Bring That Week Back: Week of December 13
Diddy gets waxed. John McCain stands up for Black hero and a sports star dies. Plus | get an update on Tiger Woods.
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Diddy Gets Madame Tussaud’s Wax Statue - Diddy is on wax. A sculpture of Diddy in a tux is the latest celebrity creation of Madame Tussaud's. The museum unveiled its work at an event in New York.
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Spelman to Alumnae: Help With Tuition - Spelman College has sent an e-mail to all alumnae asking them to help pay the tuition of current students. Spelman, a historically Black college for women, is among a host of Black educational institutions that has reached out to graduates for help.
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Mashonda and Swizz Beatz Feud on Twitter - In the past, arguments between people happened face to face or on the telephone. Now, they occur on Twitter. Swizz Beatz and his estranged wife Mashonda once again were involved in a series of profanity-laced diatribes on the social networking site. Mashonda apparently snapped when Swizz sent a tweet to promote Alicia Keys’ new album. Swizz and Keys are dating.
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“30-Deep” Gang Members Arrested - Four members of the “30-Deep” gang in Atlanta were arrested and accused of participating in a string of violent smash and grab robberies. Javorris Redding, John Quavis Hood, Tavorris Seays and Tomarkus Thomas face a Dec. 30 hearing.
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Charlie Murphy Wife Dies - Tisha Taylor Murphy, the wife of comedian and actor Charlie Murphy, died of cancer. Charlie married Tisha in 1997 and the pair had three children.
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Detroit’s First Black City Councilwoman Dies - Erma Henderson, the first African-American woman to serve on the Detroit City Council, died Monday at 92 years old. Henderson served more than 18 years on city council after being elected to office in 1972.
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NAACP Stays Execution - The NAACP of Georgia along with several other organizations successfully stayed the execution of Carlton Gray, a man convicted in 1986 of the strangling deaths of three women in the late ‘70s. The Georgia State Supreme Court is allowing DNA testing on evidence captured at the crime scene. DNA testing was not available during his trial.
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Nelly House Robbed - Someone broke into Nelly's home and stole electronics and video games, according to suburban St. Louis police. Nelly was in Atlanta at the time of the robbery.
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T.I to Move to Halfway House Soon - Clifford Harris, known to hip-hop fans as T.I., is headed to a halfway house. The Atlanta rapper is currently in federal prison and is expected to be released in March, according to statements made Wednesday by a U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesman. T.I. is in prison on weapons charges.
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Obama Arrives in Copenhagen - The President made his way to Copenhagen to join other world leaders for the last weekend of the international climate-change conference in Norway. The goal of the conference was to determine what steps are necessary to eliminate greenhouse gases and curb rising Earth temperatures.
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Tiger Woods Voted Best Athlete of Decade - Associated Press sports writers voted Tiger Woods the Athlete of the Decade. Woods received 56 of the 142 votes. Cyclist Lance Armstrong came in second. Half of the ballots reportedly came after Woods’ traffic incident and subsequent scandal.
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Michelle Obama Plays Santa - She didn't come down a chimney or show up with reindeer, but Michelle Obama delivered two huge bags of toys to the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots campaign on Wednesday. White House staff donated 500 items to the cause. The First Lady focused on gifts for older children, ages 11-14, who she said are often forgotten.
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White House Hosts Journalists, Bloggers - The Obamas gathered some of the nation’s most respected journalists, bloggers and political commentators for a holiday celebration at the White House. Monday’s event was a rousing success, according to comments made on Twitter by the attendees.
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Barkley: Tiger Woods Changed Number - NBA great Charles Barkley said he tried to contact Tiger Woods, but his number changed. In an interview with the Associated Press, Barkley said the embattled golf star needs to reach out to his friends who are successful athletes and celebs. “They’re the only people who understand what it’s like.”
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Michael Vick Fiancee Talks Engagement - While promoting a Philadelphia area charity event, Kijafa Frink discussed with a Fox News station her surprise birthday/engagement party where Michael Vick proposed and gave her a ring. Frink admitted that the pair have been engaged for a while, but now she finally has a rock to go along with the status.
