Word on the street is that Gabrielle Union isn’t taking the Bossip brand of news sitting down. She has pulled together a team of lawyers and plans on taking their butts to court! Gabby has always hated bloggers, so we figured that it might come to this anyway. Good luck!
The Wendy Williams Show will have one of daytime's most impressive Emmy-winning teams when the series launches in national syndication on Monday, July 13th.
The staff roster, announced by Lonnie Burstein, EVP of Programming for Debmar-Mercury and Executive Producer Rob Dauber is anchored by Emmy winners Jason Gabel and Suzanne Bass, who will serve as Supervising Producers, and six-time Emmy winner Deb Miller who will return to the series as Director after serving in the same capacity during the show's six week preview last summer. The combined credentials include more than 10 Emmy Awards and work on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show and The Martha Stewart Show, among others.
There is this girl I know, and we're friends.
She has been sorta dating this guy, well they've flirted with the idea of being more, but never took it there fully. Why? Cuz he is always on some stop and go shit! You know one minute wanna kick things up a couple of notches and the next he's on his period!
I don't like inconsistency so I encourage her to dip out! Don't delete him from your phone, but he sure as hell shouldn't be in her top 5!She took my advice and remained out of the picture for a couple of months, and you know never really gave the idea of him another thought, other than the occasional " what the hell was his problem"?
Fast forward time passes and he reaches out stating how much he misses her ( oh yea? ) and get this, that he realized that he needs her in his life. ( Pretty heavy shit I thought). So they exchange niceties back and forth, but she's still wading in the water because she doesn't know what this brother wants.
They get together to talk face to face and he repeats the same heavy talk, " I need you in my life forever, I'd die without you". But once again this time around nothing changes, its still the same sporadic attention and time, for what?? Why did he even start things up?
My feelings are simply if "we're friends" let's continue to be friends. No need to muddy the waters with bullshit sentiments. What I realize is that sometimes men are just looking for a reservation to be held in his name at Casa de Nicole! And I'm not having that, there are no reservations here.
Its first come first serve establishment.
Ladies sometimes these dudes fight just to remain relevant in your life, with no clear concept of what they want or how to obtain it. They just wanna know they can come in at any time and take a seat!
I'm not sure when selling a dream became a trend, but its really not cool. If I didn't know any better I would say, I bet he has a little one. This just seems like this would be associated with some little d*%k propaganda. Or is it just me?
PARIS – Serena Williams was sure the ball went off her opponent's arm, a no-no in tennis. The opponent, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, insisted the ball went off her racket.
Williams accused Martinez Sanchez of "cheating." Martinez Sanchez thought that was a "stupid" thing for Williams to say.
Then consider that the point in question helped Martinez Sanchez win the first set of their French Open match Saturday. Oh, and that Williams had a coughing fit during a third-set changeover. All in all, what eventually became a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory for Williams stands as the latest example of the athlete/actress' penchant for theatrics.
"I'm, like, drama. And I don't want to be drama," a hoarse Williams said, straining to get the words out. "I'm like one of those girls on areality show that has all the drama, and everyone in the house hates them because no matter what they do, like, drama follows them. I don't want to be that girl."
The RNC criticized the Obamas for taking a day off to visit New York city for a date night. Read some of what they had to say:
Obama Says He Understands Americans' Economic Troubles
Obama: "There Are Still Too Many Americans Out Of Work, And Too Many Who Still Worry That Their Job May Be Next. There Are Still Too Many Families Struggling To Pay The Bills, And Too Many Businesses Struggling To Keep Their Doors Open." (President Barack Obama, Remarks At Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, NV, 5/27/09)
Obama Said He Carried Stories Of Struggling Workers With Him To The White House. "We're talking about people who've lost their livelihood and don't know what will take its place. We're talking about parents who've lost their health care and lie awake at night praying their kids don't get sick. We're talking about families who've lost the home that was the corner, their foundation for their American dream, young people who put that college acceptance letter back in the envelope because they just can't afford it. That's what those numbers and statistics mean. That is the true measure of this economic crisis. Those are the stories I heard when I came to Elkhart six months ago, and those are the stories that I carried with me to the White House." (President Barack Obama, Remarks On The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Elkhart, IN, 2/9/09)
A comedian made fun of Michelle Obama, calling her a “big dude” and comparing her to Count Dracula. Did the comedian go over the line? Click the image to hear the incident analyzed on 100.3 The Beat with Dr Boyce and Charlamagne.
