Amy Winehouse Charged With Assaulting Fan

The retro-soul singer was charged with assault Thursday for allegedly attacking a fan at an end-of-summer ball in London on Sept. 26, police and the singer's representative said.
Dancer Sherene Flash had been quoted by tabloid newspapers as saying she was hit in the eye by the 25-year-old "Back to Black" singer after asking to take her picture at the Berkeley Ball, a charity function held in central London's Berkeley Square.
Spokesman Chris Goodman said Friday that Winehouse went voluntarily to the police station, where she was arrested and charged. She's been released and is due to appear in court on March 17, police said.
Winehouse's battles with addiction and frequent run-ins with the law have been highly publicized. She was fined for illegally possessing marijuana in Norway in 2007, and her drug problems have been front page news in Britain, where she was pictured puffing on what appeared to be a crack pipe last year. more

Brother charged with domestic battery for putting out his brother cigarette with a fire extinguisher

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Frederick Crevoiserat asked his brother to put out his cigarette. The brother refused, so Crevoiserat sprayed him with a fire extinguisher, authorities said.
"He wouldn't put out the cigarette," Crevoiserat told deputies, according to his arrest report, "so I put it out for him."
When Pasco County deputies arrived to the apartment on Grand Boulevard in New Port Richey Thursday night, they heard the victim screaming and saw his arm still covered in white from the extinguisher.
Crevoiserat, 39, was arrested on charges of domestic battery and resisting an officer without violence, because he allegedly sprayed his brother with a extinguisher. more

Woman assaults boy friend because he wanted the ring back

PORTSMOUTH — When Britta Osberg’s ex-boyfriend asked her to return a ring, she punched him in the face twice, leaving the ring's imprint on his cheek, police allege.
Based on those allegations, Osberg, 19, of 110 Perkins Road, Rye, is scheduled to be arraigned in Portsmouth District Court Monday on two class A misdemeanor counts of simple assault.
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According to an affidavit by Officer Eric Kinsman, the alleged victim told police he went to a city gas station to retrieve the ring from Osberg, she refused to return it and they began to argue. During the argument, Osberg is alleged to have twice punched her ex in the face. more

Pancake eating contestant dropped dead after eating 43

The winner of a pancake-eating contest dropped dead after gorging himself on 43 of the cream and banana stuffed desserts.
Boris Isayev, 48, from west Russia, collapsed to his knees and died on stage after stuffing himself with pancakes in a competition to mark the end of the region’s ‘Pancake Week’.

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The reason why Chris Brown got in trouble

Recently I heard about Chris Brown assaulting his girl friend Rihanna. When I heard about the assault I knew in my mind what really happened. So now here is my interpretation of how he really got in trouble.

him )Hey look, I am through with this conversation, lets talk about something else.
her)Talk about something else, hell naw you started, lets finish it...
him)You know what, you are starting to piss me off.
her)So what, am I suppose to be scared? You think that you can say what you want when you want and its all good, well mr think that your ugly ass look so good its not that easy!
him) Hey this argument is not going any where, let me take you home.
her)take me home? why, you got some bitch you going to go see?
him)Okay I am tired of your mouth get out of my car!!!
her) Get out, I am not getting out...
him)The way I look at it, as long as I am paying for this car, you are going to get your ass out now!
her)O you a Big man who wants to scare me, NOT! If you want me out, put me out!
him) Considered it done, grabs her.
her) She swings and hits him.
him) You have lost your mind, you stupid ass.

How the hell did I end up here in jail?

Now in so many words does that sound like how it really happened?

Man arrested for driving naked while on probation

ERWIN — On a videotape of a pursuit by the Tennessee Highway Patrol of a man fleeing in July at speeds of 130 mph, a law enforcement officer said it was clear why the man wasn’t interested in stopping: He was naked.
That incident landed Jason Chad Elliott, 30, 1290 Milligan Highway, Apt. 3, on probation for six years Friday in Unicoi County Criminal Court and might earn him some jail time. Judge Lynn Brown will make that ruling at a later hearing.
Elliott, who pleaded guilty to felony evading arrest and felony reckless endangerment charges, told Brown that his actions were a “rash decision.” Brown quoted the late Southern columnist Lewis Grizzard about different pronunciations of “naked.” One is not having one’s clothes on. The other is not having clothes “and you’re up to something.”
The July 8 events began about 11:30 p.m. when Trooper Julian Robinson pulled up behind Elliott’s car in the emergency lane on Interstate 26 at Exit 36. Elliott got off I-26 and drove through streets on Erwin’s north side before re-entering the interstate. He did not stop until he reached the Flag Pond exit 13 miles later.
Elliott admitted during the hearing that he drove 130 mph and passed two cars by using the emergency lane on the right. Unicoi County Sheriff’s Deputy Todd Wilcox, who joined the pursuit, said Elliott drove 98 mph in the emergency lane. Elliott got off I-26 at Exit 43 but immediately returned to the interstate. more

75 year old man tackles robber who stole his computer

STUART — A 75-year-old Stuart man chased down a 6-foot 1-inch, 230-pound, 29-year-old robber who had just snatched his laptop computer and printer on Sunday.
Joseph Kohl was standing in front of Best Buy at 2555 N. Federal Highway in Stuart at 12:13 p.m. waiting for his wife to pick him up at the curb. He placed his brand new laptop and printer down along the pillar where he was standing when the thief grabbed his items and tried to take off, said Kohl.
Without a second thought, Kohl ran about 8 feet before he grabbed the thief and tried to get back his packages, said Kohl.
“I have no idea what computers are about, but I didn’t want him taking my first one,” he said.
An off-duty Martin County Sheriff’s Office deputy, Don Kelly, was coming out of the store and jumped into the fray, said Sgt. Martin J. Jacobson of the Stuart Police Department.
“It was over in a minute,” said Kohl. “Having the off-duty cop there ended the situation right there. He showed his badge and the kid gave up.”
Both men were still fighting the suspect when Stuart Police arrived, Jacobson said.
“The police showed up in no time. It was like they were parked right around the corner,” said Kohl. more

DA: forced to Charge Boy Murder Suspect as an Adult

PITTSBURGH — A Pennsylvania prosecutor said his hands are tied, and he has no choice but to charge an 11-year-old boy as an adult in the killing his father's pregnant girlfriend.
Lawrence County District Attorney John Bongivengo said Monday that Pennsylvania law doesn't permit him to file a criminal homicide charge against Jordan Brown in juvenile court.
Brown is charged as an adult with using his own 20-gauge shotgun to kill 26-year-old Kenzie Marie Houk Friday morning.
The gun was a Christmas gift from the boy's father, who was training him to be a hunter, the New York Daily News reported Sunday.
Because he's charged as an adult, Brown is in the county jail -- albeit separated from adult inmates. His attorney, Dennis Elisco, says being locked up with adults is inappropriate for a child and will file motions Monday to move the case to juvenile court and to let the boy's father post bail so he can get out of jail.
"I don't think anybody wants him there," Elisco said, referring to the county jail.

Houk was eight months pregnant with Brown's father's child, and also had two daughters, 7 and 4, who lived in the rural home with the Browns where authorities said she was slain as she lay in bed about 8 a.m. Friday.
After the shooting, the boy hopped onto a school bus with Houk's oldest daughter, police said. He was picked up from school several hours later after some tree trimmers called 911 when Houk's youngest daughter told them she thought her mother was dead.
Elisco said a judge likely won't hear his motions right away. Until then, he hopes to get the fifth-grader's school to send him assignments in jail.
"I want him to be occupied and busy and back, essentially, in school," Elisco said. "I wouldn't say he's in good spirits. He's confused. He looks and acts like a typical 11-year-old."
Elisco said jail officials can't even find clothes to fit the 4-foot-8 boy.
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"They put a shirt on him, he's swimming in it, and his pants are cuffed up about 10 times," Elisco said.
Lawrence County Warden Charles Adamo told the Associated Press on Sunday that he wanted to speak to a judge about moving the boy from an adult lockup to a juvenile detention center.
"I'm just going to speak to the judge [on Monday] because I don't have the facilities to accommodate somebody who's 11 years old," Adamo said.
Adamo said his 300-inmate jail cannot offer proper long-term care for Brown, of Wampum. more

Upstate Teacher Accused Of Inappropriate Relationship With Student

An upstate teacher is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student. Greenwood County Sheriff Tony Davis says 7th Grade teacher Angel Lindle is charged with having sex with a former student who was 14-years-old at the time.
Simmons was a Science Teacher at Edgewood Middle School in 1996. District Superintendent Dan Powell says Lindle has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
The county sheriff's office says a 37-year-old Angel Simmons Lindle of Donalds has been charged with seven counts of sexual conduct with a child.

