Corporation.
Tabloid Archives...
 | May 2005 Archives [Some Source Links May Unexpectedly Drop] Return to TabloidColumn.com Return to Tabloid Archives Sitemap |
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
· Runaway bride agrees to pay $13,250 for search costs. Runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks has agreed to pay $13,250 to the city of Duluth, Georgia, to help pay for the costs the city incurred searching for her, the mayor said Tuesday. 
· Man owed $617,000 refuses to identify himself and claim money. Most people wouldn't wait a minute to claim $617,000 they were owed. But not Gene Sehrt. He's owed the sum from the rental and sale of some Milwaukee commercial properties a court-appointed receiver administered at his family's request. Sehrt - or a man the circuit court clerk and his staff believe is Sehrt - frequently shows up in the very county court office where he could claim the money. But he never mentions the money, which now sits in a bank.
· Airlines tracking pet deaths. U.S. airlines will track the number of cargo-area pet deaths and begin reporting the data to the U.S. government. "The hardest part was making Delta believe that the cat wasn't just a piece of luggage. Now airlines will have to be more careful about transporting animals and realize they are responsible for their lives and that animals need air and heat," said Sarah Stano, who settled with the airline after her 6-year-old cat either froze to death or suffocated from oxygen deprival during a cross-country flight two years ago.
· Chili finger suspect getting hate mail. Anna Ayala's attorney said the Las Vegas woman has been rattled by hate mail since her April arrest for allegedly planting a fingertip in a bowl of chili at a San Jose Wendy's. "She's having a little bit of a hard time understanding the depth of the hatred,'' her attorney said. "I told her Americans love their fast food."
· KKK Hoods, Robes Sell For $600 Each At Auction. A controversial auction in Chesterfield County, Va., Monday included the sale of Ku Klux Klan hoods, robes and other paraphernalia. Several KKK outfits sold for about $600 each. "We don't do it to be derogatory or anything like that, it's just our culture and we enjoy it," said one customer.
· Judge Under Fire For Sentencing People To Church. A Kentucky judge is facing criticism for letting some drug and alcohol offenders attend worship services instead of going to jail or rehab. District Judge Michael Caperton said he's trying "to help people and their families."
· Jackson jurors can weigh lesser charges on alcohol. The judge in Michael Jackson’s child molestation trial said Tuesday that the jury will be told that the allegation that Jackson gave alcohol to his accuser can be treated as a lesser offense. The change made by Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville raised the possibility that Jackson could be convicted of providing alcohol to a minor — a misdemeanor — even if he is acquitted of molestation.
· 'Deep Throat' identity confirmed. No, it apparently wasn't Linda Lovelace after all. W. Mark Felt, who retired from the FBI after rising to its second most senior position, has identified himself as the real "Deep Throat" source quoted by The Washington Post to break the Watergate scandal that led to President Nixon's resignation, Vanity Fair magazine said Tuesday.
»1992 Flashback: The Atlantic Monthly suspected an FBI source. Hoover's death presented the Nixon Administration with a long-sought opportunity to gain political control of the FBI. Traumatized by Hoover's death, and anxious to preserve the Bureau's traditions, the FBI's leadership resented and resisted the Administration's efforts. By coincidence, the Watergate break-in occurred on June 17, less than seven weeks after Hoover's death and Gray's appointment. The FBI took charge of the federal investigation at the same time that the Administration was trying to limit its scope.
· Christian Slater arrested on sexual harassment charge. Actor Christian Slater was arrested in Manhattan early Tuesday after he sexually harassed a woman on the street, police said. Slater, 35, was taken into custody in an Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan after police responded to a call from a woman who said she had been attacked while walking, said New York Police Sgt. Mary Doherty. "Basically he grabbed a woman's behind on the street," said Doherty, adding Slater was "intoxicated at the time."
· Airline slammed for one-passenger flight on 737. Zimbabwe's government has criticized the cash-strapped national airline for flying unviable routes, including one trip which saw an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 737 jet fly 3,728 miles from Dubai with a solitary passenger aboard.
· Mob burns KFC restaurant after suicide blast at mosque. Using their typical 'blame the U.S. for everything' mentality, a mob angered by an al-Qaida-linked suicide bombing in a Pakistani Shiite mosque set a KFC restaurant on fire overnight, killing six employees and bringing the day’s overall death toll to 11, police said today.
· Arrest Warrant Issued for Rape Counselor. An arrest warrant has been issued for a rape counselor who refused to turn over records of her sessions with a former Air Force Academy cadet, one of the women whose allegations touched off a scandal that toppled the academy's top leaders.
· Court Overturns Arthur Andersen Conviction. The Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned the conviction of the Arthur Andersen accounting firm for destroying Enron Corp. - related documents before the energy giant's collapse.
· Parents Fined If Kids Skip School Or Arrive Late. Fines Start At $100 A Day. It's a classic problem. How do you make sure kids get to school on time? One Arizona community says the answer is simple: you charge parents each time a student is late or skips school.
· Sex a-peel diet. Who needs Viagra when you've got a banana? Or, for that matter, cucumbers, carrots and red hot chili peppers? All the above are foods that keep men stoked, says a new book on male health and sexual happiness.
