New England Sun-Times

Criminal charges are expected in the Thursday stabbing death of a newborn in a Clarke County, Georgia home, according to police. Investigators have not yet determined when the baby was born, but believe the boy lived only hours, Capt. Clarence Holeman with Athens-Clarke County police told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We know it [the birth] was sometime today,” Holeman said by phone Thursday night. Holeman said no one was in custody, but that an arrest warrant could be served late Thursday. A 21-year-old woman believed to be the baby’s mother was under guard at a Athens hospital late Thursday. A 911 caller reported shortly after 1 p.m. that the baby was lifeless inside a Great Oak Drive home, on the east side of Athens, Asst. Chief Fred Stephens with Athens-Clarke County police said in news release. Emergency responders were dispatched the home, where they found the deceased baby. “Police determined that there was foul play and then secured the residence and ...

Jamie Foxx in negotiations to play the villain in Sony’s sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man. The Oscar-winner would play Electro, a character with the power to manipulate and control electricity. Foxx all but confirmed his casting on Twitter Thursday, when he posted the following: “Dressed up as Electro for Halloween last night. Costume fits well.” The Spidey sequel recently added The Descendants‘ actress Shailene Woodley to play Mary Jane Parker in the sequel, which will also see Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone return to reprise the roles of Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy, respectively. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ will make its way out onto the U.S. cinemas on May 2, 2014. His movie Django Unchained directed by Quentin Tarantino hits movie theaters this December. SOURCE: CELEBUZZZ

Arienne Thompson, USA TODAY (Photo: Essence) One of the undeniable stars of the London Olympics was the little gymnast with the huge smile, 16-year-old double gold medalist Gabby Douglas. The all-around gymnastics champ covers the December issue of Essence magazine, which honors her as one of its Women of the Year. Douglas and her mother Natalie Hawkins sat down for an interview to chat about fame, fortune, family and, yes, the hair controversy. On managing her newfound fortune : "I think saving it is the best option for anyone. … I can't go shoe shopping now. If I did, I'd buy the whole store…" Hawkins on the controversy over Gabby's hair : "It hurt because it was coming from the community that should have upheld us the most. It was coming from within her own race, African-American women who are the people who are supposed to relate to her and be the happiest for her." Douglas on her estrangment from her father : "(The rel...

Police searching for two young brothers who were ripped from their mother’s arms during Superstorm Sandy have found their bodies. The remains of Brandon, two, and Connor Moore, four, were discovered only yards from where they went missing in Staten Island, New York. The boys’ mother Glenda Moore, 39, is said to have spent 12 hours screaming in the street after they were swept away, but neighbors would not help her look for them. WTF! The boys were sucked away by floodwater after Moore’s car stalled and became stuck just before 6pm on Monday. Moore, a nurse, tried to hold on to them but was overpowered by the force of the storm. ‘Terrible, absolutely terrible,’ police commissioner Ray Kelly said. ‘It just compounds all the tragic aspects of this horrific event.’ The boys were about 20 yards apart from each other, under water, buried by trees and debris, law enforcement sources said. After the storm cleared on Tuesday morning, officers, dogs and other searchers – ar...

Nashville, TN - The Het-Heru Sorority Inc. and The Nation of Islam Student Association will host its first annual Collegiate Black United Summit International Conference (B.U.S.I) with keynote speaker the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan this Friday, November 2, 2012 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Tennessee State University Gentry Complex Center.    The program is also scheduled to be streamed live via world-wide webcast starting at 6pm Central Time by the FinalCall.com News Staff at http://www.noi.org/webcast/ The free summit will share their unique approach of evaluating past & existing issues and offering solutions related to the core channels of leadership, education and careers in Black America with college students from HBCU's, underrepresented students from various campuses and local Tennessee residents. The B.U.S.I. is a part of the outgrowth of the Black College Tour where the Minister Farrakhan addressed audiences with the purpose of educat...

