Chairman Mao’s granddaughter has finished a lofty 242nd in a new Chinese rich list.

Chinese magazine New Fortune‘s “500 Rich List for 2013″ was published this week. One of its most eye-catching entrants was Kong Dongmei, whose grandfather Mao Zedong – better known as Chairman Mao – was China’s founding Communist leader.

The irony of a Communist leader’s grandchild making a rich list seems, well, a little rich.

It’s also not been lost on the Chinese population, reports NBC – especially after another grandchild of Mao, Major General Mao Xinyu, told Chinese media in 2009:

“The Mao Family heritage is honest and clean. None of the Mao family members have entered business. They all live on their modest salaries.”

It’s true that Kong has written four bestsellers about her grandfather, and operates a bookstore specializing in Communist culture.

Yet the vast wealth of her and husband Chen Dongsheng (together, their assets are estimated by New Fortune to be $815 million) has aroused suspicion in a country that still treats the rich with a level of cynicism.

NBC points out that appearing in such a list can prove troublesome for China’s wealthiest.

A 2012 study entitled “The Price of Being a Billionaire in China: Evidence Based on Hurun Rich List” discovered that the highest-ranked companies on rich lists saw their market values dwindle in the following years after government subsidies were cut, tax audits increased, and financial investigations were deployed.

Whether Chairman Mao’s granddaughter will suffer a similar fate remains to be seen.

Chairman Mao’s Granddaughter Lands Spot On China’s Rich List is a post from: The Inquisitr

A student lectures his teacher in a new video that has gone viral. Student Jeff Bliss was filmed by a classmate as he left his classroom at Duncanville High School in Texas while delivering an impassioned speech about teaching techniques.

The original video was posted to YouTube on Wednesday and has quickly racked up 300,000 views.

Many online commenters have chimed in to support Bliss, who in the clip urges teacher Julie Phung to stop “handing [us] a frickin’ packet” instead of providing “face-to-face” lessons.

“I’m telling you what you need to do,” rants Bliss. “You want kids to come into your class, you want them to get excited for this? You gotta come in here, you gotta make them excited. You want a kid to change and start doing better? You gotta touch his frickin’ heart. Can’t expect a kid to change if all you do is just tell him.”

Bliss then reminds Phung that education is the future for himself and many others across the country:

“You’ve got to take this job serious. This is the future of this nation. And when you come in here like you did last time and make a statement about, ‘Oh this is my paycheck,’ indeed it is. But this is my country’s future, and my education.”

While Phung repeatedly tells Jeff to leave the class, the student lectures the teacher until he feels enough has been said. With his speech done, Bliss delivers one last line before departing:

“If you would like, I’ll teach you a little more so you can actually learn how to teach a frickin’ class, because since I got here, I’ve done nothing but read packets.”

Mashable reached out to the local school district about the clip, and Duncanville Independent School District spokeswoman Tammy Kuykendall confirmed Bliss will not face further action. Kuykendall added:

“He makes a number of valid statements about how classrooms across America need to change and we view this as an opportunity to have more conversations about transforming our schools to better meet the needs of our students.

“As a district with a motto of Engaging Hearts and Minds we focus on building positive relationships with students and designing engaging work that is meaningful. We want our students and teachers to be engaged in learning every day, and want classrooms to be reflective of that.”

As for what his parents thought, Bliss told a local Fox station that his mom (who is also a teacher) was proud of him, but thought he needed to tweak his attitude.

You can watch a Channel 8 News report on Bliss’ outburst below. What do you think of the student’s lecture to his teacher?

[Image via Facebook]

Student Lectures Teacher: ‘You Gotta Make Kids Excited’ For What You Teach [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Filomena Tobias is the latest Internet sensation after she was snapped giving a one-fingered salute to center Joakim Noah at the recent Bulls vs. Heat game.

Tobias was caught on camera passionately flipping the bird at Noah after he was ejected in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game.

It’s an arresting image, alright: Tobias’ face is contorted with an impressive level of hatred and bile as she appears to screech in Noah’s face, while a male fan vainly tries (and fails) to replicate her utter disgust.

The image quickly went viral, prompting The South Florida Sun Sentinel to get in touch with the charming lady herself. While Filomena was too busy to comment, daughter Victoria Racanati obliged:

“She’s embarrassed, but she is being a good sport. She was having fun just like any other fan. All she has to say is that people need to get a life.”

“Any other fan.” Hm. Anyway, that defiant “get a life” remark seemed to fire up Internet sleuths, who began digging up her backstory. And that’s where the Filomena Tobias story gets pretty juicy.

It turns out Tobias is the widow of hedge fund manager and CNBC contributor Seth Tobias. Seth, her fourth husband, was found dead in the swimming pool of his Florida mansion in 2007. And if that’s not curious enough, here’s what else was discovered:

>> Filomena Tobias was accused of killing her husband by her online psychic. Said psychic accused her of luring him into the pool by promising him a sexual liaison with a gay porn star, a go-go dancer nicknamed “Tiger” because of the stripes he had tattooed across his body. (Note: Tobias has never faced criminal charges over the death of Seth Tobias.)

>> She once bought a Porsche on a credit card before being forced to return it by her husband.

>> Filomena Tobias is now independently wealthy after winning a court battle with the rest of the Tobias family, who were left out of Seth Tobias’ will.

>> On one occasion, she allegedly tested her husband for cocaine as follows: “Just after sitting down, Phyllis jumped from her seat and placed her lips over Tobias’s nose and began sucking. She was searching for cocaine residue.”

>> Racanati said of her mom: “I have to say she still looks really hot.”

So there you go: Filomena Tobias, everybody. We’d dig a little deeper, but frankly we’re a little scared. Here’s a 2007 report on Seth Tobias’ death:

Filomena Tobias, Heat Fan And Classy Human Being, Has An Interesting Backstory is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chrissy Teigen rumors? After seeing the model’s reaction to gossip that fiancé John Legend cheated on her, we’re, er, going to lay off those for the foreseeable future.

To get you up to speed on this: The New York Post‘s “Page Six” blog recently ran a story claiming Legend was canoodling with an unidentified blonde in a New York nightclub.

When Teigen saw the story, she was angry enough to unleash an entertaining volley of swear-filled tweets, basically all directed at the Post and it’s “journalism.” Wrote Teigen:

“Just read John cheated on me and in the uber-credible Post. I’m just heartbroken as it’s definitely not typical post bulls**t.”

Before taking the abuse up a notch:

“The @nypost is normally so kind to me. And I am normally not the one to use the term s**t rag so I guess we’re both a little off today.”

And saving the best for last:

“Gonna buy a parrot for the sole reason of it s**tting on the post every day. Also the singing and companionship.”

But Teigen, who definitely has one of the more interesting Twitter feeds in Celebland (it’s leagues ahead of, say, Rihanna’s), wasn’t finished. The Sports Illustrated swimsuit model then tweeted Legend to mockingly accuse him of plotting her death:

“@johnlegend my tummy hurts and I think it’s the chicken you made me last night are you trying to kill me so u can be with your bathroom GF?”

Legend was quickly in on the joke, firing back:

“my tummy kinda hurts too. It was a murder-suicide attempt”

Teigen then asked her future husband when she’d be getting “one of those vanessa bryant rings,” a reference to the huge rock Bryant received from husband Kobe in 2003. Legend replied:

“soon! It will be proportionately smaller to reflect how much richer Kobe is.”

Still, the Chrissy Teigen rumors that got the ball rolling on this couldn’t keep the model down for long. Just hours later, she was tweeting:

“In this day of bullshit online petitions, why can’t we be serious and get the ball rolling on bringing back Rice Krispy Treats cereal?”

She has a point.

Just read John cheated on me and in the uber-credible Post. I’m just heartbroken as it’s definitely not typical post bullshit.

— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 9, 2013

The @nypost is normally so kind to me. And I am normally not the one to use the term shit rag so I guess we’re both a little off today.

— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 9, 2013

Gonna buy a parrot for the sole reason of it shitting on the post every day. Also the singing and companionship.

— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 9, 2013

[Image via Shutterstock]

Chrissy Teigen Slams Rumors About John Legend Cheating: ‘Typical NY Post Bulls**t’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ariel Castro’s daughter, 22-year-old Arlene Castro, has offered a tearful apology to the three women her father allegedly kidnapped and kept captive at his Cleveland home for more than a decade.

Appearing on Thursday’s Good Morning America, Castro said she was “so, so sorry” for the ordeal the three women had been through. She also urged kidnap victim Gina DeJesus, who was friends with Arlene in her teenage years, to reach out:

“I would like to say I’m absolutely so, so sorry. I really want to see you, Gina. And I want you to meet my kids. I’m so sorry for everything.”

Castro added:

“I’m going to have to say I’m really disappointed, embarrassed, just mainly devastated about this whole situation.”

Ariel Castro’s daughter confirmed she had never met the six-year-old daughter of Amanda Berry, who was allegedly fathered by Ariel Castro. She also revealed she’d never been close to her father, who she last spoke to in April:

“Me and my father were never really that close. Every time we would talk it would just be short conversations, just a ‘hello,’ ‘how are you, doing?’ and ‘let me know if you need anything,’ and that was it.”

As a close teenage friend of kidnap victim Gina DeJesus, Castro would have been one of the last people to see her before she vanished in 2004. In a 2005 interview with America’s Most Wanted, a 14-year-old Arlene was interviewed about her missing friend:

Ariel Castro is accused of imprisoning Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight for several years.

The 52-year-old appeared at Cleveland’s municipal court on Thursday, where he was charged with kidnap and rape. Bail was set at $2 million for each of the four charges against him.

You can watch GMA‘s interview with Ariel Castro’s daughter below, along with a full transcript of the exchange.

Anchor: Thank you so much for joining us this morning, Arlene. You were probably the last person to see Gina DeJesus alive. What was your reaction when you learned that your father had confessed to holding her captive for so many years?
Arlene Castro: I’m going to have to say I’m really disappointed, embarrassed, just mainly devastated about this whole situation.

Anchor: When was the last time you spoke to your father?
AC: It was late last month.

Anchor: And had you been in regular contact with him, and had you any kind of inkling at all that something like this could be going on inside his home?
AC: No, I had no idea. Me and my father were never really that close. Every time we would talk it would just be short conversations, just a ‘hello,’ ‘how are you, doing?’ and ‘let me know if you need anything,’ and that was it. Every time.

Anchor: And did you ever meet the little girl, Jocelyn?
AC: No, I’ve never met her before.

Anchor: In terms of violence in the home, did you ever witness that?
AC: Oh no, never. Never.