· Flying Surfboard Kills Florida Doctor. A surfboard got loose from the roof of a sport utility vehicle and flew into the windshield of another motorist, killing an Atlantic Beach doctor, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
· Mrs. Smith director fears Jolie and Pitt's sex scenes will spark movie boycott. Director Doug Liman fears the shocking sex scenes between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in new movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith are so realistic, fans of Pitt's estranged wife Jennifer Aniston will boycott the film. Pitt and Jolie have repeatedly denied reports they started a passionate affair on the movie's set, causing the heart-throb's high-profile split from Aniston in January.
· Live 8 snub for Spice Girls as bosses brand their music too trivial for gig to aid starving. Bob Geldof will today announce the glittering line-up for music spectacular Live 8 - but the Spice Girls will not be in it. The decision by concert bosses to axe them from the concert will be a bitter blow to the five stars who had hoped to re-form and play together for the first time since they split in 1998.
· Hotel heir-head Paris Hilton engaged. Hotel heiress and "The Simple Life" reality TV star Paris Hilton is engaged to her boyfriend, Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis, her spokesman said Monday. "They are happy and excited," said spokesman Rob Shuter, confirming the story first reported on People magazine's Web site.
· Famous Rocky statue for sale on eBay. Created for the movie ROCKY III the statue was erected on the top steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. After the filming ended a furious debate arose in Philadelphia between the Art Museum and the City's Art Commission over the meaning of "art." Claiming the statue was not "art" but rather a "movie prop" the city considered various alternate locations and settled upon the front of the Spectrum sports complex in South Philadelphia.
· 'Star Wars' wins holiday weekend. "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" beat two strong newcomers to remain the top movie with $70.75 million over the long Memorial Day weekend, though Hollywood again failed to climb out of a prolonged revenue decline.
· Fla. Lieutenant's Unmarked Car Stolen. An unmarked patrol car assigned to a Pinellas County sheriff's lieutenant has been stolen from the parking lot of a St. Petersburg shopping mall. Youth Services Lieutenant Chris Gurley was off duty when the car disappeared from the Tyrone Mall in St. Petersburg.
· Cyndi Lauper Suing Over High Rent. Cyndi Lauper may be a pop-star who's sold millions of albums, but that doesn't mean she wants to pay much more than $500 for her apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
· Stanford rejects hacker applicants. Stanford University's Graduate School of Business has rejected 41 applicants who tried to access an admissions Web site earlier this year in hopes of learning their fate ahead of schedule.
· Neb. Woman Finds $3,000 Hidden In Garage Sale Chair. Linda Stafford of Omaha said she has been going to garage sales for 30 years, and taking good-natured ribbing from her family all the while. Perhaps that ribbing will stop, Stafford said, after she found more than $3,000 in bills dating from 1928 to 1953 in the false bottom of a chair she purchased for $2 at a garage sale.
· 4-Year-Old Accidentally Killed During Target Practice At Holiday Gathering. Police in Minnesota said a four-year-old boy was killed when he wandered behind a paper target while family and friends were practicing shooting Sunday. They said the boy was hit when a man fired a handgun about 30 feet through the target.
· Patrick Stewart Rushed To Hospital with Chest Pains. Former Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Patrick Stewart was rushed to the hospital yesterday after suffering chronic chest pains while shooting a new science fiction TV show. The 64-year-old halted filming of British miniseries Eleventh Hour and asked a crew member to take him to the Manchester Royal Infirmary, after suffering a heart scare.
· 9-Year-Old Girl Accused of Killing Playmate. A 9-year-old girl fatally stabbed an 11-year-old girl in the chest with a kitchen knife during a fight over a ball, authorities said.
· An itch the clerk couldn't stop scratching. Bryan W. Lietz says he doesn't know what came over him. "It's not me to normally be a thief," the 40-year-old resident of Perham, Minn., said Friday. But in the wee hours of May 12, as Lietz worked the graveyard shift at the Perham Conoco, he apparently was just that, allegedly scratching off $1,400 worth of lottery tickets without paying for them, according to a criminal complaint.
· House members belatedly disclose outside trips. Scrutiny of majority leader Tom DeLay's travel has led to the belated disclosure of at least 198 previously unreported special interest trips by House members and their aides, including eight years of travel by the second-ranking Democrat, an AP review has found.
· Search on for motive in Ohio massacre. A teen about to graduate from high school shot to death his grandparents, mother and two friends, then wounded his younger sister before committing suicide, authorities said Monday. The rampage perplexed school officials, who said he seemed to have been in good spirits.
· Man In Darth Vader Mask Robs Orlando Store. Police in Orlando are searching for a suspect who wore a Darth Vader mask to rob a convenience store early Tuesday.
· Canadian Natalie Glebova Wins Miss Universe. Miss Canada, Natalie Glebova, was crowned Miss Universe in the 54th annual pageant held in the Thai capital of Bangkok. The brunette from Toronto was chosen over Miss Puerto Rico Cynthia Olavarria.
· Chappelle struggles to reconcile faith, comedy. It's the $50 million question — what happened to Dave Chappelle? The comedian disappeared a few weeks ago, eventually turning up in South Africa where he was rumored to have checked himself into a mental health facility.
Monday, May 30, 2005
· $220.3 million lottery prize won, but unclaimed. Someone who bought a Powerball lottery ticket in Boise, Idaho over the weekend has won a $220.3 million jackpot, the 10th largest jackpot ever awarded by the multistate lottery, officials said Sunday.
