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Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge, Jail Sentence of One Year Expected (Video, Photos)

Shallow Nation — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:12:55 +0000

Grammy Award winning rapper Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to felony gun possession on Oct. 22, 2009 in a Manhattan court; video and photos below. He is free on bail until the sentencing in Feb. 2010 but is expected to serve one year of prison time in accordance with a plea agreement, according to the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

The charges stem from a July 22, 2007 incident in which police stopped Lil Wayne’s tour bus in in New York City, after a show at the Beacon Theater. According to reports, officers found a ..40-caliber semi-automatic weapon in a Louis Vuitton bag. Lil Wayne was then arrested on weapons charges and another individual arrested for marijuana possession.

According to the New York Times, the rapper whose real name is Dwayne M. Carter Jr. was convicted based on a “highly sensitive DNA profiling technique” also known as “low copy number DNA profiling” which is considered controversial.

Source and more details: Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge

See several pictures of Lil Wayne en route to court here: Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty to Gun Charges

According to TMZ, Lil Wayne faces additional criminal charges in another state, Arizona; felony drug possession and weapons charges…

… after cops found 105 grams of marijuana, 29 grams of cocaine, 41 grams of ecstasy, various drug paraphernalia and a handgun on his tour bus during a traffic stop in Yuma County back in 2008.

Trial is set for March 2010 and Lil Wayne has pleaded not guilty. Source: Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge

Video is below.

Video Link

Via Rap-Up.com

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Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge, Jail Sentence of One Year Expected (Video, Photos)

Chris Brown Felonies: Rihanna Beating

Shallow Nation — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:59:21 +0000

The highly anticipated Chris Brown court appearance took place on March 5, 2009 with the R&B singer charged with two felonies in the alleged Rihanna beating. See photos, video and find out more about emerging details in the troubling domestic violence case.

The R&B ‘Run It!’ singer Chris Brown is only 19 years old and faces serious consequences for his alleged actions in the wee hours of February 8, 2009; he has been charged with felony assault and making criminal threats (also a felony) against the woman whom court documents call Robyn F., the real name of Rihanna, the international pop star ‘Umbrella’ singer.

Chris Brown’s attorney Mark Geragos did not enter a plea to the two felony charges and the judge granted Brown’s request for a continuance to April 6, 2009. If convicted, Chris Brown could be sentenced to up to four years and eight months in prison.

In the aftermath of the shocking photo which TMZ leaked revealing a beat-up, battered Rihanna, (see: Rihanna Injury Photo: Picture of Rihanna after Beating ) the details from court documents are even worse. According to the arrest warrant, the fight began in the car, a rented Lamborghini, after Rihanna read Chris Brown a text message he had received from a woman. He is alleged to have started beating her and trying to force her out of the car (her seat belt kept her in place). He then began beating her severely with his fists while he was still driving, according to the arrest warrant.

In the complaint, prosecutors alleged that Brown threatened “to commit a crime which would result in death” to Rihanna and that what Brown threatened “was so unequivocal, unconditional, immediate and specific as to convey … a gravity of purpose and an immediate prospect of execution.”

She feared for her safety or the safety of her family during the alleged attack, according to the complaint. [...]

“The assault caused Robyn F.’s mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the car,” the detective wrote in the warrant filed Feb. 20.
During the alleged assault, the detective wrote, Brown told Rihanna, “I’m going to beat the [expletive] out of you when we get home. You wait and see.”

After Rihanna feigned a call to her personal assistant — pretending to ask the woman to have police waiting at her home — Brown became enraged, telling her, “Now I am going to kill you,” according to the warrant.

The assault escalated with Brown biting Rihanna on the ear and putting her in a headlock until she lost consciousness, according to the warrant. When she tried to free herself by “gouging his eyes out,” the detective wrote, he bit her finger. Her screams for help were heard by a neighbor, the warrant says.

Source: Brown beat, bit and threatened to kill Rihanna, prosecutors allege [UPDATED] (Court documents have been made public and can be read in their entirety on the Web site)

In a previously issued and carefully worded written statement, Chris Brown said he was “sorry and saddened” by the alleged incident; this has been his only public comment on the matter and his reps have issued no subsequent statements on his behalf. Rihanna’s rep has issued a statement saying merely that the pop star is “doing well” and thanked fans for their concern and support.