"It's time !! No turning back! At hospital in labor right now!! Love & Light, KLS"
This is child #3 for Lee and child #1 for her boyfriend, Djimon Hounsou. Congrats to them both.
Wanda lets loose on Michelle Obama. Click the image to watch!
A black pastor was dragged away from LAX as President Obama was boarding Air Force One. Click the image to hear her side of the story.
Amy Winehouse has spent a year preparing a song for a Quincy Jones tribute album, but she is about to be cut for not getting it done.
Producer Mark Ronson, who'd been working on the song with Winehouse, said, "The track isn't finished and she's not around. If she's not here then, unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about it."
What a mess!
There was a time, not very long ago, when getting a job on the production line at a big automaker meant an instant ticket to the American dream, even for someone with little formal education. Not anymore.
"The minute you signed the paper, you were instantly vaulted into the middle class," said Mike Smith, director of Wayne State University's Walter P. Reuther Library in Detroit, named for the founder of the United Auto Workers, the union that represents auto workers.
A shrinking paycheck. As the auto industry undergoes a sea change, the government has demanded that Chrysler and General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) bring their labor costs in line with foreign competitors operating non-unionfactories in the U.S.
Today, an entry-level auto-worker will be making $14 an hour, compared to the $28 "base rate" the job had earned before, according to a summary of Chrysler's contract agreement.
*On this weekend’s "Our World with Black Enterprise," director Spike Lee sits down with host Ed Gordon for a no holds barred interview rife with the artist’s trademark frankness.
Taped live at the 14th annual Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference, Lee discusses his concern about the image of blacks in the media, and weighs in with his thoughts on contemporaries John Singleton and Tyler Perry. [See details below.]
"Our World with Black Enterprise" will air its exclusive interview with Spike Lee on Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31 on syndicated stations across the country.
Highlights include:
On his films being labeled “controversial”:
Click to read more.
Was a comedian insulting Michelle Obama by making jokes about her height and the way she looks? Click the image to listen!
Business advocates started scrambling on Tuesday to figure out whether Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor would be good or bad for companies.
But one thing was clear: If confirmed, she will be able to make her mark on business issues quickly, because a handful of key cases are already on the docket.
Companies and legal experts are scouring Sotomayor's past opinions to glean clues about how she could rule on business issues.
The Supreme Court has already agreed to consider several high-profile cases in the new term, which starts Oct. 5.
"The stakes are incredibly high with respect to business issues," said Elizabeth Nowicki, an associate professor who teaches business law at Tulane University in New Orleans.
Among the issues are questions about corporate governance and securities fraud, Nowicki said.
In fact, the high court added a new one to the roster on Tuesday. The justices agreed to consider a case involving Merck & Co. (MRK, Fortune 500) that addresses how long investors can wait before making a securities fraud claim.
Nearly 1 in 4 African-American women in the United States with late stage breast cancer refused chemotherapy and radiation therapy, researchers said.
Study leader Dr. Monica Rizzo of the Emory University School of Medicine and Emory University's Avon Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center at Grady and colleagues reviewed stage III breast cancer data from 2000- 2006 from an inner city hospital in Atlanta that serves a large African-American population.
The investigators identified 107 cases of stage III breast cancers diagnosed and/or treated at this hospital over the six years of study. Approximately 87 percent of these cases were in African-American women.
Chemotherapy and radiation are recommendedtherapies for patients with stage III breast cancer; however, many women in this study decided to forgo these treatments.
Two weeks ago, 3-year-old Jaquan Reed was fatally shot on Chicago, Illinois', West Side.
Men participate in the Million Father March to support children going to school.
While the case shook the city, such shootings involving children are no longer rare in the Windy City. Within the current academic year, 36 Chicago-area students were killed.
Essence.com spoke to Phillip Jackson, a well-known political activist in the city and also founder of Black Star Project, a Chicago-based community outreach group, about what is being done to end the senseless shootings involving children.
The following is an edited version of that interview:
ESSENCE: There have been so many shootings and deaths. Please tell us what's happening in Chicago? ESSENCE: Xerox names Ursula Burns CEO
Phillip Jackson: This is a national catastrophe that is happening while we as a country do nothing. We're asking for national attention. This is a pandemic. We will not be able to solve this problem in Chicago unless they can solve this same problem in Houston [Texas] and other cities. 