Anchor: And what would you like to say to Gina, her family, and the other women now?
AC: I would like to say I’m absolutely so, so sorry. I really want to see you Gina. And I want you to meet my kids. I’m so sorry for everything.

Ariel Castro Daughter Speaks Out On Kidnappings: ‘I’m So, So Sorry’ [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Donald Trump has helped launch a new entry in the growing crowdfunding market with a typically classy event at New York’s Trump Tower.

The business mogul is currently promoting FundAnything, a potential rival to the likes of Kickstarter and Indiegogo. The twist with FundAnything? Trump has pledged to fully fund some of the projects himself.

Gawker reported on Wednesday’s event, which saw around 1,000 people descend on the Trump Tower lobby to plead for The Donald’s dollars.

As he promised on his Twitter feed, Trump doled out suitcases of cash: $40,000 went to a woman raising money for her husband’s double lung transplant, $25,000 to a singer-songwriter from Nashville making an album, and $15,000 to a children’s party business that aimed to hold a weekend for kids impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

But the money-grab was only just beginning. Gawker reports:

“Then came the checks. A security team assembled the small group from the lobby into a kind of line. Trump then asked each of them directly, ‘Do you need money? What’s your problem?’ The answers varied from ‘My mother is sick with cancer’ to ‘I’m behind on my rent.’ After distilling the ten greatest sob stories from the pack, he began to sign and give away $5,000 checks. ‘Give it to your mother,’ he said to one. ‘Don’t spend it all in one place,’ he jokingly warned another.”

And still there was more. Back in the lobby, those remaining were urged to line up by a huge aquarium filled with bills – ranging from dollar bills to hundreds – and told to file past the tank, grabbing as much dough as their sweaty hands could grasp. Only fists were permitted, with no bags allowed.

It’s go time! See you at Trump Tower. I’m giving money away! #FundAnything

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2013

Speaking to AllThingsD in a phone interview Wednesday, Trump said:

“So many people need help, and this is a good way of doing it by helping very specific problems. It’s something different that could be pinpointed.”

Despite what the launch event might suggest, FundAnything isn’t actually Trump’s brainchild, but belongs to Learning Annex founder Bill Zanker. He told AllThingsD he hoped to introduce crowdfunding to the many millions unfamiliar with the concept:

“Crowdfunding got traction with creatives and tech, but you go anywhere but the coasts and they don’t get it yet. What I’m trying to do is bring crowdfunding away from the Brooklyn hipsters and bring it to the masses.

“We want to make it so we are the brand that everybody knows. There’s a wonderful way to pass the hat online, and nobody knows about it.”

Donald Trump Launches Crowdfunding Site, Gives Away Suitcases Of Cash is a post from: The Inquisitr

A New Zealand “sea monster” found on a beach last week has been identified by an expert as the remains of a killer whale.

In footage filmed by Elizabeth Ann on New Zealand’s Pukehina Beach, a grisly, 30-foot long carcass can clearly be seen. Dozens of sharp teeth remain in the decomposing body, which has visibly sunk into the wet sand.

It looks pretty horrific, and so far 1.2 million YouTube viewers have clicked through to pass judgement on what it actually is. Guesses so far include a saltwater crocodile, a dolphin, a giant moray eel, or even a dinosaur. Others have called it an elaborate prank.

None of which are correct, according to marine mammal expert Anton van Helden.

Van Helden told New Zealand’s 3 News that the mysterious remains were those of an orca killer whale and that its distinctive flipper was the crucial clue. Not that such an answer will satisfy the thousands of YouTubers currently offering theories.

New Zealand’s Sun Live newspaper reports the carcass was discovered by beach-goers near Pukehina on New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty in late-April. On April 28, one of the group posted footage of the so-called New Zealand “sea monster” to YouTube, complete with the query, “Can anyone identify what it is?”

As we’ve seen many times before, the Internet loves a good sea monster mystery. Last year alone, mysterious aquatic monsters turned out to be a jellyfish, a huge sturgeon, and a whale respectively.

You can see footage of the New Zealand “sea monster” below: What do you think this could be?

New Zealand ‘Sea Monster’ Identified As Killer Whale [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

With Jodi Arias guilty of first-degree murder, attention will now be drawn to the sentencing process, due to begin Thursday at 4 pm ET.

Arias could face the death penalty for the killing of former boyfriend Travis Alexander and openly admits she would prefer this to life imprisonment.

In an interview with Fox affiliate KSAZ given after the verdict was passed, Arias described death as “the ultimate freedom”:

“I just feel overwhelmed. I think I just need to take it a day at a time. It was unexpected for me. There was no premeditation on my part. I said years ago I’d rather get death than life and that still is true today. I believe death is the ultimate freedom, so I’d rather just have my freedom as soon as I can get it.”

Those statements spurred the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office into action, and Arias was placed on suicide watch. A statement from the sheriff’s office read:

“At the conclusion of this interview and in light of some of her statements during the interview, Arias was brought to jail and per Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, was placed on suicide protocol. Until she is released from suicide protocol by Sheriff’s officials, no further media interviews of inmate Arias will be permitted.”

(Incidentally, media outlets hoping to find a way around that “no further interviews” ruling will find no luck with Arias’ Twitter account, which appears to have been closed down.)

Lots has been made of #jodiarias tweeting from behind bars (via a friend). Tonight her twiiter account @jodiannarias has been shut down.

— CareyPenaTV (@CareyPenaTV) May 9, 2013

On Thursday, the jury will begin considering aggravating factors, one of which will be whether the crime was “cruel.” Jodi Arias will only be sentenced to death if the prosecution can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this was the case.

Should the jury decide the crime was not cruel, Arias will face life in prison. If the jury decides it was cruel, the defense will begin mitigation, presenting witnesses to Arias’ character, including experts on her mental state. This process could last up to a month.

The Jodi Arias guilty verdict arrived after a four-month trial and three days of deliberation by the 12-person jury. Along the way, those in the courtroom were shown graphic recordings of phone sex calls and grisly crime scene photos.

On Wednesday afternoon, the jury found Jodi Arias guilty of killing Alexander. Throughout the trial, Arias claimed self-defense, stating that Alexander was frequently abusive and demeaning.

Jodi Arias Guilty, Says She’d ‘Rather Get Death Than Life’ [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Is Natalie Maines breaking up with her band, the Dixie Chicks?

The arrival of Maines’ debut solo album, Mother, seems to have sparked fresh rumors that the Chicks’ lead singer is calling time on the band. More bizarrely, there’s even been speculation about her marriage and a possible divorce from hubby Adrian Pasdar.

So good news for the Dixie Chicks and Mr. Pasdar: Maines isn’t breaking up from any of you.

The 38-year-old musician addressed the rumors in a May 8 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. While she admitted the Dixie Chicks were “not a priority,” Maines insisted the band is very much alive:

“The Dixie Chicks still exist. The music still exists. I am open to playing live shows. It’s fun. You know, I remember Glenn Frey told me once that he wished the Eagles had never officially broken up. He looks back at that as kind of a silly thing to do. I always thought people broke up so they could make money on their comeback tour. That just always seemed like kind of a shady showbiz move to me.

“So unless they want to get a new lead singer or there’s some big change, I don’t see any purpose in that. To me, we’re the Dixie Chicks. We’ll always be the Dixie Chicks.”

D’awwww. With her band covered, Maines then moved on to her marriage. On the subject of her home life, she told the Reporter:

“It’s important to both of us that our kids are raised by us and not other people. Working seems more important to him, as far as completing him, and I don’t have that same thing. I like being a mom and taking care of the house and doing all of that, so it doesn’t feel like a big sacrifice. If I’m working and then he gets a job and leaves, that doesn’t work for me. If my kids end up really messed up, I want to make sure I only have myself to blame.”

So there we go: It seems a Natalie Maines break-up is definitely not on.

Natalie Maines Break-Up Denied: Singer Not Splitting From Dixie Chicks (Or Her Husband) is a post from: The Inquisitr

A questionable Barack Obama Photoshop has been doing the rounds since Tuesday, courtesy of South Korean news agency Yonhap.

Perhaps taking inspiration from their media colleagues in the North, the news outlet published the image alongside a story about South Korean premier Park Geun-hye meeting President Obama.

The picture was later removed, but The Atlantic was quick to swoop on the amusing Park-Obama Photoshop, which purports to show the two world leaders shaking hands at the White House.

It’s a fairly risible effort, and calls to mind the infamous Photoshopping habits of North Korea’s KCNA news agency; earlier this year, the North’s state-run outlet pasted a few extra hoverboats into a scary-looking military image.

Apparently, the entire Korean peninsula sucks at this stuff.

The Atlantic notes that Yonhap may have formed its unconvincing ‘shop from an image of Park meeting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday.

What’s most peculiar about the Park-Obama Photoshop is that there was actually tons of genuine images of Park and Obama chumming it up at their White House encounter — some of which even featured the pair shaking hands.

But instead, Yonhap reached for the Photoshop, and we all know how that can end (least of all me).

Pyongyang, you have some competition.

Horrible Obama Photoshop Published By South Korean News Agency is a post from: The Inquisitr

“Chunky” cheerleader Kelsey Williams has responded to a blog that suggested she was too weighty to be an Oklahoma City Thunder cheerleader.

Appearing on Wednesday’s Good Morning America, Williams admitted to being “embarrassed and devastated” after reading the words of CBS Houston blogger Claire Crawford, who criticized her for “having ‘pudginess’ around her waistline.”

Williams, who’s been waving her pom-poms in the NBA for three years, told the breakfast TV show, “I got online and was reading the article and my heart sank. I was definitely embarrassed and just devastated.”

When asked what she’d like to say to Crawford, the “chunky” cheerleader responded:

“Shame on you. I mean, you are a woman. You know exactly what we all go through on a daily basis just being a woman. Shame on you.”

Williams added that she works out “three to four” hours a day, and wears a size four. “I’ve always had more of an athletic build, different than the slender ballerina that some people may think of as a dancer,” she explained. “That’s just not me.”

The Oklahoma City native hasn’t been deterred from cheerleading altogether, but did admit her first on-court appearance after the Crawford’s post went viral was difficult:

“My first game back, I was really scared. I had a feeling a lot of people would be looking for me, just because I’m me now. [...] I had a huge knot in my stomach [before going on court]. But once I was back on court, it felt normal. It felt good to be back.”

However, Williams seems to have forgiven Crawford. She told GMA:

“I have so much love in me. Sending hate her way would do nothing. What’s done is done. I’m just going to keep my chin up.”

As it happens, CBS Houston wasn’t so tolerant: Crawford has reportedly been fired since posting her blog.