Source: MTV News: Chris Brown/ Rihanna Altercation: New Details Emerge .

Video of Chris Brown court appearance is below.

YouTube Link

Chris Brown Felonies: Rihanna Beating

Rihanna Injury Photo: Picture of Rihanna after Beating

Shallow Nation — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:46:32 +0000

The long searched for and frequently faked picture of Rihanna’s injuries after the assault she suffered from boyfriend and fellow R&B star Chris Brown has surfaced via TMZ.

**Updated with video and new information below** [See also:
Chris Brown charged with two felonies in alleged Rihanna Beating,

The Web site has published the photo in a post titled Rihanna — The Face of a Battered Woman — it gives the public the first glimpse of the serious injuries previously only described by eyewitness accounts. The Rihanna tattoos on her shoulder would seem to confirm the authenticity.

The photo seems to corroborate a story the site posted last week, which quoted an unnamed Los Angeles Police Department source as saying Rihanna suffered contusions on both sides of her face, with serious swelling and bruising, and a split lip and bloody nose.

Police released a statement that didn’t confirm whether the photo was real, according to New York’s Daily News. “The LAPD does not and will not release any victim’s photos. It’s that simple. We have not,” said Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Jason Lee.

Source: Photo Of Bruised Rihanna Posted Online See also: NY Daily News: Photo reveals bruised, battered face of Rihanna post alleged Chris Brown beat

The story is developing. The top photo is Rihanna performing at the Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash on January 29, 2009, one of her last public appearances before the assault; a stark contrast to what you will find at TMZ Given TMZ’s long track record for scoops and authentic evidence, and the presence of the Rihanna Roman-numeral shoulder tattoos for which she is well known attest to the grim and shocking reality.

UPDATE. The LAPD confirms the authenticity of the Rihanna photo while launching an internal investigation into the leak.

“The Los Angeles Police Department takes seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence,” it read. “The Department launched an immediate internal investigation and subsequently filed a personnel complaint. A violation of this type is considered serious misconduct, with penalties up to and including termination.”

Source: LA Times: LAPD probes Rihanna beating photo

UPDATE: Here is a video report on the leaked photo.

Video Link

UPDATE – Rihanna was spotted in L.A. and X17Online.com has some photos that were taken on February 19, 2009. On February 20, 2009, which is also her 21st birthday, Rihanna released a statement through her reps.

UPDATE – February 21, 2009. TMZ reportedly paid $62,500 for the photo.

Here is a video interview: Harvey Levin defends TMZ’s use of leaked Rihanna pix.

“At the request of the authorities, Rihanna is not commenting about the incident involving Chris Brown,” read a statement released by Rubenstein Associates. “She wants to assure her fans that she remains strong, is doing well, and deeply appreciates the outpouring of support she has received during this difficult time.”

Source: Rihanna Breaks Silence: Thanks Fans, Won’t Discuss Chris Brown

Photo credit: Getty Images North America

Rihanna Injury Photo: Picture of Rihanna after Beating

Nadya Suleman Picture: Nadya Suleman Interview Video, Photos (Octuplets Mother)

Shallow Nation — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:24:51 +0000

Nadya Suleman, the mother of the octuplets was interviewed by NBC’s Ann Curry. See photos and interview video here. The full interview is broadcast on February 9, 2009 and February 10, 2009 on the Today Show and Dateline.

***UPDATED with Today Show and Dateline Interview Video below***

According to details which have emerged from the interviews, Nadya Suleman had tried to have children for seven years, going back to teenage years. She did not have success with artificial insemination or fertility drugs. In 2000, she suffered a back injury which, along with her inability to have children left her with suicidal depression. Shortly thereafter, she was finally able to conceive, via in vitro fertilization. She went on to have six children with this method.

On January 26, 2009, she gave birth to octuplets, six boys and two girls at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in Bellflower, CA. All are still living, making them the world’s longest surviving octuplets. Previously, in 1998 the world’s first known octuplets were born to Nkem Chukwu, with seven of the eight surviving, who are now ten years old. The octuplets birth has sparked an ethics debate.

Video Link

Here is the Nadya Suleman interview video which was broadcast on February 6, 2009.

