Bring That Week Back: Week of Oct. 4
50 Cent dating rumors are cleared up | Toni Braxton files for bankruptcy | and Moss is back in Minnesota. Plus more!
1 / 22
Solitary Confinement - Lil Wayne will spend his last few weeks behind bars in solitary confinement. The rapper, who is serving time for weapons charges, will spend 23 hours a day in an isolated “punitive segregation” cell in New York’s Rikers prison for being caught with music-related contraband- headphones, iPod (found in another inmate’s cell) and an iPod charger. He is due to be released Nov. 4.
2 / 22
Most Powerful Woman - First Lady Michelle Obama ranked No. 1 on Forbes Magazine’s list of the world’s most powerful women, which was released this week. Kraft Foods Chief Executive Irene Rosenfeld came in at No. 2 and talk show host Oprah Winfrey was No. 3. Singers Lady Gaga (No. 7) and Beyonce Knowles (No. 9) also landed in the list’s top 10.
3 / 22
He’s Back - Former New England Patriots receiver Randy Moss was traded to the Minnesota Vikings Wednesday, making a return to the team that drafted him in the first round in 1998. In return for Moss, who has been selected for the Pro Bowl seven times, the Patriots got a 2011 draft pick. Moss will debut with his new team this Monday night when they travel to play the New York Jets.
4 / 22
'106 & Park' 10th Anniversary - BET marked the 10th anniversary of "106 & Park" on Wednesday with a huge televised celebration featuring performances by Ashanti, Trey Songz and Fabolous. Jamie Foxx, Bow Wow, Chris Brown and Nelly also made appearances on the show that broadcast from the studio in NYC and across the coast in Los Angeles. The show also reunited all past hosts (pictured here).
5 / 22
Teen Shot Over Sagging Pants - A Memphis teen was shot in the buttocks late last month, by a 45-year-old man angry he was wearing sagging pants, police report. The man, Kenneth E. Bonds, yelled at two teens to pull up their pants, and when they did not oblige, the three began arguing in the street. Bonds then pulled out a gun and fired several shots, hitting and wounding one of the teens. The wound was not critical. Bonds is facing aggravated assault charges.
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6 / 22
50 Cent, Chelsea Handler Dating? - After the two were spotted in a New Orleans bar over the weekend, rumors swirled about whether talk show host Chelsea Handler and rapper 50 Cent are dating. Handler, shot them down, however, in a Twitter post Wednesday evening. “Everyone, calm down,” she tweeted. “I met with Mr. Cent about a potential project. There’s nothing to report yet, I’ll let you know if there is."
7 / 22
Vick Injured Against Redskins - Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback Michael Vick sustained a rib injury during his team’s loss to the Washington Redskins, and will be out for this week’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Kevin Kolb, who started the season as the team’s #1 quarterback before getting a concussion against the Green Bay Packers, will take Vick’s place.
8 / 22
Albertina Walker Dies - Gospel great Albertina Walker died Friday morning of respiratory failure at RML Specialty Hospital in Chicago. She was 81. Known as “The Queen of Gospel,” Walker founded the legendary gospel group “The Caravans,” which launched the careers of other greats Shirley Caesar and Dorothy Norwood. Funeral arrangements are still being made.
9 / 22
Back Together? - After a few months of being separated, rapper Common, and tennis star Serena Williams appear to be back together. The two, who had been dating for about two years before their split, were seen leaving Monday’s nights’ Dolphins-Patriots game.
10 / 22
Increasing Number of Non-Blacks Attending HBCUs - The number of non-Blacks attending historically Black colleges has risen, according to a 2009 report by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. The group, which represents about half of the country’s HBCUs, says that the percentage of non-Blacks enrolled in the schools jumped from 6 percent to 8 percent between 1986 and 2006.
