'American Idol' -- Randy Jackson OUT AS A JUDGE


'AMERICAN IDOL' 
Randy Jackson 
OUT AS JUDGE
EXCLUSIVE
0830_randy_jackson_american_idol_articleThe dawg days are over at "American Idol" ... TMZ has learned Randy Jackson is officially LEAVING the judge's table ... but will still remain a part of the show as a "mentor."

Sources connected to "Idol" tell us ... there's some concern among the brass that Jackson is not well-suited for the mentor role ... but they feel they need him because he's the glue that helps keep the show together.

As for his replacement ... sources tell us Nicki Minaj's deal is 99% done ... but still not a sure thing just yet.

We're told the honchos are keenly aware Mariah Carey isn't a fan of Minaj and doesn't want her at the table ... a fact producers LOVE because they think the conflict and tension will be good for the show.

And ... we now know A.I. will once again go with a 4th judge ...  we're told producers are gunning for someone from the country music world for the third seat.  Seat number 4 is up in the air.

Finally, altough "A.I." wanted Diddy or Kanye West ... we're told they are definitely out of the picture.

Thiiiiiiiiis ... is getting intense.


Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2012/08/31/american-idol-randy-jackson-judge-nicki-minaj-mariah-carey/#ixzz259jAuY31

Kristin Chenoweth -- Brace On, Brace Off!

0831_kristin_chenoweth_SplashKristin Chenoweth is still kinda sorta recovering from her injury on the set of "The Good Wife" as she was out in Central Park on Thursday wearing a neck brace ... which she later took off.

In July, Kristin was struck in the head by a piece of lighting equipment and rushed to the hospital by ambulance. While she was initially treated for "minor injuries," Kristin was forced to quit her role on the CBS drama.

Looks like the 44-year-old is feeling better ... some of the time. 

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2012/08/31/kristin-chenoweth-brace-injury-photo/#ixzz259itUgSt

Texas Man Accused Of Raping 11-Year-Old Girl Skips Out On Trial



A 20-year-old Cleveland, Texas man is on the run after he skipped out on his trial for participating in the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl, two years ago. Eric McGowen left court during a break in court proceedings Wednesday (Aug. 29) and hasn't been seen since.
Closing arguments in the case were delivered a day later.
Since he was technically out on $35,000 bail, security was not required follow him out of the building, but District Judge Mark Morefield has now raised the amount to $250,000 after ordering that he be arrested.
McGowen is accused of attacking the girl, alongside more than a dozen other men and boys on as many as five occasions. Six juveniles and two adults have all pleaded guilty to sexual assault charges.
The girl was assaulted from mid-September through early December in 2010.
Jennifer Pollock, one of the witnesses called in the case, examined the girl and testified that DNA findings concluded that McGowen was among those involved. The girl also told authorities that she had sex with McGowen, who assaulted her with a beer bottle.
Authorities began investigating the case after one of the girl's friends said she had cell phone footage of her being assaulted in an abandoned trailer.
All 20 suspects accused in the incidents are Black men, while the victim is Hispanic.
Lawyers for McGowen called no witnesses in the case. He is facing life in prison.

Lil Wayne Explains Dedication 4 Delay & Drops Trailer [VIDEO]



Is the anticipation for Dedication 4 wearing on you like a ton of bricks? Well this video will do nothing to calm your nerves down at all. Lil Wayne drops this new video trailer for his highly anticipated fourth installment of the Dedication series. In this video, he looks back at everywhere he was at mentally since he first started the Dedication series.
This includes the bidding war for his services when he was a free agent, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina which was covered in Dedication 2, and right before the rise of Young Money in Dedication 3. Lil Wayne'sDedication 4 drops September 3rd, so until then get pumped watching this video trailer for the mixtape with DJ Drama.


Hurricane Isaac Causes Destruction In Gulf Coast, Downgraded To Tropical Depression [PHOTOS]



Hurricane Isaac hit the Gulf Coast earlier in the week, and even though it has since been downgraded to a tropical depression, the damage it caused has not gone unnoticed. The timing of Isaac hit on the seven-year anniversary ofHurricane Katrina, and while the destruction was not nearly as bad as the aforementioned storm, it still packed a punch.
More than 800,000 people in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi were without power as of Thursday (Aug. 30). As many as five people died in the area, while in Haiti, Isaac took the lives of 24, and killed five in the neighboring Dominican Republic.
The city of New Orleans was spared flooding, but surrounding areas in Louisiana weren't as lucky. Isaac dumped as much as 16 inches of rain in certain places, and 20 inches in others. The slow-moving storm created a wide surge, which led to the flooding. One couple in the town of Briathwaite were found dead in their home, where they had been trapped. The town was among the hardest hit after a nearby levee broke, causing the area to flood.
President Obama announced Monday (Aug. 27) that federal funds have been allocated for the disaster. Isaac is expected to cost insurance companies $2 billion.
Fresh off his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, Mitt Romney flew to the region today to survey the damage.






