One person was killed and seven others -- including three police officers -- were injured in a series of early morning Memorial Day shootings in South Beach, police said.
The first shooting happened shortly before 4 a.m. after police opened fire on a car in the area of Collins Avenue and 15th Street.
Police said the car had been involved in an earlier crash with a police car, and that the driver had hit several cars and had tried to hit officers.
The driver of the car was killed, police said. Authorities said they're trying to determine whether the man had fired any gunshots.
Four innocent bystanders were injured in the shooting and were taken to Ryder Trauma Center, Miami Beach Police said. Their injuries and conditions are unknown. Multimedia Miami Beach Shootings Miami Beach Shootings In Memoriam: "Grease" Star Jeff Conaway Dies at 60 PHOTOS In Memoriam: "Grease" Star Jeff...
Two Miami Beach officers and an officer from Hialeah were taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center. Police said none of the officers were seriously injured..
A video posted Monday to YouTube titled "Miami Beach Shooting - Memorial Day weekend 2011" appears to capture the shooting, though police have yet to confirm its authenticity. The video was later removed from YouTube.
The second shooting took place around 5:15 a.m. just blocks away from the first in the area of 14th Street and Washington Avenue.
Miami Beach Police said in that incident, a female officer opened fire on a car that was headed in her direction. No one was injured in that shooting, police said.
Officers from multiple agencies were on patrol Sunday night as crowds descended on South Beach for Urban Beach Weekend, police said.
Police were still investigating at least four different scenes throughout South Beach Monday morning.
Hip-hop singer Sean Kingston Injured In Jet Ski Crash Now in Hospitals.Hip-hop singer Sean Kingston has been stabilized and moved to the intensive care unit at a hospital after crashing his watercraft into a Miami Beach bridge, his publicist said Monday.
The publicist, Joseph Carozza, said Kingston's family is grateful for everyone's prayers and support.
Kingston and a female passenger were injured when the watercraft hit the Palm Island Bridge around 6 p.m. Sunday, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino said.
The Miami Herald reports that a passing boater saw the accident and took the two on board his vessel.
Both were hospitalized early Monday at Ryder Trauma Center, but Pino said he didn't know their conditions.
According to TMZ, Kingston is in critical condition.
Authorities are investigating the crash, and "nothing at this point would indicate that alcohol played a role," Pino said.
Kingston rose to fame with his 2007 hit "Beautiful Girls" and was also featured on songs by artists including Justin Bieber. His self-titled debut album sold over 1 million copies worldwide.
On Twitter, Bieber posted a message of support for Kingston.
"Got my friend Sean Kingston in my prayers tonight," Bieber tweeted early Monday. "A true friend and big bro. Please keep him in your prayers tonight as well."
A number of hip-hop musicians were in Miami Beach over the weekend for Urban Beach Week.
In a 2007 interview with The Associated Press, Kingston described his music as a fusion of reggae, pop, rap and R&B.
"It's Sean Kingston genre. I have my own genre," Kingston told the AP at the time. "No disrespect to no artist or dudes out there. I feel like I am my own person. I am doing my own thing."
His music has been unique among hip-hop offerings, as Kingston refused to use profanity.
"To put it in my music, that's not the message I am trying to send out," he said in the 2007 interview. "That's not the type of artist I am trying to be."
Americans from Washington to California were marking Memorial Day with parades, barbecues and somber moments of reflection in an annual holiday infused with fresh meaning by the approaching 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The anniversary was to be incorporated into the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, where special tributes were scheduled for the first responders to the attacks and to the relatives of the thousands killed. Actor Gary Sinise, a veterans advocate who played Lt. Dan in the film "Forrest Gump," and Medal of Honor recipients from the Korean and Vietnam wars were among the guests.
The public holiday recognizes America's war dead.
President Barack Obama was participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.
"Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay, but we can honor their sacrifice," Obama said at a Memorial Day service at the cemetery. "And we must."
Meanwhile, U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan paused to remember the fallen in Memorial Day services, with some praying and holding flag-raising ceremonies to recognize the more than 1,400 who have been killed in combat there since the war began a decade ago.
"We reflect on those who have gone before us. We reflect on their service and their sacrifice on behalf of our great nation," said Brig. Gen. Lewis A. Craparotta, who commands a Marine division in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province. "We should also remember those serving today who embody that same commitment of service and sacrifice. They are committed to something greater than themselves and they muster the physical and moral courage to accomplish extraordinary feats in battle." WATCH:
The president's full remarks are below:
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you so much. Please be seated.
Thank you, Secretary Gates, and thank you for your extraordinary service to our nation. I think that Bob Gates will go down as one of our finest Secretaries of Defense in our history, and it’s been an honor to serve with him. (Applause.)
I also want to say a word about Admiral Mullen. On a day when we are announcing his successor as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and as he looks forward to a well-deserved retirement later this year, Admiral Mullen, on behalf of all Americans, we want to say thank you for your four decades of service to this great country. (Applause.) We want to thank Deborah Mullen as well for her extraordinary service. To Major General Karl Horst, the commanding general of our Military District of Washington; Mrs. Nancy Horst; Mr. Patrick Hallinan, the superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery, as well as his lovely wife Doreen. And to Chaplain Steve Berry, thank you for your extraordinary service. (Applause.)