You can watch the so-called “chunky” cheerleader’s response below:

‘Chunky’ Cheerleader Responds To Blogger: ‘I’m A Size Four’ [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rod Stewart has revealed how he split from wife Penny Lancaster for two difficult weeks in their marriage.

The 68-year-old rocker’s new album, Time, includes a cover of the Tom Waits track ‘Picture in a Frame.’ In an interview with The Daily Mirror, Stewart explains how the song has a relevance to his own life:

“Penny and I broke up for two weeks and the song is about that time. I asked her for a photo of herself in a frame so that I could see her when I went to bed and when I woke up.”

Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster have been together for close to 14 years now and married in 2007. Despite Stewart‘s long line of liaisons — he has had eight children with five women — he and model Lancaster always seemed like a stable couple, and news of their previously secret split may surprise fans. The singer tells The Mirror:

“I have taken a lot of risks when it comes to relationships but I have never gambled or smoked – women don’t like that. You have to take the good with the bad, and women prefer you when you’re truthful.”

In a separate interview with Australian magazine Life, Stewart adds that he’s learned several valuable lessons about relationships down the years:

“My relationship rule is, ‘Don’t argue after a glass of wine – leave debating until the morning.’ I have always loved women, won some, lost some, but it’s not about the magic touch, it’s about being a better person and a good listener.

“I met Penny in my 50s and if I had not learnt by that point in my life I was never going to.”

And, speaking to USA Today this week (in a video embedded below), Rod Stewart revealed what advice he’d give to his 20-year-old self:

“Maybe keep your banana in the fruit bowl a little longer, it has got me in a lot of trouble.”

[Image via Shutterstock]

Rod Stewart Releases Song About Secret Split From Penny Lancaster, Reflects On His ‘Banana’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Spanx founder Sara Blakely has pledged to give away half her $1 billion fortune to philanthropic causes.

Blakely is the latest philanthropist to sign the The Giving Pledge, a place where the wealthiest individuals in the world gather to announce huge donations to charity.

Blakely, at 42 America’s youngest self-made female billionaire, is the 114th name on the list, which also includes Bill and Melinda Gates, Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffett, Richard Branson, and Mark Zuckerberg.

Fittingly, Blakely’s significant wedge will be handed over to womens’ charities. In a letter on the site, she writes:

“Since I was a little girl I have always known I would help women. In my wildest dreams I never thought I would have started with their butts. As it turns out, that was a great place to start!

“I have so much gratitude for being a woman in America. I never lose sight that I was born in the right country, at the right time. And, I never lose sight of the fact that there are millions of women around the world who are not dealt the same deck of cards upon their birth. Simply because of their gender, they are not given the same chance I had to create my own success and follow their dreams. It is for those women that I make this pledge.”

Blakely has form in philanthropy: In 2006, she launched the Sara Blakely Foundation to help women through education and entrepreneurial training, and also gave $1 million to Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy.

Spanx Founder Sara Blakely Giving Away Half Her $1 Billion Fortune is a post from: The Inquisitr

China has closed a North Korean bank’s accounts in a fresh sign that Beijing is becoming increasingly frustrated with the North’s weapons program.

The Bank of China, China’s largest state-owned bank, has shut down all accounts of the North Korean Foreign Trade Bank. The Pyongyang-based institution has been accused of helping to fund the North’s growing weapons program.

All transactions in the accounts have been suspended, but China did not reveal how much money was in the accounts at the time of its closure.

As Pyongyang seeks to further its development of missiles and nuclear weapons, many have accused the Foreign Trade Bank of playing a key role in funding research and testing. Earlier this year, the US Treasury described the Foreign Trade Bank as a “key financial node” to the North Korean regime.

As The Bank of China closes North Korea bank accounts, some argue other banks in the region will feel pressured to suspend accounts held by the Pyongyang regime. Yet Bank of China was always likely to be the first financial institution to do this, says John Park, an expert on Chinese-North Korean relations at Harvard University:

“Bank of China, of all the Chinese banks, has to adhere to international sanctions because they have a reputation to uphold.”

However, Park adds that the move is not as significant as some might think, pointing out that the bank already lessened its dealings with North Korea years earlier. “What would be more substantive,” argues Park, “is if China revokes the work authorization documents for the North Korea state trading companies in China.”

Bank of China’s closure of North Korea bank accounts follows months of bellicose warnings from Pyongyang, including threats of nuclear war against South Korea and the US.

The North’s nuclear launch test in February, the third of its kind in seven years, angered ally China, with Beijing saying it “resolutely” opposed the test. Many politicians have urged Beijing to take more decisive action in its crackdown on the North.

China Closes North Korea Bank Account As Beijing Grows Impatient With Weapons Program is a post from: The Inquisitr

Wade Robson has posthumously accused Michael Jackson of molesting him while he was a child at the Neverland Ranch.

TMZ reports that Robson — a dancer and award-winning choreographer who has worked with the likes of Britney Spears, Usher, and Pink — has filed legal documents requesting money from the Michael Jackson Estate for childhood sexual abuse.

Robson and the King of Pop struck up a friendship in 1988 when Wade was just 5.

By the time Wade was seven, he was a guest for sleepovers at the Neverland Ranch and Jackson’s homes in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Wade was aged 14 when he finally stopped attending the sleepovers.

TMZ also notes Wade performed to a Michael Jackson song on reality game show Star Search when he was just eight (video of this is embedded below).

The friendship lasted right up until Jackson’s death in 2009, and Wade even testified in Jackson’s 2005 molestation trial, denying that the star had ever abused him. In the very same trial, Blanca Francia, Jackson’s former housekeeper, testified she saw her employer in the shower with an 8- or 9-year-old Wade.

TMZ discovered that lawyers for Wade Robson filed legal documents on May 1, requesting that the 30-year-old be allowed to file a late creditor’s claim against the Michael Jackson Estate. Wade’s legal reps say he submitted a never-before filed complaint “for childhood sexual abuse.”

The documents also state Wade was treated by a psychiatrist, described by TMZ as a “leader in the field of child psychology.”

Footage of a 13-year-old Robson lining up to buy Jackson’s 1995 HIStory album can be seen on YouTube:

What do you think of the new Wade Robson allegations?

[Wade Robson image via Shutterstock]

Wade Robson Makes Child Molestation Claim Against Michael Jackson Estate is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Powerball jackpot in Wednesday’s lottery drawing has rolled over to a mighty $222m, sparking a ticket-buying frenzy. Almost as impressively, the Mega Millions jackpot has hit $139 million.

When the Wednesday, May 8 drawing is done, the winner of the Powerball jackpot will be permitted to take a $144.5 million cash prize.

The Mega Millions jackpot will be decided on Tuesday, May 7 with an instant $104.8 million cash prize up for grabs. The top prize has grown since March 15 and has now rolled 15 times.

Should the winners take the annuity option, the Powerball jackpot can be paid over 29 years in 30 graduated payments, while the Mega Millions jackpot can be paid out at a rate of $5.3 million a year for 26 years.

Both hauls are amongst the largest jackpots in 2013, though are dwarfed by the $640m bonanza that appeared in March 2012.

The Powerball has seen its share of huge jackpots recently, many aided by last year’s decision to raise ticket prices to $2. Jackpots are growing bigger faster.

As Andi Brancato of the Michigan State Lottery told MLive at the time of the rise: “Before everyone thinks we’re ripping them off, (players) are getting a huge exchange for this.”

Powerball tickets are sold in 43 states, as well as Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Mega Millions tickets are sold in 42 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with drawings held on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Do you usually play the lottery? If not, will Wednesday night’s colossal Powerball jackpot lure you in? Sound off in the comments!

[Image via Shutterstock]

Powerball Jackpot Rolls Over To $222m, Mega Millions At $139m is a post from: The Inquisitr

Serena Williams has responded to Sloane Stephens’ criticism of her after the young rising star implied Williams was unfriendly.

“They think she’s so friendly and she’s so this and she’s so that — no, that’s not reality!” Stephens told ESPN The Magazine, adding that Williams hadn’t said a word to her since the pair had met in January’s Australian Open (where Williams lost).

“She’s not said one word to me, not spoken to me, not said hi, not looked my way, not been in the same room with me since I played her in Australia,” ranted Stephens in the unusually frank interview. “And that should tell everyone something, how she went from saying all these nice things about me to unfollowing me on Twitter.”

Serena Williams’ response was, perhaps typically for a modern sports professional, far less candid. When Sports Illustrated asked the 31-year-old about Stephens’ comments, Williams seemed keen to put the dispute behind her:

“I don’t really know. I don’t have many thoughts. I’m a big Sloane Stephens fan and always have been. I’ve always said that I think she can be the best in the world. I’ll always continue to think that and always be rooting for her.”

She continued:

“I really just always wish her, and anyone, really, especially from America, the best. We don’t have that many American players, so it’s always exciting to see so many young players doing so well.”

Williams’ comeback doesn’t exactly address Stephens’ comments (the unfriendliness, the Twitter unfollow), and there’s a sense she’d prefer to stop this tiff from escalating.

What do you make of Serena Williams’ response? Disingenuous fence-sitting or level-headed diplomacy?

Serena Williams Responds To Sloane Stephens Outburst: ‘I’ve Always Been A Fan’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rock band The National made a special appearance at New York’s Museum of Modern Art Sunday for a concert with an unusual twist: It was six hours long and featured only one song.

As dry ice swirled around the stage, the indie miserablists from Ohio played their song ‘Sorrow’ a total of 105 times in rapid succession.

The original track, taken from 2010′s High Violet album, usually lasts just over three minutes.

The band were there to collaborate with Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson, whose work was accurately titled “A Lot of Sorrow.” Says the museum:

“By stretching a single pop song into a day-long tour de force the artist continues his explorations into the potential of repetitive performance to produce sculptural presence within sound.”

Meanwhile,Pitchfork writes:

“Fan reports suggest the band played it pretty straight for the most part, though one clip below shows drummer Bryan Devendorf sitting out a rendition. Again: six hours.”

Pssh, idle. Anyway, various videos of the marathon performance have appeared on YouTube, though no brave soul has managed to capture all six hours. You can watch a very small part of said concert below. Oh, and of course there’s this setlist:

The National Play Three-Minute Song For Six Hours Straight is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chris Hadfield, International Space Station Commander and William Shatner Twitter buddy, led a worldwide singalong on Monday… from space.

In his final live link from the space station before his return to Earth on May 13, Hadfield took part in a high-tech concert that saw students and musicians from across the globe singing ‘ISS – Is Somebody Singing?’

The song, you may recall, was the first to ever be written and recorded in space, and is a collaboration between Hadfield and Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson.