Deputies said Lindle was having sex with one of her former students, a 15-year-old boy. Police said the encounters happened numerous times over a period of six months.
Investigators said they found out after someone called authorities to complain about the relationship. more

Drunk driver suspect killed by drunk driver

A Pasadena man charged last year in what authorities said was a fatal drunken driving wreck was killed this week, apparently by a drunken driver.
Nicholas Hernandez, 25, was a passenger in a black Ford Mustang that struck a light pole in the 9100 block of the Gulf Freeway service road and rolled several times Thursday. He was ejected from the car.
Police believe the driver, Jose Resendez, 27, was drinking and expect him to be charged with intoxication manslaughter.
If convicted of intoxication manslaughter, Resendez faces anything from two years’ probation up to 20 years in prison.
Harris County Assistant District Attorney Brent Mayr said Hernandez was arrested after the Aug. 3, wreck which killed James Kelleher, 26, and his passenger, 23-year-old Suzanne Penland, who were hit head-on as they drove south on Texas 288.
Mayr said Hernandez was driving a Chevrolet Impala the wrong way on the highway and had a blood alcohol concentration of .30, more than three times the legal limit, when he hit the two friends who were in a Buick LeSabre.
Hernandez was convicted of driving while intoxicated in 2002 and again in 2003. Because a third DWI would be a felony, Mayr said Hernandez was charged in last year’s wreck with felony murder, which carries a sentence ranging from probation to 99 years or life in prison. He had been released from jail on $100,000 bond. more

She Won

NY Mother Who Drowned 3 Kids Pleads Mentally Ill

A woman who drowned her three young children in a bathtub, and tried twice to commit suicide, entered a plea Monday that will send her to a psychiatric facility rather than prison, possibly for the rest of her life.
Leatrice Brewer, 28, pleaded "not responsible by reason of mental disease or defect" after psychiatrists determined she suffered a "major depressive disorder" and believed she killed the children to save them from the potentially fatal effects of voodoo.
The case drew attention to Nassau County's social services agency, whose caseworkers visited Brewer's apartment two days before the killings and found no one home, but neglected to schedule an immediate follow-up visit. Two social workers were later suspended.
Brewer faced three murder counts in the Feb. 24, 2008, deaths. She had told authorities she slashed 6-year-old daughter Jewell in the throat before drowning her, and then drowned the little girl's half-brothers: 5-year-old Michael Demesyeux and 18-month-old Innocent Demesyeux.

The plea did not sit well with the father of the two young boys, who is suing county officials over the deaths. Innocent Demesyeux said in a statement that Brewer's guilt or innocence "should be decided by regular people on a jury and not by lawyers and politicians."
But other relatives agreed that a mental hospital was the appropriate destination for the troubled woman. more

Grandmother just don't look like they used too?

Grandmothers just don't look like they used too!

When I was a kid and heard grandmother I thought of a older woman who was in her late fifty's early sixty's. They were settled and the main focus of their attention was their grandchildern. Their loving soul were filled with wisdom and understanding. They were church going folks who never did any wrong, except maybe cuss a little!

Now as an adult I am shocked at how grandmothers look today! Forget the vivid image of big mama and now lets drop the age limit down to early thirty's and try not to look too surprised!

I am sure the question would come up how can this be? Lets roll back the clock so to speak and see if you can visualuize this image of a young girl who was pregnant at 12 or had a baby at 12!

Now fast forward 18 years later and her son or daughter has just had a baby, wala!

Some guys did not like you looking at their mothers, now in society grand mothers are sexy fit and trim!

So how do you think guys feel when you are not only looking at their mother but also looking at their grandmother? With the intent to get with them?

The ability to be compasionate understanding and patient goes out the door when grandma has to rush out the door to go to work... The younger generation of grandma are not as dependable either, how can you ask them to sit at home and watch your kids when they are out trying to get their grove on and the last thing that they want to do is baby sit?

What makes the situation totally unique, is that when this woman is in her late 50's that she could be a great-grand?

I guess its not that hard to see that woman are not looking like grandma's at 30!!!

Yea, they are not looking like grandma's, anymore...

How often do you go to the bathroom?

How often do I go to the bathroom? once a day? After hearing about people who don't go for days, but sometimes weeks, is incredible! I thought that was insane to know that a person keeps that toxic waste in there body was days, and in some case weeks... Would you believe that if you eat 3 times a day that you should go three times a day? Don't freak, it may be meant for you to go once a day.
So this is a simple thing that you could do: eat vegertables and fruits, cut down on your intake of sugar and eat portions of food.

make sure you have at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday. Replace refined grain products with whole grain products, for example, replace white bread with whole wheat bread. Be sure you drinks plenty of water and goes easy on milk. Sixteen ounces of milk per day is plenty. Avoid eating dried fruits, and don't consume drinks and pop. Make sure you are active for at least 1 hour per day in short periods distributed throughout the day. All of these strategies will naturally increase fiber in you diet, promote bowel activity, and avoid constipating processes, such as too little exercise, too little water, and too much milk. It's also a good idea to just sit on the toilet after every meal to take advantage of the natural help of the gastrocolonic reflex that leads to stooling after eating.


What Your Bowel Movements Are Telling You About Your Health

Hard and dry:
The amount of time it takes for the food you eat to make its way through the gastro-intestinal system and exit into the toilet will have an impact on the consistency of your stool. “Intestinal transit averages 40 to 45 hours from when you eat to when it comes out,” says Foxx-Orenstein. If it stays in the GI tract for longer than that, fluid is re-absorbed into the body and the stool becomes harder and dryer. Certain medications—like blood pressure drugs, antidepressants and histamines—can slow down the GI tract.

Constipation:

Which has a myriad of causes, will lead to harder, drier stools (since you’re going less often, your stool will stall in the system and the fluid re-absorbed). For some people, a diet high in dairy can be a cause of constipation, so if you are experiencing problems going (and have dry, hard-to-pass stool when you do finally go), it is worth reducing your dairy intake for a week or two to see if that helps. And being dehydrated can also lead to this problem because if the body is lacking in water, it will draw it—and conserve it—from wherever it can find it.

Little lumps:
“An ideal stool looks like a torpedo—it should be large, soft, fluffy and easy to pass,” says Foxx-Orenstein. But when conditions are less than ideal, the stool may become more like little deer pellets. Again, transit time may be part of the issue because slow-moving stool will lose fluid, making them less fluffy and lumpier. A lack of fiber in the diet may also to be to blame. Beware if you’re following a weight-loss plan (such as Atkins) that focuses on increasing protein and decreasing carbohydrates, since that can leave you with a diet that’s low in fiber. And since fiber holds on to fluid, a lack of it will lead to harder, pellet-like poops that may be more difficult to pass.

