New England Sun-Times

A man who dresses as a woman said the city of Nashville and the company that operates one of its prisons should pay him millions for putting him behind bars for three years with women. Karla Brenner said once the female prisoners found out he had male anatomy, it became a living hell. “The big hair, the makeup – I am an entertainer, a drag queen. That basically means a man who enjoys dressing as a woman. It’s not a woman. I have no intention on being a woman – never, ever have,” Brenner said. But when Brenner was convicted of felony theft for stealing a python purse in Green Hills, an already complicated life got more complicated. Brenner said he was told to say nothing, to pretend he was a woman and go to the women’s prison. Officials said Brenner even checked a box that said he was a woman. But Brenner said he was also examined by the Metro Health Department and that examination meant more than any checkmark in a box. “How can you not tell a vagina from a peni...

By: Jenée Desmond-Harris     Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who said in a recent interview that he would perform a same-sex wedding ceremony if a gay or lesbian couple asked him to do so, is urging Maryland voters to adopt his view of gay rights as civil rights by voting in favor of a ballot measure that would provide for marriage equality in the state. Although the legislature passed a bill that Gov. Martin O'Malley signed, voters will decide the issue in November. Jackson seems to be targeting the state's large African-American community with his remarks. "The culture has had to expand," he told the Huffington Post 's Michelangelo Signorile at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., last week, adding, "For so long we thought it was a sin for blacks to have freedom. We thought it was a sin for black and white men and women to interrelate. We've grown in our appreciation o...

By: Jenée Desmond-Harris   Michael Winans Jr. (WDIV-TV, Detroit) This just goes to show that just about everyone -- even black America's most famous gospel family -- has at least one relative engaging in some not-so-holy activities. The Associated Press reports that a member of the Winans family has been charged with fraud after authorities uncovered his involvement in a scam involving more than $8 million and bogus oil bonds. Michael Winans Jr. is the grandson of Delores "Mom" Winans and David "Pop" Winans Sr. and the son of Michael Winans Sr., a member of the Winans quartet. He plans to plead guilty, defense attorney William Hatchett told the Associated Press. Winans knew the Saudi Arabian oil bonds weren’t real, but he continued to accept money from more than 1,000 investors in 2007 and 2008, according to a filing this week in Detroit federal court. Michigan regulators in 2010 said Winans Jr. used connections...

By: Dr. R. L'Heureux Lewis-McCoy Ebony 's R. L'Heureux Lewis-McCoy says rappers like Chief Keef are merely symptoms of the greater problems for black men in cities like Chicago. I have to admit, until recently I didn’t really know who Chief Keef was I recognized his name from the hit “I Don’t Like,” but not much else. I starting inquiring about him more as he feuded with Lupe Fiasco, Lil Jojo got killed , and people started telling me, “Chief Keef is a problem.”  The more I learn about him, the more I feel endeared to and concerned for him, as with many of our young Black males. As the rapper gets more and more attention, we have to realize that he is only one person.  And like many of our youth, he is trapped in crises of identity, community and opportunity. Until we start to shift those things we can expect to see more loss in Chicago, Philadelphia, and other metropolitan cities.   Identity Crisis “Know thyself”--- two word...

An alert Portland, Oregon mother said she used a 2×4 to wallop a 17-year-old boy who was trying to abduct her young daughter as the girl played outside a home. Police credited quick action by Antoinette Robinson and neighbors with helping them capture the suspect. He was being held down by neighbors when officers arrived. Robinson became concerned when she heard muffled screams from Xavieria, her 6-year-old daughter. The screams were coming from an area where children were playing. “She was outside playing with her friend, right by the bush, by the front door and I’m sitting there watching TV, and I thought I heard her call me,” Robinson said. “When I looked I saw a man with his hand around her mouth and her body.”   Robinson said the suspect was trying to pull Xavieria into the bushes. She jumped into action and ran at the suspect. “He put his hand over me, and then he pushed me in the bushes and then my mom came out,” said Xavieria. “I thought he was ...