Hadfield’s space concert was staged to celebrate Music Monday, an annual celebration organized by Canada’s Coalition for Music Education.

While Hadfield strummed his guitar from miles above the earth’s surface, youngsters from countries as far apart as Canada, Australia, and Singapore sang and played intruments.

‘ISS – Is Somebody Singing?’ was commissioned by the Coalition for Music Education and CBCMusic.ca, and revealed much about Hadfield’s creative side. Singer Robertson recalls the song’s creation thus:

“[Chris] created a really poetic, laced-with-technical-info second verse. I was like: ‘Dude, you’re the astronaut. I’m supposed to be the songwriter.’ But it was an awesome surprise.”

The Coalition for Music Education is a non-profit organization that promotes the benefits of music education for young people. The body says it created Music Monday to “celebrate the galvanizing power of music and demonstrate how that power is rooted in school music programs.”

You can watch Chris Hadfield‘s unique space concert below:

Astronaut Chris Hadfield Leads Worldwide Singalong From Space [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Attention, would-be subway-poopers: San Francisco is not putting up with your crap any longer; Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), San Fran’s express train system, now has the power to ban you from using the service.

Assembly Bill 716, which passed last year and came into action Monday, lets BART issue bans for all those who think using a subway as a public bathroom is acceptable behavior. The new law allows BART to submit a “prohibition order” to any miscreant who commits a crime on BART’s property.

That obviously includes pooping and masturbating as well as more serious crimes such as stabbings, assaults, drug-dealing, and so forth.

Talking very loudly on a phone and sneezing without covering one’s piehole is still not punishable, regrettably.

The new bill lets BART ban individuals for anything from 30 days to one year. However, those who carry out smaller crimes such as vandalism (and yes, pooping) will still not be instantly punished; they’ll have to collect three citations within a period of 90 days before having to walk home, says BART.

BART already has a process of keeping bad people at bay, reports SF Weekly, but it’s reportedly not particularly efficient.

A total of 130 names are currently on the “stay-away” list, but Kenton Rainey, BART police chief, told The San Francisco Chronicle the new law will mean this list will grow substantially.

In other words, commuting in San Francisco could be about to get a lot more bearable, not to mention more fragrant.

San Francisco Can Now Ban Passengers Who Poop On Subway is a post from: The Inquisitr

If the happy ending to the Cleveland kidnapping saga warmed your heart, it’s likely this will make your smile even wider.

Charles Ramsey, the man who helped rescue Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight after a decade in captivity, has given a stellar interview to a local news station. We’re talking Antoine Dodson levels of hilarity here, folks.

In the brief piece, Ramsey tells a reporter about how he shared ribs and listened to salsa music with the alleged captor of the three women. He adds his neighbor never seemed to be anything other than a regular guy who tinkered with his motorcycles and played with his dogs:

“He’s somebody that you look and you look away because he’s not doin’ nothin’ but the average stuff, you see what I’m saying? Ain’t nothin’ exciting about him. Well, until today. Ha ha ha.”

When asked about the reaction of Amanda Berry as she begged him to call 911, Ramsey breathlessly quips:

“I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms. Something is wroooong here. Dead giveaway. Deeeaaad giveaway. Either she’s homeless, or she’s got problems … that’s the only reason why she’d run to a black man.”

It’s not remotely politically correct, but it’s difficult not to chuckle; Ramsey is what most people would describe as A Character, and his delivery is hilarious. Viral fame is surely yours, sir.

Let’s see the man in action (and there’s a full transcript below, courtesy of News.com):

Reporter: “Walk me through again what happened this afternoon. You heard screaming…”
Charles Ramsey: “I heard screamin. I’m eatin my McDonald’s, I come outside, I see this girl goin’ nuts tryin’ to get out of her house. So I go on the porch, I go on the porch and she says ‘help me get out, I been in here a long time’. So you know, I figured this is a domestic violence dispute, so I opened the door, but we can’t get in that way because how the door is, it’s so much that a body can’t fit through, only your hand. So we kicked the bottom and she comes out with a little girl, and she says ‘call 911. My name is Amanda Berry’.”

Reporter: “And did you know who that was when she said that?”
CR: “When she told me it didn’t register until I got the call to 911. And then, I’m calling to 911 for Amanda Berry? I thought this girl was dead, you know what I mean? And she got on the phone and she said ‘yeah, this is me’ and the detective Cook, Gregory Cook says ‘Charles, you know who you rescued?’ ”

Reporter: “And when did you see Gina?”
CR: “About five minutes after the police got here. See, that girl Amanda told the police ‘I ain’t just the only one, it’s some more girls up in that house. So they goin’ up there, you know, 30 or 40 deep, and when they came out it was just astonishing, cos I thought they would come up with nothing. I figured, I mean, whoever she was, like I say, my neighbour, you got some big testicles to pull this off dude, cos we see this guy every day I mean EVERY DAY.”

Reporter: “How long have you lived here?”
CR: “I been here a year. You see where I’m coming from? I eat barbecue with this dude. We eat ribs and whatnot, and listen to salsa music, you see where I’m coming from?”

Reporter: “And you had no indication that there was anything…”
CR: “Bro, not a clue that that girl was in that house, or anybody was in there against their will, because how he is, is he just comes out to his backyard, he plays with the dogs, tinkers with his cars and motorcycles, goes back in the house. So he’s somebody that you look and you look away because he’s not doin’ nothin’ but the average stuff, you see what I’m saying? Ain’t nothin’ exciting about him. Well, until today. Ha ha ha.”

Reporter: “What was the reaction on the girls’ faces? I can’t imagine, to see the sunlight, to be…”
CR: “Well, I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms. Something is wrooong here. Dead giveaway. Dead giveaway. Deeeaaad giveaway. Either she homeless, or she got problems, that’s the only why she’s runnin’ to a black man.”

Charles Ramsey, Cleveland Kidnapping Witness, Gives Priceless Interview [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sloane Stephens has lashed out at fellow tennis star Serena Williams in remarkably frank fashion.

In an interview with ESPN: The Magazine, Stephens reveals that Williams hasn’t “said one word” to her since their quarter-final match in January’s Australian Open.

Stephens won that encounter 3-6 7-5 6-4, producing what was arguably the shock of the tournament.

Sloane Stephens told the mag:

“She’s not said one word to me, not spoken to me, not said hi, not looked my way, not been in the same room with me since I played her in Australia. And that should tell everyone something, how she went from saying all these nice things about me to unfollowing me on Twitter.”

Yes, Williams committed the ultimate burn by unfollowing Stephens on Twitter. Not only that, but she also tweeted a message that Stephens felt was directed at her, one that simply read: “I made you.”

“Like, seriously!” huffs Stephens. “People should know. They think she’s so friendly and she’s so this and she’s so that — no, that’s not reality! You don’t unfollow someone on Twitter, delete them off of BlackBerry Messenger. I mean, what for? Why?”

I made you.

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) January 26, 2013

Stephens’ relationship with Williams actually goes back years, it turns out. Elsewhere in the interview, the rising star says both Serena and sister Venus ignored her when she was just a 12-year-old autograph hunter at a 2005 US Fed Cup match:

“I waited all day [for an autograph]. They walked by three times and never signed our posters.”

Mind you, Stephens seems pretty fickle on the subject of Serena. Speaking about the elder American in January, just weeks before they met at the Aussie Open, the then-teenager gushed:

“[Serena]‘s so sweet. No, I love her. Obviously she’s been a really great influence in my tennis year career. Obviously I always was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I love her to death. She’s amazing, whatever. Now she’s like an actual person and I’m like, ‘Oh, hi. How is it going?’ She’s not like a hero anymore. She’s just a friend.”

That friendship seems to have soured, but wait – there’s more! Tennis.com has been informed that Sloane Stephens and Serena Williams were acting like BFF at the United States’ Fed Cup tie against Sweden in early April – a couple of weeks after Stephens spoke to ESPN.

If you’re feeling confused, take it from me: You are not alone.

Here’s what happened between Sloane Stephens and Serena Williams when they met in Australia:

Sloane Stephens Criticizes Serena Williams: ‘People Think She’s So Friendly – That’s Not Reality’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Otis Nixon was arrested early Sunday morning after police officers found a pipe for smoking crack cocaine in the pocket of his pants and a suspected crack rock in his truck.

The former MLB outfielder was pulled over by police in suburban Atlanta after his Dodge Ram truck was spotted swerving all over the road.

In an incident report filed by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, it was revealed cops later found a second pipe and more suspected crack rocks in the floor board of the driver’s side. Further drugs paraphernalia was also recovered from the vehicle.

Otis Nixon was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine and possession of a drug-related object. As of Monday afternoon, he remains in jail on a bond of $11,880. It is unknown whether Nixon has a lawyer.

After being stopped, Nixon informed officers he was driving a friend home and denied his vehicle had been weaving. He admitted to the sheriff’s deputy that the substance found in the car was crack cocaine but claimed he was intending to get rid of the pipe and that the drugs belonged to his son.

After Otis Nixon was arrested, police carried out field sobriety tests, which determined Nixon did not have crack cocaine or alcohol in his system.

MLB journeyman Nixon, who had spells at the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Montreal Expos, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Minnesota Twins, has battled drug problems in the past. In recent years, he started up his own ministry.

An MLB veteran of 17 years, Nixon collected more than 600 stolen bases from 1983 to 1999.

Otis Nixon Arrested After Cops Find Crack Pipe In His Pocket is a post from: The Inquisitr

GameStop has announced it will cease all PlayStation 2 trade-ins with immediate effect.

The videogame retailer has confirmed that PS2 games, accessories, and systems can no longer be traded in at its stores. With the PlayStation 4 due out this year, we’re guessing there are some pretty crammed GameStop stockrooms out there.

The dim silver lining in this announcement? The retailer intends to keep selling PS2 stock at its stores for “several months” or until the remaining trade-in stock runs out.

In a statement handed to Engadget, GameStop says:

“We can confirm that as of June 1 we will no longer be accepting the PS2 console or its related product for trades. We know that the 12-year-old system is a popular one and for many gamers, GameStop is the only place to find a great selection of its games. We will still offer a wide selection of the PS2 hardware, accessories and games in many of our stores and online for several months, based on remaining stock from trades. We are very excited about the upcoming PS4 and are making room in our stores for it and other new platforms expected this fall.”

The PlayStation 2 will celebrate its 13th birthday in the US this year — some feat, as consoles go. Sony’s venerable platform first launched in 2000 and has gone on to become the best-selling home console ever.

If you have one lying around — and with 155 million PS2′s sold, who doesn’t? — it looks like eBay might be your best bet from now.