Too liquid:
Your body secretes about eight liters of fluid during the course of a day—from the stomach, salivary glands and pancreas—to help your food get broken down and make its way through the digestive system. Under normal, healthy conditions, the majority of that fluid is absorbed along the way, resulting in those sought-after soft, fluffy stools. But if food passes through too quickly, there isn’t enough time for all of that liquid to absorb, and the stool emerges in a too-soft state. The reasons for such super-quick transit could include a sudden increase in fiber in the diet, or a bacterial or viral infection. “When there is an infection, the body produces toxins which cause water to be released,” says Dr. Michael Farber, director of the Executive Health Program at Hackensack University Medical Center. “Things move through very quickly through your system because the body wants to get rid of them.”

Pencil thin:
Thin may be the preferable state for many things—figures, cell phones, television screens—but when it comes to bowel movements, thin is definitely not a good thing. Specifically, thin stools could be an indicator of colon cancer, or its precursor, polyps in the colon. “Whenever you have mass in the colon that creates blockage, anything that needs to be pushed past that mass will become thinner,” Farber says. “If you are seeing thin stools on a consistent basis, that it something you should have looked at by your doctor.”

Looking pale or gray:
Normal stool can come in a range of colors (influenced by what you eat and what medications you take, among other factors). But if your stool has an unhealthy hue, particularly if it’s pale or grayish in tone, you could have problems somewhere along your digestive tract. The liver excretes bile to help break down fats in the food you eat, and that bile also adds color to the stool. But if there’s a blockage in the liver—or in the tubes through which the bile travels—the stool might take on a too-pale appearance. Also, if you are suffering from a pancreatic disorder, the stool might look gray because it will be lacking the color imbued by the digestive enzymes produced in that organ.

Inmate used hacksaw and bedsheets to escape jail

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- An inmate who escaped from the Mesa County jail in September did so by cutting a hole in the roof of the exercise yard with hacksaw blades and shimmying down the side of the building on bed sheets he had tied together, according to an arrest affidavit unsealed late Wednesday.
Shane Johnson, 41, was awaiting sentencing on burglary and auto theft convictions when he escaped.
The affidavit says it took him about two minutes to climb down the side of the jail and jump into a vehicle that was waiting for him behind the building.
Prosecutors allege Johnson’s wife, Marilynne Johnson, was driving the getaway car.
The Johnsons were arrested Jan. 10 in Baja California, Mexico.
Shane Johnson remains in custody in Mexico on suspicion of burglarizing homes there. Marilynne Johnson, 47, is in the Mesa County jail on $100,000 bond on suspicion of aiding her husband’s escape.
Another inmate, Rodney Price, also has been charged with helping Shane Johnson escape. He remains in custody on unrelated charges.
The details of Johnson’s escape were contained in an arrest affidavit for his wife.
The document says detention staff believe Shane Johnson received two hacksaw blades in an envelope that was mailed to him in jail.
The envelope, which contained a hidden compartment, was found in Johnson’s cell after his escape. The package listed a return address in Colorado Springs; however, it wasn’t clear from the affidavit whether investigators know who sent it.
The affidavit said Shane Johnson used the blades to cut a hole in a portion of steel mesh roof in the jail’s exercise yard. Video then shows him climbing down the side of the building late at night.
Mesa County Sheriff Stan Hilkey said the jail has since undergone a complete audit, and improvements have been made, including a new covering on the exercise yard and razor wire on the fence around the building. more

LAPD Hunting 2 Suspects Who Set Exotic Dancer on Fire

Police in Los Angeles are searching for a man and a woman who they say set an exotic nightclub dancer on fire, leaving her clinging to life.
The woman was meeting the two acquaintances about at 1:30 a.m outside the Babes & Beer nightclub in the Tarzana area of the San Fernando Valley when they doused her with some type of flammable liquid and set her on fire, police said. She then ran back inside the bar where other patrons came to her aid.
The attackers, Rianne Celine Theriault-Odom, 27, and Nathaniel Marquis Petrillo, 22, were frequent patrons of the club and positively identified by witnesses, police spokesman Richard French said.
Deputy Police Chief Michael Moore said the dancer is in grave condition.
"Given the condition of this victim, they may be responsible for ultimately her murder,"Moore said at a news conference Thursday. "This is a terrible, terrible attack."
The victim is a 27-year-old mother of two young children, Moore said.
The nightclub's Web site advertises "intimate dining" and "seductive nightlife." A message left on the club's answering machine was not immediately returned.

Angry doctor threw baby, staff claim

AN ANGRY doctor allegedly threw a baby and twisted its arm and an elderly patient was left to die in a hall way at Bundaberg Hospital, staff claim.Three hospital staff have sought whistleblower protection after detailing allegations of gross medical neglect and incompetence, overcrowding, bullying, intimidation and cover-ups to the Crime and Misconduct Commission. A highly qualified nurse who spoke to The Courier-Mail told how she was repeatedly made to falsify records to hide lengthy waiting times in the emergency department. She said triage cases were improperly and dangerously downgraded because of understaffing. She said a troubled teenager who waited five hours without seeing a doctor ran away and slashed her wrists. And a doctor said he was too busy to see a boy who had been stabbed in the leg in a suspected child abuse case. The cases are among 100 serious and minor procedural errors on the hospital's prime reporting database. Dismissed as a troublemaker and frustrated at the lack of response, the nurse and two others took complaints to Burnett MP Rob Messenger, who first raised allegations against the hospital in Parliament in 2005. "They have made allegations which lead me to reasonably suspect misconduct by a number of public officials," Mr Messenger said. He called for an inquiry, saying it was clear patients and employees of Bundaberg Hospital were "in continuing danger of physical and psychological danger". The CMC was told the doctor threw the baby on its back and twisted its arm after angrily shouting, "Keep him still". It is believed the child suffered bruising but was not seriously hurt. The elderly man who died on the trolley was refused acute care after his triage rating was downgraded. "Good nurses and doctors and administration officers who work miracles every day are being placed under unbelievable pressure by a government that won't properly resource staff," Mr Messenger said. He said the $41.1million upgrade promised by the Beattie-Bligh governments had not happened. "They have spent $8.6 million and instead of the 30 extra beds promised, we got five. There is clear evidence of understaffing and underfunding." more

Kimberly Dawn Trenor on suicide watch after her capital murder conviction

GALVESTON — Kimberly Dawn Trenor remained on suicide watch Tuesday after her capital murder conviction in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Riley Ann Sawyers.
After she is transferred to state prison sometime during the next few weeks, Trenor is likely to be a target of other inmates and probably will be segregated for her safety, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman Michelle Lyons said.
Maj. Mike Henson, Galveston County Jail commander, said Trenor was immediately placed on minimum suicide watch after her conviction Monday for the slaying of Riley, dubbed Baby Grace by investigators after her unidentified body was discovered by a fisherman Oct. 29, 2007.
Trenor, 20, automatically received a life sentence without parole because Galveston County District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk declined to seek the death penalty.
Anyone sentenced to death or life in prison without parole is placed on minimum suicide watch as a precaution until the person can be examined by a psychiatrist, Henson said.
“I just want to make sure she is not having any thoughts or ideas about harming herself,” Henson said.
Trenor was placed in a special area where a deputy has a desk next to her cell, which is checked every 15 minutes.
She will remain on minimum suicide watch until she is examined, Henson said. If she is determined to be suicidal, she will be placed on full suicide watch in a padded cell and wearing only a smock, Henson said.
Husband awaiting trial
Like her husband, Royce Clyde Zeigler II, 25, who is awaiting a trial date on a capital murder charge in Riley’s death, Trenor has been segregated from other inmates because of the notoriety of the case, Henson said.
Trenor told authorities that she and Zeigler killed Riley during a daylong disciplinary session July 25, 2007. The acts included whipping her with belts, holding her head under bath water, pushing her face into a pillow and couch, and slamming her repeatedly onto a tile floor.
Riley had three skull fractures, any one of which could have been fatal, and a broken vertebra when Trenor says they stuffed her body into a blue plastic box. They kept the box in a storage room for up to two months before tossing it off the railroad bridge next to the Galveston Causeway, Trenor said.
Officials also must consider keeping Trenor safe after she is transferred to the state prison system, Lyons said.
“This is a high-profile case and a case many people have felt strongly about, so her safety will be considered,” she said. Inmates who have harmed a child typically become a target of other prisoners, she said.
Lyons said the state has 45 days from the time the paperwork is complete to transfer a prisoner from a county jail to the prison system. Most prisoners are removed to prison within three weeks, she said, but she agreed with Henson that high-profile cases tend to move faster.
Trenor will be processed at the Woodman State Jail in Gatesville, the first stop for all women entering the prison system, Lyons said.
From there Trenor will go to one of the 10 women’s units, most of them in the Gatesville area, Lyons said. more