Trey Songz ft. Jadakiss - "Two Reasons (Ted Smooth Remix)" [LISTEN/DOWNLOAD]



Trey Songz, the man with the #1 album in the country right now with Chapter V, is riding a wave of momentum and DJ Ted Smooth gives his lead single the remix treatment. Mixing up Trey's "2 Reasons" with Special Ed's "I Got It Made," Mr. Straight Face You Remember gets busy along with a fresh new verse from Yonkers' finestJadakiss.
New York natives are lucky enough to get a good amount of Ted Smooth mixes courtesy of Hot 97, as his mixes have become a mainstay in the Big Apple. However, this is one of the few times where he truly gets a remix along with a brand new verse. If you want to get at listen to this, hit the jump and download. It's worth it. 

Lloyd ft. Wale - "All Of Me" [LISTEN/DOWNLOAD]


Lloyd and Wale reunite for the first time since their collaboration on Ralph Folarin's sophomore album, Ambition"All Of Me," from Young Goldie is the first single off of his latest project, which is still untitled but said to be on the way very soon. This is another record for the ladies, as the two have developed quite the chemistry since working on the song "Sabatoge," off of Ambition. 
This record is produced by Cassius Jay and the soulful singer who first broke out under Murder Inc takes it to the bed room and implores a young lady take all of him if you catch the drift. Hit the jump to check out a stream and download of Lloyd and Wale's "All Of Me. 


Bangin Candy: Dominican Snack Box "Sweet Suleika" [PHOTO]



We spotted Suleika when the good brothers at The Smoking Section featured her in their daily The Cooler posts. Needless to say, we were intrigued. From our research, we have found out that Suleika, sometimes referred to as "Sweet Suleika" (TRU!),  apparently is from the Dominican Republic, resides in Silver Spring, MD and measures in at 36D-26- 36.
The top heavy beauty has been featured in BlackMen MagazineShow and other reputable outlets where creep life connoisseurs lurk. Since she's from the island of the DR, the Rosa Acosta comparisons are inevitable. We think she has the assets to compete, but what do you think?
Check out more photos of our latest Bangin Candy, the exceptionally physically blessed Sweet Suleika in the gallery below.

Chad “Ochocino” Johnson Says He Has To “Start Life Over” After Alleged Domestic Violence Incident



Chad “Ochocino” Johnson is ready to make amends, but he doesn't want you to feel sorry for him. The former Miami Dolphin has been going through a trying time since he was arrested for allegedly head-butting his wife, Evelyn Lozada, resulting in him being fired from the NFL team, and having his reality show canned. He is also facing foreclosure and is being sued for $130,000 by former employee, Jacinth Preston. Johnson reportedly failed to compensate Preston for several services that he provided.
In response to one of his follower's questioning why he deleted his bio from his Twitter pages he wrote, “I got to start life over and create a new one.”
The 34-year-old also said that he doesn't' want sympathy. “Don't feel bad, my black a-- messed up, I made the bed now I gotta lay n it RT.”
Earlier in the month, Johnson offered up a public apology via his website, proclaiming his love for Lozada, who has since filed for divorce. The reality star, who appears on the Vh1 show Basketball Wives, released a statement expressing her “disappointment” in Johnson for not taking responsibility for his actions.
The couple hasn't seen each other since the incident.

Marco Rubio Speech: Mitt Romney Knows What Makes America Great



Marco Rubio Speech
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TAMPA, Fla. — Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida says Mitt Romney knows what makes America exceptional.
Rubio told the GOP convention Thursday night that Romney understands prosperity doesn't happen because the government spends more money, that it happens because people use their own money to open businesses.
Rubio says the problem with President Barack Obama isn't that he's a bad person – it's that he's a bad president who favors tired ideas like big government.
The first-term senator and Cuban-American is a rising GOP star and a tea party favorite. He was reported to be among Romney's running mate choices.
Republicans hope Rubio can boost Romney, who is having a tough time winning over Latino voters.
Rubio introduced Romney as the former Massachusetts governor prepared to formally accept his party's presidential nomination.