It is a great privilege to return here to our national sanctuary, this most hallowed ground, to commemorate Memorial Day with all of you. With Americans who’ve come to pay their respects. With members of our military and their families. With veterans whose service we will never forget and always honor. And with Gold Star families whose loved ones rest all around us in eternal peace.
To those of you who mourn the loss of a loved one today, my heart breaks goes out to you. I love my daughters more than anything in the world, and I cannot imagine losing them. I can’t imagine losing a sister or brother or parent at war. The grief so many of you carry in your hearts is a grief I cannot fully know.
This day is about you, and the fallen heroes that you loved. And it’s a day that has meaning for all Americans, including me. It’s one of my highest honors, it is my most solemn responsibility as President, to serve as Commander-in-Chief of one of the finest fighting forces the world has ever known. (Applause.) And it’s a responsibility that carries a special weight on this day; that carries a special weight each time I meet with our Gold Star families and I see the pride in their eyes, but also the tears of pain that will never fully go away; each time I sit down at my desk and sign a condolence letter to the family of the fallen.
Sometimes a family will write me back and tell me about their daughter or son that they’ve lost, or a friend will write me a letter about what their battle buddy meant to them. I received one such letter from an Army veteran named Paul Tarbox after I visited Arlington a couple of years ago. Paul saw a photograph of me walking through Section 60, where the heroes who fell in Iraq and Afghanistan lay, by a headstone marking the final resting place of Staff Sergeant Joe Phaneuf.
Joe, he told me, was a friend of his, one of the best men he’d ever known, the kind of guy who could have the entire barracks in laughter, who was always there to lend a hand, from being a volunteer coach to helping build a playground. It was a moving letter, and Paul closed it with a few words about the hallowed cemetery where we are gathered here today.
He wrote, “The venerable warriors that slumber there knew full well the risks that are associated with military service, and felt pride in defending our democracy. The true lesson of Arlington,” he continued, “is that each headstone is that of a patriot. Each headstone shares a story. Thank you for letting me share with you [the story] about my friend Joe.”
Staff Sergeant Joe Phaneuf was a patriot, like all the venerable warriors who lay here, and across this country, and around the globe. Each of them adds honor to what it means to be a soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman. Each is a link in an unbroken chain that stretches back to the earliest days of our Republic -- and on this day, we memorialize them all.
We memorialize our first patriots -- blacksmiths and farmers, slaves and freedmen -- who never knew the independence they won with their lives. We memorialize the armies of men, and women disguised as men, black and white, who fell in apple orchards and cornfields in a war that saved our union. We memorialize those who gave their lives on the battlefields of our times -- from Normandy to Manila, Inchon to Khe Sanh, Baghdad to Helmand, and in jungles, deserts, and city streets around the world.
What bonds this chain together across the generations, this chain of honor and sacrifice, is not only a common cause -- our country’s cause -- but also a spirit captured in a Book of Isaiah, a familiar verse, mailed to me by the Gold Star parents of 2nd Lieutenant Mike McGahan. “When I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here I am. Send me!”
That’s what we memorialize today. That spirit that says, send me, no matter the mission. Send me, no matter the risk. Send me, no matter how great the sacrifice I am called to make. The patriots we memorialize today sacrificed not only all they had but all they would ever know. They gave of themselves until they had nothing more to give. It’s natural, when we lose someone we care about, to ask why it had to be them. Why my son, why my sister, why my friend, why not me?
These are questions that cannot be answered by us. But on this day we remember that it is on our behalf that they gave our lives -- they gave their lives. We remember that it is their courage, their unselfishness, their devotion to duty that has sustained this country through all its trials and will sustain us through all the trials to come. We remember that the blessings we enjoy as Americans came at a dear cost; that our very presence here today, as free people in a free society, bears testimony to their enduring legacy.
Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay. But we can honor their sacrifice, and we must. We must honor it in our own lives by holding their memories close to our hearts, and heeding the example they set. And we must honor it as a nation by keeping our sacred trust with all who wear America’s uniform, and the families who love them; by never giving up the search for those who’ve gone missing under our country’s flag or are held as prisoners of war; by serving our patriots as well as they serve us -- from the moment they enter the military, to the moment they leave it, to the moment they are laid to rest.
That is how we can honor the sacrifice of those we’ve lost. That is our obligation to America’s guardians -- guardians like Travis Manion. The son of a Marine, Travis aspired to follow in his father’s footsteps and was accepted by the USS [sic] Naval Academy. His roommate at the Academy was Brendan Looney, a star athlete and born leader from a military family, just like Travis. The two quickly became best friends -- like brothers, Brendan said.
After graduation, they deployed -- Travis to Iraq, and Brendan to Korea. On April 29, 2007, while fighting to rescue his fellow Marines from danger, Travis was killed by a sniper. Brendan did what he had to do -- he kept going. He poured himself into his SEAL training, and dedicated it to the friend that he missed. He married the woman he loved. And, his tour in Korea behind him, he deployed to Afghanistan. On September 21st of last year, Brendan gave his own life, along with eight others, in a helicopter crash.
Heartbroken, yet filled with pride, the Manions and the Looneys knew only one way to honor their sons’ friendship -- they moved Travis from his cemetery in Pennsylvania and buried them side by side here at Arlington. “Warriors for freedom,” reads the epitaph written by Travis’s father, “brothers forever.”
