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NEVER FORGET! 9/11
Today, America will remember September 11, 2001. Events are scheduled across the nation. Here is a list
National Events
Shanksville, PA - Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Shanksville, Pa. on Tuesday, September 11 to deliver the keynote remarks at the annual September 11th observance at Flight 93 National Memorial. The memorial honors the 40 passengers and crew of United Flight 93 who lost their lives in disrupting the attack on the nation's capital on September 11, 2011. The vice president previously visited Shanksville in 2010, when he delivered remarks at the dedication of the memorial on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In addition to Vice President Biden, remarks will be delivered during the ceremony by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Patrick White, President of the Families of Flight 93.
At 10:03 a.m. - the moment Flight 93 crashed - the names of the passengers and crew members will be read and Bells of Remembrance will be rung by members of the Families of Flight 93 and community members who assisted in the aftermath of 9/11. The ceremony will also include a wreath laying at the Wall of Names.
Washington-- Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta will host a remembrance event at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 11, at the Pentagon Memorial to honor the memory of those killed at the Pentagon in the 2001 terrorist attack. This is an event for the family members of those lost in the terrorist attack and is not open to the general public. The remembrance includes a wreath laying, a moment of silence, music and official remarks from Secretary Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey.
Opened on Sept. 11, 2008, the Pentagon Memorial is the first dedicated national commemorative to honor those killed during the 2001 terrorist attacks. The Pentagon Memorial consists of 184 individual memorial units honoring the 59 people aboard American Airlines Flight 77 and the 125 in the Pentagon who lost their lives at 9:37 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001. For more information on click on the Pentagon Memorial. This event will be televised and streamed live via the Pentagon Channel.
May remember those we lost and as always GOD BLESS THE U.S.A!
IT'S ELECTION DAY!
IT'S ELECTION DAY!
TODAY IS PRIMARY DAY IN YOUR STATE, CITY AND LOCAL PROVINCES!
Get out and VOTE!
Judge Fires Back at Tameka Raymond
Last week, after losing primary custody of her sons to her ex-husband Usher, Tameka Raymond filed a motion for a new trial on the grounds that Usher's attorney raised money for presiding Judge Bensonetta Tipton-Lane's re-election campaign [click here if you missed that].
In her rebuttal Judge Tipton-Lane points out Tameka's lawyers did too...
From the HORRIBLE looking BEAST Sandra Rose
Judge Lane called Foster-Raymond’s Motion for recusal “baseless, unwarranted and untimely.”
She argued that “Lawyers and law firms routinely contribute to the election and re-election campaigns of both trial and appellate judges.”
And the judge pointed out that Tameka’s own co-counsel was hired by a law firm that also contributed to the judge’s re-election coffers.
Judge Tipton Lane wrote that the court “exercised overwhelming compassion” in giving Tameka leniency, such as presenting witnesses and documents out of order and refusing to identify “assets in which she currently held an interest.”
In addition, the judge wrote, Tameka asked that Usher be “ordered to give her more post-divorce money and even that he buy her a multi-million dollar home!”
Did First Lady Michelle Obama Endorses Elle Varner??
Seems that everyone loves R&B soul singer Elle Varner, including First Lady Michelle Obama. During an interview with E! News, Michelle Obama spoke candidly about Pres. Obama’s accomplishments during his four-year run in-office, gay marriage and her daughter Malia’s first week as a high school student. Michelle also revealed that her eldest child’s (Malia) favorite new singer, happened to be Elle Varner.
“Malia is all on top of her,” she said of the 23-year-old singer. “So she played her new album for me and I picked out a couple songs.”
Elle was shocked to hear the news she took to her twitter page and said:
“OH MY GOD!!” she tweeted. “I literally prayed for this @MichelleObama thank you so much!! I’m so honored and speechless.”
Elle will be be performing at a few colleges across the nation starting Sept 8th in Louisville, Ky.