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NFL Player Dies - Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry died Thursday, a day after falling out of the back of a pickup truck during what police said was a domestic dispute with his fiancee. He was 26.
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Rihanna Goes Topless - Rihanna let it all hang out for GQ. The multi-platinum-selling singer goes topless on the magazine’s cover. Rihanna recently released her latest album, “Rated R.”
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McCain Urges Jack Johnson Pardon - Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) sent a letter to President Barack Obama in support of the posthumous pardoning of boxer Jack Johnson. In 1913, Johnson was jailed and convicted of violating the Mann Act—a federal law prohibiting the transportation of women across state lines to participate in prostitution or immoral behavior. Johnson often traveled with his wife, who was White. To escape prison, Johnson moved to Europe but later returned and served 10 years in federal custody.
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DEA: We Have Buju Banton on Tape - Reggae music star Buju Banton is in federal custody for allegedly trafficking five kilos of cocaine to the U.S. According to law enforcement officials, Banton is on tape making a drug deal in Florida. If convicted, Banton, whose real name is Mark Anthony Myrie, may serve a life sentence.
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Tiger Quits Golf, Wife Quits Tiger - Tiger Woods is taking a break from professional golf. Woods announced he will not participate in golfing events for several months as he wants to work out his family issues. Several media outlets have reported that Woods’ wife Elin has filed for divorce.
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Chris Brown Tweets Frustrations; Closes Account - Twitter doesn't have Chris Brown to kick around anymore. Brown closed his Twitter account after accusing Walmart – through the social networking site – of “blackballing” his music by not putting it on shelves. Walmart denied the accusation.
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City Council Approves Gay Marriage - Washington, D.C. city council approved legislation this week to allow gay marriage in the nation's capital. The measure passed by an 11-2 vote, but must await the approval of Congress.
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Man Hits Lottery, Leaves Wife - Arnim Ramdass, a former mechanic for American Airlines, hit the Florida State lottery and abandoned his wife. Donna Campbell said her husband left her destitute and she was forced to move out of their home. She want a divorce but her lawyer cannot find him to serve papers.
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Juneteenth Becomes State Holiday in Wis. - The state of Wisconsin officially recognizes Juneteenth as an official state holiday. In legislation signed by Gov. Jim Doyle June 19th is a legal holiday meaning no state office will be opened. Juneteenth is a celebration on June 19, 1865 when slaves in Texas were told about the Emancipation proclamation.
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Democrats Go Against Health Care? - Spurred with concessions made to Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and other conservative members of Congress to pass health care legislation several prominent Democrats including former DNC Chair Howard Dean, SEIU Union Head Andy Stern and MNNBC commentator Keith Olberman urge progressives to vote against health care legislation. Detractors argue without a public option or medicare buy-in insurance prices will skyrocket.
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Blige, Badu and Bailey Rae Join Lilith Fair - Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu and Corrine Bailey Rae have agreed to participate in a summer concert series to celebrate the diversity of women in music. The Lilith Fair Tour has raised millions for charities throughout America.
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Bill T. Jones Takes Fela to the Colbert Report - Famous choreographer Bill T. Jones and his performers from the Broadway show Fela performed on the Colbert Report on Monday. Mr. Jones took facetious questions from the fake political program and dazzled the audience with his dance moves.
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Former N.J. Councilwoman Dana Rone Loses Appeal - Dana Rone, who was removed from her position on the Newark(NJ) City Council lost her appeal to be cleared of obstruction for using her clout as an elected official to intimidate a Rutgers University officer who arrested her nephew. Rone is prohibited from seeking elected office.
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Lil Wayne “Leaked” on Amazon - Oops! Amazon.com mistakenly disseminated 500 copies of Lil Wayne's newest album, “Rebirth,” at least two months ahead of schedule. The album, which was originally to be released Dec. 21 but was pushed back to February, was sent accidentally to Amazon customers who pre-ordered the disc. Some customers that received digital copies via email have already made the tracks available to data-sharing Web sites.
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U.S. Military Suicides Up - The stress of protecting America's freedom and interests across the globe is having an adverse impact on our soldiers and sailors. A recent study conducted by the Pentagon suggests that suicides among enlisted soldiers and those fighters who recently returned from active duty are more than double the national civilian average of suicide.
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