The friendship between 1st Lieutenant Travis Manion and Lieutenant Brendan Looney reflects the meaning of Memorial Day. Brotherhood. Sacrifice. Love of country. And it is my fervent prayer that we may honor the memory of the fallen by living out those ideals every day of our lives, in the military and beyond. May God bless the souls of the venerable warriors we’ve lost, and the country for which they died.
Columbus Dispatch Series on Employment for the Disabled. Ecologists expect more algae trouble in Ohio lakes Tressel reportedly encouraged to resign Columbus Dispatch that Tressel was encouraged to resign. Tressel reportedly flew back Sunday night to Columbus from Florida, where he was vacationing, and met with school officials.
The Dispatch obtained a memo Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee sent to the school's Board of Trustees on Monday:
"I write to let you know that later this morning we will be announcing the resignation of Jim Tressel as head coach of the University's football program. As you all know, I appointed a special committee to analyze and provide advice to me regarding issues attendant to our football program. In consultation with the senior leadership of the University and the senior leadership of the Board, I have been actively reviewing the matter and have accepted coach Tressel's resignation."
The special committee is significant, indicating Ohio State is concerned about more trouble coming for the program.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises tweets that Tressel announced his resignation to the team in a very brief meeting about 8:45 a.m. Monday. Tressel reportedly fought back tears and spoke for only a few seconds, before interim coach Luke Fickell addressed the team.
UFC 130 Fight Card | Brian Stann vs Jorge Santiago | Rampage Jackson vs Matt Hamill | Miguel Torres vs. Demetrious Johnson | Frank Mir vs. Roy Nels
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson faces Matt Hamill in a light heavyweight bout at UFC 130.The fight is headlining the UFC 130 card but it wasn't supposed to. Originally, the third match between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard for the lightweight title was to headline the card. Both of those fighters were injured and had to drop off the card.
Nor was Jackson vs Hamill even supposed to be the original co-headliner. It was originally booked as Rampage against Thiago Silva, but Silva failed his post-fight drug test at UFC 125 and had to withdraw from the bout.
Hamill for his part was supposed to be fighting Phil Davis, but now Davis is stepping in for Jon Jones against Rashad Evans at UFC 133.
Given all that, it's a somewhat interesting match as Jackson wasn't at his best in a controversial decision win over Lyoto Machida at UFC 123 and has been openly saying he'd rather be making movies than fighting.
For his part Hamill is making a big step up in competition here. Despite having nine wins in the UFC, Hamill hasn't beaten anyone who's currently relevant in the division. His best wins were all against undersized fighters who've since moved down to middleweight (Mark Munoz, Tim Boetsch), guys who've been cut (Keith Jardine, Reese Andy) or aging and injured (Tito Ortiz). True Hamill is the only man to own a win over current champ Jon Jones, but he was destroyed in that fight and owes the win to a DQ on Jones' part for battering a helpless Hamill with 12 to 6 elbows to the eye.
If Jackson, who is visibly in very good trim, comes into the bout at the top of his game he should have few problems handling Hamill. Jackson is one of the best boxers in MMA with excellent footwork and smooth, deadly combination punching. Hamill is a good wrestler and strikes with power, but he has many glaring flaws in his MMA game and can't shift seamlessly from striking to wrestling.
Jackson has fought the very best competition in the sport for almost a decade now. Hamill hasn't. Hamill has been in big fights on big cards, though so he won't be intimidated by Rampage or by headlining.
A day after Florida's Scott Cousins crashed into him at the plate at San Francisco's AT&T Park, Giants catcher Buster Posey was put on the disabled list because of a broken bone in his lower left leg and three torn ligaments in his ankle. The move probably ends his season and puts a major dent in the Giants' chances of repeating as World Series champions.
"You just don't replace a guy like Buster Posey," said Giants Manager Bruce Bochy, a former catcher who was so upset by the news that he called on Major League Baseball to review rule changes for collisions at the plate.
Posey has been San Francisco's cleanup hitter, a team leader and key cog behind the plate for one of baseball's best rotations. The 2010 National League rookie of the year was batting .284 with four home runs and 21 runs batted in, and he was finding his groove in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak that came as the Giants moved into the NL West lead.
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Photos: Photos: Buster Posey breaks his leg
Russell Branyan, Angels come up just short in 4-3 loss to Athletics
When it comes to injuries, the Dodgers top the list
Backup Eli Whiteside will be Posey's immediate replacement.
Posey was hurt after San Francisco scored four runs in the ninth Wednesday, forcing extra innings. The play started when Emilio Bonifacio hit a shallow fly ball to right-center against Guillermo Mota for the second out in the 12th inning. Cousins tagged from third base on the sacrifice fly, beating the throw from Nate Schierholtz and lowering his shoulder for a clean hit on Posey. Cousins was safe as Posey never corralled the ball, giving Florida a 7-6 victory.
Drunk and reckless driving charges have been dismissed against Atlanta Braves pitcher Derek Lowe. One of Lowe's attorneys said the chief prosecutor in Atlanta Municipal Court agreed to dismiss the charges for lack of evidence.
Authorities said a 27-year-old man died Thursday from injuries he sustained when he lost his balance and fell 20 feet while trying to slide down a railing Tuesday at the Colorado Rockies' stadium, Coors Field, in Denver. The man was identified as Robert Seamans of Pueblo, Colo.