Hip-Hop's power couple looks to raise big money for the president Credit: Wireimage Hip-Hop’s most powerful couple are lending their pocketbooks to the world’s most powerful couple. Rapper Jay-Z and singer Beyonce will host a fundraiser on September 18th at the 40/40 Club in New York City for President Obama’s re-election campaign. Attendees will shell out $40,000 per plate to dine in the presence of two of the most popular couples in the world. Those in attendance can also pose with the president for a picture for an extra $12,500 contribution. Jay-Z and wife Beyoncé will host a fund-raiser for President Obama at the “Watch the Throne” rapper’s 40/40 Club on Sept. 18. We hear the event will be intimate and capped at 100 guests who will shell out $40,000 per ticket to dine with the commander-in-chief and hip-hop royal. Earlier the same day, Obama is scheduled to attend a reception where families can p...

We wonder if Chad Johnson is regretting that tattoo he got of his estranged wife’s face. On the same day the former Miami Dolphins wide receiver and VH1 star pleaded not guilty to beating Evelyn Lozada, we now learn that Johnson has finally given into reality and has joined Evelyn in seeking a divorce. The news comes almost a month to the day Evelyn filed her petition calling their 40-day marriage kaput. Chad filed his response to Evelyn in a Florida court within the last 48 hours, and a date has been scheduled for Sept. 19 to finalize the divorce. A source says that this will not be a messy divorce, as there was a 40-page prenuptial agreement in place between the two. The source adds that “Evelyn is not asking for anything that is not already in the prenup,” and that “there is no fighting or a dispute between them.” Evelyn is requesting that the 34-year-old NFL star pay her legal fees. The source confirms this, adding...

A family food fight over a cut of pork led to a deadly shooting in St. Louis and one relative getting served a first-degree murder charge, according to police. 43 Year old John Cunningham (seen below), was having a heated discussion with his uncle, 44 year old Lessie Lowe about the pork they were planning to cook. Cunningham called the meat “pork steaks,” while Lowe referred to them as “pork chops,” according to KMOV. From there, the two had to be separated by another person in the home before Cunningham allegedly grabbed a shotgun and fired at Lowe, police said. The victim, one of 17 siblings, later died at the hospital. An older brother described him as a “smart young man” who enjoyed working on cars. Cunningham was charged with murder and armed criminal action Tuesday, and was being held without bond. FYI, he turned out to be right about the cut of pork. Another argument in St. Louis over food turned deadly l...

A bill that will require law enforcement to obtain a warrant before accessing private online communications such as e-mail or social networking interactions was introduced in the Senate this week. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, this legislation is a “key piece of efforts to reform the Electronic Communications Privacy Act,” which was first passed in 1986. Even if you know nothing about the privacy act, you can probably figure out that legislation that passed in 1986 relating to online privacy is due for an update. Back then, e-mail wasn’t nearly as important or prevalent as it is today. So, when the privacy act was written, Congress initially decided to handle e-mail (and other yet-to-be-defined types of communication, such as instant messaging chats, social networking interactions, and uploaded cloud files) as business records, which can be obtained by law enforcement with a simple administrative subpoena....

Spartanburg police have arrested a man they say broke into a woman’s home, held her against her will and sexually assaulted her twice in one month. Rodney Gibson Goggins is accused of kidnapping, burglary and criminal sexual conduct. Goggins was arrested Wednesday afternoon after police got a tip about where he was located. Police said Goggins ran from officers, but was captured within a few minutes. According to police, Goggins broke into the same home on Aug. 11 and Aug. 24. Police said that on Aug. 11, Goggins sexually assaulted the 41-year-old woman.  They said that on Aug. 24, Goggins raped that same woman. Police said the woman did not know Goggins. It was not immediately known how he was identified as the suspect. SOURCE: WCSC

