy with a few compliments.  “She’s beautiful, and funny, and talented, and smart,” Chen said of McCarthy. But were these compliments disingenuous? After all, when you admire and respect someone you don’t insinuate that they suck at their job.

    What do you think? Is Jenny McCarthy bad for ‘The View” or is Julie Chen a hater?

     Julie Chen Defends Comments About Jenny McCarthy

    (main image via YouTube)

  • Cancer Scammer Brittany Ozarowski Pleads Guilty

    Turns out Brittany Ozarowski was not suffering from cancer at all. The drug addict shocked the Long Island community back in April when it was revealed that she had been scamming sympathetic folks out of their money to buy heroin.

    Ozarowski pleaded guilty Monday to the charges filed against her, including third-degree grand larceny, first-degree fraud scheme and first-degree offering false instrument. The 22-year-old had been going round telling people she was battling cancer. Her emaciated face left little doubt for some residents that she had cancer, but sadly, she lied.

    It seemed that Ozarowski played the role of cancer victim quite well. She hobbled gingerly with a cane and weighed a meager 80 pounds. Of course, her victims attributed her frail body to the effects of radiation treatment and chemotherapy.

    Neighbors and friends rallied to help her.  They gladly offered to put donation tins on store counters, organized fundraisers and pulled cash out of their own pockets. These combined efforts helped to raise tens of thousands of dollars. Moreover, Ozarowski ran a website in which she was pictured in a wheelchair next to the request, “Help Save My Life.”

    But then, such things as why she didn’t lose her hair after chemotherapy, why she hung up on a man who offered $10,000 in treatments, and why she didn’t show up for a free exam at a neurologist began to raise doubts. Another thing that might have raised a red flag is the fact that her stories of cancer became too amorphous—sometimes it was bone cancer, at times it was brain cancer. She had also mentioned stomach and ovarian cancers.

    Since she pleaded guilty to the 24-count charge against her, her attorney was allowed to negotiate with the judge to counter the prosecutor’s call for 7 years imprisonment. Well, many people would say she got off easy. Judge John Iliou agreed to sentence her to 2 years in a drug treatment program and 1 year of probation.

    (image via YouTube)

  • Katie Couric Admits That Her Report On HPV Was Too Anti-Vaccine

    Having taken a fair amount of criticism from the media and the science community, Katie Couric says she regrets spending too much time talking about the rare adverse side effects from HPV vaccinations instead of acknowledging the HPV vaccine’s overwhelming success.

    On Tuesday the talk show host apologized in an opinion piece for the Huffington Post.

    “Last week we devoted several segments on my TV talk show to the issues surrounding the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine. Learning about this relatively recent preventive measure is tremendously important, and I felt it was a subject well worth exploring.” Couric wrote. “We simply spent too much time on the serious adverse events that have been reported in very rare cases following the vaccine. More emphasis should have been given to the safety and efficacy of the HPV vaccines.”

    Couric’s program had insinuated that the HPV vaccine was far from being safe and featured spine chilling stories from two mothers that attributed negative experiences to the vaccine. One mother claimed the vaccine killed her daughter while another mother claimed the vaccine caused her daughter to experience nausea and fatigue. Couric’s report featured only one pro-vaccine guest – Dr. Mallika Marshall and thus appeared lopsided in its critique.

    Some critics such as Politico’s Tara Haelle, claimed that Couric resorted to “scaremongering” in an effort to boost her program ratings, while Time’s Alexandra Sifferlin compared Couric to Jenny McCarthy. McCarthy is a former Playboy model and co-host of  “The View” who has also been criticized for her anti-vaccine reporting. Los Angeles Times’ Michael Hiltzik disparaged Couric’s anti-vaccination report, saying “Daytime talk shows like Couric’s thrive on conflict and controversy, but injecting doubt and emotionalism into important medical discussions and removing science from the arena is playing with fire.”

