Bring That Week Back!
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Backing Barack - He has pretty much sewn up the hip-hop vote, but now, Barack Obama is getting a little bit of support from one of the big names in country music. Toby Keith says he's backing the Illinois senator and fellow Democrat. Keith, a self-described Democrat, says Obama is "the best Democratic candidate we've had since Bill Clinton."
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NFL Great Dies - NFL great and players' union boss Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr. died this week. Upshaw, an 11-time All-Pro NFL lineman and the executive director of the NFL players’ union, died of complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 63.
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Congresswoman Dies - Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the first Black woman to represent Ohio in Congress, died Wednesday after suffering a brain aneurysm while driving her car in suburban Cleveland Heights. She was 58.
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Dead at 46 - LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday from complications stemming from injuries suffered in an ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Va., back in June. Moore had returned to his Los Angeles home recently to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.
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Isaac Honored - Shaft star Richard Roundtree, Chuck D, Bootsy Collins, Doug E. Fresh, and the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson were among the 3,000 mourners at Monday’s public memorial in Memphis for Isaac Hayes. He was found dead in his home of an apparent stroke on Aug. 10. He was 65.
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Farewell Bernie - A mix of Bernie Mac's fans, friends, family and fellow celebrities were on hand to bid farewell to the comedian. Cedric the Entertainer, who was among the more than 6,000 people who packed into a church on Chicago's South Side joked that, even in death, Bernie Mac is "still the hottest ticket in town."
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Cult Crime - Ria Ramkissoon was charged Sunday with first-degree murder in the death of her 1-year-old son. According to Baltimore Police, she, along with members of a religious cult, starved Javon Thompson to death because he refused to say "amen" after meals. The boy's remains were found inside a suitcase.
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Wings - and Heart Trouble? - One can of Red Bull might "give you wings" but it could also cause a heart attack. A study of 30 university students, ages 20 to 24, found that one can of sugar-free Red Bull can cause the blood to become sticky – an indicator of cardiovascular problems, such as stroke.
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No Laughing Matter - He made people laugh in his appearances in "Pineapple Express" and "The Office." But the charges now facing Craig Phillip Robinson are no joking matter. Prosecutors in Los Angeles are hitting him with felony drug charges after he was busted on June 29. Robinson is due to appear in court on Aug. 21.
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Deadbeat Dad? - Yung Joc is being sued for $2,000 in back child support by the mother of his 7-year-old son, according to WSB-TV in Atlanta. But according to Joc, he’s never missed a payment. He said he was only ordered to pay $114 a month – although he says he pays more than that – because the courts couldn't determine how much money he was going to make.
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Singer's Suit - R. Kelly is yet again involved in a legal battle. He's reportedly suing two club promoters for allegedly using his name to promote an event without his permission. The 14-page complaint, according to TMZ, states that R. Kelly has suffered irreparable harm and damage due to this event.
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Dashing on Payments? - Damon Dash and his wife, Rachel Roy, are in jeopardy of losing two of their Manhattan apartments after apparently failing to pay $78,504 in monthly payments. The couple is also facing more than $10,000 in late fees on the $7.3 million cross-mortgage that covers both properties.
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Dag Mike - Has Michael stiffed his brothers? Sources say M.J. owes Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and Jackie Jackson $840,000 in royalties from their Jackson 5 hits, but he hasn't spoken to them since he was acquitted of child molestation charges three years ago.
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Cash King - Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is the new king of hip-hop wealth. According to Forbes' second annual "Hip Hop Cash Kings" list, Fiddy banked a $100 million after taxes last year on one deal alone – Vitamin Water. The Queens-bred MC tops the list, earning $150 million over the past 12 months—almost twice what No. 2-ranked Jay-Z made.
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Still Devoted - Despite all the BS LisaRaye may be going through with her marriage, she says she'll stay devoted to her home and work in the Turk and Caicos Islands, where her husband, Premier Michael Misick, governs.
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Marriage Mended - Shaq and Shaunie are going stay together after all. Shaunie O’Neal says that neither she nor her super-sized husband Shaquille O’Neal knew why they were getting divorced, so the couple will stay together.