(Not that you should be trading in the trusty black brick – for a start, you’ve probably not played all of these.)

Have any favorite PS2 memories you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments!

GameStop Will No Longer Trade In Your PlayStation 2 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son was kicked out of a club after he threatened to “beat the f**k” out of a DJ.

Nineteen-year-old Patrick Schwarzenegger was booted out of The Sayers Club in Los Angeles on Saturday night, and TMZ was there to film the macho aftermath in the street (embedded below).

Speaking to a group of friends outside the club, tough guy Patrick can be heard declaring:

“Everyone around me wants to beat the f**k out of the DJ … I’ll beat the f**k out of him. He kicks everybody out of his table, losing money for the club, losing money for the owner.”

The teenager then attempts to clamber into an SUV parked outside the club, only to be turned away by its driver. After exiting the vehicle, Patrick patronizingly waves his hand, urging the driver to move along.

In a follow-up to its original story, TMZ reports Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s son was kicked out for chucking ice cubes at the club DJ. A source also told the site Schwarzenegger was “rowdy and obnoxious” – and all this after using a fake ID to get into the Hollywood club. Classy stuff.

The site adds Patrick Schwarzenegger used someone else’s driver’s license to get past the bouncers at the club.

Sensing that he might have come across as something of a jerk, Patrick took to Twitter on Monday to say:

Excuse my language. I apologize

— Patrick Shriver (@PSchwarzenegger) May 6, 2013

This was followed up by a reflective:

Live and learn, hope everyone has a blessed day

— Patrick Shriver (@PSchwarzenegger) May 6, 2013

You can watch what happened when the eldest Schwarzenegger son was kicked out of The Sayer Club below:

[Image via Shutterstock]

Schwarzenegger Son Kicked Out Of Club After Threatening To Beat Up DJ [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

North Korea has removed two missiles on the country’s coastline, reducing tensions on the Korean peninsula after weeks of heated rhetoric.

A US official confirmed the isolated state has withdrawn two Musudan missiles, each with a range of 4,000 kilometers, from a launch site on its east coast.

The removal of the missiles follows threats made last month, in which the hermit state threatened nuclear strikes and attacks on specific targets in the US and South Korea.

The missiles had been ready to launch at any moment, but North Korea had now “moved them”, confirmed an anonymous US defense official to the AFP news agency.

Pentagon spokesman George Little declined to comment directly on the missiles, but did tell reporters:

“What we have seen recently is a provocation pause. And we think that’s obviously beneficial to efforts to ensure we have peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.”

Tensions on the Korean peninsula were ratcheted up earlier this year when the regime in Pyongyang issued a series of bellicose statements. As well as threats of nuclear strikes against South Korea and the US, North Korea closed down a factory complex run jointly with South Korea and restarted a cobwebbed nuclear reactor.

The North has repeatedly stated it is reacting to fresh UN sanctions (enforced after North Korea conducted nuclear tests) and annual US-South Korea military drills, which finished a week ago.

North Korea’s decision to remove its missiles from the coast fits with a now-familiar cycle. In the past, Pyongyang has deliberately stoked regional tensions and made demands of its perceived enemies before toning down its threatening stance.

North Korea Missiles Removed From Coastal Launching Site is a post from: The Inquisitr

Eden Prairie, MN – The Mandy Matula case took another twist over the weekend after a man police hoped to question over the 24-year-old’s disappearance passed away from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Minnesotan Mandy Matula was reported missing at 8:30 am Thursday morning, having been seen with ex-boyfriend David Marshall Roe at 1:30 am.

Police immediately declared Roe a “person of interest” who they would like to speak to, only for Roe to shoot himself in a parking lot outside the Eden Prairie police station on Thursday. He passed away from his injuries Saturday night.

Mandy’s father, Wayne Matula, told KARE11 his daughter had remained friends with ex-boyfriend Roe after they had split up last fall.

The search for Mandy Matula is continuing, and is now centered on an area around Miller Park in Eden Prairie, a city located roughly 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis.

On Saturday, searchers found what police described as “an unfired piece of ammunition,” and Wayne Matula confirmed to KARE11 that residents in the area had heard gunshots Wednesday night.

Authorities have not confirmed a link between Mandy Matula’s disappearance and the unused bullet.

It’s also known that Roe came to Matula’s home on Wednesday night to speak with Mandy. The pair sat in Roe’s parked car outside the family’s house. When Wayne Matula looked out to check on the two just minutes later, the car was gone.

The family spoke to Roe the next morning to try and locate their daughter, and the 24-year-old confirmed he and Mandy had argued, and that she had left his car at Miller Park.

Meanwhile, about 300 volunteers are continuing the search for Matula.

Mandy Matula Disappearance: ‘Person Of Interest’ Shoots Himself is a post from: The Inquisitr

Orange County, CA – An escaped mental health patient obsessed with the Sandy Hook tragedy is back in custody after he fled an Orange County facility.

Authorities have confirmed that Norris Phuoc Nguyen returned to the Royale Health Care Center on Bristol Street at 4 pm Saturday. Nguyen had walked away from the facility, where he has been detained since December 2012, on Friday afternoon.

The 23-year-old told police interviewers he had visited a friend in his time away from the facility. Authorities say he does not appear to have committed any crimes during his absence from the mental health facility.

The escaped mental health patient, whose Sandy Hook obsession became apparent in interviews with him in December 2012, was questioned by cops, who discovered he was fixated on a teacher at a Garden Grove elementary school he had attended.

Anthony Bertagna, spokesman for the Santa Ana Police Department, declined to name the teacher or school. He told NBC News:

“We have statements and we have the firm belief that he is committed, unfortunately, to harming children at this specific school.”

After Nguyen made those comments, he was periodically detained at the Royale Health Care Center facility. Since the escaped mental health patient’s Sandy Hook obsession emerged in December 2012, his detention has become indefinite.

Nguyen, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, came to the attention of authorities in August 2011, when he walked into the Westminster Police Department dressed in camouflage and holding an assault rifle, saying he wanted to “die by cop.”

The weapon used in that incident was not loaded, said Garden Grove Police Chief Kevin Raney.

Twenty-six people, including 20 children, died at Sandy Hook elementary school in a December 2012 shooting. Shooter Adam Lanza committed suicide at the scene as first responders arrived.

Escaped Mental Health Patient With ‘Sandy Hook’ Obsession Back In Custody is a post from: The Inquisitr

Louisiana has voted by 3-2 to keep the Science Education Act, a piece of legislation that permits teachers to bring creationist textbooks into the classroom.

Bill 26, which was launched by teenage activist Zack Kopplin and sponsored by Senator Karen Carter Peterson (D-New Orleans), was defeated on Friday following hours of testimony, including a formal statement from Kopplin.

This is the third time Kopplin has launched a legal bid to repeal the Science Education Act; his attempts at repeal in 2011 and 2012 were defeated 1-5 and 1-2 respectively.

Speaking to io9, Kopplin suggested there would be further attempts to repeal the law:

“For the past few months we’ve been organizing relentlessly and having people contact their elected officials to ask them to vote to repeal Louisiana’s creationism law.

“We lost again this year, but we’re making progress. We gained a second vote. And on top of this, it was clear that we will eventually win and repeal this vote. It’s up to the legislators to choose which side of history they want to stand on.”

io9 also flags up comments made by Senator Elbert Guillory (D-Opelousas) in the latest round of testimony, as reported by The Times-Picayune:

“[Guillory] said he had reservations with repealing the act after a spiritual healer correctly diagnosed a specific medical ailment he had. He said he thought repealing the act could ‘lock the door on being able to view ideas from many places, concepts from many cultures.’

‘Yet if I closed my mind when I saw this man – in the dust, throwing some bones on the ground, semi-clothed – if I had closed him off and just said, ‘That’s not science. I’m not going to see this doctor,’ I would have shut off a very good experience for myself,’ Guillory said.”

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is a supporter of the Science Education Act, while 78 Nobel laureate scientists – nearly 40% of all living Nobel laureate scientists – have backed Kopplin’s repeal campaign. The teenager tells io9:

“The fight for science in Louisiana is ground zero of this fight worldwide. As we change the debate in Louisiana, we’re changing the debate everywhere.”

[Image via Shutterstock]

Louisiana Votes To Keep Creationism In Science Class is a post from: The Inquisitr

Dubai’s police car fleet will soon have a new addition to its ranks to go with that tasty Lamborghini Aventador: a $1.4 million Aston Martin One-77.

In case you’re not keeping count, that means Dubai cops will have access to a Dodge Charger, a BMW 5-Series, a Bentley, a Mercedes-Benz SLS, a Ferrari FF, the aforementioned Aventador, and now the beast above.

Local news site Emirates 24/7 has confirmed Dubai’s latest cop supercar will be unveiled Monday,while Jalopnik also reports on rumors that the Aston Martin police car will be one of only seven vehicles that form the Q Series One-77.

That means it will come with additional carbon fiber, extra interior additions, and an HD video camera attached.

However, much like the Aventador, this police car won’t be used to chase down perps (though a top speed of 220mph would make that a breeze – even in supercar-dominated Dubai).

Instead, it will cruise its way around Dubai’s tourist districts in a bid to show just how damn classy the Persian Gulf emirate is.

One expects the car will come in the green-and-white colors of the Dubai force, and local reports suggest it will soon be joined by a number of American muscle car Camaros.

Jalopnik also says the grainy-as-hell image below has been doing the rounds on the ‘net, so this might be Dubai’s most ostentatious police car to date:

Police Car Fleet In Dubai Getting $1.4m Aston Martin is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jason Witten says Tony Romo already works hard, just days after Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he wanted to see Romo put in “Peyton Manning-type time” at the team’s training facility.

Jones’ remarks came after Romo signed a new six-year extension reportedly worth $108 million. However, Witten says people who question Romo’s work ethic aren’t aware of how many hours the quarterback already puts in.

“Sometimes maybe more is made of that than it is,” the tight end told Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com. “I know [Tony] understands the expectations to play that position, probably even more so now after the contract than ever before.

“I think that’s something he embraces and says, ‘Hey, let’s get this started.’ I think we’re all excited. But we all know at this point, our actions will speak a lot louder than anything we say or talk about.”

And Jason Witten’s support of Tony Romo stood firm when Watkins asked about the Cowboys’ plans to have Romo more involved in the game planning:

“I’ve always felt like Tony was very involved in the process of the plays and our scheme, how we attacked. I think in any organization where you have an elite quarterback like that, you want him to feel comfortable. I think that’s something we’ve always tried to do, and it sounds like we’re going to continue to do that.”