    However, Couric said that it was never her intention to misrepresent medical and scientific facts. In fact, Couric has been a strong advocate for research related to disease. She did, however,  feel that problems caused by the HPV vaccine had to be highlighted.

    “As a journalist, I felt that we couldn’t simply ignore these reports. That’s why we had two mothers on the show who reported adverse reactions after their daughters had been vaccinated for HPV,” she wrote.

    Nonetheless, Couric acknowledged that the benefits of the HPV vaccine far outweigh its risks. She also admitted that she had both her daughters vaccinated for HPV.

    Is HPV Vaccine Safe?

    (image via Wikipedia)

  • Leah Remini Is A “Bigot” Says Kirstie Alley

    Leah Remini Is A “Bigot” Says Kirstie Alley

    Kirstie Alley seems to be upset by Leah Remini’s public criticism of the Church of Scientology. Alley, who was a guest on “The Howard Stern Show” Wednesday, ended up calling Remini a Bigot for attacking her religion.

    Alley has been a staunch and vocal supporter of the controversial church and says she joined the church to overcome her cocaine addiction when she was younger. Alley was asked whether she feels offended when people attack her because of her beliefs. “I think that is the most repulsive thing a person can do, attack another person’s faith,” she said, “Because a faith is what you look to to have hope, and is what you look to to help other people, and I just think it’s really wrong.”

    Actress Leah Remini has been on the offensive against the Church of Scientology, an organization she broke away from since July. Remini had been one of the church’s celebrity members for almost 30 years but broke away from the church because according to her, the church attempted to modify thoughts and use interrogations on members. “I don’t think everybody knows that’s what is required when you leave… its the friends and family members, mothers and daughters, that is what is required,” Remini said on “The View.”  “They can no longer have relationships with me, my family, so I don’t get to see my god kids, friends that we’ve known for 34 years.” said Remini.

    Now, the former “King of Queens” star is receiving push back from Alley, who thinks that the 43-year-old (Remini) is a bigot.

    “When you are generalizing, and when your goal is to malign and to say things about an entire group — there are tens of millions of Scientologists in the world — when you decide to blanket statement, ‘Scientology is evil,’ you are my enemy,” Alley said.

    Alley also admitted that she had blocked Remini on her Twitter although they had not seen each other for seven or eight years. “She’s a bigot,” Alley said, as she seemed quite unapologetic on her aggressive stand against Remini, “If someone was out there attacking your religion, would they be your friend? They wouldn’t be mine .. It’s not selective, I just won’t have people in my life that are bigots.”

    Kirstie Alley Defends Church Of Scientology On Howard Stern

    http://youtu.be/INmZ9lFm7vU

    (main image via YouTube)

  • Oklahoma Earthquake Surprises Arcadia Residents

    An earthquake with a 4.8 magnitude has shaken Central Oklahoma this Saturday afternoon, according to U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake was recorded shortly after 12 noon just southeast of Lake Arcadia which is seven miles east of Edmond, 9 miles north, northwest of Choctaw and fourteen miles northwest of Oklahoma.

    The spokesman of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency, Keli Cain, says no damage or injuries have been reported as of yet, though the earthquake was about 5 miles deep. However, Paul Carusi, a geophysicist with the Oklahoma Geological Survey has described the earthquake as a shallow quake that can do no more than knocking items off the shelves and causing light fixtures to sway. It is believed that this could be part of the chain of quakes that have struck near the Jones area over the past few years.

    The earthquake only lasted several seconds but many Oklahoma residents said they felt it. Residents of several Oklahoma cities including Oklahoma City, Harra, Edmond, Mustang, Stillwater, Guthrie and Tulsa reported feeling the earthquake.

    Many fans who were attending the Bedlam football game in Stillwater reported they felt the earthquake as well. The manager of Pops Restaurant in Arcadia says there was no noticeable damage to the restaurant and customers were initially surprised but simply went back to viewing the football game on TV once the earthquake stopped.

     

    What Causes Earthquakes?

