New England Sun-Times

(Reuters) - Former Boston Mayor Kevin White, who led the city for 16 years and shepherded it through a period of racial tension and court-ordered school desegregation, died on Friday at age 82. White, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2003, died at his Boston home, family spokesman George Regan told local media. Boston was torn by racial violence in the 1970s as the city implemented court-ordered busing to desegregate schools. White, who ran the city from 1968 to 1984, was lauded for focusing on protecting children caught in the unrest. He arranged for police escorts for school buses after ones carrying black children were pelted with stones as they arrived in white neighborhoods. White, a Democrat, was also credited with revitalizing Boston's downtown, including the reopening of the historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace. "Tonight is a sad night for the city of Boston," Mayor Thomas Menino said in remarks carried on local news channel 7News, an NBC...

Hundreds of Etta James' friends, fans and family gathered Saturday at a Los Angeles church to remember the legendary rhythm and blues singer who died this month. Soul icon Stevie Wonder performed at the funeral, as well as Christina Aguilera, who sang the song that James made famous, "At Last." The Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy. Etta James died Jan. 20 at age 73 after battling leukemia and other ailments. She was most famous for her rendition of "At Last," and in her decades-long career, she became revered for her passionate, soulful singing voice. Her version of the song has become an enduring anthem for weddings and commercials. If you remember, President Barack Obama and the first lady danced to the song 'At Last' as sung by Beyonce at his inauguration ball. Aguilera gave a great performance at Etta's funeral when she sang THIS song: "Etta James was a pioneer. Her ever-changing sound has influenced rock and roll, rhythm and ...

Obama's singing of 'Let's Stay Together' at Apollo Theater upped sales of iconic 1972 hit. Sure, clean energy, the return of manufacturing, a boost in education spending and saving the domestic car industry are awesome ways to revive the American economy. But another tactic President Obama might consider is more singing. Because a week after the falsetto singer-in-chief unleashed his version of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" at an Apollo Theater fundraiser, sales of the good Rev.'s most iconic hit have taken off. According to Billboard magazine, the viral video of the president singing the first line of the #1 hit from 1972 boosted sales of the song by 490 percent. In fact, the tune had its best week since SoundScan began tracking digital sales in 2003, with 16,000 downloads. The YouTube video of the impromptu recital has been viewed more than 4 million times. Check out the Prez gettin' it in: It was likely the second s...

 The narcotics were found in at least one bag that turned up at the U.N. headquarters in New York. New York (CNN) -- More than 35 pounds of cocaine was discovered in at least one bag that turned up at the United Nations headquarters in New York, police said Thursday. The narcotics were uncovered on January 16 inside hollowed-out books that had been shipped from Mexico City in a bag made to look like a diplomatic pouch, according to New York police spokesman Paul Browne. "The actual pouch is blue and has a U.N. symbol, a lock and seal, and words like "Diplomatic Mail," Browne said. "This bag was white instead of blue and had no locked seal and no wording of any kind." The bag was being screened at the United Nations' postal receiving center when the cocaine was discovered. It lacked a destination address and was without a return address, Browne added. U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said, "This was not connected to the United Nat...

"Welcome Back Kotter" actor Robert Hegyes has died. According to New Jersey's The Star-Ledger, he was 60 years old. The Star-Ledger reports he suffered an apparent heart attack in his New Jersey home on Thursday morning. Hegyes is best known for playing Juan Epstein on "Welcome Back Kotter," the 1970s sitcom, which starred John Travolta and Gabe Kaplan. He appeared in all four seasons of the sitcom and joined most of his fellow Sweathogs at the "Welcome Back Kotter" reunion held at the 2011 TV Land Awards. After "Kotter," Hegyes went on to co-star in "Cagney and Lacey" as Detective Manny Esposito. His other TV work includes an episode of "The Love Boat," "NewsRadio" and "CHiPS." Hegyes' last credited role was in the 2002 movie "Hip, Edgy, Sexy, Cool." His brother Mark told The Star-Ledger that Robert was retired, but still talked about being involved in local arts efforts. ...

Ever wonder why Pat Sajak has unending enthusiasm toward the purchase of a vowel? Turns out, margaritas have something to do with it. The host of the long-running game show Wheel of Fortune says that back in the day, he and Vanna White occasionally had a drink – or six – while working on the show. When asked by Dan Le Batard of Dan Le Batard Is Highly Questionable , which airs on ESPN 2, if he ever hosted the show while intoxicated, Sajak, 65, came clean. "Yes," the TV veteran admitted with a laugh. "When I first started and was much younger and could tolerate those things. We had a different show then." With a two-and-a-half hour dinner break during the game show's early format, Sajak and White would drop by Los Arcos, a Mexican joint in Burbank, for margaritas. "Vanna and I would ... have two or three or six and then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet," he says. "I had a great time. I have no ...

Authorities arrested more than 100 members and associates of the street gang the Mexican Mafia in southern California as part of investigation into a wide range of offenses such as racketeering, kidnapping, attempted murder and drug trafficking, federal officials said. The arrests were made primarily in San Diego County and were the culmination of three major investigations on gang activity in the area, U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said Wednesday. In early morning raids, federal and local authorities rounded up 104 suspects. The charges are detailed in 17 indictments and eight criminal complaints filed by the U.S. attorney's office in San Diego. In all 119 suspected gang members were charged and authorities were trying to track down the remaining fugitives, Duffy said. The suspects are part of 20 major street gangs that were overseen by the Mexican Mafia, authorities said. "Gangs were made to pay taxes in order to facilitate their trafficking and violent behavi...