· Wheldon wins Indy; Danica Patrick is 4th. The Andretti jinx is over at the Indianapolis 500. Danica Patrick's reign is just beginning. Dan Wheldon won it - his fourth victory in five tries this year - ending 35 years of frustration and failure for the Andretti at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Patrick's electrifying run fell short with a nearly empty fuel tank.
» IRL not ready to measure Danica's weight advantage. he Indy Racing League isn't giving any weight to the complaints about Danica Patrick's slight frame. One day after NASCAR's Robby Gordon said he would not race against the petite Patrick because he believes she has a weight advantage at a mere 100 pounds, IRL officials said they were not considering changing their rules to level the playing field."It's no issue at all, as it pertains to the Indianapolis 500 and oval-track racing," league spokesman John Griffin said.
· Mom to advertisers: Place your ads on my baby. When Michele Hutchison's baby is born, she envisions more than a pure bundle of bouncing joy. She also sees a potential billboard. The suburban Philadelphia mom-to-be is inviting advertisers to put their names on her child's clothing and baby goods, saying the ads are sure to get noticed.
· 'Bored' Teens Accused Of Beating Man To Death With Sticks. Two teens in Volusia County are accused of beating a homeless man to death with sticks because they were bored and wanted something to do, according to police.
· Horse owner accused of stealing investment funds. Owner Gary Tanaka, whose stable of successful racehorses currently includes Grade 1-winning sprinter Pico Central, has been arrested and charged with using investors' money to purchase racehorses, according to reports from Bloomberg News.
· French Say 'Non' To European Constitution. In a stunning rejection of the European Union's latest ambitious move to unite its 25 nations, French voters shot down the bloc's first constitution, dealing a potentially fatal blow to the charter and humiliating President Jacques Chirac.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
· Oliver Stoned: Director Oliver Stone arrested. Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone was released from jail Saturday after his arrest on alcohol and drug charges the night before in Beverly Hills, police said. Police at a checkpoint, set up for the Memorial Day weekend, pulled over Stone when he showed signs of intoxication, said Beverly Hills Police Sgt. John Edmundson. When police searched Stone's Mercedes, they said they found an illegal drug.
· Petite Patrick has unfair advantage, Gordon says. Robby Gordon accused Danica Patrick of having an unfair advantage in the Indianapolis 500 and said Saturday he will not compete in the race again unless the field is equalized. “The lighter the car, the faster it goes,” Gordon said. “Do the math. Put her in the car at her weight, then put me or Tony Stewart in the car at 200 pounds and our car is at least 100 pounds heavier.
· Tom Cruise pops the question. Katie Holmes is not sporting a ring yet, but she is engaged to Tom Cruise. Just a month after the two started publicly canoodling to express their "love," Holmes packed her bags and moved in with the star and, pals say, she's accepted a marriage proposal. The New York Post is also reporting that Holmes, a Christian, is converting to Scientology.
· Dr Cruise’s health advice starts feud. The golden rule of Hollywood — do not rubbish your fellow actors — has been broken by Tom Cruise, one of the film world’s most image conscious and reserved stars. A feud with Brooke Shields has erupted after Cruise criticised her in a television interview for taking antidepressants to help her cope with postnatal depression.
· Mama warned us about fast food and fast women. Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way first: Paris Hilton's TV commercial for the Carl's Jr. fast-food chain, now being downloaded at a computer near you, is a shoddy, shameless, plainly outrageous publicity stunt that all decent, right-thinking people will condemn. Yes, it's that good. Paris's 30-second bump-and-grind with a Bentley, a garden hose and a hamburger is a landmark piece of bad taste. It's also an ingenious bit of hucksterism, a marketing coup fueled by a vision that is pure and simple, and altogether rare, in an age of corporate committee-think.
· Man Serving Life For Stealing Television Released After 35 Years. After 35 years in prison for stealing a black-and-white television set, Junior Allen is a free man. Allen, 65, walked out of prison Friday, ending a case that attracted widespread attention because he remained in jail while other inmates convicted of murder, rape or child molestation were released. "I'm glad to be out," Allen told supporters outside Orange Correctional Center. "I've done too much time for what I did. I won't be truly happy until I see a sign that says I'm outside of North Carolina."
· Governor digs fixing potholes San Jose crews destroy part of road for staged event. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger traveled to a quiet San Jose neighborhood Thursday, and - dogged by protesters - filled a pothole dug by city crews just a few hours before, as part of an attempt to dramatize his efforts to increase money for transportation projects.
· A female, a rookie - and a contender. In the gritty, testosterone-fueled world of car racing it's all Danica, all the time. At 23, Danica Patrick is not only the sole woman racing in Sunday's Indianapolis 500, she's the second-youngest driver on the circuit. Oh, and another thing: She's fast.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
· Mom Indicted For Hiring Stripper For Teen. A mother faces criminal charges after she hired a stripper to dance at her 16-year-old son's birthday party. Anette Pharris, 34, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and involving a minor in obscene acts. The boy's father, the stripper and two others also face charges.
· London's Big Ben Mysteriously Stops Ticking. Big Ben, the landmark London clock renowned for its accuracy and chimes, stopped ticking for 90 minutes, an engineer said Saturday. Officials do not know why the 147-year-old clock on the banks of the River Thames stopped at 10:07 p.m. Friday.