    (main image via Youtube)

  • Grammy Nominees 2014: Kendrick Lamar And Macklemore Stand Out

    This year’s Grammy nominations were announced on Friday night during the Grammy Nominations Concert Live. Among the expected names were, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Lorde, Taylor Swift and Daft Punk — all of whom dominated the radio waves this year. However, this year’s nominations came with its fair share of surprises as well as shocking omissions. From Justin Timberlake’s head scratching miss to Kendrick Lamar’s surprising triumph.

    Justin Timberlake was locked out of the top awards categories (Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year) despite his seven nominations in other categories. JT’s “20/20 Experience” was considered a heavy favorite for Album of the Year. The single “Mirrors” looked like it might win both Record of the Year and Song of the Year awards but somehow did not get nominated. Timberlake’s past albums “FutureSex/LoveSounds,” and “Justified” were both nominated for Album of the Year in past years. This year, his epic “20/20 Experience” received very positive reviews, tons of radio play, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and went just short of platinum in it’s first week of sales. Despite all this, Justin was shockingly left out.

    Some are still scratching their heads as to why Lady Gaga is conspicuously missing in the big list. Turns out she didn’t make the cut because “ARTPOP” missed the eligibility period and her single “Applause” didn’t get enough time to build up steam before eligibility ended. Chances are she’ll be named for a number of awards come next year.

    Kendrick Lamar managed a massive seven nominations, topped only by Jay-Z’s nine nods, for his debut “Good kid, m.A.A.d city” album. Among Lamar’s nominations is the nod for the coveted Album of the Year award. Could this be the year rap music takes the top honor? A rap album hasn’t won Album of the Year since 2004, when ‘Outkast’ walked away with the award.

    Newcomers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are also in the mix with seven nominations of their own. This year they are contenders for Album of  the Year for their rap album, “The Heist” and Song of the Year for “Same Love”. The duo from Seattle also opened the Grammy Nominations Concert Live with their hit song, “Thrift Shop”.

    2014 Grammy Nominees:

     

    Record Of The Year

    Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams – “Get Lucky”
    Imagine Dragons – “Radioactive”
    Lorde – “Royals”
    Bruno Mars – “Locked Out Of Heaven”
    Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell – “Blurred Lines”

    Album Of The Year

    Sara Bareilles – “The Blessed Unrest”
    Daft Punk – “Random Access Memories”
    Kendrick Lamar – “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City”
    Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – “The Heist”
    Taylor Swift – “Red”

    Song Of The Year

    Pink Featuring Nate Ruess  – “Just Give Me A Reason”
    Bruno Mars – “Locked Out Of Heaven”
    Katy Perry – “Roar”
    Lorde – “Royals”
    Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert – “Same Love”

    Best New Artist

    James Blake
    Kendrick Lamar
    Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
    Kacey Musgraves
    Ed Sheeran

    Kendrick Lamar On Getting Grammy Nomination

    Kendrick Lamar On Tupac And Dr. Dre

    (main image via Wikipedia)

  • FIFA World Cup: U.S. Draws ‘Group Of Death’

    FIFA World Cup: U.S. Draws ‘Group Of Death’

    The U.S team will face tough competition in the first round of the 2014 World Cup. The team wound up in the ‘group of death‘, comprising of Ghana, Portugal and Germany. Soccer analysts say it would be a big accomplishment if the U.S. progress to the next level.  Ghana had eliminated the U.S. in the last two World Cups while Germany and Portugal are composed of the world’s top soccer stars – namely Ronaldo Cristiano of Portugal.

    Adding to the U.S. team’s challenge is the ridiculous amount of travelling they will need to do. They will have to cover about 9,000 miles to compete in all their group matches. The U.S. team, however, may be the best equipped to handle the hectic travel schedule because their level of fitness is said to be superior to that of other teams. In 2010, the team lacked depth. They had the heart but not the endurance, which caused them to claw their way into the second round — that should not be the case this year. The team’s exceptional fitness will also serve them well when playing in the harsh rainforest conditions in Brazil. Many of the matches will not just be about skill but also be a real test of endurance.