The Atlanta Braves traded veteran right-hander Rodrigo Lopez to the Chicago Cubs in a deal for minor league left-hander Ryan Buchter.
Memorial Day 4 Days of Weekend packed with music, dancing, drinking, culture,fun in Los Angeles
This four-day weekend is packed with music, dancing, drinking, culture, and fun in the sun events clear through Monday afternoon. Make it a weekend to memorialize at these LA events.
Friday What: Philter featuring The Littlemen Why: Because UK-based DJs The Littlemen will be spinning dance inducing electro-house at weekly club night Philter, the proceeds go to AIDS research, and tacos from Camarena Tequila are free for early arrivers. When: 9pm Where: Medusa Lounge, 3211 Beverly Boulevard (213-382-5723 or www.medusalounge.com)
What: Lightning in a Bottle Why: Because the good vibes radiating from the DoLab's music and arts festival will be the most potent in the spontaneous puppy pile you find yourself at the center of at 3am on Sunday morning. When: Friday through Sunday Where: Oak Canyon Ranch, Silverado, CA, (lightninginabottle.org)
Saturday: What: Tim Burton book signing Why: Because having the film auteur's signature on your copy of the catalog from his just-opened LACMA exhibition automatically ups your library's cool quotient. Stick around for the museum's 7pm screening of the 1994 Burton/Johnny Deep collabo "Ed Wood." When: 12pm - 2pm Where: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard at South Spaulding Avenue, (323-857-6000 or lacma.org)
What: Esotouric's Tom Waits Bus Tour of Los Angeles Why: Because Tom Waits fans can steep themselves in the history of the musician's early 70s LA days while boozing at the musicians old haunts and bouncing "Rain Dogs" trivia off each other. When: Noon Where: King Edward Cafe, 131 East 5th Street, at South Los Angeles Street, (323-223-2767 or www.esotouric.com/waits)
Sunday: What: Bruin Bhangra Competition Afterparty Why: Because the afterparty of one of the nation's largest Bhangra competitions will be a dance session of Punjab-sized proportions. When: 9:30pm Where: The Music Box, 6126 Hollywood Boulevard, at North Gower Street, (323-464-0808 or iambhangra.com)
What: Topanga Days Country Fair Why: Because this annual Topanga Canyon event features old fashioned fun including sack races and horse shoe tossing in addition to arts vendors and music from a slew of folk and rock acts. Don't miss the daily drum circle. When: Saturday through Monday
Congress on Thursday passed a four-year extension of post-Sept. 11 powers to search records and conduct roving wiretaps in pursuit of terrorists. Votes taken in rapid succession in the Senate and House came after lawmakers rejected attempts to temper the law enforcement powers to ensure that individual liberties are not abused.
Following the 250-153 evening vote in the House, the legislation to renew three terrorism-fighting authorities headed for the president's signature with only hours to go before the provisions expire at midnight.
With Obama currently in Europe, the White House said the president would use an autopen machine that holds a pen and signs his actual signature. It is only used with proper authorization of the president. Obama will be awakened by 5:45 a.m. in France so he can review and approve the bill and authorize his signature, the White House said.
A short-term expiration would not interrupt ongoing operations but would bar the government from seeking warrants for new investigations.
Congress bumped up against the deadline mainly because of the stubborn resistance from a single senator, Republican freshman Rand Paul of Kentucky, who saw the terrorist-hunting powers as an abuse of privacy rights. Paul held up the final vote for several days while he demanded a chance to change the bill to diminish the government's ability to monitor individual actions. The bill passed the Senate 72-23.
The measure would add four years to the legal life of roving wiretaps – those authorized for a person rather than a communications line or device – of court-ordered searches of business records and of surveillance of non-American "lone wolf" suspects without confirmed ties to terrorist groups.
The roving wiretaps and access to business records are small parts of the USA Patriot Act enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. But unlike most of the act, which is permanent law, those provisions must be renewed periodically because of concerns that they could be used to violate privacy rights. The same applies to the "lone wolf" provision, which was part of a 2004 intelligence law.
Paul argued that in the rush to meet the terrorist threat in 2001 Congress enacted a Patriot Act that tramples on individual liberties. He had some backing from liberal Democrats and civil liberties groups who have long contended the law gives the government authority to spy on innocent citizens.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he voted for the act when he was a House member in 2001 "while ground zero was still burning." But "I soon realized it gave too much power to government without enough judicial and congressional oversight."
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Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., said the provision on collecting business records can expose law-abiding citizens to government scrutiny. "If we cannot limit investigations to terrorism or other nefarious activities, where do they end?" he asked.
"The Patriot Act has been used improperly again and again by law enforcement to invade Americans' privacy and violate their constitutional rights," said Laura W. Murphy, director of the ACLU Washington legislative office.
Still, coming just a month after intelligence and military forces tracked down and killed Osama bin Laden, there was little appetite for tampering with the terrorism-fighting tools. These tools, said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, "have kept us safe for nearly a decade and Americans today should be relieved and reassured to know that these programs will continue."
Intelligence officials have denied improper use of surveillance tools, and this week both FBI Director Robert Mueller and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper sent letters to congressional leaders warning of serious national security consequences if the provisions were allowed to lapse.
The Obama administration says that without the three authorities the FBI might not be able to obtain information on terrorist plotting inside the U.S. and that a terrorist who communicates using different cell phones and email accounts could escape timely surveillance.