· ESPN declines NHL option for next season. ESPN will not pick up a $60-million option to retain NHL broadcasting rights for next season, the network said Saturday. The NHL, in negotiations with the players' association to end the lockout that wiped out all of last season, has a two-year deal with NBC to televise games when play resumes.
· Warrant Issued For Counselor In USAFA Rape Case. An arrest warrant has been issued for a rape counselor who refused to turn over records of her sessions with a former Air Force Academy cadet, one of the women whose allegations touched off a scandal that toppled the academy's top leaders.
· Clinton staff disputes he's 'exhausted.' Bill Clinton will continue his tour of the Maldives and Indonesia in the tsunami-hit regions in Southeast Asia on Sunday. Clinton's staff is downplaying reports that he is worn out. The Associated Press cites a U.N. official as saying Clinton cancelled a planned tour of tsunami-damaged areas of the Maldives Saturday because of exhaustion.
Friday, May 27, 2005
· Eddie Albert, star of 'Green Acres,' dead. Eddie Albert, whose lighthearted portrayals made him a favorite in movies and television for more than 50 years, has died. He was 99. Albert died of pneumonia Thursday at his home in the Pacific Palisades area.
· Lindsay Lohan's dad sentenced to prison. Michael Lohan, the father of movie star Lindsay Lohan, was sentenced to prison this afternoon in Nassau County Court for a variety of crimes, including assaulting his brother-in-law with a shoe at a party, driving while intoxicated and aggravated driving without a license, a felony. Judge Weinberg sentenced Lohan to a 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.
· Illinois Senator compares gun owners to sex offenders. Illinois lawmakers are firing back at gun lobbyists by comparing gun owners to sex offenders. Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) said "Sex offenders’ names are kept on record, why shouldn't gun purchasers’ names be archived, as well?"
· Both sides rest in Jackson trial. Michael Jackson's accuser returned to the courtroom on videotape Friday as the prosecution showed a 2003 interview in which the boy - downcast and speaking quietly - told investigators for the first time that the pop star molested him. In a surprising move after the video, defense lawyers decided not to call the boy back to the stand, as they had planned to do. The defense did not put on a rebuttal case, meaning closing arguments could begin as early as Wednesday.
· Mary Kay Kills "Desperate" Ads. Don't expect to see any pink Cadillacs cruising Wisteria Lane anytime soon. Cosmetics-peddling giant Mary Kay is pulling out of a planned ad buy on Desperate Housewives following criticism from a conservative Christian group. The American Family Association president questions how Mary Kay, whose company philosophy is "God first, family second and career third," could buy into a show that he says promotes infidelity, seduction and promiscuity.
· FDA investigating whether Viagra leads to blindness. The Federal Drug Administration is investigating claims that the drug Viagra could be linked to blindness. The FDA said it is looking into 50 reported cases of vision loss in men who have taken the drug.
· Northeast has dumbest drivers. When faced with a written test, similar to ones given to beginning drivers applying for licenses, one in ten drivers couldn't get a passing score, according to a study commissioned by GMAC Insurance. Drivers in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states flunked the test twice as much as the national average, where twenty percent of test-takers failed there.
· Perils of open houses. The housing market is on fire, but "it's common sense that the agent should tell the seller to put away any valuables," Tom Pool, a spokesman for the California Department of Real Estate said. "But the bottom line is that it's the seller who's opening his house to virtually anyone off the street."
· Ashley Judd's Bus Gutted in Ark. Fire. A fire gutted the luxury bus Ashley Judd was using during the shooting of an independent film in Arkansas, officials said.
· DJ wins $10 million over rival's scent that made her sick. A disc jockey with a severe allergy to perfume has been awarded more than $10 million in damages after being deliberately exposed to a “romantic” scent by a malicious colleague. Erin Weber, formerly the top-rated lunchtime host of a country music show on WYCD-FM in Michigan, claimed in a lawsuit that the allergy resulted in her leaving the station after a 26-year career in radio.
· Marines drop Pantano charges. The Marine Corps has dropped its charges against the Camp Lejeune officer accused of putting up to 60 bullets into a pair of Iraqi detainees and then posting a taunting sign over their bodies. Second Lt. Ilario G. Pantano, 33, faces no further action from the military, which had charged him with premeditated murder. He could have faced a court-martial and, if convicted, the death penalty.
· Depp Arranges Shooting of Thompson's Ashes. Organizers of a memorial for Hunter S. Thompson plan to erect a 150-foot structure - courtesy of actor Johnny Depp - to shoot the gonzo journalist's ashes onto his ranch near here. Friends gathered Thursday to discuss the Aug. 20 invitation-only service, which will be six months after Thompson shot himself in his Woody Creek home.
· Tiger buttered up with odd honor. Iowa's "butter cow lady" hopes to hit a hole in one at the Iowa State Fair this summer. Norma "Duffy" Lyon plans a life-size butter sculpture of one of the best known golfers in the world - Tiger Woods.
· Secret Service Looks Into Yearbook Prank. Most Mesa Ridge High School students got yearbooks with a black mark under one student's picture, covering up a phrase that has caught the Secret Service's interest. After about 100 yearbooks were distributed May 6, somebody complained about the caption, which reads "most likely to assassinate President Bush." School officials asked students to return the yearbooks, and staff members used markers to cover up the words in those and the still-undistributed books.