Video Link

Today Show February 9, 2009 Interview and first video footage of the octuplets

In the NBC interview, Nadya Suleman, who is now a 33 year old single mother of fourteen children, with the recent birth of the octuplets, explained the yearning to have children.

“I just longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that I — I really lacked, I believe, growing up,” Suleman said. “I didn’t feel as though, when I was a child, I had much control of my environment. I felt powerless. And that gave me a sense of predictability. I — reflecting back on my childhood, I know it wasn’t functional. It was pretty — pretty dysfunctional, and whose isn’t?” [...]

“That was always a dream of mine, to have a large family, a huge family,” she said.

Source: Octuplets’ mother had depression, suicidal thoughts while starting a family The LA Times article continues, with details of the newspaper’s examination of the 332 pages of documents which the state of California released in response to its public records request.

See also NBC Today article: Octuplet mom defends her ‘unconventional’ choices

UPDATE. Here are the Dateline interview videos which cover a range of topics from Nadya Suleman’s life history, her IVF treatments and the pregnancy and birth of the octuplets.

In Part 5 of the interview, Nadya Suleman addressed criticism she has received and denied rumors that she has had plastic surgery so as to resemble Angelina Jolie and denied a perceived obsession with the star. In Part 6, Ann Curry interviews some of Nadya Suleman’s other children, including one of her daughters who says she thinks her mother will be “stressed out” with taking care of all fourteen children.

Dateline interview February 10, 2009 – Part 1

Video Link

Here are the remaining parts of the Octuplets Dateline Interview:

Nadya Suleman Picture: Nadya Suleman Interview Video, Photos (Octuplets Mother) pics, images

Flight 1549 Audio: Miracle on the Hudson Flight Tapes, Transcript

Shallow Nation — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:29:08 +0000

The F.A.A. has released Flight 1549 transcript and audio. Hear the cockpit radio communications that preceded the dramatic crash landing of the US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, saving all 155 people aboard.

Miracle on the Hudson pilot Chesley B. ‘Sully’ Sullenberger’s calm voice is heard telling air traffic control that both engines are out in the Airbus SAS A320 plane and he must turn back or try to land somewhere. What stands out, at the end of the exchange between air traffic controllers and is his calm voice saying, when Teterboro Airport in New Jersey is cleared for an emergency landing, “We’re unable. We may end up in the Hudson.”

Here is a compilation of the final moments before the crash landing in a video report which you can see here. You can also listen to the mp3 recordings and read transcripts of all of the in-flight communication on the F.A.A. Web site: USAirways 1549 (AWE1549), January 15, 2009.

Video Link

The tapes are dramatic, providing a moment by moment account of the flight’s communications from the time it suffered a “double bird strike” to the time it glided down without engine power onto the chilly surface of the Hudson River just off Manhattan’s West Side.

The whole exchange takes less than two minutes. At 3:27:32 p.m., a scant 2 minutes and 32 seconds after the flight was cleared for takeoff by the tower at LaGuardia, Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III alerted air traffic control of trouble.

In a deep, calm voice, Captain Sullenberger said, “Ah, this is, uh, Cactus 1539. Hit birds. We lost thrust in both engines. We’re turning back towards La Guardia.”

His cadence is brisk, in the clipped syntax that is normal for communications between cockpits and controllers. If there was a sign of stress, it was that the captain had fumbled his call sign; “Cactus” is the correct sign for US Airways, but he was Flight 1549, not 1539 or 1529, as the flight was occasionally called, incorrectly, at various points in the tape.

The controller replied instantly, “O.K., yeah, you need to return to La Guardia, turn left, heading of, uh, 220,” that is, further to the left. Captain Sullenberger acknowledged, and the controller, in a windowless radar room at the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control in Westbury, L.I., used a land line to reach the control tower.

“Tower, stop your departures,” he said. “We got an emergency returning.”

His voice was urgent but not evidently stressed, until he, too, bungled the call sign, calling it “1529.” The controller turned his attention back to the airplane at 3:28:05 p.m.

New York Tracon La Guardia Departure: Cactus 15-29, if we can get it to you, do you want to try to land runway 1-3?

AWE1549: We’re unable, we may end up in the Hudson.