Check out the listing below:
Elle Varner’s ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ Tour Dates:
9/8 – Louisville, Ky. | Coles Place
9/16 – Atlanta, Ga. | Georgia World Congress Center
9/22 – Jackson, Miss. | Club Pluto
9/27 – Nashville, Tenn. | Tennessee State University
9/28 – St. Louis, Mo. | Emerson Performing Arts Center
10/5 – Philadelphia, Pa. | Theatre of Living Arts
10/6 – Dallas, Texas | Southwest Airline State Fair
10/9 – Hayward, Calif. | Cal State East Bay
10/10 – Normal, Ala. | Alabama A&M
10/11 – Baltimore, Md. | Morgan Stage University
10/13 – Langston, Okla. | Langston University
10/15 – Petersburg, Va. | Virginia State University
10/18 – Washington, DC | Howard University
10/19 – Dover, Del. | Delaware State College
10/20 – Cheyney, Pa. | Cheyney University
10/25 – Atlanta, Ga. | Spelman College
10/27 – Greensboro, N.C. | NC A&T University
11/2 – Durham, NC | North Carolina Central University
11/3 – Poughkeepsie, N.Y. | Ciboney C
Drew Peterson…GUILTY!
The families of Drew Peterson's third and fourth wives were jubilant when the jury handed down the guilty verdict on last Thursday, finally putting to rest the five-year legal saga that began after the swaggering former Illinois police officer's fourth wife vanished.
Peterson was convicted of killing third wife Kathleen Savio, and now the family of his fourth wife Stacy - who has been missing since 2007 - will be pushing to have him convicted for her murder as well.
The retired police officer, 58, sat stoically as the verdict was read, pronouncing him guilty of murdering his third wife Kathleen Savio. He faces a maximum 60-year prison term when sentenced on November 26. Illinois has no death penalty.
'Good job,' he said to his lawyers grimly after hearing his fate.
On his way out of the courtroom, the prosecution attorney heard him say 'What can you do when the deck is stacked?'
Prosecution attorney Joel Brodsky said that as he was being taken away, Drew Peterson said: 'What can you do when the deck is stacked?'
'The whole world wanted Drew to be convicted. ... It’s a dark day in America when you can convict someone on hearsay evidence. A very dark day,' said Peterson's defense attorney Joseph Lopez.
'Now I can go out there and say he's a murdering b*****d. You can print that. You can put it in a headline,' Savio's brother-in-law Mitch Doman told The Chicago Tribune.
'It was like a big burden lifted off our shoulders. We knew he did it, but we couldn't do nothing about it.
'We got the b*****d,' he told The Sun Times.
Kathleen's stepmother Marcia Savio was filled with joy as she left the Illinois courthouse on Thursday.
'I hope to god he never, ever gets out so he can hurt someone else,' she said.
'I know she’s smiling, I know she’s smiling,' she said of her deceased stepdaughter.
'Now he can rot in hell!'
Over the course of the investigation and prosecution, Peterson had seemingly taunted authorities, joking on talk shows and even suggesting a 'Win a Date With Drew' contest. His notoriety even inspired a TV movie starring Rob Lowe.
A neighbor found Kathleen Savio's body on March 1, 2004, face down in a dry bathtub of her suburban home outside Chicago.
Her thick black hair was blood-soaked and she had a 2-inch gash on the back of her head.
The drowning death of the 40-year-old aspiring nurse was initially deemed an accident - a freak slip in the tub.
After Peterson's fourth wife, 23-year-old Stacy Peterson, went missing in 2007 was Savio's body exhumed, re-examined and her death reclassified as a homicide.
The 12 jurors, who raised eyebrows by donning different color-coordinated clothes each day of testimony, deliberated for 12 hours before reaching a decision. The seven men and five women included a poet, a letter carrier and a man who said his favorite TV show was 'Criminal Minds.'
Peterson had divorced Savio a year before her death. His motive for killing her, prosecutors said, was fear that a pending settlement, which included their $300,000 home, would wipe him out financially.
Fascination nationwide with the former Bolingbrook police sergeant arose from speculation he sought to parlay three decades of law enforcement expertise into getting away with murder.
Prosecutors suspect he killed his fourth wife because she could finger him for Savio's death.