Jason Witten’s Tony Romo defense came at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a renovated Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas.

Both Jerry Jones and Romo (who is not everybody’s favorite) have taken flak over the quarterback’s new deal. Critics argue Romo’s return of just one career playoff win and the Cowboys’ inability to reach the postseason the last three seasons did not deserve such a handsome reward.

Whatever the naysayers believe, there’s no doubt whose side Jason Witten is on.

Jason Witten Defends Tony Romo, Says QB Has ‘Strong Command’ Of Offense is a post from: The Inquisitr

Oldham, UK – Police dogs — as well as being vigilant, heroic, and, er, literate — also possess a rich sense of irony (certainly more so than TSA officials).

At least, that’s what we took from news that one cop dog has eaten a hamster while officers raided the home of an animal cruelty suspect.

As police in Greater Manchester searched the Oldham residence of 46-year-old Musa Khan, a police dog knocked a hamster’s cage over, setting the rodent free.

The Manchester Evening News reports that the dog promptly ate the hamster before being forced to cough it up. Sadly, the furry critter did not survive the experience.

While Mr. Khan did not face charges in relation to the raid, he was later prosecuted by the RSPCA after police found a parakeet with numerous missing feathers in the house.

Former hamster owner Khan pleaded guilty in court to failing to prevent suffering, despite defense lawyer Tim Hughes insisting the defendant had kept animals safely for many years. Said Hughes:

“[Mr. Khan] accepts keeping the bird in a cage that’s close to a radiator and TV in a room where an old cat has been.”

However, prosecuting lawyer Mark harper shot back:

“The bird was in poor bodily condition and had lost feathers. It could have been avoided with a regular cleaning regime.”

The court banned Mr. Khan from keeping a bird for two years and fined him £110. He was also ordered to pay £400 costs and a £15 victim surcharge; a trivial punishment compared to what his hamster endured.

Finally, just to confirm that dog-hamster relations can remain cordial:

[Image via Shutterstock]

Police Dog Eats Pet Hamster During Raid Over Alleged Animal Cruelty is a post from: The Inquisitr

3 people shot at Miami Opera Tower are recovering from their wounds in hospital.

Police in Miami have opened an investigation into the crime, which took place on Sunday morning at the Opera Tower condominium building on 1750 North Bayshore Drive.

The shooting seems to have taken place at various locations in the posh 56-story building (pictured below), where apartments can go for as much as $635,000. Miami-Dade Police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes told NBC Miami that two men were found shot in the building’s lobby, while another was found on the 30th floor.

A total of five different crime scenes had been identified within the building, added Reyes:

“We don’t know where it all started. We have different floors where supposedly this shooting may have taken place, and a stairwell.”

Residents in the building told NBC Miami that trails of blood could be seen throughout the building. Resident Yasmin Mattox described the scene:

“We were going to take our dog for a walk and the elevator opened and it was all what seemed like blood, or droplets of blood, the whole elevator. All over the lobby drops, drops, drops of blood.”

The 3 shot at Miami Opera Tower were transported to the nearby Ryder Trauma Center with multiple gunshot wounds, officials confirmed. While two are in stable condition and expected to recover, the third is in serious condition and will require surgery.

While cops did not evacuate the building, the main elevators were shut down as part of the investigation. Officials have asked anybody in the community with information to come forward and assist with the investigation.

3 Shot At Miami Opera Tower is a post from: The Inquisitr

Harvard professor Niall Ferguson has apologized “unreservedly” after making a homophobic slur about influential economist John Maynard Keynes.

Ferguson was speaking at the Altegris conference in California when an audience member asked a question about Keynes’ assertion that, “In the long run we are all dead.” The historian and author, a staunch opponent of Keynesian economics, said the British economist did not care about future generations because he was childless and gay.

The audience at the event fell silent when the remarks were made, notes Tom Kostigen, a Financial Advisor reporter who was at the event. After a transcript from the question-and-answer session was posted to StreetTalk Live, the backlash against Ferguson’s remarks began.

Niall Ferguson has now issued an apology on his official website, describing his comments as “stupid” and “insensitive.” Under the title “An Unqualified Apology,” he writes:

“During a recent question-and-answer session at a conference in California, I made comments about John Maynard Keynes that were as stupid as they were insensitive.

“I had been asked to comment on Keynes’ famous observation ‘In the long run we are all dead.’ The point I had made in my presentation was that in the long run our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are alive, and will have to deal with the consequences of our economic actions.

“My colleagues, students, and friends – straight and gay – have every right to be disappointed in me, as I am in myself. To them, and to everyone who heard my remarks at the conference or has read them since, I deeply and unreservedly apologize.”

Niall Ferguson’s apology also admits that certain facts had slipped the professor’s mind:

“I should not have suggested [...] that Keynes was indifferent to the long run because he had no children, nor that he had no children because he was gay. This was doubly stupid. First, it is obvious that people who do not have children also care about future generations. Second, I had forgotten that Keynes’ wife Lydia miscarried.”

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell told The Guardian he was glad Ferguson had apologized, though added the remarks belonged to a “pub bigot,” rather than a Harvard academic:

“I’m glad Ferguson has apologised for his homophobic slur against Keynes. However, it is shocking that such casual homophobia apparently exists in high academia. His remarks are what we might expect from a pub bigot, not from a Harvard history professor.

“The idea that Keynes was unconcerned about future generations is offensive nonsense. His economic theories were motivated by a love of humanity and a concern for present and future public welfare.”

What do you make of Niall Ferguson’s apology?

Niall Ferguson Apology: Harvard Professor Sorry For Gay Slur About Keynes is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Scottish island has gone up for sale with a guide price of £2.5m (roughly $3.9m).

Tanera Mòr is situated off the north west coast of Scotland, and at 800 acres (323 hectares) is the largest of the Summer Isles. It’s also the only inhabited island in the archipelago, with a population of just five.

The remote island, which has been occupied since Viking times, is being sold by its current owners, the Wilder family, after a proposed buyout by the local community on the mainland fizzled out. The Wilders bought the island in 1996.

What would your money get you? Well, Tanera Mòr is home to an Atlantic salmon fish farm, some rental holiday homes, a café, and a post office, which has operated its own local post and printed its own stamps since 1970. There are no roads on the island and the only recognizable path goes around the Anchorage, a sheltered bay on the east side of the island. Oh, and it has dolphins.

The island is currently run by Lizzie Wilder and her husband, Richard Williams. Speaking to BBC News, Lizzie said:

“After many happy years of calling Tanera home, it is time for someone else to have the privilege of looking after this amazing place. We hope that whoever owns the island in the future will enjoy the same warm and co-operative relationship with the community that we have for the past 17 years.”

Seems perfect for those looking after a little peace; and at $4,875 per acre, it compares pretty favourably to the $90m per acre you’d pay for prime land in New York.

[Image via Shutterstock]

Remote Scottish Island On Sale For $3.9m is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Richard Nixon’s grandson is in China to retrace his grandfather‘s famous 1972 trip to the country.

34-year-old Christopher Nixon Cox has visited China before on 15 separate occasions, but this trip is a little different. Organized by the Nixon Foundation (a branch of the late president’s library in California) and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, it falls in the same year of the president’s 100th birthday.

Nixon’s 1972 trip to China did much to thaw relations between the US and China, with the president later describing it as “the week that changed the world.” Now, Cox is following in the footsteps of his late grandfather, who passed away in 1994.

“I remember my grandfather telling me that to have one billion of the world’s most hard-working and talented people in isolation is something that is dangerous for the world,” Cox says in a Los Angeles Times interview. “He felt that a prosperous China was critical for peace and stability. He would be amazed [at modern China].”

China’s startling economic growth in recent decades was also noted by Jack Brennan. Brennan, a retired Marine Corps colonel, was the only member of the delegation with Nixon’s grandson in China to have gone on the 1972 trip. He told the Times:

“It feels like this country has advanced a couple of centuries. In 1972, there was just a small landing strip for the airport. When we drove in, we hardly saw any people and only a few Soviet-made cars. When it snowed, instead of snowplows there were hundreds and hundreds of Chinese sweeping the streets with brooms.”

While Cox’s visit may lack the diplomatic weight of his grandfather’s visit, there is a chance the visit could boost Cox’s own political ambitions. The investment banker ran unsuccessfully in 2010 in the Republican primary for a New York congressional seat.

He admits to the Times that the Nixon name is useful in making contacts:

“People usually figure it out when we exchange business cards, and it is definitely an icebreaker. But beyond that you still have to bring something to the table and live on your wit.”

Nixon Grandson In China To Retrace President’s 1972 Visit is a post from: The Inquisitr

Columbus, TX – A “God” gesture disqualified a team at a Texas high school on Friday.

Columbus High School’s Mighty Cardinals track team wrapped up victory in the 4 x 100m relay, beating the rest of the field by a clear seven yards, when runner Derrick Hayes pointed to the sky to thank what he saw as a divine influence.

The God gesture disqualified the team after officials deemed it to be an example of “excessive celebration.” The track team will now miss out on the chance to compete at State level.

However, the nature of the celebration which caused the team to be disqualified is still up for debate. The Hollywood Gossip reports:

“Many in the town, including the runner’s father, called it a violation of religious freedom, but the school insists the gesture is not banned because it is religious, but because it is celebratory.”

As The Examiner notes, such gestures are common in sport, with many big-name stars across all sports pointing to the sky to thank what they view as divine intervention; some even openly pray.

A god gesture disqualifying a team is certainly unusual, and is likely to spark further debates about religious freedom.

You can see the celebration that led to the Columbus track team getting disqualified below. Do you think the team should have been kicked out of the competition for incorporating a religious ritual into their performance, or should true religious freedom permit such gestures? Sound off in the comments!

God Gesture Disqualifies Team: High School Track Team Pointed To Sky [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Pepsi will drop rapper Lil Wayne after the 30-year-old made a crude reference to civil rights martyr Emmett Till in a track.

In Future’s song “Karate Chop,” released in February, the rapper uses the lyric, “Beat that p***y up like Emmett Till.”

The reference to Till, a 14-year-old boy who was tortured and lynched for allegedly whistling at a white woman in 1955, drew criticism from various sources, including fans, Lil Wayne’s record label, fellow musicians, and the Till family.

Lil Wayne penned a letter of apology to the family, who were not impressed. Airickca Gordon-Taylor, a cousin of Till’s, told The Associated Press:

“I think that he’s kind of been pressured or he’s been admonished to make a statement to the family because of the ongoing negative publicity and attention and the pressure we’ve put onto his endorsement with Mountain Dew.”