Passengers stop flight after 'drunk' pilot sparks panic

Mr Cheplevsky did little to ease passengers' fears by refusing to leave the cockpit to show that he was sober. When he was finally persuaded to face them, witnesses said that he appeared unsteady on his feet and had bloodshot eyes.
"I don't think there's anyone in Russia who doesn't know what a drunk person looks like," Katya Kushner, one of the passengers, told the Moscow Times, which had a reporter travelling on the flight.
"At first, he was looking at us like we were crazy. Then, when we wouldn't back down, he said 'I'll sit here quietly in a corner. We have three more pilots. I won't even touch the controls, I promise'."
Aeroflot's bad day got worse when it emerged that the socialite and television host Ksenia Sobchak was on board. Ms Sobchak, one of Russia's best-known personalities, demanded that all four pilots be replaced.
The airline finally relented and summoned new pilots to fly the jet to New York three hours late. More than 100 passengers passed the time as they waited by signing a petition declaring that they believed Mr Cheplevsky had been drunk.
more

Marijuana Photo Surfaces of Michael Phelps smoking a bong may cause him to loose some of his sponsers

Michael Phelps took a big hit — and now his wallet could take a big hit, too.
A photo of Phelps smoking marijuana out of a bong at a party in November has brought his endorsement career to a crossroads, marketing experts say. And the megabucks that were flowing in could soon go down the drain unless America's superstar swimmer, who won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games, changes his ways.
"It's certainly not good and it’s a disaster in terms of the near future," said Robert Tuchman, president of Premiere Corporate Events, a sports entertainment firm. "He's very unlikely to have new sponsors come on board and endorse him. And there's the potential for other sponsors to pull the plug on him, using this is an opportunity. He's going to take a big hit on this."
Phelps, 23, acknowledged on Sunday that the photo, which first appeared in the tabloid News of the World, was of him, and he cited his age as an excuse for his poor judgment.
"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," Phelps said. "I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again."
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But Tuchman said it's unlikely corporate sponsors will factor Phelps' young age into long-term affiliations with him.
"When these brands make an investment in you, they make a serious investment in you and it doesn't matter what age you are," Tuchman said. "He kind of used that as an excuse in his apology, but these companies are paying him a lot of money and they have a right to hope that he continues to be seen in a positive light."
Two of Phelps' endorsement deals — with AT&T and Rosetta Stone — ended on Dec. 31, 2008. AT&T officials declined to comment Monday on any plans to re-sign Phelps; a Rosetta Stone spokeswoman said Phelps is not being considered for future promotions, but that decision was made before the photo surfaced.
"We do not condone his activities and are disappointed in his recent judgment," a statement issued by Rosetta Stone read.
But two of Phelps' leading sponsors indicated Monday they are sticking by him. Swiss watchmaker Omega said Phelps' actions were a private matter and a "nonissue," while swimwear manufacturer Speedo called him a "valued member of the Speedo team."
Mazda, which signed Phelps to a $1-million-plus deal last month, will also continue to use Phelps to promote its Mazda 6 car in television and print ads, Dynamic Marketing Group's DMG Entertainment said Monday.
"We definitely stand by him," DMG CEO Dan Mintz told FOXNews.com. "We're not jumping to any knee-jerk reactions. He's never failed a drug test, he's not a cheat. Not that we condone this, but that's the reality of it."
Mintz said an official Mazda statement will be issued shortly.
"This is not the time to turn your back on people," Mintz said. "It's going to be very interesting to see how other brands react to him, and, really, what he does about it at the end of the day."
Phelps also endorses Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, a breakfast cereal that is marketed largely to children. Officials at Kellogg's did not respond to requests for comment Monday regarding Phelps' future with the company. more

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick released from jaill after serving a 99-day sentence

DETROIT — Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick emerged from jail after serving a 99-day sentence. He was greeted in the cold by about two dozen reporters and a handful of onlookers.
The 38-year-old Kilpatrick left the downtown Detroit facility wearing a dark suit just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. He looked thinner and his beard was fuller than when he entered jail at the end of October.
He stood for a minute or two outside the jail amid swirling snowflakes, smiling occasionally to those in the crowd who called his name and shouted: "We love you, Kwame. Detroit loves you baby!" Flanked by a number of men, several dressed in fedoras and long coats, Kilpatrick then was rushed to a waiting sport utility vehicle.
The Democrat waved from the darkened back seat as he was whisked away in the blue Chevrolet Suburban that was part of a multi-vehicle caravan that drove off in the snow and into the early morning darkness. more

Texas jury convicts woman in deadly discipline of her 2-year-old daughter

A mother was convicted of capital murder Monday for the death of her 2-year-old daughter, who was whipped with belts and flung onto a tile floor to teach her manners, before her body was dumped in a box in Galveston Bay. Jurors deliberated less than two hours before finding Kimberly Trenor guilty. She received an automatic sentence of life without parole. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty.
"Justice has been served today. Today it's about Riley" — the victim, Galveston County District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk said after the verdict.
Trenor and her husband, Royce Clyde Zeigler II, were accused of killing Riley Ann Sawyers while disciplining her in July 2007. Prosecutors said Trenor and Zeigler beat Riley with belts, dunked her head in cold water and threw her onto a tile floor, fracturing her skull. Zeigler's capital murder trial will be held later.
After Riley's death, the couple stuffed her body in a plastic box and hid it at their suburban Houston home before dumping it in Galveston Bay, according to authorities.
Sheriff's investigators dubbed the toddler "Baby Grace" during the weeks they worked to identify her remains, found by a fisherman. Many of those investigators were in the courtroom Monday and cried as the verdict was read.

"We all made a promise to that little girl ... that we would find the people responsible for her death and bring them to justice and we did," sheriff's Sgt. Michael Barry said. more

Eric Holder makes history as first black attorney general

In this Jan. 15, 2009 file photo, Attorney General-designate Eric Holder testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Holder's nomination as the first African-American attorney general has moved to the full Senate with broad bipartisan support. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to favorably recommend Holder for the job. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) (AP)
Eric Holder won Senate confirmation Monday as the nation's first African-American attorney general, after supporters from both parties touted his dream resume and easily overcame Republican concerns over his commitment to fight terrorism and his unwillingness to back the right to keep and bear arms.
The vote was 75-21, with all the opposition coming from Republicans.
Holder's chief supporter, Sen. Patrick Leahy, said the confirmation was a fulfillment of civil rights leader Martin Luther King's dream that everyone would be judged by the content of their character.
"Come on the right side of history," said Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Holder becomes the only black in the Obama administration in what has traditionally been known as the president's Cabinet. Three other African-Americans have been chosen for top administration positions that hold the same rank.
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Holder was a federal prosecutor, judge and the No. 2 Justice Department official in the Clinton administration. Even his critics agreed that Holder was well-qualified, but they questioned his positions and independence.
The debate turned partisan in its first moments, when Leahy, expressed anger that a few Republicans demanded a pledge from Holder that he wouldn't prosecute intelligence agents who participated in harsh interrogations.
Leahy singled out Texas Republican John Cornyn as one who wanted to "turn a blind eye to possible lawbreaking before investigating whether it occurred."more