Stacy Peterson's family hoped a conviction in Savio's murder could lead to charges against Drew Peterson in Stacy's disappearance.
Jurors weren't supposed to link the fourth wife's disappearance to the third's death. Prosecutors were prohibited from even telling jurors Stacy Peterson is presumed dead or that her husband is the lone suspect in her disappearance. He says she ran off with another man and is still alive.
Prosecutors faced enormous hurdles.
They had no physical evidence tying Peterson to Savio's death and no witnesses placing him at the scene.
They were forced to rely on typically barred hearsay - statements Savio made to others before she died and that Stacy Peterson made before she vanished.
Avoiding the stand: Though Peterson has appeared frequently since his arrest (like this 2008 interview on the Today show), he declined the right to testify in his own defense
In 2008, Illinois passed a law tailored to Peterson's case, dubbed 'Drew's Law,' permitting hearsay at trials in rare circumstances.
The hearsay included friend Kristen Anderson testifying that Savio told her Peterson once warned her at knife point, 'I could kill you and make it look like an accident.'
Savio so feared for her life that she kept a knife under her mattress.
And Stacy Peterson's pastor, Neil Schori, testified she told him that her husband got up from bed and left their house in the middle of the night around the time of Savio's death.
Crying and hugging her knees, she said Drew Peterson later coached her on how to lie to police.
There was damning testimony not based on hearsay.
A former co-worker of Peterson's, Jeff Pachter, testified that Peterson offered him $25,000 to hire a hit man to kill Savio, though he never followed through.
After Savio was found dead, Peterson told him, 'That favor I asked you - I don't need it anymore.'
Prosecutors had to establish the most basic fact for a murder trial: that there was actually a murder.
Pathologists testified for the defense that Savio's wounds indicated an accident.
But equally well-respected pathologists for the state said it was impossible for a single fall to cause both the wound on the back of her head and bruises on the front of her body.
In their three-day case, Peterson's lawyers endeavored to cast doubt on the reliability of key witnesses. They accused Savio's sister, Susan Doman, of jazzing up her testimony to profit from a movie and book deal.
The last defense witness was Peterson's and Savio's 19-year-old son, Thomas Peterson.
The polite, well-spoken college student cut a sympathetic figure, telling jurors he has never believed his father killed his mom.
Both sides blundered parts of their presentations.
Prosecutors angered the judge several times by broaching subjects previously ruled inadmissible. And as they sought to blunt the credibility of hearsay evidence, the defense ended up prompting their own witness to emphasize that Stacy Peterson was convinced her husband did kill Savio.
Peterson could still win release someday. His lawyers have said they may appeal all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court on grounds Illinois' hearsay law is unconstitutional.
Some legal experts worried about the precedent a conviction at a trial dependent on hearsay would set, saying it could open the floodgates for the admissibility of such evidence in Illinois and elsewhere.
MURDER AND NOT AN ACCIDENT: THE CASE OF KATHLEEN'S DEATH
The biggest challenge facing prosecution attorneys was that because Peterson's third wife's death was originally deemed an accident, very scant evidence was ever collected let alone stored until they decided to reopen the case after his fourth wife Stacy disappeared.
As a result, much of the testimony in the case was hearsay.
A neighbor found Kathleen Savio's body on March 1, 2004, face down in a dry bathtub of her suburban home outside Chicago.
Her thick black hair was blood-soaked and she had a 2-inch gash on the back of her head.
The drowning death of the 40-year-old aspiring nurse was initially deemed an accident - a freak slip in the tub.
Some of the testimony from Savio's friends painted a grim portrait of her relationship with he husband.
Kristen Anderson testified that Savio told her Peterson once warned her at knife point, 'I could kill you and make it look like an accident.'
Savio so feared for her life that she kept a knife under her mattress.
A former co-worker of Peterson's, Jeff Pachter, testified that Peterson offered him $25,000 to hire a hit man to kill Savio, though he never followed through.
Peterson was 26 years older than his fourth wife when they married, only eight days after his third divorce was finalized.
