Bring That Week Back: Week of Jan. 3
Pregnancy rumors swirl around the first lady; the Obamas end their Hawaiian vacay. Plus more!
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Tiny’s Drug Charge Dropped - A Los Angeles judge dismissed a misdemeanor drug possession charge against T.I.’s wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris on Thursday. Back in September she and her husband were caught with ecstasy in their vehicle after being pulled over – an incident that led to her husband being sent back to prison in November for parole violation.
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Neb. Student Kills Asst. Principal, Self - In a crime that sent shockwaves through a Nebraska community, 17-year-old student Robert Butler Jr., the son of a police detective, opened fire at a local high school, killing assistant principal Vicki Kaspar before fatally shooting himself. Butler also shot the principal, Curtis Case, who is now listed in stable condition. Butler recently transferred to the school and, on a Facebook post, warned that people would soon talk about the “evil” things he did.
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Tucker Carlson Takes Back ‘Execution’ Remark - On Monday, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson returned to Sean Hannity’s Fox News show and took back his statement that NFL QB Michael Vick “should’ve been executed” for dogfighting charges. “This is what happens when you get too emotional,” Carlson said. “Of course I don’t think he should be executed, but I do think that what he did is truly appalling.” Carlson made the controversial statement last Tuesday on the same platform.
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Waka Flocka Flame Released - After posting $40,000 bail, the rapper Waka Flocka Flame was released from a Georgia jail Wednesday. He had surrendered to local police on Monday after being issued an arrest warrant in connection with a raid on his home last month. The rapper, whose real name is Juaquin Malphurs, is facing drugs and weapons charges.
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A Second Chance - Ted Williams, the homeless man with a “golden voice” became an instant YouTube sensation earlier this week after a videographer for The Columbus Dispatch captured video of his deep, clear voice as he was panhandling on the streets of Ohio. Since then, the job offers – from announcing for the Cleveland Cavaliers to doing voiceovers for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese – have come pouring in. “It’s just outrageous how this has all come to be," he said.
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Montel Williams Caught with Pot Pipe - On Tuesday, former talk show host Montel Williams was caught with a marijuana pipe at Wisconsin’s General Mitchell International Airport. Authorities cited Williams for possession of drug paraphernalia. He was then released after paying a $484 fine. Diagnosed with MS more than 10 years ago, he’s been a proponent of marijuana for medicinal use and has said in the past that he smokes to relieve chronic pain.
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Jackson Hearings - This week, several witnesses testified during the involuntary manslaughter hearing of Michael Jackson’s Dr. Conrad Murray. Thursday, the paramedic, Martin Blount, told the court that Murray grabbed “three small bottles of lidocaine” off the floor – even though he’d told him he hadn’t given Jackson any drugs. Ex-guard Alberto Alvarez (pictured) testified Murray told him to put medicine vials in a bag before paramedics came. Authorities contend that Murray gave Jackson a lethal dose of propofol.
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N-word Removed from Huck Finn - A new version of the Mark Twain classic, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” will be printed replacing the n-word – which appears over 200 times in the novel – with “slave.” "This is not an effort to render Tom Sawyer and ‘Huckleberry Finn’ colorblind," the Twain scholar behind the move, Alan Gribben, told Publisher’s Weekly. “It’s a matter of how you express that in the 21st century.” But critics call the move “censorship” and say it attempts to cover up the nation’s racist past.
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Texas Man Cleared of Charges After 31 Years in Pri - After spending 31 years in prison for rape and robbery, Cornelius Dupree Jr. was exonerated of all charges in a Texas courtroom Tuesday. Dupree, now 51, was proven innocent through DNA testing. “It’s a joy to be free again,” said Dupree during the hearing.
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Republicans Take Over House - On Wednesday, Republican lawmakers officially took over control of the House of Representatives. Said new House Speaker John Boehner, "The people voted to end business as usual, and today we begin carrying out their instructions." Republicans now hold a 242-193 majority in the House, but Dems still have a slight majority in the Senate.