Watch our panelists talk about the growing violence in Chicago »
ESSENCE: The nation's first black president is from Chicago. And you still do not feel like there is enough attention placed on this problem?
With Ursula Burns being recently appointed as the first Black CEO of a Fortune 500 company, the Black community had a lot to say. Most importantly, Black women and men in academia, law, and the professional world shine light on various points of view that should be considered as the nation celebrates the achievements of Burns and the Xerox Corporation.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux – President of Bennett College for Women:
“Glass ceilings are shattering and sisters are celebrating this amazing milestone. After the dust clears, let’s focus both on the glass ceiling and the sticky floor that suppresses the wages and salaries of most working women.”
Dr. Mary Stoddard, Attorney at Law – Stoddard, Parks & Associates, PLLC:
“Having the first black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company is greatly past due. The value of a segment of the population that has been the fundamental cornerstone to the growth and development of this country is long due our nation. Because one black female has been bestowed the job, that does not remove the many who are qualified and denied the opportunity because they are a black woman.”
Here's what Tialondra Kemp (Rick Ross's baby mom) has to say about Rick Ross.
“50 reached out to my attorney. I told him that I wanted to do a book and he made it happen,” Kemp shared with AllHipHop.com. “He got me my publishing deal and everything. He really helped me a lot. Rick Ross would’ve never gave me this opportunity.”
“I think that everybody know that he’s [Rick Ross] a fake and he’s a fraud and I think it’s a lot of things that’s in the book that would explain why he’s that type of person, you know,” Kemp continued. “He was an abusive person, you know. And he’s a deadbeat dad. He’s battered his first baby mama and the only things that he’s done is put his hands on women… he’s never been arrested but for battery for on his baby mom. Right now, he has an open case for carrying a concealed firearm, but the firearm was registered to him. And the reason he caught the charge is because his concealed weapon license was revoked for the battery he had against his first baby mom.”
“I wouldn’t consider him as a great father. I’m quite sure he loves his son, but he’s not supporting his son. He’s not in his son’s life. And that’s what it’s about,” she said. “You know, it’s not about money. It’s about being there for your child, you know, and showing them love.”
President Obama assailed North Korea Monday for new missile tests, saying the world must "stand up to"Pyongyang and demand that it honor a promise to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Appearing on the White House steps, Obama said that its latest nuclear underground test and subsequent test firings of short-range ground to air missiles "pose a grave threat to the peace and security of the world and I strongly condemn their reckless action."
It was his second statement within hours of the tests, the latest in a number of nuclear actions that Obama said "endanger the people of Northeast Asia." He called it "a blatant violation of international law" and said that it contradicted North Korea's "own prior commitments." Obama had released a written statement chastising the North Koreans in the early morning hours of Monday.
In his statement in the White House Rose Garden, he noted that the latest tests had drawn scorn around the world. Pyongyang's actions "have flown in the face of U.N. resolutions" and had deepened its isolation, he said, "inviting stronger international pressure."
"North Korea will not find security and respect through threats and illegal weapons," the president said. "We will work with our friends and allies to stand up to this behavior. The United States will never waver from our determination to protect our people and the peace and security of the world."
It has been happening for centuries – an older man taking a younger bride. Popular with kings in earlier times, in this day it is not uncommon with Hollywood royalty.
A 20-something-year-old I met tried to sum up the thinking on the male biological clock, saying “We don’t have to deal with the whole, you know, estrogen issues. So men keep on pumping it out but women – they can’t.”
The truth is there may be a male biological clock – and it’s ticking.
The headline from a recent study: Older fathers may mean lower IQs in their children.
Researchers found children born to 50-year-old fathers scored slightly lower on intelligence tests than children of a 20-year-old father, regardless of the mother’s age. The researchers analyzed data from more than 33-thousand American children. The study’s outcome is a hot topic in the blogosphere.
Laura Celestia Spelman Rockefeller, (September 9, 1839–March 12, 1915), (known as "Cettie"), was a philanthropist, the namesake of Spelman College and the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial, and the wife of the founder of both Standard Oil and the Rockefeller family dynasty, John D. Rockefeller.
"Mrs. Obama is not a great beauty. But she is so interesting looking and so bright. That will always take you farther. When you're a great beauty, it's always downhill for you. If you're someone like Mrs. Obama, you just get better with age."