· DeLay angered by 'Law & Order' mention. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay reacted angrily Thursday to this week's episode of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" for what he called a "manipulation of my name" in the show. The controversy centers around Wednesday's episode in which a police officer investigating a murder of a federal judge suggested putting out an all points bulletin for "somebody in a Tom DeLay T-shirt."
· Update: Suspect In Rape, Burying Alive Of Child Is In U.S. Illegally. A 17-year-old Lake Worth teenager charged with raping an 8-year-old girl and leaving her for dead at an abandoned landfill is in the United States illegally, officials said. But Milagro Cunningham, a Bahamian native, escaped the notice of immigration authorities after three burglary arrests last year because his cases were handled in the juvenile justice system.
· Thank God! Judge Bars Photos of Jackson Genitalia. As much as District Attorney Thomas Sneddon wanted to see it, the judge in the Michael Jackson molestation trial Thursday spared jurors from seeing a graphic piece of evidence of Michael Jackson's private parts. The attempt to admit the genitalia photographs stems from a 1993 molestation investigation of Jackson.
· Change tires after 6 years, regardless of wear. DaimlerChrysler and Ford are advising U.S. customers to replace new car and truck tires after six years, even if there is no sign of wear, beginning with 2006 models.
· Rookie female IndyCar driver on fast track. Indy Racing League driver Danica Patrick posted the best-ever qualifying mark for a female driver May 15 for Sunday's Indianapolis 500, capturing the fourth position in the 33-car field, the good old boys who crowd the Brickyard's infield may finally have to concede that a woman might just win this thing. Patrick told her race team's co-owner, talk-show host David Letterman, as much this week when she was a guest on his show. "Here I am, boss!" she quipped as she came on stage, wearing a short skirt that showed plenty of leg.
· More Sizemore Trouble? Tom Sizemore had a hard time onscreen in Saving Private Ryan. He's having a harder time offscreen trying to save Tom Sizemore. Sizemore appeared in a Los Angeles court Wednesday to ask permission to travel to Thailand to work on a movie. The judge didn't issue a ruling on the request but instead set a June 2 hearing to address some alleged misdeeds.
· Woman Sues Yahoo Over Nude Photos Posted On Internet. A woman sued Yahoo Inc. for $3 million, alleging the Internet site failed to fulfill a promise to remove nude pictures of her from the Web. Cecilia Barnes, 48, in a lawsuit filed in Multnomah County, claims an ex-boyfriend began posting unauthorized personal profiles of her containing the photos in December. The profiles included her e-mail address and work phone number.
· Smoking among women drops to record low. For first time in nearly 30 years, only 1 in 5 females lighting up. Smoking among women in the United States has dropped below one in five for the first time in nearly 30 years, the government said Thursday.
· Soda firm offers suborbital space trip. When SpaceShipOne won the Ansari X Prize last October, the marketers behind the 7UP soft drink said they would give away the "first free ticket to space" — and this week, the contest has begun.
· Oops! Inquiry Finds Some Quran 'Mishandling.' U.S. officials have substantiated five cases in which military guards or interrogators mishandled the Quran of Muslim prisoners at Guantanamo Bay but found "no credible evidence" to confirm a prisoner's report that a holy book was flushed in a toilet, the prison's commander said Thursday.
· Ask Jeeves getting aggressive. Question: What well-known Internet search engine continues to lag industry leaders no matter how smart it becomes? Answer: Ask Jeeves Inc. The Oakland-based company on Thursday is launching its latest effort to win more fans. The hook: A new feature designed to provide more immediate answers to inquiries.
· Feds indict 4 Tennessee legislators Four members of the Tennessee Legislature, including a member of the Ford family dynasty in Memphis, were indicted on Thursday after a two-year undercover operation by the FBI. Among those indicted was state Sen. John Ford, one of the most powerful politicians in Memphis, who was charged with extorting $55,000 from a bogus company created by the bureau.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
· 20,000 ex-Enron employees split $85 million. Former Chairman Lay and ex CEO Skilling objected, saying money was to help pay for their defense. Thousands of former Enron Corp. employees will share $85 million in insurance proceeds to compensate for pensions lost when the energy giant collapsed into bankruptcy, a federal judge ruled this week.
· Americans look to Jesus for diet. Five loaves, two fish and a goblet of red wine could be on the menu for Americans if a new diet takes off. Don Colbert, a Florida doctor, asks "What would Jesus eat?" is the best way to stay fit, slim and trim.
· Group Slams Product Placement in Schwarzenegger Ad. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger should pull a political commercial off the air that promotes the junk food products of his campaign donors, consumer advocates said. The TV ad, released in May, features Schwarzenegger talking to people in a lunchroom, and places Pepsi and Arrowhead Water in prominent spots next to the governor for one-third of the ad.
· Club Sues, but Judge Backs NYC Smoking Ban. A judge tossed out a lawsuit brought by a 115-year-old private club that sought to strike down no-smoking laws so it could continue to honor its members - who include Walter Cronkite and Carol Burnett - with ceremonies that include lighting up.
· Millionaire resumes space training. A millionaire inventor-entrepreneur from New Jersey has resumed training in Russia for a mission to the international space station, a year after he was bumped from an earlier flight due to an unspecified health condition, the company arranging the trip announced yesterday.