"When the clock strikes midnight tomorrow, we would be giving terrorists the opportunity to plot attacks against our country, undetected," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on the Senate floor Wednesday. In unusually personal criticism of a fellow senator, he warned that Paul, by blocking swift passage of the bill, "is threatening to take away the best tools we have for stopping them."
The nation itself is divided over the Patriot Act, as reflected in a Pew Research Center poll last February, before the killing of bin Laden, that found that 34 percent felt the law "goes too far and poses a threat to civil liberties. Some 42 percent considered it "a necessary tool that helps the government find terrorists." That was a slight turnaround from 2004 when 39 percent thought it went too far and 33 percent said it was necessary.
Paul, after complaining that Reid's remarks were "personally insulting," asked whether the nation "should have some rules that say before they come into your house, before they go into your banking records, that a judge should be asked for permission, that there should be judicial review? Do we want a lawless land?"
Paul agreed to let the bill go forward after he was given a vote on two amendments to rein in government surveillance powers. Both were soundly defeated. The more controversial, an amendment that would have restricted powers to obtain gun records in terrorist investigations, was defeated 85-10 after lawmakers received a letter from the National Rifle Association stating that it was not taking a position on the measure.
According to a senior Justice Department national security official testifying to Congress last March, the government has sought roving wiretap authority in about 20 cases a year between 2001 and 2010 and has sought warrants for business records less than 40 times a year, on average. The government has yet to use the lone wolf authority.
But the ACLU also points out that court approvals for business record access jumped from 21 in 2009 to 96 last year, and the organization contends the Patriot Act has blurred the line between investigations of actual terrorists and those not suspected of doing anything wrong.
Two Democratic critics of the Patriot Act, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Udall of Colorado, on Thursday extracted a promise from Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that she would hold hearings with intelligence and law enforcement officials on how the law is being carried out.
Wyden says that while there are numerous interpretations of how the Patriot Act works, the official government interpretation of the law remains classified. "A significant gap has developed now between what the public thinks the law says and what the government secretly claims it says," Wyden said.
The former winner of American Idol, Lee DeWyze was seen on last night American Idol finale, but he did not take part in the event, and he did not perform. The internet is abuzz with reports, and the speculation as to why DeWyze did not have an active role on the finale is at an all-time high. DeWyze fans seem to be outraged over the various reports that are currently circulating in the media, and according to a new report, DeWyze has explained that he was reportedly not asked to be a part of the show's finale.
According to zap2it, Lee DeWyze explained of the claims that media outlets are reporting on: "I was not asked to be involved in the Finale. It wasn't until about 2 minutes before they announced that Nigel had approached me and asked if he could ;borrow' me for a second. I didnt feel a last second jump on stage was appropriate. It was Scotty's moment." He went on to reveal: "I appreciate American Idol, and the opportunity it has given me. And the people who have made that show possible. I am not angry, or bitter etc. It was an amazing Finale, and I would have loved to be a part of it. I just wasnt asked."
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Fans were able to see Lee DeWyze in the audience last night, and many fans wondered why he did not have an active role on the show. There seem to be conflicting reports as to what exactly happened, however, Lee DeWyze has given a statement as to the fact that he was reportedly not asked to be a part of the show.
What do you think about the fact that Lee DeWyze was reportedly not asked to be a part of the finale last night? Are you surprised by the various reports? What did you think of the finale?
'American Idol' finale: Haley Reinhart is smooth with Tony Bennett
Zap2it.com (blog)
- May 26, 2011
- 58 minutes ago
By Andrea Reiher We didn't think "American Idol" finalist Haley Reinhart could get any sexier, but that was before she dueted with musical legend Tony Bennett at the finale. They sang "Steppin' Out With My Baby" and even though Bennett is 85 years ...
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Riley supporters attend required DOE hearing
South Bend Tribune
- May 26, 2011
- 25 minutes ago
By KIM KILBRIDE South Bend Tribune Staff Writer SOUTH BEND — State schools Superintendent Tony Bennett was very clear: He and his team from the Indiana Department of Education were not at Riley High School Wednesday evening to deliberate whether or ...
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Ramsey Commissioners Bennett, Ortega perplexed at Coleman plan, say it won't work
MinnPost.com
- May 26, 2011
- 5 hours ago
By Joe Kimball | Published Wed, May 25 2011 3:57 pm Ramsey County Commissioner Tony Bennett has been the point man on the county's bold effort to lure the Minnesota Vikings to a new stadium in Arden Hills, and he sounded a bit perplexed — almost ...
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Schools chief Bennett: Reform not for the faint-hearted
Terre Haute Tribune Star
- May 22, 2011
- May 22, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS — There's not much hanging on the walls of Tony Bennett's Statehouse office, but what is there is telling of the approach the state's public-schools superintendent took on education reform in Indiana this year. ...
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Tony Bennett, Haley Reinhart Duet on American Idol : emusicality.com
3 hours ago
Third placer Haley Reinhart had a duet with Tony Bennett with the song "Steppin Out With My Baby" on the American Idol season 10 finale results show. Watch the performance of the two below. [video will be uploaded shortly] ...
http://www.emusicality.com/
'American Idol' finale: Haley Reinhart is smooth with Tony Bennett...
