Bring That Week Back: Week of Dec. 13
Nick Cannon spills more Mariah baby news | Antoine Dodson tops YouTube charts | plus more!
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Waka Flocka’s House Raided, Gucci Mane Arrested - On Thursday, Atlanta authorities raided the home of rapper Waka Flocka Flame while they detained fellow rapper Gucci Mane. Waka was not home at the time of the raid. According to TMZ, the investigation was centered on prostitution and drugs, and weapons were found on the premises. But Deb Antney, Waka’s mom and Gucci’s manager, says most of the drugs were prescription and the weapons were licensed.
2 / 21
Obama: We’re Making Progress in Afghanistan - The president told the nation Thursday that U.S. troops are making major progress in the war in Afghanistan, saying al-Qaida forces have been weakened by America’s presence. He also promised that troops will start returning home in July.
3 / 21
Vick Wants Another Dog - Eagles star QB Michael Vick, who spent 18 months behind bars for fighting dogs, told TheGrio.com that he would like to own a dog again someday. “I think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process,” he said. “I think just to have a pet in my household and to show people that I genuinely care, and my love, and my passion for animals.” A judge, however, has barred him from owning a dog until 2012.
4 / 21
Alicia Keys and Fellow Celebs Push for Peace - Singer Alicia Keys and other celebs have teamed up for peace in Sudan. Sudanese rapper and activist Emmanuel Jal has led the music video effort for the “We Want Peace” initiative, MTV reports. The war-torn region could be facing another genocide Jal fears, following January’s independence vote. In addition to Keys, who has a cameo, the video also features appearances from former President Jimmy Carter and former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
5 / 21
Kilpatrick Indicted for Corruption - On Wednesday, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who is currently serving time behind bars, was indicted on 38 counts of federal corruption charges, some of which originate from his time serving in the state House from 1996 to 2001. "This indictment alleges an audacious and far-reaching abuse of the public trust by a group of high-level city officials and their close associates," the federal prosecutor said. Kilpatrick’s lawyer, Jim Thomas, vowed to fight the charges.
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6 / 21
Diddy Says He Should’ve Gotten Married - Rapper/producer Diddy, who has fathered six children with three women out of wedlock, admitted during his appearance on “The View” that he probably should have married one of them. “Every woman that I was with, that I had a child with, they did deserve for me to marry them,” he said. And, on the reason he’s not married he explained, “I don’t have the exact reason. Some things in life, you don’t have the exact reason why you’re not."
7 / 21
Court Docs: The Aftermath of a Slain Teammate - It's now come to light that after Danroy Henry, an unarmed college football player, was shot and killed by police in October, his teammate, Yves Delpeche, yelled at the cops and dared them to shoot him too. Delpeche and fellow students Daniel Parker and Joseph Garcia were in court Thursday facing misdemeanor charges including disorderly conduct and obstruction for their actions after Henry’s shooting.
8 / 21
Mom Dies During Shooting at Cali Strip Mall - On Wednesday, Monique Nelson, who was loading her 2-year-old son into her SUV, was shot and killed during a gunfire exchange in the middle of the day at a Sacramento strip mall. Nelson was attempting to cover her child as the shots rang out. She died at the scene, but the child was left unharmed. Authorities believe the shooting may have been gang-related. Police have identified one suspect, 24-year-old Lonnie Orlando Mitchell, but don’t know if he fired the fatal bullet.
9 / 21
Aretha Returns from Hospital - Legendary singer Aretha Franklin has returned home from the hospital after what she deemed “highly successful” surgery for an illness she has yet to disclose. Franklin released a statement saying she had been home for three days and that her family and friends, along with a private nurse, were taking care of her. Last week, Detroit media outlets reported that the Queen of Soul had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her illness forced her to cancel all upcoming performances and appearances.
10 / 21
Facebook Founder is Time’s Person of the Year - This week, Time magazine announced Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg as its person of the year. Zuckerberg was awarded the honor for “connecting more than half a billion people and mapping the social relations among them; for creating a new system of exchanging information; and for changing how we all live our lives.” Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, the Tea Party and the Chilean Miners were also in the running for the award.
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11 / 21
Report: Man Cured of AIDS Through Transplant - Doctors say an American living in Berlin appears to have been cured of AIDS through an out-of-the-ordinary blood transplant. Back in 2007, the man had a blood stem cell transplant to treat his leukemia. It turns out that not only was the donor a blood match, but that he or she also had a gene mutation that is naturally resistant to HIV. Now the man is showing no signs of AIDS or leukemia, according to a report in the journal, Blood. This procedure is too risky to be used on the general populous.
12 / 21
Rapper Charged in Club Fight - Rapper Yo Gotti has been charged with a felony by Tennessee authorities for his role in a nightclub brawl Thanksgiving weekend. Gotti, real name Mario Mims, turned himself in on Monday, and he and 10 other men were charged with aggravated riot. Court docs say Mims argued with another man before a fight ensued culminating in gunshots by unidentified people in the brawl. Mims’ attorney is confident his client will be cleared.
13 / 21
RNC Chairman Michael Steele Will Run Again - In a move that surprised many, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele announced on Monday that he would run for a second term. Since 2009 when he was the first Black man chosen for the position, Steele has come under fire for gaffes and for not doing enough to raise money for the party. His term is up in January.
14 / 21
“Bed Intruder” Most Viewed on YouTube - The “Bed Intruder Song,” a hit created from Alabama student Antoine Dodson’s over-the-top reaction to a crime in his home, was the most-watched video on YouTube this year, the company announced Monday. Dodson’s rant turned into an auto-tune hit that got over 61 million views.
15 / 21
DMX Returning to Prison - An Arizona court sentenced rapper DMX to serve a year in prison Thursday for violating his probation. The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was arrested in November. He also told a local television station that he was kicked out of a drug treatment program for having a drink after a performance in Scottsdale. According to the court docs, he failed to take a drug test and drove on a suspended license.
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