· Man arrested for wearing Grinch mask in public for no reason. A West Virginia man is in trouble with the law for wearing a Grinch mask in public. Norman Gray was stopped by police in Wheeling on Tuesday. Officers told him to take the mask off and not put it on again. Police say Gray took the mask off and asked why he couldn't wear it. After officers told him that wearing masks in public is illegal, he reportedly put the mask back on and said he didn't believe it. Gray was then arrested and the mask confiscated.
· Dems, Jackson to Pay $200,000 in Fines. The Democratic Party, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and two groups associated with the civil rights activist have agreed to pay a total of $200,000 in civil fines for campaign finance violations in the 2000 elections. At issue in the Federal Election Commission case was about $450,000 in election spending by Jackson, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and the Citizenship Education Fund using funds from the groups.
· Garth Brooks proposes to Yearwood - onstage. Garth Brooks stole the show Wednesday night when he got down on one knee in front of 7,000 fans and proposed to fellow country music star Trisha Yearwood. She said yes - and the crowd went wild.
· Barbie fires up court. The world-famous perky plastic doll and her maker, Mattel Inc., are in a legal tangle over her trademark name. The mammoth California-based toy company is battling a Quebec restaurateur over "Barbie's" - even though the name refers, in this case, to the menu's barbecued food.
· Tom cruise resorting to desperate measures for publicity. As Tom Cruise's promotional campaign for his "romance" with baby-faced starlet Katie Holmes shifts into high gear, it's running into a brand-new PR problem: No one believes it's for real. Cruise's weirdness/asexuality rating is now at an all-time high. But with a new movie to promote (the impending Steven Spielberg monster "War of the Worlds"), a People magazine poll showing 62 percent of readers dismissing the Tom/Katie liaison as a publicity stunt.
» Flashback: Tom 'really not gay.' When Tom Cruise says he's not gay, he means it. Just a month after suing a gay porn star, E! Online reported that Cruise has filed yet another $100 million lawsuit - this time against a man who allegedly claimed he had a videotape supposedly proving Cruise is homosexual.
· Man Sets Credit Union Record With Coin Deposit. For the past 9 years, Jeffrey Knight of Fort Washington, Maryland, has been stuffing his spare change into a couple of five-gallon water jugs. It took more than five hours for the coin machine to tally all of Knight's small fortune - which totaled more than $8,800.
· Suspect in Florida death climbs crane in Atlanta. A man wanted in Florida in the death of his girlfriend climbed an 18-story crane at a construction site and remained there Thursday morning as authorities tried to talk him down.
· 'Jeopardy!' King Dethroned. Maybe Ken Jennings isn't so tough after all. The "Jeopardy!" brainiac met his match this week, losing a three-day tournament of champions from the game show and a $2 million prize to Brad Rutter of Lancaster, Pa.
· Carrie Underwood the new 'American Idol.' The 21-year-old country crooner from Checotah, Oklahoma, won the title of the hit Fox talent show. She beat Bo Bice, the long-haired rocker from Helena, Alabama, who was believed to be the favorite going into Tuesday and Wednesday's season finale.
· Triumph for Fox, but Pain for NBC. One of the most competitive and volatile network television seasons ever recorded ended officially last night with three networks, Fox, CBS and ABC, celebrating and one network, NBC, decelerating.
· Phone, Mirrors On Stick Rigged To Watch Women Shower. A 48-year-old Florida man was arrested and charged with voyeurism for allegedly using a cell phone and a mirror attached to sticks to spy on women showering at a campground in Seminole County.
· Posing as car dealer, man takes off with Ferrari. A man passing himself off as a car dealer stole a Ferrari from an unsuspecting trucker delivering the luxury vehicle near this northern French city, police said.
· Bush to offer millions to Palestinians. President Bush will offer tens of millions of dollars in direct aid to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during their planned meeting Thursday, administration sources told CNN Wednesday. Most previous pledges of aid have been funneled through nongovernmental organizations to sidestep questions of corruption.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
· Defense Rests in Michael Jackson Trial. The defense rested in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial without putting the pop star on the stand, wrapping up after a three-week effort to portray the accuser and his mother as shakedown artists.
· Italian restaurant may sue after Bill Clinton fails to keep reservation. When the owner of one of Rome's most fashionable restaurants received a booking from Bill Clinton and his entourage, he was happy to clear the tables and order in his best food and wine. But Romeo Caraccio was left furious after the former president and his party failed to show up without bothering to cancel their reservation.
· 'Runaway bride' charged with making false statement. Jennifer Wilbanks, the Georgia woman who fled the state and faked her own kidnapping and sexual assault before her wedding, was indicted Wednesday by a grand jury, the Gwinnett County district attorney said.
· Motley Crue Sues NBC. Motley Crue is taking on NBC. The network banned the band for using an obscenity on the "Tonight Show" on New Year's Eve. In a federal lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, Motley Crue claims the ban violates the group's free speech rights and has hurt its sales.
· Professor calls religious believers "moral retards." A Brooklyn College professor who called religious believers "moral retards" has gone on another Internet rant - calling himself a defiant "superman" and comparing religion to oppressive regimes.