Four years later, the 23-year-old went missing in 2007.
This disappearance prompted Illinois State Police and the FBI to investigate, and they later had Savio's body exhumed, re-examined and her death reclassified as a homicide.
When her sister called the police reporting Stacy's disappearance, Peterson said that she had called him several days before and said that she left him for another man.
Her car was found at the International Airport.
One of the biggest aspects in the case of her disappearance was the issue of whether or not he disposed of her body in a large blue container, three of which he bought prior to when she went missing.
Stacy Peterson's family hoped a conviction in Savio's murder could lead to charges against Drew Peterson in Stacy's disappearance.
Stacy's pastor, Neil Schori, testified she told him that her husband got up from bed and left their house in the middle of the night around the time of Savio's death.
IT'S NY FASHION WEEK See details from The BCBG SHOW:
New York Fashion Week is in full swing in New York City with celebs like June Ambrose, Angela Simmons, Estelle and Jessica White making their rounds.
Selita Ebanks was amongst the fab folks spotted at Lincoln Center as 2012 Fashion Week got underway. She rocked a hot yellow and colorful abstract printed paneled fitted dress with a pop of pink on her feet and lips.
She looked stunning as she posed with Lubov Azria backstage. One of my fave looks of hers actually.
Rocsi went to the Olcay Gulsen show/
Hey Rocsi!
Estelle posed with Max Azria himself.
DJ Kiss looked nice in a black and nude printed dress with her fall necessity--a jean jacket.
Actress Dania Ramirez looked peachy and fab.
Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards Ross showed off her medals in this pantsuit. That runners' body is on display.
Estelle was there in a cutesy look.
Jessica posed with Max Azria. ThankYaJesus for her ditching the red tresses and switching to a new black bob. HOT.
Jessica White rocked a stunning pantsuit.
Jessica and Dania posed it up on the front row.
Dania also posed with Lubov Azria.
June Ambrose is taking her daughter to fashion shows as well. Nice life for a kiddie!
Olympian Sanya Richards Ross also rocked a pantsuit.
She kicked it with DJ Kiss.Cory Kennedy, DJ Kiss and Whitney Port also joined in the fun.
Elsewhere at the Lincoln Center, Nick Cannon showed up at the Richard Chai show. He posed with Russell Westbrook who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Fab times all around.
CoCo also hosted a fashion show for her Licious Apparel. Ice T was on her arm.
Meeka Claxton attended.
Rocsi was there.
Gloria Govan walked the red carpet.
FASHION FORWARD!
Hollywood Exes Renewed For Second Season
VH1 has just announced the return of Hollywood Exes. The ex-wives of Prince, Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, R. Kelly, and Jose Conseco will once again collide for 12 more episodes in season two. Season one of Hollywood Exes debuted earlier this summer on VH1 and quickly became a reality hit. Although the season two cast hasn’t been confirmed, Mayte Garcia, Andrea Kelly, Nicole Murphy, Jessica Conseco, and Sheree Fletcher may all return. It’s unlikely that VH1 would want to re-work the cast after just one season — but there are rumors that Daphne Wayans, the ex-wife of Keena Ivory Wayans; Tracey Edmonds, former wife of Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Eddie Murphy; and rapper Sandra “Pepa” Denton, former wife of Treach; would be joining the show.
Jennifer Williams “Distraught” Over Evelyn Lozada and Chad Johnson Drama
Despite everything that has gone down with former BFF’s Jennifer Williams and Evelyn Lozada, it’s obvious they can put their differences to the side when things get serious. Jennifer has revealed that she reached out to Evelyn after she heard the news about her domestic dispute with estranged husband, Chad Johnson.
Jennifer found herself in a few violent situations while on ‘Basketball Wives’, being on the receiving end of a few slaps and thrown drinks throughout the show but one things for sure, she says she’s against any type of violence and wouldn’t wish that type of pain on her worst enemy.