1 hour ago
We didn't think “American Idol” finalist Haley Reinhart could get any sexier, but that was before she dueted with musical legend Tony Bennett at the finale.
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/
Tony Bennett on Obama: “What's wrong with having an intelligent ...
May 16, 2011
A late evening palate cleanser via CNS — and not the first time that they've spun video gold from waylaying poor old Tony Bennett. Remember when they caught up to him at an event two years ago and found him urging Americans to support ...
A devastating tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri over the weekend killing at least 89 and almost cutting the town in half.
The horrifying storm laid a six-mile path of destruction across the area, as the tornado destroyed homes and businesses, turning the area into little more than rubble. According to the AP, the storm even took down a helicopter that laid battered amidst the devastation.
Storm chasers managed to capture the brunt of the storm on camera, just before the light faded.
A few other videos have come out of the storm, including this horrifying first-person account.
Authorities continue to rummage through debris, fearing they may come across more casualties as they dig through the remains of the town.
Screenshots and teasers do Modern Warfare 3 no justice, and the official reveal trailer proves it. That's right, "the epic sequel to the multiple Game of the Year award winner Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 returns on November 8th." Continue reading to watch
The Monterey County Health Department’s Communicable Disease Unit has released its annual report of communicable diseases. The department received 11,189 reports of communicable illness from medical providers and laboratories around the county in 2010.
Vectorborne diseases such as Lyme disease and West Nile cases remain low, while coccidioidomycosis (valley fever), encephalitis and meningitis cases continue to rise.
A pertussis outbreak of epidemic proportions in 2010 affected children, Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites at higher rates than others.
The most commonly reported foodbourne illnesses include salmonella, campylobacteria and shigellosis.
Disturbingly, sexually transmitted disease cases including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and chlamydia continue to increase in frequency as they have for the past 10 years. However, Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and gonorrhea are on a downturn. There are some 600 individuals living in Monterey County with HIV/AIDS. The report reveals a disproportionately large percentage of Hispanic and African-Americans affected by STDs, including HIV/AIDS, pointing to lack of health services and awareness available for their respective demographics.
The Bachelorette' is back for another summer of love, and though Ashley Herbert isn't touting a title even half as grandiose as "America's Sweetheart" Ali was last year, her prospective bachelors look no less hunky (or nutty) than the last crop, and isn't that what we're all here for? Oh yeah, and that whole "quest for a soulmate" thing, of course.
Our dainty dancing dentist wasn't exactly my favorite of Brad's bachelorettes, but who am I to question the capricious Reality TV Gods? At least the girl wasn't in need of any "intensive therapy" or "soul searching" after Brad kicked her to the curb (if I ever hear the words "changed man" again, it'll be too soon), so she'll hopefully offer us more perkiness and less weeping this time around.
At this stage of the game, it's hard to even keep the guys' names straight, let alone make any predictions, but let's take a look at our lineup and decide who earned our first impression rose tonight ...
After some typically pensive jogging, interpretive dancing and gazing longingly out of a window, Ashley pepped herself up enough to slap on a sparkly dress and meet her potential soulmates -- not a hard gig, if you can get it. Anything is preferable to another 'Rocky' homage -- poor Philadelphia must rue the day Sly Stallone first jogged up those steps.
The first guy we met in the introduction videos was also No. 1 out of the limo, and it's no wonder that dreamy Ryan P. scored Ashley's first impression rose. I could go on about his sunny disposition and beaming smile, but he made enough solar puns for all of us. Still, it's nice to see a guy who's environmentally conscious, seemingly genuine and undeniably attractive -- marry him, Ashley! Oh, wait, there are 24 more? Sigh.
Other hotties guys who made a good first impression (on me, anyway): Preppy William from Columbus, Ohio. His intro video overplayed his bad luck with an umbrella a little too much, but the man is certified cute. He's apparently the "stepping stone" that women date before finding their soulmate, but he seemed sweet, and showed a little more depth when he revealed that he wears a watch that supposedly stopped at the exact time that his alcoholic father died. He kept the sob story to himself with Ashley, though, and charmed her by calling himself "just" a salesman, before demonstrating his Sean Connery impersonation skills.
Another potential dreamboat was Ben C., who not only possessed a certain je ne sais quoi in his introduction to Ashley (he's the dude who spoke French, duh), but also made the genius decision to lift a scene right out of 'Love Actually,' the perennial chick-flick favorite, by grabbing Ashley's attention at the window with hand-written cards tempting her to come outside and talk to him. FYI: Stealing tricks from any Colin Firth movie is a surefire way to get a girl's attention, fellas.
TNT cameras filmed an angry Joakim Noah mouthing back a hateful anti-gay slur to a fan after receiving his second foul early in the first quarter.
Just last month, Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 for yelling a homophobic slur at a referee. Bryant later released a statement saying, “My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings towards the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone.”
Yet, NBA Commissioner David Stern said, "While I'm fully aware that basketball is an emotional game, such a distasteful term should never be tolerated... Kobe and everyone associated with the NBA know that insensitive or derogatory comments are not acceptable and have no place in our game or society."
While there may be no place for derogatory comments, they appear to be taking place at lightning speed in a disturbing trend. Regarding acceptance of different sexual orientations in society, some consider the sports world to be trailing behind. Phoenix Suns president and CEO Rick Welts, who recently revealed to the public that he is gay, told The New York Times, "This is one of the last industries where the subject is off limits… Nobody's comfortable in engaging in a conversation."