As of today, that endorsement with Mountain Dew is no more. Pepsi, which produces the popular soda, has dropped Lil Wayne altogether. In a statement released Friday, the drinks company said Wayne’s “offensive reference to a revered civil rights icon does not reflect the values of our brand.”

Pepsi’s dropping of the rapper comes just days after an advert for Mountain Dew, described as “arguably the most racist commercial in history,” was pulled from the official Mountain Dew website.

The three-part commercial featured Felicia the Goat, who attacks a white waitress after she fails to bring large amounts of Mountain Dew. Felicia eludes the police in the second spot and then, in the final commercial, is seen standing in a police lineup with five black men. The battered waitress is intimidated by Felicia and runs out of the police station screaming.

Pepsi Drops Rapper: Lil Wayne Canned Over Emmett Till Song is a post from: The Inquisitr

Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is innocent, according to posters that have begun to appear on walls around Chechnya’s capital, Grozny.

Authorities in Chechnya are currently trying to find out who distributed the posters, which declare Tsarnaev “not guilty” and appeared after Russia’s May Day celebrations.

The black-and-white posters feature images of Tsarnaev and his mother, Zubeidat, above an appeal for online donations. A block of Chechen text beneath the images reads:

“This is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a 19-year-old lad accused of a terrorist attack in Boston. But as many people now know, that is a groundless accusation, there is absolutely no evidence against him.

“Now he is in a serious condition, in a prison hospital, he needs medical and legal help. Dzhokhar’s parents ask you for help, to collect money for their son, whom they cannot lose, as they have already lost the older son, cruelly, unjustly. We will be grateful for any help, in the name of the Almighty do not remain indifferent.”

The posters, which authorities are hurriedly taking down as they appear, also include a number for the Russian online payment system, Qiwi Wallet. The Tsarnaev family address in the Russian social network VKontakte is also listed.

Residents of Grozny believe the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev posters may have come from someone trying to make money from the April 15 bombings.

The Tsarnaev family are ethnic Chechens but have lived mostly outside Chechnya. The family have reportedly lived in Kyrgyzstan and Dagestan, another Russian republic in the North Caucasus which shares a border with Chechnya.

Russian news agency Interfax reports pro-Tsarnaev pamphlets have also appeared in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital. Local police are investigating the matter.

Pro-Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Posters Appear On Walls In Chechnya Capital is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ontario, Canada – A loyal dog waited by its owner for 12 hours after she became stuck in a sinkhole in the woods of Haliburton in Ontario.

Sixty-four-year-old Sandra Van Alstyne was on a morning walk with two-year-old border collie Monty and a frisbee when a misplaced step saw her slip straight into a knee-deep sinkhole.

“I just walked right into it, and there was no way my foot was going to budge,” Van Alstyne told The Star. “The suction was like cement.”

Stranded at the top of a remote hill, Van Alstyne’s shouts for help stood little chance of being heard. Sitting down to prevent herself from going any deeper, the woman waited for somebody else to come along.

As it happens, she was in for quite a wait. The hours began to pass, though at first it wasn’t so terrible. The sky was a clear blue, the temperature pleasant, and the ever-faithful Monty stayed close by.

But soon, it began to snow.

“It was that wet kind of snow, but it only lasted a bit. I was glad when it stopped.” reflects Van Alstyne.

Not that Sandra was ever worried about her safety. Her loyal friend continued to stick by her side throughout the ordeal. “Monty stayed right with me, he just snuggled up to me,” says Van Alstyne. “I petted him and he kept me warm.”

By 5 pm, seven hours after she’d left home, Sandra’s husband was beside himself with worry. He contacted police, and a search-and-rescue mission was launched, with police dogs, officers, and a helicopter all deployed.

When they found an increasingly chilly Sandra with Monty still by her side at 11 pm, it was no easy task for police to get her out. “The police were getting stuck themselves trying to get me,” she told The Star. “This was a really big hole.”

A hospital check-up confirmed Van Alstyne was fine. And Monty?

“He didn’t sleep very well that night, but he finally ate something when I got home. He’s so smart, he’s really a great dog. I could brag about him for hours.”

[Image via Shutterstock]

Dog Stays By Owner Trapped In Sinkhole For 12 Hours is a post from: The Inquisitr

Pizza can reduce your chance of contracting certain cancers, new research has shown.

Italian researchers say the carb-heavy snack reduces the risk of cancer because it contains lycopene, an antitoxidant that forms part of the tomato sauce.

Lycopene, reveals a new study, decreases the risk of developing oesophageal cancer by 59 percent. It can also lower your chance of getting colon cancer by 26 percent and mouth cancer by 34 percent.

But researchers are quick to remind us that a healthy diet also contributes to reducing cancer risks. And of course, obesity (from eating, say, too much pizza) can actually increase the risk of cancers. It’s a tightrope, folks.

Research on the cancer-reducing properties of pizza came from studying the pizza-eating habits of 3,000 people with certain cancers versus 5,000 of those without. The latter group, say scientists, ate pizza at least once a week. Research leader Dr. Silvano Gallus, of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmaceutical Research in Milan, told BBC News:

“We knew that tomato sauce could offer protection against certain tumors, but we did not expect pizza as a complete meal also to offer such protective powers.”

The study has attracted some cautious responses. Cancer Research UK‘s Nicola O’Connor told the Beeb:

“This study is interesting. But before people start dialing the pizza takeaway, they should consider that pizza can be high in saturated fat, salt and calories.”

What do you think of the discovery pizza can decrease the risk of cancer? Any plans to up your pizza intake in the near future?

[Image via Shutterstock]

Pizza Reduces Cancer Risk, Reveals Joyous New Research is a post from: The Inquisitr

Disney has pulled out of Bangladesh, ceasing all production of its branded merchandise following a series of factory accidents in 2012.

The Walt Disney Company made its decision to withdraw before last week’s tragic collapse of a factory building in the city of Savar, which killed more than 400 people.

It’s been revealed the company wrote to vendors and licensees in March to begin transitioning production out of the “highest-risk countries” such as Bangladesh. The firm is aiming to raise safety standards in its supply chain and will also pull out of Ecuador, Venezuela, Belarus, and Pakistan by April 2014.

Last week’s factory collapse was the worst tragedy in the history of Bangladesh’s garment industry.

However, Disney’s decision to move production was reportedly prompted by a November 2012 fire at the Tazreen Fashions Factory in capital Dhaka. A total of 112 people died in the accident. It is also believed a September 2012 fire in a Pakistan factory that killed 262 garment workers was a factor in the decision.

In his letter to vendors, president of Disney Consumer Products Bob Chapek wrote:

“After much thought and discussion we felt this was the most responsible way to manage the challenges associated with our supply chain.”

Disney has said it will continue to source production from other countries such as Cambodia and Haiti. The company states it will only use factories that partner with the Better Work program as run by the International Labor Organization and the International Finance Corporation.

Disney’s decision to pull out of Bangladesh has been criticized by some, with Liana Foxvog, director of SweatFree Communities, writing in The New York Times:

“Disney’s decision to pull out of Bangladesh is shameful and should not be emulated. Global companies have made huge profits by using Bangladeshi factories for years. Now is not the time to walk away. If more companies left, it would be catastrophic for the country’s garment workers, who are already impoverished and have few other job options.”

“Although Disney may not have had that much production in Bangladesh, their policy change may lead to an exodus of other brands. What’s worse, Disney’s decision validates and justifies many factory owners’ practice of hiding their real problems from the global brands.”

What do you think about Disney pulling out from Bangladesh? Let us know in the comments.

Disney Pulls Out Of Production In Bangladesh After Factory Collapses is a post from: The Inquisitr

Roy Oswalt has signed a minor-league deal with the Colorado Rockies for 2013.

The 35-year-old, who last pitched with the Texas Rangers, will report to extended spring training as he prepares again for a place on a major-league roster. It’s estimated Oswalt will require a few weeks to get back in baseball shape.

The veteran right-hander’s spell with the Rangers saw Oswalt go 4-3 with a 5.80 ERA as a starter and 59 strikeouts.

However, Oswalt’s finest years came while he was a member of the Houston Astros. In his nine years at Minute Maid Park, Oswalt was in the top six for Cy Young voting on six separate occasions.

His lengthy Houston career ended when he was traded to Philadelphia in 2010.

A three-time all-star, Oswalt’s career has seen the pitcher rack up a 163-96 record, a 3.28 ERA and 1,818 strikeouts.

He has spent his career at the Houston Astros (2001-10), Philadelphia Phillies (2010-11) and the Rangers (2011-12). As a member of Team USA, he won a gold medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics.

The pitcher has enjoyed an impressive start at Coors Field. In his five career starts there, he is 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA.

Roy Oswalt took to his Twitter Thursday to reveal his deal with the Rockies, at first teasing:

Exciting news in 10 minutes stay tuned

— Roy Oswalt(@royoswalt44net) May 2, 2013

Before making his big reveal:

Always loved the mountains , im back!

— Roy Oswalt(@royoswalt44net) May 2, 2013

Rockies fans, what do you think of news that Roy Oswalt has signed? Sound off in the comments!

Roy Oswalt Signs Minor-League Deal With Rockies is a post from: The Inquisitr

Amanda Bynes has reportedly told a publicist she doesn’t “want to live anymore.”

Jonathan Jaxson told RadarOnline he believed the star was high on drugs when she called him Wednesday night and said she wanted to kill herself. “Amanda had called me and we had a private conversation,” said Jaxson, “But it was clear to me that she was high on drugs.”

Added the PR man, “Then, she said she didn’t want to live anymore. I took that as that she wanted to kill herself. I freaked out.”

A panicked Jaxson contacted the police by phone before tweeting the New York Police Department’s account with the message below:

“I just spoke to @AmandaBynes and she is soooo messed up on drugs and please @NY_POLICE find her and help her! I don’t know her address! @TMZ”

Jaxson says he later received a call from an officer explaining that Bynes was “fine.”

The publicist also revealed Bynes had previously told him about her desire to end her life. He tells RadarOnline this latest conversation was different:

“This time, I had a mental image of her in a bathtub, wanting to hurt herself. Then I saw a photo of her in her bathroom that she’d posted on Twitter. I freaked. I did not know what else to do.

“I thought consciously about it for a minute and decided to call the authorities. I thought, ‘I have to do something to save her.’ When someone tells you they don’t want to live anymore, that in itself would provoke anyone who cares. I know that Amanda is a person crying out for help.’

