Bring That Week Back: Week of Oct. 25
Mariah Carey confirms pregnancy; Michael Jackson earns top dollars. Plus more!
1 / 25
Tea Party Candidate’s Racist Remarks - Al Reynolds, an Illinois tea party candidate for the State Senate, caused quite a stir recently when he said during a candidate forum that Black men prefer drug dealing than education because “it’s easier.” Reynolds made comments during a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Champaign County NAACP. Republican leaders are now calling for him to leave the race.
2 / 25
Common to Join Obama at Chicago Event - President Obama and rapper Common will join forces at a rally Saturday afternoon in Chicago. The event will be held at the Midway Plaisance Park and is free to the public (although those wishing to attend should RSVP).
3 / 25
Almost 3 Million Tune in for Obama - President Obama’s Wednesday night appearance on “The Daily Show” brought in about 2.8 million viewers to the Comedy Central show, making it the third-highest-rated edition of the program (only behind Obama’s previous appearances). The president talked about key campaign issues as well as the triumphs of his administration during his appearance.
4 / 25
Miami’s ‘Three Kings’ Fall in Season Debut - The Miami Heat, with its all-star trio – Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh – lost their season opener against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, humbling many who had thought the team would dominate the league from the start. LeBron scored 31 points in the loss, Bosh scored eight and Wade scored 13.
5 / 25
Indonesia Hit with Earthquake, Tsunami - On Monday a tsunami, triggered by a 7.7-magnitude quake, hit the Southeast Asian nation of Indonesia killing at least 408 people, with hundreds more still missing. Almost 13,000 people have been forced into makeshift camps off the coast of Sumatra. To make matters worse, Tuesday, Mount Merapi volcano on the island of Java erupted, killing at least 34 people.
ADVERTISEMENT
6 / 25
T.I. Going Back to Jail - After his release from federal prison this year, T.I. has been ordered to return to prison by November 1 for violating his probation. Since he’s already going to prison, L.A. authorities won’t be pursuing charges against the rapper, who was arrested a couple months ago with wife Tameka “Tiny” Cottle for having drugs in his car. As a result of his upcoming 11-month stint, T.I. announced earlier this week that he’s changing the name of his album from “King Uncaged” to “No Mercy.”
7 / 25
Model Jessica White Arrested - Swimsuit model Jessica White was arrested last weekend in New York City for allegedly hitting a woman, Vanessa Kian, in the face and pulling her hair. According to White’s lawyer, the dispute was over a cab, and that Kian started the whole thing by hitting White on the shoulder first. After her arrest, White was held for 12 hours in jail. She’ll appear in court Dec. 15 to face a misdemeanor assault charge.
8 / 25
New Nike Ad Jabs Critics - NBA superstar LeBron James took a few jabs at some of his critics in a new Nike ad that made its debut this week. In it, James flips through a few scenarios (including mimicking the famous “I am not a role model” commercial by his outspoken critic Charles Barkley) of ways he could have handled his televised “Decision.” The ad was released to address “his off-season controversy head-on,” said a statement from the shoe company.
9 / 25
Top Earner - Michael Jackson has earned more money than any other deceased celebrity this year with $275 million, Forbes reported Monday. Though Jackson was reportedly $500 million in debt when he died last June, his estate has since raked in millions with record sales, the “This is It” concert movie, new album deals and more. Elvis Presley came in second with $60 million earned.
10 / 25
Eastern Europe’s ‘Obama’ - On Sunday, a city in Slovenia elected its first Black mayor. With his win, Peter Bossman, a doctor born in Ghana, has also become the first Black person to serve that position in all of Eastern Europe. “My victory shows a high level of democracy in Slovenia,” Bossman told the media after his win. He came to the nation over 30 years ago to study medicine, and decided to stay in Slovenia after he completed his program.
ADVERTISEMENT
11 / 25
Did Mugabe’s Wife Have an Affair? - According to rumors reported in a South African paper, the wife of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has been carrying on a five-year affair with a government official appointed by her husband. Mugabe’s sister, Sabina, revealed the news shortly before her death. Grace Mugabe, who is 41 years younger than her husband, has been accused of having affairs before. Some believe that the allegations are an attempt to cast Grace, currently feuding with his family over his wealth, in a bad light.
12 / 25
Haitians Blame U.N. Workers for Outbreak - On Friday, Haitian protesters, who believe that United Nations peacekeepers from Nepal are responsible for the increasing cholera epidemic in the nation, marched in front of a military base. More than 4,700 people have been hospitalized and at least 330 have died due to the illness, according to the U.N. Experts believe the disease was imported; prior to October, there hasn’t been a case of cholera in the nation since records were kept. The disease is endemic in Nepal.