Dr Boyce Watkins
While we might want to get on Morehouse College for the recent shooting incident, one has to clearly understand that Morehouse is not the only university with its share of dirt on campus. Harvard University is now in the middle of it’s own violent incident, in which a student was shot and killed in a Harvard dorm. The victim, who is not a Harvard University student, sold drugs to Harvard University students.
According to Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone: "The common denominator between the Harvard students, the suspect and man who is dead, the common denominator was drugs and money."
This incident is a reminder that, no matter what campus you’re on, student behavior can be out of control. The culture of drugs, alcohol and other ridiculous behavior should not be considered a fundamental part of the college experience. The book “Smashed” chronicles the life of a former Syracuse University student, as she spent 4 years drinking herself into poor health. There is also the Duke University rape scandal from 3 years ago, in which everyone wondered if a woman was raped, but no one wondered why there were 19 year olds having drunken stripper parties.
I try to explain to students in my book, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about College”, that college should be a lot of fun. But students should be encouraged to be responsible, and not let off the hook for every stupid thing they do. I have friends in law enforcement who express frustration that students arrested for drunk driving are protected by their parents and not held accountable for their actions. I also find myself irritated by the rapper Asher Roth, who wrote a song “I Love College”, in which he describes college as a place for drinking, partying and irresponsible sex. The rapper Roth describes his perspective clearly with the lyrics, “Drink my beer and smoke my weed….Pass out at 3, wake up at 10, go out to eat and do it again.” Don’t get me wrong: sex can be great, and so can other forms of leisure activity (I’m not here to judge or put myself on a pedestal). But we are doing our young people no favors by presuming that excessive sexual promiscuity, experimenting with drugs and binge drinking are good things. THEY-ARE-NOT.
Sorry dawg, I’m not with that. College is a great place to get an education, but it is also a great place to catch a venereal disease, become an alcoholic, get raped, get arrested, die from a drug overdose or die of alcohol poisoning. Sorry to put it that way, but that’s as real as I can get.
If you are sending your child to college, make this clear: College is a great place to have fun, but responsibility is a requirement. Hold your children accountable, and we must also hold any university accountable for accepting irresponsible behavior as simply a “part of college life”.
Consider me radical for saying this, but college is a place to be educated. Everything else should be secondary. Don’t let your kids fall victim to the ignorance.
A 555-pound South Carolina teen who disappeared with his mother after she was accused of neglecting his health was found with her Thursday at a laundry in Baltimore, authorities said.
Greenville County, S.C., Sheriff's
Paramedics checked Alexander Draper, 14, before turning him over to the Maryland Department of Social Services, police said.
His mother, 49-year-old Jerri Gray, was arrested on a charge of violating a custody order, police said. South Carolina officials plan to pursue her extradition back to the state.
Authorities said the teen was at a "stage of critical health risk," but wouldn't provide details about his medical condition beyond his weight, said Greenville County Sheriff's Lt. Shea Smith.
Officials are making arrangements to bring the boy back to South Carolina, Smith said.
Investigators didn't know if Gray had an attorney and her relatives have not responded to messages left by The Associated Press.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services contacted deputies Tuesday after Gray failed to make a scheduled court appearance so officials could begin investigating claims of child neglect and endangerment.
The employment situation in the states showed signs of stabilizing last month.
The unemployment rate declined in 21 states in April, compared with the month before, while 11 states had no rate change, according to federal data released Friday.
The work situation, however, deteriorated in 18 states and Washington, D.C., last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Hip-hop "mogul" Irv Gotti has gotten tremendous criticism for mistreating his estranged wife, Deb. Let's be real, Irv is mean and appears to be highly inconsiderate. He cheats on Deb openly, disrespects her and doesn't seem to care if she stays or goes.
"Irv Gotti treats his wife worse than an abandoned dog in a pound," says black celebrity gossip columnist, Lady Drama. "Any man who treats his wife like that should walk through hell with gasoline soaked pants."
But while Irv does his thing and does it wherever and with whomever he likes, his wife may not necessarily be an innocent victim. She has the opportunity to leave him and be with another man. She can draw boundaries on the relationship and not deal with his behavior. But she does not. Why is that?