A woman was found alive stuck inside her freezer today in Tulsa, Okla. 59 year old Theresa Christian, may have climbed inside of her deep freezer over the weekend to seek shelter from bad storms and tornadoes, according to Tulsa police officer Jillian Roberson. Once inside, Christian apparently lodged herself in the freezer and was unable to escape. She may have been there from Friday or Saturday until today, Roberson said. On Wednesday, Christian’s son arrived at the woman’s apartment searching for her and heard moaning coming from near the freezer chest. He then found his mother incoherent and with severe frostbite on her legs. There were no locks or latches on the door that could have accidentally engaged, investigators told ABC News affiliate KTUL. Police said evidence inside suggests that she did try and struggled to get the door open. Christian was taken to a nearby hospital in severe condition, according to Roberson. They have not yet been able to talk wi...

A woman handed an 11-month-old boy a bottle of what appears to be bleach at a McDonald’s in London. After drinking the liquid, the infant was rushed to a hospital where he’s in critical condition, police said. Parents in the area are being warned to be vigilant. The baby was with his parents at McDonald’s in Eltham, south east London, when a woman approached and gave him the bottle. It is believed he drank the liquid and immediately vomited. An ambulance was called and the baby was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich. The Metropolitan Police alerted the public to the danger via Twitter. In a message from @MPSGreenwich, police said: “ WARNING! Last 1/2 hr. #Eltham High St. White female in 50s giving children in pushchairs bottles containing believed bleach. ” Police later referred to the liquid as an “unknown substance”. It is thought the parents were eating at a table in the restaurant on Thursday lunchtime wi...

Established by Mayor Menino, the Problem Properties Initiative is a coordinated, inter-departmental approach to identify and respond to properties where there is persistent criminal activity and violations of the State Sanitary and Building Codes. The Initiative is supported by a set of three City ordinances, one of which establishes the Mayor’s Problem Properties Task Force. The members of the Task Force make up the heads of ten City departments and is Chaired by the Mayor’s Chief of Staff. Members of these various City departments, such as the Boston Police Department and the Inspectional Services Department, work closely together to identify those properties that have a long-established record of criminal incidents and code violations.  The Task Force may designate a property as a Problem Property based on the number of criminal incidents or code violations recorded within a twelve-month period, the nature of the complaints and the use of the property, i...

Sorry bruthas but it seems Serena aint messing with yall no more lol! It’s official, she’s dating her tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou!!! He’s been coaching Serena since her loss at the French Open. The coaching/dating sitch is clearly working out because since they’ve started working with each other she has won: Wimbledon, Olympic Gold, and the US Open. Wonder if he knows what to do with all dat azz lol! Ok, we can’t forget Venus ! She’s rumored to be dating Cuban model Elio Pis, seen below. SOURCE: ONTHEGOTENNIS

Actress Nia Long has made a last-ditch attempt to convince Aretha Franklin to cast her as the Queen of Soul in her long-awaited biopic. The Respect singer revealed her “wish list” of actresses to portray her in a big screen adaptation of her 1999 memoir, From These Roots, in January and named Long, Halle Berry and Kerry Washington. In May it was reported that Franklin had instead chosen to cast Broadway star and former Private Practice star Audra McDonald (seen below) in the lead role, but her appointment has yet to be made official and Long is still holding out hope she’ll eventually land the part. The Big Momma’s House actress says, “I would be ever so honored. She’s an icon and I’m sure there’s more to her story than the world knows. Aretha, if you’re out there and you’re reading, count me in!”