Captain Sullenberger was in the unusual position of both flying an airliner and working the radio. Talking on the radio is usually the job of the other pilot, but in this case the first officer, Jeffrey B. Skiles, was running through an “engine restart checklist.”

The controller offered him coordinates from his position to the runway. “Unable,” Captain Sullenberger responded, in standard pilot phraseology.

The other La Guardia runway was also available, the controller said, but Captain Sullenberger replied, “I am not sure if we can make any runway.” He asked about “anything in New Jersey, maybe Teterboro?” He was given a routing to that airport, but then replied simply, “We can’t do it.”

“We’re going to be in the Hudson,” the captain said.

Source: F.A.A. Releases Flight 1549 Tapes (The article continues.)
Photo sources: Safety Reliability Methods, Inc. (SRM), CNET: Photo of Hudson River plane crash takes down TwitPic, and Reuters.

Flight 1549 Audio: Miracle on the Hudson Flight Tapes, Transcript Flight 1549 transcript pics pictures

Obama Inauguration Video, Photos

Shallow Nation — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 07:02:14 +0000

The Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the U.S. takes place on January 20, 2009. Watch live video and photos and liveblogging of the historic event which will be updated throughout the day.

Watching the Inauguration online? Live coverage continues throughout the day, including the reviewing of the troops by the new President and the Inaugural Parade.

Here is the live stream video from MSNBC Click here for Video Link

Hulu also has live Inauguration video: Click here for Video Link

Here is the Inauguration Schedule.

Here is the full text and transcript of the Barack Obama Inaugural Address

Here is the Inauguration speech video.

The speech echoes themes of commitment and responsibility. An excerpt:

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For more on the Inauguration speech, see: Barack Obama Inauguration Video, Photos

12:30 p.m. The White House Web site has been relaunched for President Barack Obama: Change has come to WhiteHouse.gov The new Web site bears strong similarities to Change.gov and is poised to further the high degree of interactivity the Obama-Biden transition had encouraged.

President Barack Hussein Obama is sworn in at 12:05pm. Hail to the Chief” plays and there is a 21-gun salute to the 44th President.

Vice President Joe Biden is sworn in at 11:55am. Preceding the swearing in, music legend Aretha Franklin sang “My Country Tis of Thee.”

Barack Obama greets civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis before the start of the Inaugural ceremony

From the New York Times Caucus Live blog: (11:20am ET)

And Now the Clintons | 11:15 a.m. Now Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, she in so many roles over the last year — Senator from New York, almost-Democratic presidential nominee, and now secretary of state designee. He’s wearing a purple scarf and looks a little reserved. Mrs. Clinton is wearing a royal blue coat. The Clintons and the first Bushes are greeting each other warmly, hugging each other and chatting.

The Former Presidents | 11:11 a.m. George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, are out in matching purple scarves, and both are hobbling a bit. And here’s Jimmy Carter and Rosalyn. This is Washington’s red carpet.

Seconds-in-Command | 11:10 a.m. It’s the march of the former Veeps, out onto the podium: Walter Mondale and his wife, Joan; Dan Quayle and his wife, Marilyn; and Al Gore and his wife, Tipper.

Stars Take Their Seats | 11:04 a.m. Shortly after members of the House and Senate were introduced, a few non-Washington celebrities began arriving on the steps of the Capitol.

Our colleague Jeff Zeleny reports: “As the Marine Band played, Beyonce and Jay-Z took their seats directly in front of the place where Mr. Obama will deliver his address. As a reporter for Inside Edition rushed their way, Beyonce turned her head. Jay-Z paused for a moment, saying: ‘It’s a great day for America.’”

Here is the photo op from the inaugural tradition, of the outgoing President welcoming the incoming president to the White House.

According to Cathy Horyn, Michelle Obama is wearing an ensemble designed by Isabel Toledo.

Michelle Obama chose a ~~embroidered~~ laced yellow coat and matching dress by the designer Isabel Toledo for the inauguration. The outfit is an unconventional choice in one sense—in its sparkle, it seems very dressy for the hour.

On the other hand, Mrs. Obama favors clothes with a bit of drama and individuality. For the Inaugural, she has also chosen an outfit from a respected American designer with Cuban roots. Ms. Toledo, who designed for the Anne Klein label for two seasons, has a following among fashion insiders for her well-crafted clothes.