UPDATE: Noah apologized for allegedly using a gay slur toward a fan during Miami's Game 3 victory on Sunday night.
WATCH Joakim Noah caught on camera (warning, profanity):
Justin Timberlake & Lady Gaga are heading to Saturday Night Live for the May 21 season finale and the promos have dropped! In the new clips, Timberlake gets goofy with his [Expletive] in a Box duet partner, SNL cast member Andy Samberg.So tonight is the season finale of Saturday Night Live and former boy band star, turned unofficial comedian Justin Timberlake is going to be hosting. Justin has clearly ditched his boy band persona and
found himself a new gig as an unofficial cast member on SNL. Now unlike some people, Justin has actually been quite hillarious on SNL. Now think about it what other male can dress up as the Queen Bey herself and pull off
single ladies and have over 15 million viewers laughing with him and not at him..? If any other male tried that you already know they would be considered suspect. Oh, but wait don’t forget the musical guest for the night is Lady Gaga, and you never know what piece of meat, cartoon character or dairy product she will incubate in
Justin Bieber and his gal Selena Gomez showed some slight PDA while in the crowd at the Billboard Music Awards. The young couple posed for pics, but cameras also caught Selena with her hand on the teen heartthrob’s knee.
Dressed in a gold blazer, Bieber won Top New Artist and kissed Selena before taking the stage to accept the award, thanking his fans, his mother and even his swagger coach Ryan Good.
The kiss was the latest big show of public affection for Bieber and Gomez, who for months evaded any admissions that they were dating. That was, until they stepped out together for the first time at the Vanity Fair Oscars party back in February. justin and selena's big night out
This was the first time Selena has stepped out since the controversy over her music video.
Not only was the singer/actress blasted by singer Pink for having pink painted horses in her “Love You Like a Love Song” video, PETA was also not too happy with the animal treatment.
“There are no safe ways to paint a live horse or any animal; they can have painful allergic reactions to chemicals and there’s no way to know how an individual animal will react,” a rep for PETA told Celebuzz.
“Also, subjecting skittish animals like horses to extended periods of restraint and spraying is stressful and frightening.”
Selena’s camp has since responded to the controversy, saying that the pink substance was “non toxic, vegetable based powder paint.”
Watch VIdeo Recent earthquakesEarthquake In New Zealand 6.1 magnitude May 21, 2011 at 04:29 pm
It's going to be a tough Saturday, according to one religious group in the U.S. By the calculations of 'Family Radio', today is Judgement day and the end of the world. RT's Kaelyn Ford followed them on their mission to spread the doomsday prophecy
Zombie apocalypse." That blog posting headline is all it took for a behind-the-scenes public health doctor to set off an Internet frenzy over tired old advice about keeping water and flashlights on hand in case of a hurricane.
"You may laugh now, but when it happens you'll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you'll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency," wrote Dr. Ali Khan on the emergency preparedness blog of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Above the post is a photo of what appears to be a dirty-fingered female zombie.
Khan's postings usually draw 1,000 to 3,000 hits in a week. This one – posted Monday – got 30,000 within a day. By Friday, it had gotten 963,000 page views and was the top item viewed on the agency's Web site, thanks in part to media coverage that began mid-week.
As of Friday morning, the traffic showed no signs of abating.
"The response has been absolutely excellent. Most people have gotten the fact that this is tongue-and-cheek," Khan said.
More important, CDC officials said, it is drawing interest from teens and young adults who otherwise would not have read a federal agency's guidance on the importance of planning an evacuation route or how much water and what tools to store in case a major storm rolls in.
The idea evolved from a CDC Twitter session with the public earlier this year about planning for disasters. Activity spiked when dozens of tweets came in from people saying they were concerned about zombies.
Dave Daigle, a veteran communications specialist, proposed the idea of using a zombie hook to spice up the hurricane message. Khan, director of emergency preparedness, approved it immediately and wrote it himself.
Story continues
"Most directors would have thrown me out of their office," Daigle laughed. "Ali has a good sense of humor."
In the blog, Khan discussed what fiction has said about flesh-eating zombies and the various infectious agents that different movies have fingered as the cause.
His favorite zombie flick is "Resident Evil," but his interest in unpredictable terrors is driven more by his decades of work tracking real-life infections like Ebola hemorrhagic fever, bird flu and SARS.
CDC officials said the feedback they've gotten is almost completely positive, including a nice note from the boss, Dr. Tom Frieden.
Almost as rewarding was a nice comment Daigle said he received from his 14-year-old daughter, who has shown little interest in her dad's work but saw the zombie post and said, "This is cool!"
There have been few comments asking whether this is the best way for the government to spend tax dollars. The agency is under a tight budget review at the moment and facing potentially serious budget cuts. But the zombie post involved no extra time or expenditure, CDC officials said.
"We have a critical message to get out and that is CDC saves lives while saving money. If it takes zombies to help us get that message out, then so be it," said agency spokesman Tom Skinner.
Whether the message sticks still has to be determined. The agency is planning a follow-up survey to see if people actually did prepare emergency kits or follow Khan's other advice.
CDC deserves credit for trying something like this, said Bill Gentry, director of the community preparedness and disaster management program at the University of North Carolina's school of public health.