The late R&B singer Natina Reed had been living in an extended stay motel when she was killed in a car accident last week. She was just 12 miles from the $45 per night StudioPlus Atlanta Peachtree Corners extended stay motel in Norcross, Georgia, when she was knocked down last Friday according to the police incident report. Gwinnett County authorities are still seeking information to help explain the accidental death of the 32-year-old, who was a popular member of the 1990s girl group Blaque. Natina also appeared in the 2000 film, Bring It On, in which she played cheerleader Jenelope. She was a protégé of the late Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes, who died after crashing her car. Reed has a 10-year-old son, Tren Brown, whose father is rapper Kurupt who paid his own tribute on Sunday evening. “Myself and Tren, Natina’s son, would like to thank everyone for their love and support during this tragic time,’ he said. ‘This is a tremendous loss to our family. Natina was a g...

The woman who filed a police report accusing Cee Lo of sexual battery secretly recorded a conversation with the singer, and sources involved in the case say Cee Lo admitted slipping her a drug and then having sex with her — something the singer DENIES. The woman told cops Cee Lo took her to a downtown L.A. restaurant in July. They had a drink and she says she remembers nothing after that. She claims the next thing she knew, she was lying naked in a bed and Cee Lo was in the room. We should mention Cee Lo is a married man. We’re told the woman, who does not live in California, almost immediately went to her local law enforcement agency and reported the incident. The matter was eventually referred to the LAPD. Sources say LAPD detectives had the woman make a “pretext call” — a call in which someone baits the other party into acknowledging a crime or other misdeed — and it was recorded. We’ve learned Cee Lo is on tape, repeatedly apologizing and referencing MDMA (E...

A Super PAC ad argues that it's a "lie” that Democrats support African-Americans VIDEO By Jillian Rayfield (Credit: Wikipeda) With just days to go before the election, one super PAC ad running in Ohio makes a rather unique argument for why black people in the state should vote Republican: Abraham Lincoln was a Republican, too! The Empower Citizens Network is running one ad in the Columbus area that argues: “It is a big lie that Democrats are for black Americans, and Republicans are against black Americans. Abraham Lincoln, who freed the slaves, was a Republican. Republicans founded the NAACP. Republicans passed the Civil Rights Act, while Democrats opposed it.” Evan McMorris-Santoro of TPM  writes  that the group, which describes itself as a...

There may be some shadiness connected to singer Usher winning that long, drawn out custody battle against his ex wife Tameka Raymond. In August, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Bensonetta Tipton Lane awarded custody of Usher’s two sons to the Atlanta-based singer and actor. The decision stunned Usher’s ex-wife, Tameka Raymond, according to her attorney, Lisa West. Since the decision was rendered, West said she learned Usher’s celebrity attorney, John Mayoue, may have helped Lane get reelected in 2008. According to campaign finance reports, Mayoue’s law firm donated $1,000 to Lane’s campaign and hosted a fundraising reception that raked in thousands of dollars. According to West, Mayoue also sat on Lane’s reelection committee. “I would classify the relationship as a special relationship,” said West. West said she believes Lane should have disclosed that relationship in open court so she has asked for a new trial and for Lane to recuse herself. Georgia law allo...

by Slava Kuperstein   Jay-Z has been tapped to perform at the swing state's rally for President Barack Obama. Jay-Z is among the performers who will take part in President Barack Obama's rally in Columbus, Ohio on Monday (November 5). Ohio, an extremely important swing state, is key to the presidential election. And while well-known artists like Bruce Springsteen will also be performing, it's Hov who's got the ultimate honors: introducing President Obama himself. Jay, who once rapped that he was "a small reason why the President is black," has had a longstanding relationship with the President. Obama has stated that Jay-Z is among the artists on regular rotation in his iPod, and Obama even appeared in a video during Jay's "Made in America" festival. Jay has, in turn, supported Obama's stance on gay marriage , and helped host a fundraiser for the campaign in September . The move confirms speculation in 20...