For more photos of Michelle Obama’s fashions throughout the Inauguration: See the slideshow on HuffingtonPost which is being continually updated.

As seen in this photograph, Michelle Obama had a large gift-wrapped package in her hand which she presented to outgoing First Lady Laura Bush, according to a report from New York Times journalist, Rachel L. Swarns “Mrs. Obama’s aides say the gift was a leather-bound journal and pen engraved with today’s date, the perfect gift for an outgoing first lady who is getting ready to write her memoirs.”

Earlier in the day again following Inauguration Day tradition, President-elect Barack Obama and Michelle Obama attended church at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC, near the White House.

Photo credit: Getty Images North America

Here are some photos of the enormous crowds in Washington, DC. The Washington Post reports on the enormity of the crowd.

And as the morning progressed they had virtually filled the Mall — some 2 million or more, according to the initial estimate from a senior security official — from the VIPs assembled in orderly array around President-elect Barack Obama’s inaugural platform, to the rambunctious crowd spilling out across the grounds of the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

Even as the official ceremonies kicked off with a musical prelude at 10 a.m., crowds continued to wedge themselves into place and jam a rail and bus system that strained through the morning to provide access to the tightly secured area around the U.S. Capitol.

Check back frequently for updates.

Obama Inauguration Video, Photos pics pictures

Lorrie Sullenberger: Chesley B. ‘Sully’ Sullenberger Wife (Video, Photos)

Shallow Nation — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:57:14 +0000

Fitness expert Lorrie Sullenberger is the wife of the heroic pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III. Watch video and see photos of the interview she gave on January 16, 2009 discussing the dramatic Hudson River plane crash and rescue, the ‘Miracle on the Hudson,’ as New York Governor David Paterson has called it.

**UPDATE**Scroll down for video of Lorrie Sullenberger and Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s speeches at homecoming ceremony on January 24, 2009.

**UPDATE**February 5, 2009 F.A.A. released Flight 1549 Audio, Transcript

The previous day, January 15, 2009, pilot Sullenberger was able to save all 155 people aboard the Airbus SAS A320 plane when he was able to ditch it and make a successful crash landing in the waters of the Hudson River, on the west side of Manhattan, Just minutes after taking off from New York’s La Guardia airport en route to Charlotte, NC at around 3:30pm local time, the plane became disabled by having apparently hit a flock of flying geese, according to NTSB investigators. See previous posts for more photos and video:

Lorrie Sullenberger gave her first interview to the press, with her two daughters present, outside the family’s home in Danville, California, which is near San Francisco, telling reporters that learning of the event “was a shock, like it was to everyone.”

“My husband has said over the years that it’s highly unlikely for any pilot to have an incident in his career, and something like this…. I was stunned when he called and he said there was an incident,” she said. “And even then, I assumed that it was a tug that had bumped the airplane. Your mind never goes to something like this.”

Sullenberger praised her 57-year-old husband and credited his calm personality.

“He’s very controlled and very professional,” she said. “We have not actually talked a lot, but we are very proud of him.”

“He’s a pilot’s pilot and he loves the art of the airplane,” she said. [...]

Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger, III [photo source: Safety Reliability Methods, Inc. (SRM)]

Civil engineer Robert Bea, co-founder of UC Berkeley’s Center for Catastrophic Risk Management, said he could think of few pilots as well-situated to bring the plane down safely as Sullenberger.

Sullenberger is a former fighter pilot who runs a safety consulting firm in addition to flying commercial aircraft. He had been studying the psychology of keeping airline crews functioning even in the face of crisis, Bea said.

“When a plane is getting ready to crash with a lot of people who trust you, it is a test,” he said. “Sully proved the end of the road for that test. He had studied it, he had rehearsed it, he had taken it to his heart.”

Source: Pilot’s wife: ‘We are very proud of him.’ Photo source: MercuryNews.com

Here is the entire Lorrie Sullenberger interview video.

Video link

**UPDATE**Video of Lorrie Sullenberger and Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s speeches at homecoming ceremony in Danville, CA on January 24, 2009.

Video Link

Video report on the homecoming

Video Link

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Lorrie Sullenberger: Chesley B. ‘Sully’ Sullenberger Wife (Video, Photos) pics pictures