Miami Beach police say David Weber’s first mistake was breaking into a car in a parking garage Monday night in order to quench an insatiable thirst for beer with the help of someone else’s credit card. But, police said, his second, and by far more critical, mistake was walking into The Clevelander just before midnight and giving the card to a bartender — who noticed that he’d just been handed his own credit card. Oops! After the initial shock wore off, the bartender had security call police, who charged Weber with credit card fraud and theft. Weber, 53 and homeless, said he found the card on the ground, according to police. He was booked Tuesday into Miami-Dade County jail. SOURCE: MIAMIHERALD

When video (watch below) of his season-ending ACL tear injury was played during a promotional event on Thursday, Derrick Rose broke down (watch below) into tears, according to multiple Chicago media outlets . The Chicago Bulls point guard was promoting his latest shoe at an Adidas promotional event and said that rehab on his torn ligament that he suffered in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals vs. the Philadelphia 76ers was going well. He announced that he’s making steady progress by doing jumping and shooting drills, while working on his core through workouts. Rose had surgery on May 12 and is expected to miss eight to 12 months, cutting into the 2012-13 season. It is not determined if or when he will come back but Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has made it known that he doesn’t want Rose to play unless he’s 100%. Rose’s tears reportedly stemmed from his appreciation for family and fans during this trying time in his life. Here’s the video of him br...

by Jake Crates (@JakeCrates) September 13th, 2012 @ 1:22pm Today (September 13), Hip-Hop fans across the globe bow their heads in remembrance of one of Hip-Hop’s most prolific icons. Gone but surely not forgotten, fans are likely playing Tupac’s music across the globe from Africa to Europe, from South Central L.A. to the Bay, from Brooklyn to Baltimore. From his humble beginnings as the son of a Black Panther engaged in the arts, to his final days at Death Row amidst a swirl of negative media attention and governmental pressure, Tupac aspired to be impactful and influential to our urban communities. To this day, the Thug Life brand is etched in Hip-Hop history like words etched in stone, as rappers, fans and loved ones will never forget the passion, enthusiasm, and care that ‘Pac put into his rhymes and his music for ghettos across the globe. Tupac’s fans were of all races, faces, and places, but he was especially a voice for young, Black males. ...

by Gina Torres (@GinaTorres27) September 13th, 2012 @ 5:31pm DMX is flying high off of the release of his seventh studio album, Undisputed , which was released to the masses on Tuesday, September 11. In an exclusive interview with AllHipHop.com, DMX goes off on YMCMB rapper Drake for not including the producers that Aaliyah worked with while she was alive on her upcoming posthumous album, which Drake is executive producing alongside producer Noah “40″ Shebib. “It just show what I said, [Drake's] a f*cking piece of sh*t,” DMX told AllHipHop.com. “Motherf*cker, you didn’t even know this woman; you were in middle school. “What the f*ck gives you the f*cking right? Allow Aaliyah to live on and not include the people she always worked with, not include the recipe.” DMX worked with Aaliyah closely on music and in movies and believes that Drake is disrespecting her legacy by not working with the producers that Aaliyah was known to work with. “It...

First report of the foreclosure abuse settlement shows banks swiftly pardoned half of the $20 bil required As a result of the National Mortgage Settlement that was reached in April by five major mortgage providers, home owners are starting to receive all kinds of letters in the mail telling them they are no longer required to pay, or they don’t have to pay as much as agreed. The $20 billion foreclosure abuse settlement was reached with defendants as follows: Mortgage Provider 1) Bank of America, N.A. (“Bank of America”) Required Amount: $8.57 billion 2) Wells Fargo & Company and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Required Amount: $4.33 bil 3) J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“Chase”) Required Amount: $4.21 bil 4)  CitiMortgage, Inc. (“Citi”) Required Amount: $1.78 bil 5) Ally Financial, (“Ally”) Required Amount : $200 million According to the f...

by Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) September 13th, 2012 @ 2:45pm Coolio’s son Grtis Ivey, who appeared reality show “Coolio’s Rules,” has just been sentenced to prison for robbing an apartment with a friend, who happened to be a hooker. A rep for the Clark County District Attorney’s office told TMZ.com that the 22-year-old Ivey was sentenced to 42-120 months in prison. If the Nevada Department of Corrections finds good reason, they can hold him for up to 10 years. Ivey was arrested on November 14, 2011 last year, for forcibly entering a Las Vegas apartment with a gun, He then ordered the tenant into the bathroom, while his female prostitute friend ransacked the place. Ivey agreed to plead guilty to a felony robbery charge in exchange for having the remaining charges dropped. According to TMZ , Ivey has been in custody since his arrest and will receive credit for time served.