A computer specialist had a stroke in his office but wasn’t discovered until five days later, then died at a hospital, relatives and authorities said Wednesday. 45 year old David Norton, of Portland, Maine was barely alive when police found him Oct. 10 inside his University of Southern Maine office. He died Oct. 15 at Maine Medical Center. Norton had a stroke the Friday before Columbus Day and was found in his locked office by USM police the following Wednesday after a co-worker reported he’d missed a meeting and couldn’t be reached, said Norton’s mother, Linda Norton, of Kingfield.   She’s asked USM to develop a policy for police to check every university office every day. “Would you want your son laying there for five days? He laid there for five days after having a massive stroke,” she said. “The way you treat a massive stroke is the sooner the better. You have those magic few hours, and it’s not five days.” Norton was employed by the University of Maine S...

A newborn baby boy abandoned just before 9 p.m. Sunday is fine and is now in the custody of Child Protective Services. “He’s stable and appears he’s going to be fine,” said Corsicana Police Chief Randy Bratton. “We’re very fortunate because it got pretty cold last night. If the baby hadn’t been found quickly there’s a good chance the baby might not have made it. But the baby’s fine. CPS will take care of the baby.” The baby was found by Mihoko and Phillip Brown on their doorstep beneath a carport, but it might have gone unnoticed if not for their cat, Stinky, which drew their attention to the door. “They said they heard a soft sound, and the cat went to the side door and started sniffing the door. They went to investigate the cat and heard a whimper,” Bratton said. “That’s when they saw the handbag and looked inside.” Mihoko said she thought it sounded at first like a wounded animal and she called her husband over for a listen. “I put my ear to the door and heard s...

It looks like the USA Network has decided not to move forward with their new drama Common Law starring fine azz Michael Ealy. The series aired a 12-episode first season, and apparently won’t be back for Season 2. Common Law which also starred Warren Kole, followed two Los Angeles detectives whose personal history and mismatched personalities made them a strong team when it came to solving cases, but their inability to get along held them back. The two were forced by their boss to sort out their differences in couples therapy. As you can imagine, there was a fair amount of humor tied into the story as the two sat among a group of romantic couples to work on their differences. TV Line posted word of the cancellation this week, stating that the show won’t be back for Season 2, which is unfortunate. The series didn’t have the instant appeal of some of USA’s other series, but Common Law seemed to be coming close to meeting its potential in its first twelve episodes. ...

A police officer in New Mexico faces a lawsuit after using his Taser on a 10-year-old boy in a school playground. The officer was at school for a career day, and he reportedly asked a group of boys to clean his police car. According to the lawsuit, when 10-year-old R.D. jokingly said no, Officer Chris Webb “responded by pointing his Taser at R.D. and saying, ‘Let me show you what happens to people who do not listen to the police.’” He then delivered 50,000 volts to the boy’s chest. The lawsuit says the boy blacked out and has suffered post-traumatic stress syndrome since. His family is seeking punitive damages. The officer says he discharged the weapon accidentally and he received a three-day suspension. WTH! SOURCE: COURTHOUSENEWS

There may be some shadiness connected to singer Usher winning that long, drawn out custody battle against his ex wife Tameka Raymond. In August, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Bensonetta Tipton Lane awarded custody of Usher’s two sons to the Atlanta-based singer and actor. The decision stunned Usher’s ex-wife, Tameka Raymond, according to her attorney, Lisa West. Since the decision was rendered, West said she learned Usher’s celebrity attorney, John Mayoue, may have helped Lane get reelected in 2008. According to campaign finance reports, Mayoue’s law firm donated $1,000 to Lane’s campaign and hosted a fundraising reception that raked in thousands of dollars. According to West, Mayoue also sat on Lane’s reelection committee. “I would classify the relationship as a special relationship,” said West. West said she believes Lane should have disclosed that relationship in open court so she has asked for a new trial and for Lane to recuse herself. Georgia law allows ...