In this episode of Financial Lovemaking with Dr. Boyce, we talk about Gotti and what he and his wife can do to make things right. We also answer some critical and important questions.
Continue reading Financial Lovemaking with Dr. Boyce: Is Irv Gotti's Way the Right Way?
When Alysa Stanton officially becomes a rabbi next month, she'll be walking into history.
Alysa Stanton, 45, will become the first African-American woman to be ordained as a rabbi next month.
She'll become the first African-American woman ever to be ordained as a rabbi and the first African-American rabbi to lead a majority white congregation, according to the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
Stanton, 45, will be ordained June 6 in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she received her master's degree from the HUC-JIR, which is the rabbinical school of the Reform movement. Then in August, she will begin her new job at Congregation Bayt Shalom in Greenville, North Carolina -- long a Conservative synagogue and now affiliated with both the Reform and Conservative movements.
She describes her new position with great enthusiasm, saying the congregation -- while small -- has a lot of children, a sign of a bright future. And she says the congregation is vibrant and the region, where East Carolina University and a major medical center are located, is dynamic as well.
"My goals as a rabbi are to break down barriers, build bridges and provide hope," Stanton told CNN. "I look forward to being the spiritual leader of an inclusive sacred community that welcomes and engages all."
The HUC says the milestone reflects the diversity that permeates Jewish life.
Word on the street is that CW has canceled "The Game". Now this definitely doesn't come as a surprise because we all know that black shows are always the first to get axed. There are still some rumors saying that the cancellation isn't final, but I don't believe that at all. I guess the show was good while it lasted.
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Posted By LadyBaby to Your Black Gossip: The Official Source of Black Celebrity Gossip at 5/20/2009 04:52:00 PM
Dr. Billy Hawkins, University of Georgia
A typical error Black academics make is to believe that the academy is open and accepting of new ideas and insights. They initially welcome us with open arms, but we soon find out that the shelf life of this welcome is brief and that their minds were never really open and accepting. I have come to think of it in terms of the structural deficiencies and inability of these institutions to sincerely assimilate fresh new perspectives and energies into their paradigms. Therefore, in the context of the phrase “new wine in old wineskins” the evolutionary Messiah, Jesus Christ, informs of the perils of progressive thinking within an archaic system.
Dr. Boyce Watkins lack of tenure at the University of Syracuse speaks to this issue and to the broader issue of how Predominantly White Institutions are conservative and myopic in their agendas, curricula, and missions than they are progressive and bastions of forward-thinkers. The tenure process has always worked as a mechanism to temper and corral the radical embers that spark change from the status quo and challenge previous preconceive notions. Inherent in the tenure and promotion process are prescriptions for appropriate behavior and academic inquiry. Speaking truth to power is not one of the prescriptions rewarded in this process, especially if you are a Black professor.
A CURIOUS CASE: Taraji P. Henson, who usually kills on the red carpet, was busting out of this minidress last week. Sexy and sassy or a fashion sin? [Go Fug Yourself]
OH NO 'SHE' DIDN'T: 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' cast member Sheree Whitfield -- the one fans love to hate -- debuted her new fashion line, She by Sheree, in her hometown recently. It's not bad... if chinchilla-trimmed bikinis are your thing. [The Fashion Bomb]
To cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge into Selma is to share a stage with history. And these days, it is to come face-to-face with a bleak present.
Storefront after storefront is closed, and many of the buildings in the famous photos from the days of the historic March 1965 events have fallen into disrepair.
"It is very depressing," Selma Mayor George P. Evans tells us during an evening walk down Broad Street in downtown. "People are not buying. People are not spending. Businesses are going out of business."
This is the heart of Alabama's "Black Belt," and Selma is a reminder that a recession that has punished so many across America has hit hardest in places that were already struggling.
"A double whammy," Evans says. "It does seem to be those cities with the largest population of minorities that has taken the biggest hit."
Looks like Lil Kim is gonna try to earn some cake to get some of that debt paid off. She is set to release a new book called “The Price of loyalty”, where she is going to talk about her time in prison and how that changed her as a person. I doubt it changed her that much.
Texting is the new calling, which means there's a whole new battleground for romance -- and a new set of rules to play by. Start your flirty texting education here, with advice from Debra Goldstein and Olivia Baniuszewicz, authors of "Flirtexting: How to Text Your Way to His Heart."