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Republican Joins Congressional Black Caucus - For the first time since 1996, a Black Republican has joined the ranks of the Congressional Black Caucus. Newly elected Florida Rep. Allen West was officially inducted Wednesday along with the other 42 members during a swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol Visitors Center. The only other Black GOP member joining Congress, Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), decided against joining the Caucus. “While I recognize the efforts of the CBC…My campaign was never about race,” Scott said in a statement last month.
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Son of Ex-NBA Star Confesses to Murder - According to reports, the son of former NBA star Nick Van Exel confessed to murdering his neighbor in Texas on Wednesday. Nickey Van Exel, 20, was arrested that same night in connection with the murder of Bradley Bassey Eyo that occurred around Christmas. Eyo was found shot to death near a lake. Nickey is being held on a $1 million bond.
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Could Plaxico Come Back to Giants? - Incarcerated former NFL receiver Plaxico Burress is set to be released in early June of this year, leaving some speculating that he could possibly make a return to his former team, the New York Giants. Should he get out in June, he’d be able to attend training camp. In the past, the team’s owners have expressed support for Burress, who is serving a two-year sentence for weapons charges, and the Giants’ general manager recently stated that they would explore circumstances for his possible return.
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T.I. in Trouble for “Frisky” Visit - During a recent conjugal visit at an Arkansas prison, Tameka “Tiny” Harris and her husband, rapper T.I., were caught by prison officials “getting frisky.” According to the rules, inmates are allowed to kiss and hug at the beginning and end of visits and hold hands throughout (as long as they’re in plain view of the staff). Apparently the couple was doing more than that as T.I. was reprimanded and sent to a “Special Housing Unit” for the incident.
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Vincent Gray Inaugurated - Washington, D.C. inaugurated a new mayor, Vincent Gray, on Sunday morning. Gray, 68, beat out 40-year-old Adrian Fenty in November to become the city’s sixth mayor since home rule. During his speech, Gray pushed for a united D.C. and statehood. "We cannot rest until we achieve self-determination and become the nation's 51st state,” he said.
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Oprah Launches OWN Network - After years of preparation and months of hype, The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) made its debut on Jan. 1 at noon. The launch kicked off with a preview special, hosted by Winfrey, giving an overview of what viewers can expect from the channel. Discovery Communications and Harpo Inc. teamed up for the venture, and OWN, which is currently available in 80 million homes, actually replaces Discovery Health.
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Mass Animal Deaths - Almost since the start of 2011, the world has seen massive groups of animals dying mysteriously. On New Year’s Eve more than 5,000 blackbirds fell out of the sky in Arkansas and not far from the site 100,000 fish died. And more recently, 2 million fish in the Chesapeake Bay died, 150 tons of red tilapia died in Vietnam and 40,000 crabs in Britain have also died. According to scientists, mass animal deaths are not out of the norm.
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Vivica Fox Gets Engaged - On Tuesday, actress Vivica Fox, 46, confirmed that she got engaged to Atlanta club promoter Omar “Slim” White, 27, the day after Christmas. “I waited for God to send me a good man, and he's a good Southern man," she told talk show host Wendy Williams last month. This would be Fox’s second marriage; she got divorced from singer Christopher Harvest in 2002.
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Report: Chuck Berry Falls Ill - During a show Saturday night, rock ‘n’ roll legend Chuck Berry fell ill. Berry, 84, was actually examined by medics prior to the show, before he signed a release and proceeded to perform. According to a concertgoer, Berry collapsed while sitting at the piano during his performance and had to be helped offstage. He later returned to the stage and performed a little more before he was helped offstage once again.
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9/11 Health Bill - While still on vacation in Hawaii, the president signed the 9/11 health bill on Sunday. The act ensures that “rescue and recovery workers, residents, students, and others suffering from health consequences related to the World Trade Center disaster have access to the medical monitoring and treatment they need,” the president said in a statement after signing.
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Focus on Africa - One of President Obama’s goals for 2011 is to reach out to Africa more. He’s set to make more trips to the continent in support of countries striving for strong democracies. This comes during a big election year in Africa and “the U.S. is watching, and we’re weighing in,” said the president’s deputy national security adviser.