A Chula Vista High School instructor nominated for the county’s “teacher of the year” award and accused of carrying a several-year sexual relationship with an underage female student is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday. Detectives arrested Terrance Lee Smith, 32, at a Sweetwater Union High School District office on Monday morning. The alleged victim had contacted police earlier in the day to report the purported crimes, alleging they occurred between 2006 and 2008, starting when she was 16, Capt. Gary Wedge said. Wedge said the young woman’s mother reported her suspicions to investigators. Investigators then questioned the woman and learned details of her interaction with Smith. Police said the woman told them she had consensual sex with Smith in his classroom, his apartment and car. The relationship continued past her 18th birthday. Investigators believe that Smith, a ninth-grade English instructor, may have engaged in similar illegal acts with at least one ot...

We all know Rihanna lives the lush life. But she wants to share some of those caviar wishes and champagne dreams with her fans on her upcoming album, Unapologetic.
 But it’ll cost ya. The Barbadian beauty’s seventh album, due out on November 16, will come in the standard edition, and what you might call the VIP baller’s version as well. The limited edition, numbered “Diamonds Executive Platinum Box,” edition of the album, due out on December 11, will cost $250 and feature a raft of extras not available to the average fan. Among the goodies: collectible colored “Diamonds”
 vinyl remixes, an 11 x 17 handwritten personal note from Rihanna to her Navy, 2GB credit card-style USB flash drive, unisex shirt with a Michael Muller photo of Rihanna taken during her Unapologetic album shoots, seven 12 x 15 lithographs featuring Muller photos, a Magnus Voll Mathiassen illustration and exclusive Unapologetic images. It will also include three stickers featuring the album’s co...

Text messages an Albuquerque cop was texting to a 17-year-old girl after he pulled her over have been released and the racy messages got him suspended. It is clear the 30-year-old cop is hitting on the teen, but the chief says the messages were not inappropriate enough to cost him his job. What the heck was Albuquerque cop Frank Tillman thinking, sending texts to a 17-year-old girl he gave a ticket to? The city says the two exchanged numbers during the June traffic stop. Records show the married cop sent the first message, saying “hey”. Later that night he asks if she’s still with her boyfriend, tells her he thinks she’s beautiful and then says he wants to kiss her. The girl goes on to tell him she may be pregnant. The next day Tillman responds saying, he thinks her being “preggo is hot and it’s a turn on”. The city says the two never saw each other after that traffic stop and only texted for a few days but in one of Tillman’s texts he says ‘the girl looked very g...

After having leveled huge swathes of New York City and the East Coast as it rampaged through the region on Monday night, superstorm Sandy inflicted a final indignity as it caused coffins to rise from their graves. At one cemetery in Crisfield, Maryland, two caskets, one silver and the other bronze, rose up from the ground as the sheer force of the water unleashed by Sandy swelled the ground. Powerful enough to dislodge the cement slabs that covered the graves, the sad sight indicated the indiscriminate bombardment that mother nature brought to reign over the U.S. Atlantic coastline. The most devastating storm in decades to hit the country’s most densely populated region upended man and nature as it rolled back the clock on 21st-century lives, cutting off modern communication and leaving millions without power as thousands who fled their water-damaged homes wondered when, and if, life would return to normal. Superstorm Sandy killed at least 50 people, many hit by fall...

Fort Worth-area authorities have released the name of the man who died in police custody after ramming his car into a church wall and then fatally beating the pastor. The motive for the attack on Rev. Danny Kirk Sr. of Greater Sweethome Missionary Baptist Church is still under investigation, Forest Hill police said. 33 year old Derrick Anthony Birdow, died Monday after being found unresponsive in the back of a patrol car, the Forest Hill Police Department said in a release Tuesday. Forest Hill officers arrived at the church to find Birdow assaulting Kirk with an electric guitar, Police Chief Dan Dennis said. Kirk, 53, was pronounced dead at the church. The North Texas congregation is still reeling after Birdow rammed a car into a church wall, chased the pastor, and beat him to death with an electric guitar Monday. Police told reporters they didn’t know why Birdow attacked Rev. Danny Kirk Sr., founding pastor of the Greater Sweethome MIssionary Baptist Church. In a...