    “It’s going to be difficult for them to advance, but not impossible,” said Steve Sampson, former U.S coach.

    However, U.S. captain Clint Dempsey is refusing to dampen team spirit by saying, “I think we have the quality, if we play our best ball, to get out of the group”.

    Dempsey further stressed the importance of self believe, “You can’t think about, am I the favorite? Am I the underdog? What’s it going to be like playing in the heat? What’s it going to be like with the travel?” Those are factors that come into it, but at the end of the day both teams have to deal with it.”

    U.S. Head Coach Says Draw Is Tough, But They Are Prepared.

    Watch Video.

    (image via YouTube)

  • Terrence Howard Secretly Marries For A Fourth Time?

    Terrence Howard Secretly Marries For A Fourth Time?

    The Huffington Post has revealed that actor Terrence Howard has secretly married a fourth time. This time to a new girlfriend named Miranda – a Canadian, that he has only been dating for one month.

    The newly wedded couple were seen wearing gold bands around their left ring fingers at the premiere of the “Best Man Holiday” in Los Angeles, November 5.

    Howard and his ex-wife, Michelle Ghent, filed for divorce in February 2011 and finalized it in May. His ex-wife reportedly filed for divorce just one year after they married when she claimed that Howard physically abused her while they were together. She claimed that Howard “sucker punched her” in the face and attempted to gag her on several occasions. “While I was on the ground, [Howard] kicked me repeatedly in the head and shoulders with strong blows,” she said. “I knew I had to get away from [Howard] or he would try to kill me.”

    Meanwhile, Howard has reportedly not been making timely spousal support payments to Ghent as required by court order. According to court documents, payments were to commence on May 5, 2012. However, the former Oscar nominee has only been making “sporadic payments” to Ghent and owes her $122,221.64 including interest and $15,500 in legal fees.

    Ghent has said that Howard’s alleged default in payments has led to her credit score being ruined. Howard also owes her some money he allegedly used during their trip to Costa Rica when they were trying to reconcile earlier this year.

    Is Terrence Howard A Wife-Beater?

    Shocking photos of a his beaten ex-wife. Watch video.

    (main image via Wikipedia)

  • Ohio Judge Allegedly Poisoned by Wife

    The wife of an Ohio county judge is sitting in jail for allegedly poisoning her husband. Carla Rae Hague is a 71-year-old retired nurse who has been married to Charles Hague, a Ohio judge, for 45 years. She is being held in a jail adjacent to the courthouse where her husband is a judge. Carla Hague has been charged of poisoning Charles Hague with ethylene glycol, a substance commonly known as antifreeze. She now faces felony assault charges as well as charges of tampering with evidence according to the County Sheriff.

    After suffering the effects of the antifreeze, Judge Hague had to be rushed to a hospital in Ashtabula County back in September. According to the sheriff’s office, they received a phone call from Charles Hague’s family members on September 19. His family filed a complaint after hospital tests revealed that high levels of antifreeze was found in Judge Hague’s body. Carla was arrested on December 2 following the allegations.

    The judge has been sitting on the Common Pleas Juvenile/ Probate Court for 2 decades now. Bill Johnson, Ashtabula County Sheriff told ABC News that the Hague family is well known in Ashtabula County.

    “The investigation is just simply an investigation,” said the sheriff. “It is a little bit more sensitive because of him being a sitting judge, but we would handle it the same way no matter who it would be in an investigation.”

    The judge is currently recovering at home while the wife remains in jail. A grand jury for the case is expected to convene later this month to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to charge the judge’s wife.

    The motive for Carla Hague’s alleged actions are unknown. The Hague family has no comment at this time.

    (image via ABC News)

  • Bill Beckwith Suffers Untimely Death In Motorcycle Accident

    Bill Beckwith, co-host of HGTV’s ‘Curb Appeal’, is dead. Beckwith, who made regular appearances on HGTV’s ‘Curb Appeal’ died at the age of 38 in a motorcycle crash in San Francisco on Monday. The police have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. Beckwith died when his motorcycle crashed into another vehicle in San Francisco’s Haight district. The driver of the car that hit Beckwith is reportedly assisting the police in the investigation.