Many Twitter users are concerned that Amanda Bynes is undergoing a very public meltdown on the social media site. Over the past few days, the 26-year-old star has posted numerous pictures of herself in various states of undress, culminating in her tweeting topless pictures yesterday:

Long hair don’t caretwitpic.com/cnhlbk

— Amanda Bynes (@AmandaBynes) May 2, 2013

Bynes has responded by saying she’s done “nothing wrong,” and has already threatened to take legal action against media outlets that suggest otherwise:

“I’m suing every blog, every magazine, every news source that’s saying I’m doing anything wrong ‘erratic behavior’ is not me! I’m suing In Touch, Us Weekly, Perez Hilton for hiring paparazzi who follow me then take the worst photos with the worst angles.”

News that police had called at Amanda Bynes’ residence brought a concerned response on Twitter from Jenny McCarthy, who got an earful of abuse from Bynes for her gesture. The pair later made up.

Amanda Bynes Reportedly Told Publicist ‘I Don’t Want To Live Anymore’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kris Kross’ Chris Kelly, who died on Wednesday afternoon at the age of 34, took cocaine and heroin the day before he passed away.

That’s according to Donna Kelly Pratt, who is listed in a police investigation report as a “close friend” of the rapper but is actually believed to be Kelly’s mother.

Access Hollywood obtained a copy of the police report, in which Pratt says Chris Kelly took a mixture of heroin and cocaine the night before his sudden death. She added that “they brought Kelly home to recover from his drug use and had done this several times in the past.”

Pratt says Kelly, who was one half of ’90s rap duo Kris Kross, felt nauseous all Wednesday morning before passing out.

Lamar Williams, uncle of Chris Kelly, alleged in the report that his nephew “had an extensive history of drug abuse.”

Access Hollywood also notes that Kelly conducted a phone interview with a “DJ Akini” for “The Streetz Morning Grind” radio show in Atlanta just hours before his death.

“You know how I party,” Kelly said during the interview.

“You know I don’t wanna hear that,” responded Akini.

“I know man, I apologize,” came Kelly’s reply.

You can hear Chris Kelly and Akini’s conversation at the station’s website.

Kris Kross shot to fame in the ’90s when their hit song “Jump” topped charts across the globe. The rap duo, who were famous for wearing their clothes backwards on stage, recently staged a comeback performance at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre. You can see the video for “Jump” below:

Kris Kross’ Chris Kelly Took Cocaine And Heroin Night Before His Death, Says Friend is a post from: The Inquisitr

A college friend of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev texted the Boston Marathon bombing suspect to tell him: One of the Boston bombers “looks just like you.”

19-year-old Dias Kadyrbayev (pictured above with Tsarnaev) sent the text three days after bombs had killed three people and injured 260 more at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Kadyrbayev was responding to the images of the bombing suspects released by the FBI. Tsarnaev’s reply to his friend was simple and potentially incriminating:

“LOL. You better not text me … come to my room and take whatever you want.”

Kadyrbayev, who knew Tsarnaev at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, showed Tsarnaev’s message to a friend, Azamat Tazhayakov, another of Tsarnaev’s college acquaintances. The text exchange was one of the first clues used by the FBI to identity one of the Boston Marathon bombers.

Kadyrbayev’s astute and chilling observation could have landed him in hot water.

The teenager and Tazhayakov are accused of helping Tsarnaev get rid of incriminating evidence. Along with 19-year-old American citizen Robel Phillipos, they face charges of conspiring to obstruct justice and making false statements. If convicted, Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov face up to five years in prison, while Phillipos could receive a maximum sentence of eight years.

Court papers in their trial note how Tazhayakov “believed he would never see Tsarnaev alive again” when Kadyrbayev showed him the bombing suspect’s text. As it happens, he just might – albeit behind bars.

Friend Texted Tsarnaev: Boston Bomber ‘Looks Just Like You’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASCAR veteran Jeff Gordon achieved a 214mph top speed at Tuesday’s tire test in Indianapolis.

A cool track, long straights, fresh tires, and cars with grip all contributed to some eye-wateringly fast speeds during the session with all drivers reportedly topping 200mph.

After Mark Martin mentioned on Twitter that he’d reached 212mph along the backstretch, Gordon asked his team about his own top speed. The answer surprised even him.

“They said 214 and I said, ‘My gosh, it really is fast,’” Gordon told The Associated Press.

Furthermore, Gordon was also told every car had surpassed 200mph. To put that in perspective, Denny Hamlin won 2012′s Brickyard 400 pole with a lap time of 182.3 mph. 41-year-old Gordon, who’s won all four of his Cup titles with Hendrick Motorsports, was quick to praise the new Gen-6 cars:

“Like so many other tracks, this car adapts well, it sticks really well to the track. I’m pretty happy today because I think it went well.”

The fast speeds recorded by the entire field seem to defy the warm summer months, which typically see a decrease in speeds. Pundits also consider the new Goodyear tire compounds, introduced in 2009, to be behind the improved performances.

“You want balance so the car enters the turn comfortably and that’s what we had,” reflected Gordon. “But it was definitely wearing a little more than we wanted it to.”

The same drivers will return to the track May 1 for a second closed practice session. Such trials allow drivers to gain valuable information before other drivers can take their new vehicles onto the track.

NASCAR: 214mph Top Speed Recorded By Jeff Gordon In Indianapolis is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Chicago Cubs move could be on the cards after owner and chairman Tom Ricketts threatened to move the team out of Wrigley Field if his plans for a big, new video screen are blocked.

Ricketts says the team requires fresh advertising revenue to fund a $500 million renovation of the legendary ballpark. The new video screen would provide a new channel of income, something that Ricketts views as crucial if the Cubs are to stay at the 99-year-old stadium.

“The fact is that if we don’t have the ability to generate revenue in our own outfield, we’ll have to take a look at moving – no question,” Ricketts told reporters after he had outlined renovation plans to Chicago business leaders.

It may be unimaginable for the Cubs to play anywhere else but The Friendly Confines, but Ricketts seems deadly serious. At the same time, he says he remains fully committed to thrashing out a deal.

Negotiations over the screen have been ongoing for months now. While video screens are a common sight at major ballparks across the nation, Wrigley Field is encircled by privately owned clubs with rooftop bleachers. Owners of these venues have made every effort to object to changes that could end up obscuring their views into the stadium, changes like a 6,000-square-foot video screen, for instance.

Legal action could yet happen over the dispute. The rooftop businesses have been kept out of discussions over the proposed screen, but argue they should be involved as they have a contract in which they share 17 percent of their revenue with the Cubs.

Ricketts continues to deny that the video screen would obscure the bird’s-eye views enjoyed by the venues, even presenting an architectural rendering of the video screen during his speech to the City Club of Chicago. Any impact on the views would be minimal at worst, he argues, pointing out that the screen is “midsize” compared to those at other MLB stadiums.

Without the signage, Ricketts says the Cubs are losing out on a cool $20 million a year in ad revenue, a crucial sum that will be required if extensive renovations are to go ahead. Otherwise, taxpayer funds may have to be used to prevent a Chicago Cubs move. In his speech to the City Club of Chicago, Ricketts said:

“All we really need is to be able to run our business like a business and not a museum.”

Ricketts and his team submitted their full renovation proposal to the city of Chicago on Wednesday, and are now waiting eagerly for approval from the City Council and city planners.

The plan also requests the team plays more night games and includes a 175-room boutique hotel across the street, a new clubhouse and upgrades for fans.

Can you imagine a Chicago Cubs move taking place? Surely, if any team is inextricably linked to their ballpark, it’s the Cubs.

Chicago Cubs Move? Owner Will Move Team Out Of Wrigley If Video Screen Plans Are Blocked is a post from: The Inquisitr

South Korean politicians have proposed new legislation that would regulate video games in a similar fashion to drugs and alcohol.

Representative Shin Eui-jin, a member of the conservative Saenuri Party and a former medical professor, says the proposed laws would help promote a “happy and healthy society.”

Fourteen other representatives have backed the bill, which would allow the South Korean government to regulate online gaming, drugs, alcohol, and gambling by controlling their manufacturing, distribution, and sale.

South Korea’s National Assembly has yet to vote on the bill, but there has already been a backlash from the country’s large gaming industry and gamers. One industry representative told Inews24:

“It is regretful that the government views games in the same category as drugs and gambling. [This administration is] talking about a creative economy and yet are constantly trying to regulate one of our leading industries for content business.”

Meanwhile, Korean game site Gamemeca (via Kotaku) notes the bill contains questionable language such as:

“The governing body shall have the right to regulate manufacturing, distribution and sale of addictive substances and can also limit promotion of them as well.”

That, reports Gamemeca, implies the government could interfere with game development, releases, and promotion.

Many in South Korea believe gaming addiction is a serious problem in the country, which boasts a large competitve gaming scene.

The government in Seoul spends around $10 million per year to fund internet and gaming addiction treatment centers. Previously, Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has attempted to clamp down on gamers who play into the early hours of the morning.

South Korea Proposes Law To Regulate Games Like Drugs Or Alcohol is a post from: The Inquisitr

North Korea has sentenced a US citizen to 15 years of hard labor.

State news agency KCNA reports that Pae Jun-ho, known in the US as Kenneth Bae, was accused of anti-government crimes and plotting to overthrow North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. He was tried and sentenced on April 30. A KCNA report confirms:

“The Supreme Court sentenced him to 15 years of compulsory labour for this crime.”

Mr. Bae was detained by authorities in November 2012 after entering North Korea as a tourist. North Korean media reported last week that Kenneth Bae had confessed to various charges of crimes against the communist regime. His crimes carried the death penalty.

The 44-year-old was arrested in the northeastern port city of Rason, a special economic zone near North Korea’s border with China. He is reportedly a tour operator of Korean descent, and is the sixth US citizen to be detained in North Korea since 2009. Other US detainees have been journalists and Christians accused of seeking to convert others.

Speaking Monday, US State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said:

“The welfare of US citizens is a critical and top priority for this department. We call on the DPRK [North Korea] to release Kenneth Bae immediately on humanitarian grounds.”

Whether Kenneth Bae will serve his 15 years in the notorious North Korean labor camps is not yet certain. US citizens previously arrested in North Korea have been released after intervention from high-profile American figures.

This includes politicians such as former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. In 2009, Clinton helped negotiate the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two US journalists who were accused of entering North Korea illegally and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor.

Whether Kenneth Bae will also be used as a bargaining chip by North Korean authorities is not yet known.

Kenneth Bae’s sentencing comes at a time of high tensions on the Korean peninsula following the North’s third nuclear test. In recent weeks, the hermit state has threatened South Korea and the US with nuclear warfare.

The Amnesty International report below reveals more about North Korea’s network of political prison camps:

North Korea Sentences US Citizen To 15 Years Of Hard Labor is a post from: The Inquisitr