Police Chief Willie Fuller Suspended for charges of soliciting sex

Suspended Virginia Commonwealth University Police Chief Willie Fuller appeared briefly in a Chesterfield County court this afternoon for arraignment on charges of soliciting sex with a minor in an online sting operation.
Fuller, who appeared by video teleconference from the jail, did not yet have an attorney. A preliminary hearing was set for April 2.
After the hearing, Chesterfield Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Dave Rigler said Fuller thought he was talking to a 14-year-old girl, not a detective, when the alleged offenses occurred Jan. 10.
"There was one day of chatting," he said, "everything he was charged with happened on that one day."
He was charged with two counts of using a computer to solicit sex from a minor and two counts of attempted indecent liberties with a minor.
Fuller is 50, but Rigler said he portrayed himself online as being about 35. Fuller’s screen name was hotcop2006, Rigler said.
Earlier today VCU said it had suspended Fuller without pay.
--Mark Bowes
12:36 p.m.
Virginia Commonwealth University Police Chief Willie B. Fuller has been arrested in an online sting operation in Chesterfield County and charged with soliciting sex from a 14-year-old girl, police said today.
Police said Fuller, 50, was arrested last night at his home in the 9000 block of Meadowfield Court in Henrico County. He was charged with two counts of using a computer to solicit sex from a minor and two counts of attempted indecent liberties with a minor.
His arrest resulted from a sting operation that involved undercover detectives going to online chatrooms or other Internet sites popular with juveniles. The detectives then create fictitious posts and pose as minors.
Although police declined to provide more specific information in this case, meetings are usually arranged between the detectives and the people with whom they communicate, most of whom are seeking sex.
Chesterfield Police Maj. Dan Kelly said Fuller clearly believed he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl.
"I’m not sure which [Internet] medium the detective was using at the time it occurred," Kelly said. "But it was part of our ongoing online efforts in these areas. When time permits, our detectives trained in this area will utilize their time and go online."
Kelly declined to say when Fuller made contact and over what period of time.
"We’re going to wait to talk more about the investigation at a later time," he said.
Fuller is being held without bond in the Chesterfield Jail pending a pre-trial hearing this afternoon in Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.
VCU suspended Fuller without pay and appointed Carlton Edwards, a VCU police captain, as interim chief.
"We've taken action," said VCU Rector Thomas Rosenthal. He said he received a call from university President Eugene Trani this morning about the arrest.
"We regard this situation as extremely serious," Trani said in an alert sent to member of the campus community. "We have taken aggressive action to address it, and we will cooperate in all appropriate ways with the Chesterfield County Police investigation."
Fuller came to VCU as police chief in 2000 from Virginia State University, where he was also police chief, said John M. Bennett, VCU senior vice president for finance and administration. Fuller also previously worked for VCU police.
Bennett said VCU instituted criminal background checks on all employees at some point after Fuller was hired, but he said he knew of no complaints against him.
He also said he did not know if any VCU computer equipment had been taken by Chesterfield police from Fuller’s home. Bennett said VCU did not plan its own investigaton.
Chesterfield Police Chief Thierry Dupuis notified VCU officials this morning of Fuller’s arrest, Bennett said. The board of visitors was notified and about 30 minutes later VCU President Eugene Trani alerted the university community by e-mail. more

footprint embedded on man's head is helping police track down his attacker

The imprint of a shoe or boot can clearly be seen on Johnathan Robinson's head
By Jaya Narain It is the sort of shocking image more likely to be seen in a violent American television crime show.
The clues left by a footprint embedded in the head of a robbery victim would be enough to have the forensic experts from the popular Crime Scene Investigation series homing in on the perpetrator.
And, far from the show’s glamorous recreations of Las Vegas and Miami, detectives in Salford are hoping the same methods will lead them to the brutal robbers who left pub landlord Johnathan Robinson needing emergency surgery.
Mr Robinson, 33, was attacked and run over by his own car as he left the Golden Lion pub with £2,500 of takings.
As he lay on the ground with a broken leg a thug viciously stamped on his head before seizing the cash.
Last night police said the clear imprint of the trainer or boot could lead to the arrest of the four-strong gang.
Forensic officers took close-up photographs of the footprint on Mr Robinson’s forehead and they were scanned into police computers.
From there, they can be digitally compared with footprints already on the system or with prints lifted at other crime scenes in the future.
Detectives are also checking footwear databases and speaking to manufacturers to find a match.

Detectives are checking footwear databases to try and find the thugs responsible
The robbery happened on Monday as Mr Robinson left the pub in Clifton, Salford, where he lives with his wife Donna, 35, and two children, aged six and four.
As the landlord sat in his car the passenger door was opened and a man began to repeatedly punch him in the face.
Mr Robinson said: ‘The driver’s door then opened and another was screaming at me to hand over the money.
‘I managed to push the door into him and tried to run back to the pub. But they ran over me in the car. My leg was shattered.
'I couldn’t get up and they stamped on my head. At that point I blacked out and they took the cash from my pocket. The last thing I remember was their car screeching away.’
Detective Sergeant Julie Connor said the footprint was ‘an absolutely vital clue’.
She added: ‘Many people have been convicted of crimes by matching the footprint to the footwear.
'We can even make matches to latent prints found, for instance, in a house or on a path. more

The thoughts of the president from *24*

Young mand says that former pastor Ted Haggard performed a sex act in front of him

DENVER — A young man who once attended New Life Church in the United States says that former pastor Ted Haggard performed a sex act in front of him in a hotel room in 2006 and sent him explicit text messages.
The man said his hidden relationship with Haggard was followed by a period of isolation, struggles with drinking, drugs and suicide attempts.
Those latest allegations against Haggard, once an influential national evangelical leader, were reported Monday night by KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs, which interviewed the man, now 25.
In a statement earlier Monday, Haggard apologized for his "inappropriate relationship" with the former church volunteer, but said it did not involve physical contact.
The newly disclosed relationship added a chapter to Haggard's dramatic fall, which began in November 2006 when a Denver male prostitute alleged a cash-for-sex relationship with Haggard.
Haggard confessed to undisclosed "sexual immorality" and resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of New Life Church.
The latest revelations involve Grant Haas, who told the TV station that he met Haggard in 2005 when he was 22. He said he told Haggard he had been kicked out of a Moody Bible Institute in Chicago for his "struggles with homosexuality."

"It seemed like at that moment his eyes lit up and his whole attitude towards me changed," he told KRDO. Reached by text message Monday, Haas agreed to be identified by The Associated Press. Haggard's statement also identified him.
"I'm like, 'This must be God,"' said Haas, who described wanting to be a pastor himself. "Why would this big guy, this big evangelical leader, be taking such an interest in me?"
Haas told KRDO that one night in Cripple Creek, a casino town west of Colorado Springs, Haggard "asked me if we were going to be godly or bad that night." He said he told Haggard he wanted him just to be his friend and pastor — but Haggard masturbated in front of him.
Haas also said Haggard at certain times sent him between 1,000 and 2,000 text messages a month, some describing his sexual experiences and drug use from the road.

After the Haggard scandal in November 2006, Haas said he contacted the church immediately.
The church has said it struck a legal settlement with the man — it has not named Haas — in 2007 that paid him for college tuition and counseling as long as he did not speak publicly about the relationship. Brady Boyd, Haggard's successor as pastor at New Life, called it "compassionate assistance — certainly not hush money."
According to documents Haas provided KRDO, he is to be paid $179,000 through 2009. Haas claimed the church didn't follow through on promises to pay for counseling and medical treatment. more

Six people confessed to murders that they didn't commit

Joseph White, right, was convicted in 1989 of murdering Helen Wilson. The Nebraska Attoreney General's Office Now says Bruce Smith, left, was the real killer.
(Courtesy Nebraska Attorney General/Joseph White)
More PhotosGonzalez hadn't heard the name Helen Wilson in the four years since her elderly downstairs neighbor had been raped and murdered, until the day police swept into the basement of McCormick's seafood restaurant in Denver and led Gonzalez out in handcuffs.