    “The HGTV family is deeply saddened by Bill’s tragic death and we mourn his loss along with his many family and friends who will miss his creativity, adventurous spirit and general love of life,” ‘Curb Appeal’ said in a statement. “We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to Bill’s family.”

    Bill co-hosted ‘Curb Appeal’ with John Gidding, Kimberly Lacy and Chip Wade. The program is currently out of production. Bill appeared in the show as a carpenter on several occasions.

    As a child, Bill was fond of fixing stuff on his parent’s farm in Maine, according to his HGTV bio. Bill attended the University of Montana where he studied English and Martial arts. He started his construction company BB Design Build, in 2001 in Northern California soon after his graduation.

    Since his death, condolences have flooded his official Facebook page. “Bill was truly a beloved and respected member of our Curb Appeal family and this loss is devastating to us,” HGTV wrote on the page. “We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to Bill’s family.”

    A Facebook memorial page known as Billy J. Beckwith, Superstar has already been create and is already filled with memorial messages.  “My love: so kind, so bright, adventurous and strong,” wrote Yulia Korneeva, his girlfriend.

    (main pic via HGTV.com)

  • Obama’s Uncle Gets OK’d; Not All “Illegals” Get Deported.

    President Obama’s uncle got the OK to stay in the U.S. Tuesday by an immigration judge in Boston. Onyango Obama ignored his deportation orders more than two decades ago but was given permanent resident status after he testified that he has lived in the U.S. for more than half a century. “He has earned his privilege to stay in the United States. He has been here for 50 years,” said Onyango’s Attorney, Margaret Wong, Tuesday before the hearing.

    Onyango is the half-brother of President Obama’s late father. He had come to the U.S. in 1963 from Kenya on a student visa that expired in 1970. That means that he has been living in the country illegally for more than 4 decades. “He’s so happy to stay here because he loves this country,” Ms. Wong said. Onyango described America as the “Land of Opportunities.”

    When asked during the hearing whether he had any relatives in the U.S, Onyango said he had two nieces, a nephew and a sister. Asked who the nephew was, Onyango Obama replied: “Barack Obama. He’s the President of the United States.”

    Onyango’s immigration status became public in 2011 when he was arrested in Framingham, Massachusetts for driving under the influence. After the arrest, he is alleged to have told the police, “I think I will call the White House.” When asked by the prosecutor to clarify whether he actually said those words, he said he might have said those words.

    However, his attorney called him a wonderful older gentleman. While reading the ruling, judge Leonard Shapiro said that Onyango qualified for legal permanent residency since he has a good moral character and that the provision in federal immigration allows immigrants who have lived in America since 1972 to apply for a “green card”.

    Is Obama’s Uncle Getting Special Treatment?

    Watch the Video

    http://youtu.be/cBDdK0QX4CM

    (main photo via YouTube)

  • Dancer Acid Attack: Dmitrichenko Gets 6 Years In Prison

    A Bolshoi dancer and two other men were convicted by a Moscow court on Tuesday. The men carried out an acid attack on Bolshoi Ballet’s director, Sergei Filin. The attack nearly blinded Filin.

    The former Bolshoi Ballet Theater soloist, Pavel Dmitrichenko was handed six years while his accomplice, Yuri Zarutsky, will serve a decade in prison and Andrei Lipatov, a driver,  got four years according to official Russian Legal Information Agency report.

    Although prosecutors had asked for a longer term of 9 years, Vitaly Dmitrichenko, Pavel’s father thought that the term was longer than what they had expected. “We had hoped it would be less,” he said.

    Filin had been attacked by a masked aggressor who tossed sulfuric acid into his face in January 2013 when he was walking to his Moscow apartment. The acid left him almost blinded and severely burned his face. This case has attracted considerable attention in Russia and is certainly one of the worst scandals in Bolshoi’s history.