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Gibbs Says Goodbye - On Wednesday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs resigned from his job and will become the president’s outside political adviser. He told journalists that he was going to use the extra time to “step back a little bit, recharge some.” His last day will be in early February. About Gibbs’ departure, Obama said, “It's natural for him to want to step back, reflect and retool…- but it doesn't change the important role that Robert will continue to play on our team.”
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Bonus: Get More Stories! - Take a look back at the stories at the top of the headlines the last week of 2010.
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Billy Taylor Dies - Jazz musician Billy Taylor died Tuesday after suffering a heart attack. He was 89. Dr. Taylor made history in the 1950s as the first Black person to lead a television studio orchestra. In the ‘60s, he founded Jazzmobile, a mobile concert, and he hosted a jazz program on NPR from 1977-1982. He’s survived by his wife Theodora Taylor, and his daughter Kim Taylor-Thompson.
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Cause of Teena Marie’s Death Still Unknown - Legendary R&B singer Teena Marie was found dead in a California home on Sunday, but it might be weeks until investigators determine the cause. The preliminary autopsy hasn’t shown any signs of trauma, an L.A. coroner said. It could take about six weeks to find out the results of toxicology tests.
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Arenas’ Fiancée: He Abandoned Us - Laura Govan, pregnant fiancée of Orlando Magic star Gilbert Arenas, claims, through her publicist, that the NBA player abandoned her and their kids. She “has not heard from Arenas the whole month of December,” the statement read and “Govan and the children feel like they have been abandoned.” Arenas was traded from the Washington Wizards in late December. Additionally, she says Arenas left her “with no money to purchase food or Christmas gifts.”
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Hawaii Gov. Wants Obama’s Birth Records Released - In an effort to squash any lingering doubt about President Obama’s citizenship, Hawaii’s newly elected Gov. Neil Abercrombie is searching for a way to release more of his birth information. "He had a friendship with Mr. Obama's parents, and so there is a personal issue at hand," his spokeswoman said. "Is it going to be done immediately? No, the first thing on our list is the economy."
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Defense: MJ Killed Himself - Lawyers for Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson’s former physician, will claim that the singer actually killed himself, a prosecutor said Wednesday. Murray is currently facing trial for involuntary manslaughter in Jackson’s 2009 death. The singer was found to have acute Propofol intoxication and Murray’s attorneys will reportedly argue that Jackson injected himself with a lethal dose after Murray left the room.
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Vick to Start in Pro Bowl - Following his magnificent comeback season, it was announced this week that Philadelphia Eagles’ QB Michael Vick will start for the NFC in the Pro Bowl on Jan. 30 in Honolulu. Vick, who returned to the league in 2009 after missing two seasons serving a sentence for dogfighting, was voted in by fellow players, coaches and fans. He’ll face off against the AFC’s starter and rival MVP candidate Tom Brady.
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Five Teens Die in Fla. Motel - In a sad story, five teens from Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood died Sunday of carbon monoxide poisoning while celebrating a friend’s birthday at a South Florida motel. Apparently they had left their car running in a garage under the hotel room, which allowed the colorless and odorless carbon monoxide gas to seep into their room, killing them all. Among the deceased are Juchen C. Martial, 19; Peterson Nazon, 17; Jonas Antenor, 17; Jean Pierre Ferdinand, 16; and Evans Charles, 19.
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Chris Brown vs. Raz-B - On Wednesday, singer Chris Brown had a war of words with former B2K singer Raz-B on Twitter. Raz started it off tweeting “…How can n----s like @ebenet & @ChrisBrown disrespect women as Intelligent as @HalleBerry11 @Rihanna.” Brown fired back, calling him a “homothug” and referencing Raz-B’s claims that he was molested by his former manager, a man, amongst others. Brown apologized the next day for his tweets, calling it an “unfortunate lack of judgment.”
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Teen Allegedly Breaks into Tyler Perry’s House - Early Thursday morning, a bodyguard for Tyler Perry caught a teen allegedly trespassing at the filmmaker’s Atlanta home. Two others fled the scene. Police arrested 18-year-old Chloe Ware and charged her with prowling and criminal trespassing before releasing her.