She'd waived extradition from Colorado, saying recently that she figured she could quickly clear up the misunderstanding and go home. But when she got back to Beatrice, Gonzalez discovered several suspects were already in custody, and they were telling police she was involved in Wilson's murder.

Gonzalez, then 29, says she had never even met some of her co-defendants. They, like her, were people at the margins, drifters, some with drug problems, others suffering from mental illness.

For months, Gonzalez says, the police hounded her and called her a liar. She met with a police psychologist, who suggested the murder was so horrific that she simply blocked it out, and offered to work with her to help her remember. When Gonzalez protested that she didn't know one of her co-defendants, the psychologist, Wayne Price, told her, "You apparently don't want to."

"The odds are that at this time, it looks like you were in [there] but did in fact block it," Price said. "And if you can help you out by remembering, it will help you."

"Yeah," Gonzalez sighed.

Now, she says, she was being given 24 hours to decide, either plead to a lesser charge or go to trial for first-degree murder and face the possibility of the death penalty. She says the police kept telling her she would be the first woman to be executed in state history. The police deny threatening her, and her lawyer said he could not recall.
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Texas Girls B-Ball coach fired for running up the score 100-0

Texas Winner Runs Up Score; Dallas Academy Girls Turn Losing Into Learning
The coach of a girls' high school basketball team in Texas that blew out another team 100-0 was fired Sunday after refusing to apologize "for a wide-margin victory."

Learning disabled girls' basketball teams show their real courage on the court.Micah Grimes, former coach of Covenant School girl's basketball team, defended the win in an e-mail to the Dallas Morning News, saying "my girls played with honor and integrity."

The Covenant School, a private Christian high school in Dallas, which formally apologized for the big win over Dallas Academy, a small private school for students with learning disabilities, last week, called the trouncing "shameful."

During the lopsided Jan. 13 game, spectators said the Covenant School ran up the score, playing aggressive offense, even with their 59-0 lead at halftime. The girls kept on the pressure until they scored the 100th point.

"I was really frustrated, especially at halftime," Dallas Academy junior Lauren Click said. "I actually did ask my coach, 'Do we have to go back out there?'"

Related
Girl's Hoops Team Regrets 100-0 WinSoftball Players Show Ultimate SportsmanshipLife 101: Learning to Live With AutismThe Dallas Academy has eight girls on the varsity team and is used to challenges on and off the court. Despite hours in the gym practicing each week, the Bulldogs haven't won a girls basketball game in five years.

"We are not quitters, and we don't give up," Click said. "And we try hard at whatever we do, even if we are losing 100 to 0." more

Mom accused of prostituting daughter, 5

Mom accused of prostituting daughter, 5

A 48-year-old Wichita woman is accused of prostituting her 5-year-old daughter, and prosecutors say it wasn't the first time.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston on Friday sought a judge's permission to introduce testimony from two of the woman's grown daughters, who said she sold them for sex when they were between the ages of 8 and 14.

When the mother goes on trial, however, the jury will only hear about the 5-year-old. Prosecutors say a man the mother knew for years paid her for sex acts with the child.

Sedgwick County District Judge Greg Waller ruled this week that testimony about the 5-year-old's older sisters won't be allowed at trial.

Waller said the stories of the older women didn't meet the strict guidelines set by the Kansas Supreme Court for introduction of prior bad acts. Prosecutors said they were trying to show a pattern of behavior.

The 48-year-old mother and her friend, Reggie Stafford, 51, are charged with multiple counts of rape, sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

The mother, who is not being named to protect the identity of her daughters, is also charged with aggravated child endangerment.

"This is a weird case," prosecutor Christine Ladner told Waller during Thursday's hearing.

"The sad facts are that (the mother) was the supplier of sex acts by her daughter to the defendant Stafford," Ladner said.

The adult daughters told Waller during a pretrial hearing Friday that they didn't want to testify against their mother.

In court, a 23-year-old daughter denied having sex with Stafford. But a social worker said the woman reported two years ago that she did have sex with Stafford, starting when she was 9 years old.

The woman changed her story in court Friday, after visiting her mother last week in jail.

"I can't testify against my mother," she said, crying. "I can't do it. I'm not doing it."

Her 25-year-old sister said she came forward when she found out the 5-year-old was going through what she had endured.

"I wanted to get it off my chest so I could go on with my life," the woman said, but she added that she was reluctant to testify against her mother.

She said she was 11 when her mom began taking her to see Stafford. The woman said she heard Stafford ask her mother whether she would bring over her other daughter, two years younger.

Defense attorneys Brad Sylvester and Sarah Flint said allowing the testimony would unfairly prejudice a jury.

"There's not a shred of evidence, just words coming out of her mouth," Sylvester said.

The key witness in the case is now 7 years old. She testified in a previous hearing that her mother took her to see Stafford on several occasions, where he performed various sex acts with her.

In return, the girl said Stafford gave her mother $6 or $7, which her mother used to buy alcohol and cigarettes. more

Woman lost 7 carat diamond ting in toliet, plumber friend finds it

PHOENIX (AP) -- Just a case of plumb luck.

It took a plumber to retrieve a woman's 7-carat diamond ring after city workers failed in efforts to flush the gem out of the pipes of a restaurant toilet.

The $70,000 wedding ring fell from Allison Berry's hand when she flushed the toilet in the restroom of the Black Bear Diner on Jan. 14, the plumber said. The ring plopped in and the water whisked it away, said Elena Castelar, the restaurant's shift manager.

City workers opened a pipe outside the restaurant and continuously flushed the toilet, hoping to push the ring out to the opening. When that didn't work, the city called the office in suburban Tempe of Mr. Rooter, a plumbing services franchise based in Waco, Texas.

"This is going to be like dredging for a treasure chest in the ocean," Mike Roberts, general manager of Mr. Rooter, said at the time.

Roberts guided a tiny video camera into the pipe with an infrared light attached. He eventually spotted the ring just 3 feet down and 5 feet over from where it was flushed.

Then it took an hour-and-a-half of jackhammering and pipe removal before Roberts and a technician could recover the ring, eight hours after it fell in the toilet.

"They always say diamonds are a girl's best friend. In this case, a plumber is a girl's best friend," Roberts said. "She was just so excited, she had tears in her eyes. She gave us a hug and said 'Thank you so much.'"

The Mr. Rooter bill came to $5,200 and the city's bill was $1,000.


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Indiana student ill, but wins Miss America crown

Katie Stam of Indiana was crowned Miss America on Saturday night, fighting off a throat infection, laryngitis and 51 other contestants to win the 88-year-old pageant.

The 22-year-old University of Indianapolis student became the first Miss America winner from the Hoosier State. She drew loud applause for her rendition of "Via Dolorosa" during the talent portion of the beauty pageant at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Stam said she had trouble sleeping one night this week while she took prescription medicine to fight the infection, but got her voice back by Thursday.


"I was feeling like myself again -- I will never take my health for granted," she said.

The Seymour native also strutted onstage in a black bikini and an off-the-shoulder, white lace evening gown. During the interview portion of the competition she decried the use of performance-enhancing drugs among professional athletes and discussed the definition of glamour.

"That beauty that you feel on the inside, it's that confidence, that radiance inside of you, that's what glamour is," Stam said.

Stam won a $50,000 scholarship and hopes to obtain a bachelor's degree in communications and become a television news anchor. She began competing in pageants at age 15.

Stam was crowned by reigning Miss America Kirsten Haglund of Michigan and will soon embark on a year of travel and public appearances.

She said she had one semester left in school -- but didn't know when she would finish -- and already was graduating debt-free without the $50,000 prize. Stam said she might use the money for graduate school.

The first runner-up was Miss Georgia Chasity Hardman, who took home a $25,000 scholarship.

The 52 young women took to the stage in blue jeans, bikinis and ballgowns following a mini-reality series on pageant prep work and a week of preliminary competition.