    Filin has spent a considerable amount of time with doctors who have been working to save the Russian ballet director’s sight.

    Dmitrichenko said during his defense that he wanted to punish Filin because he had failed to give him the roles he wanted. However, Dmitrichenko said he didn’t expect that his former director would be subjected to an acid attack. This was confirmed by Zarutsky who confessed to the court that Dmitrichenko was not aware of the acid attack. He said it was his own idea.

    This case which has been watched closely worldwide threatens to expose the tensions building at the renowned ballet company. Witnesses from both Filin and Dmitrichenko’s camps have squared off publicly thus undermining Filin’s leadership.

    (main image via YouTube)

  • Gucci Mane Indicted: Rapper Could Get 20 Years For Gun Possession

    Rapper Gucci Mane has been indicted by a federal court on charges of possessing a firearm. ABC reports that the rapper possessed guns on two different occasions in September and threatened a police officer according to U.S. attorney’s office in Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta. The rapper whose real name is Radric Davis, was indicted on November 19 by a federal grand jury.

    (image)

    Prosecutors said that Davis was found with a gun on September 12 and another gun on September 14. The prosecutors further said that the 33-year-old rapper acted erratically on both occasions and threatened people with the guns.

    “On September 12 this year, Davis, who was a felon at the time, was found in possession of a firearm,” the prosecutor said. “Then, just two days later, on September 14th, he again possessed a firearm different from the earlier gun. On both occasions, Davis displayed the loaded firearm, acted erratically, and made threats to individuals, including police and his attorney.”

    Davis was taken into police custody after he became agitated and threatened people. “This is how people get hurt, and we are committed to ensuring that convicted felons not have guns,” U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said.

    Drew Findling, the rapper’s lawyer, said that he will decide on what action to take after reviewing information in the case.

    According to the indictment, Davis pleaded no contest to two felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon in October. Davis was also convicted in 2005 for being in possession of marijuana.

    In the same year, Davis was charged with murder but the charges were dropped because of insufficient evidence. In 2010 he was again arrested for violating traffic laws but the charges were dropped as well. Earlier this year, he was arrested after he hit a man over the head with a bottle.

    Each charge of  possession of a firearm as a convicted felon comes with up to 10 years of prison time  and up to $250,000 in fines. Gucci allegedly possessed two firearms. If convicted of gun possession the ‘Servin‘ rapper could be serving a maximum of 20 years behind bars.


    (mugshot via Pinterest, main image via YouTube)

  • Alabama Fan Shot Dead After Crimson Tide Loss

    An Alabama woman has been charged with murder after she shot to death a fellow Alabama fan. The shooting happened at a football party shortly after the end of Iron Bowl college football match in which Crimson Tide lost to Auburn Tigers. The woman, identified as 28-year-old Adrian Briskey pulled the trigger on Michelle Shepherd after she said she didn’t care that much that Tide had lost.

    Nekesa Shepherd, the sister to the victim, was present when the shooting happened. “She (Briskey) said we weren’t real Alabama fans because it didn’t bother us that they lost. And then she started shooting.” she said.

    Adrian Laroze Briskey was charged on Monday morning with killing 36-year -old Michelle Shepherd. Briskey was released on $75,000 bond pending a hearing of the case.

    The authorities confirmed that both women were Alabama fans and had both attended the football game played between the rival college teams. The victim’s sister insists that the murder was as a result of the match outcome even though it is still unclear to investigators whether the murder was as a result of the game. Alcohol is also being investigated as a possible motivator for the murder. “That’s one of the things we are investigating,” Hoover police Captain Jim Coker said Monday.

    Shepherd was shot dead in the parking lot of an apartment building in Birmingham. Nekesa says both her and her sister were invited to the party by a third person who also invited Briskey. The two women did not know each other prior to that day.