Mitt Romney Convention Video: RNC Features Moving Biography Ahead Of Candidate's Speech



Mitt Romney Convention Video
Republican National Convention planners picked an interesting time to feature one of the most touching moments of the night, and perhaps week.
About an hour ahead of Mitt Romney's appearance on the RNC stage on Thursday night, a biographic video of the GOP presidential candidate's life aired, eliciting powerful reactions from observers both in the arena and out. The lengthy film included footage of Romney with his father, former Michigan Governor George Romney, and other members of his family. It covered the struggles Romney and his wife, Ann, went through after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It even covered his work with the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The sentimental production effectively topped off a weeklong effort to humanize Romney and portray him as a devoted and sensitive man.
But then Clint Eastwood, the "secret guest" of the night, temporarily erased all memory of the film, taking the stage to deliver an entirely bizarre, off-the-cuff performance in which he talked to an "invisible" President Barack Obama seated next to him.

Ann Romney, Janna Ryan Shine At Republican National Convention 2012 (PHOTOS, POLL)



Ann Romney
 and Janna Ryan, the potential FLOTUS and SLOTUS respectively, struck two very different ensembles at Thursday night's Republican National Convention, where Mitt Romney finally accepted the nomination to be the Republican candidate for president.
Mrs. Romney, fresh off her own RNC speech for which she wore a dazzling Oscar de la Renta red dress, opted for another vibrant hue: robin's egg blue, in the form of a sleeveless dress, gold bangles, nude heels and (bold!) a sparkly spider brooch.
Janna Ryan, on the other hand, eschewed color in favor of a black sleeveless dress with a keyhole neckline and white piping and black pumps. On Wednesday, she wore an emerald green frock from Talbots.
We couldn't help but notice: both looks are faves of current FLOTUS Michelle Obama, who has well-documented proclivities for both blue and monochrome. (Mrs. O wore red and black for her family's big night back in 2008.)
But back to the Republican ladies: who looked better? Compare below!

Quick Poll

STYLE FACEOFF: Whose look do you like better?

 
 

Login with Facebook to see what your friends are readingEnable Social Readingi Mitt Romney: 'I Accept Your Nomination For President Of The United States'






In his speech to the Republican National Convention on Thursday night, Mitt Romney began his remarks by declaring, "I accept your nomination for president of the United States."
In making his case for why America should elect him to serve in the White House, the former Massachusetts governor said, "I wish president Obama had succeed because I want America to succeed."
He later added, "When the world needs someone to do the really big stuff, you need an American."
Below, a live blog of the latest developments to unfold at the convention.

TR-3B Flies By the Plane - Alpena,Michigan

25 Year Old Man Shot and Killed At Wilton Park In New Castle, DE



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A man was fatally shot Thursday at Wilton Park near New Castle and police are searching
for the gunman.
A woman called 911 at 6:35 p.m., saying her boyfriend had been shot twice in the park at
Wilton Boulevard and Appleby Road, emergency officials said.  Treated at the scene by
police and county paramedics, the 25-year-old victim was taken by Christiana Fire Com-
pany ambulance to Christiana Hospital, New Castle County police Cpl. John Weglarz Sr.
said. The man was admitted in critical condition but later died, Weglarz said.  Police re-
leased no other information about the incident.  Most of the park was cordoned off by
yellow tape as a canine team searched the scene and a state police helicopter circled over-
head. Police also searched at Community Plaza at Del. 273 and Appleby Road after learn-
ing the shooter had walked from the park toward the shopping center.  A witness told
The News Journal that he saw the aftermath of the shooting as he played at the tennis
courts with his 7-year-old son.  The victim, he said, came running along a curved, paved
path between the courts and a line of trees by Appleby Road.  “And the boy that shot him
was right behind him, walking,” said the man, who would not give his name. The assai-
lant had a gun, but put it away, “like this,” the witness said, shaping his hand like a gun,
sticking it into his waistband and covering it with his shirt.  He said the victim yelled,
“‘I ate it, I ate it. You didn’t get me’ … like he wasn’t shot.”  The two got about halfway
to the parking lot, by the tennis court where the witness and his son were, “then, he
[the victim] fell right there,” the man recalled, pointing to a trash barrel by the walk-
way, where medical debris lay under a tree. The shooter kept walking, he said.  The
witness said he called 911 as he tried to talk to his son.  “He saw the whole thing,” the
man said, “but … he’ll be OK.”  Lamont Gogins, visiting from New Jersey, said the
victim was his sister’s boyfriend, but he doesn’t know his name.  As she talked to
police, Gogins said he didn’t see the shooting. “It looked like something bad was going
to happen,” he said. “I took off running.”  Police with metal detectors searched near
the playground as neighbors looked on.  Some said they were upset and angry about
the shooting, because innocent people could have been killed.  “Our babies play here,”
one said.  “This is terrible,” said another. “This is a very family-oriented area.”