After an opening dance number and the traditional parade of states, judges and fans immediately trimmed the field to 15 finalists. Five more were trimmed based on swimsuit and evening gown competitions, while the remaining 10 went on to showcase their dancing, singing and other skills during the talent portion. more

20-year-old Brazilian model died after hands and feet were amputated

Officials say a Brazilian model whose feet and hands were amputated because of an infection has died.
Officials said in a statement early Saturday that 20-year-old Mariana Bridi's condition deteriorated overnight. She died at 2:30 a.m.
The Espirito Santo State Health Secretariat said in the statement she died from complications related to a generalized infection. It was caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is known to be resistant to multiple kinds of antibiotics.
The beauty pageant contestant was suffering a generalized infection that forced the amputation of her hands and feet earlier this week because the flow of oxygen to her limbs was reduced.

Bridi twice was a finalist in the Brazilian stage of the Miss World beauty pageant, according to local media, and participated in the 2007 Miss Bikini International contest.
Bridi fell ill in December and doctors originally diagnosed her with kidney stones, local media said. But her condition worsened and doctors then diagnosed a urinary tract infection that spread. She was hospitalized on Jan 3.
Once she was hospitalized, doctors discovered septicemia had set into her limbs, cutting off circulation.
They were forced to amputate. more

Usher and Tameka expecting second child

Less than a year after becoming parents, R&B singer Usher and his wife, Tameka Foster, are expecting their second child together, according to People magazine. The couple, who married in August 2007, welcomed Usher Raymond V, whose nickname is Cinco, last November. The new parents are shown at left cuddling up front-row at fashion week in February. Usher, who released "Here I Stand" earlier this year, is preparing to go on a ladies-only tour, dubbed the "One Night Stand" tour.
Usher and Tameka are one of many high-profile couples who were got married under the radar. Click here to check out other secret weddings.(Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

Nas and Kelis are expecting

Rapper Nas and singer Kelis are preparing to welcome their first child together. "It's all they are talking about. She is carrying hip-hop royalty," an insider told People magazine. The couple married in Atlanta in 2005. This will be Kelis' first child. Nas has a 15-year-old daughter, Destiny, from a previous relationship.(Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Mexican drug suspect confessed to disposing 300 bodies

OJO DE AGUA, Mexico (Reuters) - A Mexican drug suspect has confessed to dissolving the bodies of 300 rivals with corrosive chemicals near the U.S. border, in a claim highlighting the brutality of Mexico's drug war.

Santiago Meza, known as "The Stew Maker," told journalists he did away with bodies in industrial drums on the outskirts of the violent city of Tijuana.

More than 700 people died in Tijuana last year as rival gangs battled for control of the city's lucrative drug trade. Many others are missing and believed dead after being abducted.

The suspect, who was paraded before journalists by the army on Friday, said he was paid $600 a week by a breakaway faction of the Arellano Felix cartel to dispose of slain rivals with caustic soda, a highly corrosive substance.

Related
Kidnappers Target Americans in BajaWATCH: Mexico: The Plan to Win the Drug WarTijuana: Where the 'Drug War' Is Real"They brought me the bodies and I just got rid of them," Meza said at a construction site where he said he dissolved 300 corpses. "I didn't feel anything."

Meza, 45, said he had been getting rid of bodies for 10 years.

The bodies took 24 hours to dissolve but left some remains that were dumped in a nearby pit, Meza said.


A high-ranking army officer told Reuters he believed Meza, who was arrested with three other people on Thursday, was telling the truth.

Police have previously recovered human remains burned with acid in and around the city. more

Obama expects stimulus bill to be ready by mid-Feb

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama launched a drive on Friday to get his $825 billion economic recovery plan through Congress, predicting lawmakers would resolve differences before a mid-February deadline.
"We are experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis that has to be dealt with and dealt with rapidly," Obama told reporters as he met Democratic and Republican congressional leaders at the White House.
Obama, who was sworn in on Tuesday on a mandate of change, has pledged swift action to rescue the U.S. economy from the worst turmoil in decades. With a daily stream of gloomy economic data, he has warned there is little time to lose.
Winning Republican support for the stimulus package will be an early test of Obama's promise to forge consensus and overcome the partisan politics that bitterly divided Washington under his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush.
In another show of bipartisanship, Obama will meet Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to hear their ideas about the stimulus plan, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. Bush rarely visited Congress, preferring to send aides and sometimes his vice president, Dick Cheney.
Obama's appeal to Democrats and Republicans to set aside their differences appeared to pay swift dividends, with the most powerful Republican in Congress, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Friday calling for a joint effort to fix the economy.
It remains to be seen though how long this honeymoon will last. more

Beauty loses hands and feet

A STUNNING Miss World finalist had her hands and feet amputated – after contracting a killer bug, according to reports.
Doctors carried out the drastic surgery on Mariana Bridi da Costa after she was struck down with a urinary disease – which can be fatal.
Her boyfriend Thiago Simoes said 20-year-old Mariana fell ill on December 30 – but was initially misdiagnosed with kidney stones.
The infection quickly spread – causing her to go back to hospital for tests that revealed her condition.
Septicaemia set in her limbs, cutting off circulation and forcing doctors to amputate her hands and feet.
Devastated Mr Simoes said: "We are all absolutely distraught and are just praying now that she can pull through.

Infection ... Mariana
"She fell ill on December 30 and we took her to hospital where she was misdiagnosed with a kidney stone.
"They gave her some medicine and sent her home. But two days later she started getting worse.
"We took her back to hospital and they said she had a very serious infection.
"She got more and more sick, and had no blood circulation to her limbs.
"First she lost her feet, then on Tuesday she lost both her hands.
"But she is a very strong person and we just want her to survive."
Miss Bridi is in a serious condition on a ventilation machine in hospital in Serra, in the southeastern state of Espirito Santo. more

Case of Teens Charged With Spanking Elderly Shocks Community

ALBERT LEA, Minn. — Allegations that two young assistants groped, spanked and spat on several nursing home residents suffering from dementia have shaken members of this southern Minnesota community, including the lead prosecutor in the case.
Brianna Marie Broitzman and Ashton Michelle Larson, both 19, appeared in court Wednesday to face multiple charges over the alleged abuse at Good Samaritan Society. The young women did not enter pleas, and both were released on bail.

"I think that they are very serious charges," Freeborn County Attorney Craig Nelson said after the hearing. "We're dealing with people who are vulnerable adults. People who are clearly ... in need of our care and our concern and our monitoring. They depend on us for everything."
Nelson added: "I, as a member of this community, certainly can feel it in my bones."
Four younger aides were also charged earlier, with one pleading guilty and the others facing trials in Juvenile Court.
A criminal complaint alleges the abuse occurred over several months in early 2008. The complaint says in one case, Broitzman and Larson allegedly poked a woman in the breasts and laughed when she told them to stop.
more

Man murder wife because she changed her marital status to single

A man murdered his estranged wife after he became “enraged” that she had changed her marital status to single on the social networking site Facebook.
Edward Richardson, 41, was found guilty of stabbing to death Sarah Richardson, 26, a hairdresser, in her parents’ house in Staffordshire on May 12 last year.
Fiona Cortese of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Richarsdon became enraged when Sarah changed her marital status on Facebook to single and decided to go and see her as she was not responding to his messages.”
Stafford Crown Court heard that Richardson, a carpenter from Biddulph, Stoke-on-Trent, had sought out Mrs Richardson in her parents house and entered by breaking the front door window.
“Once inside he found Sarah in her bedroom and subjected her to a frenzied and brutal attack with a knife and then attempted to take his own life,” said Ms Cortese.
She said: “We hope that today’s guilty verdict will go some way to easing the pain of Sarah’s friends and family after losing her in such a violent and abrupt way.”