Randy “Macho Man” Savage, the professional wrestler known for his raspy voice, the sunglasses and bandanas he wore in the ring and the young woman named Miss Elizabeth who often accompanied him, died in a car crash Friday in Florida. He was 58.”Macho Man” Randy Savage died in a car accident today … Ryan — who helped break the story — has all the details.We have one of Macho’s old rivals on the phone — Diamond Dallas Page.
Arnold coughed up $65,000 to his mistress for a house payment!.While Randy is probably best remembered for his flamboyant attire and signature catchphrase (“Ooooh yeah!”), he was also a dedicated performer and the Intercontinental Champion in 1986 after defeating Tito Santana. According to WWE’s website, Savage was the No. 1 champion of all time, and “brought a higher level of credibility to the title through his amazing in-ring performances.” Macho Man Randy Savage — one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time — died today in a car accident in Seminole, Florida … TMZ has learned. TMZ spoke with Randy’s brother, Lanny Poffo, who tells us
the wrestling legend suffered a heart attack while he was behind the wheel around 9:25 AM … and lost control of his vehicle. Wrestling legend, snack pitchman and actor “Macho Man” Randy Savage died Friday in Seminole, Florida after losing control of his car while suffering a heart attack, his brother tells TMZ. Lanny Poffo says his brother was behind the wheel around 10 AM when the accident occurred. He was 58.
The Florida Highway Patrol later told the website that Savage and his wife, Lynn, were driving their Jeep Wrangler when the car veered across a concrete median, rushed through oncoming traffic and “collided head-on with a tree.”
New Zealand Earthquake Report - May 21 2011 at 7:30 am (NZST)
Magnitude 3.0, Saturday, May 21 2011 at 7:30 am (NZST), Within 5 km of Christchurch.
Quake Details
Information about this earthquake:
Reference Number
3516408 [View event in Google Maps][View Felt Reports in Google Maps]
Universal Time
May 20 2011 at 19:30
NZ Standard Time
Saturday, May 21 2011 at 7:30 am
Latitude, Longitude
43.57°S, 172.64°E
Focal Depth
7 km
Richter magnitude
3.0
Region
Canterbury
Location
Within 5 km of Christchurch
New Zealand and other areas in the Pacific Ocean passed the May 21, 6 p.m. local time unscathed, despite predictions by Harold Camping that the hour would signal the beginning of the end of the world, many seemed to breathe a public sigh of relief -- some tongue-in-cheek and others more seriously -- on Twitter and other social media forums.
Although it was not the first time Oakland-based Camping, 89, forecast the apocalypse, this date marked the most attention-grabbing of his doomsday predictions. The unprecedented publicity was spurred by a worldwide $100-million campaign of caravans and billboards, financed by the sale and swap of TV and radio stations.
Camping broadcast what he told viewers would be his final "Open Forum" TV and radio show Thursday night. The Times' Christopher Goffard reported that when Camping, a former engineer, wrapped up the program he's hosted for decades, he shook hands with a couple of crewmen. "I probably won't see you again," he announced.
The map above shows recent seismic activity in the world, as reported by the U.S. Geological Survey on Saturday morning, shortly after midnight in Los Angeles.
Tonight, on the live results show, Nicole Scherzinger will perform her new single which just so happens to feature Curtis Jackson (50 Cent). Prior to Ryan Seacrest announcing who will be voted off and who is headed to the finale, Nicole and 50 will take the stage and I am sure there is going to be a lot of booty shaking going on. Who do you predict will be eliminated tonight on American Idol?
I just watched the Nicole Scherzinger ft. 50 Cent “Right There” music video and it’s the typical crap people call music nowadays. Does this deserve to be on a “talent” show such as American Idol? Absolutely not, the remaining three Idol finalists have RAW natural talent and to put this auto tuned nonsense in their same league is ridiculous. Anyways, I know people love this crap so they will most likely be looking forward to the performance tonight. Il Vollo will also take the Idol stage and perform live, whoever they are.
Pics Canucks Fan Shows Breasts Boobs to Ben Eager in Sharks
Canucks Fan Flashes Ben Eager In The Penalty Box (Video)
Pics: Canucks Fan Shows Her Breasts To Sharks Ben Eager in Penalty
Green Men couldn’t make it out to Rogers Arena last night for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the San Jose Sharks and the Vancouver Canucks, but who really needs them when you have sexy fans in hockey jerseys flashing their funbags at the opposing team’s players in the penalty box?
Think about it for a second. What is more distracting to a player? A couple of men in green spandex suits holding up signs and goofing around, or a chick with a lovely rack pressing those breasts up against the glass so you can ogle them?
That isn’t a very hard question to answer. The Sharks’ Ben Eager knows what we are talking about.
…And by the way, Canucks win! 7-3!
P.S. If you want to see the video without the breasts blurred out, it isn’t rocket science. Search “Eager” on YouTube and then sort the results by upload date. I did it, and if you like breasts you will want to do the same. Trust me.
Hip-hop singer Sean Kingston Injured In Jet Ski Crash Now in Hospitals.Hip-hop singer Sean Kingston has been stabilized and moved to the intensive care unit at a hospital after crashing his watercraft into a Miami Beach bridge, his publicist said Monday.
Russell Branyan, Angels come up just short in 4-3 loss to Athletics 
When it comes to injuries, the Dodgers top the list 