    Source ESPN  (Image via YouTube)

  • Tom Daley Has A Boyfriend; “It Felt Right”

    Tom Daley Has A Boyfriend; “It Felt Right”

    Olympic diver Tom Daley surprised his fans by revealing he is dating a man, despite previously dating girls. The 19-year-old diver, who won a bronze medal in London 2012 Olympics, revealed the news on Monday in a YouTube video. Daley says he is in a serious relationship with a guy and said he feels happier and safer in his new relationship.

    In a five-minute long message on YouTube, Daley said he felt it in spring this year. “In spring this year my life changed massively when I met someone, and they make me feel so happy, so safe and everything just feels great. That someone is a guy.” Daley said, “But it wasn’t until spring this year that something just clicked. It felt right and I thought ‘OK’.”

    However, Daley said that he still fancies girls but had been dating the unnamed man since spring. He admitted that this took him by surprise though he seemed to have an inclination for some time that he might be bisexual or gay. Daley went on to say, “It did take me by surprise a little bit. It was always in the back of my head that something like that could happen.”

    His grandparents, whom he had informed 24 hours before going public about it, said the news came as a surprise and they feared that he was still too young to be making this kind of decision but they said they will support him because they are liberal.

    “We have always been supportive of him and we always will. We’re not old-fashioned, in fact we’re quite liberal. But I do think he’s too young to be making this sort of decision,” they said, “but we hugged him, we thanked him for coming to see us, and we’ll be seeing him over Christmas. We’ll always be here for Tom.”

    Tom’s father died at age 40 in 2011 from brain cancer.

    Chairman of the Amateur Swimming Association, Edward Lord said “To be one of the first British Olympic athletes to come out is very brave.” Lord said, “We must all support Tom in taking this incredibly courageous step.”

    Although his family members had mixed feelings about Daley’s decision, stars were quick to congratulate him for the bold move. Among them were Kylie Minogue and British comedian Matt Lucas.

     

    Tom Daley: Something I want to say…

    (main image via Twitter)

  • Pizza Hut Manager Gets Rehired After Closing Store On Thanksgiving Day

    Pizza Hut has offered to rehire a manager who was fired for refusing to open the restaurant on Thanksgiving Day. Tony Rohr, 28, had refused to open the store located in Elkhart, Indiana on Thanksgiving Day and was consequently told to write a letter of resignation. Instead, he chose to write a letter explaining why he thought the store should remain closed on Thanksgiving Day.

    “Why can’t we be the company that stands up and says we care about our employees and they can have the day off?” said Rohr. He continued by saying, “Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only two days that they’re closed in the whole year. And they’re the only two days that those people are guaranteed to have off to spend with their families.”

    Rohr says he was fired shortly after he wrote the letter in which he criticized the company’s policy.

    “I accept that the refusal to comply with this greedy, immoral request means the end of my tenure with this company,” he wrote. “I hope you realize that it is the people at the bottom of the totem pole that make your life possible.”

    However, the local franchise disputed Rohr’s claim that he was fired. Instead, they said he quit. Pizza Hut’s corporate office later issued a statement on its website saying that the franchise “made a serious error in judgment, one which we hope to help remedy.” The corporate office went on to state that Rohr should be reinstated because Pizza hut “fully respect an employee’s right to not work on a holiday.”

    “As a result, we strongly recommended that the local franchisee reinstate the store manager and they have agreed. We look forward to them welcoming Tony back to the team.” concluded the statement.

    But Rohr, who had worked there for 10 years and manages about 15 employees, said Thursday that he is not sure whether he wanted his job back at this time. “That’s something I can’t decide right away,” he told CNN.

    (main image via Wikipedia)

  • Michael Jordan And Wife Expecting First Baby

    Basketball icon, Michael Jordan, and his wife Yvette Prieto, a Cuban American model, are expecting their first child together. The couple got married seven months ago in an extravagant wedding ceremony in Florida. Jordan, 50 and Prieto, 35, have been together for five years now and live in Southern Florida.