Pathmark Employee Walks In And Shoots Up The Store With An AK-47 In New Jersey



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The man suspected of killing two people early this morning at a New Jersey Pathmark before
shooting himself to death during a confrontation with police is believed to be a 23-year-old
former Marine who worked at the grocery store for two weeks, according to WABC-TV.
The suspect left the Old Bridge, N.J., shopping plaza at about 4 a.m. and returned, having
changed into camouflage clothing, armed with an AK-47 and an automatic handgun, auth-
orities told WABC, which reported that both victims, a man and a woman, were young
adults.   Police had responded to shots inside the Pathmark on Route 9 at 4 a.m.  Authorities
believe the man killed two before turning the gun on himself, according to WABC. There’s
no word on his motive.  “This is the worst phone call a mayor can receive,” Old Bridge
Mayor Owen Henry told NewJersey.com of the information he obtained about 6:30 a.m.
“You can prepare for these things but you can’t prevent them.”  Several employees were
inside the store, which was preparing to open at 6 a.m. Two windows near the entrance
to the Pathmark were shot out.  Numerous employees were taken across the street to a
 T.G.I. Friday’s and many were being treated for trauma at waiting ambulances.  The scene
is now under control, according to WABC, and there were emergency responders in the
plaza parking lot who had been standing in front of the store for some time.

10 Year Old Girl Charged With Manslaughter After 3 Month Old Baby Dies



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A 10-year-old girl was charged Thursday with manslaughter in the death of an infant whose
mother said had ingested medication and been suffocated.
The girl, who is not being identified, is the youngest person to be charged with manslaughter
in Maine in at least 25 years. The 3-month-old infant, Brooklyn Foss-Greenaway, of Clinton
in central Maine, had been left overnight with an adult baby sitter in nearby Fairfield.  The
sitter called police early July 8 to report that the infant was not breathing, authorities said.
Emergency workers who arrived minutes later reported that child was unresponsive.  The
death of any child under age 3 triggers an automatic investigation in Maine, and detectives
uncovered some “troubling signs” before the state medical examiner declared the death a
homicide, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
The death was declared a homicide Wednesday, but investigators withheld further details
on the cause of death.  Brooklyn’s mother, Nicole “Nicki” Greenaway, of Clinton, said the
10-year-old was the sitter’s daughter. Authorities told her the baby had ingested medication
to treat attention-deficit disorder and been suffocated, she said, adding that she also saw
bruises on her daughter’s body.  “I feel a little bit of relief that they’re charging her daughter
at this point, but the mom really needs to be responsible. She’s the one I left my daughter
with,” Greenaway said.  The 10-year-old girl was already in the custody of the Maine Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services when a summons was delivered to her attorney on
Thursday, McCausland said.  Police declined to identify the girl, who is due in juvenile court
in October. Her attorney didn’t immediately return a call from The Associated Press.  Green-
away said that the 10-year-old had changed her baby’s diaper in the past, but that she had
told the sitter an adult needed to be present at all times. Instead, the infant, who was report-
edly fussy that night, was sleeping in a portable crib in the same room as the 10-year-old,
Greenaway said.  When Greenaway finally saw her daughter at a funeral home, the infant
had a black eye, bruises on the bridge of her nose and marks that looked like fingerprints
on her cheeks, she said.  McCausland said he couldn’t comment on whether charges could
be brought against the sitter. A person who answered the phone at a listing for her said
Thursday evening that she was not available. The AP is not naming the sitter because it
could make the juvenile suspect’s identity known.  The charge against the 10-year-old was
filed after detectives consulted with the attorney general’s office, which determined man-
slaughter was most appropriate, said Brenda Kielty, a spokeswoman.  Unlike murder,
which generally involves an intentional act, manslaughter charges are brought when a
homicide is caused by reckless actions or criminal negligence.  The charge is extremely
unusual because of the defendant’s age.  The state doesn’t have data on the youngest
person ever to be charged in a homicide in Maine, Kielty said. But it’s been at least 25
years — and possibly longer — since someone so young has been charged with manslaughter
or murder in the state, officials said.   Nonetheless, such cases aren’t unprecedented.  In
January, a 10-year-old was taken into custody after a 12-year-old was stabbed to death in El
Cajon, Calif. And a Florida boy was convicted in 2001 of killing a 6-year-old playmate when
 he was 12.