Bring That Week Back: Week of July 5, 2009
Rihanna could face criminal charges; Ron Artest get his wish. Plus | a look at the rest of the week's biggest stories in pictures.
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Headed to Court? - Rihanna could be headed to a courtroom over allegations that she tattooed three willing fans with umbrellas and the letter R at East Side Ink in New York, singersroom.com reports. According to the city's health code, only licensed tattoo artists can administer tattoos. If convicted, Rihanna could be slapped with misdemeanor charges and up to $1,000 in penalty fees.
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Case Closed - After extensive investigations over the past few days Nashville Police confirmed that Steve McNair was killed by his girlfriend Sahel Kazemi. Authorities say Kazemi "was spinning out of control" when she shot McNair four times then ending her own life, The Associated Press reports.
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Death Sought - Florida prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Richard McTear Jr., who is accused of throwing his ex-girlfriend's 3-month-old infant from a moving car on Interstate 275. Officials say McTear forced his way into Jasmine Bedwell's apartment on May 5, beat her, drove off with the child and tossed the baby from his moving car onto the interstate, reports Tampa Bay Online.
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Foul Play? - Michael Jackson's father, Joe, told ABC News in an interview that he believed "foul play" was involved in his son's death. But in the interview that aired Friday on "Good Morning America," he did not elaborate. Meanwhile, detectives investigating Jackson's death are looking at his prescription drug history and trying to talk with his numerous former doctors, The Associated Press reports.
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Nearly Fatal Drowning at Snoop's - A 3-year-old child is recovering after a nearly-fatal drowning accident at Snoop Dogg's house on Saturday, July 4, according to the Pasadena Star News. According to officials, Snoop was not present at the time of the incident and it is uncertain what the 3-year-old's relationship is to the rapper. Snoop has yet to comment publicly on the incident.
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Stalking Charge - According to the United States Park Police, former Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, a current D.C. Council member, was arrested Saturday after a woman flagged down an officer and complained Barry was stalking her. He was charged with misdemeanor stalking and released. The U.S. Attorney's Office said Wednesday that it would not pursue the stalking charges after reviewing evidence.
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'Celebrate His Art' - Colin Powell says Michael Jackson had controversy in his life, but in death his art should be celebrated. "Yes, there was a great deal of controversy about him. But he's now passed on. Let's celebrate his art," Powell told CNN's "State of the Union."
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MJ Stamp - The Rev. Al Sharpton, according to E! Online, wants the U.S. Postal Service to waive its usual waiting period of five years after death and issue a Michael Jackson commemorative stamp. Sharpton also called upon the media to show respect during the family's time of mourning. "Michael was no freak," he said. "He was a genius."
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Private Funeral - A private funeral service for Michael Jackson took place at the Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Hollywood Hills Tuesday morning prior to the public memorial at Staples Center in Los Angeles. After the private ceremony, Jackson's body was taken to the Staples Center for a public ceremony before thousands of fans.
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Star-Studded Event - Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson were among the celebrity guests who performed at Michael Jackson's memorial service. The service began with Smokey Robinson reading comments from Nelson Mandela, Diana Ross and other friends of the King of Pop. An estimated 20,000 people, from near and far, were in the Staples Center as Jackson's golden, flower-draped casket was brought to the venue in a motorcade under law enforcement escort.
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11 / 25
Honor Blocked - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday abruptly blocked an effort by Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, pictured here, to have the House of Representatives pass a resolution honoring pop star Michael Jackson as an international humanitarian. Pelosi’s reasoning: She didn’t want to open up a congressional debate on the seamier side of the pop icon’s life.
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Heartbreaking Farewell - Jackson's 11-year-old daughter Paris gave an extremely short, yet emotion-filled statement about her father. Surrounded by her famous aunts and uncles, she said, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine,” she said through tears. “And I just want to say I love him so much.” Hers was the final tribute of the memorial.
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No Show - Debbie Rowe, Michael Jackson's ex-wife and mother of his two oldest children, decided not to attend the singer's memorial service Tuesday afternoon, ABC's “Good Morning America” reported. As recently as Monday, Rowe was confirmed to attend, but at the last minute, changed her mind believing, "her attendance would be an unnecessary distraction to an event that should focus exclusively on Michael's legacy," her lawyer Marta Almli said.
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Memorial Service Costs - Some Los Angeles taxpayers are reportedly outraged at the estimated $2.5 million and rising cost of Michael Jackson's memorial. According to E! Online, promoter AEG, which made money off the memorial, refused to pay for some of the public costs of Tuesday's event. The public safety effort included 1,400 police officers and fire and rescue specialists in case something went wrong.
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Michael's Mom Denied - An L.A. Superior Court judge denied Katherine Jackson's request for executorship over her late son Michael's estate Monday. He ruled that John Branca and John McClain, who were the original executors in Jackson's 2002 will, are special administrators of the will until August. 3 when both parties are scheduled to return to court.
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Flag Fallout - The Confederate flag flying at South Carolina's capitol now means the ACC is pulling its baseball championship from the state. The event was scheduled to be held in Myrtle Beach from 2011 through 2013, but has now been awarded to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in 2011 and NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, N.C. in 2012.
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Phi Beta Sigma? - According to sources in New Orleans, the men of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated have voted to induct former President Bill Clinton and the Rev. Al Sharpton into the historically Black frat. While the fraternity has not yet released any official confirmation, anonymous sources in New Orleans have leaked that both men will be inducted later this year.
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Playing Again? - When the United Football League makes its debut in October, Michael Vick could be one of its players. Michael Huyghue, the commissioner of the four-team league, said the UFL was willing to give Vick a place to play - provided there were no pending legal issues. Vick is under home confinement until July 20 for involvement in a dogfighting ring. The NFL is expected to announce whether the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback will be suspended.
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Lakers Ink Artest - Free agent forward Ron Artest is leaving the Houston Rockets to join the Los Angeles Lakers. Artest announced on ESPN last week that Houston offered him only a one-year contract, while the Lakers jumped at the chance to give him a multi-year deal just below $6 million. Artest made $7.4 million last season.
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‘Fresh Start’ - President Barack Obama praised Russia for its global contributions and called for a “fresh start” between the U.S. and Russia in a message aimed directly at the Russian people. Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, reached agreements Monday on nuclear arms and Afghanistan, which Obama said marked a “new start” in relations between the two nuclear superpowers.
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Agent 99 - Remember "Agent 99" from the ’60s TV series "Get Smart"? She was the clever undercover operative. Well that's what the President and his wife dubbed Sasha this week in Moscow after watching her walk down the halls of the Kremlin with her hands in the pockets of her trench coat, “like she knew where she was going.” He said at one point, he thought she "was going to pull out her shoe phone."
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Resurgence of Youth - As the nation's oldest civil rights organization celebrates its centennial, NAACP officials are reporting a resurgence of youth activism. NAACP officials credit some increased excitement to the "Obama effect" and it's young, new president and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous (pictured), who has ramped up activism among the organization's 600 "youth units."
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Prez and the Pope - President Obama, joined by First lady Michelle Obama, met with Pope Benedict XVI for about 25 minutes Friday at the Vatican. The president and the pope exchanged gifts, and then the president headed for a flight to Ghana, the final stop on his weeklong trip.
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A Safer Detroit - Detroit Mayor Dave Bing surprised police officers and city officials last Friday when he fired James Barren as police chief after less than a year on the job and replaced him with his one-time political rival Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans. Bing said Barren didn't do anything wrong, but felt the force needed a leadership change and that Evans would bring a more proactive approach to fighting crime.