    Jordan and Prieto met on the dance floor of a Miami nightclub in 2008.

    The couple exchanged vows at the Bethesda-by-the Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Florida in April of this year. This is the same place where Donald and Melania Trump married in 2005. The couple’s wedding ceremony was attended by over 500 guests and a reported 1500 guests were at the reception. The wedding was a Who’s Who of  celebrities. In attendance were Scottie Pippen, Spike Lee, Tiger Woods, Usher and Robin Thicke to name a few.

    Jordan is already a father of three other children- Marcus, 22,  Jeffrey, 24,  and Jasmine, 19  from his previous marriage (17 years) to Juanita Vanoy which ended in divorce in 2006. This will be Yvette Prieto’s  first child and the first for the couple. Before Pierto met Jordan, she dated Spanish singer, Julio Iglesias Jr, the  brother of Enrique Iglesias. Iglesias described Prieto as “loving, simple and a very good person” to Hola! magazine in 2003.

    Jordan is best known for his  six championship wins with the Chicago Bulls as well as being a 5-time Most Valuable Player for the NBA.

    (main image via YouTube)

  • Racism Is Over According To GOP Tweet

    Is Racism Over? Republicans thinks so. On Sunday, The Republican National Committee (RNC) seemed to suggest that racism was ended with Rosa Parks’ arrest when it tweeted through its official @GOP Twitter account that, “Today we remember Rosa Parks’ bold stand and her role in ending racism.” The tweet was made in remembrance of the 58th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ fight against racism. Rosa was arrested 58 years ago after she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on an Alabama bus.

    (image)

    Many Americans are not bothered about celebrating the woman’s courageous fight against racism; rather, they are perturbed by the suggestion that racism is over. This news could make things worse for the Republicans especially now that the party has been struggling to gain support outside the white community.

     

     

     

    This suggestion is a sharp contrast to a 2008 poll from Gallup that showed more than half of Americans believe that racism against blacks is still widespread in America. Another recent survey from Pew Research showed that the majority of Americans believe that there is still some elements of racism against Black Americans. This is not the first time the Republican Party has come under fire for its misguided stance on racial issues. Republican members were in the forefront to reduce Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program(SNAP), a move which mostly affected minorities. A senior GOP official was forced to resign after he slated “Lazy Black People” while on The Daily Show. After the GOP tweeted, some users countered it with anti-racism hashtags.

    In fairness, the GOP later recanted their previous tweet and replaced it with a more aptly worded one.

  • Gap Ad Takes Stand Against Anti-Muslim Vandalism

    Gap has been rolling out new campaigns that typically create a lot of buzz, but this year’s seems to have drawn a different kind of attention. The theme of this year’s campaign is “Make Love” and Gap created an image of two people: jewelry designer, Waris Ahluwalia, a Sikh and model/ filmmaker  Quentin Jones. The image for the ad was posted outdoors and in store windows.

    However, New York photographer, Robert Gerhardt observed that one of the posters that had been posted outside a New York City passageway had been defaced.  The phrase “Make Love” was replaced with “Make Bombs”. Also, the phrase “Please stop driving taxis” was added to the poster.

    Gerhardt took a photo of the defaced poster and forwarded it to Arsalan Iftikhar, Islamic Monthly senior editor and founder of the TheMuslimGuy.com who then posted the photo to his Twitter and Facebook wall. “When I first saw my Facebook friend’s photo of this Gap subway advertisement defaced by vandals with racist messages, I wanted the world to see how millions of brown people are viewed in America today.” Gerhardt told the Huffington Post.

    Gap responded the next day and tweeted back at Iftikhar to find out the original location the ad. “Hi there. Thanks for informing us. Can you please follow & DM us. We’d like to know the location of this,” read the tweet. The company went further to change the background of the picture to show solidarity. Though Sikhs are a different religious sect than Muslims, the two groups are often mistaken for each other. Gap has since received praise from Muslims and Sikhs communities.

    “The Muslim Guy” Responds

    (main image via YouTube)