Bring That Week Back: Week of September 13
T.I.is summoned to court; Oprah shocks audience; J-Lo joins 'Idol' judges. Plus more!
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Mayweather is Charged - Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. was charged Thursday with battery constituting domestic violence, robbery, grand larceny, coercion and harassment in connection to an incident involving his ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris. She accused Mayweather of assaulting her and threatening their three kids. He’s free on bail, and could serve more than 20 years if convicted on all charges, Reuters reports.
2 / 25
Gunman Shoots Mother, Doctor Inside Hospital - On Thursday, Paul Warren Pardus shot and wounded a doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., after he told Pardus that his elderly mother would never walk again. Pardus then barricaded himself in the hospital room before shooting and killing his mother and himself. The surgeon, David B. Cohen, is expected to survive, police say.
3 / 25
Portis Says He’s Sorry - Tuesday, Washington Redskin RB Clinton Portis got some heat after making controversial remarks about women reporters in NFL locker rooms. "You know, somebody got to spark her interest, or she's going to want somebody. I don't know what kind of woman won't, if you get to go and look at 53 men's (bodies)," he said. Portis made the comments on a radio station in response to an investigation of the NY Jets treatment of TV Azteca reporter Ines Sainz. He issued an apology the same day.
4 / 25
Oprah Taking Audience to Australia - Talk show diva Oprah Winfrey kicked off her 25th and final season this week, with perhaps her biggest surprise yet. Winfrey gave everyone in her studio audience a 10-day trip to Australia, with actor John Travolta serving as the pilot. While in Australia, she’ll be taping a show at the Sydney Opera House. The host isn’t known for holding back on gifts to her audience; in 2004 she gave everyone in her studio audience a car.
5 / 25
Bush Gives Back Heisman - In the face of ethics investigations at his alma mater University of Southern California, on Tuesday Saints RB Reggie Bush decided to hand back the Heisman Trophy award he won in 2005. An NCAA investigation, sparking rumors that he would be stripped of the award, found that Bush received hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts during his time as a student, making him ineligible that season and therefore ineligible to receive the award, Bush called such speculation “distracting."
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6 / 25
Obama’s Back to School Address - On Tuesday, President Obama spoke to students across the country during his annual Back to School speech from a school in Philadelphia. The president urged the young people to ignore bullies and to treat each other with respect. “Life is precious, and part of what makes it so wonderful is its diversity," he said. The speech was broadcast live on www.whitehouse.gov.
7 / 25
Nicki Minaj’s Dream Wedding - In a recent VIBE magazine interview, rapper Nicki Minaj described how she envisions her future nuptials (which she says she’ll be ready for in 15 years). "I want the beach wedding. Everything would be white and soft pink. I hate red!" Minaj said. “Beyoncé would sing ‘Smash Into You’ and I’d cry like, ‘Oh God.’”
8 / 25
Chicago Police Protest - Hundreds of Chicago police officers rallied outside of the city’s police headquarters Wednesday demanding that top police official Jody Weis to step down. Initiatives implemented by Weis have put officers and the community at risk, they said, carrying signs saying, “More Police, No Weis,” and “Resign.” Weis didn’t comment on the march directly, but has said he does not plan to resign.
9 / 25
NAACP Backs Pardon for 2 Serving Life for Robbery - NAACP head Benjamin Jealous urged Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour on Tuesday to pardon two Black women serving life in prison for their role in an $11 armed robbery. Jamie and Gladys Scott lured two men down a central Mississippi road in 1993, where they were robbed by three teenagers who struck both men. The teens copped pleas and served only months in jail while the women were convicted of armed robbery and have been in prison ever since.
10 / 25
Judge is Disappointed in T.I. - Weeks after the rapper’s arrest on drug charges in L.A., U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. ordered T.I. to come to court in Atlanta and tell him why his probation shouldn’t be revoked. “We are very disappointed in Mr. Harris’ recent conduct," a U.S. Attorney said in Friday’s statement. "We will make our sentencing recommendation at the revocation hearing.” According to the order, the rapper possessed ecstasy, tested positive for opiates and associated with a convicted felon.
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11 / 25
No More Alcohol - Singer Trey Songz, whose biggest hits “Say Ahh” and “Bottoms Up” are alcohol themed, says he’s giving up drinking. In a recent interview with Wendy Williams, he said he’s gone 40 days without alcohol and does not plan on drinking again.
12 / 25
Is Allen Iverson Heading to China? - Allen Iverson is reportedly considering playing basketball in China, since no other teams in the league have shown serious interest in the 35-year-old former All-Star. Should he make the move, he’ll join another former All-Star player Stephon Marbury who played for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Shanxi Zhongyu recently.
13 / 25
Ron Walters Dies - Longtime political analyst and scholar at Howard University and the University of Maryland died late last week after battling cancer. He was 72.
14 / 25
Fenty Loses D.C. Election - D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty essentially lost his bid at being re-elected on Tuesday, after primary voters chose current Council Chairman Vincent Gray to represent the Democrats in November’s election. Gray’s win here virtually guarantees him the job as mayor in the heavily Democratic city. Rifts with the city council, older residents and his hiring of Michelle Rhee to oversee the city’s struggling school system were all likely factors in Fenty’s dismissal.
15 / 25
Howard Sues Son’s Mother for $500M - Basketball star Dwight Howard is taking his child’s mother, Royce Reed, to court for allegedly violating a court-issued gag order, TMZ reports. He’s seeking $500 million. Howard says Reed leaked at least 11 stories to the press. But lawyers for Reed say that the info in the articles was gleaned from legal documents, so she’s not in violation.
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16 / 25
Jennifer Lopez to Judge on ‘Idol’ - Singer/dancer/actress Jennifer Lopez is set to become the latest addition to the “American Idol” judging panel. After summertime negotiations, Lopez agreed to a $12 million deal, according to reports. She will join Randy Jackson (the only hold-over from last season) and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.
17 / 25
Jennifer Hudson Loses More Weight - After an already dramatic weight loss earlier this year, singer Jennifer Hudson recently revealed to People magazine that she’s lost an additional 20 pounds. “I didn’t expect to go as far as I did,” Hudson, a spokesperson for Weight Watchers, told the magazine. “People are like, ‘Okay Jennifer don’t lose anything else!’”
18 / 25
UN: Number of Hungry People Declines - According to the United Nations, the number of chronically hungry people in the world had dropped below the 1 billion mark. This is the first time the number had dipped in 15 years. The agency credits the drop to a fall in food prices. There are still an estimated 925 million undernourished people worldwide.
19 / 25
Montana Fishburne to Get Treatment - Laurence Fishburne’s daughter Montana, who made headlines this summer for starring in porn, recently checked herself into a live-in facility for her anger issues. In addition to anger management, the facility (where she will stay for a month) also specializes in behavioral problems and mental illnesses, according to TMZ. Montana is currently facing charges for beating her boyfriend’s ex.
20 / 25
Acid Attack Hoax - On Thursday, Bethany Storro, who had claimed a Black woman she didn’t know threw acid on her face causing irreparable damage, admitted to Oregon police that she had made up the story and that she had actually caused the damage to herself. Police began questioning Storro’s account after examining the pattern of her burn marks (which didn’t match her story), and the non-existent reasons behind why she was wearing sunglasses (which protected her sight from the acid) at night.
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