· North Korea's Dear Leader stands tall in platform shoes. North Korea's Kim Jong-il has grown in stature, thanks to a pair of platform shoes that increased his height by about 4 inches, a leading South Korean daily reported on Wednesday. Kim's actual height is a tightly guarded secret and Pyongyang seldom releases photographs that show his shoes. Kim is estimated to stand between 5 feet and 5.4 feet tall in his stockinged feet.
· Woman, 80, jailed after calling 911 about pizza man. An 86-year-old woman has been sent to jail after police said she called 911 dispatchers 20 times in a little more than a half-hour to complain about a pizza parlor. Dorothy Densmore remained in jail Tuesday charged with misusing the 911 system, police said.
· $5,000 bounty is offered to smoke out tax scofflaws. Thousands of Michigan smokers are getting burned by their attempts to avoid the state's $2-a-pack cigarette tax by ordering online. The state Treasury Department has sent letters to more than 2,800 residents ordering them to pay an average of $3,200, spokesman Terry Stanton said. The crackdown, which started in February with about 500 letters, already has netted $2.5 million. Two Web sites, eSmokes.com and DirtCheapCig.com, have already given up the names of 11,579 Michigan residents who bought 581,808 cartons, costing the state $8.5 million in taxes.
· Pee Diddy to Appeal Child Support Order. Pee Diddy likes to brag about having the biggest yacht, the most expensive parties, the grandest houses and more. Now he's been ordered to pay what could be the biggest child support order in New York state history, and he's not happy. Last month, the New York State Supreme Court's Appellate Division approved an increase to $21,782 per month to Pee Diddy's ex-girlfriend, Misa Hylton-Brim.
· Last Witness Called In Jackson Defense. Michael Jackson's lawyers say they have called their last witness. Actor Chris Tucker was on the stand at the end of the day Tuesday and is scheduled to finish testimony Wednesday. The announcement by the defense means that Jackson will not testify in his own defense.
· 'American Idol' Contestants Face Off. Long-locked Alabama rocker Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood, the country fan from Oklahoma, squared off with soaring ballads and gospel choirs in the "American Idol" finals Tuesday. Millions of voters will decide whether Bice's audacious claim of one of Underwood's songs will trump Simon Cowell's last-minute endorsement of her. The winner of the nation's most popular talent contest will be announced tonight.
· Burt Reynolds Slaps Television Producer. Burt Reynolds reportedly slapped a WCBS-TV assistant producer in the face at a movie premiere in Manhattan. The producer was asking Reynolds, 69, about his new movie "The Longest Yard" outside the premiere in the Chelsea section Tuesday night when the actor became annoyed, WCBS reported.
· Brown Says Houston Has Finished Rehab. Bobby Brown says he believes that his wife, Whitney Houston, has successfully completed a second stint in rehab. In March, Houston checked herself into a rehabilitation center for the second time in a year. Houston, who had said she was using the power of prayer to get over drugs, married Brown in 1992.
· Nokia unveils hand-held Internet tablet. Nokia Corp. is straying from its core cellular business with its first non-phone mobile device, a hand-held Internet tablet for accessing the Web around the home over a wireless broadband connection.
· California considers cancer warning labels for common foods. Buying cereal, olives, potatoes, bread, almonds - even prune juice - at the grocery store soon might come with a cancer warning from the state of California.
· Britney Spears’ dog has rejected her hubby. The singer’s Chihuahua Lucky doesn’t like Kevin Federline and growls and snaps at him, according to the Star. Faced with the tough decision — hubby or hound — Spears selected her spouse.
· Easy check fraud technique draws scrutiny. It would be music to any non-profit organization’s ears: an unexpected $1,000 donation. But the offer came with dirty strings attached, and the surprise donation to California-based Urban Age Institute was hardly a gift at all. Instead, it placed the organization right in the middle of an extensive — but elegantly simple — worldwide scam. Armed with just a checking account number and bank routing number, criminals can create checks at whim, experts and law enforcement authorities say.
· Man Hooks World Record 124-Pound Catfish. It sounds like the sort of tale Mark Twain might have cooked up: A man fishing in the Mississippi River hauls in a blue catfish roughly the size of a sixth-grader. But this is no fish story. Early Sunday, Tim Pruitt caught a 124-pound blue catfish.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
· Watchdog group slams 'soft porn' Paris Hilton TV ad. A watchdog group known for its campaigns against on-air indecency is protesting a popular fast-food commercial featuring celebrity heiress Paris Hilton seductively sudsing both a car and herself.
· Online world bets on Jackson trial outcome. Whether or not Michael Jackson's jurors still have a reasonable doubt about his guilt, the wild world of Internet betting has rendered judgment: the smart money is on acquittal.
· TV's 'Sopranos' final season will focus on money. The much-anticipated final season of "The Sopranos" will strike a theme of money and materialism, which for the characters on the hit mob drama is "all they care about," creator David Chase says.
· Teen who buried 8-year-old in dumpster was in U.S. illegally. The 17-year-old confessed he intended to strangle her, to bury the shame of what he had done, according to court records. Only she wasn't quite dead when police unearthed her hours later. Milagro Cunningham was from the Bahamas, where he claims he had improper immigration paperwork to be in the U.S.
· Fla. Man Charged With Molesting Girls In Ice Cream Truck. A 69-year-old man says he is innocent of molesting two 12-year-old girls by enticing them to ride with him in an ice cream truck through Florida Panhandle neighborhoods, his lawyer said Tuesday.