Watch Jennifer’s full reaction to Evelyn and Chad’s incident here:
She shared with HipHollywood.com:
I did reach out to her just because when things like that happen, you just put all the other BS to the side. I wouldn’t want to see my worst enemy go through that. I was very distraught to hear that. I think everyone knows I was a big advocate against violence, regardless of whether it was domestic violence or whether it was women fighting. I don’t agree with violence. That isn’t how I was raised. I don’t think it’s right whether it’s on a TV show, or whether it’s in Starbucks or whether it’s in your home.
Bobbi Kristina and Nick have gotten their own apartment
Bobbi Kristina and her boyfriend Nick Gordon have been living together in her late mother Whitney Houston's Alpharetta, GA townhouse.
Now Nick and Krissy have a place of their own...
How sweet?
Vivica A. Fox Lands A Hosting Job On Lifetime
Actress Vivica A. Fox will host Prank My Mom, Lifetime’s new hidden-camera comedy series, the network announced Wednesday. The network has ordered 10 episodes of the series, which will feature sons and daughters targeting their mothers with pranks including setting up a blind date from hell and more. Ahead of its Tuesday, October 9th premiere at 10 p.m., Lifetime will preview Prank My Mom on Thursday, September 27th and October 4th at 10:30 p.m. following Project Runway. For Vivica, the hosting gig reunites her with Lifetime, where she starred on 1-800-Missing for three seasons.
Clifton Powell accused of RAPED!
A Louisiana woman who accused actor Clifton Powell known as “Pinky” from Next Friday of raping her last year is now suing him in federal court. Suing under the pseudonym Kiyante Myers, the woman says she was 24 when Powell raped her on Aug. 29, 2011, which is when she said the alleged crime occurred, but charges were never filed against the actor.
”After a brief encounter, defendant Powell asked when she would be getting off from work and if she would like to go out afterward.
“Plaintiff agreed to defendant Powell’s request and after getting off from work around midnight, plaintiff met defendant Powell outside of the casino and together went to the W Hotel Bar for drinks.
“After the drinks at The W Hotel, both plaintiff and defendant went to The International House Hotel at 221 Camp Street, where defendant Powell was a registered guest.
“After she entered his hotel room, defendant Powell asked plaintiff to take her pants off so that he could perform oral sex, which led to a consensual sexual relation.
”Later that same day, when plaintiff and defendant Powell awoke, defendant Powell wanted to engage in sexual relations again, but plaintiff declined his offer, informing him that he was too rough with her last time.
Police investigated the claims but failed to arrest Powell due to lack of evidence of a rape taking place.
Myers has now filed a lawsuit, where she is seeking damages in excess of $75,000.
Powell made news last year when he called director Spike Lee a punk and threatened to whoop his ass for his treatment of black actors.
Clifton’s rep is dismissing the validity of Kiyante’s suit, saying:
“Mr. Powell absolutely denies these false accusations and plans on pursuing all legal remedies available to him against his accuser.”
Jennifer Hudson Admits To Getting Lip Injections
Singer turned Oscar Award winning Jennifer Hudson has had ‘slight work’ on that flawless face of hers. But calm down, it’s not what you think. During an interview with Oprah for ‘Next Chapter’, the 30-year-old mother explains why she had to get lip injections.
“When I did Dreamgirls I actually had to get my dent right here injected because it was affecting the lighting. And when I got it done the doctor was like, “I do not want to do this do you realize people come in here and pay to have the lips you have naturally.’And I was like, “I don’t want to but I have to for the movie!”‘
Here’s a teaser of the upcoming episode:
Thoughts?
OWN Network Set to Turn a Profit
After a rocky start Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network is set to turn a profit...
From The New York Post
Oprah Winfrey’s struggling cable network, OWN, could turn a profit by late 2013, according to Discovery officials.
Discovery was forced to more-than-double its initial investment in OWN to keep the flagging network afloat, according to The Wall Street Journal.
But Discovery CEO David Zaslav, citing ratings increases since last January, now says OWN should be profitable by the “back half” of 2013.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘Front Or Back?’
Is that back camel-toe? Holy bajeeebus! Throw some back titties on this one and you’ve got yourself a person…still a gross person, but a gross back-person.
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