13 / 25
A.I. Signs with Turkish Team - Former NBA All-Star point guard Allen Iverson has inked a deal to play basketball in Turkey this season. The contract is for two years and is worth $4 million. He’s set to report to his team, the Besiktas, during the early part of November.
14 / 25
A.I. Signs with Turkish Team - Former NBA All-Star point guard Allen Iverson has inked a deal to play basketball in Turkey this season. The contract is for two years and is worth $4 million. He’s set to report to his team, the Besiktas, during the early part of November.
15 / 25
Gregory Isaacs Dies - On Monday morning, reggae artist Gregory Isaacs, best known for his album “Night Nurse,” passed away at his London home after a battle with lung cancer. He was 59. Called the “Cool Ruler” for his smooth sound, Isaacs had battled drug addiction for years. The star was still performing though; most recently at The Bill Chill festival in England last August.
ADVERTISEMENT
16 / 25
NPR Pres. Apologizes for How They Fired Williams - On Sunday, Vivian Schiller, president of NPR, expressed regret for how the company handled the firing of journalist Juan Williams following his controversial remarks about Muslims. While she stood by her decision, she said in a statement that she should have prepared partners for the fallout better. “The process that followed the decision was unfortunate – including not meeting with Juan Williams in person – and I take full responsibility for that," the statement said.
17 / 25
Janet Jackson Denies Engagement - On Monday, singer Janet Jackson shut down engagement rumors at the New York premiere of her new movie, “For Colored Girls.” When asked if her billionaire boyfriend, Wissam Al Mana, had proposed, she laughed and said, “No, no, no,” reports Us Magazine. “I’m not engaged.” The two have been seen frequently together at exotic locales since meeting late last year.
18 / 25
Charges Dropped Against 4 in NYC Anti-Gay Attacks - Wednesday, the Bronx district attorney’s office announced they were dropping charges against Dennis Piters, a teen accused of participating in the brutal anti-gay attacks earlier in October, reports the New York Times, due to lack of evidence. They had also dropped charges against three others the previous day for the same reason. Three others – Steven Caraballo, Bryan Almonte and Brian Cepeda – were indicted on gang assault, robbery and aggravated sexual abuse.
19 / 25
NYC Officer Who Stopped Salon Holdup Gets Promoted - NYC police officer Feris Jones, who calmly exchanged gunfire with an armed robber while she was off-duty and getting her hair done, was promoted to rank of detective on Tuesday. Jones was able to shoot the gun out of the robber’s hand at the Brooklyn salon, and delayed his escape by shooting the handle off the door. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly praised Jones’ “stunning marksmanship” and “steely courage.” The robber, Winston Cox, was arraigned Tuesday on charges including attempted murder.
20 / 25
Bus Carrying Journalists Attacked in Haiti - On Monday night in Haiti, gunmen shot up and robbed a bus carrying journalists, killing the driver. One reporter was also hurt. According to one of the reporters, the driver – an off-duty officer – tried to rush past the armed men when they opened fire and killed him with a shot in the head. The bus then flipped, injuring one of the passengers, and the robbers descended to take money and a laptop. Police were able to track down the suspects the same evening, killing one and arresting three.
ADVERTISEMENT
21 / 25
Mariah Carey is Pregnant - This week, Mariah Carey confirmed what many had already assumed – that she’s expecting her first child with husband Nick Cannon. The baby is due in the spring. The singer confirmed the news Thursday on NBC’s “Today” and also revealed that two years ago, during their first year of marriage, she was surprised to discover that she was pregnant, but she had a miscarriage soon after.
22 / 25
Frustration with Steele - Even though many consider this to be the best election climate for Republicans in decades, GOP chairman Michael Steele is not feeling much of the love. The Republican National Committee trails the Democrats by $15 million in fundraising, is in debt (he started the job two years ago with a $23 million surplus), and is being outpaced in fundraising by third-party groups such as the tea party. Washington Republicans are upset that he’s spent so much time on the road instead of finances.
23 / 25
Jay Z Denies Pregnancy Rumors - Rapper Jay-Z publically denied that his wife Beyoncé is pregnant, refuting the rumors that came to a peak last week. “They do that every slow news day, this is like the fifth time,” he told Sydney Daily Telegraph. “I think we have five kids now. No truth, but I wonder when people will stop giving it relevance.”
24 / 25
Rihanna Talks About the ‘Incident’ - In one of her most candid interviews, singer Rihanna opens up in the December issue of Marie Claire magazine about last year’s domestic incident with then-boyfriend Chris Brown. In the piece, she says she felt like an “empty vessel” days after the violent fight and says the event changed her life. “I couldn’t have been the woman I am, the friend, or the sister or the artist, or the role model I am today if I didn’t go through what I went through,” she told the magazine.