Man Wills Himself to Live After Body Nearly Severed by Train

A Texas man calls 911 after being cut nearly in half by a train.
In June 2006, Duncan was working at his job in the rail yards of Cleburne, Texas, when he slipped and fell onto the tracks while riding on the front of a train car that was moving toward a repair dock.
Watch the story Friday on "20/20" at 10 p.m. ET
"I just fell," the 38-year-old said. "At that point I started running backwards, you know, obviously fast as I could, and I tried to outrun it. I didn't make it."
Duncan was pulled under the rail car, its wheels grinding steadily underneath.
"It just felt like a monster," he said. "I couldn't get away from it, like it was just pulling me in, and I'm pushing away … [and] I was cut in two."

By the time the rail car came to a stop, Duncan had been dragged 75 feet. His lower body, was still entangled in the wheels of the train, and he was cut nearly in half at the waist, with one leg attached by a single muscle.
"The pain was real severe, and then it just kinda like it wasn't there," Duncan said. "I think something else kicks in and then you try to do things necessary to stay alive."
Duncan knew he had to fight to stay alive.

"I knew if I just lay there and lay there and lay there, eventually I was gonna die," he said. "But if I stayed awake, made sure I got my help there then was a possibility that I would live and that's when I realized that I might have my phone on my hip."
Duncan was able to reach his cell phone and call 911. more

Sniper rifle software launched for iPod touch

BulletFlight is a new application has been launched for the iPod touch to help gun users line up a clean shot at their target
A new application has been launched for the iPod touch to help gun users line up a clean shot at their target.
The BulletFlight app, which costs £6.99 to download from the iTunes store, has been developed by Runaway App to turn the iPod touch into a ballistics computer which the company says can provide “quick solutions in the field”.
Users can mount their iPod touch to their rifle, and then use the iPod’s touch-screen to tap in details about the wind conditions, ammunition type, distance to the intended target and even the wind speed.
“Unlike other apps, BulletFlight does not output information in table format,” says the application’s iTunes page. “What it does do is dynamically give you the solution you need now to take that shot.”
The application features built-in profiles for three weapons – the M110 semi-automatic precision rifle, the KAC PDW, and the 14.5in SR16 rifle – although users can add more weapons into the app.
“Environmental calculations are based on the Sierra Bullet model,” says the BulletFlight iTunes entry. “Up to five ballistic co-efficients with corresponding velocity thresholds may be used for each profile.”
BulletFlight is not the first shooting application for the iPhone and iPod touch – that honour goes to iSnipe – but it’s the latest in a long line of unusal apps for the devices, which have included simulated beer-pouring, a fart machine, and even “breathalysers”.

President Obama Wears Bullet-Resistant Suit at Inaugural

Barack Obama had more than the Presidential 'beast' limo taking care of his safety yesterday.
According to some reports, he wore a suit made by a clothier specializing in bullet-resistant clothing during the inauguration ceremonies.
While no one from the U.S. Secret Service have yet to mention any details about the garment's structure, some are speculating it may have come from the line by Colombian designer Miguel Caballero. As we noted last year, Caballero is well known for his super tough but flexible and business appropriate clothing (see pic at right), such as the $7,500 polo shirt that can stop a shot from a 9-mm revolver.
Due to some of the unfortunately rising levels of dangerous conflicts in Colombia and other parts of Latin America, the need for this type of clothing has also led to a spike in sales.
According to Caballero, many of his garments offer more than three levels of ballistic protection and they are about seven times more flexible than the Kevlar vests that are usually worn. Designers that use Kevlar tie together dense strands of the material (500 to 1,500 filaments per strand of yarn, according to Slate), which is then weaved into the clothing.
With close to 2 million people on hand to watch the president-elect take the Oath of Office, the level of security was understandably tight and every precaution was taken to ensure safety for all.
Earlier this month, we noted that President Obama will be using the safest Presidential limo ever built, the so-called Cadillac One (or simply, "The Beast"), whose toughness rivals a tank and seals off like a bank vault in the event of a potential attack.

Obama Caps White House Staff Salaries, Promises Openness

President Obama plans to put a freeze on White House salaries over $100K.
Obama also sent a messenger to Capitol Hill to brief them on the three executive orders he plans to sign tomorrow, sources tell ABC News.
Obama woke up in the White House for the first time and began a whirlwind day, having already set in motion Tuesday major policy changes for the new administration.
On his agenda for Day One, Obama summoned his economic advisers to hammer out details of an economic bailout and called in his top generals to give them new marching orders.
His staff was already putting into effect executive orders to usher in the Obama presidency, as well as his request that military hearings for terror suspects at the Guantanamo prison be suspended for 120 days.
ABC News has also learned that Obama will sign three executive orders tomorrow, including one to close Gitmo within a year.
But at a staff meeting to swear in top aides, Obama dropped a bombshell. He was freezing their salaries.
" During this period of economic emergency, families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington," Obama told the assembled staff.
He thanked the staff for accepting the restriction and said, "It's a mark of your commitment to public service."
The president said the salaries of everyone on the White House staff that exceeded $100,000 would be frozen. If the Obama White House pay structure is similar to that of the Bush White House, more than 100 staffers will have six-figure salaries.
Obama went on to spell out restrictions on lobbying after employees leave the White House and vowed that the federal government would be more willing to make information public. more

81 year old mugging victim died as she laid in street calling for help

An 81-year-old widow who died after being mugged was ignored as she lay on the pavement pleading for help.
Passers-by refused to stop and help Molly Morgan, thinking that she was drunk.
The retired architect was on her way to a lecture at her local library in Harrow, North-West London, on Thursday night when her shoulder bag was snatched.
This caused her to fall to the ground, causing serious head injuries and a broken arm.
Ignored: Pensioner Molly Morgan died following a street mugging. Many passers-by refused to help her because they thought she had been drinking
Mrs Morgan managed to tell police that a man walked right past her, even though she asked him for help.
She lay on the ground for ten minutes until two women - who had initially crossed to the other side of the road to avoid her - heard her cries and came to her aid.
Detective Chief Inspector Jessica Wadsworth, from the Met's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: 'I need to trace this man and any other people who saw Mrs Morgan lying on the pavement, since they are vital witnesses and will be able to help me find who killed Mrs Morgan.
'It is our belief that this man and other people in the area who didn't assist the victim may tragically not have realised that Mrs Morgan had been attacked and was in considerable pain.
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Coast Guard Suspend search for elderly couple

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Coast Guard suspended its search Saturday for an elderly couple believed to have fallen off a cruise ship between Long Beach and northern Mexico.
The aerial search for the 90-year-old man and his 79-year-old wife was halted after officials determined that their chances of surviving in the water were slim, said Chief Warrant Officer Scott Epperson.
"Factoring in their age and weights, their survivability in 59 degrees water was about 4 to 6 hours," he said. "The last time they were seen was 84 hours ago."
The couple were last seen Tuesday aboard the Carnival Paradise.
Officials also consulted with the couple's relatives, who agreed to suspending the search, Epperson said.
Miami-based Carnival said their cabin door was double-locked from the inside with a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the handle. Their belongings remained inside and the door leading from the cabin to the private balcony was unlocked.
Crews searched throughout the night, tracing the route the ship had taken since it left Long Beach on Monday, with stops at Santa Catalina and in Ensenada, Mexico, before returning Friday.

Edlery woman has accident but keeps going to not miss hair appointment

BOYNTON BEACH, FL (AP) -- Police say an elderly woman in Palm Beach County crashed into a man on a scooter and then kept driving to make her hair appointment.
Boynton Beach police spokeswoman Stephanie Slater says 77-year-old Louise Davidson of Boynton Beach was arrested Thursday for leaving the scene of an injury crash. The man suffered abrasions all over his body. His injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
Police say Slater was turning right when she pulled into the path of an oncoming scooter that had the right of way. The scooter collided with her silver Toyota, vaulting the man off the scooter, onto the windshield and then onto the roadway.
Police spotted her car after she had her hair appointment.