by Sean Ryon Webbie has been accused of robbing and kicking a woman down a flight of stairs. It looks like rapper Webbie may have gotten himself into some legal hot water. According to a recent report from TMZ , the Louisiana rapper was recently arrested on charges of battery and robbery. Reports indicate that Webbie allegedly kicked a woman down a flight of stairs this morning at a local Chase Suite Hotel after he was banned from the hotel premises. Following the assault, the "Independent" rapper stole $340 from the woman's pocketbook. While details are unclear at this time, a representative for the rapper tells a different story of the events. He says that Webbie met the woman at a party last evening, but never assaulted her. He went on to say that Webbie did take the money from the victim's purse, but insists that it was originally Webbie's money that had been stolen from him. Webbie was released from jail on $9,000 bond e...

Uh oh! Florida A&M University is in hot water this week! The HBCU says it’s not responsible for the death of drum major Robert Champion. In a response to a wrongful death lawsuit, university officials claim Champion, who — as an adult — must bear responsibility for his decision to undergo the hazing ritual that led to his death. HUH?! In papers filed this week, the school maintains that 26 year old Champion, was legally responsible for his own death. He was beaten in November by other members of the Marching 100, the university’s famed band, during a hazing rite. Champion died after a football game in a charter bus parked outside an Orlando hotel. Twelve former members of the group have been charged with felonies in the case, which also led to the forced retirement of the band’s director and later the departure of the president of the school, Florida’s only public, historically black university. “No public university ...

Well, well, well it looks like O.J. Simpson has decided to add fuel to the already sizzling rumor that reality star Khloe Kardashian is actually his daughter. Rumors began swirling earlier this year, about an alleged affair between O.J. Simpson and Kris Jenner back when Jenner was married to Simpson’s attorney Rob Kardashian. Kris Jenner denies the claim, while others point out how different Klhoe looks compared to her sister’s Kim and Kourtney. (This is true yall lol) However, the rumor does not seem to be dying because now a source claims Simpson added Khloe to his will because he thinks he is her biological father. The source also claims that Simpson cut his oldest daughter Arnelle from the will because of her bad spending habits. O.J is currently sitting in a prison cell, convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping. We’re told he has stashed away a couple million in the Cayman Islands and can expect more over the yea...

A Jackson, Mississippi man/woman was charged with murder after an Atlanta woman died following an illegal butt implant. Attorney General Jim Hood said Tuesday that Morris Garner, who dresses as a woman and goes by the name Tracey Lynn Garner, did the procedure in March at a Peyton Avenue home. Hood said that Garner had no training or official license to carry out that type of procedure. Investigators said Garner posed as a doctor and used fake silicone. Hood said Morris, 52, is charged in the death of Karima Gordon. She began feeling ill several hours into the car ride back to Atlanta and when she called Garner for advice, he told her to take some cough syrup. WTH!!! Gordon died in the Atlanta area a few days after the procedure. Hood said Gordon met Garner through someone in New York City known to authorities only as “Pebbles.” Garner was transported to the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office and remains in custody at th...

A female robber pulled a gun on a man while they were having sex in a moving car driven by the victim, police say. The action, not surprisingly, triggered a crash. The slightly battered 26-year-old Florida woman, Amanda Jean Linscott, fled the scene after the car hit a palm tree and sailed through the air tearing up two yards in a Charlotte County town. Linscott was finally busted Tuesday, more than a week after the incident. She sports a black eye in her mug shot from a punch in the face from her victim during a skirmish in the vehicle, presumably after the sex, say police. SOURCE: ABCNEWS