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11 / 22
Life in Prison - Faisal Shahzad, the man who attempted to set off a car bomb in NYC’s Times Square, was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday. Shahzad, a 31-year-old Pakistani immigrant, was still defiant even in court, telling the judge. “We are only Muslims trying to defend our religion, people, honor and land. But if you call us terrorists for doing that, then we are proud terrorists.”
12 / 22
Oprah is Reportedly Upset at Kanye - Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is upset at rapper and Chicago native Kanye West for pulling out of a scheduled performance on her show at the last minute, according to reports. What makes it worse is that he reportedly cancelled via email. According to In Touch, Oprah’s producers had scheduled a rooftop location for his performance and everything. Neither Winfrey nor West has responded to the reports.
13 / 22
Nas Sends Fiery Email to Def Jam Execs - Rapper Nas recently sent an angry email to Def Jam execs, demanding that they release his latest LP “Lost Tapes 2.” In the message, reportedly titled “Put My S*** Out,” the NY rapper stated he’s “nobody’s slave” and that the execs at the label “think they are stars.” The message was addressed to L.A. Reid, Steve Bartels, Steve Gawley, Michael Seltzer, Joseph Borrino and Chris Hicks.
14 / 22
Toni Braxton Files for Bankruptcy - Singer Toni Braxton has filed for bankruptcy again. According to court documents, Braxton, who has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in California, says she is up to $50 million in debt. Her creditors include AT&T, Tiffany & Co., Wells Fargo Bank, and the IRS. She estimates she is worth between $1 million and $10 million. Braxton last filed for bankruptcy in 1998.
15 / 22
Most Dangerous Cities - NeighborhoodScout, a location consulting company, recently released their list of the 25 most dangerous neighborhoods in the nation. Chicago’s W. Lake St. was ranked No. 1, followed by Cleveland, Ohio’s Scovill Ave, as well as Balzar Ave. and N. 28th St. (both located in Las Vegas, Nevada).The group analyzed the violent crime rate (per 1,000 people) using numbers provided by local law enforcement.
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16 / 22
The President Honors Archbishop Tutu - Iconic South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu retired Thursday on his 79th birthday. President Obama praised Tutu, calling him a “moral titan” and said he’ll be missed. Tutu fought against his nation’s apartheid system until it was abolished and was a worldwide advocate for freedom and justice. Earlier this year, he announced he would retire to spend more time with his family.
17 / 22
Retired MLB Star’s Wife Says He Exposed Her to HIV - The estranged wife of former baseball star Roberto Alomar alleges he engaged in unprotected sex with her, despite knowing that he was HIV-positive. Del Pilar Rivera Alomar made the allegations in divorce papers. In 2009, his ex girlfriend Ilya Dall sued him for $15 million alleging he also had unprotected sex with her for four years while he was infected.
18 / 22
President Obama’s Town Hall - On Thursday, Oct. 14, the president will hold a town hall with 250 diverse young voters in a commercial-free special called “A Conversation with President Obama.” The BET and MTV production will be hosted by BET’s own April Woodward, MTV’s Sway Calloway and CMT’s Katie Cook and will air on all Viacom networks including BET, Centric, MTV, MTVu and TR3S. Viewers at home will also be able to submit questions to Obama via Twitter.
19 / 22
Obama-Clinton in 2012? - Could current Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton be gearing up to trade places with Vice President Joe Biden? That idea is “on the table,” according to Washington Post editor Bob Woodward. Obama “needs some of the women, Latinos, retirees that she did so well with during the 2008 primaries – so they switch jobs … not out of the question,” Woodward said Tuesday during an interview on CNN’s “John King USA.”
20 / 22
Wyclef Appointed Brown University Fellow - On Monday, musician Wyclef Jean was appointed as a visiting fellow at Brown University’s Department of Africana Studies. The appointment will last through the current school year. Jean recently ended his bid for Haiti’s presidency in September. Though no official reason has been given, it’s presumed he did not meet some constitutional requirements to be in the running. The former Fugees frontman will use his time at Brown for “learning and reflection,” the statement read.
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