More Dating Articles from Glamour:
#1: DO say the words text me when you give out your number to a new guy. Giving a new guy your number and telling him to call can be iffy. Start with a text.
#2: DON'T just text "Hi." Even if the only reason you're texting him is because you're thinking about him, this kind of short and shy flirtexting typically leads nowhere.
Forbes Magazine recently released its list of the wealthiest Black Americans.Oprah Winfrey was number one, which isn't a surprise. Oprah has obtained a level of power and wealth that makes the breath leave your body. (Did Oprah actually cause sit-ins at KFC? Who does a sit-in over chicken?) She is well ahead the second person on the list, Tiger Woods, whose wealth is measured at roughly $600 million. It's nice that Forbes has created a list for black Americans, since it gives insight into African American achievements without having them dwarfed by the massive wealth of white Americans. Let's remember that other Americans had a 400 year head start, as black families were not allowed to pass wealth onto their children for many centuries.
Some say that your present tells the story of your past. Where you are is not always as important as the path you took to get there, which provides insights into the paths you will travel in the future. The list is interesting for a few other reasons, which I will state below:
1) Oprah is actually not all that rich, relatively speaking that is. If you compare Oprah's $2.7 Billion to the leader of the overall list of billionaires, Bill Gates, you will find that his $40 Billion dollar stash is far greater than Oprah's. In fact, Bill Gates could spend over $10 million dollars a day for the next 10 years and still have $10 Billion dollars more than Oprah. Another way to conceptualize the massive wealth difference is to note that Bill Gates usually earns more in INTEREST each year than Oprah has in her entire fortune. This is not to say that Oprah's achievements are not noteworthy. In fact, she is a more accomplished human being than Gates. These facts simply serve as a glowing reminder that African Americans have been left out of the wealth building pool for hundreds of years, and that these disparities show themselves in modern day economic inequalities. Some see Gates as a self-made Billionaire, but the truth is that if he were black, chances are that he would not have had a prominent lawyer for a father and a mother who served on powerful corporate boards, all of which opened doors for him that are not typically opened for black youth. Oprah Winfrey was far more self-made than Gates.
Check out what the cat dragged in... Gabrielle Union and Dania Ramirez along with Ciara and the Kardashians all hit up Maxim's 10th Annual Hot 100 Celebration which went down in Santa Monica this week! 
I'm feeling just about everyone except for Ciara, who told her looking like an extra terrestial was cute? 
****On a sidenote some model chick had on the same dress as Gabrielle Union... How embarrassing can I get an axe to the stylist please!
Joshua Brandon Norris is expected to graduate soon and become a Morehouse Man, with all its prestige. At 22, he’s had a good run during his time at Morehouse College. He drove a Hummer, co-owned a fashion store at Perimeter Mall and owns a stylish $450,000 townhouse.
He also shot another student.
Across the country, Frank Rashad Johnson, the victim, attends Sacramento City College and lives with his mother, trying to save money. He, too, wanted to be a Morehouse Man.
“My great-uncle was a classmate of Martin Luther King’s,” Johnson said. “It has a long history of exemplary students and good men. It was my dream school.”
But all that fell apart when he was shot three times outside a school-related Halloween party near Atlantic Station in 2007. Police reports say Norris was kicked out of a nightclub, had words with Johnson after bumping into him outside, then shot the fellow Morehouse student during a struggle in the street.
Completing a Morehouse degree is vital to Norris. Fulton County Judge Marvin Arrington ordered him to do so after he pleaded no contest to a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The deal calls for six years of probation and comes with first-offender status —- meaning Norris’ record will be wiped clean if he stays out of trouble.
“You’re getting the break of your life,” Arrington said during the Jan. 27 hearing.
Oprah Winfrey has apologized to author James Frey for shaming him on her TV chat show amid revelations he had fabricated parts of his memoir, her spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
Winfrey's apology was first reported on the Web site ofVanity Fair, with the author saying he felt "grateful" for Winfrey's gesture. The two have a tumultuous history.
Winfrey had been one of Frey's most vocal boosters, naming his 2003 drugs-and-alcohol memoir "A Million Little Pieces" one of her "book club" choices in 2005 and propelling it to bestseller status.
But the next year, after it was revealed Frey had invented some details in the supposedly non-fiction memoir and written that he once spent three months behind bars when in reality it was a few hours, Winfrey lambasted him as a guest on her show.