· Leno bombs on Jacko stage. Despite his positioning as a crucial defense witness in the Michael Jackson case, comedian Jay Leno today fired a blank on the witness stand, testifying that he was never asked for money when contacted five years ago by the LA teenager at the center of the current child molestation prosecution.
· N.C. pastor stands by sign saying Quran should be flushed. A Baptist minister refuses to apologize for a church sign saying the Muslim holy book should be flushed.
· Teen Killer on Probation Held in Fla. Robbery. Lionel Tate, the teen freed from prison after becoming the youngest person in modern U.S. history to be given a life sentence, was arrested for pulling a gun on a pizza delivery man at a friend's apartment and beating up the friend, investigators said. He was serving probation following his release on a guilty plea to second-degree murder in the beating death of a 6-year-old family friend when he was 12.
· Doctors send fat lady to zoo for x-rays. A 400 pound New York woman was outraged when doctors told her she was too large for their x-ray machine - and sent her to use the facilities at the local zoo. Disturbingly, a spokesman at the Bronx Zoo told the New York Post that this was by no means an uncommon request, although it stressed that it owns no hippo-sized x-ray machines and was therefore unable to accommodate her.
· Suspect pilots could still walk, Florida jury told. Two former America West pilots charged with operating a plane full of passengers while drunk may have consumed alcohol and smelled of alcohol but they could still walk and see, their lawyers told the jury.
· Woman Arrested for Having Crowded Car. A woman was arrested after the Cal. Highway Patrol officer who pulled her car over found nine people crammed inside, including two children in the trunk. "I have never heard of this," said Officer Wendy Hahn. "There was no room left in the car, so she puts two of the kids in the trunk."
· Bank data theft could hit nearly 700,000. More than 100,000 customers of Wachovia Corp. and Bank of America Corp. have been notified that their financial records may have been stolen by bank employees and sold to collection agencies. In all, nearly 700,000 customers of four banks may be affected, according to police in Hackensack, N.J., where the investigation was centered.
· Comic Actor, Director Howard Morris Dies. Howard Morris, the wry-faced comic who costarred with Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner on the TV classic "Your Show of Shows" before going on to success as a film director, and to fame as poetry-spouting Ernest T. Bass on "The Andy Griffith Show," has died. He was 85.
· Russert's Son Wanted Board From Election. Give Tim Russert's son, Luke, credit for recognizing value. NBC's political guru, who received the 2005 Fred Friendly Award from Quinnipiac University Monday, said his son asked for his marker board when Russert got home from covering Election Night in 2000. The "Meet the Press" host whose CBS competitor Bob Schieffer was in the audience to see him accept the award said he was touched that his son wanted a memento of his father's career in journalism. Not so fast. Luke filled him in on his real motive. "You know what that thing is worth on eBay?" he said.
· Bill Maher's remark about Army is 'treasonous,' Lawmaker Says. A congressman says comedian Bill Maher's comment that the U.S. military has already recruited all the "low-lying fruit" is possibly treasonous and at least grounds to cancel the show.
· 'Tony the Tiger' is now speechless. Thurl Ravenscroft, who provided the rumbling “They’re Grrrrreeeat!” for Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger ads and voiced a host of Disney characters, has died. He was 91.
· Jenny McCarthy Risks Being 'Bad Girl.' Jenny McCarthy was risque even at age 6. Grinning broadly during a recent interview, she recounts how she cracked up the mothers waiting to pick up their kids at her kindergarten with a slightly off-color joke aimed at her teacher.
· Principal Cancels Graduation After Senior Prank. A senior class prank has left all eight graduating seniors from Lighthouse Christian Academy barred from campus. The seniors, all honors students, have had their graduation cancelled, but the principal didn't stop there.
· 'Jeopardy!' Ace Ken Jennings to Get Show. More than pride, a cottage industry may be at stake when "Jeopardy!" ace Ken Jennings takes on two challengers in the game show's $2 million challenge that airs this week.
· Cloning a champion. After winning the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Funny Cide should be making multimillionaires of his owners in stud fees alone. Funny Cide, 2003's Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, was castrated shortly after birth to improve his temperament, so breeding the gelding is impossible.
· Web virus holds computer files ‘hostage.’ Hackers demand $200 in ‘ransom-ware’ attacks. Computer users already anxious about viruses and identity theft have new reason to worry: Hackers have found a way to lock up the electronic documents on your computer and then demand $200 over the Internet to get them back.
· Transplant patients die from rodent virus. An organ donor who was exposed to a common rodent virus, possibly from a hamster, passed the disease to four transplant patients, three of whom died, officials said Monday.
· Petra Nemcova Thanks Thai Doctors. Czech supermodel Petra Nemcova has returned to Thailand to thank doctors and nurses who helped her recover from serious injuries sustained when the tsunami struck the resort island of Phuket.
Monday, May 23, 2005
· Defense Says America West Pilots Not Drunk. Two America West pilots accused of being drunk in the cockpit were not impaired and were never in control of the jet because it was being towed by a runway vehicle, defense attorneys said Monday at the start of their trial. Prosecutor Hillah Katz told the jury that both pilots had breath-alcohol levels above Florida's 0.08 percent limit after they were arrested.