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What Took So Long? - NBA baller Ray Allen already has a championship ring, but he got a second one over the weekend. The Boston Celtic married his longtime girlfriend and mother of his two children, Shannon Walker Williams. The two tied the knot barefoot at a private home on Martha's Vineyard.
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How You Doin'? - "The Wendy Williams Show" will be distributed nationwide including FOX’s top 10 markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Houston, as well as Minneapolis, Phoenix and Orlando.
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Out of Work? - Sherri Shepherd may be out of a job. According to an insider on "The View," she may have just a few more weeks left on the daytime talk show. The insider told MediaTakeOut.com that Sherri's contract has an opt-out clause which allows the network to fire her in the beginning of September.
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'Starmaker' - Diddy is on the hunt for his next "Bad Boy" star with a new MTV reality series titled "Starmaker." The search is for one male and one female musical talent. The two lucky winners will score a recording deal with Diddy’s label Bad Boy Records, joining Danity Kane, Donnie Klang and Day 26.
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Proving Them Wrong - Does Aretha have what it takes to sell a holiday album? Her managers don't think so, but she's out to prove them wrong. “I was told at one point that they [Christmas albums] didn't make any money.” Franklin's "This Christmas" album hits stores Oct. 14.
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Together on TV - They've been married for more than a decade. But until now, Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett hadn't acted together. However, that will change this fall when Vance joins his wife in the cast of "ER." NBC says Vance will be part of the show performing in a multi-episode series during the upcoming season.
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Pink Oil Gal - The folks at Luster Products want you to know that they're more than Pink Oil, and they've hired Keyshia Cole to put the word out. She's the new face of their Pink Brand Smooth Touch line. The company says Cole represents the kind of woman who uses Smooth Touch products.
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New Gig - Laurence Fishburne has been named to take over a key role in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." The network says Fishburne will play a forensics scientist with a secret – and will make his first official appearance in the ninth episode of the show's 10th season.
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Better Black TV - Percy Miller, formerly known as Master P, plans to roll out an all-new cable network called the Better Black Television (BBTV). Miller says the network will be family friendly and feature children's programs, health and fitness, animation, reality TV, sitcoms, dramas, movies, videos, politics, sports and entertainment news.
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Lightning Bolt - Michael Phelps, meet Usain Bolt. What you do in the water, he does on land. The 22-year-old Jamaican sprinter became the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to win the 100 and 200 at the same Olympics, and the first man to do it with world records in both events.
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Double Olympic Trouble - Neither could get the job done as singles competitors. But Venus and Serena Williams have proved again that they are unbeatable when it comes to doubles competition. They took home the gold in women's doubles, beating their opponents from Spain in straight sets. Overall in Olympic competition, the Williams sisters are undefeated in 10 matches as doubles partners.
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How Smart Is She? - People following Star Jones' career have come to know how big she was, how small she is, how married she was and how divorced she's about to be. Now, they will get to find out how smart she is. She will be among the celebrity contestants on this year's season of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader." The season begins with a two-hour premiere on Friday, Sept. 5.
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Dropping Projects - Former "American Idol" contestant Paris Bennett is about to drop a couple of projects this fall – a Christmas CD in October and a baby. We'll also see her make her acting debut in the DVD release of "Mama I Want To Sing" and she'll be featured as a jazz singer in the upcoming movie "Baby O."
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New Pleasure - Janet Jackson wants to get in your pants.The multi-talented entertainer has stepped into the lingerie business with the launch of her line Pleasure Principle, named after one of her earlier hit songs. Pleasure Principle clothing will reportedly be sold for under $40.
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Losing Money - While he sits in prison, Michael Vick is losing $12,000 a month, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. According to court documents, Vick has monthly expenses of $12,225 and income of $277.69. That doesn't include the 12 cents an hour he makes working in prison. Last month Vick filed for bankruptcy protection.
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Passed Away - Actor Julius J.Carry III, most famous for his role as “Sho Nuff” in the 1985 action-comedy “The Last Dragon,” passed away this week. He was 56.